by Ann Mullen
“I got you.”
“So, you’re okay with tonight?”
The humbled look on his face won me over as usual. I stopped joking with him.
“Whatever goes on,” I said in all sincerity. “Come back to me… alive.”
“Trust me, `ge ya,” Billy said. “I will always come back to you.”
I chose the emerald green gown with matching accessories. I dressed for the occasion, admiring myself in the full-length mirror as I did so. I also watched Billy as he strapped his snub-nosed .38 to his ankle and then slid into his shoulder holster holding a 9 MM. He slipped his cell phone into the inside pocket of his windbreaker, and then handed my cell phone to me.
“Carry it in your purse and keep it close to you at all times. If anything happens, I will call you immediately.”
When the bodyguard who was to be my escort for the evening arrived, I took his arm and joined the other ladies in the hallway. Billy and McCoy met up in the hallway, and left together right behind us to attend their poker game. The evening was just beginning. All of us were prepared for the worst, knowing that something was about to happen. We put smiles on our faces, and started our adventure.
For a brief moment, Savannah, Bella, and I shared a knowing look that indicated the subject of Kody wasn’t to be brought up. It was a secret that needed to be kept for now. This meant to me that even the bodyguards didn’t know he was dead.
“You look beautiful in that gown!” Savannah said to me. “I love that color on you.”
“Bella chose it for me,” I said as I looked Savannah up and down. “You look pretty nice yourself, but you always look good in anything you wear. You’re so stylish!”
“Thank you, Jesse. You say the nicest things.” Savannah looked at Bella and then back at me. “This gown was also a gift from Bella. I love the color raspberry.” She looked back at Bella and said, “You have exquisite taste, Bella.”
“Is it just the three of us tonight?” I asked Bella.
“The girls will also be joining us.”
“The sisters from Georgia?”
Please say it isn’t so was my next thought.
“No, my dear. I don’t think I could put up with Bertie tonight. My nerves are on edge enough as it is. I was talking about my girls.”
“And their husbands?”
“I assume the six of them will dine with us. I won’t know until they all show up. Oh, the girls will come, but as far as their husbands go, it’ll be a toss-up. Utah, for one, is so unpredictable. Nell said he’s been drinking steadily since they got back on board. If he does come, he’s probably going to be his usual rude self. Steven and Jeff are irritated that they weren’t invited to the poker game. Those two have their moments. And… FYI… Nell hasn’t had a drink all day. I’m so proud of her. I’m sure it isn’t easy being married to a man like Utah. I’d probably drink, too.”
“I’m so glad to hear it,” I said as we, along with our bodyguards, took a leisurely stroll along the outer walkway up to the top deck. No elevators for us tonight.
“Where’s Allison?” I asked Bella. “I thought she was your personal bodyguard.”
“I left her with the men. She’s going to make sure they have plenty to eat, and as little to drink as possible. I told her to make strong drinks the first time around, and then water down the rest. She can handle the job. Besides, I want to be escorted by a man, not a woman. I can’t dance with a woman. What would the passengers think?”
“Heaven forbid!” Savannah gasped in jest. “They might think you’re a lesbian!”
“They all know better, silly goose. They know who my man is.”
“Then you have nothing to be concerned about.” I snickered. “You could dance with Allison. Heck, I’d even dance with you. How about you, Savannah?”
“I’d dance with you, Bella.”
“Now, you’re both being silly. Come on, Tex. Let’s show these ladies how to have a good time.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Tex replied.
“Ah, ha!” I said, recognizing Tex. “I knew you guys looked familiar, but you weren’t the same bodyguards who were with us today. You work in the observation room on the captain’s deck.”
“That’s us,” one of them replied. “I’m your escort for the evening. Remember me?”
“Aren’t you Malcolm?”
“That’s right. Good memory.”
I looked at the third man who was escorting Savannah and said, “Your name is Roland, right?”
“Very good. Your memory is excellent.”
“That’s my job.”
