Murder Wears a Little Black Dress

by Debra Sennefelder

  “Is that so? Well, since she’s looking at me as a suspect, I have every right to clear my name. Now, is there any other reason you’re here? I do have a business to run.”

  Ralph took an exaggerated look around the empty shop. “Yes, yes, I can see how busy you are. How do you manage?” His smirk didn’t last too long, a fit of coughing overtook him and his face turned beet red as he made disgusting gagging noises.

  Kelly took a few steps back.

  “Would you like a glass of water?” she offered halfheartedly. She’d prefer he leave and never step foot in the boutique again.

  “No…I’m…good,” he said between coughs. With the coughing fit over, he shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “Look, kid, we both know this place ain’t for you. Your life isn’t here in Lucky Cove anymore, it’s back in the city. Let me pay you a fair price for this rundown building. Then you can get back to your life.”

  Fair price for who? Kelly had known Ralph her entire life, and there was no way he’d pay her a decent price for the building, because it would cut into any profit he’d receive when he sold the property.

  “Thank you for your concern about my life, but I’m good. I’m staying.”

  “Stubborn. Just like your mother and grandmother.” He took a step forward. His close proximity had her wrinkling her nose in disgust; his cologne was overpowering. His expression seemed determined. “I have friends in the city. I can get you a nice apartment. Even a break on the rent.”

  Ralph did know people in the real estate market in the city. Several of them bought weekend homes in Lucky Cove from him. The offer was tempting since she’d probably end up with a nicer place than the one she’d just moved out of, but the fact remained, the chances of her landing a job in fashion retail was zilch. A big fat zero because of Serena Dawson. She probably could get a job in public relations or editorial, but she loved buying, she loved retail.

  “Thanks but no thanks. I’m happy here.” Well, as happy as a gal could be who was saddled with a failing business and who was also a murder suspect. Happy was a relative term, she guessed.

  “Even though you’ll have to face the biggest mistake of your life every day now that you’re back in town? Ariel works just down the street. And let’s face it, it’s not like you’re close to your sister anymore.”

  Did he really just go there? Kelly’s spine stiffened, and her hands balled into fists. She wanted to believe he couldn’t be so insensitive, but he was taking a page out of his playbook. Go for the weakest link. Go for the jugular. She might have been his blood, his family, but that didn’t matter to Ralph Blake. When he looked at her, all he saw were the dollar signs he wasn’t getting his grubby hands on. Her stomach rolled. Disgust and anger and sadness washed over her, leaving her nauseous. And his cologne wasn’t helping her stomach.

  If she took him up on his offer, she’d be running away…again. Maybe everyone was right about her when she left for college and stayed in the city. Putting that distance between her and the past meant she didn’t have to continually face the consequences of her actions. Maybe that was also a reason why Granny left her the shop. To own it meant she’d have to stay in Lucky Cove, and that would force her to face the past and deal with it.

  “You can leave now.” She breezed past him and stopped at a circular rack of blouses. She wanted to tell him off, to use words Pepper would disapprove of, but Ralph wasn’t worth the effort. She’d only be sinking down to his level. As much as staying in town and dealing with the past scared the daylights out of her, she wasn’t about to give Ralph the satisfaction of knowing she believed she couldn’t cut it as a business owner or as an adult willing to own up to past mistakes.

  Ralph swung around. His cheeks puffed out, and his eyes bulged. “You’re making a big mistake, missy.”

  “Honoring Granny’s wishes isn’t a mistake.” So there!

  The bell over the front door chimed, and a woman entered the boutique.

  “Looks like customers are coming back.” Kelly gave a cocky smile. “If you’ll excuse me.” She strutted over to the nicely dressed woman in a taupe-colored leather jacket. The woman’s head was covered in a knit cap, and she held a sleek satchel in one hand. Kelly hoped the woman also had clothing to consign. “Welcome. Is there something in particular you’re looking for?” She tossed a glance over her shoulder to Ralph.

  The woman smiled. “Are you Kelly Quinn?”

