Murder at the Alamo

by Dianne Harman

  Mark started to stand up from his chair, and then paused. “Why would I hear first?” he asked carefully.

  Zoey thought Mark was acting strangely. He’d never seemed so scattered and all over the place before. The way he was looking at her was starting to make her think something unusual was going on with him. Normally he was very calm and collected. Now, he almost seemed angry about something.

  “I don’t know. Maybe because you’re in the same department? It seems like us gift shop people always hear things last,” she said as she frowned at him. What is going on? she thought. Something has to be up.

  “Yeah, I suppose that’s true,” he said with a chuckle. “Well, still, let me know what you hear.” After he stood up, he ran his hand along Zoey’s back. “Maybe we can do something together this weekend,” he said hopefully. Whatever he’d been irritated about seemed to be gone. Zoey was starting to wonder if he had some sort of drug problem since his words and actions seemed to be somewhat erratic.

  She nodded. “Sure. That sounds great.” She gave him a reassuring smile that didn’t seem to make it all the way to her eyes. Something was off with Mark, and she was determined to find out what it was. When he left the break room, she saw through the window in the door that he didn’t turn towards the right like he usually did. Instead, he turned left, which led toward the other offices.

  Her brain told her he was probably just going to see if anyone else had heard much about Miguel and his retirement, but something, call it idle curiosity, made her follow him. She slipped out of the break room, gently closing the door behind her.

  Catching sight of him turning the corner, she quietly walked down the hall after him and peeked around the corner. He headed through the halls, turning to look over his shoulder from time to time, but she was out of sight. It looked as though he was making sure he wasn’t being followed, which was all the more reason for her to keep tailing him. She wanted to know what he was up to. Maybe it would give her an idea as to why he’d been acting so strange when they were talking.

  Although it was still early in their relationship, if he had a problem, she wanted to see if there was something she could do to help. It was just part of her nature. She didn’t like to see anyone in trouble or upset, and if she did, she always wanted to try and help.

  A few moments later she heard him talking to someone near the end of the “Employees Only” section of the building. It was darker down there, but while he was distracted, she slipped into a little alcove with a water fountain and some potted plants. It wasn’t a very big space, but neither was she. Hiding behind a large plant, she had a better view of what he was doing.

  Whoever he was talking to was just out of her eyesight. Mark was speaking in a low tone to the person, too low for Zoey to make out what he was saying. The light from Celine’s nearby office window helped Zoey see one side of his face. He reached out and pulled the person towards him from where they’d been standing just around the corner. Even in the dim light, Zoey knew who it was.

  When she watched Mark place his hands on either side of Celine’s face, she wondered if something was wrong. Maybe the older woman was crying and she’d been hiding, not wanting anyone to see her? Rumor had it that her marriage was on the rocks. Perhaps she’d hidden away from everyone to have a moment by herself, and Mark happened upon her.

  Suddenly, Celine reached out and pulled Mark to her. Her mouth landed on his and Zoey half expected to see him pull away. Only, he didn’t. Instead he deepened the kiss and pressed himself against her. A janitor whistled at the other end of the hall as he walked by and they quickly pulled apart. Both of them looked nervous and seemed to be afraid that the janitor might have seen them.

  After hearing his whistle fade as he continued by, Celine pulled Mark into her office and shut the door. The door was all wood, but there was a large window just to the left of it. The blinds were still open, but Mark and Celine were out of sight.

  Just as she was thinking about giving up, Zoey saw Celine through the window. She’d perched herself on the edge of her desk and hiked up her skirt and spread her legs. Zoey had a clear view of her. Her jaw dropped when she realized Celine wasn’t wearing any underwear.

  Mark moved towards her and began passionately embracing her. Zoey pulled out her phone and began video recording them. This was the age of technology and now she had proof that he had lied to her.

  Zoey was horrified, but she couldn’t bring herself to look away. She made herself watch, so the next time Mark told her he wanted to spend time with her, she’d remember what she was seeing. Her heart broke into a million pieces as she watched Mark make love to his boss.

  Finally, Mark turned around and without seeing her, closed the blinds, completely blocking her view, but she’d seen and recorded enough. Zoey wasn’t sure if she could have handled watching any more. She stopped the recording, closed her phone and slid it back into her pocket.

  Zoey couldn’t believe it. Mark was having an affair with Celine, too. Could there be others? Her mind began to race as she thought of all the other women working at the Alamo. Had he been doing it for fun? Leading her along, letting her think that she actually meant something to him?

  From the way he and Celine had carried on, it was fairly obvious this wasn’t the first time they’d done something like this. Mentally running through the list of other women who worked there, her heart began to sink. Who said his betrayal was limited just to the women who worked there? He could be stringing along women from all over San Antonio.

  How many times had Mark pulled Zoey into a dark corner or closet only to ravish her? Her stomach churned as she thought about the possibility of being with Mark after he’d been with Celine and lord knows who else. Now she was wondering if she should get tested for the presence of any sexually transmitted diseases. The idea enraged her that he could be so careless. Did he have no decency?

