The Glitter End, page 24
The exhibition of Tilly Tay’s work had been reopened tonight, festively, at the Lodge, with drinks, snacks, live music, and dancing. Ray had said it was fitting, as Tilly deserved a nice night out after all she had been through. She was allowed to live in her van on the Lodge’s grounds and have breakfast at the hotel each morning. She had more color on her cheeks now that her troubles were over, and Buddy was tripping along cheerfully by her side. Every now and then, he dashed off to find Nugget, and they chased each other under the display.
“To think we believed it held a precious secret,” Hazel said with an eyeroll.
Delta laughed. “It might have. VanderHurst certainly suggested it by ransacking the van and coming to Mrs. Cassidy’s house once Buddy was there. We all believed that Tilly held something valuable and was somehow connected to the pyramid scheme.”
She bit her lip a moment, sadness washing over her as she remembered VanderHurst’s callous words when he had been caught by Jonas. “He used the pyramid scheme victims all over again by letting the police believe the murder might have been an act of revenge. He knew victims were on Weatherspoon’s trail because he had told him so before he died. Poor Cheryl Remington and Adam Baker, playing right into his plan by their appearance at the police station to find out what Tilly knew about the money.”
“But at least, with VanderHurst’s arrest, they have a real chance of getting their money back,” Hazel said optimistically. “That should be some consolation.”
“I only hope it doesn’t take ages. Bureaucracy can be a real pain,” Delta observed. “But, still, the prospect of finally reaping the reward of all their efforts must cheer them up. And Mrs. Cassidy told me that Marjorie Brenning wants to support them, free of charge. I hope that, with the right help, they can put that dark time in their lives behind them.”
Sven LeDuc appeared by their sides and toasted them with his half-full glass. “I just had a lovely chat with Tilly Tay,” he said. “I’m running her life’s story as a special feature for the next three Saturday editions. She has been to so many fascinating places, and she also told me she puts clues in her work. I want to know all about that.” Before they could even respond, he walked off to tell his news to someone else.
Ray passed him with a short greeting and extended a hand to Hazel. “Care to dance?”
Hazel flushed and looked at Delta. Delta pulled the glass from her friend’s hand and said, “Off you go.” She smiled as she watched Ray guide Hazel to where other couples were swaying to the music and put his arms around her. It seemed Hazel was a bit more open to the idea of a relationship.
She checked her watch. It was close to ten-thirty. Jonas had texted her that he was busy with preparations for Paula’s wedding and couldn’t make the exact opening hour, but he would do his very best to drop in later that night. Now she had a sinking feeling he wasn’t coming at all.
“What a wonderful night.” Gran stood beside her. “George is off to top up our drinks.”
“Champagne goes to your head, you know,” Delta said with a smile.
Gran held her gaze. “I know you’re thinking, what is this, with a man suddenly stepping in and taking my grandmother away from me? But I will always love you, Delta, no matter what happens with George and me. I do want to find a place for us to live together. I’m not moving in with him. Or marrying him. At least not right now.”
Delta’s eyes widened. Marrying? Was Gran really thinking about that? She took a deep breath. “I think the major is wonderful after he saved Jonas’s life. But he did say something once I found rather peculiar. I mean, we hardly know him. It’s best to be a little cautious of who you let into your life.” This wasn’t coming out the way she had planned it. She had meant to talk to Gran about it in a loving tone and show she understood but was also concerned.
Gran’s eyes stayed tender. “I do appreciate your concern, Delta, but I know the full story. George told it to me.”
“What full story?”
“Of this woman who spreads rumors about him. Who is convinced he’s some trickster, after old ladies. He said it’s sad that she believes that and won’t be persuaded otherwise, not even after the police told her that she is wrong.”
“They didn’t tell her she is wrong,” Delta corrected. “They told her that they had no evidence of his involvement in anything shady.”
