Murder of a Wedding Belle

by Denise Swanson

  Hale was assigned to number eleven, so Skye moved on to that cottage. When there was no response to her knock there either, she decided she’d better let Wally know that the twins were AWOL.

  She found him conferring with Simon Reid next to the cooling unit. Besides being the county coroner, Simon owned the local funeral home and the town bowling alley—which his mother, Bunny, managed. He was also Skye’s ex-boyfriend.

  They had dated on and off for nearly three years, until Skye caught Simon cheating on her. Actually, he really wasn’t, but he’d been too stubborn to explain. Shortly afterward, Wally and Skye became an item. To say that the three of them working together presented an awkward situation was an understatement.

  As Skye approached them, both men turned toward her, and as soon as she was near enough, Wally put his arm around her shoulders and said, “Everything okay?”

  At the same instant, Simon took her free hand and asked, “Are you all right? Anything I can do?” In appearance, Simon was the antithesis of Wally, tall and lean with stylishly cut auburn hair and golden hazel eyes.

  “She’s fine,” Wally said, stepping back and bringing Skye with him, which caused her hand to slip from Simon’s. “I’ve got it covered.”

  The two men glowered at each other, and Skye quickly said to Wally, “Two members of the wedding party are not in their cabins.”

  “Were they here earlier?” Wally whipped out a pad of paper and a pen.

  “No. I haven’t seen them today. I hope they just went for an early breakfast or to church.” Skye wasn’t sure that they were religious, but it was Sunday morning, and there weren’t many other places they could be.

  “Names.”

  “Hallie and Hale Jordan. They’re twins. The groom is their father.”

  Simon interjected, “They’re children?”

  “No. College age.” Skye turned to him. “Nick is quite a bit older than my cousin.”

  “Oh.” Simon raised a brow and looked between Skye and Wally. “Dating older men must run in the family.”

  Wally’s expression hardened, but he didn’t comment. Instead he reached for his cell. “Thea, call in Sergeant Quirk. I need him to locate Hallie and Hale Jordan. Tell him to start with the restaurants in the area, then try the churches.” He told the dispatcher to hold on and asked Skye, “Do you know what religion they are?”

  “Not a clue.” She shook her head. “I know Riley can’t get married in the Catholic Church since Nick is divorced.”

  “Just like Chief Boyd,” Simon murmured. “Something else you and your cousin have in common.”

  It was Skye’s turn to glare at Simon. What was he doing? He almost sounded jealous. After the last case they’d worked on together when Wally was out of town, Skye thought she and Simon had made their peace and that they were on the road to becoming friends. In fact, for the last eight months, they’d fallen into the habit of having coffee together on Sunday mornings after Mass. So why was he acting like such a jerk now?

  At the thought of those get-togethers, guilt nibbled at Skye’s conscience. When she’d mentioned them to Wally, he’d been unhappy, but she’d insisted that she and Simon were friends and there was no harm in her talking to him. Had she misinterpreted Simon’s intentions?

  Before she could think about it, Wally clicked off his cell and said to Skye, “Reid processed the body and Xavier is taking it to the hospital in Laurel for the medical examiner to perform the autopsy.”

  Skye nodded. Xavier Ryan was Simon’s assistant. She asked Simon, “Do you have a cause of death?”

  “My best guess is she died of suffocation. There’s a suspicious bruise on her temple, some abrasions on her face, and it looks as if she was hit on the head before being stuffed into the floral refrigerator, which is airtight.”

  “How about a time of death?”

  “No.” Simon shook his head. “I wasn’t able to determine TOD because the body was refrigerated. But according to FEMA, a unit this size has enough air for about five hours, so she was probably locked in here no later than three a.m.” Simon tapped his chin. “Nothing suggests she tried to get out of the unit, so she was probably unconscious the whole time.”

  “I sure hope so.” Skye shuddered. “I pray she didn’t know she was dying.”

  The three of them were silent for a moment; then Simon said, “I’ve got to get going.” As he walked away, he added over his shoulder, “I’ll let you know when I get the autopsy results.”

