by Cindy Bell
“Seems like a stretch,” Wendy said with a slight frown. “I still don't see what anyone would hope to gain from framing Mark.”
“Just an idea I'm toying with,” Brian explained. “Right now I have a program looking through social media and newspapers to see if there are any matches when comparing the names of everyone that was involved in the restaurant with Mark's, and his father's. I'm hoping something will pop up.”
“Me, too,” Wendy nodded. “It would be nice to have this off my mind before the wedding.”
“How is Laura taking it?” Brian asked sympathetically. “Last time I saw her she was pretty upset.”
“She's okay with the new location I found, but I know she's distracted by the murder. It's hard to plan a day of love and celebration knowing that something so terrible happened.”
“That's true,” Brian nodded as he sat back in his chair. He flicked his gaze over at Wendy who was finishing off her last bite of pizza. “Well, at least we got to share a pizza,” he smiled warmly. Wendy looked up at him with surprise.
“I was looking forward to sharing breakfast,” she admitted with a shy smile.
“I hope we can plan that for another day,” Brian suggested. He reached out and lightly touched the back of her hand. Wendy tried not to freak out over the fact that she had a few smudges of pizza sauce on the back of her hand, not far from where Brian was touching her.
“Absolutely,” she replied, her heart fluttering. She tried not to read too much into it, but her mind raced off anyway. “Anytime,” she added.
“Really?” he asked as his hazel gaze searched her eyes. “You don't mind?”
“Why would I mind?” Wendy asked with a slight frown. “I really enjoy spending time with you.”
“Wow,” his smile faltered for a moment and then grew. “I guess I just thought maybe I was being a nuisance calling to check on you.”
“Not at all,” Wendy smiled. “I look forward to those calls,” she cringed as she realized she might have said too much.
“Remember the wedding?” Brian asked casually and curled his fingers around the side of her hand.
“The one we went to together?” Wendy suggested, her heart pounding even faster.
“Yes,” he nodded. “It took all my willpower not to do something.”
“Do what?” Wendy asked breathlessly as she looked openly into his eyes.
“This,” he murmured. Then he leaned closer to Wendy. As his lips began to near her own, Wendy wondered if she had pizza sauce smudged on her face, too. She wondered if her breath would smell atrocious, from the garlic. She wondered if…
“Mm,” she heard herself moan quietly when his lips met hers. Her cheeks instantly flared with embarrassment at making such an intimate sound. Brian didn't seem to mind as the slow, sweet kiss grew into something much more intense. Suddenly, the image of him and the woman flooded her mind. She drew abruptly back from the kiss and looked away.
“Oh Wendy, I'm sorry,” Brian said quickly. He was obviously flustered by her reaction. She couldn't bring herself to speak as her mind was swimming. “I must have misread you,” he continued apologetically. “I hope I didn't offend you.”
“No, of course you didn't,” she replied, her voice trembling. “I'm sorry, I just have a lot happening right now,” she muttered.
“Of course,” he nodded and looked away from her. “Let's just forget it happened.”
“I'm sorry, Brian,” she said quickly. Wendy knew there was no way to come back from that. She felt horrible for it, but she just couldn't get that woman out of her mind. “It's not that I want to forget it, I don't think I ever will be able to.”
“Then what's the problem?” he asked as he looked into her eyes.
“I just, I just have a lot on my mind,” she replied nervously.
“Sure,” he nodded calmly though his expression conveyed his disbelief.
“I'm sorry, Brian,” she said again.
“Nothing to be sorry for,” he said as he stood up from the table. “Thanks for sharing the pizza.”
A thousand words rose to her lips to explain her behavior but none of them made it past her lips. There was no explanation for what she had done. Once Brian was gone Wendy collapsed down on her couch. She couldn't believe that she had let the moment that she had been waiting for pass her right by.
Chapter Six
The next morning Wendy arrived at the auditorium to meet up with Laura and the celebrant who would be performing the ceremony. She wanted to ensure that Laura liked the place, and that the acoustics would work for the ceremony.
“Hi, Wendy,” Laura smiled warily as she met Wendy at the door. “So, this is the place, huh?”
“I know that it doesn't look like much now,” Wendy said as she opened the door for Laura and the man beside her to step through. “But trust me, it's going to be great.”
“I do trust you, Wendy,” Laura said with a slight smile. “This is Kyle Channing, he's the celebrant for the wedding,” she added as she introduced the man beside her. Wendy smiled and offered him her hand.
“Wendy Reed, the wedding planner,” she said cheerfully. Kyle took her hand in his own and gave it a light shake. She noticed his weak grasp and glanced down to find that he had a few cuts on his hand. Her gaze lingered there for a moment before lifting back up to his brown eyes.
“Nice to meet you, Wendy,” he said politely. Then he glanced at his watch. “I hate to do this but I am in a bit of a rush.”
“Don't worry we can get this done quickly,” Wendy assured him. “I just want to make sure that your voice will carry well because the space is large.”
As they stepped into the large, empty auditorium Wendy could see the concern growing in Laura's eyes.
