Enigma Rose: A Novel

by SE Reynolds

  "I'm not following you. I just, I just wanted to know if you are okay. I'm sorry about Stacie."

  Joshua stares at me and shakes his head.

  "Really? Really, Virginia? You are sorry about Stacie?"

  "Yes, of course, I am."

  "Shut up, Virginia! No, you aren't! You hated Stacie; you said horrible, horrible things about her. Please, for the last time, just go away!" he shouts.

  People are staring at us. I lower my voice so that the bystanders cannot hear me.

  "What? This makes no sense. What about the other night when we were together, everything you told me? You told me you missed us; you told me you were going to make things right. You told me that Stacie was allergic to bees."

  "What are you talking about, Virginia? Are you mad? Are you drunk?"

  "No, no, I'm fine. Why are you like this? What are you doing?"

  "I'm not doing anything but mourning my wife. Listen to me, Virginia, I've said and done a lot of things that I regret lately, but the one thing that is number one on my list is meeting you. If you don't leave, right now, I will have security escort you off the premises. Do you understand?"

  "But the bee venom…you knew."

  "Do you really want to go there? What if I did? What does that mean, Virginia? You know something I don't? Come on; you came here for a reason. So…"

  His tone is the same as it was that afternoon when I met him at Ryan's, and he told me to leave him and Stacie alone. That day his words enraged me; today, they scare me.

  "Nothing, I have nothing else to say."

  I turn away and quickly walk to my car as I feel the heavy stare of City Hall employees. Sweat forms under my bra as beads of sweat drip down my stomach, just like the morning after an intoxicating night.

  Chapter 54 – Joshua

  "Are you okay, Mr. Mayor?" Lucy, the security guard, asks as I pass through the metal detector.

  "Yes, I'm fine, Lucy, thank you."

  "Was that woman causing you trouble?"

  "Maybe, but I assure you, I have it under control. Have a nice day."

  "You too, Mr. Mayor. You deserve a nice day."

  I retreat to my office. Ashley is surprised to see me.

  "I thought you weren't coming back to work until next week?"

  "I'm not but didn't know where else to go. That big house is pretty lonely without…."

  "Oh, Mayor Steadman, I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this after everything you've been through. Why don't you go away, get out of the state, out of the country? I have it all under control. Everyone will understand if you just disappear for a while."

  "Are you trying to get rid of me, Ashley?"

  "No, of course not. I hope it didn't sound like that. The deputy mayor can fill...I mean, never mind. I know how you feel about her. Sorry, I will just shut up now."

  "No, that's okay. It's funny, but I just don't care anymore. If the Deputy Mayor wants my job, she can have it. If you said that a month ago, I would have told you to bite your tongue. But now, my world has shifted, Ashley. What I thought was true last month is no longer true this month. Just like that, my world has shifted."

  "I don't know what to say."

  "You don't have to say anything. Just wish me well, and I will carry on."

  "I wish you well, Mr. Mayor."

  "Thank you, Ashley."

  Ashley leaves my office. I open my phone and scroll through my texts. Poor Virginia. She just can't let it go.

  Who's this?

  Did you delete my contact information?

  No, Virginia. I would never do that.

  Chapter 55 – Virginia

  There's a wreath of yellow flowers hanging on Simon, Franklin, and Shewster's door. I can't help but stop and stare at it from across the street. Before I go inside Misty's studio, I pause for a moment of silence. I don't know what else to do, but I realize I look like an idiot just standing there, so I turn and go inside.

  "Can you believe it, V?"

  "No, no, I can't. It truly is unbelievable."

  "I know you hated her, V, but she was a sweet person. There was something pathetic about her. So sad, but in the end, she found her Prince Charming."

  "Prince Charming?"

  "Oh, sorry. I know you had strong feelings for him."

  "No, it's fine. I did, but they weren't healthy, Misty. He never really reciprocated them anyway. I was just some kind of game to him, some kind of stupid game."

  "Game? How so?"

  "Um…well, you know, I think he just wanted to fuck me."

