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A New Age conference comes to Estes Park, Colorado, bringing a cacophony of tie-dye, crystals, and murder…
As summer draws to a close, the Spirit, Health, and Heart Conference arrives, just in time for Winifred’s sisters to open their store next to the Cozy Corgi Bookshop. To Fred’s surprise, Chakras turns out to be a beautiful addition to the delightful mountain town. The shop even has a room so pleasing in its crystal tranquility that Fred’s corgi, Watson, approves—and hardly anything impresses him.
But not everyone is charmed by the crystals, tarot readings, and messages of personal enlightenment. When a famous spiritualist is found dead, Chakras and the entire town is plunged into a conflict that touches the lives of those closest to Fred.
Although she is hesitant to become involved, it is simply not in the cards for Fred to sit out the investigation. As she and Watson embark on a journey that forces them to take a look into the darker shadows of Estes Park, Fred soon finds herself digging into the secrets of those she loves…
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Chapter Reveal
Chapter Reveal
“Here, Fred, hold these while I make some room.” Mom dumped a handful of silver necklaces with purple crystals hanging from them into my hands and began rearranging the other jewelry on the display. “I made these several months ago after I got in a huge shipment of amethysts, then put them away for safekeeping. Of course, I spent the past several weeks searching for the safe place. Barry found them this morning under the vacon in the deep freezer when he went to make breakfast.”
“You put them in the deep freezer?” I attempted to untangle the silver strands, then paused. “Wait a minute—what’s vacon?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I remembered who we were talking about. “Hold on, don’t answer that. It’s vegan bacon, isn’t it?”
Mom stood back from the display and nodded, though I wasn’t sure if it was at me or if she was satisfied with her rearranging. One by one, she took the necklaces from me and situated them in the newly cleared section. “I don’t remember putting them in the freezer, but it worked. There they were, safe and sound, happy as could be.”
“I didn’t know there was such a demand for amethyst that it would require a hiding place.” I tried to keep the teasing tone out of my voice. I knew how important Mom’s jewelry making was to her.
“At one point in history, amethyst was valued as highly as diamonds.” Katie, my best friend and owner of the bakery above the bookshop appeared from nowhere, holding a platter of mini quiches. “It was also known as the jewel of the gods.” She started to say more, doubtlessly some further, random trivia about the purple rock, but glanced down as Watson emerged from his hiding place from under my broomstick skirt and swatted her foot with his paw. “Oh no, buddy. No quiche for you, too much dairy.”
“He doesn’t need it anyway. Zelda’s already given him two huge portions of buffalo jerky.” Feeling slightly guilty for rubbing it in Watson’s face, I snagged one of the quiches and popped it into my mouth. “I’ll be glad when this is over. I think I’ve gained ten pounds over the last week from your quiches alone.”
She grinned, her round cheeks flushing in pleasure. “You’re not the only one putting on quiche weight. I’ve gone through more than three hundred of these little guys today.”
“I’m not surprised. The girls are having a really amazing turnout.” Mom took the last amethyst necklace from me and hung it with the others. “It’s so sweet of them to give me my own spot in their store for my jewelry.”
“I just have to say, I love your hair.” A small, yet powerfully built, stunningly beautiful woman stepped between Mom and Katie and reached out with her right hand, lightly fingering the beaded coil Mom had woven through the one remaining strand of auburn in her long silver hair. “This is beautiful.”
“Oh, thank you, dear.” Mom beamed and returned the gesture, touching the green crystals woven into the blonde dreadlocks. “And this is lovely. Aventurine?”
“Yes! It enhances intelligence.” She cast her wide teal blue gaze at Watson, then gave a giddy wave to me, then Katie. “Hi there. I actually came over to snag one of these little pies from you.” She plucked one of the quiches off the tray Katie held.
“Help yourself.” Katie didn’t correct her on what the pies actually were but gave her a once-over. “I have to say, you’re adorable. Rather like a New Age Barbie. One with muscle tone.”
