“Haku let me down,” Degas said. “He used me. He was involved in running the drugs, too.”
“Tom confessed that he blackmailed Haku. Haku never did it of his own free will,” Nora said. “And he died because he put his foot down and stood up to Tom.”
“I wish he’d told us,” Degas said sorrowfully. “We could have helped.”
“He was about to,” Tina said. “He was close to confessing, and that’s why Tom had to… do what he did.”
“It’s in the past,” Nora said. “All you can do now, is look to the future. Don’t let the past consume you.”
He nodded, a little doubtfully. “Do you really think I can make it work, Nora?” He looked into her eyes, and Nora saw what Simone had once seen. A vulnerable little boy hidden beneath the confident charming man. “I’ve never really had a family. Do you think I can just… make one of my own?”
Nora smiled. “Of course, you can. You can and you will. You love Elly, and she loves you. That’s all that matters.”
“Positions!” The wedding planner appeared. “Come on, Degas, the bride’s on her way!”
“Right.” Degas straightened. “You guys get to your seats, and try not to wolf whistle at the bride.”
“Try not to faint when you see her,” Tina said with a laugh. “I’ve heard she’s looking absolutely stunning.”
He didn’t faint. In fact, he looked like he was about to float away with joy when Elly walked down the aisle. As they exchanged ‘I do’s’ and rings, Nora saw them both gazing into each other’s eyes with love and gratitude.
“Think they’ll be okay?” Tina asked, wiping a tear from her eye.
“Okay?” Nora smiled. “I think they’ll be absolutely fantastic.”
The End (of Death At The Zoo)
Continue for Death At A Wedding…
A MURDER IN MILBURN, BOOK 7:
Death At A Wedding
By
Nancy McGovern
Chapter 1
A Disastrous Kiss
The Madness Diner hummed with life. In one corner, Simone and her son Will were finishing off an ice-cream, while Will explained to his Grandpa Joe the different types of Pokemon he had collected. Tina, her apron spotlessly clean, and her hair messy as always, was gossiping with Mayor Almand while his wife May took dainty bites of her walnut pancakes. Outside, the hot June summer baked the streets, and children skated down the sidewalk, trying to look cool, while adults in suits looked longingly at the ice-creams advertised by the diner.
Inside, in her usual spot behind the counter, Nora frowned as she browsed through one song after another on her iPod. She was trying to choose between Alison Krauss’ Stick With Me Baby and an instrumental track by The Corrs.
“You still have one of those bricks?” Sean, the sheriff of Milburn, leaned over the counter, curious. “Tell Harvey to upgrade you to a nice smartphone, why don’t you?”
“Hey, no peeking, Sean.” Nora smiled. “And my fiancé doesn’t have to upgrade anything. I like to stick with one machine instead of changing them every year.”
“Well I come here for conversation, not just coffee, and instead you’re lost in your own little world. What are you listening to, anyway?” Sean asked.
“Um, I’m trying to pick a song for our first dance.” Nora blushed. Her upcoming wedding was all she seemed to be thinking of these days, and the anticipation was nearly killing her - as was all the planning.
“Ahh, the wedding.” Sean smiled indulgently. “How far now? A month away?”
“Two weeks, actually, and it feels like a second job,” Nora said. “You won’t believe the amount of coordination required. My bridesmaid—”
“Are you one of those brides who’s had everything but the groom planned out since she was ten?” Sean asked.
“I was one of those brides,” Tina said, returning back to the counter, and putting down her tray. “Got a problem with that, Sean?”
Sean raised his hands and laughed. “Now, now, I was just curious. Sheriff’s job to ask questions, isn’t it?”
“How come you’re not in uniform, anyway?” Tina asked.
“It’s my day off. I’m meeting Karen, actually,” Sean said.
“So you two are dating again?” Tina asked, delighted.
“Um. No.” Sean looked guarded. “We’re sort of each others plus-ones for a wedding this weekend. That’s all.”
“Oh come on, you two are so cute together,” Tina said. “What’s with all this coyness?”
“Do you remember Jeremy Norton?” Sean asked.
