Died Blonde (5 page)

“Since when is looking after Aunt Polly your responsibility? She manages well enough on her own.”

“She’s becoming forgetful, and I’m worried about her. You’re the closest niece. Do me a favor and go visit. See if you can help her with things.”

Just what I need when I have so much else to do. If you dump anything else on me, I’ll scream
. “Okay, but you have to do something for me in return.”

“What’s that?” her mother’s wary voice responded.

“Go out with Sam Levy from the hardware store. I could tell he was taken with you. He’s a nice man, and it’ll give you something to do while Roger is away.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that. Roger wouldn’t like it.”

“You have no commitment to him.”

“You’ve made no commitment to Vail, either. Do I see you going out with Roger’s son, Barry? He’s a good catch.”

“Things are going well with Brianna now. She needs someone she can trust. I don’t want to spoil our relationship.”

“
Kinehoreh
.” Ward off the evil eye. “If everything is so smooth with Vail, why aren’t you engaged?”

“He hasn’t asked.” Finished with her nails, she put away the file. Since when had this conversation diverted to her personal life? “You want me to help with Aunt Polly, then agree to meet Sam if he calls you. Deal?”

Anita clicked her tongue. “All right, but you should have learned by now that manipulating people doesn’t always lead to the outcome you expect.”

After a refreshing shower, Marla phoned her friend Tally. She spent the first few minutes of their conversation complaining about her mother and then about Vail’s lack of progress on the case. “Want to play bingo this week? I’d like to check out Carolyn’s gaming partner.”

“That works for me. I had my aura class tonight, but I’m still not getting anywhere. The instructor says my energy is blocked.”

“Is that so?” Marla hadn’t followed her friend’s foray into the New Age.

“Maybe it’s why I can’t get pregnant, although Ken doesn’t believe in psychic influences. All our tests have come back negative. What else can it be?” Tally said.

“Too much stress. Did you listen to my advice about hiring a manager? You put in too many hours at the store.”

“Like you should talk. You won’t trust anyone else to run the salon. When is the last time you took an entire week off?”

“Nicole handles things for me when I’m gone.”

“I’ve seen those travel brochures stuffed in your purse. When do you expect to go anywhere? When you retire?”

Marla pursed her lips. “Look, you’re the one who’s having problems. Maybe you and Ken should take a vacation.”

“Holy smokes, this is hurricane season. Ken is up to his ears in insurance claims. He just got back from South Carolina where that last storm hit.”

“So how do you expect to make a baby if he’s, never home?”

“That’s not the issue.”

“No? Then what is?” Marla might not be psychic, but she sensed an underlying tension in her friend that wasn’t being expressed.

“I’m hoping my yoga and meditation will relax me. That’s what my guru says I should do because I’m absorbing too much negativity, and that can imbalance my chakras. Did you know that if you tighten your stomach muscles, it locks your aura?”

It does more than that. If your abs are flab, exercise makes sense-erase
. “That’s good to know,” Marla said wryly. “How about if we talk more about this when I see you? I need to check my e-mail.”

“Okay, do you want to look into what hours the bingo place is open and give me a call? Then we’ll set a time.”

“You got it. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Marla hung up, shaking her head. Tally seemed to be turning into someone she didn’t know. It saddened her that they were diverging onto such different paths; how it would affect their friendship remained to be seen. She used to have such fun with Tally, too: going shopping, night-clubbing, exploring the environs. Tally, a statuesque blonde who could pass for a model, had had a career-track mind and dreamed of expanding her boutique empire. But then she’d become dissatisfied. Marla couldn’t put her finger on when or why, but Tally had started searching for fulfillment in alternate realities.

I should take her to Disney World, on the Tower of Terror ride. She’d like that ghost story
. Right now, visiting the theme parks was a far more attractive option than helping Vail solve Carolyn’s murder.

No matter how hard she tried to disengage herself from the Carolyn Sutton case, fate kept intervening. Marla was working on a foil highlights Tuesday morning when a woman cruised into the salon, drawing all eyes to her strange appearance. Her generous body dressed in a flowing caftan, she commanded attention with her striking features, vibrant green eyes, and flaming red hair. As an advertisement for a color chart, Marla thought, she’d serve well. Even her eyebrows, drawn in a perfect bark brown, reflected calculated expertise. What she couldn’t correct without surgery were the sagging folds about her eyes, but they conveyed wisdom rather than decline.

The apparition strode straight up to Marla and introduced herself. “I’m Wilda Cleaver. You’re going to help me.”

