Strung Out to Die (26 page)

“I don’t know. Someone that was out of breath and screaming for help.” Noah shrugged his shoulders.

“It was me,” Tallulah admitted. “I was going to bust down the back door right before Holly ran out the front.”

I grabbed Tallulah and hugged her.

“Don’t hug her,” Marlene turned her nose in the air and then turned to Noah. “And would you mind getting my leggings off him. They are one-of-a-kind.”

Tallulah pushed Marlene aside, getting to Noah. “Not before I get my diamond out of them.”

“It’s mine!” Marlene jabbed Tallulah with her broken fingernail.

“Don’t you touch my sister.” Mimi pushed Marlene out of the way.

“No one is going to touch anyone.” Noah stepped between them with his arms spread wide. “We can all take this down to the station.”

Everyone was still too scared to say a word. We all piled into our cars and followed Noah back to the Swanee Police Station.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

When we got to the station, Noah put Jim in a holding cell and had us sit on the benches that lined the wall. One-by-one, he questioned each of us regarding our involvement and what we knew.

“How did you come to be involved?” Noah asked Donovan.

“I’m dating Holly and I had a pretty good idea what was going on when I fixed the tape from her answering machine. I found a message that Sean had left her, saying that he didn’t think Marlene killed Doug. Up to that point, we thought Marlene was the killer,” Donovan said. It was great that he got it fixed, but it didn’t matter now.

“What?” Sean and Marlene said in unison.

“Me?” Marlene pointed to her chest. “I wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Dating?” Sean said in a whiney voice and ran his fingers through his hair. “Dating, really?”

I had to put a stop to all this nonsense. It had been a long day and I was ready to finally get some sleep, since the murderer was behind bars.

“Here’s how it happened. Doug thought he was meeting Marlene at the bead shop when Jim told him to go there. Jim had a key to the shop because they own the building. He waited for Doug to come into the shop and then strangled him.” I took a deep breath, and continued. “He was going to blame Sean, but when I started snooping around and found out Sean didn’t do it, he decided to frame Marlene by planting all sorts of evidence to make it look like she was guilty.”

Noah was scribbling as fast as he could in his little notebook.

He held the baggie in the air, confirming that the Spinel was safe and that he would figure out who the rightful owner was later.

“Bernadine had told me that she’d seen Marlene come and go from my cottage, but it was Jim dressed as Marlene.” I finished the story about how Jim built
The Under
in the barn and showed him the pictures I’d taken with my ePhone.

“You got an ePhone?” Marlene and Sean said. They both were surprised.

“Holly Harper, I don’t think I know you anymore. Boyfriend? ePhone?” He asked.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say Sean was a little jealous that I wasn’t falling all over him for not being dead.

“Anyway, Donovan found them in
The Under
, and that brings us up to now.” I sighed with relief that this was all coming to an end.

Donovan leaned over and told me, “There was a trap door in that closet.”

“You would’ve been so proud of me.” I smiled and looked in his eyes. “I used the ‘confuse and leave’ with the key jab on Jim. It worked like a charm.”

“I’m proud of you.” Sean interrupted.

Donovan shot him a look.

Just about that time, Ginger rushed into the station. I stood up, waiting to see her reaction. With tears in her eyes, she grabbed me and sobbed.

“I guess I’m not an honorary Diva anymore,” Ginger said, letting us know that she was not going to stay married to Jim. “I can’t believe he installed all those cameras just to spy on people.”

I filled Noah in on all the places around town Jim had installed cameras to spy on people and told him about Agnes Pearl. “You can find the control room in
The Under
in the barn.”

“
The Under
in the barn?” Ginger asked.

Obviously, she didn’t know about
The Under
in her barn, and right now wasn’t the time to fill her in.

“Where do you come in?” Noah looked at Sadie.

“I’m Gilley’s wife and a Diva.” She stated proudly.

“A Diva?” Marlene, Bernadine, and Ginger asked.

“Well, sort of. Holly has been helping me spy on Gilley.” Sadie fiddled with her fingers. “Well, I thought he was cheating on me, but evidentially he’s just been working a lot of overtime since you were trying to get this murder solved.”

I couldn’t believe that Gilley was the one I was looking for that night at The Livin’ End. When I went in to pee, I had seen him and Noah at the bar asking questions about Sean and Doug.

“But in your picture, Gilley had a…um…purple Mohawk.” I put my hand over my mouth to cover my smile, but I guffawed at the image. There was no resemblance at all.

“It was a few years ago when he had more hair.” She laughed. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

Gilley obviously had forgiven her. He gathered her up into his arms and gave her a big kiss.

“I’d still love to be a Diva,” she said over Gilley’s shoulder.

“Oh, no you won’t.” Gilley shook his head. “How did you find out about the Divorced Divas?”

“I overheard you talking about them with Noah at the house one night.” She looked over his shoulder and winked at me.

“I’ll call you,” I mouthed. Even though she was still married, she’d be a fine addition.

“I’ve missed a lot.” Ginger sat down beside me. Her shoulders slumped and she looked defeated.

“Nothing I can’t fill you in on later.” I put my arm around her. My friend was going to need a strong shoulder to lean on.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

“What are those?” Ginger pointed to the black velvet pouches lined up on the counter.

“Those, my dear friend, are the sixteen sets of bridesmaid accessories I made for Margaret McGee’s wedding.” I opened one of the pouches to show her the contents.

I beamed. That feeling of joy and elation that I always dreamed of was there. And it felt good. “My first client.”

“Oh, Holly!” Ginger gasped. “Margaret is going to be the prettiest bride in Swanee.”

