Her mind fast-forwarded to what she could wear. The oyster one-shoulder was going to be her bridal gown. She had intended to wear something knee-length to Gina’s wedding, but that dress wasn’t in her suitcase.
She simply had to get back to Bella Sposa to pick up that ice blue silk.
“So she’s expecting you. Will she be expecting you to bring a guest?”
Cathy hesitated. “I can’t remember how I rsvp’d. But I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem. I could email her to make sure.”
Wait a minute. Could she? Did she even have Gina’s email? Oh, but surely it would be online, listed with The Weather Network. If not, she could phone her. Cathy did have Gina’s phone number.
“Probably better you don’t do that. I wouldn’t ask them to do anything now that might upset plans. They’ll be busy. If there isn’t enough room for me at dinner, I could just go to the wedding.”
“I’m sure they would insist you stay for the reception.” Cathy was confident about that. Her type of people always acted with courtesy in situations like this. Gina and her mother had class.
Cathy tended to be preoccupied with clothes and jewelry a lot, it was true. But she was no dummy. Garry had rushed her out of the city and seemed to want to lay low. This was a sudden reversal. It stuck out a mile to her that something was afoot.
“But Garry, why do you want to go?”
Garry pushed himself up from the chair. He came over to sit beside her on the bed. Then he picked up her right hand in his and covered it with his left.
“Let me tell you.”
Lottie had her dress all chosen. It was turquoise, a shade she just loved, but could rarely find. Her shoes weren’t perfect, alas. Beige didn’t clash with turquoise, but it was such a plain colour. The shoes just didn’t match the beauty of the dress.
One couldn’t have everything, she chided herself. She simply had to save every penny she could for the trip to Cornwall. And besides, she had already spent a small fortune for the bus fare to Toronto.
Thing was, nobody knew she was coming this weekend, so there was nobody she could hitch a ride with. It was going to be a surprise!
Lottie preened at how clever she had been. Weddings weren’t actually private. You needed an invitation to a reception, because they provided food there. The caterers had to plan for a certain number of people. But anybody could go to a church.
And Lottie was pretty certain that when they saw her at the church, they would of course invite her to the reception. After all, Louisa had received an invitation. And Louisa’s place would be empty.
For a moment, she felt a pang. It didn’t last long. Yes, it was lonely without Louisa, but there was no sense crying over spilt milk, as her dear mom used to say.
Next, she thought about a wedding gift. Was it necessary? Surely the shower gift was enough?
One wanted to do the right thing, of course. But money was such a problem.
Then she had it! She could say that, in the rush to catch the bus, she forgot the gift at home. Everybody would believe it. Some people considered her scattered, she knew. It actually amused her.
If they could only know what was going on in her mind, and what she was capable of.
Chapter 31
Gina caught herself exhibiting her trademark toothy grin because she had her condo all to herself. However, her pleasure in this fact should not be misinterpreted. In no way was she tired of Becki’s company. Hanging out with her these last few days was a dream come true. To have such a confidant ready and willing to lend support and just have fun with her! Priceless!
But clearly it was time to indulge in private time with that handsome, charming rake that she would marry in three days.
Tony had invited her out for a candlelit, patio supper. Afterwards they’d strolled the lamp-lit sidewalks in her neighbourhood for over an hour. Because it was one of those balmy June evenings when you never want to go inside, she’d managed to cajole Tony into investigating yet another block further away from her condo.
There was just one thing that could entice her to willingly turn for home.
Tony finally clued in.
“So what are the rules?”
“Rules?” Sometimes it’s best to play innocent.
“Well…we established weeks ago that I’m not allowed to see your dress. ‘Until the day of’ you said. Is there anything else restricted? Perhaps something else I’m not allowed to see?”
They were walking hand in hand. His palm pressed hot against hers.
“What else is there that you haven’t seen, Tony?” She twisted her shoulders to peer at him in the dim light.
“We haven’t been together in a while.”
“Yes but there are no surprises in that department.”
“On the contrary.” He leaned in and kissed her passionately. “You’re full of spectacular surprises.”
What a delicious kiss!
Almost as intoxicating as their very first kiss, which admittedly had been a doozy since they had originally thought…well, that was the past. This man wants you and always will. Moreover, you want him. Love him. Adore him!
Neither of them wanted to appear to be hurrying back to the condo.
Back in her bedroom, Gina was torn between not wanting to separate from Tony and wanting to refresh herself.
Perhaps she chose wrong.
When they were no longer touching and the en-suite door stood closed between them, their earlier conversation snuck like an opportunistic thief back into her head.
Cage.
Tony had said he’d give up the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Period. In fact, he promised he’d no longer be an Intelligence Officer by the time they said their wedding vows.
Fair or not, she needed this because Intelligence Officers had to “agree to relocate anywhere in Canada and/or abroad, depending on the requirements of the Service, throughout your career.” A declaration right there on the CSIS website.
She was not leaving Canada. She was not raising kids all over the country.
Kids needed a father who was present and most of all alive.
