A Bead in the Hand (Glass Bead Mystery Series Book 2) by Janice Peacock

Author:Janice Peacock [Peacock, Janice]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Published: 2015-12-05T05:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

“TESSA AND I ARE GOING to dinner and karaoke with her friend Adriana. Do you want to join us?” I asked Val.

“We are?” Tessa asked.

“Adriana wouldn’t take no for an answer,” I said.

“Wish I could do it, girls, but I’ve got a date,” said Val.

“A date? You’ve been here only a few hours and you have a date?”

“Oh yes, that sexy guy with the cute Australian accent who sells those necklaces in the last row of the bazaar.”

“No, Val. No. You can’t go out with Luke,” I said, sitting next to her on the fold-out bed and shaking my head. “He’s a notorious ladies’ man.”

“He’s got this thing that he does. When I was trying on necklaces, he lifted the hair off my neck and draped the necklace around me. His hands caressed my neck as he adjusted the necklace.” Val sighed, closing her eyes. “So sexy. Then he said—”

“Val, we know what he does. He says you look magnificent, and the necklace is perfect for your perfect face,” I said.

“Yes, that was what he said,” Val said, astounded.

“He says that to every woman when he puts a necklace on her,” I said.

“He sells a lot of necklaces,” Tessa added with a knowing nod.

“It’s not like I’m going to marry him,” Val said. “And besides, I didn’t buy a necklace from him.”

“I’m glad he didn’t sell you anything,” Tessa said.

“I didn’t have to, he gave me this,” she said, holding up a shiny strand of beads made with dichroic glass—a type of glass that has been coated to be extra-sparkly. Dichroic beads shimmer in an iridescent rainbow of colors. No wonder Val liked the necklace. It was the glitziest piece of jewelry at the sale.

“Wow, that is a nice piece. Wonder what it will cost you later tonight?” I asked, in a tone that sounded like I knew she’d end up sleeping with him before the night was over.

“Can we talk a little more about dinner and a little less about Val’s love life? I’m starving,” Tessa said.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the bead Val had purchased at the Saturday Market. Where did it come from? Who sold it to Val?

“Tessa, I’ll meet you at the restaurant. It’s Club Arigato. I think it’s on Stark,” I said.

“Where are you headed?” Tessa asked.

“To the Saturday Market.”

• • •

I ran as fast as I could to the market, arriving at the end of the street where the vendors’ tents were set up. I was out of breath and stopped for a minute, leaning up against a fire plug, panting. The vendors were folding up their tents and packing their handcrafted candles, T-shirts, soaps, and scarves into boxes. I hoped to find out something from my trip down here—find the mysterious woman who was selling Saundra’s beads, or who was making beads that looked just like Saundra’s. But it looked like I might be too late. Everyone was closing up for the night.

I walked down one aisle, looking for anyone selling beads and jewelry.

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