In less than twenty minutes they were on the way to town in Patricia’s Toyota. “Yeh! Finally we get to hang out together. We have a lot of time to make up for cousin.” Patricia said as she glanced over at Elizabeth. “Not only that,” Elizabeth said gleefully. “We have the party to go to tomorrow night. It is going to be grand. Yes, you are right. I am going to look for just the right dress to wear.” She finished, and they both laughed.
After they shopped until they dropped into a pizza place in the mall and had lunch, they stopped in the store where Paul, the cute guy worked. Patricia observed as Elizabeth asked Paul for assistance. Her flirting was outrageous with the young man reciprocating. The young girl mentioned that there was going to be a party at Grayson Manor the next day and would he like to attend as her date.” His answer was not surprising. “I get off from work at about five. What time is the party?’ “The band starts playing at seven. That would be a good time.” Elizabeth answered looking triumphant.
Patricia lingering near the two young people observing the exchange decided that she could take lessons from her cousin on how to flirt. It was obvious that the young man was smitten. When Elizabeth returned to shopping with Patricia, she giggled under her hand and said to Patricia. “You are not going to believe this,” and she laughed.
“Oh, I am already a believer after watching you operate; you little flirt,” and Patricia and grinned.
”Oh, but listen Patricia. He really likes me. He asked me out on a date and of course I said yes. But since the party is tomorrow evening anyway, I just asked him to come to celebrate you. You, my long lost cousin who has come home at last. Of course Paul will ask me out after the party. This is going to be the most fun. Patricia, wait until you see the ballroom all lit up and everyone dancing! It is just so lovely.” She gushed.” Wouldn’t it be fun if we all wore ball-gowns like the lady in the painting? I would love that.” and she twirled around as if she had yards of skirts swinging about her hips. “Actually, that would be fun,” and Patricia smiled. “Realistically, however, I am glad we don’t have to wear those heavy skirts. This is much better.” she said and glanced down at her casual slacks and sandals. ”That is true, but it would be nice, just this one time, for the dance tomorrow.” And Elizabeth twirled around again.
”You know, Lizzy, I don’t have a date for tomorrow. Rand Cameron said that he would call me, when he was here during the interrogation, but I haven’t heard from him.
”Oh, don’t worry Patsy, do you mind if I call you Patsy, OK, there will be plenty of people for you to dance with tomorrow. Then there is Justin.” She said looking sideways at her cousin. ”Of course, I know that it will be fun, and, Rand may still call. There is still time.” Patricia said wistfully.
The two girls left the store carrying shopping bags that were gradually getting heavy. “You know what I think I will do.” Lizzy said excitedly. “I am going to buy something for Aunt Hannah to wear to the party. She always wears that dreary black dress. Some color would brighten her up and put her in a party mood. I know. The hard part will be to get her to wear it.” She said and pushed her way through the door of a ladies fashion shop. “Hannah would look nice in a dress with some color. She is so tiny. Do you know her size?” Patricia asked as she followed Elizabeth into the store. ”Sure. She wears a size three. That is unbelievable, right?” she asked.
After searching for a few minutes, Elizabeth held up a dress “Oh, here Patricia, how about this one? ”She asked. She was holding up a simple little classic styled rose-colored dress. “That is just lovely Elizabeth. Hannah might even like that.” ”I am buying it.” Elizabeth said decidedly.
When they left the store, they both agreed that they had everything they needed When they were getting into the car, Elizabeth asked Patricia if she wanted to do anything else such as maybe see a movie. “You know what? I am exhausted. Let’s just go back to Grayson Manor and try on our dresses again.
The first thing they did when they reached the manor was to retire each to their respective rooms to try on their dresses. In just minutes, Elizabeth knocked on Patricia’s door wearing her new party dress. She and Patricia stood in front of the floor length mirror and admired themselves. They both agreed that they would probably be wearing the prettiest dresses at the party. After admiring each other's dress, they both twirled in front of the mirror and then danced around the room doing some modern dance steps.
When they finished admiring themselves, they did a high five in triumph, and Elizabeth returned to her room to change out of the dress back into the jeans she had worn to the mall. The rest of the day was spent helping Hannah prepare for the party. Both girls were excited about a chance to have some fun.
At dinner that evening, Justin was quiet, even thoughtful, which wasn’t really like him. He was usually teasing Elizabeth, giving her a hard time. He was always trying to irritate her in a good- natured way. Patricia was aware of Justin’s mood and wondered just what he was up to.
She noticed that her Uncle Flannel was also quieter than usual. “Are you all right Uncle Flannel?” she asked concerned. “I am fine dear,” he said, “I am just going over in my mind the plans for the get-together tomorrow evening. I just want to make sure everything goes well. I want this to be a good experience for you.” He finished as he took a sip of wine. “Don’t worry about a thing. Elizabeth and I helped out today and everything seems to be working out great. We are going to have fun with the music and dancing and meeting new friends. What could go wrong?” Patricia said quizzically. “Well, I just want to be prepared.” Flannel said thoughtfully.
