Wedding Day of Murder (17 page)

“I did it,” Kimber blurted.

“Did what?” Lacy prompted.

“I told Andy how I feel. I told him
I love him.”

“Seriously?” Lacy said. She was
floored; Kimber had never admitted her feelings for Andy to anyone, not even
her.

“I figured new life, new Kimber.
It’s been so long, and it seemed like a good sign that he moved here to follow
me. So I did it.”

“And it went well?” Lacy asked.

“It went beyond my wildest
expectations. Andy said he has felt the same for a long time.”

“So you’re together now,” Lacy
said.

“We’re taking it slow,” Kimber
said. “We’re both settling in and starting new businesses. But it feels good.”

“Have you told your parents?” Lacy
asked.

“No, and I don’t plan to,” Kimber
said. “They would probably try to talk me out of it. They don’t like Andy.”

“How could they not like Andy?
Everyone likes Andy,” Lacy said.

“He’s not white,” Kimber said.

“Neither are you.”

“Yes, but I’m not sure my parents
know that. They want me to marry a white guy.”

“Did they say that?” Lacy asked.

“No, but I know that’s what it is.
They’re uncomfortable with my ethnicity.”

“If that were the case, I don’t
think they would have adopted you,” Lacy said.

“You misunderstand me; they’re not uncomfortable
with the color of my skin. It’s what I do with it. It was all fine and good
when I was living in the white world, but since I’ve been branching out,
there’s this chasm.”

If there was a chasm, then it had
probably been caused by the giant chip on Kimber’s shoulder. Lacy had met
Kimber’s parents multiple times, and she had trouble believing they had
anything but the best in mind for their beloved only child. On the other hand,
Kimber still wasn’t in a talkative place when it came to her family. Lacy hoped
that living closer to home would make things better, but who was she to judge?
Family was hard.

“My mom thinks Jason is abusive,”
Lacy said.

“What?” Kimber said. “Was she
joking? Has she seen the way the boy goes all gooey when he looks at you?”

“She doesn’t think he’s physically
abusive; she thinks he’s too possessive.”

“Well,” Kimber drawled.

“Kimber!”

“I’m teasing, although he does need
to lighten up now and then,” she said. “Think about it: he doesn’t like other
men buzzing around you, and he hates that you have money.”

“For the record, I don’t like other
women buzzing around him. And the money thing has nothing to do with
possessiveness and everything to do with pride. Jason’s old-fashioned that way.
He doesn’t like for anyone to think he’s a gold digger.”

“It shouldn’t matter what anyone
else thinks if you both know that he’s not,” Kimber said.

“It shouldn’t, but it does. He
works in a job where every flaw and shortcoming is brought into the open and
paraded around for entertainment. Cops are hard on each other. Besides, he
hasn’t said anything about the money in a long time. He’s trying. Give him a
break.”

“All right, don’t get your skirt
all in a wad. I was saying that I could possibly see where your mom is coming
from. For the record, I don’t in any way think Jason is abusive.”

“Neither does Mom. She’s just mad
because Jason doesn’t fawn over her the way Robert did.”

“Tosh doesn’t seem to fawn,” Kimber
said.

“No, but Tosh is already on her
list for stealing her precious Riley away and getting her pregnant. Tosh may
never get off the list. At least Jason still has a chance.”

“Girl, you’ve got to stop trying to
live up to your mom’s expectations,” Kimber said.

“I keep thinking that if she only
got to know Jason and could see how happy we are that…”

“That what? She’ll realize you’re
as lovable as Riley? Not going to happen, girlfriend.”

Lacy winced. While she tried not to
intrude on Kimber’s life with unwanted opinions, Kimber never seemed to return
the favor. What she said was true, though. Lacy had to stop trying to win her
mother’s approval; it wasn’t going to happen. “I miss my dad,” she muttered.
Not only had her dad lavished enough attention and love to make up for her
mother’s deficit, but he was good at handling his wife, even when she was at
her most crazy.

“What’s happening there?” Kimber
asked.

