The Perfect Ten Boxed Set

by Dianna Love

  “Oh, I thought you had something going with Gerald.” I shrugged it off. I knew I had gotten her goat. Her face was fire engine red, matching the rose buds she had decided to stick in her bird’s nest of hair.

  “Why in the world would you think that?” She huffed.

  I looked around the branch to see her face. “I remember when I was at the police station and he was whispering in your ear. You didn’t seem to mind it.”

  She swallowed hard, held her chin up and pulled her mouth up in a sour grin. “That is ridiculous. Don’t go around here spreading rumors, June Heal.”

  “Are you sure?” I gave her another chance to come clean. “Because he was sneaking in your shop last night or at least that’s what I have on my phone.”

  I pulled my phone out of my bag and flipped through the pictures to find Gerald grabbing his hat and then going into Glorybee.

  “What do you want from me, June?” Petunia leaned up against the tree and crossed her arms. “We can’t tell anyone because you aren’t supposed to date other shop owners. You can date people within the village, but you can only own one shop. Ann found out and she threatened to tell and we couldn’t have that.”

  “So you killed Ann?” I gasped

  “No!” A voice boomed from the back of the store, and then followed by heavy footsteps. “No we didn’t kill Ann.”

  Gerald peered out of nowhere. If I’d known he was there, I wouldn’t have questioned her. This was a time I probably should’ve left it up to Oscar.

  “It seems awfully funny that Ann found out about the two of you and the next thing you know she’s dead.” I started to walk backwards in case I was next. “And she was allergic to honey. Not to mention that you broke into A Dose of Darla to steal honey supplements. I even heard that you met with her for tea the night before she died. Did you lace it with honey?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous!” His voice rang out. Not only did I squirm, even the squirrels ran for cover. “I wouldn’t hurt Ann.” He walked towards me with Petunia close behind him.

  I shook my finger at him. “What about A Dose of Darla?”

  “It was before you came to town and wreaked havoc.” He did fist pumps in the air. His top hat teetered and tottered. “No one had used those remedies in years. Ann was having some weight issues and honey helps with weight loss.”

  Like I didn’t know that. “I’m a homeopath spiritualist.” I reminded him. “Remember?”

  “She wasn’t allergic to the supplement. And she couldn’t find anyone to give it to her since she was semi-banned from the village.” Gerald stood with his hands on his hips.

  Banned, semi-banned, which was it? Either way banned wasn’t a good thing.

  Mr. Prince Charming jumped out of the tree, and stood between me, Petunia, and Gerald.

  “We didn’t kill her. You have to believe us, June.” Petunia pleaded, taking Gerald by the hand. “Ann has a lot of enemies here. Not just us.”

  “Yes, but the number one reason for murder is jealousy. And if Ann wanted Gerald. . .”

  “No, Ann wanted us to lose our shops like she did. Gerald took the supplements to keep her quiet. She’d demand things and we’d get them for her. But we’d had enough. And we told her that.” Gerald twirled his mustache. “We are planning on telling the council tonight after they discuss your situation.”

  “My situation? You mean the fact that you accused me of trying to kill you and being the number one suspect in Ann’s death. That situation?”

  “I know you didn’t kill Ann.” Petunia pulled a rose out of her hair and offered it to me. “Besides whoever killed Ann doesn’t live around here.”

  Okay, she had me for a second.

  “How do you know that?” I wondered if she was still accusing me since I wasn’t from there.

  “The teenagers told me.” She was confident, and Gerald nodded.

  “Teenagers?” First off, I hadn’t seen any teenagers, and secondly, who believed teenagers?

  “The fireflies. They are a group of teenagers. Duh!” She wiggled her hands in the air. “They stay up all night and sleep all day. They tell me everything. Even about the little meeting between you and Eloise last night.” She let out a deep, gratifying sigh.

  Fireflies? Obviously she knew that Eloise wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near the village. I wonder why Ann could live in the village but not Eloise. Did Petunia know Eloise and Darla were friends?

