Before Skye could get nervous, Jed opened the door, tugged at his tuxedo shirt collar, and said, “Guess this is it.”
Skye took his arm and they moved into position at the end of the aisle. When Pachelbel’s Canon in D started, she looked at her dad and asked, “All set?”
He squeezed her hand, then said, his voice husky, “You know I like Wally, and I think you’re good together, but if you’re not sure, I’ll walk out with you right now. Don’t worry about your ma being mad. I’ll take care of her.”
“I’m sure, Dad.” Skye blinked back her own tears. That was the longest speech she’d ever heard from her taciturn father. “I love Wally with all my heart. And I’m positive that he’s the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Jed kissed her cheek and grinned. “Then let’s get ’er done.”
As Skye walked down the aisle, all she could see was Wally. In his Class A uniform, he was strikingly handsome. The three gold stars on the epaulet of his jacket glinted in the light that streamed through the stained-glass windows. Catching her breath, she stared in awe. Wally truly was her prince. His crisp black hair, chocolate brown eyes, and rugged profile were something out of a fairy tale.
Wally’s expression when he stepped forward and took Skye’s hand was one of both love and devotion. Skye knew that this man would never let her down. Her heart was beating so loudly, she barely heard her parents’ response to the priest’s question of who gives this woman to be married.
The rest was a blur until Father Burns asked, “Walter and Skye, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?”
Wally and Skye gazed into each other’s eyes and said, “I do.”
They also affirmed the priest’s next two questions: Will you honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives, and will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?
Then Father Burns said, “Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God and his Church.”
Although many priests did not allow the bride and groom to write their own vows, Father Burns had permitted Skye and Wally to do so as long as they included the traditional Catholic wording as well.
In a steady voice, Wally said, “I, Walter Boyd, take you, Skye Denison, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” He smiled tenderly and continued. “I promise to always encourage you. Whatever may come, I will create dreams with you and live every day in love with you. This is my solemn pledge.”
Hoping she could get through her vows without crying, Skye answered, “I, Skye Denison, take you, Walter Boyd, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” She took a deep breath. “I give you my heart and my dreams. From this day forward, I swear to nourish your mind, comfort your spirit, delight in your joy, and share in your sorrow. I will love you and hold you close for the rest of our lives.”
Next, Father Burns blessed the rings and gave them to Skye and Wally to exchange. Once the rings were on their fingers, the priest said, “You may now kiss your bride.”
Wally took Skye in his arms, and as his lips touched hers, it felt as if her very world trembled. The kiss lingered until the priest cleared his throat and they finally drew apart. During the remainder of the Mass, Skye thought of the path that she’d taken to find Wally and become his bride. It hadn’t been an easy trek, but it had been worth every step to be where she was now.
Finally, the recessional music started to play and Skye took Wally’s arm. Walking down the aisle as husband and wife, she thanked God for where her journey had led her.
CHAPTER 25
Throw the Book At
As the last couple went through the receiving line, Skye felt Wally’s cell start to vibrate. They’d been standing close together, but she stepped away and pointed below his belt. “Is that your phone or are you just happy we’re married?”
Wally gathered her into his arms, kissing her thoroughly. When they came up for air, he said, “What do you think, darlin’?”
“I think you better answer that thing before it shakes right out of your pocket.” She poked his thigh. “It’s probably about the case.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“I want Yvonne’s killer caught as much as you do.” She lifted one shoulder. “At least we got through the ceremony before they called you.”
“Not quite.” Wally grinned. “Didn’t you feel the phone vibrating during the ‘you may kiss the bride’ part?”
“Now you tell me.” Skye shook her head. “And I thought it was you rocking my world.”
“I’ll rock your world, all right. Just wait until we’re alone,” Wally growled; then, when the phone started pulsating again, he sighed, flipped it open, and said, “Yeah?”
Skye, cuddling close to Wally, heard Quirk say, “We have Gaskin in custody. We should be at the station in less than half an hour. Once Martinez and I gained entry to his house with the warrant, we found him hiding in the closet.”
“Has he said anything?”
“After we read him his rights, he just kept screaming something about it not being his fault.” Quirk’s tone reeked of disgust. “And since I don’t speak moron, I couldn’t make out what he meant by that.”
“How about the search?”
“The guy has huge gambling debts.” Quirk snickered. “Gaskin was probably hiding from the sharks as much as from us.”
“Any word on his Escalade?”
“Our guys found it in the construction company’s Naperville equipment barn.” Quirk sounded like he was reading from his notebook. “There was bumper and fender damage consistent with forcing a car off the road and wood slivers that are similar to the bridge’s railing. The seat was adjusted to Gaskin’s height and there was dried blood on the steering wheel.”
“Send someone over to the crime lab with the Escalade ASAP and tell the supervisor this is an emergency. They need to call a couple of techs in and process the vehicle right away.” Wally frowned. “It’s crucial that we know if the wood matches the bridge and the blood matches the suspect before we question him.”
“Will do.” Quirk’s salute could be heard in his voice. “Anything else, Chief?”
