All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt

by Rose Pressey

  “Jessica’s trailer is the silver one over there, right?” I asked.

  “I think so. At least I hope so,” Heather said.

  I climbed up the steps of the trailer and knocked on the door. Silence filled the air and nothing sounded from inside.

  “Maybe she’s sleeping,” Heather said.

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  I knocked again, but still there was no sound. I was a little anxious that the assistant would yank the door open again.

  “I don’t think anyone is going to answer,” Charlotte said.

  Alice and Charlotte were standing next to Heather at the foot of the steps. What would I do now?

  “You should try the door,” Charlotte said.

  That wasn’t something that I wanted to do, but I didn’t have many options—other than to leave once again without speaking with Jessica. Sending the ghosts in to look around wasn’t a choice because I needed to see the trailer firsthand. They may miss something, and it was too important for that to happen. I didn’t want to leave without at least giving it my best shot, so I reached out and grabbed the doorknob. My heart thumped faster as I turned the knob. The latch clicked, and then I knew that it was open. Was I really doing this? I would just poke my head in and call out to Jessica. There was no harm in that, right?

  I opened the door just a crack and stuck my head in. So far no one was in sight. I saw a small white sofa and chair, a kitchenette area, and beyond that a closed door. Jessica’s bed must have been in there.

  “Hello, Jessica? Are you here?” I called out.

  Still no one answered. Apparently once again I’d missed her. Another wasted trip. I looked back toward Heather, Charlotte, and Alice.

  “She’s not here.”

  Heather moved up a couple steps. “We should go in there.”

  I made a time-out signal with my hands. “What? We can’t do that. What if someone catches us? We’ll be arrested.”

  “Oh, go ahead. What is the worst that could happen?” Charlotte pushed.

  “Well, they could be arrested,” Alice said.

  “Thank you, Alice,” I said.

  “No one is around.” Heather gestured with a wave of her hand.

  “That’s true. Okay, we’ll go in for just a second and have a little look.”

  I wasn’t sure what we were looking for, but I was kind of curious nonetheless. I’d never been inside a movie star’s trailer before.

  I eased the door open and called out again, “Jessica, are you here?”

  When she didn’t answer, I stepped in and motioned for Heather to follow me. As we stood in the middle of the living room area, I said, “Now what?”

  “What’s behind that door?” Heather pointed.

  “I don’t know. I guess maybe a bed.”

  “We should take a look.”

  I glanced around again. “I guess we could take a little peek. We’ve already come this far. What’s invading her privacy a little more, right?”

  Heather chuckled. “Exactly.”

  We moved over to the closed door. When I glanced back, Charlotte and Alice were standing in the trailer too. Heather and I pushed forward toward the closed door. I grabbed the knob and turned. This door was unlocked too. Why had Jessica left all the doors unlocked?

  We inched into the small space. It was really only enough room for one, so Heather and I were practically falling over each other. The only piece of furniture in the room was the bed. It was unmade with a pink blanket crumbled up in the middle of it.

  Something else on the bed caught my attention right away—I was sure that all of the clothing that I’d given Nicole to wear on the movie set was there. How had Jessica gotten the items? Did Nicole give them to her before she died? Or had someone else given Jessica the pieces after Nicole had been murdered?

  “Look at the things on the bed.” I pointed.

  “Yeah, she’s kind of messy,” Heather said.

  “No, not that. These were all the items I’d provided for Nicole to wear.”

  “Well, her assistant did say that Jessica was supposed to take over Nicole’s role.”

  “But these are all things that they weren’t using anymore. Shiloh was supposed to have them returned to me.”

  “Hmm. That is odd. You should ask Shiloh about it.”

  That was exactly what I planned to do. Maybe the cat was onto something, after all. Maybe Jessica really did have something to do with this. After all, there were the text messages and now this. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

  It was time for us to get out of there. I decided to leave the items on the bed. I couldn’t take them back yet. I would ask Shiloh about them first.

  Heather and I hurried out of the trailer. Charlotte and Alice had already taken off and were waiting outside for us. I was just glad that we’d gotten out of there before getting caught. When I reached the bottom of the steps, I spotted Jessica across the way. She was headed toward the trailer. So far she hadn’t seen us because she was too busy looking down at her cell phone.

  “Here she comes,” I said in a bit of a panic.

  Heather had already started toward the car. She whipped around and looked in Jessica’s direction. “Uh-oh. What do we do now?” she asked.

  I could have run toward the Buick, but I really wanted to talk with Jessica. I would just wait right here and act as if we’d just gotten here.

  “Let’s wait here for her,” I said, motioning for Heather to come back.

  “Are you going to ask her about the clothing?” Charlotte asked.

  “That’s my plan, yes.”

  Jessica still hadn’t looked up from her phone. Then a man on a golf cart stopped her. They spoke, and then she hopped in the cart.

  “Where is she going?” Heather asked.

  “I don’t know, but there goes my chance to talk with her again.”

  They drove down the path and never even looked over toward the trailer to notice us there. I could have yelled out at her, but that would have been a little too awkward.

  “I think they’re going to the parking lot,” I said. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Heather and I rushed toward the parking lot. Of course, Charlotte and Alice had left us once again.

