Dead in the Daisies (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery)

by Bell, Cindy

  “Hi,” she said as she walked into the living area of the suite. “Are you two doing okay? Do you have everything you need?”

  “Sure,” Trinie nodded and cast a worried glance in Seth's direction. “Just a little nervous.”

  The door to the room swung open and in walked another bodyguard. He had cropped brown hair, broad features, and wide shoulders. His biceps were bulging and muscular, and his black shirt was pulled taut across his chest and stomach. Vicky met his eyes as he paused just inside the door of the room.

  “Oh good, that's Matt,” Seth said with relief.

  “Matt?” Vicky asked as she continued to stare at the man. Vicky realised that this was the bodyguard who Aunt Ida described as having the fight with Seth the night of the murder and the one who Emily knew about.

  “His father used to work for me and he's been with us for some time now, and if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be able to live the private life we do,” he sighed with appreciation. Well, it looked like whatever the argument had been over between Seth and Matt had been resolved.

  “He's really been amazing,” Trinie agreed with a slight smile. “It's strange to have someone around specifically to guard your well being, but when you're in a position like we are, you need it. There's so many people out there seeking to hurt you,” she added, a touch of sorrow settling into her voice. “To think, we thought...” she began to say.

  “But we were wrong,” Seth said quickly and met Trinie's eyes sternly. “So there's no need to discuss it.”

  “Oh right, of course,” Trinie nodded a little. Vicky could tell there was something more unspoken between the two of them. Was it about the pictures?

  “Are you two sure you want to go on with the ceremony?” Vicky asked with concern. “I don't want to put your safety at risk. We still have no idea who might have killed Graham.”

  “As long as Matt is with us, we'll be perfectly safe,” Seth said with confidence. “Right Trinie?” he asked as he reached for her hand.

  “Absolutely,” she nodded and smiled at Vicky. “After all the hard work you've put into this, we're not going to let anything spoil our beautiful day.”

  Vicky was touched by their kindness and warmth, but she was also concerned. So far they had no idea who the killer was, or even exactly what the killer's motive might have been. Mitchell was still entertaining the idea that it was a murder for hire, but there was no way Vicky could believe that Seth and Trinie were involved.

  Chapter Six

  Vicky returned to the lobby to find Sarah fielding frequent phone calls from the press.

  “No, the wedding is not off, no further comment,” she snapped and hung up the phone. “These reporters just won't stop!” she gasped out with frustration. “I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have to deal with them all the time.”

  “Me neither,” Vicky agreed as she paused beside the desk. She saw Mitchell walking towards her from the other side of the lobby.

  “This whole thing is turning into a disaster,” Sarah said testily as she tapped a few keys on the computer and tried to put out yet another fire with the kitchen staff over what exactly the menu was supposed to be. “We should have cancelled this morning, now it's going to be impossible.”

  Vicky frowned. “Seth and Trinie don't want to cancel,” she pointed out. “I think we can still pull this off.”

  “I’m not sure,” Sarah shot back. “I am concerned about the inn, the staff, and putting Seth and Trinie in more danger than they need to be.”

  “Now Sarah,” Mitchell said speaking up before Vicky could argue. “I really don't think it's such a bad idea for the wedding to go on. Vicky made a good point. Here Seth and Trinie are surrounded by security, police, and even reporters recording everyone coming and going. The ceremony and reception are not even near the crime scene. As of right now, it's probably the safest place they could be.”

  Sarah frowned as she looked at Mitchell. “The safest place they could be? With a murderer on the loose?”

  “It seems to me that whoever did this had some kind of motive,” Vicky said in an attempt to soothe her sister. “I don't think they're just going to go around causing more harm.”

  “I've gathered a few of the security guards in the banquet hall to interview them,” Mitchell added, hoping to distract Sarah from her frustration. “I'm sure we'll have this cleared up soon.”

