Nightmares Can Be Murder (A Dream Club Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page B

poured herself some more wine.
    “Let’s take a look. Maybe there are some possibilities we’re missing out on.”
    I took another deep breath as I scanned the rows of shops lining the street. Business wasn’t exactly booming, but there were a few pedestrians out and about. Were they tourists or just residents heading for home? They probably lived in the area, I decided. They were walking quickly, with a sense of purpose, not window-shopping or dawdling.
    We were sitting outdoors at an umbrella table, and suddenly I noticed an old-style movie theater directly across the street from us. The marquee advertised a French film I’d never heard of and the movie posters in the display cases looked pretty retro themselves with their faded yellow backgrounds.
    “Here’s a possibility. Vintage movies, vintage candies,” I said, “right in your own backyard. Maybe you could sell bags of candy to people as they head into the movies. What do you think?”
    Ali followed my gaze, and a little smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. “Nice try, Taylor, but there aren’t any customers. That theater has been closed for thirty years.”
    She rested her chin on her hand, staring out at the street scene. It was a lovely evening in Savannah, and the air was soft, filled with the intoxicating scent of gardenias.
    Oops.
“I should have noticed the marquee wasn’t lit up,” I said with a sheepish grin.
    “This street is off the main drag and it’s not booming with traffic. That’s why I got such a good deal from Trent, my landlord. He warned me it would be a challenge to launch a thriving business here, but he figured I could make a go of it. They’re always talking about revitalizing this section of town, but nothing ever comes of it.”
    “I see.” I pressed my lips together, wishing I hadn’t sounded so judgmental. Ali would have to find her own way in the business world, and maybe the best thing I could do was to cut her some slack. After all, the candy shop was her baby, and I was here as a consultant, not a silent partner or an investor. And more important, I was here as her sister.
    “Tell me about your other neighbors on the block,” I said, eager to strike a positive note. “The flower shop looks interesting. Do you get much business from their customers?”
    I’d spotted a flower market called Petals just a few doors away, and I pictured yuppie types buying fresh blooms and then dashing into Ali’s shop for a sugary treat. The shop was older, but neatly maintained with a green canvas awning, a cascade of pink and white petunias tumbling out of matching window boxes, and a stunning violet clematis climbing up a trellis near the front door.
    I felt encouraged and immediately wondered if there was any way to attract the Petals customers to Allison’s shop. Maybe do some sort of joint promotional effort?
    Flowers and candy.
They were a natural combination. All we had to do was find a way to link these two products together. Holidays would be easy, of course. Everyone loves flowers and candy for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, but we needed to think big. We needed to focus on a more general promotion, something that could run throughout the year. But what?
    “There has to be a way we can capitalize on the flower shop being so close to your store,” I said. “At the moment, I’m drawing a blank, but I bet there are loads of possibilities there.”
    “Don’t get your hopes up. I don’t think I can get any business from Petals.” Ali looked wistful. “Two elderly sisters run the place. They came to the Dream Club last night, the two ladies in the flowered dresses? You probably didn’t get a chance to chat with them. Minerva and Rose Harper are very nice but they’ve got to be in their eighties if they’re a day. They mostly do wreaths for funeral homes, and they seem to sell a lot of potted plants.”
    “That doesn’t sound too encouraging,” I admitted, playing with my tossed salad. “And I