Lipstick and Lies (Murder In Style Book 2)

by Gina LaManna

  “I’m going to take off,” he said finally. “I’ll be back sometime to continue the cleanup, if you’d like.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I’d like to,” Matt said. “Plus, I make good on my family’s word, and June promised. We’ll have this place fixed up by the end of summer if we keep chipping away at it.”

  “Let’s just focus on getting you back in your house first, yeah?”

  “Sure,” Matt said with a thin smile. “Be careful.”

  I stood in my driveway as Matt climbed into his truck. I watched him drive off, and only once his taillights disappeared out of sight did I glance down at the Green’s sign in my hand and give a huge sigh.

  Everything had gotten so complicated. I wanted to help Matt but helping him only seemed to get me in trouble. Maybe it would be best if I could just stay out of the investigation once and for all.

  I headed inside, locked up behind me, and pulled out my phone. I dialed the number in question before I could chicken out.

  “Jenna,” Cooper said. “What a surprise. Did you get your car fixed up?”

  “As a matter of fact, I didn’t,” I said. “Thanks for asking.”

  “You don’t sound happy.”

  “I’m not. And this isn’t a social call.”

  “Okay. What can I help you with?”

  “Chris Tucker.”

  “Shania’s boyfriend?”

  “The one and only,” I said. “I happened to randomly run into him today at Butternuts and Bolts.”

  “Totally random,” Cooper said dryly. “I’m sure that was a complete accident.”

  “Anyway, we got to chatting about my new ride. One thing led to another, and I found out he’s still holding onto Shania’s phone.”

  “Funny how that conversation went.”

  “I was supposed to go over there and pick it up, but I think it’s probably best if I stay out of it.”

  Cooper waited a beat, holding back any retort he’d had prepared, as if he could sense my melancholy mood. “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t sound fine.”

  “I’m done investigating the case,” I said. “At least for now. It’s only getting me in trouble.”

  “I want to applaud you, but you sound far too disappointed for me to be happy about it. Is something wrong?”

  “I’m just making enemies out of everyone.”

  “That’s not true,” Cooper said. “You can call me a friend. How about I buy you dinner?”

  “You already bought me a car and ice cream,” I said miserably. “And that was before noon. I’ve got to take care of myself a bit.”

  “Call me if you need anything at all.”

  “Don’t forget about the phone at Chris’s.”

  “Jenna...” Cooper took a breath. “Is there something on that phone I should know about?”

  I looked at my reflection in the tea kettle as I turned on the stove and gave another hefty sigh. “I don’t know, Cooper. I don’t know anymore.”

  Chapter 17

  I called it an early night, locking the doors and peering out at Matt’s empty house even before the sky went dark. I’d had enough for one day.

  Fortunately, my mother had brought over leftovers for dinner, and for dessert, I was able to salvage the remnants of pastries from the morning. I turned on reruns of Sex and the City and donned my fluffy purple robe and bright pink slippers. I added a hot chocolate with marshmallows piled high to complete my night of comfort eating.

  By the time I went to bed, I had finished my pity party and was thoroughly looking forward to the next day. Now that I didn’t have to worry about chasing bad guys (or potential bad guys) around town, I was free to focus on myself. I’d let Cooper do his job, and I would do mine.

  Ironically, I didn’t exactly have a job to do, but that was part of the problem. Tomorrow after my shift at the thrift store, I’d get serious with a business plan—both for Green’s and for myself.

  If I wanted to stay in Blueberry Lake for a long time to come, I would need to find a job I could not only bear to do, but one I loved. I just had to figure out what that was, and once I did, I could begin paying off my loans and restocking my savings account. Preferably before summer rolled around because I desperately needed a new wardrobe for the season, and Melissa Moore had just come out with a pair of the cutest jean shorts that cost an exorbitant amount for little patches of denim.

