Deadly Chaos (18 page)

“We’ll take care of it today,” Dakota said.

She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. “You reading minds now too?”

“No, thank God. But the look on your face isn’t hard to read. It’s too early to wake Linda. Do you mind taking me back to Lyons to get my bike? I’ll buy you breakfast on the way.”

“If I stay with you any longer, you’re as good as dead.”

Dakota sighed. Sitting up, he turned his back to her. She stifled her gasp with her hand. His back was covered with long, deep scars. As if someone had beaten him with a stick or a belt.

“Did anything happen last night with Kat and Sheila?”

“No,” she said. Who had done that to him? She wanted to kill them with her bare hands. The scars looked deep enough that they must have cut through the muscles on his back.

“And we’ve been together for eight hours or so,” he glanced at the clock and then caught her eyes on his back. “I’m still here,” he said. “I’m fine. Maybe Linda is right.” He stood up and headed toward the bathroom.

“Right about what?”

“The problem isn’t you. It’s your necklace.”

Chaos realized she was afraid to hope. If it was the necklace that was cursed and not her, then she could live a normal life. Friends. Lovers. A family. “I can’t take the risk,” she mumbled, sure he didn’t hear her. He was halfway into the bathroom.

“You don’t have a choice,” he said. “Either you leave right now and don’t come back or I’m sticking with you until Bill is gone. I promised Linda I would and I keep my word.”

The door closed leaving Chaos alone with her thoughts. She was a job to him, an assignment. Whatever they’d shared last night, it had been nothing more to him than a physical reaction. It’d been more to her; she wished it had been just physical, but that wasn’t the way she was wired and that’s what scared her. That’s when people got hurt. She needed to get back home where she felt in control. “Then let’s go get your bike,” she said, loud enough for him to hear her. “The sooner Bill is gone, the better off you’ll all be.”

Dakota didn’t say much on the drive to Lyons. The sun shone brightly. They stopped for bagels and coffee at Big Daddy Bagels and munched in silence along Highway 36.

Chaos pulled into the Oskar Blues parking lot across from Dakota’s motorcycle. Dakota opened the door and stepped out. “See you at Linda’s” he said. He paused. “We’ll get rid of him today.” And that was it.

He was beautiful, she thought, as she watched him pull his thick black hair back and put on his helmet. She’d never seen a man as stunning as he was. He made her heart ache for things she couldn’t have and the more she fell for him the more she knew she had to go, quickly, before it was too late. “Dakota,” she leaned out the window and yelled. He turned to look at her. “Be safe, okay?” He nodded. It was all she could do. He just had to make it home safe and everything would be okay. Chaos turned around and drove back down the highway toward Boulder and Linda’s house. Today was the day. They’d get rid of Bill and she could return to the life she’d made for herself. The lonely life. The life where no one was hurt because of her.

Driving back to Linda’s she tried to muster some excitement for going home but couldn’t find any. I just need a longer vacation, she thought. Maybe I’ll call Paolo and let him know I’m going to be gone another week. She finished the drive making mental plans for her next two weeks. She’d go on into Montana after this, stopping by Jackson Hole on the way.

By the time she pulled into Linda’s driveway her spirits were a little higher and she was almost looking forward to the next two weeks. Almost. Today was the day Bill would vanish from her life for good. She could leave the new friends she’d made and be sure they were safe.

Sheila met her in the driveway and tackled her with a big hug. “Where have you been? It’s almost ten…whoa girl. I’m getting… Wow. Sex.”

“What?” Heat rushed Chaos and she was sure she was the deep crimson color of a sugar maple leaf in the fall.

“God, I’m sorry. Foot in mouth syndrome. Kat must be rubbing off on me. Come on in. We have a lot to do today. We’re going to do a reading and try to figure out who gave your mom that necklace.” She paused, tipped her head and looked at Chaos. “You and Dakota, huh?” She shook her head. “Then we’re going to wait until dusk and get rid of your stalker ghost.”

Chaos followed Sheila into the kitchen and sat across from her at a heavy wooden table. Blocky and solid, it reminded her of something from the medieval times. Linda was making tea.

“You saw Bill last night?” she asked.

