by Rose Pressey
As I shut off lights in the shop one by one, Wind Song meowed loudly. Over and over again as if someone had made her angry.
Charlotte covered her ears. “Make her stop. What does she want?”
“Grandma Pearl, I don’t think it’s a good idea if you go with us,” I said, grabbing my purse.
More loud caterwauls echoed through the building. Someone would think I was hurting her.
“For the love of designer fashion, Cookie, take her with us so she’ll stop that,” Charlotte said, waving her hands.
“Okay, you win, Grandma, you can go.” I motioned for her to follow me.
As if people in town didn’t think I was wacky enough already, now I had to carry the cat in with me to this company. There was no way Grandma Pearl would stay in the car even if I wanted her to.
Grandma Pearl sat in the front of the car between Charlotte and me. She stared straight ahead, content that I had not dropped her off at home. Soon we arrived at the building. It looked like any other nondescript workplace. Lots of windows and not enough parking spaces. After circling a couple times I found a spot someone had just vacated near the front. We sat in the Buick outside the main entrance.
“What are you waiting for?” Charlotte asked. “The place closes soon. You’d better hurry.”
I stared at the building. “I know, but I get a little nervous before doing these things. What if they call security?”
“Well, suck it up, buttercup.” Charlotte motioned. “So you’d get kicked out. What’s the big deal?”
Grandma Pearl meowed.
“See, Pearl agrees with me,” Charlotte said.
I unfastened my seat belt and got out of the car. “I just hope someone will give me information.”
“There are always people who want to talk. It’s human nature.” Charlotte walked along beside me with her high heels clicking against the pavement.
“I’m glad you know so much about these things,” I said.
“Me too.” Charlotte smiled.
“I think she’s being sarcastic, Charlotte.” Peggy walked along on my left side.
“I know, dear, so am I.” Charlotte stared straight ahead.
Grandma Pearl strolled along behind us. When I reached the front entrance I opened the door and the ghosts walked inside. Grandma Pearl went next. Wait until someone saw the cat in here. I hoped they didn’t try to chase her out. Fortunately, there was no one in the lobby.
“Where do I go from here?” I whispered.
“Excuse me?” a man said from over my shoulder.
I whipped around to discover a tall man with gray hair standing behind me. He must have caught me talking to the ghosts and thought I was talking to myself. I would ignore it and change the subject. He looked down at the cat and frowned.
“Just come right out with the question,” Charlotte said. “It will catch him off guard and he’ll be more likely to answer truthfully.”
If she said so.
“He’ll think you know what you’re talking about,” Peggy said.
“Is that cat with you?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s my cat.”
He scrunched his brow together and peered down at my fluffy companion. What would he think if I told him it was my grandmother? He’d call security and have me kicked out. No way would I ever tell anyone about Grandma Pearl and Wind Song being in the same body.
“I don’t think pets are allowed in here,” he said.
“Tell him to—” Charlotte’s advice was cut off when Peggy waved her arms in front of her.
At least Peggy was trying to keep Charlotte in check.
“Just get on with the subject and ignore his comment,” Charlotte offered.
I smiled. “I have some questions about Morris Palmer. I understand that he worked here. Can you tell me if he had any conflict with anyone recently?”
“Ugh.” Charlotte smacked her head.
“Well, obviously the person who murdered him had a conflict with him.” The man raised an eyebrow.
“You set yourself up for that one.” Charlotte smirked.
So I had gotten off to a rocky start. I would do better. I tried not to let his comment throw me off. I was a good sleuth and I intended to prove it.
“Yes, well, did anyone threaten him or had he fought with anyone lately?” I asked.
The man frowned. “Are you with the police department?”
“Tell him you are close to the police department. That’s not entirely a lie. You’re close to Dylan,” Charlotte said.
“Very close.” Peggy winked.
Against my better judgment, I said, “I’m close with the police department.”
The man frowned, as if he was trying to understand what that meant. I was trying to understand too. Why did I let Charlotte get me into these situations? I shouldn’t listen to her. Although occasionally she gave good advice.
“Let him know you’re friendly. Do something,” Charlotte urged.
I stuck out my hand. “My name’s Cookie Chanel.”
“You should have given a fake name,” Charlotte said. “And for heaven’s sake smile more. Maybe bat your eyelashes.”
Too late now. Though I did try to plaster a smile on my face. There was no way I was batting my eyelashes.
He took my hand. “Connor Bradford.”
“Nice to meet you, Connor,” I said.
“Well, at least now he’s being a bit friendly. Maybe we’ll get somewhere,” Charlotte said.
He looked over his shoulder and asked, “I guess you’re trying to find the killer?”
“You got it.” Charlotte punctuated her sentence with a point of her index finger.
“Did Morris have any enemies?” I asked.
Connor chuckled. “Yes, he made a few people mad.”
“Morris must have been a real pain in the patootie,” Peggy said.
“Interesting. Exactly what we wanted to hear,” Charlotte said. “Ask him to tell you more.”
