Blue Plate Slayer Read online

  “You’re so young! You must be like 22 years old, I’m guessing.”

  “Ha! I’m 32. Oops! 33 now, Mercy. But my small size and brown skin tone fool a lot of people. Makes it harder for me in the business world.”

  “I can see how it might. So, are you from...India, Izzy?” I asked her as we walked.

  “Malaysia,” she said. “Kuala Lumpur. But I got my TV background in Manila working for GMA. It’s a big network there.”

  “Wow. And now...”

  “Now I own this show,” she said with a smile as we arrived at the dressing room door. “Daddy’s money, but I’ve worked hard. Television is my job, but fashion is my passion.”

  “Oh, do you create designs too?”

  “I dabble,” she said with a demure smile.

  Chapter Five

  Izzy opened the door to the not-so spacious white room where a young woman was straightening a painting on the wall and checking the lighting with a hand-held meter. The girl then took my hand and seated me in a chair under a bright spotlight, which she adjusted for my height and took another reading with what I’m sure was a light meter.

  Izzy wrapped her clipboard in her arm and slid her glasses down off her forehead to the end of her tiny nose. She jotted a few words on her notepad. “So, tell me, Mercy, what are you looking for in a wedding dress?”

  I thought for a moment. “Well, Izzy, of course I want something that makes me feel beautiful, but nothing too pretentious. No princess ball gown or mermaid dress. Just something nice and flowing and comfortable. Simple elegance, maybe.”

  She raised her eyebrows and turned her clipboard toward me. “My goodness!” she said. “Maybe I’ve tuned into your wavelength, Mercy.”

  At the top of the notepad she had written Elegant simplicity.

  “Yes! I think you have!”

  “Knock, knock!”

  Dandy Dan stuck his head around the door. “Are we almost ready? I’m going to introduce the show now, and then you’ll start modeling dresses for your bridal party, Mercy – and of course for our 2.2 million viewers too!”

  I got to my feet, and Dan entered the room, standing right in front of me now.

  “We usually shoot video for about three hours for a half-hour show,” he said, “with a long break in the middle for lunch. But we’ll be here until you’re ready to say those words: This dress is the best!”

  “Oh, I’m ready! I’ve been ready for this since I was six, Dan.”

  “Faaabulouuuus!” he sang. “This whole show is going to be just you, Mercy. Just one bride today.”

  He framed my face and torso, closing one eye and touching the tips of his thumbs together with his index fingers extended upwards. “You’ll be such a beautiful bride! Now, let’s get you out of these street clothes,” he said, reaching for my top button.

  I tried to hide my shock as I pushed his hand away. “I think I would rather wait till it’s just us girls, Dan.”

  Izzy grabbed him by the shoulder and shot darts at him with her eyes, but then rubbed his arm fondly. “Danny, dear, Mercy doesn’t quite consider you one of the girls yet, honey.”

  “Very well,” he said, looking a bit deflated. “Deidra will be here in a second to help hunt down the best dresses for you, so work with Izzy to figure out what you want.” Then he put his hand to the side of his mouth and whispered, “Izzy is magic when it comes to reading a woman’s fashion sense!”

  “I’ve already discovered that!”

  “Izzy, be sure to get some good closeups and some fun quotes on camera from our guest of honor. Tootles!”

  I smiled as Dandy Dan skipped off. “Quite a character, that man.”

  “Oh, you have no idea,” Izzy said with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “But he’s a very good host and popular with our audience. Our ratings were pretty dismal before I brought him on board. Now we’re the top non-news show on cable. Okay, then...let’s talk about dresses. Sweetheart neckline, or do you like something more buttoned up? Lots of tulle or...”

  “No tulle. Nothing too puffy or bulky. Close-fitting, but not tight.”

  “Okay, so something that hangs loosely from the waist, maybe.” She said, writing notes on her pad. “Straps? Sleeves? Cleavage?”

  “Mmmm. I haven’t thought much about that. I don’t want a corset bodice. I like the sweetheart, but I’m from a small town, so...”

  “So, nothing too daring or revealing. Got it. I think I’ve got some dresses you’re going to love!”

