“I think we have a lot to talk about,” Gemma said. She’d never thought about lighting at all.
“Upstairs there’s a one bedroom apartment. It comes with the lease so you can sub-let it if you don’t want to stay there or use it for more storage,” Essie explained. “Do you want to see it?”
“I don’t know about Gemma but I’m on overload right now. We’ll check out the apartment later,” Holly said. “Gemma, what do you think?”
“I think this will be great,” Gemma said. “Let’s sign the lease and get that locked in. We can work out the details later and we can start getting it ready to open.”
“Mitch will want to look at this contract,” Holly held off.
“Go ahead and sign it,” Gemma suggested. “I’m sure we can work out the details later.”
“Absolutely,” Essie said while Gemma and Holly signed. “Here’s your copy. Show it to Mitch. Let me know if anything needs to be changed or whatever and we’ll get together in a day or so. How does that sound?” Essie suggested. “After, you know, after...”
“Of course,” Holly said and reached out to touch Essie’s hand lightly. “We appreciate you meeting us down here today during this trying time.”
Gemma was ready to go buy paint and order display cases and call the electrician, but she knew Holly would want her to slow down.
The bell over the door tinkled again and all three looked up to see a thin, fragile looking young woman. Wearing sneakers, faded jeans and a white tank top, she had long pink hair and a tattoo on her wrist.
“Can I help you?” Gemma asked, thinking the girl looked familiar.
“Ms. Stone,” she said, her voice soft, shy. “You gave me your business card.”
Gemma almost had it figured out. The girl wasn’t from the area. Gemma had met her somewhere else. Her name was right on the tip of Gemma’s tongue. Nancy? No, Nicole?
“You probably don’t remember me but you solved my sister’s murder,” she said.
“Natalie,” Gemma said, finally remembering her name when she saw the opal ring on the woman’s slender finger.
Gemma found that ring in the trunk of a used car she’d bought from Nick’s brother-in-law along with the partially mummified body of a young woman who just happened to be Natalie’s sister.
The young woman smiled for the first time, eyes twinkling. “Yes, ma’am, Natalie Sparrow.”
“How did you find me here?” Gemma asked, surprised and happy to see her.
“The witch at your house told me where you were.”
Chapter Nine
“Oh, my goodness,” Holly squealed and she and Gemma rushed toward the girl at the same time.
“What in the world are you doing here in Gypsy Hill?” Gemma asked once they’d hugged her warmly.
“I’m going to school at Elizabeth Bailey,” Natalie explained.
“Well, good for you,” Holly said.
“Ladies, if you’ll excuse me, I have to meet someone else on the other side of town,” Essie said, reminding them that she was there.
“Oh, sorry,” Holly said, taking the contracts she offered. “If we think of any changes, we’ll get in touch.”
“That’ll be fine,” Essie said, nodded a brief hello at Natalie. “Here are your keys. You’ll probably need to make another set.”
“Thank you,” Holly said, stuffing the keys into the pocket of her slacks.
Gemma was already focusing on Natalie. “So you’re going to school here. What are you taking?”
“Just basic courses right now but I think I’d like to go into business administration or something like that,” Natalie told them and then looked around the empty building as if seeing it for the first time. “Is this your shop?”
“It is now,” Holly said with a smile, then headed toward the back to check out the storage and office space Gemma had seen earlier.
“How’s your mom and dad?” Gemma asked, leading Natalie on into their shop. She already considered it theirs.
“Still grieving over Opal,” Natalie told her.
“And you?” Gemma asked, looking her up and down. “I love the hair.”
“Thanks, I like it too. It’s not too much, is it?”
“Oh, no. The pink really accentuates your skin tones,” Gemma said. “It’s young and fresh.”
Natalie blushed and walked further into the shop. “This could be really cute with some paint and...”
“Yes, dear. We signed the contract but it was just standard stuff,” Holly interrupted, coming out of the back room, her phone clamped to her ear.
