Free Died Blonde by Nancy J. Cohen Page A

with antique furniture.”
    “You don’t care for that style, do you?”
    “The stuffy pieces remind me of a mausoleum. I’m trying to encourage Dalton to clean out his place, but he won’t get rid of anything belonging to his dearly departed wife.”
    Wilda’s lids snapped open. “You’re absorbing the negative vibrations. You must protect yourself. Put out a bowl of water in the room. Water attracts negative energy. Dump it outside and replace it each day. Antiques can be dangerous; you don’t know who owned them before you bought them. Let me tell you about this woman who came to me once. She’d bought a settee. Every time she sat on it, she got irritated. Well, after I visited her, I could tell why. The couch came with two ghosts.”
    Marla smirked, shifting in her seat. “Maybe that’s why I’m uncomfortable when I stay at his house. Pam’s ghost still haunts the place.”
    “Don’t make jokes about it. Keys, rings, furniture, clothing, everything carries a story. You have to avoid bad vibrations. That’s why I don’t shake hands with people. I don’t want to pick up their negative energy. It’s all around us, and we must guard against it.”
    Who did Carolyn have to guard against ? Marla stood and stretched, inpatient to move on. “Linda Hall mentioned a collection that Carolyn had left to her. Something valuable, but the sister didn’t know what it was. Do you?”
    “I wouldn’t trust what that woman says. She felt a lot of resentment toward Carolyn. She even went to a root lady once to put an evil spell on her sister. I was able to block the influence, but it wasn’t easy.”
    Root lady? Somehow Marla didn’t think that referred to hair roots. Her mind conjured an image of an old hag brewing herbs over a steaming cauldron. Wait until Vail heard these stories. She could imagine his incredulous expression.
    “Linda told me that Carolyn was jealous of her,” she said.
    “Just the opposite, dear.” Wilda’s expression clouded. “Carolyn needs your help. She can’t rest until her murderer is exposed. She wants you to find her killer.”
    “Why me? Carolyn hated me. She tried to sabotage my business when she moved back to Palm Haven.”
    “That’s not what she told me. She said you forced her out of town initially, and she was only returning to her origins. But your relationship is not the issue here. You’re good at solving crimes. If anyone can help Carolyn’s spirit find its way to the light, it’s you.”
    “What else did she say?” Marla asked.
    “Someone close to you needs to see a doctor.”
    “How could she tell you that? I thought you received messages in symbols, not words.”
    “It’s nothing written out in sentences,” Wilda snapped. “I get a feeling that comes through. Someone associated with you is ill. Carolyn will reveal who it is when you find her murderer.”
    “What is this, some sort of spiritual blackmail?” Marla snatched her purse, uncomfortable with the turn of dialogue.
    “I am merely delivering a message from the higher spiritual plane.”
    And I’m a schlemiel to have wasted my time here . “I’ll consider it. Tell me, do you have any suspicion who might have killed Carolyn?” Other than you, since you inherited a fairly lucrative business .
    Wilda raised a hand to ruffle her thick red hair. “That’s for you to determine, dear.”
    “What about this collection Linda said she inherited?”
    “I’ve no idea. Carolyn never said a word to me about it.”
    “Did Carolyn mention receiving negative vibrations from anyone?” Marla tried, speaking in Wilda’s terms.
    “You mean, anyone besides you? That’s not for me to say. Our sessions were confidential.”
    “Well, if you think of anything else, you’ll let me know? It will make my job easier.”
    Wilda’s face creased into a grin. “I knew you would help. I could foresee it.” Her expression sobered. “I’d suggest you work fast. Your loved one’s aura isn’t strong. I sense…it