by Rose, Rhea
Glendie told me that she noticed the ‘OPEN’ light was on at the Voodoo Tattoos ink shop. This was a big deal because that light was never on, which means that Tattoo shop never opened, which meant it was probably not a legit business. That can only mean one thing, someone must be laundering money. Glendie and I loved our conspiracy theory. It worked for us and there was probably some truth to it, at least that’s what Glendie and I thought. What I hadn’t told Glendie was that William had something to do with the light being on that afternoon. She checked her watch because her coffee break was about to terminate, but instead of heading straight back to work…
*
…Glendie rubbed a spot on the filthy window of the tattoo shop and peeked through the little portal she created, but the shop was dark and gloomy with no one inside and yet the neon red and purple sign in the window was lit, so Glendie pushed her way in.
Even though Voodoo Tattoos was grungy and dim and dark with every corner filled with exotic items, like shark tooth fossils! A table held books full of tattoo designs and chairs and equipment, no one seemed to be in the place. The shop visibly brightened of course when Glendie, the sunshine girl, stepped into it. Everything took on a little brighter aura of radiant energy in her presence.
With no shopkeeper inside, Glendie took a quick look around. “You hooo, I want to be tattoooooed.” She found the place spooky, but she really wanted that tattoo, or at least a consultation.
She called throughout the shop several times but no one answered, and she was very disappointed for two reasons. The first; this was the first time the shop had opened and she was hoping that at the very least she’d be able to make an appointment, perhaps look at a few designs from a book. The second disappointment; well, that would come a little bit later for her.
She hadn’t noticed the security camera tucked up in the corner of the ceiling, watching her, not that it would have mattered because Glendie was honest.
When she checked her watch again she panicked and made a hasty exit from the tattoo parlor. And sadly, she didn’t notice her sunburst diamond brooch drop from her lapel as she left. If only she’d looked down for a moment, she might have seen that her brooch glowed oh, so brightly on the old stained wooden floor. The pin looked like a tiny light bulb, signaling to her that she was leaving it behind.
Glendie walked out of the shop without it.
Emilia and I were still at Hercules making fools of ourselves over the ridiculously handsome Barkman. “He’s got to be from Maisie’s crazy cursed tarot deck,” I said to Emi.
“Which card major do you think he is?” she asked.
“My guess is Strength”
“He hasn’t done anything magical,” she said.
And she was right. So far the gorgeous Barkman hadn’t done anything to give himself away as anything but a big brawny guy.
Then just as we were about to flip a coin to see who got to go in and talk to him, Devon Raker, suspicious-looking under the hood of his hoodie, rode up to the back of the gym on an old bicycle.
He didn’t see. He carried a rather large box strapped to his rat trap; when he got off the bike, he spent a moment untying the.
We were beside ourselves with delight. William said Devon would be delivering a special package. Emi, of course, thought we were under Maisie’s orders. For once I got it right.
Devon entered the gym through the back door. We had an excellent view of him. I stood on tippy toe to peer through the window. I wanted to see exactly what Devon did with that box.
From our point of view we could read the stamp on the large package. It said VOODOO TATTOOS. I thought that was odd that a box marked for the tattoo shop arrived? Devon handed it over to Barkman, who took a quick look inside and gave Devon the thumbs up.
I turned back to Emilia and give her a "what's-up" look.
“I know that place. I'm going to the tattoo shop,” Emi said and would have walked away, but I grabbed her by the hand.
“Wait. What gives? What’s the rush to get there? I mean, if you’re going, well, then, me too.” I said, and hoped I sounded supportive.
“I'm going to pretend I want a tattoo. I'll tell them there's a design at Maisie's shop -- on the wall of her shop that I want tattooed on my butt. I'll see if I can get Barkman to go there and look at it.”
“What? Get Barkman to look at your butt??” I laughed so loudly I had to cover my mouth with my hand. “Oh, yeah, that's gonna work.”
Emilia looked frustrated. “Okay. I'm all ears. Give me your better idea.”
