Dawn returned with cups of coffee for Sadie and their mother.
“Isn’t this nice?” Dawn grinned. “We need to start doing this more often.”
Sadie sipped her coffee, and then, because Dawn made horrible coffee, she reached for one of the cookies on the coffee table in front of her and used it to mask the flavor.
“I’m going to buy you a new coffeemaker for your next birthday,” Sadie remarked.
“John just bought one,” Dawn replied.
“Then I’ll buy you new coffee,” Mom piped up.
“Why? What’s wrong with the coffee?” Dawn stared down at her own cup.
“It’s awful,” Sadie and Mom said simultaneously.
“Well, look at the two of you agreeing on something already,” Dawn giggled.
Sadie said, “Seriously, Dawn, you can’t call yourself a Seattleite and make coffee that tastes this bad. You’re a disgrace to the city. If you want to make coffee like this, you have to move to, like, Ohio or something.”
“I’ve had coffee in Ohio,” Mom said. “It wasn’t this bad.”
“Okay, I get it.” Dawn held up her hand. “Let’s get off the topic of coffee and talk about, um, other stuff.”
Sadie narrowed her eyes and regarded her sister coolly. “What other stuff?”
“Stuff like your, um, talent for talking to spirits,” Dawn said with forced cheeriness.
“Oh, Lord,” Mom muttered. She took a large gulp of the bad coffee, winced, and then put her mug down. “Let’s not talk about it. Let’s just forget about it or ignore it. I’m fine either way.”
“I’m good with that too,” Sadie said.
“Look,” Dawn said forcefully. “We’re going to talk about it like mature and responsible adults and that’s final.”
“Why?” Mom and Sadie asked together.
“Because it’s not good to have secrets in the family, and it’s not good that we can’t be in the same room together without feeling uncomfortable. I don’t want Dylan growing up in a dysfunctional family.”
“Sorry, Sis, but that ship has sailed. We are already dysfunctional.”
“You know what the problem is with your generation?” Mom asked. “You all think you have to fix everything, and that everyone has to be politically correct and have good relationships. When I was growing up, if something wasn’t right you just ignored it and pretended it was all right. Like Uncle Glen. Yes, he talked to himself and ended up in the loony bin, but pretending everything was okeydokey was what got Aunt Lynn through the day!”
“Bad example, Mom,” Sadie mumbled around a mouthful of cookie.
“I don’t know why you have to flaunt this thing of yours,” Mom said heatedly. “If you have to go off into woo-woo land and be a psychic, do you have to bring the rest of us along with you?”
“Woo-woo land?” Sadie burst out laughing, and then shook her head slowly. “Know what? I don’t need this shit.”
She got to her feet and headed for the door. Quickly slipping her feet into her Nikes, she waved to Dawn but her sister was already chasing after her, begging her to stay.
“Please. Let’s just talk it out.”
“It was a nice attempt, but our family isn’t ready to be functional.” Sadie dug out her keys and opened the door. She heard her nephew mewing softly through the baby monitor and nodded inside the house. “Dylan’s crying.”
Sadie slammed the door behind her and cursed all the way to her car. When she started up her Honda, she punched the accelerator and swiped angry tears from her eyes.
Sadie was about three blocks away from Dawn’s house when she noticed a dark SUV had been following close behind her for a while. She told herself that it didn’t mean anything and then said aloud, “Yeah, but just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean somebody isn’t really out to get you.”
She sped up a little and blew through an amber but nearly red light. The SUV did not plow through the red to stay with her. Problem solved. Except now what? She didn’t feel like going directly home. Instead, she got a real coffee at Makeda on Seventy-eighth Street. She took her latte to go and then drove around a while, trying to think of who would like to set fire to her warehouse and have her killed. If Zack was in the picture, she’d feel safe and protected. It would be easy to call him. Her hand found her cell almost of its own volition, and then, appalled, she dropped it back into her purse and continued to drive.