“Let Gaskin cool his heels. I’ll talk to you when you get to the PD.”
Wally put the phone in his pocket and turned to Skye. “I’m really sorry. I know you’ll be upset, but I need to interrogate Gaskin before we leave for our honeymoon.”
“I knew who you were and what your values were before I agreed to marry you.” Skye raised an eyebrow. “Besides, I want to be there for his questioning, too.” She tapped her foot. “I want you to take me for better or worse, not for granted.”
“Never for granted. I promise.” Wally put his hand over his heart. “Any idea of when the best time would be for us to go talk to him?”
“How long can you hold Gaskin without charging him?”
“Twenty-four hours.”
“What time do we need to leave Scumble River tomorrow?”
“Let’s see.” Wally wrinkled his forehead. “Our flight will take three hours. We have to be at our destination by three p.m. our time in order to catch our transportation for the next leg of the trip. Dad has offered to drop us off on his way to Texas, so we should leave town no later than nine a.m. That would put us at the airport by ten thirty. Security for private flights is a lot quicker than commercial, which means the plane will be able to leave by eleven. That would put us where we need to be by two and gives us some breathing room in case of any delays.”
“Then, since we’re spending the night at the house, we could talk to Gaskin in the morning. If we plan on being at the station by six a.m., we’d have three hours. And by morn
ing you’ll probably have the wood and blood results from the crime lab.” Skye looked at Wally. “What do you think?”
“I think we won’t get much sleep tonight.”
Skye leaned closed and whispered into his ear, “I hadn’t planned on it anyway.”
Their embrace was interrupted by the photographer, who herded them toward the altar. During the planning phase, he had informed Skye that the pictures at the church would take about an hour. With that in mind, she had arranged for cocktails and appetizers to be served to their guests at the Country Mansion from five until six thirty.
The photographer took the group shots first, then allowed everyone else to leave for the reception while he finished up with Skye and Wally. The wedding party was waiting for them in the banquet hall’s foyer when they arrived, and as soon as they stepped through the door, Skye knew something was wrong. Her mother’s face was red and Jed had his head down and his hands in his pockets.
The moment May spotted Skye, she hurried over and shrieked, “Everything’s ruined! The Dooziers are already drunk, and Simon showed up with that flashy blond stripper from the bachelor party. I can’t believe he had the nerve to crash your wedding.”
“The Dooziers will be fine.” Skye crossed her fingers, then said to Vince, “Can you keep an eye on them?”
“Sure.” Vince squeezed Skye’s shoulder. “I’ll ask the cousins’ husbands to help me.”
“Great.” She smiled at her brother, then said to May, “Simon didn’t crash.”
Skye turned to Wally and explained what Simon had done for Justin and what Frannie had said about his reasons for wanting to come to the wedding.
Wally nodded his understanding and asked, “Can you squeeze him and Emmy in at Bunny and Spike’s table?”
“That’s a terrific idea. The reception coordinator said the tables could hold ten, but I had her set them for eight since I hate being crowded at events like this.” Skye hugged him, both for his helpful suggestion and his understanding about her motive for inviting Simon. “Trixie, can you take care of that?”
“No problem.” Trixie hitched up her dress and dashed into the banquet hall.
“You’re not going in until everyone’s seated.” May thrust out her bottom lip. “I don’t want people watching the chairs being arranged instead of you.”
“Sure.” Skye hugged her mom. “But let’s line up so we’re ready.”
Trixie was back in a few minutes and reported that all the guests were seated and she’d cued the DJ. Each member of the wedding party’s entrance was broadcast until only the bride and groom were left.
When the DJ announced, “And introducing Mr. and Mrs. Walter Boyd,” everyone cheered.
Skye and Wally waved at their friends and family as they walked to the head table, and she noticed her uncle Dante seated with his wife. She had wondered if he’d attend, because of both his trip to the hospital and his anger over the thwarting of his incinerator scheme, but he looked healthy and was as close to smiling as he ever got.
The food was delicious and Skye was surprised to find that she was hungry. She’d chosen the baked Cornish hen glazed with orange-ginger, and Wally had selected the butterflied steak wrapped in smoked bacon. While they ate, she gazed around the beautifully decorated space. The two walls of windows that overlooked the gardens and Dwight’s historic windmill were the perfect frame for the rest of the room.
Skye was relieved that the Dooziers appeared to be behaving themselves. The bar was closed during the dinner hour, which would give them a chance to sober up. As she smiled and waved at Earl, she tried to figure out what he was wearing.
He had on black plastic glasses that looked like the goggles that the kids wore to play virtual reality games. But since the Dooziers already lived in an alternate dimension, what would he need with those?
At least Earl didn’t have on his usual camouflage sweatpants. Instead, he wore a chartreuse satin leisure suit. And Glenda’s considerable endowments were only half hanging out of her pink pleather bustier. The black hot pants, fishnet stockings, and go-go boots were a bit much, but the waist-length platinum blond wig with the big red velvet bow was the pièce de résistance.