“Two of her bridesmaids are coming in for consults for their weddings next week.” A sob of relief broke from my lips “This was exactly what I needed to get The Beaded Dragonfly off the ground.”

The door flung open. Agnes was swatting Marlene’s hand away, Flora was behind them on her phone, and Bernadine was walking behind Flora, picking the lint off Flora’s coat.

I hurried to the storage room to get everyone’s projects. Although it had only been a week since Jim Rush confessed to murdering Doug Sloan over the Sloan family fortune, all the Divas were back to their old form.

“You need some help?” Cheri asked when she entered the storage room with Willow by her side.

I nodded and counted out seven bead boards.

“Seven?” Her brow furrowed with curiosity.

“Yes, Sadie May is the new honorary Diva since Ginger has upgraded her status,” I said and walked out to greet the group.

“Good.” Cheri walked behind me. “Someone closer to my age.”

“Hey!” Agnes yelled out and adjusted her purple turban. “I’m feeling pretty young with my improved eyesight.”

I set everyone’s board out in front of them.

“What in the hell are these?” Agnes picked up the shoelace with all the wooden beads tied on. “I said I was feeling young, but I’m not a child.”

Everyone bit their lips. We weren’t about to let Agnes in on the secret that it was her project.

“Let me go get some real beads for you.” I took the shoelace out of her hands.

“You look great, Holly.” Flora took my hand and had me twirl around. “And that’s a new outfit.”

Over the past week, I’d been walking more and I’d given Food Watchers one more try. This time, I sat with my mouth shut.

“I have lost a little weight.” I posed with my hands resting on my hips.

I wasn’t use to flirty skirts, but since none of my clothes fit, I had to go to the mall and get some new things.

Ring, ring, ring. Beep, beep, beep.
The shop phone and my cell phone both began to ring at the same time.

“Marlene, grab the phone.” I threw the shop cordless at her.

“Hello?” I said, answering my cell.

“Hi.” Donovan’s words flowed out of my ePhone. “How about some take-out and a real DVD movie tonight?”

Marlene interrupted, “Holly, Sean’s on the phone.” She held it out.

I paused. At that moment, it occurred to me that Sean and Donovan had both been calling non-stop all week long.

“I’m hanging out with the Divas tonight.” I was beginning to like this dating gig. “But I can tomorrow night.”

“Great,” Donovan said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Marlene covered the receiver end of the cordless, and whispered, “You are one naughty Diva.”

I grabbed the phone.

“Hello?” I politely, but playfully answered the phone.

“Hey, Hol.” Sean was back to using the nickname that he started calling me in high school. “I was wondering if I could come over tomorrow night with some take-out and install the chandelier for you?”

It was the first mention of the heirloom since I’d told him earlier in the week that I had taken it once I realized he was in trouble. I knew he wouldn’t leave town without it. I was keeping it for payment for saving his butt.

“Tomorrow?” I looked up at the chandelier hanging from the center of the shop ceiling.

There wasn’t anything the Divorced Divas couldn’t do.

“I’m busy tomorrow night, but I can the next night.” I looked down at my lovely manicured nails that Marlene had painted for me earlier in the week.

After I hung up, I turned around and all the Divas stared at me, shaking their heads.

“Holly Harper, what has gotten into you?” Ginger smiled.

“What?” I shrugged and looked over Flora’s shoulders at her chandelier earrings to make sure she was finishing them correctly.

“First, you join the defense class. Then, you join Food Watchers,” Agnes Pearl chimed in.

Cheri interrupted, “And, you started walking and lost more weight.”

I picked up her stretchy bracelet and put it on her wrist to make sure it fit.

“Don’t forget about the new ePhone.” Bernadine was still no further along on her project. She had redone the pattern yet again.

“Oh, that.” I waved my hands in the air, trying to play it off.

Everything was coming together. The Beaded Dragonfly was finally taking off and the Divas were back.

And better than ever.

Holly Harper’s Advanced Beading Class Project: Miss U Heart Swarovski Drop Earrings:

(Designer Jude, Jewelry Production Specialist, Marketing Content Development Group, Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®)

Materials Needed

Bead, Swarovski crystal, crystal golden shadow, 4mm Xilion bicone (6 beads)

Drop, Swarovski crystal, crystal golden shadow, 18x17mm Miss U Heart pendant (2 drops)

Jumpring, gold-plated, 4mm round, 20 gauge (2 jumprings)

Earwire, gold-plated brass, 16.5mm kidney with 4.5mm half-ball with open loop, 21 gauge (2 earwires)

Wire, Wrapit, jeweler’s bronze, dead soft, 20 gauge

Pliers, nylon jaw

Pliers, flush-cutter

Pliers, round-nose

Pliers, chain-nose

Pliers, bent-nose

Pliers, flat-nose

STEP 1

Cut a 5-1/2 inch length of jeweler’s wire. Form a 5-loop flat spiral on one end of the wire.

STEP 2

Bend the straight end of the wire so it passes through the center of one 17mm Swarovski Miss U Heart drop and back through the center of the flat wire spiral.

STEP 3

String onto the straight end of the wire three 4mm Swarovski bicone beads. Form a simple loop on the straight end of the wire.

STEP 4

Open a 4mm round gold-plated jumpring and pass it through the simple loop formed in Step 3 and the loop on a gold-plated kidney earwire. Close the jumpring.

Repeat Steps 1-4 to create the second earring.

A Note From The Author

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About The Author

International bestselling author Tonya Kappes spends her day lost in the world of her quirky characters that get into even quirkier situations.

When she isn’t writing, she’s busy being the princess, queen and jester of her domain which includes her BFF husband, her teenage guys, two dogs, and one lazy Kitty.

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