A Death at the Yoga Café

by MICHELLE KELLY,

  Ben looked at her then, and for just a second she thought she saw anguish in his eyes, but then he blinked and it was gone, his expression stern and emotionless again.

  “It just isn’t working, Keeley. I’ve got so much on with these murders, and you insist on running around getting involved and creating more work. I just don’t have time for us right now.” His eyes slid away from hers.

  “No,” Keeley said, angry. Tears burned at her eyes again and this time she let them fall. The muscle in Ben’s jaw pulsed, although he gave no other sign of noticing her distress, staring intently out of the window again.

  “You can’t do this, just like that. I won’t let you.”

  Ben closed his eyes briefly, but not before she saw the hurt in them. She stepped toward him again, trying to force him to look at her, but he flinched away.

  “You don’t really want this, Ben Taylor, I know you don’t.”

  He took a deep, shaky breath, and for a moment hope flared in her. But then all hint of emotion left both his expression and his voice, as if a mask had come down.

  “I’m afraid I do, Keeley.”

  “Why?” she asked again. She felt anger flare in her when he again failed to answer.

  “This is just because I went to Edna’s and John’s today? Because I asked a few questions before you could get there? That’s it, isn’t it?” She gave a bitter laugh. “I interfered in your precious investigation, sussed a few things out before the great Detective Constable Ben Taylor, and so now you don’t want to see me anymore? This is a joke.” She sat back down in her chair, folding her own arms in a defensive gesture, anger momentarily taking precedence over the hurt.

  “It’s not just a case of interfering,” Ben retorted, sounding angry now himself, “you put yourself in danger, and could have jeopardized the whole case. This isn’t a TV show, Keeley, for you and Raquel to run around playing Miss Marple.”

  Keeley felt rather than heard his words, stinging like wasps.

  “I know it’s not!” Did he really think that about her, that she was some silly girl playing real-life murder mysteries with her friend, as if she didn’t understand the full horror of what was happening?

  “You should have kept out of it.”

  “Yes, because you said so,” she snapped, then winced at the childishness of her retort. Still, she wanted to hold on to her anger, because she knew once it dissipated there would only be the stark knowledge of her grief, and she didn’t want to accept what he was telling her, didn’t want to acknowledge what was happening right here and now. She could feel the full realization of the loss she was facing hovering over her, waiting to fall on her with its full, crushing weight.

  She softened her voice, letting her arms fall away from her sides in spite of her natural instinct to shield herself from this. She had to try. This was Ben, she loved him. And he loved her, she was sure, in spite of the words coming out of his mouth.

  “Ben, please don’t do this. We can sort this out.”

  But her words didn’t have the effect she was hoping for. If anything, Ben’s posture became even more stiff, his voice so emotionless now it was almost cruel.

  “Can we? You don’t listen to anything I say, Keeley. And I just don’t have the time to worry about you on top of all this. There’s a lot riding on this case. The people of Belfrey are scared, and they’re looking at me to solve it. I can’t do that with you running around causing havoc.”

  Keeley felt angry again.

  “Causing havoc? That’s a bit extreme. So let me get this straight—” Her voice began to rise again, loud in the small café, and it sounded almost as though it was coming from someone else, she sounded so hostile and wholly unlike herself. “—you don’t want to be with me anymore because I’m jeopardizing your chances of solving these murders? Because you can’t pass up a chance to be a hero? Or because you’re annoyed I found out something you didn’t?”

  Ben’s jaw pulsed again, though she thought this time it was with temper. She knew how proud Ben could be, how much his career meant to him. Only, she thought with a feeling of desolation, she had never truly realized that it meant more to him than their relationship did. Than she did.

  “It’s not like that.”

  “I think it is. I think you’re just worried about your precious promotion.” She stood up, pushing her chair away and marching toward the door, holding it open. Ben turned out slowly, surprise flickering in his gaze.

  “I want you to leave,” she said, as firmly as she could, though she heard her voice quavering at the end. “Now, please.”

