by Susanna Carr
“I’m investigating the maid of honor.”
“Say what?” Her voice went high. “Heidi?”
Cole clapped his hand over her mouth before she said any more. “Yes. And don’t look for her. We can’t let Heidi know we’re talking about her.”
“Heidi,” she repeated against his hand. She pulled his hand away. “Why are you investigating her?”
“I can’t tell you. I’ve already said too much.” He had to keep some things confidential but he wanted Angie to know what he was doing with his life. Despite the fact they were no longer together, he wanted her to be proud of his accomplishments.
She pressed her fingers against her forehead as if she were trying to wrap her mind around the news. “Heidi is not interesting enough to have a secret life.”
“Don’t blow this for me.” He looked over his shoulder. Everyone was still cheering as Tiger and Robin played up to their audience. He didn’t see Heidi in the crowd.
“You already blew your best bet for the night. Heidi wanted a lap dance from you. Why are you wasting your time with me?”
He refused to give a lap dance to Heidi or any other woman in this club. It was different with Angie. “I can’t interrogate her while I’m thrusting in her face.”
“That would require special coordination,” Angie admitted. “But listen, I won’t say anything to Heidi.”
“Thank you.” He stood between Angie’s legs but was reluctant to leave. “One more thing.”
“Oh, my God, what?” She looked upward and groaned with frustration. “I swear this is the longest lap dance in history.”
“What can you tell me about Heidi?” he asked. “What do your instincts tell you?”
Angie’s eyes widened as if she were shocked. “Is this why you came over?” she asked indignantly. “To pump me for information?”
“It’s not the only reason.” He also had to stop her from telling anyone about his work history. But he wasn’t about to mention that to Angie.
“I don’t know much about her,” Angie said through clenched teeth, “But I can tell you that she’s no criminal mastermind.”
“What’s your impression?” He could rely on her opinion. Angie had to figure people out very quickly as a personal trainer.
“She’s shallow. Fake,” Angie stated. “Doesn’t play well with others.”
From the surveillance he’d done, that could describe the bride and the other bridesmaid. “What else?”
“She’s very loyal to Britt— Hey—” she flattened her hand against her chest “—I’m not your informant. If you want to know anything, go give a lap dance to Brittany’s assistant. Cheryl knows everyone and everything about this wedding.”
Cole sighed. There were occasions when he really questioned what he had to do for his job. Think of the end result. You are bringing a family back together. You are giving someone else the happy ending you didn’t get.
“Here.” She thrust her twenty-dollar bill in front of him. “Don’t let me keep you.”
Cole looked at the money and waited. He had called in a lot of favors to masquerade as a stripper for his surveillance, but it had been made very clear that he had to act like the other dancers. No exceptions. “I can’t take it like that. House rules.”
She made a face. “Like there’s a policy?”
“Actually, there is.” He smiled, knowing Angie wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “If you don’t want to put it in my pants, I can take it with my teeth. But first you would have to put it between your—”
“All right! I’ll just give it to you.”
Cole braced his legs and laced his hands behind his head. He leaned back and tilted his hips forward. He watched Angie silently, wondering what her next move would be. He assumed she would be quick, but instead Angie curled her fingers around the waistband of his leather pants.
His muscles clenched as her knuckles rubbed against his hipbone. Cole hissed in a breath as he felt his penis get hard. He wasn’t going to be able to hide his reaction. It would take the last of his self-control not to take her hand and press it against his erection.
Cole closed his eyes, praying for restraint, when a frightened scream ripped through the air. He whirled around and instinctively held Angie back when she jumped from her chair.
“Over there.” Angie motioned at Brittany, who stood by an empty table. The bride-to-be pointed at the floor.
Cole ran forward. He felt Angie right behind him. There was something about that scream that had sent a chill down his spine.
He saw a woman lying on the floor, partially under a table. She was facedown and a tablecloth hid her from the waist up. All he saw were two legs and silver stilettos.
“It’s Heidi,” Angie said.
3
“BACK UP,” ANGIE ordered the women surrounding Heidi. She followed Cole, pushing her way through the crowd. “Give her some space.”
Angie crouched down next to Heidi and watched Cole carefully roll her onto her back. She knew first aid and CPR for her job, but she was glad he was with her. He was calm and in control during times of crisis. She knew she could depend on him.
“Someone call an ambulance,” she called out to the crowd as Cole checked the maid of honor’s airway.
“I’m on it,” Cheryl said as she got her phone out of her tiny purse.
“What do we have here?” she asked Cole. She slid Heidi’s golden bracelet aside so she could check the woman’s pulse. She noticed Heidi’s skin was warm to the touch.
“Airways are clear and she’s breathing.” The relief in his voice was unmistakable.
“Pulse is strong.” Angie addressed the other guests. “What happened? Did anyone see her fall? Did she faint?”
She saw the women shrug and shake their heads. From the murmurs and snatches of conversation, it was clear that no one had seen Heidi after her lap dance. She had her spotlight and then melted back into the crowd.
“Is she on anything?” Cole asked in a low, confidential tone.
