Cheryl Bradshaw - Black Diamond Death

“I ran into him a few months ago.”

“How did that go over?” I said.

“He was with his pregnant wife and four or five other bundles of joy. They ran wild all over the place like the kids in Children of the Corn .”

“How long have they been married?” I said.

“About five years now I guess.”

Maddie swore off kids in college. After she helped her single mother raise seven younger brothers and sisters she had no intentions of being responsible for anybody but herself.

“Nick wants to move forward. He wants to make it official,” I said.

“He said that?”

“He wants us to move in together although I’m unclear whether he meant his place or mine,” I said.

“You can’t blame him for that sweetie.”

“Right now our life together is simple and uncomplicated. I have my space and he has his. Why can’t it remain like that?”

“Depends on how long you plan to stay that way. What are you on, your second year together?”

I nodded.

“We just hit the two year mark,” I said.

“No wonder he wants to settle. If you two were both in your twenties, it would be different.”

“I thought you of all people would understand,” I said.

“Just because I don’t plan to walk down the aisle doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Nick’s the first guy I’ve seen you with who makes you happy. I can’t imagine you with anyone else.”

“What if he moves in and it isn’t what he thought?” I said. “Then what?”

“You could get trampled by a herd of buffalo in some field tomorrow and end up dead anyway.”

“Nice,” I said.

“My point is you don’t know what’s going to happen in life. How do you know moving in together won’t make life even sweeter than it already is––did you ever think of it like that?”

She leaned over and gave me a hug and whispered in my ear.

“You get one shot at life, don’t waste it.”

The door swung open and a group of teenagers strolled in. They laughed and talked to one another at such a high decibel I thought for sure I would rupture an eardrum. Maddie looked at me and we both reached for our coats.

“Thanks for the gelato,” I said.

“Anytime.”

Maddie pushed the front door open and we walked out.

“Headed back to your office?” I said.

She shook her head.

“I’m off to play catch up with my old friend Whitley.”

CHAPTER 48

When I was a young girl I had a master plan, a vision board that I kept locked away in a safe place inside my head, and whenever I took out my key and visited I planned out my life. Grow up, get married, and raise kids––four of them to be exact. Two boys, two girls. At twelve I wanted their names to be Piper, Kelly, Rhys, and Peter. Problem was no one ever told me what to do when my master plan failed, and I was too headstrong to believe it could be anything less than what I imagined. I would have a perfect husband, raise four perfect children, and live a perfect life. But then I grew up. Marriage came and then divorce. And my dream of four kids––I wasn’t fortuitous enough to produce one. My body and its natural form of birth control made sure of that. Plan A didn’t work out, and I never thought I needed a Plan B.

Maybe Charlotte felt that way. On her vision board she aspired to greatness. She was a professional skier and then a real estate agent, and a good one at that. She met and fell in love with a man who she thought she could trust, and at some point along the way she became cognizant enough to see that he did not have her best interests at heart. I wondered if she was at a good place in her life when she died. She paid the ultimate price, and it didn’t seem fair.

By the time I reached Charlotte’s office the closed sign dangled from the front door. No key for Vicki tonight. I assumed she wouldn’t mind, but I gave her a call anyway. Much to my chagrin, she gave me her address and asked me to stop by. She had a client anxious to see the place and she wanted to do a walkthrough beforehand. So much had changed in so little time. One day Charlotte was alive in her condo, and the next it was up for sale to the highest bidder.

I arrived at the house around dinnertime. Vicki stood at her front door with a wine glass in one hand and a remote control in the other. A silk robe was draped around her body and her legs were exposed which led me to wonder why she didn’t invest in a treadmill and a longer robe.

“Nice house,” I said.

“I figure I work hard enough,” she said. “I deserve to come home to this.”

“Are you married?”

“I was. My husband and I divorced a couple of years ago. He lives in Florida now on his yacht with a woman half his age.”

“Sorry to hear it,” I said.

She shook her head.

“Don’t be. I got the house, and he got the tramp.”

I remained quiet. The plight of a woman scorned didn’t need more fuel to its fire.

“How’s life at the office these days?” I said.

“Almost back to normal, if you can call it that. Jack is back to his old self again––sell, sell, sell.”

A cold wind crossed my body. I zipped up my jacket and reached in the car for my scarf.

“I’m sorry. How rude of me,” Vicki said. “Why don’t you come in for a minute and get out of this horrid weather?”

“I can’t stay,” I said.

I reached for the key in my purse.

“I bet you’re glad this whole Parker mess is all over.”

“I guess so,” I said.

“Aren’t you?”

“Audrey is satisfied, and everyone wants to move on with their lives,” I said.

“And you?”

“Of course I want to, but––”

“Parker made it easy on you when he keeled over, don’t you agree? Poor guy couldn’t live with himself after what he’d done. If you ask me, the world is better off without him.”

I hadn’t asked her.

“Maybe,” I said.

“You don’t agree?”

“It’s convenient for everyone to assume Parker killed Charlotte and then himself when he couldn’t live with the guilt.”

“You want my advice? Rejoice. It’s over and you don’t have to deal with it anymore. It won’t do you any good to stew over it.”

I ran my hands up and down my arms.

“You sure you don’t want to come in?”

If going inside meant more of her so-called advice, it was time to leave.

I walked toward her and produced the key.

“I better go,” I said.

“Well, alright then, if you’re sure.”

She flipped the key over and over in her hand.

“Thanks for this.”

CHAPTER 49

The next day my phone rang. It was Maddie.

“How’s Whitley?” I said.

“Much improved.”

“Did you get anything out of him?”

“Really Sloane, what do you think?”

“Should I ask what you did to get it?” I said.

“Probably best if you didn’t.”

Something crunched in the background.

“Care to know what’s in my hot little hand right at this moment?”

“Not Whitley, I hope.”

She laughed.

“And people don’t think you’re funny.”

“Do you have something for me?” I said.

“Indeed I do. Can we meet at your office?”

“I’ll see you there,” I said, and hung up the phone.

Thirty minutes later I pulled into the parking lot. Maddie, who knew where to find the hidden key, opened the door and greeted me with the file in hand.

“Merry early Christmas or a merry late one,” she said.

“And a Happy New Year to Whitley,” I said.

“Don’t shake your head at me Sloane; I know all about what you’ve had to do for information.”

I ignored her statement and sat down.

“Did Whitley give you this file?” I said.