by Tracy Kiely
I nodded. “I thought it was odd that after breaking off her engagement with Fletcher, Nina basically went on a one-year hiatus. Especially since she claimed that the whole reason for ending things with Fletcher was because she wanted to focus on her career.”
Peggy frowned. “But if Nina and Fletcher were already engaged, why would she give up their baby?”
“It didn’t click with me until the day that Fletcher came here to see Harper,” I said. “He went on and on about how a woman is meant to stay home with their children. It became clear that he would have forced Nina to abandon her dreams of being an actress.”
“So instead she put her baby up for adoption?” Harper asked horrified.
“Well, I don’t think she saw the alternative as an option,” I said. “When I first met Nina, she made a joke about the nuns who taught her. If she were Catholic, she might not be comfortable terminating a pregnancy.”
“But still,” said Peggy. “What could Fletcher do to her after all these years? Granted, he could make her life a little difficult, but she’s a star in her own right.”
I nodded. “Actually, I don’t think that Nina was worried about herself. I think she was worried about her daughter.”
“Daughter?” Peggy asked.
I nodded again. “Brooke Casey is Nina and Fletcher’s daughter.”
“Get the hell out!” Peggy said. “How the hell did you figure that out?”
I smiled. “Well, Zack mentioned to me how Brooke was adopted. And then there was the fact that Brooke intentionally dumped her wine on Dan at Fletcher’s party. After she did, I saw her wink at Nina. When I asked her about the wink, she said it was because Dan was flirting with her in front of Nina. She claimed it was a form of retaliation because she knew that Nina and Dan were having an affair.”
Peggy frowned at me. “But you said that Dan and Nina weren’t having an affair.”
“They weren’t,” I said. “And everyone I talked to seemed surprised at the idea that Dan would cheat on Harper. The only ones who said otherwise were Zack, Nina, and Brooke. Brooke actually made it a point to tell me that Dan was a well-known philanderer and that it was widely known that he and Nina were having an affair.” I paused and then said, “I thought it odd that two women with supposedly no connection other than a play would tell the same lie.”
Peggy stared at me a beat and then said, “You know what, Nic? I love you to death, but sometimes your brain scares the shit out of me. Remind me never to cross you.”
fifty-two
When Nigel and I returned to our hotel room, we found that an enormous bouquet of flowers had been delivered. Attached was a note addressed to me. Nigel went to make us two dirty martinis while I read the note. It was from Nina. Dear Nic, it read, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your discretion. Tell Nigel he’s a lucky man. Much love, Nina.
“Who are the flowers from?” Nigel asked as he mixed our drinks.
“Nina,” I said. “She thanked me for not telling Fletcher about Brooke and to tell you that you’re a lucky man.”
Nigel laughed. “That, my dear, is what they call ‘burying the lede.’”
“I wasn’t aware that you were so well versed in publishing,” I said.
“I spent a summer interning for The Times,” he said as he handed me my martini. “I learned quite a bit actually.”
“Really,” I said with a smile. “About burying the lede?”
Nigel winked. “Among other things. If you’re nice, I’ll explain what ‘below the fold’ means.”
“Sounds quite titillating,” I said as I took a sip of my drink.
“How’s your martini, by the way?” Nigel asked. “Dirty enough for you?”
I smiled. “Never.”
recipes
the leading man
Ingredients:
2 oz. whiskey
0.5 oz. sweet vermouth
1 dash bitters (optional)
1 cup ice cubes
1 maraschino cherry for garnish
Preparation:
Place ice in a mixing glass. Pour in vermouth, then whiskey, and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass. Add a dash of bitters if desired, and garnish with a cherry.
the curtain call
Ingredients:
3 oz. bourbon
1.5 oz. vermouth
6 dashes bitters
Preparation:
Add all the ingredients to a large glass filled with ice and stir.
the understudy
Ingredients:
2 oz. tequila
1 oz. sweet vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
Preparation:
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime twist or a cherry.
the stage right
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. rye whiskey
0.5 oz. sweet vermouth
0.5 oz. Cardamaro
4 dashes bitters
1 maraschino cherry for garnish
Preparation:
Combine rye, vermouth, Cardamaro, and bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass; garnish with cherry.
About the Author
Tracy Kiely received a BA in English from Trinity College. This accomplishment prompted most job interviewers to ask, “How fast can you type?” Her standard answer of “not so fast” usually put an end to further questions.
She was eventually hired by the American Urological Association (AUA), who were kind enough to overlook the whole typing thing—mainly because they knew just what kind of prose she’d be typing. After several years, Tracy left the AUA, taking with her a trove of anecdotal stories that could eventually result in her banishment from polite society. That’s when she thought writing a novel might be a good idea.
Murder with a Twist was her first novel in the Nic & Nigel Martini series. It can be enjoyed straight up or with a twist. She is also the author of the Jane Austen–inspired Elizabeth Parker mystery series: Murder at Longbourn, Murder on the Bride’s Side, Murder Most Persuasive, and Murder Most Austen. These can be enjoyed with either tea or a very dry sherry.
Tracy lives in Maryland with her husband and three children.