  When I went to bed, my biggest fear—for once—wasn’t whether I’d be able to get Matt off the hook for murder. I pushed thoughts of Matt and Cooper out of my mind and focused on whether I’d be able to figure out the coffee machine in the morning. I hadn’t exactly made it out to buy my own coffee beans, but I’d had my mother pick up a bag from June’s on the way to bring me leftovers. It was a start.

  I woke to another spring day, this one brighter than the last. When I glanced at the clock and saw it was nine a.m. and nobody had knocked on my door, I wondered if I’d missed daylight savings time. A part of me had expected to wake up to Matt or Cooper shuffling one another off the front steps with coffees from June’s at the ready.

  Shrugging on my purple robe, I made my way downstairs and peeked out the front windows, just in case. But my driveway was empty save for my new car. Matt’s house looked deserted. I was all alone. Me and my coffee beans.

  I went to the kitchen and hauled out all the supplies I’d need to make my own caffeinated beverage. There was some sort of old-fashioned grinder, the coffee machine, and my new bag of beans. Somehow, I managed to make all of it come together in a pot that vaguely looked like coffee and almost smelled like it.

  Feeling quite proud of myself, I poured a cup and took a sip. Then immediately dumped the entire pot down the drain. I couldn’t say where I’d gone wrong, but I could say that it was wrong.

  After a quick shower and a change of clothes, I put the coffee debacle behind me and decided to stop at June’s on the way to my shift at Something Old. I had plenty of time, now that I had a vehicle and didn’t have to worry about walking everywhere or hitching rides.

  I grabbed a sea-green Kate Spade clutch that matched my slim-fitting dress and vintage heels and made my way out to the car feeling like a mermaid with legs. There was something about the birds chirping, the smell of dirt and grass, the sight of the Green’s sign hanging out on the front steps that had me feeling hopeful.

  Spring had sprung, I had my freedom (ugly car or not), and I was going to figure my life out and get on my feet—all before I turned thirty. Life wasn’t so bad.

  I slipped into my car, whistling a happy tune when the engine turned on. It wasn’t until I started backing down the driveway that the other shoe dropped. Or rather, the entire car dropped.

  Throwing the vehicle into park, I leapt out and took a glance around, searching for whatever had gone wrong overnight. It had driven perfectly fine (well, mostly okay) the day before, but this morning, not so much.

  The source of the clunking was visible even to my very untrained eye. All four of my tires had been slashed. My car’s rims were flush against the driveway. I cursed under my breath and gave a kick at one tire, but it only served to hurt my toe and leave a dark smudge against my pretty blue shoes.

  For half a minute, I debated driving it to work anyway. Not only was it embarrassing to buy an ugly car, but to buy an ugly car that didn’t work? Talk about a bad deal. I’d had freedom for less than twenty-four hours, and already someone had taken it away from me.

  Probably some idiot kid pulling a prank, I told myself. Mostly to prevent my eyes from shedding tears. No way was I crying over a PT Cruiser that cross-dressed as a log cabin. There was just no way.

  A brief, uncomfortable thought flitted through my mind as I wondered if this could have something to do with the murder investigation. But that was ridiculous. I’d given up my investigation. It had to be a prank. That was the only explanation.

  But really, the only person
who truly knew I’d given up the case was Cooper. Matt probably suspected it, especially if he’d talked to Cooper. Those two weren’t exactly buddies, but they had a habit of communicating over situations when I was involved.

  Moreover, neither my neighbor nor the chief would’ve slashed my tires in the first place. If they wanted me to stay put, there were other ways to do that. Cooper would’ve handcuffed me. Matt would’ve bribed me with coffee.

  I gave a little shiver as I surveyed the deflated tires. I wasn’t a huge fan of the idea that someone had been on my property in the middle of the night with a knife. Especially seeing as Matt wasn’t around for me to call at the drop of a hat. My other neighbor, Angela, wouldn’t be much help. I’d be dead and buried by the time she got her walker over to check on me.

