Newly Wed and Slightly Dead

by Danielle Garrett

  Caleb’s other brow joined the first, peaking halfway up his forehead. “Connor?” he repeated, reaching into the inside of his suit jacket. He pulled out a pad and small stub of pencil.

  I nodded. “I don’t think he gave us his last name.”

  Caleb jotted the note down. “I’ll look into it tomorrow. I don’t remember questioning anyone with that name. I’ll have to ask Jessica, my partner. What did he look like?”

  I relayed a quick description of the man and Caleb took down a few more notes. I smiled at the lines between his brows as he scribbled, his dinner all but abandoned.

  “So much for not discussing the case over dinner,” I teased.

  He glanced up from his note-taking and grinned. “Hey, you brought it up.”

  I laughed. “The whole thing was so weird, I just can’t get it out of my head. I thought maybe you’d have some insider info.”

  He closed the booklet and shook his head. “Trust me, you’re way more on the inside than I am at this point. The Vanguard family has done this rodeo before. They’ve closed ranks. No one is talking. That’s why I barged in on the funeral. I knew Lord Vanguard wouldn’t be happy about it, but it was a last-ditch effort to get insider information.”

  I frowned. “It seemed like people were cooperating the night of the murder.”

  “Everyone was in shock and not sure what was going on,” Caleb said. “Since then, they’ve all talked, gotten their stories straight, and now, no one is saying anything.”

  “Is that why you’re going after Alice so hard?” I asked, then took a sip of wine, judging Caleb’s reaction to my question over the rim of my glass.

  His expression tensed, but he didn’t frown. After a beat, he shrugged. “She’s got the clearest motive. Nearly everyone I talked to mentioned that Lucinda was actively trying to break up the wedding and that she was horrible to Alice. Seems pretty clear cut, but without a witness, or any physical evidence, it’s going to be hard to prove beyond a shadow of doubt.”

  “You need a confession,” I said.

  Caleb glanced up, his smile returning. “Your last boyfriend a cop or something?”

  I laughed and gave a coquettish shrug.

  Caleb chuckled and I waved my hand, still grinning. “Actually, I just like crime shows. I don’t get a lot of down time, but sometimes I have trouble sleeping, and I stay up and watch TV.”

  He sputtered into his beer. “Wait. Are you saying a good serial killer miniseries helps put you to sleep? I’m not sure that’s healthy, Ms. Winters.”

  My head dropped back and I laughed from deep in my belly. It was a bizarre statement when he said it like that.

  “You might want to consider seeing a professional for that,” he teased, before taking a drink of his dark beer.

  “Maybe I’m comfortable with my quirks,” I said, still laughing.

  He placed his glass on the table and smiled at me. “I like you’re quirks too. Especially when you let your feisty side out. I’m not going to lie, as infuriating as I found you, I admired the way you held your ground on the phone the other night.” He flashed a wicked smile and a rush of heat surged through me.

  “Well, if you liked that, then you really ought to see me on the day of an event when I get a call that a vendor is flaking out at the last minute. That’s when I go full-on fire-breathing dragon.”

  “Now that I’d love to see.” He laughed. “Maybe you should have been a detective. I’ll tell you, a fire-breathing dragon might come in handy right about now.”

  “You’ll figure it out,” I told him. “It’s only been a few days. These things usually take time, don’t they?”

  Caleb blew out a slow breath. “Tell that to my boss. The more high-profile the case, the faster the powers that be want it solved and off the front page of the Herald every day.”

  I bobbed my head. “You met my boss. Obviously, the stakes are a lot less high, but the way Hyacinth acts most of the time, you’d expect her to be talking about catching a murderer, instead of something like RSVP cards or floral arrangements.”

  That drew another smile from Caleb. “Hence the fire-breathing.”

  “Exactly.” I paused, considering the tablecloth for a moment before adding, “Though, at least I know where to find floral arrangements. A murder conviction isn’t quite as easy to come by, I imagine.”

