A Passion for Haunted Fashion

by Rose Pressey

  “That I’m going to prison for life?” Heather asked.

  “Of course not.” I grimaced. “Right, Grandma Pearl?”

  She placed her little paw on the planchette and moved it around the board. The plastic pointer glided silently across the top. We watched intently to make out the words. After a few more seconds she stopped and looked up at me.

  “Look for the knife?” I frowned. “Grandma Pearl, they already have the knife. I saw pictures of it.”

  She picked up the pace this time, moving the planchette around the board faster than ever.

  “Looks like she is frustrated with you.” Charlotte pointed.

  “Where it came from?” I asked.

  “She wants you to look for where the knife came from? What does that mean?” Peggy asked.

  “I think she means where the knife was purchased,” Charlotte answered.

  “I guess I haven’t looked for where it came from. Where does someone buy a knife like that?” I asked.

  “At a sporting goods store?” Heather suggested.

  Heather hadn’t seemed interested in what Grandma Pearl had to say until now. This was a good sign. Maybe she was feeling a bit more hopeful.

  “Looks like we need to go window shopping,” I said.

  “What are we waiting for?” Charlotte motioned toward the front door.

  I looked at the time on my phone. “I guess I could close a little early.”

  “You’ve spent too much time trying to help me,” Heather said. “It’s pointless.”

  “Nonsense.” I placed the board back under the counter. “I don’t even want to hear you talk that way anymore.”

  “Me either.” Charlotte narrowed her eyes at Heather.

  “I’ll third that statement,” Peggy said.

  I closed the shop in a hurry and we headed outside.

  Heather stopped on the sidewalk. “I just remembered something I need to do at the shop.”

  “Are you sure you’re not just saying that? You won’t take off, will you?”

  She held her hand up. “I promise.”

  “I don’t know if I trust her.” Charlotte narrowed her eyes and looked Heather up and down.

  I couldn’t watch her all the time. She was a grown woman and didn’t need a babysitter.

  I sighed. “Okay, but I’ll call you soon and let you know what I found.”

  Heather forced a smile. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  We watched as Heather turned and walked to her shop. She waved as she stepped inside.

  “Do you believe her?” Peggy asked.

  “Yes, I do. Heather wouldn’t lie to me,” I said.

  Charlotte’s right eyebrow lifted. “I guess we can trust her. You should keep tabs on her more.”

  I gave a little salute. “Absolutely.”

  The sporting goods store would be closing soon. We hurried into the Buick. Too bad it wasn’t close enough to walk. Since the store was closing in twenty minutes, I didn’t want to take a chance on not making it. Luckily, I cruised through every green light and got there in record time. It was as if fate had stepped in and served me up a favor. I parked the car in the lot and hurried toward the door.

  “Fifteen minutes left to look around. That should be plenty of time,” I said, looking at the time on my phone.

  When I walked into the store the female employee at the register looked at me. Her face drooped when she saw me. Faint music played in the background. It looked as if I was the only customer in the place.

  “I suppose she was hoping no more customers would come in this evening,” Charlotte said.

  “It’s not like I’m buying anything,” I whispered.

  “That makes it even worse.” Charlotte laughed.

  Another male employee was pretending to straighten things on a shelf. It looked as if he was just counting down the minutes until time to lock the door. He cast a frown my way.

  “Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find the knives?”

  He stared and pointed. “At the back of the store.”

  “Thanks.” I hurried toward the back.

  “I’m surprised he didn’t tell you to hurry up,” Peggy said.

  “That would be rude. I don’t think he’s that keen on being fired,” Charlotte said.

  Soon I spotted the glass display case. What were the odds I would find the exact style knife?

  “Don’t you think the police haven’t checked to see where that knife came from?” Charlotte asked. “I bet Dylan would be highly offended if he knew you were here second-guessing his work.”

  “That’s why we’ll never tell him,” I said out of the corner of my mouth so no one would see me talking.

  Peggy laughed.

  I scanned the knives in the case, but nothing looked like the one I’d seen in the photo. There were small ones, large ones, and every size in between.

  “Don’t be discouraged, Cookie. You gave it a try,” Charlotte said.

  Peggy shrugged. “It was a long shot.”

  I couldn’t help but feel discouraged. Heather was ready to leave town, and a killer was still on the loose. Someone else could be killed at any time. Someone like me. Movement caught my attention. An older gray-haired man appeared from a back room. At least he didn’t look angry when he saw me.

  He stepped over to the counter. “May I help you find something?”

  I sighed. “It doesn’t look as if you have the knife I was looking for.”

  He studied my face. “What kind of knife were you looking for?”

  “It has a special design on the handle.” I gestured with my index finger.

  As if he would be able to figure out the design by my gesturing.

  “We have a catalog that might have it.” He motioned over his shoulder.

  “They have a catalog of knives?” Charlotte asked.

  “I’d love to see the catalog,” I said.

  “You’d better make it snappy.” Charlotte looked at her watch. “You only have twelve minutes before the store closes. The employees up front will come back here and drag you out by your pretty vintage shirt.”

