Secret betrayals

“This isn’t how I thought it would be,” Syd said sadly, clutching her bouquet to her chest as the organ music started again.

It was perhaps two hours after Hans, Donald, and I had brought Akinyi and Jamal to the River Heights Police Station, explaining what we’d learned so far and what we thought they were responsible for. After that, we’d rushed back to the park, and Hans had gathered Syd and Vic to explain what happened. Already shaken by the events of the day, both bride and groom took the news hard, with lots of disbelief and then tears.

“I can’t believe this,” Vic sniffled, wiping at his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “I trusted that guy. I love that guy! And all this time, he’s hated me?”

Syd patted his back, wiping away tears of her own with a handkerchief her mother had given her. “And Akinyi,” she said sadly. “She could be a little feisty, but she’s my best friend. I wanted her to be here.”

“Listen,” Hans had said, clapping them both on their shoulders, “I know this has been a very rough day for you. But the truth is, our permits on this space run out at midnight. Now, we can give you a few minutes to pull yourselves together, go ahead with the ceremony, and film it. Otherwise, you’re free to postpone — but keep in mind, the special will be ruined. And all the money you’re getting will fall through the cracks.” He paused, looking in both Syd’s eyes, then Vic’s. “Understand?”

Syd and Vic had been upset, of course, but eventually they decided that they definitely still wanted to marry each other, and that none of the crazy events of the wedding had destroyed the most important thing — their love for each other.

“Let’s do this,” Vic had said. “By nightfall tonight, I want to be able to call you my wife.”

And so here we were, all lined up in the same row we’d been in before, minus Akinyi.

“None of you are hatching crazy plots against me, are you?” Syd half-joked as we stood in place for the second time that day. “Because I’m already down two bridesmaids. Anyone else who’s against this wedding, step out of line right now.”

Bess, George, and I had met eyes, then simultaneously walked back to Syd to give her a big hug.

“Sydney,” Bess had said, patting her back, “you know we love you, and we’re so happy for you.”

Syd had given us a warm smile, dabbing at her eyes one more time. “Thanks, guys.” She paused, looking behind us. “Wait a minute — where’s Pandora?”

I whipped my head around. Sure enough, our flakiest bridesmaid was missing again — no big surprise there. Sighing, I told Syd I would find her. She was probably just outside the boathouse “meditating” again. Really, it seemed a little far-fetched now that we’d ever considered such a space cadet capable of the crimes Akinyi and Jamal had committed.

I opened the back door to the boathouse, the one that opened away from all the guests and commotion, and sure enough, I heard Pandora’s distinctive voice.

“Yeah,” she was saying with a mean chuckle, “it’s kind of hard to be happy for him after the jerk broke off our million-dollar TV series because he was soooo in love with Syd. I mean, I get it, but can’t you just play for the cameras? Like they always want us to do? Like we did all season? Hold on…”

I was frozen in place. Million-dollar TV series? Play for the cameras? What was she talking about?

It took me a minute to realize that Pandora had placed her hand over the phone and turned to face me, smiling her usual spacey smile. “Are they ready, Nancy?”

“Yes,” I said simply. “We need you inside.”

“No prob.” Pandora smiled again and picked up her phone. “I’ll call you back later, sis. Got to go be a bridesmaid.”

She flipped the phone shut, stood up, and followed me back inside.

My mind was racing a hundred miles an hour, but I had no time to do anything. The music was already playing. The groomsmen were getting into place…

“Deb!” I cried suddenly, grabbing Deb’s arm as Pandora ran over to give Syd a last-minute hug. “Do you know anything about a TV series with Pandora and Vic? Something he might have turned down?”

Deb’s eyes grew wide and she nodded. “Oh, sure,” she replied, the corners of her mouth turning up. “Pandora and Vic were such a popular couple on the show, the producers wanted to follow them around for a year while they dated — sort of a Newlyweds type thing, except they hoped without the breakup at the end!”

I nodded quickly. “But Vic said no?” I asked.

Deb nodded. “He did. Because right after their season of Daredevils wrapped, Vic met Syd and fell head over heels in love with her!” She giggled. “Isn’t that romantic! He turned down five hundred thousand dollars to star in that show with Pandora. But he listened to his heart.”

She paused, no doubt taking in my stunned, glassy-eyed expression. “Are you okay?”

“Places!” Donald cried, suddenly springing up out of nowhere to open the boathouse door. “Nancy! I need you in place!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I was vaguely aware of Bess and George shooting me confused looks as I walked back to my place in line — behind Pandora, in front of Syd.

He turned down $500,000. Meaning that he’d kept her from getting that amount of money, too. Meaning that Pandora did have a reason to get revenge on Vic — even if they never had been a real couple.

Pandora turned and smiled at me. I’m not sure whether it was intentional, but it chilled my blood. I gripped my bouquet tight as Vivaldi’s “Spring” started playing and Bess began walking down the aisle.

No time to ask questions now, I told myself as Pandora began walking, then me. We exited the boathouse, and 150 guests turned eagerly to watch us. Cameras flashed, the bright sunlight got in my eyes, and I could see Vic beaming as he watched us — and then his bride — walk down the aisle.

I just have to keep a close eye on her.

Дата добавления: 2017-01-14