Grave Decisions (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 7) Read online

  “I knew you would be in here,” Cooper intoned, causing the people standing behind him to whisper.

  Maddie shifted her gaze to his entourage, frowning when she saw Marla and Cassidy close to the front of the line. It just figured they would fall for Cooper’s act. It was as if Maddie couldn’t get away from either of them.

  “Were you looking for me?” Christy asked, her expression hopeful.

  “I was looking for the other psychic,” Cooper replied, his gaze falling on Maddie. “There’s a rumor around these parts that you’re more than smoke and mirrors, Maddie Graves.”

  Maddie rolled her neck until it cracked, frustrated. Cooper was purposely making a scene. Had he approached in private, she would’ve quietly shut him down. Now she had to figure a way out of the situation without drawing too much attention to herself.

  “There are a lot of rumors around these parts,” Maddie said. “I don’t really believe rumors. You shouldn’t either.”

  Christy shot Maddie an incredulous look, but wisely kept her mouth shut.

  “People say you have the gift,” Cooper said. “They say your mother had it, too. It’s sad she’s crossed over to the great beyond, but her love for you spans many different dimensions.”

  As if sensing Maddie’s emotional upheaval, Olivia’s spirit picked that moment to pop into existence. She studied Cooper for a moment, her ethereal finger poking at his boots, and then she straightened.

  “I can tell you right now that I don’t like this guy, Sunshine,” Olivia said, shaking her head. “He’s got ‘fraud’ written all over him. These are synthetic boots, by the way. They’re not real.”

  Maddie couldn’t answer, but she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as her mother circled Cooper and shot him a series of disgusted looks. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” Maddie asked, trying to regain her train of thought.

  “Your mother loves you from the great beyond,” Cooper said.

  “Oh, he’s such a tool,” Olivia said, making a face. “The next thing he’ll tell you is the killer’s name has an ‘S’ in it and somehow the key to catching him is water. Just wait.”

  “I would like you to work on this case with me, Maddie Graves,” Cooper said. “I’ve already ascertained important clues, but I think we can put our considerable talents together and come up with a killer before the police officers in this town even have their morning doughnuts.”

  Maddie was offended. “The police officers in this town work hard and I don’t appreciate your saying things like that.”

  “Of course,” Cooper said, waving off Maddie’s concerns. “You think you love one of the detectives. That was insensitive of me.”

  “I do love Nick,” Maddie countered, pushing herself to her feet. “I have no interest in working with you on anything either, so you can just … go.” Maddie made small shooing motions with her hands. “Take your fan club and solve the case on your own. I’m not interested in joining forces with you.”

  “Is that because you’re worried what will happen when our minds join? Are you worried that will make our hearts join, too?”

  Now it was Marla’s turn to make a face. “You don’t want that to happen. She’s crazy and needy.”

  “And you’re loud and obnoxious,” Maddie snapped, the words out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying.

  “That was very good, Sunshine,” Olivia said. “You need to stand up for yourself more often. Marla gets off on preying on the weak. Don’t let her get to you.”

  Maddie desperately wanted to talk to her mother, but Cooper and his gaggle of gigglers wouldn’t give her the chance if they remained. “I’m not joining anything with you, Mr. Ashton, because I don’t trust you,” she said. “I don’t believe you’re psychic, and even if you were, this is a job for the police. You shouldn’t get involved.”

  “She’s just worried about you showing up her precious Nick,” Cassidy said, wrinkling her nose. “She knows you’re way ahead on this one and she’s afraid Nick will look like an idiot.”

  “Even more of an idiot than when he picked Maddie over Cassidy,” Marla added.

  Maddie fought the urge to roll her eyes. This situation couldn’t get any more out of control if someone added an elephant in a tutu. “Listen, I’m flattered by the offer,” Maddie said, pushing past Cooper and moving through the tent flap and toward the fairgrounds. “I’m not interested, though. If you want to solve this case on your own, more power to you. I’m here to tell fortunes, not solve crimes.”

