“That’s not my problem. It’s not a weekend,” Denise had snapped. “And anyway, you miss the weekends you’re supposed to have her. Here’s her things,” she said, shoving a Dora The Explorer backpack into Sean’s chest. “No sugary snacks, she needs a nap at 3:00 p.m. sharp, and make sure she’s ready to leave at 5:30 p.m.. And don’t bother coming out to the car with Maddie, because it only upsets her.”
“Right. Good idea,” Sean had said. “I could do without the drama myself.” His heart seemed to break a little bit more every time he had to say goodbye to his daughter.
“My heart feels for you,” Denise had said sarcastically, rolling her eyes before walking away without a backward glance.
While the small marital home he was staying in now remained unsold, Sean had initially harbored faint hopes of a reconciliation with his wife. That was another reason he’d been happy for the place to fall into disrepair, so it would be less appealing to prospective buyers. But the way Denise looked at him these days, like he was some sort of sad failure, he was pretty sure a reconciliation was out of the question.
He settled Maddie on the living room sofa, after making a show of checking for spiders until she was satisfied it was safe. “See?” Sean said, shaking the pillows. “They’re all gone.”
Maddie stared at him with a look of disapproval. Apparently, she’d learned that expression from her mother.
“I’m hungry,” Maddie wailed. “Wanna pizza!”
Sean knew the refrigerator was empty. He’d arrived back from Whistler late the night before without stopping at the grocery store. He could call for take-out, but he suspected that Denise would not approve. Plus it was only 11:00 in the morning, probably too early for lunch even by his standards.
“Okay, honey,” Sean said, switching the television channel to the Cartoon Network. “Why don’t you watch some shows, and daddy will take you out for lunch soon? What kind of pizza do you like?”
“Peppawoni,” Maddie said, sucking her thumb.
“You got it,” Sean said, exhaling. He wandered back into the hallway and took the mail from the dresser. Setting the cream-colored envelope aside without opening it, he threw some of the gaudy junk mail items into the trash basket before noticing an envelope from his employer, the Brownsdale-Evans Engineering Company.
Sean’s curiosity was piqued. Company mail was unusual, unless it was something important. He knew the company profits were up due to their work on several large projects, including a floating bridge in Washington state as well as the Whistler ski lift he was working on.
Maybe it’s a holiday bonus, Sean thought to himself. With his legal expenses mounting, Sean’s current financial situation was an endless drain on his checking account. He’d need to be careful Denise didn’t learn about any windfall, or she’d be expecting half of it. What’s hers is hers, and what’s mine is hers, Sean was fond of telling anyone who would listen. A bonus would be something to show for all the hard work he’d put in at the company, but so far it seemed to have gone unnoticed. Clark was the golden boy at work, probably something to do with the fact that a rich uncle of his seemed to pull the strings in some way.
The hairs on Sean’s neck stood up when he thought of Clark, and his privileged life. Clark had no clue what it was like to still be paying off a student debt fifteen years after graduation, or to lose his family, his home, and his self-respect.
He tore the envelope open and unfolded the letter, scanning its contents in disbelief.
The Brownsdale-Evans Engineering Company is delighted to announce….
“Daddy, daddy,” Maddie screeched. “Wanna lolly.”
Sean held his breath. His heart was racing. This could not be true.
…The promotion of Clark Blackstock to junior partner, effective January 1st. Clark has been a valued member of the firm since…
There followed a glowing biography of Clark’s career. A straight “A” student, he’d graduated from Yale with honors. Additionally, he was a member of the Washington state pro bono and local community affairs team, and on and on. And on. Was there no end to the brilliance of Clark Preppy Boy Dorkstock?
Sean slammed his fist on the dresser. Maddie had wandered into the hallway and observed him with wide, frightened eyes.
“Go and watch television, honey,” Sean said, forcing a smile. Count to ten. He could hear the calm voice of his anger management counselor in his head. Deep breaths. “Daddy will be there in a minute.”