  “They said that they didn’t recognize the figure. Couldn’t tell if it was a man or woman, but they were positive it was someone they hadn’t seen before.” A smirk crossed her face. She gestured between her and Gerald. “So you will let us talk to the council before you tell anyone about us?”

  I wasn’t about to take their plea deal, but held off. This was not a peace offering.

  “It’s crucial that you tell them tonight or I will tell Oscar everything I know.” I turned to go out the door, but turned back around. “Tomorrow! I will tell him tomorrow!”

  I stomped out of Glorybee with Mr. Prince Charming on my heels, and headed towards A Cleansing Spirit Spa.

  Everything that they had said played over in my head. They were being blackmailed by Ann and that seemed like a really good motive to kill her. I was still going to check out the allergy.

  I didn’t know who to believe in Whispering Falls. Everyone seemed to have something against Ann, while all I did was have a verbal disagreement with her. And everyone talked in circles, they knew something about everything.

  The grey walls of A Cleansing Spirit Spa instantly made you feel relaxed when you stepped in. Never mind the trickling waterfall features Chandra had sprinkled throughout the spa that echoed the life of ‘Zen resides here’, but the lit candles added to the ambiance.

  The low tantric music streamed throughout the spa. I couldn’t tell if the Buddhas that were strategically placed were staring at me, or mocking me with the laughter on their faces.

  As I walked by one, I made sure to rub the belly. Darla did that every time she would pass one of the many booths at the flea market that sold the plastic statues.

  “June!” Chandra giggled. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  I wiggled my poor chewed up nails in front of me. “I’m in desperate need of a manicure or I won’t have any nails left.”

  “Come on in.” She gestured for me to take a seat at the table next to her. “Go ahead and take your shoes off and stick your feet in the soapy tub.”

  Since I couldn’t open the shop, I had plenty of time on my hands.

  Chandra adjusted the light over the customer’s hands she was working on. She filed away. Every once in a while I noticed her turn the client’s hand over and let out a little “hmmm”.

  I sat down and slipped off my shoes. The water was nice and warm. I didn’t come in for a pedicure, but it looked too inviting to pass it up. My toes played with the rocks in the basin.

  “Do you remember the last time I came in to get a manicure?” The customer asked, her eyes darted between Chandra’s eyes.

  Chandra nodded.

  “Well, I played the lottery like you told me to and I won.” The woman whispered. A huge grin was on her face. “I couldn’t believe it.”

  “Did you sign a prenuptial agreement before you got married?” Chandra didn’t acknowledge the woman’s comment about the lottery.

  The woman drew her hands back, leaving Chandra’s hands empty. Slowly she shook her head.

  “You need to see a lawyer, honey.” Chandra patted her client. The client slowly got up and collected her things before she walked out the door.

  “Poor girl.” Chandra clucked. “She’s in for a nasty divorce.”

  “You could’ve let her down easy.” I suggested.

  Chandra rolled her chair over to the basin and put a towel on her leg. She patted her knee for me to put my foot up on it. She dried it off and worked away.

  “Sometimes readings don’t go the way people want them to go.” She took out a file and used it on
my heel. I flinched from the pain. “How long has it been since you had a pedicure?”

  “Years.” The last one was at the flea market from another booth owner, and then it was nothing like this. It was in a metal tub with bubble bath. “Do you always read your clients?”

  “That’s why they keep coming back.” She winked and finished up the other foot.

  I followed her over to the manicure table.

  “You sit here and I’ll get the manicure system.” Chandra hurried off behind a cream colored partition.

  There were two manicure tables, two pedicure chairs, two massage tables, two of everything, but only one of Chandra. The muffins, from The Gathering Grove, were neatly placed and untouched next to a display of cups, orange juice, and a pot of coffee.

  “Do you get a lot of customers?” I questioned, because the place didn’t looked touched.

  “I do” She reappeared and had a silver tray full of all sorts of tools and different colors of nail polish. “Especially after they had a friend like the last one that came in and I tell them some lucky numbers. I don’t know what those numbers mean. The spirit tells me to tell the client the numbers. I do what the spirit says.”

