Fashions Fade, Haunted Is Eternal Read online

My gaze traveled from Minnie’s feet to the top of her head. I took in every detail of her vintage clothing. After all, that was my job. When my eyes fell on the long strand of pearls around her neck, I knew she was here because of me. I’d recently picked up pearls at an estate sale identical to the ones she was wearing now.

  “I suspect I know what’s going on with Minnie.”

  Her big brown eyes widened. “You do?”

  “Do you know that you’re a ghost?” I asked.

  She stared at me. “Yes, I know.”

  “Well, why didn’t you say so? I’m a ghost too.” Charlotte gestured toward herself.

  Now it was Minnie’s turn to eye Charlotte up and down. “I can tell.”

  Charlotte scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Don’t be defensive. I saw absolutely no one other than Cookie look at you. That means they can’t even see you.”

  Charlotte’s expression eased. “Oh, I guess that’s a good reason.”

  “Wait. How did you know my name?” I asked.

  “I’ve been hanging around since you bought my necklace. I just didn’t show myself until now.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You have?”

  “Why show up now?” Charlotte placed her hands on her hips.

  Movement caught our attention, stopping the conversation. The models were walking away from the shoot and headed toward the cemetery’s gates.

  “What’s happening, Krissy?” I asked, hoping that was her name.

  Yes, now I remembered her full name—Krissy Dustin. She’d told me earlier when I’d given her the outfit. She was the model who had walked the muscular guy out.

  “Tyler said he needed a break from us. I guess we weren’t doing what he wanted.” She pushed her blond hair away from her face.

  “Where did he go?” I asked.

  She pointed. “I guess he’s taking a walk.”

  When I looked out across the cemetery, I spotted Tyler walking in the distance. He disappeared around one of the tall oak trees. Krissy joined the other models outside the cemetery.

  “He’ll get over it,” Charlotte said with a wave of her hand. “Now back to the conversation with Minnie.”

  Once again, our talk was stopped when a gunshot rang out.

  Charlotte gasped and clutched her chest. “Heavens to Betsy. What was that?”

  Chapter 2

  Charlotte’s Fashionable Tips for the Afterlife

  The living don’t always listen. Sometimes you have to nag them. It’s completely unavoidable.

  I wasn’t sure why I took off running in the direction of where I’d heard the shot. If I’d been thinking clearly I would have sprinted away. I suppose I was thinking someone might have wanted my help.

  Charlotte ran beside me. “Cookie, what are you doing? You should be running in the opposite direction.”

  “I have to see what happened,” I said as I jogged.

  “This will not end well,” Charlotte said.

  As I neared the rear area of the graveyard I spotted one of the models running toward me. Once she was close to me she practically collapsed into my arms. She was a lot taller than me, so I held her up as best as I could.

  “It’s terrible,” she said breathlessly.

  “What happened?” I asked as I held her by the arms.

  She turned her head and looked in the opposite direction, and just pointed toward a line of trees. “Tyler.” That was the only word she uttered.

  “What happened to Tyler?” I asked.

  “Something isn’t right here,” Charlotte said with a click of her tongue.

  “He’s dead,” the model said.

  The announcement hit me like a punch to the stomach.

  “Why does she have blood on her clothing?” Charlotte asked.

  My gaze traveled to the model’s sweater. Charlotte had a good question, but I couldn’t ask right now. I had to go to Tyler.

  “Call 911,” I said as I took off running.

  When I reached the tree I almost hesitated, unsure of what I was about to see. What if he needed help? There was no time for second-guessing. I had to hurry, so pushing back my fear, I ran around the tree. Though I immediately stopped in my tracks. Tyler was only a few steps away. His lifeless body was next to a headstone.

  I inched a little closer. “Tyler, are you all right?” There was no answer.

  “This guy is having a bad day.” Charlotte leaned against one of the tall headstones.

  “No joking, Charlotte, this is serious,” I warned.

