The Gift of a Charm Read online

  She didn’t understand what the big friggin’ deal was. Why would Aunt Carole want to talk to some stalker guy? Adults were so weird.

  Shrugging, she flipped open her phone and pulled up her Facebook account. Quickly typing a new status update, she smiled to herself at the wisdom of the words that she had just written.

  ‘Hey, idiots! When you yell at me, I feel less inclined to tell you what you want to know, OK?’

  She closed her phone and went back to leaning on the counter. Maybe Aunt Carole should learn that she shouldn’t shout at her employees. Not if she wanted them to do their jobs properly.

  Tasha smiled to herself and picked up the phone again, her attention now on continuing her conversation with her best friend. ‘Hey, Gretch?’ she said. ‘Yeah, I’m good now. This place is dead again. It’s so boring actually. I can’t believe I have to be here for another three hours.’

  When Carole got back to the shop, empty-handed and without finding the man who had been in the store, she found Tasha hard at work. On the phone.

  ‘Yeah, and did you see what she was wearing? I know! Like, barf city.’ Tasha’s eyes at that moment locked with her aunt’s. ‘Um, I have to go. OK, bye.’ She quickly put the phone away.

  Carole raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips.

  ‘It was a customer searching for something that we didn’t have. I mean, there’s, like, nothing in this store that could be called “barf city”,’ Tasha said meekly.

  ‘Really…’

  ‘I swear—’

  Carole held up a hand. ‘Forget about that for a moment, Tasha. I need you to think. This is very important. Did the man say anything else? Did he mention his name?’

  Tasha’s mind went back to the trash can, but she knew she would be in trouble if her aunt knew that she’d just thrown the message away without giving it to her. And she already knew that she was walking on thin ice with Carole at the moment, by being caught on the phone.

  ‘No, Aunt Carole,’ Tasha said sweetly. ‘I’m sorry, should I have asked? I just thought he was kind of a creep. He scared me,’ Tasha said exaggeratedly, hoping that acting terrified would get her off the hook. ‘I mean, this is my first day here. I don’t know what to do in situations like that; you didn’t tell me.’

  Carole’s expression changed and softened ever so slightly. ‘I know, you’re right. You wouldn’t have known and you were just going with gut instinct when it comes to dealing with strangers. Just … excuse me for a second. I have to go call Holly. Just keep manning the fort up here, will you?’

  Tasha agreed and, as Carole walked away, her niece called after her, ‘Um, Aunt Carole?’

  ‘Yes, Tasha?’

  ‘Is Holly, like, going to be OK? She’s not in trouble or anything, is she?’

  ‘I don’t think so, sweetheart. At least, I hope not.’

  Chapter 36

  Holly’s mouth dropped open when Carole called to tell her what had happened.

  ‘I tried to chase him down, but it was too late, I lost him. Oh, Holly, I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there at the time. If only I had been, this whole thing would have been sorted out by now and—’

  ‘Carole, it’s not your fault. It’s mine! I should be at work today.’ Damn, she thought, biting her lip. ‘He didn’t leave a name or anything?’

  ‘No. Tasha practically called the cops on him; she thought he might have been a stalker, poor guy. You know what teenagers can be like.’

  ‘And he definitely said he was looking for a bracelet. Anything else?’

  ‘That’s all I got out of Tasha.’

  ‘So presumably the charm bracelet must belong to his wife, or a girlfriend or whatever…’

  ‘I would think so. Tasha would have definitely told me if he’d looked like a cross-dresser,’ Carole laughed.

  A giggle escaped Holly’s lips. ‘It’s just so ironic. Here I’ve been working to track down the owner, and now the owner – or her boyfriend or husband or whatever – is looking to track me down.’

  ‘But how did he know you had the bracelet? Or your name and where you worked?’

  Good question, Holly thought. She thought back over the search thus far. She’d started with Lila at the UPS store – who had her details but hadn’t called her back. Next was Tiffany, but she definitely hadn’t left her name or any contact information with Samuel, had she? Holly didn’t think so, so the guy couldn’t have traced her back from there. After that, she’d tried to get in touch with Margot Mead via Jessica. Then … Holly remembered where her next port of call had been, and had a brainwave. The gallery. She had left her card with the Italian gallery owner.

