Random Acts of Deceit (Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries Book 2) Read online

  I squirmed. That did not sound like something my composed sister would say. I patted her shoulder, remembering again that it was my duty to make things go smoothly. “It’s not that bad.”

  “Are you looking at the same catastrophe I am?” she exclaimed, going all Bridezilla on me. Her eyes were wide, her mascara smeared, and her nostrils flared.

  Scary was the best word to describe her. Not flattering, but highly accurate.

  I backed away ever so slowly in an attempt to get out of the line of fire. The dress was horrible on her. It was too large at the chest, and it sagged downward, too revealing to be classy. It was too long, even with the three-inch heels she wore. The waist puckered out, and the sleeves kept slipping down in a sloppy, trashy kind of way.

  “With a few more pins . . .” I started. I’d already used about fifty safety pins, trying to make the dress presentable. It hadn’t worked.

  “If I have one more pin on me, I might as well be a donkey at a child’s birthday party.” She managed to say the words without moving her jaw.

  Again, way scary. I didn’t even bother to respond. But we were supposed to be at the church in an hour—an hour! That’s when the organist would play “Here Comes the Bride.” Alex couldn’t walk down the aisle like this.

  Mom frowned in the background. “I might have an idea. Wait right here.”

  I watched Mom walk off, wondering exactly what she was planning. Maybe superglue could fix this mess. Was it possible to use that on a wedding dress? Or duct tape, maybe? I had no idea.

  “Why is everything going wrong?” Alex stomped over to a chair and plopped down with a pouty frown. Again, very unlike my sister.

  I didn’t want to be the one to tell her that a psycho connected with the Arnold Pegman trial might be trying to sabotage her wedding, as well as my life. She wasn’t in the right mental state to accept that news.

  A moment later, Mom returned holding something in her hands.

  It was . . . her own wedding gown.

  The dress that I, Holly Anna Paladin, the official sentimental one in the family, was supposed to wear on my wedding day. The white one with a simple lace brocade along the front. Sleeveless. Gently gathered at the waist. Delicate beads sewn on the skirt.

  “I took the liberty of having it altered earlier this week, just in case. It should fit you.” Mom held it against Alex, her eyes beaming with delight.

  My mouth dropped opened. Keep it all good for Alex, I told myself. But inwardly, I was fuming. If that dress had been altered for Alex, then it would never fit me. Alex was tall and had curves in all the right places. I was petite and slender, with a girlish figure.

  “I know old things aren’t your first choice,” Mom said. “But don’t you at least want to try it on?”

  Alex stood and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I was so mean about this dress. I said it looked outdated.”

  I turned away as Alex slipped the ruined wedding dress off and put Mom’s on. I heard them gasp behind me and couldn’t stop myself from turning. I blinked in surprise. The dress fit Alex perfectly. Even with its lacy brocade and simple lines, Alex made it look like a million bucks.

  “This is perfect, Mom,” she said. New tears shone in her eyes now. But these were tears of joy instead of sorrow. She kissed Mom’s cheeks. “Thank you so much for being so considerate.”

  Considerate? What about being considerate of me? I knew this was no time for a tirade, but really? That dress had been promised to me. For the past eight years, I’d been planning on wearing it on my wedding day. In every single one of my fantasies, that dress was there.

  “What do you think, Holly?” Alex asked.

  I looked over, fighting my own tears this time. “It’s lovely,” I finally croaked out.

  She smiled. “Well, I guess I should get my makeup fixed and get going. It’s time for me to get married!”

  Mom was positively glowing. I supposed she’d forgotten that promise to me. I kept trying to push aside my own feelings and desires, but they kept popping to the surface again, as feelings were prone to do.

  I primped my hair once more and adjusted the black, sleeveless gown I wore. I just had to get today over with. After Alex was married, then I could concentrate on everything else.

  “Holly, are you okay?” my sister asked as we started toward the front door. “You look a little pale.”

  I forced a smile and turned toward her. “Of course. You look beautiful, Alex.”

