Darque Wants (3 page)

“Well, at least I was thinking about it.” Amber shrugged and then took one last look at the sunset. Then she stepped inside and wandered into her kitchen, where Brodi sat wagging his tail.

She opened up a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. Then she went into her bathroom and ran some hot water with raspberry scented bubbles into the tub. “I think a little music is the final touch.” Amber peeled off her clothes and wrapped herself in a beige towel. Then she shuffled out to the bedroom and turned on the radio. Her favorite jazz station was already tuned in and she turned around to go back in the bathroom.

“We interrupt this listening experience to bring you the latest in a bizarre and disturbing mystery that has Berkeley residents scrambling for answers.” The radio announcer’s soothing voice spoke through Amber’s speakers. “The latest reports claim that Jeffrey Holiday of Berkeley was last seen leaving a photography workshop at Valance College in Ukiah. His body was found alongside Salmon Creek at approximately five p.m. yesterday. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the San Francisco Police Department.” Amber listened intently as the man’s voice droned out of range. Then she climbed into the tub.

Trumpets and saxophones resounded throughout Amber’s home. She leaned back in the tub until her entire body was covered in bubbles. Then she pulled back her hair and reached for her wine. She sipped her drink and relaxed, trying not to think about Jeffrey Holiday for just a few minutes. Then she set her glass on the ledge of the tub and closed her eyes. Slowly, and without warning, she dozed off. As soon as her body had submitted to the soft land of sleep, she jolted forward. Another vision appeared. Amber gripped the tub. She didn’t like what she saw.

Jeffrey was in her mind’s eye once again, with the same leather bag, and the same torn clothing. It made Amber squirm in the tub when she saw his chest wound. He was out of the pond this time, and trudging hastily up a ridge that spewed loose rock under his feet every time he stepped forward. He slipped and cussed, then dropped the bag. Another man appeared from the top of the ridge. Amber squinted, trying to make out his face. Then she gasped. It was Christopher Burton, the man she’d met in front of the guitar shop who owned the art gallery.  He had a revolver pointed directly at Jeffrey.

The sound of goats interrupted the scene, and as he looked to his right, the herd galloped toward him. Amber heard a yell. Who was it? She tried to see more, but the vision lost momentum. The last image she saw was that of Jeffrey, holding onto his chest and reeling into the forest. A long period of stillness consumed Amber. She sat in the tub, shaking, but quiet. Brodi nudged his way inside and stood watching her at the end of the tub. She held onto the edge of the tub to steady herself, then reached for a towel and climbed out.

Amber tossed in her sleep that night. She now knew that Christopher had something to do with Jeffrey’s death. It made her uneasy and she wanted to talk to someone. She remembered that she was supposed to have lunch with Bethany the next day, and this provided some comfort. Just as she was about to climb under the covers, Amber felt compelled to look at Christopher’s card. She took her jacket off the hook in her bedroom and rummaged through its pockets. When she had the card in her hand, she sat it on her bedside table. She wanted to know who this Quinn guy
was.

“Hey, Bethany. It’s me. Are you still interested in doing lunch today?” Amber had gotten up late and felt groggy. She was hoping that Bethany still had an interest in getting together.

“Of course. How does noon work for you?” Bethany had already done some gardening and gone for a run. She was showered, dressed, and sitting out back reading a novel when Amber called.

“Noon is perfect. My place or yours?” Amber asked.

“Why don’t you come here? Tommy is still away, so it’s nice and quiet here. Not that your place isn’t.” Bethany stood up and looked out at the Pacific Ocean, its waves rolling and bending off in the distance.

“Great. See you soon.” Amber hung up the phone, relieved and thankful. She knew that it would be worthwhile to confide in Bethany. Maybe she could even start to move forward in helping to piece together the details of Jeffrey’s death.

She slipped on a pair of leggings and a cranberry colored sweater. Then she pulled up her hair and called Brodi. She put on his leash and the two headed for Bethany’s house. When she arrived, Amber was surprised to see Tommy’s pickup truck in the driveway. She approached the door and knocked.

“Hi, Amber.” Tommy answered the door wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He was a good looking guy, with dark hair and blue eyes. “Bethany mentioned you were coming by for lunch. Come on in. Brodi, you too.” Tommy smiled and gave Brodi a pat on the head.

“Bethany said you were away for the weekend.” Amber looked surprised to see him.

“I was. But we finished going over the project kind of early, so I just got back about a half hour ago.” Tommy spoke to Amber and then turned around. A tall man, with piercing green eyes and a thick head of raven colored hair appeared from the kitchen. “Amber, this is Mateo Quinn. He’s the head of the project that I’m going to be working on, and he lives in Big Sur.”

Amber stood motionless. She was almost certain that this was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. He was about six feet tall, and he wore a red button down shirt and khakis. She wanted to say hello, but no words came out of her mouth. Instead, she knelt over and took the leash off Brodi.

“Hi, Amber. Did you meet Mateo?” Bethany appeared from upstairs. She was in her typical yoga wear and she had a fuchsia bandana around her head. She walked toward Amber and then looked at Tommy.

“I was just introduced. Yes.” Amber straightened herself up and then looked at Mateo. “It’s nice to meet you. I love Big Sur.” She smiled and tucked a strand of her long dark hair behind her ear. Then she looked over at Tommy. “So how is the project going?”

“Well, as soon as it gets going, it’ll be great. Right, Mateo?” Tommy put his hands on his hips and looked at Mateo.

