A Passion for Haunted Fashion

by Rose Pressey

  I didn’t want to be his punching bag. Now what would I do? I didn’t want to talk with him right now. He’d know that I had overheard his argument. Though I hadn’t heard much of what was said, and I didn’t know who he’d been arguing with. He wouldn’t know that. I’d just have to stand there until he left. How long could he stay there? Didn’t he have to get back to the rehearsal? I shifted my foot and the stair tread squeaked. I held my breath. There was no way he hadn’t heard that. Maybe he would think it was a mouse. Okay, that was wishful thinking.

  “Oh no,” Charlotte said.

  “This is not good,” Peggy said.

  When I looked up, my gaze met with James. He was at the top of the steps staring right at me.

  He narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing?”

  “Act confident. Don’t let him intimidate you,” Charlotte said.

  Easier said than done. His glaring dark eyes and clenched fists were kind of threatening.

  “I’m working on costumes. It’s my job,” I said in a curt tone.

  He eyed me up and down. Now I wondered if he was contemplating pushing me down the stairs. I’d tumble to the bottom and likely break my neck. It would look like nothing more than an accident.

  “Maybe you need to get a different job that doesn’t involve this theater,” he said.

  Now he was making me angry. Who did he think he was? Oh yeah, possibly the killer. I attempted to push back the fear and continued to stare right at him. Charlotte poked him. He frowned and looked around as if he’d felt it.

  “Oh, I’d like to give him a good whack.” Charlotte pumped her fist.

  “We should smack him.” Peggy waved her hand. “Or you should, Charlotte. I don’t know how.”

  “If I see you here again things could get ugly.” He bent down and gave my shoulder a little nudge.

  I wobbled a little but managed to remain upright and not fall backward to my death.

  “Don’t you touch her,” Charlotte yelled.

  James turned around and walked away, leaving me standing there stunned.

  “Did he really just threaten you?” Charlotte stared in disbelief. “Are you okay, Cookie?”

  A small gesture of my head was all I managed since I was still stunned speechless.

  “You should tell Dylan,” Peggy said. “I don’t like that man.”

  I moved the rest of the way up the stairs. “Me either.”

  Staying away from the theater wasn’t an option. Though I didn’t want to run into James ever again. My life could be in danger if I did.

  “Why does he want you to stay away?” Charlotte asked. “Unless he is guilty of something he doesn’t want you to discover.”

  “He’s definitely hiding something,” I said. “And as violent as he seems it’s likely he’s capable of murder.”

  Once at the top of the steps, I peered around. I’d expected to see him waiting for me.

  “I’m surprised he didn’t try to escort you out of the building,” Charlotte said.

  Luckily for me, James was nowhere in sight. I needed to work on costumes, but right now I figured I’d get out of there. I headed toward the kitchen.

  “Where are you going?” Charlotte asked.

  “I’m leaving before James comes back to finish me off,” I said.

  “You’re not going to let him intimidate you.” Charlotte walked beside me.

  “I’m not?” I asked. “Almost being pushed down the stairs was kind of terrifying. I don’t want to go through that again. Do you want me to go through that again? Next time it might not end as well.”

  “No, of course I don’t want you to be pushed, but you have to stand up to him.”

  “Charlotte, it’s best if I leave for now. I’ll tell Dylan about what happened. Maybe he can discuss this with James.” I opened the kitchen door.

  After a pause, she said, “Yes, I suppose that would be the best thing to do.”

  I stepped out into the back parking lot. As if things hadn’t been spooky enough before, now I had to worry about if James would be waiting for me out here. He probably wanted to make sure I left. So far I didn’t see him. I rushed toward the car, practically running. It didn’t help that I couldn’t see who might be hiding behind those giant trees surroundings the area.

  “I’ve never seen Cookie move that fast,” Charlotte said.

  “Yes, and in those shoes too. Impressive,” Peggy said.

  Once I reached the car I jumped behind the steering wheel and cranked the engine. It roared to life. I could always count on my Buick. I backed out of the parking space and headed around the building to the front parking lot. As I drove by the front entrance, James was standing out there. I knew he would be watching for me. I guess he hadn’t thought to look in the back. Lucky for me.

  “Oh, look, there he is.” Charlotte pointed.

  “Don’t even look his way, Cookie,” Peggy said.

  No worries with that. I punched the gas and got out of there as quickly as possible.

  Chapter 16

  Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping

  You don’t have to wear vintage clothing.

  Use it as art. Framing and hanging beautiful pieces

  of clothing is a great way to decorate any room.

  The next day I had no choice but to go back to the theater. Dylan had stopped by the theater yesterday and had a talk with James. Of course he’d played it off as a joke and said I read too much into it. I knew differently. The cast needed the costumes finished, though, so I had to go back. I wouldn’t let James intimidate me and make me stay away. Though I must confess if not for the costumes I would stay away to avoid the conflict. Luckily, this time I found a spot in the front lot, so I didn’t have to park in the back where it was spooky.

