Early the next morning…
Much to my chagrin, the Starlight Cafe still hadn’t been released. The Brune County Sheriff’s Office in combination with Detective Freedman from the Des Moines Homicide Unit, were taking their sweet time. Technically, it took a lot of time to process a scene, and I was being a little hasty, but it hurt to walk past the cafe and see it closed, the tape across its doors.
I didn’t dare ask when they would release the scene and allow me back inside. Freedman would take exception to that, as would Sheriff Rogers and his deputies.
I strolled past the antique store next-door and down the street, turning the corner into Baker Street, my heart leaping in my chest.
I’d bought a can of pepper spray and held it tightly in my clammy palm. If I ran into the mugger and they were hostile, I’d use it if necessary. But I hoped that wouldn’t be the case.
The mugger might have answers. They might’ve seen what had happened that morning. Seen the person who had to have been following Angela. I doubted this was a senseless crime. No way had some crazy person followed Angela into the cafe and murdered her just because.
Baker Street was quiet—maybe the locals were avoiding it because of the rumors—and the alleyways between cutesy boutiques were empty.
If only I could find out exactly where the mugging occurred. Then I could narrow down my search area. It was futile to roam the streets searching for evidence. Like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Still, I dipped down alleyways, searching for… anything.
“This is ridiculous,” I muttered, after about twenty minutes of rummaging through trash cans and peeking down alleyways.
I wasn’t going to find anything like this. There had to be a better way.
My phone rang in my pocket, and I jolted, nearly dropping the pepper spray.
“Hello?” I answered.
“What do you think you’re doing?” a woman breathed down the line.
“Huh? Who is this?”
“Duh. It’s Sue!”
I’d been so focused on the case and the mugger, for a second, I’d thought this was a threatening call. Heck, I hadn’t recognized Sue’s voice. “Oh, hi. Wait, what are you talking about?” I returned to the sidewalk, scanning the alleyway entrances as I made my way back to Main Street.
“You were meant to meet me at the Glam Boutique five minutes ago, girl,” Sue said. “Shopping, remember?”
Right. Sue had texted me this morning about it, but I’d totally spaced. “Ugh, I’m sorry!” I was apologizing a lot lately. This was the danger in getting involved in investigations. They ate up my thinking space. “I’ll be there in fifteen, OK?”
“You’d better be,” Sue said. “I want to put you in something cute. A sundress.”
“What’s wrong with my normal clothes?” I dreaded the response.
“Uh, you mean that one pair of faded blue jeans and black t-shirt?”
“Hey, I have several pairs of faded blue jeans, and I’m wearing a white t-shirt today. What’s wrong with that? It’s practical.”
“Practically boring. Get your butt over here. Now.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I hung up and slipped my phone into my pocket, loosening my grip on the pepper spray and glancing one last time down Baker Street.
Nothing.
And the only lead I had now was the untraceable Roxanne Maas and her jewelry. Maybe Sue would know something? She had a jewelry collection, though it was stuff that came from department stores rather than anything homemade.
“Remind me why we’re shopping for sundresses again?” I asked, turning around and checking myself out in the mirror. I was pale and milky white with freckles, a sharp juxtaposition to Sue’s sleek, dark skin.
She looked like a runaway model in her dress, tall and slim , the cream dress speckled with yellow flowers beautifully accenting her figure. My dress was frumpy in odd places, ill-fitting on my gangly form.
“You look gorgeous,” she said. “And it’s perfect for the summer’s end boating blowout tomorrow. You promised you’d go with me, remember?”
“How could I forget? But I’m much more comfortable in jeans and shirts. Why can’t I just go in my usual outfit?”
“Because you need to step out of your comfort zone once in a while.” Sue turned away from the mirror and flounced over to the shopping assistant, Maisie. “We’ll take them. And do you have matching sandals to go with them?”
“Oh, we sure do,” Maisie said, excitedly. “Let me show you our selection.”
“Sue, I don’t want you to spend money on me.”
“Don’t be silly, Milly. Ha! Silly Milly. It’s my treat. I like being able to spoil my friends once in a while. Besides, you’ve had a hard week.”
I’d been obsessed with the case, and that had certainly helped me get over how the week had gone so far. On the positive side, at least Detective Freedman hadn’t come looking for me for a follow-up interview. Though I was a little worried that he hadn’t yet organized the polygraph.
I gave myself another judgmental glance in the mirror before heading over to join Sue at the back of the boutique. “Do you know Roxanne Maas?” I asked.
“Yeah. The one who does the jewelry.”
“Yeah. Do you know where she lives?”
Sue’s brow wrinkled. “Last I heard, it was over on Grayson Street, but I don’t think she’s there anymore. Maybe the trailer park?”
“Thanks.” That was the second time I’d heard that she might be staying at the trailer park. I’d have to check that out next. Assuming Sue let me go anywhere for the rest of the day. I had the feeling she was about to declare it “makeover day.” She’d tried before, but now there was no excuse to say no. I didn’t have a cafe to run.
“We’re going to get our hair done after this!” Sue declared. “We’ll have a girls day!”
“Fun,” I managed.