  ‘Did Tasha say what this guy looked like?’

  ‘All she said was that he was tall and had dark hair. I wondered if it might have been Nick at first, but then when she mentioned something about the bracelet…’

  The gallery owner was tall and dark, but why would he call at the store if he had information to share with her? He had her card and could easily call her cell if he was looking for her.

  ‘Did he actually say he was looking for a bracelet, or that he had information about one?’ she asked Carole, wondering how reliable Tasha’s memory was.

  ‘I’m not sure. Hold on, I’ll ask her.’

  Holly waited, while Carole went to talk to her niece again. She guessed that she was right; it was probably just the gallery owner after all.

  Carole came back on the line. ‘No, Tasha says he was definitely looking for a bracelet, because she suggested something about a lost and found. What are you going to do now?’

  Holly shrugged. It was unlikely to have been the gallery owner, then. ‘I suppose I’m just going to have to call whoever had my number in relation to the search and find out if anyone’s been looking for me,’ Holly sighed. ‘Still, I can’t help but feel I am back to square one.’

  ‘No, not square one. You’ve made progress. Because of your persistence, the bracelet’s owner, or someone who knows the owner, knows you have it and are trying to give it back. Someone is looking for you, and you are looking for that same someone. Now it’s just about putting you both in touch with each other. What is the phrase? Six degrees of separation?’

  ‘Maybe you’re right. Either way, I’d better go and make some phone calls.’ She was about to say goodbye when she remembered something. ‘Oh, and Carole?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Do me a favour,’ she said, a smile in her voice. ‘Don’t let your niece deal with any more of my customers.’

  Carole laughed guiltily. ‘Consider it done.’

  * * *

  Holly quickly confirmed with the girl at the UPS store that no one had come round looking for her. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you before, but I’ve been waiting for head office to come back with more information about the delivery tracking,’ she said apologetically, once Holly reminded her who she was.

  ‘Don’t worry – I’m not sure the information would have helped anyway,’ she reassured her.

  Next, she called Jessica and, once again getting her voicemail, asked her to call back as soon as she could. Then she phoned the gallery and was told by an answering service that the place was closed for the holidays and would not reopen until the New Year.

  Unsure what to do next, Holly put the phone down and joined her mother on the sofa. She had in the meantime told Eileen all about the missing bracelet, and her mother had proved just as intrigued by the search as she was. She’d come over earlier to spend time with her wounded (but thankfully improving) grandson.

  ‘It’s just so frustrating; I don’t know what to do next,’ Holly said, exasperated, after she’d outlined the latest developments.

  ‘But it just goes to show how much progress you’ve made, if the owner now knows you have the bracelet, doesn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, but thanks to Carole’s niece, he has no idea where to find me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she didn’t give out my number or address to a complete stranger, but it’
s a pity she didn’t think to ask him to leave a number.’

  ‘I wonder how he did track you down, though?’ Eileen mused.

  ‘That’s what I’m wondering too. I’m thinking it must have been Jessica – after all, from what we could tell from the charms, she – the owner of the bracelet, I mean – sounds pretty well off, what with the fancy egg, and the Park Avenue apartment, the very people who run in Margot Mead’s circles.’ She looked at her mother. ‘Actually, now that I think about it, maybe the guy who called looking for me today isn’t the owner’s husband or boyfriend, but her go-to guy?’

  The male equivalent of Jessica, perhaps?

  Her mother shrugged. ‘It’s possible. Either way, you’re obviously doing something right, otherwise this fellow would have never been able to find you.’

  ‘Even so, I’m still no closer to getting it back.’ Holly sighed, just as her phone buzzed. Speak of the devil … it was Jessica.

  ‘Hi, Jessica. Thanks for calling me back.’ She explained the reason for her call and her face fell when Margot Mead’s assistant told her that no, she hadn’t sent anyone connected to the bracelet her way.

  ‘Damn, I have no idea who this guy is and how he knows I have it,’ she said, frustrated.

  ‘Sorry,’ Jessica replied. ‘Hey, sorry you had to rush out the other day. How’s the little guy?’

