by Sonia Parin
“All true, I’m afraid. I don’t know what came over him. Faith thinks he might have sensed Marigold’s attack.” Abby gulped. “I hope she didn’t have some sort of dog allergy.”
“Did she come into direct contact with him?”
Abby shook her head and told him Doyle had begun whimpering when Marigold had drawn closer to them.
“If only he could talk,” Joshua mused.
“I just don’t understand it. He’s never misbehaved. He spent some time sniffing her train and then he actually growled and barked at her,” Abby admitted. “Are people pointing the finger of blame at Doyle?”
“No. They’re just trying to figure out what happened.”
“What’s the general consensus?” she asked.
“Most are saying she didn’t want to attend tonight but Harry forced her. He still holds the purse strings and she didn’t have a say in the matter.” Joshua shrugged. “Someone mentioned divorce proceedings. He might have wanted to keep up appearances. If she’d been under pressure, that might have brought on an asthma attack or maybe she put on an act so she could leave early.”
Abby counted the three steps before saying, “So, they think she faked a fainting spell to get out of staying at the ball?” What would they say when the truth came out? she wondered. “The town is going to be in an uproar when they discover she…” Abby looked around her and whispered, “has expired.”
“That’s the best euphemism you could find?”
“Counting to three is using up all my mental acuity. One. Two. Three.”
“You’re doing extremely well,” he encouraged.
“Only because I’m going backward and forward. Please don’t test me by suggesting we go sideways.”
“Dip.”
“What? Oh… No!” Somehow, Abby managed to hold onto Doyle and bend back a little. Doyle rewarded her with a lick on the chin.
Joshua laughed. “I think Doyle enjoyed that.”
He had! “He’s surprised me today. Usually, he doesn’t like wearing his little coats and, while at first, he seemed a little dubious about his tuxedo, he’s been strutting about showing his outfit off. I really don’t get why he barked at Marigold. He’s so well-behaved, I’ve never had to worry about him.”
The music ended and the band took a break.
“I enjoyed that.” It hadn’t been nearly as painful as she’d expected it to be. “And, look. Doyle is wagging his tail.”
Joshua’s cell phone rang. He excused himself and strode out of the ballroom to take the call.
Seeing Mitch Faydon approaching her, Abby tried to make her getaway again.
“Hey,” he called out.
Abby stopped. “Please don’t ask me to dance. I don’t want to push my luck. Joshua got through the dance without me stepping on his toes. I’m not sure the next dance partner will be as lucky.”
“Actually, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Oh, sure…” Abby frowned. “Hang on. So, you weren’t going to ask me to dance?”
Mitch grinned. “I would have, if I’d seen no one else had asked you.”
“Your mother taught you well.”
Mitch grinned.
“So, what did you want to ask me?”
“Why is Joshua here? I saw him last week and he said he wouldn’t be attending the ball because he had to work.”
“Joshua? Is he here?”
“You danced with him a moment ago.”
Abby gave him an innocent look. “I danced with a masked man.”
“Who happened to be Detective Joshua Ryan. In fact, only a minute ago you admitted as much.” Mitch folded his arms. “What are you hiding? Did something happen to Marigold?”
Abby leaned in and hushed him.
Mitch slid his arm around her waist and swung her toward the dance floor just as a waltz started.
“Oh, no. Slow down.”
Mitch grinned. “Tell me or I’ll swirl you around again.”
“Fine. Yes. I’ll tell you. Just, slow down. I’m getting dizzy.”
Mitch slowed down to a gentle swaying from side to side. “Out with it.”
“She… She took a turn for the worst. They took her to hospital.” Abby stuck to the truth but omitted to mention the sheet covering her face.
“Hang on. So why did Joshua show up? I saw him earlier in the dining room dressed in a suit and now he’s wearing a tux.”
“He got off work early and… and he didn’t want to miss out on the fun. Did you notice how he danced? I had no idea his mom owned a dance studio.”
