Skinny Dipping with Murder

by Auralee Wallace

  “And you must be Erica Bloom.”

  I shot a confused look at Freddie, but accepted the handshake.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, putting his free palm over his gym-ready chest. “I’m Bryson Maxwell, head of PR for MRG Properties.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I said slowly. “But how do you know who I am?”

  He was already nodding in a polished way before I even managed to finish the question. “Candace, here, provided me with a briefing package on this town’s lovely event, and it included archival photos of the horrible practical joke that was played on you and your mother so many years ago.”

  I looked again to Freddie. “There are archive photos?”

  “In the library,” he said, shrugging. “Town history.”

  “May I say,” Maxwell said, recapturing my attention, “that you are even more stunning today, and far more on the right side of legal consent.”

  My eyes widened at the handsome plastic face in front of me.

  Candace jumped in. “He’s joking, Erica,” she said, placing a hand on Bryson’s shoulder. He shrugged her off.

  “When I’m making a joke, Ms. Bloom here will know it because of all the laughing she’ll be doing.”

  Candace shrank back.

  “Now, Ms. Bloom, I’m only in town for a short while, read one night, but I would love to spend this evening with you as my guide.” He smiled and spread his hands wide. “What do y—”

  “Well, hello there,” a male voice interrupted. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

  Suddenly I felt Grady brush against my shoulder. He reached out and offered his hand to Bryson. The head of PR grasped it, and the two men froze, mid-handshake … smiling at one another.

  I looked back and forth between Grady’s and Bryson’s face. It was hard to tell what was going on exactly … or who was more beautiful. Then it hit me. They were trying to figure out the same thing. They were having a smile-off!

  “Mirror, mirror on the wall,” Freddie said quietly.

  The men released their grip.

  “Grady Forrester, Sheriff.”

  Bryson snapped his fingers. “I recognize that name too from the archives. You won Otter Lake’s Most Beautiful Baby Contest three years in a row. Quite a feat, that. Must have been hard to figure out where to go after such an achievement.”

  Grady held his smile, but it twitched at the corners.

  “And weren’t you also there the night when poor Ms. Bloom was put on display?”

  Grady stood as frozen as a statue.

  “You’ll have to clear this up for me,” Bryson said with an exaggerated thinking expression. “Ever since I heard about that little story, something’s been bothering me.”

  “And what’s that?” Grady asked in a low voice.

  “Why didn’t any of the good men in this town rush forward to offer Erica a coat? A jacket? Shirt off their own backs? The poor girl had to run huddled off the stage in rubber pants.”

  I found myself nodding vigorously.

  “It seems bizarre to me that no one came to her rescue.”

  Grady cleared his throat in a way that sounded an awful lot like a growl. “Erica was up there only for a moment.”

  I had to nod again … less vigorously.

  Bryson nodded in agreement too for a few beats, before switching directions and shaking his head side to side. “I guess there’s never a hero around when you need one.”

  I cleared my throat. “Um, I really don’t need a hero.”

  “Of course,” Bryson said, right as Grady said, “Exactly.”

  “And really, it wasn’t a big deal,” I said. “My chest is not a big deal.”

  Neither jumped to agreement that time. Jeez, you’d think I’d had nuclear weapons hidden in my bra.

  A silence fell over our little group.

  Someone needed to break the tension.

  “Well, it’s been great seeing everyone. I’m Freddie by the way,” he said to Bryson with a filthy look. “Not that you cared to inquire.” He then pulled at my arm. “Come on, Erica. Time to go.”

  I didn’t move right away. I kind of wanted to see how this whole thing was going to play out.

  Freddie leaned his mouth to my ear. “Our work here is done.”

  “But … but,” I said, stumbling backward as Freddie pulled harder.

  “Erica!” Bryson called out. “I certainly hope to see you this evening.”

  I faked a smile until I saw Grady make some pretty angry eyebrows at Bryson’s words. Then I smiled for real.

