“I didn’t threaten Philip. According to him, I didn’t have the brains for that. His biggest threat came from other professors lower on the tenure ladder.”
“What a moron.” Zach swigged amaretto glad she’d dumped this guy. “How could he say that? You had a master’s degree for crying out loud.”
“The academic atmosphere of a major college campus is a world unto itself. Philip was also a snob. He thought only the lowest of the low read mysteries and romance novels. Truly refined people read Faulkner, Hemingway, and the classics.”
She sighed again and leaned over the parapet, gazing into the bushes. Partial shadows bathed their little corner of the terrace. Several people strolled out and into the garden, but paid no attention to them. Zach wondered if he dared to put his arm around her, but Meghan didn’t look as though she needed sympathy.
“I suppose I should have seen it coming. The late nights, the out of town seminars, the students he said he enjoyed mentoring were all excuses. He found a graduate student named Marie who suited him better than I did.”
“The son of a bitch dumped you?”
She laughed. “Don’t sound so outraged. I was surprised, but in the end glad he finally admitted he wanted a divorce. Unfortunately, I wrote the first two books and the third I’d just submitted under my married name. My publisher didn’t want to change. I already had a following.”
“And name recognition translates into sales,” Zach guessed.
“So, I kept the name—much to Philip’s anguish—and continue to churn out a book a year.”
“I’ll bet he cringes whenever a new one appears. How long have you been divorced? Do you ever see him?”
“Six years come November and no, I never see him. He re-married as soon as the divorce was final.” She picked up her glass and rolled the stem in her fingers. “What about you? Am I hanging out with a married man?”
Zach sighed. “I’ve never even come close. The old cliché about being married to my work is true. Besides, computer nerds aren’t sexy.”
“Oh, I don’t know. There’s something incredibly sexy about a man with a brain.” She slapped her fingers over her mouth. “Oh, my God! Did I just say that? Maybe I should switch to water.”
Zach chuckled and hugged her without thinking, then dropped a light kiss on her forehead. It felt as natural as breathing. She didn’t pull away or smack him one. Inside, the band tuned up again.
“Where did you go to school?” he asked.
“Undergraduate studies at Ohio State, and graduate studies at the University of North Carolina. How about you? Harvard, no doubt.”
“MIT. I took every computer course I could, but officially graduated with a double degree in Engineering and Math. I immediately got my masters in Math, then turned around and received my MBA.”
“I stand humbled.”
He finished his amaretto. “Feel like more dancing or have I trampled your feet into bloody stumps?”
“My feet are fine, thank you very much, and you’re a wonderful dancer.”
He glanced into the ballroom at the crowded dance floor suddenly loathe to return to its cramped confines.
“Still looks crowded and hot,” Meghan said, echoing his thoughts.
“We can dance here. Okay?”
“Why not?”
She came into his arms and he pressed her close to his chest. His heartbeat accelerated. Damn, she felt so good, so right in his arms. She locked both of her arms around his neck and he nestled his into the curve of her back. Technically, they didn’t dance, but swayed to the music never separating, even when the band changed tunes and tempos.
He steered her deeper into the shadows. The music stopped. They didn’t. Zach, always analytical and ruled by logic, threw both out the window. For the first time in his life, he let emotion reign. Without thinking, he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his.
Like the flash of a meteor, it dawned on him that this was why he’d come to the reunion. He’d hoped she would be here. All these years she’d hovered on the fringes of his mind like a ghost. No wonder other women didn’t appeal to him. He had wanted Meghan, and only Meghan.
His hand tangled in her hair pulling her head back to expose the delicate line of her throat. His lips trailed from Meghan’s mouth to the pulse point by her collarbone. She moaned.
At the same time, a scream echoed from somewhere in the garden.
Chapter Three
Suzanne sat alone at the table, sipping another cosmo and glaring across the room at Dave Coryell. He was drinking and laughing with a bunch of jocks.
