How to Frame a Fashionista

by Debra Sennefelder

  “No. Actually, I wouldn’t—”

  “I hear they have a suspect. A woman from the city,” Ralph said.

  “Kelly used to work for her. Can you imagine? I’m still trying to wrap my head around Tawny being cut down in the prime of her life. Her business was taking off.” Summer’s green eyes watered as she snuggled in closer to her husband for comfort.

  “Speaking of taking off…” Kelly hoped her hint wasn’t too overt but then again, not too subtle.

  “We should get to our table. Have a nice evening,” Summer said with a wave as she and Ralph walked away arm and arm.

  Kelly leaned forward, propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her palms. “I’m beat.”

  “You look tired. Come on, I’ll walk you home.” Mark stood, and being the gentleman he was, he pulled out Kelly’s chair.

  “I need to use the restroom. I’ll be just a minute.”

  “No need to rush.” He kissed her on the cheek before heading to the hostess station to wait for her.

  She made a beeline to the back of the restaurant and pushed the swinging door to the restroom. Like the rest of the establishment, it was classy and clean with bright lights and a double vanity. Both stall doors were closed, and the ladies were chatting. Kelly caught something about the Gull Café as she moved to the sink.

  While she waited, she inspected her eyes. She’d gotten a new tube of mascara a week ago, and it came with a boatload of promises to thicken, lengthen, and nourish her lashes. What she really wanted was a mascara that didn’t give her raccoon eyes.

  She leaned toward the mirror for a closer look. So far, so good.

  Well, at least where her makeup was concerned. Staring at her reflection, she couldn’t help but reflect on the latest turn of events.

  How had she landed in the middle of another murder? Was this now her thing? Her new lot in life?

  In the previous cases she’d been drawn into, she’d helped to solve the cases. Whether or not it was due to luck, she wasn’t sure. She just seemed good at it. Maybe she had a knack for amateur sleuthing.

  “My sister waited on their table last night. The woman he was with wasn’t his wife,” the woman in stall one said.

  Kelly was pulled from her thoughts and into the conversation happening a few feet from her. Who were they talking about? She rolled her eyes. Duh. They had to be talking about Jason and Serena. Apparently, the only topic of conversation in Lucky Cove. They’d met at the Gull Café last night. Kelly looked over her shoulder at the stalls.

  “Seriously? He sounds like a suspect to me,” the other woman said. Her voice was accusatory.

  “My sister said they were holding hands.”

  “Wow! And his wife is dead now. You don’t have to be a math genius to put two and two together and get a cheating husband murders his wife.”

  “Exactly!”

  Kelly returned her gaze to the mirror. Serena and Jason were holding hands?

  A toilet flushed.

  She didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping, so she swung around and darted out of the restroom. She was moving so fast, she skidded to a stop so she wouldn’t collide with a server carrying a tray full of dirty dishes. Murmuring an apology, she continued through to the hostess area where she found Mark waiting for her.

  “Everything okay?” His forehead was creased, and he looked confused.

  “Yeah, everything is fine. Ready?”

  “After you.” He guided her out of the restaurant. With their arms linked, they walked along Main Street. There were a few passersby who Kelly knew, and they nodded. The walk was short, so she made the most of it by burrowing closer to Mark.

  “Be sure to lock up tonight, okay?” Mark said when they reached the back door of the boutique.

  “I will. Call me tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” He leaned in for a goodnight kiss, and Kelly happily obliged. “Sleep tight.”

  Kelly nodded and then unlocked the door and stepped inside, flicking on an interior light. She locked the door and made her way through the boutique to the staircase up to her apartment.

  The conversation she overheard in the ladies’ room repeated in her head as she was greeted by Howard and kicked off her shoes. Howard continued to slink his lean body around her legs and then wandered off to the bedroom. Going to bed was a fantastic idea, so she followed her feline.

  She pulled out a new pair of pajamas from the dresser and undressed, her mind drifting back to last night when she saw Serena and Jason meet and then enter the Gull Café. She guessed they were trying to workout out a deal about their shared property. Now, hearing they held hands made her doubt her initial thought.

