mystic caravan mystery 02 - freaky lies

by Amanda M. Lee

  I opened my mouth to answer, but Luke did it for me.

  “No,” Luke said. “She will stop letting you sleep in her bed, though. I know there’s nothing going on but heavy petting, but you’re going to lose that if you don’t stop this nonsense.”

  “Excuse me?” Kade’s irritation was evident. When he insisted on driving to town with us so we could get some information – and groceries – I don’t think he realized what he was in for. “Are you threatening me with a lack of … snuggling … if I don’t turn on the air conditioning?”

  I wasn’t a fan of the way he phrased it, but … . “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  Kade ran his tongue over his teeth as he tilted his head to the side and considered the threat. “Are you firm on this?”

  “You have no idea,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest and blowing a burst of air up to my forehead in an attempt to dry my sweaty bangs. “I can’t take one more second of this. I really will die.”

  “I can’t let Poet die,” Luke said. “That means I’m going to kill you to protect her.”

  “You and what army?” Kade scoffed, biding for time as he decided whether he was going to let me shake him down.

  “Did you forget I can turn into a wolf?” Luke challenged.

  “I … no,” Kade answered. “I don’t care what you say, though, you’re not going to shift and kill me over air conditioning.”

  “It’s hotter than an all-male burlesque show during Fleet Week,” Luke shot back. “Turn on the air conditioning!”

  Instead of kowtowing to Luke’s demands Kade directed his attention to me. “Are you really going to kick me out of your bed if I don’t turn on the air conditioning?”

  I hate being put on the spot, but if he was going to press the issue I really had no choice but to answer honestly. “No.”

  Kade shot Luke a triumphant look as my best friend uttered a low growl that suspiciously sounded like a string of curse words.

  “I will, however, demand you pull over so I can get out and use my feminine wiles to get some perverted truck driver to stop,” I added. “I don’t want to kick you out of my bed, but I really will die if you don’t turn on the air conditioning.”

  Kade blew out a sigh. “Fine,” he said, rolling up his window before turning the knob on the dash and allowing a gush of cool air to blow from the vents I’d conveniently directed at my face. “I want you to know I’m doing this under duress, though.”

  “Duly noted,” I said, closing my eyes and leaning forward so I could enjoy the comforting cool air. “Oh, I’ve never been happier.”

  Kade made a disgusted face before turning his attention back to the road. “Where do you want to go once we hit town?”

  I pointed toward a huge billboard as we passed. It advertised a farmers market on the outskirts of town. “That will be full of local farmers,” I replied. “We’ll be able to get good food and hopefully some gossip.”

  “And what do you think that’s going to get us?” Kade asked.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better.”

  “I would argue with you, but I have a feeling you’re right,” Kade said, hitting his turn signal and following the sign that pointed toward the farmers market. “Let’s see what we can find, shall we?”

  “WHAT is with the heat in this place?” Luke asked twenty minutes later, blotting his brow with a napkin he acquired from the lemonade stand in the middle of the farmers market. “It’s hotter than nickel night at a whorehouse.”

  Kade made a face when two elderly women sitting at a picnic table shot dark looks in our direction. “Will you keep your voice down?”

  “What?” Luke was annoyed, which meant he couldn’t control his volume. “I didn’t make that one up. I only repeated it. You can’t hold that against me.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing, but when Kade shifted his expressive eyes in my direction it became increasingly hard to swallow my giggle.

  “He’s not funny,” Kade chided. “You encourage him when you laugh. Don’t laugh.”

  “I won’t laugh.” I had every intention of following through with that promise even though Luke proceeded to make a series of faces engineered to break my resolve.

  Kade rolled his eyes. “Go ahead and laugh,” he said. “You look as if you’re about to pass out from the effort you’re exerting to hold it in.”

  I did just that, earning a haughty look from the women at the table. They clearly didn’t like me, although they seemed enamored with Kade when he winked in their direction. The scowls they directed toward me shifted to smiles in the blink of an eye.

  “What is it with you and women?” I asked before I had a chance to think better of the question. Being jealous of two women old enough to be Kade’s grandmother probably makes me seem petty. Oh, well. That’s never stopped me before. “Women just fall all over you whenever you smile. It’s a bit distracting.”

  “He has the gift,” Luke supplied. “He can’t help it. It’s like magic.”

  Kade chuckled at the suggestion. “I think I’ll leave the magic to Poet. I’m happy being completely normal.”

  The statement caught me off guard. When I heard Max hired someone without paranormal abilities to head Mystic Caravan’s security I was thrown because I didn’t think a common human would be capable of doing the job. Despite his magical limitations, though, Kade had proved worthy (and I don’t believe that simply because he’s hot). As Max’s son, though, he could boast a magical birthright. Could it be possible he had powers that had yet to manifest? It was far more likely he showed signs of power throughout the years and then made excuses when he couldn’t explain them. I would have to test that later … much later, when he knew the truth and had forgiven me. What? I’ve chosen to be an optimist today.

  “You’re not normal,” I said, forcing a smile. “You’re better than that.”

  “Oh, well, thank you,” Kade said, his cheeks flushing with color. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me all day.”

