by Cindy Bell
“Where's your computer?” he asked with urgency in his voice.
“Here,” Wendy said quickly and walked over to her computer to set it up for him. As she was opening it up she could feel his presence beside her. She was more than a little surprised by the way he had such an impact on her. She tried to remind herself that it was just because the situation was so emotionally charged. He was no white knight, and as she had already told him once, she was no damsel in distress.
“Let's see,” he said as he sat down on the couch beside her and began typing away at the laptop on the coffee table. “Now, we just need an account number…”
“I've got that,” Wendy said as she leaned over to type in the numbers. Her hand accidentally brushed against his, and she froze for a moment.
“What's wrong? Did you forget it?” he asked as he turned to look at her. She glanced over at him and their faces were only inches apart. She was caught in his hazel eyes, lost for a moment between the shades of blues and greens.
“No, I remember,” she murmured as a strawberry blonde curl fell between them, breaking the trance. “Sorry,” she cleared her throat and began typing in the numbers. He sat perfectly still beside her, and she didn't dare to look in his direction to see if he had felt the connection that she did. She reminded herself that she had thought the same thing about Aaron, or at least she thought she did, and that had not turned out very well.
“Here,” she announced when the account information logged in correctly. “Now, how do I…” she paused, her voice caught in her throat.
“What is it?” he asked as he leaned a little closer so that he could see the screen as well.
“This isn't my information, it's Camilla's,” she said in a whisper. “And look at this,” she pointed to the listing of text messages that had popped up. They were mostly from Camilla's number to one other number. Most of the messages were threatening.
“I know what you're up to, and I'm not letting you get away with it again,” Brian read out loud.
“If you won't tell her I will,” Wendy read next. The texts continued on like that for some time.
“Do you think these are to Giuseppe?” Brian asked anxiously. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number that was listed. He listened for a moment, and then nodded his head before he hung up the phone. “It is his number.”
“Look, he only responded to her once,” Wendy pointed out. “It says, meet me after closing, in 3-A. We can discuss a payment.”
“A payment?” Brian asked with surprise. “Do you think he was planning to bribe her?”
“Look at the time,” Wendy hissed and pointed to the time stamp beside the text. “It was almost eight-thirty.”
“Which makes Giuseppe the last person to have contact with Camilla before her death,” Brian said with surprise growing in his voice.
“She was going to keep his secret and let him marry that women, possibly ruin her life,” Wendy said with a gasp. “I want to say she wouldn't have let it happen for any amount of money, but,” she hesitated for a moment.
“But she wouldn't have minded lining her purse,” Brian supplied for her. “Is there anything about a time?”
“No, just after closing, in 3-A,” Wendy sighed and sat back against the couch.
“3-A,” Brian repeated. “Where do you think that is?”
“I'm not sure,” Wendy shook her head. “It could be anywhere. But 3-A,” she repeated it again and closed her eyes as there was something familiar about it.
“It has to be a place that closes, so it wouldn't be a storage locker, or anything out in the open,” Brian mused as he rubbed his chin slowly. “We're so close now, we can't lose track. The fact that he didn't tell Camilla where it was, means that he already knew that she knew where it was.”
“Yes,” Wendy nodded as she stared at the screen. Then suddenly she took a sharp breath. “Wait, 3-A, I know where that is!”
“Where is it?” Brian asked as Wendy jumped up from the couch.
“It's at the Sun Resort where Brenda and John are getting married…” her voice trailed off and then she nodded. “It's where Giuseppe's wedding was planned. Camilla and I were there the day she died. There's a conference room we use as a planning space, it's 3-A.”
“That's it,” Brian said with excitement as he stood up from the couch as well. “That's it, Wendy, you figured it out!” he said and encircled her shoulders with his arms as he pulled her into a celebratory hug. Wendy stopped breathing for a few seconds. She was enveloped in the warmest place she had ever experienced. It had very little to do with body heat, and everything to do with the way she felt inside when he was hugging her. Her heart fluttered, and she took a deep breath. She pulled away from Brian and turned away.
