Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things

by Rachelle J. Christensen

  Twenty minutes later, Natalie showed up for her fitting, her light brown curls twisted in an updo. “I’m trying to decide if I should wear my hair up or down.”

  “You’ll look beautiful either way, so do what makes you most comfortable,” I said.

  When she put the gown on, both Lorea and I sighed. Natalie’s full smile showed her white, even teeth. “I love this dress. It’s perfect, and the length is just right.” She turned slowly and Lorea followed, checking the circumference of the dress.

  “I feel like a princess,” Natalie said. She swayed in front of the mirror and let the organza frill trail through her fingers. “I also feel a little guilty about how much this dress costs.”

  Lorea’s smile faltered, and I knew she was fretting over the price and the conversation we’d had at the first fitting. Natalie was a native of this valley, and she knew the hard work required to earn every dollar on a farm.

  I stepped forward and turned Natalie toward the mirror. “Brock called me and said you would be worried. He wants to do this for you, so let him. I think you two bring out the best in each other, and you need to keep reminding yourself of that. The dress is expensive, but you only get married once.”

  Natalie laughed. “Hopefully.”

  Lorea snorted, and I shot her a look that she knew meant, “Quiet the cynic.”

  Natalie swished her gown back and forth in front of the mirror. “That is so sweet that he would call. This is all like a dream. I’ve always wanted a beautiful wedding.”

  “Yours will be so lovely, it’ll take your breath away,” I said. “As soon as you’re finished with Lorea, I have a few more things I want to go over with you.”

  “I want to check the waistline. You’d better not get any skinnier.” Lorea indicated Natalie’s thin figure, and Natalie blushed.

  “Oh, I almost forgot to show you the latest idea for your garden party, Natalie.” I lifted a Mason jar bouquet off a filing cabinet. “You’ve met the florist, Melissa, right?”

  “Yes, she’s fantastic.” Natalie eyed the flower arrangement with a smile.

  I rotated the Mason jar slowly in front of Natalie. “She and I were brainstorming, and we put slices of lemon in the water. Melissa had some white lilacs and daisies handy, but she said that freesia or daffodils would look lovely as well.”

  “I love the fresh look,” Natalie said.

  The front door chimed, and I heard someone call, “Yoo-hoo! Where are you, darlings?”

  “Oh, no.” I saw Lorea’s mouth drop open and several pins scatter to the floor. I set the Mason jar down and hurried out to the front, but I knew this wasn’t going to end well.

  “Good morning, Sylvia.”

  She wore a creamy yellow sundress that set off her auburn curls. When she waved a hand in my direction, her bracelets jingled. “I wish it was a good morning. I tried contacting the police, but they wouldn’t give me any information on whether my dress had been found or not.”

  My shoulders slumped. This woman would be the death of me. “I’m sorry, Sylvia, but they still haven’t found it, and as Lorea explained, it will most likely be damaged like the others. It’s best not to pin our hopes on that gown.”

  “But it was designed for me. There’s nothing else that even compares to it.” Sylvia’s nostril flared, and I looked away.

  “I’m sorry. Is there something else I can help you with right now?”

  Sylvia pushed past me. “I want to take a look at that detachable train Lorea showed me.”

  “But . . .” Sylvia had already entered the back of the shop before I could do anything to stop her.

  “You stole my wedding dress!” Sylvia screeched.

  Lorea stepped forward to protect Natalie. “Sylvia, please.”

  “I did not.” Natalie’s voice was quiet, yet firm.

  “And now you’ve taken the next best dress. You conniving piece of white trash. You think you’ll be happy as Mrs. Brock Grafton? Well, think again.” Sylvia held up her left hand and ripped the ring off her finger. She stuffed the gaudy engagement ring in her purse. “I’m available, and I’m going to make sure Brock knows it.”

  Natalie’s chin wobbled, but before she could say anything, Lorea took over.

  “Did you know that Adri has a picture of you and your mother before your plastic surgery?”

  I cringed as I watched the fury of Sylvia’s gaze redirect to me.

