by Nicole Ellis
“No, Lindsay and I have never dated. She’s been with Declan since the first time I met her.” He frowned. “She hasn’t appeared very happy in the last few years though. I think their relationship was taking a toll on her. I’ve tried to be there for her, but she keeps pushing me away.” He gazed wistfully out over the lake.
It appeared my suspicions had been correct. He did have feelings for Lindsay, although they didn’t seem to be reciprocated. A thought struck me. While he’d been looking out for Lindsay, had he seen her arguing with Declan down on the boat dock at Lake Elinor on the night Declan died?
“Did you see the fight that she had with Declan last Wednesday night?” I carefully examined his face.
“You mean the one that she had with him at the rehearsal dinner? Yeah, everyone saw that.”
“No, I mean after the rehearsal dinner, when both of them came back to the house. I heard that the two of them had a big argument down on the boat dock.”
“Oh, that.” His eyes met mine and his tone became weary. “Do the police know about that too?”
I honestly wasn’t sure. Becca was supposed to have told the police about the quarrels she’d witnessed between Lindsay and Declan that night, but Desi hadn’t confirmed with me that she had.
“I don’t think so, not yet.” I put my hand on the deck railing, rubbing my palm across the smooth, splinter-free wood.
“She didn’t kill him.”
“How do you know that?” I leaned against the railing, not taking my eyes off of him.
He shifted uneasily in his patio chair. “I was watching the two of them out there to make sure she was ok. I saw her come in, and she didn’t leave after that. Declan was still out there, downing beers like there was no tomorrow.” He reddened. “I’m sorry. That was a poor choice of words.”
I turned the information around in my mind. He’d confirmed what Becca had told us about Lindsay and Declan’s second fight of the night. But then how had Declan gone from drinking like a fish to swimming with the fishes?
“And Jared and Bill were out of the house until pretty late at night, right?”
“They were. I heard them come in around one in the morning. They wouldn’t have seen Declan because I’d looked out the window about midnight, and he was already gone.” His eyes widened. “What if the police were wrong about him being murdered? He might have fallen off the dock and hit his head on his boat. I saw him leaning against it and then staggering back onto the dock when it shifted in the water.” Panic tinged his voice. “What if he was still alive after he fell in? I should have gone out there to check on him. I’ve been boating since I was a kid. I know better than to allow someone in that condition to be around the water. But I didn’t want to let him know I’d been watching them.”
His fawning over Lindsay had been annoying, but now I felt bad for the guy. “I don’t think he fell in.” Or if he had, someone had at the very least moved his body from the lake to the Sound. “Someone had a hand in his death. I doubt there was anything you could have done.”
“I guess.” He slumped back in the chair.
Goldie barked loudly. A robin had landed on the railing, just out of his reach. I attached the leash to his collar before he could make another attempt. The sun was high overhead, and I’d been out at Lake Elinor for far longer than I’d anticipated.
“I’d better get back to the Boathouse. If I want to meet Becca’s wedding expectations, I’ve got a lot to take care of before tomorrow.”
“Right, right, of course. Well, have a nice afternoon. I think I’m going to see about some lunch.” He wandered off toward the back of the deck, where a door led into the house.
I left the house more confused than ever. Bill didn’t seem to have any awareness of financial issues with the practice, if there even were any. Orson claimed Lindsay had been safely in the house and had nothing to do with her husband’s death. Jared and Bill had been out at the casino when Declan disappeared. Something wasn’t adding up here. I called my mom to let her know I was safe and drove home.
18
The bridal party was due to arrive at the Boathouse at ten for the preparations preceding the three o’clock wedding. Becca had a tight schedule involving makeup, hair styling, and wedding photos prior to the ceremony.
Desi walked in, carrying her lavender bridesmaid’s dress in a plastic garment bag over her arm.
“Hey.” She hugged me with her free arm. “Am I ever glad to see you.”
“Why, what’s up?”
