Welcome to Blissville

by Walker, Aimee Nicole

  There were no words I could say to make him feel better. If I wanted to help Silver, then I needed to get to Spizer’s house and investigate his death with a dubious eye, because I had learned long ago that reality was often the opposite of our expectations.

  I crossed to him and patted the grieving man on his shoulder. “I’ll be in touch,” I said before we left.

  I wouldn’t classify Spizer’s house as a mansion, but it was pretty damn close. The patrol officers were waiting outside as we had requested.

  “We asked Mrs. Spizer if there was anyone we could notify for her and she asked us to call her sister.” The officer ripped out a piece of paper from his notepad. “Here’s the sister’s address and phone number in case you need to talk to Mrs. Spizer.”

  “Thank you, Officer.”

  The task force had put on protective gear before we entered the house to avoid contamination. We walked into a foyer of gleaming hardwood floors that shone beneath the crystals and lights in the chandelier. We followed the sounds of whirling cameras and murmured voices to the crime scene.

  I knocked on the doorframe of the study, and all eyes turned to us. “Can we come in?” I asked. The M.E. would be running the show until the body was cleared, but I wanted to be able to see the scene with my own eyes before that happened.

  “Come on in,” the M.E. said. He introduced himself as Miguel Espinoza then identified the rest of the men and women in the room that were processing the scene.

  “I’m not looking to get in your way, Dr. Espinoza. I’d just like to get a feel for the crime scene myself instead of looking at pictures of it.”

  “I understand, Detective. We’re almost done here. I saw the letter on the desk beneath Spizer’s head.” He had slumped over in his chair the same way that Robertson had, but the trajectory of the bullet was completely wrong. Spizer put the barrel of the gun beneath his chin and pulled the trigger. He fell forward and pinned the hand holding the gun beneath his chest.

  “Have you looked at the gun? Is it a forty-five?” I asked. He confirmed that it was and I asked him to compare the entrance and exit wounds to those of Owen Smithson and promised to make sure he got copies of Turner’s and Robertson’s autopsy files and photos. “I’d like to wrap this all up in a tidy bow, but I am going to be sure that every avenue is investigated.”

  I stayed out of their way and looked around the room at the photos hanging on the wall or sitting in frames on his shelf. The gilded gold, marble, and crystal wet bar that stood in the corner of the room probably cost more than my car. I took photos so that I could compare them to crime scene photos later.

  It didn’t take the medical examiner long to finish and remove Spizer from his office. Then I got my first look at the apparent suicide note he left addressed to his wife. Like the officer said, Spizer took responsibility for the deaths of the three men. What it didn’t say was why he did it. He told her how much he loved her and apologized for ruining her life. As much as I hated to be the one to show the note to Mrs. Spizer, I needed her to confirm it was his handwriting.

  A handwriting specialist would be able to determine if the note was written under duress. Some signs of fear, shame, or anguish was expected, but it would be exacerbated if someone had a gun pointed at their heads while they wrote. That was if we got the approval to hire an expert.

  There was a picture on the corner of his desk that caught my eye. It was a picture of a boys’ baseball team; the kids in the picture looked to be between the ages of ten and twelve. Something about the picture stood out to me, but I couldn’t place it. I snapped a picture of it with my phone, so I could look at it later.

  I wanted to believe that the cases were over and solved, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t. I placed a call to Silver, but it went to his voicemail like usual. He might’ve gone to the club to stay busy rather than sit around and wait for me to call. I left him a message and told him he could call me whenever he wanted. I wouldn’t say that I liked the man, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel bad for him. I didn’t know his story, but I had a feeling that it probably wasn’t a happy one.

  Dorchester and I said very little on the way home. It seemed that we were both lost in our thoughts. I dropped him off at his house then headed home to Josh. I could tell that he wasn’t home by the lights he had left on, even though his car was parked in the driveway. I wondered where he’d gone on foot so late. I looked suspiciously over at Emory’s house and wondered if he’d gone over there since they’d gotten chummy. I realized I was being ridiculous and called his cellphone number.

