4 Pageant and Poison Read online

  Chapter Five

  That night as Bekki struggled to fall asleep, she recalled Candy's superior sneer. She remembered the way she pranced around the stage as if she owned it. She was a woman who had defined her whole life by defeating others. In the end had it been her own body, or her own karma that defeated her? Bekki woke with a strange dread filling her. Her cell phone was ringing. It was barely seven in the morning. Bekki reached over to the bedside stand and snatched up the phone. She cleared her throat and then answered it.

  "Hello?" she croaked out.

  "Bekki?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

  "Yes," Bekki replied. "Who's this?"

  "This is Officer Liam Hanks, we met yesterday, remember?" he sounded a little nervous as he spoke to her.

  Bekki sighed into the phone without meaning to. She had been hoping it would be Nick, and she certainly didn't want to deal with any other law enforcement agent this early in the morning.

  “How can I help you?” she asked as she sat up slowly in bed. Her head was a little sore from all of the music from the night before, she hadn't even touched a drop of alcohol and still felt as if she had a hangover.

  “I was hoping to discuss a few more things with you and wanted to make sure you would be at the convention center this morning,” he explained swiftly.

  Bekki grimaced at the rapidness of his words. “Okay, sure. I'll be there in about an hour.”

  “Great,” he said eagerly into the phone. She flipped hopefully through her phone for Nick's number, or a missed text, but she didn't see anything. She pulled herself out of bed and forced herself into the shower. When she came back out she saw that the screen of her phone was lit up. She rushed over to it just in time to see a text flash across the screen.

  I'll be there in a minute, I'm just getting dressed.

  It was from Nick. But Bekki was pretty sure it wasn't directed at her and more than likely it was for Agent Fox. So, that meant his phone was in working order, and he was comfortable enough with Agent Fox to inform her that he was texting her likely in the nude.

  “What the hell?” Bekki demanded as she stared at the phone. Of course the phone did not answer her. She was tempted to send a text back to Nick to inform him that his text had gone to the wrong number, but she decided against it. He would probably just ignore that one, too.

  Bekki dressed in a huff and was out the door within only a half hour. As she drove to the convention center she hoped the mood there would be a little better. Maybe they had been able to prove that Candy had died of natural causes so that they wouldn't have to continue their investigation. When she entered the parking lot of the convention center she could see that she was one of the first few people to arrive, as the parking lot was nearly empty. She parked and headed for the side door that led directly to the backstage area.

  Bekki had gulped down a cup of coffee along the way, and it was causing an urgent need for a restroom. As she headed for the nearest bathroom she could hear some muffled voices of the maintenance staff, and the deep voice that she recognized as Marissa, the announcer. She had probably come in to discuss lighting and sound before the place got too busy. She passed by a trash can on the way to the bathroom. A strong smell of alcohol was emanating from it. It smelled like the same stuff that had been lingering on Martin's breath every time she saw him. When she looked up she saw the janitor about to wheel his cart into the restroom.

  “Oh no,” Bekki squirmed and put on her best smile. “Do you mind if I go in real quick?”

  “Sure, no problem,” he said with a shrug and rolled the cart away from the entrance. “I'll just get this trash first,” he began tying up the trash bag. Bekki was still thinking about that smell.

  “Hey, did you notice anyone hanging out here after hours?” she asked curiously.

  “Oh uh,” the man blushed slightly and lowered his voice. “You know I don't like to spread rumors.”

  Bekki narrowed her eyes slightly, as she knew that meant he had something to tell.

  “Oh don't worry, I was just wondering because I've noticed some things moved around. I was beginning to think the place was haunted.”

  “No it's not haunted,” he laughed. “Well, what happens after hours is pretty scary,” he grinned. “That tipsy judge is always in there with the other one,” he tilted his head towards one of the offices near the bathrooms.

  “The other one?” Bekki asked with a slight frown. She guessed he was referring to another judge.

  “Sure the babe,” he nodded and then laughed as he raised his eyebrows. “I don't know what she sees in that guy, but there's no denying the sounds that come out of that room.”

  “Hmm,” Bekki smiled faintly. “Thanks, I'll just be a second.”

  “Sure,” he nodded and finished tying up the trash bag.

  When Bekki stepped into the bathroom she noticed the sound of one of the sinks running. Then she felt a strange sensation creep up along her neck. She was certain that she was not alone. But there didn't seem to be anyone else there. As she walked towards the sink that was still running she noticed a bright green pump sticking out of the last stall. She held her breath as she drew closer, her heart pounding. When she reached the stall she saw what she feared she would. Suzanne was sprawled out across the tiled floor. Bekki crouched down and felt for a pulse and for respiration. Finding neither Bekki felt tears rise to her eyes. The woman's skin was cold to the touch. She must have been there for some time. Two bodies so close together! There was no way it could be a coincidence.

  "Help!" she shouted out as she dialed 9-1-1 on her phone. Soon security along with other members of the staff rushed into the bathroom. There was no point in trying to revive Suzanne as her eyes were wide open and staring. There could be no guessing at a natural cause this time, as it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since the last body had been found. Bekki backed out of the bathroom and right into Liam.

