2 A Christmas Wedding To Die For (11 page)

She glanced back at Detective Shannon who was just coming in behind her now. He hadn't told them about the victim's connection with Kevin? Then again, maybe he was doing that for a reason. It would've been nice if he'd given her a head's up before she got here though.

"At least he wasn't a member of the family or close personal friend," she said.

Julianna brightened momentarily. "That's true."

Detective Shannon was carrying a laptop with cameras. Julianna led them into a small study area. "My dad uses this as an office sometimes. We won't be disturbed here." She showed him where the outlet plugs and connections were while Rohan went out to get a couple of chairs.

Finally when they were all seated in front of the screen with Detective Shannon off to the side where he could stop the pictures if necessary and watch to see how they were reacting he started the pictures.

There were tons of pictures of Julianna and Rohan. Pictures of Rohan with his best buds and group pictures. Pictures of Julia with Kerry and her little sister. Pictures of Rohan's sisters. And then when their eyes glazed over, a picture of Kevin's nephew. Talking to Roger. Julianna's New York brother.

Julianna's eyes widened, Rohan leaned into the screen and they both started peppering Detective Shannon with questions.

"Why would Roger be talking to him? And why didn't he say anything?" Julianna shook her head. "He can't be involved. He just can't."

"Maybe he didn't realize," Rohan said. "We wouldn't have known who he was or even that he'd been there if he hadn't-"

"Ended up dead," Julianna said with a rush. "Roger's out right now meeting with old friends but as soon as he gets home I'll ask him and there'll be an explanation."

Maxine didn't feel so sure but she didn't want to say anything. As for Patrick, that seemed to be exactly what he'd expected to hear.

"I can stay here and wait," he said helpfully.

"That's not necessary, is it?" Julianna said, her face clouding over. "I mean you don't seriously think he's involved do you? This is my older brother we're talking about! He's always been my biggest defender."

"I'm sure you're right," Detective Shannon said. "I'll still need to question him. At the very least he might be able to give us a new lead in the investigation we wouldn't have been able to come up with on our own."

Julianna's face brightened at that thought as did Rohan's. "That makes sense. I mean you've questioned us and obviously we didn't do it. We'll call you as soon as he comes home."

Maxine walked out with Patrick. "Are you crazy? He's got to have something to do with it. I didn't see Kevin's nephew talking to anyone else."

"Which is why we'll have police cars outside the gate and why I've got one on the grounds right now. We don't want Julianna or anyone else spooking Roger before we have a chance to pick him up."

"Oh," she said, eyes widening with the realization. "Should I stay?"

He shook his head. "We've got it under control. Besides aren't you driving your mother and Walt to the airport?"

She gave a small cry. "I almost forgot. Although if this is important..."

"We can handle it," he said.

As if there'd ever been any doubt. She smiled as she headed home. An end was in sight and though her mother had wavered on whether to stay or not, both she and Walt had decided Grandma Ellie would be OK on their own after the first couple of days had passed along with the initial shock.

"I trust you to take care of her," her mother said now. "And you will call if you need us won't you?"

"We'll be fine," Maxine said, hugging her tight. "I'll be out to visit before you know it."

***

The airport was packed with other travelers returning home as well. It might not be the day after New Years but it was still close enough that family and friends taking a slightly extended vacation were returning now.

"Your staff will be going into shock," Maxine said now as they waited for the flight that would have them into Calgary by seven o'clock that night with more than enough time to relax and prepare for the next day's return to work.

"This has been a trip to remember," her mother said.

Maxine rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure that's a good thing in this case."

Her mother stopped, looking her straight in the eyes. "None of us would have chosen what happened New Year's Eve but I've finally realized you're a grown up now. And I'm proud to call you my daughter. You're beautiful, smart and intelligent. I couldn't ask for more."

Maxine's eyes started to tear up and she hugged her mother. Then she looked up and saw Roger. Her heart hammered as she realized he was going to get away unless she did something. At the same time Grandma Ellie was just recovering from New Year's Eve.

