Grave Insight (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 2) (11 page)

Nick pursed his lips. “I need a dozen red roses.”

“Ah, love it is.” Tara turned to the refrigerated case behind her and gathered the blooms. When she returned to the counter to arrange the flowers in a box, she regarded Nick seriously. “Have you gotten a chance to talk to Cassidy?”

“I talked to her last night,” Nick said. “I’m actually surprised she didn’t call you.”

“How did she take it?”

Nick wasn’t sure how to proceed. Talking out of turn seemed like a bad way to go, but Cassidy obviously needed a friend. “Not well.”

“Well, at least it’s over with,” Tara said pragmatically, snipping a few of the rose stems shorter and fitting plastic water basins on the ends. “She needed to know. I know she was fighting dealing with it, but it will be better now.”

“I think she’s going to be worse for a little while,” Nick admitted. “She seems … bitter.”

“I know,” Tara said. “I’ll look for her when I’d done here. Maybe a night with a bottle of wine and a whole lot of complaining will help her get it out of her system.”

“Maybe,” Nick said. “I just … I’m sorry. If it helps, I really am sorry.”

“I think everyone knows you’re sorry,” Tara said. “I think even Cassidy knows you’re sorry. She’s feeling too sorry for herself to look at the big picture right now, though. I think she’s always known you weren’t the one for her. She wanted it to be different, but you can’t force a situation like that.”

“Thanks,” Nick said. “You don’t have to be nice to me, though. I know it’s your duty to hate me. It’s okay. I’ve earned it.”

“Something tells me you’ll be fine,” Tara said, handing the flower box to Nick and punching a few numbers into the register. “I think a certain blonde is going to love her flowers, by the way.”

“I hope so,” Nick said, handing over his credit card. “We have a lot of things to talk about.”

Tara snorted. “Yeah. Most men drop a hundred bucks on flowers because they have talking on their mind.”

Nick blushed furiously. “I … .”

“Oh, you’re so cute,” Tara teased. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you stumble.”

“I’m not stumbling.”

“No, you’re not,” Tara agreed. “You’re just starting the race.”

“I am not doing this again,” Maddie said, leaning back in her chair and extending her sore ankle out in front of her. “Three days of reading tarot cards has completely sapped my energy. I feel like I’m eighty – and crippled.”

Christy smirked. “How much money have you made, though?”

“A lot,” Maddie conceded. “The money is going to keep me flush for months. I know I shouldn’t complain, but I’m just exhausted.”

The two women had closed the psychic tent down for the afternoon, and were now reclining in front of fans as they regrouped. Maddie hadn’t seen Nick all day, and she was worried. She was worried he hadn’t found Cassidy the night before, and she was even more worried he had and she’d somehow changed his mind.

The truth was, Maddie was a bigger ball of nerves now than she had been before she admitted being psychic to Nick.

Christy studied her friend with a bemused look on her face. “You still haven’t heard from Nick, have you?”

“I’m not Nick’s keeper,” Maddie sniffed.

“Oh, good grief,” Christy said, laughing. “You’re just all … fluttery.”

“I am not fluttery.”

“Oh, but you are,” Christy said. “You need to focus on something else. I’m sure Nick will be by to make a grand proclamation of love any second now. Until then, let’s talk about something else.”

“Great,” Maddie said. “What do you want to talk about?”

“When you were skinny-dipping with Nick the other night, did you get to see anything good?”

Maddie frowned.

Christy held up her hand. “I was just joking. How is Maude?”

“She’s on some quest to keep Edna Proctor from becoming a Pink Lady,” Maddie said. “Now that you mention it, though, I didn’t see Granny last night. I hope she’s not in jail.”

Christy chortled. “Nick would tell you if she was. I’m actually surprised Edna wants to be a Pink Lady. All of the women in that group hate her. She should just start her own group.”

“You should suggest it to her.”

“I just might,” Christy said. “She has an appointment this week. She gets her hair set once a week. I don’t think she washes it in between visits. It’s always greasy and gross when she comes in.”

“That’s … nice.”

“I like the idea of rival gangs of old women in town,” Christy mused. “It will be like the Bloods and the Crips, but instead we’ll have the Liver Spots and the Replacement Hips.”

Maddie couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

“Think about it,” Christy continued. “They’ll have blood feuds on every corner. There will be Geritol flying from speeding cars. There will be Metamucil dropping into meeting rooms like napalm. There will be dentures left like horse heads in rivals’ beds.”

“Cute,” Maddie said. “Very cute.”

“What else is going on?” Christy asked, sobering. “Tell me about the guy who went after Tara.”

