Fatality at the Flower Shop (Traumatic Temp Agency 8)

By Kelly Hashway

What could be nicer than working with flowers all day? Well, for Hailey Hart, who might be allergic to those flowers, it could get a whole lot nicer. Especially when her boss winds up dead.

Libby Garner was known to get in the middle of trouble with everyone, and now that it’s led to her demise, Hailey is left to try to sort out the pieces. But which of the many suspects is responsible for Libby’s death?

Hailey will have to dig through a slew of unhappy clients, an angry ex-husband, a possibly bitter boyfriend, and countless jealous women if she wants to bring her boss’s killer to justice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kelly Hashway
• Release date: Mar 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798215145326

Kelly Hashway

Kelly Hashway fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the planet, but luckily she gets to write about female sleuths who are much more coordinated than she is. Maybe it was growing up watching Murder, She Wrote that instilled a love of mystery, but she spends her days writing cozy mysteries. Kelly’s also a sucker for first love, which is why she writes romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly works as an editor and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title that deserves to be capitalized.

Book preview

Fatality at the Flower Shop

Kelly Hashway

Copyright © 2024 by Kelly Hashway

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

1.Chapter One

2.Chapter Two

3.Chapter Three

4.Chapter Four

5.Chapter Five

6.Chapter Six

7.Chapter Seven

8.Chapter Eight

9.Chapter Nine

10.Chapter Ten

11.Chapter Eleven

12.Chapter Twelve

13.Chapter Thirteen

14.Chapter Fourteen

15.Chapter Fifteen

16.Chapter Sixteen

17.Chapter Seventeen

18.Chapter Eighteen

19.Chapter Nineteen

20.Chapter Twenty

21.Chapter Twenty-One

Also By USA Today Bestselling Author Kelly Hashway

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Chapter One

I sneeze for the eighth time in the last two hours. It’s entirely possible I’m allergic to some type of flower in this shop. Luckily, my newest job placement through the Traum Temp Agency is only for a week. Not that many of my jobs in Rockland have lasted longer than that. Rumor has it that the Traum Temp Agency, lovingly nicknamed the Traumatic Temp Agency by everyone in town, is cursed since dead bodies keep turning up at all my job placements, but I’m inclined to believe it’s me who is cursed.

I wound up moving to Rockland to escape my hometown and all the judgmental stares from people who are well aware that I spent countless years in college, changing my major so many times I ended up graduating with a degree in absolutely nothing. Hence the temp agency. I’m pretty much broke, living in a detached garage that’s been converted into an apartment. Luckily, I’ve made good friends here in Rockland, including my boyfriend, Ben Traum, who is also sort of my boss at the temp agency, though he refuses to see it that way. He views my work with the temp agency as a partnership instead.

Hey, Hailey, Riley Jacobs, my best friend, says as she walks into the flower shop. How’s the first day?

I answer with a sneeze.

Oh. Riley steps back. Are you sick or allergic to flowers?

Is sick of flowers an option? I ask.

She laughs as she approaches the display of bouquets I’m misting with my spray bottle of water. Any clue which type of flower is the culprit?

None whatsoever. I’ve never reacted this way to flowers before.

What time do you have to work until?

I look up at the clock above the door. Five. Only an hour left to go and my first day will be in the books. I always cringe when I start a new job because, on more than one occasion, my first day has resulted in me finding a dead body.

Great. Dinner at my place. Garrett and Ben are joining us.

Detective Garrett Bilson is Riley’s boyfriend. He and I got off on a rocky start, mainly because he accused me of murder when I first moved to town, but we get along well now.

Sounds good. Are you already done working for the day? Riley works at the Rockland Record, writing a gossip column. I’m one of the only people in town who knows her secret identity as Rumor Robin because her anonymity allows her to spy on everyone and get all the juicy gossip. People don’t want to open up to someone they know will spill all their secrets to the rest of the town, so Riley tells everyone she’s Samuel Montage’s assistant. Mr. Montage is the editor-in-chief at the paper and also Riley’s uncle. Running errands for him around town is how she goes undercover, so to speak, and spies on everyone in Rockland so she has material to put in her gossip column.

Ms. Hart, Chloe Garner, one of my bosses, calls as she walks out of the back office.

Please call me Hailey, I tell her for the third time.

Sorry, it’s a habit of mine to call everyone by their last name. She looks up at Riley. Oh, Ms. Jacobs, nice to see you. What can we do for you today?

Hi, Chloe, Riley says. She knows just about everyone in this town, but she grew up here, so that’s not uncommon. Rockland is a strange little place where everyone is pretty much in the middle of everyone else’s business. I’m just here visiting Hailey.

