by Leonie Gant
“There’s everything that I have on Eric Wesson. Like I said, Adele pulled the plug before I could really get into it, but I did hear that he had a mother that he didn’t really speak to. Almost felt sorry for the poor guy once I heard a bit about her. Made me think that he might actually be looking for a mother figure in Adele and not just her money.”
“Oh that’s a pleasant thought” I grimaced.
“Takes all types sweetheart” Cooper said smiling, “even deluded romantics waiting for their Prince Charming.”
I decided not to answer that, knowing that I was being counted amongst the deluded romantics.
“Thank you Mr Cooper” I said. “If we need any more information are you available for further work for Adele?”
“Actually sweetheart I am kind of busy at the moment, my reputation being what it is.” Cooper sat down and leaned back in his chair. “But if you would be willing to call me Travis and you were the one doing the calling, I might be convinced.”
“Why?” I asked incredulously.
“Let’s just say that with my line of work, sometimes it’s refreshing to be around a deluded romantic.”
I sighed. I could never understand why I attracted the weird ones.
“Fine Travis, If I call and ask very nicely and let you laugh at my foolish dreams will you help me?”
“If you put it that way, how could I possibly refuse?” He held out his hands, palms up and had such an innocent look on his face that I couldn’t stop the laugh that came out of me.
In that instant Travis’s face changed and his eyes looked like melted chocolate. “Sweetheart” he said, “you really should laugh more often. That smile could stop traffic.”
I stopped laughing, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. I was the wallflower, I was used to that role. Compliments from gorgeous men really didn’t usually come my way. Suddenly nervous I held out my hand to shake his.
“Thank you very much for your help.”
Travis stood up and his hand engulfed mine. I noticed how small my hand looked next to his. His deep tan in stark contrast to the paleness of my skin.
He kept a hold of my hand until I looked up. “Anytime you need any help” he said looking at me intently, “just give me a call.”
“Thank you” I mumbled, pulled my hand back and quickly made my exit.
As I left the office I looked back to see Travis watching me from his doorway, with a thoughtful expression on his face. I finally took a breath once I had left the office building. Travis Cooper unnerved me in a way that I really wasn’t used to.
Chapter Eleven
Back in my car I pulled out the card Monique had given me and dialed the number.
“Everlasting Events, Tomas speaking.” I looked at the phone in shock.
The voice on the end of the phone was not what I was expecting from someone that organized funeral services. The voice was male but with a high pitched excited quality to it that I wasn’t sure fit with what I assumed was the somber nature of the job. I had obviously let the silence go for too long because the voice started up again.
“It’s okay, take your time, I’ll just wait until you’re ready to talk.”
“Uh, no that’s fine. My name is Trudie Eyre, I was given your card by Monique Petit. I am organizing a funeral service for the husband of my client and Monique suggested that you would be the best person to help me.”
“Of course” Tomas said smoothly. “When are you available to meet?”
“I’m available whenever you are” I said crossing my fingers. The sooner I sorted out this mess the happier I was going to be.
“I can meet you now for a coffee” Tomas said and named a small coffee shop that I knew.
Sitting in the coffee shop half an hour later, I realized that I had no idea what he looked like. I hate meeting someone I don’t know. Every time the door opened I swiveled my head around and tried to work out whether the person coming through was the person that I was supposed to meet. I shouldn’t have worried. When Tomas Burnelli walked in I could see that he matched his voice perfectly. I raised my hand, he saw me and headed my way.
Tomas Burnelli was a slight man with delicate features. His demeanor screamed an interesting personality. His tanned skin and brown eyes denoted an Italian heritage, but his hair had been dyed a strong platinum blond, providing a stark contrast to his countenance. His eyes twinkled with a barely suppressed joy. Looking at him you would assume that he would be best suited in the most flamboyant of colors. Unfortunately, in obvious deference to his work, he wore a dull gray suit matched with a lovely leather man bag that he wore slung across his body. The whole look made me think of a peacock with a blanket thrown over it. You can see fabulous is there, it is peeking out of the sides, but it is being completely smothered. I stood as he approached and he held out his arms, grabbed my shoulders and kissed me on the cheek.
“Trudie” he said, his voice carrying to the rest of the coffee shop. “It is so good to meet you.”
I motioned for him to sit down and we ordered our coffees. Tomas looked at me with that irrepressible twinkle in his eye.
“So Trudie, how can I help you?”
“I have a client, her husband passed away rather suddenly yesterday.”
“Wait, wait” Tomas said “I must write all this down. He pulled an ornate leather bound notebook from his bag and settled it on the table. “Very well,” he said, “keep going.”
“As I said, my client’s husband passed away quite suddenly yesterday in less than optimal circumstances. My client is well known but not overly famous, so there may be some media interest. We are looking for a discreet and tasteful way of holding the funeral. Is this something you would be able to do?” I asked holding my breath.
