Haunted Is Always in Fashion

by Rose Pressey

  Charlotte didn’t take her big brown eyes off Heather. However, she didn’t offer a comeback, which was totally unlike her. Heather opened the door and I stepped inside first.

  The woman waiting at the counter was staring at me. “You must be Cookie Chanel,” she said with her raspy voice.

  “I am.” The one and only Cookie Chanel with the psychic cat. “Are you Fatima?” I closed the distance between us.

  “That’s me.” She stretched out her delicate hand, dangling the gold bracelets around her wrists.

  I was excited to get right down to the questions and pulled a picture of Wind Song out of my purse. “Thank you for meeting with me today.”

  She looked at Heather and smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Likewise,” Heather said in a bashful voice.

  I held the photo out to Fatima. Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed as if she was a bit intimidated. “I thought I’d confirm this was the cat in your shop.” Heather had told me that Fatima had wonderful psychic abilities.

  She glanced at the photo. “Yes, that’s the cat.”

  “She barely even looked at the photo.” Charlotte tried to take the picture, but her hand went right through it.

  I couldn’t argue with that. Fatima seemed distant, as if she didn’t want to discuss the cat.

  “Did you happen to remember any more about Wind Song?” Do I sound too anxious?

  She pushed up the sleeves on her long white shirt. “Yes, the cat has been in the shop, but I don’t know where she came from. One day she just appeared. I gave her food. Right after that was when we did the séance. I can’t remember how long ago, but it was several months. The participants for the séance were new customers.”

  Whether she was telling the truth or not, I couldn’t tell, but I had to take her word for it. I honestly just wanted some kind of answers as to where Wind Song possibly got her talent and how she had gotten from Savannah to Sugar Creek. I’d heard stories about pets traveling a long distance, but that was usually to find their owner. “Can you tell us about the séance?” I asked.

  “A woman wanted to contact a relative.” Fatima’s brown eyes shone with kindness.

  Okay, that wasn’t so unusual. Nothing strange about that. Lots of people wanted to contact a relative through séance.

  “Anything special happen?” I pressed.

  “The cat appeared.”

  “Appeared?”

  “Yes . . . appeared. It had beautiful white fur and hypnotizing green eyes. She sat nearby as we made contact with a spirit.” Fatima’s velvety eyes looked as if they were trying to send an unspoken message.

  “Who was the spirit?” I asked, curious.

  “I’ve held a number of séances, so it’s hard to remember.”

  How many customers does she have? Apparently she was busy. I searched my brain for questions that might help her recall anything unique about the cat—anything that would stick out in her mind—and came up with only one. “Do you remember who the woman was?”

  “I don’t remember offhand. Please, I just can’t give out the name exactly. You understand . . . confidentiality and all.”

  Fatima wasn’t helping me much. What was I going to do? Even the tiniest clues were better than nothing, I supposed. I pulled a business card from my purse. “Thank you for your help. Here’s my card. If you think of anything or remember who your client was, please call me.”

  She took my card and offered a faint smile. “I’ll call you.”

  I hoped that was true.

  “Well, she was as useless as a screen door on a submarine,” Charlotte said.

  We headed out of the shop. The sky began to deepen toward sunset, giving relief from the warmth of the day. A hint of cooler weather drifted with the clouds coming from the west. Charlotte and Juliana walked beside me as we headed down the sidewalk. I knew Charlotte had more to say.

  “I’m just saying I think that she could’ve given you a little more information.” Charlotte’s tone hinted at her frustration with our lack of progress.

  “I think she doesn’t know anything right now. She’ll tell me if she thinks of anything else.”

  Charlotte adjusted the collar on her yellow blouse. “She probably just wants you to come back and buy something. Or maybe she’ll charge for the information.”

  We reached the car. I unlocked the door for Heather, went around to the driver’s side, unlocked and then opened my door. “I don’t think Fatima is like that.”

  “Like what?” Heather slid onto the leather seat.

