She was falling more in debt to the Donovans each day.
As Kelly speed-walked along Main Street, she wondered how Earl felt about Pepper’s makeover. How did he feel when he woke up and found a whole new woman kissing him goodbye as she headed out the door?
What was Gabe going to think about his mom wearing snakeskin leggings? Though, she had good legs and rocked those leggings like no other sixty-something Kelly ever knew.
Within a few minutes, she arrived at the location of the Lambert Law Office above Tease, Lucky Cove’s stylish hair salon. Kelly peered into the window of the salon, and nearly every chair was occupied. She caught a reflection of herself. She was due for a trim. She’d have to find time for an appointment, but first, she had a lawyer to visit.
She pulled open the door next to the entrance of the salon and climbed the flight of stairs to the second floor. There were two offices, one for an accountant and the other for Mark Lambert.
She knocked as she pushed the door open and was greeted by a bland reception area, much different than the same space back at her sister’s office. The desk was unmanned and, by the look of it, she doubted anyone had ever worked at the desk. There was another door, and it was closed.
“Hello!” she called out, and a moment later she heard footsteps. The interior office door opened, and a man appeared, presumably Mark Lambert.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
Kelly’s words caught in her throat. If the man standing in front of her was Mark Lambert, then little old Mrs. Mueller had hired Smokin’ McHottie, Esq. to represent her. Tall with wavy black hair just begging to have her fingers run through it. Whoa! Kelly had to quickly regroup, corralling her hormones.
“You can if you’re Mark Lambert.”
“I am. Who are you?”
“The woman you had papers served on yesterday. Kelly Quinn.”
He frowned. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be here.”
“Probably not. But since I’m here, we’re doing this.” Kelly was surprised by her sudden brazenness, but she decided to go with it and breezed past Mark Lambert and entered the inner office.
“Doing this? What are you talking about?” He followed her into his office.
Kelly dropped her tote bag on one of the two chairs set in front of Mark’s cluttered desk and placed the box of muffins on the desk, on top of a pile of file folders. “I bought you muffins. Apple walnut.”
“I’m allergic to nuts.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Then you may not want to eat them.” She lifted the box off of his desk.
“What are you doing here, Miss Quinn?”
“I’m here to ask you to try and talk some sense into your client. The chair Dorothy purchased wasn’t haunted. I don’t have a hundred thousand dollars or the money to defend myself in this ridiculous lawsuit.”
“Mrs. Mueller doesn’t feel it’s ridiculous.”
“And neither do you? What are you, some kind of ambulance chaser? You’re taking money from an elderly woman for a lawsuit involving a haunted piece of furniture. Doesn’t the Bar have standards or something?”
“I thought you came here for my help?”
“I did.”
“And you’re going about that by insulting me?”
“It’s only insulting if it’s true. Are you an ambulance chaser?”
Mark uncrossed his arms and walked behind his desk. “Have a seat.”
Kelly placed the box of muffins next to her tote bag on the chair and perched on the edge of the other chair. “I’m serious. I don’t have the money to defend myself. Especially since I’m probably going to need a criminal defense attorney now that I’m a suspect in two murders. Not just one. Two.” She huffed as she shook her head in disbelief.
“Two murders? What are you, a serial killer?” The serious look on Mark Lambert’s chiseled face was betrayed by the hint of mirth in his voice. He pulled out his leather chair and sat.
“No. I’m not. I’m being wrongfully accused. But that’s a conversation for another lawyer.” She leaned forward. “You’re not also a criminal defense attorney, are you?”
Mark shook his head. “Besides, I couldn’t defend you. It would be a conflict of interest. Back to the reason why you came here.”
“Right. The chair isn’t haunted. I think Mrs. Mueller is confused and scared. She was present the day Bernadette Rydell had a so-called vision when she tried on a dress, about a man being murdered, and then when a medium held a séance and said there were items in my shop that were haunted. Mrs. Mueller had just purchased the chair.”
“Your shop has been busy.”
Kelly nodded. “It would be nice if I were actually making sales rather than feeding Lucky Cove’s gossip mill. Will you help me?”
“I’m limited in what I can tell you.”
“I know. My sister is a lawyer. I’m aware of all that lawyer-client privilege.”
“Couldn’t she represent you?”
Kelly shrugged. “Our relationship is complicated.”
“I see.” Mark leaned back. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll speak to Mrs. Mueller. Perhaps a drawn-out legal action may not be in her best interest.”
Kelly dipped her head. Finally, a small glimmer of hope. She’d take it. She lifted her chin and met Mark’s intense gaze. “I’m happy to refund Mrs. Mueller for the chair. I’ll even pick it up for her. I’ve already practically carried it around her house like four times, what’s one more time? I’ll do whatever she’d like.” Kelly stood and swiped up her tote bag and box of muffins.
“Thank you for the offer of the muffins. I love the bakery.” He rose from his chair.
“Sorry they could have killed you.”
“Sure you’re not a serial killer?” His grin sent Kelly’s pulse racing.
“I’m sure.” She laughed and stepped away from the chairs. As she turned, she noticed a bookcase along a wall was a collection of framed photographs. Fishing trips. “You fish?”