  “You’re telling me,” she said.

  “Oh dear. Is he dead?” one of the assistants asked.

  “It looks that way,” I said as I leaned down and checked for a pulse.

  There were no signs of life. Tyler didn’t move and he definitely didn’t speak. I wasn’t sure if I trusted the model to call 911. Maybe it was because I’d seen the blood on her. Had she killed Tyler?

  I pulled out my phone and called for help. When the operator answered I gave her the location. I knew that soon Detective Dylan Valentine would be on the scene. What would he say when he realized I was witness to another murder? That was how we’d met in the first place. It probably wouldn’t look good with his colleagues that his girlfriend was the witness to a homicide. As I walked around the headstone, Tyler’s assistant came running over. She stopped abruptly. Tyler’s legs were visible from where she stood. The rest of his body was concealed from where I stood.

  “Where is Tyler?” the woman asked with panic in her voice.

  I motioned behind me. “I’ve called an ambulance.”

  Her gaze followed the direction of my pointing finger. The color drained from her face. “What happened to him? Someone help him!”

  “I think the coroner is needed instead of an ambulance,” Charlotte said.

  When the others stepped around the headstone and discovered Tyler, several of them screamed. It seemed like only seconds had passed when the sirens descended on the area. Thank goodness help had arrived. I spotted Dylan’s car as it came to a screeching halt in front of the cemetery’s gates. The door flew open and he jumped out. As if someone had pushed the fast-forward button, he raced through the entrance. I suppose he’d heard the call and knew I was here today. A few seconds later and our eyes met. A look of relief washed over his face.

  He rushed over to me. “Cookie, what happened?”

  “I think there’s been a murder.” I pointed toward the area where Tyler was located.

  “Stay right there. I’ll be right back.” He raced toward the spot, weaving around the headstones.

  How could Dylan look so pulled together in such high-stress situations? He looked the same whether he was walking into the coffee shop for a morning dose of caffeine or if he was discovering a homicide victim for the first time. Perhaps I looked at him in a different light than others because he was my boyfriend. However, others had to see this as well.

  Chaos had taken over the serene graveyard. The models and assistants stood around in shock. Officers and detectives moved back and forth from the body to the front of the cemetery. They had pushed us out to the sidewalk and taped off the entrance. I scanned the group standing beside me, looking for strange behavior. It was evident that Tyler had been murdered. Someone in the cemetery was responsible for his death. There was no way I would stand around and let a murderer get by with something like this.

  “What are you thinking about, Cookie?” Charlotte waved her hand in front of my face. “You’re being quiet, so I know that must mean the wheels are turning.”

  I snapped to attention. “Just thinking about who could have done this to Tyler.”

  “I don’t think it would be hard to figure out that he probably had a few enemies. Narrowing it down will be the difficult task,” Charlotte said.

  “Why is that?” Minnie asked.

  I clutched my chest. I’d almost forgotten about her. Why was she here?

  “Tyler wasn’t so nice to people,” I said.
/>   “That’s unfortunate,” she said around a sigh.

  “It was unfortunate for the people who had to deal with him,” Charlotte said.

  “We shouldn’t talk badly about the dead,” I said.

  “Are you kidding me? You talk badly about me all the time.” Charlotte placed her hands on her hips.

  “I do not! I point out things you do, but I don’t talk badly.”

  “Well, you’re a little snippy sometimes,” Charlotte said.

  “I am not,” I replied.

  “Ladies, no arguing in the cemetery. People are trying to rest in peace,” Minnie said.

  Charlotte shrugged and examined her fingernails. Sometimes she was too sensitive. Of course she said the same about me. Her personality was transferring to me.

  A few seconds passed and Dylan headed over to where I stood. “Tell me everything.”

  “We heard a gunshot,” I said.

  Dylan looked around and saw that I was standing alone. “Charlotte and you heard the shot?”

  “And Minnie Lynn,” I added.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Minnie Lynn?”

