I quickly crossed to the archway, Richard following right behind me. “This is a surprise,” I said to Scott, while Richard greeted my parents. I gave my brother a hug before stepping back to look him over.
It had been a while since we’d seen each other. With Scott’s erratic schedule, frequent work-related trips, and almost pathological aversion to chatting by cell phone or text, we weren’t in contact much. But he hadn’t changed. He still presented the image of a stereotypical computer nerd, downplaying his good looks.
I’d always suspected that his understated appearance was calculated. He claimed to be a cybersecurity expert, but my parents and I had long suspected that his silence about what he really did on the job, his frequent mysterious trips, and his high level of government clearance meant he was actually working for one of the U.S. intelligence agencies. Perhaps not just behind a desk.
“I knew Mom and Dad were coming but didn’t realize you could make it,” I said.
Scott shrugged. “I was visiting, and when they told me about the party, I thought, why not? I did follow them out here in my own car, though, so don’t be surprised if I leave a little early.”
He turned to shake hands with Richard, whom he’d met a few times and seemed to like. Although with Scott, it was hard to tell. He was the type of person who kept his opinions to himself.
“You look happy,” my mom said approvingly before giving me a quick hug.
My brother and I had both taken after our mother, whose short, compact build and cap of silver-winged brown hair was a vivid contrast to our dad’s tall, gangly figure and shoulder-length dark locks, which he kept pulled into a tidy ponytail. After Mom stepped back, Dad swooped in to give me another, more exuberant hug.
“I hope she’s happy. Or else I’m doing something wrong,” Richard said.
“Your parents are here?” Mom asked, her tone as light as meringue.
Richard shot her a conspiratorial look. “They’re around somewhere. Nursing grudges.” He grinned. “I mean, glasses of champagne.”
Dad guffawed as Scott’s eyebrows rose above the frames of his glasses. “Sounds like an interesting party,” my brother said.
“Always is when the parental units are involved,” Richard replied. “But let’s not talk about that. You should check out the spread Kurt’s provided. It’s quite impressive.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Mom said. “I still remember that dinner we had here. The meal was just superb.”
“Hard to forget that dinner,” my dad said with a chuckle.
Richard’s grin broadened. “And not just because of the food.”
“Welcome, Debbie and Nick. So glad you could make it.” Kurt circled around Richard and me to shake hands with Dad and kiss my mom on the cheek. “And this must be the elusive Scott.”
As my brother shook Kurt’s hand, he gazed up into the older man’s face. Although Kurt towered over him, Scott’s expression betrayed no trace of intimidation. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Kendrick. I’ve heard a great deal about you too.”
“Have you now?” Kurt’s fingers tightened as he studied my brother. “Well, don’t believe everything you hear. My reputation includes some rather egregious exaggerations.”
“I know how to sift fact from fiction,” Scott said, pulling his hand free of Kurt’s tight grip.
“I’m not sure if anyone’s told you, Kurt, but Scott works in computers like his dad,” Mom said. “But he specializes in cybersecurity rather than programming.”
“How interesting,” Kurt said, in a tone that told me he already knew this and that he, like me, might suspect Scott of being involved in activities that went beyond a computer screen.
I frowned as I stared at the art dealer, wondering just how much he knew about all of us. I was aware that he ran a network of unofficial spies who kept him informed on matters related to his businesses.
Not all of which might be entirely legal, I thought, as my gaze slid from Kurt’s rugged face to Scott’s disinterested smile. I’d seen that look before. It usually meant my brother was processing vital information. I pondered this as Kurt welcomed Aunt Lydia and Hugh into our little group. Glancing around the room, I realized Sunny had wandered over to the room’s large front windows to talk with some of our other friends, including Walt Adams and Zelda Shoemaker.
It’s obvious Kurt has done a little digging into Scott’s background. What isn’t clear is exactly how much Scott knows about Kurt. I side-eyed my brother as he shook hands with Hugh before hugging our aunt. But he knows something.