  “Hey, baby,” he said into the phone. “How’s it going?” I heard Adrian and Sally Ann in the background laughing about something; I knew just where I could find my guy.

  “It’s better now,” I said into the phone. “How was your day?” I backed out of the driveway and drove the seven blocks to the Goodes’ house while Josh told me about his confrontation with Chaz. “But you guys are okay now, right?” I asked.

  “We sure are,” Josh replied. “Do you have any idea what time you’ll be home?”

  “That depends.” I parked the car and got out.

  “On?” he asked hesitantly.

  “How late we stay at Adrian and Sally Ann’s before I take you home.” I knocked on the front door and heard Josh gasp seconds before Buddy barked. Josh yanked open the front door and jumped me right there on the front porch. “I’m happy to see you too, Sunshine.”

  Josh visibly melted in front of me and I realized he had been tense with worry, probably the reason he was at the Goodes’. “Have you eaten?” he asked, ready to nurture and fuss over me. I freely admit that I liked it.

  “I had a few slices of shitty pizza before everything went to hell,” I told him.

  “Sally Ann made a delicious chicken dish that you’ll love. There’s plenty leftover so I’ll reheat some and make you a plate while you chat with Adrian. I’m sure you guys want to go into his office and talk shop anyway.” He wasn’t wrong. Josh handed me a beer and shooed me out of the kitchen. “Meet me back here in fifteen minutes.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said over my shoulder as I followed Adrian to the smallest of the extra bedrooms where he had an office.

  “Tell me what happened, partner. You’re looking a little rough,” Adrian told me.

  He didn’t say anything until I’d told him every detail of my night. “I don’t know, Adrian. My gut tells me that this isn’t over with Spizer’s death. I’m not willing to just say that he was the shooter and close the cases. Something about the scene is nagging at me to keep digging.”

  “Then you keep digging,” Adrian said.

  “Dinner!” Josh’s call to eat cracked me up. He ran a tight ship when it came to eating and my fifteen minutes had clearly passed.

  I entered the dining room and took a seat. Sally Ann and Adrian were talking, but I had no idea what they were saying because I only had eyes for Josh. He set my plate of food on the table in front of me and moved to step away so I could eat. I snatched his wrist and tugged his arm so that he leaned down. I raised my head for a kiss, and he obliged me. The tension from the events of that night still had me strung tight, but I could feel the strain starting to fade in small increments.

  “Eat, Gabe.”

  I dug into the delicious chicken and stuffing casserole, green beans, and mashed potatoes. It was like a miniature Thanksgiving, and it was fucking scrumptious. “We need this recipe,” I said between bites.

  “We?” Josh asked.

  “Okay, you need this recipe. I could eat this at least once a week,” I told Sally Ann.

  “It’s Adrian’s favorite too,” she said.

  I had eaten two plates full of food before I sat back from the table. I should’ve been embarrassed by the amount of food I consumed, but I had been too hungry to worry about appearances. I was ready to go home, but it was rude to eat and run. Josh, sensing my weakness for good manners, pounced.

  “Let’s play a board ga
me,” he suggested.

  “Not Monopoly,” we all said.

  “Fine,” he said in a huff. “What else do you have?”

  My cellphone rang, saving me from having to decide what game we played. I was okay with anything other than Monopoly. And poker! “I need to take this,” I told them. I went out on the porch and answered Silver’s call. I told him what we had learned so far and explained that the investigation would continue until we were certain it was solved.

  “I appreciate the information, Detective.” Silver sounded vulnerable and lost, two words I would never have associated with the man.

  I blamed Josh’s influence for what happened next. “What are you doing on Sunday?” I asked. How in the hell was I going to explain this to Josh?

  I stood with my hands on my hips and surveyed the layout of my tables. My everyday dining room table wasn’t big enough to seat all the guests that were invited to dinner, so I had to improvise. I borrowed Mama Richmond’s large, rectangular folding table and wooden folding chairs she used for large family gatherings. I put a tablecloth on the table to hide the unattractive, industrial gray plastic. The wooden chairs weren’t so bad because they at least came with attractive cushions. My table would be used to set out the food so people could walk around it and serve themselves buffet style. I used spring flowers and vanilla candles as centerpieces and set the table with my grandmother’s china.

