by Donna Doyle
Once they had gotten onto the main road, Molly watched the drenched scenery go by. She smiled at a little boy in a bright yellow rain slicker, gleefully sailing toy boats in the puddle that used to be his front yard. “Don’t you think Renee’s behavior is strange?”
Dora slowed down at an intersection and waved for another car to go ahead of her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, she’s just not very supportive.” Molly crossed her arms in front of her chest and realized that she was a little offended by Renee’s behavior even though it technically had nothing to do with her.
“She’s has come along to everything,” Dora pointed out. “She was at the cake tasting, all the dress fittings, and she even gave her opinion about the invitations.”
“Her opinion was that Michelle should just send an email to everyone,” Molly replied. “She’s there physically but it’s her heart I’m referring to. I don’t know, she seems to have a problem with the whole idea of her friend getting married. She always has something to say about the cost or about how she would never want to get married herself. It’s like she’s trying to convince us that she would never be the one to walk down the aisle, and I worry that she’s going to rain on Michelle’s parade even more than the actual rain.” Weddings could be tense times, and brides needed to have the full support of all their loved ones.
“I can see your point. Whoa!” The little Kia hydroplaned slightly as they headed through a puddle that was much deeper than it looked. “But I think Renee is just jealous. She’s made it very clear that her work means more to her than anything, and she probably has a bit of a grudge against Michelle for bailing out of single life and finally getting married.”
“You think so?” Back in Molly’s day, it was the normal thing for young women to get married. Plenty of them even quit their jobs after the wedding, so they could take care of the house and raise children. She knew that things had changed, but it still seemed strange to her that anybody would be mad at their friend’s happiness.
“I do. I knew a girl in college who was like that. She got crazy mad at her best friend for getting married, even though it was what she truly wanted to do. When it came down to it, she was just angry that she didn’t have anyone trying to get her to put a ring on her finger.” Dora smiled. “And I guess I get it.”
“Are you jealous of Michelle, too?” Molly teased.
“No, but we’re all raised with the idea that our wedding day is the biggest moment of our lives. Every little girl dreams of it, even once she’s grown up and she knows there’s more to life than a knight in shining armor.”
“You always surprise me,” Molly Gertrude said. “You’re young, but you’re smart as a whip. Maybe your talent is wasted and you should be working for NASA or something.”
“I’m not that kind of smart, Miss Molly,” Dora argued as she swerved around a storm drain that was spewing water out onto the road. “Besides, I’d much rather be calling a bed and breakfast than radioing Houston.”
“How did you think of that, anyway? It was absolutely brilliant!” Molly was pleased all over again that the affair would be held at the Old Rose.
“Thank you, but it was simple, really. I just started thinking of pretty places in town, the sort of places that might be on the historical register or that have a particularly romantic feel about them. I knew we could probably get the community center or borrow someone’s barn, but I’ve always thought the Old Rose was just one of the nicest places in Calmhaven. I didn’t think it was big enough, but Stephanie said they just finished remodeling the sunroom that runs all along the back of the house. I admit I haven’t seen it yet, but if it’s anything like the rest of the house it’ll be quite lovely.”
Molly was intrigued. There were only so many wedding venues available in their small town, and having a new place to offer on the list would be a very good thing. The fact that it was a bed and breakfast made it even better, since the bride and groom could stay the night before taking off on their honeymoon. “Do you think Stephanie would mind if we went by for a quick look?”
Dora grinned. “I swear you read my mind sometimes, Miss Molly! She did say the rain was making things slow. It’s not too far, and the worst thing she could do is tell us no.”
“Well, let’s go, dear girl!”
Laughing like they were on a grand adventure, the two women headed for the other side of town.
Once they had spent some time at the bed and breakfast and told Stephanie how much they thoroughly approved of the new renovations, Dora and Molly pulled up outside the agency right behind the handyman. “Sorry it took me a day to get here,” he said as they all trotted up under the porch and Dora worked on unlocking the door. “I’ve been getting calls for leaks all over Calmhaven.”
“That’s all right. I’ve been able to keep it contained, mostly.”
They made their way inside, and Aaron ran a hand through his sandy-blonde hair to keep it from dripping. “What’s our situation?”
“The leak is right there,” Molly said, pointing. “I think it’s picking up, and another one started in the bathroom ceiling.”
Aaron Taylor was a local jack-of-all-trades. Molly liked using his services because he always showed up as soon as he possibly could, even if it was a weekend. “Okay, I’ll get my ladder out and see what I can do.”
About twenty minutes later, Aaron found Molly at her desk. He swiped at the raindrops dripping down the back of his neck. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”
“Just pile it on me all at once. The good Lord won’t give me more than I can handle,” she said with a smile.
“Okay. The leaks are fairly small, and I think I can repair them easily. The bad part is that I have to wait until this rain quits. If I open up your roof right now, then I’m just going to flood everything else. For the moment, though, I can put some tarps down over the bad parts and keep it from getting any worse.”
“That’ll just have to be good enough, then. Dora will write you a check when you’re done.” Molly turned back to her work, just happy that they didn’t have to replace the entire roof.
