“Weren’t you planning to go to Portland today?”
Time to come clean. Cole didn’t mind admitting he was wrong when he was. “I came here to apologize for doubting you.” He told her about his conversation with Joan, and the existence of a person named Robin who was a suspected drug dealer.
“The next step would be to find out everything possible regarding Robin from the police. Maybe they have his record?” There was no hint of satisfaction on her face or in her eyes. She didn’t gloat or preach about her gift or the truth of her statements.
In fact, if anything, she appeared a bit relieved that he seemed to believe her now.
“Could you do another séance and get more information from Thomas?”
“I would need Joan to be here when I call him. I can’t call a spirit without the presence of a loved one.”
“Why not?”
She shifted on her chair, her earrings swaying with the slight movement. “The grief from a loved one guides me to the spirit. Think of the otherworld as an infinite space. It’s huge beyond belief. How am I to find to the right spirit? I need a beacon that would draw the spirit to me. Joan’s grief attracts Thomas to me. Sometimes it helps if I am in a place which was of great importance to the person who died. My gift only allows me to part the veil and gives him the power to step through, but something has to first attract the spirit to come to me.”
Silence reigned in the room. Cole could hear his own breathing. He raised his eyes to meet hers. There was so much he wanted to ask, so much he didn’t understand. It was all so strange, astonishing beyond belief. “Tell me about the otherworld? What is it like?”
Her lips lifted; the smile reached her eyes. “Time and time again, I have been asked this question. Everyone wants to know about death, but no one wants to accept the finality of it. While our time in this world is finite, the otherworld is timeless. Death is the doorway to immortality that many so desperately seek on this earth. Death is the cessation of our physical body and our transformation into a being of infinite consciousness.”
“So what is the otherworld? Where is it? How do you reach it?”
“It’s here, there, and everywhere around us. We live in a world that exists parallel to the otherworld. I simply have to reach across it and find the right person.”
He was puzzled. “So the otherworld is in another dimension?”
“You can think of it as like that. Or think of it as being invisible but being here with us all the time.”
Cole shook his head. The concept was so momentous that he found it hard to wrap his mind around it. “It’s a little difficult to take in,” he said.
“It is,” she admitted. “Some people never understand death. Everyone’s scared of dying, when really death frees us from the trappings of the physical world and takes us to another infinite level.”
Cole put his hands on the table. “I would like to take you out for dinner.”
Aerilyn lifted her eyebrow at the sudden change in topic. “From death to dinner? No one has quite ever made that leap so abruptly.”
“It’s my way of apologizing for disbelieving you.”
“You’re not the first one to question my gift, and you shall not be the last. But I have already accepted your apology and there is no need to do more.”
“Nonetheless, we will be working closely together until this mystery regarding Thomas’s death is solved. I would like to get to know you better. I enjoy having a harmonious working relationship with my colleagues.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Is that what I am? A colleague?”
He would be lying if he said yes. It was hard to deny that he was attracted to her. “For now, yes,” he lied with blatant ease. “Don’t you want to see the end of this matter?”
“I do. Yes,” she admitted.
“Good then. We will have dinner together and exchange notes.” Cole left a lot unsaid. This wasn’t the time or place. The woman intrigued him in many levels. She was a spiritist, with an unusual ability to talk to dead people, but she was also a smart businesswoman and a kind soul. And of course, there was the fact that she was supremely gorgeous. He had never quite met a woman like her before. Was there any wonder that he wanted to know her better?
“Ok. I will say yes to dinner, but with one condition.”
“Which is?”
“Since I live here and know more about the restaurants and eateries, I will choose the place.”
Amused, he nodded his assent. Was this her way of asserting control over the situation? He stood. “What time shall I pick you up?”
“Come by my shop at six tomorrow?” she said. “We will walk from here.”
Cole nodded. “Alright. I will see you tomorrow.”
“Dress casual,” she said as he left the shop.
