Words of Wisdom

by D E Dennis

  “Mari, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” I said automatically, but truthfully my eyes were stinging with tears. I cleared my throat. “Let me help you clean up the kitchen,” I said. “Then maybe we can watch a movie before I go?”

  Arnie grinned and replied, “Yes to the help. Yes to the movie. But no to the leaving.”

  “My family will be here in a couple hours,” I protested.

  He stood and leaned over the table.

  “Exactly,” he replied. “You’ll soon be subjected to an apartment full of the madness you Moons are known for.”

  “Hey!”

  He laughed. “I say put it off till the morning.” He kissed me and I responded eagerly. “Spend the night.”

  I smiled against his lips and whispered, “Will you make me breakfast?”

  “Of course,” he said huskily.

  “Chocolate chip pancakes?”

  “It wouldn’t be breakfast otherwise.”

  “Well then, I can’t say no to that.”

  IT WAS ALMOST EIGHT in the morning when I pulled into the parking space behind my building. Usually at this time I’d be sitting in my purple room, dressed in a long skirt and peasant blouse, getting ready to make other people’s feelings my own.

  But on this particular Monday, I had no morning clients. I had rescheduled them all yesterday, because I had another appointment to keep.

  But until then, I had to face the Moons.

  I gently turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open inch by inch. I didn’t want the squeaky hinges to―

  “Amari, what are you doing?” A voice startled me. “Just come inside.”

  In I went. My family was sitting at the dining table enjoying breakfast. The pull-out bed hadn’t been put away and the door to my room was wide open, so I figured everyone made themselves comfortable in my absence.

  “Good morning, everyone,” I said. “How are you?”

  Dad was already on his feet. He scooped me up in and hug and crushed me to his chest, dropping a kiss on my forehead. My grandmother followed and pressed her cheeks against mine, first one then the other. My stepmother and seventeen-year-old brother got to me next. Imani hugged me warmly while Kellan’s was brief.

  We went back to the dining table and sat down. We had more than enough chairs. The Moons were frequent visitors.

  “We’re all fine, sis,” Kellan said in between slicing up his crepe. “It’s you we were worried about.”

  “Yes, we heard about this awful business with that woman, who came to you claiming she would soon be murdered,” Grandma said. “When we heard the threat was carried out, we left South Koruna immediately.” She looked at me sternly. “But your father told you that last night. You knew we were coming, so why weren’t you here when we arrived?”

  “I was―”

  “She had plans to have dinner with Arnold. She stayed the night.” Kali was sitting on my right and therefore within swatting distance. She yelped when it landed.

  “We were watching a movie,” I said firmly. My eyes slid away from my grandmother’s face. I leaned forward and lowered my head. I began playing with the tablemat, keeping my eyes fixed on it. “And I fell asleep. I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived, and it was sweet of all of you to come, but I’m fine really. It’s awful what happened to Veronica, but the police are investigating. They will find out if all this really does lead to her husband, and they’ll put him away. I know there wasn’t any more I could do.”

  “You promise you’re not going to try and investigate?” Grandma asked. “The last murder you got involved with drove you away from us and South Koruna.”

  “I wasn’t driven away from you,” I protested. “You’re my family and you always will be. I just realized Zinnia Springs was the best place for me. I’ve built a life here and I’m happy. I’m not going to mess with that by sticking my nose in the path of a cold-blooded killer.” I said all this to the tablecloth.

  “You won’t get involved?” She repeated her question.

  “I won’t,” I lied, “I promise.”

  “Okay, good.” Grandma accepted my words and went back to her breakfast. It was easy for her to do so, because the way I had titled my head made it impossible for her to read my micro-expressions, and therefore my deceit. She also wasn’t close enough to me to read my guilt at lying to her, but Kali was.

  I caught Kali’s questioning look and gave her an imperceptible head shake. Thankfully she didn’t give me away.

  I cast about for a subject change. My eyes landed on Kellan’s plate. “Wait a minute, who made these crepes?”

