Maybe Trey’s partner would have some light to shed on the situation.
Darc was standing in the middle of the room, staring at the symbols on the walls. It was a tableau that Trey had seen so many times before, it felt like it had been engraved in his mind.
But there were subtle differences. The tension that had always attended Darc’s mental gymnastics had mostly left his body. There was no hardness in his eyes. No cocking of the head. No clenching of the fist.
Darc had changed.
“The dye in the water was a message,” he stated.
Even the way he spoke had shifted. Darc still wasn’t much of a one for inflection, but there were nuances in his speech that had started showing up.
It all kind of freaked Trey out. More than a little bit.
“Yeah,” Trey answered. “It’s a message that says, I am clinically insane.”
“There are no markers of mental instability here,” Darc said.
Okay. So Trey’s partner still didn’t have much of a sense of humor. So at least there was that.
Trey glanced at his watch. “Um. Dude. It’s time for us to get going. The C.S.I. guys can take it from here, right?”
“We have three more minutes,” Trey’s partner answered. “It will take thirteen minutes to drive to the cathedral. Another seven minutes and thirty seconds to get changed into our tuxedos. That will allow us a full two minutes to assemble in a line at the front of the space for the ceremony.”
“Oh, that’s right,” gushed the M.E. “I forgot. Go on. Get out of here. We’ll manage without you.”
“I do not think that--” Darc began.
But Trey started pushing him toward the door. “I get that this is only your second wedding, Darc, but don’t you think Mala will feel better if you’re there kind of on time?”
Darc seemed to have no response to that. Good thing, too. When it came to arguments, Trey’s partner usually came out on top.
And while he may have planned it to the second, surprises could always happen.
CHAPTER 2
The roof of the cathedral arched up into the air, the contours becoming lost in the high shadows of the vaulted roof. Below, the atmosphere remained warm, the glow of candles creating an ambience of invitation.
The pathways of logic in Darc’s mind melded with the silver chains of connection, demonstrating their unity in the décor around. All this had been his doing.
After studying interior design for an intense month and a half, Darc had brought in all the decorations for a fall wedding. Then he had spent five days preparing inside the venue, until those in charge had driven him out. Burnt orange, deep wine red and dark forest green foliage adorned the sides of the chapel, and lights shone from the midst of pieces that had been distributed about the hall.
Not evenly spaced, though. At least, not to the naked eye.
Each item used in the decoration had been placed according to the ratio of 1:1.618. The Golden Ratio. The Fibonacci sequence. Fractals.
The names and patterns danced in Darc’s mind as he looked over the space. Even the arrangement of the guests had been planned.
Mala’s friends and family had gathered across the aisle, many of whom Darc had never before met. Even her parents had traveled into town for the event.
Meeting them had been an… interesting… experience. The main topic of conversation had been the fact that Darc was not Indian. However, they seemed to have accepted the idea at last, as they both smiled at Darc.
Dozens and dozens of pairs of eyes, observing Darc as he moved toward the back of the transept to take his proper place. Mala had tried to convince him to have groomsmen, as was traditional. But who other than Trey would make sense? Who would have accepted such an invitation at Darc’s hand? The M.E.?
Certainly not.
In the end, they had chosen to keep the bridal party simple. Maggie as the über-pregnant maid-slash-matron of honor and Cat as one of the bridesmaids, Carly… Janey’s half-sister… as the other. Janey as the flower girl. And for Darc, no one but Trey.
Darc’s best man walked into the church to stand by Darc’s side, his mouth agape. The colored threads struggled to determine what this expression meant, leaning toward an interpretation of dismay. But the white light reflected off the chains that now bound his pathways of logic together created clarity where before there had been none.
Trey was stunned.
“How…? You… This…” Trey sputtered, then turned to face Darc. “Dude. Dude.”
“Mala will appreciate what I have done?” Darc asked.
Trey’s mouth moved without sound for a moment. Then he swallowed and placed his hand on Darc’s shoulder.
