Haunted Is Always in Fashion
Page 1
PRAISE FOR ROSE PRESSEY AND IF YOU’VE GOT IT, HAUNT IT
The First Haunted Vintage Mystery
“Rose Pressey’s books are fun!”
—New York Times Bestselling Author Janet Evanovich
“A delightful protagonist, intriguing twists, and a fashionista ghost combine in a hauntingly fun tale. Definitely haute couture.”
—New York Times Bestselling Author Carolyn Hart
“If you’re a fan of vintage clothing and quirky ghosts, Rose Pressey’s If You’ve Got It, Haunt It will ignite your passion for fashion and pique your otherworldly interest. Wind Song, the enigmatic cat, adds another charming layer to the mystery.”
—New York Times Bestselling Author Denise Swanson
“If You’ve Got It, Haunt It is a stylish mystery full of vintage fashions and modern flair, with a dash of Rose Pressey’s trademark paranormal wit for that final touch of panache. Chic and quirky heroine Cookie Chanel and a supporting cast of small-town Southern characters are sure to charm lovers of high fashion and murderous hi-jinks alike.”
—New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jennie Bentley
“Absolutely delightful! Prolific author Rose Pressey has penned a delightful mystery full of Southern charm, vintage fashion tips, a ghostly presence, and a puzzler of a mystery. With snappy dialogue and well-drawn characters in a lovely small-town setting, this thoroughly engaging story has it all.”
—New York Times Bestselling Author Jenn McKinlay
“Fun, fast-paced, and fashionable, If You’ve Got It, Haunt It is the first in Rose Pressey’s appealing new mystery series featuring clever vintage-clothing expert Cookie Chanel. A charming Southern setting, an intriguing murder, a stylish ghost, a Tarot-reading cat, and a truly delectable detective combine to make Ms. Pressey’s new Haunted Vintage series a sheer delight.”
—New York Times Bestselling Author Kate Carlisle
“Prolific mystery author Pressey launches a cozy alternative to Terri Garey’s ‘Nicki Styx’ series with an appealing protagonist who is as sweet as a Southern accent. The designer name-dropping and shopping tips from Cookie adds allure for shopaholics.”
—Library Journal
Also by Rose Pressey
The Haunted Vintage Mystery Series
If You’ve Got It, Haunt It
All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt
Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore
The Bayou Series
Lost on the Bayou
The Hadley Wilds Series
Dead Girl’s Guide to Style
Maggie, P.I. Mystery Series
Crime Wave
Murder Is a Beach
The Halloween La Veau Series
Forever Charmed
Charmed Again
Third Time’s a Charm
Charmed, I’m Sure
Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Series
These Haunts Are Made for Walking
The Rylie Cruz Series
How to Date a Werewolf
How to Date a Vampire
How to Date a Demon
The Larue Donavan Series
Me and My Ghoulfriends
Ghouls Night Out
The Ghoul Next Door
The Mystic Café Series
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells
Pies and Potions
The Veronica Mason Series
Rock ’n’ Roll Is Undead
A Trash to Treasure Crafting Mystery
Murder at Honeysuckle Hotel
Honeysuckle Homicide
The Haunted Home Renovation Mystery Series
Flip That Haunted House
The Haunted Fixer-Upper
Haunted Is Always in Fashion
Rose Pressey
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
PRAISE FOR ROSE PRESSEY AND IF YOU’VE GOT IT, HAUNT IT - The First Haunted Vintage Mystery
Also by Rose Pressey
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 2 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 3 - Cookie’s Savvy Vintage Clothing Shopping Tips
Chapter 4 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 5 - Cookie’s Savvy Vintage Clothing Shopping Tips
Chapter 6 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 7 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 8 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 9 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 10 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 11 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 12 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 13 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 14 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 15 - Cookie’s Savvy Vintage Clothing Shopping Tips
Chapter 16 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 17 - Cookie’s Savvy Vintage Clothing Shopping Tips
Chapter 18 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 19 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 20 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 21 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 22 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 23 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 24 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 25 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 26 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 27 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 28 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 29 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 30 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 31 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 32 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 33 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Chapter 34 - Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Chapter 35 - Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Acknowledgments
IF THE HAUNTING FITS, WEAR IT
About the Author
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2016 by Rose Pressey
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4967-0553-2
ISBN-10: 1-4967-0553-X
First Kensington Mass Market Edition: December 2016
&nbs
p; eISBN-13: 978-1-4967-0554-9
eISBN-10: 1-4967-0554-8
First Kensington Electronic Edition: December 2016
To my son, the kindest, most wonderful person
I’ve ever known. He motivates me every day.
