Crimped To Death

by Tonya Kappes

  All of our heads turned toward Reba who was waking up.

  “Reba!” I rushed over forgetting all about her. “I love these. Great choice.”

  Marlene rushed over as I continued with our little plotted plan to throw off tipsy Reba who definitely couldn’t control her alcohol and shoved the pieces she had made in Reba’s face.

  Reba was a little disoriented, but smiled when she saw “her” ideas come to life.

  “I did pick out some nice beads, didn’t I?” She wanted confirmation.

  “Beautiful.” Cheri confirmed and walked over taking a closer look at the earrings that did turn out very nice. “You are going to look stunning.”

  “Thank you.” Reba still had a confused look on her face, but she bucked up and did her best to cover it up.

  “We have our next appointment scheduled.” I gestured to help her up. Marlene put the earrings in Reba’s bride box and whisked it off to the back. “I’ll see you then.”

  Still dazed, Reba smiled and nodded, quietly walking out of The Beaded Dragonfly. I locked the door behind her and flipped the sign.

  “I think we all need to go around town and dig a little more. Think,” I encouraged them. “Ask people. People in Swanee love to gossip. We have to help Bernadine.”

  I glanced at the phone hanging on the wall hoping it would ring and that Flora would be on the other line. It didn’t. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

  Finally, Agnes Pearl stood up and broke the tension.

  “Well, I don’t think Bernadine did it. And it’s just like an ex-ass to get the last laugh.” She adjusted her turban and waddled out of the shop.

  “We’ll see who gets the last laugh,” I muttered under my breath when all the Divas had left. “Charlie thinks she’s fooled us all, even her sister. She better think again.”

  Chapter Twenty

  I ran home to check on Willow to make sure she was okay and took her for a quick walk around the lake. The pretzels and chocolate were loaded with fat and it was the last thing I needed to eat. I had spent a good part of the afternoon trying to get the damn things out of my teeth with no luck. Dr. Russell’s floss was the kind that didn’t have wax. And I liked the wax. Slipped in and out easy. No fuss. No blood.

  There hadn’t been any time to do laundry so I put the jeans back on that I had walked in with Bernadine and had worn the day before. They were already dirty and if I was going to be decorating a barn, there was no need to put on good clothes.

  On the way to the meeting, I reached over to my console of my Beetle and got out the floss Bernadine had given me from Henry’s new office.

  “Ha! Wax.” I read the label and happily tore off a large piece.

  Just like I knew it would, the floss glided between my teeth, grabbing all those pretzels pieces Dr. Russell’s floss couldn’t. I made a mental note to tell Patsy at our bead meeting tomorrow about how she needed to get wax floss instead of the non-wax. I put the floss in my jean pocket just in case I needed it later.

  The gazebo was in the open courtyard right behind the courthouse. The twinkle lights were already positioned around the top of the century-old wooden structure, through the lattice, and around the pillars. The performance stage will feature Swanee’s finest talents, including cloggers and local musical acts. The folding chairs and picnic tables dotted the courthouse lawn.

  The old barn was directly behind the gazebo. It looked like a few men were in there building the dance floor.

  “Holly!” Ginger waved her arms in the air.

  She was in the front row. Her hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail. She wore a long flowing dress and jeweled sandals to match. She looked like she was still on the vacation she just got home from.

  “I didn’t mean to sit right up front.” I sat next to her in one of the empty seats. “No one wants to sit up front.” I hung my bag on the back of the fold up chair. “Shit,” I whispered when I saw Sean and Charlie walking down the middle aisle.

  I slumped down in my chair and ran my fingers through my hair.

  “Holly.” Sean acknowledged me when he took the seat next to me and Charlie took the seat next to him.

  “Sean.” I planted a fake grin on my face. Briefly, I glanced over at Charlie. Killer. “Charlie.”

  One of the committee chairmen brought the meeting to order before Charlie could even speak which was fine with me.

  I had no idea what the chairman and Bobbi were talking about and really didn’t care since I was there for one reason only. I looked around to see if I could find Dr. Russell and I continued to keep my eye on Charlie.

