mystic caravan mystery 01 - freaky days

by Amanda M. Lee

  “I need you to run into town with Poet,” Max said.

  Wait … what? “But … .” They needed me to read minds if we were going to track down a murderer.

  “We’ll be fine without you,” Max said. “You need to pick up that thing we discussed yesterday.”

  What thing? “Okay,” I said. I didn’t have a better response so I figured it was better to play along.

  “What thing?” Kade asked, his eyes flashing with suspicion.

  “Poet will tell you on the drive to the city,” Max said.

  Oh, well, great. Now I had to think of a “thing” to pick up. I glanced at Luke for help.

  “Now might be the time to consider letting him butter your biscuit,” Luke said.

  I viciously pinched his arm, causing him to cry out. Kade and Max shifted their eyes to us.

  “What are we getting?” Kade asked.

  I made up my mind on the spot. “We need a backup generator.”

  “Don’t we have one?”

  “It’s on its last leg.”

  “But … .”

  “You don’t have to come with me,” I said, the lie hopping into my head fully formed. “Max only wants you to come with me because he’s convinced the guy from yesterday is going to come back and try to hurt me. He thought you would be my protector.”

  The words burned coming out.

  “Oh,” Kade said, his face softening. “I … of course. I can go with you.”

  “Great,” I said, glancing down at my flimsy pajamas. “Just give me twenty minutes to get ready.”

  “DO you want to tell me what’s really going on?”

  Kade insisted on driving. In an effort to avoid an argument, I acquiesced and climbed into the passenger seat of his truck. I thought that would earn me at least five minutes of silence. I was wrong. Kade was on the march for answers before I could mull over my coffee situation.

  “We need a generator.”

  “We don’t need a generator,” Kade countered. “I saw the generator the other day. It looked old, but it was functioning properly.”

  “It’s going to break any day now.”

  “Do you know that because you’re psychic?”

  I knew that because when we had a moment alone in my trailer after discovering Johnny’s body I ordered Luke to go and break it. “Yes.”

  “And you knew this yesterday and Max just happened to remember it this morning?” Kade pressed.

  “I guess.”

  “Right after we found a dead body,” Kade said. “Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

  He was in a mood. Unluckily for him, I could match it. “I know that Max usurping your power has made you all … Hulk-like … but I knew Johnny. He was a good guy. I’m not sure this is the conversation I want to have when I’m thinking about him right now.”

  Kade narrowed his eyes. “Are you messing with me?”

  “Are you insinuating that I didn’t like Johnny? If you are, I don’t think I like where this conversation is going. I adored Johnny. Just because he was a janitor and not a performer doesn’t mean he was anything less to me.” I was talking out of my rear end now. I didn’t have a choice. I had to find a way to bend Kade to my will – without actually forcing him to bend to my will. That was something I didn’t want to do, or think about doing, for that matter.

  “I didn’t mean that,” Kade snapped.

  “I certainly hope not.”

  “I know something else is going on here,” Kade said. “Despite the screams of … one of those green-haired chicks … no one else seemed to freak out over the discovery of a body.”

  Uh-oh.

  “You actually got down on the ground to look him over,” Kade continued. “Luke made off-color jokes. The … bearded lady … had enough time to get huffy. Why does the bearded lady sound like a man, by the way?”

  “Hormones,” I said. “Her mother tried to make her grow with an overdose and it backfired.” What? That could be a thing. Kade’s not a doctor.

  “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

  “Well, I guess that means it’s not true because you’ve heard of everything, right?”

  Kade kept one hand on the wheel and raised the other to pinch the bridge of his nose. He gave the impression he was warding off a headache. That was good. He wouldn’t want to argue if he didn’t feel well.

  “I don’t know why you’re purposely trying to make me feel bad … or bait me into a fight … or do whatever it is you’re doing when you lick your lips to try to distract me,” Kade said.

  “I don’t lick my lips to distract you,” I argued.

  “You could’ve fooled me.”

  Well, that was interesting. Was he fixating on my lips? Wait … now was not the time to worry about things like that. “I’m sorry this morning hasn’t gone how you planned,” I said. “It hasn’t gone how any of us planned. We need the generator. Max will handle the police. The show will go on this afternoon.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “It’s the circus, Kade. We don’t cancel shows unless an act of God forces us to.” Once we had to cancel due to an act of Naida, but that was a story for another time. “The police will move Johnny to the morgue. If there’s something suspicious about his death, they’ll inform us and you can take it from there.” Because the cops would never find out about Johnny’s death – and we were leaving Des Moines the next day – the odds of that happening were slim.

  “How can it not be suspicious? The guy looked like he was twenty.”

  He was actually seventy-eight, but that had no bearing on this particular conversation. “There were also no marks on his body,” I said. “He probably had a heart attack or some underlying health condition we didn’t know about.”

  “You sound awfully sure about that.”

  “Until I have a reason to panic, I’m not going to do it,” I said. “I can’t get worked up without all the facts.”

  “And if the facts show Johnny was murdered?”

  “Then I’ll cry and let you dry my tears.” Wait … did that sound condescending? Maybe he gets off on drying women’s tears. I’m not sure I like a man who sits around and waits for a woman to cry. What was I arguing with him about again?

