There Goes the Groom Read Free Page B

mind to the thought. How many perps had he arrested that were actually innocent?
    None.
    Besides, she was marrying Pendergrass. That made her guilty in his book.
    There was no way she’d gotten that close to the crook and not known what he was up to.
     
    *~*~*~*
     
    Marci nearly choked on a sob as the detective snapped the handcuffs around her wrists. Dad blast it! How had this happened?
    This was supposed to be her Cinderella wedding, and now it had turned into a fiasco.
    “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do can be held against you…”
    The big bull of a cop’s words faded as Marci saw the society columnist snapping photos. The lawn of the country club was a mass of well-dressed shocked guests who, on close scrutiny, had torn lace, satin bows and cake on their shoes.
    And judging from their mutinous looks, they were either going to defend her or tar and feather her.
    But her heart was hurting too much to worry about them right now. This man had not only ruined her wedding with these ridiculous claims, but Paul had run off and left her!
    She sucked back a sob, grateful she’d been smart enough to wear-waterproof mascara. “Why are you doing this?” she whispered.  “Why?”
    The detective’s steely gaze met hers. “Because you and your fiancé ripped off half of the people here with your phony resort scam.”
    “What?” Marci’s head reeled. More lights flashed, that woman she’d seen chasing Pastor Joe appeared, and Kim was fighting her way through the crowd toward her.
    “Let me through. That’s my sister up there!”
    This could not be happening. Kim had always harped that she had to clean up Marci’s messes, and now this ?
    As if things weren’t bad enough, thunder suddenly rumbled, the spring sky turning a dark gray.
    Something must have rattled the guests even more because they came at her in droves. “What’s going on, Marci?”
    “What’s this about fraud?” an elderly man asked.
    “Are you saying that resort property was a scam?” someone else shouted.
    That comment brought a round of accusations and screaming, and a few women who started crying and sobbing.
    “You mean we’ve lost everything?”
    “He stole our money?”
    Another lady shook her finger at Marci. “We trusted you, but you robbed us?”
    Marci shook her head in denial just as the first raindrops splattered the pavement. She had no idea what was going on. The detective had to be wrong. Paul wouldn’t cheat these kind people.
    And he’d never lie to her.
    Although a seed of doubt spread in her belly.
    But he had left her to deal with this mess, left her at the altar. Ran like a coward…like he was guilty…
    Two more police cars screeched up, officers jumping out and rushing toward them. Lightning streaked the tops of the oaks and several of the older women took cover.
    “Search the inside ballroom for bullet casings,” Detective Muller said.  “And contain the guests. Question each and every one of them and take down their contact information. Somebody took a shot at Pendergrass. I want to know who it was.”
    Marci shifted restlessly. Could the shooter have been one of their guests?
    Detective Muller studied her like she was some mangy dog, then dragged her toward his car. She stubbed her toe on a crack in the cement, and tears stung her eyes as she realized her pedicure was completely ruined and her toe was bleeding.
    Oblivious, the detective pushed her head down to force her into the car, and her tiara fell to the ground beside the car as he slammed the door shut.
    Cameras flashed again, and Marci buried her head into her torn veil just as the clouds unleashed the rain. She should be taking wedding photographs now.
    Instead in a few minutes, she would be posing for her mug shot.

C HAPTER T HREE
     
     
    Cade steeled himself against any sympathy for Marci Turner as the floodgates began to pour. She was nothing but a liar and a cheat.
    A damn good liar and a pretty cheat, but she was