A Deadly Promotion

by Melanie Jones Brownrigg

  The hostess led us to where my parents were already seated on the outdoor balcony which overlooked the cityscape of tall buildings and the meanderings of the Trinity River. A canopy of vines covered the place. Large heaters scattered here and there helped break the evening chill, making the place warm, toasty and inviting.

  Tall spruces in giant urns provided separation from nearby tables. Candles danced at each seating and fairy lights shimmered above us. It was a beautiful, magical wonderland.

  My mother’s hair was piled higher than normal and a red rouge dotted her cheeks. “I can’t believe we’re finally eating at The Terrace. Everyone knows this is the most highfalutin place in town.” She shook my dad’s shoulder and smiled a mile wide. “Can you believe it, Charles? Isn’t this grand?”

  “Yes, Ellen,” my father responded, while he greeted me with a giant hug and a shake of Paul’s hand.

  I had tried to dissuade Paul from bringing us here because the prices were stupidly expensive. But he had insisted, knowing this place had been on my mother’s bucket list and Paul was determined to capture her heart. Silly Paul. All my mother wanted was for me to find a man … any man. But a handsome, well-to-do attorney was probably higher on her list.

  The evening was filled with numerous glances shared between my mother and father, as if they could hardly contain their mouths. My mother’s eyes had a bright sheen to them, suggestive of her either having wonderful news, or she was brimming with a secret. My father was equally guarded, periodically nodding at Paul, but unable to make eye contact with me.

  “What’s going on?” I finally asked, my eyes darting between my parents.

  “Nothing, nothing,” my father assured me.

  “Mom?” I asked, getting the feeling my father wasn’t my ticket to disclosure.

  “There’s going to be a big sale at Hobby Lobby tomorrow. We should go. Don’t you think? Just us girls. We can eat lunch at Jason’s. Oh, speaking of food, I need to run by the grocery store too. Anyway, while we’re out and about, we can start picking up Christmas gifts.” She rambled on, bringing up one unrelated topic after another, barely pausing for a breath. Even for her, she wasn’t making sense. Something was most definitely going on.

  We each opted for the Friday night special of surf and turf, preceded by oysters on the half shell. The meal was amazingly delicious, but filled with small, guarded talk, accompanied by mother practically bouncing in her seat.

  We had just ordered desserts when Paul’s gaze darted between my parents. “Please excuse us for a moment, I’d like to have a private word with your lovely daughter.” He offered his hand, assisting me from my chair. “This way,” he said, leading me to a secluded alcove on the exterior balcony. “I wanted to show you this view. Isn’t it staggering?” He waved his hand to indicate the glistening city lights reflecting off the dark river waters. In the background, soft classical music played and a nearby heater warmed the back of the solid black dress I was wearing.

  “It’s breathtaking,” I agreed, taking in the vista, enhanced by the giant rising harvest moon. The bold orange with a hint of brilliant yellow had just begun to steal the show. Peeking up against the horizon, its beauty overwhelmed me and took my breath away.

  Paul leaned in and tenderly kissed me. “I love you so much,” he declared in that sexy deep voice of his that had my knees wobbling.

  “I love you so much too,” I returned, reaching around his neck and guiding his mouth back down on mine.

  In this secluded, romantic place, I felt myself melt against the black jacket of his suit. He kissed me once more and then fiddled with something in his pocket. Bringing out a small black velvet box, he dropped down on one knee and looked up into my face.

  “Paige Marie Davis, I love you with all my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  Tears exploded in my eyes. “Yes, yes. I’d love to spend the rest of my life with you. And I’d love to be your wife.”

  He pulled himself back up and placed the ring on my finger. The huge diamond outshone all the twinkling lights of downtown and even the magnificent moon.

  I threw my arms around him and we kissed.

  “My parents knew,” I remarked when we broke apart, realizing my mom’s giddiness and my dad’s inability to make eye contact meant they had known he was going to pop the question.

  He grinned. “I had your parents come to my office earlier so I could ask for your hand in marriage.” He looked over his shoulder, back toward the table. “We should probably get back to them.”

