“Look, I don’t know much about you, Luca, but you’re acting kind of entitled. Do you mind telling me what this is about?”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to sound demanding, but time is of the essence, and I think you might be able to help. I guess I should have said please.”
“Saying please is nice and everything, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have to work. Why can’t you just tell me what it’s about over the phone? No one is recording us.”
“As far as you know. I might get in trouble for working on a case that isn’t mine, but I have to do something. There are no leads, and someone’s life is hanging in the balance. I thought of your psychic senses, and you said you like to help people.”
“Shit. I guess I could get a stomachache.” She glanced at the half-eaten Danish and formulated an excuse. “Hopefully, my boss will let me go home.”
“Yeah. That would be great.”
“I’m not exactly sure about this, but if it’s really that important…”
“It is. Trust me.”
She sighed. Oddly enough, she did trust him—at least based on the vibes he was giving off right now. He was genuinely concerned for someone else and was willing to disobey the rules and put his own job in jeopardy. “Where can I meet you?”
“I can pick you up out front. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll see you downstairs.” Dawn believed in fate, to a point. She still believed people had free will, but some opportunities weren’t coincidences. Maybe this was one of those opportunities to fix her own karmic past.
The weirdest thing had happened a week ago. Dawn had been walking home from the subway at her usual brisk pace, head up, alert, clutching her baton stick with the keys jangling. Ready to swing it at anyone who would dare get into her personal space. That’s when she had seen her: an old woman, crumpled on the front stoop of her house. Thinking it was her grandmother, Dawn had rushed up the steps to the woman and helped her sit up.
“Are you okay?” Dawn asked anxiously, relieved it wasn’t Annette but concerned nonetheless.
The old woman opened her eyes and smiled. “I’m okay now, dearie. I was waiting for you.”
“Who are you?” Dawn sat on the top step, her back against the railing.
“I’m Lynda from Karma Cleaners, and I’m here because you called us.”
“I think you’re mistaken.”
“Oh no. There’s no mistake.”
Dawn’s eyes widened. “First of all, what’s Karma Cleaners, and secondly, when and how did I call you?”
The old woman’s twinkling blue eyes stared into hers. “At Karma Cleaners, we help you change your bad karma to good karma. All anyone has to do is express a desire to change. The message goes out into the universe and ends up on our switchboard.” She whipped out a tablet from the pocket of her threadbare coat and started tapping and swiping on the surface of the electronic device. “Ah, here we are. Six months ago, you were walking home from your shift at Keene Street Convenience, and you said, ‘Fuck my life. I wish I could change everything.’ So here I am.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Did you say that?”
“Yes, but that was six months ago. And now you show up?”
“We had to be sure you meant it and that you had the stuff to succeed.”
“I got myself a way better job.”
The old woman grinned as she tucked the tablet back into her pocket. “Yes, I know, and we’re so proud of what you’ve accomplished, going to night school and working the day shift at that hellhole that fronts for the Keene Street Gang. And then extricating yourself from their influence. Very impressive.”
“Yeah, hellhole is the nicest term you can use to describe that place,” Dawn said. It was a well-known secret that Keene Street Convenience didn’t just sell cigarettes and lottery tickets. Downstairs in the basement were the bathrooms and storeroom. It was also where the gang did most of their deals. Dawn had been stuck for years acting as their psychic lookout when it came to the undercover narcs. So many times, she regretted letting them know of her psychic ability. She’d been trying to be cool and show off a bit. Naturally, they exploited her talent.
“We’re short-staffed and backlogged right now. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who’ve reached out since the election.”
Dawn crossed her arms. “Okay, so how do I know you’re actually from this place, Karma Cleaners, and not just some drunk old lady who wants money?”
The old woman gave Dawn a cheeky grin. “I was hoping you’d ask me that.”
