Karma's A Bitch (A Pet Psychic Mystery) by Shannon Esposito Page A

put it in the stroller. One pup eagerly lapped at it with a postage stamp sized tongue; the other cowered in the corner, shaking and staring up at us.
    “What’s the matter little girl?” I reached down and stroked her head. Zap!
    Frankie was saying something but her words got lost in the white noise of the vision: Vick was yelling, his hand squeezing someone’s neck. Then I spotted the bleeding rose tattoo below his grip. Maddy!
    Oh boy. Why was he choking Maddy? I started jogging in place and pumping my arms up and down until I felt the jolt of energy disburse.
    “Hot flashes.” I leaned over with my hands on my knees. Karma had come over and pressed himself against me. I had figured out he does this when he’s worried. “It’s all right, boy.” I gave him a reassuring scratch.
    “Hot flashes? You’re a bit young for that.” She zipped the netting back up. “I didn’t start having those until I turned fifty. Not that fifty’s that far behind me, mind you.”
    I needed some time with Frankie to try and get some answers. “Hey, Frankie. I was heading over to Pirate City to drop off some supplies. Want to join me? It might help get your mind off of Maddy.”
    “Well sure. Why not? Be good to see what the boys have done with the place.”
    I felt a twinge of guilt for lying to Will about staying away from Pirate City. But my sense of loyalty to Mad Dog and Karma far outweighed a small lie in my mind. As we stepped onto the well worn path, off the dead end street, I veered off the small talk, too.
    “How are things going with Vick?”
    “Fine, I guess. Haven’t seen him an awful lot lately, though. He’s pretty busy with his business and all.”
    “That’s too bad. What does he do?”
    “Um,” she struggled to get the stroller over a root branch without jostling the pups. “He has a computer business, sells stuff online.” She reached down and smacked her leg.
    “Oh, hold on. I have bug spray.” As I rustled through the stuffed back pack, I asked as casually as possible. “How do Vick and Maddy get along?”
    “Oh, fine.” She accepted the bug spray. “Thanks.” The smell permeated the air as she sprayed herself. When she was done, she handed it back and put her hands on her hips. “You know, come to think of it, they have been acting funny around each other lately. Maddy was unusually quiet when he was around last time. You think they had a fight? That has something to do with her leavin’?”
    I shoved the spray back in and re-shouldered the pack. “I don’t know but maybe it’s something to ask her about?”
    “Yeah. If she’ll answer my calls.”
    As soon as we entered the clearing, I knew something was wrong. Karma stiffened and started sniffing the air. Frankie stopped beside me, listening.
    “Awfully quiet.”
    “Yeah, too quiet.”
    We walked deeper into the camp and came upon the overturned table. Karma sniffed it. The hairs on my arms stood up. “Where is everyone?”
    “Over here.” A voice called from the tarp that served as Mac’s office.
    We rushed over. Frankie parked the pups beside the makeshift shelter. “What in heaven’s happened here?”
    “Scary Harry happened.” Pops pressed a wet rag to his eye. Mac was laid out on the eroding carpet with a shirt under his head, blood drying on his nose and mouth. Minnie was trying to gingerly wash it off. “Bastard had a gun this time.”
    “He didn’t shoot anybody, did he?” Frankie asked.
    “No…not this time.” Pops grunted. “Took our week’s pool of money and food stamps, though.”
    “Don’t you worry about that. I’ll cover it.” Frankie looked around at the smashed stuff scattered about. “Christ on Christmas, did he have to destroy everything?”
    “Where is everyone?”
    Minnie looked up at me. “Left. For the best. He was in some kind of mood. Probably would’ve killed somebody today if he had any resistance.” So, they thought he was capable of murder? Maybe he had already killed.
    The