Deadly Arrangements (Book Two in the Cozy Flower Shop Mystery Series) (The Flower Shop Mystery Series) Read online

  "So, I'll go home and get cleaned up, and I'll lose this thing," he tugged at his beard. "I might not have time for a haircut, though. There's something I'm supposed to remember about Saturday, something I'm supposed to do. Oh well, I'll think of it. So, beautiful, do we have a date—tonight around six?"

  "I can't wait. Hey, I kind of like those little curls, maybe you should hold off on that haircut."

  "Whatever you say, babe. Your wish is my command."

  CHAPTER TWO

  I rushed back to the flower shop to help Daphne finish some of the closing duties. Saturdays were usually our slowest days at the shop, and I had considered putting the closed sign on the door early, but a slower day was perfect for our newest employee to go it alone for a while.

  Rosie's Posies was still the name of the shop. After all, it was built on my great aunt Rosie's blood, sweat, and tears, not mine. Although, I'd shed my share of all three since I took over from her, especially in the last couple of months. In that short time, I’d been thrown in jail for assault with a deadly weapon, and K.C. had helped me rescue my sister from a psychotic, abusive boyfriend. Oh, and then there was the murder case. Two, actually.

  All that action made quite a commotion in our little town. K.C. and I had become famous. Or is that infamous? Anyway, our new found notoriety seemed to have boosted the amount of customers we were seeing at the store. How being involved in a murder case increases a town’s need for flowers, I’ll never know, but I wasn’t about to complain. I decided I needed to hire extra help. Daphne had appeared at just the right time, and with flower shop experience.

  After going over the day’s sales with Daphne, I told her I would finish up—but didn't tell her why I wanted to rush out of the shop! I buzzed back and forth, closing out the till and doing a quick sweep, but skipped mopping the floors. All the while, my mind hummed with the possibilities of what the evening might hold.

  I couldn't help smiling when I thought about Alex. Not just for the obvious reasons—I did more than smile when I saw him—I practically drooled, although I tried not to in public. But I smiled thinking about him the person, not just him the body.

  I hadn't exactly been trusting when we first met. He knew about my past with an abusive ex and the emotional baggage that came with it. And I admit, I really had hesitated at first. The leap from celibacy to intimacy seemed too difficult to fathom. I hadn’t ever been physically intimate with anyone but the ex-husband.

  So, even as wonderful as Alex was, I had been reluctant to trust him. It wasn't personal—I wasn’t willing to trust anyone—or any man, that is. I was an equal opportunity distruster.

  Deep inside, I knew he was worthy of my trust. It’s just that I was emotionally gun shy, and still, even though I wanted to be with Alex in that way, there was a little voice in the back of my mind reminding me of the pain I had experienced before when I dropped my defenses and let a man get too close.

  But tonight I would be on a mission to silence that nagging little voice in the back of my head. Alex was wonderful, handsome, and lovely in every way. I knew what happened after dinner would be something special. Whatever it turned out to be. I was hopeful for a certain it.

  I placed the closed sign on the front door and retreated to the back to grab my things and shut out the lights. My fingers were poised above the light switch when I heard the front door chime. I looked around the corner hoping to see Daphne returning for a forgotten item. Instead, I saw a familiar face. All too familiar as of late.

  I recognized the unforgettable scent of the favorite perfume of Jacqueline DeMechante. Jacqueline—not Jackie, not Jack-lean, but Jack-will-lean, unless you wanted trouble—was the mother of Jenny McQueen, a sweet bride for whom we were decorating a wedding. Jacqueline’s daughter was getting married a mere two weeks after K.C. and Fred, and we were deep into the preparations for both weddings.

  My nose twitched and the beginnings of an allergy induced headache crept into my forehead. If I hadn't been able to see Ms. DeMechante, I still would have recognized her. She was always preceded by a cloud of perfume which smelled of spice, musk, and exotic places. I might actually have enjoyed the fragrance if there wasn't so much of it. Hours after she’d left the shop we still smelled her. I'm pretty sure she bathed in that perfume.

