Page 22 of Starfish Cottage
Maddie and Dex both laughed, but then Maddie turned serious.
“I don’t know. Constance Harbinger might shut him down on that,” Maddie said.
“She did seem like she might cause trouble. I don’t know why she’s so angry. Don’t worry though. The rest of the town is behind you.”
Maddie beamed. It felt good knowing that her newly adopted town and a friend like Dex had her back.
“Okay, well, I guess that’s it. I better get back to the cottage. I’m hoping to finish that wall by the end of the day.” Dex started toward his truck.
“That would be awesome. I can’t wait to see what that looks like.”
“Hopefully no more surprises.”
“Let’s hope.”
Dex got into his truck, and Maddie opened the door to Saltwater Sweets, excited to see what was in Etta Harper’s trunk.
* * *
The dusty oldtrunk sat in the back room of Saltwater Sweets amongst the chocolate-making supplies and ingredients.
“It’s kind of moldy inside, but I thought you might be interested.” Deena gestured toward the dome-top trunk. It was black with wooden slats across the top. The wood, probably once a honey-oak color, was now dull and dry with age. One of the rusted hinges hung askew on the back. Maddie opened it, and the scent of decades of dust wafted out and tickled her nose.
There wasn’t much inside. An old Bible, some perfume bottles whose contents had long evaporated, and a heap of fabric.
“Check this out.” Deena lifted the fabric carefully.
The silky dress was probably once gorgeous. It was a sheath dress, the kind that hung straight down the sides and was the fashion in the 1920s and ’30s. The green color had faded, and the beads along the bodice were falling off, but Maddie could see that it had once been a showstopper. She touched it gently. “The work on this is exquisite.”
“I know. Too bad it’s falling apart.” Deena laid it gently to the side and pulled out a beaded purse full of moth holes. The green color and beadwork matched the dress, and the silver frame was etched with a scene of birds and flowers.
“Etta had some nice things,” Maddie said. She was a little disappointed there was no diary or paperwork. She was hoping to find some information about Marco Rosone.
“I think she was quite the partier.” Deena pulled out a long, tortoiseshell cigarette holder with a silver tip.
“I’ll bet. Probably had a great time at Starfish Cottage.” Maddie smiled, picturing big parties at her little cottage on the beach. Women dressed in flapper dresses, men in suits with hats. Bootleg whisky flowing. It was like something out ofTheGreat Gatsby.
Wait! A Great Gatsby party!
“Well, I’m sorry there isn’t really much in here. I was hoping to find out something about her relationship with Marco Rosone. Like did he live there with her, or did she just hide his booze?” Deena laughed. “Guess we won’t know from this trunk. I was kind of hoping it might turn up something we can use for the event.”
Maddie hardly heard her. Her mind was whirling with ideas. Jazz bands, costumes, Art Deco-era decorations, all under the stars on the pier. “No need to apologize. Actually, this gave me a great idea.”
“It did?”
“You know how Constance didn’t approve of the focus being on Marco’s reputation as a bootlegger?”
Deena made a face. “She doesn’t approve of much.”
Maddie pointed to the dress. “This could be the solution. We can have a Great Gatsby-style party. That will take the focus off moonshine but still be true to the era.”
“That’s a great idea!” Deena’s eyes shone. “We can dress up in costumes. It will be fun.”
Chuck had come over to stand beside Deena, and he looked excited too. “That does sound fun. I could break out my wing-tip shoes.”
“And it’s unique and will hopefully attract a lot of people.” Maddie helped Deena put the things back in the trunk. She was bursting with energy to get back to the cottage and start planning. “I can’t thank you enough for showing me the trunk. The party idea is a real lifesaver. If I can ever repay you, let me know.”
Deena and Chuck exchanged a glance.
