All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt Read online

  “I know Heather said thank you, but I want to say thank you, too. What you did was great.”

  He looked down. “You’re welcome, Cookie. So, what about that coffee?”

  Charlotte leaned her head out the window. “Cookie, I swear if you don’t say yes . . .”

  I smiled. “Sure, call me, okay?”

  “You bet.”

  He turned and headed toward his car. He looked back and waved one last time. When I glanced over toward Dylan, I saw that he was watching me. He hurried across the parking lot.

  “How’s Heather?” He peeked in the car.

  “I think she’ll be okay,” I said.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I have a little more to do here, but would it be okay if I stopped by the shop?”

  “I probably won’t go back to the shop today,” I said.

  He looked down.

  “But I’ll be home if you’d like to stop by later.”

  He seemed relieved. “Sure, I’d like that a lot. I’ll see you soon.”

  I opened the car door. “Okay, see you soon.”

  I watched Dylan walk away and then slipped into the car.

  “Not a word out of either one of you,” I said as I started the engine.

  When I glanced in the rearview mirror, I noticed that Charlotte and Alice were smiling. They were both proud of what had happened with Ken and Dylan.

  I couldn’t say for sure I felt the same. Heather still had her eyes closed, and I didn’t want to disturb her.

  “There is just one more thing,” Alice said.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “You need to pay a visit to someone for me. Now that the case is solved, you know.”

  I’d been so busy thinking about the murder that I’d forgotten.

  “Oh yes, I almost forgot, Alice. We will definitely do that. But I think it’s best if we wait until after my shower.”

  “I agree with that,” Charlotte said.

  The warm water of my shower felt wonderful against my skin, but it did nothing to wash away the thoughts in my mind. It would take a while before my fears and anxiety eased. I was thankful we’d gotten out of there alive. But sad for Nicole.

  I forced myself out of the shower, dried off, and went over to my closet. I slipped into a Bleeker Street soft yellow circle skirt dress. It had white trim around the waist and a sleeveless bodice. I finished the outfit with a yellow-and-white chiffon scarf around my neck and yellow sandals. I hoped that the stains would come out of the clothing I’d just taken off.

  Wind Song was on her favorite spot on the back of the sofa.

  “We’ll be back later,” I said as I rubbed her head.

  She purred in response. Charlotte and Alice were ready to go to Alice’s lost love’s home. We’d give this one more try, but I wasn’t holding out much hope that I’d be able to talk to him this time either. I had to break past the gatekeeper, and that seemed virtually impossible. I slipped behind the wheel. Oddly enough, Charlotte was now in the backseat.

  “Why are you back there?” I asked.

  “I thought it would be nice if Alice got the front seat for a change,” Charlotte said with a wink.

  Alice indeed seemed to enjoy her ride up front. I lost myself in thought while navigating the streets to Mr. Bowman’s house. Charlotte and Alice talked, but I didn’t even notice what they were talking about. After the stress of knowing a killer was on the loose, seeing Jessica arrested was a huge weight off my shoulders. Alice glanced over and smiled. She seemed happy. I hoped for her sake that I could talk with this man.

  I pulled up to the curb. Luckily, I didn’t see a car in the drive this time. Of course, that didn’t mean that his grandson wasn’t there.

  “How do I look?” Alice asked.

  I grimaced. “Well, you look great but he can’t see you.”

  She laughed. “I got you! Of course he can’t see me. I’m just pulling your leg.”

  “Right, well, let’s see if we can get past the gatekeeper this time.”

  I unfastened my seat belt and got out of the car. Alice and Charlotte were already heading up the driveway.

  “Hey, wait for me,” I called out.

  The next-door neighbor was standing in his front yard. He was watching me as he watered the flowers. He looked around to see who I was talking to. When I waved at him, he inclined his head, but turned his attention back to his flowers.

  I stepped onto the front porch and up to the front door. Alice tapped her foot against the ground as she motioned for me to ring the bell.