“First of all we don’t know what Maisie wants with this guy or this box,” I said, still pretending we were on a Maisie mission. “And for sure she doesn’t want you getting a tattoo from Barkman. She’s probably saved that little job for me.” I was joking, but thought I might mention that possibility to Maisie once I got back. Barkman could tattoo my butt anytime! “The best way to get to a guy like that is – a partay.”
“Partay?”
“Guys like Barkman like a good party.”
I’m not sure why Emilia thought it was important to go to Barkman and get a tattoo, but maybe she batted for both teams, after all, if the goods were good-looking enough maybe anything goes, but I suspected that wasn’t the case here. Emilia knew something about this situation that she wasn’t sharing and I figured I’d never get it out of her. My guess was that Emi had already informed Maisie of our whereabouts and had given Emi a little task that I didn’t know about. Something was up and probably only Maisie, and possibly Emilia, knew the truth.
Before it was possible to even get our next steps organized, we were interrupted by the sexy roar of Barkman’s Harley, as he left the gym in a big hurry and left us standing in his choking dust.
*
Meanwhile, according to Maisie, who not only keeps a journal at the front of the shop for her factotums to record the details of their daily activities once they’ve returned for the day, but she keeps security cameras operating all around town, at all the places she suspects her escaped majors hangout, (or even those people she eventually wants to turn into majors!) As I got to know Maisie, I learned that she was much more than she appeared, the most shocking being that she was once a member of the Cheshire society!
She had the whammy on this town, even before I’d released the majors from the cursed deck, she owned large chunks of Meadowvale real estate and many of its citizens were into her for large sums of money, and of course she had the whammy on the majors, who all seemed to have genuinely betrayed Maisie in some manner, and now she worked her whammy on me, but I planned to whammy back!
According to her “spies,” those that were out and about that day, Barkman pulled up in the lane at the back of his tattoo shop, Voodoo Tattoos, parked, and hopped off his bike. He quickly headed to the padlocked back door. Apparently, he’d lost his keys, probably left them back at the gym, after all, he’d been in such a hurry after that phone call, he probably wasn’t thinking straight. I replayed the hidden security video over and over. There was Barkman. He checked around to see if anyone watched while he tore the lock apart, as if it were made of licorice.
He stepped inside the back of his shop.
Chapter 9
Death Defyer
I know now, although I didn’t know it then, that the back area of his store also contained a small bathroom, one very similar to the special one in the back of Maisie’s shop, and after I saw Barkman’s little closet bathroom in the replay from the hidden security cameras, I was beginning to wonder if there was a conspiratorial pattern rising between the subtext of the situation. Did all these little closet bathrooms magically connect to one another?
The back of Barkman’s tattoo shop was a lot darker and had a more sinister atmosphere than Maisie’s rear rooms. I don’t know what exactly went on in Voo-Too’s, as I liked to call it, but I had the feeling that very little of it was tattooing. Later I’d find out that my suspicions weren’t quite accurate, actually a lot of tattooing went on there, but not th
e regular kind.
Barkman stepped out from behind a heavy brocade curtain to the entrance of his tattoo shop. He entered at about the time Glendie had done her wander through looking for someone to make an appointment with, so she could get her long desired tattoo. She was already gone when Barkman arrived and that’s when I made the connection that it was Glendie going into his shop that had him so upset over at the gym.
I remembered his words. “How the eff did she get in there?”
He wasn’t expecting anyone to arrive because no one ever did; his shop was never actually open! But for some reason that day someone had turned the sign on and left the door unlocked. Now I’m pretty sure my magical abilities don’t include being psychic, but I’m still a novice figuring out what I can and can’t do, so when I made the connection that someone had done this to Barkman, the first person that popped into my head actually wasn’t Devon!
I’d seen Devon deliver a box to Barkman and it was pretty clear that Devon had a good, tight working relationship with Barkman. The only other suspect in my mind was my mysterious shadow man, William, who seemed to appear around my haunts more and more often, especially after our date. I had this strong feeling that he was somehow connected this. He was the guy that Glendie told me came from the Cheshire society. I know he was somehow connected to my darling kitten, Sia, but was he trying to help or hurt her?
