A Killer Plot (2010)

Withdrawing her own sign from her purse, Olivia stood stiffly upright next to a driver dressed in an inexpensive black suit, white shirt, and midnight blue tie.

“Excuse me.” Olivia smiled at the man. “Could you tell me whether the US Air flight from Los Angeles has arrived yet?”

The driver’s southern upbringing dictated he come to the aid of a woman in need. “Let me run over and check the board, ma‘am. Be back in two shakes. You just wait right there.” Returning quickly to his spot, he said, “The flight’s landed. Probably take ten minutes for the passengers to deplane and for them to walk to this area.” He noticed her sign. “You expectin’ family?”

“No. I’ve never seen this man in my life,” Olivia answered. “He’s coming to attend a funeral, I’m afraid. He isn’t expecting to be picked up and I’m worried he’ll rush right by me.”

Bowing slightly, the driver said, “Ah, I doubt anyone would miss you, ma’am, but I could hold up the sign for you if you’d like. I know you’re tall for a lady and all, but I’ve got that chauffeur look about me. Wouldn’t want this fellow to pass you by.”

Olivia handed him the sheet of cardstock with gratitude.

She wanted to be able to take brief measure of Camden’s lover before he became aware that he wasn’t actually being picked up by a member of the Oyster Bay Police Department. Fortunately, Mr. Cosmo Volakis was easy to identify. The moment he exited the corridor adjacent to the security check, Olivia knew she was looking at Camden’s significant other.

Of average height and build, Cosmo had a thatch of glossy black hair, an unlined, olive-skinned face, long, feathery eyelashes framing chestnut brown eyes, and a firm, masculine jaw. His lips were as plump as a supermodel’s pout, his chin was dimpled, and his nose, though slightly hooked at the tip, gave him an air of distinction. He wore a cobalt dress shirt, a checked blazer, tailored jeans, and Italian calfskin loafers. A Louis Vuitton garment bag was slung over one shoulder and a pair of sunglasses peeked out of his breast pocket. Every woman within range glanced at Cosmo with appreciation. Several cast him openly flirtatious smiles, but he was too focused on locating his method of transportation to pay his admirers any heed.

Olivia noticed that despite the tumult of emotions he must be experiencing, Cosmo seemed outwardly calm. Still, he approached the driver beside her with hurried strides and introduced himself in a pleasant, musical voice. Olivia detected more than a trace of anxiety as he confirmed his identity.

“Are you bringing me to Oyster Bay?” he asked, perplexed. Obviously he’d been expecting to see a policeman’s uniform.

“Welcome to North Carolina, sir!” the driver told Cosmo. “I’m actually just helping this lovely lady here.” He pivoted toward Olivia. “Ma’am, here’s your weary traveler.”

Cosmo blinked in surprise and Olivia promptly inquired, “Do you have any luggage?”

“Just what I’m carrying.” He stared at Olivia in frank confusion. “And you are ... ?” Apprehension spread from his voice to his eyes.

Gesturing for him to follow her, Olivia murmured, “I’m a friend. Now, let’s get outside in a hurry. I don’t like having to leave my dog in the hot car.”

Cosmo’s expression of initial astonishment slowly dissipated as he moved to keep pace with Olivia. He switched his thick garment bag to the other shoulder so that it wouldn’t be a barrier between them and studied her as they walked. “Are you with the Oyster Bay Police?”

“No. I assumed the chief and his officers had more pressing matters to take care of, so I volunteered to collect you. I hope you don’t mind.”

Once outside, she held out her hand to Cosmo. “I’m Olivia Limoges. Camden and I had just formed the beginnings of what I believed would have become a long and fulfilling friendship when his life was stolen away.” She held out her arm, indicating they should cross the street while there was a lull in traffic. “Coming here to meet you was the only useful thing I could think to do in his memory. Besides, I thought it might be easier for you to talk to me during the two-hour ride since I actually cared for Camden, in lieu of some blase young policeman who didn’t know him from Adam.”

