A Deadly Edition

by Victoria Gilbert

  She opened the door and fled before I could ask additional questions, like why she’d been wandering in the woods around the time of Oscar Selvaggio’s death. Rising to my feet, I repacked my half-eaten lunch and walked out into the children’s room, where Samantha was reading from Henry Cole’s picture book A Nest for Celeste. I tiptoed through the room, earning a few glances from parents, although the children were too interested in the book to pay me any attention.

  As I crossed into the main room of the library, a tall, raw-boned woman stepped in front of me.

  “I need to tell you something,” said the Nightingale.

  “Can it wait?” I asked, maneuvering my way around her.

  Undaunted, the Nightingale followed at my heels. “It’s about that woman. The one who just talked to you.”

  I stopped in my tracks and turned to face her. “What about her?”

  The Nightingale tugged down the hem of her rumpled blouse. “I saw her fighting with that man that got himself killed at that party.”

  I stared into her angular face, worried by her triumphant expression. “What do you mean, fighting? And how did you see any such thing?”

  “I was walking by that B and B in town. Hill House, they call it. Crossed around back to take a shortcut and there they were—your friend and that foreign man I saw on the news. The murder victim,” the Nightingale added with relish.

  “When was this?”

  “Day before that party where he got himself poisoned, as best I recall.”

  I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart. “But surely they weren’t actually fighting?”

  “Maybe not hitting or anything, but there was yelling and threats and stuff like that.” A cunning look crossed the Nightingale’s face. “Suppose I should tell the sheriff that, shouldn’t I?”

  “Have you?” I asked, furiously considering whether I should tell Brad about this information before the Nightingale provided her undoubtedly embellished version.

  “Not yet. But I think I will. Duty as a citizen, don’t you think? Yes,” she added, as she moved away from me, “I think I will.”

  As soon as she disappeared out the front doors of the library, I sprinted over to the circulation desk. “Don’t ask,” I told Zelda as I slipped around behind her and dashed into the workroom.

  Before I called the sheriff’s office, I made sure to close the workroom door. Given the Nightingale’s sudden realization of the importance of what she’d seen, she was bound to spread the story of an argument between Adele and the murder victim far and wide. I didn’t need anyone else, especially Zelda, involved before I had a chance to talk to Brad.

  I sighed as I waited to be connected to Brad’s office. I knew I’d have to tell him everything I’d seen and heard involving Adele, even the scene in the butler’s pantry. It wasn’t what I wanted, but there was nothing else I could do. The truth had to come out before lies and fabrications spun by town gossip made everything that much worse.

  Chapter Ten

  I didn’t hear more news from Brad after I shared my information on Adele, which I hoped was a good sign. In the meantime, I had to focus on a few other things, like dress fittings for the wedding. With only three weeks until the ceremony, I was getting anxious to have this task completed.

  “Sorry, too frilly,” Karla said as Sunny pulled another dress from the rack. “Besides, since you’re wearing blue, I should have something that will blend well with that.” Karla cast me a glance. “There’s another bridesmaid too, isn’t there? What color is her gown?”

  “Jessica’s wearing a shade of blue as well,” I said. “She sent me a photo, and it looks like it will work well, color and style-wise. It’s a darker shade but in the same hue, so it should complement Sunny’s gown just fine.”

  Aunt Lydia, who was seated in one of the velvet upholstered chairs provided for guests, pursed her lips. “A pity that she can’t come until a few days before the wedding. I hoped she’d be able to offer more help with the preparations.”

  “She wanted to. But then her university insisted on scheduling a mandatory training session that ruined her original plans.” I turned to Karla. “Jessica and I were in library school together and have remained friends. But she took a job at a music library out in California right after graduation, so we rarely see each other these days. We stay in touch through social media and phone calls, though.”

  “Which means I definitely need something that will work alongside various shades of blue, I guess,” Karla said as she looked over the rack of gowns.

  Sunny popped on the glasses she wore only when she needed to closely examine things. “I was thinking something in the purple family. The kind with underlying bluish tones, not red.”

