“Kim, you're being here is a bonus because we can say you’re part of the press release we are planning. Megan, would you take the role of coordinating James and Gwendolyn? You need to act just as you did when you booked the party for the museum gallery opening. It won't seem out of the ordinary for you to be booking the party for a client.”
Megan agreed, thinking through her next steps. She would need to get James down to Gwendolyn's home as soon as possible to look at the venue for the party. She would have to find an excuse to leave him alone so he could sniff around the manuscript. It was important that they build up how important secretiveness of the manuscript was. If they did this right, he would be beyond tempted to venture outside the safety net of obscurity and do one more heist for the sake of blackmail.
Before the conversation could go any further Ruth came to the door and announced lunch. Realizing they had a limited amount of time, the women hurried to the dining room, sitting down to enjoy their lunch. As they ate, Megan brought out her ever-present notepad and wrote down ideas as they were tossed out by the woman. This was no ordinary lunch. This was a brainstorming lunch to bring down a killer and get justice for the young victim.
Chapter 19
James was punctual to his meeting with the women, and Megan had to admire his professionalism. Even though his company was in the middle of the scandal – and one of his staff murdered – he was the perfect gentleman and showed no stress. He listened attentively to Megan as she explained the need for the hurried party. He kept his face blank, not showing any unusual interest while the women laid out the need for the secrecy of the manuscript. But there were little things that Megan picked up on, now that she knew what to search for, as she watched James. He clutched the pen in his hand little harder, and his notes went from easy-to-read to almost coding on the pad of paper he kept with him. Megan said nothing, she simply watched, making a mental note to keep an eye open for the opportunity to grab hold of that pad of paper. There might be a way that Aiden could figure out what his coding meant.
"James, you did such an outstanding job on the two events for the museum, I was sure you would be the perfect person to handle this for Gwendolyn. I understand its short notice and we’re not asking for anything elaborate with costumes or specialties like that. We would like something a little more formal, with finger foods that people can easily carry around with them on plates. The highlight of the evening will be when Gwendolyn announces the release date of her upcoming book. She might even agree to read a few sections of it to entice readers, and she will drop hints about the plot line. The book is to be the focus of the night, and the party is more of a setting."
James agreed, he could handle party and knew what Megan was thinking of in terms of the ambiance for the evening. Then Gwendolyn spoke up for the first time.
"James, I think it's imperative that you come to my home today and survey where you be working. I have all my notes about the book and about my guest list at home and we can go over it there. Megan will coordinate between you and me, so she’ll come with us.” Turning with a smile to the young reporter, Gwendolyn continued, “Kim, you might like to come too so you can get pre-party photos you can use in your articles."
The author’s matter-of-fact tone allowed for no disagreement. If Megan hadn't known better, she would've been put off by her demeanor. Gone was eccentric author, and in her place was a savvy businessperson. Megan saw why Gwendolyn was so successful.
James didn't hesitate. Even if he wasn’t involved in blackmail, it was essential that his business continue without letting the murder interfere in the day-to-day running. Nothing would destroy his business faster than the hint of scandal. This was the perfect opportunity for him to prove his business was on solid ground. After he asked the women if they would mind if he made a few phone calls, James stood up with his phone in his hand. He needed to get his assistant to handle things while he was down south for the day,
"Of course, James. Let me show you the little parlor I have, it will give you some privacy to make your phone calls," suggested Charlotte. She led the man to a small door off the large living room where she had turned a small bedroom into an old-fashioned parlor. Aware there was nothing in there that the young man could search through, she smiled at him as she closed the door.
James lost no time in making his phone calls. Charlotte barely got the door closed, before he was dialing his assistant. But it wasn't just to tell his assistant to take over for the afternoon. No, he also had his assistant look up any information there was on Gwendolyn. By the time James rejoined the women, he knew the net worth of the author, her ranking on the book sales chart and just how loyal her friends and fans were. From this information, he figured that Gwendolyn would do anything to not disappoint her fans, and go to any lengths to keep spoilers leaking to the media about her manuscript. And that meant that James needed to find that manuscript. She would pay to keep its contents confidential.
While he had been busy, so had Megan. A quick call to the office, and she let Janice know she would be out for the rest of the day. Then she contacted Aiden to let him know the newest developments. The private investigator was impressed with what the ladies had accomplished overnight, but not surprised. He had seen Charlotte in action before and knew her connections ran near and far. Hearing Megan’s plans for the day, Aiden made notes to get his own connections in the works.
“Promise me you’ll be careful. James needs to be considered our primary suspect, a murderer – not the contractor you first hired,” Aiden warned her as they said goodbye.
Megan promised, and as she hung up the phone, James emerged from the parlor. He had a pleased expression on his face and Megan figured it could be from potential new client or potential new victim. They would soon find out.
"Ladies, I cleared my day and I'm yours. There's plenty to be done so why don't we split up and go in two vehicles? Megan, if you wouldn't mind driving myself, and Gwendolyn, then I can work on the party while you drive. And Gwendolyn, you can fill me in on all the details of how you'd like this event to go off. Maybe if you let me know what the book was about, I could even incorporate that into our decorating."
