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

by Esposito, Shannon

  After a long beat Eugene lifted his head and took a deep breath in, turning to look me right in the face. I met his pale, bloodshot eyes with a forced smile.

  "Have you ever lost someone close to you, Darwin?"

  "A friend, but not a family member, no," I mumbled.

  "Well, let me tell you, it is hell on earth. My wife is never coming home. Ever. My life as I know it is over. So don't judge me."

  "Oh." I felt my face burning. "No, I wasn't judging." Being nosey, yes. Trying to find out who this mystery woman is, yes. Judging, no.

  But I wasn't given a chance to try and squirm my way out of the social gaffe. Eugene had already stepped away from me and went to greet a tall woman in black who had arrived.

  I eyed her. Could she be...? Nah, not the woman I saw in Eugene's house. Too tall. Well, Darwin, that was smooth. Dropping my head, I slunk back over to stand beside Willow.

  "What did you do?" Willow whispered. "You have that same guilty look you had when you broke mom's favorite water pitcher using your magick indoors."

  I crossed my arms. "I might have accidently told Eugene I saw that woman in his house."

  Willow made a soft sound in her throat. "I'm sure he took that well. You spying on him through the window and all."

  I crossed my arms defensively and glanced over at Eugene. "He should try meditation or something. He's a very angry person."

  Willow just shook her head as Jade moved to the front of our little group.

  I glanced around. It didn't look like Josie had many people who cared about her. Jade was the only one who'd offered to speak. Jade's friend, Sal, stood on the other side of Willow and Frankie, his presence a quiet comfort. Kimi had gone over and stood next to Eugene. I couldn't help but watch them for any sign of a secret affair. The tall woman in the black dress and veiled hat stood stiffly on the other side of Eugene. I wondered if she was a relative.

  I had been introduced to the elderly woman in the wheel chair—Josie's Aunt Doris—and her son, who stood dutifully behind his mother with one hand on her chair. And that was it. The culmination of everyone who cared to say goodbye to Josie. I wasn't feeling any overwhelming waves of sadness either, which made me feel even worse.

  "Thank you all for coming out today. We all know Josie was a troubled soul," Jade began. "From the time she was a small girl, Renny had his hands full with her. But, she had a good heart and didn't deserve to have her life cut short. Maybe now—" She stopped as her eyes widened and then she cleared her throat.

  We all turned to see what she'd been looking at and a mutter went through the small knot of people. Big Barnie was making his way toward us, his head down.

  I glanced at Eugene. His face was turning red as a tomato as he clenched his jaw and fists. Definitely could use some anger management tools. Kimi reached out and grabbed his arm as she leaned in and said something to him. The tall woman also laid a hand on his shoulder. Hopefully the two of them could keep his temper in check.

  "Maybe now," Jade continued, ignoring Big Barnie as he stood a bit back from everyone, his eyes locked on Josie's casket. "She will find the peace she obviously couldn't find in this life."

  Just then there was a scuffle as Eugene broke loose and rushed at Big Barnie. He pushed him hard in the chest, and despite their size difference Barnie actually flew back a few feet. While everyone watched in stunned silence, Jade rushed over and put her small body between them. "Not the time or the place, boys." Her normally quiet voice held power and stopped Eugene's assault.

  The woman in black came over and pulled at Eugene's arm. "Come on, sugar, you need to take a walk."

  Big Barnie held up his hands. "I just want to pay my respects. She was like family to me, too."

  "Family?" Eugene scoffed. "You betrayed our family."

  "You shouldn't have come, Barnie," Jade said. "Considering the circumstances of her death." She folded her arms.

  "Fine, I'll go," Barnie said. "But I didn't kill Josie. I don't even know how she ended up at my house." He was glaring at Eugene. "Do you?" He shook his head, mumbling something and took the single rose he brought and laid it on the casket before stalking off.

  There wasn't much left to the service after that. I said a few words about how I didn't really know Josie that well, but Goldie was always happy to see her and that tells me more about what kind of person she was than anything.