Mark walked around his desk and joined Kelly at the bookcase. “I do. How about you?”
“No, not really. Looks like you have a regular fishing group.” There was one photograph that caught her attention. One of the six men in the photo looked vaguely familiar. She didn’t know why. “Who’s that?” she pointed to the familiar man.
“Eddie Singer. That was our last fishing trip in Mexico. We all went at least once a year. This year we went twice, which probably was a good thing since he died unexpectedly.”
“Car accident up in Maine, I heard.”
“Tragic.” He shook his head. “Life can turn on a dime. I try to tell that to all my clients. As much as I love arguing a case in court, sometimes it’s better to move past things. Litigation brings out the worse in people.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I’ll talk to Mrs. Mueller and see if I can work out an agreement regarding the alleged haunted chair.”
“Much appreciated.” Kelly looked at Mark. “Thank you again.” She walked to the door and, just before she reached the outer office door, she looked over her shoulder. “I have one more question.”
Mark’s brows arched and he half smiled. “What?”
“Since you were friends with Eddie, do you think his wife could have had her husband murdered?”
His half smile faded as he slipped his hands into his pants pockets and stared at Kelly for a long moment. “That’s one hell of a question.”
Kelly nodded. “I know.”
“The one thing I’ve learned is that people are capable of anything.” He pulled his hands out of his pocket as he walked to the door. “I’ll be in touch.” He closed the door.
Chapter 18
A half mile down the road, StoreIt Storage Facility came into Kelly’s view. After leaving the lawyer’s office, she returned to the boutiqu
e to get Pepper’s SUV. She wanted to check out her granny’s storage unit and see if there were any holiday decorations.
Kelly had Mark Lambert’s promise to talk to Mrs. Mueller about the ridiculous lawsuit. She also had the image of his sexy grin burned into her brain. Without question, she was losing her mind. How could she explain thinking the opposing counsel was sexy? Kelly made the turn onto Dolphin Lane and wondered if Caroline ever had those types of feelings for lawyers she went up against in court. Probably not. Caroline was zipped up tight. She followed the rules, regulations, and policies, and she was a heck of a hall monitor back in the day.
It was a miracle he’d been agreeable to talking with Dorothy. Not only had Kelly offered him something that could have possibly killed him, but she accused him of being an ambulance chaser. Her visit to his office wasn’t exactly her finest hour. She sighed.
She passed through the main entry and got a better look at the sprawling one-story building. Lucky Cove’s answer to overconsumption. Packed, piled, and shoved behind heavy rolling doors was the overflow of people’s lives. Old furniture no longer used, clothing that no longer fit, and hobbies long forgotten. To think, storing stuff was a billion-dollar industry. Maybe Kelly was in the wrong business.
She drove past the main office, and the sign above the front door seemed familiar. She’d seen that sign somewhere recently. Then she remembered. The article she read on the Lulu Loves Long Island website mentioned the name of the company Eddie Singer owned. StoreIt Storage.
Would she run into Irene?
That thought didn’t make Kelly feel good. A feeling of foreboding spread in the pit of her stomach. Nothing good was going to come out of this trip. Just like the visit to Bernadette’s house and DJ Brown’s house. She had an urge to turn the car around and drive away.
There wouldn’t be any turning around. Not when Lucky Cove shop owners and residents went all out for Christmas decorating. She couldn’t have her boutique undecorated for the most important holiday of the year. The residents expected a postcard quality Main Street, and customers liked shops that were festive. Even though there wasn’t an ounce of festiveness in her at the moment, she pressed down on the gas pedal and drove forward and then made a turn. She drove by the row of units until she came to her granny’s unit.
She parked and grabbed the lone key on a gigantic key ring. She guessed her granny didn’t want to lose it. She climbed out of the vehicle. She wasn’t sure what to expect when she unlocked the dark green door. Had Granny been a secret hoarder? Why else would someone need to rent a storage unit? Or maybe Granny had too many decorations to be stored in the boutique.
She walked to the storage space and noticed how quiet it was. There wasn’t anyone else around. A chill skittered through her body. Given what had happened recently, quietness and isolation were a little unnerving. But she bucked up. She had a mission. Find some Christmas decorations or else she’d have to buy new ones, and she didn’t have the money for the expense. She unlocked the door and yanked it up. The movement made her cringe with discomfort, especially in the neck area and shoulders. She wondered how long she’d be feeling the effects of Bernadette’s surprise assault.
With the door open, she peered into the dark space. Luckily the day was bright and that let a ray of light into the cavernous space filled with cardboard boxes and bits and pieces of household items. At first glance, it was all junk. But Kelly needed to make sure before she filled the dumpster just a few yards away.
She entered the unit and began to peek through her granny’s hidden stash. There were boxes of clothes, dishes, and books. After opening what was the third box of clothing, Kelly straightened and sighed. No decorations. Behind a three-shelf bookcase, the corner of a clear plastic container caught her eye. She pushed aside the out-of-style clothes to reach the container and found the sought-after Christmas decorations. Next to the container was another bin with more decorations. It looked like she was all set and wouldn’t need to lay out any more cash. She grabbed one container and turned to head out of the unit when she noticed a medium-sized box labeled “garland” next to an old air-conditioning unit. Her little search was yielding quite a bounty. She’d take all three bins back to the boutique and then figure out what to do with all the other items in the unit later. After she’d loaded both plastic containers, she came back for the box of garland. She lifted it up, and its bottom broke open, and all of the garland and lights fell out.
