Honeysuckle Homicide (Trash-to-Treasure Crafting Mystery) (6 page)

The next morning, Claire Ann and I had planned to go to yard sales. With any luck, I’d find a lot of bargains. Fridays seemed to be the best time for deals. I liked to get there before sunrise, but as hard as I tried to wake up early, I was never the first to arrive. I was convinced that some people camped out overnight. There was no amount of coffee that could get me moving earlier than six am.

I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. Dressed in blue shorts, a yellow and white striped tank
, and flip flops, I was ready for the mission. Perfect treasure-hunting attire.

We’d decided to take my c
onvertible because we could fit more goodies in with the top down than in Claire Ann’s sedan. So after grabbing my purse, I headed out to pick up Claire Ann. Charity had left just a few minutes before I had. She hadn’t mentioned anything about the case as she’d snatched a cinnamon muffin from the basket on the counter. I was curious what Ross had told her. He hadn’t called me since that first day. I was thankful for that, but also highly suspicious. Silence wasn’t necessarily a good thing where he was involved.

Claire Ann was standing outside her house when I pulled up. She lived in a townhouse a couple miles away. Claire Ann had the best taste in décor
, with trendy clean lines and pops of color. She made it seem effortless.

“Let’s find some bargains,” she said as she hopped in.

She wore denim shorts and a teal-colored t-shirt with pristine white sneakers. At least Claire Ann was prepared for walking. Usually she picked the most uncomfortable shoes. She was finally learning the ins and outs of thrift shopping. We would make a day of the shopping and stop in the afternoon for lunch. I was looking forward to trying the new café again.

Claire Ann pulled out the newspaper. “I marked the ones I think look like they have potential. We’ll start on Porters Street.”

I navigated a turn. “Remember when we were little and my mom would take us to yard sales? She’d try to read the map while driving.”

Claire Ann laughed. “I’m shocked that we didn’t crash.”

“She was a serious bargain-hunter,” I said.

“I guess that’s where you get the talent from,” Claire Ann said.

We made a few stops, but so far hadn’t found much. Claire Ann had bought a dark blue blouse and I’d purchased a white plate to go with my collection of dishes. I’d spent a whole quarter so far. After that we drove by a few more yard sales. It wasn’t necessary to stop if we could see from the road that they didn’t have anything we needed.

The next stop looked as if it had potential though with a few pieces of furniture and other household items. I scored a spot close to the house when another shopper pulled away. That was always an added bonus.

Claire Ann and I hopped out. We liked to spread out so we could cover the sale faster. We both knew what the other one was looking for. I’d spotted a cute little end table sitting all alone in the yard away from the other stuff and decided to take a closer look. I maneuvered around a few people. As I reached down to examine it closer, I felt someone standing behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw the woman who had been outside Luke’s office the day of his murder.

“Oh, hello. Connie Dayton, right?” I asked.

I was surprised that I’d remembered her name because I was usually forgetful. But I’d made a point lately of trying to remember people’s names.

She smiled. “Yes, how are you, Raelynn?”

Apparently she’d made it a point to remember my name as well.

“It’s a great d
ay for a yard sale,” I said as I stood.

“A lovely day,” she said as she peered up at the blue sky.

There was an awkward pause and I tried to think of a way to get out of there. She was cutting into my yard sale time. Not that I wanted to be rude, but the bargains were calling my name.

Finally she broke the silence, and said, “I s
aw you stop in Darcy Parish’s office. Are you thinking of using her to sell your home? I wouldn’t recommend that.”

That was odd. I hadn’t realized that anyone had been around to see me go in there. Like my mother always said, “Someone can always see you
, so be on your best behavior.” Meaning don’t pull at my bra straps or underwear in public and such, but I digress.

“Oh, well, I haven’t made a decision really. J
ust toying with the idea,” I said.

“I suppose you spoke with Julian?”
Connie asked.

“Yes, I spoke with her since Darcy wasn’t in the office.”

“You know Julian was dating Luke.” She looked around as if someone might be listening. It seemed as if Connie just wanted to gossip.

“I had heard that. Well, I guess I’d better go
. My friend is waiting for me.” I pointed in the general direction of Claire Ann.

Connie frowned. She wasn’t happy that I’d cut off her gossip session. “I guess I’ll see you around then,” she said.
Connie turned around and stomped away. I’d officially made her mad. I hadn’t intended to, but that was the way it happened sometimes.

I paid for the table and then found Claire Ann. She ha
d her arms full of fabric.

“What did you find?” I asked.

“A tablecloth and random pieces of fabric. I figure we can make something out of it.”

“Good idea.” I lifted the table and carried it toward the car.

“Who was the woman?” Claire Ann asked.

“That was Connie Dayton. She was outside Luke Lexington’s office the day he was murdered. Then she said she saw me go into Darcy Parish’s office.” I placed the tabl
e in the backseat and climbed behind the wheel.

“That’s kind of creepy, don’t you think?” Claire Ann asked.

“She is a bit strange.” I pulled away from the curb.

