Key Lime Blues Page 8

  Elvis held his ground, meeting my gaze head on. “I’m not a con man. People come to me for help. I provide a service and I’m proud of it.”

  He sounded sincere and I almost believed him. Almost. “You prey on vulnerable people,” I said. “You take money from them and you give them false hope.”

  He pressed his fingers together again, and seemed to be gathering his thoughts. After a moment he said, “It’s true, many of my clients are vulnerable. But so are many of the people doctors and psychiatrists see. I offer a service, and I’m not ashamed of what I do. Some people might say private detectives accept money from vulnerable people. Does it make you a con man, Mister Darling?”

  Before I could answer my phone started ringing. I reached down, shut it off, and said to Elvis, “It’s not the same.” I was on the defensive, and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t used to having someone challenge my own line of work, but again, maybe he was right. Wasn’t it why I had quit?

  “Perhaps not. I’m going to ask you to suspend your belief system for a little while, Mister Darling.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

  “I know you aren’t going to want to believe what I have to tell you. I assume you came here to ask me some questions about this Destiny person?”

  I nodded.

  “Then let’s make a deal,” he said. “I’ll answer any questions you have if you’ll listen to what I have to say first. You probably won’t, but it would help if you kept an open mind.”

  “So if you already know I’m not going to believe what you tell me, why bother going to all this trouble?”

  “Because I’ll have done what she asked,” Elvis said.

  “Destiny?”

  Elvis shook his head. “I told you I don’t know anyone named Destiny.”

  “You know her as Gail Bernard. To be honest, I’m a little disappointed. Being a psychic, I’d expect you to know those things.”

  “I’m a psychic, Mister Darling, not God. I don’t know everything, and the girl I’m talking about didn’t give me a name.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “So this is someone who walked up to you on the street with a message for me.”

  “Not exactly,” he said. “What do you say? Tit for Tat. You listen without interrupting me and I answer your questions.”

  I felt as if I was being played, but it was also obvious I wasn’t going to get any answers about Destiny if I didn’t listen. I leaned back into the chair, laced my fingers together, and placed my hands behind my head. “Go ahead. Lay it on me. I’ll listen to what you have to say, but I don’t promise I’m going to believe you.”

  “I have been cursed with a rare gift, Mister Darling. The gift has made me a wealthy man, and I consider it God given. I wouldn’t give it up for anything, although it often leaves my nights riddled with dark visions and nightmares.”

  “I heard you were afraid of the dark.”

  “I’m not afraid of the dark. Sometimes the visitors I have are frightening, but more often than not they’re afraid, like I am. I see dead people at night, Mister Darling. They come to me in my dreams, and occasionally, when I can’t sleep, they come anyway. It’s always at night, I never know ahead of time when they’re going to seek me out, and I can’t avoid them.”

  His eyes seemed to bore right through me, as if he was daring me to doubt him. I wondered if I’d been wrong. Maybe Elvis wasn’t trying to con me. Maybe he was nuts.

  “You sound like you believe what you’re telling me. What I think is you need to see a shrink. Maybe he can help you.” I lowered my hands and used the armrests to lever myself to my feet. “I don’t believe a ghost visited you with a special message for me.”

  “You told me you’d listen to what I have to say.” There was disappointment in his voice, and a twinge of accusation.

  I looked at my watch, and slid back into the chair. “Go ahead,” I said. “I’ll give you five minutes.”

  There was a look of relief on his face and he threw me a tired smile before going on. “I received a visit from a young girl last night who told me you blame yourself for her death. I didn’t get a name but she was maybe fifteen or sixteen, blue eyes, blond, cute. Do you know this girl?”

  I knew her all right. Celine Stewart came to me in my dreams too, only she didn’t talk to me. She pleaded with me through sad eyes, silently accusing me of screwing up, but she never spoke. I don’t think I could have handled her voicing her feelings about me.

  I took a deep breath in an effort to contain my anger, and still my voice rang out. “The Detroit News and the Free Press carried the story of Celine’s disappearance and probable death. Her picture was in the paper and her father was vocal in blaming me for her death. It wouldn’t take more than a couple of phone calls to get this information. Hell, the researcher we have working for our agency could have found that kind of information in five minutes.”

  “Why would I do that?” Elvis asked.

  I jumped up and slammed the palms of my hands on the desk in front of me. Elvis didn’t flinch and this made me angrier.

  “I don’t know. Maybe you’re a sick bastard who gets his kicks out of messing with people’s minds. Maybe you thrive on other’s miseries. Maybe I’m a challenge to you. I’m a non-believer and you need to convince me I’m wrong.”

  “Or maybe I’m the real thing.”

  “I don’t buy it.” I turned and walked toward the door.

  As I reached for the doorknob Elvis called out, “She said you’re not to blame.”

  “Thanks, but you’re not going to convince me.”

  “He’s not her real father,” Elvis said. “She said her mother left the stores to her.”

  For the first time, I felt unsure of myself. I glanced over my shoulder and watched him wipe the table where I’d been leaning. He didn’t look up until he’d folded and dropped the tissue into the trashcan.

  “What are you saying?” I asked.