  Walking back to our cars, Frankie and Jade talked about the rift between Eugene and Big Barnie.

  "So sad. Those two boys grew up together. Barnie was like a son to Renny, too. I don't like seeing Renny's family torn apart like this." Jade's voice was heavy with sadness.

  "You think Eugene really believes Barnie killed Josie?" Frankie asked.

  Jade shrugged. "By his reaction, I'd say so."

  I wasn't so sure his reaction was about Josie at all. Seems the feud I had witnessed between them at Barnie's shop was still going strong.

  "Speak of the devil." Frankie nodded toward our cars. Barnie stood there, waiting. We approached him and he held up his hands.

  "I'm not here to cause trouble. I just need a word with Jade."

  Jade folded her arms. "You can have your word here."

  He glanced around at all of us. "All right then. I'm starting to wonder about something, and I was hoping you could help me out. I know Victoria was meeting you the night she was killed to give you something... some artifact she found in Uncle Renny's house. Is that right?"

  "Yes."

  "Did she tell you what it was?"

  "No."

  His head dropped and he nodded like he was expecting as much. "All right, thanks."

  "What do you think it was?" Kimi spoke up.

  "I can't say yet. Good day, ladies."

  We all watched him walk away.

  A niggling itch was tickling my gut. "Can't say? He knows something about Victoria's death. I'm sure of it," I said to no one in particular.

  Jade nodded. "Can't say... or won't say?"

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  I was letting Frankie in the front door Monday morning just as my phone buzzed in my pocket.

  "Come on in." I waved to Frankie, pulling it out and looking at the number. It was Will. My heart soared. "Good morning," I said cheerfully, moving to the tea table. I glanced at Frankie. She looked like she was going to burst with news.

  "Morning, Darwin. Listen, I had full intentions of asking you to dinner tonight. I just wanted you to know that. That I want to see you."

  "Okay." I glanced at the ceiling. "Something's come up though?"

  "Yes. Tara Scarpetta was released last night. Her married boyfriend finally came forward with an alibi for her. The Chief is pissed. We've gotta get back on the Victoria Desoto-Roth case and fix this. I'm really sorry."

  My shoulders slumped. "Not your fault. Thanks for calling, Will."

  "I'll see you soon. Promise."

  "Okay."

  We hung up.

  "Was that Will?" Frankie squealed. "Did he tell you about Tara being released? Apparently that man we saw her with at the restaurant is her married lover. Oh, there's going to be some fireworks in St. Pete today. If all hell don't break loose it'll at least be tugging on its chain!"

  I smiled at Frankie and poured some tea. "You seem a little too happy about that."

  "Are you kidding! That man is going to be chewed up and spit out by the ladies in this town. And he deserves it."

  I put a chocolate éclair on a napkin and licked the cream off my finger. "So, this means Victoria's murderer is still out there." Then I frowned. "Unless Josie did it. That will be harder for Will to prove now."

  Willow came from the storage room, and we filled her in on the news about Tara's release.

  "What about that woman you saw in Eugene's house? Shouldn't you tell Will about her?"

  "I did. I left a message for him the night I saw her, remember? Not sure if he's asked Eugene about it yet. Probably not since he thought the case was solved." I felt my face grow hot as I th
ought about the funeral when I mentioned her to Eugene. "Maybe they could stake out his house and find out who she is. A secret girlfriend who had access to Victoria's things... including her credit card most likely. That's a pretty strong suspect."

  "Whoa, whoa!" Frankie swallowed quickly. "What's this about a secret girlfriend? Was it the woman at the funeral with Eugene? She was a tad overdressed, don't you think?"

  I raised a brow at Frankie, glancing at her shiny, leopard print shirt. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Gotta love her. "No, the girl I saw at Eugene's was more petite." About Kimi's height.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  "No, turn the wheel to the left," Willow instructed patiently.

  "Oh, good grief." I hit the brakes and pulled forward again, jerking the car to a stop. "I thought you said this was easy." Shifting into reverse, I turned the wheel to the left and tried to ease my foot down on the gas pedal.