  Minnie waved her arms. “Here I am. It’s me, Minnie Lynn.”

  “He can’t see you, dear,” Charlotte said, motioning for Minnie to stop waving.

  “Why not? He obviously can see you. He knows you’re here,” Minnie said.

  “Cookie told him about me, but he can’t see me.” Charlotte gestured with her hands, waving them in front of Dylan’s face. “See, he has no idea that I’m here.”

  Dylan scrunched his face as if he sensed something around him.

  “Oh . . .” Minnie said with pursed lips.

  “Minnie Lynn is a ghost who appeared here in the graveyard,” I said.

  Dylan quirked an eyebrow. “A new ghost?”

  “Yes, but that doesn’t have anything to do with the murder,” I said with a wave of my hand. “At least I don’t think it has anything to do with the murder.”

  Minnie shook her head no.

  “Right . . . so tell me what you saw,” Dylan said, glancing around for Minnie.

  Charlotte laughed. “Cookie is getting Dylan sucked into her ghostly world.”

  Only because the ghosts were forcing me to tell him about this craziness. How else could I explain all the weird things that happened? I’d kept this from him for quite some time. Eventually I had to tell him. Thank goodness he had accepted this. At least I hoped he really accepted it.

  “We heard the gunshot. I knew right away that something was wrong,” I said.

  “So naturally you went right into the danger,” he said.

  “I think he’s being facetious,” Charlotte said.

  “I thought someone might need my help. When I made my way around the headstone, I saw Tyler on the ground. Krissy was walking out from that area. We heard her scream.”

  “Her scream didn’t sound genuine, if you ask me,” Charlotte said.

  “Did Krissy have a gun?” Dylan asked.

  “Not that I saw,” I said.

  “I bet she hid it. We should look for it,” Charlotte pointed out.

  I’d have to remind her that the police would probably handle that.

  “If someone shot him they had to be around somewhere,” Dylan said. “You saw no one else leave the area?”

  “Well, I was talking with the ghosts. Someone could have taken off in the other direction and I wouldn’t have seen them.”

  “Okay, we’ll search the area. Let me know if you think of anything else.” Dylan started to walk away, but turned to me again. “Are we still on for dinner?”

  “It amazes me how he can go from talking about a murder to discussing dinner,” Charlotte said.

  That was part of the job. I was sure he wished it didn’t have to be that way.

  “I’ll see you tonight.” I waved, trying to act as if I wasn’t freaked out.

  When Dylan joined the other detectives I scanned the crowd again. Krissy and the muscular guy, who had returned to the cemetery, had been separated and were talking with detectives.

  “I want to find out who that man is and why he was arguing with Krissy,” I said.

  “We can help you with that. Can’t we, Charlotte?” Minnie said in her peppy tone.

  Charlotte lifted an eyebrow. “We can?”

  “Of course we can. Just as soon as the police are finished with him.” Minnie flashed a bright smile.

  Charlotte laughed. “Yes, I suppose we can do that.”

  “It looks as if the police will be here for a while, so we’ll have to wait. In the meantime I have to get back to the shop. We’ll figure out a way to find out more about him,” I said.

  Chapter 3

  Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  Look for styles that are current again. Trends come and go. Sometimes you can save a lot by finding a vintage item that is the trend again.

  A short walk and a few minutes later we’d arrived at my shop. My store was in the historic part of town. I’d painted the cottage-style building a soft lavender with white trim. The inside was done in the same colors with a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a fabulous velvet settee that mostly was a hangout for the ghosts in my life. Wind Song jumped down from the front window and strolled over to me. She rubbed against my legs and circled around me. The cat shared its body with my grandmother. Crazy, right? This wild incident had happened during a séance gone wrong. Now Grandmother Pearl gave me messages from the great beyond using the Ouija board and tarot cards.

