by Sarah Kelly
India laughed softly. Xavier was so much like her. “Ever realized you might be overthinking just a touch?” she said. “You’ll just do what comes naturally, and it will be the right thing.”
“I know,” he said, shaking his head in frustration with himself. “That’s what I would usually do, but now, it feels like everything’s on the line. There have been whispers about promotion in the department, and if I can just get this right, I’ll have a real big chance, I think. There are a few other guys who could get it, but… well, I know I want it most, at least.”
India squeezed his hand and smiled. “You’ll make the best detective.”
“My first goal is to be better than Kimble,” he said, laughing. “I can think about best later.”
“Talking of whom,” India said. “How did he react to this suicide, and the confession? Was he suspecting it?”
“Oh no, he thought it was a robbery gone wrong.” Xavier shook his head. “Just those two boys, who we’re still looking for, by the way.” He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Case closed, though, In,” he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “Not too much sleuthing needed this time.”
“I guess not,” India said. Though she was glad the murderer had been found, she couldn’t help feel just a little disappointed she hadn’t been the one to close the case. It made her realize more than ever how much she wanted to be a private detective. She’d get there someday.
He sighed, then gave her another kiss. “They’ll want me back at the station now,” he said. “I’m on late duty today so won’t be done ‘til some crazy hour of the night.”
India gave him a sympathetic smile. “You work hard, babe.”
“I try,” he said with a shrug. “What are you up to this afternoon?”
“Not sure,” she said. “Amy’s catering an ice cream party and she invited me along, but…” The truth was, India had turned her down because of the case. She’d wanted to free up all her spare time to try and snag interviews and delve for clues, but now… well, she didn’t really know what to do with herself.
“You should go,” Xavier said, opening the car door. “Have some fun for a change. I can’t drop you home or I’ll be late, but I can drop you back to the complex where the bus comes.”
India squinted in the hot sun as she glanced along the beach. “I think I’ll walk actually, Zave. It’s not all that far.”
“Okay,” he said.
She rushed up to him and planted a long kiss on his lips, then dragged his bottom lip outward with a gentle bite, giggling.
“Hey!” Xavier said. “You stealing my lip or what?”
She turned to walk down the beach and threw a wink over her shoulder. “Well, at least now it’s a kiss you won’t forget.”
He shook his head, smiling, then got in the car. “See you, In, you crazy woman.”
“Bye, Zave.”
India strolled along the beach, just behind the row of palms and coconut trees that marked its border with the street. She swung her arms, feeling the blaze of the early afternoon heat on her bare skin. Though she knew she should cover up more to protect her skin, that morning she’d slipped into a sleeveless white blouse and a hot pink chiffon skirt that fanned out in the breeze. She couldn’t get enough of that heat in the air, that heat that seemed to envelop her body like a permanent hug.
It felt weird, her mind being clear. No rushing thoughts about clues or motives or circumstances. She could just stroll along without a care in the world. It was a nice change, but also slightly disconcerting. It was a loose end she had not expected to come to so soon.
When she reached the complex, she boarded the bus, and instead of heading home, she decided to ride up to the upscale villas where Amy was catering.
*****
“And this is my best friend, India!” Amy announced to the crowd of little faces looking up at them in the beautiful manicured garden. “Can you say hello to my buddy? Say, hello, India.”
A chorus of, “Hello, India,” came in cute, small voices. An assortment of princesses and superheroes gazed up at them from their shady spot under the mango tree.
India unexpectedly felt quite shy, and her face flushed red. “Hello, everyone.”
The birthday girl, with hundreds of teeny tiny braids scooped up into two black bunchies tied with huge white satin bows, and a purple gauze princess dress most seven year old girls would die for, put her arm around a little blonde girl. “This is my best friend, Lily.”
Another small girl at the back shot to her feet. “No, I’m your best friend, Nia.”
Lily turned around, fire in her eyes, and opened her mouth.
“Okay!” Amy said brightly, clapping her hands. “Everyone can be everyone else’s best friend today. Now… who wants ice cream?”
“Yay!” Nia said, jumping up.
All the children followed suit, saying, “Me, me, me!”
India and Amy grinned at each other.
“Ohhhh… kayyy!” Amy said, then rushed over to the long table laid out on the balcony of the large summerhouse. “Come over here!”
“But stand behind the railing!” India added quickly, getting visions of the kids storming the table and sending ice cream flying up into the air.
Soon they were all standing, bowls clutched in hand, their eyes lit up with excitement as they watched Amy unveil each flavor. India was just as eager, her belly grumbling. Though so far she’d had a granola bar and choc chip cookies for lunch, she figured this was just going to have to be a very bad food day. Besides, she convinced herself that she could balance it out with salad for dinner.
Amy had arranged the ice creams in a long line, with platter lids. She lifted off the first one, to reveal a bunch of light pink scoops with dark fuchsia swirls. “This is raspberry ripple,” she said with dramatic flourish.
India’s mouth was already watering.
“Now, how about some triple chocolate? That’s chocolate ice cream, with chocolate chips, chocolate cookie dough, and chocolate sauce.” Amy glanced up at India – chocolate was India’s favorite. India couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.
