Couture and Curses

by Danielle Garrett

  “What about you?” Harmony asked CeeCee. “You gonna be a lifer in the wedding game, like Stace over here?”

  CeeCee cast a glance at me and there was almost a nervous energy to the way she smiled.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Well… I haven’t told anyone yet, but I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be at the firm.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’ve been selected to interview with the marketing department at the Jasmine Hotel as their hospitality manager. It’s a great position and comes with a much bigger salary, vacation time, the opportunity to travel.”

  CeeCee’s excitement was infectious, but underneath my genuine smile, there was a pang of sadness at the prospect of my one ally in the office leaving me.

  “It’s official then,” Harmony said, rising from her chair, “we need to go celebrate! Let’s go to happy hour at Persimmon. They make the best candy appletinis in town.”

  I bridled, unsure if it was a good idea to leave the condo. The last thing I wanted was to have some kind of episode in the middle of a crowded bar.

  “Come on, Stace,” Harmony whined. “You need an excuse to ditch the yoga pants and dinosaur-slipper ensemble you’ve got going on.”

  “Not that you’re not rocking it,” CeeCee interjected with a wink. “But still …”

  “They’re dragons,” I said defensively, even as I moved my feet to block the spot under the couch where I’d ditched the slippers.

  Harmony flapped a hand. “Tomato, tah-mato.”

  “On top of that, you’re the one who bought them for me!”

  “As a gag gift, sis. I didn’t think you’d actually wear them.”

  My cheeks warmed but I shrugged it off. “They’re fuzzy.”

  CeeCee laughed. “You two make me wish I had a sister.”

  “Well, you know what they say, CeeCee; be careful what you wish for.”

  Harmony stuck her tongue out at me and I laughed. “I’ll get dressed for happy hour, but you’re the one who’s going to call Caleb and tell him. I’m going to plead kidnapped.”

  Harmony scoffed. “Piece of cake. I think we both know I have a way of sweet talking my way out from under a babysitter’s thumb.”

  I groaned. “Oh, stars. Here we go.”

  Chapter 7

  Persimmon was a high-end martini bar in an upscale part of downtown. A handful of hotels, art galleries, shops, and restaurants dotted the streets covering a few city blocks in the heart of the haven and was always bustling with activity in the evening hours, regardless of whether it was a weeknight or the weekend. When we arrived at the bar, it was wall-to-wall with young supernaturals, most of whom looked to be closer to Harmony’s age.

  “Maybe we should go somewhere else,” I said, raising my voice over the chatter and music. “I don’t see a table open.

  CeeCee lifted onto her tip-toes and looked around.

  “I got it covered,” Harmony said, pivoting away from us. CeeCee and I watched from the crowd at the doorway as Harmony cut through the bar and got the bartender’s attention. I couldn’t hear what she said, but it appeared the two knew each other. The bartender smiled at Harmony and then went to the end of the bar where a trio of businessmen sat talking with their heads together. A few words were exchanged and the businessmen got up in a huff and stormed out, nearly knocking into CeeCee on their way out the door.

  Harmony beckoned us over with a smile to where the men had been sitting. CeeCee gave me a sidelong look and I shrugged.

  “This is Guy,” Harmony said, gesturing at the bartender when we approached.

  “You really didn’t have to kick those guys out,” I told Guy. “We could have waited.”

  The handsome bartender flashed a wide smile and waved off my concern. “They’d been squatting for two hours and only ordered a drink a piece.”

  “Oh … but still …”

  “On top of that, they’re crappy tippers,” Guy told us with a carefree laugh. “Sit, sit, ladies. I’ll get those candy appletinis right over.”

  CeeCee laughed and slid onto one of the vacated stools. She gave Harmony an appreciative once-over. “Dang, girl, you know your way around this town. You sure you’ve only been here six months?”

  Harmony laughed and took the stool on the other side, leaving the middle one open for me. “I work at Luna and Guy bartends over there on Sundays.”