  “Jacqueline, what a pleasant surprise,” I lied. Ms. DeMechante had made a habit of arriving at the most inopportune times to discuss wedding matters which had already been settled.

  Now, as I was preparing to complete my mission with Alex, it was the most inopportune moment of all time.

  “Ms. McKay, I realize it’s closing time, but I was just driving by…and I’ve been considering our choices in the blue realm…and I’m just so concerned that you didn’t quite get the essence of the tint that I want for Jenny’s wedding.”

  Well since this is the fifteenth time you’ve brought the subject up, I don’t see how it would be possible for me to have missed the ESSENCE of the tint.

  I bit my lip and exercised some super-human restraint. “Well, Jacqueline, I do have the paint chips you brought in from the hardware store for color matching, and we picked the linens out of the catalog together, so I think I’ve got the idea. Would you like to take a look at the paint chips again?” What was I thinking? I was suggesting she prolong her visit?

  “No,” she said. She sighed while collapsing her shoulders, “I suppose I’ll just have to trust you.”

  I fought back the eye roll.

  “I feel confident that you’ve given me the most accurate color sample possible, Jacqueline.”

  “Oh, of course. Well, I suppose that’s all for now.” She placed one hand on her hip, her skinny elbow bending at a sharp angle. Her other arm hung in the air as if she held a long cigarette holder. The figure she cut reminiscent of an Erte silhouette. She swung toward the door with dramatic flair, disturbing the cloud of perfume, re-circulating it throughout the shop.

  I immediately sneezed. And that sneeze was followed by another, and another, until I lost count. Through teary eyes, I saw Jacqueline pivot back toward me, which stirred up the atmosphere again.

  "Is there something else…sneeze…Jacqueline?" I stumbled toward a box of tissues near the phone.

  "Are you sick, Quincy?"

  "No, no. It must be something in the air," I said, annoyed that she asked the same thing every time this happened.

  “You should really find out what's causing your attacks,” she said.

  I blew my nose and grumbled to myself, “Oh, I have a pretty good idea.”

  “You know, Quincy, I just don’t feel secure with the changes we’ve made.”

  What changes? My teeth clenched. If she only knew how long I had waited for this date with Alex. But if I tried to rush her out it would only make her want to stay longer.

  “I really must speak with Jenny and then the two of us shall meet with you again. Perhaps we could bring her fiancé with us. I’m certain he’ll want to be in on the plans too.”

  I was certain he wouldn’t. He'd said as much at the last pointless meeting where we changed everything and then changed it all back to the original.

  “I really don’t think it’s necessary to have a new meeting,” I said, in the sweetest voice I could conjure. "If you’re happy with the ribbons and sashes you’ve already chosen, we can just use those. All of them coordinate with the Nile blue sample you brought in.”

  “But it isn't Nile blue. As I've pointed out repeatedly, it's just Nile. And what about the Lapis? You didn't mention the Lapis. Is there a problem getting Lapis in? I was right. We must meet again.” She turned toward the door. “We’ll come in on Monday.”

  I took a deep breath and pasted a smile on my face. “Alright Jacqueline, we’ll see you Monday.”

  I didn’t bother asking her when on Monday, because she would, of course, come whenever she wanted to, which was always at the precise moment I was most busy.

  I realized Jenny was Jacqueline’s only daughter and that Jacqueline jus
t wanted to provide the best wedding she could. Unfortunately, Jacqueline was an extreme micro-manager with lots of time and money on her hands. I consoled myself with the thought that at least I had helped Jacqueline get out of the house, giving Jenny a momentary break.

  Jacqueline formed her lips into a thin line, and then a kind of undulation, which was probably her closest imitation of a smile. The coral colored lipstick she wore smudged outside the boundaries of her lips and made her forced smile look all the more ridiculous. Her cobalt blue eye shadow, painted at sharp angles to the outer edges of her brow, deepened the shark-like quality of her gaze. She said nothing and elegantly strolled toward the exit.

  Before she had a chance to turn back and start a new conversation, I sprinted to the switch on the wall, and as soon as her back foot broke the plane of the doorway, it was lights out. I had a long-awaited hot date to prepare for and no mom-zilla was going to stop me.