  “That would work.” Karla flipped through the selections available in her size. “A bit limited, I’m afraid.”

  “We can order items in any size,” said the store clerk, who’d introduced herself as Deanna.

  Karla frowned. “Can you get it in time? The wedding is only three weeks away.”

  “That won’t be a problem. Our suppliers will expediate shipping if we ask,” Deanna said.

  “But I wouldn’t know how it would fit.”

  Deanna looked Karla over. “Well, you have a great figure. I think almost anything would work, as long as it’s long enough in the torso and arms and so on.”

  “Okay, I guess I could deal with that.” Karla’s expression was decidedly dubious.

  “Let me get our catalog. That might help,” Deanna said, before scurrying off into a back workroom.

  A jangle of bells made Aunt Lydia glance over at the main door of the shop. “Hold on, here comes Debbie. Maybe she’ll have some ideas.”

  “Hello everyone. Sorry I’m late. Traffic was awful,” said my mom, hurrying over to join us. “I hope I haven’t missed Amy’s fitting.”

  “You’re fine,” I said, giving her a hug. “They’re still setting up things in the fitting room for me and Sunny. In the meantime, we’re searching for something that might work for Karla.”

  “Oh right, the best-woman dress.” Mom dropped her purse into the chair next to Aunt Lydia before turning to the rack that held a selection of bridesmaid dresses. “Well, I’m no fashion maven, but maybe we should look in the mother-of-the-bride section as well. When I was looking for my outfit, I noticed that many of those gowns were more sophisticated than the bridesmaid choices.” She smiled. “I guess everyone assumes that bridesmaids will all be in their twenties or something.”

  “That’s a good point,” Karla said. “All of us are a little older than the typical bridal party.”

  “Way to rub it in.” I shot her a grin to let her know I wasn’t offended. I didn’t really mind being a thirtysomething bride. Whatever my age, I was marrying the man I loved, and the person I knew I wanted to live with the rest of my life.

  “But you didn’t get your dress here,” Aunt Lydia said. “We went shopping together for that, remember.”

  Mom nodded. “And got cocktail-length dresses instead of long gowns. Just made more sense, particularly for an afternoon wedding. But I do think Karla needs something more formal.”

  “What color did you end up buying?” Sunny asked, shifting her attention from the rack of gowns to address my mom.

  “Indigo for me. Lydia went with a pale, almost icy, blue.” Mom smiled. “Looks great with her eyes.”

  “Really?” My aunt arched her feathery brows. “Are you saying my eyes are cold?”

  “No, just a gorgeous pale blue, as you well know,” Mom replied, wrinkling her nose at her older sister.

  “I definitely want something in blue or purple hues, then,” Karla said. “Especially since a little bird told me that Amy is including purple wisteria in her bouquet.”

  “Had to,” I said with a smile. “And I expect that little bird also told you that we’re using those colors in all the flower arrangements.”

  “He did.” Karla turned away from the dresses to give me a wink. “I have t
o say that he’s gotten more involved in the wedding planning than most guys I know.”

  “Come on, Karla, you know Richard. He’s a choreographer. He’s all about the visuals.”

  “True.” Karla’s light-brown eyes sparkled with amusement. “He showed me his outfit, by the way. A lovely morning suit. I think you’ll approve.”

  “Hey, no fair,” I said, without rancor. “But of course, I’d approve of anything as long as it’s Richard wearing it.”

  Sunny made a show of elaborately fanning herself. “Richard in tails. Lord help me.”

  Mom laughed as Aunt Lydia once again raised her eyebrows. “Sunshine Fields, sometimes you are too much,” my aunt said.

  I slipped my arm around Sunny’s slender waist. “No, she’s perfect, and you know it.”

  “Thanks, bestie,” Sunny said, leaning her head against mine.

  “Now there’s a picture,” Mom said. “Especially with Karla in the frame too. Three beautiful women.”

  “I think you’re a little biased,” I said as Deanna reappeared, clutching something that looked like an oversized magazine.

