“Then who did?”
“I don’t know!” The words burst out of her with obvious frustration. “But I have suspicions.”
“What kind of suspicions?”
“The kind that involve Charlotte not being nearly as innocent as everyone thinks she is.”
“What do you mean?” I ask even though I know exactly what she means. Or at least I think I do.
“I mean,” Kiki lowers her voice to barely above a whisper, “that your sweet little bride has been playing a much deeper game than anyone realizes. Including her new husband.”
Before I can ask her to define the wordgame, a commotion near the reception tent draws our attention. Charlotte is laughing loudly at something Conrad has whispered in her ear, while Piers stands nearby looking increasingly uncomfortable.
“See that?” Kiki asks, nodding toward the newlyweds. “Charlotte has been carrying on with Conrad for months. Everyone thinks she’s this naive social media, trust fund princess, but she’s been orchestrating this entire wedding as a cover for her affair.”
“How do you know that?” I’m wondering if she’s witnessed what I witnessed.
“Because I’m a lawyer, and I know how to investigate. I have photos, Bizzy. Text messages. Hotel receipts. Charlotte Van Buren has been playing everyone—her mother, her fiancé, her wedding planner, and probably half the wedding party. She’s certainly playing Piers.”
My mind is racing. If Kiki is telling the truth, then Charlotte is a manipulator who’s been using everyone around her. But why?
“If you knew all this,” I ask slowly, “why didn’t you expose her before the wedding?”
Kiki’s smile is sharp as broken glass. “Because I wanted Piers to figure it out on his own. I wanted him to see what he was really marrying before it was too late.”
“But Bea stopped your objection.”
“I doubt Bea knows about the affair because she didn’t want me disrupting her daughter’s wedding day. But now...” She glances toward where Charlotte is glowing with happiness while openly flirting with her husband’s best man. “Now it’s too late.”
“Unless,” I say carefully, “Charlotte killed Tessa to keep her affair secret.”
“Exactly.” Kiki’s eyes meet mine. “Tessa wasn’t just blackmailing me, Bizzy. She was blackmailing everyone. And trust me, Charlotte, nee Van Buren, was not left off that list.”
The pieces start clicking into place in my mind. Charlotte had a motive—keeping her affair secret. Charlotte certainly had an opportunity—she had access to the catering area as the bride. Charlotte is clearly not as naïve and ditzy as she pretends to be.
“You mentioned you had proof. Where is this evidence now?”
“Safe. Very safe. And if anything happens to me, it all goes public.”
I study Kiki’s face, trying to read whether she’s telling the truth or spinning an elaborate lie to deflect suspicion from herself. She certainly looks sincere, and her theory about Charlotte makes a disturbing amount of sense.
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask.
“Because you’re the only person here who might actually be able to help me prove what happened to Tessa. And because...” She pauses, looking toward where Piers is now standing alone while his new wife laughs with another man. “Because he deserves to know the truth about what kind of a monster he just married.”
A burst of laughter from the reception area draws our attention back to the celebration. Charlotte is posing for photos with Conrad, their body language so intimate that even the guests are starting to notice.
“Poor Piers,” Kiki murmurs. “He has no idea his marriage is already over.”
And yet a part of me wonders if he cares.
As I watch as Charlotte beams with triumph while her clueless new husband stands nearby, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve just found my killer.
CHAPTER 21
Sometimes I think the universe has a twisted sense of humor about staging the most spectacular parties right before everything goes completely sideways.
The scent of salt air mingles with garlic shrimp and chocolate-dipped strawberries as the Pemberton reception transforms our humble beachside patio into something that would make Vegas wedding planners sit up and take note.