“Uncle Flannel, I can’t wait for the party tomorrow. We haven’t had one for ages.” Then Elizabeth gave Patricia a smile and a knowing look. Patricia grinned at Lizzy and took a sip of her tea. They were going to have fun, and there was still time for Rand to call.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The party had started out with the band playing a waltz famous as one of the standards at past Grayson Manor festivities. Patricia was dancing with Justin. She and Elizabeth had shared a moment right before the guests arrived where they had decided that they both looked fabulous. Patricia had met many of the Grayson family friends and was enjoying the fun and attention, when Justin asked her to dance. After they had danced for a few minutes, he guided her off the dance floor, confiscated two glasses of wine and handed her one.
“Let’s go.” He said dragging her towards the stage. When they reached the band, which had just finished playing a beautiful waltz, he took the mike. “Friends and neighbors would you please raise your glasses to Patricia Grayson, the woman who I am going to marry. Salute!” Everyone, looking surprised, raised their glasses in response. Justin took a sip of his wine, as Patricia stood speechless. “Justin, what do you think you are doing?” “Just speeding things up a little, I do want…”
Patricia did not hear Justin’s last words because, after seeing Flannel Grayson’s shocked expression, she had to get away from Justin. Was he crazy? She was so embarrassed. What would everyone think? As far as they all knew, Justin was her cousin. After reading Hannah’s diary, Patricia knew the truth. She walked away, dazed, looking for a safe haven.
Feeling a little overwhelmed, Patricia left the noisy room through the French doors that led out onto the patio. It was a clear night, and the stars shone brightly appearing closer to earth than usual. A gentle breeze blew softly through her hair. The leaves on the giant magnolia tree swayed in the wind, and the roses spread their fragrance in the light breeze.
Patricia had not known how to act earlier when Rand Cameron had asked her to dance. It was awkward. Why hadn’t he called her? Was there to be no explanation? She had been aware of him the moment he entered the room. Good-looking in a rugged sort of way, the effects of the formal wear offset by several days' stubble making him the most striking man in the room. She was affected by him despite the fact that he had not called her, which would lead one to believe that he was not interested.
As Flannel had in
troduced them again, Patricia gave Rand a polite smile and, when he asked her to dance, and they moved out on the floor, she wondered if he would address the fact that he had failed to call her. He didn’t.
She had met Rand during the investigation of the crime against her Uncle Flannel Grayson. The investigation had been conducted quickly and efficiently, with all of the occupants of Grayson Manor being questioned. She had thought then that he looked familiar, but could not place where she had seen him. During that time and even now, her mind still played with the idea that they had met before. After he had failed to call her, she had not expected to ever see him again. Now, here he was almost one of the family. Grant Cameron, Rand’s father, was one of Flannel’s oldest friends and his lawyer.
She crossed the patio and entered the garden. She cringed when she recalled the incident when Justin had announced to all of Flannel Grayson’s friends that the two of them were an item. She was completely taken by surprise by this public statement, and she would never forget the look on Flannel Grayson’s face when she looked across at him. She would explain to him later that the announcement was as much a surprise to her as it was to him, and that she would set Justin straight just as soon as possible.
As Patricia moved into the garden out of the light shining through open doors on the patio, she became a shadow, lost in the hidden shifting shapes of rose bushes forming arbors swaying in the wind. The gardens were her favorite places. There was a vegetable garden, Hannah’s rose garden, surrounded by a myriad of flowers and shrubs that created a maze of spicy beauty covered by butterflies and hundreds of bees during the day. The fragrance of the lovely roses in full-bloom, was heavenly and the light breeze felt soothing to her hot cheeks. The party seemed very far away as she found a bench tucked away in a large arbor which served as a divider between the implied rooms creating little hideaways where one could rest, enjoy the garden, and commune with nature. The arbor cast long shifting shadows that moved in the breeze creating an eerie effect. Patricia had just reached out to touch a rose, when she heard a voice on the other side of the arbor that sounded suspiciously like Justin.
“We will have to move it on the eighteenth, and after this delivery, we will have to change the location for the next drop. It is too risky to use the same location more than a couple of times.” Then a woman spoke so low that Patricia could not make out what she said. Justin spoke again. “We can’t do that, not with the cops so close! You make sure that you tell them that I will pick it up at four o’clock on the eighteenth.” He ended furtively. Patricia could tell by the tone of voice that the woman assented, but still could not understand what she said. There was a long silence, and then she heard Justin say in a low voice. “I have got to go. See you later.”
Justin! Mixed up in something unholy, and the event was suppose to take place on the eighteenth. Patricia suspected that Justin had something to do with Flannel Grayson’s illness. She wondered if Hannah knew. She must stay alert to Justin’s every movement. Flannel Grayson’s life, and maybe even her own, depended on her finding out just what Justin was up to. His boldness toward her tonight had been embarrassing, and she couldn’t wait to expose him for the traitor that she suspected that he really was.
Patricia stood to go back inside, when she felt more than heard a movement in the shadows near her. Sudden panic gripped her as she poised for flight, but, before she could move, a voice held her. “Hello, Ms. Grayson, Patricia. It is a beautiful night, isn’t it?” It was Rand, his voice soft. Patricia sensed by his demeanor that he was not out in the rose garden to smell the roses. “Oh, it’s you.” She said startled.