“I have no idea.” She had spent a lot of time with Heidi in the past week, but she wasn’t that knowledgeable about the maid of honor.
“I didn’t catch that.” Brittany was at Cole’s side. Her movements were choppy and frantic. “What did you ask?”
“Is she on any medication?” Angie quickly rephrased the question and Cole gave her a look of gratitude.
“How should I know?” Brittany tossed up her hands as her voice rose to a shriek. “Check her purse.”
Angie looked around. The floor was sticky and pink from a spilled drink and a martini glass was next to Heidi’s hand. She found the handbag under the table and opened it. “Cell phone. Credit card. Dollar bills. Lipstick.”
Cole glanced up. “That’s it?”
Angie had thought the same thing. For someone who was as high-maintenance as Heidi, she expected more. At least a bag of beauty products. “I don’t think anything is missing. This purse is too small.”
“Keys? Driver’s license?”
“I don’t think she brought them along,” Angie said. “She took the party bus like the rest of us.”
“We should roll her onto her side.”
Angie knew why Cole suggested that. Heidi could vomit if she was intoxicated or under the influence. They eased her sideways and put her in the recovery position.
To her, it was very obvious how she and Cole still worked in sync. In the past they could share a mere look and understand. Or she could say a word—not a sentence, not even a phrase—and Cole would know what she was talking about. She thought the year apart would diminish their shorthand communication, but it was all still there.
“Does anyone have a jacket I can use?” Angie asked the other women. “Something to keep her warm while we wait for the ambulance?”
“I’ll go find something,” Cheryl said before she hurried away.
Cole gently tipped Heidi’s head back to keep the airways open. He went still when he cupped her head. Angie was imm
ediately aware of his wariness. That was one thing she wished had disappeared since they broke up. She was too aware of him. She knew the instant when his mood shifted. He would show no change in expression but somehow she knew.
She leaned over Heidi and blocked Cole’s face from the crowd. “What is it?” she asked.
He pulled his hand away. She saw the dark stain on his fingers. “Blood.”
“What did she fall on?” She examined the table next to Heidi. There was no blood on the white tablecloth.
Cole’s expression was grim. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “I think she got hit.”
“With what?” She glanced around. All the tables and chairs were in place. The metallic vases were upright and not a flower was out of place. The drinking glasses were plastic. She had no idea what could be used as a weapon.
“This isn’t happening,” Brittany wailed as she stomped off. “I should have known Heidi would do this to me.”
Robin ran over to her and wrapped her arms around Brittany’s shoulders. “It’s going to be okay.”
“How can you say that?” Brittany started to cry. “My party is ruined.”
Angie rolled her eyes and moved closer to recheck Heidi’s pulse. “Remind me never to be around Brittany when there’s an emergency.”
“I recommend staying clear when she finds out one of her friends did this.”
* * *
COLE SQUINTED AS he checked out the strip club. The building was a lot different when all the lights were on and the music stopped. The paramedics had left with Heidi on a stretcher and now the place felt barren and deserted. The white tablecloths and colorful flower arrangements couldn’t hide the utilitarian setting.
“Anything else?” he asked Linda, the first officer on the scene. He remembered her from the force. Sometimes he missed the camaraderie at the police station. He missed having a partner. Having backup.
“Yeah, I really like the outfit, Foster,” Linda said as she tapped her pen against her notebook. “It’s so you.”
He crossed his arms and glared at her. He couldn’t wait to get out of these leather pants and put a shirt on. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve already heard it from the other guys. I’m sure all the customers are curious about how I know everyone.”
“They can think you’re friends with a few guys in law enforcement. Get over it. We have more important concerns. Now let me go over this statement again.”
Cole took a deep breath. Linda was right. It didn’t matter if they found out he was an ex-cop or a private investigator. He needed to know what happened to Heidi. It bothered him that he got distracted and she was injured on his watch.
“So,” Linda began as she perused her notes, “you were giving a lap dance.”
He pressed his lips together. “I was undercover.”
She raised her eyebrows. “To your ex-girlfriend.”
“She’s a bridesmaid.” He glanced over to Angie. She was sitting alone, her arms and legs crossed, her face tilted away from the rest of the guests. She was quiet and thoughtful while the others chatted or used their cell phones.
“And the lap dance was how long?”
“I wasn’t keeping track.” Cole spotted Linda holding back a smile. He winced. He was never going to hear the end of this. “What hospital is the victim going to? I should notify her family.”
The woman’s smile disappeared and she gave a nod, sliding back into her professional demeanor. “I’ll find out and get back to you.”
“Thanks.” He gestured back to where they had found Heidi on the floor. “What do you think happened?”
Linda shrugged. “I think drinking and high heels don’t mix.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think that’s it. Something is not right.”
“You suspect foul play? Because I don’t see that. I see it as bad luck. Is there something about your case that you’re not sharing?”
“It’s about the angle that she fell. We found her face-first but her injury was on the back of her head. And why didn’t she break her fall with her hands?”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean someone hurt her.” Linda pocketed her notepad and stepped away. “We’ll find out more when she regains consciousness.”