  "All men want to fuck, V. It's not a game; it's just their nature. Men aren't the game-playing type. They just want you when they want you, and when they don't, they just move on. Now, women, they are a different story. Women are more calculating; they know how to pull each string."

  "That may be true for someone like Harry, Misty, but Joshua, he's a different breed."

  "You are giving him too much credit, V. It's time to move on to the next chapter."

  Misty is right. I'm giving him too much credit. Bee venom? I thought he knew. Maybe he didn't hear the question right at the press conference. He just wanted to get away and grieve or something. As for me, our last night together wasn't a big Virginia and Joshua back together reunion. All he wanted from me was one last good fuck. He was pent up and needed me for just the afternoon. I wanted it to be so much more. Maybe he did, too, at least for a little while, but then Stacie had to go and die, leaving him guilt-ridden. Thanks, Stacie! Even in death, you fuck things up for me.

  Chapter 56 – Joshua

  "Hi Joshua, I thought I'd call and check-in. How are you holding up?"

  "Thanks, Sheriff. I'm doing okay, at least for now, taking it hour by hour."

  "I thought you were going to wait until after the funeral to come back to work. Even that's too soon."

  "I'm in the office but not really doing much. I don't really like being in the house these days. It's just…."

  "I understand. You don't have to explain. I know you want to put this nightmare behind you. So, I wanted you to know that we consider the investigation closed. The only concern we had was the face cream used on your wife didn't have bee venom in its ingredients, but traces were found. The manufacturer is now doing its own investigation to see if there was any cross-contamination with one of their other products, Bee Lift. One of its active ingredients is bee venom, hence the name, I guess. But to be on the safe side, they are going to recall the product."

  "What if they find there was no cross-contamination? Can the investigation be reopened?"

  "An investigation can always be reopened, Joshua, but honestly, I'm not sure how they can definitively say there was no cross-contamination. They may not find it on the equipment used to make the stuff, but it doesn't mean that someone working at the lab didn't accidentally contaminate the product used on Stacie with the bee product. Women putting bee venom on their face, what's next?"

  "I feel like this is all my fault. If I didn't give her that damn massage for her birthday, she'd still be here with me. Stacie has been there for me since the day I met her. I want to make sure that a thorough investigation is done. I owe her that."

  "Accidents like this have happened before. That's why you see labels on candy with disclosures stating that the candy wasn't made in the same factory as peanut products. If it's of any consequence, Joshua, this may save someone else's life. Maybe they will put similar warnings on these cosmetic products. If you think of anything that may seem suspicious to you, call me. We can always check it out."

  "Thanks, Sheriff. I will. I appreciate you letting me know."

  Chapter 57 – Virginia

  "Mom! Mom!" Robert yells from downstairs.

  I step out of the shower, wrap a towel around me, and open the bathroom door.

  "What do you want?" I yell back.

  "My lunch, where's my lunch?"

  "Oh shit, cutie, I forgot to pack it. Can't you just buy today?"

  "I hate the cafeteria food, Mom! It
tastes like dog vomit!"

  "Stop it; you've never eaten dog vomit, Robert!"

  "How do you know?"

  "Oh my God, just buy something!"

  "Fine, if I die from food poisoning, it's all your fault!"

  I return to the bathroom, grab my phone, and catch up on the latest news and emails while taking my morning bowel movement. Back in the olden days, we used to read magazines while taking a shit. Nothing got accomplished during that time. Now, you can do business, make plans, or buy groceries, all while sitting on the toilet. The only text message I have this morning is from Misty.

  Hey V, I'm canceling my workouts scheduled for today. I caught a bad cold.

  Oh no, that sucks.

  My nose is all blocked up. I can't breathe.

  Put Vapor Rub under your nose and chest. Do you have any?

  I think so. Thanks, V.

  Suddenly I realize that I haven't thanked Misty for the face cream she sent me the other day.

  Hey, I keep forgetting to say thank you for the face cream. It makes my face feel all dewy, lol.

  Huh?

  The face cream you sent me from Amazon?

  I dig out the pink box from the bathroom wastebasket, take a picture of it, and send it to Misty.