  "This is the hardest part. Parallel parking. But, you're going to have to do it to pass the driving test."

  "Can't I just memorize all the stuff in the driver's book? I'm much better at that," I whined.

  "Sure, if you don't want to ever actually, you know... drive."

  "Yeah, yeah."

  I'd been practicing driving around the college parking lot for an hour during lunch, and I had been feeling pretty confident until Willow sprung this little gem on me. Parallel parking. What kind of genius invented this? I could feel the sweat under my hairline as my frustration increased. Inhaling deeply, I kept an eye on the driver's side mirror. And... the back tires hit the curb. I growled in frustration, glaring at my sister. Her calmness irritated me.

  "Did it take you this long to figure this out?"

  She smiled. "Time to head back?"

  I put the car in park and unclipped my seat belt. "Yeah. Charlie's great with the customers, but I still feel bad leaving her alone. Thanks for the lesson, though."

  "You're welcome. One or two more and you'll be ready to take the test."

  I gave her a doubtful look as we switched seats, and Willow drove us back to the parking garage.

  The rest of the time flew by. We were all hopped up from the busy day as I locked the boutique door and flipped around the closed sign.

  "Charlie, go on home. We can finish up, you've got that big test to study for," I said.

  "You sure?" Charlie asked, untangling some leashes on the wall.

  "Yeah." I smiled. "Take advantage of Willow helping me while she's here. Go on."

  "Thanks."

  Sylvia emerged from the back, a few strands of dark hair had fallen from her bun, but she was glowing. "Good night, Charlie. Good luck on your exam." She plopped a fat wedding magazine down on the tea table and waved me over. "Darwin, here, I find the perfect dress for you!"

  I shared a smile with Willow as I walked over and looked at where her finger marked. The dress was candy apple red and strapless. Not me at all. But it was all Sylvia. She'd told me her colors would be red and black.

  "Well, it's gorgeous." I cocked my hip and motioned to my flat chest. "But, what do you think is going to hold up a strapless dress on me?"

  Sylvia waved off my concern. "You'll be fine. It will show off your lovely shoulders." She suddenly looked up. "Oh, Landon, he would like to ask Will to be a groomsman. This is okay with you?"

  I knew she was asking if Will and I were okay. Unfortunately, I didn't know. "Yes. They're friends. If he wants Will to be in his wedding party, that's his right. Even if we're not a couple by then."

  Sylvia's lips pursed and she gave me a pat on the hand. "Have faith. It will work out how it's supposed to."

  I glanced at Willow. She gave me a wry grin. I knew she was thinking the same thing I was. One of Grandma Winters' favorite sayings was, Have faith, the universe conspires to help you.

  Sylvia flipped open the glossy magazine again. "Anyways, my three cousins will be in these style." She pointed to a dress that had one sleeve with a large flower on one shoulder. "Oh!" She grinned. "And Mage is going to come down the aisle with the rings in a doggie tux. How precioso, yes?"

  I couldn't help but be affected by her enthusiasm. It was like electricity in the air. I laughed. "Your wedding is going to be amazing."

  "Willow, you and your sister must come back in the summer to attend," Sylvia said. "We have decided on August. Slow tourist season. The boutique will not be that busy so we can take a honeymoon."

  "I'm sure we can arrange that," Willow said. "Thanks for the invitation."

  I smiled at her as I stirred my tea. It would be great to have both my sisters here this summer.

  A sudden knock on the window made us all jump. Goldie scrambled up, barking. It was the first time I'd heard her bark. I held my chest as I looked up and then laughed. Jade and Kimi were standing there waving.

  Sylvia went and unlocked the door to let them in.

  "Hi, we were just passing by on our way to dinner. Do you ladies want to join us?" Jade asked.

  "Oh, thanks," I said. "Where are y'all going? We've got some closing up duties to finish but Willow and I can meet you after." I glanced at Willow. She smiled happily.

  "We'll be at Cassis," Kimi said. "Mom's hungry for their fish tacos."

