Talk of the Town

by Suzanne Macpherson

  He found her red T-shirt and gently slipped it over her head, guiding her arms into it. It didn’t help.

  “Is that better?”

  “No. Yes, no.”

  “Very definitive.”

  “It’s only been a few weeks. How did we get to this place?” Kelly put her hand up to the light and stared at the ring. His hands were warm on the small of her back.

  “How about you come back home with me in my extremely cool ’56 Chevy and talk about it over dinner? Faith made beef bourguignon. All the women in town seem to think I need food when things are out of whack.”

  “Out of whack. That’s us, right?”

  “No, that’s me up until today. I kept trying to talk myself out of the fact that I fell in love with you in the first three days. Now come with me. I have things to whisper in your ear. And it’s damn cold in here, in case you didn’t notice. Bring that rock with you. We’ll talk.”

  The October night chill had descended, and it got damned cold all of a sudden. She slipped off the counter and groped for her jeans and other assorted clothes. The velvet box went in her front pocket. In case she wanted to put the ring back in. Was she nuts even considering this?

  “Wait, Sam.”

  He was jeaned up and ready. He came to her.

  “Yes. The answer is yes. Yes, yes, yes.”

  Chapter 14

  Kelly was rummaging in his fridge wearing his black silk boxer shorts and her red bra. He admired her curves from across the counter. She’d been working on the Shipley house and sleeping here with him at the apartment for three days now. It felt wonderful. It felt like what he wanted.

  “Oh, my God, there’s something alive back here! Oh, it’s just olives staring at me with pimento pupils. Hey, there’s actually enough stuff here for a decent omelet!”

  Sam smiled at her backside. “Can you cook? That’s the thing with whirlwind courtships. There’s some basic things we’ve neglected to find out about each other,” he said.

  “More importantly, can you cook?” she replied, emerging from the fridge, shaking a limp scallion at him.

  “I think there’s a gourmet chef in me, waiting to spring to life. I just need an audience.”

  “That’s good. I love a man who can cook, because I really can’t. Although Dottie has offered to teach me. Let’s see, what else? I can see you’re fairly clean. Not obsessive, are you?”

  “I don’t think so. Look in my junk drawer.” He pointed.

  She opened the drawer, looked, and nodded with approval. “Total disaster. Good. And what about kids?”

  Sam gave her a funny look. Junk drawers to kids in one jump. “We talked about that, remember?” he said. “I suggested you start your own large and happy clan of kids with a good childhood. I’m picturing a pile of kids and dogs.”

  “How many is a pile?” Kelly looked serious.

  “Three…or four.”

  “Dogs?”

  “Two big ones.”

  “Which, dogs or kids?” They both laughed. “I think we can work with that,” she said, and came flying across the room to him and threw herself in his arms. “I love you, Sam.”

  He held her as she kissed his face all over. “Now,” he said as he emerged from the kiss, “we need to set a date for this thing, and dive into the mess—china, cake, swatches, all that stuff. How soon can you move in here?”

  “How about today?” Kelly said.

  She surprised him—and he also felt a scallion in her hand when he reached for it.

  “You’ll have to make room in your closet, and all that, but I think we should try it out right away. Uh-oh, what about your parents? Will they be all right with this?” Kelly took a bit of the onion, chewed, and made a face. “Oh, I went too fast, didn’t I? Sorry.”

  “Kelly, I’ve waited my whole life for this. Fast is not a problem. The onion you just ate isn’t even a problem. We do need to call my parents in Italy, but they have waited a long time, too. They’ll be thrilled.” Sam knew it was true because he knew they’d believe his heart.

  He also knew there was one more thing to put on the to-do list. Clear his fiancée of a murder charge. Just a small detail.

  Kelly seemed to be pretending it didn’t exist. Sam figured he’d give her that gift for a while. He’d put Peter Brody on the watch down in L.A. Peter would call him the minute the case broke, and Sam could keep preparing her defense on his end, just in case. Above all, they needed to lie low if Kelly refused to turn herself in. Time was on their side. He needed time to get this solved.

  Right now his heart was very happy. He gathered Kelly up and kissed her, scallion breath and all. They could deal with it all—one step at a time. “How about a November wedding?” he whispered softly.