"Give me two minutes," she said. "I have to make a call." She stepped over to a corner that seemed relatively quiet and called Patrick. He didn't pick up. She left a message.

What next? She couldn't even ask the ticket lady which plane he was going on. She could see him using the automatic one now. Maybe it would jam. Maybe it wouldn't give him what he wanted.

She watched him pick up the tickets from where the machine spat them out. He started to walk towards the passenger only area. She pressed the call button for Patrick again not getting any answer.

Walt was looking in her direction and talking to her mother. She waved to them mouthing, "everything's all right."

They waved back, clearly puzzled. She stopped a security guard.

"Please, you have to help me!"

An older man in his mid-forties he smiled at her. "What seems to be the problem? Do you need directions?"

"I need you to stop that man," she said pointing desperately in Roger's direction.

"Oh, I get it!" he said. "A lover's quarrel. Don't worry. These things have a way of working themselves out." He patted her shoulder in a condescending way.

"He's wanted in connection with a murder," she spat out. "You have to stop him before he gets on the plane."

The security guard took a step back, assessing her more carefully. "So why aren't the police here?"

"I don't think they're expecting him to be here," she said frankly. "When I left they were waiting at his house with family members."

"And why are you here," he said regarding her with clear suspicion.

"They wanted me to look at pictures from the crime scene," she said desperately. "Then I left to drive my mother to the airport."

"And you couldn't call the police?"

"I've tried calling Detective Shannon! It just goes to message. And meanwhile Roger's gone into the passenger only area. You have to trust me." Something about what she was saying must have made an impression because he took the phone from her pressing Patrick's number and getting the same message.

"Tell me who this man is," he asked.

"His name is Roger Grant. He's been in town visiting family. Now it looks as if," her eyes filled with tears. "He's getting away."

"You leave this to me to deal with," he said. "You go say goodbyes to your family." He was already walking her over to them, not giving her a say in the matter.

His arm pushed her as she slowed, trying to stop , without causing a scene or losing his cooperation altogether. "I could help you," she said, her voice clipped as they approached her family.

"Not necessary. I hope you've had a good visit," he said walking away from her.

"The nerve of that man," she said, seeing red.

"What's going on?" her mother asked while Grandma Ellie and Walt hung on her every word. The trouble was she didn't want to give them all the details.

"Nothing," she said frustrated. "I thought I saw Roger for a minute. It turned out to be someone who looked like him."

"Was the security guard giving you trouble," her mother said.

"It's nothing I can't handle," she said with a great deal more confidence than she felt. Although managing to keep her phone might have helped she thought. She couldn't even give Patrick another call.

"Remember, you can visit at any time," Walt said. "We'll show you around Calgary and I'll even cook for you."'

"Just as long as you don't expect me to," her mother said.

"I'll be coming out for sure some time this year. And it sounds as if you're a mean cook," she told Walt.

"You've got quite the operation yourself," Walt said.

"Your chocolates are to die for," her mother said and then winced at her choice of words.

"Don't worry," Maxine said. "I know what you mean and I'm glad you like them."

"Gate ten to Toronto," the over-head page said. "Gate ten to Toronto, please have your pre-boarding passes ready. Maxine could only wait, feeling her stomach clench in knots. Even as they spoke he could be flashing his boarding pass at the flight attendant.

"You've done everything you can," her mother said softly. "You have to let it go."

"I know," she said.

And then an announcement came from over-head. "We've had a delay due to weather problems out of Toronto. At this time all planes will be delayed until four o'clock.

There were groans from waiting passengers as all the displays showing plane arrival and departure times suddenly changed to show no departures for the next hour. Maxine felt herself breathe a little easier. But still she worried.

In the distance she heard the wail of sirens coming. People turned in the direction of the sound, conversation ceased momentarily.

