by Rose Pressey
“I don’t think someone was calling out to me, but look who it is. Meaghan is talking with Rita Riggs.” I pointed toward the edge of the park.
The women stood by the graveyard and then appeared to be in a heated exchange.
“You have to find out what they are talking about,” Sam said.
“Be careful, Cookie. Those women look like they’re a shoe short of a collection.”
I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, so I decided not to run over. I would casually walk over and act as if I wasn’t really watching their heated exchange. But by the time I got halfway there, the women stopped talking and stomped off in opposite directions. As I stepped closer to the spot where they had been talking, I glanced over my shoulder a couple times just in case they had come back.
“There’s something strange about this.” Charlotte placed her hands on her hips.
“You can say that again,” I said.
Why would Meaghan be talking to this woman? Were they both assistants and had met at a fashion show before? They must know each other because of Shandra and Melanie. I looked out into the graveyard and then rubbed my arms. Cold chills had covered my skin.
“What’s that?” Sam asked.
I followed his pointing finger and looked down at the ground. There was something shiny and silver there. I reached down and picked it up.
I turned it over in my hand. “That’s odd. This looks really familiar.”
“Is it a bracelet?” Charlotte asked.
I reached down and picked up the charm on the ground beside where I’d found the bracelet. The charm looked as if it had fallen off the bracelet. I knew that it was something I had seen before. Had one of the women lost it? That was when I remembered. “Melanie bought this from my shop. I remember selling her the bracelet.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Now we’re on to something. Why would one of the women have Melanie’s bracelet?”
“One thing is for sure, we have to find out,” Sam said.
I was almost sure I had seen Melanie wearing it on the day she was murdered. But how had Meaghan or Rita gotten it? Had she taken it from Melanie? That was the only possibility. It had been chaotic after the police had arrived. One of the women could have easily taken something from backstage. But I’d never seen Rita until when she’d come into my shop. That meant the bracelet had probably come from Meaghan.
When I turned around, I saw that Dylan was headed toward me. I guess he thought I’d gotten lost.
“Hey, there you are. I was worried about you,” he said.
“I thought I saw someone I knew,” I said.
He looked around. “Did you find her?”
I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Actually I didn’t find her. But I did find something else,” I said.
“Oh yeah? What did you find?” he asked with interest.
I would probably feel silly for even telling him about this, but he deserved to know about any clues that I possibly found.
“I found this bracelet.” I held out the bracelet so he could get a better look.
Dylan looked down at my palm. “It’s pretty.”
“Yes, but there’s more. This was Melanie’s.” I met his stare.
He quirked a brow. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I remember selling it to her just a couple of weeks ago.”
“Are you saying it’s Melanie’s bracelet?” he asked.
“He catches on quick,” Sam said.
I twisted the silver bracelet between my fingers. “I think it is. As a matter of fact, I know it is. I saw Meaghan, her assistant, here in the park and I think she must have dropped it.”
“Maybe she gave it to Meaghan,” he said.
I knew that was a logical explanation, but something told me it wasn’t the right explanation.
“Maybe . . .” I said softly.
Dylan touched my arm. “There are a lot of people here. Anyone could have lost it. Maybe it wasn’t Melanie’s at all.”
I shrugged. “Sure, I suppose so, but I remember this bracelet. Remember, I deal with fashion every day. This was practically one of a kind.”
“You do know your fashion,” he said.
“I don’t want to miss a clue.” I studied the bracelet again.
“What kind of clue do you think this is? I can ask Meaghan about the bracelet. If you’d like.”
I waved off his offer. “It’s just that Meaghan had to have gotten it from Melanie. And I don’t think Melanie would have given it to her. She loved this bracelet. I don’t think she would have given it to anyone. Melanie wasn’t that type.”
By the expression on Dylan’s face I knew that he wasn’t convinced.
“Just talk to her on your own,” Sam said.
Sadly, that was what I would have to do. I was pretty sure that Dylan thought he already had the killer in custody. I would have to deal with this in the morning. Charlotte and Sam would want me to look into this right away, but I couldn’t do that tonight. I would have to make a compromise and offer to go in the morning. They would just have to deal with that.
I glanced around and Charlotte and Sam had disappeared. Were they mad at me already? I hadn’t even turned them down yet. I shoved the bracelet into my pocket.
Dylan grabbed my hand. “Let’s go enjoy the music.”
I smiled. “Good idea.”
When I walked back toward the stage, I spotted Charlotte and Sam dancing to the music. It looked as if they were having a great time. They hadn’t even spotted us yet. Apparently they weren’t too concerned that I wasn’t already talking with Meaghan. This was a step in the right direction.
Charlotte and Sam left me alone with Dylan on the front porch. After the concert we’d stopped at the diner for a burger. I had to admit that I’d had one of the best times of my life. And it had only been a simple concert in the park followed by a too-greasy hamburger. I’d even managed to forget about the murder investigation for a couple hours.
“Thanks for a wonderful evening,” Dylan said as he held my hand.
“I had a great time. Sorry about squirting the ketchup on your shirt.”