  Kelly nodded. “Yes, how can I help you today?”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” The woman reached into her satchel and pulled out a folded document and handed it to Kelly. “You’ve been served. Have a nice day.” The woman spun around and dashed out of the store before Kelly could utter a word.

  “What?” Kelly began to follow the woman as she unfolded the document and scanned its contents. She stopped in her tracks. Her jaw dropped as she read. “I don’t believe this.”

  “Where’s your customer going?” Ralph approached his niece. “What do you have there? Legal documents?”

  Kelly pressed the document to her chest. “None of your business! Weren’t you leaving?”

  Ralph grinned. “You just let me know when you’re ready to do the sensible thing, and your uncle Ralphie will be happy to help you.” He gave a curt nod and left the boutique.

  Pepper wasted no time in rushing to Kelly’s side. “I got the feeling that old blowhard would never leave. What have you got there?”

  “I’m being sued.”

  “By who?”

  “Dorothy Mueller.”

  “Whatever for? She’s such a sweet old lady.” Pepper snatched the document out of Kelly’s hand. “Emotional distress? One hundred thousand dollars? Good lord!”

  “She’s claiming the chair she bought here is haunted. She can’t be serious. This has to be some kind of Halloween prank. Some sick Halloween prank.”

  “This is getting completely out of hand, Kelly.” Pepper drifted back to the sales counter and laid the document down. “Her lawyer is Mark Lambert. I don’t know him.”

  “Huh?” Kelly looked around the shop before her gaze landed on Pepper. “I don’t have one hundred thousand dollars. This could wipe me out. I could lose the business.”

  “You need a lawyer. How about Sam?” Pepper suggested.

  “He handled the will. I don’t know if he can handle this lawsuit. I can’t afford to pay a lawyer.”

  “You can’t afford not to have a lawyer. Don’t worry, honey, Earl and I will help you. We’re not going to let crazy old Dorothy Mueller take away your granny’s business.”

  “Thanks.” Kelly walked to the counter. “I can’t put it off any longer. I have to go see Caroline.” It wasn’t how she wanted to repair her fractured relationship with her estranged sister, but she needed legal advice—civil and criminal. “Can you hold down the fort?”

  Pepper reached over the counter and covered Kelly’s hand with hers and squeezed. “You go do what you need to do. I’ve got this.” Her encouraging smile fortified Kelly, and she was grateful.

  * * * *

  Kelly pushed open the door and entered the reception area of the law practice. Set off of the main road in East Hampton, Gilbert and Reese Attorneys at Law were housed in a tidy, white Cape Cod home with a capable-looking receptionist in the midst of ending a phone call. While the woman wrapped up the call, Kelly browsed the small waiting area.

  A comfortable sofa with two armchairs anchoring the seating area, a coffee table covered with a variety of magazines, and several potted plants scattered throughout the space. It appeared Caroline had landed in a good practice. Something she’d always dreamed about and worked hard for.

  “How may I help you?” the woman asked from behind her desk.

  Kelly approached the desk. “I’m here to see Caroline Quinn.”

  “Do you have an appointment?” The dark-haired-with-gray-roots woman li
fted the reading glasses from the chain dangling around her neck to check the calendar on her desk.

  “No, I don’t.”

  The receptionist frowned as she lowered her glasses. The whole trend of wearing reading glasses as a fashion accessory boosted sales of those glasses and boosted the egos of many “of a certain age” women because they clutched on to the belief they were rocking the “sexy librarian vibe.” Unfortunately, not every woman could pull off the “sexy librarian look,” and Kelly was staring at one of those women.

  “I’m her sister, Kelly. It’s important I speak with her.” She’d considered calling but worried Caroline would put her through to voice mail. No, the conversation they needed to have was better in person.

  “Her sister? Well, then let me tell her you’re here. It’ll be a moment.” The receptionist stood and scampered into the back of the house, her stiletto heels tapping on the hardwood floor. A few moments later she reappeared and led Kelly to her sister’s office.