  After brushing her teeth and quickly wiping off her makeup, she snuggled in bed with Howard and her phone. He lasted a whole two minutes before he pulled away and curled up at the foot of the bed. She learned not to take it personally. Clearly, he liked his space.

  She tapped on her phone and searched the internet for anything on Tawny and Jason. Dozens of results came up. The couple had been active in their church, like Liza said. Jason’s advertising agency had recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, and Tawny was planning a destination retreat for her clients.

  All in all, the Fallows seemed like a successful, happily married couple. She lowered the phone, pressing it against her chest. It’s exactly how she envisioned her future with Mark. Minus the murder and possible cheating thing. She’d been resistant to think too far out into the future, but she and Mark seemed to be getting serious. Maybe letting herself dream a little of what could be wasn’t such a bad idea.

  A text message popped up. She lifted the phone and saw it was from Mark.

  Sweet dreams. XOXO

  She quickly replied.

  You too. XOXO

  So corny, but she didn’t care. She was falling in love and wanted to enjoy every minute. Sure, he irritated her earlier, but wasn’t that a part of loving someone? Tolerating their quirks? Hopefully, he felt the same way about her quirks. What was she thinking? Of course, he did. How could he not?

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, a new coating of snow greeted Kelly when she pulled open the back door. She did her best to look on the bright side. The storm hadn’t packed the punch the meteorologist forecasted. Keeping with the whole bright side thing, she gratefully accepted shoveling the walkway and the sidewalk as a replacement to her morning run. In fact, shoveling provided her both cardio and toning. If she wasn’t so busy moving snow, she’d pat herself on the back for being so optimistic.

  The task of clearing the snow didn’t take too long. With her shoveling AKA workout session over, she sprinted inside to change into work-appropriate clothing. She chose a pair of bootleg pants and a blouse. On the way out of her apartment, she slipped into a pair of mid-heel pumps. Back downstairs, she opened the boutique on time. Another accomplishment so early in the morning.

  At the sales counter with her laptop computer open, she heard the jingle of the bell over the front door. When she looked up to welcome her first customer of the day, all that bright side thinking slid to the wayside.

  “What on earth is Serena doing in my boutique?” was Kelly’s first thought. Her second thought was about Serena’s footwear. Were those the boots that set the fashion world abuzz last year?

  The fashion icon dared to pack only one pair of shoes for fashion month. Dark brown tall boots. She’d paired those boots with countless outfits for fashion shows in Paris, London, Milan, and New York. Serena was photographed coming and going and looking effortlessly chic without trudging a suitcase full of shoes all over the world.

  While Kelly applauded the risky fashion move, she now realized she’d have no excuse for over-packing shoes on her next trip. Darn.

  Kelly stood and stepped out from behind the counter. “I wasn’t expecting to see you…here.”


  “That makes two of us.” Serena removed her sunglasses. She had forgone her faux leopard coat for a pale blush wool coat draped over her shoulders. Her midi-length geometric print dress skimmed her body, and a large chunky necklace filled in the neckline.

  “Then, why are you here?”

  Serena advanced farther and gave an appraising gaze of the boutique. “It seems you’ve used your time at Bishop’s wisely. The window display is striking.” She glanced over her shoulder. “However, you need to do something with the empty space. You’re telling a story in the window, and utilizing the empty space can help with that.”

  Kelly was stunned. She’d received an honest-to-goodness compliment from the Dragonista. She honestly didn’t know how to react. It never happened before.

  Serena snapped her fingers. “What’s with the look? Did I confuse you?”

  Kelly was now back in familiar territory. But she wouldn’t take the bait.

  “I appreciate your suggestion about the window display. But I don’t think that’s why you’re here.” No, Serena wasn’t known for visiting boutiques and offering free advice to increase sales.

  “I wanted to stop by before I to go back to the city.”

  “The police are allowing you to leave town?” Whoa. Right there, she sounded like a bad cop show.

