Dial Om for Murder by Diana Killian Page B

Barbie and now Lily.
    Lily was in full spate as she followed A.J. inside. “You’ve turned this place into a circus, A.J. I will never understand what Di could have been thinking when she abandoned Sacred Balance to you.”
    A.J. told herself to count to ten. She closed the door to her office with great care. The electric fountain splashed musically in the silence. Reaching three and a quarter, she burst out, “ That’s not something either of us will ever know, Lily. But the bottom line is, we’re stuck together. Deal with it!”
    Lily’s snapping-turtle eyes glinted dangerously. “ Deal with it? Who do you think you’re talking to?”
    Months of struggling for understanding and patience—of biting her tongue—had come to an abrupt end. A.J. said, “I’m not any happier that Sacred Balance came with you attached than you are to find yourself in business with me. But this is what Aunt Di wanted. If you can’t come to terms with it, I’ll be more than happy to buy you out.”
    “Like hell!” Lily said. “If anyone is leaving, it’s you.”
    “I’m not leaving.”
    “You’re ruining this business. You’re turning us into a laughing stock. Yoga for dogs, yoga for cats, yoga for babies, yoga for singles? My God, where will it end? Film crews, reality TV?”
    “How is that last my fault?” A.J. objected. “I’m trying to keep that film crew out of Sacred Balance!”
    “By antagonizing one of our most important clients.”
    Exasperated, A.J. said, “Do you want to be on reality TV or not? Because I don’t understand—”
    “ This is my point.” Lily was suddenly cool and patronizing. “You don’t understand . You’re out of your depth. It’s obvious to everyone. Before you destroy Sacred Balance, and everything it stands for, why don’t you let me buy you out?”
    “Buy me out?” A.J. stared. “How in the world could you afford to buy me out?”
    Lily smiled. “All that need concern you is that I’m now in position to do so. Name your price.”
    “I’m not going to sell Sacred Balance. Not to you, not to anyone. Aunt Di left the studio to me. We’re co-managers, not co-owners, Lily.”
    “ That was an oversight on Di’s part.”
    “Aunt Di didn’t have oversights. I’m not selling you the studio.”
    “ Then at least let me manage it on my own, the way Di intended.”
    “She didn’t intend that or she wouldn’t have made us co-managers.” A.J. lowered her voice and forced her knotted muscles to relax. “I understand that you’re not any happier with this arrangement than I am, but until one of us is willing to concede, we’re going to have to find a way to work together.”
    The intercom buzzed. Suze’s voice said, “Mr. Meagher is on line one for you.”
    “If you’ll excuse me,” A.J. said to Lily.
    Lily didn’t budge. She said flatly, “We have to resolve this A.J. For the good of the studio. We can’t have more incidents like this afternoon’s.”
    “Well, we’re not going to resolve it in the next two minutes,” A.J. said. “I need to take this call.”
    It looked as though Lily might refuse to leave, but finally she turned and went, closing the door with the smallest suggestion of a bang behind her.
    A.J. dropped down at her desk, her gaze seeking the enigmatically smiling photo of her aunt. She picked up the phone. “A.J. here.”
    “Ah, me darlin’ wee A.J. So you’ve a minute to spare for your old Uncle Bradley, have you?” Mr. Meagher said in his musical Irish brogue. A.J. could see him in her mind’s eye: a short and very tanned older man with a silver pom padour and bright, beady eyes. “And how is your wicked minx of a mam enjoying her holiday?”
    “Oh, Mr. Meagher,” A.J. said, and it all came pouring out—much to her own surprise.
    Mr. Meagher listened in silence until A.J. paused at last for breath. Then he was brisk. “Now, as to your first dilemma, we’ve several options open to us. We can indeed go the way of placing a restraining