Mitch swirled her around again. “You’re trying to change the subject and you’re not being entirely truthful.” He grinned and swirled her again.
Doyle’s tongue lolled out and his little ears flopped around.
“All right. I’ll tell you.” Abby leaned in and whispered, “She kicked the bucket.”
Mitch stopped and gaped at her. “No. Really?”
“You have to promise to keep it under wraps. We don’t want to ruin the night for Charles. Remember, this is all for a good cause.”
The music ended. Mitch made a zipping gesture against his lips and took a bow. As he turned away, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Faith.” The music started again. Before Abby knew what was happening, Faith took hold of her hand and drew her into a dance. “What are you doing?”
“Relax. There aren’t enough men dancing. This is completely normal.”
“So… Why are you frowning?” Abby asked.
“Because I’m cross with you.”
Abby raised her eyebrows. “Me?” She lifted Doyle. “You can’t be cross with me. Look, I’m holding an adorable puppy…”
“You can’t hide behind Doyle’s cuteness. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What?”
“Marigold Winthrop.” Faith lifted an eyebrow. “Someone happened to be looking out of the dining room window just as the paramedics wheeled her out and they saw the sheet covering her face.”
“No. Really?” Abby looked around. If someone knew Marigold had died, surely the news would have spread by now.
Faith rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re thinking. The place should be buzzing with the news. I put a stop to it. You can thank me later. I said Marigold’s mascara had run and she didn’t want anyone seeing her in a state of disarray. Everyone knows how particular she is about the way she looks.”
Good thinking, Abby thought.
“Well? Are you going to come clean? You must have seen her being wheeled out. You were standing in the lobby.”
“Fine. Yes,” Abby admitted.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I promised Sebastian. He doesn’t want the news to leak out and ruin the evening. I’m sorry. Hang on. You’ve known all along. Why did you wait so long to confront me?”
Faith gave her a raised eyebrow look. “Because I wanted to see how long it would take you to confide in me. Clearly, you’re made of the right stuff. I haven’t decided how I feel about that yet, but when I do, I’ll let you know what it’ll cost you.” Faith leaned in and whispered, “So, did someone kill her?”
“What? No.” At least, Abby hoped not.
“Heads up,” Faith said. “Joshua is headed your way.”
“Joshua? He’s here?”
Faith groaned. “Oh, Abby. Give it up. You think a little mask is going to serve as a disguise?”
Joshua gave Faith a tap on the shoulder. “May I cut in?”
“She’s all yours.” Faith strode off in a huff.
“I think I’m going to have to mend some fences. Faith knows I’ve been keeping things from her. This is going to cost me dearly.”
Joshua’s mouth set into a grim line.
“Oh, dear. That phone call…”
“Yes, that phone call,” he said.
“Bad news?”
When Joshua didn’t answer, she knew he still needed a few minutes to mull over what he’d say to her. Abby scooped
in a breath and braised herself. “Are you about to tell me we are shuffling around in a crime scene?”
As he answered, she heard a drumroll coming from the orchestra followed by a fireworks explosion signaling the start of the pyrotechnics display.
They were both swept along as everyone headed out to the terrace to enjoy the show.
“Was that a yes?” Abby asked, but she didn’t hear his answer. A wave of exclamations rose around her when a series of fireworks exploded and lit up the night sky.
A suspicious death? Abby looked heavenward. “Someone please pass the smelling salts…”
Chapter Nine
ABBY AND JOSHUA WENT with the flow and joined the throng of people gazing up to admire the fireworks.
To Abby, it felt somewhat wrong to take the time to enjoy herself.
Someone had been killed. Abby didn’t want to jump to conclusions and Joshua hadn’t said it in so many words, but he didn’t need to spell it out to her.
As the last firework lit the sky, guests took a moment to enjoy the lingering magic before dispersing. Some returned to the ballroom, while others took the opportunity to stroll around the park and head toward the lake to enjoy the gondola rides.
