Play Moonlighting For Me
Part III
Let there be light in this lifetime
in the cool, silent moments of the nighttime
--Stevie Nicks
The next morning, we see Maddie and David's bedroom window a little after sunrise. We see them lying in bed together, tangled up in the sheets and each other. Maddie is awake, watching him sleep. He's snoring loudly, with his mouth wide open.
Maddie smiles and sighs, "The love of my life."
She runs her fingers through his almost non-existent hair. He stirs, opens his eyes and sees her watching him. Smiling, he stretches, kisses her forehead and says, "Was I snoring again?"
"Like a freight train. That's ok. You didn't wake me. I was just lying here thinking."
"Yeah, I've been thinking too."
He gives her his most lascivious grin. "I was thinking we need to initiate the kitchen."
She smacks his arm, blushing and giggling. "David!
I do have to say though, last night was pretty wonderful, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, we need to let you take control more often. I like being your boy-toy."
"Ok. Now you're embarrassing me."
"Maddie. It's just me. I'm your husband. We're married. We can have intimate conversations. Remember, you're the one who said we need to talk more."
"You're right."
He grabs his chest like he's having a heart attack. "Oh, my God. I'm right about something. I can't take it. Quick give me CPR."
"Very funny."
"Make it mouth to mouth"
"Daaviiid"
"Mouth to--"
"David! Well, the man I've known and always loved is back. Lucky me.
Actually, I was thinking about Paul McCain's case. I think we need to get our hands on all the evidence the police have. Do you think the Lake Tahoe PD will cooperate with us?"
As she's asking this, he's planting little kisses all around her neck in a way that he knows drives her crazy. In between kisses he says, "Believe it or not, I do have some connections with law enforcement. Yes, I think they'll cooperate with our investigation."
Then he stops and gets up on his elbow, looking at her intently.
"Maddie, are you sure you want to involve yourself in this?" She gives him an icy look.
"It's just that I know how much you love being home with Gracie and A.J. This could be time consuming if we give it the attention a case like this needs," he explains as she lays into the crook of his arm. "But I have to admit I am going to love having you back at Blue Moon, even if it's only temporary."
"It will be hard being away from the kids, but my parents are in heaven having them for a whole week. And I'm hoping that we can wrap this up quickly. It should be pretty open and shut. He couldn't have done it."
"Yeah, whatever."
"David, he loved her so much. Could you do that to me?" she asks, turning to look into his eyes.
He brushes the hair out of her face. "Never."
"My point exactly. This poor man is suffering and broken beyond repair."
"Like our china?" he teases her.
"Oh God, I forgot. I better get up and get that mess cleaned up."
She starts to sit up and get out of bed.
"The dishes will wait. But I won't."
He pulls her back down.
"Sweetheart, I don't think..."
"That's ok, you look good."
She rolls her eyes, but turns over and leans on his chest.
"Yeah, you're definitely back. I love you." She kisses him passionately.
***
Elevator doors open, and two pairs of legs, one pair in pants the other in a dress, appear behind them. The legs are standing toe to toe, very close together. As the doors begin to close, one of the legs puts a foot out to keep them open. After a moment, both sets turn forward and begin walking down the hall toward the offices of Blue Moon Investigations.
The outer office door opens. The employees are either on the phone checking on the progress of a case or running around filing, typing, or staring at computer screens. Everyone appears very busy.
"Wow. Business really is going well." Maddie states in awe.
Hearing her, Herbert Viola turns around.
"Mrs. Addison! How wonderful of you to grace us with your presence. We are all so thrilled that you are coming out of retirement. This place hasn't been the same without you."
"Yes, I can see that. And about coming out of retirement, this is only short-term, I'm afraid."
"Well, we'll take you for as long as we can, " he says and then realizes she could misinterpret that statement.
"Thank you, Mr. Viola," she smiles.
He starts sputtering, "That didn't come out right. I meant to say--"
"It's ok, Bert, I know what you meant," she nods.
