by Gina LaManna
I folded my trembling fingers into a pretzel on my lap and suddenly wished I’d brought along something to occupy my hands. My nerves would be a dead giveaway if Anders bothered to peek in the car and say hello.
Dane opened the driver’s side door and stepped out with more grace than I could muster. “Uncle Anders,” he said quite pleasantly. “How are you this evening?”
“Fine!” Anders gave a clap on the shoulder to his nephew, then peered good-naturedly through the door. “Nice to see you again, Lola. What brings the two of you around tonight?”
As Anders straightened, Dane leaned against the car and surveyed his uncle. I nearly burst out laughing as he launched into his explanation.
“I just wanted to introduce you to my new girlfriend before the media finds out,” Dane said. “Lola Pink—obviously the two of you have met before, but I thought it a more pleasant way to share the nature of our relationship than you reading about it in one of those rags.”
“Congratulations!” Anders boomed. “I knew it. I told you so, didn’t I, Lola?”
I nodded, remembering Anders’s odd perception at Andrea’s funeral—his quiet assurance that I had already fallen in love with his nephew. “You called it,” I agreed. “Even I hadn’t realized it yet.”
“That’s how it goes, isn’t it?” Anders mused. “Just sneaks up on you, and then one day, boom, you’re in love.”
“What about you?” Dane asked. “Seeing anyone these days?”
The change of subject was an abrupt one for Dane, and Anders looked mildly confused at the interest in his love life. “No one particularly special,” he said. “Dating here and there—the usual. I’m cut out for a life of solidarity, you know. I almost thought you were headed in that direction too. Good thing you found a nice lady to make you an honest man.”
Dane gave a quick nod of agreement, and the two men lapsed into an awkward silence. I sat in the car, debating whether Dane’s world was always this awkward, when finally, Anders broke the silence.
“Look, I’d love to invite the two of you in tonight, but you caught me by surprise, and I already have plans to which I’m late. Are you looking for your parents? I believe they’re on the back porch having a glass of wine.” Anders waved a hand in what appeared to be the general direction of said porch. “What do you say I have my chef prepare us a nice dinner next week?”
Dane fumbled for an excuse and came up empty. “Sure,” he agreed. “That sounds pleasant. We’d love to join you—call Mrs. Dulcet with a date and time, and we’ll be there.”
“Take care now,” Anders said, already striding away from the car before Dane had closed the door.
Dane started up the engine, taking an exaggerated time to get the car in gear and fasten his seatbelt. He stalled long enough that Anders pulled away first, in the same direction as Leslie, offering a wave over his shoulder as his taillights disappeared.
“Do you think he’s lying about Leslie?” I asked in the ensuing silence. “Your uncle doesn’t seem like the murdering type, but...”
“It could be a misunderstanding,” Dane said, a slight frown tilting his lips downward. “Maybe Leslie’s not dating him at all—apparently, it’s not all that uncommon for a woman to claim she’s dating someone when she’s not.”
I cocked my head to the side. “I suppose. Man, you rich people have such different problems than us normal folk.”
“Watch out,” Dane said, pulling away from the curb. “You’re about to become one of us.”
“I think you should watch out,” I told him. “You marry me, and I might just drag you down to my level.”
He smiled, reached over, and raised my palm to his lips for a brief kiss. “Where to next?”
“Home,” I said. “I think we need to call it a day and hop in bed for the night. We can get up early and start again where we left off.”
“Hop in bed,” Dane muttered. “I like that plan.”
And then he drove home like the wind.
Chapter 26
DESPITE MY ENTIRE BODY tingling with the desire to linger in bed, I knew the fun had to come to an end. It was funny how quickly Dane’s bed had become mine—become a shared thing, even on my first night in its warmth. It beckoned to me, a soft little cocoon where for six to eight hours a night, we were sheltered from the weight of the world.
It was just us, whispering into the darkness until the wee hours of the morning—holding one another and kissing and caressing and just being together in silence.