It was obvious to Sadie the threats were because she’d ticked someone off. It could be related to a scene she was working and, truthfully, both places were what she’d call high drama. The Ocean View School had a possible vigilante situation with the janitor. Then there was the Sunnyside Avenue house with its ugly ghost and boxes of secrets—and Paula.
Sadie’s mind kept returning to Paula. Did the slut consider Sadie a threat? Was she trying to get Sadie to stop cleaning her mom’s house? It’s not like Petrovich had told Paula that Sadie was helping with the ghost thing. Sadie frowned. But Carole might have mentioned Sadie being there. Would Paula Wicks try to kill her just so she could keep Zack to herself? The idea seemed more than extreme, considering Zack had already moved out and Sadie wasn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat to bring him back home, but maybe that was the point. Maybe it pissed Paula off even more to know that Zack didn’t want her even when he couldn’t go home to Sadie.
At a red light, Sadie looked around surprised to find herself in the neighborhood of First Hill, nicknamed Pill Hill because of the number of hospitals in the area. Sadie didn’t have to drive far to get to the one where Paula worked as a ward nurse. Sadie knew Paula often worked the late afternoon shift, which meant she might still be working right now.
Sadie steered into the hospital’s parking lot and cruised the staff designated slots for Paula’s vehicle. There was row upon row of reserved parking, but it would be easy to spot her yellow VW if it was in the lot. Then again, Zack could’ve driven her to work. The fact that he might be driving Paula places and acting the role of her boyfriend brought Sadie’s blood to a boil. She figured if she spotted Zack’s Mustang, she couldn’t be held responsible for how her keys might inadvertently damage the paint or maybe how the heavy Maglite flashlight in her trunk could crack a headlight or two. Accidents happened.
After ten minutes of winding up and down the aisles of vehicles, Sadie gave up. She was headed for the far exit when she spotted Paula’s VW dwarfed between a white Escalade and a black Navigator. Sadie pulled up directly behind Paula’s car and stopped. Now what? She drummed her fingers on her steering wheel and finally opted to leave her nemesis a note on her windshield.
Reaching into the glove box, Sadie pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and started off with, Dear Stupid Bitch. Then she crumpled up that one and started again with, This Queen of Clean doesn’t appreciate your notes and I’m going to—
She sighed and balled up that note too. Starting again she wrote simply: Paula, as a nurse, you must know that combining prescription drugs and booze will only hurt Zack. Please help him to quit instead of supporting his habit.
Sadie tapped the pen against the pad, thinking of what to say next. She wanted to tell Paula that she didn’t need to keep Zack drugged and drunk in order to keep him. If he wanted to stay with Paula, he’d stay; and if he didn’t, he wouldn’t. Somehow there just weren’t words to convey how she felt without sounding like she was saying, “You can have him now that you’ve screwed him up.” Sadie’s heart ached at the thought.
Sadie tucked the pen back in her purse, and that was when she noticed she still had the small plastic bag that Louise had given her. Well, what could it hurt, right?
Sadie hopped out of her car. She tucked the note under Paula’s wiper and checked her door handle. Open! Wow, Paula should really be more careful. Sadie opened the door and debated where to sprinkle the powder. The seat seemed the obvious choice, but it probably wouldn’t work since Paula would be clothed. On the floor of the passenger seat, she spied a canvas bag. Curious, Sadie o
pened it up and saw workout clothing: shorts, T-shirt, and a small towel for perspiration. Sadie sprinkled a fine mist of the dust all over the items and then dusted the mixture on the steering wheel. She locked the door when she left.
Sadie laughed to herself. The powder would probably do nothing but make Paula’s hands dirty, but it still made Sadie feel strangely powerful.
She got back into her Honda and prayed that Seattle would have a dry evening, which would keep her note intact until Paula got off shift. Sadie sipped the last of her coffee and hummed to herself as she pointed her car toward home.
She was a few blocks from her destination when she thought she spotted the same dark SUV that had followed her earlier. Squinting in her rearview mirror, she wasn’t able to make out the identity of the driver or a license plate. She reached for her cell phone. She couldn’t call Zack and she didn’t want to bother Petrovich. There was Floyd. Her hand recoiled. You couldn’t kiss a guy once and then expect him to be your caretaker. She’d have to find a way to help herself.
