Murder Takes Center Stage

by Tracy D. Comstock

  "What happened?" Ray asked, concerned at the frown marring his wife's usually happy face.

  "Back when James was getting his start in regional theater, Pearl made many of his costumes for him. He always told her that when his career took off, he would bring her along with him to New York to continue making his costumes and alterations. Then, when he got his first big part, he blew her off, saying she was too old to be of any use to him anymore."

  "That's terrible," Gabby exclaimed, her soft heart breaking for the older woman.

  "Is that what had her crying tonight?" Emily asked her mom. "Did working with him again just become too much?"

  "No, I don't think so. Well, I mean, I'm sure that her hurt has been brought to the forefront by working with him again, but from what I could get out of her, he came in before rehearsals even started to complain to her about Jeweliah's costume, saying that her work was just as generic and I think the word he used was 'pedestrian' as it always was."

  "I knew I didn't like that guy," Tad muttered under his breath.

  "No kidding." Ray nodded his agreement at Tad's sentiment.

  "I worry he's more trouble than he's worth," Gabby said with a frown. "I'm glad tomorrow night's the final dress rehearsal. Even if it does fall on Friday the 13th."

  "And a full moon at that." Tad laughed. "Pray for us teachers tomorrow. We're going to have our hands full."

  "Is Bodley planning on being at rehearsals tomorrow night too?" Susan asked.

  "Last I heard," Emily replied, trying to ignore the cold shiver that suddenly had the hair on the back of her neck standing at attention.

  Ray got up from the table to get a second helping. As he ladled up the fragrant comfort food, he mused, "You know, if the way Bodley treated Pearl is the way he's dealt with most people in this business, I'm surprised someone hasn't tried to bump him off by now. I've always heard show business was a real cutthroat industry."

  Those seated at the table nodded, but this time, Emily couldn't ignore the chills racing up and down her spine. Although her dad had just been voicing a random thought, his words fell like hammer blows in her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that somehow her dad's words were a bad omen.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Friday, the 13th of October, dawned cloudy and cool, gray clouds chasing each other across the pallid sky. Although most people might thrive on sunshine and clear weather, Emily most enjoyed rainy, overcast days. She relished the freshness brought on by stiff breezes and a good, soaking rain. Thunder and lightning filled her with awe at nature's majesty. She would rather awake to the sound of a pattering rain on her windows than the chirping of birds. But today, the electricity that charged the air before the impending storm left her feeling jittery. She blamed part of her nerves on her worry about Tad. Last night, he had dropped her off at her duplex on his way to take Gabby back to her car at the school. Although he had walked her up to the door and given her a quick good-night kiss, she knew that she wouldn't feel truly settled again until things were more simpatico between them. The rest of her own nervous energy could be attributed to her anticipation for tonight's final dress rehearsal.

  It was evident from the get-go that the students were experiencing the same nerves and excitement as she was. During first hour, her normally well-behaved class started off with an explosion between Lyndsey Murphy, playing the part of Ms. Scarlett, and Jeweliah. Lyndsey was a sweet-natured girl who pretty much got along with everyone, but Emily overheard her accuse Jeweliah of getting extra pointers from Bodley so that she would outshine everyone else on stage. Jeweliah denied this, protesting that she'd been working hard to improve her stage presence, but Lyndsey smirked and loudly whispered to her friends behind her that she couldn't be surprised at Jeweliah taking advantage of the extra help, not when her own mom was so quick to take advantage of any other "pointers" Bodley might be sharing. Emily was truly taken aback at Lyndsey's rude behavior, but before she could even break up the argument, Brenton Turner, aka Mr. Green, rushed to Jeweliah's defense, chastising Lyndsey for her crassness. Brenton was outgoing and popular among the junior class and Emily knew that Lyndsey had a crush on him. She looked properly embarrassed at being called out for her behavior and apologized to Jeweliah, who had the good grace to let the matter drop, though both of her cheeks still burned with color. Emily flashed Brenton a grateful look before getting class under way.