He rubbed the spot on his shirt. “It will wash right out.”
Without any warning, Dylan leaned down and softly kissed me on the lips. Certainly it had taken me by surprise, but I liked it just the same. He stepped back and I noticed the wide grin on his face.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Dylan waved and headed toward his car.
When I turned around I saw Charlotte’s and Sam’s faces pressed up against the window. They quickly scrambled away. I knew they couldn’t stop snooping.
Chapter 16
Sam’s Surefire Sleuthing Pointer
Pay attention to your surroundings.
Don’t get distracted, like by reading a book or sleeping.
As I made my way down the sidewalk toward Glorious Grits for a bite to eat, I spotted Brooke House. I hadn’t seen her since the other day at the estate sale. I was pretty sure she walked on the other side of the street when passing my shop just to avoid me. This time she stared right at me though, so I figured there was no way I could get out of talking with her. I wondered what she wanted.
She threw up her hand at me. Brooke wore a soft buttery yellow cashmere sweater with a muted gray knee-length skirt. Her black boots hit just below her knees. Then I glanced over and saw she wasn’t alone. I was surprised to see her with Meaghan. I didn’t know that they were friends. Meaghan didn’t seem nearly as friendly as Brooke. I wondered if I could ask her about the bracelet since I’d been unable to track her down until now. Meaghan wore jeans and a plain white shirt with more than a few wrinkles in it, which was odd because she usually didn’t look so messy.
“Hello, Cookie, are you going to the café too?” Brooke flipped her hair off her shoulder.
“As a matter of fact, I was headed for lunch.” I glanced over at Meaghan. “Hi, Meaghan.”
She mumbled something under her breath and loo
ked away. I guess she still wasn’t over the fact that I had looked at her sketch pad. Maybe Brooke could give me more information about Meaghan and if she believed Melanie had taken the designs. Then again, Brooke wasn’t exactly a fan of mine, so I doubted she would offer any help.
I wasn’t sure what to say next, so naturally I brought out my Southern hospitality. “Would you like to join me for lunch?”
Brooke looked over at Meaghan. “Sorry, we actually have some other plans.”
“She’s so snobby.” Charlotte soaked in Brooke’s appearance from her toes to the top of her head.
Now I just felt weird for asking. It wasn’t like I’d really wanted them to join me anyway.
“By the way, you did a great job with the fashion show,” Brooke said.
For some reason her tone sounded less than sincere, but maybe it was my imagination.
Charlotte tapped her foot against the pavement. “I don’t like this woman.”
“Thanks. So did you,” I said. “It’s terrible what happened to Melanie.” I glanced over at Meaghan. She was looking at her feet.
Brooke looked down at her black high-heeled boots. “Such a tragic event.”
“I didn’t know you two were friends,” I said, gesturing between the two of them.
“That is interesting,” Sam said from over my shoulder.
“Something fishy is going on here,” Charlotte said.
“Good job asking about their friendship though, Cookie,” Sam continued.
Brooke eyed me up and down, then said, “We got to know each other at the fashion show.”
I forced a smile on my face. “That’s nice.”
I wondered if I sounded sincere. Probably not.
“Meaghan was really upset about what happened to Melanie,” Brooke said.
Couldn’t Meaghan talk to me?
“What’s wrong with her?” Charlotte asked. “Meaghan’s glaring at you.”
Yeah, I had noticed the evil looks directed toward me ever since I’d walked up.
“You should give her a mean look back,” Charlotte said.
I wasn’t even going to go there.
“I’ll see you back at the shop,” Meaghan said.
“Okay, I’ll be right behind you,” Brooke replied.
“These two are up to something,” Sam said.
Funny, I was thinking the same thing. Of course now I would have to figure out what. Meaghan turned and strolled down the sidewalk. We stood in an awkward silence for a moment.
Finally, I said, “Well, I should get going.” I gestured over my shoulder at the diner’s entrance. I wondered if they had been going there but decided against it when they spotted me.
Brooke adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. “You should come by sometime,” she said.
“I don’t trust this woman.” Charlotte pointed.
Charlotte didn’t trust anyone, so that was nothing new, but I saw her point.
“Sure, I’ll drop by. I’ve been meaning to for some time now.”
Actually, I hadn’t, but I didn’t want to be rude.
“Okay, then I’ll see you soon.”
“Brooke’s almost too friendly,” Sam said.
I was glad that he had noticed that too. I didn’t want to be the only one who thought she was putting on an act. Now I knew it wasn’t my imagination.
“See you soon,” I said.
“Good riddance.” Charlotte waved.
We watched as she walked down the sidewalk.
“Well, now you know you have to look into what those two have going on,” Charlotte said. I looked down at my shoes so no one would see me talking. It seems as if Meaghan is making friends with a lot of people. But I don’t have to go there to see what they’re into.”
“If you know what’s best you will go,” Charlotte said in a stern voice.
“Charlotte Meadows, is that a threat?” I demanded.