Cole strolled though the bustling streets, his mind occupied by the new developments in Thomas’s case. He would have to devote some time to this mystery before he returned to his office in Chicago. Nothing so intriguing had ever baffled him before. It would be an interesting challenge – one worthy of his time and effort.
Chapter Five
Aerilyn adjusted the silver hoop earrings and checked her reflection in the mirror for the umpteenth time. “No, Selina. It’s really not a date.”
Selina took the cash out of the till and began counting it. A smile played on her lips. “From where I’m standing, it sure looks like one to me. You’ve been primping for the past hour.”
Aerilyn’s tone was haughty. “It’s the moral duty of a woman to look good when she steps out.”
Selina snorted. With a toss of her black, silky hair, she handed the cash over to Aerilyn. “Well, since you’re the only who is not going on a date, why don’t you make a late night deposit. Unlike some people, I do have a date.”
“Do tell!” Aerilyn put the envelope with the cash in her purse.
“Not so soon, darling. We’ll compare notes on your non-date and my date tomorrow.” With a jaunty wave and smile, Selina sashayed out of the shop.
Aerilyn locked up. As she finished keying in the alarm, Cole reached her. “Ready?”
She admired a man who could be on time. It showed respect and discipline; both were qualities she appreciated. As she had instructed, he was dressed casually. In his blue jeans and a simple, white cotton shirt, he looked good enough to eat. The windswept hair only added to the allure. Lusty curls of desire uncoiled in her stomach.
Damn it! Why was she thinking along these lines?
“It’s not a date,” she reminded herself. This was a business arrangement, nothing more or less. It wouldn’t do to get all knotted up over something that wasn’t going to happen.
“Did you say something?” His gaze, razor-sharp and keen, seared through her.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Aerilyn resisted the urge to peek at her own reflection in the glass. “I need to make a deposit. The bank’s on the way.”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “I’ve got time. Where is Knight?”
“I left him at home today. He doesn’t always come to the shop. It depends on his mood.”
“His mood? Don’t tell me you talk to animals also?”
“It doesn’t take magic to figure out what an animal wants. Love is usually enough,” said Aerilyn as they strolled down the street. The town was alive with tourists. “See there.” She pointed. “That’s Ben’s Bakery. They have the best cheesecake in town, if you ever care to try. And see, that’s Rosa’s shop. She sells gift items and fabulous handmade cards. You can’t go wrong with Rosa.” She waved to the smartly dressed middle aged woman who was locking the shop. “She moved here five years ago and hasn’t looked back. She’s dating the dentist.” She put her hand to her mouth. “Sorry. I’m babbling. I tend to do it when I’m nervous.”
He missed a step. “You’re nervous with me?”
“You do have an…intimidating personality.”
He raised his eyebrow. “I don’t remember you being nervous with me when I came to yell at
you the first time we met.”
“Oh that! Well, I have seen worse. Don’t forget, I grew up as the resident witch. There have always been people in my life who thought I was either a joke or a fraud. But, of course, you made me angry when you delivered all those threats.”
“Well, you didn’t look angry to me. You looked…” he considered, his head cocked to one side. A half-smile hovered on his lips. “Like an ice goddess. Frosty. Haughty.”
Ice goddess! She liked that. “Thanks, I guess.”
“And I am sorry for everything I said.”
“Your apology has already been accepted. It’s forgotten.”
He turned to avoid a kid on skates. “So why are you nervous now?”
“I’m nervous because we are going to be good friends. You and I. And I don’t want to make any mistakes.”
“And where did you see that? Us being friends, I mean? In the crystal orb?”
She glanced at him and was surprised to see a smirk on his face. “You made a joke? Didn’t think you had a sense of humor in you, but I am pleased to see that I was wrong. Although some might say that it would be wise not to poke fun at the witch. I have a fierce reputation.”
He grinned. “Really? So I should be scared that you might turn me into a toad?”
“Worse,” she stated. “You might find a toad in your jacket pocket. Here, that’s my stop. Wait a minute.” She pulled open the door to the ATM and stepped inside.