  The students always enjoyed Edgar Allan Poe, and as they were studying the mystery form, today they were moving on from the short story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" to the suspenseful "The Tell-Tale Heart." Emily had left the overhead lights off, and the only illumination came from the small table lamps she had placed in strategic spots around the room and the occasional flashes of lightning outside the wall of windows. The students really got into their reading, and several students actually jumped in their seats as if straining to hear the thumping heart. At just the right moment, Emily secretly pressed play on her computer, sending a quiet heartbeat through the speakers. The class couldn't have gone better, and by the time the bell rang, the students were still scribbling away, plotting their own suspenseful tales.

  Still riding the high of a successful day of teaching, Emily called Gabby to see if she wanted to catch a quick bite to eat before tonight's rehearsal. Unfortunately, the raspy voice that greeted her on the other end of the line quickly clued her in that Gabby was in no shape to be leaving the house anytime soon. With the promise of running out hot tea or chicken noodle soup or any other remedy if Gabby called, she headed to Tad's classroom to see if he was up for some dinner. She paused in his doorway, watching him run his finger through his tousled hair as he corrected a stack of tests. The occasional boom of thunder rattled the windows at his back, but he didn't turn to take in the sight of the scudding clouds, totally focused on the work before him. Admiring his strong forearms, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow as he marked papers, she thought about how much she admired this man before her. Not only was he kind and caring and easy on the eyes, but he was an excellent teacher, devoted to his students and their success.

  She knocked lightly on the door before making her way over to him. Placing the cold soda she had brought along with her on his desk, she perched on the corner and smiled down at him. "Hey, handsome. Got time for a quick bite to eat?"

  Tad popped the top on the cold can and took a long swallow, watching her closely as he did so. "I think I could be persuaded. What'd you have in mind?"

  "How about Catheryn's Cozy Café? The new place up on the square? I've heard that their chili is killer."

  "Okay, sounds great." Tad capped his pen and pulled on his jacket. Emily immediately grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door. Tad pulled back slightly, looking down at their joined hands. A sinking feeling in Emily's gut had her tightening her grip. Did she really avoid PDA that much? Tad shrugged and followed her out the door.

  They kept their conversation light, discussing their day's successes and failures as they made their way out to Tad's car under a shared umbrella and into the interior of Ellington's newest restaurant. The soft cream-and-aquamarine color scheme was soothing, and the fireplace blazing in the corner took the chill out of the rain-soaked air. They were seated at a small round table in the corner, and Emily scooted her chair closer to Tad's. He gave her a small smile before perusing the menu. As she had suspected, Tad ordered the chili, while she decided to try the loaded baked potato soup. A chilly, rainy day seemed to call for a hearty soup that would stick to your ribs and warm you from the inside out.

  They briefly discussed the play, but Emily placed her other hand on top of their joined ones on the tabletop to draw Tad's attention. "I want to tell you how much you mean to me, Tad. I've noticed recently that I don't say or do enough things to show you just how vital you are to my life. I appreciate you. I respect you. I care about you deeply. I don't want to lose what we have."

  Tad raised their joined hands so he could softly kiss her knuckles, but his smile was still sad. "I kn
ow you care, Em. I do. I guess what I worry about is where this relationship is going. Where do you see yourself in five years?"

  She sat back to seriously contemplate his question. "Well, I hope to have my master's degree completed by then, but beyond that, I don't see me leaving Ellington or a job I adore."

  "Right," Tad nodded. "But where do you see us? What changes do you see ahead for us?"

  She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little overwhelmed by Tad's questions. She knew she cared about him more than anyone she had ever met before, and she truly couldn't imagine her life without him in it, but she hadn't given much thought to the future. Honestly, she was just trying to keep her head above water until the play was behind them.

  Tad noted her hesitation and said quietly, "I know that this is a very busy time for you. And I'm here to help in whatever way I can. But I have to ask you, once this play is in the books, can you give some serious thought to us?" His grey eyes were so serious that she felt herself drowning in their stormy depths.

