Read Terror in Taffeta for Free Online Page B

there, the bride and groom would be off to the Riviera Maya for their honeymoon. I’d fly back home and find a bride to work with who was an orphan or maybe had two dads, and Mrs. Abernathy could go back to whatever hell she came from.
    â€œOkay,” said Nicole.
    â€œGreat,” I replied, heading toward the door, anxious to finish packing.
    Ever the gentleman, Vince stood to see me out. “Thanks for everything, Kelsey. You really did do a great job planning our wedding.”
    â€œIt was my pleasure,” I said, and I even kind of meant it for a second or two, until Mrs. Abernathy chimed in: “Next time maybe you can keep a better eye on things. But I suppose the flowers turned out nice.”
    As I reached for the door, a sudden pounding on the other side of it made me jump back a couple of feet.
    â€œPolicía,” I heard from outside the door. Oh, thank goodness. They were done, which meant I could finish packing Dana’s things and get us out by four.
    â€œWell, don’t just stand there,” said Mrs. Abernathy. “Let them in.”
    I opened the door for Ortiz and Nolasco.
    â€œHello, officers. Are you all done?”
    â€œWho’s in charge here?” asked Ortiz. I hadn’t noticed before how intimidatingly tall he was. It didn’t help that he was hovering over me with a scowl on his face.
    I started to point to Mrs. Abernathy, but she cut me off.
    â€œShe is,” she said, pointing a finger back at me.
    â€œOh, um, well—I’m just the wedding planner. Is the room all clear? Can I go finish packing it up now?”
    â€œNo, the room is sealed. You cannot go in.”
    I sighed. I hated to leave the mess for someone else, but I didn’t have a choice. “Okay. I’ll tell the leasing company. I’m sure they’ll figure something out.” I grabbed a pen and paper off the desk and scribbled my cell phone number. “Here’s my contact info. If there’s anything we can do to help—”
    â€œI’m going to need a list of everyone who was staying here last night,” Ortiz said, flipping open a notepad and poising his pen above it.
    â€œYou don’t think we had anything to do with this, do you?” Mrs. Abernathy asked indignantly.
    Ortiz ignored her. “The names, please?” It was more of a command than a question.
    No one jumped in, and the two officers were staring at me expectantly. “Oh, sure. There was me, Kelsey McKenna. Then the bride and groom here, Nicole and Vince.” I paused between names so he could write them down. “Nicole’s sister, Zoe. Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy…”
    Ortiz looked around the room. “Mr. Abernathy? Where is he?”
    â€œI believe he had to fly out early this morning,” I said, looking at Mrs. Abernathy for confirmation.
    â€œThat’s correct,” she said. “He had to be in Mexico City by nine A.M . to catch a flight home. Business calls!”
    â€œThere was also another bridesmaid, Claire Johnson, and Ryan McGuire, the best man, but they headed back this morning, too.”
    Ortiz and Nolasco exchanged exasperated looks. I could have told them that wrangling a wedding party is like herding cats.
    â€œOkay, we’re going to need their full names and phone numbers. In the meantime, don’t anyone else leave until we can clear this up. We’re going to need to talk to everyone who was staying here,” said Officer Ortiz.
    I checked my watch. “Sure, we’ve got a little time. We don’t leave for another two hours.”
    His head jerked up from the notebook he’d been scribbling in. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask that none of you leave town.”
    There was a stunned silence as the words sank in. Mrs. Abernathy was the first to speak: “You don’t understand: we don’t live here. No live-o here-o .”
    Ortiz glared at Mrs. Abernathy’s improvised