“You’re doing what ?”
Emile was flabbergasted as we walked out of the airport terminal. After his exclamation he barley seemed able to form words. I felt terrible springing this news on Emile so quickly, but I wanted his opinion.
“Do I really need to repeat myself”, I said walking towards
a coffee shop close to the airport terminal
“You said yes ?”, he asked noticing I was wearing a ring.
“Why are you so surprised ?”
“Are you sure this is what you want Clara. What if this is just about your father’s murder to him“
“It’s not”
“Clara”, he maneuvered his luggage to a corner table, “You’ve both changed. I feel like it would be irresponsible for me not to say anything.”
“I know but I do care for him I know his heart has been mangled in the past and to trust anyone. . . me of all people means a lot. If anything, the one that stands at getting hurt the most is him.”
“And what about my goddaughter?
I thought back to Rosalie’s vacant expression yesterday as I had spoken to her about the engagement. The way she continued nodding and playing with the creppy dollhouse that was slowly filling up with furniture identical to that in the real house. For some reason I didn't expect her to be happy but I didn't expect her to be so distant.
She told me that if it meant she and I would get to stay together then she would be happy.
“I don’t think she understands”, I said looking Emile in the eyes.
Emile sighed and even I wasn't sure what I wanted him to say.
“You know" he said, "Fierro has told me the story of him and Lucie countless times. Sometimes I wonder if their failed marriage had something more to do with him. I think he may have wanted to much from her.”
I had briefly considered that but I always refused to give
to much thought to it. I had accepted that he would always be in love with her. However dealing with it though was another story.
“It doesn’t matter Emile. Mr. Fierro has a point we should be able to at least protect each other.”
“What if you’re protecting the man who killed your father?”
“So you’ve made you decision, then.”
“No”, he was defensive, “Not yet. Now I’m just confused.”
I sat back in the chair trying to think of some words to challenge him. I knew I needed one person on my side I appealed to Emile's sensitive nature.
“Emile, I just need you on my side. Besides I wanted you to marry us. You’re the only one who really knows us it would mean a lot to me.”
“Clara”, he realized what I was doing
“Please, it’s what you’ve always wanted, and if it all goes to hell you can say ‘I told you so’.”
He exhaled frustrated and defeated. I smiled knowing I had gotten my way.
“Great, how am I supposed to say no to the bride.”
I reached across the table and hugged him, we started out the coffee shop and towards my car. Emile’s parents didn’t live far from New York and I was happy he would be so close by.
“Now for the hard part.”, I said getting on the interstate
“Finding a dress ?”, he teased
“Telling my family.”
+1+
It was taunting me.
That empty seat at the end
of the dinner table that my father’s figure used to fill every night. Dinner always started approximately at 6:45 except on days when my mother cooked, it could be well into the night before she got a recipe right. We would all laugh about how she came from a family of chefs and could barley boil water.
Today wasn't one of those days The laughter was gone and it had been close to 9 pm before my mother would even get out of bed to join the family. Even though she was sitting there she wasn't really there
I watched from my side of the dinner table as my dear brother-in-law Derek kept one hand on his fork and the other on his Blackberry. Claudia was looking over his shoulder, taking a sip of her wine whenever he smiled at something. Underneath the table I could see she had taken off her shoes and began pointing and flexing her foot in frustration.
Next to them, making a mess of her dinner, was Claudia’s daughter, Alma. She was almost three and would have no real memories of her grandfather. Audrey and baby Carrie-Grant were across from her followed by Colin who kept his eyes down and Clarice who smiled nervously. Because smiling seemed to be all she could do nowadays.
I loved my sisters dearly now that they had moved back to town. Looking at them I realized they had both given up a lot to be full time mothers and wives. I couldn’t remember the last time Claudia danced since she injured her knee or Clarice. . . well ,she was never talented.
Though my sisters cared for their partners I know they has also married for money. Things had been unstable with the family business for the past few years. We'd been running on fumes with;most of the money was either already tied up in obligations, pulled from ashed portfolios or virtually non-existent.
My eyes lingered on my mother. Her arms where on the table and she was trying to physically support herself. The housekeeper had to constantly say her name so she would not fall-out at the table during dinner. Strands of her dark hair was falling out of its neat chignon, getting caught in her shiny pearls. I don’t even know why she still wore pearls to the table.
He liked her to do that.
“Mother”, I whispered over my empty chardonnay glass
She didn’t respond at first, I wondered if she was crying and trying to hide it from the grandchildren.
“Mother”, I said again this time getting her attention
“Yes, Clara ?”
