An Unhappy Medium

by Dawn Eastman

  Sophie was less impressed and I think she was jealous of the attention Seth showered on Neila. Mom had made beef stew, which was Dad’s favorite, and I wondered if she had plans for him. He had a theory that Mom made his favorite dish only when she wanted a favor. It was also the recipe that Neila made every fall to remember my grandmother. I saw her eyes well up a bit when Mom placed a bowl in front of her.

  Mac happily tucked in to his bowl of unemotionally laden stew and seemed content to let everyone chatter around him. He’d been unusually quiet this evening, but I didn’t sense any tension or worry. He was probably ruminating on our afternoon of following Aaron.

  “So what do you know, Mac?” Vi leaned past Sophie and me to address Mac.

  He placed his spoon next to his bowl and smiled at Vi. “Not much, Vi. What do you know?”

  She flapped a hand at him. “Tell us about Derek’s investigation.”

  “I don’t think we need to do that right now, Vi,” Mom said. She cast a worried glance at Neila and I suddenly realized she wanted to impress her.

  “If I wait until after dinner, he’ll disappear on me,” Vi said. “He’s like smoke.”

  “You shouldn’t smoke, Mac,” Sophie said seriously. “It’s very bad for you. We saw some nasty-looking lungs at school. They were all black and shriveled looking.”

  Mom’s spoon clattered to the table. Vi took Sophie’s hand and squeezed it.

  “I meant he’s hard to pin down,” Vi said. “He doesn’t actually smoke.”

  “Oh, good.” Sophie smiled and pulled her hand away so she could go back to eating.

  “I don’t have anything to report, Vi,” Mac said. “It’s not my case.”

  Vi narrowed her eyes and sat back in her chair. “And you’re telling me that you just happily go about your own business and you haven’t asked any questions about the case?”

  “You must have heard something, dear,” Mom said.

  The tension had returned to Mac’s shoulders. “They are pursuing multiple leads. I wish I could tell you that they had found the killer, but they haven’t.”

  “Do they still suspect . . .” Dad glanced at Sophie. “The people they suspected before?”

  Mac nodded and rubbed his jaw. “I think that will be a top lead unless something else comes along.”

  The table was silent for a moment, each person working on his or her own interpretation of what Mac said.

  “I hate to eat and run,” Neila said. “It was delicious, Rose. Just like your mother used to make. But I’m not used to being out and about so late and I’m really quite tired. Mac, would you drive me home?”

  I caught the smile that passed between them and knew that Neila was just trying to save him from my family. I had told her how they loved to involve themselves in Mac’s cases.

  Mac stood so quickly he almost knocked his chair over. “Of course, Ms. Whittle.” He walked around the table to her chair and helped her to stand.

  “I’ll walk you out, Neila,” Mom said. “I hope you’ll come again.”

  “Just when I was getting somewhere,” Vi muttered to Seth.

  * * *

  Mac was already home when I returned with the kids. I could tell they were tired due to the lack of arguing when I suggested they should get ready for bed.

  I went to the kitchen while they trooped up the stairs. I set the electric kettle to boil and put Neila’s tea into an infuser. Both Mom and Neila thought that this would help and I needed it.

  I took my mug into the living room where Mac sat staring at the wall opposite.

  “What’s up with you?” I sat next to him on the couch.

  He pressed his lips together. “I’m finding it difficult to stay away from this case.”

  I gave him a small smile. “Really? I’m shocked.”

  He grimaced. “I talked to Andrews after you dropped me off. Roy is still focused on the fight with Paul. Andrews didn’t know why Roy decided to meet Aaron at the garden instead of the station. And I heard through another contact that Aaron and Derek had been fighting just before the race. So there are multiple witnesses to that fight, just like the one with Paul. I don’t know why Fisk is so focused on Paul and Grace. Or how to get him to consider other possibilities.”

  “We’ll think of something,” I said. “We don’t have any more proof that Aaron or Richard was responsible than they have against Paul. It’s all just gossip.”

