An Uplifting Murder Read Online Free PDF

4
     
    Josie and Alyce strolled through Plaza Venetia’s synthetic summer. The soft, warm air was an invitation to linger. The bright red and pink flowers were a promise that winter would end. The marble fountains could have been in a palace garden. Plaza Venetia made shoppers believe they could buy their way into heaven.
     
    “That was an unusual bra fitting,” Alyce said. “But I like the results.” Alyce was carrying her heavy winter coat to show off her improved figure. Her shoulders were thrust back and her bosom jutted proudly.
     
    “Rosa was right,” Josie said. “That new bra does bring out the curves in your figure.”
     
    “Nobody will mistake me for Jennifer Aniston,” Alyce said. “But I do have a waist now. I want to show it off with a new belt.”
     
    “Deep Designer Discounts is straight ahead through the forest of ficus trees,” Josie said. “Shall we go in and get one? This is my kind of store. Deeply discounted designer clothes and accessories, as well as good knockoffs.”
     
    DDD’s accessories, displayed at its mall entrance, were an attractive lure for shoppers. Alyce pulled a beige leather belt off a sale table and fastened it around her waist. “What do you think?”
     
    “I like how it sets off your blue sweater,” Josie said.
     
    “I mean, how does it look on me, Madame Chunk?” Alyce asked.
     
    Josie winced. “Don’t beat yourself up like that,” she said. “The belt looks good on you. If it didn’t, I’d say so. Friends don’t let friends buy ugly.”
     
    “I can’t believe you ran into your old high school gym teacher and Frankie the mean girl, both in the same day. How weird is that?”
     
    “Not very,” Josie said. “Not in St. Louis. This is a big small town. Everyone stays in their own neighborhoods. I only go to Plaza Venetia when I’m mystery-shopping. I can’t afford to buy here on a regular basis.”
     
    “Plaza Venetia advertises itself as ‘where the best people shop the best stores,’ ” Alyce said.
     
    “They mean the richest,” Josie said. “It would make sense that an expensive lingerie store would be located here. Mrs. Hayes—I mean Laura Ferguson—was the best of the best when I was in school. She was good at dealing with difficult situations. She’d be a natural fit for an upscale-store manager. As for Frankie...”
     
    “I’d hardly call her one of the best people,” Alyce said.
     
    “Definitely not,” Josie said.“But she’s decorated with designer logos like a Christmas tree covered with ornaments.”
     
    “And she looks just as flashy,” Alyce said.
     
    “Meow!” Josie said.
     
    “I hope Rosa the bra fitter will get a good mention in your report,” Alyce said.
     
    “Absolutely,” Josie said. “The whole store will get top marks. The sales staff stayed courteous, despite Frankie’s vicious attacks.”
     
    “What’s with her?” Alyce asked. “I felt like I walked into a play without having the script.”
     
    “I was trapped in a time warp in high school,” Josie said. “What the hell was wrong with me? I don’t care what Frankie thinks.”
     
    “You shouldn’t stand there and meekly take her insults,” Alyce said. “Frankie attacked you for no reason. She insulted me and Cody, too.”
     
    “I guess she was insulting Cody,” Josie said. “Her voice sounded like she was taunting him, but the words weren’t that mean. Why would she call Cody a hero? Was that some kind of subtle insult?”
     
    “No, Cody is a real hero with the medals to prove it,” Alyce said. “Didn’t you recognize Cody John Wayne? He’s the carjacker hero.”
     
    “Never heard of him,” Josie said. “Cody sure didn’t enter Desiree Lingerie like a hero.”
     
    “That’s a guy thing,” Alyce said. “Lingerie scares married men. If I rinse out my stockings and hang them in the shower, my husband, Jake, acts like I’ve let loose live snakes. I have to go in and remove the offending