“Well, let’s see what we have here.” I doled out the cards and stared at them while giving myself a chance to shift into Nicole’s head a second time. It was an uncomfortable place to visit – she was wound really tight – but I picked up on another few clues before I focused on the reading.
When I flipped up the last card, the tower card, I knew exactly what I was dealing with … and it was all I could do not to laugh.
“Well, huh.”
“What do you see?” Nicole leaned closer. “Is he sleeping with that little tramp at the office?”
“No.” That was the truth. I wasn’t simply lying so she wouldn’t commit a murder. “He is not sleeping with the tramp at the office. She is, however, sleeping with another man in the office who is married. I believe his name starts with a G.”
“Gary Parry? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“There’s a guy named Gary Parry? No wonder all I could see was laughing in my head when I tried to focus on his name. And, yes, he’s the one sleeping with the office tramp.”
“Oh.” Nicole was mollified, but only slightly. “But what about all the other stuff Daryl is doing? What about the underwear? There’s no explaining the underwear.”
There was one way to explain it. “Your husband isn’t buying the underwear for anyone else.”
“He certainly didn’t buy it for me!”
“He didn’t,” I agreed. “He didn’t buy it for anyone else either.” I willed her to see what I was trying to say. I didn’t want to spell it out.
“Oh.” Nicole’s face went dark as realization dawned. “Are you saying that Daryl is … gay?”
“No.” I immediately started shaking my head. “I don’t see anything that indicates he’s gay. He simply likes pretty underwear, and boxers won’t do. He’s afraid to tell you because he thinks you won’t understand.”
“I don’t understand.”
I didn’t blame her. I was a “to each his own” kind of woman, but I couldn’t imagine Kade and I sharing underwear. It was one of those things that simply refused to compute. “Well, if you love him, you need to find a way to understand,” I prompted. “He needs love and support. He’s still the same guy. He simply likes thongs and hipsters. Oh, and apparently he’s considering some Spanx.”
“Oh, really?”
“He likes to look good in the underwear. He goes to cheap hotels on the nights you think he’s having dinner with others just so he can walk around in the underwear of his choosing. It’s harmless.”
“Geez.” Nicole kicked back in the chair and crossed her ankles as she regarded me. “It almost would’ve been easier if he was having an affair.”
I was happy to see the urge to purge her husband from the face of the planet had vacated when I risked another brief jaunt into her mind. Now she was simply confused. “You can make this work.”
“How? I mean … should I stop by Victoria’s Secret, buy him a gift and give it to him when I tell him I know?”
“That sounds like a promising idea.”
“Yeah, well, it sounds weird to me.” Nicole made a clicking sound with her tongue. “Do you know what his favorite color is for this stuff?”
I grinned. She wasn’t such a bad person after all. “Try rascal red.”
“That sounds … frightening.”
“Not as frightening as what you were imagining.”
“I guess you have a point.”
I MADE IT THROUGH most of the morning session with relative ease, opting for a break right before lunch and leaving Melissa in charge of my tent.
Kade was true to his word, stopping by to see me twice during his rounds, offering a flirty smile and saucy salute when he thought no one was looking. I knew he was waiting for me in the communal dining area now – that’s where we all agreed to meet to strategize – so that’s where I headed.
I kept a smile in place as I walked, my mind brushing against a few others as I cut a path toward trailer row. I read the surface thoughts of the guests’ minds and some of them made me laugh, like the man who was trying to figure out a spot where he could disappear for a nap and the woman who was convinced the calories of the food wouldn’t count if she made her kids order it.
It was only when my mind brushed against a barbed wire fence that I stopped in my tracks, my eyes slowly moving from left to right as I searched for the source. This mind wasn’t blank. Whoever I was dealing with wasn’t emptied out like the two men I’d come into contact with the previous day. No, this mind was shuttered … just like the woman I’d killed.
I found who I was looking for right away. She looked to be in her fifties, although she was well preserved. She clearly hadn’t gotten much sun or smoked because her appearance reflected youth.
She stood next to the ticket booth closest to the food trucks, a purse clutched in her hand. Her brown hair was pulled back in a smooth bun, and she wore twill pants and pink sandals as she watched everyone flutter to and fro.
She wasn’t alone. She had a man with her, who looked to be about sixty and had a glazed look on his face. I figured out right away that he’d been hollowed out like the other two. I still didn’t understand the phenomenon, but it was easy to recognize.
I risked a glance toward trailer row, computing how long it would take me to get there and return with someone to help my spying. I immediately discarded the notion because I knew it was a waste of time. I didn’t want to lose this one. In fact, I wanted much more from her … including a chance to interrogate her to my heart’s content.
That wouldn’t be easy. I had to get her away from the crowd and find a place to lock her up. I knew right away where that was and an idea formed.
I remained rooted to my spot and stared at the woman until she finally shifted her eyes in my direction. I felt the exact moment when she realized she was being watched, then did my best to feign nervousness and turned on my heel to disappear into the crowd.
