Madison Knight didn’t even recognize her own reflection in the mirror. She wore makeup, having been applied at the hands of a skilled cosmetician who did house calls. She was lucky any other day to slap on foundation. Her hair, that was usually tousled like the crown of a cockatoo, was professionally styled. Each strand lying in harmony with the others. A tiara sat on top of her head, the cubic zirconias winking in the light as if they were real diamonds and not imposters. More of these jewels nestled against her collarbone and dangled from her earlobes. It had been a surprise her piercings hadn’t closed up, as neglected as they were. The most shocking thing was her body draped in a white gown. She wasn’t a fan of formal, and she was far from a blushing virgin. If she’d had her way, she’d have walked down the aisle in a cream pantsuit. The only reason she conceded to the traditional garb was due to the petitioning from her mother, sister, and her best friend, Cynthia Baxter. Or one could call it a guilt trip. They had all said, “Can’t you be a girl for one day in your life?” So here she was all decked out, smelling of floral perfume, wearing jewelry and a gown, a garter belt, and lacy underthings. She had drawn the line at a thong, though, and went bikini. “Just when I thought this day would never come.” Her mother came up behind her and put an arm around her. Jeez, thanks! Mothers were expected to get sentimental on their daughter’s wedding day. Cheek to cheek, looking at their reflection in a mirror and tearing up. Not Donna Knight. She was checking marriage off the list she’d had in mind for Madison’s life from the time she was born. “Oh, Mom, be nice.” Chelsea, Madison’s younger sister by six years, stepped in to her defense. Chelsea was the “golden child,” wife for over eleven years and mother to three girls. If their mother was counting on grandchildren from Madison, she’d be disappointed. “I’m not being mean. I was just saying.” Her words said one thing, her tone another. Donna presumed to know what was best for everyone. She was right while everyone else was wrong. “Just let it go. Please,” Chelsea beseeched, adding a smile to her request, which had their mother holding up her hands. Madison faced those in the room. Present were her mother, sister, her six-year-old niece, who was the flower girl, and Cynthia. Her friend looked the least comfortable, as she was due to give birth to her first baby in a few weeks. She complained of being bloated and said her belly was the size of an inflated beachball. Those were her friend’s words, and Madison wouldn’t dare to agree. She’d faced off with Russian Mafia hit men, but she wasn’t prepared to face the wrath of her pregnant friend.
They were all gathered in the primary bedroom of Madison’s new home, which was acting as a bridal suite today. She and her fiancé, Troy Matthews, were already living together and had been for over a year. But this house was new to them. Though it wasn’t to Madison. In fact, she had a history with the home, and it held special meaning for her. It had belonged to her mother’s parents, and Madison always had a special bond with her grandma Rose. Their relationship wasn’t formal, didn’t stand on pomp and ceremony. Her grandmother welcomed Madison to call her by her first name, and their bond was tight. It was why Madison put in an offer without a second thought when the house hit the market a few months ago. From her first walk-through, the feeling of her grandmother’s presence cemented the deal. Madison was meant to share her life with Troy in this house. She imagined Grandma Rose was smiling down at her from heaven today. Cynthia sucked in a deep breath through her teeth and grinned. “Well, are you ready? You do look incredible.” Not that looking good was the barometer for determining readiness, but Madison graciously accepted the compliment and kissed her friend’s cheek. “Just one toast, and we’ll head down.” Chelsea poured champagne into three flutes and filled two with sparkling nonalcoholic cider. One of these was for Cynthia, the other for Madison’s niece. After everyone had their drinks in hand, they raised their glasses following Chelsea’s lead. She toasted, “To Madison and Troy finding a life of happiness and love.” Everyone echoed the sentiment and added, “Here, here.” Glasses were clinked and generous sips taken. Madison lowered her glass, and with the motion, it was as if the import of today was finally sinking in. This was actually happening. She was getting married. While she’d been engaged in the past, she never got this close to going through with it. Her previous fiancé had been a cheat, and it took Madison a solid decade to give love another chance. But that heartache had brought her to where she was now. With Troy. And the universe had blessed her.
