divorced divas 02 - crimped to death (7 page)

“Holly Harper!” Marlene bolted through the door. Feathers from her hot pink boa flew all over the place. Briefly stopping inside the door, she wrapped it around her neck several times. “What on God’s green earth is going on around here? Agnes Pearl came home confused as a two dollar hooker with a fifty dollar bill.” Marlene leaned up against the counter trying to catch her breath. She must’ve ran the whole couple blocks down here.

“What did she say?” I was curious to see what Noah had told her.

“She said that Noah Druck told her Henry Frisk was killed and he was looking into talking to Bernadine.” Marlene’s eyes creased with worry. “Which doesn’t make sense since they were divorced. Why would Bernadine care?”

The unanswered question hung between us until Marlene’s mouth formed an O. She looked between me and Bernadine, who was in the corner talking to Bennie.

“That no good son of a bitch.” Spit came out of Marlene’s mouth. “I forgot he was taking her back to court.” She leaned in a little closer and whispered, “But do you think she killed him because of it?”

“No.” I blew off the notion. “She wouldn’t hurt a flea.”

“Holly?” Gilley came out from the storage room. “Hi, Marlene.”

“Gilley.” Marlene’s mouth couldn’t seem to stay shut. “What are you doing here?”

He ignored her.

“Mr. White?” Gilley got Bennie’s attention. “There seems to be a pair of Holly’s crimp tools missing from her stock and we found this one at the scene of Dr. Frisk. Does your client want to make a statement before I write my report?”

“No.” Bennie grabbed Bernadine by the elbow.

Bernadine glanced over her shoulder at me before Bennie shoved her out of the front door of the shop. She clamped her jaw tight and stared. Fear, stark and vivid, glittered in her eyes.

Chapter Eight

It wasn’t long after Bennie, Bernadine, and Gilley left before Flora and Agnes made their way to the shop.

“I said six p.m. not nine a.m.” I turned the closed sign on the door to open.

It was still business as usual.

“Even though Bennie did me dirty, he knows he better help Bernadine.” Flora used her fingertips to style her brown wavy hair. Her big cheekbones had the perfect amount of rouge on them. She sat her Fendi bag on the beading table. “When you called this morning, I was getting my hair done and all the girls were talking about the fight between Kevin and Henry. You know how gossipy salons can be. But I told Bennie anyway. Just in case it was important.” She blew on her nails. “Charlotte told me that Kevin even threw a punch.”

Flora had a standing appointment with Charlotte every week to get her hair and nails done. Flora said that being fifty years old was just a number. She kept herself in shape. Even though she loved to bash Bennie, she said she’d still like to find love one day.

“I immediately dialed Babbs to get a hold of Ernie.” She stopped blowing on her fingers briefly. Babbs was Bennie’s secretary.

Flora’s cell chirped. Gingerly and with her fingertips, she pulled the phone from the side pocket of her purse, careful not to get nail polish on the expensive bag.

“Hello?” She excused herself from the shop and went in the back to talk on her phone.

“What is going on? I leave town for a couple months and come back to this?” Ginger Sloan Rush surged through the door. The jingle bells flung around creating all sorts of noise as the door flew open. “Marlene.”

Ginger’s eyes zeroed in on Marlene. It wasn’t a secret that Ginger had her doubts about Marlene and had practically given her a grand inquisition when Marlene showed up in Swanee. It was unusual for people to just appear and start a life here since most of the town was born and bred here.

There was never a time I was so happy to see her. The trip did her good. Her long dark hair hung over her shoulder in long graceful curls. There was a hint of tan on her cheeks. Her blue eyes popped behind her thick well-manicured brows. She must really be sun kissed, because her teeth were so bright against her lips.

“You look great!” I came from behind the counter and gave her a big hug. “I went by your house this morning. It didn’t look like you were home.”

“I wasn’t. I got in town a few minutes ago and you know gossip spreads like the flu around Swanee.” She tilted her head to the side and nodded toward Marlene who was stocking the new merchandise she didn’t do from yesterday. “Marlene didn’t cap Henry, did she?”

“Wishful thinking on your part?” I laughed and winked. “But all joking aside, I think Bernadine is in trouble.”

