A dangerous maid

“We are gathered here today,” the minister intoned, as we all settled into our places at the altar, “to join Victor Josiah Valdez and Sydney June Marvin in holy matrimony.”

As Vic and Syd beamed at each other, I turned my full attention back to Pandora. Her annoyance at Vic that she’d been voicing on her phone just a few minutes ago seemed to have dissipated, and now she watched the happy couple with a huge smile. But was it real? Or was she just playing for the cameras? Playing to the TV audience seemed like something both Pandora and Dragon were very good at.

“The importance of joining two lives together in marriage cannot be overstated… it is the cornerstone of our society, and…”

As the minister droned on, I let my attention shift to the audience, still watching Pandora out of the corner of my eye. After all the drama and danger of getting the ceremony moving, it was almost easy to miss how truly beautiful the Daredevils producers had made the park. Huge bouquets of pink peonies studded the aisle and each side of the audience. And the altar was positively overflowing with flowers! At the end of the aisle, and on either side of the altar, the cameramen tried to be as unobtrusive as possible — but still captured all the action.

In the audience, I saw several people dabbing at their eyes. I understood how they felt. After all the action of the past few weeks, it felt amazing to know that in a matter of minutes, Vic and Syd would be man and wife.

As long as I could keep Pandora from trying anything!

The minister was introducing the vows Syd and Vic had written for each other.

After they exchanged vows, the minister called over George’s brother, Sebastian, who was now serving as best man, to produce the rings, and he quickly led Vic and Syd through the ring exchange. I was so busy fighting tears, so happy for my two friends who were about to start their life together, that I almost forgot what was coming next. But no sooner did the minister say…

“If anyone here knows any just reason why these two should not be united in marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

…than I turned my full attention to Pandora. And I was stunned by what I saw!

She’d been so peaceful through the ceremony up till that point, but as I watched her in amazement, she reached into her bouquet and pulled something out — something long, silver, and sharp-looking.

“…I now pronounce you man and wife!”

It was a knife! And she was moving now — headed toward Syd and Vic!

“ Nnnooooooooo! ” I screeched, lunging from my place at the altar and tackling Pandora — rose taffeta dresses and all!

As you might imagine, total chaos broke out as I struggled to pin Pandora to the ground.

“Nancy!” she was screaming. “What are you doing?! What’s gotten into you?!”

But within seconds, a trio of security guards were surrounding us.

“What’s the problem here, Nancy?” one of them asked me. I looked up and recognized him as Jeff — one of the guys who had accompanied us to the hotel to search Akinyi and Jamal’s rooms.

“She has a knife,” I said quickly, backing up to let the security guards handle Pandora. “In her bouquet. She had pulled it out and was advancing on Syd and Vic!” I paused, trying to take in a breath. “I think we may have been wrong about Jamal and Akinyi.”

Pandora looked from me to the security guards to the stunned audience, clearly upset. “It was a knife,” she admitted, “a ceremonial knife! I wasn’t going to hurt Syd and Vic — I was just going to perform a traditional wedding blessing.”

Hans had emerged from behind the cameras, and he looked doubtfully at Pandora — and the large, sharp knife she had fished out of her bouquet. “I don’t know of very many rituals that require advancing on a married couple with a knife,” he said drily. “Pandora, we’re going to want to search your room.”

Suddenly Pandora burst into tears. “Fine!” she cried. “I know I’m innocent!”

As Hans prepared to head to the hotel with a couple security guards, and other guards moved in to take control of Pandora, I glanced over at Vic and Syd. They had retreated from the action and were quietly hugging each other at the other end of the altar. Vic stroked Syd’s face as they both glanced over at Pandora, then she leaned up to kiss him.

They’re married now, I thought happily.

And no one — not the wedding saboteur or anyone — could take that away from them.

“You’re not going to be happy,” Hans warned Pandora as we all waited for him to tell us what he and the guards had found in her hotel room. It was perhaps forty-five minutes later, and the entire wedding party, along with Syd, Vic, and their close family members, had settled in the boathouse to wait to learn Pandora’s fate. Pandora, who was still restrained by two burly men, just looked at Hans and wiped away a tear.

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” she insisted, “since I’m innocent.”

I glanced at Dragon. It must be hard for him to see his secret girlfriend accused in this way! Unless… had he been in on it? I remembered the conversation I’d heard where he’d offered to be cruel to Vic on his wedding day, to spice things up. Of course, he hadn’t needed to.

Things had turned out plenty spicy on their own.

Hans took a breath, then blurted, “We found a broken glass and a pair of scissors in your hotel room.”

Pandora scoffed. “Okay — so what? I dropped the glass when I stubbed my toe a couple nights ago. Maid service still hasn’t picked it up. And the scissors are for my collage art.”

“Collage art?” asked Vic, looking skeptical.

Pandora glared at him. “I’m a very creative person,” she insisted. “I need an outlet!”

Hans nodded. “Well, that’s all fine and good. But the truth is, those two things aren’t nearly as disturbing as our other discoveries.”

Pandora’s face fell. “Which are?”