  "Hello again," he said quietly as he steadied her by grasping her elbow. "Are you all right?"

  "I guess," Bekki replied, though her hands were trembling. She had no idea what to think.

  "Sad what's happening here," he muttered as he took off his hat.

  "But what is happening here?" she asked with confusion. "How can two women die so close together, with no signs of harm?"

  "Well," Liam cleared his throat. "That’s why I called you this morning. It looks like Ms. LaRuse didn't die of natural causes. They are suspecting poison."

  "Poison?" Bekki said with surprise. She peeked back in the bathroom and shook her head. "Well, that explains no signs of trauma."

  "Bekki," Liam locked eyes with her and for the first time she noticed how dark blue his eyes were. "How is that you know so much about police lingo?" he asked her sternly.

  "Oh, I uh, I've kind of been involved in police investigations before," she explained with a hesitant smile. "And I'm dating a police officer," she added for good measure.

  "Oh are you?" he asked with surprise. "Well, that explains a lot. I guess you would know a thing or two about not getting caught, huh?"

  Bekki frowned. She could tell that he was trying to get her to slip up and admit to something. But she had nothing to admit to.

  "Look Liam I appreciate your instincts, but you're barking up the wrong tree here. I had nothing to do with these deaths, I’m sure there are more important matters for you to attend to."

  Liam studied her for a long moment and then nodded slowly.

  "Just make sure I can reach you," he mentioned as he walked away from her. Bekki scowled as she found herself a possible suspect in another crime. She really did have bad timing. She was starting to walk back towards the hair and makeup area, when Rafael came walking towards her.

  "Bekki!" he called out and waved a jewel-laden hand at her. Bekki was relieved to see a somewhat friendly face and walked quickly to reach him.

  "Are you okay, Rafael?"

  "No," he sighed and shook his head. "The police are asking me all kinds of crazy questions. I feel
like they are accusing me of these horrible crimes!"

  Bekki wasn’t surprised by that. “They're just grasping at straws,” she assured him with a slight frown. “Until they have some idea of who did this, everyone's a suspect, even me,” she offered him a light smile hoping that it would lessen his concern. But Rafael did not calm down.

  “Finally, I thought I had my chance, and then all of this,” he said sadly. He sighed as he waved his hand in her direction and began walking away.

  Bekki waved back and watched him until he disappeared around the corner. She was feeling a little overwhelmed by everything that had happened. She decided to head back to the hotel before the police tried to hold her for furthering questioning. She arrived at the beautiful hotel room which had had her feeling so elated and spoiled. Now it just felt huge and empty. She wished Nick was there to discuss the case. She did the next best thing, and called him. The phone rang several times before he answered.

  “Hi Bekki, this has to be quick,” he said all in one breath.

  “Nick, I need to talk to you,” she rushed forward, her irritation growing that when he finally answered he still couldn't talk to her.

  "I'm sorry I can't talk long," Nick said quickly into the phone. "Lilian is demanding I get back to the office, she let me out for a quick shower."

  "Lilian?" Bekki asked curiously.

  "Oh Agent Fox, that's her first name. Lilian Fox," he explained, his words hurried.

  "Well, that's good that you guys have been working so hard together," Bekki tried to sound cheerful about it.

  "We've been working late all week," Nick admitted as he yawned into the phone. "If I have to look through one more case file I might just go crazy."

  "Oh," Bekki said quietly. "Exactly how late is late?" she asked, trying to sound casual as she did.

  "Wow it's been ridiculous, like two in the morning sometimes,” he yawned again and then cleared his throat. “Is everything going okay with you? I know I haven't been able to get back to you, and I'm sorry about that. Lilian has been watching me like a hawk, no personal calls, not even any personal texts.”

  Bekki frowned as she thought about the woman. It seemed a little outlandish to be so demanding of Nick. Bekki had known women like that before, but they were usually in a relationship with the person, not working on a case with them. Bekki was starting to get a little alarmed. Nick was very sweet, and also very trusting. It could be that this woman was trying to manipulate him into something more than a professional relationship, and Nick wouldn't even realize it.

  "Bekki, are you there?" Nick asked. "I only have a minute, Lilian is already calling on the other line. Is this something we can talk about when I have more free time?” he groaned a little around his words. “I know, I know, I'm neglecting you, but honestly it's not by choice.”

  "Nick, it's okay,” Bekki lied. It wasn't okay. She didn't want that cute, successful, gun-toting vixen keeping Nick up all night. She tried to push the thoughts away, she knew it was a little unreasonable to think that Agent Fox might be trying to seduce Nick or that Nick would succumb to her.

  "What about this weekend?" she managed to squeak out, hoping to change the subject and get an answer before he hung up. "Remember there's a huge tub that we can spend most of the weekend in!"

  Nick groaned lightly into the phone. "Yeah I'm trying Bekki, but it's not looking good…"

  "You know what Nick, just forget about it," Bekki said through clenched teeth as she gripped the phone tightly in her hand. "I didn't mean to pressure you."

