Murder over medium, p.5
Murder Over Medium, page 5
~~*~~
Thursday morning, I took a walk while my friend and her assistant were still in bed. It’s not normally part of my routine, even though I’ve been telling myself forever that I need to get more exercise. But I’d relished strolling in the brisk air yesterday, and I wanted to reflect. I supposed my guests had had another late night, even though I thought they’d want to get an early start if they were heading to Oregon next.
I’d scanned the paper this morning, but there hadn’t been much in the way of news about poor Harry. His obituary had been in there, along with the times for the viewing and funeral. Other than that, there’d only been a short article rehashed from yesterday. But a car accident didn’t warrant much excitement. It was a fact of life around here—people went over the side of the switchbacks every once in a while, whether on purpose or by accident.
I wondered how it had happened though. Harry knew these roads like the back of his hand. Maybe he was tired, and an elk or other animal had run out in front of him, and he’d over-compensated when turning the wheel. Had Ross found any animal tracks near the site of the accident?
Harry would be missed. I wondered who would take over the ranch that had been in the family for years. Maybe his sister and her son would finally get their hands on it, though I couldn’t imagine him willing it to them. It was well-known that Harry’s sister, Susan, believed he’d cheated her out of her inheritance when their parents had died in a plane crash many years ago. I didn’t know the details, but the feud between them seemed as strong as ever. Harry had never married or had children, so unless he’d made a will, his sister would end up with all the family land after all.
As I walked back toward the house, I could see Wendy out walking what they called a labyrinth in her cardinal-red cape. She drudged along like she seemed to do everything, and I wondered if she got any pleasure out of her belief system. If she did, I couldn’t tell. I don’t think I’d seen her smile in all the time she’d been staying under my roof.
I shrugged my shoulders and walked into the house. After pouring another cup of coffee, I decided to go check on Gwendolyn. It was getting rather late, and I’d have thought she’d be up by now. I listened at the bottom of the stairs but didn’t hear the shower running. Maybe she’d forgotten to set her alarm. I headed up the stairs, coffee mug still in hand, and tapped on her door.
Getting no response, I was starting to get worried, so I slowly opened her door and peeked inside. Athena shot out the door, over my foot, and down the staircase, causing me to jump and spill hot coffee all over myself. I muttered a few choice words as I stood with my eyes closed trying to slow my heart rate. Athena might have nine lives, but I didn’t. I thought a few uncharitable things about the cat.
Gwendolyn sat on the floor, eyes closed, droning in some language I’d never heard. I quietly walked into the room and watched in fascination. All around her were stones, crystals of all shapes and sizes. Candles were lit even though it was a sunny day. She seemed totally unaware of my presence. Knowing she was fine, I crept back out the door and shut it without a sound.
“Mrs. Blackwell?”
I swung around and splashed more coffee down the front of my shirt. “Cripes! What are you trying to do to me? Give me a heart attack?” Putting my hand on my heart, I felt my soggy shirt. “What is it, Wendy?”
“You’re out of almond milk,” she said in an apologetic tone.
I closed my eyes and took in a deep, slow breath. “Fine. I’ll go get changed and run into the market.”
~~*~~
Almond milk in hand, I entered the back door to find both Gwendolyn and Wendy waiting for my arrival. They had spoons and bowls laid out alongside their homemade granola. The stench in the kitchen told me they’d brewed up some of Gwendolyn’s favorite tea.
I sat the milk on the table and went into the living room to check on Tommy and Tuppence. I hadn’t taken the time to wrangle Athena back into Gwendolyn room before I’d left. Even though Athena was normally safely tucked up in a room, I hadn’t seen much of my cats since our visitors had arrived. They would occasionally come out of hiding to let Gwendolyn pet and talk to them but stayed clear of Wendy. Even after calling them and offering treats, all was silent. Anyone with cats knows that isn’t always a good sign.