  “Especially frustrating when there were a hundred witnesses within earshot and yet no one seems to know a thing,” Caleb replied, his jaw flexing slightly as he reached for his beer again.

  “Last night, you mentioned you had a couple new names to check out. Either of them turn anything up?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet.”

  I was considering changing the topic, when Caleb looked up at me and asked, “What do you know about the sister? Rosalinda Vanguard.”

  The question caught me off guard, and I faltered for a moment, before remembering what Dimitri and Alice had told me the night before. “Not much,” I admitted. “I didn’t even know Lucinda had a sister until last night, at the funeral reception.”

  Caleb’s brow furrowed. “She wasn’t on the wedding guest list?”

  I shook my head. “Dimitri said she was against the marriage and that she’d only come into town before the rehearsal in hopes of convincing Lucinda to cancel the whole thing.”

  “Nothing like a Hail Mary, I guess.” Caleb took a drink, his eyes pensive. “So, she was at the rehearsal?”

  “I didn’t see her, but I think Dimitri said she was staying at the house, so it’s possible she was there, somewhere in the background.”

  Caleb’s eyes darkened, and I wondered what his mind was piecing together.

  “Do you think she had something to do with Lucinda’s death?” I asked cautiously. The little sliver of a taste I’d gotten for the woman was enough to tell me she wasn’t someone I’d want to cross, but having a brusque demeanor didn’t mean she was capable of murder. Besides, what would be her motive? She wasn’t angry at her sister, was she? Lucinda wasn’t happy about the marriage either, so in theory, they’d be on the same side of the issue. If anything, her ire would be pointed in Dimitri’s direction.

  Caleb took a drink, so I pressed on, “Dimitri seemed to think there was a chance he’d get cut out of Lucinda’s will, which if that happened, would really throw a wrench in the whole wedding plans,” I said, hoping I didn’t come across entirely selfish. “Did you happen to stay for the reading of her will?”

  Caleb nodded. “I did.”

  “And…?” I prompted. “Was he right?”

  He set his drink aside and folded his hands on the table. “It appears the newly minted Lord Vanguard had nothing to fear. He retained his mother’s fortune and will take over her estate and title.”

  I breathed a small sigh of relief.

  “Seems like you’ll be back to the wedding plans sooner rather than later,” Caleb added.

  He said it in a good-natured way, but I couldn’t help wondering if he thought I was being flippant about Lucinda’s murder. “It’s a big account,” I explained, reaching for my wine glass. “I’ve spent the last nine months planning it, and due to the scale of it, there hasn’t been a lot of room for other clients. If I lost the Vanguard wedding, I’d be in a real pickle.”

  “I get it,” he said.

  Our server returned to clear our plates, and we decided to order dessert. When the crème brûlée’s arrived, we dug in with matched gusto. It made me smile to find a date who seemed to relish dessert with as much enthusiasm as I did. When we’d scraped the last bits of caramel sauce from our plates, Caleb reclined back in his chair and placed a hand on his flat stomach. “I love French food, but I always forget how rich it is. I’m going to be a slug at the gym tomorrow.”

  I snorted. “Want me to make sure you order a salad next time?”

  Caleb didn’t miss a beat, raising one eyebrow and flashing a half-cocked smile. “Next time?”

  My cheeks warmed and I started to protest but Ca
leb interrupted, leaning forward again. He reached out and grabbed my hand. “I would like that, very much” he told me with a sincere smile.

  The server brought the check, and Caleb insisted on paying the entire—and likely spendy—bill.

  When she disappeared to get Caleb’s change, he asked about my schedule but his phone rang before I could reply. He looked startled at the sound coming from his pocket and reached for it. “That’s my work phone,” he said, pulling a black cellphone from the inside of his jacket. He frowned at the screen. “I’m really sorry. I have to take this.”

  I nodded, and he excused himself from the table. “McCord,” he said, striding toward the hallway at the back of the restaurant where the kitchen and restrooms were located.

