Patience was, in short, everything I was not. I blew out a breath and stroked my medicine bag for strength. This was all I needed, today of all days.
“What can I do for you, Patience?” I asked.
“What can you do for me? What canyoudo forme?”
“That’s what the lady said,” Maya said with a wry laugh, earning a glare from Patience. Maya shrugged it off with a smile, in typical Maya fashion.
“May I assume this has to do with Sailor?” I asked. “I spoke with him this morning.”
“Iknowyou spoke with him this morning. Do you knowhowI know you spoke with him this morning?”
“Because... you’re psychic?” I suggested.
“BecauseItried to speak with him this morning and they told me he’d already had his one permitted visitor.” She glared at me.
“I didn’t realize he was only allowed one visitor,” I said. “But I am his fiancée, after all.”
Patience rolled her eyes. “Is that still happening?”
“Is what still happening?”
“This so-called ‘wedding’?”
“Of course it’s still happening,” Maya said, an uncharacteristic touch of annoyance in her voice. “In fact, Selena and I are going to be bridesmaids. Aren’t we, Selena?”
Selena nodded but remained mute, apparently alittle intimidated by the force of nature that was Patience Blix. I could relate.
“Great heavens above, someonepleasetell me that child is not going to be wearingthatbilious little number?”
“Hey,”I yelled, planting myself between Patience and Selena. “Enough, Patience. Don’t youdarepick on Selena. Your argument isn’t with her—it’s with me. She’s having fun trying on dresses, and she looks adorable in anything she wears. Now, please apologize to her.”
Patience gave me another sour look, then flashed Selena a fake smile. “Sorry. You look super, peaches. You look like you’re ready for a Gypsy wedding. I’ll give you that much.”
I wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that, but figured it was the best we were going to get.
“Anyway, Lily.” Patience turned back to me. “I only came here to tell you that you’d better figure something out and right quick, or you’ll be spellcasting over the warden for conjugal visits.”
“I willnotbe...” I trailed off, realizing I was allowing myself to be baited. I stroked my medicine bag again and concentrated on keeping my temper. Patience could be of use to me—tous. “Of course Sailor won’t be convicted. He’s not even formally charged yet. All we have to do is figure out who the guilty person is, and he’ll be off the hook.”
“Oh, that’s all, is it? Easy-peasy. Best get right on it, then.”
I nodded. “I’ll grant you, it’s a lot. We have our work cut out for us.”
“We?”Patience said. “Who are you calling ‘we’?”
“All of us who care about Sailor,” Maya said.
“That’s right,” I echoed, warmed by Maya’s defense of Sailor. “Think of it this way: You’re not helping me—you’re helping Sailor.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Have you been able to see anything?” I asked.
Patience’s drop-dead good looks tended to distract me from the fact that she was tremendously gifted at reading cards and seeing in her crystal ball. Both would be helpful, and neither was my area of expertise.
A trio of college-age girls came into the shop, chatting and giggling. Maya went to help them, while Selena disappeared into the dressing room.
Patience let out a long-suffering sigh, and gestured with her head toward the back room. We passed through the brocade curtains that divided the workroom from the shop floor, and took seats on either side of the jade green linoleum table.
