Silenced in Sequins

by Debra Sennefelder

  Kelly was tempted to throw on a jacket and head out the door as she was, but she needed a little pick-me-up. She closed the bag of candy and went to her closet. She pulled out a cream-colored pencil skirt and selected a chunky, blush-colored turtleneck sweater from a dresser drawer for dinner. She added dangling earrings and a pair of nude leather booties.

  She checked herself in the mirror. Her mood lifted a bit. Good food, good friends, and a good outfit always did wonders for a gal.

  She shrugged into her coat and grabbed her camel-colored suede shopper tote, a significant purchase even with her Bishop’s thirty-percent-off employee discount. Aside from doing a job she loved, she truly missed the employee discount.

  She dashed across Main Street to make the short trek to Gino’s Pizzeria, where she found Ariel at a table. Ariel had pulled her chestnut brown hair back into a ponytail, and her bangs grazed her large brown eyes.

  “Okay, I feel underdressed.” Ariel glanced at her distressed jeans and fleece top.

  Kelly waved away the silly notion. “You look fine. I needed something to lift my spirits.”

  A waiter approached their table and took their orders for personal-sized pizzas. Kelly asked for a vegetable pizza, while Ariel ordered sausage and extra cheese.

  “Considering what happened the other day, I understand you need something to brighten your mood.” Ariel reached for her water glass and took a sip.

  She’d probably assumed Kelly’s funk was about finding Diana’s body, and since Kelly didn’t want to talk about her granny’s secret marriage and how it could turn her life upside down, she let Ariel continue with her thought.

  “I know Diana wasn’t the first person you’ve discovered murdered, but it still had to have been a shock.”

  “It was.” Kelly was preparing herself to push away the bread basket that was approaching their table.

  Their waiter arrived beside the table. Gino’s made the best bread and always served it warm with soft butter. Ariel dove in, breaking off a substantial chunk, and gestured for Kelly to join her.

  “I’m almost full. I had some ice cream earlier.” Some ice cream? Talk about a fib. It was more like the whole container plus a half a bag of M&Ms, but she didn’t want to publicly admit to that.

  “Have you heard Wendy Johnson was officially interviewed about the murder?” Ariel popped a piece of bread in her mouth and chewed.

  “I’m not surprised. They had a big argument at the party and have a long history of animosity. Though, the more I think about it, the more I find it hard to believe Wendy tracked Diana down and stabbed her to death.”

  “You know better than anybody that people are capable of heinous actions, given the right circumstances.” Ariel finished her piece of bread and drank more water, then she caught the eye of their waiter and asked for two glasses of wine for them.

  “True. But Wendy had already humiliated Diana at the party. Why kill her? I feel those women like the publicity their online and on-screen feuding gets them. So why resort to murder?” Kelly had a hard time imagining Wendy trading her designer clothes for a prison jumpsuit.

  Ariel shrugged. “Maybe Wendy was in a rage. You know, where all you see is red and there’s no reasoning.”

  Their waiter returned with their wine, and Kelly took a drink. Good call on Ariel’s part. She needed wine but in a bigger glass.

  Kelly leaned back. Gino’s was all decked out for Christmas. A tall tree in the vestibule with a life-sized family of snowmen had greeted Kelly when she arrived. Wreaths hung throughout the dining room, and evergreen swags draped entryways, while instrumental holiday music drifted from wall speakers. She cringed. There were no Christmas decorations at the boutique. Well, except for the mini snowmen Pepper had set on the sales counter. She still hadn’t taken down the autumn decorations yet. They needed to be stashed away, either in the minuscule storeroom in the boutique or in the storage unit she’d inherited along with the business. There she’d found two bins of her granny’s holiday stuff, but she wasn’t sure if she’d have enough. She hoped there were more hidden somewhere. It would save her money, but searching for them and decorating would cost her time.

  “Kelly. Yoo-hoo.”

  Kelly snapped out of her thoughts. “Sorry. What did you say?”

  “Where did you go? We got our pizzas.” Ariel smiled and slid a slice onto her plate.

