Haunted Is Always in Fashion Page 17

  When I saw who she was talking to I decided maybe she didn’t need a ride. She was standing with Victor.

  “I didn’t think she knew him,” Juliana said.

  “I think that goes for all of us,” I said.

  I thought about pulling over and asking what they were talking about, but that would seem a little strange. Plus, they ended up getting into Victor’s car.

  “She must know him well enough to get in the car with him,” Charlotte said.

  “I don’t like this,” Juliana said. “He may have lured her into the car.”

  “That’s possible,” I said. “I should call Dylan and give him a heads-up.”

  “Maybe you should follow the car,” Juliana said.

  I made the next right so that I could turn around and fall in behind Victor’s car. I just couldn’t figure out why they would be talking. Were they discussing hats? Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the car.

  I might never know what they were talking about.

  Chapter 30

  Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife

  You never have to worry if something fits

  or go on a diet to fit into that little black dress.

  I’d just stepped into It’s Vintage Y’all on Monday morning when my cell phone rang. I had several garments draped over one arm and in the other hand I held Wind Song’s carrier.

  I placed the carrier down, set the clothing on the counter, and grabbed the phone.

  “Cookie, did I catch you at a bad time?” Ken asked when I answered.

  “Of course not.” I looked at the pile of clothing. Maybe I’d bought a little too much at yesterday’s estate sale.

  “Did you really need to buy those Jordache jeans?” Charlotte peered at the pile with disdain.

  Okay. In my stressed out state, I’d made one bad decision. Occasionally it happened.

  Focusing on the phone conversation, I asked, “Is everything okay?”

  “I have good news for you. Well, I guess it’s considered good news,” he said.

  “Okay, now I’m intrigued. What is it?” I opened the carrier door and Wind Song sashayed out.

  “I found someone who may have witnessed something with Juliana’s murder.”

  “Did you tell the police?” I asked.

  “I left a message, but they didn’t seem interested.”

  “That seems odd. Who did you tell? Was it Dylan?” I pressed.

  “No, it was another detective.”

  Of course. I should have known that he wouldn’t call Dylan.

  “Anyway, I thought you might want to talk with this person. I would go, but I can’t get out of court until later today.”

  I grabbed a notepad and pen. “I understand. I’m glad you called.” I preferred that I talked with the person anyway, though it was sweet of him to offer. “What’s the name?”

  “Her name is Renee and she works at the Primo Café.”

  I scribbled down the info. “So it’s the café not far from where Juliana was found?”

  “Yes, that’s the place.”

  I was supposed to meet Juliana there that morning. Since then, driving that road always brought back the memory. Wondering if I could find a different route, I thanked Ken for the info.

  “Are you sure he couldn’t come with us?” Charlotte asked.

  I punched the OFF button on the phone. “Positive.”

  * * *

  Charlotte and Juliana waited all afternoon for time to close the shop so that we could go to the café. I was nervous. Not just because we had to go in the direction of Juliana’s murder, but because I wasn’t sure what the supposed witness would say. I wasn’t even sure if she would be there.

  I closed up and they followed me out to the car. Wind Song was in her carrier, though she’d acted restless and hadn’t wanted to go in.

  After dropping off Wind Song at home, I pointed the car in the direction of the café.

  “Oh, are we going on that street?” Charlotte asked.

  “Well, I had thought about going a different way, but I thought maybe seeing the surroundings again would trigger a memory.”

  “It will trigger a memory all right, but I doubt it will be a good one.”

  Juliana spoke up. “You know I’m sitting right back here and can hear everything y’all say, right? Your whispering doesn’t really work.”

  “Sorry, Juliana. We were just trying to keep from upsetting you.”

  She flashed her sad-eyed look at me. “It’s okay. I’m used to being upset.”

  “That’s so sad,” Charlotte said.

  “Don’t be upset, Juliana,” I said. “I’ll figure this out. I promise.”

  She forced a smile. “If anyone can, I know you will, Cookie.”

  I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, feeling more pressure to solve this case than ever. Juliana was counting on me. After all, I owed it to her. Maybe if she hadn’t been driving to meet me, she wouldn’t have been shot. I knew she would deny anything like that, but I felt guilty nonetheless.

  As we approached the scene of the crime, I wasn’t sure if I should speed past or slow down. Finally, I decided to just drive a normal speed.

  “Does anything come back to you?” Charlotte asked.

  Juliana stared out the window. “No, nothing at all. I just remember driving and the next thing I knew I was talking with Cookie.”

  I drove past and soon came to the café. I pulled in the parking lot and found a spot. “Fingers crossed that this goes well,” I said as I opened the car door.

  Charlotte and Juliana got out too. I would probably feel less nervous if they’d stayed in the car. I knew that wasn’t happening though.

  I entered the café. It was six o’clock so the dinner crowd was growing quickly. I looked around and spotted a woman watching me.

  She immediately walked over. “You look a little lost. You can sit wherever you like . . . if you can find a spot.”

  “Do you work here?” I asked.

  “No, my sister does. Everyone is busy. I thought I’d let you know so you wouldn’t stand here for a long time.”

