Nailed

by Avery Daniels

  I was next to place an order and after a few questions I ordered a cranberry zombie that was supposed to be like a rum punch. I was sipping on my drink and waiting for Porsche to get her chocolate martini when another suspect paraded by me.

  Wade and his wife were fashionably late and waving to a few people they knew or had gotten to know while here. He was in a dark button-down shirt with dress black slacks. He had his mask pushed up to rest on the top of his head. His wife was wearing a big smile, an expensive looking tea-length silver dress, and a smooth bun with a rhinestone comb accent. She was an older version of Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, minus the long black gloves.

  Porsche got her drink and we made our way through the people standing, weaving around groups chatting. The first open seats together we sat down to claim. Even without a live band, a few were on the dance floor to a slow song playing over the sound system. Combined with the spa treatment this felt like a special occasion.

  “I’m going to check out the buffet,” Porsche announced.

  “I’ll keep our seats safe.” I offered since they were a rare item.

  I sat sipping my drink and felt some mental tension slip away. I had been so wrapped up in the conference which was overwhelming at times with the fire hose of information, on top of the murder and multiple suspects, Porsche’s new relationship vulnerability, and of course Mason posing as somebody else’s boyfriend. I was enjoying just watching people dance and let my mind wander.

  I didn’t even see him sneak up. Justin sat in Porsche’s chair and leaned toward me.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  “I’ve been looking for you. I was afraid I wouldn’t recognize you if you wore a mask.” Apparently, he was happy to have tracked me down. Oh goody.

  What good were these masks if you could still recognize a person? What to do now?

  “Hello, am I interrupting?” Tammy stood behind Justin.

  “Tammy, of course not. Please join us, Porsche just went to the buffet.” I was so happy to see her. I was sending a desperate message with my eyes pleading don’t leave me. I took off my mask, so she could see my pleading eyes better.

  Justin cleared his throat, uncomfortable with so many adults no doubt. “Would you like to dance?” He asked with a hopeful look. Oh, why me? I looked between him and Tammy and swallowed.

  “I’d be delighted to dance with you, young man,” Tammy offered, “but I don’t’ think her boyfriend would approve.” She winked for my benefit.

  “I think your boyfriend isn’t real. I found out you’re here with your friend. What guy lets his girl go to a romantic resort without him?” He looked at me with an open and earnest appeal.

  Good question. He didn’t know the half of it!

  “Um, well it’s never that simple,” was all I could manage.

  His eyes shifted to what I guessed were his parents waving for him to join them, “I’ll be back and maybe we can dance later.” He left, and I let out my breath.

  “That is one determined boy who’s smitten with you.” Tammy chuckled as she sat in Porsche’s seat.

  I groaned, “I’m too young to be a cougar and besides, I should be able to attract eligible men my own age.” Eligible, meaning emotionally available as well as my age – thank you very much!

  “You have a boyfriend I thought.” She looked concerned.

  That peaceful relaxed feeling flew out the proverbial window. I took out my cell phone from the glitzy little purse and pulled up the photo of Mason on the red carpet he sent me. He wore an expensive suit, which he looks particularly good in. His rugged good looks combined with naturally wavy shoulder-length hair and broad shoulders were a potent mix.

  I explained, “That’s him, he sent that in a text. He’s...in California for work.”

  “Wish you were here. Hmmmm. What does he do that takes him to the red carpet without you?” Her eyebrows had pinched together.

  If it weren’t for the text, most people probably wouldn’t even believe I actually knew him, let alone he was my guy. I felt like I had to prove I wasn’t lying.

  “I know it seems unbelievable, but he occasionally does bodyguard work for celebrities.” The words were incredible, but I also felt like he wouldn’t want me sharing that much since he works undercover as their boyfriend.

  Of course, I could just be an idiot and believe some outlandish tale he fed me when he is still a full-blown playboy. I thought the man I trusted last fall was earnest with me, but I could’ve been wrong. I just didn’t know him well enough to be sure.

