by Tonya Kappes
“And shouldn’t I have know about this?” My mouth dropped. “This would’ve been some pretty important information.”
“After you had given Tiffany the stress relief, the dream didn’t occur anymore. So I figured everything was working out and there was no need to step in.” Her eyes drew up and stared at me. Her long flashes created a shadow on her cheeks. “Do you remember the soup I had made for the guests with Eloise’s organic vegetables?”
“I do and it was delicious.” I recalled how Tiffany had complained about Full Moon and how she didn’t think Amethyst was using organic vegetables. I had gone to Eloise and asked her to donate some veggies to the Full Moon and she had.
“I had a special spell to put in there to help fix her dream of the death of her husband, but the dreams stopped.” Amethyst pushed herself back up on her feet and took the dishcloth, wiping down the counter.
The coffee pot had brewed and she took five cups off the hooks on the wall and filled them up with the brew. One by one, she went down the counter setting a cup in front of each of us.
Izzy, Gerald, and Chandra kept to themselves. They were on edge because they were waiting on the Marys to make a decision on what we as a village should do. Petunia continued to care for baby Orin. Since she was the village president, the Marys would go to her first, and then they would call a meeting at The Gathering Rock for the others to join.
“I didn’t get her stress wrong, did I?” I asked with doubt in my head.
Tiffany was so stressed out about Christmas and making deviled eggs of all things. Burt’s mother was a stickler for the eggs and since Tiffany was hosting the family dinner, she knew his mother would complain if they weren’t just right. I gave her the stress free potion to help her get through and not worry about the eggs. She said it had worked and that was how I got the deal at Head To Toe Works.
“Oh no, she had stress about those darn eggs,” Amethyst’s eyes were compelling, magnetic, drawing me into her dream. “Her dream really captivated her heart. With each stir of those egg yellows, she envisioned stabbing Burt with the fork tines.”
“Death by fork?” I made a half-witted joke to break the unnerving glare in her eyes.
“You see where it has gotten us. It has come true,” her words trailed off. Her face turned to see who was coming into the room.
“Everyone.” Oscar took his Locust Grove sheriff’s hat off and greeted everyone, but his eyes were on me. He walked over and hugged me.
“What is this for?” I squeezed back feeling safe in his embrace.
“That could’ve been you,” his husky voice broke. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you walked in a few minutes earlier.”
“I swear there wasn’t anyone in there. The only people I saw were the security guards.” I rested my head in the crook of his neck. He pulled me away.
“Don’t tell me anything else.” He spoke loudly. His tone felt strange to my ear.
“By the Orders of the Elders,” Mary Ellen floated above me. Her long black hair hung past her shoulders. Next to her were the other Marys. “You will not speak of this to Oscar Park since he is the official officer on duty. And we will be accompanying you to work.”
“That is not a good idea.” I kept one of my arms curled around Oscar’s waist. “Besides, I didn’t do it.”
“We know that but others are going to try to accuse you of it.” Mary Ellen floated down and planted her leopard print heels firmly on the ground. “And we want to be at the ready.”
“I get that. I do, but how am I going to explain three floating women?” I asked.
“We aren’t going to be there, be there,” she explained.
“Okay.” That was fine. I would be able to work around them. “Then what about Oscar?”
“I agree that you don’t need to say a word until Mac gets here.” Oscar referred to our village lawyer Mac McGurtle.
Mac was also my next-door neighbor in Locust Grove. As a child I just thought he was a nosy neighbor who always looked over the hedges when in reality he was keeping an eye on me for the spiritual community as I lived in the mortal world.
“I have summoned him from one of the western villages where he is helping a family transition into the mortal world.” Mary Sue stood in between me and Mary Ellen. “I told him to get his a-double-s here now.”
Mary Sue was the more brash and honest of the three Marys and more masculine. Her voice was raspy, harsh at times and definitely deeper.