  “I’m going to press charges against your business for all the trouble you’ve caused.”

  My jaw clenched, and I felt anger shoot through me. I straightened my shoulders—no one talks to me that way and gets away with it. I stepped forward, catching her in a withering stare. “Sylvia, I’m sorry things haven’t worked out, but I’m certain you’ll be glad this happened later on. What if you had married a man you didn’t love?”

  “How dare you?” she cried.

  I took another step closer. “The police brought the old pictures of your family, so you might want to take it up with them if you’re concerned about how they are conducting their investigation.” I lifted my cell phone, selected Anthony Ford from my contact list, and then turned the screen toward Sylvia. “With this latest outburst, they might wonder if you stole the dress to sabotage your own wedding—you know, the wedding you set up to try to make your ex-boyfriend jealous enough to want you back?”

  Sylvia pursed her lips and clenched her fists. She glanced toward Natalie and Lorea and then back at me, gnashed her teeth, and screamed. Natalie cowered in the back, and Lorea’s eyes widened as Sylvia bolted for the door.

  The wedding bells above the door chimed, and I turned to Lorea. “I think we just officially made our first enemy in business.”

  Lorea shook her head. “Another txori buru.”

  Natalie sat on the loveseat in the back room, sobbing. I knelt in front of her and took her hands from her face. “Don’t you let her bully you. I’ve seen you and Brock together, and if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that he adores you. He loves you, Nat. I can see it in the twitch of his eye, that dimple in his cheek, even the way he stands up straighter when you’re near. You’re a perfect match for him. Don’t you ever forget that.”

  “Really?” Natalie wiped her nose, her face a picture of hope.

  I nodded.

  “Girl, he loves you like a fish loves water,” Lorea said.

  Natalie hugged me. “Thank you. I’m so sorry.”

  “You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” I said. “Be happy. You’re getting married in three weeks to an incredibly handsome man who wants to be with you, not some plastic surgeon’s pro-bono experiments.”

  Natalie shrieked and covered her mouth. “I can’t believe you said that.” We all laughed. Until the police arrived.

  Chapter 17

  Vintage Hankie Wedding Favors

  Collect vintage handkerchiefs in assorted colors. Arrange in a basket, on a cake stand, or in a cut-glass bowl with a placard that reads “For Your Happy Tears!”

  Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com

  Tony poked his head around the dividing wall of the back room. “Adri, do you have a minute?”

  “Did you really call the police?” Natalie whispered.

  I shook my head and put a finger to my lips. Lorea snorted, and I left the two of them on the couch, Natalie’s dress rustling as she laughed.

  Tony’s suit looked freshly pressed, and the badge clipped to his belt glimmered under the fluorescent lights as he turned.

  “Hey, I’ve been trying to call you,” I said.

  “I know. I’ve had some problems with my cell phone, but I got it working again.” He patted the phone clipped to his belt. “I came by to tell you we found something significant with one of the wedding dresses.”

  “What?”

  He held up a clear plastic bag that appeared empty at first glance. With his index finger, he touched the corner of the bag, and I leaned closer. As he tilted the bag I noticed a yellow-brown rock that was defini
tely not a rock.

  “You found—” Cursing myself for opening my mouth, I glanced at Tony.

  “Do you know what that is?” He gave me a curious look.

  The carpet suddenly held my interest, and I studied the flecks of dark brown and tan in the cream fibers until Tony cleared his throat. The uncut diamond in his evidence bag changed everything. I had to tell him. Now.

  Straightening my shoulders, I met his confused stare. “I need to talk to you but not here. Can we go somewhere private—not the police station?”

  “Adri, what’s going on?”

  I clenched my eyes shut and then opened them. “This is going to sound crazy.”

  “I’m listening.”

  I lowered my voice and pointed at the bag. “That is an uncut diamond, and I’m betting you found it along the hemline of one of my stolen wedding gowns. I know that because the people who smuggled those diamonds want them back, and they’re watching me.”

