Kate did her best Betty Boop impression, a curtesy and a little shimmy, much to Marcus’s amusement.
“You look amazing,” he said. He wrapped her up in a hug, careful of her makeup. She reciprocated with a big smooch on the cheek, smearing her ruby red lipstick on his five o’clock shadow. “How did I get so lucky?!”
“I don’t know,” Kate replied. “But you sure did.” She winked.
For the moment, it was like they were the only two people in the room. I stood awkwardly behind Kate as this Luke fellow put his hands in his pockets, still hovering in the doorway.
When it became apparent that neither Marcus nor Kate was going to introduce us, Luke skirted around them, pulled a hand from a pocket, and came up to me.
“Hi, you must be Allie. I’m Luke James.”
His handshake was firm, but his hands were soft. He smiled as he took me in. A good sign. His pearly white grin was enough to make a girl’s knees go weak. I couldn’t help it—I guess I have a thing for smiles.
Luke took the roaring twenties theme to heart. His muscles amply filled out the sleeves of his black suit. White suspenders matching his tie peeked out from behind his suit jacket.
“That’s me, Allie, Allie Treadwell. It’s nice to meet you.”
Kate didn’t lie. He was a beefcake, possibly too beefy for me. But I was trying to hold judgement for what really mattered—his personality.
Marcus had done well with the theming too. Where Luke had white accessories, Marcus wore red. He one-upped Luke with a red bow tie, slightly crooked. The two of them looked like mobster enforcers.
“Hey, do you mind taking a picture of us?” Marcus asked me. “I need everyone to see this bombshell on my arm.”
It was obvious who the smitten kitten was in this relationship. Just the way Kate liked it. But her eyes were equally drawn to the man. She must really like him, too.
Seeing her so happy was a wonderful thing. Her usual dating ritual was to wait until the guy was over the moon for her while her infatuation had waned, then kick him to the curb. This seemed different.
“Oh, hold on,” Luke said. “Let me go get something from the truck.”
He zipped out the open door. Then moments later, he appeared with a fake Tommy gun and a black hat. He sure did go above and beyond what was necessary. It was a little silly, but mostly it was sweet and charming.
We posed for pictures in the front yard as if it was prom night. Marcus and Kate. Me and Luke. Marcus and Luke. Me and Kate. I even set the camera up on a tripod and used the timer to take some group photos. The night was off to a good start.
“Everyone got the email with their role, right?” I asked, jumping to party business.
I couldn’t help but let the excitement get to me after seeing the four of us in costume.
“I’m Misty Minx, the speak easy owner,” Kate announced. “And Marcus, you’re Carmine Fox, the cross-town rival of Tommy Mattonie.”
Checking his phone to be sure, Luke said, “I’m, uh, Jack Goodwell. He’s an undercover officer. What about you?” His blue eyes came into direct contact with mine. Instinctively, I shied away from the attention, looking at Kate with a smirk on my face.
“I’m Jenny Mattonie,” I said. “The daughter of Tommy. I think it’s a special part. George, the owner, is playing Tommy. He said we need to be in character from the time we get to Bentley’s.”
“That’s easy for me, doll face,” Luke said with a grin.
Marcus laughed. “All right. Let’s get this show on the road.” He pointed to the truck. He opened the passenger side for Kate. Luke opened the back and ushered me inside before scooting in beside me.
It might have been too early to tell on how things were going to go with Luke, but I knew already that I liked him.
3
Even though Luke left the middle seat empty between us, the bench seat in the back of the truck felt cramped. It was awkward as the two sitting in front of us went to hold hands. Kate ran through her day for Marcus, and he nodded and mumbled replies, barely getting a word in edgewise.
Luke helped to tune it out, asking me about the foodie world and explaining his job as a pharmaceutical rep. He did this while practicing his gangster voice. It made for some casual get-to-know you time before we were thrust into a night of mystery, intrigue, and brand-new identities.