Thunderstruck, Marla stared at her. “Excuse me?”

“She said to go to you, that you would know what to do.”

“Oh, Claudia must have sent you.” Belatedly, Marla recalled her promise to greet Wilda that morning at Hairstyle Heaven.

Wilda tilted her head, making her earrings clink. The tiny pink stones matched the odd-shaped quartz pendant she wore around her neck. “Carolyn sent me, darling, not Claudia. She has a lot of faith in you.”

Bless my bones, we’re dipping into fruitcake territory again. I should get you together with Tally
. “Really?” Marla said, picking up her brush and resuming work. She painted on the color, wrapped the foil, then separated the next strand. “As you can see, I don’t have any free time right now. I’d be happy to stop by later and have a chat.”

Dalton, you owe me one
, she gritted inwardly.
I’m only doing this for you
. Her glance strayed to the rabbit’s foot on her counter. It had been part of a birthday gift her staff had presented her in February. She might have need of such talismans if Wilda relayed any other messages from Carolyn.
Kinehoreh
, she said, repeating one of her mother’s favorite words. Not that she believed in such superstitious nonsense.

Wilda closed her eyes, rocking on her sandaled heels. “You don’t believe I see things. That’s because your energy pattern is disrupted. But it’s not yourself you should be worried about. It’s the other.”

“What are you talking about?” Marla asked Wilda. She hated talking to people who spoke in riddles.

Wilda’s eyes seemed to glaze with mysterious depths. “You help me, then I’ll tell you about my disturbing vision. I’ll be waiting.” Whipping around, she stalked off at a brisk pace befitting a younger woman.

“What was that all about?” Nicole said from the next station. Her expression reflected the same avid curiosity as was showing on the faces of the rest of Marla’s staff.

“Carolyn’s successor is probably going to use her mumbo jumbo to entice me into giving free managerial advice. It’s not as though I’ve given her staff enough of my time already.”

Nicole clucked her tongue. “Unless she’s been in the business, she wouldn’t have a clue what to do.” Cutting a client’s hair, she snipped automatically while regarding her friend in the mirror.

“Wilda is a psychic. Why doesn’t she communicate with Carolyn? She can receive instructions from the spirit world.”

“You’re closer to home,” Nicole said, grinning.

“Carolyn left her sister some kind of valuable collection that no one is able to find, along with the rest of her personal effects.

Maybe Wilda knows more about it, although Vail likely asked her already.”

“You may get a different response.”

“That’s true.” Marla returned her attention to her client, Kathleen Marsh. The elderly patron had been listening intently. Marla already won the prize for entertaining customers with her adventures, and this would start a whole new round of gossip. So be it; people often flocked to the Cut ‘N Dye to get the latest scoop. Marla hoped it would increase her coffers.

During a break in the afternoon, Marla moseyed over to her competitor’s salon. Seated at the front desk, Wilda had a perplexed frown on her face as she pored over the schedule. Her countenance brightened upon spotting Marla.

“By the light, I’m glad you’re here. I don’t understand anything. The girls say we’re running out of supplies, and I need to order them. The phone keeps ringing. Someone has to deposit these checks in the bank, plus we have bills overdue. I can’t possibly handle all these details.” She fluttered her hands. “How do you manage to run your place and stay behind the chair?”

Marla smiled. “Hire a receptionist. Then you won’t be glued to the front desk. You’ll have to ask each of the girls what hours they work in order to schedule appointments. If you’re not into bookkeeping, you can use a software program designed for salons that’s very helpful. Or consider working with an accountant. I’d also suggest you go to the bank as soon as possible to open an account under your name. As for supplies, set yourself a time each week to do inventory and place orders with suppliers. Why don’t we start with that job?” It would give her an excuse to open drawers and search through cabinets.

Marla didn’t find anything of significance other than disorganization and uncleanliness that she never would have tolerated in her place. Carolyn’s station had been cleaned out by the police, and if she’d hoped to find a stash of valuables or clues to Carolyn’s murderer there, she was disappointed. At least she helped Wilda get her feet on the ground as far as management was concerned, although she seriously doubted the flaky female would last long in that role.

“Didn’t you have something to tell me?” she said before departing. Aware that she was five minutes late for her next customer, Marla stamped her foot impatiently by the front desk when the other woman delayed her response.

Wilda, turning to face her, donned an inscrutable expression. “I can’t give you a clear reading in this place—too many negative vibrations. You’ll have to visit me at home.”

Marla nodded. “Where do you live?” When the psychic told her, Marla winced at the notion of an hour’s drive to South Miami. “That’s a long commute for you to make each day,” she commented.