He’s the love of my life.
Chapter 1
Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Adding vintage items
to contemporary pieces in your wardrobe
will add that special flair you’re looking for.
A police car zoomed by with its sirens blaring and lights swirling. Not ten seconds later, another one sped by my red 1948 Buick convertible. Cotton ball clouds drifted like sailboats across the blue sky. The sun popped in and out from behind the clouds, warming up the morning, but the air had shifted. Fall had arrived in Sugar Creek, Georgia . . . not that it would bring a big change. Nonetheless, I loved this time of year.
I had left my house bright and early so that I wouldn’t be late for my meeting with Juliana McDaniel. The author had contacted me last week for an interview. She was writing a book about vintage fashion and apparently wanted my expertise. Of course I was flattered that she’d asked. My name is Cookie Chanel and I’m a vintage clothing connoisseur.
Since Juliana had never been to Sugar Creek, I’d decided to meet her at the edge of town at a little café called Sweet Southern Charm. The food was decent, but nothing compared to my friend Dixie Bryant’s place, Glorious Grits. I hoped Dixie didn’t find out about my trip or she’d think I was cheating on her diner.
I was wearing a pair of 1950s classic white, yellow, and gray checkered plaid knee-length shorts and a white short-sleeved Oscar de la Renta sweater. I’d finished my outfit with a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo navy blue flats. I’d found the sweater at a yard sale for the out-of-this-world price of one dollar. That steal had put me on cloud nine for the rest of the day.
The ghost sitting beside me in the passenger seat had decided to wear Louis Vuitton black slacks and a pale yellow silk Carolina Herrera blouse for our meeting. Yes, I said ghost. Although she wasn’t into vintage clothing as much as me, she still had impeccable taste.
Charlotte Meadows, the late socialite and businesswoman from Sugar Creek, was now one of my best friends. She was opinioned and stubborn but could be a real doll sometimes too. My best friend Heather Sweet didn’t share my opinion of Charlotte. They fought like cats and dogs most of the time. Heather owned an occult shop, Magic Marketplace, right next door to my boutique. She was a non-psychic psychic. More about that later.
“What do you think is happening?” Charlotte leaned forward in the seat for a better view down the road.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed more emergency vehicles. “Whatever it is, it must be serious. I hope everyone is okay.”
A little farther ahead, the road was blocked off. No traffic was being allowed through. Police cars had surrounded a black vehicle stopped at the traffic sign. An ambulance whizzed past us.
“Oh, maybe it’s a fugitive on the run,” Charlotte said with a little too much excitement.
“I certainly hope not.”
“Isn’t that the detective’s car?” Charlotte pointed to a nondescript car on the side of the road.
Detective Dylan Valentine stood beside it, talking with another officer. He’d recently come to the Sugar Creek Police Department from Atlanta. That was something we had in common since I’d lived there for a number of years before deciding to come home and open up the boutique.
Charlotte described Dylan as the cat’s meow. She was pretty accurate about that. His six-foot stature had the perfect muscle proportions, his clothing always fit like he’d stepped off the page of a magazine, and he kept his thick dark hair short and cropped. He was wearing tan trousers and a white shirt rolled up to his elbows.
Charlotte tapped on the dashboard to grab my attention. The breeze caused by her motion made the fuzzy dice dangling from my rearview mirror swing from side to side. “You should pull over and see what happened.”
Did I mention that Charlotte was persistent and kind of bossy?
Not because she told me to, but because I was a little curious, I decided to check it out. “I suppose I can’t get past. Juliana will wonder what happened to me.”
“She’ll learn that you’re always late anyway.”
“I am not always late. Just a little rushed, that’s all.” I steered the car to the side of the road and shoved it into park.
A few cars had lined up on the road, waiting to get through the intersection. I climbed out from behind the wheel and crossed the street.
