Body Bags & Blarney

by Shaw, J. D.

  “That’s not good.” Stephanie spoke quietly as the pop of a cork pierced the growing murmur of the crowd.

  “Not at all.” Vivienne agreed.

  “While I appreciate the thoughtful gesture, I’m afraid that we can’t have any alcohol as we have many underage guests here tonight.” Kathy explained in the most polite voice she could muster.

  “Oh, I’m sure we can make an exception tonight.” Johnny smiled broadly at her. “It’ll be our little secret.”

  Kathy kept a smile on her face. “As much as I would love to have my guests enjoy the champagne, it’s not appropriate and there are underage patrons.”

  “Oh, come on.” Johnny pressed on as he poured a glass of the bubbly for Alexis and handed it to her. “I’d hate to think that Cayuga Cove doesn’t like to party.”

  “Please, if you are going to push this I am going to have to ask you to leave now.” Kathy walked over and grabbed the bottle out of Johnny’s hand.

  The bodyguard lunged forward and snagged her in his grip. “Ma’am, you are too close to Mr. Guido. You need to back away now.”

  Vivienne gave her glass to Stephanie. “Hold this for me.” She started to push her way through the crowd which was tightening a circle to see what the ruckus was all about.

  “This is my store.” Kathy fumed. “Let me go.”

  “Johnny, what are you doing?” Alexis’ eyes went wide in shock.

  “It’s okay, babe.” Johnny reached out and gave her a swat on her rear. “I’ve got this.”

  “You heard the lady, let her go.” A deep voice called out above the gasps and murmurs of the crowd.

  Vivienne noticed a tall man in a brown leather bomber jacket stepping into the center of the circle where the bodyguard was holding Kathy in place. She continued to push her way through the ladies. “Excuse me, let me through please.”

  “I said let her go.” The tall stranger repeated.

  Vivienne finally made it through the crowd and got a good look at the man issuing a challenge to the bodyguard. He had a long mane of light brown hair that cascaded down to his thick neck. He was a good head taller than the bodyguard as he stood before him, easily the same six foot-five height that Joshua possessed. His green eyes seemed to glow from within as he reached out toward Kathy. “I’m not going to ask again.”

  The bodyguard released Kathy who took a stumble backwards in shock. Vivienne rushed forward and helped steady her friend. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  Kathy shook her head. “No, I’m fine.” She looked around at the room which was suddenly deadly quiet. “I just want them to leave.”

  “You heard the lovely lady. She would like you gentlemen to hit the road.” The tall stranger spoke in a voice that had a rough around the edges quality, authoritative yet somehow comforting at the same time.

  The burly bodyguard suddenly stepped in to face the stranger.

  “If you don’t do what he says, I am going to call the police and have you escorted by the Deputy himself.” Vivienne threatened as she brandished her cell phone in hand.

  “Don’t call the police.” Alexis pleaded.

  “Come on, this place blows.” Johnny snapped his fingers at the bodyguard.

  The bodyguard stepped away and followed Johnny as the crowd cleared the way for him to leave the store.

  “Don’t forget to take your champagne with you.” Kathy added.

  Johnny pointed to the bottles and the bodyguard rushed over to the refreshment table and snagged them up in a smooth motion. “You’re making a huge mistake kicking us out.” Johnny sniffed back.

  “Oh, she’s not kicking you out.” The stranger followed them a few steps behind. “She’s throwing you out for being an obnoxious jerk.”

  Johnny whirled around and faced him. He had to crane his neck upwards to make any sort of eye contact. “If you’ve got a problem with us, we can take care of it outside.”

  “We won’t have a problem as soon as you step out the front door.”

  Johnny paused for a moment, as if challenging the tall stranger. “I’m only leaving because I have someplace better to be.”

  “Fine.” The stranger gestured to the front door. “Better hurry now.”

  Johnny gave him a smirk and flipped him off before turning on his heels and vacating the store with his bodyguard in tow.

  “Johnny, where are you going?” Alexis gave chase. “Are we still going to party tonight? Wait up.”