  Serena browsed the circular rack of blouses. She flitted through the hangers at warp speed. “Not too shabby. Tory Burch? Not one of her better prints. You probably should mark this one down.” She shoved the blouse into Kelly’s arms.

  “Thank you, I’ll keep it in mind.”

  “As I was saying, I thought I should stop by to express my appreciation to you.”

  Another kudos? Kelly needed to sit, but she remained standing and was positive there was a dumbstruck look on her face. Again.

  “Yesterday was a difficult day. I’ve never found someone murdered before, and you were kind to me. Offering me tea when we were in the house waiting to be interviewed by that boringly dressed detective.” Serena lowered her eyelids and shook her head as if she pitied Wolman’s poor fashion lot in life.

  Kelly hadn’t thought a cup of tea would earn Serena’s gratitude. Now, looking back at the time after finding Tawny’s body, she was thankful Wolman allowed her to make a pot of tea before she left the house. It was a small gesture and it was intended for Jason, primarily. He was in shock and grieving. A cup of tea was the least she could do for him. But to hear the simple act had touched Serena made Kelly wonder when the last time somebody had done something kind for her. A pang of sadness for Serena struck her heart.

  “Again? You have nothing to say? Do you have a speech problem I’m not aware of?”

  And just like that, the moment passed. Kelly discarded the blouse. It didn’t need to be marked down.

  “I appreciate you stopping by. But do you think you should leave? I thought the police asked you to remain in town.”

  Serena patted Kelly’s arm and smiled in her condescending way. “I think you’ve been out of the city for far too long. I’m Serena Dawson, and no one dictates to me. Especially the Lucky Cove Police Department. Trust me, they’re no match for the top law firm that represents me. My driver is waiting for me.” She pivoted and headed for the door but stopped. She looked over her shoulder. “It looks like you’ve done nicely for yourself since your last day at Bishop’s.”

  Three compliments? It wasn’t possible. Was it? Or was Kelly dreaming all of this?

  “Even though this is a used clothing shop.” Her words dripped with the snobbery and judgment she was known for.

  Nope. It wasn’t a dream.

  The front door opened. The jingle of the bell faded as Kelly’s gaze locked on her visitor. Detective Wolman. Behind her was Gabe.

  Kelly’s body tensed, her mouth suddenly dry.

  The grim expressions on both of their faces told her that Serena wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

  “Ms. Dawson, you need to come with us.” Wolman approached Serena as she removed a pair of handcuffs from a pouch on her belt.

  “What? I have to do no such thing.” Serena looked at the handcuffs with disdain and then shot a look at Kelly, which she couldn’t read. “This is absurd.”

  “Ma’am, please. It’ll be easier if you cooperate.” Gabe stood next to Wolman with his hands set on his utility belt, and he held a hard stare on Serena. Was he expecting her to make a run for it? Was he trying to intimidate her? Kelly wanted to tell her friend Serena didn’t run, nor did she cower. He’d have to take his glare up a couple of notches just to get Serena’s attention.

  Serena huffed. “Again, since you seem to have difficulty understanding me, I’ll repeat it. I don’t have to go with you. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  Wolman’s facial expression grew direr. “We understood you the first time. Now it’s your turn to use your ears and listen. You do have to come with us because I’m placing you under arrest for the murder of Tawny Fallow.” In one swift motion, Wolman had Serena turned around and was applying handcuffs while reciting the Miranda warning.

  “I didn’t kill her. I demand to know on what grounds you’re basing this arrest,” Serena said once she was face-to-face with Wolman and Gabe again.

  “Maybe it’s better for you not to say anything without your lawyer.” Kelly’s suggestion earned her a scathing look from Serena. So much for trying to be helpful.

  “We’ve uncovered hostile, threatening text messages between you and the victim. You were heard threatening to kill Tawny, and you were found standing over the body,” Wolman said.

  Serena huffed again, that time with much more indignation. “Do you even hear yourself? Tawny and I have been arguing for years, so why would I suddenly kill her? Besides, Kelly was at the scene also. She could have been there earlier.”