  One more kiss and we returned to the table where I immediately showed off my engagement ring. “Oh Paige, I’m so happy for you,” my father said, jumping from his chair to squeeze the breath out of me.

  My mother vied for her turn. “I thought for sure you were going to be an old maid. Thank God for miracles.”

  My mother!

  We finished our meal and parted ways. Later that night, after Paul and I had made incredible love to each other and then let the cats into our bedroom, we snuggled up in bed together and fell asleep as one big happy family. As I drifted into slumber, I knew my life couldn’t have turned out better.

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  David Ross

  A brain tumor. Can you believe it? Talk about a get-out-of-jail-free card! David embezzled money from the company and tried to pin it on someone else. David couldn’t have been thinking clearly. Right? He had a brain tumor. He threw Julie down the stairs to her death. It was okay, David had a brain tumor. And then there was Paige. Let’s see … he pushed her down the stairs, bashed her head into a cinder block wall, and poisoned her sandwich. It was all okay, he had a brain tumor. Then there was the girl he pushed off the ship to her death. Once again, David couldn’t help himself. He had a brain tumor. Penny died from eating Paige’s sandwich. You guessed it ... brain tumor. And finally, he tried to kill his own mother. Couldn’t be helped … brain tumor.

  For David’s whole life, he had always been weird, the odd duck, and the one who didn’t quite fit in. So, David asked himself how long he could have possibly had this brain tumor. Must’ve been since birth, a real slow grower. After all, think about it. David had been stalking Paige for over three years. That wasn’t normal. Now was it?

  And now, after the tumor had been removed, had he stopped following her? Nope, he had not. And now her attorney-boyfriend had proposed marriage. David had been slapped in the face, yet again. Paige wasn’t his. And she never would be. All hope was lost.

  Now the question was, what was he going to do about it. Should he let Paige go? Replace her with someone else? Or should he teach her a lesson? He weighed several options, all while he sat in his car, in the parking lot outside her future husband’s condo. The attorney was still at work, preparing for some important hearing he had tomorrow. Paige was on the second floor, the unit with the light on in the living room. All alone.

  If David rang her bell, she’d open the door and let him. Brain tumor … no reason to fear David … not anymore. Now David saw things playing out in two different ways from the point he took a few steps inside.

  One, he could strike while the iron was hot. She’d never see it coming. Her brains would be bashed all over the floor and she’d be dead. Why? Come on, surely the reason is obvious … because if David couldn’t have Paige, no one could.

  Alternatively, he could linger. Soak in her beautiful face one last time. Then he’d threaten her within every inch of her life. He pictured her blue eyes widening and her fight to live escalating. He’d give her time to grab a weapon. Maybe he’d corner her in the kitchen, near the steak knives. He’d leave her with no choice but self-defense. Then he’d be dead, and his lonely tortured soul would be at peace.

  Over the last few months, David had run a gamut of emotions. Anger and hatred before the removal of his brain tumor. Then he’d found forgiveness, hope and even the possibility of an extended family. Lidia, his long-lost half-sister w
as even going to start a business with him. But recently she’d taken a job at another company doing the same thing she did for Harrington Oil & Gas. So, this left David without a business plan. And just try to get a job when your resume included David’s past … brain tumor or not.

  Ethel had never warmed up to him. Edward would talk to him, but David wasn’t invited over for the upcoming Thanksgiving and he doubted there would be a Christmas gift. Then there was his mother. In recent weeks, the warmth in her eyes had dimmed, having been replaced with a hint of fear. She now slept with her door closed at night and he suspected she had a gun nearby. His own mother. And hadn’t David had a brain tumor?

  David had coped well enough with his emotions and his disappointments. But then the camel’s back was broken when the attorney proposed to HIS Paige. That big radiating diamond ring on her finger was like a laser burning hatred back into his heart. He couldn’t have it.

  David opened his car door and slid out from behind the wheel. He leaned over and grabbed his trusty bat, intending to finish what he so long ago started.