  She gave me a hug. “Thanks, Holly. I couldn’t have done any of this without you. You’re the best maid of honor ever.”

  A sob got caught in my throat.

  Before it escaped, my cell phone beeped. It was Chase.

  If he was calling my cell phone, then it must be important. I still had fears this one was bugged.

  “Holly, I have some news for you.”

  I stepped away from the crowds. “What’s that?”

  “Arnold Pegman’s friend? The one you got the letter from?”

  “Yes, what about him?”

  “He’s been in London the past two weeks with an old friend of his. He definitely wasn’t the one threatening you.”

  My blood went cold. “Really? You’re sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “But where does that leave me?”

  “It leaves you in a very dangerous position still. Whoever this man is who’s been threatening you . . . we still have no idea who he is. Be careful, Holly. I’m not sure any of this is over yet, and that’s what scares me the most.”

  ***

  I could hardly concentrate as Alex, the rest of the bridesmaids, and I were sequestered in a room before the ceremony. All the other ladies were clucking like hens, but worry stained my every thought. If someone truly wanted to ruin the wedding, this was the perfect time to do it.

  All my leads had fizzled, and I had no clue whom to watch out for anymore.

  Meanwhile, Alex had gone from Bridezilla to being as happy as a clam.

  While everyone else seemed content, I sat down in the corner and opened a box Snooty Sarah had brought in. Pictures filled it.

  Sarah must have spotted me because she beelined toward me. “Everything okay?”

  I nodded, way too melancholy for this day. “What are these?”

  “Alex wanted some pictures for the slide show during the reception—I was in charge of putting it together, so I collected pictures from your mom, and I had some of my own from back in the day as well. She said she wanted more than just pictures of her and William. They’re starting from when they were babies and leading up to when they met, or something. Anyway, those are the leftovers.”

  I picked up the first one and smiled. It was a picture of Alex with Dad. Again, hot moisture filled my gaze. I was turning into a weepy, sobbing mess. What was wrong with me?

  But I knew what had caused this reaction. Dad should have been here. He should be glowing when he saw Alex waiting to be walked down the aisle. He should have pictures from this day that he could place in his wallet and show people with pride. I needed him to be here. I needed him to be on my side through the thick and thin of life.

  But that wasn’t going to happen.

  Before I let my emotions get the best of me, I put the picture down and picked up the next one. It was of Alex and her friends from college, partying hard in an Ivy League type of way. They all looked preppy and pretty but with a glimmer of trouble in their eyes.

  I continued to flip, but I stopped on one of the photos. It was a group of guys, their arms around each other, and the mountains in the background. Based on the backpacks at their feet, they’d just been hiking.

  One of the men in the picture looked familiar, but I couldn’t remember why. There was just something about him that struck a chord with me, that made me think I’d talked to him before. Was it . . . ? No, it couldn’t be.

  “Who is this?” I asked Sarah.

  She laughed, looked at me like I was testing her, and then sobered. “You really don’t
remember?”

  I shook my head. “No, I really don’t.”

  She smirked. “That’s Brandon.”

  I stared at the picture again. That’s when I realized with a quick and sudden start who was behind all this chaos. If I closed my eyes and added about twenty pounds to the man in the photos. If I gave him different hair and clothes. A different personality. Maybe even a different nose.

  How could I not have seen it earlier? Was I that dense?

  Apparently I was, because he’d pulled this off flawlessly.

  I stood, ready to take some kind of action. Before I could, the door opened and the wedding coordinator stepped inside with a wide flourish of her arms.

  “It’s time!” she exclaimed.

  Tension rose in me. What was I supposed to do? Stop the wedding? That wouldn’t go over well, especially since all of this was just a hunch. I hadn’t had a chance to think everything through. But I knew who the bad guy was. I knew he wanted to ruin this wedding. I wasn’t sure why or what he was planning. But this could all turn out very ugly.

