Hitched Read online

  The door opened and Walter, the elevator operator, looked at them with surprise. “Leaving us?” he asked.

  “We’re taking a couple days away. Arnold and Pamela could probably use a break,” Shauna said with a laugh. Sweetly she asked, “Could you let them know downstairs we’d like a cab?”

  “Of course,” Walter replied solemnly as he pressed the taxi signal. “I saw your name in the paper today, Ms. Nickles.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry about what happened to your wedding dress.”

  “Me, too,” Shauna said. “It’s just terrible what those thieves did.”

  “It certainly is,” Tyler agreed.

  The door opened at the ground floor, and Shauna and Tyler hurried off.

  Arnold and Pamela grabbed a cab in front of the church and gave the driver their address.

  “What’s the matter?” Arnold asked.

  “You know how sometimes you just get a feeling that something is terribly wrong? That you’ve been so stupid?” Pamela asked, fanning herself with her white glove. Perspiration had broken out on her forehead.

  Arnold looked into her eyes. “Do you mean about Shauna and Tyler?”

  “Yes,” Pamela gasped.

  “I hope they haven’t taken us for a couple of old fools.”

  Pamela started to cry.

  Regan and Jack turned the corner onto Fifth Avenue as Shauna and Tyler were about to get into a cab.

  “There they are!” Regan cried. “They’re leaving.”

  “What are you going to do?” Jack asked.

  “I’ll just talk to them for a minute.” Regan jumped out. “Shauna!” she called and hurried over as the doorman finished loading their suitcases into the trunk of the taxi. Shauna had a velour floral bag thrown over her shoulder that looked like it was filled to capacity. It also didn’t look like her style.

  Shauna turned. The expression on her face was not nearly as happy as it had been the day before.

  “I’d like to talk to you,” Regan said as she approached her.

  “I can’t right now. We have a plane to catch.” Shauna said impatiently.

  Tyler was on the other side of the cab, with the door open.

  “It’ll just take a minute,” Regan said.

  “We don’t have a minute!” Tyler said, trying to sound in control. “We’re very late already.”

  Another taxi pulled up. Pamela started to get out. She was screaming, “That’s my bag!” Regan’s head turned for a split second. In that moment, Tyler and Shauna took off. They ran across Fifth Avenue toward Central Park.

  Regan ran after them. Jack jumped out of his car and crossed Fifth Avenue in a flash. They both hoisted themselves over the low stone wall that bordered the park and resumed their chase.

  Jack ran ahead in hot pursuit of Tyler while Regan raced after Shauna.

  She’s a fast runner, Regan thought. I wish I didn’t have these boots on. But Shauna had the heavy bag. There must be some goodies in there, Regan mused, pushing her body as hard as she could.

  People out for a Sunday morning in the park were astonished to see the wild chase of Shauna and Tyler happening right before their eyes. Many scurried away in fear, others took out their cameras.

  With a burst of speed, Regan ran across the road full of bicyclists and joggers, caught up with Shauna, threw her arms around her from behind, and they both stumbled to the ground. Regan firmly placed her knee on Shauna’s back. Panting, she grabbed the bag that had fallen to the ground and unzipped it.

  It was filled with magnificent sparkling jewelry.

  “Were you going to sell this on the street in Santa Fe?” Regan asked sarcastically.

  Shauna didn’t answer.

  “Regan!” Jack called. He was approaching fast with two police officers. “We’ve got the groom. Now we have a pair of bracelets for the bride.”

  “Allow me,” Regan said, as she took the handcuffs from Jack and snapped them on Shauna’s tiny wrists.

  40

  When Joyce started to regain consciousness, it didn’t take long for her to realize she was not at home sweet home. It wasn’t a bad dream—she was in the same dingy, creepy room she’d found herself in the night before. And she felt as if she’d been asleep for a very long time.

  The old lady was sitting in a chair, her head nodding, her hands folded. She was wearing a pair of old black pants covered with animal hair, sneakers, and a brown ratty cardigan. Dogs were stretched out everywhere.

