Cupid's Treasure - Mystery of the Golden Arrow (16 page)

Amber smiled her thanks, realizing there might very well be a conspiracy between the ladies to improve her looks.

Mavis returned with three garment bags. “Here they are,” she sang as she danced into the room.

“And here are the shoes.”
Katie followed her in.

Charlene peeked inside her box. “Shut up!” she squealed, lifting a pair of black and white stilettos from the box. “Hank is going to flip when he gets a load of these!”

~*~

Hank looked over as yet another table next to them filled up with women. He nodded at a different group of ladies who had just sent another pitcher of beer.
“Cheers.” He lifted his glass, grinning from ear to ear. “This is the damndest thing I’ve ever seen.” He looked back at Harold and shook his head. “What’s in that?”

“Any thoughts of straying from Charlene?”
Jacques asked the question on everyone’s mind.

“Hell, no,” Hank said. “But I’m going to be real happy to see her.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

Harold noted that in his little book while everyone else at the table looked at their other test subject.

Jonathan sighed, folded his arms over his chest, and sat back with an expression of frustration. “Don’t ask.”

As he spoke, Tom came into the bar and walked over to the table. He rubbed his nose and checked the bottom of his boot. “Thought I’d find you here,” Tom said to Jonathan.

“Why is that?” Jonathan asked.

“Your truck is outside for one,” Tom said. “But someone has painted
outer-space alien
on it and smashed your headlights out.”

Jonathan looked up to see Patricia glance over at him smugly and then gather her purse and coat.

“You wouldn’t know who might have done that would you?” Tom asked, looking over at Patricia as she left through the front door.

“I might have an idea,” Jonathan said.

“Are you going to do anything about it?” Tom asked.

“Nope,” Jonathan said, rubbing his chin.

“Good, because I don’t have time to write another report today,” Tom said. “As it is, I only stopped in to let you know that the shooting suspect escaped from the psych ward.

“You’re kidding,
non?
” Jacques asked.

“No.” Tom sighed. “I was actually on my way over to Katie’s when I saw your truck.” His cell phone rang. “What’s the score?” he asked as he picked it up and answered it. “Hi, honey. No, don’t hold dinner. I’m sorry. I just have another stop on the way home and then—” He sighed, looking down at the men. “That right there is why policemen have such high divorce rates.” He looked at the big screen. “Can’t remember the last time I watched a game.”

“Why don’t you go home to your missus, and we’ll go back to the house,” Jonathan said.

“What about your lights?” Tom asked.

“I can follow Harold in his Buick,” Jonathan said.

“Tell you what,” Tom said, “I’ll follow you with the lights until you get off the highway.”

“Sounds good,” René said. All the men vacated the booth and headed for the door which left both sexes seated in the bar fanning themselves in Jonathan and Hank’s wake, but for two separate reasons. “What is it about Old Spice?” Shelly asked when they passed her. “That’s not Old Spice,” a man seated at the bar said.

“What is that smell?” Tom inspected his boots again as they walked to Jonathan’s truck. “I did want to mention,” Tom said, “that something unusual went down at The Oaks tonight.”

“Unusual?” Jonathan asked as he surveyed the damage to his truck.

“There was a witness to the shooter’s disappearance,” Tom said.
“A Miss Dimity.”

“The old librarian?”
Jonathan asked.

“One and the same.”
Tom nodded. “She was in a state of hysterics asking for Valium when I spoke to her,” he said, also looking at the damage to the truck.

“What did she say?” Jonathan asked.

Tom shook his head and looked at him. “You won’t believe it.”

“Try me.”

“She said he changed into a cherub right in front of her eyes and flew away.” Tom shook his head.

“
Non?”
Jacques said.

Tom nodded. “It may be awhile before I can get to the bottom of it.”

“I’ll keep an eye on Miss Smith,” Jonathan said.

~*~

“Get out!” Charlene said when Jessie turned around.

“I feel like a princess,” Jessie said as she looked down at the little black dress she was wearing.

“The fuchsia heels really pop,” Charlene said, looking at her.

“Speaking of popping,” Jessie laughed, “you are busting out of the top. I don’t even think the busy bee has that much cleavage.”

Charlene chuckled. She was wearing a white sweater with sequins and a little black skirt that was absolutely adorable. “Hank’s eyes are going to pop that is for dang sure!” she said as she knocked on the closet door. “Girl, are you coming out of there, or do I need to send someone in after you?”

Amber zipped up the red dress that she had been given to wear and looked down at it. She’d never worn anything this form fitting . . . or short. She looked at the closet full of clothes and wondered if she should change back and say it didn’t fit.

“Hurry up,” Charlene said. “Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather are waiting to see their handiwork.

“That fits!” Jessie cracked up over the names.

“C’mon it’s just us girls,” Charlene coaxed.

Amber took a big breath, glad that the spandex type material stretched, or she wouldn’t have been able to breathe at all as tight as it was. “Here goes nothing,” she said before opening the door.

“Oh, my goodness!” Charlene breathed.

“I think I’m going to cry,” Jessie said,
fanning her eyes. “You should see yourself.”

Amber glanced at the mirror that had been covered by a sheet.

“They said no peeking,” Charlene reminded them.

“But we get to see ourselves in the big mirror in the entry,” Jessie said. “Let’s go!”

Mavis, Gloria, and Katie sat on the sofa, waiting for the girls to finish. “I hope they didn’t peek,” Katie said. “I can’t wait to see their expressions when they see themselves. Mavis, where did you learn to do makeup like that?”

“You are going to die laughing when I tell you this story,” Mavis said. “One of my first jobs was to apply makeup to the customers at Rolling Hills Mortuary.

“Oh, dear.” Gloria and Katie both started to laugh.