  “Yes, but with missing diamonds, now Aaron and Richard have a motive,” Mac said.

  35

  I am in the alley again with Tatiana. The same alley I saw in the crystal ball. The pirate zombie is gone and she has stopped crying. She beckons me forward and leads me through a maze of cardboard boxes and furniture piled so high I can’t see over it. I turn to try to orient myself, but the pathway behind has closed off.

  I turn again and look for Tatiana, but she is gone. I run ahead to the next turning point and look both ways. She’s disappeared. I choose the right fork, but only about ten steps along I hit a dead end. I return to the intersection and take the left side. This leads to another choice—again there is a dead end or a path that leads to another branch point.

  It feels as if the piles of boxes and furniture have been getting progressively taller and more menacing. But I sense that the diamonds are here somewhere, among the boxes. I stop and wait for a hint. There, in the corner. I see three enormous diamonds. I can barely stuff them in my pockets. When I turn back toward the pathway, it has become narrow until I have to turn sideways to squeeze through. I can’t turn around because the boxes are closing in behind me.

  I look up ahead and see that the path is clear and wide. I move quickly toward the wider opening and just as I step out of my narrow pathway I stop and pull back.

  I look down and down and down. The maze has led to a cliff. I feel the familiar dizziness and nausea that accompanies any brush with heights. I push my back against the wall and close my eyes.

  * * *

  Saturday morning I woke with the now familiar fuzzy, groggy, post-dream feeling.

  I remembered Aaron sneaking into Tatiana’s house and I knew I had to get inside and see if the diamonds were there. I had no clear idea of how the stolen gems were connected to Derek’s murder but I was certain they were. Was he killed for the diamonds? Was he killed for another reason that had forced him to steal them in the first place? Did he fight with his brother and the whole thing got out of control?

  And if they were in Tatiana’s house, how did they get there? Did Aaron put them there yesterday, or did he go there looking for them? And what about the knife? Was it the same one Tatiana had purchased from Diana?

  I slumped down the stairs in search of coffee. I found Mac and the kids laughing and eating frozen waffles in the kitchen.

  “We’re going to see alpacas today!” Sophie said. “Seth says they’re like llamas and I don’t know what those are, either, but I bet they’re cute.”

  I looked at Mac. “Alpacas?”

  He swallowed and pushed his empty plate away. “My mother,” he said.

  That was really all he needed to say. His mother, Lucille, had found a local alpaca farm and was “sponsoring” some alpacas in exchange for their fleece. She had concocted this plan during a recent knitting retreat and had become obsessed with the skittish animals.

  “What time?” I asked.

  “She wants us over there by eight thirty.” Mac stood and kissed my cheek. He leaned forward and whispered. “I told her you were busy.”

  I mouthed “thank you” and stepped to the counter to slide my own waffle into the toaster. I poured coffee and leaned against the counter.

  “Get your shoes on and we’ll go,” Mac said to the kids.

  “You can’t come see them, Clyde?” Sophie asked.

  “Maybe next time,” I said. “You can give me a full repor
t when you get back.”

  “Okay.” Sophie skipped out of the room and I heard her chattering to Seth in the living room.

  “You didn’t sleep very well,” Mac said. It wasn’t a question.

  I shook my head no. “Just a lot on my mind.”

  “Take a break and we’ll figure this out together,” he said. “See you around lunchtime.”

  The minute they left, I ran up the stairs to peek out my bedroom window at Tatiana’s house. I saw her moving around in her kitchen and hoped she planned to go to work. Weekends were the busiest time for the shops and for those with psychic offerings. Mom occasionally worked all day on a Saturday during the summer.

  The dogs straggled in and sat with me as I staked out Tatiana’s house. Tuffy sat on my foot and stared up at me, probably trying to send me thoughts of dog treats. Baxter leaned against me and rested his chin on the windowsill.

  After half an hour of alerting me to every bird and squirrel in the neighborhood, Tuffy and Baxter wandered off in search of more interesting pursuits. I had just decided to quit when Tatiana came out of her front door. She turned to lock up, climbed into her Mustang, and drove away. As I heard the vehicle rumble down the street I realized I could have just listened for her car and saved myself a stiff back and a nagging headache.