My guests had been busy in my absence. Their many bags were packed and waiting at the bottom of the staircase. I saw Athena’s wicker hamper, but there was no cat inside. Hopefully, we could get them out of here before I had to intervene in another feline turf war.
When I reentered the kitchen, Gwendolyn said, “Jade, it’s been such a blessing to see you again. Thank you for your hospitality. I hope we can do a better job of staying in touch.”
“Me too,” I said, and I meant it. I’d forever be indebted to her for saving my career, even though I wasn’t sure how she’d managed it. She was a good person with a good heart, and I wished her well. Having said that, I was happy that I’d have the house back. Houseguests are hard work.
Her face looked haggard, and I wondered about her health and the schedule she was keeping on this little tour of hers.
“Are you okay? You look peaky.”
“I’m fine. Just a little tired and…uneasy. I feel something dark moving toward us. I hate to leave you, Jade. It seems whatever it is involves you as well. I’d hate to think we’d brought negative energy forces into your home, only to leave you to deal with them yourself.”
I smiled and patted her hand. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“Are you certain I can’t read the tarot for you? That might lend some clarity to the situation.”
“No thanks.” I made a point of looking at my watch. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to hold you up. I know you have a lot of ground to cover before your next…um…function tonight.”
“Well, if you’re sure. I have surrounded the house with healing white light. I hope that was alright.”
“Of course. White light is a good thing.” I had no idea what she was talking about, but I’d go with it since I didn’t have a feeling about white light either way.
They left their breakfast dishes where they were, and Wendy went in search of Athena. Gwendolyn and I stood at the bottom of the stairs saying our goodbyes as Wendy carried a yowling Athena down the staircase. She was shoving Athena into her carrier when the doorbell chimed. The noise scared Athena, and she clawed her way out of Wendy’s grasp and ran off toward the kitchen.
Demon cat!
I opened the front door. There stood Ross.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Hexby, but I’m going to have to ask you to stay in town. And I need you to answer more questions now.
Chapter Six
“What? Why?” I nearly whined at Ross after he’d announced I wasn’t getting rid of my houseguests.
“We’ve done some digging and discovered there is something dodgy about Harry Wills’ accident. Pending further evidence, I’m asking Ms. Hexby to stay in the village.”
I blew a raspberry at him and then gave in, “Okay, come on in.”
After leading the way to the kitchen, I made a fresh pot of coffee and put the kettle on for the purist tea-drinkers. While we waited for the beverages to brew, I had a seat with them at the table.
“I’d like to be of assistance, Sheriff,” Gwendolyn said, “but I have commitments. I simply must leave within the next few minutes to arrive on time for my next appointment.”
“Sorry, for the inconvenience, ma’am. Of course, I can’t force you to stay at this point. But since you’re the one who claimed this was a murder, having you here would sure help me out. Even if you aren’t a suspect, you are at least a person of interest.”
I thought Gwendolyn was going to come up off her chair. “I am not a murderer, sir, I am a healer. How dare you consider me a suspect? People come from all over the world to seek my counsel.” She sniffed loudly and crossed her arms over her ample chest.
Wendy spoke up, “Uh, she’s right. We have to go. We have over a hundred people attending the event tonight and even more tomorrow night. We can’t disappoint them.” I hadn’t heard Wendy string that long of a dialogue together since meeting her. She said so little and made such a minuscule impression it was easy to forget she was there at all.
Before responding, Ross ran his hand through his thick sandy hair. “I understand people are expecting you tonight. But I’m asking you to assist in getting justice for an honorable man.”
“Urmph,” said Gwendolyn, though with less vigor than her earlier outburst.
In an attempt to break the tension, I got up and poured warm drinks for everyone and brought them to the table. As we doctored our cups, I asked Ross to explain what they’d found.
“During our investigation into the crash, we uncovered some suspicious inconsistencies, so yesterday afternoon a fella from Cheyenne’s crime tech unit came out to take a closer look. He found that the steering fuel line had been tampered with—"
“Told you so,” said Gwendolyn.
