Peril for Your Thoughts (Mind Reader Mystery)

by Kari Lee Townsend

Most UPS drivers were quick, delivering their packages promptly and efficiently. Not Sully. He loved to talk. Mix that with my family, and he could spend half a day on just one block. Lucky for him the citizens of Clearview loved him, or he’d probably get fired. Finally, he pulled away from the curb and headed to a different part of town. I followed, careful to maintain enough distance without losing him as I squinted through the swipe swipe swipe of my windshield wipers.

  He made a stop by Sinfully Delicious. Once again, he chatted forever with Maria, then he stepped back outside. He stared across the street at Full Disclosure for what seemed like forever. Finally, he got back in his truck and drove away. Again I followed. This time he pulled up at Vixen’s, but he didn’t park out front like he had at all the other places. He pulled out back. I waited for a while, but when he took even longer than at any other place, I parked down the street out front and then ran out back, minus an umbrella. I peeked around the corner, but he had already gone inside. I briefly wondered what the ever-worsening ozone could have done to the rain and what long-term side effects might be occurring within my body at this very second.

  Pushing down the panic attack that was threatening to take over at any second, I thought about what I was supposed to do. If he came back outside right now, he would see me. There were no bushes to hide in like there had been at the funeral home. I couldn’t risk him seeing me, but I needed to hear what was going on, if anything. I spied a dumpster and knew in my gut this was going to send me straight to therapy. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that Jaz was worth it.

  I slowly made my way over, swallowing hard and feeling my stomach churn with every step. I came to a stop by the edge and felt my pulse. Yup, racing like the first-place car in the Indy 500. Slipping on the rubber gloves I carried in my purse before I could freak myself out even further and change my mind, I opened the top of the dumpster. Grabbing onto anything I could, I climbed to the top.

  Oh, God, the trash hadn’t come yet!

  Rain, rotting garbage, and Lord knew what else … I was going to be sick. There was no way I could do this, I thought and started to back my way down when I heard the unmistakable sound of a door being opened. With nowhere to go, I squeezed my eyes shut and jumped. I tried to catch my breath as dumpster materials squished around me and rationalized how doing things that terrified me would only make me stronger. And getting stronger was exactly what I needed if I was ever going to do something about my spring fever.

  Stifling my gag reflex, I pushed through the rancid trash and peeked through a crack in the corner of the dumpster but didn’t see anyone yet. It finally stopped raining and the sun broke through the clouds, causing a brilliant rainbow to arch across the sky. I couldn’t even enjoy it because the stench of my surroundings turned even the most beautiful things vile. Something crawled across my shoe and I screamed, then I slapped a hand across my mouth. The smell of latex was a welcome distraction.

  The back door of Vixen swung open.

  “What was that?” Ana asked, her sharp gaze darting about the back lot of her store.

  “Probably just a cat,” Sully responded with a shrug as they both faced the dumpster, providing me with a perfect view. “You’d be surprised the things I encounter on my route.”

  “Darling, I can only imagine.” Ana reached out and squeezed his hand. “Why don’t you quit and come work for me? You’re so good at servicing people. My customers would love you.”

  “You drive a tempting bargain, Ana, but alas I can’t.” He pulled his hand from hers and rested it on his heart. “Your customers already love me, as I probably have serviced most at least a time or two.”

  “That’s my point. You’re so popular.”

  “I do what I can.”

  “And you do it so well.” Her laugh trilled through the air.

  He bowed gallantly and then winked. “Well, duty calls. Guess I better head out.”

  “Oh, here.” She looked around suspiciously, then handed him a note. “I trust you know what to do.”

  “Honey, I always know what to do.” He took the note and slid it into his back pocket.

  She laughed again, waved, and then went back inside. He walked to his truck, whistling along the way. The note slipped out of his back pocket, but he never noticed. I stayed in the dumpster until I heard the unmistakable sound of his truck start up and then drive away.

