Murder Before Marriage

by Raven Snow

  Nadine was sitting across from the two of them, her hands folded on the table. She was staring at her daughter wide-eyed, like she had said something that had caught her by surprise.

  “We were…” Peony waited for a small nod from Tina before continuing. “I was just about to tell Mom here about Tina and I. That we’re dating.”

  A silence fell over the room. Rowen looked from the table to Lydia then back again. Nadine was sitting very straight in her chair, her hands still folded on the table. “How long have the two of you been together?” she asked her face impassive.

  “Um.” Peony looked to Tina like she wasn’t quite sure and shrugged. “I don’t know. A while?”

  Tina frowned, maybe because Peony had forgotten their anniversary. “It hasn’t quite been a year.”

  “It hasn’t quite been a year?” Nadine repeated. Nadine was usually very soft spoken, very understanding. There was something in her voice then, though, something angry. “It’s almost been a year, and you haven’t told me?”

  “I-I’m sorry, I—”

  “It’s my fault,” Tina interrupted. “I didn’t want her to tell anyone. I was afraid to tell my parents. I still haven’t told them. I didn’t want people finding out about us and it getting back to them, so… So I begged Peony to keep things secret for now. I’m sorry.”

  Nadine sighed and relaxed some where she sat. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me there… I just… I like to know what’s going on in your life, I guess. Are…” Nadine looked uncertain. “Is everything all right? Are the two of you happy?”

  “Yeah,” Peony said immediately. “I’ve never been happier.” Beside her, Tina smiled. Rowen saw them find each other’s hands beneath the table. “I mean, things are rough right now with everything going on, but… Yeah…”

  Nadine smiled and stood from the table. “Then I’m happy for you.” She went around the table. Peony and Tina barely had time to stand before they were both swept into a hug.

  “Oh, this is wonderful,” Lydia squealed, hurrying over to join the group hug. “I was wondering when you would find someone. Nadine and I were talking about setting you up with someone.”

  “We weren’t talking about setting you up with someone,” said Nadine, taking a step back from the group hug.

  Lydia stepped back as well. “He was a nice fellow. He comes in here to buy candles.”

  “She was talking about setting you up with someone. I was against it.”

  “Not that I’m disappointed she’s decided on you, Tina dear. I much prefer you. I think you’re a sweetheart.”

  Tina’s cheeks had colored pink. “Thank you,” she said in a small voice. “I’d still prefer to keep this quiet though. With everything that’s going on, it just doesn’t seem like the right time.”

  “Oh.” Nadine’s face rearranged itself into a stricken expression. “That’s right. Your brother. Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry.” Nadine went in for a hug again. This time it was a more tender, gentle hug. Nadine was very empathetic. Now that she knew her daughter’s relationship to Tina, the girl might as well have been a part of the family.

  Lydia shook her head. “He was so young. It’s such a shame. I read that article Rose wrote. He sounded like a remarkable boy.”

  “The article was a little generous.” Tina smiled weakly. “But, yeah, I’ll miss him.”

  “I can’t imagine.” Lydia motioned to the chair. “Everyone sit back down. I’ll grab a couple more chairs.”

  Tina hesitated but sat again when Peony did. Lydia left the room and came back with a couple more chairs. She left the curtains open so they could hear if anyone entered the store. It wasn’t like Odds & Ends did a whole lot of business. They could go hours without a customer.

  “So, you came here hoping we could help you figure out who it was that murdered your brother?” Lydia asked once they were all seated.

  Tina nodded. “Peony said you might be able to help.”

  “That’s why I came, too,” Rowen added. She didn’t want to admit she had hit a dead end, not with Tina sitting so close to her. Unfortunately, it felt implied.

  Lydia looked to Nadine. Nadine’s brow had furrowed. She was looking down at the table. “He was found dead in his car, correct?”

  “That’s right,” Peony confirmed.

  “And do the police know the cause of death?”

  “If they have, they haven’t told the public… Or me.” Rowen was tempted to call Ben up and ask for an update herself. “I don’t think it was natural causes.”

