The Harbinger

by Wendy Wang

  Joy flipped on the light to Tom’s office and led Charlie inside. She gestured to the leather chair sitting in front of Tom’s desk and smiled. “Make yourself comfortable.”

  “Thanks,” Charlie said.

  “He’ll be up in a jiffy.”

  Joy tossed her long, perfectly groomed chestnut hair over her shoulder. How long had it taken Joy to master the language of humans in a way that didn’t make them question the goose bumps on their skin when speaking with her? Did she choose such a beautiful facade because it disarmed and charmed at the same time? These were the questions swirling in Charlie’s brain as she watched Joy give her a smile then disappear down the hallway.

  Charlie had never been in Tom's office alone before. She scanned the shelves along the wall beside his desk. There were various books on funeral directing and embalming methods along with a magazine holder filled with magazines about what's new in the industry. There were also little personal mementos that she didn't expect to see. Among them was a small carved angel with no face. Its black polished surface made her pick it up and cradle it in her hands. It felt cool against her skin, like stone but it wasn’t heavy. She flipped it over, looking at the bottom to see where it had been made.

  "It was a gift," Tom said. “Hand carved ebony wood.”

  Charlie’s heart hammered its way to her throat and she pressed her hand against her chest. She turned and gave him an impish grin. "You caught me red-handed I'm afraid."

  He smirked. "I'm surprised you haven't been nosier.”

  “Ha ha.” She threw a glance at the bookshelf and put the figurine back in its place. “Well I see you’re not keeping your book of souls on the shelf with your embalming and funerary books."

  Tom moved into his office, closing the door behind him but he didn't take his eyes off of her. "This is a lovely if unexpected surprise. Is everything all right? "

  "Yes, of course. Everything’s fine. I just …” Charlie swallowed hard, gathering her courage. “I was just wondering if you would like to go on a date with me."

  "A date? A real date?" Tom cocked his head and narrowed his dark amber eyes. His voice full of wariness.

  "Yes. A real date.”

  "I don't know what to say," Tom said.

  "Yes is usually customary. Unless you aren’t really interested and if that’s the case …" Charlie's voice cracked and her cheeks flamed with heat. "Maybe I misjudged things. I … um … I should probably just go.” She looked away from his face and took a step toward the door.

  "I didn't say no." Tom laughed and stopped her in her tracks. He put his hands on the tops of her arms and squared his body with hers.

  Charlie gazed into his face and her stomach flip-flopped. She knew he was presenting a façade. A mask for the world. But dammit, he was so beautiful, especially when he smiled. It made her heart hurt just to look at him.

  "There’s just one thing I want to know before I say yes, though.” The wariness in his voice returned.

  "Okay." Charlie shifted her weight from one foot to the other and tried to swallow away the dryness in her throat.

  "Why all of a sudden you want to take me on a date?"

  "It’s not really sudden," Charlie protested. "And I guess I’m just tired of waiting for you to ask. You search me out all the time. Want to go for walks or have lunch at the café. It feels like there's this energy between us that’s more than just friends but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe …" She struggled to meet his unwavering gaze..

  "You’re not wrong. I feel it too," he said in a silky whisper. "I just haven’t wanted to rush you. So … what would you like to do?" His brows knitted together framing the quizzical look on his face. "Dinner? A movie?"

  "Picnic," Charlie said.

  “Picnic?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Charlie gave him a resolute nod.

  "A picnic is perfect. I can’t even remember the last time I went to a picnic. Maybe half a century ago?”

  "Well my dear, that’s kinda sad," she teased.

  "Indeed it is.” His mouth curled into a grin. “When shall we go on this picnic?"

  "How ‘bout Tuesday? I don't have to work. And I noticed there weren't any obituaries for a Tuesday service.” She smiled at him.

  "You did your homework. I'm impressed." He moved closer. "Do you have Evan this week?"

  "No, he's at his dad's." Charlie inched forward until the toes of her shoes touched the toes of Tom’s boots. His breath was warm on her face and it smelled sweet and sharp like spearmint. Would his lips taste like Wrigley's gum? Her cheeks blazed with heat at the thought.

  "Tuesday it is then." His gaze darted to her lips and she thought for sure he would lean in and press them to hers.

