Her freckled face reddened. "Linc says we need to cool down our relationship. Just because I told him to knock off demanding that everything be done scientifically." She slapped the bag.
I could relate to her anger over relationship problems. Months before I came to the ranch, I had a breakup with my longtime boyfriend, Eduardo, who claimed the split was my fault for being more in love with my career than with him. I'd brooded over Eduardo for months. "I didn't really see you and Linc having problems. Did this come up suddenly?"
She abandoned the bag and hurled a plate against the wall. "I don't know. It's like once you find one thing wrong, it's easy to find more stuff that bugs you. It started with Linc thinking I shouldn't have been sad at Cullen's death."
I remembered Linc had seemed to criticize her for crying in front of the mask. "Do you mean he was jealous?"
She held plates in both hands. "There was no reason for him to be jealous. I was sad because somebody I knew died. If he's so smart, why couldn't he figure that out?"
I winced at the thud of china against the wall. Her anger unsettled me, and I wanted to get her beyond breaking things. "We're all upset. Maybe Linc doesn't know how to express his emotions, so he strikes out at you."
She paused before she flung another plate. "Well, it's stupid of him to pick on me. And then to top it off, Trevor came out on the porch while Linc and I were arguing and butted in. He agreed with Linc that we should cool off our relationship. He said it's not good to always be off by ourselves like you and Ira."
I hurled two plates against the wall to rid myself of irritation at Trevor. Why was he interfering in other people's business? Yesterday Jake had refused to tell me anything about Trevor killing his brother, and I hadn't followed up on that mystery.
Time to get the dirt on him. "I understand Trevor has anger issues, but does he have some special reason to criticize Ira and me? Does he dislike me in particular, or does he hate everyone equally?"
She threw a blue plate. "Maybe it's because you're a lawyer. When Trevor went to court for killing his brother, he blamed it on his lawyer that he got probation."
"Am I the only one who doesn't know Trevor's supposedly secret history?"
"Cullen told Linc about it. Linc was sworn to secrecy, but of course he told me. I may have told a few of my closest friends."
But not me. "I'm curious why Trevor was mad at his lawyer when he got probation. You mean he didn't think he should be punished at all?"
With a wave of her hand and the command "Gather," she swept up the broken blue plate pieces into a pile. "He wanted to be locked up. He's still mad that his lawyer got him into some kind of treatment program." She seemed to lose track of her cleanup, for she simply stared at the shards of crockery.
I felt guilty that I'd gotten sidetracked from her problem with Linc. "I'm sorry. I suppose you don't want to gossip about Trevor. Let's talk about you and Linc."
Dawn traced a circle in the air above the blue plate pieces and mouthed a word. The pile formed into a shallow bowl, the blue glaze heightened with streaks of red.
"We need a fruit bowl." She hugged it to her chest. "I came up here to get rid of my anger." She held her creation out to me. "Take your anger out before you leave. If you break the bowl, I can make a better one."
I didn't take the bowl. "I'm not angry. I have a great job, a nice house, and friends to go back to when I leave."
"Do you think we don't know the truth?" She scowled. "You hate it here and can't wait to get out. Some people say you think you're better than us—you're here because you're new to magic, not because you screwed up."
So that was her opinion of me. "You have it all wrong. I'm envious of all of you because you grew up in the magic tradition and know the basics. I was raised by an adoptive family who were non-magicals. Doing even the tiniest spell is a challenge." I couldn't believe how clueless I'd been as to what people really thought of me. "Let's get back to you—throwing a few plates won't use up all the anger you have from a breakup. Let's plan ahead and anticipate problems. What do you think you need to see you through this crisis with Linc?"
She sat on the floor and pulled her knees close to her chest. "Here's why I'm scared. The last time I broke up with a guy, the jerk took off when I threatened to cut out his cheating heart. My potions went bad on me. My clients covered for me until it got so bad that I ended up here. I'm afraid I'll break down again. I might hurt someone if I mess up a spell."