I also noticed that Oscar Selvaggio and his assistant hadn’t followed the others. In fact, Honor Bryant had disappeared, while Selvaggio was loitering by a door at the back of the room that led into the hall. I moved closer to Scott and tapped his arm. “Have you ever met that man before?” I asked, surreptitiously pointing toward Selvaggio. “He seemed shocked to see you here.”
Scott shrugged. “People always think they’ve met me before, even when they’re complete strangers. I just have one of those faces, I guess.”
Which wasn’t really an answer. I considered saying more but decided to drop my inquiry when I heard Aunt Lydia say something about Scott staying with her for a few weeks.
“Until the wedding, actually,” she said, when Kurt murmured something about that being a pleasant surprise.
“I’ve neglected her for far too long, to be honest.” Scott cast a bright smile at Aunt Lydia. “And since I had a little time off, I figured it would be nice to hang out in Taylorsford. Especially with the wedding coming up. Thought maybe I could help out with a few things.”
“Sounds good,” Richard said. “But be warned—since you’re my only groomsman, I may need to lean on you quite a bit.”
Scott threw his arm around my shoulder. “That’s okay. It’s not every day that my older sister gets married.”
“And you won’t actually be doing everything on your own,” I said. “Richard’s best friend, Karla, will be glad to help.”
“That’s right, she’s going to be the ‘best woman,’ isn’t she? Interesting choice,” Hugh said, directing his comment to Richard.
“My parents would call it a misguided one, but everyone else seems cool with it.” Richard shrugged. “Not that I really care what other people say.”
“I think it’s lovely,” Mom said. “Especially since you two have been friends since, what? College?”
“High school,” Richard replied. “Although we did have that span of years when we lost touch. But I’m working with some of Karla’s dance students now, and the two of us are back collaborating on dance pieces. Oh”—Richard turned to Kurt—“I forgot to tell you that we’ve raised some additional money to fund the mountain folktale project.”
“That’s wonderful. Just remember—I hope I get invited to a rehearsal or two,” Kurt said.
“Of course. Especially since your seed money helped get the ball rolling. Thanks again for that.”
“Always happy to support the arts,” Kurt said.
Glancing across the room, I noticed Oscar Selvaggio checking out a tall, statuesque woman who was striding toward the position he’d staked out at the door to the hall. He looked her up and down as she swept past him.
“Speaking of Karla, will you all excuse me for a moment? I have something I wanted to ask her.” I held up my hand as Richard took a step forward as if to join me. “In private.”
Richard’s eyes brightened. “Is this in relation to some surprise for me?”
“Maybe. And no, I won’t tell you what it is,” I said, sliding my hand across my lips as if zipping them shut.
“I bet I can make you tell me, sooner or later,” he said, leaning in to brush my lips with his.
I gave his chest a playful push with the palm of my hand and stepped back. “I bet you won’t.”
“What’s the wager?” he asked, as my parents grinned and my aunt rolled her eyes.
“Enough, you two.” Aunt Lydia shared a look of mock exasperation with my mom. “Sometimes I think they’re in their teens instead of their thirties.”
“It’s love,” my dad said. “Makes you act silly.”
“On that note, I think I’ll go ahead and talk to Karla. Before I receive any more compliments from my loving family.” I patted Richard’s arm. “If you’re sure you’ll feel safe left alone with this vicious crowd, that is.”
Richard grinned. “I think I can manage.”
“All right. See you all in a few minutes.” I dashed off to follow Karla, who’d stepped into the hall.
“Hold up,” I said when I reached her. “I wanted to ask you a favor. You can say no,” I added as she paused midstride.
She widened her hazel eyes as she gazed down at me. “I was just headed to the dining room for a glass of water.”
Karla Tansen was tall and big-boned for a woman, and especially for a female dancer. While I thought she resembled the stature of some ancient Greek goddess brought to life, her larger-than-average build had caused most dance companies to reject her back when she’d first left college. Since she was one of the most brilliant dancers I’d ever seen perform, this was a travesty. Fortunately, she’d made a name for herself as a dance instructor specializing in working with children with special needs.