  I texted Diana and asked her to let me know when Tatiana arrived. A flurry of questions ensued. I dodged them and then received confirmation that Tatiana had settled in for a morning of palm reading. After the bonfire lighting last weekend, she had been quite popular. Everyone likes to try out the new talent.

  I went to the kitchen and rifled through my junk drawer. Finally, after pulling out rubber band balls, screwdrivers, a small hammer, dead pens, and old Chinese food menus, I found what I was looking for—a key with the label MILO’S PLACE attached. I just hoped Tatiana hadn’t changed the locks.

  I grabbed some stretchy black gloves that were still in the basket by the door from this past winter and went across the street. I pretended to knock while sliding the key in the lock. Seeing my black-gloved hand against the door reminded me of the dream of the funeral. I tamped down a sudden worry that this was a very bad idea. Tatiana was slightly irritating, but not dangerous. The key worked smoothly and I stepped inside.

  I had never been in the house. The former owners weren’t very friendly and I’d never needed to come in after they left. Milo had given me the key in case of an emergency and I’d never used it.

  The layout was classic, with a dining room to the right, living to the left and the kitchen at the back of the house. Tatiana still had boxes piled everywhere. I wove my way through the living room, feeling another brief warning as I remembered last night’s dream. But it only confirmed my instinct that I needed to search Tatiana’s house. I found that the kitchen had been set up. No boxes here. Also, I was getting zero tugs toward the diamonds. My heart raced and I felt like I was breathing too heavily. I wasn’t accustomed to entering someone’s house uninvited. I stood still and closed my eyes, concentrating on the diamonds.

  Upstairs. I climbed quickly, worried Tatiana would return any moment even though Diana had said she would let me know if the palm reader left the store.

  There were two bedrooms and a bathroom off the landing at the top of the steps. The bathroom felt “cold.” One bedroom had been set up and it felt cold as well. The other bedroom was filled with boxes, clothing, and some cast-off furniture. I stood in the doorway, still breathing heavily, when my mind settled on a small rolltop desk. It hid behind a stack of boxes in the far corner of the room. I might not have noticed it if not for the sense that I had found what I was looking for.

  Why would Tatiana have some of the diamonds? Did she know Derek better than she had let on? She did appear out of nowhere just as Derek came to town. Then several things clicked at once. Who had access to Aaron’s office? Who had I seen at the shelter? And who, besides Tatiana, could have hidden the diamonds here? I suddenly realized that a warning about Tatiana coming home was not what I needed. I needed to get out of here, but I knew I was close to the diamonds. I took a chance. I worked my way past piles of bedding and clothing, stubbed my toe on a headboard that was lying in the middle of the room, and almost knocked a whole stack of boxes to the ground.

  I made it to the desk and opened the lid. It slid up with a loud squeak. Inside there were about fifteen small drawers and cubbies. I began opening them in order and found a small velvet bag in the fourth drawer down. I pulled it out.

  “I’ll take that,” said a voice behind me.

  I jumped and backed into what I assumed was the barrel of a gun.

  I slowly raised my hands and he took the bag from me.

  “I’m really sorry, Clyde,” he said. “I always liked you, but even as a kid you were too nosy for your own good. You know, Grace got in all sorts of trouble when you told your parents about us smoking. She blamed me since they were my cigarettes. Your parents told her I was a bad influence. Then Derek started calling her and hanging around, charming everyone. Things might have been different if you had kept your mouth shut.”

  “Theo, you don’t have to do this,” I said.

  He laughed a short bark of amusement.

  “Don’t tell me what I have to do,” he said. “Put your arms down and hold them behind you, slowly.”

  I did as he said and he pulled off my gloves and slipped a rope around my wrists. “I couldn’t believe it when Derek came back to town claiming he was going to move back here and work at the jewelry store. I think he just said that to get at the diamonds.”