  “Late November.” Kelly answered him. He pressed her against the refrigerator, tasted her neck, and decided breakfast could wait.

  Lynnette thwacked the folded-up Wednesday morning Paradise Pioneer down on the counter at Cora’s. She stared at the photo of Sam and Kelly spread all over the announcement page. The photo showed Sam picking up Kelly and carrying her over the threshhold.

  Local Couple Engaged in Haunted House. Sam looked great, but Kelly was blurry—and blonde.

  The story talked about the peachy project Miss Applebee had cooked up at the Shipley house and the surprise announcement during one of the work parties. How nice of the press to cover the whole mess. They should have written: Miss Atwood Bianchi Applebee, recently arrived murderer with possible mob connections, hoodwinks local hero, her next victim.

  Lynnette felt a cold chill, and a big pain ran through her neck and up to her temples. So now the bitch was a blonde. Great disguise. Something about that really bothered her.

  She reached for her coffee and knocked it all over the paper. It puddled up and started to run over the counter. Cora came over with a bar rag and mopped up.

  “Refill, Lynnette?”

  “No thanks.” Lynnette snapped. She bolted up and stomped out the door. It was time. Why should that dye-job hussy be happy with Sam when she couldn’t have him? Besides, Kelly Atwood would probably kill Sam in his sleep like she did her last husband.

  Lynnette climbed in her Trans Am and took off like a shot aimed at the sheriff’s office. Then she slowed down. Timing was critical. It had to be big, and public, and scandalous. That was the only way Sam would see the truth. Lynnette swung into the A&W drive-through and ordered a chocolate chip mint milk shake. She thought better on dairy.

  Myrtle was making up the round bed with clean sheets when Kelly walked into the bedroom. She was amazed at Myrtle’s flexibility.

  “Myrtle, how do you stay so…limber?”

  “Yoga. A bunch of us old gals meet at the grange hall every Thursday night. Seven-thirty. Remember? I tried to get you to go. Mrs. Armen-trout bends us all like pretzels.

  “Then I do my own twice a week with Guru Bob on my tape player. He’s cute. What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into now, honey?”

  “Oh, Myrtle.” Kelly couldn’t help herself; she felt tears start streaming down her face. But these tears were different.

  “And quit that crying, you’ll look like a red-nosed reindeer.” She pulled a Kleenex out of her pocket, reached over, and wiped Kelly’s eyes gently. It was a surprising gesture. Kelly reached for Myrtle’s hand and gave it a squeeze of affection. “Quit it now, or we’ll all crack”

  “Myrtle, you’ve been so wonderful to me. You are the best mom I ever had. These are happy tears. I feel so lucky finding you, and finding Sam. Can you believe I’m engaged?”

  “You deserved a break, sweetie. I just happened along. But nothing could have kept you and Sam apart. It was fate.”

  “I almost believe you at this point.”

  “You both looked so cute in the paper this mornin’ just like that movie with what’s-hername’s daughter…you know, An Officer and a Gentleman. Him carrying you over the threshold of that haunted house. So romantic. I hope he wasn’t too much of a gentlema
n; that boy has too many polite genes sometimes.”

  Kelly smiled at her with genuine love. Myrtle was something else.

  “Now come here and help me make this bed,” Myrtle said.

  Kelly obeyed. “I was a little worried about the newspaper photo, but I’m fuzzy, blonde, he’s carrying me, and it’s the Paradise Pioneer. I figure, hey, the only person that’s going to see it and get crazy is Lynnette.”

  “I’d steer clear of that filly for a week or two, that’s for sure.” Myrtle straightened up and stretched herself around like a cat.

  “Okay, on a lighter note, I’m here for my Halloween suit and—to get my stuff,” Kelly said. “Sam asked me to move in.”

  “I figured that was coming. I’ve got yer costume pressed and ready. Dottie did the pressing. She actually likes to iron. It’s a peach of a costume, if I do say so myself. The three of us outdid ourselves this time.” Myrtle dusted off the back of her black velvet leggings and straightened up her crochet sweater with a big pumpkin appliquéd to the front. “Me, I’m gonna be a witch this year. I’m gonna make a pot of coffee in the parlor. See ya later, alligator. Now clean yer room, will ya? It’s a mess in here.”