  The man stepped into the back room, leaving me alone to talk with the ghosts.

  “Plenty of time,” I said.

  “I have a good feeling about this,” Peggy said with enthusiasm.

  A few seconds later the man returned with a large book. He plopped it on top of the glass display case. “Here you are, young lady.”

  “My heavens, who knew there were so many weapons. That’s a little scary,” Charlotte said.

  “I hope there’s more than knives in there,” Peggy said.

  “Thank you.” I flipped the cover open.

  “This will take forever.” Charlotte leaned against the display case.

  I knew my time was limited and I’d have to flip through hurriedly. However, there was no way I would give up that easily. I’d just have to turn the pages quickly.

  “Maybe if you can describe the knife I can help you,” the man said.

  He probably didn’t want me to look through the whole catalog. I didn’t want to, either, but I needed to know.

  “Well, it has a gold scroll pattern on the handle.” I didn’t stop turning the pages.

  “I think I might know the knife. There’s a manufacturer who makes the design specifically.” He turned the catalog around and flipped halfway toward the back. He stopped on the page and turned the catalog around so that I could see the photos. “Is it one of these?”

  “Oh, you’ll never figure this out,” Charlotte said. “Look at all of them.”

  Yes, they were all similar. “Do you sell many of these?”

  I decided to change my plan.

  “Yes, we have them here. Don’t have any in stock right now. They sell well so as soon as one comes in it’s out the door,” he said.

  “Do you remember selling one recently?” I asked.

  “It doesn’t matter if he sold one recently. The killer could have had it for years,” Charlot
te said.

  Charlotte could be such a downer sometimes. If a person bought one recently, and that person happened to match the description of one of my suspects, it was likely that I would find the killer.

  “How recent?” the man asked.

  “I suppose what I really want to know is if a certain person purchased the knife.” I studied his face.

  “That doesn’t work either.” Peggy leaned closer. “You’ll have to describe every suspect.”

  I didn’t have that many suspects so it wouldn’t take that long. Though I knew the clock was ticking.

  “I don’t know if I can help you with that.” He shifted from one foot to the other.

  “I think he’s getting anxious,” Charlotte said.

  I figured I’d take a chance and ask if a woman had purchased the knife. He looked around as if someone might hear. No one was nearby. At least no one that I saw. One of the employees could be lurking nearby for all I knew. A woman’s voice came over the loud speaker.

  “The store will be closing in five minutes. Please bring your purchases to the front.”

  “That means they want you to get out,” Charlotte said with a click of her tongue.

  Yes, I was aware. I had to hurry.

  “Please, it would help me a lot,” I said.

  “What did she look like?” He scanned the surroundings.

  “He knows something.” Charlotte pointed. “I can tell by the look in his eyes.”

  The man did have a strange look now.

  “She had blond hair that comes down below her shoulders. Wide set green eyes and she wears a lot of jewelry,” I said. “I think she’s probably five foot seven inches tall and I guess around one hundred forty pounds. Maybe in her mid-fifties.”

  “You have been around Dylan too long,” Charlotte said.

  “After that description I could pick her out of a lineup,” Peggy said.

  The man stared at me. “Yes, someone matching that description bought the knife about a month ago.”

  “Do you know the woman?” I asked.

  “The person paid with cash,” he said.

  “That isn’t exactly a direct answer,” Charlotte said.

  “What about surveillance footage?” I crossed my fingers that he’d give the answer I wanted.

  “The police are working on getting that, I think.” He closed the catalog.

  “You should know that Dylan is working on that,” Charlotte said.

  Dylan hadn’t mentioned that to me. Though I suppose there were things he couldn’t share about the case. Something that important, though, I figured he’d give me a hint. The other male employee was lurking around the corner, watching me.

  “Thank you for the information,” I said.

  “You’re welcome,” the man said.

  “I wish he could give you more information,” Peggy said as she rushed along beside me.

  I hurried toward the front of the store. The woman at the register glared at me. The male employee had moved and was waiting at the door, ready to lock it. He twirled the keys in his hand. As I reached the door, the woman walked from behind the counter and joined the man at the front door.

  “Remind me to never go there that close to closing time,” I said under my breath. I rushed out the door.

  The employees didn’t stop there. They followed me out, as if making sure I wouldn’t try to enter again.

  “Are they still standing there?” I asked.

  Charlotte looked back. “They’re going back in now.”

  “Thank goodness,” I said.

  “Something doesn’t seem right.” I unlocked the car and climbed behind the wheel.

  “What do you mean?” Charlotte asked from the passenger seat beside me.

  “It’s just a feeling, I guess.” I turned the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. “I think I need to call Dylan and ask about the knife.”

  “You’re probably just upset by the way the employees rushed you,” Peggy said.

  “I hope that’s all,” I said.

  After a short distance driving, I pulled over to the side of the road and dialed Dylan’s number.

  “I was just getting ready to call you,” he said when he answered.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  “Just fine. I wanted to hear your voice.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet,” Charlotte said.

