by Amber Crewes
“Actually, Meghan would love to stay, Mariah,” Meghan declared as Cathy clapped her hands joyfully. “I would love to hang out and relax.”
The rest of Meghan’s afternoon was spent lounging in the loft with Cathy, Mariah, Rosie, and the rest of Mariah’s entourage. Meghan felt awkward at first; she could tell that Jackie was annoyed with her presence, but after sipping on a glass of rose, Meghan began to relax. She was given a silk robe of her own to put on, and she and the other women listened happily as Cathy told stories of her days as a young artist in New York City.
“And that is how I earned my first commission,” Cathy said as she finished her last story.
“That was lovely, Cathy,” Mariah said. “Girls, our day is winding down, but I want to give credit where credit is due. Let’s give a round of applause to Rosie for securing this venue and planning our day.”
The crowd clapped for Rosie, and Rosie took a dramatic bow. “It’s just another day at the office, girls,” she said haughtily.
“And let’s hear it for Cathy Thomas for finding the best dessert chef in all of the Pacific Northwest to provide treats for today. Her desserts are good, but her company is better. Thank you, Cathy, and thank you, Meghan!”
Everyone clapped, and Meghan burned with pride as her new friends lifted their champagne flutes to toast to her. “It’s a pleasure to be here, ladies,” Meghan said, glowing with the attention.
“Well, that’s all for today, ladies,” Mariah announced. “Feel free to relax, visit the pool, or nap; we have dinner being delivered in a few hours, but for now, we have some quiet time.”
Meghan turned to see Jackie standing behind the crowd, her face filled with hurt. “Ahem? Mariah? What about me?”
Mariah glanced up and saw Jackie. “Ahhh! Thank you, Jenny, for all of your help with your pampering. It was so sweet of you and your assistants to help out.”
Jackie turned and darted down the stairs, and Meghan followed close behind. “Jackie,” Meghan called out. “Jackie?”
“I planned an entire day,” Jackie said through gritted teeth. “I transformed the loft, as well as the bedrooms, into a salon. I paid my assistants overtime. I hauled my things over here. I paid for new outfits for myself and my staff. And you get the big whoopdee-doo thank you from Mariah and you get to stay for the pampering? Seriously?”
Meghan shrugged. “I’m sorry,” she told Jackie. “I just…”
“I’m leaving,” Jackie said angrily. “Just leave me alone.”
That night, Meghan was relieved to see Jackie’s name flash across her phone. “Jackie,” Meghan answered. “I’m sorry about today. I never wanted to steal your thunder; I didn’t plan to stay! I’m sorry if you felt like I was stepping on your toes. I truly didn’t know my order was to be delivered to your event. Cathy---”
“Meghan,” Jackie replied in a weak voice. “Cathy Thomas is dead.”
6
Meghan nearly dropped the phone. She imagined Cathy Thomas holding court at Mariah’s event with a smile on her face and a piece of King Cake in her hand. Meghan had only known Cathy a short time, but she enjoyed Cathy’s boisterous personality and ability to make others feel welcome.
“You have to be kidding me,” Meghan whispered. “She’s dead? What happened?”
“They found her outside of the hotel,” Jackie began. “They thought she was joking--everyone said Cathy Thomas was such a jokester. Anyway, she had blood on her face, and then they discovered she had a blow to her head.”
“That’s horrible,” Meghan muttered as she remembered hugging Cathy goodbye only hours earlier. “When did this happen?”
“She left the hotel only a few minutes after you did,” Jackie informed Meghan. “Everyone was winding down for the evening and taking naps, and Cathy slipped out a little after five.”
“Did anyone go with her?”
“I don’t know, Meghan. I was trying to direct my staff and clean up the event. The event that was going to be my true big break, but will now be remembered as the event someone died at. Oh, Meghan! This is terrible.”
