Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece Read online

  “He doesn’t bite . . . unless you try to pet him,” I said with a smirk.

  She raised a thin eyebrow. “Oh . . . well, he’s cute.”

  “Thank you.” I picked up the bracelet.

  Van barked. I couldn’t tell if he was thanking her for the compliment or it was a warning for her not to come close.

  “Your work is lovely,” I said, moving on to a stamped key chain.

  “Thank you.” She set down the punching tool she’d been holding. “I’ve seen you around. You have a booth here too, right?”

  “Yes. Just down the way by the big oak tree.” I gestured.

  She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “So what do you think of the craft fair so far?”

  “It’s good, but because it’s my first one, I have nothing to compare it to yet,” I said.

  “Business is a bit slow, but that doesn’t surprise me really.” She blew the bangs out of her eyes. “I’ll be lucky if I sell anything. And I really need the money right now.”

  Van wiggled, so I let him walk around on his leash.

  “Oh really?” I asked.

  “I think it’s because of that Evan Wright. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. Plus, his personality is so off-putting, it doesn’t surprise me that people stay away.”

  “Yes, he is a bit rough around the edges.”

  “A bit?” She narrowed her apple-green-colored eyes. “I’d like to tell him what’s on my mind. He comes by here all the time, criticizing me and my work.”

  “That’s not nice of him,” I said.

  “No, it isn’t. If he keeps testing my patience, I’ll tell him too.” She picked up one of the sharp tools beside her and stabbed a strip of leather.

  My heart skipped a beat. Van barked. She seemed extremely upset.

  “Maybe if I had a talk with him . . .”

  “Feel free, but I doubt it will do any good.” She cut a piece of leather, dismissing my suggestion.

  Maybe if I changed the subject, it would make her feel better.

  “How do you make such lovely items?” I asked. Honestly, I wasn’t just asking in an attempt to make her feel better. I was genuinely interested.

  She eyed me up and down as if she was suspicious. After a couple of seconds she picked up a leather cuff bracelet and said, “Well, like with this one, I use strap pieces of leather to make each bracelet unique. I stamp the design on the leather and secure the beads around the edges. The stamps are used with ink to dye the leather. I made the pattern for the bird design with my computer.”

  If I had the extra cash, I would have totally bought the bracelet. Maybe if she still had it at the end of the fair, I could splurge.

  “Your work is great,” I said.

  “Thank you,” she said in a slightly less harsh tone this time.

  “Well, good luck with selling your items,” I said. “My name’s Celeste Cabot, by the way.”

  “Carly Koy,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”

  “If you need anything, feel free to come down and get me.” I gestured down the path toward my trailer.

  “That’s nice of you, thank you.”

  I waved and headed down the way a bit more. I made eye contact with another woman. A ginger-colored mane peeked out from under her royal-blue baseball cap advertising a local restaurant called Bob’s Burgers. Her green eyes matched the needles on the nearby pine tree.

  I stopped to take a look at her jewelry. Vast arrays of colors decorated the two tables full of beaded necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Everything from turquoise, onyx, and pearl to cooper. I liked the way she knotted the beads together on the necklaces to make a waterfall effect.

  “How’s business?” she asked.

  “Oh, you saw me at my booth?” I asked with a smile.

  “After a bit you start to recognize faces,” she said.

  “It’s not bad, I suppose.”

  Other than someone returning a haunted painting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t share that because she would think I was bonkers. Van squirmed in my arms, so I let him down. He walked around sniffing things on the ground while I held his leash.

  “I’m Celeste Cabot,” I said.

  “Shar Pricket,” she said, sticking her hand out toward me.

  Van didn’t protest her getting too close to me because he was busy checking out a cricket. The insect hopped away and he barked in its wake.

  Movement caught my attention. Someone was approaching Shar’s booth. The sun was setting and casting a shadow across the man’s face. Finally, when he neared, I realized it was Evan. Shar saw me watching someone, so she turned to see who was approaching the booth. A groan slipped from her lips.