“She’s talking to her fiancé,” Gemma explained in a whisper. “He’s a lawyer.”
Natalie nodded.
“I do agree. It needs some fresh paint and I was thinking display cases placed randomly...” Gemma began explaining.
“With the most expensive jewelry in the back,” Natalie said. “The less expensive ones in the front leading customers from one to the other, toward the back.”
Gemma grinned. “Do you want to come to work for us?”
Natalie chewed on her lower lip, looked away and looked back again. “That’s actually why I came to see you. You said if I ever needed help... School’s expensive and I could sure use a job right now.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Gemma asked, hugging Natalie. “Of course, it’ll only be part time for a while but you’ve got school, too.”
“I’ll take whatever I can get,” Natalie said, practically beaming.
“He’s such a worry wart,” Holly said, coming toward Gemma and Natalie.
“Holly, I would like for you to meet our first employee,” Gemma announced.
Holly’s mouth dropped open. She closed it and looked from Gemma to Natalie and back again. “Well, this is a surprise.”
“She needs the money, we’re going to need the help. It’s a win-win,” Gemma said quickly.
Holly laughed. “Never let it be said that we let any grass grow under our feet. Renting our first shop and hiring our first employee in the same day has got to be some kind of record.”
“We need to celebrate,” Gemma said caught up in the excitement. “There’s an ice cream shop nearby.”
Holly made sure the door was locked securely and then the three walked to the ice cream shop, where they splurged on banana splits. They sat at one of the little metal tables talking, filling Natalie in on their plans and, in general, getting to know her better.
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re on board as of today,” Gemma said.
“We are going to need a little help getting the shop ready. But now, remember, this is probationary,” Holly cautioned Natalie.
“Yes, ma’am, I understand,” Natalie’s head bobbed up and down, her long hair flowing around her slender shoulders like pink silk. “You won’t be disappointed.”
“I’m sure we won’t,” Holly said.
Gemma smiled at her best friend. If she was still upset about finding Katie Mack in the closet the day before, she hid it well. Perhaps thinking about HealthGems was the best thing for both of them right now.
“Just tell me when you need me. I’ll have to work around my classes,” Natalie told them.
“Oh, absolutely. Get me a schedule and we’ll start there,” Gemma offered.
Natalie checked her phone. “I have a late class today so I’m going to have to leave now.”
“Okay, email that schedule to me. You’ve got my number, too,” Gemma reminded her. “We’ll get together in a few days.”
“Sounds good,” Natalie said, standing up. “And, thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
When she was gone, Holly pointed at Gemma with her red plastic spoon. “Can you believe we started HealthGems less than a year ago and we’re already opening a shop and hiring an employee?”
“Amazing,” Gemma said, shaking her head.
“Do you think the pink hair and the tattoo will scare customers off? This is a pretty conservative town.”
Cautious Holly was back.
“I don’t think so. She’s very soft spoken, polite. And I think she might help draw in a younger crowd,” Gemma said, gathering their empty bowls and clearing the table.
“Mitch wasn’t happy that we’d already signed the contracts and wants to look them over carefully tonight,” Holly said when they reached her SUV and climbed inside.
“I can’t imagine they were anything but standard stuff. If he has questions, he probably should wait until after the funeral,” Gemma suggested.
Holly was quiet as they headed back toward Gemma’s house. Finally she said, “You know, I’m glad we were the ones to find Katie in that closet.”
“Really? I thought you’d rather it be anyone than us,” Gemma said.
“What if Essie had found her? What if Peggy had found her?”
“Then Peggy would have brought her back to life and the rest of us would have heard about it forever,” Gemma said, laughing aloud.
Holly laughed so hard she snorted, which made Gemma laugh that much harder.
When they calmed down somewhat, Gemma had a thought. “Do you think that whoever put her there knew her schedule? Knew we were going to find her?”
Holly flicked a worried glance at Gemma. “Mitch asked me that same question.”