Just as I made it to the other side, Dylan spotted me and immediately headed my way. “Cookie, what are you doing here?” Concern filled his voice.
“I was supposed to meet someone at the diner down the road.” I glanced at my watch. “Looks like I need to call her and let her know I’ll be late. Was there an accident?”
“We’re not sure what happened yet.” His answer was cryptic.
“I hope it’s not serious.” I craned my neck for a closer look at the black car. “Why are they covering the car with that—” Before I finished the sentence I realized what was going on. The person in the car was dead. I looked back at Dylan.
He gave me a look of understanding.
“The person’s a goner. Can’t you tell?” Charlotte said with a cluck of her tongue.
Leave it to Charlotte to get right to the point.
“Do you know who it is?” I asked.
Dylan ran his hand through his thick hair. “Not yet . . . a young female.”
“That’s tragic,” I said, almost under my breath.
For a moment we stared in silence. Law enforcement and other emergency workers moved around the scene like a colony of ants. A few other people looked on in curiosity. An officer waved at Dylan, grabbing our attention.
Dylan’s blue eyes held a magnetism I couldn’t quite put into words. “I’ll be back in a minute. Wait for me, okay?”
I wrapped my arms in front of my waist. “Sure. I’ll be here.” Where else was I going anyway?
“He’s so handsome and sweet. You really got a good one with him,” Charlotte said dreamily.
“I don’t know that I have him.” I looked down at my shoes so it wouldn’t look as if I was talking to myself. “We’ll see where things go.”
Dylan and I had gone out a few times and I enjoyed his company. My grandmother Pearl had always told me to be cautious, to never give my heart away too soon. She’d been full of great advice, like never leave home without your red lipstick, pearls, and mascara. Granny Pearl was a Southern woman who never left home without a full face of makeup, white gloves, and hat.
She had been the one who gave me my nickname Cookie. My real name is Cassandra Chanel. Not only did Granny Pearl and I look alike with the same brown hair and eyes, but just like me, fashion was her passion. Her favorite designer was Coco Chanel. So with my love of cookies, the name Cookie seemed like a perfect fit with the last name Chanel. Now everyone called me Cookie.
“She’s right, you know. The man is handsome. Are you dating?” a woman asked, breaking into my thoughts.
I looked to my left to see a young blond woman standing next to me in the spot where Dylan had just been. I hadn’t seen her approach. Upon further inspection, I noticed she was wearing a cute 1960s white vintage skirt with a little pink floral pattern. If my memory was correct, the designer was Pauline Trigere. The blonde’s top was a pretty pale pink, and although not vintage, it matched perfectly with the skirt. I sensed something strange about her though and couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
She caught me staring at the skirt, so I had to say something. “Your skirt, it’s vintage.” I pointed.
She reached down and touched the fabric. “Yes, I love vintage.”
“Me too. What a coincidence. I own a vintage clothing store—It’s Vintage Y’all—in Sugar Creek.” I motioned toward downtown.
The b
londe didn’t look at me. She was fixated on the scene of the accident, studying every move everyone made. “I was supposed to meet you,” she said in a soft voice.
“Oh, you’re Juliana. I’m glad that you made it past the traffic.” I stuck out my hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
That explained why she was wearing vintage.
She still didn’t take her eyes off the accident, so no handshake. “I’m not sure what happened to me. It happened so fast.”
I lowered my hand and quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“That’s my car.” She pointed at the black Toyota surrounded by police.
A small gasp slipped from my lips. Oh no, not again.
Chapter 2
Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife
Shopping in the afterlife is fabulous.
If you see something you like,
simply envision it on your body and it’s yours.
Charlotte sat in the front seat of my car because she refused to give up her seniority. She always called shotgun. Juliana was too shocked about the fact that she was dead to even care if she sat in the backseat. Charlotte had been in ghost form longer and had come to grips with it. Juliana had not. Like everything Charlotte had done while living, she’d mastered the whole haunting thing. She knew all the details of navigating the spirit world and would show Juliana the ins and outs.
Dylan had said he’d be in touch since he would be on the scene for a while longer. He had no idea I had the victim in the car with me. Obviously, my meeting plans had changed, so I was headed back to my boutique in downtown Sugar Creek with one more ghost than I’d left with.