He took us back to the grand salon, and there on the riser in front of the mirrors was a dress form wearing a wedding gown. My wedding gown.
A little gasp came out of me. The dress was stunningly beautiful. I walked around it to take it all in. Sleek and body-hugging with a gentle V-neck in the front that was mimicked in the back with a deeper V. The train was maybe six feet or so and subtly beaded with crystal snowflakes, which was the dress’s only adornment. But the fabric was what had caused me to gasp.
At first, I’d thought the dress was white, and I guess it was technically, but it shimmered glacial blue. I’d never seen anything like it, but based on some of the gowns I’d had, I also knew elf technology with fabric was pretty amazing.
I walked around the dress one more time, admiring it and watching the color play over it. I stopped when I reached LeRoy and Birdie.
His brows were raised in expectation.
I shook my head. “I don’t think I’ve ever loved a dress more. You outdid yourself. This is nothing short of amazing. This fabric is just…” I sighed a happy sigh. “I love it. So much.”
He exhaled. “I am so glad. I had this fabric made for you after the last dress went so terribly wrong. I knew you wanted simple, but at the same time, there is a certain expectation for a royal wedding gown.”
Birdie nodded, but her eyes were on the dress. “It’s amazing,” she whispered.
With a gentle smile, LeRoy continued. “A royal wedding gown must look royal. It must be something special. Something people will talk about. Something that other brides will aspire to. But it must also reflect the personality of the bride.”
He glanced at his creation, pride shining in his gaze. “I hope this is the dress that I have given you.”
“You have. Absolutely.” I pressed my hands together. “Can I try it on?” I looked at Birdie. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“I’d be mad if you didn’t. But shouldn’t your mother be here for this?”
I bit my lip. “Good point.” I really wanted her here too.
LeRoy cleared his throat. “I don’t disagree, but a quick fitting would be very helpful. Then I could make some adjustments, and we’d be able to show your mother a much more finished version with the veil.”
“What does the veil look like?” I asked.
“For this dress, it will match the length of the train. The top will attach to your tiara, then fall unadorned to midback, where a building cascade of hand-beaded snowflakes will drift to the bottom.”
Birdie sighed. “It sounds lovely.”
“It does,” I agreed. “Okay, a quick fitting, but just so my mom and aunt don’t feel left out, I don’t think you should see me in it, Birdie. Not until they get to.”
“Absolutely. While you do that, I’ll go take some pictures of the salon.”
“Perfect. Thank you for understanding.”
“Of course.”
LeRoy gestured toward the back of the store. “Charlotte is in the storeroom. I’ll get her, and she can help you into the dress. If you’ll excuse me.”
He left us, and Birdie sighed again. “You’re going to look so beautiful in that dress. I bet Sinclair cries.”
I laughed. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do. Look at that thing. You’re going to float down the aisle in all that silk like a fairy princess. Which you pretty much are.” She shook her head. “It’s going to be amazing.”
“I think so too.”
LeRoy and Charlotte came back in.
Birdie gave me a wink. “Enjoy your fitting. I’ll be out in the salon taking pictures.”
“Thanks.”
The fitting was quick, mostly because I suddenly wanted the dress done so I could show it to my mom, my aunt, and Birdie all at once. I knew they’d love it. At least, I hoped they would. They being my mom and aunt. This dress had none of the flourishes and embellishments they’d added to the first one, but I thought they’d understand.
If not, Birdie was here to gently guide them to my way of seeing things.
Once I was back in the fitting room to change, I slipped my phone out of my purse and snapped a pic of myself in the mirror. The dress was so beautiful, I wanted to be able to look at it whenever I liked.
Then I sent Sin a quick text. Tried my new wedding dress on. So much better. Hope your day is going well. I finished it with a heart.
After that, I got back into my street clothes, said goodbye to LeRoy, and went to find Birdie. I almost ran into her coming back to the fitting rooms. Her eyes were wide with excitement, and she was practically quivering.
