Laina Turner - Presley Thurman 06 - Tiaras & Texans (13 page)

Chapter 21

S
o this is it?” I asked Linda. “The final practice before the big show?”

“Yep. We have tonight and then tomorrow, and at about 10:00 p.m. it will be all over.”

“Almost seems like a let down. All this hard work over the last few days and the actual show is only a couple hours long.  Except for the winner, it must seem like a lot of work for nothing for everyone else.”

“Most the girls are happy to consistently stay in the top five, as the prizes extend to fifth place.  Except, as it seems, Hollie. She was almost always in the top five and she didn’t find that good enough,” Linda said ruefully. “Such a shame.”

“I’m going to go ahead and make my way backstage. Cooper has his men staggered through the aisles and at each entrance. I will be in back with the girls, and fingers crossed this will go off without a hitch. We can celebrate after with a glass of wine.”

“Sounds good.”

I walked backstage to see girls everywhere in some form of panic over something. Just watching them stressed me out. I checked to make sure Cooper’s guys were all in place, and I went to stand off to the side to stay out of everyone’s way but still able to keep an eye on things. I had been standing there for a few minutes when Elaine came up to me.

“Presley, Cooper asked me to tell you to meet him in the Cambridge suite when I saw you.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes. He was here just a few minutes ago. He said there were a couple last minute logistical changes he needed to discuss with you. Now you better go before he gets mad again.”

I frowned at her. “Okay, but I will be right back.  Tell Linda if you see her.” I walked out the back entrance of the stage and took the service elevator up to the second floor where the Cambridge suite was and pushed open the door. No one was here and the all the lights weren’t even on.

“Hello? Hello?” I paused. Did I hear voices? I heard something coming from the adjoining room to the Cambridge, which was the station room. I quietly walked to the adjoining doorway and peeked through the slit. My eyes widened in surprise. I’d had my suspicions but had hoped I was wrong. I slowly pushed the door open.

“It was you? But why?” I asked, walking in to see Maddie and Harvey.

“Because he doesn’t deserve his success. He ruined my life,” Maddie said, holding a gun on Harvey and now on both of us. After seeing Harvey fidget with his cufflinks during his speech, and making a call to Izzy to find that the missing pieces to their collection at the greenhouse were a set of cufflinks, I started to put things together. I just didn’t understand why.

“What did I do?” cried Harvey.

“You don’t remember me!” she screeched. “You son of a bitch!”

“Do I know you?”

“Does Marilyn Smothers ring a bell?”

“Is it supposed to?”

“Miss Texas 1982. You worked for Blue Ribbon Productions back then as a photographer’s assistant.”

I looked at Harvey. He looked back at me and shrugged his shoulders. Then he looked at Maddie and I finally saw recognition dawn on his face. So did she, and it didn’t make her any happier than when he hadn’t remembered her.

“Nice of you to finally remember, especially since we slept together.  It was only by three weeks, and no one would have found out if you would have kept your mouth shut.”

“But you were breaking the rules, and I could have lost my job if my boss had found out I knew you didn’t meet the requirements and didn’t say anything.”

“Let me get this straight. Maddie, you wanted revenge on Harvey for ruining your chances to be Miss Texas thirty years ago?” I asked. That was a long time to hold a grudge.

“He ruined my life. I had it all planned. I would win Miss Texas and spend a year doing appearances and promotions. I would then take the scholarship money and be able to pursue a degree in drama, move to New York, and become a famous actress. But no. He had to be all high and mighty and turn me in for a measly three weeks. So instead of the life I deserved I had to go to community college and had to take over the family business. I don’t even like flowers.”

“But why wait for so long to plan your revenge?”

“I was waiting for the right time to ruin him like he ruined me. When we fired Elaine for embezzling and I found out she got a job with Pageants Unlimited I saw my chance. The rest was easy.”

I knew it. Elaine was involved.

“Elaine was going behind my back? After I gave her a job?” asked Harvey.

“Wait a minute, I thought Elaine got this job because her aunt knew Harvey.”

