Read Online A Haunting Dream (A Missing Pieces Mystery) by Joyce Lavene, Jim - Free Book Online
Authors: Joyce Lavene, Jim
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hadn’t been my friend for as long as I could remember, I might be jealous. But Trudy and I had been through a lot together.
As we met on the boardwalk, she dropped her cloth shopping bags and threw her arms around me. “Oh, Dae, I’ve been thinking about you all night. I’m so sorry this happened to you. It’s not fair. Old girlfriends aren’t supposed to come back to haunt you.”
“I’m okay,” I lied. I didn’t tell her about finding Chuck or my dream about Betsy. Trudy wasn’t good at handling the weird stuff. “Kevin needs to be with Ann.”
“And that’s the kind of thinking that’s going to make you die alone and unloved.”
That’s kind of harsh.
“Maybe I’ll find someone else. I’m not dead yet.”
“But if you won’t fight for him, how can you expect to win?”
“For once, I agree with Trudy!” Shayla, walking down the boardwalk toward us, chimed in. Her large dark glasses covered most of her face. “You need to get over there and kick that skinny, ex-FBI agent’s ass!”
Trudy nodded in agreement. “That’s exactly right. I’m sure everyone in Duck is going to treat her like something the sea dragged in. But we can’t do it alone. You have to fight too.”
“I don’t know what the two of you have been drinking this morning,” I said, hoping they weren’t serious, but afraid they were. “But I want some. Where are you hiding it?”
Trudy laughed, but Shayla was dead serious. “Mock me if you want, but I can already see changes in your aura. Things are going to go bad for you, Dae, if you don’t take control of the situation. I can help, if you like. I have a time-tested love spell that would have Kevin eating out of your hand.”
August Grandin passed by us on the boardwalk. His face said that he’d heard some of what we’d been talking about. “Ladies,” he greeted us. “Witches were never welcomed here in Duck. You recall the old tale about Maggie Madison.”
“She was a witch,” Trudy explained to Shayla. “I think the other Bankers may have killed her.”
“Back in the 1600s,” I clarified. “Not recently.”
Shayla laughed. “I knew I hadn’t seen any witches around here.”
“Let’s keep it that way,” August said as he left us with the warning.
Trudy was more impressed than Shayla by his ominous words. “I’ve got an early appointment, Dae. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do besides”—she glanced at Shayla—“magic or anything.”
Once we were alone, I told Shayla of the previous night’s occurrences. She ushered me into her shop, Mrs. Roberts, Spiritual Advisor. The name had been there on the shop when she’d arrived in Duck, left behind by a psychic who’d abruptly moved to Wilmington.
Unlike Missing Pieces, Shayla’s shop, with its red silk curtains, tarot cards and crystal balls, exuded a feeling of mystery and magic. Enigmatic pictures hung on the walls, and unusual statues stared out from shelves—on days when I was in a bad mood, I found them positively frightening.
“So your powers have changed again.” Shayla took off her dark glasses and smoothed her hand down her coal black hair. Little silver bracelets jingled on her slim, brown arm. “It’s probably this whole emotional problem between you and Kevin.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” she demanded. “When did it start happening?”
“I went outside the coffee shop with Old Man Sweeney after Kevin and Ann left. But that doesn’t mean I’m an emotional basket case. I’m fine.”
She stared hard at me. It made me feel uncomfortable. “Let me tell you, Dae O’Donnell, you are
not
fine. Not by a long shot. You love that man, but you’re willing to sacrifice that love to do the right thing. Does that about sum it up?”
I wanted to deny it, but it was true. Life would never be as good without Kevin to share it. “I still don’t think that would make Chuck Sparks able to see me and talk to me.”
“That’s because you don’t
As we met on the boardwalk, she dropped her cloth shopping bags and threw her arms around me. “Oh, Dae, I’ve been thinking about you all night. I’m so sorry this happened to you. It’s not fair. Old girlfriends aren’t supposed to come back to haunt you.”
“I’m okay,” I lied. I didn’t tell her about finding Chuck or my dream about Betsy. Trudy wasn’t good at handling the weird stuff. “Kevin needs to be with Ann.”
“And that’s the kind of thinking that’s going to make you die alone and unloved.”
That’s kind of harsh.
“Maybe I’ll find someone else. I’m not dead yet.”
“But if you won’t fight for him, how can you expect to win?”
“For once, I agree with Trudy!” Shayla, walking down the boardwalk toward us, chimed in. Her large dark glasses covered most of her face. “You need to get over there and kick that skinny, ex-FBI agent’s ass!”
Trudy nodded in agreement. “That’s exactly right. I’m sure everyone in Duck is going to treat her like something the sea dragged in. But we can’t do it alone. You have to fight too.”
“I don’t know what the two of you have been drinking this morning,” I said, hoping they weren’t serious, but afraid they were. “But I want some. Where are you hiding it?”
Trudy laughed, but Shayla was dead serious. “Mock me if you want, but I can already see changes in your aura. Things are going to go bad for you, Dae, if you don’t take control of the situation. I can help, if you like. I have a time-tested love spell that would have Kevin eating out of your hand.”
August Grandin passed by us on the boardwalk. His face said that he’d heard some of what we’d been talking about. “Ladies,” he greeted us. “Witches were never welcomed here in Duck. You recall the old tale about Maggie Madison.”
“She was a witch,” Trudy explained to Shayla. “I think the other Bankers may have killed her.”
“Back in the 1600s,” I clarified. “Not recently.”
Shayla laughed. “I knew I hadn’t seen any witches around here.”
“Let’s keep it that way,” August said as he left us with the warning.
Trudy was more impressed than Shayla by his ominous words. “I’ve got an early appointment, Dae. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do besides”—she glanced at Shayla—“magic or anything.”
Once we were alone, I told Shayla of the previous night’s occurrences. She ushered me into her shop, Mrs. Roberts, Spiritual Advisor. The name had been there on the shop when she’d arrived in Duck, left behind by a psychic who’d abruptly moved to Wilmington.
Unlike Missing Pieces, Shayla’s shop, with its red silk curtains, tarot cards and crystal balls, exuded a feeling of mystery and magic. Enigmatic pictures hung on the walls, and unusual statues stared out from shelves—on days when I was in a bad mood, I found them positively frightening.
“So your powers have changed again.” Shayla took off her dark glasses and smoothed her hand down her coal black hair. Little silver bracelets jingled on her slim, brown arm. “It’s probably this whole emotional problem between you and Kevin.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” she demanded. “When did it start happening?”
“I went outside the coffee shop with Old Man Sweeney after Kevin and Ann left. But that doesn’t mean I’m an emotional basket case. I’m fine.”
She stared hard at me. It made me feel uncomfortable. “Let me tell you, Dae O’Donnell, you are
not
fine. Not by a long shot. You love that man, but you’re willing to sacrifice that love to do the right thing. Does that about sum it up?”
I wanted to deny it, but it was true. Life would never be as good without Kevin to share it. “I still don’t think that would make Chuck Sparks able to see me and talk to me.”
“That’s because you don’t
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