Meghan could hear the concern in Jackie’s voice. Her heart broke for Jackie, as well as Ron Thomas, who was now without a sister, and Mariah Cooper, who had lost a dear friend. “I’m so sorry, Jackie,” she murmured. “What a tragedy for all.”
A few minutes later, Meghan and Jackie said goodnight. Just as Meghan placed her cell phone on her bedside table, her heart sank; she remembered that she had left several of her display trays at the hotel. “That is the last place I want to return to right now,” Meghan moaned as she ran through her weekly schedule in her head. “But if I am remembering correctly, we need those trays tomorrow afternoon. I’m going to have to go over there sooner than later.”
The next morning, Meghan woke up ten minutes before her alarm clock went off. She lifted her arms over head and kicked her legs out, enjoying the sensation of the full-body stretch. She reached down and stroked the soft, curly fur coats of her little dogs. “Good morning, my babies,” she murmured as Fiesta crawled onto her chest. Meghan buried her face in Fiesta’s belly and blew hot air onto the dog’s warm skin, giggling as Fiesta flailed his little legs around as though he were being tickled.
Suddenly, Meghan’s stomach dropped as she recalled the events of the previous day. She felt tears brim in her dark eyes as she remembered Jackie’s sad voice and the terrible news of Cathy Thomas’ death. “And I have to go back over to the hotel,” Meghan remembered in horror. “I have to collect the display trays…”
Meghan rose from the bed and ventured to the chest of drawers in the corner of her bedroom. She moved slowly, feeling weighed down by the tragedy of Cathy’s unexpected passing, and it felt like getting dressed took an eternity. Instead of picking out her prettiest outfit as she had the day before, Meghan chose to dress comfortably, selecting a pair of olive green leggings, a long beige sweater, and matching ankle boots. She tied her wavy hair in a loose fishtail braid and decided to forgo makeup, knowing that she would likely cry it all off anyway.
Meghan left her apartment and went downstairs, surprised to hear the happy chatter of Pamela and Trudy coming from the kitchen. “They must not know what happened,” Meghan thought as she solemnly entered the kitchen. “They must be keeping it quiet for now.”
Pamela noticed Meghan first. “Meghan?” she asked. “What’s wrong? Why do you look so upset?”
Trudy chimed in as well. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Meghan. Is everything okay?”
Meghan took a long, deep breathe. “Well, it’s funny you should say that,” she said. “There’s been a tragedy, ladies.”
Pamela’s eyes widened. “A tragedy? What happened?”
Meghan bit her bottom lip. “Cathy Thomas, the woman who placed the private order that I delivered yesterday? She’s dead.”
“She’s dead?” Trudy screeched. “Ron Thomas’ sister, dead?”
Meghan nodded. “She was found dead outside of the hotel last night.”
“Meghan, that is so scary,” Pamela lamented. “Another death in Sandy Bay?”
Meghan shrugged. “It’s horrible. Cathy was so kind to me. I can’t believe she is gone. And now, I have to go back to the hotel. I left some of our display trays over there, and we need them at the bakery this afternoon.”
Trudy’s eyes widened. “Do you want us to go with you? You look pretty upset.”
Meghan shook her head. “No,” she said. “It will be okay. I will be okay. I just need a cup of coffee and some breakfast to settle my stomach before I head over there.”
An hour later, Meghan arrived at the Sandy Bay Hotel, her hands shaking as she pushed through the magnificent revolving doors of the lobby. She walked slowly to the front desk, feeling slightly relieved to find Lewis Templeton behind it.
Meghan’s eyes widened as she stared at Lewis; his face was pale and gaunt, and he wore the same outfit he had the previous day, though today, it was covered in wrinkles. Meghan had never seen Lewis Temp
leton look unkempt, and she knew he must be devastated over the death of Cathy Thomas and the impact it would have on his hotel.
“Meghan,” Lewis muttered as she approached the front desk. “Good morning.”
