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“And the kitchen and darkroom tell me that your parents are with you, too.”
A small stream of tears ran down Ellie’s face. “Oh dear. Just look at me.” She sniffled and dabbed her face with Richard’s handkerchief. “And this.” She held it up. “I have never touched Richard’s handkerchiefs. They are still in the top drawer of his chest of drawers. At least they were.” Ellie looked confused.
“Oh, and then there’s kinetic energy.” Luna took a sip of her lukewarm coffee. “That’s a whole other complicated subject. But did you ever think you saw something move? Not a shadow, but let’s say a teapot?”
“A what? Teapot?” Ellie was curious.
“Yeah. Once I was standing in the kitchen with my friend Charlie, and suddenly the teapot was whistling and the water was boiling. But . . . neither of us had filled it, put it on the stove, and turned it on.” Luna leaned back in the chair. “We both looked at each other wide-eyed and said, ‘Didyoudo that?’ Nope. Neither of us had touched the kettle, and we had been standing there for a good fifteen minutes talking. It was really bizarre.” Luna shook her head in disbelief. “What can I say? It happens.”
“That’s very interesting. Once in a while, I’ll find something in the house that I could swear I hadn’t put where I found it. Especially my keys. But I always chalk that up to my age.”
“Did you and Richard joke or argue about keys?” Luna asked.
Ellie let out a guffaw. “Yes! He could never find his, and I would tease him about it. I even put a silver dish on the table next to the front door. I’d leave notes.Keys go here. I cannot tell you how many times we were late to an engagement because he couldn’t find his keys. We would invariably end up using mine.”
“That’s another way of him connecting with you.” Luna tilted her head. “Do you ever feel his presence?”
Ellie looked up from the handkerchief, which was now in a big knot. “Sometimes. In fact, I felt it last night. I could have sworn I smelled his cologne. Kiehl’s Musk.”
Luna got up and wrapped her arms around Ellie and whispered, “Have no fear.”
Ellie hugged her back and thanked her for the insight and inspiration and assured Luna that unless Luna wanted to make her extra talent known, Ellie would keep it to herself.
Luna was relieved that her secret side wasn’t off-putting to Ellie. In truth, Luna was thrilled. That was an issue Luna was tormented about.What would Ellie say? What would she think? Would she kick her out?Luna’s instincts told her that Ellie would be supportive, but sometimes Luna’s talents were not self-serving. Otherwise, she would have won the lottery by now. She was eager to tell Cullen that the cat was out of the bag with Ellie. But she didn’t want to get interrogated about the night before. Besides, Marshal Gaines should be stopping by any minute.
Luna was dressed a little more casually than the night before. She was wearing a cream-colored gauze maxi dress trimmed in green embroidery, with green tassels hanging at the cuffs and two hanging down from the hand-stitched collar. Bronze metallic gladiator sandals adorned her feet, and a bronze fabric was woven into the long braid that fell over her right shoulder. Her fancy do was a bit disheveled from the night before, but it still looked pretty and feminine. Bronze-and-brass bangle bracelets with matching earrings completed her upscale bohemian look. She checked her reflection in one of the mirrors on the wall. She felt comfortable. Sorta. Anxious? Maybe. Terrified? Probably. Over her shoulder, she spotted Gaines’s handsome face as he moved through the crowd. She liked the way he walked. Long strides. Not rushed. A man who appeared to know where he was going.
“Good morning!” Gaines strode into the café, wearing jeans, a chambray button-down shirt, and a navy-blue corduroy blazer that set off his blue eyes.
“You look very pretty today.” Gaines smiled at her.
“Thank you, Marshal Gaines.” She was being coy, but neither of them seemed to mind. It was cute. Flirty.
“Sit.” Luna gestured to a table that had a basket of scones and muffins. “How do you take your morning coffee?”
“American, with a shot of espresso?”
“Coming right up. Cream or froth?”
“Talk about fancy. Just a dash of cream, please.”
Luna quickly made the coffee and brought it to the table. Gaines was about to get up, when she said, “Sit.” Then she giggled. “I didn’t mean it as in ‘sit’ like I tell Wiley.”
“You’re funny. You know that?” Gaines was amused by her for sure.
They sat for about a half hour as Luna described some of the artists and their work. He definitely wanted to see the beer-can art.Must be a guy thing, but Jimmy’s work was genuinely interesting.
Luna leaned in closer, lowering her voice to almost a whisper. “That Jimmy Can-Do artist? He’s an enigma. No one ever sees him. He gets here before the center opens, puts his stuff out, then disappears. I don’t think anyone has ever spotted the guy. I know I haven’t. Weird.”
“Want me to do a background check?” Gaines was only half kidding.
Luna laughed. “Not yet. But if things start getting a little hinky, I’ll let you know.”
“Good deal. Shall we get going? I have a meeting in two hours.”
“Sure thing.” Luna picked up the basket and the coffee cups. She rinsed the cups and tossed the remaining crumbs into a separate basket she kept for the birds. At the end of each day, whatever crumbs were left she would bring out to the back and toss near the bird feeders. Yes, Ellie had thought of them, too.
They made their first stop at Cullen’s. He was working in the back, getting some of the recent items organized.