“What’s up? Did you ask LeRoy about the fabric? Or do you want me to?”
She shook her head and whispered, “Later.”
“Okay, what then?”
“We should go. Now.”
This was getting weird. What on earth could have gotten her wound up like this? I turned and called out, “Thanks again, LeRoy. Love the dress. See you soon.”
“Thanks,” Birdie added. “Lovely shop, great dress, nice to meet you.”
We were out the door a second later, with Birdie almost herding me toward the crawler. We got in, got our seat belts on, and then I couldn’t wait any longer.
“What gives?”
“Look.” She pulled out her phone and showed me a picture of LeRoy’s rogues’ gallery. It was the little hallway between the main shop area and the fitting rooms. The walls were lined with photos of all the people he’d dressed in the clothes he’d made for them. My parents and aunt and uncle were on there quite a bit, but the gallery featured all kinds of local celebrities, dignitaries, and political folks.
LeRoy might be the royal couturier, but if someone had the money, and LeRoy had the time, he’d make an outfit for anyone. Well, anyone who could finagle an appointment. LeRoy was booked up months and months in advance.
Mostly, he dressed women, but he did make my uncle’s suits. He’d also made my father’s coronation cape. But it was women who flocked to him. He had a talent with design that did wonderful things for a woman’s figure.
I shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m looking at.”
“This woman.” She used two fingers to make the screen bigger, zooming in.
“That’s one of the NP’s former mayors, the Honorable Pinneta Greene. She was the mayor when I was born.” That was a big part of why I knew who she was. “She serves on the Royal Historical Society board now.”
“Okay, great, but look closer.”
I stared at the picture for a moment, then realized what I was seeing. My mouth came open. “Son of a nutcracker. Her dress.”
Birdie nodded. “The fabric matches the scrap I found under the skeleton.”
Birdie and I stared at the photo for one more second, then we looked at each other.
The weight of this discovery pressed down on me so hard I could feel it in my bones. “We have to tell the constable about this.”
She nodded. “I agree. It’s too important a clue for us to keep to ourselves. We can still investigate it, though. But who do you think it implicates? The mayor? Or…”
She didn’t have to finish the sentence.
“No.” I sighed with all the heaviness that was suddenly on my heart. “This points to LeRoy. But it can’t be him. It just can’t be. He’s not the murdering type. You’ve met him. Do you think he’s capable of harming someone?”
“No, but are you saying the mayor is?”
“No. But I also don’t know her as well. So…maybe? But that’s a crazy thing to assume about anyone.” I leaned back in the driver’s seat and stared skyward. “All this really tells us is that LeRoy might be tied to this somehow.”
“I don’t think we can rule the mayor out, though. Not when she’s wearing a dress in this picture that’s made of the same fabric I found under the bones.”
“Granted.” I groaned. “This is insane. We need to know who that skeleton is.”
“Then let’s go see the constable. Or the ME. Or b
oth. Maybe they know something more. We have to tell the constable about this new development anyway.”
“Or…” I took a breath, not sure I believed what I was about to say. “We could tell the constable what we’ve found, then let her handle this and go back to working on the wedding prep like we’re supposed to be.”
Birdie squinted at me, then reached over and put her hand on my forehead.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking to see if you have a fever. The Jayne I know would never suggest a thing like that.”
“I feel fine. I just can’t imagine that LeRoy is involved in this. He’s a good man. He can’t be a part of this. I don’t want to find out differently.”
“Then let’s prove him innocent.”
I turned toward her slightly. “But what if he isn’t?”
“Wouldn’t you rather know?”
“That’s what I’m saying. I’m genuinely not sure.”
“That really doesn’t sound like the Jayne I know. What gives?”
I hesitated, then took a breath. “I’m ashamed to say this, but it’s the dress.”
