see if the cat eyes had been misplaced, but they weren’t there.
“What?” Sean stood behind me peering over my shoulder. “Gotta love the shelving.”
“Did you take the strand of beads?” I had a handful of strands clutched in my fists, shaking them at his smug face. “Did you kill Doug Sloan? Did you try to frame me? ”
One of the strands came unfastened and the beads fell and bounced all over the floor.
We both bent down to catch them at the same time and our heads smacked together.
“Ouch.” Sean stood up rubbing his head. It was too late. The beads were lost in The Under. “No. I don’t even know what a beaded eye looks like.”
“Cat eye beads!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “You’re as dumb as a…”
“Enough, Holly.” Nervously he ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t do it. Don’t you believe me?”
Unbelievable. Did I believe him? There was a time that I trusted him, until I’d caught him in a few too many lies.
“Have you ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?” I glared at him, and walked over to the counter with Sean on my heels.
I knew he hadn’t killed Doug. But who had?
“Looks like we’re both suspects.” He muttered, coming eye to eye with me, both hands planted on the counter. He turned his head as the bell above the shop door rang, signaling someone had come in.
“Hi, let me know if you need any help.” I winced when I saw them.
The two ladies from this morning were back.
“The sign does say open.” They both pointed to the door with the sign.
They liked to look at the beads and a thumb through some of the beading books. Whenever I asked them if I could help, they politely said no and went on their way without buying a thing.
I nodded. “Yes, we are now open.”
I turned back to Sean. He was staring at the place on the floor where Doug’s body had been.
“Well, you’re the one who had a fight with him in public the night he was killed.” I whispered through gritted teeth.
“Shhh.” His neck craned, looking at the two women hovering over the charm selections. “I’m telling you, I didn’t do it.”
The plumper of the two women glanced over her glasses, making eye contact with me, and then quickly looked away. She tapped her friend on the arm and they made a beeline for the door.
“Thank you!” I shouted in a sarcastic tone. “This isn’t the place or the time to talk about this. That’s two sets of customers you ran off.”
“You believe me don’t you, Holly?” Sean asked.
“Depends.” I said. “Give me your grandmother’s chandelier.”
He pulled back and stood as straight as a pin. His chest heaved with frustration.
“Never, Holly Harper!” Sean yelled, and then turned to leave. “I’d rot in jail before I’d give you that heirloom.”
“Then you don’t need me to get you off the hook. Get your dead grandmother to help you!” I screamed at the back of his head before he slammed the door.
I wasn’t sure what the right time and place to discuss how the two of us are murder suspects would be, but it definitely wasn’t right then. Even though I knew those two women weren’t going to buy anything, I still wasn’t happy he’d run them off with all his whispering.
I was beginning to regret not taking Jim up on his free surveillance installation. He’d said the camera was all I would have to pay for, but who’d steal from a bead shop? More importantly, who would want to pin a murder on me?
Chapter Fourteen
I didn’t accomplish anything after Sean left. My mind was in no shape to bead, sort, or stock. I even sent Marlene home after she came back from getting her coffee. People shuffled in and out all day asking all sorts of questions about how to make a bracelet or earrings, but most of the banter was about the murder of Doug Sloan.
Marlene had called to say she wouldn’t be able to make it to the Divas’ meeting tonight, which put me in a bad spot, because she was the one who was supposed to be
“What?” Sean stood behind me peering over my shoulder. “Gotta love the shelving.”
“Did you take the strand of beads?” I had a handful of strands clutched in my fists, shaking them at his smug face. “Did you kill Doug Sloan? Did you try to frame me? ”
One of the strands came unfastened and the beads fell and bounced all over the floor.
We both bent down to catch them at the same time and our heads smacked together.
“Ouch.” Sean stood up rubbing his head. It was too late. The beads were lost in The Under. “No. I don’t even know what a beaded eye looks like.”
“Cat eye beads!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “You’re as dumb as a…”
“Enough, Holly.” Nervously he ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t do it. Don’t you believe me?”
Unbelievable. Did I believe him? There was a time that I trusted him, until I’d caught him in a few too many lies.
“Have you ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?” I glared at him, and walked over to the counter with Sean on my heels.
I knew he hadn’t killed Doug. But who had?
“Looks like we’re both suspects.” He muttered, coming eye to eye with me, both hands planted on the counter. He turned his head as the bell above the shop door rang, signaling someone had come in.
“Hi, let me know if you need any help.” I winced when I saw them.
The two ladies from this morning were back.
“The sign does say open.” They both pointed to the door with the sign.
They liked to look at the beads and a thumb through some of the beading books. Whenever I asked them if I could help, they politely said no and went on their way without buying a thing.
I nodded. “Yes, we are now open.”
I turned back to Sean. He was staring at the place on the floor where Doug’s body had been.
“Well, you’re the one who had a fight with him in public the night he was killed.” I whispered through gritted teeth.
“Shhh.” His neck craned, looking at the two women hovering over the charm selections. “I’m telling you, I didn’t do it.”
The plumper of the two women glanced over her glasses, making eye contact with me, and then quickly looked away. She tapped her friend on the arm and they made a beeline for the door.
“Thank you!” I shouted in a sarcastic tone. “This isn’t the place or the time to talk about this. That’s two sets of customers you ran off.”
“You believe me don’t you, Holly?” Sean asked.
“Depends.” I said. “Give me your grandmother’s chandelier.”
He pulled back and stood as straight as a pin. His chest heaved with frustration.
“Never, Holly Harper!” Sean yelled, and then turned to leave. “I’d rot in jail before I’d give you that heirloom.”
“Then you don’t need me to get you off the hook. Get your dead grandmother to help you!” I screamed at the back of his head before he slammed the door.
I wasn’t sure what the right time and place to discuss how the two of us are murder suspects would be, but it definitely wasn’t right then. Even though I knew those two women weren’t going to buy anything, I still wasn’t happy he’d run them off with all his whispering.
I was beginning to regret not taking Jim up on his free surveillance installation. He’d said the camera was all I would have to pay for, but who’d steal from a bead shop? More importantly, who would want to pin a murder on me?
Chapter Fourteen
I didn’t accomplish anything after Sean left. My mind was in no shape to bead, sort, or stock. I even sent Marlene home after she came back from getting her coffee. People shuffled in and out all day asking all sorts of questions about how to make a bracelet or earrings, but most of the banter was about the murder of Doug Sloan.
Marlene had called to say she wouldn’t be able to make it to the Divas’ meeting tonight, which put me in a bad spot, because she was the one who was supposed to be
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