Mascara and Murder (Murder In Style Book 3)

by Gina LaManna

  I scanned the store for something, anything, that I could use as a weapon. But with each passing second, my confidence was fading. If the text to Cooper and the gunshot hadn’t tipped anyone off, I was out of ideas. Emily had a loaded gun. I had an unloaded gun, an unloaded shoe, and a rack of men’s pants.

  I poked my head up from behind the pants for a quick second. Emily wasn’t quite looking in my direction. I hurtled the shoe at her, then rotated toward the back of the store again. I needed to be between her and the dressing room in case she tried to make good on her promise. I had no clue what I’d do to defend my mother and my friend, but something—anything—was better than nothing.

  The shoe clipped Emily’s shoulder. It bounced off, and she flicked at the spot where it’d hit as if there were lint there.

  “Ow,” she said dryly. “But shoes aren’t going to cut it this time. Not even Jessica James.”

  I backed away, seriously beginning to doubt any of our chances of survival. My mother, for claiming to have everything and the kitchen sink in her store, had a depressing lack of weapons. There was a lamp nearby that could do some damage to Emily if I got close enough, and I knew behind the cash register was a crowbar. Both were well and truly out of reach.

  Even if I did get my hands on either of those items, I’d have to get within striking distance of Emily to use them. I doubted she’d let me get that close. After all, she was the one with a gun that she wasn’t afraid to use.

  I was just beginning to panic when I glanced out the broken glass window and saw a familiar figure approaching. Even from a distance, I could see the concerned frown tipping his lips downward. But as he got closer, I saw him break into a jog. Cooper was here. I just needed to stall for another few minutes so he could catch up.

  “Come and get me!” I popped my head up behind the racks of men’s pants. “Leave my family alone, and you can have me.”

  “Sure,” Emily agreed. “Works for me.”

  I knew she was lying, but keeping her talking was a good thing. Especially when every second counted.

  I popped my head back down mere seconds before she pulled the trigger. The shot spit from the gun, leaving my ears ringing. The bullet gouged into the wall behind me. I dove farther away from the changing rooms once more, heading for the side with the broken window.

  I got onto my belly and slithered through the lingerie section, still clutching the useless gun in one hand. I was just wiggling to my feet when I heard a noise behind me. Then I heard the tinkle of a bell.

  “Nice try,” Emily said, standing behind me with a grin on her face. “But it’s time to call it a day. Say goodbye, Jenna.”

  “No,” I said. “I think it’s time you say goodbye to your shoes. Because they’ll confiscate those before they ever let you take them to prison.”

  I jumped to my feet, unsteadily throwing myself to one side. As I did, I wound up and launched the gun at her with everything I was made of. I’d never been a particularly athletic woman, but fear added a lot of oomph to my natural ability to throw.

  Thankfully, the gun made contact with the left side of Emily’s forehead. She sucked in a sharp breath and curled over for a half second, putting a hand to the place of impact as the empty gun clattered to the floor in a cacophony of metal on tile.

  When she righted herself, her hand was still on her forehead, and there was blood behind it. “You asshole.”

  “Drop your weapon,” Cooper said, emerging from behind the seasonal sweater rack. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Tennison Daniels and the attempted murder of Jenna McGovern.”

  “And my mother,” I said. “And Allie. And technically, Emma Lou, also. At this rate, it’s actually almost shorter to list the people she didn’t try to kill in this town.”

  Cooper’s gun was raised. His eyes were fixed on Emily. And I knew, if he had to, he would pull the trigger.

  Fortunately, Emily realized that, too. She probably realized her chances of getting any sort of plea bargain if she shot a cop were slim to none because she slowly raised her hands, then bent forward, and set the gun down.

  “Kick it over to me. Slowly,” Cooper said.

  She did as he told her.

  “Now the other gun,” he said.

  Emily looked confused for a second, then saw the gun that’d bounced off her head. She was still bleeding from where it had hit her. “It’s not loaded.”

  “Do it.”

  She kicked the gun toward Cooper. He approached Emily cautiously, pulled handcuffs out, then fastened them around her wrists after reading her rights.

  “You do know,” Cooper said with a wry grin in my direction, “that guns are meant to be shot, not thrown, right?”

  “It was empty,” I said. “At least, she told me it was. When Emma Lou tried to use it, it didn’t shoot.”

  “Emma Lou?” Cooper frowned. “She tried to...”

  At that point, a scream broke out from the back of the shop. The door to the changing room broke open. From behind the door, Emma Lou rushed out, stopping her scream when she saw Cooper in the flesh.

  Then she kept right on running, barefoot, toward the front door.

  “Emma Lou?” Cooper asked mystified.

  “She’s not innocent,” I said. “Do you want me to chase after her?”