Dammit, he invited me to this reunion. The least he can do is dance with me. As soon as I go to the ladies room, he’s off hustling new clients. Fucking worm.
His phone call three months ago had surprised her. She hadn’t heard from nor seen him since he, and his now ex-wife, had attended Charlie’s funeral five years ago. Trying to revive old times, they’d had a few dates, but Dave’s not-so-subtle probing into her financial affairs raised her suspicions.
If nothing else, Charlie had taught her to be wary of people’s motives, especially concerning money, so she hired a private investigator. Charlie had done the same thing before popping the question. He knew she was a gold-digger and told her so, but married her anyway. All he demanded of Suzanne had been faithfulness and to look gorgeous. She’d lived up to the bargain. In return, he had given her anything she wanted. In her own mercenary way, she’d come to love him.
Her diligence in heeding Charlie’s advice had paid off. Dave’s divorce had cost a bundle and he was in deep financial trouble. Suzanne had no intention of replenishing his coffers. She suspected he juggled the funds of his client’s portfolios. The report also revealed a cocaine habit.
Suzanne sipped her drink and wondered why the hell she’d agreed to attend this shindig. It wasn’t like she gave a damn about any of these people.
He needs lots of money, uses drugs, and has sex on his mind. Someone tell me why I’m here. Good thing I insisted on separate rooms. No way will I sleep with the jerk.
Her gaze swept the room. Dave still schmoozed with the jocks and anyone else who’d listen. So far, this silly reunion had been a bust. Dammit, the diamonds on her ears and encircling her wrist were the real thing, as was the six-carat pendant around her neck. Nobody had commented on how great she looked. And working the room by herself might make her look desperate. Of course, sitting alone made her look pathetic. And Suzanne Crocker was anything but pathetic.
Suzanne sucked in an angry breath and sipped her cosmo. How many was this? She’d lost count and slowed her pace.
Charlie had also taught her how to drink at social affairs. A gorgeous wife wasn’t gorgeous when drunk. Luckily, she had a high tolerance for alcohol, but now was not the time to test how high. She pushed the glass away.
Her gaze slid over the crowded dance floor. Jill and Ted swayed to a moody ballad. Tom and Glory shuffled their feet in a stiff attempt. Tom Ecklund had a case of terminally boring, yet Glory fitted him like a glove. At least she wasn’t a self-righteous robot like her sister, Divine.
Suzanne shivered. The icy touch of a chill swept over her bare shoulders and down her spine.
Don’t think about Divine. It was a long time ago.
She heaved a sigh and fanned herself with her hand. It was hotter than hell in here. She’d give that asshole Dave ten more minutes of reliving the winning touchdown, and then go over and demand he dance with her.
Probably trying to pry money out of his football buddies.
Zach Dunbar had effectively slammed the corporate door in Dave’s face earlier. She glanced at Zach’s chair. He’d followed Dave’s action by draping his suit coat over the back, but he and Meghan were nowhere in sight.
Zach had turned from geek to sleek and was probably worth a fortune. If Zach hadn’t had eyes for the former fat girl, Suzanne would be all over him. Maybe she’d give it a shot later. Meghan might prove to be as boring as Tom Ecklund.
Meghan Donahue, tall and built like a fireplug, Eddie had once commented she could play linebacker. Dave had countered that she was too soft. The opposing players would simply bounce off.
Suzanne tried, but couldn’t stop her mind from swinging to Tami and Eddie. She could think of a lot of people who’d want Tami out of the way twenty years ago.
Her so-called best friend had been a vindictive, nasty piece of work. There had been times when her sharp tongue and caustic comments had taken aim at Suzanne, especially when it came to being the center of attention. She wasn’t unhappy they had drifted apart after high school and admitted part of the reason she’d agreed to this reunion had been to show off, especially in front of Tami.
On the other hand, Eddie had been a conceited blowhard, always bragging on how he’d make it in the NFL.
Suzanne shivered again. Now they were both dead; murdered in the prime of their lives. She was shocked, but not saddened.
