Grave Mistake Read online

  For what purpose, though? To bind their powers together to create a spell that would compel me to follow him back to Los Angeles? I supposed that was possible, even while I didn’t want to think that Athene would voluntarily participate in such an enchantment. Or maybe she honestly didn’t care because she had no emotional attachment to Lucien at all. In that case, I guessed it was plausible that she’d go along with the scheme if it meant even greater success for GLANG in the long run.

  “Have they found his car?” I asked, and Josie frowned.

  “I honestly don’t know,” she replied. “As I said, Calvin wasn’t exactly forthcoming, although this sort of thing affects all of us. Do you have any idea what a murder does to property values? Part of Globe’s appeal is its public safety record.”

  Trust Josie to be concerned about that particular detail. Part of me wanted to be horrified at her lack of compassion for a crime victim, but then, she hadn’t known Lucien. It made sense for her to focus on an aspect of the crime that would affect the town she loved so much.

  “It sounded like they found Lucien somewhere on the reservation,” I told her. “So, it’s not exactly Globe that would be affected.”

  Her expression brightened a little. “Oh, well, if that’s the case….” The words trailed off, and she focused back on me, now looking concerned. “Are you all right, Selena? This Lucien was a friend of yours, wasn’t he?”

  “I think ‘friend’ is stretching it a bit far,” I replied. “We knew each other, but I wouldn’t say we were friendly. It was more a business relationship than anything else…if you could even call it that.”

  “Well, it’s still shocking. But I’m sure Calvin will get to the bottom of it soon enough. He’s a very smart man, although this is the first time he’s had to solve a murder.”

  Those words did nothing to relieve the worry that had tensed up the muscles in my neck and shoulders. I mean, it was one thing to know you were innocent. But when the circumstantial evidence pointed in your direction…evidence that would be analyzed by an inexperienced country police chief…well, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly confidence inspiring.

  Still, I had to trust that my innocence would be proven once more evidence came to light. I didn’t have any idea what Athene had told Calvin — if he’d spoken to her at all. Maybe she knew exactly what had happened to Lucien, and she’d bugged out before the authorities could catch up with her. The lack of a vehicle might not have been as big an impediment as I thought. Globe had one guy — Travis Cox — who drove for both Uber and Lyft…when he felt like it. Although I’d never availed myself of his services, since I had my own wheels, he’d dropped into the store a few times to buy some incense…probably in a vain attempt to hide the scent of marijuana that seemed to perpetually hang around him. What if Athene had contacted Travis via her app and let him know that if he drove her to Mesa…or maybe all the way to Phoenix International Airport…she’d make it worth his while?

  All right, I knew I was manufacturing worst-case scenarios. But considering Lucien Dumond had turned up dead within twelve hours of his arrival in Globe, I didn’t think conjuring thoughts of gloom and doom was all that out of line.

  “Yes, he seems very capable.” And that was all I felt safe to say about Calvin Standingbear. The guy definitely had an overwhelming physical presence…one I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about.

  However, it seemed that Josie had picked up something in my tone, even though I’d tried my best to sound completely neutral. Her eyes twinkled, and she said, “Maybe he’ll need to question you again.”

  “I doubt it,” I replied quickly. Better to nip any speculation in the bud as fast as possible. “I really didn’t have much to tell him.”

  The door to the shop opened, and a couple who looked like they were probably in their late fifties or early sixties walked in. Motorcycle enthusiasts, I guessed, judging by the bandanna that covered the man’s gray ponytail and the leather jacket the woman wore over her “Durango, Colorado” T-shirt.

  I’d never seen either of them before, and guessed they must be tourists. And thank the Goddess for that — if they were just passing through Globe on their way to Phoenix…or maybe to Payson, depending on which way they were traveling…then they couldn’t have heard anything about Lucien Dumond’s murder, and couldn’t possibly know that the owner of the quaint store where they were shopping was one of the prime suspects in the case.