  I picked up my phone and debated between a few numbers. If I called my mother, I’d no doubt get a lecture about the safety of my car, as if the tires getting slashed was some sort of reflection on my purchase choice. If I called Cooper or Matt, they’d be filled with similar advice to stay out of the way and let them handle things.

  The problem was, I’d already decided to stay out of things. If anything, I was ready to jump back into the case of my own accord. Nobody slashed the tires on my baby! Even if it was an ugly baby made of metal and wood that made weird sounds.

  I didn’t particularly want to ride in Allie’s gas-guzzler vehicle, but of the four, she was my best option.

  “Hello,” I said. “I have a favor to ask of—”

  “Car broke down?”

  “What?” I glanced around, looking judgmentally over at Angela’s house. “How did you know?”

  “It’s, like, initiation or something,” she said chirpily. “Everyone who buys a car from Eddie finds that it breaks down within the first week.”

  “Oh, gotcha. It happened to you?”

  “Yep. My muffler fell off. What happened to yours?”

  “Flat tire.”

  “Bummer. But at least that’s a cheap fix. I mean, usually.”

  “Yeah, usually,” I said, thinking I wasn’t looking forward to a return visit to Butternuts and Bolts.

  I’d have to ask around for another somewhat local shop seeing as my relationship with Chris wasn’t exactly brimming with goodwill. I was willing to bet he hadn’t been a fan of me sending Cooper to his door looking for Shania’s phone. And he’d be even less of a fan of me when I declined his offers to fix my car at his place. After Matt’s warnings, I figured it best to keep me—and my car—away from Chris until the murderer was arrested. Just in case.

  “So, you can pick me up?”

  “Let me guess, you’d like a coffee?” Allie asked. “I’m at June’s.”

  “You’re a saint.”

  “Right,” Allie said. “A super fashionable saint with good taste in nail polish and shoes.”

  “Yep,” I said. Because one didn’t argue with their source of freedom. “Thanks, Allie.”

  We scooted into the store a few minutes before my shift started at ten. Allie didn’t start until noon, but my mother was looking for extra help stocking a new set of books that’d just arrived, and Allie was more than happy to pick up the extra hours.

  As Allie went back to dive into the dusty boxes of old novels, my mother peered pointedly out the window.

  “Where’s your car?” she asked. “I noticed you didn’t drive it today.”

  “I didn’t,” I said. “It’s in my driveway.”

  “Oh?”

  “It’s resting,” I said. “It was a little tired from all the adventure yesterday.”

  “Oh, that makes complete sense,” my mother deadpanned. “Did you run out of gas?”

  “No, I’m not that dumb.”

  “Hey!” Allie called from the back of the store. “It’s an honest mistake! Anyone can make it. I bet Bill Gates has run out of gas before.”

  “I meant that I would have just filled it up if it were the gas,” I said hurriedly.

  “So, there is something wrong?” My mother cornered me. “I knew it was dangerous. If you’d just asked to borrow the truck—”

  Thankfully, we were saved by the bell. A woman entered at the front of the store, setting off the tinkling chain of bells above the door. She looked to be somewhere in her mid-forties and dressed in the plainest set of clothes I could’ve ever imagined.

  I itched to get my hands on her wardrobe. It would be so easy to add a pop of color to her style, fluff up that hair a bit. She had a great neckline that would look fabulous with the right jewelry. A bit of nail polish, and—

  “Hello,” she said carefully. “I’m Sandy Larson. I have an appointment with Jenna McGovern?”

  “Oh, thank goodness,” I mumbled under my breath to my mother. To Sandy, I brightened. “This completely makes my day. I have the perfect vision for you.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yes,” I said. “You walked in that door, and I just envisioned it. A pop of color, a bit more heel. We can get your nails to match and a nice necklace. It’s going to be wonderful!”

  Sandy bit her lip. “I’m not really looking to go, um...”

  She stopped and sized me up head to toe. I could see her taking in the all-blue vibe I had going. Poor Sandy looked like she was ready to have a stroke.