  Maddie sucked in a breath when she hit the outside air, thankful to be out of the suffocating environment so she could figure a way out of her predicament. Olivia’s expression was sympathetic as she mimed brushing Maddie’s hair and Marla and Cassidy’s faces were murderous as they followed her outside.

  “I already have leads, Maddie Graves,” Cooper said as he joined her outside. “The killer is male. He has a … ‘S’ … in his name.”

  Olivia pursed her lips to keep from laughing. “I told you.”

  “The murderer will have some tie to water,” Cooper added, causing his fan club to “ooh” and “aah.”

  “This is Blackstone Bay,” Maddie pointed out. “The entire area has something to do with water. Saying the killer has something to do with water isn’t exactly what I would call a big stretch.”

  “Do you doubt me?” Cooper asked, knitting his eyebrows together. “Is the psychic a non-believer?”

  Maddie was dumbfounded by the display. “I am a skeptic where you’re concerned,” she said finally. “I believe in the psychic powers of others. I don’t believe you fit into that group, though.”

  “I think you’re hiding something,” Cooper said, extending a finger in her direction. “What dark secret are you protecting?”

  “Just my disdain for you,” Maddie said, moving to get away from Cooper again. He kept following her, swallowing up all the air in the process. She had to find a way to get rid of him.

  “I think you’re afraid of your gifts, Maddie Graves,” Cooper said. “Admit what you’re capable of, tell everyone about your gift. You’ll feel better.”

  “I think you’re really starting to bug me and if you don’t stop following me I’m going to have you arrested,” Maddie shot back, increasing her pace and pushing through the crowd. She was almost to the women’s bathroom – a place where she figured she could get a few moments of respite – when her hand accidentally landed on a young blond woman’s shoulder.

  Maddie gasped as a series of brutal images filled her head, each subsequent one worse than the first. Maddie’s mind was a jumble as she tried to absorb the flashes and she leaned against the outside bathroom wall and sucked in deep breaths as she tried to get her bearings.

  After a few moments, Maddie realized she had no idea who the woman was and when she scanned the crowd for a glimpse of her, she was gone.

  “What say you, Maddie Graves?” Cooper asked, appearing in front of her and planting his hands on his hips. “Will you help me save the women of Blackstone Bay from a predator?”

  Maddie was at her wit’s end. “I wouldn’t help you cross the street if you were blind,” she snapped. “Just … go away. I don’t like you and I’m not going to help you.”

  A murmur went through the crowd, and when Maddie shifted her eyes back to Cooper she found him invading her personal space as he leaned closer.

  “You’re going to regret this decision, Maddie Graves,” Cooper whispered. “I can promise you that.” He pulled his head away from hers and glanced at his followers. “I was wrong. This psychic is a fraud. We shall find the Blackstone Bay killer of women without her. Come. Our destiny awaits.”

  7

  Seven

  “So, let me get this straight … your girlfriend looks like a model, can’t get enough of you, and makes you breakfast like this?” John Winters flashed a charming smile at his brother as he dug into the breakfast feat Maddie sent to the police station. “Life is not fair. I should’ve gotten Madd
ie and you should’ve gotten … nothing.”

  Nick made a face as he watched his brother scarf down the food. “You eat like a pig. My Maddie is discerning. She would never fall for the likes of you.”

  “Yes, well, if I was thirty years younger she would be all mine,” Kreskin teased, chomping into a slice of bacon. “Seriously, though, a girl who looks like Maddie shouldn’t be able to cook this well.”

  “I’ll have you know that Maddie’s cooking ability and looks have nothing to do with why I love her,” Nick said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I love her heart and mind.”

  John snorted. “Oh, puh-leez! I can see the cooking not meaning much in the grand scheme of things, but you can’t ignore the way that woman looks. It’s as if she stepped off the pages of a magazine. Don’t give me that crap.”