“No, dear. Heavens, I would never dream of threatening you with more of my wonderful singing in the middle of the night. Or unexpected pop ups in the shower.”
I’d do just about anything to avoid her vocals. And don’t get me started on the shower antics. “I’ll see what I can find out,” I said.
That was my polite way of vaguely brushing her off. I was smart enough to know it probably wouldn’t work though.
The smell of coffee and bacon smacked me in the face as soon as I breezed through the door. I waved at a few people I recognized. I’d been coming to this diner for as long as I could remember. I knew the menu like the back of my hand, although Dixie Bryant had made some changes recently. Dixie was just like a sister to me. We had been friends for quite some time. It didn’t hurt that she made the best apple pie in the state, maybe even in the whole country. Thank goodness Grandma Pearl had never heard me say that. She always thought hers was the best. Cutesy signs decorated the walls, with sayings like KISS MY GRITS and WHAT’S COOKIN’ GOOD LOOKIN’. Red-and-white checkered fabric covered the tables. Red leather booths lined the walls with table and chairs in the middle of the room. I scanned the room but so far hadn’t spotted an available table.
When Dixie looked my way, I threw my hand up. She smiled and waved a menu in the direction of an available table. Charlotte and Sam followed me over to the booth.
“The same old people in here every time,” Charlotte said.
What did she expect? It wasn’t often that we saw new faces in Sugar Creek. And lately there had been such tragic events in town that it was nice to see the familiar faces. I found it comforting.
“Oh look, it’s Linda Holson. I thought she left town for good when she was caught in the backseat of Milton Evans’ car.” Charlotte pointed at the blond woman across the room.
I ignored Charlotte’s gossip. There were more important things to figure out than if Linda and Milton had been playing backseat bingo. Of course questioning Dixie wasn’t gossip. I had real questions to ask. I slipped into the booth at the front of the restaurant. After placing my bag on the table, I grabbed the menu. Dixie said she’d added a couple new things and I needed to check them out. The blackberry French toast sounded delicious and I knew I had to give it a try.
I glanced over my shoulder and out the window onto the street. Part of me expected to see Meaghan and Brooke out there. But they were nowhere in sight. Thank goodness.
After a couple minutes, Dixie brought over a glass of water.
“Why don’t you let me bring you a mug of delicious hot chocolate with plenty of marshmallows?” she asked.
“That sound delicious, Dixie,” I said.
“You look like you need the chocolate.”
Did I really look that bad? Was it that evident? Probably so.
“She’s right you know. You look like a chicken with an egg broke in it,” Charlotte said.
It was kind of hard not to look that way after everything that had happened.
“What you need is another date with one of the handsome bachelors. That Dylan Valentine is like a younger and better-looking George Clooney.” Charlotte scanned the room as she talked a mile a minute.
That almost made me spill the water I’d just taken a sip of. The things Charlotte said never ceased to amaze me. Dixie approached the booth and placed the hot chocolate on the table. Marshmallows practically fell over the top of the mug.
“I put extra in for you.” She pointed.
“Thanks.” I wrapped my hands around the mug to enjoy the warmth.
Dixie slipped into the booth across from me. “So what’s happening? I feel like I haven’t talked to you in forever.”
“It has been a while.” I took a sip from the mug and devoured some of the marshmallows. “Of course, you know what happened at the fashion show.”
“Yes, it’s still hard to believe. I’m so glad you’re okay.” She patted my hand.
“I think about if I’d just stepped out there a few minutes earlier.”
She tapped my mug, encouraging me to take another warm drink. “Don’t ev
en think about that. You need to just move forward with your life.”
“Dixie has a point. You should totally do that once you solve the crime.” Charlotte flashed a coy smile.
“I hear you had dates with the two most eligible bachelors in town,” Dixie said.
There would be no way to hide the blush on my cheeks.
“Wow, word spreads quickly. We had a nice time,” I said.
Dixie smiled. “Don’t worry about what anyone in town says. You just have fun.”
Charlotte sat next to Dixie in the booth. Sam popped up beside me. I hadn’t even had a chance to tell Dixie about the new ghost.
“Ask her about Brooke House,” Charlotte said.
I was going to get around to that, but I guess now was as good as ever.
I placed my mug down in front of me. I glanced over my shoulder to see if anyone was listening. “I picked up another ghost.”
Dixie’s eyes widened. “Another ghost?”
I gestured with a tilt of my head.
“The ghost is next to you?” she asked.
“He’s sitting right here,” I said.
“Hello,” Sam said with a smile.
“He says hello.”
“This one is a man?” Dixie asked.
“Yes, his name is Sam Sanders and he’s a private eye from the forties. He wants me to solve the recent murder.”
“Oh, boy. But haven’t they already arrested someone for that?” she asked.
I played with the edge of my mug. “Yes, but Sam and Charlotte are convinced she didn’t do it.”
“What do you think?” Dixie glanced at the space next to me as if she might be able to see Sam.
I shrugged. “I don’t know what to think.”
“I just don’t want you to get yourself into trouble. You’re mama and daddy would be upset at me for not watching out for you.”