It was dark now and harder to keep an eye on every vehicle. Sadie decided to err on the side of caution and head somewhere public instead of going directly home to her empty house. A nearby 7-Eleven was bustling with activity. Sadie parked in the corner of the lot under a light and quick-stepped inside. She didn’t spot the SUV anywhere, but the stress had given her a powerful hunger for chocolate.
Once inside she scanned the shelves for bars to appease her craving. Maeva called when she was just trying to choose between a Snickers bar and a Butterfinger bar.
“I’ve been feeling uneasy about you all day,” Maeva admitted. “Have you been working with that angry ghost on Sunnyside Avenue?”
“No, I’ve been with Virgil Lalty and, yes, I sent him happily home to Jesus,” Sadie said. “But my warehouse had a fire today, and I was in the hospital for a couple hours, getting treated for smoke inhalation.”
“Oh, my God! Are you okay?”
“Apparently, I’m okay enough to get in a slobbery kiss with a hot detective I just met,” Sadie said drily, feeling not at all proud of the confession to her friend.
“Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
“Where are you? I need immediate details.” To the side she shouted, “Terry, I’m going to visit Sadie. I’ll be back in a couple hours.”
Sadie decided to get both chocolate bars. She handed the clerk the cash and waited for change while still on the phone with Maeva.
“I don’t feel like company,” Sadie told her friend. She took the change from the cashier and grabbed her chocolate. As she walked toward the door, she told Maeva, “I’ve had a fight with my mom and my sister, and Zack asked to come back home and I told him no. Plus, I was almost killed, I poisoned Paula’s car, and I sucked face with someone other than Zack all in the same day. I probably should just go to bed and try for peace and serenity tomorrow.”
“That’s tomorrow. Today I need to hear details of your sudden fling,” Maeva said firmly. “Do you want to meet at your place or a Starbucks?”
Sadie had just stepped out the front door of the 7-Eleven and taken one step in the direction of her car when there was a loud fwump sound, and she noticed flames shooting out from under the hood of her Honda.
“Argh!” Sadie screamed.
Maeva was shouting in the receiver but Sadie wasn’t listening. Instead, she ran back inside the store and screamed at the clerk for a fire extinguisher. Then there was a whoosh sound followed by a ball of fire and an explosive crash as her Honda exploded.
“Forget the fire extinguisher,” she told the clerk. “Just call the fire department.” She stared with complete astonishment as the hood of her car came crashing down on top of a car parked two vehicles over. Once the smoke had cleared, only the blackened frame of her car remained. Small flames still sizzled along the edges. Sadie stood with her hands limply at her side. She became aware of Maeva’s voice shrieking into her cell phone and realized her friend was still on the line.
“I’m okay,” Sadie said into the receiver. “But I’m going to need a ride.”
It took more than an hour to go over things with the police and fire officials.
“Weren’t you involved in that warehouse fire earlier today?” a firefighter asked Sadie.
She looked at him, recognized him from the earlier fire, and nodded.
“Hell, lady, you’d better make nice-nice with whoever you pissed off.”
“Unfortunately, that might be a long list,” Sadie admitted.
Finally she was free to go, and Sadie climbed into the passenger seat of Maeva’s new Mazda RX-8.
“You may not want me in your new car,” Sadie said glumly. “I’m a lightning rod.”
“I’ve got a circle of protection on my car,” Maeva said. She cut her gaze over to Sadie. “You may want to consider one for your entire life.”
“You’re not kidding,” Sadie said, buckling up.
“So who do you think this person is in the black SUV?” Maeva asked. “Do you think whoever was following you bombed your car?”
Sadie sank back in her seat. “You heard what I told the cops. All I know is that I’ve lost my warehouse and two vehicles in one day. My insurance company is going to hate me.”
“Things can be replaced,” Maeva said wisely. “People can’t.”
Sadie’s phone rang. She glanced at the call display and ignored the call.
“Zack?” Maeva asked.