  We all lined up. I actually felt like I was kind of shoved in place. As I took my position, I grabbed my cell phone and stuck it in my bouquet of roses. I glanced around. No one had seen me.

  Before I could say anything or warn anyone, we were ushered out the door and into the foyer by the sanctuary. My brother joined Alex at the back of the procession. He was going to give her away. Did either of them have any clue what kind of madness might ensue in the next few minutes?

  Mom hurried toward me, which was odd considering she was supposed to be seated soon. The ushers were waiting for her at the door, but instead she leaned toward me with a glimmer of worry in her eyes. “Guess who’s here.”

  An impending feeling of doom surfaced in my gut, and I gasped for air. “Who?”

  “Brandon Gordon,” she whispered, her lips forming a perfect O. “Can you believe it? I hardly recognized him.”

  My blood pressure ratcheted into the sky.

  My worst fears were confirmed.

  Brandon had been right under my nose this whole time. And I’d failed to see him, even hiding in plain sight.

  CHAPTER 38

  I held my bouquet closer and slipped my hand inside. Trying to be subtle, I typed in the name of Segreto, the dating service, and waited for the page to load. This was supposed to be their launch day, after all. Certainly they had a site up by now.

  I blinked in surprise when I saw the pictures of the company’s founders.

  “Holly, move!” Alex urged behind me.

  I looked up and saw the other bridesmaids had already started down the aisle. I raised my chin and tried to pretend I was happy and relaxed. But my phone was staring at me from my bouquet. This was breaking every etiquette rule I’d ever subscribed to. Mary Manners would not approve. Nor would my mom. Not even jailbird Martha Stewart.

  I glanced down, knowing the page I needed to see was just a few clicks away. Then I could confirm whether or not my theory was crazy. I suspected it wasn’t.

  I grinned at the people around me as I attempted to look composed. I tried to concentrate on the classic architecture of the sanctuary with its steepled ceiling and massive wooden beams. I saw stained-glass windows, intricate arches near the choir loft, and a perfect center aisle that was decorated elegantly with a red runner and white rose petals.

  I wished I could say I cared. But, at the moment, I didn’t.

  Finally, I reached the front of the sanctuary, took my position, and turned to face the guests in attendance.

  All of their attention riveted toward the back as “Wedding March” began playing. This was my chance.

  I glanced at the screen and blinked twice. I saw the two men I’d talked to in the office that day. Al K. Duh and Toaster. Then my gaze traveled to the third founder of the dating service. Benjamin Radcliff.

  The Benjamin listed on their website was not the same Benjamin Radcliff I’d met, however.

  The Benjamin I’d met looked an awful lot like Brandon Gordon.

  I gasped at the confirmation.

  When I did, my phone tumbled out of my bouquet and scattered onto the floor. People looked away from Alex during her Big Walk Down the Aisle and stared at me.

  I glanced up. My sister’s smile slipped and a scowl replaced it. A scowl directed toward me.

  My phone was right where Alex was supposed to stand in the center of the stage. I let out a feeble, airy—hopefully nearly silent—laugh before reaching down and grabbing the device. As I did, William caught my eye. His eyes should have been on Alex, but instead I’d caused a scene at the worst possible moment.

  My cheeks flushed at the thought. This was not my style, nor did I enjoy stealing other people’s spotlights.

  I jammed the phone back into my bouquet and acted like nothing had happened. It was the best way to defuse the situation. Inwardly I wanted to crawl under a rock, though.

  As I surveyed the chapel—and as people turned back to Alex in her big moment—I spotted someone in the back.

  Chase.

  Why had he shown up here? I mean, I was thrilled to see him. But I thought he’d agreed not to come until this whole fiasco was over. He knew the risks.

  It was more than that, though. The look in his eyes told me that something was wrong. And he wasn’t standing in the back of the room out of respect. Well, maybe partially. But I had a feeling he was keeping an eye on something. Could he know?

  Jamie also stared at me from her fourth-row seat. Her eyes narrowed, and she silently asked me what was going on. I tilted my head and widened my eyes, trying to confirm her suspicions that something was seriously wrong.

