Clarity

by Kim Harrington

  She stopped, and Mom filled in what she didn’t want to say. “He got violent.”

  Joni nodded. “He pushed me up against the wall. Bruised my arm. He told me I’d say nothing. And the truth is, I never had any intention of telling Vicki what we did. I didn’t want to hurt her or lose our friendship.”

  “Then why did you threaten to blab?” I asked.

  “To scare him. Maybe he’d tell her himself or maybe just dump her.”

  “You wanted her to know, but were too gutless to tell her yourself,” I said.

  Mom squeezed my knee under the table, and I knew I was getting close to the line. We never wanted to insult our clients, no matter how despicable they might have seemed.

  “You’re right,” Joni said. “She’s the best friend I ever had, and look what I did to her. She deserved better than both me and Joel.” Joni’s shoulders shook as her face fell into her hands.

  “But you did gather the courage to tell her,” Mom prodded.

  Joni sniffed and lifted her face back to us. “I wanted Joel out of her life at that point. If he pushed me, who knows what he’d ever do to her if she broke up with him.”

  My thoughts were racing. Maybe Joel had seen Victoria with Perry that night, and killed her in a jealous rage. I was suddenly filled with relief. Both that Perry hadn’t done this, and that Joel hadn’t killed my brother, too, instead of just Victoria.

  The room stayed silent for a few moments. Then Joni continued, “I wanted them broken up. Vicki had already figured that Joel was cheating on her, and the night before she left, they had a huge fight. She told him they were done. I should have just kept my mouth shut. But I figured, this has gone on long enough, let the whole truth come out. So I told her I was the one Joel was screwing around with.”

  “How did she take the news?” I asked.

  “She went crazy.” Joni fingered the charm on her neck. “That’s when she gave me back the other half of the charm. Said we weren’t friends anymore. We’d never be again.” Joni’s shoulders slumped. “Vicki left town. I figured after the long weekend maybe she’d calm down a bit and we could talk again when she got back. Mend fences maybe. Now we’ll never talk again.”

  “She really came here alone?” I asked.

  “I guess.” Joni shrugged. “Though that really doesn’t seem like her.”

  “Did she know anyone down here?” Mom asked.

  “Not that I know of, but …”

  I leaned forward. “But what?”

  “In the weeks before everything blew up, I felt like Vicki was keeping a secret from me. I was paranoid, so I assumed she was starting to put two and two together about Joel and me. But she really didn’t know about that. So … maybe she was keeping a secret of her own.”

  “Did Joel know she was coming down here?” I asked.

  “No, but it wasn’t hard to find out. Her mom told me where she went.”

  “Might he have come down and …”

  “Killed her?” Joni finished for me. “Probably. I don’t know anyone else who would. She had no issues with anyone else. Just the worst luck in the world and poor judgment. Look at who she chose to be her boyfriend and her best friend.” She stared down at the table. “Stupid girl.”

  “You need to talk to the police,” I said. “To tell them what you know.”

  She pushed her seat back. “No. I don’t want to get dragged into this.”

  I wondered if I could talk her into it, but one look at Mom told me all I needed to know. Mom was reading her thoughts and the thoughts were all about flight.

  Joni couldn’t leave, though. She needed to tell the police about Joel. Before they found out about Perry and directed their attention toward him instead.

  I was glad Gabriel and I had exchanged numbers for work. I slipped my hands under the table and texted him from my cell.

  TELL COPS 2 COME 2 MY HOUSE NOW!

  My mother offered Joni a water, which she gulped in one minute. I kept her lingering a little longer with a more pleasant vision I’d plucked from the charm.

  “I see you and Vicki, dressed the same, in white shirts and black bow ties. You’re whispering and laughing.”

  “We’re cater-waiters,” Joni said, still using the present tense for her lost friend. “We work these fancy parties and stuff in the city. It pays pretty good, but we also have a fun time.”

  Joni seemed to enjoy hearing the memories, but was still antsy. She got up to go.

  “Come back again if you want another reading, or even if you just need to talk,” Mom said, walking her to the foyer.