  Charlie's purse began to ring and buzz at the same time, breaking the spell. She stepped back and gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, I have to take this. It could be Evan."

  "Of course," Tom said.

  Charlie reached into her bag for her phone. A photo of Jen holding a piece of pie in one hand and a fork in the other filled her screen. Her cousin wore a mischievous grin on her face. Charlie pressed the green phone icon.

  "Come eat ice cream," Jen yelled into the phone.

  A chorus of other voices echoed behind her. "Yes, come eat ice cream."

  “Hello to you too," Charlie said. "Sounds like y’all are having a party."

  "Evangeline's been testing ice cream recipes all afternoon and brought over the results. This strawberry lavender ice cream is to die for." It sounded like Jen had taken a bite of the frozen treat. The rest of her words were a little garbled. "Why don't you come over and join us on the back porch."

  "I would," Charlie laughed and glanced at Tom a little embarrassed. "But, I’m not at home."

  "Hang on,” Jen said. Charlie heard her swallow the rest of her ice cream. “Sorry about that. I figured you were on your way home from dropping off Evan," Jen said.

  "Yeah, I am," Charlie said.

  "What's wrong with your voice?" Jen asked, her tone full of mischief.

  “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong with my voice.” Charlie cringed at the defensive rise in her tenor.

  "You are lying to me,” Jen laughed. “Are you with a boy?”

  “No … it’s none of your business where I am,” Charlie snipped.

  “Y’all, Charlie’s with a boy."

  In the background Lisa and Daphne whooped and shouted things like, Hot to Trot and Safety First - wrap that man up! Charlie squeezed her eyes shut. There was no way that Tom didn't hear them. Charlie gave him a furtive glance and he was politely looking anywhere but at her. The corners of his mouth twitched with a grin. Oh yeah, he heard.

  Charlie covered her eyes with her hand and whisper-yelled into the phone, "I swear y'all are so immature sometimes." She cleared her throat and regained her composure. "Um, let me finish up what I'm doing and I'll be there in a little while, okay?"

  "Okay," Jen said sweetly but Charlie could hear the amusement in her cousin's voice.

  Daphne’s voice rang through in the background, “Don’t finish up too fast. Where’s the fun in that?”

  "Tell Tom we said hey," Jen said snickering. A peal of laughter echoed in the background.

  "Hush up witches," Charlie said.

  Jen snorted into the phone and the line went dead.

  Charlie took a deep breath and blew it out then tucked her phone back into her purse. "Sorry about that."

  "No worries." Tom’s lips curved up.

  "Jen says hey by the way."

  "Yes," Tom nodded. "I heard.”

  “They’re taste testing recipes, so I think they’re a little buzzed on sugar.”

  “Ah …” Tom nodded. His gaze settled on hers again and she couldn’t look away. “So Tuesday?"

  “Tuesday. Twelve PM sharp.”

  Charlie parked her car in front of the small cottage she rented from her uncle on the edge of his property. She tucked her keys in her pocket and walked across the wide green lawn to her uncle’s large, white
clapboard house. The yellow bulb of the porch light shined, casting her cousins, Jen, Lisa, and Daphne as silhouettes. Their voices and laughter carried across the yard, beckoning her, and she picked up her pace.

  The sharp chemical smell of DEET smacked her nose halfway up the stairs. A soft buzzing close to her ear preceded a quick sharp bite to the back of her neck. Charlie slapped at the culprit and pulled her hand back. The bloody corpse of the flattened mosquito clung to the skin of her fingers and she twisted her lips with disgust. She stepped onto the back porch and wiped away the offensive little bug on her jean shorts.

  "You better spray yourself down." Jen pointed to the bug spray on the table between the rockers where Daphne and Lisa sat. "Or you might just be eaten alive tonight."

  Charlie took the small dark green canister and gave her arms, legs and neck a good dose of the repellent. It may have smelled awful but it did a good job of keeping the bugs away. She would have to take a shower before she went to bed to wash off the oily residue.

  "Isn't there a spell to banish mosquitoes?" Charlie asked.

  "Probably," Ben Sutton said from the screen door that led to the kitchen. In his hands he held two small bowls of ice cream.