The dining room was full of well-dressed passengers, and, as usual, the room fell silent when Savannah entered. She flashed her charming smile, and the crowd went wild. They clapped, cheered, and then a few tried to approach her. Roland stepped forward, politely shielding her and said, “Mrs. Kelley…”
“That’s okay, Roland. I love to chat with my readers.” And so she did for several minutes before excusing herself.
We were led to the captain’s table where Jena, Nell, Ruby, and the captain were seated when we arrived. They stood when Bella approached, and waited for her to sit down first. What respect! It must be nice to get that kind of treatment.
As expected, Utah, Steven, and Jeff weren’t present. Nell said that Utah was so drunk that he passed out on the bed, and would probably be in the same spot when she returned. Jena and Ruby confirmed Bella’s suspicions that their husbands were so irked about not being invited to Loukas’ poker game, they wouldn’t leave their room.
“Then I guess we will, in fact, have a girl’s night out,” Bella said. “We’re going to have fun.”
The bodyguards took their place beside each of the women they were assigned to protect, making it a little difficult for us to chitchat, but that was to be expected. Jena, Nell, and Ruby sat next to each other, sans bodyguards. I wondered why Bella hadn’t arranged for her own daughters to have protection until she looked at me and said, “I know what you’re thinking, but don’t worry, Jesse. Those men you see walking about are always watching after my girls.” She looked around the room, did a little head shake to indicate who she was talking about, as Savannah and I watched.
“I should have known.”
The seats where the sisters from Georgia had sat during our last dinner at the captain’s table were empty. Thank goodness!
Shortly after I had sat down at the captain’s table, my stomach started doing its thing. I felt as if it was already out on the dance floor, and had left the rest of my body behind, sitting in the chair. I couldn’t shake the bad feeling that had come over me ever since Billy said that we would be separated tonight. I know he can handle himself, but it’s the other crazies out there who concern me. What would happen if… Stop! I told myself. Billy knows what he’s doing. He’d never send me out with a bunch of ladies without strong backup and a good plan. I knew that whatever was going to happen would take place tonight, but I prayed that it wouldn’t. When things went down, I wanted to be by Billy’s side.
Bella leaned over and spoke with the captain, who immediately got up and walked over to a table where a woman was sitting by herself.
“I hope you all don’t mind,” she said. “Earlier, I invited that woman to join us, but she’s sitting over there alone. Perhaps she forgot. She’s got a lot on her mind, so I sent the captain to escort her to our table. She’s all alone on this cruise, and she’s sad. Her father, her only living relative, just passed away. She literally is all alone in this world.”
“Bella, you have a kind heart,” I said. “Bring her on over!”
The captain escorted the woman over to our table and seated her on the other side of Bella.
“I thought you had forgotten my invitation,” Bella said.
“No, I didn’t,” the lady said. “I didn’t want to intrude on your family gathering.”
“Nonsense, my dear,” Bella said as she motioned for her to sit down. “Please have a seat.”
The woman
scanned the faces at the table, and then said, “I’m Lara Sweeney. I’m pleased to be dining with you all.”
Bella took over and did the introductions. After she had finished, she added that Lara was from Williamsburg, Virginia.
Something inside my head clicked. Lara Sweeney from Williamsburg—didn’t I hear or read something in the paper about a woman whose husband was murdered in the Farm Fresh parking lot about ten years ago? I don’t know why that memory flashed into my mind, but as soon as it did, I recognized her face from the newspaper article. It was definitely her. I thought about it for a minute. It seems that her poor husband had driven her father to the grocery store, and the minute the father stepped out of the truck and walked toward the back, someone came up on his side and shot him in the head. Killed him instantly. Her husband was murdered, and now her father had died. How sad.
I glanced over at Bella. The look that passed between us was that of knowledge. I knew she knew that I knew. Neither of us said anything. We didn’t have to. I would not bring it up, unless Lara said something first. Bella knew she could count on my silence.
