How to Frame a Fashionista

by Debra Sennefelder

  Kelly groaned. It was looking more and more as if she didn’t have a simple roof repair but a massive project with an equally huge price tag.

  “I’m worried about the inventory. So far, there aren’t any leaks here or in the accessories room.”

  Not too long ago, Kelly’s granny expanded the business by adding a room to the back of the building. She’d used the new space to sell home accessories. What Kelly found on her first official walk-thru was a space filled with old knickknacks and lackluster sales for its substantial square footage.

  Her number one task was to clear out the room, give it a good cleaning and a new coat of paint. Next, she’d found close-out deals online for display items and did a few DIY projects to add a little panache to the space.

  Now fashion accessories and shoes filled the room, and sales were up. Every inch of square footage needed to earn the boutique money. The last thing she needed was merchandise being ruined by water leaking from the ceiling.

  She made a mental note to check her insurance policy.

  “Well, you were right, Kelly. I love the blouse with the suit. I’ll take all three items.” Liza joined Kelly and Pepper at the sales counter.

  “I’m so glad you love the whole outfit. What about the trench coat?” Kelly asked.

  Liza looked over her shoulder at the mannequin in the window. She returned her gaze to Kelly. She had that all-too-familiar look of a woman torn between wanting a new outfit and her budget.

  “Maybe next pay period. I’ll say an extra prayer that it hasn’t sold by then.” Liza winked.

  “Hopefully He’s listening. If not, I’m sure we’ll have something similar.” Kelly folded the garments while Pepper rang up the sale.

  “Wait until Reverend Will sees you in your new outfit,” Pepper said as she processed the credit card payment.

  “He’s going to be surprised, that’s for sure. I typically stay with neutrals. But I think it’s time to break out and change things up.” Liza returned her credit card to her wallet.

  “Well, I hope you’ll come back and look for some more outfits. And don’t forget, if you have anything you want to sell, let me know.” Kelly handed the shopping bag to Liza.

  “I have to be honest I never gave much thought to consigning, but I can now see it’s a good idea. I can’t wait to wear this new-to-me outfit. Thank you! Have a nice day.” Liza hurried out of the boutique with her shopping bag.

  “She seems nice,” Kelly said to Pepper.

  “She is. She’s very reserved usually. It was nice to see her a little more…I don’t know, happy.”

  Kelly nodded. “Clothes can do that for a gal.”

  “Yes, they can. Now, I noticed on the calendar you have another appointment with Tawny. She has more clothing to consign?”

  “No. It’s a private yoga session. I’m a little terrified. She’s in amazing shape.”

  “She most certainly is. Don’t go getting yourself hurt. We need you in one piece. I’m going to rearrange those silk scarves.” Pepper stepped away from the counter and walked toward the accessories department.

  The bell jingled again, drawing Kelly’s attention to the front door.

  “So sorry I’m late.” Breena rushed into the boutique carrying a coffee tray, her auburn curls bouncing as her feet nimbly crossed the sales floor to the counter.

  “Only by a few minutes.”

  “Half of Lucky Cove must have insomnia because it was crazy at Doug’s. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people ordering coffees before.” Breena set the tray on the sales counter, careful not to disturb Pepper’s decorations of little pots of gold and a shamrock spray centerpiece.

  Pepper had a tradition of making the counter festive year-round. While it wasn’t part of Kelly’s vision for the boutique, she left the displays alone. She knew the small contribution to the boutique was important to Pepper, and who knows? Maybe having the pots of gold there would be good luck. Maybe that’s why she got the Peekaboo purse to consign.

  Kelly eyed the three medium coffees. One had a “TO” written on the side.

  “Is that a Top o’ the Morning for me?” Doug’s was known for its seasonal coffee, and this time of the year, it was an Irish Crème flavored brew. Kelly didn’t wait for Breena to answer; she snatched the cup out of the tray and then took a sip. “All’s forgiven.”

  Breena giggled. “Thank you.” She pulled out her coffee cup and took a sip. “Is the roof still leaking?”

