Silence Is Golden (A Pet Psychic Mystery No. 3)

by Esposito, Shannon

  He slipped his arms around me, and I felt cocooned in warmth that seeped right into my heart.

  Pressing his lips into my hair I heard him take a deep breath. "I missed you."

  I tilted my chin up and looked into his eyes. "What's wrong?"

  "Just been a long day." He laid his palm against my cheek and planted a light kiss on my lips. "The moonlight suits you."

  "Don't change the subject," I whispered.

  He pressed his forehead against mine, and I could feel his weariness. "Sit down. Let me go get you a plate and a drink." I led him to a chair. "Be right back."

  I slipped back into the party and fixed Will a plate piled with things I couldn't even pronounce and grabbed him a cold Corona. When I came back out, he had his head leaned back against the chair and his eyes closed.

  "Can't really enjoy the view with your eyes shut," I teased him.

  He smiled, then accepted the beer while I set the plate on the table beside him.

  "So, is it the Victoria Desoto case that's got you so exhausted?"

  He swallowed a swig of beer and nodded. "Tara Scarpetta came in for the interview tonight. Doesn't have an alibi for the evening. Says she was home alone. We've got experts going over her car to see if there's any evidence of recent impact."

  "She could have already had it repaired, right?"

  "Yeah. We've also got someone working on calling all the repair shops in the area to see if anyone has recently brought in a black car with front end damage."

  We sat in silence for a moment, then I said, "Victoria's cousin, Josie Desoto is here. She's a real trip. You might want to have a chat with her. She drinks like a fish and apparently she only inherited her father's house after Victoria died. So, there's motive." I didn't mention the lilac perfume. Will wouldn't consider that evidence.

  Will glanced at me and then stared out at the dark water. The sky was full of clouds so only a few stars peeked through. "Yeah. We checked into the victim's will. Seems she left most of her money—apparently old money which she had a lot of—to the Golden Retriever Rescue. Left just enough to her husband for him to survive. Also, just days before her death she changed it to leave Josie Desoto the house her uncle had left her. So I had Miss Josie on the interview list." He was lost in thought for a moment and then took a deep breath, blowing it out. "You say she's here?"

  I almost wished she wasn't now. Will didn't seem up to talking to her. "Yeah."

  He sighed. "Guess I could do an informal interview."

  I nodded, handing him the plate. "You put something in your stomach. I'll go get her."

  I found Josie on the dance floor teaching a few of our customers some dance moves. She was barefoot and her hair had fallen from its clip.

  "Hey, Josie."

  She smiled and gave me a sweaty hug. "There you are. Come dance with us!"

  I pulled away and grabbed her hand. "No, no. Come take a breather outside. I want you to meet my boyfriend, Will."

  "Oh, okay." Her smile grew and she nodded. "I could use a break." She turned to the women. "Carry on, ladies. Shake those moneymakers."

  She grabbed a glass of champagne on the way out to the balcony. "Oh, this breeze is just heavenly."

  I was suddenly glad she was barefoot as she stumbled over to the curved glass barrier that stopped her from tumbling down into the bay. My heart jumped. I glanced at Will. He raised an eyebrow at me and wiped his fingers off on a napkin.

  Moving her away from the balcony to a chair, I said, "Josie, this is Will. Will this is Victoria's cousin, Josie."

  "Nice to meet you." She plopped down in the chair, spilling some of the champagne on her dress and shook Will's outstretched hand. "Did you know Victoria?"

  I wondered how Will was going to play this. I wasn't sure if she was going to remember that Will was a homicide detective.

  He didn't reveal much in his answer. "I've met her husband, Eugene. I'm sorry for your family's loss."

  She snorted and gulped her drink. "Thanks."

  I tried to move the conversation along for both their sakes. "Josie lost her father, Renny, recently, too. She came here from Las Vegas for his funeral."

  Will was staring at her intently. I don't think she noticed though, her eyes were unfocused and pointed toward the dark waters.

  "How long after your father's funeral did you lose Victoria?"

  "Four days." Ice clinked against Josie's teeth as she drained her glass. "Four, three, two, one... boom." She barked out laughter suddenly.

