“Lacy,” Kimber warned.
“What?” Lacy asked.
“I’m not moving back here. Ever.”
“Why do you automatically assume I mean you? I know other artists, and so does Michael. He’s been instrumental in getting the word out to bring people in.” She owed him a lot, and she was puzzled by that. Michael was a newcomer who showed no interest in the town, except for the StakelyBuilding. In that area, his commitment and passion matched hers. He brainstormed with her, brought suggestions of his own, and attended town council meetings when Stakely business was being discussed. Of course more business for the StakelyBuilding meant more business for his guitar shop, but she sensed his interest went deeper than financial. Despite his constant teasing, they had become friends, but he still remained a bit of a mystery.
“You’re calculating, I can tell,” Kimber said, drawing Lacy back to the present.
“You’re paranoid,” Lacy said. “Have I mentioned a word about you moving back here? No. By the way, how is Andy?” Andy was a friend from college, one whom Kimber’d had a crush on since freshman year. They lived in the same city, though Kimber was too proud to ever admit she had followed him there.
“Andy is still Andy. He’s great. We spend most of our weekends together, platonically. He really gets me, you know? When I dropped out of med school and started sculpting, Andy was the only person who didn’t suggest therapy, present company excluded. Thanks for that, by the way. I really appreciate your support. My parents certainly didn’t understand how I could set aside a promising career in medicine to be a sculptor.”
Lacy hadn’t either. But at the time, she had been so mixed up that it had seemed hypocritical to offer unsolicited advice. Not that Kimber would have taken it, anyway. There was a time when Kimber had been a world-class people pleaser. After figuring out who she was and what she wanted, she now leaned the other direction. Pride or anger tended to make her contrary.
“I would love to see some of your stuff in person sometime,” Lacy said. “I have a feeling that the internet doesn’t do it justice.”
Kimber brightened. “Come for a visit. Andy misses you, too.”
“That would be great, but I’ve been so busy lately. Maybe you could bring some of your pieces here.”
Kimber stopped short and planted her hands on her hips. “Lacy, I am not moving back here. Ever.”
“How does me wanting to see your work equal an invitation to move back home?”
“I know you,” Kimber said and faltered. “Or I used to. Something is definitely different with you. Tonight, you’re going to spill your guts until I figure out what it is.”
“That sounds delightful. But first, we have the reunion party.”
Kimber’s expression turned bleak. “Oh, that.” She clutched furtively at Lacy’s arm. “It’s not still going to be like high school, is it?”
“No, of course it’s not,” Lacy said. “High school was a long time ago. We’re not the same people we were then. We’re grownups. We’re totally different.” Her impassioned speech was ruined when she tripped on a root and sprawled on the sidewalk.
“Yeah, this is going to go well,” Kimber said. She put down a hand to help Lacy up. Lacy brushed herself off and refused to let Kimber’s pessimism encroach. She wasn’t the same person she had been in high school. She was a secure, confident woman now. Jason was proof of that. He couldn’t be there tonight, but he would show up tomorrow. What could go wrong?
As usual, Lacy would regret asking herself that question.
Chapter 3
“Your chin is bleeding.”
Lacy touched her fingers to her chin. They came away slick with blood. “I must have bashed my chin on the sidewalk when I fell,” she said. Unconsciously, she ran her tongue over her teeth and grimaced. The corner of one of her front teeth was chipped, not enough to effect the nerve, but enough to catch on her tongue and be annoying; she would have to have it fixed, the sooner, the better.
They arrived at the Heritage Inn. “I can’t believe we walked here,” Kimber said. “Good thing I arrived early and set up my stuff in our room. Just for my own curiosity, should I plan on walking everywhere this week?”
“How comfortable are your shoes?” Lacy asked.
“Not as comfortable as my car,” Kimber returned. “At some point, I’m going to have to walk to my parents’ house to retrieve it.”