  “Hey, Ben, I didn’t realize you were you here,” Charlie said dropping her purse onto the floor next to an empty rocker. Ben Sutton had come to town to help Charlie find a witch selling illegal curses. But that had been almost two months ago. She thought he would have left as soon as they found her, but he stayed because of Jen.

  “In the flesh,” Ben said.

  "Hey, y'all," Charlie said. Daphne continued to lick a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but she raised her hand in an acknowledging wave. Lisa gave her a perfunctory smile. She held an empty ice cream bowl in one hand. “So why can’t we just get rid of the mosquitoes?”

  "Well, because even though the spell may seem like it's doing you some good by getting rid of the bugs, they actually serve a purpose in the larger ecosystem. You start with a spell like that you're going to throw things out of balance." Ben pushed open the screen door and let it slam behind him.

  “Ben,” Jen said stridently. “Ruby’s sleeping.”

  “Sorry.” He smiled at her contritely and handed her a fresh bowl of ice cream.

  "That looks good," Charlie said pointing to the ice cream in Ben's bowl. "What flavor's that?"

  "Something called …" Ben glanced at Jen with the help me out look.

  "It's peach melba ice cream. It is soooo good," Jen said scooping up a little of her own and slipping it into her mouth.

  "Okay, great. I’ll have some of that. Is it in the freezer?"

  "Mmmmhhmmm," Jen nodded.

  "Come on, Lisa,” Charlie called as she headed inside. “Why don't you come with me?"

  "I think I’ve had my fill," Lisa said.

  "So you can come inside and keep me company then," Charlie said.

  "Okay." Lisa frowned, confusion wrinkling her brow. She got up from her chair and followed Charlie into the kitchen.

  Charlie grabbed a bowl from the stack on the counter and opened the freezer. There were five white plastic containers on the shelves. Charlie pulled the first one she saw and read the strip of masking tape on the plastic top. Mimosa sorbet. It sounded delicious. She took the small container, placed it on the counter and grabbed the ice cream scoop from the drainer. After a quick rinse with a little warm water, Charlie popped open the top of the container and formed one perfect, small scoop of the golden orange-colored ice.

  "So what's going on with you and Jason? I thought y'all were spending this week together. How come he's not here?" Charlie asked.

  Lisa took her empty bowl to the sink and washed it up. Charlie watched her cousin's slim shoulders draw up slightly with a deep breath and then deflate. "He caught a case."

  "How did he catch a case? He's on vacation," Charlie said. She scooped a little ice cream into her mouth and let it slide down her throat. "Oh my God. Bubbles."

  Lisa placed her bowl in the drainer and turned, resting against the counter with her hands behind her back. "Evangeline thought the bubbles would be a nice touch I guess."

  "A spell?" Charlie mouthed. She glanced towards the door. Had her Uncle Jack gone to bed?

  "He's not here, and yeah I think so," Lisa said.

  “So where’s Uncle Jack?”

  “He’s actually out on a date."

  Jack’s sprawling family of females, daughters, granddaughter, nieces and sister-in-law Evangeline, filled up some of the hole left when he was left a widower many years before. It had never occurred to Charlie he would want for the company of a woman at his age.

  "A date with who?" Charlie asked.

  "Marva Ackerman," Lisa said. "They don't really date per se as much as they …” Lisa made a pumping motion with her fist. “You know."

  "Ewww … stop that. I don't need that in my head. Thank you very much."

  "Yeah, none of us do," Lisa cracked a smile.

  "How long has that been going on?"

  "Oh they've been sleeping together for years. But this is the first time I've ever known him to actually take her out." Lisa shrugged. "At least somebody's getting laid tonight."

  Charlie took another bite of her ice cream and regarded her prickly cousin with care. Lisa's irritation felt like a poorly done glamour, a spell meant to mask reality. But the edges of Lisa's misery shone like light leaking around the door. If Charlie went too touchy-feely Lisa might scoff and dig in hard behind her anger. But if she didn't apply some sort of pressure, her cousin would slide into nonchalance. Both would be a lie.

  "I'm sorry Jason abandoned you. He shouldn't have done that."

  "It's all right," Lisa said. "He has a job to do. I know that. And it's important. I don't think he would've given up his vacation for just any old case."