  “Too bad they couldn’t have given us a ride,” Heather said, huffing.

  When we got to the edge of the parking lot, I spotted the cart. The man had dropped Jessica off at her car, a red Jaguar, and she was opening the door. She still hadn’t noticed that anyone else was around. Heather and I raced toward my Buick as Jessica backed her car out of the spot.

  The man on the golf cart looked our way when he drove by. He just waved. Apparently, it didn’t bother him that we looked as if we were being chased by a bear. I guess he hadn’t put two and two together that we were following Jessica. I cranked the engine. With the ghosts in the backseat and Heather in the front, I backed out and took off after Jessica’s Jag. She turned onto the main road, and I pulled out right behind her.

  “She’s going to think you are a stalker,” Charlotte said.

  “I sure hope I’m good at stalking,” I said.

  Chapter 17

  Cookie’s Savvy Vintage Fashion Shopping Tips

  Don’t forget to check the men’s section.

  You can find a number of cool items there,

  like shirts, ties, or belts.

  We followed Jessica through town, and she gave no indication she knew I was behind her. Most of the time, she was looking down at her phone. I had no idea how she hadn’t wrecked yet.

  “I wish she’d put that phone down and stop texting,” Charlotte said.

  “You and me both,” I said.

  “She’s making me nervous,” Alice said in a shaky voice.

  “I think she’s pulling into the hotel parking lot.” Heather pointed.

  I cut the wheel and made a right turn into the parking lot too. This was the same hotel where I’d met Shiloh the other day. Was she visiting Shiloh? We had to see what this vi
sit was all about.

  I whipped my Buick into a spot about three down from where Jessica parked. She jumped out of her car and strode toward the hotel’s entrance. She was still looking at her phone. She would glance up every once in a while, I guess to keep from tripping.

  “Why is she always in such a hurry?” Heather asked as she rushed beside me.

  “I don’t know. Doesn’t she know that we don’t do things fast around here? Nothing’s going anywhere. That hotel will still be there in five minutes.”

  Jessica disappeared through the revolving doors. Heather and I were just a few steps behind her now. We pushed through the door and came into the lobby. The main desk was on the left, a large sitting area to the right.

  “There she is,” I said, pointing toward the lobby area.

  Jessica stood with her back to us. Then she pressed the phone to her ear.

  I stopped. “Looks like she’s calling someone.”

  “Probably the person she’s here to meet,” Charlotte said.

  Jessica had no sooner lowered the phone than Preston walked up to her. I rushed over to the potted dieffenbachia in the corner and motioned for Heather to follow me.

  “I don’t want them to see us,” I whispered.

  Heather squeezed in beside me, one of the leaves hitting her in the face.

  “I don’t think that’s going to conceal both of you,” Charlotte said.

  “I don’t have anywhere else to hide,” I said.

  “So don’t hide. Let her know you are here. Go confront her.” Alice motioned.

  I scowled at her. “Have you lost your mind? I can’t do that.”

  “So this is what it feels like to be paparazzi?” Heather said.

  I chuckled. “I don’t like the job.”

  I peeked out from behind one of the giant leaves.

  “What are they doing now?” Heather asked.

  “They’re still talking.”

  “I still say you should march right up there and confront her,” Alice said.

  I wasn’t listening to any of her advice.

  “We can’t stay like this for much longer because one of the employees will notice us. They may call the police,” Heather said.

  How many times recently had we worried the police may be called on us? I’d lost count. Jessica and Preston stood close to each other. She touched his arm several times, and they laughed. I wondered what was so funny. Probably some insider actor humor that we wouldn’t understand.

  “What is the woman behind the front desk doing? Is she watching us?” I asked.

  Heather peeked to her left. “No, not right now. That’s not to say she won’t notice us at any moment and tell us to get out of here. I’ve never been kicked out of a hotel before.”

  “I’ve never been kicked out of anywhere before,” I said.

  “Well, I should hope not,” Charlotte said.

  Something like that would go against Charlotte’s whole Southern upbringing. Of course, it would have made my mother fairly unhappy too. I didn’t want to have to tell her I’d been kicked out of the Plaza. Leaves poked me in the face as I peeked out from the side of the plant again. That was when I saw Preston grab Jessica’s hand.

  “Oh, now they’re holding hands,” I said.

  “What?” Heather inched her way up and pushed the leaves to each side. “I can’t believe it,” she said in disbelief.

  “Next thing you know they’ll kiss,” Charlotte said.

  She was probably right about that.

  “We can’t just wait around,” I said.

  “Oh, now they’re walking away,” Heather said.

  I stuck my head out just in time to see Jessica and Preston strolling down the hallway hand in hand.

  “Where are they going?” I asked.

  “If you have to ask that, Cookie, then I can’t help you,” Charlotte said.

  Preston certainly hadn’t waited long before moving on with someone new. He had probably been seeing Jessica at the same time he’d been dating Nicole. And to think he had claimed to be engaged to Nicole. What a hound dog.

  Heather and I stepped out from behind the plant.

  “Well, I will have to talk to her later,” I said.