Flora, who was still outside on the phone, tapped on the window. “Be back later,” she mouthed and waved bye.

“Tell me what you know.” She planted her butt in one of the bead chairs.

I told her all about the missing crimpers and how it was there before the Wine and Bead class started because I was the one who counted them out for the twelve of us there. And I told her about Kevin and Henry’s fight at the Barn Dance committee meeting.

“Really?” Ginger tapped her temple with her finger. “I belong on that committee.”

Which wasn’t a big revelation to me since her family did own half of Swanee.

“Maybe me and you should go by the financial meeting tonight because Kevin Russell is the chairman of that particular committee on the Barn Dance Board.”

“Great! I’ve been beating myself up all night for not accepting the invitation to join when they were asking all the businesses,” I said. “Even if we could just see his demeanor.”

“Surely Noah Druck is checking him out,” Marlene said as she broke down the empty boxes. “I put the invoices on the counter over there.”

“Just think about it.” Ginger stood up. Her long lean legs looked thinner in the dark skinny jeans. She wore a white blouse tucked in with the collar up and strands of pearls dripping down the front at all different lengths. “Henry Frisk comes to town. He has those massaging chairs in the cleaning rooms, a Keurig coffee maker in the lobby for clients to enjoy, and he gives away that amazing bag of swag.”

“How do you know of this?” I asked. Marlene stopped dead in her tracks. The only ex we Divas associated with was Bennie. He had resources we needed.

Her face reddened deeper than her tan. She swallowed hard.

“Well,” she hesitated.

“Ginger,” I coaxed her. “You didn’t,” I gasped and put my hand over my mouth.

“It was his first week here before I left and I’m the chair of Swanee’s Welcoming Committee.” She put her hand up to her chest.

“Since when did Swanee get a welcoming committee?” I looked at her suspiciously. “No one ever came to welcome me when I opened The Beaded Dragonfly.”

“Since the revitalization of downtown, the City Council felt that we needed to make sure the new businesses feel welcome.” She ran her tongue across her extra shiny white teeth. “Anyway, he was way more charming than Bernadine gave him credit for and he is devilishly handsome and young up close.”

My mouth dropped, my nose snarled.

Marlene eased herself in the chair on the opposite side of the table.

“Too bad he’s dead.” Marlene stuck her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands.

Marlene loved them rich and hot. Two things that were lacking in the men who lived in Swanee.

“Anyway,” Ginger ignored Marlene, “he asked me to come in to see the office. He showed me how the massage chair worked. When I sat down, I melted. He threw on a mask, whipped that light over my eyes and he illuminated like an angel staring down at me with those big puppy dog eyes.”

We all gave a little sigh.

“When he said he’d give me a complimentary cleaning that would keep me coming back, he was right.” She opened her lips real wide and showed her teeth. “He did a beautiful job. I couldn’t stop staring at his flawless skin and lovely eyes.”

“But he’s Bernadine’s ex.” Everything Ginger said was mesmerizing, but the fact still remained that he was an ex-ass.

“I know. That is why I never said anything.” Her jaw tensed. “Then he ordered surveillance equipment. Which reminds me, I need to check with Joni to see if it was installed.”

“Surveillance equipment?” A spark ignited. “If he had some sort of camera and he was killed in the office, it would show it!”

“Don’t be going and getting excited.” Ginger looked at her watch. “We are so far behind on installation and I took that trip which didn’t help move things quicker. The system for Henry’s office wasn’t even going to be installed until a couple weeks from right now. Though I did put him on the cancellation list.”

“You need to check that out and we need to figure out if some of Kevin’s clients were being wooed away from his office like Henry obviously wooed you.” My wheels were turning.

“Too bad he’s dead.” Ginger’s eyes lowered. “He really did a good job on my teeth. And he said that the next time I come back, they don’t take co-pays. He will bill your insurance for the full amount.”

“No co-pay?” That almost sounded too good to be true. I stood up when the ten o’clock bridal appointment came in. “I have a business to run and you have to go talk to Joni. Be back here by six p.m. to meet up with the Divas.”

Marlene got up and greeted the bride and the other girl with her. There was a full list of questions I had come up with so I could create the perfect jewelry for the wedding.

“We have to be at the financial meeting by seven.” Ginger reminded me.