The music ceased as the band took a break. Couples dispersed to the bars and tables. She caught a glimpse of Meghan and Zach near the terrace doors. Eric Peterson drifted toward the bar. Annabelle caught her eye and threaded her way between the throng. Without asking, she pulled out a chair.
“Hello, Suzanne. I guess we must shop the same stores,” Annabelle said with a laugh.
The only reason she remembered the woman was because she’d been a member of the pom-pom squad. Tami had hated her. Everyone liked Annabelle and that had infuriated Tami. A couple of nasty rumors about the girl, instigated by the cheerleader, had swept the school near prom time.
Pissed at Dave, this whole reunion in general, at Annabelle because she wore the same dress, and just tipsy enough not to give a damn, Suzanne answered, “I sincerely doubt that. I don’t shop at Target.” She glanced at the fake diamonds hanging from Annabelle’s ears and neck. “My, my, the cubic zirconia shines tonight.”
The other woman’s face reddened as she patted one of her earrings. “Actually, I bought the dress at Macy’s. Are you having a good time?”
“Not particularly. I find it all boring and pathetic, and could care less about people I didn’t like or associate with twenty years ago.”
Annabelle flushed and rose. “Nice talking with you, Suzanne. Have a good trip back to the rock you crawled out from under.”
Suzanne gaped as Annabelle flounced away, and then sipped her abandoned drink.
I suppose I deserved that, but who cares? With any luck, I’ll never see these people again.
Finally, Dave returned to the table and sat in Annabelle’s abandoned chair.
“I’ve been talking to the guys. Would you believe not one of them has a decent portfolio?” He gazed around the room. “Where’s Zach? I’d love to corner him about Dunbar Electronics. If there is a takeover bid floating around out there, I could make a butt load of money. What have you been doing?”
“Not a goddamned thing. I’ve been sitting here like a whore at a virgin sacrifice. The least you can do is halt trolling for dollars long enough to dance with me.”
He frowned, and then smiled. “I’m sorry. The first dance when the band gets back. I promise. How’s your drink holding out?”
She might have been half-loaded, but she recognized ooze when she heard it. “Fine.”
“I need another. I’ll only be a moment. Hello, Glory. I’m making a bar trip. Can I get you anything?”
Glory plopped down in her seat. “Oh, no, thank you. Tom’s getting me another diet soda.”
Dave left and Glory turned to Suzanne. “Isn’t this fun? I am so happy everything went off without a hitch. The food was good, the band is terrific, and tomorrow’s going to be a blast. I just love picnics, don’t you?”
“Oh, yeah, I adore insects crawling all over my food. The buffet sucked, the band is average, and needless to say, I won’t be at Samson’s Lake tomorrow.”
For a moment, Suzanne saw loathing in Glory’s eyes before the look vanished into hurt feelings. She bit her lip and gazed down at the tablecloth.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. Why did you bother to come?”
“I’m asking myself the same question.”
“Of course, arriving only to find out your best buddies have been brutally murdered must have put a damper on your weekend. Divine said the four of you were a tightly knit group.”
The mention of Divine’s name brought back old memories for Suzanne, memories she could do without.
“Maybe the killer is someone you all knew, I mean like together. You know, during high school,” Glory rambled on.
“If anyone wanted to kill Tami during high school, they’d have done it. Why wait twenty years? And if Eddie lived down to expectations, he was probably offed by an irate husband or boyfriend. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“But don’t you find it odd, and in a way fascinating, that the two most popular kids in our class were murdered within a month of each other?”
“I don’t find it fascinating at all. And why should you care? They weren’t your classmates, Glory.”
“No, but Divine knew them. She didn’t like them much.”
“Yeah, well, the feeling was mutual. Your sister was a sanctimonious, Bible-thumping, pain in the ass.”
Glory licked her lips and shoved her chair back. “I think I’ll go powder my nose.” She hefted her large purse and left.
