A Dastardly Death in Hillbilly Hollow (Ozark Ghost Hunter Mysteries Book 3) Read online

  “Hi, Suzy!” Phoebe said, air-kissing both Suzy’s cheeks before turning to me. “And our maid of honor! Good to see you, Emma. Are you here to help our gorgeous bride here make her final selection?” Bright white teeth shone from between lips that were the most perfect hue of rosy pink lipstick.

  “I certainly hope so! We’re getting so close, I think it’s now or never.” I winked at Suzy.

  “Well, Suzy, I have your fitting room all set up for you, and I took the liberty of putting some undergarments appropriate to the dresses in there as well. You are a 34C, aren’t you?” she said with confidence.

  “I don’t know how you could know that, but yes!” Suzy looked at me, clearly impressed at Phoebe’s fashion skills.

  “Now, Emma, can I get you anything? Cucumber water? Or some champagne perhaps?” she asked me as she graciously flipped a perfectly manicured hand toward the large, cream-colored settee near the three-way mirror.

  “Water would be great, thanks!” I replied and sat, waiting for Suzy to try on the first gown.

  I flipped idly through my phone, and sipped on the refreshing bottle of cucumber water one of the shop assistants had brought over to me. After a few minutes, Suzy emerged in a long, slim dress with a trumpet skirt. It had a halter neckline, and an embroidered bodice in a filigree design. She stepped out of the dressing room, looked at me with her eyebrows raised, and stepped up onto the little stage that was in front of the three-way mirror.

  “What do you think?” she asked, spinning around.

  I cocked my head to the side, then stood up, standing in front of her to inspect the dress further. I crossed one arm over my chest, and rested my other elbow on it, tapping my lip as I considered the style.

  “Well, on the one hand, it shows off your figure and you look a-mazing in that cut,” I said.

  “Thanks…but…” Suzy shrugged. She knew as well as I did this was not the dress.

  “But, it doesn’t feel like you, as silly as that sounds. If it were navy blue and you were wearing it to a ball, I’d say go for it,” I replied.

  “Yep, I’m just not feeling it. Just as well,” she said. “This was the most expensive one. Okay, on to number two.” She hopped off the stage and disappeared into the dressing room.

  As I sat and waited for Suzy to put on the next dress, I realized there was someone in one of the other fitting rooms at the far end of the bridal boutique. Suzy had the largest, most luxurious dressing room, but then again she was looking at some of the most expensive dresses in the store. The bride-to-be in the fitting room at the far end was being attended to by a clerk who was periodically bringing in additional dresses, and telling her the prices, indicating she was someone who was not used to spending without regard to price. Still, I saw the assistant take in several of the higher-end gowns from the racks near Suzy’s fitting room.

  Suzy emerged in the second gown, which was a sleeveless sheath dress that went to the floor, with a plunging V-neck. She stepped onto the stage and looked at her backside in the mirror. “This one’s not bad,” she said, hesitantly.

  “No, not bad.” I looked her up and down. “You look amazing, obviously.” Seriously, she had the best figure of anyone I knew, and her blonde curls made her look somewhere between Marilyn Monroe and Shirley Temple, depending on what she was wearing.

  “It’s just too…too…something,” she replied, turning from the mirror to me. “Don’t you think?”

  “It’s too New York. You look like you just stepped out of your Fifth Avenue penthouse,” I replied. “It’s not you.”

  She gave a small sigh, and disappeared once more into the dressing room.

  Trying to see if I could spot a glimpse of the other bride, and wondering if it was someone we knew, I perused the dresses on the racks closer to the front of the bridal gallery. I saw a pretty one with a sweetheart bodice and a mesh lace overlay across the top and sleeves, and took it from the rack, almost absent-mindedly holding it up in front of myself in the mirror.

  “You know,” I heard Suzy’s voice behind me, “we could be shopping for your dress, and it could be your big day we’re planning if you’d just give a guy a chance.”