  Will and I shared a concerned look and then he asked, "Where were you the night she got killed, Josie?"

  "Where? Where was I?" She rolled her head toward us and her eyes narrowed. "You sound like a cop." Then she smiled, but it wasn't friendly. "Oh yeah, I remember, you are a cop." She shrugged. "I was out. At a club. I suppose you want an alibi? Sorry, I don't remember his name. Cheap bastard. Only bought the cheap liquor."

  Her eyes were beginning to droop. It was about time to call her a cab. One more question.

  "Hey, Josie. Something I don't understand. Why did your dad leave Victoria his house instead of you? It doesn't sound like Victoria needed the house or the money."

  She made a noise like air rushing from a tire. "Nope. She didn't. But he said he was tired of helping me. Didn't want to be an enabler anymore. Whatever, Dad." She raised her glass to the dark sky. "Cheers. Death has a way of making things right."

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  A cold front had swept in overnight and added a distinct chill to the air. I decided to skip lunch in favor of taking Goldie for a walk down by the water. I wasn't prepared for her resistance to going near the shoreline, but I understood. Maybe in time. Though the irony of a water-Elemental owning a dog that was afraid of the water didn't go unnoticed.

  We ended up at Straub Park. Goldie chased a tennis ball around for a bit while I sat on a blanket and warmed my bones in the sun. Eventually, she grew tired and flopped down beside me to stretch out in the grass. That's when my heart gave a little leap. I shaded my eyes with my hand and squinted at the person who had just come around the corner on the sidewalk across the street. It couldn't be. But as she made her way toward the pet boutique, looking up at the signs, her unmistakable long brown hair and easy gait left no doubt in my reeling mind. Willow!

  "Come on, girl." I jumped up, slipping back into my flip flops, rolling the blanket up quickly and jogging through the park with Goldie. "Willow!" I was waving like a maniac as I waited for traffic to stop so I could cross. As apprehensive as I was at seeing her again, my breathing was ragged with excitement. She turned and cocked her head in my direction, then held up a tentative hand in greeting.

  "What... how did you get here?" I breathed, squeezing her in a tight hug. Her long, dark hair hung down her back and I felt its familiar silkiness on my palms. I used to brush her hair for her every night growing up. She smelled like moss and primrose. My eyes filled with tears as I realized how much I had missed her.

  "I drove. Well, hello, pretty girl." Willow reached down and stroked Goldie's head as she sat patiently watching us. "Who's this?"

  "This is Goldie and she's a long story." I noticed Willow was wearing the bracelet I had mailed her, which kind of felt like a peace offering. I hadn't spoken to her since I left Savannah last summer. Not that I hadn't tried. It's just that my sisters hadn't really understood why I left home and were none too happy with me. "So, you drove? From Savannah?" I stared at my sister in confusion. None of us girls had learned to drive. We didn't have to, we always had a chauffeur. Momma insisted it was safer. How much did I miss at home? My heart ached.

  Willow just shrugged a shoulder in her nonchalant way. "Yes." She turned to the boutique. "This is yours?"

  "Yeah. Well, I have a partner, Sylvia. Come on, I'll introduce you. I need to get back to work anyway."

  Sylvia was ringing up a customer and chatting as we entered. I unclipped Goldie's leash and led Willow over to the table in front of the window. "Tea?"

  Her
eyes followed Goldie as she went to slurp some water from her bowl and then scanned the rest of the boutique. "Sure. This is nice, Darwin. Very quaint."

  Sylvia finished up, and I waved her over. "Sylvia, this is my other sister, Willow." Sylvia had met Mallory already.

  "Oh!" Sylvia's eyes widened in surprise as she shook Willow's hand. "So nice to meet you. Darwin, she speaks about you sisters all the time."

  Willow offered me a soft smile and said, "That's good to know." Then to Sylvia, "It's nice to meet you, too."

  Sylvia motioned to the table. "Well, you two sit. Visit. I had a cancellation so I can handle the customers, and Charlie will be here soon."

  "Thanks, Sylvia." We settled into the seats across from each other. "So, this is a really nice surprise. Do you have luggage? How long are you staying?"