Blaze slipped off his tattoo to perch on Dawn's bowl. Pretty, sounded his voice in my head.
He was right. The bowl's graceful shape and shiny surface testified to Dawn's ability to create objects. She had enough talent to fashion the bird and the spear involved in Cullen's death, although I didn't know about her accuracy with a propel spell.
I sank down next to her on the floor. "May I see the bowl?"
After she handed it to me, I ran my fingers over its slick surface. It felt like real pottery, not the cheap dinner plates we'd been throwing. "Dawn, every day I worry I'll botch a spell and hurt someone. But in the two months I've been here, I haven't set anyone on fire. I asked Ira, since he's been in and out of the ranch several times, and he said he's never hurt anyone." Except himself. As I returned the bowl to her, Blaze settled back on his tattoo. Praise will soothe her, sounded his voice in my head. "This is something good that you've made."
She accepted her artwork. "I worry my temper will lead me to hurt someone. Like how I got mad and said you were snobby."
I accepted that as an apology. "Let's you and I take some positive steps. You start by telling staff you have a new issue that requires immediate attention. Which counselor do you get along with best?"
She shrugged and curled inside herself.
I pushed myself away from the wall. "How about if I go with you?"
She hunched tighter, so I added, "How about if I do the talking?"
She unfurled herself. "I'm done breaking things. Let's find someone who can fix me. Thanks for your help."
Dawn and I let the escalator move us downstairs at a sedate pace. Halfway to the first floor, she charged down and into the arms of the blonde-haired woman standing in the middle of the living room.
"Linc and I are having problems." Dawn sobbed on the scoop neckline of Hailey Silverstone's little black dress.
Dawn didn't need me as her mouthpiece. She poured out her Linc tale of woe. The living room beanbags, their magic activated by the presence of humans, formed a circle around the two women. The empathy spell installed by Jake in them always worked well. Not wanting to interfere with Dawn's time with Hailey, I stepped into the backyard. I wandered to the area where cottonwood trees high as a three-story house lined up along the back of the fence and cut off the sun.
In the shadows Wyatt looked up from his phone. He pinned me with his snapping black eyes. "I want to talk to you about what's going to happen with Jake."
My heart rate sped up as I prepared to hear about the next crisis of the day. Surely he wasn't going to tell me Jake had been arrested. "What do you mean?"
"How do you feel about Hailey Silverstone?"
"I've seen her around but haven't really interacted much. When the students talk about her, they get all gushy about how wonderful she is."
Wyatt dropped his demanding eyes. "Gushy is the natural way to talk about her. She is absolutely the most empathic counselor I've ever known. Again and again I've had to remind her not to give too much to her clients."
I'd seen how eager Adrian and Dawn were to rush to Hailey for comfort. "Jake said Hailey was going to be working at the ranch as another counselor."
Wyatt moved to stand directly in front of me. "In order for Hailey to ease Jake's burden and to rehabilitate the ranch, there's been a decision that she will replace him as director."
"Why does Jake have to be removed?" My voice came out angry-bird squawky.
"The Wizards Council insists. Some of the ranch's biggest supporters are demanding this change to satisfy public o
pinion that something is being done. Jake had to agree." Wyatt crossed his arms over his chest, which made him look even bulkier.
"What's going to happen to Jake?" If I were Jake, I'd be deflated and mad at the same time.
"Jake will remain at the ranch as a counselor."
"REM is supposed to provide support, not take over everything." I stalked over to the cottonwood tree where wizards had carved their initials and graffiti into its trunk.
"It's not like Hailey wants this extra responsibility," Wyatt explained. "She has more than enough work to do at REM. We've had to increase the workload of our counselors to cover our time at the ranch. We both want to support ranch staff, give them more time to work with residents."
I stared at a graffito on the tree, a heart enclosing two words, Jess + Chris. As I watched, the names changed to Alex + Dana. A former resident had installed a spell that rotated a series of lovers' names. "Give me a minute."