Through the glass door, she was amused to find him patting his jacket pockets. He tapped all of them carefully. A look of profound relief flitted across his face as he found each to be empty. Aerilyn withdrew the money and came out.
“I suppose it would be foolhardy to tempt the witch,” he admitted.
“And don’t you forget it.” Aerilyn hailed a teenage boy who was rushing by. “Hey, Aaron, what’s the hurry? I haven’t seen you in a while. Where have you been hiding?”
He blushed. “Um…I have been busy.”
“Girlfriend?” She winked.
“Sort of,” he admitted. His cheeks burned a deep shade of pink.
Aerilyn laughed. Oh, to be young again! “You better be sure, young man. Or else she will slip through your fingers. And listen, tell your mom that I’ll pick her up for the book club tomorrow evening at six.”
“Sure, see you, Aerilyn.”
They resumed their leisurely stroll. “Book club?”
“Yeah. We meet at Café Corner every Tuesday for a book discussion.”
“What kind of books do you read?”
“This and that. Romance novels, thrillers, fantasy, paranormal. The only genre I don’t read is horror. Nor do I see horror movies. They give me the creeps.”
Cole threw back his head and laughed. “Sorry. It’s just…you’re not afraid to talk to spirits and ghosts? But you’re afraid to read about them?”
“Ironic, isn’t it?” She smiled.
“So what else scares you?” He sounded intrigued.
Aerilyn ran a hand through her hair. She dodged twin girls who were running headlong for the ice cream parlor, their harassed mother a few steps behind. Tourists, most likely. “Let’s see. Snakes. Spiders.” She counted on her fingers. “Women who are just learning to cook, and men who are just learning to drive.”
“Women who are learning to cook?”
“Oh yes. I’ve had to eat many meals cooked by budding chefs, and let me tell you, it’s not easy to eat a half-cooked pudding or a tough-as-nails lamb roast and pretend it has merit. So, what scares you?”
“Moths,” he admitted.
“Moths?” She turned to face him, her mouth agape. Was he joking? She couldn’t imagine him being scared of anything. “You’re afraid of teeny tiny flying insects?”
“Scared to the tip of my toes.”
They came to a stop outside a diner. The loud garish sign was lit with festive neon lights that changed colors at a rapid speed. Aerilyn pushed open the door and stepped through.
“Laila’s Diner,” Cole read the sign. He followed her inside. “Are we eating here? I was expecting something a little more…fancy.”
The diner was nearly full. Every single seat at the counter was taken and all the booths were occupied. The noise was deafening. Waitresses juggled trays piled high with plates and beer glasses. The place was bustling as usual.
“Rosy?” Aerilyn walked up to the waitress who was filling in an order at the counter. “I reserved a table for two.”
“Sure, love. Give me a minute.” Rosy’s glance settled on Cole. “Hey, Joanne. Aerilyn needs a table,” she shouted out to a pretty, blonde waitress.
“Five minutes.” Joanne glided by, carrying two plates in her hands.
“Maybe we should try another place? It’s a little too chaotic,” he said, looking dubious.
“Trust me.” Aerilyn grabbed his hand and pulled him towards a booth at the far end. A family of four was leaving. Joanne cleared the table. She wiped the surface with napkins and motioned for them to sit. “If we’re going to be friends, you need to have faith in my judgment.” She plucked the menu out of the holder and pushed it towards him. “The steaks and lamb chops are divine,” she promised.
Cole glanced down at the red, plastic menu. It was clear that nothing about this place inspired his confidence, but since he had given her the choice of venue, he appeared determined to sit through this. She admired a man who knew how to keep his word.
Damn it! There she went again, spinning castles in the air. This guy was off-limits. She was working with him on a murder investigation. She needed him to help Joan and her uncover facts that they wouldn’t be able to discover on their own. Nothing more nothing less.
“What will it be?” Joanne stopped by, a note book in one hand and a red pen in the other.
“The black pepper steak. Medium rare. Fries and coleslaw.” He pushed the menu back towards Aerilyn. “And a beer.”
