“Hell no.” I kissed his stubbly cheek. “But it’s been crossing my mind lately that we can’t just live like this forever. What we have right now – you, me, Morrie, Quoth – it’samazing, but it can’t be permanent. This world doesn’t accept a relationship like ours, and sooner or later it’s going to bite us on the arse. Someone will want out.”
“Not me.” He shook his head. It seemed impossible, but the black of his eyes got even blacker. “You?”
“No. Never. We’re like… I never fit in anywhere before, not at school, not in this town, not even really in New York City. I was the puzzle piece in the box that was from the wrong bloody puzzle. But being with the three of you is like slotting the right puzzle pieces together. We all fit, and we make a beautiful, vivid picture. But one of us is bound to get sick of being one of four. And what about marriage? Children? What about power of attorney? What about two-for-one night at the movies? What about how this town will treat us as soon as they figure out we’re all dating?”
“I don’t care what people think,” he growled.
“You might. One day.”
“Unlikely.”
“Or Quoth might. Or Morrie. We can’t exactly do normal things. If we all go out on a date together, people are going to stare. How would we buy a house together? How will we sort out life insurance, or split up the chores? Who cleans the bathroom? How the fuck will we sign our Christmas cards?”
“That’s easy. We don’t send Christmas cards.”
“I’m serious! The world isn’t built to accommodate a relationship like ours. We’re taking the hardest path, and I just wonder if one day, one of us might wake up and wish things were easier.”
“That’s not going to happen.” Heathcliff narrowed his dark eyes at me. “You know why?”
“Why?”
Hot lips pressed against mine. Heathcliff’s kiss drenched me with his need, drowning me in the well of his love. It was a kiss that spoke more eloquently, more passionately, than words ever could.
Heathcliff pulled back, his chest heaving. I gasped for breath. That kiss… it told me that as far as Heathcliff was concerned, all my worries were completely unfounded. The certainty in that kiss steeled me.
Morrie’s head popped up between us. “Sorry to break up the party, lovebirds. But I’ve got news.”
“Miranda dumped a smoothie on your head?” I asked, trying not to sound hopeful.
“Of course not. In mere minutes, she succumbed to my not inconsiderable charm and spilled all the details about Danny’s last morning. According to Miranda, Brian arrived at the hotel first, by himself, followed by Angus a half-hour later escorting Danny’s wife Penny. Danny and Amanda came in after midnight. They sat in the bar for an hour or so before they went up to bed. Miranda said they were flirting hard. She also said they headed upstairs together and it seemed as though they would be… ‘shagging all night’ was the term she used. Personally, I prefer something more poetic, like bumping uglies or a bit of crumpet, adult naptime, caulking the tub, in the service of Venus, baking the potato, dancing the Paphian jig, groping for trout in a peculiar river, Blitzkrieg mit dem fleischgewehr, bludgeoning the flaps…”
Bludgeoning the flaps?I rolled my eyes. “We get the idea. Where do you evengetthis stuff?”
“I’m a man of many talents. Do you want to hear the rest of my story?”
I sighed. “Yes. Please continue sans poetic euphemisms.”
“In the morning, Miranda saw Danny leave the hotel around five a.m. He was in a jovial mood, flirting with her as he asked about the dinner options when he got back. A few minutes after he left, Angus called down to the front desk and asked for some towels to be left in the hall in front of his room. Miranda left the desk and went up with the towels. Angus had the DO NOT DISTURB sign on his door. As she set down the stack outside Angus’ room, she couldn’t help but overhear the sounds of rather vigorous lovemaking coming from inside.”
“Did she recognize the woman’s voice?”
“She says it was Amanda Letterman.”
I couldn’t believe it. “So Amanda was shagging both DannyandAngus, on the same night, right under the same roof as Brian? That guy has got to have known about this.”
“I agree. And he was the most likely person to have picked up Beverly’s scarf. I’m just not sure if he’s responsible for Danny’s death. If this murder is about infidelity, then why go after Danny? Why not Amanda? What does Brian gain apart from revenge? This murder was premeditated – the killer has gone out of his or her way to choose the manner of death. They’re sending a message. Everything about this suggests it was related to the murder of Abigail Ingram. Which means that all the evidence still points towards Beverly.”
But my mind was spinning in a completely different direction. “Or maybe all this bludgeoning the flaps was really about creating a distraction. If someone knew Angus and Amanda were shagging…”
Morrie rubbed his chin. “It’s possible. It may not have been Angus on the phone. Miranda said he sounded tired and muffled. The killer could have asked Miranda to take the towels upstairs, knowing Angus had the DO NOT DISTURB sign up. With Miranda gone, the killer could sneak past the front desk to meet Danny at the shop.”
“That’s elaborate,” Heathcliff said. “Wouldn’t they be better off just going out a fire exit?”
Morrie shook his head. “All the exits are on alarms, to stop guests sneaking out for a smoke.”
“Wouldn’t Miranda see which room the call came from on her switchboard? And surely if someone snuck past the front desk, the police would have seen it on CCTV.”
“It’s the Argleton Arms Hotel, not the Waldorf. They don’t have that kind of technology. The CCTV camera over the front door has been broken for months.”