  CeeCee craned around to give the bartender’s backside a smile. “You two a thing?”

  Harmony shook her head. “Stars, no.”

  I shot her a look. “You say that as if Guy isn’t exactly your type. Tall, dark, handsome, at least one piercing, and he’s wearing pleather pants. That ticks all of your boxes, last time I checked.”

  Harmony arched one brow. “You overlooked one teeny little detail, sis.” She jutted her chin toward Guy and as he raised his arms to shake the silver canister with our drinks, I noted the silver band on his left hand.

  I bobbed my head. “Aha.”

  “Boo hiss,” CeeCee pouted.

  “Boo hiss? I thought you’d sworn off guys?” I said.

  She flashed a wicked smile. “Not ones that look like that.”

  We all laughed.

  Things only went more off the rails when we’d each had two of Guy’s signature candy appletinis. I suspected he’d made them extra strong for us and after the second one, I was struggling to stay upright on my barstool. We cackled and exchanged stories and it took me back to my academy days when some of my roommates would sneak schnapps into our room. We’d stay up late talking about boys or telling stories about hot vampires—you know, the real ones, not the kind that glitter in the sun like a cheesy disco ball.

  By the time we got back to the condo, I was the most relaxed and happy I’d been since the attack at Aurelia’s shop. The terrible night was still there lingering somewhere in the recesses of my mind, but when I fell into bed, I wore a smile and easily slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  The nightmares stayed at bay through the weekend, and on Monday, I decided I was ready to return to work. CeeCee had handled the wedding and bridal showers solo over the weekend and while everything went off without a snag, I was eager to get control of the reins again, especially with the potential that she might be on her way out.

  I was at my desk, eating my pasta salad lunch and combing through my day planner, when my phone rang. “This is Anastasia,” I answered, putting my fork down.

  “Hi, Anastasia, this is Kelsey Sierra,” the caller said.

  I recognized the name immediately and twisted in my chair to fish a portfolio out of my file cabinet. “Hello, Kelsey! How are you?”

  I placed the folder on my desk and opened the cover, quickly scanning the sheet in the front that contained all pertinent, at-a-glance information:

  Kelsey Sierra and Matthew Remmington

  January 31st

  Sunset wedding on the Lotus

  “Well, Matt and I just got back from vacation and got your message about Aurelia. We were up in the mountains and didn’t have phone service until now.”

  “Oh.” I closed my eyes. Kelsey had been one of the few brides I hadn’t been able to reach following the attack. Her gown was being designed by Aurelia and we needed to discuss backup options now that Aurelia was no longer going to be able to complete the design.

  “The whole thing is so horrible!” Kelsey continued, a swell of emotion in her voice. “I’ve been scanning the newspapers that piled up while we were away, but it doesn’t look like there’s been any updates. Do you know what’s going on? Is Aurelia okay?”

  I drew in a breath. “She’s alive, but unfortunately, the healers haven’t been able to reverse the effects of the spell. She’s in a sort of coma. For now, I think it’s best we start talking about other designers and see who we can book to complete your gown. The SPA is still investigating, but Aurelia’s assistant has combed through the records and turned over sketches and completed works to the clients that have
paid. I’ll call her tomorrow and see what she has already started for your gown and we’ll see what needs to be done. I have a list of other designers we can choose from. Would you like to schedule a meeting later this week to discuss it all in person?”

  “That’s the thing,” Kelsey started, “I called the shop after I got your message and spoke with Felicia. She’s sending me the design sketches and a list of the fabric choices I’d decided on, but the sapphire I gave Aurelia is gone.”

  “Sapphire?” I repeated, flipping through the pages in the folder to see if I’d made a note about it somewhere in the margins.

  “Yes. I’d given it to Aurelia a week before Matt and I left for our trip. It’s a heart-shaped sapphire that I bought at an estate sale. Aurelia was going to see about charming it into the sash part of my gown. It was going to be my something old and something blue.”

