by Laina Turner
The phone ringing distracted me from my thoughts, and I pulled it out of my purse. I cringed when I saw it was James Smith, the ex-husband of Solange. Just what I didn’t want to deal with today, but I knew him well enough to know that I couldn’t ignore him. He would relentlessly call back until I answered, or hunt me down.
Plus his wife did just die, and I felt I should be more understanding. I had his number programmed into my phone because I’d been caught completely off guard one too many times and answered, only to have him yell at me about how I’d better get Solange to answer her calls. On my private cell phone nonetheless! Solange had apologized, and said he’d found my number on her phone. He obviously didn’t have a healthy respect for boundaries, because he didn’t have any qualms about calling my phone without me saying it was okay.
Knowing he wouldn’t give up and wanting to find out his plans for the shop, I figured I’d better answer. I did need to make a living. If he decided to keep Silk open and I continued to work there, I would be working for him. Not the most pleasant thought, and it might have some bearing on how long I had before needing to find another job.
“Hello.” I tried to sound as unenthusiastic as I could without being downright rude.
“Is this Presley?” James said abruptly, which was normal for him.
“Yes,” I said flatly. I supposed I should be nicer since he’d just lost his almost ex-wife and all, but he wasn’t nice to me, and if the screaming fights I’d heard between them were any indication, there was no love lost. Weird how people could be so in love that they get married and then absolutely hate each other later on. Showed how much people could change, I guess. I wanted to be like my parents, as clichéd as that might sound. I wanted to get married and live happily ever after, or forty-plus years like them. But when I saw people go through divorces like this, it made me wonder: was a happy marriage more of a rarity than the norm these days?
“I want to know why the hell you sicced that cop on me!”
What? He really thought I sent the cops to him. Didn’t he ever watch TV? The cops always went to the spouse first when there was a murder. That was general knowledge. I needed to stand up for myself and make him realize he wasn’t going to treat me this way. I used to just blow it off for Solange, but there was no need now.
“James, you had to know they would be asking you questions. You and Solange didn’t actually see eye to eye. And, as the soon to be ex-husband, you had to know they would come to you. So don’t try and blame this on me. Blame it on all the husbands who have ever killed their wives.”
“Just because we got in the occasional fight doesn’t mean I killed her.”
Occasional? He must’ve had a much different recollection than I. Selective memory. “Did you just call to yell at me? If so, I’m hanging up.” I wasn’t about to get into an argument with him. It wasn’t worth it, and I surely didn’t need the aggravation.
“The cop said they would be done processing the evidence at the store tomorrow, so as soon as they’re done I need you to get the store open. It’s losing money closed.”
Seriously, he was worried about losing money when twenty-four hours had not even passed since Solange was killed? I didn’t understand him. If he was always this big of a jerk, no wonder they were divorcing. He seemed to assume I would want to run the store for him, and even though I needed the job, and I did like my job at Silk, I wasn’t in a hurry to work for him, and this wasn’t helping.
“I know you probably think I’m an asshole,” he continued, “but this is what she would have wanted. I’m sure you understand that. This is her baby, her legacy.” His voice softened a little. Maybe he did really care and just had a hard time showing it.
I did think he was an asshole, but he was right. She would have wanted the show to go on and let all her loyal clients shop while expressing sadness at the loss of such a great retailer. She would have loved all the attention. She always believed any attention was good attention. She would have wanted us to capitalize on her death for the store. She was probably up in heaven, annoyed we didn’t already have the store open, strange but true.
“So, what exactly do you want me to do, James?”
“Run the damn store.”
It amazed me that he would actually think I would work for him if he treated me like this. Did he treat the people at his law firm this way? Maybe he did. I’m sure they made a lot more money than I did, and it probably made it much more worth putting up with the verbal abuse. I didn’t have any ties to him, and as much as I liked Silk, there were some things that just weren’t worth putting up with.
“Wow, you make it sound so much fun when you put it that way,” I said with as much sarcasm as I could, hoping he would catch my point. I could hear him take a deep breath, as if to calm himself down.
“I’m sorry. I’m just a little stressed here. It’s been a rough couple of days.”
Now I was shocked. I’d never heard him apologize for anything before. He just wasn’t that kind of guy, or so I thought, as I’d only ever seen one side of him. Maybe he was turning over a new leaf, or maybe he was just happy Solange was dead. Maybe he did kill her. Oh God, I hope I wasn’t talking to a killer. The thought of that was just creepy, and I didn’t want to work for him if I had doubts. But somehow my gut told me it wasn’t him. I knew that wasn’t the most reliable of ways to form an opinion, but sometimes that was the best thing to go on. Could I work for someone who might be a murderer? Willie said he didn’t feel that James had done it, and I’m sure he would let me know if he changed his mind.
