restaurant and they walked inside. She scanned the room for Walter and Lucy and found them seated at one of the restaurant’s low tables where diners sat on the floor. She’d forgotten Walter’s fondness for authenticity, and wished she’d been a bit more specific about the table arrangements.
“Hello!” Walter said, standing up. Like Lucy, he’d removed his shoes. Jane noticed that he was wearing white athletic socks. She also saw Kelly glance down at them.
“You must be Kelly,” Walter said, gripping the editor’s hand in both of his and pumping his arm. “Jane has told me so much about you.”
“Has she?” Kelly replied as he bent to untie his shoes. “That puts you at an advantage, then.”
Walter, busy greeting Jane with a kiss, didn’t hear him, much to Jane’s relief. Removing her shoes, she sat beside Walter while Kelly took a seat on a cushion opposite Lucy.
“Hi,” Lucy said. “She’s told me a lot about you as well. But don’t worry, she’s not trying to fix us up or anything.”
Jane shot her a look, which Lucy pretended not to see. But Kelly just laughed. “I’m afraid you’d be disappointed if she were,” he said. “I’m a lousy first date.”
“I took the liberty of ordering something to start us off,” Walter told them. “I hope you like sake,” he said to Kelly.
“That depends,” Kelly said. “What kind is it?”
“My favorite is Juyondai,” Walter told him. “I almost went with Tentaka, but I think it’s a little dry for most people.”
Kelly looked at Jane. “He knows his sake,” he said. “You can keep him.”
“I had no idea,” Jane admitted. She looked at Walter. “You’re just full of surprises,” she said admiringly.
“I’ve never had sake,” Lucy announced.
“Then you’re in for a treat,” Kelly told her. He addressed Walter. “I don’t suppose they have
“Not only that, they have excellent
“Do you have any idea what they’re talking about?” Lucy asked Jane.
“None whatsoever,” she answered. “I have a feeling they’re going to do all the ordering tonight. You and I will be subjected to their every culinary whim.”
“As long as nothing is moving,” Lucy said. “Raw I can handle, but not alive.” She glanced at Jane and grimaced.
The sake arrived and Walter poured some for each of them. Kelly showed Lucy how to drink it, and Walter did the same for Jane. “Make sure you smell it,” he said. “The aroma is half the experience.”
Jane liked having him show her how to drink the sake. It was intimate in a way she hadn’t experienced in a long time. She thought about Byron teaching her how to eat crawfish. It hadn’t been nearly the same. Walter made her feel special, as if he was sharing an experience with her rather than telling her how to have one.
The waiter came and, as Jane had predicted, Walter and Kelly ordered for the table. Again Jane found herself enjoying being taken care of in that way.
She laughed at this thought, and realized that she was getting a tiny bit tipsy. This too she enjoyed, and she didn’t object as Walter refilled her sake cup.
When the food came, Kelly and Walter refused to tell Jane and Lucy what everything was. “Just try it,” Kelly insisted, placing various multicolored pieces on Lucy’s plate. “I’ll tell you afterward.”
“This one is my favorite,” Walter said to Jane as he selected a piece of something dark pink for her. “It’s —”
He was interrupted by the ringing of Jane’s cell phone. It took her a moment to find it in her purse, but she finally located it.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Fairfax, this is Sal Maldonado with the fire department.” His voice was scratchy and difficult to hear clearly.
“Fire department?” Jane repeated.
“I’m afraid there’s a problem at your store,” the man said.
“Is it a fire?” Jane said, struggling to get to her feet. The others stopped talking and stared at her as she waited for the reply.
“No, not a fire. But we did get a false alarm. I think something’s wrong with your detector. I just need you to come over and open the store for me.”
“Of course,” Jane said, relieved that it was nothing more serious. “I’ll be there in five minutes.” She hung up the phone. “It’s nothing to worry about,” she told Walter, Lucy, and Kelly. “Just a faulty smoke alarm at the store. They need to get in to check it. I’ll be back in no time.”
“I’ll go with you,” Walter said as he stood up.
“No, you stay here,” said Jane. “But thank you.” She gave Walter’s arm a squeeze. “I appreciate you offering, but I don’t dare leave these two alone,” she added, indicating with a nod of her head Kelly and Lucy. “I think they need a chaperone.”
Walter sat down again and Jane slipped on her shoes. Promising once again to return as quickly as possible, she left and got into her car. She was at the store within minutes. When she got out, however, she saw no sign of a firefighter or any emergency vehicles.
She went to the door and found it already open.
“Mr. Maldonado?” she called out. “It’s Jane Fairfax. Are you here?”
There was no answer, but Jane heard noises coming from the office area. She flipped the light switch beside the door, but the room remained dark.
“Mr. Maldonado?” she called again. “Are you there?”
She reached the office and stepped inside. Someone was moving around in the dim light.
“Mr. Maldonado?” said Jane.
The figure turned. Jane gasped. Then something struck her in the forehead and everything went black.
Chapter 32
Jonathan, lying on the ground with his lip bloodied, glared up at Charles, who towered over him, hands knotted in fists. The look in Charles’s eyes was murderous, and for a moment Constance feared that he would kill Jonathan. Instead, he spat into the dirt near Jonathan’s head. “Go,” he said. “Don’t trouble us again.”
The slap woke her up.
“Welcome to the party,” a voice said.
Jane shook her head and blinked to clear her vision. Her hands were tied behind her, and someone was standing over her, smiling triumphantly.
“Charlotte!” she gasped.
“Surprised?” Charlotte asked her.
“But you’re dead,” said Jane.
“That’s true,” Charlotte agreed. “But not
“The fire,” said Jane. Charlotte looked completely healthy, not a burn in sight.
