A Happy Occasion

"Before I forget, I wanted to let you know that Shelly and Chuck Nolan arrived, and Shelly is sporting a nasty bruise on her face. She seemed meek when she spoke to me, and I am concerned. I wanted her to stop causing me trouble not to get beat by that bastard." Mia told Tim angrily.

Tim's face turned stony. "I don't stand for men abusing women. You know that. We will deal with that situation as well."

Laura's face was grim. "I want to meet a man that would dare to strike a Barrett woman. I will let him have it." She was angered by the mere idea of it. Mia and Tim shared a look that she didn't understand.

Everyone had moved into their seats for the ceremony. Timothy and Caleb had moved up the aisle to take position. Mia and the mayor waited behind a screen of foliage that had been erected to hide the bride from view. Mia glanced toward the house and saw Jasmine being escorted to the venue by one of the bodyguards. She looked beautiful.

When Jasmine came to a stop beside Mia, she handed the bride her bouquet and picked up her own smaller one. The mayor smiled at his daughter telling her she looked lovely, and he was so proud of her, He was happy that she had found a good man that would love her and take care of her for the rest of their lives. It was very sweet and reminded Mia why she liked the mayor despite him being taken in by Luna's lies.

It was time, Mia stepped onto the aisle and walked to the front to take position next to the bride. Tim watched her the entire time mouthing the word beautiful to her. She smiled at her husband happy that he approved. The wedding march started, and Jasmine came up the aisle with her father and everyone stood. Mia watched Caleb; he looked like he had the wind knocked out of him. She had no doubt that he was deeply in love with his bride and watching Jasmine watch him confirmed that the feeling was mutual.

The mayor handed Jasmine off to Caleb with a teary kiss to her temple and Jasmine handed her bouquet to Mia. The ceremony started and Mia looked over the sea of faces only to realize that one was missing. The chair next to Mayor Shelbert was empty. Where the hell was Luna? Mia looked at Tim with alarm and he noticed her expression. She turned her head to look at the empty seat as she saw him follow her gaze. They looked back at each other, and panic began to spread. They had to keep it together for just a few minutes and they would be able to find the answer without ruining their friend's wedding.

***********

Luna and her partner had a plan. When everyone was headed into Jasmine's stupid ceremony, she ducked out the side exit. By the time they noticed she was missing it would be too late. She was counting on the fact that they wouldn't stop the ceremony to search for her but quietly do it afterward.

Luna raced to the catering truck looking for the perfect server. They needed to be young, not too ambitious, but wanting to make a quick buck. Finally, Luna spied on a girl sneaking a cigarette behind a bush in a server uniform. Perfect everyone knew servers smoking wasn't allowed because the smell might upset the guests. Luna walked up to the girl quickly letting her realize she'd been caught.

"How would you like to make twenty-five thousand dollars for a simple task?" Luna asked.

"No one gives that kind of money away for nothing. I ain't killing nobody." The girl snarked.

"This ring cost me that amount of money and all you need to do is deliver some drinks and a simple line and I will give it to you." Luna told the girl.

"Are the drinks poisoned?" She asked.

"No drugged. I need to get a file from a study, and I can't while some people are awake." Luna lied.

"You just need a file. Are the people going to fall asleep?" The server asked.

"They will not die just go to sleep. I am no killer, but the owner of this place has an incriminating photo of me, and I want it back. I didn't grow up with money. I only found my rich father a year ago. I must protect myself." Luna pleaded.

The girl stepped forward looking at the ring. "What do I need to say?" The server asked.

"All you need to say is 'Mrs. Barrett asked me to bring you these celebratory drinks since you are missing the festivities.' That is all you have to say. Then I will give you the ring and we never have to speak again." Luna explained.

"As long as no one will be seriously hurt, I will help you." The server girl confirmed.

"Come with me, quickly now." Luna urged as she heard the wedding march begin to play. Luna pulled the server with her to one of the bars at the cocktail tent which was completely empty at this hour.

Luna dashed behind the bar and half-filled four small glasses with orange juice, added some cherry syrup, then topped it off with vodka. Luna had known she would need to be quick, so she had pre-crushed twenty pills of a heavy sedative and she split it between the four glasses. Then Luna filled two small regular glasses with orange juice and cherry syrup. Luna blocked the glasses for just a moment putting only one pills worth of powder in each. She wanted the children to be docile not unconscious.

"The short glasses go to the children. Don't mix them up." Luna said briskly.

"Children, I never agreed to drug children." The server girl panicked.

"Those glassed don't have anything but juice in them." Luna soothed the girl. "Don't mix them up and the children will just be getting fancy juice." Luna laughed conspiratorially. The server watched her for a moment untrusting but then nodded looking at the ring. She could pay her mother's hospital bills with that ring and maybe go to college so she could get a better job.

"You are going to the main sitting room of the manor." Luna had spied though windows earlier to see where everyone was. "Go in, give each of them a drink, then come back out. That's all you need to do. I will be waiting where I first found you." Luna told her. "What do you say?"

"Mrs. Barrett wanted me to bring you all a drink since you're missing the celebration." The server answered.

"What's your name?" Luna asked.

"Nancy." The girl replied absently heading out with the drinks. She wanted this done fast so she could disappear. Luna headed back to where the girl had smoked her cigarette to wait.

Luna knew that her partner would help her deal with what came later but this she had to deal with herself. The waiting was excruciating but less than ten minutes later the girl hurried out to meet Luna.

"They all took their drinks and a woman even came out of the kitchen and took a drink. It's a good thing you made four." Nancy said.

"Did you see any of them drink them?" Luna asked.

"All of them drank them immediately. They raised a toast to the happy couple and downed them like shots." Nancy replied.

Luna was relieved. "That is why I put them in small glasses."

Nancy removed her server's vest and grabbed her purse. "I would like my ring now so I can get out of here before the drama starts."

Luna walked up close to Nancy and reached to pull the ring off. Nancy never saw it coming as Luna plunged the six-inch dagger into the woman's heart and twisted the blade. After a moment Nancy's eyes went blank and Luna struggled to push the woman's body back into the bushes then wiped the blade on her clothes before storing it back its sheath under her skirt. Her partner said there could be no witnesses. Luna was damn sure doing her part, they had better do theirs.

Luna walked up to the entrance to the manor and slid through the door waiting to hear voices but heard nothing. She tiptoed through the foyer seeing an older woman on the floor through the kitchen doorway. Luna kept going coming upon the sitting room where two men and a woman were unconscious on the floor. There were two children sitting on the couch both looking lethargic but still awake. The girl was starting to nod out.

Luna walked up to the children and reached out a hand. "Your mom wants me to bring you to her. Come with me."

The boy roused more than the girl. "I don't believe you. You better leave before her, and Dad get here and see what you have done."

Luna didn't have time for this. The ceremony would be ending any minute. Luna grabbed the small girl and wrapped her hand around the child's throat. "Come with me or I break your sister's neck." The boy angrily got up and held out his hand.

Sage looked at the evil woman threatening his sister. "You're going to get caught."

"Not today I won't." Luna spat at the child that would cause her so much trouble in the future. With the sleeping girl in her arms, she dragged the boy out of the house and across the grounds to the pre-arranged place where her partner would meet her and deal with the children. Without the Barrett children all their problems would be solved.