  Kelly heaved a sigh. “Yes. In more spots now.”

  Breena made a face. And it was precisely how Kelly felt.

  “Tell me about it.” Kelly took another drink of her coffee. “Pepper is back in the accessories department, why don’t you take her a coffee to her? I have to schedule an appointment to get the Fendi authenticated.”

  “I wish I could afford it. But there are a couple of items she consigned that I might be able to swing.” There Breena went again, looking at the bright side of things. Kelly wished the optimism would rub off on her. Actually, what she hoped for was the permanent removal of the dark cloud that seemed to hang over her.

  Since October, she’d had a few glimpses of sunshine. The handful of moments where she felt like she was making headway and finding her balance. Like her freelance writing and now, she had a regular column. Like meeting Mark Lambert and now having a steady boyfriend. Like landing a client who had superb taste in clothes and a ridiculously expensive purse to sell.

  “I’ll be going out after I make the call. While I’m gone, can you dress her?” Kelly gestured to the mannequin she undressed moments ago.

  “Sure. Anything in particular in mind?”

  Kelly opened her mouth and was about to describe the floral dress but instead said, “Why don’t you pick out the outfit?”

  “Really?” Breena clasped her hands together, and her amber eyes lit up.

  “Really. I know you’ll do a good job.” With her coffee in hand, Kelly walked out from behind the counter and headed to the stairs.

  Leaving Breena to dress the mannequin was difficult for Kelly, who was a bit of a control freak when it came to displays. But it lessened the guilt she felt for not telling her friend where she was going.

  Breena would jump at the chance to work out with her favorite fitness guru. No doubt she’d be bummed that she wasn’t going to have the opportunity that Kelly was. Now Kelly had to change her clothes and duck out without being seen in her workout leggings.

  * * * *

  Kelly flicked on her turn signal and turned onto Tawny’s street. She navigated around potholes and puddles. There was going to be a lot of roadwork come spring. She arrived at the house and drove into the driveway.

  Before she changed into her Lululemon knock-off tights and tank top, she called the authenticator who was in Southampton, the summer playground of the rich and famous. She set an appointment, and was eager to confirm the purse was the real deal. She also hoped to learn a few tips on how to spot fakes because they were bound to come into the boutique.

  While the trend of re-purposing and upcycling was taking off, websites selling designer goods were popping up all over the internet. Some were legit, like the site where Kelly sold her items. Others weren’t. They sold fakes because either they didn’t care about authentication or they intended to sell replicas to rip people off.

  Kelly knew it was only a matter of time before unwitting customers came into the boutique with what they thought were real designer bags and expecting a big payout.

  She parked her Jeep next to a familiar silver Mercedes. It was there yesterday when she first arrived. Oh, boy. Was Serena back?

  Her hand hovered over the ignition. Maybe she should turn the car on, back out of the driveway, and head back to the boutique.

  On second thought, maybe Serena was there, and was dealing with Jason since Tawny was preparing for her
morning workout.

  Thinking positively, she grabbed her yoga mat and water bottle before closing the driver side door. She walked along the path to the carriage house and pushed all thoughts of Serena out of her mind. All she wanted to think about was Zen stuff. Maybe she’d get to try meditation.

  The cottage came into view, and the door was open. Just like the day before. But unlike the day before, there was no yelling. Maybe all the hatred and fighting finally had ended. Serena and Jason must have brokered a peace treaty over dinner last night.

  Kelly continued, hopeful the next hour would be the relaxation she craved. A little OM and Namaste were good for the soul. When she reached the entry, she rapped her knuckles on the door rather than just barging in because Tawny could be meditating. When there was no reply, she peered in.

  Her eyes bulged, and shock hit her like a hard slap. Her yoga mat fell to the floor as a scream rose in her throat but never made it out of her mouth.

  She was wrong about Tawny meditating. Instead, she found Tawny’s body draped on top of the now shattered glass coffee table. Blood puddled beneath her head.

