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The party was in full swing when I arrived. I’d meant to get there at the start of things, but had left brownie baking for the last minute. I had to run to the store for chocolate chips as well as a graduation card to accompany Ginger’s gift.
I followed the thumping music around to the Gordons’ patio, passing several guests of various ages milling around a table laden with food and drinks. I chatted briefly with Tara and Gillian, Rosie and Hal’s older daughters, then went inside to drop off the brownies and Ginger’s present.
Hal stood at the open refrigerator, mumbling to himself as he searched for some item Rosie must have asked him to bring outside. He hugged me, and I handed him the plate filled with brownies. He pulled up the plastic wrap and stuffed one into his mouth. “Awesome as ever,” he declared when he could speak.
“What were you looking for?” I asked.
“Relish. Rosie said the caterers didn’t bring enough.”
I scanned the items on the refrigerator shelves, and handed Hal the bottle.
“I owe you one.” He waved the bottle in the air as he headed outside.
“Where’s the stockpile of gifts?” I asked.
“The den.”
I left the silver bracelet I’d bought for Ginger on the mountain of beautifully wrapped presents and rejoined the outdoor festivities. The din of conversing voices competed with the pounding beat. Rosie, dressed in a colorful caftan and wine glass in hand, sailed over to greet me.
“It’s like Grand Central Station,” I said, gaping at the crowd of guests sitting at tables and milling about the Gordons’ expansive backyard. “How many people did you invite?”
Rosie shrugged. “Forty? Maybe fifty.” She laughed. “We lost count.” She put an arm around my waist and walked me to the bar. “Grab a drink and be social.” She winked. “Allistair should be here soon.”
I asked the young barman for a glass of white wine, snagged a few hors d’oeuvres from the circulating trays, then wandered among the guests. Ginger left her group of friends to give me a hug. I waved to Anne, chatting with Marcie and Scott Beaumont. They waved back. Ruth and her husband, Sam, stood talking to Adele and Bob. Though I didn’t recognize the majority of the guests, it struck me that all of the book club members were present except for Sylvia and Gerda. How odd, I thought. The murderer was back at the scene of the first crime.
I walked toward the pool area. Lowell stood beside Paulette, who lay languidly on a chaise longue. From their unhappy expressions I gathered they’d been fighting. Feeling the need for fortification, I downed the rest of my wine, then went over to say hello.
“Congratulations, Lowell.” I kissed his cheek. “I hear you’re going to be a daddy.”
“So I’ve been told.” He raised his beer and glugged away.
“Stop that, Low,” Paulette scolded. “It’s bad for the baby.”
He gave a derisive laugh. “How can it be bad for the baby? He’s in your belly, not mine.”
“We’ll know if it’s a he after the amniocentesis,” Paulette corrected. “Either way, the child won’t want a father who drinks.”
Lowell frowned. “Don’t nag, Paul. This is my day off. I’ve enough rules to follow during the work week.”
“Sorry.” Paulette reached out a small hand to clasp his, but Lowell ignored the gesture.
“Relax here with Lexie,” he said. “I’m going to talk to Hal. I want him to update our portfolio so we’ll be sure to have enough money for the three of us.”
“Would you bring me a Diet Coke? My stomach’s queasy.”
“Your mother’s coming this way. I’ll ask her to get it for you. Bye, Lexie,” he threw over his shoulder as he strode off.
“But I want you—” Paulette called after him, then realized he was too far away to hear the rest of her sentence.
I had every intention of making my own exit when Paulette grabbed my hand. “Please stay with me, Lexie. I’m not feeling too great.”
I sank into the chair beside her. “Are you nauseous?” I asked, remembering my own pregnancy. For three months, I’d thrown up every morning.
“Yes.” She paused, then went on, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know he’ll get used to the idea of the baby. Eventually,” she added wistfully.
“You hadn’t planned on becoming pregnant?”
She sighed. “Not quite yet. Lowell wanted to finish renovating the house first. But I’m thirty-two.” She lowered her voice, though no one was close enough to overhear us. “And I kind of have a medical problem. I simply couldn’t wait any longer to start our family.”
“Oh,” was the kindest response I could think of regarding her unilateral decision. It was too late for a lecture on the repercussions of springing unplanned pregnancies on one’s mate.
“I know I did the right thing! I only wish Lowell wasn’t so angry.”
“Your first pregnancy is a wonderful time of life.” I secretly wished her better luck than I’d had. Godfrey and I had argued fiercely during the nine months of my pregnancy. He hadn’t wanted a baby, either, and took off shortly after Jesse was born. “I’m sure you and Lowell will work things out.”
“Lowell wants us to have a family. He’ll come around.”
She looked so vulnerable lying there, I couldn’t help but say something positive. “I’m sure he will. You’ve that lovely big house to fill with children.”
