11. Mani-Curious #2
“You bring your bodyguard to get manicures with you? I suppose you can never be too careful.” Calliope smirked.
“We thought you might’ve replaced Joshua with a real man.
Your aunt never thought he was good enough for you, and you should have listened to your elders.
We’ve been around long enough to know a scoundrel when we see one – and he caused such a scene at the dock before we departed.
If I had been there, I would have given him a good slap.
Don’t let the humiliation get you down; hardly anyone is talking about it.
” Her condescension was thicker than the smell of acetone in the air.
“Better to end it than let it drag out. I’m sure they’ll find something new to gossip about. How is your stepson, by the way? Or is he your fiancé now? I wanted to send you a congratulations card, but with the funeral, I was too busy,” Poppy said.
Isaiah cleared his throat, trying to conceal his laughter.
Calliope’s pinched smile threatened to undo her Botox. “Rory wasn’t my stepson. He was my ex’s stepson and already a grown man when we met, so it’s not like he was any relation to me. You know how the tabloids can sensationalise.”
“Wasn’t Rory the man you introduced me to at GlaMORE magazine’s Christmas party? He had just graduated?” Poppy asked, digging the woman’s grave deeper.
The awkward silence that followed was almost unbearable.
“Rory is very passionate about his studies; he wants to pursue an MD. He’ll make an excellent surgeon,” Calliope said, trying to recover some ground.
“MD? Very impressive. You’ll have great access to touch-ups in the future,” Poppy said quietly. “Not that you need any.”
“Anyway, enough about the men in our lives. You must join us for dinner tomorrow night – perhaps you can give your bodyguard a night off. I’d love to know more about your movie, and my niece, Sophia, wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t ask you to have dinner with us.
She is a huge fan and wants to get into the entertainment industry.
Perhaps you could help her, like a mentor?
She’s a few years older than you– a little late to get started, but she has such natural talent. ”
Isaiah couldn’t believe Calliope had the nerve to ask Poppy for favours after this conversation. He didn’t know what type of world he’d walked into, but he didn’t want to stay long.
“Being your niece, I don’t doubt her talent for a moment,” Poppy said, refusing to commit to anything.
“I’m sorry, but Ms Roe is busy tomorrow evening,” Isaiah interrupted, giving Poppy an out. Her eyes widened at his quick intervention.
“Really? I’m sure we can add you to our dinner reservation. We’re dining early so we can attend the captain’s opera night. Even if you weren’t invited, we’d still love to have you at dinner.”
“Thank you; Isaiah and I were lucky enough to receive an invitation—”
“But unfortunately, I’ve already booked us a table at Sako before the opera,” Isaiah lied. He’d overheard guests talking about the Michelin-starred sushi restaurant that had apparently booked up before the Midas even set sail.
“You were able to get a reservation at Sako? Poppy, I’ve clearly underestimated your bodyguard. I hope you enjoy your dinner and the opera– it’s meant to be quite the show. No expense has been spared. I’m sure we’ll find another night to dine together,” Calliope drawled.
“I’m sure we will, but if we don’t get a chance, I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.”
“When we return, I’ll call Duggery, and he’ll put something on the books.” The woman obviously didn’t want to let Poppy slip away.
“He’s no longer my manager,” Poppy said curtly.
“What a pity! Martha would be so distressed to think of you going it alone. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything,” Calliope said,feigning concern.
“I’ll be sure to do that. I hope you enjoy the rest of your afternoon,” Poppy said, signalling to the manicurist that they were ready to resume.
Thankfully, Calliope took the hint. “I’ve kept you long enough, and I should get back to my facialist. It was a pleasure to meet you, Isaiah. Look after her, or you’ll have to answer to me.” Calliope chuckled softly before leaving them to return to her friends.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. That was rude,” Poppy said to the manicurist, who waved off the apology and returned to her work.
“A friend of your aunt’s?” Isaiah asked, not wanting to pry but hoping that talking about it might lift her spirits. She seemed deflated after the encounter.
“Friend wouldn’t be the term I’d use. Rival, archenemy, nemesis… They had a complicated relationship filled with jealousy and an odd sense of respect–or maybe understanding? I never truly understood it.”
“She’s an actress, so it’s understandable there would be rivalry,” Isaiah suggested.
“They acted together for years and even appeared in the same movies. I thought they were as close as sisters when I was growing up. My aunt wasn’t big on relationships, but Calliope was constantly present.
My aunt even slept with her husband so she could sue him for infidelity and take everything in her divorce –or so the rumour goes,” Poppy said, as if it was a totally normal favour.
“A formidable pair,” Isaiah remarked, wondering what had turned them against each other. “Did they grow apart?”
“I don’t know if there was a specific moment or event, but the rumour has it that Calliope didn’t want to live in my aunt’s shadow anymore.
She started taking on more leading roles and competing for the same parts.
I’m sure part of her is genuinely sad about my aunt’s passing.
She knew her for far longer than I did. But I bet part of her feels relieved that my aunt is gone.
I wouldn’t want to compete against Martha.