  Cooper raised a hand and massaged his forehead. “Emma Lou, please stop. We can talk.”

  Emma Lou didn’t listen. She pulled open the front door and ran, arms flailing, down Main Street.

  “She won’t make it very far,” I said. “Not without shoes, at least. There’s no way she’s leaving her Jessica James stilettos behind.”

  “I’m not going to ask why she doesn’t have shoes,” Cooper said. “I already called for backup. Chances are they’ll find the woman fleeing the crime scene without shoes in no time.”

  “How did you know to find us here?” I asked. “Was it the shot?”

  “The text,” he said. “Canceling lunch at your mom’s shop. Seeing as we weren’t supposed to meet here, I figured something was wrong.”

  I headed to the back of the shop to retrieve my mother and Allie. As it turned out, we didn’t need to wait for backup at all. I’d barely finished pulling duct tape off my mom, since Emma Lou hadn’t done it, when the bell had jangled. Ryan Lewis marched Emma Lou into the store with a somber look on his face.

  “Looking for her?” he asked.

  “We were,” I said diplomatically. “And also, nobody ever did tell me what size those Stella Ross shoes were.”

  “What?” Cooper looked toward Ryan, who shrugged.

  “I’m assuming that neither Emma Lou nor Emily can take their shoes where they’re going,” I said. “I know Emma Lou’s a size eight, which will definitely work for me.”

  “Work for you?”

  “I would just love to petition to adopt their shoes,” I said. “Their shoes didn’t commit any crimes, so I don’t see why they should be punished when I could provide a loving home for them.”

  Cooper cleared his throat. “You want a murderer’s shoes?”

  “There are only a handful of them ever made,” I said. “But maybe you’re right. We can put a pin in this topic for now.”

  “What do you say we pick it up later?” The door opened to let in a wave of cops arriving as backup. Cooper nodded toward them. “I’ve got to get things wrapped up here, but if you’re not busy tonight...”

  “Coop—”

  “I know you said you’d only stay with me for safety reasons, but—”

  “Cooper!” I insisted. “I was going to say yes. I mean, after all, my window’s still broken.”

  “It’s a good thing you hate insurance so much.”

  “Good thing,” I said. “By the way, thanks for saving my life. You make for a pretty good boyfriend after all.”

  EPILOGUE

  Three Weeks Later

  “How are you feeling?”

  I looked up at Matt and bobbed my shoulders up and down. “I don’t
know. Nervous?”

  “Don’t be nervous,” he said, nudging me with his elbow. “You’ve got me here. Your family will be here. Cooper. Allie.”

  “I appreciate all the help you’ve given me to make this day possible.”

  “It’s been my pleasure,” Matt said. “It’s nice to see this place up and running again. I’ve missed it since your gran’s been gone.”

  “You know, I think she’d be really glad we became friends,” I said, shooting my neighbor a smile. “It feels like she’d be a big fan.”

  “I would agree with that,” Matt said with a grin. He shoved his hands into the pockets of the tan gardening apron he wore. I adjusted my own apron. Both of them were stamped with the name Green’s on the front, along with some twisty fern leaves. They were adorable, and they’d also been a gift from Matt for the store’s grand opening. He’d volunteered to help at the register, ringing people up so I could properly be available to greet my first guests.

  “T-minus five minutes,” Matt said. “Need anything else?”

  I shook my head. Expelled a breath. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

  I scanned the greenhouse around me. In the weeks following the arrest of Emma Lou and Emily, I’d thrown myself full speed into getting the greenhouse ready for the summer gardening season. And it had worked.

  With Matt, Cooper, and several of the other guys June had roped into helping, I’d gotten the place spit shined and refurbished. The gleaming glass windows sparkled, and a fresh coat of white paint had been applied everywhere.

  Though production had been halted and disbanded after the filming of the movie, Ryan had pulled through on his end of the deal and paid me half the salary. He figured I’d earned it, if nothing else for believing he was innocent.

  I’d refused it the first few times, but when a check had turned up at my door after he’d returned to LA, I had grudgingly cashed it and immediately funneled the money into purchasing supplies for the shop. Fortunately, I hadn’t had to dedicate any of that cash to getting my window fixed, since Cooper had gotten Emma Lou to admit to breaking my window in an effort to scare me away from asking questions.

  She’d volunteered to pay for the damages in hopes it would get her in the police’s good graces. I wasn’t sure if it had or not, but I did know I had just enough money from the check to get everything ready at the shop in time to open.

  Between that and the success of my mother’s shop, my finances were finally starting to feel a little less cramped. If the greenhouse was successful, I’d be able to pay all my bills—and splurge on a new summer wardrobe when the sales hit at the end of the season.

