Browsing for Trouble

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

“Willow! What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn’t get here for another two days,” I said. Willow refused to fly with Juliet and me to Arizona. She said the spirits and birds were the only creatures allowed to fly. She planned to take her Jeep across the country in a four-day driving marathon from Miller’s Cove to Sedona. “Did you break down and get on a plane?”

“Not in this lifetime. If the spirits wanted me to fly­-”

“They would have given you wings. We know,” I interrupted. “How did you get here in two days?”

“The spirits gave me help.”

The door burst open again. Lu stood in the doorway with her face red and sweaty from carrying two suitcases. “You know you could’ve stayed and helped carry these. What the heck did you pack? Books?”

“Stones.”

“What the freak?” Lu sputtered. “Rocks? You packed rocks. We’re in the ever-loving desert surrounded by a million red rocks, and you packed rocks?”

“No,” Willow said calmly. “I packed stones. Healing stones and crystals. My spirit guides told me they were needed.”

Lu dropped the bags on the ground and collapsed on top of one. “It’s hot, I’m tired, and I got rocks in my butt from sitting in that old jalopy you call a Jeep for the past twenty-four or more hours.”

“What are you doing here, Lu? I thought you weren’t going to be able to get time off for our girls’ getaway?”

“Juls, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Once Willow started spouting about how the spirits were warning of danger in the desert, Clint insisted I come with her to keep an eye on Phee.”

“Clint doesn’t even believe in Willow’s spirit guides,” I said.

Willow gave me a pitying look and shook her head. “Just because he doesn’t believe in them, doesn’t mean the spirits aren’t there. I told him the spirits’ message and he brushed off my concerns. The next day he called me and asked me if Lu could go with me to keep an eye on you and Juliet. Clearly, the spirits visited him in his sleep and changed his mind.”

Harmony stepped forward and pulled Willow into a hug. “I’m thrilled to have you home early, whatever the reason.”

Willow hugged her mom for a minute. Once she extracted herself, Willow said, “So what exactly is going on here and why are the spirits clamoring for my attention?”

“You just got here. There’s time enough for all the negative vibes later,” Steve protested. He grabbed Willow’s and Lu’s suitcases. “Let’s get you two settled into rooms and we’ll talk over dinner. Phee and Juliet need a little rest and relaxation themselves after all the day’s commotion.”

Steve headed out of the room towards the hotel portion of the resort. Willow and Lu followed behind him bickering quietly over who did the most driving on their road trip.

“I guess we’d better get out of these robes and into some real clothes,” Juliet said.

“I feel terrible you girls missed your restorative treatments,” Harmony said. “Let me call down to the spa and see if Marianne can fit you into her schedule.”

“You don’t need to do that,” I said.

Juls kicked me and gave me a look that told me to be quiet.

“I insist. This is supposed to be a relaxing week for the bride-to-be and her friends. You will enjoy your time at the spa even if I have to do the treatments myself.”

Harmony picked up the phone and after a brief conversation with the person on the other end, she hung up and smiled. “There. You two head on down to the spa. Marianne and Sandy have no appointments until later today, so she can just squeeze you in.”

I thanked her, and Juliet and I walked to the spa area. “Juls, were you raised by wolves? We didn’t need to have her go out of her way to do this. For heaven’s sake, we are paying a fraction of the cost for this vacation anyway, so-”

“I want to question the aesthetician,” Juliet interrupted me. “I don’t care about the mud wrap, Flea. Who has the most access to that room? Unlike you, I’m already on the case.”

“I’ve created a monster,” I groaned. “I thought after our alligator debacle, we decided to give up on crime. As a matter of fact, I’m so over solving crimes, I actually checked out a bonnet-ripper romance to read.”

“I thought they were called bodice-rippers.”

“They are, but this is a romance set in Amish country. I don’t think they wear bodices, so I figured when things get racy the heroines ripped off their bonnets. I’m a new woman. My life is all love, sewing my own clothes and ripping off my bonnet for Clint. No more crime.”

“You’re full of manure,” Juliet laughed. “You hate romance books, you love a challenge, and mystery is in your blood. Come on. You know you’re dying to know what’s going on here.”

“Not really,” I lied.

We went back to the room where the armless mannequin had been. A young woman with long blonde hair waited for us.

“Ladies,” she said. “I’m Marianne. So sorry about the little snafu earlier.” She gave a gapped-tooth smile of apology. “One of you will be with me. Sandy will take care of the other treatment.”