“I have an announcement.”
“Not now Clara”, she said looking down again
“Um, Mother. . . I’m getting married.”
My sisters look
towards me shocked and Clarice’s false smile faulted for a second. Even Derek
seemed to be listening. Colin simply shook his head slowly in disapproval 
“Married ?”, Mother repeated, “Clara. . . why? Who ? I don’t understand. You are doing fine on your own.”
“I wasn’t planning this it just feels like the right thing to do.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Mother looked around the table to see if anyone was on her side but everyone stayed quiet for the most part.
“I think it’s a great idea”, Claudia said, “There aren’t many men who will marry you considering.”, she suggestively ran her finger over her face indicating my scars.
“Thank you, Claudia”, I said sarcastically, but self-consciouly touched my face.
“I don’t like this, Clara”, Mother continued, “who is this person ? I mean all you do is go to work . When did you have time to meet someone ?”
“Uh well, you might remember … his name is Addison Fierro.”, It actually felt nice to be honest, although it may have been the glasses of wine.
“Who ?”, mother asked softly
Mother closed her eyes trying to remember the names of countless people Father had introduced her to through out the years. She opened her eyes coming up with nothing when Claudia suddenly seemed to realize something.
“You must remember, Mother”, Claudia said pouring another glass of wine, “He is the one with the four year old daughter.” Claudia finished, cutting her eyes at me seemingly putting two and two together.
“Claudia I haven’t the faintest idea who you are talking abou—“, Mother stopped mid-sentence as her eyes fell on me and suddenly she realized what Claudia was referring to, “Oh, yes that’s right. Isn’t it Clara.”
I looked between the two of them realizing what they wanted me to say.
“Yes, mother it is”, I said glaring at Claudia
Clarice, Colin and Derek seemed thoroughly confused though the latter could have cared a less.
“Do I have your blessing, Mother”, I asked flicking the charm on my glass
“I think you should wait—“
“Please Mother,I want to get married before Christmas, that way we won’t associate this time of year with father’s passing.”, I tried to sound hopeful
"I'm sure he has money", chimed in Claudia,"Maybe he can afford to have your face fixed--"
"Claudia", I snapped at her.
Mother sat up and for the first time since the funeral she seemed to be completely there.
“Clara are you being difficult on purpose ? We don't need this right now.”
“No, I’m just trying to make things right.”, I said referring
more to having a child out- of –wedlock, "Trust me mother it is what you want"
“Do you see what you’ve left me with, Martin ?”, Mother said looking up keeping her eyes on me.
“Do I have your blessing ?”, I asked again speaking quickly,"We can be married as soon as possible and put the matter behind us. Please Mother. I’m doing this for all of us. It could be a small intimate affair”
Mother looked around the table for help. It wasn’t often she made decisions like this on her own. Claudia shrugged slightly and Clarice seemed sincerely pleased at the idea
"I suppose you have my blessing, not that you really need it.", Mother said carefully
"Thank you", I said flicking the charm on my glass
"The church will never approve this, Mio Dio, the shame.", she mumbled
"There isn't going to be a church, Mother. Or a real wedding for that matter."
She pushed her chair back looking anxiously around the dinning room while twirling her pearls. She was being active but the life was not yet back in her features. My sisters were anxiously awaiting what she would do next, I kept my eyes down.
I looked up as she made her way out the dining room"Mother where are you going."
"I have a reception to plan don't I ? It's the least we could do In what--"
"two weeks", I said without thinking
"Well", she picked up father's old address book, "if I was able to plan a funeral in four days. . ."
She reached for her handkerchief, wiping her lips
"Uh, Mother", I walked over to join her at the entrance way, "I don't think there is going to be an actual wedding."
"Clara, Please. Let me do at least this much", she breathed through her anger, "What will people think ? besides I could use the distraction", she said to herself.
She nodded and started yelling at the housekeeper to find Father's address book, she apparently needed to send out inviataions
"Mother you're not listening g to me"
"I am listening Clara. If my youngest daughter is getting married I want her to at least see her in a white dress? Unless there is something else to this ?", Her tone was sharp.
"No", I said obediently
She found her address book and perhaps it was because she had something to distract her from being a widow that she seemed to forget all about dinner.
+2+
“What about this one, Ms. DeLune ?”
I studied the blurred lines on the warm colored impressionist painting, even without a frame it was huge. It reminded me of a structured Monet but it was an original. The smell of paint was getting to me and I simply shrugged.
“It’s nice, I suppose.”
