flagstones.
Eileen pointed into the garden. She gasped a couple of times before finding her voice.
“Out—out there! In the pond! Oh, my God, it’s awful!”
Meghan wanted to scream at the lack of information. “What’s awful? Did someone attack you?”
“No, no!” Eileen sobbed and buried her face in her hands. “There’s a body…in the fish pond.”
“A body? Whose?” her husband demanded.
“I—I don’t know. I was just walking and went to the edge of the pond, saw something floating, and ran.”
“So, it might not be a body at all. You have had a couple of glasses of wine,” her husband said.
“I am not drunk!”
He pulled Eileen into his arms. “Of course, you’re not, but maybe you made a mistake in the dark and your imagination took over.”
“I’m calling 9-1-1,” a woman in the doorway declared.
“Wait a minute,” Zach told her. “Let’s make sure there is a body not just a tree branch or someone’s sick idea of a practical joke. We need a flashlight.”
“I have a small one attached to my key chain,” a woman offered.
“I have a penlight in my purse,” another replied.
“Go get them. What’s your name?” Zach asked the husband as the women left.
“Carl Davis. I’m Eileen’s husband. Do you think this is a joke?”
“I don’t know, but we need to find out before calling in the police. If it is a body, a few more minutes can’t hurt.”
The women returned and handed Zach the items. He gave one to Carl and flicked his on.
“It’s not much, but will have to do. Meghan, stay with Eileen. This won’t take long.”
Meghan nodded as the men trotted down the steps and disappeared into the night, the feeble glow from the flashlights bobbing down the path until they vanished.
“We should get her inside,” a woman suggested.
Meghan shook her head. “Too hot. Someone bring a chair.”
A man near the door complied, and Meghan eased a still shaky Eileen into it.
“Oh, God, I’m going to faint.”
“No, you’re not.” Meghan pushed Eileen’s head between her knees and rubbed her back. “Take slow, even breaths. You’ll be fine.”
A minute later the woman straightened pressing a hand to her chest. “Do you think it’s a joke?”
“Well, if it is, it’s not very funny.”
Meghan thought back to the practical jokers in the class. This was just the kind of thing Suzanne and Dave would think up for entertainment—shove a mannequin in the pond and wait for someone to find it. She hadn’t seen either of them since leaving the table.
Damn those two anyway .
She swore if that redheaded bitch was behind this, she’d punch Suzanne right in the nose. Dave, too. Money hadn’t changed them. They still harbored a high school mentality.
Eileen cried softly.
“Someone get me a tissue or a napkin,” Meghan requested.
A few seconds later, a man stuffed a wad of cocktail napkins in her hand. She gave them to Eileen.
“Here, there’s no need to cry. You’ll give yourself a headache.”
Eileen wiped her face and blew her nose, then turned a watery gaze to Meghan. “I wish the guys would come back. What’s taking so long?”
Meghan wondered the same. Zach and Carl had been gone almost ten minutes. Maybe they had trouble finding the pond or negotiating the pathways with those tiny flashlights.
The crowd milled around talking in low voices.
Dave Coryell bulled his way through the doors.
“What’s going on out here? Has anyone seen Suzanne? I’ve been looking for her everywhere.”
“Eileen thinks she found a body floating in the fish pond,” Glory said. She and Tom stood just outside the doors.
“A body? You’re kidding. Whose?”
Meghan wanted to smack him. As if he didn’t know. His attitude confirmed her suspicions of a practical joke. Then from below, she heard the crunch of gravel.
Zach and a clearly shaken Carl mounted the steps.
“Well?” she questioned. Anxiety roughened her voice.
“Call the police, and notify the management
Eileen pointed into the garden. She gasped a couple of times before finding her voice.
“Out—out there! In the pond! Oh, my God, it’s awful!”
Meghan wanted to scream at the lack of information. “What’s awful? Did someone attack you?”
“No, no!” Eileen sobbed and buried her face in her hands. “There’s a body…in the fish pond.”
“A body? Whose?” her husband demanded.
“I—I don’t know. I was just walking and went to the edge of the pond, saw something floating, and ran.”
“So, it might not be a body at all. You have had a couple of glasses of wine,” her husband said.
“I am not drunk!”
He pulled Eileen into his arms. “Of course, you’re not, but maybe you made a mistake in the dark and your imagination took over.”
“I’m calling 9-1-1,” a woman in the doorway declared.
“Wait a minute,” Zach told her. “Let’s make sure there is a body not just a tree branch or someone’s sick idea of a practical joke. We need a flashlight.”
“I have a small one attached to my key chain,” a woman offered.
“I have a penlight in my purse,” another replied.
“Go get them. What’s your name?” Zach asked the husband as the women left.
“Carl Davis. I’m Eileen’s husband. Do you think this is a joke?”
“I don’t know, but we need to find out before calling in the police. If it is a body, a few more minutes can’t hurt.”
The women returned and handed Zach the items. He gave one to Carl and flicked his on.
“It’s not much, but will have to do. Meghan, stay with Eileen. This won’t take long.”
Meghan nodded as the men trotted down the steps and disappeared into the night, the feeble glow from the flashlights bobbing down the path until they vanished.
“We should get her inside,” a woman suggested.
Meghan shook her head. “Too hot. Someone bring a chair.”
A man near the door complied, and Meghan eased a still shaky Eileen into it.
“Oh, God, I’m going to faint.”
“No, you’re not.” Meghan pushed Eileen’s head between her knees and rubbed her back. “Take slow, even breaths. You’ll be fine.”
A minute later the woman straightened pressing a hand to her chest. “Do you think it’s a joke?”
“Well, if it is, it’s not very funny.”
Meghan thought back to the practical jokers in the class. This was just the kind of thing Suzanne and Dave would think up for entertainment—shove a mannequin in the pond and wait for someone to find it. She hadn’t seen either of them since leaving the table.
Damn those two anyway .
She swore if that redheaded bitch was behind this, she’d punch Suzanne right in the nose. Dave, too. Money hadn’t changed them. They still harbored a high school mentality.
Eileen cried softly.
“Someone get me a tissue or a napkin,” Meghan requested.
A few seconds later, a man stuffed a wad of cocktail napkins in her hand. She gave them to Eileen.
“Here, there’s no need to cry. You’ll give yourself a headache.”
Eileen wiped her face and blew her nose, then turned a watery gaze to Meghan. “I wish the guys would come back. What’s taking so long?”
Meghan wondered the same. Zach and Carl had been gone almost ten minutes. Maybe they had trouble finding the pond or negotiating the pathways with those tiny flashlights.
The crowd milled around talking in low voices.
Dave Coryell bulled his way through the doors.
“What’s going on out here? Has anyone seen Suzanne? I’ve been looking for her everywhere.”
“Eileen thinks she found a body floating in the fish pond,” Glory said. She and Tom stood just outside the doors.
“A body? You’re kidding. Whose?”
Meghan wanted to smack him. As if he didn’t know. His attitude confirmed her suspicions of a practical joke. Then from below, she heard the crunch of gravel.
Zach and a clearly shaken Carl mounted the steps.
“Well?” she questioned. Anxiety roughened her voice.
“Call the police, and notify the management
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