  “Thanks.” I spotted an empty table by the window and headed over.

  “This place is quaint,” Charlotte said as she looked around. Not many places got her approval.

  After waiting a couple more minutes the woman came back over. “I thought I’d help out again. My sister will be over in a second to take your order. In the meantime, can I get you something to drink?”

  “It looks as if they need to hire more staff,” Charlotte said.

  I hadn’t expected to eat, but I supposed it would look strange if I didn’t. “I’d like water with lemon please.”

  “Be right back,” she said.

  “I wonder which one she is,” Juliana asked.

  “I can barely tell customer from staff,” Charlotte said.

  The woman came back over with my water. “You’ve never been here before?”

  I shook my head. “No, this is the first time. Actually, I came here to speak with Renee.”

  “Oh, that’s my sister. I’m Gale. Can I help you with something?” She kept her eyes on me.

  “Well, I wanted to talk with her about the murder.” I hated to just blurt it out, but I didn’t know what else to do.

  Just then a dark-haired woman approached with an apology and a smile. “Sorry it took me so long. What can I get you?”

  Maybe she wouldn’t be so friendly when she figured out what I wanted.

  “I was told you might have some information about the murder.”

  Renee exchanged a look with her sister.

  “I’ll let you two talk.” Gale walked away.

  Renee looked at me again. “What do you want to know?”

  “Have you spoken with the police yet?”

  “Actually, no. See, I didn’t realize that I had been witness to anything until the other day. When I read the story about what happened, it sparked a memory. My boyfriend knows Ken, so he to
ld him about it. I wasn’t comfortable going to the police. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to get involved. Ken said you would be stopping by to talk with me. I’m glad he didn’t tell the police.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that he had left them a message, but it looked as if they weren’t taking him seriously.

  “So what did you see?” I asked.

  “I was walking out to my car when I saw a man come out of the bushes. He looked around and acted kind of strange.”

  “This is huge,” Charlotte said, getting closer.

  “Could you pick him out if you saw him?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t. He was wearing a mask.”

  “Didn’t you think that was kind of odd?”

  She shrugged. “Well, it’s almost Halloween, so I really didn’t think anything of it.”

  “Hasn’t this woman ever seen a scary movie? Did she see the Michael Myers character in Halloween?” Charlotte said.

  “Can you tell me what kind of mask he was wearing?” That info would be better than nothing. “Perhaps what clothing he was wearing?”

  “All black. You know, like someone trying to conceal their appearance with the cover of night. Except it wasn’t night. I’m not sure about the mask. It was just something creepy.”

  “Thanks.” It had taken her awhile to remember that tiny bit, so maybe she would think of something else important. I handed her my card. “Can you call me if you think of anything else?”

  She read the card and then said, “Sure, I’ll give you a call.”

  I was too upset by the smidgen of information, so I decided not to eat.

  Chapter 31

  Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Learn the difference between

  vintage and thrift stores.

  In the mail about a month ago, I’d received an invitation to the historic society’s charity event. With all that had been going on lately, the event had almost slipped my mind completely. The fact that I was going alone was a big disappointment for Charlotte.

  “I told you, Charlotte. Dylan has to work. I decided not to ask him or anyone.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “Maybe he could’ve gotten off work if you had given him notice.”

  I pulled the gown out of the closet. “There was no need for him to even try. It’s not that big a deal.”

  “Well, then you could’ve asked Ken. I’m sure he would’ve loved to have gone with you. How handsome he would look in a tuxedo.”

  I took the dress off the hanger. “I can’t ask him. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with going alone.”

  She studied her fingernails. “If you say so.”

  My red gown had a full bias cut skirt with pleats at the waist. The shoulder straps criss-crossed in the back. A sash rested at the waist and looped around to a swag at the back bodice. I slipped into the red gown and zipped up the back.

  After putting on heels, I asked Charlotte, “How do I look?”

  “Stunning. Very Ginger Rogers. That’s why you shouldn’t waste all of this going alone.” She pointed to my face. “A little more blush would be nice.”

  “Thank you for the compliment, but can we just let this go?” I swiped the makeup brush across my cheeks.

  Juliana looped her arm around Charlotte. “Come on, Charlotte. We’ll enjoy the evening. She doesn’t need a date.”

  “Thank you, Juliana.”

  Charlotte looked from her to me. “I suppose it will be nice to get out for a lovely evening for a change. Just remember this is a special event. I’ve been many times. I’m glad to finally get back.”

  I finished my outfit with diamond earrings and a matching necklace and bracelet set. I grabbed a black clutch that matched my shoes.

  “This is so sad, Cookie. Did you go to prom alone?” Charlotte asked.

  I walked out the door, not even noticing the dark clouds overhead. “No, Charlotte, I did not go alone. Maybe my date was bad, but I wasn’t alone.”

  “Nothing wrong with going alone to the prom,” Juliana said.

  “Thank you again, Juliana.” At least she was sticking up for me. “Now can we drop this? We’re on our way. Let’s have a good evening.”

  It was only a short drive, but Charlotte had finally gotten off the subject.