“I'm sorry,” he said abruptly. “Did I make you feel uncomfortable?” he was frowning when she looked back at him. “I got a little carried away. It's just that with this information we might find some proof that Giuseppe is the one who killed Camilla. I mean, we could have an entire crime scene that hasn't been investigated.”
Wendy stared at him, wondering if that was all that had inspired the hug. She felt as if she was letting her emotions get away from her, yet again.
“No, it's okay,” she managed a smile. “It just surprised me, and I want to check out this lead,” she added.
He studied her for a long moment as if he didn't quite believe her, but after a moment he seemed to refocus on the case.
“I think we should see if we can track him down, get his side before he senses that we're onto him,” Brian suggested. “Does that sound good to you?”
“Tracking him down might be hard,” Wendy said with a cluck of her tongue as she suddenly remembered something. “I think he was due to be married yesterday. He decided to use another venue that has their own dedicated wedding planner, and if the wedding went ahead then he is likely on his honeymoon, which knowing his wife's available funds is probably out of the country.”
“Hmm,” Brian frowned. “Well, let's see what we can find out, either way.”
“Here,” she sat back down and jotted down Giuseppe's name, his wife's name, and the location of their wedding. “Why don't you see if your connections can get anything about Giuseppe's whereabouts from this,” she said and slid the paper towards him. “I want to meet up with Veronica again.”
“Are you sure?” he asked as he picked up the piece of paper. “She may still be involved in all of this. Do you think it's wise to see her alone?”
“I think I'm running out of time,” Wendy said in a serious tone as she met his eyes. “If Giuseppe is out of the country, the focus of the police is still going to be on me. I don't want to go to jail, Brian, I'm just not cut out for it.”
“I don't think anyone is,” he reminded her with a soft smile. “Don't worry, I'll track him down, and we'll get to the bottom of this. Just make sure you call me if you get into any situation you're not sure of, understand?”
“Yes,” Wendy nodded as they walked towards the door of her condo. “I'm not interested in dying either.”
“I hope not,” he said calmly as he stepped outside the door and then held it open for her. “You do have a wedding to plan after all.”
Wendy smiled at that. She walked towards her car, and did her best not to look back over her shoulder. But after the way he had embraced her, all she could think of was wanting him to do it again. It wasn't even an attraction, so much as it was a fascination. That was the real reason she was splitting apart from him to investigate things. She was worried if she stayed beside him much longer she would demand another hug, and that could be awkward, considering his hug probably meant nothing more than a reaction of celebration.
After Wendy started her car she texted Veronica to ask her to meet her at Camilla's office. She wanted to look through Camilla's notes and desk to see if she had left any more information about Giuseppe. More than that she wanted to see if Veronica knew anything about Giuseppe being a conman, because if she did
, she might be in danger.
Chapter Seven
When Wendy arrived at the office she still hadn't received a text back from Veronica. She wasn't even sure if Veronica was still in town or if she had gone back home to be with her mother. However, when she walked up to the door of the office she found it slightly ajar. Instantly, Wendy's nerves were set on edge. From the scratching on the metal frame it looked as if the door might have been forced open. She narrowed her eyes and peered through the small opening. She didn't see anything but the long hallway that led back to Camilla's inner office. She listened closely in an attempt to detect whether there was anyone still inside. At first there was only silence. Then she heard something that sounded like knocking. It was followed by a muffled cry. Wendy's heart began to race as she wondered what was happening. Her adrenaline flooded her to the point where it was difficult for her to breathe.
“Hello?” she called out hesitantly. She heard the banging and the muffled cry again. With her stomach in knots Wendy crept into the office. She had never considered herself brave, but then, she had never had a reason to be before. As she walked past the entrance she grabbed an umbrella from the stand beside the door. She gripped it tightly in her hand as she moved quietly down the hallway. When she reached Camilla's office the first thing she noticed was everything in disarray all over the floor. Her desk was tipped over, as were the chairs. Her filing cabinets had been completely emptied and one was leaning against the other, threatening to make them both fall over. There were pens with the company's name printed on them scattered in all directions. Wendy froze in the doorway and held the umbrella above her head.
