Love at First Sight Part 1

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.

by B.J. DANIELS.

CHAPTER ONE

Sat.u.r.day night, March 18

Just when Karen Sutton thought her evening couldn't get any worse, her blind date spilled a full gla.s.s of Beaujolais on her best dress. Who was she kidding? Her only only dress. After five years running her father's business, her wardrobe was more Carhartt than Cartier. dress. After five years running her father's business, her wardrobe was more Carhartt than Cartier.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Howie cried, sounding a little too much like Heloise as he began to explain how to get red wine out of velvet, as well as four other dress fabrics. Something told her he'd done this before. "Here, let me get a waiter-"

She grimaced as Howie called to a man dressed in black, mistaking him for a waiter. The man fortunately pretended not to hear and kept walking.

"Really, it isn't necessary," she repeated to her date and excused herself, less concerned about Howie's clumsiness and the dress than taking advantage of the opportunity to escape-even if only long enough to drown her dress in cold water, if not herself.

"This is your own own fault," she muttered as she hurried off in search of the restroom. She'd been caught off guard by her sweet grandmotherly neighbor, Mrs. Talley Iverson, and while sampling warm chocolate-chip cookies fresh from the elderly woman's oven, had somehow agreed to have dinner with a visiting grandnephew. fault," she muttered as she hurried off in search of the restroom. She'd been caught off guard by her sweet grandmotherly neighbor, Mrs. Talley Iverson, and while sampling warm chocolate-chip cookies fresh from the elderly woman's oven, had somehow agreed to have dinner with a visiting grandnephew.

How could Karen have forgotten how much she hated dating? Probably because it'd been a while. Not that there weren't plenty of men in her life. Builders, bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians. She even went out for a drink or dinner sometimes with them. At least with those men, she had something in common. And she didn't have to wear a dress.

Howie Iverson, on the other hand, owned a floral shop in eastern Montana and knew the Latin names of all the species. Karen's experience with floral arrangements was limited to other people's weddings and funerals. Did real men still send women flowers? Not the men she knew.

Except for Howie Iverson. She swore an oath never to date any more of Talley Iverson's relatives, no matter how sweet the woman or how scrumptious her cookies.

As Karen turned down what had to be her fifth long hallway, she realized she hadn't been paying attention and was now lost.

Lost in the Hotel Carlton. Great. The wonderfully rustic old resort hotel on the edge of Missoula, Montana, was enormous and half-empty since it was off season. As she tried to backtrack in the maze of hallways, feeling like the little kid in The s.h.i.+ning, The s.h.i.+ning, she heard voices. Hopefully someone knew the way back to the restaurant. she heard voices. Hopefully someone knew the way back to the restaurant.

She turned a corner, now obviously in a far wing, and spotted a man wearing a baseball cap knocking at one of the rooms down the hall. She started to call to him, but just then, the door opened and a woman appeared. Liz? Liz?

The man said something Karen couldn't hear. Liz's hand came up as if to slap him but he caught her wrist and pushed her back into the room. Just before he disappeared, he turned his head in Karen's direction. Their eyes met for only an instant. The hotel-room door slammed.

Shaken, Karen turned and rushed back the way she'd come, feeling like a voyeur. Liz hadn't seen her, Karen was sure of that. But the man-he'd looked right at her and seemed surprised.

Was he Liz's secret lover, the one Karen had only heard about that morning? She cringed recalling what she'd just witnessed-and almost collided with a woman coming around the corner.

"Excuse me," Karen said, as the woman, neither acknowledging the collision or the apology, hurried away. Karen looked after her. Wasn't that the newest member of her mother's bridge club?

"There you are!"

Karen jumped, startled as she came face-to-face with her date.

"I was afraid you were lost," Howie said. "Oh, look at your dress! You really should have gotten cold water on that right away. It's going to be difficult to get that spot out now."

She looked down at the huge red stain and was startled to see how much it resembled blood against the pale blue of the velvet. No wonder the man with Liz had looked so surprised.

But it didn't explain the way he'd reacted to Liz. Or her to him. Not that it was any of Karen's business, she reminded herself. Until this morning, she hadn't even seen Liz since high school. Almost sixteen years.

That's why she'd been so surprised when she'd run into her on the street in Missoula and Liz had insisted they talk over a latte at the corner coffee shop. Karen became even more uncomfortable when her former cla.s.smate, who had nervously kept watching the door, confessed that she'd done something she probably shouldn't have, then blurted out that she'd been seeing a mystery man, someone she'd met through the personals column in the newspaper.

"I really should get home and soak this dress, don't you think?" Karen said to her neighbor's grandnephew and her very-last-ever blind date.

She couldn't wait to get out of the dress and end the date, and not in that order. Nor did she want to think about Liz and the man in the hotel hallway. Liz was a grown woman. She knew what she was doing.