“Of course I can do it” Tomas said quietly. I was pleased to see that the voice that had previously carried to all ends of the coffee shop, could be modulated for privacy when required. “The issue we have is that I need to have all the information if I am to do the job properly.”
I looked at him, loath to give this information to someone that I had only met. Tomas sighed obviously aware of my internal dilemma.
“Would it make it any easier for you Trudie if I told you that I used to work for Monique as one of her personal assistants?”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes really. I was with Monique for four years and had various clients, all of whom were challenging but interesting which I’m sure is the same way you ended up here today.”
“Why did you leave?” I asked curiously.
“I had always wanted to be an events planner. Working with Monique’s clients honed those skills and I ended up branching out on my own.”
“As a funeral events planner?” I said questioningly. Not exactly a career path that I had envisaged.
Tomas smiled. “Not exactly at first. I started off working as a wedding planner.”
That made sense. I could see the man in front of me being a wedding planner, he would be perfect in the role.
“Why don’t you still do that?” I asked.
“Brides,” Tomas shivered. “Some women can be truly vicious on their wedding day. I got tired of dealing with women who were determined to reduce everyone around them to tears. The last wedding that I did was a nightmare. The mother of the groom died in the middle of the planning stage for the wedding. The bride was too busy with wedding plans to help with the organization of the funeral of the mother of the man she supposedly loved. He asked me to help and I felt so sorry for the guy that I organized the funeral for him. He was so grateful for the work I did, while his bride to be did nothing but raise the stress levels of everyone around her.”
“That was a good thing you did” I said gently.
Tomas smiled at me. “I got more joy and a stronger feeling that I had helped people that day than I ever did for any of the weddings I planned, so I changed my focus. I no longer plan the best day of people’s lives, I help them get through one of the worst.”
I felt tears prick the back of my eyes. “That is lovely” I said, “I’ve never looked at it that way.”
Tomas looked embarrassed. “On the plus side, the groom got smart. He dumped the bitch he was going to marry at the funeral, when she turned up drunk in a tiny red dress that left nothing to the imagination.”
“My image of happy ever after is taking a battering today” I muttered.
“Why?” asked Tomas.
“I met a PI today who spends his life following people around while they cheat on their spouses and now you. I’m beginning to think that marriage is a recipe for disaster.”
“It usually is” said Tomas. “So are you ready to trust me with some of the details that I am going to need for your client’s husband?”
“Okay” I said. “My client is Adele Wesson.” Tomas nodded in recognition. “Her second husband Eric, who she married a year ago, was yesterday found dead in his bed. At this stage there are no details but there was a lot of blood.”
Tomas nodded, frantically writing down information.
“As a result of all that blood there is a murder investigation happening. The police have control of Eric’s body right now and at this stage I am not sure when it is going to be released. Adele is currently in hospital and I am not sure when she will be discharged, so that is another thing we have to be sure of before organizing the service. I am currently in the process of trying to find out about any other family for Eric who may want to be involved in the funeral. I will contact you if I get any more information from that investigation. We want the funeral to be discreet, possibly in an out of the way place which is difficult for the media to get to. Usually Adele isn’t famous enough for the major media coverage that celebrities get but, because of the way that Eric died, I am a bit concerned that they may try to put a bit of a sensationalist spin on it.”
“Understandable” Tomas said. “Any thought on whether he was religious.”
I almost choked. The thought of bacchanalian Eric following a pious religion was almost laughable.
“I doubt it but I will let you know if his family has anything to say about that.”
“I will need to know the kind of music wanted and whether anyone will be doing a eulogy. I know a minister, she’s pretty good regarding services. Especially if there is the potential for issues such as conflict between family members, that sort of thing. I know a funeral home and cemetery that is out of the way which we could use.”
“I will see what information I can get together in the next couple of days for you” I said.
“Most importantly, I will need to know when the police will release the body so we at least have a day to work with it” Tomas said.
Thinking of Griffin I said “I may be able to get that information. I’ll give you a call.”
“That sounds great” said Tomas closing his notebook. “Oh one more question, will it be an open or closed casket?”
I thought back to the previous morning. “I’m going to say a closed casket.” I grimaced remembering the amount of blood that I had seen on Eric’s pillow.
“Very well” said Tomas as he stood and held out his hand. I grasped it, grateful for his steady confidence.
“Thank you very much for your help.”
“My pleasure” said Tomas. “As soon as you get more information could you please let me know. Also if you want me to meet with other family members I would be happy to do that.”
