A Killer Plot (39 page)

Laurel nodded in agreement. “It’ll be easy to forget about him once he’s been put away because he’s an outsider. He was only a visitor here, so everyone can blame his crimes on his parents or his upbringing or his music, but then they’ll put him out of their minds, like a guest that finally goes home after a long and miserable visit.”

Millay shook her head in disgust and then barked out a dry, humorless laugh. “You know, this Atlas guy was actually really dumb. He should have just left Heidi and Blake alone. They would have broken up eventually without his interference. Nobody stays together in Hollywood!” She threw her hands in the air, exasperated.

“He wasn’t as smart as you,” Harris whispered and Millay’s hard look instantly softened. “Come on,” he nudged her playfully. “Like Laurel said, it’s time to move forward. Let’s go watch the fireworks from the pier. We can pick up a six-pack and a pizza on the way.”

“You read my mind.” Millay gathered her belongings, downed the rest of her champagne, and then slowly extended her hand to Rawlings. “I’m glad you joined our group. You’re not like other cops. In fact, you’re kind of like Camden. A gentleman.”

Rawlings took her hand, his face lit with pleasure. “I hope you’re as forgiving with my chapter next week.” He then gave Harris a hearty handshake and with feigned sternness said, “Make sure you don’t get behind the wheel after you drink that six-pack.”

The group dispersed. Laurel had promised to meet her family at the waterfront and Rawlings needed to swing by the station in order to ascertain whether the officers scheduled to assist the fire department with the fireworks display were prepared to carry out their duty.

Leaving Haviland inside to clean up a dropped hunk of cheese, Olivia walked the writers to their cars. She waved good-bye as they drove off into the lavender twilight.

After tidying up the cottage, she and Haviland took a leisurely stroll along the empty beach, a large, luminescent moon hovering over Olivia’s right shoulder. They walked aimlessly for a mile and then turned around as the indigo sky reluctantly deepened into black. Suddenly, a deafening boom echoed across the water, followed by a burst of lights over the horizon, heralding the commencement of the fireworks display.

Kicking off her shoes, Olivia sat down on a soft dune in front of the lighthouse keeper’s cottage and craned her neck upward. Many years ago, she had been in nearly the same position, but back then she had been flanked by the warm bodies of her mother and father. She remembered feeling so safe, as though every firework unfolding in the dark sky like a rare, night-blooming flower was a gift to her. She recalled her mother’s excited laughter and how her father pointed at every fresh explosion, not wanting his only child to miss a single moment of beauty.

Olivia thought about Kamila and the group’s critique. She knew that she could not expose the truth of a fictional woman’s feelings until she was willing to bare more of her own. It wasn’t necessary to reveal every secret or every memory to the world, but if she could share a little more of herself to a select group of people, that would be a start.

The cracks and reports increased in tempo as the fireworks finale began. Haviland barked in response, his eyes shining and his mouth curving into a toothy smile.

A rainbow of flickering lights dazzled the ocean, illuminated the shore, and bathed Olivia’s uplifted face. Wave after whispering wave carried the starry reflections as close to the woman as they could, receding only after leaving her with an offering, a promise of things to come, bright and brilliant as the radiant sky.

Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea. Ms. Adams has held many jobs, including caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all the while penning poems, children’s books, and novels. She now writes full time from her home in Virginia. Please visit her at
www.elleryadamsmysteries.com
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