“There’s not much to tell,” Maddie said. “I can’t describe him, other to say he’s about six-feet tall and thin. The hoodie made it impossible to see if he was muscular or just fit. I couldn’t see his face. His hands were white, but since there aren’t any black people in Blackstone Bay, that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.”

“We do really need to get some color here,” Christy mused. “Even the owner of the Middle Eastern restaurant is white.”

Maddie snorted. “The food is still good, though.”

“The food is excellent,” Christy agreed. “What do you think the guy wanted? Do you think he wanted to hurt her? Do you think he found you by accident last night? Do you think you’re his new target?”

Maddie froze. She hadn’t considered that. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “Everything just happened so fast. I didn’t know what to think. It does seem a little too coincidental that he would just happen upon me there, doesn’t it?”

“What does Nick think?”

“Nick had other things on his mind.”

“Like going after Cassidy?”

Maddie nodded.

“I’m sure he’ll be by soon,” Christy said. “It was probably just an emotional night. Cassidy probably cried a lot.”

“No, Cassidy did not cry.”

Maddie and Christy shifted in their seats as Cassidy burst through the flaps.

“Cassidy,” Christy said, her tone dry. “How are you this hot and humid day?”

Maddie wanted to kick her, but her ankle was too sore to try. “Cassidy, how are you?”

“Can you give us a few minutes alone?” Cassidy asked Christy pointedly. “We have a few things to discuss.”

“No,” Christy said. “Maddie is already injured, and you left her in a vulnerable position last night. I’m not going to make the same mistake.”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about?” Cassidy’s face was flushed, a mixture of anger and confusion warring for supremacy.

“Maddie was attacked right after you left her last night,” Christy charged. “Was that a coincidence, or did you hire someone to try and take her out?”

“Christy!” Maddie shook her head firmly. “No one is blaming you for what happened last night,” she said, turning back to Cassidy. “I wasn’t hurt.”

“You reinjured your ankle,” Christy pointed out.

“I … that wasn’t Cassidy’s fault,” Maddie said. “That was my fault. I tripped.”

“I don’t even understand what you’re saying,” Cassidy snapped. “I’m here to talk about what you did to me last night. Not everything is about you.”

Maddie stilled. “What did I do to you last night?”

“You know exactly what you did.”

“Oh, Nick finally found you and dropped the hammer,” Christy said, nodding her head sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re not sorry,” Cassidy charged. “Your friend got exactly what she wanted, so you’re happy. My feelings don’t matter to you. Don’t pretend that they do.”

“I’m sorry for you,” Christy said. “I genuinely am. Maddie didn’t do anything to you, though.”

“She’s the one who has been whispering in Nick’s ear. She’s the one who told him to dump me. She’s the one who is playing with him to get what she wants.”

“You don’t even know Maddie,” Christy said. “You shouldn’t accuse her of things she hasn’t done.”

“Oh, I know Maddie,” Cassidy said. “I’ve known girls like her my whole life. She’s the kind of girl who only wants something when someone else has it. She didn’t want Nick when she left, but she came back and found him happy with someone else, and then she wanted him.”

“That’s not what happened,” Maddie said, biting her bottom lip.

“It is what happened,” Cassidy said. “I know. Don’t tell me what I do and don’t know.”

Christy held up her hands in mock surrender. “Listen, I think you’re … overwrought. Did you get any sleep last night? Have you gotten any sleep over the past few days? You know that sleep deprivation can mess you up more than alcohol, right?”

Cassidy made a face. “Are you accusing me of being crazy?”

“Crazy is a harsh word,” Christy said.

“That’s what you’re saying, though.”

“It is,” Christy agreed. “You’re acting like a crazy person.”

“I am not crazy,” Cassidy seethed. “I know exactly what happened to me. I know that your friend purposely ruined my life. She’s a … whore.”

Maddie reared back as if she’d been slapped, tears filling her eyes. “I’m sorry. I … .”

“Don’t apologize to her,” Christy snapped. “She’s upset. This isn’t your fault, though.”

“Oh, that’s right, Maddie can’t fight her own battles,” Cassidy said. “She doesn’t need to. Everyone in town does it for her.”

Maddie struggled to her feet, her cheeks hot as she fought the urge to cry. “I really am sorry.”

“I don’t believe you,” Cassidy said. “You’ve gotten everything you’ve ever wanted. You’re not sorry for anything. You’re an evil woman. You’re a user. You’re an evil user. You don’t care who you hurt as long as you get your own way. I wish you’d never returned to Blackstone Bay.”

Maddie moved toward the front of the tent, the need to escape overwhelming her. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled again.

“In fact, I wish you’d just die!” Cassidy exploded.

