‘Oh, that wasn’t luck. Not with Rolly.’ She beamed at her lover. ‘He’s an excellent planner. He’s had Martina and Lawrence on standby for other productions. We’ve just never needed them until now.’
‘It’s a shame they were needed,’ Tish lamented, ‘but they were enjoyable to watch, nonetheless.’
‘And sweet, too,’ Edie exclaimed as she dug into her breakfast. ‘Jenny used to poke fun at my costumes. She’d refuse to wear what I designed for her, but Martina thinks my designs are brilliant. She wants to look at my sketchbook in between shows.’
‘Sounds as if you may have found a new permanent cast member.’
‘What? Oh, no, there’s no need for that.’ Edie smiled at Rolly, ‘We’ve agreed that I will be in all the performances from now on. Just like old times.’
‘We’re going to give Evita a shot, with Edie in the lead role. Once we discuss it with the group, of course.’ He returned Edie’s smile.
‘I’m going to get to work on the costumes right away. The gown for the balcony scene will look magnificent on our new posters.’
Not wishing to ruin Edie’s visions of grandeur with questions about Rolly’s first meeting with Jenny – and suspecting Rolly might not be completely truthful with Edie in the room anyway – Tish made her way to Justin Dange’s Travato and knocked on the door.
She was greeted not by the actor himself but by the faint sound of his voice instructing her to enter through the unlocked door. Tish complied.
Stepping into the darkened van, she spied Justin flopped upon the bed. His face was unshaven, his hair uncombed, and he bore the expression of a man in genuine grief.
‘Are you OK?’ Tish asked, although she was quite certain of the answer.
Justin shook his head. ‘I should have protected her. I should have protected Jenny.’
She placed her bag on the nearby dinette table. ‘I’m not sure how you could have done that.’
‘I shouldn’t have let her break up with me. If I hadn’t, I might have been with her last night. I might have—’
‘You might have been shot, too.’
‘I don’t think so. The killer would have had no reason to shoot me.’
‘You know the killer’s motive?’
‘If the killer was Bailey – and we all know it was – then, yes. He was sick of Jenny constantly rejecting him and decided to make her pay.’
‘And if Bailey isn’t the killer?’ Tish challenged.
‘Of course Bailey’s the killer! If not him, then who?’
‘You tell me.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that it doesn’t look as if you slept well last night,’ she guessed.
‘You’re right. I didn’t.’ He sat up and kicked the covers away, revealing his night-time ensemble of a dark long-sleeved T-shirt and gray track pants.
‘I’m no psychologist, but I think if you genuinely believed Bailey killed Jenny, you might have slept better knowing he was locked away in a holding cell. Yet you didn’t.’
‘I don’t know. It’s all so confusing. I just kept thinking about Jenny. How she always seemed … haunted, for lack of a better word.’
Tish handed Justin the breakfast sandwich and carton of orange juice he’d ordered. ‘Eat up. It’ll help you feel better.’
Justin obeyed Tish’s instructions. After a few bites of food and some juice, the color had returned to his face.
As Justin was starting to feel better, Tish asked the all-important question. ‘How did you and Jenny meet?’
‘I was in Savannah, Georgia, for a friend’s wedding and decided to stay on a few days for a bit of a vacation. It was my first day of sightseeing and I noticed a crowd of people gathered near the fountain at Forsyth Park. At first, I thought they’d gathered to admire the fountain – it is a landmark – but they’d gathered to watch this young street performer give a rather manic one-woman, thirty-minute performance of Romeo and Juliet. That street performer was Jenny.
‘It was absolutely brilliant. She played all the parts herself and her only costumes were these hats which she’d change to denote each character, although she didn’t need the hats because she had all the different voice inflections and mannerisms down pat,’ he went on. ‘I was completely blown away and was tempted to say something to her after the performance, but she was inundated by fans and tourists taking selfies, so I went on my way. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about her, so that evening, before dinner, I took a stroll around Forsyth Park on the off chance she was still around, but she was nowhere to be seen.
