Life is Better Brunette Read online

  He hovered near the doorway until Gilda stopped shuffling papers before he took a step toward her desk. "Hey, love."

  "How was the rest of your morning?"

  He seemed to hesitate. "It was okay. I had some time to figure out a few things."

  "Oh yeah?" She raised her eyebrows. "Like what?"

  "I'm keeping the purple rock shop."

  Gilda met his gaze. "That's great. Do you still plan to turn it into a martial arts store?"

  Kane reddened. "Not exactly."

  When the door opened behind him, a tiny, blonde woman wearing a flowing skirt and a floppy hat walked in.

  "Hi, can I help you?" Gilda asked.

  "She's with me." Kane grinned.

  "Is she here to try a class?" When Gilda looked again, her stomach sank.

  "No." Aislin winced, apparently far more at home in Kane's store than in a gym. "Kane wants me to check out his class today before we go for lunch to discuss my new job."

  "He hired you already?" Gilda's breath stuck in her throat. Razi was right.

  "Yeah, isn't it exciting?" Aislin's blue eyes grew wide. "He called this morning before I even got home."

  "Oh." Gilda met Kane's gaze, not surprised by his sheepish grin. "Good for him."

  He sighed. "Gilda, love, I…"

  Aislin took off her hat and rocked on her heels. Glitter twinkled in her hair. "He said you'll be really happy to have me work there. This way you won't have to be there to help him all the time. Will you be joining us for lunch?"

  "Actually, I had other—" Gilda was cut off when Marion Yearly, a local 9-1-1 operator, burst into the school. A foot taller than Gilda and built like an NFL quarterback, Marion had only recently started straightening her hair every morning and wearing mascara. Since she and Marion had been close friends for several years, it was still a sight Gilda hadn't become used to.

  "Can you believe the nerve?" Marion sputtered. "Someone took my parking spot. The one I park in every single, freaking day I show up for class. I demand one of those little orange cone things with my name on it to reserve my spot. I should be entitled to that much, right?" She glanced at Kane. "I'm here as much as I'm at work."

  Gilda shook her head. "Not even Mick or Razi have designated parking spots, and they own the place."

  Marion snorted. "Who on earth would train here and drive a little pink car with sparkles all down the sides? The thing looks like a gang of fairies threw up on it."

  "A gang of fairies?" Gilda laughed. "Are you serious?"

  Aislin held up a tentative hand. "That would be my car."

  Gilda and Marion stared.

  Kane turned back to Gilda and narrowed his eyes before he spoke. "And I'm sure it's a very nice little car."

  "No, it's not. It's weird." Marion lowered her eyebrows and studied Aislin. "Hey, wait. I know you. You were the chick who read palms and tarot cards at the town's birthday bash on the beach this year."

  "I don't remember that," Gilda said.

  Marion waved her off. "Of course not. That was right after that explosion when Mick got hurt. You didn't go since you were busy playing nurse and trying not to strangle him."

  Aislin nodded. "Oh, I heard about that. That building on Main Street exploded, right? How awful that he lost part of his hearing."

  "Temporarily." Gilda frowned, still fighting the guilt that she and Marion had been drinking lemonade margaritas in Marion's backyard seconds before the blast. "How did you know about that?"

  "I read about it in the paper."

  "A psychic, huh?" Kane folded his arms across his chest. "Then tell me what I'm thinking?"

  Aislin rolled her eyes. "How should I know? I'm a psychic, not a mind reader."

  "Ouch." Marion chuckled.

  "Right." He lowered his arms and picked up his duffel bag. "There are seats along the wall if you'd like to stay and watch the class. You can join in if you want to sign a waiver form."

  "No, thanks. I don't think that would be a good idea." She smiled as he walked away.

  "Is that glitter in your hair?" Marion asked.

  Gilda gave her a nudge. "Leave her alone."

  Aislin turned to face Gilda. "You really don't like me, do you? I thought you did when we first met at the store, but…"

  "Ooh, she is psychic." Marion leaned against the counter. "Why is it we don't like her? Aside from the fact she has glitter in her hair, steals people's parking spots with her freaky pink car, and is a bit of a know-it-all."