Pleasant conversation flowed, good food was served, and everyone was enjoying themselves, or so I thought, until Jena, Ruby, and Nell excused themselves abruptly. I looked over at Bella and said, “I hope they weren’t offended by anything I said.”
My statement was meant to be a joke because I hadn’t said anything bad... for a change.
The behavior of Bella’s three daughters gave me pause, especially Jena’s. She never showed anger toward her mother. Were they somehow involved in the plot, too? Families don’t always get along, and sometimes deeply-buried animosity can rise to the surface. Was this one of those times?
Chapter 21
Bella smiled and replied, “They’re jealous that I’m spending so much time with you and Savannah. They’ll get over it. Tonight, they seemed bored, or maybe they were preoccupied with their husbands. Who knows? I’m not going to let their whiney ways keep me from enjoying myself. Besides…” Again, Bella smiled that incorrigible smile of hers, looked at Savannah and continued, “I have a surprise for you, my dear.” She looked at the crew member who had just walked over to Savannah with a bottle of wine wrapped in a white linen cloth. “I know you’re not much of a drinker, but I also know that you have a fondness for one particular Virginia wine.”
Surprised, Savannah looked at Bella and said, “No, you didn’t!”
The crew member held out the bottle of wine and said, “Stone Mountain Vineyards—Bacon Hollow Revenuers’ Select—Virginia Table Wine. A fine choice if I do say so myself.”
Savannah looked at Bella, shook her head and said, “You’re the best, girl. Only you would come up with something like this!”
“Bacon Hollow?” I questioned Savannah. “Is that the same Bacon Hollow that’s in Greene County?”
“Yes, it’s the same. They have a terrific winery there. I can’t believe you’ve never been to it. You just have to go there sometime.”
“That’s a new one on me. I didn’t know there was a winery in Bacon Hollow. I’m still not going there… winery or not… I know all about Bacon Hollow. You go in there and you don’t come out.”
“Oh, Jesse,” Savannah said, chuckling. “You listen to too much small town gossip.”
I looked at Bella and said, “I bet it’s expensive.”
“No, not at all,” Savannah replied. “Wine doesn’t have to be expensive to taste good. I had a glass of it at a party once, and I actually enjoyed it. That doesn’t happen very often. Alcohol in any form is usually not my cup of tea. But this wine is the best.”
“You should do a commercial for them.”
“I don’t think so. I like the wine, but wouldn’t want to encourage the use of alcohol.”
The waiter/crew member opened the bottle of wine and poured a glass for Savannah. She took a sip and gushed, “Like heaven to my palette.” A few seconds later, two crew members appeared with more of Savannah’s favorite wine, and began filling glasses for the rest of us.
I looked over at Bella and said, “You treat your friends well.”
“I try.”
A security team member walked over, bent down, and whispered something into the captain’s ear. The captain, startled, looked up, and said, “You’ll have to excuse me, folks. Duty calls.” He got up and left the table in a hurry.
“My... my,” I said, looking at Savannah and then Bella as he walked away. “What do you make of that?”
The three of us stared at each other. We’d been waiting for someone to show up at the hospital where Kody was, and now the captain had been called away. A coincidence? None of us thought that. Yet, I was probably the only one who had my suspicions about the reason the three daughters left so quickly… and now the captain shortly thereafter.
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Bella whispered.
“I don’t think so. I’m going to call Billy.” I said in a hushed tone. I pulled out my cell phone and excused myself. I walked over to the exit and into the hallway, hitting the number to speed-dial Billy.
“Hello,” Billy said after two rings. “What’s going on, `ge ya?”
“Bella’s three daughters left all of a sudden, and then the captain conveniently got called away. None of them surprised me with their exit, except Jena. I’ve never seen this side of her. Bella claims they’ve let the green-eyed monster get the best of them. She says they’ll get over it, but I don’t know. They just got up and left the table without an explanation or anything. I wanted you to know.”