  “What you seem to forget is that I fell in love with Maddie long before I realized she was beautiful,” Nick snapped. He had no idea why John’s teasing irked him. His brother was notorious for trying to needle people, and yet still Nick felt the need to stand up for Maddie. “I would love her no matter how she looked.”

  “In a roundabout way, I believe that,” John said. “The problem is, Maddie was in love with you from middle school on. You adored her like a friend, but you didn’t bother noticing her as a woman until she blossomed over that one summer and all of your friends started ogling her. It was only then that you realized you were in love with her.”

  “That was stupidity and I would’ve gotten over it eventually,” Nick argued. “I always loved her.”

  “You did,” John said, nodding. “You didn’t fall in love with her until you realized she was hot, though.”

  “I can’t even look at you,” Nick muttered, raising his eyes when the bell over the front door jangled to allow Maddie entrance. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw her festive skirt and billowy top. The scarf made her look cuter than should be allowed by law, too. “There’s the love of my life.”

  “Hey, Maddie,” John said, wiping the sides of his mouth with a napkin. “We were just talking about you. I’ve decided Nick doesn’t deserve you so you should run away with me. How does that sound?”

  “She would never run away with the likes of you,” Nick scoffed. “She’s my girl. She’ll always be my girl. You’re barely an annoyance to her. Tell him I’m right, Mad.”

  “Nicky.”

  Even though he was oblivious to the look on Maddie’s face when she walked through the front door, something about the way she said his name made Nick snap to attention. “What’s wrong, Mad?” He got to his feet and opened his arms as Maddie stepped into them. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

  John and Kreskin exchanged a worried look, both discarding the humorous conversation from before and waiting for Maddie to tell Nick what happened.

  “Cooper came to my tent,” Maddie said, choosing her words carefully.

  “Did he touch you?” Nick asked. “I’ll kill him if he did.”

  “I’ll help,” John said.

  “He wasn’t there for that,” Maddie said. “He was … um … I’m not sure how to explain this.”

  “Take your time, Mad,” Nick prodded, rubbing the back of her head. “It’s okay.”

  “He had a bunch of people with him – including Marla and Cassidy – and he made a big deal of announcing that he wanted us to join forces to solve the murder,” Maddie said, causing Nick to scowl. “He said we had a better chance than you of solving it. He said he heard through the grapevine I was really psychic.”

  Nick cast a helpless look in Kreskin’s direction. Kreskin was aware of Maddie’s abilities, but Nick always lied and pushed him away when he asked questions. John knew, too, but Nick wasn’t worried about him badgering Maddie – well, at least not about this. The food was another matter entirely.

  “What did you say, Maddie?” Kreskin asked, his expression unreadable.

  “I told him I didn’t believe he was psychic and wanted nothing to do with him,” Maddie replied. “He kept making a scene and saying really ridiculous stuff about hearts and minds joining so I pushed my way out of the tent and he kept following me.”

  Nick growled. “I hate this guy. What is the matter with him?”

  “He’s a fraud and he gets people to believe him by putting on a big show and casting aspersions on others,” Kreskin said, not missing a beat. “That’s not what has you upset, though, is it?”

  Maddie bit her lip and shook her head. “How did you know?”

  “Because you may be sensitive, but you’re not usually prone to hysterics because someone called you out in front of a crowd,” Kreskin replied. “What else happened?”

  Maddie glanced at Nick, unsure. “I don’t know if I should tell.”

  “You came here for a reason, Maddie,” Kreskin pressed. “Why don’t you try me on for size and if you feel uncomfortable, I’m sure Nick will beat me to a pulp to defend your honor.”

  Despite the serious nature of the situation, Maddie couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re a funny guy.”

  “My wife says that every time I take my clothes off,” Kreskin deadpanned. “Just … tell me what’s going on and we’ll go from there.”

  “The crowd was kind of … worked up,” Maddie said. “I got a little confused because my mother was there and she was making fun of Cooper’s boots and Christy kept giving me dirty looks because she thinks I’m jealous of Cooper. Marla is jealous of me and kept getting digs in.

