Annabelle Archer BoxSet, page 80
part #1 of Annabelle Archer Series
I sighed as I dropped my black flats in the shoe basket and slipped on a pair of Mystic Maven slippers. It felt like it had only been minutes since Kate and I had left the ship discussing clues, but it had been an entire day and we were no closer to figuring out any of it.
“What is she doing here?” Richard asked.
At least he was talking to me as he normally did and not in the wounded voice he’d adopted after I told him I’d kissed Reese. “What are you talking about? Kate’s always at our rehearsals.”
“Miss me already?” Kate blew him a kiss as she took off her heels.
“Not her.” Richard pointed a finger behind us. “I meant her.”
I looked to where Richard was motioning and did a double take. What was my nutty neighbor doing here? She couldn’t have followed me because I’d picked up Kate and then coffee before heading to the marina.
I gave Richard a push. “Get up to the ship. Maybe she won’t see us.”
We hurried up the gangway, crouching as we went. When I reached the top, I turned around and saw Leatrice throw both arms in the air and wave them wildly as if summoning a rescue from the top of a burning building.
Kate sighed. “I’m pretty sure she sees us.”
“What in heaven’s name is she wearing?” Richard asked.
“Well, that’s always the million-dollar question, isn’t it?” I said. It appeared Leatrice was wearing her version of cruise wear—a pair of white pedal pushers with navy blue anchors embroidered all over and a blue-checked shirt tied at her waist. It looked like Vineyard Vines had run smack into Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island. I couldn’t tell from where I stood, but I hoped to goodness she wasn’t showing midriff.
“Yoo-hoo! Annabelle!” She started up the gangway.
“Leatrice, what are you doing here?” I asked once she’d reached the top. I was relieved to see her shirt covered her stomach, but not relieved she was at the site of my wedding rehearsal.
“I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer.”
I pulled my phone out of my purse and saw it was on mute. I’d switched it to silent for our meeting with Alexandra and forgotten to switch it back on. “Sorry about that. What’s going on?”
“A woman stopped by to see you and said it was about the wedding.”
“This wedding?” I asked. I had about twenty weddings going on at the same time, all in different stages of planning, so it was entirely possible my visitor was a bride or vendor from another wedding. I tried to keep some separation between my business life and personal life and strongly discouraged clients from popping by my place.
Leatrice tapped a finger on her chin. “I think so. She said it was urgent.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t mean anything. Every client we have thinks everything about their wedding is urgent even if it’s sixteen months away.”
“Was she drunk?” I asked. Debbie and Darla had been known to pop by after their liquid lunches in Georgetown.
“I don’t know about that but she seemed nervous.” Leatrice put a hand to her Mary Tyler Moore hairdo, which was lacquered permanently in place. “She told me to tell you she’d come by and that you’d know why she came.”
“How mysterious,” Richard said. “Your brides are getting so cryptic, Annabelle.”
“Did she give you her name?” I asked.
“Yes.” Leatrice smiled at me. “And I wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget.”
I nodded, trying not to act too impatient. I’d noticed Leatrice had been forgetting little things lately, but we’d come to an unspoken agreement to pretend it wasn’t happening. So she used more Post-it notes, and I fought the urge to get exasperated when it slipped her mind to give me a package for three days or to tell me the building’s water would be shut off for an afternoon.
Her smile faded and she dropped her eyes. “And the Post-it note flew off the dashboard and out the window while I was driving here.”
I took a deep breath. I really didn’t have the time to deal with this. I had a rehearsal to run. Plus, I was still trying to shake off the news of Caren’s death. Even though I hadn’t known her, the thought of the girl escaping the danger of the ship just to be hit by a car had upset me. I patted Leatrice on the arm. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it was just a nervous bride and she’ll call me about whatever was bothering her anyway.” I turned to Richard. “Have you seen Jeremy lately?”
“Do you hear bloodcurdling screams coming from my lips?” he asked.
