If the Shoe Kills (3 page)

I felt my eyes widen. “I'm not blaming . . .” Then I saw his body shaking. “You're messing with me, King. And I don't appreciate it.” I slapped his shoulder for emphasis.

“You're too easy of a target.”

I took a sip of my iced tea and checked the big black cat clock on the diner's wall over the hostess stand. “You're the second man to tell me that today.”

This time his eyes widened and I grinned. “Toby said the same thing when I only wanted a mocha after dealing with Ted the Jerk.”

“Wait, you didn't tell me you had a run-in with this guy. Maybe I should look into him, for the safety of our citizens.”

I grabbed my purse and leaned over the table to give him a kiss. “Slow your roll, big guy. Nothing happened. Besides, Toby already agreed to take over further contact as the liaison from South Cove's business community. I think he wants to take care of the issue. I gotta go.”

“Sure, eat and run. Leave me with the check.” He tucked a wayward curl behind my ear. “Maybe I'll stop by later?”

“I'll close at nine. You want to drive me home?”

He kissed me. “I'll be the one in the police cruiser.”

“Either bring your truck or I'll walk.” I paused at the table. Last summer Toby had made me ride in the backseat of his cruiser because the two of them were concerned someone was trying to kill me. Which apparently had been true. Still, silly me, I wasn't a fan of the backseat of a police car.

He grinned. “Just seeing if you were listening.”

I turned around and waved over my shoulder. “Don't be late, Detective.”

By the time I walked back to the shop, the ten interns had arrived. They had a bus that would bring them to South Cove for each shift and then transport them back to the Work Today office in Bakerstown. I threw my purse in my office, introduced Sasha Smith, our intern, to Toby, and rounded up the other nine to do a quick tour of the town as we dropped people off. First stop, Antiques by Thomas.

Josh was standing guard in his doorway when I introduced him to Kyle. The man almost had a heart attack. Kyle's black leathers and pink spiked hair made him look like the ruffians Josh had railed about in each of the business meetings since he'd arrived. “You can't be serious.” Josh pointed a finger at me. “If one thing goes missing . . .”

“Look, man, I'm not a thief. Just unemployed.” Kyle held his hands out to his sides. “You can frisk me before I leave each day. I need this placement. And I dig old stuff. My pops put a bunch of this stuff out in the garage before they put him in a home.”

Josh's bargain radar went off, and even I could see the wheels turning in his mind. “We'll work something out. Come on in, Kyle.”

Amy stood out on the steps of City Hall and welcomed her intern, Cat, with open arms. The small girl who couldn't be much older than nineteen peeked back at me, eyes wide when Amy led her, chattering, into the building. I waved, and a couple of the group members chuckled.

A few more stops, and I had three left. The Glass Slipper, South Cove Bed-and-Breakfast, and South Cove winery. As we passed by The Glass Slipper, I tried the door. Locked.

Mindy, the woman assigned to the shop, glanced at me. “I can wait here.”

“Why don't you walk with us? I'd like the company.” I peered into the shop window but couldn't see anyone or any movement. “I'm sure Marie's just running late.”

“If you think it will be okay. I don't want to get in trouble.” Mindy was the oldest of the group, close to fifty if my guess was correct. I wondered how she'd gotten into the training class. None of my business, I chided myself.

“Come on, I'll talk to Marie if she's upset. You were here on time, she wasn't.” I smiled and put my hand on her shoulder. “Besides, it's a nice walk to the winery.”

We stopped at South Cove Bed-and-Breakfast, where Bill Simmons along with his wife, Mary, waited on the porch to meet their charge. The young woman whom we dropped off had been greeted like she was returning home from a long trip rather than starting a job. That was the thing I loved about South Cove: most people were warm and welcoming. Maybe it was their nature or they just knew the benefits of being friendly in a tourist town.

The three of us walked up the hill to Darla's. She met us at the barn where she started tours and where on weekends, she usually hosted a band and wine tastings. The woman was still steaming.

“I can't believe Marvin pulled this stunt.” She shoved a broom at the man who was her intern. “Go into the barn and sweep out the floor.”

“Yes, ma'am.” The man's drawl was deeply Southern. I hadn't heard him speak one word on our walking trip. I raised my hand to stop him.

“Hey, Matt? Where are you from?”

He grinned. “Georgia, ma'am. Followed a girl out here to the land of sunshine and never wanted to leave.”

Darla watched him walk into the barn. She shrugged. “Could be worse, I guess. At least he's easy on the eyes.”

Mindy laughed. “He's the sweetest thing. He had the entire bus rolling during the trip here. He's quite the comedian.”