  “He seems familiar, is he famous?” Her eyes scrutinized me.

  “He’s a photographer, and he has done the bodyguard thing for a while so he may be in some celebrity photos.” Okay, probably a whole bunch of photos. I felt totally stupid. I was tensing up with every word.

  Her eyes changed to sympathetic. “This is a sore spot and I’m making it worse. I’m sorry dear.”

  I waved her comment off. I didn’t want to talk about my angst over Mason especially since the noise level was rising and I was almost yelling to be heard. Porsche returned and I let her take my seat, and made my way to the buffet, away from talking about my kinda-sorta boyfriend.

  I progressed down the food line, recognizing the same offerings served for some of the conference luncheons. The many entrées and side dishes mingled into a heady aroma made my stomach growl in anticipation. The occasional strong perfume from a fellow guest would overpower the food. I absently placed items on my plate when a conversation broke through my fog.

  “I’m so excited to be going home tomorrow. I might not even take a sleeping pill to sleep tonight.” Mrs. Lochran was commenting to a lady next to her.

  “Oh, I sleep like a rock no matter what. Always have.” The unknown lady answered.

  “Wade is so good and made sure I was getting good sleep. He fusses over me. I’m not complaining, it’s better than the alternative.” She mused.

  Better than the alternative...like Mason – emotionally distant? Our first few months was littered with indications he wasn’t ready for commitment, but I accepted the excuses. I could see that looking back now. After the discussion with Tammy, I couldn’t help but go there. I shook my head and focused on what I was piling on my plate.

  By the time I returned to the table, Johan had joined our group and somehow we now had extra chairs crowded around the table. Perhaps, being the police he got a few favors.

  Porsche was reserved chatting with him, but she had an air of bittersweet joy. I ached for her. It was all enough to make me swear off romance movies, let alone dating.

  Tammy made a trip to load up with food too and for a while, conversation came to a halt while our collective focus was on eating and people watching. That didn’t last long though.

  Tammy jumped into the taboo subject of the night, the proverbial elephant in the room. “All our prime suspects are in one place. I don’t suppose there is a dramatic arrest about to take place detective?”

  Johan shook his head and sighed, “I wish that were the case. I have to say, I take all the guests disbanding and scattering to their respective homes as a personal defeat.” His eyes were surrounded by deep worry lines.

  “You can’t blame yourself, it was a confluence of events.” Porsche offered.

  The thought of a killer getting away galled me too, I understood – on a much smaller scale no doubt – how Johan must feel.

  Porsche and Tammy got up to choose a dessert, leaving me alone with the detective.

  “I want to thank you for funneling information to me the last few days. I wish I hadn’t involved you.” Johan admitted.

  “Don’t worry about that, it’s the least I could do. I wish I could’ve been more useful, actually.” I confided.

  “I don’t understand why more people didn’t share openly when I questioned them.” He shook his head.

  “Oh, I suppose it is a few things. The person really may not see any significance in what they saw or heard so they don’t want to get
a person in trouble over nothing. Perhaps it is so insignificant that they don’t even remember it at all. Or, the idea of coming close to a brush with death just from seeing or hearing something pushes it from the mind as self-preservation.” I offered a few of my own conclusions over the same question.

  He sat, sipping his club soda and lime, looking at Porsche. “I never expected to find her in the course of this investigation. You were correct to warn me of the temporary nature. Still, I...” His thought trailed off.

  When Porsche and Tammy sat back down I decided to cruise the dessert table myself. I was staring at the selections, all decedent and works of art. My mind wondered to a flurry of thoughts jumbled together. A tap on the shoulder sent my thoughts flying out of my head.

  “May I have this dance?” Justin had snuck up on me. I cursed my luck. But he wasn’t going to stop and maybe just one dance and I could send him on his way.