“Lewis, you look like you need a tall cup of coffee,” Meghan weakly joked, a thin smile on her lips.
Lewis nodded. “I’ve been up all night,” he confessed to Meghan, and she saw his eyes were bloodshot. “Ever since Ms. Thomas was found, this place has been a madhouse. I can’t keep the press away, and the police have covered the Presidential Suite with tape and barriers. People are marching in and out of my hotel, and now, we will be ruined by this scandal.”
Meghan hung her head. “Any suspects been named, yet?” she asked Lewis under her breath.
Lewis shook his head. “Not that I know of,” he admitted. “But I think her death has something to do with the string of muggings that’s been going on in town.”
“My boyfriend, Jack, mentioned that there have been some muggings after the holidays,” Meghan said. “Do you think it was a mugging gone wrong?”
Lewis frowned. “Two of my guests have been victims of mugging in the last week,” he told Meghan. “And Cathy Thomas would have been an easy target; with her...girth and her expensive clothes, well, she would be an obvious choice for a mugging.”
Meghan bit her lip and leaned closer to Lewis. “Did the guests who were mugged see who it was?”
Lewis pursed his lips. “They couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman,” he said. “And the face was covered. But they said the mugger was very quiet and came out of nowhere...they were shocked.”
Meghan’s face grew pale. “That sounds just like the person who mugged Karen,” she whispered, thinking of her dear friend’s situation. “I wonder if all of this is connected? I wonder if it’s safe to be in Sandy Bay right now?”
7
“And did you see anything? Was the police tape everywhere? Was there blood inside of the suite?”
Meghan sighed as Pamela peppered her with questions, her eyes bright and her face eager. “Pamela, I told you that it was a quick trip to the suite. My things were laying in the kitchen, and I collected the trays and left quietly. I didn’t want to cause a scene. I didn’t really see anything crazy.”
Pamela shook her head. “Surely you saw something! You went to a murder scene!”
Trudy scoffed. “You’re being rude, Pamela,” she chastised the teenager. “Meghan is upset over Cathy’s death. You shouldn’t be prying like this.”
Pamela hung her head. “Sorry, Meghan.”
Meghan bit her lip as the little silver bells attached to the front door chimed. Lawrence Griffin, one of the police officers on Jack’s unit, strode into the bakery with a clipboard in his hands. He removed his hat upon making eye contact with Meghan, and he grinned. “Meghan, good to see you.”
Meghan nodded curtly. “Lawrence, nice to see you as well. What can I do for you? Are you in the mood for a coffee, or perhaps a croissant?”
Lawrence shook his head, his dark curls sweeping into his eyes. He was a year or two younger than Meghan, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Pamela practically swooning in the corner. “I’m here on an official capacity, Meghan,” he told her. “It’s a bummer Jack is out of town; if he were around, you could have talked to him. Chief Nunan thought it would be best if I came out today, though. She thought that since Jack and I are buddies, you would feel comfortable during our interview.”
“Interview?” Meghan asked.
Lawrence nodded, brushing the dark ringlets from his face and pushing them back. “Yeah, Chief Nunan is gathering statements from everyone present at Mariah Cooper’s little girls’ night. The Chief thinks someone there will have the key to Cathy Thomas’ murder.”
“They’re officially calling it a murder now?” Meghan gasped.
Lawrence shrugged. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but yeah, it’s pretty clear that it wasn’t an accidental death. Ms. Thomas took a hard blow to the head, and the Chief has been abundantly clear that we are considering this a murder case.”
Meghan felt hot tears brim in her eyes. “Well, what do you need from me?” she asked Lawrence.
Lawrence gestured at one of the little white tables in the corner. “I have some questions to ask you about the event, as well as your interactions with Cathy,” he told Meghan. “Can we sit down?”
Meghan glanced over at Trudy. “Trudy, can you and Pamela hold down the fort for a bit?”
Trudy nodded. “Of course, Meghan.”