  Joyce had a tremendous headache and she was thirsty. She tried to sit up, but the pain across her forehead got worse. I feel so weak, she thought, as she lay back down. One of the dogs lying at her feet woofed halfheartedly then put his head back down.

  The old lady’s eyes flew open. She hoisted herself out of the chair and moved toward Joyce.

  Joyce felt herself shrink back.

  “Good morning,” the woman rasped. “I’m so glad you’re awake! But you had a good night’s rest. That’s so important. Now we can talk. My name is Hattie.”

  “I’m Joyce.”

  “I’m going to take good care of you. You got some lump there on your forehead. It’s what they call an egg!” Hattie started to cackle, waving her hands with glee. “My dogs, Porgy, Ginger, Pang, and Thor, have been worried about you. You were out cold last night. They all wanted to lick your face when you fell down the steps. Now how about breakfast?”

  “My head hurts. I’d better get home.”

  Hattie’s face turned dark. “Absolutely not! You have to let me nurse you back to health! My best friend just died. I should have helped her get better. I should have! Now I have to help you.”

  “But I’m okay.”

  “No, you’re not!” Hattie insisted. “You just said your head hurt.”

  Joyce decided to try and placate her. “I’m kind of thirsty,” she said. “Could I please have a glass of water?”

  “The water’s kind of rusty. It needs to be boiled. Problem with these old pipes. Why don’t I make you a nice cup of tea?”

  “Okay.”

  Joyce tried to sit up again, but the effort was too much. “Is my purse around here?”

  “Huh?”

  “My purse.”

  “I didn’t see no purse.”

  “It has my cell phone in it.”

  “I haven’t heard anything ringing.”

  “Could I use your phone?”

  “I don’t have a phone. When you got nobody to call, you don’t need a phone.”

  “You say that I fell right outside. Would you mind looking to see if my purse is on the ground? It’s black and has a shoulder strap.”

  Hattie shrugged. She went over to the front door, which faced the steps that ran up the side of the building to street level, and opened it. A couple of leaves had blown down and landed outside the door, but that was it. Hattie quickly ascended a couple of the steps, turned her head, and peered out. Everything was calm and quiet. Just as quickly she went back inside. She shut the door and locked it. “Nope. No purse. Somebody probably stole it.”

  This is crazy, Joyce thought. I’ve got to get out of here. I believe her story. She didn’t kidnap me. I drank too much and got myself into this mess. She’s nothing but a good Samaritan who’s a little nuts. At least I hope that’s all she is. But I’ve got to go home.

  Hattie turned on the kettle. A few minutes later she brought Joyce a steaming cup of hot herbal tea. “This will make you feel better,” she said. Her weathered face wore an intense expression. She grabbed a pillow and shoved it down behind Joyce’s head.

  Joyce sat up and slowly took a sip of the hot brew. If I weren’t so thirsty, she thought, I’d never drink this. Some of these herbal teas taste awful. As she sipped, she wondered if anyone was looking for her. Francis was who knows where, her mother was on a cruise, but at least Cindy must be worried. I’ve got to let her know I’m okay. All of a sudden a dog started barking ferociously. But it wasn’t one of the four dogs in the room.
>
  “Shut up!” Hattie yelled. “My friend’s dog is in the bedroom. I don’t know what to do with him. He’s big and a little mean. He doesn’t get along with the other dogs.”

  “Is he throwing himself against the door?” Joyce asked as a loud thumping noise shook the apartment.

  “Yup,” Hattie said. “He hasn’t been feeling good. I think he’s sad that his master died. I’m sad, too. But I don’t know what to do! And he won’t eat his food.”

  When Joyce’s eyes started to droop again, she realized she’d made a mistake. I shouldn’t be so tired, she thought. This nutcase must have laced the tea with drugs. Luckily, I didn’t drink too much of it. She put the cup down and fell back asleep.

