Designed to Death

by Christina Freeburn

  “The perfume on that woman is so strong I can taste it on my sandwich.” Darlene wrinkled her nose.

  The woman in question turned cherry red.

  Dianne looked ready to explode. Her gaze fell on me. I widened my eyes. She used her chin as a pointing device to indicate the woman Darlene insulted and then me. Dianne clasped her hands together.

  She wanted me to switch seats. I made a point of exaggerating a sigh and reluctantly gathering up my items. Dianne leaned down and whispered to the perfume woman. The woman nodded and allowed Dianne to move her.

  “I owe you.” Dianne gave me a relieved smile as we passed.

  Not if she knew the insult and musical chairs had been Darlene’s plan. I went to sit at the vacant table.

  Darlene gestured wildly at the table. Now what was she up to? Before my derrière touched the seat, a woman with three kids rushed over, knocking me away with a swing of her toddler’s sneakered feet.

  Darlene pushed a chair back with her foot.

  “Not very subtle.” I sat down.

  “But consistent with my personality,” Darlene responded.

  She had me there.

  “Why did you want to meet?”

  “Do you recognize this?” I placed the necklace lost at Scrap This on the table.

  Darlene picked it up and placed it on the palm of her hand. She traced the hearts. “Is that a B?”

  “Looks like it to me.” I scooted closer to the table. “I think that’s what Belinda came looking for.”

  “Not the diva necklace.” Darlene gently turned it over.

  “I figured it either came from the boyfriend or her mother.”

  “Not Hazel.” Keeping hold of the silver necklace, Darlene hooked her index finger under a gold chain around her neck. She pulled out a matching necklace to the one I found hanging from the lamp’s switch. Four gold hearts placed together to look like a four-leaf clover. “My mom and her sister bought two each when they got pregnant. Each of us has one. Our moms gifted them to us when we were sixteen.”

  “I saw one at Belinda’s house.”

  Darlene paled and tears filled her eyes. “It wasn’t on her.”

  I shook my head and kept quiet.

  Darlene dabbed at her face with a napkin. “We all swore we’d never take them off. She wanted to replace us.”

  “I’m sure that’s not it.”

  “It makes sense. Submitting my layouts as her own wasn’t something the Belinda I knew would’ve done. Keeping a boyfriend a secret wasn’t something the Belinda I grew up with would’ve done. Taking off the necklace we’ve all worn for twenty years wasn’t something the Belinda who loved her family would’ve done.”

  “I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  Darlene held the necklace out toward me, one end of the broken chain danced across the table top. The sun caught hold of it and glittered.

  A hand reached out and snatched the necklace.

  Darlene gasped. I gaped at Oliver for a moment before I reacted.

  He spun away, the necklace in his grasp. I grabbed his arm and pulled him backwards, hard. He crashed into the table. Our food and drinks scattered.

  Dianne rushed toward us.

  “Give it back.” I grabbed for his flailing hand.

  Darlene slammed a chair into Oliver. “Shut up and sit down.”

  Oliver sat, the necklace held hostage in his fist.

  “I want it.” Darlene spoke barely above a whisper.

  I inched back. I knew when a woman was about to send out a shotgun blast and wanted none of the scattershot.

  Oliver swallowed and shook his head.

  Darlene’s face reddened, her breathing grew harsh and loud.

  I scooted back a few more paces. “It’s evidence. You really should give it back to us.”

  “Then why do you have it.” Oliver shot a glare at me.

  Darlene slapped her hand onto the table, she rotated her wrist and her palm faced up. She motioned for Oliver to hand over the necklace.

  He shook his head, frightened gaze on Darlene. “It’s mine. Well, yours—”

  “It’s a B,” Darlene said with her teeth clenched.

  “No! It’s not what you think.” Oliver’s shoulders slumped. He opened his hand and allowed the necklace to puddle onto the table.

  Darlene snatched it from the table. “I think it’s evidence and belongs to Detective Roget.”

  “Please—”

  Darlene held her hand away from Oliver’s face, as if she planned on slapping him. “I have nothing to say to you.”