  “And Felicia doesn’t show the record of it?” I asked, puzzled by the thought. Felicia, Aurelia’s long-time and only employee, was detailed oriented to a fault and kept Aurelia’s business running smoothly, especially when the eccentric designer was in a creative headspace and absorbed with her work.

  “According to her, there’s a note pinned to my fabric swatches, but no stone. Was anything stolen, in the attack, I mean?”

  “No. That’s the strange thing. There was quite a sum of money left behind, along with all the jewelry and tiaras and expensive crystals and beads that Aurelia used in her designs. The SPA had Felicia take inventory shortly after they released the shop back to her.”

  “Then where is my sapphire?”

  Kelsey didn’t raise her voice, but her frustration was clear regardless.

  “I—I don’t know, but I’ll call my contact at the agency and report this. Maybe they know something about it.”

  “Okay. Thank you. It’s important I get the stone back. It was a one of a kind and worth a lot of money. Matt bought it for me as a wedding gift. I haven’t told him it’s missing yet. He’s going to be devastated.”

  “I’ll call you back as soon as I know something,” I promised her. “And we’ll set up a meeting to discuss your options for the rest of the dress creation as well. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she replied with a hint of dejection.

  We hung up and I immediately dialed Caleb’s work line. He answered on the second ring. “McCord.”

  “Caleb, it’s me,” I said.

  “Hey, baby. You know I’d love to talk, but now’s not a great time—”

  “It’s about the case,” I said, heading him off at the pass.

  “Oh?”

  I quickly relayed Kelsey’s story. “Please tell me you know where the stone is,” I said when I finished.

  “Sorry, but no can do. It’s the first I’m hearing of it. Seems like something that would have been kept in that wall safe, and like I said, the wards weren’t tampered with. On top of that, the assistant did an inventory that included the contents, and she assured us everything was there.”

  “What if Aurelia had another safe? Or another location where she kept special items like that?”

  “It’s worth a shot, but not something the agency can help with. It does seem odd that only one thing is missing.”

  I could hear papers rustling in the background and the familiar squeak of Caleb’s office chair. He always said he needed to get it greased, but every time I called him at the office, it was apparent he hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

  “Kelsey said it was a one of a kind stone,” I told him. “Maybe there’s a way to check with local jewelers or pawn shops to see if someone’s tried to sell something like it?”

  Caleb made a grunting noise as the paperwork continued to rustle. “Yeah, could be worth a shot. I’ll put someone on it.”

  I hesitated, my fingernails tapping the top of my desk.

  “Anything else I should know?” Caleb asked.

  “I hate to even ask, but—” I paused and drew in a breath. “Is it possible Felicia, Aurelia’s assistant, knows more than she’s letting on? If the gem is as valuable as Kelsey said, it might be tempting to stage an attack and swipe the jewel.”

  I cringed as soon as the words were out of my mouth. I’d never known Felicia to be anything less than kind and helpful, so it felt wrong to throw her under the Shimmer Bus.

  But still …

  The amount of people who knew about the jewel was reduced to a handful, and Felicia was one of the few who had to have known of its existence and yet was pleading ignorance now that it was gone. Something seemed off.

  “It’s possible,” Caleb replied, not scandalized by the suggestion. Then again, he was trained to look under every rock, even when those rocks looked like innocent bystanders to terrible events like these. “Do me a favor and have the bride send over some photographs if she has them, or sketch something up if not. Make sure it’s to scale so we know exactly what we’re looking for.”

  “Okay.” I bobbed my head. “I’ll do that right away.”

  “All right, thanks. I gotta run. Bloom’s insisting we re-canvas the neighborhood to see if we can track down any witnesses.”

  We said goodbye and I hung up the phone. Leaning back in my chair, I silently wished him and Agent Bloom luck, because from where I was sitting, the case was starting to take a nasty direction.