“What?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, glad this was Birdie I was talking to and not someone who would judge me. “I love that wedding dress. It’s beautiful. It’s everything I ever wanted in a wedding gown and a few things I didn’t know I wanted but do now. And if LeRoy is guilty of murder—if he’s even guilty of being an accessory to murder—I won’t be able to wear it. Royal protocol wouldn’t allow it. The scandal would be too much. The royal family can’t be associated with that kind of thing.”
“Of course not,” Birdie said. Her brows knit together. “It would be a terrible shame to give that dress up.”
“And the thought of having to get another dress designed, of going through that again…” I shook my head. “I think I’d crack for real.”
“Do you think he could be involved?”
I gave my answer a lot of honest thought. “No. I really don’t. But I also know people are capable of just about anything if put into a difficult enough position.”
She pursed her lips. “We really only have one option.”
“I know.” I put my metaphorical big-girl panties on. “We have to find out who’s really to blame.”
I drove us straight to the constable’s office. Thankfully, she was there, even though it was approaching dinnertime. She came out of her office with an uncertain expression. No doubt wondering if I was there to check up on her progress.
Which I guess I was. But that wasn’t the main reason Birdie and I had come. “Hi. We don’t want to interrupt you, but we have some information to share.”
Her expression softened into one of curiosity. “Come into my office, then.”
We did, closing the door behind us. Birdie dug into her pocket and took out the scrap of fabric. “I found this in the carriage right after I found the skeleton. It was under the right foot. I know how wrong it was of me to take it, and I’m sorry.”
The constable frowned. “You of all people should know better.”
“And I do. I don’t know what came over me. But there’s more, and I hope the new information will help you overlook my indiscretion.”
“Birdie didn’t mean any harm,” I said. “She just thought she ought to tell me about the fabric first. Seeing as how I’m the princess and all.” I hated throwing my royal weight around like that, but I didn’t want Birdie to get into trouble.
Especially since I was pretty sure the constable could charge her with evidence tampering or some such.
With a stern look, Larsen leaned back in her chair. “Yes, well, I’ll reserve judgment until I see what this new information is.”
I nudged Birdie. “Go on. Show her.”
Birdie pulled her phone out. “We were just at LeRoy’s bridal shop—”
“I had a fitting for my wedding gown.” Not that the constable couldn’t figure that out, but reminding her about the wedding might soften her toward Birdie a little. It was worth a shot anyway.
Birdie sucked in a breath and put her hand to her chest. “The most gorgeous gown you’ve ever seen. Anyway, I was taking some photos of the shop for a friend back home—with LeRoy’s permission—and upon closer inspection, I found this.”
She turned the phone around so the photo of the former mayor was on display.
Constable Lawson narrowed her eyes. Then leaned in. “Is that the same fabric?”
“We think it is.” I shook my head. “I don’t know much about Pinneta Greene, other than she’s long retired. But I do know LeRoy. I’ve known him all my life. So has my mother and my aunt and—”
“I’m well aware of his connection to your family,” the constable interrupted.
I didn’t appreciate the interruption. And it was an out-of-character thing for her to do. Not just because it was rude, but it was also impolite to interrupt a royal. Was she mad at us for what Birdie had done? Or was something else going on? I planned to find out. “I’m just saying that he’s not the type of man who’d be involved in something like this.”
When she didn’t say anything right away, I leaped on the opportunity to dig deeper. “What’s got you upset, Constable? Because something is clearly bothering you.”
She sighed. “The ME’s early findings show that the cause of death was definitely murder. She was stabbed to death. Now, bear in mind he’s not done with his examination. Not by a long shot. But marks on the ribs indicate a slim, pointed object was used. Blunt on one side, sharpened on the other.”
I shrugged. “That could be any kind of knife.”
She glanced at the paperwork on her desk, which I realized had the ME’s seal at the top. The rest of the writing was too small and too upside down for me to make out anything useful. “Dr. Charming doesn’t think it was a knife.”