  Tony’s fingers grazed the handle of his gun as he looked out the front doors. “Where would you like to go?”

  “I have a meeting at noon with the wedding planner at the Sun Valley Lodge. It won’t throw up any red flags if you come—as long as you don’t look like a cop.”

  Tony shook his head. “I don’t like this.”

  “Me neither.”

  “I want to ask why you didn’t tell me this sooner.” He frowned. “But I’ll see you in a couple of hours. Please be careful.”

  With a nod, I headed back to check on Natalie and Lorea. Natalie had changed out of the wedding dress and looked through the notes I’d made by the fabric swatches in her new wedding binder. She held up the piece with the rose blush on cream linen. “This one is perfect.”

  “Let’s get to work, then.” We finalized the details of her wedding, and I showed her the calligraphy samples from Shayla. Natalie loved them.

  “I wish I could’ve used her for my invitations.” Natalie studied the portfolio of elegant writing.

  “I think it would be a nice touch for the place cards, though, don’t you?”

  “Can she have it done in time?” Natalie tapped one of the cards. “If she could do this style on paper that matched the fabric sample you gave me, it’d be lovely.”

  “I agree. Shayla can do this for us, guaranteed.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that my mom found about fifty more vintage handkerchiefs.” Natalie’s face brightened. “If we keep hunting, I’m certain we’ll have enough for the wedding.”

  “Everyone is going to love that idea.” We had all been collecting vintage hankies for two months to use as wedding favors. I had already hand-painted a sign with dark green lettering that read For Your Happy Tears! I had sanded the edges and given the coat of paint a few distress marks by pounding a flat-edged screwdriver into the wood to mar the surface. The result was a new sign that sported a vintage look to match the hankies, which would be arranged in a basket for the wedding guests.

  “I can’t believe it’s less than four weeks away now.” Natalie’s gaze settled on her gown hanging over a dress form while Lorea worked. “I’m glad I had a hard time finding the right dress, because that one is remarkable.”

  “Lorea knew it was yours as soon as it came out of the box.”

  Natalie bit her bottom lip. “I’m so sorry about all the trouble with Sylvia.”

  “Don’t be.” I patted her arm. “It’s not your fault.”

  “But maybe if I hadn’t been here today, she wouldn’t have called off her wedding.”

  “I don’t want you to think about her anymore, and I mean it. Every time you worry about her, you’re letting her win. That’s all this is to her—a game.”

  Natalie twisted her ring around her finger. “Okay. You’re right.” Her phone beeped and she glanced at the screen. Her face split into a wide grin. “Brock is coming to get me for lunch.”

  I couldn’t help smiling in return. “Sounds like fun.”

  “He says he wants to pay for the wedding dress now—full price, no discounts.”

  Lorea opened her mouth as if to protest, paused, and said, “Thanks, Nat.”

  Natalie squeezed Lorea’s hand. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll print up a receipt,” I said.

  Brock had already put down a hefty deposit for the wedding, so Lorea hadn’t waited for payment before getting started on Natalie’s dress. His check in the amount of eleven thousand dollars would pay off the loan to Walter Mayfield but wasn’t quite enough to order the next shipment of dresses. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure Lorea would be able to place another order anyway, with all the criminal activity attached to these dresses.

  A white Cadillac Escalade pulled in front of my shop, and Brock jumped out. His close-cut light brown hair and megawatt smile reminded me of Matt Damon. He was so down-to-earth that if I hadn’t seen him in the movies, I never would have believed he was a millionaire. He greeted Natalie with a kiss and flashed another grin in Lorea’s direction.

  “Do I get to see the dress?”

  “No, sir. You don’t,” Lorea shook her finger at Brock. “It’s bad luck.”

  “But couldn’t you make an exception? I’m a pretty lucky guy—just look at this beautiful woman who agreed to marry me.” Brock put his arm around Natalie’s waist and pulled her to him. She looked at him with adoration, and he gave her another light kiss.

  Watching the lovebirds, I was more determined than ever to create the wedding of Natalie’s dreams. If Sylvia stayed out of the way, I’d have plenty of time to devote to the rest of the preparations.

