All Dressed in White (Under Suspicion #2)(33)
“Do I need to remind you he might be a murderer?” Jerry asked.
Timmy bounded into the room from the terrace, where he had been checking out the view of the ocean below. “Alex, did you bring a bathing suit? There’s a water park here with a slide that’s four stories tall!”
Laurie gave her son a hug. “Alex and I have to work. I told you: Grandpa’s going to be the one to take you. And believe it or not, Jerry was very excited about the possibility of joining you. If I can spare a few hours without him, he just might race you down the slide.”
“You don’t race on a super slide, Mom.” Timmy corrected her as if she had suggested that the Yankees were a football team. “It’s only wide enough for one person. And you didn’t even let Alex answer. Anyway, if Jerry can miss part of a day, why can’t Alex?”
“Because he’s busy,” Leo said, taking charge. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go down to the pool. We’ve got time for a short swim before dinner.”
? ? ?
Laurie shifted into work mode once Leo and Timmy were gone. She kept waiting for something to go terribly wrong, given how they’d rushed into production. “Jerry, have you confirmed that everyone is here?”
“To a person,” Jerry reported cheerfully. “I also did a walk-through in the ballroom with the camera crew. The hotel has staged it to resemble a smaller version of the reception Amanda and Jeff had planned. The room is absolutely stunning. White flowers and candlelight everywhere. I imagine that everyone seeing it—and all being together once again—should have quite the impact.”
Once they did a quick run-through of the participants and the points they wanted to cover in each individual interview, Laurie stood up and tucked her notebook in her bag as a signal that their meeting was ending.
“And what exactly is my role this evening?” Alex asked, smiling. Tonight’s gathering was not for interviews, Alex’s forte on the program.
“Just be your usual charming self.” The show always worked best when the participants were comfortable enough with Alex to let their guard down on camera. Without preliminary in-person interviews, he’d have to find alternative ways to build a rapport.
“And don’t forget the tuxedo,” Grace reminded him with a wink, as she followed Jerry out of the room.
“I apologize on behalf of my boy-crazy assistant,” Laurie said once they were alone. “I may have to call the human resources department to give her a refresher course on sexual harassment.”
Alex stepped toward her and took her into his arms. “Are we in any position to complain about romance occurring within your production team?”
She looked up at him as he leaned down to kiss her. “No, Counselor, I suppose we are not.”
? ? ?
Laurie found her father and son at the “active” pool, the most family-friendly of the resort’s four oceanfront pools. Timmy was hanging off one side of a float being steered by a slightly smaller child. It was just like her son to make a new friend within minutes of arrival. His father had been similarly outgoing. He was so much like Greg.
Her father was on a nearby lounge chair, one eye on his grandson, the other immersed in the latest Harlan Coben thriller. Years ago, he had given his business card to the author at a book signing, with an offer to answer any police-related questions he might have down the road. Laurie had never heard her father yelp so excitedly as when he spotted his own name in the acknowledgments of his favorite author’s next book.
Laurie made herself comfortable on the chair next to him. “I can take over from here so you can keep both eyes on your book for a while.”
“Timmy’s easy to watch these days. The kid would be more likely to save me from drowning than vice versa. Hey, by the way, I made another call to the local police about that photography intern, Jeremy Carroll.”
“Any luck?” she asked.
“Maybe. There’s a Jeremy Carroll, thirty-one years old, longtime local resident, whose height and weight listed on his Florida driver’s license would seem to fit the general description. He’s got a clean record except for a contempt conviction for violating some kind of court order. I called the court clerk and asked for a copy of the records. I’ll let you know what comes of it.”
“Thanks, Dad. I should talk to Brett about adding you to the payroll.”
“No amount of money would be worth having to take orders from Brett Young. By the way, don’t you need to get dolled up for the big reunion party?”
“You know me. Dolled up means brushing my hair and putting on some lip gloss.” Laurie knew that she was an attractive woman, but she never felt comfortable beneath layers of makeup and hairspray. She kept her honey-colored hair in a simple shoulder-length bob and rarely applied more than a single coat of mascara to highlight her hazel eyes. “And I do have a new cocktail dress that cost too much money, but I know I look good in it.”
“You’re beautiful just the way you are,” Leo said. “I know you’ve been stressed out about the ridiculous pace Brett’s expecting, but let yourself have some fun. You and Alex will both be dressed to the nines tonight. I’m happy to stay up with Timmy if the two of you want to make a night of it after the reception. Who knows? Maybe all this talk about the wedding that never came to pass will prove to be motivational.”