“That’s great!”
“Yep…it looks like we get our photographer back, and Senator Rios gets his picture in People. I guess everyone wins.”
“Whaddya know.” Even though it would’ve been nice if Dana had done the right thing from the get-go and agreed to photograph our ceremony—even after the senator’s office called—I couldn’t really blame her. I’d be starry-eyed, too, if someone called and asked me to work for one of the most powerful people in Louisiana. Who was to say I wouldn’t have done the very same thing if I’d stood in her shoes?
“Are you sure you’re happy about this?” Ambrose asked. “You sound a little subdued.”
“No, I’m very happy about it. Thrilled, actually. I’m just tired, that’s all. This murder investigation has been brutal. Probably because I feel so bad for Lorelei and her family.”
“I get that, but you need to take care of yourself, too. Why don’t you call it a night and come back home?”
Ever since Ambrose and I became a couple, we’d been sharing the rental cottage on the outskirts of Bleu Bayou, or what the locals called a “rent house.” I loved the charming home. It had bubblegum-pink walls and a garden trellis that brought butterflies right to our front door.
But as much as I wanted to go back home, it didn’t seem very safe at the moment. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to drive anywhere tonight. I’m too tired. Would you mind if I spent the night here?”
“Well, I don’t know…”
“Before you say more, hear me out. I promised Lance I’d be back at Honeycutt Hall first thing tomorrow morning. It’d save me a step if I could just spend the night here. And it’s only for one night. I’ll be back home before you know it.”
“Then I definitely don’t mind. I want you to be safe. Do what you have to do over there and then hurry home. I miss you.”
“Ahhh. I miss you, too.” The thought of Ambrose leaning against the wall of our kitchen, casually cradling the phone between his strong jaw and his shoulder, like he always did, made me reconsider my decision. “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I came home. I could roll down the windows and blast the car stereo—”
“No way.” His answer was firm. “You were right the first time. Look, I’ll call you in the morning, bright and early, so we can catch up. Now, go get some sleep.”
“Thanks, Bo. I love you.”
I ended the call and eyed the staircase in front of me. Finally, I could head upstairs and put this day to rest. It already felt like the longest day of my life, and midnight was fast approaching. Didn’t they call that the witching hour? Which meant it was a perfect time for me to disappear in a puff of smoke.
Chapter 14
Once I gripped the elaborately carved banister, I began to climb the steps, each one requiring more effort than the last.
The rich wood felt so cool beneath my fingers, and above my head hung more panels of expensive mahogany. According to Nelle, the mansion wasn’t fancy. Rrriiiggghhhttt. The stairwell alone probably cost more than a month’s receipts at Crowning Glory.
Speaking of which, in addition to asking Beatrice about the veil, I was curious about the day’s events at my hat shop. While I trusted Beatrice to handle things in my absence, anything could, and usually did, happen at my studio during the wedding season.
One time the studio flooded right before a New York bride’s magazine planned to come in and take pictures for a feature story. Another time, I discovered a body in the outbuilding of a historic property I wanted to buy. There was no telling what new crisis I’d face on Monday when I went back to work.
After a few more steps, I heaved myself onto the second-floor landing. The hall was eerily quiet, and nothing stirred behind a line of closed doors that flanked the corridor.
I paused to catch my breath. Nelle had said something about letting me stay in the second bedroom down the hall, but it was the first bedroom that caught my attention. Unlike the others, bright light spilled through the doorway of that one and splashed across the floor like spilled paint.
Being a curious sort, I gingerly made my way to the first room. Although I wanted nothing more than to flop onto the nearest bed and head for dreamland, I couldn’t help but peek inside. What if it belonged to Lorelei and I missed the chance to bid her a gentle good night?
I glanced through the doorway and, sure enough, every light inside the room blazed. But it wasn’t Lorelei’s room, because a men’s blazer hung over a straight-backed chair.
I took a step closer, my curiosity still piqued.
Like all the other rooms, this one was richly appointed, with silk shades on the lamps, hand-painted paper on the walls, and a velvet comforter on the four-poster bed. But the comforter looked messy, its folds whorled like the inside of a seashell, as if the lodger had tossed something very heavy on top of it. Not only that, but the door to the closet stood wide open, and a jumble of empty hangers spilled onto the floor. Someone must’ve been in a terrible hurry; that much was obvious.
I tried to make sense of it all, slowed by the fog that filled my brain. Was the person coming back? From the look of things, the answer was no. I took a step forward, and that was when I noticed a striped bowtie hidden in one of the comforter’s folds. And not just any bowtie, either. It was the preppy navy and green tie worn by Buck Liddell at dinner.
Slowly, I backed away from the bed. Then I turned and stumbled down the stairs, my brain trying to play catchup with my feet. I headed for the place where I knew someone would be, and, sure enough, Nelle still leaned against the doorway to the kitchen.
“Mrs. Honeycutt?” I struggled to reach her. “You told me to take the second bedroom down the hall, right?”
She looked surprised to see me. “Yes, dear. Was there a problem with your room?”
“No. That’s not it. But who did you give the first room to?”