  She took my hand rubbed some oils on it, focusing more on my palms. When I tried to flip them over, she’d flip them back and run her long blue fingernails down my creases.

  She rubbed the oil in my cuticles and pushed them back with a pointy thing on the end of a plastic stick. Her turban wobbled back and forth with her every movement. “Never had a manicure?”

  “No, how can you tell?” I tried to see what she saw.

  “Your cuticles are a mess. And you are keeping a secret.” Her eyes glowed with excitement.

  “I thought the rule was that we aren’t supposed to read another spiritualist unless they give permission.”

  “Ah, rules.” She cackled. “So many rules. Don’t you know that spas are where women gossip? So dish.”

  She looked up at me, but was still busy pushing back my bad cuticles.

  “Nothing. I’m just trying to figure out who killed Ann so I can clear my name.”

  “I think you are hiding something.” She took the file and tried to file any part of a fingernail she could find. “You have got to stop biting your nails.”

  “Bad habit.” I winced when she got skin instead of nail. “Do you know Eloise Sandlewood?”

  She pursed her lips together and continued to file and then she slapped the file on the table, causing me to jump.

  “I’m telling you, Ann got what she deserved.” She snickered and walked over to the muffins. She picked one up and took a big bite out of it.

  “I’m not saying she didn’t, but I’m trying to figure out how to clear my name.” I looked at my palms. “Read my palms.”

  Between a giggle, her lips trembled. “I wish I could. I can’t.” Her hands shook as she put the muffin back up to her lips.

  “Why?” I stood up, and then took a good look at my palms.

  “I can’t interfere with a crime. It’s a rule.”

  I was going to have to go home and dig out that rule book that Izzy had given me. There were too many rules to keep up with and I was finding out new ones every single minute.

  The front door opened and two women came in.

  Chandra cleaned the crumbs off her mouth, and cleared her throat. “Welcome to A Cleansing Spirit Spa. Are you having a nice day in Whispering Falls?”

  The women and Chandra continued their conversation. I assumed my manicure was over and so was my line of questioning. At least I had something I could tell Oscar in the morning. Petunia and Gerald could be a lead.

  Next on the list was Patience. Two Sisters and a Funeral was located on the opposite end of Main Street. Mr. Prince Charming trotted ahead and let out a few meows along the way when someone would say hello to him.

  “Hello there.” Izzy stood in the entrance of Mystic Lights. Her usual A-Frame skirt was replaced with a cropped pair of skinny black pants, which made her look even taller than she already was. “I hear you are making your rounds around Whispering Falls asking all sorts of questions.”

  I wasn’t sure how to answer her. Did she really hear it or did she do some type of spiritual thingy to see me? No one seemed safe around here, including me.

  “You can’t blame me.” I shrugged. “No one else seems to take being called a murderer seriously.”

  She planted her long, skinny fingers on her hips. “You need to let Oscar do his job. Plus the council won’t be meeting because Gerald is still ill.”

  “That’s funny. He seemed fine a few minutes ago.” I slapped my hand over my mouth. Dang, I wished my words were muffled from a mouthful of a Ding Dong, but those were all the way back at my house. Izzy’s eyes lowered, I continued to cover up my mistake. “I mean, yesterday when he accused me of trying to kill him. He didn’t look great, swollen and all, but his mouth sure was working.”

  “Um, hum.” Izzy nodded.

  There was no way she was buying my lie. But I had made a promise to myself that I would figure out the clues and then take them to the council myself. After all, who was going to take better care of me than me? No one.

  “I better get going.” I pointed off into the distance to Mr. Prince Charming. He was already in front of Two Sisters and a Funeral. “I need to catch up to Mr. Prince Charming. Please let me know what the council says.”

  I waved over my shoulder. I might not be able to read palms, or see into the future, but I had a sneaky suspicion that Izzy knew more than she was letting on.