  “Here you go,” she said, handing the item to Karla. “Take a look through this and see if something strikes your fancy. We can order anything and get it here within a week, so there’ll still be plenty of time for a fitting.” She turned to me and Sunny. “We’re ready for you now, if you want to follow me.”

  Mom circled behind Aunt Lydia’s chair, snatching up her purse. “Here, Karla, sit down and let’s look through the catalog while Amy and Sunny are getting dressed.”

  “No, no. You should sit beside your sister, Ms. Webber,” Karla said. “I’ll stand behind you. Trust me”—she grinned—“I’m tall enough to look over your shoulders.”

  Sunny and I left them to peruse the catalog and followed Deanna into a large fitting room with a gold-and-silver-patterned carpet and mirrors lining three walls.

  The attendants helped Sunny into her gown first. A simple sleeveless column of peacock-blue silk with a draped scoop neckline in front and low-cut back, it didn’t possess much pizzazz when dangling from a hanger. But draped over Sunny’s slender but well-proportioned figure, it looked sensational.

  “Wow, we’d better hire some bodyguards to keep the men at bay,” I said with a smile.

  Sunny spun this way and that to admire the gown from all angles. “Oh, don’t go to that trouble,” she said, flashing me a grin. “I’ll manage.”

  I was next. My white silk gown was also sleeveless but featured a full skirt and fitted bodice. The front neckline was cut in a modest, draped vee, but the back spilled from my shoulders in a deep cowl. It fell in folds so low that I’d had to buy a special, almost backless corset to wear under the gown.

  Sunny whistled. “Gorgeous! I mean, it looked lovely when you picked it out, but now that it’s been fitted, it’s simply perfect.”

  I turned slowly, examining my reflection from all sides. It was the most flattering dress I’d ever worn, highlighting my curves with elegance and style.

  “Now the veil,” said Deanna, holding out the flowing expanse of airy white lace with reverence. She fitted the halo of silk, which would be decorated with real flowers for the ceremony, over my hair, adjusting the lace so it fell in a sheer panel from the back of my head to the floor.

  “With the flowers and your hair pulled back, it will be stunning,” she said as she stepped back to allow me to study the finished ensemble.

  Sunny clapped her hands. “Even more perfect. We’d better warn Karla and Scott to be ready to catch Richard, because he’ll probably fall over when he sees you.”

  I laughed. “I doubt his reaction will be quite that dramatic.”

  “Let me go and bring the others in,” Deanna said.

  As she hurried out into the shop, I tipped my head to one side and marveled at the woman staring back at me. I’d never considered myself beautiful, even though Richard insisted it was true. But now, in this dress, with the happiness I couldn’t hide shining from my eyes, even I could believe it.

  Mom, Aunt Lydia, and Karla appeared behind me, their reflected faces expressing joy, delight, and admiration.

  “You look truly splendid,” Aunt Lydia said. “Just like Debbie did on her own wedding day,” she added with a swift glance at my mom.

  My typically pragmatic mother was too busy wiping away tears with a tissue to respond.

  “Rich will lose his mind,” Karla said, casting me a warm smile. “I mean, he thinks you’re gorgeous anyway, but wow.”

  “I need to do something different with my hair,” I said, tucking a lock behind my ear. “It’s not long enough to put up into a twist or anything, but maybe just the sides …” I held back the front sections of my hair with both hands. “What do you think?”

  “I think we’ll make an appointment for hair and makeup so you don’t have to worry about it,” Aunt Lydia said. “I’m sure Zelda knows someone who could come to the house right before the wedding.”

  Sunny nodded. “If anyone does, she would.”

  As if drawn out of a reverie by Sunny’s words, my mom glanced over at her. “You look pretty spectacular yourself, Sunny.”

  “Thank you,” Sunny said, making a little curtsy.

  “I really do have to find a dress that complements you two,” Karla said.

  I pulled the veil forward so that it draped over my shoulders and admired the delicate lace. “Did you see anything in the catalog that you liked?”

