mystic caravan mystery 01 - freaky days

by Amanda M. Lee

  There are no communal meals on Fridays and Saturdays. Everyone takes care of his or her own needs on that front. Well, except for Luke. He would starve if I didn’t feed him. After breakfast, Luke and I separated. I had a full day in my tent and he was in charge of making sure the shifters hit their marks under the big top.

  I was in full fortune-teller garb when I left my trailer, and I didn’t miss the amused look on Kade’s face when he caught sight of my soft pink skirt and white blouse. He’d seen me in a similar outfit the first night we met, but he hadn’t brought it up since. I had a feeling that streak would end when he got a chance to visit this afternoon.

  My butt was in my chair and my cards were shuffled and sitting in the middle of the table when the gates opened. My first customer was a shy wife and her eager husband. They’d been married a grand total of eight days and were treating their sojourn at the circus as something of a honeymoon until they could afford a more extravagant one. Thankfully, I saw happiness in their future. They were thrilled to hear it and left with big smiles and small whispers. She was already pregnant. She wouldn’t realize it for another week. It wasn’t in their plan, but it was something they would both embrace. Nothing is perfect, but they had a strong union. It would hold.

  My second customer was the exact opposite.

  “I need to know if my boss is ever going to leave his wife.”

  Sadie Greinke was a twenty-eight-year-old secretary for a law firm. She had big dreams, and was hoping to make them come true by having sex with her married boss. She was about to get a hard dose of reality.

  “No.”

  Sadie frowned, her forehead puckering in an unattractive manner. “But … he has to.”

  “He’s never going to leave his wife,” I said.

  “He said he would,” Sadie pressed.

  “He’s lying.”

  “But … he has to leave his wife,” Sadie said. “I … you need to tell me he’s going to leave his wife.”

  “Lying isn’t part of my job description,” I hedged.

  “What do I need to do to get Paul to leave his wife?” Sadie asked, seamlessly changing tactics.

  “He’s never going to leave her,” I said. “They’ll be married until the end.” For Paul, the end would come in five years when a massive coronary took him during an argument with the wife in question.

  “But … why?” Sadie was turning petulant.

  “Because his wife is the one with the money,” I replied. “She’s the rich one.”

  “But Paul is a lawyer. He has to be rich.”

  “Paul can barely cover the bills at his office,” I said. “In two months he’s going to be forced to close the doors and go into private practice from his home because his wife is going to find out about your little dalliance and stop paying his bills.

  “When that happens, Paul is going to blame everything on you and pretend you don’t exist,” I continued. “You won’t take that well and you’ll start stalking him. Eventually, the police will get involved. When you refuse to stop stalking him – and then turn your attention to his wife – you’re going to do six months in the county jail.

  “After that, the only job you’re going to find is working at a fast food restaurant,” I said.

  Sadie’s face drained of color. “That’s not true.”

  They never believe the bad stuff. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s true,” I said. “You can still change it. Quit now.”

  “Paul’s wife hired you to tell me this, didn’t she?” Sadie was beside herself. “She knows about our love and wants to hurt me. That’s the only explanation that makes any sense.”

  Denial is a powerful emotion. “Sadie, you’re at a crossroads,” I said, keeping my voice low in an attempt to keep the woman from freaking out. “You can still change your future, but the window is closing.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  I had a feeling the window was shut, even if the cards didn’t show it. “Then stay your course,” I suggested. “You’ll regret it, but you have to follow your heart.”

  “I’m … telling on you.” Sadie jumped to her feet. “You’re supposed to tell me the truth.”

  “Just because the truth isn’t what you want to hear, doesn’t mean I’m lying.”

  “I want to speak to your boss.” Sadie crossed her arms over her chest.

  “He’s in the trailer by the ticket booth,” I said.

  “Good.”

  “Tell him I said ‘hi.’” I probably shouldn’t have called the final taunt to her back, but she bugged me. It’s not like Max would do anything about her complaints.

  I leaned back in my chair, thankful to have a moment to collect myself after Sadie’s meltdown, and almost jumped out of my skin when I realized there was already another customer in the tent.

  I can usually sense a soul before I see it. That wasn’t the case here. I was instantly on alert.

  “Have a seat.”

  The man smiled at me as he walked into my parlor, the expression congenial even though it didn’t make it all the way up to his eyes. His brown orbs were empty of everything when I focused on them. I knew what he was before I even started his reading.

  “What do you want to know?” I asked.

  “Don’t you already know?” The man teased, an edge to his voice.

  “That’s not how it works, Mr. Morgan,” I said. “You have to tell me what you want me to focus on.”

  Dale Morgan’s mouth dropped open, surprise evident on his handsome features. “I … how did you know my name?”

  “It’s my job.”

  “But … I didn’t tell you my name.”

  “And yet I still knew it.” I forced a smile for his benefit. This man wasn’t here to hear about his future. No, he was here to end someone else’s. Thankfully, I didn’t think it was mine. Well, not yet, at least.