Sadie nodded. “At least I know the boys-in-blue grape-vine is still working,” Sadie remarked. “Although it’s a little slow. Usually Zack would find out about one of my mishaps within a few minutes. It’s been nearly two hours.” She gritted her teeth a little. “Then again, he’s been a little . . . distracted lately.”
“You need a drink,” Maeva announced as she wheeled her vehicle into Sadie’s driveway. “Put your feet up on the coffee table, relax, and let me fix you a martini.”
The idea appealed to Sadie so much that she was on her second martini before she noticed she was drinking alone.
“What’s up with that?” Sadie demanded. “I know you’re driving, but you could at least have one and balance it with an hour of vegging on the couch and drinking strong coffee.”
“No, I can’t,” Maeva remarked softly while sipping a glass of water.
Sadie narrowed her eyes and regarded her friend’s Cheshire grin. “Oh. My. God. You’re not!”
“Not what?” Maeva asked innocently.
“Knocked up. With child. Preggers,” Sadie said, and then getting to her feet she shook a finger at her friend. “You are!”
Maeva nodded. Sadie lunged to hug her friend and then quickly backed off before they touched.
“Sorry,” Sadie said, laughing. She’d momentarily forgotten that Maeva was touch sensitive, and just a small connection with Sadie’s skin to her own would send the psychic vomiting.
“That was close,” Maeva laughed. “But I feel your hug and hug you back, metaphorically speaking.”
“When did you find out?” Sadie demanded.
“A few weeks ago.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“We wanted to be sure, and then with everything with your dad and Zack, well, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Wow. Pregnant.” Sadie sat back down on the sofa as the reality of her friend’s news sunk in. “Terry’s happy about it?”
“He’s over the moon.” Maeva chuckled. “I was a little shocked at first but, hey, I’m not getting any younger, and I figured it’s now or never.”
Maeva was only a couple years older than Sadie. As if reading her friend’s mind, Maeva leaned in and quietly said to Sadie, “If you want to have a baby, you will one day.”
When Sadie didn’t reply, Maeva carried on. “In the meantime, it sounds like you’re definitely having fun. Tell me about your latest encounter with the male of our species.”
“You make me sound like a slut,” Sadie remarked, downing
the rest of her drink.
“You’re a lot of things, Sadie Novak, but easy isn’t one of them,” Maeva laughed. “I’m just shocked. You’re not exactly spontaneous when it comes to men and, well, I think I’m surprised because it’s just a little soon to be in a lip-lock with someone else.”
“You think?” Sadie said, sarcastically. “Of course it’s too soon! It’s been only a few days since Zack moved out! Hell, I’m still not sure if I want to fix things with him or make a clean break, and while I’m undecided I go and consider boinking another guy!” She groaned.
“You actually thought about sleeping with him?”
“He was a very good kisser,” Sadie said in her own defense. “And I guess I was feeling really needy.” Sadie sighed. “It was a mistake to encourage him.”
“It filled a need in the moment, so I wouldn’t call it a mistake, but . . .”
“But what?”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I got news for you. Getting hurt isn’t exactly big on my worry list right now,” Sadie remarked. “I’m just trying to stay alive.”
Maeva left a little while later, and Sadie carefully set her house alarm before giving Hairy a kiss between his ears and climbing into bed. Before she fell asleep, she listened to Zack’s messages on her cell phone. There were two begging her to call him back and let him know she was safe. The third and last message from him had him talking with a slurred speech about how much he loved her and how he was “gonna fixsh thingsh between them, jusht wait and she-e-e.”
When the morning light shone between her miniblinds, Sadie went to work calling insurance companies and arranging for a rental vehicle. She decided to get a van she could use both for work and for personal driving. Her own Scene-2-Clean van would be repairable and was at a body shop getting all its melted bits replaced. The warehouse complex gave her another unit at the end to store the remains of her company stuff not destroyed in the fire. Just as soon as fire investigators had completed their investigation into her unit, the restoration people would move what could be moved. Then she needed to replace a lot of the smoke-and water-damaged inventory.
Dead and Kicking Page 23