  “One. It’s silk like your dresses and equally elegant, but it has one shoulder bare, and I don’t know if that will work with your design aesthetic.”

  “I don’t see why not,” I said, turning to look her over. “Is it a Grecian sort of style?”

  “Exactly,” my mom said. “It drapes from one shoulder, then falls fairly straight, but with enough shape to show off Karla’s lovely figure. But it has that soft, flowy effect, like you see in ancient statures. It comes in a wonderful shade of deep violet too.”

  I gave a thumbs-up. “I think that would be perfect. I’ve always pictured Karla as a Greek goddess anyway.”

  Color flushed Karla’s cheeks. “I don’t know about that, but I think it’s a style that would work for me. So if it’s okay with you, that’s what I’ll go with.”

  “As long as you can dance in it,” I said. “Because you know you’ll have to dance with Richard. He’ll insist.”

  “Pretty sure it will work just fine.” Karla looked me over. “As will your dress. Minus the veil, perhaps.”

  “This lace part detaches,” I said, touching the back of the silk-covered frame. “And I plan to wear flat slippers. I know heels are more fashionable, but …”

  “Not for dancing. I mean, if you aren’t used to them, that would be dangerous.” Karla shot me a conspiratorial look. We’d already met once to begin my training for the first dance, and it had gone about as well as expected. Which is to say, not exceptionally well. But I was determined to conquer my doubts as well as my limitations.

  Deanna tapped Karla’s arm. “If you’re set on that dress, why don’t we go ahead and order it?” She glanced at her watch. “If we put in the request soon, it will get here a day earlier.”

  “Sure thing,” Karla said, before following Deanna out of the room.

  Sunny, who’d been staring into one of the mirrors, experimenting with pulling her long hair into different versions of buns and twists, cast me a side-eyed glance. “Well, dancing or no dancing, you’ll be more comfortable in flats. Especially since you don’t often wear heels. And we’ll all be on our feet a lot, I’m afraid.”

  “Not this old lady,” Aunt Lydia said. “I plan to spend a good bit of time sitting on one of my garden benches.”

  I rolled my eyes. “As if that will happen. You’ll be rushing around, instructing the musicians, directing the caterers, greeting guests, making sure everything is perfect, and so on. I know you.”

  “Honestly, Amy, I don’t know where you get these ideas,�
� my aunt said. But she smiled.

  “And you need to squeeze in a few dances with Hugh as well.” Mom’s expression was perfectly innocent, but I knew what she was up to.

  So did her sister. “If Hugh is even at the wedding,” Aunt Lydia said, her tone suddenly as icy as her eyes.

  Sunny smoothed her dress over her hips. “Oh now, you can’t break up with him right before the wedding. I mean, it’s bad enough I don’t have a date.”

  Unmoved by this playful comment, my aunt lifted her chin and stared my mom in the eye. “It’s not me who’s causing the problem.”

  “Come now, Lydia, he’s just doing his job,” Mom said firmly.

  Aunt Lydia sniffed. “Hugh hasn’t been assigned to look into Kurt’s past. That’s something he’s chosen to do. I suppose now, with this murder at Highview, it fits in with the official investigations, but that’s not how it started.”

  “Hugh has had suspicions about Kurt’s business practices for some time,” I said, keeping my tone mild. “You can’t really blame him for digging a little deeper when someone dies on Kurt’s property. Someone who was vying with Kurt over an acquisition, too.”

  “Perhaps not, but when I’ve asked him not to look into certain things …” Aunt Lydia tightened her lips.

  “I don’t think you need to worry,” Mom said. “Hugh loves you. He isn’t going to deliberately do anything to hurt you.”

  My aunt swept one hand through the air. “Enough. I don’t care to discuss the matter any further.” She turned on her heel and marched out of the dressing room, but not before calling out, “You do look beautiful, Amy.”

  My mom shared a concerned look with me before following her.

  I sighed. “I guess I should get out of this now. Although it is hard to go back to wearing my street clothes.” I poked my foot out from under the gown’s full skirt. “But I have no glass slippers and it’s past midnight.”