by India Ink
“Well, this puts an end to your problems at Venus Envy. Hell, I’ll bet that your business skyrockets when this hits the papers,” he said.
I shook my head grimly. “I hate to profit on the graves of others, but you’re right. When Lydia Wang died, Venus Envy’s customer base soared. Curiosity seekers, and some of them stuck around after the novelty wore off.”
Killian glanced at his watch. “I’m beat,” he said. “Can I give you a lift home, if we’re free to go?”
Suddenly weak in my knees, I nodded. Besides seeing Auntie, there was only one thing on my mind, and he could see it in my eyes. I glanced over at Kyle, who busied himself with his paperwork.
“You’re both free to leave,” Kyle said.
I told Killian I’d meet him out at the car and, after he’d left, I turned to Kyle. “Thank you…for coming to save me. Bebe was ready to dump me in the drink. I would have been fish food.”
Kyle shook his head. “Killian saved you. Even though Miss Florence called me, I wasn’t sure where you were. Without Killian’s call, I’d still be searching for you. Next time, listen to your aunt.”
I paused, my hand on the door. “Kyle—I’m sorry.”
“Don’t sweat it, Persia.” He let out a short laugh, and as he looked at me, I could see that he was smiling gently. “I finally figured us out. You’re my dream of freedom, of passion, of being able to do and say whatever I want to. You’re the solitary wildcat. And me? I’m a wolf, the leader of the pack, responsible for order and decorum. I have rules to follow. I guess wolves and wildcats don’t mix, do they?”
I gave him a slow smile. “No, but I like to think they can be friends.”
Kyle pushed himself out of his chair and stretched. “Maybe they can at that,” he said. “Just be careful. Wildcats may be elusive, but they can still be hurt.”
“I know,” I said. “Believe me, I know.” And at that moment, I knew Kyle and I would be able to find our friendship. Solid, slap-on-the-back pals, watching out for each other as only friends can do.
Killian was waiting for me in the car. I slid in. “Auntie’s expecting me,” I said, hesitating, wanting nothing so much as to go back to his apartment and spend the next few days in his arms. He started the engine and silently drove me home, pulling quietly into the driveway to Moss Rose Cottage.
“We have a lot to sort out,” he said after a moment.
I swallowed, my throat still raw from the pepper spray. “Yeah. I’m looking forward to it,” I said, a sudden streak of fear racing through me. Did he really feel the same way?
He reached out and ran his fingers along my face, gently. “I’ve never known anybody like you, Persia. I can’t get you out of my mind. I want to kiss you and hold you and stay up all night, talking and making love until we’re punch drunk.”
I caught my breath, shivering under his touch. “When it’s time, Killian. I’ll be waiting.” The echo of thunder rolled as lightning split the sky and rain deluged the night. I leaned in, planted a long, slow kiss on his lips, then slammed the door and dashed for the house. After all these years, it had happened. I’d finally met my match.
Chapter Seventeen
T he story had broken in the papers, and once again, I was a minor celebrity. Fame had its perks, I thought, watching as Tilda hurried off with our orders to get them right in. The BookWich was crowded as always, but a table had miraculously cleared when we showed up. I wasn’t going to question it. I was starving.
Auntie was still in shock. “I still can’t believe I almost lost you, Imp. Thank heaven you took Killian along. By the way, when do I get to meet this young man of yours?”
When I’d shown up at two thirty in the morning, Auntie was waiting, soup in hand. While I ate, telling her everything that happened, I could see her reading between the lines. Every time I’d mentioned Killian’s name, she beamed.
Barb looked happier than in awhile. Theresa had forgiven her, and now her locks were back to their usual gorgeous copper. While her hair was ultrashort, she sported a sassy European style that suited her chic demeanor.
“Your hair looks great,” I said. “Much better.”
“I know. As Lady Godiva is my witness, I will never go salon hopping again.” Barb stirred her lemonade with her swizzle stick, then asked, “So Trish confessed to everything?”
I nodded. “She did. She would never have let Janette take the rap for something so heinous. Trish isn’t…she’s not a bad woman—”
“A good woman doesn’t go around killing off people because they steal her work,” Auntie interjected.
“No, but a good woman doesn’t set out to ruin other people’s lives and drive them out of business either. I think the whole mess with Bebe made Trish snap. She’d worked on that cream for over two years.” I paused. “What say we stay out of the bigger leagues and keep Venus Envy a local phenomenon?” I played with my iced tea. The morning had broken cooler than in weeks. Our heat spell was almost at an end.
“What was the final straw that drove her to shoot Sharon?” Barb asked.
I shrugged. Trish had left no question unanswered, and we knew everything. “Remember the samples of new products at the conference? Apparently, Trish suspected that one was her cream—Janette confirmed that was the product that they were working on through her snooping. Trish asked Sharon to meet her after one of the late night soirees. She confronted Sharon, and Sharon taunted her, secure in the knowledge that she’d destroyed any records that indicated that Bebe’s Cosmetics hadn’t actually discovered the formula. She took the opportunity to rub Trish’s nose in her defeat. Trish carries a gun for protection—according to Janette, she always has. I guess she snapped, shot Sharon, then ran. She didn’t realize that Sharon was still alive, or she would probably have called nine-one-one.”
“So Janette didn’t know anything about it?” I could tell that Auntie wanted to believe the girl had been innocent. While she knew all about the dark corners of human minds, she preferred to pretend that they were aberrations, uncommon. I’d finally realized that this was her defense mechanism to the voilence that permeated society. Unfortunately, I couldn’t look past it. I was too much of a realist, which depressed me more than I liked to admit.
“I think on some level, she knew. But Trish is sticking to her story that she was the only one involved, and Janette is maintaining her innocence.”