I shot him a look. “I’ll take that as a no. Have you seen Kristie?”
“The bride? Yes. She’s in the main salon doing a final space clearing. I’m surprised we can’t hear the bells from here.”
“Bells?” Kate asked.
“The sound of bells removes negative energy,” Richard said. “Come on, Kate. Get with the program.”
Kate stuck her tongue out at Richard. “If that’s true then I hope Kristie brought some really big bells.”
I had to agree with Kate. With all the fights and fire and the murder that had taken place on board in the past week, I wasn’t even sure if the Liberty Bell would do the trick. “Let’s go see if we can convince her to stop ringing and start rehearsing.”
“I’m with you,” Kate said. “The sooner we’re off this ship, the better.”
“It will all be over soon,” I reminded her. I couldn’t remember the last time I was so thrilled to be closing in on the end of a wedding. In a little more than twenty-four hours, the wedding would be over and all of the drama would be a fading memory. I, for one, couldn’t wait to break up with this wedding and especially with this stepmother of the bride.
Richard led the way through the glass door and into the casual dining room attached to the upstairs kitchen. Brody sat at the curved banquette with the ship’s captain and first mate across from him. All three men looked up when we came in, although only Brody smiled at us.
“The wedding planners!”
“And caterer,” Richard said. He didn’t like being mistaken for a wedding planner any more than I liked it when people asked me if I catered weddings.
The captain and first mate stood. They nodded to us then slipped through the back door leading to the bridge. The captain’s friendly demeanor from earlier in the week had evaporated. I brushed it off because I knew he had his hands full running the ship and preparing for the six-month around-the-world honeymoon trip for the bride and groom. I also knew Reese had delivered the news about the dead crewmate earlier, so that had to be affecting him. The first mate had never seemed approachable to me, so this wasn’t a change.
“We were discussing the ocean crossing after the wedding.” Brody slid out from behind the table and stood.
“You’re going with them?” I asked. “I thought it was just the bride and groom.”
“I’m not going on the entire trip,” he said. “I’ll be with them across the Atlantic, and then I’ll get off when we reach the coast of Africa. They’ll continue around the Cape to the Seychelles while I go on a bit of a safari.”
“Brody is the only family member Kristie says won’t cramp her style,” Mr. Barbery said as he walked in from the main salon. “My wife and I are being kicked out. Not that I enjoy ocean crossings. I’ve had my fill of pirates.”
“Did you say pirates?” Richard asked.
Brody laughed. “I’d prefer pirates to rogue waves.”
Mr. Barbery laughed along with him. “You and me both.”
“Are you serious?” I looked from one man to the other.
“The chances are pretty slim,” Mr. Barbery said. “But on a superyacht like this we have to be prepared for anything. That’s why we have a full arsenal of guns downstairs.”
I swallowed hard. “This ship has a storehold of guns?”
Mr. Barbery grinned at us. “All ships like this do. We carry so much valuable artwork on board we’re a prime target for pirates.”
Kate’s eyes were big and this time I thought her shock was genuine. “I never thought about that.”
“I don’t mean to scare you.” Mr. Barbery patted Kate on the shoulder. “You really don’t need to worry about pirates while we’re docked in DC. I was just on my way to talk to the captain about what he’s been picking up on the radar.” He disappeared into the doorway leading to the bridge, and Brody followed him.
“Suddenly working on this ship got even more dangerous,” Richard whispered to me.
I had to concur. The idea of a ship filled with people who didn’t get along and a bunch of guns was not a comforting fact.
30
“Is it true?” Kristie asked me when we found her in the salon. She wore a pale blue sheath dress, and I was a bit surprised to see her in anything but yoga pants. A selection of small silver bells lay on a white marble coffee table, and she held one in each hand, alternating as she jingled them. I supposed with all the chaos on the ship, clearing the negative energy with bells was a constant process. I wondered if I should start carrying bells in my emergency kit to ring around my brides every time they got stressed.
