Maybe there was a way to let Tony know what was happening without giving up Natalie’s wedding gown.
Tony interrupted my guilty train of thought. “How many cans have you searched?”
I pointed down the street to two large dumpsters. “Those are the only ones left.”
“Would you care to search with me?” Tony asked. “Then you can tell me if anything looks relevant.”
“Okay.”
“You know, you could’ve called me before you started digging, and I would’ve come and helped you.” Tony looked at me, and I withered under his gaze.
Scuffing my shoe along the asphalt, I murmured, “I’m not trying to mess up your investigation. I just didn’t know how thoroughly those other officers dug through the trash. I thought maybe I’d find something that hadn’t seemed important.”
“Can you give me a chance next time? I’m a good cop. If you think it’s important, I’ll listen.” Tony pulled on a pair of work gloves and opened the next trash can.
That guilty feeling tickled the back of my throat, but I bit down on my tongue so I wouldn’t tell Tony anything. I needed time to think, and I couldn’t do that until we’d finished searching. “I’m sorry. If I think of anything else, I’ll tell you.”
After an hour of looking, we hadn’t found anything useful. The smell of rotten food and moldy garbage can innards left me feeling sick to my stomach. The nagging guilt over withholding information probably contributed to that, but I did my best to ignore it.
“Sorry about all this, Adri. We’ll be patrolling this area heavily, keeping an eye on your shop.”
“Thanks, Tony.” I hurried home to take a shower before I changed my mind and confessed.
Natalie’s wedding gown looked ethereal hanging in the dim light of my spare bedroom. Although I was relieved it was still safe, it seemed to emanate tension as I thought about the diamonds in my quilt.
Lorea texted me to say she was on her way over to pick up the dress. I couldn’t put her in danger, but I knew she needed to finish the alterations. Tony said a patrol would be watching my shop. The scene of the crime might be the safest place for now. I replied to her text asking if she could meet me at work. Then I carefully zipped Natalie’s gown into the dress bag and rolled it up inside a thick quilt—I had at least six handmade beauties. My mom and Aunt Dana made sure I was warm and prepared for company. Holding the bundle close to my chest, I paused. I didn’t want anyone to see me with the gown, and the idea that the thief could be watching me sent a chill down my spine.
I loaded it into the cargo space and told myself to remain calm. Turning around, I scanned the parking lot. It felt as if someone were watching me, but I told myself it was just nerves. My body felt sore from lack of sleep and crawling through trash. I rolled my shoulders and stretched out my legs before climbing into my vehicle and locking the door.
Chapter 12
Handmade Candles
Measure the depth of a Styrofoam cup or other heat-resistant but temporary container. Cut cotton wicking one and a half times the depth of the container. Melt paraffin wax (one pound of paraffin melts to about 20 fluid ounces) in a double boiler. Add essential oils for your favorite scent. Stir in dried rose petals, eucalyptus leaves, berries, or wood shavings, using about four parts wax to one part mix-ins. Wrap one end of cotton wicking to a pencil that is slightly longer than the diameter of your container, and tape the other end to the inside bottom of the container. The wick should be slightly taut. Pour wax into your container and adjust the wick as needed. Once the wick is centered and taut, allow 24 hours for the wax to harden. Then cut the container and peel it away to reveal the candle. Trim the wick to ¾ inch. Wrap twine or ribbon around the candle.
Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com.
The trash cans looked foreboding when I arrived at the shop. I swear the smell of garbage still lingered on me even after a shower. My nerves were popping as I unlocked the back door. Everything was as I’d left it that morning. Lorea arrived a few minutes later, and I handed her Natalie’s dress.
“I’m sorry to make you come in, but I’m really worried, and I don’t want whoever vandalized those dresses to do something to you.”
“Why would they do something to me?
“To get Natalie’s dress.” I looked directly at Lorea with what I hoped conveyed the importance of what I was about to say. “I’ve been thinking that maybe her dress was the one they intended to take. When they realized they took the wrong ones, they trashed them.”