  The entire theater surroundings had a bit of a strange vibe, but it was far worse in the back. Not many cars filled the lot, so I was one of the first ones to arrive. I entered through the front door and hurried by the stage. Every time I looked over I had a flashback of the murder scene. I suppose that would always happen now. I made it through the main area and to the back toward the stairs that led to the basement. No matter if the sun shone outside, none of that light made its way to this part of the theater.

  Actually, there were only a few windows on the front of the building. No wonder this place seemed so spooky. I made it down the stairs and to the costume room. I flicked on the switch and headed over to the racks of clothing. Within a couple seconds footsteps echoed from outside in the hallway. I stopped on the spot. What if that was James coming to confront me again? He’d be even madder that I’d sent Dylan over to talk with him. Just as Charlotte moved over to the door to check it out, Jackie Anthony popped up. Her brown bob-styled hair framed her round face. She wore casual attire—jeans and a white T-shirt—for rehearsal.

  “Did I startle you?” she asked.

  I chuckled nervously. “No, I’m fine.”

  “It is spooky down here.” Jackie peered around as she inched farther into the room.

  She didn’t know the half of it.

  “I heard there are ghosts who live down here,” Jackie said.

  Charlotte and Peggy waved as they walked behind Jackie.

  I laughed again. “Just rumors, I guess. I have your costume ready if you’d like to try it on now.”

  I pulled the outfit from the rack. Jackie took the dress and walked over to the curtained area so she could change.

  “Things have been crazy around here, huh?” she asked as she shimmied into the dress.

  I was surprised that she’d brought up the subject. No one seemed to want to discuss it.

  After putting her shoes back on in case I needed to hem the dress, she stepped out from behind the curtain and gestured toward the dress. “How does it look?”

  “Fantastic.” I adjusted the collar of her dress. “It has been difficult for my friend.”

  She looked down as if she wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Did you happen to s
ee anything that day?” I asked.

  Jackie was still staring down at her white sneakers.

  “She’s awfully interested in her tennies,” Charlotte said.

  “There was one thing that I thought was strange.” She met my stare.

  “What’s that?” the ghosts and I asked in unison.

  “I saw a woman leaving out the back door that day. It was right before everything happened with Morris.”

  “Who was it?” I asked.

  Jackie shifted from one foot to the other. “I didn’t see her face, just the back of her. At the time I didn’t think much of it.”

  “Did you tell the police?” I pressed.

  She shook her head. “No, I didn’t think it was important.”

  Charlotte groaned. “Of course it’s important.”

  “Every detail counts,” Peggy said.

  “What color hair did the woman have?” I asked.

  “She had dark hair,” Jackie said.

  Of course with no other details the hair color wouldn’t help me much. Though Marie had dark hair. Plus, she’d supposedly made a delivery that day. I would think if she left through this door maybe the police would get fingerprints. I wondered if she wore gloves since Dylan claimed there were no prints on the murder weapon.

  “I guess I should tell the police about this,” Jackie said.

  “Don’t worry about that. Cookie will take care of it for you,” Charlotte said with a wink.

  “I’m sure the detective would want to ask you a few questions.” I cast a glance at Charlotte when Jackie wasn’t looking.

  Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “Well, it’s true.”

  “I talked with them once,” Jackie said.

  Charlotte groaned. “Why didn’t she tell them about the woman right away?”

  The sound of footsteps grabbed our attention. Someone was walking slowly across the floor above us. It was as if they were trying to be sneaky. We paused and looked up at the ceiling as if that would reveal who was there. One step after another the person drew closer to the stairs.

  Charlotte moved over to the door and peered out into the hallway again. “No one is out here.”

  “That was spooky. It was as if the person had vanished,” Peggy said.

  More than likely they were just waiting up there for us to come back up.

  “I guess I should go now,” Jackie said, grabbing her jeans and T-shirt and heading for the changing area.

  Now I was worried about going back up there. Who might be lurking and waiting for us? Maybe Charlotte could go first and take a look around. Jackie came out of the dressing room and handed me the dress.

  “You’ll let me know if you think of anything else or maybe overhear any information?” I said.

  She studied my face.

  “I know my friend didn’t do it,” I said.

  She inched closer to the door. “I promise I’ll let you know.”

  Without another word Jackie left the room. I practically held my breath as she walked up the stairs. I worried that someone was waiting at the top for her. I shouldn’t have let her go up there alone. Though she probably would have thought I was nuts if I told her about my concerns. Her footsteps echoed across the ceiling as she moved upstairs.

  “I guess no one was waiting up there for her,” Peggy said.

  “That doesn’t mean someone isn’t waiting for Cookie.” Charlotte raised her eyebrow.

  She had a way of making my anxiety grow. I placed the dress back on the rack and started working on the other costumes. My mind just wasn’t into it though. Usually I loved this kind of stuff, but the fear that someone might be up there waiting for me took all the pleasure out of it. After about thirty minutes I had to stop. At the very least I needed fresh air. I felt as if the walls were closing in on me.

  I eased out into the hallway. With each step my nerves danced in my stomach like a 1950s sock hop. The trip up the stairs seemed to stretch out forever. I wasn’t sure how much more my nerves could handle. I reached the top of the stairs and peeked around.

  “I think it’s safe, Cookie,” Charlotte whispered, and motioned for me to continue.

