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Monique looked at her watch. “I hate to do this, but I’ve got to run. My shift at the store starts at nine.” She withdrew a twenty from her purse and handed it to Angelique. “That should cover my breakfast. I’ll talk to you two later.”

After a round of goodbyes, Monique got up and left the café. It was another hot day with the sun a bright yellow orb in the perfect blue sky.

Pulling around the back of the dress shop to park, she reflected on how she did love her job as an assistant manager. Still, she was hungry for the possibility of becoming the manager with hiring and firing powers, along with the ability to order the fashion they sold.

As Monique entered through the back door, the pleasant scents of lilac and vanilla greeted her. She had learned that women tended to buy more if the place where they shopped smelled attractive. She made sure there were always scented plug-ins all around the store.

She turned on all the lights and then went to the front door to unlock it and flip the sign in the window to Open. She stored her purse on a shelf beneath the register counter and then grabbed some window cleaner and a cloth and wiped down the top of the display table where the register sat. When she was finished with that, she moved to the display tables to make sure everything was arranged properly.

The shop was quite colorful. Clothing hung from the racks around the walls, and a table held a variety of shoes and purses. Another table held scarves and costume jewelry all artfully arranged by her. Debbie was retirement age, and over the last few months she’d begun stepping away from the day-to-day operations.

The store did very little business when it first opened each morning, and today was no different. At ten o’clock, Debbie walked in. She was a stylish older woman with salt-and-pepper hair cut in a short bob. She was a good, fair boss, and Monique had mad respect for her.

“Hi, Monique,” she greeted as she slowly walked over to where Monique had just returned to the counter.

“Hi, Debbie. I see you’re wearing one of our most popular brands today, and you look fabulous,” Monique replied.

Debbie was clad in a long navy skirt with pink flowers and a ruffled navy blouse. A pink scarf was around her neck, giving her a youthful flair. She smiled. “Thank you, and might I say the same about you. I’ve always liked the fact that you often wear our brands in your personal life. You’re a walking advertisement for us.”

Monique laughed. “My sisters tell me I spend way too much of my paycheck in here.”

“Like that’s a bad thing,” Debbie replied with a laugh. “So the reason I wanted to speak with you this morning is because my rheumatoid arthritis is getting worse…much worse.”

“Oh, Debbie, I’m so sorry,” Monique replied. She had noticed the twisted condition of Debbie’s hands, but hadn’t asked what the condition was. Although she had assumed it was some kind of arthritis.

“Ah, you play with the cards you’re dealt, right? Anyway, it’s making it more and more difficult for me to get around. There is nobody I trust more than you when it comes to this store. You’re not only my top seller, but you’re hardworking and honest as the day is long.”

“Thank you,” Monique replied.

“So I’m sure you know why I’m here. I want you to be my full-time manager, Monique.” For the next few minutes Debbie detailed what the job would entail. “So are you interested in the position?” she finished.

“Debbie, I would be honored to be your manager,” Monique replied.

“Wonderful,” Debbie replied. “Since I’ve already set the work schedules for this week, and I just ordered some new items, why don’t we say starting next week you’re in charge of all of it?”

“It’s a job I won’t take lightly,” Monique replied.

Debbie smiled once again. “I know that, and I can rest easy knowing you’re in charge here.”

At that moment the little bell above the door tinkled as two women came in. “I’m out of here,” Debbie said. “We’ll talk again soon.”

She walked out the door, and Monique went to help the two women.

Monique was working a full day today and wouldn’t get off until five, so she and Jacque had decided they wouldn’t go out tonight. She told herself she was disappointed not to be continuing on her quest, but the truth was, she was also more than a little disappointed that she wouldn’t be seeing Jacque.

The more time she spent with him, the more she was attracted to him. It was not only an emotional attraction but a strong physical one as well. His big body was perfectly proportioned. Broad shoulders tapered to a slim waist and long legs. She definitely felt more than a small burn of physical attraction for him…not that anything would come of it.

The searches so far had been a bit disappointing. So many of the houses had two stories and there was no way she could go upstairs to search. She needed to figure out a way to get people to invite her into their bedrooms, but so far, no viable ideas had struck her.

The business in the dress shop that day was fairly steady, making the hours go by quickly. At five o’clock, Cynthia came in to work until close.

Monique left the shop and got into her car to go home. She was excited about her promotion to manager. She loved the store as if it belonged to her, and she was really going to enjoy being the buyer for it. There was a lot of responsibility that went with the title, but she was definitely up for it all.

Funny, the person she most wanted to tell about her promotion was Jacque. Maybe she’d even be able to coax a smile out of him.

As far as her sisters were concerned, they had always doubted her abilities and thought of her as weak and ineffectual. Being the baby of the family definitely carried a burden with it. She was eager to prove them both wrong by catching the killer who had eluded everyone else. Then they would have to accept that she was as strong and smart as they were.

She parked in the lot in front of the swamp, her thoughts on what she was going to make for dinner. While she had a variety of meat in her cooler, most of it would take too long to cook. However, she had a small bag of scallops that was calling her name. Frying them up and adding a salad would be good and quick. She walked quickly to her place, eager to get in her pajamas and relax for the rest of the evening.