  “I needed a spot away from him to regroup and he wouldn’t stop following me so I ran toward the bathroom,” she continued. “When I did, I accidentally ran into a young woman and I … saw something.”

  Nick calmly tucked a flyaway strand of Maddie’s hair beneath her scarf. “What did you see?”

  “It was the woman, and she was being stabbed,” Maddie said, her breath hitching in her chest. “It was a bunch of overlapping flashes, but I think that’s going to happen to her, Nicky. We have to stop it.”

  “Okay,” Nick said, pulling Maddie in for a hug. “We’ll figure it out. Just … calm down for a few minutes. Can you do that for me?”

  “YOU DON’T seem surprised by any of this,” John said, watching Kreskin from across the desk as the older detective worked on his computer. “Nick said he denied it when you asked if Maddie was psychic.”

  “He did deny it,” Kreskin confirmed. “That doesn’t mean I believed his denials. He also slipped up a few times, although there’s no need to bring that up given the circumstances.”

  “And now?” John pressed. “Do you believe her?”

  “I’ve always believed her,” Kreskin replied. “I believed her mother before her, too.”

  John was surprised. “You knew Olivia?”

  “She helped me with a case or two,” Kreskin confirmed. “We didn’t broadcast it, but I knew she was the real deal. I knew Maddie was the real deal before Nick started lying to protect her.”

  “What do you think now?”

  “I think we should let Nick calm her down and go from there,” Kreskin said, his eyes landing on the couch near the front door where Nick rested with Maddie cuddled to his side, occasionally whispering something in her ear to cajole a smile. “He’s good with her. He’ll have her back on track in a few minutes.”

  “He’s always been good with her,” John said, his expression thoughtful as he watched his brother and Maddie. “She broke his heart, though. I didn’t think he’d ever get over that.”

  “I didn’t know about the broken heart because your brother kept that to himself, but the moment I saw those two together I knew that things would never be the same,” Kreskin said. “He lit up when she was around. I never thought of him as an unhappy individual until I saw him with Maddie. That’s when I realized he was extremely unhappy, and she was the only thing in this world that could make him happy.”

  “They’re definitely cute together,” John said, shaking his head as Nick pressed a soft kiss to Maddie’s cheek, causing her
to giggle. “It makes me jealous. I want to punch him.”

  Kreskin snorted. “If you would stop being jealous of your brother, you might find a girlfriend of your own and stop fixating on them. They’re going to be together forever. I have no doubt about that. You need to decide what you want and go after it.”

  “I want a girl exactly like Maddie,” John said, not missing a beat. “I want her to be smoking hot, a wiz in the kitchen, a tiger in the bedroom, and did I mention I want her to be smoking hot?”

  “You’ve got issues, son,” Kreskin said, shaking his head. “I know you don’t believe your brother, but I do. He didn’t fall in love with Maddie because of her looks. I think he’s happy with how beautiful she is, don’t get me wrong, but he fell in love with Maddie because of her heart. You need to find a woman and fall in love with her heart instead of her body.”

  “That sounds like a lot of work,” John complained, leaning back in his chair. “I’d rather just steal Maddie away from Nick.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Nick said, leading Maddie back to the detective bureau area. She looked markedly better than she had a few moments before. “She’s my Maddie, and she always will be.”

  “Is that true, Maddie?” John asked, his eyes twinkling. “Don’t I even have a shot?”

  “Sorry,” Maddie replied, shrugging. “I’m a one cop woman.”

  Nick wrinkled his nose as he tugged Maddie down on his lap. “Don’t forget the part where I’m better looking and more charming than John,” he prodded.

  “That, too,” Maddie said, grinning when John made a face and Nick kissed her cheek.

  “Okay, now that everyone is put together, let’s talk about this,” Kreskin said, returning to the business at hand. “Did you recognize the woman you touched, Maddie?”

  Maddie pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen her before.”