  A woman about my age with shiny black hair in a professional bob and huge glasses came in the door.

  “Deidra! Perfect timing. Grab the vintage Garbo gown from Petorina’s line, and get the one on the mannequin next to her rack – the one with the lace and choker top. We’re going to create the perfect dress for Miss Mercy Howard!”

  Vintage Garbo...I liked the sound of that!

  This was already getting to be a heady experience. I didn’t expect it, but I was light-headed and beginning to feel excitement buzzing in my stomach, with tingles reaching into my arms and legs. I hadn’t physically felt excitement like this since I was a little girl on Christmas morning.

  “I’m pretty sure that’s a smile on your face, Mercy,” Izzy said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I have to admit that I get a little giddy about this process every time I work with a bride, especially when the bride is a real peach like you. Now, get out of those clothes and prepare to become a bride!”

  I couldn’t have asked for a better person than Izzy to share this part of the experience with. She was such a sweetheart and seemed to have a direct line to my soul.

  “I want you to try on some other dresses for the show – beautiful dresses, but ones you won’t like so much. We can’t have you picking the first dress you try on, now can we? We have to create a little drama and fill the show with some suspense and excitement. Okay?”

  “It’s your show, Izz. As long as we don’t do anything dishonest, I don’t mind being your Barbie dress-up doll.” I leaned toward her. “I kind of like the idea of seeing myself in fancy dresses like some of those wild and crazy Hollywood stars might wear. Give me something outlandish!”

  “That’s my girl! Outlandish it is!”

  She went out of the room and returned a moment later with a huge ball gown covered in feathers.

  “Straight from Fashion Week in New York, here’s a Loretta Barbieri dress that was worn by Adriana Lima – no relation – on the runway!”

  “Seriously? This dress right here was worn by an international supermodel?”

  She raised her eyebrows and smiled broadly as she nodded.

  It took a while to get me into the contraption. “It’s heavy!” I complained. “But let’s show it to the gang! They’ll think I’ve lost my mind.”

  “I hope so!” she said. “That will get the viewers invested in the show right away, and they’ll stick around to make sure you get the perfect gown.”

  The dress must have had a coat-hanger-wire structure holding the skirt out from my hips and legs, so it was actually airy and comfortable once I got it on. But I could hardly make it out of the dressing room door in that monstrosity of a dress. I saw the girls’ jaws drop as I made my way toward the platform.

  “Pssst!”

  Red was on the near end of the divan and waved me over. He wanted to whisper in my ear.

  “Hey, Mercy. That Peter Johns fella wants me to hate the first three dresses and act like a grumpy old man. You look real pretty in this one, so don’t pay attention to anything I say! Not sure if I can act grumpy, but I told him I’d try.”

  I smiled at him and whispered back. “Just think of what Deloris would say,” I told him. “That’ll make you sound grumpy. And if I pretend like it hurts my feelings, it’s just an act too, Red.”

  I patted him on the head and stepped up onto the platform.

  “So, what do you think, ladies?” I asked.

  They looked stunned, and their faces were blank as they looked at eac
h other. Ruby looked like she might cry. Finally, Deloris spoke up.

  “Well, Mercy, that would be a fine gown if you were planning on going Trick-or-Treating in Beverly Hills, or something crazy thing like that.”

  “Oh, Deloris!” Babs said, a little aghast at her friend’s frankness. “You look beautiful, sweetie. If you like this dress, then I like it too. But maybe you could try something a little less...”

  “Obnoxious,” Deloris added for her.

  “Maybe you could have some white doves fly right out of your dress there, Mercy,” Red said. “It kinda looks like a bird cage, with that bell-shaped bottom half and all the feathers. It even swings like a bell when you walk. Or maybe you could get a long staff and a bonnet and be Little Bo Peep.”

  Ruby locked her wide eyes on mine and shook her head just enough for me to notice.

  “Oh, I really thought this might be the one,” I said, giving a quick wink to Ruby, who put her hand on her chest in relief. “But let me put on something a little different. Deidra, let me try a dress that’s more traditional.”

  I walked over to Ruby and whispered to her, “Don’t worry about the next two dresses. I just want to have fun trying things on for a while!”

