For Your Sake (27 page)

              “Makes the club look good,” Eva concluded.

              Merrill nodded.  “You’re learnin’, little lady.”  A small bistro table holding four people waved Merrill over.  “Gotta go.  See you tomorrow night.”

              Stepping outside, Eva took a hearty sip of the iced coffee just as a breeze blew from the other side of her store.  There, standing outside smoking a cigarette, was Madam Fright Night.  Another chill went through Eva which had nothing to do with the breeze.  Maybe the psychic generated it as a way to get her attention.  She walked back, towards the psychic whose little place was on the other side of Eva’s.  “Gonna catch a chill, love,” the woman said with an exhale of smoke.

              “Just ran next door for coffee.”  Eva was now standing in front of her display window, Cyndi on the other side motioning to come in.  She obviously saw the psychic and wanted Eva to get inside before the creepy, ol’ bat put the flu spell on her or something. 

              Dousing her cigarette in a metal pail filled with sand, the woman pulled her coat around a busy, multi-colored dress which swept the sidewalk.  “Come in.”

              Eva pointed to her store.  “But I have to…..”

              “Your girl has it under control.  Come in for a spell.”

              Okay, maybe the word ‘spell’ wasn’t apropos right now. Or….was it?  What could be so bad inside?  She probably had black-curtained rooms, beaded, fringe lamps, creepy zen music and a round table with a big crystal ball in the middle.  Looking through the window, Eva pointed where she was heading.  All Cyndi needed was four suction cups on her hands and feet, plastering herself against it, begging Eva not to enter the den of doom. 

              Ignoring her theatrics, Eva followed the psychic inside her place and was….surprised. It looked like someone’s living room – floral print couch, glass and brass coffee table, display cabinets with what looked like souveniers and trinkets from travels far and beyond, pretty artwork covering the walls and a vase filled with fragrant flowers.  What she thought would look like the Adam’s family residence looked more like the Partridge family.  Even the choice of music made Eva smile as the tail end of
‘Rocky Mountain High’
was finishing up on a CD player.

              “Love the country classics,” the psychic said.  “Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings.  They know how to write songs from the heart.”

              After looking around some more, Eva asked, “I feel silly asking this after all these months of you coming in my store, but……what’s your name?”

              The psychic held her hand out.  “Linda Moore.” 

              Eva took the icy, cold fingers in her own warm hand.  “You already seem to know who I am.”

              Linda looked suspicious.  “And you think I used my psychic powers to find out?”Moving to the sofa, Linda sat down, her long dress billowing around her like the heavy scent of hair spray holding up her teased ‘do.  She reached next to the sofa and opened a mini fridge – pulling out a beer.  “Join me?”

              Eva waved off.  “I don’t drink beer. And I have to get back soon.  Expecting a delivery.”

              Linda smiled, twisting off the cap then leaning her head back to smile as
‘I Go To Pieces’
began to play.  “Mmm, Patsy Cline,” she hummed, then took a swig.

              John Denver?  Patsy Cline?  If Lynrd Skynrd played next, Eva was out of there.  Too many songs by musicians who died in plane crashes.

              “Know how I know you, Eva Sinclair?”

              Eva was almost afraid to ask so she wisely shook her head.

              “The Victorian you bought.”  Linda took another swig of beer then regarded Eva.  “The old lady who lived there?  Was my mother.  Wasn’t part of her life for years.  I was too……eclectic for her old fashioned ways.  Her attorney facilitated the sale and split the proceeds with my estranged siblings.  But I went to town hall and looked up the documents – saw your name.  Of course you have the pleasure of living next to the nosiest body in town, which is how I found out you own the card store.  Guess I just felt some sort of pull……some connection to my mother coming in and seeing you.”

              Eva really didn’t know what to say, besides feeling stupid for assuming this woman was some creep with connections to the anti-Christ or something.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

              Linda shrugged.  “Just something I keep to myself.  Oh, I know people around here think I’m some over-the-top loon who reads palms or tosses a bunch of sticks on the table and sees someone’s future.  But I do have a strong……sense about people.  I don’t do this to survive – if I did I’d be living in a cardboard box.  My husband died in that mine collapse two decades ago, except he was smart enough to have a substantial life insurance policy.”

              This woman’s husband must’ve died in the same collapse as Ben’s father.  The inter-twining pieces here were uncanny.  “I’m…..so very sorry.”

              “Eh, death is a part of life,” Linda said almost matter-of-factly.  “But I was savvy with the money.  Invested in a bit of real estate.”  She smiled up at Eva.  “Guess who owns half this plaza?”

              Okay so this woman was practically her landlord.  Best be on good terms with her as well as Elle.  “I wish I had taken the time to get to know you sooner,” Eva said.  “I just had….”

              “I know.”  Of course Linda already knew.  “You’ve lost a lot in your life, Eva.  But don’t let it rob you, or let whatever you find out destroy any part of yourself.”

              “What?”  Eva didn’t like innuendos and her anxiousness showed.  “Find out what?  What are you talking about? And who are
‘them’
you want me to listen to?”

              Linda reached for another cigarette and lit it.  “I think you know the answer to that, dear.” 

              Patsy Cline ended and another song was set to begin.  “I have to go, Linda.  I have a shipment coming before five.”

              “Go out the back.”

              “Excuse me?  Why?”

              “Just do it, Eva.”  Linda’s voice was insistent.  “Go out the back.”

              She did as Linda told her, for whatever reason.  Eva didn’t care she just wanted to get out of there.  But as her hand went to push the bar of the backdoor open, she heard the beginnings of the next song playing……..

