Authors: Marianne Stephens
“I’m heading to the King’s Hotel for this.
My date’s a part
of this local talent group, I guess and wants to show off her stuff tonight.
I
can’t imagine this getting out of hand.
Christ.
One of these dates Serena sets
me up on has to be halfway plausible.”
“Keep me posted.” Steve grinned.
“At least you’ve been
eating out more lately.”
Steve’s smile irritated Dan.
“Yeah.
But the only enjoyable
meal I’ve had was when Serena and I dined alone.
The other two have been real
acid inducers.”
“Maybe this one will be okay.”
Dan smirked.
“I doubt it.
But, I survived the dog dinner
fiasco, so I’m ready for anything.”
Chapter Sixteen
“I’m Detective Carrington and this is my partner, Detective
Fitzgerald.
We’re canvassing the area for information on recent reports of
thefts in the area.
Can we speak to you for a few minutes?”
Both detectives flashed their badges and had used a police
car to add credibility to their request.
Their plan was to start with the
LaRosas and then question a few more people in the neighborhood to avoid
suspicion.
Thomas and Maria LaRosa welcomed the men into their home and
offered coffee.
Dan felt a tinge of guilt at the ruse being played, but getting
information was vital to his case.
The home’s interior boasted modest furnishings, not ornate
and expensive stuff Dan would have expected from one of Napoli’s henchmen.
The
mantle held family photos, one displaying Annemarie’s apparent college
graduation.
After Dan discussed crimes in the neighborhood and gave
vague information about suspected thefts as not to alarm the couple
unnecessarily, he turned the topic of discussion to keeping families safe and
inquired about the LaRosas.
Maria was more than happy to show off her children and
grandchildren.
She mentioned all the names, stating that Annemarie, her
youngest, had recently gotten engaged.
Totally confused, Dan processed the information.
Annemarie.
Engaged.
Was “Gino” the fiancé?
That would leave Serena as…what?
He squashed
the urge to ask Annemarie’s future husband’s name, figuring that would seem
odd.
After thanking the LaRosas for their time, the men left with
more unanswered questions than Dan had hoped for.
Puzzle pieces in the mystery
of Serena’s business fit and didn’t fit.
The LaRosas couldn’t be involved with
Napoli’s mob.
Tom worked at Sprint and Maria just retired from twenty years as
a teacher.
Not mob material or the type of people that hung around Napoli.
Shit.
Back to square one.
* * * * *
Serena, her date/brother, Michael, Dan and his date, had
agreed to meet at the front entrance of the well-known hotel’s banquet hall.
As
soon as they were a foursome, Justine whipped out character cards for everyone.
“What’s this?” Dan glanced at Miss “X” and then aimed his
question in Justine’s direction as she handed him an index card with the name
Clive emblazoned on the front.
“This will be so exciting.” The woman actually sparkled with
enthusiasm, a huge smile plastered on her face.
“I arranged it so that all of
us take part in our murder mystery play tonight.
Mr.
‘Four-eighteen’, you’ll be
known as Clive.
I’m Rosalia, Miss Sight, you’re Jezebel and Mr.
‘Eight’, you’ll
be Percy.”
Striving to appear as surprised at the card-playing roles as
Dan and Michael would be, Serena lowered her head immediately and studied the
words written on the card handed to her.
She dared not so much as glance at the
faces of the two men she’d dragged along to dinner, unaware of the evening’s
acting obligations.
Convinced both Dan and Michael would have looks of murder
on their faces staring in her direction, she opted for the coward’s way out.
Jezebel.
Wonderful.
Serena focused on her information card.
She would play the flirtatious wife of Michael/Percy, striving for male
attention in the room while employing all her seductive charms.
The card
instructed her to wiggle her hips when moving around, smile brightly and wink
at the men.
In particular, she was to seek out Dan/Clive’s attention, a
longtime lover for whom she harbored a jealous obsession.
Serena managed to raise her eyes level with her brother’s,
only to view the amused look on his face before he spoke.
“Costumes?
You never mentioned playacting, but, what the
heck.
I’m game.
So, I’m to be your husband and it says here while you flirt
around, I get to sneak away with the main hostess of our dinner, a widow named
Mrs.
Worthington.” Michael read his card to the others.
Serena decided to chime in with her instructions to motivate
the men and keep up the levity of their trapped need to perform.
“I guess we’ll
have a few props to wear so we stand out from the other diners.
“As for me—Jezebel—I’ll have to chase all the men but
concentrate on you, Dan…I mean, Clive.
Seems we have a history together and I
can’t take no for an answer.
We need to end up behind the palm plants over
there after our appetizers but before salads are served.”
Dan’s face showed no emotion either way about the costume
necessity or involuntary push into the acting area.
He could be furious or
fascinated, but Serena couldn’t tell.
In a calm, monotone voice he informed them, “Clive
desperately loves Jezebel but gambles and needs money so he’s after wealthy
Mrs.
Worthington.
He’s a charmer who also chases and seduces his ex-wife,
Rosalia.”
Serena threw caution to the wind and ventured to say, “I
guess this will be fun.
We each get to pretend to be someone else and maybe act
out some hidden alter egos.”
Michael looked around the room and then suggested they
return to the foyer where the coat check was located.
The threesome maneuvered
their way through the other guests and greeted the costume supplier, Susan.
She handed both men jackets with outlandish colors and
patterns, guaranteed to be attention getters.
Serena tried in vain to stifle
the laughter building inside her, but finally lost the battle for control.
