Page 46 of Trouble Comes in Threes

“She’s lonely,” I said, continuing to my Suburban.

“And that’s her own fault,” Neely Kate said insistently. “She pushes people away.”

“I know,” I said with a sigh as I walked to the driver’s door, leaving Neely Kate standing behind the vehicle. I glanced at her as I grabbed the door handle. “But it still felt like it was the right thing to do.”

I got inside, and she quickly walked around and climbed into the passenger seat.

“She’s so violent, which isn’t like her at all,” I said. “I think she feels hopeless. She gave up her house and her life, and now she’s here. No one comes to see her, and she obviously doesn’t have any friends.”

“And whose fault is that?” Neely Kate countered.

“I know. She’s never been an easy woman to deal with?—”

“You think?”

“But she loved Violet, and she loves Violet’s kids. And I meant it when I said it would be good for them to have something to remind them of their mother.”

“Is this because of what’s going on with Ashley at school?”

I considered it. “Partly, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about Miss Mildred.” I swung my gaze to Neely Kate. “In my vision, she was standing on a table, trying to hit an older man with her cane. She fell into his lap and then onto the floor. She said she thought she had broken her hip.”

Her nose scrunched. “How in the world did you see that?”

“Nothing popped up when I tried to force a vision about Miss Adolpha in the warehouse, so I switched it up, asking if she saw anyone get hurt.”

“And she had a front row seat to Miss Mildred’s table dance?” she asked with an ornery grin.

I grimaced. “Yeah.”

She was quiet for a moment. “So it wasn’t Miss Adolpha’s vision that showed you the dead woman?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m guessing it must have been yours, but something changed it.” I wondered again if I should tell her about the dream.

“The murder in Pickle Junction,” she said.

I wanted to argue with her, but the idea didn’t seem that far-fetched.

“We need to find out more about that murder,” she said with a hard edge in her voice.

I stared at her in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

She turned in her seat to face me. “We need to find out why Harvey Smith was murdered because whatever he was doing put us in danger.”

I shook my head. “That’s insane.”

Her brow lifted. “Is it?”

My heart sank because I was worried she might be right.

“Do you think Joe will give you any information?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No. He keeps that stuff pretty close to the vest, and if I tell him about the vision, he’ll freak out. He’s been under enough stress lately. I don’t want to worry him.”

She flopped back in her seat and drew in a deep breath. “Then how are we going to find out?”

“I know someone who might help,” I said.

I only hoped he wouldn’t ask a lot of questions.

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