  Kelly gave her a real-live-replacement-mom hug. Myrtle patted her, then cruised out the door.

  In a few minutes Kelly heard Myrtle’s voice downstairs at the front door, loud as hell. “Hey there, Sam, go get that girl shaped up. Get her outta my hair. She’s messy as a pig in a mudhole. Hope you’re ready to hire a maid!” She heard a loud smacking noise, and when Sam appeared in the doorway, he had a set of orange lip prints on his cheek.

  He stood there leaning against the doorframe and just took her breath away. His hair was tousled from the wind: his short-sleeved polo shirt showed off his strong, muscular arms. He had a smile on his face that lit up his blue eyes, and suddenly she could see what her future children would look like. Yep, she was going to marry this one. She threw a black lace brassiere at him.

  “Sam, hang this on the door, will you?”

  He hung the black bra on the outside knob and shut the door. She sat on the floor with the sunlight playing on her wild hair, her green eyes enticing him. Sam moved to where she was, knelt, and kissed her, lowering her underneath him into a soft pile of clothes.

  She responded to him with warmth and passion. He had never known a woman to move his heart so thoroughly, so quickly. He was going to marry this one.

  The Shipley house glowed eerily in the darkness of Halloween night. Shrieks shattered the steady stream of organ music. Outside, the October wind added just enough of a howl through the old house to be truly authentic. Kelly was pleased.

  She had dressed herself as the ghost of Elvira Shipley, one of the three sisters who last owned the house. She wafted from room to room scaring the daylights out of everyone—including a pack of high school kids.

  Occasionally she’d take up a chair in the dining room and hold very still until someone came in the room, then she’d come to life and pour tea. Even a few adults gave a scream.

  This was probably the most fun she’d had in, oh, ever. Not once in her entire childhood had her mother ever gotten it together to make her a costume or participate in any classroom party. But at least her own love of school got her up and onto the bus every morning, wherever they were at the time. Kelly learned to shop the local Goodwill early in life, and probably part of her fashion sense came from being inventive with other people’s castoffs.

  Well, that was the past. This was now. She’d forgiven her mother for her inability to cope with life long ago. Now Kelly just needed to learn to cope with her own. And for once, she just might have gotten lucky.

  Sam couldn’t believe the amount of work Kelly and the others had accomplished.

  He walked through the main floor. This house really was quite amazing. The fireplaces were white marble. The front parlor had deep window seats. The faded wallpaper and old wide-trim molding just added to the haunted feeling

  The kitchen, his favorite spot in the house, was huge. The cabinets were dated cream-colored metal with black handles. The sisters probably did it over in about 1950. There was a pantry and a keeping room attached, big enough to create an open kitchen and family room. Sam suddenly had a vision of what it could become.

  The wind was really kicking up. He hoped the power would hold. Kelly didn’t know the famous Paradise blackout history. They had power outages quite often around here. Maybe he’d better get a flashlight.

  “Sam, we need some more hot cider. Turn up the heat on that pot, will you?” His favorite ghost came flittering up behind him. “Love your costume. What are you, a gentleman cowboy?”

  “Yep, string tie, black hat, and boots are all a fella needs to get by around here.”

  “If that’s all you had on, we’d be upstairs in the four-poster bed. Of course, we’ve had some fun right here, haven’t we, cowboy?” Kelly moved up closer to him. “I’d kiss you, but the white stuff on my face will smear on that great jacket.”

  “I’ll consider myself kissed. The jacket came from my granddad. The original gentleman cowboy of 1944.” He stroked her satin-covered arm gently and kissed a couple of fingertips. “Your haunting is a big success. Most of the town has passed through here today.”

  “We’ve collected a bundle.”

  “Happy Halloween, Kelly. It’s our first.” He put his arms through her many gauzy panels and found her lovely body wrapped in the silky gown. Smooth. He ran his hands down her back and pulled her close.

