five

At the corner of Montgomery and Sutter, David headed back to the office building to retrieve his car and I turned in the other direction, toward North Beach and the Mystic Eye. I was hoping to catch Gale at the shop. Gale’s first career had been in real estate—she was very good at it and had made quite a lot of money. Then she branched out and started her first business venture with the Mystic Eye. Since then, her shop has become the most popular metaphysical store in the city. The Eye carries a wide range of books on occult subjects, jewelry, accessories, Tarot cards, candles, herbs, and gifts. Something for every taste and belief. Gale isn’t much of a believer in the occult, but it’s thanks to her I’ve collected an impressive astrological library.

Tonight she was hosting an exhibition for a new artist at the Fort Mason Center, a group of buildings at the water’s edge in the Marina District with a long and interesting history. The original fortifications date back to 1776, and after the great quake of 1906, the tidal cove was reclaimed and the boxy buildings that stand today were erected. Fort Mason is hardly an architectural wow, but it’s a national landmark, now put to good use for nonprofit businesses, galleries, and theatres. I had promised to attend, and hoped to catch up with Gale to see if she needed any help preparing for the evening’s event.

The streets of the financial district were virtually deserted now that the lunch rush was over. An elderly black man stood at the corner playing a saxophone, his case open to accept donations. The wind had abated and his doleful notes echoed off the buildings. I rummaged in my purse and dropped a couple of dollars in his case. He nodded and continued to play, his music trailing me as I walked on.

The intersection of Broadway and Columbus is the heart of North Beach. The neighborhood isn’t a beach, but nothing in the city is very far from the ocean or the bay. Italian immigrants coming west settled here and created a unique neighborhood, now a major tourist stop full of clubs, cafes, and restaurants. I hurried across the busy intersection to reach the Mystic Eye. I spotted our friend Cheryl in one of the display windows, arranging gargoyles, Tarot cards, books, and crystal balls against an artful backdrop of draped velvet. Cheryl manages the shop and can be found there most days, especially when Gale is busy with other things. I tapped on the glass. She looked up and waved. I waved back and entered the store.

The aroma of sandalwood filled the shop. A small fountain gurgled and heavy drapes muted the noise of the traffic. The Mystic Eye was an oasis of calm in the hubbub of the city.

“Julia! Hi. Didn’t know you were coming by today.” Cheryl extricated herself from the window platform and climbed down on a short step stool. “What are you up to?”

“Well … you remember this is the week I promised David, my old boss, I’d fill in.”

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot.”

“Dere she is!” A booming voice came from the back of the shop. “A sight for sore eyes!”

It was Nikolai, a friend and one of the Eye’s loyal customers, who was known primarily for his regular appearances on a community access station exorcising demons from the bodies of attractive young women.

Charging down the aisle, Nikolai grabbed my hand and kissed it. “You look vonderful.” A crafty look came into his eyes. “A new man?”

I shook my head.

“You sure? I could svear. But dat’s good news. I still have a chance.”

“You’re such a flirt, Nikolai! What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I vant to check the space out. You know I’m doing a presentation here on Halloween, at the open house.”

“Oh, I didn’t know. What sort of presentation?” I’d heard Gale was throwing a party late Saturday afternoon at the shop with snacks and music, and that she’d encouraged guests to attend in costume. “I know Zora will be here for psychic readings and Jonathan will be doing Tarot.”

“Yes, yes.” Nikolai waved dismissively. “All dat’s nice, but I’m planning someting very special. You’ll see. It’s a surprise, I not telling anyone.”

I glanced at Cheryl, who widened her eyes to indicate her trepidation over Nikolai’s plan.

He bowed. “Excuse please, darling ladies. I must go now. I will see you both Saturday.”

As soon as the door closed behind him, I turned to Cheryl. “You have no idea what he’s going to do?”

“Nope. Gale just threw up her hands. She loves Nikolai. I mean, how bad can it be?”

“Nothing wrong with an exorcism on Halloween,” I replied drily.

“Come on outside.” Cheryl grabbed my arm. “I’m still fussing with that window. Let’s see what it looks like from the sidewalk.” We stepped outside and took a critical look. “What do you think?” Cheryl asked.

“I …” I felt a tickle run up my spine. I had the distinct impression we were being watched. I turned quickly, having half caught a reflection of movement in the glass. But when I looked across the street, no one stood out. I shook myself. Nerves. The sidewalk was crowded with pedestrians shopping at the outdoor Chinese market and passing the Wah Fong Hotel. No one had taken the slightest notice of us.

“What’s wrong?” Cheryl asked.

“Uh … nothing. I was imagining things. I just had a strange feeling.” Cheryl turned to follow my gaze. “It’s not important.”

“Well?” she said impatiently. “What do you think of the window?”

I gave her my full attention. “It looks fantastic.”

“Come on inside. I want to show you something. I have an idea and I’d like your opinion.” We stepped into the shop and Cheryl headed down the aisle, past the display cases of jewelry and rows of bookshelves and into the storeroom. She pulled a large cardboard box from a shelf. “I want to do a sort of pagan Halloween or Samhain theme in the windows. Gale reminded me we had these Venetian masks back here.” Cheryl pulled off the top of the box. Inside were six bundles, all wrapped in white cloth. She unfolded the first and held up a gold-painted female face draped in black lace, with a headdress of long feathers. “What do you think?”

“Wow! Is that the real thing?”

Cheryl smiled. “All the way from Venezia. One of Gale’s trips there.” She placed the first mask on the shelf and reached for another one. Once again she unwrapped the cloth and held the mask up for me. A face in cured brown leather and horns, neither human nor animal, stared back at me. I shivered involuntarily. Something about the mask reminded me of Jack Harding. “What do you think?”

“Definitely creepy.”