  “Okay, I’ll do it.” I pushed the button and listened to a chime ring throughout the house.

  A shuffling noise came from the other side of the door. I held my breath, hoping it wasn’t the grandson. I glanced over at Alice, and her face was lit up. She almost had a glow about her, unlike anything I’d seen before.

  The lock clicked, and the door inched open. The man standing in front of us definitely wasn’t the grandson. He was much older, and I assumed it was Mr. Bowman.

  “Is that him?” Charlotte asked Alice.

  Alice leaned over for a better view. The inside of the house was dark, so it wasn’t easy to see the man’s face. I noticed a little bit of gray hair. The rest of his head was bald. He was average height and slender. He wore a light blue button-down shirt and brown pants and brown shoes.

  “He isn’t young anymore, but he’s still just as handsome as ever,” Alice said with excitement in her voice.

  That was so sweet. I was so glad that he’d answered the door instead of his grandson.

  “May I help you?” he asked, looking me up and down.

  Now came the hard part, getting him to understand that I wasn’t crazy.

  Alice motioned. “Go ahead, tell him Alice sent you.”

  I couldn’t lead with that sentence.

  “She can’t say that,” Charlotte said.

  He was staring at me, though, so I had to say something soon.

  “Hello, sir.”

  He frowned. I was sure he thought I was trying to sell something.

  “My name is Cookie Chanel, and a friend of yours sent me.” I glanced over my shoulder.

  “And who is your friend, dear?” he asked.

  “Well,” I cleared my throat. “Her name is Alice Neill.”

  His eyes widened. It was as if he looked younger just by the mere mention of her name.

  “Do you remember her?” I asked.

  By the expression on his face, I’d say he remembered her fondly.

  “Yes, I remember her.” His eyes still had that magic spark.

  “Well, she wanted me to give you a message,” I said.

  He looked sad, then said, “But she passed away.”

  This was the tricky part. “Yes, I know.”

  Maybe he wouldn’t ask for an explanation. Things would be so much easier that way.

  “So you were friends with her?” he asked.

  I nodded. It wasn’t a lie. I considered Alice a friend. “Yes, she is my friend.”

  Notice I didn’t say was? A smiled spread across his face.

  “He still has that same great smile,” Alice said.

  “And all of his teeth too,” Charlotte added.

  “I regret that I didn’t get a chance to speak with her before she passed away,” he said.

  “There are a lot of things I regret,” Alice said.

  “Are you friends with her granddaughter?” he asked.

  If he started asking questions like that, then this would never work. “I met her briefly.” I didn’t offer any other details.

  “You say she had a message for me?”

  “Yes.” I didn’t know what to say.

  The problem was Alice hadn’t told me what this message was yet. He looked at me expectantly. Alice needed to give me the message quickly. I couldn’t ask her for it in front of him though.

  Finally Mr. Bowman said, “Would you like to come inside?”

  “Yes, that woul
d be nice.”

  I stepped into the house. The staircase leading to the second floor was straight ahead, and it looked as if the living room was on the right. He turned on the small lamp that sat on the table by the door. It looked as if he lived in the house alone. There wasn’t much in the way of decorations.

  “We can sit in the living room if you’d like.” He pointed toward the room.

  Alice and Charlotte went in ahead of us.

  A plaid sofa was next to the fireplace, and two blue upholstered chairs sat across from it. The room had no TV nor much else other than a few photos on a table by the window. I assumed maybe the people in the photos were his children and grandchildren. I recognized the grandson in one of them. I wondered what had happened to Mr. Bowman’s wife.

  “Please have a seat.” Mr. Bowman gestured toward the sitting area.

  I eased down onto one of the blue chairs.

  “Would you care for some iced tea?” he asked.

  It sounded great. “Yes, that would be lovely.”

  I hadn’t had a chance to eat after what had happened today. Tonight might be a takeout kind of night.