‘Figuring she’d gone home for the day, I walked over to The Olde Pink House for a drink in their basement bar before grabbing some seafood by the river. Well, I’d only just stepped foot on The Olde Pink House steps when I heard the voice of a young woman reciting lines from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was Jenny. She’d brought her show to Reynolds Square.
‘I watched, enraptured, just as I’d done at Forsyth Park. This time, however, when Jenny finished, I approached her. I was astounded to learn that she actually remembered me from the afternoon audience. Which, in itself, was remarkable. Jenny was always completely wrapped up in her performance. I’d sometimes laugh about an odd thing I’d spotted in the first row of the audience and Jenny was oblivious to it.’
‘She lost herself in the character,’ Tish paraphrased.
‘Yeah, that’s exactly it. Anyway, I introduced myself to Jenny and told her I was an actor, too. We started chatting about acting and, eventually, I invited her to continue the conversation at The Olde Pink House bar. She declined and suggested we continue the discussion over dinner in The Olde Pink House restaurant instead. Seemed the manager so appreciated Jenny entertaining the restaurant guests outside waiting for tables that he’d give her a free meal between shows. Occasionally, she could even invite a friend to join her.’
‘Wait a minute. You ate dinner between shows? You mean she was putting on multiple shows in the evening?’ Tish was impressed by Jenny’s dedication and work ethic.
‘Yeah, and during the day. I was totally in awe of Jenny’s schedule, too. Until I learned the reason behind it. Jenny was homeless.’
Tish felt her jaw drop.
‘Yeah, that’s pretty much how I felt. The second night I saw her, I offered to walk her home, and she led me to some youth outreach center. That free meal from The Olde Pink House six nights a week was the only decent meal she was getting. The tips she earned from her performances went toward purchasing toiletries, makeup, hygiene products, a few articles of clothing, and supplies to create and repair her hats. She’d managed to save up a hundred dollars. She showed it to me to prove she wasn’t on the streets because of drugs, but because she’d run away from home before graduating high school.’
‘Where did she live before running away?’
‘She never said. Somewhere south of Savannah, though. I remember her stating that the second she turned eighteen she took a bus north. So maybe Florida?’
‘That must have tough for Jenny. Living on the streets.’
‘Yeah, and she wasn’t out there for lack of trying. She’d worked at fast-food joints, but her minimum-wage earnings allowed her to either make rent or eat but never both, so she turned to her life’s passion to make money and get herself out of the hole.’
‘Then you came along.’ Tish smiled warmly.
‘Yes, then I came along. She was so talented, so vivacious. I couldn’t just walk away from her. Not only did she deserve to be acknowledged for her craft, but I knew she couldn’t keep on doing what she was doing. I needed to get her out of her situation. Fortunately, I had the means to do so. I told Jenny about the group and suggested that she join us. She was reluctant at first. Very reluctant. Although she wasn’t at all happy with her living situation, she was pleased with what she was doing artistically. She had autonomy and control over her work – plus, she was the star.
‘I’m sure other members of the group will have mentioned Jenny’
s love of the spotlight,’ he acknowledged. ‘It’s true – she thrived on being the center of attention – but I think it was less about ego and more about a need for approval.’
‘Makes sense,’ Tish agreed. ‘Even those of us who didn’t run away from home still look for our parents’ approval.’
‘True,’ he remarked before taking another bite of sandwich.
‘How did you convince Jenny to join the group?’ she asked after Justin washed down his sandwich with some orange juice.
‘I busked with her. Joined her on a couple of her shows. Demonstrated how nice it could be to work with another actor. It was a hard sell, but she and I had fun, and she eventually agreed to travel home with me to Williamsburg so she could have an audition with Rolly. If Rolly took her on, she’d stay in Williamsburg with the group; if not, I’d pay for her to return to Savannah.’
‘You took a chance,’ Tish noted. ‘You might have lost the girl you were falling in love with.’
‘Falling? I’d already fallen – hook, line, and sinker. And I really wasn’t taking much of a chance. I knew Rolly would both recognize and appreciate Jenny’s talent. I just had to keep the fact that she was homeless under wraps; otherwise, he might question her motives. So I told him she was a family friend I’d reconnected with during the wedding I attended.’