  “It’s what she said. Look to her stepfather. She claims he killed her mother and when she accused him of doing so, he killed her too.”

  “I’m not sure Stewart is a stepfather, but even if he is, the FBI shot the kidnapper.”

  “I know. It was the gardener,” Elvis said. “She said he was following her stepfather’s orders.”

  “Nice try,” I said. “But the F.B.I. never considered Myron Stewart to be a suspect. There was never anything said about her not being his daughter. And there was never any talk of him killing his wife.”

  “Celine’s real father died in a car accident two months before she was born. Myron adopted her when she was a baby.”

  I shook my head. “We both know you’re making the whole thing up, but I have to admit you’re good. You’ve done your research, and if I were an ordinary mark you’d have convinced me.”

  “I have nothing to gain by doing such a thing. You may not want to believe it, but I’m the real thing. Celine wants her stepfather convicted. She wants peace, and she wants her body found.”

  “The police looked,” I said. “And I spent weeks looking for her even after we were pretty sure she was dead. The FBI figured she was being held prisoner somewhere and when the gardener was killed there was no one to feed her or free her. I’m sure she died a pretty horrible death.”

  “She didn’t,” Elvis said. “Her stepfather killed her before he even called you.”

  I wanted to believe him. There was nothing I would have liked more than to know I hadn’t caused her death. But the truth of the matter was, I still didn’t believe in psychics.

  “You’re slick,” I said. “Your research fits your story like a puzzle piece.”

  “No research. She’s in a deep hole beneath a barn. She doesn’t like the dark.”

  “I guess that makes two of you,” I said. Now that it was time to get to the reason for my visit, I was regretting my confrontational manner. I’ve always hated people who take advantage of the weak and to me that seemed to be the definition of this psychic. Still, I wa
nted his help so I forced myself to smile. “Now it’s your turn. I need to ask you some questions about Gail Bernard.”

  He nodded toward the chair I had vacated. “Please sit back down.”

  “And if I don’t want to sit?”

  Elvis reached out and touched a button on the top of the desk I hadn’t noticed before. Almost immediately, the door behind me opened. “In that case,” Elvis said. “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask Dom to show you out.”

  Dom walked in, the floor shuddered and the lilac scented monster stepped up to my side. He took hold of my arm and squeezed, sending arcs of high voltage pain down to my fingers.

  I gritted my teeth, held back a groan, and said, “If your lap dog doesn’t let go of my arm I’m going to break his fingers. After I finish with him, I’m going to come around the desk and break something else.”

  We traded stares, and he gave a short nod. Dom released my arm and my fingers began to tingle when he moved away from me.

  I sat back down, fighting the urge to massage my arm. Instead, I slid my butt to the edge of the seat and leaned my elbows on the desk. “So where are the diamonds now?”

  Elvis tilted his head back and gave me a strange look. “What diamonds?”

  “Either you’re a damn good liar or you’re not quite the psychic you claim to be. I thought for sure you’d know why I was here.”

  “I’m a psychic, not a mind reader. I don’t have a clue what the hell you’re talking about.”

  “Destiny, the girl you know as Gail, told me she left some diamonds with you. You were supposed to sell them for her.”

  Again, he looked confused. “I’m a psychic, why would I be selling diamonds?”

  “For twenty percent. I understand they’re worth a small fortune. The person she stole them from wants them back.”

  Elvis pushed his chair away from the desk, swiveled it to the side and stared up at the ceiling. “Your story explains some things,” he said.

  “Such as?”

  Elvis didn’t answer right away, so we sat in silence for a good two minutes. When I was about to say something, he swung back around. “Gail was here this morning. I don’t know anything about diamonds. She came to me and told me she needed a reading. She claimed she was being blackmailed. By you, Mister Darling.”

  “Not true,” I said. “And why don’t you call me Wes.”

  “I realized right away it wasn’t true.”

  “Let me guess. The spirit of the real Elvis told you she was lying.”

  Elvis sighed. “You don’t have to believe, Wes. But it would be helpful if you at least tried to have an open mind about the whole thing. After all, I am trying to help you.”

  “If you want to help,” I said, “Why don’t you tell me where the diamonds are?”

  “You’re not listening,” he said.

  “I’m listening,” I said. “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”

  “I’m sorry, but this is hard for me.” Elvis took a tissue from atop his desk and began playing with it. “I don’t like to talk about my clients. I try to be discrete about whom I see, and what we discuss. I’m only talking to you right now because it was the only way I could give you my message.” While he talked to me, Elvis began to tear apart the tissue.

  Starting at the right corner he tore a two-inch-wide strip. Laying it on the table, he tore another, and yet another until he had four roughly equal strips lying next to each other. He picked them up, left to right, and made a small pile, which he squared up with his fingers. Finally, he folded the pile in half, and folded it again and again until it was reduced to a one-inch square. He reached out and squared the square, and promptly picked it up and dropped the tissue into the trashcan.

  “Nervous?” I asked.

  “Concerned,” he said. “For Gail, for the young girl, and for you.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me. But if you’ve got those diamonds, you’d better damn well be afraid for yourself. The people looking for Gail are not very nice. They wouldn’t think twice about killing you.”