“Is what true?” I asked. With so much going on, I honestly didn’t know what she meant. The room still held the slight scents of scorched fabric and fresh paint. Not an appealing combination. I stifled a cough and hoped the flowers and food would mask the odors the next day.
“Is it going to rain on my wedding day?” She dropped the bells and they clanged on the marble table.
I almost felt relieved when I heard her concern. Then I realized I actually hadn’t checked the weather report in days. Usually I kept a watchful eye on the forecast to know how many white golf umbrellas to put in my trunk, but this week I’d been so preoccupied I hadn’t seen it once. I pulled out my phone and clicked the weather app while Kate and Richard did the same.
“Uh oh,” Kate said next to me.
Richard put a hand over his eyes. “This is intolerable.”
I tried not to panic. The image for the next day was a dark thundercloud with lightning and, if the Weather Channel was accurate, it would last for the entire day and night. This was probably what the captain had been picking up on radar, as well.
“The good news is you have a beautiful ship to get married on,” I said. I could have kicked myself for not keeping track of the weather better. I knew I couldn’t control it, but it helped not to be completely ambushed by massive thunderstorms. Especially when the wedding was being held on a boat.
“So that’s a yes?” Tears sprang to Kristie’s eyes. “What about the ceremony on the rooftop? I’m supposed to get married in the open air.”
One of the cameramen from the TV crew stepped into the room, cast his eyes over the tense scene, and began filming.
“Not now, buddy.” Kate pushed him backward until he was on the other side of the glass doors trying not to stumble down the stairs.
I thought fast. “We can do the ceremony in here. It’s the largest room and one hundred fifty guests can definitely fit.”
The bride’s eyes went to the low ceiling. “But what about the floral canopy?”
“It can still go in here,” I said. “It may have to be a bit shorter, but it will still be beautiful.”
Kate put an arm around Kristie. “The important thing is getting married, right?”
The girl nodded, then her face darkened as Mrs. Barbery swept into the room from the outside. She wore a pink and purple chiffon creation that could have been a nightgown or an evening gown. When I spotted the pink fur slippers peeking out from under the layers of flowing fabric, I pegged the ensemble as sleepwear. Not any sleepwear I’d ever wear, mind you.
Mrs. Barbery let out a sigh when she saw her stepdaughter. “I hope you’re not crying again, Kristie.”
“We were discussing the rain plan for tomorrow.” I tried to keep my voice upbeat but it came out sounding strained.
Kristie glared at her stepmother. “For your information, it’s going to pour all day long.”
“Then we’ll cover the ship.” Mrs. Barbery snapped her fingers at me. “I’m sure you have people who can do that.”
“Cover an entire ship? Like with a giant tent?” Richard asked.
“Exactly.” Mrs. Barbery put a hand to her red curls. “I’m sure my husband will agree to it.”
“But we can’t erect a tent over a ship that’s in the water,” I said, my voice no longer upbeat. “First of all, no tent company has forty-foot side poles. And since the boat is in water, there isn’t anything to anchor the poles to.”
Mrs. Barbery stamped a foot. “I do not want someone telling me all the ways it can’t work, Miss Archer. I need you to tell me how it can work.”
“We could tent parts of the ship,” I said, not sure exactly which parts I meant. “That would give us more covered space.”
“Make it happen.” Mrs. Barbery shifted her poisonous glare from me, and gave Kristie a sticky smile. “My husband wants this wedding to be perfect for his darling daughter.”
Mrs. Barbery flounced out of the room, leaving me feeling like I’d been left standing after a tornado.
“I’m sorry about her. She’s been even more awful since we started planning my wedding,” Kristie said. “But can you really cover some of the outdoor spaces?”
I leaned down and squeezed her shoulder. “I promise you we will do everything we can, okay?”
