The thermometer was dropping by a degree or two every day, but Ellie didn’t mind the chill. It gave her the perfect excuse to run over to Worth It!, the clothing shop that Simone managed. The store carried mostly new – and expensive – clothing, but did have a small area for consignment as well. She’d left Beau with her grandmother for this trip. There was no way Simone was going to let an animal into her shop. It was only a few shops over from May’s Books, but Ellie found herself jogging to get there right when it opened, which was a full hour before the bookstore did.
“Simone, hey,” Ellie said as she pushed her way through the front door right as Simone flipped over the handcrafted open sigh. Neon was too tacky for her, which Simone would tell anyone who suggested she update her sign to something more visible from across the street. Instead, she stuck with a hand carved wooden sign that had been painted white with pale green letters to match the color scheme of the store.
“Why Ellie, you’re here early,” Simone greeted her with a smile that Ellie couldn’t tell was forced or earnest. “What brings you in?”
“I need a coat,” Ellie said as she pulled off the thin autumn jacket she’d been wearing. “My old winter coat went in the trash last spring.” Ellie knew she should have tossed that coat at least one spring before, but she had held onto it a little longer than necessary. With holes in the pockets, a busted zipper, and a button or two missing, it had definitely been time to upgrade.
“Perfect timing,” Simone buzzed. “We just got in a shipment. I had to close early yesterday to do stock on them. Claire, my assistant, was home with a sick baby, poor dear. Come, come, let’s take a look.”
Simone led Ellie to the racks of coats and Ellie suddenly wished she’d picked an item of clothing that was a little less expensive. The coats were beautiful, from peacoats to bombers and more, but Ellie knew without looking that choosing one was going to cost her a pretty penny. For the same price, she’d probably be able to get three or four jackets at Walmart with money to spare.
“This would be wonderful on you,” Simone said as she held up a dark brown leather bomber jacket with fleece trim. “It will help you show the world just how strong Ellie Reid is. A real ‘I am woman, hear me roar’ coat.”
Ellie looked at the jacket and made a face before she even realized she was making it. From Simone’s expression, Ellie could tell her immediate reaction to the jacket was not appreciated.
“It’s real leather, right?” Ellie asked as she tried not to look so turned off.
“Of course!” Simone said. “My store only carries the best.”
“Oh,” Ellie said as her lips pursed. “I’m not a huge fan of leather.”
It was Simone’s turn to scrunch her face in distaste, but she quickly plastered on another smile and said, “No problem, a peacoat then.”
“Okay,” Ellie agreed, though she had a feeling the price difference would be negligible.
Simone found a deep maroon peacoat and held it up for Ellie. She had to admit it was beautiful, and Simone insisted the color would bring out the green in Ellie’s eyes. Ellie was about to agree, but then she ran her fingers over the fabric.
“Real wool?” Ellie asked, and Simone confirmed that it was.
“Like I told you,” Simone said with a smile that was touched with a hint of frustration. “I only carry the best.”
“I see,” Ellie said. “You don’t happen to have anything made of polyester or cotton, do you?”
“Not in this collection, dear,” Simone told her, though the ‘dear’ was so patronizing Ellie almost walked out right that moment. She had to remind herself exactly why she was really there and she forced herself to smile. She could pretend she didn’t notice Simone’s sass, at least for a few minutes.
“Sorry, I’m being difficult,” Ellie said. “I’m just a little out of sorts with everything that’s happened this week.”
“Oh, me too,” Simone quickly agreed, latching onto the idea as Ellie had was a way to excuse her snarky attitude. “So dreadful.”
“Completely,” Ellie said as she began to walk over to Simone’s consignment section. “And I heard that Abbie and Dave were looking to celebrate something, too. What terrible timing.”
“That’s true,” Simone said with a solemn nod of her perfectly coiffed head. “Abbie had come in that very day, bought a beautiful new dress. I never thought she could pull off chartreuse, but it truly did look stunning on her. So sorry about the baby.”
Ellie’s knees went weak at that. All the blood rushed to her feet and her throat dried up. “The baby?” Ellie gasped. “Abbie was pregnant?”
“Oh goodness no,” Simone said. “She always had trouble in that area. She and Dave were adopting, but I suppose now that’s off the table.”
Ellie’s ears rung. Dave and Abbie were planning to adopt? Did the jewelry have something to do with that? There was no way Dave would kill Abbie, not with that wonderful news. Paige must be playing a part in it, but Ellie just didn’t know what.
She thought to ask Simone, but didn’t know how much information she was privy to. If she brought up Paige and Simone didn’t already know about her, it could lead to a whole new wave of gossip that Ellie didn’t want any part in.
“That’s terrible,” Ellie said. “How tragic for all of them.”
“Isn’t it though?” Simone sighed. “I wonder what will happen to that poor baby now.”
“Do you know whose baby it was?” Ellie asked her.
“No,” Simone admitted. “Abbie told me that the baby isn’t born yet, but not much more than that. She swore me to secrecy, but I guess now that she’s passed on, it’s not so bad I told you.”
“Maybe,” Ellie half-heartedly agreed. “But I don’t know if it would be a good idea to tell people, at least not right now.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t already know,” Simone said. “I’ve heard a little gossip that you’ve been asking questions.”
Ellie’s cheeks flushed, but she quickly moved to deny it. “Oh, no,” she said. “It’s just all anyone in town wants to talk about, and I’m happy to lend an ear.” Ellie needed to change the subject before she became the one being questioned. “Oh, how about this coat?” she asked as she picked up a dark green parka with faux fur trim around the hood.
