AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t judge. That’s for the courts. I only uphold the law.” Gaines smiled. “So as long as you aren’t doing anything illegal, I really can’t do much about it.”
“You don’t think it’s weird or spooky?”
“Remember what I said to you the first day we met? I’ve seen and heard a lot doing my job. I don’t disavow anything without proof or from my personal experience.”
“Hmmm.” Luna wasn’t sure how to answer. “So you don’t think I’m kooky?”
“I didn’t saythat.” Gaines chuckled. “You’re an interesting person. Enough said.”
“Deal.” Luna was relieved he didn’t think less of her or worse of her.
They finally came upon Silver & Stone. “This is my friend Chi-Chi’s place.” Luna peered around. “Chi-Chi? You have company.”
“Be right there!” A melodious voice with a subtle Nigerian accent floated from the back room. Chi-Chi moved with the supple flow of her caftan. “Sannu,” she said in the Hausa language of Nigeria, placing her palms in a prayer position and bowing slightly.
Gaines responded in kind. “Sannu.”
“Ah, a man of many languages, yes?” Chi-Chi remarked.
“Not really. I know a few ways to say hello and good-bye. Believe me, I am no linguist,” Gaines replied.
“This is Christopher Gaines. Marshal Christopher Gaines. We’ve worked together on a few projects,” Luna explained.
“Ah, yes, you have told me about him.” Chi-Chi extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Marshal Gaines.”
“Please, call me Christopher.” He smiled. “I hope Luna has only told you good things about me.”
“But of course.” Chi-Chi wasn’t about to reveal Luna’s secret crush, which wasn’t much of a secret anymore. Nonetheless, Chi-Chi was keeping a lid on it. “I see you’ve been shopping.” She pointed gracefully at the shopping bag and the baseball bat.
“Yes, and Jennine is wrapping a set of dishes for him.”
Luna gave Chi-Chi an eye roll when Gaines wasn’t looking. He was busy gawking at the finely polished silver jewelry. “Chi-Chi, do you think you could wrap the bat in something? It’s a gift for his son. Or so he says.” Luna gave him a sideward look.
“I most certainly can do that for your son.” Chi-Chi emphasized the word “son.”
“Your pieces are stunning.” Gaines was looking at a bib necklace adorned in tourmaline.
“This is one of my favorites. I brought the stones back from Nigeria,” Chi-Chi said proudly. “I am working on a festoon with the same gems, for a customer who was here last night.”
“I arrived late, so I missed most of the festivities, but Luna was kind enough to offer me a tour this morning.”
Luna almost corrected him. Wasn’thethe one whoasked herto take him on a tour? She was starting to get jumpy again. He would have to leave soon. How would that wind down? Or would it wind up?Darn it. Why couldn’t she “see things” for herself?
“Right, Luna?” Gaines had said something, but she was daydreaming about how they were going to part that day.
“Sorry. I was mesmerized by that stone over there.” She was half telling the truth. It was an exceptionally large piece of raw amethyst, the stone for intuition, psychic abilities, relieving stress and anxiety. Luna was hoping it would activate all those properties in her at that very moment.
“Ah, yes. You have admired that before.” Chi-Chi gracefully swept her hand in the direction of the quartz, with its brilliant shades of purple. “It calls to you.”
“Uh, we better not get too deep with Marshal Gaines here. He already thinks I’m a little quirky,” Luna quipped.
Gaines cleared his throat in an amusing way. He pinched his forefinger and thumb together, measuring about an inch. “Yes, this much.”
“Ha. Ha. If this marshal thing doesn’t work out for you, you should consider being a stand-up comic,” Luna mocked. “You and my brother can take it on the road. Steve Martin and Martin Short, look out!”
Chi-Chi let out a big hoot. “You two are both very funny. It is nice to hear people laugh. Sometimes, the seriousness of the world can be heavy on one’s shoulders. We must lighten the load as much as we can for each other, if not in deed, then in word. It is important to have a sense of humor.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Gaines said. “I seem to have been doing a lot of laughing since I got here.”
