Free Karma (Karma Series) by Donna Augustine Page B

he was getting a key to this place, he was highly delusional.
    Neither of us had spoken since we left the office.
    “Don't worry, I've already got a key,” he said as he walked into my kitchen and opened my fridge.
    Thanks a whole bunch, Harold.
    “Why are you doing this? And don't give me some bull about having to listen to Harold.” He was hogging up all the space in my tiny kitchen. What if I wanted to get in there? I'd have to squeeze in past him? If they hadn't dangled such a tempting carrot, this would be intolerable.
    “ I have my reasons.” He took a glass from my cabinet and poured the last bit of my iced tea into it.
    “ Which are?”
    “ Which are none of your business.”
    “ I still don't understand why you have to sleep here.”
    I saw him roll his eyes and I gripped the counter to keep myself from trying to physically drag him out. He finished my iced tea. You don't take the last of someone's iced tea!
    “Because, I need to try and sync into your past fate. We're more in tune to pick up things when we're sleeping. The closer proximity to you when I'm asleep, the more I'll hopefully pick up.”
    “ Shouldn't you just be able to do that?”
    “ No, it doesn't work that way.” He looked at me and paused. “And to complicate matters, it's your past, so it's even harder.”
    “ So now what? We're stuck together until you start picking up on the murderer’s trail?”
    “ Pretty much. If it's going to work, I'll get something in the next few days.”
    He took a couple of sips, made a face and tossed the remaining contents of tea in the sink. “What brand was that?”
    That was it, I was on Fate overload.
    I walked in my room, grabbed a pillow and a blanket and threw them on the couch before I shut my bedroom door a little more firmly than necessary.

Chapter Eight
     
    It took a while to sleep after the beehive experience, but when I did, it was surprisingly deep. No more flashes of any type. When I woke up, I was still in shock. I was officially a murderer.
    Fate was gone in the morning , so at least we didn't have to car pool. I drove to the office in my little Honda with the images of the bee stung body lying there and his screams fresh in my mind.
    I parked my car outside work and went in, trying to pretend it was just another day. The usual crew were all there; Luck and Murphy looked to be gossiping off in the corner, Kitty was sharing her coffee over at her desk and I still hadn't met or seen any of the Jinxes.
    I walked over and grabbed a discarded newspaper and settled at the table near the windows. It was partially obscured by the alcove it sat in. I liked it better over here. I was still technically at work but now it was a mutual choice to be separated. They didn't want to socialize with me and I decided to return the favor.
    Just as I sat down, three boys on skateboards shot through the office. They looked to be around ten or eleven. What were kids doing here?
    They zoomed in between the desks, knocking over files as they went and I heard someone scream “Jinxes!” and it all made sense.
    All three sets of eyes scanned the room and froze o n me. They kicked their skateboards into full gear in my direction. I was just about to jump out of my chair, when they skidded to a stop, inches from knocking me over.
    All three were blond with blue eyes. They looked like angelic brothers but it was clear they were anything but.
    “Hi,” the kid closest to me said. “I'm Bobby, that's Billy and Buddy.” He hooked his thumb in the direction of the two standing slightly behind him.
    “ Nice to meet you.” I hoped.
    “ So, you're the new Karma?” Either Billy or Buddy said, I wasn't sure which. The three of them were forming a half circle around me, their eyes roving up and down me in the most uncomfortable manner.
    “ Yes. My names Camilla.”
    “ So, Karma, you're single, right?” Billy/Buddy said.
    “ Having died recently, I haven't had a chance to date, as of yet.”
    “ Move out of the