But even as Karen said it, she feared Liz had gotten in over her head. She kept remembering the way the two had reacted to each other in the hallway. That was one romance headed south.

Twenty minutes later, Karen was trying to gracefully close her apartment door on Howie Iverson and the entire evening, when she was literally saved by the bell.

The phone rang. "Thank you again, but it isn't necessary," she said politely to Howie's offer to have her dress cleaned. Hurriedly she shut the door, bolted it and ran to answer the phone.

"h.e.l.lo?" She could hear breathing. "h.e.l.lo?"

The line clicked.

Karen stared at the receiver.

Had it been Liz? Maybe.

Or a crazed serial killer checking to see if she was home alone? Probably.

Or a wrong number, she thought, trying to corral her imagination and shake off the ominous feeling she'd had since opening the door to find Howie peeking through a bouquet of the strangest-looking flowers she'd ever seen.

But as she started to hang up the phone, she knew it wasn't the date-as awkward as it'd been-that had her so jumpy.

On impulse she hit star 69. The phone number the automated voice repeated didn't sound familiar. A wrong number, just like she'd thought. The line began to ring. Hang up! You're going to look like a fool! Hang up! You're going to look like a fool!

"Good evening, Hotel Carlton."

Her pulse pounded at her temples. Had Liz called her? "Yes. Could you please ring Liz Jones's room?"

"One moment, please."

It suddenly struck Karen that Liz wouldn't have registered in her own name. Actually, she probably wouldn't have registered at all. While Karen didn't know much about clandestine affairs, she thought the male lover acquired the room, and probably under some a.s.sumed name like Smith.

So why was she still waiting on the line when she knew the clerk would come back any minute to say there was no Liz Jones registered?

The extension began to ring. Liz had had registered-and under her own name? Well, it registered-and under her own name? Well, it was was a new decade for women. a new decade for women.

Someone picked up after the first ring but said nothing.

Karen swallowed. "Liz?"

No answer. Just soft breathing.

What was she doing? Karen quickly hung up and stood staring at the phone. Who'd answered? More important, who'd called her from the hotel in the first place? She blinked. The answering-machine light blinked back at her, bright red. Karen quickly hung up and stood staring at the phone. Who'd answered? More important, who'd called her from the hotel in the first place? She blinked. The answering-machine light blinked back at her, bright red.

Quickly she rewound the tape, surprised to find herself trembling. Jeez, she felt like a kid who'd been caught playing phone games. "I saw what you did. I know who you are." I'm an idiot. Come and get me. "I saw what you did. I know who you are." I'm an idiot. Come and get me.

Except she hadn't seen anything and knew even less. Not true. Not true. She'd seen Liz with a man. The lover who'd insisted his ident.i.ty be kept secret? And now Karen had not only seen him-he'd seen She'd seen Liz with a man. The lover who'd insisted his ident.i.ty be kept secret? And now Karen had not only seen him-he'd seen her! her!

She jumped as the answering machine clicked on and Liz's distraught voice filled the room. "Karen? Please pick up. I really need to talk to you. I found out who he is. You know, the man I told you about. I found out everything. everything. This is so freaky." Pause. "All right, I guess you're not home. I need to talk to him first, anyway. You know, give the b.a.s.t.a.r.d a chance to...explain, huh?" She sounded close to tears and getting more angry by the moment. "I can tell you one thing. I'm not going to let him get away with this. He's going to pay." A knock sounded in the background. "That's him now." This is so freaky." Pause. "All right, I guess you're not home. I need to talk to him first, anyway. You know, give the b.a.s.t.a.r.d a chance to...explain, huh?" She sounded close to tears and getting more angry by the moment. "I can tell you one thing. I'm not going to let him get away with this. He's going to pay." A knock sounded in the background. "That's him now."

The line disconnected, the silence too loud, too final in the suddenly morguelike room.

Liz had had called. Karen checked the time on the answering machine: 7:48. That would have been just after Howie spilled her wine all over her dress while explaining greenhouse flower pollination. And just before- called. Karen checked the time on the answering machine: 7:48. That would have been just after Howie spilled her wine all over her dress while explaining greenhouse flower pollination. And just before- Her pulse roared in her ears. My G.o.d, Liz had been on the phone calling her at the same time Karen had rounded the corner in the hotel and seen the man knocking at Liz's door!

Karen felt a s.h.i.+ver. Had that been Liz who'd called a few minutes ago? Then why hadn't she said something? And who'd answered the phone in Liz's room when Karen had called? The secret lover?

This is none of your business. Except that Liz had involved her in it by confessing it all to her. Now Karen felt as if she'd just sat through an unsettling movie, only to have the projector break down before the end. She needed an ending. Preferably a happy one. Except that Liz had involved her in it by confessing it all to her. Now Karen felt as if she'd just sat through an unsettling movie, only to have the projector break down before the end. She needed an ending. Preferably a happy one.

