Tess cornered me, preventing an escape to the weight room. “I’m serious,” she said. “I think my dream was a prediction.”
“Okay,” I said with patience I reserved for paying clients. “Lay it out for me. Tell me what you think the dream meant. Why Charlie Sheen?”
“Not him. His initials. C.S.? Crime scene? I think you were in the dream because you knew Laycee. And she was murdered at your ex-husband’s house. I didn’t get the cheerleader part until I heard Billy say she wanted to audition for his show. Competition, get it? A lifeboat is on water. Escaping a leaking ship, right? I think a plumber killed her.”
Gretchen walked up and stuffed her purse in a cubbyhole. Over her shoulder she said, “A plumber killed who?”
“Didn’t you hear the news?” Tess said. “The woman here with Kyle on Tuesday was the one who got stabbed to death at Jarret Cooper’s house.”
“You knew her?” Gretchen said.
Tess gestured at me. “Liz did. I had a psychic vision about the killer’s identity in my dream last night.”
“What did you see?” Gretchen listened as Tess recapped her dream, then said, “I don’t pay attention to dreams. It was probably something you ate.”
“Trust me, I’m right.”
I bit back sarcasm. I didn’t doubt Tess’s dream meant something—I’ve heard stranger stories from my clients—but a psychic vision from the beyond?
“There are many ways to interpret your dream,” I said. “Freud might argue wish fulfillment. Carl Jung suggested every character in a dream represents you, the dreamer. The lifeboat may symbolize a facet of your personality. Water is sexual, the fighting is conflict, cheerleading is self-confidence. The subconscious layers multiple images in dreams, none of them literal. Instead of taking the dream at face value, see if you can relate the elements to your feelings.”
“That’s what I said. I have a feeling the dream provides a clue to Laycee’s murder,” Tess said.
Gretchen raised a brow. She turned to me. “You read dreams?”
“I can quote a few universal interpretations for fun, but I view dreams as personal messages from the psyche to the dreamer, especially if the theme recurs.” I turned to Tess. “Do you write out your dreams after you wake up? The practice makes an enlightening trip into your subconscious.”
“You bet I keep a journal. That’s how I’m sure my visions are right. I go back and check.”
Gloria bounced toward us in a T-shirt, sweats, and sneakers, looking like she had twelve hours of sleep and a facial though I knew she was out drinking the night before. She threw her keys onto a shelf. “Good morning. Nice day, isn’t it? Guess who I met loaded out of his mind at the Sportsmen’s Lodge pool bar last night.”
“Who?” Tess and Gretchen asked in chorus.
“Jarret Cooper. You were right about those martinis, Liz.”
“You were there, too?” Gretchen said to me.
“For a drink. I left right after I saw Gloria.” I looked up at the clock, acting surprised. “Didn’t realize how late it is. I’ve got to finish my sit-ups, shower, and get out of here. Excuse me.”
Members performing a variety of sit-ups, push-ups, stretches, and balancing exercises filled the floor of the back studio. I spotted an open space beside Kyle and the middle-aged gent grunting out a round of push-ups at Kyle’s feet. Nodding hello, I rolled out a mat then got on the floor and started my sit-ups.
“Liz, did you meet up with Jarret yesterday?” Kyle said.
“I saw him at the hotel. He was in a rush to meet Ira and—” I stopped mid-crunch and wound my hand in a circle. “What’s his lawyer’s name?”
“You mean Thaddeus Owen the Second?” he said with a bite of contempt. “The guy is more intimidating than my high school math teacher.”
I nodded knowingly. “Right. Thaddeus Owen. I suppose Jarret spends a lot of time with Thad and Ira.” Scheming to shift more suspicion on me for Laycee’s death.
“Don’t know. I worked all day.” Kyle helped his client up, then led him to the weight room.
Tess threw a mat on the floor and plopped down at my side. “Did you notice?”
“Notice what?”
“Gloria and Gretchen have the hots for your ex,” Tess said. “After you left, they kept talking about how sexy he is. Does that bother you?”
“Not at all,” I said. “I’m with a man I adore. I wish the girls luck—Jarret can be a lot of fun. Exclusive? Not so much. But definitely fun.”
After I finished stretching, I collected my things and a clean towel and went into the ladies’ locker room to enjoy a long, hot shower in peace. I dropped my backpack and gym clothes on a bench, turned on the water full blast, and stepped into the stall.