Silence Is Golden (A Pet Psychic Mystery No. 3)

by Esposito, Shannon

  His jaw twitched. "We'll talk about this when I have a clear head, Darwin. Good night."

  He was gone.

  "I'm so sorry," I whispered to the empty room.

  I just stood there until Goldie nudged my hand with her nose. Unable to hold back the tears, I collapsed on the floor and held onto her for dear life. She sat there patiently, letting me use her as a Kleenex until my sobs turned into hiccups. I stroked her ears. "Thanks, girl."

  Then began the process of clearing our dishes from the table. I felt like a zombie as I removed all evidence of the botched evening.

  Goldie started scratching at the French doors.

  "If you have to go out, girl, we've gotta go out the front."

  She sat down, looked back at me and whined. "All right. Chase lizards it is." I opened the doors and stepped out onto the balcony. The air was chilly and filled with fragrance from my table full of flowers. I went to the edge and gazed at the Bay beyond the park as Goldie sniffed around the table for her prey.

  The sounds of traffic and music rolled beneath me. There was a rhythm to nightlife in St. Pete that I normally found comfort in. Sure, it might be a new night, different couples, a different band, but the energy was the same. Carefree, enjoying the fruits of life. Tonight, it just made me feel lonelier.

  Suddenly the hairs stood up on my arms. A figure stepped out of the shadows of the park's large banyan tree and moved to the edge of the street. I froze.

  Is that...? Zach? I hadn't seen him since that night at the airport. I didn't even know if he stayed at his mom's condo or left town. In fact, I made it a point not to know. If that was him, why was he standing around in the park?

  Goldie nudged my leg with her nose. I glanced down. When I glanced back up, he was gone. I scanned the park and the street. Too dark. I shivered.

  "Come on, girl. Let's go in."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  "How'd it go?" Willow asked, coming home and peeking at the barely touched food on the kitchen counter.

  "Don't ask." I sighed. "Tell me about your night. Any activity at the Mound?"

  "Yeah. I met a Native American lady named Jade and her daughter, Kimi. Real nice folks. They were there performing some kind of ceremony over a new hole, just finishing up when I got there. I fixed it after they left." She grabbed a water out of the fridge and came to stretch out on the sofa.

  "Yeah, I've met them there before. Jade recognized Goldie, told me Victoria was like a daughter to her, too. Did they have any ideas about who might be disturbing the place?" I made a cup of mint tea and joined her.

  "No, but they did give me a little more history behind the Mound. Apparently it was a part of a large Tocobago Indian village until the Spanish explorers arrived. The balance of power shifted between the different tribes in the Tampa Bay area, depending on who the Spanish were backing at the time. Oh, and by the wealth of treasures they were scavenging from the Spanish shipwrecks. Eventually they were defeated by the Spanish attacks and the new infectious diseases the Spanish brought with them."

  "Sad," I said.

  "Yeah. It's nice the remaining people of the tribe still hold on to their heritage. They still hold the same things sacred as their ancestors; keep their culture and beliefs alive. That is true immortality."

  "Cultural immortality?" I mused.

  "I suppose." Willow stared at me. "So, you really don't want to talk about it?"

  I groaned. "Let's just say Will did not jump up and down and thank me when I told him what I did."

  "Why did you have to tell him? Mallory said he has a closed mind, so did you really think he would understand?"

  My first reaction was to be mad at Mallory. But, I let that go because she was right. Will did have a closed mind, but it wasn't his fault. That's just how he's built. He believes in facts, things he can see, touch and prove. That's also what makes him a great detective. I closed my eyes. "I know. I know." I rubbed my forehead between my eyes. "I think I'm going to hit the sack. Tomorrow's a new day, right?"

  "Always," Willow said softly.

  That night, Goldie and I were both restless. She kept rising and circling the bed until she finally hopped down and stretched out on the floor. I was probably bothering her with all my flailing human limbs and sheet-wrestling matches (which I lost). Eventually, I fell into a fitful sleep. That's when "the dream" happened.