  "Sounds good. I can bring Goldie then if you sit outside and she can eat dinner, too. They actually have a doggie menu."

  "Great, we can do that. It's a nice night. Sylvia, you want to come?"

  "No, no, I have to meet Landon. You senhoras have fun."

  A half an hour later, I was munching on a warm lentil salad, enjoying the stories of Jade's people and what the Spirit Tribe was all about. I was beginning to understand Willow's fascination with their history and belief system, and I loved watching her excitement at hearing the stories. Goldie lay at my feet with her own tasty dinner.

  When there was a lull in the conversation, I asked, "So, Jade, y'all have known Eugene and Big Barnie for a long time, right?"

  She nodded as she sipped her Pepsi.

  "What do you think could cause such a big fight between them? I don't think Eugene was just angry about Josie's death at the funeral."

  She and Kimi watched me curiously. "No? Why not?"

  I decided to share what I had witnessed. "About two weeks ago, I was in Big Barnie's store and overheard an argument between them in his office. I think Barnie actually punched Eugene because he left with a black eye."

  Kimi dropped her fork and stared at me. "So that's where he got the black eye? He wouldn't tell me. What were they saying?"

  I tried to remember the exact words. "Eugene had apparently followed Barnie somewhere he was upset about, that made him think Barnie was in love with Victoria... which he didn't deny."

  "Her grave, maybe?" Jade said.

  I glanced down at my plate. "Could be. Do you think Eugene was right? Do you think Big Barnie was in love with Victoria?" I glanced up at Jade. Her brow was furrowed and she was staring past me, obviously lost in her own thoughts. Kimi had her head down, pushing around the food on her plate.

  Finally Jade sighed. "He could have been. But the real question is what made Eugene suspect it suddenly after Victoria's death? And where did Barnie go the night Eugene followed him?"

  I shrugged. "Why don't you ask him?"

  Jade shook her head. "Big Barnie and I aren't close enough for that kind of conversation. In fact, we've always butted heads. He chooses to make money off our culture instead of respecting it like Renny and Victoria did. No, he wouldn't open up to me."

  "What about you, Kimi?" I asked.

  "No. He knows I'd take Eugene's side in any argument."

  I kept my expression neutral as I nodded and wondered again if she'd been the woman in Victoria's robe that night.

  "What about you, Darwin? You could ask him," Jade said.

  "Me?" I said in surprise. "I've only had a handful of conversations with him. I don't think he'd talk to me about his personal relationships either. How would I even approach that topic?"

&n
bsp; "You could tell him the truth," Willow spoke up. "Tell him we were there at his shop that day and you overheard the argument."

  "That might just catch him off guard," Jade said. "Especially if he's been drinking. He has no filter when he's been drinking."

  "Oh, I know," Kimi said, getting excited. "Wednesday nights he's always over at Captain's Landing sitting at the bar, sucking down whiskey. You could strike up a conversation with him there and see if he'll talk."

  Was that even ethical? I looked over at Willow for some guidance.

  She tilted her head sideways and shrugged. "You did say you think he knows something about Victoria's death. And then there's the mystery of Josie's death and her being found at his home. It might be a chance to get some answers."

  I bit the inside of my lip and moved my salad around. If I could get some information for Will's murder cases this way, I did have an obligation to try it, right? I wouldn't be putting myself in danger to do it. It was a public place. People would know I was there. "Okay," I said. "I'll do it, but I'm not going alone. We still don't know how Josie ended up at his house. He could have had something to do with her death."

  Jade nodded. "All right. We'll all go. They have an outdoor seating deck. We can keep an eye on you from there."

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  I brought Frankie with me with instructions to come rescue me a half hour after I started talking to Big Barnie. Figured that'd be enough time to get the information, if I was going to get it.

  So, there we were... me, Willow, Jade, Kimi and Frankie seated at a table outside, watching through the window as Big Barnie sucked down his fifth whiskey sour. The large umbrella over our table cut the breeze to make for a pleasantly cool evening.