Excerpt of Dazzle Me by I. R. Plummer

Chapter One

A faint buzz of unfamiliar energy brushed her senses.

She tuned the knob, the door was locked.

The lights inside the shop were off.

Was the energy residual or had someone tried to break in? She started to place her hand on the door frame.

Behind her a wave of energy nudged her senses and tensed her muscles. She clutched the small canister of pepper spray on the key chain and turned.

The sounds of laughter and shouts could be heard over the bells and whistles of a slot machine announcing a winner.

She rolled her tight shoulders and gave herself a mental kick.

Las Vegas was a long way from home and the bogyman. A tourist tried to look through the glass doors or security checked to make sure the door was locked—the buzz of current was as simple as that.

She opened the door, bumped the lights up to full power and stepped into the shop.

A gasp was cut short when her breath caught in her throat.

She opened her senses and waited. The air was unruffled. The energy patterns were attached to tangible objects.

Alone and for the moment safe, she locked the door. At the rack closest to the door she ran a finger over a white on white brocade jacket. No traces of human energy tapped her fingers.

At a stack of glass cubes she tweaked the angle of a pair of heels that looked like they were spun from pink cotton candy.

As she touched, stroked and admired the merchandise and displays she left her senses wide open. It was odd, not one trace of human energy bumped her senses. It was as if the merchandise and the room had been cleansed and balanced with a peace inducing power that settled in the bones and made you want to sigh with contentment.

In the center of the room she did a slow turn. The boutique lived up to its name, the room dazzled the senses.

Whoever performed the cleansing was powerful. She should be knee knocking scared. Instead panic and amazement played a tug of war with disbelief and ohmigod awe.

Her thoughts were erratic, impression, improbable answers and questions lopped around and through each other. One thought was crystal clear, she needed to call security. But what would she say? "Hi, this is Sandi Cummings, the owner of the new boutique, Dazzle Me. Last night someone broke into the shop. Yes, the door was locked when I arrived. The problem officer is that the merchandise I ordered has vanished. In its place is a stunning collection of designer clothing and accessories worth a king’s ransom."

From there the conversation would rapidly deteriorate. Security would convince the casino owner that she was certifiably crazy and they would use the loophole in the contract to break her lease.

Was selling merchandise she didn’t purchase theft? She couldn’t sell merchandise she hadn’t purchased. Could she?

She plucked a dress off a rack and examined the exquisite hand sewn bead work on the sky blue, double crepe, mid-thigh, strapless gown. The designer label was black, the logo done in metallic silver thread. A pair of leather T-strap sandals, and a petite envelope purse in the same shade of blue sat on a dainty black table next to a rack of designer gowns and cocktail dress.

She picked up the purse and examined the intricate clasp. Studded with crystals the clasp duplicated the logo in the dress—a letter S with angel wings down each side. The same crystal studded logo was on the heels of the sandals.

Why? How? Who? Like multiple records playing at once the questions demanded answers. Her heart rate accelerated, the tips of her nerves sparked and discharged nervous energy. A lightheaded hum sang a warning. With hands braced on her knees she forced air through her constricted throat.

When the room stopped spinning like a kids colorful top she straightened and took three deep calming breaths.

When she first touched the doorknob the faint residue of energy expanded about an inch from the knob. Had it resonated from the room, the full door or just the knob?

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly.

The energy hadn’t held a thread of anger so she hadn’t traced its origin—big mistake.

Who would do this?

Who could afford to do this?

The merchandise in the room was worth triple her budget.

She glanced at the Minnie Mouse watch on her wrist and massaged the tension headache beating a tomahawk against her temples. She had half an hour before the doors opened. Two hours before the official grand opening.

Her fingers stilled. She hadn’t checked the storeroom.

She powered the lights in the storage area up to high. With one finger she pushed back the purple lace curtain at the door and swallowed a cry of frustration. Except for three boxes with a jewelry company’s logo on the sides, the room was empty.

Her thoughts went over the last conversation with her mother. ‘Get out of my house and don’t return. One day you’ll be punished for being born, even if I have to rise from my grave to make it happen.’

Had that day arrived?

Was her mother’s hatred so twisted that she would hire someone to mess with her mind?

"Yes,"

She whipped around. She heard the voice, it wasn’t her imagination but no strange energy shimmered through the air.