"No fudge," Josie said. "My final dress fitting is coming up."

"Black coffee, then," Rita said. She took Josie by the shoulders and practically forced her into the blue chair. "Sit."

Josie sat like a well-trained hound. Rita brought black coffee in a bone china cup, then took the pink pearl tiara out of its velvet box.

Josie studied it, then shook her head. "I thought this looked elegant last time," she said. "Now it just seems plain."

Rita wrapped a blond curl around one finger and absently tugged on her hair. Josie thought her unease was genuine.

"Maybe I can help you choose if I know the kind of dress you're wearing," Rita said. She handed Josie a heavy ring binder with photos of smiling brides in sample dresses. The styles ranged from s.e.xy strapless numbers suitable for nightclub singers to billowy skirts for long-lost senior proms.

Josie pointed to a ruffled dress much like Molly's. "That's my dress. I went all out with the ruffles and lace. I'm old-fashioned when it comes to weddings."

"Me, too," Rita said. Her ruffles bobbed as she nodded her head. "That's so much like my dress. I can show you lots of good choices for it." She rushed into the back and returned with a teetering pile of velvet boxes, like a shoe salesperson with a selection of wares.

"Now sit back and sip your coffee," Rita said, opening the top velvet box. "This one has an intriguing diamond design."

"Too modern," Josie said.

"Then how about this scroll design?" Rita asked.

Josie pretended to consider it. "Better. But not quite."

"This swirly tiara would look good."

Josie shook her head. She nixed the hearts, b.u.t.terflies, and bows. Rita offered stars, circles, and crystals. Josie said no. Now they were both exhausted.

"I'm not giving up," Rita said. "But let's take a little break."

She brought a fresh cup of coffee for Josie and one for herself, then settled into the chair for a chat.

"I can't stop thinking about your poor friend," Josie said. "The one whose fiance ran off to Montana."

"Molly," Rita said.

"I'm surprised she could stand to work here."

"It was hard for her," Rita said. "But keeping busy helped her recover after George abandoned her."

"Did she get stuck with the bills when George ran off?" Josie said. "I'm asking because my mother is nervous. I signed all the contracts and paid the deposits for the hall, the caterer, the flowers. My fiance travels so much, if I had to wait for him to cosign, we'd never have a wedding. Mom says if he walks away this close to the wedding, I'm stuck paying for everything."

"You don't think he'll do that, do you?" Rita looked alarmed.

"No," Josie said. "I'm sure he won't. But Mom says I'm a fool and it's happened to smarter women than me-like your poor friend Molly. And you, too."

"But that doesn't mean your fiance will break off your wedding," Rita said. "I've helped hundreds of brides and ninety-nine percent had beautiful weddings."

"Bridal nerves," Josie said. "Heaven forbid, but if the worst happened, I'd survive. I'd be in debt, but I'd go on. I'd be strong like you and Molly. It didn't ruin your life. You didn't go bankrupt."

Rita sipped her coffee, then said, "Molly spent forty-five thousand dollars on her wedding, but she'd have to spend a lot more to go bankrupt. She and her sister both inherited about two hundred fifty thousand dollars."

"Nice," Josie said.

"It got nicer," Rita said. "Molly had a gift for making money. She more than doubled her inheritance through shrewd investing. People underestimated her because she was blond like me. But Molly knew her way around the markets. She was smarter than Emily's husband. Brad was supposed to be this big-deal accountant. Hah! Molly knew more about investing than he did. Molly and Emily didn't really get along, and Brad didn't help. I think Emily was jealous of her sister. Molly was so pretty and feminine. When Molly was engaged to that Dr. Ted"-Rita spat out the name again-"Emily said Molly could have her wedding gifts delivered to her house because Molly worked all day. Personally, I think Emily was trying to get her mitts on some of Molly's gifts. Molly was also going to get a lot of money."

"Was that delivered to Emily's house, too?" Josie asked.

"No, but Molly put her sister's name on the joint wedding account," Rita said.

"Why would she do that?" Josie said. "What if Brad got his hands on her money?"