  Wally turned to Skye. “A couple of boxes were knocked over in cabin four, but the room doesn’t appear to have been searched. I checked out the victim’s cottage, and her door was unlocked, but there’s no sign of a struggle.

  “So whatever happened probably started in number four.”

  “That’s my working theory.” Wally shoved a hand through his hair. “The county crime-scene techs got here about the same time Reid did, and after they finish with the floral refrigerator, they’ll check out the victim’s cabin and number four. In the meantime, I want to start interviewing people. Who-all is staying here at the motor court?”

  “The floral designer, two bridesmaids, three groomsmen, the matron of honor and her husband, and the best man.” Skye paused. “But, as we just discussed, the twins aren’t actually here at this moment.”

  “There are twelve cabins.” Wally counted on his fingers. “Taking into account Belle’s and the three being used for storage and work space, that leaves one cottage empty. Is the bride or groom in it?”

  “No.” Skye explained, “Riley’s at her mom’s house, and Nick, his parents, Jay and Natasha, and his six-year-old half brother, Luca Jay, who’s the ring bearer, are staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago. The California guests are arriving by private jet on Saturday. They’ll be driven to Scumble River that afternoon, then will spend the night at the Ritz-Carlton and fly home the next day.”

  “So is number twelve unoccupied?”

  “Yes. It’s being held for the makeup artist and hairstylist to share when they fly in from L.A. Thursday evening.”

  “Okay.” Wally looked down at his notes. “Let’s start with the people currently at the motor court.”

  “Who do you want me to cover?”

  “You take the women and I’ll take the men. That’s three each.”

  “Okay.” Skye moved to go, then turned back. “I almost forgot. Except for Iris Yee, they all probably have hangovers and haven’t had their morning coffee yet. I promised them as soon as we finish questioning them they can go get some.” She gave him a little smile. “So they’re probably just a tiny bit on edge.”

  “You’re evil.” Wally grinned at her. “I like that in a woman.”

  Skye winked, then headed to cabin nine. She knocked and said, “It’s me again, Skye.” She had explained on her earlier visit that she was the police department’s psychological consultant.

  “Come in.” Tabitha flung open the door. “Did you bring coffee?”

  “Sorry.” Skye edged past her and sat in the only chair, forcing Tabitha to sit on the bed, which put her at a slight disadvantage.

  “What do you want to talk about?” Tabitha’s bearing was regal and her face impassive.

  “How well do you know Belle Canfield?”

  “I don’t, except as a wedding planner. Is she the one the ambulance came for?”

  Skye ignored Tabitha’s question. “When did Riley hire her?”

  “Mmm . . . Maybe six or eight months ago. Did Belle get mugged or something?”

  “I was under the impression that a wedding like Riley’s would take a year to a year and a half to put together. I mean, I know Riley only formally announced her engagement here in Scumble River last November, but I assumed she had already put things in motion several months before her visit home.”

  “And you’d be right,” Tabitha confirmed. “Riley’s first choice quit, so she went with Belle, since she had done Paige’s wedding.”

  “But Belle told me she’s the premiere Hollywood
wedding coordinator. Why wasn’t she Riley’s first choice?” Skye was careful to keep to the present tense so Tabitha wouldn’t guess Belle was dead.

  “I don’t get involved in the drama, but my guess would be that at first Riley was trying to outdo Paige, hiring a planner even higher up on the food chain than Belle.” Tabitha shrugged. “Riley’s a bit of a hungry tiger.”

  “Uh?”

  “A person who wants attention so bad, they’re starving for it.”

  “Oh.” Skye could think of quite a few hungry tigers, but to be fair they were mostly teenagers who would eventually grow into gentler creatures. “How did Riley come to hire Belle at the last minute?”

  “Belle isn’t as famous as she pretends. Plus, Nick pulled some strings and offered her double her usual rate.” Tabitha’s eyes twinkled. “Money talks, you know.”

  “I’ve heard that, but money and I are not usually on speaking terms.” Skye smiled. “That is, until I started working this wedding.”

  “You too, huh?” Tabitha snickered. “Yes, Nick is the Money Whisperer, that’s for sure.”