  Charlie’s senses pricked up. "Really? Do you know what it is?"

  "A murder?" A dark shadow crossed Lisa’s face. "I don't want to be too gossipy but he asked his friend Cameron to help."

  "Right. The FBI guy."

  Yep," Lisa nodded. "You know about him?”

  “A little.”

  “They were roommates in college. After seeing them together, I can see how they ended up being friends. Same interests. Same super straight-laced approach to things,” Lisa said.

  Charlie chuckled. "You know I always think of Jason as having sprung from the head of Zeus as a thirty-four-year-old man. I cannot imagine what he was like when he was a freshman in college."

  "I've seen pictures. He was cute. A little nerdy, but he still had those sharp, cynical eyes.” Lisa’s lips stretched into a thoughtful smile.

  “I have no doubt he’s had them since he was a toddler," Charlie quipped. "Why do you think he asked the FBI guy to help?"

  "Evidently it’s an ongoing case. Other girls have been murdered."

  "Is that what he said?" Charlie asked. “Did he say how many?”

  "Two I think," Lisa said.

  "Hmmm," Charlie took another small bite of sorbet.

  "You should try this strawberry lavender. It really is delicious," Lisa said.

  "I don't know. I was kind of thinking about that peach melba," Charlie said.

  "It's really good, too," Lisa said but something in her tone didn't quite convince Charlie.

  Charlie walked over and stood next to Lisa, pressing against her cousin’s shoulder. "I'm sorry he hasn't called. Are you worried?"

  "No," Lisa said. "I'm just disappointed that’s all. We had plans. And now we don’t. I’ll probably just go back to work myself."

  "No, don't do that," Charlie said. "You deserve time off. And goddess love him, you don't need him to have fun. Especially when you’ve got us. I've got a light schedule this week. We should plan something."

  One corner of Lisa's mouth curved up. "Like what?"

  "There's a new spa that supposed to be opening up in West Ashley. I heard a commercial for it on the radio today. We should try it out. Go get facials and mass
ages and pedicures. The works," Charlie said, letting her hands animate her excitement.

  "That sounds kinda good, I guess. Although I think Daphne has a massage therapist in her salon now."

  “She does, but between you and me,” Charlie lowered her voice. "She’s not that great. Let's just go be pampered."

  "Okay. I like that.” Lisa nodded. “When do you want to do it?"

  "Can’t be Tuesday because I’m taking Tom on a picnic. But I’ve only got a couple of shifts at the call center and aside from a few personal readings, I’m free for the rest of the week after that."

  "A picnic? Sounds romantic," Lisa mused.

  "No. It sounds corny, but I figured we’ve been spending all this time together and … well things just haven't progressed much. So I bit the bullet and asked him on a date."

  "Good for you." Lisa nudged Charlie with her shoulder. “I think that’s great. He’s still creeps me out a little, but as long as he makes you happy.”

  “Thanks.” Charlie sighed. “I’m gonna get some more ice cream. You want some?”

  “Naw, I’m good. I’m gonna head out. Put on my pajamas, snuggle up with Butterbean and watch some Netflix.” Lisa pushed off from the counter and headed out.

  Charlie went back to the freezer and perused the other flavors. The screen door creaked. "I don't see the peach melba. You got me all excited about it. You better not have been pulling my leg."

  "Hey, Charlie," a familiar voice said.

  Charlie looked up to find Jason Tate standing near the door. She smiled. "Lisa just left. Did you pass her on the way in?"

  "Yeah, I did. I'm gonna swing by her house later. But that's not why I'm here." He wore a somber expression on his ruggedly handsome face. Dark lavender shadows beneath his eyes spoke volumes about how much sleep he'd gotten last night. “I left you a voice mail. Did you get it?”

  Charlie closed the freezer door and turned to face him. "I didn’t. I’m sorry. What's going on?"

  "I need your help. What's your schedule like tomorrow?"

  "Busy. I have to work till three. Are you okay?" Charlie stepped closer.

  "Yeah, I'm fine I just —"

  "Lisa said that you were going back to work instead of taking your vacation," Charlie said. "I figured it must be bad for that to happen. Especially since you were so excited to be spending the week together."