  Kelly gasped. What on earth was Serena thinking? Trying to blame her for the murder?

  “You know, Serena, comments like that really don’t help your cause.” Or, mine, for that matter. Kelly glanced at Wolman, who maintained a neutral expression so she couldn’t tell if the detective was buying what Serena was trying to sell.

  Serena rolled her eyes. “I’ll have your badge, Wolfman.”

  Kelly cringed at the slight. She knew Serena well enough to know it was intentional.

  Wolman handed Serena off to Gabe, who escorted the suspect out of the boutique. Kelly hadn’t expected Serena to come into her boutique only to be arrested right in front of her. Talk about a heck of a way to start the day.

  “I’m honestly shocked.” Kelly walked back to the sales counter and lifted her travel mug to take a sip of her coffee. “I don’t think she’s guilty. She’s not a murderer.”

  Wolman pursed her lips. “I appreciate a fashion girl’s opinion on my murder case. But there’s no need to be concerned because I know what I’m doing. You just need to stay out of this one.” She turned and left the boutique.

  “Sure, no problem, Wolfman.” Kelly took another drink of her coffee. It seemed all too convenient that Serena just happened to be at the cottage, but then if she was set up, no one knew Kelly would find Serena there with Tawny’s body. Maybe the plan was for Jason to discover his dead wife, and perhaps he was the one who was supposed to be set up. Or maybe, he killed his wife and lured Serena to the cottage to frame her.

  It took all of Kelly’s power of concentration to get through the morning without dwelling on Serena being arrested right in front of her. How on earth had that gone down right there in the boutique? If Serena hadn’t behaved out of character, her arrest would have happened somewhere else. Maybe a high-speed chase on the Long Island Expressway? Kelly shook her head. She doubted Serena’s driver would have engaged in such an illegal and dangerous activity. But then again, he’d have Serena leaning over the front seat, telling him to lose the police. Okay, now she was thinking crazy thoughts. Serena wouldn’t dare le
an over the seat and take part in a conversation with her help. Then again, Kelly hadn’t expected Serena to come in, thank her, and give her not one but three compliments.

  People changed. Maybe Serena had softened a little since the last time Kelly saw her at Bishop’s. She didn’t have much time to dwell on Serena because a steady stream of customers came in to either buy or sell and that kept Kelly busy.

  * * * *

  “Thank you for coming in today. The blouses look lovely on you.” Kelly handed the shopping bag to her customer, who smiled before turning away to head for the front door.

  Kelly glanced around the now quiet shop and took in a deep breath. Her mind started to wander back to Serena’s arrest, but she quickly stopped the thought in its tracks. She had new merchandise to log into the inventory system and an article to write. She didn’t have time for Serena’s drama or a problem of her own making. Serena may not have murdered Tawny, but her actions led her to become a prime suspect. She got herself into this mess; she could get herself out of it.

  And yet, Kelly sent a text to Ariel.

  She was at a loss to explain why she asked Ariel to do some research on Tawny and her online business.

  Ariel was a research ninja. Between her job at the library and her freelance writing, she’d honed amazing researching skills, which meant she could quickly and effectively dig into someone’s past at warp speed. And the way things were moving in Tawny’s murder case, warp speed was needed.

  Mid-day, Kelly was able to break away from the boutique, leaving Pepper and Breena to handle things while she made a quick trip to the library. She found her friend at the reference desk finishing up with a patron.

  The older gentleman nodded as his gaze followed to where Ariel was pointing. After a thank you, he was off toward the history section while she smiled. Kelly knew Ariel loved helping people. She volunteered at the hospital and senior center before the accident. After the life-altering event, she seemed more determined to help others. Over dinner one night, she explained it was because she received so much love and support from her family, friends, and strangers after the accident. She had a choice back then. Either she could be bitter about the hand she was dealt, or she could be thankful she had survived and not take anything for granted. Not only had Kelly gotten a delicious meal of mac and cheese, but she’d also gotten a life lesson that night.