“Ah, well, who among us isn’t guilty of that?” He smiled encouragingly. “Sometimes daily. I imagine Seth is simply frustrated. He cares about you so much, and he doesn’t want you to be in trouble.”
“I don’t want Katie to be in trouble either,” Nick said, coming into the kitchen with a couple of bags of groceries in time to hear the end of Don’s sentence. “But it seems to me she always is.” He bent down to give her a peck on the cheek before kissing his husband hello. “Somebody fill me in.”
Katie watched as Nick filled a mug with coffee. She could see exactly what Don meant about the man thriving on chaos. Nick was a little dynamo whose batteries never seemed to run down. He flourished in the midst of turmoil. Even the air in the kitchen seemed to have charged since he entered the room.
“Seth is upset with me,” she said.
“That’s right. You were meeting with Trammel this morning,” he said and began to unpack the bags. “Didn’t it go well?”
She repeated the version of events she’d given Don.
Nick’s expression was grim. He let out a breath. “I can understand where both of you are coming from. I’m sorry for both of you.”
Though she appreciated his sympathy, it didn’t help her predicament.
“Any news on how the investigation is progressing?” Don asked.
“None.” Katie sighed. “I feel as though if I don’t find the killer, Schuler will come up with a way to implicate me in the murder.”
“From what Seth has told me, that’s exactly what he’s trying to do.”
I know,” Katie said.
Nick finished with the bags, poured himself a cup of coffee, and borrowed Katie’s spoon to stir in sugar and creamer.
Katie took a sip of her coffee, which was no longer as warm as she liked it. “This might sound silly, but I glimpsed a photo on Erikka’s sister’s social media page that I feel holds a clue. But Erryn blocked me before I could get a closer look.”
Nick squeezed Don’s arm. “Listen to our very own Velma from the Scooby-Doo gang uncovering clues.”
“Does that make me Fred?” Don asked.
“Of course. I guess that makes me Daphne.” He laughed. “Anyhoo, you’re in luck. Erryn had her baby shower here—it was Erikka’s idea—and she and I are friends on social media. I’ll get the laptop and—”
“’Fraid not,” Don interjected. “The internet is down.”
“What? Squirrels again?”
Don nodded. “I’ve already called and have been reassured that service should be restored by later this afternoon.”
Nick rolled his eyes. He grabbed a sticky note and a pen and handed them to Katie. “Do you recall the date the photo was posted?”
“I do.” She jotted it down and described it in as much detail as she could remember.
“As soon as we have internet service, I’ll download it and print it out for you,” Nick said.
“Thank you. Could you enlarge it so I can get a closer look at the man in the upper right corner?” she asked. “He’s barely in the photo at all, but he’s the one ringing alarm bells.”
“Sure.” Nick grinned. “This is exciting.” He spoke in falsetto as he said, “Come on, gang—let’s split up!”
For the first time that day, Katie laughed.
Katie always felt a little at loose ends on a Monday. With Artisans Alley closed, she had far too much time on her hands. And now that she wasn’t having lunch dates with Andy at Del’s, she felt a little socially deprived.
She’d cleaned up her lunch dishes and was thinking of grabbing a quick nap when her phone rang. It was Rose.
“Hi. Katie. I hope I’m not calling at a bad time.”
“Not at all,” she said, although it wasn’t like Rose to call out of the blue on her day off. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Well, probably.” Rose drew in her breath before asking, “Could you meet me at Moonbeam’s shop? She’s going to tell my future.”
“She’s going to what?”
“She’s getting ready to do a tarot reading for me, and I wanted you to come and be with me—that is, if you aren’t busy or anything. That way, I won’t be alone if she says I’m about to kick the bucket or something.”
“If you’re afraid of what she’ll tell you, maybe you shouldn’t have her do the reading,” Katie suggested.
“I know, but I’m going to do it anyway. I feel like I need it. Will you come, or should I call Edie Silver?”
Katie knew Edie babysat her grandson on Mondays. “No, I’ll be there.” It wasn’t often that Rose asked Katie for a favor. Sitting through a tarot reading wasn’t too much to ask. Besides, someday soon, Katie might be asking Rose to bake her a cake with a file in it.