  Then the door opened, and Anthony and Gabriel Toscano walked in. Gabriel’s dark eyes were intense with concern, and I realized my text was kind of vague. He’d probably thought I needed help.

  And had rushed over himself instead of just sending someone else.

  I forced myself not to think about that, or how hot he looked at the moment, and focused on the issue at hand: Joni.

  “Detective Toscano,” I said to Gabriel’s dad. “Thanks for coming.”

  Joni took a giant step back.

  “Joni here,” I said to Gabriel, “just finished her reading. She was Victoria Happel’s best friend. She wanted me to call you over here so she could fill you in on what she knows. Particularly about Victoria’s ex-boyfriend.”

  Joni glared at me, clearly furious that I’d deceived her. I felt a little guilty. But she’d betrayed her best friend. The least she could do was take a few minutes to offer important information to the police. Then Perry would be in the clear and this could all be over. Joni would be glad I made her do the right thing.

  Detective Toscano took Joni gently by the arm. “We’ll talk quickly at the station, then you can go on your way.”

  “Yeah, sure,” she mumbled.

  Gabriel turned to me before they left. “Can you meet me for lunch at Yummy’s in an hour? I want to go over some things.”

  “No problem,” I replied, wondering what these “things” were and hoping they had nothing to do with Perry.

  Mom closed the door after they left and sank down onto the couch with a sigh.

  “I did the right thing by getting Gabriel and his dad over here, right?” I asked. “I mean, Joni wasn’t going to offer up what she knew. She was going to disappear because she’s too selfish to take the time.”

  “She was going to disappear,” Mom said, nodding. “She most certainly doesn’t want to get involved in the investigation. She doesn’t want to talk to the police. Definitely doesn’t want to tell them about Joel. But not because she’s selfish.”

  “Then why? ”

  “Because she’s scared.”

  TEN

  THE FIRST THING I DID AS I WALKED INTO YUMMY’S was scan the place for evil waitresses, but thankfully Skanky McSkankbag wasn’t working. I found Gabriel in what I knew was his usual booth. His eyes lit up at first when he saw me, then he did that forced frown thing again. I sat down across from him. “What did you want to go over with me?”

  He frowned again, genuinely this time. “No ‘hello'? No ‘how was your day?’ ”

  I’d figured he’d want to skip the small talk since he obviously couldn’t stand me. I shrugged and picked up a menu.

  After a few moments of silence, Gabriel cleared his throat. “Yesterday in the mayor’s office, I noticed you’re familiar with his son, Justin. Are you two close?”

  “No.” I certainly wasn’t going to get into that story with Gabriel.

  “Do you have a history?”

  What was this? First he’d acted interested in me. Then he found out I was a psychic and treated me like a criminal. And now he was jealous of Justin. Consistent feelings much?

  I lowered the menu. “Why wouldn’t your father work with me on the case? Why did he make you work with me instead? And what’s your beef with psychics anyway?”

  He clenched his jaw. “It’s personal.”

  “So is my history with Justin.” I picked the menu back up.

&nbs
p; We sat in silence until the waitress took our order and our face-hiding menus. I removed my cell from my shorts pocket and texted Perry. Where was he? Not that I was mad for having to work; that reading had given us our biggest lead. But it was unlike Perry to run off on Mom without a word.

  Especially considering what was going on around him.

  The waitress brought our drinks and I took a long sip of my soda. “How did things go with Joni?” I asked after a moment. “Did she tell your father about Joel, the boyfriend?”

  “Yeah, he’s the main suspect now. As soon as he’s found, he’ll be brought in for questioning.”

  I had to point out the obvious. “You have my mother and I to thank for getting her to talk. Joni was about to run. She wants no part of this.”

  He rubbed his chin. “I was thinking about that. You’d think a best friend, especially one with a guilty conscience, would want to help.”

  I stirred my drink with the straw, the ice cubes clinking against the glass. “My mother told me Joni’s scared of Joel.”

  “Did she tell your mother that?”

