Dawn of Eve - MJ Howson (read full novel .txt) 📗

“Leo loves to explore the area.” Janet scooped the cat up and nuzzled her nose against his neck. “He always finds his way back.”

“Oh! He’s yours. What a relief.”

Dawn watched Janet and the cat bond. She shook her head and smiled, wondering if Dr. Cole was right.

“My name’s Janet if you have any questions.”

“Dawn. Thank you.” Dawn looked into the display case in front of her. The top shelf was filled with ornate pewter tableware. “This . . . this is an interesting store. What exactly do you sell?”

“Hopes and dreams.”

Dawn raised an eyebrow and asked, “Excuse me?”

Janet lowered Leo to the floor and watched the cat disappear beneath the swinging doors into the back room. She turned to Dawn and said, “I collect spiritual and mystical items from around the world. My buyers often come in seeking answers or desires. They tell me of their losses or dreams. I can usually find something special for them.”

“Really?” Dawn studied the case a bit more before walking over to the rack of clothes. She pulled out a wedding dress. The lace was yellowed and frayed, and the silk beneath was littered with minor stains. “So, if I bought this wedding dress, would it get my boyfriend to marry me?”

“Not that dress.” Janet stayed behind the counter but walked closer to Dawn. “The bride who wore it was murdered by her husband. Turn it around.”

Dawn twisted the dress so she could see the backside. A deep rust-colored stain bled from the shoulders down to the waist. Slash marks covered the gown near the zipper. She looked at Janet and said, “Is . . . is this blood?”

Janet nodded.

Dawn shoved the dress back onto the rack. She looked at her hands and began to wipe them against her raincoat. Dawn asked, “Why would anyone want a wedding dress from a murder victim?”

“The woman who wore it had changed her will just prior to the wedding, cutting her future husband out of everything. She was wealthy. Her husband was a gold digger. He killed her, thinking he’d inherited a fortune. The bride’s spirit possesses the gown.”

“That’s, uh, quite the story.”

“Everything in here has a story to tell.”

Dawn shook her head and began to study the items on the bookshelves. From her point of view, it all looked like useless junk. She shook a snow globe and watched the white flakes spin wildly around a sunken sailboat. A life-sized black iron mask with Native American features seemed to stare back at Dawn as she ran her fingers across the rough edges. Next to the mask sat a palm-sized porcelain dragon with gold-painted claws. Dawn resisted the urge to touch it, given how delicate the piece appeared. A dreamcatcher, adorned with black and turquoise feathers, hung nearby.

“What are your hopes?” Janet asked. “Your dreams?”

“Dreams?” Dawn chuckled. “Try nightmares.”

Janet snickered briefly but didn’t reply. Instead, she simply studied Dawn, noting her reaction to each item that she inspected.

Dawn went back to the counter near Janet. The shelves in this section were filled with jewelry. Black velvet cloths displayed pendants, rings, cufflinks, tie clips, earrings, and brooches in all types of jewels and metals. Dawn found the pearl earrings quite attractive, but she reminded herself she already owned several pairs. She nodded to Janet and made her way toward the other end of the counter. The contents of the last case caught Dawn by surprise–row after row of knives, guns, and other weapons.

When Dawn got to the end of the counter, she looked up. A doll was sitting on the corner staring directly into her eyes. The porcelain figure sat just over a foot high with its legs sprawled out ahead. Dawn ran her fingers across the doll’s intricately sewn ruby red velvet dress. A single rhinestone lay at the end of each fold along the bottom seam. She found the doll’s face mesmerizing. Its sapphire blue eyes matched the pendant from Jacob. The hair was a bundle of copper curls, topped off with a red silk bow. Painted red eyebrows, dusty cheeks, and petite pink lips popped from the doll’s white face. Dawn tugged on the figure’s wavy silk-like locks.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t have Eve,” Janet said as she made her way closer.

“Eve?” Dawn snapped her hand back in shock. “Why . . . why would you call her Eve?”

“That’s her name. I told you, everything in here has a story.”

“Oh.” Dawn moved closer to the doll. Its tiny hands felt so fragile in her fingers. Eve’s feet were covered in pristine white leather shoes. “Is she made of porcelain?”

“Yes. Be careful, please.”

“Her eyes are . . . hypnotic.” Dawn leaned closer, studying the doll’s long eyelashes and jewel-like deep-set eyes. “They aren’t painted, are they?”

“No.”

“She’s . . . she’s truly beautiful.”

“Eve’s special.”

Dawn began to adjust the doll’s collar when she noticed a gold chain sparkling around its neck. An oval locket lay hidden deep within the folds of the tiny dress. Dawn slid it out and let it rest in the palm of her hand. The detailing etched into the front was incredibly ornate and included a scripted W.

“Why did you ask about her name?” Janet asked. “You sounded so surprised.”

“Eve . . . Eve was my baby’s name.” Dawn couldn’t stop looking into the doll’s eyes. She felt as if she were falling into a trance.

“Was? I don’t understand.”

Dawn released the locket, letting it fall gently against the folds of the doll’s vibrant velvet dress. Her fixation with the doll slowly subsided. She grabbed hold of the sapphire pendant hanging around her neck and allowed her mind to think of Jacob and the night she lost the baby. Dawn looked at Janet, released the pendant, and said, “I had a miscarriage.”

“Oh no!” Janet leaned forward and took Dawn by her hands. “I’m so sorry.”

“It was months ago. Back in May. But it feels like yesterday.” Dawn let go of Janet’s hands and turned away, doing her best to fight back