Megan and Charlotte exchanged looks behind his back, both doubtful that he was interested in her book for anything other than getting details he could use against Gwendolyn.
"That sounds like a perfect plan. Adele, you wouldn't mind driving Charlotte and Kim would you?" Agreed Gwendolyn.
It was obvious to Megan that the other women in the room had been prepared for this possibility and even welcomed the idea of going down south. She used that opportunity as an excuse to call Jake and ask him to do a few errands for her. With an excuse to the others, she stepped away from the group’s discussion of travel plans and quickly sent a few text messages. The first one was to Aiden's assistant asking him to go over to her house and pick up a few items for Aiden that she had put aside in an envelope. They pertained to the investigation but she didn't go into details on the phone. The second text was to Lynn, asking her to meet with Aiden so he could review the pictures with her. Matchmaking in mind, she also suggested that since Jake was out and about that he could pick Lynn up and bring her back to Aiden's office. She finished her text with a small smile that Kim noticed.
"It looks like a rather mischievous smile, Megan. What are you up to now?"
Megan looked at Kim realized it was rare for the young reporter to miss anything. She had good instincts for her job she but needed more maturity and ethics to go along with it.
"Just playing Cupid." She grinned at the other woman. Kim returned her grin; she understood the universal longing to see couples paired up and happy.
Their attention was diverted from each other by James declaring it was time to head out if they were to get the party organized on such short notice. The next few moments were little confusing as everybody grabbed their bags to leave and headed out to the waiting vehicles. At the last minute, Ruth came rushing forward with a cooler for each car
filled with bottled water and fresh fruit. Palm Beach was an hour away and in her mind, you couldn't go that long without something to eat or drink. After thanking the woman, the drivers, Megan and Adele, started the cars and headed south to the Palm Beach area.
They made good time traveling, it was past the busy morning rush hour, with still time before the afternoon travel began. Megan was following behind Adele, and she couldn't help but to gasp when she pulled into the driveway of Gwendolyn’s elaborate waterfront home. She'd been to the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach many times, and Gwendolyn's home reflected the same architecture. The circular driveway had a huge three-tier fountain in the center of it. Elaborate landscaping of lush tropical flowers was everywhere. The Spanish-tiled roof indicated there were multiple levels in the house, and the huge mahogany doors welcomed Gwendolyn's guests to her home. Where many homeowners used their landscaping to hide and give privacy, Gwendolyn had used hers to accent the home and frame it. Anybody driving by could see the splendor.
Megan had barely put the car into park when there was a young man with a cheerful smile at the door, opening it for her.
"Welcome home, Miss Gwendolyn. I'll move these two cars to the back for you. Miss Rose said to tell you she has cold drinks prepared out on the pool deck."
"Thank you, Daniel. That would be wonderful. Be sure to park the cars in the shade, they'll be there for a while. Welcome to my home, everyone. I'll give you all the grand tour later but let's go on out to the pool deck and go over the details."
Even though she promised the grand tour later, Gwendolyn pointed out a few key locations in her home as they walk past. One of them, deliberately: the door to her writing suite. She wanted to give James every opportunity to perform whatever malicious mischief he had planned.
Sure enough, a few moments after they had settled themselves into the lounge chairs around the pool, James excused himself wanting to use the bathroom. The women watched him leave the terrace, exchanging knowing glances. If he hurried back, they would figure he was not interested in taking the bait. But if he dallied and didn’t return in a normal amount of time, they knew this trap was sprung.
The young man returned almost 20 minutes later, apologizing and explaining that he had gotten caught up in admiring the artwork in Gwendolyn's foyer. It was a reasonable excuse because she had many beautiful Highwayman paintings decorating the grand foyer. But the women all knew he was lying. With a smug smile, Gwendolyn accepted his apology and suggested that they get down to business.
She was right regardless, no matter what a party had to be planned. And Gwendolyn's parties had a reputation of being elaborate, unexpected, and fun. She had no intentions of disappointing her guest with anything less than that. They spent the next hour working out details and she had to admit James had wonderful ideas. It was a shame he taken a darker path with his business.
Finally, Megan and Gwendolyn were satisfied that they had the party arranged so it would not embarrass the author, while also giving them every opportunity to catch a murderer. An early dinner had been planned for her guests, and while they were waiting for the meal to be ready, Gwendolyn gave them the grand tour she had promised.
Megan found the home to not only be beautiful, but warm and homey. There were odd little pieces here and there that reflected the personality of the author. Megan also noticed as they walked around that Gwendolyn dropped little hints about the book and its release.
When they entered the writing suite, Megan gave Gwendolyn inquiring glance. If she hadn't been looking for it, Megan would not have seen the slight nod the author gave her. The bait had worked. Megan wasn't sure what bait Gwendolyn had arranged to be available to James but their plan was working.
James surprised them all after dinner when he declined the ride back to Citrus Beach with Megan.