“Seven?” Inwardly I groaned. That was the time for self-defense class. There was no way I could go there and the meeting. The meeting was definitely more important. “We can go together.”

“See you at six. Or I’ll call you before if I find anything else out about you-know-what.” She gave the spirit wave over her shoulder before she walked out.

The you-know-what was video of a murderer stabbing Henry to death. Even if there was something like that there, Noah would have already seen it. But you never know.

I found that a woman on a mission to find out something was far better than an FBI agent. I didn’t know who had stolen my crimpers, but I did know one thing, Bernadine Frisk was too tidy and neat to get blood on her hands.

Chapter Nine

“Welcome to The Beaded Dragonfly.” I held my hand out to shake the girls’ hands. I wasn’t sure which one was the bride. “I see you have met my assistant Marlene.”

Marlene nodded.

“This is Autumn,” Marlene gestured toward the petite blonde. I should’ve known she was the bride because they always look so gaunt and thin from starving themselves for their big day.

“This is Jenna, my maid of honor,” Autumn introduced the meat-on-the-bones, average-size young woman next to her.

They couldn’t be any more than twenty-five. Sometimes the lovestruck look on the happy brides-to-be faces made me sick. If they only knew what was in store for them. A life of cheating, long nights alone, and chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

I kept my mouth shut and planted a big ole happy smile on my face.

“There isn’t anything better than a wonderful wedding and happy marriage.” I glanced over at Marlene. “Isn’t that right?”

Huh. Marlene wasn’t good at faking it.

“Right,
Marlene
?”

“Whatever you say, Holly.” Marlene disappeared into the back and brought out the chocolate-covered strawberries and two flutes of champagne to give to the girls.

It was something I had seen on the Wedding Channel. I knew that after Margaret McGee’s wedding every girl in Swanee and surrounding counties would be coming here to see exactly what I had to offer. A little bit of expense to show them The Beaded Dragonfly was a classy place was just the icing on the cake for a big sale.

“I’ll let you two help yourself to the treats while you fill out your forms.” I guided them to the bridal table that was specifically set up for such appointments.

The sunlight beamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. The beads glistened throughout the shop. I had several pieces displayed on the table and the sun’s rays hit the jewelry perfectly, making them shine to the brilliance that would almost hurt your eyes if you stared at the beauty too long. That was another little trick I learned on the Wedding Channel.

The girls smiled and took their place at the bride’s table and I pulled Marlene to the side.

“Do you think you could finish the first meeting with Autumn?” The phone rang. I put my hand on it and finished my sentence. “I’m going to see Bobbi Hart and see if I can get on that Barn Dance Committee.”

I plucked the phone receiver off the wall.

“The Beaded Dragonfly,” I answered in a chirpy voice.

“Holly, it’s Carol from Dr. Russell’s office. I wanted to follow up on our conversation from last night and I have a couple openings for your cleaning,” she said. I could hear a page crinkling in the background like she was flipping a schedule book. “We have to get you in here to keep those beautiful teeth white and I also wanted to say that I can tell you have lost some weight.”

“Oh, Carol. That is so kind.” Compliments always made me melt. . .even if it did come from the dental receptionist. I looked down into the glass counter, opened my lips with my teeth clinched. They could stand a scrub. “What are your openings?”

“We have a cancellation today.”

Damn.

“Can you be here in about ten minutes?” she asked.

“Umm. . .” My eyes bugged out of my head and I glanced over at Marlene. “Can you hold on?”

“Sure,” Carol agreed.

I covered the mouth of the phone with my hand.

“Marlene, this is Carol from Dr. Russell’s office and they have a dental cleaning opening in ten minutes. Do you think you could stay here longer than the time it would take me to talk to Bobbi?”

Marlene danced on her toes. She clasped her hands together in delight. “You work fast.” She winked. “Skipping the committee gossip and going straight to the source.”

“What?” My face contorted in confusion.

“Dr. Russell and Henry’s fight?” Marlene reminded me about the information I could probably get out of Dr. Russell if I was sitting in his chair.

“Carol, I’ll see you in ten,” I confirmed and hung up the phone. “Marlene, I was so nervous about the cleaning that I completely forgot about the fight.” I placed my hands on her shoulders. “You are a genius!”