  41

  Tom Belfiore lived on the west side of lower Manhattan in Battery Park City. On weekend mornings he loved to take his Irish setter out for a bout of fresh air and exercise. Sometimes he and Greeny went all the way up to Central Park and joined other New Yorkers, with or without dogs, who enjoyed running around the reservoir. Sometimes Tom stayed in the downtown area where he lived, choosing to run along the Esplanade in Battery Park where he could enjoy the sight of boats floating by and the Statue of Liberty in the distance. Along the eastern bank of the Hudson River there were grassy open fields, picnic tables, and watery coves. For man and dog alike, it was a great place to experience nature.

  A new dog run at Kowsky Plaza even had water fountains for dogs to splash in and mounds for them to jump over. That was Greeny’s favorite.

  This Sunday morning Tom opted to stay downtown. A young and attractive ad salesman for a sports magazine, he enjoyed the outdoors as much as his dog. But taking Greeny for a walk or run in Manhattan was always an experience. The adventurous mutt loved to sniff out and explore every nook and cranny in his path.

  Today was no exception.

  After spending time at the dog run, they wandered north, ambling through Tribeca, SoHo, and Greenwich Village, almost all the way to the Meatpacking District. They turned down one of the little side streets off Washington, and were heading back over toward the river. Greeny had his nose down, slowly examining every inch of pavement. He led Tom over toward the curb, then suddenly dove between two parked cars. Such rapid movement usually meant he had spotted a much smaller creature and felt confident enough to give chase.

  “Come on, Greeny,” Tom urged. “Let’s go.”

  But Greeny’s head was down. Something had caught his attention. He was straining the leash as he attempted to make his way under one of the cars.

  Tom leaned over and tried to see what Greeny’s fuss was all about. Then he saw it. A woman’s purse. Tom nudged his dog to get out of the way, bent down, and picked up the bag. “Good boy,” Tom said, petting Greeny’s head. “Somebody must have lost their purse, but you found it, didn’t you? Good boy!” Greeny wagged his tail joyfully.

  Tom unzipped the small black bag and smiled at the sight of a Hershey’s chocolate bar. Next to it was a small cell phone. He reached his hand in, pulled out a driver’s license, and looked at the picture. A woman named Joyce who lived in Queens. She’s cute, Tom thought. The only other items in the purse were a credit card in her name and keys. No cash. A hard-core thief would have used the credit card and taken the cell phone. Someone probably took the money and ran.

  “We’re making a special stop, Greeny,” Tom said, “then we’ll go down by the river.” The nearest police station was several blocks away. When Tom and Greeny walked in together, Tom smiled at the sergeant behind the desk. “I’m being a good citizen and returning a purse that my bloodhound here discovered on the street. I think he picked up on the scent of the chocolate bar inside.”

  The sergeant smiled good-naturedly. “Does it have any other hidden treasures?” he asked as Tom handed it over.

  “No, but if she’s offering a reward, I’d be happy to accept it.”

  The sergeant dumped the contents on his desk. He picked up Joyce’s driver’s license, looked at the name, and grimaced.

  “What’s the matter?” Tom asked.

  “This girl was out last night with her friends at a club. It seems she disappeared into thin air.”

  “Oh, my God,” Tom said quietly.

  “Where did you find this?”

  “On Jane Street. One block from the river.”

  “This doesn’t bode well,” the sergeant said quietly. He took all of Tom’s information for the police report.

  When Tom went back outside, he couldn’t stop thinking about Joyce from Queens.

  42

  Victoria loved being in Jeffrey’s apartment. It was so elegant. They were able to spend just three precious hours together before she had to report to work at midnight. As they snuggled on the couch, sipping champagne and taking in the view of Central Park, they reminisced about their chance meeting.

  “It was such a stroke of luck that we ended up on that elevator together,” Jeffrey cooed. “If Tracy hadn’t left her wedding shoes in the car, I would never have had to run up to Alfred’s salon to drop them off. To think you were leaving at that very moment. And then the elevator got stuck with us in it!”

  “Just long enough for you to kiss me!” Victoria giggled. “The attraction between us was too much to fight.”

  “You were standing so close to me. When you grabbed my hand and said you were scared, I felt electricity,” Jeffrey sighed. “I knew at that moment I could never go back to Tracy.”