  “Are you okay?” Ginger tapped my leg. The crickets chirped in the background helping disguise our whispers.

  “I’m fine.” I swallowed hard and shook the notion that Dr. Russell and Charlie had somehow made some elaborate scheme to kill Henry.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man that looked a lot like Dr. Russell stand up and walk toward the back. Out of the other corner of my eye, Charlie put her long fingers on Sean’s thigh and whispered something in his ear before she got up and walked toward the back.

  I waited a second, trying to gather my thoughts before I whispered in Ginger’s ear, “I need to pee.”

  “Now?” she asked.

  I didn’t bother answering in fear I would miss out on where Charlie and Dr. Russell had gone. All the seats were filled and there was standing room only on the courtyard ground. I walked on my tiptoes to see if I could see over everyone’s head, but since I was vertically challenged—short—I picked up the pace. When I got to the back of the group, I looked left and right but didn’t see Charlie or Dr. Russell.

  The large glass courthouse door that was up the steps in front of me, swayed a little, as if someone had gone in. I looked at my watch. It was well after seven and I knew they closed at five.

  “Not if you have a key because you are redecorating the courthouse.” I whispered. A little tickled hit erupted in my gut when I realized that Charlie was probably the designer and it would be a perfect place for her and Dr. Russell to have a little rendezvous.

  One-by-one I took the marble courthouse steps up to the large glass door. I inhaled deeply and gripped the brass handle. Slowly I glanced behind me to see if anyone was looking. When I saw that the coast was clear, I opened the door and slid in.

  The century-old courthouse was creepy during the day, downright terrifying at night. The red dot on the fire alarms and sprinkle system was the only light, which was no bigger than an ant on the wall.

  “What did you say?” A voice echoed down the hallway.

  Lightly, I walked down the hall, following the murmurs. I stopped shy of the door where the light was coming from. With my backside and palms pressed up against the wall, I slid my way along until I reached the crack of the slightly open door.

  Charlie and Dr. Russell were about an inch apart. Charlie continually wiped her eyes as though she had been crying.

  “I didn’t say anything,” Charlie said. “There wasn’t anything to say.”

  “Did you say anything about me wanting you to spy on him?” Dr. Russell grabbed her by the arms and jerked her to look up at him.

  “No. They are assuming I smacked him at the bar because they believe he told me he was getting back with that fat wife of his.” She jerked away and stepped back. “When I really smacked him for grabbing my ass.”

  “You keep doing what you are doing. Including the baked good for Barbie and keep your mouth shut,” Dr. Russell warned.

  A deep-set fear made me rush back down the hall and into the shadows of the courthouse when I realized they were coming out of the room.

  “I will meet you at the office tomorrow at lunch to discuss the plans.” Dr. Russell walked behind Charlie giving him instructions. “The Barn Dance is in a couple of days and hopefully Bernadine will be in jail and this whole mess will be over. No one ever has to know.”

  “How do I look?” Charlie turned around and tousled her hair, making me all sorts o
f jealous. I never looked that good after I cried. “I can’t let Sean see me like this.”

  “You keep Sean oblivious to what is going on. Hear me?” Dr. Russell swept a strand of Charlie’s hair behind her shoulder before he tucked his hand behind her neck. Bringing her closer to him, his lips covered hers in the most passionate kiss I had ever seen. Certainly one I had ever seen a doctor give to his interior decorator.

  “Shit. Shit. Shit.” My mind was reeling after they let themselves leave one before the other, giving them enough space so members of the committee wouldn’t notice them together. I took my cell out of my pocket. I had to get ahold of anyone. Someone. “Charlie and Dr. Russell killed Henry.”

  I held the phone in the air trying to get some reception.

  “You knew the whole time.” Sean came out of the shadow and into the dimly lit hallway. “You knew she was playing me for some type of fool and laughing your ass off.”

  “No. No I had no idea.” I took my hands out of the air. “But I think she and Dr. Russell killed Henry.”