  The server returned with the change and I thanked her. It was late enough that I didn’t imagine there was a huge rush for the staff to turn over the table for the next customers, but when a few minutes ticked by with no sign of Caleb, I began to get restless. I stood up and gathered Caleb’s change, dropping a nice tip on the table, and tucked the rest into my clutch for safe keeping. Peering off in the direction he’d disappeared, I wondered if I should go and try to find him or if I should wait in the foyer.

  Our server passed by and asked if I needed anything. I told her no and then scurried back through the dining room to wait by the front doors. Caleb finally appeared a few minutes after that, his face a stern mask.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked, digging into my clutch to retrieve his change.

  He scrubbed a hand over his jaw and then shook his head. “Alice is on the run. There was an altercation at the Vanguard mansion and Alice fled. My agents lost her. She could be anywhere.”

  “What kind of altercation? Is she all right?”

  Caleb paused, his eyes going a shade darker. “Alice wasn’t the one who was attacked, Anastasia. She was the attacker.”

  Chapter 13

  “Do you have any idea where she might go?” Caleb asked.

  We’d stepped outside and stood on the front sidewalk. Caleb scanned the street, as if Alice might pop out of a sewer grate or something.

  “If she’s back in Seattle proper, there’s really no way of knowing,” I told him. “She’s got friends in town for the wedding. Maybe she’s staying with them temporarily? They weren’t allowed to stay inside the haven, so they’re booked at a local hotel. I don’t remember which one off the top of my head, but we could go back to my office and look it up.”

  Caleb nodded, but didn’t look at me.

  “What happened? Who did she attack?” I asked, trying not to sound impatient.

  “Rosalinda,” Caleb answered, still scanning the street. “At least, that’s what Rosalinda told my partner. She’s up at the mansion now, taking statements. She called me because she knew I was with you and thought maybe Alice would try and get in touch with you. She’s not answering Dimitri’s calls.”

  I pulled my phone from my clutch. No missed calls or text messages. I flipped it around to show Caleb. “Nothing. At least, not yet.”

  He inclined his chin. “Let’s go to your office.”

  I nodded, but couldn’t help feeling a sinking sense of disappointment. The dinner had gone so well that I’d begun imagining us taking a walk along the waterfront, maybe ducking into a swanky bar for a nightcap. Maybe a goodnight kiss. Now, the niggling anticipation was snuffed out and the easy banter and smiles were gone right along with it.

  “I’m parked a few blocks down,” he said, pointing up the street.

  My feet screamed at me as I hurried to keep up with Caleb’s long strides. It was clear he’d flipped back into business mode, much like he had at the funeral the night before. He didn’t try to place a hand on my back or hold my hand. With every block, the tension in his jaw only seemed to wind a little tighter.

  He drove us along the water and finally to what appeared to be an empty warehouse, but when we pulled into a parking space, he rolled down his window, placed his hand on the cement pole that served as a safety barricade, and the wall in front of the car disappeared. He gunned the engine and we drove straight through what had looked like a cement wall moments before. It swallowed us up, and the next thing I knew, we were back in the blue fairy-light glow of the haven streets after dark.

  Caleb didn’t ask for directions, apparently having memorized the way to my office building, though it wasn’t hard to do in the haven. It was only a fraction of the size of Seattle in the human world and not nearly as confusing to navigate. After we parked in the visitor lot underneath the building, I took the lead and used my own magic badge to get us into the building. During the day, we had a doorman to welcome and direct guests, but after business hours, the building was locked up with wards and enchantments to keep out intruders.

  After the fact, I realized Caleb likely had some kind of master key to the whole haven, but he didn’t force his way into the lead. It was a small detail, but I appreciated that he was willing to let me run the show when we were on my turf.

  I snapped my fingers when we stepped inside my office and a ball of light illuminated the space. “Let’s see,” I said, rounding my desk. A row of filing cabinets sat to the left of my chair and I dug into the files, coming up with the proper documents within moments. The haven world was slowly adapting and incorporating human technology. Things like microwaves and cell phones were fairly commonplace, but computers and smart phones hadn’t quite made their way into everyday life, so all of A Touch of Magic Events records and notes were paper.

