by Misty Simon
“Oh pshaw, it’s no trouble at all. This is my first day helping out here, so I’ll have to go get the inventory list. I won’t be but a minute.” She bustled (yes, bustled) out of the cramped room.
“She’s cute.” I ran a loving hand over the top of my new storage for the shop. The lines were classic and perfect. It nearly matched the one currently holding the shop’s items that I didn’t necessarily want sitting out in the open.
“Yeah, I was buttering her up the whole time I was leading her back here.”
“Good job.”
“You can thank me later.” The eyebrow waggle happened again.
Ms. Shellack (no that wasn’t her real name, but we hadn’t been introduced and it fit as well as anything else) clomped into the room with a clipboard, saving me from having to answer Ben. She licked her thumb and paged through the inventory.
“Ah-ha. Here it is.” She named off a price I could live with, but Ben started right in with the haggling.
I dug my fingers into his forearm as he tore into negotiations like a freaking pit bull. While I admitted seeing him operate so fiercely was a major turn-on, I was going to permanently maim him if he lost this treasure for me. I wanted the sideboard and the asking price was fair enough for me. Apparently, Ben had other ideas.
I cleared my throat. I surreptitiously nudged him with my elbow. I tapped his foot with mine. He completely ignored me. Finally, I pinched the back of his arm when I saw Ms. Shellack getting close to inching her way out the door, her eyes wide and the inventory sheet trembling in her hand. She was probably thinking this wacky couple better not be an indication of things and people to come. Even as her hands wobbled, her hair never moved an inch. I thought it most likely knew better, under penalty of more aerosol death.
“Thank you, it’s a wonderful piece. We’ll take it.” Stepping in front of Ben, I backed my rear end up against him to occupy his mind while I finished the deal. He’d said his piece, and now it was time for my inner proprietress to take over and close things out. I was not leaving without that sideboard, and Ben would have to deal with the fact I’d popped his haggling balloon. “Can we take it with us now?”
Chapter Five
Ben tried to talk me into some off-road, back-seat necking. But with the back seat gone to accommodate my new furniture, and my dad expecting me home soon, I felt I should decline.
However, my brain rationalized, it was almost dusk and, really, we could have suffered a flat tire for all my dad knew. So we pulled off onto some lovers’ lane from Ben’s youth and proceeded to mess around in the front seat.
We were getting hot and heavy, and I was almost ready to call a halt to this whole business (I refused to have my first time with him in a car), when someone called a stop for us.
The police.
“Ack!” I tried to pull my sweater back in place while shielding my eyes with the flat of my hand.
Ben, conversely, ran a careless hand through his hair and used the other one to roll down his window. Resting an elbow on the frame, he waved casually in the direction of the light. “Good evening.”
“Car trouble?” The voice came out of the darkness.
“Oh, um, no, well...” That was me stuttering, trying to come up with a plausible reason for being parked out in a deserted grove on a Tuesday night.
“No, no car trouble, Officer. Just enjoying the night sky and air.” Ben gave a little masculine heh-heh-heh laugh.
“With all the windows rolled up and steam clouding the view?”
Even Ben couldn’t come up with an answer for that question. I followed his lead and kept my mouth shut.
“We were just leaving,” Ben finally said, straightening in his seat, apparently not taking things so casually anymore.
For myself, I was nervous enough to fear peeing my pants. I’d promised Stan I wouldn’t get into any more trouble and would go straight home from the sale. This was what I got for not following through. I pulled my brown woolen scarf closer around my throat and hoped, at the very least, the officer wouldn’t recognize me.
“Ivy Morris.” No such luck there. “Well, isn’t it quaint I found you now? I received a call from Detective Bartlett not ten minutes ago concerning you. Seems you’re wanted for some additional questioning.”
Crap. “Do you need me to come in right this instant?” Please say no.
“Sooner the better, but if I were you, I’d put my sweater on right side out before showing up at the station. A little piece of friendly advice, you understand.” He strolled back to his vehicle, whistling, then drove away.
