All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt (6 page)

“You can sit with me,” the male voice sounded from behind me and to my right.

Chapter 9

I turned around to see Detective Dylan Valentine sitting by himself at a booth in the corner by the window.

“No need for you to wait for a table when I have all this room.” He gestured to the seat across from him. “I just got here and haven't even ordered.”

I was hoping that my cheeks hadn't turned red. I hadn't expected to have breakfast with Dylan.

Out of habit, Dixie grabbed a menu. “You'd better sit there or there's no telling how long you'll have to wait.” Dixie placed the menu on the table and poured us each a cup of steaming coffee. “I'll be back in a bit to get both your orders.”

I'd told Dixie about having Charlotte's ghost hanging around, but she didn't know about my latest spectral attachment. The two were standing right beside me next to the table. I was determined to ignore them right now though. I couldn't risk accidentally answering one of them in front of Dylan. He would think I was crazy.

I slipped into the booth across from Dylan. He wore a white shirt and blue tie with black pants. I'd sold him a vintage outfit during the last investigation. It made my heart go pitter-patter just thinking of him wearing the clothing.

“So what are you having today?” he asked with a smile.

I grinned and looked over the menu, although I had the thing memorized by now. It hadn't changed much over the years. But why mess with perfection, right?

“I think I'll have the French toast,” I said.

He placed his menu down. “That sounds good. I think I'll have the same. So what are you up to this morning?”

I took a sip of coffee. “I've just been talking with Shiloh about getting my vintage items back.”

He took a drink of coffee. I noticed that he drank it black. Probably a cop thing, I figured. This was my chance to ask about the dress Nicole had been wearing.

“I guess the garment Nicole was wearing will be evidence?”

He stared at me and chuckled. “Do you want it back?”

My eyes widened. “No, not really.”

He laughed. “I didn't think so, but yes, it is evidence.”

Dixie returned. We placed our orders, and she winked at me as she removed the menus from the table. I tapped my fingers against the table. “So are you going to share any more info with me?”

A smile spread across his face. “Nothing to share, really.”

I watched him to see if he was holding something back, but his poker face revealed nothing.

“Honest,” he said.

“Okay, I believe you. How's that outfit I sold you working out? You probably need to stop in for a few more items, right?”

Had I really just invited him to the store? Why had I done that?

He chuckled. “The outfit is good. As a matter of fact, I do want to get a few more things.”

“Well, stop by any time,” I said.

“I'll do that.” He took a drink of his coffee and then said, “If you'll excuse me, I need to make a phone call before the food arrives.”

“Sure.” I pulled out my phone to check messages.

When he walked away, Charlotte appeared with Alice. I knew they'd been beside me the whole time, but I'd chosen to ignore them. It was the first time I'd done that successfully, so I was a little proud of myself. Maybe I was getting better at this communicating-with-the-dead stuff.

“This is just the sweetest thing. A date with the handsome Dylan Valentine,” Charlotte said.

“It is lovely,” Alice added.

“It isn't a date,” I said. “Just two people enjoying a meal together.”

“One of which just happens to be very handsome,” Alice added.

Charlotte laughed.

“Be quiet, you two, he's coming back,” I whispered.

“Don't forget to put more lipstick on after you eat,” Charlotte warned.

Charlotte was full of dating suggestions. I wasn't sure it was good advice, but I listened nonetheless. Dylan slipped into the booth across from me, just as Dixie arrived with the food. She placed the plates down in front of us. Then she set the syrup in the middle.

“Can I get you all anything else? Ready for more coffee?”

“No, I think we're good. Do you need anything, Cookie?” he asked.

Hearing my name roll off his tongue was a good thing.

“I'm fine, thank you.”

Dixie winked at me again. “I'll be back in a bit.”

Dylan sank his fork into the golden fried bread. “So, how's everything at the shop?”

I poured syrup over my toast. “Steady business, so that's a good thing.”

He took a bite and nodded.