  “What a dreamboat,” Peggy said.

  Dylan was on speakerphone. Charlotte hated not being able to hear all of a conversation. Now I hated to tell him that I had called to ask about the case. Not that I didn’t want to talk with him about other things too. It was just that I had been so consumed with the case lately that I seemed to forget about everything else. I needed to remember the people around me needed my attention.

  “How about dinner tonight?” he asked.

  “Only if I’m making,” I said.

  “Don’t scare the man away,” Charlotte said.

  I glared at her.

  “Oh, and tell him about the cupcakes.”

  Dylan chuckled. “That sounds perfect, but . . .”

  “Oh, there’s always a but,” Charlotte said.

  “Maybe he doesn’t like your cooking?” Peggy said.

  “I thought we could check out the new restaurant,” Dylan said.

  I was just glad that it wasn’t my cooking that made him pause. At least I hoped he wasn’t suggesting a restaurant because of my cooking skills. I’d tell him about the cupcakes once we got to the restaurant.

  “I’d like that,” I said. “I’ll meet you there.”

  “I’ll be there at seven, if that’s okay?”

  “Sounds great,” I said.

  “Was there something else on your mind?” he asked.

  “I can talk to you about it tonight.”

  “If you’re sure,” he said.

  Better to do it in person.

  “I’m sure.”

  Chapter 25

  Charlotte’s Tips for a Fabulous Afterlife

  Location, location, location. Mansions.

  Why do you think mansions are always the most

  haunted? Granted if you pick an abandoned one,

  that will turn against you.

  Seriously pick a nice location to haunt.

  I hurried home to change for my date. My dress of choice was a beautiful Christian Dior black cocktail dress from the early 1950s. Black beading covered the bodice and the bust had a flame cut. The upper chest and neckline along with the sleeves had sheer black fabric. Perhaps I was a bit overdressed for Sugar Creek, but I didn’t care. If I didn’t dress up now I’d never get the chance because I rarely went anywhere fancy enough for most of the clothing I loved. The dress’s material had a faint floral print in a darker shade of black. I managed to get the back zipper up. This dress reminded me of something I’d seen Lucy wear in several episodes of I Love Lucy.

  My shoes were black strappy heels and my purse was white with a black floral pattern. It gave just the right amount of pop to my outfit. After spritzing some of my new Chanel perfume on my wrists and neck, I headed outside and slipped behind the wheel. With one twist of the key I cranked the engine. As usual Charlotte and Peggy were with me. Charlotte riding shotgun and Peggy in the backseat. They had on their finest outfits, as if someone would see them.

  “I can’t go to a nice restaurant and not be dressed up,” Charlotte said.

  Peggy wore the red dress that was her favorite. Charlotte had taught her how to change an outfit with just a single thought. Charlotte switched her outfits so often she was like a chameleon. Dylan said he was running a little late. I wondered if it had anything to do with the Morris case. If it did, I would for sure try to get that information from Dylan. I’d just made it to downtown when my cell rang.

  “That might be Dylan.” I whipped the car into the Dairy Queen parking lot and pulled my phone from my purse.

  I didn’t recognize the number. Normally, I would let the call go to voice mail, but so
mething told me I should answer.

  “This is Cookie Chanel,” I said, trying to sound professional.

  “I think you need to go to the lake,” the female voice said.

  “Excuse me?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Who is it?” Charlotte asked.

  “Who is this?” I asked.

  “You need to go to the lake,” the woman repeated.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “It must be a wrong number,” Peggy said.

  “There’s a cabin. Morris took his lovers there. The killer is there now.”

  My eyes widened.

  “Where is this cabin?” I asked.

  “It is by the lake. Beside the tallest oak tree.”

  “That doesn’t help me much,” I said. “Why don’t you call the police?”

  “No, don’t call the police. The killer will be waiting for the police to show up and shoot at them.”

  “The killer has a gun?” My voice shot up.

  The woman didn’t respond.

  Charlotte scoffed. “Well, killers usually have weapons, Cookie. It shouldn’t come as a shock.”

  “Hello?” I asked.

  There was no answer. The mystery female had ended the call.

  “What was that all about?” Charlotte asked.

  “The woman said she thinks the killer is at a cabin at the lake. Should I go there?”

  “I don’t know, Cookie, this could be a setup. You should call Dylan,” Charlotte said.

  “Yes, it could be, but what if it’s not. She said don’t call the police because the killer will try to kill the police. I can’t put Dylan in that kind of danger.”

  “This is risky, Cookie. I don’t think you know what you’re getting into,” Charlotte said.

  “Now I’m even more nervous,” Peggy said.

  I pulled back onto the road and headed toward the lake. “I’ll just have to take my chances.”

  “This will not end well.” Charlotte sighed.

  At the light I turned right instead of left toward the restaurant. I’d have to call Dylan and tell him I’d be late. If he was late maybe he wouldn’t even notice I wasn’t there yet. He’d wonder why and I wouldn’t be able to tell him the reason for my tardiness. My cell rang.

  “Maybe it’s Dylan,” I said.