Cupid's Corpse: A Cozy Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 3) (3 page)

In spite of his over the top salesmanship, Gemma found that she liked him more and more. He obviously loved this place and his wife and his life here. But most of all, he seemed to love playing his part, shooting those little foil arrows at other couples that passed them.

“So how long have you been playing Cupid?” Gemma asked.

“As long as I can remember,” he answered. And then he got a faraway look in his eye and sighed heavily. “Since we came here. I guess I just love love.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Gemma assured him.

The guests Cupid hit with the arrows played right along, pretending to fall in love with their partner in some of the most dramatic ways, which made Gemma and Nick laugh. By the time they reached their cabin, Gemma found that she was looking forward to the weekend Mr. Muzak had planned for his guests.

“Here we are. I do hope you enjoy your stay with us,” he said with a dramatic bow as he swept the door open.

“I’m sure we will,” Nick told him, following Gemma inside.

“And if you need anything, please call the front desk. Mr. Holland or one of our other staff will be happy to assist you,” Mr. Muzak reminded them.

“Yes, sir, we will. Thank you,” Nick said.

Gemma was so busy trying to take in the luxury and beauty of her surroundings and stay in character that she could barely breathe. Even though their cabin was basically really just one huge room, it was one of the most sumptuous places she had ever seen in her life. Tastefully decorated in relaxing shades of blue and gray, the room just seemed to draw her in. Gleaming hardwood floors added to the warmth of the space as did the huge fireplace which dominated one wall. A roaring fire crackled merrily.

In front of the fireplace was a small seating arrangement, a leather sofa and two smaller chairs, anchored by a colorful rug. To her left was a small kitchenette which she would almost bet was fully stocked with just about anything two lovers would need for a long weekend. The bed was separated from the rest of the room by what appeared to be a hand painted, folding screen. The colors were deeper here, the luxurious bedding a rich mixture of brocades and satin.

Gemma had to keep reminding herself to keep up the act, just in case the cameras were already rolling.

“Oh, my...” Nick said, once he’d closed the door behind them and locked it.

“It’ll do,” Gemma said. She walked over to the fireplace and held out her hands in front of her, soaking up the warmth with a sigh.

Nick joined her and fell right into character as well. “Now that I finally have you alone,” he groaned and took her in his arms.

Gemma allowed him to kiss her but as the kiss continued, grew deeper and more demanding, her acting skills were tested to the limit. She could feel herself sinking into his familiar, solid body. This was worrisome, and she needed to slow down.

Nick’s kisses had always thrilled her, but she reminded herself that loving a man’s kiss wasn’t the same thing as loving him enough to spend the rest of her life with him. Tingling from head to toe, she managed to pull away gently, heart thudding.

“Let’s go take a shower before dinner,” she suggested, catching his hand and leading him toward the open door on the wall opposite from the foot of the bed.

The bathroom was as big as her kitchen back home with gleaming, white marble floors and stacks of the biggest, fluffiest towels she had ever seen. Once again, Nick pulled her into his arms and kissed her mouth, the tip of her nose and her forehead. “I need to check for cameras in here,” he whispered.

Gemma nodded, her head resting on his shoulder. “I’ll just go unpack first.”

She had just finished hanging up the one good dress she’d brought to wear for the Lover’s Toast banquet when Nick opened the bathroom door and called to her.

“Carolyn.”

It took Gemma a few moments to remember that she was supposed to be Carolyn Vanderhaden. Finally she answered, “Yes, dear?”

“Your bath is ready, darling,” he said loudly.

“Did you remember the rose petals?” she called out.

“Why, yes. Yes I did.”

“And my special oil?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Good, I’ll be right there.”

Once she was in the bathroom with the door closed, Nick leaned against the marble-topped vanity with his back to the mirror. “What was that all about?”

Gemma shrugged and tried to look innocent. “Just playing my part.”

Nick laughed. “Well, it’s all clear in here at least, as far as I can tell from what Ross’s team taught me about looking for cameras.”

“Good. I don’t want those perverts watching me in the bathroom. It’s going to be hard enough knowing they’re watching us in the bedroom,” Gemma said.

