The Betrayed_A Newport Murder Mystery

by Maria Milot

  “This is by far the most elegant event I have ever attended!” Kelly gushed.

  The ballroom dazzled. A beaux arts room encrusted in so much bright gold, to see it felt like looking at the sun.

  Jack winked and toasted Kelly with his glass, “Well, just wait until our wedding.”

  “Your wedding will be beautiful,” Maddie chimed in, “but I’ve got to back Kelly up here. This is a pretty posh event. Those flower arrangements must be more than six feet tall.” Maddie looked at Kelly. “Remember how much the arrangements you were looking at cost? What do you think that tower of flower power would set you back?”

  “I’m afraid to even guess.” Kelly laughed, then noticed Maddie turning to look at the room’s entry again. “Hoping to see one of your beaus?” Kelly teased.

  “Oh look, there’s Bob.” Maddie perched up on her toes and waved, hoping to catch Bob’s eye.

  “Oh, good,” Kelly mocked to Jack. “Of the three guys she’s seeing, that one has to show up.”

  Another server veered over with a tray full of savory tidbits and presented them to the group.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” came Bob’s voice as he reached around Maddie’s back to grab a prosciutto wrapped fig.

  “Well, hello!” Maddie smiled and offered her cheek to Bob for a kiss. Instead, he swiped over for a full lip plant.

  “Classy,” Kelly commented under her breath to Jack.

  Maddie waved a hand toward Kelly for a re-introduction. “Kelly, you remember Bob?”

  “I do,” Kelly said, gently waving her fingers toward him. “Although I wish I couldn’t,” she added in Jack’s ear.

  “And this is Jack McCarthy, Kelly’s fiancé.”

  Bob shook hands with Jack. “Quite the shindig huh?” Bob commented, grabbing a glass from a passing tray.

  Kelly’s disdain for Bob put Jack on alert. He decided to do a little investigating. “So Bob, Maddie tells us you live here in Newport. Do you work here too?”

  Bob chugged his champagne like a beer. “My work takes me different places; here, Providence, around.”

  “And what kind of work is it you do?” Jack continued.

  Bob eyed Jack for a quick moment as his mind settled on a plausible lie. “Mostly art. Not like the fancy stuff they got hanging in here, more like contemporary.”

  Maddie gave Bob a skeptical look. “I didn’t know you dealt with art.”

  “Yeah, an umm, old friend introduced me to it.” Bob smirked a little as the inspiration for his career story, Mrs. Vanderbeck, flickered through his thoughts. “So What da you do, Jack?”

  “I’m a police detective.”

  Bob nestled a hand into the small of Maddie’s back. He realized he’d have to watch himself around her. Good to know, gotta go. “Hey Maddie, the band’s playing our song, let’s dance.”

  ◆◆◆

  “You are a surprisingly good dancer, Bob.” Maddie commented as Bob swung her around the glossy oak, herringbone-patterned floor.

  “Thank you, but why are you surprised?”

  Maddie scrunched her brows. “I don’t know. I guess every time I think I have you figured out, you do something unexpected.” Maddie loved jazz and happily swayed in Bob’s arms. His enticing eyes locked on hers as he reeled her in from a twirl.

  Gotcha. Bob decided to go in for another kiss when he felt a firm tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a strikingly handsome man, ready to square off with him.

  “I’m a friend of Madison. My name is Winston Cooper. Hope you don’t mind if I cut in?”

  Bob silently counted, one, two, three, to keep his temper in check. “I guess I’ll go get a drink. See ya in a bit, Maddie.”

  ◆◆◆

  Maddie allowed Winston to gracefully move her around the floor. She tipped her head back, and clung to his tux, so she could admire the baroque ceiling mural. Under the dreamy eyes of cherubs smiling down at her she laughed. “I think I’m happy! Yes, not only am I happy, I’m lucky!”

  Winston also smiled down at her. “I’m glad to hear that. Is this a revelation for you, or a champagne induced declaration?”

  “Both. I’m taking Kelly’s advice and enjoying the moment tonight.”

  Winston tightened his embrace. “Well, I’m happy I am a part of the moment.”

  ◆◆◆

  Marble House’s huge scaled rooms were designed for entertaining. Bob crossed out of a pink Numidian marble lined room, through substantial carved wood and gilt doors, into the crowded central event space, the great Stair Hall. It was from this enormous Stair Hall that the party stemmed off and spread through several of the mansion’s first floor rooms. The airy, ornate, yellow marble and gold Stair Hall shot up two stories high. A cocktail bar spanned the foot of the grand staircase. Bob noted the line at the bar and opted to continue to explore. He entered a dark toned, gothic style room. The blood-red walls of the room emitted a sense of foreboding. Which probably accounted for the virtually unoccupied bar set in a corner with a back drop of stained glass.

  Well this makes everything better, Bob thought as he approached a woman who looked to be in her late fifties or early-sixties flashing with diamonds pressed up to the corner bar. She held her glass out for a refill from a bartender, smiled at Bob, and strutted away.

