Karma's A Bitch (A Pet Psychic Mystery) (19 page)

I couldn’t promise her that. I distracted her with a broad smile instead. “I will try to stay out of trouble.”

She shook her head and leveled a hard stare at me. “You promise?”

Luckily, our first customer of the day came through the door and saved me. As Sylvia chatted with her, I scooped up the paper with the circled number and dug out my cell phone. Each ring made my heart pump faster. No one picked up. After the beep, I took a deep breath and tried to sound calm and friendly.

“Hi, my name is Darwin Winters. I own Darwin’s Pet Boutique in St. Pete and am looking for a little girl named Mariah Fowler. She would be about nine years old. I was really hoping not to leave this kind of message on an answering machine, but I’m afraid you won’t call me back if I don’t. I’m a friend of her father’s, Mad…Matthew Fowler. I’m sorry to say that he’s deceased. I have something from him I’d like his daughter to have. It’s a sketch book full of drawings. If I do have the right number, please call me back.” I left my number. When I ended the call, I noticed I had a message.

It was from Will. I listened to it twice, just to hear his voice.

“Hi, Darwin. It’s me. Listen, I talked to Officer Hutchins and found out that he and his partner did arrest Mr. Fowler at one time for loitering. He said Karma was there when they put him in the back of the police car, barking at them, but he ran off. I knew you’d still be worried about Karma’s reaction to them so, well, just thought it would give you an explanation. Ease your mind a bit.” There was a pause. “I’m free on Thursday evening if you’d like to have dinner. Give me a call. I’d like to see you.”

I hung up feeling sad. He really knew me. I mean, as much as I’d let him know me. He knew that I needed closure, I needed explanations. And he went out of his way to give that to me. Wow. I think that was about the kindest thing anyone’s ever done for me. Any male for sure.

I called him back and left a message that I would have dinner with him. Karma huffed on his pillow. “You can go too, boy. We’ll eat outside.”

“Glad I’m not the only one who talks to my dogs.” Betsy Mills, the real estate mogul with the three standard poodles—one in each color—stood grinning at me with the reddest lipstick I have ever seen on a woman. I couldn’t stop staring at her mouth.

“Oh, Hi, Miss Mills. What can I do for you today?” I tried to hold my gaze to eye level but it kept slipping back down to her clown mouth.
Stop it Darwin, that’s rude
.

“Well, my boys just tremble every time a storm rolls through here, and Frankie tells me you have something to help them with their nerves.”

“Sure, it’s flower essence. I can get that for you. Browse around a bit. I’ll be right back.”

I grabbed some aspen and impatient bottles and brought them back up to her. As I wrapped her flower essence and rang up the pile of other things she had found to pamper her pooches, I got curious. “Miss Mills, there’s a townhouse on Fifth Avenue that’s owned by a corporation and I’m trying to get in touch with the owner. You being a real estate agent and all, do you think you could help me with that?”

“If it’s been sold in the last ten years, it was probably my sale. What’s the address?”

Address. Shoot. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ll have to get back to you with it.”

“Sure, be glad to help if I can. If you’re in the market for a place, I’ve got some amazing properties for sale right now. Great deals, too.” She dug a business card out of her wallet and handed it to me. I did a double take because the woman in the photo appeared about twenty years younger.

I bit my tongue. “Thank you, Miss Mills. Appreciate it.” I slipped the card into my pocket and gave her instructions on how to use the flower essence.

After she left, I grabbed a cup of tea and stared out at Beach Drive, thinking. It would be nice if Miss Mills could find out for me but I couldn’t wait for her. I had to find out who owned the townhouse where Mad Dog died. It was up to me now.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Wednesday evening, we closed up the boutique at six and I decided to take Karma to visit the gang at Pirate City. Okay, so I had an ulterior motive. I had been thinking: somebody there had to know who was beating up Mad Dog and Junior before they died. And then I had a horrible thought. What if Mad Dog’s murderer also killed Junior and made it look like a drug overdose? A cover-up just like they tried to do with Mad Dog? Mac definitely knew something he wasn’t telling me. I had to get him to talk to me.