“I know,” he said. “We’ve been watching you on the computer monitor. Jesse, go back to the table and enjoy the evening. We have everything under control on this end.”
“Okay,” I responded. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. We’re on top of it.”
I closed up the cell phone, walked back over to the table, and sat down. “Please excuse my manners,” I said, looking over at Lara, and then the rest of the group. “I wanted to make sure my husband wasn’t losing our vast fortune.” And then I laughed out loud.
“The players aren’t putting up their own money,” Bella said.
“I was just kidding, Bella. I wanted to make sure he hadn’t found a beautiful woman, and…”
“Hogwash,” Savannah said. “You’re hiding a secret.”
“I have many secrets, darling.”
After a few glasses of wine and several dances with our bodyguards everyone seemed to let go of their tensions. Lara Sweeney suddenly opened up about her father’s death. “I recently found out that my father had my husband killed. He told me this on his deathbed.”
“What?” I asked, stunned by her announcement. “Are you serious?”
Bella looked aside, knowing what was to come.
Savannah, being the wife of a lawyer, said, “Maybe you shouldn’t be telling us this.”
“It’s all right. Everything is out in the open now.” Lara seemed to have a need to tell someone about the death of her husband, so we listened. “Ten years ago, I married a man who made me feel like a queen. He lavished me with affection, flowers, gifts, and after two weeks, he told me he loved me. That’s what I needed, and he knew it. He asked me to move in with him, but I said no because my father wouldn’t approve. A couple of weeks later he had talked me into giving up my apartment, dumping most of my furniture, and becoming his fiancée. He bought me the most beautiful ring. We were going to get married, so my father looked the other way about our living arrangements. And then one day he stopped by unannounced and caught my husband in the middle of one of his outbursts of anger.”
“If he had anger problems, why did you move in with him?” Savannah asked.
“He wasn’t like that until after I moved in. Once I moved in, he changed.”
“Classic abuser,” I said. “They win you over with the attention you need, get what they want, and then try to control you. They wear you down until they have complete control over every aspect
of your life. They separate you from your family and friends.”
“You sound as if you’ve been there.”
“Not me, but a friend of mine was in an abusive relationship. Fortunately, her abuser was killed in a car accident. I say fortunately because I believe he would have eventually beaten her to death.”
“After we got married, things got worse. He turned violent, and one day he slapped me. The violence escalated, so I finally broke down and told my father. I was so ashamed. My dad told me to leave him, but I was convinced I could help him. During my dad’s deathbed confession he told me he already knew about the violence and was determined to put a stop to it… and he had.”
“How did he…”
“He came to dinner one night, and I had forgotten to buy parmesan cheese for the spaghetti. He offered to go to the store, and then my husband jumped up and offered to drive him. My dad knew he would. He did things like that. Nice to everyone, but me. I knew I’d catch it later. I dreaded the moment dinner would be over and my father would leave.”
A sad smile came to Lara’s face. “When they got to Farm Fresh, my father got out of the truck and started walking toward the store when the shot rang out. A man had come up to Robert’s side of the truck and shot him dead. Dad told me he put on the act of his life. He yelled out my husband’s name and then ran back to the truck. There were several people in the parking lot who saw him walking away, and then turning around after the gunshot, so he had witnesses that it wasn’t him. He yelled out my husband’s name again, and then ran back to the truck. No one saw the man who killed Robert, and he was never caught.”
“But your father knew.”
“He planned the whole thing. If Robert hadn’t been killed in the grocery store parking lot, it would’ve happened somewhere else. Dad had gotten his old friend, Jonas, to do it. You see, Mom and Dad were good friends with Jonas and his wife, Shelly. Mom died before I even met Robert, and then Shelly died, so Jonas and Dad kind of took care of each other. They were good friends. Jonas died a couple years back, so the only person alive who knew who killed Robert was my father. I went to the police and told them the whole story. I had to. It was a cold case and eventually someone would come around asking questions again. Once I found out the truth, I felt obligated to settle it once and for all.”