Beauty to Die For

by Kim Alexis

  Juliette nodded, waiting for what she feared was coming next.

  Then Marcus’s beautiful blue-gray eyes met hers. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Juliette, but number six on that list was you.”

  Chapter Thirty

  A HALF HOUR OF questions and answers later, Juliette was still quite shaken, but at least she felt like she had a basic understanding of the situation with the terrorist list and the task force and the counterfeiting industry. There was much that Marcus wasn’t allowed to say, and she respected that. Her bigger issue was with why her name had shown up in this way at all. Why would a terrorist organization target her? What had she ever done to make anyone think she was a threat?

  It couldn’t just be the corporate changes they’d made at JT Lady to deal with the problem. It couldn’t just be what the FBI had suspected at first, that the terrorists feared she would use her celebrity to draw attention to the issue. Plenty of celebrities, some far more well known than she, had spoken out publically against counterfeiting. Sure, the people at Harper’s Bazaar may have invited her to speak at their next anticounterfeiting summit, but she hadn’t even accepted yet. And, again, there were already some big names on the roster. Why her and not them? What made her different? That was the most disturbing part of the whole puzzle.

  Aside from all of that, then, just one question remained. Marcus had to know she would get to this—and that his answer could very well impact the course of their lives. As she looked at him now, the pain was like a fist wrapped around her heart, holding on tight and ready to squeeze even tighter.

  She took a deep breath, but as she began to speak, she had to look away, afraid to see the truth in his eyes. “There’s just one more thing I want to know, but I need you to promise you’ll be a hundred-percent honest with me, no matter what. Okay? Promise?”

  “As long as it’s not privileged information.”

  “It’s not.”

  “Okay, then. I promise.”

  She took a deep breath. “Now that I know you came here not to rekindle a romance but to keep an ‘old acquaintance’ from harm, I have to guess this whole thing has been a lie. Has it?”

  “What whole thing?”

  Juliette forced herself to look him in the eye. “Us. The attraction. The reconnecting. All of it. Were you just pretending so you could stay close? Were you just doing your duty as a friend?”

  She braced herself for the answer, but Marcus didn’t speak. Instead, he simply sat there, silent, for a long moment. That silence told her all she needed to know.

  Closing her eyes, Juliette whispered, “Fine, then. Thanks for your friendship, but I can take it from here. Please just go.”

  The creak of the chair as he stood sounded the breaking of her heart. How could she have fallen for this man not once, but twice in a lifetime? What a fool she had been!

  Juliette was startled when she felt hands on hers. Her eyes flew open to see Marcus Stone kneeling on the ground in front of her. He gazed at her with such intensity that all she could do was sit there and look back at him as he spoke, his voice low and melodic.

  “Twenty-five years ago I met the woman of my dreams. I spent a single afternoon with her, then we parted. But I was certain she and I were going to share a future somehow. I knew it was ridiculous, but that’s how I felt, that quite possibly I had met ‘the one.’”

  Juliette nodded. She’d felt the same.

  “Twenty-three years ago I went to find that woman, to tell her I was set with my career and finally ready for a relationship. But I was too late. She’d moved on.”

  Her eyes filled with tears as he spoke.

  “My heart was broken—which is crazy, since I barely knew her, but there you go. Afterward, I guess you could say I kind of sealed off that part of myself and tried to get on with my life. I thought of that woman fondly and often, but in a very removed sort of way, almost like the entire encounter had been a figment of my imagination. Eventually I found someone else, started a family, was blessed with much joy. Endured a lot of heartache.”

  Tears spilled onto Juliette’s cheeks. She looked down, waiting for him to get to the point, to put her out of her misery.

  “Five years ago, when my ex-wife remarried, I sat down and Googled that person I’d met so long ago, the woman of my dreams. Thanks to the Internet, I found enough information to know that she was doing really well—but that she’d never married. I thought about looking her up. I wanted to look her up. But I had a little girl and a new business and a lot of baggage. So I left well enough alone. I’d blown my opportunity the first time around. I figured that chance had passed, for good.”