“How could I forget.” Tina gasped. A long time ago, Nora’s best friend Raquel had been murdered. Nora had discovered that her murderer was a woman named Ashley, the wife of Raquel’s ex-boyfriend Jeremy.
“Yes. That Jeremy.” Sean nodded. “Poor guy always took it hard that Ashley did it because of him. At any event, he’s better now. He left town and worked in Jackson for a couple of years, and he found himself a new bride!”
“That’s excellent!” Tina smiled. “Anyone we know?”
“Charlotte Raclette,” Sean said.
“Sounds familiar.” Tina frowned. “Is that the owner of the dairy farm?”
“That’s her dad, Tony Raclette.” Sean nodded.
“Oh I know her then. Charlotte and her twin Eliza. They were a couple of years younger than us.” Tina nodded. “They don’t come into town much, and they don’t mix with us. They prefer Jackson, I think. At least, their dad prefers doing most of his business in Jackson since the farm is halfway there.”
“Right. Well, the wedding will be here anyway. I’m acting as Jeremy’s best man. They are getting married this weekend,” Sean said, then shook his head. “Makes me think I’m missing out. Everywhere I look, I’m surrounded by blissfully sugary couples. Sickening, isn’t it? All that gooey romance?”
“Oh, I’m sure Karen realizes,” Nora teased. “No sweet stuff. You’re all about hot, passionate romance, right Sean?”
Harvey, who only heard the last line, slipped into the seat next to Sean and raised his eyebrow. “Macking on my girl again, Sean?” he asked mildly.
Sean smiled back. “You wouldn’t have a chance if I did.”
Nora watched them anxiously, but both were being civil for now. Still, she felt a little wary. Harvey and Sean had a history of mutual hatred. Thanks to Nora’s efforts, they’d both cooled down a little bit, but they definitely weren’t friends yet. As if she recognized Nora’s worry, Tina tried to move the conversation along. “He was talking about Karen, actually. So how come you two haven’t made plans yet, Sean? I’d have thought you’d be bending down on one knee anytime now.”
Sean bit his lip. Nora sighed. The last time they’d spoken about Karen, Sean had told her that Karen had broken up with him because she had plans to move out of Milburn. She hadn’t yet moved out, but Nora knew she had just recently given notice at her job. The end was near for her and Sean.
To his credit, Sean put up a brave smile and said, “Well, some of us are happy being casual, Tina.”
Tina gaped at him open mouthed. “Casual? I could have sworn you made big proclamations of—”
“Um, Tina, can I see you in the kitchen for a moment?” Nora dragged her by the elbow, giving her no time to reply.
By the time they came out again, Tina had been updated about the situation, and Karen had arrived. She sat next to Sean, and from the way she held her body, Nora could tell she was forcing herself not to lean toward him. Sean, for his part, seemed equally miserable. Wishing she could do something to fix it, Nora had to instead be satisfied by making Karen her usual iced caramel coffee.
“Thanks.” Karen smiled as it was placed before her. “I needed this. I know it’s June, but it’s boiling outside. I feel about ready to melt into a puddle.”
The door jangled, and a tall man wearing a suit that was slightly too loose on him walked in, arm in arm with a beautiful blonde girl wearing shorts, a Laker’s T-shirt, and a baseball cap. Funny
, Nora thought. The combination looked off, somehow.
Karen hopped off her stool, and beamed at them. “Jeremy Norton you wonderful man! Congratulations.” She gave him a hug, and then directed her smile at the woman next to him.
“Why thank you, Karen.” Jeremy smiled. “You know Charlotte, of course.”
Charlotte had her hand possessively wound around Jeremy’s arm. She was giving Karen a decidedly unfriendly look. Nora admired her matte blue nails, and then wondered what color she should paint her nails before the wedding. Put it on the list of things to discuss with Tina, she told herself.
“Well, I’m sure you can’t wait to kiss the bride,” Karen was teasing Jeremy.
“Oh, I don’t need to wait.” Jeremy laughed, and to the delight of the others, he dipped Charlotte nearly to the ground, while giving her a deep kiss. Sean gave out a wolf whistle, while several others clapped.
From the door, there was a gasp, and then a scream. Every head turned, including Nora’s. For a second, she could scarcely believe what she was seeing.