  ***

  It was late when I pulled into my driveway in the zombie van. Zombie Sue had lived through a multitude of fender-benders, at least one hit and run that I knew of, and many dangerous delivery drivers. Not only was she my delivery van, but she was my sole source of transportation. Her odometer had broken long ago, so I had no idea how many miles she had on her. No matter, she was a zombie van. And unless someone cut off her head, she would last forever.

  I’d purchased the Unique Support Item at the bridal shop after Alex left. I would need extra time to maneuver back into it after I showered, but now I had some experience with the mechanics of it all. So what if I missed a few hooks? I didn't think Alex would mind.

  After undressing, I leaned over to turn on the water and shrieked at what I saw. My legs looked like something off of a rarely seen and never photographed urban legend from the woods. I hadn’t shaved my legs since the last time Alex and I had gone out. Apparently he’d been gone a long time. I considered taking a picture of my leg and sending it to Allie to scare her, but I didn’t have time to fool around now, or else I wouldn’t have enough time to fool around later.

  I propped my foot up on the old claw-foot tub so I could shave. The tub was quaint, its sides were deep, and the edge was slippery. My foot slipped off after the second pass with the blade, and I cut myself. As I searched through the linen cabinet for a new roll of toilet paper to dress the wound, I noticed the message light blinking on my cell phone.

  Since I couldn’t stop putting pressure on the bleeding, I hopped over to the vanity on one foot and played the message on speakerphone and then reached for my toothbrush.

  "Hidey-ho there, Boss," came K.C.'s typically cheerful greeting. "I just wanted to see how the dress shopping went. I'm sorry I couldn't be there, but this wedding planning thing is hard work. I feel like a chicken out in the yard after it's head's been plucked. Listen, I know we had plans for the lecture tonight, but I heard your caliente cowboy is back in town, so don't pay me any mind. We'll make a rain check. Ciao!"

  K.C. met her fiancé at a gala after we had installed all the floral decorations. A dead body had been shoved in Zombie Sue while we were there, but thankfully that hadn't had any effect on the start of their romance. She and Fred got engaged less than two months later and had decided to have a big outdoor wedding. They'd chosen a lovely spot at the visitor center at the Wetlands Conservatory, part of the marsh on the banks of the Great Salt Lake. Apparently, Fred was quite the birder and K.C. had taken up the addictive hobby.

  I could've kicked myself for forgetting our plans. I guess my mind was on one track only and that track led to Alex's house and certain activities in his house. I would have to call her back after I brushed my teeth. The next message played.

  "Hey Quince," my heart fluttered at the sound of Alex's voice—I also felt the instinct to cover up, since I was standing there naked.

  Funny that. Given the things I had in mind for my mission with Alex and the preparations I was making, why did I feel the need put on a robe?

  "You won't believe this," he continued, "but I remembered what it was that I was supposed to do on Saturday—I mean today."

  I stopped brushing and scowled at the phone, willing it—or Alex—to stop talking about something that I just knew was going to end up ruining our plans.

  "I got a call a few days ago from my old friend Sam who's in town for the weekend. We worked together back in California. Anyway, we were supposed to have dinner tonight and…well, just call me back when you get this message."

  I nearly choked on my toothbrush. Mission failed. I considered calling him while still in the nude, but figured it would just add to my disappointment. I rinsed, spit, pulled on my robe, and made the call.

  "It's okay. I understand," I said. "I forgot about the bird lecture with K.C. tonight. I guess we were both pre-occupied."

  "Why don't you come with us? I want you guys to meet each other." He sounded sincere, but I didn't want to play third wheel, especially not a sexually frustrated third wheel with something to prove.

  "Well, I should probably keep my date with K.C. Fred’s buddy is the lecturer and one of his groomsmen. K.C. wanted to check out a restaurant for her rehearsal dinner afterwards, too. Maybe I'll meet Sam some other time." I tried not to let the disappointment creep into my voice. I wasn’t particularly thrilled about the prospect of hearing all about the Inland False Booby and its environs, but Fred was jazzed about it, and therefore, so was K.C.