The iron gates at the road were open. The large Bentley’s Estate house sat on top of a hill. It was lit up on all sides, but the chandelier on the porch was the brightest. The siding was a crisp white, the shutters, garnet. Tall columns wrapped the length of the house but only four stood on the upstairs balcony which was also immaculately lit. There were white rocking chairs and a porch swing, completing the gentry charm.
From the concrete drive, Marcus eased onto a gravel lot. Then both gentlemen hopped out of the truck and lent a hand to us ladies getting out. Even Kate, as practiced as she was in heels, had trouble walking on the gravel. I, being less so, was thankful for Luke’s arm. He prevented me from twisting an ankle at least twice before we made it back to the safety of concrete.
“Bentley’s is even more beautiful at night,” I remarked.
Kate and I had been here once before for an afternoon wedding. Up until tonight, the estate was mostly used as a wedding venue, though there was also a farm and hundreds of pecan trees.
“I think it’s the Edison bulbs.” Kate pointed up to the glowing lights of the chandelier. “Well, that and they refurbished the heck out of this place, what five, ten years ago? It used to be a real dump. There were rumors it was haunted.”
“Oh, yeah,” Marcus said, “it’s nice. I, uh, I like the rocking chairs.”
“Me too,” Luke said, cheesing. Neither of them had a clue about the place, but I, for one, was happy they were playing along.
It was only a short walk from the car, but I was ready to get inside. The air was brisk, being a January evening in Georgia. It was a little too cool for our slinky gowns, now that the sun was down.
But something made us stop in our tracks.
“Get out of here, now!” A woman shooed a man out the front door, just as we’d made it to the porch steps. I recognized her as Mara Murdock. Granted, everyone in Lanai knew Mara. She made sure of that. She pranced around town in an invisible tiara acting like some sort of debutante. When in reality, she was just the event coordinator and manager of the Bentley’s Estate.
“We don’t want you here tonight,” she continued. “Your dad didn’t give you a part for a reason, I’m sure. And I don’t want you here disrupting business.”
“Fine,” the young man hissed. Then he tore off down the lawn toward the lot of cars.
“Who’s that?” Kate whispered.
“I’m not so sure,” I answered. “But I guess he must be George’s son.”
Kate shrugged.
“Welcome, welcome!” Mara said, her nasally voice doing an about face, sounding cheerful but strained. “Sorry you had to see that. Blake won’t be spending the evening with us.”
She ushered us toward the doors. “And George asked me to remind you that once you pass this threshold, you are your characters for the evening. Now, please enjoy the evening. It should be a scream.”
Once inside, we were swept into a by-gone era. The lights were dimmed, almost like candlelight. It felt very much like the romantic vibe out on the patio of my favorite local restaurant, Sadie’s Porch. Except Sadie’s was rustic in charm. This house’s interior was a stark contrast. To our left, there were high tables with black table cloths set up around the formal living room. And to our right, a built-in bar was fashioned in the same wood as the shelving of the library, home to many antique leather-bound books.
We made our way to it, getting into line with several other guests.
I liked what I saw and snapped a photo. Everyone had gotten into the spirit of the night. They dressed as authentically as was possible. The ladies had fringe on the bottom of their dresses. There were headbands, flumes, and cloc
he hats a plenty.
The male guests were probably the most surprising. I couldn’t imagine my cousins or Uncle Billy putting in such an effort. These men had gone all out—gangster suits, pinstripes, and fedoras.
Stealing the show were the female gun moll characters with Tommy Guns held at their hips. They looked so cool and brave, even if it was just a costume party.
While some of us played an integral part of the story, not everyone had a part except that of detective. We were all the detectives, all of us without a script.
The cocktail menu was etched on a chalkboard propped up behind the bar. It read in all capital letters, Dinner with Death Cocktails.
We could pick from a several prohibition era drinks. Bee’s Knee, Sidecar, Mint Julep, High Ball, and the classic Old Fashioned—I’d researched them all when drafting out notes for my story.