  “Charlotte thinks Fatima will ask for money to give me the information.”

  Heather rolled her eyes. “Charlotte, you’re so cynical.”

  “I’m a businesswoman and I know how these things work. Plus, I know a charlatan when I see one.”

  Relaying the message to Heather would only cause more fighting. Their bickering gave me a headache. I shoved the key into the ignition and cranked the engine. The setting sun sent streaks of shades of purple and orange across the blue sky. Fleecy clouds dotted the blue sky as the road stretched before us. We drove back to Sugar Creek with Doris Day’s sweet vocals filling the car.

  “Do you think a ghost could’ve entered the cat during the séance?” I asked as I steered around a curve.

  Everyone in the car remained silent and just stared at me.

  Finally, Heather said, “Yes, I suppose it’s possible.”

  “Anything is possible . . . since that cat can be psychic,” Charlotte said from the backseat.

  “That’s exactly what I thought.” But who was the woman who’d wanted to contact her relative?

  Perhaps we would never find out . . . unless Wind Song wanted to share that with us. We rode in silence for a bit longer.

  Suddenly, Juliana leaned forward in the seat. “I just have to know what happened out there on the road. Do you think you could call the detective and ask for any updates?”

  She was so polite . . . in stark contrast to how Charlotte demanded answers.

  “Cookie, you have to help the poor girl.” Charlotte looked at Juliana and said, “You have to demand things.”

  Great. I didn’t want Charlotte teaching Juliana her tricks.

  Chapter 5

  Cookie’s Savvy Vintage Clothing Shopping Tips

  A vintage outfit can look modern

  by adding a new handbag or shoes.

  I had just pulled the car in front of my shop when my phone rang.

  “It’s Dylan calling. I know by the smile on your face,” Charlotte said.

  Okay, she had me on that one. Maybe I was smiling when he called.

  “Good evening,” he said when I answered. “I have some news about your friend.”

  “What did you find out?” I asked.

  “What’s he saying?” Charlotte whispered as if someone might hear her.

  Juliana leaned over the seat. “Did he find out about me?”

  “Unfortunately, we found out she was shot.”

  My mouth dropped. “So it wasn’t an accident.”

  Juliana rested her arms on the back of the front seat. “I knew it wasn’t an accident.”

  “This was no accident”—Dylan said—“but you didn’t hear it from me. I just thought you should know since you were friends with her.”

  I hardly knew her, but I wasn’t going to correct him on that. “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “I’ll stop by later,” he said.

  “Well, what happened? What did he say?” Juliana asked as soon as I hung up the phone.

  I looked at her in the rearview mirror. “He said you were shot.”

  She flopped back on the seat. “What a horrible way to go. It wasn’t an accident?”

  “They don’t know that for sure. It could’ve been a stray bullet.”

  “Oh come on. What are the odds of that?” Charlotte said.

  I looked at her. “I know it would be unlikely.” I again looked at Juliana in the rearview mirror. “
I mean, who would want to kill you?”

  Juliana she shook her head. “I never saw anyone or anything. Why would someone want to kill me? I’ve never done anything bad. I don’t think I have any enemies.”

  She was a sweet girl and I believed her. Who wouldn’t like her? She was always kind. Was she hiding a secret from me?

  “Well, I believe that Dylan will find out who did this to you.” I pulled the keys from the ignition and opened the car door. As soon as I got to the rear of the car, Juliana and Charlotte were already there waiting for me.

  It’s Vintage, Y’all stood out from the rest of the historic section, which was made up of old brick buildings. I loved the soft lavender color of my building. I looked into the large windows, proud of the display I’d been redesigning. Okay, I was always changing things up. Since Halloween was quickly approaching, I’d thought to include clothing that could be used as costumes—poodle skirts, bell bottom jeans, and flapper style dresses, just to name a few.

  Juliana shook her head. “You can’t leave it up to the detective. You have to help me. He has many cases to work and you don’t, so you could spend all your time focused on this.”