"Has something happened?" people began to ask as the sound came closer. "Has there been an accident." Mothers clutched their children closer to them. Whispers started. "There's a terrorist on the plane," as police streamed through the doors.

Maxine stood watching, shocked. This seemed like over-kill but at least Roger wouldn't get away.

And then when all the police had disappeared she saw Roger walking rapidly back towards them. She started towards the nearest flight attendant when Roger looked towards her. A flash of recognition crossed his face as he started to run towards the door.

"Don't let him get away," she yelled.

He swung his carry on wildly as a man stepped in front of him trying to stop him and the man fell back with a cry of pain. Roger started to run faster and she suddenly realized he was going to get away.

She grabbed her purse and threw it at him with all her force. It hit him in the back of his head with a thwack. He slowed momentarily, staggered and then tripped, falling hands first onto the floor.

A cry of pain escaped his mouth as he tried staggering to his feet, face white with pain.

Maxine reached him just in time to grab him causing him to fall down again. Walt caught up with her, slightly out of breath from running.

He grabbed the strap from Roger's carry-on and used it to tie him up. The crowd at the airport broke into a spontaneous round of applause as police arrived to take Roger away in handcuffs.

It seemed almost anti-climactic to say goodbye to her mother and Walt after all the excitement.

"No one's ever going to believe this happened in sleepy old Victoria," her mother said laughing as she hugged her one more time.

Grandma Ellie seemed more like her old self than she had for days now. She hugged her daughter close and then said. "It's people who make a place boring or not boring. That's just not us!"

Later as Patrick took her statement he asked, "What was in that purse? Witnesses keep saying he went down as if he'd been hit by a rock.

She felt her face flush and vowed to stop packing her purse so full. It was small but somehow she managed to jam everything she could think of in it.

For now she just smiled. "That's not important is it? After all it did the job."

It was going to take Julianna and Rohan, along with their families longer to get over the shock of realizing it was Roger.

Julianna just shook her head. "But why? I mean I believe it because I kept getting flashes where I'd see the dead man-Kevin's nephew, giving me something to drink at Butcharts, but why?

No one could really tell her why. They knew Roger had wanted the company to go public. He'd been counting on getting a large pile of cash for his share of the business when it sold. That would allow him to continue the life-style he enjoyed now and let him buy the coffee shop he worked in.

When the IPO stopped and it seemed to be because of Julianna's and Rohan's impending marriage he'd decided to take steps to stop it. And since he'd gone to school with Kevin when in Victoria, he'd known who to call.

But Kevin had his own dark secrets. With serious gambling debts he'd looked on this as a chance to cash in. He hadn't expected Julianna to be killed or come close to being killed. He'd hired his nephew to scare her. He hadn't realized the drink mix Roger slipped him that day contained deadly cyanide.

When Julianna survived he started blackmailing Roger. Roger had been running out of money to pay Kevin and when he saw the nephew at the party they'd quarreled. And in a fight Roger had killed Kevin's nephew.

Julianna looked radiant in a long white wedding gown trimmed in lace and rhinestones. It fit her like a glove going down in a smooth line with a five foot lace train flowing out behind her. There was a small crown on her head that sparkled and glistened under the lights with a sheer bridal veil barely covering a simple, yet elegant bridal updo.

There were tears in her eye as her father took her arm escorting her up the aisle to sound of the wedding march, where Rohan waited, resplendent in a traditional black and white tux. In front of them, Angelina walked, skipped and danced in joy, throwing flowers and beaming with happiness.

There was not a dry eye to be seen as Julianna and Rohan promised to love each other for ever and eternity.

And when the minister said "you may kiss the bride," Rohan did. Long and hard so that titters broke out and more than one person found themselves wishing for their own happily ever after.

Six months had passed since that fateful day in January when Maxine helped stop Roger from escaping. It had been a hard time for Julianna and all her family. But while there would always be a hole in Julianna's heart when she thought of Roger and sadness for her entire family, her father had been right.