NICK
picked that moment to enter the tent, his box of flowers gripped tightly to his chest. He was nervous, but ready. That’s why Maddie pushing past him and fleeing into the fair crowd before he could even utter a word took him by surprise.

“Maddie?” He glanced between Christy and Cassidy, curious. “What’s going on?”

Cassidy had the grace to look abashed. “It was nothing. She’s just sensitive.”

“Cassidy just called Maddie a whore and wished she was dead,” Christy replied, nonplussed.

“That is not what I said,” Cassidy shot back.

“That is exactly what you said,” Christy said. “I left out the part where you called her evil.”

Nick rubbed the palm of his hand against his forehead, flustered. “I thought we talked all of this out last night. I thought … .”

“What? You thought what?” Cassidy asked, her hands on her hips. “You thought you could buy me those flowers and smooth everything over?”

Nick looked at the flowers, confused. “No.”

“Well, it’s not going to work,” Cassidy said. “I told you that I wasn’t going to take you back when Maddie hurt you. I don’t care how many boxes of flowers you buy for me.” She held her hands out. “I still want the flowers, though.”

Nick sent a mental plea for help in Christy’s direction. Cassidy was clearly losing it.

“I don’t think those flowers are for you,” Christy said, tipping Nick’s arm down so she could get a better look. “A dozen red roses. Nice.”

“But … .” Cassidy’s eyes were busy as they darted around the tent. “Why are you here? Didn’t you come because you knew I’d be here?”

“No,” Nick replied honestly. “I came to see Maddie.” He saw no reason to lie. Cassidy was still living in a fantasy world where Nick was going to come crawling back to her. He had to shatter her extremely unrealistic delusion.

Cassidy either didn’t understand what was going on, or she was refusing to acknowledge it. Nick wasn’t sure which one was more likely, but he was having a hard time believing she could be that oblivious.

“The flowers are for Maddie,” Christy said, her tone even. “He was coming to … .” Christy held her hands up, helpless. “He was bringing her the flowers. He was coming to see her. Seriously. I think you’re sleep deprived. You should go home and get some rest.”

Realization dawned on Cassidy. Finally. “You were coming here to profess your love for her.”

Nick remained calm. “Cassidy, I told you all of this last night. I told you I was sorry. I told you I would forever feel guilty for how I treated you. I also told you that I want to be with Maddie.”

“But … .”

“No,” Nick said, shaking his head. “No buts. Nothing has changed. Nothing is going to change. You just need to accept it.”

Cassidy looked like she was about to burst into tears. Instead, her hand snaked out and she slapped Nick as hard as she could across the face. The sound of her palm making contact with his solid jaw echoed throughout the tent, and Nick rocked backwards due to the force.

“I hope you both die,” Cassidy said, her eyes dark and narrow. “I hope you both are unhappy and die.”

Nick watched her storm out of the tent, stunned. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“I’ve never seen her like that,” Christy said, getting to her feet. “I … she needs sleep. That’s all I can think. She probably hasn’t slept more than a few hours over the past few days. If she gets some sleep, she’ll probably be ashamed of what she’s done.”

“I hope you’re right,” Nick said, sighing wearily. “I hope you’re right.”

“The good news is, I won the pool,” Christy said. “I see some shoe shopping in my future. I believe you have a blonde to chase down, too.”

Nick nodded.

“The good news is, she’s hobbled,” Christy said. “You should be able to catch up with her pretty quickly.”

“I’m on it,” Nick said. “Hey, Christy?”

Christy glanced back at him, an eyebrow arched.

“Thank you for being such a good friend to Maddie.”

Christy smiled. “Go and get your girl. You can thank me with lilies tomorrow.”

MADDIE
managed to limp the four blocks home, although the tears she was trying to fight off overcame her before she could escape to her inner sanctum. She knew she was being ridiculous. She couldn’t help but feel guilty for what she’d done, though.

Had she really ruined Cassidy’s life? Even if it wasn’t true, perception was a funny thing, and Cassidy’s perception was telling her that Maddie was to blame for all of the unhappiness in her life.

When Maddie made it to the front steps of the house, she stilled long enough to study the box of flowers on the front stoop.
Where had these come from?
Nick had been holding flowers. She’d only gotten a brief glimpse of him before fleeing, but she’d seen the flowers resting in his arms. Had he bought two boxes?

Maddie struggled to lean over, and when she opened the box she took an involuntarily step back. The flowers inside weren’t vibrant blooms reflecting love, but decayed remnants of flowers long since dead. There was a note inside, and Maddie reached for it despite the warning alarm dinging in the recesses of her mind. Her hands were shaking when she opened it. There was only one word on the card: Soon.