The Scented Cipher (A Nora Black Midlife Psychic Mystery Book 9)

Chapter 12

The next morning, I rose with the sun, a rare occurrence for me as I was not a morning person. My body felt stiff and my brain foggy. In other words, I was suffering from an anxiety hangover. Anyone who’s ever suffered from a full night of anxiety attacks would know exactly how I was feeling. I took my 9 mm from my nightstand and put it back in the gun safe. I’d felt safer with it nearby but was thankful I hadn’t had a reason to use it.

My house faces the west, so I peered out the window, hoping for some sunrise magic to boost my spirits. Instead, I noticed a black sedan parked at the end of my lot instead of the marked police cruiser that had been there the night before. Instantly, I recognized Reese’s cinnamon-red hair on the driver’s side, and it looked like Broyles in the passenger seat. They must’ve taken over for Jeanna and Levi sometime early this morning or last night.

My stomach twisted with a familiar unease. I hated needing a babysitter and hoped it was a whole lot of something over a whole lot of nothing.

After showering to wake up, I wore pale pink sweats and headed to the living room. As I walked through the house, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The creep sending me the memories had made me feel unsafe in my own skin.

Ari sat on the couch in the living room in her rocket-ship pajamas. Her blankets and pillows were in the same pile I had left for her the night before. She was frantically scrolling through her phone, jotting down notes with her stylus.

“Come look,” she said absently, waving me over.

I hadn’t had my coffee yet, but the girl looked feral. Protesting might get me bitten. I walked over and stood behind her. Her phone screen resembled something out of “A Beautiful Mind,” filled with ovals, branches, and sub-branches. My heart pounded, and a knot of tension tightened in my chest as I saw the chaotic web of information.

“Whatcha got there, kiddo?” I asked cautiously.

An empty cup of coffee sat on my coffee table, and Ari’s hands were shaking as she held her phone up for me to see.

“Mason and I made a revenge mind map for all the people you’ve helped put in jail, anyone on parole, and included any family members who live in town that I could find who might hold a grudge. On top of that, I factored in any veiled threats on social media directed at you or the police.”

“Mason?” I asked.

“Yeah, I hit him up to help with research. We’ve been DMing back and forth all night.” She wagged two fingers at me. “More brains, more gains.”

I didn’t love that Ari had spent hours researching all my potential enemies. I loved it even less that she was able to find enough to make a whole map. I peered at her screen. “I can’t believe that many people want revenge against me. It seems...excessive.”

Ari tilted her head back to look up at me. “No worries, Aunt Nora.” Her brown eyes were bloodshot with sleep deprivation. “We couldn’t find anything with your name on it specifically prior to twenty-four hours ago, but there are a few posts from before that we think allude to you. No concrete confirmation, though.”

“And in the last twenty-four hours?” I asked.

“You’re better off not knowing,” she answered.

I cringed. “Your answer means I definitely don’t want to know.”

“Sorry, I wish it was more helpful, but too much information is as bad as having too little,” she said earnestly. Her speech pattern was quick and clipped, her voice rising several octaves as she went on a mini-rant. “That letter in the Gazette brought a lot of ugly out in this community and, frankly, all over the place. There are a lot of posts from people who don’t live in or around Garden Cove. Heck, I found one post that originated from freaking Russia. I don’t know whether to hate these people because they are the worst kind of trolls or feel sorry for them because they obviously have zero joy or love in their lives if this is how they behave toward total strangers.” She sucked in a deep breath at the end. Her eyes were watery with unshed tears of her righteous indignation.

I put my hand on her shoulder. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

“I’m good. I’ve gotten less sleep studying for a final.” She waved a hand dismissively. “I’m just mad as heck.”

“I can tell.” I squeezed her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t let the trolls win, okay? Their words can’t hurt me.”

“That’s just it, Aunt Nora, their words can hurt.” Her voice was angry. “You don’t understand the reach people can get on the internet. It can damage your business and your reputation.”

“I think both of those will be just fine,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “However, I’m going to need some coffee before I hear any more about all the people who hate me.”

She snatched up her cup and handed it to me. “I just brewed a fresh pot,” she said. “Black, two sugars.”

I chuckled and shook my head as I took the mug from her, trying to hide my unease. “Coming right up.” After all, the kid had worked nonstop through the night to gather data on my behalf. If she wanted to boss me around a little this morning, I would let it slide.

As I poured fresh coffee into two mugs, the doorbell rang. It startled me for a moment until I remembered that Reese and Broyles were outside watching for bad guys. She wouldn’t have let anyone come to my door who wasn’t on a safe list.

I hollered to Ari, “See who it is,” and then finished doctoring her coffee with the two sugars.

“It’s Ezra and Mason,” she yelled back.

Good, I thought. Ezra loved me enough to make all the people who hated me less important. When I walked back into the living room, I expected a happier reunion, but my guy looked miserable.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Did something else happen?”

“In a manner,” he said. “The Gazette got another letter.”

I set the steaming mugs on the coffee table, pushing Ari’s near her phone. Worry laced through me as I thought about what another letter would do to my ability to work and live in Garden Cove. “Did they publish it?”

He shook his head. “Darla Potter put a stop to it. But that doesn’t mean whoever sent it won’t try to get it seen in other ways.”

I clenched my jaw, wanting to scream at how easy it was for people to lie and even easier for gullible people to believe it. “Do you have it?”