  "Just a few days." She poured herself some tea. "Your letter intrigued me. I'd like to visit this Indian Burial Mound you told me about."

  "Oh, okay. Sure." When I sent the bracelet, I had written to her about the Pinellas Point Mound and told her about the Pocohontas legend and the light anomalies. I never imagined in my wildest dreams it would bring her here. I was kind of disappointed she wasn't here solely to make amends, but at least she was here. "We can go tonight after I close up the boutique if you want."

  She nodded. "That'd be great. I brought some sage as an offering."

  "Okay, we'll go then." We sipped our tea in awkward silence. There was so much to say. I wasn't sure where to begin. Did she want an explanation for my leaving Savannah? Her not taking my calls for months still stung. And just showing up here? Did that mean she wasn't mad anymore? "Glad you like the bracelet. You look good. Happy."

  Her soft brown eyes moved to mine. I saw nothing but love and curiosity there. I felt my body relax with relief.

  "You look happy, too." She took a sip from her cup and then her mouth curved into a grin. "So, when do I get to meet this detective boyfriend Mallory told me about?"

  I felt my cheeks burn. "Mallory always did love to gossip."

  Willow chuckled. "And you gave her a lot to talk about during her visit."

  "I'm sure." I shook my head. I could only imagine the stories Mallory went home with. "You'll meet him tomorrow night. I'm making dinner for him."

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  "This is the exit." I pointed. "So, Grandma Winters taught you how to drive and bought you this car?" I eyed the futuristic green dashboard lights. "Against mom's wishes?"

  Willow nodded. "I know. I was shocked, too. She just got up from the dinner table during a visit and said, 'Come on, Willow, it's time you learned how to operate a car.'"

  "I wish I could have seen mom's face." I laughed.

  "She nearly choked on her rhubarb pie. She tried to protest, but grandma just held up her hand and said, 'Our girls need to be independent, Joanna. Nothing wrong with them being able to get themselves around.' Much to mom's horror, she spent three weeks with us and before she left, she took me to get my license and bought me this car."

  I watched her confidently change lanes to pass an old pickup truck. "I'm so jealous."

  She checked the rearview mirror and then moved back into the right hand lane. "I can teach you. It's easy."

  I stared at my sister's profile. She had a small smile, but I could tell she was serious. She was younger than me by almost five years, but she had always been the sensible one, the mature one. "Well, I have kind of been wanting a convertible," I said quietly. Saying it out loud, I got excited about the idea. "One of those new VW beetles. They have the coolest colors. Turn off here."

  Willow glanced at me and our eyes met. "We'll do it then. Before I leave, we'll get you a license."

  "Well, all right then. We'll do it." I nodded and pointed to a place for her to park on the street in front of the Mound. "Right here's good."

  When we got out of the car, we were approached by two guys with flashlights. "Evening, folks." One of them politely shined it at our feet. "Don't mind us. Just making sure things stay quiet around here tonight."

  "Oh. So, y'all have started patrolling again? I heard about one of your neighbors getting attacked. Aren't you afraid the shovel-wielding vandal will come back?"

  He motioned to his buddy. "That's why we're not out here alone."

  I wanted to ask them about the attacker possibly being a woman, but I didn't want Bernice and her friend to get in trouble for mentioning that to me. "Good idea. Well, it's real nice of ya'll to take it upon yourselves to patrol the area. Haven't seen a ghost dog tonight, have you?"

  He chuckled. "No ma'am. Though, if you've come looking for spirits, Don here's wife swears a Native American visits their home. I'm sure she'd be glad to share her stories."

  "I'll keep that in mind. Tonight I'm just showing the place to my sister visiting from Savannah."

  "Well, you gals be careful. Don't know what kind of kook's been tearing up the place lately. Holler if you need us."

  "Will do. Thanks."

  We climbed the gently sloping ground up to a large oak tree. Something felt different than the last time I was here. Heavier. Though the moon shone through the oaks a bit, it seemed darker. Willow lit a sage smudge stick as an offering to the spirits. She blew the flame out gently and placed the smoking bundle of sage in a shell on the ground. The scent mingled with the smell of damp earth.

