by Lotta Smith
“And Fiona found that particular film,” Rick said, tilting his head to the side. “Or rather, I have a hunch that you led her to find it.”
“You’re so right.” Beverly nodded. “When I saw Leo for the first time in the storehouse, I sensed something sinister about him, and that’s why I meddled with Fiona while she was picking up stuff in the upstairs of the storehouse. After separating her from her husband, I had her find the film, and then I warned her about the danger coming her way. Though, in retrospect, the danger in her path was much more serious than I had first expected. In the deepest part of my heart, I wanted to warn Fiona about Leo’s sinister demeanor, but I myself wasn’t perfect after looking the other way from my husband’s murder and actively covering it up. So I couldn’t pop up in front of her, saying things like ‘Hi there, my little angel! By the way, watch out for your safety. Your husband might kill you someday,’ especially considering she was trying with all her heart and soul to better her marriage and establish a perfect family. Plus, Leo wasn’t the one who actually tried to harm her.”
“I see.” I nodded.
“I’m so glad people like you came in to rescue Fiona. Thank you so much,” Beverly said. She then turned to Jackie, hugging her. “Jackie, you too! You have no idea how much I appreciate your help here!”
“Oh, Beverly, that was nothing. I’m so glad to be of help!” Jackie hugged her back.
“Mandy, perhaps you want to shut your mouth,” Rick said, touching my cheek. “There are bugs in the garden that might have slipped inside, and you don’t want to have a stray fly jumping into your mouth, do you?”
“Oh.” I pursed my lips.
Arms crossed, Brian listened to Beverly’s words without saying anything. But as she finished talking, he took a deep breath.
When Beverly and Jackie finally finished their embrace, he said, “Considering her family background, I think Fiona grew up to be quite a good person.”
“Thank you so much!” Beverly cooed.
Brian cleared his throat. “How would you like us to handle the film? Should I destroy it?”
Beverly gazed up to the ceiling and took a deep breath. “Well, actually, I’m torn between keeping it for Fiona and destroying it.” She furrowed her eyebrows.
“Mandy, now you can open your lips and relay Beverly’s words to me.” Rick nudged me.
“It’s okay, Mandy. I’ll warn you if I see bugs flying around you,” Jackie chimed in.
While I was rolling my eyes, Brian filled my shoes and passed on Beverly’s words to Rick.
“Hmm….” He crossed his arms as he considered Beverly’s dilemma. “If I were you, I’d have it destroyed without question. I agree with you about Fiona’s right to know what happened to her birth mother and what her grandfather did. But at the same time, just because she has the right to know about her own roots doesn’t mean that discovery will make her feel better about herself and her life in general. In my opinion, some things are better kept secret than pushed in your face.”
“I see. I can understand what you mean,” Beverly said.
“So, what would you say if I offered to keep the film in one of my safe deposits at USCAB?” Rick went on. “Fiona has offered me the film in order to investigate if it was created by some sick person to appear like a snuff movie using a ton of special effects. Luckily, she hasn’t said anything about the film yet, so the first-choice scenario would be not bringing up the subject unless Fiona herself specifically asks me or Mandy. And then there’ll be Option Two, which would mainly consist of a little bending and stretching the truth. I can tell her that traces of manipulation were detected and the film is actually much newer than first believed. I can even blame Elizabeth’s strong resemblance to a coincidence and blah, blah, blah.”
“Rick, that’s considered lying for most people,” I pointed out.
“So what?” He responded with a raised eyebrow. “Anyway, Beverly, the choice is up to you. You can either go with the honest but brutal truth, or a deceptive lie. Honestly, I don’t know which is the better option. But considering her current emotional distress, now is not a good time to disclose the truth to Fiona. That’s my opinion.”
Beverly was fidgeting with her hands in silence. “I do agree with you for the most part. As you say, the timing isn’t good to share the truth to Fiona. Perhaps it had been my craving to unburden my shoulders by disclosing the secret I had buried in the darkness decades ago. Thank you so much for your insight. Mandy, will you please pass on my huge appreciation to Rick?”
