figure this all out.”
“The only thing really saving you at this point, Ms. Frisk, is that we don’t have any fingerprints.” Gilley stopped talking. “I probably shouldn’t have told you that, but I know what Sadie tells me about you and it just doesn’t add up. But the evidence does speak for itself.”
Bennie pulled Bernadine aside.
“Can I take a look at your inventory and what your sheets say you have?” Gilley asked and put the crimp tool back in his jacket.
“Sure.” I walked behind the counter where I kept the inventory sheets and cringed a little. That was one of Marlene’s jobs and she liked to talk when she did inventory so I wasn’t sure on how accurate it was. I wasn’t about to tell Gilley that I was in fact missing a crimp tool just like the bloody one in the bag.
The thought of someone from the group taking my tool didn’t sit well with my gut. I was going to have to question every single Diva in the group.
Gilley took the three-ring spiral inventory notebook from me and disappeared into the back with Cheri.
I quickly texted all the Divas to let them know we had an emergency Diva meeting tonight at six p.m. I didn’t have any beading classes and closing an hour earlier wasn’t going to hurt anyone. Besides, Bernadine was in more need than us and I had to figure out who took those crimpers.
“Holly Harper!” Marlene bolted through the door. Feathers from her hot pink boa flew all over the place. Briefly stopping inside the door, she wrapped it around her neck several times. “What on God’s green earth is going on around here? Agnes Pearl came home confused as a two dollar hooker with a fifty dollar bill.” Marlene leaned up against the counter trying to catch her breath. She must’ve ran the whole couple blocks down here.
“What did she say?” I was curious to see what Noah had told her.
“She said that Noah Druck told her Henry Frisk was killed and he was looking into talking to Bernadine.” Marlene’s eyes creased with worry. “Which doesn’t make sense since they were divorced. Why would Bernadine care?”
The unanswered question hung between us until Marlene’s mouth formed an O. She looked between me and Bernadine, who was in the corner talking to Bennie.
“That no good son of a bitch.” Spit came out of Marlene’s mouth. “I forgot he was taking her back to court.” She leaned in a little closer and whispered, “But do you think she killed him because of it?”
“No.” I blew off the notion. “She wouldn’t hurt a flea.”
“Holly?” Gilley came out from the storage room. “Hi, Marlene.”
“Gilley.” Marlene’s mouth couldn’t seem to stay shut. “What are you doing here?”
He ignored her.
“Mr. White?” Gilley got Bennie’s attention. “There seems to be a pair of Holly’s crimp tools missing from her stock and we found this one at the scene of Dr. Frisk. Does your client want to make a statement before I write my report?”
“No.” Bennie grabbed Bernadine by the elbow.
Bernadine glanced over her shoulder at me before Bennie shoved her out of the front door of the shop. She clamped her jaw tight and stared. Fear, stark and vivid, glittered in her eyes.
Chapter Eight
It wasn’t long after Bennie, Bernadine, and Gilley left before Flora and Agnes made their way to the shop.
“I said six p.m. not nine a.m.” I turned the closed sign on the door to open.
It was still business as usual.
“Even though Bennie did me dirty, he knows he better help Bernadine.” Flora used her fingertips to style her brown wavy hair. Her big cheekbones had the perfect amount of rouge on them. She sat her Fendi bag on the beading table. “When you called this morning, I was getting my hair done and all the girls were talking about the fight between Kevin and Henry. You know how gossipy salons can be. But I told Bennie anyway. Just in case it was important.” She blew on her nails. “Charlotte told me that Kevin even threw a
“The only thing really saving you at this point, Ms. Frisk, is that we don’t have any fingerprints.” Gilley stopped talking. “I probably shouldn’t have told you that, but I know what Sadie tells me about you and it just doesn’t add up. But the evidence does speak for itself.”
Bennie pulled Bernadine aside.
“Can I take a look at your inventory and what your sheets say you have?” Gilley asked and put the crimp tool back in his jacket.
“Sure.” I walked behind the counter where I kept the inventory sheets and cringed a little. That was one of Marlene’s jobs and she liked to talk when she did inventory so I wasn’t sure on how accurate it was. I wasn’t about to tell Gilley that I was in fact missing a crimp tool just like the bloody one in the bag.
The thought of someone from the group taking my tool didn’t sit well with my gut. I was going to have to question every single Diva in the group.
Gilley took the three-ring spiral inventory notebook from me and disappeared into the back with Cheri.
I quickly texted all the Divas to let them know we had an emergency Diva meeting tonight at six p.m. I didn’t have any beading classes and closing an hour earlier wasn’t going to hurt anyone. Besides, Bernadine was in more need than us and I had to figure out who took those crimpers.
“Holly Harper!” Marlene bolted through the door. Feathers from her hot pink boa flew all over the place. Briefly stopping inside the door, she wrapped it around her neck several times. “What on God’s green earth is going on around here? Agnes Pearl came home confused as a two dollar hooker with a fifty dollar bill.” Marlene leaned up against the counter trying to catch her breath. She must’ve ran the whole couple blocks down here.
“What did she say?” I was curious to see what Noah had told her.
“She said that Noah Druck told her Henry Frisk was killed and he was looking into talking to Bernadine.” Marlene’s eyes creased with worry. “Which doesn’t make sense since they were divorced. Why would Bernadine care?”
The unanswered question hung between us until Marlene’s mouth formed an O. She looked between me and Bernadine, who was in the corner talking to Bennie.
“That no good son of a bitch.” Spit came out of Marlene’s mouth. “I forgot he was taking her back to court.” She leaned in a little closer and whispered, “But do you think she killed him because of it?”
“No.” I blew off the notion. “She wouldn’t hurt a flea.”
“Holly?” Gilley came out from the storage room. “Hi, Marlene.”
“Gilley.” Marlene’s mouth couldn’t seem to stay shut. “What are you doing here?”
He ignored her.
“Mr. White?” Gilley got Bennie’s attention. “There seems to be a pair of Holly’s crimp tools missing from her stock and we found this one at the scene of Dr. Frisk. Does your client want to make a statement before I write my report?”
“No.” Bennie grabbed Bernadine by the elbow.
Bernadine glanced over her shoulder at me before Bennie shoved her out of the front door of the shop. She clamped her jaw tight and stared. Fear, stark and vivid, glittered in her eyes.
Chapter Eight
It wasn’t long after Bennie, Bernadine, and Gilley left before Flora and Agnes made their way to the shop.
“I said six p.m. not nine a.m.” I turned the closed sign on the door to open.
It was still business as usual.
“Even though Bennie did me dirty, he knows he better help Bernadine.” Flora used her fingertips to style her brown wavy hair. Her big cheekbones had the perfect amount of rouge on them. She sat her Fendi bag on the beading table. “When you called this morning, I was getting my hair done and all the girls were talking about the fight between Kevin and Henry. You know how gossipy salons can be. But I told Bennie anyway. Just in case it was important.” She blew on her nails. “Charlotte told me that Kevin even threw a
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