cactus can produce such fabulous jelly, isn’t it?”
There was a metaphor in there somewhere. I smiled back.
It was nearly ten when I finally opened the store. Ruby didn’t open at all. She spent the day cleaning and sorting and restocking. Between customers, I helped. At noon, I went to the Canton Palace and got take-out specials for two—chicken with cashew nuts for me and beef with garlic sauce for Ruby, who likes it hot. Her fortune cookie said, “A surprise is in the cards.” My fortune cookie was empty.
At two, Sybil Rand phoned to ask if she could ride to the party with us, since we knew the way. She also asked if we’d mind stopping by a few minutes early, so she could show us something. Her call reminded me that I’d planned to take some herbal incense. I found it and put it in a bag.
About four, looking disheveled and dusty, Ruby came through the connecting door.
“Well, I guess that’s it,” she said.
“Anything missing?”
She scowled. “My knife.”
“The ritual knife you showed us at the class Tuesday night?”
“Uh-huh. At least, I think it’s missing. I brought my box of tarot cards and ritual pieces to the store, and left it on the counter so I’d remember to take it to the party tonight. I thought the knife was in the box, but maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it’s at home.”
“When you find out, better let Bubba know.”
“I will,” Ruby said wearily. “But right now, I’m going home and wash off this crud. I tried to call Andrew, but I guess he’s already gone to San Antonio. He was planning to see a friend down there—some guy he used to work with.”
“We don’t have to go to the party tonight,” I said. “If you’re too tired, we can skip it.” If we skipped it, I could call McQuaid and see if we could connect for the evening. It was a tempting thought, given how little I’d seen of him lately.
Ruby shook her head. “I promised to do tarot readings. I guess I’ll have to dig up something exotic to wear. What time are you picking me up?”
“About six thirty. Sybil wants a ride, and she’s asked us to stop by a few minutes early.”
Ruby stretched. “What a day. What a week. Are we having fun yet?”
“Without a doubt. And there’s more coming, according to your fortune cookie.”
“Yeah. A surprise is in the cards. I wonder what the universe has cooked up for us now.”
“Cooked up for you,” I said. “My fortune cookie was empty, remember?”
* * *
Ruby came out to the car dressed like a belly dancer in gauzy red harem pants slung low over her hips and a matching red bolero that left no reasonable doubt about anything. She was wearing three-inch gold hoop earrings, bangle bracelets, a gold chain-link belt, and gold sandals. Her eyelids sparkled with gold eyeshadow, and there was gold dust in her hair and on her shoulders. She was carrying a tambourine.
“Wow,” I said respectfully.
“Thank you.” She glanced at me. “Batwoman, I presume?”
“Close enough.” I was wearing the only exotic thing I own, a black nylon jumpsuit with a neckline that dove all the way to my navel. I bought it at a yard sale for a dollar and a quarter. I was also wearing the black Batman hood that McQuaid’s son Brian had left under the sofa cushion the last time he was over. “Find your knife?”
Ruby shook her head. “I guess they wanted a trophy with my name on it.”
“Maybe we should go by the police station and let Bubba know.”
“In these outfits? He’d arrest me for indecent exposure and have you tested for rabies.” She rattled her tambourine. “Rev up this Batmobile, chum. I’m ready to party!”
Lake Winds sprawls over several hundred park like acres on the east side of Canyon Lake. The Rands’ house was the largest on a street of homes with six-figure price tags, within shouting distance of the eighteenth tee and a stone’s throw from the lake. From the street, it looked like a fort with carved double doors wide and high enough to
There was a metaphor in there somewhere. I smiled back.
It was nearly ten when I finally opened the store. Ruby didn’t open at all. She spent the day cleaning and sorting and restocking. Between customers, I helped. At noon, I went to the Canton Palace and got take-out specials for two—chicken with cashew nuts for me and beef with garlic sauce for Ruby, who likes it hot. Her fortune cookie said, “A surprise is in the cards.” My fortune cookie was empty.
At two, Sybil Rand phoned to ask if she could ride to the party with us, since we knew the way. She also asked if we’d mind stopping by a few minutes early, so she could show us something. Her call reminded me that I’d planned to take some herbal incense. I found it and put it in a bag.
About four, looking disheveled and dusty, Ruby came through the connecting door.
“Well, I guess that’s it,” she said.
“Anything missing?”
She scowled. “My knife.”
“The ritual knife you showed us at the class Tuesday night?”
“Uh-huh. At least, I think it’s missing. I brought my box of tarot cards and ritual pieces to the store, and left it on the counter so I’d remember to take it to the party tonight. I thought the knife was in the box, but maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it’s at home.”
“When you find out, better let Bubba know.”
“I will,” Ruby said wearily. “But right now, I’m going home and wash off this crud. I tried to call Andrew, but I guess he’s already gone to San Antonio. He was planning to see a friend down there—some guy he used to work with.”
“We don’t have to go to the party tonight,” I said. “If you’re too tired, we can skip it.” If we skipped it, I could call McQuaid and see if we could connect for the evening. It was a tempting thought, given how little I’d seen of him lately.
Ruby shook her head. “I promised to do tarot readings. I guess I’ll have to dig up something exotic to wear. What time are you picking me up?”
“About six thirty. Sybil wants a ride, and she’s asked us to stop by a few minutes early.”
Ruby stretched. “What a day. What a week. Are we having fun yet?”
“Without a doubt. And there’s more coming, according to your fortune cookie.”
“Yeah. A surprise is in the cards. I wonder what the universe has cooked up for us now.”
“Cooked up for you,” I said. “My fortune cookie was empty, remember?”
* * *
Ruby came out to the car dressed like a belly dancer in gauzy red harem pants slung low over her hips and a matching red bolero that left no reasonable doubt about anything. She was wearing three-inch gold hoop earrings, bangle bracelets, a gold chain-link belt, and gold sandals. Her eyelids sparkled with gold eyeshadow, and there was gold dust in her hair and on her shoulders. She was carrying a tambourine.
“Wow,” I said respectfully.
“Thank you.” She glanced at me. “Batwoman, I presume?”
“Close enough.” I was wearing the only exotic thing I own, a black nylon jumpsuit with a neckline that dove all the way to my navel. I bought it at a yard sale for a dollar and a quarter. I was also wearing the black Batman hood that McQuaid’s son Brian had left under the sofa cushion the last time he was over. “Find your knife?”
Ruby shook her head. “I guess they wanted a trophy with my name on it.”
“Maybe we should go by the police station and let Bubba know.”
“In these outfits? He’d arrest me for indecent exposure and have you tested for rabies.” She rattled her tambourine. “Rev up this Batmobile, chum. I’m ready to party!”
Lake Winds sprawls over several hundred park like acres on the east side of Canyon Lake. The Rands’ house was the largest on a street of homes with six-figure price tags, within shouting distance of the eighteenth tee and a stone’s throw from the lake. From the street, it looked like a fort with carved double doors wide and high enough to
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