Then she pulls him aside so the rest of the staff won't hear her.
"What happened to your eye?" she asks, pointing to a huge shiner.
Bert places his hand to his face and winces in pain.
"I was playing baseball with the boys in the backyard yesterday, and Mikey ACCIDENTLY hit me with the ball."
Maddie and David look at each other meaningfully.
Bert takes Maddie's arm and begins pulling her away from David. "Mrs. Addison, you haven't been here in so long. Please let me show you around. As you can see we've installed state-of-the-art equipment everywhere. Even the phone system is state-of-the-art. I think you'll be very impressed at the level of technology we've incorporated into Blue Moon..."
David says under his breath, "How do I set a laser printer to stun?"
Then, "Mr. Viola, the Mrs. and I will be in my office." He grabs Maddie's hand, taking her away from Bert's tour, and turns to the new receptionist. "Annie, would you let us know when Mr. McCain arrives?"
"Of course, Mr. Addison."
Maddie and David retreat to what used to be her office.
As soon as the door shuts behind her, Maddie says, "Her name's Annie?"
David starts whining, "God, am I going to have to pay for that for the rest of my life? You want me to fire a perfectly good receptionist because you don't like her name?"
Maddie is looking around the room. "Maybe." She walks toward him and puts her arms around his waist. "At least there's no resemblance. She's much prettier than my cousin. Your taste has improved over the years."
"Hmm. It certainly has. Want to mess around?" He buries his face in her neck and starts kissing her, trying to maneuver her over to the sofa.
She's not having any of it. "I like what you've done in here. Very masculine, but not too much. The burgundy and sage are really nice. I don't see any signs that this was ever my office."
"The sofa is still in the same place," he says as he succeeds in pulling her onto it, his lips still exploring her neck, his fingers attempting to unbutton her blouse.
"David, I think we need to cool off a little. When Paul gets here I don't want him to see us looking like we've just finished having sex."
He comes up for air. "But we did just finish having sex. Now if we hurry we can have some more."
"No!' she says firmly, pushing his wandering hands away. "Look, this man is in pain. He's lost the love of his life in a horrible way. Seeing us so goo goo eyed over each other is bound to make him more depressed. We need to act professionally and detached around him."
"Maddie. 'Goo goo eyed'? I got to you just in time. You really need to get away from the kids more.
Look Honey, McCain knows we're married, and he knows we were headed toward World War III last night. When he left the house, he said we needed to talk. Don't you think he'll be happy that we followed his advice?"
"I'm sure that would make him happy. I just don't want to be so... demonstrative."
They start talking at the same time:
David: Demonstrative? Maddie:If he sees us holding hands and
You bet I want to be demonstrative! smooching all the time it will make
I've gone too long not being him sad. I don't think I could look
demonstrative with you. I want at his wretched eyes and know
to be demonstrative all over the that I was responsible for that.
place. In the garage, in the office We can tell him that we reached a
in the car, in the house, in the resolution last night. I think in some
backyard, in the pool, way he's responsible for that.
and I don't care who sees us or His coming back into our lives did
what they think. It's nobody's bring things to a head, after all.
business. Dammit, Maddie, I definitely need let him know that.
I love you!
"I love you, too," she says tenderly.
Annoyed but wanting to please her, he says, "OK, if that's what you want, we'll act like we don't even know each other while we're working. And don't call this a 'pact'! But as soon as we get home tonight..."
"I promise when we get home tonight we'll do something very special," she says as if she's talking to one of her children.
"Like the kitchen?" he smirks, raising his eyebrows.
The intercom buzzes.
"Mr. and Mrs. Addison? Mr. McCain and his attorney are here."
David jumps off the sofa and rushes over to the desk. He says in a voice about two octaves lower than usual, "Thank you, Annie. Please send them in."
Maddie sticks her tongue out at him.
"Later, Honey," he leers.