“I’m Phee and this is my sister, Juliet. I’ll go with Sandy,” I offered.

“Head to the room next door and she’ll be right with you. If you both want to change into these paper underwear, Sandy and I will start your treatment sessions in five minutes.” Marianne handed Juliet and I small folded squares and stepped out of the room.

I unfolded the paper to reveal a paper thong the texture of a paper hospital gown. “What in the world am I going to do with this? That won’t even cover one cheek!”

“It’s to give you some modesty. They paint mud on your rear end, too.”

“Oh heck no. I’m not having mud on my backside. It’s as soft and smooth as playdoh already.”

Juliet gave me an exasperated look. “We’re girls. They’re girls. Get over it and just go get muddy.” She shooed me away.

I headed next door to a room like Juliet’s. Soft music composed of water and flutes piped in from a hidden speaker. The lights were dimmed to a twilight glow. I ignored my discomfort and removed my robe and swimsuit and donned my paper thong. No matter which way I tugged it, only a half inch of my rear end was covered. Giving up, I lay down on the table and pulled the white sheet up to my chin. I closed my eyes and tried to relax.

There was a light knock on the door and a moment later, I heard it open.

“Are you ready?” Sandy asked.

“Yes,” I squeaked and pulled the sheet even tighter to my paper-covered flesh.

A petite woman with short-cropped dark hair came into the room. She looked like a pixie with her sharp, gamine features and large dark eyes. “I’m Sandy and you must be Willow’s friend, Phee. We’re doing a cleansing treatment today, correct?”

“Yes,” I squeaked again. I cleared my throat and repeated. “Yes. I’m a little nervous.”

“No need to be nervous. This is a very relaxing treatment that will release all the toxins in your body and clear away the negativity that is keeping you from realizing your true potential.”

“Mud can do that?”

“It’s not just any mud. It’s mud from the womb of Kamalpukwia. It’s sacred mud from far out in the desert that we bring here for our guests. It’s not only good for your body, but it’s a cure for what ails your soul.”

“That’s some potent mud,” I joked nervously. “Are the ancestors okay with you putting it on people’s bodies?”

Sandy tugged the sheet gently from my hands. “Certainly. We all originate from Mother Earth. Here at Harmonious Healing, we reconnect our guests with their roots. Our goal is to ensure that you leave here enlightened and at peace with your world. Now, if you could roll over, I’ll start with your back.”

I rolled over. Sandy began to paint mud onto my back. It was warm and had the loamy scent of the earth after a hard rain.

“Have you worked here for very long?” I asked. If I was going to be practically n***d in front of a stranger, I wanted to at least know a little about her.

“Since they opened. Harmony and Steve are great.”

“Did you hear about my run-in with the practical joker?”

“Yes,” Sandy said. “I hope whoever is doing these horrible things stops soon. It’s not good for business.” Her brush strokes became a little more aggressive as she spoke.

“I wonder who would want to hurt the business.” Dang it. Juliet was right. I did want to find out what was going on. I comforted myself with the fact that there was no murder.

“Not me,” Sandy said. “I take care of my mom and little sister. I need this job.”

“I heard there was a little bit of controversy because of where the spa was built.”

Sandy gave a snort of disgust. “In Sedona, every square inch of land is a sacred site. I’m part Yavapai and I don’t remember anything sacred here. If Idelia had her way, every inch of the desert would be declared sacred to our ancestors.”

“Maybe it’s a disgruntled old employee.”

“Possibly,” Sandy said hesitantly.

“Anyone leave here unhappy with Steve and Harmony?”

“Just one guy. I think his name was Brad or maybe it was Chad. I don’t remember. It was a few months back. He’s got some tie to Marianne. It’s her ex or something. I don’t really hang out with anyone else. Between work, helping my mom and night classes at the community college, I barely have time to sleep, let alone socialize. I just know he didn’t work here very long before he was asked to leave.”

My librarian senses were tingling. “Do you know if Brad or Chad still has keys and access to the building?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Sandy must have realized she had said too much because her voice had changed. I might be Willow’s friend, but I was still a guest. “I never really knew him more than to say hello in the hallway. Can you roll over now? It’s time to detox your front.”

Closing my eyes and willing myself not to blush, I rolled over onto my back. Juliet owed me two museum visits after this and a visit to the local library. So far, this girls’ retreat had not been relaxing at all.