Yasmine Galenorn - Chintz 'n China 02

by Legend of the Jade Dragon

  She nodded. “Yeah, they’re at your house with White Deer right now. Kip is fine, honey. So’s Randa. They know I’m here to get you.” She handed me a tote bag containing clean underwear, a long, loose gauze skirt, and a T-shirt. “I took your other clothes with me. White Deer’s trying to wash all the nettle out of them.”

  I started to pummel her with questions, but she shushed me. “Get dressed first. Kip and Randa are champing at the bit, waiting to hear you tell them you’re okay.” She sat on the bed while I got dressed. “Hey, Em … before we head out, there’s something I have to get off my chest. I want to apologize for the nasty things I said during our argument.” She gave me a tight smile, and I could tell she felt pretty awkward about the whole situation.

  I flopped down on the bed next to her and let out a big sigh. “Umm … you know, let’s just leave it in the past? White Deer and I had a long talk, and she helped me understand what happened, on both sides.”

  •“Then, we’re friends again?” Her eyes were shining. “I was so scared last night when you fainted. I thought you were going to die.”

  I choked back my tears. “Mur, you’re my best friend. I’m sorry I wasn’t more supportive. I let you down, and I sure didn’t mean to. You’re my best buddy, you know?”

  She wiped her hand across her eyes. “Stop it, you’re getting all maudlin, and you know I don’t do mushy. C’mon, goose. Let’s get you home.”

  I stood up and threw my bag over my shoulder, wincing. A twinge, most definitely a twinge. I’d need to slather on the Biofreeze for a week or two. The nurse loaded me up with antibiotics for the hives, and cortisone lotion for the itching. I signed the release papers, and we were finally free to leave.

  The ride home felt surreal. As we pulled into the driveway, I saw that it was empty. “Mur, when can I get my Cherokee back?”

  She put the car in park and turned off the ignition. “I hate to tell you this, Em, but we have no idea what they did with it. My bet is that they left it at some local chop shop where it’s being parted out. That’s the easiest way to dispose of a stolen vehicle.”

  She had to be joking. “My car’s gone?”

  She nodded. “Probably.”

  “For good?”

  “I’m sorry, Em. Really.”

  I digested the news. My beloved SUV was history. Probably forever. A parting shot from the dragon, no doubt. When I realized I’d have to put in yet another claim to my insurance agent, I cringed. I’d be lucky if Applewood didn’t politely request me to take my business elsewhere.

  “What about all the stuff I lost? Do you think you’ll ever find any trace of it?”

  Her frown deepened. “Truth is, Em, we think it was all in the van. At least that’s what they told us when we interrogated them.”

  I closed my eyes. “The van that Jimbo and I blew up?”

  “Yeah. Honey, you helped blow up your own antiques.”

  I gave her a hopeless look. “Mother fu—”

  She held up her hand, suppressing a smile. “I know, I know, but hey, you and Kip are alive, and that’s what counts. C’mon Em, it’s all water under the bridge now. I have to admit, you and Jimbo sure did a number on that baby. Impressive, but please, don’t do it again?”

  I glared at her. “I hadn’t planned to make it an occupation, you know.”

  “Well, good, I’m glad to hear that. By the way, we think that van may have been the one that hit Daniel, but we’ll never know for sure unless somebody confesses, and I doubt if that’s going to happen.”

  I tried to find some bright spot in the whole mess. “At least you’ll get the credit for solving this case. Coughlan can’t do much to you after this, at least not directly.”

  She snorted. “Uh-huh. We’ll see. I hope you’re right, though. You’ll never guess who’s going to interview me later today.”

  I cringed. “Not Cathy Sutton?”

  Murray nodded. “Yep, one and the same. She tried to get an interview with Jimbo, and he mopped the floor with her; told her just what she could do with her microphone. Talk about blazing cheeks, she looked like she fell in a bucket of red paint.” She laughed. “It was pretty funny, I’ll have to admit. You would have loved it.”