“Of course,” I said, then did what she requested.
“You’re very welcome.” Rick shrugged. “All I did was suggest that you stick to your initial principle. Besides, considering it’s difficult for you to have direct communications with her, some things are better kept secret.”
“I agree with you.” Beverly nodded. “I agree with you,” she said again, as if to convince herself.
Brian cleared his throat. “By the way, Beverly, what’s your next step?”
“Fiona seems to be staying here for a while, so I’ll stick around with her as long as she’ll be here.”
“Okay, I see.” Brian nodded. “Can I ask you a favor?”
“Of course, go ahead.” Beverly smiled. “I’m more than happy to grant any wishes of yours as long as they’re something I can do. You’re the one who rescued my baby.”
“Um… your performance in the storehouse was beyond impressive. And I was thinking that it would be cool if I could visit here periodically with my tourists, for a brief meet and greet with you in the storehouse.” Cautiously, he continued. “Of course, I’ll forget about it if Fiona says no.”
“Oh no. Fiona wouldn’t say no.” Beverly beamed. “Perhaps I should make the Club Paranormal Tourism logo on the walls of the storehouse.”
Listening to my interpretation, Rick chimed in, “That sounds enticing, except the logo on the walls might make it seem a tad bit phony.”
“I see. Then I’ll make the logo appear just sporadically, like, if you’re lucky, you might see the tour logo pop up,” Beverly suggested.
“Well, um….” Brian blinked, looking like he had no clue how to react.
Before he recovered, Beverly clapped her hands. “Oh, I have to go. While she’s sleeping, I’ll convince Fiona to occasionally host your tours. Ciao!”
She waved at us and disappeared.
“Ciao,” Brian, Jackie, and I muttered in unison, waving back.
Looking at us—except for Jackie, of course, as he couldn’t see her—waving at the empty air, Rick raised his hand. “Ciao!”
Brian snorted with laughter. “Hey, sometimes I find myself suspecting that you’re capable of communicating with the ghosts yourself.”
“It’s not what it looks like. I just happen to rock at paying attention.” Rick winked. “Speaking of attention, Beverly seems to have paid special attention to you. Perhaps she’s trying to match you with Fiona. Hey, in that case, you must name me as Cupid of the year, okay?”
“Ha! It’s just that I’m the only person other than Mandy who can communicate with Beverly and pass on her words to Fiona,” Brian harrumphed, but his face and ears were turning pink.
EPILOGUE
“Mandy, why don’t you put on some more lipstick in this shade? You can’t appear at your own wedding with your lips naked.” Nana attempted to pass me her lipstick in a shade that was closer to black rather than red.
“I’m not sure if it’s the right shade for me,” I said, and I glanced at Alicia, my younger sister. “Will I look good in that?”
“It’d be fabulous if you’re going to have a totally goth wedding,” she commented with a raised eyebrow. “Besides, you look just stunning with ruby pink lipstick. Don’t ya think so?” She turned to her husband, Tony.
“Of course,” he said, happily munching on a large chunk of lobster from his plate.
“Thank you,” I said and turned to Nana. “You heard her. I’d love to take you up on your advic
e, but we can’t change our wedding theme to goth at the last minute.”
“Of course you want to go with ruby pink,” Mom chimed in. “Right, Steve?” She attempted to have Dad take her side.
While Dad was nodding and mumbling, “Right, right,” sounding somewhat clueless, Jackie sashayed in.
“Mandy and her mom are so right!” she declared by my side. “Tomorrow’s wedding theme is modern luxury meets classical elegance. I’m so sorry, Leonora, but there’s no room for a goth theme.”
Her tone was friendly as always, yet firm.
“Jackie, I’m so glad to have you as my maid of honor. Thank you so much,” I said after relaying her words to Nana.
“Okay. So perhaps going too goth is out nowadays,” Nana admitted.
“Oh no, Leonora, goth is still so hot,” Alice, Rick’s biological mother, chimed in to support Nana. “Actually, I think more purplish shades, such as plum, will make her look more stunning.”
