Engaged in Murder (Perfect Proposals Mystery)

by Nancy J. Parra

  “Calm down and breathe.” I grabbed my bathrobe from the hook on the back of my bedroom door and walked across my cold wood floor in my bare feet. “Does Warren have a lawyer?”

  “Yes.”

  “Call him.”

  “I’m pretty sure Warren would have done that already,” Felicity said. “But I can check.”

  “Good, then send Warren a text asking if he needs you to do anything.” A glance in the mirror startled me. My hair stood up on end, mimicking Einstein. A train rattled by and I could see the news clip playing on the television behind me. There was Detective Murphy talking to the press.

  “Felicity,” I said as a thought crossed my mind.

  “Yes?”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m at work. You know I work eight thirty A.M. to five P.M.”

  “Honey, you need to hang up and go see your boss. If the reporters are smart, they’re going to want to interview you next. They will know you were with him that night.”

  “Oh!”

  “Don’t talk to anyone but your boss,” I said. “Then only warn your boss that you think there will be reporters snooping around and tell her why.”

  “You mean that Warren was arrested—”

  “Yes, and then stop talking. I know you love your coworkers but this is a big story and people would pay for the inside scoop.”

  “Oh, Pepper, my coworkers wouldn’t really talk to reporters about me. Would they?”

  “They will,” I said as calmly as I could. “It’s not personal. Some may even think they’re helping you. You can’t tell anyone anything.” I picked up my brush and battled my hair back into a messy ponytail and grabbed a rubber band to secure it. “I’m getting dressed. I will be there to pick you up as soon as I can.”

  It would take me at least thirty minutes to get to her if I left at this very moment. One glance at my pajamas and I knew I had to take five minutes to get dressed. The last thing I wanted was to appear on camera in my rattiest pajamas. If the press caught sight of me taking Felicity home, they would try to take pictures. I needed to look professional. Who knew what possible future clients would be watching?

  Felicity worked in downtown Chicago. “I’ll text you when I get there and let you know whether you need to sneak out a back way or not.”

  “What? Why can’t I wait out front for you?”

  “Felicity, you might be mobbed by reporters. They’re going to try to get you to talk any way they can. I’ll be there to pick you up soon. Hang tight.”

  “Okay . . .” Her voice wavered. “Pepper, I know he didn’t do it.”

  “So do I, honey, so do I.” I hung up the phone and splashed water on my face.

  Five minutes later I was dressed in black slacks, a black turtleneck sweater, dressy black shoes, and big dark sunglasses. I wanted to fit in downtown so that no one would suspect I had anything to do with Felicity. I grabbed my keys, locked my door, and rushed to my car.

  Mrs. Horowicz, who lived in the apartment under mine, was in the parking lot. “Hello, Pepper.”

  “Hi, Mrs. H.” I did not have time to stop and chat. But Mrs. H never took that as a reason not to chat me up, so I sped by her and stuck my key into old blue’s driver-side door to unlock it. “Have a nice day.”

  I opened the door and climbed into the car. When I reached for my door to close it, Mrs. Horowicz stood in the way. I found her odd, silent speed a little creepy.

  “Was that your sister’s fiancé they arrested this morning for murdering that poor janitor?” She held my door open with her hand and peered down at me.

  “I’m sorry, what?” I tried to stall and pull my car door closed.

  The old woman was having none of it. She clung to the door like her life depended on it. Mrs. H had lived in our apartment building her entire married life, some sixty years. Her husband had died ten years ago, or so she told me. She’d stayed because it was the only home she knew.

  Mrs. H was all of five feet tall and nearly as wide as she was tall. Today she wore a big flowered bib apron over a pale blue track suit. Her gray hair was short and permed to within an inch of its life. She was one of those older women who still went to the salon once a week to get their hair done. Then if it was windy or damp, she wore a plastic rain cap tied neatly under her chin. She was always careful to take it off as soon as she went inside. I don’t think I’d ever seen her without her short, permed hair.