“Well, that was something.” I sat back in my seat, crossing my arms over my inside-out sweater.
“I feel like a teenager getting caught with...hmmm. Getting caught.” Ben grinned sheepishly, and I wondered for a second what he had been about to say. I finally decided I probably didn’t want to know. What if it had been Tarrin?
Thoughts of the dead woman tried to crowd my head, and I shunted them aside. I wouldn’t borrow trouble before I arrived at the police station. There was no use dwelling on what the detectives could want with me again. I’d already answered all their questions—twice.
“I never did things like this when I was a teen,” I said. “And now that the fear of being dragged from the car half-dressed has passed, I have to say it was a little bit exciting. Woo-hoo!” I blushed, hoping the night kept the color from Ben.
“Exciting, huh? Enough to try it again?” He reached over, snaking his hand up my torso.
“Not that much.” I batted his hand away as another thought occurred to me. “Do you think this will get out all over town? Maybe I’ve ruined your reputation.” The thought made me a little giddy. Everyone and their mother seemed to have some kind of ham radio or police scanner in their possession. Then again, that’s all I needed, to have people heap “brazen hussy” on top of all the other bad things they thought about me.
“Probably,” Ben said, not helping one bit. “I bet by the end of the night it will be all over town that the California girl has ruined poor Ben Fallon. Such a shame I got ensnared in your net.” He laughed, and I did, too.
“Are you sure it won’t be the other way around? I mean, you’re the local. I had no idea this place existed, and you led me to temptation, after all.”
“It’s the temptation that’s killing me, Ivy.” In the soft glow of moonlight, his handsome face became serious. “Not to sound like a broken record or anything, but when can we be alone? And I don’t mean in a car. I want time with you. I miss sitting around, laughing, talking, without extra ears hanging around.”
And if that wasn’t the sweetest thing to ever reach my ears, I didn’t know what was. We’d hardly had any time together without a murder to solve or parental interference from the moment we’d met. I only hoped once we made love it wouldn’t be a disappointment after all the build up. I also hoped the passion wouldn’t go once the clandestine meetings and restrictions were no longer needed. Could I keep him interested when we were able to date like normal people?
“I want to be with you, too, Ben. Let’s get this murder thing settled first, and then we’ll find some little bed and breakfast away from here.” I kissed him to seal the promise.
When we finally broke apart, he started the car and backed it out of the grove. “Let’s get to work then. And make the bed and breakfast a close one. I don’t want our first time to be in a car, either, but all bets are off if you make me drive too far.”
****
Back at my house—later that evening after yet another round with the police—I shut myself in the bathroom and took a nice long soak. The tub was one of the last remaining places I could be left alone. My own private sanctuary.
“Ivy, are you almost done?”
Except for the pounding on the door and my dad’s loud voice penetrating the wood like a wrecking ball.
“Almost,” I said, trying hard to keep the irritation out of my voice.
“You don’t have to get snippy.”
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Yes, I did. And if he thought that was snippy, he’d have been appalled by what was actually going through my mind.
“That nice friend of yours, Bella, called a minute ago and wanted to know if you could call her back at the Babbling Broke place.”
Bubbling Brook, Dad, argh! “All right, thanks. I’ll be out soon.” Now please go away, so I can finish up.
“I took down the number in case you didn’t have it.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Go away!
“I’ll leave it on your dresser where you can find it.”
“Okay.” Sheesh.
“And if you have time tonight, I sure would love some apple pie like you brought me the other day. Do you think you could run to Martha’s place and get some?”
Ack! “Yes, Dad. I’ll be out in a second to do all those things.”
“Oh, I wasn’t trying to rush you, honey. Take your time. It can keep. I’ll go so you can relax.”
Now he decided to go, when I was already halfway out of the tub and watching the bubbles circling the drain. Great.