“Um… Alice?” I cleared my throat, feeling the panic crawling across my spine. At an early stage of planning our wedding, she’d appointed herself as the chief wedding planner, and though out of goodwill, she basically tried to turn it into a circus by hiring a llama as the ring bearer and suggesting a tattoo exchange to replace the ring exchange. So many things were wrong on so many levels. The part that had most complicated the situation was that she was absolutely serious about every bit of it.
Rick jumped in at that point. “I’d appreciate it if you’d respect her decision over everything, Ali—” He was about to call his mother by her first name, but before finishing the sentence, he changed his mind, saying, “Mom,” instead.
Alice gasped. “Rick, did you just say…?”
“Wow, did you hear that?” Brian whispered to Fiona sitting by his side. “That guy is warming up to his mother. I think that’s the first time he’s ever called her ‘Mom.’”
“Wow, really?” Her eyes widened.
“Yes.”
“That’s so true. He’s called her Mother’ before, but it’s the first time he used the term ‘Mom.’” When Brian and I said it at the same time, Fiona giggled like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
Looking at her, smiling and laughing like she didn’t have a care in the world, I found myself so relieved and relaxed. As they say, “time flies,” and time had certainly flown in the past month. With the nuptials scheduled for the following day, we were sitting at the table at Astor Court at St. Regis, having the rehearsal dinner. Fiona had recovered nicely from the trauma of both witnessing a murdered dead body at her family manor and discovering her now ex-husband’s infidelity from said murder. When she filed for divorce, Leo didn’t fight at all, and the matter was settled almost immediately, thanks to Fiona having armed herself with the best layers and her clever decision that she tied the knot with Leo in Las Vegas.
Fiona nudged me with her elbow. “Wow, Mandy, you’re marrying a former hard-liner who is obviously softening up,” she whispered. “I think you did a great job melting his heart.”
“You think so?” I whispered back, chuckling.
“Hey, what’s so funny?” Rick asked.
“Oh, nothing,” Fiona and I said simultaneously, and we had another fit of giggles.
As soon as the divorce was settled, Fiona gave up on her initial plan to run a bed and breakfast on her own. Instead, she made an agreement with one of USCAB’s branch companies regarding the management of her family manor as a luxurious boutique hotel. She was back in the city, but she’d left the PR firm where she used to work under the supervision of Wesley Andreano. She was now working as Brian’s secretary. In the not too distant future, she would start dividing her time between Manhattan and her hometown of Norwalk. Whenever Brian had Club Paranormal Tourism duties, she would accompany the tour to Kimmelstiel Manor to see Beverly and entertain the tour guests… but that’s another story that should be told later on.
And despite Fiona’s initial fear of her family manor turning into stigmatized real estate, rotting as a haunted property where a gruesome murder had taken place, the newly reborn Hotel Kimmelstiel would become a huge hit among travelers wishing to enjoy their comfortable stay by the sea and cherishing the topnotch services—not to mention possible encounters with a charming ghost who welcomed her visitors with captivating messages on the walls of the storehouse.
That, too, would be another story for the future….
“Auntie Mandy, why are you smiling so much?” Minty, Alicia and Tony’s younger daughter, asked.
“That’s because she’s marrying Uncle Rick,” Emma chimed in, sounding like an older sibling talking sense to her younger sister. “Tomorrow, she’ll look just like a princess!”
“Exactly!” Fiona smiled at my nieces and turned to me. “Congrats again!” She raised her glass.
“Thanks. You know, Fiona, what makes me so happy and euphoric is that you’re here tonight as my bridesmaid.”
“Of course I’m here.” She flashed a wide grin. “Come on, Mandy. Did you ever suspect that I wouldn’t make it to your wedding?” she said teasingly.
“Maybe a little,” I admitted.
“Ooh, that really hurts!” Fiona cringed in a mock traumatized tone. “The fact that I’m not the maid of honor alone is damaging enough.”
“Oh, sorry, Fiona. Mandy already has me as her maid of honor,” Jackie said, patting Fiona on the shoulder.