“That’s the same thing to me,” Gran nodded firmly. “I implicitly trust George. He’s a good man. Else he would not have risked his own safety to protect you and Jonas. For my sake.” Her smile deepened. “He’s a wonderful man. And I feel very lucky I met him.” She reached out and caressed Delta’s cheek. “Enjoy tonight, honey.” Then she turned away.
Delta watched her walk off, light on her feet, rushing toward the man, who handed her a fresh drink and offered her his arm. It was nice to see Gran well cared for and happy. But, deep down inside, Delta knew that what her grandmother had said wasn’t true. That, even without evidence, people could be criminals. Just think of the decent investment banker Virgil VanderHurst who had been free, living a life of luxury all those years when his brother-in-law had been in prison for the crimes they had committed together.
“Surprise, surprise…” A hand covered her eyes a moment and then pulled away. She turned to face Jonas. He smiled at her and held something up with his other hand. It was a long paper-wrapped parcel. “A present for you.”
“For me? Why? It’s not my birthday.”
“But you got shopkeeper of the season. You got it, and then you earned it again by exposing the real killer and clearing Tilly Tay’s name.”
“I did that with a lot of help from others. You, foremost.”
Jonas put the parcel in her hands. “Open it.” He seemed a bit nervous, moving his weight from one foot to the other.
That rubbed off on Delta, and her mouth was dry as she folded the wrapping paper away. It was a long dark box with a jeweler’s name on it. She opened it and saw a silver necklace resting on blue cottonwool. On the end was a small pencil with a single clear diamond forming the tip.
“I thought it was very appropriate for the owner of a stationery shop,” Jonas said.
Delta looked up with a wide smile. “It’s so pretty. Thanks. But you need not have…”
“Shhh, don’t say it.” Jonas picked the necklace from the box and held it up. “May I?”
Delta collected her hair off her neck, and Jonas put the necklace on her, securing it carefully. As the pencil dropped to her skin, her heart did a little dance. A present from Jonas, something he had picked especially for her.
She touched it a moment and then threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “Thanks so much. I love it, and I will wear it every day.”
As she stepped back, there was a moment of breathless silence between them, as if there was more to be said. More to be done as well?
Jonas leaned down and brushed his lips over hers very gently. He inched back to look her in the eye and wait for her response. Delta reached up to run her hand down his cheek. “I should have done this when we were at the cabin. But I didn’t have the nerve. You’re amazing.” And she kissed him.
Everything around them faded, and it was just the two of them, finally giving in to what they had known much longer. That they shared a special connection. That they were meant to be together.
Something bumped against Delta’s legs, and she woke from a daze, tearing herself away from Jonas with difficulty and looking down. It was Buddy, scratching his paw across her leg, asking for attention. Oh, yes, she was at a party with people around her, laughing and talking and celebrating Tilly Tay’s success. Flustered, she scooped up the chihuahua and said to Jonas, “Let’s find Tilly. She’s the guest of honor, and I have barely spoken to her.”
Putting his arm around her waist, Jonas walked beside her, and Delta felt like everyone could see she was wearing his necklace. It wasn’t a ring or anything, and it didn’t mean that he had…that he would…but, still, it made her very happy.
Standing in a corner, with Noel by her side, Tilly welcomed them, reaching out for Buddy. As she took him in her arms, he rested his head in her neck and licked her. Tilly sighed in satisfaction. “You have made everything right. The display looks perfect here, and I love being able to use some of the hotel facilities. Noel offered to play tennis with me sometime when it doesn’t rain for a change.”
“And I’d love to show you deer.” Jonas winked at her. “Might inspire some miniatures?”
Tilly grinned. “I’m certainly inspired by my stay here.” She put her hand in her jacket pocket and pulled out something she handed to Delta. When it rested on the palm of her hand, Delta saw it was a mini version of Wanted’s sign. “That’s too cute. Thanks so much.”
