Lie of the Needle(125)

            “Rock on,” Eleanor said. “Well, if we can’t use Serrano’s photo, perhaps we could convince another one of the firefighters to fill in. They all seemed more than ready to take their clothes off.” She winked at me. “Gotta love those firefighters.”

            Martha clapped her hands and announced that we should join the party again, and reluctantly we made our way downstairs.

            Dottie Brown was at the bar, enjoying one of Cyril’s special cocktails. “Hi, Daisy. Isn’t it so great that Patsy found a place? Did you hear that Ruth sold her house, too?”

            “Really? So fast?”

            “Yes, and she’s already closed on it. The buyer was paying cash and didn’t need a mortgage. Ruth left tonight for Belize. I have a friend in the travel business, and she just happened to mention her itinerary to me.”

            “Belize?”

            I glanced over at Serrano. Just when I thought that all the mysteries were solved.

            But I forgot about it as a vision appeared at the top of the stairs. Martha walked slowly down the carved wood steps of her grand Victorian house, dressed in a long russet silk gown, the one she’d planned to wear to the ball, her vibrant red hair pulled back in a chignon.

            Serrano raised an eyebrow.

            “Wow,” Joe said.

            “Bella.” Tony Z kissed the tips of his fingers.

            And as far as Cyril, he was speechless.

            “Daisy, you’ll never believe it!” Martha exclaimed, as she came up to me, Eleanor following close behind. “This dress actually has to be taken in. By four inches! I’ve been so stressed out that the weight has just fallen off.”

            Eleanor smiled wryly at us. “I can honestly say I’ve never been so excited about four inches in my entire life.”

            I gave Cyril a nudge. “Go on, get on with it,” I hissed. “No time like the present.”

            He cleared his throat and got down on one knee. Out of his pocket he produced an emerald-cut ring that fairly blazed in the light. “Well, lass, we missed the charity ball, but it’d be a real shame to waste that dress. Martha Bristol, will you marry me?”

            But Martha was already crying, too choked up to speak.

            “She says yes,” Eleanor and I said in chorus.

            Cyril took Martha into his arms. I think he murmured “Good enough for me,” but his voice was muffled by her passionate kiss.

            Joe put an arm around my shoulders. “Guess you’ll be really busy, Daisy, now that you have two weddings to plan.”

            “Yeah, that should keep you out of trouble for a while,” Serrano said.

            I grinned at him. “Don’t count on it, Detective.”