“That would have made things even worse,” Cosmo readily confessed. “If things can get any worse.” He paused and glanced up at the sky. “I was also dreading the idea of riding with a policeman just taking care of official business. He probably would have insisted on small talk to fill up the silence and would have refused to tell me anything about Camden’s ...” He trailed off, his expression pure misery.

Olivia opened the back door of the Range Rover. “About his case?” she finished for him. “I’ll tell you all I know, which isn’t much, I fear. Haviland? You cannot sit in the front seat. Haviland? Up!” When the poodle didn’t move, Olivia scowled. “Just this once, Captain. You’ll get a reward from the picnic basket, I promise.”

Haviland’s ears perked at the word “basket” and he launched himself into the backseat. Olivia removed the seat protector from the passenger seat, transferred it to the trunk and tried to relieve Cosmo of his garment bag. “Please. Allow me,” he insisted.

Consenting, Olivia removed the take-out containers Michel had packed, noting with a grin that Haviland’s was labeled in Michel’s neat script. She placed the poodle’s meal on a napkin on the backseat within reach of Haviland’s quivering nose and then handed a meal to Cosmo.

“I own a restaurant in Oyster Bay and my chef has prepared these treats for our ride home. I haven’t traveled recently, but from what I remember, the airlines have replaced any semblance of an in-flight meal with a sprinkling of peanuts or a package of six tiny pretzels.”

Cosmo nodded but made no move to open the parcel. “Thank you, but I haven’t eaten all day. I don’t know if I can swallow anything.”

Olivia started the engine and maneuvered the Range Rover out of the parking area. “Try a few, small bites. Not to sound like a cliche, but you’ll need to keep up your strength. You can’t help Camden if you fall to pieces.” She opened a napkin with a flourish and let it fall gently on Cosmo’s lap. “There you are.”

Both human and canine passengers ate in silence as Olivia exited the airport and began heading east toward the ocean. She crunched on her portion of herb crostini with goat cheese, but her inability to offer comforting words or maternal assurances to the young man beside her eventually put her off her food. As Cosmo focused on the passing scenes out the window, his beautiful profile was a portrait in anguish. The sky was morphing from its summer day yellow blue haze to a reluctant charcoal.

Nearly an hour into the ride, Cosmo ran his hands through his wavy locks and sighed deeply. “I’m ready to hear the horrible details now. Can you tell me what happened to my Cam?”

Olivia did. Succinctly and as painlessly as possible. However, there was no way to soften the specifics regarding the cause of death and when Cosmo’s eyes grew moist, his agony evident as he heard how his lover had been killed, Olivia’s own eyes filled with tears. Swallowing hard, she immediately tried to distract him by reciting the mysterious haiku.

“Does anything about that poem seem familiar?” she asked him gently.

Cosmo pressed a handkerchief to his eyes. “No! No!” He sobbed into the fabric. “None of this makes sense!” His shoulders shook and he turned away from her again.

He grew calm quickly. “Forgive me, dear lady. When the police chief called me, this seemed like some mixed-up nightmare. Part of me thought I’d fly here and find out they’d made a huge mistake. It would be some other beautiful gay man who got killed, not my Camden. But hearing it from you ... now I know he’s really gone. There’s ... God, I feel like there’s a hole in the middle of my chest. Like I’ve died too.”

Wordlessly, Olivia removed her right hand from the steering wheel and found Cosmo’s. She squeezed his soft flesh and he grabbed her hand in both of his and clutched it against his chest, just above his heart. “Tell me! What monster could have done this to him?”

Olivia shook her head. “I don’t know. Camden didn’t mention making any enemies in Oyster Bay? Conflicts?”

“No!” Cosmo was crushed to have no helpful information to share. “He was digging up dirt on the Talbots, but he was happy doing the research. Last time we talked, he was full of ideas for this book of his. Said his publicist already had a publishing house drooling for the thing. Did you know about the novel?”

“Yes. I’ve read one of the chapters. Camden was a gifted writer.” She carefully reclaimed her hand. “Did you read the Milano Cruise stories before they were published?”

After a pause, Camden’s lover grinned. “Only the seriously juicy ones. I’m no good at writing, but sometimes I could get Milano a story or two. I’m an interior designer to the stars, so Camden was always careful to make sure