  "You didn't pressure me," Nick tried to correct her. "It's just that this case is a sensitive one…"

  "Like you told me before, I can't know anything about it, because Special Agent Fox said so. I'm guessing Special Agent Fox will want to spend the weekend with you, too," she said dismissively. Her blood was boiling, and even though she knew her words were a little irrational, she didn't care. It was how she felt. She didn't want Nick to fall prey to this woman, who would likely ply him with a few drinks after midnight, and try to tease him into a situation that he wouldn't be able to resist. The images that flooded her mind were so unsettling.

  "Bekki I think you're being a little unfair," Nick said so calmly, so logically, that Bekki lost her temper. “You know this is for work, that's all.”

  "No, this is unfair," she snapped sharply and hung up the phone. When Nick immediately called back, Bekki hit ‘decline’. When he texted, she didn't even bother to read the message. She put the phone on its charger and stalked into the bathroom. Once the warm water was running into the tub she began to calm down. As she ran her fingers through the waves of her long, dark hair she tried to massage out the tension that had been building in the back of her head and neck.

  All of this craziness with the pageant, combined with her growing jealousy over Nick and Agent Fox made her feel like a bundle of frayed nerves. She had never been someone to get so easily jealous, but it was hard to think of Nick working side by side with that beautiful woman at all hours of the night. What made it worse was not even having a clue what kind of case they were working on, which was making her feel even more defensive about his new connection with Agent Fox. She knew there was probably a reasonable explanation, Nick had never given her a reason not to trust him, but logic wasn't working for her. As she tossed aside her clothes and climbed into the tub she questioned once more whether she was really ready for a committed relationship. Maybe things with Nick had just moved too fast.

  ***

  As she stepped into the bedroom she found her mind wandering back to the two deaths. If Candy was murdered, poisoned, then Suzanne probably had been, too. Suzanne, who appeared to be Candy’s only real friend. So someone had a vendetta against both of them, or perhaps they just wanted to hurt Candy and Suzanne got in the way. But who would do such a thing?

  Bekki sat down on the edge of the bed. She wanted to discuss the case with Nick, but that wasn't an option. She was going to have to figure this out on her own. As she began to go back through her time at the convention center, she tried to focus clearly on what had happened between Candy and others at the pageant. She clearly recalled Martin's confrontation with her. Had he poisoned her to prevent her from firing him or pressing charges against him for his lewd behavior? Then of course there was Marissa, who was there the morning at the convention center when Suzanne was found. Did she get so furious over Candy's attitude about her impending termination that she decided to eliminate her? And Jemma, she certainly had a lot to gain by Candy’s death. Not to mention all of the parents and contestants that she had ridiculed on a regular basis. Any of them could be suspects. How they poisoned Candy was what was very important. Was it something Candy had eaten? Was it in something she drank…

  "Oh no," Bekki gasped as her eyes widened and she suddenly realized that she knew exactly who the killer was. She couldn't understand why Candy would be killed too, but she had no doubt in her mind that she was right. She grabbed her purse and raced out of the hotel room, continuing to ignore all of Nick's calls.

  ***

  Nick glared at his cell phone as his text went unanswered again. Bekki had been so abrupt and cold that he knew she was angry. He hadn't meant to make her upset, but he knew that the secrecy of the case was probably wearing on her. With annoyance he tried to call her again. When she didn't answer he slammed his phone down on his desk, nearly shattering the screen.

  "Woah there cowboy," Agent Fox laughed as she perched on the edge of his desk. "Lady troubles?"

  "You could say that," Nick replied with a scowl.

  "Well, what can you do?" Agent Fox shrugged. "You can't always please the ones you love. But you can do your job," she said snidely.

  Nick watched her for a long moment. He had learned so much from her during the time they had been working together. Nothing slipped past her scrutiny, and he was certain that she was noting every single call and text he made. It made him uncomfortable, but it also made him aware of how much he missed being in cont
act with Bekki. He was about to tell Agent Fox that he would be continuing to try to contact Bekki so she might as well just write that down, when Morris turned up the small television.

  "Nick, isn't this the pageant Bekki's working at?" he asked as he glanced over his shoulder at Nick.

  Splashed across the television screen were bold, bright red letters.

  ‘Murder at the Miss Brilliant Beauty Pageant!’

  A reporter went on to describe how two people had been killed at the beauty pageant before it had even begun. The reporter attempted to interview a man dressed in a thick, white fur coat as he headed into the convention center but he waved them away.

  "No comment," then he paused and added. "The show will go on!" before he disappeared inside the building.

  "There you have it folks," the reporter said with a stern expression. "The show must go on!"

  Nick narrowed his eyes sharply as he heard the reporter's words. If they had no idea who was killing people at the pageant, anyone could be next, anyone including Bekki.

  Chapter Six

  When Bekki got to the convention center she went to find Martin first. She needed to confirm that she was correct about her suspicions before telling Liam.

  She found him backstage looking drunk as usual. “Hi Martin, do you have a minute,” Bekki asked in a flirtatious manner.