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An unexpected Tuesday morning phone call hijacked my plans to spend most of the day at home, completing and packaging more jewelry. I was just reaching the edge of consciousness when my cell phone rang at 6:50 a.m. Rubbing my eyes, I looked at the screen and assumed it would be a wrong number, but Savannah was calling. “Hello?” I answered, groggy but already alert enough to be concerned.
“I know you might not be up yet, and I’m so, so sorry to call you this early, but I’m in a bind here. I’ve got to go out of town for a family emergency, and there’s no one to work the gallery for me. I know because I was planning to fill in for someone today. Is there any possible way you can do it?” Her words came out in a rush, and she sounded stressed.
“Let me think.” I fisted my mouth to suppress a yawn. “I know the morning’s open, but I really need to catch up on some jewelry projects this afternoon. Do I need to be there the whole time, or can someone else take part of the day?”
“If you’ll handle it until around one or so, Bob’s agreed to take the afternoon shift. But I desperately need the morning covered.”
Bob Mathis, a talented local woodworker and a fellow member of the Ross County Arts Council, was always reliable and would no doubt show up as promised. “Consider it done,” I said. “I’ll be there at ten, right on schedule.”
“Great, and don’t forget that whoever has the morning shift usually gets there early to turn on all the lamps, light the display cases, and do all that sort of stuff. Emma, you’re a lifesaver!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I laughed. “You know I don’t like to do mornings too often, but for you, I will. And listen, I hope everything’s okay with your family.”
“It’s my aunt who lives up in Blue Ridge,” Savannah said. “She broke her hip last night. My mom’s having a fit to get up there and help, and if I can drive her there this morning, it would really mean a lot to her.”
“I’ve got it covered,” I promised. “But be sure to keep your phone handy in case I have to text you with any questions.”
As I sat in bed, trying to recover from the early-morning wake-up call, Miriam wandered in and began purring loudly. “I know, I know. If I’m up, that means you want your breakfast. Let me wake up first, will you?”
Padding to the bathroom, I yawned and mentally rescheduled my day. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and looked in the mirror. I still had almost three hours before it was time to play shopkeeper. There was no reason I couldn’t enjoy my usual pot of coffee, get some jewelry projects underway, then shower, dress, and arrive at the gallery well before the first customers arrived.
Still in my bathrobe, I went into the kitchen, turned the coffee maker on, and prepared to spread out my jewelry supplies. First, I texted Jen. Working at the gallery 10-1. Come by if you can.
She soon texted back: Will do. Save me one of those blue scarves in the window.
I wasn’t sure which scarves she was talking about, but I figured I would find out soon enough. Whoever had displayed them in the gallery’s street-facing window obviously knew what they were doing.
With my customary Pyrex mug of coffee on the table before me, I reached for my design notebook and flipped to the page with my jewelry to-do list. I’d finished some of the more elaborate new designs. Next, I simply needed to string a few leather cords with inspirational word charms that said “Create” and “Love” and “Inspire.” Those were ridiculously easy to whip together, and I had been amazed the first time I sold one for fifteen dollars. I had less than a dollar in supplies and less than a minute of labor in each one, yet customers couldn’t get enough of the simple necklaces. I quickly made another half dozen of them for the Gallery Stroll then reshelved my supplies.
An insistent meow interrupted my thoughts. “You’re still hungry?” I poured cat food into Miriam’s bowl and gave her fresh water before pouring a second cup of coffee. While I savored a new Colombian roast, I headed to my bedroom closet. The jeans and white knit tee I’d planned to wear wouldn’t do for gallery duty. With a mug of coffee in one hand, I rifled through my armoire with the other, searching for my new coral blouse with the lace-insert sleeves. I would accessorize with one of my tasseled necklace-and-earring sets because customers often asked about whatever pieces I happened to be wearing. A live model was a great advertisement, and the price of the advertising couldn’t be beat.
After a quick shower and blow-dry, I pulled on a pair of dressy gray slacks along with the blouse and jewelry. I blew a kiss to Miriam as I headed out the door for the drive downtown.
When I stepped outside, the blustery gray morning had me quickly running back inside for a sweater. I was twenty minutes ahead of schedule, precisely the amount of time I needed to stop by Mavis’s for a cappuccino and a Danish.
When I arrived, the café was bustling with early-morning customers. The aromas of fresh-baked bread, cinnamon, and coffee filled the air as I headed to the service counter in the back.
“My goodness, aren’t we out and about early this morning?” Mavis asked. She rarely saw me before noon.
“I got called on to work the morning shift at the art gallery,” I said. “But I won’t be fit for anything if I don’t have a little more caffeine and some sugar first.”
“Your usual?” She pointed at some pastries under a glass dome.