  I had barely sat down when someone entered the shop. Turning slowly, I caught sight of a beautiful bouquet of red roses against the backdrop of a familiar brown uniform. Colton lowered the roses and smiled at me, his cheeks darkening with what must have been as close to a blush as his brown skin would show.

  “I’m sorry,” he said as he approached with the bouquet. A wave of relief washed over me as he lifted a grocery sack from Roxy’s. “And here’s some chocolate to go with my peace offering.”

  “Thank you, Colton,” Lorea murmured from behind me. She was always sneaking up on me.

  “Yes, thank you,” I echoed. “It all worked out. I was able to order another cupcake stand. I bet you’ll be back with it tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be extra careful.” He handed the roses to Lorea, and I saw the way his eyes met hers for a half second.

  I felt my face redden as I thought how crazy I had been earlier. Colton wasn’t going to fetch the diamonds. He went to buy an apology, and I was about to meet with Tony and tell him my suspicions. I shivered. Someone was still after me. Fear pricked my heart when I thought of how close the danger might be, and I didn’t have a hint of who might be stalking me.

  At noon, I met with Frankie Lawson of Sun Valley Lodge and gave her the bad news that Sylvia’s wedding had been cancelled.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if she changed her mind tomorrow,” Frankie said. “She’s so dramatic, she’s probably doing it to get attention.”

  “She seemed pretty serious.” Then I thought about the way Sylvia had taken off her ring and carefully tucked it into her purse. Frankie could be right.

  Frankie flicked off an invisible speck of dust from the cuff of her black business suit. “I’ll call Mrs. Rockfort and see if she would like me to hold the date. It might be interesting to get her reaction.”

  “You’re a saint. I purposely have not called her yet.” That woman had me on a pathway to an ulcer. Delegation was something I had perfected in my contacts with her. “I need your help for something else, though.” I explained as briefly as possible the theft of the wedding gowns and subsequent police investigation, including my need to meet with Tony in private.

  Frankie nodded. “Sure. I’ll just put you in an empty guest room off the main floor.”

  “Thank you.” I was so grateful for Frankie’s tact and ability to stifle her curiosity. She probably wondered why I hadn’t met Tony at the polic
e station but accepted my vague explanation. A moment later, a knock sounded at the door, and I recognized Tony through the frosted glass.

  Frankie escorted Tony and me into an empty room. Before I spilled the beans on my unlucky part in the business of diamond smuggling, I needed to have some assurances.

  “I have some information that I should have told you, but please don’t be angry with me.”

  Tony lifted his eyes to the ceiling and huffed. “Adri, I already asked you not to play detective.”

  “And I wasn’t. Honest. I know about the diamonds because of something I found, but I didn’t—couldn’t—tell you.”

  “You can tell me. I’m a police officer, but I’m also your friend.”

  “I want to tell you, but I need a promise from you first.”

  Tony held up his hands. “What’s this about?”

  “Just promise me that you will not take any more of my wedding dresses for the investigation.”

  “I can’t make a promise like that. I could take all of them now, based on that one diamond we found.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Fine.”

  Tony narrowed his eyes, and I could hear him noisily exhale as he scrutinized me. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll listen.”

  “Don’t you understand? I want to tell you, but if you’re going to confiscate my wedding dresses, then I can’t. Lorea is trying to start a brand-new business alongside mine, and we can’t afford any more setbacks. We’re doing some high-profile weddings, and we can’t have a wedding without a gown.”

  “Okay. I promise I won’t take any more of your wedding dresses, but you have to make me a promise.”

  I lifted my eyebrows. “What?”

  “That you won’t do any more sleuthing unless you call me first.”

  “You say that like I’m out looking for trouble.”

  Tony lifted an eyebrow.

  “Fine. Whatever. I promise—no more sleuthing.” We shook hands, and I sat in the straight-backed chair next to the bed. I took a deep breath and told Tony how I had found the diamonds in the hem of Natalie’s dress.