  “Okay. That does sound like fun. But you had me worried there for a minute, Mercy.”

  “That’s good. Look worried again. It’s good TV!”

  She cocked her head and gave me a confused look.

  The next dress was a lovely satin mermaid gown that Ruby and Babs loved. I didn’t. The fishtail didn’t flare out until almost the ankles.

  “I feel like Morticia Addams,” I said. “I practically have to hop in order to move in this thing. Sorry, but no way.”

  “Ya, I guess it would be hard to merengue in that one,” Babs said with a serious nod.

  I gave her a cynical glare. “And impossible to waltz in.”

  I had the time of my life, trying on gown after gown, all from famous designers and with crazy price tags.

  Izzy gave me an excited but strained, clenched-teeth smile when I got back to the dressing room after my fifth gown. “It’s ready, Mercy. I’ve got your dress.”

  There was one gown hanging on the wall, covered in a powder blue bag with the Stenfield name in large pink script. I could see the excitement in Izzy’s eyes as she unzipped the bag.

  “I’ve been working on it for three hours, Mercy, right through lunch. I really, really hope you love it.”

  I was very nervous – as much for Izzy as for myself. I didn’t want to disappoint her if I didn’t like it, but I also wasn’t going to choose a dress that I wasn’t absolutely in love with.

  It was slinky with a satiny sheen, and it did have a wonderful 1940s Hollywood look, as she unfurled it in front of me.

  My jaw dropped a little and I took in a deep breath, quite involuntarily. My heart was beating faster now.

  She unzipped it all the way, and I felt little electric shocks as I stepped into it.

  “It...it’s sleeveless and strapless, Izzy. And kind of low cut. I don’t know...”

  “Don’t worry,” she said, moving behind me and unsnapping my bra. “But there won’t be any room for this in there.”

  I pulled the heart-shaped neckline up as she pulled the bra away.

  “Don’t worry. It has built-in support,” she said as she zipped it up.

  It was beautiful, but I felt a little exposed.

  “Izzy...”

  “Trust me, Mercy.” She put her hands on my shoulders and smiled. Then she got something off the vanity.

  “This is from another dress in the vintage line.”

  She snapped a white, one-inch wide satin choker around my neck that had a sheer fabric hanging from the front. She fastened the bottom of the lacy netting to each side of the gown’s neckline and had me tuck in the extra material in front.

  “This is just a temporary mock-up. But if you like it, Petorina will have it sewn on for you.”

  I stood before the mirror, and really liked what I saw. “I love the way it hugs my body. The skirt has a lot of room, but it hangs straight down. My hips look so narrow.”

  She snapped her fingers, and Deidra handed her another piece. It was a wide bow with a long train, embellished with small yellow flowers. It hung from the back of the gown, the bow just above my hips, adding just the width I needed. The train flowed to the floor and trailed a few feet behind me. The whole thing fastened around my waist with a silver belt. I felt a lump in my throat.

  I looked at Izzy with awe, and she snapped her fingers again. This time Deidra removed the silvery bling from the belt and exchanged with a sheer gold ribbon of tiny embroidered yellow flowers.

  Izzy looked at me, and my eyes were about to overflow with tears.

  “No...no...NO! No, Mercy!”

  She swung her right hand out wide and quickly swept it in. I thought I was going to get a slap in the face! But, she raised her other hand in front of my face and slapped that instead.

  “Not yet, Mercy. Don’t let the dam break yet.” she said, tenderly patting my cheek and flashing her perfect smile. “Save it for your wedding party – and the camera! This is going to be my highest rated show ever! Now, get out there!”

  Red and Ruby were bawling before I stepped up onto the platform, and I had all I could do to hold back my own tears. But when they put on the veil and gave me a bouquet to hold, I couldn’t help it. I felt like a bride. I turned to face my team. They were all crying now, and I joined them. A few minutes later, Dandy Dan was able to get the words out of me:

  “Yes! Yes! This dress is the best!”

  And it truly was. It was everything I had ever dreamed of. And more. My thoughts turned to immediately to Brody, and I could hardly wait till he arrived.

