Part 28 (1/2)
Sadie smiled and the grin turned into a yawn. She'd had a solid night's sleep and still felt like she could go back to bed. She was definitely coming down with something.
”Sorry about that,” she said to Dean as she returned to the living room. ”Got a job to do over by Northgate Mall. So what were you saying?”
”I was saying that I need your help to do some investigating into Jane's death. Find out what really happened so everyone stops putting the blame on me.” He was tossing his hands in the air with agitation and walking back and forth across the room.
Sadie didn't want to get dragged into this mess. She could think a thousand reasons to avoid it like the plague. But she knew that if Dean really needed her, she had to be there for him. Sometimes being a good friend sucked pond water.
”Dean, you're a cop. You must've told me a thousand times to leave the investigating to the police. Don't you see the advantage of leaving the investigation into Jane's death to the detectives to handle?”
”I'm a cop so I know exactly how they are handling it. They've pinned it on me and n.o.body's looking any further.” He stopped pacing just a couple inches away. ”Just see if you can talk to Jane.”
”That means I'd have to go to where she was killed.”
”She was murdered at a spa!” he shouted. ”Make yourself an appointment for something girly and maybe Jane'll show up and talk to you. Geez do I have to think of everything? I thought you loved talking to the dead?”
The doorbell rang and Petrovich rolled his eyes. ”This place is like Grand Central frick'n station!”
He grumbled to himself and headed down the hall while Sadie answered the door.
”I'm back, baby!” Maeva exclaimed when Sadie opened the door.
”You're back from where?” Sadie asked her best friend.
Maeva pushed through the door a vision in a flowing gauzy peasant dress and a jangle of gold chains.
”I'm back from limbo land. Now that Osbert is completely weaned I decided it was time to test my psychic prowess and went back to work.”
”I didn't know you were going back to Madam Maeva's so soon,” Sadie said. ”Why didn't you tell me?”
”It isn't soon. Between pregnancy, birthing and nursing I've been off nearly a year. I didn't tell anyone besides Terry about trying to go back to work.”
”Nice to tell your husband but not your best friend,” Sadie smirked.
”I didn't want to tell anyone I was going back until I was sure my abilities had returned,” Maeva explained. ”I had a session this morning and it was like all my psychicness is back bigger and better than ever. Saw a woman's dead father and she got to make peace with him. It was a beautiful moment.”
”That's awesome,” Sadie said, glancing distractedly over her shoulder.
”Is there a reason we're standing at your front door?” Maeva asked then her eyes got big and round and she whispered, ”Oh my G.o.d, you had your breakfast date with Zack this morning! How did it go?” She lowered her voice even more. ”Is he in the bedroom? Did I interrupt something?”
”No, he's not here.” Sadie laughed. ”Let's go for a walk. I just need some fresh air.”
She stuffed her feet into her Nikes and pushed Maeva out the front door.
”What's going on? Why are you acting so weird?”
Sadie ignored Maeva's questions until they were at the end of the driveway and then she spoke out of the side of her mouth, ”Petrovich is holed up inside my house.”
Maeva was quiet a moment then muttered, ”Wow,” under her breath.
”Exactly,” Sadie continued as they picked up speed on their walk. ”Apparently he wants me to find who really killed his ex wife.”
”But I thought he killed her,” Maeva said. ”That's what every TV channel and newspaper has said all along.”