by Rose Pressey
“What does it say?” I asked, leaning over her shoulder to take a peek.
Charlotte and Minnie gathered close. I knew Charlotte was interested.
Heather scanned the page. “Nothing.”
“Nothing? I find that hard to believe.” Charlotte placed her hands on her hips.
“I’m not giving up yet, Charlotte, calm down.” Heather closed the book and picked the next one off the top of the pile.
“I’m calm. I’m always calm,” Charlotte said.
“Yeah, right.” I laughed.
Heather flipped to another page in this book.
“Well, they have to say something.” Charlotte tapped her fingers against the counter.
Heather glared at her, so Charlotte stopped.
Heather plopped the book onto the “no help” pile and the next followed that path too. There were only a couple of books left. I was starting to think this was leading nowhere. Minnie was pacing, and Charlotte was impatiently tapping her foot against the floor.
“Aha!” Heather exclaimed.
Charlotte clutched her chest. “Oh, do you have to scream out like that?”
Minnie rushed over. “What is it?”
“I think I found something.” Heather tapped the page.
“What does it say?” I tried to read over her shoulder.
Heather read the page. “It says that in times of distress or a horrible passing that a spirit can become confused. The person isn’t ready or doesn’t know how to move on from this dimension.”
I released a deep breath. “That makes sense.”
“What you’re saying is this was just an accident?” Charlotte asked.
“It looks that way,” Heather said.
“So the cat was probably just a stray cat that was in the graveyard when Tyler was killed?” Minnie asked.
“And he moved into the body in a panic,” Heather said.
“It’s a good thing it was a cat. This could have been much worse. What if it had been a skunk?” Charlotte asked.
Heather laughed, which shocked Charlotte and me. This new ability that Heather had discovered had really brightened her mood. She seemed more confident too.
“So you need to figure out why Tyler was murdered and who did it. And you have to figure out the same for Minnie.” Heather looked at my new ghost.
“Not only that, but I have very little to go on too,” I said around a sigh.
“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Minnie said with a wave of her hand. “I’m fine right where I am.”
Heather sat on the stool behind the counter. “Let’s go over what you have so far.”
I pushed the hair out of my eyes. “Tyler had an ex-girlfriend who wasn’t happy with him for breaking up. Plus, there was a new woman in his life. Shanna Sizemore. I don’t have information on her yet. Just what I found on his cell phone.”
“How long had they been dating?” Heather asked.
“That’s the thing, he had only been talking to her. There was never an actual face-to-face meeting or date.”
“Interesting.” Heather lifted an eyebrow. “Where does she live?”
“I haven’t found that out yet, but I plan to talk with her,” I said.
“Well, what are you waiting on? Let’s go.” Heather jumped up from the stool and grabbed her burlap tote bag.
“She told you she doesn’t have her address,” Charlotte said.
“Oh right,” Heather said.
“I do have a phone number from Tyler’s phone. It has to be hers,” I said.
“And you haven’t called her yet?” Heather asked.
“Well, Dylan acted as if he didn’t want me to be involved in this case.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Since when has that ever stopped you in the past? He’ll be thanking you when you solve this case.”
“Charlotte has a good point,” Heather said.
Charlotte smiled. “Thank you, Heather.”
Charlotte and Heather being nice to each other was weird. This would take some getting used to.
“Just because I have a natural knack for the sleuthing stuff doesn’t mean that I’ll solve the case.” I pulled out my phone and stared at the screen, hesitating before actually pressing the number.
Yes, I had saved it on my phone, so all I had to do was touch the screen and it would dial Tyler’s new love interest. I suppose I knew all along that I would eventually call the number. It had to be done.
Charlotte tapped her fingers on the counter again. “What are you waiting for?”
Heather crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You need to call.”
“It’ll be okay to call,” Minnie said in her sweet voice.
Now I had all of them pressuring me. I stared at the phone for a few seconds longer. What was I waiting for? Just because Dylan would be upset with me? Yes, I suppose that was it.
“I don’t know what to say to her,” I said.
“Cookie Chanel doesn’t know what to say? Well, this must be a first.” Charlotte tossed her hands up.
“It’ll be fine,” Heather said.
After releasing a deep breath, I touched the screen and it lit up. The number dialed and I listened to the rings from the other end of the line. What if she didn’t answer? A couple more rings and there was still no answer.
“There’s no answer,” I said.
“Leave a message,” Heather urged.
“Are you sure you dialed the number?” Charlotte asked with a skeptical look.
“Yes, I’m sure. It just rings. No voice mail.” I ended the call.
Heather tapped her bottom lip with her index finger. “What other information about her did you find on the phone?”
“I have an email address.”
“Well, send her an email,” Heather said with a wave of her hand.
“What will I say? She doesn’t even know me,” I said.
“Good question,” Heather said.
We stood around, lost in thought.
“I know,” Minnie exclaimed.
We stared at Minnie, waiting for her to reveal the idea.
