Murder at the Wizard-Hero Con

by Sandi Scott

  “Hey, Georgie! Come on in!” Beau called as she was just about to knock on the screen door. As soon as Georgie stepped inside the house, Beau appeared, wearing shorts and a T-shirt with his boa, Hercules, draped around his shoulders.

  “Oh, my. He looks comfortable.” Georgie hung back, unconsciously holding the cardboard tube protectively up in front of her.

  “He’s digesting,” Beau said with a smile. “You can stroke him. He loves a little affection once his tummy is full.”

  Georgie had inspected Hercules two times while he was in his cage sleeping beneath the warm rays of a heat lamp. Seen this close, his scales glistened, and she could clearly see that what she’d told Stan earlier was true. The snake wasn’t just a taupe color, flecked with black; but really a beautiful tapestry where brown, orange, green and even gold flecks could be seen on closer examination.

  But she couldn’t deny he looked bigger and more intimidating now that he was out and within arm’s reach. Still, never being one to turn down a new opportunity, Georgie stretched out her hand. She ran her hand along the reptile’s body. It was cool and soft like a raw sausage.

  “I am just amazed by him,” Georgie said. “He really is beautiful. But I have to admit, Beau, I just couldn’t handle a pet like this. I’m a pug person.”

  “They aren’t for everyone,” he chuckled. “I’ll put him away in his tank. Excuse me for one second.”

  Beau was a strong fellow who looked like the comic book characters he drew. He worked out and did personal training for extra cash, according to his social media pages. There were photos of him lifting heavy weights, posing with flexed muscles, and of course with Hercules wound around his broad shoulders.

  He came back into the front room clapping his hands and rubbing them together.

  “I can hardly wait to see it, Georgie.”

  “Well, I hope you like it.” Georgie’s insides were probably as jittery as Beau’s. She handed him the top corners of the canvas and working carefully, slowly unrolled the painting.

  Beau stood still and stared at the image. Georgie watched as his eyes scanned the huge painting once it had been completely unfurled.

  “What do you think?”

  Georgie was shocked to see the big, burly man had tears in his eyes.

  “It’s so beautiful,” Beau gasped. “I gotta call my wife.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and quickly dialed. He stuttered into the phone for his wife to hurry and get home. He had something she had to see.

  After hanging up, he looked at Georgie, laughing with tears trickling down his cheeks.

  “I’m going to hang it up for my wife to see,” he said, his words gushing out. “Will you help me hang it up on the wall over there?” He pointed to a big blank wall that was the perfect size for the painting. Once it was hung, Georgie felt proud of her accomplishment.

  It had been explained to Georgie that in Beau’s comic the hero was a half-man, half-boa called Serpentius. His condition was due to a scientific experiment gone wrong. Serpentius had ended up with the head of a snake and a human body full of scaly muscles. He was not only able to speak, but he could communicate with other cold-blooded creatures, so Georgie had included lots of other reptiles in the painting as well.

  “Serpentius looks just like Hercules. I mean, no one could say it was just a generic boa. You’ve captured his diamond pattern perfectly, along with its tiny tint of orange. Oh, Georgie. This is what Herc would look like if he were part human. It really is.” Beau wiped his eyes.

  Georgie blushed. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

  “Happy? I’m ecstatic! This is going to be the hottest image at the whole Wizard-Hero-Con. I can’t thank you enough, Georgie. I really can’t.” He beamed.

  She left before Beau’s wife arrived, but promised she’d meet her at the Wizard-Hero-Con. As she left the house, Georgie felt great that here was yet another satisfied customer.

  In her purse was not just her payment for the portrait, but also two passes to the biggest comic book convention in the Midwest. She couldn’t help but feel proud of herself and excited about attending the event. Georgie hurried home, busily planning her costumes for each day of the conference.

  Chapter 3

  “So? How do I look?” Georgie stepped out of her bathroom and looked at Aleta who was sitting on her bed with Bodhi next to her.

  “I thought you said you were dressing up for this event,” Aleta said without emotion.