  I snorted. “You’re right, I would love to see Cathy go up against Jimbo. Talk about no-win scenarios. At least you’ll get some well-earned recognition out of the whole mess.”

  “By the way,” Murray continued. “I forgot to congratulate you on your new friend. limbo’s one hell of a guy.” With a wicked grin, she poked me in the arm. “Em and Jimbo, sitting in a tree… blowing all the cars to smithereens!”

  I glared at her. “Hey, he did help me save Kip.”

  “Yeah, he did, all right, and I figured you’d want to drop the charges, so I’ve started the paperwork.” She gave me an odd look. “Em, just don’t forget, Jimbo’s the bad boy. Always has been, always will be.”

  I eyed her suspiciously. “Don’t even think it—no way.. He helped me out, I’ll drop the charges. There’s nothing more for you to worry about.”

  “Good. Now, you’ve got a houseful of people waiting for you. Let’s go.” We climbed out of her car and headed into the house.

  Harlow, Joe, Horvald, and my children were gathered around the kitchen table. They cheered as I walked in. Randa and Kip crowded in, wrestling me into a chokehold. “Mom! Mom! You’re safe!”

  Throwing my arms around them, I relished the feel that they were safe under my wing again. I kissed Randa’s forehead, then tipped Kip’s chin up so he was meeting my gaze. “How you doin’, bud?”

  “I’m fine,” he said in a hesitant voice. “White Deer took good care of us. Mom… I was scared you were dead. They carried you out on a stretcher an’ everything.” Relief over my homecoming must have pushed away worry, because he broke into a mile-wide grin. “I can hardly wait to tell all my friends how you kicked that guy’s butt and saved me! You were like Lara Croft, running through the trees and using that big ol’ knife an’ everything!”

  I suppressed a laugh. Lara Croft I’d never be, but if my son saw me as the action queen of the world, then I’d happily leave him with his fantasy. At least he wasn’t looking at me like an old mother hen. “Well, we had quite an adventure, didn’t we?” I turned to Randa. “And you … you called Murray, didn’t you?”

  She nodded. “You told me to, but before I could, Officer Wilson stopped by to make sure everything was okay.” Her words flooded out in a rush. “I told him what happened, even though you said to call Murray first. I’m sorry! I was just so worried about you and Kip.”

  I sat down and pulled her onto my lap. She rested her head against mine. “Randa, you made a good decision. Thank you. You helped save our lives.”

  It was then that I noticed the dragon in the center of the table, polished and gleaming, sitting next to a vase full of maidenhair fern and tea roses. In fact, everywhere I looked, bouquets of brightly colored tulips overflowed their jars and vases as the kitchen blossomed with the fresh scent of springtime. I flashed a smile at Horvald, and he lifted his glass of lemonade in salute.

  After the initial buzz died down, Murray motioned for my attention. “Can I talk to you a minute, please?”

  Harlow joined us, wheeling out of the kitchen door with our help. We stepped into the backyard and strolled over to the plot of earth I had every intention of turning into a vegetable garden. As we neared the overturned soil, the bitter tang of moist soil was all too familiar; I could still taste it in my mouth. Maybe I’d fill it with sod and flower bushes instead.

  “Let’s talk about Oliver,” Murray said.

  I glanced over at Harlow. “I suppose you already know what’s going on?”

  “As always,” she said with a strained smile. “I wish I didn’t, though. It’s pretty gruesome.”

  I turned back to Murray. “Last night you told me that he was dead. That’s about all I remember.”

  She sighed. “Yeah. He is. Did you catch the news a few days ago when
they discovered the man’s body down in Vancouver, the one missing both hands and head?”

  My stomach twisted. Oh no. “Oliver?”

  “Uh-huh. Some guy was out for a walk, his dog ran off in the woods and led him to a shallow grave where he discovered the … rest of Oliver. The warden identified Oliver’s remains.”

