Her eyes twinkled. “It must be the fundraiser at the Laurie’s. Is he trying to steal you away from your beau? Perhaps you’ll want to stay here even after your book is done.”
I forced a laugh. “No, no, nothing like that. I’m just going with him as a favor since he’s letting me see Mary’s case file.”
“Sure.” She patted my shoulder like she didn’t believe me. “Now let’s pick out a dress.” She folded her arms over her chest and stared at the door.
I stood next to her and noticed for the first time Martha was a little taller than me. I’d been worried all of her dresses would be too short, but they might actually turn out okay. There was a rusty orange silk gown that could’ve come straight from the set of Scarface.— no thank you . There was a puffy-sleeved, taffeta sea-foam green cocktail dress— um, pass . The last bag was mostly obscured by the other dresses. I nudged the green one away and saw black— now we’re talking . I pulled it off the door for a better look. It was a velvety fifties style bubble dress with tiny rhinestones lining the deep V in the front and back and capped sleeves, not at all my style, but very pretty.
“It was my mother’s.” Martha fingered it delicately.
“Oh,” I started to hand it back. “I don’t—I shouldn’t—”
“All it’s doing is collecting dust in the basement.” She pushed the dress at me. “Just try it on. See if it fits.”
It felt like I was playing dress up, but I agreed. I went into her bathroom and slipped off my black thermal shirt and pulled the dress over my head, leaving on my jeans. It was a tad loose, but not too bad. I walked out hesitantly.
Martha gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth. “Lovely.” She ran over to her closet and started digging around again.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn’t look like me. It was very nice, but I couldn’t imagine actually wearing this in public, especially tonight. I looked like someone who didn’t mind another person telling her that he loved her. “It’s very pretty, Martha. But it might be too much for tonight—”
“Nonsense,” her muffled voice came from the closet. “You look stunning. You’ll be the prettiest girl at the party.”
“I don’t want to be the prettiest girl at the party,” I mumbled.
Martha held up a pair of black shoes victoriously. “Try these on. “
“What size are they?”
“An 8.”
Damn it. Even the shoes would fit. Why couldn’t I just go to the mall and get a nice pants suit like a normal girl? I pulled my sock off and slipped on the soft black pump, holding my jean’s leg so I could see it better.
“There.” Martha clapped. “Without the pants and a little hair and makeup, and you’ll be perfect. “
I glanced at my watch. I didn’t have time to go to the mall if I wanted to take a nap and go to the police station. Plus, it would hurt Martha’s feelings if I didn’t wear her dress. I looked in the mirror one more time and ran my hand down the garment. It was lovely.
“Thank you. You’ve saved me so much time.”
After putting my own clothes back on, I took the dress to my room and carefully hung it on the bathroom door. I set the alarm on my phone and lay down for a quick nap.
A rustling and a soft thhrrppt sound made me open my eyes. The dress was off its hanger and puddled on the floor. I got out of bed and hung it again. I stood back and watched, making sure it was securely on the hanger this time. The door creaked and shifted enough I could see an odd haze in the bathroom, like I’d taken a shower. Frowning, I went inside and flipped on the light. The air was cold and moist, but the window was shut tight. A cold finger traced across my shoulders and “help me” appeared on the mirror in scrawling letters. I swallowed back the fear and didn’t run.
“Mary?”
Energy built around me and it felt like something was going to happen at any moment when there was a sharp knock on my bedroom
I forced a laugh. “No, no, nothing like that. I’m just going with him as a favor since he’s letting me see Mary’s case file.”
“Sure.” She patted my shoulder like she didn’t believe me. “Now let’s pick out a dress.” She folded her arms over her chest and stared at the door.
I stood next to her and noticed for the first time Martha was a little taller than me. I’d been worried all of her dresses would be too short, but they might actually turn out okay. There was a rusty orange silk gown that could’ve come straight from the set of Scarface.— no thank you . There was a puffy-sleeved, taffeta sea-foam green cocktail dress— um, pass . The last bag was mostly obscured by the other dresses. I nudged the green one away and saw black— now we’re talking . I pulled it off the door for a better look. It was a velvety fifties style bubble dress with tiny rhinestones lining the deep V in the front and back and capped sleeves, not at all my style, but very pretty.
“It was my mother’s.” Martha fingered it delicately.
“Oh,” I started to hand it back. “I don’t—I shouldn’t—”
“All it’s doing is collecting dust in the basement.” She pushed the dress at me. “Just try it on. See if it fits.”
It felt like I was playing dress up, but I agreed. I went into her bathroom and slipped off my black thermal shirt and pulled the dress over my head, leaving on my jeans. It was a tad loose, but not too bad. I walked out hesitantly.
Martha gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth. “Lovely.” She ran over to her closet and started digging around again.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn’t look like me. It was very nice, but I couldn’t imagine actually wearing this in public, especially tonight. I looked like someone who didn’t mind another person telling her that he loved her. “It’s very pretty, Martha. But it might be too much for tonight—”
“Nonsense,” her muffled voice came from the closet. “You look stunning. You’ll be the prettiest girl at the party.”
“I don’t want to be the prettiest girl at the party,” I mumbled.
Martha held up a pair of black shoes victoriously. “Try these on. “
“What size are they?”
“An 8.”
Damn it. Even the shoes would fit. Why couldn’t I just go to the mall and get a nice pants suit like a normal girl? I pulled my sock off and slipped on the soft black pump, holding my jean’s leg so I could see it better.
“There.” Martha clapped. “Without the pants and a little hair and makeup, and you’ll be perfect. “
I glanced at my watch. I didn’t have time to go to the mall if I wanted to take a nap and go to the police station. Plus, it would hurt Martha’s feelings if I didn’t wear her dress. I looked in the mirror one more time and ran my hand down the garment. It was lovely.
“Thank you. You’ve saved me so much time.”
After putting my own clothes back on, I took the dress to my room and carefully hung it on the bathroom door. I set the alarm on my phone and lay down for a quick nap.
A rustling and a soft thhrrppt sound made me open my eyes. The dress was off its hanger and puddled on the floor. I got out of bed and hung it again. I stood back and watched, making sure it was securely on the hanger this time. The door creaked and shifted enough I could see an odd haze in the bathroom, like I’d taken a shower. Frowning, I went inside and flipped on the light. The air was cold and moist, but the window was shut tight. A cold finger traced across my shoulders and “help me” appeared on the mirror in scrawling letters. I swallowed back the fear and didn’t run.
“Mary?”
Energy built around me and it felt like something was going to happen at any moment when there was a sharp knock on my bedroom
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