“He did send a telegraph saying he was going to meet June tomorrow at the Head To Toe Works Headquarters for the rescheduled meeting.” Petunia stood up.
Baby Orin cried out from his slumber. Petunia simply pulled one of Eloise’s double-day leaves out of her messy hair and stuck it in his mouth. I wasn’t sure what was worse, sucking on plastic or sucking on a leaf that had who knows what on it from being in the mop of a hair-do Petunia had. Regardless, baby Orin sucked happily and the double-day sang him back to sleep.
“What is that?” Mary Sue swept over to Petunia’s side. Everyone gawked.
“A double-day.” I shrugged as though everyone should know. “The alternative to a plastic binky.”
“Interesting,” Mary Sue continued to survey the double-day from all angles.
For a brief moment all eyes were off me. Brief as it was, it was nice to get a breath.
“Listen to them.” Oscar wasn’t fooling around as he warned me. “Do not go into any meetings until Mac is there.”
“Promise.” I sealed the deal with a kiss.
As much as I wanted to enjoy Oscar’s lips on mine, I couldn’t. The nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen didn’t stop with the murder of Burt Rossen.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning, I downed a pot of coffee and made sure I had all of my kit together including Madame Torres by my side, along with Mr. Prince Charming. Most of my night was spent in one of my nightmare dreams.
I had had them all my life and most times they had come true or helped me see visions that were to come true.
Meow, meow. Mr. Prince Charming rubbed up against me. I bent down and picked him up.
“You know.” I looked at my fairy-god cat. “The dream was so real. I had gone to visit Darla and Dad’s grave but it wasn’t like I was there to see her. I was sitting in front of their stones and my dad was sitting next to me,” my voice broke.
I sat down on the kitchen floor. Mr. Prince Charming stepped on my leg and purred.
“I barely remember my dad.” Tears built up in my eyes. I gave my cat a good scratch behind the ears. I shook the idea the dream had any meaning. It wasn’t like I didn’t have regular dreams. Besides, I was getting married to Oscar and what girl wouldn’t want her parents there? “We’ve got to go.”
After gathering everything I needed in the Green Machine, including Mr. Prince Charming, it took no time to get to Head To Toe Works. I had no idea what was in store for me, but I was armed and ready to face the day.
“Ronald.” I pointed to my shirt to show him my uniform.
“I. . .a. . .I,” he gasped for air as his mouth flopped open and shut. He slammed the glass window to the security booth and pushed the button for the gates to open. He waved me in and didn’t make eye contact.
“That was easy.” I drove up the long drive of the Head To Toe Works headquarters.
Mr. Prince Charming was sitting in the seat next to me. He pawed at my bag. When I came to the parking lot, I parked and dug out Madame Torres.
“Thanks, buddy.” Mr. Prince Charming was a good fairy-god cat when he needed to be and Madame Torres was ablaze.
“Do not,” she warned from a dark ball, “let anyone pick me up and juggle me around again. Do you understand?”
“I can’t help it if they think you are pretty.” I knew flattery would get me nowhere, but it was worth a shot.
“If someone does, I will not appear when you call,” she threatened which didn’t sit well with me so I threw her back in
my bag.
“Let’s do this.” I stared at the building and took in a deep breath. I was going to need it. Oscar had to work on the case all night and they made sure to scour the entire building so the factory could be up and running. Out of my rear-view mirror I noticed a Head To Toe Works truck leaving the facility. On the side of the eighteen-wheeler was a big picture of Gentle June’s Stress Relief with a bow across the whole truck announcing the new arrival.
There was a lot riding on this. Not just the future of Head To Toe Works, but my success as a spiritualist taking her product to the mortal world.
“So you did come back!” Pearl sat at the desk like she had yesterday. She smacked her hands together and got up from the chair. She walked over to the secretary station and pushed a few buttons before talking. “Josh, I won.” Her voice echoed all over the building.
“What?” I asked. “Am I not supposed to be here?”
