by Tonya Kappes
It was merely a suggestion. I wanted to go and see what was happening with the investigation and Juliette. I could only imagine her devastation. Without haste, I grabbed the Magical Cures Book and the bottle of potion and put it in my bag before strapping it across my body and headed out.
The sand was hot under my bare feet. It didn’t seem to bother Mr. Prince Charming as he darted in and out of the wet sand to the dry sand. Evidence of last night’s storm was nowhere to be seen. The day was as bright as it had been yesterday and the sea was again calm. In the distance, the dolphins were playing as though they were synchronized swimmers.
The rehearsal tent had been replaced by police tape that was wrapped around wooden stakes and stuck into the sand. I turned to go up the path toward the lodge where Violet had told me breakfast was served and noticed Juliette comforting Peter as they sat on a hammock with their legs dangling over. They seemed to be consoling one another so I slipped up the path to the open seating area where Officer Teabody and Oscar were huddled over a couple cups of coffee.
Mr. Prince Charming jumped up on the table and Teabody nearly leapt out of his skin. He shooed the cat away, but Mr. Prince Charming looked at him as if he had two heads.
“What’s wrong with that cat? Go!” Teabody flung his wrist and tried to shoo him away again. “Go.”
“I’m sorry.” I hurried over and grabbed my fairy-god cat and avoided Oscar’s scowl. I put him on the ground. “He has no boundaries. Ornery cat.”
Mewl, Mr. Prince Charming sat next to Oscar and began to lick the sand off of his paws before he rubbed them over each ear.
“Excuse us.” Oscar stood up, nearly kicking the cat, and grabbed me by the arm before he dragged me over to the breakfast buffet.
“This looks delicious.” I jerked my arm out of his grip. “I think I’ll have French toast.”
“I should’ve known you snuck that cat in.” Oscar’s accusing words stung me. “Not able to keep your promise to me. When are you going to take our marriage seriously?”
“You think I did this?” I asked in a whisper. “Think again.”
“The quicker I help them, the quicker we can enjoy the honeymoon.” Oscar wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know.
“Do they have any leads?” I asked.
“The only thing the initial autopsy found was some hair in his grip and under his nails.” Oscar bit the side of his lip. “It wasn’t his hair or Juliette’s. It was red.”
“Red?” My eyes bounced wide open. “As in Violet’s red?”
Oscar nodded.
Oscar looked into the distance as if he were logging in his head what I was saying.
“Did you question Violet?” I asked because that seemed like the obvious thing to do. “Because I was thinking she might’ve had something to do with it.”
“Thinking or?” He pointed to my gut.
“Yea.” Sheepishly I looked down and shuffled my feet. “I can’t help it, Oscar.”
“I know.” He let out a deep sigh. “As much as I wanted to leave our magic at home, it just seems to follow. I’m sorry for snapping at you.” I was glad to see he was starting to see it my way. “What are you thinking?”
“I told you I saw them kissing. Then he told her he loved her.” I clearly heard that and I wasn’t going to believe it only was my active imagination. “Violet had much displeasure, almost hatred toward Juliette when she found out Juliette had taken Peter to the volcano to look for Peter’s treasure on the map he’d drawn as a child.”
“Juliette is just being the mother.”
“I know that and you know that, but Violet was so mad and said that Patrick knew better since he’d been coming here all his life and that area was off limits.” My eyes shifted to make sure no one else was around. “I think there was something going on between Violet and Patrick or that some little vacation fling happened between them. Violet even made him those monogrammed handkerchiefs.”
“So they had a teenage fling or something.” Oscar shrugged. “So what?”
“To Violet that is everything. He is everything. She also told me that she’s never left this island. She only knows the feelings she has or had for Patrick. When she saw Patrick and Juliette together, getting married right here under her nose.” I smacked my hands together. “Boom. She lost her mind and killed him.”