  “Kyle probably isn’t coming,” Gabe said as he placed Nana’s real silverware next to each plate.

  “If you set a plate, they will come.” I put my spin on a well-known phrase from one of Gabe’s favorite movies. He just shook his head and began placing the water glasses on the table. I was pleased to know that Gabe had a lot of experience with formal tables, even though I only set one three times a year—Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

  “It’s his loss if he chooses not to come,” Gabe said. “My gain because he eats his weight in ham. I’ll have leftovers for sandwiches if he’s a no-show.”

  I had freaked out about having a ham shortage when Gabe informed me that he had invited Jonathon Silver to our home for Easter two days before my dinner. Gabe, being practical as always, suggested I just buy a ham from the supermarket like everyone else does. Since when in the hell did I do anything like anyone else? My hams came from our butcher in town and nowhere else. I ordered a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving and a sexy, spiral cut ham for Christmas and Easter.

  Instead of whining and crying or making Gabe feel bad for being compassionate, I jumped into action the next morning. I was the first customer through the door and was prepared to do just about anything to get an extra ham. I even took a generous gift certificate for my salon that Skip could give to his wife. I knew she’d enjoy it and both of us would be heroes on the holiday.

  I had just started in on my desperate plea for help when Skip laughed and waved his hands in the air to cut me off. “I order extra hams for these types of emergencies, kid. I’ve got you covered.” Skip was still my hero, so I gave him the gift certificate so he could treat Brenda.

  “Your table looks nice, Sunshine.” Gabe hooked his arm around my neck and pulled me to him. “The food smells even better.”

  “Thank you.” I rose on my tiptoes and gave him a kiss. “There will be plenty of ham for leftovers,” I said. “I have to confess that I’m a little nervous about this gathering. There are a lot of newcomers, and I’m worried it will be awkward.”

  “I have faith in you, Sunshine.” I was glad someone did.

  Meredith arrived first, and I was practically bouncing on my feet to hear about her big date the night before. I had wanted to text her so many times, but Gabe took my phone away, so that I didn’t ruin her night. His sexy hide and seek worked wonders to distract me the night before, then I had too much food prepping to do that morning to hound her.

  “How was church service?” I asked instead of what I wanted to know.

  “I didn’t go,” she said casually. “I just got back home in time to change to come here.”

  “Really?” I asked. “The date was that good?”

  She laughed at my wide-eyed expression. “Our date was fine.”

  “Fine?” That wasn’t a ringing endorsement for the guy.

  “It was nice,” Meredith added.

  “Nice?” That was possibly worse than fine.

  Meredith giggled and took pity on me. “I had a great night with Harley, sugar. I just wanted to wind you up.”

  “It worked,” I groused. “So, did you or did you not sleep over?”

  Mere pinned me with a look I’d seen her mother use a billion times when we were working on her last nerve. “Not that it’s your business,” she said, “but I didn’t stay overnight. I need to take this slow and be sure we’re on the same page before I let my heart get carried away.” As if we controlled our hearts. “We met for coffee first to get the introductory stuff out of the way and to see if we sparked.”

  “And?”

  “Just call me Sparky,” Meredith said with a giggle. “He’s sweet and funny. He crazy loves kids, and his manners were impeccable.” Her voice grew softer, and her eyes lost focus as she thought back on her date.

  “So, I’m assuming you advanced to the dinner phase of the evening,” I said prodding her.

  “Wait!” Chaz said, bursting up the stairs. “I want to hear all about it.”

  “There’s not a lot to tell,” Meredith replied. “We had dinner then went to a movie.”

  “Did you kiss him?” Chaz asked.

  “Are you twelve?” I asked him. I was just pissed because he beat me to it. “Well, did you?” I asked Meredith.

  “Do you kiss and tell with Gabe?” she asked, knowing full well that I didn’t.

  “I see your point,” I replied.

  “Do you?” she asked. The thing was, I had kissed and told plenty of times in my past. Gabe had been different from the very start. I got what she was saying without her saying it.