  Without a background glance, Darlene stormed out of Home Brewed.

  “I think she hates me.” Oliver dropped his head into his hands.

  “I think that’s the least of your worries.”

  Dianne hustled over to the table, a mop in her hand. “Is everything alright?”

  I didn’t blame Dianne for waiting until Darlene left. The woman was on the war path.

  “Faith?” Dianne frowned, holding the mop like a weapon. One wrong, or right word, she’d knock out Oliver.

  I needed to say something but wasn’t sure what. Was I okay? Oliver was Belinda’s secret boyfriend, her possible murderer.

  “It’s not what you think. I promise.” Oliver muttered.

  “How do I know?”

  Dianne hovered nearby with the mop.

  “This is all a misunderstanding. I shouldn’t have ever trusted her.”

  “Who?”

  Oliver tilted his head a few times in Dianne’s direction.

  I rolled my eyes. Right, after the scene he caused no one else was paying attention to our conversation. I motioned for Dianne to go away. Huffing and puffing, she did as I asked, and headed straight for the phone.

  “Start talking. If you’re scared of Darlene, just wait until my grandmothers charge through those doors.”

  “I came here to come clean with you today.”

  “Come clean?”

  “Yes. Our lunch date.”

  Date? Oh scrap. I forgot I planned on meeting Oliver to show him the message board chat. I needed to stop tipping off the suspects that I was on to them. “Don’t worry about explaining to me, Darlene is headed over to the police station. Shouldn’t you try escaping or something?”

  “You should try reading more literary fiction instead of those crime novels.” Oliver crossed his arms and looked down his nose at me. “All those books are warping your senses.”

  I wondered if Ted would accept a books-made-me-do-it defense. Probably not. Oliver shouldn’t look so smug; the cops were soon to be after him, not me.

  “There’s no reason for me to run out of here. There is nothing illegal about purchasing a necklace,” Oliver said.

  “No. But the police might be interested in the fact you’ve been keeping your relationship with Belinda a secret. Maybe your other woman got a little jealous and decided to get rid of the competition.”

  From Darlene’s reaction, I’d wager Belinda set her competitive spirit onto winning Oliver...which meant Darlene went back on the suspect list.

  Oliver’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t in a relationship with her. Heavens no. It was a mutual beneficial friendship. But it ended a few months before I entered into my current arrangement with Darlene.”

  I did not want to know that. “Did Darlene know about you and Belinda? And did Belinda know your friendship benefit plan was over?”

  Oliver sighed. “You make this sound so unseemly.”

  I wasn’t making it, it was. “Interesting design of the letter. Could be a B or a D. Depending which cousin you were friends with at the time. Just how many women are you friends with?” I air quoted friends.

  Oliver turned crimson. “It’s not what you think.”

  I narrowed my eyes, leaning forward across the table. “That’s your go-to excuse for everything.”

  “It’s the truth. When I said date yesterday, I meant a previous engagement. Private meeting.”

  “D
ate usually means two people who are interested romantically in each other and are going out together. To get to know each other better.”

  Oliver swallowed. “Usually.”

  “I thought you were the word guy.”

  “I had to clear what I could tell you with someone.”

  “Clear what to tell me? Why would you need to check with someone? It’s not like you knew...” He knew what the thread said. I stared at him.

  He nodded, gazing down at the table. “I’m Little Lamb.”

  I sucked in a breath.

  Little Lamb had supported Darlene and threw me under the proverbial bus.

  “The necklace wasn’t for Belinda. You weren’t playing them against each other.”

  “No. I wanted her opinion on the necklace. I brought it to the signing to see if the jeweler duplicated the design Belinda drew up for me. It wasn’t what I had described to Belinda. Belinda said she’d take care of it. I left it with her.”

  “The clasp was broken when I found it.”

  “I was worried about leaving it with her. She told me she’d keep it safe and make sure it didn’t get stolen. Maybe she put it on.”

  And her jealous boyfriend saw her wearing it. He dragged Belinda back to the store to make her leave the necklace where she claimed she got it. Belinda tried to make him see the truth and he lost his temper, pushing her.