“She does know the island better than anyone and knows the ocean and the patterns of the sea.” Oscar couldn’t deny the fact that my conclusion made sense. “Officer Teabody said that he had a meeting scheduled with Mr. Victor and Violet about it after the breakfast buffet is closed.” He glanced over my shoulder and looked out into the trees where you could barely see Pete and Juliette in the hammock.
“Did you talk to Juliette?” he asked.
I shook my head, “No, she looked like she was consoling Peter. But I do plan to offer my condolences.” My lips thinned.
“Well, just this once.” Oscar’s eyes warned me as well as the tone in his voice. “If she does give you any information that sets off an alarm to why anyone would want to kill Patrick, you can ask her questions.”
“Deal.” My lips turned into a big grin. His idea of information and how to gather it was far different from my idea of gathering information.
Mewl, Mr. Prince Charming darted up on his hind legs and batted at my dangling charms.
“Where did he come from?” Oscar demanded in a low tone.
“Would you like some syrup?” the familiar voice asked from behind the buffet table.
“Constance.” Oscar jaw dropped when he saw it was Constance Karima holding the syrup ladle.
“How are you?” she asked in a pleasant, yet stern voice. “The Order of Elders sent us to make sure June wasn’t accused of yet another murder.” She leaned in and waved the ladle between her and Oscar, “You and I both know that June has a tendency to put her nose in places she shouldn’t and she’s already on thin ice with the council.”
“June knows that she isn’t supposed to be nosing around but since they asked me to join them, I have an obligation.” Oscar was doing his sweet talk to Constance and she always fell for it. “So your job here is to make sure June stays out of trouble?” he clarified.
“Yes.” Constance chin flew up and then down. “Since she had those nightmares, we want to make sure you two had extra protection while away. Mr. Victor thinks we are a cleaning and work crew set up by the police from a little spell we gave him.”
Keep me out of trouble? I looked between them. That was far from what Patience had told me, but I kept my mouth shut. Maybe Constance was just playing along to appease Oscar. That had to be it.
“Glad we are on the same page.” Oscar confirmed.
“I’d like some syrup.” I held my plate of French toast out and smiled. “And you owe me an apology.” I looked at Oscar.
“June, I love you. I tell you every time to keep out of these investigations, but you never listen. We are not in the safety of Whispering Falls.” He tilted his head slightly to the right. “Granted, now that the Karimas are here and him too.” He jabbed his finger toward Mr. Prince Charming. “Plus Madame Torres, I think you have plenty to occupy your time while I help out Teabody and the crew.”
“Fine. I’ll lay on the beach by myself and enjoy our honeymoon by myself.” I pouted because this was the last way I wanted to spend my honeymoon. Alone.
“Hello, there,” Mr. Victor’s voice boomed. “Not to fear, you will not enjoy this honeymoon on your own. I have planned a private dinner for you two at the Loop, the most beautiful spot on the island for the most breathtaking sunset you will ever experience.”
“That’s wonderful.” The excitement started to build for a romantic night with Oscar, which left me alone during the day to look in on a few things Patience and I had talked about while he thought I’d be at the beach working on a tan.
“And for you, while he is working with Officer Teabody,” Mr. Victor clapped his hands and Gene came running. “Gene is
going to take your breakfast and you to the spa where you are going to get the most wonderful Ayurvedic beauty treatment that will rejuvenate you from any and all stress.”
Gene reached over and took my plate of French toast. Cautiously I looked at him.
“Please follow me,” he said in a relaxing voice.
“Relax. Go have fun and let me do all the work.” Oscar encouraged me to go with a simple kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you tonight at the Loop.”
I followed Gene out of the breakfast area, but not without Mr. Prince Charming darting in and out of the palm trees. I had noticed that when Mr. Victor and Gene had come around, he made himself pretty much invisible.