“The first one?” She pursed her lips. “Let me think. Why…that nice boy who was supposed to be the best man. Buck something-or-other. He told me he was going right to bed, so I’m sure he’s fast asleep by now.”
Apparently, my expression said otherwise.
“Is something wrong? Isn’t he upstairs?”
“No, he’s not. His room is empty. He left behind his blazer and a tie, but he’s gone.”
A feeling of déjà vu washed over me. It reminded me of the scene in the dining room, when Buck disappeared through the exit with the help of two thugs.
“Do you know where he might’ve gone?’ I asked.
“No. Like I said, I thought he’d be in bed by now.” Her eyes looked troubled. “I can’t imagine where he’s gone. He didn’t say one word to me about it…”
Her voice trailed off. “My goodness. You don’t think he’s been kidnapped again, do you?”
I whipped out my cell phone instead of answering. Once I hit the speed dial button for Lance, I willed him to pick up the phone, which he did.
Hallelujah and pass the mustard!
“Hey, there. What’re you doing up?” His tone was stern. “I thought you said you were going straight to bed. You need to get some rest, Missy.”
“We’ve got a problem, Lance.” I didn’t even bother to defend myself. Now wasn’t the time or the place for our usual bickering.
“Uh-oh. What’s up?”
“I’m afraid Buck’s disappeared again. His room is empty.”
“Empty? Maybe he’s somewhere else in the house. Did you try checking some of the other rooms?”
I shook my head, although he couldn’t see me. “I don’t need to look around. His clothes are gone, too. Well, most of them. He packed up his suitcase and left.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Lance softly swore under his breath. “I didn’t see that one coming. I’ll put out an APB on him. They’ll stop him at the airport, if that’s where he’s gone.”
“He�
��s not at the airport.” My response came so quickly, it surprised even me. “I think he’s heading back to New Orleans. That’s where his family lives. That’s where I’d go if I was in trouble.”
“You’re probably right. I’ve got some buddies on the force there. He can’t go very far.”
“That reminds me of something else.” I chewed my lower lip as I struggled to remember the last time I spoke with Buck. It happened when he was trying to hail a car from a ride-share company. “He didn’t drive here, Lance. He was trying to call for a car the last time I saw him.”
“Good to know. Those companies have their own alert systems, so they can get in touch with their drivers right away. I’ll start calling around. Like I said, Buck can’t get very far, now that we know he’s gone.”
“Hey…one more thing.” While I knew Lance had work to do, I couldn’t control my curiosity. “What did you find out about Electra?”
“Funny you should ask. She has a ‘failure to appear’ on her record, so I can keep her overnight. My backup will be there in a few minutes to pick her up. If you see her in the hall, make sure she doesn’t leave the property.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“I don’t know.” He chuckled softly. “But if I know you, you’ll think of something.”
“Got it. Listen, I’m not sure how much sleep I’m going to get tonight with everything going on. So, feel free to call me anytime if you find out where Buck went. Okay?”
“Maybe. We’ll see.” He didn’t sound very convincing.
“I’m serious, Lance. Don’t worry about waking me up. I have a feeling we’re getting closer to an answer.”
“You and me both. Look, I’ve gotta get in touch with the ride-share programs. I’ll talk to you soon.”
With that, he clicked off the line. Whereas before I couldn’t wait to drop onto the nearest mattress, now I was much too keyed up to sleep. It looked like my trip to dreamland would have to wait, after all.
Chapter 15
By the time I ended my call with Lance, Nelle had disappeared. She must’ve returned to the kitchen to pay the caterer while the telephone conversation played out.
It was just as well, since I had more questions than answers at this point. I backtracked to the staircase, where I began to ascend the steps again, my thoughts a million miles away. Just when I reached the halfway point, someone hurtled past me.
Whoosh!
The flash of color disappeared as quickly as it had come.
I spun around, but all I could see was a glimpse of long, red hair. The last tendrils whipped around the corner like dying embers on a match.
“Hey! Electra!”
Now that I knew her identity, I jogged back down the steps. Electra didn’t miss a beat, though, and her shoes clattered along the hardwood like a pair of castanets.
I started to call out again, when a loud crash sounded ahead of me. It was followed by two heart-stopping thuds.
I hurried around the corner, where I found Electra splayed on top of the hardwood, her legs pinning Nelle to the wall. The two women were hopelessly tangled, and neither of them moved when I drew close.
“Nelle? Electra?”
I decided to help Nelle first. She closed her eyes as I gently leaned her upright, into a sitting position.
Her pupils fluttered against her eyelids as she struggled to come to. After a second, she opened her eyes. “Wha…what happened?”
“It’s okay. You had a fall. A bad fall.” Even though it sounded trite, I held up three fingers. “How many fingers do you see?”
She squinted. “Three. I think.”
“Good. That’s good.” I quickly breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t suffered from double-vision, the talisman of a bad head injury. “How’d you land on the floor?”
“Something hit me on the shoulder.” Nelle tried to roll her right shoulder forward, but the pain stopped her. “Ouch.”