“Thank you for all you did. You helped me come to terms with part of my past I had never fully dealt with. I’m sorry my husband died. I hadn’t wanted Bob to be killed, and I don’t want to think of his final moments. But it always bothered me the money had never been recovered. Now, with Virgil’s arrest, it will be and can be given back to his victims. And people won’t whisper anymore that I had anything to do with it. A shadow that hung over me for so many years has been lifted, and I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“We just did what we had to do,” Delta said. “Because we’re friends here, and we stand together.” She let her gaze wander the crowd, detecting the Paper Posse members and their families. Yes, she had so many friends here, and she felt right in place. She was hopeful about the future, even if it was the dry season for a bit. They would make it through together. They would enjoy life in their little town with the heart of gold.
Don’t miss out on any of the Stationery Shop Mysteries! Read on for an excerpt from
Chapter One
Even though the sign of her destination was already in sight, calling out a warm welcome to Tundish, Montana, “the town with a heart of gold,” Delta Douglas couldn’t resist the temptation to stop her car, reach for the sketchbook in the passenger seat, and draw the orange-and-gold trees covering a mountain flank all the way to where the snow-peaked top began. From this exact point, their autumnal glory was reflected in the water of a clear blue lake that stretched without a ripple. Delta could just see this image reproduced on wrapping paper, notebooks, or postcards.
Until today, all her ideas for her own line of stationery products had lived only in her sketchbook, hidden away in her bag while she worked hard at her regular job as a graphic designer for a large advertising agency. But on Delta’s thirtieth birthday, Gran had handed her an envelope. The elderly lady had had a mysterious smile that had made Delta’s heart race. Leaning over and pecking her on the cheek, Gran had whispered, “Why wait until I’m dead? You’re my only granddaughter, and I’d rather have you spend it now, while I’m still here to see what you do with it.”
Inside the envelope had been a check for an amount that to some people might have represented a trip around the world, a boat, or the down payment on an apartment. But for Delta, it had symbolized independence—a way to leave her steady but stressful job with too many tight deadlines and finally do what she had always dreamed of: start her own business.
During summer holidays at Gran’s as a little girl, Delta had sat at the kitchen table for hours drawing her own postcards, experimenting with watercolors and crayons, charcoal and felt-tips. Gran had arranged for her to man her own stall at the church fair and sell off her creations. It had been amazing to see her work bring in actual money. Some locals had even placed orders with her for Christmas cards, which she made back home and sent out to Gran to distribute. That sense of accomplishment had always stayed with her, and in her free time, she had continued to draw, cut, and paste with purpose, creating a portfolio of fun ideas that brightened her days. And suddenly, with Gran’s gift, her own stationery shop was finally within reach.
It hadn’t taken Delta long to take the plunge: she handed in her resignation at the agency in downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming, and crossed off the days until she could clear her desk, clean out her apartment, and drive away from the city she had called home for more than seven years. With every mile of her two-day road trip to the Bitterroot Valley, she had felt more excitement rush through her veins. She was now officially her own woman, ready to take a leap of faith and dive into a brand-new adventure in the small community tucked away at the foot of these glorious mountains.
Delta breathed in the spicy air, which still carried the warmth of summer. The sun was high in the sky, and the wind that had been tugging at her car during the ride had finally died down. She felt almost hot in her thigh-length knit vest, black jeans, and boots. Sneakers would have been better, but they were safely packed up in the trunk with the rest of her limited luggage. Since she had rented a furnished apartment in Cheyenne and donated to a charity shop most of the small stuff she didn’t want to lug around, she hadn’t had to pack a lot of things for the move. Just clothes, her many sketchbooks, pencils and other drawing materials, and laptop. In Tundish, she’d move in with her best friend from college, Hazel, who ran the stationery shop where Delta was going to be co-owner. Her heart beat faster just thinking about it. Her own shop, and the freedom to design products for it. She couldn’t wait to get started. Having put the sketchbook with her brand-new autumnal design back on the passenger seat, she hit the gas and zoomed into town.
