Dial Om for Murder (32 page)

“He really didn’t. To tell you the truth, I don’t think he really cared about that, but when she denigrated his work, his professional competence as well as his purpose in life . . . that seems to have been the breaking point. I mean, it sounds to me like he’d barely restrained himself from strangling her any number of times over the past six months.”

“He probably couldn’t get over the fact that he’d wrecked his relationship with Jane for
that
,” Elysia remarked.

“Poor Nicole,” A.J. said. “She wasn’t evil, she was just . . .”

“She was the kind of person you want to strangle,” Jake agreed calmly. “Or hit over the head. And this time someone did.”

“What made him confess?” A.J. asked.

Elysia said loftily, “Fear of divine retribution—and a mother’s wrath.”

“Uh . . .” Jake controlled himself. “Two things, I think. The guilt of his wife being arrested for his crime was eating at him—Young really does still love Jane Peters. And . . . just the fear of being caught. It’s a helluva strain living under suspicion.” His eyes met A.J.’s. “The two of you poking into things didn’t help settle his nerves any.”

“Was he the one who placed the threatening phone call?”

Jake nodded. “He was trying to scare you off. But that’s about as much intimidation as he had the stomach for.”

A.J. looked guiltily at her mother, but Elysia looked serene. In fact, she looked smug. Smug as the kind of person other people sometimes wanted to strangle.

Reluctantly, Jake added, “He’s not a bad guy, really. He reacted violently and in anger, but . . . people do.”

“He tried to kill A.J.,” Elysia said bleakly.

A.J. shook her head. “I don’t know that for sure. I mean I know for sure he didn’t actually try. I don’t know that he
wouldn’t
have tried, he was working himself up to something, but I’m not sure he wanted anything more than to insist that I hear him out.”

Elysia looked unconvinced, but the night was taking its toll on them both. Suddenly A.J. could barely keep her eyes open. She wanted nothing more than to cuddle up with Jake in the big bed beneath the tender gaze of the Kwan Yin statue that had guarded Aunt Diantha’s dreams for so many years.

The three of them talked a little more and then Elysia insisted on going home to Starlight Farm.

As the Land Rover disappeared into the night, A.J. switched off the porch light and closed the door, leaning back against it, sighing wearily. She opened her eyes. Jake was smiling down at her.

 

 

 

“So
today’s the big day?”

Jake sat on the side of the bed fastening his watch as A.J. examined herself in the dressing table mirror. His reflected gaze met hers.

She said, carefully neutral, “The day the staff votes on the new slogan? Yes.”

“It’s just a slogan, right?”

Right. And wrong. It was a slogan and it looked good on coffee mugs and bumper stickers. But it was also their philosophy, it was their public commitment to their students. “Maybe. I think it’ll be symbolic of whether everyone feels Sacred Balance needs to move in a new direction.” She tried to infuse a little brightness into her tone. “But that could be good. Change is good they tell me.”

Apparently she didn’t fool him. He was watching her, his alert gaze a little sympathetic. “Well, it’s part of the process, right? I mean, part of the natural flow of things. Isn’t that sort of what yoga is about?”

A.J. resisted the temptation to say,
you stick to solving crimes and let me handle the traffic jam on the eightfold path
. She nodded. “Yes. I’m all primed to embrace change.” She held up her MAC lipstick. “See, I’m applying the primer right now.”

Jake rose, joining her at the mirror, turning her to face him. “My favorite color. You.” He kissed her.

 

 

It
was four thirty. The doughnuts had been eaten, the tea and coffee drunk, and Lily had made her case for a new and improved Sacred Balance—starting with a slogan that would really capture the fresh direction they would be moving in.

The last thirty minutes had been spent debating just what such a slogan might be. Lily was still strongly in favor of The Time Is Right although she had expressed a willingness to consider Now Is the Hour.

Whether her staff would be able to agree on any one slogan remained to be seen, but A.J. was now resigned to the fact that the old motto was history.