  The air shimmered around me like a desert mirage. Sugary sand warmed my bare feet, water circled me. Large white caps rose beyond the sandy shore, moving toward me and crashing at my feet. They lulled me, and I felt my body swaying as if responding to some beat I couldn't hear. What I could hear, over and above the crashing sea, was a rumbling. I could also feel it beneath the sand. I squinted through the gauzy air toward the looming mountain, gaining more detail as I stared. Like a sudden fireworks display, fluorescent red spewed from the mountain, igniting the air.

  I took a few steps back and stumbled, landing with a soft thunk in the sand. A figure began to shimmer and solidify in front of me. I gasped. Zach.

  He reached down and held out his hand. I stared into the depths of his dark eyes as I placed my hand in his, feeling the familiar sensation of heat spread through my body. He pulled me up to stand before him, releasing my hand but instead of letting me go, he slid it to my waist and pulled me closer. My hand went to his bare chest and laid there still. A soft gasp escaped my lips. I glanced down at the tattoo on his chest and felt the sudden need to trace it. As my finger moved around the symbols, down toward where his pants hung low on his waist, he moaned. The symbols changed from black to fluorescent red. The same color as the lava shooting through the air behind us.

  "Darwin." He whispered my name and it echoed all around us. His index finger tilted my chin up to meet his eyes once again. His mouth came down softly to touch mine. Heat spread to my core as he deepened the kiss. Lost. I was lost in him. Lost to him. His arm tightened around me, pressing me against his chest until I felt nothing but pressure, heat and passion. His grip, his kiss, his dark, hungry eyes clearly said "mine".

  I tore my mouth from his with effort that almost made me black out. "No." I breathed. I watched his glistening lips turn up in a half smile.

  He nodded. "In time."

  I flailed in the bed, trying to untangle myself from the sheets and fell off the side of the bed in the process. Goldie lifted her head at the loud thunk.

  I lay there, staring at the ceiling, breathing like I had just run a marathon. Pressing my hand to my chest, I could feel the heat radiating off my body as if I'd been lying out in the sun. I reached a hand up and pressed my lips. Hot. I shivered.

  I replayed his words over, "In time." What did that mean, in time? Gah! I pushed myself off the floor. It was just a dream, Darwin. Your psyche is punishing you for hurting Will. You didn't actually cheat on him with Mr. Dark and Dangerous. Just. A. Dream.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Despite the constant stream of customers at the boutique, the day dragged.

  "Darwin? You feeling okay?" I glanced up from the computer screen. Willow stared at me, her expression somewhere between amused and sympathetic.

  "Yeah. Just a bunch on my mind." Like Will not calling me today. And like a dream so real, I was feeling all kinds of guilt about it. "What's up?"

  Her expression changed to one of excitement. "I'm going to have dinner tonight with Kimi. She's got some artifacts to show me. Do you want to come?"

  "Oh, I don't want to be a third wheel." I waved her off. "You go on."

  "You wouldn't be a third wheel, and besides, what are you going to do? Sit upstairs and eat leftovers by yourself and wait for the phone to ring?" She crossed her arms. "I can't let you do that. It's too pathetic."

  "Your sister is right," Sylvia threw at me as she walked by. "Go out."

  "I'm feeling a little ganged up on," I mumbled. Willow was still staring at me with that look I knew all too well. Her stubborn one. "All right, fine. I'll go."

  We were meeting at Coconuts, a
pet-friendly restaurant, so I brought Goldie with me. I said it was so she didn't have to be alone, but the truth was, I was getting pretty attached to her. She was a calming presence in an otherwise rocky few weeks.

  "Hi!" Kimi waved as we approached the outdoor table. Thankfully, her mom and the gray- haired gentleman from the Mound were with her. I smiled in relief. I didn't feel so awkward tagging along.

  We greeted each other and Goldie got pats all around as we sat down.

  Jade said, "This is my friend, Sal White."

  "Nice to meet you Sal." I smiled. "I saw you at the Mound. Y'all are part of the Spirit People, right? What exactly is it your group does?"

  "We're just a small part of a larger intertribal group," Jade answered. "Our main goal is to keep our ancestors' memories and beliefs alive. We believe they fought and died for things that shouldn't be just buried with them."