"Molly made it very clear that neither of their men-Brad or Ted-would spend that money. It was supposed to go toward a house for Ted and Molly. Their aunt Martha gave Molly fifty thousand dollars to help her buy a house, and she suggested the other family members give money to help the couple get started. Molly said it should have been my name on that joint account because I was really her sister, but Aunt Martha didn't like that the sisters had had a falling-out. Molly put her sister's name on the account to show Aunt Martha there were no hard feelings."

"Sounds like Molly didn't hold a grudge," Josie said.

"She was a good person," Rita said, her voice wobbly with tears. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't cry like this at work, but I miss her so much."

"Of course you do," Josie said. "You don't get over a loss like that. What about you? Did you get stuck with the bills for your canceled wedding?"

Rita seemed grateful for the topic change. "Yes, I did," she said, sniffling. "I'm still paying the caterer and the hall. Denise did me a favor. She refunded my deposit for the flowers and took back my tiara and veil, so I didn't owe her. I made an arrangement with my other creditors. I pay them two fifty a month."

"Molly wouldn't lend you money?" Josie asked.

"I didn't ask her. I have my pride," Rita said.

Now she seemed to regret her spurt of plain speaking. "Well," she said, taking a last sip of coffee, "shall we look at more tiaras?"

Rita returned with a daunting pile of velvet boxes. "This is a sweetheart style," she said. The tiny pearl hearts looked like valentine candy.

While Rita talked tiaras, Josie tried to sort through what she'd just learned. If Molly spent forty-five thousand dollars on her aborted wedding to George, Rita had to owe almost that much. "Here's a wave design," Rita said, showing her another tiara. "And this . . ."

After all, Rita and Molly had similar tastes, Josie thought.

"Pear-drop design is popular. So is this saddled tiara."

Rita was saddled with a staggering debt and a sales salary.

"I like this pedestaled tiara," Rita said.

Paying down a debt that big was a monumental task, Josie thought. Even if Rita did negotiate a monthly payment.

"But maybe you'd like these lovely swooning hearts," Rita said.

Rita had nursed Molly through a broken heart, but her good friend wouldn't help her out in her own time of need. Did they have a one-sided friendship?

"I also like these Victorian flowers. Very complex," Rita said.

But what if the answer was simple? Josie thought. What if Rita wasn't really too proud to ask Molly for help? What if Molly had refused to help her best friend? Then Rita turned light-fingered to pay her debts and Molly caught her stealing from the store she loved. A small store couldn't survive big losses.

I'll have to check with Denise.

"I'm sorry," Josie said. "I don't really see anything I like. I have to pick up my daughter at school. Maybe I could come back later this afternoon."

"That's a good idea," Rita said. "Denise will be back this afternoon with more handcrafted selections. The only bad thing is I won't be here."

"You're off work?"

"I'm so excited," Rita said. "I've bought a vintage c.o.ke machine and it's being delivered this afternoon at two. Denise is letting me go home and wait for the delivery people. Could I ask a favor?"

"Sure," Josie said.

"I've enjoyed working with you, but I get a commission. If you come back this afternoon and buy one of the tiaras I showed you, would you let her know?"

"Don't worry," Josie said. "I'll make sure you get credit for all you've done."

Chapter 23.

Monday, October 29 "Stop treating me like a baby, Mom," Amelia said.

Josie was a tired judge listening to her daughter plead her case to be home alone today. The hearing was held in Amelia's room. Harry sat on her bed, a sympathetic jury with wide green eyes.

"I'll only be alone for an hour," Amelia said. She pulled off her crochet-st.i.tch hoodie and hung it in her closet, then dropped her pale pink skinny jeans into her dirty clothes basket.

Exhibit A that I'm an adult now, Mom, Judge Josie thought. Amelia was a good kid, but she had a streak of con artist. Josie decided her daughter needed another reminder of her indiscretions.

"The last time I left you alone-," she began.

"I totally blew it," Amelia said quickly, stopping the familiar lecture. She plopped on her bed and dragged on her old jeans.

"But that was last year when I was a little kid," she said, pulling her PEACE T-shirt over her head. Amelia's head popped out of the neck like a rabbit out of a hole. "I'm eleven now. And you're only going to be, like, what-two miles away?"

"If that," Josie said.

