Читать книгу The Bridesmaid's Best Man - Susanna Carr - Страница 11

3

“BACK UP,” ANGIE ordered the women surrounding Heidi. She followed Cole, pushing her way through the crowd. “Give her some space.”

Angie crouched down next to Heidi and watched Cole carefully roll her onto her back. She knew first aid and CPR for her job, but she was glad he was with her. He was calm and in control during times of crisis. She knew she could depend on him.

“Someone call an ambulance,” she called out to the crowd as Cole checked the maid of honor’s airway.

“I’m on it,” Cheryl said as she got her phone out of her tiny purse.

“What do we have here?” she asked Cole. She slid Heidi’s golden bracelet aside so she could check the woman’s pulse. She noticed Heidi’s skin was warm to the touch.

“Airways are clear and she’s breathing.” The relief in his voice was unmistakable.

“Pulse is strong.” Angie addressed the other guests. “What happened? Did anyone see her fall? Did she faint?”

She saw the women shrug and shake their heads. From the murmurs and snatches of conversation, it was clear that no one had seen Heidi after her lap dance. She had her spotlight and then melted back into the crowd.

“Is she on anything?” Cole asked in a low, confidential tone.

“I have no idea.” She had spent a lot of time with Heidi in the past week, but she wasn’t that knowledgeable about the maid of honor.

“I didn’t catch that.” Brittany was at Cole’s side. Her movements were choppy and frantic. “What did you ask?”

“Is she on any medication?” Angie quickly rephrased the question and Cole gave her a look of gratitude.

“How should I know?” Brittany tossed up her hands as her voice rose to a shriek. “Check her purse.”

Angie looked around. The floor was sticky and pink from a spilled drink and a martini glass was next to Heidi’s hand. She found the handbag under the table and opened it. “Cell phone. Credit card. Dollar bills. Lipstick.”

Cole glanced up. “That’s it?”

Angie had thought the same thing. For someone who was as high-maintenance as Heidi, she expected more. At least a bag of beauty products. “I don’t think anything is missing. This purse is too small.”

“Keys? Driver’s license?”

“I don’t think she brought them along,” Angie said. “She took the party bus like the rest of us.”

“We should roll her onto her side.”

Angie knew why Cole suggested that. Heidi could vomit if she was intoxicated or under the influence. They eased her sideways and put her in the recovery position.

To her, it was very obvious how she and Cole still worked in sync. In the past they could share a mere look and understand. Or she could say a word—not a sentence, not even a phrase—and Cole would know what she was talking about. She thought the year apart would diminish their shorthand communication, but it was all still there.

“Does anyone have a jacket I can use?” Angie asked the other women. “Something to keep her warm while we wait for the ambulance?”

“I’ll go find something,” Cheryl said before she hurried away.

Cole gently tipped Heidi’s head back to keep the airways open. He went still when he cupped her head. Angie was immediately aware of his wariness. That was one thing she wished had disappeared since they broke up. She was too aware of him. She knew the instant when his mood shifted. He would show no change in expression but somehow she knew.

She leaned over Heidi and blocked Cole’s face from the crowd. “What is it?” she asked.

He pulled his hand away. She saw the dark stain on his fingers. “Blood.”

“What did she fall on?” She examined the table next to Heidi. There was no blood on the white tablecloth.

Cole’s expression was grim. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “I think she got hit.”

“With what?” She glanced around. All the tables and chairs were in place. The metallic vases were upright and not a flower was out of place. The drinking glasses were plastic. She had no idea what could be used as a weapon.

“This isn’t happening,” Brittany wailed as she stomped off. “I should have known Heidi would do this to me.”

Robin ran over to her and wrapped her arms around Brittany’s shoulders. “It’s going to be okay.”

“How can you say that?” Brittany started to cry. “My party is ruined.”

Angie rolled her eyes and moved closer to recheck Heidi’s pulse. “Remind me never to be around Brittany when there’s an emergency.”

“I recommend staying clear when she finds out one of her friends did this.”

* * *

COLE SQUINTED AS he checked out the strip club. The building was a lot different when all the lights were on and the music stopped. The paramedics had left with Heidi on a stretcher and now the place felt barren and deserted. The white tablecloths and colorful flower arrangements couldn’t hide the utilitarian setting.

“Anything else?” he asked Linda, the first officer on the scene. He remembered her from the force. Sometimes he missed the camaraderie at the police station. He missed having a partner. Having backup.

“Yeah, I really like the outfit, Foster,” Linda said as she tapped her pen against her notebook. “It’s so you.”