When we passed a couple parked cars I noticed Connie sitting behind the wheel of her
silver SUV. She watched us as we drove by.

“There’s one other yard sale that looked good on paper. Want to go check it out?” Claire Ann asked.

I stopped at the red light. “You know I do. What’s the address?”

Claire Ann gave the address and I pointed the car in that direction. When we pulled up to the street, I realized that everyone else must think this was a good sale too.

“They must have the good stuff,” Claire Ann said.

“Looks like we may have to fight for a place to park.” One of the wor
st parts of yard sales was the limited parking.

I watched as a woman walked down the driveway of the house. “She’s leaving,” Claire Ann said.

“I’ve got my eyes on her.”

“I hope she got a good spot.”

The woman walked a short distance down the street and I followed along with my car. We waited as she filled her trunk with items and then climbed in her car.

“She’s taking too long,” Claire Ann said.

My hands were on the steering wheel. I was ready to merge into the spot. Just as the woman pulled away, another car zipped into the spot.

“What the heck? She stole our spot.”

“Yes, she did.”

Claire Ann glared at the parking spot thief as we drove past, but the woman never acknowledged us. I circled the block and finally found another spot a few cars down. Claire Ann was still fuming when we walked past the woman’s car.

“She’ll probably get all the bargains too,” Claire Ann said.

I chuckled. “Don’t worry about her.”

Claire Ann was known for her quick temper, but she calmed down just as quickly. There were quite a few tables set up around the home’s front yard. Claire Ann couldn’t look at the goods for sale because she was too busy looking for the woman who stole our spot. I knew she just wanted to glare at her some more. As we approached the tables, someone bumped my shoulder and cut directly in front of us. It was the same woman who had stolen our parking spot. Once again she acted as if she hadn’t even noticed us. Claire Ann groaned.

“Can you believe that woman? Watch where you’re going,” Claire Ann said.

The woman glanced over her shoulder, but then turned back to the table full of items.

I looped my arm through Claire Ann’s. “Let’s stay away from her.”

“Gladly.” Claire Ann flashed one more dirty look at the woman. 

Claire Ann stuck with me this time as we wandered around the sale. I picked up a few pieces of antique silverware. I’d recently gotten a metal
-etching set and figured I could write cute things on the spoons and forks. Claire Ann picked up a set of clear glasses and a few other odds and ends that I didn’t get a good look at because I was busy checking out other things. Claire Ann placed her items in a pile on the ground so that she could continue to look. I kept my items in my hands. They weren’t too heavy yet.

When I glanced over I noticed the woman who’
d stolen our parking space. Claire Ann would not be happy when she realized what the woman had done. She had gathered the items Claire Ann had picked up into her arms and made her way over to the woman collecting the money. I watched as she handed her the cash. I had to stop her before it was too late. Where had Claire Ann vanished to? When I spotted Claire Ann at one of the other tables I yelled out to her. She looked up and I pointed in the woman’s direction.

“Stop her,” Claire Ann yelled.

What was I supposed to do? The woman had already paid for the items. Technically they were hers now. Plus she was headed toward her car. Claire Ann took off after the woman. I hoped this didn’t end in me breaking up a fight. I took off across the yard toward Claire Ann. My feet slipped on the grass and I wobbled as I tried to keep from falling. I was sure everyone was watching us. The woman once again acted as if she had no idea what was going on, but I was sure that she was quite aware of what she’d done.

Claire didn’t exactly run after the woman, but she did walk quickly. I caught up to Claire Ann and grabbed her arm.
“It’s too late, honey. She’s gone now.”

The woman had reached her car. She tossed the items in the back seat and climbed behind the wheel of her Buick. As she drove past she looked over at us and smiled.

“She knew what she was doing all along. I bet she knew she took our parking space too.”

I patted Claire Ann on the back. “I’m sure she did. Don’t let her ruin your day though.”

“I hope the stuff she bought is defective.”

I laughed. “Me too.
There is one thing you should be aware of, Claire Ann. Never, ever leave your stuff lying around. I’ve warned you about that before.”

She released a sign. “Yeah, you told me.”

When I glanced around I was relieved to see that no one was watching us. The action was over.

“I’ll pay for the stuff I got and we’ll leave. It’s time for lunch anyway. A big juicy burger will make you feel better,” I said.

I thought we’d had enough bargain-shopping for the day. The woman collecting the money had no clue what had happened and I didn’t mention it.

As I draped the bag of items over my arm and turned to leave, I looked to my left. The person staring at me was not who I had expected to see. Connie Dayton was at this sale too. How long had she been there and why was she watching me with that creepy look on her face?

She stared at me, but didn’t smile or speak. Apparently she was still upset with me. I didn’t know what to do, so I looked away. I would ignore her and maybe I’d never have to see her again. It was a small town, but I’d managed to avoid her up until now.

Claire Ann and I had a relaxing lunch at the café. I’d hoped to speak with the same waitress who had been there when Kent and I had stopped in, but she wasn’t working today. I’d have to check back some other time.