  Tell? Not the word I’d use, but if we were going to get through this lunch without fighting, I wasn’t about to tell him my mother plucked Joni’s fear of Joel from her thoughts.

  Thankfully, I was saved by the interruption of our food arriving. Gabriel took a bite of his sandwich while I poured the little plastic cup of dressing onto my salad and redirected the conversation.

  “What else is going on with the case?”

  He paused a moment while he finished chewing. “Turns out Yummy’s has a security camera, fixed on the corner of the building, to watch activity in the parking lot.”

  I nearly choked on my lettuce. That tape would show Perry leaving with Victoria. “Really?”

  “They propped it up there years ago when they had a problem with people unlawfully using their dumpster. But they never updated it. It’s a dinosaur. They still use VHS tapes.” He shook his head at the lack of technological sophistication. “The manager changes the tape every day and keeps a week’s worth at a time. Of course they don’t have the tape from that night. And since the office is unlocked and unprotected and a complete mess, they don’t even know if it was stolen or misplaced.”

  “That’s too bad,” I said halfheartedly.

  He nodded as he chewed through a bite. “But we did find out who was in the motel room above the victim. Ever heard of a guy named William Rawlinson?”

  “Billy?” Why was I not surprised? I set down my fork. I hadn’t thought of Billy Rawlinson since our run-in at the 7-Eleven, but even that jerk’s name was enough to make me lose my appetite.

  Gabriel nodded. “I figured you’d know him. The motel manager said he’s a townie and a bit of a troublemaker.”

  “Billy and his best friend are idiots. I’m shocked they managed to graduate last year. What else did the manager say about him?”

  “He rented the room for the entire summer and recently started working as a maintenance guy for the motel.”

  “Glad to hear he’s not mooching off his parents at least. I figured he’d live at home till he was forty.”

  “You don’t sound like a fan.”

  I fiddled with my straw again. “Put it this way. I’m not shocked that he drilled a hole in his floor so he could watch the goings-on on the bed below.”

  “You think that’s why he made the peephole? ”

  “Yeah, he’s a perv. Why else would he?” I paused. “Wait, you’re thinking of him as a suspect?”

  “You don’t think he’s capable of murdering someone?”

  I thought for a moment. This was a guy I’d known since kindergarten. I hated his guts, but still. “I don’t know. He’s a bully, sure. But a murderer? I guess anything’s possible.”

  Then it hit me that if the police had Billy, Billy may have seen Perry in the motel room that night … and blabbed to the cops. “What did he say about the hole when you brought him in? Was he in his room that night? Did he see anyone in there with the victim?” I asked, with a nervous edge to my voice.

  Gabriel’s dark eyes studied my face. “Is there something you’re not telling me? ”

  “Of course not.” I brought my hands down to my lap.

  Gabriel stared at me for a moment longer. “The police would love to ask Billy those questions, but unfortunately no one can find him. The motel’s manager hasn’t seen him since Saturday morning, when he worked on a malfunctioning air-conditioning unit.”

  “And the murder happened Saturday night. So he hasn’t been seen by anyone since then?”

  “The police asked at the motel and at his parents’ home. No one’s seen him.”

  “Find a guy named Frankie Creedon and you’ll find Billy. They share a brain. One can’t survive without the other.”

  Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “What about this thing tonight?”

  He slid it across the table, and I unfolded it. It was a flyer for the fireworks that night.

  30th Annual Eastport Fireworks Spectacular

  on Town Beach!

  A night of musical entertainment,

  games, food, fireworks, and celebration

  “Were you planning on going?” Gabriel asked.

  “Most of the town goes every year.”

  “So there’s a chance these two guys would be there?”

  I shrugged. “Sure.”

  “Let’s go then.”

  I hesitated. “Together?”

  “You’ve got a problem with that?”

  Was he warming up to me? Maybe he was changing his mind, going back to his first impression. Or maybe he just needed me there to identify Frankie.

  Yeah, probably that, Clare. Check your ego

  I smiled. “No problem at all. Let’s meet at my house. We can walk from there.”