“Evenin’, fellas, dames,” the bar tender said to us. “I’m Johnny, and I’ll be servin’ you up cocktails until the fuzz shows up. Whatcha havin’?”
“Well, uh, Johnny,” Marcus said. “I’ll take an Old Fashioned, and the lovely lady, here, will have a Mint Julep.”
Johnny went to work mixing their cocktails.
“So, Allie,” Luke nudged me, “have you ever been to such a magnificent looking party?”
“It’s not Allie, remember?” I whispered. “It’s Jenny Mattonie. But to answer your question, yes and no. I’ve been to a few events here before. Nothing at night. And nothing quite this spectacular.”
I took a few more photos. One of the bar menu. Then I targeted Johnny while he muddled the mint in Kate’s beverage.
I leaned back on the bar and took some candid shots around the room. But my phone stopped as I caught sight of my cousin Melanie and her boyfriend Jack entering the house.
I didn’t know they were going to be here tonight.
When I’d mentioned it a few Sundays back, Melanie had thought the party sounded like fun. Jack, on the other hand, didn’t seem too keen about the idea.
Looks like Melanie got her way—per usual.
But it was nice to know a couple more people here. It wasn’t an especially large party, after all. In fact, it seemed to have just the right number of guests. Enough to fill the place, but also, just the right amount to pull off a murder mystery—or I guessed that was the hope.
Johnny slid Kate and Marcus their drinks. They wandered off without us, chatting together and lost in themselves.
So much for a wing woman.
Kate was all smiles, all giggles. And it only amplified Kate’s already beautiful blonde look.
“I don’t really want to get zozzled tonight, pull a Daniel Boone on a first date, ya know?” Luke told the bartender. “So, make mine a Shirley Temple. And the lady here will have—”
Luke looked back at me.
“I would like a Bee’s Knees, if you please,” I said, impressed with my own rhyming abilities.
Johnny smiled and got to work.
“I’m actually going to drive us home,” Luke explained his drink choice.
“One, uh, Shirley Temple,” Johnny said loud enough for everyone around us to hear. To my surprise, Luke didn’t even cringe.
“What exactly is a Bee’s Knees?” Luke inquired. “I don’t really order the unknown.” He looked a little bashful with the admission.
Nothing wrong with not knowing his cocktails, I thought, just as long as he knows good food, we’ll get along fine.
“Gin, lemon juice, and honey,” I recited it from memory. “I might have done a little reconnaissance on prohibition beverages before tonight. I’ve never actually had one before.”
I knew some places didn’t use honey but preferred instead to use a simple syrup. Here in Georgia, local honey was plentiful, so I was pleased to see Johnny use a squirt bottle of honey, one I was sure I’d seen before at a local farmer’s market.
“Here you go, doll face.” Johnny placed my drink on a cocktail napkin.
We decided to meander around exploring the house for a bit but didn’t make it far. I wasn’t used to the heels and asked if Luke was fine with us sitting for a moment in the antique living room. He humored me without an issue.
“Well, are you going to try it?” Luke asked. “Or just hold it all night?”
“You caught me,” I admitted. “I’m actually a little nervous about trying it—which is not like me at all. Here goes nothing.”
I took a teeny sip of my drink. It was a little sweet for my liking, but altogether not that bad.
“Not too bad.” I gave him a wink.
“Well, I’m glad it didn’t kill you to try something new,” Luke teased. “To be honest, I’m not too good with liquor. I much prefer a beer.”
I liked this already. He wasn’t afraid to gently tease me. Something about him made me feel relaxed. I often found it hard to be myself around any guy I was interested in dating. It was yet to be determined if there was actually a spark. Then again, I wasn’t really one for sparks anyway. I was the kind of girl who didn’t know what I wanted until I figured out what I didn’t want. To date, this line of crossing guys off a list hadn’t gotten me much of anywhere in the romantic department.
Luke sat back on the uncomfortable couch. He put his arm on the top of the couch just behind me but not around me. Then he scanned the room.