  “Very funny.” Georgie patted the giant blond beehive wig she was wearing and tugged at the skirt of her red minidress. “I know I don’t need to tell you what starship I’m from. Nor do I need to tell you that the captain of this vessel makes my heart go to warp factor nine.”

  “Set your phaser to crazy.” Aleta stood up and approached her sister. “You look good. Adorable, really.”

  “We should be leaving in about half an hour. Do you want to get changed here?” Georgie said as she adjusted her wig in the mirror over her dresser.

  “Changed. No. This is what I’m wearing.” Aleta looked down at her conservative trousers and simple button-down blouse.

  “What? No, it isn’t. I’ve got a surprise for you.” Georgie hurried to the other side of her bed, got down on her knees, and almost completely disappeared underneath the dust ruffle. When she finally reemerged, she was brushing dust off her beehive and batting her long eyelashes.

  “What is that?” Aleta pointed to a neon pink plastic bag.

  “It’s your costume.”

  “Georgie, you are the one with the hourglass figure. Not me. Whatever is in that tiny bag is too risqué for me.”

  “You haven’t even looked at it.” Georgie reached into the bag. “Besides, it’s from Hot Ideas. You know that shop. Teenagers hang out there. It’s harmless.”

  “Sure,” Aleta said with a snicker. “You know how slutty teenagers can be these days.”

  “Trust your big sister.”

  “Two minutes, Georgie. You are two minutes older than me. That hardly constitutes older. And trusting you? Do you really think that has kept me out of trouble?” She looked at Georgie and shook her head. Without waiting another second, Georgie opened the bag and pulled out a T-shirt. It had a simple design that Aleta recognized instantly.

  “Waa-la!”

  “Oh, Georgie. I haven’t seen a Maverick Melody cartoon since we were kids,” said Aleta, her words gushing out. “Where on earth did you get this?” She held up the shirt in front of her.

  “You can find just about anything online these days.” Georgie smiled as she watched her sister smile at the simple logo of the cowgirl she had grown up watching.

  “I love it. I’ll wear it with pride. Do you think it will look okay with these pants?” She pushed out her lips as she held the T-shirt in front of herself.

  “I’ve got a pair of stretchy pants that are too snug for me. They’ll fit you just perfectly. You might even turn a couple heads.”

  “I’m so excited about this T-shirt that I don’t even care. Come on! Come on! Let’s hurry. I want as many people as possible to see my awesome shirt from my awesome sister.”

  It took just a few minutes until Georgie and Aleta were in Pablo, driving to Holland-Price Place. Instead of pulling into the gigantic parking garage several levels underneath the building, they parked several blocks from the place and walked. This made sure they’d be able to avoid the fifty-five-dollars-a-day parking fee. In the back of her mind, Georgie was also thinking that the walk would do them both some good.

  They were not alone in their thinking. It was easy to spot other people heading toward the convention center. There were people in elaborate costumes with headgear and space-age weapons as well as folks in comic book themed T-shirts and jeans. Babies were dressed up like furry creatures. Old people were dressed up as superheroes. Even a handful of people with their therapy pets didn’t let their pooches miss out on the fun.

  “This is really something,” Aleta said as she looked at the wave of c
haracters walking to the same destination.

  “This is fun,” Georgie said, unable to contain her happy strut.

  The second they set foot inside the gigantic convention center, Wizard-Hero-Con made them feel they were stepping into an alternate universe. There were giant poster cutouts of sci-fi heroes and heroines, classic cars from old television shows, and then there were the hundreds and hundreds of fans standing in line to get their passes.

  “Now, if Beau was telling me right, we should be able to just walk right in with our badges. These are for the vendors, and even though we aren’t vendors, he’s got us down as part of his crew.” Georgie looked around and saw a huge fellow the color of black coffee wearing an official Wizard-Hero-Con polo shirt with khaki pants. “Let’s ask that guy.”

  “He looks mean,” Aleta said.