‘And Rolly believed you,’ Tish presumed.
‘He had no reason not to. I’d never lied to him. Plus, he knew I had a thing for Jenny. Heck, he might have had a small crush on her, too. In addition to being amazingly beautiful and talented, she could be quite charming when she wanted. I even caught faithful old Ted Fenton casting an eye in her direction every now and then. That’s probably the real reason Frances was so sour toward her. And yet …’ Justin stared off into space.
‘Everything OK?’ Tish prompted after several seconds of silence had elapsed.
‘Yeah, it’s just that when Jenny broke up with me, I thought it was because she felt trapped. Jenny had been out on her own for so long and was so accustomed to doing things her own way that even though she was making a fairly decent living and had a safe place to sleep, she probably felt stifled by the whole situation. Whether it stemmed from her childhood or her time on the street, Jenny had difficulty trusting people, and the more she stayed here with us – with me – the more she was expected to share of herself. The prospect terrified her, I think, so she isolated herself emotionally. And yet there’s part of me that questions if I wasn’t being too generous in that assessment. I wonder if perhaps the other members of the group were right, after all.’ Justin’s eyes grew steely. ‘Maybe Jenny Inkpen wasn’t a damaged, lost young woman trying to find her way in the world. Maybe she was, in fact, just a cold, calculating, manipulative little shrew.’
‘He deserved better,’ Lucinda LeComte declared as she presented Tish with a steaming cup of detoxifying tea.
‘Thanks,’ Tish readily accepted, as she felt quite chilled – a result of the weather and, most likely, too much insight into the inner workings of the theater group members. In exchange for the tea, Tish handed Lucinda her egg-white-omelet sandwich with kale, avocado, shiitake, and salmon.
‘Oooh.’ Lucinda rubbed her hands together excitedly. ‘Lean protein, isoflavonoids, calcium, D, complex B-vitamins, and fiber in one delicious package. If only there were cheese on there, it would be perfect.’
‘There is cheese on there. Just a sprinkle of feta.’
‘Tish, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,’ Lucinda quoted as she sunk her teeth into the sandwich.
‘I second that motion,’ Tish agreed as a mouthful of deliciously gingery pomegranate-scented tea traveled down her esophagus and into her stomach, bringing much-needed warmth to her body’s core.
Looking up from her mug, Tish followed Lucinda’s gaze out of the window of her Airstream camper.
‘How is he?’ Lucinda asked, her eyes fixed on the black Travato van parked next door.
‘Justin? He was in a state when I first stopped by, but food and a chat seemed to help him. Still, he’s having some difficulty coping with it all.’
‘Yes, well, he was in love with Jenny, wasn’t he?’ She flashed a sardonic smile.
‘And you? How did you feel about her?’
Lucinda directed her focus back toward her breakfast. ‘I wasn’t as vehemently opposed to Jenny’s presence as some other members of the group,’ she replied as she tore off a small piece of kale from her sandwich and ate it. ‘I was excited at the prospect of having a young actress in our merry little troupe. Apart from providing a nice transfusion to this aging bunch, the presence of a new actress granted me an opportunity to share the lessons I’ve learned during my twenty-plus years of stage experience – a chance to mentor someone the way I’d been mentored when I was a fledgling thespian.’ Lucinda frowned. ‘Unfortunately, Jenny would have none of it. She was Jenny Inkpen, entertainer extraordinaire! She had little use for advice – disdained it, actually. I confess I had much the same attitude as a young actress, but I at least remained receptive to suggestions. Then again, I didn’t have as much confidence – or shall I say haughtiness – as Jenny did when I was her age, which is probably why I got knocked up at age twenty-three.’
Tish felt her mouth drop open, not because Lucinda had accidentally become pregnant at a young age, but because she would share such an intimate detail with a virtual stranger.
‘Yes, I know, I “let it all hang out,” as they say,’ Lucinda affirmed in response to Tish’s reaction. ‘I see no reason to hide who I am. Plus, it’s relevant to my relationship with Jenny. The daughter I gave birth to – and subsequently put up for adoption – all those years ago would have been the same age as Jenny, thus providing me with another reason to want to mentor the girl. And another reason to be disappointed when she rejected my input.’
