1 Hairspray and Homicide (2 page)

***

When she returned to her new house to unpack, she still couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The sun was beginning to set and the way the light played off the leaves of the surrounding trees reminded Bekki of endless summers. Bekki hefted one of the bigger boxes out of her trunk and started carrying it towards the door. The walkway was even enough but like everything else on Rose Hill Drive it was on an uphill slant. She trudged forward, the box nearly blocking her line of vision. When her foot caught on a rock that she had not seen in the walkway, she nearly lost her balance. Luckily the weight of the box was suddenly taken on by someone else.

"Whoa there, easy now," an amused voice spoke up from behind the box. Bekki caught her balance and straightened up as the box lowered and revealed a familiar face.

"Nick Malonie," she grinned as she swept her gaze over his still chiselled features. She had pined over him for months in her junior year of high school. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him and she sighed at the mention of his name. It had been a genuine head over heels crush that culminated in one very steamy summer before senior year.

"Rebekah Wilson," he replied in a formal tone and then batted one deep brown eye in a light wink. "So, the city tossed you back hmm?" he asked as he carried the box up onto the small front porch of her new home.

"Something like that," Bekki grinned.

"Their loss, our gain," he smiled warmly. Bekki felt some of her anxiety begin to ease with his kind nature. She was reminded yet again that the people of Harroway had a warm and welcoming way about them. At least, most did.

"Thanks for the help," she said as she patted the top of the box.

"Can I help with the rest?" he suggested. Bekki was a little distracted by how Nick had changed. In high school he wore his light brown hair long and flowing to his shoulders. He had a tendency to write poetry and was convinced that the world would be a much better place if everyone would listen to his favorite band. Now, his hair was cut short and neat, and his easy smile was weighted with something she couldn't quite define.

“Sure,” she smiled faintly.

As they moved the boxes into the house, Nick offered casual banter about how their old high school had changed. He mentioned that the pond they had swum in had been drained and the amount of old tires they found inside of it was daunting. Bekki mostly listened. It was strange to have someone who had once meant so much to her suddenly appear in her life again. She hadn't even really thought about Nick still being in town. She had just assumed he had moved onto better things. When they carried in the last of the boxes, Bekki glanced over at Nick while he was looking over the lighting fixtures in the dining room. With his squared lips half-parted and his eyes upturned, she could easily recall that identical expression. How many nights they had looked up at the stars together. She shook her head to snap herself out of the memory.

“Let me get you some water,” she smiled and walked over to the bags of groceries she had brought back to the house with her. She handed him a bottle of water and opened her own.

"It's good to see you again Bekki," he murmured before taking a swig of his water. Bekki smiled and glanced away hoping to hide how good it was for her to see him again. He stirred in her the memory that there were other men in the world, aside from Trevor. Men that she had once had amazing times with. Of course this was a different time, they had grown into very different people, but it still helped to be reminded of who she was, who Nick had been, and the poignant moments they had shared together.

"Thanks for your help," she said as she shoved the last of the boxes out of the hallway. "I hope I didn't keep you from anything too important."

"Not at all," he smiled slowly. "This is Harroway, nothing ever happens around here."

"Well, that's because they have such good law enforcement," Bekki said playfully. She had the dish about Nick's career, but had thought he had left the area.

"Oh, so you know about my badge?" Nick chuckled and actually blushed a little, as if he might be nervous about what she thought of his career.

"Sammy told me," Bekki admitted with an affectionate grimace. Sammy was her best friend throughout childhood, though they had drifted apart as adults. Sammy worked at Bekki’s mother’s salon.

"Ah yes, she would," Nick sighed with mock annoyance. "If it wasn't for her knowing everything about everyone in this town I might actually have to do some detective work."

"Well, I think it's great that you've achieved so much Nick, and thanks again," she walked him towards the front door of the house and he paused on the porch to glance back at her. When his green eyes met hers she recalled a kiss beneath the starlight, their first, and the way his lips had trembled with anticipation.