“Tell her about a sale at your shop. Maybe she’ll come in to look around.” Minnie smiled, as if this was the best idea ever.
Charlotte and Heather groaned in unison. Grandma Pearl and Tyler were so disappointed that they walked over to the door to wait for us to leave. Even they had lost hope.
“Actually, it’s not a bad idea. I’ll tell her that a friend told me she was looking for vintage clothing and gave me her email address.”
“Yes. That is a perfect idea,” Minnie said with excitement in her voice. “Not that I condone lying.”
“Of course not,” Charlotte said in her typical sarcastic tone.
“Shanna will want to know who the friend is that gave me her email address,” I said.
“I suppose it’s worth a try.” Heather didn’t sound convinced.
It was the only idea I had.
I typed out a quick message on my phone and hit send. “I hope she answers.”
Chapter 11
Cookie’s Savvy Tips for Vintage Shopping
Another thing that makes dressing in vintage so great
is you can pick out the style you love the most.
There are many decades to choose from.
The next day I was sitting at the counter at my shop sorting through receipts. I had to admit that I was a bit down that I hadn’t received a response from Shanna. It had been a long shot though. The email could have even gone to her spam filter. She probably saw that it was from a store and deleted it. At least I’d given it a try.
“Instead of moping around like a chicken when an egg broke in it, do something about this,” Charlotte said as she sat on the settee.
Charlotte’s long legs were stretched out across the length of the seat and her hands were propped behind her head. Sun filtered through the window, highlighting the streaks of red through Charlotte’s dark hair. It looked like a glass of cola held up in the sunl
ight.
“What do you suggest I do? I can’t make her answer me. Maybe she doesn’t even use that email address anymore. Just like she apparently doesn’t use that phone number anymore. There are so many possible reasons why she didn’t answer,” I said.
“I think it’s suspicious that she doesn’t use the email address or phone number any longer after Tyler was killed.” Minnie stood by the front window trying to play with the cats.
I didn’t even realize she was paying attention to the conversation.
“Exactly. Good point, Minnie.” Charlotte pointed.
The cats dozed in the yellowy sunshine that shone through the front window and seemed unimpressed with her efforts.
“Give me a minute . . . I’ll think of something.” I tapped my fingers against the counter.
Silence once again took over the room.
After a few seconds Charlotte sat up on the settee. “I got it!”
“I’m almost afraid to hear this idea,” I said.
“Don’t be a Negative Nancy. Would I steer you wrong?” Charlotte asked.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Yes.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you still upset about me telling you it was a costume party? That was months ago, and I thought it was funny. You looked cute dressed as a cat.”
“You went to a costume party?” Minnie turned her attention to us.
“It wasn’t a costume party after all. Oops.” Charlotte leaned her head back and held her stomach as she laughed with delight over my embarrassment.
“Never mind that. I don’t want to discuss it. What’s your idea?” I asked.
“If Shanna was trying to date Tyler, then maybe she’s on the lookout for another date now that Tyler is gone. She might not talk to a woman, but she would probably talk to a good-looking potential suitor. A real charmer,” Charlotte said with a click of her tongue.
I had to admit it wasn’t a terrible idea, although I didn’t like deceiving someone. “Who do you have in mind? No way am I volunteering Dylan. He would never go for that.”
“You don’t need a guy to do it.” Charlotte arched her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. “You’re just talking through email. Pretend to be a guy.”
“That isn’t nice at all. You want me to catfish her?” I asked.
Charlotte placed her hands on her hips. “Do you want to solve this case or not? Sometimes you have to do things that aren’t so nice. The world isn’t always a pleasant place.”
“What is catfishing?” Minnie asked.
“So you want me to toy with someone’s emotions?” I asked.
“It’s not like she’s going to fall in love with you,” Charlotte said.
“You never know . . . I am charming.” I waggled my eyebrows.
Charlotte snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“What is catfishing?” Minnie asked.
I glared at Charlotte. “I suppose I could ask her a few questions and give her a fake name.”
“No harm in that,” Charlotte said with a wide devilish smile.
She was just happy because she thought she was getting her way.
“What is catfishing?” Minnie repeated with frustration.
“Tricking someone to think you’re someone else,” Charlotte and I said in unison.
Minnie furrowed her brow. “That’s not very nice.”
Charlotte clapped her hands. “Now we need to decide on a name. Since Cookie’s name is Cassandra, how about Cash?”
“I didn’t know your name is Cassandra,” Minnie said.
“When I was a child I loved cookies, so my grandmother called me Cookie. It matched with the last name Chanel. The nickname stuck,” I said.
Grandma Pearl meowed from across the room. Her eyes remained closed as she basked in the sun.
“That’s a cute story. I like Cookie, but Cassandra is pretty too,” Minnie said.
“You loved cookies when you were a child?” Charlotte turned to Minnie. “She still loves cookies . . . and pie, and cake.”
I dismissed her comment with a wave of my hand. “Cash, I like it. He sounds mysterious.”