  I took a deep breath and crossed my arms across my chest. “Then who the hell was the guy who kidnapped Kip?”

  “His name is Cedric Anderson. He and Oliver were cell mates.”

  “Cedric.” The name felt strange on my tongue. “What was he in prison for?”

  “Stalked his ex-girlfriend, found out she was engaged, and hit her with a car. He ended up with a seven-year sentence for vehicular manslaughter. He had a long history of burglary and theft, but most of it was as a juvenile, so he got off easy. Oliver ended up assigned to Cedric’s cell.”

  I thought of Ida and how excited she’d been about Oliver’s impending release, and my heart dropped. She was going to be devastated. “I take it they were let out on the same day?”

  “Yup. Cedric must have found out about Ida and the money she inherited from her sister. He got the idea to run a scam on her and take the town for a ride while he was at it. He learned everything he could about Oliver, then the day they were released, killed him and took his place. Cedric was the same height, build, hair color. Since Ida hadn’t seen Oliver for thirteen years, the one day they spent together didn’t ring any alarm bells.”

  “Poor Ida,” Harlow broke in. “This is horrible. But why was Cedric on the run if he’d been planning on scamming her?”

  Murray rubbed her temples. “He told us he got cold feet. When Ida was called out of town, it seemed the perfect opportunity for him to take what he could and hightail it before she got back. When you showed him the dragon, he figured that alone would bring in several thousand. Along with everything else, he and his buddies—who he contacted before he left jail and told them to meet him up here—managed to take in nearly $30,000 worth of small, high-ticket items.”

  I coughed, fighting the urge to scratch my welts. I could see the next few weeks were going to be delightful. “Ida’s going to need our support, all right. Anybody know when she gets back?”

  “Actually,” Harl said, “Murray called me after your little adventure. Randa found Ida’s number for us, and I got in touch with her late last night. She should be pulling into town right about now. She’s coming directly here.”

  “Well.” I wasn’t sure of what to do next. After all the chaos of the past few weeks I suddenly felt deflated, like a balloon that had just been popped. “I guess that pretty much takes care of that. I wonder…” Harl and Murray waited. “It’s just that the dragon drew all this bad luck to me. How much of this would have happened if I’d never picked it up? What if Daniel had never come into my shop? If he hadn’t been hit by that car? Would Oliver still be alive? Just what all was set in motion by the curse?”

  Murray shrugged. “I don’t think we can even begin to guess, Em. The dragon drew the bad luck, but it didn’t make Cedric kill Oliver, it didn’t force him to rob your

  house or destroy your shop. It was simply a magnet, I think, for the winds of ill fortune.”

  We turned back to the house, and I watched Harl slowly traverse the lawn. I rushed up to her, made her stop, and gave her a huge hug. “I’m so happy you’re part of my life.”

  She stuck her tongue out at me. “Wait till you get my bill for the hours I spent on your research,” she said, then broke into a wide grin. “Psych! Hey, guess what? I get rid of this four-wheeled monster tomorrow! I get my cast off! Now, come on you twit, let’s get back inside to the party.”

  When we reentered the kitchen, there was Ida. She ran up and, for the first time I’d known her, threw her arms around me, sobbing. “Emerald, I almost got you killed by letting that monster into my house. How can I ever make it up to you?” The tears streaked down her face, and I knew she was crying for her nephew Oliver, for the lost hopes and dreams.

  I gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Ida, please, don’t ever think I’d blame you for what happened. I’m just concerned about you and how you’re going to weather this.”

  She shuddered, then wiped her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief. “My dear, I’ve gone through far worse. I’m still in shock, I suppose. My poor, sweet Oliver, he never had a chance. I hope they give that monster just what he deserves.”

  Horvald moved in and took Ida by the elbow. “Let me take you out back where you can get a little air.” He gave me a weary smile as they edged out the kitchen door.