She sighs, gets off the sofa and smoothes her hair and clothes as Paul walks in the door alongside a woman with frightful red hair and a glaringly bright outfit. Whatever look this woman is going for, she missed. Her glasses are too dark and severe for her pale skin. She may have a good figure, but this outfit doesn't flatter her. She could use a few lessons from Maddie.
"Good Morning, Paul."
"Good morning, Maddie, David. This is my attorney, Olivia Chase. She wanted to meet you both. And I must say, you two look ready to take on the world today."
"Well, maybe not the whole world but I'm hoping we can help with your case. Did you bring everything you've got?" David asks as he shows Paul and Olivia to seats in front of the desk. Maddie sits down on the corner of the desk next to Paul as David goes around to his chair.
"I've got police reports and all our notes and correspondence since this happened," Paul says as he hands over a thick stack of paperwork to David.
"Any pictures of the scene or autopsy photos?" David asks as he's looking through the stack.
Maddie gives him a warning look. "David."
"No, I'm afraid I haven't been able to even be in the same room with any of those photos."
"I don't have them with me either, but I'm sure if I make some phone calls you can obtain them from the police," Olivia tells David impersonally.
"Any word yet on whether they'll indict you?" Maddie asks gingerly.
"My lawyer thinks it's imminent," he replies as the attorney nods.
"Will you excuse me a moment? I'll call the Tahoe police and see if they can fax us some pictures," Olivia says, standing.
"Of course, and we have another office if you'd like to use it." Maddie suggests.
"Thank you," she says as Maddie shows her to Bert's office.
Returning to David's office Maddie inquires delicately, "Is there anything you can tell us that will help us? Did Laura have any enemies? Was she upset about anything lately?"
He shakes his head. "No, everyone that knew her loved her. She was the kindest gentlest most giving person I ever met. She was so easy to love. Sometimes I still can't believe she chose me."
Maddie immediately has something to say about that. "What are you talking about? You're so sensitive and gentle, of course she would have chosen you. You're also a very handsome man, " she adds.
He grins, running his hand over the top of his head. "I'm not so sure about that."
Maddie smiles back at him, glancing at David. "Well, I am sort of partial to balding men."
David looks at her like he's hurt, then smiles back at her.
She forgets about their "pact" to keep the conversation professional. "Well, the kind of love you had for her always makes a woman feel beautiful too." She gazes affectionately at her husband and all the movement in the room stops for a moment as they stare.
Paul clears his throat and David sits up in his chair, trying to bring the conversation back to the topic at hand. Returning to his professional demeanor he continues, "Well, someone obviously had something against her. If she didn't have any enemies, can you think of anyone who may have been jealous of her?"
Paul pauses, then says, "I'm sorry. I just can't think of any reason anyone would want to harm her. The police originally thought it may have happened during a robbery attempt, but lately have dropped that theory and started pursuing me. The only thing I keep coming back to is the fact that she still had to deal with some of Arthur Boyd's, you remember, her first husband, his relatives and business associates. As you can well imagine, she received a lot of money in his will and some of the relatives resented her and felt she was indirectly responsible for his murder."
"What about Arthur's business associates? Wasn't he 'connected'?" David asks uneasily, giving Maddie a guarded look.
"Well, he was a very powerful, wealthy man. And if you recall, some of his business dealings were a bit shady."
"How involved was Laura in running any of his business interests now?" Maddie asks.
"She kept up with things. Her inheritance was what we lived on so she had to make sure the money kept flowing."
"What about Laura's will?"
"I'm her sole heir since we didn't have children and she didn't have any other family."
Paul looks at Maddie who is looking very worried.
"Yeah, I guess I look like a prime suspect," he sighs. "But you have to know how much I loved her. I never would have killed her, especially just for money. It's just not that important to me. Love is the only thing in life that matters to me," Paul declares, looking deeply into Maddie's eyes.
