Fashions Fade, Haunted Is Eternal Read online

  Praise for Rose Pressey

  and her delightful

  HAUNTED VINTAGE

  mysteries

  “Rose Pressey’s books are fun!”

  —New York Times best-selling

  author Janet Evanovich

  IF YOU’VE GOT IT, HAUNT IT

  “A delightful protagonist, intriguing twists, and a fashionista ghost combine in a hauntingly fun tale.

  Definitely haute couture.”

  —New York Times best-selling

  author Carolyn Hart

  “If you’re a fan of vintage clothing and quirky ghosts, Rose Pressey’s If You’ve Got It, Haunt It will ignite your passion for fashion and pique your otherworldly interest.

  Wind Song, the enigmatic cat, adds another charming layer to the mystery.”

  —New York Times best-selling author Denise Swanson

  “If You’ve Got It, Haunt It is a stylish mystery full of vintage fashions and modern flair, with a dash of Rose Pressey’s trademark paranormal wit for that final touch of panache. Chic and quirky heroine

  Cookie Chanel and a supporting cast of small-town Southern characters are sure to charm lovers of high fashion and murderous hi-jinks alike.”

  —New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Jennie Bentley

  “Absolutely delightful! Prolific author Rose Pressey has penned a delightful mystery full of Southern charm, vintage fashion tips, a ghostly presence, and a puzzler of a mystery.

  With snappy dialogue and well-drawn characters in a lovely small-town setting, this thoroughly engaging story has it all.”

  —New York Times best-selling author Jenn McKinlay

  “Fun, fast-paced, and fashionable,

  If You’ve Got It, Haunt It is the first in Rose Pressey’s appealing new mystery series featuring clever vintage-clothing expert Cookie Chanel. A charming Southern setting, an intriguing murder, a stylish ghost, a tarot-reading cat, and a truly delectable detective combine to make Ms. Pressey’s new

  Haunted Vintage series a sheer delight.”

  —New York Times best-selling author Kate Carlisle

  “Prolific mystery author Pressey launches a cozy alternative to Terri Garey’s ‘Nicki Styx’ series with an appealing protagonist who is as sweet as a Southern accent. The designer name-dropping and shopping tips from Cookie add allure for shopaholics.”

  —Library Journal

  IF THE HAUNTING FITS, WEAR IT

  “Cookie Chanel must investigate the horse-racing community to find a killer. . . . After Haunted Is Always in Fashion, Pressey’s fifth amusing paranormal cozy is filled with quirky characters and fashion, along with a few ghosts. Fans of Juliet Blackwell’s ‘Witchcraft’ mysteries may enjoy the vintage clothing references. Suggest also for fans of Tonya Kappes.”

  —Library Journal

  “Haunted by three ghosts, a young woman searches for a jockey’s murderer at the Kentucky Derby.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  HAUNT COUTURE AND GHOSTS GALORE

  “It was a pleasure to read. I listened to this one, and I’m so glad I did. The novel is narrated by

  Tara Ochs. She does a fine job of narrating, keeping up the pace and differentiating voices well. The story moved right along. If you have a chance to listen, I recommend it with this one.”

  —Jaquo.com (on the audio edition)

  Also by Rose Pressey

  THE HAUNTED VINTAGE MYSTERY SERIES

  If You’ve Got It, Haunt It

  All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt

  Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore

  Haunted Is Always in Fashion

  If the Haunting Fits, Wear It

  A Passion for Haunted Fashion

  Available from Kensington Publishing Corp.

  Fashions Fade, Haunted Is Eternal

  A HAUNTED VINTAGE MYSTERY

  Rose Pressey

  KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Praise

  Also by Rose Pressey

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Chapter 2 - Charlotte’s Fashionable Tips for the Afterlife

  Chapter 3 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Chapter 4 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 5 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Chapter 6 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 7 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Chapter 8 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 9 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Chapter 10 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 11 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Chapter 12 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 13 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Chapter 14 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 15 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Clothing Shopping

  Chapter 16 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 17 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Clothing Shopping

  Chapter 18 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 19 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Clothing Shopping

  Chapter 20 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 21 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Clothing Shopping

  Chapter 22 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 23 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Clothing Shopping

  Chapter 24 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Chapter 25 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Clothing Shopping

  BLOG POST from COOKIE CHANEL

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Teaser chapter

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2019 Rose Pressey

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  KENSINGTON BOOKS and the K logo are Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-1-4967-1466-4

  Electronic edition: January 2019

  ISBN-13: 978-1-4967-1467-1

  ISBN-10: 1-4967-1467-9

  To my son, who brings me joy every single day.