“But will they be safe? Old Cadfield’s turned into a dangerous place. First Sylvia’s been murdered and now Gerda.”
Before I could come up with some reassuring words, Paulette yanked my hand, nearly pulling me out of my seat. “Lexie, tell me you still don’t think Lowell had anything to do with Sylvia’s death!”
Given her terrified expression, I found myself sidestepping the truth. “Of course I don’t,” I said in my most soothing tone. “What reason could Lowell possibly have for wanting Sylvia dead? Now lie back and relax.”
A figure loomed over us, momentarily blocking the sun and my vision. I stood, finding myself nose to nose with a frowning Adele.
“Alexis, you’d better not be upsetting my daughter again.”
“No, Mom. Lexie’s been—”
Adele brushed aside her daughter’s words and handed her a glass filled with a colorless, bubbly drink. “Honey, drink this. It’s hot out. You need to take in lots of fluids.”
“Mo-om, you know I hate ginger ale. I told Lowell I want Diet Coke.”
“Diet soda’s not good for you, and this is all they had. Drink up.”
Dutifully, Paulette downed the entire glass while her mother watched.
“Well, I’m off to mingle,” I murmured.
Mother and daughter were too engrossed in each other to reply.
I stopped by the food table, delighted to have it all to myself for the moment. I piled items onto a platter: cheeseburger, hot dog, condiments, then refilled my wine glass. I found an empty table in the shade and dug in. I was almost finished when Allistair slid in the seat beside me. He kissed my cheek as though we were old friends. Nice, I thought.
“Here you are.” He sounded glad to see me. “Feeding my face. Did you just arrive?”
“Yes. I had to make several calls.”
“The food’s delicious.”
“I was thinking of making myself a plate.”
He stood, and I did, too. “Be right back.” I headed for the house and a bathroom.
Ruth Blessing stopped me as I passed her table. She introduced me to the couple sitting with her and Sam, who were Old Cadfield neighbors.
The woman, her blonde hair in a puffy bouffant reminiscent of the seventies, tsk-tsked. “It’s so sad what happened to Sylvia and Gerda. I’m so nervous, I hardly sleep at night. Thank goodness we don’t live on Narcissus Lane.”
I stared at her.
My reaction to her insensitive comment must have come through loud and clear because she gasped. “I didn’t mean that you aren’t safe, Lexie. Surely no one has any reason to kill you.”
She was digging herself deeper and deeper.
Her husband let out a sigh of exasperation. “That’s enough, Lillian. The police will find the murderer very soon and no one else will be harmed.”
Ruth shot me a glance of commiseration. “Gerda’s funeral’s tomorrow. Rappaport’s again. At ten in the morning. Her sons are sitting shiva the rest of the week at her house.”
“Thanks.” I went inside in search of a bathroom.
The downstairs bathroom door was locked. Damn! Nature’s call was becoming urgent. I crossed the hall and headed up the grand staircase. The bathroom between the two guest bedrooms was free. I used the facilities, washed my hands, and applied fresh lipstick. I unlocked the door and stepped into the hall. The sound of two people laughing drove me back inside. My brain processed the rest of the information as I closed the door. A man and a woman were in the bedroom I’d occupied when I’d stayed here a week ago. No need to wonder what they were doing.
I waited a few minutes, then cracked open the bathroom door. Lowell Hartman and Anne Chadwick were walking down the hall toward the staircase.
“You go first,” she whispered. “Paulette must be wondering where you’ve been.”
“Adele’s looking after her,” Lowell said dryly. “Talk to you tonight.”
Anne stood some ten feet from where I hovered behind the bathroom door. As fond as I was of her, it took all my self-control not to grab her by the shoulders and shake her silly. I wanted to ask how she could carry on with Lowell knowing Paulette was close by with Lowell’s child in her belly?
I remained in the bathroom until I heard her descend the stairs. I waited a bit, then followed.
Outside, the party was in full swing. Someone had turned up the music, and a few young couples were dancing on the patio. I looked about for Rosie and Hal, determined to make my good-byes and leave. I needed to extricate myself from these people who hurt and killed one another for reasons unfathomable to me. I had no business living in Old Cadfield even temporarily. Their immorality offended me.
“Lexie! Where are you going?” Allistair called from the table where we’d been sitting.
I went over to him. “Sorry, Allistair. I’m going home.”
His smile of pleasure turned into an expression of concern. “You’re upset. What happened?”
I couldn’t possibly tell him. I felt as though Paulette’s humiliation were my own. Suddenly I knew why. Godfrey had done the very same thing to me all those years ago.
“Sorry, I can’t talk about it. I have to go.”
An agitated cry shot through the music and conversations about us. “Somebody, please come! I need a doctor!”
It was Adele, calling from the pool area. I jumped up and followed Scott Beaumont, who was a pediatrician, to see if I could help. As we ran, I prayed that nobody else had been murdered.