“Who's in here?” she demanded.
The banging came again, this time Wendy could tell that it was coming from behind the overturned desk. She inched her way forward until she reached the desk. Then she peered over it, uncertain of what she might find. Was it a trap?
“Marcia!” Wendy gasped when she saw the woman tied and gagged behind the desk. She rushed over to her and tugged at the tape over her mouth until it came free. Marcia let out a loud scream at the pain of having the tape pulled off her skin, and then began crying. From the red and puffy state of her eyes, Wendy could guess that she had been crying for quite some time.
“Marcia, are you okay?” Wendy asked urgently as she untied the ropes on Marcia's wrists. She was sobbing too hard to even speak. “Are you hurt?” Wendy said sharply as she searched for any sign of bleeding or injury.
“No,” Marcia gulped out. “I'm okay, I'm okay,” she said quickly.
“Who did this to you?” Wendy asked with growing concern.
“I don't know,” Marcia gasped out. “This man in a mask showed up at my house. He told me I had to come with him, to get him into Camilla's office. I tried telling him I didn't have a key, but he just pried the door open. He wanted me to get into Camilla's computer. But I told him I don't have the password to her computer, only her assistants do. I only have a password to my computer. He started tearing the place up thinking he could find the password stored somewhere.”
“Did he?” Wendy glanced around the room and noticed that Camilla's computer was missing.
“No, I don't think so. He finally just took the computer and left me here,” Marcia began to cry again.
“You never saw his face?” Wendy asked, and looked directly into Marcia's eyes.
“No, I didn't,” she insisted.
“What about his voice?” Wendy asked hopefully. “Did you notice anything about his voice.”
“He just growled at me, and whispered, I couldn't really understand him half the time,” she frowned. “I'm so sorry.”
“It's okay,” Wendy said and hugged Marcia gently. “I'm going to get the police and an ambulance here,” she started to dial the police, but at the last minute decided to dial Brian instead.
“I just arrived at Camilla's office and found Marcia, her receptionist, tied up and the office ransacked. Someone abducted Marcia from her house and brought her here, she's okay, but she's shaken up,” she said swiftly right after he answered.
“Wow, wait, what?” Brian sputtered into the phone. “Didn't I tell you to call me if…”
“I'm calling you now, aren't I?” Wendy pointed out with a grim tone in her voice. “I haven't called the police yet.”
“Don't,” Brian said with some urgency. “I'll call them. You need to get out of there.”
“I can't leave Marcia alone,” Wendy argued, as the woman was still trembling in her arms.
“I'll be there in two minutes, don't move. If the police show up, don't say a word,” he instructed sternly before hanging up the phone.
The very idea of the police arriving and finding Wendy in the middle of such a mess was terrifying to her. She could only think it would make her look more guilty. As she waited for Brian to arrive and comforted Marcia the best she could, her mind shifted to the woman she had expected to meet.
“Wait, Marcia, did you tell this man that Camilla's assistants would know how to get into her computer?” Wendy asked with anxiety growing in her voice.
“I did,” she sniffled and nodded. “It's the truth. Camilla never trusted me with her computer. She only trusted you.”
“But what about Veronica?” Wendy asked in a whisper. “Did she give the password to Veronica?”
“I think so,” Marcia shook her head. “I don't know for sure.”
Wendy looked down at her phone to see that Veronica still hadn’t texted her back. She dialed Veronica's number, but after four rings her voicemail picked up.
“Veronica, it's Wendy, please give me a call as soon as you get this,” Wendy said as she waved a hand to Brian who was just walking in. He stared around at the destruction wide-eyed and then rushed over to check on Marcia. As Wendy hung up the phone she frowned.