Joshua waited until they were alone to say, “After I spoke with the doctor, he became curious and decided he couldn’t wait until tomorrow when the medical examiner came in for his shift. So, he carried out a few simple tests.”
“And?”
“He found a substance that should not have been there.”
Abby listened in silent disbelief.
He turned and looked toward the ballroom.
Abby imagined him wondering if one of the guests had wanted Marigold dead. “Does Sebastian know?”
He shook his head and checked his watch. “I haven’t told him yet.”
“At the risk of losing my job, I really don’t want to ask you any more questions.” As the town’s reporter, she had a duty to collect as much information as she could, by any means possible. The fact Joshua had chosen to share what he had with her meant a great deal and she suspected he’d wanted to use her as a sounding board. However, Abby found herself suffering from a bout of denial. How could someone die, let alone be killed, at a ball? Her shoulders lowered. If someone had died under mysterious circumstances, the police would find the culprit and it would be her duty to report on it. Venetian Ball or no Venetian Ball… “What’s your next step?” she asked.
“My hands are tied. I can’t take action until the official test results come in.”
“You need solid proof a crime has been committed,” Abby whispered. She swallowed and looked around her as if reaching out for something to explain what had happened. “But there is enough suspicion for you to begin investigating.”
He nodded.
“Is there something you can do tonight?”
“What do you suggest? Setting up a crime board in the ballroom?”
At least he still had his sense of humor.
Abby pushed herself to ask, “Did the doctor say what he found?”
“An unusual amount of a toxic substance but he didn’t want to stake his reputation on it so he wants to wait until tomorrow morning to make sure.”
“What sort of substance?”
“Formaldehyde.”
Frowning, Abby opened her mouth to speak only to shut it again as she tried to think what she knew about formaldehyde. “That’s the stuff used to preserve…” Abby clicked her fingers. “Specimens?”
“Among many things. It’s also used in household products. That’s as much as I knew about it until the doctor filled me in. It’s also found in building materials, and used in the construction of furniture, cabinets, and walls. I almost wish he hadn’t given me all that information. Assuming Marigold Winthrop died from formaldehyde poisoning, there’s a lot of it around.” Pushing out a breath, he raked his fingers through his hair. “It’s not as if I can round up everyone and test them for the substance the way you do with gunshot residue. Also, if formaldehyde contributed to Marigold’s death, she might have ingested it herself.”
“Seriously?” Abby’s eyes widened. “Suicide?”
Joshua shrugged. “Being issued with divorce papers could drive a person to take drastic measures.”
Abby played around with the idea. Who knew why someone would deliberately harm themselves. Given the situation, Marigold might have been trying to end the divorce process by gaining sympathy. “I overheard someone say Marigold might have faked a fainting spell to get people’s sympathy. What if she didn’t want to get divorced? Apparently, she’d worked hard to land herself a rich husband. She might not have wanted to change her status quo.” Abby frowned as another thought took shape in her mind. How much would a divorce cost Harry Winthrop?
“What?” Joshua asked.
“Huh?”
“You just scrunched up your face.”
“Oh, I had a stray thought.”
“And?”
Abby grinned. “I don’t want to jump the gun and start pointing fingers.”
“I’ll take anything you have.”
“Okay, here goes. Divorces are expensive.” She waved her hand. “As I said, nothing but a stray thought. Harry doesn’t strike me as the type to take action.” But someone else might do so on his behalf, she thought and pressed her hand to her mouth.
“Another stray thought?” Joshua asked.
Keeping her hand over her mouth, she nodded.
“You’re going to toss and turn tonight.”
Letting her hand drop, Abby sighed. “Yes. Most likely.” Somehow, she managed to produce a smile. “I tend to do my most inspired thinking while I’m trying to sleep.” Her gaze skated around the ballroom. Everyone looked happy and while they were having fun now, soon enough, they would start associating the night with a… a possible murder.