  Somehow, our silent communication seemed to work, because her eyes widened also, and she glanced around. She seemed to sense that the trial had never been the reason behind this whole ordeal. No, the wedding was. And the bad guy was here and waiting to make his move, most likely.

  I still didn’t know Brandon’s motive. Was he simply vengeful? Was he having an “If I can’t have you, no one can” moment? I didn’t know. But right now that didn’t matter as much as keeping everyone safe did.

  Ralph agreed to give Alex to William, he kissed her cheek, and she sauntered up the steps. I rushed to straighten the train of her heirloom dress, weighing my options in my head but reaching no firm conclusions as to the right thing to do.

  Just then my phone buzzed in my bouquet. I glanced down as my screen lit. It was a text message.

  I have a bomb.

  I gasped. As my sister cut her gaze toward me, I offered a weak smile and tried to play it off—something I was never good at doing.

  “You look so beautiful,” I whispered instead.

  That seemed to pacify her temporarily, and she turned back to William. The minister began his opening remarks, talking about the beauty and sacredness of marriage. Any other time, I’d love to listen. But not right now.

  I glanced around. I knew Brandon was here, and he was watching. But where? Why couldn’t I spot him? There were probably three hundred guests here, but still.

  Sweat beaded across my forehead.

  “Holly,” Alex whispered.

  I looked over and saw her trying to hand me her bouquet. I took it from her as she and William turned to face each other for their vows.

  I glanced out again and saw both Ralph and Mom giving me odd looks. They had no idea.

  Where would Brandon have hidden a bomb? Under a pew? In the choir loft? In one of the presents?

  That last possibility seemed to make the most sense. Those gifts were all sitting right out in the lobby, just waiting to be opened. Plus there was that text message I’d seen on Heather’s phone. Do you have my gift?

  As I scanned the guests again, I spotted him. Brandon. He was here. And he was gloating at me.

  My phone buzzed again.

  “Really?” Sarah whispered behind me, her voice lilting self-righteously.

  Thankfully I didn’t think anyone but the people o
nstage could hear anything. I glanced down, but a rose blocked the message on my phone. It was tricky because now I had Alex’s flowers also. But I carefully reached over and shoved the flower aside.

  Object to this wedding or I’ll blow the whole place up.

  My mouth dropped open. He had to be kidding.

  I looked over at Brandon and saw him smirk. He wasn’t kidding. He really would blow this place up.

  CHAPTER 39

  Hadn’t Brandon worked for a private defense contractor? And he was a genius. That must be how he had his knowledge of bombs and technology. My own father might have taught him a thing or two about being a locksmith. In fact, I vaguely remembered Brandon filling in on some weekends and in the summer. I’d been away at summer camp and would have been gone for most of that time.

  There was no way I was objecting to Alex’s wedding. She’d never forgive me. Of course, if she were dead, then none of this would matter.

  What was I going to do?

  Someone stood up and began to sing “I Choose You.”

  Oh no. I felt it. The nausea that began in my gut. Stress always made me want to throw up. And now vomit was rearing its ugly little head.

  Not here. Not now. Not in the middle of all this.

  I handed Alex’s bouquet to Sarah, mumbled an apology, and hurried off the stage amongst the gasps of the crowd.

  I kept walking until I reached the back of the sanctuary and entered the foyer. Chase was by my side in a heartbeat.

  “He’s here, Chase,” I said, my voice trembling. “He has a bomb. He wants me to object to the wedding. If I don’t play along, he’s going to blow this place up.”

  “How do you know?”

  I pulled my phone out. “He’s been texting me.”

  “We’ve got to get everyone out of there, Holly.”

  “I can’t ruin her wedding.” My words sounded lame. I mean, I knew the implications. But what a mess. “But there is one thing I can do.”

  “What’s that?”

  I reached beside me and pulled down the fire alarm. “That,” I muttered as sirens filled the air. “I’m so sorry, Alex.”