“She’s gonna love this.” Then under his breath, he continued. “I just hope Maggie doesn’t love it too much.”
The streams of logic processed this statement, snarling up for a moment in their confusion. Once more, the delicate chains of silver shone forth, cutting through to the truth of the matter.
Trey was concerned that Darc and Mala getting married would put pressure on Trey to propose to Maggie. Maggie, who was due in less than three weeks.
What an odd thing about which to worry. Trey and Maggie loved one another. Neither one seemed interested in marriage, but both appeared committed to the relationship. Pressure only existed for each of them if they decided that pressure should exist. And why would any rational being choose that kind of pressure?
Darc had proposed to Mala, because for her the act of marriage was a significant marker. As logical as she liked to appear, Mala had a soft interior that cast the world in an ideal light. And part of that ideal included romance. Marriage. Tradition.
While lacking the ideals, for Darc the matter of marriage was a logical next step. The institution of marriage meant little to him. But Mala meant everything.
The ritual of binding their lives together would create a firmer bond between them. And Darc knew his own weaknesses well enough to understand the importance of a strong bond.
Also, this formalization of their relationship gave Darc the legal right to adopt Janey, as a co-parent with Mala. No one would ever be able to legally keep the girl away from him again on the basis that he was not her parent.
At that moment, the young object of Darc’s thoughts made her way down the aisle, scattering petals with one hand, gripping her tattered bear in the other. Janey looked over at Darc, and for a moment she tried to maintain a somber look. But then a grin burst forth on her face, and she waved at him from across the nave.
Darc stretched his mouth wide in a smile and waved back, eliciting a chuckle from the audience. Why had that been amusing?
The white light answered back. Not amusing. Charming.
Adorable.
Strange. Darc had never before in his life been considered adorable. This experience he found to be more than a little bit uncomfortable. Perhaps he should ask the guests to refrain from chuckling. That might help.
A silver chain within him whispered of the pitfalls present in that idea. Apparently that action could be misconstrued as unfriendly. Which Darc would have to confess might be an accurate portrayal of his feelings right now. Even with the silver chain links, he often was not certain of his internal emotional landscape.
Janey, rather than move to her place on the front row at the front of the nave, instead moved to stand next to Darc. She placed herself on the far side of Trey, becoming the second member of his bridal party. Then she held her teddy bear out to the side.
Getting an unobstructed view of the toy, Darc could now see that Janey had constructed a black bow tie that her stuffed animal now sported. The bear was acting as another groomsman.
Three. Darc now had just as many on his side as Mala had on hers.
The lines of logic that were assigned to symmetry settled for the first time in weeks, and Darc was surprised to find that Janey’s action caused an emotional reaction inside of him. What was even more surprising was that he recognized the response for wh
at it was.
Darc was happy.
The bridal march began, and the entire audience rose to its feet as one. The sounds of their standing echoed through the cathedral, sounding like an exclamation on the end of a profound proclamation.
Then Mala entered the room, and all thoughts left Darc’s mind but her.
* * *
Mala walked down the aisle, forcing her steps to be measured, to move with precision. Her heart screamed at her to run, to fling herself into the arms of the bald detective who stood at the far end of her path.
His eyes, which she had once thought of as intimidating, felt soft as they gazed on her. The love she saw reflected in his gaze was more profound than she had ever dared to hope.
For a long time, Mala had dismissed the idea of forming a lasting bond with Darc, for fear that his lack of empathy would prove an insurmountable barrier. She had underestimated Darc’s will and the transformative power of the love they shared.
Even this room demonstrated Darc’s dedication to change. Where once the detective would have dismissed the idea of decorating the wedding hall as a waste of time, now he had asked for the opportunity to do so.
Mala had to admit the request had concerned her. The thought of a man with autism being in charge of the décor for the most important day of their lives had seemed like such a bad idea at the time. Now she felt a combination of chagrin and pride as she took in her surroundings.