  “Here it is,” I said, my finger stopping halfway down the page of notes in regard to the Vanguard wedding. “Her maid of honor, Harmony Willis, has a suite at the Double Tree. If I remember correctly, she has two of the other bridesmaids with her. Then, one of Alice’s foster moms was also planning to attend the wedding. She’s a local, over in Snohomish. I have that address as well.”

  Caleb held out a hand and I handed him the paper. He looked it over and nodded approvingly. “Good. Thank you. This will help.” He glanced over his shoulder.

  “Listen, I can take one of the company cars or hop a Shimmer Bus to get home, if you need to go,” I told him, standing to put the folder back into its place.

  He hesitated, looking out the window to the darkened city streets below.

  “You’ll find her,” I said, sensing the tension roiling off him.

  He turned, his expression dark. “Anastasia, I hate to ask you this, especially after what turned into quite a nice evening together, but—” he paused and drew in a breath, “Is there any chance Alice might be at your apartment again?”

  The underlying question went unsaid, but I knew he was wondering what I would do if she was in fact sitting on welcome mat. Would we have a repeat of the last time? No, I decided. Things had changed.

  “I don’t think so,” I said. “She’s human. How would she have gotten back into the haven?”

  Caleb considered it for a moment before saying, “Dimitri might have shown her the way. After all, it was about to be her home. Dimitri’s townhouse is here in the haven.”

  I licked my lips. Would Alice have run to me again? Surely she knew I couldn’t protect her again. Then again, she wasn’t exactly surrounded by allies.

  “I’ll call her,” I told him. “She might pick up her phone when she sees it’s me. She … trusts me.” A pinch of guilt nipped at me, but I reached for my phone anyway.

  I liked Alice, and deep down, I still didn’t think she had it in her to have killed Lucinda, but regardless, we needed answers. Things had spun out of control, and I wasn’t going to accidentally wander into aiding and abetting a criminal—a murderer no less—just on the feeling in my gut. I was normally right, but the stakes were far too high to rely on normally now.

  Alice’s phone rang three times and then kicked to voicemail in the middle of the fourth. I shook my head and clicked off the line before it started recording.

  “It rang through, but I think she’s screening,” I told Cale
b.

  His face fell but he nodded. “Thanks for calling. I suppose if she was at your door, she would have picked up.”

  “Probably,” I agreed.

  He pushed away from the window and squared his shoulders. “Come on. I can drop you at your building on the way out of the haven.”

  I nodded and got to my feet. “It’s really no trouble for me to catch the bus,” I said.

  He held out his hand and offered the first smile since receiving the phone call at the restaurant. “I’ve never put a woman on a bus following a date, and I don’t plan on starting now.”

  I returned his easy smile and took his hand.

  Caleb pulled up alongside the curb in front of my building and immediately hopped out of the driver’s side. He hurried around, but I’d already opened my own door. “You really don’t have to walk me up,” I told him. “You’ve got a long drive ahead of you.”

  “What if I want to walk with you?” he replied, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

  The words sent my stomach soaring down yet another peak of the rollercoaster evening, and this time, sparks were flying from the tracks underneath it. “I get the feeling there’s little point in arguing with you.”

  He chuckled and reached for my hand. “Lead the way.”

  We rode the elevator to my floor and paused in front of my door. “This is me.”

  He glanced around approvingly at the hallway. Art hung on the walls, interspersed with soft glowing light and lush plants spilling over the sides of their containers. “Nice building.”

  I smiled, the edges feeling twitchy as my nerves stretched tighter with anticipation. It had been so long since the last time I’d done this, stood on my welcome mat, fidgeting with the clutch in my hands, wondering if there was going to be a good night kiss.

  Caleb dragged his eyes back to mine, and the flames jumped even higher. “I really wish I didn’t have to go.” His gaze dropped to my lips and I stopped breathing. Was any of this really happening? Was I really on a date with arguably the most handsome man I’d ever seen in person? And, more pressing, was he really about to kiss me?