  We walked around the tree and spotted the area that had been roped off. It was too dark to look for clues tonight. I followed behind Willow as she moved toward it. She stopped beside the rope and began a chant. Low, methodical utterings that sounded a lot like the recordings of American Indian chants the ghost hunters had played on the recorder. It didn't surprise me. She was obsessed with their folklore and ways of life.

  She slowly lowered herself to the ground, tucked her feet beneath her and placed her palms flat against the earth. I backed up and gave her space. I was pretty sure I knew what she was attempting. Sure enough, after a few moments, I felt the ground begin to vibrate beneath my feet. Whoa! I backed up further and watched in stunned silence as the earth began to obey my sister.

  Tiny pebbles began to roll first, then as they picked up momentum, the earth that had been disturbed and piled around the holes began to crumble and move. I watched as Willow used her earth magick to fill in the holes and seal the Mound's wounds. My mouth hung open, and I'm pretty sure I swallowed a bug. Huge improvement over watching her struggling with her lessons to line up stones.

  She stood, dusted off her hands and surveyed her work. I moved to stand next to her. I could still feel the energy she had gathered surrounding the area.

  "Holy heaven on a stick, girl! Someone's been practicing," I teased.

  She shrugged, but I could see her eyes shining in the dim light. I was a proud sister. I threw my arm around her shoulder and squeezed. She rested her head on my shoulder for a second and then jerked her head up.

  "What?" I whispered. "Did you hear something?"

  "I feel... something," she whispered back.

  We both listened intently as once again the local critters grew silent. A hot wind blew through, picking up our hair and warming our faces. The hair stood up on my arms. We glanced at each other.

  "I think the Guardian Spirit is here." Willow reflexively looked at the earth she had just replaced. A leaf tumbled across the surface and stuck on the yellow tape.

  "Would that spirit happen to be an angry black dog?" I asked.

  "Guardian Spirits are often animals, but," she shook her head, "it doesn't feel angry."

  She was right. I couldn't imagine whatever this energy was that crackled around us having fangs and glowing eyes. It actually felt... protective but not angry.

  As quickly as it arrived, it was gone. The frogs and crickets began to sing again. The air felt cooler and lighter.

  We walked back down the sloping earth in silence, toward the car.

  "Maybe it only shows its fangs to those it feels are a threat to the Mound," I offered as we fastened our
seat belts. "And since you helped restore it, we weren't a threat."

  Willow put the car in gear, her eyes narrowing. "Which would mean that guy you told me about really did see a spirit dog?"

  "Yeah. Or something."

  As we drove away my cell phone rang. I smiled, a bit surprised to be hearing from him tonight. "Hey, Will."

  "Hey," there was some shuffling noise and then, "I just wanted to let you know I'll be gone for a few days. I'm packing now."

  "Oh?"

  "I'm heading to Tampa. It's my dad. He's had a heart attack and is in ICU. "

  My own heart sank. "Oh no, Will, I'm so sorry."

  "Thanks, I'll call you with an update when I know more."

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Frankie decided to take me out to one of her favorite restaurants to cheer me up Tuesday evening, the night I was supposed to cook for Will. She and I and Willow sat at a window table overlooking the water.

  "Earth to Darwin." Frankie's voice nudged me out my thoughts. "Worry isn't going to do anybody any good."

  "Sorry." I sighed, moving my attention back to the menu. "What's good here?"

  "Everything." She beamed. "Course, I like the filet mignon but they have some vegetarian options for you people who like to eat like rabbits. Are you a vegetarian, too, Willow?"

  "No," my sister pursed her lips, "but I usually don't eat meat out because I don't know how the animals were treated. We have a local farm that's very humane we buy meat from at home."

  "Technically, I'm not, either. I do eat some fish," I complained. I realized I sounded grumpy when I said it, but I couldn't help it. I was grumpy.

  Frankie snorted. "And I saw Mallory devour a steak or two while she was here. You three are as different as sisters can get, aren't you?"

  Willow and I glanced at each other and I finally smiled. She had no idea.

  Willow said, "We're the same where it counts."

  "I guess we all are, where it counts." Frankie nodded as the waitress brought us a bottle of red wine and filled our water glasses.