She clapped her hands in delight, which caused a waterfall of quiche crumbs much to Watson’s satisfaction. “Thank you. That’s such a sweet thing to say.” She stuck out her tiny hand. “I’m Tabitha, Aurora’s assistant and her personal yoga and Pilates instructor.”
As we did a round of introductions, I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. Katie’s description was spot on. Tabitha had the body, face, and cheery personality of a life-sized Barbie, all dressed in a skintight, tie-dyed wrap that left little to the imagination.
“I also love your shoes, dear.” Mom glanced down to where Watson was snorting at the blue-and-gold tie-dyed stilettos. “I think you might be standing on some quiche.”
With a giggle, Tabitha lifted a foot and made room for Watson to snag the morsel. “Thank you, again. They’re gorgeous, right? They were a gift from Aurora.” Confusion crossed her features and she glanced across the store to where the New Age guru chatted with a small group of people. “She gave them to me yesterday. First gift I’ve gotten in the three years I’ve worked for her.” She twisted her ankle to show off the shoes. “But they’re Kamala. I looked them up online. They cost over a thousand dollars a pair!”
Katie nearly choked.
Gracious as always, Mom patted Tabitha’s shoulder. “They really are stunning. You must be quite the assistant.”
“Most of the time, I don’t think so.” Her confusion deepened and then vanished without a trace as she snagged two more quiches. “Wolf’s demonstration is starting in a few minutes. I’m going to take these to him, if you don’t mind. He works sooooo hard.” With another giggle and wave, made awkward by crumbling quiches, Tabitha headed back toward the crystal room, Watson scampering happily in her crumb-filled wake.
We watched her go, then Katie eyed Mom and lowered her voice to a teasing tone. “What did she say those stones in her hair were for again?”
“Intelligence, dear. Aventurine helps with—” Mom’s eyes widened and she swatted at Katie with a laugh. “Oh, stop it. You’re awful.”
As they chatted, I looked around Chakras. The place was packed. There were a few locals I recognized, but most were people I’d never seen before. I assumed the vast majority were from the conference. It was a very good thing, for many reasons. Simply for the success of the event and the shop, but even more than that, it was keeping the twins occupied. I’d witnessed many spats between Verona and Zelda, but I’d never seen anything like this. The coldness between them was palpable. Verona seemed furious, and Zelda was clearly humiliated. I was still kicking myself for not acting quicker the night before. It hadn’t even entered my mind that the two of us had been standing there eating ice cream when Verona walked in.
Maybe the complete success of the grand opening would ease the tension between them.
Katie nudged my shoulder, bringing me back to the moment. “I’ll catch you later. I’m going to go make the rounds again.”
“You don’t have to play waitress. It’s enough that you’re catering the event.” I snagged another quiche from the tray, despite my sentiments.
Katie shrugged, followed my lead and snatched up a quiche of her own, and only chewed for a couple of moments before speaking. “It’s kind of fun. Plus, all the walking counts as exercise, or close enough. And it’s not like Ben and Nick need me at the Cozy Corgi. They can handle things on their own, and everyone’s over here anyway.” She leaned in, lowering her voice just enough to only be heard by Mom and myself. “Everyone’s raving about the quiches, except for the headliner herself. Kind of surprised me. She was so nice to everyone else, but when I offered her some, she looked at me as if I was trying to give her sewage. Wanted to know if all the ingredients were certified organic.” She winked. “I told her I got up early this morning and milked the cow myself and turned it into cheese. She didn’t seem to find that humorous.”
Mom swatted at Katie a second time. “You are too much. No wonder I adore you.”
“The feeling is mutual, Phyllis.” Katie straightened and returned to normal volume before spinning and heading away. “And great job on the crystals. They’re going to be a smash hit.”
As we watched her go, Watson returned, slipped under the hem of my skirt to avoid the crowd of people walking by, and rested his head on the toe of my boot.
Mom gave me a meaningful stare. “You know I don’t like to be negative, but I have to agree with Katie. There’s something a little…” She shook her head but didn’t finish the thought.
“What?” It really was rare for my mom to say anything bad about anyone. Or even to start to, in this case.