  Josie could clearly see that their arrival meant an end to our conversation. A look of disappointment passed over her face, but then she smiled and said, “I’ll check back in later. I’m sure everything is going to be fine.”

  I had to hope she was right.

  The biker couple bought some jewelry and a couple of books on crystals, so I had more than one reason to be glad they’d dropped in. After they left, my stomach growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten anything so far that day. Events had tumbled along ever since the moment Calvin Standingbear had turned up so unexpectedly at The Flatiron, but now my body was letting me know that, murder investigations notwithstanding, it needed to eat.

  A sandwich from Cloud Coffee was probably my best bet, but I hesitated, wondering whether it was a good idea to show my face in public like that when I’d just been taken away for questioning in a murder investigation. Then again, I knew I was innocent. If I began acting like I wasn’t, then people would start looking at me as though I had to be guilty.

  Also, my cupboards were nearly bare. I needed to do another shopping run, but getting ready for the store opening had kept me busy day and night.

  You can do this, I told myself as I got my purse out from under the counter. Just act natural.

  Sure.

  I set the little “Be Back At” sign in the window to two o’clock, then locked the shop door. Cloud Coffee was only two blocks down and across the street from my store, so it didn’t take me very long to get there. Since it was past one-thirty, the lunch crowd had mostly come and gone, although a couple of people lingered at tables with their laptops.

  Bryan looked a little surprised to see me, although he recovered quickly enough, sending me a smile that seemed almost genuine. “Hi, Selena. What can I get you?”

  “A chicken salad wrap and a decaf iced green tea,” I replied. Their chicken salad was legendary. Also, it was the sort of thing that I could eat back at the store without worrying about making a mess.

  “Coming right up.”

  I didn’t see Bryan’s husband Kris anywhere, but maybe he’d gone off to run an errand or something, since clearly, the lunch rush had ended. None of the people preoccupied with their laptops seemed to pay any attention to me, which had to be a good thing. Maybe Josie knew exactly what was going on, but she was the nexus of Globe’s gossip circuit. Otherwise, it didn’t seem as if the news had made the rounds yet.

  Well, except for Bryan’s odd reaction when I walked in. I had a feeling he’d heard something, or maybe Josie had stopped in for yet another latte on the way back to her office and had filled him in. I preferred to think that he’d heard the story directly from her, because at least that way, I could let myself believe not too many people knew about Lucien’s murder.

  As Bryan handed me the bag with my sandwich, I got a quick flash of his aura — its usual smoky blue, but with little sparks of orange and red around the edges. That could have been edginess from being in such close proximity to a murder suspect…or it could have been something else completely. My ability to see auras came and went, although if I concentrated hard enough, I could sometimes view them at will. For me to catch a glimpse like that when I wasn’t even trying meant whatever emotion he was feeling, it was strong enough for me to pick up.

  I just wished I knew what it was. Unfortunately, my psychic abilities didn’t extend to mind reading.

  I thanked him and headed back to Blue Moon. For the first time, I realized it really was a gorgeous day, the sun warm but the breeze cool, little white clouds chasing each other across the sky like a
flock of celestial sheep.

  The sort of day I’d hoped I might encounter after moving to such an out-of-the-way spot. It seemed a shame to waste it indoors.

  The store just opened last night, I told myself with a mental shake. You can’t turn around and close it for the rest of the day just because the weather is nice.

  True. And it was a Saturday, and therefore my best chance at getting some tourist traffic. It was one thing to close the place down for twenty minutes so I could run out and grab a sandwich. It was something else entirely to shut it because I was getting spring fever.

  Still, even though I went back to Once in a Blue Moon and dutifully took down the “Be Back At” sign — and hid my half-eaten chicken salad wrap under the counter when a few tourists actually did wander in — I couldn’t quite ignore my itchy feet. Something was telling me I needed to get out.