  I turned to find her standing in a strapless tea-length gown with a full skirt, her hands on her hips, smirking.

  “What? As if. I was just killing time,” I said, hurriedly putting the dress back on the rack. “Besides, I’m not dating anyone and there aren’t exactly tons of eligible single guys in Hillbilly Hollow. Oh, unless you count the widowers down at the VFW.” I gave her a smile that was dripping with sarcasm.

  “There don’t have to be tons. There’s one, and he’s the right one. A certain handsome doctor is absolutely crazy about you, Emma. And I think you’re crazy about him too. You’re just too darn stubborn to do anything about it.” She cocked an eyebrow up at me.

  “Um, no. Absolutely not. I’ve known Billy since we were in diapers. We’ve been best friends, the three of us, our whole lives. Even if I were…I mean if I did…if it didn’t work out, I’d lose him forever, and I don’t think I could stand that.” I shook my head. I had too much going on to be getting involved with someone, not to mention something as complicated as going out with my best friend in the world.

  “I know how stubborn you can be, Emma, but let me just say this. All this time – all those years you were gone, and he never dated anyone seriously. When you came back, it was like Billy woke up all of a sudden. He would never do anything to hurt you, but I’ve gotta tell ya, I don’t think he’ll wait for you forever. If you don’t make a move, someone else will, and you might lose him forever anyway. No woman is going to want his first love hanging around even if she is in the friend zone.” She rolled her eyes at me playfully, then grinned. “So, can we stop talking about your love interest for five minutes and talk about this dress?” She winked at me.

  “Oh, by all means. Let’s get off the topic that you started in the first place!” I laughed.

  “So, what do you think?” she asked, twirling in a manner that befitted the full, playful skirt.

  “You look like a princess…” I started.

  “But…?” she asked.

  “But a Cinderella princess, not the royal family kind. I’m afraid that one’s a pass,” I said.

  “Argh!” She let out a noise of aggravation. “Okay, last one coming up, and if it’s bad, we have to try on all of these,” she wagged her finger above her head in a circle, pointing to all the dresses in the shop, “again, so brace yourself.”

  I sat back down and continued sipping on my cucumber water. Suzy had to let this matchmaking business go. I couldn’t risk losing my oldest friend in the world. Although, she had a point. If he fell in love, got married even, she sure wouldn’t want me hanging around. I thought briefly about the prospect of no longer being able to hang out with Billy and Halee, the best pup in the world, grilling burgers in the backyard. I thought about how he was always available when I called, unless he was with a patient, and how a woman in his life would change all that. I put down the cucumber water, suddenly feeling a little uneasy in my stomach.

  Suddenly, the curtain of the dressing room at the front of the bridal gallery opened, and a woman stepped out, looking at herself in the large wall mirror. I could hardly believe my eyes. It was Prudence Huffler! Prudence, the mousy little organist from the Mount Olivet church. She had been in a bad way after Preacher Jacob had been murdered a few months before. People were genuinely worried about her. The quilting circle ladies helped her mother, Margene, keep an eye on her around the clock for weeks. I had seen Prudence several weeks later at the Flower Festival auction when I bought the ill-fated banner that turned out not to be the work of Melody Campbell, but rather of her granddaughter, Mel. Prudence had seemed in much better spirits then, winning her bid for a banner I had originally had my eye on.

  Today, there was no hint of sadness about her. She even looked different. Her skin, always having carried a bit of a sickly pallor, was bright and pink. Her
eyes shone as she admired herself in the mirror, and the dress revealed a cute figure I had never known was hiding under her frumpy, matronly outfits. She smiled at her own reflection, not noticing me in the back of the boutique, and disappeared back into the fitting room.

  A moment later, Suzy came out in the fourth and final dress. My mouth fell open when I saw her, and I knew there would be no need to try on every other dress in the store. It had a princess top, similar to the last one, but with a delicate lace overlay interwoven with the tiniest pearl beads. The skirt was a ball gown style, with layers of tulle underneath, and a taffeta overlay. The hem of the skirt had a delicate embroidered pattern that matched the lace of the bodice, with the same tiny pearls placed here and there throughout the design. It fit like it was custom made. Suzy was stunning.