  ‘Danny’s great, thanks,’ Holly smiled. ‘And I hear you did some shopping afterwards. Which dress are you going to wear to the benefit on New Year’s Eve?’

  ‘Oh, the Marilyn one, definitely,’ Jessica confirmed. ‘Not that I’ll have a lot of time to worry about how I look on the night. The girl I had to help out has let me down so I’ll be lucky if I get a chance to reapply my freakin’ lipstick.’

  As she said this, Holly was struck by something.

  New Year’s Eve. Same Time, Same Place.

  Was there a chance that the guy who was asking for her today – and who knew she had the bracelet – might be at that benefit? Clearly he’d tracked her down as a result of her own efforts, all related to the charms. She’d already established that the owner moved in higher circles and might possibly be a guest at the event that night. So maybe her assistant or boyfriend would be too?

  It was worth a shot and, at this point, the only avenue related to the charms that she had left.

  Same Time, Same Place …

  Even if she was wrong and the New Year’s Eve benefit wasn’t the meeting place, perhaps finally being able to meet Margot Mead would point her in the right direction.

  ‘Jessica,’ she began, unsure how to word it exactly, ‘seeing as you’ve been so great in helping me with all this, and you’ve just said someone has let you down, would you like a volunteer, an extra pair of hands that night?’

  She wasn’t entirely sure what Jessica’s role was at these things, or even what the work entailed, but given that the girl always seemed so harried, Holly figured she’d be able to help out in some way. And while she was there, keep an eye out for anyone who might just happen to fit the profile she’d built up of the bracelet owner so far.

  ‘Well, yeah – of course … but seriously? You’d do that?’

  ‘Yes – if I can get a babysitter,’ she added suddenly, but alongside her, Eileen was nodding and giving her a big thumbs-up.

  ‘You’re sure? That would be so great! I should warn you, it’s a pretty fancy gig – strictly black tie, so even though you’re working, you’ll still need to look the part. Oh, what am I talking about?’ she laughed. ‘Nobody better than you to find a great dress for the night.’

  Holly gulped. The last time she’d gone black tie was … well, it must have been that time in Vegas with Nick. And that was, what … over a decade ago?

  ‘Sure, I guess I can find a dress,’ she said, thinking about the entirely functional contents of her closet. ‘Just tell me what you need me to do, and more importantly, where to go.’

  And when Jessica outlined the details, and told her where the New Year’s Eve benefit was being held, Holly smiled.

  ‘OK, great. See you on the night.’

  Hanging up the phone, she took a deep breath, unable to believe what she’d just agreed to. ‘I think, at this stage, it’s my best shot of finding the owner of the bracelet,’ Holly said, outlining her train of thought to her mother.

  Eileen smiled fondly at her. ‘It doesn’t matter either way, honey. For once, you’ll be doing something fun on New Year’s Eve.’

  Chapter 37

  A few days later, Holly resumed her post at the Secret Closet. ‘Oh, are you a sight for sore eyes,’ Carole said as Holly hung up her coat and bag.

  ‘So I am apparently not that easily replaceable?’

  Her boss laughed heartily. ‘Not by a long stretch. And people wonder why I never had children.’

  Holly had to admit that it was nice to get into a routine again. Danny’s bruises were fading, and once his arm healed in a few weeks’ time, he’d be as good as new.

  ‘To be honest, Carole, I’m glad to be back. It’s nice to get my mind off this thing tomorrow night. I’m not sure what I was thinking really…’

  It had been a moment of madness, offering to help Jessica out at the party like that. Yes, there was a chance that Mystery Bracelet Guy (as she’d taken to calling him) might be there, but how did Holly seriously think she would be able to pick him out from among the crowd?

  She couldn’t very well wear a sign on her forehead, announcing that she was the Holly who’d found his girlfriend’s/wife’s/boss’s bracelet. She groaned at her impulsiveness.

  Carole laughed. ‘I think it’s a fantastic idea. Why are you having second thoughts about it?’

  ‘Well, for one, I really don’t remember the last time I went out on New Year’s Eve – never mind anywhere fancy, so I need to find something to wear. And for another, what if I do find the guy who’s been searching for me and the bracelet?’