  “I wasn’t expecting to see you.” Caroline lifted her head from the laptop computer open on her desk.

  “I wasn’t expecting to be here.” Kelly stepped farther into the office as the receptionist exited and pulled the door shut, leaving the sisters alone. “Thank you for seeing me.”

  “Luann said it’s important. What’s wrong now?” It was hard to tell if Caroline ever gave her resting bitch face some down time.

  “I need a referral for an attorney. Maybe two or three, actually.”

  “Two or three? Wow, this is going to be good. Have a seat and tell me what’s going on.” Caroline pushed her chair back and reclined. She and Kelly were the same height and had the same eyes and hair color, though Caroline’s blond hair was cropped short, giving her a more severe look. She rested her elbows on the arms of the chair and clasped her hands together. The tie detail on the sleeves of her green cashmere sweater hinted at the playful, girly side of Caroline she preferred to keep repressed. But, Kelly knew better than anybody fashion had a way of telling people who you were even if you didn’t realize it. Caroline’s style vibe was Ann Taylor with a touch of Lily Pulitzer. The golden tassel earrings she wore were all Lily.

  “Well, it started with a psychic.”

  Caroline arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Sounds like the start of a bad joke.”

  “Trust me. It’s no bad joke.” Kelly gave her sister all the gory details in a condensed version of Bernadette’s vision and Maxine’s murder. “The police detective has said I have a motive for the murder. She also told Bernadette she has a motive. We’re both suspects.”

  “You both need a criminal defense lawyer. I do know a few I can refer both of you to. Just be sure you don’t use the same lawyer, for your own protection,” Caroline said.

  Their relationship was rocky, but Caroline’s legal advice was solid. She’d graduated at the top of her class and had several offers when she left law school. Kelly was in good hands, at least from a legal standpoint.

  “I understand,” Kelly said.

  “Where does a third lawyer come in?”

  “I need one to defend me in a civil case.” Kelly dug into her suede tote bag for the document she was served with earlier that morning and handed it to Caroline.

  Caroline pored over the documents then lifted her gaze to Kelly. “You sold her a haunted chair?”

  “I sold her a chair. It’s not haunted.”

  “What makes her think it’s haunted?”

  “She was in the boutique when a medium, Valeria Leigh, showed up and held a séance and said that another chair in the shop was haunted.”

  “What on earth is going on at Granny’s consignment shop?” Caroline tossed the document on her desk.

  “Well, it’s my consignment shop now, and I have no idea why every ghost whisperer on Long Island has decided to conjure up spirits there. And that stupid website, Lulu Loves Long Island, isn’t helping me. Neither is Frankie. I found him at the séance.”

  Caroline cracked a rare smile. “He does love all the hocus pocus stuff. He lives for this time of the year.”

  “Tell me about it. Caroline, I can’t afford to defend myself against Dorothy’s insane lawsuit plus hire a criminal defense lawyer.”

  “I get it. Although I don’t advise it, you could hold off retaining counsel in the matter of the police investigation. Have you given a statement?”

  “I did.”

  “Okay. Have there been any follow-up interviews?”

  “Just one. I have nothing to hide. I didn’t kill Maxine.”

  “If the police want to question you again regarding this matter, don’t say anything. Call me first. While I’m not a criminal defense lawyer, I know when a client should keep her mouth shut. Then I can get you a lawyer. As for this civil case, you really don’t have the luxury of not hiring an attorney. Or, you can settle. Even then, I strongly suggest having counsel.”

  Any hope Kelly had of not having to spend more money vanished. Poof. Just like that. “I can’t believe any jury would award her any money. It’s such a crazy claim.”

  “I agree.”

  “But I still have to hire a lawyer?”

  “You do. I make it a policy not to represent family. I’ll call a friend of mine and see if he’ll take the case. I’ll ask him to try and discount his services.”

  Kelly breathed a deep sigh of relief. It was something, at least. “I’d appreciate it. I guess I should let you get back to work. Thank you.” She stood and took back the legal document.