Wilda smiled, exposing a row of crooked teeth that would benefit from braces. “Oh, I don’t intend to keep on here. It’s not my calling. I’ll hire someone else to take charge now that you’ve given me an idea of what to look for in a manager. Maybe you’d like a job as my agent.”

“No thanks.”

Her refusal didn’t faze the woman. “Shall I expect you this evening at seven o’clock? She said it’s urgent that I give you the message.”

“She?”

“Carolyn. The dear woman needs your help to put her soul to rest.”

Marla found the psychic’s address without any problems. She’d been to the Kendall area enough times to recognize the landmarks. The small Spanish-style house was set in a community behind Kings Creek apartments, near Dadeland Mall. Marla wished she had time to run into the Container Store, but she didn’t know how late it stayed open. Anyway, she reminded herself, she had a clearly stated purpose in coming here, and it didn’t include shopping.

“This promises to be as much fun as getting a tooth pulled,” she murmured, turning into Wilda’s driveway. Drawing information from the woman might not be so easy. The lady seemed willing to talk, but how much of her material would be useful? Although Marla didn’t believe in the paranormal senses, she told herself to keep an open mind. Forces might exist beyond her understanding.
Yeah, right. Like Carolyn really wants me here
.

Emerging from her air-conditioned car, Marla breathed in air thick with moisture. Not a single cloud blocked the brilliant sky, meaning rain wouldn’t be cooling the evening hours. At seven o’clock the sun had begun its welcome descent, but heat still radiated from the street and sidewalks.

Wilda’s lawn brought shady respite. Purple crape myrtle shrubs shared a front corner with white pinwheel jasmine, while a butterfly garden displayed scarlet milkweed, golden dewdrops, red pentas, firebush, and lantana. Marla noticed pots of parsley, mint, and dill placed among planted vegetables: lettuce, tomato vines, and eggplants. The scent of sun-warmed tomatoes mingled with fresh herbs, making her glad she’d grabbed a bite to eat before hitting the highway.

Tugging her tangerine shorts set into place, she rang the front doorbell. Her eyebrows shot up when Wilda answered wearing a pair of jeans and a blousy top, sans jewelry, her hair fastened back with a large clip.

“Hi,” Marla said, swallowing her startled reaction.

Wilda smiled, standing aside to let her pass. “Surprised I’m not wearing a robe and turban? I dress like that for show, because people expect it. I don’t have to put on airs for you.”

Marla wasn’t sure how to take that, but her attention was drawn elsewhere by the clutter that met her eyes.
I’m entering the Twilight Zone
, she thought, her gaze alighting on the stones and statues covering every surface. She’d never seen so many tchotchkes in one place. Crystals vied for space with candles, replicas of Buddha, pipe pyramids, and books.

“Interesting stuff,” she murmured.

“Come, we’ll sit on the patio. There’s a decent breeze, and I don’t have much free space in here, anyway. I’m in the process of rearranging my books. Can I get you a drink?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks.” Maybe her first impression had been based on preconceived notions. She’d reserve judgment till their upcoming interview. “So how long had you known Carolyn?” she asked once they were seated on a couple of lounge chairs.

The screened patio faced a backyard shaded by black olive and mahogany trees. No citrus trees were present, or perhaps they’d been cut down under the citrus-canker eradication program. Marla had learned more than she’d wanted to know about that political hot potato when investigating her neighbor Goat’s disappearance.

“Carolyn started coming to me about five years ago, after the man she loved was killed in an accident,” Wilda related, folding her hands in her lap. “She was referred to me because I feel the presence of spirits. It’s a gift mentioned in the Bible, you know. When I started in spiritualism, I questioned myself after I gave people information and it came true. That blew my mind. Through the years my gift has strengthened.”

“So Carolyn wanted you to communicate with her dead boyfriend?” Marla withheld the skepticism from her voice, careful to keep her expression neutral.

“That’s right, but we don’t acquire messages upon request. Spirits communicate with us telepathically. I receive images that are more symbols than words.”

“So were you able to help Carolyn?”

“It was more a matter of her helping Julius. He died in a car crash. People who depart life suddenly remain unfulfilled. These unfortunates refuse to understand they have transitioned, and they may wander for months. We can steer them toward the light and their true path. Religious rituals aid in this regard.”

“In the Jewish religion, we have a mourner’s prayer called the kaddish, but it doesn’t mention death. It praises God. Are you saying that our prayers encourage departed souls to move on?”

