Round Robin Story Part 7

Well, good intentions and all, I thought I would post last weekend. But the time got away and then school started again. Didn't realize just how much I missed my little kinderlets. That being said, my teaching career really cuts into my writing career time. I was the one who was supposed to post part four. So, thanks Jen Tiszai, Sabrina Fox, Mike Synder, and Malia Spencer for keeping things going until I could post.

Please bear in mind, I write Women's Fiction--Historical Women's Fiction. Where Jen and Mike and Malia can all intro their own characters into this little drama, mine are long dead and buried--about a couple three centuries ago. But I'll give suspense a try--and not shed quite so many tears if one of their characters bites the dust.

So now, without further ado, part seven.
Abundant blessings!

“Sarah, please to take seat. I will serve you soon.”

Thankfully Sarah was a few minutes early for her appointment. “No problem, Lynne. I’ve brought reading material.” She waved the newspaper and sat.

“What you read about?”

“I stumbled on to something yesterday and I thought I’d see if there’s any news.” Though if Kyle weren’t so by the book, he could fill her in and she wouldn’t have to read between the lines in this rag. There’s the story, page three. Just a tiny little blurb. Well, that certainly helps—not.

When the other customer left, Lynne motioned to Sarah. “I serve you now. Do you want pedicure, too?”

That’s a no-brainer. “Yeah, please. The sand at he beach is doing a number on my feet.” Sarah climbed into the massage chair.

“What color you want?”

Reaching over, Sarah turned the spinner, a familiar shade catching her eye. Chick Flick Cherry. No, that would give her more nightmares.

“I see you like new color. I just get. Only one person try that. She like very much. I think like, too.”

Could it be Chas’s sister? No, no way. That would be much too much of a coincidence. “No, I think I’ve seen too much red lately. Try Violet Hush. That is wild enough for me.”

Leaning back, Sarah closed her eyes. Sleep had been nonexistent last night. Every time she closed her eyes, Russell Fink would take her by the hand and lead her into a nightmare. Her heart got a great workout considering how many times she frightened herself awake.

But the chair massage felt almost as good as Lynne’s skilled hands on her feet.

Sarah’s eyes flew open, gulping in air as if she hadn’t had a breath in ages.

“You okay, Sarah?” Lynne capped the bottle of Chick Flick Cherry and set it on the tray.

Another nightmare. And in the middle of the day, too. Sarah looked at her toes. “I thought we decided on Violet Hush?”

“This better. You look like model. You will like. I make flower for you on big toes.”

Sarah wanted to tell the tech to remove the color. She wanted to, but acquiesced instead. Why bother. The nightmares came anyway. “Whatever. I’m too tired to argue.”

Lynne finished by adding a rhinestone to the center of each flower.

Something about the shiny dot made Sarah’s blood chill. But she had been wearing the silly things for some time. Her nerves were so fried.

When Lynne started her fingers, Sarah noticed a newspaper. “Oh, if that’s mine, just tuck it there in my bag.” She nodded toward it.

Instead of answering, Lynne shoved it under her stand.

No big deal. All she had to do was ask.

Though not in a hurry when Sarah arrived, now he tech raced through the fill.

The bell over the door rang and a tall woman entered. Dressed to impress, Sarah knew she was looking at money.

“Please to take seat. I will serve you soon.”

That explains the hurry. Lynne booked too tight.

Sarah finished, paid and booked her next appointment.

“See you in two, Lynne.”

The girl merely nodded, not even looking up.

Well, now I know how I rate.

Halfway to her car Sarah realized the stone from her grandmother’s ring was gone. “Blast it!” She turned around and trudged back to the shop, hoping Lynne found it. Not that it was that valuable but to Sarah it was priceless.

She pushed in the door while the bell tinkled above. “Lynne, I lost my…”

Lynne lay in a pool of blood.

The moneyed lady stood over her, crow bar brandished.