She sighed, giving in. “Just the way she treats Verona and Zelda. And”—she held up a hand—“I know they’re off because of that ice cream incident last night, though I’m glad the cat’s out of the bag finally on that little issue, but still… When Aurora is talking to the other people in the shop, she has this kind, gentle, almost ethereal tone, but as soon as one of the twins comes up to her, she becomes condescending and demanding. Almost”—she winced—“arrogant.”
At that moment, Aurora Birnbaum let out a bell-like laugh as she departed from her group of admirers. Ethereal was a good descriptor for the woman. Though I assumed she was in her midfifties, she had an ageless quality—tall, willowy, and graceful. Soft chestnut hair was fixed on her head in a loose bun and long tendrils floated around her face. At first glance, the way she held her chin had looked like the mannerism of a gracious deity as she wove through the customers in the shop, pausing here and there to whisper and chat. But, after hearing Mom and Katie’s take on the woman, I couldn’t help but now interpret it as elitist. Apparently feeling my attention, her soft gray eyes flicked to me and held my gaze. After a moment, she smiled slightly and looked away once more.
I turned toward Mom. “They live in Estes during the summer, right? Then spend the rest of the year in Sedona. Haven’t you met her before?”
Mom shook her head. “I’ve seen Aurora and her husband, Wolf, from a distance a few times while Barry and I were out to dinner or something, but no. I’ve never been introduced. The twins have met her before, but I think they’re having a different experience this time, from what I can tell. It’s kind of like what your dad used to say about certain preachers or politicians. Sometimes when good people get in positions of power, they let it go to their heads. I know Barry met Wolf at a farmers’ market a couple of summers back. He felt like the man was genuine and—” She sucked in a breath as her eyes went wide. “Barry! I completely forgot. With the truck in the shop, we only have the Volkswagen, and he was getting ready when I left. I told him I was just gonna drop these off and come right back to get him.” She patted her thighs. “I must’ve left my purse and phone in the van.” She got on tiptoe and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll be back in a little bit, dear. Sorry.” And with that, she was gone.
I pulled my cell from the pocket of my skirt, but there was no missed call from Barry. Doubtlessly, he was patiently waiting at home. He was used to Mom’s forgetfulness, and he was so easygoing there was a good chance he’d not even noticed.
Without Mom or Katie by my side, I felt a little awkward just standing there. Honestly, I was a little out of place. In the bookshop, I’d have endless topics of conversation, but here, I wasn’t exactly sure how to approach people. I didn’t mind the aspects of the New Age shop or the lifestyle the twins embraced or the more hippie, flower-child sensibilities Mom and my stepfather had, but beyond that, I was at a loss. I knew others found it odd that I could lose myself in a series of books and feel as close to the characters as I did to flesh-and-blood friends. Still, I was afraid if I tried to converse about some of the items in the store, I’d accidentally offend someone.
A soft smattering of applause issued from behind the wall of clear quartz that led into the crystal room. Taking the distraction, I nudged Watson lightly, waited for him to emerge from his hiding space below my skirt, and the two of us headed over. I might not have understood most of the things that were happening at Chakras or the conference, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious.
I pulled the curtain of crystals aside enough so Watson and I could slip inside. There were only a few people in the beautifully glowing space. Tabitha stood in the corner of the room, at the rear of the group, hands clasped at her breasts and staring in blatant adoration at the man in the center, sitting cross-legged directly in front of the trickling water feature. In many ways, Wolf Birnbaum matched his wife. Long and lanky and dressed in a similar fashion, the kind that on the surface portrayed casual and simple, but after a moment’s inspection revealed it to be designer and expensive. He was attractive, like Aurora, although different. She was soft, glowing, and had that natural beauty that only money could buy. Wolf was weathered and rugged, but he too had a softness about him.
Watson and I had barely stepped more than a few feet into the room when Wolf clapped his hands, causing Watson to flinch.
“Sorry about that, little one.” Wolf’s voice was soft as well. “I didn’t know we had a dog in our presence, a corgi no less.” His gaze flicked up to me. “Animals are a true gift from the universe.”
I wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that. “Well, he is pretty special to me.”
“What do you call him?”
“Watson.” As I spoke his name, Watson looked up at me, but then he returned his attention to Wolf, who patted the floor in front of him.
“Come here, Watson.” Wolf smiled gently at Watson and patted the floor again, and with his other hand retrieved a large deck of cards that sat beside him. He fanned them out in front of him with a smooth motion. “Let’s give you a tarot reading.”
It was my turn to flinch. I’d heard of tarot cards, but I wasn’t entirely sure what they did. I assumed it was something like fortune-telling. “Oh no. Why don’t you do that for someone else? Watson’s a little bit of a grump. I doubt—”
Words fell away as Watson left my side, sauntered toward Wolf, and plopped down in front of the fanned-out cards.
Well… What in the world?
Watson wasn’t jumping for joy like he did with a few select people, a very few select people, but he seemed intrigued nonetheless.
Wolf’s gaze rose to mine. “You can join him if you would like.”
Being curious was one thing, experiencing tarot firsthand wasn’t something I wanted to do. But neither did I want to be rude at Verona and Zelda’s big event. I crossed the space and knelt beside Watson. Maybe I just needed to understand it. That was how my brain worked, facts and puzzle pieces clicking together to form reality. Without thinking, I reached out and pulled out one of the cards to inspect. As I turned it over, another card slid free, and I realized I was holding two of them. I cocked my head as I inspected, blown away. “These are stunning. Absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you. Aurora believes that art is a gift from the creator. A way to mimic our higher power, creating a shadow of what’s already been created if you will.”
I didn’t look at Wolf as he spoke, I was too captivated by the cards. Both because of their intricate beauty and marveling that such creations could come from someone as abrasive as Aurora. One was a painting of two small mice on the edge of a stone basin filled with water, their tails entwined in a beautiful spiral, and surrounded by a golden yellow field of wheat. The other was painted in rich oil tones and portrayed a unicorn. It glowed white in the center of a dark, lush forest, and at its hooves was a small round pool of water.
Wolf snatched the cards from my hand. He studied them for a heartbeat, then gave an approving sound as he smiled at me. “The mice are the two of cups, the unicorn is the high priestess.”
I nodded, once more trying to figure out the correct response. Finally I had to admit I wasn’t going to find it. “Okay.”
He chuckled. “Not a believer in all of this, are you?”
I shook my head. “Sorry. The cards really are lovely, though.”
“No need to be sorry.” Wolf laid the cards out, one at a time as he explained. “The two of cups represents a partnership, it indicates that you are one of those parts. It could be romantic or friendship. Whatever the case, it’s a source of happiness for you, and the other party is one on whom you can count on at every turn.” He motioned toward the unicorn card. “The high priestess is a sign of good judgment. And can often mean that, for you, intuition may be more valuable than intelligence at times.”
A chill trickled down my spine.
“Do those make sense for you?”
“I… um… I guess so.” They most definitely did. Over my months in Estes, I’d had to learn to trust my instincts or my gut, as my detective father had called it, over and over again. As far as partnerships and relationships I could trust? Well… I had more of those in Estes Park than I’d ever had in my life. With family, friends, with my furry companion seated by my side.
Wolf didn’t wait for any more response and refocused on Watson. “Your turn. Pick a card.”
Watson simply stared at Wolf and narrowed his eyes in his grumpy fashion. After another moment, Watson peered up at me with that look that clearly stated, Good grief, can we go home and get a snack already? Then, impatient as always, he collapsed on his forepaws and lowered his head to the floor with an exasperated huff.
At the puff of air, one of the cards moved. Wolf, who’d been silent during the small exchange, retrieved it and turned the card over, then laid it out for both of us to inspect. I leaned forward to do just that, while Watson ignored it entirely.
The card was equally as beautiful as the others. A snowy owl, its wings spread, each feather containing such minute detail I nearly wanted to stroke them. The longest feathers on either side morphed into long, glistening swords. The owl hovered over the background of a starry black night with the liquid moon directly above its head.