  "I see. Thanks," I said as the waitress poured us all water.

  "They like to protest things, too," Kimi grinned at her elderly mother. "Like the poor non-Native American woman charging for sage smudging and calling herself Eagle Cloud. I thought she was going to have a stroke when you told her she was stealing and abusing your culture."

  "Well, she was," Sal said simply.

  "Forgive my ignorance, y'all," I said, "but why does it bother you when non-Native Americans practice your traditions? They say imitation is the highest form of flattery."

  "Yes." Jade sighed. "We realize it's a hard thing to understand. But, these ceremonies, the way we dress, are part of our religion. We don't want them exploited as entertainment or for profit."

  "My mother used to say it was like charging people for a baptism," Sal offered.

  "Oh, I see." I nodded.

  "That is also why we don't like our artifacts sold for profit. We collect as many as we can and donate them to the museum," Jade said. "That way our culture stays alive, people learn about it, but it's not exploited."

  "Which reminds me." Kimi pulled an item wrapped in tissue paper from her bag slung over the chair. "This is the human effigy urn I was telling you about." She unwrapped it and held it out to Willow.

  "Oh wow," Willow whispered, taking the clay vessel carefully into her palm and eyeing it with wonder. "Look at the detail in the figure. You can even tell his eyes are closed. You said a woman had this for fifty years?"

  "Yes, she recently passed and her son gave it to us."

  I frowned. "You know, Jade, I was thinking about what you told me about the arrowhead in Victoria's bag. Do you think it's possible there was a second artifact and the person did in fact take it when they went through her bag?"

  Jade's head jerked up and her eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of that." She glanced at Kimi and they shared a questioning look. "She was so sure I was going to be surprised. Maybe it was something that would have been valuable and whoever saw it recognized that."

  "He sure owed us more than an arrowhead," Kimi mumbled.

  Jade held up her hand and shook her head slightly. Kimi folded her arms and averted her gaze.

  Okay, what was that about? Why does Kimi think Renny owed them something? I glanced at Willow. Maybe she could get Kimi to open up about that remark later.

  "So, Josie gets Renny's house after all?" Kimi glared at her mother. "Figures."

  I felt a wave of anger emanate from Kimi. "You aren't too fond of Josie, I take it?"

  "Not much to be fond of," Kimi scoffed. "She's an alcoholic, a thief, and a habitual liar with a gambling problem."

  "That's enough, Kimi," Jade warned. "She's also like family."

  I felt like I needed to break up the tension. "Well, if it'll make you feel better, I think she's planning on selling it... the house. And I think she's in a lot of trouble. She was hiding from some men who came from Vegas and she was real scared. I took her to Eugene's house, though he didn't seem too happy to see her."

  Kimi shook her head. "I can't imagine why." The sarcasm was palpable. "I'm surprised she didn't ask you to take her to Big Barnie's place. Would've been a good excuse for her to play damsel in distress."

  "Why Big Barnie's?"

  "She's been in love with him for years. He doesn't want anything to do with her, though. Told her as much every time she tries to throw herself at him."

  I frowned. "Well, that's stranger than a cat with two tails. She told me Victoria was the one in love with Big Barnie. Why would she say that?"

  Kimi laughed harshly. "Cause she's a pathological liar, like I said." She glanced down fondly at Goldie. "Goldie was the love of Victoria's life."

  Okay, I was really confused now. Did this mean Victoria and Barnie weren't having an affair? Then what were Eugene and Barnie fighting about?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  We exited the restaurant, and I left a message for Will, telling him what I'd found out about Josie. I wished he had answered so I could find out if he asked Josie about Victoria's credit card yet. But apparently he still wasn't talking to me. I noticed I had a missed call and a message. Odd. I didn't recognize the number.

  I listened to the message once, then shook my head and put in on speaker. "Willow, listen to this."

  "Darwin? Hey, It's Josie..." I turned up the volume because she was whispering. "Oh my god, girl! I've found something. My crazy old dad wasn't so crazy after all. Meet me at Big Barnie's house, 1465 S. Banyan Street—"

  There was a thump like the phone was dropped and then nothing. Disconnected.

