The Marriage of Nathan West

The Plan

Josh was waiting for them at Deborah's apartment, looking harried and annoyed. "All right, I'm here. What's the big news?"

Maxie glanced at Deborah who nodded reassuringly. "Scott was dating Chelsea Pendleton but he was seeing someone else on the side."

Josh shrugged. "Is this a fact or hearsay?"

Maxie narrowed her eyes. Josh was certainly not in the mood to listen to her. She wondered briefly what had gotten into him but let it drop momentarily. Too much was at stake to care about his mood swing. She lifted her chin defiantly and said, "It's gossip but I'm sure it's true."

Josh folded his arms over his chest. "Sure? Okay fine. Tell me."

"I will. The gossip floating around Scott and Chelsea's circle is that he was cheating on her with someone else. And that someone just happened to be at the wedding too." She flicked a quick look at Deborah who leaned forward in anticipation. "Scott was sleeping with Alicia Kirkland."

"Of course!" Deborah exclaimed at the same time Josh muttered, "Impossible."

Maxie frowned, her eyebrows pulling together in confusion. "How is it impossible? It just has to be her."

"Maxie, how can you be so sure it's possible?" Josh countered.

"I can tell you that," Deborah interrupted. "Cassie Kirkland is a notorious gossip and she wouldn't gossip about this one. Wouldn't hear a word about it. Not one single word."

He shook his head. "Then how do you know she wasn't the one sleeping with Scott Chambers?"

Deborah laughed, a high pitched giggle that surprised both Josh and Maxie. "Oh my! That's a laugh! Cassie Kirkland wouldn't cheat on that two timer of a husband she's got. It's beneath her. Trust me young man," she said getting her giggles in check. "Cassie isn't having an affair."

Josh ignored Deborah's giggles. "So it has to be Alicia?"

"It has to be. If she won't abide gossip about it, then she's trying to squash people talking about it. The only reason for that is if it affects her or someone she cares about. So-" Maxie broke off and waited for Josh to get the point. To his credit, he did.

"Fine, I'll look into it. I won't be able to take it to Marinelli without something a little more concrete but I'll check." He got to his feet, ready to leave when Deborah's housekeeper cleared her throat from the doorway. They all turned toward her but it was Maxie who was on her feet and across the room before either Josh or Deborah registered the tall man hovering behind the housekeeper as Nathan West.

Maxie threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in an embrace. Nathan felt some tension slip away at her touch but only allowed himself to relax for a moment. Nothing was settled and as much as he wanted to take her and run as far away from the city and Chelsea as he could, this was not the time to let their guard down.

"How did you know I was here?" Maxie asked, pulling back to gaze at him.

"I didn't. But you weren't at the hotel so I took a chance Mrs. Feldman brought you here." He released her and took her hand leading her into the room. "Josh is here? Is everything okay?"

She grinned triumphantly. "I know who Scott was having an affair with!"

"She thinks she knows," Josh corrected her.

Nathan raised an eyebrow, turning an inquiring gaze at Maxie who smiled back at him triumphantly. "Alright, I'll bite. Who was it?"

"The bride herself, Alicia Kirkland." Nathan took her announcement in stride, turning it over in his head. If Alicia was having an affair with Scott, it was possible that Eric knew then. Which would explain his sudden appearance at their hotel the next morning if he suspected his new wife had something to do with Scott's death. Still, that didn't square with what he remembered of his old friend. There was something else too. He had forgotten some important piece of information but it was completely lost to him at the moment.

Nathan directed his question to Josh. "Has Alicia been questioned?"

"Of course. Look, it's probably a longshot but I'll check into it, okay? I have to get going before Marinelli suspects anything."

"Hang on just a minute. There's something I need to tell Maxie and you should probably hear it too." He still had Maxie's hand in his. He looked at it wishing he didn't have to tell her this at all. "Chelsea saw us at the restaurant. She's out for blood."

"When isn't she?" Maxie muttered.

"No, Maxie. This is different. Not only has she moved the wedding to tomorrow but she's threatening you if I don't comply."

Maxie rolled her eyes. "Nathan, your ex-girlfriend has been threatening me since this whole thing started. Let her do her worst." She let go and flounced over to a chair. "I'm tired of her using me as a way to keep you near her. I didn't do anything wrong and we both know it. Stop letting her control you, Nathan. Let's just face this thing together."

He stared at her for a minute, weighing Maxie's bravery against his own desire to keep her safe and free. He didn't want her to suffer because of his choices and his past. But then, she wasn't the kind of woman who sat idly by and let things happen to her. And given the choice, he realized, he would rather take his chances with her any day.

"You're right. It's time we took control and fixed this," he said going to her side. "Even if we don't know who killed Scott, we have some good suspects and it's time to flush out the real killer." He looked around the room at Deborah and Josh. "I have a plan but it's going to take all of us."