She wondered how long he had been standing there. Had Rand Cameron overheard the couple on the other side of the alcove as she had? Did he think that she was involved because she was here in the garden too?
“I love the fragrance of the roses, and this breeze is nice. Are you enjoying the party?” She gushed. “Absolutely.” He said standing near enough for her to feel his breath on her face. With a flash of white teeth he added. “Great party, but I like it even better out here.” and moving closer, he put both hands on her shoulders and turned her to him. “You are so beautiful.” He said as he pulled her in closer. “This from a man who is probably thinking that I might be a criminal.” “Just doing my job.” He said as he kissed her, doing a really nice job of it. Responding, then pulling away before she completely got lost in the moment, she was retrieved for one last embrace. Releasing her abruptly, (well she wished he would make up his mind), he linked her arm in his and began leading her back towards the light. When they reached the patio, Patricia said as if nothing had happened. “Thank you for attending the party. I should get back to help my Uncle Flannel see the rest of the guests out. Patricia then looked into the face of the young man, graced him with a formal smile and walked into the room leaving him standing there.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rand had spent the last few days burying himself in his work in an effort to take his mind off of what was really bothering him. Ever since the day he and McNally had questioned the members of the Grayson family household, he had not been able to get Patricia Grayson out of his mind. Because Justin was involved in criminal activity, maybe even a key figure, Rand had to adjust his thinking when it came to Patricia Grayson. How do you tell the woman you are interested in, that you have helped trap and jail her cousin? Then there was still some skepticism about Patricia.
There was more than one thing in Patricia’s favor, however. First, she was incredibly beautiful, second, she had just arrived, and the drug dealing had been going on for a long time before she got there, and third, Patricia was incredibly beautiful. Rand grinned at his own idiocy, and a surge of happiness swept over him at the thought of the shared kiss. He was smitten. However, he needed to slow down until they put this drug thing to rest. He wondered if she remembered that he had said he would call her. Well, there hadn’t been time, and then there was still some skepticism about Patricia’s involvement.
Remembering Justin’s announcement, Rand recalled the shock on Patricia’s face, which led him to believe that the announcement was as much a surprise to her as it was to everyone else in the room. Even if the announce was legit, somehow Rand could not visualize those two together. Patricia was elegant and classy, and Justin was a shady character at best.
It was already getting late and some of the guests, at the party, at Grayson Manor, had already left, when Rand had seen Justin leave out of the French doors. Rand was about to follow him when Patricia also walked out onto the patio and into the garden. The detective watched her as she lingered a few minutes. Then she walked out into the darkness. She was a beautiful girl, and Rand was drawn to her. She was lovely, smart, and funny. He liked that. You have to be able to laugh to make it in this world he thought.
He wondered what was happening. Was she meeting Justin in the garden? Justin had just announced that he and Patricia was an item. Patricia just was not Justin’s type. She was way too classy for him. Rand hoped fervently that Patricia was not mixed up with Justin.
He crossed the patio and circled around so as not to run into Patricia. He had worked his way to what seemed the center of the garden when he overheard the stilted conversation between Justin and an unidentified woman. At first, when he heard Justin, Rand expected that the person that he would be talking to would be Patricia. He did not recognize the voice, however. The two were discussing the drug pickup in the cave. What luck. The pickup was scheduled for the eighteenth at noon.
After the reveal, he discovered that he was near the arbor where Patricia had taken refuge. As he moved to leave, Patricia walked right into him. He, looking as startled as she was, thought that she looked lovely in the moonlight. Surprising himself, he had kissed her. In his heart, Rand knew that Patricia had nothing to do with Justin’s illegal activities. Besides, he had a gut feeling that she was not involved. He was feeling very optimistic. However, it wasn’t over yet.
Chapter Twenty-Six
&n
bsp; There was an air of excitement among the officers going over the information they had accumulated during they’re investigation into the drug dealer's activities. The drug deal was about to go down in the cave at Grayson Manor. There was only one problem. It was raining buckets, and it was suppose to rain for the next couple of days. There were flood warnings, and the Ohio River would be out of the banks, which would cause the cave to flood. Their only hope was that the event would happen before the cave was flooded.
“We can expect them to make that pickup anytime now. That is, if they don’t suspect that we are onto them.” Rand said, as he addressed his colleagues in the room. “If they wait until the eighteenth, that cave will be full of water, and they know it. This will make our job easier because their time is limited.” “Oh, they will pick up that package. It is worth a fortune. They are not going to lose that.” Rob McNally assured them. “Right. I agree.” Rand returned.
“Lets keep our men on it around the clock. We have got them where we want them. Let’s do this. This will be their last transaction, because we are going to be there to cuff them.” Rand finished. An affirmative was heard all around the table as the men got to their feet to begin the last roundup that would put all of the key figures in jail that were involved in the largest drug dealing ring in the history of their city.
The Curse Of Ivy Page 9