“Plus we have birthday cake flavor, Rocky Road flavor, sweet coconut flavor, white chocolate flavor, and mango flavor.”
The kids were all chattering excitedly, telling each other which flavors they would pick.
“I’m gonna have one of every single one, ‘cause I’m the birthday girl,” Nia declared.
“And,” Amy said, bringing out a box from underneath the table, “we have sprinkles, and edible silver balls, and toffee sauce, and strawberry sauce, and chocolate sauce, and gold stars you can eat, and all kinds of super cool things you can put on top.”
“Yay!” Lily said.
All the kids squealed and clamored to get to their favorite flavor.
“Make a line now,” Amy said, then nodded at India, widening her eyes and pretending to be scared. “Come on, girl, I’m about to be swamped by a load of five year old princesses.”
Nia looked outraged. “I’m six!”
“Sorry, sorry,” Amy said with a grin. “Now, what can I get you?”
Soon, all the kids were sitting back under the shade of the mango tree, stuffing themselves with ice cream and spilling it down the front of their princess dresses. India and Amy flopped onto the grass beside them, each so ready to savor their own bowl. India had gone all out, taking scoops of triple chocolate, white chocolate, and sweet coconut, then covering them all with a salted caramel glaze sauce.
“Wow, wow, wow,” she said after she took the first bite. “Amy Dawson, you are a genius.”
“I know,” Amy said, pretending to puff up her hair as she batted her eyelids. She’d had a scoop each of mango and raspberry ripple, covered in strawberry sauce. “Shame I’m on a diet,” she said, “otherwise I’d have had a scoop of every single one.”
“Just because they’re fruit flavor doesn’t mean they’re healthy,” India teased.
“No,” Amy said
with a grin. “But it’s easier to pretend it is, right?”
The kids were enjoying their ice cream so much they’d stopped their loud chattering. All India could hear was the gentle roar of the sea in the distance, and the clatter of spoons against bowls.
“So, what’s up with the case?” Amy asked.
India explained about Will.
Amy dropped her spoon in her bowl, her mouth open. “No. No way.”
India nodded with a grimace. “Fraid so.”
“No way,” Amy said again. “I can’t… But… It’s not possible.”
India’s heart began to thump. “Why not?”
Amy looked dumbfounded. “I don’t know, it’s just not. He’s too… He wouldn’t do that. I just know he wouldn’t. There’s no way he’d have killed Katriane. Didn’t you see how much they loved each other? They were like the perfect couple.”
India shrugged, beginning to feel sick. It wasn’t the ice cream, it was the whole business of the case. For a man to kill his new bride was a horrible thought, and it hadn’t really hit home until that moment. “I guess he was just a really good actor,” she said. “A really bad bad good actor.”
“No,” Amy said. “I just… I can’t accept that.”
India continued eating her ice cream and said nothing. Amy was always the kind of person to look on the bright side of life, and sometimes she just didn’t want to acknowledge the darker side of human nature.
“Not Will Tremblay. Nah, no way,” Amy said, then looked up at the kids. Her face brightened. “Anyways, enough of that. I’ve got a whole bunch of crazy kids to keep happy.”
*****
India couldn’t believe how quickly time flew. Soon the sun was dipping down behind the horizon, splashing the sky with hues of deep orange and rose red and gold. It was so beautiful she decided to walk home from the villa to immerse herself in the warm pink-gold light, instead of taking a ride in Amy’s purple convertible. It wasn’t far to walk. Besides, the ice cream sat heavily in her stomach. She hadn’t been able to resist trying just a little of every flavor.
“See ya,” Amy said, then screeched away from the kerb far too fast, cranking up the gangsta rap music she loved listening to.
India walked along the darkening streets, enjoying the warm air around her. She planned to flick on some old school comfort TV when she got home – maybe she’d catch a rerun of Friends – and snuggle up in her pajamas with some warm herbal tea. Usually she’d have milk, either regular or almond, but since all the ice cream that was the last thing she wanted. Ah! And she’d have a hot shower first, and she’d wear those comfy white linen pajamas her mom had sent down for her birthday. India could already feel the soft comfort of the fabric against her clean skin, as she slipped between her white sheets, and allowed herself to get lost in those lovely dreamy thoughts.
But then her blood ran cold and her heartbeat froze, as a cold hand closed its bony fingers around her wrist.
“India,” the man’s voice said from behind her.
She was so frozen by fear she couldn’t even scream or struggle away. A feeling that she was going to die any second overwhelmed her. A few thoughts flashed into her mind, all at once – she wished she’d had time to say goodbye to Xavier, and that she’d visited her parents back in Wisconsin more recently, and that she wished she’d learned more magic, so she could have saved herself.
But all at once, those thoughts disappeared, as the man walked around in front of her and started laughing. “You’re terrified!” Luis said, incredulous. “What’s up with that?”
India let out a huge breath of relief. “Luis! You can’t just appear on people like that and grab them. And why the heck are your hands so cold? It’s like you just stepped out a freezer.”