I was trying to make the woman think I was afraid of her, so I looked over my shoulder twice. It took everything I had not to cry out in triumph when I realized she was following. This was going to work. I simply had to get the other pieces in place before I directed the woman where I wanted her to go. I sent out a magical message to Raven. I explained what was happening and then sent the final part, which was a simple order: Be ready.
I was certainly ready to get ahead in the game. I was tired of working from a position of weakness.
26
Twenty-Six
It was a game.
That’s what I told myself as I strode through the circus grounds. I wasn’t afraid of what harm the woman could cause me. I’d already proved I could handle myself when faced with someone like her. I was more worried about what she would do to others in an effort to control me, perhaps change my course of action.
I gave her one more look before disappearing into the House of Mirrors, shifting my eyes to the second floor, where Raven stood next to the railing, waiting. She nodded as we snagged gazes, watching as I pressed my hands to my face and called to the magic coursing through me.
It was a simple glamour. I’d cast the spell on myself a hundred times. In this instance, though, a lot of thought went into the appearance I opted to take.
The reflection staring back at me from the myriad of mirrors was generic. I turned my hair blond, left my eyes blue, and shifted my clothing so it matched the dresses I saw swirling around the fire the night before.
I was ready.
I strode through the first room and pointed myself toward the second, stopping underneath Raven long enough to confirm the trap was set. “We’re ready, right?”
Raven nodded. “Dolph and Nellie are outside to handle the husband. I’ll wait until they enter and then trail behind, bringing up the rear so to speak. This should work.”
“Let’s hope so. We need a little help on this one.”
“So, let’s make sure we get it.” Raven winked before making small shooing motions with her hands. “You need to get mov
ing. I’m pretty sure she’s just outside.”
“What if she doesn’t come in?”
“I don’t think she’ll be able to stop herself. You’re too enticing of a target to ignore. I know that from personal experience.”
I didn’t bother to hide my scowl. “You’re a real pain sometimes.”
Raven was unfazed. “It keeps me young.”
I bolted into the second room when I heard footsteps by the front door, making sure I was out of sight before the woman entered. I positioned myself so my new reflection showed in every mirror in the second room. It was a trick of the design, something Raven showed me a long time ago during another takedown. I hoped it would work as well this time.
The woman didn’t talk as she moved through the first room. I couldn’t read her mind, but her presence was a fixed point and it wasn’t hard to keep track of her. I felt rather than saw her startled reaction when she moved into the room where I hid.
She stepped into the middle of the space and did a slow turn, her gaze landing on every mirror as she tried to ascertain the source of the image. I knew that Raven had managed to clear out the building thanks to my mental warning, probably stationing someone at the entrance as soon as our quarry entered.
The woman slowly rotated until she faced me, her eyes gleaming when we finally came face to face. “Very cute.”
I remained where I was, my glamour intact, and merely smiled. “I thought so.”
“You wanted me to follow you.”
I bobbed my head. “I did.”
“Why?” The woman glanced around, clearly suspicious. The man merely stood in the center of the room staring at nothing. He was an eerie accessory, a walking handbag of sorts, and the way he reacted, devoid of anything, set my teeth on edge.
“Because I wanted to talk to you.”
“How do I even know you’re the same woman I saw on the circus grounds?” she challenged. “This could all be some elaborate hoax.”
“It could,” I acknowledged. “Does it matter? You guys have been running an elaborate hoax on us all week.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, don’t start lying at the start of our relationship,” I chided, wagging a finger for emphasis. “That won’t bode well for what’s to come.”
“And what’s to come?” The woman turned haughty. Obviously she wasn’t worried that I posed a threat. “I’m not afraid of you. In fact, you should be afraid of me. The fact that you’re not – or at least pretending you’re not – shows exactly how stupid you really are.”
I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. Her ploy was unimaginative and weak. “You followed me in here because you thought you could take control of me, didn’t you? I’m betting you have questions of your own.”
“I don’t have any questions.” The woman’s eyes moved fast as they bounced between mirrors. “We should take this outside. This place is too much of a distraction for a proper conversation.”
Now it was my turn to go on the offensive. “And what makes you think I want a proper conversation?”
“I … .” She didn’t have a chance to finish. It was already too late. She felt Raven move in behind her at the moment the silver-haired lamia pressed her hands to both sides of the woman’s head.
“Sleep,” Raven commanded, smirking when the woman listed to her side and began to topple.
I opened my mouth to warn Raven that she was going to fall, but Raven clearly understood that because she took a step back and allowed it to happen. She looked grimly satisfied by the loud thud the woman’s body made as it bounced. “That was easy, huh?”
That wasn’t exactly how I’d term it but we’d managed to accomplish our goal so now wasn’t the time to pick a petty argument. “It’s done. We need to move her into your office. We can’t risk anyone seeing her.”
Raven rolled her eyes. “Why do you think I called for Dolph? I’m not new.”
“Let’s just do it.” I was nervous as I darted my eyes toward the front door. “We have no idea how these chicks communicate. Reinforcements could be coming.”
Raven sobered. “Good point. Let’s start threatening her for information. Ooh, can I be bad cop?”