I shook my head. I’d been pissed as hell over my journal. In some cobweb-encrusted corner of my own mind, I’d had a brief desire to throttle Sharon, but I hadn’t. What had kept me from acting on my desire? Was it the same factor that allowed Trish to go after Sharon? Was there something genetic that kept me from acting on impulse, while setting Trish free to pull out her gun, aim, and fire?
Or was it—and this I believed to my core—simply the fact that I’d made the choice to err on the side of right, and that Trish had chosen a darker path? In my heart, I believed it all came down to saying, “I may want to do this, but today, I will not act on my desire.”
“What’s going to happen to Bebe?” Barb asked.
“Well, you mean aside from the attorney general looking into the case, and her being charged with kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder?”
Auntie snickered. “You’d think that would be enough, but Kyle set the feds onto the news about her late husbands and the sizable insurance she managed to accrue through their deaths.”
Barb blinked. “You mean—”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding with a gleam in my eye. So sue me for taking pleasure in Bebe’s downfall. I had every right in the world to gloat. “They’re exhuming her late husbands. She may be facing far worse charges than attempted murder and kidnapping.” I flashed her a guilty grin. “Which makes me extremely happy. So, what about your niece?”
She grimaced. “She and her friends got off with a fine and community service. My sister has ordered her to either attend a private college—a very restrictive one—or to leave home and make her own way in the world. She’s
chosen college, thank God, though she’ll go protesting all the way.”
“Well, that’s good news at least.” I motioned to Tilda and asked for a slice of apple pie. “À la mode,” I said, deciding to do it up royal.
“So,” Auntie said after she and Barb mirrored my order for dessert. “I guess we go back to normal.”
“I guess,” I said, wondering what to do next. Almost anything we said or did would feel anticlimactic after the events of the past week.
Bebe’s would close, of course, as would Donna Prima. Urban Gurlz would probably survive. They’d lost a spring line to Bebe’s, but without the stigma of a murderer in their midst, they could recover. Janette was going back to school to get her doctorate so she could teach. Leila had moved on already, and Kyle said the cops were on the lookout for her. The attorney general was going to want to talk to her, that much was for certain. The Belles were all lining up for unemployment.
But at least Venus Envy would recover, though we had a lot of roses to replant and thirty acres to fence in. Kane had already promised his help to Auntie, and I had the feeling we’d be seeing a lot of him this autumn.
I’d collected my things from the apartment complex and said a fond farewell to Andy Andrews, cornering him in the hall to plant a big wet kiss on his lips. I left him speechless as I sauntered out of the building with the parting farewell, “Enjoy, babe, because that’s all you’re ever going to get out of me besides a TV buddy.” He’d recovered enough to let out a long whistle as I waved over my shoulder.
And our computer was in one piece again. Andy had set it up with a security field that was locked as tight as a medieval chastity belt. He guaranteed that if we followed his instructions, nobody would hack into our system again.
“What about Bran?” Barb interrupted my thoughts.
“We’ll stay friends. I think he wants to see more of Victoria, anyway. It’s time to let the physical side of our relationship drop. I have so many questions…and no answers. Killian’s gone to Seattle for a week,” I added. “To wrap up all the details surrounding Donna Prima. When he comes back, we’ll see what happens.” With a rush of anticipation—mingled with a touch of fear—I realized I was looking forward to the journey.
“Did you still want to go to Port Townsend?” Auntie asked.
I nodded. “I need a vacation. Barb’s going with me,” I said, grinning at my best friend. “We’re going to make it a real girl’s week out. By the way Barb, did Dorian see the doctor yet?”
“Actually yes, and I want to thank you for encouraging me to have him go. Turns out, his lack of energy is due to a low thyroid. Now that he’s on medication, he’s going to be fine.”
I glanced out the window. Another month until autumn, but I could smell the tang in the air that hinted at bonfires on the beach and storms raging in from Puget Sound. The seasons were changing, and so was my life. But this time, I wasn’t running from anything. No, this time, I would stay put and face the transformations right where I was at. I took Auntie’s hand in mine.
“Why don’t we spend the afternoon figuring out how many roses we’ll need to replant. We may have to wait a few years, but we’ll have our garden back. And I plan on being around to see it.”
Her eyes shone, and she let out a long sigh. “So do I, my dear. So do I.”
From the Pages of Persia’s Journal
Peace & Clarity Potpourri
After so much tension and worry, I decided to blend a potpourri to ease my stress. It’s a fairly simple recipe and pretty to place in glass bowls around the house. I think we’ll sell it at the shop, it’s so easy and has a variety of uses. Besides keeping in bowls around the house, we can sew the potpourri into pouches, then slip the pouch into a larger pillowcase at night for restful sleep. Other hints for stress reduction:
Practice gentle yoga or stretching about an hour before bed.
Turn off the TV an hour before bed and listen to soft music instead.
Take five minutes out of every hour to stretch, catch a breath of fresh air, or simply close the eyes and relax.
Don’t take on too many projects; learn to say no when you simply can’t add another task to your schedule.
Prioritize, and don’t sweat the small stuff.
Meditate at least once a day, or spend some time in silent prayer.
Eat healthy food and plenty of it.
Drink eight glasses of water daily—it clears out the mind as well as the body.
3 cups dried rose petals
1 cup dried lavender
1/2 cup crumbled white sage
1/2 cup dried cedar needles
1 cup dried mint leaves
1/4 cup dried, powdered orris root
20 drops lavender essential oil
20 drops lemon essential oil
10 drops sandalwood essential oil
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and lightly toss. Place in bowls or jars around the house, or use to stuff dreaming pillows, or you can put one cup in a cheesecloth or muslin bag and steep in 1 quart hot water, then strain and add the water to your bath. As always, avoid consuming this product, and keep out of reach of children and animals.