  “I’ve been watching Channel Five all morning and they said that a Warren Evans was arrested for murder. I could have sworn he was Felicity’s fiancé.”

  “I didn’t have the news on,” I said. “I’m certain my mother would have called me if Felicity were in any sort of trouble.” I sent her a bright smile. “I’m late for an appointment downtown. Did you hear if the traffic was bad?”

  “They said it was running thirty minutes on the Kennedy all morning.”

  “Thanks.” I yanked my door out of her grasp and closed it. A quick crank of my engine and I waved her back without opening my window. “Talk to you later.”

  I pulled out of my parking space and glanced in my rearview mirror to see her still standing there. Her mouth was pursed and to the side. Her eyes glowed fiercely. She clearly suspected me of lying, but that was the trick—I didn’t lie. I simply didn’t tell her what she wanted to hear.

  * * *

  Four hours later, Mom and I had sequestered Felicity in my aunt Betty’s home in Itasca. Aunt Betty was my grandma’s half sister and we hoped the press would not be able to track my sister there.

  I left them all sitting around Aunt Betty’s kitchen table sipping tea and making outrageous plans to rescue Warren. I did one better. I headed to the police station to see Detective Murphy.

  “You can’t go in there,” the officer at the reception desk called after me as I pushed the door open and stormed back to Detective Murphy’s desk. The officer scooted around the counter with his hand on his gun belt. “Seriously.” He tried to catch me, but I was faster and lighter on my feet. “Don’t make me have to arrest you.”

  “I’ll only be a moment,” I said. “Besides, I’m certain Detective Murphy is expecting me.”

  “He is,” the officer confirmed. “I have specific orders not to let you come back here.”

  “Too late.” I scrambled around the desks, avoiding his reaching hand. “Detective Murphy.” I narrowed my eyes at the sight of the man. “How could you do this? I was in here yesterday showing you how there was someone else in the hangar.”

  I walked up to his desk with a head full of steam. The duty desk officer finally caught up and tried to grab my arm. “I wouldn’t touch me if I were you.” I raised an index finger at him.

  “I’m sorry, Murphy,” he said. “She’s quicker than I thought.”

  “It’s okay.” The detective sat back in his chair. “I’ll handle her.” He waved the officer off.

  I glared at him. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Have a seat, Pepper.” He waved toward the plastic chair I had occupied the day before.

  “I will not.” I put my hands on my hips. “Not until you tell me why you arrested Warren after I provided you with evidence that there was someone else in that airplane. Someone else who may have had a reason to kill Randy.”

  “Pepper, I’m doing my job—by the book, I might add.” The detective’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “Do you think I wanted to arrest Warren Evans? The man has already hired the best lawyers in town to defend him. With his kind of money, I had to have an iron-clad case.”

  “Well, there’s a hole in your iron-clad case big enough to drive a truck through,” I said.

  “If that’s true, I’m certain the offices of McMillian and McMillian will find it.” He raised one bushy eyebrow.

  “I’m going to give Warren and his lawyers a copy of that raw footage,”
I warned him.

  “You do that, Pepper.” He went back to the paperwork on his desk. “Now, I have a job to do. Let me suggest you attend to yours as well.”

  “Oh, you can be sure I will,” I warned and stormed off. “This entire thing is a miscarriage of justice.”

  I kept picturing the tears in Felicity’s blue eyes as she sat at Aunt Betty’s kitchen table. There was no way I could let Detective Murphy make this horrible mistake. Besides, I liked the guy. Someone had to save him from himself.

  Chapter 21

  The next day I had to leave a distraught Felicity with Aunt Betty and Mom and Dad. We had all gotten very good at taking side roads and ensuring we weren’t followed.

  So far no reporters had shown up at Aunt Betty’s house. I have no idea what we would do with Felicity if they found her hiding spot.

  “Make sure she doesn’t watch the news,” I said on my way out of the house. “It will only distress her.”