  “Ugh. I may puke.” Luke wrinkled his nose. “You two might not be groaning and moaning yet, but you’re definitely making me sick to my stomach.”

  “And on that note … .” I shook my head and focused on the task at hand. “We need information, and this place could be a goldmine if we approach it correctly.”

  “I still don’t understand what you hope to uncover here,” Kade said. “Why do you think the dead body has anything to do with us? You saw it. Whoever killed him did it days before we arrived. It might’ve been weeks depending on how much it has rained here recently. The cops aren’t going to share information on that, though, so what do you expect to get?”

  “I’m going to wager that these people already know who that body belongs to,” I replied. This time the smile I flashed was genuine. I love when I get to put my intuition on display. “This is a relatively small community. Gossip spreads fast when everyone knows everyone else.”

  “We should know,” Luke intoned. “We live in the same kind of community.”

  “Oh, poor Luke,” Kade said, grabbing my best friend’s cheek and giving it a good jiggle. “Are you feeling down because everyone knows you’re in the middle of a dry spell?”

  Luke jerked his cheek from Kade’s annoying fingers and narrowed his eyes. “I may be in the middle of a dry spell but at least it’s not by choice,” he snapped. “You’re sleeping in the same bed with a beautiful woman – and I’m not just saying that because she’s my best friend, she’s genuinely the prettiest woman in the world – and you refuse to make a move. Which is worse?”

  “I’m not having this discussion with you,” Kade warned, his voice low. “She and I have already talked about this. You may be her best friend, but this is none of your business.”

  Most people would have the grace to apologize, or at least be embarrassed. Luke is not most people. “My poor Poet,” Luke said, shaking his head. “You�
��re not just on a dry run, are you? You’re lost in the middle of a desert and the only source of water is surrounded by crocodiles.”

  Kade scowled. “Let’s just start asking questions, okay? I think I’ve had just about enough bonding for one afternoon.” He shifted his conflicted eyes to me. “Do you want to come with me or go with Luke?”

  It was a pointed question. Unfortunately for him I was still dwelling on Luke’s previous statement. “Why would there be crocodiles in the desert?”

  Luke shrugged. “Maybe they like the sun.”

  “Oh, good grief,” Kade muttered, grabbing my hand. “We’ll go this way. You go the other way, Luke.”

  “Fine,” Luke said, unruffled by Kade’s tone. “Whoever gets the better information wins.”

  “It’s not a competition,” Kade snapped.

  “Everything is a competition,” Luke countered. “You’re falling behind in the race, man. You might want to figure out a way to catch up … or at least cheat so no one realizes you can’t even finish the race.”

  “Thanks,” Kade muttered, gripping my hand as he tugged me away from Luke and toward the fruit and vegetable row. “You go and win your race over there. We’ll win our race over here. I don’t want to see you again for at least a half hour. Do you understand?”

  Luke’s face was triumphant when I risked a glance in his direction. “I love winning.”

  Kade made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat as he pulled me behind him. I watched him for a moment, loving the way the muscle in his clenched jaw quivered. He was handsome even when mortified. That was an impressive feat. Despite my entertainment level, I decided to help him out. “You need to stop letting him bait you,” I offered. “He’s doing it on purpose because he knows he can get to you.”

  Kade shifted his eyes to me, his face unreadable. “He wouldn’t be saying it if he didn’t think it was true.”

  “Oh, you shouldn’t believe that,” I said. “He may love me, but his joy in irritating people is boundless. You have to ignore him … or pay him back.”

  Kade stilled, intrigued. “How do I pay him back?”

  I shrugged. “I’m sure an opportunity will present itself,” I said. “As long as he knows he’s getting to you he’ll keep saying things like that. He can’t help himself.”

  “And why are you guys best friends again?”

  “Because he’s the most loyal person I know, and no matter what, I never doubt he’ll always be there for me.” I answered simply and honestly, and the sentence was enough to soften Kade’s expression.

  “I’ll try to keep that in mind,” he said. “Let’s check out that vegetable stand. Those women have been gossiping since we got here, and I have a feeling they know everything that happens in this place.”

  “Now you’re thinking,” I teased. “Plus, they’re women.”

  Kade lifted an eyebrow. “So?”

  “Women can’t help themselves from falling all over you,” I replied. “I doubt these women will be the exception to the rule.”

  “I am charming.” Kade puffed out his chest. “I’ll schmooze them until they surrender any and all information they have.”

  I smirked. “And when that doesn’t work we’ll bring Luke in to finish the job.”

  Kade’s mouth tipped down at the corners. “You’re downright obnoxious sometimes. You know that, right?”

  “I had a feeling that was why you hadn’t made your move yet.”

  “You suck,” Kade muttered, although he didn’t relinquish my hand as we moved toward the women. “I don’t need this abuse.”

  “You’ll live.”

  7

  Seven

  “This looks amazing, ladies.”

  Kade flashed his winning smile in the direction of the two women sitting behind the counter as we approached the stand.

  “It’s carrots and corn,” one of the women replied dryly. “You must not get out much, huh?”

  Kade stilled. “I … um … .”

