Class Reunion of Murder

by Vanessa Gray Bartal

  He left and she looked helplessly around. She pulled out her phone and stared at it. Should she call Jason? Did she need his permission to have lunch with another man? Someone whistled a mindless, annoying tune and Lacy’s head came up with a snap. Michael. He had never looked better to her. She bustled into his shop and dragged him back out again.

  “I need you,” she whispered.

  “I knew it,” he said.

  “I’m having lunch with the guy from the governor’s office. I don’t know how not to flirt with him.”

  Michael rested his hand on her arm. “I’m sorry to tell you this, love, but you’re horrible at flirting.”

  “I know, that’s why I need you.”

  “I’m confused,” he said.

  “I need to not do or say anything embarrassing in front of this man,” she said.

  “Then you need a miracle,” he replied.

  She grabbed his shirt and tried to shake him. “You’re right, okay? I babble when I’m nervous, and I do things so embarrassing that no amount of therapy will be able to erase them from my memory. I also can’t read vibes or signals, and I’m afraid he’s going to think I’m hitting on him. I am not going to take the chance of messing things up with Jason, and I need you to come with me and be a buffer. Please.”

  “All right, calm down.” He peeled her fingers off him.

  “I can’t calm down. I spit my doughnut at his feet.”

  “A simple hello would have sufficed.”

  “Michael!”

  “I see we’re past the point of being able to laugh at ourselves. Take a breath and pull yourself together; it’s going to be okay. I will tag along and assure your boyfriend of your undivided loyalty.”

  “And keep me from doing or saying anything else embarrassing,” she added.

  “I’m only human, Lacy.”

  She took a shaky breath and tried to head off her impending flop sweat.

  “Seriously, you have to relax.”

  “I am not cut out for schmoozing,” Lacy said.

  “Love, if you had any idea your true worth, you could achieve world domination,” Michael said.

  Lacy was so used to his teasing and provoking that she was disarmed by his occasional sweetness. They reached Ben’s car before she could make a reply. She insisted that Michael take the front seat because of his long legs. He rescued her by making polite conversation with Ben all the way to the restaurant. By the time they arrived, she had gathered herself and was feeling calm once again. Ben seemed to take Michael’s presence as the gentle rebuff it was. He didn’t attempt to flirt with her again. The three of them maintained a pleasant conversation over lunch, and she dropped Michael at the StakelyBuilding with a smile of genuine gratitude.

  “Thank you,” she mouthed. He touched his fingers to his forehead in a silent salute and disappeared inside the building.

  “On to the reunion committee,” Ben announced as they made the short drive to the hotel. “You’re not going to dump me off on some boring chairperson who will tell me the entire history of your high school, are you?”

  “I’m going to leave you with Mrs. Madsen, but I wouldn’t worry that she’ll tell you the history of the school. She’s probably start with the original town charter and go from there.”

  He groaned. Lacy laughed as he held the door for her. Jason was standing at the desk, writing something. He turned toward the sound of her laughter with a smile that faltered when he saw Ben. She could see him running through a mental list of people they knew, trying to figure out if Ben was somehow connected to the reunion.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi,” he said, his smile returning. She sidled up to him and rested her hand on his forearm. He looked mildly confused by her display, probably since she was the one who wanted to keep their relationship quiet for the time being. But she hadn’t been able to stop the rush of gladness she felt upon seeing him again, especially after her stressful morning.

  “This is Ben Montgomery, the governor’s aide. Ben, this is Detective Jason Cantor.” She dropped her hand on Jason’s arm as the two men shook hands. Jason’s arm slipped around her. The pose felt casual and relaxed with only a hint of possessiveness.

  “I used to be a cop,” Ben offered. “The hours were killer. I never had time for anything. Being a suit fits me better.”

  “The hours take their toll,” Jason agreed. “Having flexible friends is definitely a bonus.” He gave Lacy’s shoulder a squeeze.

  Friends, Lacy thought, glad she hadn’t introduced him as her boyfriend. Months of buildup, weeks of dating, and they were still friends. Ouch.

  Mrs. Madsen swept out of the conference room and descended on Ben. Lacy made the introductions. He cast a plaintive look at Lacy when Mrs. Madsen’s conversation began with the year 1784. She smiled and waved as he was led away.

  “Seems like a nice guy,” Jason commented. “Were you together all morning?”

  “Mostly,” Lacy said. “I gave him a tour of the StakelyBuilding and we went to lunch with Michael.”

  “You had lunch with Michael,” he said.

  Explaining that she had dragged Michael along to assuage any jealousy issues on his part now felt ridiculous. “Michael and I are friends,” she said, easing out from under his arm as she turned toward her office.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as he followed behind her.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  “Geez, not fine. Anything but fine.” He closed the door inside her office and leaned on it.

  Lacy sat and pulled out the payroll she needed to finish. “How was your day? How’s Brady?”

  “Brady’s touch and go, and so was the day. It’s a mess, and I’ve got nothing. You know what’s weird?”

  “Hmm,” she said absently as her mind shifted to work.

  “For the past two days as I’ve interviewed people, I’ve heard story after story of all the wretched things Summer did, and yet I have no idea what she did to you.”