  “Why do you think that?” he asked.

  “Because she was the interior decorator for Henry. She had access to his office. She went on a date with Henry before she cherry-picked you and she just kissed Dr. Russell.” I put my phone back in my pocket.

  If I had to get all of this off my chest and Sean was the only one there to be a sounding board. . .so be it.

  Damn, did he look good. And his natural scent that drove me crazy when we were younger and got me into bed, was even more aromatic tonight.

  “That makes her a killer?” He laughed and ran his hands through his loose locks. “She isn’t a killer.”

  “Dr. Russell didn’t want the competition from Henry. I know Henry was taking all his clients from him and Dr. Russell would stop at nothing to get rid of Henry.”

  “He didn’t kill Henry, Holly.” Sean looked down at his feet. “Bernadine did.”

  “She did not,” I defended her.

  “They made an arrest as soon as she left your shop tonight.” Sean’s eye stared at me intently as if he was trying to see what I was going to do.

  There was no time to waste. I rushed to the door and tugged on the handle. I had to get to Bernadine as fast as I could. I had to give Noah Druck the information about Dr. Russell and Charlie’s affair.

  “Why won’t it open?” I tugged harder.

  “Bernadine had the most to lose.” Sean continued to talk as I continued to tug. That was one quality of his that didn’t fit into our relationship. He loved to ignore me. “There was a five million dollar insurance policy on his life in Bernadine’s name. If he died before the end of the alimony payments, she was to be awarded five million dollars.”

  “Five what?” I shook my head in disbelief. “Did you and Charlie knock back a few before the meeting?”

  I pulled on the handle more.

  “Open!” I screamed and banged on the glass. I put my hands over my eyes and shielded them to look out at the Barn Dance meeting, but it looked like they had dissipated and everyone had gone into the barn, way across the lawn. “Shit. We are locked in here and no one can hear us.”

  I planted my back up against the glass door and slid down with my hands in my face.

  “Did you hear me?” Sean babbled on while I tried to think of ways to get out of here. . .away from him.

  “Phone! Donovan!”

  Donovan. . .my stomach churned. I had completely missed our eight o’clock Second Cup dessert date because I was stuck in here with Sean. I held the phone in the air and swirled it around when I saw that I still didn’t have any bars. I felt sick. I was already walking a thin line with our rocky relationship, no thanks to me.

  “Donovan. Weee!” Sean waved his hands in the air and began to clap. “Yippee! Donovan can come save us. Poor us, helpless us. Right,” he mocked me. “And you won’t be able to use your phone in here. All the equipment blocks the cell tower signals.”

  “He’s going to be so mad at me.”

  “I hope you tell him you were with me.” Sean grinned and winked. “It will send macho man right over the edge.”

  “Shut up,” I snapped. “What did you say about five million dollars?”

  “Sweet Bernadine had it out for Henry.” Sean popped a squat next to me after he took a tug on the door handle. “She didn’t like the fact that he was taking her back to court to stop the alimony. I guess she left out the little bit of information about the five million dollar life insurance policy she made him take out to ensure she got her full installment of the alimony payments even after death.”

  “Wait,” I interjected. “Are you telling me that there was a life insurance policy worth five million dollars payable to Bernadine?”

  “Yes. If Henry was alive and finished out the alimony payments, the life insurance policy was voided. If Henry died before the alimony payments were complete per the divorce decree, then Bernadine was the beneficiary of the five million dollar policy.” He tapped his temple and leaned over. He whispered, his breath hot against my cheek, “One smart divorcée.”

  “And that proves she killed him?” I asked, knowing it was a great reason to kill someone.

  “Come on, Holly.” His face contorted. “Five. Million. Dollars.”

  “Too bad you weren’t worth that much and I didn’t have that policy or you would’ve been dead a long time ago.” I sat shocked.

  Why didn’t Bernadine tell me about the policy?

  “That can’t be true.” I turned to Sean, not looking into his green eyes. “Bernadine didn’t have the crimp tool. It was in the Under.”