  Stepping out from behind the potted plant where she’d been hiding, Zoey felt as though she was walking through a fog. How could he do this to her? How could he take her heart and stomp all over it as if it was nothing? Did he think she was just some dumb kid that didn’t deserve any respect? Maybe she needed to teach him a lesson.

  After all, she was far from stupid. She’d been one of the brightest kids in her class. Just because she hadn’t chosen to go to college right after she’d finished high school didn’t mean she wasn’t intelligent. Perhaps she needed to show him exactly who he was messing with.

  As Zoey headed back to the gift shop, the thought of scaring Mark into submission pleased her. She’d ask him to meet her and tell him she knew all about Celine and was planning on telling everyone. She had a video as proof, and once people saw it, he and Celine would be looking for new jobs.

  She’d tell him she was planning on posting the video online for the world to see. A few good hashtags and it would spread like wildfire, completely ruining Mark and Celine’s reputation. But first, she had to show Mark who was boss before tearing his world to shreds.

  Zoey began to smile as she headed back to the gift shop. There was no way she’d let Mark get away with this. She’d make him suffer. It would be the last time anyone would double cross her. A cold yet calm rage was running through her veins. When she was finished with him, Mark would never want to cross her again.

  CHAPTER 7

  With the top down on the rental car and the sun shining, Brigid and Linc were headed to Corpus Christi for their day at the beach. It was one part of the trip that Brigid had especially looked forward to. When she’d lived in California, she’d loved sitting by the ocean and just lounging the day away. Watching the Pacific Ocean tide roll in had always seemed to put things into perspective for her.

  Whenever she’d felt life was too overwhelming, like with her ex-husband, work, or anything else, that’s where she’d go to relax. Towards the end of her marriage it seemed like she spent more time there than she did at home. Brigid took a deep breath to clear away those old thoughts and feelings, bringing
herself back to the present.

  Yesterday they’d bought gifts for everyone back home and now they were cruising with the top down towards a day at the beach. Brigid felt like she was a small child on her way to somewhere fantastic. She might even take a dip in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico at some point, but just feeling her toes in the sand and listening to the sound of the surf was more than enough for her.

  “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this,” Brigid said as she felt the warmth of the sun shining down on her.

  “Me too,” Linc said with a broad smile. “The sun is shining, and the waves are calling me. My adventurous side is ready to try something new.”

  “Let me guess. You plan on surfing,” Brigid said as she looked over at him.

  “Don’t you want to give it a shot?” he asked as he glanced at her with mild curiosity.

  “Not really,” Brigid admitted. “Seems like it would take way too much effort. I’m more in the mood for things that are relaxing, not something that will stress me out.”

  “Party pooper,” Linc said playfully. He winked when she gave him a mock serious glare.

  “By all means, try your surfing. I’ll be the one cheering you on from the beach,” she said breaking into a smile.

  “Deal,” Linc said. “While you’re on the beach relaxing, why don’t you look online and see if there’s anything else you want to do while we’re in this area? We have all day. Might as well take in any other sights you may be interested in,” he said as they began to cross the bridge that took them to Padre Island. The scent of the ocean was intoxicating and Brigid took a deep breath.

  “Good idea,” Brigid said. “I’ll bet there are plenty of interesting things we could check out after we get a little sun. I’m sure they have something around here besides a beautiful beach.”

  It wasn’t long before they arrived at the beach and began to unload a few things from the car. Linc helped her stake out a nice spot in the sand even though he was more than ready to hit the waves. When she was situated, he jogged off towards a nearby beach shack that offered surfing lessons. The way he hustled over to it reminded Brigid of a little kid getting in line to see Santa Claus. She smiled to herself as she took off her wrap and got comfortable.

  Brigid had set up her chair and umbrella close enough to the water so she’d be able to see Linc’s surfing lesson. She smiled as she watched him carrying the surfboard. He looked like a natural, even though he’d told her he had yet to learn how. Brigid wondered how she’d been so lucky to have such a wonderful man like Linc become her husband. He was so adventurous, yet he never pushed her to do something she didn’t want to do, which was huge for her.

  Her first husband was always insisting that they do the things he wanted to do, without any concern for what she might want to do. Linc simply accepted her for who she was, which was one of those people who was perfectly happy watching others have fun. She didn’t need to go out and try to balance on a surfboard and attempt to ride a few waves. Her world was much more laid back and relaxed which was a stark difference from Linc’s passion to try almost everything once.

  As she watched him paddle out in the water with his instructor, she began to think about Holly. She wondered if everything was really going as well with her as she’d said in her message to Brigid earlier that morning. Brigid hadn’t been able to help it and had finally sent her a text inquiring as to how she was doing on her trip to Springfield, Missouri to visit her aunt and her family. Naturally, Holly had insisted everything was fine, and that she was having a good time.

  That had made Brigid feel better, but she still worried about the young girl. She knew even if Holly wasn’t having a good time, there was no way she’d come right out and say so. Of course that also didn’t mean she wasn’t having a good time, Brigid reminded herself. She could just as easily be having a great time.