And now she was also once again dancing with Richard, whose choreography was in demand by many of the very companies that had rejected his close friend and partner when they were young. Poetic justice, I thought, offering Karla a warm smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to ambush you. I just want to ask if you’ll help me with a little surprise for Richard. For the wedding, I mean.”
“Of course. Whatever you need,” Karla said.
As we strolled into Kurt’s elegant dining room, Honor Bryant swept past us, clutching a brown glass mug by its handle. She didn’t make eye contact.
Focused on getting a drink for her boss, I thought. He seems like the type who’d demand his subordinates to jump whenever he says so.
Thanking my lucky stars that I was basically my own boss and only had to answer to the Taylorsford Town Council, I glanced at the long dining table that stretched beneath two sparkling crystal chandeliers. It was draped in white linen tablecloths and laden with a colorful array of hors d’oeuvres and desserts.
Karla crossed to a side table that held cut-glass pitchers of water, lemonade, and tea, as well as iridescent glass tumblers. “Only Mr. Kendrick would have amassed such a collection of carnival glass and actually use it,” she said as she filled a tumbler with water.
“And the china is Limoges. No paper plates or plastic forks in this house, that’s for sure.”
Karla took a sip of water before replying. “I guess it’s just how the other half—no wait, the other one percent—lives. But anyway, what is it you wanted to ask me?”
“Well”—I glanced around to make sure none of the other people in the dining room were close enough to hear—“I wondered if you would give me a few dance lessons. Before the wedding, I mean.”
Karla arched her feathery eyebrows. “For the first dance or something?”
“Exactly. Richard’s taught me to waltz, at least to a somewhat respectable level, so he thinks our first dance is going to be a waltz. At least, that’s all we’ve ever discussed. But I thought it would be fun to surprise him with another style. A more difficult dance, like a tango or something.” I drew imaginary circles on the hardwood floor with the toe of my sandal. “I mean, I don’t expect to be brilliant at it in such a short time, but I’d like to be able to at least execute the basic steps.”
Karla examined me for a moment. “Ballroom isn’t my specialty, but I suppose I could teach you the basics.” She smoothed her chin-length cap of sienna-brown hair with her free hand. “Good enough for social dancing, anyway. It’s really all Richard knows in that style, to be honest, so it’s not such a leap.”
“Yeah, it’s not like I’m going to compete with either of you in a contemporary routine. You’d wipe the floor with me. But I thought maybe a ballroom dance would work. Not competition level or anything. Just simple steps for me. Richard can add the flourish.”
“It would be fun,” Karla said, taking another sip of water as she studied me. “But I warn you—I can be a demanding teacher.”
I grimaced. “And I can be a klutz. So we both have our work cut out for us.”
“Rich would be pleased, though.” Karla drummed her fingers against the tumbler. “I’d love to see his face when the band breaks into a tango or salsa or something for the first dance.”
“I’d like to see that too. The thing is, he’s always teasing me, and I thought maybe I could finally spring a surprise on him in return.” I cast Karla a smile. “Anyway, I’d just like to try. Take a few classes with you—privately, of course—and see how it goes. If I turn out to be a hopeless case, you can always tell me to abandon the idea.”
“No one is hopeless,” Karla said firmly. She placed her tumbler on one of the small tables set up to collect used glasses and dinnerware. “You just have to concentrate and practice. I can’t turn you into a ballroom champion in a few weeks, but I think I can teach you one dance.”
“Thank you.” I reached out and clasped one of Karla’s hands. “I really am happy that you and Richard have grown close again, you know. It may seem weird to other people …”
Karla gently squeezed my fingers. “Have you heard any talk? From people at Clarion, I mean. I hope no one is implying that there is anything between us besides friendship, but I know how catty some of our colleagues can be.”
“Campus gossip can be the worst,” I said, releasing Karla’s hand. “It was the same when I was working at Clarion, but no, I haven’t heard anything. It’s just something Richard said, about looks he’s gotten when he’s brought you in as a guest artist.”