Sean raked a hand through his hair. He couldn’t understand why Clark had been promoted, and not him. Sean had been with the company longer, and his work was every bit as good as Clark’s. Maybe Sean didn’t schmooze enough with the powers that be, but he considered it unforgiveable that he hadn’t been informed by the company personally of the situation before being blindsided by the partner announcement coming in the mail.
He looked at the screen on his answer machine and saw that the memory was full. He idly pressed the play button to start deleting the messages left by telemarketers during the two months that he’d been gone. He was contemplating taking Maddie to the park before lunch and then to a toy store. Since he saw her so little, he really didn’t care if she missed her nap. Given everything that had happened between them, he could care less what Denise would say. She didn’t have to know.
Sean was half-listening with one ear to the messages on his answer machine when he realized the message that was playing was from his engineering company. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, and slammed the button on the machine to rewind the tape.
The Brownsdale-Evans Engineering Company is delighted to announce….
Sean’s entire body started shaking. He was surprised there wasn’t a full page announcement in The Seattle Times. Heck, maybe there had been.
“Daddy, daddy…”
The veins were pulsing in Sean’s neck. “Maddie, I need you to be quiet.” His daughter was so annoying. It seemed she never stopped whining, and that was Denise’s fault. Denise had deserved it when he’d slapped her, no matter what the lawyers had said. It wasn’t his fault that when he hit her she’d lost her balance and cracked her skull. It was just an accident that could have happened to anyone.
His mouth was dry, and he swallowed. Pacing the hallway, he shut the door to the living room to block out Maddie’s incessant chatter. He needed a few minutes of quiet, so he could think clearly.
Looking down, his gaze rested on the cream-colored envelope. Trembling, he opened the envelope and looked inside. Just as he thought, it was the wedding invite for the Blackstock wedding, which was only a few days away. The reception was being held at one of the swankiest restaurants in Seattle, on the shore of Lake Washington. Sean’s mind was working overtime.
He was sure he’d heard someone at work mention that Clark was going to the Cayman Islands on his honeymoon and staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seattle in the honeymoon suite on his wedding night. Not that Sean had been interested in the slightest, but recently talk at work of Clark’s wedding had been hard to avoid. It seemed like everyone was angling for an invite. It promised to be a prestigious, no expense spared event. It was an open secret that Clark’s rich uncle was paying for everything, and that Clark would inherit his estate when he died. Sean had met the shady-looking uncle once, at an office function, when he was introduced to Sean as one of the company’s original backers. It seemed to Sean that Clark getting hired by the firm originally, and now this promotion, had the smell of nepotism written all over it. Why couldn’t anyone else see what was going on here?
Unbidden, a voice spoke to him in his head. If Clark’s uncle died suspiciously, wouldn’t Clark become a person of interest in the murder, since he was due to inherit his uncle’s estate? Maybe Clark would even be charged with murder and go to prison. Sean smiled for the first time that day.
Actually, that might be arranged, Sean thought, and then the company would need to fill that partner vacancy. Who better to fill it than someone who had been w
ith the company a long time and who was a pivotal engineer on the company’s current premier project?
He quickly filled out the creamy RSVP card that had accompanied the wedding invitation, indicating he would be attending. He put the card in the envelope provided and walked it out to his mailbox, so the mailman could take it tomorrow.
Maddie was standing in the hallway when he returned.
He gave his daughter a huge smile. “Let’s go sweetheart, it’s time for pizza.”
CHAPTER 2
“Thanks so much for watching Balto for me today,” DeeDee Wilson said as she smiled at her friend, Tammy Lynn. The two women were on the dog-friendly deck at the back of Tammy’s coffee shop on Bainbridge Island. “I feel bad about leaving him alone in the house for too long,” she continued, passing Balto’s leash to Tammy. “As it is, he spends enough time at home alone while I’m working. I’d take him with me, but I’ll probably be in Seattle all day.”
“Think nothing of it,” Tammy said. “We love having Balto here, don’t we, Buddy?” She patted her golden Labrador, Buddy. “You run along and catch the ferry. We’ll see you later.”
DeeDee noticed Balto’s ears prick up at the word ‘ferry.’ The black and white husky looked up at DeeDee with wide eyes, and started to pant.