  Chapter Six

  “So, who’s going to be your Best Man, Brody?” Junior asked the Sheriff as he dug a sliver of breakfast sausage from his teeth with a matchbook cover.

  The men were gathered around the campfire – Jake and Junior on tree stumps, Brody on a folding chair, and Smoke in a dirty white butcher’s apron topping off all their coffee mugs.

  Brody had been dreading this moment.

  “Well, I was thinking that Smoke here might be a good choice.”

  “No can do, Kimosabe.”

  Brody wasn’t expecting that response and was taken aback. “Oh. Okay. You’ll be at the wedding though, won’t you?”

  “Oh, for sure, for sure, Sheriff. But I’ll be walking your bride down the aisle and giving her away to you.”

  “Oh! Yeah, that makes sense. I should have known that.”

  “So, then who, Brody?” Jake asked, chewing on a long blade of bluegrass and leaning toward the Sheriff with his elbows on his knees and a serious look on his face.

  “Well, of course, all of you will be groomsmen. Of course. Um...”

  Brody was thinking that Red would probably be the right choice, but he didn’t want to disappoint the Carter men, Jake and Junior.

  The two big men stood up, and one stood on each side of the Sheriff. Brody could feel his throat going dry. Jake put one of his big hands on Brody’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. Junior stood right in front of the nervous lawman with his arms folded and an icy glare.

  “It’s none of our business, Brody,” Junior said and then spit on the ground by the fire.

  “But,” his dad continued, “unless you got a brother or someone you want to bring in for the occasion...”

  Brody shook his head and gulped. “No.”

  “...then we’re all hoping that you’ll pick Red. He’s the oldest, and we know it would mean a lot to him.”

  Brody exhaled and nodded in agreement as Jake continued.

  “He’s known Mercy all her life. He drew the short straw when she was trying to decide if he or Smoke would walk her down the aisle, but seeing him stand next to you when the two of you take your vows, well, it would make a lot of folks in Paint Creek real happy.”

  A big smile beamed f
rom Brody’s face. “Jake, I see it the same way. And I want you and Junior up there with me too, standing right next to Red. Smoke, you should join us up front too after you give me my girl.”

  The old chef nodded and shrugged. “Well, sure, Sheriff. I’d like that.”

  “Ooh!” Junior said, looking at his watch. “We should break camp and head out pretty soon. It’s over three hours to the Great Smokies, and we lose an hour on the way when we cross into the Eastern Time Zone.”

  “Yep,” Jake replied, “The sun is already above the treetops. I wish we would have been able to track down that Bigfoot thing, though.”

  “Sheriff! Jake!” Smoke hollered breathlessly from behind the camper, “you guys come over here. Junior you too! Maybe we didn’t track down Bigfoot, but I think he might have tracked down us. Take a look!”

  The three men hurried to join Smoke with a few long steps.

  “What in the world!” Junior said, beating the others there. “Looks like a bear ransacked our supplies.”

  Brody wasn’t so sure as he looked at the mess with a detective’s eye. “I don’t know, guys. Our food is strewn around in the back of the camper here, but nothing is torn open or on the ground. Maybe they were looking for something in particular.”

  “Our suitcase is open. Junior,” Jake said, moving in closer to take a look, but Junior pushed in front of him.

  “I knew it!” Junior hollered, very upset. “The beast took my Cubbies jersey that I brought to wear to the ballgame! Man, that was signed by Ernie Banks, Number 14, in 1965. Gramps gave it to me when I made it through high school.”

  “My cap is gone too,” Jake added sadly.

  “The only vittles we’re missing is two pounds of pork belly I was going to slice into bacon,” Smoke said, assessing the damage.

  “I guess those swamp Bigfoots are pretty intelligent critters,” Junior said, and Jake nodded in agreement.

  Chapter Seven

  The Greater Atlanta Fashion Gala was the biggest, fanciest event I had ever been to in my life. I had attended fancy balls and charity fundraisers with hospital administrators and Senators, but this was like a celebrity event, and the promoters were pulling out all the stops. All of the summer fashion lines from the House of Verducci would be on display.