  “What makes you think she did anything?” Lacy stalled.

  “Some things you’ve said about what a miserable, horrible bully she was.”

  “You know what’s weird?” Lacy said.

  “Hmm,” he said.

  “For the past few days as I’ve interviewed people, I’ve heard story after story of all the guys Summer hit on, and yet I have no idea if she hit on you,” Lacy said.

  He sank into the chair across from her desk. “Pretty much every day since eighth grade.”

  “And nothing ever came of it?” For all her meanness, Summer had been outwardly attractive.

  “We kissed once at a party. Didn’t take. She tasted weird, which was unexpected because she was a health nut like me.”

  “Gross. Also, are you sure you weren’t secretly a band kid? Because that’s one of the oddest statements I’ve ever heard.”

  “Tone deaf. And I could never be with a woman who doesn’t taste good.”

  “It’s not getting any less gross or odd,” Lacy said.

  “For the record, you taste like lemon drops,” he said.

  “I’m not sure if I should be flattered or get tested for diabetes,” Lacy said.

  “Maybe both,” he said, grinning. “Now, I fessed up my Summer story. You show me yours. Also, I’d like to hear your Summer story.”

  She flicked a paper clip at him. He caught it but otherwise sat waiting patiently for her to talk. “Summer did a lot of stuff to me. Most of it was just annoying. She took things from my bag—pencils, books, magazine cutouts of Colin Firth. One time she locked me and another kid in the band room for hours. The potted palm almost became a potty, but the janitor let us out in the nick of time.”

  “Those sound properly annoying, but I sense that you’re holding out on me,” he said.

  Lacy took a deep breath. Time to come clean. Before she could start, there was a quick knock on the door, and Eddie, the day manager, stuck his head in. “Excuse me, but there’s something weird going on in the conference r
oom.”

  Jason stood, instantly on alert. “What do you mean weird?”

  “A bunch of people came in wearing robes, like priest robes. I’m not sure, but it looked like they had weapons,” Eddie said. Jason began striding toward the conference room before he finished speaking.

  “Lacy, go back to your office and stay there,” Jason commanded.

  “That’s likely,” she said. No way was she letting him enter a scene of armed lunatics alone.

  “This is not a civilian matter,” he tried.

  “It’s my hotel,” she said. “And you’re not the boss of me.”

  He latched onto the back of her shirt and dragged her behind him, but she still managed to push her head into the door as he opened it. They both stared at a group of her friends as they sat in the middle of the conference room wearing priestly robes and swords. They were murmuring quietly together. Lacy couldn’t catch any of what they were saying.

  “What are they doing?” Jason whispered.

  “I have no idea,” Lacy said.

  “They’re your friends,” he said.

  “This wasn’t something we ever did at band practice.”

  “What are you doing?” Tosh eased up behind them and began trying to see inside the room, too.

  “We’re trying to figure out what they’re doing,” Lacy said. She moved aside so Tosh could see.

  “No way,” he whispered, but his tone was filled with excitement.

  “What?” Lacy and Jason chorused together.

  “You really don’t know what this is?” Tosh said. “Lacy, think. You know this.”

  Lacy turned back around to study the group. There was something off about their swords, and then she got it. They weren’t swords; they were sabers—light sabers. “They’re Jedis,” she whispered to an unenlightened Jason.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said.

  “This is so awesome,” Tosh said.

  Their whispers finally caught the attention of the gathered group. “Come in,” Carter invited, putting up a hand to beckon them inside. “We wanted to talk to you anyway, Lacy.”

  Tosh pushed them aside and tumbled into the room.

  “I think I’ll skip,” Jason whispered so only Lacy would hear. “Last week when I met with the Easter Bunny, he told me not to associate with Jedis anymore.”

  “I’ll see you later,” Lacy whispered.

  He caught her hand before she could move away. “I hope you’re better than fine by then.”

  “I’ll work on it,” she said.

  He glanced at the assembled group once more. “I don’t think we should raise children in this town,” he muttered, and then he was gone.

  Lacy was left blinking at the spot he had just vacated, a little dazed. Had he said what she thought he’d said? That last comment had sounded like a whole lot more than friends, unless he meant it in a general way.

  “Lacy, are you coming?” Tosh called. He was clearly anxious to be a part of whatever was taking place.

  “What’s up, guys?” she asked as she took a vacant chair between Carter and Tosh.

  “This reunion coincides with our Jedi council meeting,” Carter said. He was obviously the leader of the group. “Like the reunion, this is a big year for us. It’s our decade anniversary and kind of a big deal. We’re staging a scene, and we need extras.”

  “You want me to be a Jedi?” Lacy clarified.

  “Well, we’re missing a few key players. Most everyone who is already here wants to be a Jedi warrior. It’s kind of an honor.”

  “I’m not following,” Lacy said.

  “We want you to be our Leia,” Carter said.

  Lacy blinked at him. Tosh’s hand shot in the air. “Do you need a Darth Vader? Please say yes.”

  “No, actually, we have that covered. We just need Leia,” Carter said.