“Can you tell me who and why?” I asked.
Connor looked back one more time. “Well, other than being a smart aleck to a lot of people who worked at this company, he also made a client mad. This guy says that Morris swindled him out of money. It was an ongoing investigation within the company, but I don’t think there was any proof that Morris did anything wrong.”
Charlotte scoffed. “That would definitely be enough to make someone mad.”
“What was the man’s name who accused him of taking his money?” I asked.
“His name is Mike Harvey,” Connor said.
“Remember that name,” Charlotte said to Peggy.
I’d thought Morris didn’t have enemies. He’d always been so friendly to me. Turns out I was wrong. He’d made a few people mad. At least according to Connor. Was this reason enough for murder? Now I had to track down Mike Harvey.
“Do you have a description of Mike Harvey?” I asked.
Connor furrowed his brow. “I guess he’s tall. Oh, he has long dark hair. Plus, a scar on his right cheek.”
“Is there anything else you can remember that might help with the investigation?”
Connor shook his head. “Nothing that comes to mind.”
“Thank you for the information, Connor.” I shook his hand again.
“Good luck,” he said, glancing down at Wind Song again.
Grandma Pearl meowed and he looked a bit shocked.
I turned on my heel and marched toward the door. The ghosts and Grandma Pearl followed. I didn’t even have to turn around to know that Connor was still watching in amazement. Once out the door, I hurried back toward the car.
“See, it’s a good thing you talked with him.” Charlotte checked her reflection in the side view mirror.
Still not a hair out of place. She always looked perfect.
“Thanks to Grandma Pearl for the idea,” I said as I turned the ignition.
The car roared to life and I shoved it into reverse. Grandma Pearl meowed as she sat beside me. It was o
bviously her dinnertime. Charlotte was in the seat next to me, and Peggy in the back.
“Good job back there, Cookie. It was a rough start, but you handled it well,” Charlotte said.
Grandma Pearl meowed in agreement.
“You did swell,” Peggy said.
Chapter 6
Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Research before you go.
If you know a specific item you’re looking for,
make sure to research the current asking price.
You don’t want to be taken advantage of.
Another beautiful day had arrived in Sugar Creek. This meant another day for me to help solve the murder. I decided to pay a visit to Sugar Creek Theater. My part-time employee took care of the shop when I needed to step away. Rumor had it that the show would continue, which made me feel bad since Heather had wanted so badly to play Maggie. Now Heather wanted no part in the play. Lydia Parks, the understudy, would step in and play the role. I wanted to know who had taken over for Morris.
It would be eerie to go back and remember the time when I found Heather standing over his body with blood on her hands. Of course, Morris’s death was the talk of Sugar Creek, and how Heather had murdered him. There was always small-town gossip, but I wasn’t getting any relevant information. I figured it was best to avoid rumor and go straight to the source. I pulled up to the theater and cut the engine. The building was surrounded by lush green trees—plenty of spaces for a killer to hide.
“I don’t see why we have to come back here again. I spend enough time here.” Peggy sighed heavily to demonstrate her displeasure.
I got out of the car. “I need to ask the director questions. Plus, maybe he’ll know some history about this place that could help me solve your murder. You don’t have to stay here just because I brought you back.”
“Well, in that case I suppose it’s okay. As long as we don’t stay too long.” Peggy marched along beside me.
Charlotte laughed. “Way to tell her, Peggy.”
I entered the building. As usual the place was dark. For a few seconds I stood there, allowing my eyes to adjust to the dim space.
“Stop stalling and get in there.” Charlotte gestured with a wave of her hand.
“I’m going . . . I’m going,” I whispered.
The old floor moaned as I stepped across it. Did I mention there were no windows in this part of the building, making it dark and kind of spooky?
“Hello? Is anyone here?” I called out.
A rustling sound came from the back of the room. My heart sped up. Normally, I would think this might be a mouse, but with the recent murder in this building it had me rethinking my idea of coming here.
Someone’s firm grip wrapped around my shoulder. Not only did I scream out, but Charlotte and Peggy did too. I spun around. Theo Young the director was behind me.
His pale blue eyes widened. “Did I frighten you, Cookie? I’m sorry.”
Charlotte clutched her chest. “Since there’s a murderer on the loose it’s kind of easy to see how that could be the case? Don’t you think?”
“I almost jumped out of my bobby socks,” Peggy said.
“Sorry, I guess I’m a little on edge, Theo.” I stood a little straighter to give the illusion of bravery. It probably wouldn’t work.
He studied my face, which made me even more uncomfortable. “That’s understandable. What can I do for you?”
I cleared my throat. “Yes, I have tickets to the play. Plus, as you know, I’m working on the costumes. I know this is a delicate question, but in light of the current situation will the play continue?”
“Of course. I won’t let what happened stop us.” His voice rose.
“He doesn’t exactly sound broken up about what happened.” Charlotte tapped her foot against the floor as she scrutinized the man.
“The play must go on,” he added.
