Her Name Is Murder

twenty-eight

Murder peeked out the dressing room door and waved Grant in. "Everyone else is gone now!" As he got to the door she kissed him then laid her head into his shoulder for a lingering embrace. "Thank you," she said as she pulled him even tighter.

"For what?"

"All of it... the letter, the quick arrival, the onstage assist. That's a cool trick, what was it? Moreover, how did you know to even try it?"

"I pay attention. Hashtag: Detective problems."

Murder laughed. "I see no problem." She kissed him again and felt his pecs through the size too small "staff" t-shirt.

He laughed. "Easy now baby, we gotta get to Rome by morning."

"Rome, huh?" She smirked. She loved Rome.

"The stone we need is there."

She pulled him into the room. Giselle ran to hug him.

"I'm sorry I turned tail and ran." She seemed embarrassed.

"I took some pictures of you and sent them to Jenna, she's so jealous. I was hoping you would run. I didn't bring a weapon for you to defend yourself with. Turns out, all we really needed was Ms. Laurent."

Across the room, Evy nodded. "The show must go on. But, I do have all kinds of questions."

Murder took the lead on this one. "That's my Aunt Mary. She's the one who put the Ageless curse on myself and Mother while I was still in the womb. She thought I was her husband's child. She's been trying to make me miserable ever since I moved back to New York. Maybe before that, but she didn't show me her face before"

"Wait, Mary? Did you see what she had on? The necklace I mean."

Grant had seen it before too. He wondered if it wasn't the source of her powers. "Is it the one with the big B?"

"Wait," Murder looked at him incredulously, "when did you see this?"

"The ballroom concert, but I thought it was a trick. Because yes, I was familiar with it. I figured she pulled the image from my head."

Evy leaned in close and looked into Murder's eyes which were now green again. "Is... are you? No way. You are, aren't you?"

"Yes, I believe I am at least."

"Wow. Is that why you've been lying about your eye color all these years?"

"What?" Murder's face twisted into shock. "I haven't..."

"Maybe not, but your eyes are really brown. Trust me. I'm the best in the world at eye glamours."

"They were but they changed when I was ten. Ma-ma Lavot locked me in my room for a year and called me a witch."

Grant watched closely as Murder pulled out Grandma Ethel's silver truth mirror, she frowned. Evy waved her hand in front of Murder's eyes. He watched as they morphed from green to a deep copper.

"Oh my God." His jaw was agape.

"Oh Grant, are they that terrible?"

"Oh God no, they're stunning. It's just. Remember what I told you in the letter? About seeing something in your eyes?"

"Yes, but I thought you were just being romantic."

"Well, I was, but... Grandma Ethel's magical whammy was trying to show me your real eyes."

"I... I didn't know, Grant. I thought the Lavots were just being cruel." She turned and looked in the mirror. "But I do believe you. And I... I think maybe that's why you brought that song to me."