  I pulled up to the community center where the event was being held. “Wow, this is nice. They have valet parking this evening,” I said as we pulled up to the front door.

  “I told you it was a special event,” Charlotte said.

  We got out of the car and I walked into the event. “I’ve never seen this many people in this building at one time.”

  Everyone looked great—men in their tuxedos and women in their evening gowns.

  “Cookie, you’re the absolute most beautiful woman here.”

  “Why, thank you, Charlotte. That was very kind of you.” I knew by the compliment that she was up to something.

  “Oh, look who’s here.” Charlotte pointed across the room.

  I watched her pointing finger, spotted Ken, and asked, “Did you know he was going to be here?”

  She made a funny sound. “How could I possibly know? I’m not psychic. And so what if I did? It doesn’t mean anything.”

  Just then he looked at me and headed across the room toward me. He didn’t take his eyes off me, smiling all the way.

  Charlotte whistled. “I knew it. He looks fantastic in that tuxedo.”

  She was right. He did look wonderful.

  “Cookie, I’m glad you came tonight. You look stunning.”

  “Thank you. You look great too,” I said.

  “Would you care to dance?” he asked.

  “Say yes. Say yes,” Charlotte said.

  “You should definitely say yes,” Juliana said.

  “Yes, I’d love to.” Smiling was unavoidable. After all, it was just one dance. No harm in that, right?

  He took my hand, led me to the dance floor, and held me in his arms. His woodsy scent encircled me in a hug. Charlotte and Juliana stayed on the sideline, watching. When I glanced over, they waved. I was surprised they hadn’t wanted to dance around us so they could hear the conversation.

  With my arms wrapped around his waist, I said, “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

  “The president of the society invited me. I thought about not coming. Now I’m glad I did.” He stared straight into my eyes.

  With romantic music filling the air, it was way too intimate. I panicked and said, “I’ll be right back.”

  Before Ken could respond, I turned and hurried away. In a matter of seconds, Charlotte and Juliana were beside me.

  “What happened? Why did you stop dancing with him?” Charlotte demanded from over my shoulder.

  “I don’t know what I’m thinking.” I waved my hand.

  “Where are you going now?” Charlotte asked. “Don’t tell me you’re leaving.”

  “I’m not leaving. I’m just going to the ladies’ room to freshen up my lip gloss.” I smiled, trying to hide my uneasiness. “After that I’ll get back out there and dance with him.”

  Charlotte held her hands up. “Don’t get your knickers in a bunch.”

  As I neared the restroom, footsteps sounded from behind me. When I glanced back, no one was there.

  “That was strange. Did you hear that?” I whispered.

  Charlotte and Juliana nodded their answers in silence.

  “Someone was back there.” Charlotte peered down the long hallway.

  “Did you see them?” I asked.

  “No,” Charlotte said. “But I heard it.”

  I was a little spooked. Walking into the ladies’ room, I stood in front of the mirror. I had to get my thoughts together. As I applied the lip gloss across my lips, the footsteps returned. The echoing sound was distinct and it was right outside the door.

  I paused with the makeup in my hand. “I thought for sure someone was right outside the door. Are they coming in?
”

  The footsteps sounded again, as if the person was walking away.

  Charlotte poked her head out. “No one’s out there.”

  Just then smoke seeped in from the nearby vent.

  Panic took hold immediately. “What’s happening?” Fear danced in my stomach.

  “Cookie, there’s a fire. You have to get out of here right away.” Charlotte motioned for me to hurry.

  Smoke was coming in stronger. “This can’t be happening.”

  “There’s no way you can stand this for very long,” Charlotte said. “Get out of here now.”

  I ran over to the door and pulled on the knob, but nothing happened. “The door’s stuck.”

  “Oh, it can’t be. Try again.” Charlotte pounded on the door, but her hands went right through.

  As hard as I could, I pulled on the door again. It didn’t budge. The fact that the smoke was still coming in made my anxiety surge. A full-fledged panic attack had set in as I yanked on the door. Not surprisingly, still nothing happened. With one more pull I tumbled backwards, almost falling. I stumbled in the heels, but managed to right myself.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” Juliana said.

  The realization of being trapped finally hit me. I pounded on the door, but nothing happened.

  “Okay, take a deep breath and just calm down. Banging on the door isn’t going to help,” Charlotte said.

  “Of course it will help,” I said. “Maybe someone will hear me and get me out of here. Plus, I can’t take a deep breath. I’ll inhale the smoke. That’s a clear way to get me to check out faster. Do you want me dead?”

  She glared at me. “Of course I don’t want you dead. How dare you say that.”

  “I’m not bickering with you right now.” I waved off her comment and moved across the room. I took off running toward the door, slammed right into it, and fell backwards on my butt. Stunned a bit, I groaned as I managed to climb up from the floor.

  “What in the Sam Hill are you doing?” Charlotte asked.

  “I’m trying to break the door down.” I rubbed my shoulder.

  “That’s never going to happen. You weigh like one hundred pounds.”

  “I weigh more than one twenty, but whatever.”

  “You’re like the size of a squirrel.”