“The cops said they should be done and we can get in there tomorrow.”
“Do you think we should open back up that soon? Have you scheduled a … a funeral yet?” I hated even asking. The thought of a funeral seemed all too real, but reopening the store, like her death was no big deal, just didn’t seem right.
“Time is money,” he replied in his normal abrasive attitude. Ahhh, there was the James I knew better.
“When is the funeral?” I had to ask. Surely he wasn’t going to have one and not tell the store employees or let us go.
“I’m not sure yet. Her family is trying to control everything, typical for them, and they haven’t let me in on the details. But it should be in the next couple days.”
“You are planning on telling us, aren’t you?” I figured I had nothing to lose by asking, and as much as I didn’t like funerals I felt it was important that all of us from Silk attend and show our respects.
“Who’s us?”
“The store employees, James. We need to pay our respects.” Geez, he could come across as one of the most uncaring people.
“Oh, you guys,” he said, distracted. “Of course, Solange would want you there, even that one girl.”
“One girl?” I was confused. Who was he talking about?
“Oh, you know…the one who just got fired.”
“Amy?”
“Yeah, her.”
That was weird. I wouldn’t have thought he and Solange would talk at that level about store business, since they seemed like people who couldn’t get along over the basics.
“So, I was hoping you would take over the running of Silk, at least for right now. Solange thought very highly of you, and I know this is what she would have wanted, you in charge. I realize that you are way overqualified, and probably aren’t interested in running Silk permanently, but it would be a big help for now and be less turmoil for the store.”
Once again I found it somewhat odd they had talked about me, and that he paid me a compliment about being overqualified. Why would two people in the midst of a divorce, who never seemed to get along, talk about one of the employees of the wife’s boutique that the husband had been incessantly trying to gain control of? It didn’t make any sense.
“Well? Will you do it, run the boutique? For Solange?”
I hadn’t planned on saying no. I didn’t have a job lined up and couldn’t afford to be unemployed. And, even if I decided not to
stay, I needed time to decide next steps no matter how much I may not want to work for him. But he didn’t have to keep playing the guilt card.
“Yes James, I will run Silk. At least until things get figured out, but we need to get a few things straight.”
“What would that be? And I do appreciate your help, truly.”
There was the nice James again. He was like two people.
“You can’t call and hound me all the time, and you really need to make an effort to be nicer.” There, I actually had the nerve to say what I felt. Maybe because I didn’t have a lot to lose—just my income, that’s all.
“I understand, Presley. I just want you to keep things running like normal. There is plenty of money in the business accounts for payroll and ordering new merchandise. If there is anything you need me for, you know how to reach me. And I will try not to be my normal overbearing self.” He attempted to laugh.
“James, I really am sorry about what happened to Solange, and I know this can’t be easy.”
“Thanks, Presley,” he said, sounding very tired.
“Let me know when the funeral is, and I will keep you updated on the store.”
“Thanks. I’ll be in touch.” He hung up.
I listened to dead air, wondering what I had gotten myself into, but at least feeling comfortable he would keep me in the loop related to the funeral arrangements—and hopefully he would keep his word about not breathing down my neck about the boutique.
Chapter 6
Sometimes being an adult just wasn’t fun. I had just heard back from the other two ladies, Edie and Lily who worked with me, and I told them the news about Solange. They had already heard it on the news, and of course they were full of questions. Questions I didn’t have answers to, nor did I want to talk about it. It just felt too creepy. It still didn’t seem real that Solange was dead. It felt almost as if I were talking about someone else.
I needed to give Willie a call. He had said by the afternoon he should know if the boutique was cleared for me to go in and resume operations. Both James and I were hoping it was going to be ready so we could reopen the next day. Plus, I wanted to let him know I had talked to the employees, and they both knew they were to call him sometime today. They had all been nervous about talking to the police, but I assured them Willie was a nice guy and talking to him was more a formality than anything. Unless they were guilty, it would be painless, and since they all jokingly assured me they were innocent, there was nothing to worry about.
I was almost looking forward to reopening the boutique; I wasn’t used to not working, and it gave me too much time to think about things. Like how I was working in a boutique where the owner was killed, and why was I still working retail? I was going to have to have a new plan one of these days, but it was so hard to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Ever since I’d been fired from my corporate job doing what I thought I was meant to do forever, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I thought for a while it was working at the online magazine that got me involved with Senator Daniels’s murder in my hometown of Alkon, Illinois. But that endeavor didn’t last when, soon after the one article I wrote about the murder, the magazine went under due to lack of funding, a casualty of the economy.