  Yes, long ago started. Think about it. If David truly tripped down the stairs that day and accidentally pushed Paige, and then in his anger, took it out on Julie, why would there have ever been a need to place pain killers in Paige’s tea and Julie’s orange juice. The truth was, he intended to kill them both all along. Julie because she was a stupid, stupid girl for not helping him frame Lidia on the embezzlement. And then there was Paige. Earlier in the day, he had gone to sit by her at lunch and she had moved at the last minute to be next to Penny. David had taken it as an out-and-out rejection of his affection for her. It ripped his heart open and sent his anger flying. He just needed to get Paige out of his system, completely, once and for all.

  His afternoon had been spent in planning the double murder of Paige and Julie. During the afternoon break, he had drugged them both to eliminate either of them getting control over the situation. All along he plotted to kill them in the stairwell and, if necessary, he planned to claim he tripped to save his own skin. Lying was justified when it benefited David’s purposes. Besides, all murderers lied, didn’t they? It had been so easy to kill Julie. But when it came to Paige, in the end, he just couldn’t follow through. He just loved her too much. He couldn’t help himself.

  He softly closed his car door, taking in a breath of the brisk air, perfect for his tan trench coat. He slipped the bat underneath so no one would spot him carrying a weapon. His plastic hazmat suit squeaked a bit when he reached for his briefcase, containing a change of clothes and a large garbage bag.

  He gazed up at the living room light and took in another deep breath. It was now or never. David headed inside, took the elevator to the second floor and mashed the doorbell. He held his breath, waiting for the door to open.

  A solid wooden object acted as a barrier between life and death. The only question was … who would end up alive, and who would end up dead?

  Acknowledgement

  I would like to thank my wonderful friends and relatives who indulged my going on and on about my book. A special thank you goes to Sabrina Baker, my good friend since second grade. She was kind enough to read this book, give me her opinions, and point out a few mistakes, all of which I greatly appreciate. I would also like to thank Kathy Cagle Sapp and Vickie Hopkins for their exceptional proofreading skills. I look forward to working with them in the future. Another big thank you goes to Scott Hardie who designed the cover. I am very appreciative of his great talent. And, of course, I couldn't forget to thank my wonderful husband who has not only been helpful and supportive, but a wealth of encouragement. Finally, my biggest thank you goes to each of my readers. I appreciate your time and consideration and hope you will continue to support me in my future endeavors.

  About The Author

  Melanie Jones Brownrigg

  Melanie Jones Brownrigg is from a small town, her senior class consisting of only eighteen students. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX. At the same time, she owned and managed a Texaco station off Interstate 20. After selling the business, she moved to Arlington, Texas, where she attended a legal assistant program. In 1987 she received her certificate as a paralegal and began working for several attorneys in various areas of the law, including probate, family law, bankruptcy, and the collection of notes receivables. In 1989, she married Robert, one of the attorneys she was working for. Melanie continues working as his legal assistant.

  Thank you for taking the time to read A Deadly Promotion. Please check back often as Melanie hopes you will follow her upcoming works. If you enjoyed A Deadly Promotion, please leave her a kind review.

  A personal note from Melanie: The balloon incident stemmed from an event years ago. I had been plagued with recurring dreams of someone being in my bedroom. There were many times when I woke up screaming, resulting in scaring my husband to death. In one of my dreams, a balloon (red in my dream), was floating toward the ceiling fan. After being startled awake, it was hard to convince myself it wasn’t there and that someone hadn’t set it loose in our bedroom.

  Books By This Author

  The Hotel

  Emily and Greg had the picture-perfect marriage. At least that is what Emily thought, until one day she saw Greg’s co-counsel from a distance, someone she thought, up until that point, was a man. But with a unisex name, like Taylor, Emily began to imagine her husband was cheating on her. Her suspicions were further broadened after overhearing one of her husband’s previous coworkers, speaking to someone as if she and Emily’s husband were having an affair. Instead of working those long nights Greg was alluding to, where exactly was he? And with whom? One night, after following his vehicle to a seedy hotel, would she find out the answers she was looking for, or end up in a deeper mess than she ever bargained for?