  Aislin kept her gaze on Gilda. "Because Kane hired me to work in the Healing Spirit store when he doesn't know a thing about me. How did I do?"

  "Not bad for not being a mind reader." Gilda grimaced. "Do you also know he wanted to get rid of that store this morning until Miss Claudia threatened to shut it, the tattoo place, and the adult shop down to clean up Armadillo Street?"

  "Seriously?" Aislin's eyes widened.

  "She what?" Marion's jaw dropped. "Oh wow. That's just not right. People should be able to get tattoos or kinky toys if they want."

  "Wow." Aislin shook her head. "I agree. Not that I'd ever set foot into either one of those places, but no one should be able to shut down a store just because they don't like the nature of the business. I'm so tired of people trying to ruin my business and run me out of town."

  Marion raised her eyebrows. "Has that happened to you before?"

  "Once or twice," Aislin said. "Let's just say I move around a lot."

  "So now you're going to move in and take over someone else's business?" Gilda asked.

  "No. I don't want to take over anything. I just need a job." Aislin's eyes widened. "That the crystals and essential oils happen to fit in with my fortune-telling gig is totally irrelevant."

  "Oh, totally." Marion studied her. "I'm sure it doesn't hurt that your new boss is a hunk and as dumb as a foam blocker."

  Aislin reddened, and she averted her gaze.

  "Let's go get ready for class." Gilda suddenly became determined to avoid a cat fight. Unless Aislin wanted to sign a waiver and join the class, which now seemed even more doubtful. "You're welcome to sit and watch the class. If you have any questions, I'm sure Kane will be happy to answer them later."

  "Thank you." Aislin shot Marion one last scowl before she headed for the row of chairs along the wall.

  Marion stormed down the hallway ahead of Gilda toward the change rooms. "If it helps any, I don't like her either. She's too darn cute, and the whole psychic thing is a bit creepy."

  "What are you doing after class?" Gilda asked.

  "Getting lunch with you." Marion snorted. "Then I'll need to take a nap before I go to work at seven."

  "Perfect. Actually, do you mind if we stop by Miss Claudia's fabric shop after class?"

  Marion's eyes grew wide. "Are you taking up a new hobby?"

  "No, I want to find out more about her plans for street-wide domination and see if I can talk some sense into her."

  "Street-wide domination?" She laughed. "This I need to hear about."

  "Excuse me." Aislin stood behind Gilda, who jumped and sucked in a sharp breath.

  Marion frowned. "Can we help you?"

  Aislin passed Marion a set of keys. "These fell out of your bag when you walked away."

  "Oh. Thanks." Marion set down her bag and pinched the key ring between the tips of two fingers. She examined them as if they could suddenly be contaminated by some dread disease.

  "Did I overhear you say you are going to see Miss Claudia later?" Aislin asked.

  Gilda forced a smile. "That's the plan. Do you know her?"

  "No." She shifted in her stance and tilted her head as she gazed at Gilda. Her eyes seemed oddly glassy and unfocused as if she were going to pass out. "But I'd go see her now, if I were you. She might not be very talkative this afternoon."

  A slow chill crept over Gilda's back as she glanced at Marion. "And why's that?"

  "She might be dead by then." Aislin turned and shuffled away until she disappeared around the corner at the
end of the hallway.

  Marion stared after her. "What the heck was that all about? She looked like she was on some kind of drugs. Did she take something funky after we left?"

  "Maybe." Gilda released her held breath in a rush. "Did she just threaten Miss Claudia?"

  "Sounded that way to me." Marion reached for her bag. "Maybe we'd better follow her."

  Gilda peered across the dojo. "We don't have to. She's still here waiting for Kane. They're going out for lunch after class, remember."

  Marion shrugged. "She knows you don't like her. Maybe she just said Miss Claudia would be dead to see how far she could push you."

  "Maybe, but that's an awfully sick joke, especially for someone who says she's a psychic." She didn't like the knot growing in her stomach as she stared at Aislin. Something about her put Gilda's nerves on edge.

  "Don't let her get to you. She's just some kook."

  "You're probably right, but I still want to go talk to Miss Claudia after class. I'd really like to find out more about her plans for Armadillo Street."

