Summer Reading is Killing Me (Phee Jefferson Book 2) (16 page)

Chapter thirty three

Juliet and I ate our lunch in silence, each of us
lost in our own thoughts. I thought of a hundred scenarios on how I could
approach Clint about his lack of communication. In each one, I envisioned a bad
ending. Should I keep my mouth shut and not rock the boat? We loved spending
time with each other, but everything stayed on the surface. No talks late into
the night about our dreams and ideas. We never discussed our future.

“I’m over myself,” I leaned back when I ate my
last bite of sandwich. “If I don’t get up and do something, I’m going to sit
here feeling sorry for myself all day. I didn’t act like a sad sack before
Clint, and I’m certainly not going to be one now. Let’s go find something to
do.”

“I have an evening yoga class to teach to the
seniors, but I’m free until then. Let’s go visit Willow. She wanted to do a
full reading for me. I think you should let her do one for you, too. You don’t
have to believe, but it will be fun either way. I’ll call her and see if we can
come by now.”

“Why not? Maybe the spirits can tell me what to do
because I don’t have a clue,” I said.

We paid our bill, and I followed Juliet to her apartment
to drop off her convertible. She hopped in Velma and we chugged back to the
lake to find Willow. Juliet directed me towards a tiny cabin nestled against a
large stand of trees. Willow sat outside cross-legged with her head thrown back
and her eyes closed. Juliet and I strolled across the grass and stood waiting
for her to acknowledge us. A few minutes later, she slowly opened her eyes and
straightened her legs. “The spirits are very active today. The storm brings
them energy and opens the portal between this world and the next. I have a lot
to tell you both.”

We followed her into the tiny cabin. It was one
room with a loft sleeping area above us. There was a small wooden table in the
center of the room, and she invited us to have a seat. In the middle of the
table was a wooden bowl filled with a variety of large stones and crystals. I
shot Juliet a skeptical look, but she ignored me.

“
Phee
needs some
guidance…” Juliet started but Willow held up her hand to silence her.

“Don’t tell me. Let me connect with the spirits
and have them guide us,” Willow said. “
Phee
, please
choose four stones from the bowl. Don’t think about it. Pick ones that call to
you.”

I rolled my eyes but decided to play along. I
pulled the wooden bowl towards me and picked four stones. “Now what?” I asked.

“I want you to close your eyes and think about
whatever you need guidance on and transfer those thoughts into the stones. Keep
tight hold of the stones as you meditate on your issues,” Willow instructed.
“Juliet, while she’s doing that, choose your four stones.”

I closed my eyes and did as she instructed. I
thought about Clint and his emotional reticence,
Elody’s
murder and how to catch the killer, and finally, I thought about myself and how
I wished I had more confidence. I opened my eyes and saw that while I’d
contemplated my problems, Willow had placed four candles on the table and lit
them. The scent of patchouli, sage, lemon and something else filled the air.
She moved around the room chanting quietly under her breath. She had added
bells to her dreadlocks. They tinkled quietly as she moved.

“I really don’t believe in this woo
woo
stuff,” I said apologetically. “I don’t know how any of
this is going to help me.”

“The spirits understand your reluctance to
believe, but they are gentle beings and laugh at your willingness to believe in
the fantasies you find in the pages of your books but not what surrounds you
every day,” Willow said in a sing-song voice. She stopped flitting about the
table and sat down. “Please hand me your stones,
Phee
.”

I reached across the table and dropped the four
stones into her outstretched hand. She placed them one by one next to the four
candles. “I’m placing these stones in the four corners represented by the four
candles. Each represents earth, fire, water and air. I need you to stay silent
while I commune with the spirits.”

Willow closed her eyes and rocked back and forth,
her lips moving silently. I leaned back in my chair and waited to see what kind
of baloney she’d pull out of her dreads. Juliet sat wide-eyed and completely
entranced by Willow’s act. When we were done, I’d need to have a come back to
reality chat with her.

Willow opened her eyes and stared at me. Startled,
I felt trapped and drawn to her. I thought for a moment her eyes glinted gold
before shifting back to their normal brown. It must be a trick of light from
the candles.

