Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai: a Danger Cove Hair Salon Mystery (Danger Cove Mysteries Book 5) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Traci Andrighetti, Elizabeth Ashby
the conversation was on safer ground, I took one last snip from Prudence's bangs and picked up my hair dryer.
"Oh, I always let my hair dry naturally," she said as she pulled cash from her front pocket. "How much do I owe you?"
"Forty bucks," I replied.
Prudence took one last sip of her Pinot Grigio and then handed me fifty dollars. "Thanks, Cassidi."
"Thank you ," I replied as I escorted her to the door. "Enjoy your stay in Danger Cove."
"Definitely." She grinned. "This place is an answer to my prayers."
Let's hope it's an answer to mine , I thought as I closed the door. I turned and saw Bertha climb from Gia's chair with two green, black, and brown eyes and a nonexistent mouth. She looked like she was ready to embark on the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
"Always remember the Jersey rule," Gia advised. "Go with a nude lip—at the most, pale pink. The only thing you want to accentuate is the eyes, especially for a romantic dinner."
"Oh, I agree," Bertha said. "Now I need to be on my way, or I won't have enough time to get ready."
"Then your date had better be next year," Margaret said as Lucy helped her take a seat beneath a dryer, "because it's going to take at least that long to make a battle-ax like you look presentable."
Bertha balled her fists at her sides, and her face turned so red that it was visible through her pancake makeup. "Lucky for you I'm in a good mood today," she said in a dangerously low voice. "Otherwise, I would shut that miserable trap of yours once and for all."
Margaret's mouth formed an O shape in mock alarm, but Lucy's fear was real. She turned white and stepped out of Bertha's way.
"Ladies, please," I said with my arms outstretched. "Let's keep it civil."
"I should go," Bertha said with jagged breath. She tossed back the rest of her liqueur, handed several bills to Gia, and stormed to the door. Before leaving, she spun around and glared at Margaret. "For your sake, Cassidi, I hope the quality of your clientele improves."
I watched Bertha stomp from the salon and wondered whether she would ever come back. I sighed and followed Gia into the break room.
"You think Miss Appleby's telling the truth about Vinnie?" she asked as she threw her fuchsia bag over her shoulder.
"I'd rather not think about it," I said as I washed my hands in the sink. I heard a jangling sound and turned to see Gia holding the keys to the sleek, black Ferrari California that I'd inherited along with the property. "Are you taking the car?"
"Why, do you need it?" she asked as though it had come as a complete surprise to her that I might want to use our only means of transportation.
"The unpleasant exchange between Margaret and Bertha reminded me that I have an unpleasant errand to run," I replied in a bitter tone. "Could you drop me off at the police station?"
"Of course." Gia slipped on oversized white sunglasses. "But don't let the biddy brawl get you down. Remember what I said about publicity."
I rolled my eyes.
Lucy entered with Margaret's cup and saucer. "You're leaving?"
"I'll be back in an hour," I said as I grabbed my jean jacket from the back of the chair. "Hold down the fort."
"And if Bertha comes back for the blue-haired broad," Gia added, "man the artillery."
Lucy's eyes grew wide, and I pushed Gia from the break room.
As we made our way to the door, I glanced at Margaret. She was resting under the warmth of the dryer with her eyes closed and her hands folded in her lap. The corners of her mouth formed a small smile. I wondered whether she was reminiscing about her altercation with Bertha or her rendezvous with my uncle. I wanted to believe that it was the former. I'd never really known my Uncle Vinnie, but I'd been told that he was "the black sheep of our family." I was finally starting to understand why.
* * *
I turned my accounting textbook sideways, hoping that a new perspective would help me to make sense of the information. As I scrutinized the numbers, a shadow fell over the page.
"Oh, I always let my hair dry naturally," she said as she pulled cash from her front pocket. "How much do I owe you?"
"Forty bucks," I replied.
Prudence took one last sip of her Pinot Grigio and then handed me fifty dollars. "Thanks, Cassidi."
"Thank you ," I replied as I escorted her to the door. "Enjoy your stay in Danger Cove."
"Definitely." She grinned. "This place is an answer to my prayers."
Let's hope it's an answer to mine , I thought as I closed the door. I turned and saw Bertha climb from Gia's chair with two green, black, and brown eyes and a nonexistent mouth. She looked like she was ready to embark on the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
"Always remember the Jersey rule," Gia advised. "Go with a nude lip—at the most, pale pink. The only thing you want to accentuate is the eyes, especially for a romantic dinner."
"Oh, I agree," Bertha said. "Now I need to be on my way, or I won't have enough time to get ready."
"Then your date had better be next year," Margaret said as Lucy helped her take a seat beneath a dryer, "because it's going to take at least that long to make a battle-ax like you look presentable."
Bertha balled her fists at her sides, and her face turned so red that it was visible through her pancake makeup. "Lucky for you I'm in a good mood today," she said in a dangerously low voice. "Otherwise, I would shut that miserable trap of yours once and for all."
Margaret's mouth formed an O shape in mock alarm, but Lucy's fear was real. She turned white and stepped out of Bertha's way.
"Ladies, please," I said with my arms outstretched. "Let's keep it civil."
"I should go," Bertha said with jagged breath. She tossed back the rest of her liqueur, handed several bills to Gia, and stormed to the door. Before leaving, she spun around and glared at Margaret. "For your sake, Cassidi, I hope the quality of your clientele improves."
I watched Bertha stomp from the salon and wondered whether she would ever come back. I sighed and followed Gia into the break room.
"You think Miss Appleby's telling the truth about Vinnie?" she asked as she threw her fuchsia bag over her shoulder.
"I'd rather not think about it," I said as I washed my hands in the sink. I heard a jangling sound and turned to see Gia holding the keys to the sleek, black Ferrari California that I'd inherited along with the property. "Are you taking the car?"
"Why, do you need it?" she asked as though it had come as a complete surprise to her that I might want to use our only means of transportation.
"The unpleasant exchange between Margaret and Bertha reminded me that I have an unpleasant errand to run," I replied in a bitter tone. "Could you drop me off at the police station?"
"Of course." Gia slipped on oversized white sunglasses. "But don't let the biddy brawl get you down. Remember what I said about publicity."
I rolled my eyes.
Lucy entered with Margaret's cup and saucer. "You're leaving?"
"I'll be back in an hour," I said as I grabbed my jean jacket from the back of the chair. "Hold down the fort."
"And if Bertha comes back for the blue-haired broad," Gia added, "man the artillery."
Lucy's eyes grew wide, and I pushed Gia from the break room.
As we made our way to the door, I glanced at Margaret. She was resting under the warmth of the dryer with her eyes closed and her hands folded in her lap. The corners of her mouth formed a small smile. I wondered whether she was reminiscing about her altercation with Bertha or her rendezvous with my uncle. I wanted to believe that it was the former. I'd never really known my Uncle Vinnie, but I'd been told that he was "the black sheep of our family." I was finally starting to understand why.
* * *
I turned my accounting textbook sideways, hoping that a new perspective would help me to make sense of the information. As I scrutinized the numbers, a shadow fell over the page.
Readers choose
Melanie Thompson
Tiffany King
Roxanne St. Claire
Hugo Wilcken
Karin Fossum
Scott Lynch
Kathryn Smith
Joseph Lidster
Tamsin Baker