A Reunion to Die For (A Joshua Thornton Mystery) (18 page)

Margo Sweeney Boyd Connor had made her entrance. Everyone in the banquet room at the reunion paused to take in the woman who had to be the most financially successful member of the class of 1985.

She made sure that was apparent to one and all.

The businesswoman was dressed in a mink coat that she whipped off to reveal a scarlet-sequined gown with a plunging neckline that showed off her ample breasts and fleshy back. She did not stop at the mink and sequins. She further flaunted her success with jewels sparkling off every part of her body that could be adorned.

She waved to her former classmates like a starlet welcoming her fans. Some of them returned her greeting. Those who resented her arrogance turned their backs.

Joshua slipped off his stool and crossed the room to where Margo was holding court with a couple of women who, in their youth, had been her cohorts in the mutiny against Tricia. He noticed that all three women had gained significant weight since high school.

His biggest surprise was Judy Tudor. As a young woman, she was both beautiful and vain. Judy had matured into a grossly overweight mother of four now on her third marriage. Each marriage was worse than the previous. He recalled that she had worn heavy makeup and the latest fashions. Her hair color had changed with regularity. Tonight, it was midnight black and fell to her chin in a blunt cut with bangs reminiscent of the hottest hairstyle from a popular movie.

In school, Veronica Bain had been one of Margo’s closest friends. She found fault in everyone and everything. She tried out for nothing because nothing was good enough for her. Joshua suspected that she encouraged, if not instigated, cheerleaders Margo and Judy to rebel against Tricia.

Unattractive, Veronica lacked the femininity and social skills that Tricia Wheeler, Cindy Patterson, and Beth Davis possessed, which made them popular. Joshua could still visualize her sitting in the same corner seat she sat at every day in the little theater during the lunch hour, critiquing whatever took place within her sight. She only left to go smoke in the bathroom.

Now, Veronica, like her two friends, was divorced with children. She had been working at the china plant since she graduated from school. She didn’t bother dressing up for the reunion, except to put on black slacks and a sweater faded with age. The scowl that never seemed to leave her face had etched itself into deep lines around her mouth that made her look like a comic character. The smell of cigarette smoke that grew stronger as he approached the group told Joshua that she had not stopped smoking.

“Hello, ladies,” he greeted the three of them.

Judy made no pretense; she gave Joshua the once-over and liked what she saw. She held out her hand like she expected him to kiss it. “I heard you were back in town, and single again.”

Margo and Veronica greeted him with growls deep in their throats.

“Turn it off, Judy. He’s a lawyer,” Veronica stated as if she were announcing that he had a highly contagious disease.

“Some of my best friends are lawyers,” Margo said. “Go ask Karl.” She gestured over Joshua’s shoulder at her ex-husband, who was downing another beer at the bar.

“I don’t do divorces,” Joshua told them.

“No, you try hanging murder raps on innocent people.” Margo revealed to her cohorts, “First, he accuses my daughter of killing that cheerleader. Then, he says I killed Gail because she was writing that idiotic book saying that I killed Tricia.”

“Well, your daughter is no longer a suspect in Grace’s murder. We have a warrant out for her boyfriend.” Joshua guessed her reaction to his next question, but asked anyway. “I don’t suppose Heather knows where Billy is. He seems to have disappeared.”

“Even if she knew, she wouldn’t tell you.”

“If she knows and doesn’t tell the police, she will be guilty of harboring a fugitive.”

“I said if she knew.” Margo smirked. “She doesn’t, and you can’t prove that she does.”

Joshua chuckled, “Okay then, let’s talk about your favorite subject, Margo. You. You were seen arguing with Gail just hours before she was killed. I was told that you were upset about questions she was asking about Tricia.”

“Why would she have killed Tricia?” Veronica asked. “If anyone was going to kill anyone, it would have been the other way around. Randy was leaving Tricia for Margo.”

“Yeah,” Margo agreed.

“Besides, Tricia killed herself. Sheriff Delaney said so.” Veronica gave him a glare. “And if you try to prove otherwise, then you can go to hell because the three of us were together when she died, and we’ll testify to that in court.”

Joshua was thankful when the debate ended with Randy Fine’s entrance.

The high school charmer threw open both doors and stepped inside the room. With his arms outspread, he announced, “Oak Glen class of ’85! Randy Fine has arrived! Let the party begin!”

The guests greeted him with a cheer.

