4 Pageant and Poison

by Cindy Bell

“Hello beautiful,” he said with a smile in his voice.

  “Did you get my text?” Bekki blurted out, feeling a little uneasy.

  “Uh,” Nick hesitated at the tone of her voice. “I'm sorry it's been a busy day. Are you okay?”

  “Yes I'm fine,” Bekki said quickly. She thought for a moment about not telling him what had happened, but she knew it would be on the news soon enough. “The organizer of the pageant Candy LaRuse died this afternoon.”

  “What?” Nick said with surprise. “Was it an accident?”

  “They're really not sure what happened yet,” Bekki explained. “There's no sign of trauma.”

  “But you're sure you're okay?” Nick asked nervously.

  “I'm fine,” Bekki promised him. “I just can't believe she's dead.”

  “Are they going to cancel the pageant?” Nick asked.

  “I don't think so,” Bekki sighed. “New York doesn't work that way, the show must go on.”

  “I see,” Nick replied. Bekki noticed a hint of distance in his tone.

  “Is everything okay with you Nick?” she asked.

  “Sorry Bekki, just working on this case, and it's a bit more complicated than I thought,” he admitted. Bekki wanted to ask him about it, but she remembered Agent Fox. She decided to avoid it.

  “What about this weekend?” Bekki pressed hopefully.

  “I really can't say Bekki,” Nick admitted. “I'm just so…”

  “Nick, I need you!” Bekki heard a distant voice call out over the phone.

  “Okay just a minute,” Nick replied swiftly. “Sorry Bekki I've got to go,” he hung up the phone before she even had a chance to say goodbye. Bekki stared at the phone for a minute, stunned. It wasn't like Nick to treat her that way. She took a deep breath and looked back at the crowd of contestants and staff that were still being questioned.

  “Well, this is quite a mess, isn't it?” Martin drawled from beside her. He had a cup in his hand.

  “I wouldn't recommend drinking right now,” Bekki warned him sternly.

  “Relax, it's just water,” he rolled his eyes. “Candy threatened to make me take a breathalyzer.”

  Bekki nodded dismissively and started to walk away from him. As she turned she nearly bumped right into Suzanne.

  “I just can't believe this happened,” she gasped out as she looked at Bekki. “She was such a good woman.”

  Bekki arched a brow slightly as she studied Suzanne. Perhaps she was the only friend that Candy had ever truly had.

  “I'm sorry for your loss,” Bekki said gently.

  “You have no idea,” Suzanne gasped out. “Oh man, I am so screwed now,” she groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. It seemed to Bekki that she was more angry and panicked than she was sorrowful. As Suzanne stormed away from her, Bekki caught sight of Jane and her two daughters huddled near one of the exits. While everyone was gawking towards where the crime had taken place, Jane was glaring at Suzanne as she walked away. Bekki noticed Jane’s obvious animosity towards Suzanne.

  Rafael showed up about an hour later. He was beside himself with frustration and shock over what had happened. Bekki was certain that someone would inform him the show was canceled, but that was not the case.

  “The show is still scheduled to start on Friday,” Rafael said quickly. “So how shaken up are you?”

  “I'm okay,” Bekki assured him. “But won't the police need to review the crime scene?”

  “If there was a crime,” Rafael pointed out. “Candy looked fantastic for her age, but she was getting up there and with all that coffee she was always drinking, it was only a matter of time.”

  His words reminded Bekki of something. Her eyes widened as she looked at Rafael.

  “That's it!” she gasped out. “I've got to talk to the police.”

  “What? Why?” Rafael frowned. “Don't get in the middle of all of this Bekki, this isn't Harroway!”

  Bekki ignored him as she hurried back to the crime scene. The young cop was there again, reviewing his notes.

  “Excuse me!” Bekki waved to the cop. He arched an eyebrow and then walked over.

  “How can I help you?” he asked curiously, his gaze lingering on her anxious expression.

  “Well, you asked if I noticed anything different about Candy today. The truth is, I did. She usually drinks a cup of coffee in the morning, but this time she drank this weird new herbal drink.”

  “A herbal drink?” the cop asked with surprise. “Do you know the name if it?”