Wilda nodded. “Organized religion serves its purpose, but the power of the light is ultimately more important.”

“So you don’t follow any particular faith?”

“I believe in Spirit. Life is continuous; death is merely the door into the next dimension. You have to be careful because the door to this unseen fourth dimension remains open.”

Marla struggled to understand. “You call yourself a psychic. How do you distinguish what you do from other practitioners?”

“Psychics may be sensitives, intuitives, prophetics, psychometrists, or healers. I feel the presence of spirits, but I also do healing, and sometimes I can tell what’s going to happen. So my powers are mixed.”

Wilda picked up a smooth hematitic stone and stroked its shiny surface. “Let me tell you a story,” she said, glancing at Marla through half-lowered lids. “I was in New York for a gift show in the early days when I had a store. We stayed at one of those high-rise hotels near Times Square. One night we got all dressed up for a party. My roommate and I were barely on time, and we caught the elevator on its way down. Although it was packed, we could’ve squeezed in. But when I looked inside at the people dressed in their fancy evening wear, I saw no auras. I got a terrible feeling, and I held my roommate back. We signaled they should go down without us. The door closed, and we heard a strange sound. Moments later the elevator crashed, killing everyone aboard.”

I’ve heard that one before, pal
. “Amazing,” Marla murmured, pretending to be impressed.

“Listen to this. One day, I was sitting at home, and a stranger pulls up to my front door. He says he’s from out of town and he’s here on a business trip. But that’s not the real reason for the visit. He’s come to exchange energy. Now, understand, I have a connection on the astral level where there’s no time or space. My body emits magnetic energy without my being aware of it. The stranger locked arms with me, and my marrow started boiling. My body ignited as though I were on fire. This man had been suffering from too much energy, and he’d been drawn to me for his salvation. After the transference, he felt much better. That’s how I heal; through bioenergy. Some healings take a lot of work; others are spontaneous like that one.”

Marla’s throat felt parched, as though Wilda were sucking away her energy on the astral level. “I see.”

“No, I don’t think you do.” Wilda’s gaze speared hers. “I can see people’s auras. You know what an aura is?”

“My friend Tally takes a class on it. Supposedly, it’s an energy field that surrounds us.”

“That’s partly correct.” Pursing her lips, Wilda gazed into the distance. “Energy permeates everything around you, even inanimate objects. The human aura is a luminous body that surrounds your physical body. It has several layers composed of vibrations. The higher the layer, the more I must expand my consciousness to perceive it. As you progress through life, you can utilize these expanded realities if you’re open to them.”

“Huh?”

“The more energy you let through, the healthier you’ll be. Illness is caused by an imbalance of energy, or when the flow is blocked. You need to keep your channels open. Let me tell you about the time a woman brought her daughter to me. The girl had a terrible case of shingles and was in a lot of pain. I neutralized the shingles by putting my energy on her. While she was sitting there, I noticed the mother’s aura was diminished. She said she’d been plagued by arthritis and nothing helped. My healing energy shattered her calcifications.”

“Are you saying you can cure anything?” Marla scoffed.

“Not at all. I’ll recommend that people consult medical professionals and stay away from home remedies. My type of healing complements traditional methods of treatment. Sometimes my healing works where they fail because they’re not addressing the true cause of the problem. The more I heal, the better I feel.”

“What did you mean when you said I should be worried about someone?”

Wilda glided to her feet and began pacing. “We’ll get to that in a minute. It’s part of Carolyn’s message to you. You have psychic ability, too, you know.”

Marla wished she would get to the point. “I don’t sense anything.”
If I did, I’d know you were taking me for a ride
.

“In your instance, I get a reading of turmoil. You’re losing your humanity by focusing on work too much. You may be a lucid, no-nonsense type, but what you need is more diversity. You have to relax, to go with the flow.”

“Don’t we all?”

“You’re too uptight. You should take time to smell the roses. Otherwise, you’ll obstruct your channels. People who are psychic and block it get different maladies.”

“You mean if people get stressed, they’re more susceptible to illness. That’s common sense.”

“You’re not hearing me.” The older woman wagged her finger. “You’re setting yourself up for problems.”

Did I come here to get analyzed
? “You’re right. I get so caught up in my job that I don’t have time for anything else.”
Especially when you add in murder investigations
.

“You also have to learn to protect yourself against negative energy. Quartz crystals guard you with their reflective nature.” Wilda pointed to her pendant. “You can wear them as jewelry, put the stones around your house, or go to the beach. Wade through the shallow water, and let your bare feet sift the wet sand through your toes.”