Tony claimed he was prepared for as many kids as she wanted. And a dog.
But he’s a spy and spies lie, right?
She loved him.
Did she trust him?
It was ironic that he submitted to an extensive investigation involving verification of all personal and financial information, polygraph testing and fingerprinting for his job.
Trust.
Her thoughts spun until they landed on her conversation with Becki.
Why not do that experiment in trust that Becki talked about?
Tonight.
If I’m playful, he’ll never know it’s a test and this is as much for his benefit as for me.
She opened the bathroom door.
“Wow,” whispered Tony.
While they kissed and clung to each other, time seemed suspended. When Gina was finally able to take a breath she dared to suggest, “Let’s do an experiment.”
“I’m game,” Tony said, his voice hoarse.
“Stand up.”
“Right here?”
“Yes, here on the bed.”
“Okay.”
He climbed up on his knees and then to his feet. The mattress sagged beneath his weight. He wobbled as if on a trampoline. A gorgeous statue of a man on a trampoline…
Gina almost forgot what she was doing. “Um, okay, step back toward the head of the bed and I’m going to…” She said this as she was rising to her own feet. “…turn around and fall backwards—”
“What?”
“And you catch me.”
“What kind of new-fangled…?”
Gina relented and explained, “It’s an exercise in trust.”
Tony’s open expression closed.
Uh-oh.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” he said.
Chapter 32
Can you marry someone you don’t trust?
More to
the point—should you marry someone who doesn’t trust you?
Tony was in a filthy mood. Last night had not gone according to plan.
He’d gone through the crazy trust exercise with Gina. He’d caught her competently in his arms, when she fell backwards. He didn’t even lose his balance on the wobbly mattress. Such was his physical prowess.
But his amour prop had suffered.
Gina didn’t trust him.
How in hell could he get around that?
After the fated fall, the telephone had rung. It was Gina’s mother, and Gina felt obligated to take the call.
Whether it was the mother on the phone, or the trust issue hanging in the air, Tony couldn’t determine. But he sure wasn’t ‘in the mood’ anymore. In fact, it seemed almost indecent waiting around in a partial state of undress.
He stood up and gathered his clothes and shoes. He left the bedroom and strode to the kitchen. There, he wrote a note, a sincere, heartfelt note, which he left on the granite counter. In it, he said that he loved her with all his heart, and trusted her, and hoped she did the same. He ended it with ‘Love Tony.’ Then he left the condo.
That had been twelve hours ago. Night had come and gone. Coffee had been consumed along with a stale breakfast muffin. He wanted to text Gina now. Badly. But he couldn’t think of a thing to say.
Meanwhile, Gina was puzzling over something else.
She woke up haunted by the thought of jewelry. Not her gorgeous engagement ring, which had cost the earth. Even so, she couldn’t resist looking down at it now. A full carat solitaire, with a ring of diamonds circling it like a crown. Yes, she loved bling, probably more than a sensible person should.
But that wasn’t what bothered her now.
Jewelry was something Gina knew about, just as she knew about fashion. What’s more, she knew about the women who had real jewelry…how they behaved. What they thought. How they felt about it.
So there was one question that still haunted her. Yes, they had found Louisa’s sapphire and diamond necklace. Where was all the other stuff?
Gina knew that to have a necklace like that was a sign. One didn’t have just a single spectacular necklace. There would a score of other gifts leading up to that particular piece.
The women in that privileged circle had piles of expensive jewellery. She’d even heard them talk about ‘beginner rings’ that would eventually be upgraded, and ‘serious gold bracelets’ received from the in-laws. The accumulation of jewelry went far beyond the engagement and wedding ring, and the first set of diamond earrings. These women were billboards for their husbands’ success.
It didn’t just come from old money. The nouveau riche were even more anxious to show off their monetary achievements. Sometimes those wives would show up with a new cocktail ring every year. Sometimes, every gala.
So Louisa would have had a drawer full of ‘serious jewelry.’ And yes, she might have sold a few pieces to keep herself. But why keep that one? Surely, it would have gone for the most money.
Gina looked down at her hand. Light flashed from the expertly cut solitaire. You had emotional ties with jewelry. Already this diamond had become a part of her. She couldn’t imagine ever separating from it.
That made her think about what she would have done in Louisa’s place, if she needed money. And that was easy. She would have sold the splashy stuff that wasn’t worn often, but that would go for big bucks. That necklace would have been the first to go. Maybe, she would have sold it off to be broken apart, or perhaps she would have peddled each stone individually, over time.
And she would have easily parted with the items that were exclusively gold. Gina didn’t have the same attachment to plain gold. Most women didn’t. Earrings. Bracelets. It was easy to sell gold by the ounce. They just melted it down.
Gemstones were different. They were unique. You got attached to them in a different way.
The one thing she never would have done was sold off the smaller stuff, the diamond and gemstone earrings and rings, and kept that enormous necklace.
Why? You couldn’t wear a necklace like that except at formal events. You also certainly couldn’t afford to insure it, if you were short of cash.
