Read Online Perfect Little Ladies by Abby Drake - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Abby Drake
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born, and that was the end of that.
And now CJ thought about the black silk nightgown in herlingerie drawer. She hadn’t worn it since she’d walked out on her husband, Cooper, who had then moved to Denver, as if distance would help him forget. She stared at her paintbrush, trying to decide whether or not to pack the black silk, when the crunch of tires upon gravel interrupted her thoughts. Peering out the window, she saw the Esplanade and watched the three women clamber out.
Thirteen
“I need a wig Poppy announced when CJ met them in the driveway and they traipsed into the cottage. “Should I be a brunette or a blonde?”
They dropped, one at a time, onto CJ’s furniture—even Yolanda, who now seemed quite at home.
“A blonde,” Yolanda said. “You’re too fair to be a brunette. No one will believe you.”
“But will they believe she’s lost her momma?” Alice asked.
Yolanda laughed and Poppy said, “They will! They will!” her cheeks flashing pink, the way they did when she was excited.
“Excuse me,” CJ said, “what are you talking about?”
“Poppy wants to go back to the hotel tomorrow and pretend she’s lost her momma,” Alice said.
“Maybe I can access security,” Poppy chattered. “Yolandasays there must be a room where all the monitors are kept. If I can get in there, maybe I can see if there’s a camera pointed at the Dumpster where Elinor’s panties were found!”
CJ supposed a good shrink would diagnose Poppy as bipolar, with the emphasis on whichever pole was more manic. Between Poppy’s erratic behavior, Elinor’s need to control, and Alice spending her life mimicking Elinor, it was no wonder CJ had once gone off to Paris and left the others to their harebrained lives.
“She’s hoping there’s a tape of the blackmailer taking the panties out of the Dumpster,” Yolanda said. “She thinks he’ll turn and wave to the camera so we can see his face.”
“I do not!” Poppy exclaimed. “Besides, none of you are coming up with alternative ideas!” Which made it sound as if she’d been speaking about alternative energy solutions or alternative medical miracles.
“If there is a tape, how the heck will we get it?” CJ asked. “And do they even make tapes anymore? Isn’t everything digitally recorded?”
Poppy played with her hair. “I guess that’s another thing we have to find out.”
“And we need to hurry,” CJ said. “On Wednesday, Elinor will be leaving the country for a couple of days. She’s going to get ransom money.”
No one asked where she was going or why she had to leave the country to get the cash. It was almost as if that part of the adventure was more information than they felt they should know.
Yolanda stood up. “Sorry to break up the party, ladies, but I have to get home. If you insist on doing this, Poppy, come by the shop. I’ll fit you with a wig.”
Yolanda left the cottage. The rest of them heard the roarof the Jaguar that had belonged to Vincent, Yolanda’s dead husband. Poppy looked at Alice and Alice looked at CJ and CJ said, “I think this is nuts,” but Poppy said she thought it was nice to have something important to do.
Alice wasn’t certain she agreed with Poppy’s assessment that thinking they could find Elinor’s blackmailer was important. Childish, maybe. Risky, perhaps. And maybe, as CJ said, nuts.
After leaving the cottage, Alice dropped off Poppy and headed home to focus on her own things to do. Within a few minutes she was in her garage, then her kitchen, where she nearly jumped a damn foot. Neal was sitting at the table with a bowl of minestrone and a petit baguette.
“Neal?”
Her first thought was that he’d been fired.
Or he’d heard about Elinor.
Or he’d learned of her out-of-town activities and had come home to confront her.
She rubbed her throat and dallied with the five-carat diamond necklace he’d presented to her on her fortieth birthday.
“Alice?” he replied with a note of sarcasm
And now CJ thought about the black silk nightgown in herlingerie drawer. She hadn’t worn it since she’d walked out on her husband, Cooper, who had then moved to Denver, as if distance would help him forget. She stared at her paintbrush, trying to decide whether or not to pack the black silk, when the crunch of tires upon gravel interrupted her thoughts. Peering out the window, she saw the Esplanade and watched the three women clamber out.
Thirteen
“I need a wig Poppy announced when CJ met them in the driveway and they traipsed into the cottage. “Should I be a brunette or a blonde?”
They dropped, one at a time, onto CJ’s furniture—even Yolanda, who now seemed quite at home.
“A blonde,” Yolanda said. “You’re too fair to be a brunette. No one will believe you.”
“But will they believe she’s lost her momma?” Alice asked.
Yolanda laughed and Poppy said, “They will! They will!” her cheeks flashing pink, the way they did when she was excited.
“Excuse me,” CJ said, “what are you talking about?”
“Poppy wants to go back to the hotel tomorrow and pretend she’s lost her momma,” Alice said.
“Maybe I can access security,” Poppy chattered. “Yolandasays there must be a room where all the monitors are kept. If I can get in there, maybe I can see if there’s a camera pointed at the Dumpster where Elinor’s panties were found!”
CJ supposed a good shrink would diagnose Poppy as bipolar, with the emphasis on whichever pole was more manic. Between Poppy’s erratic behavior, Elinor’s need to control, and Alice spending her life mimicking Elinor, it was no wonder CJ had once gone off to Paris and left the others to their harebrained lives.
“She’s hoping there’s a tape of the blackmailer taking the panties out of the Dumpster,” Yolanda said. “She thinks he’ll turn and wave to the camera so we can see his face.”
“I do not!” Poppy exclaimed. “Besides, none of you are coming up with alternative ideas!” Which made it sound as if she’d been speaking about alternative energy solutions or alternative medical miracles.
“If there is a tape, how the heck will we get it?” CJ asked. “And do they even make tapes anymore? Isn’t everything digitally recorded?”
Poppy played with her hair. “I guess that’s another thing we have to find out.”
“And we need to hurry,” CJ said. “On Wednesday, Elinor will be leaving the country for a couple of days. She’s going to get ransom money.”
No one asked where she was going or why she had to leave the country to get the cash. It was almost as if that part of the adventure was more information than they felt they should know.
Yolanda stood up. “Sorry to break up the party, ladies, but I have to get home. If you insist on doing this, Poppy, come by the shop. I’ll fit you with a wig.”
Yolanda left the cottage. The rest of them heard the roarof the Jaguar that had belonged to Vincent, Yolanda’s dead husband. Poppy looked at Alice and Alice looked at CJ and CJ said, “I think this is nuts,” but Poppy said she thought it was nice to have something important to do.
Alice wasn’t certain she agreed with Poppy’s assessment that thinking they could find Elinor’s blackmailer was important. Childish, maybe. Risky, perhaps. And maybe, as CJ said, nuts.
After leaving the cottage, Alice dropped off Poppy and headed home to focus on her own things to do. Within a few minutes she was in her garage, then her kitchen, where she nearly jumped a damn foot. Neal was sitting at the table with a bowl of minestrone and a petit baguette.
“Neal?”
Her first thought was that he’d been fired.
Or he’d heard about Elinor.
Or he’d learned of her out-of-town activities and had come home to confront her.
She rubbed her throat and dallied with the five-carat diamond necklace he’d presented to her on her fortieth birthday.
“Alice?” he replied with a note of sarcasm
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