No Way Out

"Bitch, you know that's mine."

"Ha, come and get it. I dare you."

"Mom left that heirloom to me, and you know it," a red-faced Marcie said inside the parlour. Filled with antiques from another time when parties were abundant, and servants abounded.

"Jess, why do you think you should have it anyway? You know what the will said. Hand it over."

"Never. Over my dead body, will you get this off my wrist, ankle, finger, and neck!" Jess laughed, sipped her martini as she lit her cigarette, and moved her long dress to bare her knee. She sat on the sofa that her mother would never allow either of the girls to sit on before her death. Jess was more than comfortable there now, drinking and smoking in honour of her mother. She tipped them back pretty well, too.

They heard their mother's voice ring in their ears. "Girls, honestly, you need to share. You know this already, so just do it."

"We have guests arriving any minute, so let's not make a big deal about the jewellery. Huh? Take it off and put it in the safe until after the party," Marcie pleaded.

"Ha, you wish. Not a chance! These items never get taken off my body until the day I die," she said, sitting across from her sister, also in a long gown. Both were dark-coloured and wore hats with masks that showed their eyes and mouths.

"Jess and Marcie, this behaviour is beneath you and our family. Now get it together and stop fighting over material things."

"Look, Jess, you can have everything else if you give me those jewels. I don't want anything else. Including a claim to the estate. How does that sound?" Marcie said.

"It sounds desperate and like your ears don't work. I've already told you about the jewels and me. So buzz off with your stupid bargaining tactics. Nothing is going to work. Nothing. Understand?" Jess took another sip of her martini and then laughed like a witch on Halloween night, mixing up a brew of trouble.

"All right! Girls, stop this right now. Or one of you will kill the other over this material shit."

"Fine then. I guess I'll make myself another drink," Marcie said. "Might as well have some fun like the rest of the people tonight."

"Finally, you get it and are letting loose a bit. Mom's gone. What can she do to us now? Nothing. So we can do what we want in this house. Especially the things we couldn't when she was alive." Jess winked at her sister, and they both laughed.

"I've gone nowhere. I'm watching you two fight over my jewels instead of mourning over me. You girls deserve whatever happens to you."

The first guests knocked on the door, and Jess greeted them. The Simpsons were lovely, and Mrs. Simpson brought a finger food dish.

"How thoughtful of you, Sarah, to bring a nibbler plate. Always useful when people are drinking." She smiled at the couple and hugged and kissed them both.

Jack headed to the parlour, surmising Marcie was there. He knew the house well since he had spent most of his younger years here with Marcie. They had been best friends until Sarah came along. Then, their friendship ended abruptly. Marcie ended it. Jack's heart broke that day, but he had to keep his pride intact. He married Sarah even though he wanted to marry Marcie.

"Stay away from this man. He's married, and you know that."

"Marcie, what a wonderful surprise. I didn't know you would be in here. I came to make us a couple of drinks."

"Yes. Well, I've been lounging with Jess, reminiscing of days gone by about mother. I'm thrilled you're here. Long time no see!" Marcie said with a forced smile.

"Well, I was tickled pink to receive the invitation. How many are coming to this shindig anyway?" He stood mixing drinks at the bar cart, his back to her. She looked long at his broad shoulders and dinner jacket that fit him perfectly.

"Hi, Marcie. How are you?" Sarah said.

"Hey, Sarah. Doing excellent considering the circumstances."

"Yes, it's challenging to lose someone, even if she was an overbearing ogre of a mother," Sarah said.

"I'll drink to that," Jess said.

"Me too," Jack said.

"I'm in," Marcie said.

"You girls are bad and wicked."

They chinked their glasses and then tipped their glasses. Martinis, and Tom Collins. Quite the way to start an evening. Marcie was a bit of a frumpy woman who had dirty blonde hair and a short, dumpy figure. Because Jack knew Marcie all too well, he knew what she thought about Sarah each time she looked at her less-than-desirable body and wondered how he could make love to that. Sarah was an eccentric. She didn't wear a long gown on purpose. She wore a dress to the midcalf and showed her shoes.

"My, those are certainly an interesting shoe choice for such a dress," Jess said.

Before there was time to respond, another knock came at the door. This time, many people were waiting to get in.

"My word, when it rains, it pours!" Jess said.

"Come in. Please. Do come in," Marcie said.

The crowd entered the house, and the guest Jess hoped would come stood before her. She blushed at the sight of him.

"Jasper, hello. It's lovely to see you again. It's been a while since the last time we spoke," Jess said as she took his coat.

"Yeah, it has. I have no reason to come this way. And I guess when we met, it was a fluke." He smiled at her.

"Yes, it was fortunate because I knew where to leave your invitation."