  “That was fast.” Kelly reached for a slice of her pizza.

  “Thank goodness. I’m starving.” Ariel swallowed her bite of pizza and then wiped her mouth with her napkin.

  “I’m sorry I’m distracted. I have a lot on my mind.” She bit into her slice and got a mouthful of spinach and onion and bubbling hot cheese.

  “Understandable. At least now you can stop worrying about the murder investigation. You’re not involved anymore. You gave your statement. And it’s not like Diana was a friend. All of your energy needs to be on the boutique. Are you going ahead with the holiday event?”

  Kelly wiped her mouth after she set her slice down. “The Edit? I think so. I’ve been making notes, and I’ve gotten in some good inventory for holiday parties and events. I need to set a date.”

  “What exactly is an Edit?” Ariel lifted her wineglass and sipped.

  “The theme is holiday parties. I’ll pull items from what’s available for sale and merchandise them for inspiration. This way every attendee will have an idea of how she can wear a garment, and she saves time because she doesn’t have to wade through racks and racks of clothes.”

  “Kind of like a fashion show?”

  Kelly nodded. “Without the models. Of course, everyone is free to browse the other merchandise, but the actual event is specific.”

  “Consider this my RSVP. I’ll be there. Oh, I also have clothes I’d like to consign. I didn’t realize how many scarves I have. Way too many for one person.” Ariel glanced at the chair next to her and the thick plaid scarf draped over her bag.

  “Awesome. I can come over and get the clothes.” Kelly reached for her wineglass and took a drink. Setting the glass back down, her thoughts drifted back to Wendy. She was the most obvious suspect, but what would be her motive? It seemed more likely Diana would kill Wendy, considering the leaked photographs and scathing blog posts. Maybe that was what happened. Maybe Wendy was defending herself and accidentally killed Diana.

  “Kelly. Kelly.”

  Kelly snapped out of her thoughts again. “Sorry. I can’t stop thinking about Wendy. I don’t think she’s guilty.”

  “It’s not your job or your responsibility. However, if she has the slightest motive for murder, then she’d better make sure she has a good lawyer, because we all know Detective Wolman will follow the smallest breadcrumb to build a case.”

  Kelly leveled a look at her friend. Ariel was right. Wolman’s job was to close a case, and to close a case she needed to charge someone with the murder. So if Wolman got a whiff of a reason for the murder, she’d follow the scent until she had a case and someone in handcuffs.

  “Enough talk about Wolman and Diana’s murder.”

  “How’s Mark doing these days?”

  Kelly groaned. Leave it to Ariel to bring up another topic she didn’t want to talk about. “Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?” Her not-so-subtle change of subject earned her a disagreeable look from Ariel, but her friend took the hint. They finished their dinner talking about the various holiday events in Lucky Cove and their plans for the coming year. Kelly passed on dessert, while Ariel indulged in a slice of chocolate cream pie. They left the restaurant and went their separate ways.

  All dressed up with no place to go. Not much had changed since Kelly was a teenager in Lucky Cove. Now twenty-six, she was all dressed up but had no plans. Again. After dinner with Ariel, she expected to go back to her apartment, change into her flannel PJs, and curl up in bed with the rest of the M&Ms, while Howa
rd judged her.

  Hyped up on sugar and wine, she called her cousin to find out what he was up to. Lucky for her, Frankie was at home, decorating, and he invited her over. All dressed up, and now somewhere to go. Even if it was her cousin’s place, she’d take it.

  Behind the wheel of her Jeep, she drove to her cousin’s condo a few miles outside of Lucky Cove. During the drive, she tried to remember what had happened to Wendy after Diana left the party. She couldn’t recall seeing Wendy after her run-in with Diana, but maybe Frankie had. It was possible, with all the guests—and there were plenty—that she and Wendy had never crossed paths again. If Wendy had stayed at the party and depending upon the time of death, Wendy could have an alibi.