On my way to the hospital to meet with Adele again I started thinking about Tomas. Since leaving Australia I hadn’t really thought about a career path. To be perfectly honest I had fallen into my job with Monique. I loved doing it but I wasn’t really sure whether I wanted to spend my life catering to the sometimes crazy whims of the rich and spoiled. Sooner or later I was going to snap and that would not end well. Monique liked me and I knew that she was patient with a lot of the things that her PAs threw her way. She hadn’t turned a hair when I’d told her I had found my second body while at work. Sooner or later though she might lose some of that patience. Maybe I should be looking at my options in case that happened.
Chapter Twelve
Adele’s hospital room seemed to be abuzz with activity. Nurses were coming in and out of the room and Miranda Powell seemed to be directing them with all the efficiency of a general directing troops.
“What’s happening?” I asked as I cautiously entered the room dodging one nurse who looked particularly harried.
Miranda was the one who answered me while Adele sat serenely on the side of the bed.
“Adele wants to go home and there is nothing physically wrong with her, so we are organizing her discharge.”
Adele didn’t seem to be paying any attention to what was going on around her so I was assuming the ‘we’ Miranda was referring to was herself, as she took some paperwork from one of the nurses.
Sitting next to Adele I leaned over. “Are you sure you’re ready to leave the hospital.”
I was a bit concerned as her eyes seemed to be a little unfocused. Adele always seemed to be a little vague and the wider questions of the world never seemed to affect her. Even so she was looking a little more spaced out than I had ever seen her before.
Miranda looked over. “She’s fine. She’s still got some of the medications in her system but I’m going to take care of her for the next couple of days, make sure there are no lasting effects.”
I felt better knowing that Miranda was involved. First aid was the extent of my medical training. A requirement of Monique’s, considering the number of her staff who had needed to utilize that skill for suspected drug overdoses.
“Where will she be staying?” I asked.
“At her home” said Miranda.
I must have looked as horrified as I felt.
“Adele is fine with that” she said hurriedly.
Looking at the dilated pupils of Adele’s eyes, I was pretty sure she would be fine with walking off the edge of the Grand Canyon. It didn’t mean it was a particularly good idea though.
“Have you thought that maybe the police would be still interested in the house as a crime scene” I said slowly. “Maybe it would be better to put her in a suite at a hotel for a little while.”
“But I need my clothes, my computer, my things” Adele said in an almost childish, sing song voice.
“I can get all of that for you” I said calmly, patting her on the shoulder but looking at Miranda, knowing that she was the one that I was going to need to convince.
Whatever medication Adele was on at the moment meant that she was in no way capable of making decisions. I knew in those circumstances Miranda and Elliot were going to be taking on the caring role. They were the ones that I was going to need to negotiate with to help Adele.
Miranda took a moment. “If you really think that is for the best, you are the only one of us who has seen the house since the incident.”
“I really think that Adele is not ready for the house based on the last time I saw it” I said.
Miranda nodded. “Very well, if you can organize a suite for her to stay at and then get some clothes and anything else you think she will need, then I will take her to the hotel and we will meet you there.”
“Will there be anyone staying with her?” I asked.
“I have hired a nursing agency that I use sometimes for my patients who prefer not to stay at hospital.” Miranda smiled. “She will have a nurse with her twenty four hours a day.”
I nodded, encouraged that Adele was being well taken care of. Stepping out of the room I organized a hotel suite for Adele and then called the police station looking for permission to enter Adele’s house. I was put through to Detective Ramos.
“We’re finished with it” she said. “Did you want me to put you through to Griffin?”
Cooper’s words were still ringing in my ears so I declined and hurriedly got off the phone.
“The hotel is sorted” I said as I entered Adele’s room. “I’ve got the go ahead to acces
s the house so I’ll get everything I need for Adele. Is there anything in particular I should bring?”
“My laptop” said Adele, “and my notes. I think I know where I’ve been going wrong. It’s all so much clearer now.”
“I’ll do that,” I smiled.
Nodding to Miranda I left the room. Adele’s house looked very much as it always did. Though it was not as opulent as some homes in LA, it had a peaceful coziness about it. Adele had once told me she could not part with the house when she became successful because she and her first husband had bought it together. She had always been happiest in this house. I wondered how Eric’s death was going to affect that feeling of peace. The house showed definite signs of being searched by the police. Things were out of place, some items had been broken. I knew that I would need to try to recapture that serenity that Adele cherished before I could even think of allowing her back into the house. Just one more of the jobs I was going to need to do. In Adele’s room I grabbed some clothes and underwear. In the state she was in at the moment I didn’t expect her to be overly fussy about the clothes I chose. I found Adele’s laptop and notebooks that she used in the safe in her bedroom closet. Adele was a bit flaky about a lot of things but she was very much aware that her writing was important. She always took great care with her research and her laptop. I had been given the combination to the floor safe in the closet when I first started, with the knowledge that the second I left her employ the combination would be changed. As far as I knew Eric had never known the combination to the safe.