Murder In Her Dreams (29 page)

Tula nodded and grinned. “My own blend. You
can’t buy it anywhere else.”

Cassie watched Ian anxiously as he sipped his
tea. He wore a thoughtful look on his face. She wanted him to like
the tea. He rolled it around in his mouth and then sipped
again.

“Very different and very good.”

“I think so.” Tula grinned. “Now, tell me how
it all worked out about the rabbit.”

Ian patted Cassie’s hand. “This is one cool
lady under fire. You can count on her in a crisis. She’s not afraid
of anything.”

“Ian, that’s not so. I was afraid of the
rabbit.”

“The rabbit maybe, but not Brad
Harrison.”

“He was different. I could outsmart him. He
never got the better of me or at least not for long.”

Cassie turned to her friend. “Tula, I want to
thank you for the loan of your pendant and return it to you.” She
lifted Tula’s sun pendant over her head and passed it to Tula. “Now
the rabbit, that is, now that Brad Harrison is dead, I don’t need
it.”

Tula nodded as she studied Cassie and Ian.
“No, with the man of your dreams, I guess you don’t.” She accepted
the pendant and slid it over her head. “I missed it, but you needed
it more.” She centered the pendant and leaned back.

Finishing her flan, Cassie licked her lips.
“That was so good. You know, I’m still angry that Brad Harrison had
the nerve to impersonate a Greenpeace volunteer.”

“So that’s how he got to you?” Ian laughed.
“Didn’t I tell you to be careful?”

“You told me to lock my car, and I did.” She
sniffed.

“You’re too trusting, Cassie.”

Tula laughed and tapped Ian’s hand. “That’s
why she needs you. Cassie I understand, but how did Bradford
Harrison get to work for you, Ian?”

He looked pained. “He impersonated another
young man, Justin Lord. We think Harrison killed Justin.”

Tula shook her head. “How sad. I told Cassie
the person the rabbit represented must be immoral. It sounds like
he was. The dream rabbit’s characteristics reflected those of the
real person.”

Ian chewed that over. “It’s an interesting
theory and fits many of the things we know about Brad. Somehow, I
didn’t see Justin like that. He didn’t have friends. I guess that
should have told me something.”

A dark haired woman in a long skirt
approached Tula. Cassie thought she recognized her as the Tarot
card reader from Tula’s party. Tula must have asked her to
come.

“Tula, it’s good to see you,” the woman said
as she reached the table. “May the light always shine upon
you.”

“And on you. Leah Chernowski, you know Cassie
Blake, but I don’t think you’ve met Ian McLeod. Ian, Leah. Stay for
a bit.”

Cassie gave Tula a puzzled look, but Tula
just smiled back and reached for the extra cup.

After shaking hands, Leah took the empty
chair. “Well, Cassie, did you find your true love?”

“I certainly did.” Cassie linked arms with
Ian.

Leah’s smile lit her whole face. “Obviously,
you’ve overcome your hidden enemy.”

“He’s dead, and he can’t hurt anyone anymore.
Leah, I’m sorry I doubted you, but my dreams had been so worrisome,
and you seemed to know about them. Most people doubt them.” Cassie
looked down at her hands and then back to Leah. “To be honest, you
frightened me.”

Leah waved it away. “Don’t feel bad. A lot of
other people feel the same way. Besides the cards don’t foretell
the future. They only help you to identify your choices. I’m glad
to see you’ve found happiness.”

Squeezing Cassie’s hand, Ian looked at Leah
and Tula. “I doubted her dreams, but not now. They saved my life
and brought us together. I have a lot to thank them for.”

Cassie smiled up at him, happy in the love
she read in his gaze. “So do I.”

“My grandmother always told me, ‘listen to
your heart.’ Now I have.” Ian’s smile said it all.

“A toast.” Tula raised her cup. “To Ian and
Cassie, may the light always shine upon you both”

“To Ian and Cassie,” Leah echoed, “the lovers
I saw in the cards.”

His eyes aglow with tenderness, Ian looked at
Cassie and lifted his cup. “To the woman of my heart.”

Cassie, her eyes brimming, smiled back at him
and raised her own cup. “To the man of my dreams, for now and
always.

About the Author

Nell DuVall
aka
Mel Jacob lives in southern Ohio with two cats, plenty of wild
birds, rabbits, and squirrels. A world traveler, she has written a
variety of books including time travel romance, romantic suspense,
speculative fiction, nonfiction, and children's books. She reviews
for two websites covering speculative fiction, including fantasy,
urban fantasy, and science fiction. She is also active in the
Internet Writing Workshop and on Facebook.com.

Mel Jacob (
[email protected]
) — Mystery, romance, and
beyond
www.Nellduvall.com

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