It didn’t take long for Barkman to find Glendie’s sparkling sunburst brooch. He saw it and picked it up. He was delighted and examined it closely. The look of elation on his face as he stared into the shiny depths of the brooch was something to behold. The pin itself seemed to have a positive effect on the man. He fondled the brooch and must have had a vision of Glendie sunning on a beach at sunset. I saw his vision in my mind. I don’t know how that happened but it did. I saw her in his mind. He let the vision go and walked over to the front window of his tattoo shop and stared down the street. He even opened the front door and stepped outside onto the sidewalk. For a minute I didn’t know what he was up to, but then I understood. He was looking for her, for Glendie. He knew it was she who’d been at his shop.
Barkman was interrupted by a voice.
“Open for business?”
Barkman, startled, turned to see Emi, sword out, standing behind him.
*
I had decided not to go with Emilia to the tattoo shop. I had to get to Koldwell for my first day on the job. We figured it was better that way. I would work with Glendie at the bank and try to get to the safety deposit boxes that Maisie wanted us to become familiar with. Emilia, well, she could take care of herself now that she was an orange belt death dealer, I guess.
My job was to work part-time as a teller at Koldwell, which was a big joke because I really didn’t know much about banking. Glendie was supposed to teach me my job. What a pair. I was late on my first day and Glendie wasn’t back from her break yet. But the good news was the bank had no customers. It was quiet.
Jane one, customers zero.
I sneaked a peek over at boss Ross McCarthy’s office, but he looked like he didn’t notice much. I think he was hard at work on his cross word puzzle. Then Glendie hurried into the bank. Her heels clacked against the marble floor. Her short huffs of breath echoed throughout the cavernous bank. She scooted across the floor and onto the work side of the polished counters, stored her purse, threw out her paper coffee cup, straightened her jacket and scarf and looked none the worse for wear.
“Oopsy, I'm late.”
“Hey, ya, you're late!” I said to bug her little.
Glendie opened a drawer pulled out a trainee pin and pinned it to my lapel.
“You forgot this.”
“Really?”
“Policy,” she said. One of her annoying habits was to always follow the rules!
“Where were you? What took you so long?” I tried not to sound like my concern was phony. She began to unlock her cash area and organize her wicket.
“Went to the tattoo shop,” she said, like it was no big deal.
“Voo-Toos?” I said overly loud because I wanted to sound surprised.
“Sssh.”
“Voo-Toos?” I whispered. But she already started to ignore me. “They won't like a tattoo around here,” I said. I looked around. There were still no customers and in his office our manager, looked like he might have fallen asleep over his cross word puzzle.
“I'm getting it on my neck,” Glendie said with some sarcasm.
“Sure. That'll win Ross' praise.” I had to giggle when I imagined Ms. Sunshine with Asian prayer symbols scrawled down the sides of her neck. As I imagined it, I thought that might actually be cool, tone down her cheerleader persona.
“You know how that shop’s never open. Today, it was. I really do think it's a fake tattoo parlor. They probably do launder drug money or something like that. They probably had to sweep out the dust and forgot to lock up.”
I wanted to get her mind off tattoos because I really didn’t like the idea of her or anyone sticking needles into their bodies. “I have a better idea,” I said. She gave me a quizzical look, one I’ve seen before on the pretty petite face.
“Better idea then what?”
“Then tattoos...”
I looked around. I even checked the sidewalks outside to make sure no one intended to enter the bank. Then I slowly unbuttoned my jacket, un-tucked my blouse. I twirled my jacket and let it fall to the floor. I went into full on pole dance mode. If there had been a pole there I would have hopped on.
Glendie looked gob smacked.
I carried on.
She glanced nervously around.
I didn’t actually remove my blouse, but unfastened the buttons. I wiggled and swayed and lifted my top to expose my belly. Glendie looked terrified and went white.