So, I stuffed my back pack with half a boiled, sliced roast—which Karma pouted about—a bag of carrots and celery, a big jar of almond butter and, of course, a few baggies of oatmeal raisin cookies and we set off; me on my bike, Karma trucking along beside me.

When we reached the dead end road, Karma started acting a bit nervous. He had his ears up and stood in his alert posture, scanning the area around us. I glanced around too. It was a beautiful late afternoon. No sign of wild boar or any other trouble.

I shrugged. “Come on, boy.” I led him down the path and unhooked his lead once we got into the camp.

“Yo, Snow White!” Pops waved to me from his position at the plywood table where about a dozen of the fellows were playing cards. I walked over and let Karma sniff around. “You want us to deal you in?”

“Maybe next time. Just brought some leftovers for y’all, can’t stay long.” I unpacked my back pack and put the food in the middle of the table, keeping the smallest bag of cookies aside for G. So, what’s new? G here?”

“G’s in his tent. Hey, Neddy Dean here got himself a job working on bikes.”

I smiled at the man he nudged beside him. “Well look at you. Congratulations.”

His brown eyes set deep in pocked brown skin looked tired but happy. “Thanks. Not enough pay to get me out of this place yet but it’s somethin’.”

“You’re buying the beer this week,” Rufus said, digging into the roast. Some of the others followed.

I stared at Rufus, my heart dropping like a rock. The whole left side of his face was purple and swollen. Now
he
was involved in whatever was going on? I wanted to both hug him and shake him. But I knew if I couldn’t get Mad Dog to tell me what was going on, Rufus would definitely be a dead end. Bad pun. I had to turn away. “All right, I’m going to go visit with G now.”

Karma stuck close by me as I walked over to the red and white tent that used to be Mad Dog’s.

“G? You in there?” Hmm. No place to knock. Not necessary, though, as it turned out. G came busting out through the opening like a kid on Christmas morning. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Cookie Lady!” His toothless grin and shiny eyes reminded me of Karma’s.

“Hi, G.” I held out the bag of oatmeal cookies. “I wanted to thank you for giving me Mad Dog’s sketch book. It was very helpful.”

He took the bag, opened it and stuck his nose inside. “Mmmmm. Smells good.” Then he looked up at me, wrinkles appearing on his leathery forehead. “You want the socks?”

“No, G,” I assured him. “The socks are yours.”

“Okay.” He nodded, smiled and disappeared back into his tent with the cookies. I heard him start singing as I walked away. Some heavy emotion clutched at me but I pushed it aside. It was time to talk to Mac.

I found him sitting under the blue tarp at his desk, his grey hair pulled back in a ponytail, his arms crossed. He looked up when I entered and gave me a half-hearted nod.

“Hey, Mac.” I sat in the plastic chair across from him and Karma sat beside me, pressing up against my leg. I rested a hand on his back. “How’s things?”

“Quieter without Junior.” He shook his head. “You always hope the young ones will get out some day. Just not like this.”

“It’s not too late to help Rufus. Tell me what’s going on here. Let me help.”

He turned away. We sat in silence for a moment and I could hear the katydids and frogs singing their little hearts out. Desperation made me impatient.

“Mac? Please. I saw Rufus’s face. Obviously it wasn’t Hops beating up Mad Dog because it’s still going on. I know you don’t want Rufus to end up like him.”

Reluctantly, he met my gaze. “Darwin,” he shook his head, “I can’t. I don’t want you endin’ up dead, neither, and you are already in danger.”

It was the first time he had used my real name and that startled me more than his declaration that I was in danger. Whatever layer of protection the nicknames gave them from getting close to each other had now vanished between us. He was speaking directly to me with no wall. I instinctively knew this was as serious as he could get. Still, I shook it off.

“I can take care of myself, Mac. Besides…” I smacked at a mosquito on my leg and then threw up my hands. “How do you know that Junior wasn’t killed? Someone could have forced him to overdose or given him bad drugs. This has got to end.”

He sighed. “These people make their own choices and live with their own consequences. Hell, some of ‘em come here because, for one reason or another, they don’t want society telling them how to live. They live and die by their own rules. That’s the code here. We don’t dictate each other’s lives.”

“But you care…you help each other. Whether you like it or not, this is a faction of society. You do have a responsibility to your fellow man. And I don’t buy for one second that you don’t care, that you’re willing to sit back and do nothing when you know a friend is in danger.”