“Well, well. You two are quite the pair.” Wolf smiled at me and then focused on Watson. “This is the knight of cups. It tells us that strength is not the only source of victory, but also cleverness and savviness of mind.” He reached out to pat Watson on the head.
True to form, Watson pulled back after only a second of contact. He’d gotten better at allowing himself to be petted at the bookshop, but he still did so begrudgingly. There were only a few people who’d managed to steal his heart. Still, he didn’t seem overly irritated by Wolf. There was no growl or annoyed groans. Just retaining his boundaries in pure Watson fashion.
“Truly, the two of you are fascinating.” For his part, Wolf didn’t seem the least bit offended and smiled at me once more. “It was the start of a very good draw, a positive one. Would you like to keep going?”
I shook my head before I could even think of manners or remind myself that this was Verona and Zelda’s big opening and that I needed to play along. I managed to come up with an excuse quickly enough. “No. But thank you. My… sisters own the shop. I should let the guests have their turns.” Before he could reply, I stood and stepped away, Watson following at my heels. I offered a brief glance over my shoulder and a wave as we passed back through the crystals. “Thank you.”
Pausing for just a second outside the crystal room, I gave a little shake of my body. I knew I was being ridiculous. They were just cards, he was just a man, just like the sky-blue necklace of celestine crystal my mom had given me that hung around my neck was just that—stone and metal. But still. The reading had felt… revealing somehow. But it most definitely wasn’t clear-cut fact and didn’t click into place like puzzle pieces.
I was going to let the twins keep their New Age conferences. I’d stick to books, and Watson, I was certain, would stick with treats.
Speaking of books, I decided that was exactly what I needed. We’d go back over to the Cozy Corgi, and if Ben and Nick didn’t have customers they needed help with, I’d curl up on the sofa in front of the fire and get lost in a book while Watson curled up in a sunbeam from the front window and got carried away in dreams.
We started to walk through the shop, but it was crowded enough it was slow going. A man was informing a large crowd directly in front of the main door about events at the conference later that evening, while Katie meandered between the people, still peddling her mini quiches.
Whether I was being silly or not, I didn’t want to wait or barge my way through, so instead, I went the other direction, and led Watson toward the back door. I’d barely cracked it open when a voice reached my ears. “I’m sorry I offended you. Of course we’ll shut down the store tomorrow.” It was one of the twins, though I couldn’t distinguish which. “We’ll put an announcement on the front door so everyone will meet you at the Samson statue.”
“Trust me, Verona. A sign won’t be needed. Everyone will want to be at the ceremony. They won’t be trying to bang down the doors of your quaint shop.” Though the belittling tone was completely different from what I’d heard from her as she spoke to the guests in Chakras, Aurora Birnbaum’s voice was instantly recognizable. “I must say, I’m surprised at you, putting profits over enlightenment. When Wolf and I agreed to do special events here, we believed we were doing so for kindred spirits. Not souls who saw spiritual enlightenment purely for financial betterment.”
“We don’t. I don’t.” Verona sounded panicked, and close to tears. “In fact, we’ll close the store the entire week except for your and Wolf’s special events. The rest of the time, we’ll close down while the conference is in town.”
Watson’s hackles rose in what I recognized as a protective stance. He might not be as crazy about Verona as he was for her father, but he clearly counted her as family and part of his pack.
Before he could start to growl or move forward, I gave a gentle restraining tug on his leash. Verona wouldn’t want to be observed in such a situation. Slowly, I began to back away, trying to close the door softly enough that nothing would be heard.
Aurora’s voice reached me before the door click closed. “I think that’s a wise decision, Verona. After all, I know you’re not as all tie-dye and healing auras as you like to portray. As I’ve already demonstrated to you, it wouldn’t take much for me to share your not-so-little secret.”
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Reading the Cozy Corgi series is pretty much all you need to know about Mildred. In real life, she’s obsessed with everything she writes about: Corgis, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods. She’s not obsessed with murder, however. At least not at her own hands (nor paid for… no contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role in her personality. Having Fred and Watson stroll into her mind was a touch of kismet.
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