Hans motioned to one of the guards, who handed him a huge, baggy raincoat. “This,” he replied, as the guard reached into a bag and then pulled out some shaving cream, “and this. Clearly you used these when you broke into the park and disabled our light.”

Pandora looked stunned. “But — but — those aren’t mine!” she cried. “I’ve never seen those things before in my life.”

“Haven’t you?” Hans asked, warily. “How about this?” And he reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of printed papers with handwritten notes in the margins. I leaned in for a closer look: the handwriting was loopy and girly, just like I would imagine Pandora’s to be.

Pandora squinted at them. “I don’t think so,” she said. “What are they?”

“A detailed guide to common lighting setups for television and movie shoots,” Hans said, waving them in the air. “Printed off the Internet. And with notes in the margins like, ‘cut the two side cables, but leave the electrical cord hanging’… I suppose you’re going to tell me you just have a strong creative interest in lighting?”

Pandora looked utterly shocked and confused — as though she’d never heard of the Internet at all. Slowly, though, her face changed. She reached up to wipe her eyes, and my heart sank at the sight of her expression — she looked completely, utterly defeated.

“They’re not mine,” she said quietly. “That’s similar to my handwriting, but it’s not mine.”

“Then how did they get there?” Hans demanded. “What were they doing in your room?”

Pandora just sobbed.

“And what about your motive?” Donald suddenly piped up. He’d traveled to the hotel with Hans, again, and was standing a few feet behind him. “Vic dumped you and turned down that television show that would feature the both of you. He broke your heart and lost you a lot of money, didn’t he?”

Pandora looked down at the floor and blinked. “Yes,” she said quietly.

“And that made you very angry, didn’t it?” Hans broke in. “In fact, I remember you had a few choice words for me when I gave you the news.”

Pandora looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. “I was upset,” she agreed, “but I didn’t do this.”

Subtly — probably barely noticeable to anyone who wasn’t looking for it — Pandora turned to Dragon. She gave him a meaningful look, but what did it mean to convey? You know I didn’t do this? You set me up? What?

I waited — it felt like minutes, but was probably only a few seconds — for Dragon to speak up. To explain to the world that Pandora and Vic had never really been together — that she loved him, and always had. Dragon looked haunted, like he was witnessing something horrifying, but he remained silent.

After a few seconds, he looked away.

“We have to take you to the police, Pandora,” Hans said, moving closer to her.

Pandora sobbed. After a couple of seconds, she wiped her eyes and seemed to try to get a hold of herself. She looked around at everybody, her eyes stopping when she reached a stone-faced Syd and Vic, who had remained surprisingly quiet and uninvolved throughout this whole process. I thought they were just trying to focus on the fact that they were married now — whatever the wedding saboteur had taken from them, they would soon be starting their new life together.

“I’m sorry,” whispered Pandora. “Syd and Vic, I’m so sorry this happened to your wedding. I swear I didn’t do it.”

Vic watched her for a moment, then swallowed.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a breathy voice, “but I don’t believe you.”

Guards advanced on Pandora, and soon she was being led out of the boathouse, into a waiting car that would drive them to the RHPD. I assumed — or hoped, maybe — that once Pandora was in custody, Akinyi and Jamal, who it seemed were innocent after all, would be set free.

I watched Dragon as his secret girlfriend was led away. He watched her, looking sympathetic, until she reached the door. Then he turned away, glanced around the room, and disappeared into the men’s room.

I wished I knew what he was thinking.

“Well,” Hans announced, once Pandora had been removed from the boathouse. “This has been a long, exhausting day, but we still have some celebrating to do! Syd and Vic, do you want to go ahead with the reception?”

Syd and Vic looked at each other. “Are you sure?” Syd asked, honest concern clouding her face. “I know this must be especially hard on you, Vic. To know someone you used to love would do this to us…”

Vic bit his lip. Looking extremely uncomfortable, he turned to Hans, who sighed and finally nodded almost imperceptibly. “Tell her,” Hans agreed. “She has the right to know now. And it won’t change anything.”

Syd looked confused. “Tell me what?” she demanded. “Vic, don’t tell me you’ve been keeping a secret about the case.”

Vic shook his head. “Of course not, no,” he insisted. “I would never keep anything from you that might lead to your getting hurt. But the truth is… Pandora and I…” He paused and sighed.

Syd watched him carefully, looking like the suspense was killing her. “What?” she cried.

Vic smiled. “We were never really a couple.”

Totally confused, Syd looked from Vic to Hans and back to Vic. “Huh?” she said.

Hans nodded, stepping closer. “They were never really a couple,” he confirmed. “Vic’s season of Daredevils was coming out a little lackluster, so…”

Syd frowned. “So?” she repeated.

“So we asked Pandora and Vic to spice it up,” Hans explained.

Syd looked back to Vic, stunned, as Vic took her hands and said soothingly, “Pandora was never my type, babe. Nothing mattered more to her than being on camera. I would have told you a long time ago, but…” He trailed off, gesturing at Hans and Donald.

“But?” Syd prompted.