Amelia sensed the verdict turning in her favor. "Grandma's getting her hair done on Manchester," she said. "I could walk there-she's that close. She may get home before you do."

Josie deliberated. Amelia was acting more mature now. A year ago she would have abandoned all her clothes on the floor-clean and dirty-to text her friends and play with Harry.

"Please, Mom?" Amelia said. "I'll work on my science experiment." Her smile was brilliant as the afternoon sun, but Josie's heart felt a twinge of maternal unease. Her head overruled those feelings and said it was time for trust.

"Science is important for girls," Amelia said. "I could maybe get a scholarship if my grades were good enough."

I should be grateful she's experimenting with science and not boys, Judge Josie thought, and delivered her verdict. "All right. I'll leave you alone, but only if you promise to work on your science experiment."

"I will," Amelia said. "I'll even clean my bathroom."

"Don't get carried away," Josie said, but she left home lighthearted and hopeful. Her daughter was growing into a smart, thoughtful young woman. Denise, Molly's former boss, might give Josie some information that would shed light on who killed Molly. Then she and Ted would get married and live happily together with Amelia, two cats, and a dog.

This afternoon, Josie didn't mind the picket fence at Denise's Dreams. The store owner was exactly the kind of woman she'd expect to have a picket fence, waiting for her Mad Man to come home from Manhattan.

Denise was pet.i.te, with long, wavy brown hair and soulful brown eyes hidden behind the horn-rimmed gla.s.ses s.e.xy spinsters wore in cla.s.sic movies. Her hot pink heels and full-skirted print dress looked oddly summery. Her voice was a June breeze.

Josie felt like a modern-day intruder in Denise's old-fashioned world. She introduced herself and said, "I've been looking at your tiaras."

Denise smiled. "Rita told me you might be coming back. I'm so sorry we no longer have the baroque pearl tiara you wanted, but I've finished some new ones. Rita said you like pearls, right?"

"Yes," Josie said.

"Well, sit yourself down and we'll get started." Denise carried a stack of velvet boxes to the coffee table and carefully arranged her pink-and-lavender print skirt to cover her knees. She opened a pink box. She had artist's hands: long fingered and slender.

"This is a pearl floral design I call my Enchanted Garden," she said. Her voice was almost a whisper, as if she were sharing a secret. "See the delicate floral vines curling around the bedded plants?" She pointed to a vine with a pink-painted fingernail.

Bedded? Josie wondered. Are the plants supposed to be bedded-or me?

She thought about Sat.u.r.day night with Ted and hoped she didn't blush.

"This is a magic garden," Denise said, and gave a summery sigh. "The deeper you go into it, the more you will become lost in its sensuality. Love is the force that enchants in this garden, and you'll carry it in your heart-and on your head on your wedding day."

Josie was thinking of other bedded delights. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling. There was no way she'd put those profligate pearls on her head.

"I don't think so," Josie said.

Denise opened a deep blue velvet box. "I call this Sleeping Beauty," she said. "It's a true princess tiara. When Prince Charming's warm lips first awakened Sleeping Beauty, she woke up something in him, too."

The beast? Josie thought. Oops, wrong fairy tale.

"They lived happily ever after," Denise said. "I like to think it was love at first sight, accessories with the perfect hair jewelry." She smiled dreamily and Josie saw she was wearing blue eye shadow.

Is Denise telling me a bedtime story? she wondered.

There she was, back in bed again. Josie was desperate to end the tiara talk before she started laughing uncontrollably. Her future depended on Denise's help. A picture of her mother-in-law popped into her mind, and her giggling fit vanished.

"That is lovely," Josie said. She tried to match Denise's flowery language. "But I fell in love with that baroque pearl tiara. It won my heart and I'm sure it would seal my fiance's love forever. I was so sad when I learned it was sold."

"Sold?" Denise said. The rosy dream clouds fled before her dark frown. "That tiara wasn't sold. It was stolen from this shop."

"That explains why I thought I saw it on eBay," Josie said.

"You what?" Now Denise's soft eyes were hard with fury.

"Well, it sure looked like your tiara," Josie said. "Rita said you never sell your work online. It's all unique."