  “I did, ma’am. Of course.”

  I jumped and almost fell out of my chair. I spun around to see my nemesis, Mrs. Porter, standing in the entrance to the kitchen.

  “You brought your personal chef,” I hissed at Dad.

  Porter harrumphed, “They most certainly did. Who else was going to do the cooking? Speaking of which...”

  Porter placed a plate of crepes in front of me. They were stuffed with bananas and covered with a chocolate hazelnut spread. They looked positively delicious but―

  “No, thank you, Mrs. Porter,” I said politely. “I’ve already eaten breakfast.”

  Porter scoffed, “Yes, and no doubt it was unsuitable, stunted food. Now you eat up and I don’t want to hear anything more about it!”

  She stomped off into the kitchen. I grumbled some unkind words under my breath and it was Kali’s turn to swat me. Although she did so with a giggle.

  I glanced at my watch. I had a half an hour before I needed to meet Monique. With a sigh, I took a couple bites of my crepes until my already full stomach couldn’t take anymore. Then I pushed away from the table.

  “I have to get ready. I’m meeting someone in twenty minutes. You guys keep making yourselves at home, and I’ll see you when I get back.”

  I hurried into the bathroom, took the quickest shower on record, got dressed just as quickly, and then escaped out the door. I breathed a sigh of relief at getting out of there before one or all of my family members could invite themselves along, but my relief dried up fast when I was met with a familiar figure at the bottom of the stairs.

  Kayla was waiting for me, propped up against the rail. She grinned. “Hey, Mari,” she said casually.

  I slowed down. “Hi, Kayla,” I said hesitantly. “What are you doing here?”

  She quirked a brow at me. “Why do you think I’m here?”

  “I have to meet―”

  “I’ll join you,” she said smoothly.

  I just nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.”

  IT TOOK A WHILE FOR us to find a parking space downtown, but after quite a bit of circling, I eventually nabbed one a few blocks away from the ruins of Best Foot Forward.

  We climbed out and made the short walk to the scene. Kayla chattered at me the whole way. “So I guess you’re back with Football Head?”

  “Stop calling him that,” I snapped. “But yes, we’re back together.”

  Kayla sighed. “You just can’t quit that guy, can you?”

  “You’ve always disliked him,” I hissed under my breath. “But he’s a good guy. Why isn’t that enough for you?”

  “I know he’s a good guy.” Kayla shrugged. “But he’s not the right guy for you.”

  “I love him,” I protested.

  “Yes, but not enough to tell him who you really are.”

  I spun around on her angrily, startling a random woman walking behind me. The woman hurriedly crossed the street.

  I took a deep breath. “It’s not easy. You and my mother are the only non-empaths who know my secret. You’re my best friend, we’ve known each other almost our whole lives, and it was still hard for me to tell you the truth. I want to tell Arnie, but I can’t. He’ll hate me. He’ll think I spent our entire relationship deceiving him.”

  She shook her head. “Amari, being honest with the person you love should be the easiest thing in the world. You should be abl
e to be open and honest with him about who you are...like you do with Paxon.”

  I groaned. “Not this again.”

  “Mari―”

  “No,” I said firmly. “That’s enough. I’m not having this conversation with you. Now, let’s go, we’re already late.”

  Best Foot Forward was a cute boutique-style shop situated directly across from the Zinnia Springs clock tower. The storefront was warm and inviting. People used to be able to come in and shop around for donated shoes that were either free or heavily discounted. In the back were the offices, an employee hangout, and the rest of the stock.

  This place had offered a great service. I had come here once with Daisy when her old shoes had fallen apart into nothingness. It took a lot of wheedling, but eventually she came with me. The employees had treated Daisy like a human being. Asking what style she liked, bringing her lots of choices, and then throwing a couple free pairs of socks into her shopping bag.

  I looked at the burnt-out husk it was now and balled my fists. Veronica Breyfogle had worked hard to fill a need, she had hired kind people, had trained and put systems in place so that her customers would feel safe and respected. And their reward was to be burnt alive by an egotistical politician who was so pathetic he resented his own daughter for putting an end to his carefree life.