  While Mitchell interviewed the security guards, Vicky had a strong hunch. Yes, the pictures were of Trinie, which both Seth and Trinie would be hurt by if they came out into the public view, but they were not the only ones that could be hurt by such a thing. She recalled the argument that Aunt Ida had witnessed in the hallway outside Seth and Trinie's room. It was with Matt. Matt had been working with the couple for some time, and seemed to be appreciated by them. She remembered the rumor that Emily had told her about Matt having some drama in his past with the country singer, Charlotte. It seemed awfully coincidental to Vicky that Matt would be involved in two scandalous events, but maybe she was underestimating the amount of scandal and scrutiny that celebrities endured.

  Vicky saw Aunt Ida walk into the lobby. She wanted to see if she knew anything about the photos of Charlotte that Emily had mentioned. After all Aunt Ida loved celebrities and gossip. “Aunt Ida!” Vicky called

  “Hi,” Aunt Ida replied with a large grin on her face as she walked towards her.

  “I wanted to ask you something. Emily mentioned a scandal that involved photos of Charlotte, the country singer, and Seth’s bodyguard, Matt Castille. I was wondering if you know anything about it?” Vicky questioned in a hushed voice.

  “No, but we have to find out about it,” Aunt Ida said with a sheepish grin. “Why don’t you go surfing?”

  “Do you mean look on the internet?” Vicky giggled.

  “Yes. But I have to get ready for the wedding now,” Aunt Ida said with anticipation. “I have to look my best,” she smiled.

  “Okay, I’ll let you know what I find,” Vicky whispered.

  “Brilliant,” Aunt Ida said with a flurry of her arms as she walked towards the stairs.

  Vicky thought she might as well see what she could find out about Matt’s debacle with Charlotte straight away. What harm could it do? Vicky went into Sarah's office while she was outside checking over everything for the wedding. Once inside, Vicky sat down at her sister's computer and began searching for information about Charlotte and Matt. Eventually, she came upon a very detailed article accompanied by a video. The article described an altercation between Charlotte and her long time bodyguard, Matt Castille. The singer had accused him of being the one who had provided a photographer the opportunity to snap pictures of her in the middle of a tryst with another singer's husband. Matt vehemently denied the accusations, but Charlotte was convinced he had made a deal with the photographer.

  The entire argument culminated in a confrontation in the middle of the street in front of the singer's exclusive New York City apartment, which onlookers were only too happy to record. Vicky narrowed her eyes as she watched the video. The amount of expletives the young woman was using towards Matt was quite surprising, and very colorful at times. If Matt was connected to the photographer then maybe he was looking for the same kind of payday from working with Seth and Trinie. Her suspicions were confirmed when she read that the photographer in the middle of the scandal was none other than Graham Walker. He ended up exonerated and Matt was terminated from his job.

  Vicky sat back in her chair and studied the screen as she watched the video once more. Matt looked absolutely horrified with the way Charlotte was speaking to him, and even appeared to have tears in his eyes as he looked away from her. He didn't look like someone who was trying to score an extra buck or two off the vulnerability of a young woman. Was it possible that he was that skilled an actor? It was hard for Vicky to put together the exact scenario that would lead to the same bodyguard and the same photographer being put into a similar position. The photographs were on Graham's compu
ter, which would indicate that he had taken them. He was likely intending to blackmail the couple with them. But, was Matt involved? And if so, had a squabble over payment led to Graham's death?

  “Vicky?” Aunt Ida's shrill voice called out from outside the office. “Are you in there?” she pushed the door open to discover Vicky sitting in front of Sarah's computer, her eyes wide, and one finger thoughtfully tapping the computer table.

  “Don't you know what time it is?” Aunt Ida gasped as she rushed to Vicky's side.

  “What time is it?” she asked with a slight frown of distraction. She was trying to piece everything together in her mind. “Is this important?”

  “I don't know, is the wedding starting without you important?” she asked with a frown and waved one hand in front of Vicky's face. “Are you in there?”

