Emily was convinced that Mrs. Murphy was protecting her husband. Apparently he’d gone underground a year ago, at around the time that the District Collection and others had gotten wind of their losses. Mrs. Murphy wouldn’t admit that he was still alive, or that she’d known Quinn Newell, though it must have been Quinn who suggested Mrs. Murphy call Freeze-Frame Clutter Kickers and act the part of the clueless widow who needed their help to liquidate—though the more accurate term would be launder—her husband’s collection. Quinn must have had a key to the Murphys’ storage unit. She’d probably been the woman the Inner Peace security guard had seen coming and going from the unit. She was probably the one who’d disabled the ventilation system in the storage unit, some time before she and Frank dumped Walter’s body there. Emily expected it would all come out at her trial.

“Any new leads?” Emily asked.

Lila said, “I got a call this morning from a woman who inherited her mother’s collection of dolls. Hundreds of them. She and her three sisters are arguing about what to do with all of them.” Lila went on laying out the basics of the project. The dolls, the dollhouses, the clothing, the spare doll parts because the mother had repaired dolls, too. Emily spaced out, envisioning the freeze-frame video that she could put together. Dolls marching around. Saluting one another. Doll parts sorting themselves.

“Four sisters?” Becca said, giving the project a thumbs-down. “It will be a mess, and it won’t ever be about the dolls.”

Acknowledgments

I CONFESS, I’VE long been happily married to a man who’s addicted to yard sales. There will never be enough bookshelves in our house to accommodate his finds. Though occasionally it makes me want to strangle him when he comes back with more books, he has more than enough redeeming features to make him a keeper. I have him to thank for inspiring me to write this book.

The main character, Emily Harlow, is a former elementary school teacher (as was I) turned professional organizer (never me, not in my wildest dreams). Thanks to Kathy Vines (Clever Girl Organizing), Melanie Cerio (The Holistic Organizer), Muffy Loomis Kaesberg (Organizing 4 U), and Michele Raimondo for helping me understand the valuable role that professional organizers play. Thanks to the New England chapter of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, whose meeting I attended, where I listened and learned. Any errors are my own.

Thanks to my blog mates on Jungle Red Writers for their encouragement, and special thanks to Roberta Isleib and Hank Phillippi Ryan for reading and advising. To my husband, Jerry, who is my final reader and never takes offense when he finds himself in the book. To my agent, Gail Hochman, for her encouragement, warmth, and advice that always make it better.