  Caroline walked her to the door, and they stood there looking at each other. Emotion caught in Kelly’s throat, remembering the last time they stood side by side. Granny’s funeral. There was the obligatory hug and murmured words of sorrow, but there was a deep divide between them.

  Caroline pressed her lips together as her head tilted slightly. “It’s going to take some time.”

  Kelly knew her sister wasn’t talking about any legal problems. “I know.”

  “I’m willing to try.”

  “That’s all we can do, right? Thanks.” Kelly pulled opened the door and left the law offices, confident she’d be well-represented and, with a small glimmer of hope, that somehow she and Caroline could rebuild their relationship.

  Chapter 16

  Kelly ramped up the windshield wipers’ speed. She had heard the prediction for rain but had ignored it. Big mistake. The drops were coming down harder and faster. She’d left the boutique at the spur of the moment to visit Caroline and hadn’t grabbed an umbrella; though, by the size of the tote she lugged around there, should’ve been one in there already. She flicked on the right turn signal and slowed to take the corner.

  By some miracle, she still had the car keys. Pepper hadn’t rescinded her generous offer to let Kelly drive her SUV. Though, Kelly was certain a conversation about the cost of the new tires was imminent, which meant she might be losing the keys soon if she couldn’t pay for the new tires. Pepper had offered to help her pay for a lawyer, or two, but she couldn’t accept money from her granny’s best friend. She was an adult, after all.

  An adult whose life had been thrown into utter chaos since her firing at Bishop’s. When she returned home to her one-bedroom apartment with her entire career stuffed into a cardboard box, there wasn’t anyone there to greet her. No one to pull her into a reassuring hug or make her a cup of tea. Though, she did pass by the building superintendent sweeping the sidewalk and got a curt nod from him. She’d managed to go through boyfriend after boyfriend, citing she liked her independence, but now, looking back, she wondered if she was too discerning. Too picky.

  Wasn’t hindsight a lovely tool? She could look back and see the errors of her ways.

  At least now she had Howard to come home to.

  Great. She’d gone from a fashionable single career woman to a cat lady in a matter of months.

  In
the distance, flashing strobe lights from a police car caught her attention and dragged her thoughts from her midtwenties life crisis to up ahead on the road. She slowed down. A police car was parked in front of Ariel’s house. Panic stirred inside Kelly as her grip on the steering wheel tightened. What had happened now?

  Up ahead of the police car she found a space and parked her vehicle. Not willing to risk her suede tote to the weather, she left the bag on the passenger seat and removed the car key from the ignition. She made her way around her vehicle and hurried to the front door of Ariel’s house. As she approached, she caught a glimpse of the officer, and it wasn’t Gabe. Not that she didn’t want to see him, but she’d seen him at every crime scene she’d been at in Lucky Cove. It was time for someone new.

  The officer stood inside the open front door talking with Ariel, who looked more stressed than the last time Kelly had seen her. Then again, there was good food and a bottle of wine involved the other night. Ariel’s chocolate-brown corduroy jacket was unbuttoned, but her Burberry scarf was tied tightly around her neck. Her cell phone, which dinged with a notification, sat on her lap.

  Ariel glanced down at her phone. “My dad is on his way.”

  “Hey, what’s going on?” Kelly swooped in and gave Ariel a big hug. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good considering someone broke into my house.”

  Kelly pulled herself up. “What? Were you home when it happened?” Visions of a home invasion froze Kelly in place.

  “Fortunately, Miss Barnes wasn’t home at the time of the incident,” the officer said.

  Kelly turned in his direction. About as young as Gabe, though his hair color was several shades darker than Gabe’s beachy blond, he had the same kind eyes and solid build. The bonus dealing with the new officer was he didn’t know who Kelly was or her long, recent list of run-ins with the law.

  “You’re Kelly Quinn, right?” he asked.

  So much for being anonymous. “I am.” She turned back to Ariel. “Was anything stolen?”