Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore (4 page)

Chapter 6

 

 

I parked the Buick in front of It's Vintage, Y'all. The car always attracted attention and that was a good thing for my shop. I could use all the advertising I could get. Sam and Charlotte waited in the car while I took Wind Song into the store. Since I didn't have them trailing behind me, I decided to pop in and say good morning to my best friend, Heather Sweet. She owned the occult shop next door.

Ironically, I'd learned recently that she wasn't psychic at all. Despite the fact that she gave tarot card readings. The Magic Marketplace was on the first floor of an old brick building. The smell of incense slapped me in the face as soon as I stepped through the door. Heather set her book on the counter and raced over to me as soon as I walked in. She wore an oversized black sweater with black and white polka-dot leggings underneath. Her black boots hit just above her ankles. Heather had her blond hair pulled up into a loose bun.

“Are you okay?” she wrapped her arms around me.

I hugged her back. “I'm fine.”

I'd called her last night after I'd gotten home. Of course she'd wanted to come over right away, but there was no need. There was nothing she could have done to take the images of what I'd seen out of my mind. Heather was probably more in shock about what had happened than I was.

“So they arrested the model for murder?” she asked.

We walked across the hardwood floor over to the counter. Magic and spell books lined the shelves. Tables were full of crystals, candles, bottles of herbal potions, and other items needed for mystical purposes.

“They stuffed her in the backseat of the police car and drove off. She was handcuffed and everything.”

Heather sat on the stool behind the counter. “And to think you were working alongside a murderer the whole time.”

I tapped my fingers against the counter.

Heather narrowed her eyes. “What? I know that look. What are you up to?”

I glanced down at a stack of tarot cards she had on the counter. “The ghosts want me to investigate the murder. We don't think Hannah did it.”

Heather's mouth dropped open. Finally, she said, “Ghosts? We don't think? What are you talking about?”

I released a deep breath. “Here goes . . . I picked up another ghost last night.”

Heather rubbed her temples; then she said, “This is crazy. I can't believe it. Is it Melanie's ghost?”

“No, this ghost is a man who claims to be a private investigator from the 1940s.”

“This is crazy,” Heather exclaimed.

After explaining what had happened, Heather said, “What are you going to do?”

I picked at the edge of the Fool tarot card on the counter. “I guess I'll look into Melanie's murder.”

“Well, I know I won't be able to stop you from doing that. All I can say is, please be careful.”

I felt eyes on me. When I glanced over at the door, I spotted Sam and Charlotte standing there waving for me to hurry up.

“I have to go,” I said.

Heather followed my stare. “Are the ghosts there?”

I headed toward the door. “Yes, and they're very impatient. I'll call you later.”

“Remember to be careful,” Heather called out as I exited out the door.

I threw up my hand and headed down the sidewalk. Once back at the car, Charlotte and Sam were leaning against the hood. The scowl on Charlotte's face told me she wasn't happy.

“What? I needed to talk to Heather,” I said as I made my way around to the driver's door.

Sam pretended to open the car door for Charlotte and then gestured for her to climb into the front seat. He was being very much the gentleman.

“That can wait. Right now we have work to do.” She winked at Sam, then slid into the passenger seat again.

Who knew ghosts could be so demanding?

I shoved the key into the ignition. “You know, Charlotte, you can catch more flies with honey.”

“Buzz, buzz,” she said.

I bit back a laugh and cranked the engine. The inside of my car was pristine white leather. I made sure to clean and treat the leather at least a couple times a month. The car was more than a car, it was my home away from home.

“So where are we going?” I asked.

Sam leaned forward from the backseat. Charlotte and Sam exchanged a look.

“You all are scaring me. Based on your expressions I know I'm not going to like what you all have to say.”

“Don't freak out, but you really have to speak with Hannah,” Charlotte urged.

I focused on the road ahead. “Hannah is in jail.”

Charlotte leaned back in the seat. “Yes, that's where you have to go to speak with her.”

“I can't do that,” I said.

“You have to.” Sam sat back in the seat.

I let out a deep breath. “This isn't going to end well.”

“You'll see. Everything will be just peachy,” Charlotte said with a smile.

Sam tapped his fingers against the car seat. “Do we know what the police believe is Hannah's motive for murder?”

I steered around a curve. “I haven't heard. Maybe that's something we can discover when we talk to her.”

“Good, that will help,” he said.

“What do you think would be her motive, Cookie?” Charlotte asked.

I rolled the question around in my mind while I drove. Finally, I said, “Well, she did seem a bit hostile about something. Maybe there's something going on that we don't know about.”

“That's kind of obvious,” Charlotte replied.

“It won't be easy to get information. The police won't tell me anything because they won't want to jeopardize the case. Hannah wouldn't want to incriminate herself.”

“What about any other suspects? Did Melanie have any enemies?” Sam asked.

I turned onto the street where the county jail was located. “I guess that's something we will have to figure out. More importantly, right now I have to plan what I will ask Hannah.” I pulled into the parking lot and found a space.