  Skye nodded, noticing that Tabitha’s lilting Caribbean accent varied depending on her comfort level. “What time did you get back here last night?”

  “Around one, I think. I didn’t look at the clock.”

  “Was anyone hanging around the motor court when you arrived?”

  “No.” Tabitha’s smooth expression didn’t change. “I caught a ride with Gus and Liam, and Paige and Zach took the twins. Both cars got here about the same time, and no one else was in the parking lot.”

  “Did you hear anything during the night or this morning?”

  “Sorry. I took a sleeping pill. I didn’t hear anything until the ambulance siren woke me up.”

  “Do you know anyone who dislikes Belle or wishes her harm?” Skye asked.

  “Well, there was The Incident.” Tabitha’s brow wrinkled. “A mother of the bride found Belle naked in the back of the limo with one of the wedding party. Rumor has it she chased her around the parking lot with a cake knife.”

  “Why did the mother care?”

  “He was the father of the bride, the mother’s husband.”

  “Oh.” Skye made a note. “What was the woman’s name?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Anyone else who dislikes Belle or would want to hurt her?”

  “Everybody in the wedding party.” Tabitha crossed her legs. “She’s a bully.”

  “Anyone more than the others?” Skye asked.

  “If it were me, I’d be looking at the vendors. That’s who she really holds power over.”

  Skye made another note. “Like Iris?”

  Tabitha pursed her lips. “You never answered me. Did something happen to Belle?”

  “Yes.” Skye rose from her seat and moved to the door. “Someone murdered her.”

  “Oh, my God!” Tabitha leaped off the bed in one fluid motion. “Dat ain’t no true.”

  “Sorry, but it is.” Skye noted that Tabitha seemed genuinely upset. Her accent had increased, and she was now dropping the pitch down on the second syllable, and then raising it on the last syllable. “So, who do you think hated her that much?”

  Tabitha held her hand to her chest. “Only person you can be sure is innocent is Riley. She’d never kill Belle less than a week before the wedding.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Meeting of the Minds

  When Skye emerged from Tabitha’s room, Wally was coming out of the cabin to her right. “Any news on the twins?” she asked.

  “They’re not at the Feed Bag or McDonald’s. Quirk is checking the churches now.”

  Skye wrinkled her brow. She was missing something, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “Did Liam share any helpful info?”

  “He and the other groomsman drove Tabitha back here, arriving at one eleven a.m.; then he proceeded directly to his room, where he made several calls and went to bed at precisely two thirty. He went jogging at seven and didn’t observe anything unusual when he left. He returned from the park as the ambulance arrived.” Wally’s expression was dour. “Does that match what Tabitha told you?”

  “Yes. Although she wasn’t as precise about the time. She claims she took a sleeping pill and wasn’t aware of anything until the siren woke her up.”

  “I’m not sure I buy his story about jogging this morning.” Wally crossed his arms. “That would mean he only got four and half hours of sleep after drinking all night.”

  “Gus did mention last night that Liam is a health nut,” Skye offered. “That probably means he didn’t drink as much as the others.”

  “Let’s see what the next pair has to say.” Wally took Skye’s arm and steered them toward the adjoining cottage. “This one’s mine. Who’s up for you?”

  “Iris Yee.”

  “After I finish with Gus, I’ll take the best man over to Charlie’s office to question him so you can talk to his wife alone.”

  “Got it.” Skye left Wally in front of number seven and made her way to cottage two She hoped Iris had calmed down enough to be coherent.

  An hour later, Wally and Skye met again. Neither had obtained any useful information. The floral designer had regained her composure and claimed she and Belle had a professional relationship that worked well for them both. Gus and the Hathaways had stated that they knew Belle only in regard to her job and had no idea who would have wanted to kill her.

  Just when Skye thought she might avoid being present when her cousin found out that Belle was dead, Riley, her mother, Anita, and her grandmother Dora showed up at the motor court. Skye wasn’t surprised to see them; she was only amazed it had taken them so long to hear about the murder. Scumble River’s grapevine usually rivaled the Internet for speed and inaccuracy.

