Black and Blueberry Die (A Fresh-Baked Mystery Book 11) by Livia J. Washburn Read Free Book Online Page B

Startin’ out, I used to pretend that there really was a Paul and he owned the place, but as our clients came to know and trust us and rely on us, I gradually dropped that fiction. There wasn’t really any need for it.” She changed the subject by continuing, “I hope Aurora here took good care of you, Phyllis.”
    Clearly, she was one of those women who was on a first-name basis with everybody right away.
    “She certainly did,” Phyllis replied. Aurora still stood there, arms crossed over her chest now, not actually glaring but looking none too friendly. Phyllis thought about letting things go for the moment, but instinct told her to push just a little more. “I’m afraid I upset her, though.”
    “Oh?” Pauline arched perfectly plucked eyebrows. “How did you manage to do that?”
    “She asked about Roxanne,” Aurora said.
    Pauline looked surprised. Phyllis said quickly, “I only asked about her because my friend was fond of the way this Roxanne did her hair. I had no idea there had been a...a tragedy of some sort.”
    There, she thought. That made it sound like she didn’t know what had happened to Roxanne.
    “Well, I’m sure you didn’t mean anything by it,” Pauline said. “You understand how it is, though...You work with somebody and something terrible happens to them, it’s a little hard to forget about it and move on.” She paused. “We’ve done the best we can, though.”
    “Of course. I won’t take up any more of your time. I can see that you’re awfully busy...” Phyllis gestured vaguely toward the salon’s main room.
    “Did you make an appointment for later on, in case nothing comes up sooner?”
    “No, actually, I forgot.”
    “Take care of that, would you, Aurora?” Pauline said. It was phrased as a request and the redhead’s voice was still honeysuckle and magnolias, but Phyllis thought she heard some underlying steel in Pauline’s tone. The way Aurora scuttled back behind the desk and started tapping on the keyboard told Phyllis that Pauline was accustomed to quick responses from her employees.
    “How about...two weeks from next Wednesday at one o’clock?” Aurora asked without looking up.
    “That’ll be fine,” Phyllis said. She didn’t know if she would keep the appointment or not. For one thing, she hadn’t asked what the prices were here. But it wouldn’t hurt to have the appointment. She could always cancel it later.
    Aurora wrote the date and time on a reminder card and handed it to her. Phyllis thanked her, and Aurora managed to work up a perfunctory smile.
    “We’ll see you then, if not sooner,” Pauline said brightly as Phyllis turned toward the outer door.
    “Yes, thank you. Goodbye.”
    She stepped outside and saw that Sam was already in the pickup. He had his phone out and was looking at it. Probably checking his e-mail or maybe reading one of his old Western novels, she thought, knowing that he had an e-reader app on the phone. He still preferred the scent of decomposing paper and dust, as he put it whenever he inhaled the aroma of a 50-year-old paperback, but being able to read on the phone sometimes came in handy, too.
    “Find out anything?” Phyllis asked as she climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door.
    “Just that the stores around here are on the fancy side,” Sam said. “Most of ’em seem aimed at the ladies, but there’s a menswear joint down at the other end of the shoppin’ center. I went in there and pretended to be lookin’ for a new suit. They were eager to help me out, but the fellas I talked to didn’t know anything about a murder down here at the beauty shop. One older man said he remembered it happenin’, but that’s all. The other two were younger guys and weren’t even workin’ there when Roxanne was killed.”
    “You didn’t buy a suit?” Phyllis asked with a smile.
    Sam shook his head and said, “Nope. I’ve got a good funeral suit, in case I have to go to one that’s formal enough to need it. These