Troy was so much more than Toby Sovereign had ever been. Troy understood her and held to the same values. He appreciated that honesty, loyalty, and integrity were the foundations of any lasting relationship and a code to live by. But he’d experienced Madison’s pain for himself when his first wife and supposed best friend betrayed him by having an affair. Instead of letting it ruin his view on love, though, it gave him the understanding and patience Madison required from him. He offered a supportive shoulder, despite her inclination to handle everything on her own. Chelsea gathered Madison’s glass and set it down with hers. She tapped a finger to Madison’s tiara. “All right, are you ready to roll?” Madison’s heart picked up speed. Her impulse was to run and hide. And she hated running. The thought of Troy waiting for her had her nodding. She tapped her clammy palms against her gown and took some calm, even breaths. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Her sister smiled at her, her eyes disclosing she had read Madison’s fears. But she wasn’t good at hiding her feelings, which was both a blessing and a curse. The group made their way to the main level with Madison’s mother leading the way. The ceremony was being held in the living room. Her mother would go in first, and Troy would walk her to her seat at the front. The bridal party stopped midway down the steps, and her mother continued. Oh, this is getting real! When Madison and the rest of them landed in the entry, the French doors were once again closed, and the curtains they had installed would keep Troy from seeing Madison too early. This was just one change that was made to facilitate the wedding. Their regular furniture was stored in the basement, and a rental company had brought in chairs and handled the setup of those. Another business took care of the decorating. Madison’s and Troy’s jobs with the Stiles Police Department didn’t leave them much spare time, so they delegated what they could. It hadn’t been a small feat to convince her to book two weeks off from work for their honeymoon. He sold her on a week at a five-star resort in Cancun, Mexico, followed by a week of nesting at home to celebrate a quiet Christmas. It would be them and Hershey, her chocolate Lab. Speaking of… Hershey wagged his tail at the sight of Madison and wriggled his body toward her, but Terry, her job partner, had him on a leash and gently encouraged him to stay back. But what she would give for just a brush of his velvet ears. “It’s okay,” she told Terry. “Maddy, your dress,” Chelsea cautioned. Hershey was so excited that he was starting to whimper. Between that and the bow tie he had around his neck for his upcoming performance as ring bearer, Madison smiled. “Hey ya, fella.” She reached out, keeping some distance between herself and the dog, but she would have loved to inundate the guy with cuddles. A pantsuit would have been more conducive to that, which she’d point out, but why waste her breath? His ears were so soft, and they chipped away at her stress. Terry wasn’t the only one in the entry. There were four other men. One of whom was Madison’s father. He did a double take when he saw her. His eyes watered, and it had her tearing up. “You are beautiful, sweetheart.” He braced his hands on her upper arms and leaned in and kissed her cheek. When her father pulled back, Terry stepped up in his place. They were more than work friends. He was like the brother she never had, but she was likely to lose him soon. He’d passed the sergeant’s exam and desired to settle behind a desk, where there was less risk of some psycho killing him. For the wedding, his role was master of ceremonies. He was also responsible for cuing up the music and opening the doors along with Lou Stanford, Cynthia’s husband. “You, wearing a dress?” Terry teased with a wink. “You actually look like a—” “If you say girl, I might…” Madison narrowed her eyes and formed a fist. She drew her arm back as if she were going to hit his shoulder. He juked out of the way. It was a long-running schtick between them. Though she usually made contact, and he’d make a show of pretending to be wounded. Just further proof they were more like brother and sister than simply colleagues and friends. The two of them started laughing, but it rang somewhat hollow. It wasn’t far from mind that everything between them was about to change. Terry hugged her, firm yet not too tightly, to not crush her dress. Lou was the next to step up. He smiled and dipped his head. It was Madison who opened her arms for a hug. He was her best friend’s husband, and a good friend and family by extension. Marc Copeland and Nick Benson, who were standing up for Troy, waited there in their tuxedos, hands clasped together in front of them like they were bouncers at a bar. They had known Troy for over a decade and reported to him in the Special Weapons and Tactics division. Like him, both were muscular and over six feet. Marc was especially built like a tank, and his primary task on the SWAT force was breacher. Nick was a shield operator. They hugged her and kissed a cheek, having grown close to her over the time she’d been with Troy. “You ready?” Terry asked her. She eyed the front door, then looked at him. “If I wait any longer, I might take my cold feet and run out of here.” An empty threat. As nervous as she was to take the step of marriage, she hadn’t been this sure about anything in her life. “You? Run? By choice? That would be a first.” This time she did hit Terry’s shoulder. He pretended it hurt. But he deserved the potshot. Terry showed her up by running miles on his treadmill every morning. What sick bastard chose to do that? Meanwhile, she found ways to avoid the activity. If a suspect ran, she set Terry free. Thinking of that, her new partner better be a runner too because she wasn’t taking it up anytime soon.
Tears stung her eyes as she nodded to everyone, and the wedding party got into position. Chelsea and Marc stood side by side in front of the doors. Cynthia and Nick were behind them. Terry hit the music, and he and Lou each got a door. As Madison watched the couples disappear, her nerves had her heart pounding. Not long from now, she’d be saying “I do.” A cold sweat blanketed her arms. Her father smiled at her as he held out his arm, and she slipped hers through. Brie, her niece, was in front of them and turned around. “Now?” “Yes.” Madison smiled at her. They’d had a rehearsal last night, but Brie’s nerves must have been getting to her too. “Okay.” Brie grinned and disappeared through the French doors into the living room.