It wasn’t even the physicality that drew us closer—although that was a definite benefit to being Dane Clark’s girlfriend—but the vulnerability, the closeness we shared.
Secrets were confided, wishes were made, dreams were voiced for the very first time. Though we’d only known each other for months and had only shared a bed once before, it was already natural between us. Easy and routine and blissful.
“Come on, Lola—time to wake.” Dane’s fingers trailed down my back, his lips leaving kisses across my neck as he tried to pull me from bed. “It’s almost eight.”
“Eight in the morning?” I scrunched a pillow tighter around my head. “But that must mean you’ve been up for hours.”
“Possibly.”
I peeked out from under the covers and found Dane fully dressed in one of his immaculate suits, his hair arranged, a towel hanging up inside the bathroom. He’d showered already, probably read thirteen papers and put in half a day’s work.
“Overachiever,” I grumped, pulling myself from bed.
As the sunlight hit my eyes, however, it brought back the searing realization that we had business to attend to today—somber business. Though we’d managed to push the gravity of the situation away last night for a few hours, it had come crashing back to our shoulders, weightier than ever.
“Lola, I’ve been thinking.”
“This is why you shouldn’t get up so early,” I grumbled. “You do all this thinking, and then I’m way behind.”
“But that way, your ideas are fresher.” Dane watched me with a tense smile, and when I didn’t have a witty response, he continued. “I think I should go visit my uncle alone.”
“No—I’ll go with you. You said it yourself: We’re in this together.”
“I know, and we are. But as much as I might already see you as family,” Dane said, easing to a seat next to me on the bed, “I’m not sure the rest of my relatives will be so receptive. I am hoping he might be more honest if I go alone.”
I hung my head, his logic making more sense than I wanted to admit. “What about safety?”
Dane laughed. “He’s family; he won’t do a thing to me. Especially not if I have Semi waiting in the car.”
“Okay,” I said finally. “You’ll call me the second you leave his house?”
Dane nodded. “Of course. I shouldn’t be gone for more than an hour.”
“I suppose I could use the time to call an emergency Sunshine Sisters meeting.”
“A what?”
“Long story,” I said. “Basically, Babs, Annalise, and I have a meeting spot on top of the water tower every time we have important news to share.”
“It’s illegal to climb the water tower.”
“Well, then we’ve been criminals since we were in second grade.”
“What news do you have to share?”
I blushed, surprised he’d asked. “Uh—”
“Is it private?”
“Sort of. It’s girl talk.” I waited for Dane to dismiss me, but he never did. Instead, he leaned forward, more curious. “You don’t want to tell me?”
I sighed. “Dane! I thought we decided I was your girlfriend. And we talked about getting married.”
“So?”
“So?!” I gave him some serious side-eye. “Girls talk about these things!”
“Oh.”
“Oh?!” I slapped a hand to my forehead. “If you propose, I hope you know these emergency meetings will happen like three times a week until our wedding.
”
“Our wedding.” He contemplated this, and I held my breath as his face changed expressions. Finally, he smiled. “I like that.”
“I love you,” I said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Go on and do your thing and let us gossip in private.”
“I’ll call you after. Be safe.”
I blew him a kiss as he left the room, and then debated crawling back into bed the second the bedroom door slammed shut. After all, there was no place in the world like Dane Clark’s bed, I’d decided. I could live here. I could eat it up it was so delicious.
But I really did have heavy gossip weighing on my chest, so I pulled out my phone and texted Babs and Annalise. As usual, they agreed to a snappy meeting on the water tower, and I was forced to climb from the bed, figure out Dane’s own version of the spaceship shower, and dress for the day.
We all made it to the water tower in under twenty minutes.
“So?” Babs asked. “Spill.”
“I might be getting married,” I told them. “If we don’t get arrested first.”
“What?” Babs spluttered over her cappuccino. “Tell me more.”
Annalise merely stared wide-eyed at me. “Have you gone nuts? Babs, does she have a temperature?”