Maddie places her hand on Paul's knee as his attorney walks back into the office.
"We know you would never do such a terrible thing, Paul. But maybe someone else wanted to get to the money by sending you to prison for her murder."
The questioning goes on for a couple of hours, between phone calls and faxes from the Tahoe PD. Then David announces, "We're not getting a whole lot to go on here," rising from behind his desk.
"I'm sorry. I just don't know what else I can tell you."
"Who's next in line in her will?" Maddie asks hopefully.
"Just various charities," Olivia states.
"Maybe we need to make a visit to Tahoe. Sometimes you get better results talking to people in person. We might also get a better feel for things when we see the actual place where the murder occurred, instead of police photos," David says.
"Well, I'll give you the key to the house but I'm never stepping foot in there again," Paul says definitively.
David comes around from the desk and stands in front of Paul. He's all business.
"You don't need to be there. But I'll need to talk to the Tahoe PD to get the complete picture." He stops and makes a point of turning to Maddie. "I mean we'll have to talk to them." He looks at her lovingly.
Paul is unable to not mention what is going on any longer. "I guess you guys talked last night."
"We did more than talk, my man." David starts saying until Maddie gives him a withering stare.
David clears his throat. "I mean, yes, we discussed our difficulties and decided to work them out," then he can't stop himself from adding..."on the dining room table."
Maddie stands up abruptly, and Paul begins laughing. "Well, whatever that means, I don't think I want to know." He takes Maddie's hand. "But I am glad for you," he says with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.
Maddie takes Paul's hand. "Paul, why don't you go home and when we have some news we'll let you know," she advises him as he stands.
"Talk to Annie, the receptionist," she glances back at David, "and leave any numbers where you can be reached, and the name of the police officer in charge of Laura's case. We'll take it from here." She holds his elbow as she shows him out the door.
"And please try not to worry. You look so troubled, but I'm sure this will all work out," she says, captivated by his powerful gaze.
"It was nice meeting you both. I'm sure we'll be in touch when you get to the lake."
Olivia Chase holds out her hand and gives Maddie and David a firm handshake before leaving with Paul.
As she closes the office door, Maddie says, "Nice perfume. Did she have to marinate in it?" She turns around and sees David sitting on the edge of the desk, staring at her intently.
"What?" she asks.
"If I wasn't feeling completely secure in the fact that you love me, I might be just a little jealous right now. That was quite a stare you two were holding."
"What are you talking about? I'm just concerned about him. He's tormented by anguish over Laura's death. I'm afraid he might do something awful to himself."
"Or to me, maybe," David says under his breath.
"David, how can you say that? That gentle man would never harm anyone."
"Maddie, anyone is capable of anything under the right circumstances. I'm just telling you I think he's smitten with you." He moves off the desk and walks toward her, "Just like I am. And I'm not letting you out of my sight until this case is over." He pulls her into an embrace, and they continue to talk, face to face.
"David I think you know that I have no interest in any other man. You're all I can handle. Sometimes more than I can handle. I think you're misinterpreting Paul's feelings for me anyway. He's just the type of man who likes to pay attention to women. He knows we like that, when we're being listened to."
"Huh?" he asks.
"Very funny, Addison. Now I've been out of circulation for a while so you are going to have to help me out here."
She drags him over to the desk and sits him down in his chair while she sits on the edge and crosses her arms over her chest. She asks slyly, "Are we really going to Tahoe? Just us? For the weekend? Exactly how much investigating are you planning on doing?"
He looks her up and down. "Well, since we probably won't be able to make any appointments until Monday morning I'll probably spend the weekend investigating your body. Should I have Annie make us reservations at one of those 'adult' motels I know you love so much?"
She wrinkles her nose. "Not unless I can wipe the place down with Lysol first."
Then she suggests, "I do have an idea that might be kind of fun though. Why don't we drive the roadster up there. It's only a day's drive. We could leave early, be there by tomorrow night, spend all day Sunday exploring the lake and start fresh on the case Monday morning. We've never been to Tahoe together, and it's a very romantic place."