  A few wraps and I felt the knot tighten. He took my phone out of my back pocket and patted me down.

  “Come on, Tatiana could be home any minute.”

  I didn’t see the point in arguing with him about Tatiana’s whereabouts. He grabbed my upper arm and steered me back out of the room. I stumbled once, but he caught me and I didn’t fall.

  He pulled the ladder to the attic down out of the ceiling and pushed me toward it. I awkwardly climbed up, leaning against the steps so I wouldn’t lose my balance. If he didn’t have a gun, I would have pretended to fall and tried to knock him down, but I couldn’t chance it with a firearm in the mix.

  The attic was warm and dusty. I heard a few squeaks and saw bats hanging in the rafters.

  “This place is creepier than I thought,” he said, looking around.

  He pushed me toward a wooden bench that had been shoved against the wall. He gestured that I should sit and I finally got a good look at him. He was just the same as always. His open, friendly face made me think for a moment that this was all a joke. Then he pulled a roll of duct tape off his arm. He must have snagged it from the room with all the boxes. Tatiana favored a purple plaid design and Theo tore off a strip and covered my mouth.

  “I can’t have you making any noise up here when T comes home,” he said. “Don’t worry, she’ll see it my way eventually.”

  He wrapped my ankles with the tape and secured them to the bench leg. He patted my head.

  “I’ll be back soon,” he said. “And no noise. I’d hate to have to use this.” He waved the gun and descended the ladder. The trapdoor swung up and I was plunged into a gloomy, dusty, bat-infested prison cell.

  36

  The minute he was gone, I began working on the rope around my wrists. I had held them as far apart as possible when he tied them. Now I tried to push them closer together to see how much play I had in the rope. Not as much as I had hoped and my shoulders ached from holding my arms behind my back.

  I struggled with the ropes and tried to pull my left arm out because it felt the loosest. My watch caught and dug into my arm. Then I tried good old-fashioned wiggling. I hoped the knot wasn’t very tight. By twisting my arms and trying to make the knot tighter, I hoped to loosen the rope enough to pull my right arm out.

  I heard rumbling in the distance an
d the engine cut off just outside. Tatiana was home. Theo must have called her. He was probably laughing at the frantic texts from Diana.

  My stomach dropped. Diana was the only person who knew I was even paying attention to Tatiana. If Theo answered her from my phone, he could tell her anything and she’d never warn Mac that I was in trouble. Why hadn’t I put a passcode on my phone?

  “What do you mean, she’s in the attic?” I heard Tatiana’s angry voice just below the trapdoor. Theo’s deeper voice responded, but I couldn’t hear what he said. He wasn’t shouting.

  The voices moved away and I continued to work my hands free of the ropes. I felt like I was almost there, but it was very tight. Finally, my right hand slipped free and I pulled my arms to the front, rubbing my shoulders and my wrists.

  I pulled the tape carefully off my mouth and listened. It sounded like they were all the way downstairs. Tatiana’s voice carried and Theo’s was just a low rumble, but I didn’t think they were fighting anymore. I didn’t know if that was good or bad for me.

  My ankles were encased in tape. He really wanted me to stay put. I looked around in the gloom for anything sharp to cut the tape. I felt along the edge and underneath the bench and was rewarded with a sharp puncture to my finger. I had found a nail.

  I dug it out with my fingernails until I could just barely grip it and then started working it back and forth to pull it free. It was hard work and I was in a weird position, sprawled on the bench with my ankles tied to one corner. If I could have used both hands at the same time, I could have done it, but I couldn’t twist that far.

  I stopped every few minutes to listen. It had grown very quiet down there. I hadn’t heard the Mustang, so I assumed they were still in the house. I glanced at my watch. It had been two hours since Mac and the kids had left for the alpaca farm. How long could it take to pet a couple of skittish fleece producers? But would Mac even know where to look for me? Diana wouldn’t send up an alarm if Theo had answered her text. No one else knew I was here and Mac might not consider looking across the street. He didn’t even know I had suspected the diamonds were at Tatiana’s house.