  I peeked around Goldie, who had her head between us, panting up a storm. "What do you think that was all about?"

  "Nothing good. How do we get to Banyan Street?"

  I pulled up the address on my phone, my gut twisting. I had a really bad feeling about this. I tried to call Josie back on the number she called me from, but it went straight to voicemail. "Take a right here."

  We parked in front of his mailbox. Eyeing the older ranch-style house, with one porch light burning, I hesitated. "Should I just knock?"

  Willow shrugged. "I guess."

  I nodded and opened the car door. Goldie jumped into the front seat and out the door.

  "Goldie," I grumbled as I watched her squat in his front yard. Guess that was my fault for being so focused on Josie's message and not giving her a potty break after the restaurant. I walked up the driveway and Goldie trotted over to follow me.

  The front blinds were pulled shut. A fat green frog watched me from his perch under the porch light as I knocked. No answer. I rang the doorbell. Waited. Nothing. I patted Goldie on the head, frowning. Where are they?

  As we made our way back down the driveway, Goldie suddenly stopped. She lifted her nose in the air, her tail stiff behind her. And then she put her nose to the ground and took off around the side of the house.

  "Goldie!" I rushed after her, hearing Willow call my name and her car door slam.

  I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart leaping into my throat. "Josie?" My voice squeaked.

  Willow came up behind me. I heard her sharp intake of breath. "Is she..."

  "I think so," I whispered. The back porch was a cement slab with two beat-up lawn chairs. Lying very still in one of those chairs was Josie. Her eyes were open, staring. Goldie nudged her hand. "We should probably check anyway, to be sure." My eyes stung as I forced my legs to carry me over to her. I pressed two fingers to her neck. Cold. No pulse. I glanced over her unnaturally still body and started shaking. "What happened to you? Who did this?" Her bag was lying on the ground. I carefully searched through the empty liquor bottles and makeup. Whatever she had found wasn't here. Did someone take it?

  "Let's go back to the car and call Will."

  Will didn't answer his phone. I left a message and called 911. He must have checked the message because he called me right back for the address. "Be there in ten minutes. Stay in the car and lock the doors."

  His tone was cold, impersonal. The tears rolled down my face. I was beginning to think maybe he wasn't just angry and waiting to cool off. What if we were ov
er? I thumbed the ring he had given me. Willow reached over and took my hand, squeezing it. I heard her sniffle and glanced over. She was wiping at the tears on her own cheeks. I squeezed her hand back, realizing this was the first time she'd ever seen a dead body. Such a shocking moment. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

  "It's okay. I'm glad I'm here with you." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the seat. "What do you think happened to her?"

  "I don't know. Maybe Big Barnie finally got sick of her throwing herself at him. Or the thugs from Vegas found her here. There's no blood that I could see, but I guess they could've done something else to her." I glanced around the yard nervously. "Or maybe it wasn't murder. Maybe her liver just gave out or something."

  "But she said she found something. And now she's... dead," Willow said quietly. "Whatever happened, I hope she didn't suffer."

  "Me too." I thought about Josie's message. What did she mean her dad wasn't crazy after all? Did she find something in his house? And why did she want to meet here? Did whatever she found have something to do with Big Barnie? More questions and not enough answers.

  A fire truck arrived first. We got out of the car and greeted the EMT's who jumped out.

  "Back here."

  We led them around the side of the house to the back where Josie was still in the same position. I was kind of hoping she would be sitting up, and we would all laugh at how we thought she was dead.

  The slim, red headed EMT searched for a pulse and shook his head at his partner. They pulled out some kind of device and starting putting it on her body. As they worked, I saw more flashing lights pulsing off the house and heard more car doors slam.

  Will came around the corner with four uniformed officers behind him.

  "The owner doesn't appear to be home," I heard one of them say.

  His eyes found mine immediately. No greeting. He turned and gave his full attention to Josie.

  Moving carefully and purposefully, he surveyed the scene, instructing the officer with the camera in a low voice.