Followed by Elysia, she walked through to the salon and spa center located in the former narthex of the church.
“It’s nice, I have to admit,” A.J. said grudgingly. “In fact it’s more than nice. It’s really well laid out, and the prices are more than competitive.”
“Very.” Elysia, watching her, asked, “What’s wrong?”
“That’s Michael Batz.”
Elysia followed her gaze to where a young, athletic man with a head of hair like a Renaissance angel was working on the mat. “And?”
“He resigned his Sacred Balance membership about a month ago. He said he was taking a break from yoga.”
“I wouldn’t take it personally. No place is right for every person, after all. Sacred Balance probably had too many painful memories for Michael.”
Remembering the role Batz had played in her aunt’s murder investigation, A.J. nodded, but she was still unconvinced. That made three Sacred Balance clients that she knew of who had defected to Yoga Meridian in the past five weeks. If the exodus continued at this rate, they’d be out of clients before Christmas.
“A.J. Alexander,” a carefully modulated voice remarked from behind them. “Welcome to Yoga Meridian.”
A.J. turned. Mara Allen, tall and willowy in a white leotard, came to greet them. Mara had striking blue eyes and a long, curly, prematurely silver mane made famous by her TV spots.
“Hello, Mara.”
“Namaste, A.J.” Mara put her palms briefly together, prayer fashion. “This is an unexpected pleasure.”
“Er, we were in the neighborhood. Truly.”
Mara smiled graciously. “May I show you around our facilities?”
“That would be lovely.” A.J. hoped she didn’t sound as lukewarm as she felt. She suspected, given the little glint of amusement in Mara’s eyes, that she wasn’t fooling anyone.
“You’ve been so often on my mind, A.J.” Mara led them through a bright airy atrium where students rested quietly on their mats amidst the forest of potted trees.
“Oh, really?” A.J. replied.
“Your determination and enthusiasm to carry on for Diantha, despite your lack of training or experience is really… heartwarming.”
“Thank you, but I’ve worked hard to get the training and experience I need.”
“Of course you have.”
Mara flashed her professional smile and led them past the steam room and then up the graceful staircase to the “Meditation Arbor.”
“It’s my greatest joy to share the gift of yoga with my students so that we can bring our lives, bodies, and minds into balance.”
A.J. smiled politely.
“Of course, you know that,” Mara said. “I love the Sacred Balance philosophy. Just do it. It’s so… succinct.”
“That’s Nike,” A.J. said. “Sacred Balance’s slogan is It could happen.”
“Of course it could,” Mara said encouragingly. “And here is the massage lab. If we weren’t already booked into next week, I’d offer you both a complimentary Thai yoga massage.”
By the time the gently condescending Mara had finished giving A.J. and Elysia their quick tour of the fabulous spa facilities, A.J. was struggling against uncharacteristic depression.
“Pretentious cow,” Elysia said when they were once again outside the building and the soothing sound of flutes and running water had died away with the closing of the painted doors. “Remind me why we needed to subject ourselves to the sight of that many middle-aged bodies in leotards?”
“I don’t know,” A.J. admitted. “I just thought maybe I should scope out the competition.”
“You’re not worrying about Suze’s mystery phone calls?”
“No. Yes. It’s too soon to know for sure. If Mara really was calling Sacred Balance to set up something like a charity benefit, why didn’t she mention talking to Lily?”
“Because Lily has already taken care of whatever the matter was?”
“You’re probably right.”
“Probably.” Watching her, Elysia added shrewdly, “But never ignore your instincts, pet.”
“Yes, but is it my instinct kicking in or my rampant paranoia?”
“Paranoia is useful, too. Ms. Allen did seem a bit… smug.”
A.J. smiled faintly at Elysia’s dead-on mockery of Mara’s deliberately timed digs. “She did, didn’t she?”
They drove back to Starlight Farm and picked up Monster.
Elysia wanted A.J. to stay overnight again. A.J. felt a little guilty about not keeping Elysia company, but as much as she loved her mother, it was not easy for them to be in each other’s company for long stretches without butting heads. Elysia’s legal woes were liable to continue for some time, and A.J. could not put her life on hold indefinitely. She would have to find a way to continue helping her mother while she got back to running her own life.
“What you really mean is you want to see Jake,” Elysia said shortly.
“I can’t not ever speak to him again, Mother.”
“I don’t see why not.”
A.J. said patiently, “Because I care for him.”
Elysia sniffed. “You could do so much better than that flatfoot, Anna. I know that your experience with Andrew undermined your confidence, but there’s no need to throw yourself away on the first man who shows an interest.”
And here it was. A perfect example of why she and her mother could not share airspace long without a collision. “My feelings for Jake have nothing to do with Andy. Things were going perfectly well between us before this murder charge cropped up. In fact-” A.J. stopped, realizing that admitting to Elysia her hopes for her relationship with Jake was tantamount to placing a loaded gun in her mother’s hands.
Elysia looked unconvinced. “Well, I can’t help but feel it’s a little disloyal to keep seeing the man who’s determined to put me behind bars.”
“Don’t do this,” A.J. said. Despite Elysia’s light tone, it was obvious that she was serious. “Jake is just doing his job. He’s already said he doesn’t believe you killed anyone.”
“He has a funny way of showing it.”
“Arresting you was not his choice.”
“That’s easy to say.”
A.J. took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I don’t want to argue with you about this. You’re my mother and I love you-and you obviously have my support or I wouldn’t have risked my neck breaking and entering Dicky Massri’s apartment with you today.”
“Just entering.” Elysia corrected.
“It’s not funny, Mother. I also care for Jake. A lot. So don’t ask me to choose because that is not a fair or loving thing to do to me.”
Elysia made an exasperated sound. “Very well. But don’t be surprised if he tries to force the issue.”
The rest of the drive to Deer Hollow was completed in silence filled only by Tom Jones’s 24 Hours.
A cottontail rabbit darted out from the lush flower bed as A.J. let Monster out of the Land Rover, and the dog took off after it with unexpected energy. A.J. walked up the porch steps. A graceful statue of Kwan Yin stood amidst the purple and yellow irises lining the house. The sweet smells of evening drifted across the sunset-gilded meadow.
Inside the house A.J. played her messages while Elysia put the kettle on, but there was nothing from Jake. Nothing on A.J.’s cell either.
Well, he would be busy with the investigation, after all. And she was the one who had said it was an impossible situation and that they should take things slowly.
Her and her big mouth.
Elysia, watching her, said suddenly, “I’ve been thinking that perhaps I ought to contact Maddie.”
For a moment A.J. couldn’t remember who Maddie was, her own problems temporarily outweighing her mother’s. Then it came back to her: Medea Sutherland. Her mother’s wacko friend who was apparently up to her bushy eyebrows in this murder investigation. It was indeed a small world.
She sighed. “I think we should try to find a way to tell the police exactly what we discovered in Dicky’s apartment and leave it to them from here on out.”