“But … why would that put you in a good mood?” I asked. “I can see why that would put him in a good mood.”
“He said he was going to let me drive a tractor in exchange for the tickets. We had a lovely chat, and my love of farm equipment just sort of spilled out. He said he would be happy to make a lifelong dream come true.”
And there it was. Luke had been trying to get someone in a rural area let him drive a tractor for as long as I could remember. In fact, he made me promise to take photographs of him on said tractor should his dream come to fruition, because he wanted to make his own agricultural beefcake calendar. He thought it would make him rich and famous because everyone loves when vegetables and gay porn collide.
“Oh, man,” I muttered, instinctively lifting a hand to drag it through my hair. Kade and Luke reached out to stop me at the same time. “What?”
“Don’t ruin your hair because you don’t want to take photographs of me shirtless on the tractor,” Luke admonished. “I spent an hour doing your hair. It’s perfect.”
“Can’t you get someone else to take your photos? I might die tonight. I don’t want to do it.” What? I’m really going to do my best to fight off the death omen, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use it to my advantage. I mean, seriously, how often is another seer going to tell me I’m dying? Man, I hope it’s not often, because I’m not sure my nerves can take it.
“Does someone want to enlighten me?” Kade asked.
“It’s a long story,” Luke said, waving his hand. “We don’t have time for it.”
“Luke wants me to take a series of photographs of him shirtless on a tractor because he thinks he can turn it into a calendar and get rich off gay farmers,” I supplied.
“Apparently it’s not that long of a story,” Luke groused.
“I see.” Kade looked as if he was about to burst out laughing. “Well, we’ll figure that out tomorrow. Today we have other things to worry about.”
“We do,” Luke agreed. “I have to get free passes for Burt and Mama, I have to get Poet into a skirt, I’m doing the trapeze tonight and I’m saving my best friend’s life. It’s going to be a big day for me.”
“Don’t you mean a big day for us?” Kade challenged.
Luke shrugged, unruffled. “The only way it’ll be a big day for you is if you finally put on a big show of your own.”
“Thank you, Luke,” Kade muttered, shaking his head. “I think adding more pressure to this situation is exactly what everyone needs.”
Luke didn’t appear bothered by Kade’s sarcasm. “You do realize that you’re the headliner, main act and encore in that show, right? That means you have to be up for the challenge. We don’t take disappointment well around these parts.”
Kade scowled as he glanced at me. “Are you dead set on keeping him as your best friend?”
I couldn’t help but smile, even as Kade frowned. “I’m dead set on keeping both of you.”
Even though he fought the effort, the corners of Kade’s mouth tipped up. “I’m dead set on keeping you, too. Let’s make sure the dead part doesn’t happen, though, shall we?”
“Finally,” Luke enthused. “I didn’t think you’d ever find something we could agree on.”
It was official. The one thing that could bring Luke and Kade together was me. Now I just had to survive the next twenty-four hours to make sure all of their relationship efforts weren’t wasted.
26
Twenty-Six
A normal day at the circus involves fun, frolicking and never-ending laughter. There also might be some heartburn and a few headaches. What we were dealing with now was pretty far from a normal day.
After climbing into my costume – Luke’s smirk when I opted for a skirt with bells grating only a little – I headed toward my tent with Kade in tow. He plastered a bright smile on his face for everyone glancing in our direction, almost as if putting on an act that everything was perfect, but I could tell he was tense. I didn’t know whether he was trying to convince himself or me with the act, but it was growing tedious.
After getting set up in my tent, I tied the flaps so they remained open, and took my chair. The circus would open in five minutes, and I expectantly turned my eyes to Kade. “You can go now.”
“I’m good.” Kade ran his hands over my Ouija board as he studied the table behind me. “I need to get another chair for back here so I’ll be comfortable. I’ll have Dolph grab one before he heads to the big tent for the afternoon show. I’ll be fine until then.”
I ran my tongue over my teeth as I fought to contain my irritation. It wasn’t much of a calming mechanism, but I didn’t know what else to do. “You know I’m an adult, right?”
“That’s one of the main reasons I climb into bed with you every night,” Kade replied. “If you weren’t an adult, it would be awkward and illegal.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I know you’re trying to keep things light, but jokes like that are never funny.”
“I knew that the second it came out of my mouth,” Kade acknowledged, rubbing the back of his neck as he studied me. “I know this is hard for you, but you have to let us help you. You can’t do this alone.”
“There’s a difference between helping and smothering,” I pointed out. “What you’re doing feels like smothering.”
“I don’t want that, but … if something were to happen to you and I wasn’t around … .” He looked lost. “I don’t think I could live with that.”
“I’m pretty sure I couldn’t live with it either,” I quipped. “I’m also not sure I can deal with this. Can’t you … I don’t know … do your rounds and just poke your head in here every time you pass? I’m not thrilled with that arrangement, but I can live with it.”
“What happens if you’re attacked?”
“I’m on the lookout for an attack,” I answered. “I’m expecting something bad to happen so it will be easier to fight it off if I’m already waiting for it.”