My mind raced with all I needed to do if we were going to be holding this wedding in the pouring rain. We already had a tent being erected on the dock next to Mystic Maven to be used as the kitchen, but we couldn’t put guests under it. Even though the yacht was one hundred and sixty feet long and dwarfed every other boat in the marina, the open spaces it did have were limited, especially covered ones.
“Why don’t we go find your fiancé?” Kate began to steer Kristie out of the room. I knew Kate could keep her busy telling her all the things we normally told brides who were blessed with rain on their wedding day. The old standby was rain on your wedding day is good luck, a lie a wedding planner clearly made up to calm down a hysterical bride. Less common and cheesier was only rain brought rainbows. I could never manage to say that one with a straight face.
I mouthed a thank you to Kate and turned to Richard, who also looked a bit panicked. “How did we not see this?” I asked.
He shook his head. “It’s been so crazy with all the accidents and then the murder and then the fire. The weather was the last thing on my mind.”
“Mine too. But now we’d better figure out what to do. We have over a hundred and fifty guests coming tomorrow and nowhere else to put them except on this ship.”
Richard glanced around the main salon, which was filled with furniture. “How are we going to make more space?”
“We’ll have to move this furniture out if we’re going to jam all the guests in here for the ceremony.”
Richard threw his arms in the air. “And where are we going to put all of it? It’s not like there’s an attic or basement.”
I pressed one of the numbers I had preprogrammed into my phone. “I’m calling Davis. If we can get him to add a tent marquee to the wide area at the back of the ship—
“You mean the transom,” Richard corrected.
“Yes, the transom. Then we can get at least twenty extra feet. Maybe he can pop up another on the top deck, too.”
“Good thinking.” Richard began dialing his phone. “Not that you’d catch me on the top deck of a ship during a thunderstorm. I’m adding staff for tomorrow. If we have to go back and forth between the kitchen tent on the dock and the ship in the pouring rain, I’m going to need more people. Preferably ones with gills.”
I left a message for Davis, my go-to tent guy, while Richard talked to his staffing assistant. I made a mental note to put every umbrella I owned in my car and bring a pair of rain boots.
“Annabelle!”
I spun around and saw Leatrice’s head at the top of the spiral staircase leading down to the guest rooms. “What are you doing down there?” In all the panic about the rain, I’d forgotten about her. “You were supposed to leave the ship.”
“I was exploring,” she said. “This place just goes on and on.”
“Get up here. You aren’t supposed to even be here, much less be wandering all over the place.”
Leatrice walked up the stairs and looked around the room. “Isn’t this something.”
I had to agree with her. It was something all right. The bright orange, turquoise, and yellow that Jeremy had used throughout the room had turned the once-chic beige and cream salon into an assault on the eyes. “It’s South Beach meets South of France.”
Leatrice nodded, her expression confused. “Was this Richard’s idea?”
“Bite your tongue!” Richard said. He slipped his phone into his front suit pocket and walked over to where we stood. “I would never go for something this loud. Everyone knows I’m the soul of understatement.”
I decided not to touch that one or bother mentioning that Richard’s jacket was lined in hot pink.
“You didn’t happen to see Mandy while you were snooping around below, did you?” I asked Leatrice.
She tilted her head to one side. “Mandy?”
“She’s the chief stew,” I explained. “She’s in charge of all the interior staff and could probably help us get this furniture moved out of here.”
“Well, if you find her, let me know.” Daniel Reese came through the door from the casual dining room. “She’s been missing since earlier today.”
“Missing?” I asked. First one of the girls who worked under Mandy disappeared and got hit by a car, and now Mandy was missing?
He nodded. “She left the ship at some point in the early morning before anyone was awake and hasn’t been seen since.”
“Maybe she needed a little break,” I said, realizing how ridiculous that sounded in light of all the things going on. “It must be confining to be on board all the time.”
“I might agree with you if she’d told anyone she was leaving or got the time off approved,” Daniel said. “And her cell phone is turned off so we can’t track her.”
