Hazard in the Horoscope

by Kari Lee Townsend

  “Alleged murderer—in fact, you’re only a suspect. It doesn’t matter to me if anyone sees me here, Cole. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Tell that to the judge.” He grunted.

  “I will if I have to, but it won’t come to that. I have faith that Mitch and I will clear your name and put the real killer behind bars.”

  “I really hope so. I can handle whatever happens to me. Hell, I’ve been through worse, but I can’t stomach what losing me would do to Jo and our babies.”

  “Then let’s get to work.”

  “Do you really think reading my fortune will help?”

  “The way I look at it is that it certainly can’t hurt.”

  I followed Cole over to the couch and spread my horoscope charts on the coffee table in front of it. Taking the seat next to him, I studied the charts for a moment. “You’re an Earth sign. No wonder Jo loves you. Earth signs are the grounded people who bring the rest of us down to earth.”

  “What can I say, I try my best.” He looked uncomfortable with flattery.

  “For the most part you’re conservative and realistic, but I’ve seen first-hand that you can be very emotional, especially when it comes to those you love. You’re so practical and loyal and stable, always sticking by your people through hard times. We’re all lucky to have you in our lives, Cole. You should know that.”

  He smiled a little and everything about him relaxed. “I do know that, and thank you. It means a lot.”

  “Okay, on to your sign. I see you’re a Virgo. That doesn’t surprise me, since Virgos are loyal, kind, analytical, hardworking, and practical. That sums you up to a T.”

  “I guess so. Anything bad about being a Virgo?”

  “Well, you do have some weaknesses. You can be shy, you tend to worry a lot, you are often overly critical of yourself, and sometimes you’re all work and no play.”

  He looked down with chagrin. “I’m working on that.”

  “And you like animals, healthy food, books, nature, and cleanliness, while you hate rudeness, asking for help, and being the center of attention.”

  “Well, that’s not all bad.”

  “No, but just know it’s okay to let other people who care about you take charge sometimes.”

  “I know, and trust me, I am. My fate is in your and Detective Stone’s hands.”

  No pressure, I thought, but sat up straight and reached out to touch his arm. “We’re doing our best not to let you down.”

  Before he could reply, I tightened my grip on his arm as the room before me started to spin. I could vaguely hear him asking me if I was okay, but I couldn’t answer. Just like it always did, the world around me narrowed into tunnel vision, and suddenly I was someone else.

  My breathing picked up and my pulse started to race. I could feel my palms sweat as I gripped Cole’s arm in desperation. I felt like if I let go, my world would crumble around me. I started to shake and felt like I would fall over at any moment. Suddenly pain shot through me.

  “Sunny, can you hear me? Are you okay? Please answer me,” a deep voice cut through my fog, and I let go.

  I blinked and saw Cole watching me with a mixture of fear and helplessness in his eyes. “You cried out like someone was killing you. What the hell was that about?”

  Taking several deep, calming breaths, my body became my own again and I could breathe. “I think I was in a nightmare. I couldn’t stop shaking, and I felt fear and guilt and pain.”

  Cole was already nodding. “It has to be the stress I’m going through. I just had a nightmare last night and it really shook me up. I woke up sweating and felt so guilty over what I’m putting my wife and babies through. All because I let my temper get the best of me. You have to help me, Sunny. I’ll never be able to live with myself if I go to prison. The thought of Jo handling everything on her own because of my stupidity will kill me. I never should have let Gunther get the best of me. I should have walked away and ignored him and gone home where I belong. Instead, I argued with him and fought him and drove off alone with no one knowing where I was. All of this is my fault.”

  “You didn’t kill him, Cole. You’re innocent. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but justice will prevail. I have to believe and have faith, and so do you.”

  “I’m trying, Sunny. I really am, but it’s hard.” He rubbed his forearm where I’d dug my nails in during my vision. No wonder I felt pain in my arm. “I’m sorry about that.” I pointed to the marks my nail made over a tattoo of the Three Musketeers.