  Juliette shook her head, unable to stop herself.

  “Then, three weeks ago, I read a list of names, and when I got to number six, my heart practically stopped. Juliette Taylor. My Juliette Taylor. I was dumbfounded.”

  His warm hand touched her cheek, tilting her face upward until she met his eyes.

  “You ask if the reconnecting has been a lie? A means to an end?” His voice was soft and low. “Though I’m not proud to admit it, the truth is the exact opposite. Yes, I was concerned about an old friend. Yes, I wanted to protect you from this danger you knew nothing about. But to be completely honest, I also used that as an excuse to reconnect, to come here and find you and see if at least some small spark remained between us.”

  Juliette’s pulse surged as fresh tears filled her eyes.

  “Two days ago I followed a trail of Peppermint Patties that led me straight to you. And in one instant all twenty-five years evaporated. Just like that. You are still the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You are still that same sweet, fascinating, spunky girl you were way back then, when you fussed at me for hurting a cashier’s feelings by not laughing at her joke.”

  Marcus raised his hands and cupped them on each side of her face. “Juliette, that’s the one-hundred-percent honest truth. I have never forgotten you, and I have never gotten over you. I came here to protect you, yes, but mostly I came here to find you. To see if there could be an us. Surely you can understand what I’m saying. Surely you believe me.”

  Juliette swallowed hard, swiping at her tears. “I do believe you”—her voice came out a hoarse whisper—“But don’t call me Shirley.”

  It took a moment, then he burst out laughing. With a guttural sound, he wrapped his arms around Juliette and pulled her close. They remained that way for a long moment, holding onto each other, rocking side to side, clinging to the hope of their past and the promise of a future.

  In spite of everything going on, she had never known such joy.

  AFTER A SWEET PARTING with Marcus, Juliette went in search of Didi and finally tracked her down in a back room at the conference center. She was shoulder-to-shoulder with several volunteers, assembling the farewell goodie bags that each retreat attendee would receive at the conclusion of the event the next day. When she saw Juliette come into the room, she turned her eyes downward without even acknowledging her presence.

  Didi wasn’t going to make this easy.

  “May we speak privately?” Juliette’s intention was to go outside, where the two of them could be alone to talk. Instead, Didi gave the workers a ten-minute break, apologizing to them that she hadn’t thought to do so sooner.

  The three women were chatting and laughing as they left, making the silence that much more noticeable once they were gone. Juliette closed the door behind them even as Didi continued moving down the line, filling a goody bag and placing it into a large cardboard box at the end of the row. Then she went back to the beginning, pulled out a new bag, and repeated the process.

  “I know you’re upset with me.” Juliette stepped up to the other side of the table, grabbed an empty bag, and began to work her way down the line as well. “But I was hoping we could clear the air. Marcus and I want to have a brainstorming session at three-thirty, and I don’t think we can do that if you’re all mad and everything.”

  Didi paused, looking at Juliette. “A brainsto
rming session? About JT Lady?”

  “Not just that. About the whole mess here. Raven’s death. The vandalized sign. The note. Other things. I just have so many questions, but I think if a few of us put our heads together, we might be able to come up with some answers.”

  “I see.” Lips pursed, Didi started up again, stuffing the bags with extra intensity. “Sorry, but three’s a crowd.”

  Juliette thought for a moment, trying to figure out what was really going on here. She worked her way down the line, but after she put the filled bag into the box, she gave up and instead pulled out a stool from under the table and sat, facing her friend.

  “What is it that bothers you about him? With the exception of a few bad apples, I’ve never known you to have a problem with any of the men I’ve liked. Why Marcus?”

  Didi continued to the end with one more bag before answering. “Because you’re carrying on with a complete stranger, acting like you’ve known him all your life. Sneaking off with him whenever you can. Even riding alone with him in his car last night.” She paused to look straight at Juliette. “Do I need to remind you that a woman was murdered here, just days ago? How do you expect me to feel when I see you acting so careless in the wake of that?”