“Shoot.” She dropped the now-empty box. Nothing was going to be easy. She squatted down and surveyed the mess. She could carry all the garland and lights out, but it would be easier to have them in a box. She spied another box labeled “ornaments,” but it didn’t look much sturdier than the one she just tried to pick up. There was a sign on the main office that boxes were for sale. Problem solved. She’d buy a couple of boxes.
She stepped out of the storage unit and looked around. Since she was alone, she didn’t think she needed to close the door. She grabbed her tote bag and walked along the building.
She came to the corner and made the turn. Maybe she should have driven to the office. She’d walk for blocks in the city, but she was almost winded making the trek to the main office. Her thoughts about her declining fitness ended as she stopped short.
Up ahead she spotted Irene Singer leaning against the wall, talking on a cell phone.
Kelly wasn’t sure what to do. Walk by her and say “hi” or turn around and take what she’d already packed into the SUV or stay and eavesdrop, but, in order to do that, she needed to get a little closer.
“Why are you calling? You know I’m at the office.” Irene’s voice was harsh. “I know… I miss you too.” Her voice softened. “It’s not going to be much longer.” She ran the fingers of her free hand through her hair.
Curiosity buzzed through Kelly. Who did Irene miss? Her lover? The person who killed her husband? Was Kelly right?
Kelly inched a little closer, staying as quiet as possible.
“There have been some bumps, but we’ve come this far. Let’s not panic.” Irene pushed herself off of the wall and took a step forward. “I can’t believe that psychic might be the real deal. Why on earth did she have to try on that dress?”
“Irene! Where are you?” a loud male voice called out from around the corner of the building. Kelly inched back quietly.
“Gotta go. Don’t call me again.” Irene pulled the phone from her ear and shook her head.
“Irene!” the voice called again.
Irene rushed forward. “I’m here. What is it?” She made the turn around the corner and disappeared.
Kelly stood in place for a moment, not sure what to do next. She didn’t think going to the main office was a good idea since Irene was there. She’d have to come back for the decorations. She turned and hurried back to the storage unit. Halfway to her vehicle, her cell phone rang, and she pulled the phone from her tote. The caller ID said it was Liv. She swiped the phone on.
“You won’t believe what I just overheard!” Continuing back to her vehicle, Kelly recapped the conversation she’d eavesdropped on.
“Get out! Do you really think she has a boyfriend?”
“You mean looover,” Kelly said in her best impersonation of Carrie Bradshaw.
“This isn’t Sex and the City.”
No, it was more like Murder and the Burbs. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. This is serious stuff, I know.” At the SUV, Kelly plopped her tote bag on the passenger seat and pulled her nude patent Filofax planner from her tote and flipped it open.
“Did she see you?”
“No. Look, I need to get out of here. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Kell, I’m worried. If she did have something to do with Eddie’s death, you just overheard something that could incriminate her. Be careful.”
“I will.” Kelly ended the call and quickly jotted down what she’d just overheard and then
closed and locked the unit’s door. Back in her vehicle, she shoved her planner and phone back into her tote bag. Her cell phone rang, and when she pulled the phone out of the bag, she saw Gabe’s name and tapped on the speaker, which let her drive hands-free.
“What’s up?” Kelly began her drive back to the boutique. When she reached the front of the facility, she sped up a little so that if Irene had looked out the large front window, she wouldn’t get a good look at Kelly. Though, by speeding, she’d probably drawn unwanted attention from Irene and her staff.
“Just wanted to let you know we found all Ariel’s files when we searched Bernadette’s house.”
“Oh, no. That’s not good news.”
“There’s a warrant out for Bernadette’s arrest.”
“I just can’t wrap my brain around Bernadette being a killer. Or her breaking into Ariel’s house.” Kelly stopped at a four-way intersection and then proceeded through.
“I know, but all the evidence is pointing in Bernadette’s direction. Look, I’m glad it’s not pointing at you.”
“Aw, thanks.” A warm fuzzy feeling swirled through Kelly.
She and Gabe were like siblings. While they teased each other mercilessly when they were teenagers and it still continued into their adulthood, he always was protective of her. He even got suspended for three days from high school when he defended her to Ariel’s then-boyfriend after the accident. The two of them threw punches, resulting in a bloody nose and a black eye, but now Kelly couldn’t remember who sustained which injuries. She just remembered looking on in horror as the boys rolled around on the ground.
“You still there?”
“Yes, yes, I am. I’m heading back to the boutique.”
“From where?” Gabe didn’t bother to hide the wariness in his voice.
Kelly debated telling Gabe what she’d just overheard between Irene and her unknown caller, but she didn’t want a lecture and she didn’t have proof Irene was talking to a co-conspirator. She just had a strong hunch.
Murder Wears a Little Black Dress Page 18