  I spun awkwardly on one foot to walk forward with Freddie.

  “Why did we have to go?” I asked. “Things were just starting to get good.”

  “I know,” Freddie replied. “Grady looked so jealous.”

  “So why did we have to leave?”

  “Erica, haven’t you figured it out by now? No matter how hard we try, we are always just one step away from ruining everything.”

  “Good point.”

  “Let the preparation for Phase Two begin!”

  * * *

  The preparation for Phase Two mainly involved taking a nap.

  Freddie and I had been up late the night before planning, and we needed to be fresh. I thought for sure I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but I was wrong. I woke up at seven, drool pooling on my pillow.

  Showtime.

  I had some trouble picking out an outfit. I didn’t want to be too hot. My trap-a-murderer nerves were already making me sweaty but, at the same time, part of me felt there weren’t enough clothes in the universe to protect me from walking into that damn social. I settled on jeans and a T-shirt—not too tight as to remind people of what was underneath, not too loose as to tempt the wind to blow it off. It could happen … especially to me.

  An hour later, Freddie showed up, and we set off for town.

  As we made the final turn toward the marina, I was nearly brought to my knees by the sight before me.

  “My God,” Freddie said. “I think Candace upped the wattage.”

  The giant raspberry looming over the town lit up the night sky like a fallen sun.

  I found myself unable to peel my eyes away from the massive fruit god. “I didn’t think Otter Lake had that kind of power.”

  “That is one epic berry.”

  “Pull in over there,” I said, pointing to an abandoned dock covered with low tree branches. “I don’t think I can walk through the crowd again. Let’s go through the woods.”

  Freddie and I trudged through the bush toward the meeting point. We needed to get there early to set up. Despite the equipment we were carrying, and the ungodly amount of bugs, Freddie and I kept our complaining to a minimum.

  Minutes later, we made it into the shadow of the festival’s mascot. While the berry looked almost alive from the front, from the back, it was simply an enormous amount of scaffolding, with thick, wire cables anchoring it to the ground.

  Freddie glanced at his watch. “Twenty minutes. Anything we need to go over?”

  “I don’t think so,” I replied, chewing on a nail. “You don’t think she’ll bring a gun, do you?”

  “She hasn’t gone after anyone else that way. Why would she change her MO now? Besides, if she tries to shoot you, I’ll call the police right away.”

  I swatted a mosquito buzzing at my ear. “Thanks.”

  “There’s still time to back out.”

  “No. We’re doing this thing.”

  I meant it too.

  There was part of me that simply wanted to prove my innocence and fulfill my evidence-on-the-desk fantasy, but something else was pushing me on. Something I hadn’t expected. It bothered me that someone was terrorizing Otter Lake. Sure, Tommy, Harry, and Dickie, God rest his soul, were … were something else, but they were Otter Lake’s people, my people. Candace couldn’t blow into town, hurt its citizens, and get away with it. She was going down.

  “And you’re sure that thing,” I said, pointing to the cone listening device Fr
eddie was pulling out of his backpack, “will be able to pick up the sound of our conversation from up there?” I flicked my eyes up to the scaffolding.

  “Absolutely. This thing can pick up a conversation from a mile away.” He waggled his eyebrows. “And it conveniently connects to my phone.”

  “Again, it really worries me that you just happen to have this equipment on hand.”

  “Stop judging me. I’m lonely.” He gathered all his equipment in his arms and headed toward the scaffolding. “Speaking of which, in case you die tonight, I want you to know that it’s been really great having you home.”

  “Thanks, Freddie. And in case you die, I want you to know that you’re the best part of Otter Lake.”

  Freddie scoffed. “Who said anything about me dying?”

  Nineteen minutes later, I stood alone in the gloom of the giant berry.

  Every few seconds, I glanced up to the scaffolding to make sure Freddie was still perched on the same wooden platform with his equipment ready.

  I could do this.