Aerilyn didn’t bother to glance at the menu. She remembered it by heart. “I’ll have the rosemary crusted lamb chops and a side order of basmati rice with raisins. And a diet coke for me.”
“Coming right up!” Joanne glided away.
Aerilyn put the menu back in the holder. “So how long has it been since you ate in a diner?”
He thought back to his activities of the past week. “Five days ago, in a town near Chicago.”
“Really? I’d pegged you as a fancy restaurant kind of guy.”
“Mostly, yes,” he agreed amicably. “So did you bring me here to introduce me to diner food?”
She drummed her fingers on the table. “No, actually, I wanted you to see me in an ordinary setting. So that you can identify with me as a woman.”
He looked amused. “And what was I in danger of identifying you as? A man?”
She dragged a hand through her hair, pushing the blonde, silky mass to one side. “A witch.”
“I see. I’m afraid I don’t understand. How is that different from a woman? Witches are usually women. Wizards are men. Or did I miss a crucial lesson in gender differentiation in high school?”
Her lips lifted in a smile. He looked genuinely bewildered. “Most people tend to have a skewed image of me. I am either a witch with unimaginable powers or a charlatan with bottomless greed. It’s hard to make people see that even though what I can do is quite extraordinary, I am really quite a normal person. You see me as a spiritist, as someone who can talk to the dead. But that’s not my identity. That’s not who I am. That’s what I do.”
“It’s an interesting way to look at things…at you, I mean. I admit that I thought you were a hoax. Magic and all…it’s not an easy concept to accept. Witches. Spiritists. It sounds like a movie, but it’s not.”
Joanne brought a tray and unloaded the plates, beer, and coke. She smiled at them. “Anything else?”
“Thanks.” He surveyed the steak. “The meat looks juicy, the coleslaw is fresh, the fries hot, and the beer is cold. This looks delicious.” He grinned at the waitress.
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Aerilyn noticed that Joanne’s eyes crossed and uncrossed. She blinked, muttered something inaudible, and walked off with a half-smile. He seemed to have the ability to dazzle women without much effort. “Do you realize the effect you have on women?”
“It’s a curse I bear with equanimity.”
She picked up one of his fries. “Modesty sure isn’t one of your strong points.”
“Only fools are modest. A smart man knows how to play to his strengths.” He winked. With deliberate care, he cut the steak and took a bite. His eyes closed, and a sigh escaped his lips. “This is amazing.”
“Told you, didn’t I?”
“Be quiet. I am having a moment.” He took another bite. He swallowed and shook his head as if he couldn't quite believe it.
Smiling, Aerilyn cut a piece from her lamp chop and put it on his plate. “Try this. You’ll not forget this food easily.”
They ate in easy camaraderie, both of them enjoying the more-than-delicious food, and the conversation that flowed as smoothly as honey poured over pancakes. Aerilyn told him about the diner’s cook, Laila, who came here thirteen years before. She had marched into the diner and made an offer to the then-owner Charles. Eager to grab the quick cash and retire, Charles handed over the diner to her with a quick sigh of relief. Little did he know that Laila would turn it into a local treasure.
“Laila was jailed for seven years for killing her boyfriend who used to beat her. A crime of aggression and passion. As soon as she got out of jail, she sold everything she had and came out west, looking for a place to settle down.”
“She’s a murderer?”
She could see that the steak slid smoothly down his throat, even if the words didn’t. “Did her time, didn’t she? Now she is as good as any other member of the community. And, of course, it helps that she cooks like an angel.”
Cole cast his eyes back at the kitchen. “People don’t mind that she…”
“Alby has its oddities.” She waved a fork. “A former murderer, a wicked witch or two…it’s part of the charm of our illustrious town.”
“Interesting.” Cole gulped his beer. He wiped his lips with a napkin and glanced down with regret at his empty plate. “I could eat that all over again.”
The Spiritist: A Aerilyn Mathew Novel (Aerilyn Mathew Novels Book 1) Page 7
