hatchback named Blueberry. Hollis got the Lexus because he sold real estate and he insisted he had to look successful to be successful. Blueberry got great gas mileage and was cheap to insure and a breeze to park even in the tightest of places, but in the ten minutes that it took me to drive from the police station to my house the Chevy got more attention than little olâ Blueberry ever did. I locked the garage, and BW and I strutted ourselves inside to get the Prissy Fox ready for the day.
I pulled on my usual shop garb of black capris and a white blouse, clipped my hair back, and swiped on some mascara and lip gloss as BW watched me from his new favorite spot out in the hall. We went downstairs and I got the cash from the safe, also known as the rocky road icecream container in the freezer. I transferred the money to the cash registerâalso known as the Godiva chocolate box sans chocolate, but it still smelled great when I made a sale.
I flipped the lights on and turned on my little radio to WRHQWR105, the quality rock station, hoping to hear more Adam Levine. I kept the volume low as background music and then opened the front door.
ââBout time,â a blonde gal in Saksâ finest huffed as she and her clone bustled inside the shop. âYou know how long Iâve been waiting out there on that miserable porch with the hole in the roof? Ten whole minutes. What kind of shop is this?â
One that doesnât open till ten and right now itâs nine thirty
, I thought to myself. Not that I said that out loud, as the customer is always right . . . even if they canât tell time or read the hours posted on the door. âAre you shopping for something in particular that I can help with?â I asked in my sweet-shop-owner voice.
Four eyes rounded and clone one gasped, âYou think
we
shop at a secondhand store?â They exchanged looks, sighs, and shoulder rolls all at the same time, as if rehearsed. Clone two thrust a list at me. âWeâre here on business. There are a lot of menâs clothes here, nice ones. How much will I get for them, and Iâll need them sold right quick.â
âThese are good brands, but menâs clothes donât move as fast as womenâs. It will take a month, maybe two.â
âSee, Anna,â clone two said to clone one as she hitched her Prada bag up onto her shoulder. âI told you so. This isnât going to work. You need something else to tide you over till the lawyers settle the estate and you get the money free and clear.â
Clone one tapped her foot. âThat means Iâll just have to live off the credit cards? But a girl needs cash; itâs not proper for her not to have cash in hand. What will people think if I have to fork over a credit card all the time? This is a disgrace, Bella. What am I going to do?â
Anna? Bella? The gold-digger sisters?
âIâm so sorry about your husbandâs passing,â I offered.
âOh, honey,â Bella huffed. âHeâs not dead . . . yet. But a girlâs got to be prepared for these things if they should come her way unexpected-like. Iâm just getting affairs in order for when the time comes sooner or later.â
âAnd we are so hoping and praying for the sooner part,â Anna added.
âFact is, weâre off to see Odilia right now on how we can hurry the situation along a bit,â Bella said.
âHeâs critical and you donât want him to suffer?â
âThings are critical all right, and Iâm doing the suffering.â Anna tsked, her face pulling into a frown. âI cannot believe that Walker Boone person tried to convince our husbands to change their wills like he did and make our inheritance proportional to years married. Of all the nerve! What if they go and do such a thing? How dare that man stick his nose into our business? He so deserves to be behind bars.â
Two customers