2 A Christmas Wedding To Die For

by Pat Amsden

  "Clearly if I die and am reborn I need to come back as a games designer."

  Maxine laughed. "You and me too. Although I don't envy Julianna at all with what she's been through."

  "Dreadful," Kevin agreed, a small shiver going through him.

  "You don't remember who she talked to last do you?"

  He shrugged. "Her bridesmaids. I'm not sure which one or maybe all of them."

  "If she'd told all of them, especially her mother, they'd probably never have let her leave."

  "True," Kevin said speculatively. "Well, I know who the bridesmaids are – but then I suppose you do too."

  "Just for fun refresh my memory."

  "It's public knowledge so I suppose there's no harm," he said. "There was Kerry, her BFF, her younger sister, Gemma and then Rohan's two sisters, MJ and Celeste, no surprises there."

  "No. I suppose not," Maxine said thoughtfully. "Anyway, thank you old friend."

  Back in her little red smart car her mother said, "well, then it was definitely Kerry."

  "I'd put money on the sister."

  "They probably fight but who do you confide in if you're going to do something like ditch your wedding party?"

  She thought for a minute but she had to admit her mother was right. "Bestie," she said.

  "Exactly. So now we just need an excuse to talk to her bestie."

  "Not today," Maxine said firmly. "Walt is going to wonder where you are and Grandma Ellie said she was looking after dinner tonight."

  "Oh, all right," her mother said. "We should talk to her as soon as possible, though. Before she forgets."

  "If she hasn't already," Maxine said.

  Only when Maxine talked to her the next day under the guise of wanting some suggestions for the New Year's Party, Kerry claimed she'd been as surprised as everyone else when Julianna had suddenly taken off.

  "Honestly, I went into the bathroom for one minute, one minute – and when I came out she was already gone. And I don't trust her sister for one second but I really can't see why she'd lie about something like that."

  "I'll still run it by Patrick," she told her mother, "even if it looks like another dead-end."

  As they rejoined Walt, up in the kitchen her mother had to agree even if she wasn't happy about it. She gave Walt a kiss on the cheek as they joined them.

  "Have you learned the secret of how to make all these fabulous chocolates," she said brightly.

  "Maybe not all of them," he said laughing, "I've learned enough. Prepare to be impressed the next time I make a special dinner. What have you two been up to?"

  They showed him their nails and the jewelry, and talked about their afternoon. Somehow neither of them felt it necessary to share their trip to Kevin's in detail.

  Heath raised an eyebrow when Maxine said they'd had to make a stop there to pick up supplies for the party but he didn't call her on it.

  "They're having a games night at Julianna's tonight. Anything you want me to check out while I'm there."

  "They're having a games night tonight?" She could feel her jaw drop and hoped Heath hadn't noticed.

  Of course he had. He grinned at her. "Yeah, they're in the final phases of beta testing it so they want serious gamers." He shrugged good-naturedly. "Apparently I made the cut."

  "I thought they were supposed to be keeping visitors to a minimum while-while-"

  "The police try to figure out who was behind the attack," Heath said drily.

  "Something like that," she said trying to regain her composure and failing miserably. "I mean whoever attacked her on her wedding day is still out there. I can understand why the police want her to be careful."

  "They've got security watching the house twenty-four seven and her family's watching for anything out of the ordinary in the house. Apparently the 'plain clothes' policeman are driving her crazy."

  "That's not the point," she said taking Patrick's side. "They're there to keep her safe. And is Julianna going to be in playing with you?"

  "I think that would be her idea of hell," Heath said smiling.

  "So who's looking out for her while you're all busy playing games. Really I can't believe-" She stopped suddenly realizing she sounded exactly like her mother. Without a word she turned and walked downstairs into the shop area.

  Where Detective Shannon just happened to be entering in search of coffee and a chocolate fix.

  She stopped in front of him. "I can't believe it. I'm turning into my mother. And it's all your fault."