“Just follow our lead,” Charlotte said.

“Nice try.” I turned off the ignition. “You all will only get me into trouble.”

Sam and Charlotte followed me through the glass doors and into the lobby. A woman wearing the navy blue Sugar Creek Police Department uniform was behind the desk.

The dark-haired woman greeted me with a smile. “May I help you?”

“I'm here to see someone. Her name is Hannah.”

The officer stared for a moment. “Are you her lawyer?”

“Say yes,” Charlotte urged.

I looked down at my watch so that the woman wouldn't see me answer Charlotte. “I can't do that. They'll put me in jail when they find out I lied.”

Charlotte stepped around and stood beside the officer. “They won't find out. I bet they won't let you see her if you aren't her lawyer.”

Charlotte was probably right about that.

“Ken Harrison? Sure?” I said with a bright smile.

“That is the strangest answer I've ever heard,” Charlotte drawled.

I looked down at my shoes. “At least I didn't technically lie to her.”

The woman pushed to her feet. “Give me just a moment.”

That was the good thing about small towns, things were a lot more informal than the big city. As we stood there waiting to be led back to see Hannah, I spotted Dylan. He hadn't seen me yet and I wished that I could keep it that way. I knew he would want to know what I was doing there. It was too late though. He looked out from the back and his eyes widened. He handed the file he'd been holding to another officer and then headed my way.

“Uh-oh,” Charlotte mumbled.

I looked down at my shoes again. “Yeah, uh-oh is right. I told y'all this is a bad idea.”

Chapter 7

 

 

“Cookie, are you here to see me?” Dylan asked when he approached.

Even worse, now I had to tell him that I had come to visit Hannah.

“Actually, I'm here to see Hannah.”

He frowned. “I didn't realize you two were friends.”

“Tell him you are dear friends who go way back,” Charlotte interjected.

“It will keep him from being suspicious,” Sam added.

I knew this was a bad idea, but I did it anyway.

“Hannah and I know each other from the fashion show.” I rushed my words.

See how I'd navigated that? I hadn't actually lied to him. Hannah and I had been involved in fashion together for that brief amount of time.

He nodded as if what I'd said made complete sense.

“Is it possible for me to speak with her?” I asked.

He stared for a moment as if trying to figure out if I was being honest. “Give me just a second and I'll have the officer bring you back to see her.”

“Having connections is so good,” Sam said as Dylan walked away.

“I don't like lying to him,” I whispered.

“You didn't deceive him. You just stretched the truth a little.” Charlotte pinched her index finger and thumb together.

Yeah, that didn't make me feel any better.

After a couple of minutes, the female officer emerged and motioned for me to follow her. “You can come back now.”

The officer led us back to a room. There were a few chairs with a glass partition and more chairs on the other side. I sat on the chair in the middle. Charlotte paced the floor behind me and Sam took the chair next to me. He tapped his foot against the floor. I drummed my fingers against the table. I hoped this didn't take much longer. The overhead light blinked in a steady rhythm. Soon it would cause a full-fledged panic attack.

The door opened and the officer led Hannah in to see me. Hannah wore a bright orange jumpsuit. A far cry from the couture she'd donned just a short time ago. Her hair was disheveled as if she'd been in a fight.

“Heavens to Betsy, what happened to her?” Charlotte asked in true Southern Belle style. “She looks like a dog dragged her through the woods and gnawed on her like a bone.”

After sitting across from me, Hannah scowled and looked confused as she picked up the receiver. “What are you doing here? I gave your clothing back if that's what you want.”

“You tell her this is no time to be a sassy mouth,” Charlotte warned with a wave of her finger.

“No, it's nothing like that,” I said. “I came to talk to you about Melanie's death.”

Hannah narrowed her eyes. “I had nothing to do with it.”

“Tell her you want to help,” Sam said.

I shifted in my chair. I wasn't sure I was prepared to go that far. After all, I didn't know if she was innocent. I needed more time to think about what I wanted to do before committing.

Charlotte attempted to poke me in the side. I swiped at her. Hannah furrowed her brow.

I chuckled. “I thought I saw a fly,” I said, trying to cover for my strange behavior. “Anyway, I just came to tell you that I am here to help if you need me.”

She leaned forward a little closer to the glass. “Why would you do that?”

I couldn't tell her it was because I had two pesky ghosts making me. So I went with, “I know everyone needs a friend sometimes.”

She stared at me. “I don't know what happened to Melanie.”

Sam pushed to his feet. “Well, that is what we are going to find out.”

“Can you tell me what you saw?” I asked.

Hannah avoided my stare as if she didn't want to look me in the eyes. “She was just like that when I got out there,” she whispered.

“Did you notice anything other than the obvious?” I asked.

She picked at the chipped red polish on her fingernail. “No, nothing.”

The officer appeared at the door. “I'm sorry, but I have to get back to work. Time's up.”