Ten minutes later, Rose was waiting outside The Flower Child looking like a little girl who’d been promised a treat. Her blonde curls glistened in the sunlight, and she held a hand up to shade her eyes as she watched for Katie. Her smile broadened as Katie approached.
She gave Katie a hug. “I’m so excited! I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“Never?” Katie asked.
“No…and it’s kinda scary.” She steered Katie toward the door.
“It’ll be fine.” Katie desperately hoped it would be. Moonbeam wouldn’t give Rose bad news, would she? Of course, she had told Katie that Erikka’s killer was stalking her, so…
They entered The Flower Child to find Moonbeam sitting at a small desk in a corner of the shop. “Good afternoon, ladies. It’s so good to see you both. I wasn’t expecting you, Katie.”
“Rose wanted a little moral support.”
Moonbeam gave Katie a conspiratorial wink. “What a good friend you are!” She turned her attention to Rose. “You want someone here to share your good news with.”
“Or bad,” Rose said. “Que sera, sera.”
“Come, sit. Rose, we can begin whenever you’re ready.”
“I’m ready.”
They moved to the back of the shop where a small table sat ready, covered with a colorful shawl. A deck of cards swathed in blue silk fabric awaited them. Rose sat on one of the chairs across from Moonbeam and clasped her hands in front of her. “Thank you for permitting me to call Katie and have her be here with me.”
Moonbeam unwrapped the cards and shuffled the colorful deck before handing them to Rose. “Think of what you’d like to know and then cut the cards please.”
“All right.” Rose clasped the deck tightly and closed her eyes as though she were about to blow out the candles on her birthday cake and make a wish. Within seconds, she opened her eyes, cut the cards, and handed them back to Moonbeam. “Hit me.”
Moonbeam laughed. “It’s tarot, not blackjack.”
Rose shrugged.
With an amused shake of her head, Moonbeam laid ten cards on the table using what she called the Celtic cross spread. The first two cards on the table were the emperor and empress. The second two were the two of cups and the ten of cups. The next cards she took from the stack held in her left hand were the ace of cups, the ten of pentacles, the four of wands, the Knight of the Hierophant, and the Lovers.
Moonbeam steepled her fingers, her brows rising in what Katie interpreted as thoughtful. “Ah, this tells me there’s a strong probability for love in your future, if you’re open to it.”
Rose’s face practically glowed with excitement. “I’m definitely open to it. How do I meet him? What do I need to do?”
Moonbeam gave a gentle laugh. “Nothing. The two of you are destined to meet. Now all you have to do is relax and let it happen.”
“Do the cards say what he looks like?” Rose leaned in and peered at the cards as if the image of her mystery man might magically appear.
Katie suppressed a grin. “I think you’re a little confused as to how these things work. Actually, I wish they did provide photographs of people you need to see.” She shared a look with Moonbeam, as she recalled the woman’s warning days before.
“Me, to
o,” Moonbeam said. “We have to be patient.” She directed her next words to Katie. “And watchful.”
“Oh, you bet I will,” Rose said.
So will I, Katie thought.
Chapter 27
It was inching toward five forty-five when Katie touched up her hair and makeup before heading to Del’s, although she wasn’t sure why. After all, there was no one she wanted to impress. And she knew not everyone was likely to attend that evening’s meeting since she’d called it on such short notice. But at least Janey would be there to smooth over any ruffled feathers caused by her prior miscommunications, and Moonbeam would be around to dispel any negativity toward her brought about by Nona Fiske’s nasty gossip.
Katie idly wondered if Andy would join them—he hadn’t responded to the email she’d sent the merchants. Telling herself it didn’t matter, she squared her shoulders and walked the two blocks to the diner.
As they hadn’t booked far enough in advance, Del wouldn’t be catering the meeting, but a number of the Association’s members still had dropped in to have their evening meal. At a corner booth, Rose was regaling Sue and Gilda with the tale of her tarot reading. Katie waved at the group before heading over to Jordan Tanner.