“Not tonight. Tonight, we party,” Lacy said with an attempt at being upbeat. They headed to their room to touch up their appearance before the reunion party. Lacy caught her reflection in the mirror and groaned. Her chin was covered in what looked suspiciously like road rash. How had she not registered hitting it on the sidewalk when she had landed with enough impact to chip a tooth and slough the skin away from her face? Now her chin was red and pebbled, as if she’d had an acute outbreak of acne. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered. This was supposed to be her night, her emergence from the awkward adolescent cocoon. Now she looked like the “before” of a Clearasil ad.
Kimber stood behind her and observed in the mirror while Lacy tried to cover the newly bright red and oozing patch of skin. “I once saw Jason Cantor catch a football behind his back while sprinting up a set of bleachers,” Kimber said.
Lacy paused and eyed her with a scowl. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around you two. What could you possibly see in each other?”
What could he possibly see in you, was what Kimber meant. “Two weeks ago, I got my head stuck in his mailbox. He had to call his buddy on the fire department to cut me out. It was mortifying, but after it was over, he didn’t say a word. He kissed me and made me an omelet.”
“I’m missing the moral of the story,” Kimber said.
“He doesn’t seem to care that I’m me. I spent a long time waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for him to come to his senses and realize I’m the statistical anomaly for every situation. Now I’m beginning to understand that he already knows and likes me anyway. It’s a nice feeling to be me for once and have it be enough.”
Kimber blinked at her and refrained from comment. Lacy could tell she didn’t get it. Kimber was a practical, rational-minded person who didn’t go in much for love. Her unrequited crush on Andy was possibly the only hint of romance she had ever shown. Still, her doubts were awakening Lacy’s insecurities. What was Jason doing with her? He was Jason Cantor. Would this reunion finally cause him to see what a mistake he was making with her?
No, no, no, no, no, no. She put her hands over her ears and shook her head like a wet dog trying to get dry. She would not give in to her fears. She and Jason had a solid relationship built on friendship and mutual attraction. They weren’t together because there was no one else. They weren’t together because the town was small and they were bored. They were together because they wanted to be, because they cared about each other, because they liked each other. They were together because they couldn’t stay apart. “We have a good thing going,” she insisted. Kimber shrugged. Lacy fought a flicker of annoyance. She had known the relationship would come as a surprise, but not this much of a surprise, not an unbelievable incongruity.
The door opened and Riley let herself in. She shocked them both by throwing her arms around Kimber and bestowing a warm hug. Riley and Kimber had barely said a handful of words to each other over the years. To say that Kimber wasn’t a fan of Lacy’s spoiled little sister would be putting it mildly. Even before the Robert debacle, there had been no love lost on Kimber’s side. Now Riley was acting like they were long-lost best friends. Kimber sought Lacy’s eyes over Riley’s shoulder.
“She’s crazy now,” Lacy mouthed, winding her finger around her ear for emphasis. Kimber nodded and awkwardly patted Riley’s back.
“Hey, Riley,” she said.
“It’s so good to see you,” Riley said. “Welcome home.”
“Uh, thanks. Lacy tells me you’re married now. Congratulatio
ns.”
“Thanks,” Riley said. She let go of Kimber and plopped on the bed.
“What’s your husband like?” Kimber asked.
“He’s…tall and…I don’t know. He’s just Tosh.”
Lacy’s heart squeezed painfully. Tosh was so much more than tall. Did Riley still not understand the treasure she possessed?
“He’s not coming until later tonight,” Riley continued. “I thought maybe I could go to the party with you guys.”
“Okay,” Lacy drawled. Until the present moment, Riley would rather have worn a bag over her head than show up at a party with her older sister. “Aren’t any of your friends coming?”
“I don’t know,” Riley said.
Weirder and weirder, Lacy thought. Riley had been the queen bee of her social group. This reunion should have been a highlight for her, a chance to reconnect with former admirers who doted on her. Now the girl who loved nothing more than being the center of attention was acting like she couldn’t care less about the spotlight.