  Vivienne, Kathy, and Stephanie stepped over to the front display window to get a better view of them on the street.

  Johnny Guido and his bodyguard stepped into an enormous black Cadillac Escalade that had been waiting at the curb outside. Alexis caught up with them and managed to catch Johnny before the passenger door could be closed. Although neither Vivienne nor Stephanie could hear the conversation between them, they could tell from her body language that she was not happy. She made grand gestures with her arms, waving them around in protest. Suddenly, she turned away and the door slammed as the car sped away, leaving her alone in the freezing cold air.

  “She’s still wearing the jewelry.” Kathy suddenly snapped to attention and darted toward the front door.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea confronting her right now.” Vivienne tried to warn her.

  Kathy stormed out the front door and confronted Alexis. Once again, Alexis seemed to become upset and started waving her arms around again. Kathy, appearing utterly infuriated with her diva-like behavior, put her hands on her hips and gestured to the front entrance of the store.

  Alexis furiously started to remove jewelry from her body as she shivered in the cold. She stomped over to Kathy and handed her all of the borrowed goods and walked away at a hurried pace.

  Kathy took a moment to compose herself and returned to the store. “I would like to apologize for what just happened.” She looked a bit lost for words as the room remained deadly silent.

  Vivienne stepped forward. “We still have plenty of cake and punch left. Don’t forget to check your cake pieces for the golden baby figurines. Anyone that finds one gets a twenty-five-percent discount off a future purchase at the Sweet Dreams Bakery.”

  The women in the store looked a bit uneasy for a moment but soon began to spread out once more and head for the refreshment table. The conversation grew from hushed whispers to a general murmur as forks began to pick through the king cake slices in search of the hidden treasure.

  “Crisis averted.” Vivienne reassured her best friend with a pat on the shoulder.

  “Thank you.” Kathy reached out and gave Vivienne a hug. “This could have turned out just like the other night at the library.”

  “But it didn’t, thanks to that tall stranger.” Vivienne scanned the crowd. “Speaking of which, where did he go?”

  Kathy looked around the room. “I don’t know. I’d like to thank him personally for helping out.”

  “It’s not easy for him to hide with his height.” Vivienne added. “I don’t know why, but he looked sort of familiar.”

  “You think you met him before?” Kathy asked.

  “No, I don’t think I have.” Vivienne pursed her lips in thought. “But there was something about him that was just so...” Her voice trailed off. “I can’t really explain it.”

  “Excuse me Miss Saunders, but I started taking some orders for you.” Stephanie interrupted. “I noticed you had these forms earlier, so I hope you don’t mind me filling them out for you.” She handed her a stack of forms.

  “Oh, Stephanie, that was so thoughtful of you.” Kathy sighed. “You really didn’t have to do that.”

  Stephanie blushed a little. “It wasn’t a problem. After all, you loaned me this beautiful dress to wear tonight.”

  “It’s yours.” Kathy added as she began to look at the pre orders.

  “Oh, I couldn’t possibly accept this.” Stephanie took a step back. “I didn’t do anything extraordinary.”

  “You kept everyone’s mind on the jewelry inst
ead of that little punk and his hired goon.” Kathy added. “Giving you that dress is the least I could do.” She gestured to the women who were once again gathering around the display case demos. “I’d give you some jewelry, but it belongs to the company.”

  “Oh, this dress will come in more useful for my social life.” Stephanie smiled. “Let me see if I can drum up some more orders for you.” She excused herself and wandered back to the crowd.

  “Oh, no. Don’t even think it.” Vivienne warned.

  “Think what?” Kathy quipped back.

  “I found her first.” Vivienne smiled.

  “I would never do that.” Kathy fanned herself with the order forms.

  Vivienne put her arm around her friend’s waist. “So, I suppose in a strange way tonight was a lesson learned?”

  “It sure was.” Kathy nodded back. “Even with a few rotten apples, I can sell the rest in the barrel.”

  “No.” Vivienne shook her head. “I was talking about how judging someone’s work ethic based on their outward appearance usually blows up in your face.”