  It was Nadine’s turn to look at Lydia. “We could do some scrying,” she suggested. “We could try our luck getting some sort of hint that way.” She didn’t sound very optimistic.

  “Anything that you think might help.” Rowen nodded her approval. She was willing to take whatever help she could get.

  “My crystal ball is at home, but I’m sure we have something in the back that’ll do. Let me see.” Lydia stood and left the room.

  Tina watched her go. She swallowed. “Was she being sarcastic?”

  “Hmm?” Nadine looked to Tina, confused for a moment. “Oh, no. She really did leave her crystal ball at home today. Unfortunate. She loves showing that thing off.”

  Aunt Lydia returned with a round black mirror the size of a dinner plate in her pudgy hands. “This should do fine.”

  “What’s that?” asked Tina, looking to Peony.

  It was Lydia who answered her. “This is a scrying mirror, Dear.” She turned the mirror so that Tina could better see the almost matte black surface of it. “There are many tools one can use for scrying. This is just one. You see, you stare into the surface and after a while images begin to appear. From these images—”

  “You can give her a magic lesson later,” Peony said, impatient. “Sorry,” she said as an aside to her girlfriend. “She’ll go on for hours.” Peony had dropped her voice for that last part, not that it did a whole lot of good in a small room with everyone sitting so close together.

  “I heard that,” Lydia said, stating the obvious with a frown. She looked to her sister. “Do you see this? This is the thanks I get for trying to welcome new family.”

  Nadine frowned at her daughter. “Be nice,” she scolded.

  Peony rolled her eyes but was sufficiently cowed despite it. “I’m sorry,” she said to her aunt. It sounded like she meant it. Beside her, Tina was looking down at the table, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Lydia had called her family. It had obviously touched her.

  “You’ll have to swing by the shop some time, Dear.” Lydia reached across the table and placed her hand atop Tina’s. “Or even better, swing by the house. Peony doesn’t have to be with you. I’ll show you all the basics. Give you a nice little crash course on everything it is we do.”

  The smile on Tina’s face broadened. She nodded. “I’ll do that,” she said, even though she had probably been taught the basics by Peony already.

  Satisfied with Tina’s answer, Lydia looked back to her mirror. Nadine leaned in a bit, looking over her sister’s shoulder. Neither of them would have cited scrying as their specialty. The more eyes on the mirror the better. After a few seconds passed even Rowen was scooting her chair over just a bit and observed the mirror as well.

  The blackness of the mirror was deep. It had to be. That was the role of the scrying mirror. It didn’t reflect, it absorbed. It took in the light around it and so much more.

  Rowen cleared her mind. She didn’t want her thoughts imposing any images upon the blankness. That could happen if she started daydreaming. With Peony and Tina waiting at the other side of the table, it felt like it took ages to see something. Rowen was relieved when something finally started taking shape before her eyes. It swirled in the darkness of the mirror, formless. Rowen squinted, willing it to take shape despite common sense telling her to just be patient.

  The image swirled. It rounded, lengthened. It formed an oval. A face? As Rowen watched, features were imposed upon the oval
. A face was coming forth. It was a face she knew. It was… “My dad?” Rowen said the words out loud without meaning to. It seemed to startle Lydia and Nadine from their own concentration. They looked up at her. Rowen opened her mouth to say something, but she didn’t get much of a chance. The little bell from the store proper rang. Someone had just walked into the shop.

  Lydia gave a little huff and stood. “I’ll be right back.” She said the words like a threat, like Rowen would be in serious trouble if she elaborated on what she had just said before Lydia had a chance to get back.

  “You saw your father?” Peony asked anyway, her brow furrowed.

  Rowen nodded, not sure what else to add. She reached for the mirror Lydia had laid down on the table before leaving. There was more she needed to see, surely.

  “Tiffany! Today is shaping up to be a wonderful day.” Lydia’s voice rang out from the front of the shop. Rowen couldn’t return to the mirror after that. She stood and made her way toward the curtain. She could hear everyone behind her doing the same.