“Briefly,” she said not caring to elaborate. Heck, Linda could probably read her mind anyway.

“I can and we’ll take care of that today too. Now focus.” She pointed at Sheila and left the room carrying a large mug of steaming tea with her.

Chaos took a sip of her take-out coffee. Her eyes were dry and stung from too little sleep. “Okay. This is weird. I’m not sure how you’ll be able to see who gave my mom the necklace. What do you need me to do?”

“Nothing and it's not weird. Remember last night at the bar you said everything is energy and energy doesn't die, it just changes?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, when I do a reading, I’m really just tapping into that energy.” She rubbed her hands together like she was trying to warm them up. “Most everyone has the ability, like eating or thinking. We’re born with it but it’s stronger in some than in others.”

Chaos doubted she had any innate ability to read anyone’s mind but kept it to herself. “I’ve never met my mom, though, so I don’t know how I could have any of her energy with me.”

“I said I could try. She’s connected to you more than you think. I might be able to connect to her through you and see events in her life. It’s not guaranteed but it is worth a try.” Sheila took a deep breath and began to twirl a strand of hair around her finger. “I want you to know that I will see things that are personal to you. I’ll do my best to stay on track but sometimes if I see something that I think may be relevant I might check it out. We’ll be talking the whole time and you can help guide me, okay?”

“Okay. You’re telling me you might see things I don’t want you to see?”

“Yes. Are you okay with that? I’m discreet. Whatever goes on during this reading is confidential. I won’t tell Kat, Linda, Dakota or anyone. Not unless you give me the okay.”

Chaos shrugged. At this point she was pretty much all in. She couldn’t back out now. And they knew most of the bad stuff anyway. “Do you need to hold my hands or do you need a personal belonging or something?”

“No. Just place your hands on the table with your palms facing up. What I’m doing,” she said holding her palms about two inches over Chaos's palms, “is feeling your aura, your energy. You know that scientists have taken photographs of auras. It’s called Kirilian photography. It’s so cool.”

“What color is my aura?” Chaos asked. She couldn't help but be curious. The color of someone's aura was supposed to be important. She’d read that somewhere. Of course she hadn’t believed in auras or psychics or ghosts or anything then. It seemed like such a long time ago.

“Your aura is a beautiful mixture of purple and silver. Those are two very rare colors.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well purple is a power color and it’s a protective color. Many people have a little bit of purple but you have a surprising amount. It’s your predominant color. It means you’re strong. You know who you are and you accept your role and responsibility in the world. You can be ruthless but make fair decisions. Purple also indicates that while you don’t listen to other people for guidance you do listen to your higher power, your intuition. The silver that’s radiating around you is extremely rare. Sometimes I see it on Linda but she’s the only other one I’ve ever seen it on. It says that you’re a very high energy person with a pure heart and that you have someone or something very powerful protecting you.”

“They’re not doing such a good job.”

“But maybe they are. Maybe you’d be dead if they weren’t protecting you. In all the tragedies that you’ve witnessed in your life, you’ve come out unscathed, right?”

Chaos nodded. She had. “If you don’t count the emotional trauma.”

“Well that’s true but I don’t know anyone who could have seen what you’ve seen and experienced what you’ve experienced and still be sane. Not just sane but pretty amazing. So think about that. You ready to continue?”

Chaos nodded. She wasn’t sure if she believed in all of this, but Sheila had made a surprisingly insightful observation.

“Do you feel the energy between us? Between our hands?”

She did feel something. “Yes. It’s sort of tingly.”

“Yes! That’s my aura and your aura connecting. We each have our own signal and in order to read yours I have to adjust mine a bit so we can connect. Once we connect and I see your aura, then I can begin to enter your past, present, and future.”

“My future?”

“Yes. Ahhh, curious now aren't you? Not this time. We’re supposed to focus on your mom, right? So let's start at your childhood home.” She closed her eyes. “It’s on a farm but you're not the land owners. There’s a large house in the front and a...wow. There’s a really cute house near the back of the property. It’s white with a white picket fence and I see a dog, a spotted spaniel but it also doesn't belong to you. I can see your dad. He’s a police officer? He has deep wrinkles on his forehead and between his eyes, like he spends a lot of time frowning.”

