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Rowena perked up at the compliment. No one had ever said that to her before.Regal. She liked it.
“Would you mind if I sketched you while you wait for Cullen?”
Rowena was flattered. No one had ever asked her that before either. “Really?” She was fascinated.
Luna knew that anyone who would dress the way Rowena was dressed had a high opinion of themselves. Not that wearing expensive clothing meant a big ego. It was the idea that everything Rowena was wearing had a logo on it.Look how much money I spent!was spelled all over her clothing, from Gina to Hermès to Prada. And it wasn’t that the workmanship didn’t deserve a high price tag, but Luna sensed that Rowena did it for the sake of bragging, not because she had any appreciation for the quality of the clothing. It was just a feeling she had about the woman, that’s all.
“I don’t know how long Cullen will be. Maybe another half hour. That will give me enough time to do a rough sketch. Come over to the easel.” Luna nodded to the other corner of the café. “Make yourself comfortable.” Luna turned the easel around so Rowena couldn’t see what Luna was drawing. Luna realized she didn’t know the woman’s name. “By the way, I’m Luna. Luna Bodhi Bodman.”
“I’m Ro . . . Roseanne.” She caught herself just in time. The flattery of being called regal and having an artist want to draw her had caught Rowena off guard. She admonished herself. She had to pay better attention and not let this imp throw her off her game.
“Nice to meet you, Roseanne.” Luna began to draw. They were heavy dark circles. Then the song “Cruella de Vil” from the Disney movieOne Hundred and One Dalmatiansstarted going through her mind.How odd, she thought. “Huh.”
“What?” Roseanne/Rowena had to ask.
“Did a song ever pop into your head, and you don’t know how it got there? I mean, you hear jingles or songs, and they stick with you. They call them earworms, brainworms, sticky music. But this song just popped into my head out of nowhere.”
Rowena wasn’t really interested. “Huh.”
“Yeah. It’s the craziest thing.” Luna started humming the tune.Cruella de Vil . . . Cruella de Vi . . .
Rowena didn’t know why, but she instantly became uneasy. Her skin was crawling, and her face was flushed. “Listen, I should probably go. I have a lot of things I want to see. Why don’t I leave my phone number with you, then Cullen can call me. That’s his name, correct?” Rowena knew darn well that Cullen was his name, but she was playing it for all it was worth.
Luna was relieved that the woman was ready to make an exit. She didn’t know how she would explain the evil character on her sketch pad. Worst case, she would knock it over and spill coffee all over it. Thankfully, it hadn’t come to that. “Do you have something I can write it down on?”
Luna handed the woman one of the café’s business cards so she could write her number on the back. Luna looked down at the scribbled phone number and noticed the woman hadn’t written down her name. She wondered why someone with her obvious social standing didn’t have her own personal calling card. Another red flag. The woman’s body language shouted “uncomfortable” and screamed “deceitful.”
Rowena thanked her and turned her attention to the courtyard. She had to kill time until that Bodman guy returned. After browsing both levels, she checked her watch. It was after four and there was still no word from Cullen Bodman.
Rowena walked back over to the café. This time a dog greeted her at the door. Wiley had been in the dog park and was ready for a treat or a pat on the head. Rowena gave Wiley a snarly look, and he gave one right back at her.
Luna noticed her dog’s body language, too. Wiley sensed something, and it wasn’t that he was about to get a doggie treat. Luna was getting nervous. It wasn’t so much that thefemme en blancwas intimidating. No, it was more like bad juju emanating from her. Wiley got down on the floor and put his paws over his nose. He, too, wasn’t feeling a love connection.
Rowena poked her head around the counter. “Hi again. Do you suppose I could browse around your brother’s place? I know it’s getting late, and I had hoped that he and I could chat. But meanwhile, could I maybe take a look?” Rowena was in a cordial mood.
“Of course. No problem. Follow me.” Luna walked into her brother’s showroom, feeling apprehensive. The woman wouldn’t be able to steal anything by herself. But there was something suspicious about her. Luna would keep a close eye on Cullen’s place without making it look like she was spying. Which, of course, was exactly what she was going to do.
Rowena meandered through the shop, pretending to admire several pieces. She casually worked her way toward the back, where Cullen had his workshop. She could always say she had gotten turned around if someone caught her. As she peered into the room, her heart skipped a beat. There it was. The table. The brass headboard. The old potting bench. Bingo! She had stopped in her tracks when a ding-dong sound indicated that someone else had entered the shop. She quickly moved back into the showroom area. It wasn’t Cullen or Luna. Just two browsers. She smiled and nodded to the couple. They nodded back. After a few minutes, they left through the door that led to the café.
Rowena weighed her options. If the Bodman guy didn’t return before they closed, she would have to come back the next day. She didn’t want to risk time slipping through her hands. It would be risky, but she considered hiding in his showroom until after the art center closed. That would give her the entire night to go through the remains of the garage. There was a small lavatory in the back, so that solved one potential issue. Food? She decided she would go back into the courtyard and pick something up from the Blonde Shallot. Something she could fit into her purse. She stuck her head in the café. “Hi, again. I don’t suppose you’ve heard from your brother?” Stupid question, but she had to ask.
“No, I haven’t. It’s not like him not to phone in.” Luna dialed Cullen’s cell phone number. She heard a distant ringing coming from his showroom. She followed the sound and found the phone on the desk in the back of the shop. She shook her head. Sometimes, he could be flakier than she. She walked back to where Rowena was standing and held up Cullen’s phone. “He forgot it.” Luna made a face.
“I see.” Rowena tried not to act perturbed. “I’m going to grab something to eat. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“OK. We close at five,” Luna reminded her.
Luna looked back at the phone and saw that he had messages. She didn’t want him to lose a potential client, but she didn’t have his password either. It would have to wait. She wondered where he was. He was supposed to be gone for about an hour. It had been closer to three. She didn’t feel as if anything bad had happened to him, but she did have a feeling of something. She thought it might be thatmujer de blanco. But why? She watched the woman walk into the Blonde Shallot and noticed that Chi-Chi was also eyeing the questionable shopper. Chi-Chi nodded at Luna. Luna nodded back. They would discuss the situation after the center closed for the evening.
Luna noticed that the woman exited the sandwich shop empty-handed. She couldn’t have wolfed down a panini in such a short amount of time. What was up with that? Perhaps she had changed her mind?
Rowena made her way back to the entrance to the café. “I’m going to take another peek if that’s OK.” Rowena went back into the showroom. She checked her watch again. She doubted the owner would be back in the next five minutes. She had to make it look like she had left the premises. She noticed an armoire with caned panels. She could easily fit in there and be comfortable for maybe a half hour. Enough time for the sister to close up shop. Rowena stuck her head back into the café one more time and faked an exit. “I’d better be going. Please ask your brother to give me a call. Have a good evening.”
“Will do. Bye.” Luna was clearing off the counter. As soon as Luna turned her back, Rowena dashed into the showroom, stepped into the cabinet, and closed the doors. She was glad it wasn’t too tight. She could actually sit with her knees bent.Clever move, she thought.
* * *
George and Leroy had been staking out the rear entrance of the BARRN all day. The door was open, but no one had come in or out the entire time. Leroy was squirming. “Hey, boss, I ain’t feelin’ too good.”