“But why would they want it?”
“Sylvia’s and Natalie’s are the most expensive dresses.” We both stared at the bag holding Natalie’s gown. “Maybe that’s why we haven’t found Sylvia’s yet.”
“You’re making me nervous.” Lorea clenched her hands together.
“Tony said the police will be keeping an eye on the shop, and I’m having someone come by later today to install a surveillance camera. Promise me you’ll be careful and keep that dress locked in the closet.”
“Okay.”
Lorea seemed scared, but that’s what I wanted, so I didn’t try to reassure her. If she was frightened, hopefully she would be more cautious.
It was almost noon by the time I got back to my condo. Dallas texted me and asked if I wanted to go to lunch. I wanted to see him, but I needed time to think through what to do with the diamonds and searching for Sylvia’s gown. I texted a reply as I approached my front door.
I really want to, but I’m swamped. Rain check?
Sure. See you soon. Don’t work too hard.
My heart fluttered when I read his reply and reached for the door, where a manila envelope taped near the door handle caught my attention. I pushed Send on the text and stuffed my phone into my pocket. ADRIELLE PYPER. I read my name in all caps and turned to look behind me before snatching the envelope from the door and hurrying inside. I didn’t like the feeling I had just now of being watched. With a shudder, I opened the envelope and emptied the contents onto the side table.
My heart froze for an instant, and goose bumps rose on my arms. Glossy eight-by-ten pictures of me in my jeans and light blue shirt caught my eye first. I leafed through the photos quickly, fingers shaking. A close-up of me stuffing the quilt containing Natalie’s dress in my trunk made my heart pound in fear. The pictures were from this morning, barely an hour ago.
I focused on a close-up of my face, pensive in thought. I’d been thinking about the stolen wedding gown when the picture was taken. Is that why I’d missed the pervert?
Flipping over the last picture, I sucked in a breath. The photo had been taken through the front window of my shop, and I could see a faint outline of myself behind the desk. On the bottom of the picture, someone had scrawled, I hear wedding bells ringing.
The photo dropped to the floor as I covered my mouth. Who was doing this?
Scrambling into my front room, I grabbed the quilt, pawing through the thick folds until I found the signature block. I ran my fingers along the bottom seam and felt the distinct bump of the gems I had hidden. They were still there, but someone was watching me. A thorough search of the rest of my house assured me that no one had been inside, but I didn’t feel safe.
My thoughts strayed to the farm in Rupert, and I craved the comfort and safety I always felt with my family. I could be there in less than two hours. I’d been meaning to go home to meet with an old friend of mine who had started a business designing wedding invitations, hand addressed with beautiful calligraphy. But I also had plenty of work to do here to prepare for Sylvia’s and Natalie’s bridal showers. For a moment, I vacillated between the two options. Then I grabbed a bag and began tossing in everything I needed for a quick jaunt to my hometown.
I’d have to report this to Tony, of course, but not until I was safely on my way. I considered taking the quilt with me, but I didn’t want to draw any attention to the hiding place, so I left it sitting conspicuously in my front room. The bag of diamonds threatened all kinds of
trouble to me for interfering in a police investigation, but I ignored that and hoped a way would present itself soon for me to come clean and still keep Natalie’s dress.
As I pulled out of my parking space, I dialed Tony’s number. “Tony, can you have someone drive by my house? I’m going to Rupert for the weekend.”
“Sure, but I think your home is safe,” Tony said. “Are you worried about something in particular?”
I struggled for a moment, unsure of what to do. “Someone left a picture of me taped to my front door.” I swallowed back tears. “It was from this morning.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m just pulling out of my parking lot.”
“Stay there. I’ll be over in five.”
I groaned as he hung up, and I looked at my shaking hands. Even though I was trying to be brave, I was scared, but I still couldn’t tell Tony about the diamonds. Closing my eyes, I braced myself for his questions and turned off the engine. Wait. Could someone be out there watching me now? I looked around, but no one was in sight. I locked the doors anyway before texting Lorea to let her know I’d be back first thing Monday morning. Better to keep busy.