  Hoisting myself up, I scrambled out of the dumpster, stripped off my gloves and tossed them back over the edge. Thank goodness the heaping mound of trash had made it possible to escape relatively easily. If I had gotten stuck in there, I would never have survived. The thought of that alone caused perspiration to dot my forehead. There wasn’t enough hand sanitizer on the planet to rid me of the filth covering me. It would take three hot showers, minimum. But first, I had a note to fetch.

  Using stealth moves like I’d seen on TV, I skirted over to the side of the building, snatched up the note, and then sprinted to my car, not stopping until I was safely ensconced inside—which took a bit of time, considering I had to cover the seat with the paper towels I had conveniently in the trunk. Like my yiayia says, you never know when there’s going to be a big mess to clean up and I didn’t want a single speck of dumpster doo-doo touching anything else that belonged to me. Finally, I opened the note and read it.

  Meet me at the same time same place: Lakeshore Heights, tonight at ten pm. Ask for Stacy Walsh.

  Lakeshore Heights was a small motel just across the line in the next town over. Bits of Ana and Sully’s conversation came back to me: so good at servicing people, drive a tempting bargain, so popular, do what I can, you do it so well … Sully had pulled his truck around back, instead of the front. He’d spent the most time in Ana’s store. They’d flirted and then she’d acted all shady, looking around and giving him a note. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on.

  Anastasia Stewart was having a secret affair she didn’t want anyone to know about, and her lover was Sully Anderson.

  “You did what?” Jaz asked as we sat around the dining room table having lunch. More like Jaz was having lunch. I didn’t have an appetite. I’d taken three hot showers, scrubbing my skin nearly raw, and I still felt dirty. Not to mention, the smell seemed to be permanently adhered to my nose hairs and no amount of blowing cleared it out. I might need to see a doctor.

  I set down a crystal dish filled with only the best tuna for Prissy, before I answered Jaz. “I tailed Sully to see if he was up to anything suspicious and then dove in the dumpster to spy on him.”

  “I heard that, I just can’t believe it.” Jaz stared at me in shock and awe, crossing her arms over her warm-up suit and leaning back in her chair. “You’re changing. He’s changing you.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I dusted an imaginary piece of lint off my yoga pants and then pushed my bowl of salad away. “Can you smell it? I think I can still smell it.” I extended my arm toward her face.

  She set the legs of her chair back on the ceramic tile with a resounding thud and pushed my arm away. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Nikypoo is the kind of man you need, just like I’d hoped he would be.” She grinned.

  “He’s not changing me. My gift is.”

  “True, but it’s his thoughts that are working their magic.”

  I tossed my hands in the air. “Yeah, well, none of that matters if I don’t have a clue what to do about it. I’ve had issues my whole life, so needless to say, I’m not exactly experienced in the art of seduction.” I picked up my bowl and carried it to the sink, rinsing it out thoroughly with soap and hot water before putting it in the dishwasher.

  “No worries, babe,” Jaz said as she followed me. “That’s what you have me for.”

  “No offense, but that terrifies me.” I laughed, then frowned as I leaned against the counter, facing her. “Speaking of seduction. Sully is a good-looking guy and highly respected around town. Why would Ana act all secretive if she were dating him?”


  “Good question,” Jaz said in all seriousness as she wiped down the counter. She’d learned to spray it three times with a disinfectant because she knew if she didn’t, I’d follow right behind her and do it anyway. “Who knows with that woman? She’s so uppity. Maybe she thinks he’s beneath her or something. Their affair does surprise me, though.”

  “Why’s that?”

  Jaz waved the sponge about as she talked, nearly giving me a heart attack when it almost came in contact with me. The last thing I wanted to do was take another shower. I preferred paper towels, but Jaz refused to cave on that one. She had no idea I threw the sponges out daily, replacing them with brand new ones when she wasn’t looking. “Sully was just flirting with me right before he left.”

  “But you always turn him down,” I replied, taking a big step back, well away from the deadly sponge. Lord only knew what germs it harbored. I could practically see the multiplying bacteria. “Maybe Ana’s easy.”