“I don’t know, but nothing good. I
don’t think they’re separated, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the next
step. Neither of them will talk about it, and the truth is that I don’t want to
know. I don’t want to be involved in their relationship. I want them to be
together and happy like always. I want the stability and security I’ve always
had, and I don’t want anything to change.”

“Lots of I’s in that sentence,”
Kimber said.

“I know it’s not all about me, but
no one will ever convince me that divorce is the best thing for my parents.
They’ve been together since high school; they belong together.”

“Sometimes things change,” Kimber
said.

“Not my parents,” Lacy stubbornly
insisted. “They love each other, I know they do.”

Kimber shrugged, wisely letting a
topic go for once. They arrived at the party store and picked napkins, cutlery,
plates, cups, and decorations. Their town didn’t offer much. Lacy was glad
Kimber was with her. Her artistic eye helped put things together in a way that
Lacy never would have imagined. If it had been left up to her, she would have
picked white napkins because they matched everything. Kimber selected silver
and lilac because it would go well with the hydrangea theme. Lacy stood to the
side and let her work her magic, only stepping to the forefront when it was
time to pay.

“What did you get Riley for a
gift?” Kimber asked.

“I have to get her a gift, too?”
Lacy said.

“You must be joking,” Kimber said.
“She’s your sister, and she’s getting married.”

“I gave her a house,” Lacy said.

“That doesn’t count. You need to
give her something small, expensive, and personal,” Kimber said.

Lacy groaned. “I don’t have time to
go shopping. I barely have time to put the party together.”

“Call Cindy. She can pick something
from her shop. She’s good at that and she carries nice stuff,” Kimber
suggested.

Lacy wrinkled her nose.

“What was all that about trying not
to be jealous and possessive?” Kimber said.

“Cindy is so pretty and nice,” Lacy
said.

“And yet Jason chose you,” Kimber
said.

“Do you think she’s ever had a fat
day where she couldn’t zip her pants?” Lacy asked hopefully.

“No,” Kimber said. “She’s one of
those people who forgets to eat.”

“You’re not helping me not hate
her, but at least you’re right on one thing. She has good taste.” She swallowed
her pride, pulled out her phone, and called Cindy who not only promised to pick
the perfect gift, but also offered to wrap it and deliver it to the party. Lacy
stuffed the phone back in her pocket. “What is wrong with her? Why can’t she be
evil?”

“Life’s not fair sometimes,” Kimber
agreed. “Where to next?”

“We’re going to Riley’s house to
help her manage Tosh’s sisters.”

“Why do Tosh’s sisters need
managed?” Kimber asked.

“There are four of them, and
they’re all…I don’t know how to describe it. They can be overwhelming,
especially when they’re feeling protective of Tosh. I should have known I
wasn’t in love with Tosh when his sisters didn’t terrify me.”

“I have a hard time picturing Riley
terrified of anyone,” Kimber said.

“That’s only because you haven’t
met the sisters,” Lacy said.

“Now I’m even more anxious to meet
them,” Kimber said.

“Hold on to that sentiment,” Lacy
said. When they arrived at Riley’s house, no one was there. At least no one was
inside. Sounds from the backyard drew them in that direction. They rounded the
corner and saw the women playing baseball. Riley was at bat. The pitcher,
Tosh’s sister, Bede, caught sight of Lacy and waved.

“Hey, Lacy!” she called. “Grab a
glove. We need an outfielder. How is your friend at being a catcher?”

“Terrible,” Lacy said. “What are
you guys doing?”

“Making sure Riley gets lots of
exercise,” Bede answered.

Riley glanced plaintively at Lacy.
Lacy had one of those rare moments of sisterly protectiveness, the kind that
made her forget every rotten thing Riley had ever done to her. “I sort of need
Riley’s help. I have to consult with her about the party.”

“Oh,” Bede said, disappointed. “I
guess we’ll have a pinch hitter. Betsy, you’re up.” Another one of the sisters
threw off her glove and took the bat from Riley. Riley walked quickly over to
Lacy, linked elbows, and dragged her inside.

“I have never been happier to see
you in my life,” Riley said. “Those women are insane.”

“What happened?” Lacy asked.