  “The wedding’s starting?” Vicky asked as she jumped up out of the computer chair. “Oh no,” she glanced at her watch. “I lost track of time. I've got to check on the musicians,” she ran out of the office with Aunt Ida following right behind her. With everything that had been happening at the inn she had to wonder if it would be possible for the wedding to be successful. But there was no more time to wonder. She had only one choice, and that was to do the best job she could to make sure that Seth and Trinie had the best wedding that they possibly could. Even if there was a killer in their midst.

  One thing was certain, Graham had those pictures with the intention of blackmailing the couple and extorting as much money out of them as possible. Was there someone else who had the pictures as well? As she hurried to the garden to check on the musicians, she heard the press shouting from outside the gates. As important as it was for her to find out who was behind the death of the photographer, the chaos of the beginning of the wedding was an unavoidable distraction. She had to check on the seating, the music, the priest, the list was endless. The entire time in the back of her mind she knew that someone she was talking to, smiling at, or reassuring might be the person behind this horrible crime. There was one person in particular that she was looking out for. She surveyed all the faces of the security guards she saw. But Matt was nowhere to be found.

  “Have you seen your partner?” she asked Seth's other bodyguard as the groom was headed for the altar.

  “No, haven't seen him, he must be with Trinie,” the man said with a shrug and hurried after the man he was supposed to be protecting. Vicky frowned and headed for the bridal suite where Trinie was being prepared by several friends and family members. Trinie's mother had passed a few years before, so she had plenty of women around her to support her during the wedding. Matt was not blended among them, nor was he standing outside the bridal suite. Vicky wanted to figure out where he was but the ceremony was moving forward whether she was ready for it or not. Surprisingly, it was going very smoothly, and Trinie stole a moment to grab Vicky.

  “Thank you so much,” she said with gratitude before she was whisked out of the bridal suite. Aunt Ida had already found her seat and was eagerly observing the ceremony. She had her lavender scarf wrapped around her purple hair and was perched at the edge of her seat, just waiting for the bride to make her entrance. Vicky scanned the crowd again hoping to spot Matt, but once more he was missing. His absence sealed it once and for all in her mind. Wherever he was, he was hiding from something, as he certainly wasn't doing his job of protecting the bride. As she sat down near the back, she felt someone else sit down next to her. She glanced up with surprise to discover Mitchell settling into the chair right beside her.

  “Mitchell,” she exclaimed as she grabbed his hand. “I think I know who was behind the photographer's death,” she blurted out. A few of the people seated around her glanced nervously in her direction, but the shift of the music from peaceful to the triumphant bridal march drew their attention away from anything that Vicky had to say.

  “Shh,” Mitchell said as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze in return. “This is my favorite part,” he sighed and stood up with the rest of the guests as the flower girl emerged from behind the silk curtains that Vicky had set up to make the entrance even more dramatic. Their color matched the pale silver shade of the groom's tuxedo perfectly and made the bride's pure white gown stand out exquisitely. She sighed a little, surprising herself, as she watched Trinie emerge from the curtains behind her bridesmaids. She was carrying a bouquet of simple, small, pink roses, and the color splash was vibrant against her deeply tanned skin. She couldn't be more beautiful, Vicky was sure of it. When she felt Mitchell's arm curve around her waist she closed her eyes briefly. She tried to picture herself as the bride, walking down the aisle towards Mitchell, waiting for her. Her body stiffened, and Mitchell held her just a little tighter.

  The very idea of being in a wedding dress made Vicky want to turn tail and run, but Trinie wasn't running. She was walking in perfect rhythm with the music, towards the man she adored. It was clear in her wide, almond gaze and the flush of her cheeks that she was in this for real, not for the press. Seth who waited for her at the altar looked as if he might want to run down the aisle towards her, but he restrained himself, vacillating between a stunned smile and an overjoyed grin as she approached. Vicky was moved by the strong emotion between the two, and so very grateful that the wedding had not been stalled by the crime that had taken place.