  Oliver must have read some of the thoughts in my mind. “You think the necklace had something to do with her murder.”

  “Someone told Hazel about the lost necklace and she told Belinda. If it wasn’t important to her why did Belinda want it back that night?”

  “Hazel was there when I gave it to Belinda. She knew it was for Darlene. I don’t know why she’d want Belinda to go and get it.”

  Unless Belinda never specified which necklace was lost. Did Hazel call Darlene and taunt her about the “gift” to Belinda from Oliver?

  Belinda had called someone about the necklace in Hazel’s presence. Hazel thought it was me. Had Belinda instead called her cousin to meet her there? But why the store?

  A horrible thought entered my mind. I shivered. Did Belinda plan on killing her rival for Oliver’s affections and tried staging it to look like I killed her?

  If so, was I now helping the real murderer, even if it was self-defense, clear her name?

  Stunned, I walked back to Scrap This. This was a turn in the case I had never expected, or a relationship I’d have ever imagined. Oliver White and Darlene Johnson. And Belinda Watson.

  I placed my purse under the counter and scanned, without taking in, the class plan Leonard dropped off.

  Hope slapped her hands onto the counter. Her lips were thin and tight, almost collapsed into her face.

  I jumped. Marilyn jumped. Cheryl looked downright pleased.

  Dianne did get ahold of my grandmothers.

  Marilyn scurried to the opposite side of the store, taking an undue interest in straightening the stickers.

  “You, young lady, are not allowed out of this store for the rest of the month. Your work hours are from open to close. Am I clear?”

  A smug smile stretched Cheryl’s mouth. For once Hope was the bad guy and it threw me off balance.

  “A month. Isn’t that kind of drastic?”

  “No. Throwing you in jail for obstructing justice would be drastic.” Ted now stood beside Hope, feet planted apart and a smug look on his face.

  He went to my grandmothers? I gaped at all of them. My grandmothers joined forces with Detective Roget.

  “What did I do?” I had to ask, even though I knew the answer. Playing dumb was my only chance at having a saving grace.

  “Withheld evidence.”

  Darlene hadn’t been joking, she took the necklace to Ted. Ugh! I knew better than to trust her.

  “I found an item lost in the store. How was I to know it was evidence?”

  “Do you normally keep items you find?”

  Hope crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “No. We usually send out an email.”

  I grimaced. “I meant to. I forgot.”

  “You forgot,” Ted said, shaking his head.

  “She forgot,” Hope said, sliding a look over at Cheryl.

  “I think I might forget to pay her this week since she’s spent so much time gallivanting around,” Cheryl said.

  Heat flamed my cheeks. Sierra stared at us as did a customer who walked inside. Leonard hastily filled out a teacher’s card, pretending he didn’t notice my humiliation. At least he made an attempt.

  I messed up. Big time. It didn’t mean I deserved a public dressing down like a mouthy ten-year-old. “I’m sorry. My mind has been scattered this week. I meant to send out the email but let it slip my mind. It didn’t seem important. Until today. There’s been so much going on around here. The murder. The breakin. My house being trashed.”

  Hope’s face softened.

  “Hope and I understood, even though we didn’t think it wise, when you helped Marilyn. This time I won’t stand for it.” Cheryl still had a little steel in her spine.

  “Your job is here at this store. Not out investigating,” Hope said.

  I was readying to smart off when the terror in grandma’s eyes registered in my thick skull.

  She lost her son. Her best friend lost her daughter. Earlier today, she watched another friend grieve for the loss of their beloved child. Hope was terrified her granddaughter might die too.

  “I got caught up in it. I couldn’t let people think what others said about me was true. I had to find out who broke into my house and get to the truth.”

  “That’s my job.” Ted caught my gaze and held it. He knew the truth hinted at in my words. While he understood my need for finding my past, his look said he worried more about my future.

  It was time to step aside and let the man do his job. Besides, I wanted nothing to do with this creepy situation between the cousins. I was out of it. “If I was you, I’d go have a nice conversation with Oliver White about the necklace. Belinda’s murder might have had to do with a family squabble over a man.”