  Jaz tossed the sponge beneath the sink, then popped her head up, her eyes going wide. “Or maybe he’s the mole.”

  Her words made me forget the sponge. “He does deliver to both of you. If you kept turning him down, maybe Ana said yes on purpose. If he delivered your trade secrets to her, she would agree to sleep with him, but only if he kept the affair a secret. That way you’d never make the connection.”

  “Exactly. They just didn’t count on you going all Veronica Mars on them. Man, I can’t wait to see Ana’s face when we blow her little secret right out of the water. I’ll show her what happens when someone messes with me.”

  “There is no we, Jaz. I agree with Detective Matheson on this one. You need to stay out of this. You’re not helping the situation any by getting all up in Ana’s business. You’re just going to make yourself look crazy and capable of killing someone.”

  “Detective Matheson is the one I’d like to kill,” Jaz grumbled.

  “All in due time. But first, we have a murder to solve.”

  “I thought there wasn’t a we?” she threw my words back at me, sarcasm dripping from each syllable and a big ole pout spread across her face.

  “We’re still a team, it’s just I will be the one to check out the motel while you hold down the fort here.”

  “And do what?” she sputtered. “There’s nothing more I can do.”

  “Then do something else, like spring cleaning or something.”

  “Puh-lease. Like this place isn’t already spring cleaned 24/7.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Then do some spring planting.”

  “Um, you’ve already planted, pruned, and picked just about every spec of this yard already. There’s not a single spring anything I can contribute to.” Suddenly she got a look in her eyes that could only mean trouble.

  “Oh, no. What are you up to?”

  “Just coming up with a new recipe.”

  “A new recipe for what?” asked a familiar male voice from the doorway.

  Jaz and I both jumped. Prissy looked up and hissed, then pranced away with her nose in the air.

  “Sorry, door was open,” Nik said through the screen. He had on his typical work attire of jeans, sport jacket, and tie. “May I come in?”

  “The door’s always open for you, Detective,” Jaz fairly purred. “Isn’t that right, Kalli?”

  “Sure thing.” I smiled stiffly, feeling my ears burn as my face flushed fire red.

  He stepped inside and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking a little nervous. Was he reliving our kiss from yesterday afternoon as well? I’d made the excuse I felt sick last night, took off early from the party, and hadn’t spoken to him since.

  “I hope you’re feeling better today. You took off so early this morning, I didn’t have a chance to check on you. I had some time on my lunch break, so, well, here I am.”

  “To answer your question, Detective,” Jaz looked right at me as she finished with, “I’m working on a new recipe for a cure. A homeopathic cure. It involves oysters, among other things.”

  His brow puckered, and he scratched his head. “For what?”

  “Oh, just a little something that’s ailing Kalli these days. She has a fever.”

  I gasped, and my eyes shot to Jaz. She wouldn’t dare, would she?

  “I thought she looked a little flushed,” Nik said, his gaze running over me with worry. “I hope it’s not anything serious.”

  “I’m fine,” I quickly interjected, feeling my cheeks grow even warmer, which wasn’t helping my case one bit. “Jaz is just—”

  “Concerned,” she cut me off. “But it’s nothing a little TLC—you know, tender lovin’ care—won’t cure.”

  I covered my eyes and groaned.

  “You sound like my ma,” he said to Jaz, and I could hear the humor in his voice. I opened my eyes to see his lips twist into a lopsided grin, and he suddenly looked much more relaxed as he studied me with blazing curiosity and definite interest in his eyes. Good Lord, was he catching on to what she was talking about? If so, then I truly was in danger of dying of mortification.

  “So does this ailment have a name?” he asked as his eyes settled on me.

  I fanned my cheeks. “It’s not an ailment, really, it’s—”

  “A little known thing called spring fever,” Jaz finished with relish, then added, “No worries, Detective. I know just what to do.”

  CHAPTER 14

  * * *

  Kill … me … now!