“Uh-oh. You just said one of the F words. I’d better get out of here,” DeeDee said with a laugh. “Ferry and Food. Those are the two words that get Balto excited every time. Would you distract him while I make a run for it?”
Tammy pulled a dog biscuit from her pocket and held it out to Balto. Taking her cue, DeeDee scooted backwards and stepped through the door and back into the busy cafe.
Susie, the waitress, waved to her. “Hi, DeeDee…”
“Sorry, Susie, I can’t talk now,” a breathless DeeDee replied. “I’m running for the ferry.”
Susie laughed as DeeDee disappeared out the front of the cafe in a whirlwind, jumped into her SUV, and sped away.
DeeDee just made it to the ferry terminal as the ramp was about to be hoisted up, and she congratulated herself on not missing the crossing. It was an important day, and she didn’t want to be late.
An hour and a half later, DeeDee walked into the Starbucks on Pioneer Square in Seattle. If Tammy’s place had been busy, this place was really hopping. With two weeks to go until Christmas, it seemed as if the entire Seattle population had descended on the shopping district and had gone into Starbucks for a morning coffee. DeeDee squinted and peered around the room. She grinned when she saw her sister, Roz, frantically waving from a table in the corner.
Roz stood up as DeeDee approached, and grabbed her sister for a hug. “Careful, you’ll squeeze me to death,” DeeDee said, laughing. She noted with approval the two mugs of steaming coffee, a plate of chocolate muffins, and assorted cakes which Roz had already bought. “Looks like I got here just in time.”
“You sure did,” Roz giggled, pushing the plate of treats across the table to DeeDee after she was seated. “Five minutes later and these might have all been gone.” Roz said as she stuffed a huge bite of cake into her mouth. “I really shouldn’t eat like this,” she said, spitting crumbs as she spoke. “But since we’re heading to my final wedding dress fitting after we leave here, I figured now’s my chance. After today, I’ll have to be good until the wedding is over. I don’t know how I’m going to survive the next week without chocolate, but I suppose I owe it to Clark to get married in a wedding gown that isn’t coming apart at the seams.”
“From what I’ve seen, I don’t think Clark would care if you wore a sack,” DeeDee said. “That man adores you, but the rest of the three hundred guests might have something to say about it. What happened to the small, quiet wedding you were aiming for?”
“Hmm,” Roz said, wiping the crumbs from her mouth before sipping her coffee. “Well, Clark hardly has any family. As you know, his parents are both deceased. He has an uncle that he’s close to, and just one cousin of his mother’s that he hardly ever sees. Clark being Clark, I thought he wouldn’t want to make a big deal out of the wedding, but he said we’re only getting married once, so we may as well do it up right. He knew I wanted to have it in the church with the full works, so he said to go for it! Although,” Roz said, having the decency to look sheepish, “I may have gotten a teensy bit carried away with it all.” She shrugged. “But once the wedding planner Francesca got involved, it took on a life of its own.”
DeeDee groaned. “Oh, no. You haven’t gone totally Bridezilla on me, have you?”
“Get outta town,” Roz laughed. “Apart from it being the most important day of my life, I just want it to be a fun day for everyone else to remember. I knew your catering business would be really busy this time of year, so I didn’t want to put any pressure on you, and with me living in Whistler the past few months I couldn’t be as hands-on as I would have liked to have been. It just made sense for me to let Francesca do everything. She’s been amazing.”
“She must be,” DeeDee said, “if she was able to arrange to have the ceremony at the Seattle First Presbyterian Church on the Saturday before Christmas, on only three months’ notice. That place must be booked years in advance. It’s such a beautiful old building, and a great setting for the photographs.”
Roz nodded. “I know. I’m not sure how she swung it, and the location in downtown Seattle is great. It’s central for the local guests, and close to the freeway for everyone else.” She gave DeeDee a pointed look. “I’m telling you, DeeDee, if you ever get married again, Francesca’s your Girl Friday. She’s taken care of the wedding stationery, the flowers for the church, the photographer, the bridal car, the band for the reception, and probably a hundred other things I didn’t even know needed doing.”