  “I don’t understand any of this,” Kade grumbled, following the signs that pointed to the nearest Home Depot. “I feel like everyone has a secret that they’re not letting me in on.”

  He wasn’t far off. Luke’s suggestion about letting Kade butter my biscuit was sounding like a worthy distraction right about now. That wasn’t something I could entertain, though, especially when I was supposed to be mourning – and when I hadn’t shaved my legs in three days.

  “Are you hungry? I’m hungry.”

  “What?”

  “Breakfast,” I said, pointing at a local diner. “We need breakfast first.”

  That would also allow me to keep Kade away from camp for another forty-five minutes. And people think I’m not good in a crisis.

  Thirteen

  “This looks good,” I said, smiling for the waitress’ benefit as she showed us to a booth in the corner of the diner. “Thank you.”

  The woman’s name tag read “Shelly.” Since Shelly refused to look at me and couldn’t look away from Kade, I guessed Des Moines was not a bastion of action for single women on the prowl.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” Shelly practically purring as she batted her big, blue eyes in Kade’s direction.

  “I’ll have a glass of water.”

  “No coffee?”

  “Not right now,” Kade replied, forcing a tight smile.

  Shelly turned and started to walk away, causing me to clear my throat. “What about me?”

  “Oh, right,” Shelly said, her tone far less engaging as she turned to me. “What do you want?”

  “Coffee and a large tomato juice.”

  “Is that all?”

  “For now.” I narrowed my eyes as I watched her go. When I finally turned
my attention back to Kade, his eyes were lit with amusement. “What?”

  “You have a terrific way with people.”

  “Whatever,” I said, rolling my eyes. “It’s not my fault she was so flustered by your manly presence she forgot I was even in the room.”

  “My manly presence?”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know how you affect women,” I said. “You know darned well that you could have anyone you want just by flashing that pretty smile of yours.”

  “Present company included?”

  I balked. “Um … .”

  “Right, Luke,” Kade said pursing his lips as he turned his attention to his menu. “I’m not sure how healthy any of this is.”

  “What’s your problem with Luke?” I had a feeling I knew, but I wanted to hear him say it.

  “Who said I have a problem with Luke,” Kade asked, his dimples coming out to play as he shot me a wry smile. “Who could ever have a problem with the amazing Luke? He’s the most charming man in the world. He’s built like a Greek god. He makes everyone laugh. He’s certainly God’s gift to the female persuasion.”

  Wow. That sounded … bitter. “Tell me how you really feel.”

  “I really feel that Luke is a nice guy and I have no reason to dislike him,” Kade replied.

  “Then why do you?”

  “I have no idea.”

  I can usually sense when someone is telling the truth. Kade wasn’t lying. He wasn’t telling the whole truth, but he wasn’t overtly plying me with falsehoods. He was genuinely mired in an inexplicable conundrum where Luke was concerned.

  “I think you’re jealous of him,” I announced, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back from the table as Shelly returned with our drinks, cutting off whatever hot retort was on the tip of Kade’s tongue.

  “Are you ready to order?”

  “I’m starving,” I said. “I’ll have the farmer’s omelet with a side of sausage and whole wheat toast,” I said, enjoying the way Kade’s mouth kept opening and closing as he searched for a way to argue with me regarding my assessment of his Luke Derangement Syndrome. “What do you want, honey?”

  Kade made a face as Shelly’s happy smile diminished.

  “Honey?” She asked.

  “She’s just being a pain,” Kade said, forcing a weak wink for Shelly’s benefit. “I’ll have one egg poached and dry rye toast.”

  Now it was my turn to make a face. “That’s what you eat for breakfast?”

  “You’re going to kill yourself with that breakfast you ordered,” Kade shot back.

  “At least I’ll die happy.”

  “Are you two a couple?” Shelly wasn’t going to let this go.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “No,” Kade replied.

  “Which is it?”

  “He was asking to see my underwear just yesterday,” I said, smirking as Shelly shot an accusatory look in Kade’s direction. Their imaginary children were being erased from her fantasies before they even had a chance to flourish.

  “She’s … exaggerating,” Kade said.

  “You didn’t ask to see her underwear?” Shelly asked.

  “Well … .” The look he scorched me with was almost enough to set my feet on fire. “I guess I wouldn’t mind seeing her underwear. She won’t show them to me, though. It’s hurtful when you think about it.

  “She teases me and teases me until I want to cry,” Kade continued, playing to his audience. “You’d think she’d just show me what’s under the skirt.”

  “She’s not wearing a skirt,” Shelly pointed out.

  “It’s a private joke,” Kade said, never moving his challenging gaze from my face.

  “Okay,” Shelly said, resigned. It was obvious she wasn’t going to be able to wriggle herself into the middle of this conversation. “I’ll put your order in.”

  “Great,” I said. “Have them add some extra cheese to my omelet.”

  Once Shelly was gone, Kade and I enjoyed a round of the staring game. The first one to break eye contact was the loser. After five minutes, I realized we were both a little too competitive and were bordering on being a different kind of losers.