  “I’ll just go get the drinks,” he said and motioned toward the kitchen.

  “Thank you.”

  As he turned to go, he glanced out the window.

  “Is that your car?” he pointed.

  I smiled. “Yes.”

  “I had one just like that. Ah, the memories that brings back.”

  That must have been what Alice had been talking about.

  “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back.” He disappeared around the corner.

  I leaned over and peeked into the kitchen. Mr. Bowman was getting glasses from the cabinet.

  “Alice, you have to tell me what this message is before he comes back.”

  Charlotte was sitting on the sofa, and Alice was standing by the kitchen door watching Mr. Bowman. She didn’t respond.

  I whispered again, “Alice.”

  I couldn’t talk any louder.

  “Alice!” Charlotte yelled.

  Alice looked over at us. I repeated my question.

  “What is it you want to tell him?”

  “Oh yes.” She moved over closer to me. “I want to tell him I love him.”

  Just then Mr. Bowman returned with the tea. I took the cold glass from his outstretched hand. “Thank you.”

  He sat on the sofa across from me. He had no idea that a ghost was sitting next to him. I took a sip from the glass. “It’s very good.”

  “Thank you. I add enough sugar, then a little more sugar.”

  I smiled. “That’s the best way to make it.”

  “So what did you want to tell me, dear?”

  What was the best way to say this?

  “Alice wanted me to tell you that she loves you.”

  He set his glass on the table beside the sofa. He placed his head in his hands. I couldn’t bear to look over at Alice. This was too emotional for me. I didn’t deal well with these types of situations.

  “Tell him that I should have married him and that I should have never listened to my parents.”

  After relaying the message, he said, “I shouldn’t have let her get away. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my wife, God rest her soul, but Alice was the one who got away.”

  While Alice sat raptly by his side, nodding and smiling, he told me several stories about when she and he had dated. Draining my glass, I realized it was getting dark and time for me to go.

  He thanked me for coming over, and I left with a satisfied Alice. Charlotte was sobbing in the backseat of the car as I drove home. Alice was trying to comfort her. You’d think it would have been the other way around. After all, Alice was the one who’d just said good-bye to her true love. Maybe she’d see him again someday on the other side.

  Chapter 27

  Cookie’s Savvy Vintage Fashion Shopping Tips

  Try on a piece of clothing even if you think

  it might not be right for you.

  Sometimes things look a lot different

  when they’re on your body.

  The next morning was another bright and sunny day, but that dark cloud of an unsolved mystery was no longer hanging over me or Sugar Creek. Much to Charlotte’s chagrin, Dylan had been held up at the crime scene, so he’d been unable to stop by. I dressed in an Yves Saint Laurent turquoise-and-yellow-striped circle skirt. My white cotton blouse had a scalloped neckline and eyelet trim down the front. After my morning routine, I joined Alice and Charlotte in the living room, while Wind Song soaked up a sunbeam on the back of the couch.

  “It’s time for me to go to work. Are you ladies coming with me today?”

  Silence filled the air. Finally Alice said, “It’s time for me to leave.”

  Charlotte was looking down at her feet and wouldn’t even look up at me.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  Of course I knew what she meant. Charlotte had stayed, and I just assumed that Alice would too.

  “It’s time for me to move on. My job here is done.”

  I sighed. “Yes, I suppose so. I’ll miss you.”

  Charlotte sniffled. Alice looked to Charlotte. “Now don’t cry. Just think, you can sit in the front seat again.”

  Well, I supposed that was something. But when Alice was here, Charlotte had stayed around. Before that she had been popping in and out. I hadn’t realized how close the two had become.

  “You don’t have to go. Why don’t you just stay around?” Charlotte asked around her sniffles.

  “You and I both know that I need to move on. I have friends and family waiting for me on the other side,” Alice said.

  Charlotte wiped her eyes and nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

  Charlotte wasn’t as tough as I thought.