  “He’s sheltered,” I interjected, pasting my best “I’m trustworthy so there’s no need to be suspicious” smile on my face. “He’s from California so he’s used to getting his vegetables in big supermarkets.”

  “They have farmers markets in California,” Kade argued, annoyed.

  I ignored him. “This looks like a great place,” I said. “I love farmers markets that have permanent locations like this. That proves they’re important to the community.”

  “I get the feeling you’re trying to shine me on.” The woman, her short gray curls reminding me of a belligerent poodle, looked me up and down. “You’re with the circus, aren’t you?”

  “How could you tell?” Kade asked, grabbing a tomato to check its firmness before adding another ten to a bag. “Do we look like clowns or something?”

  “No, but this one looks like she’s Romani,” the woman replied.

  I stilled, surprised.

  “Annette, there’s no reason to be rude,” the second woman chided. “Ignore her. She thinks she knows everything.”

  “What a coincidence,” Kade intoned. “My friend thinks she knows everything, too.”

  I fought the urge to smile as I met Annette’s thoughtful gaze. “It’s okay,” I said finally. “Some of my lineage – on my mother’s side – is Romani.” In truth I didn’t know a lot about my own heritage. My parents died when I was a teenager and I was never allowed to speak about my abilities as a child. It was only after they died that I found out my parents knew about them. I never got a chance to ask the important questions, and I was still annoyed by that fact. “I don’t know a lot about my family tree, though.”

  “And why is that?” Annette asked.

  “Because my parents died when I was young, and then I was moved into the foster care system for a bit,” I replied, opting for honesty. “I didn’t have any other family. Well, I guess that’s not entirely true. I have uncles somewhere, but I haven’t seen them in more than fifteen years.”

  “That’s too bad,” Annette said, wrinkling her nose. “It looks like you have strong bloodlines.”

  “How can you tell that?” Kade asked, casting a sidelong look in my direction. “She looks like a normal woman to me.”

  “Thanks,” I said dryly, rolling my eyes.

  Kade balked. “What did I say?”

  “No woman wants to hear she’s normal, boy,” Annette said, shaking her head. “You may be a looker, but you’re clearly not a thinker.”

  “Hey!” Kade rested his hand on my shoulder. “That’s now what I meant! I happen to think she’s extraordinary.”

  “That’s better, but your complimenting skills still need work,” Annette said. “So do your undercover skills, for that matter. What are you really doing here?”

  She was sharp. I had to give her that. Instead of continuing the game I decided to be straight with her. “We want to know what gossip is going around about the body found in the cornfield by the circus grounds,” I replied, catching Kade off guard as he widened his eyes. “The cops didn’t give us much information. We figured we could learn a few things and get dinner supplies at the same time.”

  “Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak?” Annette asked.

  I nodded. “We’re understandably … curious.”

  “Yeah, I don’t blame you on that front,” Annette said, blowing out an exaggerated sigh. “That’s all anyone has been talking about since the body was found this morning.”

  “Do you know anything about the victim?” Kade asked, leaning against the counter. “Do you know who he is?”

  “The police around these parts aren’t known for being generous with information,” the second woman said.

  “The police around these parts are known for being controlling buttheads, Kathy,” Annette corrected, making a face. “They have leaks in their department, though. And, well, people have been looking for Frank Ryland for days.”

  Now we were getting somewhere. “Frank Ryland? Is that the dead man?”
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  “I don’t think they’ve confirmed it yet,” Annette replied. “I heard the coroner wouldn’t make a positive identification until later today. Frank has been missing, though. The paramedics said the body had tattoos on the chest … and so did Frank. It’s not much of a stretch to realize it’s him.”

  Something about Annette’s matter-of-fact delivery didn’t make immediate sense, but I let it slide for the time being.

  “What can you tell us about him?” Kade asked.

  “Why do you want to know?”

  If Kade was surprised by Annette’s question he didn’t show it. “Because we’re understandably curious,” he answered. “We don’t often find eyeless and limbless corpses in cornfields next to where we stay.”

  “We’re just trying to find out whether there was a reason for him to be out in the cornfield,” I added. “We were the ones who ran into the field when we heard the girls screaming. We’re kind of … invested.”

  “I’m not trying to be difficult,” Annette said. “Don’t get me wrong, I understand why you’re asking questions. From our perspective, though, you’re suspects. It happened right next to you.”

  “You’re also circus folk,” Kathy said. “That makes you weird in general. Oh, but … don’t take that personally.”

  “Why would I take that personally?” I asked, working overtime to rein in my bubbling snark.

  “Because you’re a woman and you can’t help yourself from taking everything personally,” Annette replied, not missing a beat. “That’s why you’re still internally fuming that this one thinks you’re normal, which essentially means you’re average. You don’t want to be average.”

  “I am not fuming over that!” Okay, I might be fuming a little. No one has ever called me normal. That’s just about the worst thing you can say to a person, especially one in my position.

  “Whatever,” Annette said, rolling her eyes. “Despite the fact that you’re circus folk, you don’t look like murderers. I get feelings about people, and the sense I get when I look at you two is that you’re trustworthy – although you both have secrets you’re keeping from each other.”