  Kelly’s gaze landed on a pair of pink suede pumps and traveled upward. It took a moment for her brain to register she was looking at Serena standing over the body.

  “She’s dead!” Serena blurted out.

  Chapter 5

  Kelly’s pulse kicked into overdrive, and the onslaught of questions that popped into her head dizzied her. So, she started with the most logical one first.

  “What happened?” Instinctively, she made a move forward. While her head whirled with questions, her heart screamed to her to go to Tawny, to help, to prove Serena’s declaration was wrong. Though she knew from binge-watching Law and Order, as well as her own experience with crime scenes, it was best to stay put. And the apparently lifeless body told Kelly her ex-boss was indeed correct.

  Tawny was dead.

  “I said, what happened?” Kelly locked her gaze on Serena, who, for the first time, looked confused and uncertain. She would not lie; it wasn’t a good look on the powerhouse of fashion.

  “I…I…don’t know.” Serena broke eye contact and looked down at Tawny. “I found her like this. I came to finally put an end to this ridiculous argument…”

  “By killing her?”

  “No! I told you she was like this when I came in. The door was open, and I walked in, expecting…”

  “Expecting what?”

  Serena threw up her hands in a dramatic gesture. Her face was flushed, and her usually sleek hair was mussed.

  “An argument, a scene, like always. But I found her on the floor. I checked her pulse. There’s none.”

  “Did you call the police?” Kelly reached into her cross body purse for her phone. “Did you call the police?” she asked again, only that time louder.

  Serena jerked, apparently startled by Kelly’s raised volume. “No. No, I didn’t. I didn’t have time.” She clumsily dug into her Prada top handle tote.

  “Never mind.” Kelly willed herself to keep it together. Her head buzzed, and her stomach flip-flopped. She surveyed the room. Not much difference from the day before, except that it looked like there had been a struggle.

  Shards of broken flowerpots and spilled soil covered the floor. The rug beneath the now smashed coffee table was bunched up and skewed. And there was the coffee table—wrecked with a body through it.

  How did it happened?

  Was Tawny pushed, forcing her fall through the coffee table?

  Pushed by Serena?

  Kelly took a couple of steps back to put more distance between her and her former boss.

  Or, had Tawny simply lost her balance because of a medical condition? Or, maybe she tripped? It would have to have been a heck of a trip backward to crash through the table.

  “I know how this looks. But you believe me, don’t you?” The curtness and disregard she directed at Kelly yesterday was gone. Now, worry, doubt, and fear filled her voice. Yet Kelly remained firm, even though her insides were taking a roller coaster ride. She wasn’t the same person she’d been when Serena had marched to her desk and ripped her a new one before firing her. She would not be intimidated any longer.

  “You had a huge fight with Tawny yesterday, and now she’s dead, and I found you standing over her…body.”

  “9-1-1, where is your emergency?” a voice asked on the other end of the telephone line.

  “I had no reason to kill her! Unlike him!” Serena pointed over Kelly’s shoulder.

  As Kelly relayed information to the emergency dispatcher, she looked behind her and saw Jason coming up.

  He rushed past Kelly, much like he had the day before. He came to a sudden stop and gasped when he saw his wife’s body. His shoulders sagged, and his body wavered.

  “You did this!” He went to lunge forward, but Kelly grabbed his arm, earning her a harsh look. “Let go of me.”

  “No, you can’t disturb the scene.” She ended her call with the emergency dispatcher, and after shoving her phone back into her purse, she used her free hand to guide Jason back from the door.

  “Who do you think you are? She’s my wife!”

  “I know it’s difficult, but we want to make sure we don’t tamper with evidence unintentionally.”

  “What evidence? We know who did it. Her.” He tossed an accusing look at Serena.

  Serena recoiled, but then looked like she was ready to spring forward and attack. “How dare you accuse me. What reason would I have to harm Tawny?”

  “You’re a vindictive witch, and you never needed much provocation to attack before.” Jason wrangled free of Kelly’s grip. He was stronger than she was, so it wasn’t much of a struggle. He slumped forward, gripping his hand on the doorjamb. “She’s really dead?”