  His lips twisted into a half smile. “I think I can handle a few fingernail marks.” His smile faded. “Trust me, I’ve been through worse.”

  “Not this time,” I responded, and thought, Not on my watch.

  11

  After I left West Construction, I headed straight to Healing Hands. I walked inside and was pleasantly surprised. Soft meditation music filtered through the sound system, relaxing me instantly. The walls were painted a calming pale blue, the waiting room chairs soft and inviting. Lemon and orange water, as well as cucumber water, sat invitingly on a table off to the side, along with warm fingertip towels. A woman with slicked-back gray hair sat behind the desk.

  “Hi, my name is Sunshine Meadows and I have an appointment with Cindy.”

  “Well, hello there, Sunny. I’m Amy, Cindy’s office manager.” She held out her hand and shook mine. “We’ve heard all about you from Gary.”

  “Good things, I hope.” I smiled.

  Amy grinned. “Only the best. Gary’s a big fan of your abilities. I know Cindy has been dying to meet you.”

  “Sorry I haven’t been in before now. Things have been crazy busy lately. I always try to meet the owners of any new businesses that come to town. I mean, we can all use each other’s support, right? So, if you or Cindy ever need a reading, you know where to find me.”

  “You got it. If you want to take a seat, Cindy will be right with you.”

  I sank into a luxurious chair and couldn’t help but moan. It felt like forever since I had taken a moment to relax. I closed my eyes and inhaled deep.

  “You must be Sunny. You look exactly like Gary described you,” came a lyrical voice from somewhere in the room.

  My eyes popped open, and my lips tipped up instantly. A petite woman with pink hair, lavender eyes and a beaming smile stood before me with her hand held out, waiting.

  “I, um, yes… that’s me.” I stood and shook her hand. She didn’t look like she weighed more than a hundred pounds, and I found myself wondering how she could possibly be strong enough to massage half the big burly men of Divinity. I suddenly realized I was judging her just like people judged me. I shook off my thoughts and gave her a genuine smile this time. “And you must be Cindy. It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” She nodded. “Now if you’ll follow me, we’ll get started.”

  I did as I was told, forming the questions I wanted to ask to confirm Gary’s alibi. We entered a room even more tranquil than the lobby, with dim lights and essential oils pouring out of diffusers, and my footsteps slowed. “Wait, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I’m not here for a massage. I’m here to interview you.” I really didn’t like to be touched. It was a different story with my Detective Grumpy Pants, but he was the only one I’d ever felt comfortable with.

  She turned around and looked me over carefully. “Honey, you’re not the only one who is good at reading people. I’m a massage therapist, and judging by the tension in your shoulders, you need my help more than you know.” She handed me a sheet, told me to get undressed, lie down on the table, and cover up with the sheet.

  I blinked. “No, I… I mean, I really don’t have time for—”

  “Nonsense. You of all people should know the importance of taking care of oneself. Let me help you, and I’ll answer any questions you want to ask me. Deal?”

  I’d never had a massage because I’d heard horror stories on how painful they were, but I was here to get answers. If that i
nvolved going through a bit of torture, then so be it. “Deal.”

  Ten minutes later, I lay face down on the massage table feeling exposed and vulnerable in my birthday suit. Granted all my girlie parts were covered by the sheet and my massage therapist was a woman, but still. I hated not knowing what to expect.

  Cindy came in and her voice transformed into a hypnotic, comforting tone, and I felt myself relaxing. Some heavenly-smelling warm oil dripped onto my back, and then the most incredible thing happened. Magical hands pressed firmly onto my muscles, manipulating them skillfully until they released any tension they harbored and became pliant blobs of Jello. I groaned, feeling like I was under a spell.

  “Congratulations, by the way. I heard you’re engaged,” Cindy said. I tensed up for a moment, but she quickly moved to my shoulders and got them to relax once more. “Touchy subject?”

