Cupid's Corpse: A Cozy Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 3) (4 page)

At last, he crawled into bed beside her. “Did you see the cameras?” she whispered so no one could hear her.

“Yeah. We’re probably putting on a show right now, or at least they’re recording what they hope is a show,” he told her, turning out the lamp beside the bed.

Gemma giggled and curled into his side. Within minutes, they were both asleep.

For the first few seconds after opening her eyes the next morning, Gemma couldn’t remember where she was. Then the memories of the day flooded back and she became very aware of Nick sleeping beside her, snoring softly. She turned her head to look at him and smiled.

Her mother’s words came to her in a rush. “He’ll make some awfully pretty babies,” she had said when Gemma told them Nick had proposed.

Trying to avoid
that
situation altogether, Gemma quietly crawled out of bed, grabbed the robe that she’d draped across a chair the night before and padded into the bathroom. Once she finished there, she went into the kitchen area and started a pot of coffee.

When she turned around again, Nick was awake.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, sliding his arms around her from behind and kissing the back of her neck.

“Good morning,” she said turning in his arms and hugging him close.

On camera they were supposed to act like a loving couple and she imagined someone watching them right at that moment. Harold? Joel? Mr. Muzak?

“You were an animal last night,” he whispered in her ear so low that only she could hear.

Gemma giggled and wiggled out of his arms. “Shut up.”

Nick laughed. “So, what’s on tap for today?”

“I’m going shopping,” Gemma announced as she handed him a steaming mug of coffee.

“I might just tag along,” he told her.

“You’d better tag along,” she reminded him. “I’m spending your money.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot.”

Dressed in jeans, her favorite boots and a pale blue cashmere sweater, Gemma brushed her hair while Nick was in the shower. She was surprised that her wild curls seemed to be easier to tame than usual. “Maybe it’s the altitude,” she said to her reflection.

After sharing toasted bagels and cream cheese, they left the cabin. It was colder than it had been the day before. There wasn’t even a hint of sunshine, even though it was past nine in the morning. The cold air seemed to go right through Gemma’s heavy coat.

“Before we go shopping, I thought we might just explore the area a bit,” Nick said, once they were several yards away from the cabin.

“You mean the lodge,” Gemma corrected him.

“No, I’m really interested in this old theater where we’re supposed to have dinner tonight,” Nick told her. “It’s behind the lodge, sort of tucked away.”

Gemma had to admit, she’d been thinking about exploring as well and she followed him down the path toward the main building. Instead of going inside, they followed a barely visible trail that ran down the hill, away from the lodge and toward an old barn. The wooden structure, though old, looked sturdy and strong. It still smelled of sweet hay even though Gemma was sure it hadn’t been used for anything but equipment storage for a long time. They even climbed up into the loft so they could see out over the property.

“Looks like a smoke house or something over there,” Nick told her, pointing to a small building off to their right.

Gemma agreed. “What is it used for now?”

“Let’s go find out,” he said.

Back outside, they started down a frozen path hand in hand, looking for all the world like a loving couple exploring their surroundings. Was someone watching? Gemma felt pretty sure someone at least knew where they were.

All of the outbuildings held either landscaping equipment or other items necessary to run a place this size. They ended up walking a steep path that led to the back of the lodge. The old theater wasn’t really part of the main building but built very close behind it. Gemma could tell that, at one time, it had been grand.

“I guess this was probably
the
place to be back in the day,” Nick told her.

“Oh, yeah. I’m sure of it,” Gemma said, looking at the once-beautifully painted signage. Now it was fading away and seemed a little sad, but very historic.

He nodded. “I read that there used to be vaudeville players and even burlesque shows held here.”

“How scandalous,” Gemma gasped, the back of her hand pressing to her forehead. “I may swoon.”

“Okay, I think you’re taking this acting thing a bit far,” Nick said after laughing at her antics.

She loved making Nick laugh. “Can we go inside?” she asked.

“Let’s find out. I would imagine they’ll already be working on it for tonight’s celebration,” he said.

