“Not that I can see,” I said. “Oh, typical squabbles with some of her friends and peers, but nothing that stood out as out of the ordinary. What about you?”

  “Two here. One, her friend DeeAnn was kicked out of the bridesmaid brigade when she told Janet that she was pregnant. Back then, unwed mothers were taboo, at least outside of the hippie community. Apparently, DeeAnn had too much extracurricular fun. And the second incident surrounded Sirus’s bachelor party. One of the strippers showed up at the church an hour before the wedding demanding pay-off money or she’d gatecrash the wedding and let go with every single thing she knew about both the bride and groom.”

  “Blackmail, eh? And what did she find out?”

  “The stripper’s name was Candy. Original, huh? Anyway, she vanished before the police could question her. As far as how the station found out about her, one of the ushers told a detective about the incident. But he had no clue what Candy knew, since Sirus hurried her into a private room to talk to her. The usher—a Rick Rhymes—thinks that Sirus paid her off.”

  “Did the detectives ask Sirus about the stripper?”

  Millie shook her head. “Things were different back then. It says that George Fresco, the detective, talked to him about it but he cleared the stripper after that, without mentioning anything Sirus told him.” Millie pushed the files back from the edge of the table.

  “I guess things were different back in the day? Boys will be boys and all that crap.”

  “Oh, how I hate that phrase,” Millie said. “It’s the most misogynistic cliché ever used to let men off the hook for bad behavior.” She paused, then asked, “Your ghost…if I give you a list of questions, can you ask her about them? We might be able to get some idea of what was going on around that time.”

  “Sure, email them to me.”

  “Good. As soon as I think of some, I’ll let you know. Now, about her fiancé.”

  “What about him? He sounded genuinely sad when I mentioned Janet to him.”

  “January, even Ted Bundy was sad about some things—about getting caught, for one. Listen, you need to be cautious.”

  I frowned. “What’s the matter?”

  “Think about it. He was a suspect, of course.” She shook her head. “I have a sense that he knew more than he wanted to tell the cops.”

  “But they cleared him. He was waiting at the altar during the time she was murdered.” I thought for a moment, then said, “Oh…you’re thinking a hit man?”

  “Could be. What better way to give yourself an alibi than to be waiting in plain sight for your intended while they were being murdered?” She hesitated, then said, “Would you consider wearing a wire? He might clam up if he thinks the cops are in on this, but if he thinks it’s a civilian, well…”

  “You think if he had anything to do with it, he might slip and admit something?” I didn’t really feel like being wired up for a simple meeting, but Millie made a good point.

  “Again, could be. It’s been what…fifty-seven years since Janet’s death. People get careless. You’d save us some time and trouble. I don’t usually open up cold cases without a good reason, given the budget and our manpower, but given this one kind of fell into our laps, we might as well have a look at it.” She leaned her elbows on the table. “I like to think there are reasons for things, so maybe we need to have a good look at it. We have tools at our disposal they never even dreamed of in 1966.”

  “All right,” I said. “What do I have to do?”

  “Come here before heading out to meet Sirus. We’ll wire you up. You then go talk to him as you would normally, and we’ll feed you a few questions to ask along with your own.” She stood. “If you’re good with the idea, I’ll have the guys prepare a unit. We’ll station a car around the corner, listening in, so if you feel in danger, we’ll use a safe phrase that tells us you need help.”

  I realized that I was actually relieved that someone would be there with me, and agreed to return to the station at six-fifteen so they could prepare me. Then, bidding Millie goodbye, I headed out for the rest of the day.

  As I left the station it was nearing noon, so I decided to stop back in at the bridal shop. I waved at Sally, the consultant. She was waiting on another would-be bride, but handed the woman over to an assistant and headed toward me.