  That's not from me, V.

  I open the pink box and pull out the typed message.

  Thought you would need a replacement. Good skincare is so important. M

  M, Mom? Mom doesn't know how to use Amazon, let alone a computer, hell she still has a flip phone. My insides turn cold. How could I be so dense? It's not from Mom, and it's not from Misty. I open the Amazon app and type Moisture Lift Radiance. Several skincare products pops up: Moisture Lift, Eye Lift, and Bee Lift.

  "Oh god! M is for …."

  I hear the toilet flush downstairs. Dammit, Robert, now I will have to take you to school. I finish, wash my hands, and throw on my robe.

  "Robert! You missed the bus again. I still need to finish getting dressed!" I yell from the top of the stairs.

  "Don’t worry, he made the bus."

  "Who's there?"

  "Oh, sorry, Virginia; it's just me, didn't mean to startle you."

  Joshua steps into my view. He’s grinning at me from the bottom of the stairs.

  "How did you get in?"

  "Through the front door. It was unlocked. I shouldn't have to tell you how to get into someone's house uninvited, Virginia. You should be a pro by now."

  "What do you want?" I say as I slowly walk down the stairs.

  "Just wanted to see how you were doing after our chat yesterday morning. I hope I didn't embarrass you in front of my colleagues at City Hall."

  "No, not at all. In fact, you put on quite a show. I know what you are up to, Joshua."

  "Oh really. Do you? Enlighten me?"

  "I know you did it. I know you are trying to frame me. I got your little gift from Amazon. Were you trying to plant evidence on me?"

  "I have no idea what you are talking about, Virginia."

  "Fuck you! Get out now before I call the police!"

  "Go for it. I'll just wait here."

  Joshua sits down on the couch. I just noticed the brown envelope he is carrying under his arm. He opens it and pulls out a thin stack of papers.

  "What are you doing?"

  "I'm getting ready for the police to come," he says as he spreads out the sheets of paper across the coffee table. "Thought you'd be interested in this, Virginia. Come here, take a look. I won't bite. I promise."

  I slowly walk towards the table but stay on the opposite side. Joshua turns over the first piece of paper.

  "Can you tell me what this is, Virginia?" he says as he taps his finger on the image.

  "Is that me?"

  "Correct! That's you in front of Stacie's office over the summer. It's a bit fuzzy, and you can only see the back of you, but it clearly shows someone that looks like you reaching for the office sign. You know, the one you ripped off and spat on? Did you know that most of the shops in Old Town have security cameras? Some even have cameras that detect motion, like the one at Herbert's bank. You know the bank next to Misty's? Yes, well, luckily, being the mayor allows you certain privileges, like requesting video to assess traffic patterns in Old Town. There I was counting the cars that drive down Main Street during rush hour traffic, and there you pop up."

  "Is that what you do all day, Mayor, spy on the citizens of Old Town?"

  "Only the deviant ones. Are you ready for the next big reveal?"

  "Do I have a choice?"

  "No. I'd say you are all out of those, Virginia."

  Joshua flips over the second sheet. It's a clear image of me standing on Stacie's front porch. I am looking up towards the flickering lights I saw coming through her window.

  "Now there is no doubt that this one is you, Virginia? Why on earth would a woman that I had a very brief relationship with show up at my house on the night before my wife's tragic death?"

  "You told me to come, Joshua. I thought you needed me."

  "You are right about that. Okay, okay, I'm not done. This is kind of fun!"

  Joshua flips over the third sheet. It's a log of some sort.

  "Can you read this, Virginia? Come on, come closer."

  "I don't need to. I already know what it is."

  Joshua ignores me.

  "It's Fairmont Estates visitor's log. Let's see. Virginia Barnes came to visit my house at 7:30 p.m., December third."

  "It's not your house. It's Stacie's."

  "It was Stacie's. It's mine now," he says. "Last one, I promise!"

  He turns over the fourth sheet. It's images of text messages that I sent him over the summer.

  "Damn, Virginia, you are a mean drunk. You texted horrible things about my poor sweet Stacie. You really hated her."