  I love you.

  Chapter 1

  Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Remember that designer labels fetch a higher price tag.

  If you’re looking to save money, try finding a

  similar piece that was handmade or

  without the designer label.

  Gnarled and twisted branches draped down over the cemetery’s gates, as if they wanted to reach out and grab every person who walked through. The location for the photo shoot gave me the creeps. I wasn’t sure why the photographer, Tyler Fields, had insisted on taking the photos in the spooky Sugar Creek Cemetery.

  He’d called me just a week ago and said, “Cookie, I need you to style the models. We don�
�t have time to waste, so I expect you to be ready on short notice.”

  Normally, I would have told him there was no way I could work with such little warning. This was a big opportunity for me though, so I’d agreed. After all, owning my own vintage clothing store, It’s Vintage Y ’all, in Sugar Creek, Georgia, had made me something of a vintage clothing expert. So that was how I’d found myself standing in the middle of the cemetery on a beautiful fall day.

  Tyler had posed the models beside the black iron fence. Headstones and mausoleums filled the background of his photos. He stomped over to the beautiful women and showed them exactly how he wanted them to stand. The longer he waited for the models to get the poses just right, the redder his face became.

  Tyler was much shorter than the models, standing on his tiptoes to reach their hair. He had sandy-brown hair that parted to the side and fell over his eyes. He didn’t seem bothered by this obstruction of his view. Perhaps that was why the models’ poses seemed skewed. The white short-sleeved polo shirt and olive-green cargo pants he wore hung loosely on his thin frame.

  I suppose since this was for the Halloween issue of Fashion and Style magazine, a spooky graveyard was the perfect setting. Though that didn’t make it any less scary. Seeing models photographed wearing the vintage outfits that I had picked out was a big highlight of my life. I’d never thought I’d be asked to style the models for the October issue.

  Some people might find it ironic that a cemetery gave me the cold chills, considering I had a ghost attached to me and she was currently critiquing the photographer’s skills.

  “That pose is all wrong . . . but he didn’t ask me,” Charlotte said with a click of her tongue.

  Charlotte Meadows was a ghost and one of my best friends. Not to mention fashionable and a former socialite. Today she wore a silk abstract-printed belted dress by Emilio Pucci. The colors were coral, turquoise, and black, which flattered her brunette hair. The dress was short-sleeved and reached just above her knees. It was a good thing she was a ghost wearing her black Christian Louboutin heels because there was no way she would have been able to walk through the grass in those things as a living being.

  Charlotte had been attached to some of her vintage clothing that I’d purchased at her estate sale. She’d been by my side ever since. Lately, it seemed as if I’d had a revolving paranormal door of ghosts in my life. Nevertheless, I was hoping my current location didn’t attract a new spirit.

  Tombstones and mausoleums surrounded us with etched prayers on plaques and statues of angels guarding over the dearly departed. Spanish moss hung from the tree branches like curtains. The smell of damp earth drifted on the gentle breeze. At least it was the middle of the day and not dark out. There were several models, assistants, and the photographer, so my ghost friend wasn’t my only companion. I’d styled the models in sweaters, wool skirts, and walking shorts with knee socks for a perfect fall look. My favorite outfit was the head-to-toe Ralph Lauren. The plaid wool high-waist walking shorts, blue-and-green-striped sweater, and knee-high socks were all pieces from the 1980s, but looked modern and current. Some styles were timeless.

  I kept the 1980s theme going by wearing a dark blue Calvin Klein shirtdress. The gold buttons down the front and the string belt with gold tassels meant accessories weren’t needed with this outfit. My blue sandals were by Guess and had a canvas vamp with corkscrew sole. Charlotte said I could be one of the models, but with my height at just five-foot-two, I knew she was just being nice. Compliments from Charlotte didn’t come often, so I’d take it.

  We’d taken a short break, but the photographer had told the models not to get too comfortable. He had a tendency to be a bit harsh, although I’d heard he was good at his job. From the looks of the photos I’d seen in the magazine, I’d say that was accurate.

  “If he barked orders at me I’d be out of here.” Charlotte gestured over her shoulder. “He has the disposition of a rattlesnake with a toothache.”

  “Unfortunately, I think the women will put up with it just to keep their jobs,” I said.