  TWENTY-SIX

  I set the alarm on the store then hurried outside. The cold drifted down the back of my neck. The night was clear. The stars glittered against the sky, the light twinkling against the dumpster. I shivered and wished I had brought along a winter coat instead of my thinner jacket. Well, it wasn’t like I planned on joining Hope and Cheryl at the football game. My grandmothers were headed over to the game like every Friday during football season. I, on the other hand, bowed out like I did every Friday. Sitting on a cold metal bleacher, watching a game I knew nothing about, wasn’t my idea of fun.

  I had promised my grandmothers I’d sit at home, scrapbook, and snack out on junk food. Maybe have a chick-flick playing in the background or some grooving music. I swore I wanted nothing to do with Darlene or this case. No way was I going to get in the middle of whatever dysfunctional family drama the cousins got themselves into and ended with one of them murdered.

  A pair of headlights swept across the lot and headed toward me. The car inched forward. Panic built in my chest and flowed away when I recognized Darlene’s car. Shouldn’t she be in jail or something? I patted the door. No need to panic. One twist of the door knob and the alarm would sound, causing Nancy to call the police.

  Darlene parked. I kept my gaze glued to her. I shoved my hand into my purse and rooted around for my cell phone. After I made a call, I could clobber her with it. I wished I had some glitter, it worked wonders on Saturday.

  An arm wrapped around my neck and slammed me into a rock hard body. A round, cold object pressed into my forehead. What the— “Don’t move.” Hot breath that smelled like old coffee, stale donuts and mint hit me in the face.

  What was going on? I grabbed onto the arm holding me hostage and pushed at it. My other hand trapped inside my purse.

  The arm squeezed tighter. “I said don’t move.”

  Darlene stepped out of the car with her hands up in t
he air. “You don’t have to hurt her.”

  “I wouldn’t have, but you just had to become partners. You’ve left me no choice.” The man removed his arm from around my neck and shoved me toward the door. “Get inside. Both of you.”

  I stumbled forward, my purse tipping to the ground scattering all my possessions. I caught my balance before I slammed into the brick wall.

  Darlene hustled over to my side. I moved away from her. I trusted her as much as I did the man with the gun. I peeked at the man.

  Leonard motioned at the lock with his gun. His face was contorted into a mask of pure hatred.

  “Faith has nothing to do with this.”

  “That’s a lie.” Leonard pointed the gun at me then the door. “Open it now.”

  I stared at him, trying to figure out his and Darlene’s role in the mess. I was pretty certain of his, the wanting to kill us kind of gave it away. Belinda and Leonard also? Did he see Oliver give her the heart necklace and get jealous?

  “I mean it. Open the door.” He reached for the keys I clutched in my hand.

  “No.” The fight returned to my body. I twisted away, holding them pressed against my stomach. There was no way I’d let this man kill me in my grandmothers’ store. If he wanted to shoot me, he could do it now.

  Leonard shoved me between the shoulder blades.

  I pitched forward. My head thunked into the brick wall. Specks of light danced before my eyes. I braced my hand on the wall as my knees buckled. The keys clattered to the asphalt. The security lights flashed on. Good. Hopefully the police arrived before Leonard’s patience ran out.

  “Don’t hurt her.” Darlene snagged me around the waist and hauled me to my feet.

  “Get her to open the door.” Leonard licked his lips and scanned the parking lot. Sweat dripped down his forehead and nose.

  He was scared. That gave us somewhat of an advantage. He did have the gun. If we remained calm, we both had a chance of getting out of this alive.

  Think, girl, think. The storage room. We stored items in there before we put them on the shelf. Maybe I should open the door. I closed my eyes and concentrated, doing a quick inventory in my mind. Boxes of cardstock. No good. It was too heavy to lift and throw. Glitter. Unless we wanted a trail for the police to follow, it wouldn’t help us much in getting away. Advance Tape Gliders, sometimes referred to as guns, was another useless scrapbooking product to stop a killer. It wasn’t like we could stick his hand, and the rest of him, to the wall until the police showed up. The adhesive was permanent but not that permanent.