  She parked in one of Frankie’s two assigned spaces. The two-bedroom condo was way beyond her cousin’s financial reach. His restaurant, Frankie’s Seafood Shack, was successful, but it was seasonal, which meant that, in the winter, he did private chef work to pay the bills. The condo was a gift or a bribe, depending upon how you looked at it, from his father.

  While most parents would be proud of their son if he’d graduated at the top of his culinary class and then studied in Paris, Ralph wasn’t. He wanted Frankie to come into the family business. Unfortunately for Ralph, Frankie didn’t love real estate development. He loved to cook.

  He also loved the condo.

  His father had dangled the residence as an incentive to get Frankie to try working at the office for six months. Ralph was sure his son wouldn’t be able to walk away from all the perks being the boss’s son offered or the financial reward of wheeling and dealing in real estate. When Frankie’s trial was up, the condo was his, free and clear—no matter what he decided. Frankie had decided to quit. With his housing taken care of, he had enough money to open his small restaurant.

  He might not have liked real estate, but he had learned how to work a deal from his father.

  “What took you so long? Wow, did you have a date or something?” Frankie walked away from the opened front door into the living room. With bare feet and dressed for a cozy night in shredded jeans and a baggy thermal top, he picked up a box of ornaments. “I think I should’ve bought a shorter tree. What do you think?”

  Modern renditions of holiday music classics filled the condo, giving Kelly a little holiday jolt. She smiled as she shrugged off her coat and dropped it, along with her tote bag, on Frankie’s sofa, which he had decorated with festive needlepoint pillows and a giant Santa Claus throw. She joined Frankie at the tree, which he’d placed in the corner between the fireplace and the built-in cabinet that housed the mega-sized television.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and checked out the tree from base to top. She doubted the topper would fit in the small space between the top of the tree and the ceiling.

  “What were you thinking?” She peered around the branches. She inhaled the fragrance of the freshly cut tree and immediately was transported back to a time when all she had to worry about was whether Santa got her letter in time for his elves to make her toys. What she wouldn’t give to have her childhood innocence back for one day.

  “That I was buying too short of a tree.” Frankie grinned.

  Kelly’s nose wriggled. Another aroma caught her attention. “Cookies? You’re baking?”

  Frankie’s grin got bigger. “Yes, I am. Help me finish decorating the tree, and I’ll share some hot-out-of-the-oven sugar cookies.”

  Kelly’s knees weakened. “My favorite.” Great, more sugar.

  Frankie laughed. “There isn’t a cookie that’s not your favorite.” He shoved the ornament box into her hands and then went to grab another box. “Earn your food.”

  “You think you can boss me around?”

  Frankie made a show of thinking for a moment, tapping his chin with his finger. “Yes.” He turned to the tree and hung a medium-sized round ornament. “Get trimming. And tell me why you’re here.”

  “Obvious?” She hung the ornaments. Frankie had a story for each one, like his mom used to. Tradition was important to Frankie. Maybe if Ralph and Summer respected the traditions Frankie valued, they’d have a better relationship. Then again, it didn’t seem like good parent-child relationships were a strong suit in the Blake family. Her own relationship with her parents was still strained, and she had no idea how to repair it.

  She gingerly pulled out a glass ornament in the shape of a stand mixer and hung it on a branch. Frankie had inherited their granny’s collecting gene and now had dozens and dozens of food- and cooking-related ornaments.

  “After Diana left your dad’s house, did you see Wendy later in the evening?”

  “What difference does it make?” Frankie stepped back from the tree and inspected it. “More filler.” He grabbed a handful of poinsettia picks and inserted them into bare spots.

  “Because she’s been officially interviewed in Diana’s murder.”

  “Not unusual. Look, Kell, you have a lot going on right now, so you don’t need to go looking for trouble.”

  Kelly set the box down and padded over to the sofa and dropped onto the cushion. She stared at the gray brick fireplace. Frankie had draped garland above the firebox. The sliver of the mantel was bare of any knickknacks or decorations. She fell back into the deep cushion and crossed her legs.

  Frankie looked over his shoulder. “I thought we had a deal.”

  “I want to renegotiate.”

