0.5 Bead Of Doubt Read online

  This novella is dedicated to my critique group, Cathy Liggett, Heather Webber, Hilda Linder-Knepp, and Shelley Shephard Grey. Without you gals, this story idea wouldn’t have been so much fun to write. Thank you for your support, friendship, coffee, and laughter.

  I would be remiss not to mention my wonderful, amazing, and supportive family. Eddy, Austin, Brady, and Jack, at the end of the day you guys are the only thing that matter to me. I love you.

  Bead of Doubt

  By

  Tonya Kappes

  Copyright © Tonya Kappes 2011

  The moral right of this author has been asserted.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Bead of Doubt

  A Divorced Diva Mini-Mystery

  Tonya Kappes

  Chapter One

  The Beaded Dragonfly.

  I smiled as I read the black letters on the light pink awning hanging over the storefront doors. The dragonfly with the beaded tail was the cutest mascot. I squeezed the shop key in my hand. This was it. It was the first time since my divorce that I’d done something for myself. Something just for me.

  The sign was just the first step. Today was the day the beat-up old building was going to become the home of my new bead store.

  I checked my watch.

  7 AM.

  I looked down the street to see if I saw any of the Divas, but nothing was in site, other than Willow and a snow covered road.

  “Come on, girl.” I tugged Willow’s leash while I stepped up on the front step. “Come on.”

  Willow snorted and waddled closer to the step. Her goose down jacket was a little snug around her belly, and it crinkled up when she walked. She perched her right hoof on the step as though she was posing for one of those pig calendars you see at the calendar stand in the mall.

  She snorted again, letting me know there was no way she was going to stretch her little pink body any more than she had to.

  I should’ve known better. I had one hell of a time getting her to walk through the snow to the car, much less walk up steps.

  “All right.” I picked her up. “We need to go on a diet.”

  She was a tad bit heavier than she should be, but she’s a pig. Aren’t they supposed to be fat?

  I on the other hand, really did need to lose weight.

  After getting divorced from dumbass, I decided I was tired of watching what I ate until I had to go to the elastic department in the clothing store.

  There’s nothing more humbling than buying your first pair of elastic jeans.

  I wrestled with Willow in one arm while trying to jiggle the old key with the other.

  “The lock is a little tricky when it’s cold out.” Ginger snuck up behind me and was standing on the sidewalk with a broom and mop in her hands.

  Not a good sign.

  She held them up in the air. “We didn’t have time to clean it after we got all the junk out of it.”She propped the cleaning supplies in the corner by the door and took the key from me.

  “I’m so glad you are here.” I said.

  I could always count on my best friend, Ginger Rush Sloan, and her family owned the building.

  “Do you think the Divas would leave you high and dry on one of the biggest days of your life, outside of your divorce?” Bernadine Frisk had her long crimson hair pulled back in a high pony with black fur earmuffs, creating poofs on the sides of her head.

  Standing behind her was a shivering Flora White, whose ivory skin blended into the snowy background, and an eighty-year old Agnes Pearl holding a coffee pot.

  “Well, come on.” Agnes shimmied up the step. “Let’s get this cleaning party started.”

  I’ll never forget the night I met Agnes, Ginger, Flora, and Bernadine. I was going through my nasty divorce with what’s his name, and we had just had a fight. I left our house with nothing but the clothes on my back. Just like a sign, and I believe in signs, but this was a real sign planted in the Baptist Church lawn. It read: Divorced? Lonely? Come on in. Divorce Support Group meets here at 7 PM on Monday nights.

  Low and behold, it was 7 pm on a Monday. I whipped my little Ford Focus into the parking lot and followed the signs. Everyone there had a story similar to mine, but not everyone wanted revenge like me. Well. . .except Ginger, Flora, Bernadine, and Agnes. We instantly formed a little group, The Divorced Divas. An apt name for five fabulous women in their forties and beyond.

