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After I spent hours watching videos on disinfection and types of piercings, Nell officially opened Twisted Sisters. A cluster of three young women giggled as they burst into the shop.
“Do you ladies have an appointment?” Jade asked.
One girl came forward. “Under Dana,” she explained.
“I see it,” Nell spouted after scanning her planner. “It says you want to spin the wheel.”
The girls laughed all the louder. I leaned over to Jade. “What does that mean?”
She pointed to a wheel game show co-host style. “They pay a flat fee and spin the wheel. Wherever it lands, that’s the tattoo they’re getting.”
I frowned. “What happens if they don’t like what they spin?”
Jade squinted conspiratorially. “They can walk away with no new ink and without a refund. Or they can pay an additional fee to spin again.”
“That’s a steep challenge.”
Dana and her friends didn’t seem apprehensive. They clomped over to the wheel. Dana handed Nell the cash. “Gill, can you record this?” she asked the still-hanging-around family friend, then passed him her phone without waiting for a reply.
Gill waited for all three women to cluster in front of the wheel. Nell and Jade stood beside them. Nell sporting her normal emo apparel. Jade decked out in British Mod revamp, complete with lavish side bang dramatic eyeshadow.
A redhead—Dana, I assumed—hesitantly approached the wheel of tattoo fate. Gill aimed the phone and gave the group a thumbs up. I watched him and not the ladies as they twirled the wheel. As the click-clack ramped up and slowed, Gill focused his camera on Dana first and then pulled back to get the entire gaggle.
Was he always so obedient to the Morris women? Perhaps they were more like family than friends? I’d seen it multiple times before.
The women groaned and giggled. “Almost!” one of them shouted.
I pulled my attention from Gill. The shouter gripped Dana’s shoulders and shook her. The wheel stuttered. Its needle pointed to the word monkey. However, the triangle directly after the monkey was the word raven. I held my breath as the needle ticked closer to the predatory bird. The woman squealed, and I shut my eyes. I didn’t want to see it.
“Monkey!” the shouting woman escalated her enthusiasm. Dana seemed less impressed. She scowled.
Nell was quick to ease the tension. “Come this way, and I’ll show you the monkeys you have to choose from.”
“Choose?” Dana’s voice held stunned emotion as she slogged behind Nell.
“Yes,” Nell continued. “It’s going to be permanently on your skin. We allow you a teeny bit of choice in the matter.”
Jade explained to the rest of the group. “Each wheel category has five characters to choose from. There are cute versions and sinister versions. Black tattoos are the basics, but your friend can upgrade to full color.”
“Oh,” Dana called, “I like that one!” She pointed to the book Nell held open for her. Her friends peeked over her shoulder.
“Yes, get that one,” the quieter lady said.
“Are you going to upgrade?” the redhead asked.
“I’ve never done this one in purple before. Do you like purple? Maybe with a yellow outline?” Nell asked.
Dana’s smile grew. “Purple's my favorite. Let’s do that!”
Business lady Jade slid in beside the customer. “We’ll handle your balance beforehand.”
“Becky?” Dana called out to her quiet friend. “Dig in my purse and hand this lovely lady my card.”
Becky complied as Dana showed Nell where she wanted her purple monkey placed. I scooted in to see the template and nearly choked on my spit.
The chubby baby monkey was moderately endearing until it left the page and scurried up Nell’s right arm. It swung there for a moment and winked at me. “Crab apples!” I cursed.
Jade frowned. “It’s not my taste either. Nell will make it amazing. She always does.”
I backpedaled to the snack counter and did my best to fade into the scenery. Any minute now, if we were lucky, a song would explain the upcoming disaster. Then again, only the Raven kept the normal routine. His henchmen didn’t have to spew clues. If I didn’t want to look like a raving loon, all I could do was wait silently for the next boot to drop.
“Are those available to buy?” Becky asked, pointing to the cake plate.
I stared at her blankly. Jade stepped up. “They sure are. Penny helped me bake them this morning.”
“Got anything to drink with them?”
Jade pointed to a small soda fridge. “There’s bottled water. Free for paying customers.”
“Awesome, thanks.” Becky paid for some treats and gathered the beverages. She bumped into me absentmindedly as she passed out her purchases.
Jade reached around the counter and rested her hand on mine. I screamed, and then the first two beats of Panic by the Smiths played through the ceiling speakers. What’s with the Raven’s sense of humor? I wondered at the sudden jovial spirit accompanying the Raven’s clues as chills trilled through me.
Jade squinted at me as I listened thoughtfully to each word. Her mouth opened as if she were about to ask me a question. That’s when Nell called her over.
I took the moment to flee the scene. Tripping over the steps, I hurried upstairs. My ankle flamed in response. I wasn't thrilled when I rose to continue up the flights to the apartment.
The Morris girls had a less-than-rigid security protocol regarding their apartment. They tucked an extra key under their snarky Go Away welcome mat. I dug it out and helped myself to their flat.
Spades, who’d been napping on the kitchen counter, rose enough to turn his back on my intrusion and go right back to sleep. I hurried to the bathroom.
“Get a grip, Penny,” I told my made-up reflection.
Lyrics rebounded in my mind. Panic. London. Music. Nothing helped.
A flash of the near-car accident from the days before replayed in my mind. Squirrel, car, song. This time it had given me the Monkey omen and the song first. That meant I had time. Maybe. Whatever was coming, I had the same two choices I always did—stay and fight or head for the hills.
I liked Jade and Nell. Jade especially. She was inexplicably different. Her strange inclinations and word choices made me feel comfortable around her. Sure, I hadn’t revealed my personal brand of gift to her. I never intended to have that special talk. Knowing she was slightly on this side of normal gave me peace—perhaps even a belonging. Of course, the Raven had to come in and smash that feeling to bits!
“He didn’t,” I told myself. “He sent his lackeys.”
Henchmen didn’t bring death—not biological death, anyway. Maybe this was the Raven telling me he still had me in his sights but approved of my current situation. Maybe his cronies were keeping me on my toes and nothing more sinister than that.
Which meant, “I need to chill out and get downstairs!”
I brushed a hand down Spade’s back and replaced the key on my way to the shop. There was no way of knowing what I’d walk into when I arrived. All I could do was be ready and willing to step in when the need arose. It would most definitely arise.