  Ben stared at her for a moment, and again she saw the brief look of anguish, and he opened his mouth as if he was going to speak. Her heart jumped, hopeful in her chest, waiting for him to say that he had changed his mind, that he didn’t mean it, but then he closed his mouth and the look was gone. He walked over to her and went through the door without looking at her, then paused in the entrance and turned to her. She felt her free hand trembling and shoved it into the back pocket of her jeans, not wanting him to see her distress.

  “Look after yourself then. I’ll be in touch. About Edna,” he clarified, dashing the last flare of hope.

  “Fine,” Keeley said, although she was anything but, and shut the door on him. Then she walked into the kitchen without looking back, shut the door behind her, and leaned her back against it, inhaling deeply, her eyes staring at the ceiling without looking at anything. She waited for the tears, for the sadness, but felt only a dull ache and a horrible, creeping numbness. As she left the kitchen, locked up, and headed up the stairs, her limbs felt heavy and fatigued. Her thoughts were slow, as though a fog had invaded her brain and she couldn’t quite process what had just happened.

  Darla was lying on the bed with a face mask and eye pads on, and without talking to her Keeley lay on the sofa and pulled her blanket over her, overwhelmed with a sudden need to sleep. It came quickly, descending on her so that her eyelids closed of their own accord.

  She woke with a start in the middle of the night, to hear the sound of an owl hooting and her mother’s soft snoring. There were tears on her cheeks, and she lifted her hand to her face to wipe them. As she did so the memory of Ben’s words came to her, bringing with them a pain in her chest that was as sudden as it was shocking. She buried herself back under the blanket, horrified to hear a mewling sound escape her lips. Feeling the sobs come she pushed her face into the cushion so she didn’t wake her mother, her shoulders and then her whole body shaking. She stayed that way until her eyes were sore and her body drained, and then she fell into a fitful sleep, punctuated by bad dreams. Dreams in which Gerald appeared, his torso twisted and bloody, pleading with Keeley to help him, and Raquel pleading too, her hands outstretched. Edna, attacking her, striking at her with nails that turned into cat claws. And worst of all was the appearance of Ben. She dreamed that she had something desperately important to tell him, but no matter how loud she screamed, he could neither see nor hear her.

  BHUJANGHASANA—COBRA POSE

  A gentle back bend that tones the abdomen. Used as an individual posture or as part of the flowing sequence of postures known as Sun Salutations or Surya Namaskar. The pose takes the shape of a cobra with its hood raised, hence the name.

  Method

  • Lie on your stomach, toes flat on the ground and forehead touching the floor. Keep your legs closed, with your knees and heels lightly touching. Do not tense. Place your hands under your shoulders, palms touching the floor, keeping your elbows tight to your torso. Take three slow deep breaths here.

  • Using your hands for balance, on an inhale lift your head, shoulders, chest, and abdomen, keeping your navel on the floor. Curl your spine vertebra by vertebra. You should now be looking slightly up with your head tilting back, with a gentle arch to your back. Keep your shoulder blades relaxed and down. If this stretch puts a strain on your back, lower down a little to decrease the arch and/or bend your elbows.

  • Take five deep bre
aths before exhaling and lowering down.

  Benefits

  Benefits to this pose include strengthening of the back and shoulders, the releasing of tension in the shoulders, and improvement in flexibility in the middle area of the back and spine. The expansion of the chest can aid respiratory disorders such as asthma, but do consult your physician before attempting. This pose is also good for circulation and digestion, tones the abdominal muscles, relieves fatigue, and can provide some relief from menstrual cramps.

  Contraindications

  Pregnancy, hernias, weak wrists, and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Consult your physician before attempting if you have any issues with your spine.

  Chapter Eleven

  Keeley woke with the sun streaming through the window onto her face, a pleasant feeling of warmth that had her smiling until she woke fully and remembered the events of the night before. Then they came back to her with full clarity, bringing a sharp stab of pain that felt almost tangible. She got up and made her way to the bathroom without greeting her mother, who was sitting at the kitchenette counter flicking through a magazine, her hair in rollers.