It was Charlotte. Or at least, a clone of Charlotte, dressed in a biscuit colored skirt with a silky white blouse, with hair flowing to her shoulders. She had screamed, and her hands were now covering her mouth in horror. Nora noted that her nails were chipped, unlike the other woman’s.
Jeremy looked at her, then at the woman in his arms, and stepped away as if repulsed. “What… What’s going on here?”
“You kissed her!” the girl by the door exclaimed. “You kissed her! How could you!”
“What is… Charlotte… I thought she was—”
“We’re supposed to be married this weekend and you can’t tell me apart from my sister?” Charlotte asked, looking disgusted. Gasps went up around the diner.
“I…” Poor Jeremy looked entirely lost. “She was you. I mean… I thought...”
“Oh, you didn’t think at all!” Charlotte said. “As for you, Eliza—”
“Don’t get mad, sissy. It was only a prank.” Eliza laughed. “You need to develop a better sense of—”
Before she could say any more, Charlotte had bent down, whipped off a shoe, and sent it sailing across the room to catch Eliza on the forehead. Eliza gave a little yelp of pain, then charged at her sister, nails held out like claws. Not to be outdone, Charlotte raced towards her too.
“Whoa, whoa.” Sean placed himself in between them, holding out his hands. “Ladies, why don’t we take this outside and sort it out? I’m sure nobody wants to be arrested.”
“Oh she’d like nothing better than for me to be arrested!” Charlotte yelled. “Wouldn’t you, Eliza? How dare you. How dare you even show your face—”
“Ma’am, please don’t raise your voice.” The change in Sean’s voice was subtle, but uniform or not, everyone in the room recognized that ‘cop-voice’ of his. So did Charlotte. Eliza glared at him and asked, “What are you, sheriff of this horrible place?”
“As a matter of fact, I am,” Sean said. “I’m also the best man at their wedding. So I wouldn’t badmouth Milburn if I were you.”
“If there’s a wedding at all,” Eliza said with a smirk.
Ignoring Sean, Charlotte launched herself at Eliza again, ready to claw her face off. With a sigh, Sean managed to neutralize her, then with a firm grip led her outside. Jeremy, looking pale and sweaty, followed them, as did most of the people in the diner. Harvey stood at the door, letting Nora, Tina and Jeremy follow Sean, but keeping Eliza and a good portion of the crowd inside.
“Now folks.” Harvey smiled. “We don’t want a scene, right? Not how we do things here in Milburn.”
“I don’t understand,” Simone said. “So he kissed her twin? But why would you let him do that, Eliza?”
Eliza was absently chewing on her nail, and said, “It was just a prank. For sixteen months I’ve been hearing Jeremy this and Jeremy that. I wanted to play the old identical twin switcheroo. So big deal. She’s just blowing everything out of proportion like she always does.”
“Fooling a man into kissing you isn’t a good thing,” Simone said, a little heatedly. “Fooling an engaged man is even worse. How could you do that to your own sister?”
“Stay out of it, will you?” Eliza said angrily. “You lot need something else to occupy your time. Bunch of—”
“Watch it,” Harvey said. “You don’t want to rile up people, all right?”
“Sure, Handsome.” Eliza winked at him. “Say, I don’t want to meet the sheriff again, so how about you show me the back door? Then maybe if there’s a bar open somewhere—”
“Simone will show you out,” Harvey said. “And if I were you, I’d hoof it out of town. Permanently. I think you’ve just lost your invitation to Charlotte’s wedding.”
“Leave?” Eliza laughed. “I don’t think so. I’m just getting started, darling!” With that, she gave a little toss of her head, and walked away.
*****
Chapter 2
The Betrayed Bride
Outside, Charlotte was sobbing in Nora’s arms while a confused Jeremy was pushed away as he tried to approach her. Sean was scratching his head, wondering how his peaceful coffee had suddenly become a cliffhanger from a soap opera.
“There now,” Nora said. “Don’t think about it for a bit.”
“Think?” Charlotte fumbled with her ring, and spiked it on the ground. “He cheated on me! He had to have known that wasn’t me. He had to have!”
