I nodded and leaned back, aware that Lorraine was giving me a curious look. She patted my cheek and then frowned at Lizzie. “You should have known better, young lady. And you a deputy. You’re lucky it wasn’t worse than it was, or I’d ban you from Beau’s.”
The deputy gave us a miserable look. “I know. Iknewbetter. I’m so sorry—”
“Stop,” I said. This time I reached out to touch Lizzie’s hand, but she flinched away, her eyes widening. “It’s okay. I never see a vision twice. And now I can shake your hand or hug you with no problem. Anyway, it’s not your fault. It’s hard to remember something so ordinary as a hand touch can be so devastating.”
Before she could apologize again—I saw in her expression that she’d been about to—the shouting outside kicked up a notch, and I suddenly realized I knew those voices.
“That’s Susan and Cordelia!” I shot up out of my seat and headed for the door, noting peripherally that everyone in the diner had lost interest in me and was drifting over to the giant front window to see what all the shouting was about.
I ran outside, followed by Lizzie and Lorraine, and almost ran into Ish, who was leaning against the corner of the building, arms crossed, a sardonic smile on his face.
“Exciting around here all the time for such a backwater town,” he drawled, and then he winked at me.
I ignored him and headed for the shouting match between Susan and Cordelia happening right there on the sidewalk in front of Beau’s. This was so not like Susan that I immediately started worrying that the magical items had somehow infected her already.
“He was my father, and that treasure belongs to me!” Cordelia screeched.
“You will never get your hands on that stuff, you greedy old bat! I’ve told you a dozen times. It’s too dangerous!” Susan’s face was almost scarlet with anger, and she had one hand on her gun.
This was not good.
“Susan!” I rushed over to her and grabbed her arm. “Sheriff!”
She whirled to look at me, furious, and I pointed my chin toward the window. “Everybody is watching,” I hissed. “Maybe you could calm down and move this discussion to someplace more private?”
“Tess, mind your own business!” She yanked her arm out of my grasp, did a sharp about-face, and marched off down the sidewalk. Lizzie gave me a helpless look and then hurried after her boss.
My stomach instantly felt hollow, and acid burned in the back of my throat. I hadn’t felt so hurt and humiliated since the early days of my curse, and all those feelings slammed back into me. Susan was my friend, and she’d just shouted at me right in front of everybody, and …
And that wasn’t right. Something was wrong, and I owed it to her to find out what.
Behind me, Cordelia made a harsh cackling sound. “Guess she told you, you buttinsky. Maybe stay out of everybody’s business and go back to your little shop.”
Lorraine stepped up beside me, ready to fight, but I shook my head.
“Susan is my friend, so sheismy business. You heard her. You’re not getting any of those dangerous objects. Maybe you should just go home.”
She stabbed a sharp-nailed finger at me. “Don’t think you can tell me what to do, you sideshow freak. If I had my money, I’d hire somebody to teach you a lesson. I—”
That was a threat, and I wasn’t putting up with threats. From Cordelia or anyone else.
“Your money? Sounds like you should have plenty of money, after you stole Henrietta Quirksley’s share of the bank job loot.”
Cordelia’s face went dead white, and she gaped at me. Before she could answer, her son strode over and took her firmly by the arm.
“We’ll just be going now, Mother.” He gave me a steady look, no sign of the fake flirtation now. “Tess. Always interesting. Let’s not make a habit of this, though.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I said, trying not to flinch. There was something in his eyes that reminded me of that time I’d been face-to-face with an alligator in my kitchen. Flat and cold and reptilian.
Cordelia might be loud, but I was absolutely certain that Aloysius was the more dangerous of the two. I stood there and watched them until they got in their car and drove off.
“That is a dangerous man,” Lorraine said slowly. “Tess, have a care. I know Jack’s out of town, and although you can take care of yourself, backup couldn’t hurt. Maybe you should stay at Ruby’s tonight?”
“Maybe.” I was still feeling shaky after the double punch of a death vision and then the fight. “Maybe I’ll take the rest of the day off and have a nap.”
“Brilliant idea! Now, I need to get in there and save Dead End from hunger pains. Go home and rest.” She patted my shoulder comfortingly, but her eyes were sharp. “I’m very interested to hear what you saw when Lizzie touched you.”
I inhaled a deep breath and then slowly let it out and shook my head. “You know how I am. If she wants to tell you, she will. I don’t spread this stuff around.”