  Okay, then. I’d stay open for a while longer, but close early. Not too early, but early enough there would still be some daylight.

  Daylight for what?

  I got a quick flash in my mind — a fast-moving creek with grasses hanging over its bank, and the lush, fresh green of cottonwood trees in the background. A blink, and the image was gone.

  Even as the question began to form in my mind, I realized what I’d seen.

  The place where Lucien Dumond had died.

  Oh, hell no, I told myself. Bad enough you’re a suspect. Now you want to go and disturb a crime scene?

  If there was even anything left to disturb. Surely, Calvin and his deputies had already gone over the spot with the police equivalent of a fine-tooth comb. Maybe I could go out there and poke around, see if I picked up on any vibes or got any psychic flashes. That happened to me sometimes as well; it wasn’t all Tarot cards and pendulums and crystal balls.

  And usually, if I was vibing with something, that meant I needed to follow my instincts.

  At four-thirty, I put the sign back in the window, signaling that the store would be open again on Monday at 11 a.m. Since I’d noticed that most of the other locally owned shops in town had haphazard hours at best, I figured no one would mind too much if I wasn’t open from ten to six every day. And although I still didn’t quite know what I’d do with my days off, I figured I couldn’t work seven days a week.

  When I went upstairs, Archie lay in the middle of the hallway, licking a forepaw. His location had probably been chosen to ensure I couldn’t possibly avoid him, so I stopped a few feet away and crossed my arms.

  “It’s too early for your dinner,” I said.

  Immediately, he stopped ministering to his paw and got to his feet. “So, now you’re a murder suspect?”

  Archie had made himself scarce during Calvin’s visit — he definitely hadn’t been loitering in the office, his usual hideout — but I realized it was too much to hope for that he’d slept through the whole thing. I gave what I hoped was a casual shrug as I said, “Maybe. I don’t think Chief Standingbear knows what to make of the situation. He’s pursuing another lead right now.”

  There, I’d managed to say his official name without cracking a smile.

  However, my feline roommate didn’t look impressed. “He came here to collect evidence.”

  “Possible evidence,” I corrected him. “Anyway, I’m innocent, so there’s nothing to worry about. Actually, I’d think you’d be happy to know that Lucien is no longer a threat. At least you don’t have to worry about me disappearing off to L.A.”

  “No, just to prison,” Archie remarked, his tone lugubrious in the extreme. “For a witch, you don’t seem to be very skilled at managing your own luck.”

  I wanted to tell him he didn’t know what he was talking about, but since I had to admit that the last twenty-four hours hadn’t been exactly all that great, I decided to keep from clapping back at the cat. “Working on it,” I said. “In fact, I have something I want to check on before it gets dark, and we’re burning daylight.”

  “Check on what?” he asked, green-gold eyes narrowing in suspicion as he followed me into the bedroom.

  “I don’t know yet.”

  Because I was already wearing a black T-shirt, I only had to slip out of my skirt and into a pair of jeans to prepare for my outing. As soon as my fingers slid beneath the elastic waistband of the sparkly peasant skirt, Archie’s eyes widened in alarm, and he bolted from the room.

  There. I knew that would work. Any time there was the slightest chance he’d see me anything but fully clothed, he beat a hasty retreat.

  There was more than one way to manage a cursed cat.

  When I emerged from the bedroom in jeans and hiking boots, he watched me with narrowed eyes. “I assume from the footwear that you’re not going to Walmart.”

  “I might be,” I allowed, since I thought I probably should head over to the store after I was done with my…well, whatever it was I intended to find out on the San Ramon Apache reservation.

  For a second or two, the cat didn’t respond. Then he let out a small huff and said, “I need more treats,” before stalking into the office so he could curl up on his bed.

  He really didn’t — I made sure to keep a backup box of treats at all times — but I knew that was just his way of getting in the last word.

  But at least I didn’t have to waste any more time standing there and arguing with him. I grabbed my purse and let myself out of the apartment before hurrying down the back stairs.