Louisa was living a different sort of life in Black Currant Bay. She kept a low profile. She didn’t wear ostentatious clothes and jewelry. She didn’t go to black tie events.
But Louisa hadn’t sold the necklace. That pointed to one thing. Obviously she hadn’t needed to. And if she didn’t sell the necklace, Gina was willing to bet she hadn’t sold all of her smaller, less valuable gemstone jewelry.
Which begged the question, ‘where was it now?’
Becki had boarded a similar train of thought.
She was staying at Anna’s home now. Happily, Anna believed in leisurely mornings. Neither Anna nor Gord were up yet. This gave Becki time to herself, as she was used to rising early with Karl.
Becki had dressed and gone into the cheerful kitchen. She busied herself with the coffeemaker. It would be a nice thing for Anna and Gord to wake up to coffee and a full breakfast.
Becki was thoughtful like that. For instance, she had remembered to bring her own small blue topaz pendant on a gold chain so Gina would have ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’ to wear at her wedding. Of course, Gina might already have chosen to borrow ‘something old’ from her mother. That’s why Becki had also brought a lacy blue handkerchief for Gina, in case the necklace wasn’t needed.
Necklace. That word kept haunting her.
Becki was a clever, practical woman. Her thoughts were similarly astute.
The necklace. Why had Louisa kept the necklace?
To Becki, that meant one thing. She didn’t need the money.
It came to her in such a flash. Yes, they’d missed a step, she and Gina. And Karl too, if she was being honest.
Louisa had been married to a man who ran an entertainment empire. Yes, he had done very well for many years, but he had obviously come from money. Becki didn’t know how wealthy the original family was, but she knew how these things worked. You had to have capital to start with. Garry Davenport had seed money to build an entertainment empire over fifteen to twenty years. He knew all the right people too. That signalled old money and family connections.
The coffee maker sputtered and dripped in its own language. The aroma was delectable. Becki reached into the cupboard for a mug.
Her thoughts carried back to Louisa. She and Gina had assumed Louisa had made what is euphemistically referred to as a ‘good marriage’.
Fair enough.
But Becki knew a lot about people. Most folk mixed with other people in their own circles. Their own money classes. The rich were even more likely to do so.
They sent their kids to private schools so they would only meet kids who were also from rich families. They joined exclusive clubs for the same reason.
She and Gina and Karl—let’s face it, everyone—had assumed Louisa would need cash to disappear. Why? Why had they thought that?
Surely it made more sense that she had money in her own right. What if she came from a similar well-off family, and had inherited money from her own side? Maybe not millions, but enough to live on?
That was more logical. And that would explain why she hadn’t sold the killer necklace.
It would also lead one to wonder—did she have other jewelry they just hadn’t found?
That was an intriguing idea. Becki resisted the temptation to focus on that, because she was abruptly aware of a new thought.
All of their investigation so far had been centered on who stood to gain from Louisa’s death. Who might have inherited her house, and her savings. Or the necklace.
They had also explored the possibility of Louisa having some knowledge that was dangerous to the mob.
But they’d forgotten one thing.
No one, as far as she knew, had investigated Louisa’s original family to see if she stood to inherit money from someone there.
>
Had Louisa been in line for inheriting something big? Was someone eliminating the competition? And did that ‘someone’ find out where Louisa—formerly Linda—now lived?
Becki put down the coffee mug. She picked up the phone on the counter and dialed Karl. It was after 11:00, and while Anna’s household might be enjoying a leisurely morning, she knew Karl would already be at work. He answered on the second ring.
“Karl, did you ever investigate Louisa’s background?”
Pause. Then a weary sigh. “What are you doing now, Becki? I thought you were concentrating on wedding plans, and not the murder.”
“The wedding made me think about family connections. Garry Davenport came from money. I’m betting Louisa did too. She probably had money of her own which she was living on.”
“So?”
“So, that’s why she didn’t sell the necklace. She didn’t need to.”
“Okay. So?”
“So. Louisa’s family. She was in late middle-age. That would put the older generation in their late 70s or 80s.” Maybe even 90s.
“Yeah?” Karl was a patient man. Becki had always been grateful for that.
“What if Louisa was in line to inherit something big?” she said.
Silence on the other end. Then a curse.
“I’m on it.”
Becki hung up the phone with a smile on her face.
Chapter 33
Gina had an Oprah-esque moment. She was playing amateur sleuth with regard to Louisa’s death to distract herself from wedding jitters and it had been working. Unfortunately, right now the only thing she could think of, the only thing she wanted, was to hear from Tony. She pressed both her hands against her stomach, which hurt with her yearning for an in-person greeting. A how’re-you-doing phone call. A text. Anything.
When the phone rang, she grabbed it up. “Tony?”
“Sorry, it’s just me,” Becki said.
“Never say just you,” Gina replied. Hurting her friend by letting her disappointment show would not do.
“Is he out buying chocolate croissants for a late breakfast?”
A Killer Necklace Page 15