  The lights flickered. “Oh, no.” Kelly said. “We’ve got an hour left. At least all the candles are battery-powered, and we filled every hall sconce and chandelier with them. It won’t go totally dark. Except in here.”

  Total pitch-black surrounded her one second later. She heard some genuine screams from upstairs.

  “Hold my hand, Kelly. The dining room is just behind that swinging door. We’ll feel along the walls.”

  “Don’t let go, Sam.”

  “I won’t.”

  Kelly held Sam’s hand and arm tightly as they moved slowly toward the faint outline of light seeping under the dining room door at the end of the room.

  A shadowy figure entered the kitchen. Her eyes hadn’t adjusted yet, and she couldn’t identify who it was. “Who’s there?”

  Sam turned. “Who is it?”

  The figure didn’t answer, and in the dark they heard nothing further. Kelly thought the person probably left. Sam kept moving. He reached the door and swung it wide. Kelly looked back into the kitchen and caught the movement of someone fleeing the room. A dark cloak covered the figure’s head.

  “Sam—”

  “I saw. Stick by me.”

  The dining room’s candelabras were glowing enough for Kelly to see around her.

  “Kelly, sit here and wait. I’m going to see who that was. Scream if you need me.”

  “Be careful, Sam.”

  He vanished through to the kitchen. It couldn’t be anything really dangerous—probably just a kid playing pranks. Kelly picked up the silver teapot she’d polished and poured some lukewarm cider into a paper cup. Maybe someone would wander in here.

  The wind howled up through the slightly open window behind her. It gave her a deadly chill. The satin gown she wore was far from warm. She got up to shut the window. When she turned back, a woman stood in the doorway.

  “Wow, great costume,” Kelly said. “Would you like some cider? I’m sure the lights will be on soon. We’ve got a backup generator.”

  The woman put her finger to her lips, gesturing Kelly to be silent. Her black garments floated around her. Kelly’s throat constricted as a sound tried to escape. She stared in fascination and fear, backing herself into the far corner of the dining room.

  The dark-cloaked figure moved silently through the room. Kelly slid herself behind one end of a huge china hutch. Fear coursed through her like an electric shock. What if Raymond’s killer found her?

  The hood fell away. It was Lynnett
e. Lynnette, for crying out loud. She kept moving toward Kelly. Lynnette’s face looked twisted in the light of the flickering fake candles.

  “Trick or treat, Kelly, what a fun little event you’ve cooked up.”

  “You startled me.” Kelly regained an ounce of her senses. She wasn’t going to let this bitch scare her. She was a city kid, after all. A tough city kid.

  “Quite the masquerade. Love your new hair.” Lynnette’s voice sounded odd.

  “Thanks.” Kelly put a hard edge on her own voice. What did this woman want from her life, besides Sam? She stepped out of the corner and straightened herself up.

  Lynnette had been walking toward Kelly one step at a time. “Congratulations on your engagement. Enjoy it while you can, Kelly.”

  “Thank you.” Sam’s voice came from the far doorway, strong and loud. He strode over to Kelly. “The Millers will have the generator going in a few minutes. Everyone’s fine. They all think it’s a great lark.” Sam took Kelly’s arm and stood firmly beside her.

  Lynnette looked like she had something to say but changed her mind. “Good night, Sam,” she said, then turned quickly and made her exit.

  “Sam, Sam, I-I thought she was someone else.”

  “She is someone else. A woman who needs a new hobby. You’re freezing.” Sam took off his brown wool cowboy jacket and wrapped her up in it. “Damn, this room is cold.”

  “Thanks, Sam. You’re my hero anyhow. Thanks for chasing off the spookiest guest of all.”

  “You’re cute when you’re scared out of your wits.”

  “Oh, thanks. Let’s go see to scaring our other guests a few more times, then we’ll talk about that string-tie boot thing again.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Sam took Kelly’s hand and led her through the dining room. The generator kicked in and the house lights dimly lit up. Kelly went ahead to waft up and down the stairs, which left Sam to brood. He’d talked to Tom already, but Tom couldn’t watch Lynnette all the time. She was getting out of hand. Maybe she really wasn’t so harmless. He’d have to keep an eye on his fiancée. A very close eye.