Nick laughed and pulled her into his arms, kissed her forehead and ran his fingers through her reddish-gold curls. “It’s only for a few days, baby. Relax. This is supposed to be a vacation, too.”

“I’m just not good at pretending,” Gemma reminded him.

“You’re doing pretty great so far,” Nick assured her.

“Don’t you have to have the Escalade back to your brother-in-law on Monday?” she asked, noticing how the diamonds at her ears, throat and especially the one on her left hand glittered in the bathroom mirror.

“I promised Buddy I’d have it back on his lot Sunday night and leave the keys under the seat,” Nick told her.

“I’ll bet he was impressed when you asked to borrow it to do some investigative reporting,” Gemma said.

Nick nodded and then added. “However, my big sister was not.”

Gemma smiled. Gina, Nick’s big sister was just a little overprotective of her brother. “Buddy could at least have cleaned it out first,” Gemma said, making a face when she remembered the car seats, candy wrappers and the funky smell inside the expensive vehicle when Nick brought it to her house.

Nick laughed again. “Well, now all of that stuff is either in
my
vehicle or the dumpster and I appreciate you helping me clean it up. And those diamonds that look so good on you don’t have to be back until sometime next week. Wally said he had plenty of diamonds at the pawn shop and was in no real hurry to get them back.”

“It was nice of him to trust you with them,” Gemma said, holding her hair up off her neck so she could admire the diamonds at her ears. She preferred her birthstone, opal, over almost all the other gems but now that she’d worn these gorgeous jewels for a few hours, she was thinking that maybe diamonds really were a girl’s best friend.

“I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by great friends, and that includes you, my dear,” Nick said, hugging her a little closer. “I mean, pretending to be a man’s mistress is really going above and beyond.”

“Well, we were scheduled to come up here anyway,” Gemma reminded him.

“What’s your take on the Muzaks?”

“I like Mr. Muzak a lot. And he appears to be madly in love with his wife.”

“Who appears to be more interested in Joel Cunningham,” Nick mused.

Gemma nodded. “That’s the feeling I got as well. Do you really think they’re capable of the kind of crime we’re investigating?”

“I think they might have some help. Not sure from where. The websites where the videos are uploaded are run by various offshore companies. The private detectives that contact the people who were filmed and offer to have their stuff removed for a price don’t really seem to exist at all.”

“Evidently the money they take is real enough or we wouldn’t be here.”

“Do you think Missy Tyler is involved?” he asked after a few minutes.

“I don’t know, but she’s certainly angry about something,” Gemma said. “I could almost feel the rage rolling off her.”

“Maybe she’s mad because Mr. Muzak won’t shoot her with one of his little arrows.”

Gemma laughed and opened the bathroom door. “Let’s get dressed for dinner, William.”

“Of course, Carolyn - let’s. You’re going to need to keep up your strength for tonight when I finally get you alone,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and then he swatted her on the bottom.

Shocked and surprised at his behavior, Gemma’s mouth flew open and Nick stifled anything she might have said with a kiss.

“We gotta get their attention,” he whispered to her. His warm breath tickled her ear. “And then give them something to try and blackmail me with.”

It was almost dark when they strolled back down the path to the lodge. Strategically placed solar light were coming on, one by one, to highlight their path. Harold, who was now dressed in a suit and had combed his hair, appeared to be waiting for them at the front door to the lodge. He greeted them warmly and immediately escorted them to a very private booth in the restaurant.

The restaurant itself seemed to have been transformed in the short time they’d been at their cabin. The lights were low and flickering candles decorated every table, aiding in the romantic mood of the approaching holiday.

“Will this be suitable?” Harold asked.

“Absolutely,” Nick assured him.

“Good. I’ll bring the wine list,” Harold said and was gone.

“Wow, it was almost like he was waiting on us,” Gemma voiced her thoughts from earlier. “Does that mean he knew we were on our way?”

“Now I see why Ross thinks you’d make a pretty good detective,” Nick teased.

At the mention of Ross’s name, Gemma couldn’t help but smile. Just when she thought she might be getting herself back under control emotionally after the death of her parents, Detective Ross Ferguson had galloped into her life, turning everything upside down. Both men were being patient, not really forcing her to choose while still managing to confuse her even further. She’d known Nick since second grade. He was familiar, warm and loving. Her feelings for Ross were new and exciting. And his kisses as well as the hungry way he looked at her sometimes promised untold pleasure.