When Fiona glanced at her shoulder, my eyes widened.
“Did you feel anything here? Jackie was patting you on the shoulder,” I exclaimed.
“Seriously?” Her lips shaped into an O. “How cool is that? Maybe I’ll be able to hug Nana someday.”
Rick raised an eyebrow and addressed the issue with his mother. “Mom? I mean, if you prefer Alice, I’m happy to switch back to the way I used to address you.”
As he said that, he looked a little uncomfortable, so I reached for his arm to show my support.
Alice sniffed a little, but she soon regained her composure. “It’s okay, Rick, darling. It’s just… oh gosh, I was so touched. You know, it’s the first time in forever that you called me ‘Mom.’”
As her eyes welled with tears, Dan—her ex-husband, Rick’s dad, and the CEO of USCAB —handed her a hankie and patted her hand. “Come on, Alice. That’s no surprise, because you’ve been his mom since the very beginning of his life.” Then he raised his glass. “Okay, everyone. Let’s toast to Alice being a wonderful mother of our son.”
And we toasted for the umpteenth time.
* * *
“So, Mandy, are you all set for becoming Mrs. Rowling tomorrow?” Rick said, clasping my hand.
I felt like answering “Hell yes!” but I decided to take a moment of silence to savor the bliss of the countdown until tying the knot with him.
We were back at the condo on Fifth Avenue. After taking a long bath, the two of us were lying on the bed in the bedroom.
“Mandy?” He looked into my eyes until I burst out laughing.
Just like when I met him for the first time, his green eyes were so mesmerizing and captivating.
“Guess what? I’m ready.” I grinned, intertwining my fingers with his.
His lips quirked up into a smile. “That’s great to know. I’m absolutely reassured.” He chuckled. “Nothing is more embarrassing than your better half having cold feet and running away just minutes before the ceremony.”
“No worries. I’m not having cold feet,” I reassured him. “So, I, Amanda Meyer, will be morphing into Amanda Rowling, but that’s about it for all the changes I can imagine taking place. So we’ll be officially a married couple, but things won’t be changing that drastically, I guess?”
“Why does that sound like a question?”
“Because I’m guessing.”
“Guessing, hmm…. Still, I agree with you. As for the living arrangement, things won’t be changing that much for a while, I guess.” He kissed the top of my head.
“Speaking of kissi
ng,” Jackie chimed in, popping up from out of nowhere.
“Yow!” I squealed.
“What? Is Jackie here?” Rick furrowed his eyebrows. “Hey, you promised to leave us alone when we’re in the bedroom.”
“I know, I know. Excuse me for the interruption, but I couldn’t stay silent when I saw Rick kissing you.” The ghost of a drag queen—who was sporting a lacey negligee that time—was grinning from ear to ear. “While you guys were in the limo on your way back from St. Regis, Brian and Fiona were sharing a ride in a cab, and they were kissing—and not the light peck on the forehead, but a kiss-your-heart-out kind of kiss.”
“Are you sure?” My eyes widened.
“What did she say?” Rick poked my cheek, but when I relayed her words, he didn’t look surprised. “Uh, okay.”
“Hey, that was supposed to be a surprise,” I pointed out.
“I said Fiona was his type when I met her for the first time,” he said nonchalantly. “Besides that, I already saw them kissing on the night of the murder.”
“Get out!” Jackie and I shrieked in unison.
“Speaking of kissing, I just remembered I didn’t have a good night kiss.” He cupped my face in his hands and planted a light peck on my lips. Then he talked to the empty air. “Jackie, can we be excused for the night?”
“Of course. Enjoy the last night of being an unmarried couple. Oh, don’t oversleep tomorrow morning. You don’t wanna be late for your own wedding. Ciao!” Waving her hands and blushing a little—I didn’t know a ghost could blush—Jackie disappeared.
Hugging and kissing Rick, I was really, really excited about the next morning and my future with Rick Rowling.
Wickedly Ever After
Halloween Hijinks
Paranormal in Manhattan Mystery:
Book 8