Darc had created magic.
What had been a spacious chamber, echoing with every footstep taken within its confines, had transformed into a space that called an invitation to all who entered. A welcoming oasis of peace, separated from the harsh, cold world outside.
Mala floated forward, buoyed up by the love of her friends and family that had gathered for the occasion. Her parents, sitting as far apart from one another as they could manage while still acknowledging their married status, each smiled their approval of her. They might not enjoy each other’s company any longer, but the fact they chose to travel here demonstrated that they both adored her.
Members of the police force were there in abundance, even Captain Merle having pried himself out of his office chair for the occasion. The new assistant prosecuting attorney for King’s County, most of the detectives at the precinct, uniformed officers galore… all were there in attendance.
So many people had come. The energy they lent her was a palpable thing.
And then she was standing in front of the man she loved, and all else faded into the background. After a moment that felt like it stretched out into eternity, they both turned as one to face the officiant.
The time had come.
* * *
Janey knew that weddings were supposed to be serious, but it was hard to keep a straight face when Popeye kept saying silly things. The thing he had said about Trey looking like one of those penguins with the fluffy feathers on top of their heads had forced Janey to cough so that she didn’t laugh instead.
Popeye didn’t like the bowtie, even though Janey had explained to him that it was a wedding and that he didn’t have a choice. Once she told him that he looked very handsome, he’d stopped complaining.
But then once Mala had shown up, he’d stopped talking completely. He would never admit it, but Janey was pretty sure that Popeye was in love with Mala.
She looked so beautiful. The dress was an ivory that made Mala’s darker skin seem to shimmer in the light from the candles. At first, Janey had thought the dress needed more sparkles, or at least some of that fancy embroidering. But now she could see that without all of those things, all of the focus was on Mala’s face.
And Janey had never seen Mala’s face quite like it was tonight. From where Janey was standing, she couldn’t see what Darc’s expression looked like, but when she peered into Mala’s eyes, it was almost like she could see her favorite detective reflected there.
Then the guy in the robes up at the front said something about vows, and Darc began speaking. His voice was deep, and it rose up into the air, filling the big space.
“Mala, your life and mine are two ribbons of color, each distinct. Separate. For so long, I traced your thread, your pathway, seeking a way to bring it to me. To make it mine. I wanted your color to change.”
Janey listened to the words, and as she did so, she could see the mirror of Darc’s experience in her own mind. The pathways of color, staying apart, each strong but sad.
Darc’s voice continued. “Then something happened. Your ribbon intertwined with mine. You were still you, but you chose to be with me.
“I fought against the interlinking. I feared to lose myself in you. But now I see that rather than disappearing, I became stronger. Kinder. Better.”
A tear drifted down Mala’s face, and Popeye growled. He muttered something about Darc making Mala sad and that Detective Baldy was going to pay for that.
Silly bear. Janey knew better. She could see Mala’s expression, the smile that stretched from ear to ear. These were not sad tears. These were good tears.
Very good tears.
“I wanted to be near you from the moment I first saw you,” Darc said. “But now I know that in joining my life with yours, I gain far more than my heart’s desire. I gain my truest and highest self.”
Mala took in a deep and shuddering breath, resting her hand on Darc’s chest. Janey could see that her adoptive mother was about to begin her own vows.
But at that moment, the doors to the chapel burst open, and a figure entered, a black ski mask pulled down over his head. As he raised his arm, Janey caught the glitter of light that reflected off the black metal of the gun … that was aimed right at Mala.
A flash of light burst from the muzzle at the same time a shout of noise slapped against Janey’s ear. For a moment afterward everything remained still, like some kind of painting in a museum.
Then Mala slumped down to the ground, blood pouring from her chest.
Before Janey could inhale breath to scream, Maggie staggered forward, her hands clamped around her belly. A puddle of fluid formed around her feet as she looked over toward Trey.