“Well, I could use some humor around here. Today's been kind of a downer.” Darla shook her head. “I guess I shouldn't complain, at least she's letting me help. But, Jill, you don't know what she wants to do.”

I didn't want to ask. “It's bad?”

“No, it's amazing. I wanted her idea to be horrible, but if she can pull this off, it might be the best festival we've ever had.” Darla groaned. A voice called from the barn.

“Ma'am, did you know you had something on the stove?” Matt's deep voice called out from the barn.

“Crap, I have chili warming up.” Darla turned and trotted back to the barn, leaving us alone in the driveway.

Mindy and I turned back to the road and the short walk back into town. “I'm making chili and corn bread tomorrow night for my son. He's visiting from Washington.”

“How many kids do you have?”

Mindy smiled. “Just the one. His father, well, he wanted a namesake more than he wanted to raise kids. We divorced last year.”

“You sound like you would have liked more.” I hadn't made up my mind yet on if I wanted kids, not to mention how many.

“Sometimes, what you want isn't what you get.” Mindy's words echoed Marie's statement earlier in the day.

When we arrived back at The Glass Slipper, the door was still locked. Several people milled around the door, checking their watches. I knocked hard on the door.

“Don't bother,” a short woman said to my left. She held up her phone. “I just got a text from Marie. She's ill and cancelling tonight's class. She says we'll get another week added to the end of the session.”

Mindy seemed deflated. I put my hand on her arm. “Why don't you come over and help me in the shop today? I'll sign your time card.”

The look she gave me was so filled with gratitude, I almost teared up. “We get a stipend for each night we work. I needed the extra money to buy the groceries for tomorrow.”

We walked across the street, and the students from the cancelled class followed us. The woman with the cell phone laughed. “I've wanted to check out the coffee shop for weeks. I guess Marie's cancelling class is the right excuse.”

I held the door to the shop open as people filed in, and my eyes caught a movement in the darkened window of The Glass Slipper. A face peered out at us. Marie's face.

W
aving at the last few customers, I locked the door and turned the sign from open to closed. I'd needed the extra hands tonight. Sasha handled preparing the coffee, and Mindy dished up desserts and cleaned tables. Tuesdays were typically slow, but with the holiday season approaching and Marie's cancelled class, we had more impulse shoppers tonight.

Turning off the lights, I peered at The Glass Slipper across the street. I knew I'd seen Marie watching us earlier. Had the woman been that nervous about working with Mindy that she'd cancelled her class? Or was the near miss with Ted's Mustang to blame? Either way, I needed to talk to her tomorrow. Mindy deserved a real work experience, with hopefully, a real recommendation when she applied for jobs at the end of the program.

I slipped through my darkened shop and into the back office. Then I grabbed my purse and went through the back door. Greg's truck was parked in Aunt Jackie's regular spot. I locked the door, jiggling the knob to make sure it was secure.

Climbing into the truck, I leaned over, gave Greg a kiss, and held up the box filled with cheesecake pumpkin squares. “You got time for some dessert and coffee?”

Greg pulled the truck out into the road. “My time is yours. I turned everything over to Tim, unless something big happens, of course.”

“It must be hell to be so indispensable,” I teased.

He didn't even look at me. “If something happened at the shop, you would show up. Nothing different than with my job.”

“Except with my job, people don't break laws, get hurt, or die.” We passed by Esmeralda's house. Lights blazed out of every window, and a few cars were parked in her driveway. “Is Esmeralda having a séance?”

“I don't think she calls it that, but yes, she's doing a group reading.” Greg glanced at the cars in front of his dispatcher's home. “You know she came in to talk to me before dinner.”

“I thought she was relaying the mayor's message.” I tore my glaze from the window and toward Greg.

He pulled into my driveway and turned off the engine. “Nope. She wants me to tell you that the lady is worried.”

“The lady?” I picked up the box and slipped out of the truck. I met him on the other side. “What lady is she talking about?”

“I thought you'd know. That's all she said, then she turned around and went back to the dispatch center. When I walked by to leave, it was like she'd never even spoken to me.” Greg held open the front gate, and we walked up the cobblestone walk I'd put in last month. I was still in love with my creation. Next to the path, Miss Emily's fairy circle had returned. If I believed in magic, I'd say my friend was blessing my caretaking of her house.

I unlocked the door and flipped on a light. “Not a clue.”

After we'd settled in the kitchen and waited for the coffee to brew, Greg let Emma into the kitchen. My golden retriever had been a housewarming gift from him earlier that year. She still was mostly a puppy and her energy level spiked when she saw both of us in the house. Of course, she gave Greg more attention, teaching me a lesson for working too long of a shift. Normally I was home by noon and the two of us spent the afternoon on the porch reading and napping. Well, I read, and we both napped.