I, too, decided to take in the scenery for a bit. I held up my phone and took a few more photos.
So far, besides the people I came in with and Melanie and Jack, I hadn’t really recognized anyone. Which in a small town like Lanai felt odd.
Where’s George? I wondered. He was the reason I was invited to the party in the first place. I thought it best if I found him for a chat before things got really started. But he was nowhere to be found.
Then I heard the clicks of a shutter opening and closing in quick succession. And I found a face that was quite familiar. Ashley Erickson, one of Lanai’s best photographers, was snapping photos around the room.
“Hey, Ashley!” I waved to her. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
She nodded. “George has me on loan for the evening. He’s going to use some photos from tonight for their website, I think. That’s why there’s a photo release in the packets you’ll get tonight.”
“Good to know,” I said. “Make sure you get my good side. Though, I’m not sure which side that is.”
“It’s this one.” Luke indicated my right side. Again, he was joking, and I liked it.
“Have fun, you two,” Ashley said before taking a picture of the two of us. As she left our purview, George, with a woman at his side, entered the room.
Interesting…
Suzi Whelan stood beside him. It was a little jarring to see Suzi outside of Dr. Gilmore’s office. It was kind of like seeing a teacher outside of school when I was a little kid. I reconsidered saying hello. How would I explain knowing her to Luke? Would I sound crazy? Oh, this is Suzi, the secretary from my therapist’s office, I imagined myself saying.
Then I imagined Luke’s response. He’d won me over thus far. This was a true test.
“Do you mind if we go and see George for a second? I mean, Tommy, my pretend father? He’s the owner of the estate and pretty much the whole reason we’re here tonight.”
“That’s fine with me,” Luke said. “And hopefully, we’ll find some appetizers along the way. I’m starving.”
Just like a man. Always hungry.
My tummy rumbled at the thought of food. Fine. Fine. No judgement.
“Hi, George, I mean, Tommy,” I said. “Good evening, Suzi.”
“Allie,” Suzi replied. “I was just wondering, who is this lovely gentleman with you tonight?”
Everyone seemed to have a sparkle in their eyes when they looked at Luke.
“Actually tonight, Allie’s playing the role of Jenny Mattonie,” George interjected. “Thanks again for coming,” he said to me.
“This is my date, Luke,” I introduced him.
“She means Ma
x Goodwell,” Luke said with a wink.
This staying in character bit was a little trickier than I had anticipated.
“Everything looks great,” I told George. “I know you’ve worked so hard, and it’s finally here.”
“Thanks. I’m a little nervous,” George admitted. “This isn’t quite the local theater of twenty years ago. And it’s a little more immersive and interactive than that. I hope I don’t mess things up too bad.”
“You’ll be great… Dad.” I winked.
“I might need another cocktail to calm my nerves,” George said, and he downed his glass, wincing at the taste.
“You stay here and make your rounds with everyone,” Suzi told him. “I’ll get your drink. What would you like this time?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” George hesitated. “You know I don’t usually drink. Hmmm. I guess I’ll go with a Side Car.”
“Sounds good. I’ll try one too.” Suzi smiled back at me. Then she crossed over to the library to get drinks for the both of them.
“I’ll see you later,” George excused himself. “I’ve got a few more hands to shake before we all get started.”
4
Servers appeared with silver trays of food. They circled the formal living room area. There were trays of oysters, meatballs with little forks in them, but the stuffed mushrooms were my favorite.
I’m not sure how Luke did it, but he was able to juggle a cocktail, hors d’oeuvres, and a fake Tommy gun. He did so with a cool confidence, keeping our banter rolling along smoothly.
Face to face conversation wasn’t my forte. I was much more comfortable behind a keyboard. But he was interested in the Foodie Files, and having read my features in the Lanai Gazette, we had plenty of restaurants to gab about. And since he was asking about my babies, I chittered on with no hint of stopping.
Ever the gentleman, his eyes only glazed over once or twice.
Foodie Files Cozy Mysteries Box Set Page 11