  “You’re good,” Dale said, settling in the chair across from me. “Do you have runners outside gathering information when they see someone heading toward your tent?”

  “That would seem a silly way to run a business,” I said, carefully sending out a mental probe. His mind was closed off. That didn’t mean there was nothing there to glean. “I have a feeling you want to know how your future is going to be.” I handed him the cards once I was finished shuffling. “Cut.”

  “Don’t you want my money first?” Dale asked, although he leaned forward and cut the cards.

  “Sure,” I said. “It’s twenty-five bucks.”

  Dale dug into his wallet and dropped three bills on the table. I took them wordlessly and slipped them in the cash box behind me. I wasn’t worried about Dale not paying. He was a man – well, not quite a man – who didn’t want to draw attention to himself. He would never run up a tab and walk out on it. He wasn’t stupid enough to fall prey to a stupid man’s mistake.

  I dealt the cards, making sure to keep one eye on Dale as I did. He watched me the entire time, his expression never wavering. When I was done, I studied Dale’s future as he tried to feel out his present.

  “How long have you been doing this?”

  “A long time,” I replied.

  “Do you like it?”

  “It has its moments.”

  “Like now?” Dale winked at me. Instead of coming across as charming, though, it held an air of derangement. Dale could fool most people into believing he was a normal man. I knew better.

  “Not right now,” I said.

  “When?”

  “When the time is right.” People hate it when I talk in circles, but it’s a benefit of the role I play. I can be as vague as I want.

  “I want to know when the time is going to be right for you,” Dale pressed.

  “We’re not here to talk about me, Mr. Morgan,” I chided. “We’re here to talk about you.”

  “And what do you see in the cards?”

  “You’ve led an interesting life,” I said. “You’ve traveled to a lot of different places, met a lot of difference faces.”


  “That’s a pretty good guess,” Dale said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Do you do cold reads on people? Is that how it works?”

  “You spent a few years in Wyoming,” I said, ignoring the question.

  Dale jumped at the revelation. “What? How did you know that?”

  “You liked the solitude there,” I said. “You could … conduct your business … in private.”

  “And what business am I in?” Dale’s expression was now devoid of mirth.

  “Acquisitions.”

  “That’s an interesting trick,” Dale said, leaning back in his chair to give the appearance of relaxation. He was coiled and ready to spring, though. His distress practically rolled off of him. “What else do you have?”

  “After the close call you had in Wyoming, you realized you couldn’t live in a place with so few residents again,” I said. “You like mountains, though, so you moved to Colorado. You hoped being in a big city would help you blend in.”

  Dale’s face was murderous. “How do you know all of this?”

  “I’m good at what I do,” I replied. “Denver wasn’t a happy place for you. You didn’t like the people and you didn’t like feeling closed in. You were desperate to find a city that didn’t feel like a city. That’s how you ended up here.”

  “And what am I doing here?”

  “Hunting … for new business prospects,” I said.

  “You have a way with words,” Dale said, leaning forward and meeting my steady gaze. “I don’t know how you know about all of this, but you’re going to wish you’d kept it to yourself.”

  “Is something going on here?”

  Kade’s appearance in the tent doorway wasn’t a surprise. I’d felt him approaching. That’s why I’d kept Dale’s “business” activities veiled. I didn’t want to cause a scene when I knew it would be interrupted.

  “I’m just giving a reading,” I said, hoping I sounded chipper rather than disgusted.

  “I see,” Kade said, stepping in. “Why does it feel as if something else was going on?”

  “Mr. Morgan didn’t like what I had to tell him,” I replied. “He thought I was playing a game.”

  Kade turned his full attention on Dale. “Is that true?”

  “I was merely surprised by the depth of Ms. … um … I never got your last name.” Dale was smooth. I had to give him that.

  “I didn’t give it,” I replied.

  “Do you want to give it to me now?”

  “Not particularly.”

  Dale didn’t like my answer, but there was nothing he could do with Kade towering over him. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

  “Not really,” I said, plastering a fake smile on my face. “Thank you so much for your patronage. I hope you have a wonderful time at the circus.”

  “I hope so, too,” Dale said, his face unreadable as he got to his feet. “Something tells me that it won’t be boring.”

  “Something tells me you’re right.”

  Dale left, pausing next to Kade long enough to size him up. It was clear he was trying to figure out what I was, even though I already knew what he was. That gave me the advantage.

  “Do all of your readings go like that?” Kade asked.

  “Mr. Morgan thinks his future is something it isn’t,” I said. “It won’t take him long to realize I was right.”

  “He didn’t seem happy about what you told him.”

  “I can’t change that.”

  “Do you want me to watch him?” Kade looked worried.

  “He won’t come after me,” I said. “Not here.”

  “Will he come after you someplace else?”

  I didn’t want to lie to him, but I feared the truth would set him off. “I don’t believe so.”

  “You’re in a weird mood today,” Kade said.

  “Welcome to the big top.”

  Eleven

  By the time I finished my readings for the day – an entertaining mixed bag of “you suck” and “I’m going to name my first child after you” – I closed down my attraction and made my way to the big tent.