  “Poor Tracy,” Victoria said as she put her head on Jeffrey’s shoulder. “In time she’ll understand.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “It doesn’t really matter, does it?” Victoria asked, looking up at him.

  “Not at all. But believe me, Tracy will never understand. What about Frederick? How did he take the news when you broke up with him?”

  “He felt terrible. So did I. But I told him to visualize the wonderful life ahead of him.”

  “What did he say to that?”

  “He hung up on me.”

  “I can’t say I blame him,” Jeffrey laughed. “Ohhhhhhh,” he said, giving Victoria a big hug. “I can’t wait to get to know you better. I can’t wait until this mess blows over and we can go out in public together. I want to show you off!”

  Victoria swooned. “All’s fair in love and war, Jeffrey! I keep pinching myself. I can’t believe I found you. I knew that if I just kept on believing, then real true love would come into my life.”

  “Didn’t you think you’d found true love with Frederick? At least in the beginning?”

  “No,” Victoria answered honestly. “I’ve never felt like this before.” She looked at her watch. “I’d better go. I’ll miss you, darling.”

  Jeffrey walked to the door, and they kissed again. “I’ll be dreaming about you tonight, my sweet,” he whispered.

  “And I’ll be daydreaming about you.”

  At the hotel where Victoria worked in midtown, it was quiet during the witching hours. Not too many people checked in or out in the middle of the night. Workers on the late night shift ended up having a lot of time on their hands.

  Victoria spent the night smiling, thinking about her future with Jeffrey. She was good for him, and he was good for her. Poor Tracy, Victoria thought. She must be devastated.

  At around 6 A.M., one of the hotel employees dropped off the morning papers at the front desk. When Victoria saw the headline of the New York Post, her mouth dropped. But when she opened the page and saw her name in bold print, her adrenaline really started pumping. It was a feeling she couldn’t say she disliked.

  “I didn’t know you were getting married!”

  Victoria spun around.

  Her co-worker Daisy, who’d been on a break, was standing inches from her. “I just saw the newspaper!” she cried. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Victoria smiled. “My fiancé is very private. We just wanted to have a quiet wedding…”

  “I didn’t even know you had a boyfriend! We’re here together all these nights,
and I do nothing but complain about my love life and you don’t tell me anything! Who is the lucky man?”

  “His name is Frederick and he lives in Pennsylvania.”

  “I’m going to throw you a shower!”

  “No.”

  “Why not? It will be a fun excuse to get everyone who works here together. No big deal. But it said you were an April Bride. When are you getting married?”

  “As you know, I’m working every weekend. We were going to take a couple days in the middle of the week and get married ourselves. Just a few friends and his family will be with us.”

  Daisy looked down at the newspaper and pointed at the picture of one of Alfred’s dresses. “You got yourself an expensive dress for a small, middle-of-the-week wedding!”

  “Frederick is a painter. He plans to do a life-sized portrait of me in my wedding dress. I knew it had to be special.”

  “How romantic! Are you going on a honeymoon?”

  “We’ll go to the Poconos for a couple of days,” Victoria said quickly. “He’s busy and I’m busy, so we’ll take a longer vacation in the summer when the weather is nice.”

  “I know what you mean. Give me a beach chair and I’m happy. So what’s Frederick like?”

  The expression on Victoria’s face turned positively saintly. “He’s wonderful. And he’s incredibly talented. His work is magnificent.”

  “Yeah. What does he look like?” Daisy asked, always getting to the point.

  “Handsome. Handsome. Oh, just so handsome.”

  Daisy giggled with abandon. “I love it! What does your mother say about your dress being stolen? She must be freaked.” Daisy’s eyes opened wide. She stared straight at Victoria.

  “Actually,” Victoria said, “my mother doesn’t know I’m getting married. She doesn’t approve of Frederick.”

  “Really? Why not?” Daisy was clearly enjoying every detail, the juicier the better.

  “My mother was hoping I’d marry someone who offered more stability. Frederick is a dreamy artist. So she doesn’t even know that we were planning to get married.”