“I never said that,” Harvey said.

I thought for a minute and realized he was right. Elaine had told me that. I never asked Linda or Harvey to confirm. “But then who was the redhead who came to your shop looking for tassel flowers? I assumed it was Elaine.”

“She got some friend to help us. Not as smart as you thought you were, Presley?” Maddie sneered. “Elaine was more than happy to help me rather than face paying restitution for stealing money from us.”

“So you and Elaine were behind the pranks?”

“I wouldn’t waste my time on those pathetic little pranks Elaine pulled. She’s not all that smart or creative. I just told her to cause some disturbances, so when I created the real havoc people would be confused trying to tie them all together.”

“Was Hollie working with you guys, too?”

“No, that was just a lucky break. Elaine found out she was the one who had leaked the photos and I tried to convince her to help us. She was much better at being vindictive than Elaine, but she wasn’t interested in a partnership. That’s when I knew she would be a good sacrifice for the cause.”

“What did you think you were going to accomplish?” Harvey cried. I could tell he was in shock over everything Maddie was telling us.

“It’s not what I think is 
going
  to happen. It’s what’s already happened. People are leaving you. No one will want to attend your pageants because they won’t feel safe, and you’ll be finished.”

“Maddie, you won’t get away with this,” I said.

“You don’t think I’ve got that covered? Because of Miss Nosey here I’ve had to make an adjustment to my plans, but once I get rid of both of you, I will be long gone and no one will find me.”

“Y-y-ou’re going to kill us?” Harvey stammered. “But I thought you just wanted to ruin me?”

Maddie shrugged. “Sorry. Sometimes plans change. You can blame her,” she said, pointing to me. “My original plan had you living out your days depressed because you lost your business. Now I won’t be able to enjoy your suffering, but you won’t be around to enjoy anything either. It’s just something I’ll have to live with.”

This lady was nuts. Why was it always the ones who seemed the nicest who were the psychos?

“How did you figure out I was on to you?”

“Izzy told me you called about the pieces missing from the mother-of-pearl set. I knew you had probably figured out I was the one who gave them to Harvey, and I knew then you were a loose end I needed to tie up.”

“Oh.  My. God!” By the look on his face it was all coming back to him.

“Oh, now you’re remembering.  I thought we were in love.  I gave you myself and gave you those cufflinks.  For what? Betrayal!”

“Maddie.  I’m so sorry. I had no idea that …”

“Save it!” she yelled.

“Maddie, don’t be dumb. You don’t want to live the rest of your life looking over your shoulder,” I said.

“I’ve already killed one person. What’s a couple more? In the grand scheme of things it’s not that much different.”

“Do something, Presley,” Harvey whined.

Maddie pointed the gun at me. “Go ahead. Do something.  I dare you.”

Time ticked slowly and I wasn’t quite sure what I could do that wouldn’t get us both killed.

Chapter 22

M
addie! What on earth are you doing?”

“Izzy!” I exclaimed, as she walked through the door. I had never been so happy to see someone, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, she could talk some sense into her sister.

“Izzy, what the hell are you doing here?” Maddie said, lowering the gun to her side and sighing disappointedly but not taking her eyes off us. “You’re always meddling.”

“Well, someone has to. You’ve clearly gone off your rocker. I followed you when you left the house. And then a nice girl with a clipboard and earpiece told me you were up here. You’ve been acting so odd I wanted to find out what you were up to. Please explain to me what is going on. And put down that gun!”

“Izzy, this isn’t your business. For once in your life, please don’t interfere.”

“Maddie, stop this madness now. I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”

“You want to know why I’m doing this, Izzy? This man ruined my life and you know it. Now, I don’t have time to rehash this again for your benefit. I’ve already wasted enough time. If you won’t leave, Izzy, then I guess you will just have to watch.” Maddie raised her gun again and pointed it at Harvey.

“Maddie, no!” Izzy shouted. Maddie startled and looked over in Izzy’s direction and I heard a loud pop and a loud scream. Then there was silence.