  “Still love the dress, I hope? That’s going to be stunning on you.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “About that. I’m not wearing the dress—”

  She promptly interrupted me. “We don’t take returns on dresses, especially pre-owned—”

  “Relax, I’m not bringing it back. But I’ll need to find another one. Preferably a new dress, one that hasn’t been worn before.” I hated to admit that I was spooked. At first, before I realized that Janet had actually died in the dress, I thought it was perfect. Now, not so much.

  “Is there something about the style you don’t like?”

  I wasn’t overjoyed about breaking the news to Sally that the dress was haunted, but figured it wouldn’t hurt. It wasn’t like I was trying to return it. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but it came with a ghost.”

  “Say what?” Sally stared at me, her glasses slipping down her nose.

  “The dress is haunted. I found out it belonged to a woman who was murdered in it.”

  The look on Sally’s face was enough to make me smile. “Oh good grief,” she exclaimed. “Bring it back. I can’t let you keep that. We had no idea. The woman who consigned it said that she found the dress in a trunk in her new house. We had no idea someone died in the dress! Even worse, that she was murdered.” Another thought appeared to cross her mind. “Please don’t tell anyone we sold that to you! If we had known about it, we never would have accepted it. Let me write you up a return—”

  “No, that’s not necessary. You shouldn’t be out the money simply because I can talk to ghosts.” I paused, then added, “I don’t want the ghost to be stuck here. She’s attached to the dress and can’t go far from it. At least not until I can figure out a way to release her from it. But you can help me find a gown as beautiful, within my price range.”

  Sally thought for a moment, then said, “I know there are similar gowns out there. They’re usually used for ballgowns, but let me see what I can find. I’ll email you over some possibilities. And you’ll get a 25 percent discount on whatever gown you choose. How about that?”

  I finally accepted because I saw that it meant a lot to her to make up for what she considered poor service. “All right, that sounds good. If there’s any way to find a gown in that color, or with a similar look, I’d appreciate it.” After giving her my email address, I headed back out.

  That evening, around seven, I parked in front of Violet’s Tea Dreams Shop. The wire felt odd, tucked into the back of my shirt. I’d purposely worn a loose tank top so that it wouldn’t show, but the minuscule size of it had surprised me—it might as well have been invisible.

  Killian hadn’t been keen on my visit to Sirus, either. He thought it was a mistake and had been loud and clear on the subject. But finally, I told him I’d be wired up and, knowing the police were involved, he had relented.

  I sucked in a deep breath, looking at the pale lilac exterior. The tea shop was situated in what had once been a house on a small lot. The backyard had been turned into a parking lot, and the entrance was in the back as well, although there was a side entrance for those coming from off the sidewalk.

  The tea shop itself still had that “house” look. Trimmed in leaf green, it was a two-story, and by the look of the windows on the second floor, Sirus—or someone—lived upstairs above the shop. The wraparound porch was covered with plants. Pots of African violets, big containers holding hydrangeas and geraniums, ferns nestling next to herbs in planter boxes—all ringed the porch in a lush array.

  I darted up the five steps to the porch and walked over to the door. Apparently, the tea shop was open till seven-thirty. As I entered the dining room, an odd sense of peace descended around me. It was as if there was a stress-dampener in the room. To the left, against the wall, was a massive aquarium and I found myself mesmerized by the fish, so much so that I missed seeing the woman coming up to wait on me.

  “May I help you? Table for one?”

  Her words cut through my thoughts and, startled, I turned back to face her. “I’m sorry, I was looking around. This is a beautiful shop.”

  “Thank you. Table for one?”

  I shook my head. “I have an appointment to talk to Sirus Barker. He’s expecting me.”

  She ushered me to a side table. “Please wait here. I’ll get him. Can I bring you a cup of tea?”

  I wasn’t much on tea, but said, “Do you have lemonade?”

  “Of course. Coming right up.” As she hustled back into what appeared to be the kitchen, I took a closer look around the room.

  The walls were decorated in a floral wallpaper that was subtle and refined, and pictures hung all over the walls. I leaned closer, trying to make them out. They appeared to be of Moonshadow Bay, probably in the 1950s. There was also a built-in bookshelf with some of the classics on it, and floral decorative plates hanging on the walls.

