Read Online Highlights to Heaven by Nancy J. Cohen - Free Book Online

Vail and his daughter, Brianna. How far their relationship would go, she’d yet to find out. Marla doubted the staid detective would ever consider converting to her religion. But it wasn’t an issue for her.
    Ma still hopes I’ll marry someone Jewish . After divorcing Stan, Marla had felt less inclined to honor her family’s wishes. She’d learned to follow her own heart, more or less.
    “Is my order ready?” she asked Arnie, aware of his perceptive gaze on her face.
    “Yep. Here you go.” He retrieved a large bag from behind the counter. “Everything okay? Any word on your missing neighbor?”
    “I haven’t spoken to Dalton lately, nor have I had a chance to look into Goat’s disappearing act myself. It’s been a busy week.”
    “No further unpleasantness?”
    “Well, there is one thing. I have a problem.”
    “You know you can count on me, bubula . What’s wrong?”
    Rummaging in her purse, she pulled out the mangled chess piece. “This is part of a gift Dalton is giving to Brianna for her birthday. He wanted me to wrap it. Spooks thought this was a meal.”
    “ Oy vey .” Arnie peered at the damage. “What will you do?”
    “I can’t tell him I ruined his present. He bought this with his late wife on a trip to Switzerland. I’ll have to find a replacement.”
    “You could try the toy stores.”
    “And the hobby places. I’ll look around. Just another chore to add to my list.”
    “When is her party?”
    “A week from tomorrow.”
    “You’ve got time. Let me know if you need help.”
    Warmed by his thoughtfulness, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re a savior. Say hello to Jill for me.”
    Back at the salon, she handed the bagels to the receptionist. “Giorgio should be here soon, and Nicole will be coming at nine. I’m going out for a little while.”
    Marla approached the stucco facade of the Sunrise Academy of Beauty with a feeling of deja vu. No wonder; she’d spent forty weeks here studying cosmetology, earning the required twelve hundred hours toward her diploma. The building didn’t show its age, thanks to a fresh coat of coral paint. She wondered if the interior had been spared the ravages of time. If memory served her correctly, this place had been here since 1975.
    Inside the air-conditioned lobby, she faced a receptionist’s desk done in generic office motif. Rows of plastic chairs lined the opposite wall. A couple of senior citizens lounged there, leafing through old hairstyling magazines.
    “Hi, I’m Marla Shore,” she introduced herself to the middle-aged redhead behind the desk. The secretary’s name badge identified her as Janine.
    “Are you here for hair or nails? You’ll need to sign in,” Janine said before Marla had a chance to explain her purpose.
    “I’m not here for any services.” She was aware students practiced on real clients in an adjacent lab, and members of the public could walk in and register for treatments. A sign on the wall said a wash and blow-dry was only three dollars. Huh! That was a lot cheaper than the twenty dollars she charged. And where else could you get a pedicure today for five dollars?
    “I’d like to speak to someone about your program,” she announced firmly.
    “Which one?” Janine’s gray eyes scrutinized her as though she were an overgrown cuticle. “We have courses in cosmetology, facials, nails, and skin care. We’ve recently added a health department where you can study to become a medical, dental, or nursing aide.”
    Marla lifted her eyebrows. “I didn’t know you had expanded your curriculum.”
    Janine’s ample bosom swelled with pride. “Our enrollment keeps increasing. Dorothy May founded the academy in 1975. All we had to offer early students was nail and skin care technology. Then we moved into hair, and now we have cosmetic specialties in fields like sculptured tips and permanent makeup.”
    “I’m interested in cosmetology.”
    She pursed her lips. “You’ll have to attend our