"Sounds like the perfect plan, little woman." He takes her hand and looks deeply into her eyes. "The only part that needs clarification is that it sounds to me like you've been there before. Am I right?"
"Well, there was this one time..." she lowers her eyes so she won't be looking into his face now.
"Ski weekend with your girlfriends?"
She shakes her head.
"Modeling assignment?"
She shakes her head again.
"Summer camp?"
She looks up, shaking her head guiltily.
Not the space man!" David yells, mock horror on his face.
She throws her arms in the air. "You had to ask!
But I don't recall much about the lake--"
"Never made it out of the room, huh," he kids.
"That's not what I meant and you know it, you jerk. It was a long time ago!"
She leans down, and sits in his lap. Seductively she says, "Besides, I'll be seeing it through different eyes now because I'll be with the only man I've ever loved."
"Are we bringing your dad?" he asks.
She jumps up, totally infuriated now, and he's loving every minute of it.
"You love doing this to me, don't you? Getting me all flustered and angry--"
"I can't help it; you make it so easy. Come on, Honey. Let's go home and pack some clean underwear for this romantic magical murder mystery tour. I'll have Annie make us reservations somewhere nice."
Before they exit David's office, he stops, takes her hand and she turns to him, still a bit upset. He says nothing, just looks at her, strokes her face. She lets out a tense breath and closes her eyes, still hot and bothered by his touch after all this time together.
"Are we ok, Blondie?" he asks quietly.
She opens her eyes and gazes at him intensely. "Oh yeah, we're ok."
"Good. I miss the kids. Let's go take them and your folks out to lunch before we leave for the lake tomorrow."
She's stunned since she was expecting some lewd comment instead of a nice offer of lunch with the children.
Then he whispers in her ear, "And about the trip, on second thought, I'll pack clean underwear. You pack your dirty underwear. Or maybe we shouldn't pack any underwear."
She's shaking her head, walking out of the office.
"What did I say?" he yells after her.
***
The next morning we see Maddie and David driving down the freeway in the roadster with the top down, laughing and carrying on like two kids on their first date. David is singing all the "road trip" songs he knows at the top of his lungs. We hear Radar Love, Low Rider, I Can't Drive 55. When Maddie can't stand it any more she starts pushing buttons on the stereo until she finds Johnny Mathis singing Misty.
"That's more like it." She hums as she puts her head on his shoulder.
Look at Me
I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
and I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud
I cant understand
I get misty just holding your hand
Walk my way
and a thousand violins begin to play
or it might be the sound of your hello
that music that I hear
I get misty the moment your near
You can say that you're leading me on
but it's just what I want you to do
don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost
that's why I'm following you
On my own
would I wander through this wonderland alone
never knowing my right foot from my left
my hat from my glove
I'm too misty
and too much in love
Although David is obviously having a great time, he's somewhat distracted and looking in the rearview mirror more often than he needs to. Maddie finally asks him what's going on.
"I don't know, I just have a weird feeling. Like someone's following us."
"David this is a major freeway, there are lots of people following us. Besides you don't feel weird to me." she giggles.
"Hey Goldilocks, leave the one-liners to the professionals," he says, looking in the mirror again.
"Sweetheart, you need to watch the road in front of us if you want to get us to Tahoe in one piece."
"Sorry. I guess I must be paranoid.
Hey, that was great of McCain to get us a friend's cabin to stay in while we're there."
"Yes, it was. See I told you that you were misinterpreting his feelings for me. I wish you'd give him a chance. I think you two could be friends."
"Yeah, right. We have so much in common. Maybe we could share you."
"Idiot."
The chitchat continues as they travel up the freeway, unaware that David's sixth sense (no pun intended) is correct.
A car that is staying about five car lengths behind them has been following them since they left home.
END PART III