  “Ms. Jaxson?” A tall, stately man entered the dining room. I was the only customer here at this point, and I wondered how well the shop did.

  “Yes,” I said, standing to offer my hand. “I’m January Jaxson. Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Barker.”

  He shook hands and I felt nothing more than a friendly but reserved energy as his hand took mine. He let go and bade me to sit as he settled in across from me.

  “Your call came as quite a shock,” he said.

  “I imagine it did. I wasn’t at all sure how to begin.” I paused, then added, “First, I have to ask: Do you believe me about Janet’s spirit? Because if not, then I’m wasting my time and yours.”

  He sat back in his chair, pressing his lips together. “I do believe you, yes. My family’s history is steeped in the lore of spirits and ghosts, and we never discount stories without checking them out. The fact that you have Janet’s wedding dress says a lot.” He motioned to the waitress. “Bring me a lemonade, if you would, and if you’d bring us some tea cakes.”

  I started to tell him I wasn’t hungry but decided that would be rude. Besides, I always had room for cake. “Thank you. You have a lovely restaurant here—”

  “Tea shop. It’s just a tea shop. But we do all right. We serve lunch—sandwiches and soup, fish and chips, hamburgers, but mostly we cater to tea parties.” He was a handsome devil, and had that feline energy that made him seem overly graceful. Most feline shifters, regardless of the cat type, were extremely charismatic.

  “How long have you had the shop?” I asked, toying with my lemonade.

  “I opened it about ten years ago, when I met my wife—well, current wife.” He shrugged. “Her name is Violet, so I named it after her.”

  I watched him out of the corner of my eye. Something felt odd about his statement. “Were you married before? I know your marriage to Janet didn’t…take place.”

  “Sadly, no. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly sixty years since I was standing at the altar, waiting for her.” He sighed again. “Yes, I got married about a year after I lost Janet. To a woman named Candy.”

  I kept myself from reacting. Candy, the stripper?

  In my earpiece, I heard Millie say, “Ask him when he married Violet.”

  “You’re divorced? So am I,” I said, trying to establish some sort of rapport.

  He laughed, but there was no mirth behind it. “I seem to be challenged in the romantic department. Candy died, about four years after we married. I left town for a while, and returned to Moonshadow Bay twenty years later.”

  I froze. His second wife had died, as well? Well, first wife, technically. Janet had been his fiancée. “I’m so sorry. Was she sick?”

  He met my gaze and held it for a moment. “No, she died abruptly. She walked in front of a car.” For a moment, I thought he was going to say goodbye, but then he finally said, “I believe Candy killed herself. I can’t prove it, and the official determination was ‘accidental death,’ but I think she took her own life.”

  The waitress brought the tea cakes then, and I ate one, amazed by how good it was. “This is excellent,” I said, pointing to the cakes. “Do you make them here?”

  “During my twenty-year time away from here, I went to Paris, where I attended cooking school for two years at Le Cordon Bleu. I specialized in patisserie and received my diploma from there. Then I went to work at several major restaurants as a pastry chef. But I grew homesick and so, I finally decided to return to the United States, to Moonshadow Bay.”

  “Did you meet Violet here?” I asked.

  “Yes. Well, in Bellingham. I spent a couple years cooking for the Le Grand Hotel as their dessert chef, and Violet was working there as well. She and I both shared the dream of opening our own shop and—we decided to get married and go for it.”

  I wanted to ask if Violet was still alive, but that would be pushing matters.

  “So, you talked to Janet? Is she… I don’t know how to ask this, but…” There was a longing in his voice that made me want to cry.

  “If you want to know whether she’s all right, then yes, she seems to be. Well, other than being stuck to her wedding dress. By the way, I originally thought I was buying a vintage wedding dress. I had no idea Janet was murdered in it.”

  “That must have been a shock. Who gave her dress to the shop?”