The spa was a little walk from the other areas of the island. It was completely secluded and overlooked the sea along with a beautiful tranquility garden of lush island plants. The treatment room was a bohio room with a table covered in white linens. Just outside the room was in infinity pool big enough for two that overlooked the bay. Mr. Victor said the Loop had the most spectacular view of the sunset, and I would say the spa had the most spectacular view of the ocean. The greens and blues of the deep sea were exaggerated from the view and miles upon miles of the blue skies extended out in front of me.
“If you wouldn’t mind, you can take your clothes off and cleanse yourself in the infinity pool. Take your robe with you so you can easily slip into the sheets on the table when you return for your treatment.” Gene had his hands clasped in front of him.
“Thank you.” I seized the moment. “I’m assuming you grew up around here?” Suddenly it occurred to me that I had no idea who these people were.
“I’m here to serve you, not discuss my past.” He led me back into the bohio room and pointed me to the white linen chair where there was a white robe draped over the arm.
“After you change your clothes, you can get into the cleansing pool until your massage therapist comes to give you your massage.” Gene didn’t look me in the eyes. His head was drawn down. His fingers fiddled together.
“Thanks, Gene.” I inhaled deeply knowing that Gene had been well versed in what he was supposed to say to the guests if he was asked about his life.
I wasn’t about to get into the cleansing pool without my clothes on. Even though Gene said that no one could see me and I was alone, I still wasn’t comfortable. I sat down on the edge and put my toes in. I swirled them around and around in the same shape as the swirl charm Mr. Prince Charming had given me.
The images of Patrick on the beach and the images from my nightmare slid through my brain. There were some similarities and some differences. His eyes in my nightmare were not the same eyes as in real life. The diamond gemmed eyes lit up in the nightmare and I could only think it was due to me needing it to light up the dark ocean for me to see him. But the orange swirl was not in the real life version. Was that just to give me the security of the meaning of the charm since they were the same shape?
Gently I tapped the surface of the water with my toe and watched as the ripples got bigger and bigger.
Then there was the red hair Officer Teabody told Oscar about. The only person on the island that had red hair was Violet, who did have a past with him. Maybe not a big past, but enough of one that made her fall in love with him. I know for sure that I heard him say he loved her. Or did he mean he loved Juliette?
A light musical song played in the distance and brought me out of my sleuthing. I could feel my shoulders get more tense when I thought about the murder. Oscar was right. I needed to enjoy the spa and let him do his job. I had Patience and Mr. Prince Charming as well as Madame Torres if I needed someone or something.
“Are you ready?” the soft-spoken voice asked from the other side of the curtains.
I laid on the table with my head facing down in the doughnut with my body wrapped up like a burrito.
“I’m ready,” I confirmed.
My eyes darted back and forth when I heard the shuffling of feet come into the room.
“We only use the Indian practice of Ayurveda. It is one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems. It was developed thousands of years ago in India.” The woman told me something I already knew. I let her continue to tell me all about it and how it was going to rejuvenate my body along with the cleansing spa. “But you know all about that, right June?”
“Patience?” Her old woman, thick-soled white shoes came into focus as she let the hot oil treatment drip over my body from the urn that was used in Ayurveda treatments. “You are also the massage therapist?”
“I’m doing it all.” She sighed. “Sister said that Oscar was asking all sorts of questions when you were at the breakfast buffet.”
“Does Constance know that you and I are working together?” I asked, already knowing her answer by her stalling. I jumped up. I’d gathered the extra material in my fist and held it close to my chest. “You mean to tell me that you really were sent here just to make sure I didn’t get myself in trouble and you and I are investigating on our own?”
“It sounded like a lot of fun when you assumed that this morning,” she muttered uneasily and took a step back, her hands dripping with oil. “I want to help. I never get to do anything but roll in dead bodies, and roll them out. Sister always gets to have all the fun.”
I bit the corner of my lips and thought for a second. Oscar wouldn’t approve and I probably shouldn’t involve her. But there were plenty of times I’d gotten my nose into something I shouldn’t have.