Oh, how nice. Chloe turns to me. I’m going to head out a little early. I have a matter to attend to before it becomes a problem. Libby is in the back working on an order if you need anything.

Libby Garner is my other boss. She and Chloe are sisters and co-owners of the flower shop. While Chloe is the younger sister by a few years, she pretty much runs the place. I think she is much more business-oriented than her sister. Libby sort of wanders around the shop, pretending to work when really she keeps filing her nails. I’ve never seen anyone file their nails as much as that woman. And she uses a glass file that makes a weird screeching sound when she runs it across her nails.

No problem, I say. Do you need me to lock up or count the register drawer or anything? I ask.

No, that’s okay. Libby will handle all of that. Her tone and facial expression don’t match her words at all, but I nod anyway.

Chloe stands there for a moment, possibly reconsidering leaving early for the day. I really appreciate you coming on board with us for the week, Hailey. We have more orders to fill than usual. I know we’d never make our deadlines without you helping out.

I’m happy to help, I say, and I barely get the words out before I sneeze again.

Oh, no. You’re not allergic to flowers, are you? Chloe asks.

Not that I’m aware of, but something in here keeps making me sneeze.

Maybe it’s the nail file dust, says a woman who walks into the shop.

Ms. York, Chloe says.

Danielle, she corrects her.

What brings you here? Chloe asks.

I came to see Libby. Is she filing her nails in the back? With the way this woman is talking, I’m surprised she’d come by to visit Libby. I’m more inclined to believe she hates Libby than is here for a social visit.

She’s in the back working on an order.

Sure she is. Danielle rolls her eyes.

Chloe looks at me. Call me if you need anything. She walks out without another word.

I haven’t seen you here before, Danielle says to me.

I’m Hailey. I’m helping out here for the week.

Oh, you’re a temp. That makes sense.

I have no idea why that makes sense to this woman, and given how cold she’s coming across, I don’t want to ask either.

Would you like me to go in the back and get Libby for you? I ask.

No, I’ll go back there myself.

I’m not sure if I’m supposed to let anyone back there, so I step in front of Danielle and lead the way. Libby, I call before entering the back room where the floral arrangements are made. Instead of working, Libby is seated on a stool, filing her nails.

What is it, Heather? I’m kind of busy here.

Um, it’s Hailey actually, and Danielle York is here to see you. I step aside to let Danielle into the room.

Libby’s entire body tenses, and she stands up. She plasters the fakest smile I’ve ever seen on her face. Danielle, so nice of you to stop by.

I wanted to see how my order was coming along, Danielle says.

Neither woman is paying any attention to me, so I back out of the room and return to the front where Riley is waiting for me.

I’m glad you won’t be working here for long, she says. When you told me Ben placed you here for the week, I wasn’t a fan of the idea.

Why? I ask.

Libby Garner is nothing but trouble. Drama and chaos follow her wherever she goes. You don’t want to get mixed up with her in any sense.

Well, I’m already one day into my seven-day placement, so no need to worry about me.

Don’t underestimate Libby Garner. She can cause plenty of trouble in that amount of time.

Danielle York sure doesn’t seem to like her, I say, returning the spray bottle to the shelf behind the counter.

Those two are fierce competitors.

What do you mean? I ask.

With everything. They’re always trying to one-up the other one. Libby got a new car, so Danielle got an even more expensive new car. Libby married a doctor, so Danielle married a surgeon. That sort of stuff.

I didn’t know Libby was married, I say. A lot of women don’t take their husband’s last names, but Libby doesn’t wear a wedding ring either. If she’s really that competitive, I’d think she’d jump at the chance to show off a large diamond on her finger.

She’s divorced now.

Oh.

Yeah, she got quite a bit in the divorce, too.

Did Danielle leave her surgeon husband after Libby got divorced? It would be crazy if their feud was that intense.

No. I think she likes to hold her husband’s profession over Libby’s head. Riley leans on the counter, and I get the feeling she’s trying to listen in on the conversation that’s going on in the back room. Danielle’s voice carries, but I can’t make out what she’s actually saying.

A customer walks into the shop, so I put a smile on my face. Let me know if I can assist you with anything, I say to the man.

Is Libby still here?

I jerk a thumb over my shoulder. She’s in the back. Would you like me to get her for you?

Please. Tell her Aaron is here.

Hey, Aaron, Riley says as I walk to the back.

Danielle and Libby are yelling at each other, both of their faces beet red.