“I think that we should probably both be bad cop.”
“You’re right. That is best.”
MARIE DALTON LIVED IN Eureka. Her husband, Chet, for all intents and purposes, was a walking vegetable. He didn’t say a word … or make eye contact … or even show concern for his wife. He was a void.
We placed Chet in the corner, admonished him not to leave, and then focused on Marie once we had her magically tethered to a chair. It didn’t take her long to regain consciousness. When she saw that Raven and I were watching over her, she immediately screamed for help. She looked smug when she finally finished.
“You’re going to get arrested for this,” Marie spat, her eyes flashing. “Your guests will call the police and you’re going to find yourself in a world of hurt.”
“Did you hear that, Poet?” Raven was obviously amused as she folded her arms across her chest. “We’re going to be arrested. I can’t remember the last time I was arrested.”
I could. It was in Detroit and the cops were considering making an example out of me because it was the third time I’d gotten caught picking pockets on Woodward. I promised it would never happen again – that was my normal refrain – and a judge took pity on me. Two days later I tried to pick Max’s pocket and he taught me a very valuable lesson, before ultimately offering me a job.
“We’re not all that worried about being arrested,” I supplied after a beat. “This room is soundproofed.”
“Magically soundproofed,” Raven added, her grin malevolent. “That means you can scream all you want and we’re the only ones who can hear you.”
Marie shifted on her chair, perhaps testing the ropes that held her. Her expression was dark as she glanced around Raven’s office. “How great for everybody concerned. I love a good kidnapping.”
“So do we.” I was purposely blasé as I shined my fingernails on the front of my shirt. “We have some questions for you. You have a few options, of course, but we hope you choose to answer the questions quickly and honestly. That would be best for all of us.”
“Best?” Marie looked as if she was about to turn into a rabid dog she was so worked up. “I think I’ll pass.”
“That’s certainly your prerogative. Things won’t end well for you if that’s really your decision, though, because we’re going to get answers either way.”
“And how do you propose to do that?” Marie’s tone was mocking. “Are you little girls going to pull my hair until I cry?”
“Something like that.” I looked to the door when there was a quick knock, not surprised in the least when Kade let himself into the room. He quickly took stock of what was happening and turned to business.
“This is her?”
Raven nodded. “Marie Dalton. She’s local. Her husband is a zombie. She followed Poet. Now she’s under our control.”
“Nellie gave me the high points.” Kade’s eyes briefly landed on me. “Who is your friend?”
It took me a moment to figure out why he would ask such a ludicrous question. The answer came when I got a gander of myself in the mirror over Raven’s desk. I was still wearing my glamour. I hadn’t bothered to switch back.
I pressed my hands to my face and shook my head until my hair turned dark and I was back in my regular clothing. Kade took an immediate step back when he realized what was happening, his confusion turning to amusement when I gave him a pointed look.
“Sometimes I forget you can do that,” he teased. “I don’t suppose you want to dress up like a Baywatch lifeguard for me one night, do you?”
“I don’t suppose so.”
Marie cackled, amused by the conversation. “Did you hear that, girlie? He wants you to pretend to be someone else. He’s not happy with the current model. I bet that happens to you all the time.”
“Ignore her,” I instructed, running a hand over my hair to make sure it wasn’t standing on end before continuing. “We’re probably going to have to torture her for information. She doesn’t seem forthcoming. I’m not sure you want to be around for that.”
“I’m fine with torture.” Kade leaned his hip against Raven’s desk and studied Marie. “Has she said anything yet?”
“Just the usual nonsense that occurs when we kidnap someone for interrogation.” I offered Marie a serene smile. “We haven’t really started yet.”
“Oh, is that supposed to frighten me?” Marie rolled her eyes. “I’m not afraid of you. There’s nothing you can do to make me talk.”
I exchanged a quick look with Raven. I knew that wasn’t true.
“We’re going to start by asking you questions,” I said. “If you don’t answer, then we will entice you until you do what we ask. You won’t have a choice in the matter. Do you understand?”
“I understand you’re both little girls playing in the wrong puddle,” Marie snapped. “You have no idea what you’re messing with.”
“Let’s see if that’s true.” I smiled brightly. “How do you control Gillian? We know she’s a wendigo, but you guys are controlling her … at least to a point. How are you doing it?” I decided to go for broke with the first question because I didn’t want Marie thinking we were operating in the dark.
Marie did her best to hide her shock, but she was a poor actress. I could see the worry shooting through her eyes before she managed to shutter the panic. “What’s a wendigo?”
“A cannibalistic creature,” I replied without hesitation. “A former human who is turned into a monster through greed and gluttony. The thing is, most wendigos turn by choice. Gillian Dodd was turned against her will. She’s not a true wendigo. She’s some sort of weird hybrid.”
“I … you … she … how can you possibly know that?” Marie gave up all pretense of continuing her act. “That’s a secret. No one is supposed to know that.”
Freaky Rites (A Mystic Caravan Mystery Book 6) Page 24