  “What?” Sean had a perplexed look on his face.

  Quickly I gave him the run down on the crimp tool and how I knew Charlie had been making bracelets at home.

  “Charlie may be a lot of things. And I mean that. . .” His lips turned up like he had a dirty little secret about her, but knew not to tell me. “But she is not a killer. Killer body maybe.”

  “Shut up!” I pushed him over and he laughed the whole time.

  “Holly, she isn’t a woman like you.” He sat back up. His jaw tensed. His eyes locked with mine for a moment too long.

  My heart fluttered. I took a deep gulp as his upper body leaned in a little too close.

  “I have to get out of here.” I stood up and dusted off my backside. “There is no way she killed Henry. Money or not.”

  Something didn’t add up and I was going to figure it out.

  “They aren’t going to hear you.” Sean’s harsh laughter echoed throughout the halls of the courthouse as he got a kick out of me pounding on the glass.

  “What time is?”

  “Why? We aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.”

  “What time is it?” I screamed and grabbed my phone. “Nine o’clock. Shit! Shit!”

  I could picture Donovan over at Second Cup waiting on me. Another chance and I blew it.

  “Were you and muscle man supposed to go out tonight?” Amusement danced around Sean’s face and his dimples deepened when he saw the look on my face and he was right. The look I always hated. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  “Shut up.” I slid back down the glass door, giving up on all hopes. There was no way I was going to be able to explain to Donovan what had happened. Twice in two days with Sean. It was over. “You can’t just leave well enough alone. Why? Why Sean? You don’t want me. You just want to say that I fell for you all over again, just so you can break my heart.”

  About that time, I heard footsteps walking up the marble courthouse steps outside.

  Ginger’s face planted up against the glass door looking into the darkness of the courthouse.

  “Ginger!” I jumped to my feet and banged on the door. “We are in here!”

  “Okay! Hold on. I will get someone.” She rushed off.

  “Thank God I don’t have to be in here with you any longer.” I threw my arms down to my side. “Ouch!” I yelled out when something poked me.

  I put m
y hands in my pocket and pulled out the piece of metal Willow had found under the rock at Bernadine’s house and the feather from Henry’s office. I put them back in my pocket when I saw Ginger and Patsy walking up.

  They got the door open with a key.

  “Patsy was talking to the Mayor about his remodel and he gave us the keys to let you out.” Ginger and Patsy looked at us suspiciously. “What were you two doing in there?”

  “I came in to go to the bathroom and he followed me.” I shrugged and walked out before the glass door closed again on me. “He’s asking me out. Right Sean?”

  I didn’t wait for him to answer. I grabbed Ginger on one side of me and Patsy on the other as we made our way to the barn.

  Chapter Twenty One

  “How long were you in there?” Patsy blue eyes practically leapt out of their sockets with concern. “I would have a nervous breakdown if I was in that creepy place in the dark.”

  She handed the keys off to the Swanee mayor as we passed him. He smiled and she gave him a sweet smile and quick thank you.

  “And with Sean.” Ginger wasn’t going to let that part go. “Was he really hitting on you? What about Charlie?”

  “Charlie?” Patsy’s hat flew when she lifted her head. “Charlie St. Clair?”

  “Long, long, long story.” I bent down and picked up the Burberry-inspired hat.

  The straw fedora had the infamous Burberry plaid fabric around the base of it, giving it the touch of class we all knew Patsy encouraged. I handed it back to her.

  “Cool hat,” I said with a bit of jealousy in my gut.

  Patsy Russell was stylish, beautiful and much nicer than Charlie. Kevin Russell would be crazy to cheat on her, which made me think I was way off base with him being part of Henry’s murder, though Charlie was still number one suspect in my book.

  “I love this one. I’ve had it so long that I don’t even mind the wear and tear.” Patsy laughed and brushed off the brim before she stuck it back on her head. “I’m missing some bling and feathers, but I think I like it better without them.”

  “Still cute.” Ginger gestured to the table where all the strings of lights still needed to be strung. “Let’s go help out over there.”