  “No problem,” Dad said. “Your mom picked up the entire season of New Girl. We’ll keep her busy.”

  I frowned and chewed on my bottom lip. “I hate to have to go, but I have to set up for Keith’s proposal. I invited Mike to attend. If he likes it, I’m going to bill him full price for his proposal.”

  “Go,” my mom said as she came out of the back bedroom. “We’re fine here.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” I kissed her on the cheek and left. The resort was twenty minutes away, and set up for Keith’s proposal was this morning. Everything had to be right for Keith or my fledgling business would never get off the ground.

  I pulled into the parking lot and parked in the back near the indoor-outdoor pool. We had already had our first frost. So the warmth of the heated pool steamed in the autumn air. I cut through a courtyard and walked in a back door using the pass key card the event manager had given to me.

  Gage stood in the hallway and watched the workmen through the giant glass partition that separated the pool area from the rest of the resort.

  “Hi, Gage.” I greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. He hugged me back. I’d forgotten how tall and solid he was. Gage wore dark jeans and a light blue collared shirt. His shirt had been expertly ironed, creating a crisp line across his shoulders. He smelled good, of faint aftershave and ironing starch. There was something about the scent of pressed dress shirt warmed by a man’s skin that did it for me.

  Maybe it was because the scent of ironing reminded me of sitting with my mom watching her do laundry. Or maybe it reminded me of my dad when he and Mom would go out for date night. Whatever it was, I loved the scent.

  “Wow, Pepper, I can’t believe you pulled this venue off in such a short time.”

  “I got lucky. A friend of mine knows the event manager and discovered that the pool area’s event for today was canceled last minute. I was able to step in and reserve it for a quarter of its regular price.”

  Gage shook his head. “You are good.”

  “Thanks . . . and thanks for letting me rent the props.” I waved toward the pool and the workmen who were installing everything. “Keith’s girlfriend likes scuba diving and girly sparkly things, so I’m going with a Little Mermaid theme. See how they are setting up a sunken ship in the center?”

  “Yes. That prop was used as a three-quarter replica for exterior shots in the movie Pirates.”

  “It fits perfectly in the pool, don’t you think?” I eyed the replica ship. “Anyway, I’ve got these great plans going on.” I pulled my design sheets out of my fake-alligator- skin tote. “See how we’re setting up not only the ship but miniatures of various places. Outside will be the Arctic Circle.”

  “That sounds right.” Gage laughed and pointed at the snow that fell in soft, fat flakes.

  “I can’t believe it’s snowing.” I shook my head. “Good thing I planned for snow. Inside the pool area, we have the mermaid station, the kraken station, and the conch station.” I walked him over to three four-foot-by-three-foot wide boxes stacked in the foyer. “I’ve got a lot of baubles and things. They are going to get into scuba gear compliments of City-Scuba and then follow the clues step-by-step until they find this treasure chest.”

  I pulled a treasure box out. It was small, only ten inches wide and eight inches tall. I’d actually purchased it because I wanted Keith to give it to his girl as a keepsake.

  “Is that real?” Gage looked at the box. His blue eyes shone with interest.

  “Yes.” I handed him the box. “It’s a high-end jewelry box. See, the inside is lined with silk and velvet.” I moved closer to Gage and opened the lid. “Keith will bring the engagement ring tonight in its box. I will nestle that box inside the treasure chest. The box is Tiffany blue. There is no way she’ll know before the chest opens.” I sighed at the romance of it all.

  “Nice, but how do you plan on keeping the treasure chest dry?” He turned it over in his hands. “This looks like mahogany. Tough wood, but not exactly waterproof.”

  “Oh, no problem.” I dug in my tote and pulled out two bags. “These were made specifically to be waterproof to a depth of five meters—more than adequate for this pool.” The bag came in two parts. The first was a padded zip bag and the second was a black bag with a serious seal.

  “And you thought of this?” His voice was soft and he sounded impressed. His eyes sparkled and his mouth lifted at the corners, causing the creases at the edges of his eyes to deepen.