“Your first stone is the bloodstone.” Willow
picked up the greenish-colored stone with flecks of rusty brown. “It brings
your courage and purpose in difficult situations. You don’t know how to
confront a loved one and are fearful of what you will discover. Use your inner
strength and know that despite your fear, in the end, all will be revealed.”

“
Phee
, I think she’s
talking about your problem with Clint,” Juliet whispered.

“Silence!” Willow commanded. “Do not interfere
with the message.” She reached out and picked up another stone. This one was
also green. “This is aventurine. It is the stone of opportunity. It will help
you release attachments and move forward in your life. The earth spirit tells
me you cling to old ideas and beliefs, but you need to release these
attachments and embrace new ideas. Change isn’t always bad. It can breathe new
energy into a tired life or relationship.”

I thought about my love of old things. I did have
a tendency to cling to the past. Look at my relationship with Clint. I hadn’t
dated because I was so attached to my teenage crush on him. Would I have become
a dried-up spinster if he hadn’t fallen in love with me?

Willow picked up the third stone. It was a deep
shade of blue. “This stone is blue apatite. It is used to motivate you and to
help you communicate with beings on this realm as well as the next. It aids the
throat chakra. You sometimes have difficulty expressing yourself in times of
turmoil or stress. The spirits tell me you need to believe in your inner voice
and allow it to come forth. They also advise that you need to stop
disconnecting yourself from other realms and your own spirit. You are too
present in this earthly realm to the exclusion of all others. Open your heart
and mind to other possibilities. Allow the spirits to communicate and guide
you.” She picked up the final stone and held it in her hands. “Ah, the
moonstone. Its uses are twofold. It protects you as you travel at night or by
water. It also assists with love. It aids new love or reunites lovers who part
in anger. The spirits tell me you will embark on a journey that will bring
closure to a troubled soul. You will be in danger, so guard yourself well. Carry
this stone with you at all times.”

Willow smiled at me and patted my hand like a
wise, old crone. Despite my disbelief in her spirit guides, I felt a sense of
calming warmth flow through me. I thought about what she said. All of it was
fairly vague and could apply to any situation if you thought about it. Despite
my misgivings, I figured this hadn’t been an entire waste of time. I’d calmed
down from my earlier upset over Lu and my discord over Clint’s secrecy.
“Thanks, Willow. This helped me,” I said.

“You’re welcome.” She placed the stones in a deep
blue velvet bag. She handed the bag to me. “Keep these on you at all times in
the coming days. They will bring you strength and wisdom.”

“Uh…sure,” I said and tucked them into the front
pocket of my capris.

Willow turned to Juliet. “Hand me your stones,
please.” Juliet dropped her four stones into Willow’s palm. Willow gazed at
them for a moment before placing them next to the four candles. She went
through her earlier routine of humming and closing her eyes to commune with the
spirits. If nothing else could be said about Willow, she was a consummate
actress. She had this gypsy psychic gig down pat. Juliet sat forward in eager
anticipation.

“This first stone is called crazy lace agate. It
helps you to make decisions. It guides you to balance your emotional and
physical worlds so you can choose wisely. The spirits tell me you don’t trust
your own emotions let alone the emotions offered to you by others. You need to
accept that love may be offered freely and received gratefully. There is no
harm in embracing it.” Willow picked up the next stone. “The second stone is
carnelian. You sometimes connect to the spiritual more than the physical world,
perhaps out of fear of reality. While the spirits welcome your company, they
advise you to be present in the moment and enjoy the gift that life has brought
to you. There is great joy to be found in the physical realm and you should
embrace it.”

Juliet couldn’t stop herself. “I bet they are
talking about Wade. I should stop fighting his need to commit.”

“I don’t advise. I am a conduit for the spirits as
they send you their message. You must take the message and apply it as the
spirits guide,” Willow intoned. She picked up the third stone. “Fluorite. An
excellent stone to bring one down to earth. This will help you concentrate and
learn as you start a new chapter in your life. The spirits see you taking a
path that no one expects. Although it will be difficult, they see success and
happiness in your future. The fourth and final stone is rainforest jasper. This
will help you to hear what others say without judgment or rejection. It
balances the male and female energies within us all. It also allows others into
our lives while still protecting us. The spirit guides want you to allow love
into your life. You are a warm and caring individual who gives love, but
sometimes you have difficulty accepting it from others.”