  I didn’t know how, exactly, I was going to get Candace to confess to being a murderer, but that wasn’t going to stop me from trying. I did bring a prop that I hoped would get the ball rolling. I squeezed the empty manila envelope in my hand.

  I glanced at my watch.

  Five after nine.

  I looked up at Freddie and shrugged with my hands out.

  He made a dismissive, shooing motion. He probably didn’t want me to give his position away.

  A horrible thought suddenly occurred to me.

  What if Candace hadn’t heard our conversation? She looked like she had been listening, but what if she couldn’t hear us over Dr. Reynolds’s stories of backroom surgery?

  Then, an even more horrible thought occurred to me.

  What if she had heard and had come up with a counterplan? What if she was in the woods right now … watching me … waiting for the perfect moment to strike!

  I jumped as a branch snapped behind me.

  Oh, God! Candace!

  Wait! I wanted it to be Candace … didn’t I?

  I spun to face the threat.

  A small breeze chilled the sweat on my brow.

  Yup, someone was in the woods. Walking toward me.

  I clenched my manila envelope, suddenly wishing it were a nightstick or nunchuk. Why did I never think to bring a weapon?

  I looked over my shoulder up at Freddie. His eyes were zoned in on the forest like some freaky cat.

  I swiveled my head back.

  Frick. Whoever it was, was getting closer.

  Closer.

  Closer.

  “Grady?”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Erica, there you are.”

  Grady broke through the clearing. Seeing him in jeans and a T-shirt jarred me for a moment. I had gotten used to either seeing him in his sheriff’s uniform or nearly naked in the water.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you be working?”

  “I do get nights off,” he said with a smile. “And I was looking for you.”

  “How did you know I was here?”

  “One of your mom’s guests tipped me off. She saw you and Freddie getting out of his boat and heading into the forest. Those women seem to have the entire town under surveillance.” He tilted his head. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that?”

  “Not a thing.”

  He smiled again. “Anyway, that’s not why I’m here.”

  “So why are you here?” I asked quickly. “And, more importantly, when are you leaving?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Why exactly are you here?”

  “Um … you helped me realize that I was, um, severely traumatized by the social, so Freddie and I decided to spend the night back here, watching from the wings.” I gave myself a mental high five. That was some quick thinking on my part.

  “Where is Freddie?”

  “Getting beer.” I was on a roll. “Now go. You’re going to ruin it.” I grabbed his arm and tried to lead him to the front of the berry. There was a makeshift dirt path he could take back to the tents. “You’re part of the trauma.”

  “What’s that in your hand?”

  “Nothing. Stop it. You’re horrible.”

  He looked at me, confused puppy-dog expression on his face. “Um…”

  “What?” I asked, eyes searching the forest behind him. “What do you want?”

  Grady moved his face inches in front of mine. “Okay, so listen. I feel bad about our conversation at the ropes course. I mean I get why you did what you did. She’s your mom.”

  “She certainly is that,” I muttered.

  “And I could see how the whole thing might have been a bit much.”

  “Good. Good. Now good-bye,” I said, giving him a gentle shove.

  He planted his feet. “But I also realized something else.”

  “Oookay,” I said, suddenly suspicious of where this was going.

  “I know what the problem is between the two of us.”

  I cocked my head. “And what’s that?”

  “This town.”

  “Wow … wow … Grady, that’s deep,” I said, trying once again to push him on his way. “But seriously…”

  “No, hear me out. Otter Lake is a small town with a long memory. And you’re right. What happened shouldn’t be a big deal, but in small towns, small deals can become legendary. And it’s hard to shake the past.”

  “Well … thank you for your concern,” I said, trying to sound natural. “But don’t worry. I am totally focused on the present. The here and now! Screw the past.”

  He lowered his hands onto my shoulders, his very warm hands. “Please stop and listen to me.”

  I made a frustrated noise, but forced myself to look him in the eye. Maybe if I listened, he’d say what he needed to say and get out.