  "Come on. Move it, ladies." Kane stuck his head out the dojo door and clapped his hands. "I'm going to start giving you two push-ups before class if you can't show up on time."

  Marion winced. "I hate push-ups. Good idea to stop by Miss Claudia's though. I need some thread for the new dress I'm making. Hopefully I'll still be able to walk after Kane's done torturing us."

  Gilda turned. "Why are you sewing a dress? You don't even wear dresses."

  "For my big date. Since Razi finally asked me out, I figured I should look even better than usual." Marion nudged her into her spot in the line-up so they could start class.

  The whole reason Marion started taking karate classes was to get Razi to notice her. That she'd actually lost a few pounds and learned some self-defense skills she deemed irrelevant. She'd caught her man.

  All through class Gilda kept one eye on Aislin, who smiled and waved but never once left her chair. In fact, she seemed to sit on the edge of it for at least half the class. Most likely Marion was right, and Aislin had just made the comment about Miss Claudia simply to push her buttons. It didn't comfort her to think somewhere in Sandstone Cove, Miss Claudia was still alive and well and making someone else's life miserable.

  CHAPTER THREE

  After class, Gilda didn't bother to change or even wait until she was outside the dojo before she ran over to confront Aislin. "Why did you say Miss Claudia might be dead by the time we finished class?"

  "What are you talking about?" Aislin's mouth dropped open. "Why would I say something so horrible?"

  "Whoa, girl. Maybe you should wait and talk to her in private." Marion grabbed Gilda's ponytail and pulled her backward across the room. "Do you really want the wrath of both Kane and the supernatural coming down on our heads?"

  Gilda spun around to shake her off. "What am I supposed to do? You heard what she said."

  Marion released her ponytail, but placed her hands on Gilda's shoulders as if to keep her grounded. "Let's get dressed then go talk to Miss Claudia like we'd planned. The farther you stay away from Fairy Girl and her sparkly car, the better chance we have to keep the peace in the universe."

  "Fairy Girl?" Gilda smirked. "Okay, you're right. I was just letting my imagination get the best of me. So what does this new dress of yours look like?"

  "A pile of shiny fabric scraps so far," Marion said. "I need to get some purple thread to sew it all together."

  "Sounds good. We'll stop by the fabric shop and then go for lunch." Gilda held the door open for Kane and Aislin, who thanked her then headed toward a sparkly pink car. She turned to Marion and laughed. "Oh, wow. You weren't kidding. It looks like something a four-year-old would have for her dolls."

  "Uh huh, I told you. There's something really odd about that chick."

  "I noticed Razi wasn't in class." Gilda locked the front door. "He said he would be, then called to say Kane was teaching."

  "When did you talk to Razi?" Marion threw her duffel bag in her car so they could walk the few blocks to Armadillo Street and not have to be concerned with finding parking.

  "He stopped by my house this morning. I guess he saw me working in the garden."

  "Huh." Marion grabbed her wallet and closed the car door. "He never stops by when I'm out in my garden."

  Gilda laughed. "You hate working in your garden. That's why I always have to go help pull your weeds."

  "Only because I have no idea which are weeds and which are flowers. So what do you really think of Kane's new little girlfriend?"

  "Don't call her that." Gilda bristled.

  Marion held up both palms. "Okay then, what do you think of Kane's new employee?"

  "That's not much better."

  "Then let's stick to calling her Fairy Girl or Psychic Chick."

  Gilda chuckled. "Psychic Chick makes her sound too much like a superhero."

  "Fairy Girl it is then. Do you really think she's psychic?" Marion asked. "I mean, anyone could tell me I'd meet a tall, dark, handsome man when I was already with one at the fair."

  "Excuse me?" Gilda stared. "You and Razi went to the town's birthday party together this summer, and you never even told me?"

  She shrugged. "You were busy with Mick after his accident. Razi and I helped the karate students with their demonstrations, he bought me ice cream, and we talked."

  "And I'm just hearing about all this now?"

  Marion winced. "Oh, look. There's Miss Claudia's shop. Oh, darn, it's closed. I guess we have to go for lunch instead. Where do you want to eat?"