"Good to see you Bekki," he didn't seem to notice that he was repeating himself.

"You too," Bekki nodded cordially and waved as he walked down the walkway. She closed the door before he could look back and catch sight of her wistful smile.

"It's only memories," she warned herself as she turned to the task of unpacking. She was determined not to let herself be swept back into the arms of another man. She wanted to discover who she was, which in her current opinion, was impossible for her to do when she was wrapped up in the needs and desires of a relationship.

Still, it was nice to think of that moonlit kiss, it was something she had not thought of in years.

Chapter Two

At the salon the next day Bekki found herself in the middle of chaos. Her mother had run the business well enough but she didn't have much interest in the little aspects, like organization and finances. The salon made just enough to cover the bills and to provide an income for her mother, but it was not the finetuned machine that Bekki was used to working in. When she looked for hairspray, she found three bottles that were all on the last inch of fluid. When she sought out some fresh towels, she discovered that many of them were threadbare and thin. It was nearly impossible to figure out her mother's fee system, as she tended to charge a different rate for every customer she had.

"They pay what they can Bekki," her mother explained when she questioned her about it. "Everyone deserves to be as beautiful as she can be, regardless of how much money they can pay."

"That's sweet Ma," Bekki sighed with a shake of her head. "But it does not make good financial sense."

"Well, good thing I'm not trying to make good financial sense," her mother smiled patiently. "Bekki, things here are different than in the city. I want you to have the business, but you must not forget, this business only runs because of the people in this town, and if it were not for them, Daisy and her Curl and Coif would have shut us down long ago."

Bekki rolled her eyes at the mention of Daisy's name. She knew that her mother was right about that. Daisy had been in competition with her mother's salon since Bekki was a young girl. When she opened her salon she made a point of running an advertising campaign that painted the Wilson's salon as being outdated and incapable of keeping up with the latest styles. It had hurt the salon's business at first, but nothing could compare to the quality and skill they offered, so eventually the customers had returned to Marie's salon. Still it was not easy to deal with Daisy who was a constant thorn in her mother's side. She did her best to put down Marie's skills and to make fun of her salon.

"Don't worry Mama, I will never let that happen," Bekki said firmly.

Bekki had grown up seeing Daisy as a bully. Daisy had even encouraged her niece to pick on Bekki any chance she got. It made Bekki miserable until Sammy set her straight.

"Why would you ever care what someone else thinks of you Bekki?" her best friend had asked her. "If she knew you at all she'd love you, just like everyone else. So, don't let her get to you."

Bekki had taken that advice to heart, and had ignored the bullying until it eventually stopped.

"We do have to get things a little more straightened out though Mama," Bekki said with a sigh as she knocked over a bucket of old scissors. "It is important to be organized."

"Well, it's up to you now," her mother smiled and wiggled her fingers as she walked out of the shop. "I'm going on vacation!"

Bekki grinned and watched as her mother danced down the side walk. She was a hard working woman who had always taken care of her family in every way she could. Never once could Bekki recall her mother taking a vacation or doing much of anything for herself, but since Bekki was taking over the salon, she had made quite a few plans including travelling. Some of those plans even included Bekki's father, who was still reeling from this new independent side of his wife.

"Don't worry," Sammy assured her as she finished rinsing one of the customer's hair. "I'll help you get this place in tip top shape."

"Thanks Sammy," Bekki smiled. Her heart swelled with warmth as she felt so accepted. She wasn't missing city life at all.

***

After closing the salon that night Bekki retreated to her front porch for a little relaxation. There was enough space between her house and the street, as well as the neighbor's house, to give her some comfortable privacy. The old porch swing that hung from the wooden eaves was rickety, but held her just fine. She sighed as she began to feel the warm evening air relax her. It was like a breath along her skin as it coasted with the movement of the swing, back and forth. She took a sip of the wine she had poured for herself and briefly closed her eyes. She could recall so many memories from the sweet, moist scent of the summer evening, playing with Sammy by the creek, swinging on the tire swing on endless summer days, and sneaking out to see Nick when her parents were sound asleep... and chocolate. Chocolate? She sniffed the air slightly before her eyes fluttered open. Right before her was a tray of homemade brownies that smelled delicious.