Mr. Fierro tighten his grip on my hand and lead me over to the next painting. Without realizing it I was running my thumb over the strange ring on his finger. I downed the rest of the champagne in my glass listening as the artist explained what off-the wall modernist method he’d used to create the ugliest painting I’d even seen.
Surprisingly we had made it through most of a Sunday afternoon in downtown Rochester, a week before our apparent wedding no less, without brining up my father’s murder. I knew it was on his mind as it was on mine.
I really did enjoy going to the art exhibition with him but my mind was somewhere else.Not to mention I had a headache from dinner yesterday. At first I was suspicious of his unusal gesture to venture outside his home, but I realized I needed to be more trusting if we were going to be married.
Just thinking about it made me uneasy, but it was kind of nice.
I tentatively flipped over the 50,000 price tag on the modern painting as the artist continued to talk, but I wasn’t really listening. With some effort I unhinged my hand from Mr. Fierro’s walking back around the gallery before turning to a server for another glass of champagne.
I surveyed the crowd filling the refurbished warehouse gallery noting that the youngest person here was at least 2 times my age.
“Should I take you home ?”, Mr. Fierro asked me 
“No, I just have a lot on my mind.”
“To much on your mind to pick yourself a present for your room?”
I surveyed the paintings from my spot in the center of the gallery.
“They’re all so. . . shapeless”, I said, ”When I see something I like to know exalcty what is going on, I like to see the whole picture like a nice Renoir.”, I said trying to sound interested but as always I was distracted.
“You have expensive taste”
“You sound like my. . .”, I stopped realizing I was about to say father, “um Maybe I should take a second look around-“
“No, we need to leave”, he said quickly
“What why-“
“Clara !”, a chipper voice called to me from the other end.
I turned to see my friend Eleanor calling to me from the other side of the gallery. I waved back and soon she was coming towards me, her short blonde bob swinging with each step, I had the inclination to move to where she was standing.
“Clara, where have you been hiding?”, she asked, “ I hardly ever see you”
“I’ve just been busy with work”, I said
“Listen I really miss spending time with you”, I knew that translated to ‘I’m sorry about your father”
“Me too, I’ve been to distant”, I said really thinking about how I had quarantined myself in the past few years.
“What are you doing here ?”, she asked
“Oh, I was with my. . . fiancé”, I said turning around to realize he was no where in sight.
“Wow, I didn’t know you were getting married.”
“It’s a recent development. What brings you here ?”, I asked realizing the age minority we were in .
“Nana and I are Christmas shopping. Mom is totally into art now.”
Eleanor turned back around and waved to her grandmother who was discussing frame design with an art buyer.
“I’d almost forgotten it was the Christmas season”, I said honestly
“Hey, If you’re not with anyone you can join us for lunch.”
I honestly couldn’t think of a reason no to and I was starting to think she didn’t believe my “fiancé” story. Most of the time I couldn’t believe it.
“Um, sure I just need to get something out of the car. I’ll meet you outside.”
She nodded enthusiastically and waited while I took the converted
elevator to the bottom floor and walked around the corner. The streets were empty and it had begun to snow again.
I walked back around the corner when I was gently pulled into a small side street.
“You scared me.”, I said catching my breath
“Don’t you know who that was”, Mr. Fierro said getting straight to the point while lighting a cigarette.
“Of course Eleanor was my college roommate, we’ve been friends forever.”
“Why is that ?”
“I don’t know. . . I mean our grandmothers were best friends. . . growing up”, I placed my hand on my head feeling like an idiot, “Oh, of course I didn’t realize you had known Mrs. Caldwell.”
“After 50 years you begin to hope everyone you knew is dead.”
“Did you know Mrs. Caldwell well ? She never mentioned you and she loves to talk about the ‘old days’”
“She was better acquainted with Lucie.”
“How acquainted was she with you ?”
I could tell by his expression that he had no intention of answering the question which made me want to know the answer that much more.
“Did you date her ?”, I asked suddenly filled with curiosity
“Never”
“Did you. . .“
I noticed he looked away form me anxiously anticipating whatever else I had to say, he was keeping way to many lies to lie to me about this.
Yes, that was certainly it.
“Well”, I said awkwardly trying to decide if this was a problem or not, “I-I suppose that is not a problem.”
“Yes, it is a problem Ms. DeLune”
“I really don’t care if you slept with a woman 50 years ago.”
“sixty-four years ago”, he corrected me, “and that was not what I was referring to. This is why it is best that there is no wedding.”
“That would crush my mother, after everything that has happened I at least owe her this.”