“I think Veronica might be in danger,” she said swiftly. “Will you stay here with Marcia until the police get here?”
“Where are you going?” Brian asked as he looked up at her, his hazel eyes shadowed with concern. “If Veronica is in danger we need to tell the police.”
“There may not be time for that,” Wendy called over her shoulder as she hurried back down the hallway. “I will call you!” she hollered just as his lips parted to make the request.
She hopped into her car and began driving in the direction of the hotel that she knew Veronica was staying in. She could only hope that she would get there in time. As she drove, the roads were packed with tourist traffic. Her phone began to ring shrilly. She didn't even look at the caller ID before she picked it up.
“Brian, I said I would call,” she said with annoyance.
“Wendy, it's me John,” John's voice carried through the phone full of stress. “I know that there's a lot going on, but I really need you to talk to Brenda. She's starting to freak out about the reception, and the entrée, and…”
“John, it's okay,” Wendy said trying to calm him. “There isn't anything that we can do about the entrée now. I will talk with Brenda about whatever is upsetting her, but the most important thing is that you stay calm, and you let her know that you are with her and supporting her.”
“But she's locked herself in our room and won't come out,” John said desperately. “Can you please come and talk to her?”
“I…” Wendy hesitated. She knew how important the wedding was to John and Brenda, it was important to her, too, but she was very concerned about Veronica's safety. “Give me an hour, okay John?” she said quickly. “If you don't hear from me by then, go to the store and buy a huge bouquet of flowers and rent her favorite movie. She's not upset with you, she's just feeling overwhelmed.”
“Okay,” John sighed. “I'll do that. Thanks, Wendy.”
“I'll be there soon,” Wendy promised him before she hung up the phone. She dialed Veronica again. It rang several times and just as she was expecting it to go to voicemail, the line picked up. There was a prolonged silence.
“Veronica?” Wendy asked nervously.
“No,” a voice with a thick accent replied.
“Who is this?” Wendy demanded though she suspected that she already knew.
“Meet me at 3-A,” he requested in a calm but confident tone. “Then we can discuss who I am.”
“Giuseppe?” Wendy asked as she slowed her car down and pulled it onto the side of the road. “Where's Veronica? Is she with you?” she asked urgently.
“Don't you worry about Veronica, Wendy,” he chuckled into the phone. “We reached a mutual understanding. Now, you and I need to have a conversation of our own. Don't even think about bringing any police or anyone else for that matter, or Veronica might never have the chance to drink another glass of wine.”
He hung up the phone before Wendy could say another word. She stared down at the phone before setting it down on the passenger seat. She knew she should call for help, the police or at least Brian, but the very idea that Veronica's life might be hanging in the balance left her completely petrified. Her heart began to beat faster. She wondered what would happen if she followed Giuseppe's instructions. Would he be waiting there for her? She closed her eyes briefly as she recalled Marcia's words that only Camilla's assistants would know how to access her computer. Was he after her, too?
Wendy's hands shook as she put them back on the wheel. Her foot felt numb as she stepped down on the gas and pulled back out onto the road. She wasn't sure how she got from that point to the resort, but she soon found herself in the parking lot. She drew a deep breath and picked up her phone. As she made her way slowly across the parking lot, she could see that the conference area of the resort was dark. It was already closed for the day. Wendy knew that there would not be anyone around to help her if she got herself into trouble. She played with her phone for a moment, passing it back and forth between her hands. She was certain that if she texted Brian, he would come right away which might put Veronica's life at risk.
She tucked her phone into her pocket and walked up to the door. When she turned the knob it opened easily. Either someone had forgotten to lock it, or someone had left it open on purpose. She made her way through the dimly lit hallways to conference room 3-A. It was not blocked off with yellow tape as she had hoped it might be. She knew that Brian was supposed to be checking into it earlier, but she could only guess that nothing had come of it, because it didn't look as if any police had combed over it. She peered through the rectangular glass window beside the door. The room was dark, and she couldn't see anyone else inside.