I quickly caught the girls up to speed on the murder case. Like Dane, neither of them asked if I’d done it, nor did they ask for my alibi. They breezed right past the bit about the detectives throwing their theories in my face, and Babs downright confirmed they had nothing on me from what I’d told her.
I hated to admit that was a breath of relief. Despite my absolute conviction in my innocence and Dane’s, the detectives were good. So good they’d almost made me doubt myself.
“Enough with the dark and dreary,” Babs said finally. “We’ve covered the murder, now I want to hear about the pretty white dress and flowers.”
“Well, Dane sort of proposed,” I told them, and Annalise nearly fell off the water tower with the jerk from her gasp. “But not really. Listen! Don’t freak out.”
Babs squealed and giggled and laughed and clapped along with the story of how Dane and I had gone from personal assistant, to girlfriend, to almost fiancée, and back to girlfriend in the span of about twelve hours.
When I concluded, I had a huge grin on my face. Annalise still looked shell-shocked, and Babs remained skeptical.
“You’re holding out on us,” she said, pointing a blood-red talon at me. “You said you spent the night at Dane’s. Usually, you say you spend the night at the castle. Does that mean...”
As she trailed off, I grinned, giddy with the memories. “And not just the night!” I added in a squeaky whisper. “Most of the day.”
Finally, Babs looked properly shocked. “Okay, honey, details. ASAP. Before I die. How was it?”
While Annalise recoiled and Babs pressed for more, I skimmed over the naughtier contents of my day with Dane, giving just enough to satisfy Babs and not quite enough to traumatize Annalise. By the time that story was finished, we sat in silence on the tower.
“Wow,” Babs marveled. “I can’t believe you took so long to tell us.”
I cringed. “I know. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t deliver this sort of news over text.”
“When’s the wedding?” Babs asked. “How will you pick a maid of honor? Do you have a flower girl? What color are you thinking for bridesmaid dresses?”
“We’re not engaged! Though, if we’re heading down that path...I suppose those are good questions.” I sat back against the water tower and flicked my shades down as I sipped my cappuccino. I’d chosen a girlie pink fashion for today, since I’d needed the burst of brightness with Dane off to confront his uncle. “No, no. I can’t get ahead of myself. We’re still in the middle of this murder investigation mess, and we have to find out who is responsible before either of us get locked up.”
“Aren’t you waiting to see what Dane finds out from his uncle?” Annalise pointed out. “I don’t understand why you don’t just cooperate and wait for the detectives to do their job. Obviously, it’s a high-profile case. They’ll sort it out soon enough.”
Babs and I stared at Annalise. “Um,” Babs began. “Because she’s a target?”
“They don’t believe me. Even I have to admit the timing of everything seems really strange,” I offered. “I’m not guilty, but I don’t want to twiddle my thumbs and just hope it all gets sorted out. Maybe if I ask around, it’ll stir up interest and the real murderer will make a mistake.”
“Yeah, last time you did that the real murderer went after you.” Annalise stood up, tears heavy in her gaze. “Excuse me for wanting to trust the police—the ones who are paid and trained to protect us.”
“Annalise—” I started, but she cut me off, shoving a trembling finger in my face.
“You’re—you’re Lola Pink. You’re my friend, not a cop, and I don’t want to see you hurt. I can’t watch you do this again, Lo. I’m going. Please try to keep yourself alive, or there won’t be a need to pick a maid of honor because there won’t be a bride.”
Annalise flipped down from the water tower, slithering and jumping with sleek, animalistic grace, until she reached the bottom. There, she swiped a hand across her eye and set off in the direction of the circus tent where she was due at practice in half an hour.
I stared after her, forlorn, until Babs rested her hand on mine.
“I can’t do all that sweet flipping business and storming away, or I’d fall on my ass,” she said. “Plus, these heels would crack if I landed on them the wrong way, and they cost me the better half of my last paycheck, but I do agree with her on one thing, Lo. We don’t want to see you hurt.”