  There was nothing more precious than the moment Seth extended his hand to her, and she laid hers against his palm. It was truly breathtaking, and she heard Mitchell take a sharp breath as he witnessed the same beauty that she did. When they sat back down in their chairs, he refused to release her hand, his eyes fixated on the ceremony that was taking place.

  Chapter Seven

  The office was empty, the door left partially open. Sarah had specifically stated in her discussion with the security guards that the door should always be locked if no one was in there. She insisted that the office remained locked all of the time because it contained the safe, as well as personal information about frequent customers, and her own personal information. So, when Matt saw the door standing slightly open he suspected something might be wrong. He was determined not to fail the celebrity couple he had been called to shield, as he cared about them and did not want his career to be ruined again. When he pushed the door slowly open he quickly assessed that the office was empty. But he needed to see if there was anything taken, or if perhaps someone had left a device of some kind set to disrupt the wedding that was taking place.

  Matt noticed right away that the computer screen was lit up as if someone had been there recently. He walked over to it and sat down in front of the screen. On it he recognized the image of an angry Charlotte frozen in time by the video that was not playing. Tentatively, he slid the mouse over to point at the play button on the video, and it came to life. Matt knew what the video was about as soon as he heard Charlotte cursing and shrieking. He would never forget the accusations she had flung at him. He had been so stunned by her certainty that he was guilty. It still hurt him to recall it. Perhaps he had allowed himself to become too close to Charlotte. He had learned his lesson from that.

  As the video played Matt’s mind processed what he was seeing. Someone else had recently been in here, watching this video. Someone else had been looking into his encounter with Charlotte, and had probably read the attached article detailing the accusations by Graham that he had been involved. The same photographer who had been found dead. In that moment he knew that someone was onto him. But who? He didn't have to wait long for the answer, because he heard voices outside the office door.

  “It was such a lovely ceremony,” Aunt Ida declared as they neared the office.

  “Yes it was,” Vicky agreed, trying not to think too much about the silent interaction that had occurred between herself and Mitchell.

  She had to stay focused on what she had discovered about the bodyguard. She had been watching for him during the entire ceremony, but had not spotted him. This worried her as she wondered if he was going to seek revenge on anyone else. F
rom what she had seen in the video she could assume that he had only wanted to attack the photographer, but she didn't know that for sure. Maybe after his encounter with Charlotte he had found himself so angry at celebrities that he wanted to take it out on the newly married couple.

  “I really don't want to miss the reception,” Aunt Ida lamented as she kept her pace as even as she could. The high heeled shoes she wore were much higher than she was used to, which made it rather difficult to walk.

  “I don't either,” Vicky admitted. “We won’t though. They are taking photographs with the guests first.” She wanted to make sure that everything went smoothly. She couldn't let that distract her now though, she had to focus on figuring out what to do about the bodyguard. Mitchell had been abruptly whisked away by the sheriff after the ceremony so she couldn’t tell him about Matt.

  “Wait until you see this,” Vicky added as she pushed the door to the office open. She quietly chastised herself for leaving it open, and hoped that Sarah hadn't noticed. If she had the door would have likely been closed and locked, so she was fairly certain that she had escaped her sister's wrath on this particular issue. When she stepped inside she was stunned to discover the hulking presence sitting in front of the computer. At first she was too surprised to react, but he wasn't. He must have heard them coming because he was already standing up from the desk chair.

  “Uh, what are you doing in here?” Vicky stammered out, she hoped that he didn't realize that she suspected him. But the video was still playing on the screen.

  “You just couldn't leave it alone, could you?” he asked her in a cruel voice as he began to advance on her.

  “I don't know what you mean...” she started to say but fell silent as he reached for the gun on his hip. Aunt Ida gasped from behind her. Vicky could see the cold rage in the man's eyes that indicated he would do whatever it took to make sure that they never saw the light of day again.