  We decided to take our little group of five and meet on our own after Diva Flora took my suggestions of revenge a little too far and got a visit from Noah Druck, Swanee’s finest cop. She had broken into her ex-husband’s house and cut the armpits out of his designer button-downs shirts, all fifty of them.

  We’ve met in libraries, restaurants, and at each others’ houses. But after a while, the community began to wonder if we were a bunch of terrorists or disgruntled women going through a midlife crisis.

  I had to do something for income because asshole’s alimony didn’t even begin to cover my groceries, much less rent on a building. The alimony might be enough if I cut back on my food, which I’ve obviously found comfort in.

  “Ta da.” Ginger made spirit fingers once inside.

  Willow ran wild with dust flying up behind her. I flipped on the light switch just inside the door. Only the lights didn’t come on. I flipped it on and off, just in case there was a short. Nothing.

  Suddenly, there was a loud racket outside. We all turned to see what all the noise was. Asshole’s truck was puttering through the unplowed street.

  “What’s he doing here?” Bernadine asked while peeling off her long black gloves. “Doesn’t he know we Divas don’t need him?”

  Bernadine was right, but I was still glad to see him. After all, he did own Sean’s Little Shack handyman service. And if anyone needed service, it was me and these lights.

  “Morning, ladies.” Sean smiled that fantastic smile that made me fall head over heels in love with him a mere ten years ago, and held out a box of coffee from the local coffee shop. “I thought you’d need some coffee, but by the looks of things you just might need a handy man too.”

  He pointed the magnetic sign on his truck. His logo included a picture of a little shack.

  “Yes we could.” Bernadine’s attitude had turned on a dime. “And do you think you could look at these lights.”

  Ginger nudged Bernadine.

  “What?” Bernadine shrugged. “I need coffee.”

  Sean grabbed his old toolbox out of the bed of the truck, and moseyed up the steps.

  “How are you, Ms. Pearl?” He nodded as he passed Agnes. “No need for that coffee maker. I got you some fresh coffee right here. And I must say, I love what you’ve done with your hair.”

  “Liar.” I mouthed as he walked past me.

  Poor Agnes’ hair was as blue as the sky. For some reason Pearl’s hair dresser can never fix her hair without turning it that old lady blue. But Agnes can hardly see, so I’m sure she didn’t even know her hair was the color of cotton candy.

  Sean smiled again before being surrounded by the Divas.

  Chapter Two

  “What are you doing here?” I said through gritted teeth.

  He was never involved in the marriage, why would he want to be part of my life after the marriage.

  “Just seeing where my investment is going.” Sean took a drink of his coffee then looked around at the completely empty dark and dusty building. “Hmm. . .so when are you opening this joint?”

  I had to admit it was hard to imagine the dusty old place was getting ready to be one of the busiest stores in Swanee.

  “Vision, Sean, vision.” I assured him. “Besides, this has no
thing to do with you or an investment.”

  “Of course it is, baby. I write you that monthly check.” He said, reminding me of the lack of alimony.

  “You mean the invisible money that I haven’t seen since summer?” I asked, trying to embarrass him in front of the Divas.

  “I admit it’s been slim with Doug Sloan taking all the jobs, like Ms. Pearl’s.” Sean made sure he said it loud enough for Agnes to hear him.

  “Honey, I might be a little blind, but I’m not deaf,” Agnes said. “And I’ve already talked to you about that.”

  Agnes put her fingers up to her mouth as to sush Sean. After all, Ginger was Doug’s sister. Everyone in town was well aware of the shoddy remodeling job Doug had done at Agnes’ from the large blinking billboard sign in her front yard telling all of Swanee that Doug Sloan was a thief who stole from an old women.

  Sean had become known as the clean-up guy who charged pennies on the dollar to fix whatever Doug Sloan screwed up.

  “I know all about my brother.” Ginger said through a puff of dust she was trying to sweep into the dustpan Flora was holding. “Flora, hold that still.”