“Are you ready?” Lacy asked Kimber.
“Now or never,” Kimber said.
“Let’s go,” Riley said. She slipped off the bed and led the way out of the room and down the hall. They weren’t first in the ballroom, but neither was it crowded. People had been trickling into town for days, but Lacy had no idea how many of them were set to attend the party. There were much bigger events to come; tonight was a warm-up. If she had known in advance that Jason wasn’t able to make it, she probably wouldn’t have gone to this particular party. She was much more interested in the alumni band, the football game, the governor’s presentation, and the class mini-reunion at the end of the weekend.
People of all ages congregated in small groups around the room. Some were teachers Lacy recognized. Some were students from other classes she didn’t know. And then there were those she recognized and wished she could forget.
“It’s the beautiful people,” Kimber whispered, her eyes following where Lacy’s led. “None of them got fat.”
If possible, they looked even prettier than they had almost a decade ago during high school. These were the people of Jason’s ilk, football players and cheerleaders who had been in the upper echelon of popularity. Lacy could have forgiven them their perfection if they had at least been nice, but they weren’t. They were horrible to her, to Kimber, and to every other kid they deemed less. If the looks being sent their way by everyone in the room were true, then they had deemed everyone as less.
They stood in the center of the room, circling each other like wagons on a hostile pioneer trail, at least until one of them spotted Lacy. Brady Scott broke away from the group and sidled beside their trio. Lacy tried to smile, but her first reaction was to flinch; old habits died hard, apparently.
He reached them, grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat, but it was Riley whom he addressed. “Hey, Steele. You’re looking as cute as I remember.”
“Hey, Brady. I still don’t trust people with two first names. Besides, I’m married,” Riley said, waving her gem-encrusted finger in his direction.
“So am I, but what the wife doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” He winked before bestowing his too-slick smile on Lacy and Kimber. “Well, well, well, Lacy Steele. You’re looking better and better.” Before Lacy could respond, he leaned closer and made a loud cawing noise in her ear before flapping his arms and flitting away.
Riley and Kimber turned to stare at her. “What was that about?” Kimber asked.
“No idea,” Lacy lied. She plastered a smile on cheeks that were probably four shades of red. “Should we be comforted by the fact that Brady hasn’t changed? Consistency is important, don’t you think?”
“Not if you’re consistently a jerk,” Kimber said.
Brady returned to the circle and whispered. They turned as one to look at Lacy and began flapping their wings.
“Why are they doing that?” Kimber said.
“Who can understand the beautiful people?” Lacy said.
“I can, and I still have no idea,” Riley replied. Before they could question her further, Tosh arrived and provided a handy distraction. Lacy felt momentary relief and elation before remembering she had no claim over him anymore; he wasn’t there for her. He was smiling as he approached Riley. Lacy hoped that meant World War III would be averted for the remainder of the evening at least.
“Hey,” he said, leaning down to bestow Riley with an innocuous peck on the cheek.
“Hi,” she said, returning his smile as she linked her arm through his.
“What are we staring at?” he asked. He turned to survey the still-flapping group. “Why are they doing that?”
“Only Lacy knows, and she won’t tell us,” Riley said.
“Because they’re the beautiful people,” Lacy said.
“Ah,” Tosh nodded. “Who can understand the beautiful people?”
Riley frowned and tugged her arm free from his clasp.
“This is Kimber,” Lacy said before Riley’s mood could turn thunderous. What had made her so angry? The fact that Tosh lumped the beautiful people, of which she was one, together as some unknown entity, or the fact that he had inadvertently mimicked Lacy?
“Kimber,” Tosh said as he jutted his hand and bestowed his best pastorly smile in her direction. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Lacy has told me a lot about you.”
“It must be nice to have a sister-in-law you’re close to,” Kimber said, her tone full of confusion. Lacy hadn’t yet told her the saga of Tosh.