“Josh bet me one-hundred dollars you wouldn’t come back after what happened to Mr. Rossen.”
“No way, dude!” Josh flung open the door. “You are back. Far out.” His lanky body bounced up and down. “I figured you were off the curve. Damn.” He pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket, thumbed through it, and smacked down a Benjamin on the top of the counter.
“Nice doing business with you.” Pearl cackled and stuck the one-hundred dollar bill down into her shirt. “So did you do it?” Pearl leaned over the counter. She had a hard, cold-eyed smile.
“Do what?” I drew back, a little offended.
“Off’ed the boss.” Josh smirked. “Hell, we’ve been here for years dreaming of it. You get in a little scuffle with him and in a few hours he’s dead.” He ran his finger across his neck like a knife. “Or did your little friend do it? Or something else?” He wiggled his fingers in the air insinuating some sort of magic.
“Of course I didn’t.” My mouth dropped. “And you think I did? I’m here to save your jobs and with my product, it will happen.” I turned on my heels. “Let’s go, Mr. Prince Charming.”
As I was leaving the front office, I could hear Pearl and Josh whispering behind my back. They had their suspicions about me and rightly so since I was new, but to think I would kill Burt.
It was true we did have a little disagreement, but there were never threats like the one Tiffany. . .
“It’s always the wife,” Pearl sputtered.
I gulped.
“Tiffany,” I whispered and looked down at Mr. Prince Charming. “Do you think?”
I bit my lip and glanced around when I heard a faint buzz. The black circle on the wall had to be a security camera and they were watching me. I bent down and picked up Mr. Prince Charming and walked into my office, locking the door behind me.
I pulled out Madame Torres and sat her on the desk in front of me. I eased down in the chair and leaned back, contemplating what to ask her. Mr. Prince Charming sat in the desk next to her, his tail swaying back and forth with a flick on the desk top.
“Madame Torres, show me the fight from last night right before Burt got killed.” I wanted to get a good look at the surrounding area and see if there were any other clues.
Tiffany made no bones about it. She definitely had her beef with Burt and he did grab her by the face, which was good enough reason for her to kill him, at least in my book.
The insides of Madame Torres’s ball swirled purple with good flecks before parting. It was like watching a movie; she played back the scene. Burt was facing the “camera” and the shadowy figure’s back was to me, finger pointing between the two conveyor belts. Burt’s hand was lifted in the air with one of my potion bottles in his grip. With his other hand, he lifted it to the shadowy figure’s face and grabbed it like he had done to Tiffany in front of me. Only this time he shook her head back and forth, his teeth gritted and eyes seething anger.
There had to be something to give a clue.
“Please, she…” I looked around the room instead of focusing on Burt’s activities but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, though I had only been in there twice.
No weapons lying around. No one else in the room. Just Burt and Tiffany yelling at each other.
“Please replay,” I told Madame Torres in hopes to see something one more time, this time focusing on the shadowy figure, hoping to get an idea on the size of the person to determine whether it was a woman or man. The only thing I noticed was the shadow grabbed Burt’s wrist to stop his hand from reaching up for the person and that was when it cut off. “Rewind a little bit.”
My eyes focused on the dark shadow’s hand that had grabbed Burt. The fingers were long, thin and there were painted nails on the end. A woman.
“Tiffany,” I whispered. This seemed reason enough for her to kill him. If he was grabbing her and abusing her, surely it was an act of trying to save herself.
“June?” The knock at the door caused me to jump. It was Tiffany on the other side. “June? Can you open the door?”
I hurried and put Madame Torres on the edge of the desk like she was a decoration and shoo’ed Mr. Prince Charming off the top of the desk before I walked over to the door to let her in.
“Tiffany, how are you this morning?” I asked noticing there wasn’t a hair on her head out of place. She had on a hot pink shirt with the Head To Toe Works logo in black and pink pants. The opposite of what she made the employees wear. A pair of large black sunglasses covered her eyes.