“They showed up from the airport,
found me puking my guts out in the bathroom, pulled me outside and put a bat in
my hands. Apparently Tosh’s sainted mother—who’s had eight children, or
so I’ve been told about a million times—believes the best cure for
morning sickness is vigorous activity. I hate them. I hate them all.” Once
inside, Riley sat and pressed her forehead to her knees.

“Where is Tosh?” Lacy asked.

“Hiding at the church. He’s barely seen
his family since we got married because they’re mad. So he left me to greet his
sisters. Sometimes I really want to punch his face in.”

“You’re starting to sound like a
real married woman,” Kimber said.

The sisters came inside. “It’s hard
to play ball with only four people. What are you guys doing? Can we help?”

Riley looked up at Lacy with real
tears in her eyes. “Actually, I’m going to steal Riley away for a while. Why
don’t you guys settle in? We’ll see you in a bit for the party. Did you get
your invitations? I’m sorry they were a generic text. It’s been sort of a crazy
week.”

“Oh, we got them,” Bede said.
“We’re looking forward to it, aren’t we, girls?” The other sisters nodded their
agreement.

“Aren’t they all crazy weeks for
you, Lacy?” Bridget said. Somehow Tosh’s sisters had gotten the idea that Lacy
was wild. She had no idea where that notion came from because she was as tame
as tapioca pudding, but she sort of enjoyed the assumption so she let it lie.

“Kind of,” Lacy said. “Anyway, I
can send someone to bring you to the Stakely building in time for the party.”

“We’ll find it,” Bede said. She was
the oldest sister and therefore the group’s spokeswoman. “In the meantime, we
have some work to do here.”

“What work?” Riley asked.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s a
surprise. Tosh has a sledgehammer, right?” Betsy said.

“Uh,” Riley stammered. She looked
panicked.

“Forget it. We’ll find what we
need,” Bridget said. “You girls have fun, and don’t worry about a thing here.
We’ll have this place fixed in no time.”

“Fixed?” Riley said. Lacy tugged
her out of the house before the situation could decline.

“What are they going to do?” Riley
said. “The house doesn’t need fixed. It just underwent a complete remodel.”

“They’re just trying to get to
you,” Lacy said. “They’re testing you. Let it roll off your back and laugh
about it.”

“That’s easy for you to say. It’s
not your house that’s about to be demolished by four crazy Amazons with
sledgehammers.”

“They are tall,” Kimber said.

“The whole family is freakishly
tall,” Riley said. “When they’re together, I feel like their house elf, like if
someone hands me a sock, I’m going to win my freedom.”

Lacy snickered, proud of her sister
for using a Harry Potter reference. Riley liked to pretend she was a brainless
airhead, but she liked to read almost as much as Lacy did. “You’re still
adjusting to each other. It’s going to get better.”

“They hate me,” Riley said. “They
all hate me, except Keegan, and I’m pretty sure the only reason he doesn’t is
because he’s a priest and not allowed to hate anyone.”

“They don’t hate you,” Lacy
soothed. “It was a shock, but they’ll get over it.”

“They like you,” Riley said.
“That’s all I hear when I’m with them. Lacy this, and Lacy that. Whatever you
did made an impression.”

“What I did was not marry their
precious son and brother on a whim,” Lacy said. “You have to give it time,
Riley. Take a step back and give them some breathing room. Besides, you’re
about to give them their first grandchild. After the baby arrives, there’s no
way they’ll continue to be upset.”

“It’s a long time until the baby
arrives,” Riley said.

“We’re about to have a party. Try
to let it go and have fun tonight. Maybe tonight and the rehearsal tomorrow and
the wedding Saturday will work wonders on bringing everyone together.”

“Or maybe they’ll learn to hate me
more,” Riley said.

“That’s the spirit,” Kimber said.
“C’mon, girl, cheer up. It’s your party.”

“There will be cupcakes
and
cookies, Riley,” Lacy said.

Riley rolled her eyes, but when she
looked away, she was smiling.

Nearby someone watched the parade
of women with a smile that was tinged with tragedy. They were so happy. It was
such an unfortunate shame that Lacy had to die. It was really too bad. The women
disappeared, and the figure retreated farther into the shadows. There was work
to be done, and not a lot of time to do it. Tonight, it had to be tonight.