Ross frowned as he looked from her to me as if I were somehow to blame for my friend’s interruption. “Anyway, someone wanted Harry to have an accident, whether or not he was intended to go over the cliff is anyone’s guess, but we are now treating this as a suspicious death.”
“But surely you don’t think Gwendolyn had anything to do with it. She didn’t even know Harry, and I can vouch for her whereabouts that day. I don’t have friends who are murderers.”
Ross raised his caterpillar eyebrows at me.
I rolled my eyes. “All of my friends who were suspects have been found to be purely innocent, as you well know.”
He chuckled as he looked down at his boots. “This is just standard procedure, Ms. Hexby. There’s no need to be alarmed, we just need to get the full picture of what happened here that night. You must admit it’s curious that Harry died the very same night you announced someone would be killed and in that very same way. And he was at the séance.”
“But I didn’t cause it. I just delivered the message. And call me Gwendolyn, please.” And so it went. Gwendolyn went into the details of the evening again, with me piping in occasionally.
“What time did Harry leave?" Ross asked. "Did he linger to chat?”
“After the pronouncement," I said, "I think people were just glad to get out of here. No disrespect intended, Gwendolyn. It spooked them, I think. I know it did me. Even Phyllis was a little freaked out, and she’s got nerves of steel.” I looked over at Ross who was taking down notes.
“Um, I don’t know,” I said, “he left with everyone else. Only Phyllis, Crystal and Gabby stayed behind. Everyone else left kind of in a cluster.” I stifled a snicker and smart remark, not necessarily in that order. That’s exactly what that night had been—a cluster. “It was eerily quiet, no idle chit-chat. People grabbed their coats and left without much comment. The only one I remember specifically was Brian Potter. He, um, caught Gwendolyn’s eye as she was going upstairs to rest. He was the last to leave. I remember shutting and locking the door behind him.”
Ross scribbled something in his notebook. “Okay. It sounds like the person would have had to slip out before or during the gathering.”
I looked over at Gwendolyn thinking she would have something to say about this, but she had her eyes closed, a focused look on her face. I wondered if she’d gone to her happy place where people like her weren’t arrested.
I went on to explain. “No one could have left during the séance. We were all holding hands and had strict instructions not to let go no matter what.”
It suddenly dawned on me that what I was describing sounded like a caricature of a séance. Any old hokey movie would have played it out in the same way.
“Is there anything else you’d like to add, Ms. Hexby?”
“No, Sheriff.” She opened her eyes. “But I’d be happy to offer my services to help you find the killer. I’ve assisted the Sedona and Flagstaff police on several investigations, and they’ve found my support invaluable.”
“Um, I’ll keep that in mind. But for now, I can count on you to stay put?”
Gwendolyn nodded her head and then asked Wendy to go upstairs to reschedule the events for the next few days.
I walked Ross to the door and hollered after Wendy to locate Athena, and put her back in Gwendolyn’s room. The cats must be hiding somewhere, and I didn’t want to give Athena the chance to find them. Ross and I walked out to his Range Rover that was parked in our driveway.
He leaned up against his SUV. “Do you trust this woman, Jade? She seems kooky to me.”
I explained how close we’d been at one time. “Though we haven’t seen each other in fifteen years, I know her true character. I confess I didn’t know she’d gone all New Age, but she’s still ultimately the same woman. And I know she wouldn’t have anything to do with harming another human being. No way.”
“How do you explain the vision or whatever she had?”
I chewed on my thumbnail while I thought about it. “I don’t know. But she has strong principles. She wouldn’t knowingly scam anyone or cause anyone harm. She seemed truly startled by the announcement she made and was exhausted afterward. I think she truly believes she channeled that message.”
We stood there in silence for a few beats.