  He won’t get away with this, I vowed as Kayla and I walked up to the crime scene tape. I lifted the tape and attempted to slip under it.

  “Oi! What do you think you’re doing? This is a crime scene.” I suddenly found a man blocking my way. He had ZSAIU written across his chest. Zinnia Springs Arson Investigation Unit.

  I straightened. “Oh, it’s okay, officer. I was invited.”

  I said this very politely, but he snorted, rolling his eyes. “This isn’t a tea party with the girls. This is a crime scene and you’re not―”

  “Madame Moon!” someone exclaimed. I looked around the hulking jerk to see Monique waving at me enthusiastically. “There you are. I’m so glad you could make it. Richard, what are you doing? Let her through.”

  “But, ma’am,” he complained. “She’s not allowed―”

  Monique’s demeanor changed in an instant. She stepped in front of Richard. “I say she is allowed, officer.” Her voice chillier than an Arctic breeze. “Now get back to work.”

  I hid my smile at seeing a bald, diminutive woman berating a dude twice her size.

  “Yes, Chief,” he mumbled. He lumbered off.

  Monique turned to me. She held up the crime scene tape while Kayla and I slipped under.

  We set off.

  “I see you’re now commanding the respect you deserve,” I congratulated. “Well done.”

  She beamed. “You were right, Madame. Deep down I felt insecure about my promotion and didn’t think I deserved it. But I’ve worked hard to become Chief and, once I started acting like one, my men fell in line. You’ve changed my life. You saved my job and my marriage. I’m more than happy to repay in any way I can but,” she screwed up her face, “I still don’t understand why you wanted to visit this scene.”

  The front door was gone but a charred, dried-up frame remained. Monique and I stepped through it and Kayla wandered off.

  I paused, taking in all the debris. “One of the people who died here was a client of mine,” I said. Monique gasped. “They came to me only a few days ago, because they thought their life was in danger and then...this happens. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

  Monique was suddenly replaced by Chief Arson Investigator. “Come with me.” We stepped over piles of debris to what would have been the back of the store. She gestured to the area. “This was the owner’s office, and here...” She stepped forward and pointed to a spot on the floor. I had no idea what I was looking at, but Monique explained. “We found traces of an accelerant. This was definitely arson.”

  Monique’s gaze sharpened. “Do you think there’s a chance your client knew the firebug? Maybe threatened to expose him or her, so they killed them to keep them quiet?”

  “The firebug?”

  She nodded. “This fire resembles the handiwork of the arsonist plaguing Zinnia Springs. We found traces of glass at the burn site and gasoline was used as an accelerant. The firebug’s weapon of choice is a gasoline-filled Molotov cocktail.”

  I honed in on one part of her statement. “You said resembles their handiwork? How is it different?”

  She knelt down and did more pointing, but I wasn’t trained to see what she was picking up. “For one, more gasoline was used for this fire. A lot more. This office had been lit up like a five-dollar sparkler. And for two”—she waved her hand to encompass the scene— “this isn’t an abandoned building on the edge of town.” She stood up dusting off her knees. “For three, this was done in broad daylight as opposed to the wee hours of the morning that the firebug has preferred before. And finally, this being the biggest difference, the victims.” She paused. “The first few fires no one was hurt and in the case of the last fire, the death of the homeless man, it’s likely the firebug didn’t know they were in there. But this time, they knew there were innocent people inside.”

  I was silent as I thought. “But if the MOs are different,” I said after a minute. “Doesn’t that prove this was a different person?”

  She shook her head. “Not necessarily. The firebug has been able to evade capture this long by being smart. Smart enough to know he had to change his method for this fire.” She ticked it off with her fingers. “More accelerant to make the fire go up quicker and give their victims no time to escape. A switch to broad daylight, because he or she had to strike during business hours. And a willingness to commit murder, because someone knew their secret. It makes sense, Madame. It actually explains everything.”