  Tiffany was standing in the middle of the shop wearing sandals and bell bottom jeans. For once her auburn hair didn’t have flowers woven into it. It was pulled back into a loose braid instead. “Rowen!” she exclaimed, when she laid eyes on her daughter. “What are you doing here?”

  Rowen saw no reason to lie. “I’m trying to figure out what happened to Tina’s brother.” She indicated Tina standing behind her. “I’m not having much luck with my own investigation. I thought maybe someone here could help me.”

  Tiffany nodded as if that made perfect sense. She came in for a hug and squeezed her daughter tight. “Did you find out anything useful?” she asked before taking a step back.

  “No, not yet.” Rowen left out the part about seeing Desmond in the mirror. She didn’t know what to make of that yet herself. “I don’t suppose you’d read my cards?”

  Rowen had expected Tiffany to respond with an enthusiastic yes. Instead she winced. “I can’t right now,” she said, seething through her teeth like it pained her. “I’m busy this morning, actually. Desmond is out in the car.”

  “Desmond?” Rowen repeated, stiffening. She felt the mood around her change. No one in the room particularly liked Desmond. Rowen could think of no good reason why Tiffany would be riding around with him. “What are the two of you doing? Is Gaby out there too?”

  Tiffany shook her head. “Oh, no. We’re just getting breakfast together. It’s been so long, you know? We want to catch up while we can.”

  “And Gaby is all right with that?”

  Tiffany laughed. It was an almost nervous sound. “Why wouldn’t she be?”

  Rowen could think of about a dozen reasons. “You two have been spending a lot of time together, huh?”

  Tiffany shrugged her shoulders. One could only take that to mean that, yes, they had. The way Tiffany didn’t make eye contact underlined the fact that she knew it wasn’t appropriate.

  “You signed the divorce papers, right?” asked Rowen.

  “Of course.” Tiffany had the nerve to look offended Rowen would even ask such a question. “But that’s just a piece of paper. Just because we’re divorced doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun now and again.”

  “What kind of fun are we talking about here?” asked Lydia in a measured voice.

  “Really?” Tiffany stared at her sister. “Do you think so little of me that you have to ask?”

  “I have to ask because I know you.” Lydia didn’t sound the least bit apologetic either. “You would be better off staying far away from that man. He was never a good partner and he’s engaged now besides.”

  It wasn’t often that Rowen heard her aunt lecture her mother. From the look on Tiffany’s face, it was clear that it wasn’t often she saw much of this either. “I can’t believe you. All of you. Look, I just came to pick up something I left last night.” She swept past them all and into the back of the shop.

  Nadine watched her go with a frown. “She better not have left pot here.”

  It took only a few seconds for Tiffany to emerge from behind the curtain again. When she did, it wasn’t entirely clear what she had taken. Nadine’s frown deepened. That meant it was probably drugs. “Where are the two of you off to?” asked Rowen before Nadine could voice her displeasure.

  Tiffany shrugged. “Wherever the wind takes us, I suppose.”

  “Really? Because there are only so many places in town that serve breakfast.” Rowen had crossed her arms over her chest. Tiffany was an adult. She could do what she wanted, but it still made Rowen squirm. She wanted to be the parent, to scold her mother for doing something stupid. Nothing good could come from spending time with Desmond like she was.

  “How about I call you once we’re finished?” Tiffany put on a smile, perhaps misreading Rowen’s concern and annoyance for jealously. “We can get dinner together tonight. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds like you’re still spending time you don’t need to be spending with Desmond.” Rowen headed for the front door of the shop. She ignored her mother when she called after her. She stopped on the sidewalk and scanned the strip of parking spaces in front of the shop. It was easy to spot Desmond. His was one of the only cars. He was sitting inside, oblivious to her at first. His hands were drumming on his wheel, his lips moving along to the muffled music coming from his car’s speakers.

  Rowen went around to the driver’s side and tapped on the window with a balled fist. Desmond jumped and turned to her. Seeing who it was, the surprise drained from his features. His gaze grew listless, bored, annoyed. With obvious reluctance, he rolled down the window. His other hand reached to turn off the radio. “Good morning!” he said with forced brightness.