“It will be even easier to fight it off if you have help.”
I knew he was trying to help, but he was doing the opposite. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a really long time,” I said, choosing my words carefully so as not to offend him. “I can’t go from being self-reliant to waiting for you to save the day. I’m not built that way. You may be a hero, but I’m not a damsel in distress.”
Kade balked. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”
I took pity on him. “I don’t think that’s what you’re trying to do,” I clarified. “I think you’re so desperate to keep me safe that you can’t help yourself. You have to remember that Melissa gave me the warning last night. Someone who looked an awful lot like me already died during the intervening hours. I might be safe.”
“And you might not,” Kade challenged, taking a step forward. “You have every right to feel smothered, but if you die because you’re being stupid and refuse to accept help, how do you think that’s going to make Luke and me feel? How do you think Max will react? Nellie? How about Nixie and Naida?
“I know Max is the boss, but you’re the glue that holds this place together,” he continued. “You’re very important to everyone here. I’m not sure this circus can survive without you.”
His words warmed me at the same time as guilt flipped my stomach. Even if we figured everything out, solved the murders and banished the evil tonight, something terrible was on the agenda for tomorrow. “I’m not trying to be a martyr,” I said. “I’m just trying to breathe and make it through the day without killing you.”
Kade cracked a small smile, but it was fleeting. “Will you promise not to wander around alone?”
He was trying to meet me halfway. “I promise to be extremely vigilant and not wander more than a few feet from my tent,” I said. “That’s the best I can do, because I occasionally need a few minutes to myself between readings. People are annoying when they want a specific future and I can’t deliver it to them.”
Kade signed. “Will you be really careful and n
ot wander around alone close to dark? Will you wait for Luke and me tonight before leaving?”
That was obviously his line in the sand. “Consider it done.”
“Fine.” Kade leaned over so he could give me a kiss. It was meant to be quick, but he lingered. When he finally pulled away, his eyes were bright. “If you promise to make it through the day without causing trouble I’ll make it worth your while later.”
I grinned. “Great,” I enthused. “I love getting a massage.”
Kade’s smile slipped. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I’m not getting my hopes up for anything else on a night when we’ll probably be fighting a monster,” I said. “I’m not a masochist … or naïve.”
“You’re probably right.” Kade gave me another kiss. “Still, it’s something to look forward to.”
“It is indeed.”
I WAS on my fourth reading of the day and starting to feel at ease when things shifted. An unexpected breeze blew through the tent, causing me to lift my head and glance around. I was alone, waiting for my next client, and the pedestal fan I plugged in and pointed in my direction to stave off the sweltering heat was the only noise in the stillness of the tent.
There was nothing there. I didn’t feel anyone watching me or an evil presence. It was only a breeze that had no business whipping through the tent. I considered poking my head out the flap and taking a look around to further convince myself things were fine when the entryway filled with two big bodies – and I just happened to recognize one of them.
“Hi, Burt,” I said, hoping my voice sounded more enthusiastic than irritated. “I heard you were coming to visit today. I’m glad you made it out.”
“Yeah, that Luke made a big deal out of it when he stopped by,” Burt said. “He said he would get us passes and stuff, and he seemed so excited I didn’t want to disappoint him. He’s got a weird thing about tractors I’m not sure about, but … well … he doesn’t take no for an answer. I wasn’t sure he’d actually come through, but he showed back up with the passes and all, and … well … Mama always wanted to visit the circus.”
“So here you are,” I said, forcing a smile for the robust blond woman standing next to Burt. For his part, he’d opted to leave the overalls at home and dressed in simple jeans and a white T-shirt that had seen better days – and that was if you didn’t take the pit stains I could practically smell from five feet away into consideration. I couldn’t hold that against Burt, given the heat, though.
Mama, on the other hand, was a different story. She was dressed in what looked to be her Sunday best, a blue cotton dress with a fully buttoned collar. She paired it with white canvas shoes, though, so I couldn’t help but wonder if that was her attempt at shaking things up.
“You must be Mama,” I said. “Welcome. Have a seat and I’ll give you a reading.”
“My real name is June,” the woman said, sitting in the seat on the left and studying me with inquisitive eyes. “Burt is the only one who calls me ‘Mama.’”
“Does that bother you?” It would certainly bother me.
“I don’t really think about it,” June replied. “You know, Burt told me about running into you in the field the other day, and he seemed thankful to escape with his arms and eyes. You don’t look nothing like no Satanist to me, though.”
I stilled, unsure how to respond. It didn’t surprise me that Burt described me in that manner. It did surprise me that June was so forthcoming. I expected a meek woman who looked to her husband for permission to speak. I guess I let my judgmental nature come out to play – just like Burt. “That’s possibly very flattering,” I said, glancing at Burt. “Did you tell her I was a Satanist?”
“I told her you looked like you were in tune with the dark arts,” Burt replied, unruffled about being called on the carpet for his snap judgment. “You do look like you could be evil. I don’t mean no offense when I say that.”