  “Yes, it's called Natural Power! The girls get it from a herbalist,” Bekki recalled and nodded her head. “Actually,” she reached into her bag and pulled out the bottle that Jane had given to her earlier. “I have a bottle. Maybe the herbs in it interacted with something she was taking,” she suggested as she offered him the bottle.

  “Wow thanks, this is great,” the officer said quickly. “Here let me give you my card. If you think of anything else,” he jotted down his phone number on the back of the card, “just give me a call, or call the department and ask for Liam.”

  “Liam,” Bekki repeated with a slight smile, she had always liked that name.

  “You didn't drink any of this did you?” he asked her with concern.

  “No, didn't even open it,” Bekki assured him. “I'm not really into fads like these, but I didn't want to be rude when someone gave it to me.”

  Liam seemed even more interested in what she was saying. “Oh and who gave it to you?” he asked and prepared to jot down the name.

  “The mother of one of the contestants,” Bekki said quickly. “Jane,” she nodded a little. “But most of the contestants and staff were drinking them.”

  “Did you see anyone give Candy the drink?” he asked.

  “Actually,” Bekki thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “Suzanne, one of the judges, a friend of Candy's, gave it to her. She had one for herself as well.”

  Liam waved to another officer and showed him the bottle. “I want you to go around to everyone and collect these drinks, find out who has drunk them and collect all of the bottles from the garbage. And get this herbalist on the phone,” he added sternly. Bekki was impressed with the way he was speaking to the other officers. She had assumed because he looked so young that he was a rookie, but now she was beginning to think differently.

  “Thanks for the tip Bekki, and remember, call me!” he said swiftly as he turned and walked away from her. As Bekki was walking away from the crime scene she noticed Abby wiping at her eyes and looking dazed as she sat on the steps of the stage. She was barely eighteen and the sight of the dead body had probably frightened her.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Bekki asked her gently as she sat down beside her.

  “Yes,” Abby sniffled. “I just didn't expect all of this.”

  “Of course you didn't,” Bekki nodded and glanced around at the people milling about in a similar state of shock. “No one would.”

  “Here you go Abby,” Monica said as she walked up to her sister with a cup of water. “It's going to be okay,” she promised her.

  “Don't worry girls,” Marissa said as she walked up to them. “The show will still go on, and Abby, you'll have the chance you deserve.” Bekki watched as Marissa walked away, her chin held high, and her eyes glossy with no hint of grief over Candy's death. Then again after the confrontation they had earlier, Bekki didn't expect her to be bawling her eyes out.

  “At least maybe this time it will be an honest fight,” Monica commented with a mild shrug.

  “What do you mean?” Bekki asked as Monica sat down on the step beside her.

  “She means, maybe the bribery will stop because of all of this. That might be one good thing that comes out of it,” Jane, the girls' mother, announced as she joined them at the steps.

  Bekki frowned as she looked up at the woman. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes,” Jane replied. “Everyone suspects it, but no one wants to talk about it. Candy was influenced by the sponsors of the pageant
and was giving bribes to Suzanne to pick the contestant the sponsors wanted to win. That's why Monica didn't win last year. She was the most popular with the audience and the judges, but Suzanne and the old judge Allison, just went right ahead and voted the way Candy wanted,” she cleared her throat bitterly. “And I had to try to explain to my beautiful girl why she got passed over.”

  Bekki studied the three women with interest. This was the first she had heard of Suzanne cheating, but since she was the only one who seemed buddy buddy with Candy it seemed plausible that the rumor was true.

  “But you still put Abby in this year?” Bekki asked casually as the youngest girl wiped at her eyes.

  “I wanted to,” Abby said calmly. “I wanted to try to make things right, you know? Monica couldn't compete again, so she taught me everything I needed to know.”

  Bekki smiled at that, there was something to be said for pageants bringing families together, and this was a good example of that.

  “Well, I'm sorry that happened if it's true,” Bekki said calmly. “I guess Candy had plenty of people that she upset.”

  “Still,” Jane paused a moment as she glanced back towards the crime scene, before looking back towards Bekki. “No one deserves to pay the ultimate price for it.”