“Ask him about the crime, for heaven's sake.” Charlotte nudged.

Ignoring Charlotte and Alice, I asked, “I never knew why you picked Sugar Creek as your new home.”

“The department had an opening, so I applied. When I saw how nice the town was, I knew I would enjoy living here. I like it more now.” He stared at me.

I blushed and looked down at my plate.

He continued, “I moved here from Atlanta.”

I looked up at him. “I lived in Atlanta too.”

“Really? What did you do there?”

“I worked at Saks Fifth Avenue as a buyer, but then I decided to follow my dream and came back to Sugar Creek to open my shop.”

“I'm glad you did,” he said.

“Oh, he is so sweet,” Alice said from over Dylan's shoulder.

She was standing behind him now. Charlotte was hovering over my shoulder. Dylan and I chatted about Sugar Creek and living in Atlanta while we finished the meal. But apparently, by the frowns on Alice and Charlotte's faces, I hadn't asked enough about the case. I didn't want to push him for details when I knew he couldn't share them with me.

Finally, I looked at my watch. “I guess I'd better get back and open the shop. I don't want to disappoint any customers looking for a Marilyn Monroe–style halter dress or a Humphrey Bogart–type trench coat.”

He placed his napkin on the table. “Yes, I need to get to the office. Thanks for sharing the table with me, Cookie. I had a great time.” He grabbed my ticket that Dixie had placed on the table. “It's on me.”

I reached for the bill. “No, you don't have to do that.”

“Let him pay, Cookie, you don't want to be rude,” Charlotte said.

He looked at me with insistent eyes.

“Thank you,” I said.

After he paid and we said good-bye, I waved to Dylan and headed toward my shop while he turned in the opposite direction. That was an unexpected twist to my morning plans. I'd never hear the end of it from Charlotte and Alice, though, because I hadn't asked the right questions. At least they seemed tickled that I'd spent some time with Dylan.

I wasn't sure what I would call it, but I wouldn't call it a date. A date was when he came to my house and picked me up and we went to the movies, right? That hadn't happened . . . yet.

Chapter 10

The next day, after a restless night of listening to Alice complain that I wasn't doing enough to find the killer, I came up with a plan to go back to the scene of the crime. That was something I knew Dylan would probably frown upon, but the police didn't need to know. I wasn't sure if it would do any good or if I would learn anything new, but I felt it would be good to go back and see the area.

Maybe it would spark a thought that I'd forgotten. Plus, it would get the ghosts to stop complaining for a little while. I was missing a lot of sleep because of the nonstop chattering. Charlotte had even started to chime in now. So with both women in the car, I headed toward Fairtree Plantation.

The top was down on the Buick, and the sky was an endless blue. Of course it was already hot, but that was a given in Georgia at this time of year. The movie was still on hold, but the plantation was open for people to view the grounds until they started filming again. I parked the car in the lot.

“Don't make the mistake of walking on Vera Lemon's property,” Alice said.

“What is that all about?” Charlotte asked.

I explained how Vera had gotten her bloomers in a bunch about people stepping on her grass.

“Oh, for heaven's sakes. That is just nonsense,” Charlotte said.

All the same, I would try my best to stay away from Vera. As I made my way across the beautiful landscape, I was pretty sure I shouldn't be there, but I couldn't let a little detail like that stop me. After all, it wasn't like they'd banned anyone from the property. Not yet.

When I reached the pond, I paused. The crime scene tape had been removed. The scene appeared as tranquil as if no one had died there just days ago. The lake's surface remained still, with sunshine sparkling like a chandelier across the top. It was a stark contrast to the ripples in the water caused when they'd brought Nicole out of the pond.

“That is where I saw her,” I whispered as if I was supposed to be quiet.

“Why are you whispering?” Alice asked.

“I don't know. It seems like the right thing to do.” I inched closer to the water.