  My cousin, May, was the first to arrive. She showed up in a sunflower-yellow dress that showed off her cute little baby bump. I hugged her, hugged baby, and let her inside. She immediately got a cart and began filling it with little lemon cypress trees and some tomato sprouts for the garden.

  “Glad I got here early,” she said. “You’re gonna sell out. Mark my words.”

  My mother and Sid followed shortly after. My stepfather had hair that looked like an overgrown shaggy dog. He was quiet, and we got along mostly because our interactions went only so far as to pass one another pancakes over the breakfast table. We had a nice, simple relationship.

  Allie crowded into the greenhouse next. I was beginning to think I would have to kick out my friends and family if we started getting real customers, and not just people who would pity-buy my plants. It was a sizeable greenhouse, but already, the space was starting to feel full with the chatter of browsing guests.

  “Jenna,” a voice said from outside the greenhouse. “Can I speak with you for a minute?”

  I snuck out of the greenhouse to find Cooper standing there, holding a box before him. It was decorated in silver wrapping paper with a cute bow on the top.

  “Nothing like showing up right on time,” I said, with a glance at my watch. “You have one minute before opening, mister.”

  “Sorry,” Cooper said. “But I’m out of practice wrapping presents. I hope this will work.”

  “A present? For me?” I took it gleefully. “I love presents.”

  “Happy greenhouse warming,” he said, planting a kiss on my forehead. “I hope I did okay.”

  “You didn’t need to get me anything,” I said. “You already know how much I appreciate all you’ve done for me lately. Getting the window fixed, letting me stay at your place, and you know, stopping me from getting shot by a crazy stylist.”

  “Does that mean you owe me?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “That wedding you were supposed to style me for... You know, before things went off the rails...” Cooper cleared his throat. “You’ll go with me? Not as my stylist, just as my girlfriend?”

  “Of course! That’s what girlfriends are for. But if you don’t mind, I’d also like to help you get dressed. You know, just a nudge in the right direction.”

  He laughed. “Fine. Now, why don’t you open your present. You’ve already got guests heading your way.”

  Sure enough, a caravan of several cars was coming down the street. They slowed, glancing out their windows. Not wanting to be first but also eager to get a peep at the new and exciting things happening in Blueberry Lake.

  I turned my attention to the box at hand and gave it a shake. “Sounds like something I’d like.”

  “What would that be?”

  I squealed as I peeled the paper back. “Shoes! I knew it would be shoes. I love shoes. Any shoes.”

  “Open it,” Cooper urged. “Make sure I did okay.”

  I opened the box and just about fainted. I had to hyperventilate for a few minutes before I had enough air in my lungs to manage a squeal.

  “The newest Stella Ross heels?” I gaped at him. “These are the rarest edition! How much... Don’t tell me. I would die. Did you have to kill someone for these? Are you sure you shouldn’t return them? Don’t answer any of those questions. Just give me a moment of silence so I can stare at them.”

  Cooper obliged with the obligatory moment of silence. Eventually, he cleared his throat. “So they’re okay?”

  “They’re more than okay! A dream come true.” I fanned myself so I didn’t break down in tears at the sweetness of the gesture. “I don’t know how you found these, or how you knew...”

  “I figured you liked this sort of shoe, seeing as you wanted to adopt the ones straight off the feet of a murderer.”

  “You really know me.”

  “I’d do anything for you, Jenna.”

  “I know. I love it. I love them, love you. Thank you.” I stopped. “I mean—”

  “I love you, too,” Cooper said with a smile.

  My mouth parted in shock. “Well, I love you, too, Chief Dear.”

  Cooper leaned in and gave me a long, slow kiss. He pulled away when there were some throat clearings coming from behind us. I looked up to find our first guests, Mrs. Beasley and Angela Dewey, staring at us. At first I thought they were going to pass out from a heart attack. But then, to my surprise, they started clapping.

  Their clap was slowly followed by everyone else in the greenhouse who added to the clapping. A cheer went up as Matt leaned over the door and flipped the Green’s sign to say Open.

  “This is the best day of my life,” I declared to Cooper. “I think I might need to wear these shoes.”

  “But...”

  “I’ll be very careful not to step in mud,” I told him. “I promise you.”

  “I was more worried about you twisting an ankle, but okay.”

  I waved him off. “Well worth the risk.”

  “Well, Jenna McGovern, I suppose you’re the only woman in Blueberry Lake who wears heels while gardening,” Cooper said with a mystified shake of his head. “For some reason, it just makes sense.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “That is the highest compliment I’ve ever received.”

  With that, I turned from Cooper and marched into my grandmother’s old shop i
n my gorgeous new pair of shoes, surrounded by friends and family that now tethered me forever to this funny little town.

  THE END