Little Hidden Fears
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Synopsis
For someone present, this engagement party has become a deadly game, and Zoey's dream of wedded bliss has turned into a terrifying nightmare. As secrets unravel and suspicions ignite, Private Investigator Georgiana Germaine is in a race against time to catch a killer before he or she kills again.
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Release date: March 28, 2025
Publisher: Pixie Publishing
Print pages: 221
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Little Hidden Fears
Cheryl Bradshaw
Noelle Winters slipped in between the guests, humming to herself as she scooped up a few empty plates off the table and walked to the kitchen. Handing them off to one of the staff members she’d hired to assist her for the evening, she moved a hand to her hip, reminiscing over the night’s events.
The party was winding down now, a fact she was pleased about. Over the last hour, her feet had begun to hurt, making her wish she hadn’t worn heels in the first place. She wanted nothing more than to kick them off and go barefoot for the remainder of the evening. And given most of the remaining attendees were at least a few wines in, she doubted anyone would notice, or care, for that matter.
Six months of party planning had all come down to tonight, throwing the perfect engagement party for Zoey, her best friend since grade school. It was hard to believe a year ago Zoey was single and had announced she’d sworn off men for life. Noelle hadn’t believed a word of it. And sure enough, Zoey retracted the statement the second she laid eyes on the debonair Lucas Bronson.
After a whirlwind, three-month romance, Lucas proposed, and Zoey said yes. Over the next several months, they planned their wedding. In a few short weeks, they’d marry, move in together, and begin their new life in Cambria, California.
Thinking about it now, it was hard for Noelle to believe how much had changed in so little time.
But Zoey was happy, which was all Noelle had ever wanted.
And while she was excited for the next chapter in Zoey’s life, there was a looming sense of unease in her own. In recent days, she’d taken an unexpected risk, one she might not have taken, even though it was the right thing to do. But that was a tomorrow problem. Tonight was about Zoey.
A hand brushed across Noelle’s arm, and she turned to see a beaming Zoey standing next to her in a satin, champagne-colored, split-thigh dress. She recalled the day they’d gone shopping for it. Zoey must have tried on at least fifty dresses that day. But when she stepped out of the dressing room in the one she wore now, they both knew their search had ended.
“I can’t thank you enough for hosting my engagement party,” Zoey said. “Every single moment tonight has been amazing.”
Noelle smiled, saying, “If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“I am. Hey, I haven’t seen Lucas for a while. Have you?”
Noelle hadn’t.
She’d been so focused on the party there hadn’t been much time to focus on anything else.
“Sorry, no. I’ve been preoccupied,” Noelle said.
Zoey draped an arm around Noelle’s neck. “I thought that’s why you hired staff tonight, so you could relax and enjoy the party along with everyone else.”
“I know, I know. I can’t help it. I want everything to be perfect.”
“It is perfect. Promise me you’ll relax now.”
“I promise I’ll try.”
“Where’s Kiera?
I haven’t seen her much tonight either.”
“Dominic took her up to bed about a half an hour ago. I bet he’s still with her, helping her settle in,” Noelle said.
“Or hiding out somewhere upstairs. Your husband has never been comfortable in a room full of people.”
Noelle shot Zoey a wink. “That’s true, but when I suggested hosting the party here tonight, he was a good sport. I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did.”
“I’m not. He’d do anything for you.”
Almost anything.
“It’s just about time for the toast,” Noelle said. “And given the guests have gone through almost all of the champagne, I need to bring in some reinforcements.”
“Should I send someone to get more bottles?”
“Not only do I have backups, I have backups for the backups.”
They both laughed, and Noelle excused herself, heading upstairs to grab the additional bottles of champagne she’d stashed in the wine fridge upstairs. Along the way, she cracked open her daughter’s door and peeked inside. Five-year-old Kiera was curled on her side, fast asleep, her favorite white teddy bear clutched in her arms. Dominic was nowhere in sight.
Noelle pulled the bedroom door closed and rounded the corner. She made her way to the wine fridge and bent down. The moment she reached inside to grab the bottles, the lights went out, cloaking the room in darkness.
She heard gasps and cries of surprise from the guests downstairs as they bumped around, trying to find their way in the dark. Noelle thought she’d considered every possible scenario for tonight, but losing power had been the furthest thing from her mind.
Thoughts swirling, she searched for a solution ... and then, clarity came. Each of the skinny, high-top tables she’d rented for the evening had been decorated with a candle in its center. All she needed was to grab the mini flashlight out of her desk drawer, locate the matches in the kitchen, and light the candles.
She stood and reached out, using her hands to feel her way along the wall toward her office. The moment she stepped inside, a strange sensation gripped
her, like someone’s hands around her neck. And then came the squeeze, a crushing pain unlike anything she’d ever felt before.
Noelle wrestled for breath, but breath didn’t come, and as she struggled to maintain consciousness, every little hidden fear she’d ever had came collapsing down around her.
TWO WEEKS LATER
I was sitting at my desk at the detective agency, waiting for my next appointment to walk through the door. The woman was late. Seventeen minutes late, to be precise, and given I was a stickler for timeliness, I had a notion to cancel the meeting altogether.
Another eight minutes ticked by, and I decided to do just that.
Then the front door opened.