Donald cleared his throat, turning a little red. “It would have broken the confidentiality agreement that all players sign,” he explained.

Hans nodded. “Of course, with everything we’ve had to worry about these last few days, your breaking that agreement is the least of our troubles.”

Syd stared at Vic thoughtfully, then shook her head. “I can’t believe it!” she said with a sheepish chuckle. “All this time I was fighting my jealousy of Pandora. All the experiences you had together, the feelings she might still have for you…”

Vic smiled. “All fake,” he confirmed. “Ever since I met you, Syd, you’re the only girl that matters. So shall we go celebrate?”

Syd laughed and nodded, and Vic turned to Hans.

“I’m so happy to be married to this girl, I need to dance!”

Vic’s pronouncement cut the tension in the room like a knife slicing through butter. Soon everyone was laughing, talking, speaking eagerly of the reception and the lavish party that awaited us.

Vic took Syd’s hand and led the way out the door. “Let’s get this party started!”

“Oooh, look,” Bess whispered, looking up from her fizzy pink punch as a couple new figures entered the party: Akinyi and Jamal.

“So they were set free,” I observed, feeling a strange combination of guilt and relief. After all — I was more responsible than anyone for getting them sent to the police station in the first place. And it now appeared that they were completely, 100 percent innocent.

“Nance,” George said gently, squeezing my shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up. You had plenty of reasons to believe what you did. And you just wanted to keep everyone safe.”

I watched Akinyi and Jamal, not ready to reply. The reception had been going on for a couple of hours, and Syd and Vic were whirling dreamily on the dance floor. Everyone else was dancing or mingling cheerfully over punch and wedding cake. Cameramen swooped in and out, trying to capture, but not control, the action.

“I have to go apologize to them,” I announced, looking at my friends with a guilty expression. “Sure, I had reasons to believe what I did, but I must have embarrassed them completely — plus I kept them from witnessing their best friends’ wedding. I feel terrible.”

Bess looked sympathetic and nodded. “So let’s go apologize,” she suggested. “George and I will come with you.”

We made our way across the dance floor. As we approached, Akinyi turned and saw me and sighed deeply. She didn’t look angry — but she did look disappointed and exhausted. I could see that talking to me was not high on her “to do” list.

“Akinyi, Jamal,” I said quickly and loudly, before I could lose my nerve. “I just want to say I’m very sorry. I was trying to use logic to solve the case when I accused you, but I know all the evidence was circumstantial — and, as it turned out, totally wrong.” I sighed. “I’m so sorry. You’re both such good friends to Syd and Vic, and I helped ruin their wedding for you.”

Akinyi looked away, like she didn’t want to deal with this, but Jamal looked at me and nodded. He didn’t look thrilled, but he did seem to be impressed by my apology. “I understand how you got to your conclusion, Nancy,” he said simply. “It may take us a while to get over this, but we don’t blame you, okay? We just want to enjoy the reception as much as we can and tell our friends how happy we are for them.”

I nodded. All in all, the two of them were being very gracious. “I’ll leave you to it, then,” I offered, but just as I spoke, Syd came barreling out of nowhere and tackled Akinyi in a hug.

“Akinyi!” she cried, followed closely by her new husband, Vic. “I’m so sorry. I know nothing I say will ever make this right. And I’ll never forgive myself for doubting you, or for keeping you from being part of my wedding.”

Akinyi, who had looked stiff and uncomfortable since entering the reception, seemed to soften a little. “Syd,” she said, her voice rough, “just don’t do that again, okay? You know I love you.”

Syd pulled back and looked her friend in the eye. “I do,” she said sincerely. “I really do, Akinyi. And I’m so sorry it took something like this for me to realize it.”

Meanwhile Vic held out his hand to Jamal. “It looks like I owe you for a lot of things, buddy,” he said, his own voice sounding pretty close to tears. “I’m so sorry. I should have known you would never hold a grudge.”

Jamal nodded, looking very serious, then a smile peeked out. “I know you’re a jerk, Vic,” he said, starting to chuckle. “It’s part of what I love about you, okay? You’re larger than life.”

Grabbing Vic’s hand like he was going to shake it, Jamal pulled his friend close and they embraced.

“I’ll never forgive myself,” Vic said, sounding sincere.

“I know,” Jamal said simply, “but I will. You be good to this woman, and have a long happy marriage, and we’ll call it square.”

Syd smiled, gesturing to me. “If it weren’t for Nancy, we never would have figured out it was really Pandora causing all the trouble,” she told Jamal and Akinyi. “Thank goodness she’s so observant! Without her, we’d be headed off to the Caribbean still feeling afraid.” She turned to me. “Nancy,” she said, “I know this hasn’t been an easy case for you. You’ve had to make a lot of tough decisions, and hurt a lot of feelings.” She paused. “How can Vic and I ever repay you?”

I smiled. “It’s just like Jamal said,” I replied. “Have a long, happy life together, and forget all of this ever happened.”

Vic turned to his bride with a big smile, squeezing her hand. “Done, and done,” he promised me.

Дата добавления: 2017-01-14