  “I’m not looking to go far out,” she said when she finished her once-over of my attire. “I’m a lawyer, so I really need to look professional.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “I won’t dress you in all blue if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Sandy’s shoulders dropped in relief. “I was a little concerned, yes. It’s not that you’re not professional—I just don’t have the body to pull off that sort of Barbie dress.”

  “Barbie dress?” I looked down.

  “It’s a Barbie dress,” my mother said. “It brings out your legs and your boobs.”

  “It’s not a bad thing,” Sandy said quickly. “Especially since you’re so pretty. I’m just not meant to wear such... loud things.”

  “Oh, honey,” I said, grabbing her arm and steering Sandy to the back of the store. “I can show you the world—”

  “Shining, shimmering, splendid,” Allie burst out in song.

  “How about not that shiny and shimmery?” Sandy suggested. “And we can turn down the dial on the splendid, too.”

  “I can open your eyes,” I said. “Just trust me, Sandy.”

  AN HOUR LATER, SANDY had a bag full of clothes ready to bring to the register. I was pleased to say only ninety-two percent of her findings were black and white. I’d managed to squeak a red top in there, one pale, pale yellow dress (covered generously by a black shawl), and a pair of heels that had a bit of sparkle on the side. I considered it a major win.

  “Are you happy with what we picked out?” I asked as Sandy came out of the dressing room in her drab clothes. “I didn’t push you too far?”

  “Oh, my, that was perfect! Bea, your daughter is a genius,” she called toward the front of the store. “It’s so me... but a little more fun.”

  “That’s what I like to hear,” I said. “And maybe next time I can convince you to get that lacy red bra I saw you eyeing.”

  Sandy’s cheeks turned bright pink. “I wasn’t—”

  “I’m joking,” I said. “Though I think it would look great under that black dress we found. You never know when you’ll need it for a special occasion.”

  “I’ve been married forever,” Sandy said. “We don’t ‘do’ special occasions anymore, if you know what I mean.”

  “Think about it,” I said. “Could be fun. So, these will work for the courtroom? I didn’t go overboard? I mean, I went a tiny bit Legally Blonde on the yellow dress, but I just adore that movie. It’s truly one of the classics.”

  “That is a great movie, but I’m not a courtroom lawyer,” Sandy said. “I’m much more boring than that. I do basic things. I review documents, business contracts, that sort of thing. Quite dry.”

  �
��Business contracts,” I repeated. “So, if someone wanted to start a business, you could help them?”

  “Yes! Absolutely. I’ve probably reviewed a good chunk of the small business paperwork that’s come through this town over the last ten years. It’s sort of my specialty. In fact, I helped your Gran renew some of Green’s paperwork. If you ever decide to get her shop up and running again, I’d be more than happy to give you a free consult, help you out how I can.”

  “That would be great. We just started restoring it this past weekend, actually,” I said, blocking Sandy’s path as she tried to step out of the dressing room. “I’d love to take you up on that offer.”

  “Who helped you?” My mother was obviously eavesdropping. “Matt or Cooper?”

  “Matt,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “Well, thanks again—” Sandy started.

  “One more question,” I said, offering her a wide smile. “Would you have known anything about a friend of mine who was starting her own salon?”

  “You must be talking about Ms. Boot,” Sandy said, making a clucking sound with her tongue. “Poor thing. I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.”

  “Me too,” my mother said tersely. “I didn’t realize the two of you were so close.”

  “It was a new thing,” I said, shooing my mother away with a flick of my wrist. “How far did she get? I know it was a dream of hers to open her own business.”

  “Well, she was ready to go.” Sandy frowned. “I actually just saw her a week ago because she’d decided to go out on her own and wanted to change the names on the paperwork.”

  “Names?” I wracked my brain, trying to figure what she meant. “You mean, she was opening her store with someone else?”

  “I don’t know if I should say,” Sandy murmured. “Then again, I suppose she’s... well, she’s gone. And the business isn’t happening anyway.”

  “I’m sure she told me, I just forgot.”