A Timely Vision (10 page)

“Fantastic! Let’s have some dinner and look for the key.”

I started to agree, then remembered my promise to Tim. “I can’t today. Maybe tomorrow. I have a date, sort of.”

“A date! That’s worth not finding my key. Anyone I know?”

“Probably not since you’re new here.” I went on to explain about the purse snatcher and how Tim had saved the day. I didn’t go into how the evening would end with another marriage proposal.

“I know Tim. You can bring him along. I’ll call Shayla, and we’ll make it a foursome.”

The smile on his face seemed devilish to me, as though he already knew about Tim’s infatuation. Adding Shayla to the mix was like scratching a fingernail on a chalkboard. “I don’t think so. Thanks anyway. I’m sure we’ll have time to look for the key later. If not tomorrow, the next day.”

“I guess that’ll have to do.” He followed me out of the shop after I turned off the lights. “I heard you chased down that guy who took your purse. That wasn’t very smart.”

I locked the door with a loud click. “I got my purse back.”

“He could’ve turned around and shot you.”

“But he didn’t. I’m safe and sound and probably in better shape after running all over the parking lot. I appreciate you letting me know about the SBI.”

He held up his painting. “And I’m glad I came in. I guess I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Unless you hear from me in the middle of the night when the SBI comes for me.”

I smiled as we walked in opposite directions. Kevin seemed to be on his way to the General Store or Wild Stallions, the little bar and grill tucked into the corner of the boardwalk. I headed down to the town hall to check my messages with Nancy.

Kevin was much different than I’d imagined when I first met him. He was a little trickier than I’d originally thought. I don’t know why he struck me originally as being a straightforward kind of man. Not a bit like Chief Michaels, Gramps or Tim, the three other law enforcement men I knew well. They were always to the point. I kind of liked the difference.

Chief Michaels was in my office when I arrived at town hall. Nancy got up from her desk with a worried frown on her thin face. “He’s been here for an hour already. I think he wants to take you down to meet with the SBI people. They want to question you about finding Miss Elizabeth.”

Since I knew about the meeting (
thank you, Kevin
), I was calm and collected as I took my mail and messages and went through to my office. I’d decorated it myself. It had been a storage room, but it had a good window overlooking the sound. I’d painted the room blue and brought in all the sea paraphernalia I could find, including a ship’s bell from a freighter that went down in a storm in the early 1800s. I felt relaxed and calm when I was here. Even now, Chief Michaels’s worried face didn’t upset me.

“You wanted to see me?” I sat behind my white oak desk and picked up my letter opener.

He put his hands on the desk. “The SBI wants to talk to you, Mayor. It’s routine. Nothing to worry about. Except for the part about you finding things. I don’t know how
that
will play out. Tell the truth and everything will be fine.”

My heart started pounding a little faster. “What do you mean? Of course I’ll tell the truth.”

“I don’t think you should mention your gift for finding things, or that Millie had asked you to find the watch. You
know
what I mean, Dae. We understand that kind of thing out here. Other places, not so much.”

I put down the letters and the opener. “Kevin already told me that they know about me finding things. What do you want me to do?”

“He did?” He looked uncomfortable. “For your own sake, don’t emphasize it. Tell them you were out looking for Lizzie like the rest of us. They don’t have to know anything else.”

“That would be lying, Chief. You told me to be honest.”

“Not exactly. There’s a fine line between lying and telling a partial truth, Dae. I’ve known you since you were a little girl. Take my word for this. None of us wants to go through what they might start if you tell them
everything
.”

I got up from my desk and started pacing around the room, mulling over what Kevin had said. I looked out at the sound where the seagulls were whirling and dipping in their quest for food. How bad could it be? The SBI might not understand what I had to say about Miss Mildred’s watch, but there wasn’t much they could do about it. “When do they want to see me?”

“First thing tomorrow, eight A.M. Out of deference to your position, they’ll come here. Nancy can hold the phones, and you’ll answer their questions—to a point, I hope. Take my advice, Mayor, and know when to stop.”

The chief nodded to me, then put his cap on and left the office. I sat back down at my desk and called Kevin to tell him about my coming date with the SBI. He didn’t answer, of course, but I left him a message about the meeting. I hoped he’d be there. If nothing else, he’d be good moral support.

I didn’t know him well enough to be sure I could rely on his judgment. But the chief’s request that I skirt around the truth about myself made me more uneasy than I would’ve been. What was I supposed to say if they asked me point-blank if I could find lost things with my mind?

Kevin seemed to be familiar with abilities like mine. Maybe the SBI agents would be too. I hoped they wouldn’t try to recruit me or something because I definitely wasn’t interested. Finding Miss Elizabeth had been a terrible experience. It had destroyed any thoughts I’d had about using my gift for something more important than locating lost trinkets.

Thirty minutes later, Nancy popped her head into the office as I was getting ready to leave. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” I assured her. “But if Tim proposes again tonight after supper, I might lose it.”

“Sweetie, why don’t you marry the boy? Have a nice little family and live your life?”

I could tell by her kind smile that she meant well. Nancy was divorced and had two beautiful daughters. I’m sure that’s what she meant by living my life. “If it was somebody other than Tim, I might consider it. But he’s been asking me to marry him since I stuffed sand in his mouth when we were kids. Maybe I’m looking for someone else. Or I’m meant to be alone with my lost treasures.”

“Very dramatic. And very lonely. What about the new guy at the whale place? I heard he’s a darling.”

“He’s also taken. Shayla has her hooks in him. At least right now. We’ll see. Good night, Nancy.”

“Good night, sweetie.”