As Emma settled into her bed next to the door and we settled around the table, I tapped my finger on the surface. “Marie Jones stood her intern up this evening. She cancelled her class and everything.”

“The same Marie who almost got smashed by a speeding sports car this afternoon? Maybe she was upset and felt she couldn't teach. Near-death experiences affect people differently.” Greg sipped his coffee.

“Leave it to you to see the other side of things.” I sighed.

Greg shrugged. “It's not always the easy answer, sometimes things just are.” He waved a fork at me. “I'd like to give this Ted guy a lecture about safety and speeding in a small town. From what others have told me, the guy was going way too fast.”

“I don't know, he said she ran out in front of him. He didn't say he was speeding.” I bit into the pumpkin square. Sadie's Pies on the Fly was branching out, and this scrumptious tidbit was one of her successful experiments.

“From what I've heard from the mayor, this guy's a piece of work. He probably thinks everyone should just stay out of his way.” Greg finished off one square and grabbed another. “These are great.”

“Sadie's.” I cocked my head and watched him. “Funny, you didn't let me dog on Marie for playing the disappearing card tonight, yet you have no sympathy for Ted. Did you dig into his history for the mayor?”

His face reddened just a bit. “After we talked, I figured there might be some fire to all this smoke, so yeah. Let's just say, you need to never be alone with the guy. He's got a short fuse when it comes to interactions with women. All kinds of reports filed against him, nothing sticks, though.”

I shook my head. It was typical. As a family law attorney, I'd seen it time after time. Abusers tended to get away with it, mostly because they made their victims too scared to report. “I kind of got that vibe today. I thought Toby was going to shoot him.”

Greg chuckled. “Wouldn't have been the worst idea.” He took my hand and rubbed his thumb over the top. “Just stay clear, and if you do have to meet, stay in the front of the shop. I'll feel better about it.”

“Are you telling the mayor what you found?”

“Probably not. Marvin has an underhanded way of using information against people. And I'm not going to be part of his game.” Greg stood and took his cup and plate to the sink, rinsed them, and put them into the dishwasher. He then leaned in to give me a quick kiss. “I've got to go. Tomorrow's going to be a long day. Monthly inventory.”

“How many times do you have to count rifles and flare guns?” I grumbled as I followed him to the door.

“According to the city charter, once a month.” He kissed me again, this time longer, a proper kiss. And one that always made my toes curl.

I watched him stroll to the truck. “Thanks for the ride. And thanks for not bringing the cruiser.”

He waved without looking back.

 

The next morning, I opened the shop and started with the list of things I hadn't finished yesterday due to the business meeting. Sometimes I wondered if the liaison job was worth the effort. At first, it had been a way to prove myself to the more settled townspeople. That I was willing to jump in and work for my new home. Now, besides Bill and Darla, I felt I was pulling the plow by myself. I drafted up the minutes and e-mailed them to Amy for inclusion in next week's council report.

Then, since the coffee run of the morning had slowed, I pulled a new arrival off the mystery shelf and, with a mocha, settled in to read until either Toby showed up for his own shift, or a wandering tourist found my door.

Toby was the first to arrive. I glanced at my watch and as usual, the guy was spot-on time. Not early, not late. Eleven thirty on the dot.

“Hey, boss,” he called as he went behind the counter to wash his hands and don an apron. “Slow morning?” He poured a cup of coffee for himself and came to sit by me.

“Perfect morning.” I held the book so he could see the cover. “Almost finished.”

He leaned back. “You're the only business owner in town I know who enjoys a slow shift.”

“There's a reason I take the early shift. I like having time to myself.” I grinned. “So what's going on with you? We haven't chatted for days. You got a new love in your life?”

“I'm seeing one of the girls from the cosmetology school. We went to dinner in the city last night after my shift.” The boy blushed down to his roots.

I raised an eyebrow. “Just one?”

He nodded. “Yep. Just one. Look, I know I told you I wasn't dating anyone, but Elisa is special. I didn't want you to judge.” The bell over the door chimed, and an older couple walked in. Toby jumped up and almost sprinted to the counter. “Duty calls.”

Elisa, huh? I wondered if maybe Toby had actually found the one this time. I put a bookmark to keep my place and picked up my empty cup. Time to check in with Marie. The girl and I were going to have a long talk about responsibility, no matter what Greg had said last night.

