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Lavender literally pulled Glenda into the room. Confronted with shades of purple and pink on nearly everything, she visually scanned the room. The sofa was a soft, plump creation made from fushia velvet and covered with lacy pillows. The curtains, made from soft pink, shear lace, were carefully tied back with lilac bows. On the dining table there was a bouquet of pink roses, and purple candles that Lavender had lit for the occasion. Plush carpeting in a muted rose color filled with impressions as she walked further into the room.
"I've mixed up one of my prized recipes, Pink Ladies," Lavender gushed to Glenda. "I'm just so excited," she said to Jill. Lavender Lace placed the tote bags around the dining table. Glenda was uncertain as to what to do next, when Mark Benton came out of the bathroom, just off the kitchen. He looked slightly uncomfortable. "This is our new friend, Mark," shared Jill. "He'd like to look pretty too!" Mark was dressed in golfer's attire, and looked like he'd just finished posing for the front cover of Sports World. Mark smiled shyly, and extended his hand to Glenda. She hesitantly shook his hand, and noticed that his firm grip was slightly sweaty.
Oh well, thought Glenda. I need the sale and what the hell. Lavender rushed over carrying four Pink Lady cocktails in beautiful ornate glasses. She handed one to Glenda, Mark and Jill, then took one for herself. "Drink up people, there's plenty more in the kitchen"
Mary Kay would just die, if she could see this, traveled through Glenda's mind, as she set up her beauty case and samples. She placed down small Styrofoam trays with little creams, and brushes in each one. Then, she put a white flip-book at the head of the table. She was ready. Lavender, and Jill quickly took their places at their trays. Mark, embarrassed by the new world of fluff, slid into his dinning chair looking quite uncomfortable.
Glenda was glad that she could remember her lines as she flipped through the charts of her beauty show. While they were wearing their pink and green facial masks, she marveled at how funny everyone looked. She set out her newest shades of lip color, Shocking Pink and Red Splash.
"Oh....." cooed Jill. Lavender tried the Shocking Pink. It was a perfect match to her evening gown. She looked happily into the small mirror, attached to the trays. Jill helped Mark with his colors. He definitely needs practice, she thought. Mark was wearing Red Splash. Lavender wouldn't let him peek in the mirror until the finished effect was complete. "I have just the thing." Lavender rushed from the table in a whirlwind, and strutted off to her bedroom. She grabbed a multi-floral scarf off her dresser and hurriedly draped it over Mark's broad shoulders. Handing him the mirror, he looked and gasped. Looking back at him, was a total stranger. "Hold on." Now she rushed off again, only to return with a long red hair wig. She fit the wig onto Mark. He was absolutely beautiful!
Glenda was amazed at the transformation. What had been a very masculine gentleman, now sat in front of her as an exquisite creation.
All and all, it had been a profitable evening for Glenda Callahan. She'd sold over three hundred dollars of skin creams and lipcolors.
AFTER THE PARTY.......
Jill kissed Lavender on the lips and gave a glowing review of her party. She was slightly tipsy from the Pink Ladies, and bumped into the door on her way out. "Be careful going home, honey," Lavender shouted while closing the door.
Mark Benton sat very bleary eyed on the plush sofa. His head was spinning. The red wig was slightly tilted and his new Red Splash lipcolor had started to smear.
Lavender Lace was busily cleaning up the kitchen. She carefully put away her directions on how to make GHB and serialized the glasses plus mixing containers. He/She heard Mark moan, from the other room. Her feet hurt from the much too small spiked heels she had been wearing. She took off her shoes, sexily walked Marilyn style over to the sofa, raised one of the shoes over her head, and struck Mark in the temple with the sharp spike several times. The last thing that Mark remembered, was seeing Lavender's sinister smile before he met his maker.
MURDER SCENE?.......The next morning
Homicide detective Bill Davidson stared at the scene before him. He'd never, in his 35 years in the New York city police department, seen anything like this, and he thought he'd seen it all. He still remembered the decapitated child they had fished out of the harbor three months prior.
Bill was a soft spoken, but hard nosed investigator, with an incredible track record, of getting his guy. His jolly face lied about what
he was usually feeling. If you met him away from the precinct, you'd never know that he was a cop. Bill towered over most of his fellow officers, and had quite a gut due to the many late night surveillance with Hoagies and Pizza in the car. He wore his badge on his belt, but it was covered by a fold of stomach hanging over the edge. Looking very much like a bouncer at one of the local clubs, he could command any room.
"He was just sitting there when I came in," Mark Benton's secretary sobbed to Davidson's assistant, from her outer office. The totally nude
body of Mark Benton was sitting in an expensive leather chair, surrounded by computer software scattered on the floor and a message on the flashing screen saver.
Einie, Meany, Miny, Mo.......have more to kill....it's time to go.
You won't catch me......this I know......Einie, Meany, Miny, Mo.
The entry team was busily dusting for fingerprints, while forensics expert Heather Cramer examined the body. She was puzzled by the
lipstick streaks around the victims mouth. Heather noted the marks on Benton's right temple and was quickly taking notes. Flashes of light filled the wood paneled room, due to Polaroid shots being taken for evidence. On Benton's forehead, drawn in pink lipstick, was a circle and a vertical line coming down from it, plus a smaller line horizontal to
the vertical one. Puzzle number one,she
thought.
Heather had gone into the police force on a
whim. It had been her intention to become an ER nurse and finish her medical career married
to a handsome doctor. However, with all of the layoffs at Bellview, she had transferred to the 911 center to be a medical dispatcher. There she'd met the love of her life, a mortician! She found it hard to believe that working with the deceased did not turn her off. Instead he introduced her to the fascinating world of Forensic Science. That had
been ten years ago. Unfortunately, her love had moved away after a short courtship but her love for Forensics remained.
"Hey, Davidson. Come here a minute." Heather had noticed some strange hair like fibers, long and red in color, on Benton's right leg. She showed them to Bill Davidson before adding them to her collection of evidence. "I'll run a test on these and on the lipstick. Maybe, we can come up with something."
MEANWHILE.........
Vera Jackson pushed the heavy shopping cart along 5th Avenue. The cart was filled with her whole life. Countless bags of all shapes and
colors, stuffed with various treasures, were hanging on the side. She was a shapless old woman who had seen years of sleeping in doorways and alleys. Her thin gray hair was hidden under a worn out crocheted cap. The cap was a rainbow of color, with snags and pulls from age.
Actually, Vera was a colorful woman. This was evidenced by her outfit of unmatching floral prints, and red socks. She walked with a limp using
the cart for support.
During her youth, she'd been a Broadway dancer. Unfortunately, Vera had burned out on drugs by her fourth show and ended up homeless by her 6th. She had been on the streets ever since, going from
one drug stupor to the next. As usual, she was on the lookout for treasures. Going methodically
from trash can to trash can along 5th Avenue, generally produced unique finds. A gold cylindrical case caught her eye. Digging past the dirty left over soda cups and spent lunches, she snatched up her discovery. It was a rather new tube of lipstick, hardly used. Vera was tickled
to find such an item. She outlined her wrinkled mouth with Red Splash lipstick and smiled, showing three teeth. Carefully, Vera placed the
lipstick in a vintage purse hanging on the cart, and was on her way.
Terri Campbell
copyrite June 2001
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