  "Closed? That's odd. Why would the store be closed? Technically, it's already after lunch." Gilda's stomach lurched as she looked at the sign on the door of the On Pins and Needles fabric shop. "I thought she had the same hours as Kane's shop? She was adamant about him keeping his hours."

  "Maybe she went to the bank?"

  Gilda charged forward. "I doubt it. She would have put a note on the door to say she'd be right back. At least that's what most people do around here."

  "Most people?" Marion asked. "She starts off as nice then turns into this sneering drill sergeant if you step out of place in her store."

  "A drill sergeant?" Gilda laughed. "That sounds a little extreme. I get she's totally over the top, but she can't be all bad. Can she?"

  Marion held back as Gilda rapped on the glass then peered through the window. "Oh, I don't like this. I really think we should call the police."

  She reached for the door and pushed down on the latch. "It's open. She must have forgotten to turn the sign after terrorizing the neighborhood this morning. I'll bet she's probably in the back room."

  Marion shook her head. "Since you've actually met this woman, I'm guessing you caught her whole control-freak concept, right? She's not the sort to forget to turn the Open sign. Everything she does, she does to perfection."

  "She might forget if someone distracted her." Gilda pushed the front door wide open. "Maybe someone needed to buy something right when she got back?"

  "Or followed her and killed her." Marion grabbed her arm to hold her back. "What if Fairy Girl was right?"

  "Calm down. We won't know until we look inside, will we?" Gilda paused and glanced back. "Are you going to make me go in there alone?"

  "If I have to. Yes." Marion folded her arms across her stomach and blew out a long breath. "No, of course not."

  On Pins and Needles was about the same size as Kane's rock shop, just dotted with a fabric table and sets of shelving filled with carefully arranged ribbons and lace, as well as racks containing spools of thread. Nothing seemed out of place, not even the soft instrumental music drifting through the speakers in the ceiling.

  "Wow." Gilda's eyes widened. "Does she have OCD?"

  "I was thinking the same thing. Everything has almost military precision, doesn't it?"

  "Including the way she walks. Miss Claudia, are you here?" Gilda called. "Hello?"

  Marion took a step to the right and pointed at th
e floor ahead of them. "Wherever she is, she was in a hurry. She left a shoe behind. Why does that remind me of The Wizard of Oz?"

  "The same reason Aislin reminds you of a fairy. You watch too many movies. Most people would probably think of Cinderella first."

  Marion crumpled her nose. "Normally, but Miss Claudia's not the Cinderella type."

  Gilda itched to make a comment about the wicked witch as she crept up on the brown leather sandal like it would try to run at any second. Compared to her own size seven runner, the woman's foot had to be at least a size twelve. Miss Claudia's shoe seemed the size of a small canoe.

  "Wow," Marion said. "That woman's feet are even bigger than mine."

  Gilda crouched to examine the shoe and stopped short. "Oh. That's not good."

  "What?" Marion's voice went up and octave.

  The shoe leaked small drips of blood as it lay abandoned "There's spots of blood on the floor and on the shoe."

  Marion paled. "Blood? I'm outta here. I just wanted a spool of thread."

  "Maybe she got a bleeding nose and ran to the washroom," Gilda said.

  "And left her shoe behind?" Marion squawked. "Oh no. Finding blood was not part of the deal, and it only ever leads to more bad things."

  "Maybe we should call the police." Gilda crept along the floor to follow dot after dot of the rust-colored, still shiny fluid.

  "Good guess." Marion backed away. "What do I tell them?"

  Gilda paused at a narrow white door and swallowed hard. Beneath the door lay a puddle of semi-congealed blood. "Oh, this isn't good."

  Marion sounded breathless. "Gilda?"

  Without answering, she reached for a piece of fabric in a bin marked pre-cuts for quilting and used it to turn the doorknob. Inside the small closet, half full of boxes, sat the fully clothed and bloody body of Miss Claudia.

  Nauseated, Gilda took a couple of deep breaths and guessed from the size of the wound someone had bashed in the left side of Miss Claudia's face with a blunt object. She closed the door as she backed away and tried not to vomit. "Tell them we found Miss Claudia's body."