“Your family seems to know everyone in Rochester, many of whom believe me to be dead. I’d rather not risk to many questions.”
“I get it, you don’t like questions, you don’t like talking about your past and you don’t like the truth.”
Despite my best intentions I had started talking about my father again but he ignored it.
“Ms. DeLune you aren’t exactly like them anymore. The more people you let into your life the more people you have to leave.”
“I don’t care, what is that saying ? It is better to have loved and lost .”
“I suppose it’s not my place to change your mind.”
“It’s not. Is this why you insist on keeping Rosalie locked away with no friends ? So she can never miss anyone like you do ?”
“And what exactly was your excuse.”
I could have easily defended myself but I didn’t have a
reason. I was just doing what my father told me. I had made Rosalie feel like a burden when, for the most part, she wasn't.
“ It doesn’t matter”, I said not wanting to fight, “I’m going out to lunch with the Caldwells .”
“There is no reason to be petty, Ms. DeLune”
I tried not to cough as he blew smoke on me.
“I’m not being petty and did you ever think that maybe I wanted to have a wedding. I know it’s ridiculous and pointless, but I just do. I know most of your reasons for proposing were less than honorable but something about this feels different than when I was with Peter. Different in a good way.”
I pulled my scarf between my finger and wrapped it around my neck making my way out to the street.
“Wait”
“What”, I said turning around
“I apologize. . if a wedding is what you want fint however you can’t invite the Caldwells among a few others.”
“How am I going to explain that ? Can’t you just pretend to be someone else—“
“I refuse to become even more of a lie.”
“It’s called a compromise. Eleanor is my friend.”, even though I was getting the feeling this was about more than wedding invitations, “Please it’s one little lie.”
“One final lie”, he said as more of a warning.
“Clara !”, I heard Eleanor calling my name
“I should go”, I said
I didn’t look to see his reaction as I stepped back on the street just as Elanor and Mrs. Caldwell walked past.
“Clara”, Mrs. Caldwall said, “Eleanor tells me you’re getting married.”
“Yes, but I’d much rather hear your stories about the old days.”
She smiled and we continued walking
+++
I should not being doing this.
I should loosen up
Rainer told herself over and over again, realizing her little pit stop would make her late to the station but it was worth it to write a parking ticket.
She slid the ticket on the windshield of the silver Vanquish, the car was cool to the touch and she knew an expensive car when she
saw one.Either way it was still a loading zone even if it was a Sunday.
Rainer stuffed her hands back into her coat pocket and made her way to the police station
The tox screens had come back positive for poison via the chemical naturally found in oleander. Rainer spent time trying to figure out how something could be so inherently dangerous and beautiful at the same time. . . it just didn’t seem right.
She had memorized the crime photos of Martin DeLune. In her mind
she could see herself taking the walk up to the top floor of the DeLune academy office. Martin's office was at the end of the hall behind a set of double doors where the cleaning service had found him.
Rainer could see him lying supine on the floor his arm outstretched towards the
phone. The bottle and glass of poisoned scotch that had dropped out of his hands as
he felt the poison consume him. He had tried to stand, he tried to get help but fallen repeatedly before the poison took him.
There was no doubt that his death had not been peaceful.
The thought made her concentrate more on the case but so far she had no leads. The letters that had been sent had turned up nothing useful even though they were short and handwritten she had nothing to compare them to.
She stared at the two unidentified portraits that Juliet had drawn but she couldn't match the names to the faces.
Rainer saw Juliet was in the corner of the room, her schoolbag at her feet.
"Get what ?"
"One of them will confess. . . soon.", she nodded towards the wall of suspects
"How can they confess I don't even know the last two"
"All of the suspects will come toppling down soon enough. Then there will only be one.",, the girl smiled at the prospect
Rainer liked Juliet's new found enthusiasm about the case, she was more professional than usual, she had been since touching Clara. Something about the case seem to suddenly interest her.
"Do you know who it is ?", Rainer asked
"No", Juliet answered.
"Want to take bets, we can get the whole station involved."
Juliet stood by Rainer and surveyed the board and smiled.
"I know exactly who I want to bet on."
A/N
What LiLe ? Was there some minor Fluff and Humor in this ? Well I tried. Yes this chapter works as more of a bridge because I'm sure you can guess what will happen in the next chapter..
Also this chapter somewhat refers to the fact that Clair and Claudia have actually met and talked to Mr. Fierro in August.
Just to save you from doing the math Mr. Fierro was 19 , sixty four years ago.