“Honey, if you can make the dead look good, you can make the living think they died and went to heaven,” Mavis said.

“Why did you stop doing it?” Gloria asked. “You are an artist.”

“You know how it is. I got married, and after I had Jonathan I wanted to stay home with him,” Mavis said. “I wouldn’t change that for the world, but I do wonder sometimes what it would be like to be a makeup artist to the stars.”

“Nonsense!” Gloria said. “Look at me. You’re not too old.”

“We really should think about doing weddings,” Katie said as she turned on some music. “I think we could really create a fabulous bride.”

“I can’t wait to see our girls,” Gloria said. “I feel just like a fairy godmother.”

“Me too!”
Katie said.

“Oh, here they come,” Mavis said as she turned and saw Charlene walk down the stairs.

“Oh my,” Gloria said.

“My, my,” Mavis said.

“You did good,” Katie said to Mavis.

“Guess they don’t know we’re back because your lights are out,” Hank said as he, Jonathan, and Jacques crossed the grass. They could see Mavis, Gloria, and Katie chatting in the living room. As they approached the front door, Hank stopped in his tracks, staring as his wife came down the stairs.

“Holy mother of God,” Jacques said at the sight.

“You can say that again,” Hank said, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s good to be me.”

Jacques gasped, making the other two turn back to see Jessie descend the steps next. “I am a happy man,
oui?
”

“I hate you both,” Jonathan said, looking over to see them both grinning.

Jacques pointed back to the front door. “I don’t think you want to miss this.”

Jonathan turned back and saw the librarian’s slow descent. His vision was filled with red heels and long legs. Her short dress hugged her curves, making his eyes water. He felt like an awkward school boy watching as she turned around in front of the mirror.

“I wouldn’t have recognized her,” Hank said.

It was true,
Jonathan thought. Even her hair was completely different. It was a dark golden honey color that fell well past her shoulder blades in long silky spiral curls.

Jacques threw his arm over his shoulder and used a finger to move Jonathan’s chin up. “I agree.” Jacques chuckled.

Jonathan had been unaware he was even staring slack jawed.
Why would she go to such lengths to hide that?

Harold and René pulled up, shining their lights on the house and silhouetting the men standing just outside.

“Oh, look, the boys are home,” Gloria said.

“Oh, no,” Amber said, turning to look out the door. She locked eyes with Jonathan and nearly passed out.

“Sugar,” Charlene said, “you look
fine
! So don’t go forgetting how to breathe on me. I’m not dressed to give CPR right now.”

The entry was suddenly filled with men and the smell of Old Spice.

“You boys are naughty,” Katie tsked. “You weren’t supposed to be home for another half hour.”

“About that,” Jonathan said. He glanced at Amber and fell silent, unable to look away.

Jacques nudged him with an elbow. “Cupid is on the loose again.”

“Tom stopped by to tell us that the man from the lineup has managed to escape, so we thought it best to come back home,” Jonathan said, forcing himself to take his eyes off of Amber.

“Oh,” Gloria said. “I’m so glad you did!”

“Baby,” Hank said, looking at his wife, “I knew I married the most beautiful woman in the world, but you ladies have outdone yourselves tonight.”

“Yes!” Gloria, Mavis, and Katie high fived.

“Would any one care for dessert?” Katie asked.

“Yes, I would,” Hank said, taking his wife by the hand. “I’m taking mine home though.”

“Oh, you,” Charlene said as she slapped at him playfully.

“I’m serious,” Hank whispered in her ear.

She inhaled deeply and sighed. “Okay.” She stepped forward to hug and kiss everyone goodbye. “We’re leaving and thank you, thank you, thank you.” She hugged Gloria, Mavis and Katie. “You are my three fairy godmothers.”

“You don’t want to see who gets the lucky baby?” Katie asked. “Tell you what, I’ll cut two slices to go.”

“I get to have my cake and eat it too!” Hank grinned.

“How did you get ahead of us?” Harold asked when he and René walked in.

“If you would drive faster than ten miles per hour,” René said, “you would know.”

Jonathan smelled the air as they closed the door and smiled knowingly.

“We thought we’d conduct another study on a different age group,” René said with a wink before heading toward his wife.

“It wouldn’t be a fair study without a double blind test.” Harold cleared his throat and adjusted his bowtie as he went toward Gloria.

Katie handed two pieces of cake with plastic wrap over the top to Charlene and kissed her cheek. “You enjoy these now.” She winked.

“Good night, sweetie.” Gloria waved at them as they skipped like young lovers to their car. Her husband stepped behind her and waved. She turned to smile at him. “Is that cologne I smell?”

Harold smiled.

“I’m going to run too,” Mavis said.

“But you haven’t had cake,” Gloria said.

“Save me a piece for the morning,” Mavis said. “My little dog has been home alone all evening and needs to go outside.”

“Goodnight, Mom.” Jonathan hugged her goodbye. “Thanks for dinner.”

“Goodnight, Mavis,” Amber said. “I love the dress. Thank you.”

“My pleasure!”
Mavis winked at her son before looking back at the beautiful young lady with a subtle movement of her head.

“I think I’d like a cup of hot coffee with my cake,” Jonathan said. “Would anyone else like one?” He looked at Amber.
“How about you?”

“Yes, please,” Amber said, unable to actually look at him. She thought if she made eye contact with him again she just might fall into his arms. There was something about him that was too irresistible.

“How about you, my love?” Jacques asked. “Could I serve you a cup?” At Jessie’s nod, he did.

When Gloria made a move toward the kitchen, Harold said, “You ladies sit right here, and we will be right back.”

“Goodbye, Mavis,” Katie said as she went to the door with her. “We’ll see you in the morning for coffee.”