Libby? I call in a loud voice so she’ll hear me over the yelling. Aaron is in the shop for you.

Oh. Libby pats the top of her hair, making me wonder how heated this argument with Danielle got. Were they pulling each other’s hair? Thank you, Heather.

Hailey, I say as she walks past me.

Don’t bother, Danielle tells me. She doesn’t care enough about you or your feelings to learn your name. You’re just wasting your breath. She pushes past me.

I walk back out to the shop where Aaron has his arm wrapped around Libby’s waist.

I can’t tonight, Libby says. I have to meet with Grant.

Why?

He was late with his alimony check again. I’m not going to let him get away with this.

If you just marry me, you won’t need his alimony payments anymore, Aaron says, pulling Libby closer to him, but she presses a hand to his chest and pushes him back.

Aaron, don’t be absurd. I put up with a lot from that man. I deserve that money.

Aaron drops his arms to his sides, and he’s clearly annoyed by the purplish color his face turns.

The clock strikes five, and I grab my things. Goodnight, Libby. See you tomorrow, I say, pushing Riley out the door with me.

Yikes. That was incredibly uncomfortable, Riley says.

Tell me about it.

I’ve heard Aaron proposes to Libby pretty much on a weekly basis, and she keeps turning him down. I’m not sure why he sticks around anymore.

You don’t think she’s still in love with her ex-husband, do you? I ask, getting into my car. Riley gets in the passenger seat. She rarely ever drives since you can pretty much walk anywhere you need to go in this small town.

No way. More like she loves his money. Besides, Aaron isn’t a doctor.

What does he do?

He’s an accountant. I doubt Libby would stoop so low as to marry a man who has less money than her first husband.

As someone who has never had a lot of money in the bank, I get wanting financial stability, but Libby seems to be all about social status. If she loves Aaron and he loves her, who cares what he does for a living? Although, I know not many people share my view on careers and how stifling they can be. And given my financial situation, maybe I’m not the best person for giving anyone advice on this topic.

I drive to Riley’s townhouse. Ben’s Silverado is already parked out front, and he gets out of the truck as soon as I pull up next to him.

How was your first day? he asks me once we’re both walking toward Riley’s front door.

Not too bad, I say. How were your meetings?

Pretty good. Dad is officially stepping away from the business as of this Friday. Then it’s all mine.

My day was great, too, Riley says. Thanks so much for asking. She rolls her eyes at us as we walk inside. Marley, Riley’s orange cat, greets us at the door with a loud meow.

Hey, buddy, I say, bending down to pet his head as he rubs against my legs.

Nice. My cat greets you instead of me. Riley heads for the kitchen and gets him some food.

I scoop up Marley and carry him into the kitchen. Are you hungry?

He’s always hungry. Riley puts his bowl of fresh tuna on the floor and fills his water bowl next. I place Marley down in front of his food. Head into the living room. Garrett should be here with the food soon.

Ben and I walk into the living room and sit down on the couch. So you had a good day? Ben asks me again. I swear he’s petrified to get me jobs at this point.

Yeah, it’s not bad. Chloe Garner seems nice enough, and Libby sort of keeps to herself. I think the week will go by quickly. Then Ben will have to find me a new placement. Again. I’ve lost count of how many jobs I’ve had since moving to Rockland. In my defense though, who wants to keep a job where they discovered a dead body? Not me. The only job I’ve managed to keep is consulting for the Rockland PD, thanks to Garrett and my talent for solving crimes.

Do you guys want something to drink while we wait for the food? Riley calls.

I’ll go help her get drinks, I say, standing up.

I’ll take iced tea, Ben says with a smile.

You got it. I walk back to kitchen, and as soon as I open the refrigerator, my phone rings. I check the display. That’s weird.

What? Riley asks.

It’s Garrett.

Why is he calling you and not me? she asks, narrowing her eyes.

Hello? I answer, eager to find out.

Hailey? Garrett might be using my first name, but his tone is clearly in full detective mode. Something is wrong.

What happened? I ask.

Libby Garner is dead.

Chapter Two

I’m too stunned to respond.

Hails? Riley says, taking the phone from me and putting the call on speaker. Garrett, what did you say to her?

Riles, Libby Garner is dead.

Riley sighs. Does this mean you didn’t pick up dinner?

I snap out of it. How can you think of food at a time like this? I grab the phone from her hand. Where are you? I ask Garrett.

At the flower shop. Can you meet me here?

Now? What about dinner? Riley asks. I’m starving.

Ben walks into the kitchen. What’s going on?

"Libby Garner is dead and so are our dinner