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Miles needed a few stitches, but at least Geoff readily confessed to killing Valerie. Valerie’s notebook was more an account of the people in her life and important information about them and it was found in Brenda’s possession. Geoff had been right that Valerie had been a user, but part of me also couldn’t help but think that she was very lost and genuinely hurt when David broke up with her.
Brenda had known about the murder, even if Geoff hadn’t initially known that she knew. Yeah, it gave me a headache too.
She eventually admitted to Geoff that she knew about the murder and after he had retrieved Valerie’s notebook, she had promised to destroy it. The fact that she hadn’t probably indicated that she didn’t fully trust him and I suspect she was reading her way through it to find out if he had ever been unfaithful.
The notebook proved that Valerie knew about his past and the suspected embezzlement and she had started digging into his current work as an accountant. Just like with Johnny, he had made money illegally and she wanted to use that against him.
She also knew about the drugs, even though she had written that Johnny wasn’t aware of that. In fact, he had worked hard to keep her out of it. At least that was something.
All of this meant that the murder of Valerie Cooke was finally closed and we could go back to normal. In this case, normal meant we were all dressed up as monsters, ready to have a good time.
Eleanor had made arrangements to help decorate the Pembroke’s ground floor. There was music in every room and the kitchen was open to everyone as well. Snacks and drinks were around each corner and we had the opportunity to talk, dance, and snack. Miles had even created a game room with Twister, a dart board, and board games.
I was dressed as a Victorian woman and arrived with Christina, who was a fairy. The first people I spotted were Eddie, dressed as a zombie, and Nancy, a witch. They were chatting together in the sizeable living/dining room.
The rest of the book club women were there as well and they had scattered about the room. Phoebe and Jessica were with Poppy by the snacks on the dining room table; they were dressed as the three musketeers. Eleanor was chatting with Ava and Olivia. Eleanor was dressed as a nun, Ava as a mermaid with coconuts over her breasts, and Olivia was dressed as a croissant.
Lily was chatting Miles’s ear off. She was dressed as Einstein while Miles wore a Phantom of the Opera costume. He grinned when he spotted me.
I gave him a little wave. It was all the encouragement he needed to break away from Lily. She was probably still trying to set him up with her daughter.
“Nice outfit,” I said as he approached me.
“You look quite lovely yourself.” He gave a little bow.
“How are you feeling?”
He looked around. “Pretty good. There are a lot of happy faces here, including mine.”
“Even though it has stitches?”
“Even though it has stitches. Thanks for saving my life.”
I shook my head. “Alistair would have shown up and saved the day otherwise.”
“But he didn’t. You showed up and you saved the day. In fact, I think you’ll need to be my bodyguard instead of the other way around.”
“Oh, no. No more murders. Although I must confess that I’ve enjoyed solving them.” I bit my lip.
“Yes, I’ve noticed that. You’re also quite good at it. People are at ease around you, they let their guard down and you pick up on the small things they reveal then.”
I shrugged. “It’s just—I don’t know, I like reading people.”
“Me too. Which is why I understand. I’m also a little obsessed with finding out the truth, even if my job sometimes entails fighting the truth. I don’t get to choose who I represent. But when I get to represent someone innocent and I have to fight for them, it’s the best feeling.” His eyes twinkled as he spoke.
I kind of had that same feeling when I was trying to solve the murder. I couldn't bring back the victim, but I could still fight for them in some way. I wondered if there was a deeper reason for me wanting to fight for the voiceless.
It didn’t matter.
I smiled at Miles. “I really love what you’re doing with the Pembroke, and you should throw more parties like this. We need them.”
“That sounds like a plan.” He looked off to the side. “Oh, I should greet more guests. I’ll see you around.”
“See you.” I decided to make my way to the snack table and see what was there, but I was intercepted by Detective Black...no, wait.
“Alistair?” I said, my mouth open.
“Hey. Do you know who I am?” he asked, his cheeks reddening.
“Yeah. You’re Detective Black.”
Detective Black huffed and puffed next to me. “He looks nothing like me. I look way more handsome than he does. And that moustache of his looks like a caterpillar.”
Alistair’s eyes lit up. “Yes! You don’t describe him in great detail, but this is the image I had in my mind from the get go.”
Strange sensations filled my chest and we stared at each other for what must have been like a minute. Neither of us looked away.
“I want to show you something cool,” I said, and took his hand.
He blinked. “Okay.”
I went into the corridor and he followed me up the stairs and to the library, away from the humdrum of people.
I pulled him inside the quiet room filled with tall bookcases and closed the door.
“What did you want to show me? Did you fill Miles’s bookcases with your books?” He put his hands in his pockets and smiled at me.
“Yes, but that’s not what I want to show you.” I grabbed his collar and pulled him against me, our lips crashing into each other like the sea hits the shore. His arm went around my waist and mine over his shoulders. We held on tightly as we continued to kiss.
After a few moments we came up for air.
“You kissed me,” he said, breathlessly.
“I did.”
“What does this me—”
“I love you. That’s all that matters, okay?”
He nodded, the expression in his eyes lascivious. “I love you, too.” His mouth met mine again and pushed me up against the door. We made out for a long time. It would have lasted even longer if my stomach hadn’t rumbled.
He pulled away and laughed.
“I need snacks,” I said.
He brushed my lips with his thumb. “Then snacks you shall have, milady.”
I took his arm and we went down stairs. As soon as we reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a scream and a recognisable flapping sound.
“Get this winged monstrosity away from here!” shouted someone. I think it was Miles.
“Pandora,” we said simultaneously.
“Looks like I’m up.” Alistair moved towards the sound of mayhem and evil clucking while I couldn’t help but giggle.
Before I could find the snack table, though, a woman in a beautiful black gown and with a mask on stopped me in my tracks.
She looked at me for a moment, then removed her mask.
I felt every muscle in my body stiffen.
“Hi, Maggie,” her soft voice said. It sounded different from what I remembered.
“Hello, Mother.”