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“I can’t believe Chad is dead,” Emily sighed.
“It’s a real shock. Were he and Kyle close?”
“No, we had only hung out with him a couple of times. I didn’t know him well at all.”
That was the answer Claudia had expected. It was becoming increasingly evident that Emily had barely spent any time with her husband-to-be’s family. Claudia figured by now, she probably knew as much about the dead man as Emily did.
Chad Kemp was twenty-five years old. He was unmarried, though he had a long-term girlfriend. He had one brother. Their mother had passed away years earlier, but their dad was still living. Chad’s father and Kyle’s father were brothers. Chad had been the manager of an upscale bar in the city closest to Prairie Crocus.
Claudia had been to the bar once. She had found it to be trendy but overpriced for what it was. The place seemed to cater to a young crowd of privileged cheerleader and frat boy types. She had quickly concluded she wasn’t its target demographic.
She had never been much of a partier, preferring instead to spend her weekends curled up at home with a good book and a hot cup of tea.
The recently deceased man had only begun managing the bar six months earlier. Prior to that, his father had run the place. When Chad’s dad had decided to retire, it had only seemed natural to hand the keys over to his eldest son.
Claudia had learned a lot in the twenty-four hours since she had discovered the body.
She sat near the end of a long table in the steakhouse, surrounded by shocked people. Claudia had thought she ought to give the family space, but Emily had begged her to join them for dinner. So there she sat, Scott on one side of her and Emily on the other.
The mood was somber, which was to be expected after a sudden death. Claudia found it interesting that no one was crying inconsolably. In fact, no one was overly emotional in the slightest. She was sure they were all grieving in their own way...maybe the family dynamic was simply different than what Claudia was used to.
Chad’s younger brother, Ashton, had been very quiet.
His hair was the same color as Chad’s, but that was where the similarities between the brothers ended. Ashton’s hair was long, hanging into his face in a way that suggested he was trying to hide. He was skinny, with a pasty complexion that looked as though it had never been touched by the sun. The way his shoulders slumped gave the impression that he was insecure.
Beside Ashton sat Chad’s longtime girlfriend, Lucy Dane. She was an absolute knockout, with bleached blonde hair, a flashy manicure and big brown eyes that were framed by thick, dark lashes. It was impossible not to notice that her chest seemed much too large for her svelte frame. Claudia suspected she’d had a boob job.
Her form-fitting black dress hugged her like a second skin. It was impossible not to notice the way Lucy turned heads. She didn’t seem aware of all the lingering gazes - or maybe she was simply used to them. She seemed shell-shocked as she stared off into space, and it was no wonder. Her boyfriend had been murdered. Anyone in her position would be stunned.
Kyle leaned over and whispered something in Emily’s ear.
She nodded and they both somewhat awkwardly stood up.
“Can I get everyone’s attention please?” Kyle called out.
The group of would-be wedding guests fell dead silent and looked at him expectantly.
“Hey, so Chad is gone and I don’t really know what to say. This sucks. This really, really sucks.” His face reddened and he looked downward. “I’m no good at public speaking,” he muttered sheepishly.
Emily cleared her throat. “What Kyle means to say is we’re all in mourning. We know that. These are the things that bring people together - tragedies and celebrations. It’s great that we can all share a meal together this evening, but the circumstances are absolutely tragic. We wish we were gathering for a celebration rather than a tragedy.”
“Yeah, what she said,” Kyle chimed in, looking relieved that Emily was doing most of the talking.
Emily wrung her hands, looking rather nervous as she prepared to make an announcement. “There’s no easy way to say this. After a lot of soul searching, Kyle and I have decided to go ahead with our wedding tomorrow as planned.”
Kyle nodded. “We think it’s important we make the most of our time together and make new, happy memories. I think we can all agree it’s what Chad would have wanted.”
Ashton began to cough. His hand quickly flew up to his mouth to cover it, but he wasn’t quite fast enough. Claudia saw he was trying to hide laughter. She stared at him incredulously, thinking to herself that he was acting bizarrely considering his only brother had been killed.
“Sorry,” Ashton said once he had regained his composure. “I had a tickle.”
“More like he was tickled,” Claudia whispered under her breath.
“Is everyone okay if we proceed with the wedding as planned?” Emily asked anxiously. “If you think it’s in poor taste or have any objection at all, please speak up. The last thing we want to do is offend or hurt anyone.”
There was silence around the table. It seemed like no one wanted to be the first to speak.
Finally, Lucy shrugged. “It’s fine by me if you two want to go ahead with the wedding,” she said, breaking the uneasy silence. “I mean, it would be a shame to come all this way only for you two to call it off. So go for it. Let’s have a party.”
A chorus of agreement followed.
“Alright, well I guess it’s settled,” Emily said, looking relieved. “Kyle and I are getting married tomorrow. Thank you so much for your support during this challenging and very sad time.”
“Are we done here?” Ashton asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.
“Uh, yeah, I guess so. Unless you want dessert, that is,” Emily replied.
“Nope. I’m out.” With that, he stood up and abruptly left the table.
Claudia pulled the white linen napkin from her lap and set it beside her plate. She pushed her chair back from the table. “I’ll be right back,” she said before hastily excusing herself from the group.
She made it seem like she was headed to the ladies’ room, but she actually wanted to catch up with Ashton. She was very curious why he had broken into laughter at such an inappropriate time. She was even more curious to see where he had rushed off to.
She exited the steakhouse and stepped out onto the deck. She immediately heard the rhythmic crashing of ocean waves against the side of the ship. It was constant and soothing, a sound like nothing she had ever heard before. It was something she could get used to.
It was an autumn evening, but the air was warm and humid. The sun was a ball of fire in the sky, though it would soon disappear from sight. It was such a perfect night that one could easily forget someone had been murdered. But someone had. Chad was dead.
It didn’t take long for Claudia to find Ashton. A cloud of smoke surrounded him.
“Hi,” she said, approaching him cautiously. “I’m Emily’s friend, Claudia. You’re Ashton, right? I’m very sorry for your loss. How are you holding up?”
Ashton took a long drag of his cigarette. He lowered his head, his long, stringy hair hanging in his face. “No,” he said quietly. “I’m not okay. Last night I had to call my dad and tell him Chad’s dead. Do you have any idea what that was like?”
“I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been,” Claudia murmured sympathetically.
“My dad didn’t say it, but deep down I know he wishes it was me instead.”
Claudia’s jaw dropped. “Why would you think that?” she demanded.
“Chad was always the golden child,” Ashton explained. “He was popular, charismatic, outgoing...he was everything I wasn’t, basically. He was my father’s favorite, ever since we were kids. Anyway, it goes without saying my dad is devastated.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“How do you console someone over the phone?” Ashton asked, his voice cracking. “I mean, I don’t think I would know what to say or do in person, either. But having to break the news from so far away...I don’t know. It felt so impersonal.”
“I wish I knew what to say.”
“It’s okay,” Ashton assured her. He put out his cigarette. His hand was shaking. He forced a wavering smile. “I’m going to go find someplace quiet to sit. I need to clear my head. See you around.”
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Oh, the wedding. Right. Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
As Claudia watched Ashton walk away, she felt conflicted. It was hard to know what to make of him, exactly. She felt for him, but she was also unnerved by his behavior. It was difficult to put her finger on it, but something about him seemed off.
She forced herself to tear her gaze away and turn her attention to other matters. Her best friend was getting married in less than 24 hours. Regardless of how Claudia felt about the hasty wedding, she was determined to be supportive. She turned and headed back into the steakhouse to find out how she could help.