  I sighed. “No, not really. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love Detective Stone more than anything.” I found myself spilling everything, which was so unlike me to a complete stranger, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. Maybe because she was a stranger, and I really needed to talk to someone. “He wants me to set a date, but I want children, and he’s not sure if he does. That means we’re at an impasse. I can’t set a date until we figure out if this is a deal-breaker or not. We’ve decided to table the topic until this murder case is solved.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. I find a little distance from a conversation can bring the clarity you’re looking for. At least you’re smart to put your cards on the table before the wedding. I didn’t do that with my ex-husband, and now we’re divorced. He wanted children and wanted me to be a stay-at-home mom.”

  “Oh, so you didn’t want children?”

  “On the contrary. I love children, but I also love my career. I don’t see why I can’t have both. I was willing to compromise, but he wouldn’t budge on his expectations. He couldn’t accept me working at all, but he really couldn’t handle that my career involved touching naked people, especially other men. It makes me so angry when people call me a masseuse and relate what I do to a sexual experience. I’m a massage therapist, skilled at healing the human body. I look at the human body the same way a doctor would. There’s nothing sexual about it. That’s why I moved to Divinity. To start fresh and work on changing that stereotype.”

  “I get it, believe me. I’m so tired of trying to get people to take what I do seriously. They think fortune-telling is all for show, but I use my fortune-telling tools to tap into my psychic ability. No matter how many times I’ve helped the police or proven my readings to be accurate, there are many who still don’t take me seriously.”

  “Including Mitch?” Cindy asked softly.

  “He’s coming around. He can’t deny some of the things I’ve seen, but he’s still not a true believer. That’s another thing I have to decide if I can live with or not.”

  “No wonder you were so tense.” She patted my shoulder. “All set.”

  I rolled over, wrapping the sheet around me as I sat up to face her, realizing my body was pain free. I felt like cooked spaghetti, all limp and wobbly. “Holy cow, now I understand why Gary is so obsessed with you,” I mumbled.

  Her hands hesitated for a moment, and then she resumed washing them. “You really think he likes me?” She dried her hands and faced me, her cheeks as pink as her hair.

  “I know so,” I said with confidence. “He’ll come around and say ‘yes’ to your offer of investing in his business. He has big dreams; he’s just never had anyone believe in him until you.”

  “I think he’s an amazing man. And his business has so much potential. It’s a sound investment.”

  “I agree. I told him as much. You’re good for him. And I’m beginning to think he’s good for you.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you getting a reading from me?”

  “Nah, it’s just written all over your face.” I studied her. “You light up when his name is mentioned.”

  The pink deepened. “I won’t deny that. So, what did you want to ask me?”

  “The main thing I need to verify is, was Gary with you the day of the murder of Gunther Corp?”

  “Yes,” she answered without hesitation. “He was stressed out over the altercation with Gunther and Cole in his back room, and came to me that morning for a massage, but I was all booked up. So, I told him to come back in a couple hours. He did, and told me all about it while I gave him a massage. People tend to open up to me when they’re relaxed.”

  “I can attest to that,” I chuckled.

  “After that, we were talking much the same as you and I are now, and that’s when I offered to invest in his business. I can tell you for sure, he was here until well after Gunther was murdered. He just hasn’t given me an answer yet.”

  “I have a feeling you’ll be hearing from him soon.” I slid off the table, keeping my sheet tight around me. “Thank you so much for the therapy today. My body feels much lighter.”

  “I’m glad I could help. And thank you for the vote of confidence regarding Gary. I’ll leave you to get dressed now. Oh, and make sure you drink plenty of fluids to release the toxins from your body.”

  “Will do.” Cindy left and I got dressed, happy to clear Gary’s name, but more worried than ever for Cole. My body might be relaxed, but my mind was more of a mess than ever. We were running out of options, and we still hadn’t found the biggest toxin of all.