  As Gabriel dug into his food, I discreetly checked my phone again. No reply from Perry. Where could he be? He never cut out on work, on the family’s livelihood.

  Another explanation whispered from the back of my mind. I shook my head. He wouldn’t have run. No way.

  Only the guilty run.

  Five minutes till showtime and I was standing in my bra and panties. Three outfits were strewn across my bedroom. I’d dismissed the black Gap T-shirt and khaki shorts as too casual. Tossed the light sundress back on the bed — too frumpy. i’d torn off the tight minidress — too desperate. What the hell was I doing? Why was I trying on multiple outfits? Was I trying to impress a guy who thought I was a nutcase?

  I sighed and picked up the sundress. I can’t wear red, but pale pink actually works well with my hair. True, the dress was on the frumpy side, but it was comfortable. I was working tonight, not out to pick up guys. Especially not anyone in particular.

  Thankfully, Gabriel was five minutes late, and by the time he knocked on the door I’d just finished putting on lipstick and slipping my feet into sandals. I opened the door.

  “I hope I didn’t keep you wait …” His voice drifted off as he quite blatantly checked me out.

  “What?” I asked, hand on my hip.

  He flashed me a devilish grin. “The little pink dress. You look cute.”

  What I found frumpy, he found cute. Wonder what his response would have been to the tight number. My eyes gave him a discreet once-over. He wore jeans and a Yankees T-shirt. It wasn’t exactly going to win over the locals, but I had to admit, he filled the shirt out ridiculously well. His short black hair was damp, like he’d just taken a shower. I felt my face begin to flush, so I turned away. “Come on in.”

  He stopped and surveyed the foyer. “I was only here for a minute when we came to get Joni. I didn’t get a chance to check the place out.” He paused. “It’s not what I was expecting.”

  “What were you expecting? Voodoo dolls hung from the ceiling?”

  He smirked. “Maybe just a little one of me.”

  “That’s hidden under my bed.”

  He gave a s
oft laugh and walked to the large front window. “Must be nice living so close to the boardwalk and the beach.”

  “It usually is. Nights like tonight can get loud, though. Having thousands of people essentially in your front yard.”

  “You kind of have no choice but to go to this thing every year then, huh?”

  “Yeah, but I’ve never had a mission before.” I rubbed my hands together. “Shall we get going?”

  “Yeah. Bring your cell. I figure we’ll fan out and look for this guy or his friend. Whoever finds him first can call or text the other.”

  I gave Gabriel a picture of Billy and Frankie that I printed off someone’s Facebook page so he’d know who he was looking for. Mom was already out at the fireworks, and Perry was still MIA, so I locked up on our way out.

  The beach was bustling. There were families, giggling packs of teens, couples on blankets, roving groups of men and women checking each other out. Many I recognized from town, but a good half were tourists. Gabriel and I walked past booth after booth of tantalizing smells: grilled burgers and dogs, Italian sausages, pizza, snow cones, ice cream, funnel cakes.

  Gabriel said, “I could spend the whole night eating.”

  “Not yet. After I track down Billy Rawlinson you can reward me with some fried dough.”

  He groaned. “Damn you, voice of reason. Okay, let’s split up and spread out.”

  I nodded and broke off to the left, passing the grandstand where the high school band was playing. I tried to act nonchalant while at the same time searching for Billy and Frankie in the sea of faces. I squeezed through a horde of gum-snapping girls I recognized as seniors from my school.

  “He did not say that!”

  “Yes, he did! And you wouldn’t believe what she said!”

  Please, someone tell me I wouldn’t be that annoying if I had girlfriends.

  “Sure, you will be.”

  I whipped around and nearly got a faceful of cotton candy. I moved the purple sugar cloud to the side and glared at my mother. She wore a white, short-sleeved peasant blouse and a patchwork skirt.

  “You have to stop listening in on my thoughts without my permission, Mom. It’s not cool.”

  She shoved a piece of cotton candy in my mouth to shut me up. “I didn’t do it on purpose, Clarity. I was strolling along listening in to the crowd.”