4
Ruined!
Molly had Wednesday off, but she was having a hard time enjoying it. The rain continued to flood down the windowpanes, and it would have been the perfect day to dive into a novel by one of her favorite mystery authors. Molly Gertrude had quite a few bookshelves in her home, and they were each groaning with volumes by Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Mary Higgins Clark along with numerous other classics. She even enjoyed reading the ones she had read before. Knowing who the killer was didn’t detract from the story when she could still go back and pick up on the subtle clues she hadn’t noticed the first time around.
Even Misty was only interested in laying around and napping, but Molly felt restless. She got up and cleaned the kitchen, attempted to write a letter to her sister in Pennsylvania, and even tried taking a nap, but nothing seemed quite right.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me today, Misty,” she said when she sat down in her favorite reading chair, giving up. The cat had immediately leaped onto her lap and stared at her with intense green eyes. “I usually enjoy my days off. It’s a wonderful time to catch up on my personal prayers, but of course the weather is too nasty to go anywhere. That normally wouldn’t stop me from at least finding a way to keep myself occupied. Whatever is the matter?”
Misty gave a tiny meow and began purring, kneading her paws into Molly Gertrude’s thighs as she looked for the comfiest spot on her lap.
“Some help you are,” Molly teased, smiling.
She had found the little cat right outside the door of the Cozy Bridal Agency many years before. Molly Gertrude hadn’t planned to get a cat, but she couldn’t resist the little ball of fluff. They had quickly become fast friends, and Misty was always either at the office or at home with Molly. She scratched the cat behind the ears and was rewarded with a slightly louder purr.
“But there�
�s no point in wasting a day off, no matter how dreary it is. Maybe I can convince my mind to focus on a few paragraphs, at least.” She picked up her leather-bound copy of Murder on the Orient Express, flipped to the right page, and plucked out the bookmark she had cross-stitched.
She was just getting into the story when the phone rang, startling her. She flailed her arms and sent the book crashing to the floor. Misty, perturbed, launched off her lap and went flying to the other side of the house. Molly’s old rotary phone, sat proudly on the small corner table, was fit for a museum. She did not like cell phones one bit. New fangled gadgets, Molly called them. She picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
“Molly, it’s Gloria.”
“Oh, hello dear. I didn’t expect to hear from you.” There were several more brides that had contracted Molly and were also getting their dresses from Gloria, but they didn’t have any fittings scheduled for that week. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m not sure if you can do anything at all,” Gloria admitted in a bitter tone. “I just stepped into my back room to look for a certain style of shoes that someone wanted, and I noticed that Michelle’s wedding dress has been ruined!”
“What?” Molly couldn’t quite understand what she was hearing. “How?”
“I don’t know! My best guess is that someone must have snuck in here during the night and completely trashed it.”
Molly’s heart fell into the pit of her stomach. “What about the rest of your inventory?”
“Unharmed, as far as I can tell. But I’ll have to stay late tonight to take stock and make sure nothing was stolen.”
Molly nodded even though the woman on the other end of the line couldn’t see her. “But why was the dress even there? Didn’t Michelle take it home after the fitting yesterday?”
“She didn’t want to risk getting it wet, and I told her I could drop it off at the bed and breakfast the day of the wedding. I mean, she spent plenty of money with me on that dress, and I figured a little trip across town was no big deal.”
“Have you contacted Michelle yet?” Molly’s heart had come leaping back up, but now it surged in her throat. As long as the brides went to their fittings and made the appropriate arrangements, there were never any disasters when it came to dresses purchased from Gloria’s. The woman was meticulous, and she had even made some of the dresses herself when a bride couldn’t find one off the rack that suited her tastes. There was a reason Molly highly recommended her to everyone she met. For this to have happened was entirely unexpected.
“No,” Gloria admitted. “I’m afraid to, but I know I have to. This is going to be awful.”
“It’ll be all right, dear, just stay calm. Have you contacted the police?”
“Yes. They said they’ll be over here as soon as they can, but I don’t think it’s very high on their list of priorities. Apparently there are some homes that have flooded down by the creek, and they’re working on evacuating everyone in that area.”
“Oh my! It’s certainly an adventurous day. Do you want to call Michelle, or do you want me to do it?” Molly had broken bad news to brides before, although it had never quite been like this.
“I’ll do it.”
“Okay. And I’ll be on my way to your shop in just a few minutes. I’m sure Michelle will want to come and see the damage, so I’d better be there as well.”
“Thank you. I just hope I can stay as calm as you sound.”
When Molly got off the phone with Gloria, she immediately called Dora and explained the situation.
“I’m on my way,” Dora promised.
5
A Dress Disaster
When Molly and Dora pulled up outside Gloria’s Gowns, several cars were already there. Molly Gertrude noted that the police hadn’t arrived yet, and she said a silent prayer for those who were suffering damage to their homes. It wasn’t likely that anybody had been injured, but she knew it still had to be tough for them.
Several jackets hung dripping from the coat rack just inside Gloria’s door, and Molly added hers alongside them before rushing to the wedding dress section.
