Dead in the Daisies (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery) (8 page)

“
No, I’m sorry,” Vicky smiled kindly at the woman. “I wasn't paying attention to where I was going.”

“
I'm just trying to tidy this room up very quickly, before he comes back,” Emily said quickly as she stepped into the room. Vicky followed after her curiously.

“
Whose room is this?”

“
The bodyguards’,” Emily said in a whisper, “Matt and the other bodyguard share it.”

“
Oh, you know them,” Vicky questioned.

“Only Matt Castille. I can’t actually believe that he is here,” Emily said with a secretive smile as she straightened the sheets on the bed.

“
What do you mean? Who is he?” Vicky asked with surprise

“Oh, I thought you knew. You see he's the same bodyguard who was involved with that young country singer, Charlotte. Have you ever heard her sing?” she sighed with pleasure as she recollected the melody. “She could sing so beautifully. But when that greedy bodyguard sold out to that photographer, and those pictures got out,” she clucked her tongue lightly, “her career was over before it even really got started.”

“
Pictures?” Vicky asked curiously.

“
Yes, pictures,” the maid nodded. “Pictures of her doing things she shouldn't have been, with someone else's husband.”

“
Well, that's interesting,” Vicky said with a grimace. She was beginning to see that there might be a pattern involved here. “Thanks for the information, Emily.”

“
Sure,” Emily nodded and then flashed a smile at Vicky. “This has to be the most exciting wedding of the whole year. I still can't believe that we're all part of it.”

“
Me neither,” Vicky agreed and gritted her teeth as she stepped out of the room. She could only hope that there would actually be a wedding. She headed the rest of the way down the hallway to Seth and Trinie's room. When she knocked on the door the bodyguard opened it.

“
Let her in,” Seth called out to him with a nod when he saw it was Vicky.

“
Hi,” she said as she walked into the living area of the suite. “Are you two doing okay? Do you have everything you need?”

“
Sure,” Trinie nodded and cast a worried glance in Seth's direction. “Just a little nervous.”

The door to the room swung
open and in walked another bodyguard. He had cropped brown hair, broad features, and wide shoulders. His biceps were bulging and muscular, and his black shirt was pulled taut across his chest and stomach. Vicky met his eyes as he paused just inside the door of the room.

“
Oh good, that's Matt,” Seth said with relief.

“
Matt?” Vicky asked as she continued to stare at the man. Vicky realised that this was the bodyguard who Aunt Ida described as having the fight with Seth the night of the murder and the one who Emily knew about.

“
His father used to work for me and he's been with us for some time now, and if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be able to live the private life we do,” he sighed with appreciation. Well, it looked like whatever the argument had been over between Seth and Matt had been resolved.

“
He's really been amazing,” Trinie agreed with a slight smile. “It's strange to have someone around specifically to guard your well being, but when you're in a position like we are, you need it. There's so many people out there seeking to hurt you,” she added, a touch of sorrow settling into her voice. “To think, we thought...” she began to say.

“
But we were wrong,” Seth said quickly and met Trinie's eyes sternly. “So there's no need to discuss it.”

“
Oh right, of course,” Trinie nodded a little. Vicky could tell there was something more unspoken between the two of them. Was it about the pictures?

“
Are you two sure you want to go on with the ceremony?” Vicky asked with concern. “I don't want to put your safety at risk. We still have no idea who might have killed Graham.”

“
As long as Matt is with us, we'll be perfectly safe,” Seth said with confidence. “Right Trinie?” he asked as he reached for her hand.

“
Absolutely,” she nodded and smiled at Vicky. “After all the hard work you've put into this, we're not going to let anything spoil our beautiful day.”

Vicky was touched by their kindness and warmth, but she was also concerned. So far they had no idea who the killer was, or even exactly what the killer's motive might have been. Mitchell was still entertaining the idea that it was a murder for hire, but there was no way Vicky could believe that Seth and
Trinie were involved.

Vicky returned to the lobby to find Sarah fielding frequent phone calls from the press.

“No, the wedding is not off, no further comment,” she snapped and hung up the phone. “These reporters just won't stop!” she gasped out with frustration. “I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have to deal with them all the time.”

“
Me neither,” Vicky agreed as she paused beside the desk. She saw Mitchell walking towards her from the other side of the lobby.

“
This whole thing is turning into a disaster,” Sarah said testily as she tapped a few keys on the computer and tried to put out yet another fire with the kitchen staff over what exactly the menu was supposed to be. “We should have cancelled this morning, now it's going to be impossible.”

Vicky frowned.
“Seth and Trinie don't want to cancel,” she pointed out. “I think we can still pull this off.”

“
I’m not sure,” Sarah shot back. “I am concerned about the inn, the staff, and putting Seth and Trinie in more danger than they need to be.”

“
Now Sarah,” Mitchell said speaking up before Vicky could argue. “I really don't think it's such a bad idea for the wedding to go on. Vicky made a good point. Here Seth and Trinie are surrounded by security, police, and even reporters recording everyone coming and going. The ceremony and reception are not even near the crime scene. As of right now, it's probably the safest place they could be.”

Sarah frowned as she looked at Mitchell.
“The safest place they could be? With a murderer on the loose?”

“
It seems to me that whoever did this had some kind of motive,” Vicky said in an attempt to soothe her sister. “I don't think they're just going to go around causing more harm.”

“
I've gathered a few of the security guards in the banquet hall to interview them,” Mitchell added, hoping to distract Sarah from her frustration. “I'm sure we'll have this cleared up soon.”