  “My eyes are going to start watering if we don’t stop this,” I admitted.

  “If you want to cry over me I’d be happy to dry your tears.”

  I scowled. He was too cute for words. Even worse, he was aware of how cute he was. “Are you going to look away?”

  “As soon as you do.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “Then let the people see you cry,” Kade said, the corners of his mouth lifting.

  “Here’s your breakfast,” Shelly said, sliding plates in front of both of us. When we didn’t acknowledge her presence, she glanced between us. “Is something wrong?”

  “He refuses to back down,” I muttered.

  “That’s rich coming from you,” Kade shot back.

  “I … is there going to be some kind of incident? Should I call the police?” Shelly seemed like a worrier.

  Kade finally tore his eyes from mine, allowing me to internally crow about my win. What? I’m petty. I can’t help it.

  “Its fine,” he said. “We were playing a game.”

  “Oh, what game?” Shelly asked. “Maybe I can play.”

  “You’re far too mature for the game we were playing.”

  “You can say that again,” I said, enthusiastically digging into my omelet. “This is great, by the way.”

  “I’ll give the cook your regards.” Shelly’s tone was dry.

  “Cool.”

  Once we were alone again, Kade spent more time pushing his boring breakfast around his plate than eating. I, on the other hand, inhaled a pound of food as though I hadn’t eaten in days. Finding dead bodies always revs me up.

  “Breathe,” Kade instructed, his face incredulous. “You’re acting as if the food is going to disappear.”

  I swallowed. “I … sorry. Old habits die hard I guess.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Um … .” Did I really want to tell him about my past? If he was going to stick around, he was going to hear about it eventually. It was better that it came from me. “After my parents died, I spent a few years … on the street. There wasn’t always a lot to eat. I guess I picked up some bad habits. Most of the time I don’t embrace them, but when I get rattled … I guess you could say I revert.”

  “I’m sorry,” Kade said, his face softening.

  “It doesn’t matter.” I waved off his concern. “It was a long time ago.”

  “I think it matters to you,” Kade countered. “Tell me about it.”

  “Why?”

  “I want to know,” Kade replied, not missing a beat. “And, before you ask, I have no idea why I want to know. I guess I just want to get a better feel for you.”

  “There’s not really much to tell,” I said. “When my parents died, it was a shock. I didn’t have any family that was … capable … of taking me in.”

  “I don’t know what that means,” Kade admitted. “Was there family around that couldn’t take you in for any specific reason?”

  “They didn’t want me.”

  Kade ran his tongue over his teeth, his eyes flashing. “Who didn’t want you?”

  “My aunt,” I said. “She was my mother’s sister. She decided that taking on a teenager when she had a child of her own to raise was too much. She was on the board of the county hospital and it took up a lot of her time. She was the only family I had. Well, I guess I have an uncle somewhere, too. My father’s brother was still alive last time I knew. No one in my family has seen him for twenty years, though. The police couldn’t find him.”

  “That’s really awful,” Kade said, shaking his head. “What happened to you?”

  “They put me in foster care,” I said. “It didn’t agree with me. I guess that’s the right way to put it. I lasted in the first house for a month before they kicked me out. I was in the second house for
less than a week when I ran away.”

  “Why did you run?”

  “I … I don’t want to talk about that.”

  “Did someone hurt you?” Kade asked, ignoring my discomfort.

  “He tried. I … stopped him … and I ran.” In truth I read his disgusting intentions over dinner that night and bashed his head with a baseball bat before fleeing, but I figured telling him that would be sharing too much.

  “Did the state ever find you?”

  I shook my head. “I stayed off the grid,” I replied. “I took care of myself. I was on my own for a long time. Things didn’t change until I ran into Max.”

  “How did you take care of yourself if you were only sixteen?” Kade asked.

  “I was a pickpocket.”

  I expected Kade to judge me. Apparently that was the furthest thing from his mind. “How did you learn that? That’s a skill a novice can’t perform without training.”

  I laughed hollowly. “I wasn’t that kind of pickpocket,” I said. “I … used my gifts.”

  Kade wrinkled his nose. “Eat your breakfast.”

  “I … .”

  “Eat it,” Kade repeated. He studied me for a moment. “Are you really psychic?”

  I debated how best to answer the question. “Would that freak you out?”

  “I’ve watched you pet a tiger and take on a man I’m starting to think might’ve been some sort of psychopath,” Kade replied. “I think I already know the answer.”

  “I have a few abilities,” I said.

  “Can you really read minds or were you messing with me last night?”

  “If I want to press the issue, yes.”

  “Read my mind,” Kade prodded.

  “No.”

  “Why not? If you can read minds it will take you two seconds to tell me what I’m thinking.”

  “You don’t understand,” I said. “I won’t be able to stop at your surface thoughts if I do it. I’ll see … a lot more.”

  “Like what?”

  “How you felt when your mother died, maybe some of the stuff you went through overseas, any … sexual fantasies you might have.”

  Kade blushed. “Oh! Um … okay. Maybe that’s not such a good idea.”

  I didn’t think so. “Trust me. I don’t want to see Raven naked, even if it’s how you picture her.”