While the women were upstairs in
the Stakely building, decorating and setting up for Riley’s bachelorette party,
Jason was downstairs preparing to eat crow. He showed up at Michael’s store
with his figurative hat in hand. Michael was busy with a customer, so Jason
wandered around a while, pausing in front of a vintage guitar display. Some of
them were outrageously expensive. Jason couldn’t help but wonder if he had come
by them honestly or if they had been stolen.

“Thinking of making a purchase?”
Michael asked as he eased up beside him. He gave Jason a sideways smile that
pinged on his annoyance meter. The man always seemed to know what he was
thinking. He hated that.

“I don’t have a musical bone in my
body,” Jason said.

“Pity,” Michael said. “Music makes
the world go round.”

“I came to talk to you,” Jason
blurted. The task wasn’t easy; the sooner he got it over with, the better.

“With your mouth or with your
fists?” Michael asked.

Jason supposed he had that coming.
“I…I wanted to apologize. What I did was out of line and unprofessional. I
shouldn’t have broken in here. I shouldn’t have tried to hit you.”

“Of course you should have,”
Michael said. His placid expression didn’t tell if he was joking or not.

“No,” Jason said. “That wasn’t the
way to handle it.”

“Says who?” Michael asked.

“I’m a police officer,” Jason said.

“But a man first. You thought your
girlfriend was in danger. You did what you thought was best to protect her.”

“No, I broke the law. I went
against everything I believe in.”

“You don’t believe in getting to
the bottom of something, no matter the cost?” Michael said.

“Not if it breaks the law,” Jason
said.

Michael tsked. “I may have lost all
the respect I temporarily had for you.”

“I don’t understand,” Jason said.

“Clearly. Look, there are some
things in life more important than the law. The law isn’t perfect; the law is a
guideline.”

“Says the career criminal,” Jason
said.

“I told you I came here to turn
over a new leaf. But I’ll also say this: I never broke the law without good
intentions.”

“Good intentions don’t matter much
in front of a judge,” Jason said.

“Maybe they should,” Michael said.
“Look, I’ll accept that most people should probably abide by the law, but
occasionally law-abiding citizens need to break the law to make things right.”

“I disagree,” Jason said.

“And yet when you were desperate,
you did it,” Michael said.

“Which is why I’m here to
apologize. I made a mistake,” Jason said.

“No, you didn’t,” Michael said.

“I did. And I came here to tell you
that if you want to file a complaint with the department, I wouldn’t contest it.
I’ll sign off on whatever and resign if that’s what they want me to do.”

“Are you mental?” Michael said.
“Why would I file a complaint? And why would you resign?”

“Because I broke the law,” Jason
said.

“This is becoming a circular,
tiresome conversation,” Michael said. “Suffice it to say that I have no
intention of filing any sort of complaint, now or ever. Aligning myself with
The Man isn’t exactly my style.”

“You sound like Rain,” Jason said.

“We have more in common than you
might believe,” Michael said.

“I’d believe it,” Jason said. “Do
you think it’s possible that she hates Lacy enough to kidnap her and break into
her house?”

Michael laughed until he realized
Jason was serious. “What? What are you talking about?”

“I’m beginning to believe that
Lacy’s disappearances weren’t random. I think someone took her, and I think it
was the same person who murdered the reporter and then broke into her room last
night,”

“Someone broke into her room? Is
she all right?” Michael asked.

“She’s fine,” Jason said tersely.
How did he convey that Lacy was his responsibility and his alone? He didn’t
mind the fact that they were friends, but if anyone was going to protect Lacy,
it was going to be him. “What I need to know is if you think it might have been
Rain.”

“I don’t think so,” Michael said.
“But then we only had one date. What would be her motivation?”

“Jealousy? I think she followed you
here in a bid to get your attention and be near you. If she thought you and
Lacy were having a thing, then maybe in her warped mind she needed to take out
the competition.”

Michael sighed wearily. “You’re
still seeing the world through the filter of love and jealousy. Not everyone is
in love with your girlfriend, and not everyone is jealous of your girlfriend.
If you want my advice, you might try looking at her enemies instead of her
admirers.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jason asked.