I felt so bad for my friend Trevor who had started the magazine and poured his heart and soul and all his finances into it. He was now an editor at another online magazine that was staying afloat, barely. I told him I thought it odd that he would take a job that was so tenuous after going through what he did with his own magazine. But he said it was his passion and he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
I admired his ability to follow his dream and not worry about the outcome. I wasn’t that brave. That’s why I took the job at the boutique. I loved clothes and enjoyed many aspects of retail; it just wasn’t what I wanted as a career forever. I had been toying with writing the Great American Novel since I was a child. I had always liked to write and had been excited when I had the chance to write for my friend Trevor’s online magazine, as I had thought I was finally pursuing my dream. I took the job at Silk partly because I thought it would be low pressure and give me a lot of free time. No working sixty hours a week as I had in my corporate life. I would actually have real time off, where I could sit at a coffee shop or in my favorite spot on the couch and write the fiction I so loved to read. I had all these great ideas, plot lines, fun characters, but I just couldn’t seem to do anything but stare at the blank page. I had a problem getting it from my head to paper, which was a big obstacle for someone who wanted to be a writer. I looked at my watch, almost one o’clock. I wondered what Willie was up to.
“Hey there, how’s my favorite detective?” I said as Willie answered the phone.
“Exactly how many detectives do you know?”
“That’s my secret. So, any news on when we can reopen the store? I’m getting antsy. I talked to the other employees today. I told them to call you. That made them all a little nervous. I think they all want to get back to work, even though it will be somewhat weird without Solange. Not to mention that I want to get James off my back.”
“Me too. When we first talked at the station, he was not happy. He thought it was nuts we would even consider him a suspect. Now he calls several times a day to see if we’ve made any progress. I can’t figure that guy out.”
“Well, now that you aren’t after him, he is after you. So when can we get back in?”
“Wow, you are anxious to get back to work.”
“Money doesn’t just show up in my bank account, you know.”
“Don’t I know it. The crime techs pulled out this morning. Right on schedule with what I told you, I might add. You’re clear; you can go in any time.”
“Great.”
“I need to warn you before you get too excited, that the crime techs aren’t the neatest folks at the precinct. You’ll have some cleanup to do when you go in.”
“Wonderful,” I said sarcastically. “Cleaning is not an activity I enjoy. I think you should have it cleaned for me. Can’t the city pay for that?” I was only partially joking.
“Sorry. It’s not in the budget.”
“For some reason I don’t think you’re that sorry.”
“Will it help if I take you out to dinner tonight?”
“Maybe.” I was playing. I definitely wanted to go out to dinner with him, and he knew it, since I had already said yes when he mentioned it yesterday.
“Could I change your maybe to a yes, if I took you to the new sushi place that opened up last week? I heard it was good.”
“That could persuade me.” I laughed.
“Okay, pick you up at seven at the store? I assume you will be there cleaning and getting it ready for business.”
“You think I’ll still be there at seven?” It was barely after one. I sure hoped it wouldn’t take me six hours of cleaning.
“I’ll just plan on picking you up at seven.”
“You’re not going to answer me?”
He laughed. “Let’s just leave it at seven.”
“Fine, then that will be perfect.”
I got off the phone and called James to let him know what was going on. I thought if I preempted his calls with calls of my own, I would be more in control of the situation, and he wouldn’t need to call me, which meant he wouldn’t drive me as crazy.
After talking to him, I then figured I would head down to the boutique, just to see exactly what lay in store on the cleaning front. Surely, it couldn’t be that bad; we were talking eight hundred square feet of sales floor. How could it take six hours to clean?
It was only a few blocks from my condo to the boutique, and it was so nice out, I decided to walk. Every bit of exercise I could get was important, as I loved to eat and didn’t like to go to the gym. Not a great combination and one that often added pounds in places I least wanted them. Walking instead of taking a bus or taxi helped with the weight and cost less money—a win-win situation.
I walked
around the corner to Park Street and past the Barking Bakery that catered to tasty treats for your pet, and the interior design studio owned by Ruth D’franco. She had been a pretty good friend to Solange. They had known each other for years. In fact, Ruth owned her storefront and ours, which was how Solange got this prime spot. Ruth’s business and the boutique catered to the same type of clientele, so it was a good business decision. Though to be honest, many of the women who came into the boutique and shopped also were the type to have little dogs that needed treats from the bakery, so it was a really good fit. Past our boutique was an architecture firm and next to it a custom seamstress shop. Across from us was a law firm (thank goodness not the one James was partner at) that took up pretty much the entire block, and then there were some vacant buildings and a few small offices above the storefronts. A good mix of businesses and commonality in clientele on this street.