by Cynthia Raye
“You did, didn’t you?”
“No! I didn’t do it.”
Everyone in the cafeteria turned to look.
“Why do you think I’d kill her? You know me. You know I couldn’t do anything like that.”
“Then why such a strong reaction?” Ronni said. “Why does Jill not remember the two of you picking up the statue?”
“I don’t know,” Emma wailed.
“You do know, Emma.” She shook her head. “Why did you do it, Emma? What happened?”
The mounting panic on Emma’s face painted a picture plain enough for all to see. Her story had finally crumbled beneath her, and the weight of what had happened bore down on Emma. She began to sob uncontrollably. Ronni couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, despite what she had done. It gave her no pleasure, but she knew what she had to do.
“I think I’d better notify the two detectives.”
“I didn’t m-mean to. Oh, G-God, I didn’t mean to. I j-just lost it. She made me s-so... so angry. I didn’t even think what I was doing.” Emma choked hysterically with every syllable.
“It was a sudden thing then? Spur of the moment?”
“She was making fun of me, as she usually did. She said I was so dumb I needed the extra time to study. She said she didn’t need to because she was the smart one. She put up with me only because of our moms. She told me I was so dumb it was pathetic. That I was a loser. That I’d never amount to anything.” She sobbed, although there was anger in her voice. “And I couldn’t take it anymore. Without even thinking about it, I grabbed the statue and smashed it into her. I didn’t mean to kill her. God knows, I didn’t mean to kill her.”
“And then you wrote the notes to throw everyone off track,” Ronni said.
Emma was sobbing too hard to answer.
Epilogue
Emma was sentenced to three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter. For a time most of the students avoided the area directly in front of the statue of Aristotle. The group of Sylvia’s followers faded away but not before leading a drive to change the name of the library. A metal plate beside the entrance now read: The Sylvia Jane Hawkins Memorial Library.
Ronni and Liz persuaded the school to establish an anti-bullying program that consisted of classes and peer counseling to discuss the reasons for bullying—why some people were bullies, and why others were bullied. Experts appeared before the assembled student body to talk about the need for acceptance, the dangers of bullying, and the effects of it. Watson-Collins hired a peer counseling expert to deal not only with bullying but other problems students were having, as well.
Finally, things returned to a relative normal. The senior class received diplomas, and the students went their separate ways.
On New Year’s Eve, as Rose, Peter, and Ronni gathered in Ronni’s apartment to watch the ball descend in Times Square to mark the new year, and have a glass of champagne, Peter suddenly stood, and then knelt down in front of Ronni.
“It’s a new year,” he said reaching into a pocket and drawing out a small, white box. “Let’s have a new beginning. Together.” He withdrew a ring with a large diamond centered between four smaller diamonds. “Ronni Adams. Will you marry me?”
“Oh, my goodness!” Rose exclaimed. “Oh, my goodness.”
Ronni held out her left hand while Peter slipped the ring onto her finger. “It would be an honor,” she said. She helped him to his feet.
“I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything else,” Peter said.
“And I love you more than anything else,” Ronni said.
The two of them kissed.
“This certainly calls for a little more champagne,” Rose said as she filled their glasses and drank to a future filled with happiness.
THE END
Can't get enough of Ronni? Then make sure to check out the Extended Epilogue to find out…
Will Ronnie ever see her former students again after the tragic series of events that took place?
What will happen to the killer after being released from prison? Will they still be a threat, will anyone be able to forgive them?
What kind of influence will Sylvie have on the lives of everyone that knew her? Will anyone be able to truly forgive her?
Click the link or enter it into your browser
http://cynthiaraye.com/ronni
(After reading the Extended Epilogue, turn the page to read the first chapters from “A Look to Die for”, my Amazon Best-Selling novel!)