  Alice got to her feet. She still looked as beautiful as the first day I’d seen her at the plantation. Maybe even more so. I wasn’t sure where she was going, but I figured she was about to have a lot of fun if she was going to be with her friends and relatives. She walked toward the front door. Charlotte stood and followed her, but stopped at the edge of the room. Alice turned and offered one last wave and smile. Charlotte sniffled, but then pushed her shoulders back and chest forward. She raised her head up high and waved to Alice as she walked out the door.

  She didn’t bother to open it; she just walked right through. I rushed over to the living room window and pulled back the curtain. I wanted to know where Alice had gone. Was there a ghostly limo waiting for her in the driveway? Would a shuttle bus pick her up? But she was nowhere in sight.

  “Good-bye, Alice,” I said under my breath.

  She was one of the sweetest women I’d ever known. Without her, Nicole’s killer probably never would have been brought to justice. Wind Song meowed, as if saying her good-bye too.

  Charlotte was standing beside me. I looked at her. “Are you okay?”

  She put on her brave face. “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

  I looked to Wind Song and then back to Charlotte. “So, are you two ready to go to the shop?”

  Wind Song jumped down from the sofa and went over to her carrier.

  “I take that as a yes,” I said.

  “Let’s go help some people look fabulous,” Charlotte said as she marched toward the door.

  “Sounds like a plan.” I grabbed Wind Song and headed out the door.

  We piled in the car, but it seemed empty without Alice.

  I navigated through town. Sugar Creek was in full summer mode now. Shorts and flip-flops. Sidewalk sales and yard sales. Barbecues and picnics for everyone. The rest of the summer would be great. And I hoped good sales for me too. When I pulled up to the shop, I noticed Ken leaning up against the side of the building.

  “He must be waiting for you.” Charlotte didn’t even try to hide the excitement in her voice.

  “Yes, it does look that way.”

  I hadn’t expected to see him so soon. Sure, he said he would come by, but
I wasn’t sure if I thought that would really happen. This would have made Alice so happy. I got out of the car and closed the door. I waved as I made my way over to the sidewalk. He stepped away from the building and joined me when I reached the door.

  “Good morning. I hope I’m not too early,” he said.

  His blond hair shone in the bright sun. “I thought I’d come by and see you.” He smelled like soap and fresh mint.

  I smiled. “I’m glad you did. It’s nice to see you under better circumstances.”

  He flashed the dimples on his cheeks. “Yes, much better this way. I thought maybe you could go for some coffee.”

  “Yes. Yes. Tell him yes,” Charlotte urged.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t this morning. It’s just that I missed so much work yesterday. I’m really behind and need to catch up.”

  “Look at his face. Will you please stop disappointing this boy?” Charlotte said.

  It wasn’t like I was trying to do it on purpose.

  He studied his shiny brown shoes. “Sure. I can understand that.”

  Charlotte threw her hands in the air. “That’s it. He probably won’t ask you again. After getting rejected this many times he will finally just give up.”

  He’d only asked twice. If he gave up that easily, then did I really want to go for coffee with him? Just then a trim fortyish brunette approached. She looked in the window and then at her watch. She was a little early, but at least I had a customer.

  Ken noticed her. “I guess I should let you get to work.”

  “Yes, I should get in there.”

  The woman walked away. I hoped that she would return in a few minutes.

  “Now you’re chasing off customers too?” Charlotte said.

  I wanted to respond to her and tell her that I couldn’t go to coffee with him and wait on customers at the same time. She would have to decide which one was more important to her. But we’d have that discussion later, once Ken had gone.

  “How about tomorrow?” he asked, pulling me back to the conversation.

  I smiled. “Sure, I’d like that.”

  “Well, it’s about time you said yes. You’re just lucky that he asked again. But what are you going to tell the handsome detective? You can’t disappoint him either. I think he really likes you too. See, it’s good to have me around. I’m good for your social life. You had none before me.”