  “I gather the new owner of her parents’ house? I think? The dress was in a trunk in the attic all of those years and when they bought the house, they found the dress and sold it to the shop.”

  “That makes sense. It was a beautiful dress. Janet didn’t believe in superstition. She wanted me to see the dress, so the day before, she modeled it for me. Now, I wish she hadn’t. Maybe that would have…” The guilt was heavy in his voice, but it sounded like survivor’s guilt more than anything.

  “Saved her? I doubt it. But you’re right. The dress is beautiful, and if you didn’t know someone was murdered in it, you wouldn’t think twice about selling it to a consignment shop. I had no clue when I bought it that Janet was still attached to it. I was too excited about the dress to notice.” I nibbled on another tea cake, suddenly appreciating Sirus’s extraordinary pastry skills. It was the best cake I’d ever tasted, and I’d eaten a lot of cake.

  “You’re getting married, then?” Sirus asked.

  “Yes, my second time and, I hope, the last. We’re getting married on the Solstice—Yule.” I picked up another one of the tea cakes, this one chocolate raspberry. “You said that you made these, right?”

  “Congratulations, and yes. I make all the pastries for the tea shop.” He gave me a gentle smile and I suddenly realized I was comfortable around him. In no way did he have the feel of a killer, though I tried to keep what Millie had said in mind.

  “Ask him about his wedding day to Janet,” Millie said.

  I cleared my throat. “I’d like to talk to you about maybe…making my wedding cake? Do you do that?”

  He laughed. “I can, and yes—I do take custom orders. I’m honored you like my cakes enough to ask.”

  I smiled at him. “They’re delicious.” Pausing, I tried to segue into Millie’s question. “So, about Janet. Nobody ever found out who killed her? I looked her up to make sure she was who she claimed to be. You’d be surprised by how often spirits lie.”

  Sirus paused, worrying his bottom lip. “No, there’s never been a break in the case. They investigated all of us—myself included, of course. They always start with the partner. I didn’t mind. I felt that I owed it to her to let them check out whatever they wanted.” He gave me a long look. “Did she by any chance tell you who killed her?”

  I held his gaze. “No, she doesn’t know. Whoever it was attacked her from behind. I know it’s been a long time, but do you have any idea of who might have wanted her dead?”

  After a moment, he shook his head. “I’ve thought about that day over and over, all through the years. I know that one of her bridesmaids was pissed, but they couldn’t find any evidence that the girl had anything to do with Janet’s death. And my late wife, Candy, was the stripper at my bachelor’s party. She threatened to tell everybody—including Janet—that she’d given me a blow job. I paid her off. I was young and stupid.” He hung his head. “I regret that moment every day. Even though Candy was really a lovely person.”

  “What about any jilted lovers? Anyone jealous of her?”

  He shrugged. “Janet and I were together for five years, since she was eighteen. Before that, she didn’t really have any serious boyfriends. And my slip was the stupidity with Candy. I know it’s no excuse, but I was drunk off my ass that night.”

  “Janet doesn’t know about Candy, from what I can tell.” I found myself believing him.

  “Good. Please don’t tell her. I wouldn’t want her to spend…well…her afterlife knowing I fucked up like that.” He shifted, frowning. “In case you’re wondering, and in case the cops are listening through that wire you’re wearing—”

  “What?” I stiffened. How the hell did he know?

  “You wouldn’t come here without talking to the cops first. You’re smart—when you called, I did some research on you. You’re not the only one who knows how to use a search engine. You’re pretty impressive, January. Your talents are numerous.” He grinned. “I don’t care, really. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

  “I… I…” I wasn’t sure what to say.

  “As I said, it’s all right. And if you want to know why—how—I ended up marrying the stripper, when she found out that Janet died, she sent me a card expressing her sympathy and apologizing for being an ass. I wrote her a thank-you note. She sent flowers and a donation to Janet’s favorite charity. I think she felt guilty. I wrote to thank her again.”