  Riley helped her grandmother out of the backseat of Anita’s Taurus, then spotted Skye and ran over to her. “What’s going on here?” She gestured to the police cars filling the parking lot. “We were at twelve o’clock Mass, and I knew something was up because my cell kept vibrating, so I went into the bathroom and I had a gazillion texts from Tab and Paige about some emergency having to do with Belle. So I got Mom and Gram and came right over.” The blond bride-to-be took a much-needed breath, then continued. “Please, please, tell me that Belle’s okay. There can’t be something wrong with her. Not six days before my wedding.”

  Dora chimed in, “I’m sure it will be fine, baby girl.”

  “Skye,” Anita ordered, “tell us everything’s all right.”

  “Uh.” Skye glanced at Wally, who was talking to one of the county crime techs but plainly monitoring her conversation as well. She raised a brow; should she inform them of Belle’s death? He nodded, and she said gently, “I’m so sorry, but Belle was found dead this morning.”

  “No!” Anita screamed.

  Riley threw herself in her mother’s arms and burst into tears. Dora swayed, and Skye rushed over to catch the elderly woman before she fell. Supporting her great aunt, Skye herded Anita and Riley into the motor court’s office.

  Once they were all inside and Dora and Anita had settled in the tiny reception area’s only two chairs, Skye leaned against the wall, uncertain what to do next. Surprisingly, none of the three women had asked how Belle had died, which was good because that information hadn’t been released yet.

  Riley pulled herself together enough to fetch Dora a glass of water, but as soon as she was sure her grandmother was okay, she put her Frankenbride face back on. Currently she was crying and whining into her cell at her groom, who was en route from Chicago.

  Charlie sat behind the counter, ignoring the women and gazing at the TV mounted in the corner opposite him. If the problem didn’t concern someone he loved or something he was in charge of, he wasn’t interested.

  Riley finally clicked shut her phone and stamped her foot. “It’s not fair. I’ve been dreaming of this day since I was six years old. Nick claims even he can’t get another wedding coordinator this clos
e to the date, and I want my wedding to be exactly how I planned.”

  “I can do it, Riley.” Anita straightened in her seat. “Mother and I told you from the beginning we could put on your wedding.”

  “Mommy.” Riley’s tone was sugarcoated steel. “It’s so sweet of you and Gram to want to help me, but you know we talked about that. It’s just too much for you two to handle.” She zeroed in on Skye. “You’ll just have to do it.”

  “Me! But I can’t. I have no idea how to pull together a wedding like yours.” Skye was flabbergasted. “I figured you’d postpone the ceremony, or maybe simplify the whole shebang.” If Skye had even considered that Riley might try to rope her into taking over, she would have had a good excuse ready.

  Anita spoke before Skye could say more. “Miss Canfield’s passing is a terrible tragedy, but it really has nothing to do with Riley.” She sniffed. “It’s not as if she were family.”

  “But . . .” Skye trailed off, momentarily distracted by a blast of music from the TV set as Charlie channel surfed.

  Anita jumped out of her chair, marched over to him, and held out her hand. “Give me that.”

  Charlie clutched the black plastic device to his chest. “No one touches my remote but me.”

  Anita stared at him for another second, then strode over to the TV, tore the electrical cord out of the back of the set, and returned to her seat, stating, “Unlike men, women don’t need to hold the remote control, because we have real control.”

  Muttering angrily, Charlie lumbered to his feet and slammed out of the office.

  Once he was gone, Dora said to Skye, “Please put on Riley’s wedding for her.” Moisture gathered at the corners of her faded blue eyes. “This may be my last chance to see my only granddaughter married.” Her voice broke. “And I’m not sure your grandma can wait either.”

  As Skye hesitated, the office door opened and Wally signaled for her to join him outside. She nodded and said, “I’ll be right back.”

  Wally took her hand. “We found the twins.”

  “Where?” Skye felt her heart in her throat. “Are they okay?”

  “They’re fine. They decided last night that they couldn’t stay at the motor court. It was, and I quote, ‘too icky.‘” Wally shook his head. “So, after the Hathaways dropped them off here, they borrowed the Hathaways’ rental car and drove into the city. They’re staying at the Ritz with their father, grandparents, and six-year-old uncle.”