“It means that I have never seen
Lacy more frightened than she was the night you were shot, the night she met
with the group in the big house.”

“Did she tell you what it was
about?” Jason asked. It bugged him that Lacy edited events that took place when
he was in the hospital. No amount of persuasion had convinced her to come
clean.

Michael shook his head. “I think
she was under some misguided notion to protect me. To this day, I believe those
men have no idea I was involved that night. But I’ll tell you this, if someone
wanted to harm Lacy, I would start with that group and look no farther.”

“Why now, though?” Jason mused.
“This all started when the protesters arrived, and their arrival seems to have
been facilitated by either Rain or Carl Whethers. If Rain arranged for the
protest, then it was to have an excuse to follow you. If Carl Whethers arranged
for the protest, then it was to have an excuse to watch Lacy.”

“Or someone else arranged for Carl
Whethers to write an article on Lacy and therefore arranged for the protest,”
Michael said. “It was awfully convenient that the mayor was able to assemble a
council meeting so quickly after the protesters arrived in town.”

“Are you suggesting that the mayor
hired Carl Whethers to write a salacious article about Lacy and then arranged
for the protesters to be here to cause more trouble for her?”

“Before I answer, let me say that I
have never heard a cop use the word ‘salacious’ before, and I’ve encountered
more than my fair share of cops. You sound like Lacy. To answer your question,
I don’t know. But if I were the mayor, that’s what I would do. Also, it may not
be the mayor. He doesn’t strike me as the one in the group who pulls the
strings. I’ve been studying them, and I believe your friend Detective Arroyo
wields more power.”

Jason released a drawn out breath.
With it, he seemed to deflate. “How am I supposed to investigate him? Or any of
them, for that matter.”

Michael busied himself inspecting
his nails. “Sounds like you need someone to break into their houses and do a
little snooping.”

“No,” Jason said, his tone
vehement. “No way. That is not what I am suggesting at all.”

“Of course it isn’t,” Michael said
with the same casual disregard.

“You cannot do that,” Jason said.
“And if I caught you doing anything like that, I would arrest you without a
thought and throw away the key.”

“Well, whoever does it will have to
make sure not to get caught then,” Michael said.

Jason pressed his palms to his
temples. “I don’t think we’re having the same conversation.”

“Of course we are. You are
officially ordering me not to break into anyone’s place of residence, and I am
officially agreeing not to.”

Jason blinked at him, confused. It
wasn’t in his nature to be anything other than forthright, but he got the
feeling that he couldn’t take Michael’s words at face value, as if what he was
saying was that he had every intention of breaking into houses and no intention
of getting caught.

“Don’t look so worried, mate,”
Michael said, thumping him in the arm. “We never had this conversation. You
were never here. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, we’ve barely met. I do have
a bit of work to do, so cheers.” He slapped Jason on the arm again and ambled
away. Jason watched him go, more than a little disturbed. What had happened
here? Somehow he felt like he had just hired a criminal to do his dirty work.
That wasn’t actually the case, was it? He had no idea. He left the Stakely
building and went for coffee, hoping the caffeine would ease the pervasive
nausea he now felt after talking to Michael.

Upstairs in the Stakely building,
the party was coming together. Riley wasn’t much help, but Lacy hadn’t really
expected her to create her own party. Almost as soon as they arrived, she
curled up on a tarp and fell asleep, leaving Kimber and Lacy to do all the
work. Lacy was glad she had roped Kimber into helping, both because she needed
the extra hands to get everything done in time and because she had an eye for
decorating. Lacy wasn’t hopeless when it came to making things look pretty, but
she wasn’t as quick about it as Kimber was. She had the ability to whip up a
party scene from what was basically a blank canvas.

“Let’s borrow Cindy’s crystal chandelier,
the one that hangs over her counter,” Kimber suggested. The chandelier wasn’t
attached to the ceiling, but it was still no easy feat to get it upstairs and
hung on a twenty foot ceiling. Kimber had been hoping to rope Michael into
helping, but his shop was closed and he was mysteriously absent. Instead she
got Fred, one of the owners of the ice cream shop, and Joe, who held the ladder
in shaky hands. Somehow, they did it, and the party scene looked feminine and
charming, a quaint oasis in the middle of the fourth floor warehouse
atmosphere. Riley slept through it all, only rousing when Lacy woke her to go
home and get ready.