  “I do.”

  I checked the clock and saw that it was time to get my ass in gear and put the finishing touches on my dinner. I had made the mashed potatoes early and kept them warm in a crockpot so that I could look put together and poised when my company arrived. Gabe made a wisecrack about instant potatoes that morning and nearly missed out on the amazing blow job I bestowed upon him.

  Meredith filled water glasses while Chaz stared at the extra plates at the table. I could tell he was struggling internally with the pros and cons of Kyle showing up, or not. I felt horrible that I had put him in the situation. The doorbell rang downstairs which meant it was either Emory, Silver, or Kyle since everyone else had a key to the back door.

  Chaz bit his lip while he waited to see who came up the steps with Gabe. Emory’s soft laughter rang out from the bottom of the steps and Chaz’s shoulders slumped. I had half a mind to tell him to call Kyle or ask Gabe to do it, but I had learned my lesson. He seemed to snap out of it quickly and offered a warm smile to Emory.

  “It’s good to see you again, Emory,” Chaz said.

  “You too.” Emory’s slight blush was cute. He turned to Meredith and said, “I don’t think we’ve formerly met. I’m Emory Jackson.” He extended his hand to Mere which she used to pull him into a hug because that was her preferred way to greet people.

  “I’m Meredith Richmond,” she told him, pulling out of the embrace. “I’m so happy you’re joining us today.”

  The doorbell rang again, and I saw Chaz wipe his hands nervously on his jeans. I was so excited to hear about Meredith’s date that I forgot to mention to them that Gabe invited Jonathon Silver. In fact, they didn’t even know that Nate Turner had a twin brother. It wasn’t my story to tell, and the last thing I wanted to do was inadvertently fuck up Gabe’s case. I felt bad about not giving them a warning though until I saw the shocked expressions on their faces, then I thought it was funny. Emory turned and looked at the newcomer curiously to see what caused such a stir.

  His eyes widened
slightly, but the sexy man standing awkwardly next to Gabe with a bottle of wine in his hand was impressive. He wore dark jeans and an impeccably pressed, white dress shirt that was open enough to get a glimpse of dark chest hair. It was shocking how much he looked like his brother, yet there was a completely different look in his eyes. Nate had looked arrogant and entitled, Jonathon looked wary and cynical. There was a great sadness about him, and I understood why Gabe felt the need to make sure he wasn’t alone that day.

  Meredith and Chaz blinked a few times then closed their mouths that had fallen open in shock. They looked to me for answers then to Gabe. They were so synchronized it looked rehearsed, but it was because they were so in tune with one another. I was sure I would’ve been making the same face had I not already known about Jonathon.

  “Guys, this is Jonathon Silver,” Gabe said. “He’s Nate’s twin brother. Jonathon Silver, this is Meredith, Chaz, and Emory.”

  Chaz was the first to snap out of his surprise to cross the room and shake Jonathon’s hand. Meredith hugged him and told him she was sorry for his loss, which Jonathon seemed to appreciate. Emory stepped forward slowly with his head tilted slightly as he studied Jonathon, who seemed uncomfortable with the intensity aimed in his direction.

  We all watched as both men cautiously extended their hands toward one another. When their hands connected, they both narrowed their eyes suspiciously. I wondered if they felt an electrical current zinging through their bones like I did when Gabe touched me. It was something that seemed to get stronger with time, not fade. I also noticed that neither of them pulled away from the other.

  Emory closed his eyes for a few seconds then jerked, breaking their connection. He opened his eyes slowly then blinked as he came back from wherever he had gone. Only Gabe and I knew about his abilities, and I wondered if he’d had a vision or something. Was Jonathon the reason why Emory moved to town? Why Blissville though when Jonathon lived in Cincinnati?

  Jonathon’s face was completely devoid of expression as he looked back at Emory. I would’ve loved to know what was going through his brain right then. Wanting to break the weirdness that had crept into the celebration, I walked over to the two men and kind of wedged myself between them. I looked over at Gabe and found him glaring at my proximity to them. I expected to hear a possessive growl from him at any moment.