  “Oh, that.” Kathy looked around to see that no one was within earshot. “I suppose so.”

  Vivienne gave a little laugh. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

  “Good.” Kathy glanced around the room again. “Now, if we could just find that handsome stranger so I could thank him.”

  “Handsome? I don’t recall using that word to describe him tonight.” Vivienne teased.

  “Well good.” Kathy countered. “Besides, you already hit the jackpot with Joshua when it comes to the tall handsome types that stroll into town.”

  “I found a gold baby.” One of the women cried out in surprise. “I won.”

  Kathy put on her best smile and strolled toward the crowd. “Congratulations, I’ll go get your coupon from the register.”

  Vivienne had to admire her best friend’s business sense. Despite what could have been a disaster, she brushed it off and continued the party. Of course, had it not been for the tall stranger, things could have turned out very different. She was happy to see that Kathy’s luck had taken a turn for the good side.

  The next morning, as she stepped into the atrium at Our Lady of the Lake church to meet with Father William for their planned meeting at ten in the morning, she paused to smell a pot of purple and white hyacinths that were sitting on a table under the church bulletin board. Their fragrant perfume always reminded her of spring, more than any other bulb plant. She was never crazy about lilies, as they reminded her too much of funerals and sadness.

  Upon entering the nave, where the rows of empty wooden pews seemed to stretch on forever, she admired the architectural beauty of the building itself. The morning sunlight streamed through the East-facing stained-glass windows, throwing a rainbow of multi-colored hues across the blood-red carpet of the main aisle. “Father William?” Vivienne called out, her voice echoing inside the empty chamber. “It’s Vivienne Finch.”

  As she continued to walk up toward the choir section, her eyes fell upon the rippled-sunlight patterns projected on the ceiling above the baptismal pool. The reflected light danced like diamonds across the warm woodwork, adding to the awesome beauty she was surrounded by.

  “Hello?” She called out again. Although she was not a member of the church, she knew that he had an office off to the side of the confessional booth where the faithful sought atonement for their mortal transgressions. They had met there several times when she dropped off cakes and cookies for church member meetings. With the door ajar, she could see the antique Tiffany lamp that adorned his desk turned on. She figured he was most likely planning the upcoming carnival for Saint Patrick’s Day and was lost in deep thought. She knocked three time on the door and peeked in only to find the office empty. The desk lamp was on, as was his computer. “Father William?” She asked again.

  As she turned to leave she saw movement near the baptismal pool and relief washed over her. “There you are.” She called out expecting to see him with a warm smile on his chubby face when her mouth dropped open in shock. She saw a pair of black-clad legs flopped onto the tiled floor surrounding the rectangular pool.

  She couldn’t believe her eyes. Father William was submerged below the surface of the water from the waist up, his eyes and mouth wide open yet expressionless. She heard the sound of a woman’s scream and then stopped when she suddenly realized it was coming from her own mouth.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “What in heaven’s name is going on here?” Mother Superior rushed into the nave from the entrance where Vivienne had come only minutes earlier.

  “Call the police.” Vivienne cried out as she removed her purse from her shoulder and waded into the pool to pull him out of the water. She was glad the water was only about two and half feet deep, as it kept most of her clothing from getting soaked.

  Mother Superior rushed forward, her black and white clerical clothing flowing behind her as she raced to the baptismal pool where Vivienne had waded in. “Father William.” She cried out in disbelief.

  “Help me pull him out.” Vivienne ordered.

  Mother Superior grabbed him by the legs as Vivienne put her arms under his arms and together they slid him out of the pool. “Does he have a pulse?” Mother Superior asked, her brown eyes wide with terror.

  Vivienne checked quickly on his neck and shook her head. “I have a cell phone in my purse, we need to call the police.” His skin was cold and clammy.

  Mother Superior reached for Vivienne’s purse and opened it up. After a few moments, she pulled out her cell phone and called for help.

  Vivienne wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do next, but she put her hands together on his chest and began to pump up and down. “I think we’re too late.”