  That does explain everything. It wraps things up nice and neat, for the police and the arson investigators. Because even without my interference, they most likely would have pinned this on the firebug. Same accelerant, presence of broken glass. They might have thought the firebug just got a taste for killing after murdering the homeless man, and Veronica Breyfogle became another victim of a crafty arsonist, leading them to look no further. Tad Breyfogle was smart too.

  “So who was it, Madame?” Monique sidled up to me. “Who was the client fearing for their life?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, Monique,” I replied. “I protect my clients’ identities and their secrets even in death.”

  Close as she was, I could feel her warring emotions, but I didn’t need to depend on my empath abilities to tell me she was conflicted. It was plain on her face. “I understand and respect that, Madame Moon, but this a murder investigation and withholding evidence is against the law.”

  I rested my hand on her arm. “I would never dream of withholding evidence from you, Monique. You know I fully support you. You’re the best chief arson investigator this town has ever seen, and if I could help you catch this firebug, I would do so without hesitating.” Her happiness at my compliment blotted out her other emotions. “But I can’t, even if I wanted to,” I continued. “My client didn’t tell me the name of the person threatening them. I don’t even know the gender.”

  Monique cursed, swallowing my lies easily.

  “It’s why I asked you to allow me on the scene. I want to help. I’ll do anything I can to get my client justice.”

  She nodded. “Of course, Madame. And we would appreciate any help you can give us. Just tell me what you need.” An idea comes to her and she snapped her fingers. “How about I take you down to the morgue. You need physical contact to do a reading right? You can examine the bodies and―”

  “Oh no,” I said quickly, feeling sick at the very thought of groping a burnt corpse. “I’m afraid I can’t reach departed souls, but could...I could speak to the witnesses. Even better, if you put me in contact with the employees who were here that day and were able to escape the fire. I would learn a lot from reading them.”

  Monique nodded vigorously. “I’
ll find out who the witnesses are and get you the names and addresses. Wait right here.” She rushed off.

  I turned back to the remains of Veronica’s office. I could have told Monique the truth, but she would most likely have given me the same incredulous look Arnie, Kindler, and even Kali gave me when I said his name. It would be hard to convince people that the mayor was behind this. Harder still without proof. But the moment I had enough evidence, I would take him down.

  I walked around the space, nudging debris with my toe and trying to see what Monique had tried to point out earlier.

  She said it started in this area. I walked over to the spot. It was charred black and surrounded by bits of wood and ceiling. I kicked it away and heard the small tink of something hitting the ground.

  I bent down, lowering my head to the floor to see what had fallen. I spotted the glint of something small and shiny. I reached under the pile and felt around until my hand closed over it. I pulled it out.

  It was...a clip.

  A hair clip? No, wait. I had seen Dad sporting these enough times. This is definitely a tie clip. A gold tie clip with—

  I flipped it over and my eyes bugged out.

  —with the initials TB engraved on the front.

  “Madame Moon!” I scrambled to my feet. I kept my hand and what it was holding behind my back. Monique was hurrying over to me. “I’ll have to text you the names and addresses of the survivors when I get back to the department, but I do know the name of a potential witness.” She pointed to the shop across the side street and adjacent to the remains of Best Foot Forward. “The shop owner was signing for a shipment in the back of her shop, when she saw a suspicious person loitering behind Best Foot Forward. She’s already given the police her statement, but you may be able to glean more.”

  “Let’s go,” I said. She turned her back to me and I took the opportunity to slip the tie clip into my purse. I followed her the short distance to the other shop, Sandy Pleasures.

  Kayla didn’t join us. Instead, I spotted her on Richard’s tail, following him around the scene.

  The bell chimed when we stepped inside. I took a look around. It was a women’s swimsuit shop. Bikinis, tankinis, one-pieces, and swim dresses were on a number of clothing racks and displays. This place had them all in a variety of colors and a couple people were milling around admiring them.