“From Meredith Fox and her crowd? You know that’s just because Rich didn’t run back to her after she left her husband. As if.” Karla sniffed. “She’s the one who dumped him when they were engaged and ran off to marry someone else. If that marriage didn’t last, too bad for her. Of course,” she added, “Meredith leaving was the best thing that ever happened to Richard. Because then he was single when he met you.”
“And I can’t hate Meredith for that reason alone. Her dumping Richard without a word killed any feelings he might’ve had for her. Too bad for her; good for me.” I offered Karla another smile. “So, if you’re really up to working with a very poor dancer, I’ll be in touch. We can set up some sessions at your studio, maybe?”
“Sounds good,” Karla said.
“Oh, and don’t forget—you’re supposed to accompany Sunny and Mom and me when we go for our final dress fittings. I’ll let you know the time. Since you couldn’t go with us when we chose my gown and Sunny’s dress, I thought it’d be an opportunity for you to pick out something for yourself. Unless you’ve already found a gown?”
“I haven’t. But are you sure this shop will have anything that will fit me?” Karla swept her hand in front of her body. “Without alterations, everything’s usually too short or tight.”
I nodded. “Which is why I made the owner promise to have their seamstress available to make any adjustments, or at least to mark your dress for any necessary tailoring. They also said they’d make sure it would be done in plenty of time for the wedding.”
“Okay, I can work with that.” Karla glanced at her watch. “Heavens, is it that late? I’m afraid I have to dash.”
“I hope there’s no emergency.”
“No, it’s just one of my dance students. He’s playing in a piano recital, and I like to support all my students’ creative efforts. The thing is, when I promised to attend, I didn’t expect a conflict. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be here that long, but it seems time has slipped away from me.” Karla cast me an apologetic smile. “Would you give Mr. Kendrick and everyone my thanks and good-byes? Tell Rich I’ll call him soon. And you”—she pointed a finger at me—“text me about setting up those lessons.”
“I will,” I said, following her as she strode into the hall. I gave her a hug before she hurried out the front door.
Wandering back into the living room, I noticed that several other people were missing, including Kurt and my brother.
“Scott didn’t leave yet, I hope,” I said as I joined my parents.
“No, Lydia and Hugh just took him off to introduce him to some other people,” Mom said. “Her friends Walt and Zelda. Then he headed outside, for a walk, he said.”
“And I suppose Kurt’s mingling with guests in another room?” I breathed a sigh of relief. Even though I wasn’t sure why, I didn’t like the idea that Kurt had somehow cornered my brother in a private conversation. There was a crackle of tension between those two that made me uncomfortable. It might have something to do with Kurt’s business interests, I thought, remembering that the art dealer had some mysterious connections with government agencies like the FBI. And then again, maybe it’s what Kurt knows about Oscar Selvaggio, who seemed shocked to encounter Scott. If Selvaggio has been involved in any shady art transactions, it’s possible both Kurt and Scott have access to that information.
“I’m not sure where our host is right this minute,” Mom replied. “I saw him chatting with that Selvaggio fellow right after you left the room, but both of them seem to have disappeared since.”
“Chatting? Looked more like an argument to me.” Dad tapped his chin with one finger. “Probably fighting over that book they both want to buy. Although Kurt did hand the other guy a snifter of what looked like brandy, so they can’t be too much on the outs.”
“Probably cognac. That is Kurt’s favorite,” I said, distracted by Richard’s appearing at my elbow with a glass of champagne.
“Thought you might want another,” he said, tapping the rim of his own full glass against mine. “I know I do.”
“Must be nice to be rich enough to hand this stuff out like water.” Dad lifted his own glass in a little salute. “Anyway, here’s to you, daughter and future son-in-law.”
“Thanks,” I said, before taking a sip. Over the rim of my glass, I noticed Aunt Lydia and Hugh approaching, with Fiona and Jim Muir in tow. “Listen,” I said to Richard in a low voice. “Do you want to slip away for a minute? Take a stroll outside or something? Not sure I’m up to chatting with your parents at the moment.”