  “Morning,” Rowen echoed, not seeing anything good about it at all. “What are you and my mom doing?”

  “Grabbing breakfast. Hanging out some. What does it look like we’re doing?”

  “It looks like you’re spending time with your ex-wife when you should be with your fiancé. That’s what she is, right? You are still engaged to Gaby, aren’t you?”

  “Of course I am.” Desmond squared his shoulders like he was getting ready to fight his daughter he was so offended by what she was saying.

  “Leave him alone, Rowen.” Tiffany had come out of the store to stand on the sidewalk. She huffed and scolded, but she had never been the one to really discipline her daughter. It was doubtful she was going to suddenly become any good at it now.

  “How does she feel about you spending so much time with your ex?” Rowen asked, ignoring her mother.

  “I haven’t seen your mother in a very long time. You know that.” Desmond’s voice had dropped an octave, like he too was trying to discipline his daughter, trying to lecture her. “Gaby knows it too. We want to catch up while we’re both in town. Gaby and I have the rest of our lives to spend together. She understands.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “What about it do you doubt?”

  “All of it. If Gaby says she understands, she’s lying. You spending all this time with Mom is weird. Leaving Gaby alone in the hotel, in a town she doesn’t know, is mean. And I think we both know that you won’t be with Gaby for the rest of your lives, not unless you have some terminal illness you’re not telling me about.”

  “Rowen!” Tiffany snapped, sounding scandalized.

  “It’s true,” Rowen insisted. “Neither of you were made to settle down. But you—” Rowen nodded to her father. “You especially. You’re the love ‘em and leave ‘em type. Not even that. You’re the love ‘em and leave with half their worldly possessions type.”

  Desmond reached for the handle of his car door. “You have a lot of nerve.” He started to open the door. Rowen wasn’t sure what he planned on doing once he got out. As morally bankrupt as he was, he didn’t strike her as a violent man.

  “Forget it.” Rowen turned her back on Desmond and her mother, and she headed for her own car. She knew she should go back inside, see if any more coul
d be divined from the scrying process. She couldn’t stop her legs, though. They wanted to take her away, far away from both these people. Besides, Peony would give her a call if either of her aunts found answers in the mirror.

  Rowen got into her car and started the engine. She wasn’t sure where she was going when she first got in. Fortunately, a plan was already forming in her head by the time she pulled out.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rowen managed to get past the front desk of the hotel without anyone seeing her. She was lucky it wasn’t staffed by the most attentive of employees. Surely she had long since outstayed her welcome at the establishment.

  Rowen took the stairs with purpose, only stopping once she was outside the right door. She knocked.

  No one answered at first. Maybe Rowen would have been better off calling ahead. Not that she knew Gaby’s number. Calling the hotel might have worked, though. Maybe they would have patched her through to the phone in the room. Oh, well. There wasn’t anything to be about it now. Rowen crossed her fingers and knocked again.

  When the door opened, it was only a crack. “Yes?” asked a familiar voice as dark eyes peered out.

  “Miranda?” Rowen hadn’t expected to see her again so soon. Despite her being Gaby’s assistant, she hadn’t expected to find her in the same hotel room either. Didn’t she have her own room? “Can I speak with your boss?”

  “She’s not here at the moment.” Miranda glanced over her shoulder like she had to check to make sure that was actually true. “Can I take a message for you?” The question sounded rehearsed. No doubt that in her line of work she had said those words so many times they had become habit.

  “Where is she?”

  A frown came over Miranda’s face. She and Rowen weren’t strangers. Maybe that meant she didn’t feel obligated to keep up the tactful, professional act. She let the door swing open, revealing more of the room beyond her. There were some folded clothes and a suitcase open on the bed. “I don’t know. It really isn’t any of my business.”

  “So, what are you doing?”

  “My job.” Miranda crossed her arms over her chest and leaned one shoulder against the door frame. “Why? Is that a problem?”