Like she did with me, Willow took the four stones
and tied them in a bag. Juliet’s was green velvet. She took it eagerly from
Willow. “Willow, you are so insightful. This has been a great help,” Juliet
gushed.

“I’m glad I was able to speak to the spirits,”
Willow said. She leaned forward and blew out the candles. “I wished
Elody
would have listened to her spirit guides when they
tried to warn her.”

“Really? What did they say?” Juliet asked.

“
Elody’s
four stones
were all tied to protection. The spirits warned of great danger from someone
wearing a false face. Trickery and deceit surrounded her on all sides. I
wondered if she had her protective stones on her when she died?” Willow mused.

“I’m not sure,” I said. “I didn’t see them at the
crime scene, but I also didn’t look that closely when I found her.”

“I placed them in a special bag designed to enhance
their protection. The silver sheen of the cloth was meant to amplify their
protective qualities.” Willow shook her head sadly. “She must not have listened
to my warnings. Only the spirits know what happened. I can’t channel
Elody’s
messages from them now that she has departed the
physical realm.”

“Too bad. We could really use their help wrapping
up this case,” Juliet said. “Thanks for your time, Willow. Free yoga classes
for the rest of the summer, okay?”

“Sounds like a deal. The spirits wanted me to tell
you both to be very careful. The storm that brews outside will hinder you on
your night journey. Use caution and guard each other.”

“We will. Thanks again,” Juliet said. We stood up
and stretched. I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized we’d spent over
an hour with her.

Juliet and I walked out and got into Velma. The
rain started to fall, and the sky had grown darker. I hoped it wasn’t the
spirits sending us a message about my coming conversation with Clint. I started
the van and steered her towards town.

chapter thirty four

  I dropped Juliet off at her apartment and
headed home. I ran from my van in a vain attempt to avoid the rain. Closing the
door behind me, I shook my wet curls and set my bag down on the small side
table.
Ferdie
bounded up to me and meowed his
annoyance at my long absence. I squatted down and scratched him under his chin.
“I know, big boy. You’re starving to death because no one ever feeds you.”

Walking into my kitchen, I fixed his bowl of
kibbles and added an extra spoonful of his favorite canned food on top. I made
myself a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich with potato chips. I washed
it all down with a glass of chocolate milk. Comfort food was a necessity today.
I needed to unwind after everything I learned today. I changed into a pair of
pajama shorts with kittens chasing balls of yarn printed on them. I browsed the
pile of books on the nightstand next to my bed. Should I read the latest Jo
Nesbo
or reread my favorite Elizabeth Peters’ novel? Such
is the life of a book loving librarian. Too many books and too little time. I
decided to stick with the evening’s comfort theme and chose Elizabeth Peters’
Crocodile
on the Sandbank
. I settled under my aquamarine sheets and opened the book.
Immersed in the misdeeds of Emerson and Amelia Peabody’s frustration with him,
I didn’t realize my cell phone was ringing. I tried to reach across the bed to
grab it from the charger but became tangled in the sheets. I finally freed
myself and answered with a brusque hello.

“Hi. Is everything okay?” Clint’s deep baritone
rumbled through the phone.

“Yes. No. I don’t know. I couldn’t reach the phone
and got trapped by my own sheets. Just another nail in the coffin of a crappy
day,” I grumbled.

“That’s part of the reason I called. I’m sure I
was one of those nails. I wanted to apologize for earlier. It seems that’s all
I do lately. I keep sticking my big ole boats in my mouth. I shouldn’t have
snapped at you. All of us on the force are on edge and short-tempered, but it
wasn’t fair of me to take it out on you.”

“It’s okay. Lu snapped at me, too. I heard about
the sheriff dressing her down in front of everyone. Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. She fumed for most of the day, and
Jaime probably shouldn’t accept any cups of coffee from her in the next few
days if he wants to stay healthy. Getting chewed out occasionally goes with the
job. We’ve all felt the pressure from the Senator and his staff to wrap this
case up, but Jaime’s at the receiving end of most of it. He hears not only from
the Senator’s camp, but also the Mayor and the state police.”