“Hold it right there,” DeeDee laughed, raising her hand. “I have no plans to get married again any time soon. And as far as I know, Jake doesn’t either. At least, not to me, anyway.”
Roz frowned. “Everything okay with you guys? I thought things were going well.”
“Relax,” DeeDee said. “Things are great with Jake, I promise.” She thought of her boyfriend of six months, Jake Rogers, and the part he’d played in turning her life around. In the space of a year she’d gone from being a sad and lonely divorcée, to selling the family home in Seattle, moving to Bainbridge Island, starting a new catering business, and falling in love. The realization hit her like a sack of bricks. Her face flushed.
I am in love with Jake Rogers.
“Anyway, this isn’t about me,” DeeDee said, trying to regain her composure. She couldn’t wait to see Jake again, to feel his arms around her, and his lips on hers. “How did you meet Francesca?”
“She came highly recommended,” Roz said, giving her sister a suspicious look. “I don’t know why you don’t want to talk about Jake, but I won’t push it. Anyway, Francesca was trained as a CPA like me, so we know some of the same people. I thought since we have a lot in common we’d hit it off, but when I first met her I thought she was a bit of a witch.”
DeeDee rolled her eyes. “You’re not really selling her to me, Roz.”
“It’s fine, Sis, she has everything under control, right down to getting the roses for the bouquets dyed the same color as yours and Tink’s outfits. The bridal bouquets are winter white orchids with blush roses. Posies for you and Tink, and a cascading arrangement for me. Dyed roses, can you believe it?” Roz laughed and sputtered some of her coffee over her chin before reaching for a napkin. “Thanks for the restaurant recommendation, by the way. The Catch was a brilliant choice. After the reception, Clark and I are staying at the Four Seasons bridal suite that night.”
“And then you’re flying to Tuscany on your honeymoon?”
Roz shook her head. “That was the original plan, but December’s not the best time of year for Europe. Clark’s Uncle Vinny suggested the Cayman Islands. We’re flying to Grand Cayman and then taking a boat to a private island. I’ve been trying to get more information from my darling husband-to-be, bu
t he won’t talk.” Roz’s face fell. “What’s wrong, DeeDee? You look worried.”
DeeDee was shaking her head. Mentally, she was adding up the cost of the wedding Roz was describing to her, and arriving at a very big number. She leaned in closer to her sister. “Roz, isn’t this all going to be very expensive? Of course, it’s up to you and Clark what you want to spend your money on, but it’s a lot for just one day. It could be a down-payment on a home, or the start of a college fund if you have children in the future. I guess I’m surprised, that’s all. It’s not like you to be so frivolous with money.”
Roz giggled, and her hand flew up to her mouth. “Oh, DeeDee, no wonder you’re worried. I’m sorry, I should have told you before. Clark’s Uncle Vinny is paying for everything! Isn’t that generous of him? We certainly would have had to watch our pennies if he hadn’t offered. Clark and I talked it over, and initially I was reluctant, but Clark insisted that Uncle Vinny would be offended if we didn’t accept his kind offer.” She shrugged. “Uncle Vinny’s super rich. What’s not to love about that?”
Despite Roz’s protestations, DeeDee was still uncertain. Her sensibilities told her that it all seemed very extravagant, but if Roz and Clark were happy with the arrangement, then it was none of DeeDee’s business. “If you’re sure Clark’s uncle can afford it, then yes, that certainly is very generous of him. What line of work is he in?”
Roz surreptitiously looked around several times before answering. She leaned across the table towards DeeDee and lowered her voice. “Uncle Vinny was in the garbage business.” She peered around again to see if anyone had heard.
DeeDee screwed up her face. “Why are you whispering? I hear there’s a lot of money in trash. There’s no shame in that. Good for him.”
Roz burst out laughing. “DeeDee, you are too funny.” She leaned in again and raised a hand to the side of her mouth. “I mean, Uncle Vinny was in the Mafia. He’s not in it anymore, and now he’s a respectable businessman.”
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