“I had to go with Becca down to the police station last night to tell them about Lindsay and Declan fighting on the dock at Lake Elinor the night he was killed.” She scrunched up her face. “It wasn’t a fun experience. I’m normally there as the wife bringing her husband his lunch. This time, I felt like I was part of the investigation, and not in a good way.” She shivered and hugged her arms to her chest. “It brought back way too many bad memories of when Mr. Westen was killed.”
“What do you mean?” I beckoned her down the hallway to the privacy of my office.
“They treated us like we were suspects, not witnesses.” She sat down in the chair opposite my ergonomic swivel chair with the dress resting carefully on her lap.
“Well, Becca was at the house the night Declan was killed.” Come to think of it, no one I’d talked to had mentioned her whereabouts that night. I’d only had her word that she was in bed when Declan disappeared.
“Yeah, but I’m sure she didn’t do it. She doesn’t have it in her. Besides, what reason would she have to kill him?”
“True.” I shut my office door to keep anyone from overhearing. “Did she tell Bill about her relationship with Jared?”
“I think so,” Desi said. “At least she told me she was going to.”
“Yikes. I wonder how that will go over right before the wedding.”
“It was the right thing to do though. A secret like that could tear a marriage apart.”
I nodded. “Have you seen her or Bill yet?”
“No.” Desi stood. “I’d better get in there. They’re in the Puget Room, right?”
“Yes. You’re the first to arrive though.” We usually rented the smaller Puget Room along with the main hall of the Boathouse for weddings so the bride had somewhere to get ready and for everyone in the wedding party to have a place to store their belongings.
I opened the door. Sounds of laughter came down the hallway.
Becca and Bill were alone in the lobby holding hands, with big smiles on their faces. Desi and I exchanged glances.
“It doesn’t look like she told him.” I peeked around the corner again. Still bubbly, happy, soon-to-be newlyweds, like most other couples on their wedding day.
“Maybe she told him, and he didn’t care? Bill really is a nice guy.” She tipped her head toward where the wedding party was gathering. “I’d better get over to the Puget Room though. I think Becca has me early on the list for the makeup artist.”
“Ooh. Sounds fun. You’ll look gorgeous with professional makeup.” I was a little jealous. Maybe after the summer rush was over, Adam and I could splurge on a fancy dinner and I could get a mini makeover beforehand.
Desi strode off down the hall toward Becca and Bill. They parted when they saw her, then they all disappeared around the corner in the direction of the Puget Room.
Lindsay came in through the front door, fighting with her dress bag and several duffel bags of what I presumed to be wedding essentials.
“Here, let me help you.” I pasted a smile on my face.
She shoved all of the duffel bags at me. I stumbled back a little under the weight, and she breezed off without a second glance back at me. One of things I was most looking forward to about this wedding being over was to never have to see Lindsay Becker ever again. Becca’s mom and her cousin Isabel had arrived, and along with Desi, were getting the room situated for the day’s events. In the minute it took me to walk down the hall hefting the bags, Lindsay had already poured herself a glas
s of champagne and was downing it faster than advisable.
Bill wasn’t in the room—he must have gone into the Snowton Room, a tiny room at the end of the hallway that the grooms used. It was big enough for two couches and a flat screen TV and that was about it, but we’d never received any complaints from grooms.
I deposited Lindsay’s bag next to the couch. “I’ll be in my office for most of the day. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.”
Becca smiled. “Thanks, Jill. Thanks for everything. I peeked into the main hall, and the decorations are really coming along. It’s going to look just as magical as I’ve always imagined.”
Her mother walked up to her and hugged her, looking like she was going to cry. “I can’t believe my baby is getting married.”
“Mom, I’m thirty-two and I’ve been with Bill for over ten of those years. It’s time,” she joked. “Don’t cry.” A few tears slipped out of her own eyes.
Desi plucked a Kleenex from the box we kept on an end table and handed it to her. Weddings tended to be teary events, and we usually went through at least one box in the bride’s room with every wedding.
I eased out of the room and retreated toward my office, first checking on the progress in the main hall. Becca was right. The wedding preparations were on track.