  But for some reason, Holly’s assurance hadn’t made her feel any better. She began to worry that Holly would return from Missouri with a different outlook on Cottonwood Springs and her life with Brigid. Maybe she’d really hit it off with her aunt, uncle, and cousins and decide that she’d been too hasty in wanting to stay in Cottonwood Springs. What if she decided she wanted to move to Springfield? Brigid didn’t have the authority to tell her she couldn’t. After all, it was Holly’s family who lived in Springfield, and she could move there to live with them if she chose to do so.

  Brigid shook her head to clear away her negative thoughts. “There you go, overthinking again,” she whispered to herself. She reached for her bag and pulled out a paperback she’d brought along. Since she edited books for a living, it wasn’t very often she felt like reading something in her ever-growing stack of books that she wanted to read. Usually after buying the books, they’d just sit on a shelf, collecting dust.

  She’d viewed this vacation as an opportunity to at least start a book that she really wanted to read. She scanned the ocean for a glimpse of Linc before opening the book and picking up where she’d left off on the plane. She decided to read for a bit before she got her phone out and began looking for other things to do while they were in the area. After all, they had nothing but time on their hands. Sighing as she slipped further down into her chair, she settled in and reminded herself they were here to relax.

  *****

  “That was amazing,” Linc said, joining Brigid under the umbrella. He was breathing heavily with salt water dripping from his hair. A huge grin was spread across his face.

  “It looked like you were really getting the hang of it,” she said proudly. Leaning over, she gave him a quick kiss. “Great job.”

  “I thought so, too. I wish we had a beach near us. I think I could get used to this,” he said still beaming. He stretched his legs out and leaned back on the warm sand propped up on one arm.

  “I’m sure you do,” she said as she tucked her book in her bag. “I did a little searching while you were channeling your inner surfer and found a few things we could check out,” she said as she pulled out her phone.

  “Let’s hear them,” he said as he stretched out and closed his eyes.

  “There’s the USS Lexington,” Brigid began. “There’s also a surf museum and the seawall downtown which seems to be something people like to check out. I even found out that there’s a water garden and the South Texas Walk of Fame.”

  “Really?” Linc asked surprised. “There’s more here than I expected.”

  “That’s only part of it,” Brigid said as she pulled a notebook from her bag. “I wrote down a few more. I can’t remember all of them.”

  “Well, we can do whatever you want, babe,” he said. “I’ve surfed, so I’ve completed my mission for the day. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Especially if I get to do it with you.” He smiled at her with that cute boyish grin which had won her heart right from the beginning.

  “I think I’d like to visit the Texas State Aquarium which is nearby,” she said as she scanned over her list. “There are a few different beaches on the list that we can stop and look at if we want to, but I think checking out the USS Lexington, the water gardens, and the seawall will be fun too. We can take lots of pictures to show everybody back home.”

  Linc pulled the notebook from her hands and tossed it in her beach bag. “How about we also just drive around and see what jumps out at us. You never know what you might be missing when you’re focused on getting from point A to point B.” He grinned at her, knowing she loved her lists and being organized. Asking Brigid to do anything on a whim wasn’t easy.

  Looking thoroughly flustered by him tossing her list, she glanced from the notebook to Linc and then back again. She opened her mouth to object but then caught herself. “Okay,” she finally said.

  “Okay?” Linc asked, surprised. “Is my beautiful, control freak bride actually going to release the reins just a little?” He was forever trying to get her to relax and do things on a whim, but it went completely against everything she’d ever known. But
now she was willing to give his way a shot. After all, what did they have to lose?

  “Maybe,” she reluctantly relented. “But just a little. I’m pretty set on wanting to see a few things, and I don’t want to miss them because we get lost,” she said giving him a pointed look.

  “Hey, I can get on board with that,” he said as he raised his hands in mock surrender. “Just the fact that you’re willing to give my way a shot is amazing. I love you, Brigid,” he said as he leaned forward and gave her a kiss. He took her hand and began to run his thumb back and forth across it.

  “I love you too, Linc,” she said smiling. “You know, I’m really not that much of a control freak,” she pointed out.

  He shrugged. “I know. But I still really like teasing you about it anyway,” he admitted.

  Brigid laughed. “Whatever makes you happy, I guess. It doesn’t bother me one bit.”

  “Well, are you ready to leave?” he asked. “If we’re going to check out all those places on your list, we shouldn’t lay around here much longer.”

  “You’re probably right,” Brigid admitted. “Let’s pack up. If we have any time left after we do everything, we can always return to this beach.”

  “Anything for you, my love,” Linc said as he helped her to her feet. They packed up their belongings and made their way back to the car, walking hand in hand.

  “I think we may have to come back here again sometime. Maybe we could bring Holly,” Linc suggested as he organized their things in the car’s trunk.

  Brigid cast a long gaze at the ocean and smiled. “That’s a great idea. I bet she’d love it here. Maybe next time we can get a hotel right here on the beach,” she suggested.

  “I like that idea,” he said happily. “Then I can get up early to surf and watch the sun rise at the same time.”