“Most definitely. It’s such a positive addition to the Bay area. I’m expecting to have a lot of work for the next six months, at least.” He nodded his head and looked at Amber as he spoke. She shifted her stance and tried to look casual, but she felt awkward and nervous. Something about this man had her intrigued and restless.

“So, Amber. Why don’t we go eat lunch? Tommy and Mateo have some more business to discuss but they’ll be back later.” Bethany took charge and headed off to the large, eat-in kitchen that faced the bay. Amber grabbed her friend by the arm when nobody was looking and hissed in her ear when they were both standing in front of the fridge.

“That guy is amazing!” She tried to keep her voice down and peered over her shoulder twice to make sure that neither Tommy nor Mateo were nearby. Then she smoothed her hair down and took a deep breath. “Wow. I mean, I seriously can’t think of the last time that I’ve seen a guy that good looking. I should hang out down in Big Sur more often.” She raised her brows and then followed Bethany over to the bar stools and bistro table. Bethany giggled.

“You’re so funny. He is definitely hot. I was kind of shocked to see Tommy show up with the guy. You know he wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow.” Bethany dropped a pair of tongs into a large Caesar salad and then set a plate with silverware in front of Amber. She sat down and then poured them both glasses of sparkling water.

“So it sounds like the project is going to be a good thing for you guys. See? I knew that it would all work out for you.” Amber nodded her head and ate some of her food. She was glad to hear that Bethany and Tommy might be on the right track to securing their finances again.

“I’m relieved. Apparently the guy Dominick that they met with was really happy with Tommy’s references and experience, so he got him in the same day to meet with Mateo. It was just coincidence that Mateo lives in Big Sur and that he was heading back in this direction to go home. Tommy offered him a ride so that Mateo could leave his car back in San Fran.” Bethany appeared to have all the crucial information, as always.

“So, is he single?” Amber chewed on her salad and looked at Bethany with a hopeful expression. Bethany giggled.

“I don’t know. I just met the guy a half hour ago!” She took a gulp of her water and then forked out some more salad onto her plate.

“We have to find out.” Amber enjoyed the temporary distraction from the Jeffrey Holiday case. She smiled and crossed her fingers that Mateo was single. Then she got up and peeked under the curtains that hung in Bethany’s kitchen. She could see the two men talking out in the backyard. Mateo ran his hands through his hair and then put them on his hips. He had broad shoulders and a firm stance. Amber figured he was probably between thirty and thirty-five.

“Are you spying?” Bethany giggled again and started to clean up the dishes. “You know we could make this real simple and invite him to stay for dinner.” She beamed at her suggestion. Amber shrugged.

“Sure. Why not?’ She brushed off Bethany’s suggestion and    then got up to help Bethany with the dishes. The sun was bright as usual, and she craned her neck to see if Mateo was still in the yard. Then she decided to try and relax. Maybe she should talk to Bethany now about the visions.

“So they still have no leads on the Jeffrey Holiday case. And I heard that Ginger’s mother is coming from Switzerland to help her with the kids. I just feel awful thinking of her alone in that house with three children.” Bethany shook her head. Amber’s expression changed from happy to somber.

“I wanted to talk to you. I had another vision, and I’m feeling really shaken up about it,” Amber said and then sat back down at the kitchen table. “I took a bath last night, and I saw him. But there was another guy with him. And what’s crazy is that I met the guy yesterday up by Bobo’s Guitar. He was kind of weird, but I know his wife, Rita, from dance.” Amber continued to blurt out her story, and Bethany stood back, confused.

“Whoa. Back it up a notch. Are you telling me that you’ve been getting visions about Jeffrey Holiday?” She put down the dish that she was washing and moved close to Amber. “Are you okay?” She knew that Amber could get physically and emotionally drained when she went through a period of visions. She was concerned for her friend.

“Yes. I’ve had a few. But the one I had last night was the most intense. I saw him next to this muddy pond, and he had a brown leather bag in his hand, and he was bleeding. He had been shot. And that man- the one I met outside of Bobo’s, he was the one holding the gun.” Amber felt winded and she put a hand up to her head.

“Here. Sit down.” Bethany poured Amber a glass of water. “Why didn’t you tell me all this as soon as you got here?” Bethany looked solemn.

“Well, I planned on telling you eventually.” Amber glanced over at Brodi who had fallen fast asleep on the linoleum floor.

“Okay. So go on.” Bethany sat across from Amber, her elbows on the table and her hands on her cheekbones.

“Well, that’s really it. I saw both of them in the vision, and Christopher had the gun. I can never tell for sure, just based on the vision, but something in my gut tells me that Christopher Burton is the man who killed Jeffrey Holiday.”

Bethany looked shocked. “Did you say Christopher Burton?” She leaned across the table.

Amber nodded her head and took a sip from her water. “Yes. Why?”

“Because Christopher Burton, if it’s the same guy, lives in Big Sur and owns some big art studio. I know him because we all took a trip there one day with my meditation class. They guy is kind of weird. But he seemed really nice.”

“Look, I’m not trying to accuse this man of Jeffrey Holiday’s death. But I am one hundred percent certain that he was the man in the vision, and he most definitely had a gun, and the scene was kind of grisly. Jeffrey was clearly in pain, and when he moved his hand, I could see blood all over his chest.” Amber covered her face and started to cry. “I didn’t even know him that well, but when I saw him in my mind’s eye, it was as if he were looking right at me.” Amber tried to get herself collected. It always frustrated her when she let her emotions take over, especially when she felt an obligation to help solve a case.