“I’m fine,” she waved her hand in the air and walked in the office. “Shut the door,” she ordered.
After the door was shut, she pulled on the handle to make sure. She turned around and pulled the glasses off her face. Her outside appearance might seem as though she were put together but her eyes, her tunnel to her soul, told me differently. Her eyelids were bright red and the caked on makeup under her eyes tried to hide the black patches above her cheeks.
“I’m so not fine,” she sobbed, dropping down on the couch.
“I’m so sorry.” I gulped, rushing over to her to try to comfort her.
A jolt of electricity ran through me when I put my hands on her.
“What?” She looked up at me, sadness on her face.
“Nothing.” My lips formed a thin line, the smile didn’t reach my eyes. I sucked in a deep breath and put my hands around her in a sweet embrace and tried to get my intuition to tell me what the jolt was about.
“Burt really wasn’t a bad guy.” For some reason she wanted to tell me their story.
I really did try to listen, but there was an overwhelming sense in my gut that she wasn’t truly sad, but not sure how to express her real feelings.
“Burt was so smart and funny.” She painted a picture of a perfect man. “He was older and wise. I met him at the bar on the edge of town, Mac’s, and we clicked. He asked me what I did, I told him. He was in between jobs so I offered him a job on the assembly line.” She dabbed her eyes with the edge of the sleeve of her shirt. I got up and went to the bathroom to get her a tissue as she kept talking. “He came to my office and told me a more effective way to make the production line more efficient. I tried it and it worked. Head To Toe Works wouldn’t be what it is today without him and he knew it.” Her chin lifted. It trembled. “That is when he started to become abusive. He knew he had me where he needed me. I learned to live with his stress, but his mother.” Hatred dripped from her mouth. “She thought she could just take right on over.”
“Your marriage?” I questioned to clarify.
“No. The business.” She shook her head. “Burt made her head of marketing without telling me. We fought over it. She and Burt were going to take me to court over how much percentage they got in the company since they were pretty much running everything.”
“What about your lawyer? Didn’t you have him look at it?” I asked.
“Her.” She rolled her eyes. “She isn’t any help. She said that I’m a little too late by giving them so much responsibility because Burt and Jenny went through most of the money.”
“And that is what you meant by my product might save the company?” I asked.
“I know your stress product will put us back in the black.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sad from the memories of how good Burt and I had it when we got married.”
“How long have you been married?” I asked.
“Five years. First marriage for both.” She shrugged. “I know we are old and my company was doing fine, not quite as big when we got married, but I loved his ideas and they worked until they spent all the money. And don’t get me wrong, I’m very upset he is dead because I thought he would change after we got back in the black and we could make things better.”
“I’m sure it’s hard.” I patted her hand and decided to ask her about the fight they had before he was killed. “Tell me about the fight the two of you had last night.”
“What fight?” she asked and dabbed her eyes.
I grabbed her fingers and noticed she didn’t have the fancy nails of the woman in Madame Torres’s replay of the scene of the fight.
“Your nails,” my voice drifted off in a hush whisper.
“I know they are ugly, but I’m allergic to most nail products and I bite them.” She curled her fingers into a balled fist and placed them in her lap.
“You didn’t have long nails last night?” I asked to make sure. “And you didn’t have a fight after hours with Burt in front of the barbeque assembly line you are using for my product?” I had to be as specific as possible.
“No,” she said. “I went to Mac’s to have a stiff drink. How do you know Burt had a fight?”
“He had to have fought with someone.” I could feel myself getting deeper and deeper into this investigation. Oscar told me to stay out of it, but it was proving hard for me to do that. “Did anyone see you at Mac’s?”
“Mac.” Her brows rose. “Do you think?” She lifted her hand to her mouth. “Am I a suspect? I mean, you were the one who was at the scene doing some sort of . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“Voodoo?” I nervously laughed. “I’m guessing the security guard told you that?”