  “Yeah.” I blushed. “It’s a gift.” I said that to defuse the attention and compliment.

  “No, it’s a talent.” He handed me the chest. “You are amazing.”

  “Aw, so are you.” I put the chest and the waterproof bags into the top box and set it aside. “It means so much that I can call you and rent out props like these.” I waved toward the pool where the workmen set up the underwater stations.

  Gage shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’m happy to help you, Pepper.” We both watched the guys at work for a moment. “You know, Emma and I have broken up.”

  I glanced at him. “Really? I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “You are?” He drew his eyebrows together, and his mouth went into a straight line.

  “Of course,” I said, and then noticed that the hotel equipment manager, Bill Pope, was heading toward us.

  “Hey, Ms. Pomeroy,” Bill said. “What did you want done with the stuff in these boxes?” He waved to the boxes. “They came in last night and I wasn’t sure how they fit in with the plans you drew up.”

  “Oh, sure, grab a box and I’ll show you where this stuff goes.”

  I bent to pick up a box when Bill put his hand out. “Let the guys get that.” He waved over a porter. “Take this into the pool area.” He turned to me. “Union rules.”

  “Of course,” I said. I didn’t mind. It was nice to let the men do the heavy lifting. Bobby usually left me to do that. “I’ll follow you in.” I stopped and glanced at Gage, who appeared to be upset. I put my hand on his arm. “Hey, it’s okay. Maybe we could get together and talk about Emma later.”

  “Right.” His tone was tight. His shoulders shrugged. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay, bye, Gage.” I kissed his cheek and turned to Bill. “Now, I’ll show you how cool these props are when you add them to the stations.”

  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew Gage had stormed off. I figured he was really upset about Emma. I made a mental note to set up a time to talk to him about how to win her back. Right now, I was a half an hour from seeing Keith and showing him what I’d set up.

  I was so excited that I could barely wait. A glance at my watch told me Cesar would be here in two hours. Everything had to be picture perfect by then.

  * * *

  “I want to hear all about it,” Felicity said.

  It was my turn to stay with her at Aunt Betty’s house. She and I were in our pajamas in the
back bedroom. There were two twin beds in the bedroom with a nightstand between them. It always reminded me of the old, original I Love Lucy show with Lucy and Ricky sleeping in twin beds.

  “It was perfect,” I said with a sigh. “She thought she was there to shoot a kids’ show on scuba diving. You know, something like swimming is fun, not scary.”

  “But she wasn’t.” Felicity’s eyes sparkled.

  “She wasn’t. Her entire family was sequestered in a nearby ballroom. Cesar was there shooting video.”

  “How did you hide him this time?”

  “Oh, I didn’t.” I shook the nail polish I had brought to do a pedicure. It was called “We Know Ya Wanna” and was a brilliant aqua blue. “Cesar did some great shots beforehand. Did you know they make underwater camera gear?”

  Felicity nodded. “Yes, silly, it’s how they do those diving documentaries.”

  “Right.” I rolled up my plaid pajama pants to expose my ankles. “Anyway, Cesar took underwater shots, and then was with me when she got there. It was awesome. She brought her own dive suit, but the scuba place had these great ones that are designed for special-occasion diving.”

  “Special-occasion diving?”

  “I know, right?” I painted my big toes. “It seems that it’s not all that uncommon for people to get engaged underwater. Anyway, they had this sparkly green and blue suit that made her look like a mermaid. Keith put on this black dive suit that was designed to look like a tux.”

  “She had to know something was up . . .” Felicity said, her baby blue eyes wide.

  “No, I explained that part of the kids’ show was a episode about a mermaid scavenger hunt. I told her the segment was called ‘Treasures of the Sea.’ She bought it. I gave her and Keith the first clue to find the treasure. They went off into the pool and Cesar filmed the whole thing.”

  “Wait, did Cesar have a dive suit?”

  I grinned. “Yes. You know, he didn’t look half bad in it, either.”