“Then what?” Birdie asked.
“Scissors.” The constable’s stern expression returned. “Could be like those used in dressmaking.”
I went numb. Could LeRoy really be involved in this? I was out of words, and my heart ached.
Birdie seemed to understand that I needed to leave. She got us out of there with a thank-you and a quick goodbye.
I was still numb an hour later as I stood staring out my apartment window into the gardens. Twilight had fallen, but the moonlight sparkled on the snowy ground. It was beautiful. Not that any of it was really registering.
Birdie was in the kitchen, fixing me a cup of tea, which I didn’t want, but she insisted would help.
“It can’t be him,” I muttered for the umpteenth time.
“It’s not,” Birdie answered from the kitchen.
“He’s a good man. A kind man. He’s not a murderer.”
“No, he’s not,” she said. “Even I can tell that after our brief introduction.”
I sighed and closed my eyes as I leaned against the window frame. “And I feel terrible about how concerned I am over the dress. I’m a shallow, selfish person.”
“No, you’re not. You’re a bride on the brink of a breakdown. You get a little leeway for that. Now go sit on the couch before you faint away.”
“I’m fine.” But I sat on the couch anyway.
Spider jumped up beside me. “Mama sad.”
I petted his soft head. “Yes, baby, I am.”
Birdie came over with the tea, which was peppermint and smelled wonderful. “I still can’t get over that your cat talks, but it’s nice you have such a wise little man to keep you company.” She put the tea on the coffee table, then sat across from me.
“Sin’s cat can talk, too, thanks to a translation collar one of my uncle’s tinkers designed.”
Birdie’s brows lifted. “How about that.”
I picked up the cup and took a sip. She’d added a lot of sugar. I took another sip. She was right, the tea was making me feel better. “I can’t tell my mom and aunt about this. They’ll be heartbroken.”
“Well, the constable agreed to keep everyt
hing under wraps for as long as possible, so that should help. So did Ezreal. And Larsen said she’d call as soon as she got more from the ME.” Birdie had gone to see Ezreal to fill him in as soon as we got back. “In the meantime, we need to figure out who our dead woman is and what connection, if any, she might have to LeRoy.”
I nodded and drank a little more tea. “We should have told the constable about Rachel.”
“We still can. Or I can. Do you want me to go see her?”
I shook my head. “Tomorrow. We need to eat dinner. Or I might just go to bed.”
Spider flopped down next to me and tipped his head over my leg, looking at me upside down. The utter cuteness of him made me smile. “Silly boy.”
“Spider love Mama.”
He was trying to cheer me up and doing a pretty good job of it. “I love you too, baby.”
A knock sounded at the door, then it opened. Sin walked in, his handsome face a welcome sight. “Honey, I’m home. Are you ready for dinner?” Then his smile vanished. “Are you all right?”
“I’m…okay. How was class?”
“It was fine, and you are not okay. I can tell that just by looking at you.”
A little half smile was all I could muster. “Birdie can bring you up to speed.”
He joined me on the couch as she did just that, showing him the photo of the former mayor on her phone and pointing out the fabric. “The plot thickens,” he said.
I nodded. “That’s for sure.”
He sat back, quiet for a moment. “What do you say we put all of this away for the evening and go eat some pizza? Or something really comforting? Whatever you want, sweetheart.”
I knew he was trying to make me feel better. And it was working, a little. “Pizza would be nice.”
“Do you want to eat it here? Or the dining room?”
Thinking about something else was already making me feel better. “How about we have some pizzas sent up here and watch a movie?”
Birdie nodded. “I love that idea.”
“Then it’s settled.”
Sin went to the phone. “What kind of pizzas do we want? The kitchen can make anything, right?”
“Right.” I glanced at Birdie. “Meat lovers?”
Miss Frost Says I Do: A Nocturne Falls Mystery (Jayne Frost Book 7) Page 9