I nodded. Whenever I came to town in the morning and stopped by the café, I always ordered the same items—a caramel cappuccino and a cream cheese Danish. It might not have been the healthiest breakfast in town, but it was my reward for being wakened before my usual seven o’clock.
I told Mavis to come visit me on her break if she got a chance then waved as I headed to my car. I pulled up to the back door of the gallery at nine forty.
Heading into the building, I grasped my cappuccino and Danish in one hand and fished around in my purse for my shop key, which I kept on a separate key ring in an inside pocket of my purse-cum-tote bag. After I unlocked the door, I flipped on the overhead lights, walked across the creaky old floor to the middle of the shop, and set my belongings on the vintage wooden countertop.
The gallery was so peaceful at that time of day. I enjoyed watching it come to life in the morning. I loved to hear the patter of my shoes on the building’s wide-plank floors and imagine who had first walked on them more than a hundred years ago. The morning light streamed through the old-fashioned plate glass windows, which added character and made the artwork and crafts behind them easily viewed by passersby.
A small bay window spotlighted the work of a different artist each month. This month, a gorgeous orange, green, and red African print quilt was displayed behind a handcrafted wooden chair draped with hand-dyed blue cotton infinity scarves. Now that I knew what Jen had been talking about, I chose the prettiest scarf and tucked it behind the counter.
Next, I turned on the lamps, including one that Bob Mathis had clearly made since it featured an intricate inlaid wooden base. I fingered the price tag and whistled softly—five hundred dollars. But for those who liked the unique and unusual piece, it was a reasonable price. Bob usually sold one or two lamps every month.
Passing by a table with several jewelry displays, including some of my own designs, I couldn’t help noticing that most of my black-and-white sets were gone. I planned to create a few more one evening soon. I tapped a quick iPhone reminder about needing more black-and-white jewelry sets then headed behind the counter to stash my purse—and breakfast—out of the way.
The groan of the old door opening announced our first customer of the day. I popped up from behind the counter. “Good morning, and welcome to the...”
But I didn’t feel very friendly when I saw who it was—Detective Shelton.
“To the gallery. Can I help you with anything?” I wondered whether he would remember me from the other day. I certainly remembered him.
He looked uncomfortable as well. “You’re that friend of Carleen Wood who was at her shop on Friday.”
“Yes. That was a horrible morning, and I was glad I happened to be there to see Carleen when she needed a friend. Tina was someone we all cared about, so I’m sure you can understand why we were so upset.”
“Nothing personal,” he said, “but we did have to investigate before we could let anyone disturb the crime scene. I hope you understand.”
Even though I still felt he’d been overbearing that day, it sounded as though he were indirectly apologizing, and I would be gracious in accepting his apology.
“Certainly.” I glanced around. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“I like to come by here first thing in the morning whenever I need a gift. Get a jump on the other customers.” He smiled slightly.
I felt the tiniest bit of remorse about having judged him so harshly. “It’s nice to know you shop here. Feel free to look around, and if I can help you with anything, just let me know.”
He nodded and headed to a table of jewelry. After several minutes of picking up necklaces and placing them down again, he cleared his throat. “This set here on the display”—he pointed at the black velvet torso—“is it for sale too?”
I knew the set well—I had made it. “All the arts and crafts you see in this gallery are for sale. That’s our policy.”
“Great.” He removed the pieces from the display and headed to the counter. “My sister and mother really like the jewelry I buy for them here. Something about how they’re well-made pieces that don’t look like all the other jewelry out there.” He was obviously unaware I was the maker.
“That’s certainly one of the advantages of shopping at a place like this.” I tried to conceal a grin, wondering if I should I tell him I was the designer, but I decided not to. Better to let him find out some other way.
The detective didn’t appear to be in the mood to chitchat, so I asked if he wanted his purchases gift wrapped.
“Yes, please,” he said.
I reached beneath the counter for a small paper gift bag and some tissue.
“You know...” He hesitated.
I looked up from my gift wrapping, curious.
“We’re working hard to find out who killed your friend.” He looked sincere. “I probably don’t have to tell you that we don’t have a lot of homicides in this town, and we intend to keep it that way.”
I was surprised to hear him refer to the case since he’d been so no-nonsense about it before. “I sure hope you find the killer soon,” I said. “It’s made a lot of us nervous to think a murderer is still on the loose around town. And of course we want to see justice for Tina since she meant so—”
His cell phone rang, and he excused himself, stepping near the front of the shop before answering the call. He kept his voice low, but I listened carefully and heard something that sounded like, “What do you mean he won’t talk to us? He has to.”
I tried to look busy, but I was curious to know what he was talking about.
“Listen,” he said after he hung up from the call, “I need to get on to the station, so—”
“And your bag’s all ready.” I handed over the jewelry.
He tipped his head and made eye contact for just about a second too long. With his light-brown hair and handsome blue eyes, the detective actually wasn’t that bad to look at, and I could feel my cheeks blushing.