“Fine.” I got off the table and got nose-to-nose with her. “If you breathe a word of this to your sister or anyone else, like Oscar, then we are done. Through.”
“Okay.” Her eyes filled with excitement. She bounced on the balls of her feet. “What do I need to do?”
“Well, it seems that Patrick has been keeping a secret love affair with Violet all these years.” I knew what I was about to say was a big assumption, but I had to start somewhere. “I heard them talking with my own ears. I heard Patrick tell her that he loved her.”
“Really?” She rubbed her hands together before she put her finger in the air and walked back and forth in front of the curtains that were blowing in the sea’s breeze. “You think that Mr. Victor killed Patrick because Patrick wronged his daughter.”
I pondered what she’d said for a minute or two while she continued to walk around the room. The wind caused the curtain to fly over Patience’s head. What she was suggesting was a good thought. I never even thought that Mr. Victor might be upset with Patrick for breaking Violet’s heart.
I knew I could talk to Violet in a girly way and get some answers. But Mr. Victor was altogether a different nut to crack. He was definitely someone to look into.
“Pweft, pweft.” Her lips flapped.
“Well, no.” Incomplete thoughts swirled through my head. “I wasn’t thinking Mr. Victor had anything to do with it. But I guess we can look at him.”
“You are thinking Violet killed him because he showed up here with Juliette. And all this time since Patrick’s last visit, Violet thought he was thinking of her like she was of him. When in reality he was home meeting Juliette, falling in love, and had picked someone else.” Her voice trailed off. There was a distant look in her eye.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine.” She snapped back out of her head. She shuffled over. “Just wondered what sister was doing.”
“Are you going to be able to focus enough to help me?”
“Um. . no. . .I mean yes.” Her fingers fiddled before she used them to push her glasses back up on her nose. She shook her head. “Yes.”
“Okay.” In the excitement, I had almost forgotten that I was working with Patience Karima of all the spiritualists to work with. “All I need you to do is get me the keys to Mr. Victor’s office.”
“How do I do that?” she asked.
“I thought you said that he thinks you are here as the maid service according to the Elders.” I waved my hand in the air, circling it at the wrist.
>
She looked confused.
“You and Constance were sent here to help keep me safe by the Order of Elders, right.” I said between gritted teeth.
“Oh yes. That.” She nodded and smiled. “Keep June out of trouble. Yes.”
“Just try to get me a key to somewhere he goes. Office. His room. Anywhere.” At this point I knew that she wasn’t going to be as big of a help to me as I had wanted, but I had to work with the hand I was dealt. In this case. . .Patience Karima was going to have to be my sidekick.
Chapter Ten
“Good evening, June,” Mr. Victor stood at the entrance of our villa. Still in his white suit. His voice made my skin crawl now that I had him on my short list of suspects in the murder of Patrick.
In my head, I had spent the afternoon looking out into the ocean and putting together a very valid reason for him to have killed Patrick. Everything came back around to him being upset with Patrick for breaking his daughter’s heart.
“Your chariot awaits you.” He peeled back the curtains.
There was a twilight carriage and white horse just like I would imagine Cinderella having, waiting for me with one handsome Oscar Park inside. Dressed in a white suit just like Mr. Victor’s.
“Thank you.” I ran my hand down my black hair and continued down to the black spaghetti-strapped dress I had picked out for our romantic dinner.
I grabbed my bag and clutched it in one hand while Mr. Victor offered to help me up with my other hand.
“No thank you.” I politely left out you murderer.
“June,” Oscar scolded me like I was a little girl.
“I want you to help me.” I made up for my lack of manners.
“Very good.” Mr. Victor laughed. “Your groom may help you.”
Oscar got out of the carriage and gently helped me up.
“Have a wonderful evening.” Mr. Victor waved to us as the horse took off on its own slow and steady pace.
“No driver?” I asked and looked back over my shoulder at Mr. Victor. He was still waving and smiling. There was no man on this Earth as happy as he was pretending to be. He wasn’t even that happy.