  Mother Superior began to cry as she finished talking to the dispatch officer. “Please hurry, he’s not breathing.”

  Vivienne paused in her compressions and put her ear against his mouth to listen for any sign of life. “Nothing.” She pinched her fingers over his nostrils and gave him two emergency breaths.

  “There’s an AED kit in his office.” Mother Superior bolted away. “I’ll be right back.

  Vivienne returned to attempting the chest compressions but another check for a pulse proved fruitless. She kept going, waiting for the kit to return in the hopes it could do what she could not.

  Mother Superior returned after what seemed like an eternity with the kit in hand. She opened it up, her eyes wild with fear. “I don’t know what to do with this.”

  “You take over.” Vivienne ordered. “I’ll use the kit.”

  She and Mother Superior changed positions. Vivienne scanned the directions inside the kit. “We can’t use this here with all the water around. We could both be electrocuted.”

  “It’s too late.” Mother Superior shook her head. “He’s gone.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Vivienne felt tears welling up in her eyes, clouding her vision.

  Mother Superior pulled out her rosary. “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”

  As Mother Superior continued to pray, Vivienne noticed the overturned step ladder off to the side of the baptismal pool along with a long-poled duster used to sweep cobwebs from the arches above the altar. It looked as if Father William had been attempting to clean the area when either he or the ladder gave out and knocked him into the water.

  A few minutes later, several uniformed officers stormed into the church and took over the scene. The emergency team gave them blankets to dry off as they loaded Father William onto a gurney and wheeled him away. Sheriff Rigsbee personally escorted Vivienne and Mother Superior into Father William’s office and closed the door. He had them each sit in the chairs facing the desk where he could conduct his questioning session. “Who found Father William?” He asked as he pulled out a small pad of paper and began taking notes.

  “I did.” Vivienne answered.

  “Why am I not surprised?” He asked back.

&n
bsp; “I had a meeting scheduled with Father William at ten this morning.” Vivienne replied. “I looked in his office first and when he wasn’t there I turned to leave and that’s when I saw his shoes bobbing in the pool water.”

  “Was he moving at all?” Sheriff Rigsbee asked.

  “No, he was still.” Vivienne recalled with a chill.

  Sheriff Rigsbee scribbled something down in his notes. “What about you, Reverend Mother?”

  “I heard a scream coming from inside the church while I was outside refilling the bird feeders in the gardens.” She replied as tears streamed down her face.

  “What happened next?” He asked.

  “When I arrived inside the sanctuary I saw Vivienne standing beside the baptismal pool. She called me over and that’s when I saw Father William in the water.”

  Vivienne nodded. “I told her to call the police and went to pull him out of the water.”

  “Why did you do that, Miss Finch?” Sheriff Rigsbee pressed on.

  “To try and save him if it was possible.” Vivienne replied. “But I couldn’t get him out of the water by myself so I asked Mother Superior to help me.”

  Sheriff Rigsbee returned his gaze to the nun. “You helped her move the body?”

  “Yes.” She answered. “She asked me to.”

  Sheriff Rigsbee frowned. “I see.” He scribbled down some more notes.

  “I felt for a pulse and when I did he was cold to the touch, so I didn’t know what else to do but try to revive him.” Vivienne explained.

  “She made a valiant effort.” Mother Superior added. “We were going to use the AED kit, but with all the water around it was too risky.”

  “Yes, that would have been extremely dangerous.” Sheriff Rigsbee replied. “I have a feeling it wouldn’t have made a difference if you had tried it.”

  “I just can’t believe he’s gone.” Mother Superior sniffed. “He had so much left to do for the church. So many plans for the future.”

  “I’m so sorry for your loss.” Vivienne reached out and grabbed hold of Mother Superior’s hands.

  In that instant, her power of tactile recall kicked in. She was transported to the garden area where the sun was shining brightly on the cold winter morning. She could hear the birds chirping as a bucket of seed was poured into the feeder plate that the statue of Saint Francis of Assisi held in his hands.