“Hidden what?” His brows furrowed.
“I forget you don’t live here.” I reached out and touched him. The sparks that had happened between our fingers, happened when I touched him.
He slightly jerked.
I continued without giving any acknowledgement of the electricity, “Historic Old Louisville council has a garden tour and gives awards to the best landscape and things like that. My mom has got a green thumb and Mrs. Hubbard does not. She thinks she’s going to win with her plastic flowers.”
My head shot to the right when I saw a flash zip by me.
“What?” Mick looked over my shoulder. “What are you looking at?”
Riule. My eyes were sharp and assessing as they zeroed in on my mom’s familiar darting around the courtyard. What was he doing out of the house?
One of Mrs. Hubbard’s red plastic bouquets swayed. Riule emerged with the bouquet in his mouth.
“Red,” I blinked at Mick, feeling lightheaded. I stumbled back and he caught me before I fell to the ground.
“Red?” Mick searched my face for a plausible answer to me blurting out a color. His eyes probed my very soul. His lips so close to me gave me a knot in my stomach.
“Yes. Red!” I pushed my way out of his grip and snapped my finger. “The informant whispered red when I bent down to look at him in the warehouse and Tawny.” It was as though a light bulb had gone off in my head, but it was Riule. He was the one who helped me remember. “Tawny whispered ‘red’ to me too.”
“As in the color?” Mick questioned.
I nodded.
“Red.” He ground out the word between his gritted teeth. “Red.”
“Red.” I confirmed.
“Are you sure you are okay?” he asked again. When I assured him I was, he said, “I’m going back to the office. I’ll be in touch with you tomorrow. I’m going to see what I can figure out with red.”
“Bye.” I sighed, watching as he zoomed off in his car. He didn’t bother giving a proper goodbye. I turned back around and called, “Riule. Riule.”
Rowl, rowl. The cat was sitting on the front porch of our house, waiting for me to let him in.
Chapter Eighteen
I was beginning to see a pattern when I was with Mick, a no sleeping pattern. There was no sleeping after a night with him and SKUL. I had tossed and turned all night trying to forget the look on the informant’s face and on Tawny’s. Though two different people, the look was the same, their voices desperate as they whispered red.
Instead of fighting sleep, I pored over the files hoping something would come to me but nothing did.
Meow, meow. Riule snuck into the room. His tail dancing in the air, the red plastic flowers lying at his paws. He lifted his right leg, licking his paw before rubbing it over his ear a few times before he rested on his hind legs, cleaning his under carriage.
“You are a naughty cat.” I pointed a finger toward him. When did it become my responsibility to look after someone else’s familiar? Hell, I had a hard time keeping my own in line. “You better go put those back.”
He didn’t listen. He ran out. I got up and picked the flowers off the floor. With a snap of my finger, I was dressed and ready for work. There was no sense in trying to rest when Auntie Meme and Lilith were already at The Brew getting ready for the morning crowd. I was no use at home or at SKUL. At least at The Brew I could keep myself busy by working.
Vinnie didn’t have two words to say on the way over to the diner. He drove me over, dropped me off, and away he went. I wasn’t in any mood to stroke his ego, so I let him be. He’d come around. Especially if I got myself into a pickle.
“Look what the cat dragged in.” Lilith planted her hands on her hips. “Why are you here so early?”
“I couldn’t sleep.” I grabbed the apron off the hook and stuck my clutch under the counter. I grabbed the stack of clean saucers off the shelf and walked down the counter setting one down in front of every stool.
“Mr. hottie keep you up all night?” Lilith was really trying to get to the bottom of my relationship with Mick.
“No.” I glared at her and made my way over to the cups, hooking one on each of my fingers. “I went to a meeting. I told y’all but you were too busy watching TV and grinding Mom’s herbs.”
I shoved past her and put a cup on each saucer. Lilith flipped on the small television that hung on the wall behind the counter. The regulars loved to listen to the morning news and discuss the weather over their cups of coffee and biscuits and gravy.
The banner across the bottom of the screen read Breaking Headlines.