“I know.” I sighed. “I know, and I don’t want to get hurt, and I don’t want Dane to, either—but you ladies weren’t there yesterday. It was horrible being questioned by the police like we were a pair of conniving murderers. We’re not. We’d never! I’d never. Dane would never. It’s—it’s impossible!”
By the time I finished, my voice had risen to an alarming level of volume. I’d been hollering loud enough for Mrs. Fredericks to pop her head out of the house below and wave upward, her LuLaRoe leggings a bright pattern of hearts and polka dots today.
“Why are there only four legs dangling from the tower?” she asked. “Where are the skinny legs? We’re missing two.”
“Annalise just left for practice,” Babs called back. “Good morning, Mrs. Fredericks. I really like how your leggings match your eyeshadow. You make that outfit pop.”
Old Mrs. Fredericks gave us the thumbs up. “Cinnamon rolls will be done by the time you two get down. I’ll pour you both glasses of milk.”
Once the honorary fourth member of the Sunshine Sisters popped back in her house to check on the oven, Babs turned back to me. “What do you say we climb down, have a cinnamon roll, and by that time Dane will probably have news for you.”
“I should get going,” I said. “Tell Mrs. Fredericks I had to get to work. Maybe she can donate my portion to your coworkers.”
“Where are you off to, Lola?”
“I’d rather not say.”
Babs fixed me with her no-nonsense stare. “I’d rather you did say, and I’m winning this battle.”
“Fine, but don’t try to stop me; it won’t work,” I warned. “I’m going to pay Andrea’s ex-boyfriend one more visit. There’s something he said that I’m not clear on.”
“Didn’t he throw a vase at Annalise’s head last time you went?”
“In his defense, she opened the door after he launched the vase. It was poor timing.”
“I’m just not sure you should go over there with him throwing his shit across the room.”
“I saw him at Andrea’s funeral,” I said. “He was pretty wound up, and I got the feeling he was truly upset over her death. I just need to ask him about one thing he said. He mentioned he thought she was seeing someone. He thought it was Dane because he’d followed her to the castle one night.”
“You think And
rea was seeing someone at the castle—apart from her business with Dane?”
“I don’t know, but that’s what’s bothering me. I mean, I suppose it could be Anders—Dane’s uncle. He has been to the castle before, and it’s possible they met there.”
“Why would he kill her?”
“Maybe Anders was dating Leslie and Andrea at one point, and when he tried to break things off with Andrea, things got a bit physical and he accidentally clocked her, only to find she didn’t wake up. Pardon the pun, but he’d have killed two birds with one stone—his ex-girlfriend would have been out of the picture, and his current girlfriend would get a huge leg up in her career.”
“Extreme,” Babs said. “But then again, I don’t understand the lives of the rich and famous.”
“If Anders doesn’t admit anything to Dane—and why would he?—we’d need some evidence to offer the police that’s concrete. Right now, it’s our word against theirs, and we’re as good as sentenced in the detective’s eyes.”
Babs looked at her watch. “I’ll go with you if you can wait an hour. I have a client traveling here for a meeting that I can’t adjust. Otherwise, I’d go with you right away.”
“It’s okay, really. It’ll take me five minutes, and I have my phone.”
Babs scrunched up her nose. “Fine, but call me in half an hour to check in. If you don’t, I’m calling the police and Dane, and not in that order.”
“Thank you, Babs.”
“I’m donating your cinnamon roll to my stomach,” she added. “And if something happens to you, I’m taking your collection of sunglasses. So, please be careful because I don’t have room in my closet for all of them.”
Chapter 27
I CHOSE TO BIKE OVER to Ryan Lexington’s apartment instead of borrowing Babs’s car. The day had turned warm and sunny, and the fresh air was a welcome relief to the crushing worries I’d been harboring over the murder investigation. There was nothing like the thought of being put in jail to appreciate the freedom of the outdoors in a whole new way as I pedaled across the sandy path on the Sunshine Shore.