“We insist.”
I watched as they stepped into her front yard and began to usher her up the steps of her stately Victorian. My blood was already simmering with frustration. It began to boil when her words drifted back to me just before the front door closed.
“It’s so nice to knowsomeof my neighbors actually care about an old woman…”
Gah!
Snatching my cinnamon jar from the flower bed, I stomped back inside and slammed my own door. A cloud of cinnamon drifted in after me.
So much for good fortune.
So far, it hadn’t brought me anything but trouble.
* * *
Sundayat the shop was only slightly less busy than Saturday. Thankfully, the nonstop crowd kept my mind occupied. I was too busy to think about Eliza Proctor, let alone any of the other chaos of late. Before I knew it, the crowds had thinned out and the clock was marching toward six. Hetti was already halfway through her end-of-shift cleanup, making sure the espresso bar was shipshape for Tuesday morning. We were closed on Mondays, thank the goddess. I needed a day off to decompress and get my life back in order.
Much as I enjoyed the crush of customers that came with our rising popularity — and, let’s be honest, the financial cushion those customers provided — it was getting harder and harder to keep up with the demand. I’d have to put out a want-ad for part time help — and soon. I could use a backup barista. If Madame Zelda didn’t come back soon, I’d be in the market for a new psychic as well.
“So, like…” My final — I hoped — customer of the day turned the piece of amethyst over in her hand, her eyes captivated by the multifaceted depths of the purple gemstone. “What does it do?”
“Amethyst is known to block negative vibrations. It provides calming, healing properties. It can also help with meditation, sleep problems, mental clarity…”
“Wow.” She snapped her gum. “So I just, like, stick it under my pillow and it fixes my whole life?”
“You should really charge it first, but yeah. Essentially.”
“Charge it? Like an iPhone?” She brought it close to her face. “Does it have a hidden plug?”
I suppressed a laugh. “No. But if you leave it out in the moonlight, ideally on a full moon, it will infuse with natural energy…”
Feeling the weight of a stare from the front of the shop, my eyes drifted over the customer’s vacuous expression. A familiar tall, muscular body was leaning against the coffee counter, sipping from one of our to-go cups. When our gazes met, he lifted his cup in a cheers motion.
“Would you excuse me for a second?” I murmured, not waiting for an answer as I left the customer to mull over her crystal purchase alone. My eyes never shifted from the man as I walked up the two mahogany steps into the front section. His eyes scanned me up and down, taking in every detail of my outfit with blatant appreciation. I was glad I’d chosen a good one, today — I was wearing an ultra short witchy-chic Free People dress with long, lace-edged bell sleeves that I’d bought for a song at Modern Millie, a vintage store around the corner. My boots were pale suede, with elaborate stitching. (They’d cost far more than a song. Closer to a full discography.) In addition to looking cool-as-shit, they went up over my knees, thus concealing the not-so-chic bandaids I’d applied to my scratched kneecaps.
“Detective Hightower,” I said, smiling up at his handsome face as I came to a stop before him. “You must’ve read my mind — I was going to call you later today.”
“Planning to ask me out? I’m free Tuesday.”
“Don’t tease, Detective, a girl might get the wrong idea.”
“Who says I’m teasing?” he asked, winking playfully.
“What brings you here?”
“Would you believe me if I said it was for the triple-shot cappuccino?”
His eyes twinkled with good humor. He looked great — even cuter than I’d remembered, with his thick silver-streaked hair and piercing blue eyes. Six-foot-three inches of pure muscle in dark khakis and a fitted button-down. No tie. His badge was clipped beside the gun holstered at his hip.
“Our cappuccinos are good, but I doubt they warrant a trip across town.”
His grin widened. “True.”
“What can I do for you? Please don’t tell me there’s another sacrifice in my alley.”
“No, no. Nothing like that.” He paused. “I wanted to see for myself that you were all right. Graves has been rather tight-lipped about everything that went down the other night.”
“Oh…” My heart turned over, touched by his concern. “That’s sweet. I’m right as rain.”