Chapter 24
The smell of coffee was overwhelming her, making her stomach feel a bit queasy. Jennifer tried to lift her head, but the pain won over, and she stayed on her back. "Oooohhh," she moaned, bringing her hands up to shield her eyes.
"Good morning, sweetheart. How are you feeling?" Jonathan, coffee cups in hand, walked in the room to find her stirring. He set the cups down on the nightstand, next to the water and aspirin he had ready for her. That Jennifer had too much to drink the night before had been very obvious to him. He was still smiling at how much he had enjoyed watching a tipsy Jennifer dance down the sidewalk the night before.
"Is it?"
"Is it what?"
"A good morning? I'm not so convinced." She lifted her hand enough to look at him with one eye. "What did you give me?"
"Give you?"
"Last night… My head... I'm sure it's about to explode."
He found himself amused by her plight, and a chuckle escaped his lips.
She started to slowly sit up in bed, "Ugh. I don't see what's funny."
He sat on his knees on the bed beside her, "Nothing's funny. You're just adorable. I'm captivated by your charm." He leaned over and gently kissed the top of her head.
She cocked her head at him, "I'm in pain."
"Adorably so."
She turned her head back to rest her forehead on her knees before saying, "Remind me again, what were we drinking last night?"
"Champagne, I promise."
"Did I drink the whole bottle? By myself?"
"Oh, and those Blue Devils." He smiled at her and handed her the glass of water and aspirin. "Here. These should help."
"The what?" she asked, sitting up to take the aspirin and water from him, and quickly downing them.
"The Blue Devils. You remember, the drinks our mysterious gentleman sent to our table?" He grinned at her.
If her head wasn't splitting, she might have acted on that grin alone. Even with a major hangover, that grin of his could take her breath away, make her weak in the knees. As it was, though, just keeping her eyes open was a significant accomplishment, seducing her husband was out of her reach. "Mysterious gentleman? What mysterious gentleman?"
Jonathan studied his wife. For the first time since she began to stir, he thought something more than mixed drinks was in her system. "Darling," he finally started, "What's the last thing you actually remember?"
Thinking made the room spin. Jennifer was not happy to be questioned with something she had put effort behind. "Ummm… I remember talking with Paul, something about whales. I remember… shrimp, I think…"
"We didn't have shrimp last night, that was the night before."
"Really? Ummm…" she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. "I don't remember. Everything is pretty fuzzy."
"That's too bad…"
"What's too bad?"
"Last night was… what was it you said? Amazing, I think that was the word you used… Amazing and lovely." He grinned at her again. "I think you like those two words."
She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes, and groaned, "And I can't remember…"
"And you can't remember…"
"I guess we'll have to have a repeat…" she put her head back on her knees. "After the room stops spinning."
"I wonder how Paul and Hazel are faring this morning."
She turned her head so she could see him better. "How is it, Darling, you are not as hungover as I am?"
"The only thing I can figure is I didn't drink as much of that mixed drink as you did. And since both Paul and Hazel also finished theirs, that makes me wonder if they are in the same shape you are in."
The knock at the door was demanding, voices loud, and Jennifer slid down into the bed, "Ohhhh, make the noise stop! Please, make the pounding stop!"
Jonathan got up from the bed and walked into the other room, pulling the bedroom door shut as he went. Laying as still as she could, Jennifer tried to will the hammering in her head to settle. After a few minutes, Jonathan opened the door again. Entering the room, he quietly told her, "Darling, I need you to get up and put something on."
"You have got to be kidding. What on earth could be so important?"
"The police are here. They want to question us about Paul and Hazel King."
Jennifer lifted her head and looked at him. "What?"
"Jennifer, Paul is dead."