  I honestly didn’t know where I was going. Or rather, I knew I needed to head out of town on Highway 70, going east, to get to San Ramon, the main settlement on the reservation, but what I’d seen in that flash of a vision had been a river, not a town. I sat in the car for a minute, scanning the map I’d brought up, locating the San Ramon River, which flowed just to the east of the town itself. The water in the vision hadn’t looked wide enough to be a river, but I was starting to learn that “river” didn’t necessarily mean the same thing in Arizona that it did in other places.

  There also appeared to be lots of creeks and tributaries of the San Ramon, and maybe Lucien had been found next to one of them. Calvin had said his body had been found on a riverbank, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

  Just to be safe, I’d brought along one of my pendulums, the banded fluorite one that had always seemed the most helpful when it came to sharpening focus. Since I had to let the universe guide me to the right spot, I figured I could use all the help I could get.

  And because the sun was already starting to sink toward the west, I knew I needed to get going.

  About five minutes outside Globe, I passed Apache Gold, the casino the San Ramon tribe operated. I’d come this way before, of course, but this time I paid more attention to the structure, to how tidy and prosperous everything looked. The parking lot appeared pretty full, too. True, it was a Saturday afternoon, probably peak play time for any local gamblers, but still. No wonder the police station was so nice; the tribe probably had casino profits to burn.

  I turned off the same place Calvin had when we’d gone to the station, figuring that driving through what counted as “downtown” San Ramon was just as good a route as anything else. The town — not much more than a collection of small houses and buildings that made Globe look like a bustling metropolis — passed by the car windows, quiet, unassuming. A lot of the houses looked like they were actually mobile homes, but everything appeared to be in good repair, the yards neatly kept.

  Then I saw a sign that said “River Access” and turned right, following the narrow street until it came to an abrupt halt at a community parking lot. A white pickup truck was parked at the far end of the lot, but otherwise it seemed unoccupied.

  End of the road. I pulled into one of the numerous empty spaces, then got out of the car. Hiking around on what could prove to be treacherous terrain while hauling my purse with me didn’t seem like a very good idea, so I extracted my I.D., key fob, pendulum, and phone and shoved them into my pockets, then stowed the purse in the trunk and locked it.

  Now m
ostly unencumbered, I followed the signs pointing me to the trailhead and began to walk. Already I heard the sound of water rushing a few yards away, while the long row of cottonwoods would have showed me exactly where the river was located even without the signage.

  As I walked, I wondered how Lucien had ended up here. Had he been murdered somewhere else? Had the killer brought his body here to dump it in the river, thinking that was the best way to get rid of it?

  That made some sense…especially if the murderer was someone unfamiliar with the area, someone who couldn’t have known that the currents would carry a body onto the bank rather than safely downstream.

  Or maybe Lucien had come here under his own power. I remembered he was a Scorpio — double Scorpio, actually, with both his sun and ascendant in that powerful, mysterious water sign — and I supposed it was also possible that he’d come here to commune with the flowing water and try to tap into its energies. His house in Encino had fountains everywhere — in the courtyard, in the foyer, in almost every room.

  But even if he’d come to the San Ramon River to blend its energies with his, someone must have followed him with evil in their heart. If he’d died from drowning, then I could have chalked up his death to a fatal accident and nothing more, but you didn’t drown from multiple stab wounds to the chest. Or at least, even if it turned out that the actual cause of death was water in the lungs, he probably could have survived falling in the river if it weren’t for that whole stabbing thing.

  Since I seemed to be alone for the moment, I pulled the fluorite pendulum from my pocket and paused on the path, letting it dangle in front of me. A second or two passed as it swung idly from side to side with no real pattern to its movements…until it appeared to almost reverse itself, tracing an arc that moved from me to the path ahead and then back again. In fact, it felt as if it had come alive, was pulling me in that direction.