A disheveled woman with long, auburn hair, the likes of which looked like it had been through a windstorm walked in. Her boho attire included a pair of colorful striped leggings, a light blue, floral print, V-neck blouse, and brown, suede booties.
She grabbed a ponytail holder off her wrist, pulling her hair back into a loose bun.
“Are you Zoey Morgan?” I asked.
“I am.”
“You’re twenty-five minutes late,” I said.
She looked at me, blowing out a burst of air, and shrugged. “I am so sorry. I could have sworn I set my alarm last night, but this morning, it didn’t go off. I hope you’re not too upset with me.”
I was, but saying as much wouldn’t change a thing.
“Take a seat,” I said.
“Oh, yes, thank you.”
As she lowered herself into the chair, she reached into her oversized handbag, fumbling around for something. When she didn’t find what she was looking for, she began removing various items, piling them on my desk like it was a storage facility.
“Just a second,” she said.
Several seconds later, she pulled out a plastic baggie containing a handful of photos, and she handed it to me.
I glanced inside the baggie. “What are these?”
“Pictures taken the night my best friend was murdered,” she said. “Thought they might be useful.”
“Useful how? I’m not sure why you asked to meet with me.”
“Oh, isn’t it obvious? I’d like to hire you to investigate a murder.”
I nodded, opening my desk drawer and removing a notebook and a pen. “Why don’t we start at the beginning?”
Zoey took a deep breath in. “A couple of weeks ago, Noelle threw an engagement
party for me at her house. As the night wound down, and only a handful of us remained, we decided to have a toast. Noelle went upstairs to get more bottles of champagne, and not long after, the electricity—and all the lights and music—went out.”
“For how long?”
“Five minutes, I guess. When all the lights came back on, Dominic screamed.”
“Who’s Dominic?”
“Noelle’s husband. I ran upstairs to see what all the fuss was about and found him hovering over Noelle’s body. At first, I thought she’d passed out. Dominic said she wasn’t breathing, and I called 9-1-1. Not that it mattered. She was already dead.”
“What was the cause of death?”
“She was strangled. And I ... I just can’t imagine why anyone would do something like that to her.”
The tears came fast, and Zoey shoved a hand back inside her bag, pulling out a small package of tissues. She blotted her eyes, and I waited.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“You’ve just lost a close friend. It’s understandable. Can I get you something to drink?”
“A glass of water would be nice. My throat feels like sandpaper.”
I nodded and headed for the kitchen, grabbing her a glass of water and iced tea for myself. I returned to my office and handed her the glass, and she gulped half of the water down, using her hand to wipe the excess moisture off her face.
“This past month ... it’s been hard,” she said.
“I bet.”
“Four weeks ago, I was about to get married, and then a single moment changed everything.”
“Did you postpone the wedding?”
“We did. I can’t think straight, let alone go through with the wedding right now. Lucas, my fiancé, has been great, and so supportive. If I’m being honest, I think he’s a bit relieved—about the wedding, not Noelle’s death. The truth is, I was the one pushing to get married.”
“Didn’t Lucas want to get married?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s just ... he’s been married before, and it didn’t last long. The marriage was over in less than a year, but the trauma he went through left him with emotional scars. He’d vowed never to marry again.”
“Why did he agree to give it another shot?”
“I’ve never been married before. It’s always been a dream of mine, and he knows it. The day he proposed he said he never thought he’d ever be able
to love anyone enough to walk down the aisle a second time until he met me.” She looked at me, her eyes glossing over my left hand. “Are you married?”
“I was also married once before, and much like Lucas, I never planned to marry again either. Then I reunited with Giovanni, a man I went to college with, and ... well, we admitted we’ve always had feelings for each other. We’re getting married in August.”
“What a great love story.”
Indeed.
But she wasn’t here to talk about weddings.
She was here to hire me to solve her friend’s murder.
“Before the lights went out at your engagement party, how many guests were still at the house?” I asked.
She tapped a finger on the desk, thinking. “Let’s see ... including Noelle, Dominic, Lucas, and me, there were three other couples. Oh, and Kiera, Noelle’s daughter.”
“How old is her daughter?”
“She’s five. Cutest little thing you ever did see. I can’t imagine what she’s going through.”
“Where was Kiera when her mother died?”
“Upstairs, in bed.”
“Did she see or hear anything?”
“She said she didn’t.”
“What about everyone else?” I asked. “Where were they?”
“Dominic had taken Kiera to bed about thirty minutes earlier, and he was still upstairs when Noelle was murdered. He said he was in the bathroom. The rest of us were downstairs.”
“When the lights came back on, were all of the guests there with you?”
“Yes.”
“What about your fiancé? Where was he?”
“He was outside, smoking a cigarette. He came inside as soon as Dominic screamed.” She downed the rest of the water and cleared her throat. “Could I have some more water?”
I nodded and went to refill her glass.
Returning, I sat back down and said, “I’m assuming it was dark in the house when the lights went out.”
“It was, we couldn’t see a thing.”
“What did everyone do when the lights went out?”
“We stood there, chatting, and wondering what to do.”
“Did you hear anyone go up or down the stairs during the time the lights were out?”
She shook her head. “The stairs are made of solid wood. They’re creaky and loud. I didn’t hear anyone on them, but I suppose it’s possible. I doubt it, though. Would have been hard to get up or down them in the dark. ...
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