Lavender Lipstick Lies: A Mystery of Makeup & Mayhem by Mary Maxwell

Robert had to repeat the news three times before I
actually understood what he was saying.”
    “Who is he?” demanded Emma.
    “Reed Dalton,” I said. “After they
got married, Amanda kept her maiden name. And I haven’t seen him or thought
about him in years.”
    “I vaguely remember you talking
about him a long time ago,” Emma said. “But, anyway—back to what you were
telling us, Abs.”
    I glanced at Felicia Gold. She was
listening carefully with a neutral expression on her face.
    “Okay,” I continued. “Amanda is
married to Reed, and he used to bully me mercilessly with some other boys. They
were actually expelled for a week after one particularly vicious stunt that
involved anonymous posters in the hallways at school.”
    Emma gasped. “Like the notes you’ve
received here this weekend?”
    I nodded. “Kind of like that,” I
said. “Back then, I was shy and timid; other kids were always teasing me about
my weight and my glasses and my frizzy hair.”
    “But look at you now, dear,”
Felicia said. “You’re absolutely stunning!”
    “Thank you,” I said. “I’ve worked
hard over the years.”
    Emma patted my shoulder. “She
really has, Mrs. Gold. Abby’s done an amazing job of taking care of herself,
both inside and out.”
    “Please, dear,” the Splendora
executive said as she smiled at Emma. “Call me Felicia.”
    “Well, it’s true,” Emma went on.
“Abby’s my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were sixteen. And, to
be honest, in all those years, I’ve never, ever heard her tell one fib.”
    Felicia raised an eyebrow. “Never,
ever?”
    Emma shook her head. “Cross my
heart,” she offered with a smile. “She’s had her ups and downs like everybody
else, but she’s never stooped to the level that Amanda Woodworth has by making
these threats with her anonymous notes.”
    For a few seconds, Felicia Gold
nodded her head. It was like she was sifting through everything we’d told her
about the notes written in Lyrically Luscious Lavender along with my suspicions
about Amanda. I’d never met the Splendora founder. But after hearing her speak
at all of the other annual conferences and reading her autobiography, I felt
like she was one of the most honorable women I’d ever come across. After
building her business from a one-woman shoestring operation run from a kitchen
table to an international empire worth billions of dollars, Felicia remained
down-to-earth and honest.
    “Here’s how I interpret the
situation,” she said finally. “Abby, you truly are a remarkable woman. And you
embody the essence of Splendora with your independence, commitment and hard
work. As one of our finalists for Achiever of the Year, you’ve demonstrated
impeccable skill and exemplary care for your clients.”
    I felt my cheeks go red. “Thank
you, Felicia. That’s really kind of you to say.”
    She tilted her head and smiled. “Well,
it’s actually very easy to say, because it’s the truth.” She paused and
the grin on her face softened into a neutral expression. “And, as you know, the
truth is based on facts and tangible elements, not supposition and
speculation.”
    “Meaning that my accusation against
Amanda isn’t true?”
    Felicia frowned slightly. “That’s
not at all what I mean, dear. I simply believe that you will need more than
feelings and conjecture to prove that she is responsible for the unsettling
threats and unsubstantiated allegations about you and your husband.”
    “More than feelings?”
    “Yes, I’m sorry,” Felicia said. “We
can’t arbitrarily accuse her of doing these things without proof.”
    As she continued explaining what
she meant, an idea flickered in my mind. I wasn’t a detective or crime scene
investigator, but I’d always loved shows that involved cracking difficult
criminal cases and identifying perpetrators through clever twists and tricks.
It seemed like my idea might work to unmask the person behind the threats. I
ran the scheme