  “I’ll take a whiskey straight up.” Bob watched her walk away while he waited for his whiskey. Some prime, well-aged meat here tonight, he thought and decided to see where Miss Flashing Diamonds was headed.

  ◆◆◆

  “Hey, isn’t that Maddie’s friend, Bob?” Jack pointed to a man running his index finger over a much older woman’s diamond necklace, then re-tracing his finger where the necklace topped her cleavage.

  Kelly pulled away from Jack. Jack knew Kelly rarely needed back-up but he quickly followed his fiancé; more afraid of what she would do to Bob than what he would do to her. The older woman hurried away as Jack and Kelly approached.

  “Hey, Bob, if you’re here with Maddie, shouldn’t you be with Maddie?” demanded Kelly.

  Bob’s olive complexion was turning a shade of crimson. He bowed his head and took a breath before answering. “I was with her. But then a guy named Winston Cooper showed up.”

  “So, you just decided to play the party field?” Kelly pressed.

  “As a matter of fact, yeah I did.” He knew it wouldn’t be good to pick a fight with the detective’s wife. It took every fiber of his being to respond in a civil tone. “I respect that Maddie is honest and told me she is dating a couple of guys right now. I think she would give me the same courtesy. And not for nothing, but what goes on between me and Maddie is none of your business.”

  Kelly pitched forward toward Bob’s face. “You date my friend, and it is my business!”

  Jack knew the look on Kelly’s face. It meant this discord would only escalate. He stepped between them and interrupted. “You know what, Bob, do what you want to do. Come on, Kelly, we got a wedding coming up. Let’s go practice dancing.” Jack gently directed Kelly out of the gothic room and back into the ballroom where the jazz band was playing.

  ◆◆◆

  Winston kept Maddie close as they swayed to the music. As the song ended he apologized. “I must go over and talk to the Morgans.”

  “Oh, of course, Winston. There, I see Kelly and Jack. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Jack saw Maddie approaching before Kelly did. “Kelly, I know you’re protective of Maddie.” He could tell from her frown he would need to be firm. “She’s an adult and she needs to figure out who she wants to spend her personal time with on her own. She’s also stubborn, like you, and if you tell her not to see Bob she will do the opposite.”

  “Damn it!” Kelly knew Jack was right.

  “What’s wrong?” Maddie laid a caring hand on Kelly’s back.

  Kelly looked at Jack. He gave her a subtle ‘no’ shake with his head.

  “Nothing.” Kelly feigned a smile toward Maddie. “Jack and I were just discussing music selections f
or the wedding. I think we need to move around. Why don’t we go check out the rest of the party?”

  “Good work,” Jack whispered in Kelly’s ear as they moved through the revelers.

  “It will be good work if I can show her Bob’s true colors. Maybe she’ll dump him on the spot,” Kelly responded.

  ◆◆◆

  “Bit of a crowd at the bar,” Kelly observed as they entered the Stair Hall.

  “Yes, but it’s a great people-watching crowd. I don’t mind waiting,” Jack answered as they moved toward the bar.

  Kelly nodded her head to Jack then turned to see Maddie scanning the palatial hall. “Maybe Jared’s here, just in another room,” she said into Maddie’s ear.

  Maddie decided to venture out, leaving Kelly and Jack to order drinks. She wandered past the immense staircase and rounded a barrier of lush potted trees that seemed to have been freshly pulled from the rainforest. In a large alcove created by the overhead stairs she noted another bar with barely a customer waiting. She was about to go back to save Kelly and Jack from the line when she spied Jared.

  A row of French doors topped with arched windows stretched up two stories to create a wall of glass that filled the backside of the Stair Hall. A gentle ocean breeze rolled over the sprawling lawn, across the stone veranda, causing gossamer curtains that veiled the open French doors to flutter into the party. Although the music was certainly not as loud here as it had been in the ballroom, Maddie noted Jared was standing very near to a man of similar build and age. Fabric gently billowed around them.

  I wonder who he’s with? Something is going on. They’re awfully close to each other, Maddie thought as she approached. She did not want to intrude on their tete-a-tete but curiosity got the best of her. Maddie joined the two men and quietly said, “Hello.”

  A friendly smile emanated from Jared as he greeted her and made an introduction. “Maddie Marcelle, this is my closest friend in the world and business associate, Ken Tate.”

  Maddie extended her hand. “That’s quite an introduction.”

  “I would’ve expected nothing less,” Ken said. His tight stare remained on Jared for an extra moment. He turned to Maddie and firmly grasped her hand. “Jared has told me many stories about you. It’s good to finally put a face with a name.”

  “Stories?” Maddie gave Ken an apprehensive shrug. “Nothing too bad, I hope.”

  “Nothing too bad.” Ken’s words were innocuous but his eyes said different.

  Before the typical discovery of person questions could evolve between Ken and Maddie, another round of introductions was being made as Kelly and Jack had united with the group.

  Like a queen holding court all eyes were on Maddie as she delighted the group with genuinely funny stories of house hunting in Newport. Kelly quickly assessed how comfortable and relaxed Maddie seemed around Jared.