  Chapter 8

  I phoned Kelsey back after speaking with Caleb. Unfortunately, she hadn’t taken any photos of the jewel, but she gave me the name and address of the woman who’d run the estate sale where she’d purchased it. We set a follow-up appointment to discuss her dress options and I hung up the phone. As I dialed Caleb again, I started feeling like an old-timey phone operator, connecting one line to another as I oscillated between speaking with Kelsey and Caleb.

  When Caleb didn’t answer, I sighed and put the receiver back in its base. I pulled my cell phone from the murky depths of my handbag and dialed Caleb’s cellphone. He still didn’t answer and I assumed that meant he was mid-interview with someone from the neighborhood near Aurelia’s shop.

  I hung up and glanced at my watch. It was a little after three o’clock in the afternoon and my day planner was clear for the rest of the afternoon. There were phone calls I could make, trying to drum up new clients from the newly engaged section of the Haven Herald or from the list of names a local jeweler provided me on the down low of men who’d recently purchased engagement rings. It was a little sneaky, but had landed me a couple of high profile clients before news hit the tabloids that they were even engaged.

  Harmony wasn’t the only Winters sister with networking skills.

  After a moment longer, I huffed and got out of my chair. I wasn’t going to get anything done as long as the puzzle was bouncing around in the back of my mind. I needed to figure out what was going on, and if Caleb was busy, I could help a little. After all, speaking to a woman running an estate sale wasn’t even really in the ballpark of the investigation. It was likely a rabbit trail that would lead nowhere. If nothing else, I might secure a picture of the jewel and be able to pass it along to Caleb whenever I saw him next.

  I grabbed my purse and coat and slipped my heels back on and left the office. CeeCee gave me a questioning look as I passed her desk but I didn’t stop to explain. I simply told her I had some errands to run and that I’d see her the following day. The wedding planners and associates at the firm often came and went throughout the day, but as I passed the short corridor leading to Hyacinth’s office, my footsteps quickened and I held my breath, as if she might sense me creeping by and come flying out to interrogate me.

  It was raining outside and I quickly conjured a protective spell to keep the droplets from falling onto me. It was one of the few spells I actually knew and could summon with any sort of reliability. The address Kelsey gave me was on the other side of the haven, so I popped in to Magic Beans coffee shop and ordered a latte, keeping one eye on the bus station outside the cafe’s doors. Coffee in hand, I went back out into the rain. The covering charm wor
ked to keep the water off me but didn’t do anything to fight off the chill in the air. I stepped inside the small bus shelter and sipped at my piping-hot coffee to keep me warm.

  My phone buzzed in my jacket pocket and I fished it out with my free hand. It was Caleb. “Hello,” I answered, wishing he was there beside me instead of on the phone, doing who knows what. I tried not to worry about him, but there was no denying that his work as an SPA agent was dangerous, and with my own proximity to this particular investigation, it was impossible to stop myself from thinking about what he might be getting himself into. There were so many unknowns, and I hated the idea of him falling victim to the same force that had attacked Aurelia and myself.

  “Hey, baby. Where are you?” he asked. “I tried you at the office and CeeCee said you left early.”

  “Did you get my message?” I asked, poking my head out of the shelter as the Shimmer Bus rounded the corner. “I’m going to speak with the woman who ran the estate sale where Kelsey purchased it. I figure there’s a good chance there’s some kind of record of the sale and hopefully a photo.”

  “What’s the address?” Caleb asked. “I’ll send an agent to take care of it. You don’t need to spend your afternoon tracking this down, Ana.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was trying to be helpful or if his motive was to keep me away from the investigation. “I’m already on the bus,” I told him just as the Shimmer Bus stopped before me. “I wasn’t getting much accomplished at the office anyway. It’s really not a big deal.”

  “Ana …”

  “Caleb, I’m fine. I need to get back in the world. I can’t barricade myself at the office or at home forever, you know. At least this way, I’m helping.”

  He remained silent.