I had to admit I was a little afraid to get too close. What if I actually fell in? I wasn't that great of a swimmer. I could probably get out in a pinch, but it wouldn't be pretty. I'd wanted to erase the scene from my mind, but here I was back again. That definitely wasn't going to make me forget. When I turned to leave, I spotted something shiny in the oleander bushes up ahead.

“What is that?” I asked.

Charlotte and Alice peered across the lawn, but I knew they hadn't spotted the same gleaming item. I moved over to the shrub. When I peeked in, I spotted a cell phone. I reached down and picked it up.

“What did you find?” Alice asked as she leaned over my shoulder.

“Someone's cell phone,” I said.

“That's odd,” Charlotte said.

“The police couldn't have missed a clue like that,” I said.

I looked back to gauge the distance between the water and the bush. It was probably about one hundred feet.

“It must have been lost recently,” Charlotte added.

“Yes, it had to be. Dylan wouldn't have missed this.” I pressed the button, and the phone turned on. “It's still charged.”

“Maybe it belongs to another visitor,” Alice said. “It probably has nothing to do with the murder.”

“You're probably right,” I said.

The phone lit up. I clicked a few buttons to check the ID.

“There's just one problem,” I said.

“What's that?” Charlotte asked.

“The phone is Nicole's.”

Charlotte's eyes widened, and Alice released a small gasp.

“How do you think it got there?” Alice asked.

“I don't know, but I still don't think the police would have missed it. And wouldn't the phone's battery have died by now?” I asked.

“How do you know it's hers?” Charlotte asked.

“It has her name and info saved in it.”

Charlotte nodded. “That's a good sign that's it's hers, then.”

“I don't know what to do with it,” I said.

“That is quite the dilemma,” Alice said.

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.

“Someone is coming,” I whispered.

I darted behind the nearest tree and pressed my body as close as possible to the trunk. My heart beat fast. Why was I worried? It was probably just some tourist. I was being too jumpy. But I was holding Nicole's phone in my hand. How would I explain that I'd found it? I would have to think of a good way to tell Dylan about this.

“Do you see anyone?” I whispered to the ghosts.

Alice rolled her eyes. “It's one of Sugar Creek's finest, sweetest residents walking around the area. None other than Vera the Lemon.”

“You're kidding. What is she doing here?” I asked.

“I can't go ask her or I would,” Charlotte said.

That was the bad part. It looked as if I was all alone out there. I needed to try to escape without her seeing me.

“I'm not on her land, am I?”

“No, far from it. But what is she doing here?” Alice asked.

“That's what I'd like to know,” I said.

“I still can't believe she was so angry at you the other day,” Charlotte said.

“What is she doing?” I whispered.

Alice and Charlotte watched from just beyond the tree. It was nice to have invisible spies. I didn't have to risk being caught because they could look for me.

“She's walking toward the pond,” Alice said.

“I hope someone tells her to get lost,” Charlotte said.

“She's down by the water now,” Alice reported. “It looks like she is looking for something.”

What would she be looking for down by the water? Then it hit me, “What if Nicole had gone to Vera's property and she caught her, then pushed her in the water?”

“That seems a bit extreme, don't you think?” Charlotte said.

“You saw the way she acted the other day,” I said. “She wasn't being rational.”

“Nothing would surprise me,” Alice said.

“Where is she now?” My back was still pressed against the tree trunk.

I felt the bark through the thin cotton of my shirt.

“She went down the path, past the pond,” Alice said as she stood guard.

This was entirely too sticky of a situation. The last thing I wanted was another confrontation with Vera.

“I need to get out of here before she catches me.” Maybe she would push me into the pond too. I ran across the lawn toward the parking lot, praying I wouldn't fall flat on my face wearing my wedge heels. Every few seconds, I glanced back to see if Vera had spotted me. The ghosts had left me behind and were already inside the car. I supposed I didn't run fast enough to suit them.

Releasing a breath of relief when I made it back to the car, I jumped in and cranked the engine. Thank goodness we had gotten out of there before I'd been caught. Plus, I hadn't left empty-handed either. I had Nicole's phone.