A Timely Vision by Joyce and Jim Lavene Page A

hundred dollars. That’s what I’ve got. Do you gift wrap?”
    Since I’d quoted her five thousand dollars, I laughed. “I’m sorry. You can’t have it.”
    She looked at me as if she thought she’d misunderstood. “You can’t be serious. That piece of junk isn’t even worth a hundred. You can’t make that much here in a day.”
    We both surveyed the empty shop. “That’s not the point. I told you the price. I won’t take less.”
    “I am so out of here. You’re crazy, you know?”
    Watching her leave, her pencil-thin legs wobbling on high-heeled sandals, I agreed. She was the closest thing to a real sale I’d had that day. I had sold a few trinkets I’d gotten at the Presbyterian church rummage sale last spring but nothing of any great value. A few people came in for their UPS packages and dropped a few off. Not much to live on.
    As I was about to call it a day at four P.M., Kevin came through the door and stopped to admire the place. “Wow! You really have a lot of junk.”
    “Some of that is very good junk,” I told him. “Some of it is even very expensive junk.”
    “Sorry. I didn’t come to make you angry. I have a warning.”
    “That sounds ominous.” I gravitated toward the burgundy sofa in the middle of the shop.
    “Well, since you haven’t done anything wrong, it won’t be a big deal. The SBI had me come in this morning to talk about finding Miss Elizabeth and about you .”
    “What about me?” I scooted over so he could sit down on the sofa. “I told Chief Michaels everything I know.”
    He shrugged, and I noticed the Blue Whale Inn T-shirt he was wearing. “It’s standard procedure. If I were investigating this case, I’d bring you in too.”
    “Should I say anything about finding Miss Mildred’s watch?”
    “That’s up to you.” He glanced toward a painting of a dog running up the seashore. “Hey! I like that. It might look good in my lobby.”
    “In other words, you already told them I find things.”
    “I didn’t have to. They talked to Chief Michaels, and he filled them in. It was really only a matter of time anyway. I couldn’t deny I knew you were psychic. How much for the painting?”
    A little annoyed that I’d be in a defensive position when they talked to me, I rolled my eyes and answered, “Fifteen thousand dollars.”
    He smiled, then looked at the painting again. “For real?”
    “How much do you think my privacy is worth?”
    “Look, Dae, everyone here knows about you. It might be a little more uncomfortable for you talking to the SBI with them knowing you’re psychic, but it will be fine. I’d be happy to tag along and help out if—”
    “Great! What time do they want to see me?”
    “There’s nothing to worry about.”
    “But I’ll feel so much better with you there. I’d call my lawyer, but he’s working off a DUI picking up trash on the roads. What time did you say?”
    “I don’t know. Chief Michaels might come for you. Or he’ll call. I don’t know which.”
    I took out my cell phone. “I’ll call you then. Thanks for volunteering.”
    “Sure. So how much for the painting?”
    We settled on three hundred dollars. I was only asking four hundred. It wasn’t one of my special finds, but I was glad to see how much Kevin liked it. I’d know if it was a pity purchase (to make up for his talking about me to the SBI) if I didn’t see it hanging in the Blue Whale lobby.
    “Thanks. You made my lackluster sales day much better.” I nodded at his T-shirt. “I like the color and the new design on that. I’d be glad to sell some of them here if you like. I have a community board over there too where you could give out information.”
    “That would be great! Speaking of the Blue Whale, when can I expect you to come over and help me find my key?”
    I thought about it. I could’ve done it right there in the shop on the brocade sofa. But I had never been in the Blue Whale. I was barely six years old when it closed. I thought this would be