Cole rubbed his hands over his face. He had found Heidi two weeks ago and had been investigating her life. He wished he had more answers.
He turned and walked over to Angie. He paused in midstep. Was that wise? She was distracting him. It would be best to talk to the other women and to ignore her presence.
No, he couldn’t do that. He quietly sat down next to Angie. He wasn’t sure what to say but he wanted to be there for her. He knew what she was like after a scare or an emergency. She did what needed to be done and then her adrenaline kicked in. He wanted to keep watch over her.
“Why are you sitting all the way over here?” he asked. Angie was always friendly and could talk to anyone about anything. He always liked that about her and wished he could be the same. It was a skill he had to develop for his job but it didn’t come easy.
“I’m about ready to tackle Brittany if she doesn’t shut up,” she answered. “I’d rather not do it in front of the police.”
Yes, he’d made the right decision. He would have to watch her closely or she would let her emotions get the best of her.
“Don’t you find it weird that Brittany hasn’t shown any concern for Heidi?” Cole asked as he watched the bride-to-be pace the floor. “All she’s worried about is whether this affects her wedding ceremony.”
“You never know how someone will react in a stressful situation,” Angie said. She paused and glanced at him. “But, honestly, I expected this from Brittany.”
“Why?” Brittany wailed as she sat down with a thump. Several women rushed over to pull her back up. “Why did she have to have an accident right before the wedding?”
“Does she expect you to go over there?” Cole asked. “You are a bridesmaid. Isn’t taking care of her one of your duties?”
“Not going to happen,” Angie said. “What did the police say about Heidi? Was it an accident?”
“The police are treating it as one. I can’t say that it wasn’t.” He hoped it was an accident. If someone harmed her, he had no evidence of motive or means.
“I warned her not to wear those heels!” Brittany’s voice rang through the club.
“Great, now she’s revising history.” Angie slid down in her chair. “You may have to hold me back.”
He knew it was all talk. Angie could take down a man twice her size but the only time he’d seen her use those skills was in the bedroom. Cole smiled as he remembered those lighthearted moments and the hot sex that came after. He shifted restlessly in his seat and tried to focus on something else. “How do you know she’s not telling the truth?”
“Brittany told Heidi to buy those shoes,” Angie said. “We were at the mall picking up last-minute stuff for the party.”
Cole watched the police leave the scene. “Seems like everyone can go home now. I can finally get out of these leather pants.”
“And this bachelorette party from hell has officially ended.” She tensed beside him. “Brittany is coming over here. I will not be held accountable for my actions.”
“Think of Patrick,” he advised. “The guy has been your best friend for years.”
“That should count for something. He’s only known Brittany for a year.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said, feeling suddenly weary. He knew from experience that Angie needed to take a step back and keep her mouth shut or she would regret it. “Patrick will choose Brittany’s side over yours every time. Take my word for it.”
Angie gave him a sharp look as if his advice revealed something she hadn’t seen in him. He was almost grateful that Brittany was suddenly standing in front of Angie.
“We’ll need an emergency meeting,” Brittany told Angie as she tried to wipe the mascara streaks with a tissue. “Meet up at the usual Starbucks tomorrow afternoon at fou
r.”
“Why?” Angie asked. “Are we going to visit Heidi?”
“We don’t have time for that,” Brittany said, dismissing the suggestion with the wave of her hand. “We have to decide what happens if Heidi can’t be maid of honor. A groomsman will need to be let go. Then we have to rework the processional and recessional. I really don’t need this extra work.”
“Your maid of honor was seriously injured at the bachelorette party,” Angie reminded her.
“Careful,” Cole muttered.
“Shouldn’t you postpone the wedding? Maybe downsize it?” she said hopefully.
Brittany took a step closer. “I’m already down one bridesmaid.”
Angie frowned and her mouth was set in a straight line. “But...”
“Angie—” Brittany’s voice dropped “—I have planned my wedding for years. I have waited for this day. Nothing and no one is going to get in my way.”
Cole didn’t like the threat he heard in Brittany’s voice. He grasped Angie’s forearm, reminding her that he was there as backup. He was tempted to pull her behind him and wedge himself between Angie and Brittany.
Angie went rigid. He sensed her struggle, but after a tense moment, Angie nodded and smiled. “Got it.”
“Good.” Brittany glared at Angie before she swiveled on her impractical heels and stalked off. “Be at Starbucks by four.”
Cole watched the bride-to-be leave. Every step pulsed with hostility. “What would happen if you didn’t show?” he asked Angie. “Would you get kicked out of the bridal party?”
“Oh, if only,” she said as she pulled from his grasp.
Cole studied Angie. “You’re really not enjoying this wedding.”
“I have to deal with that,” she said, gesturing at Brittany, “and I have spent way too much money on the dress. Brittany also expects us to attend all these events. I’ve been to six wedding showers. Six! I don’t think I can take much more.”
“You can’t miss anything?” An idea started to form.
“Not one! Which is why I had to take off work for the next week.” She stopped and took a long, deep breath then released it. “I shouldn’t complain. This is Patrick’s wedding and I’m glad he wants me to be part of it.”
