Page 20 of You Can Leave Your Hat On

“Oh, lawd! I don’t want that thing back!” Terra shrieked. That was what Maisey had hoped.

“You’re welcome to keep mine. Since all of this has happened, I really don’t want it either.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think I want it either. I think I’d rather forget about this altogether.” Terra looked flustered, and Maisey couldn’t blame her. “And to think I became a woman to go through this shit. Who would-a thunk it?” Terra was beautiful, but Maisey had suspected she was transgender, and her guess had been confirmed.

“It’s a fluke, really. It’ll never happen again in a million years, I’m sure,” Maisey said, but that sounded hollow even to her own ears.

“It’s odd though. You look familiar.”

Uh-oh, Maisey thought, wondering if Terra would connect the dots. “Probably saw me at the tea.”

“No, that’s not it. Have you been in a TV show or something?”

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. She’s gonna figure it out, Maisey’s brain screamed. “No. Not me. I’m a social worker for the state. Child protective?”

“Oh my god! You’re the woman who sees dead people!” Terra almost shouted.

“Please, shhhh,” Maisey whispered. “Oh, god, no, please don’t tell everybody.”

Terra stared at her for a second before she said, “I can see why you wouldn’t want anybody to know.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Aaron muttered.

Terra’s face was pure compassion. “That bad?”

“Yeah. People kept leaving boxes on my porch with things that belonged to their relatives, wanting me to tell them things. They all had relatives who’d completed suicide, and they wanted me to tell them it wasn’t so. Unfortunately, it was true in every case, and it really took its toll on me. It’s been hard.”

“I can understand, honey.” Terra laid a soft hand on Maisey’s forearm to comfort her, and it really did make Maisey feel better. “So you put on the hat…”

“Yeah. I hear her talking to the person who killed her and feel her flying over the rail on the bridge. But it disappears before she hits the rocks or water, so the hat must’ve flown off as she was falling.”

“At least you don’t have to go through that final horrible moment,” Terra said.

“Exactly. So you don’t mind if we keep the hat? Because it might help us more,” Aaron asked.

“Mind? Keep that thing away from me! I don’t want no dead woman’s hat on my head!” the tall woman said with a smile. “It’s all yours.”

“Thanks. And thanks for responding to my post. At least now we know a little more. I won’t keep you,” Maisey said, standing, and Terra rose too.

“It’s quite all right, and if I can help you more, please let me know. If you need her, I’m sure my girlfriend would be glad to show you exactly where she found the hat.”

“That might be really helpful.” Maisey smiled. “It’s really been nice meeting you.”

“Same here. And you too, Aaron,” Terra said and nodded toward him. “I hope y’all get whoever it was. And if I can help, just let me know.” She handed Maisey a business card, and Maisey gave her one. Aaron did the same.

“Will do. And we’ll let you know if we solve the case.” Maisey started to put the card in her purse, but then glanced at it. “Wait. You’re an interior designer?”

Terra smiled. “Among other things.”

“I don’t know if you could help us… We’re trying to figure out how to add onto our house. Do you?”

“I used to be in construction when I was Terrence,” Terra said and winked. “I’d be glad to take a look and give you my opinion.”

“Oh, that would be awesome! We’d pay you, of course,” Maisey added.

“Look, you’re trying to find the killer of the woman whose hat I unwittingly wore on my well-coiffed head, I ain’t gonna charge you nothin’. I’ll be glad to look around and tell you what I think. You just let me know.”

“I will! Thank you so much!”

---