Of course he didn’t. Being told you look like a Satanist is a compliment really. Right? “So, what can I do for you today?” I asked, shuffling my tarot cards. “Do you want to know your future? Maybe how many kids you’ll have or whether the corn crop will be good this year?”
“I want to know who killed Frank,” June said, leaning forward with intense eyes. “Burt says he thinks it could be you guys, but that don’t make no sense to me, so I want to know who did it. I’m afraid to walk around after dark as long as a killer is out there. He might try to … molest me … or something.”
That was an interesting way of looking at things. “Who do you think did it?”
June made a face so outrageous I had to swallow three times in quick succession to hold off my laughter. “If I knew that I wouldn’t be coming to you, would I?”
“Probably not,” I conceded, shifting my eyes to Burt as I extended the cards in June’s direction. “Cut the cards,” I instructed. “Who do you think is doing it, Burt?”
“I still haven’t ruled out you and your friends,” Burt answered. “Although Mama pointed out that it would be pretty stupid for you to send someone ahead to kill Frank in your back yard and then call the police to report it.”
“That would be pretty stupid,” I agreed, doling the cards out. “Have the police said anything to you since that first day?”
“I’ve called a couple of times, but they haven’t been no help,” Burt said. “They said they’re looking into it and all, but I don’t think they really are. Now there are two other bodies, and that poor Jeanette Simpson was just out having a good time last night when she was killed in your parking lot.”
“What can you tell me about her?” I asked, lifting my eyes so they could lock with June’s clear orbs. I hadn’t heard the name of last night’s victim yet. It probably didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things – the victims looked to be picked at random and killed for convenience – but you could never be too sure. “I saw her, but … the police didn’t give us any information.”
“She was fairly young,” June said. “She was in her mid-twenties. She was one of those … hot-to-trot girls,” she added, bringing her voice down to a near whisper.
I frowned. “I’m not sure what that means.”
“It means that she didn’t get married right out of high school, so everyone assumed she was off doing the nasty with all of the local farmhands,” Burt supplied. “Mama don’t like that.”
“A proper woman gets married as soon as she’s out of high school,” June sniffed, crossing her arms over her ample bosom. “Look at this poor girl. You think she’s a Satanist, and I will just bet that wouldn’t have been your first inclination if she were married.”
Wow. This conversation was taking a turn for the absurd faster than I could follow it. “Go back to Jeanette,” I prompted. “She wasn’t married, so did she come here on a date last night?”
“I heard down at the farmers market that she was supposed to meet some friends. But when she didn’t show up they just went on with their night without her,” June replied. “She’s known for being popular with men, so they figured she found someone to entertain her.”
“So that means she never made it on the circus grounds,” I mused, running the scenario through my head.
“Is that important?” Burt asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered. “Her body was shoved under a truck to hide it. That makes me believe that whoever killed her didn’t cross over into the fairgrounds.” The dreamcatcher would’ve alerted to a foreign presence. The timing and location seemed to indicate whatever was out there was not only aware of the dreamcatcher, it was purposely avoiding it. “The woman who was killed at the rest stop never visited the circus, as far as I can tell.”
“No, but you could easily walk to that rest stop,” Burt pointed out. “Everyone in town thinks the cops are looking at you. Someone said they were out here twice yesterday.”
“Yes, but one of those times was to pick up a dead body,” I said. “The cops don’t think we’re suspects, because we have n
o motive. You don’t really have a motive either, unless you’re conducting weird rituals in your fields when no one is looking.”
“Is that like a Devil thing?” June asked, her forehead crinkling. “I don’t like Devil talk.”
“It’s not a Devil thing,” I said, rolling my neck until it cracked. There were so many pieces to the puzzle right in front of me, but none of them seemed to fit together. “What about Mary and Grace? Have you talked to them? They might know something.”
“Who are Mary and Grace?” Burt asked, exchanging a quick look with June. “Are they circus folk, too?”
I stilled. “No, they’re your neighbors,” I replied. “They’re the little girls who found the body in your field. I think they belong to whoever lives on the parcel adjacent to yours.”
“That would be the Rubens farm,” Burt said. “Frank and Glenda have been dead for going on two years, though. That farmhouse is in bad shape, and the land isn’t worth much in its current state because the irrigation is all messed up. It would cost a fortune to go in there and update it. That’s why it’s still empty.”
“But … .” I narrowed my eyes. “What about on the other side of you?”
“That’s all state land.”
“Then where did Mary and Grace come from?” I pressed. “They were playing in your field. They couldn’t have wandered out here if they didn’t live close. The cops took them home to talk to their parents that afternoon. I heard Detective Brewer order one of his officers to take the girls home and question their parents.”
“The cops said two girls were playing in the field, but I thought they had something to do with you,” Burt said. “I thought they were your kids. Er, well, not yours personally but you know what I mean.”
“We don’t travel with kids.”
“Well I don’t know what to tell you, but we don’t have neighbors with kids, and we know all of the farmers in the area who have kids,” June said. “The school system isn’t big out here. Everyone knows everyone. I don’t know any kids named Mary and Grace.”
Well … crap!
mystic caravan mystery 02 - freaky lies Page 23