Tony arrived in four minutes. After I let him in the house and showed him the pictures, he did a thorough search of every room. “I think it’s a good idea for you to go to Rupert. This is strange, but I’ll find the connection.”
My face paled as I thought of the connection I had already made. Tony referred to the wedding gowns, but it was probably all related to the diamonds hidden in my quilt.
He patted my arm. “Try not to worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this. And tell Wes hello for me.”
“I will.”
Ten minutes later, I stopped for a sandwich in Hailey. I sent a text to my mom:
Surprise! I’m coming home for the weekend.
I opted to eat my sandwich while driving, pushing to get home and see my family. For the first twenty minutes of the drive, I constantly checked my rearview mirror, but then I laughed at myself. What did a diamond smuggler look like? And what would I do if the criminal did decide to follow me? It was better not to think about it, so I pushed down on the gas pedal and continued on the back roads toward Minidoka County.
My mind kept wandering to the missing wedding gowns, diamonds, and the pictures taped to my door. I was pretty sure not telling the police was a bad idea, but I didn’t know what else to do at the moment.
As I entered the quiet streets of Shoshone, I reminded myself to slow to the twenty-five-mile-per-hour crawl through town. The cops here were relentless with the tourists on their way to Sun Valley, and a ticket wouldn’t help my insurance rates.
As I approached the turnoff to the old highway that would take me to my hometown, I couldn’t help but smile. When I first moved home from California and began investigating the possibility of starting a wedding business in Sun Valley, it had been ten years since I’d visited the American Shangri-La, as some locals liked to refer to the resort town. My sense of direction was a bit rusty, so I consulted Dad. He loved to give directions, and when he told me about the shortcut to Sun Valley, at first I thought he was kidding. “It’s three stop signs and you’re there.”
It really was that simple. Over one hundred miles of road, and I only had to make a right, a left, and another right. My path home led through fields of potatoes and sugar beets bright green under the warm sunshine.
I loved being away from the freeways and traffic jams of San Francisco. When I talked to Dallas about my family, he had hit on a point that I’d often asked myself. Was it the right decision to move to a tourist town where I didn’t know anyone? Back home, I was surrounded by people who knew my parents and my grandparents. My ancestors had homesteaded in Rupert at the root of its foundation. But then I thought about Lorea and the friends I’d made, the clients I’d served in the four short months I’d been in business in Ketchum. It was different, but I felt like I was in my element. And I knew Briette would approve.
When I pulled into the lane, our golden retriever ran up to my Mountaineer, barking and bumping into the fender. I honked and rolled down the window. “Hey, Samson.” The big dog’s tongue lolled to the side, and he dashed back to the house and then ran circles in the yard. My vehicle fit perfectly in the third space next to the garage. I hopped out and gave Samson a good scratch behind the ears.
“Adri, I just saw your text twenty minutes ago.” My mother, Laurel Pyper, opened the front door of the brick rambler and hurried across the wraparound porch. She wore denim capris and an old T-shirt emblazoned with She who dies with the most fabric wins! I couldn’t help but giggle and remind myself that I needed to have Jenna design a cute polo shirt for Pyper’s Dream Weddings and give my mom a few. As Mom explained it, she had lost her figure somewhere among all her pins and needles, so her capris had an elastic waistband and relaxed fit. Her blonde hair hid the few strands of gray that had sneaked in over the years, and she wore it shoulder length, the natural curl styled with extra-hold gel.
“It’s so good to see you.” Mom hugged me and then held me at arm’s length, her dark eyes piercing. “What’s wrong? More bad news about the stolen dresses?”
Mom had nearly been frantic when I’d told her and Dad about the burglary of my shop. I leaned in for another hug. “No. I figured I’d better come see what you and Jenna have cooked up for Sylvia Rockfort’s wedding. I probably won’t be able to come back until the end of the summer.”