  “Are you okay, dear? You look awfully pasty.”

  Keeley mumbled an inaudible response and shut the door behind her, leaning on the sink and surveying herself in the mirror. She looked worse than pasty; she was as white as a ghost, apart from the red puffiness around her eyes where she had cried herself back to sleep last night. She felt as though she were moving through fog, an awful numbness dulling the pain to an ache. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced for a long time, this sense of utter desolation and loss. Not even the sting of Brett’s betrayal had affected her like this. In fact, it reminded her of the first few days after the death of her father.

  At that thought, she straightened up and shook her head at her own reflection, telling herself not to be so ridiculous. It was just a breakup, it was nothing she couldn’t get through. It was certainly nothing compared to the loss of her father. She splashed cold water on her face and went through a few rounds of energizing breathing, which at least made her feel less like the living dead even if it did little to dull the ache in her chest.

  It was an ache that stayed with her all morning, leaving her feeling she was just going through the motions as she rolled out her mat for her morning yoga practice, then showered and dressed and prepared to open the Yoga Café. It barely abated as she got on with cooking and serving through the breakfast rush, which for once she was glad of, the busyness keeping her from ruminating over Ben’s words. The talk was, as she had expected, all about the murder of poor Edna, who apparently garnered more concern from the locals in death than Keeley imagined she would have in life. Only Jack seemed uninterested in the topic, puffing on his pipe and petting Bambi with a faraway look on his face. Keeley listened to the speculation without commenting, glad that her own visit to the old woman’s house didn’t appear to be common knowledge. Otherwise, the topic held strangely little interest for her, other than the lurch she felt in her stomach every time Ben’s name was mentioned.

  Megan came in just before lunchtime when the rush had abated, took one look at Keeley’s face, and steered her into the kitchen.

  “What is it?” she said, her eyes wide with concern. “Is it what happened with Edna?”

  Keeley shook her head, then wrapped her arms around herself, feeling vulnerable and exposed when tears sprang to her eyes, a rush of emotion breaking through the fog.

  “No, not really; it’s Ben. It’s, we’re, over.” To her horror, she burst into tears again, and Megan pulled her into her arms, resting her chin on Keeley’s head and making the kind of soothing noises one would make to a baby. It was oddly comforting.

  “I can’t believe it,” Megan said when Keeley finally composed herself and stepped away, wiping at her eyes. “It just doesn’t seem right. Ben’s besotted with you.”

  “Not anymore,” Keeley sniffled, then reached for a paper towel and blew her nose. Then she recounted yesterday evening’s events and their final conversation. By the time she had finished, Megan looked thoughtful.

  “It sounds as though he’s just overwhelmed by things, not to mention worried about you getting tangled up in something potentially dangerous.” She gave a heavy sigh. “I wish I hadn’t encouraged you to go and see Edna and John now; look at the trouble it’s caused.”

  “It’s not your fault; I chose to go. Besides, I don’t think Ben’s being fair. He was so cold.” She remembered the look of hurt that had crossed his face, but wondered if she had only imagined it and been seeing what she had wanted to see, a way of easing the blow of his dismissal of their relationship. Of her.

  “I think you just need to give him time. I can’t see this being a permanent thing, Keeley. You two are meant to be; your astrological houses are perfectly entwined.”

  Keeley fought the urge not to roll her eyes. Megan’s brand of New Age spirituality just wasn’t what she needed right now, but she knew her friend meant well.

  “I don’t think so. He sounded very determined.” She knew that when Ben made a decision, he generally refused to budge on it, even if he later regretted it. He was both stubborn and proud, traits she had found endearing before he had turned them on her.

  “So talk to him.”

  Keeley shook her head. She had pride of her own, and no matter how desolate she felt, she wasn’t about to plead with him not to leave her. She had all but done that yesterday evening, and he had still walked out on her. That was a wound that she knew would stay open for a long while yet.