After dropping Claire Ann off, I headed home with my treasures. I hadn’t scored as much as I’d hoped, but the table was a great find. I parked in the driveway and
hoisted the table out from the backseat. I envisioned a pretty shade of pink for it and then placing it in one of the guest rooms.

After setting the table by the
front door, I pulled the keys from my pocket and stuck the key in the lock. When I turned it I realized that the lock was already open. That was odd. I knew that I had locked the door when I left. At least I thought I had. Maybe I was wrong.

It was a little scary to think that I’d left the door unlocked. Honeysuckle was a small town, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t crime. That was evident
from the recent murders. I stuffed the keys back in my pocket and carried the table inside.

I’d just set my purse down by the door when I heard what sounded li
ke footsteps. The house was big, so I couldn’t make out exactly where the sound had come from. Was it upstairs or downstairs? It was definitely inside the house. As far as I knew, the place wasn’t haunted, so that left only one option. Someone was in the house.

My heart rate spiked. What would I do? Should I run outside away from the intruder? No, I had to protect my property. I had to find out who was in my home. This wasn’t an invited guest.

Instead of a bang outside the house in the middle of the night, it had come from inside. I had to remain calm so that I could handle the situation without panicking. My cell phone was in my purse, but I’d let it die so now I had no way to call. I would be forced to check it out on my own.

I could handle this. I’d have to toughen up and take care of it. So far I was frozen on the spot though. It was time for me to move forward.

I tiptoed across the living room floor, trying to avoid the board that creaked. Good thing I was wearing my flip flops because they didn’t make a lot of noise. I decided to check upstairs because that was where I thought the noise had come from. What would I do if I found someone in the house? I didn’t have a weapon. I’d left the bat in my bedroom closet. I paused and scanned the room for something to use for defense. The only thing I saw was a lamp. Better than nothing, I guessed. I took the shade off and grasped the base in my hand.

Wi
th my new weapon firmly in my hand, I inched up the stairs. To my surprise, I was successfully being stealthy with my footsteps so the person in my house hadn’t heard me as far as I knew. I could sneak up on them and ask them what the heck they were doing. They had a lot of explaining to do. Once upstairs, I checked every room, but didn’t find anything. I was beginning to think that maybe I had imagined the noise. After not finding anyone, I headed back down the stairs. I’d almost convinced myself that I was safe.

The floor creaked again and this time I was sure that I’d heard i
t. Panic really set in now. I still had the lamp base so I eased the rest of the way down the stairs and through the hallway. No one was in the dining room as I went through on my way to the kitchen. That room was empty too. So that left only my bedroom and the bathroom downstairs. I sucked in a deep breath and headed for the remaining room. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. Then I started thinking of the fact that there was a murderer somewhere out there in Honeysuckle.

When I reached the bedroom door, I paused.
Sucking in a deep breath, I placed my hand on the knob and twisted. I eased the door open and peeked inside.

Darcy Parish was st
anding in my bedroom with a tape measure in her hand. She looked up at me and flashed a wide smile. Once again her hair was perfectly styled without a strand out of place.

“What are you doing in here?” I asked. My voice had reached a new level of shock.

She retracted the tape measure. “Oh, hello. You’re home. I was just measuring for square footage.”

“Who asked
you to come in here and do that?” I still held the lamp.

She looked at my weapon
. “Oh, honey. I’m sorry. Julian said you wanted to put the house up for sale. The door was unlocked.”

I frowned. “I didn’t say for sure that I wanted to s
ell the house. And I accidentally left the door open.”

She closed the distance between us, coming just a little too close. “I am truly sorry. Please forgive me.”

I stared at her and then said, “I suppose it was an honest mistake.”

She flashed her bright white smile. “So do
you want to list the house? I can get you top dollar for it. I would think you would love to get out of Honeysuckle.”

I couldn’t lie and say that I hadn’t thought about getting out of town. But Claire Ann was here and this was home for me now. “
No, I don’t think I want to sell the house.”

Darcy released a sigh. “Well, I guess you’ll call me if you change your mind. After all I am the top agent in town.”

Yeah, now she was the top agent since Luke was gone. I had wanted to talk with Darcy about the murder, but now I was just too angry. I couldn’t even think straight.

I stepped to the side so she’d know it was her invitation to leave. “Yes, I’ll make sure to call you.”

“The fireplace in this room is to die for.” She gestured over her shoulder.

Darcy was right. The fireplace was great. It
had a mantel with intricate details of little flowers and scrolls. A queen-sized bed sat in the middle of my room. I’d added a white comforter and many pillows. Windows flanked the sides with views into the back yard.

“I’m still not interesting in selling,” I said.

Darcy nodded and then stepped out of the room. I followed her as she walked down the hall. She turned to me when she reached the door. “Sorry again.”

“No problem,” I said through a fake smile.

Darcy stepped outside and down the steps. I watched as she walked down the sidewalk. I still wanted to know what made her think it was okay to just come in the house. I supposed that was something I would never know.

Had e
veryone gone crazy in this town? Oh, who was I kidding? They’d been crazy from the start.