“Hey, Jordan. How’s Ann?”
“Hi, Katie. Thanks for asking. She says she’s not in much pain,” he said. “I’m bringing a take-out dinner home to her. Our daughter, Lila, is with her now to keep her company.”
“If you’re unable to stay for the meeting, I’ll be summarizing the key points and emailing them tomorrow,” Katie said.
“I plan on staying for a little while.” Jordan waved to Conrad Stratton, who’d just walked in. “Ann would kill me if I didn’t bring her some news to go with dinner. Not being at the bakery today nearly drove her bonkers.”
“Poor Ann.” Katie’s thoughts drifted to what Don had told her about needing to get away from the chaos sometimes and wondered if Ann was like Nick in that she needed the stimulation. “I’ll try to go see her tomorrow.”
“Thanks. I know she’d enjoy that.”
Katie left Jordan and joined Rose, Sue, and Gilda. She ordered a ham sandwich on rye from the waitress taking their orders as she slid into the booth.
“So, Katie,” Sue said. “Did Moonbeam tell your fortune, too?”
“Nope,” she said. “Today was all about Rose.”
Her sandwich came in record time and Katie ate in silence, as Rose extolled Moonbeam’s virtues. It looked as though one objective for this meeting was well on its way to being met. Of course, Rose wouldn’t stay for the meeting—she was only at Del’s for dinner—but Katie knew she was there to do her part in tearing down Nona’s nasty rumors.
Katie noticed Vance sitting in a nearby booth. While he wasn’t a member of the Merchants Association, he must have come with Janey to provide moral support. Katie knew Janey was nervous about talking to the group about the Harvest Festival vendors’ party. Katie didn’t know why Janey had the jitters about speaking to the group as a whole when she’d spoken to each one individually, but hopefully, all miscommunications would be laid to rest.
Upon finishing her meal, Katie rallied her troops to head for the diner’s party room and the meeting. She stepped up to the head of the long table. From her vantage point, she could see a smiling Moonbeam. Nona, cheapskate that she was, hadn’t dined at the restaurant but had arrived a few minutes ahead of the scheduled meeting and gone straight to the party room. She sat at the bottom of the table, scowling. Ray hadn’t eaten at the diner but was seated a chair to her left. The other merchants ambled in and took their seats. As she was about to call the meeting to order, Andy walked in. He took the chair across from Ray, glaring at him.
“I apologize for calling you all to this last-minute meeting,” Katie began, “but Janey Ingram and I wanted to clear up some misunderstandings that have occurred while planning the Harvest Festival—she’ll address those items shortly. But first I want to welcome our newest member, Moonbeam Carruthers.” She nodded toward Moonbeam, who stood and acknowledged the group. “I hope those of you who haven’t done so will check out Moonbeam’s charming shop, The Flower Child.”
Ignoring Nona’s scoffing, Katie continued. “Before I turn the program over to Janey, is there anything anyone would like to discuss?”
Katie purposefully avoided looking in Nona’s direction, since she was frantically waving her hateful little hand, but the diminutive demon cleared her throat and stood. “I have an issue I believe needs to be addressed.”
Here we go, Katie thought. But she was surprised by the next words out of Nona’s mouth.
“I feel we should discuss the fact that you’re being accused of murder, Katie Bonner,” Nona said. “Don’t you believe it’s time you step down as president of the Merchants Association and let someone who isn’t facing a murder trial take your place?”
As Katie’s jaw dropped, Ray stood. “I don’t know where you’re getting your intel,” he said, “but Katie hasn’t been accused of anything.”
Not to mention the fact that Katie had been trying to unload the responsibility of running the Association ever since she’d been drafted.
“My friend Mae heard the victim’s sister accuse Katie to her face of killing Erikka Wiley.” Nona lifted her sharp nose in the air to punctuate her statement. “And she said it’s only a matter of time before the police make an arrest. We all know they’ve already searched Katie’s office.”
“Whether that’s true or not, Katie has not been charged with any crime.” Ray glared at Nona. “You need to apologize to her right now.”
