Page 42 of Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests
“Perhaps you should have listened to him. He might be onto something,” Tristan says directly to Melvin, icy-blue eyes aimed straight at him. He hasn’t noticed the color before, so pale they almost blend into the whites of his eyes.
Melvin shrugs and picks up Janet’s tribute from the table, flicks through it. They used that lovely poem fromFour Weddings and a Funeral. As his eyes bounce over the familiar words, he can’t help but hear them in John Hannah’s delicious Scottish brogue.
Then his phone beeps with a message. Christian.
We’re at the bistro. Where are you?
He glances at his watch. Nearly midday already. He felt brilliant at 10:00 a.m., when he’d decided to head straight to the pub, his body buzzing with Jägermeister and Red Bull. But now, as the sugary cocktail hits his stomach and he considers the prospect of eating lunch while hiding his inevitable hangover, he suddenly feels a touch nauseous. There’s only one thing for it.
“Anyone up for a real drink, somewhere with a bit more atmosphere?” he says now, raising eyebrows at Vivienne and Tristan. “I know a little place around the corner.”
“Sorry, I can’t. Got some work to do,” Tristan says, pushing his chair back so quickly that it flips over onto the carpet.
“On a Saturday?” Vivienne asks quietly. A look passes between them, and Melvin briefly wonders what they’re silently conveying.
“Yep, big project beginning on Monday. I need to get a head start,” he says, giving Vivienne a quick kiss on the cheek and then raising a hand at Melvin before walking out the door.
“What about it, Vivienne? Say goodbye to Janet properly?” Melvin asks.
“Go on, then,” she says, standing up.
***
Vivienne perches on a bench next to a small table by the door while Melvin gets their drinks. The barman greets him like an old friend, and Melvin wonders if that’s how he treats everyone or if he remembers Melvin from a night out. He peers at the barman’s bald head, semicircle glasses with red frames, scarlet suit, and bright-yellow pocket square and tries to find a memory that matches this rather memorable image. He finds nothing, and so nods politely and orders the drinks. His mobile starts to buzz in his pocket. Christian again. He quickly rejects the call but not before the barman spots it.
“Trying to avoid someone, are we?” He chuckles. “Have you been a naughty boy?”
“Oh, nothing that exciting,” Melvin mutters, quickly passing the man a £20 note and willing the conversation to end.
While the man counts out his change, Melvin types a text out to Christian.
Still at Janet’s wake. Everyone very upset! I’ll ring when it’s over.
A reply pops up almost instantly.
Poor you! Hang in there. We’ll see you later. Xx
Melvin sighs, switches his phone off, and puts it back in his pocket. He carries the drinks over to the table and finds Vivienne is giving him a curious look.
“A friend of yours?” she asks, tilting her head toward the barman, who Melvin sees is wiping down the bar while gazing over at him.
“Never met him,” Melvin says, then lifts his glass. “To fabulous Janet. Heaven just gained a very mischievous angel.”
They clink glasses, and Melvin takes a big gulp of his beer and sighs. No matter how many expensive and interesting wines Christian has persuaded him to try, he still feels you can’t beat a good old pint.
“It’s just tragic. Bill seemed devastated. He clearly had no idea what she was up to that night,” says Vivienne. “Marriages are really a mystery to me.”
A moment of silence settles between them; then Melvin remembers something.
“Actually, I did hear something about Janet’s death that struck me as odd,” he says.
“What was it?” Vivienne asks, putting her wine down and giving Melvin all her attention.
“Well, I was quite surprised by who was first on the scene…” he teases.
“Who?”
“Giles,” Melvin says and then waits for Vivienne to put the pieces together.