  The music mix that played on the sound system alternated between energetic dance tunes and slow romantic selections. Currently, it was a fun toe-tapping song. But as soon as we started to dance, the song ended and – you guessed it, a slow song began playing. I think it was the theme to the movie Romeo and Juliet. Just my luck.

  Justin blushed and tried to take me in his arms, I extended my right hand and placed my left on his shoulder for a traditional couple dance pose, even if we only managed a side step. Justin swallowed, and his eyes took on an anxious look.

  His hand came around too low on my back and I moved it up to my shoulder. “I guess you get to learn how to dance. “

  “I know how to dance, just not like this.”

  “Trust me, this will impress girls as you get older.” I wasn’t completely sure on that score, but I showed him a basic side-touch step. Then got him to do a turn as he did the side touch. By the end of the dance, he was beaming.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  “It was easy once I got my feet to cooperate.” He flashed a shy smile.

  “Why don’t you practice with your mother, that would be special for her.”

  He was disappointed when I left the dance floor and returned to my seat, but he did bring his mother out to dance for the next slow song. He flashed a smile in my direction at the end of the dance. I suspected he would sweep some girl off her feet one day with that simple dance step.

  “That was nice of you to teach him to dance,” Tammy commented next to me.

  “Purely ulterior motives of self-preservation. It kept him from getting too comfortable and made it more formal.”

  “Maybe they should’ve given some dance lessons for an activity.” She commented, and I nodded.

  By the next slow dance, Justin was back. This time Johan asked Porsche to dance too.

  We all joined the dance floor that was now getting crowded as more people joined the fun. I explained how he had to lead through the minefield and keep us from colliding with other couples. We had only a few mishaps.

  Wade Lochran and his wife were close and my eyes fixed on the cuff of his shirt on the extended hand holding his wife’s hand. His hunter green button-down shirt cuff had two clear buttons rather than matching dark green like the others as if they were replacement buttons from a travel sewing kit.

  My mind flashed to a vision of him that first night in the bar when I met him. He had on that bright pistachio colored sweater and that same shirt under it.

  Could it be?

  Chapter Twenty-three

  I ignored Justin and danced on while thinking. Could the yarn and button found with Kara be from Wade’s sweater and shirt? Several people had worn green shirts and sweaters. It was popular with the men, I’d even seen Debra wearing green. If Kara was going to expose something, as the front desk person had overheard, what would she reveal about him? What would he have killed Leona over?

  I remembered Leona was staying down the hall from Wade. Could she have seen him leave or return to his room the night Kara was killed? Of course, Wade saw her talking to Johan and a few hours later she was dead. He might have feared she would tell what she knew.

  But Wade had his wife as an alibi. They were both asleep. But...

  I had been watching Wade on the dance floor as the song continued. Our eyes locked for several seconds. I saw the recognition in his eyes that I suspected him with more than a theory. I think I understood how he killed Kara and even Leona. The details on exactly why were a little fuzzy still. His eyes flitted around the room. Looking for where the detective was maybe? He began leading his wife through the crowded dance floor in our direction.

  “Justin, I need you to do me a favor. You need to find the detective and tell him I know who the killer is. Do you understand?” My voice must have revealed more than I wanted.

  “Yeah, okay. Where’re you going to be?”

  “Hopefully away from here and a potential hostage situation. Go. Now.” He let go of me and left the dance floor into the main room. I couldn’t say if Wade was desperate enough to take hostages, but I definitely thought he was desperate enough to have killed twice already. I had to keep the guests safe at least.

  I walked down the center of the ballroom as quickly as I could. I didn’t see Tammy or Porsche around, let alone Johan. I stopped several feet before the entrance doors. If he was going to push the issue, I hoped somebody would witness I’d left with him.

  I glanced back and he was approaching fast, no sign of his wife. I took out my phone and dialed Porsche, I didn’t even have time to text. I left the phone in my hand hoping he wouldn’t notice.