  “What does he want?” she whispered.

  It looked as if we were about to find out.

  “Hello, ladies, how are things?” Evan wiggled his thick, bushy eyebrows.

  “Fine,” Shar said through gritted teeth.

  “You need to move the tables back two inches.” He tapped the edge of the nearby display table.

  She eyed him.

  He waved his hand in front of her face. “Hello? Anyone home?” He turned his attention to me. “Look, she’s a zombie.”

  Loud, boisterous laughter spilled from his mouth. I stared at him in shock too.

  He frowned. “I’ll let it go tonight, but I expect you’ll correct it by tomorrow.”

  The sun shone off the ring on Evan’s finger. He wore the same one I’d noticed on the first night. In the daylight I had more time to examine it. The sparkle was almost blinding. It had a single diamond on each side of the ring and smaller diamonds on top. A scroll pattern in black wrapped around the diamonds on the top. The ring was unusual and captured my attention right away.

  He caught me looking at the ring. “I had it designed. It was all my idea.” His voice boomed with pride.

  “It’s lovely,” I said.

  He narrowed his eyes at me, as if maybe I was trying to take the ring from him. I only said it was lovely, not that I wanted it. He was so strange. I honestly didn’t know what to make of his behavior. I didn’t wear much jewelry anyway. A small diamond and pearl ring my parents had given me for my twenty-first birthday were all I wore. Maybe a locket necklace or some pearls for special occasions. I liked to keep things simple and basic, like T-shirts, jeans, and tennis shoes. That was my style.

  He walked away.

  Shar turned to face me. “Can you believe that guy? Two inches? My tables have been in the same spot since I arrived. He’s just looking for stuff to harass me over. Does he have nothing better to do?”

  When Van shivered, I picked him up and cuddled him in my arms. “It does seem as if he’s nitpicking.”

  Shar focused her dark-circle-lined eyes on me. She seemed extra small against the backdrop of her large, shiny, chrome camper.

  “If he messes with me, I’ll knock him into the middle of next week looking both ways for Sunday.” Shar pumped her fist.

  Obviously, Evan made her extremely mad. Though I thought surely she was only joking about knocking him into next Sunday. Shar seemed too nice to actually punch Evan.

  “If you need help moving your tables, let me know,” I said.

  She scoffed. “I’m not moving the tables. If he doesn’t like it, let him move them. And he’d better not damage any of my items in the process.”

  Oh no; it looked as if a confrontation might take place tomorrow. I should avoid the area with Van.

  “Well, it was nice meeting you. I need to get back; it’s getting dark.”

  “Nice meeting you too,” she said.

  I knew by her tone that she was still angry with Evan. I didn’t like him either, but I certainly wasn’t going to let him get under my skin. I headed down the path toward my booth. Van was looking around as I carried him in my arms.

  “Van, are you hungry?” I asked, scratching behind his ears.

  Ruth was standing behind the two booths when I returned. “I figured I could watch both this way.”
<
br />   I laughed. “That’s a good idea.”

  “Well, I’m going to pack up my things for the evening.”

  “Me too,” I said.

  After placing Van in the trailer, I filled his dish with food and put more water into the other one. He loved getting cozy in his little bed. I collapsed onto the bed for a moment’s rest. Not too long, though. There was too much work to do.

  My pink-and-white retro trailer was awesome, but space was limited. I’d brought only the essentials. My supplies were crammed into a corner. Paints, canvases, and an easel. The benches and table tucked into the back of the trailer converted into a bed. My grandmother had made me a pink-and-white quilt for the bed. I’d added several toss pillows. One had pink hearts and the others were pink gingham.

  My brothers had installed a metal-hitched storage area to the back of my trailer. They’d even painted it the exact shade of pink so it matched. Now I had room to haul more of my paintings. I gathered up the paintings and placed them in the storage area of the trailer. I secured the lock and picked up a few pieces of trash that had found their way in front of my area.