I then pulled down the top of my skirt to reveal my navel piercing and the elaborate dangling jewel it held. I anticipated Glendie’s next move. She tried to grab my blouse to cover me up, but I did a little step hop backwards and she missed me.
Speechless, Glendie pointed at my navel jewelry.
“I got it at Maisie's Curio shop. Let's go after work. There's a special.”
“You’re going to get us fired.”
“And that would be a bad thing?” I asked.
“I need my job, Jane. You’ve got three other ones, or, I don’t know how many. I’ve lost count.”
I saw her distress, so I straightened up, a bit.
“Come on, there really is a deal on piercing and navel jewelry at Maisie’s shop.”
“Free piercing? Free jewel? ” she asked, calming down.
“All of the above. All of it free,” I said, trying to sound excited.
She looked like she was considering my offer. She was certainly admiring my navel jewel.
“Watch, easy, peasy,” I said. I pulled the bellybutton piercing out and put it back, all with one hand movement.
Then it was Glendie’s turn to surprise me. She lifted her top.
“Already got one,” she said.
Well, knock me over with a feather. I’d known Glendie awhile and I don’t remember her ever getting a belly piercing. It had to be a recent addition to her repertoire because she tended to be pretty boring in her tastes.
I had to think quickly. I wanted to tap Glendie with the Sun card watch her disappear into it. Then I was going to hide the card from Maisie because I really didn’t like this bank gig and I wanted out.
I figured, no Glendie, no trainer, no need for Jane to learn this stupid job.
“Do you work for Maisie or something?” she asked, sounding suspicious.
I hesitated before answering. “What do you remember about being inside the Sun card?” I asked her. I hadn’t mentioned the card incident since Maisie had released Glendie.
“Inside the Sun card?” she asked. She looked at me like I was crazy. She had no memory of her ordeal.
“Never mind.”
Glendie didn’t seem to recall that she’d been
captured and placed back into the cursed tarot deck for a short while. She was here only because I’d bargained with Maisie to let her out. Maisie assured me that once I’d put every major back into the cursed box of cards that I’d get the ‘real’ Glendie back and I’d become my old self again.
“So, do you work for Maisie?” Glendie asked again, a little more emphatic.
“Ah, yeah, sort of. I'm helping her have a sale party. She, we've, invited some of the other businesses in the area. Voo-Toos' owner –”
“Voo-Too’s owner?” she asked, sounding incredulous.
“Well, I didn’t invite him. Maisie did. He’s a body builder, over at the local gym. You know. Hercules.” I did some body builder poses for her. “She’s invited other business too.”
Glendie looked unsure.
“Thanks, but I'm busy after work today. I'm going to a party at Voo-Toos.”
I laughed so loudly that I saw McCarthy look up from his cross word. I tried to make myself look busy. “Sure, Glendie. You got invited to a party at Voo-Toos and you’re going?”
“Yes, I did and I am going. I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I’m getting my tattoo or I’m finding out what’s really going on there. They have an after hour’s club downstairs in the basement of that place.”
Well, I’d been served. How did she get invited and I didn’t? How did she know about the after hour’s club when Maisie was supposed to keep me up to speed on all that was going on in this town, so I could collect those damn majors? I bet there’d be a few majors at this party.
“I thought you said the tattoo shop’s never open.” I reminded her.
“The ink shop. Upstairs. It's never open. I didn’t exactly get invited --”
“Ah ha!” I yelled.
Glendie wasn’t put off by my disdain for her idea of going to an afterhour at the tattoo shop. “I’ve heard about the afterhour’s at that place, but I’d figured they were over exaggerated rumors, and today, I thought I’d go and check it out for myself. See what’s up.”Glendie started tidying things a little further away from me like she was trying to create space between us. She seemed different and not her usual overly happy hyper cheerful self. Her demeanor was darker, more secretive. I had to scramble to keep up to her and her busy work. I needed to keep her on the hook.