  “Hold on a second.” Flora said to someone on her cell phone.” “This is exactly why I have a maid. I don’t normally do these things.”

  Flora continued to talk on her phone while Ginger tried to sweep more dust into the dustpan.

  Flora was never without her cell phone. She had something to say at all times and she didn’t care who she said it to as long as they were listening.

  “How are you going to open the shop without lights?”The corners of Sean’s mouth and eyes turned up in an evil grin.

  I sure hated when he was right, which wasn’t often, but in this case, he was.

  “About that.” I walked back over to the light switch. “Do you think you could fix them?”

  I followed closely on his heels. This was not his investment and he had nothing to do with it. Thankfully Ginger and her husband Jim had let me rent the building from them for mere pennies. I could live in the apartment above the shop and keep an eye on business.

  “I’ve got the answer.” Sean walked out the door and all the Divas stared at his rear-end.

  “Do I need to remind you four of the reasons I’m divorced and part of this group?” I waggled my finger in the air.

  “We agree with you, but we aren’t dead.” Agnes leaned her head a little more to the side to get a better view out the door. “Uh, oh. Here comes trouble.”

  The Divas stopped what they were doing and walked up to the window to see what Agnes was talking about.

  Doug and Jim had pulled up behind Sean’s truck. Thankfully, they were all being civil to each other.

  “Good!” I clapped my hands together after seeing all my new bead tables and all the boxes Ginger has been storing at her house. All the stuff I needed to open the store.

  “I thought I would surprise you.” Ginger wrapped her arms around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. “Come on girls, it’s all the good stuff.”

  The last few months we moved the Diva meeting to the hotel room I’ve been renting on the edge of Swanee. The only thing I went back for after the divorce was my beads and supplies. I knew I couldn’t fit into my clothes anymore and that didn’t make me feel good. The only things that did make me feel good and forget about asshole, were my beads.

  The Divas loved all my jewelry and one long Diva night, the idea of The Beaded Dragonfly was born.

  “I can’t wait to make myself something.” Marlene said and galloped out of the store to see what she could bring in.

  One by one, everyone helped carry in the boxes and tables. Sean had replaced the light bulbs and lit the place up. It wasn’t as bad as it had seemed in the dark. After a good mopping, the floors were nice and shiny. Agnes just sat in one of the beading chairs and drank coffee, while Flora and Ginger cleaned the windows.

  Doug and Sean were even getting along.

  “Agnes, I’d appreciate it if you’d take that nasty sign out of your yard.” Doug walked over and bent down so Agnes could see him.

  “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take advantage of the elderly and do a job right. A job I paid you for.” She might not see well, but she sure did give him the look of death. “I told you I’d get you back. And I hope I am.”

  Jim went over and put a hand on Doug’s shoulder before I had to step in.

  Sean had put together the counter and Flora immediately sprayed the glass with cleaner.

  “This is going to look gorgeous with all your beads in it.” Flora said, pointing to the freshly cleaned counter.

  “Oh, no!” I smacked my palm on my forehead. “I completely forgot to order bead displays.”

  Normally a lapidary has hooks on the walls where strings of beads hung for display. But with all of the hubbub of opening the store, I’d completely forgotten.

  “What if we hang up those shelves and you could put some hooks from the hardware store in it.” Sean walked over to some leftover shelves that the previous tenant had left behind.

  “What?” I asked.

  Of all the dumb things Sean has said, this was up there. He might be cute, but he lacked brains.

  “Like this.” He held one of the shelves up to the wall.

  My eyes bugged when I saw the under.

  “Oh, no.” I rolled my eyes.

  Sean knew better than to suggest anything with an under.

  “I think it looks pretty cool.” Flora held the phone away from her ear.

  “Cool? And what do you know about cool?” I stared at Flora.

  We divas weren’t the spring chickens they thought they were. I was the youngest at forty-years old. I was far from cool with my elastic pants and a pink pig as a pet.