  Even though I’ve seen the show hundreds of times, I often find joy in watching my friends excel. Plus, I can’t deny it; when Luke is on the trapeze I can’t tear my eyes away. He’s amazing.

  I was trying to decide whether to go in through the front or the back when I felt Kade approach. Now that I’d managed to spend a little time with him I could recognize his essence before he got too close. There was something comforting about his presence. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  I turned before he closed the distance, taking him by surprise.

  “Did you hear me coming up behind you?” Kade asked. “That doesn’t make me feel very good about my stealth tactics.”

  I smirked. “Would that make you feel better?”

  “You’re starting to freak me out,” Kade admitted, the soft glow of the nearby lights bouncing off his high cheekbones – and those freaking adorable dimples. “Are you psychic?”

  “I’m a fortune teller.”

  “That’s not really an answer.”

  “I … have abilities,” I said, wondering briefly whether I was getting myself in hot water by not denying his accusation. “I don’t know what you would call them.”

  “Can you read minds?”

  “If I want.”

  “What am I thinking now?”

  I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “I’m not going to read your mind,” I replied. “It’s an invasion of privacy and I only do it when invited in.”

  “What if I want to invite you in?” Kade was enjoying the game, injecting enough flirtatious energy to make the air between us crackle.

  “I don’t need to read your mind to know what you’re thinking,” I teased.

  “Oh, really?” Kade arched an eyebrow. “What am I thinking?”

  “You’re wondering whether I wear underwear under my skirt.” Two could play the flirting game, and I took pleasure in the fact that my words knocked Kade off balance. It didn’t take him long to recover.

  “You’re pretty full of yourself.”

  “I call them like I see them,” I shot back, my voice devoid of recrimination.

  “I’ll have you know, I was wondering what was going on underneath the tent,” Kade said.

  “Oh … um … .” Now I was the one caught off guard.

  “Whether or not you’re wearing underwear was a secondary thought,” Kade said, shooting me a small wink.

  I tried to glare at him, but it didn’t work. Finally, I relented and smiled. “You’re smooth. I’ll give you that.”

  “Do you want to watch the show with me?”

  It was an innocent invitation and yet my heart jumped. “I’ve seen the show before.”

  “That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it with me.”

  He had a point. “Come on,” I said, motioning to the front entrance. “This is probably going to knock your socks off.”

  “I think the better question is: Will it knock your underwear off?”

  “Okay, Slick. You’re starting to remind me of Mark.”

  Kade’s face sobered. “I didn’t mean … .”

  “Oh, look, you’re as easy to rattle as Mark, too,” I teased.

  “You’re not funny.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll grow on you,” I said, leading him through the entrance.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  ALL the seats were taken, and after ten minutes of looking around we settled in a spot close to the drapes where the acts entered the tent so we could see the ring up close. Things were just getting under way, and the hush of the crowd was contagious.

  “Everyone is excited,” Kade said, leaning back against the tent wall and glancing around. “There’s a lot of energy here.”

  “It’s the circus.”

  “Do you want to tell me about the guy in your tent earlier? I followed him, by the way. He hung around outside waiting for you after he left. He
was out there for about an hour, but when he caught me looking at him he left.”

  “I have found that people prefer a good lie to a bad truth,” I said. “Mr. Morgan wanted a good lie. He most certainly didn’t want the truth.”

  “And what was the truth?”

  “That his business interests were going to get him into trouble.”

  Kade wrinkled his nose, surprised. “That’s it?”

  “You’d be surprised at the way business deranges people,” I replied. “Actually, to be fair, you’d be surprised at all of the wackadoodle things that derange people.”

  “Wackadoodle?”

  “You know what I mean,” I chided, wagging a finger under his nose.

  Kade reached up quickly, snagging my finger and holding it in place. “You would tell me if it was something else, right?”

  “Like what?” I didn’t like how intense he was. It was almost as if he was trying to burrow into my soul. He wasn’t, of course. I would be able to sense whether he boasted that sort of power. Still, he had a power of his own – one I couldn’t put a name to.

  “I couldn’t help but feel something else was going on in that tent,” Kade said. “It felt … dark.”

  “The light isn’t great in there.”

  “That’s not what I mean,” Kade said, his eyes flashing. “You were facing off with him. I could feel it. You weren’t afraid. That’s the only reason I didn’t grab ahold of him and pound him into the dirt. You were … antagonizing him, though. Why?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” I averted my gaze and focused on Luke as he led Seth into the ring. While the shifters don’t appreciate jumping through hoops or balancing balls on their noses while in their animal forms, they all agree it’s a nice tradeoff to not have to worry about actual animals. “Look. There’s our tiger.”

  “What’s his name?” Kade turned his attention to the stage as he released my finger.

  “Tony.” I made the name up on the spot. That was one of those “little details” we probably should have ironed out before Kade started asking questions. Of course, I’d made enough Frosted Flakes jokes with Seth over the years for it to fit.