“Nice job, everything looks great,” I called out to the staff. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.” They turned, surprised to see someone else there, then gave me a thumbs-up and returned to work.
I kept my door ajar in case anyone needed me, but otherwise was head down on planning for my next event. Around lunchtime, someone knocked on my door, but to my surprise, it wasn’t anyone involved with Becca and Bill’s wedding.
“Hi, honey,” my mother said, holding Ella in her arms. Mikey peeked around her into my office.
“Hi.” I came around my desk to give Mikey a hug. “I didn’t expect to see you here today.”
“Oh, I hope I’m not intruding, but we wanted to drop off some lunch for you.” She handed me a thermal bag. I rifled through it, discovering an egg salad sandwich, potato chips, and some carrots.
“Thanks. I love egg salad.” I gave her a quick hug and kissed Ella’s head. A thought occurred to me. “Hey, do you want to see the event I’m working on in progress?”
A wide smile crossed her face. “I’d love that. I’ve never been able to visit you at work before.”
I led her down the hallway toward the main room. “We’re hosting a wedding tonight. Actually, it’s the wedding for Desi’s friends.” I waved my arm across the vast room. “See, they’re setting up the chairs for the ceremony now.”
“Cool,” Mikey said. I caught him right before he took off down the aisle to terrorize the perfectly straight rows of chairs.
“It’s lovely.” My mother bounced Ella in her arms. “And you’re in charge of this event?”
“Yes. Beth was supposed to manage it, but since she’s in Portland, I took over.” I gazed at the room, taking it in through her eyes. It would be a gorgeous wedding, with the white chairs and a rose-covered arbor at the front. The sliding barn doors were open, allowing the sun to shine in and the fresh air off Puget Sound to fill the room.
“You should be proud of yourself. This took a lot of work.”
“Well, I had a little help.” Still, my mother’s words of praise meant a lot to me. Taking over for Beth hadn’t been easy, but I thought I’d done quite well.
She gave the scene another once-over and smiled at me. “We’d better get going. I’m taking Mikey to the park.”
“Yeah!” Mikey grabbed her hand and tried to lead her out of the room. She allowed him to pull her toward the door, and gave me a little wave before departing.
I returned to my office feeling certain that the wedding would be a success.
Miracle of miracles, the wedding ceremony went off without a hitch—even having Tilly the Chihuahua as a ring bearer. Lindsay had stayed sober long enough to perform her duties as bridesmaid, and Becca looked lovely. Bill had enlisted his cousin to take Declan’s place as a groomsman.
The wedding party exited, and while Becca and Bill positioned themselves against a wall near the exit doors, Lindsay made a beeline for the open bar we’d set up in the lobby. Apparently she intended to rectify her sober state as quickly as possible.
They’d rented out the entire Boathouse for their wedding, and while the guests went through the receiving line and milled around the lobby, the staff were quickly moving the white wooden chairs around the round tables to prepare for dinner to be served.
When the dinner configuration was set up, Bill and Becca led the group into the room and seated themselves at the small table up on the raised stage. After everyone was seated, the catering staff served the entreés as I watched from a corner of the main room. I’d remembered to make sure that Becca’s feuding cousins were separated, and everything was going like clockwork. Until the speeches.
Desi stood to give her speech as matron of honor, looking beautiful in her lavender bridesmaid dress. Her face had been made-up expertly and her hair styled in a sweeping updo. Tomàs couldn’t take his eyes off her throughout the speech. They’d been married for many years, had two small children, and had endured trials in their marriage, including Desi being suspected of murder, yet they were still deeply in love. If I were giving a speech, they’d be the perfect example of what Becca and Bill should aspire to. I really hoped Becca had told Bill her secret.
As Desi wound down her speech and the audience started clapping, Lindsay stumbled to her feet, reminding me that Becca had told her she could give the first speech. Had she changed her mind?
Lindsay shouted, “My turn. I want to tell them what marriage is really like.”