  He blinked once, then a lazy smile slid across his face. "I'm glad to know I made an impression but I'm about six steps behind here. You mind bringing me up to speed."

  For just a minute her heart began to race, even as she shook her head. This was Patrick. Her friend. And one time lover her brain reminded her. She didn't need the complication of rekindling a dead romance. Dead. That was the important word.

  In more than one way she thought suddenly remembering what she'd been doing earlier that day. "You talked to the bridesmaids didn't you," she said casually as she poured him some coffee and slid it in front of him.

  "Not personally," he said, "but I've read all their statements."

  "And?"

  "And what?"

  "There had to be something. Who was the last person to talk to her?"

  "Police business," he said automatically adding cream to his coffee. "Anyway, it's not important."

  "How can you say that," she said, more intensely than she'd meant to.

  His head snapped up and he eyed her speculatively. "What do you know?"

  "Nothing," she said frustrated. "That's the problem."

  "Well, I know how that feels," he said, a gleam in his eye.

  "Just, there had to be something in what she said just before she left, some clue."

  He shook his head. "Believe me I've looked. My partner's looked. Everyone who interviewed them. If there's a clue there we couldn't see it." He looked at her expression. "And no, I'm not going to let you look at the transcripts."

  "Heath has been invited for a gaming night tonight."

  "Heath? But he hardly knows them."

  He went up there with me to figure out a New Year's strategy. Since then he's been over a few times."

  "Son of a bitch!" Patrick said angrily. "They barely know him and he's invited. And they won't let a detective inside the gates?" He cursed angrily.

  Maxine couldn't help feeling a grim sense of satisfaction. "The thing is maybe he'll hear something that might help."

  Patrick just looked at her. "Or maybe I can get a plain clothes in as a games tester."

  That could work too. Just...

  "Don't even think about it," he growled. "I told you before, this isn't a game. It's serious police business."

  Maxine opened her mouth to say something and then decided not to. Right now Detective Shannon wasn't in the mood to hear anything.

  Chapter Seven

  Unfortunately being able to say I told you so was a hollow victory when it meant they were no closer to finding whoever was responsible for the attack on Julianna by New Year's Eve.

  Julianna had agreed to allow an officer in as a gamer. Unfortunately she hadn't been anywhere near the games room in the entire time they'd been there.

  "Yeah, you could tell he wasn't a gamer," Heath had growled the next day. "He slowed game play down."

  "Wouldn't they want to test the game for all levels?"

  "The average ten year old could play better than this guy."

  "You could probably play better than this guy at ten," she said sharply. "That doesn't mean everyone could."

  "Anyway anything I might have learned when we were playing definitely wasn't going to come out with this guy and Julianna might as well have been on another planet for all we saw of her."

  "I thought they were supposed to be watching out for her?"

  "As far as they're concerned they are. She was scrapbooking upstairs with her mom, sis and some cousins."

  "Well, we're just
going to hope nothing happens at the party tonight. Patrick did say they'd have some plain clothes detectives there. And if you hear anything or see anything suspicious let me know."

  "Yeah, as long as she stays in the party area I doubt anything's going to happen to her tonight."

  For once she couldn't help agreeing with her mother. "I hope not. I can't afford to have anything go wrong at another of my events." As soon as she said it she felt bad. Since when had her image been more important than someone else's safety?

  As it was all hands would be on deck tonight. With the kitchen two flights of steps up they'd be getting a workout bringing everything up and down when needed. Marcus and Ally had volunteered to man the pizza oven while cooking the chicken satay skewers and mini sliders upstairs.

  Danielle and Sara would be running up and down the stairs refilling warming trays as necessary. Maxine had braced herself for another blast from Sara but surprisingly Sara had been more than happy to do it.