Harold interrupted her thoughts when he returned with the wine list. Appearing to know what he was doing, Nick easily chose one, correctly pronouncing the French name with barely any hesitation at all. A waiter brought their wine and a menu moments later. They made their choices and whenever anyone was close enough to listen, Nick dropped a name or two of some well-known billionaires.

About halfway through their meal, Joel Cunningham stopped by their table. “Is everything satisfactory for you and your lovely wife?” he asked.

“Oh, absolutely,” Nick assured him.

“Where is Mr. Muzak?” Gemma asked. “I was sure he would be putting in an appearance this evening.”

“Oh, he’ll be here soon,” Joel said and Gemma could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn’t happy about it. “He never misses an opportunity to play Cupid.”

“And Mrs. Muzak?” Nick asked.

“She retired early with a migraine, I’m sad to say,” Joel reported.

“I hope she feels better soon,” Gemma said. “I’ve never had one but I understand they are brutal.”

Before Joel could respond, Mr. Muzak made his appearance, to the obvious delight of the couples in the restaurant. Nick and Gemma watched the show, both of them smiling as Cupid moved from table to table, greeting guests, blessing some of them with his little foil arrows and, in general, spreading Valentine’s Day cheer.

It wasn’t until several moments passed that Gemma noticed that Joel had disappeared.

“He’s gone,” Nick said when she pointed it out to him. “Left right after Cupid arrived.”

“And I’ll bet I know where he went,” Gemma said with a grin.

“Perhaps to check on Mrs. Muzak’s headache,” Nick suggested.

“Bingo,” Gemma said.

They enjoyed the show a while longer, finished their dinner, and then Nick spoke briefly with Mr. Muzak before leaving the restaurant. Harold was at the front desk talking to Missy. Neither of them looked happy, either.

“Harold, we’re heading back to the cabin now,” Nick told him. “Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome sir,” Harold said, brushing his hair back out of his eyes with one hand. “Would you like a wake-up call?”

“No, I think we’ll just enjoy some time alone and sleep in tomorrow,” Nick said with a wink.

Gemma let him guide her to the door and they stepped out into the cold mountain air. She pulled her coat tighter around her, while Nick didn’t seem to feel cold at all. The walk back to their cabin was a quick one and the moment they were inside, Gemma knew someone had been in their room.

W
ithout giving her time to say anything, Nick swept her off her feet. While Gemma protested, he carried her to the bed and pinned her there.

“Nick, someone was in here while we were at dinner,” Gemma whispered. “I think they went through our things.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Nick punctuated each word with a little kiss.

“What were they looking for?” Gemma asked, shivering at his warm breath in her ear.

Nick dropped hot wet kisses down her neck. “Maybe just trying to find out if we are imposters.”

“Do you think they suspect something?” Gemma asked, squirming underneath him. Suddenly, the room was really, really hot. “Nick, this is getting kinda scary.”

“They have no reason to think we’re not who we say we are,” Nick assured her, finally propping himself on one elbow and looking down at her. “And you have no reason to be scared. I promised Ross I wouldn’t let anything happen to you and I always keep my promises.”

“I know,” Gemma said, with a shy smile. “It’s one of the things I love about you.”

“Good. Now why don’t you slip into something more comfortable and let’s go to bed,”

Gemma hesitated.

Nick lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “I know I told you we’d have separate rooms but we talked about this when the idea for the story came up. They think you’re my mistress. And there is only one bed,” Nick told her.

“I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea,” Gemma said. She wasn’t sure she could tell Nick no if he pushed the situation, and sex wasn’t what their relationship needed right now. It would only make things twice as confusing for her.

“I promise not to get any ideas at all. None. Nada. Now, come on, I’m beat. I’m too tired to have any ideas.”

In the bathroom, Gemma readied herself for bed. When she came out Nick was checking all the doors and windows to make sure they were locked. At the same time, she noticed that he was taking his time about it. Finally, she realized that he was looking to see where cameras might be located throughout the space.