I am a lineman for the county and I drive the main road 
Searchin' in the sun for another overload 
I hear you singin' in the wire, I can hear you through the whine 
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line

              Eva’s entire body began to shake.  Forget ‘sensing’ things, she was backed to being creeped out. Pushing open the door, she ran out onto the gravel and smack into a wall.  Or, at least it felt like one.

Chapter Sixteen

             
It took a lot to knock the breath out of him, but Ben let out a grunt when Eva slammed into him as if the devil was on her heels.  Seeing where she was coming from, it probably was. “Jesus, Eva.  What the hell were you doing in there?”

              She should’ve looked surprised to see him, but didn’t.  Then when a delivery truck pulled up next door, she shook her head.  “She knew.” 

              “Knew what?”  Before she could answer his question, the back door of Eva’s store opened and that young girl came out.  She eyed them, gave a cute smile then took over directing the delivery man.  Eva was now shivering and he instantly put his arms around her.  “Come on, let’s get inside.”

              She pointed to the truck.  “But I have to……”

              “Let her handle it.”  He walked Eva past the truck and towards the entrance as the girl stood there watching with that same smile.  “Name, sweetheart?”

              “Cyndi.”

              “You got this, Cyndi?  Need to speak to your boss.”

              He could tell Eva wanted to take care of it, but she was cold and acting strange.  And Cyndi looked chipper for the challenge.  “Took the purchase order off your desk to check off against the delivery.” Cyndi waved a piece of paper. “I’ll give a shout if there’s a problem.  You two go…..do whatever.”

              Ben gave her the young girl a wink, thinking maybe he misjudged her after all.  Or Eva just molded and whipped her into shape.  Inside, they maneuvered through the newly, organized stock room, which Ben appreciated.  “What were you doing out back?”

              “Let’s find your office. Need to talk, darlin’.  Was going to ring you soon as I pulled up so you could let me in.”

              “But why the back?”  She sounded in a daze, then shook her head. “Damn, how did she know?”

              “She,
who
?” She wasn’t making sense.  They found her office and Ben saw her coat hanging on a hook.  “Here, you’re fucking shivering….”

              “No.  Just…..come here.”

              He left the coat hanging and went over to her, her arms sliding through the opening of his cut and around the soft flannel of his work shirt.  He was filthy after six hours at the mill and probably had slivers of wood stuck to him, but he couldn’t resist the way she was clinging to him, seeking warmth this way.  Plus he had a feeling the psychic may have freaked her out.  “You okay, darlin’?”

              Her head bobbed up and down against his chest.  “Yeah.  I’m fine. Just….I don’t know.”

              He smoothed the back of her hair then tilted her face up.  “What the hell happened next door?”

              She shook her head.  “I’m still not sure.  I went to get coffee, she was outside having a cigarette when I walked back, invited me in.  She’d been coming in my store off and on since I opened – always nosing around the jewelry – but I never knew her name.  But she knew mine.”

              Ben listened to her explanation and understood Eva’s weirdness.  “Talk about coincidence.”

              “Her husband also died in that same collapse as your dad.”

              He stiffened a bit, then slowly relaxed enough to ask.  “What’s her name?”

              “Linda Moore.”

             
Moore.  Moore,
Ben thought.  He remembered his dad bringing home foil trays from work, that a co-worker’s wife always cooked too much and sent the leftovers with him.  That food became a godsend when things were tight.  “Listen, Eva.” He hoisted her up to sit her on the edge of the desk, that skirt of hers hitching up not doing him any favors right now.  “We need to talk.”

              “You
are
in trouble.”

              He didn’t want to alarm her because he really didn’t know the extent of it, nor could he divulge too much information.  His thumb caressed her cheek.  “Like I told you, club’s got issues with certain people in town.”

              “I thought Elle made sure that doesn’t happen – that the club’s in good standing with everyone?”

              His eyes narrowed. “Tell me Janice didn’t say that.”

              “No. Merrill at the coffee shop.  Saw the flyer on his counter about the meeting tomorrow night – asked if I was going and ….Elle came up.  Pretty much what Janice said, that’s she’s an important person in town and can….make things happen.”

              The locals weren’t that ignorant to the pull Elle had, but for Eva who hadn’t lived in this town for a while it was a lot to ingest.  He wanted to put her mind at ease without divulging too much.  She was a smart girl and even with carefully chosen words, she may see right through them. “Elle can’t make everything go away, darlin’.  All’s I can say is that we need to do our due diligence.  We have three other charters in the mix.  Gonna meet with them Wednesday to talk, but we won’t know for sure until Saturday afternoon.”

              It was as much as he could tell her at this point, though she didn’t look too confused.  Instead, she looked as if she was processing a theory.  “That’s why you came in the back door.  That guy in Ticker – you didn’t want him to see you coming in here – to connect you to me.”

              Dammit, the woman was sharp as a tack.  Ben was going to have a tough time talking around club shit.  If he was going to go any farther, he’d have to slow-drip facts to her.  “You’re right, Eva.  Until we know for certain, we keep it quiet.”

              “I’ll read Cyndi the riot act,” she mused.

              He sighed, knowing he had to tell her.  “The club knows too.”

              “What?”

              “Had to tell them what you overheard – and who overheard it.  Aero remembered you, saw you come out of the Clarks with your friend that day.  And of course Taz, who talks more than a drunk chick.  I told them a toned down version of how we met, getting your car fixed and shit.  They know you own the card shop, so don’t be surprised if you see them lurking around or even come into check you out.  And if they do, and cross any line, I wanna know about it.”

              She nodded.  “But shouldn’t they not come in, for the same reason you didn’t?  What if that guy in Ticker starts seeing a bunch of bikers filing in and out?”