  “Wade, why are you following me?” I wanted to make sure the phone picked up the conversation. I prayed Porsche could hear the phone over the party noise or it hadn’t gone to voicemail. Where was she?

  “We need to take a little walk young lady and I won’t take no for an answer.” His voice was low, oozing malice. He grabbed my arm in a vicious grip and jerked me toward the door.

  “Wade, stop you’re hurting me. You don’t want to hurt me, please.” All for the phone’s sake and to maybe talk him down. Mason had begun teaching me some self-defense, but that was mostly how to break out of chokeholds.

  “Where’s your wife? Maybe we should all sit down and talk because this has to be a misunderstanding.” Where the hell was Porsche, and more importantly Johan. Had Justin found him?

  “Leave my wife out of this. You loose sleazy women running around. You could learn from her. She knows her place, in the home raising children and obeying. This country has suffered enough from the likes of you.” He spat out.

  I had never read any of his editorials, but that seemed one of his typical topics somebody had mentioned. He threw the exit door open and jerked my arm again. I yelped as pain exploded through my shoulder and I feared he would dislodge my arm from the socket if he jerked it again.

  I wanted to stay quiet to avoid further injury to my shoulder, but I needed to keep the phone line updated as best I could. I was trotting to keep up with him so he wouldn’t jerk my shoulder again. We were at the spa, empty and dark now. It had a feeling of desertion.

  “The spa? Why...”

  He slapped me so hard my head slammed to the side and pain exploded near my left eye. For some irrational reason, a line from the movie Pretty Woman ran through my head when Vivian asked if boys were taught how to slap girls in high school.

  That. Was. It. I took my arm and twisted it towards his thumb in a fast and equally vicious move hoping I’d broke his thumb. The move shot pain through my shoulder. Although my arm was free he blocked any escape.

  There was no use in pretending I didn’t know. “Why? What happened that you would kill Kara?”

  “That vile witch didn’t know her place either. How dare she presume to correct me on my behavior. I’m a man of faith and she was a godless witch. She had the gall to try and expose me. Me!”

  Okay, score one for the gossip, she was going to expose somebody. Reading between the lines, it was definitely something he had done.

  �
��What could’ve been so bad to warrant killing her? You could’ve faced whatever it was.” I used rational thought to get him to settle down.

  He looked at me as if speaking to a simpleton. “I’m a pillar of the community and the taint of an affair, well, people wouldn’t understand. I’d lose credibility, influence, my standing as a leader.”

  I had heard how he was big into his church and influenced political figures with his views, he and his wife even had some involvement in more politicized teaching materials they were trying to get schools to use as curriculum. News of an affair would be a scandal – of sorts, but these days it barely raised eyebrows because it was so commonplace.

  From what little I had seen and heard of Kara, she would have thrown in his face how she discovered his indiscretion – his hypocrisy – and how she planned to go public. If she had just kept her mouth shut, she might still be alive. I couldn’t understand that need to push a person.

  “Did Leona see you, try and blackmail you maybe?”

  He let out a hollow laugh, “She was my mistress for several years. That’s why her room was so close, so I could visit easily day or night.” He watched the surprise on my face. “Don’t let that shock you, I had more varied needs that she satisfied. More, shall we say, vigorous and specific needs that she excelled in satisfying.”

  Well, shut my mouth, literally. I wasn’t going to ask him, didn’t want to know the details on that one anyway. Hey, he called me loose when he had a mistress.

  “You killed your mistress too?” I blurted out as the significance sank fully into my thoughts. I really hoped somebody was getting all this on the phone. Where was Johan?

  “Leona served a need, scratched an itch. It was fine as long as she knew her place, on her back or on her knees. She dared to get angry that my wife had come with me when it was none of her business. Then she had the gall to threaten to tell the police I killed Kara. The little whore acted like she was better than me.” His eyes were soulless but his voice was saturated with disgust.