  The rest of Monday passed with Nik checking in with me constantly. He might have been curious after Jaz’s ramblings, but I wasn’t sure if he had clued into what spring fever really meant. We’d had the whole teasing conversation about our mothers and spring fever, but he wasn’t giving anything away. And he didn’t trust Jaz to have the “cure,” so he’d told his mother, who promptly told my mother, who then told half the town, which consisted of most of my family. Thanks to Jaz I’d spent the rest of the day in bed, being fussed over and fed more chicken soup than anyone should ever have to eat. And Ma was over the moon that Detective Dreamy was so concerned about me.

  Twenty-four hours was all I could take.

  “For the last time, Ma, I said I’m fine. I don’t know what came over me, but I’m sure it won’t happen again. I need to get out of this house. I’m going someplace quiet to work on my book of designs.”

  “Come to the restaurant. We’ll find a nice quiet spot for you to work. You gotta eat, right?”

  I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me through the phone. “I ate enough for a week yesterday. No offense, but I’m not setting foot near that restaurant or any of the family.”

  “Okay okay, but bring a sweater and make sure you keep an eye on your temperature. Your Uncle Phelix had the fever once. Remember what happened to him?”

  “Ma, I keep telling you the fever didn’t give Uncle Phelix rabies, the raccoon out back in his shed did. The fever was just a side effect.”

  “Fine, don’t listen to your mother, but when you get the rabies, don’t come crawling back to me.”

  “No worries there, Ma.”

  “What, now you don’t want to be near me? What has the world come to when my only child doesn’t want to be near her mother? Wait until your father hears this one. It’s that Jaz, I tell you. She’s turning you against your own family.”

  “There’s my doorbell. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.” I hung up to her yelling for me to look through the peephole and not open the door to strangers.

  There wasn’t really anyone at the door; I just couldn’t take any more of that conversation. It was early, and Jaz was still in bed. She was another person I didn’t want to face after what she’d put me through. Besides, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to do anything about my spring fever anymore. I’d given up on the idea of love and romance long ago, but then Nik had come along, and my gift had made everything possible. He was the only one who had ever physically affected me this strongly, and my gift made me stop thinking altogether as his thoughts seduced me.
But I wasn’t sure what to do or even how to be intimate, and that embarrassed me greatly.

  The only thing I knew for sure that I wanted to do at this point was follow up on Ana and Sully and their motel rendezvous on the outskirts of town, so that’s exactly what I did.

  I slipped outside and drove across Clearview’s town line straight into Lakeshore. Lakeshore Heights was a quaint little hotel that sat on the shores of a small lake, tucked into the woods. Most people wouldn’t know about the place, as it pretty much catered to the overflow of outsiders who came to the lake in the summer when the cottages and campgrounds were full.

  It was the perfect little getaway for someone who didn’t want the locals to find them.

  Someone like Anastasia Stewart. She would never stay at a dive like the Clearview Motel. Lakeshore Heights might be small, but it was picturesque and modern, right up Ana’s alley. She just hadn’t counted on this local finding her note to Sully.

  I headed inside and took in the charming rustic interior as I approached the desk. The animal heads on the wall kind of creeped me out, but the wooden accents and scenic paintings throughout the lobby added a warm and cozy feel.

  “Good morning, ma’am. Welcome to Lakeshore Heights. Our cabins down at the Oasis don’t open until after Memorial Day, but we have several rooms here at the Heights open during this time of year if you’re interested,” said a pretty young blonde girl.

  “Actually, I was looking for a friend of mine. I was supposed to meet her here yesterday for her birthday, but I got held up out of town. I was hoping to catch her this morning.”

  “What’s the name, and I’ll see if I can find her for you.”

  “Stacy Walsh.”

  The girl didn’t even have to look through the registry book. Her face got all flushed, her eyes going dreamy. “I remember her. She came in late last night just before the end of my shift.”

  “Wow, she must have really stood out.”

  “Not her, but the guy who was with her sure did.”