After dinner, it seemed to Skye that time went by too quickly. It felt as if the reception had barely begun when the cake was being wheeled to the center of the room to be cut. Tom Riley had done a magnificent job and the stunning red-and-white four-tiered creation elicited many oohs and aahs. Once Wally and Skye had fed each other a bite, the photographer informed Skye that she should now throw the bouquet.
As Trixie escorted Skye to the dance floor, Trixie grabbed Frannie, who had been heading in the opposite direction, and said, “You’re not missing this.”
“Sure.” Grinning, Frannie said, “I just don’t want to be the one who gets so into catching the bouquet that it looks as if she’s trying for the last loaf of bread during the zombie apocalypse.”
Skye laughed and was a little relieved when one of the single teachers nabbed the flowers. Frannie really was too young to think about getting married.
The garter toss was next. Anthony caught the lacy, blue satin loop, blushed, and immediately glanced at his date, Judy Martin. Afterward, while Wally and Anthony were surrounded by their friends, Skye slipped outside to cool off. As she had feared, the heavy bridal gown was too hot for the mild weather.
As she stepped through the exit, Simon caught the door and said, “Thank you for inviting me.”
“You’re more than welcome.” Skye smiled fondly at him. In appearance, Simon was the direct opposite of Wally. Although both men were tall, Simon was lean rather than muscular, with stylishly cut auburn hair and golden hazel eyes. “I’m just sorry it was so last-minute. I would have sent you an invitation if I’d had any idea you wanted to attend.”
“I understand.” Simon leaned against the building and stared at the sidewalk. “Anyway, Emmy is having a great time, and I appreciate the chance to show everyone that there are no hard feelings between you and me.”
“I’m glad that you’ve accepted we aren’t a good match.” She patted his arm. “And I’m really happy that you’ve found someone else.”
Simon straightened and shoved his hands into his pants pockets; then he lifted his gaze to hers and said, “I didn’t give up on you because I don’t care anymore but because I realized that you didn’t.”
Before Skye could think of a reply, he turned and walked back inside. She followed him; then, still pondering his last statement, Skye looked for her new husband. Simon always had been enigmatic, but that was no longer her problem.
When Skye reached Wally’s side, he was watching the Dooziers dance. Or at least she thought that’s what they were doing. It looked a little like a cross between the Macarena and the Hokey Pokey. Glenda, MeMa, and Bambi were lined up with Earl, Junior, and Cletus facing them.
MeMa, the family’s octogenarian—or maybe nonagenarian—matriarch, was wearing leopard-print harem pants with a mesh crop top. And as she flipped her hands up and down to the music, the clearly visible black bra underneath her shirt bobbed up and down, too. Skye was half afraid the old woman was going to knock herself out with one of her boobs.
Bambi, Earl’s thirteen-year-old daughter, had on what Skye thought might be a leftover Halloween costume. The purple velvet dress had long puffy sleeves and a handkerchief hem, and at the waistline, trios of black roses were sewn to a satin ribbon. Suddenly the teenager grabbed her cousin Cletus’s hands. The couple do-si-doed around the room, treating anyone who didn’t get out of their way like bowling pins meant to be knocked over.
Until the Dancing Dooziers started using the other guests as targets to be eliminated, Wally and Skye had been amused by their antics, but as Cletus and Bambi attempted to pick up a seven-ten split, Skye signaled to her cousins’ husbands, who moved in and escorted the duo away.
Thank goodness Earl and Glenda had left the dance floor to line up at the bar and missed their offsprings’ removal. Otherwise,
the couple might have felt compelled to defend the family honor and start a fight. As it was, the clan stood out like artichokes on strawberry shortcake, and the last thing Skye wanted was for anyone to get their just deserts.
Around eleven, Skye asked the DJ to announce the last set of songs, and she and Wally began to say their goodbyes. As Skye kissed her mom’s cheek, she was surprised that May didn’t order her to phone home during her honeymoon.
Normally, her mother would need at least a couple of calls reassuring her that Skye hadn’t died in a fiery plane crash or been eaten by a rogue alligator. Figuring her mother’s attention had now turned toward her grandchild’s impending birth, Skye’s thoughts flashed to Loretta.
Thank goodness, her bridesmaid hadn’t gone into labor during the reception. Skye had been ninety-nine-percent sure that they’d have to call the paramedics to deliver the baby on the dance floor.
It took nearly half an hour to finish their goodbyes, but Skye and Wally finally made it into the limo. As they were driven toward Scumble River, Wally said, “Everything was wonderful. You did an amazing job planning our wedding.”
“You know me. I overprepare, then go with the flow.”
“Well, it flowed perfectly.”
“It was nice.” Skye snuggled next to him. “But that’s not how I measure the success of the day. For me, the real success was the way you looked at me as I walked down the aisle.”
“Darlin’,” Wally murmured into her hair, “I promise that’s the way I’ll look at you all the rest of our lives.”
Twenty minutes later, Wally carried Skye over the threshold. He had insisted on honoring the tradition, and she was relieved that he hadn’t hurt his back lifting her, but she wasn’t taking any more chances and insisted on walking up the stairs under her own power.
Murder of a Stacked Librarian: A Scumble River Mystery Page 23