“Yes, I’m sure that’s what your ‘life coach’ is for. You can’t seem to make a decision without her anymore.” Beth turned to Sana, a condescending smile on her face. “For what she’s paying you, you must be very good at what you do.”
“I am.” No elaboration, no explanation from Sana as she met Beth’s look head-on.
Beth tilted her head. “And what exactly is it that you do? Besides take money from weak women with no business sense?”
Before Sana could defend her work, the mayor butted in. “Ladies, can you save this little squabble for another time? We need to finalize our statements and go over the procedure for the Q&A portion of the pageant.”
Between Beth and Mayor Gunderson, there was so much condescension in the room, I had no idea how Sana could keep her cool. Maybe I really should check out her yoga class if it meant I could deal with conflict as gracefully as she did. My usual method of avoiding it or running away hadn’t been all that effective lately.
“Of course, Mayor. Like Valerie said, we all have our part to play. Just interested in seeing what roles everyone here fits into.”
Beth grinned at Sana’s response, flashing a perfect set of pearly white veneers. Which should’ve added to her beauty, but instead came off as intimidating, predatory almost, and left me wondering who Beth really was. It’d be easy to cast her as the downtrodden widow or even the villain. But something told me there was more to her than that, and I needed to break past that perfect facade and soon—before anyone else got cast as the victim.
* * *
? ? ?
Thank you so much for being here today. I’m sure you’re all just as shocked and saddened as I am by the loss of Rob Thompson, one of our esteemed judges and a true pillar of our community.”
The mayor looked out over the crowd who’d assembled for the opening ceremony of the pageant, pressing his hand against his heart in a show of emotion as he enumerated the many ways Rob helped Shady Palms. “However, I know how much this pageant meant to him, so we will be moving forward as scheduled. Taking his place as judge is his lovely wife, Beth Thompson. Beth, would you mind saying a few words to kick things off?”
He handed the mic to Beth, who flashed a winning smile, with just the right hint of sadness, at the crowd. “Thank you, Mayor Gunderson. And thank you, Shady Palms community, for all the kindness you’ve shown during this horrible ordeal. The outpouring of support would’ve meant everything to Rob. We will be holding his memorial on Saturday, where we can all say our final goodbyes.”
She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. I tried to figure out if this was an act she was putting on, or if it was all genuine. She looked every inch the grieving widow putting on a brave face—her hair was freshly pressed but understated, her black sheath dress flattering yet modest, her classic black pumps increased her already impressive height and highlighted her legs without making it seem like she was trying to attract attention, and she wore the barest covering of makeup that let a hint of dark under-eye circles come through.
As a cosmetics lover, I could tell Beth was a woman who knew how to wield a makeup brush, so the fact that her dark circles were visible was a calculated move. But was it meant to convey I know the people in this town will judge me if I look too perfect after my husband’s death or Look at this poor grieving widow who’s been without sleep since losing the love of her life, of course she’s not a killer? I couldn’t overlook either option.
While I ruminated on her appearance, Beth continued. “This pageant not only meant a lot to my husband, but it also means a lot to me. Education and opportunity are the most important things we can give to our girls, so as sad as I am about the circumstances, I’m thrilled to be part of such an important event. We’ll kick off Miss Teen Shady Palms with a quick photo shoot, and then move directly into the Q&A session, which I’m afraid is a private event. However, you’re free to socialize in the common area, where we have refreshments from the soon-to-be-opened Brew-ha Cafe.”
After news of Rob’s murder got out, some parents pulled their kids from the pageant, so we were down to a little over thirty contestants, but the majority seemed content to let their daughters continue competing. All pageant events were usually open to the public, but the mayor was finally taking some precautions. There were too many contestants to keep an eye on with our limited security, so until the semifinal events, the pageant programming was closed to the public.