  “I’m telling the truth, I don’t know anything about any diamonds.” He reached over and adjusted the position of the box, a little to the left and a little to the right. He did this four times, before continuing.

  “When Gail came in this morning I gave her a reading. I saw danger. I saw death stalking her. I told her she should not travel for the next couple of days. I told her she’d be in danger the entire time, but death would only catch her if she chose to leave Key West.”

  “Sounds like a crock of shit to me.”

  Elvis shrugged. “I’ve done all I can to convince you I’m on the level. If it’s any consolation, I know you’ll find her. I’m not sure you can help her though.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “So let’s play it your way, will Gail follow your advice and stay in Key West for the next few days?”

  “Of course. We go back a long way. Unlike you, she trusts my readings.”

  “She told me one of your predictions led her to dancing.”

  Elvis’s face looked pained. “Very unlikely, Mister Darling. I think it’s time to end our meeting. I hope you’ll consider what I told you. Dom, would you please show the gentleman out.”

  “If I find out you’re lying to me about the diamonds, I’ll be back,” I said before turning and following Dom out of the room.

  Dom stopped and I almost ran into him. “I was an unbeliever once-like you.”

  “What changed your mind?”

  Dom glanced over his shoulder. “My mama died two days before I graduated from high school,” he said. “We were very close and I was devastated. A friend of mine insisted I see Mister Elvis.”

  Dom started back down the hall, talking softly as he walked. “Mister Elvis spoke to mama. He told me she was in a nice place, but she couldn’t be happy unless I kept my chin up, held my head high, and stopped being a crybaby.”

  “That was kind of him,” I said. “And I’m glad he made you feel better, but did you speak to your mother?”

  “No,” Dom said.

  “Was anyone else there who spoke to your mother?”

  “No.” Dom’s shoulders slumped a little and he added, “But he knew things only she could have told him.”

  “It doesn’t prove he has psychic abilities,” I said. “There are ways to find out things. Most con men I’ve met exude sincerity and empathy. They can turn it on and off like a light bulb.”

  Before I finished, Dom was shaking his head. He stopped at the door, turned to face me, and for a moment I thought he was going to cry. “You don’t understand, Mister Darling. Look at me. I’ve always been different. When I was a kid I was picked on a lot. When I’d come home crying, mama would sit me down and say to me, Dom, you can’t worry about what others think. You need to keep your chin up, your head high, and don’t let them see you being a crybaby. Mister Elvis knew mama’s exact words.”

  “He got lucky,” I said.

  “No sir,” Dom said. “There’s no way he could have known that without talking to her.”

  There was no doubt in my mind Elvis had played on Dom’s feeling. It’s what psychics did. My first instinct was to go back and let Elvis know what I thought of his con. But nothing I said would change Dom’s mind, and I doubted he’d let me go back and talk to Elvis anyway.

  I shrugged and said, “So you went to work as Elvis’s bodyguard because he said he talked to your mother?”

  Dom opened the door for me and stepped outside so I could get by him. “I’m not his bodyguard,” he said. “I’m his computer geek. He pays me a fair wage and I keep his web site up and running. I’m damn good at it too.”

  I had the distinct feeling Dom was disappointed in me. Well, he wouldn’t be the first person to feel that way. I took a moment to let my eyes adjust to the sunlight, and started down the steps.

  “Mister Darling.” Dom took a step and the entire porch vibrated.

  I leaned my hip against the handrail. “Yes, Dom.�
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  “I know you don’t believe, but Mister Elvis is the real thing. He knew you were coming.”

  “He had another client who told him I’d be here.”

  “I don’t mean Miss Gail. He had one of his dreams.”

  “Sorry, Dom, I don’t buy it.”

  “You need to be careful, Mister Darling. Mister Elvis said people are going to die.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  “No sir. You’re not one of the ones gonna die.”

  “Who is?”

  Dom shook his head. “I don’t know. But I thought I should warn you.” Dom walked back into the house and closed the door before I could say anything else.

  I’m not a believer in psychics, healers or UFO’s. I also don’t buy into the theory there was a second gunman in the Kennedy assassination or a national conspiracy to elect George W. Bush to the presidency. But I was a little spooked. If this was a con, it was pretty elaborate. And for the life of me, I couldn’t see how this whole Celine bit would benefit Elvis.

  I kept reminding myself psychics were charlatans, but there was a little voice in the back of my head that kept asking, what if he’s not?

  Chapter 11

  A million conflicting thoughts ran through my mind as I walked away from Elvis’s house. At least it seemed that way. I needed to find out who was lying to me, Destiny or Elvis? Which one had the diamonds? Even more important, how was I going to get my hands on them? I also couldn’t help but wonder if either of them was in any way responsible for Nick’s death, although I still leaned toward Frankie’s boys being the killers. I also found myself wondering if Elvis had dreamed of Celine’s ghost or if he’d made up the entire story. I shook my head and told myself I was I nuts for even considering the possibility he was for real.

  I should have been paying more attention while I walked along Duval. Instead, I hung my head and studied the sidewalk, not paying attention to what was going on around me. A voice at my shoulder brought me out of my reverie and caused me to jump and spin around.