Margo rushed to throw her arms around Randy’s neck and kiss him on the mouth.

Joshua guessed that the woman on his arm was his wife. Her flawless face was expressionless, not unlike the faces of models when they strut down the runway. She was a slender woman, who dressed the role of success in a tastefully expensive gown. Her hair was swept up into a twist with a rhinestone comb. She stood erect and looked down her nose at her husband’s friends who gathered to welcome him.

The former Lothario dressed to impress. He wore a tailored suit that had all the touches of a Gentleman’s Quarterly cover. Even with the extra thirty pounds hanging over his belt, he still looked good.

Joshua was struck to see that the dark wavy locks Randy had always kept perfectly combed were reduced to barely enough to cover his head above his ears and around to the back with nothing on top except for a few complimentary strands.

While Joshua tried not to stare at the change, he sensed, rather than saw, Hank emerge at his side. She took his hand. “I assume this was the class prom king,” she murmured into his ear while they watched Randy shaking hands and giving high fives like a presidential candidate.

Joshua turned to her when he was taken into a bear hug by a mountain of a man.

“Remember me?” the hulk asked. “Hoss!” he answered before Joshua had a chance to check out his nametag.

The name was all Joshua needed to remember Randy’s right-hand man. Hoss, nicknamed for his size and strength, followed his best friend around like a golden retriever. “Man! You haven’t changed a bit! You get a hold of some age-defying stuff or what?” He then yelled across the room, “Hey, Rand! Look who’s here! It’s Josh!”

Randy and his entourage made a turn in their path to cross to them. Margo held on to one of his arms as if they were still lovers. On his other side stood the woman Joshua assumed to be his wife. He wondered if she was as cold as she appeared.

Randy grabbed him by the hand and shook it. “Where have you been? How long has it been?” He then seemed to notice Hank for the first time. He gave a cat-like noise from deep in his throat. “Is this Valerie?”

“No, Valerie passed away. This is Hank.” Now aware that Randy was a sexual predator, Joshua could see his eyes taking in the prey. He slipped his arm around her waist and held her close to him. It was a protective move.

“Way to go, Josh. Still only the best when it comes to women.” Randy then introduced his wife, who gave him a firm, businesslike handshake. “This is Mabel.” He went on to give a progress report on his life, which sounded not unlike a well-written press release.

After graduating in the top ten percent of his class from Ohio State University, Randy had managed to land on the ground floor of the computer technology business and had done well with it.

He was so successful that he was able to help out his best friend Hoss when he was down on his luck during a recession by hiring him as his assistant. Randy’s sidekick was still taking orders from him after all these years.

As a result of his ingenuity, Randy and his wife, who was the vice president at one of the largest public relations firms in the state of Ohio, lived in a mansion, belonged to an exclusive country club, and were ranked high on the list of Columbus’s movers and shakers.

Joshua envied Mabel Barkely-Fine, who was able to disappear into the crowd while her husband reported the success of his life. Even Margo slipped away to find someone to whom she could boast about her own achievements. He did not have that luxury if he was to steer the conversation toward Tricia and Gail. Therefore, he had to endure Randy’s bragging about his life on the fast track.

“Tell me the truth, Tad,” Jan asked in a tone begging for his confidence, “were you the least bit surprised to find out that Gail Reynolds was obsessed with Josh? I know I was.”

Sensing the reason behind the dismay that caused her to slam the door in his face, Tad had waited to allow Jan the opportunity to clean up for their evening out.

With a sense of abandon for what he had assured her would be an elegant evening, Jan dressed in the gown she had bought in hopes of wearing to the reunion with Joshua. It was a soft rose color and fell just the right way across her slender frame to reveal her boyish figure. Her hair shone and her cheeks were flushed. She had to admit even to herself that she looked lovely.

Tad had taken her to the Ponderosa Golf Club where he had reserved a table for two in the corner next to the picture windows with a view of the course and the black swans. He had even ordered a half a carafe of wine for her to accompany his iced water with lemon.

In the soft light and music, Jan found herself looking at a man she had considered a lifelong friend, and sometimes tormentor, in a different light.

Tad chuckled while he buttered his roll. “Isn’t every woman obsessed with Josh?”

She flushed with embarrassment.

“It isn’t the man, it’s the image,” he observed.

“Do you mean because he’s a lawyer?”