  “I wouldn’t say all of my time. I do have the boutique.” I pointed at the sign dangling above the front door and walked up the sidewalk. I unlocked the door and went inside. Wind Song jumped down from the window sill and greeted us.

  The same shade of lavender on the walls complemented the white chairs and crystal chandeliers, giving the inside a glam look. Kind of like old Hollywood.

  “Hi, Wind Song. Are you hungry?”

  She followed me across the floor toward the counter where I kept the food. With her graceful movements, she reminded me of a Southern belle. Wind Song’s gorgeous white fur looked like silk. Her green eyes sparkled like emeralds. Sometimes the way she looked at me made me feel as if I’d known her all my life.

  I reached under the counter and pulled out her favorite gourmet food—Shredded Tuna with Greens in a Savory Broth. She’d conveyed that message many times with the Ouija board.

  Charlotte stood near the counter, glaring at me. Her cool elegance couldn’t hide the frustration on her face.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Cookie Chanel, you know you have to help this girl. Tell her right now that you’re going to help find the murderer.”

  As difficult as it was, I tried to ignore her. I had so much work to do and it was scary getting involved in another murder investigation. I felt as if I was putting my life on the line. Nevertheless, I knew that I had to help. I couldn’t say no. I mean, Juliana needed me. Sure, the police were looking into it, but they could only do so much. Wouldn’t a little bit of help from me be a good thing?

  Juliana and Charlotte stared at me. When Wind Song finished her food, she focused on me too. She sat on the floor, licking her paws while watching me.

  It felt as if she, too, was telling me I should investigate. Finally, I looked at Juliana and said, “Okay, I’ll help you.”

  She finally cracked a smile. “Thank you.”

  Charlotte flopped down on the settee. “Okay, so where do we start? Who do you think would do this to you, Juliana?”

  Juliana looked confused. “I have no idea. I don’t think I have any enemies.”

  “Well, it doesn’t take enemies to kill you, honey. Trust me, I should know. I didn’t have any enemies. I mean everyone in town loved me.” Charlotte made a wide gesture with her arms.

  Laughter overcame me and I held my side.

  Charlotte tapped her foot against the floor. “What does that mean?”

  I took a few seconds to composed myself. “Well, Charlotte, you were murdered. I’m not sure everyone loved you.”

  “My killer was an unhinged deranged lunatic.”

  “You have a point there,” I said.

  “I probably didn’t tell you one thing,” Juliana said.

  “What’s that?” Charlotte leaned forward on the settee.

  I looked at Juliana for an answer.

  “I have an aunt who lives here in Sugar Creek,” Juliana said.

  “Really?” Charlotte sat up even straighter. “Who’s your aunt? I know everyone in town.”

  Charlotte was right about that. She did know everyone in town.

  “Well, her name is Regina. I hadn’t talked to her for a long time—since I was young, maybe eleven or twelve. She started calling me recently and we kind of reconnected.” Juliana’s blond hair moved on her shoulders when she shrugged.

  Charlotte pushed to her feet and walked over to where we stood. “Regina? Yes, I do believe I know her. She kept to herself, right? A little strange.”

  I gave her a hard look. “Charlotte, that’s not very nice.”

  Juliana waved. “It’s okay. Regina is strange. Eccentric, I guess you could say.”

  “Yes, that’s the polite way of saying she was headed for a stay at the macadamia ranch,” Charlotte said. “One peanut short of having a bowl of mixed nuts . . . if you know what I mean.”

  “Don’t listen to Charlotte,” I said. “I suppose we could go talk to her and find out if she knows anything.”

  Charlotte waved her hand. “It’s unlikely.”

  “Oh, I had a bunch of clothing in the car. I wonder what will happen to it,” Juliana said.

  Immediately my ears perked up when Juliana mentioned the vintage clothing. I’d hate for anything to happen to them. “What kind of clothing?”