Something about Lucinda’s timeline didn’t quite add up. ‘Um, you said you became pregnant at age twenty-three, but the playbill for the show says—’
‘That I’m in my late thirties,’ Lucinda completed the thought. ‘The playbill lies. I’m forty-five. Why do you think I’ve restricted carbs and drink this ridiculous tea?’
‘I rather like the tea,’ Tish replied honestly, but, then again, perhaps she liked it because she wasn’t far behind Lucinda in age.
‘You’re right, it isn’t bad,’ Lucinda acknowledged as she stared into her teacup. ‘But when you sip it all day long in order to prevent middle-aged belly bloat and an expanding waistline, the flavor can start to wear thin.’
‘Well, whatever you’re doing is working, Lucinda. You look terrific.’
‘Thanks. I only hope I can stave off the ravages of time until I’m ready to retire. I’ve dedicated my entire life to acting and I’ve finally reached the point where I feel that I’ve hit my stride. I’m still learning, of course, but I’m enjoying stepping out of my comfort zone and stretching my boundaries. You can’t do that when you’re assigned to play the part of someone’s mother or grandmother.’
‘But you wouldn’t always play someone’s mother or grandmother, would you? I mean, you might once or twice a year, but then, eventually, you’d play the leading role again.’
‘As long as the audience will still have me, in theory, yes.’ Lucinda took a bite of sandwich.
‘In theory? But I thought the group was founded on the principle that everyone has something to offer, and therefore everyone in the group takes turns playing the lead,’ Tish posed.
‘It was,’ Lucinda confirmed. ‘However, it’s hard to make that argument when you’re losing roles to a young Audrey Hepburn lookalike with a nineteen-inch waist.’
‘And Justin?’
‘What about him?’
‘Do you feel as though you lost him to Jenny, too?’
The color rose in Lucinda’s cheeks. ‘What on earth do you mean?’
‘I could be wrong, of course, but it strikes me that you possess a certain tenderness for him.’
&n
bsp; ‘We’re friends,’ the actress protested. ‘Just friends. Justin was quite green when he joined the group, so I took him under my wing.’
‘A mentorship like the one you discussed earlier?’
‘No, not quite. I’m older than Justin, but not that much older. When he came on board, I still had much to learn myself. I helped him whenever I could, but a lot of what we learned through the years, we learned together. True, he had a crush on me back in the day, and I rather enjoyed flirting with him, but a seven-year age difference is tough to overlook.’
‘I don’t know. I don’t think seven years is much of a difference,’ Tish stated.
‘It is when you’re the one who’s older. I know, I know,’ Lucinda sang. ‘The world is supposedly a different place now, but an older man getting involved with a younger woman is still far more socially acceptable than an older woman getting involved with a younger man. Older men don’t get labeled as “cougars.” Look at Justin and Jenny. Look at how many years stood between them, but no one in the group, aside from Frances, batted an eye over their age difference or accused Justin of being a cradle snatcher.’
‘Not even you?’ Tish challenged.
‘No … well, maybe I did question his motives. I mean, what was he trying to prove by dating someone that young? But that quickly dissipated, most likely due to the nature of their relationship.’ Lucinda explained her change in opinion. ‘Whereas one would assume the older party was the predator, it was clear from the start that Justin was the innocent in that relationship. Jenny was a player who only cared about her career.’
‘A player?’ Tish questioned.
‘Yes, she played up to Justin so that he’d introduce her to the group. Once in, she played up to Rolly until he cast her in a leading role. Then, knowing that Ted Fenton is in charge of designing our marketing materials, she fluttered her fake eyelashes in his direction.’
‘Wait? Jenny made a move on Ted Fenton?’
‘Not a move, just general flirting and flattery. Trying on various costumes – costumes not designed by Edie, by the way – and sashaying around Ted under the guise of seeking his “artistic opinion” as to which skimpy outfit looked best. Well, guess who wound up on this season’s posters, pamphlets, and local television ads shortly afterwards?’
The Christmas Fair Killer Page 8