I dried off anyway, since I didn’t feel like taking the time to get another bubble bath started. He’d ruined this nice pastime for me, too. Damn him.
I hurriedly dressed, not wanting to miss Bella again. The chance to connect with her hadn’t presented itself, and worry for her clouded my mind. Was she okay? Had she found a way to grieve? Who was taking care of her while she mourned?
I retrieved her number from the dresser and found my mail there, too. Most of it looked fine, although two flaps were unglued. Was he going through my mail now, too? I had to set some boundaries, but feared the confrontation. Sigh. I opened the first unglued envelope and groaned. This shouldn’t have come to the house. Of course, it happened to be an invoice for all manner of lingerie and various lotions and accessories I carried in the Masked Shoppe. At least everything appeared in catalog code, instead of “crotchless panties” in big bold letters. Dad continued in his obliviousness of what went on in the back room, due to the simple fact that I wouldn’t let him back there. And I continued to struggle with how to tell him about the “merchandise.”
Dialing the number for Bella’s room, I prayed she’d be there so we could talk things out. I paced. It would be good to hear from Bella. I’d missed her and wanted to find out how she was holding up. On ring five, I almost hung up the phone, but finally she answered, a little breathless to my ears.
“Hello, Chad? Is that you?”
“Ah, no, Bella. It’s Ivy.” And then, because I didn’t know who Chad was, I asked.
She was quick to reply. “No one. Thank you for calling me back, Ivy. I wanted to speak with you, if you have a moment.”
Who was this formal, distant stranger, and what had she done with my Bella? “Um, okay. I have time now. Did you want me to come over, or meet you at the diner?”
“That won’t be necessary. I simply wanted to let you know I think you should stay away from me for a little while. Nancy Harkham told me you’d been by a couple of times, and I’m asking you not to do it anymore. You’re making her nervous, and me, too. I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to hang out until after things are sorted out.”
Silence stretched out over the phone line. Didn’t think we should hang out? Thought I should stay away? I was scaring Nancy, the owner of the bed and breakfast? What the hell was happening, and where was my Bella? I’d already thought something was wrong, but now so much more than before. If I didn’t have Bella as a friend, who would stand by me through it all? Who would help me stay away from brown? This whole mess went a lot deeper than I had originally imagined.
Bella cleared her throat, and I nearly threw up. What other horrible news would she impart now?
“It would be a good idea if you could come to my house tomorrow afternoon and pick up your things.”
I felt like we were breaking up. Jesus. “Sure,” I said and gently replaced the receiver before I bawled like a baby.
Chapter Six
Since I had effectively lost my best friend, and my dad’s eyeballs were glued to some Clint Eastwood movie I had no desire to sit through for the sixth time, I went to the Masked Shoppe. No time like the present to fill up my new sideboard and design the little scene I’d dreamt up for the top. Do something positive, some work, to take my mind off my troubles.
Ben and one of his friends had delivered the piece of furniture earlier while I sat at the police station, so he still had my key. Fortunately, I had the old one I’d taken from my previous helper, Kitty, so I let myself in.
The shadowed darkness inside was welcoming, and I kept the lights off. I didn’t want to be bothered by anyone. The last time I’d had lights on in the shop after six, I’d received a call from the cops to see if a burglary was in progress. I refused to risk another run-in with them just yet.
I walked through the shadowed front room with its costumes, masks, accessories, and the beautiful fountain I’d recently had installed by a local craftsman.
I picked my way through the small adjoining room connecting the front with the little back room filled with lingerie. I hadn’t expected it when I’d first come to town shortly before Halloween, but now it was my pride and joy, along with my bread and butter. The scent of lavender drifted out to welcome me.
Tall chests and lingerie cabinets stood against the gold-and-cream-stripe papered walls, while baskets hung suspended from the ceiling, holding pretty panties and bras. The cabinets, meanwhile, held some of the more risqué things, like leather bustiers and a small assortment of riding crops and furry handcuffs. They weren’t quite my thing, but they did bring in additional money.