  From then on, the kitchen rang with a waggle of tongues. The kids clamored for my attention, and White Deer seemed certain that the night’s events had drained me to the point of starvation. She kept pushing cookies on me until I felt ready to burst. Everybody was talking at once, and I was starting to feel the need for a little fresh air when Joe leaned over and asked if he could speak to me alone.

  I tucked the dragon in my pocket, and we wandered out to the front porch. I turned to face him. “So …”

  “So, Randa said that you broke up with Andrew.” He questioned me with his eyes, and I knew he was waiting for my next move.

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah, he decided he wanted to be with a starlet down in Hollywood more than he wanted to be with me. It wasn’t all his fault though; I really don’t think we were meant to be together, except maybe as friends.”

  Joe planted himself on the banister. “Dare I ask where that leaves me? Us? You and me?”

  He looked so hopeful that I didn’t know what to say. Was I ready for another relationship? Was he old enough to handle my needs, my expectations? “I don’t know,” I said slowly. “I love spending time with you. We have a lot of fun, and you’re caring and kind and … and awfully cute.” I grinned at him, and he grinned back. “It’s just that the past two weeks have merged into one big, painful blur. Can you give me a little while longer to sort out everything that’s happened?”

  He touched my arm lightly, avoiding the worst of the bruises. “Em, you know I think you’re fantastic and that we’d rock as a couple, and I think your kids are great. You also know that I meant what I said: I’m your friend, no matter what happens. Take your time. Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.” As he leaned down toward my cheek, I turned my head, brushing his lips with my own. We shared a long, luxurious kiss, and then I gently untangled myself from his touch.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” I said slowly, “but I could use a few minutes alone.”

  He stroked my cheek, then took off for his truck. As he started the engine, he waved and blew me a kiss.

  I leaned against the newel post as the breeze filtered through my hair. So much had happened that I couldn’t even begin to assimilate it yet. If only I’d listened to my intuition. If only I hadn’t been so afraid after Daniel died. If only I’d been able to stop Cedric before he kidnapped Kip. If only … if only I’d seen it all coming.

  A familiar presence jostled my elbow, and I looked up to find Nanna standing beside me, glowing with that gentle golden hue that always surrounded her.

  “Nanna!” Trust my sweet Nanna to know when I needed her. “Oh Nanna, it’s been one hell of a ride.” I dropped to the porch swing.

  She laid her hand against my cheek. Her fingers left no marks on my skin, no weight to tell me she was actually present, but a wave of energy rushed through me, and I closed my eyes, basking in the knowledge that we could still connect, that I could still reach out for her when I most needed her presence. We might be separated by a veil stronger than any mortal’s power to scale, yet our bond remained, and her love echoed into my heart from that distant land she now called home.

  Her energy buoyed me up, and I found myself breathing deeply, letting go of the fears that had controlled my every waking moment the past two weeks. As much as Nanna loved me, I knew that this time, she didn’t have any answers. I would h
ave to figure out things on my own.

  A brisk wind sprang up, and I stared out at the yard, at the new leaves blowing on the trees. Sometimes chaos swept into life and sucked everything up into a vortex, spitting it out willy-nilly, and then we had to pick up the pieces the best we could. Sometimes, our best wasn’t good enough. I hadn’t been able to stop Oliver’s murder or Daniel’s accident or Cedric’s burglaries. I’d simply done the best I could under the circumstances I’d been given, but my best had been fraught with mistakes, miscalculations, and bad luck. But maybe a stumble or two was okay. Life happened, and it wasn’t always fun or pleasant or even safe. Sometimes we needed to remember that we were only human.

  And yet… Kip was unharmed; he might be frightened for a while by the kidnapping, but he’d be okay. Ida would mourn her nephew and move on. Murray would tackle her boss when she was ready, and she would do so on her own terms. Regardless of what the school decided about her studies, Miranda would never lose her passion for the stars. White Deer would continue to play the lynx, teacher of secrets. Joe would become a part of my life, as a lover or friend or both. And Andrew would follow his path to fame and fortune.