by Tonya Kappes
“That’s why I called you.” I told her the entire story, including how the Divas thought I was crazy.
She laughed the entire time.
“It’s funny now, but if you hadn’t found it, then we would’ve had a problem.” She said.
Marlene was right after all. She was growing on me, leopard print and all.
“After all, we Divas take up for each other, right?” She questioned.
I smiled. Marlene was a Diva whether we wanted to accept her or not. She was going to fit in just fine.
“That’s right.” I hugged my new friend. “How can I make it up to you?”
“I wouldn’t mind having a part-time job.” She said. “Agnes just doesn’t have enough for me to do. And you need to get my Spinet wrapped and finished.”
“Fine.” I said, giving in.
I’m not sure what I’ll have her do, but I do owe her.
“Oh, and I wouldn’t mind a date with Doug Sloan.” Slowly a smile crept across her face. “You’ll need to clear that with Ginger for me.”
“Let’s do one thing at a time.” I patted her leg, and waited for my Willow to come out of surgery.
Yes, my relationship with Marlene Dietrich was going to be one thing at a time.
Excerpt
Strung Out To Die
Chapter One
“She is going to be the death of me,” I grumbled, wondering why Marlene had left the empty bead boxes stacked up next to the front door.
The front door rattled the thin shop walls as I slammed the door shut with my foot, sending empty boxes tumbling to the floor. At least I thought they were empty until I heard glass beads trickling on the hardwood. Frantically, I pushed them out of the way and walked on my knees to stop the sparkly gems from rolling under the shelving unit that my stupid ex-husband had put up. Sean had had a brilliant idea—or so he thought that if he screwed the shelves up on the wall, it would make an excellent display, leaving a two-inch gap at the bottom.
Idiot.
I think he did it on purpose. He knows I hate to clean, especially under the beds, couches or anything that has an under. These shelves are hung with just enough space for the dust bunnies and loose beads to find a home.
“Ugh.”
The under.
With my butt stuck up in the air, which was not particularly my best attribute, I squeezed my eyes and shoved my hand into the depths of the unknown. I’m not very fond of putting my hand in the under, much less a dark under.
Head on the floor, peeked into the dark abyss. I couldn’t see a thing.
I stood up and adjusted my waist band. Yes, since my divorce from dumb ass, I’ve gained a few extra pounds eating one too many pieces of Agnes Pearl’s homemade fudge. The spry eighty-five wealthy widow pays Marlene in room, board, and fudge to take care of her. Because Marlene likes to stay the same size six and brings the delightful chocolaty treats to me and the other divorced divas.
I glanced around again looking at the unswept floor and all the bead boards lying on the table still had wire clippings and crimp beads that needed to go in the trash. Obviously she didn’t get to any of the closing duties, which surprised me since I saw her in the parking lot of The Livin’ End when I was leaving.
After work last night, I went to grab a quick drink at the bar with my best friend Ginger Sloan Rush. I left Marlene to finish up the night chores, which included checking off the new inventory, cleaning the bead boards, and taking out the trash. She hadn’t said a word about not finishing her work at the shop, just eager to get into the bar.
There wasn’t anything worse than coming in on a Saturday morning, The Beaded Dragonfly’s busiest day, to a room full of unopened boxes with a few stray beads left in them when I hadn’t had my second cup of coffee.
I pay Marlene to do those things. It might be minimum wage, but at least it was better than nothing. Plus she gets to design and make all the jewelry she wants—for free. Which was exactly what she wanted when she first stepped high-heeled into The Beaded Dragonfly.
I rummaged through the desk drawer to see if a flashlight might be in there so I could track down the runaway beads.
I was sidetracked when someone tapped on the door. I looked at the clock. I had at least thirty minutes until the shopped open and I needed all thirty to get at least some of the out-of-stock items filled up. This was the first time I’d have to trust that Beautiful Beads Wholesale sent everything I ordered.
There stood Noah Druck with his hand on his holster like he was ready for a gun slinging right there on the very steps of my bead shop.
The beads lost to the under were going to have to wait.
Noah folded his massive arms across his chest as he waited for me to unlock the door. Lines creased between his brows as he narrowed them.
If he wasn’t such a cop, I might be interested. He’d come around a time or two to the cottage to make sure no one was bothering me and both occasions we had a friendly beer and a little banter. But nothing came of it.
His compelling blue eyes, firm features, and confident shoulders told me he was here on more than just a friendly basis.
“Morning, Holly.” Noah took his hat off, leaving a ring around his dark hair.
I felt the urge to ruffle it up a bit like I do my carpet when something sits in one spot for too long, like my laundry basket, but resisted.
“Well what brings you over to The Beaded Dragonfly this morning? A glass bead bracelet to go with your blues?” I wanted to lighten the tension I found forming around his eyes.
He leaned his body weight to each side and moved his hand back down to rest on his gun. There it was. The flashlight I needed, neatly attached to his holster. I felt my eyes light up like a starry night.
“Can I come in?”
Without waiting for an answer he pushed himself into the shop. I backed up to oblige, keeping my eye on the prize.
I reached out in hopes I could just borrow the flashlight for just a couple minutes, only for him to smack my hand away.
