BY THE NEXT MORNING I was as fresh as a woman in a feminine hygiene commercial.
The night before, Ram urged me to go home and rest. We would meet for lunch at one as planned. He was quite certain I would not be attacked again. I wasn’t so sure, but the comforting lights of the Brinks Alarm System eventually soothed me to sleep. By the time I came downstairs searching for something to eat, it was almost eleven.
My mom was sitting at the counter having a cup of tea. God forbid a tea bag should ever enter the house. The only loose tea permitted was a Golden Orange Pekoe Darjeeling from India, although I knew for a fact she mixed it with Lipton Green Label for body.
I began rummaging through the fridge, and leaned forward to grab a box of mini chocolate donuts.
“Maya, we never finished our discussion from last night. You’ve been acting very odd lately, and I don’t like it.”
I grabbed the donuts and straightened too soon, my head slamming into the top of the fridge.
Luckily I was a divinely fast healer.
My mom’s face wore its familiar pinched expression. “You’re never home, and you never spend any time with Tahir.”
Struggling to suppress a groan, I joined her at the table and shoved a donut in my mouth. Politeness dictated I not speak while chewing, and I used the time to think. How dumb was I to think my abrupt disappearance from the airport, as well as my abrupt disappearance from the restaurant yesterday, would be forgotten? My abrupt disappearance from the party last night—certain to come up—was something I was not ready to tackle.
Swallowing pure chocolate goodness, I called up the energy and leveled the Goddess Gaze at my mom. “You will relax. You will not fret over my unmarried status. Your qualms concerning your lack of grandchildren will disappear. From now on your biggest worry will be whether or not the Anna Nicole show is around for another season.”
“What are you talking about? Who is this Anna person?” My mom’s face went from pinched to puzzled.
Damn, it didn’t work!
What the hell was the point of being a goddess if I couldn’t get my own mother to do what I wanted?
I looked away and focused the Goddess Gaze on the package of donuts.
“Did you know Tahir is spending the day with Nadia instead of you?”
“Nadia? How did that happen?”
Her face softened. Obviously she mistook my surprise for jealousy. “Nadia called and spoke with Tahir. They’re going apartment hunting in LA. Apparently she knows a broker.”
“Isn’t it a little soon for apartment hunting? He just arrived.”
“Metro Bank wants him to start ASAP. Their headquarters are on Wilshire, so Tahir needs a place in West LA.”
LA…Compton…Camino Real…
“Where’s today’s paper?” I demanded.
“Right in front of you,” she said calmly, sipping her tea.
“Oh.” I grabbed the Orange County edition of the LA Times. The article jumped out at me from the bottom corner of the front page. I began skimming. Gwen Danner, yada, yada, yada, prominent socialite, blah, blah, blah, murderous rampage, yak, yak, yak.
Then—
According to Camino Real guard, Ken Burke, a mysterious young woman entered and exited the premises. The description of the woman matched that given by club members as the one who dis armed Gwen Danner. Burke was unable to give a description of the car, except to say that it had nice fenders. Police are seeking the woman for questioning.
I knew Burke had fancied my fenders.
But why had the mind control worked on Burke and not on Gwen or my mother? Ram had some explaining to do. Still, I was thankful. Getting mixed up with the police was not a good idea. Newport Beach was not Gotham, and I was not on a one-on-one basis with the commissioner.
I shoved the chair back.
My mom narrowed her eyes at me over the rim of the teacup. “Where are you going?”
“Errands,” I said vaguely.
Tahir and Nadia.
Fervent Kali-haters.
Stupid. Unreliable. Goddess powers.
The day was seriously sucking.