  With a tremulous smile she promised, "I will. I want to." And that seemed to be enough for the time being. They lingered over a piece of decadent red velvet cheesecake until Emily glanced at her Strawberry Shortcake watch and gasped. "We're going to be late!" She hated to leave this cocoon of quiet and peacefulness. She knew they had needed this interlude together, and a part of her hated that work was intruding on their moment. But the other part was anxious to get this final rehearsal underway and move things along.

  By the time they arrived back at the school, the sky had cleared, with the full moon making its appearance and a few brave stars shining down on the crowd filing into the auditorium. Mr. Greenbalm was busy arranging pastries in the front lobby, sans help from Bodley and Violet this time. He looked jovial and competent, so Emily tried to swallow back any fears of food poisoning as she hurried to the back room to check on costume fittings. She was happy to see Lyndsey adjusting Jeweliah's feather-covered hat, all animosity between them seeming to have vanished. Her mom and Mrs. Lowe had things well in hand, so she hurried out onto the stage to find Destiny. A crowd of parents was filling the auditorium, and Emily was glad the students would have a larger audience to perform in front of for their final rehearsal. Hopefully that would help alleviate some of those opening night jitters. Annabeth was in the front row with Sapphira, who was griping that she hadn't heard from Bodley all day but assumed he would be there. There was no sign of Destiny or Albert either.

  Ducking back into the wings, Emily saw her dad struggling with what looked like a large bedsheet. "What are you doing?" she asked, taking hold of one corner.

  "I wasn't happy with the way the dummy was rigged on the door last night. I want to mess with it a bit more before we have a bunch of students trooping through it. I want you to tell the students that for tonight, they can open the door and see how the dummy falls through, but don't let them use it as an exit until I have done some more finagling. I'm not going to risk turning it around and messing with it until after rehearsal."

  "Okay," she agreed, "but what's with the sheet?"

  "I thought this would be the best way to block this area from traffic. I have two stepladders under here. This way everyone will only be able to approach from the front of the door."

  "Works for me. I just need to find Destiny, and then we can get this show on the road. Have you seen her?"

  "I saw her and Albert rounding up the props."

  Emily moved to the locked prop cabinet in a back storage room, but the sound of raised voices reached her first. "What do you mean you're not sure if it was locked or not?" Destiny was shrieking.

  Emily rounded the corner to see Albert standing with his eyes low and his hands in his pocket. "We were going to dinner, remember? I placed the props in the cabinet, but I'm not one hundred percent sure I locked it."

  "Is there a problem?" Emily asked before Destiny could explode again.

  "We're missing the lead pipe and the rope, and genius boy here isn't sure if he locked the cabinet last night or not!" Destiny's face was a mottled purple, her anger a bit surprising in its intensity. Albert had yet to raise his eyes to meet her furious gaze.

  "I'm sure they'll turn up soon," Emily said soothingly. "Do you want me to help look?"

  "No," Destiny bit off. "Go ahead and give the cast a little pep talk and get things under way. We don't want the parents out there to think we're incompetent. There's been enough hoopla surrounding this play already. Albert, go check the lights area, and I'll look downstairs to see if someone accidentally left them in the other storage area." Without a backward glance, she stormed off, practically taking Ray down as she bulldozed her way toward the back stairs.

  "Be careful down there," Ray called after her. "There's a light bulb burnt out on the stairs." Destiny tossed a hand in the air in acknowledgement but didn't slow down. He raised his eyebrows at Emily, but she just shook her head and turned to Albert to try to soothe his ruffled feathers. He had already moved away. With a mental shrug, she decided she had done all she could there and returned to the stage to assemble the cast.

  After a quick pep talk and despite the absence of Bodley, rehearsal got under way. Each of the characters had made a flawless entry into the Bodley mansion when a shriek, cut off abruptly, was heard from backstage. The parents in the audience merely looked interested, assuming this was part of the play's action, but Emily and Tad raced to the wings, hearing a slight moan coming from the direction of the back stairs.

  Albert met them at the head of the staircase, a flashlight in hand and a panicked look on his face. "Was that Destiny?" he asked, swiping at perspiration on his top lip.