  “I know that’s how it seems, but—”

  “But nothing. Don’t you understand? This isn’t about him. He’s probably fine, a perfectly nice guy. Then again he might not be at all who he seems. Who knows? We’re talking about a complete stranger. The reason I usually don’t have a problem with the guys you date is because you choose carefully. You move slow. You check things out first. The way you’ve been the past few days is absurd.”

  “But there’s something you need to—”

  “Even if Marcus is drop-dead gorgeous, your behavior is completely over the top. I mean, some dashing stranger shows an interest in you, and suddenly it’s like he’s the center of your world? Honestly, Juliette, you’re acting like a naïve child. You don’t even know this man!”

  Tired of being interrupted, Juliette raised her voice. “Actually, Didi, I do know this man.”

  Didi crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you mean?”

  Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Juliette met her friend’s angry, confused glare. “He’s TOTGA. Marcus Stone is The One That Got Away. After twenty-five years he’s finally come back into my life.”

  There. She’d said it. Out loud. She felt a deep thrill, as if telling someone else had finally made it so.

  In response Didi’s eyes grew wide. Her face paled. She fumbled for another stool, pulled it out from under the table, and sat. When she spoke, her voice was hushed and strained. “Are you sure? Twenty-five years is a long time.”

  Juliette nodded, unable to keep a smile from easing onto her lips. “I’m sure. He’s here for me, Didi. The One That Got Away finally came to find me after all. And he’s even more wonderful than I remembered. He’s amazing, actually.”

  Again her friend grew silent. Slowly Didi’s expression went from shock to hurt. “So why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why did you let me worry like that?”

  Juliette let out a long, slow breath, not sure how to answer that question. “You’re right, I should’ve said something before now. But it was all such a shock. I needed to grasp the situation myself first before I could share it with anyone else.”

  Closing her mouth, Didi nodded, though the look on her face remained troubled. “Well. Good for you.” Her voice was flat. She stood, walked to the door, and swung it open. “I’ll, uh, I’ll let you know about the brainstorming.” She hesitated there in the doorway for a long moment.

  Then she simply turned and walked away.

  CRYSTAL CLOCKED OUT AT 3:05 p.m., glad to be done for the day—or for the next four hours, anyway. Despite having risen before dawn for the sunrise hike, she had to be back on duty tonight at 7:30, to help with the final session of the conference.

  She was just leaving when she checked her cubby and discovered a pink phone slip inside, from Juliette Taylor no less. Crystal’s stomach clenched. All the note said was to call ASAP, with a phone number written in underneath.

  Oh boy. This couldn’t be good. Was she in trouble? Did it have to do with their earlier encounter, when Crystal told Juliette about the rumors she’d heard?

  Hands shaking, Crystal dialed the number from her cell and soon was talking to Ms. Taylor, who didn’t sound mad at all. She just asked if they could meet up, away from the resort if possible, the sooner the better. Crystal agreed, but her mind churned with possible explanations for what this could be about.

  She had already ditched her white lab coat, but now she returned to the ladies’ locker room and went ahead and changed her clothes as well, switching back into the more casual Palm Grotto sweat suit—dark green with a white logo—that she’d worn for the sunrise hike. Soon she was in her car and on the way to Desayuno, a little 24-hour pancake house about fifteen miles from the resort.

  Crystal was a nervous wreck by the time she got there. Knees trembling, she made her way inside and found Ms. Taylor waiting for her in a booth by the window. To her surprise, that super hunky FBI guy sat next to her. Introductions were made, and he insisted that Crystal call him Marcus.

  “And I’m Juliette. Please. No more ‘Ms. Taylor,’ okay?”

  “Okay.”