“Honey,” she called out. “I think my water just broke.”
CHAPTER 3
“A church full of cops, and not one thinks to run after the guy with the gun?”
Trey rushed through the hospital behind Darc and Janey with Carly by his side, muttering to himself. Even as the words came out of his mouth, he knew they were inappropriate. But as long as he was talking, he wouldn’t have to start thinking.
That was a good thing right now. A very good thing.
The EMTs had tried to keep Darc out of the ambulance, but one look at the bald detective’s face had backed them off. Just in time, too. Trey had been about to go off.
Okay, so maybe that wasn’t a completely accurate picture of what would have happened. But they would have received a stern talking to. And possibly a call to their superiors at the hospital.
Anyway, Darc and Janey had ridden in the ambulance. Trey had followed along with Carly in the passenger seat and Maggie in the backseat, doing his best to fill the awkward silences that stretched between Janey’s half-sister and himself, interspersed by Maggie’s screams of labor.
At least they were here, Maggie hadn’t given birth quite yet and Mala was still alive. Barely.
There had been a lot of medical jargon getting thrown around by the EMTs as they pulled Mala from the bus. And while Trey might not understand it all, he got that things were not great right now.
A man dressed in scrubs brought Maggie a wheelchair, and started wheeling her off toward maternity. Trey started to follow, but paused and looked back at Mala stretched out on the gurney.
Maggie must have seen the aborted motion, as she motioned for the man to stop pushing the wheelchair and reached out for Trey’s hand. Looking into Maggie’s eyes, Trey could see the pain there, but something else as well. Fear.
“Babe--” he began.
“Forget about it. Go with Darc.
He needs you right now.” A ripple passed over Maggie’s belly, and she grimaced. “But get back up to me as soon as you know what’s going on, okay?”
“Are you sure?”
“Go,” she said, and gave him a push.
Trey rushed after Mala’s gurney up to the doors to the E.R., arriving just as a stocky nurse stood in Darc’s path. He raised a hand that looked more like a slab of beef.
“Only family members past this point.”
“I am a family member,” Darc intoned, his voice as flat as Trey had ever heard it.
“Well, technically you didn’t finish the ceremony…” Trey began, but then caught the look of steel his partner directed toward him. “I mean… yes, family. Him, husband. These two, daughters.”
“What about you?” the nurse asked.
“Oh, me?” Trey asked, panicking. “I’m… ah… I’m her cousin.”
The nurse gave Trey another look and raised an eyebrow. Oh. Right. Mala was Indian, Trey was about as white as they came.
“Distant cousins?” he pleaded.
Another look.
“What? You’ll believe that he’s the husband and that these…” He pointed to Janey and Carly, “…are Mala’s daughters, but you won’t buy me as the cousin? That’s where we’re getting hung up right now?”
After another long moment, the nurse finally sighed and shrugged his shoulders, muttering something about not being paid enough to deal with crazy people. Trey resisted the urge to tell him he had no idea just how crazy they all were.
Besides, they were in now, rushing toward the bed. A doctor seemed on the point of trying to hold them back, but then a look passed between her and the nurse. She stepped back from the bed.
“Only for a moment,” she cautioned them all. “We’re prepping a room for surgery as we speak.”
Darc moved to Mala’s side, grasping her hand in his. Leaning in close, he whispered something in his almost-bride’s ear. The gentleness with which he touched her spoke of the depths of the bald detective’s love for this woman.
Moving over to the other side of the bed, Janey and Carly came closer to Mala from the opposite direction, holding each other’s hands. Janey sidled in as close to the bed as she could, and then appeared to take a deep breath, looking down at her bear. Then she stood up on her tiptoes and laid the animal in the crook of Mala’s arm.
The 2nd Cycle of the Darc Murders Omnibus (the acclaimed series from #1 Police Procedural and Hard Boiled authors Carolyn McCray and Ben Hopkin) Page 54