After she left, Cindy arrived with
her present. It was wrapped so beautifully that the box looked like it was the
gift. Since she had done so much and since they were using her chandelier, Lacy
invited her to stay.

“Oh, no, that’s okay. I wouldn’t
want to intrude on your special family time. You ladies have a wonderful
evening. Maybe we can grab a cup of coffee sometime soon,” she said, waving as
she walked away with a cheery smile.

“She so
nice
,” Lacy said. “Seriously, what is wrong with her? Do you think
it’s a trick? Do you think she’s putting up a front to lull me into a false
sense of security and then she’s going to attack and rip my hair out for taking
Jason away from her?”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s it,” Kimber
said. “Although if that happens, you’d better be careful how you handle her.
She’s so tiny, one wrong move could break her in half.”

“I’m starting not to like you,
either, but for vastly different reasons,” Lacy said.

“Too bad, girl, you’re stuck with
me. But when my back can’t move in the morning from hauling a thousand pounds
of decorations up four flights of stairs to decorate your party, I’m pretty
sure I’m not going to have kind things to say about you either.”

“Thanks, Kimber,” Lacy said,
slinging an arm over her shoulders. “It looks awesome. If I had decorated on my
own, it would look like a party at an institution—all white and sterile.
You bring color into my world.”

“Literally,” Kimber said, returning
her halfway hug. “If I had to move to the boonies, I’m glad I get to be with
you.”

“You’re just saying that because
Andy’s here and you’re in lurve,” Lacy said.

“Probably,” Kimber agreed.

“Yoo-hoo, Lacy,” Frannie called
from the freight elevator. She and Lacy’s grandmother stepped out, their arms
loaded with presents. Her grandma was sans eye patch, Lacy noted, grateful to
have her back to a hundred percent. “Did you set up a gift table?”

“Of course, Mom,” Lacy said, glad
that Kimber had reminded her to do so. “Let me take these for you.”

“No, we can get them. These are for
you.” She shoved a stack of pamphlets into Lacy’s hands and walked away. With a
sinking feeling of dread, Lacy looked down to see a bruised and battered woman
staring back at her.

“Are those…” Kimber began.

“Pamphlets for victims of domestic
violence? Yes, yes they are.” She shoved them in the trash and forced a calm
she didn’t feel. Now was not the time to have it out with her mother. Really,
there was never a good time for it because it never ended the way Lacy wanted
it to. Every argument ended in Frannie’s favor, always. Even if it was by
default because she stormed off and slammed a door, Frannie always won. There
was a certain power in not engaging, something Jason had taught her. He
routinely dealt with suspects who tried to make him angry by yelling, spitting,
biting, and fighting. By remaining calm and rational, Jason was always in
control. Lately Lacy had been trying the same tactic with Frannie, but her
mother didn’t make it easy. No matter how this latest battle of the wills
turned out, she had no plans to ever tell Jason that her mother had called him
abusive. There were some things Jason could handle. Being accused of harming
Lacy was one of the things he couldn’t.

Kimber whistled. “Your mom is like
ninja-warrior level passive aggressive.”

“This is nothing,” Lacy said. “In
high school, she used to staple empty candy wrappers to fat camp applications
and slide them under my door.”

“Ooh, that burns,” Kimber said. “At
least you had your dad and your grandma.”

“Yeah,” Lacy agreed. “They more
than made up for any grief I got from Mom. And now I have my grandpa and
Jason.”

“And your mom lives in Florida,”
Kimber added.

“Those are my favorite words,” Lacy
said. Tosh’s sisters arrived, and Lacy went forward to greet them, drawing them
in to interact with her mother and grandmother. Riley was a little late, but
since it was her party, no one cared. The food was already set up. People began
to mingle and eat. Lacy realized she probably should have planned some sort of
game, but reasoned that since everyone hated party games anyway, no one would
care if they didn’t have any. Besides, the entertainment was due to arrive any
minute.