“Here I put together a sketch of what I expect this space to look like when we are finished with it,” she said and handed over her sketch pad. While Laura busied herself looking at the sketch, Wendy led Kyle up towards the stage where the microphone was located.
“How long is this going to take?” Kyle asked under his breath and glanced at his watch again.
“It won't take long,” Wendy assured him. “We just need to test the acoustics,” she adjusted the microphone so that it was at his level. She was trying not to let her annoyance show. She thought he was being a bit rude. “Do you think that you could introduce yourself?” she suggested.
“Hello everyone, welcome to this joyous occasion. My name is Kyle Channing and I am serving as the celebrant for the wedding,” he paused and looked at Wendy. “How is that?”
“Perfect,” Wendy nodded as she glanced over the large, open space. While others probably saw cement and stark bare walls, she saw the potential for endless creativity.
“Wendy!” Laura called out from the entrance of the hallway where she had been exploring. “Where did you disappear to?” her voice echoed a little.
“By the stage,” Wendy called back. She turned to see Laura making her way towards her. She looked a little skeptical as she studied her surroundings. “What do you think?” Wendy asked with a smile.
“I'm not sure,” Laura hesitated. “It's just so big.”
“But the extra space will give us the chance to do some really amazing decorating,” Wendy explained. “We won't have to think about fitting everything in. We could do a fountain, several statues, we could give it the feel of an indoor garden, or we could fill it with lace and satin ribbons,” Wendy smiled at the ideas she was spewing off, but Laura was not smiling.
“I guess,” she said quietly.
“I know it's not El Cielo,” Wendy said quickly. “But we could even create an artificial sky, or we could bring the furnishings from El Cielo here,” she suggested. “I'm sure that Javier would help us out with that.”
“No, I don't want anything from the restaurant here,” Laura said firmly and then lowered her voice. “It just seems a little creepy you know.”
“I understand,” Wendy nodded. “Remember that it’s just for the ceremo
ny. Sofia’s Restaurant, which you love, is all lined up for the reception. Take tonight to think about it, but remember we don't have a lot of time to choose,” Wendy said with a grimace.
“I know, I know, and I don't have to think about it,” Laura said with renewed confidence. “If you think this place will work, then let's do it.”
“Great,” Wendy said happily as she looked into Laura's eyes.
“Uh excuse me, but can I go?” Kyle asked as he interrupted the two. “I really do need to get to an appointment.”
“Sure,” Laura nodded a little and forced a smile. Wendy noticed the distance between the two. She made a mental note to ask Laura about it the next time she had a chance.
“Okay, I will make sure that everything is finalized and start decorating,” she gave Laura a quick hug. “Remember, it's my job to do the worrying, not yours. Okay?”
“Yes ma'am,” Laura sighed.
After Wendy made the final arrangements with the manager of the building she made her rounds to gather the decorative items that she would need. She wasn't far into her journey when her cell phone began to buzz. She glanced down at it to see a text from Laura asking if she could see Sofia’s Restaurant with Wendy so she had an idea of how it was going to be set up for the reception. Wendy texted back that they could meet the next day to go over the menu one last time and the seating charts for the new location. She didn't realize how exhausted she was until she finally arrived home. The moment she closed the door to the condo she felt the tiredness strike her like a wave. She ignored her couch, the kitchen, and headed straight for the bed.
As Wendy collapsed onto it she recalled the half-kiss she had shared with Brian. If only she had just let it happen, maybe they would have already talked more about the connection she felt with him. Instead, she had let her instant reaction of jealousy overtake everything. She toyed with her phone for a moment wondering if she should call him and explain why she had acted so strangely. She had just about worked up the nerve to call him when her phone began to ring. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was Brian calling. For an instant she hesitated to answer as she had no idea what she would say. Then finally she accepted the call.
“Hello?” she said.
“Wendy, I'm glad I caught you,” Brian said in a professional tone. “There's something I need to talk to you about.”
“Me too,” Wendy sighed and flopped back against the bed. “About yesterday I…”
“Listen to me, Wendy do you remember that search I was running on people connected to the restaurant?” he asked.
Wendy frowned and her heart dropped a little as he avoided the subject. “Yes, I remember,” she replied.
“Well, when I didn't find any connection between Vic and the judge I decided to include the members from the wedding party as well as Vic's extended family and Mark's extended family,” he explained. “Well, a few names popped up, one in particular I thought you might find interesting.”
“I did find the wedding program in front of El Cielo, but I didn't think anyone from the wedding could really be involved,” Wendy said with surprise.
“Well, it's nothing certain yet, but I thought you should know,” Brian explained, his tone still very detached and business-like. “Do you know how Kyle Channing is involved in the wedding?”
“He's the celebrant,” Wendy replied slowly. “Why, did his name pop up?”
“As you already know Mark's father is a judge. It took a lot of digging but I discovered that he presided over a murder trial involving Kent Channing, who turns out to be Kyle's brother.”
“So, Mark's father was the judge in Kyle's brother's trial?” Wendy repeated her eyes wide. “That's a big stretch.”
“I know it is, but it's the only valid connection I can find,” Brian said with defeat in his voice.