  Grabbing the flashlight out of Albert's hand, Tad charged down the stairs, calling Destiny's name. Emily flicked the light switch helplessly, straining her eyes to see through the gloom. "Destiny?" Tad called again. Another moan was his only answer. "More light!" he called up the stairs.

  Ray came bounding up to them, another flashlight in hand. This time, Emily followed him down the stairs. Ray and Tad's combined circles of light picked up a crumpled heap to the side of the stairs. Destiny's curls glowed in the dim illumination. Emily dropped to her knees beside the still form, brushing her hair back from her cheek. "Emily?" Destiny asked, her voice weak.

  "We're here," Emily assured her. "What happened?"

  Destiny pushed herself to a sitting position but moaned when she moved her leg. "I tripped on something at the top of the stairs." She gingerly felt around the back of her head. "And I think I hit my head when I fell."

  "Let's get you up in the light where we can see," Ray said calmly. He and Tad supported Destiny as she limped up the stairs. Once she was in the light, they could see that she was favoring her right ankle, and a large goose egg was sprouting on her temple as well.

  Albert pushed himself to the front of their little crowd. "What next?" he muttered, sinking beside Destiny. "I'm so sorry. Let's get you to the hospital to be checked out."

  Destiny pushed him away, obviously still irritated at him for his negligence with the props. "I'm fine," she argued.

  "I think it'd be a good idea. Just to be on the safe side. It looks like you hit your head pretty hard there," Ray said softly but firmly. Albert helped Destiny to her feet, her arm around his shoulder. She looked irritated and ready to pull away, but Emily and Tad both added their opinion that being checked out wouldn't hurt.

  Finally, Destiny nodded, but she didn't look too happy about it. As Albert helped her limp toward the lobby, she turned back to say to Emily, "Go on with rehearsal. I'll be fine. I just tripped in the dark."

  "Are you sure?" Emily asked doubtfully. Destiny nodded and continued on with Albert, bickering with him all the way.

  Emily turned to Tad and her dad, who both nodded their agreement as well. "You've had enough distractions over the course of rehearsals. Let's just continue on. I'm sure she's fine. Albert will take good care of her," Ray assured her. Tad turned and shone his light down the stairs.


  "What do you see?" Emily asked.

  Tad came back up the stairs, carrying the lead pipe prop. "I think this is what Destiny tripped on," he told them.

  "But how did it end up there?" Ray asked, examining the lead pipe more closely.

  "Maybe Albert accidentally carried it down there when he went to shut off lights or something?" Even as Emily asked, she didn't really believe the words she was saying. But at the moment she had to worry about getting rehearsal back on track without letting on to the assembled cast and their parents that yet another mishap had befallen their play. Although she didn't believe in superstition, she had to wonder if the kids had been on to something with their comments about the play being cursed. Destiny had assured her that the show must go on, but with a sinking feeling, Emily wondered, at what cost?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The students and parents were all milling about in the auditorium, waiting to hear what the commotion had been about. Annabeth was consulting her notes at the edge of the stage. Emily noted that Sapphira was glaring daggers at her and checking her watch. Still no sign of Bodley. She nudged Tad. "Sapphira looks upset," she hissed.

  "What's new?" Tad shrugged.

  Emily clapped her hands to get everyone's attention and told them that Ms. Willis had tripped on the stairs in the dark. She assured them all that it was just a sprain but that she was going to have it checked to be safe. She added that the light that was burnt out over the stairs would be quickly replaced so as to avoid further accidents. She hoped that would be enough to pacify everyone. The last thing she needed was parents worrying about the safety of their children under her supervision. "Now," she continued, "let's get this show on the road. I

  know Ms. Willis hates to miss seeing you all rehearse, but let's make sure we're ready to give the best performance possible."

  The students shuffled back to their previous positions on the stage, and the parents resumed their seats. Emily turned to take a seat next to Annabeth in the front row. She didn't see Sapphira anywhere and leaned over and whispered to Annabeth, noting her absence.