  “He has to. This crowd could get ugly if one of their celebrity guests backed out at the last minute,” Georgie said in all seriousness. “Excuse me,” Georgie said to the man, batting her long false eyelashes innocently. “Can you tell us where the line is for these passes?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said politely. “You can just walk right in through that door.” He pointed to the head of the line where a group of kids in capes were standing.

  “Thanks, honey,” Georgie said with a smile.

  “Anytime,” the man replied, taking a good long look at her legs.

  “You are impossible.” Aleta rolled her eyes. “That man was half your age.”

  “Aleta, I just asked him how to get into the event, not to be my next ex-husband. Besides, I can’t help what a man looks at.”

  “Of course you can’t,” Aleta said with a smirk.

  Apologizing for cutting to the front of the line, Georgie and Aleta repeated what the big man had told them to a much smaller fellow who was guarding the door. He looked at their badges and without smiling opened the door for them. Once the door closed behind them, Georgie and Aleta took a few minutes to get their bearings, looking around in awe.

  To see the magnitude of Wizard-Hero-Con before it was filled with people was like literally stepping into a comic book. The colors were amazing. Billboards of everything from video games to movies to new graphic novels and good old-fashioned books drew them in so quickly that it was impossible to know where to start.

  “This is out of this world,” Aleta said.

  “Come on. Let’s find Beau’s booth, and we’ll consider that home base.” Georgie nodded, linking her arm through her sister’s.

  “Thanks again for the T-shirt. Gosh, do you remember when we were little and watched this on Saturday mornings?”

  “We’d get up before mama and daddy. It was always like the fun was over when they got up,” Georgie said shaking her head. “Like the fun part of the day was over because daddy would put on the Wide World of Sports and mama always had chores for us,” Georgie said and laughed.

  “I remember Maverick Melody would have three episodes in one half hour. My gosh. Just a half hour? It seemed like it was the whole morning,” Aleta said with a smile.

  “Well, I remember sitting through Racer Team and The Hero Squad before Maverick Melody came on. So, there was another hour added on to it,” Georgie mused. “Remember Christmas time? My gosh. The commercials during our programs were an all-out assault on our little minds. I didn’t know I needed that Buzy Bee Bakery Set until I saw it advertised for the three-hundredth time.”

  “We never got half the stuff we asked for. But, you know, I don’t remember ever feeling bad about it,” Aleta said.

  “No. We were good girls. Just admit it. Mama and Daddy had it easy with us. No one can tell me different,” Georgie said. “I think they’d be pretty proud of us now. We’re still hanging out together like we always have and taking care of one another.”

  “You call getting me in trouble with people on the other side of the law taking care? You’re off your rocker,” Aleta chuckled.

  “It could be worse.”

  “How?”

  “It could be a stranger doing it,” Georgie replied as if her answer were the most solid, perfect comeback and should end the debate once and for all. Instead, Aleta started laughing.

  “That makes no sense at all.”

  “Sure it does. Just think about it,” Georgie said as they slowly strolled past the vendors’ tables, looking at the merchandise that was a treasure to the mob waiting to burst through the doors. “I mean, what if you . . .” Georgie stopped in her tracks and stared. Aleta, her arm still linked with her sister’s, became concerned.

  “What is it? Are you all right?”

  “Aleta, look. It’s Hercules.” Georgie pointed to the canvas painting she’d done for Beau that was displayed beautifully behind a table filled with Serpentius’s latest and eagerly awaited latest graphic novel issue.

  Aleta didn’t say a word but stared in amazement at the painting. It was unlike anything Georgie had ever done, yet she could tell her sister’s artistic style and was blown away by it.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Do you like it?” Georgie squeezed her hand. “I mean, I know you wouldn’t want it hanging in your front room, but for what it is, do you think it’s good?”

  “Georgie, I think you could make even more money doing people’s pets as superheroes. It’s absolutely incredible.” Before Aleta could say any more, a slender, muscular woman with long red hair popped up from behind the shelving units at the Serpentius booth.

  “Hi, sugar,” she said sweetly.

  “Hi. Are you Beau’s wife?” Georgie asked.

  “I am, honey. Um, he should be right back. Can I help you with something, Miss . . . ?”