  I couldn’t believe I was so scared now each time I came to the theater. I rushed through the kitchen and over to the door.

  “You didn’t park out there,” Charlotte said.

  “As much as I didn’t like the spooky back parking lot, I thought it might be better than going through the main theater to the front lot. I can walk around the side of the building to the front,” I said as I opened the door.

  “If you say so,” Charlotte said.

  The ghosts followed me out. It was daylight, too, so that would make it less scary.

  “I’ve never seen her move so quickly in those shoes,” Charlotte said.

  “She sets a new record every time she comes back here,” Peggy said with a chuckle.

  “Glad I can be the source of amusement for you all,” I said.

  I raced around the side of the building. To my right was the theater and on the left was a line of dense trees. The drive that led to the back lot was between them. I walked along that drive as I headed toward the front. A rustling noise caught my attention, and for a second I lost my breath. What had made the noise? An animal or a person? Was someone watching me?

  “I told you walking out here wasn’t a good idea,” Charlotte said.

  “Actually you didn’t say that,” I said.

  “Oh well, I suppose I thought it.”

  “I thought it too,” Peggy said.

  “Don’t stop, Cookie. Keep walking.” Charlotte gestured.

  I wasn’t sure why I’d stopped. Just because I heard the noise? Charlotte was right. I should have done the opposite. Now I stood there as if I were frozen, staring into the wooded area.

  “Are you waiting for something to get you?” Charlotte asked.

  “No, absolutely not,” I said.

  Charlotte reached for me as if she could push me out of the way. “Get yourself into gear.”

  Thank goodness I snapped out of my trance. I hurried my steps and continued along the driveway. Every few seconds I checked to my left, hoping I wouldn’t see something.

  “Sometimes the things she does drive me bonkers.” Charlotte was talking to Peggy as we walked.

  “I can see where that would make you bananas,” Peggy said.

  “I heard that,” I said.

  “I wasn’t trying to be quiet,” Charlotte said.

  Picking up the pace, I rushed toward my car and jumped in. Slamming the door, I shoved the lock down. I peered in the rearview mirror. In a flash I thought for sure I saw a person in the wooded area. Could my mind be playing tricks on me? With anxiety still coursing through my veins, I cranked the car and pulled away from the theater. There was no way I was going into the wooded area to check it out. What if someone really had been watching me? The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I didn’t want to scare Charlotte and Peggy, so I didn’t tell them about what I’d seen.

  “So let’s recap what we know so far,” Charlotte said as she sat in the passenger seat of my Buick.

  “Okay . . .” I said as I made a right turn.

  My heart rate had once again returned to normal and I was no longer close to hyperventilating. Peggy leaned forward from the backseat, resting her forearms on the top of the front seat.

  “What do we know so far? Marie was seen at the theater that day. She was having an affair with Morris,” Charlotte said.

  “Right, so is she guilty?” I asked.

  “I’m not finished.” Charlotte held her hand up. “James has threatened you and we know he had a fight with Morris.”

  “So James is the killer,” I said.

  Charlotte held her hand up. “I’m not finished. There’s also Patricia Chrisman who is apparently extremely jealous.”

  “Plus, we heard her on the phone,” Peggy added.

  “So that gives her a motive for murder,” I said.

  “Yes, along with t
he others,” Charlotte said.

  “The list of suspects is getting long,” Peggy said around a heavy sigh.

  “We still have to figure out the clues. The gum wrapper at the scene of the crime and the knife used in the murder.” I pulled up to the stop sign.

  “Plus, Jackie said she saw a woman leaving at the time of the murder,” Peggy said.

  “That could have been Marie,” Charlotte said. “What if she used the delivery as an excuse to kill Morris? That was her reason for being at the theater. No one would question why she was there.”

  “I don’t think this murder was planned. It was more of a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing,” I said. “Since there were so many people around, if the killer had planned it wouldn’t they have wanted to do it where they wouldn’t be caught? The risk of being seen that day was high.”

  “True,” Charlotte said. “But since she knew there was a risk of being seen she would just shrug it off and say she had a delivery.”

  “Who received the flower delivery?” Peggy asked.

  “Good question. I have to find out,” I said.

  We rode in silence as we contemplated the murder. My cell rang, breaking my reverie.

  “It’s Ken,” I said as I glanced down at my phone. “I wonder what he wants.”

  “Well, answer it and find out.” Charlotte motioned.

  “I don’t like to talk on the phone while I’m driving.”

  “It’s no different than talking to me now. Pick up the phone,” Charlotte snapped.

  Against my better judgment I pulled over to the side of the road and answered the call.

  “Cookie, I need to talk with you,” Ken said.

  “This sounds important,” Charlotte said.

  I’d put the call on speaker. Charlotte always gave me a hassle if I didn’t. That was probably why she insisted I answer the call now so she could listen in.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  I hoped that Heather was okay. Right away worry set in.

  “Ken, I didn’t expect to hear from you,” I said.

  “Cookie, I spoke with one of the detectives on this case. They’re close to arresting Heather for the murder,” Ken said.

  “What? They can’t do that,” I said.