“Oh, that?” Simone said with a wrinkle of her nose. “It’s got polyester fill, not nearly as warm as goose down, but the color is nice on you.”
“It’s perfect,” Ellie said, and it was even more perfect when she saw the price was under three figures. “I’ll take it.”
“If you’re sure,” Simone said, but Ellie had made up her mind. The coat wasn’t the most fashionable thing in Simone’s shop, but it was all synthetic and looked like it would be nice and warm for those mornings that she had to shovel the sidewalk in front of the shop.
After she had completed her purchase, Ellie knew she needed to call Detective Murphy with what she knew. A pending adoption could help clear Dave’s name, at least in terms of a motive. If they were celebrating the adoption, he had no reason to kill his wife.
Ellie’s phone rang before she got a chance to call him, and she pulled her phone from the pocket of her autumn jacket. Her new coat was in the branded bag from Worth It! that Simone had given her, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she was switching to it.
“Ellie, what took you so long?” Ma’May asked her the moment Ellie answered.
“I was only forty minutes,” Ellie said. “What’s wrong, Ma’May?”
Ma’May didn’t need to answer her granddaughter for Ellie to see exactly what she meant. For the first time since Ellie could remember, there was a lineup waiting to get into May’s Books. They had no plans for a sale, nor an author signing. The crowd was there for one reason, and one reason alone.
They were there to gawk at the suspected murder scene.
“Oh boy,” Ellie said into the phone. “I’m twenty feet from the front door.”
“Come in through the back,” Ma’May advised. “I’ve already got the coffee brewing.”
A long day didn’t even half describe the craziness of May’s Books on their first day being open after having to close as part of a murder investigation. At least most of the people who had come to see the place of Dundurn’s first murder in twenty-five years were kind enough to buy a book or two while they were at it. Those who’d come solely to see something morbid were sorely disappointed. With everything tidied up and no real mess to begin with, there was nothing strange or unusual to gawk at.
Those who were willing to spend some money at the shop were mostly looking for books that had to do with small town murders. Ellie recommended a few of her favorites, and as the day went on, the Crime section of the bookstore was looking particularly sparse.
“Can you believe these people?” Ma’May asked Ellie in a hushed whisper.
“Sadly, yes,” Ellie told her. Living in Chicago as long as she had, she knew the kinds of crowds that would appear around a crime scene. People were fascinated by it, which was a big part of why true crime books sell as well as they do. “Once word gets out that there’s nothing to see, it will calm down.”
Ellie wanted that time to come sooner than later, but she couldn’t complain about the increase in sales. If things kept up, they’d have to up their order of crime books. Besides the gossip, the only real downside was that neither woman had much time to take a break for lunch.
By time it hit two in the afternoon Ellie’s stomach was growling so hard that it was starting to hurt. She was about to throw in the towel and grab a snack upstairs when the bell above the door chimed once more and none other than Lilith White stepped into the store.
“Well look how busy it is in here,” Lilith cooed as she stepped inside and pulled off the pair of oversized sunglasses she was wearing. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this busy.”
Ellie fought hard not to roll her eyes. “Hello Lilith,” she said. “How are you today?”
“Horribly depressed,” the tall, slender woman with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes said. “It’s so tragic what happened. It’s good to see it hasn’t hurt your business though. If anything, it’s helped.”
“Are you accusing us of anything?” Ma’May growled at the much younger woman.
“Heavens no!” Lilith gasped with such faux shock that Ellie wanted to tell her to go try out for a soap opera. “I just wanted to say how happy I am for you both, turning this tragedy into something positive for yourselves.”
Ellie was nearly ready to strangle the woman. Or worse, call Will and tell him that Lilith White was suspect number one. Too bad rudeness wasn’t exactly evidence of murder.
With the calmest voice she could muster, Ellie said, “That’s not what’s happening.”
“Of course it isn’t,” Lilith said with the fakest, most put on wink imaginable. “But it is such a tragedy, isn’t it? One of my best friends in the world, gone like that. I don’t know how I’ll move on.”
Every word out of her mouth made Ellie’s blood boil, but she had no choice but to remain nice and let the woman keep talking. To kick her out of the shop would only look bad on the store, not Lilith. She could hear the gossip now, especially what Lilith would spread on her own. She didn’t want rumors spreading about Lilith getting kicked out because she’d hinted that Ellie and Ma’May were the guilty ones.
“I’m sure you’ll find a way,” Ellie said through her gritted teeth.
Lilith didn’t seem to notice Ellie’s frustration and she fanned herself with her hand. “Oh yes, I am strong, that’s true. Poor Dave though, everyone thinks he did it!”
“Do you think he did it?” Ma’May asked Lilith, cutting right to the chase.
“Dave?” she gasped. “Goodness no! He loved her, he’d never hurt her. Besides, Dave was never the most clever man, was he? Something like this takes a little more finesse.”
Ellie couldn’t believe the audacity of the woman. It was like she was bragging about Abbie’s death! It only made her more and more suspicious of the woman who called Abbie her very best friend.
“Would you look at the time?” Lilith said as she glanced at her bedazzled phone. “It’s getting late and I have to run. It was nice chatting with you!”
Before Ellie or Ma’May could say anything at all, Lilith fled the store. Both women looked at each other with a mix of anger and confusion on their faces.
“What was that about?” Ma’May growled. “She didn’t even pretend to be interested in buying a book.”
“I don’t know,” Ellie whispered, careful to make sure no one else heard her. “But I do know that the killer always returns to the scene of the crime.”