  “Subconsciously or consciously—”

  “Suddenly everybody in this town is a freaking psychologist!” I couldn’t help but shout, but he plowed on.

  “—part of you associates me with that night. And I meant it when I said everybody, well, practically everybody, feels bad about how they reacted that night, but the problem is that it’s still a good story. And that’s embarrassing for you, and it puts distance between us.”

  Suddenly the frustration I was feeling fizzled out with the realization that he had really put a lot of thought into this. You could even say a sweet amount of thought.

  “But I now know how to fix the awkwardness between us.” He took a few steps back, and his fingers were moving to grasp the bottom of his shirt.

  Suddenly my throat felt tight. “What exactly is happening here?”

  Grady swept off his shirt in one smooth motion.

  I glanced quickly up at Freddie. His eyes and mouth had widened to three shocked circles.

  “Grady, what are you doing?”

  “It’s time Otter Lake had something else to talk about on social night,” he said, tossing his shirt to the ground.

  My eyes moved over his bare chest. “You can’t be serious! You’re not thinking of…”

  His fingers moved to his belt buckle. “Oh, I am.”

  His jeans dropped to his feet.

  “Really, Grady, it’s—”

  He interrupted me with a hand. “Where did I put … oh! There it is.” Somewhere within the pile of clothes, he found a wool hat and put it on his head. “How do I look?”

  Before me stood the most beautiful man in the universe wearing only boxers and a knit hat.

  “Um … good,” I said. “But I don’t think this is really—”

  “Now, I know what you’re thinking.” He hooked his thumbs around the waistband resting snug against his hips. “And I’m gonna lose them. I plan to cover the front, but the back? That will be for all to see.”

  “Isn’t this illegal?” I stammered.

  “Who’s going to arrest me?”

  “Grady, I’m not sure this … I mean, y
ou don’t have t—”

  He stopped me again by holding up his hand. “Yes I do.” He turned and headed for the path that led to the social. “Afterward, we’ll talk.”

  “Um … okay.” I scurried forward a few steps, but stopped when he reached the edge of the berry, his tall dark form haloed in light.

  This couldn’t be happening.

  But it was.

  I watched him straighten his shoulders and take a breath.

  I swallowed, holding mine.

  Then … his boxers hit the ground.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “Erica.”

  I heard the voice but couldn’t be bothered with it.

  “Erica!”

  The voice hissed at me again with enough venom to snap me out of my dream state.

  I looked up to Freddie. “What?”

  He jabbed a finger toward the other side of the berry. “Someone’s coming!”

  I heard the rev of an engine from the direction Freddie was pointing. Then I watched headlights illuminate the trees as a truck slowly angled its body around the outermost scaffolding.

  I shielded my eyes from the harsh glare.

  A second later, the engine died. I heard the truck door open and then shut.

  I blinked my eyelids a few times.

  Candace.

  She hurried toward me, still wearing the yellow sundress from that afternoon, but she also had a purse. A big purse. Big enough to hold a gun.

  “Erica, thank God.”

  “Candace,” I said with what I thought was just the right amount of gravitas.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay.” She moved her purse so that it hung down in front of her, making it easily accessible to both hands.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Listen, I heard you and Freddie talking today,” she said, taking a step toward me. I took a step back. “Something about Laurie giving you evidence? I was worried you might be in danger.”

  “Might I, Candace?” I asked, raising a brow.

  She turned her head to look at me sideways a moment before continuing. “You don’t know everything that’s going on. I would have told you earlier today, but my boss was right there.”

  “Tell me now, Candace,” I said. “Tell me everything.”

  “Have you been drinking?”

  “No! I … I’m just emotional.” I shuffled my feet. This confronting a murderer was harder than it looked in the movies. I suddenly felt very awkward, like I had an extra arm or something, and I didn’t know where to put it. “What with it being the social and everything.” This social trauma everyone was so wedded to was really coming in handy.