Orson tried to pull her back to her seat, but Lindsay couldn’t be dissuaded. She pushed him away again and again.
“Want to know what marriage is really like? I’ll tell you. It starts out nice and lovey-dovey, like these two.” She used the microphone to point to the newly married couple. Tears started to slur her words past what the alcohol had already done. “But then a few years go by, and your husband decides you aren’t young enough or pretty enough. And it all goes down the drain. That’s what marriage is. A big fat lie.” She dropped the microphone on the floor and ran out of the room, sobbing. Orson grabbed her purse and chased after her.
Up on the stage, Becca had her mouth open in horror, and a pained expression filled Bill’s face.
Jared grabbed the microphone. “Well, that was an interesting perspective on marriage. Luckily, these two were meant for each other.” He smiled at the stage. “They’ve got a lifetime of happiness in front of them.” He raised his glass of champagne and toasted them.
Becca and Bill kissed and the crowd cheered. Jared handed the microphone to Isabel, who began a long-winded speech about how she’d first heard Becca talking about Bill. I slipped out of the room to check on the cake and to make sure Tilly was still doing ok in the storage room I’d put her in until the end of the reception.
The tall, white, multi-tiered cake embellished with silver balls and icing was perched on a bed of white lace on top of a rolling table, ready to go. I checked in with the staff, and they were on the ball with the other details.
I continued monitoring the festivities as the night wore on. The DJ had the crowd pumped up and everyone was dancing and laughing, just what we wanted to see at a wedding. I pushed open the door to the outside deck. The air was fresh and cool coming off the Sound. Cheers came through the closed doors leading out of the main hall, bouncing off the water.
Becca and Bill were scheduled to jet off to their honeymoon cabin on Willowby Island via Declan’s boat, so I wanted to make sure it was ready to go for their departure. The police had released the boat from evidence in time for the wedding. It seemed fitting that their good friend’s boat would be used to take them to the start of their new life together—almost like he was with them on their wedding day. The sun was set
ting, a gorgeous collage of pinks, purples, and oranges that streaked the sky over the island. A perfect, romantic night fit for newlyweds.
The gate was open to the docks, much like it had been the morning I found Declan’s body. My mood turned from contemplative elation to a sense of dread. We always kept the gate closed, with a child-proof lock on it, just in case there were any pint-sized escapees from an event. I forced myself to walk toward it. It’s silly to worry, Jill. Someone probably put wedding bells or tin cans on the boat and forgot to close it behind themselves.
My trepidation continued until I was at the top of the ramp leading down to the boat docks. A woman with blonde hair lay in a puddle of lavender silk on the wood planks in front of Declan’s boat.
“Lindsay!” I ran down the ramp as fast as I dared and stood in front of her. The body didn’t move. My heart beat faster. “Lindsay,” I said again, crouching down to nudge her shoulder with my hand. She stirred and I plopped backwards, looking up at the sky. Thank goodness. I helped her sit up.
“Where am I?” She looked at me groggily. Clumps of mascara dotted her face, and strands of hair had come loose from the bobby-pinned coif on the top of her head.
“You’re on the docks in front of the Boathouse, at Becca’s wedding,” I said helpfully.
She stared up at the blue-roofed boathouse, then back to Declan’s boat and groaned. “Why am I down here?”
“I couldn’t tell you. You disappeared with Orson right after your speech.” I looked around. There weren’t many places to hide on the small floating docks. “Where’s Orson?”
“My speech.” She closed her eyes and then opened them. They were bright with fresh tears. “I ruined Becca’s wedding.”
I handed her a Kleenex out of the emergency pack I carried with me at all times during an event. She dabbed at her face.
“I don’t know where Orson went.” Lindsay stared into space. “He followed me out to the deck, but after I told him there was never going to be anything between the two of us, he stormed off.” She looked down at the dock, tracing a knot in the wood with her fingers. “I think I really hurt his feelings.” She drew her knees up to her chest, the lavender silk catching and snagging on the rough boards. “I’ve screwed up everything.”