  Tosh took Lacy’s hand and gave it a hard squeeze. “How badly do you need me to be your Leia?” Lacy asked, ripping her hand from Tosh’s death grip.

  “Pretty badly,” Carter said.

  “Then Tosh gets to be Vader,” she said.

  Carter stared at her, considering. She felt a little silly that she was wasting valuable negotiation skills on something that didn’t exist. Tosh raised his hand again. “I have my own suit. It has a voice modulator.”

  Carter leaned away from them, and the Jedis conferred in furious whispers. “All right, the stranger can be Vader, but this goes no farther than this room.”

  “You have my word that I will not repeat this story to anyone,” Lacy promised. There was probably no way to keep people from finding out she was going to be Princess Leia in the near future. She didn’t want anyone to know how desperately her best friend and brother-in-law longed to be Darth Vader.

  After her role was settled, Lacy was dismissed. Tosh stayed to help plan the event, whatever it was. Jason was nowhere to be seen, and Lacy was glad because she needed to finish payroll. With no distractions, she was able to finish in short order. She was just standing to leave when Jason opened the door and stepped inside. Lacy could tell by his expression that the news was dire.

  “Is it Brady?” she asked.

  “In a manner of speaking. He’s still hanging on, but a witness has come forward. Apparently Brady had a screaming match with someone after you left.”

  “But that’s good news, right? I’m in the clear,” Lacy said.

  “It’s good news for you, but it’s bad news for someone else.”

  “Who?” Lacy asked, instinctively knowing the answer wouldn’t be good.

  “Lacy, it’s Kimber.”

  Chapter 10

  “Kimber, I think you should call an attorney,” Lacy said.

  “Lacy,” Jason said. He didn’t exactly shush her, but his tone had the same effect.

  “What? She should.”

  “We’re just having a conversation here,” Jason said.

  “That’s cop speak for anything you say can and will be used against you,” Lacy said.

  “Lacy,” he said again in the same warning tone. “Your presence here is a courtesy and can easily be undone. It’s going to be very awkward to kiss you later if I have to throw you out of the room now.”

  Lacy crossed her arms over her chest and sat back. For the moment, her loyalties weren’t divided; they remained wholly with Kimber. Jason was seeing her as a suspect, but he didn’t know her the way Lacy did. She would never hurt anyone, ever, not even Summer or Brady.

  Kimber sat in much the same position. It was obvious she resented Jason’s impending questions.

  “So, Kimber, let’s chat,” Jason said. He folded his hands on Lacy’s desk and smiled. Kimber relaxed slightly and uncrossed her arms.

  “Don’t let him fool you,” Lacy said. “He’s trying to disarm you with charm. Keep your guard up.”

  “Woman, you’re working my last nerve,” Jason said. “One more word and I will toss you on your cute little behind.”

  “It’s my office,” she grumbled.

  He used his fingers to make a punting motion toward the door. She made a show of zipping her lips and he turned his attention back to Kimber. “You were supposed to meet Lacy here on the seventeenth,” he said.

  “Yes, and I did,” she said.

  “But according to hotel records, you checked in on the sixteenth,” Jason said.

  Lacy shifted in her seat. Jason shot her a warning look, but she remained quiet. She hadn’t known Kimber arrived that early.

  “I got here late at night. My parents go to bed early, and I didn’t want to disturb them. Lacy had already made arrangements with the hotel, so I stopped by and dropped my suitcases. The bed looked inviting, and I stayed. I got up the next morning, went to my parents’ house, and met Lacy that afternoon.”

  “And on the night of the seventeenth, you stayed up talking,” he said.

  “That’s right,” Lacy volunteered. “Until the wee hours.”

  “Exactly how wee?”

  Lacy scoured
her memory, trying to remember what time they had fallen asleep. “I fell asleep at four,” she said.

  “The coroner estimates Summer’s time of death between four and five,” Jason said.

  “But Kimber fell asleep, too. I saw her. I heard her snoring.”

  “Girl, I don’t snore,” Kimber said. “You’ve been saying that since college, and it’s still not true.”

  Jason didn’t comment, but Lacy could tell what he was thinking. Faking sleep would have been easy. Kimber could have sneaked out, and Lacy would never have known.

  “Time of death estimates can be off,” Lacy said.

  “That’s true,” Jason agreed. “Lacy, we’re on the same side here. I’m trying to get some answers, okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed and tried to relax.

  “Tell me about the argument with Brady,” he urged Kimber.

  “It probably sounded worse than it was. I walked by him. He said something, a standard racist remark, one he said to me a lot during high school, and I went off. Years of stuffing down my anger and indignation finally erupted. I yelled. Brady yelled. He shoved my shoulder, and I punched him in the face.”

  “You punched him in the face? I kneed him. If we had been together, we could have taken him for sure,” Lacy said.

  “It was satisfying, but I hurt my hand,” Kimber said.

  “Let me see,” Jason said. He held out his hand. She put hers into it for his inspection. He turned it over a few times, noting the bruise pattern. She winced. “It might be fractured.”

  “It’s fine,” she said.

  “So, you and Brady yelled at each other. He shoved you. You punched him. Then what happened?”

  “Then it was over. I walked away.”