  “Hello?” I walked into the parlor of the funeral home with Mr. Prince Charming at my feet. One rub against the casket and he was out the door. I yelled after him. “Scaredy-cat!”

  “What can we do for you?” Constance stood a distance away from me with a scared look in her eye, and Patience was peeking around Constance’s back. “We are busy.”

  “Busy.” Patience nodded in agreement. Constance shrugged Patience off her. Patience took a step backwards, crossed her arms and scowled at Constance.

  I pointed to the casket. “Is that Ann?”

  Hmmm. . .I wonder if I looked at her body if something might come to me. . spiritually speaking, that is.

  “It is.” Constance stood a little taller, and Patience straightened up a bit, though she was still annoyed with Constance. “The funeral won’t be for a couple of days. We are trying to find her family from the west coast spiritual village. That is where she was originally from until she opened the A Cleansing Spirit Spa with Chandra.”

  “It is her.” Patience’s finger made it way around Constance’s thick arm and pointed toward the wooden box.

  “A Cleansing Spirit? She owned it with Chandra?” I questioned. Why hadn’t anyone mentioned that?

  “She was an amazing palm reader.” Patience rolled up on her toes and a giddy smile formed across her face.

  It seemed that there were so many secrets around here and it was hard trying to keep them straight. I was sure Oscar didn’t know that little tidbit of information. It was something else to put on my list to ask Izzy.

  “Patience, go get the delivery.” Constance waved her hand in the air.

  “Delivery!” A man walked through the door with a bouquet of flowers.

  Patience scurried off to retrieve the flowers.

  “How did you know you were getting a delivery?” I realized I had no clue what their spiritual gift was. Around here, asking was the only way someone was going to tell you something.

  “I had a feeling.” She folded her hands in front of her. “Now, June Heal, why did you say you were here?”

  I ran my hand down Ann’s wooden box. If they thought I was the killer, I might as well act as strange as they were. “I didn’t tell you why I’m here. But I want to ask a few questions about the autopsy.”

  “Isn’t that Oscar’s job?” Constance stood firm. “I’ll have the results to him by tomorrow. Then he can answer your questions if he wants to.”


  She turned around and met Patience at the doorway leading into the part of the funeral home that was off limits to the public. Patience clasped her hands and looked back over her shoulder. We made eye contact. For some reason, I had a feeling that if I got Patience alone, she’d sing like a canary.

  I hurried back to the shop. The mojo bags seemed to be a big hit and Patience would be the type that would love one. Especially if I could tell her it would protect her.

  I quickly added a few good luck items in one of the makeshift bags before I grabbed my cement foot print and headed home. There were a couple of hours to kill before I made my way back to pay Patience a visit, giving me enough time to read a little more of Darla’s journal.

  Mr. Prince Charming was on the front porch when I got home.

  “There you are.” I rubbed my hands down his back, which was warm from the sun. “I can’t believe you were scared of the Karima sisters.”

  The sun felt so good that I went inside and grabbed Darla’s journal off the side table and a Ding Dong on the way out the door to sit next to Mr. Prince Charming.

  I flipped open the journal. I wanted to know more about Darla and her days in Whispering Falls. Maybe it could shed some light on how I could embrace this crazy village.

  Otto questioned if I had been hanging out with Eloise. I told him the truth. He was angry at first that I had been keeping this secret from him for so long. He knew something was up because A Dose of Darla has been thriving. He knew the remedies that I had made weren’t as potent as the ones being sold in the shop.

  Eloise is a dear friend. June loves it there. She is so good while we are working. She doesn’t bother anyone there. Otto warned me to be careful. He said that he can’t protect us outside of the village, and to keep June in the village.

  “Keep me in the village?” That seemed odd since she moved me out of the village after my dad died. Plus my curiosity was up. Who outside of the village did he fear would hurt us?

  Meow, meow. Mr. Prince Charming batted at the dangling charms when I turned the page. I pushed him away, but he only came back and batted at my fingers for pushing him.