“Well, Maddie, you did it this time,” Izzy said calmly as we all watched a red stain on her shirt on the side of her bicep spread slowly.

“Izzy!” I rushed over to her, Maddie be damned. “Are you okay?”

“You mean except for the gunshot delivered by my ignorant sister?” Izzy said, giving Maddie a look far more deadly than the gunshot. “I’m fine. I think it’s what you would call a flesh wound. I have a permit and several guns of my own,” she said by way of explaining as I looked at her wondering how she was remaining so calm. “It burns and hurts like hell, but I’m not going to die. Though Maddie might wish she had killed me when I get done with her.”  Her eyes narrowed as she glared at her sister.

Just then Cooper burst in the room with Detective Miller and a couple uniformed police on his heels.

“Are you okay?” he said to me.

“I’m fine. Maddie shot Izzy.”

Maddie started screaming as the policemen grabbed her and pulled her hands behind her back to cuff her. “Izzy, you ruined everything! Why did you have to interfere?”

Izzy just looked at her and shook her head. “I think I need to sit down. I’m feeling a little woozy.”

“Paramedics are on their way,” Cooper said, while I helped Izzy sit down. Harvey brought over a cold bottle of water from the mini fridge and I held it against the back of Izzy’s neck.

Cooper was looking at her wound. “It’s just a graze. Probably a couple stitches and you will be as good as new.”

“No thanks to my crazy sister. I’m sorry she put you through that,” she said to me.

“Don’t worry about me,” I told her, then moved out of the way as the paramedics had arrived.

“How did you find us?” I asked Cooper.

“Elaine.”

“But she’s the one who sent me up here. She was in on it with Maddie. Maddie said so herself.”

“Elaine must have started to feel guilty. She came up to me and said I had to get to the Cambridge room right away and confessed to everything. She told me Maddie blackmailed her into helping ruin Harvey, and said she told Maddie about the access panel by the fireplace. She had overheard Hollie and Candy talking about their plans and knew one of them would get there first and wait. Maddie accessed the opening through the HVAC room and waited.”

“But how could she have known one of the girls would have a water bottle with them?”

“Elaine said it was a gamble, but since the girls always carried around bottled water, and Hollie and Candy were going for a walk, they felt it pretty likely it would work.”

“All this because thirty years ago she lost out on a Ms. Texas title?”

“Some people can carry a grudge,” said Cooper.

“I’ll say.”

Chapter 23

A
nd the winner is Miss Allie Riley.”

Cheers went up from the crowd and thunderous clapping to congratulate Allie on her first place win. Janine was runner up and Marissa came in third. Again showing that a few shenanigans wouldn’t keep these competitors down.

Cooper and I were clapping along with everyone else, and he leaned over to me. “See, this wasn’t so bad.”

“I guess we make a good team. Where do we go next?”

“About that…”

The End

If you loved this book, I know you’ll enjoy the rest of my novels. Scroll through the titles below, or check out my website at http://www.lainaturner.com. If you sign up for my mailing list you will receive a free book! Thank you for reading!

A little about me…

As a child I thought I would either be a truck driver  (thanks to Jerry Reed in Smokey and the Bandit) or work at Taco Bell (her favorite restaurant as a child). As I grew older I realized my talents lay in academics and business and for the last several years have been a business consultant and college professor where I use the analytical side of my brain and not the side that makes up stories.

Through all my career choices I continued to have a passion for writing. This stemmed from childhood whereas an only child I developed a vivid imagination spending most of my time making things up and thinking the Incredible Hulk lived in my closet.

Proud of my vast experiences in life from barrel racing to being on the dance team for a semi pro basketball team to being a mom of 2 amazing kids, I tell my family and friends that no one is safe from their escapades slipping in to my books.

Taking the plunge to write books (cozy mysteries and chick lit) that I actually let people read in 2010, I have worked my way up to being a real author, having 5 fans (maybe 6 now). My blog, The Art Of Living Fabulously, was launched to share the daily fun in the life of a Real Housewife of the Midwest along with the musing of other fabulous ladies.

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