“Poor Jaime. I’m glad I’m not in his shoes right
now. Did Lu tell you what I discovered?” I asked. “And before you say anything,
I was careful and made sure someone knew where I was at all times.”

“She did. As a matter of fact, she and I got back
from questioning Jay a short time ago. There wasn’t anything in the back of his
vehicle when we got there, but I felt the hood of his car, and the engine was
still hot. He could have dumped those paintings anywhere,” Clint said.

“Dang it! I thought you guys would be able to link
him to at least the recent art thefts. Not that I’m trying to do your job, but
everything points to Jay as the murderer. I don’t understand why you guys
haven’t brought him in as a suspect.”

“Honestly, he’s too good of a suspect. This guy is
a street-wise thug. He might as well have a big neon sign over his head that
screams “murderer!” I don’t doubt Jay’s into something illegal, but his M.O.
says he’s a hands-on criminal. A thief and a brawler, but not a killer. He had
to know he’d be suspect number one in
Elody’s
death.
I just can’t see him making that kind of mistake. If she had disappeared, he’d
definitely be my number one suspect, but something just doesn’t smell right to
me.”

“I guess,” I said doubtfully. “
Elody
had a bruise on her face that everyone says came from him. If he had gang
connections, I’m sure he’s no stranger to guns. He could have one of his homeys
bump off
Elody
. I’m also curious to see what you guys
found out about Tessa Brewer. She’s someone with something to hide. I’m
wondering if it is her teenage criminal past or something else.”

“I can’t believe my nerdy librarian girlfriend
used homey and bump off in the same sentence. Juliet is a bad influence on you,
but I’m somewhat intrigued with your edgy new vocabulary,” Clint joked. “I’ve
got a buddy in the city running some leads on Tessa. So far everything comes
back that she’s a reporter with expensive taste in clothing and cars. Although
not smart considering her paycheck, it’s not a crime to be in debt. We’ll have
to wait and see what else he finds,” Clint said. “Listen, it’s been a helluva
day. I need to be in the office at the crack of dawn to work on the robberies
and the murder. I’ll try to stop by your work and see you in the morning,
okay?”

“Sure. Clint, once this murder is wrapped up and
things settle down, you and I need to sit down and talk about some things. I
want to make sure we are both open and honest with each other,” I said
hesitantly.

“Okay,” Clint drew out the word. “I’m an open
book, but if you feel we need to talk, we’ll talk. Right now, I’m bushed and
need to catch some shut eye. I love you,
Phee
. I’ll
talk to you in the morning.”

“I love you, too. Bye,” I said softly. I set the
phone down on the nightstand. I think Clint and I had two very different ideas
of what constituted an open book. I couldn’t fix or deal with anything else
tonight, so I nestled back down under my covers, picked up my book and returned
to Egypt and the mysteries of the long dead.

I awoke with a start some time later. I must have
drifted off while reading. The windows rattled as another boom of thunder
shattered the air. I could see shards of lightning cut through the night sky. I
decided I’d better make sure my upstairs windows were closed. I dragged myself
out of bed and down the hallway to my stairs. Yawning, I went upstairs and
closed the upstairs bathroom window. I opened the door to the spare bedroom.
Rain pelted through the open window. The curtains billowed out from the wind. I
hurried forward and slammed the window shut. I started to close the curtains
when I spotted a light flash from inside a car parked across the street. A
faint glow was barely visible through the rain-streaked window. I looked again
and saw someone sitting in the car smoking a cigarette. Maybe someone dropped
off the teenage girl who lived across the street and hadn’t pulled out yet. I
closed the curtains and headed downstairs.

Still feeling uneasy, I decided to set the alarm.
Rick insisted on installing it after last year. I always forgot to set it, but
after Willow’s dire warnings of danger and the eeriness brought on by tonight’s
storm, I was on edge. I punched in the code and the panel beeped and showed
armed. I peeked through the front window and saw the car still parked across
the street. I was being paranoid. I turned off the lamp I’d left burning in the
living room and headed to bed. I had to open the library in the morning and
story time was scheduled for ten a.m. I hopped back under the covers and turned
off the lamp. A moment later,
Ferdie
jumped on the
bed and settled down at my feet. I fell asleep to the sound of rain pounding on
the roof.