“Did you see that?” Lilith asked, pointing to the screen.
“Yeah, you didn’t fill the sugar container for the counter customers,” I noted, trying to ignore her. Auntie Meme had put me on counter duty all week long from the looks of the schedule.
I pulled the condiment caddy from underneath the counter and started making my way down the row.
“No, not the condiments.” Lilith pointed to the TV. “That.”
I stopped and looked at the TV, turning up the volume. The reporter was standing in front of the Fawn mansion in front of the yellow police tape that was draped all over the place, stating all the details of the investigation.
There was a podium in the front of the steps of the massive home with a bunch of microphones taped together on top. The camera zoomed in on Tessa, Bo and another gentleman walking out of the front door and down the steps. The man stood behind the piles of microphones with Tessa and Bo standing next to him.
Tessa’s eyes were bloodshot with black circles under them. She nuzzled her head in Bo’s shoulder as he tried to comfort the sobs coming from her body. I couldn’t help but think Tawny was in the ever after complaining about the black Mystic Couture mascara dripping down Tessa’s face since it was supposed to be waterproof. Definitely not tear proof.
“I’m the lawyer for the family, Steve Combs.” The man spelled his name so the reporters had it right. The sounds of camera clicks went off in the distance like little gunshots. “Tessa and Bo are devastated about the passing of her mother, the legendary makeup mogul, Tawny Fawn. Mystic Couture will carry on her vision and to beautify the world one woman at a time.”
“Is it true Mrs. Fawn was murdered?” one reporter shouted out in the live broadcast.
“There is nothing to confirm that at this time.” The lawyer didn’t even flinch at his lie. I wondered why the police would keep something like this secret? Why wouldn’t they be out there combing the area for more clues as to who killed her?
“Is it true Mystic Couture’s numbers have been falling over the past few years with other big names in makeup coming to the scene? And would she take her life over it?” another reporter asked.
“It’s absurd to think a woman as polished and classy as Tawny Fawn would take her own life. Mystic Couture is doing better than it ever has. The reports are false. Mrs. Fawn took great pride in caring for her employees.” The lawyer spoke loud and clear.
“Will you take over, Tessa?” another reporter shouted out.
The lawyer lifted his hands in the air, palms out as if to stop more questions with his hands and followed Tessa and Bo back up the stairs, disappearing into the house.
Tessa’s face was pale and her eyes were sunken. For someone who didn’t live with her mom, she sure was playing the part of the grieving daughter.
“There you have it, folks. Rob, back to you in the station.” The reporter shrugged.
Lilith turned the volume down.
“I think it’s awful coincidental you had a package of Mystic Couture products and now they are gone. Now she’s dead.” She pulled a piece of paper from her back pocket. “Here is the address that was in the package. Is that cop involved in something he shouldn’t be and dragging you down with him?”
I took it from her. Pig Creek Road, I read to myself. I didn’t know the address but Vinnie could find it.
“Enough chit chat.” Auntie Meme popped her head through th
e pass through. Today her hair was tamed in a way only Auntie Meme could do. Magic. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, only it looked like a pom-pom sitting on her head. “Maggie,” she flailed her arm in the air. “Get back here and grab the jar with the leaf.”
“Great!” I put the sugar bag on the counter and slid it toward Lilith. Lilith’s eyes narrowed, her mouth dropped. I smiled. We both knew I was going in to make the gravy. Plus it got me out of talking about Mick and answering her questions.
I didn’t bother saying a word to Auntie Meme. With pride on my face, I took the jar off the shelf and unscrewed the lid. I shook a dash of it into each of the boiling pots as Auntie Meme stirred, a ladle in each hand. Exactly like we had done before.
Instead of the boiling water turning to gravy, the mixture clouded up and sent smoke boiling out into the kitchen. The fire alarms sounded and Auntie Meme swatted at it with her towel.