  I’d only been around Tyler for a short time now, and I already wasn’t fond of him. Thank goodness he wasn’t yelling orders at me. Charlotte stared in the direction where Tyler stood. He was doing something to his camera lens. If I knew Charlotte, and I thought I knew her well, she was plotting something against Tyler. She enjoyed playing pranks on people when she felt they were misbehaving. She liked to do things like knocking stuff out of their hands, touching them, or turning off lights. The usual ghostly shenanigans.

  “Charlotte, don’t get any ideas,” I warned with a point of my finger.

  She held her hands up. “What? I wasn’t planning anything . . . I certainly wasn’t scheming to knock the camera out of his hands. Oh, maybe I should push over that tripod.”

  “He’s already frustrated enough. Don’t push him.”

  Charlotte mumbled something that I couldn’t understand. That was probably for the best. Movement to my right caught my attention. A man had just walked out from behind one of the tall headstones. What had he been doing back there? Where had he come from? There was only one entrance to the graveyard and that was at the front. Based on the tall headstones around him, I guessed his height at six feet. He had wide shoulders and a muscular physique. His blond hair was cut so short that he almost appeared bald. He wore black jeans, a black leather jacket, and black boots.

  “Who is that?” Charlotte asked.

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” I said. “He just came out from behind that tall headstone.”

  “There’s something suspicious about that,” Charlotte said. “We need to keep an eye on him.”

  I would definitely do that. The man was headed toward the group of models who were talking while taking a break.

  “Do you think he has bad intentions?” I asked. “I don’t like the way he is walking toward them.”

  “This could be dangerous,” Charlotte said.

  “Maybe you should alert someone,” the woman beside me said.

  “Yes, maybe I should.” My eyes widened when I realized a stranger was standing beside us.

  How had she slipped up on us? Who was she? I hated to be rude, but I wanted to know who she was.

  “Who are you?” Charlotte asked with a scowl on her face.

  Charlotte, on the other hand, didn’t hate to be rude.

  “Pardon me, my name is Minnie Lynn.” Dimples appeared on her round cheeks when she smiled.

  “That’s nice, Minnie, but that still doesn’t tell us who you are.” Charlotte eyed Minnie up and down.

  I scanned Minnie’s appearance at that point too. Minnie didn’t have to answer completely for me to know that she was a ghost. Well, I suppose I didn’t know for sure, but the fact that we were standing in a graveyard and Minnie was dressed head-to-toe in vintage clothing gave me a good clue. Minnie wore a long cream-colored dress from what looked like the 1920s. A cute cloche-style hat rested on top of her head. Brown hair peeked out from underneath.

  Before she got a chance to answer, yelling caught our attention. The man who had appeared from behind the headstone was now arguing with Tyler. I wasn’t quite sure what they were arguing about.

  “Maybe we should move closer so that we can hear better,” Charlotte said.

  “What if they start fighting? We should probably stay clear of that,” I said.

  One of the models managed to get the man away from Tyler. The model and the man walked out of the cemetery.

  The photographer walked back over to the area where he’d been taking photos before the break. “All right, everyone. Let’s get back to work.”

  His words were so harsh and he barked the orders. I had nothing else to do other than collect the clothing that I’d allowed them to borrow once the shoot was over. Now I was anxious to get out of there. I watched as the assistant raced over and adjusted the clothing on the models. Tyler stopped snapping photos and frowned at me. I attempted a smile, but he turned his attention back
to the models. Perhaps he didn’t want me here. Tyler snapped photos and called out orders to the models. The model who had walked the man out from the cemetery came rushing back over.

  “It’s about time. Get over there.” Tyler barked out the command.

  “I’m ready,” she said, taking her place next to the other women.

  Tyler didn’t speak to her directly. He just snapped photos again.

  “I wonder what that is all about?” Minnie Lynn said, capturing my attention once again.

  Charlotte whipped her focus on Minnie once again. She walked over to Minnie, standing right in front of her. “Now I didn’t see you enter the cemetery, so who are you? Are you with the magazine?”

  Minnie looked at me, as if to say Please get this woman to leave me alone. I was sorry, but I couldn’t help her. Once Charlotte got on something she wouldn’t let it go.

  “Well, we are curious who you are. It’s not often that we meet strangers in the middle of the cemetery,” I said.

  “Often? Try never.” Charlotte eyed Minnie up and down.

  Minnie looked down at her cream-colored pumps. There were no stains on her shoes. No signs that she’d been walking through the soft earth of the cemetery; of course there wouldn’t be any if she truly was a ghost.

  “I don’t know why I’m here.” Her voice was soft and low.

  Charlotte quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t believe that.”