Chaos nodded. Her father was the only reason she hadn't been in trouble with the law. Of course, once he died she lost all favor with the local department. She didn’t blame them. She was a walking magnet for trouble.

“Your dad is a big guy. He’s trying to smile for you but he seems pretty worn out on the inside. Tired.”

That was her dad. Eternally weary. “I didn't make things easy for him.”

“So let's go back a bit further. Let’s see if I can find you when you're very young. Ah, you're a baby. So cute. Your mother's necklace is hanging at the foot of your crib. Even through time and space it looks like an omen of things to come. Let me see if I can touch the necklace. I can but I’m not getting anything from it but you're crying now. Wow, that's loud.”

A lady has just entered the room. She is looking longingly at your father. She has short brown hair, large brown eyes, an angular nose, and cheek bones to die for and really thin lips. She’s touching your father like a friend but she's not looking at him that way. And she's not friendly to you. Do you know this woman?”

“No.” She didn’t sound familiar but then again, Chaos didn’t know most of her extended relatives. “Maybe she’s family?”

“She’s not looking at him like family. She’s looking at him like dinner. I think she may be the key. She’s not connected to you or I'd be able to read her too and I can't seem to get anything from her. Strange. Let me try your dad. Oh. Goodness.”

Sheila’s eyes popped open. Chaos jumped back, breaking the connection.“What did you see?”

Sheila looked up at her with an apology in her eyes. “It’s bad. I’m sorry. She’s your dad's mistress.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sod Weighs Heavy on My Head

Chaos was still reeling. Her dad had an affair. It just didn’t reconcile with the man she knew. Her entire life she’d never seen him go out on a date, let alone have a sexual relationship. She didn’t know what to think.

Sheila patted her on the hand, stood, shook her own hands like they were on fire and smiled. “From what I could see, they weren’t having an affair when your mom and dad were together,  but she wanted to. They didn’t start up until about twelve months after your mom died. It didn’t last long, maybe a year or so. She wasn’t a nice woman.”

“You’re sure?”

“’Fraid so.” She bent down and placed her hands on the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Breaking the connection. The psychic connection. If I don’t then you and I will be connected for a while. I’ll get to dream your dreams with you and vice versa.”

“Oh. Good idea.” Chaos thought about the dreams she’d had last night after she and Dakota had, well after they’d done whatever it is they’d done. She didn’t want to share those dreams with anyone.

“And I think,” Sheila started and then laughed. “You know you’re blushing again; I think you have enough on your plate without experiencing my dreams though I had a really hot one about John Travolta last night. Sexy!”

“No , thank you.”

Sheila grinned. “Go outside and get some fresh air. Linda has a beautiful garden. She’ll come get you when she’s ready to teach you how to quiet your thoughts. There’s a sandwich for you and some lemonade. Oh, and Dakota’s out there too. Just a head’s up.”

Chaos pushed open the screen door and stepped into the most amazing garden she’d ever seen. Being a landscaper, that said something, because she worked and helped design some pretty cool gardens. This one, though, this one she could tell was designed and cared for by Linda and no one else. It had her signature all over it. Almost overgrown, it was a woodland garden. Thick with trees, shrubs, and low lying flowers, a stone path wove its way through mossy covered rocks. Not sure how she managed such density and lushness in a desert climate, Chaos gained instant respect for Linda’s landscaping skills. The garden was a welcome respite for anyone. The trees opened their branches and beckoned her deeper inside.

Chaos wound her way along the path. Relief filled her when she saw him. Dakota sat on the ground beneath a large aspen tree. He looked like part of the landscape, still and alive as if he’d been there for centuries. The leaves had turned a golden yellow and still clung to the branches. Behind the tree, fiery sumac leaves lined the fence and gave it a rich crimson background. They reached upwards like flames licking the sky. “You look at home here.”

“Just a content guest,” he said. “Sandwich is on the table there.” He pointed to a small round wooden table in the far corner of the garden.

Chaos saw two glasses and two plates on the table. “Join me?”

Dakota pushed to his feet. She noticed he wasn’t wearing any shoes as they padded across the soft grass under the tree. It tickled her toes. “This is the softest grass I’ve ever felt. I wonder what it is.”