  “The kind you like. I want you to have them,” Juliana said.

  “Thank you, Juliana. That’s very kind of you.”

  “You’ll take care of them better than anyone I know.”

  “I don’t know what will happen to them, but I could ask Dylan. I doubt he would let me see anything that was in the car though. Everything’s probably evidence.”

  “You could probably convince him to let you see them.” Charlotte shimmied her hips. “See if you can convince him. Just don’t do that walking thing where you move your hips. It looks like you need a hip replacement or something.”

  “Thanks for the info, Charlotte. I’ll keep that in mind. I suppose I can give him a call and ask.”

  Charlotte waved her hands. “No, it has to be done in person. You have to see him and bat your eyes a little bit. You know, flirt with him. You do know how to do that, right?”

  “I’ve seen it on TV,” I said.

  “You two are funny,” Juliana said.

  Chapter 6

  Charlotte’s Tips for a Fashionable Afterlife

  Avoid sheer fabric.

  If you’re already a ghost,

  you don’t need see-through clothing.

  After closing up the shop, we piled into my car and headed across town—a two-minute drive—toward the newly constructed police station. I couldn’t believe that I had agreed to check out the vintage items in Juliana’s car. Dylan would probably not let me anywhere near any of it.

  “I really like your progress. You’ve become a real go-getter now.” Charlotte pumped her fist.

  “Thank you, Charlotte.”

  As she looked at Juliana, Charlotte talked about me as if I wasn’t even there. “Cookie’s going to be just like me. Well, minus the strangled to death part. She just needed a mentor, that’s all. She really was clueless before I came along.” She continued chattering away but I wasn’t sure Juliana was listening.

  I was pretty sure she had other things on her mind. I also thought Charlotte should know Juliana was distracted with finding her murderer.

  I parked in the lot and headed toward the main entrance. The ghosts followed me in as I stepped into the lobby.

  The young officer behind the information desk looked up and gave me a big smile . . . as if he recognized me. “Are you here to see Detective Valentine?”

  I gave a nod. Evidently, word had gotten out that I was seeing Dylan.

  “I’ll go get him.” The officer pushed to his feet and walked toward the back.

  When I peeked around the
desk I spotted Dylan in the back. Our eyes met in mutual surprise and a huge smile spread across his face. I knew that I had that same reaction. I couldn’t help that he gave me butterflies.

  “They do make a cute couple, don’t you think?” Charlotte asked Juliana.

  Juliana grinned, but didn’t answer. She was too concerned about finding out who had murdered her to think about my relationship status. I would have felt the same way if I was in her shoes.

  Dylan walked over to me, his blue eyes sending a jolt right through me. “What a pleasant surprise. I hope you stopped by to see me.” He wore tan pants and a crisp white shirt with a red and blue striped tie.

  I supposed the other officers would look at him strangely if he wore vintage to work.

  My face lit up. “Of course I did.” I was a little embarrassed to tell him that I had another reason for the visit.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. “If I know you, Cookie, you didn’t just stop by to say hello.”

  “Well, Juliana was interested in vintage clothing, so I was wondering if you have any items that had been in her car when you found it.” I attempted to sound casual, as if it was no big deal, hoping he didn’t think I had vintage on my mind twenty-four seven.

  “I’m afraid I can’t let you see any of those items, Cookie. You know it’s an open investigation.”

  “The items are just sitting in the room, right? It’s not like I would actually touch them. I just want to take a peek.” I pinched my index finger and thumb together. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Don’t back down. Push forward until he lets you see them.” Charlotte would get me arrested.

  He studied my face as if he was seriously contemplating my request.

  I crossed my fingers that he would finally give in.

  He looked around as if he didn’t want anyone to hear what he was about to say, but he couldn’t hold back the little smile on his face. “Okay, just a little peek. You can’t touch anything.”

  I shook my head. “No, I would never do that.” Unless he turned his back and I absolutely had to touch something to see it better.