  Carole raised her eyebrows. ‘I’m not sure what you mean…’

  ‘It’s just all along, I was operating under the illusion that I was searching for a woman. Someone like me. I suppose I felt some kind of kinship with her. And now, with this third party – well, I suppose I’m just not sure what to expect.’

  ‘Think positive, Holly,’ Carole said, patting her friend on the back. ‘I’m sure it will be fine. Either way, you’ll probably have a great night. I know I’d give anything to be mixing with the rich and famous on New Year’s Eve.’

  ‘Ah … taking care of their coats is hardly mixing,’ Holly said, although she had to admit she was kind of excited about that side of it. She’d never got within throwing distance of a Manhattan society event before. ‘Well, with any luck, I can get there, help Jessica, find out who this bracelet belongs to and then be home before the ball drops.’

  Carole looked at her, shocked. ‘But why on earth would you want to do that?’

  ‘I’m just going to see if I can finish a job,’ Holly reminded her. ‘Plus, I’ve never spent a New Year Eve’s away from Danny…’

  ‘Who is usually tucked up in bed long before midnight anyway,’ Carole reminded her. ‘I’ve told you before, Holly, you need to get out and have some fun. Who knows, you might even meet someone at this thing.’

  ‘Yes, forget the society ladies, I’m sure all the stockbrokers and hedge-fund guys only have eyes for the cloakroom girl at these things,’ she teased. She walked over to the nearest rack. ‘But speaking of society ladies, I still need to find something to wear.’

  Suddenly, Carole’s eyes started to sparkle.

  ‘You mean you haven’t decided on a dress yet?’ she asked innocently.

  ‘I can’t decide on a dress, because there isn’t a single one in my closet – nothing that would work for an event like this, anyway.’ She paused and flicked through the rails. ‘Anything new in lately? Just something simple, and preferably cheap; I don’t want to spend too much.’

  Carole smiled mischievously. ‘Wait right here.’


  ‘What? Where else would I be going…?’ But she was talking to herself, as her boss headed out back to the stockroom. Seconds later, she emerged with a large white box with an elegant black ribbon tied round its middle.

  ‘What on earth is that?’ Holly asked.

  ‘That, my dear, is a surprise for you. And with it, I need you to make me a promise.’

  ‘What kind of promise?’

  ‘I’ll tell you in a minute. First, open it.’

  ‘You’re the boss,’ Holly laughed, untying the ribbon. Then she lifted off the top of the gift box, tore back the tissue paper and immediately sucked in her breath.

  ‘Oh, Carole … it’s Anna Bowery’s Givenchy! But I thought Jessica bought it…’

  ‘I never said that, you did.’

  Holly playfully swatted at Carole as she admired the dress. It was just so beautiful and, in truth, would be absolutely perfect for the benefit tomorrow night. When she thought about all the amazing events this dress had seen in its lifetime … Certainly, many more than she had, that was for sure.

  ‘Try it on,’ Carole urged, as she had when the dress first came in.

  ‘Oh, I don’t know—’

  ‘Please, just humour me.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter, I can’t afford it.’

  ‘Try it on! Like you said, I’m the boss, and that’s an order.’

  ‘OK…’ Holly reluctantly picked up the dress and turned towards the small dressing room at the other end of the store.

  A few moments later, she emerged to look in the mirror.

  ‘Oh my…’ Holly gasped. ‘This is exactly what Cinderella must have felt like.’ She walked towards her reflection in the mirror, then twirled slowly, allowing the boundless tulle of the skirt to float around her, the crystals catching the overhead lighting and casting a disco-ball effect on the floor.

  Carole approached her from behind and gazed at her reflection. She patted her shoulder. ‘My goodness, Holly, it was really made for you. These nineteen fifties dresses can be so severe with their tailoring, especially on women’s shapes today. You look like you’ve just stepped out of the fifties yourself. It hardly needs any alterations, just a little bit here…’ She took a pin out of her pocket and clipped it to the shoulder area, which was slightly loose. So delicate, and what’s more you already have the accessories. Your charm bracelet is perfect with it.’