Skating Under the Wire: A Mystery (Rebecca Robbins Mysteries) by Joelle Charbonneau Page A
Authors: Joelle Charbonneau
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eating the entire tin of cookies, I opted for relieved and said, “Okay. Let’s get to work.”
Wow, was it work. My dress fit okay—if you didn’t notice that the designer assumed I would be wearing stilts. Erica’s dress was more of a challenge. While Erica had broad shoulders and the kind of chest most centerfolds paid top dollar for, my derby friend was still several sizes smaller than the original owner. The dress had enough excess material to reupholster the couch, which might not be a bad idea. The shiny, dark purple taffeta would look better as cushions than as a gown. On the other hand, the Hawaiian-looking floral pattern Danielle’s mother-in-law had lobbied for would have been worse. If I was going to wear mutant flowers, I preferred to be doing it on a beach.
Erica stood perfectly still as Tilly poured all her alterations skills into making the dress fit. Tilly pinned, poked, pulled, and looked like she was going to cry on at least three separate occasions before the appointment ended. The only measure that prevented a full meltdown was a promise that my grandfather would drop by later to serenade her. Even though the female senior population’s attraction to my grandfather wigged me out, I was not above using it to keep a grown woman from crying.
As soon as Erica was back in her own clothes, I made the next appointment and hustled us both out onto the sidewalk.
“Now what?” Erica asked as the door closed behind us.
“Now we give Tilly a couple of days to recover before going for the next fitting.”
“I wasn’t talking about the dress.” Erica laughed. “What’s the next step in the investigation? We have a thief to catch.”
We?
Erica was an awesome skater and a great friend, but the last time she tagged along to help investigate, property damage was involved. We were lucky to escape without a criminal record after I paid for a replacement window. Erica’s assistance was expensive. With Christmas fast approaching, my bank account was strained enough.
“I have to get back to the rink,” I said, huddling near the wall to avoid the wind. “We have two school groups coming in for holiday parties this week. I want to make sure everything is ready. Then I can focus on beating Sean at solving the case.”
Erica smiled. “I bet the hunky defender of justice won’t mind losing if it scores points with you. You’re lucky. Two hot men to juggle. I have a hard time dealing with one. Although mine is worth the effort. Archaeologists really know how to use their hands.”
Erica liked insisting that Sean’s frustration with me was more sexual than job-related. Every time I tried to convince her she was mistaken, she described Sean’s sexiest qualities. I blamed it on her day job. Erica wrote romance novels. After I found that out, I ordered all of her books. The woman was aces at describing the male anatomy, which was why I wanted to avoid another Sean dissertation now. Hearing about Sean’s rippling abs freaked me out.
“I’m glad things are working out with you and Xavier. Is he going to be your date for the wedding?”
Erica’s smile faltered. “I hope so. His team finished the excavation and is heading home. Without dirt to dig in, I don’t know how much time he’ll be spending around here.”
Erica’s head dropped, and my heart squeezed. Erica needed a distraction from her relationship woes. “Do you want to come back to the rink with me? You can skate while I get some work done, and then we can eat the rest of these cookies.”
Erica’s smile told me the answer was a resounding yes.
The rink was hopping when we arrived. Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” blared from the speakers as a large portion of the Indian Falls High School population skated counterclockwise while laughing, flirting, and falling. Erica raced to the locker room to shed her winter wear. When she skated onto the floor in her EstroGenocide uniform, the teens cheered.
Confident that Erica wasn’t
Wow, was it work. My dress fit okay—if you didn’t notice that the designer assumed I would be wearing stilts. Erica’s dress was more of a challenge. While Erica had broad shoulders and the kind of chest most centerfolds paid top dollar for, my derby friend was still several sizes smaller than the original owner. The dress had enough excess material to reupholster the couch, which might not be a bad idea. The shiny, dark purple taffeta would look better as cushions than as a gown. On the other hand, the Hawaiian-looking floral pattern Danielle’s mother-in-law had lobbied for would have been worse. If I was going to wear mutant flowers, I preferred to be doing it on a beach.
Erica stood perfectly still as Tilly poured all her alterations skills into making the dress fit. Tilly pinned, poked, pulled, and looked like she was going to cry on at least three separate occasions before the appointment ended. The only measure that prevented a full meltdown was a promise that my grandfather would drop by later to serenade her. Even though the female senior population’s attraction to my grandfather wigged me out, I was not above using it to keep a grown woman from crying.
As soon as Erica was back in her own clothes, I made the next appointment and hustled us both out onto the sidewalk.
“Now what?” Erica asked as the door closed behind us.
“Now we give Tilly a couple of days to recover before going for the next fitting.”
“I wasn’t talking about the dress.” Erica laughed. “What’s the next step in the investigation? We have a thief to catch.”
We?
Erica was an awesome skater and a great friend, but the last time she tagged along to help investigate, property damage was involved. We were lucky to escape without a criminal record after I paid for a replacement window. Erica’s assistance was expensive. With Christmas fast approaching, my bank account was strained enough.
“I have to get back to the rink,” I said, huddling near the wall to avoid the wind. “We have two school groups coming in for holiday parties this week. I want to make sure everything is ready. Then I can focus on beating Sean at solving the case.”
Erica smiled. “I bet the hunky defender of justice won’t mind losing if it scores points with you. You’re lucky. Two hot men to juggle. I have a hard time dealing with one. Although mine is worth the effort. Archaeologists really know how to use their hands.”
Erica liked insisting that Sean’s frustration with me was more sexual than job-related. Every time I tried to convince her she was mistaken, she described Sean’s sexiest qualities. I blamed it on her day job. Erica wrote romance novels. After I found that out, I ordered all of her books. The woman was aces at describing the male anatomy, which was why I wanted to avoid another Sean dissertation now. Hearing about Sean’s rippling abs freaked me out.
“I’m glad things are working out with you and Xavier. Is he going to be your date for the wedding?”
Erica’s smile faltered. “I hope so. His team finished the excavation and is heading home. Without dirt to dig in, I don’t know how much time he’ll be spending around here.”
Erica’s head dropped, and my heart squeezed. Erica needed a distraction from her relationship woes. “Do you want to come back to the rink with me? You can skate while I get some work done, and then we can eat the rest of these cookies.”
Erica’s smile told me the answer was a resounding yes.
The rink was hopping when we arrived. Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” blared from the speakers as a large portion of the Indian Falls High School population skated counterclockwise while laughing, flirting, and falling. Erica raced to the locker room to shed her winter wear. When she skated onto the floor in her EstroGenocide uniform, the teens cheered.
Confident that Erica wasn’t
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