  She stepped up on the stage, and looked in the mirror, and her eyes immediately began to tear. “Is it – am I…” she started to ask, looking at my reflection as I stood behind her.

  “Oh, Suzy! It is! You are going to be the most beautiful bride this town has ever seen. You look unreal.” I realized then that my eyes were tearing up a little as well. “Honey, I am so happy for you!”

  She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “Am I ungracious if I say I’m happy for me too?” We both laughed. “I’m going to marry the most wonderful man in the world, and I’ll have my best friend beside me when I do. How did I ever get so lucky?”

  Just then, Phoebe reappeared and said, “Okay then, go get out of it before you get mascara on it. I’ll have it steamed out and it will be ready to pick up on Wednesday.” She smiled.

  “How’d you know this was the one I was taking?” Suzy asked.

  “Tears, darling! If a woman sees herself in a dress and cries, she’s ready to get married, and that’s the dress to do it in!” She gave a soft chuckle.

  “Now, as for you,” Phoebe said, turning to me. “Let’s try on your gown to make sure it fits properly and we don’t need to make any alterations. It’s in the fitting room next to Suzy’s.” She gave me a little nod.

  I walked into the dressing room and as she had done for Suzy, Phoebe had hung appropriate undergarments next to the dress, and they were just my size. She was good. Suzy had decided on navy and silver gray for her wedding colors. I was appreciative, as the navy dress was one I could get away with wearing at a party or another event, not that there were many fancy events in Hillbilly Hollow, but one never knew, I supposed.

  My dress, like the one for Suzy’s cousin Penelope, the other bridesmaid, had a sweetheart neckline, similar to that of the dress that Suzy ultimately chose for herself. The skirt was a little fuller at the hips, with a slight gather, then tapered into a pencil shape toward the hem. I typically didn’t wear anything completely strapless, but I had to admit, the color looked nice with my dark hair spilling in curls down my back, and I felt very glamorous.

  “Come on out! Let us see!” Suzy called through the curtain.

  I slipped into the heels that Phoebe had left in the room for me, also the perfect size, and stepped out of the dressing room.

  “Oh. My. STARS, Emma! You look gorgeous, hon!” Suzy exclaimed when she saw me. “Step up and look in the mirror.”

  I stood on the little stage and turned around, admiring how the dress emphasized my modest curves, making me look ultra-feminine.

  “It’s pretty great, huh?” I said. “Great job picking it out, Suzy. I love it!”

  “Great, now I have to invite Dr. and Mrs. Parker to the wedding,” she said with a sigh.

  “The dentist? Why do you say that?” I asked.

  “Because. Billy’s the only doctor in town, and when he sees you in that, he’s going to have a heart attack, and I want someone with at least some kind of medical training on hand.” She laughed hysterically.

  I rolled my eyes. “Good grief, Suzy! You simply cannot stand to not get your way! So freakin’ bossy! I might need to have a long talk with Brian and make sure he knows what he’s in for!” We both laughed.

  Chapter 4

  Suzy and I had so much fun picking out the accessories for her dress, I had completely forgotten about Prudence until we were back at Suzy’s shop.

  “I can’t believe I forgot to say something earlier,” I said, “but you’ll never believe who was at the bridal shop trying on gowns when we were there. Prudence Huffler.”

  “Shut up!” Suzy exclaimed. “Are you messing with me right now?”

  “I am not. She walked right out of the dressing room in one, and was looking at herself in the big mirror. She never even saw me. She did sort of look over her shoulder toward the front a couple of times, like she was nervous. I was way in the back, though. She would never have known I was there. But you know what? She looked good. Really good. Happy,” I said.

  “You don’t think…I mean, she took Preacher Jacob’s death pretty hard. I didn’t think she’d ever recover, if I’m honest. She couldn’t have, I don’t know, snapped or something, could she?” Suzy said tentatively.