  My best friend Heather Sweet had been the one who suggested using the board to communicate. At first I’d been reluctant to try it, but now I was glad that she had insisted. Heather owned the occult shop next door to my place. She gave tarot card and psychic readings, although she wasn’t psychic. That had been her little secret for many years until she’d finally come clean with me. I couldn’t believe she’d kept this secret from her own best friend. The fact that I now talked to ghosts had pushed her to reveal the truth. She gave it her best shot though. I felt bad being the one who could now talk with ghosts, considering she wanted to so badly. And I didn’t even want to. Go figure.

  Minnie tossed her hand up in a wave. “Hi, Grandma Pearl. How are you this beautiful morning?”

  Wind Song marched over to Minnie and followed her across the room. That meant my grandmother must be in control of the body. Charlotte and I exchanged a look.

  “You know my grandmother?” I asked.

  “Only from hanging out in your shop for the past several days,” Minnie said.

  I placed my bag down on the counter. “Wait a minute. If Minnie has been here for several days, then why didn’t you mention it, Charlotte?”

  Charlotte lounged on the settee. “I can’t keep track of all the ghosts that come and go around here.”

  My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  “Just like I said, I don’t keep tabs on who strolls through the portal.”

  “There are more ghosts here?” I looked around the room.

  “They come and go,” Charlotte said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

  “And you never mentioned this? This is unsettling news,” I said.

  “If it was someone bad I would surely mention it,” Charlotte said.

  “Oh dear, I didn’t mean to cause a fight,” Minnie said.

  “We’re not fighting,” Charlotte said. “Cookie’s just being overdramatic . . . as usual.”

  “I’m going to act like I didn’t hear that.” I pouted.

  “Go right ahead.” Charlotte studied the fuchsia-colored polish on her fingernails.

  “Where do the ghosts come from?” I asked.

  “From the storage room. I guess with the repeated use of the Ouija board you opened up some kind of portal to the other side.” Charlotte held up her hand. “Do you like this color?”

  “What?” My voice raised several levels. “How do I stop it? I don’t want that.”

  “I don’t
know. I’m not a paranormal expert.” The bell above the door jingled, announcing someone’s arrival. Charlotte said, “Here comes the expert now. Ask her.”

  “I definitely will ask her,” I said.

  “Ask me what?” Heather bounced across the floor with a spring in her step.

  Apparently she hadn’t heard about the murder. Heather was my best friend, but Charlotte liked to claim that she was now my new best friend. However, Heather had been my friend longer, so she got to keep the title. With the craziness surrounding me I wasn’t sure Heather wanted to be my best friend anymore. Today Heather wore a long white linen skirt, brown woven sandals, and a blue tie-dyed T-shirt. Her blond hair was pulled back into a braid. Honestly, sometimes I wondered if we’d been switched at birth and my mother was actually Heather’s mother.

  “Where do I start?” I blew the hair out of my eyes.

  “You seem stressed.” Heather leaned against the counter.

  “Yes, you could say I’m stressed. Where do I start?”

  “From the beginning,” Minnie answered.

  Heather furrowed her brow. She turned her attention and focused directly on Minnie. Minnie watched her back.

  Heather looked at me. “Who is she?”

  My eyes widened. “You can see her?”

  Charlotte popped up from the settee and hurried over.

  Heather made eye contact with Charlotte. “I didn’t know you had customers.”

  Heather was looking right at Charlotte.

  “She can see me,” Charlotte said.

  Heather turned to me and gave a look as if to say, “Has that woman lost it?”

  “Heather, can you see both of them?” I asked.

  Heather pointed at Minnie and Charlotte. “Both of these women, yes.”

  “Heather, they’re ghosts,” I said. “The one with the scowl is Charlotte.”

  Charlotte touched her forehead, ever worried about wrinkles.

  Heather’s mouth dropped open. “What’s happening? Why can I see them?”

  “I don’t know. Take a deep breath.” I raced around the counter and took Heather by the arm.

  I knew how frightening it was to see a ghost for the first time. It was something never to be forgotten.