  “I guess we should leave,” Heather said, sounding forlorn.

  “At least you didn’t get kicked out of the hotel,” Alice said.

  “Is the woman at the desk watching us?” I asked.

  Heather leaned over. “No, I think we’re clear to leave now.”

  My friend and I casually walked through the lobby. As we headed to the door, I spotted Shiloh, the film crew’s costume manager.

  “Look who it is,” I said.

  Heather looked back.

  “And she’s wearing that blue Dior gown that was Nicole’s. Come on, we should talk to her. I want to ask about the other clothing that she was supposed to have returned by last week.”

  I turned on my heel and marched over to Shiloh. She was picking up a bottle of water that had been left for the guests on a table in the hallway.

  “Maybe she was supposed to meet Jessica in the lobby,” Charlotte said. “It looks as if she’s waiting for someone.”

  When we neared Shiloh, I called out, “How are you, Shiloh?”

  She whipped around, looked to Heather and then back to me again.

  She forced a smile on her lips. “Oh, hello, Cookie. What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I’d stop by and ask about the clothing again. Can you tell me when I’ll be getting it back? Those are valuable pieces, you know.”

  Her smile disappeared. She took a drink from the water bottle while we waited. She took a few more sips before finally placing the lid back on the bottle.

  Shiloh was acting strange, like she didn’t want to answer. But since Heather and I were staring at her, there was little way she could get out of it. Too bad she didn’t know that Charlotte and Alice were watching her too.

  Putting the empty bottle into a nearby trash can, she looked at me and said, “Oh yes, the clothing from the movie set.”

  “Yes, that clothing. The reason you all hired me for the movie in the first place,” I said.

  She released a deep breath and then said, “To be perfectly honest with you, I can’t find the items.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, some of the garments were missing.”

  Yeah, I knew which items they were too. I’d seen them at Jessica’s trailer. I wondered if I should tell her about that. No, then I would have to explain why I’d been there. I’d let it go for a while and see if Shiloh located the garments.

  “This is bad,” I said.

  “I realize that and we will pay for any of the pieces that aren’t returned.”

  I decided to press my advantage. “I couldn’t help but notice your dress. Nicole bought it at my shop. I’m surprised to see you wearing it.”

  Her eyes widened. “This is my dress,” she said.

  “Oh, Nicole gave it to you?” I asked.

  She scowled. “No, I brought this dress from home. It is mine.”

  “That is a rare dress. Where did you find it?”

  She glared at me. “I don’t remember. I’ve had it for a very long time.”

  I wasn’t buying that story. I knew my clothing, and that dress had come from my shop.

  She grabbed another bottle of water and walked past us. “I’ll bring the clothing by, or money, soon.”

  Shiloh marched down the hallway.

  “She’s lying about the dress?” Alice asked.

  “Yes, a big fat lie,” I said.

  Shiloh stepped onto the elevator, the doors closing on her scowling face.

  “That didn’t go well,” Heather said.

  “No, it didn’t. What do we do now?” I asked.

  “How about you go find Ken and take him up on his offer?” Charlotte said.

  “Now that is the best idea I’ve heard all day,” Alice said.

  I
headed out across the lobby toward the exit. “You know, I hate to say this, but the ghosts might be right. Maybe I do need to have coffee with Ken.”

  “I have to agree,” Heather said.

  We climbed into the Buick and headed back to my shop. After dropping Heather off, I picked up Wind Song and headed for home. That night, I picked up the phone several times thinking that I would call Ken, but I never dialed. I also almost called Dylan’s number, but chickened out. That didn’t make Charlotte and Alice happy, but I couldn’t please the ghosts all the time.

  I climbed into bed while Charlotte and Alice discussed the (to them) obvious reasons why I should have called both men. I put in my earplugs and covered my head with the pillow, begging sleep to spare me from their inane chatter.

  Chapter 18

  Charlotte’s Handy-Dandy Tips for Navigating the Afterlife

  For fun entertainment—because let’s face it,

  being a ghost can get boring—

  hide items from the living.

  It’s a real hoot to watch them search for their stuff.

  The next morning, I was at the shop early because I had paperwork that I had neglected recently. Although I had a part-time accountant, I tried to keep track of my cash flow myself—both to save money and to feel I was running my business efficiently. I’d worn a white-and-yellow floral Parnes Feinstein dress with a yellow rose in my hair. My white sandals completed the casual summer look.

  The ghosts were bored while I was busy with work. They still wanted to discuss the case. But frankly, I was getting nowhere with it and needed a break. It made me feel better to take my mind off the investigation and focus on invoices and bank statements. When I finished the paperwork, I needed to bring some clothing out from the back and place the items on hangers.

  The items had just been cleaned and were ready for the floor. Some of them might even end up in the front window on a mannequin. The ghosts followed me to the back storage room. I had racks of clothing that were being processed or mended and a couple of chairs for break time. A small desk in the far corner was covered with boxes of vintage shoes that needed polishing or repairs. I sifted through the clothing and found the items that I needed—a wonderful collection of pleated swimsuits that would have looked good on Esther Williams. I could just picture my mannequins wearing them in the display window, surrounded by colorful beach balls and parasols.