At that moment, something stirred next to us. It was Electra, who slowly rolled onto her side, which freed Nelle’s legs in the process.
“Uuunnnggghhh,” she moaned.
I moved over to help her. While Nelle had crashed into the wall, Electra must’ve landed knees-first on the floor, because thick, red welts appeared on her kneecaps when she rolled over.
I gently cupped my hands under her arms and carefully moved her into a sitting position, like I’d done with Nelle. Now, the two women faced each other in the hall, although neither acknowledged the other.
“How’d I get here?” Electra asked.
“You ran into Nelle, and then you both took a tumble.” Although, by the looks of it, Electra sustained the most damage, since her kneecaps flamed bright red.
“I did what?” she asked.
“You ran into Nelle.” I jerked my chin toward the other injured party.
“How?”
“You went running through the hall. You two must’ve met up here, by the kitchen.”
“We did?” Electra’s eyes widened as the truth set in. “That’s awful! I’m so sorry!”
“You didn’t mean to do it,” I said. “You were both in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“It’s okay, dear.” Nelle spoke softly. “It could’ve happened to anyone.”
“But I had no right to barrel through your beautiful house like that.”
Nelle did her best to smile. “Well, I’m sure you didn’t see me standing here. I’ve told my husband time and time again we need to put more lights in this hall.”
“But you’ve been so gracious to me!” Electra dramatically ran her hand across her forehead, which signaled she was about to perform again. “A pox on my feet! This never would’ve happened if I’d watched where I was going.”
“There, there.” Nelle tentatively rubbed her shoulder again. “I don’t think anything’s broken. Bruised, maybe. Like my pride.” She chuckled as she braced her palms on the ground. “It’s been years since I sat on this floor. I feel like a kid again.”
“Let me help you.” I quickly moved to her side.
With a little support, Nelle managed to slowly straighten, and then she rose from the ground. “There. That’s better. No harm done.”
Electra shook her head as she, too, slowly stood. Once she was upright, she briskly dusted the back of her dress with her hand. She only noticed her knees when she ruffled the hem of the dress.
“Ouch. My knees are going to kill me tomorrow. But at least we cleaned your floor.” She managed a smile, too, even with the pain. “It’s shinier than it was before. Talk about making a grand exit!”
“Exit?” I asked. “Were you going somewhere?”
The moment I said it, I remembered my promise to Lance. I’d sworn I wouldn’t let Electra leave the property, and I wasn’t about to go back on my word now.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I spoke quickly, before she could. “You just had a nasty fall. We need to get you water and maybe an aspirin or two.”
Thankfully, the distant rumble of a car engine sounded a second later. Lance’s backup must’ve arrived. No one noticed the noise but me, since I was the only one listening for it.
“Well, I was going to leave at first,” Electra said. “I had every intention of making my flight so I could audition for the show tomorrow.” She quickly glanced at the watch on her wrist. “Actually, the audition is today. It’s already past midnight. But then I thought about what you said, Missy. About how much my parents need me here.”
“I did?” Funny, but I barely remembered our conversation. Whatever I said, though, it must’ve made an impression on Electra, because she nodded.
“Yes. You told me I shouldn’t leave them alone to face this. It wouldn’t be fair.”
Well, what do you know? For once, the actress didn’t seem to be acting, because she sounded sincere.
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“I’m sure they’d love to have you stay,” I said. “You’d be a big help.”
“I owe it to them. I’m their only living child now.”
“So, where were you going when you went running down the hall?” I couldn’t imagine what else would prompt her to scurry away like that.
“I actually wanted to find Mrs. Honeycutt here.” She cut her gaze to Nelle. “I wanted to see if I could stay in one of the bedrooms upstairs.”
“Of course, dear,” Nelle said. “We’d love to have you stay with us.”
Before anyone else could speak, someone rapped on the front door. The noise startled all of us.
“I’ll get it.” I dashed from the hall to the foyer, ready to intercept Lance’s backup.
Since Electra didn’t plan to travel anywhere tonight, we didn’t need another police officer.
I unlocked the dead bolt and stepped outside, where I quickly explained the situation to Lance’s partner. She returned to the squad car to radio Lance, who must’ve agreed with me, because the officer started her car again and slowly drove away from the property.
I returned to the house to find the two women still standing in the hall.
“Who was that at this time of night?” Nelle cocked her head to one side as she spoke.
“It was Officer LaPorte’s backup,” I said. “She’s returning to the station, though. She just wanted to check with me about something. Look, I don’t know about you two, but I’m bushed. I think I’ll go to my room and try to get some rest. The morning will be here before we know it.”
The group disbanded after that, with Electra and I heading to our rooms, while Nelle returned to the kitchen to speak to the caterers. I ducked into the second bedroom on the right as soon as I reached the upper floor, while Electra headed for the room opposite mine.
I gratefully flopped onto the king-sized bed and willed my heart rate to slow.
Unfortunately, my body didn’t listen to me, and I ended up staring at the ceiling for what felt like forever. But only until something else happened.
What the Hatmaker Heard Page 13