Peggy pointed. “I never liked this cat. He walks across the floor too loud. The pounding footsteps echoed downstairs through the costume room.”
“Well . . . with the lead actor gone,” I said.
“James Chrisman was the stand-in for the part. He’s a good actor.” Theo sounded as if he’d taken offense at my statement.
“I’ve never met him,” I said.
Theo studied my face. “He’s a nice man. Though I suppose Morris and James did have a bit of a competition going with each other over the years.”
“Aha!” Charlotte said.
Peggy moved closer. “What does this mean?”
“So they’ve known each other a while?” I asked.
“Yes, I believe they went to college together. They were roommates during freshman year.” Theo didn’t look at me as he spoke, as if he was recalling memories of the men.
A phone rang in the distance.
Theo motioned over his shoulder. “Well, if you’ll excuse me I need to get that call. Good job with the costumes, by the way.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“I hope you enjoy the show,” he said as he walked away.
“He gives me the creeps,” Charlotte said.
To be fair, a lot of people gave Charlotte the creeps. Though I had to agree something seemed a bit off about his behavior. Perhaps it was because the murder had occurred right there in the theater. That had made me on edge even if Heather hadn’t been implicated.
“I guess we should get out of here,” I whispered.
As we walked toward the exit door, I spotted someone in the room to the left. The door to the dressing rooms was open. Though I’d never met James Chrisman, Heather had pointed him out to me once. James was in the room, pacing across the floor.
“What’s that all about?” Charlotte asked.
“Looks like he has ants in his pants,” Peggy said.
For the sake of the investigation, I needed to talk with him. I pushed my anxiety aside and walked over to the door.
I knocked against the door frame. “Excuse me.”
The man spun around and glared at me. “What do you want?”
“Whoa. Who peed in his cornflakes?” Charlotte said.
I was taken aback by his behavior.
“Can’t you see I’m rehearsing my lines?” he snapped.
Charlotte scoffed. “This isn’t Broadway.”
“I just wanted to ask you a few questions.”
He marched over to the door. Was he going to attack me? James fixed his icy stare on me as he reached for the knob. Without another word he slammed the door in my face.
Charlotte gasped. “Why, I’ve never. That was completely uncalled for. Who does he think he is?”
“I thought Theo said James was a nice guy,” Peggy said.
“Apparently not nice to me,” I said.
“That’s it. I’m going to teach him a lesson,” Charlotte said with fury in her eyes.
Oh no.
“What are you going to do? It’s not worth it, Charlotte. We need to leave.”
I attempted to block her by placing my arm in front of her. Of course she moved right through me as if nothing stood in her way.
Charlotte headed for the closed door.
“I’m going with you.” Peggy hurried after her.
Poof. Charlotte and Peggy went straight through the door. I had no idea what was going on in there. Plus, I had no way to stop Charlotte and Peggy. That man would be traumatized by the time Charlotte was finished with him. It served him right though. I leaned closer to the door and pressed my ear against the wood.
“I told you I don’t want to talk with you right now,” James said.
What? Were Charlotte and Peggy actually speaking with him? Could he see them?
“I don’t care. You cheated on me,” James continued.
This was weird. I had to know what was going on inside that room. A loud crash rang out. Now panic had set in. This was turning violent quickly.
“What was that?” James asked.
Another crash and he screamed. The door burst o
pen. I fell backward onto the floor. James barely gave me a glance as he hurried away. Charlotte and Peggy emerged from the room with satisfied smiles on their faces. James rushed to the back of the building disappearing around the corner as if it were on fire. Was it on fire? What had Charlotte done in there?
“For heaven’s sake, Cookie, what are you doing on the floor?” Charlotte stared down at me.
Peggy watched with a hint of surprise on her face. They acted as if what I was doing was the strangest thing on the planet. Never mind they had walked through closed doors.
“What happened?” I asked as I got up from the floor.
“We just tossed a few things around,” Charlotte said with a wave of her hand.
“Actually, it was all Charlotte. I just watched,” Peggy said. “I’m not that talented.”
Charlotte puffed her chest out. “Fine. I’ll admit it was all me.”
“Did he see you? Who was he talking to?” I asked.
“He didn’t see us. He was on the phone. Whoever he was talking to was apparently having an affair. At least that was what I took from the conversation.”
“I heard that much. What did you do to him? Why did he run from the room?” I asked.
A sheepish grin slid across Charlotte’s face. “I just tossed a few things off the counter.”
“You should have waited to throw stuff so we would know who he was talking to,” I whispered.
She sashayed away from the door. “I got impatient. Plus, we couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation.”
“That was a lot of fun.” Peggy laughed. “We should do that more often. Can you teach me how to do that?”
Charlotte winked. “Stick with me, kid; there’s more where that came from.”
“We need to find out who he was talking to,” I said.
“I assume it was his wife,” Charlotte said. “He’s married, right?”
“Yes, but I have to know for sure if it was her. And if it is his wife, then who was she cheating with?”