“We were definitely the first people she showed the house to that day or they would have still been there,” Gemma reasoned. “I wonder if she had other showings earlier in the day at other houses.”
“Probably. You know what a hard charger she was,” Holly said.
“Surely someone would have called her office or something when she was a no show,” Gemma said and then added. “I can’t believe the neighbors didn’t see anyone or anything.”
“Except that witch,” Holly shot her a quick glance.
“Yeah, there’s that. I need to talk to Aunt Maisy,” Gemma finally said.
Chapter Ten
Gemma invited Holly to come in with her but she and Mitch had a date that night. Again, the house was filled with the scent of something wonderful coming from the kitchen. And that’s where Gemma found Maisy. Wearing a long, hunter green dress, earrings and bracelets jingling, she was pulling something golden brown out of the oven.
“I hope you like chicken pot pie, dear,” Aunt Maisy said, placing the steaming dish on top of the stove.
When she turned, her face glowed with happiness and Gemma thought her aunt looked much happier and more full of life than when she had arrived. Was it just a couple of days earlier? At least she wasn’t wearing the witch hat.
“I do like chicken pot pie. Mom made the best...”
The black cat sauntered toward Gemma, made a figure eight around her ankles and then settled on the rug in front of the sink to wash his paws.
“Well, all I can do is try to compete with my sister’s cooking,” Maisy laughed.
Gemma had a million questions, but her aunt was talking a mile a minute while she set the table, ending with a colorful salad and a tall glass of tea. The thought ran through her mind that her aunt was spending a fortune on groceries.
“Did that young lady find you?” Aunt Maisy asked.
“Yes, ma’am, she did,” Gemma said, taking a bite of the salad. The crust of the pot pie beckoned and she was tempted to break off a piece.
“I wasn’t sure what to do but I figured it was okay to send her to where you were.”
“Yes, it was fine. Her name is Natalie Sparrow and she’s going to come to work for us, actually,” Gemma explained. “So it worked out great.”
“Good. She seems like such a nice young lady, so soft spoken and kind. And I loved her hair.”
“She’s very sweet.”
“I got the feeling she wasn’t from the area,” Maisy said, munching thoughtfully on her salad.
Gemma shook her head. “She’s actually from Louisa, closer to Richmond. Her sister was murdered a while back.”
“Oh, no,” Maisy said.
“I found the body in the trunk of a used car I’d bought and that led us to Richmond where we... Anyway, we got in contact with the family after that. It’s a long story,” Gemma finished.
“Do you often find dead people?” Maisy asked, cocking her head to one side.
“Well, technically I didn’t find Katie Mack. Holly did,” Gemma said in her own defense.
“That’s true,” Aunt Maisy agreed. “Any word on who may have killed her yet?”
Gemma shook her head. “Not yet. I spoke with Nick Leonard today. He’s the newspaper reporter I used to...um...date. It seems that detective that was here the other night, Gilmore, has blinders on. He thinks that Katie’s current boyfriend is the killer. I’m just afraid that will keep him from looking at anyone else closely.”
“Do you think he did it?” Aunt Maisy asked.
Gemma shook her head. “Ross...Detective Ferguson would not have done that.”
“So, he’s a police officer as well?” Aunt Maisy asked.
“Yes.”
“And you know him well?”
Gemma hesitated. “Yes.” She swallowed hard. The breakup with Ross had been quick and clean and she thought she was over it. From the way her heart was pounding at the mention of his name, she realized she had a long way to go before she was over Ross Ferguson. “He and I dated for a while until he decided we need to see other people.”
“Well, if he dumped you for that real estate lady, then he’s a fool,” Maisy said, eyes flashing.
Gemma laughed aloud and Aunt Maisy joined in, her laughter pure and clear like a bell. Gemma had the feeling her aunt had laughed a great deal in her lifetime. They cleaned up together after dinner while Aunt Maisy told her stories about her own childhood, growing up with Gemma’s mom. She told her about her grandparents who she could just barely remember.
