Janet Evanovich - Full Bloom

Destiny entered the kitchen. "Great dinner," she said. "I would have enjoyed it even more if she hadn't been there."

"Who, dear?" Theenie asked.

"The spirit. She stood across the room giving Max goo-goo eyes the whole time. The woman has no shame."

Theenie shook her head. "Well, I hope you told her Max is soon to be married." She stretched and yawned. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm pooped." She cut her eyes toward the stairs. "Lovelle, are you coming up?"

"I'm right behind you," Lovelle said. They wished Annie and Destiny a good night and started up the steps.

Destiny stood there for a moment watching Annie. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was nervous in the beginning, but everyone was so nice they put me at ease."

Destiny was quiet for a moment. "Annie, I know how your husband died."

Annie almost dropped the coffeepot she was filling with water. "What!"

"I saw it in a vision. He died falling down those stairs." When Annie simply looked at her, she went on. "There was an argument." She'd no sooner gotten the words out of her mouth before she sneezed.

Annie reached for the box of tissues and handed it to her. "Who was with him?"

"I don't know, but I'm certain she saw the whole thing."

"The spirit?"

Destiny nodded. "I've asked her a dozen times, but she refuses to communicate."

"You said she was mute."

"I've been able to pick up bits and pieces telepathically, but she won't open up completely. I don't know if it's a physical or emotional problem or both, but the woman is terrified." She paused. "Here's what I think. I'm almost certain she saw her lover hanged, but she's blocked it. She had already been through the trauma of being murdered, and the hanging was too much to bear. Until she remembers I don't think she's going to talk or go to the light." She sneezed twice.

Annie was trying hard to keep an open mind, but it all sounded outlandish. "Can you help her?"

"I don't know."

Annie turned back to filling the coffeepot. "Is there anything else you can tell me about Charles?" she asked.

Another sneeze. "He was definitely seeing another woman, and I'm almost certain she was somebody you knew. Although I haven't actually seen it in a vision, it's logical that the person he was arguing with pushed him. I don't know if it was this woman or if it was a jealous boyfriend or husband."

Annie heard a noise and glanced up as Wes came down the stairs.

"I was going to get a glass of ice water," he said. "Am I interrupting?"

Destiny shook her head. "I'm on my way to bed."

She glanced at Annie. "Thanks again for a great dinner." She disappeared up the stairs.

Wes was quiet as he leaned against the counter and sipped his water. Annie could feel his eyes on her, and she thought it best to go upstairs. "I've locked the doors," she said. "Would you turn off the light before going to bed?" She started for the stairs.

"Annie?"

She paused and turned.

"I'm sorry for being such a …" He paused.

She waited. "If you can't think of a word, I'll give you my list and you can choose several from that."

"Jerk," he finally said.

"That's pretty tame and has less syllables."

He almost smiled. "I probably don't want to know. Thing is, I can understand that you were afraid, what with Charles's mother making accusations and having someone like Lamar Tevis in charge of the investigation."

Annie was thoughtful. "I just want you to know I'm not a liar by trade."

He glanced at the stairs. "I accidentally overheard some of what Destiny said. Do you believe her?"

Annie shrugged. "I believe she has visions. I don't know how accurate they are."

Wes indicated the table. "Can we talk a minute?"

He waited until Annie had taken a seat before pulling a chair out for him. "I've been checking around. I know who Charles was seeing."

Annie sucked in her breath. She almost dreaded hearing it. "Someone I know?"

"His boss's wife."

Annie frowned. "Donna Schaefer? Who in the world told you that?"

"You sit in enough bars, you're bound to hear something sooner or later. Folks are talking about the murder, finding the body." He paused and grinned. "Losing the body," he added. "By the way, about that bathrobe you were wearing on CNN—"

"I've already put it in a box to go to the women's shelter."

"Man, you're not doing those poor women any favors."

"Could we please get back to what we were discussing?"

"I heard a guy mention he'd seen Charles at the Hilltop Steakhouse a couple of times with a pretty brunette. I already suspected it was the wife after looking over Charles's cell phone bill. He placed a lot of calls to his boss's house. During the day when he would most likely be at the office," Wes added, "but I decided to dig a little deeper just to make sure, so I got a picture of her and—" When Annie arched one brow, he shook his head. "Don't ask. I took the picture to the Hilltop, along with Charles's picture, and the bartender recognized them."

"From more than three years ago?"

"The bartender accidentally spilled a drink on your husband's favorite suit one of the times he and Mrs. Schaefer came in. Bartender said Charles made a big deal out of it, so he gave him twenty bucks to have it dry-cleaned."

"I'm stunned."

"Were you and she friends?"

"Not close friends, but Charles and I socialized with them now and then, and Donna and I usually planned the company Christmas party together, which was always held at the country club. She spent one Saturday here, only a few months before Charles disappeared, so we could decide on the menu and discuss decorations. She and Norm, her husband, had come to dinner here a couple of times before that, but it was pretty boring because the guys talked shop the entire time." Annie paused. "I do remember feeling disappointed that she didn't call after I'd assumed Charles had left me, but I figured she didn't want to get involved in our personal problems."

"I plan to question her, of course," Wes said.

"Then I'm coming with you." When Wes started to argue, Annie held up a hand. "I want to hear it from her own lips. The sooner the better," she added.

"We can leave in the morning after breakfast."

* * * * *

Jimbo Gardner shook Erdle Thorney hard. "C'mon, Erdle, you gotta wake up."

Stretched out in a booth at the back of Jimbo's Bar and Grill, Erdle mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep. He opened his eyes, made to sit up, and groaned. "Head hurrs like hell," he said.

Jimbo handed him a glass of whiskey. "Here's a little hair of the dog," he said. "Double shot, it ought to cure what ails you."

Erdle tossed back the drink, winced, and set the glass on the table. "Wha' time is it?"

"Eight a.m. I couldn't wake you last night, so I decided to let you sleep it off. But I got to start cleaning this place in time for the lunch crowd."

Erdle pressed his hands on either side of his head as though he feared it would explode. "Wha' do I owe?"

"You paid your tab last night. Don't you remember?"

"Naw."

"Man, you're shaking all over. You okay?"

" 'Nother shot o' whiskey might help." Erdle slurred his words badly. "I'll pay for it."

Jimbo gave a grunt of disgust. "I'll give you one more, but that's it." He went behind the bar and filled a shot glass.

Erdle gulped it and shuddered.

"I've already called a cab," Jimbo said, "but it's going to be a while before it gets here on account Otto has several people ahead of you. You'll have to pick up your car later."

Erdle didn't put up an argument as he lay back in the booth. "Lemme know when he gets here."

* * * * *

Annie stared tentatively at the massive black and chrome bike. She took a step back. "I've, uh, never ridden a motorcycle before," she said, wishing Wes had taken her suggestion to use her car. "What if I fall off?"