  Time had slipped away as I drifted off. I hadn’t meant to nap. I suppose I’d been exhausted from the undertaking of a full day of craft fair duties. Night had come and darkness had taken over. The string lights my father had installed along the outside of my trailer lit up the small area around me. I’d just tossed the trash into the garbage can when shouting caught my attention. I stopped and peered down the path to see what was happening. It was hard to make out, but several people had gathered in front of what looked like Carly Koy’s booth. I hoped she was all right.

  Ruth appeared from around the side of her shiny-new, white-and-black Hummingbird travel trailer. I bet that thing had all kinds of fancy features. Nevertheless, I loved my pink beauty.

  Ruth seemed less put together this time. Her black Grateful Dead band T-shirt was wrinkled, along with her long, gauzy white skirt.

  “What’s going on?” Ruth’s question held a splash of annoyance.

  “I don’t know. We should go check it out,” I said.

  Ruth and I hurried down the path. When we arrived in front of Carly’s booth, other vendors had gathered as well. Carly appeared distraught as she waved her arms while talking with Shar.

  I stepped over to Carly and asked, “What happened?”

  “Someone took my money. All the money I’ve made since I’ve been at the fair.” The pain was evident in her voice.

  “I’m sorry, Carly. When did this happen?”

  She shook her head. “It was there a short time ago. Right after I spoke with you, I counted my cash. I put away my things. After that I went back to make sure I’d counted it correctly and the money was gone.”

  “Did someone call the police?” I asked.

  “They’re on their way.” She pushed a strand of her strawberry blond hair away from her face.

  Right away, I noticed the scarlet-colored drops on the back of her hand.

  “Did you hurt your hand?” I asked.

  Carly looked down and shoved her hands into her pockets. “I’m fine.”

  “Did you see anyone suspicious around?” Ruth asked.

  “The only person I saw was Evan. He was here talking with Celeste and me earlier.”

  Now I was worried about my money. Who would do something like this? Surely not another vendor. They knew how hard it was to make and sell their items.

  I spotted blue flashing lights from a police car. It pulled up nearby and parked. A uniformed officer got out of the cruiser and walked over to where we stood. I peered up at his tall frame. Just a hint of dark hair peeked out from under his cap. The blue shirt and pants were precisely pressed, as if he’d just picked them up from the cleaners.

  “What seems to be the problem?” he asked.

  “Someone took my money.” Carly waved her arms. “It’s all gone. Whoever did this is going to pay.”

  “All right, calm down. Step over here and tell me what happened,” the young officer said.

  Ruth and I stepped away so the officer could speak with Carly. We headed down the path toward our trailers. The silvery moonlight illuminated the lane guiding us in the right direction. The scent of honeysuckle drifted across the night breeze.

  “Who do you think did this?” I asked.

  “I think maybe she just misplaced the money. It’ll probably turn up soon.” Ruth’s bangle bracelets jingled as she gestured.

  “I certainly hope so,” I said. “We should take precautions so we don’t find ourselves in the same predicament.”

  “Do you keep money in your trailer?” Ruth asked.

  I studied her face. “Until I can take it to the bank. I probably won’t now.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it. No need to take your money to the bank. Just put it in a safe place. You do put it in a safe place, right?” Ruth raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes,” I said.

  I wouldn’t offer more of an answer than that. Where I kept my money was my secret. What if the thief overheard me say where I kept my cash? No need to put myself at even more of a risk.

  It had been a tiring day. The sun had set a couple of hours before, and I was ready for rest. I’d thought about enjoying the beautiful night sky, but now I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hang around outside alone. The pitch-black sky showcased a million sparkling stars. The familiar feeling stirred inside me. The voice whispered in my ear that I should paint a scene just like the one around me.

  When I reached my trailer, I turned around to survey the scene. Down the path, I saw that people had dispersed from the front of Carly’s booth and the police had gone too. I hoped Carly found her money. I needed to make sure I kept my cash secure. I didn’t have a large sum, but what I had was mine and I didn’t want anyone to take it. I had worked hard for that money.