Well, perhaps “resigned” was not the word for her feelings, but she had managed to control herself, and for that she was proud. Regardless of the slogan painted on the wall, she was happy with all they had achieved together this year—and all they would continue to achieve. Hopefully one of those things would include finding a backup receptionist—and maybe an attitude adjustment for Lily—but either way, they were doing good work at Sacred Balance.

“All in favor of changing the slogan of Sacred Balance, raise your hand,” Lily said.

She had made her pitch, and A.J. had to admit that much of what Lily had said made sense. And just because they changed the slogan didn’t mean they were rejecting Aunt Di’s work or her legacy. And if she was going to cry because she lost this vote, she might as well pack it in now.
Yogis don’t cry!
How was that for a slogan?

No one moved for a moment after Lily’s call for a vote. Then Simon raised his hand.

Lily smiled and threw A.J. a quick look before saying, “That’s two of us.”

“Sorry,” Simon said. “I just wanted to say something.”

Lily looked inquiring. She was smiling patiently; this was her meeting now and she knew it.

“I don’t talk about my past much.” Simon looked down at the conference room table as though considering the wisdom of what he was about to say. “Fifteen years ago . . . fifteen years ago to this very day . . .” He glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Just about to this hour . . . I was driving home from work—down a quiet residential street that I had driven a million times before—and a dog and a kid ran out from between a couple of cars. I saw the dog. I didn’t see the kid. I hit him. I killed him.” Simon’s face twisted up, tears filled his eyes, and he struggled for control while the others sat in shocked silence.

“I . . . can’t tell you what that did to me. How that changed my life. It wasn’t my fault. The police . . . court . . . even the kid’s parents . . . everyone said . . . not my fault.” Simon sucked in a harsh breath. “But . . . I couldn’t forgive myself. Couldn’t get past it. Couldn’t let it go. I lost my friends, wife, my job; I lost just about everything because I could
not
forgive myself, couldn’t forget even for a minute what I’d done.”

A.J. wiped hastily at her wet face, glanced up, and to her astonishment saw that Lily’s eyes were suspiciously bright as she watched Simon struggle for the words.

“Di . . . was the one friend who wouldn’t leave. Wouldn’t let me drive her away. Wouldn’t let me go when I thought letting go was all that I wanted. Well, you know Di. When did she take no for an answer?” Simon managed a half-smile at some long-ago memory. “She said, insisted, that it would get better. That one day I would be glad to be alive again. I told her my life was over, and she said . . .
that
life was over, and a new life had begun. I told her I didn’t want it. And she said . . . one day you will. One day it could happen.”

Simon fell silent.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

At last Denise expelled a long shaky sigh, and said, “Well, frankly, I hate change anyway.”

Unsteadily at first, everyone began to laugh.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT

Sun Salutes (Salutations) are a series of flowing poses or asanas designed to wake up and energize the body through the integration of body, mind, and breath. There are many, many variations. Traditionally the sun salutation is performed at dawn facing the rising sun, but do what works for you!

Remember to keep smoothly sliding through one asana into the next.

Are you remembering to breathe evenly? Are you remembering to breathe at all?

Repeat the routine five to ten times.

Recipe

2 fresh salmon filets

Olive oil

Head of leafy green or red lettuce

1 bag of organic baby spinach

2 green onions

2 hardboiled eggs

1 small can of sliced black olives

1 small bag of grated parmesan or mixed Italian cheese

Your favorite Caesar salad dressing (I’m partial to Girard’s)

1. Rub salmon filets with olive oil so they don’t stick to the pan or grill. Cook for 5-7 minutes.

2. Wash lettuce, spinach, green onions—and dry. Tear into little bite-sized pieces.

3. Slice the hardboiled eggs and set aside.

4. In a large bowl toss the greens with the olives and cheese. Dish out onto two plates.

5. Add the egg and salmon, toss lightly.

6. Add dressing—sparingly.