She was ruthless, and there was no such thing as second place – only first or last. I have to respect Calliope for giving her a run for her money.
Over the past few years, Calliope has been thriving while my aunt spent most of her time managing my career as her legacy,” Poppy explained.
“Isn’t there competition in any field? From my experience, in law enforcement it’s often about who solves the biggest cases, gets the most media attention, or climbs the ranks fastest.”
“You make a good point. I think it all comes down to wanting to make a name for yourself. Growing up in that environment, you get used to it,” Poppy admitted as her manicurist left them, her hands under a glowing lamp.
“My line of work no longer seems so daunting.” Isaiah preferred chasing down clues and criminals any day over the fickle world of fame.
“Did you see any of my aunt’s movies?” Poppy asked suddenly.
It would have been difficult not to. “When my grandmother was in a nursing home, we watched her early films. I think your aunt was only in her teens. They brought her comfort as her memory faded,” Isaiah told her.
“I’m glad your grandma found comfort in them. I loved the music, the costumes, and the glamour when I was young. Acting was the only thing my aunt truly loved, and I admired her passion. Is your grandmother still with us?” Poppy asked delicately.
“No, she passed away a couple of years ago.” He hadn’t thought about her in quite a while.
“I’m sorry,” Poppy said softly, removing her hands from the lamp.
“Don’t be. She lived a great life and wanted to be with my grandfather.
He’d passed a decade earlier, and she wasn’t the same without him.
They were like two jigsaw pieces – neither complete without the other,” Isaiah said, pushing down the grief he hadn’t felt in years.
He couldn’t believe how easy it was for him to open up to Poppy.
“You’d be excellent in an interrogation room. ”
“What makes you say that?”
“You can redirect a conversation to avoid talking about yourself with such ease.”
“It’s not one of my natural talents –it’s years of PR training.
I envy the love your grandparents had. My parents had something similar before they passed.
I wish for that,” Poppy said, her eyes lost in deep thought.
Isaiah wanted to say something to comfort her, but she quickly straightened her back and snapped back to her charming self. “Want to know a Hollywood secret?”
“Do tell.” Isaiah couldn’t help but be intrigued by her stories.
“Did you see The Silent Dancer ? It was my aunt’s first film.”
“The one about the red dress?” he asked, recalling it faintly. “I didn’t realise it was her first. Impressive to be the lead in such a classic.”
“So naive for a detective!” Poppy smirked.
“My aunt poisoned the lead. Martha was meant to play the best friend, Betsy, but then the lead actress, May Darling, started missing shoots because she kept getting sick. My aunt was first in and last out of the studio. Always around to offer a helping hand when May was too ill to remember her lines or turn up on time. Impatient, and impressed with my aunt’s dedication, the director gave her the leading role. It was Martha Roe’s breakout.”
“How’d Martha poison her?” Isaiah asked. “How did she not get caught?”
“Who would suspect a sixteen-year-old girl of poisoning a leading lady? May didn’t die, but she did suffer with terrible stomach ulcers for years after.”
“What did your aunt use?” Isaiah asked.
“She never told me, just made sure I understood the lesson.” Poppy examined her bold red nails, flexing her fingers in delight.
“In what?”
“I told you. Never accept second place.”
The way Poppy said it made his blood run cold. The light left her eyes for a split second.
“You’re all done here!” The manicurist cut the tension, coming back to turn off the lamp.
Isaiah rubbed moisturiser into his hands while Poppy thanked the woman.
He wondered how much of her aunt’s lessons had rubbed off on her.
Growing up in such a cold and calculating home was sure to have contorted her ideas on wrong and right, certainly regarding personal gain, but he had seen how Poppy treated the people around her.
It took a strong heart to have been taught such lessons and walk a different path.
“What happened with the Academy Award?” he asked, suddenly remembering the odd turn in the earlier conversation. “Calliope looked like she swallowed a bee when you mentioned the nomination.”
“Just me being petty. Martha had two awards for lead actress, defeating Calliope whenever they were nominated in the same category. Calliope had won two for supporting actress, but she didn’t care about those.
Calliope was always in my aunt’s shadow–awards, movies, marriages, scandals – but her latest nomination was Calliope’s chance to take her place as leading lady.
Martha didn’t even get a nomination; she was sick with jealousy. ”
“Did Calliope win?”
“No, my aunt blackmailed the selection committee. You would be amazed at how many secrets she collected over the years. If only she had used her powers for good,” Poppy said sadly.
“Your aunt had a lot of enemies.”Maybe it wasn’t so odd for so many murders to have taken place around them, given Martha’s reputation.
“Your point?” Poppy said.
“Are you sure her death was an accident?”
He was only half-joking, but a look of uncertainty flashed in Poppy’s eyes. She laughed, but this time it wasn’t genuine.
“Trust me, none of her enemies would have had the balls to kill her. Karma just caught up with her. Don’t feel too bad for Calliope, though.”
“Why?”
“Who do you think took the role of Betsy in The Silent Dancer once it was free for the taking?” Poppy winked.
The mischievous glint in her eye as they walked out of the nail boutique made him nervous.