  “I’m Georgie Kaye. This is my sister, Aleta.” Georgie stuck her hand out to shake. “I painted . . .”

  “You painted Hercules as Serpentius.” The words gushed out from Beau’s wife, and she pumped Georgie’s hand as if she might strike oil. “Oh, sugar, I could have been knocked over with a feather—I was so amazed when I saw it. Beau has cried almost every time he’s looked at it. He can’t get over how amazing it looks. It is beautiful.”

  “Well. I’m glad he likes it. What is your name?”

  “I’m sorry, honey. I’m so excited about the whole event I forgot my manners. It’s Denise. But my friends call me Neesee.” She shrugged and smiled. “Oh, you ladies have to take some swag. Check it out.”

  Inside a plastic bag with Serpentius displayed on it were postcards, a keychain, a tiny rubber snake, a plastic cup with Beau’s name and social media accounts on it, and a flyer advertising a weeklong free trial at Burn 'em Gym for anyone who brought in a Serpentius postcard.

  “Aleta, should we go for the free week?” Georgie held up the flyer prompting Aleta to search her own bag for the same.

  “Beau is a trainer there. They paid for all this cool stuff in exchange for promoting the gym,” Neesee replied. “That left us some money for this.” She reached underneath the table that displayed Beau’s graphic novels and pulled out two T-shirts. They had the cover of the new novel on them: “Wear them in good health.”

  “Neesee, these are beautiful. Thank you.” Aleta held hers up and admired the design.

  “Honey, we’ve gotten so much positive feedback from Georgie’s design that we just can’t get over it. Inside those bags are flyers for your artwork, too, Georgie. It is the least we can do.” Neesee touched Georgie’s hand affectionately.

  “I do appreciate it.” Georgie shook her head.

  “Look, I’ve got to get a few more boxes from my car. Leave a stack of your business cards on the table, Georgie, and go enjoy the show. You’ll be at the mixer this evening, right? That badge gives you total access.” Neesee pointed to the tags dangling from around the twin’s necks.

  “We will be.” Georgie bounced on her toes. “Do you need any help with the boxes?”

  “No, sugar.” Neesee raised her arm and flexed her bicep proudly. “I can manage. See you guys later.”

 
Georgie and Aleta waved goodbye as Neesee trotted off toward the service area where the vendors were to bring in their goods.

  “What do you say, Aleta. Care to try another gym?”

  “Nope,” Aleta said. “But I don’t know what I like better, this T-shirt you bought me or this one with your Serpentius on it. I wish I could wear two T-shirts at the same time.”

  “You can wear that one tomorrow,” Georgie said as they meandered away from Beau’s booth to peruse the other tables before the doors opened.

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Oh, yeah. Didn’t I tell you? I got us a room at The Blackstone. It isn’t the fanciest hotel. In fact, I think they might offer three-hour ‘nap’ rooms, if you catch my meaning.” Georgie winked. “But it’s right across from the convention center, and we are scheduled to check in around three.”

  “Georgie, what about Freckles and Bodhi?” Aleta interrupted.

  “Well, darn that daughter of yours. I told her to tell you that she’d be watching your cat and my dog while we attended Wizard-Hero-Con. I’ll have to give that girl a serious talking-to about relaying messages,” Georgie harrumphed. “Kids these days.”

  “You told her not to tell me.”

  Georgie let out a big sigh and looked at her sister. “If I’d given you advance notice, you would have found a hundred reasons not to come. This is way outside your comfort level. It isn’t like visiting an apple orchard or a trip to Hawaii. I wanted you to be surprised. And you are, aren’t you?”

  Aleta looked around and then down at her Maverick Melody T-shirt. “Yup.”

  “Good. Then we will be at the mixer tonight hobnobbing with the beautiful people. Like him.” Georgie jerked her chin toward a tall man wearing a black leather jacket who looked like he’d just stepped out of the movie The Wild One.

  “I’m sorry, but I thought guys who enjoyed comic books and science fiction were supposed to be nerds.” Aleta shook her head.