  In a soft voice Juliette added, “Just so you know, that rumor you told me about Marcus was partly right, he has worked with the FBI in the past. But he’s not an agent and he wasn’t sent here to spy on me. That’s all I’m allowed to tell you, except that I do trust him implicitly and I assure you that you can too.”

  Crystal nodded, feeling both mortified and flattered. Why did they care what she thought anyway?

  A waitress came and took their orders. Once she was gone, Juliette finally launched into an explanation of what was going on, saying that this was a brainstorming session and they wanted Crystal to be a part of it.

  Her eyes narrowed. “A brainstorming session? What’s that?”

  Juliette glanced toward the handsome man beside her. “Marcus and I have been trying to get answers about some of the things that have been happening around the resort this week. So we’ve decided to brainstorm a bit. We thought it would be good to include an insider in the discussion, someone we can trust who works for the spa. We’re hoping that person is you.”

  They trusted her? They barely knew her! Still, a warmth began to spread inside Crystal’s chest.

  “Um, of course. Sure. I’ll do what I can. But I’ve only been here a few weeks, so I might not be all that helpful. I don’t know much.”

  “I don’t think any of us knows much, individually.” Juliette gave Crystal an encouraging smile. “But maybe if we put our heads together, we’ll find we know more than we think we do.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  THE BRAINSTORMING SESSION WENT along better than Marcus had expected. Didi showed up just as they were getting started, and despite the tension between her and Juliette, the mood around the table was upbeat and productive. Just as Juliette had predicted, Crystal was a welcome addition, especially as she was able to elaborate on the many behind-the-scenes spa procedures that were relevant to the murder.

  Marcus started out with the theory he’d been working on, that Raven’s killer was an employee at the resort. He asked Crystal how an employee might sneak onto the grounds unnoticed after hours, and she said they couldn’t, that the only way to get back in was by scanning an employee keycard at the front gate.

  “How about coming onto the grounds somewhere else?” he asked. “Do you know if the perimeter is secure?”

  “No clue. But I’d be happy to ask my friend Greg. He’s a Palm Grotto security guard.”

  “Or I could just give Orlando a call.” Didi reached for her phone.

  Juliette nixed that idea. “No offense, Didi, but I’m not sure anymore if we can trust him.” She went on to explain how she’d seen Orlando give one of Raven’s three “my
stery men” a package—and received a payoff in return.

  Didi’s expression soured. “That doesn’t sound like a payoff to me. It sounds like a tip. A courier must’ve dropped the package off at the front gate, and Orlando simply took responsibility for delivering it.”

  Marcus nodded. “I’m with Didi on this one. I don’t think his behavior sounds suspicious.”

  “Do you know what was in the package?” Crystal asked.

  Juliette hesitated. “Papers. About an inch-high stack of papers, all of them covered with printed text. I got a look at one page, and it was almost like a story. It described a woman, and parts of it could’ve been about Raven, but other parts not. I wasn’t sure what it was.”

  “Maybe she was writing a book,” Crystal mused.

  Didi barked out a laugh. “Gotta be able to read one before you can write one.”

  Ignoring her attempt at humor, Marcus pulled out a paper and handed it over to Crystal. “I brought along the resort map. Any thoughts on where someone might be able to sneak onto the grounds after hours, in the dark, unnoticed?”

  The young woman studied the page then pointed out several issues, including a ten-foot fence that ran parallel to the highway along the north, a cliff-like drop on the east, and thick brambles and underbrush blocking the south. That left the west as the most vulnerable.

  Crystal looked at Marcus. “They’d have to hike half a mile or so first to get there, but that’s about it.”

  Nodding, he pointed out the six circles that he’d drawn in on the map earlier and explained that he’d taken a walk around the resort, scoped out the security cameras, and drawn those circles to indicate his estimation of their viewing radius. “See if you can trace a route from that western entrance point all the way to the building where Raven was killed, without crossing into any of those circles.”

  Crystal did as she was told, her finger zigzagging across the page. “Yes.” She looked up at him, eyes wide. “Except for one, the camera behind Arrowscale.”