  "I did track and field in high school and I run marathons. This is going to be fun," she'd said and barely managed to stop herself from hi-fiving Maxine. Really Maxine had been so happy with her change of attitude that if it hadn't been for the shock she'd have been more than happy to hi-five Sara.

  The chocolate fountain had been set up and the chocolate added to it so that it would be ready to go as soon as the party started. Grandma Ellie had volunteered to spend most of the evening in the fountain area to make sure things didn't get out of hand and the chocolate or fountain itself destroyed.

  Besides it gave her a legitimate reason to be at the party and made it so that she wouldn't be running up and down stairs like the runners. Grandma acted more like a forty year old than seventy plus, but Maxine would never forgive herself if Grandma Ellie had a heart attack helping her...

  Heath had been kept busy working overtime to build a dessert bar shaped like an artist's palette. Right now it had a cloth draped over it and was in a far corner ready to wheeled out front and center when needed. He'd also designed a bar to fit in with the Parisian café theme. The salad shooters were waiting in the cooler area to be brought out when needed.

  The rest of her family had also been pressed into service. Although it might be more accurate to say she'd given up trying to keep them out.

  Walt planned to stay in the party area making sure the food and drinks were kept flowing. Maxine's mom planned on "a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I won't have a specific job but I'll just keep my eye on everything and make sure it's running smoothly."

  Which meant she intended to snoop. Maxine didn't even have to ask to know. Grandma Ellie had hit the nail on the head when she said they were more alike than she realized. And while Maxine had fantasized about the two of them acting like sisters when she was growing up-the reality was driving her nuts. The only way she was could see to keep her mother out though was to tie her up. And since that wasn't an option she was just going to have to live with it

  Now as she gathered all her family and staff together it was time for the party to begin.

  "Remember, we've got more than enough of everything to keep all the guests happy. If it starts to feel overwhelming don't panic. Just give me a call on the walkie talkies we've got for communication and I'll make sure you get help. And above all – smile! This is a party everyone.

  A time to celebrate – and smiles are contagious. If you see someone off to the side or looking a little down go over and offer to get them something. Sometimes that's all it takes to get the party back on track."

  Unfortunately she wasn't so good at taking her own advice. She took a couple of deep breaths, told herself to calm down and then she saw Julianna walking in with Rohan.

  She looked breath-taking in a short, flirty dress with a flared skirt and a sequined top in sapphire blue. Rohan was wearing dress pants and a white shirt. They were a gorgeous couple.

  "This is awesome," Julianna said, coming forward and talking to them. "I can't believe it!" She turned towards Rohan. "See! It looks like a Paris café. And look at all the paintings." She turned in Grandma Ellie's direction. "You have to tell me which ones you painted," she said and Grandma Ellie spent the next five minutes showing them her series of flower pictures, along with some of her friends.

  "You're so talented!" Julianna said. "Me, I can't draw more than a stick figure."

  "It sounds as if you're a whiz at marketing though."

  "Oh sure, that's mainly social. And organizing. I'm good at that."

  Grandma Ellie smiled. "I'm sure you are dear."

  Guests were filtering in. Little sis and BFF along with their respective boyfriends.

  Rohan's best man and the grooms. And Roger, Julianna's older brother. She recognized so many from that awful night and yet she didn't know a lot of them by name.

  The pool area filled with large numbers of party-goers all dressed in elegant dresses and wearing shoes that could take care of a large chunk of her month's rent.

  And as Maxine made sure drinks were kept filled and appetizers made the rounds the buzz of laughter and chatter rose. By anyone's standards this was a successful party.

  She heard snippets of conversation. People talking about what they had done for Christmas and Boxing Day sales. It seemed strange to hear guests talking about deals they had scored when they were wearing designer dresses and flashing gifts of jewelry from boyfriends, husbands or significant others worth thousands of dollars.

  Rohan was eating pizza and drinking a long necked beer. He'd started off at Julia's side but right now he was immersed in a conversation about the game. She looked around and found Julianna in a cluster of people. The cluster included her little sister and the bridesmaids.

