A Premonition of Murder by Mary Kennedy Read Free Book Online Page B

shock,” I murmured.
    â€œIs there anything new on the case?” Dana asked tentatively.
    â€œNo, I’m afraid not,” I told her. I paused for a moment and then decided to turn the conversation to cheerier topics. Ali is a sensitive soul, and I knew if we talked about Abigail any longer, she would be sad and depressed for hours. “What’s the plan for today?” I asked Dana.
    One thing I love about Dana is her initiative. Give her a project and she runs with it; she’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met. Ali and I were astounded when she told us that her parents insisted she major in criminal justice. They felt that majoring in marketing would limit her job opportunities. I think it was very shortsighted of them because she’s a genius at promotion and would be a valuable asset to any company.
    â€œThe front window,” she said promptly. “Want to see what I’ve done so far?”
    I grabbed my coffee and tagged along after her. The shop wasn’t open for business yet, and I was happy that the three of us had this time together to plan and strategize. I made a mental note that we should meet at least once a week before the store opens and toss around ideas.
    Dana does a wonderful job with the window display—which she rotates—and this month she’s featuring vintage candy posters for Jujubes, Good and Plenty, Jawbreakers, and Necco Wafers. She found the lovely old posters on eBay and mounted them on wooden easels. I made a mental note to reimburse her. Dana will buy supplies out of her own money if I’m not careful.
    â€œWhere did you get the mannequin?” I asked in amazement. I knew I wasn’t imagining things. A tall female mannequin with a frizzy blond ponytail was standing in the middle of the shop window, looking off to the side. She had a saucy smile and one eye was half-closed as if she were winking at passersby. The mannequin hadn’t been there last night when we closed up, so Dana must have brought it in this morning.
    â€œSomeone tossed it in the Dumpster in front of Harold’s, that department store that closed down on Market Street. Can you believe it? A perfectly good mannequin. These things arepricey. I don’t know what they were thinking. I jumped right in and got it.” She brushed a speck of dirt off her sleeve. “Luckily no one had thrown anything on top of it. It must only have been there for a few minutes. I’m so happy I spotted it.”
    I had to chuckle at the thought of Dana Dumpster-diving for us. She will always go the extra mile to do her job.
    â€œVery clever,” Ali said. “And the outfit?” The mannequin was dressed in a turtleneck sweater, a poodle skirt, ankle socks, and saddle shoes. Circa 1955, I’d guess. She had short, straight bangs and reminded me of Kathleen Turner’s character in
Peggy Sue Got Married.
    Dana laughed. “The outfit was left over from a fifties party at Kappa Kappa Gamma. My roommate gave it to me, but she wants it back when we change the display.”
    â€œTell her thank you, I love it!” I never fail to be amazed at Dana’s creativity. The mannequin was holding an aqua blue “princess phone” to her ear with one hand and a Butterfingers bar in her other. “Definitely something that will stop traffic,” I told her.
    â€œI think it turned out well,” Dana said modestly. She took a step back to appraise her work. Next month, Dana will do something completely different; she never seems to run out of ideas. Tourists stop to admire her displays, and then they wander inside to check us out. And they usually end up not only buying a nice selection of candy, but settling down for a light lunch or coffee and pastries.
    Ali and I had decided to expand the shop’s offerings last year, and it was quite a hassle, but worth it. We thought it would be fun and good for business. We were right on both counts. The