Suzanne shrugged. She shouldn’t have insulted Glory, but the booze loosened her tongue. Her gaze settled on Zach’s suit coat. She wondered if he and Meghan had sneaked off upstairs.
Swell, the former fat girl and the former geek are getting it on, while I’m stuck with Dave who will soon ask me for money. I should have stayed in Chicago.
The minutes passed, and still Dave didn’t return. She finally spotted him talking with Dan Masterson.
You son of a bitch. Still on the make. Be careful, Dave, old buddy. Dan’s a lawyer and a politician. He probably researches where and when to take a leak.
As though hearing her unspoken words, Dave looked up and waved, then nodded to Dan and came back.
“Sorry, I was just chatting with Dan.”
“About what?”
He shrugged. “Oh, this and that.”
“You mean you asked about his investments, and he gave you a campaign speech.”
“Some, but we talked about old times.”
“What good old times did you and Dan Masterson ever share? He was a target for you and Eddie.”
“Not always.” He gulped some of his drink and swiped his upper lip with his finger.
Dave talked and told what he thought must have been amusing stories. She knew how to play the game and laughed in all the right places when in fact, she was miserable, but damned if she’d show it to everybody in the room. To her classmates they probably appeared to be having a great time. Oddly enough, thoughts of her late husband popped into her mind. I’d have had a good time with Charlie tonight. He was a great dancer and knew how to make a woman feel special.
“Uh, Suzanne, I’d like to talk to you for a moment. How about another cosmopolitan?”
He looked jittery and wiped a fine sheen of sweat from his forehead with a cocktail napkin.
“No, thanks. What is it you want to talk about?”
Like I don’t know. He’s been oiling his way around the room all evening trying to get a fish on the line and been skunked. He was about to ask for money. Suzanne braced herself. Oh, brother, do I have this guy pegged or what?
“Honey, I know of a great stock for you—Royal Gemstones and Precious Metals. They’re a small start-up group who buy only the best and at low prices. A simple hundred thousand this week will bring profits tenfold in a year’s time. I can guarantee it. Gold is skyrocketing. Let me handle the entire transaction at a modest ten percent and you won’t regret it.”
“Why would I buy gold now wh
en the price is up?”
“Because it’s going to go higher.” He shot her a surprised look.
As if he can’t believe I understand the stock market. Asshole.
“And where does this company get its gems and precious metals?”
“Uh, all over the world.”
“Including Africa?”
“A lot of diamonds are mined in South Africa.”
“A lot of diamonds are mined in other African countries to finance war at the expense of the people.”
“Suzanne, since when do you give a shit about other people?” Dave asked, his brow furrowing in a frown. His eyes held a hint of anger.
Not a good line to use during a sales pitch, jerk off. Charlie always said to trust my instincts. Good thing I listened. Dave Coryell is full of crap.
“Dave, I wouldn’t buy Mississippi mud from you. The fact is, you are the only broker remaining at your firm. The last guy quit four months ago. Your ex-wife sucked your bank account dry in the divorce. Maybe she knew Tami and took lessons. With four divorces, I’m sure she did quite well.
“You’re teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and none of my money is going down the drain with you. If I were a client, I’d demand an audit of my account.”
His eyes opened wide and he shifted nervously in his seat. A drop of sweat dribbled down his forehead. He wiped it with his sleeve.
“Are you calling me a thief?” His voice didn’t sound defensive, but scared.
“I wouldn’t trust you with my last two nickels. And ten percent is highway robbery. I might not have been the brightest bulb in the pack twenty years ago, but Charlie Crocker taught me a lot.”
She picked up her glass and downed the last of her cosmo.
“You had me investigated, didn’t you?” Dave said in a stunned voice.
“Of course I did. Your first probe regarding my investments had me running to the nearest private detective. Oh, and while we’re on the subject, you might want to do something about the cocaine habit you’ve acquired.”
Dave sprang to his feet, grabbing the chair before it fell over.
The Reunion Page 4