  “You’re both so stubborn,” Megan tutted, echoing Keeley’s own thoughts. “But I think you’re right about him being unfair. He’s totally overreacting, which is why I believe he’ll come back.”

  Keeley shrugged, feeling both emotionally and physically drained. Then she heard the door chime and customers walk in. “I’d better go back out front.”

  “I’ll give you a hand,” Megan said, and Keeley smiled at her gratefully.

  Norma and Maggie stood behind the counter, and Keeley felt her stomach sink. The last thing she needed was this pair dissecting Edna’s death.

  “Have you heard? Isn’t it dreadful!” Norma shrieked, the sheer excitement on her face belying her words.

  “Dreadful,” Keeley echoed, ignoring Megan, who was making faces behind the pair’s back as she began to wipe the tables down and gather up stray crockery. “What can I get you?”

  “Oh, just two teas, please. We’ve just been in the diner for brunch.”

  “Thought you were staying away from the place,” Megan chimed in, her voice amiable enough, but the look of cynicism on her face all too apparent. Keeley shot her a warning look.

  “Well, you know, we thought we would go in to offer our support,” Maggie spoke up, pulling up a chair and picking up a menu. As much as she needed customers, Keeley hoped they weren’t going to order food. Her levels of tolerance and goodwill to all were not riding high today. An image of Ben flashed into her mind and she closed her eyes as if she could ward it off.

  “But she was very rude. And didn’t seem bothered about poor Edna at all,” Maggie was continuing.

  Norma nodded. “Yes. She always was beastly to her, hounded the woman out of her job. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had committed both murders.”

  “I didn’t realize you two were even friends of Edna’s,” Megan said, again in that deceptively amiable voice. Norma and Maggie’s concern for people tended to go only as far as there was an angle of gossip available. Thinking of the two women’s propensity for gossip, Keeley found herself asking, “Did you know her and Gerald well?” After all, there was no Ben to tell her off for getting involved now.

  Pleased to be asked, Norma sat up straight, all but puffing her chest out as she said in a voice full of her own importance, “Well, I was a very good friend of the mayor’s. Had a lot of time for me, he did. Of course, we go back a long way.”

  “Do you think it’s possible that these murders might b
e connected to something or someone from their past? Assuming,” Keeley corrected quickly, not wanting the women to be picking up and expanding on any of her theories for the whole of Belfrey to hear, “that their deaths are even connected.”

  “Oh but they must be!” Maggie jumped in with obvious relish.

  Norma looked thoughtful. “The mayor was a good man, of course, an absolute pillar of society. But, well, I’m not sure I should say this…” She paused, obviously waiting for the encouragement to continue. Ignoring Megan’s exaggerated eye-rolling, Keeley leaned over the counter encouragingly. “Go on,” she prompted.

  “Well, I do hesitate to speak ill of the dead,” Norma said piously, then went on with no further prompting needed, “but he was a dreadful philanderer in his youth, and even when he was first married. His wife did her best to turn a blind eye, of course, and I’m sure he thought he was being discreet, but people talk, you know. It’s awful really, the way some people gossip,” she concluded with no apparent irony. Megan stifled a snort of laughter, turning it into a cough. Keeley suppressed a smile. This was interesting, she thought.

  “But it was all a long time ago,” Maggie took over the story “I wouldn’t have thought it could shine any light on his murder. No, I still believe wholeheartedly that it’s all down to Raquel, she should be locked up. Honestly, Keeley, I’m surprised your Ben hasn’t charged her yet.”

  Keeley flinched at “your Ben.” He wasn’t hers, not anymore. Not that people could ever belong to you, Keeley reprimanded herself, pushing away the sudden loneliness.

  “I don’t see why Raquel would want to kill Edna,” Megan chimed in. Keeley sighed. The mention of Ben had reminded her of their argument. He was angry with her precisely because of her interest in this case, and here she was discussing it yet again. She turned away from the other women and began rearranging the shelves of mugs, trying not to listen as the conversation carried on behind her.