  “Surely not. I mean, the last time I saw her she looked in much better spirits,” I said, then a cold chill ran up my spine thinking of the spirit of Preacher Jacob who had visited me, not to mention Melody Campbell.

  “Well, let’s think about this, now. If she didn’t snap, and we haven’t heard any gossip about a wedding, that can only mean one thing.” She looked at me as if I should follow her thought process and after a moment, I shrugged, having no idea what she meant. “A secret engagement?” she asked.

  “No! You think so? But to who? I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her give anyone any notice,” I replied.

  “I don’t know,” Suzy said. “But I bet if we dig around enough, we can find out!” She clasped her hands together, rubbing her palms together like an evil villain.

  “That was just a bit too enthusiastic, you know,” I said.

  “What do you want me to do, Emma? There’s a limit to how much excitement Hillbilly Hollow has to offer.” She chuckled.

  “So, let’s talk about something more fun! How are those honeymoon plans coming?” I asked.

  “Well, Brian asked me if he could handle that to help out, since I basically kicked him out of most of the wedding plans.” She giggled. “He told me to make sure my passport was up-to-date, and to pack a swimsuit! I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!” she said.

  “Hmm, really? You do like to be in charge most of the time. You’re okay with him booking a whole trip with no input from you whatsoever?” I smiled playfully.

  “Kinda crazy, huh? I mean, yeah, I usually want to know everything. I mean, who are we kidding, I usually like to be in charge of everything. But with Brian…” She looked off for a moment and smiled. “I mean, I just know he’s got my back. I have no doubt how much he loves me, so I trust him.” She shrugged.

  We chatted for a bit longer, and I agreed to meet Suzy the next day at the bakery for round three of cake tasting. Brian had already weighed in on his favorites, apparently, and now it was my turn to give an opinion which I had no doubt Suzy would ignore only to make her own choice anyway.

  Back home, I had dinner with my grandparents and watched some TV before going upstairs. With curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to do an online search, and see if Prudence’s name was on any registries, or even in an engagement announcement somewhere. If she were dating someone from the next town over, we would never know, after all, and who could say if she had met the love of her life after losing the man for whom she’d had unrequited love for so long. I shoved my curiosity to the back of my mind, and pushed through some additional work I needed to finish up.

  I visited the freelance website to deliver my last two projects, and change my status to on vacation, when I found another job had popped through to my inbox. Worried about the time I had available over the coming days, I opened it to find it was a simple request for some custom wedding invitations. Fall weddings were in the air, it seemed. Lara, the buyer, was from Tampa, Florida, and sent
me images of a couple of styles she liked, along with the details of her wedding, and a photo of her and her fiancé. She reminded me a little of a younger version of myself. She was petite with long, dark, wavy hair. Her fiancé was tall, broad-shouldered, and handsome with black hair and tanned skin. I replied to her that her order would be on the way shortly, updated my vacation settings, and was able to get her wedding invitations completed in no time at all. I even gave her a second design at no extra cost – my wedding gift to the adorable couple.

  I closed my computer and stepped over to the window, opening it to look out at the beautiful sky of the early autumn night. It was that perfect time of year where the days were comfortably warm, and the evenings were cool. I took a big lungful of fresh country air and smiled before closing the window and climbing into bed.

  I skipped my usual full breakfast the next day, knowing I would spend the afternoon at the bakery with Suzy tasting wedding cake varieties. I loved the bridesmaid’s dresses that she had chosen for me and Penelope, and mine fit perfectly – I intended for it to still fit when Saturday rolled around.

  Grandma had been canning the last of the summer fruit, along with some of her vegetable crops and making pickles all week. The manager of Farm King let the women’s auxiliary set up a small booth outside the store on weekends to sell their homemade wares to support the local charities they sponsored. I helped her clean up the jars, add labels, and box everything up. I was going to drop them at the store when I went to town, where they would hold them for the weekend.