By the time they were finished, Maisy was telling Gemma about the day her parents met. Maisy was attracted to her dad as well, but Gemma’s mom didn’t know that. She told Maisy she was going to marry him before they’d even gone out on a date.
“What did you do?” Gemma asked.
“Once I saw the way he looked at your mama, there was nothing I could do. Within a month after their first date he proposed and they were married within the year.”
Gemma had seen him look at her mother that way her entire life.
“So the attraction was instant,” Gemma said, as they settled in the living room. “I’ve always thought that when you meet the right one, you’ll know instantly.”
Aunt Maisy took her usual spot on the end of the sofa while the black cat stretched out behind her head, appearing to listen very closely to everything she said. Every once in a while he would glance at Gemma, his big green eyes questioning.
“Not necessarily,” Aunt Maisy said. “Sometimes you grow to love someone over the years.”
“Are you speaking from experience?” Gemma asked, giving her aunt a teasing smile.
Aunt Maisy suddenly became very interested in the design on the blanket covering her legs. An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Gemma had meant to ask her aunt about the whole witch getup, and if she had been anywhere near that house the morning of Katie Mack’s murder. But she was afraid that one innocent question about the experience would ruin the whole evening, so she changed the subject.
“So what kinds of things did you guys do for fun?” Gemma asked.
An hour later, Gemma was laughing so hard at her Aunt Maisy’s stories that tears streamed down her face. It was hard to picture her mom as the wild and crazy girl Maisy knew. But her dad, oh, yeah, she could picture him pulling some of the daredevil stunts Aunt Maisy described.
Soon, both Gemma and her aunt were yawning. So was the cat. It wasn’t until then that Gemma noticed it was dark outside.
“Lord, when did it get so late?” Aunt Maisy asked.
“We’ve been down memory lane and lost track of the time,” Gemma said, helping her aunt to her feet.
Suddenly, Maisy froze, clutched
Gemma’s hands in hers and locked her gaze on Gemma’s eyes. “Don’t move,” she whispered. “Don’t look behind you.”
The cat stood on the back of the sofa, back arched, eyes glued to the window behind Gemma.
“What is it?” Gemma asked, heart pounding.
“I just saw someone. It looked like the shadow of a man passing the window,” Aunt Maisy said quietly, her grip on Gemma’s fingers like steel.
“I’m not expecting any company,” Gemma told her.
“Welcome company wouldn’t slink around in your back yard.” The grip tightened.
“The sliding glass doors in the dining room,” Gemma said. “Are they locked?”
Aunt Maisy shook her head, her eyes filling with worry. “I don’t remember if I locked them or not.”
“Okay, I’ll go check, just in case. You stay right here,” Gemma told her aunt, her heart so loud she could barely hear herself talk.
“What if...?” Aunt Maisy began.
Gemma shook her head and put her finger to her lips. “I’ll be right back.”
She didn’t need Aunt Maisy putting any ideas in her head. There was enough going on in there already. What if whoever killed Katie Mack really was after her? What if they had still been there in that house when they found Katie? But why? And who? Better to get to that door and make sure it was locked before she became paralyzed with fear.
Acting much braver than she felt, Gemma left her aunt behind. The only light in the rarely used dining room was filtering through the sheer curtains from the street light on the corner. Gemma felt she had the advantage. She knew the room intimately and was able to maneuver around the shadow of chairs without turning on a light. Gemma saw movement out of the corner of her eye and almost screamed before she realized it was her own reflection in the mirror over the buffet.
Just as she reached for the door with shaking fingers, a face loomed before her in the darkness. She gasped in surprise, stepped back, and almost screamed again.
“Gemma, it’s me. Ross.”
The voice was muffled and hushed but she could see that indeed it was Ross. Heart hammering in her chest, Gemma’s knees grew so weak with relief, she almost fell down. Her hands were shaking so badly that she could barely get the door open.
Home Sweet Homicide: A Cozy Mystery (A Gemma Stone Murder Mystery Book 5) Page 6