Tundish had been developed when settlers migrated to Montana for gold and logging. Most houses were made of wood and built in a sturdy Western style, some with dates carved into the front, placing these builds firmly within the nineteenth century. The word gold appeared everywhere: in street names, on signs pointing in the direction of an old mine site or to the gold-mining museum. However, Delta wasn’t looking for gold. She was on a hunt for something even more precious: the old sheriff’s office that housed the shop of her dreams.
Painted powder blue with black trim, the building sat on Mattock Street like a dependable force. It still had the hitching post in front where riders had tied up their horses before storming in to bring word of a bank or train robbery. The faces of the culprits had soon appeared on wanted posters between the barred windows, and even today, such posters were on display, but they no longer advertised the faces of notorious bandits, instead sporting the latest offering in stationery supplies: collectible erasers, washi tape, notebooks, and planners. A chalkboard on the sidewalk invited everyone to a Glitter Galore workshop on Friday night at the Lodge Hotel with a note at the bottom stating: All materials included and mocktails to celebrate the results. Sounded like a ton of fun, and Delta would be there.
Her eagerness to take in everything as she drove past had reduced her speed to about zero, and behind her, a car horn honked impatiently. Waving apologetically at the driver, who probably couldn’t even see it, Delta accelerated and passed the neighboring hardware store and grocery shop, spying a parking lot beside the town’s whitewashed church. She left her car there, then walked back the short stretch to the stationery shop’s invitingly open doors. Over them, a wooden plank carried the name WANTED in tall letters burned into the wood, underlining that Western vibe. Delta grinned to herself, anticipating Hazel’s expression when she saw Delta amble in. She could have called when she was almost there but had decided a surprise was that much more fun.
When she was a few feet away from the doors, her friend darted out of the entrance with a bright-yellow paper arrow gingerly held between the fingers of her outstretched right hand. Whirling to a stop in front of the wanted poster advertising notebooks, Hazel tilted her head to eye the poster, her blond bob swinging around her ears. She positioned the arrow over the right edge of the paper, moving it up and down as if to determine the perfect spot to stick it on. It read two for one.
Delta said, “That probably means I’ll buy four. Do co-owners get a discount?”
Hazel swung around and whooped, the arrow still dangling from her finger. “Delta! I hadn’t expected you yet.”
She rushed to Delta and hugged her, then stepped back and held her by the shoulders, looking her over. “It’s been too long. I mean, we did chat and all that, but it’s not the same as a real meeting in the flesh. I can’t believe you’ll be living here now! The guest room at my place isn’t all that big, but you can find something for yourself soon enough, once leaf-peeping season is over, and the cottages aren’t all rented out to tourists who want to snap pictures of the trees.”
“I’m in no rush to find something,” Delta assured her. “Rooming together will be just like college.” She surveyed Hazel’s deep-orange blouse, chocolate-brown pants, and green ankle boots. “Wow, your outfit is fall to the max! Are there boutiques in town with clothes like that?”
“Sure.” Hazel pointed across the street. “Right beside Western World, with all those Stetsons and boots on display, we have Bessie’s Boutique. I’ve got a closet full of their pants. They’re the perfect fit, and that’s so hard to find. Besides, the owner is a friend of mine, so I get first dibs on all the new stock.”
“Sounds great. Can I meet this friend?”
“Soon enough. She’ll be attending our first workshop together.” Hazel gestured at the chalkboard.
“Glitter and mocktails. Sounds posh.” Delta nodded at the cocktail glasses drawn beside the workshop title.
Hazel laughed. “On Friday nights, the Lodge Hotel offers live entertainment for the guests and the locals. A big band for dancing, that sort of thing. This Friday night, it’s their gold miners’ annual party, a sophisticated affair that’s a throwback to the hotel’s heydays when tourism was just beginning to boom. It’s really fun, and I thought we should have the workshop tie in to that. Of course, we’ll be in our separate space, away from all the high-profile guests dancing the night away, but hey, at least we’ll be able to breathe the glam atmosphere.”