“We’re back here,” Gloria called from a nondescript door at the very back. “I didn’t want to bring it out into the shop proper,” she explained with a shrug.
Molly stepped into the stock room. Everything was as she would have expected it to be. Several dresses hung on a rolling rack off to the left, probably waiting on alterations. Next to that stood a tall metal shelving unit stacked with shoe boxes. There was a desk and a computer on one wall. But the most important item was on the far right.
Gloria had hung the dress from a different rack. The dress bag that had encased the massive skirt and the beautiful bodice had been ripped from the dress and now lay in a heap on the floor. The dress itself had been completely mutilated. The bodice looked as though it had been cut right down the middle, and shreds of tulle hung down in tatters. The entire garment was oddly colored, covered with splashes of paint. What kind of wicked person would desecrate such a beautiful dress and then heartlessly rip it to pieces?
“Oh.” That was all Molly could get out at first.
“I know.” Michelle was sitting in a nearby chair, and Gloria had given her a cold bottle of water. Tears streaked down her face. “I was at home last night doing a pore mask to get my skin nice for the wedding, and all I could think about was how gorgeous that dress was. I think this must be sign that the wedding is doomed!” She wailed.
Dora placed her hand gently on Michelle’s shoulder while Molly slowly circled around the dress. “Is this where it was hanging all night? Or was it with the other ones?”
“I kept it separate so it would be easy to grab on Saturday,” Gloria explained. She twisted her fingers in front of her. “Now I wish I would have left it with the others. Then maybe they would have trashed one that was easier to replace.”
Molly pursed her lips and gestured with her head for Gloria to follow her back into the main part of the store. “I don’t suppose you have another dress just like that hanging out around here somewhere?” She whispered once they were away from the others, “Something we can spruce up a bit so it’s just as special?”
Gloria cast a nervous glance toward the stock room. “Not a chance. That dress was unique. I already checked with the company to see if they could overnight another one. It didn’t sound good, but they said they would double-check. I’m still hopeful, but I don’t want to say I can do it until I absolutely know for sure. Actually, I don’t think I’d even want to say until the dress is in my hands. You know how things can go with delivery services. Besides that, I did a lot of my own decorative work on the dress myself.”
Molly nodded. “I completely understand. We’ll have to figure something else out.”
“I know, but I’m not sure it will be easy to convince Michelle. She had her heart set on that dress. You saw how she teared up when she came in for her final fitting. She’s even talking about calling the whole thing off!”
The front door of the store opened and admitted a tall man with wide shoulders and short red hair. Brian Jones came rushing toward them. “Where’s Michelle?”
“Right back here.” Gloria led the way, and the three of them rejoined the group in the back.
“Oh, honey! I’m so sorry! What happened?” Brian seemed unable to make up his mind whether he should be consoling his fiancée, examining the dress, or questioning the shop owner. He spun in a dizzy circle before finally putting his arm around Michelle.
“We don’t really know,” Gloria admitted. “Sheriff Barnes should be here soon.”
The groom frowned at the shredded fabric that was left of the dress. “I don’t understand, but it’ll be okay. You can pick out a new dress, and I’m sure we can have it altered, right?” He looked hopefully at Gloria.
“Yes,” she said, glancing hesitantly at Michelle. “I’m sure we could arrange something.”
“But I don’t want a different dress. That’s not how this works. Don’t yo
u care about this wedding?” Michelle turned tear-stained eyes to her fiancé.
“Of course, I do.” Brian looked downright fearful. “I’m just trying to help.”
“What? By acting like the dress isn’t important? You have no idea what it’s like for a woman to get married. I tried on hundreds of gowns, and that was the only one I really wanted. This isn’t just some random piece of fabric or something that can be replaced at a department store.” Michelle threw her hands in the air in disgust. Michelle’s angry response came as a surprise to everyone.
“I never said it was,” Brian said defensively, calming his bride-to-be.
“All right, folks. Let’s all just calm down.” An authoritative voice came from the doorway, and they all turned to find Sheriff JJ Barnes standing there with his thumbs tucked into his belt. Deputy Digby was at his heels, looking eager. In all the commotion, they hadn’t heard them come in. “Why don’t you give me a quick rundown of just what’s going on here.”
Digby glanced at Dora and tipped his hat. She blushed.
Gloria did her best to get through the story quickly. “As far as I can tell, nothing was stolen.”
Barnes nodded and scowled at Gloria. With everything else piled on his desk, plus the panic over the floods, a messy dress was not his idea of priority crime. Moreover, Miss Molly Montague Grey was somehow involved in all of this, and JJ knew exactly what that would mean. More troublesome interfering snoopery!
“First, we need to figure out how the intruder got in here.” Barnes said, strutting impatiently around the store with a frown on his face. “Digby, you should check all the doors for any signs of breaking and entering.”
“Yes, sir.” With another quick glance at Dora, the younger man darted off to investigate the rest of the premises.
“I think I can answer that, actually.” Gloria pointed to a window in the stock room that was open a crack. “The window wasn’t locked.”