“We’re one big happy family,” Riley said. “Except for the murdered grandmother, hush-hush adoption, and secret grandfather we never knew existed. We’re practically the Waltons.”
“Okay, so I see some people I know over there. I should go say hello,” Kimber said.
“I’m coming with you,” Lacy said. Behind them, Tosh and Riley began to bicker in furious whispers.
“Things keep getting weirder and weirder,” Kimber said.
“I don’t think the weirdness has reached a pinnacle,” Lacy said as they approached a group of former band kids. Lacy hadn’t had friends in high school, but if she had, these would have been them. She had spent the most time with them, felt the most at ease with them, and had the most in common with them. Carter Denton greeted them with a huge smile. These are my people, Lacy thought.
“Shacha,” Carter said.
“Excuse me?” Kimber said.
“Shacha,” Carter repeated.
“What?” Lacy tried.
He said it again. They stared at him. “Shacha,” Tosh said, easing himself into their circle. Riley was nowhere in sight. “It’s Vulcan for hello,” he added before he and Carter began a discourse in what sounded like gibberish.
“Maybe you could speak English so we can understand what you’re saying,” Lacy said after a lengthy Vulcan interlude.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Carter said. “How are you doing Lacy, Kimber?”
“Fine,” they echoed in unison. “Where’s Jody?” Lacy added. Jody had been his high school girlfriend. The two had been so inseparable that people nicknamed them the “Klingons.”
Carter’s teeth came together with a snap. “I don’t know. We broke up in college and haven’t kept in contact since. I heard she’s coming, but I couldn’t care less. I’ve moved on.”
“Is your girlfriend here?” Kimber asked.
“Well, I haven’t moved on with another woman so much as I meant that I’ve moved on to bigger and better things than dating.”
“Like what?” Tosh said. Was he wondering what to move on to after Riley?
“Robot warfare.”
“Huh?” Lacy said what they all were thinking.
“I build robots and make them fight. It’s a booming industry,” he said.
No one knew how to respond to that because they all continued to stare at him. “So, who else is coming?” Kimber said after a few beats.
“Alex, Rob, Nick, and Tony,” Carter said.
/>
“Tony’s coming?” Lacy said. Tony Rico had been voted most likely to be the Unabomber. He had been so reclusive that he made Lacy look like a social butterfly. If there was anyone Lacy thought wouldn’t show, it was Tony, especially for this event. He had been a favorite target of the beautiful people, more than anyone else in their class.
“He’s already here,” Carter said. “I’ve seen him skulking.”
Lacy looked around, but she saw no sign of the elusive Tony. “Is Chester coming?” Kimber asked with barely masked amusement.
“I’ve heard rumors to that effect, but I don’t know,” Carter said.
“Who’s Chester?” Tosh asked.
“He’s…” Kimber began, but Lacy gave her a shove.
“Look, the punch table has been set up. Why don’t you go and get some?” Lacy suggested.
“I can take a hint,” Kimber said.
“No, you can’t,” Lacy said.
Kimber made a zipping motion across her mouth.
“Hey, it’s Mr. Mertz,” Carter said, pointing to a hunched old man across the room. “Can you believe he’s still alive?”
“Who’s Mr. Mertz, or am I not allowed to know that, either?” Tosh asked.
“Mr. Mertz was our band director. He was old then, and he was here after we left. I think he was the director for more than forty years,” Lacy said.
“They want him to direct the alumni band, but he’s having some trouble with dementia,” Carter said.
“That’s sad,” Lacy said. As they watched, he stood and began tugging at his clothes. Someone rushed over and stopped him before he could unbutton his pants. In the center of the room, the popular group began to laugh and point. The guffaws of Hillary and Summer were especially loud and piercing. They began to mimic Mr. Mertz and his feeble attempts to rip off his clothes.
Class Reunion of Murder Page 4