  He picks up the paper and read's my text.

  "'Go fuck yourself, better yet, go fuck that little fat pig;' jeez, you are one crazy bitch. But guess what? I got a hold of Stacie's phone. She never locked it. She never had anything to hide from me, and look what I found. 'Watch your back, you little fat pig; you never know when a little bee will sting you in the ass ending your pathetic existence. Better yet, make it easy for me and go kill yourself!'" he says in a high-pitched voice attempting to imitate me.

  "But you just couldn't stop there. You had to send her the picture. You lied to me, Virginia; you said you deleted it. I hope you posted it somewhere on the internet; it certainly can be traced to you."

  "I didn't. I didn't post it anywhere."

  "Doesn't matter. You still sent it to her. I still have her phone. Okay, enough. I think you know where this is going. So, go ahead and call the police. Tell them what you told me yesterday. Tell them I knew that Stacie had an allergy to bee venom, and I was lying during the press conference. Sounds ridiculous now, doesn't it? It's your word against mine."

  "Why are you doing this to me? What have I ever done to you!"

  "You became desperate, and that's unattractive. And, I need an insurance plan in case anyone is suspicious of a man who has had two wives that died in two years."

  I grab the papers from the table and rip them up.

  "All you are doing now, Virginia, is making a mess."

  "Bringing me stupid pieces of paper, this isn't a 1980's who-done-it, Joshua!"

  "I'm a bit old school, plus I didn't want to send all this juicy evidence electronically. It could be traced back somehow. Besides, Virginia, you have proven to be dense. I really thought you would catch on when I called you from an unknown number luring you to the house, but no, you were so desperate to see me, you let all rational thought go out the window. So, here I am, making sure you completely understand what I have on you. Rest assured, all the real evidence is locked up tightly away."

  "Your fingerprints are on these fucking papers, Joshua."

  "Well, you better stop ripping them up then. Even if my fingerprints are found, who cares. All the evidence points to you. You could have taken these
off my desk. You were at City Hall yesterday; everyone saw you and that scene you caused in the parking lot. Listen, Virginia, I don't want you to take the fall for this. You are a mom; your son needs his mother, just like mine does. I don't want to take that away from Robert. I see what it's done to JJ, but if you push me and if you take your theory to the police, well then, I will have to come clean, won't I? I'll have to let them know that you have been stalking my wife for months. Honestly, I don't think you can pin anything on me. It's the mayor's word against drunk Virginia's word. I just really don't want the bad press right now. So, think about it, think about it long and hard over a glass of pinot grigio. Well, I'll leave you to it. Have a wonderful day, Virginia."

  "Wait, wait. So, Friday, that wasn't real?"

  "Are you serious, Virginia? Really? You just can't think straight when it comes to me, can you?"

  "You were excited…you were…you can't fake that, Joshua."

  "No, I can't. If it weren't for Viagra, my dick would've been limp. How can I possibly be attracted to a desperate drunk like you, Virginia? I got a prescription shortly after Stacie and I got married. I wasn't lying to you about my feelings for Stacie; she was like a sister or an old friend, not a wife, and I wasn't lying to you when I said you and I aren't finished. I needed to rekindle the flame you had for me. I needed my old desperate Virginia back, chasing me around town in hopes of another chance. You certainly came through for me, coming to my house, waiting for me like a bitch in heat, putting yourself at the right place at the right time. But now, Virginia, I can honestly say we are finished."

  "Desperate?" I whisper as I watch Joshua walk out my door for the last time.

  Chapter 58 – Joshua

  The funeral was a small affair by my request. Only Stacie's family, her coworkers, Misty, JJ, and I attended the ceremony. I insisted that Stacie's casket remain closed. She was so self-conscious. I'm sure she would've wanted it that way, but I made sure surrounding her casket were yellow flowers of all variations: daisies, yellow roses, carnations. Her mother sobbed through the entire ceremony making it hard to pay attention to the eulogy given by her sister, but what I could manage to hear over Mrs. Shewster's moans was nice, very nice.