While Mitchell interviewed the security guards, Vicky had a strong hunch. Yes, the pictures were of Trinie, which both Seth and Trinie would be hurt by if they came out into the public view, but they were not the only ones that could be hurt by such a thing. She recalled the argument that Aunt Ida had witnessed in the hallway
outside Seth and Trinie's room. It was with Matt. Matt had been working with the couple for some time, and seemed to be appreciated by them. She remembered the rumor that Emily had told her about Matt having some drama in his past with the country singer, Charlotte. It seemed awfully coincidental to Vicky that Matt would be involved in two scandalous events, but maybe she was underestimating the amount of scandal and scrutiny that celebrities endured.

Vicky saw Aun
t Ida walk into the lobby.  She wanted to see if she knew anything about the photos of Charlotte that Emily had mentioned.  After all Aunt Ida loved celebrities and gossip. “Aunt Ida!” Vicky called

“
Hi,” Aunt Ida replied with a large grin on her face as she walked towards her.

“
I wanted to ask you something. Emily mentioned a scandal that involved photos of Charlotte, the country singer, and Seth’s bodyguard, Matt Castille.  I was wondering if you know anything about it?” Vicky questioned in a hushed voice.

“
No, but we have to find out about it,” Aunt Ida said with a sheepish grin. “Why don’t you go surfing?”

“
Do you mean look on the internet?” Vicky giggled.

“
Yes. But I have to get ready for the wedding now,” Aunt Ida said with anticipation. “I have to look my best,” she smiled.

“
Okay, I’ll let you know what I find,” Vicky whispered.

“
Brilliant,” Aunt Ida said with a flurry of her arms as she walked towards the stairs.

Vicky thought sh
e might as well see what she could find out about Matt’s debacle with Charlotte straight away. What harm could it do? Vicky went into Sarah's office while she was outside checking over everything for the wedding. Once inside, Vicky sat down at her sister's computer and began searching for information about Charlotte and Matt. Eventually, she came upon a very detailed article accompanied by a video. The article described an altercation between Charlotte and her long time bodyguard, Matt Castille. The singer had accused him of being the one who had provided a photographer the opportunity to snap pictures of her in the middle of a tryst with another singer's husband. Matt vehemently denied the accusations, but Charlotte was convinced he had made a deal with the photographer.

The entire argument culminated in a confrontation in the middle of the street in front of the singer's exclusive New York City apartment, which onlookers were only too happy to record.
Vicky narrowed her eyes as she watched the video. The amount of expletives the young woman was using towards Matt was quite surprising, and very colorful at times. If Matt was connected to the photographer then maybe he was looking for the same kind of payday from working with Seth and Trinie. Her suspicions were confirmed when she read that the photographer in the middle of the scandal was none other than Graham Walker. He ended up exonerated and Matt was terminated from his job.

Vicky sat back in her chair and studied the screen as she watched the video on
ce more. Matt looked absolutely horrified with the way Charlotte was speaking to him, and even appeared to have tears in his eyes as he looked away from her. He didn't look like someone who was trying to score an extra buck or two off the vulnerability of a young woman. Was it possible that he was that skilled an actor? It was hard for Vicky to put together the exact scenario that would lead to the same bodyguard and the same photographer being put into a similar position. The photographs were on Graham's computer, which would indicate that he had taken them. He was likely intending to blackmail the couple with them. But, was Matt involved? And if so, had a squabble over payment led to Graham's death?

“
Vicky?” Aunt Ida's shrill voice called out from outside the office. “Are you in there?” she pushed the door open to discover Vicky sitting in front of Sarah's computer, her eyes wide, and one finger thoughtfully tapping the computer table.

“
Don't you know what time it is?” Aunt Ida gasped as she rushed to Vicky's side.

“
What time is it?” she asked with a slight frown of distraction. She was trying to piece everything together in her mind. “Is this important?”

“
I don't know, is the wedding starting without you important?” she asked with a frown and waved one hand in front of Vicky's face. “Are you in there?”

“
The wedding’s starting?” Vicky asked as she jumped up out of the computer chair. “Oh no,” she glanced at her watch. “I lost track of time. I've got to check on the musicians,” she ran out of the office with Aunt Ida following right behind her. With everything that had been happening at the inn she had to wonder if it would be possible for the wedding to be successful. But there was no more time to wonder. She had only one choice, and that was to do the best job she could to make sure that Seth and Trinie had the best wedding that they possibly could. Even if there was a killer in their midst.

One thing was
certain, Graham had those pictures with the intention of blackmailing the couple and extorting as much money out of them as possible. Was there someone else who had the pictures as well? As she hurried to the garden to check on the musicians, she heard the press shouting from outside the gates. As important as it was for her to find out who was behind the death of the photographer, the chaos of the beginning of the wedding was an unavoidable distraction. She had to check on the seating, the music, the priest, the list was endless. The entire time in the back of her mind she knew that someone she was talking to, smiling at, or reassuring might be the person behind this horrible crime. There was one person in particular that she was looking out for. She surveyed all the faces of the security guards she saw. But Matt was nowhere to be found.

“
Have you seen your partner?” she asked Seth's other bodyguard as the groom was headed for the altar.

“
No, haven't seen him, he must be with Trinie,” the man said with a shrug and hurried after the man he was supposed to be protecting. Vicky frowned and headed for the bridal suite where Trinie was being prepared by several friends and family members. Trinie's mother had passed a few years before, so she had plenty of women around her to support her during the wedding. Matt was not blended among them, nor was he standing outside the bridal suite. Vicky wanted to figure out where he was but the ceremony was moving forward whether she was ready for it or not. Surprisingly, it was going very smoothly, and Trinie stole a moment to grab Vicky.