“Chief Rafferty took a picture and texted it to me. It’s typed and printed like the last one,” he replied.

I made a gimme gesture. “Let me see.”

Ezra took his phone from his pocket and pressed it to his chest. “It’s bad, Nora.”

“How bad is it?” I said, mimicking the classic joke style of call and respond.

Ezra didn’t laugh. “Bad.” He woke up his screen and handed me his phone.

What I read next made me sick to my stomach.

To the Residents of Garden Cove,

It is with a heavy heart and an even deeper sense of urgency that I write this follow-up letter. The recent events that have shaken our town to its core compel me to speak out once more. We must confront the truth about Nora Black, whose actions have proven to be a grave danger to our beloved Garden Cove.

Just a short time ago, our peaceful street fair, what should’ve been a grand celebration, was marred by a disruptive shooting. Panic and chaos erupted, leaving many of our friends and neighbors traumatized. While the true perpetrator remains unknown, evidence has surfaced that points to Nora Black’s involvement. Her suspicious behaviors cannot be overlooked.

As if that wasn’t enough, a horrifying incident at a local church has further exposed the peril she poses. She was present when a bomb, planted with malicious intent, detonated inside the hallowed walls of Cove Community Church. Disturbing clues suggest Nora’s hands, along with her psychic nose, are all over this vile act, casting an even darker shadow over her already tarnished reputation.

Though some may find it hard to believe, the pattern of violence and terror that follows Nora Black cannot be ignored. Her presence in Garden Cove is becoming synonymous with fear and unrest. The safety of our community is at stake, and we must act decisively.

We cannot allow ourselves to be deceived by those in public law enforcement who would have you believe she’s a hero. Nora Black has proven time and again that she is willing to jeopardize the lives of innocent people for her own accolades. Her cowardice, heartlessness, and now apparent involvement in these new violent crimes make her a menace we can no longer tolerate.

As concerned residents, it is our duty to protect our town from those who seek to harm it. We must demand a thorough investigation into Nora Black’s activities and ensure that she is held accountable for her actions. Let us stand together, united in our resolve to restore peace and security to Garden Cove.

You’d do well to heed my Wise and Loyal council,

A Vigilant Resident

I handed the phone back,feeling the blood drain from my limbs as my poor heart hammered against my chest. “This is more than bad. It’s super bad,” I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Nuclear bad.”

“Bruh.” Ari, who had been standing nearby and apparently speed-reading over my shoulder, took the phone for a closer inspection. “That’s so wack. Total trash. Is this person for real?”

“Say it louder for the people in the back,” Mason said as he stood beside her. “It’s?—”

Ezra’s brow furrowed. “Real enough to write a letter and deliver it to the paper. It’s a total dumpster fire.”

I couldn’t decipher from the letter whether the writer harbored genuine hatred towards me or if they were simply aiming to incite public outrage. Perhaps it was both. Regardless, if this went public, my reputation, as Ari had pointed out earlier, would be shredded.

“The chief is keeping the mayor away from this for now, but if it goes public, he’ll have to do something to save his job,” Ezra added.

“I get it,” I said, feeling the weight of the situation settling in. As much as I wished Shawn could support me, he had two kids in college and hospital bills from Leila’s treatments. Losing his job now would be devastating.

I heard my phone ringing from the bedroom, and I seized the opportunity to escape the living room and the offending letter. Glancing at the caller ID, I saw it was Pippa, so I answered immediately.

“Hello, good morning,” I said, attempting to sound composed despite feeling anything but. “What’s up?”

“I hate to call because I know you have a lot on your plate, but someone broke a back window at the shop,” she said.

“How?” I asked, my mind racing.

“A good old-fashioned brick,” she replied.

My stomach burned, and I worried I was developing an ulcer. “How come the security company didn’t notify us?”

“I don’t know. Our alarm is wireless, so there was no power to cut, but it’s been smashed to pieces.”

Ezra entered the bedroom, concern etched on his face. “Did something happen?”

“Someone broke a window at the shop with a brick, and then they demolished our security system,” I explained.

“A smash and crash,” Ezra remarked grimly.

I shook my head in disbelief. “Tell me more.” I put Pippa on speaker. “I have Ezra here. He’s calling this a smash and crash.”

“That’s where thieves will break into a place and smash the alarm before it can be triggered. Usually, there’s a ten to fifteen-second delay to give owners time to turn off the alarm before the security company is alerted. A lot of security systems bank on burglars being too stupid to figure it out.”

“Son-of-a-birch tree,” Pippa grumbled.

“Did anything get stolen?” I asked, anxiety gnawing at me.

“Not that I can see, but you have a lot of stock in the back, and I can’t tell if any is missing or not. I took the money home with me yesterday. After the craziness in the street, I didn’t want to risk leaving it in the shop over the weekend.”

“Good idea,” I reassured her. “I’ll be down in a little bit to check things out.”

Ezra shook his head emphatically, his worry mirroring mine. It wasn’t going to stop me from going, though.

“I called the police,” Pippa informed us. “I figured we should make a report.”

“Sounds good. See you soon.” I ended the call and turned to Ezra. “Is this the work of our guy or some disgruntled citizen who doesn’t like having a nosy psychic in their town?”

“If it is the guy, I’m sure he left you some kind of clue,” Ezra said, wrapping his arms around me tightly. “Whatever it is, we’ll find it out together.”