Nick walked up to the huge wooden doors and pushed gently with one hand. It swung open slightly, almost as if inviting them inside. He cocked his head and Gemma could tell he was listening for voices.

“Come on,” he finally whispered, pulling her into the dark.

Gemma blinked, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the gloomy interior. Directly in front of her was a counter with an antique cash register covered in dust. She tiptoed on the wide-planked wooden floors toward another set of double doors which were already partially open. Just inside, were two sets of stairs. The one on the right curled upward to what Gemma assumed was a balcony. The other led to a little platform and a closed door.

Directly in front of them, what had originally been rows of theater seats was an open floor with round tables covered in clean white table cloths. They looked like little ghosts in the eerie semi-darkness. Nick was right - they had already started setting up for tonight. All of the tables were oriented toward a low stage, barely a step up, where someone had already strung twinkling lights along the front of the little platform. A huge, red heart served as a backdrop.

“Looks like they’re going all out,” Nick whispered.

“I’m sure Mr. Muzak insists on it. It’s his shining moment,” Gemma said and turned to look behind her and up. The balcony was even darker and she could only imagine how long it had been since anyone had been up there.

“Let’s go up and have a look,” Nick whispered, when he saw her looking.

“Are you sure it’s safe up there?” Gemma asked.

“We’ll be careful. Come on.”

Gemma followed him, just like she had when they were children, exploring a new cave or an old barn they had discovered or a part of the river that was new to them. She’d always trusted him to keep her safe and she found herself doing so again without even a thought. The steps leading up to the balcony were covered with threadbare carpet so their ascent was silent. And then just before they reached the top, Nick squeezed her hand hard and turned to put his finger to his lips.

“Oh, darling, what are we going to do?”

Gemma’s mouth flew open in surprise and her gaze rose to meet Nick’s. That was Natasha Muzak talking.

“We’ll just have to make our move sooner.” A man’s voice reached their ears and Gemma recognized it as belonging to Joel Cunningham. “I should have known he would catch on.”’

“Are you sure we can pull this off?” she asked.

“With you by my side, I can do anything,” he told her.

“Oh, Joel,” Natasha said.

At the sound of kissing, Nick and Gemma quietly backed down the steps and hurried through the open doors into the old theater lobby. Just as they reached that area, Gemma heard the front door bump to a close - but not before she saw a flash of white and the flutter of a gauzy wing disappear from sight.

G
emma stood there beside Nick, trembling and waiting for him to decide what they should do next. She was suddenly freezing. The last thing they wanted was for Natasha and Joel to find them snooping around. But she was sure he didn’t want to give their presence away to the fleeing Mr. Muzak, either.

Finally, Nick tiptoed to the door and peeped outside. He opened it just wide enough for them to squeeze through, motioned for her to follow and stepped out into the weak sunshine. Running to keep up, Gemma followed him around the side of the building furthest from the lodge and the front door. Together they scrambled down the bank toward one of the paths that meandered across the property - not an easy task on the frozen ground with her high-heeled boots.

“That was close,” Gemma said breathlessly as they hurried even further away from the old theater.

“You know that was Muzak who darted out the door just ahead of us, right?” Nick said.

Gemma nodded. “And I’ll bet he heard Natasha and Joel talking.”

“Or at least knew they were up there,” Nick added.

“What do you think they’re going to do?”

Nick shrugged. “I’m guessing something permanent. It sounded like Muzak found out something they were trying to hide from him.”

“The blackmailing scheme?” Gemma wondered aloud.

“I doubt that. It seems to be pretty elaborate, so it would be hard to keep that kind of thing under wraps. I’m pretty sure he’s in on it, too.”

“Money,” Gemma said.

Nick nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking.”

“Do you think someone will contact you soon with the threat to release the recordings of us together?”

Nick shrugged. “From what we’ve discovered it could happen right before we leave or right after. It’s usually pretty quick.”

“It might be quicker if Natasha and Joel are going to make some kind of move.”

“It’s too confusing right now,” Nick said. “Let’s go shopping and let me think about it for a bit.”

