Pretty Women Chapter 4

"Her mantra went like this: Glynnis was a good girl, who fell only when she tempted the words "I do." Then, with all her whitened glory, she fell like a leaf." Henri walked steadily towards Mr. Charleswood, took his arm and pulled him from the wheelchair. Mr. Charleswood stood trembling, scanning the crowd for a sympathetic face. Jolene moved to the front and Mr. Charleswood tried to give his explanation on his own two feet.

"When I first met her, she and this man Jeeves were marketing multi-level make-overs. Imagine my surprise upon opening the door to this pair. He with his greased mop, black leather jacket and that darned toothpick hanging from his lips; she with her bottled platinum curls, tight skirt and stilletto Payless pumps. I couldn't resist. I melted, convinced that I needed a pedicure. The man examined the Tang silver chalice on the mantlepiece while she applied the cuticle remover and smoothed the roughness from my heels. I was enchanted, we were married the next day. Jeeves was the best man."

Jolene drew closer to Mr. Charleswood. His eyes wildly roamed from face to face then rested on Jolene again. Henri moved in between them and said loudly to the crowd. "This man murdered Glynnis" and whistled. Armani, the missing dog, reappeared and bounded towards Mr. Charleswood. Armani chased the once crippled man around the graveyard.

"I am the chauffeur and brother to the deceased. William hired me after marrying my awestruck sister. He gave me a job to keep me quiet. William was the real schemer. He hired himself out to numerous faith healers who then would alternately heal him from his paraplegic state. It was in his contract to keep his ability to walk a secret."

At this point, Mr. Charleswood arrived back and collapsed on the dirt pile. Armani growled from behind, slowly removed the old man's slipper and dragged it away like a bone.

"I would never have married her if she wasn't such a pretty woman. I was duped. I am innocent. Glynnis and her evil brother were planning to poison me so that they would have the millions. They couldn't wait any longer. I heard their plans. It was self defense."

Jolene drew nearer to Mr. Charleswood and looked. Her eyes reddened as she saw the despair of a victim. A desire to protect rose up within her but in a single startling moment, his eyes reflected the fall of a murderer.

Jolene held his face in her hands then the police handcuffed him and took him away. She turned to the women around her. "Oh Glynnis..."