Page 57 of In Her Bed
“What do you think?”he asked after a moment.“Tucker seems like a charlatan, but a murderer?”
Jenna gazed out the window at the passing houses.“Would someone kill two people just to have material for a podcast?It seems extreme.”
“Could be an act,” Jake suggested.“The eccentric podcaster hiding a calculating mind.”
“Or he could be exactly what he appears to be – a conspiracy theorist looking to capitalize on a tragedy.”
CHAPTERTWENTY ONE
As Jake turned off the cruiser engine, Jenna contemplated the peculiar world they were about to enter.The shop stood out among the more practical establishments on the street—a Victorian-style building painted in deep purple with gold trim, its windows crowded with crystals.A hand-painted sign declared “Avebury Visions: Where Spirit Meets Earth.”
“Ever stepped foot in a place like this before?”Jake asked.
“Not in an official capacity.My friend Cassie dragged me into a similar one back in college.She was convinced her boyfriend had been stepping out on her and wanted to buy some kind of ‘fidelity spell.’“
Jake’s eyebrows shot up as he turned to look at Jenna.“Did it work?”
“As it happened, the boyfriend was just part of a study group with another girl from his class,” Jenna revealed, reaching for her notepad on the dashboard.“The spell set us back twenty bucks though.”She opened the car door.“Let’s see what insights Ms.Wells can offer on our current case.”
They crossed the street together, their uniforms catching the glow from the store’s exterior lights.Dreamcatchers of various sizes hung in the window and wind chimes hanging from the awning created a delicate melody that seemed at odds with the serious nature of their visit.
A bell chimed overhead as they pushed open the door.The scent hit them immediately—a potent mixture of incense, herbs, and something earthy and primal.The air felt thick, almost viscous in the dimly lit space.
Jake coughed discreetly.“Smells like my aunt Meredith’s house after she discovered patchouli.”
Jenna’s eyes adjusted to the lighting—mostly provided by salt lamps and strategically placed candles.The store was larger than it appeared from outside, stretching back into what seemed like a labyrinth of shelves and display cases.Crystals of every color gleamed from black velvet trays.Tarot decks in ornate boxes were arranged by theme.Walls were covered in tapestries depicting celestial bodies and ancient symbols.
“Can I help you find something specific?”The voice came from behind a beaded curtain at the back of the store.“We just received a new shipment of selenite wands that are quite powerful for clearing negative energy.”
Jenna understood how this woman had once captivated radio listeners with just her voice.When she emerged from behind the curtain, there was something magnetic about her presence, even now, decades later.
Diana Wells was tall and willowy, draped in a flowing kaftan of blues and purples that shifted like water with each movement.Her silver hair fell past her shoulders in a straight cascade, interwoven with small feathers and glass beads that caught the light.Every finger bore at least one ring—some simple bands, others elaborate settings with stones the size of small pebbles.Multiple pendants hung around her neck, layered like geological strata.
Her striking green eyes seemed to look not at them but through them.They narrowed slightly as she registered their uniforms.
“Oh,” she said, her voice cooling by several degrees.“Law enforcement.How...unexpected.”
Jenna stepped forward, offering her professional smile.“Ms.Wells?I’m Sheriff Jenna Graves from Genesius County, and this is Deputy Jake Hawkins.We were hoping you might have a few minutes to talk.”
Diana’s fingers fluttered to one of her pendants—a piece of rough green stone wrapped in copper wire—and began turning it absently.“I haven’t broken any ordinances that I’m aware of.My business license and permits are current.”
“We’re not here about your business practices,” Jake assured her.“We’re investigating two recent murders.”
A flicker of something passed across Diana’s face—too quick to identify.She called out to a female employee.
“Janet, take over the cash register for a while,” she said.“I need to talk to these people.”
As the employee moved to her new post, Diana turned abruptly and moved to a display case of tumbled stones, rearranging them with deliberate care.Jenna watched the woman’s movements—the slight tensing of her shoulders, the way she kept her back to them.Classic avoidance behavior.
“There has been an estate sale going on for the late Howard Mitchell,” Jenna said, moving slowly around a table of incense holders to maintain line of sight with Diana.“His daughter is selling off his vast collection of audio equipment.We were wondering if you purchased any items from his collection.”
Diana laughed, a sound like distant wind chimes.“Me?No.I’m more interested in natural objects than man-made ones.Crystals, woods, things shaped by earth energies rather than human hands.”She gestured around the store.“As you can see.”
Jake jotted something in his notebook.Jenna noted how Diana’s eyes tracked the movement of his pen.
“Ms.Wells,” Jenna continued, keeping her tone conversational, “have you received any unusual messages lately?Anything threatening?Perhaps emails or social media contacts that concerned you?”
Diana’s hands stilled on the crystals.The air in the shop seemed to thicken further, the incense smoke hanging in undisturbed curls.