  “Well, I’ll see you in the morning.” Ruth waved as she walked toward her trailer.

  She seemed nice, but something about her also seemed a bit off. When she smiled, it didn’t seem genuine. I suppose I had inherited my grandmother’s skepticism. She believed people never displayed their true selves. It was always an act, she said. That wasn’t to say people weren’t nice, but she warned of being cautious even when you thought you knew someone well.

  Now I was all alone in front of my tiny trailer. The faint sound of chatter carried across the night air, but everyone around me had retired for the evening. I should do the same, but even though I was tired, I was still full of anxious energy.

  Though the tiny voice in my head had told me to paint the stunning night scene, I needed to work on my current project. Now that the excitement had died down, I’d have a little dinner and work on my painting. That always helped me relax. The tiny refrigerator in my trailer didn’t hold much. The next few days I predicted I’d eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. After adding a glob of spread and grape jelly to the bread, I carried my sandwich out to the bench, enjoying my sandwich in the comfort of my cozy trailer.

  CHAPTER 4

  Travel trailer tip 4: Know your exact camping location in case you need emergency help. You can’t just say “near the big tree.”

  As I sat in my trailer, I dined on a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich. For dessert, I’d have a banana. It was hard having a gourmet meal while living in a small space. Not that I wanted that anyway. The simpler things in life were what I enjoyed most. My dinners consisted of paper plates and plastic utensils. At least I had electricity and plumbing. As much as I loved the trailer, I was always glad to go home to my quaint cottage house. I lived in a house on the edge of my parents’ property. Sometimes I wondered if it was a bit too close.

  Van sat at my feet, waiting for me to drop a crumb. After I finished eating, he made one last, sniffing loop around the floor in case he’d missed a morsel before giving up and curling up in his comfy, paw-print bed. The lining I’d added had been made by my grandmother. She’d quilted it to match mine in the same patt
ern, with blue and white patches of fabric.

  The longer I sat there, the more anxious I became. In my opinion, Evan should hire a security guard for the fair. He probably wouldn’t go for that, though. It wouldn’t hurt to ask though, right?

  I grabbed my keys and headed for the door. “Van, I’ll be right back.”

  He opened one eye and looked at me but went back to his nap. I hurried out the door, locked it, and headed down the path toward Evan’s trailer. He was staying at the fair like most everyone else. From his constant scowl and grumpy disposition, it didn’t seem as if he liked his job much.

  A gentle breeze carried across the warm night air. Crickets chirped in the nearby trees. Fireflies lit up the dark of night. I wasn’t sure why I thought speaking with Evan might be a good idea. He could be so rude. No doubt he would treat my request with utter disdain. As a fair vendor, I figured we had the right to feel somewhat safe while we were here, though.

  I passed by Carly’s trailer but saw no sign of her. The lights were off. I wondered if she’d found the money yet. Even if there was no one taking money, it was still a good idea to have security. Especially if she had really been robbed.

  Next, I passed Shar’s booth. The lights were out there too. I was surprised everyone went to bed so early. I thought back to what she’d said about Evan. Still, I had to assume she had only been joking.

  Soon, I reached his expansive, shiny, silver travel trailer. This thing even had a queen-size bed. I knew because my second cousin twice removed on my mom’s side had a travel trailer like this one. If I had this thing, I’d feel like I was staying in a five-star hotel. I’d heard it wasn’t Evan’s but had been provided for his use by the organizers of the craft fair.

  Because no lights were on inside, it was a bad sign that I would be able to speak with him tonight. I suppose I shouldn’t knock on his door if he was sleeping. That would be like waking a hibernating bear. I would just have to talk with him tomorrow.

  As I turned around to head back to my trailer, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. I peered to my left for a better view. It looked as if someone was lying on the ground next to the trailer. Was it Evan? Was he hurt? I raced over to the motionless person. I was shocked to see Evan lying there.