“You’re not going to miss the Fourth of July!” Mom tugged on my arm, and I followed her to the porch. “I’ve already planned the family picnic, and your dad just bought new water guns for our annual soak-fest. I can’t believe you’d be so busy you’d have to miss out on our family celebration.”
My mom was always so dramatic, but Rupert did put on a great celebration for Independence Day, and my family had attended every summer for forty-three years. Farmers tend to stay close to home during the growing season, and my dad was no exception. The few vacations we did take were planned around grain and potato harvest. Besides, once my dad spent money on a boat we could use on the Snake River, less than ten minutes from our home, we didn’t need to go anywhere else.
But at least my announcement had diverted her from grilling me about why I’d suddenly come home. “Mom, I have two weddings before the end of June, and people are just starting to find out about Natalie and Brock. I expect a lot more bookings once word spreads.”
“Oh, how is Natalie? She always looks so pretty in the tabloid pictures,” Mom gushed. “I hope you’ll let me create something for her wedding.”
“Natalie is as sweet and down-to-earth as they come. Brock’s lucky to have found her. I just hope the reporters don’t infringe on their happiness.”
Mom gave me a pointed look.
“And yes, I’ve already given her your portfolio of centerpieces.”
Mom punched the air and gave a whoop. I laughed. She did have a knack for pulling together extraordinary decorations. Fishbowls with the bride and groom’s name etched in the glass with rose petals floating on the water and a live beta fish swimming in it was just one example of her foray into the creative world of weddings. When a bride was looking for something unique, I’d find it after a brainstorming session with my mom.
The hook where my dad hung his cowboy hat caught my attention. “What’s Dad up to?”
“He’s out back checking the fence.”
I followed Mom across the great room into her spacious kitchen that overlooked the backyard and horse pasture. She and Dad had remodeled five years ago, knocking out a wall and doubling the size of the kitchen. My mom’s favorite part of the remodel was the large room just off the kitchen which had become Craft Central.
I could see the top of my dad’s cowboy hat bobbing along the irrigation ditch as he restrung electric fencing on the digger links that lined the bank. A part of me longed to kick off my shoes and run outside through the lush green grass in my bare feet. The poplar trees towered over the
pasture, and I wondered how far I could climb, given the chance. I’d spent plenty of days with my brother scrambling up those trees and shouting across the open fields at the top of our lungs.
Thoughts of my big brother warmed my heart, and I turned from the window to the direction of his house. He and Jenna had built a new home two years ago on the eastern edge of the farm only half a mile from my parents. My brother knew how lucky he was, so it was hard to feel anything but happiness for him, even though a small part of me wondered when I would have a family of my own.
“Are Wes and Jenna around?”
“I already invited them to dinner so you could play with Bryn.”
I grinned, and Mom laughed. “What did you bring her this time?”
“Well, this visit was kind of spur of the moment, so I grabbed a box of Reese’s Pieces from my stash.”
“I’m sure Jenna will love that.”
“I can share with Jenna, too. Wes is probably out spraying, right?”
“Yes. He loves listening to those epic fantasy novels on his iPod while he works.”
I had given Wes his iPod Touch for Christmas with a subscription to Audible and a special pair of noise-cancelling headphones that he wore in his tractor. The machinery was so incredibly loud that he couldn’t hear a thing otherwise. He worked long days, spraying all the five hundred sixty acres planted in potatoes and grain each year with a tractor equipped with a huge spraying contraption that spanned twenty-five yards.
“I’m glad he likes it. And I’m glad we can all get together. It’ll be fun to hang out.” I put my arm around my mom. “Do you want me to help you make supper?”
“You mean we have to eat?” Mom looked longingly at her craft room and then frowned at the kitchen. “I wanted to show you my latest creation.”
“If we set foot in that room, it’ll swallow us whole, and then Dad will be hungry and grumbling about his need for a personal chef.”
We both laughed. “You’re right,” Mom said. “Let’s see what we can whip up.”
Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things Page 12