Why was I arguing with Wyatt about Hailey? I didn't like to see Jake demoted, but clearly murder at a treatment center meant bad publicity. Appointing new staff was an easy way for administration to look like they were doing something. Poor Jake. "Why are you telling me privately like this?"
"I wanted you to be on board before I make the public announcement." Wyatt inspected me. "The other residents look up to you."
I couldn't believe him. "No, they criticize me for monopolizing Ira. Worse, they think I killed Cullen."
"They're scared, Petra. When people are frightened for themselves, they lash out at others. I've confronted several residents, and they admit they don't have any specific proof against you. And you're a lawyer—that makes people look up to you."
Ha. "Yeah, I've noticed how much people love lawyers."
He smiled. "Everybody makes lawyer jokes, but who do they go to when they're in trouble? They know you used to handle cases in criminal court. In a murder case it's natural for the others to look to you for expertise. Will you support Hailey?"
"I guess."
He picked up his suit jacket, which he'd left on the patio. He was ready for business. "I sense a lack of enthusiasm. This is an opportunity. People fight to pay big bucks to have Hailey counsel them. And here she is, volunteering to help the ranch through these tough times. Meet with her. If she finds the residents are working the program, she can make a favorable report to the Wizards Council. You're an advocate. Do what you can to help others see that REM's involvement is positive."
Hailey was a done deal. I had to make the best of her appointment. "I need to figure out if I have some healing talent. I'll approach Hailey on that issue. When she works with me, I can tell people how great it is to have her here. Does that make sense?"
"It's perfect. Hailey is an extraordinary healer."
He'd reeled me in. He was a good salesman. I reached out my hand to him. "You've got a deal. If people will talk to me, I'll do what I can to rally support for Hailey."
He clasped both hands around mine. "The Board insisted I make the announcement about Jake. I didn't volunteer."
"No, it's no fun to be the guy with the bad news. People like Jake. But it's not all bad. Just hearing Hailey's name seems to energize people, so we have some positive feelings to work with."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Back in the living room, Hailey kneeled and held Dawn's hand. Although red-eyed and puffy faced, Dawn held her chin up. Since she seemed more composed, I decided I could interrupt them. I reintroduced myself to Hailey and asked to talk to her when she was free.
"I'm sending Dawn off for relaxation therapy," Hailey announced.
After Kai, exuding a lavender aroma, collected Dawn for the tranquility treatment, Hailey sank into a beanbag that had slid over to her. I stretched out on an adjoining bag and loosened up on the squishy cushion. While Hailey checked her phone for messages, I concentrated on the creaks and hums of the old ranch house. The house spoke its private language.
"Welcome to the Disclaimer Ranch," I said once she looked up from her phone. "I've heard so many good things about you as a counselor."
Hailey's gaze was sedate, not fiery like Jake's or probing like Wyatt's.
"You and the other residents must be unsettled by me replacing Jake as director."
"We're used to Jake being the top guy, but we all work with the other counselors, so it's not like we're totally dependent on him. I believe it's a sign of strength in an organization if it can continue under new leadership."
She scrolled on her phone. "I've reviewed your file again, so I know where you are in your treatment."
That was more than I knew. "Great. What I'm interested in is exploring whether I have any talent as a healer. Lately, a few smallish incidents—"
"Jake shared that with me. I have a challenge for you. Come with me to the office."
As I followed her to what had been Jake's office, I wondered if she had already taken over his space—that would be fast work.
I was a bit apprehensive about what she had set up. If counselors promised a challenge, they meant a painful experience loomed. Whatever game plan she had in mind, I needed to perform well so the ranch would look good. I braked hard at the door to the office. In front of the rockers before the desk, Trevor glared at me, ready for combat.
Hailey stopped midpoint between us. "I understand you and Trevor have never worked together as a team. I believe you have something to offer each other." Her phone buzzed angrily. A frown cracked through her makeup. "I'm sorry. Please wait here. This is an emergency."
I marched up to Trevor. "You've got a lot of nerve interfering in Linc and Dawn's business and making comments about Ira and me." I didn't see any point in tact.