“Stand back!” she roared, flinging her pom-pom hair-do from the clips. Her hair popped out into the black mess we were used to seeing. The smoke was so thick, I covered my mouth but couldn’t stop watching Auntie Meme circle her arms around and around like one of those whirly wind helicopter seeds that fall from the trees.
The sirens of a fire engine truck were echoing outside in the distance. Lilith ran in the kitchen.
“What in the hell is going on?” she questioned me. We both stood there as Auntie Meme did her magic, chanting a few words and restoring order to the kitchen.
Two firefighters burst through the kitchen door, one had a fire extinguisher and the other had an axe.
“Excuse me.” Auntie Meme happily stirred the boiling pots of water. Her hair was back in pom-pom form again and there was no smoke to be found. The kitchen smelled of the fabulous gravy and biscuits.
“We had a call that there was smoke billowing out of your restaurant.” One of the firefighters looked around, wearing a dumbfounded expression.
“Smoke?” Auntie Meme cackled. “I have been known to burn a few things, but biscuits and gravy aren’t one of them.”
Lilith snuck through the swinging door between the kitchen and diner. I tried to go with her.
“Maggie, where are your manners?” Auntie Meme’s eyes bore into me. To the firefighters, “You gentlemen are here, you might as well take a seat and be the first customers served this morning. Everything is hot and ready.”
I showed them to a table and went back into the kitchen to retrieve their free plates of food Auntie Meme had offered.
“Just as I knew,” Auntie Meme griped. “I knew you had lost your touch of cooking when the two worlds collided. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it.” Auntie Meme beat it into the ground. She was full of piss and vinegar.
“Just like that?” I asked, worry set deep in my soul. “I couldn’t have lost it in one day. I just couldn’t have. Maybe something was wrong.” I knew it was far-fetched but I had to rationalize it somehow.
“Nope. You are not destined to take over The Brew,” Auntie Meme growled and grumbled leaving me feeling even worse than I had the day before. “By the way, you got a lot of boxes on the front porch from that makeup place you and Lilith were arguing about. A lot of boxes.”
It had to be the shipment of Mystic Couture makeup I had to use as my product sample line. I couldn’t wait to dig into them. Lilith had better not touch them.
I swung through the kitchen door with my hip leading the way and a tray full of biscuits and gravy for the firefighters who had moved to the stools at the counter. I went down the line, setting a plate full of the special in front of them.
“Maggie Park.” The high pitch voice caught me off guard this early in the morning. “Is that you?”
The woman at the counter peeled off the long black gloves one finger at a time before she removed her large black sunglasses from her face.
“I thought that was you.” She laughed and smacked the gentleman who was sitting next to her with the end of the gloves. “Dan said that it couldn’t possibly be you since you are a Platinum girl now, but I insisted it was you. Didn’t I?” She turned to Dan for confirmation. Dan rolled his eyes. “I’m generally never wrong.” Drea, the Mystic Couture Platinum member from last night, wrinkled her nose in a bunny rabbit sort of way while trying to smile. Not a good look for a Mystic Couture rep.
“It sure is me.” I smiled and put a plastic menu in front of them when they took a seat at the counter.
Drea’s neat little black bob swung side-to-side as she took a good look around The Brew. Her eyes opened real wide and she sucked in a deep breath.
“You don’t work here, do you?” Her fine, silky lined Mystic Couture eyebrows raised a trifle.
“I own it.” I flipped the cups over. “I like to be among the good people of Louisville.”
Why? Why couldn’t I use magic in an instance like this? This would be the perfect time. I could easily have zapped her and Dan away. Neither of them remembering it. But no, I had to have this whole world colliding thing and if I did something to screw that up. . .I didn’t want to think about it, so I lied. Again.
“Being a Mystic Girl sure does have its perks.” I rubbed my finger and thumb together like money. It seemed all the consultants cared about was the financial part. “And I picked the diner.” I pulled the pencil out from behind my ear and tapped the order pad. “What can I get you?”
“Why do you look so drab?” Drea shot Dan a look when he elbowed her. “What? I’m not being rude. She is a Platinum member now and should dress like one. I mean she has access to the finest makeup in the world.”