“Finland, actually,” he said. “There’s a guy over there, a bit younger than you, so freaked out about being a witch and thinking he’s losing his mind, threatening to jump off a bridge, all kindsa mad stuff. I was called to fix it. Freaking exhausting. Especially with the language differences. Translation charms just suck all the life outta me, especially when my behind is freezing right off. I’m still cold now.”
India looked down to see goosepimples rising on his bare arms. He wore a basketball vest down to his knees, baggy jeans, and, quite jarringly, flip flops. His salt and pepper gray hair had been shaved into a buzz cut. “You’ll warm up,” she said. “You look different today. Not your regular fashionista self.”
He shrugged, then linked his arm in hers. “Gotta switch it up once in a while.” He began walking.
“Actually, I’m going that way,” India said, nodding in the other direction.
“Oh, right,” Luis said, laughing as he spun them around. “Not that it matters. When you master the teleportation business direction begins to matter a lot less.”
India giggled. “I can imagine.”
“Anyhow, you’re probably thinking why won’t this annoying old man leave me alone—”
“Not at all!” India said, slapping his arm. “And you’re not annoying. Or old. Okay, not that old. You’re like a lovable great uncle.”
Luis pretended to be serious. “You’re so lucky you didn’t just say granddad then.”
“Or what?” India said with a grin.
He grabbed his chest dramatically. “The heartbreak!”
“Oh, get outta here, you goofball.”
“Anyhow, I haven’t got all night, I’ve got to go see a young lady witch in Nigeria.”
A thought struck India. “Couldn’t you be in lots of different places at once? Like, talking to the guy in Finland, and me, and the girl in Nigeria, all at the same time?”
Luis rolled his eyes. “That’s like tier 10 magic, girl. You play piano?”
“No.”
“Okay, well play me Chopin’s sonata number three.”
“Say what?”
“Exactly,” Luis said. “That’s the equivalent. Gonna take years and years, and sweat, blood and tears. Hey I’m a poet.”
“And you do know it.”
“Anyhow, that’s enough chitter chatter,” Luis said. “Let’s get to it. Ready?”
“For what?”
Luis grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
CHAPTER 7
When India opened her eyes, she had no idea where she was. Lying on her back, she looked up to see thick strands of almost translucent wire crisscrossing above her head, some with huge watery orbs bigger than her head hanging from them.
“What the…?”
Beyond those she saw the sky, and when she looked down she saw the ground beneath her was green, and light and springy, responsive to her movement.
She heard chuckling behind her. “Luis…?” she said, turning. “Where the heck are we?” As she turned, she saw him leaning up against a huge, bright green tree trunk, his arms folded, a silly smile on his face.
“You haven’t guessed yet? All right, I’ll give you a clue. That,” he said, pointing to the thick wire strands, “is a spider’s web.”
“What?” India scrambled away from it so quickly it only made Luis laugh all the more. “So…” India looked around, realizing that the orbs must have been water droplets, and that they were standing on a leaf. “We’ve… shrunk?”
“Yep,” Luis said. “I didn’t even pick this, you know. Just put my trust in the energy. You need to learn something, India, but I don’t even know what it is just yet… though I’m getting an idea.” He put his hands in the pocket of his miniature pants. “Oh,” he said, looking pleasantly surprised as he drew out a pack of cigars and found a lighter inside. “Why not, eh?” Soon he was lighting up, then blowing a thick smoke cloud out. “Want?”
India shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m still…”
“In shock?”
“Pretty much.”
“Aha!” Luis said, so loudly it made her startle and step back, almost falling off the leaf. Luis reached out to grab her wrist and pull her safely back on. “It’s a long way down. Anyhow
, I’ve realized what the next step is. India, tell me, what do you want most in the world?”
“Wow.” What a question. “I…”
“Don’t you dare say you don’t know,” Luis said, then took a puff on the cigar.
“Well…” She thought of Xavier first, that she wanted their relationship to go well. But then she thought of her desire to be a private investigator. And then her fledgling magical abilities. And her best friend Amy. Then it clicked. “I know! I want to be able to be a private investigator, and to be able to tell Amy and Xavier about my powers.”
Luis sighed in an impatient way. “Nigeria’s calling me, girl, we need to speed this thing up. You already know you can’t tell a single damn soul about it.”
“I know,” said India, “but you asked me what I most wanted and I told you.”
Luis clicked his teeth in annoyance, then spoke softly. “You’re right. I just thought I knew what I was gonna be teaching you next. As it is, I’m clueless. The energy’s made us like an inch tall and flung us on some random leaf in the middle of who knows where.”
India shrugged. “Maybe you’re supposed to teach me how to be small?”
“No, no, no, that’s much too difficult.” He looked agitated as he lowered himself down onto the leaf and stared up at the sky. “I’m sure the energy’s trying to symbolize something with the web.”
“Kinda cryptic though, isn’t it?” India said, sitting down beside him and hugging her knees.
“Cryptic’s only cryptic if you don’t get it,” Luis said. “Once you can spot the connections, it’s perfectly clear.”
India laughed. “But—”
“Of course!” Luis sat bolt upright and puffed out a cloud of smoke. “There are two things I need to teach you, before I disappear to Africa. First, the web’s symbolizing your insight ability, again that’s a measure used in psychosorcery, remember that?”