"Maybe I should call Liz's hotel room again," she said to the silence, worried that neither of them was going to get a happy ending.

Get a life, Sutton. And get out of this dress!

CHAPTER TWO

Sunday morning

It wasn't until very early the next morning that Karen, half-asleep, got the news.

Howie brought it, along with some of his aunt's still-warm homemade fried pies and a spray can of spot remover.

Karen opened the door barefoot, in the old T-s.h.i.+rt she'd slept in and a pair of thrown-on worn jeans. "Howie?" "Howie?"

He stuck the fried pies under her nose like smelling salts.

She took a whiff and a pie and stumbled groggily into the kitchen, following the smell emanating from her automatic coffeemaker. What time was it, anyway?

Howie trailed after her into the tiny kitchen. "Like I was saying, I have this friend at the Hotel Carlton flower shop. She says the police have been swarming all over the place since she got there this morning."

Sleepily, Karen took a bite of the palm-size, lightly frosted, still-warm apricot fried pie and chewed, moaning in pleasure. Better than chocolate. Better than sleep. Better than even- She stopped chewing. "What?"

Howie handed her a napkin and pointed to a crumb on her chin. She wiped at it robotically as she watched him pull down a cup and fill it with coffee. He handed it to her.

Police? She took a gulp of the hot strong coffee, desperately needing to get up to speed. Her head cleared a little as the caffeine started to kick in. She took another drink. Her eyes began to focus. They focused on Howie. She took a gulp of the hot strong coffee, desperately needing to get up to speed. Her head cleared a little as the caffeine started to kick in. She took another drink. Her eyes began to focus. They focused on Howie.

He smiled in acknowledgment and refilled her cup. Somehow she hadn't expected to see him again after last night. How long did his aunt say he'd be in town?

"It turns out someone was murdered at the hotel last night," he said as he handed her the full cup. "Can you imagine that?"

She stared at him. Unfortunately, she could could imagine that. What the caffeine hadn't yet completely accomplished, the word imagine that. What the caffeine hadn't yet completely accomplished, the word murder murder did. " did. "Who was murdered?" was murdered?"

"Her name hasn't been released yet," he continued, his interest appearing to wane as he obviously got to his real purpose for waking her this early on a Sunday morning. "I came by to see if this spot remover works. If you'll get me your dress..."

She barely heard him. A woman had been murdered? Her heart picked up a staccato beat while her pulse buzzed in her ears. Just because a woman had been murdered at the hotel last night, didn't mean it was Liz. After all, it was a huge place. What were the chances the victim was even someone she knew?

"Karen?" Howie waved the can of spot remover in front of her to get her attention. "The dress?"

She pointed absently in the direction of the couch, drained her coffee cup and looked around for her purse.

"You did soak the dress overnight in cold water, didn't you?" he asked.

She hated to tell him.

"I don't see the dress," he called back to her from the other side of the breakfast bar.

She pointed again, this time more in the direction of the corner, as she dumped the contents of her purse on the kitchen counter and sorted through it feverishly for the number Liz had given her. She and Liz had exchanged phone numbers on coffee-shop napkins, but at the time she'd figured she'd probably never see Liz again-let alone call her. But her instincts told her that Liz wouldn't have stayed at the hotel last night. Not after learning the truth about her lover.

With relief, she spied a latte-stained corner of napkin, pulled it free and reached for the phone.

"Oh!" she heard Howie exclaim. He must have found her dress where she'd thrown it last night.

The line began to ring. Pick up, Liz. Come on. Answer your phone. Pick up, Liz. Come on. Answer your phone.

When the answering machine came on, she hung up, not wanting to leave a message. What message would she leave, anyway? "Call me if you're not dead? Otherwise-"

Okay. Liz wasn't at home. Still no reason to panic. Maybe she had stayed over at the hotel last night. Karen tried the Carlton number only to get a busy signal.

"Howie, I have someplace I have to go," Karen said, shoving everything but the keys back into her purse and quickly finis.h.i.+ng off her fried pie before she looked around for shoes. She spied her Birkenstock sandals poking out from the end of the couch and slid into their familiar worn comfort.

Howie was holding the dress out and tsk-tsking.

"Look, Howie-" That dress had been nothing but bad luck. She'd bought it on impulse because it was on sale and for just a moment, she'd seen herself in the dress having a romantic candlelight dinner with a still faceless Man of Her Dreams. Obviously sale dresses came with dream glitches she should have been warned about. "Here, give me that." She s.n.a.t.c.hed the dress and the spot remover from him, stuffed the spray can in her purse and tucked the cursed dress under her arm. "I have it covered. Trust me. I know just what to do."

"Well, I really think-"

"No time for that now," she said, cutting him short as she ushered him out the door ahead of her.

She left him standing in the courtyard as she hurried to her Honda. As she threw her purse and the dress into the pa.s.senger seat, she couldn't help but notice how much the stain still looked like blood. A bad omen.