Seconds later, the music was changed to the “Bridal Chorus,” and Madison’s mouth went dry, her head faint. “You’re up,” Terry whispered to her. No turning back, Knight. Deep, slow, steady breaths… Deliberate, conscious breathing, just like her therapist would recommend. Madison and her father paused in the doorway. Brie had done a great job of sprinkling rose petals onto the long runner ahead of them. The room also looked incredible, with ribbons and bows on the chairs and the large urns full of flowers. She made these observations quickly before her gaze went to Troy at the other end of the room. Locked on him, her chest heaved, her lungs froze mid-inhale, and her legs weakened as if made of jelly. Maybe if she focused on the sea of familiar friendly faces of those nearest and dearest to her and Troy, she’d regain her strength. They were standing with their eyes on Madison. Terry’s wife, Annabelle, and their infant daughter, Danny; Chelsea’s husband and her two other daughters; Officer Higgins aka Chief, Madison’s training officer and someone she highly respected; Joni Weir and her girls, Troy’s goddaughters; Cole Richards, the area’s medical examiner, and his wife; Jennifer Adams, Samantha Reid, and Mark Andrews from the crime lab, who worked with and reported to Cynthia; Andrea Fletcher, who was Troy’s sister and the Stiles PD police chief, and her husband, Robert. Absent from Troy’s side were his parents, who had died years before he and Madison had started dating. As Madison approached the front of the room, she couldn’t avoid Troy any longer.
Seeing him made her breath catch again. His broad shoulders filled out a tux to perfection. His blond hair was trimmed short, and his green eyes were electric and piercing. Her father put her hand in Troy’s and kissed her cheek before taking a seat by her mother. Troy was smiling, an expression he rarely showcased, and her heart was at risk of beating out of her chest. He was so much more than the spectacle before her. His character and personality completed the package, and he was all hers. This man wants to marry me, accepting all my strengths and faults. How did I get so lucky? She smiled at him as they turned to face David Murphy, who was acting as their wedding officiant. He also worked with Troy in SWAT. His specialty was explosives. David offered her an encouraging smile and said, “Troy and Madison want to welcome you to their home and their wed—”
A commotion of raised voices from the entry interrupted David. One man distinctly called out, “Braybury PD!” Madison spun around as two police officers crashed into the living room and headed right toward her. Terry and Lou were standing there, arms raised in frustration and surrender. Her father stepped into the aisle to play interference and block them from reaching the front of the room. “You need to leave now. You have no business being here.” “You need to get out of our way, sir, or I will be forced to arrest you,” one of the officers said as he and a colleague skirted past her father.
“Excuse me, but what the hell is happening here?” Andrea Fletcher closed the distance to the officers. “I’m Police Chief Fletcher, and I demand an answer.” A man in a suit stepped through the opening of the French doors. He sauntered toward Andrea and stopped mere inches in front of her. He was looking past her to Troy when he said, “Troy Matthews, you’re going to go with these fine officers.” “Who are you?” Andrea spat. The man held up a gold badge. “Detective Snow, Braybury PD.” Braybury was a large city a couple of hours away from Stiles. Madison turned to Troy when he put a hand on her lower back. “What’s going on?” she asked him...
~~~
When you are dedicated to your job, fighting crime, you often get in trouble with the wrong people... Both Madison and her fiance were not only dedicated, but good at their jobs! It had happened often...But surely, they could have at least waited until after the wedding was over and Madison was finally married to the man with whom she hoped to spend the rest of her life.
But, you know folks, what we often want and need is just not strong enough to prevent the evil people of the world from acting... This time, everybody there was fairly certain that somebody within their police unit had purposely allowed police from a different area to interrupt a wedding ceremony, knowing the upheaval that it would lead to... But that was to be dealt with later. In the meantime, the groom was handcuffed and led away from the bride as she and the entire wedding party stared in horror!
Now here's the thrust of the plot... Madison knows nothing, but is fairly certain that Troy, her lover, is at least aware of what had occurred within the past 24 hours... However, Madison is a tenacious investigator, aside from her deep love for Troy, and she would be sure to start that investigation just as soon as she can get out of her wedding gown!
But she was stopped just as quickly by her boss, who had just as much reason to be concerned with clearing Troy... Andrea Fletcher was Police Chief, their boss...but also sister of Troy... Carolyn Arnold is known for her police procedure expertise in writing her books, but, of the books I've read, so far, this novel is the best of the best in exploiting the police theme: Two different cities, two different chiefs, and jurisdiction becomes so entangled, some readers, including Madison and me, want to scream! LOL Seriously, This story, leading with love and romance, then led to secrets for both of the wedding couple, which led to a murder mystery x 2 which led to a cold case decades ago... get the idea? I loved this one and am happy to suggest that, for Arnold's fans, this is a must-read... And if you haven't read her before, this is a perfect book to begin! Check her name in the search location to the right to find a number of her other books for your consideration...
But let's get back to the story... A young girl was raped and murdered during a senior graduation party 24 years ago. A boy was found guilty and had served his sentence... It is likely that his return has initiated the actions of the individuals from both police units. But Troy had been involved peripherally in the first murder and is now being seemingly railroaded for both the cold and new murders... But, if that is the case, why won't Troy share what he knows with Madison, especially when they have been betrothed for quite some time... And why are those involved beginning to question who exactly is making the decisions about jurisdiction and access to evidence...
This one has to be read to be believed... It will be worth it to mystery/thriller fans!
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