Threads of Suspicion(121)
Maggie glanced around the table, read the situation, and before she sat she hugged Evie. “I’m so glad you were able to come tonight, Evie.” Photographers working the room had spotted Maggie, their flashes going off in response. “Introductions, please?”
“Of course. Maggie,” Evie said, “I’d like you to meet Senator Scott Mitchell and his wife, Martha. Also Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Turney, their son, Robert. David you obviously know well. May I introduce our guest singer for tonight, Margaret May McDonald, of the band Triple M.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Maggie smiled around the circle as she sat down by David, leaned her head on his shoulder. “I do know you pretty well,” she said, and he chuckled. She leaned forward and added, “I’ve heard the name Rob Turney recently. Evie is smitten.”
Rob grinned. “I’m glad to hear it, as it’s mutual.”
Evie didn’t dare look at Elizabeth, but she was in awe of Maggie’s understanding of the dynamics here.
Maggie nodded her approval, turned to David. “How was it, range of one to ten?”
“Wonderful, as always,” he replied, offering a fork to share his dessert. “At least a solid eight, because the room acoustics could only go so far.”
“I’ll take it. Because I’m about to be outperformed.” Maggie nodded to a children’s choir now taking the stage. “Their soloist is an eight-year-old, and she’s magnificent.”
The mayor introduced the choir from one of the charities they had been highlighting. The children sang with all the energy they had, obviously having worked hard to memorize the words, clapping in rhythm at the same time. And the little girl, holding the mic like she’d done it all her life, brought the house down. Evie mostly watched Maggie, who was enjoying every bit of the performance.
When it was over, the socializing began. Many came to greet Rob and his parents. Politician types stopped by to speak with the senator and his wife. Maggie hurried to the stage to visit with the children before getting swarmed with autograph and selfie requests.
Evie had come to realize from past experience that it was the personal connections made before and after the program that was the real reason guests attended these events. It would be another hour before Rob was free to leave. She smiled a hello to those Rob introduced her to, stood quietly by his side listening to the conversations, offered a quiet remark to Rob in free moments between guests, until gestured over by his mother to be introduced to someone else. My star must have risen with that hug from Maggie, she thought, shaking hands with another woman Elizabeth thought she should know but likely would never remember.
The head of hotel security let her know the video surveillance would run until midnight and they could pick up copies in the morning for review. After nearly an hour, Evie sank into a chair, drank some water, and picked up a chocolate from a dish on the table.
Maggie joined her. “That’s an absolutely beautiful necklace, Evie.”
“Rob has very good taste . . . and the income to match it.” They shared a laugh together.
“No more autographs?” Evie asked.
“It’s a generational thing. The rest of the crowd doesn’t realize their grandkids are going to be crushed tomorrow when they find out they left without an autograph or photo. Have any plans with Rob for this weekend?”
“David and I have security footage to review tomorrow morning, but then I imagine Rob and I will spend most of it together.”
“Dinner and a movie Saturday evening, church on Sunday, lunch with friends,” Rob suggested from behind, kneading her shoulders. “We’re going to make up for the last few weeks while our jobs are cooperating.”
Evie thought it sounded wonderful, and leaned her head back to smile at him. “Perfect. Your parents get away okay?”
“They’re going out for drinks with the city council president. Maggie, would you and David like to join us for a nightcap at my place?”
“Sure.”
It couldn’t have been scripted for a more memorable way to end a Friday night. Evie leaned into Rob as they said good-night beside her car. “Thanks for this, Rob. You had a very nice idea.”
“You’ve got interesting friends, Evie. And I feel like David and Maggie are on the way to becoming my friends too.”
She smiled. “Welcome to the worlds of music and security.” Maggie had taken them on a tour of her last few months via pictures on her phone, added stories from New York that only Maggie could have lived, David adding color by talking a bit about the complexities of keeping overly ardent fans from hounding her.