“Maybe I can use these against the backdrop of velvet with those big jack-o’-lanterns. They have small bulbs inside, so I can light them up at night. I really want the windows to look dramatic. Hey, want a coffee? It’s quiet right now.”

I nodded and followed Cheryl to the tiny lunch room. She filled the electric kettle with water and plugged it in. “You know, I love interior decorating magazines, and when I was a kid, I used to fall in love with department store windows.”

I laughed. “With your nose pressed against the glass, I’ll bet.”

“That was me. I thought a job like that would be wonderful. And now I have one!” Cheryl’s face was alight.

It was nice to see my friend so happy. Her divorce from her cheating ex-husband had gone through a few months earlier, and Gale had helped her buy an apartment near the Bay with her settlement. “How’s the new house coming along?” I asked.

“It’s coming. Slowly. I’m just kind of afraid to spend money right now. I still feel like I’m getting used to everything, being on my own and a homeowner and all. I’m scared to charge anything or go into debt, so I’ve been collecting things from garage sales and thrift shops. But it’s very homey. At least I think so. I want you and Gale to come to dinner some night. Would you like that?”

“I’d love to, and I’ll bring a housewarming present too. Let me know what kinds of things you can use, okay?”

Cheryl poured boiling water through the coffee filter. The aroma of rich ground beans filled the air. As if she could read my mind, she said, “I got this blend from Giovanni’s over on Green Street. He has the best.”

“Oh, before I forget, are you free Thursday night?” I inquired. “We’re getting together for Gloria’s birthday. Gale’s invited too, as soon as I can reach her. Kuan’s made a reservation at the Asia Inn.”

“I’d love to. Yes, I’ll come. Your grandmother’s such a sweetheart and I still haven’t met Kuan. I just keep hearing about him. What can I get her for a present?”

“Don’t buy a thing, just bring yourself. And you’ll love Kuan.” Kuan Lee is my grandparents’ old friend who lives in the first floor apartment of my grandmother’s house in Castle Alley. He practices Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and I’ve benefitted from his talents many times. I think of him as my surrogate grandfather.

“Speaking of getting together, you haven’t forgotten about Gale’s art show tonight?”

“No.” I cringed. “Are you kidding me? She’d never forgive me.”

“Me neither. I’m closing the shop at six so I have enough time to go home and get all dolled up.” Cheryl pulled a pitcher of half-and-half out of the tiny refrigerator and passed it across the table. “So what are you up to today?”

I sighed. “Well … it’s been a pretty chaotic morning.” I filled her in on the discovery of Jack Harding’s body at the firm.

“You are kidding me!”

“I wish I were.”

Cheryl squinted her eyes. “Didn’t you once tell me about him? What an ass he was? And how awful he was to everyone? Is that the same guy?”

“One and the same.”

“Somebody really didn’t like him.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Will your name be in the papers again?”

“Oh, I didn’t even think about that.” Cheryl was referring to my fifteen minutes of fame last year when I’d been credited with rescuing an elderly woman from an abusive religious cult. “I certainly hope not. And I really doubt it, but it does bring up another issue. David’s going to have to think about the press and damage control.”

“Yeah, I agree. An attorney murdered in his office wouldn’t exactly engender client trust, now would it?”

“I’ll have to talk to him about that. He’s stopping by my apartment later today for a reading.”

Cheryl sipped her coffee. “Speaking of later, you’ll get to meet Luca tonight.” Luca Russoli was the artist whose show Gale was arranging. He’d arrived on the San Francisco art scene thanks, in large part, to Gale’s connections and public relations savoir-faire. Gale told me they had been introduced at a dinner party given by a local neurologist who fancied himself a collector and she’d decided to take Luca under her wing. I waited. There was something Cheryl wasn’t saying.

“Have you met him?” I asked her.

Cheryl pursed her lips. “Yes.”

“When? Where?”

“I dropped some things off at Gale’s condo the other night and he was there.”

“Okay. What are you not saying?”

“Oh,” Cheryl groaned. “Please don’t repeat this to Gale?”

“No. I won’t say anything. You didn’t like him?”

Cheryl waggled her head. “It’s not that. He’s good-looking and he’s very charming and everything, but …” She trailed off.

“Something gave you the willies?”

“I guess he’s just a little too smooth for my taste.” She looked up suddenly. “Don’t say it. I know I’m certainly no judge, not after the turd I was married to.”

“Well, it’s different when it’s someone you’re not attracted to, isn’t it? You can listen to your instincts better.”

“Please don’t say anything to Gale. I don’t want her to be mad at me. There’s nothing so awful as a friend who doesn’t like your latest love interest.”

“Ah, so it’s love, is it?”

“I hope not.”

“I have great faith in Gale. She’s a smart cookie and can definitely take care of herself.”

“Not like me, you mean?”

“No.” I reached across the table and took her hand. “That’s not what I meant at all.”

Cheryl smiled suddenly. “I have to show you this.” She opened a drawer and pulled out her purse. She rummaged inside and found a small paperback book and handed it to me.

“What’s this?” The cover was a simple sketch of a lone candle.

“It’s a book on candle-burning rituals by Raymond Buckland. He’s very famous, you know. I bought a red male-figure candle and I’m going to give it a shot, see if I can attract a passionate man.” Cheryl glanced at me to make sure I wasn’t rolling my eyes. “That’s what I need in my life right now, some passion! And maybe you do too.”

I sighed. “I’m just not ready yet. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with passion, but I’m too busy with everything else I’m doing now.”

“Well, maybe it’s something to think about. Who knows? Maybe some tall dark handsome thing will walk into the Eye one day and sweep me off my feet.” Cheryl stirred her coffee. “Of course with my luck, he’ll be short, squat, and ugly, like my ex.”