  Kelly rested a hand on his shoulder and whispered, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  Jason buried his face in his hands. He tried to hide his tears, but his sobs were painstakingly audible, breaking Kelly’s heart.

  Sirens wailed from a distance and finally closed in on the property. Car doors slammed, and footsteps rushed toward them. Kelly was grateful she could hand Jason and Serena off to the officials.

  The first officer to come up the path was Gabe Donovan.

  A mixture of relief and dread coursed through Kelly’s body. Having him there was no doubt a comfort, but she was pretty sure he’d have something to say about her ending up at another crime scene.

  “Not again, Kelly,” Gabe said in a low voice when he reached her while the other officer went to Tawny. In uniform, he barely looked like the boy she climbed trees and rode bicycles with on summer days until dark. When had they grown up?

  “What happened?”

  Kelly shrugged and looked at Tawny. “I found Serena over her, and then I called for help.”

  “Serena? As in Serena Dawson from Bishop’s?”

  “The one and only. She’s his ex-wife.” Kelly pointed to Jason. “This wouldn’t happen to be Detective Wolman’s day off, would it?”

  Gabe gave her a sympathetic look and shook his head. “You know the drill. We have to separate the three of you.”

  Kelly knew the drill all right. She also knew Wolman would not be happy to see her at another crime scene.

  Gabe led Kelly into the kitchen after depositing Jason and Serena in other rooms on the first floor of the house. He instructed the three of them to stay off their phones while they waited for Detective Wolman to interview them.

  The kitchen was a modest-sized room and had a French countryside vibe. There was a cozy breakfast nook with a painted petite chandelier overhead. On the counter beside the sink, Kelly spotted the super-duper blender. That’s where Tawny whipped up her protein shakes.

  While finishing up her work last night, Kelly checked out more of Tawny’s videos. She was sucked into watchin
g a marathon of What I Eat In A Day videos. There were dozens of them. It amazed Kelly people were interested in what other people ate. In her videos, the fitness expert shared her favorite recipes along with her positive affirmations. Kelly wondered if Tawny had said her affirmations that morning.

  * * * *

  “You should be okay in here,” Gabe said standing in the doorway. His hands were propped on his hips. He’d assumed his official police stance.

  “It’s a nice room. I wonder who the cook was. Tawny or Jason.” Kelly dropped her purse on the table and pulled out a chair. It really didn’t matter who the cook in the family was, now that half the family was gone. But a little small talk would take the edge off jagged nerves.

  “You okay?”

  Kelly shrugged as she sat. “It’s not like it’s the first dead body I’ve found.” And yet, the same sensation she felt the first time she came upon a crime scene buzzed through her when she’d discovered Tawny.

  “No, it’s not. You can’t keep doing this.”

  Kelly rubbed her neck. “It’s not like I plan for these things to happen.”

  “Good to know.” Detective Wolman appeared in the doorway and already looked annoyed with Kelly. Dressed in her usual black pantsuit, she wasn’t much of a fashion risk taker. She projected seriousness and competency. Perhaps that’s why she chose the outfit. Her dark hair was swept back, letting her large eyes become the focus. Her thick lashes fringed them, and a swipe of eyeshadow had been applied. There was also a sweep of blush on her checks and a tint of pink on her lips.

  Kelly cringed at the sound of the detective’s voice.

  “Good morning, Detective.” Even though Kelly was dating the detective’s brother, she wasn’t comfortable calling her Marcy. Maybe that would come when they had a meet-the-family-dinner—when she and the detective would chat and find common ground. It was a long shot, but anything was possible.

  “Not quite when there’s a murder.” Wolman dismissed Gabe and entered the kitchen. She gave the room a quick scan. Kelly figured she was assessing what was in the room and what wasn’t. This forced Kelly to give the room another glance. Had she missed something? She was struck by the lovely décor, but what if there was a clue to who had killed Tawny?