“There you are.” Faith ran toward them.
“This can’t be good,” Abby murmured.
“The cat’s out of the bag,” Faith said. “Everyone knows.”
“How on earth did that happen?” Abby knew Faith hadn’t said anything. If one person had been looking out the window when the paramedics had wheeled Marigold out, then maybe someone else had seen it too.
“A nurse at the hospital called one of the guests to ask what had happened at the ball because Marigold had been taken straight through to the morgue.”
“So, that’s how rumors start,” Abby mused.
Faith laughed. “It’s not exactly a rumor. It’s now a fact.”
Joshua and Abby looked toward the ballroom.
“It will be interesting to see if anyone makes a sudden exodus out of the place,” Abby said.
Faith raised her eyebrows. “You mean, the killer.”
“No one said anything about a killer.”
“Right,” Faith grinned. “Marigold just keeled over for no good reason.” Faith pointed at Joshua. “And he’s only here because he just couldn’t bear to miss out on the fun.”
“Fine,” Abby said. “There appear to be suspicious circumstances.” Abby had no choice but to fill her in on the rest.
Faith nodded. “That’s more like it.”
Joshua got on the phone and organized the officers attending the ball to keep their eyes peeled.
“Are you trying to contain the situation?” Abby asked.
“It’s all I can do for now.” He tapped his phone against his hand. “I saw a few people taking photos with their phones. From what I hear, Marigold made quite a regal entrance. I assume people took snaps of it. Maybe one of the images will reveal something.”
“I agree.” Faith nodded. “You can tell a lot by the way a person looks at someone. Imagine if the killer had been in there, watching Marigold make her entrance, waiting for her to meet her end because he knew she was running out of time.” Faith held up a finger as if suddenly inspired. “Joshua, you should get Kelly Pierce to give you a list of all the guests and serving staff.”
Abby gulped
. Would her name be on the list? “Joshua can only do that after he receives confirmation a crime has been committed,” Abby said. “Anyway, what can you do about the photos? Confiscate people’s phones? That would be too extreme.”
“You’re right. I could organize everyone into sending their photos to a dedicated email address. Although, if I do that, they’re going to start asking questions.”
“Maybe Charles could help you out,” Abby suggested. He could ask people to send him the photos for a commemorative album of the night.”
Joshua patted Doyle on the head. “That’s a smart cookie you have there, Doyle.”
Faith cast a wistful look at the lake. “I didn’t get to have a ride on the gondola.”
***
“IT’S LIKE A BEEHIVE IN there. Everyone is talking at once.” Faith raised her glass of champagne. “Charles did his best to distract his guests by serving more champagne. Now he’s plying everyone with coffee. Just as well I got a lift here from a teetotal neighbor.”
“Do we know if anyone left suddenly?” Abby asked.
Joshua gave a slow shake of his head. “I have someone watching every exit point. Everyone is still here. They’re probably afraid of missing out on any developments.”
Abby tried to stifle a yawn. “Will I look suspicious if I leave?”
“You can’t leave now,” Faith exclaimed. “What if something happens?”
“I’m sure Charles will want his house back at some point. The fireworks were supposed to signal the end of the night.”
“Actually, it’s the stroke of midnight,” Faith said. “That’s when everyone removes their masks.”
Joshua checked his watch. “That’s only a half hour away.”
Abby tapped her foot along with the tune wafting out from the ballroom. “Mitch and Markus are getting their money’s worth out of the dancing lessons.”
“Yes, apparently, they enjoyed them so much they’re sticking with them. They’ve become my mom’s favorite pupils. It takes the pressure off me.”
“Are we just going to stand around waiting for something to happen?” Faith asked.
Chuckling, Abby said, “We could storm in there and start pointing fingers and accusing guests. Oh, but wait… We don’t actually know how Marigold died. Until the test results come in, we’ll have to sit tight. However…”