I stepped out of the shop and crossed the street, checking for traffic. We didn't get many cars during the weekdays, which was probably why Marie hadn't seen Ted yesterday. Most of the tourists parked at the public parking near the end of town, then walked through our small village. My shop was smack-dab in the middle of Main Street, perfect placement for an impulse cup of coffee or frozen treat.

The door of The Glass Slipper stood open. The front of the shop overflowed with small display shelves, each one holding a different type of glass ornament. Currently, Marie had moved the Christmas display closer to the window, but wind chimes and stained-glass pieces held center stage. I stopped to admire a Cinderella-motif stained-glass piece. The large square would be amazing hung over the children's book section at the shop. I was lost in thought when I heard her voice.

“I love how that piece turned out. I'm almost tempted not to sell it.” Marie stood next to me, looking at the stained glass.

“I'm considering it for the shop. You can feel the fantasy of the story. It's like walking into the book.” I smiled and turned. “You're an amazing artist.”

Marie blushed, then shrugged. “I have my moments.” She walked back to the counter. “Before you say anything, I'm sorry about last night.”

“Mindy's a great person. I think you'll enjoy working with her.” I jumped into my sales pitch.

“It wasn't her. I, well, I thought I saw someone I knew.” Marie picked up a glass unicorn and started polishing the imaginary dust off the piece. “It upset me. But it couldn't be the same person. I mean, he doesn't even live on this side of the country.”

Could she be talking about Ted? I replayed the scene from yesterday in my head. Had Marie been scared from the near miss, or of the driver of the car? “Look, if you want to talk . . .”

My words were interrupted by a group of women flowing through the door. Excited chatter filled the small shop.

Marie set the unicorn down. “Sorry, I've got a lunch class. I'll be ready for Mindy on Thursday, no worries.” She glanced at the women already heading to the back of the room. “Did you want anything else?”

Apparently, I'd been dismissed. I shook my head. “I'll think about the piece.”

I stepped out into the bright sunshine and wondered what had just happened. One moment, Marie seemed ready to talk about her concerns, the next, a cool professional stood in front of me.

At least she'd agreed to take Mindy on Thursday, and that had been my main objective in the discussion. I wasn't sure the owner of The Glass Slipper would ever be a friend, to me or anyone else in town. But not everyone wanted that kind of relationship. I made a mental note to take her cookies next week. Maybe I needed to reach out more.

The shop was busy when I returned, and I checked in with Toby to make sure he didn't need help before grabbing my purse and walking home. When he laughed, I took that as my cue and grabbed the almost-finished mystery to take back to the house. Research for the bookstore. Friday night was Aunt Jackie's Mystery Readers Group and it was my turn to present the new books for the month. I'd like to say I'd read all of them, but usually, I only had time for a couple each month.

Passing City Hall, I considered stopping in to see Amy, my bestie. A red Mustang sat parked in the one visitor spot in front of the building. Greg's truck sat next to the sports car. Ted must be in visiting with the mayor. I couldn't take the thought of running into one or the other of the men, not even to see Amy. I'd call her when I got home.

Emma stood waiting at the back door when I unlocked the kitchen door. She whined and I knew she wanted to run. “Let me change and we'll go.” I unlocked the screen door and grabbed her water dish to fill before we left.

Ten minutes later, we were on the beach. With the waves choppy and the wind cool, we were alone. I unclipped Emma's leash and we took off, the salt in the air cooling my face as I ran. Seagulls cawed and dived at the waves. One came up with a too large fish for his wingspan, and he didn't get far before he was beach-bound, a crowd of gull friends circling his windfall.

We hit our turnaround spot and I slowed, letting Emma play in the surf for a few minutes. She loved the beach run. Although she also loved it when we went inland and ran at the state park just a few miles outside of South Cove. I had to face the fact, my dog was a running junkie.

My cell rang as I watched Emma. I picked up, thinking it had to be Greg or Amy. “Hey.”

“Jill? Jill Gardner?” An unfamiliar male voice echoed in my ear. The wind was making it hard to hear.

I cupped my hand around the mouthpiece and talked louder, like that would make it easier for me to hear. “This is Jill.”

“You need to stop meddling. If an intern doesn't have work, they don't have work. You can't take on all of the deadbeats.” The man continued to ramble. Only now I knew whom I was speaking to: Ted Hendricks.

“Actually, I needed both Mindy and Sasha last night. So it was a blessing that The Glass Slipper had unexpectedly closed.” I didn't mention that the overflow came from the store's closure and cancelled class.

The other end of the line was quiet.

“Are you done yelling at me?” I quipped. “Because I have other things to do.”

He must have recovered. “You haven't heard me yell, not yet. Anyway, stop messing with my participants.” The line clicked off before I could respond.