Chapter 4
"- Joshua Hastings, I am convinced that you are responsible for Mr. Molacker's death!"
Buckerage!
"- Joshua Hastings, I declare, you are Mr. Molacker's killer!"
Blah… Blah...
"- Joshua, you've murdered your uncle! Period!"
That just won't work... I need a break!
Jessica tore to pieces one more 'last page' of her almost-baked new novel, when her eyes inadvertently stopped at the alarm clock on her desk. It heartlessly pointed at half past three in the morning. She couldn't help herself but notice that her thoughts were constantly slipping away to the direction of that bizarre morning acquaintance with Thea Bolyer:
What a strange way of committing a suicide! In Vienna opera house... in a dressing room of a famous student, wearing a red gown... Either there must be something the girl wouldn't tell, or there is clearly something the girl is simply not aware of... And what about that slicky husband of hers. Destroying evidence to conceal the suicide! Not only risky but also obviously stupid! I wonder if there were other reasons to silence this case... The girl was terrified whenever it came to mention his name. Creepers, she is looking not older than twenty-one, and yet she has an international career, married by force to a man old enough to be her father, because of those five chilly words on a piece of paper!
Jessica remembered the handwriting she saw on the suicidal note and it made her wince. These careful but hasty letters... so alike her own. Besides the content was screaming with nonsense! Why on earth a loving teacher would do such thing to her student?! If she would want to encourage the girl to accept the matrimony, she could simply say so! Why killing herself? Perhaps she was forced to do that… But what could possibly force such a bright, judging from the photos and Thea's story, positive thinking woman in her early sixties to give up and die in such a contradictory way?! And why for pity's sake being secretive about her reasons, especially with someone who obviously loves her, when getting ready to get out of this world forever?!.
The last thought popped up after gathering sensations of looking through the photos - maybe because of the late hour, or most likely, because of a severe fatigue after grueling workout, Jessica has jumped into a strange conclusion - I'd never kill myself, nor would my twin!
However, straight after getting back to reality, she chuckled and resented this remark as pure speculation. There were so many pieces missing in the puzzle! Considering the late hour, J.B. finally took a deep breath and backed out to the bedroom.
Short before jumping into bed she remembered the Carnegie Hall date with inspector Donald Matheney, which completely slipped away from her memory until that accident at the mansion's lobby. It left her with a nagging 'last case before bedtime' - what to wear for tomorrow night!?
Jessica browsed through her closet in findings of something 'smart, but not too smart', 'decent, but a bit cheeky', 'longer than cocktail, but shorter than midnight', 'and' ... 'red!' There it was, her red dress with a matching cardigan, recently back from the dry cleaner's, best worn with her golden Cameroon necklace.
Matheney was quite a dandy when it came to opening nights, art exhibitions or other social events, which would indulge his vanity as 'patron of the arts'.
When they first met at the Montaigne Plaza, over the crime scene, his 'badge' seemed completely misplaced. But after some time Jessica changed her mind towards this zooty inspector. After all, he has finally proven himself as a logical and open-minded police officer (at least occasionally, when the season was less plenteous with social events). Besides, he appeared to be a far-from-fake connoisseur in arts. Thus, Jessica found his company quite bearable, even amusing from time to time. One thing about Matheney that Jessica clearly spot as a non-risk enterprise - he was up to date on every tasty or worthy of attending concert in New York, which would no doubt turn into a true satisfaction of Jessica's aesthetic needs.
After resolving her tiny dilemma on tomorrow night's outfit, Jessica finally jumped into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. Colorful dreams have smuggled a wave of the last day's events through the backdoor of her vivid mind, merging with mysteries of her fertile imagination.
...She was dreaming of nice sunny fishing afternoon back in Cabot Cove, arguing with Seth about some silly lure that he was trying out on the advice from some newspaper.
Then she found herself making light grocery in Washington D.C. after meeting with businessman Ray Dixon and thinking all the way while palpating the seemingly fresh peaches "-these must be the peaches that congressman Joyner was having for breakfast the day he ended up dead..."
Eventually, Jessica followed her dream to Emma's theater, backstage. Inspector Matheney was dragging Jessica to Emma's dressing room, insisting that she would introduce him to Emma. "-My dear lady, this cousin of yours is a stunner! I can't wait to offer my compliments first-hand on her beautiful voice!"
When they have opened the door, Jessica discovered her cousin peacefully dealing with her make-up. As soon as Emma caught a glimpse of astonished Matheney in the doorway, she burst out: "Well look who's here, love! Surely, Jessica, you've brought this gentleman to me without any suspect that we've met before!"
Matheney blushed and opened up a bit of his temper "What a nonsense! You must have confused me with someone else!". "Sure, love! Next time you just stick at the polite hand kissing, after you've taken advances with one of my actresses!"
"Jessica, what is this all about?!"- Matheney cried out with a slight offence in his grounded timber. "You're asking the wrong girl, kiddo!" - Jessica fend away, chuckling. "But surely, don't you see, love?!, - Emma resumed her narrative, while finishing her eyebrows and pointed at the void glass on her make-up table:
"- Everything has to do with this glass, which stinks more like burnt almonds - no Sherry, if you ask me!" Emma turned to her cousin "- He planted it right here to look it like a perfect cover!" then she chuckled "- I've told you, love, this silly joke won't work with Jessica!"
Donald complained in rather sharp manner: "-This is not true! This is simply not true! You did it yourself! Won't you just keep it the way it is?!". Emma chuckled again, then she added cheerfully with a slight touch of irony - "Oh, don't be silly, love! I couldn't do that at all! I have a new play to run next season! I will be wearing a lovely gown by Mary Quant! Doctoring my Sherry for myself would be the last thing to do, now would it?!". Matheney has started screaming "You have no proof! No proof!" and switched to fervently hammering Emma's door with his fists when. …
...Jessica woke up, disturbed by a knock on the door. It was the hotel staff:
- Breakfast, ma'am!
...