“Charlotte, I really didn’t know!” Jeremy had tears in his eyes. “Do you think I’d throw away everything we have for… for one kiss from that disgusting woman?”
Charlotte, who was still hysterical, said, “I’m just lucky I caught you out here in a diner instead of at the inn!”
“Charlotte, darling, please…” Jeremy embraced her, letting her beat on his shoulders. “Please let’s work this out? I can’t bear to see you so unhappy.”
“I can’t. I just can’t.” Charlotte shook her head miserably. “I’m leaving. I’m going back to the inn and I’m going back home!”
“But… you can’t. We’re getting married two days from now!” Jeremy protested.
“There is no wedding. There won’t be any wedding.”
“Hey Nora, why don’t you drive Charlotte back to the inn?” Sean asked. “I’ll take care of Jeremy here.”
Nora nodded, and escorted a still sobbing Charlotte to her car. Sean blocked Jeremy, and shook his head. “Look buddy, you need to let her alone for a while. When she’s calmed down, you two can talk.”
“I have to talk now.” Jeremy sniffed, wiping at his eyes. “She can’t believe I’d…”
“Here.” Sean handed him the engagement ring that Charlotte had dropped. “You’ll need this.”
“I can’t believe any of this,” Jeremy said, sounding as if he’d been gutted. “Just half an hour ago, I was so happy…”
“Couldn’t you tell it wasn’t her?” Sean asked, genuinely confused.
“I promise you I didn’t know!” Jeremy said. “The two of them are identical, and Eliza was acting like Charlotte too. I was supposed to pick Charlotte up at the bus station, 11am today. I woke up late and had a hangover, so I grabbed my phone and left. Then later, I noticed Charlotte’s text that she was coming a bit later with the rest of the family instead, but I didn’t… I just thought there had been some mistake and she’d decided to get on the bus after all. She didn’t talk much, and I sensed something was off, but I thought it was just… just pre-wedding stuff.”
Sean nodded. “It’s a weird situation, but I do believe you. I’m really sorry man.”
“You think she’ll come around?” Jeremy asked. “You think she’ll come back to me?”
In reply, Sean only patted him on the back, and stayed quiet.
*****
When Charlotte blew her nose she rivaled a trumpet. Nora, who still drove her rusty old Toyota, was sure that she felt the car shake with the force of it. Taking a deep breath, she wondered if she ought to have hus
tled Charlotte out of there as fast as she did. Perhaps it would have been better for the couple to hash out their differences immediately. Then again, a cooling off period would make sure that nobody said or did anything they regretted. Heated situations had a way of escalating badly.
Poor girl, Nora thought. She tried to imagine how she’d feel if she saw Harvey kissing someone else mere days before the wedding, or anytime, for that matter. I’d probably kill one…or both, she thought.
Out loud, she asked, “Has your sister always been as evil as she acted today?”
“No.” Charlotte sniffed. “We used to be close growing up. We’re twins! We used to share everything with each other. But somewhere along the line… Eliza changed. I was never as good as her growing up. She was popular in school, and I was just an average student. She used to mock me all the time because I preferred having only a few friends, while she had the entire school eating off the palm of her hand. Eliza was the pretty one. Eliza was the one with all the promise.” Charlotte broke into sobs again. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know I shouldn’t… it’s just that I love Jeremy so much. I can’t bear the thought of breaking up with him.”
“Do you want my opinion?” Nora asked.
“Sure.” Charlotte sniffed.
“Don’t break up with him,” Nora said. “Jeremy loves you just as much as you love him, and that’s a rare thing in this world. When you’re gifted with love like that, you hold on tight. If you break up with him that’ll just make both of you unhappy and Eliza happy. Don’t do it.”
Charlotte bit her lip, and took a few deep breaths. “I guess I don’t want to, really,” she said. “I just don’t know how I’ll ever… I’ll never feel safe again, you know? I’ll always wonder if he secretly would have preferred Eliza.”
“Tell me about him,” Nora said. “How did the two of you start dating?”
“It wasn’t…” Charlotte wiped away some more tears. “I suppose in a way, karma paid me back. The thing is, I was in a relationship when I met Jeremy.”
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