A Look to Die for
Introduction
“Hollywood Hair”, located far away from L.A., in the small town of Glengrove, Illinois, is a place where all the customers are made to feel like stars. Former celebrity hairstylist and current owner, Erin Armstrong, chose her hometown as the obvious location for her new business when her marriage and life in L.A. fell apart a few years ago. Since then, she often finds herself fielding questions about the backstage drama of Hollywood, but it’s all in good fun and good for business. Her salon is a homey place where friends might exchange gossip, but no one really has a deep, dark secret to hide. All that comes to a crashing halt on a seemingly normal afternoon, when a particularly demanding customer keels over dead under the hairdryer…
Stunned and upset at what she’s just witnessed, Erin is about to have an even worse day when the police arrive on the scene. Not only is the death being deemed a murder, but it soon becomes clear that suspicion is being heaped on Erin’s best friend and colleague. Realising the seriousness of the situation, Erin is compelled to begin her own investigation in hopes of clearing her best friend’s name. Following a trail of clues, she uncovers shocking secrets about her customers, employees, and the people she thought she knew best. As if that wasn’t enough, the lead detective on the case turns out to be a guy she’s been trying to avoid for years since he stood her up at prom…
Forced to confront the stubborn man, Erin works desperately to convince him that he’s making a grave mistake and arresting the wrong person. Dismayed at the thought of her innocent best friend behind bars, she’s also terrified by the looming danger posed by the real killer still being on the loose. Working against the clock and with evidence stacking up against her friend, will Erin be able to uncover the truth in time? Or could the killer have unfinished business and strike again before she does?
Chapter 1
“If you’re going to call this place “Hollywood Hair”, you really ought to provide more upscale beverage options,” Sue Ellen said, hitting the welcome counter that Erin Armstrong was standing behind. “Water, iced tea, and coffee? Why not just serve bread and water? This already seems like the offering at a prison buffet.”
Although Erin wanted to retort, she was able to restrain herself and paste a seemingly-pleasant smile on her face. As much as Sue Ellen Easton worked to disprove the notion that “the customer is always right,” Erin still wanted her salon to be a place where everyone felt cared for and treated with kindness.
Erin had chosen to name her salon “Hollywood Hair” because she knew that even though she had grown up in the small town of Glengrove, Illinois, most of the people there still associated her with the time she had spent living in Los Angeles. Erin had been a hairstylist there too, and had worked for a few minor celebrities. Her most impressive gig had been when she joined the hair and makeup team for a sitcom that had aired for several seasons.
The work had been fine, and Erin liked that the winters were much milder than the ones that hit the Chicago area. However, the main reason why she had settled on California for her styling work was that her husband, Ed, had been an aspiring actor. When she had caught him fooling around with one of the actresses on the show (and someone she had considered a friend), she had decided there was nothing holding her in that town anymore and immediately left.
Erin had been careful with the money she made from her television work. While she had planned on using it to start a family or for an emergency rainy day fund if Ed never did land a role, Erin f
ound a new use for the funds. She chose to open up her own hair salon where she could feel more in charge of her destiny. She decided she should open it back in Glengrove because it was a place that still felt like home.
Though the salon had been running for several years now, she still had customers asking her about what certain celebrities were like behind the scenes. Often when Erin told them that she had never met those particular famous people, her customers thought she was being coy. Some would say that they understood that Erin wasn’t allowed to betray a celebrity’s trust and would then extrapolate their own answers about what that person was really like.
Since it was good for business and seemed all in good fun, Erin didn’t mind the questions. She liked that the others in town seemed to think that she had been a big deal in LA and it made coming up with the salon’s name simple.
She also thought it was a fitting name for the place, because she really did believe that everyone deserved to be treated like a star. Erin enjoyed owning her own salon because she loved helping people feel beautiful.
There were some other perks about being the boss too. She had been able to hire people that she thought were wonderful. She had become especially close to one vivacious hairstylist, Deena, who had been there since the salon opened, and now it seemed like Erin got to work with her best friend every day.
Even if sometimes an annoying customer did cause Erin some headaches, there was a lot for her to be thankful for. She just needed to remind herself of this when it got tricky.
“Why don’t you have anything else available?” Sue Ellen asked. She whipped her long platinum blonde hair to the side.
“Well, adding some more drinks is certainly something to consider,” Erin replied neutrally. “I try to provide some options to keep you hydrated if you’re under the dryer for a while or something to perk you up with a little caffeine if you have an early morning appointment. I honestly didn’t consider having much more because this isn’t a food establishment, and there are two bistros within walking distance.”
“With a name like “Hollywood Hair”, you should be offering me champagne,” Sue Ellen drawled as if this was the most obvious idea in the world and Erin was an imbecile.
Erin struggled to come up with a response to this demand, but eventually found something appropriate she could add. “There hasn’t been much demand for that here, but I could look into the local laws about serving champagne. It might be fun to have an event like Mimosa Mornings for our clients. Until then, are you sure you wouldn’t like some water or iced tea?”
Erin headed out from behind the counter and toward the refreshment table in the waiting area. She was prepared to serve Sue Ellen a drink, but the other woman shook her head dismissively.
“No, thank you. I’m not thirsty now.”