“It doesn't explain how Vic is involved,” Wendy pointed out.
“No, it doesn't make much sense to me yet, but I think there is something there. I'm just not sure how to piece it together,” he sighed.
“I met Kyle today,” Wendy admitted. “He seemed a bit brusque, but he didn't mention anything about Mark or Vic. Do you think it's possible he isn't even aware of the connection?”
“I'm sure it's possible. I mean what are the chances that Laura would ask him to be her celebrant? It could be just a big coincidence. But I wouldn't have been able to sleep tonight if I didn't mention it to you,” he offered in a slightly warmer tone.
“I appreciate that,” Wendy replied. “I can't wait to sleep. Today has been a huge run around.”
“I'm here if I can help in any way,” Brian reminded her.
“I know you are,” she replied sleepily. “Thank you, Brian.”
“I'll see you soon, Wendy,” he said before hanging up the phone. Wendy knew she had yet another opportunity to explain how she really felt slip away, but she wasn't sure if there would ever be an explanation for the way she had reacted to Brian's kiss. At least not one that she could expect him to accept.
***
Wendy had only intended to take a long nap, but she ended up sleeping through the night. When she woke up the next morning she found herself in a haze of uncertainty as to what day it was, where she was. As the haze faded away she remembered Brian's warning about Kyle. It was very early, the sun had barely risen, and her body ached from being in the same position for so long.
After a hot shower to get her brain and body moving, she decided that she had to know about Kyle's involvement before the wedding could go on. She couldn't risk the celebrant of Laura's wedding being involved in something sordid. She sent Laura a quick text asking her to make sure that Kyle joined them for the meeting at the restaurant. Laura sent a text back saying she would bring him.
Then Wendy headed over to the auditorium. She had hired a few extra decorators to ensure that every detail would be handled but she had some supplies she wanted to add to the ones she had purchased the day before. When she walked in many of the decorators were already hard at work. Wendy dropped off a few boxes in one of the corners. As she was giving instructions to one of the decorators she heard footsteps behind her. When she turned around she found Polson waiting for her near the entrance of the auditorium. She excused herself from the decorator and walked over to him.
“What are you doing here?” Wendy asked. Only after the words left the tip of her tongue did she realize how rude they sounded. “I mean, did I forget to fill out some paperwork?”
“No, we have everything we need,” Polson replied calmly and folded his hands across his stomach. “I was just wondering if I could speak to you for a moment.”
“Anything you need,” Wendy nodded and led him out of the auditorium which was a little noisy. Once outside she turned back to Polson. “What can I help you with?”
“Mark Meyer is the perfect suspect,” he explained. “But I know that you and Brian Alexander are looking into the case.”
“Is that a problem?” Wendy asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“It's not a problem, but when it crosses the line and creates suspects where suspects don't exist, it becomes a problem. Murder trials are very delicate and juries don't always like to convict despite the evidence. If there's any inkling of doubt it can cause a very big problem,” his lips drew into a thin, grim line.
“Are you suggesting that all leads shouldn't be followed up?” Wendy asked with disbelief.
“I'm suggesting that there are no other leads to follow up,” Polson said sharply. “What you and Brian are doing is causing my case against Mark Meyer to become weaker, and there is no reason for that. It's clear that he is guilty, all you're doing is encouraging a murderer to go free.”
“I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were judge and jury,” Wendy said coolly as she studied him. “But I can assure you that finding Vic's killer is everyone's first priority.”
“That's just the problem,” Polson said as he stepped closer to Wendy. “We already have Vic's killer in custody while you tw
o are playing police officers and disrupting the case.”
“Then I guess we'll have to agree to disagree,” Wendy replied through gritted teeth. Polson narrowed his eyes. He gave her a quick nod, then turned on his heel and walked across the parking lot. Wendy stared after him with annoyance. She pulled out her phone and began dialing Brian's number. She wanted to tell him just what she thought of Polson's warning. But Brian's phone only rang and then went to voicemail. She cringed and hung up the phone. When she glanced at the time she saw that she was running behind to meet with Laura and Kyle. If she wanted to know the truth she was going to have to find out fast.
Chapter Seven
Wendy parked in the parking lot outside Sofia’s Restaurant. Her heart was pounding as she anticipated what her next few moments might be like. She was going to confront Kyle and deal with Laura at the same time. She had no idea how any of it would unfold. But she was sure it would not be pleasant. She did her best to remind herself of why she was doing this. Mark was in jail for a crime he did not commit. It wasn't just to prove Polson wrong. She was Mark's only hope, that she was aware of, to get out of that position. She assumed that not even his father could help him because of the way it might tarnish his reputation. With Mark floundering and nearly certain to be convicted, Wendy knew that she had to risk a little discomfort in order to prevent it.
Wendy reluctantly climbed out of the car and began walking towards the large porch that wrapped around the restaurant. She was glad she had chosen it now as it only had one point of access, so she didn't have to worry about Kyle sneaking up behind her. There was something incredibly eerie about walking up to someone you thought could be a murderer especially when that murderer likely had no idea that their secret had been discovered. When she opened the door she could hear their voices drifting out towards her.