“I mean because he is Joshua Thornton, Oak Glen’s most likely to succeed. Star athlete.” He smiled broadly. “That was twenty years ago. I still can’t believe how people can pick a specific moment in time and never realize how much everything and everyone around them has evolved since then.”

She swallowed. “Who are you talking about?”

“Josh is not Oak Glen’s star quarterback anymore. He’s no longer prom king. He’s not the prized catch he used to be.”

She tried to keep the moment light by giggling. “Is that jealousy I hear?”

“No, it is the truth. Even Josh is having trouble understanding why you and Gail and Tori Brody keep chasing him. He’s a single father with five children who hasn’t got a clue.” Tad reached across the table for her hand. “This isn’t high school, Jan, and you aren’t the Plain Jane you used to be. Winning Josh is not going to prove anything to those who treated you like a geek twenty years ago.”

“I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone.”

“I don’t think you are in love with Josh. I think you are in love with the idea of playing Cinderella to his Prince Charming. The homely nerd suddenly blossoms into the beautiful princess to be escorted to the prom by the handsome prince.” He finished in a gentle tone, “It’s too late, Jan. Prince Charming has grown up and left the castle and you are too old to play Cinderella.”

She blinked. “I thought you promised me a good time tonight.”

“Look around. We are in the real world now, and this is a much better place to be in.”

Jan was too surprised to react when he pulled her hand across the table to kiss the inside of her palm. The warmth from his lips traveled up her arm and to her heart. She felt its beat quicken.

“Your hand tastes like . . . chicken?”

She blushed.

“Why don’t you ever kiss me that way?” a woman sitting at the next table hissed at her husband.

Unperturbed, the man continued eating his salad. “Because you don’t taste like chicken.”

Joshua had ducked into the bathroom for the solitude necessary to suck in a second wind. Randy had agreed to meet them downstairs in the lounge for a drink after the reunion, which was winding down. When he stepped out of the stall, he found Tom Jarvis waiting for him.

“Hey, Tom.” He patted him on the back before crossing to the sink to wash his hands and splash water on his face.

“You may have everyone else fooled, Josh, but not me.”

Joshua froze and waited for his wrath, over what, he was not sure.

“You want everyone to think that you are a shallow politician with no scruples. I know differently. I knew you for twelve years of school. You’re obsessed with truth and justice, and can’t bear anything less than that. You won’t be able to live with yourself until you personally throw Tricia and Gail’s killer in jail. You can’t help it. You’re just that type of guy.”

Joshua observed Tom’s reflection in the mirror while Tom continued, “That’s why you’re here.”

“What did Karl do to Gail?” Joshua turned to face him. “You saw something that night of the dance.”

“It was a joke. Most everyone knew about it except you. That made it even better.”

“Made what better?”

“Randy, Hoss, and Karl got Gail wasted. She was all upset about you getting engaged to Beth. Then, they put her in the back of your van and told her that they were going to go get you and that you would sneak out to do it with her without Beth knowing. She was drunk out of her mind. They took turns with her and she was so high that she thought it was you.”

Joshua felt sickened by the cruel joke. “They raped her.”

“They thought it was funny,” Tom said with distaste. “Randy bragged about it, of course.”

“He didn’t brag about it to me.”

“Because he knew that you would kick his ass if you found out.”

“He was right.”

“Calm down,” Hank warned him.

They went for a walk around the parking lot to allow Joshua time to cool off after finding out that his friends had taken turns raping a classmate in the back of his van. When they got to his Corvette, he stopped to lean against the fender. He admired how the moon reflected on Hank’s hair.

“I’m glad you stayed in town long enough to come with me tonight. I’ll probably need you to keep me from knocking Randy into next week.”

“I guess I’m destined to always be your Girl Friday.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him. He could smell her perfume. It was soft and delicate. Her eyes had a slant to them that made them more exotic looking than Valerie’s had been. In anticipation, she closed her eyes and brought her lips to his.

He kissed her.

While Valerie had been affectionate, she limited public displays to kisses and hugs. Hank had no such inhibition. In the parking lot with people coming and going around them, she took in his kiss and reached for more.

It was like trying a different flavor of ice cream after having the same type for years. When he stroked her cheeks with his hands, she reached for them and directed them to her bare back.

While he kissed her ear, he breathed, “Oh, Va—” he stopped when he realized that she was not Valerie.

Hank pulled away.

“I-I’m sorry,” he stammered.

“We better go back inside.”

Ashamed of his blunder, he caught his breath and led her back to the entrance of the resort.