  “It was probably just a heart attack, or a stroke,” Bekki assured Jane, but she noticed that the woman didn't even seem to hear her.

  After such a chaotic day, Bekki decided that it was time to call Elena. She needed to get Nick and Special Agent Fox off her mind, and she needed to get the drama and tension of the pageant off her back. She had come here for some fun, and she was determined to have it. She sent Elena a quick text to see if she was available to go out.

  Bekki went to clean up the hair and makeup area for the next day. That is if there was a next day. Everyone seemed adamant there would be, but if foul play was involved with Candy's death, would they really keep the show going? There was no limit to the amount of enemies that Candy had just at the pageant, let alone other people that she encountered.

  Chapter Four

  When Bekki got back to the hotel she realized she had not been answering any of her calls. She glanced down at the phone to see a few calls from Sammy, a text from her mother to check in with her, but nothing from Nick. She thought that was a little strange, but decided not to think too much about it. She was just about to change into pajamas when her phone began to ring. She picked it right up, expecting it to be Nick, instead it was her friend Elena.

  “Are you ready to party?” she squealed into the phone. Bekki hesitated. She wasn't sure she could party anymore.

  “Sure,” she tried to sound enthusiastic. “Meet me at eight?” she suggested hopefully.

  “Absolutely there's a new club that just opened, it's fantastic, can't wait to see you!”

  Bekki smiled at her eagerness. She had missed her wild nights with Elena and was looking forward to spending time with her, she just wondered if she might have outgrown the party scene. The only way to find out was to jump in. Bekki picked out a tight white dress that had gold pin-stripes that wound in different curves and directions. These were designed to flatter her figure, and when she looked in the mirror she had to admit they did their job. She smiled as she pinned up her long, dark waves letting a few fall down across her olive skin. She hadn't dressed up this way in quite some time. Maybe if she dressed up more often with Nick, he would be less likely to ignore his cell phone.

  She rolled her eyes as that horrible jealousy began bubbling up within her. She had never been so jealous before Trevor. In fact he had been able to conduct more than one affair right under her nose, as if it was no big deal, because she simply expected him to be as trustworthy as she was. Wrong. But Nick was different, she reminded herself. Luckily, she didn't have too long to argue with herself, as Elena arrived a few minutes later. She looked absolutely radiant with her pixie cut, blonde highlighted, dark brown hair. She had the high cheek bones, widely spaced eyes and heart shaped lips to pull off the look while appearing as if she had just walked off a magazine cover. Bekki had always been in awe of her huge hazel eyes that caught and reflected every color around her.

  “Elena!” Bekki cried out and spread her arms wide open for a hug. Elena hugged her tightly and swept her up off of her feet.

  “Girl it has been too long!” Elena sighed as she let go of Bekki. Bekki bit her tongue on that comment. She and Elena had been close, but Elena had been Trevor's friend first, and Bekki had felt that Elena kind of took his side during the break up, but maybe that was because Bekki had disappeared.

  “Ready to have some fun?” Elena asked with an eager smile.

  “Absolutely,” Bekki agreed and snatched up her purse on the way out. It was a tiny clutch that could barely fit her cell phone, keys, credit card, and a little cash.

  ***

  The lights were flashing in the club and the music was pounding. Bekki felt as if she had stepped back a few years in time. The first time she had gone to a club in New York City she had no idea what to expect, and it had been much more than she could have ever imagined. The people dressed in the wildest and trendiest outfits she had ever seen, the music fresh, live, and so loud that it seemed to sink right into her bones, and of course the cost of the drinks! It was all outlandish and wild, and wonderful. Bekki had loved every minute of it. It was so different to anything she had experienced growing up, and combined with the heady sensation of being accepted by Trevor and his group of friends, she had felt as if she was in heaven. Since being back in Harroway she hadn't gone out much, so it was nice to get out again, but it didn't offer her the same elation it once had. In fact she wasn't so eager to leave the table she and Elena had staked out.