  She headed in their direction with a tray of hor douerves. What she heard alarmed her.

  "Don't you remember anything?"

  Julianna shook her head although she didn't seem that sure. "I don't," she said, sounding a little puzzled, "every once in a while I get...almost a flash of something...as if I'm seeing a piece of a puzzle."

  There was an excited buzz of conversation. "What does the doctor say? Does he think you're going to remember? Maybe if you tried hypnosis."

  Maxine tapped her on the shoulder. "Do you think I could talk to you for a minute?"

  "Sure," she said, letting Maxine lead her away from her friends. "What is it? Are we out of drinks or-" Julianna asked, concerned.

  "You can't tell people you're starting to get your memory back. If the person responsible for you attack hears-" Maxine didn't have to finish the sentence.

  Julianna's eyes widened as a look of horror crossed her face. "You really think someone here is responsible?"

  "I don't know what to think," Maxine said helplessly. "I don't want anything to happen to you and I just think...it would be safer if you didn't say you were starting to remember until you can remember everything."

  Julianna frowned. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," she said. "I mean you're talking about my closest friends and family." A cloud of doubt and apprehension dulled the sparkle from her eyes, damped down the energy coming from her in waves.

  And although Maxine could hear her laughing and talking for the rest of the night it was as if her sparkle had been cut by half. Maxine could feel a pain in her own heart. She spent her life making things to make other people happy.

  And she loved doing it. She loved bringing a special cake to an event or watching a young child's eye light up looking at all the chocolates in her display case. She hated causing pain to Julianna or anyone else. She would hate seeing anything bad happen to Julianna even more.

  As the dessert bar was unveiled party guests crowded forward, grabbing cupcakes and personalizing them with sprinkles and drizzles of caramel and raspberry sauce, covering them with chocolate chips or slivered almonds.

  In the midst of it someone smashed a cupcake into another guest's face who retaliated in kind and before Maxine knew what was happening a food fight was on.

&nb
sp; She heard shouting from the other side of the pool area. At that moment someone stepped back or was pushed into the pool grabbing a friend and dragging them in as he went. More people jumped in with shouting and splashing.

  Patrick rushed out along with another plain clothes policeman searching frantically for Julianna in the melee and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw her laughing as she splashed someone.

  The mood had been broken with the appearance of Patrick and his fellow officer. Party goers came up out of the pool, drying themselves off as best they could and gathering together for a last minute toast to the New Year before dispersing into the night.

  Suddenly there was a scream of terror from Grandma Ellie over by the Chocolate Fountain. Maxine took off at a run, followed closely by Patrick and the officer.

  It was obvious why her Grandma Ellie had started to scream. There was a man in the chocolate fountain. Not all the way in. It wasn't big enough. His head was face down in the chocolate fountain. And it was more than apparent he wasn't breathing.

  Chocolate had started pooling and now ran over the edge of the fountain and in rivulets towards the pool. Someone thought to turn the fountain off.

  Detective Shannon checked for a pulse. There wasn't one. As he called for back-up and his partner told all remaining guests to take a seat in the chairs poolside Maxine felt numb.

  She put a protective arm around her Grandma Ellie's shoulder and helped her off to a nearby chair. As Grandma Ellie continued to shiver, she found a blanket and wrapped it around her.

  "It's OK, Grandma. It's not your fault."

  "But it is my fault," her grandmother said, clearly upset. "If I hadn't gone inside for one minute-"

  "How could you know any of this would happen?"

  "But, but. If I'd just stayed there, watched over the fountain the way I said-" Grandma Ellie's voice rose in anguish.

  "This might have happened anyway," her mother said appearing at her side and kneeling down beside Grandma Ellie. "It's not your fault Mom. You did everything you could to keep Julianna safe tonight, to keep everyone here safe. Otherwise you'd have been at home or out celebrating with friends."