“Thanks again,” he said with a nod as he left.
The rest of my morning at the gallery flew by. In addition to the jewelry Detective Shelton bought, I’d sold two of Bob’s wooden bowls, six packages of Savannah’s watercolor note cards, and the last seven copies of Goodness Gracious, the local garden club’s award-winning cookbook with one of Savannah’s most popular floral paintings on the cover. Members of the Georgia Geraniums Garden Club north of Roseland were in town for the day and had snapped up all the remaining copies of the book. It featured recipes from local dignitaries—the mayor and council, the school superintendent, and several well-known local artists—as well as a few of the state’s former first ladies, so it was a perennial best seller in all the downtown shops.
During the morning’s only brief lull, Jen dropped by and picked up the scarf I had set aside for her. Bless her, she’d brought me another caramel cappuccino, so I was on a sugar high all morning. I was grateful for the energy boost, because the shop had a steady stream of customers. Most of them made purchases too, which kept me busy, and before I knew it, my shift was over.
Promptly at one o’clock, I handed the shop over to Bob and decided to make a quick stop by the Silver Squirrel. A woman with bright-orange-red hair was standing inside, and that could be only one person.
“Hey, Emma,” Carleen said when I entered. “Come on in out of that wind. There’s someone I’d like for you to meet. This is Tina’s sister, Teri.”
I walked over and shook her hand as she stood near one of the jewelry cases. “I can’t tell you how sorry we are about your sister’s passing,” I said. “She meant so much to us, and I can only imagine how this must have affected your family.”
Teri whipped a lace-edged hankie out of her purse. “Oh dear, and I thought I was through crying.”
“I’m so sorry!” Stuck your foot in your mouth again, Emma. Way to go.
“No, no. It’s me.” Teri waved a hand. “I appreciate your kindness. Really, I do. It’s just that I’m still weepy about everything.”
I patted her on the back, hoping she wouldn’t mind the gesture. “I’d be a hot mess if that were me. In fact, I’d probably take to bed and not leave the house for a year.”
Teri managed a quiet laugh. “That’s tempting, believe me, but I had to come by and thank Carleen for being such a good friend and employer to Tina through the years. And when I saw that she’d made a huge gift to the humane society in Tina’s memory and sponsored the reward fund at the police department, well, I had to come say thank you in person.”
“That wasn’t necessary at all,” Carleen said. “But I’m so glad you did. And since you’re opening a new business in Roseland yourself, why don’t we get together for tea in a few days? Emma, you could come too.” Carleen glanced at me with raised eyebrows, as if to say, “You will, won’t you?”
I immediately accepted her invitation. “I’d love to. And maybe we could discuss some ways for Teri to get involved in the community here in Roseland.” I turned toward Teri. “If you’re interested, that is.”
Teri’s smile was broader this time. “I’d like that.”
“I’ll give you a call soon to set it up, okay?” Carleen looked between the two of us.
We agreed to meet, and Teri soon left, saying she needed to get over to her antique mall and do a final walk-through of the space.
“That was a nice surprise,” I said.
“It sure was.” Carleen clasped her hands together and appeared content for the first time in days. “How thoughtful of her to stop by.”
I thought so too, and inwardly, I realized I’d misjudged Teri after listening to some hearsay that might not have even been true.
Carleen cleared her throat. “Before you got here, Teri filled me in a little since she said she knew I’d probably heard about her brother’s behavior at lunch yesterday.”
“Sounds like she understands how the small-town gossip mill works,” I said.
“Mm-hmm. It seems the sisters had recently butted heads with Tony about some missing family jewelry. Teri said she’s still grieving over her sister and couldn’t care less about the jewelry, but the bickering has only gotten worse since Tina’s death. And that’s probably not going to change since Teri just found out she’s to inherit her sister’s entire estate. Since Tina was single, she arranged to leave everything to Teri with the knowledge that Teri would then use the money to help make sure their mother was taken care of.”
“So even if they were estranged in the past, it’s obvious that they reconciled in time to make sure their mother was well provided for.”
Carleen sighed. “Teri said she wished she and Tina could have become friends again much sooner.”
My mind was whirling. “Did Teri happen to mention what jewelry was missing?”
“You know, I didn’t think to ask,” Carleen said. “Teri said she wondered whether perhaps Tina had gotten desperate for money and sold some pieces here. As I told her, I don’t recall Tina ever selling me a piece of jewelry. I would have remembered that. She bought a few jewels here over the years—job hazard, I guess—but sell them? No.”
After telling Carleen I needed to get home and finish up some more jewelry designs, I headed to my parking spot behind the gallery, retrieved my car, and drove home. On the way, I realized it was entirely possible that Tina had been sentimental about the family jewelry and had simply kept it.
And if she had, her killer had probably figured that out.