  "Come on let's dance!" her friend pleaded and tugged at Bekki's hand. Bekki laughed and followed her out onto the dance floor. There they began to dance and shift to the music, dancing with one another, but leaving enough room to make it clear that they would welcome partners. It wasn't long before they were joined by two strapping young men. One had a goatee with a little curl at the end, the other was clean shaven with the face of an angel. It was hard to choose which one to dance with, but Bekki ended up with the one with the curled up beard. She found it kind of alluring, but the dancing was just for fun. It was common at the clubs to dance with whoever was available and it rarely led to anything more. As the curly goatee man was whisked away by another woman on the dance floor, Bekki felt a sense of relief. It was fun, but really, it only made her think of how much more fun it would be with Nick.

  Suddenly she felt a pair of hands come to rest on her hips. They rested there so comfortably and with such familiarity that Bekki couldn't help but recognize them. She was certain they belonged to Trevor. But her mind battled her instincts and hoped that they were wrong. She wanted it to be just some random guy. She laid her hands on top of his and began pushing them down, trying to slide them off of her hips. He pulled her back against him instead and whispered in her ear.

  "Can't we just dance, just one dance?" he pleaded. Then she knew that it was Trevor, she recognized his voice, and the scent of cigarettes that clung to his breath.

  “No Trevor,” Bekki said sternly as she turned around to face him. “Don't make me mop the floor with you in front of this entire club.”

  “All right, all right,” he held up his hands in mock surrender and released her as he did. But the mischievous look on his lips made her certain he had not given up. When Bekki turned to look for Elena, she saw her dancing with another man. Elena caught Bekki's eye and winked lightly in her direction. In that moment Bekki realized that this might have all been a set up. Had Elena invited Trevor there on purpose? Bekki felt miserable as she made her way off the dance floor with Trevor following right behind her. She had expected that her visit to New York would stir up some emotions, but she was expecting some fun, too. As she sat down at the table, Trevor joined her.

  “Hey, why so glum?” he asked her as he reached across the table in an at
tempt to grasp her hand with his. Bekki pulled her hand swiftly away and tucked it into her lap.

  “Why are you here, Trevor?” she asked him with impatience. “I made things clear the last time I saw you.”

  “I know,” Trevor shrugged mildly as he leaned back in his chair. “But when Elena told me you left Nick back in Perfect Town, I thought maybe you'd be up for a little innocent fun.”

  Bekki pursed her lips slightly as she met Trevor's ever-heated gaze. “Oh there's nothing innocent about you, Trevor.”

  Trevor couldn't help but offer a broad predatory grin. “True,” he agreed. “If you really want me to go, I'll go,” he offered with a smug expression, as if he was certain she wouldn't deny him. Bekki reached into her purse and took a look at her phone. Still nothing from Nick. She frowned and then tucked her phone back into her purse. When she looked back up at Trevor he was scrutinizing her expectantly.

  “Like I said, just tell me to go,” he said as he leaned forward across the table, drawing just a little too close to Bekki.

  Bekki saw Elena leaving with the guy she had been dancing with. She gave Bekki another wink and waved goodbye. Now Bekki was almost certain that this was a setup.

  “Actually,” Bekki said with a slight sigh. “I don't want you to go.”

  Trevor's eyes widened at that and his lips parted slightly with a smile of anticipation as he leaned even closer to her. Bekki stood up abruptly from the table and smirked down at him.

  “I want you to stay,” she explained, her gaze full of animosity as she stared at him. “I'll go.”

  With that she walked away from Trevor, from the table, from the club, and from the memories of her time in New York which she was starting to realize weren't really all that great to begin with.

  ***

  Bekki took a cab back to her hotel, and as she rode in the back seat of it, she felt as if things were spinning a little out of control. Not only was the pageant chaotic, but her own reaction to being in New York, to being way from Nick while he was with Agent Fox, to stepping back into a version of herself that she couldn't find a way to be again, was chaotic. She drew a deep breath and attempted to calm herself. When she closed her eyes for a moment, she could imagine Nick running his fingers through her hair. He had such a soothing affect on her, it was something she had not forgotten from their summer time fling in high school. He had a way of simply comforting her, without words, just with his presence. She pulled out her phone and looked through the calls hoping she had missed one. But there was nothing. Her heart ached as she stepped out of the cab and headed for her hotel room. She couldn't help but wonder if she had made a huge mistake by agreeing to come to New York.