I held up my thumb and forefinger an inch apart and said, “You know, don’t you, that I was this close to getting rid of them. Don’t get me wrong, I was looking forward to seeing my friend after all this time, but it’s been one thing after another. I was anticipating getting back to my predictable life, without the stench of whatever Wendy puts in Gwendolyn’s tea and a cat who takes delight in harassing me.”
He wrenched open the driver’s side door with a creak and climbed inside. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“I bet,” I said under my breath. “Any idea how long it will take to wrap this up, by any chance?”
“You know as well as I do these things can’t be rushed, Jade.”
He was enjoying this. I could see a twinkle in his eye, and now I wished I hadn’t let on about wanting my company gone. Surely he wouldn’t drag this out, just to spite me for solving his past two murder cases, would he?
As if he’d read my mind, he chuckled and gunned the engine. I could still see him smiling as he headed down the driveway.
~~*~~
Since I would now be required to prepare more vegan meals, I asked for ingredients my guests wanted from the store. I compiled a list consisting of foodstuffs I’d never heard of and set off to Laramie to shop. I may have been able to get some of them closer to home, but frankly, I was happy to have some time to myself.
Returning home, I lugged all the groceries into the kitchen where Gwendolyn and Wendy sat scheming at their laptop. Neither of them offered to help me carry bags in, and I was miffed by the time the Subaru was unloaded. I may have slammed around the kitchen a bit while putting everything away. I heard them planning something in lively tones, but chose to ignore what they were saying.
I was adding ingredients to the slow cooker for their supper when Gwendolyn said, “You’ll never guess what, Jade. While you were gone, we set up an impromptu reading session schedule and slots are already filling up.”
Mixing the disgusting-looking beige glob, I said, “That’s nice,” in as polite a tone as I could muster. Having these women here for more than a couple of days was going to drive me as batty as they were. I had a life. I had a business to run. I didn’t have time to deal with their strange tea, food, and beliefs. I just wanted my routine back.
In the most animated voice I’d heard out of her, Wendy said, “Yeah, I think the announcement of murder at the séance really caused a stir.”
I whipped around. “Is that why you pulled that stunt? Was it a marketing ploy to improve your bank balance?” I hadn’t meant for it to come out as harsh as it had. In fact, I hadn’t planned on saying it at all. I guess I was more irritated than I thought about them staying longer than anticipated and not lifting a finger to help.
Gwendolyn was taken aback. “Of course not, Jade. How could you think that of me? I know you don’t believe the spirit world is real, but for crying out loud, you know me. You know I wouldn’t pull a stunt, and I certainly don’t worry about my profit margins. The universe always provides. Maybe we should leave if you feel that way.”
Suddenly feeling guilty and drained, I said, “No, you promised the sheriff you’d stay to help him. Besides, there are no hotels in the village.”
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I flew off the handle like that. I just don’t know what to make of all this. I don’t understand how you knew about the murder.” I felt a drip on my foot. Looking down, I realized I’d moved the large mixing spoon away from the slow cooker, so the concoction had dribbled onto the floor and my foot.
“Crap,” I said with gusto and grabbed the rag next to the sink to wipe up the gooey mess.
Resigned, I went on. “No, I don’t want you to leave. I guess I’m just exasperated.” I looked at her. “Still friends?”
She was playing with the tea bag string hanging out of her mug. “Of course. I simply don’t know how to explain it to your further than I have. It’s a gift I’ve been given, and I’m diligently doing what I’m guided to do. I’m sorry your friend is dead.”
After cleaning up the supper prep mess and cranking the slow cooker up to high since it only had a few hours to cook, I announced I needed a rest. I left them in the kitchen hatching a new plan to bring the occult to Aspen Falls. There was less enthusiasm as there had been before my outburst, but I had no doubt it would blossom again once I left the room.
~~*~~
After a short nap, I felt more like myself. I called Christian to give him the head’s up that we wouldn’t be rid of our guests for a while longer, but I just got his voicemail. I guess he’d find out when he returned home, which I hoped would be soon. I could use reinforcements.