I headed out the door into the early evening air. The streets were crowded. Duck nightlife was bustling and noisy in the summer. The music of at least three different bands was spilling into the streets from various establishments as I made my way home.

Gramps had left me a note on the kitchen table. He was out for the night playing pinochle. He loved his games. I took a quick shower and changed clothes, wondering what I should wear in the morning to be interrogated by the SBI. Was that a formal thing or more a shorts-and-tank-top thing? I might call Kevin and ask his opinion later.

By the time I had changed into a short, mint green sundress and embroidered sandals, Tim was at the door. He gave me my obligatory (
his idea, not mine
) bouquet of daisies from the local supermarket. I smelled them, pretending they had a smell besides that strange refrigerator odor, and said thank you.

“I was thinking we could go over to the Rib Shack. They have a special tonight.” He grinned and swayed back on his heels with pleasure.

If he’d said
anyplace
else in Duck or Southern Shores, I would’ve been impressed. But it was always the Rib Shack. Oh well. I owed him for catching the purse snatcher. I smiled and tucked my arm in his. “Sounds great!”

I’ve noticed that people can be incredibly devious when it comes to getting what they want. Take Martha Segall, for instance. She wanted the town to clean up a drainage ditch for storm water behind her house. It had been created by the city then storms had dropped debris and branches into it. The town council’s position was that the ditch was on her private property and, therefore, was her responsibility. Martha blocked the ditch with a load of sand. When the water backed up on the street, she argued that the property obviously belonged to the town since it caused problems with the street, so the town should take care of it.

Other nearby property owners affected by the water (mosquitoes build up fast) demanded the town do something. The town council voted to clean out the ditch but only after voting to fine Martha. It was only a twenty-five-dollar fine. Martha won the battle, since cleaning up the ditch would’ve been a thousand dollars.

I mention this because I felt the same way when I looked up and saw Kevin and Shayla standing next to our table at the Rib Shack. We hadn’t even had a chance to order yet. I didn’t have to be psychic to know why they were here: Kevin wanted me to find the missing key for him sooner rather than later.

“Kevin!” Tim got up and shook his hand. “Hi, Shayla.”

Shayla rolled her eyes and didn’t say anything. She wasn’t part of or happy with this plan.

“Hey, it’s good to see you guys! Mind if we join you?” Kevin didn’t wait for a response as he grabbed two chairs for him and Shayla.

I scooted over closer to the window as Kevin came in next to me. “What a surprise,” I said. “Imagine seeing the two of you here tonight.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t
my
idea.” Shayla pouted.

“We were here anyway,” Kevin said. “Might as well have dinner together.”

“You’re right.” Tim grinned at me. He didn’t care. He’d proposed once in front of the whole town council.

After we’d ordered, the men started talking about police procedures, the SBI and Miss Elizabeth. Shayla and I excused ourselves to go to the bathroom. “You can’t have Kevin, Dae,” Shayla stated flatly when we were standing in front of the wide bathroom mirror.

“I don’t want Kevin.” I smoothed my hair down and put on a little more lipstick. “What makes you think I do?”

“He came in here looking for
you
. As soon as he saw you, he made a beeline right for your table. I don’t think he wanted to talk to Tim, do you?” She spritzed on some exotic perfume.

“I
know
what he wants. He lost a key to a room in the Blue Whale. He suggested we go over there tonight. I said no. I guess he doesn’t take no for an answer.”

“He wants to go over there?” Shayla’s eyes got brighter. “I like that idea. I haven’t been over there in a hundred years.”

“That was your previous life, right?”

“Don’t sound so skeptical. You know what you know. I know what I know.”

“Whatever that means.”

“It means I like the Rib Shack, and I’m willing to go look for an old key, even if it is with
you
.”

And that was that. We went back to the table where Kevin had cleverly engaged Tim in the hunt for the old key. Everyone looked at me as the last holdout. “All right,” I said, giving in. “But you better be there at eight A.M. tomorrow when the SBI comes to interrogate me.”

“I’ll be there,” Kevin said. “I got your message.”

“But it won’t be an interrogation.” Tim took a gulp of his beer and lounged back in his chair. “They want to corroborate a few things. That’s all.”

“Like whether or not I’m psychic.” I glanced at Kevin. “Chief Michaels said I shouldn’t offer that information.”

Kevin’s eyes narrowed, and his face took on a different personality. I guessed this was his professional law enforcement face. “Why would he say that?”

“I’m sure you didn’t understand what he meant,” Tim said. “The chief would never tell you to lie.”

“He didn’t tell me to lie,” I clarified. “He told me not to go into any explanation about finding Miss Mildred’s watch on her dead sister. He said to tell them I was out looking for her like everyone else.”

“I’m sorry, Dae,” Kevin said. “But they already know. Believe me, it’s not as big a thing as the chief is making it out to be. Maybe he’s afraid it will call into question his investigation skills. No one in local law enforcement likes it when the state or federal government comes in on a case like this.”

That didn’t make me feel any better. “I don’t know what to say now.”

He put his hand on mine where it rested on the red and white checkered tablecloth. “Just tell them the truth. You didn’t do anything wrong. You have nothing to hide.”

The contact lingered and I felt my mind clouding over, exactly as it had when I saw Miss Mildred’s watch. If a person isn’t concentrating on looking for something in particular, I don’t see anything. In this case, Kevin had the key in the forefront of his mind. I saw where it was right away. “It’s in the drawer behind the cash register,” I blurted out.

Everyone looked at me. Kevin moved his hand away slowly. It made me wonder if he’d held my hand to comfort me or to see if I could find the key.