  "How about I cook for you tomorrow night? Sunday dinner. I feel really bad about this, babe. It's just that I haven't talked to Sam in like, three years."

  "Go to dinner with your friend, have a good time. I'll come over tomorrow. It'll be better for everyone this way. Really, have a great night."

  "Okay, you too. You're the best. Bye, Q."

  It just wasn't in the cards for us to have our "big" night, and secretly—I felt relieved. Not that I wasn't ready! Okay, so maybe I wasn't so ready, but I was sure I could get over my hang-ups by morning. And heck, what would be so bad about waiting one more day? It wasn't like I hadn't been waiting for a long, long time already.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The crowd buzzed in the few minutes before the lecture was scheduled to start. I never would have thought this many people would be excited about a bird called the False Inland Booby. The lecture was supposed to have been held at the visitor center at the bird refuge, but the projected crowd was so large the organizers moved the event to Hillside High School, home of the Fighting Farmers.

  "K.C., don’t take this the wrong way, but why are there so many people here? I mean, I just expected a bunch of guys in plaid shirts and cargo pants, with maybe some fly-fishing vests sprinkled in, but the black-rectangle glasses crowd is here too. It feels like we're at an NPR lecture or something."

  Fred leaned over K.C. "There are so many people here because this is a historical event. Jack Conway has discovered a bird that we thought was extinct!" His eyes glinted with excitement. "Jack is going to tell us all about how he sighted the bird and where he was. He was at our own bird refuge when he saw it, but I can't wait to hear the exact location. This is so huge. The international press is here and everything. Jack is world famous now, and just think, he is a member of our local bird society!"

  An older couple came over and started a conversation with Fred. K.C. turned to me. “You know kiddo, birding is a high-stakes hobby.”

  “Really?” I said, waiting for the punch line.

  “No, I’m serious. Take the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, for example. It was considered extinct, but then one day this guy says he saw one. No one in the bird world believed him. In fact, he had some people who went to the press and said they could prove him wrong.” She paused to check on Fred’s conversation, then sat there quietly, looking at the stage.

  “So?” I said.

  “Huh? Oh, sorry, Boss. Where was I?”

  “They said they could prove him wrong…”

  “Oh yes. Well, not soon after that, they found his main detractors dead. They’d been murdered. Co
me to find out, it was the man who says he saw the Ivory Billed Woodpecker. He was willing to kill to keep his reputation intact. Now that’s hard core dedication.”

  I didn’t know if I believed her or not, since she’d been known to spin a yarn or two, but the crowd began to stir as some movement was made in the curtain on the stage. A man in a suit and bow tie approached the lectern and gave an introduction for Jack Conway.

  Jack entered the stage and the audience erupted in applause. He proceeded to tell the tale of the sighting of the False Inland Booby. A large screen rolled down from the ceiling on the stage and a painting of a white bird was projected on it while he spoke. Apparently Mr. Conway had only seen the bird once, and he had no photographic evidence, nor did he have any witnesses. The painting was from a bird book from the 1800’s.

  This lack of evidence seemed puzzling to me. Even in the most basic research papers in high school, we had to state our sources for the information. And I’m pretty sure none of my teachers would have accepted me writing “Because I saw it with my own eyes.” But, as I looked from side to side at other audience members, none of them seemed to show any doubt in their expressions.

  After the lecture the floor was opened for comments and questions. A microphone on a stand was positioned on the floor in front of the orchestra pit. A man approached the mic and introduced himself as Harold Busby. He trembled as he pulled his notes out of his pocket. He took a deep breath before he spoke. I noticed K.C. and Fred shifting in their seats. They looked at each other and K.C. rolled her eyes. Fred shook his head.

  "Blowhard," K.C. muttered.

  Mr. Busby's ruddy skin glistened with perspiration. "We all know that the False Inland Booby is extinct. The last known sighting of this bird was in 1947..."

  "Now hold on, Harold," Mr. Conway interrupted from the podium. "You've known me for how many years? You know I'm not the type to make this stuff up."