He crossed his arms and glared at her. He couldn’t wait to get out of these leather pants and put a shirt on. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve already heard it from the other guys. I’m sure all the customers are curious about how I know everyone.”

“They can think you’re friends with a few guys in law enforcement. Get over it. We have more important concerns. Now let me go over this statement again.”

Cole took a deep breath. Linda was right. It didn’t matter if they found out he was an ex-cop or a private investigator. He needed to know what happened to Heidi. It bothered him that he got distracted and she was injured on his watch.

“So,” Linda began as she perused her notes, “you were giving a lap dance.”

He pressed his lips together. “I was undercover.”

She raised her eyebrows. “To your ex-girlfriend.”

“She’s a bridesmaid.” He glanced over to Angie. She was sitting alone, her arms and legs crossed, her face tilted away from the rest of the guests. She was quiet and thoughtful while the others chatted or used their cell phones.

“And the lap dance was how long?”

“I wasn’t keeping track.” Cole spotted Linda holding back a smile. He winced. He was never going to hear the end of this. “What hospital is the victim going to? I should notify her family.”

The woman’s smile disappeared and she gave a nod, sliding back into her professional demeanor. “I’ll find out and get back to you.”

“Thanks.” He gestured back to where they had found Heidi on the floor. “What do you think happened?”

Linda shrugged. “I think drinking and high heels don’t mix.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think that’s it. Something is not right.”

“You suspect foul play? Because I don’t see that. I see it as bad luck. Is there something about your case that you’re not sharing?”

“It’s about the angle that she fell. We found her face-first but her injury was on the back of her head. And why didn’t she break her fall with her hands?”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean someone hurt her.” Linda pocketed her notepad and stepped away. “We’ll find out more when she regains consciousness.”

Cole rubbed his hands over his face. He had found Heidi two weeks ago and had been investigating her life. He wished he had more answers.

He turned and walked over to Angie. He paused in midstep. Was that wise? She was distracting him. It would be best to talk to the other women and to ignore her presence.

No, he couldn’t do that. He quietly sat down next to Angie. He wasn’t sure what to say but he wanted to be there for her. He knew what she was like after a scare or an emergency. She did what needed to be done and then her adrenaline kicked in. He wanted to keep watch over her.

“Why are you sitting all the way over here?” he asked. Angie was always friendly and could talk to anyone about anything. He always liked that about her and wished he could be the same. It was a skill he had to develop for his job but it didn’t come easy.

“I’m about ready to tackle Brittany if she doesn’t shut up,” she answered. “I’d rather not do it in front of the police.”

Yes, he’d made the right decision. He would have to watch her closely or she would let her emotions get the best of her.

“Don’t you find it weird that Brittany hasn’t shown any concern for Heidi?” Cole asked as he watched the bride-to-be pace the floor. “All she’s worried about is whether this affects her wedding ceremony.”

“You never know how someone will react in a stressful situation,” Angie said. She paused and glanced at him. “But, honestly, I expected this from Brittany.”

“Why?” Brittany wailed as she sat down with a thump. Several women rushed over to pull her back up. “Why did she have to have an accident right before the wedding?”

“Does she expect you to go over there?” Cole asked. “You are a bridesmaid. Isn’t taking care of her one of your duties?”

“Not going to happen,” Angie said. “What did the police say about Heidi? Was it an accident?”

“The police are treating it as one. I can’t say that it wasn’t.” He hoped it was an accident. If someone harmed her, he had no evidence of motive or means.

“I warned her not to wear those heels!” Brittany’s voice rang through the club.

“Great, now she’s revising history.” Angie slid down in her chair. “You may have to hold me back.”

He knew it was all talk. Angie could take down a man twice her size but the only time he’d seen her use those skills was in the bedroom. Cole smiled as he remembered those lighthearted moments and the hot sex that came after. He shifted restlessly in his seat and tried to focus on something else. “How do you know she’s not telling the truth?”

“Brittany told Heidi to buy those shoes,” Angie said. “We were at the mall picking up last-minute stuff for the party.”

Cole watched the police leave the scene. “Seems like everyone can go home now. I can finally get out of these leather pants.”

“And this bachelorette party from hell has officially ended.” She tensed beside him. “Brittany is coming over here. I will not be held accountable for my actions.”

“Think of Patrick,” he advised. “The guy has been your best friend for years.”

“That should count for something. He’s only known Brittany for a year.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said, feeling suddenly weary. He knew from experience that Angie needed to take a step back and keep her mouth shut or she would regret it. “Patrick will choose Brittany’s side over yours every time. Take my word for it.”

