Page 42 of Very Special Forces

"Hmmm,yes." She leaned in, "and your impression of Bryce now?"

I pausedfor a moment, thinking. Alarm bells buzzed in my head all night.The way he spoke to his fiancée in private and her desperateapologies jarred with his public persona of Mr. Nice Guy. Waseveryone taken in by him? Was it all just an act? "I'm taking thecase," I said. "I've heard a few things tonight and I didn't likewhat I heard."

ChapterEleven

AfterJas returned to talk to her friends, I busied myself serving drinksand eavesdropping conversations but I didn't hear anything elsethat set off alarm bells. Mr. Atwater stood with other people so Icouldn't pull him aside and ask for more information and there wasno way to identify the two women I'd overheard. Too many femaleguests wore black dresses.

Withtime running out until the party ended, I called Lily and Ruby backto the bar. "Has either of you overheard anything about the couplethis evening?" I asked. "Anything negative?"

Theyglanced at each other and shook their heads, then Ruby said, "Isuppose I did hear this one thing about thebride-to-be."

"Whatwas it?" I asked.

"It was nothing, really. I just overheard one of the guyssaying Bryce always manages to pick the crazy girls. Then he saidJulia was okay but she's always acted like a nervous wreck," saidRuby. "Sheisjumpy."

"I thinkshe felt bad about the cake," said Lily. "I'll talk to them in amoment about that. It wasn't her fault that the table leg broke. Inoticed it wobbled earlier but in the rush to get the room ready, Iforget to swap the table out for another one."

"Can youboth ask a few subtle questions?" I inquired.

Lily andRuby both nodded. "Like what?" replied Lily.

"Justtry to get people to talk about the couple, how they treat eachother, when did they meet, do they know anything about the wedding,that sort of thing. Be extra subtle."

"Why areyou investigating them?" Lily asked. "It's not really about Julia,is it?"

"Thereare some concerns about how Bryce treats her," I said.

Lilysighed. "I hoped you wouldn't say that. He seems sonice."

"Hereally does," agreed Ruby. "I can usually spot the jerks a mileaway."

"Hemight be a special kind of jerk," I told them quickly while no onewas in earshot. "Great in public and terrible in private. Julia'sfriend saw an unexplained bruise and there was another injury."Both of my friends turned to look at Bryce. He was busy tellinganother story to a small group. Julia stood slightly behind him,smiling but every chance she tried to say something, Bryceinterrupted her.

"I'llsee what I can find out," said Lily. "Let's mingle."

Lilywent left and I went right, both of us moving between the guests,relieving them of empty glasses and plates, offering freshbeverages and making polite small talk about the couple. I didn'tgarner too much. Most of the guests seemed more connected to Brycethan to Julia, and of Julia's friends, their main focus was on allthe lovely things Bryce did for her as they faux-grumbled abouttheir own partners not living up to him. Bryce's parents were alittle more forthcoming.

"She's alovely person but so mousey," said Bryce's mom, a tall, curvy womansqueezed into a dark purple sheath dress. "Always so quiet at ourgatherings but we never fail to invite her toeverything."

"Perhapsshe needs to come out of her shell," I suggested.

"Hmph,"snorted Bryce's dad. "She was chatty enough when we first met butnow she hardly says a thing. If I didn't know better, I would sayshe didn't like us at all."

"Shejust wants to make our boy happy," cut in Bryce's mom. "She alwayschecks with him before she says anything and he's always so sweetto accompany her everywhere."

"There'syour sister, late again," said Bryce's dad. "Thank you for thedrinks, young lady," he said to me before they stepped around me. Itook their empty glasses to the bar where Lily waited forme.

"Anything?" I asked.

"All Ihear is they're always together," said Lily. "Not exactly grippingstuff."

"I heardthe same thing. He never leaves her alone. Don't you think that'sweird?"

Lilywrinkled her nose. "Kinda."

"Solomonand I don't do everything together. Neither do you andJord."

"Perhapsone of them is super needy," said Ruby. "Co-dependency is a realthing."

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