“Good plan.” Richard winked at me. “Let’s deposit these glasses and take a walk around the grounds,” he said in a louder voice, taking my arm and sweeping me away from his approaching parents. We dropped our half-empty champagne glasses on one of the small tables set up in the hall before heading outside.
“Dodged that bullet,” he said, as we followed the path that led around to the back of the house.
“Leaving my parents, aunt, and poor Hugh as targets.” I shook my head. “I suppose that was wrong of us, but …”
“You really don’t care?” Richard’s lips twitched.
“I wouldn’t say that. But I think they have the fortitude to handle such situations.”
Richard’s grip on my arm tightened. “Unlike us, cowards that we are.”
“Smart cowards,” I said with a smile.
Richard paused on the path that led into the trees surrounding Kurt’s manicured backyard. “To be honest, I really just wanted a moment alone with you.”
“To do what, exactly?”
“Kiss you properly, for one thing,” he said, pulling me behind the screen formed by a tall lilac bush before proceeding to do so.
Some time passed before I was aware of anything besides the two of us, but at one point, as Richard lifted his lips from mine, I caught a glimpse of something moving through the trees to my right. There was a flash of purple amid the green undergrowth. I stepped back, pulling free of Richard’s arms. “Someone’s out there, walking through the woods.”
“Probably a guest getting some air.” Richard turned to follow my gaze. “Wait, that’s Adele. What the heck is she doing, tramping through the woods?” He frowned. “She’s had some balance problems lately, and when I talked to her earlier, I noticed she was wearing pretty flimsy heels. She has no business hiking across uneven ground.”
“That is odd. Kurt doesn’t clear his woods either. He says he likes to allow them to remain natural for the benefit of the wildlife. So trying to navigate that area in heels has to be rough.”
“Good way to break a leg.” Richard rubbed his jaw with his clenched fist.
“Speaking of Kurt, there he is, popping out of the woods on the other side of the yard.” I glanced up at Richard. “What’s going on here? Some strange game?”
“A secret assignation?” Richard widened his gray eyes. “Kurt and Adele have known each other for a long time …”
“True, but they’re old enough not to have to sneak into the woods for a rendezvous. Anyway, I’ve never gotten the impression that they were that close, and Adele could just as easily stay after the party if they wanted private time alone. Who would know, or care?”
“No one, I suppose.” Richard’s gaze followed Adele as she crossed the yard and entered the house through the back door.
Kurt, who’d paused at the edge of the yard until Adele went inside, waited a few additional minutes before following her. As he opened the back door, I was surprised to see my brother stroll around from the other side of the house. That’s right, he went out for a walk for some reason, I thought, reaching for Richard’s hand.
“This is starting to remind me of one of those French farces—people coming and going from all directions.” Richard’s fingers curled around mine.
Looking over the area as if to make sure no one was watching, Scott also used the back door to enter the house.
“It is peculiar,” I said, “but I’m sure there’s some reasonable explanation.”
A loud crash silenced Richard’s response.
“Sounds like it came from that direction,” he said, dropping my hand to sprint down the path.
I followed, running to match his longer strides. The path curved off to the right, ending at a wooden garden shed.
Richard paused, grabbing the edge of the half-open door. “Hold on,” he said as I reached him. “We should be careful. It could be some sort of wild animal, and if we back it into a corner, it could turn violent.”
“But it also could be hurt,” I said, pulling the door wider to peer inside the shed. “Can’t see much.”
“There’s something on the floor.” Richard pointed toward a large, shadowy object sprawled across the center of the small room.
I backed away. “Not a bear, I hope.”
“It’s not moving. Maybe just some tarps that tipped off that top shelf.” Richard grabbed a rake that was propped next to the door.
As he crept closer to the shadowy object, holding the rake like a weapon, I stepped in behind him and moved to the side to allow light to spill in through the door.
It was a tarp—a cracked blue tarp dusted with mold. But it was draped over something else.
Richard tentatively reached out and flipped up an edge of the thick plastic covering.
I gasped as an expensive leather shoe was revealed.
We both rushed forward to fling back the rest of the tarp. Then stood in silence, holding hands, as we stared down at the body of Oscar Selvaggio.