"Just a welcome to the neighborhood," Nick offered awkwardly. "I didn't mean to disturb you," he added. He had stepped onto the porch before he realized her eyes were closed and she looked as if she was dreaming.

"Oh, thank you so much," she smiled and took a deep sniff of the brownies. "They smell delicious."

"I wasn't sure if you still liked them," he shrugged a little. They had devoured an entire tray of brownies one lazy, rainy afternoon.

"Love them," she corrected him and took one off the plate. "Have one with me?" she suggested and slid over on the swing so that he could sit down as well. He grinned and sat down beside her.

The moment he did she realized she might have made a mistake. She was so confident that she could control her feelings, as she was determined to be single, that she didn't think spending some time with Nick would bother her. But his closeness made her mind get a little fuzzy, and her heart began beating faster.

"Tell me about your job," she said quickly, hoping that conversation would break the intensity of the chemistry she was feeling. She couldn't tell if he was feeling it, too.

He finished his bite of brownie. "It's not always easy," he admitted. "I thought it would be great to have a badge and a gun, be a detective like on television," he laughed at his own youthful beliefs. "But the truth is, even though this is Harroway, I've seen some pretty terrible things."

"I'm sorry," Bekki frowned sympathetically. "I have to say though, I feel much safer knowing that you're patrolling the streets."

"Ha," he winked lightly at her. "I bet you say that to all the detectives."

"Maybe," she smiled sweetly. "But I mean it Nick, I'm sure you're a great detective. It can't be easy deciding to arrest people, knowing that they may have just made a mistake, or maybe their lives had led them to the point of making such horrible choices."

A ripple ran through Nick's jaw as he clenched it for a moment before speaking. "Actually that part of the job is pretty simple. You know some people will say that a criminal deserves to have the benefit of the doubt, but I don't see it that way. I mean, we've all had our difficulties in life, but if you commit a crime, then you should be punished."

Bekki sat back a little as she studied his passionate expression.

"Is it really always that simple NIck?" she asked quietly. After living in the city for as long as she had, she had discovered quite a few different lifestyles. Some of her closest friends had even been convicted of felonies in the past. They had made choices that weren't the best, but she didn't consider them bad people for it.

"It should be," Nick said firmly as he glanced up at her. "If the evidence is there, if the proof shows that a person has committed a crime, then it doesn't matter who it is, they get arrested."

Bekki laughed at the seriousness of his tone, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

"Hmm, I better make sure that I stay in line then," she smiled with a teasing tone. He leaned a little closer to her, meeting her gaze as he did. His nearness ignited that familiar sensation deep within her.

"So, why did you come back home Bekki? What really happened in the city?"

Bekki lowered her eyes swiftly. She took a bite of her brownie to give herself some time to choose how to answer. She wasn't quite ready to share the truth. She didn't want to admit that she had her heart broken, that she really had believed that she and Trevor were going to get married and have babies.

"I just decided I needed to get back to my roots," Bekki replied casually and leaned back against the back of the porch swing. "The city has a way of making you forget who you really are."

"But what made you realize that?" he asked, pressing for more information than she was offering, his green eyes holding a hard expression that she guessed was reserved for criminals.

"What is this, an interrogation, detective?" she laughed and then settled her lips into a smile. "All that matters is I'm home now Nick, and that these brownies are amazing," she added and picked up another.

Nick didn't reply for a long moment as he sat back against the porch swing. She couldn't tell if he was annoyed, or just enjoying the starlight above them. She remembered that about Nick. He was always so good at being cryptic, she could never figure out exactly what he was thinking or feeling. Maybe, she thought, Trevor was the same way, maybe she had misinterpreted his coldness for being similar to Nick's thoughtful and quiet nature.