Page 16 of Jane's Story
Itookaminuteto freshen up, running a comb through my hair, and applying a touch of rose lip gloss, before walking with Charles through the main floor corridors until we reached the conference center. The space had to double as a ballroom, with its gold molding, crystal chandeliers, and floor to ceiling windows. Dozens of professionals sat in groups at tables decorated with elaborate centerpieces, discussing business over light hors d'oeuvres. A stage-like platform at the end of the room showcased a large screen with the afternoon’s agenda.
“Wait a moment,” I said to Charles, pulling out my camera and snapping several photos of the event. “These may come in handy later.”
He paused for a moment. “Good thinking.”
Then we wove between tables, dodging servers in dark dresses or tuxedos, loose briefcases, and misplaced chairs before approaching the main platform. Lance was ahandsome middle-aged man with dark olive skin and slicked-back bleached blond hair that was black at the roots and pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Magnetic, determined energy pulsed from him. He donned a trendy dark suit and polished shoes. When he noticed our arrival, he stepped down to meet us.
“Mr. Bingley, and a lovely guest?” His slight accent made me suspect he was originally from India.
Stepping close, Charles wrapped an arm around my waist. His gesture was so instinctive, every part of me, aside from my heart, believed it. Giving up the charade would not be easy. “This is my girlfriend, Jane.”
“Hello.” I reached out and gave Lance a firm handshake.
“Pleasure." He looked me over, then turned to Charles. "I didn’t know you were scheduled for this hour.”
“I’m not.” Charles patted Lance’s shoulder and stepped closer, lowering his voice. “We have a problem.”
Lance’s cheery demeanor dropped. “How serious?”
“More serious than I'd like. Let’s step into the hallway,” Charles said. Lance’s face turned a shade paler at the news, and he nodded.
In the hallway, Charles sat down on one of the long upholstered benches, so Lance and I followed. I pulled out my notebook to jot down our conversation, just in case.
Charles placed a steadying hand on Lance’s shoulder. “The police believe someone murdered Armond.”
Lance’s jaw dropped. “You’re saying Armond’s dead? On a Thursday afternoon during a tech convention?”
It took a moment to read his emotional response, which started as fear and moved into something else. Disappointment, maybe.
“I’ll share details later, but for now, we might need to come up with an excuse to end the meetings early. I’m sure the police will want to interview everyone, and I don’t want them pulling us out of meetings and launch presentations.” Charles’s eyes softened. “Sorry. I didn’t even ask, were you close friends with Armond?”
Lance shook his head, and a loose strand of bleached blond hair slipped to his forehead. “No. We weren’t close friends. But sending people away is not a good idea, Charles. Why don’t I adjust the agenda and move some presentations to tomorrow afternoon? I doubt anyone will think much of a minor change,and we can say it’s giving each team more time for data analysis. We can help discreetly gather people the police want to interview.”
Charles’s mouth tightened. “If you can help keep things running, I’m okay with that. But I can't focus on handling business right now. We need to find the killer, and I don’t want anyone else to be in danger.”
“Yeah, of course.” Lance frowned. “It’s very serious.”
I jotted down my observations:Lance—afraid and disappointed, but why? Concerned about the company image. Good business sense.
“Yes.” Charles cleared his throat. “And possibly dangerous.”
Charles and I stood to leave, but Lance stopped us. “Hey. Who else knows about this?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Charles replied. “If you find anything out, please let us know right away.”
Charles tipped his bent elbow toward me, offering me his arm. I slipped my arm through his, not sure if it would be the first of thousands or the last time we’d walk together like this. Though my heart didn’t appreciate the roller coaster ride, it was enjoyable to be with him. With Charles around, the world was different—a little brighter, and I was safer by his side.
“Do you trust Lance?” I asked as we turned the corner.
“I’m going to have to for now.” He stopped walking, looked at me, and slipped his hand into mine and squeezed it softly. Convincing the world that we were in a relationship was not an issue. But my heart might struggle with the deception. “I know you’re good at reading people. Any thoughts?”
“He seemed a bit off for finding out someone he knew had died. I don’t know him, though. Maybe he’s naturally stoic.” I hated to judge anyone by his or her response to death.
“Probably.” Charles patted my back like he was trying to console me, even though he’d been the one to lose a colleague. “I don’t think he was involved, though.”
“Maybe we should talk to the hotel manager and see if they’ve learned anything new.” I took a breath for courage, then slipped my hand back into his and squeezed it. Charles gripped mine back and laced his fingers between mine, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“We might as well. Usually I’d know everything, but it’s a little different here since I’m not in charge of the hotel security.” As he spoke, he rubbed myknuckle with his thumb, though he didn’t seem to be aware of what he was doing. I had to look away for a moment to take a slow breath.