“I know, right? I could totally develop the perfect man. Now if he would just really act that way,” Charlotte said.
“Well, don’t make him too good. Remember I don’t want her to fall in love,” I said with a warning wave of my finger.
“Fine, I’ll add a touch of male chauvinism,” Charlotte said.
I rolled my eyes.
“Was this some kind of dating service they were using?” Charlotte asked.
“Yes, an app.” I pulled out my phone.
“I’ll never figure out all this lingo,” Minnie said in a defeated voice.
“It’s a way for people to talk to each other without making phone calls,” I explained.
“So you don’t actually speak?” Minnie asked.
“Not unless the people actually agree to talk to each other on the phone,” I said.
“What will you do if she wants to talk on the telephone?” Minnie stared at me with wide eyes.
“I will tell her no and stop writing to her,” I said.
“That sounds risky.” Minnie didn’t sound convinced that this was a good idea.
I filled out the necessary information to create an account. “Now what?”
Charlotte stepped closer. “You have to find a photo of a male model and add that to the profile.”
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave . . .” Minnie raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t listen to her,” Charlotte said with a wave of her hand.
I searched for a photo. “What about this one?”
Charlotte leaned closer for a better look. “I don’t like his hair.”
“What about this one?” I tapped the screen.
“He has beady little eyes.” Charlotte pointed.
“I don’t think there was anything wrong with either of them.”
Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “That’s why you need me to help.”
“This is wrong. I don’t think you should be doing this,” Minnie said.
“Don’t listen to her,” Charlotte said. “Wait. That man is gorgeous. Use that one.”
“That is Timothy Olyphant. He’s an actor. I think she’d recognize him.”
“Oh,” Charlotte said through pursed lips.
“What about this one?” I pointed.
Charlotte studied the screen. “I suppose he’ll do. He’s no Timothy whatever his name is though.”
I typed on my phone. “Anything else you want me to say in the profile?”
“You don’t want it to seem as if you’re trying too hard,” Charlotte said. “Women don’t like that.”
“Okay . . . so what should I write?”
“You don’t want him to be too arrogant, but he shouldn’t be a spineless jellyfish either.” Charlotte pointed at my phone.
I rubbed my temples. “This is giving me a headache.”
“He should like animals,” Minnie said. “Men who like animals are always nice.”
“That’s true.” Charlotte punctuated the sentence with a jab of her finger.
“How about he has a golden retriever?” I asked.
Minnie pointed. “That’s good.”
For someone who thought I shouldn’t do this, Minnie was sure getting into devising the perfect man.
“So he should be successful, kind, and a bit mysterious.” Charlotte ticked each quality off on her fingers.
“He has a lot of expectations to meet.” I blew the hair out of my eyes.
Charlotte placed her hands on her hips. “He wants to get a date, doesn’t he?”
I frowned. “He’s not real.”
“Shanna doesn’t know that.” Charlotte shook her head.
I typed out a few things and showed them to Charlotte. “How does that look?”
Her left eyebrow raised. “I suppose that will be fine.”
“Good, because I am exhausted from trying to create this dreamboat.”
Minnie stared at me for a second before hurrying after Charlotte.
To my surprise, later that day I received a message through the dating app from Shanna.
“I have a message,” I said, waving my phone through the air.
Charlotte and Minnie had been whispering in the corner of the room. I had no idea what they were discussing, but they dashed over when I announced the message. Even the cats hopped down from the windowsill and ran to the counter. I almost couldn’t believe it had actually worked. Now I would have to figure out a way to ask her about Tyler.
“Ask her if she has a boyfriend?” Charlotte pointed at my phone.
I typed in the message and hit send. Within seconds Shanna replied “No.”
“That’s a vague answer. I need more than that,” I said.
“Tell her you can’t believe a pretty girl like her wouldn’t have a boyfriend.” Charlotte smiled widely.
She was proud of her idea.
“That is so cheesy. With a pickup line like that I would never get a date with her,” I said.
Charlotte quirked an eyebrow. “It is not cheesy. Just type it and I guarantee it will work.”
A groan escaped my lips. “Fine. I’ll write it.”
Shanna responded right away with a thank-you and a smiley face.
“See, I told you it would work,” Charlotte said with a smug smile.
“This is getting me nowhere. I have to ask more,” I said, tapping my fingers against the counter.
“Find out if she wants to meet.” Charlotte gestured toward the phone.
Minnie was pacing again. Tyler and Grandma Pearl stared at me, patiently waiting for the right outcome. Charlotte wouldn’t like what I was about to say. I placed the phone down on the counter and turned to Charlotte.
“What?” she asked with a confused look.
“You can’t ask a woman to meet five minutes after first starting to speak with her. Nothing says serial killer quite like that.” I mimicked stabbing with an imaginary knife.
Charlotte pursed her lips. “I suppose I got a bit excited and wasn’t thinking.”
“I’ll say.” I picked up the phone again.
I couldn’t believe that Charlotte admitted she was wrong. She rarely did that.