“You two won’t be hard to lose in a crowd.” She hoped they’d
see the humor in their apparel.
Dan smirked but removed his conservative, dark blue blazer
and replaced it with a pastel-colored plaid jacket.
To top off his outfit, he
was handed a walking stick and sailor-worthy captain’s hat.
Michael gave a frown as he contemplated his jacket.
“Uh,
pink’s not really my color.” He’d been given a pink jacket, checkered pink,
white and blue tie and huge false mustache to wear.
Serena placed her hand on his arm.
“Please.
Put the stuff
on.
For me?” She hoped she sounded desperate enough to coerce her brother to forget
his sense of style.
Michael shrugged off his jacket and whispered to Serena,
“You owe me big-time for this.”
Now dressed as Clive, Dan glanced at Michael and gave Serena
a bewildered look before speaking.
“I’m off to chat with Rosalia, seeing as the
whole purpose of our dinner was supposed to be my getting to know her.
“As my ex-wife, another female I can’t seem to get enough
of, we’ve got to get together for a chat.
I’m about to attempt charming her out
of bickering over back alimony payments before appetizers appear.
Excuse me.”
He pivoted and walked away.
“I guess he doesn’t want to practice at our table,” Michael
offered as he rubbed his mustache in place.
Susan interrupted their conversation.
“Here’s your dress.
You can change in back.” She pointed to a doorway behind the check area.
Serena took the sequined, feathery red dress and wondered if
it would fit.
It was made from some type of stretchy material, but looked like
it would cling and fit like a glove.
In the back room, she removed her functional little black
dress and wiggled her way into Jezebel’s attire for the night.
Serena twisted and turned in front of a door-length mirror
to give herself a full view of the dress.
She pulled up and down repeatedly,
trying to stretch out the material to cover more of her body.
Nothing helped.
It would remain low-cut to emphasize her top and very short showing off a major
portion of her legs.
“Great.
All I need is a street corner and I’m all set for
a new career as a hooker.”
The dress accentuated every curve of her body, making her
extremely self-conscious.
The guys had it easy.
Pastel colors were nothing
compared to clingy, miniscule, fire-engine red.
“Oh,” exclaimed Susan, “I forgot the bow for your hair.” She
placed the headband with bow attached on Serena’s head.
Anxiety and embarrassment turned Serena’s body to mush.
Could she hide in the coat area all night?
Would anyone miss the lady in a
slinky red dress, seductress of all male diners?
Michael wolf-whistled as she exited the room.
“Man.
I’ll
have to forget you’re my little sister and try not to protect you.
Got to keep
in mind you’re my ex for the evening and watch you wiggle your way around the
room.” He ended his statements with loud laughter.
Serena gritted her teeth and felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
“Enough already.
Remember, we have a job to do here.
C’mon…follow me to our
table.”
Serena smiled and tried to ignore the guffaws and stares as
she made her way to their table.
She would definitely have to kill Justine
first chance she got.
No wonder the woman wanted her dress size.
However, she
wondered if Justine had ordered her dress a size or two smaller than required.
Serena and Michael found their table for four but were
missing the other two people who were both off and mingling with other guests.
All around them, laughter permeated the room, none of it coming from her table.
She eyed her brother.
He’d stopped laughing at her.
“As fetching as you look, I believe some of the stares aimed
in our direction are focused on me.
Men in pink probably attract attention.”
She shook her head in resignation and decided to allow the
night to progress.
“Let’s look at the bright side.
This might be fun.
You
missed the whole doggy dinner night.
I’m hoping this is actually a step up in
disaster dating scenarios.”
Michael smirked and said, “Once I get over the pink thing,
I’ll probably be fascinated by all this.” He shrugged.
“Solving murder
mysteries is a full-time job for me anyway.
How much worse could this get?”
“What do you think?
Does Dan seem worried about any of this?
Maybe angry at the clothes?
Not having more time with Rosa—I mean, Justine?”
Serena asked.
“Hard to tell, although he did try to follow her whereabouts
and appeared eager to find her.”
“Where is she?
I lost track of her after she waltzed away from
us.”
Michael pointed to a location near the main entrance.
“She’s
over there…lady in the banana yellow dress and fruity hat…with Dan and I can
only guess the other woman’s my mistress.
I’ll head over to join them.
Clive’s
supposed to be trying to move in on Mrs.
Worthington so I should keep tabs on
him and invite myself into his conversation.”
He twisted his mustache and sighed.
“I hope I get the hang
of this thing.
Never had one and it’s itchy.
Anyway, dear loving wife of mine,
I have to leave your side so you have time to flirt around the room.”
Serena rolled her eyes up to the heavens and inhaled deeply
before letting out a calming breath of air.
“Yeah, right.
Something I’m
normally an expert in.” She aimed what she hoped was a serious glare at her brother.
“Hey.
Strut you stuff, sis.”
“Let’s concentrate on Dan, okay?
I think he’s aiming to try
out his charm on Justine.
When I called to suggest he arrive ten minutes early,
I let it slip that she would be real happy tonight since she just sold stock
certificates from a diamond mine.
I figured that’ll catch his interest.”
Michael pulled his head back in surprise, then bellowed with
laughter.
“Diamond mine?
Are you serious?
You couldn’t come up with something
better?
Oh, Serena.
You watch way too many TV shows.”
“Shhh.
Do you want everyone to hear you?”
“Tell me you really didn’t say that.” Laughter again
exploded from his mouth.