  A timer dinged, prompting Frankie to set down the box and dash into the efficient kitchen. The noise coming out of the kitchen told Kelly he was pulling the cookie sheets out of the oven and plating the cookies.

  “Don’t forget the milk,” she called out.

  The refrigerator door opened and closed, and so did a cupboard door. A few moments later, Frankie appeared with a tray he set on the oversized coffee table. It held a plate of cookies and two glasses of milk.

  “I should let them cool.” He lifted the plate for Kelly.

  “Can’t wait that long.” She picked up a cookie and took a bite. Her eyes rolled upward as the buttery, sugary cookie melted in her mouth. But it was hot, hot, hot. Yet so worth the moment of discomfort.

  Frankie took a cookie and then returned the plate to the tray. After he finished his cookie, he washed it down with milk and then reclined back into the sofa. “What’s going on, Kell? Why are you asking questions about Diana’s murder? You have no stake in it.”

  “You’re right. I don’t. I guess there’s a part of me that feels responsible. I mean, the last few moments of her life will be remembered as a nasty catfight between her and Wendy because she shopped in my boutique.”

  “You need another cookie.” Frankie reached for the plate. “And you need to stop blaming yourself.”

  Kelly lifted a cookie off of the tray. She’d have to add another mile to her run in the morning after her poor food choices. She bit into the heavenly cookie. So worth every calorie.

  Chapter Six

  Kelly suppressed a yawn after she set her travel mug down and opened her laptop. She’d stayed at Frankie’s house longer than she expected last night. Her plan to run off the calories from the pizza and sugar cookies hadn’t happened. Instead, she’d hit the snooze button more than once and fell back to sleep each time. It was Howard’s meowing in her face that woke her. The cat didn’t understand personal space or boundaries.

  Because she was thirty minutes late, her morning routine was a blur. She raced from bedroom to bathroom to kitchen. Finally dressed and with Howard fed, she filled her travel mug and raced down the stairs to open the boutique.

  Thanks to her harried morning, she’d had little time to think about the dark cloud that had appeared yesterday while she was wrapping up her granny’s tchotchkes for storage.

  The dark cloud had a name—Marvin Childers.

  In the middle of the night, she woke with a thought. She could destroy the marriage certifi
cate and not say a word to anyone. If her granny was married to this man, wouldn’t he have shown up when she died? More curious, why hadn’t he shown up while she was alive?

  The whole situation seemed bizarre. No one would be the wiser.

  She tapped on the computer’s keyboard and navigated to the boutique’s online account on the Mine Now Yours website. She glanced at her watch. Pepper should arrive any minute. It would be her and Kelly in the boutique today. Breena had a full day at Doug’s.

  It took a moment for the website to come up, and she pulled the stool closer to the sales counter and sat. She logged into her account and checked the sales.

  Holy cow!

  All of Wendy’s dresses had sold.

  She’d been confident the dresses would sell, but she hadn’t expected them to sell so fast. Her elation was replaced by the added work she needed to squeeze into her day. She had to package the dresses and make a trip to the post office. After she created the account, she’d purchased a box of pretty note cards, each with a different fashion illustration, to write a personal thank-you to her online customers. She’d be writing a lot of thank-you notes during the day.

  Not a bad problem to have.

  Her cell phone rang, and she reached for it. She swiped the phone.

  “Hey, Pepper.” Kelly grabbed her travel mug and took another drink but was disturbed by a hacking cough she heard on the other end of the line. Her mug landed on the counter with a thunk. “Pepper, are you okay?”

  “No . . . I’m sick. I was feeling a little tired yesterday, and I woke up this morning . . .” Pepper stopped talking and coughed hard.

  “I hope you’re calling to tell me you won’t be in today.” She wasn’t only Kelly’s employee; she was also a dear friend she’d known since childhood and had been her rock since her granny had died. Hearing Pepper’s weak voice and coughing made Kelly nervous, and instantly her mind drifted to a worst-case scenario. Stop it. She’ll be fine. It’s only a cold.