“Murder,” I murmured as I slid another pair of sunglasses over my blue eyes and stared in the mirror.
With a shake of my head, I took them off and tossed both pairs into my purse. I didn’t know what mood would strike me once I was on the road.
“Did you say something, Vic?” Maxine asked as she appeared in my doorway.
“Yeah. I said ‘murder.’”
Maxine’s eyes widened. “Why on earth would you say that?”
“Because I still can’t believe we’re going away for the weekend because we just solved one. I never saw that coming.” I shook my head as I zipped my purse and swung it over my shoulder.
“Don’t remind me. I just want to get to the estate for our weekend. And honestly, I’m pretty excited. We never would have done this without that crazy murder.”
I wagged a manicured nail at her. “No, but your perspective on life changes when you’ve been held at gunpoint.”
Maxine groaned, shaking her head. “Don’t remind me of that. Please. I never want to think about those moments again.”
“Neither do I, except for them to serve as a reminder that I need to live beyond the walls of that salon.” I grabbed my suitcase and dragged it off of my bed.
I grabbed the handle and wheeled it to the door. “Now, we need to get on the road. I don’t want to be late for the cocktail hour.”
Maxine flicked a lock of her freshly cut bob. “Ohhh, yeah, wait until you see the dress I got for it.”
“You got a dress for the free wine and cheese?” I wrinkled my nose, wondering if my casual outfit would suffice.
Maxine’s lips parted, her features incredulous. “Victoria! This is a swanky place. You didn’t get a cocktail dress?”
“I got a dress for dinner. I guess I can wear that.”
“We can stop by the boutique on the way out of town if you need something. That’s where I got mine.”
“Nah,” I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. “I think I have enough. I probably overpacked. Oh, I have a great idea for your hair for dinner tonight.”
“I can’t wait,” she said as we headed down the hall to my front door. “I have some hair jewelry, too, if you can work it in.”
“I’ll work it in, honey. Don’t worry.” We stepped out into the bright sunshine of Crystal Cove. I slid on my third pair of sunglasses and pulled my suitcase over to my little Subaru.
We tossed the luggage in the back, and I slid into the driver seat.
Maxine buckled into the passenger seat. After a quick fluff of my hair, I fired the engine and pulled out onto the road, ready to start my vacation.