  “That’s something that no other store will have. It’s cool.” Flora inspected it a little closer.

  She did have a point. It could be a neat display.

  “And there are three of them. They could go along the wall.” Flora ran her hands the entire length of the wall.

  “But you’re forgetting that Holly doesn’t like the under of anything.” Ginger said.

  Ah, a true best friend. She didn’t forget my fear of putting my hand under anything. There’s just something creepy about the under.

  “It’s for business.” Flora stated, and began punching the buttons on her cell phone.

  “Fine.” I threw my hands in the air.

  It would work for now, anything to get the shop open sooner. If it didn’t work out, I could always order the right things and take the shelving down.

  Within minutes, Sean had the shelves up and Jim had returned with the hooks from the hardware store.

  “See.” Sean stood in front of the homemade display with pride. “I told you it would be cool.”

  “Whatever.” I wasn’t going to admit that he was right, yet again.

  Two times in one day was a record for him.

  I opened a box of the most beautiful beads I’d ever seen. My beads.

  The Divas carefully passed them around, like they were the most precious diamonds in the world.

  “Excuse me? Are you closing?” The girl with black hair said while she knocked on the front door.

  Her hair was mostly hidden under a cockeyed beret, and the fingers were missing from her gloves.

  “I was driving by and I love to bead.” She looked around the shop.

  “No, we haven’t even opened yet.” I sat the strand of beads on the counter and wiped my hands down my shirt to get the grim off them. “I’m Holly Harper, the owner.”

  Willow came running out of the back and began to sniff at the girls combat boots.

  “Come on, Willow.’ I tried to get Willow away from the girl.

  “No, she’s cute with her little coat and all” The girl bent down to pet Willow. “I’ve never seen a pet pig before. I mean, I’ve heard of it, but never seen one. I’m Cheri.” The girl stood back up and shook my hand. “I’m going to the community college.
I was driving through town looking for an apartment, but stopped when I saw your cute awning.”

  Thank God, I thought. I’m so glad I spent the extra money on the awning. Originally I was going to skimp on the awning and settle for a painted sign on the glass, but Ginger assured me that the awning would be classier.

  “Apartment?” Ginger put the cleaning rag on the counter and walked over to Cheri.

  “Yeah, I’m not the dorm type and there seems to be nothing for rent in this town.” She picked up a strand of beads that I had sat on the counter.

  “We have a nice one bedroom efficiency upstairs.” Ginger pushed me out of the way.

  “What?” My mouth dropped open.

  My dear, faithful friend wasn’t being so dear and faithful.

  “Really?” Cheri’s eyes opened with excitement. “Sounds exactly like what I’m looking for.”

  “What a minute. That’s my apartment.” I interrupted.

  “Oh, no.” Sean sighed. “She’s not moving back in with me.”

  “Don’t worry, that day will never come.” I glared at him. “No there is no apartment for rent. Ginger, what are you doing?”

  “Hear me out,” Ginger said. “The more Jim and I thought about it, the more it made sense to us that you live in the cabin and rent out the upstairs for more income.”

  Not a bad idea.

  “We were thinking how hard it is to stay excited about work when you work and live in the same place.” Ginger grabbed my hands. “We really want The Beaded Dragonfly to be successful and that means you need to come here every day.”

  “Plus we need someone to stay in the cabin since we haven’t used it in years.” Jim added.

  “I’ll take it.” Cheri chimed in.

  “But you haven’t seen it.” Ginger eyes narrowed.

  “Come on, I’ll show you up.” Jim took Cheri out of the shop and around the building to the entrance of the apartment.

  “Are you sure?” I asked with Bernadine nodding yes behind me.

  The cabin was amazing and picturesque. It was surrounded by woods and overlooked the lake. The Divas had a meeting there once. Plus, Bernadine lives right across the lake, making it only a pedal boat ride away.