  “Let’s go back to the ballroom, Jack. We can get some more dance practice in for our wedding.”

  Jack knew this meant Kelly approved of Jared enough to leave Maddie with him.

  ◆◆◆

  This place is great. I friggin' love free booze, Bob thought as he scouted the crowd from a small bar tucked behind the grand staircase. There’s Miss Maddie. Hanging out with two guys. What are the odds one of those dudes is my competition? Better go check it out. He took a swig of whiskey and slid away from the bar. “Hey Maddie, remember me?” Bob called out as he sauntered up to the trio gathered by the open French doors.

  Her face flushed as she saw Bob grinning at her. Oh gosh! I knew this was bound to happen. Clash of the dating gladiators.

  Bob extended his hand toward Jared. “I’m just bustin’ ya, Maddie. Hey, I’m Bob Lackey. Friend of Maddie’s.”

  Jared shook Bob’s hand. “I’m Jared Diamond. Also, a friend of Maddie. This is my friend and business associate, Ken Tate.”

  Bob squinted intently at Ken. “You look awfully familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”

  Ken laid a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Well it’s my friend, Jared, here who graces the covers of magazines. Maybe you saw a tiny photo of me on the ‘to be continued’ page of an article?”

  “Yeah, maybe that’s it. Do you work here in Newport? What da ya do?”

  Ken quickly tired of answering Bob’s questions. What’s with the third degree? And that ill-fitting tux tells me this guy isn’t someone I will be doing any business with. Besides I must get to know more about this girl Jared’s messing with.

  “If you two will excuse me.” Ken offered his forearm up to Maddie. “Perhaps we should get to know each other better. Let’s go to the ballroom.”

  Left alone with Jared, Bob made his plans clear. “This is weird. I’m going to drink more. See ya.”

  ◆◆◆

  From the moment they faced off on the dance floor Ken peppered Maddie with questions about her and Jared. Just when she thought she could get a word in, he broadened the track of his queries to include other men she might be seeing. “So, I gathered you are also dating Bob. Are you with anyone else, besides Bob and Jared?”

  “I don’t mean this to sound rude Ken, but I don’t think my dating life is any of your business.”

  “Sorry, I have an inquisitive nature.” Ken’s lips formed a tight line. “Besides you’re such a lovely girl, I just imagine you’re not limiting yourself. You’re clearly in a position to date any man you want.”

  Maddie tried to lighten the mood. “Ken, are you asking me out?”

  His eyes flashed with disbelief as his body slightly recoiled. “Of course not!”

  She had clearly thrown him off and took advantage of the pause in his interrogation. “So, Ken, did you come here with a date?”

  Ken looked her in the eye as he answered, “Yes. Jared. We rode over here together.”

  Maddie’s brow furrowed with confusion. “Oh no, I meant is there a special someone in your life?”

  “Of course there is.” Ken smirked. “Like you, I prefer to keep my private life confidential. I will tell you a little secret. I won’t let my special someone be public knowledge, but it is someone the public would know.”

  ◆◆◆

  The last note of the music had faded but Ken's words still sounded in Maddie's ear.

  “May I have this next dance?” Jared had appeared next to Ken and Maddie.

  “I’ve been waiting all night for you to ask!” exclaimed Ken.

  “You’re going to have to keep waiting,” Jared retorted. “I was speaking to the lady.”

  Ken winked and squeezed Jared’s shoulder. “I’m going to get another drink.”

  ◆◆◆

  “Busy night for you?” Jared commented as he led Maddie around the dance floor. He tried not to sound snide, but it was difficult.

  Maddie stiffened sensing an impending battle of the dating gladiators. Maybe she could play coy a little longer.

  “How so?”

  “For one thing, I noticed your friend Winston couldn’t take his eyes off you while you were dancing with Ken. Don’t worry I gave him a little nod before I walked over here.”

  “Jared, please don’t be like that. It’s a fundraiser. It has the word ‘fun’ in it. Let’s just have fun tonight.”

  “Come on, Maddie. I usually welcome competition, but even this is a bit much.”

  “This is an unusual circumstance, Jared. I enjoy spending time with you, but tonight it’s not just about you and me.” Maddie rubbed her hands over his shoulders as they danced hoping to assuage his discomfort and not spark a fight on a night when she finally felt so good.

  “No. It’s also about Winston and Bob,” Jared countered.

  It had been a long time since Maddie felt in control and confident. She kept her tone friendly as she wanted to handle the situation with care.

  “You know, jealousy doesn’t go well with your tux tonight.” Her attempt to express her feelings in a lighthearted manner fell flat. She halted her dancing feet. I’m in control, she thought and this time she really belie
ved it. “In all seriousness, I’m doing my best to be honest with you,” she stated in a solemn tone. “I am willing to have this conversation, just not here and now. How about you and I spend all day together tomorrow? Just us, no other guys, no jealousy. Deal?”

  ◆◆◆

  Maddie stuffed her lipstick back into her evening bag. Better off checking my makeup in the bathroom. Lighting in here is terrible, she thought as she rose from a scarlet velvet seat that was more of a throne than a chair.