"I’m going to spend the night down here in Palm Beach. I have plenty of contacts I need to get a hold of to get this party in gear. I'll drive myself back up to Citrus Beach tomorrow. I still have things to tie up with the Museum’s gala."
Megan realized that they would be at a disadvantage if James were to disappear from their sight for any length of time. Charlotte caught on her distressed expression and spoke up, halting his plans.
"James, that’s a wonderful idea. I insist that you stay at the Dolphin Resort. I'll call right now and reserve your room. As part owner, I have a little pull and I'll be sure you get a good room.”
The older woman had managed to not only stop James from disappearing, but had also given them the ability to keep track of his moves. Megan realized this and as soon as the man had said his goodbyes and gotten into a taxi, she called Aiden letting him know the developments. He promised to put a tail on the party planner. He might be trying to legitimately make his contacts for the party but, on the other hand he might try to make contacts about the blackmail.
Chapter 20
Friday
The days passed quickly and Megan felt like she was walking on egg shells waiting for the signal that the blackmail trap would work. The launch party was scheduled for Wednesday night, and it was approaching fast.
Gwendolyn had picked Wednesday night for the simple reason that it was her favorite day of the week, and it was the day she always launched a new book. Call it superstition, but she would not change that regardless of the circumstances.
Megan was planning on spending the weekend in Palm Beach, and they had agreed she would stay with the writer. She wanted to be on hand in case Gwendolyn received any blackmail demands. Megan was positive it would happen over the weekend. James would want to give Gwendolyn enough time raise the moneys he would demand. Aiden agreed with her. He wanted to be by her side the entire time, but Detective Carson was not budging on his belief that the Colonel was responsible for the murder. Thus, he and Charlotte were running interference. Deputy Young was feeding them information that keep them one step ahead of the detective, but that couldn’t go on for much longer before he jeopardized his job.
So, that left Megan on her own. At least until today.
She was packing up the Jeep for the trip when she heard a car pull in behind her. It was the Colonel and in the seat next to him was Kim. Megan watched with interest as the Colonel got out of the car and opened the trunk. Reaching in, he pulled out a small suitcase and set it on the ground next to the car. While he was busy with that, Kim had also gotten out and walked over to stand in front of Megan, her tote bag hitched up on her shoulder. With a pleasant smile for Megan, the Colonel brought the suitcase up to his granddaughter and put it next to Megan’s car.
“You two stay out of trouble and keep in touch.” Was all he had to say. He gave Kim a warm hug, and then man turned and got back into his car and drove away.
His actions jarred Megan to her senses, and she looked at Kim for an explanation. The younger woman gave Megan a hesitant smile.
“I understand you aren’t overjoyed with this arrangement, but as you can see, it’s been settled without your approval. Or mine, for that matter. I was kidnapped this morning and here I am. It seems Charlotte, Aiden, and my grandfather wants us to go to Palm Beach as a team and look out for each other.”
“Are you kidding me? No offense, but I can’t believe they would do this.”
“Oh, they have. I will stay with Adele, so at least we won’t be tied at the hip. My cover is I’m doing a feature on the life of a famous writer and Gwendolyn has agreed to be that writer.”
Megan was still flabbergasted. Then she realized how the other girl might be insulted by her statement and she hastened to apologize. As she was helping Kim load her stuff into the Jeep (she knew better than to fight this decision) she realized this was her own fault. She had gone running impulsively too many times while investigating a crime and landed herself in hot water. This plan was smart, the others were aware she wouldn’t put Kim’s life in danger. They also knew that Kim would not let Megan out of her sight and miss the chance for the scoop on a big story.
“Okay, Kim. It l
ooks like we will be best buds for the foreseeable future. We’ll make it work. And maybe it’s a good idea. After all, we won’t be in Citrus Beach where we know everyone. We will need to rely on each other. Agreed?”
Kim nodded her head in agreement and then shook the hand Megan held out to her. The deal had been struck, and both women had enough integrity uphold up their end of the deal. As they finished loading, Kim looked over at Megan and suddenly burst out laughing.
“Aiden will be in so much trouble for this, won’t he?”
“You can count on it. He has no idea how much trouble.”
Megan joined in the laughter and that easily their moods shifted. Instead of being irritations to each other, they were allies. At least for the time being.
Soon they were driving south again for the second time in one week. Barney and Gypsy looked heartbroken at being left behind from another trip. Megan had a moment of guilt. But where she was heading was no place for two rambunctious dogs. Her guilt only lasted a second, Emma was picking them both up and they would spend a few days with her and Taylor at the farm. They would be fine.
They talked about whatever came to mind during the drive, getting to know each other better. Megan had always known Kim was a smart girl, and she was delighted to find she had a great sense of humor to go with it. The girl was ambitious and wanted desperately to succeed in her field. She explained to Megan that even though she loved Citrus Beach, she longed to follow her career to a big city or even overseas. She just needed the right story to catch the attention of a larger news organization.
This had always been a bone of contention between Kim and others, but Megan understood Kim’s desire. She didn’t agree with the methods that Kim used. She kept quiet about her views on this, there was no need to stir up animosity between the two of them.
The Flapper Caper Page 12