“I’m excited about the big show I have tonight. My first show as a Platinum member.” Another little fib wasn’t going to hurt. I ignored her drab comment. “I was going to cancel the show due to what happened to Tawny but I figured she’d want us to carry on.”
“Yes.” Drea did the sign of the cross and Dan lowered his chin, eyes down. “Can you believe that?” Drea asked in a hushed voice.
“Very sad,” Dan followed up. “I wonder who will take her place?”
I held the pot of coffee up, both gestured for me to fill up their cups. I poured.
“I guess her daughter. That is what they said at the news conference.” I pushed the sugar container and creamer pitcher in between them, letting them fight over who got what condiment first. “That would make the most sense.”
“News conference.” Drea was taken aback.
“I bet you missed it on your way here.” I pointed to the TV. “There was a news conference with Mystic Couture’s lawyer. Tessa and Bo were standing next to him. He said they were going to take over and run things the way Tawny had done.”
“There is no one that can run Mystic Couture like Tawny Fawn.” Drea’s perfectly lined brows rose. “Besides, her daughter hated the company. She doesn’t even wear the makeup.” Drea gave me a little bit of information that seemed to be important. “She said it took her mom away from her all these years.” Drea shrugged, slowly stirring the spoon to mix the creamer she had poured in her cup.
“That’s a shame.” I pouted. “They seemed to be getting along last night before she was…” I made a line across my neck.
“She was murdered?” Drea gasped, grabbing Dan’s forearm. Both of them looked like they were about to fall over from the shock.
“Murdered?” I laughed realizing the news hadn’t reported it. “I don’t know, but I just figured.”
“Bathroom?” Dan asked. I pointed.
“Without her, I’m afraid of what is going to happen to our international sales. You never know if our product is going to go out or not with all the fighting going on in the warehouse.” Drea sucked her mouth into a rosette. The Perfectly Pink Petal was her lip color of choice. I should know. I really wanted that color a year ago.
“What fighting?” I asked pouring a little more coffee. Got to love chitchat over coffee.
“The warehouse manager is this big burly bald guy who thinks he’s large and in charge. When something does
n’t go his way or the orders are out of sequence, he fires people on the spot.” She sucked in a deep, heavy sigh. “You’ll get to understand that stuff soon enough. I’m sure we will get an email or phone call about what is going to happen.” She poured more cream in her cup. “I was serious when I said I’d like to show you the ropes. Where is your Mystic Couture party tonight? I’d love to attend.”
“Oh,” I shooed away the idea. “I’ve got it under control.”
“No seriously. I’m fascinated by how you became a Platinum member and I’d never heard of you.” She arched her brows into a triangle. “I went home and dug out all of my Mystic Couture newsletters and magazines over the past ten years and there isn’t even a consultant with your name or your initials. Nothing.”
“I’d love for you to come.” Instantly I regretted what I had just agreed to, but I had to get Drea Philpot off my back. She could ruin everything, the entire investigation. I scribbled my name and address on one of the pages of my ordering pad and ripped it off, sticking it on the counter next to her coffee. “Can I get you the special?”
“We’d love it.” She neatly folded the paper and slipped it into her purse.
I put a rush order on their food and got it to them as quickly as possible. Thank God for the breakfast rush and the firefighters ordering more food because I didn’t have time to make more idle gossip with Drea. Poor Dan. He looked miserable as she sat there and yammered on, her mouth never once stopping. Who knew how she ate her biscuits and gravy so fast.
“I’ll see you tonight.” Drea patted the money on top of the bill I had snuck in front of them, giving me the spirit wave as she and Dan left The Brew.
“Those are the type of people you have been keeping company with?” Lilith’s head tilted to the side taking in all of Drea Philpot.
I gave her a keep-your-mouth-shut look. She drew her lips into a tight smile.
“No tip, either?” Lilith asked, looking over my shoulder.
“I’ve decided to take my journey into my own hands and become a Mystic Couture sales representative.” I wiped down the spot where Drea and Dan had sat.
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