The shops were less than a ten minute drive from the lodge and Gemma found them to be more than what she expected. They were clustered along a narrow main street and looked as if they had not been touched since the fifties. It was difficult to act as if she was not impressed with the workmanship displayed in every window.

After a light lunch at a little café, they headed toward the last few shops which, as promised, displayed expensive and one-of-a-kind boutique clothing. She and Nick were already inside before they realized that Natasha Muzak was in there as well.

Their eyes met and they made sure to stay well hidden in the crowded racks of clothing. Natasha appeared to be purchasing a flowing red gown with long sleeves. The little bell over the door jingled and Joel entered the shop. Gemma and Nick exchanged glances.

“Why Natasha, I didn’t realize you were coming into town,” he said.

“I was feeling better so I thought I’d come down for a lunch and maybe do a little shopping,” she explained, holding the dress up in front of her.

“For tonight?” he asked.

“Yes, you know red is Boris’s favorite color,” she replied.

“And the color looks stunning on you,” he told her.

They were putting on an act, Gemma was sure of it.

He followed her around the shop, waiting while she picked up a pair of red high heels that matched the dress perfectly and then made her purchase.

“Why don’t you let me buy you a coffee,” he suggested as they left the shop together.

“Why thank you. That would be lovely.”

After they left, Gemma felt like she could finally breathe. “That was close,” she said to Nick.

“Talk about bad acting,” Nick said following Gemma around while she picked out a few small items.

A petite, gray haired lady sat behind a wooden counter with a magazine open in her lap. Instead of reading it, though, she was staring out the window at Joel and Natasha, who were standing close together on the sidewalk and waiting to cross the street. As Gemma approached, she mumbled something under her breath.

“I’m sorry,” Gemma said, thinking she had missed hearing something.

“Nothing. I was just commenting on the lack of propriety around here,” the woman said, glancing quickly at the window again.

Natasha and Joel were still outside talking about something. Even as they watched, Natasha reached up and brushed her fingertips across Joel’s gaunt cheek. How Gemma wished she could read lips.

“I mean, if she is going to run around on poor Mr. Muzak with that cad, she could at least be more discreet about it,” the woman said, her voice even softer than before.

“Mr. Muzak that owns the lodge up the road?” Gemma asked, pretending she had no idea who they were.

The older woman nodded. “That’s his wife, Natasha and his manager, Joel Cunningham.”

Gemma shook her head in fake amazement.

“And Mr. Muzak so loves playing Cupid this time of year. Look, he even came in this morning and shot me with one of his little arrows,” she said holding up one of the little silver arrows.

“How sweet,” Gemma said. “He’s got quite a crowd up there right now.”

“Yes, he does this every year with the Love Match people. And tonight is the Lovers Toast dinner,” she said, brightening a little.

“Are you attending?”

“Oh, yes, the whole town is invited. It’s probably the biggest event of the year besides the Fall Festival,” she exclaimed. The longer she talked the younger she looked, her eyes sparkling with excitement and a big smile on her face, her annoyance at Natasha Muzak quickly forgotten.

Natasha and Joel walked past the window holding hands and the woman’s demeanor changed again. She shook her head. “It’s just a shame the way she treats him.”

“Why does he put up with it?” Gemma asked, more curious than anything.

The woman shrugged. “Who knows? By the way, my name’s Madge Dillworth,” she said, extending her hand. “Say you’re staying up at the lodge?”

“Yes and I’m sure I’ll see you tonight,” Gemma said.

You will,” Madge assured her. “We look forward to it every year.”

Gemma and Nick left the dress shop behind, headed for the Escalade which stuck out like a sore thumb, and made the short trip back up to the cabin. Gemma told Nick about the discussion she’d had with Madge, including how the whole town was invited to the big dinner that night. He was as surprised as she had been.

While Nick worked on his story for the paper, Gemma curled up with her e-reader and promptly went to sleep, something she rarely did in the afternoon. She awoke feeling groggy and a little bit grumpy and stumbled into the bathroom. Frowning, she stepped over the wet towels Nick had left scattered all over the floor, took a shower and began getting dressed for the Lovers Toast.