"What?"
"By butting in you made the situation with Dawn and Linc worse."
"Did not." His lips quivered into not quite a smile.
I supposed he thought he was being funny. "And what gave you the right to criticize Ira and me? You're not a particular friend of mine."
"I guess Ira never told you about the times he's shared beers with me."
Beer was not allowed at the ranch. If I wasn't so preoccupied with Cullen's murder, I'd be more curious about the flow of beer at the ranch. "Do you have it in for me because you don't like lawyers?"
"Who told you that?"
I looked away, not sure if I should disclose Dawn as my informant. "I can sense your hostility."
Trevor tapped on the knobs on the top of the rocker. "Cullen was the only one who knew the whole story about when I got in trouble, like about the lawyer and everything."
"Why did you confide in him?"
"We got drunk after one of the REM meetings. He convinced me it was wrong to be secretive."
He'd been partying way more than me at the ranch, especially for the short time he'd been there. "So you confided in him. Did it help?"
"Kind of. He wanted me to tell everybody. I wasn't ready. He offered to do the telling for me."
I had another suspect. Trevor might have been angry when Cullen threatened to blab his story. According to Jake, Trevor had already killed someone. "Did you and Cullen argue about him telling others?"
"You never took any notice of me before. Why are you suddenly asking me questions?"
"I want to find out what was going on with Cullen. With a murderer at the ranch, none of us are safe. If we could figure out what happened—"
"You're going to be like those detectives on TV. I can help you." His eyes brightened.
He couldn't be any worse a Watson than Adrian. "You can help if you convince me you didn't do it so I can take you off my list."
"Cullen and I were friends. Why would I hurt him? And you're a suspect. Why don't you have to convince me you didn't do it?" He'd planted himself in front of me. His nervous energy hit me like an electrical charge.
I backed up to sit on the edge of the desk. "What if Cullen told your secret to others? Wouldn't that make you furious?"
"What if he spread some story about you? Would that make you
mad enough to kill him?"
"I haven't cleared myself yet. I'm still on the list. But Cullen never threatened to spread any stories about me."
"Cullen liked to collect people's secrets. Only you know if he had some power over you. And you were right next to him just before he died."
"Rest assured I don't kill people merely for being annoying. Otherwise you might be dead." Belatedly, I realized that the murder of his brother might make him sensitive to smart-alecky remarks about death. "So you weren't upset when Cullen said he'd blab your secret?"
"What do you know about my supposed secret?"
"Jake told me you killed your brother. He didn't reveal anything else. Was Cullen threatening to disclose something more?"
"Cullen and I had worked that issue out. He was going to keep my secret." He flicked his hand as if to wave away the Cullen issue. "Does everybody think because I killed my brother I must have killed Cullen?"
I thought for a minute. "I don't know the stats, but people who kill family members often aren't repeat offenders."
My answer seemed to deflate him, for his shoulders slumped. Possibly the phrase "people who kill family members" had a chilling effect. I should be more careful what I said since his youth and sad history left him emotionally fragile.
"Trevor, we can't prove to each other that we didn't kill Cullen. We could hide in our rooms, but I want to keep working on my treatment. If we could get along, we'd learn from each other. What do you think?"
Trevor moved away and studied one of the TV monitors. It displayed Adrian waving her hands while she talked to Hailey. "Ira told me he's spent too much of his life keeping secrets. Sometimes, lately, I've wanted to free myself from the past."
"It's up to you to talk or not." I braced myself to hear his sad story.
"Okay, you suspect me because I pled guilty to my brother's death. Here's proof I'm not a violent person. I didn't kill my brother. I came into his room. He had the gun to his head. I grabbed the gun. We struggled. He got the gun back and shot himself. I took the gun out of his hands. I told my parents that we were arguing and that I pointed the gun at him, that I fired it when he grabbed at me." His voice was gravelly, as if it had gone over a rough patch.
Murder Lifts the Spirits Page 9