“If you think of anything, please get in touch with me,” I said.

“Tell her we will be back,” Sam said.

I couldn't tell her that because I wasn't sure that I would be back. I didn't know if Hannah wanted to discuss this with me anymore. It didn't appear that she was interested in talking about it anymore. Hannah looked back one last time as she was escorted out of the tiny room.

As I left the area, I expected to see Dylan waiting for me, but he wasn't there.

“Looking for someone?” Charlotte asked in a singsong voice.

“No, I'm not looking for Dylan if that's what you're asking. He's probably busy on a call or in a meeting.” I put my hands on my hips.

“Too bad he's not around, because it would be good to speak with him about the case,” Sam said as he walked along behind me.

“That's okay, there will be other opportunities to speak with him,” Charlotte said. “He'll be back around the shop soon. He can't stay away from Cookie.”

I needed to get these two out of there. They talked too much.

I'd almost reached the exit doors when they opened and in came Ken Harrison.

“Well, look who it is. The handsome Ken Harrison. That's the lawyer.” Charlotte pointed at Ken.

Ken wore a black suit with a blue shirt and a black and beige tie. His blond hair was streaked by the sun. His eyes lit up when he saw me.

“I didn't expect to see you here,” he said.

“I was here visiting someone.”

Now he would think I meant Dylan. Not that it mattered. Ken knew Dylan and I were friends.

Ken gave me the once-over.

“I came to see Hannah. She's accused of murdering Melanie,” I revealed.

“She's my client now.”

I returned his gaze. “Yes, I heard.”

“Oh, this is going to be interesting,” Charlotte lamented.

“If you don't mind me asking, why are you here to see her?” he asked.

No way was I going to tell him the truth. “I needed to discuss some business that had been left undone when Melanie died.”

“Way to cover your tracks,” Sam said.

“Well, I guess I'd better get back there. I'd love to talk over coffee.” Ken touched my arm.

“You can't get out of this one,” Charlotte said.

I smiled. “That would be nice.”

Ken stepped around me and headed for the reception desk. “Great. I'll stop by and see you.”

I was just walking away from Ken when I felt eyes on me. When I glanced over, I spotted Dylan. When Ken stepped into the back room, Dylan approached.

Sam leaned close to me. “Make sure to mention that I need the hat.”

There wasn't time to answer because Dylan had his gaze focused on me.

“Did you have a nice conversation?” Dylan asked.

“Ken said he's Hannah's lawyer.” I gestured toward the back area.

“Well, yes, he is, but I was referring to your conversation with Hannah. Besides, I heard you were part of the defense team as well.”

I blushed. “I think that was a miscommunication.”

“Right. I figured that was what happened.” The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile.

“Anyway, I suppose I took care of everything I needed with her. As you know, Melanie had used some of my clothing for the show, so I had to discuss that with Hannah.”

He didn't look as if he believed me one bit.

“You need to work on your lying skills,” Charlotte said from over my shoulder.

An officer peeked around the corner. “Detective Valentine, you have a phone call. They said it's urgent.”

He held up his finger.

“I'd better let you take that call,” I offered.

He ran his hand through his hair and released a breath. “I'll stop by and see you soon.”

“That would be nice,” I said. “By the way, there was a hat I lost. I think Melanie had it and perhaps it's evidence now. It's a fedora and very important. Is there a way to get it back?”

Dylan grinned. “I'll see what I can do.”

“Thank you, Cookie,” Sam said.

“I hope he doesn't come the same time as Ken. That would be awkward.” Charlotte enunciated the last word for emphasis.

After one final glance in Dylan's direction, I headed out the door.

“It's good that she has both of these men calling on her. That way she can make the right decision,” Charlotte said as we made it to the Buick.

Now the ghosts were discussing my dating life as if I wasn't even there.

“Thanks, you two, but I think I can handle it.” I slid behind the wheel of the car and pointed it in the direction of It's Vintage, Y'all.

“Where are we going now?” Charlotte asked.

“I have to go to work.”

She sighed. “I suppose you do.” She looked at Sam, who was sitting in the backseat. “We'll just have to plan our next move while she is working.”

I smiled to myself at their plotting. I knew that they would have some other plans for me as soon as work was over. But I had news for them, I had other things on my agenda. I was behind with my blog and I needed to look for more estate sales. There would be no time to play amateur sleuth tonight. I'd wait until later to tell them though. A tiny bit of disappointment fell over me. Investigating the murder gave me a rush and I enjoyed helping people in an all-new way. This revelation shocked me a little.

I pulled up in front of the shop and cut the engine.

Sam trailed along beside me as I headed for the front door. “Here's an idea. Do you have a way to speak with the models who participated in the event?”

“You know, that's not a bad idea. Melanie did give me a list of names of the models with their contact info. I had to get in touch to get measurements for everyone.”

Charlotte leaned against the building, waiting for me to open the door. “I think you're on to something now.”