eye.” The owner returned, lifting the hanger of a dress and cradling the skirt of it with her other hand.
I fell in love with the dress as soon as I saw it. The satiny fabric appeared burnt orange one moment, and the next an olive green. A strip of terracotta orange velvet accentuated the empire waistline perfectly, lacing down the back and ending in a long bow, where the fabric pooled on the floor. Citrine and amber beads decorated the ruched bodice, and sheer sleeves draped the length of the dress. I glanced at the price tag. It was way too expensive for my job-less budget.
“Thank you for showing it to me,” I told the storeowner.
She didn’t move, probably thinking that if she held it up to me long enough, I wouldn’t be able to resist it.
“It’s lovely.” Aunt Avril stood behind me, looking at the dress. She held a ceramic deer in her palm. “Can I purchase this?” The storeowner put the plastic on the dress and hung it on the nearest rack. While Aunt Avril checked out, I pried my eyes away from the satiny material and looked through a collection of faded books.
“Did a Mrs. Saddlebury come in here earlier today?” Aunt Avril asked.
“It’s been busy today. I can’t say for sure.”
“She has platinum blonde hair, almost white, and she might have a stud right here.” Aunt Avril pointed to her right nostril.
“Yes, there was a woman with white hair in here this morning. Very nice. She asked to see every piece of aquamarine in the store, and ended up purchasing my entire gemstone collection, a handful of jewelry, and my authentic dragon figurine.”
“You didn’t notice anything unusual about her coming in?”
“No. But I was certainly pleased to sell such a fine piece.”
“How fortunate.” Aunt Avril held up her own bagged purchase. “Thank you so much for your help.”
We stepped out the door and I filled my lungs with fresh air, glad to be out of the enclosed space. The mountains stretched in front of me from one end of the valley to the other.
“I was right,” Aunt Avril said as we got into the car. “While we were in there the results of the autopsy came back. The tiny bones in Mr. Saddlebury’s ears were out of place. His death was caused by sound pressure. The bones in his ears punctured his brain.”
“Wow.” I really didn’t think that there would be a connection between Mr. Saddlebury and the other victims in Aunt Avril’s investigation. But the fact that his death was also related to ear damage seemed too much of a coincidence.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“I need evidence that Mrs. Saddlebury is connected to her husband’s murder, and the others.” Aunt Avril pinched her lips between her teeth. “But I’m leaving you out of this. If Mrs. Saddlebury suspects that we know as much as we do, things could get dangerous, fast.”
I didn’t say anything. My mind raced, searching for an answer. I was determined to help Aunt Avril get to the bottom of this.
I pulled my hoodie over my head and leaned into the wind, chilled before I walked the few yards from the parking lot to the school.
Mom had kept me busy the past couple of days, helping fill special orders for autumn and Halloween. Boxes of caramel apples and pumpkin-shaped cookies filled every shelf and countertop in the house.
In between dance and schoolwork, I studied the pictures in my sign language dictionary and taught words to a willing Zoey. The next time I saw Rourke, I would talk to him in his own language.
Warm air ushered me into the school, the artificial lighting bright in contrast to the gray autumn weather outside. I shivered inside the gym door, watching the tap class finish up. The room was humid with the heat of dancing bodies and it didn’t take me long to warm up. Rhythmic tapping echoed across the floor, and I beat the steps out in my head.
Ms. Slannon dismissed the class, and the girls crowded next to me, stripping off their shoes while I tied mine on.
I pulled a CD labeled
I fell in love with the dress as soon as I saw it. The satiny fabric appeared burnt orange one moment, and the next an olive green. A strip of terracotta orange velvet accentuated the empire waistline perfectly, lacing down the back and ending in a long bow, where the fabric pooled on the floor. Citrine and amber beads decorated the ruched bodice, and sheer sleeves draped the length of the dress. I glanced at the price tag. It was way too expensive for my job-less budget.
“Thank you for showing it to me,” I told the storeowner.
She didn’t move, probably thinking that if she held it up to me long enough, I wouldn’t be able to resist it.
“It’s lovely.” Aunt Avril stood behind me, looking at the dress. She held a ceramic deer in her palm. “Can I purchase this?” The storeowner put the plastic on the dress and hung it on the nearest rack. While Aunt Avril checked out, I pried my eyes away from the satiny material and looked through a collection of faded books.
“Did a Mrs. Saddlebury come in here earlier today?” Aunt Avril asked.
“It’s been busy today. I can’t say for sure.”
“She has platinum blonde hair, almost white, and she might have a stud right here.” Aunt Avril pointed to her right nostril.
“Yes, there was a woman with white hair in here this morning. Very nice. She asked to see every piece of aquamarine in the store, and ended up purchasing my entire gemstone collection, a handful of jewelry, and my authentic dragon figurine.”
“You didn’t notice anything unusual about her coming in?”
“No. But I was certainly pleased to sell such a fine piece.”
“How fortunate.” Aunt Avril held up her own bagged purchase. “Thank you so much for your help.”
We stepped out the door and I filled my lungs with fresh air, glad to be out of the enclosed space. The mountains stretched in front of me from one end of the valley to the other.
“I was right,” Aunt Avril said as we got into the car. “While we were in there the results of the autopsy came back. The tiny bones in Mr. Saddlebury’s ears were out of place. His death was caused by sound pressure. The bones in his ears punctured his brain.”
“Wow.” I really didn’t think that there would be a connection between Mr. Saddlebury and the other victims in Aunt Avril’s investigation. But the fact that his death was also related to ear damage seemed too much of a coincidence.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“I need evidence that Mrs. Saddlebury is connected to her husband’s murder, and the others.” Aunt Avril pinched her lips between her teeth. “But I’m leaving you out of this. If Mrs. Saddlebury suspects that we know as much as we do, things could get dangerous, fast.”
I didn’t say anything. My mind raced, searching for an answer. I was determined to help Aunt Avril get to the bottom of this.
I pulled my hoodie over my head and leaned into the wind, chilled before I walked the few yards from the parking lot to the school.
Mom had kept me busy the past couple of days, helping fill special orders for autumn and Halloween. Boxes of caramel apples and pumpkin-shaped cookies filled every shelf and countertop in the house.
In between dance and schoolwork, I studied the pictures in my sign language dictionary and taught words to a willing Zoey. The next time I saw Rourke, I would talk to him in his own language.
Warm air ushered me into the school, the artificial lighting bright in contrast to the gray autumn weather outside. I shivered inside the gym door, watching the tap class finish up. The room was humid with the heat of dancing bodies and it didn’t take me long to warm up. Rhythmic tapping echoed across the floor, and I beat the steps out in my head.
Ms. Slannon dismissed the class, and the girls crowded next to me, stripping off their shoes while I tied mine on.
I pulled a CD labeled
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