"That's true; thank you kindly for the invite, too," then went to the parlour with other guests to mingle. The women brought nibblers, which were put on the side tables for anyone to pick at as they desired: deviled eggs, celery with cheese, cottage cheese, dip and crackers, carrots, and cauliflower.

Jasper moved around the room. He got to the bar cart at the same time as Marcie. They introduced themselves. He looked into her eyes. She thought nothing of it. She made his drink because, for some reason, he couldn't.

"Here you go; you said a Manhattan, right?" Marcie said.

"Huh? Yes, thank you. You didn't have to do that. I was getting there." He laughed.

"Sorry, but it looked as though you needed my help. Besides, it's enjoyable to make something for someone else occasionally." She looked into his eyes again. He nodded.

"I know what you mean. Sometimes you just feel like doing it." His face turned red like a firetruck. He looked away. She moved to go. He grabbed her arm.

"Marcie, your sister has her eye on him; choose someone else." Drink napkins flew off the bar cart.

"Would you accompany me for the evening as my date?" he said.

"Pardon? Me? Of course. I'd love to." She smiled as she walked with him around to visit and talk to other couples.

Jess turned on the music, and the dancing in the ballroom started. Each couple filed into the room. There were even numbers, so everyone had a partner. The problem for Jess was that she saw her sister with Jasper. Inside, she burned as hot as the sun. She wanted to beat her sister to a pulp. She had no idea that Jasper chose Marcie.

The dancing went smoothly, and the partners switched numerous times to the left until Marcie and Jack were paired. She looked into his eyes, and her heart fluttered like it used to when he came around. He did the same.

"I don't know why I left you. I'm still in love with you, " he said as they twirled.

"Don't listen to his lies." He stepped on her foot.

"Ooh, sorry, babe." He said it aloud.

"There is nothing you can do now. I am on my first date since we broke up. He is handsome and charming."

"Don't tell me you're thinking of going with the likes of Jasper."

"Sock it to him. Give him all of that sadness he gave to you when he chose Sarah over you." She stepped forward into his face.

"What's it to you? You left me. I am capable of making my own decisions. Thank you kindly."

They twirled away from each other, and Jack wondered what he could do to get Marcie back. He knew there was no way out. He was stuck in a marriage he didn't want to be in.

After the music stopped, Jess announced, "Please take your seats at the dining hall table. You are assigned your seat according to couples. If you are a singleton, it is randomly placed where you sit."

Jasper raced to the table to find Marcie's name. Then he looked for his name. He saw that Jess was sitting beside him. He took her name and put Marcie's name down next to his. He put Jess' name where Marcie's name was. He popped out and into the parlour before anyone saw him. As the crowd entered the dining hall, Jasper came out of the parlour and joined.

He saw Marcie already sitting down, and she waved at him.

"Over here. Jasper, can you believe it? We are sitting side by side. What a coincidence!" Marcie said.

Marcie excused herself briefly, and when she returned, she smiled like that cat that swallowed the canary.

"What gives? You look mischievous! Care to share?" Jasper said.

"It's nothing. I went to relieve myself. And wash my hands. All that dancing and touching all those people's hands. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, excuse me." Jasper got up and did the same.

"He's better for you than for Jess, anyway."

***

Later that evening, after the guests had left, Jess and Marcie sat in the parlour, drinking tea. They were tired and cranky, but neither could sleep because of the adrenaline from the party.

"You two girls are disgusting. Both are waiting until the other sleeps so that you can steal from the other despite being so tired. The adrenaline runs through your bones at the prospect of you getting more than the other. It's sickening."

"I'll have to wait 'til you fall asleep so I can be assured that you don't steal my jewels," Jess said.

"Are we back to those damn jewels? You said I'd never get them unless it was over your dead body. You have half a minute. Anything you want to say to your dear younger sister before you go?" Marcie said as she cocked her head to the side and smirked.

"What? You drugged me? But that's how Mom died. Did you kill mom, too?" Jess said with a look of horror on her face.

"Maybe. But that's not important now. Goodbye, dear sister. I hope you burn in hell. Where I'm sure mom's waiting for you. Enjoy your overdose of insulin."

Jess fell to the ground, choking and gasping for breath. She sputtered like a Datsun for a second, and then her head flopped like a wet rag.

"Marcie, it was you all this time? I thought it was Jess. I always knew one of you would kill me for my wealth and things. After all, that's what I taught you was important in life. It served me right."

Marcie called the police, and when they arrived, they wondered if Jess had killed the mother and then herself. Because she couldn't live with killing her mother for the jewels she wore around her neck. They surmised the guilt ate her up.

Nobody thought about Marcie having anything to do with either death. After all, Marcie was the sweet, quiet one of the family.