Angie gave him a sharp look as if his advice revealed something she hadn’t seen in him. He was almost grateful that Brittany was suddenly standing in front of Angie.

“We’ll need an emergency meeting,” Brittany told Angie as she tried to wipe the mascara streaks with a tissue. “Meet up at the usual Starbucks tomorrow afternoon at four.”

“Why?” Angie asked. “Are we going to visit Heidi?”

“We don’t have time for that,” Brittany said, dismissing the suggestion with the wave of her hand. “We have to decide what happens if Heidi can’t be maid of honor. A groomsman will need to be let go. Then we have to rework the processional and recessional. I really don’t need this extra work.”

“Your maid of honor was seriously injured at the bachelorette party,” Angie reminded her.

“Careful,” Cole muttered.

“Shouldn’t you postpone the wedding? Maybe downsize it?” she said hopefully.

Brittany took a step closer. “I’m already down one bridesmaid.”

Angie frowned and her mouth was set in a straight line. “But...”

“Angie—” Brittany’s voice dropped “—I have planned my wedding for years. I have waited for this day. Nothing and no one is going to get in my way.”

Cole didn’t like the threat he heard in Brittany’s voice. He grasped Angie’s forearm, reminding her that he was there as backup. He was tempted to pull her behind him and wedge himself between Angie and Brittany.

Angie went rigid. He sensed her struggle, but after a tense moment, Angie nodded and smiled. “Got it.”

“Good.” Brittany glared at Angie before she swiveled on her impractical heels and stalked off. “Be at Starbucks by four.”

Cole watched the bride-to-be leave. Every step pulsed with hostility. “What would happen if you didn’t show?” he asked Angie. “Would you get kicked out of the bridal party?”

“Oh, if only,” she said as she pulled from his grasp.

Cole studied Angie. “You’re really not enjoying this wedding.”

“I have to deal with that,” she said, gesturing at Brittany, “and I have spent way too much money on the dress. Brittany also expects us to attend all these events. I’ve been to six wedding showers. Six! I don’t think I can take much more.”

“You can’t miss anything?” An idea started to form.

“Not one! Which is why I had to take off work for the next week.” She stopped and took a long, deep breath then released it. “I shouldn’t complain. This is Patrick’s wedding and I’m glad he wants me to be part of it.”

“But?” he asked as they walked to the exit.

“This wedding is a train wreck and nothing is going to stop it.”

“Do you want it to stop?” Was she worried about her friend? Did she feel the need to take matters into her own hands? No, he discarded that idea immediately. That was not Angie’s idea of friendship.

“I would never sabotage a wedding— Wait.” She whirled around and looked at him. Her eyes narrowed as she considered the meaning behind his question. “Do you think I tried?”

“No.” He’d always admired Angie’s loyalty to her friends and family. She tried to be supportive even if she didn’t understand their choices.

“Because there has been one setback after the next now that I think about it. So many...but I’ve been helping to fix the problems. Patrick wants Brittany to have the perfect wedding and I’m doing everything I can.”

Cole raised his hands in surrender. “I believe you.”

She pointed her finger at him. “And if you think I had something to do with Heidi’s accident—”

“Whoa! It never crossed my mind. I’m your alibi, remember?”

Angie poked at his chest. “I want to get this wedding over and done with. That’s all.”

“That’s not surprising since you have to go to every event.” He needed that kind of access if he was going to find out more about Heidi and her accident.

“Weddings used to be so simple,” Angie said as she continued walking. “When I get married, it’s going to be on a beach with a few friends and a minister. Shoes optional.”

Cole felt the weight of regret settle in his chest when he heard those words. When she got married. Did she have someone in mind or was this in theory? All he knew was that he wasn’t part of those plans.

Angie dipped her head as if she were embarrassed for mentioning her ideal wedding to an ex. “I should get going,” she said, awkwardly motioning at the door. “I hope your undercover work goes well.”

“Thanks,” he said gruffly. “You need a ride?”

“No, I’m on the party bus,” she said as she moved backward. Her steps were slow, as if she wanted to say something more.

“Angie?” Cole hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he should do this. If he should say anything. If he had any other option, he wouldn’t pursue this.

She kept walking backward. “Yeah?”

He shifted from one foot to the other. This was probably a bad idea. “I know we didn’t end well and I’m really sorry about that, but...”

She stopped walking. “Yeah?”

“I need to get into the wedding.” He said the words in a rush. “Are you going with anyone?”