Erin paused, unsure of what she should do next. She hadn’t expected someone to give her a hard time about her beverage options without wanting one to quench their thirst.
A customer sitting in the waiting room started making an exasperated clucking sound from behind her magazine. Erin bit her lip. This customer was another regular, and chatty Adele loved to both hear about and be a part of dramatic situations.
Sue Ellen turned sharply toward her, “I assume those noises you’re making are regarding the blather in your trashy magazine.”
“Of course,” Adele said sweetly, pushing up her glasses. “Though sometimes things are even more interesting in real life. I hear you’re running for re-election at the Good Deeds Society. I wonder what they will think of your desire to day drink during a haircut.”
“I’ve done no such thing,” said Sue Ellen vehemently. “I simply don’t like false advertising. Whenever I come in here, I like to offer suggestions about how to make the salon seem more like a Hollywood experience. Right now the only thing that makes this place feel like California is the heat. Why is it so hot in here?”
“I can adjust the temperature,” Erin offered.
“I think it’s quite comfortable,” Adele said, casually flipping through her magazine again.
Sue Ellen decided she was finished with Adele and turned her attention back to the salon owner. She changed tactics and started tapping her foot.
“Is it your custom to make all your clients wait?”
“I’m not waiting,” Adele muttered. “I’m deciding if I want to do something besides my usual perm.”
“You are early for your appointment,” Erin reminded Sue Ellen. “If you’d like me to take care of you, we could begin now. If you want Deena to be your stylist as you requested, you’ll have to wait until she’s finished with her first client.”
“Of course I want Deena. Deena has been my stylist for over a year. I have a very special event tomorrow that I need to look perfect for. I can’t have someone who doesn’t know my hair work on me now. And besides, she knows all about the special arrangements I need.”
Erin nodded politely. She knew that Sue Ellen requested a certain shampoo to be used during her appointments. She had an allergy and wanted to be sure that her shampoo wouldn’t cause her any adverse reactions. Erin had always ordered the proper shampoo for when she arrived, and made sure that it was exclusively for Sue Ellen’s use.
“I’m sure she’ll be ready in a few minutes,” Erin assured her.
Sue Ellen began to pace across the waiting room, letting everyone know – just in case they weren’t completely sure – that she was dissatisfied with having to wait her turn.
Erin noticed one of her employees walk up to the glass entrance door, but upon seeing Sue Ellen,make an about-face and leave. Erin hoped that Sylvia was planning on entering from the employees’ entrance so she wouldn’t have to walk directly past the pacing customer and that Sue Ellen hadn’t completely scared Sylvia away.
Sue Ellen was just letting out an immense sigh when Deena walked her other customer over to a drying chair close to the waiting area. Sue Ellen’s lip curled when she recognized who it was.
“Vicki?”
“Oh, Sue Ellen. Hello,” the woman with foil in her curly hair said meekly.
“So, you’re the reason why I was forced to wait. It seems you’ve been getting in my way a lot recently, Vicki.”
“But there’s no reason for her to be in your way on a trip to the sink,” Deena said, calmly stepping in between the two women.
Deena had hair that was dark and curly. Though she did put some product into it each day, she made no effort to shrink her wild mane. There were a few advantages to this style. One was that it made her slender form look even tinier. Her hair was also so large that when she stood between these two angry women, she was blocking them from seeing each other’s faces.
“Sue Ellen, you can make yourself comfortable in the rinsing chair. I’ll be with you in a moment.”
Sue Ellen gave Vicki a dirty look, but because the other woman was averting her eyes, she might not have seen this malice.
“Do you have my specialty shampoo?” Sue Ellen asked.
“It’s right there by the sink,” Deena said, pointing. “A full bottle.”
Sue Ellen seemed appeased for the moment and took a seat. Erin hurried over to assist Vicki with the dryer so that Deena was free to deal with her more demanding client. Once Vicki was settled and the dryer was on, Erin realized that there was an advantage to being under the machine.
Vicki wasn’t able to hear Sue Ellen’s complaints, but Erin still was. She was grateful that Sue Ellen had moved away from the salon as a topic, but she couldn’t help feeling bad for the assistant that Sue Ellen was verbally bashing.
Deena was handling the situation in her stride though. She made a few noncommittal jokes about the situation that seemed to please Sue Ellen. If Erin hadn’t known Deena so well and recognized that her smile kept tilting to the side, which was something that Deena only did when she was stressed or telling white lies, she might have thought that the stylist and client were friends.