  Gunther’s Corp’s killer.

  A couple days later, I headed to my parents’ inn. I still couldn’t wrap my brain around the fact that my parents were retired and had bought Divine Inspiration. Snowflakes softly fell, casting the inn under an enchanting glow. I couldn’t get over the progress my mother had made on whipping the inn into shape in time for Winterfest. A spring opening had been ambitious, but opening in February had been a nearly impossible feat. Just goes to show what money can do.

  And my parents had plenty.

  Work crews of all sorts covered the grounds from counties across the state. There were men working on the roof, others working on the siding, some on the front porch, many working on the grounds and equipment shed. My gaze scanned the entire area, impressed. Then I did a double take.

  “Dad? What on earth are you and Harry doing?”

  “As head of the grounds crew, good ol’ Harry and I are doing our due diligence and testing out the new equipment.” He stood in a pair of cross-country skis, see-sawing his legs back and forth across the snow, his ski poles anchoring him in place.

  “But you don’t know how to ski.” Good Lord, the man didn’t have an athletic bone in his body. “You’re going to pull something if you’re not careful. And since when did the inn have recreational equipment?”

  “Since your mother and I took over. We need more of a draw to get people to visit the inn. We wanted to offer more than just ice fishing. Harry says it’s good to become one with nature.”

  I was beginning to see what my mother meant about Harry says. “Well, Harry shouldn’t be on a pair of skis either. He’s old enough to be your father.”

  “No worries, dear,” Harry chimed in, startling me from behind as he joined my father on a pair of snowshoes. “Age is just a number, and I’m fitter than men half my age, but even I know my limits.” He tapped his snowshoe with his pole and winked at me.

  Just then, the sound of an engine roared to life. I whipped my head to the side to see Frank LaLone, the inn’s maintenance man, sitting on a snowmobile. He pointed at the Wonder Twins and shrugged as he continued to test out their latest toy they claimed was also for the guests, but something told me it had more to do with checking off further items on their bucket lists.

  My mother came running out the front door, her hand patting her chest in fright, then she scowled when she saw the snowmobile making all that racket. Her arms started flailing about and her lips were moving furiously, but you couldn’t understand a word she said above the noise.

  Everything happened at once.

&nbs
p; Frank cut the engine, Dad’s pole slipped, he started scissoring across the lawn, Mom screamed, and then Dad plowed her over on his out-of-control ride to the edge of the yard before disappearing into the trees. Harry trotted off after him, high stepping all the way, trying to get the hang of his snowshoes while hollering apologies to my mother.

  Good Lord, what next?

  I ran over to my mother and helped her up. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, darling, but your father won’t be once I get ahold of him. He’s lucky I have the bones of a woman half my age. Have you seen his latest endeavor? Winter amenities. Every time I make some headway on the inn, he sets us back with his cockamamie ideas. He doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing. The man is going to get himself killed or kill someone else.”

  “Oh goodness, don’t say that. One parent accused of murder is all I can handle in this lifetime.”

  “Don’t be silly.” She brushed the snow off her impeccable clothes. “I was never in any danger of going to jail. We all knew I was innocent.”

  She had been closer to jail than she realized, and we all didn’t know anything. She had despised the innkeeper. She was just lucky that someone despised her more, and got sloppy. If we hadn’t caught the cake lady, my mother most likely would be spending the rest of her life behind bars. I didn’t need to worry about my father now, too.

  The sound of Mitch’s truck pulling into the driveway brought a smile to my face. No matter our issues, I was always happy to see him.

  “Ah, now there’s a sensible man.” My mother tipped her head to Mitch as he approached us.

  “Vivian.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then pulled me in for a hug. His gaze scanned the yard and he raised a jet-black brow as he looked at me.

  I shook my head slightly and mouthed, don’t ask.

  “Let’s go inside. It’s freezing out here.” My mother led the way through the front door.

  Mitch whispered, “Where’s your father?”