I wouldn’t have minded if Tarrin had done business in the area. Really. It would have alleviated some of the worry I carried around about requests I wasn’t equipped to handle. It still made me sad to know she had felt threatened enough to lash out at me. Plus, no one deserved to die the way she had.
I wished I could figure out who’d done it. Not only for Tarrin, but also because then maybe I could get my life back into some semblance of normalcy. I wanted Bella back and a chance at an ordinary relationship with Ben. And my father out of my hair, which he’d already told me wasn’t happening until I sorted out this mess.
Beyond everything, I wasn’t cut out for this murder business.
I flipped the light switch just inside the doorway and waited for my eyes to adjust to the bright glow. When the room came into focus, it went right back out, and faded to black.
****
I couldn’t say how long I’d been unconscious, but when I woke up, I did so in complete darkness, with something jabbing me in the rear and feathers stuck up my nose. My awesome powers of deduction rose to my aid after I’d spent about ten minutes blathering like an idiot and pounding on the wood directly in front of my nose.
Turned out I’d been stuffed like a sausage into the lingerie room’s single closet. The area smelled of dust, reminding me I was supposed to clean yesterday. The uncomfortable jabbing came from sitting on a spare mannequin leg, and I was nostril to feather with my overstock of exotic boas.
My voice had given out about thirty seconds ago, and I silently cursed myself for leaving my cell phone on the front counter. At least I hadn’t brought my purse into the store with me. Thank God. But I was basically stuck here until someone either broke in again or until morning, when surely a customer would notice I hadn’t opened for the day.
Illumination from the glowing hands of my wristwatch barely allowed me to make out the time. It was a few minutes after midnight. I had a long night ahead of me, especially when my bladder felt full enough to burst.
Who the hell had been in my store? My life was never supposed to be like this. Bitchy women, interfering fathers, and rude people—I’d dealt with them all before. But thieves, killers, and police were totally outside my scope. If I could just get through this, maybe I’d feel differently, but not right now.
My brain switched gears. What if the intruder wa
s still out there? Oh, man, I hadn’t even considered that thought while I’d yowled like a stepped-on cat. There was no help for it now, and I couldn’t hear any noise outside over the pounding of my own heart.
About an hour later, when my teeth were floating in the back of my mouth, I heard a scraping sound. I barely stopped myself from screaming. It could have been anyone, so I kept quiet and scooted back deeper into the closet. Who was here now? Was I running an all-night convenience store and didn’t know it?
Then I heard the most welcome thing: Ben’s voice calling my name.
“I’m in here,” I croaked, my voice still hoarse.
“Ivy? Ivy, are you in here?” He was closer now.
I tried again. “Here!”
“Where?”
“Closet.” I kept it short since I could barely hear myself and he probably wasn’t having any luck doing the same thing.
“Okay, I see the closet, but where are the keys?”
Dang it all, where were the keys? The thief could have easily taken them with him when he made for the exit. Unless he still lurked. Panic reared, again, but then it occurred to me I hadn’t heard any noise for quite some time.
“Pick the lock, will you? Bang the freaking thing off if you have to.”
“Give me a sec.”
A second was too long as far as I was concerned. I’d been shut up in here for hours, and I wanted out. Footsteps receded while I sat and worried some more. At least I didn’t suffer from claustrophobia, although I had plenty of other neuroses to make up for it.
Ben came back a minute later—I’d timed it to keep my mind off my bladder. Clinking and scraping noises ensued; then the door swung open. It was like gaining entrance to the gates of heaven.
Scrunched up in the closet for so long, my legs had gone to sleep. I kind of slumped out of the small space and right into Ben’s strong arms. “Oh, thank you, thank you,” I said, punctuating each word with a kiss to his cheeks, eyes, and chin. Finally, I planted a wet one on his lips and tumbled him to the ground. “My savior.”
“If I’d known how grateful you’d be to get out, I would have locked you in a closet long before now.”