“Oh, sit down and hush, Ray. Just because you’re in love with her doesn’t mean everyone else is.” She pointed a finger at Andy. “He certainly wasn’t, now was he?”
Katie ran a hand over her face as the meeting erupted into pandemonium. How would she ever restore order?
From the left side of the table, Jordan muttered, “Ann’s gonna hate that she missed this.”
“Now just a second.” Andy stood and stalked toward Nona. “You know nothing about me and my life.”
Nona folded her arms across her chest. “I know one of your girlfriends is dead, and the other one is suspected of killing her.”
Nona facing off against Andy looked like a chihuahua refusing to back down from a pit bull. Since she had no gavel, Katie slapped her hand on the table in an attempt to get everyone’s attention and regain control of the meeting. It didn’t work.
“Katie is my only girlfriend, and she didn’t hurt anyone.” Andy’s expression was dark, and Katie decided now wasn’t the time to remind him that she was no longer his girlfriend.
Ray stood. “Oh, really?” His mouth quirked up in some mixture of a smirk and a snarl. “You still think you can make Katie happy after you’ve shattered her trust?”
Great, Katie thought. Why not toss an old bloodhound in between the chihuahua and the pit bull to make matters worse?
“I can make her happier than you can, old man,” Andy growled and circled around the table. “You’re pathetic. You don’t realize how ridiculous you look chasing after her!”
“Katie and I are friends—that’s it,” Ray said. “I care about her, and I take her feelings into consideration. That’s more than you can—”
Ray didn’t get the opportunity to finish that thought because Andy’s fist connected with his jaw. Several women screamed; Katie was pretty sure one of them was her and even more certain that Nona was not.
Ray fired back with a punch to Andy’s face, and the fight turned into a full-blown Beating in the Meeting—as opposed to the Thrilla in Manilla. All they needed was the late, great Howard Cosell to commentate.
Katie absolutely had to get this meeting back under control—or else give up on it altogether—before Del called the police and banned the group from ever gathering at his diner again. Fortunately, Vance and Jordan were already pulling the two pugilists apart.
“Please!” Katie called. “Everybody please cal
m down!”
No one calmed down.
A shrill whistle pierced the air. Miraculously, everyone stilled and looked around for the source. Like Katie, they probably feared Del had already summoned the authorities. But, to her relief, she saw that it was Moonbeam who’d blown the whistle. Smiling at Katie, she dropped it into her purse now that it had served its purpose.
“Thank you, Moonbeam,” Katie said. “Since this meeting has become such a fiasco, I think it would be best if we adjourn. I’ll send everyone an email tomorrow covering what Janey and I intended to address here. I’ll also write Del a formal apology.” She fixed her glare on Nona. “Some of you might want to do likewise after your unconscionable behavior.”
Nona merely threw her head back, sniffed, and left the room.
As Katie gathered her materials into her tote, she heard Vance tell Janey, “See? I told you there was no need to be nervous about speaking in front of these people.”
“You sure were right,” Janey replied. “Do you think these Merchants Association meetings are always this exciting?”
Katie kicked off her flats as soon as she walked through the door of her new apartment. Waiting for Mason to wind around her ankles and stepping over Della, who was rolling from side to side directly in front of her, Katie took the shoes to the closet. She changed into shorts and a T-shirt before returning to the living room to turn her attention to her cats.
Snuggling Mason up under her chin, she asked, “What do you think are the odds that the three of us could simply pack up and start our lives over somewhere new?”
The cat offered up a purpt that Katie took as his agreement. He was in his third abode within days—what was another move?
“I know it’s ridiculous, and I don’t really want to leave. At least, I don’t believe I do. It’s just that tonight—heck, my entire life lately—has been such a complete wreck.”
She’d never considered it before, but who would look after Mason and Della if she weren’t around? She couldn’t bear the idea of her beloved cats being turned over to the county humane society—which was a kill shelter—and she pulled Della over to include her in the embrace. Though not as affectionate as Mason, Della seemed to sense Katie’s need for reassurance and submitted to the cuddles.
A Murderous Misconception Page 18