“What are you doing?” His eyes narrowed speculatively. “Just because I’ve known you all my life, doesn’t give you the right to grab things from me while I’m on duty.”
I pulled back remembering he was right. He was never too far behind Sean when we were in high school. It was like I was the third wheel. Once we got married, Sean and Noah had a falling out, leaving just the two of us in the marriage.
“I need a flashlight for a second.” I pointed to it.
With a finger flick, he had it out of the holster, flipped it in the air, and handed it to me.
“All you have to do is ask, and maybe bat a couple eyelashes.”
I did my best batting and took it.
“Where’s Marlene?” His posture straightened up and his neck craned to see in the back of the shop.
“Don’t get me started on her. Hold onto this for a second.” I gave him the flashlight back.
I’d forgotten about the boxes I needed to get out of the way before any customers came in. The under was going to have to wait some more. I stacked a couple boxes on top of each other.
“I really need to talk to her.” He put the flashlight on one of the bead tables. “Let me help you with those.”
“No. I got it.” There was no way I was going to let him see the messy storage room. “What do you want to talk to her about?”
A twinge of jealousy found a pit in my stomach. Men were always falling all over Marlene. He definitely didn’t fit her requirements, rich. Rich. Rich.
“Doug Sloan didn’t make it home last night from The Livin’ End.” He stacked another box on top of the ones already in my arms, making it a little heavy since it was filled with beads. “And as a favor to the Sloans, I said I’d look into it.”
I peered around the armful of cardboard and laughed.
It wasn’t unusual for Doug to flaunt the Sloan name around and watch women lay down at his feet. He’d probably hooked up with a young floozy who knew better than to let him go home last night. Mar
lene would be crushed—she’d been trying to get her claws into Mr. Moneybags for months.
Doug was my best friend’s, Ginger, younger brother. The Sloan’s owned almost everything in Swanee, including the cottage I was living in. They owned the hardware store, the bank, and the grocery store.
The only things they didn’t own were small businesses like The Beaded Dragonfly and Sean’s carpentry business, aptly named Sean’s Little Shack. I never said he was smart. Good in bed.
“You know Doug, he probably went home with some girl.” I hollered over my shoulder on my way back to the storage room. “That will break Marlene’s…”
Something on the floor caused me lose my footing. I teetered and tottered, trying to steady the boxes, but it was too late. The boxes tumbled to the floor, the beads bounced all over and into the under. Willow darted out like a vacuum, snorting up what she could.
“Damn.” Disappointed I turned back toward the storage room door to see what the hell Marlene had left out. I let out a blood curdling scream. “Oh my, God!”
She left out Doug Sloan.
“What?” Noah ran back as fast as he could. He drew his gun. “Step back, Holly. And take this pig with you.”
I tried to wrangle the bead eating pet, but she continued to squeal and run the other way when I’d reach for her.
“Holly, please.” Noah looked back and begged as Willow took something near Doug’s head and ran off. “Get that out of her mouth!”
“Here, Willow.” I called for her.
She ran in circles around the table, making me lose my footing again and I fell on my butt.
“Ouch!” I screamed.
Some beads that were on the floor embedded in the palm of my hand where I tried to catch my fall.
“Get her!” Noah was still trying to protect Doug—and the crime scene—from Willow’s interference.
Willow squealed her way towards him. Her tail was twirling around like one of those hats with the propeller on top.
“Pull her tail! She’ll spit it out!” I screamed reaching out.
Immediately I jumped up and ran over to try to get whatever it was out of her snout. The last thing I wanted her eating was any part of Doug Sloan.
“Pull her tail?” Noah’s eyes had a fear in them I’ve never seen.
“You aren’t scared of some pig, are you?” I pulled Willow’s tail and out popped a few of the black and white swirl cat eye beads.
Shew wee! I was never so happy to see cat eye beads. I was sure she had a body part.
“No. I’m scared because Doug Sloan is dead.” Noah picked up the beads before Willow could suck them up again and held them out in the palm of his hand. “And the weapon looks like it was a string of these. Willow’s eating my evidence.”
Strung Out To Die
A Divorced Diva Mystery
Available Spring 2012
About The Author
Tonya Kappes is an Amazon Mover and Shaker bestselling author in the United States and United Kingdom. She writes about quirky characters in quirky situations.
Anthologies where you can find Tonya Kappes short stories:
Something Spooky This Way Comes, Masked Souls short story
Believe, Another Quirky Christmas short story prequel to Carpe Bead 'em
Madness Under The Mistletoe, A Superstitious Christmas short story prequel to Never Tell Your Dreams Before Breakfast
She is co-founder of The Writer's Guide to E Publishing (thewritersguidetoepublishing.com) and part of the elite blog team at The Women’s Literary Café (www.womensliterarycafe) that gives back to readers and writers.
When she's not writing, she's busy being the princess, queen and jester of her domain which includes her BFF husband, her three teenage boys and two dogs.
Click on the titles below to read more books by Tonya Kappes
Carpe Bead’em
Splitsville.com
The Ladybug Jinx
Happy New Life
Madness Under the Mistletoe
A Superstitious Christmas