Meghan turned to smile weakly at Lawrence. “Please, have a seat. I’ll have Pamela bring out some tea and donuts for us.”
Lawrence grinned. “I knew this would be the best stop of the day,” he told Meghan as he adjusted his clipboard and retrieved a blue pen from the pocket of his police jacket. “Now, Meghan, I’m going to ask you several questions today. I am going to take notes, as well as record your statement. Is that alright with you, or would you prefer to have your attorney here?”
Meghan sighed. “I have nothing to hide,” she informed Lawrence. “I don’t need my attorney here. Let’s just get started.”
“Okay,” Lawrence said as he removed the cap from his pen. “Meghan, in what capacity did you know Cathy Thomas?”
Meghan thought for a moment. “Well, at first, it was strictly a professional relationship,” she said. “Cathy placed an order with me for the event at the hotel. She is also the sister of Ron Thomas, the graphic designer I am working with to rebrand the bakery’s social media presence.”
Lawrence nodded as he scribbled notes onto the the paper in front of him. “So, you said at first, it was a professional relationship? When did your relationship with Cathy become personal?”
“When I delivered the treats to the hotel, Cathy coaxed Mariah into allowing me to stay at the event and enjoy myself,” Meghan said. “Cathy encouraged Mariah to let me visit and relax with the other women.”
Lawrence raised an eyebrow. “So you took advantage of your professional opportunity and made it a personal spa day?”
Meghan’s jaw dropped. “That is not what I said,” she declared. “Cathy invited me to stay, and I did. Maybe I should have left, but Cathy was so funny and warm, and I was excited to meet new friends and relax. I’ve been running myself ragged lately, and the spa day was the best little afternoon I didn’t know I needed.”
“Until Cathy Thomas was murdered.”
Meghan pursed her lips and wrinkled her forehead. “Yes, until Cathy Thomas was murdered.”
Lawrence wrote a few more notes down, and then, he stared into Meghan’s eyes apologetically. “I’m sorry, Meghan,” he said softly. “I can tell I’m upsetting you. I didn’t mean to be rude when I made that comment about the spa day. I grew up pretty poor, and watching Mariah Cooper, Rosie, and the rest of those girls flit around town, throwing money around really annoys me.”
Meghan smiled. “Thank you for apologizing,” she said. “I understand. Let’s just get back to your questions.”
Lawrence nodded. “Can you tell me about Cathy’s demeanor at the event?”
“Cathy was having a wonderful time,” Meghan told Lawrence. “She and Mariah Cooper seemed very close; Cathy said they were old friends because of their connections with the art world. Cathy was in a great mood, and she was the life of the party, for the most part. Mariah seemed a little shyer, but it was fine, because Cathy made sure everyone was enjoying themselves.”
Lawrence wrote down Meghan’s statement. “Excellent, Meghan. This is very helpful. Now, for a last few logistical questions. Can you tell me how the spa day ended? What time did you leave? Was Cathy still there?”
“The day ended quietly, and I left in the late afternoon,” Meghan replied. “Cathy was still there when I left, so I don’t know for sure what time she went home.”
Lawrence finished taking notes as Pamela delivered two cups of hot green tea to the table. “Hi, Lawrence,” Pamela giggled as
she set a silver mug in front of him. “Nice to see you.”
Lawrence smiled at Pamela, but turned back to Meghan. “That’s all I need from you, Meghan,” he told her. “Again, I’m sorry if I came off as rude earlier. Like I said, that crowd of girls has always annoyed me, and I shouldn’t have let that impact our interview today.”
Meghan placed a hand on Lawrence’s. “It’s fine, Lawrence,” she said kindly. “I understand. It can be hard to let go of the past, but look at you now. You are an officer, and a successful one, or so I have heard from Jack.”
Lawrence grinned. “I do my best. Anyway, I need to get around to the hotel to talk to that Templeton fellow. Meghan, it was good to see you.”