He set his jaw. “You’re wrong. I don’t care.” He lit a citronella candle, picked up a pen and refused to look at me. “Best be on your way, Snow White.”

I stood up, wiping the salty sweat and a stray tear off my cheek and left silently with Karma still stuck to me like glue. The sun had already dropped like a rock. I waved goodbye to the guys at the table and then moved down the path more by memory than sight. The moon was no help tonight. The bugs and frogs had gotten louder, bolder in the darkness. The crackling of branches, Karma’s panting, everything seemed louder.

We emerged from the end of the path and I snapped Karma’s lead back on him. Just then, his breath halted and he stared toward the dead end circle. The low growl began in the barrel of his chest. He woofed almost silently. I lifted my head and peered down toward the dead end circle. I could make out the hulking shape of a car parked there. Oh great. Officer Hutchins and his partner must be on stake out.

I led my bike and Karma out into the road and waved at the officers in case they could see us.

“It’s okay, Karma.” I tried to turn him away but he stood his ground. Heavens, he was strong. I was afraid if I got on my bike, I wouldn’t be able to pull him along so I just inched it forward, tugging on Karma’s lead. “Let’s go, boy.”

Just then the car started, its lights flicked on.

Oh no, please don’t bother us tonight. There’s no way I could hold Karma back as worked up as he was.

The engine began to rev.
Vroooom
!
Vroooom
!

I only had a second to ponder this before the tires screamed and smoke blossomed as the car came barreling at us, somebody mashing the gas pedal for all they were worth.

Karma ripped the lead out of my hand and took off toward the car. Without thinking, I took off right after him. “Karma! Stop!”

The impact truly was painless and silent—except for the horrifying sound of Karma’s scream.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

A cold, heavy blackness clung to me. I focused on the beeping sound, pulling my consciousness toward it. Why can’t I open my eyes? Why is it so cold? Voices! Hello? I can hear you talking.

Am I dreaming? No one was answering me and I couldn’t move my arms. Something stiff gripped my neck. Fingers pressed into my scalp. Ouch. Stop please! That hurts. The fingers gratefully complied.

A siren shrieked and I realized I was floating, moving fast. A bump. Two bumps.

The fingers returned, pressing along my right rib cage then deep into my abdomen. There were voices but they were just noise. I couldn’t make sense of the words. Why was it so cold? I was powerless to stop the trembling in my own body.

I tried to reach back—back into the darkness to figure out where I was.

Oh yeah! I was talking to Mac at Pirate City. He wasn’t going to help me. Wait. I left, I walked down the path, right?

I…OH. MY. GOD. The car lights! That terrible squealing then crunching sound and…

Karma!

Karma!

I was screaming, why couldn’t they hear me? I can’t move! Please, I have to help Karma. My arms weren’t lifting. Help me! Stop talking about my heart rate! Oh no. Please…

***

A female voice drifted into my consciousness along with a low, consistent beeping. I breathed in the sweet scent of flowers. My finger moved and stroked soft material. I reached up and swatted at something in my nose. Too much effort. Darkness closed in.

***

“Darwin? Darwin? Can you hear me?”

My eyes fluttered open. Where am I? I attempted a smile as Sylvia’s face came into focus above me. She looked so worried. Tiny creases marred her skin between perfectly plucked brows.
Don’t worry, I’m fine
. It would take too much effort to say this out loud. I felt her rest a cool hand on my cheek.

“It’s going to be okay, you assustado nós tudo.” Her lips brushed my forehead. My eyelids were lead and I couldn’t hold them open. “You rest.” Her words carried me back into the comforting darkness.

Drifting in and out of reality, it became hard to decide which was which. Vivid dreams of swimming deep in the ocean, breathing and talking beneath the water haunted me. So real, though.

In this underwater world, my father was there. I hadn’t seen him since I was nine years old, but I recognized him all the same. He wore a black suit and glowed with a purple light. He clicked his tongue at me and told me I must be careful, that my mother would not be happy if I left this world so soon. A woman floated next to him. Well, not a woman really…more like half woman, half fish with wild long hair that pulsed with energy. Her hand rested on a large wolf with glowing green eyes.