Trouble in the Tarot (28 page)

“What’s that?” I couldn’t help asking out of curiosity.

“Exactly what I planned to all along. My investment, remember?” A determined look entered his eyes. “I’m going to give her the trip of a lifetime, even if it means carrying her over my shoulder until we get there.” He left without another word.

“That’s so romantic,” Granny said wistfully.

“I know you miss Grandpa and only wanted to play matchmaker for Harry’s sake. And I know you like Fiona no matter what you say. But you’re still in trouble. You guys aren’t kids anymore. This could have been much more serious than it was. You have to start thinking first, Granny.”

“You’re right, and I’m sorry.” She patted my hand. “It can’t have been easy with both of us under your roof. I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, sweetie. I promise to try and get along with Fiona, even if it kills me. One way or another, we’ll be out of your hair soon.”

“Don’t worry, Granny.” For the first time, I could see she really was worried. I’d been right that Granny’s defense mechanism was to act like nothing bothered her so everyone else wouldn’t worry. I hugged her. “We’ll figure it all out. We always do.”

“I know, dear. I’m not worried. I think I’ll take a little nap now.” She hung up her apron and headed for the stairs, looking like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

So much for not being worried.

*    *    *

Later that day I sat in my sanctuary ready to give Abigail Webb a reading. Abby had called, asking if I could do a reading for her. I usually didn’t work on Sundays, but I was going stir-crazy confined to the house and worrying about Mitch. What if someone had been trying to kill him instead of me? We’d both been standing in the road when my car had rolled.

The doorbell rang, and I let Abby in. We’d had our share of differences in the past, but now that she was happily married to Chuck, she’d stopped obsessing over Mitch and acting crazy. We’d sort of come to a tolerable acceptance of one another. Pushing her feelings aside for me, she did respect what I did for a living.

Abby still looked great from the makeover her cousin
had given her—full-bodied brown hair with short sassy bangs. “I appreciate you accommodating me on such short notice,” she said.

“My pleasure,” I replied. “Follow me, and we’ll get started.” I led the way into my sanctuary.

I parted the strands of crystal beads that served as a door and entered the small, cozy, pale blue room with her right behind me. The scent of my aromatherapy oils filled the air, and new age music poured quietly out of the speakers of my stereo. My tropical fish tank bubbled in one corner of the room while my unlit fireplace occupied the other.

I had scattered various green plants and herbs about, and my fortune-telling supplies sat on shelves in yet another corner. My favorite part of the room was the constellations that covered the ceiling in a fabulous depiction of the universe that glowed when I dimmed the lights.

“Hold out your hands so I can see what type of fortune-telling tool will work best on you,” I said.

Abby did as I asked, and I held her hands and closed my eyes. I pictured each tool in my mind’s eye, and when I thought about tarot cards, her hands warmed and tingled. I opened my eyes and smiled.

“You’re a tarot sort of girl.”

“I am?” She blinked.

I nodded. It was always like that for me. Each person I did a reading for was different, and a certain feeling would come over me when I touched upon the one that would work best for that particular person at that time.
It didn’t mean other tools wouldn’t work on them, it simply meant that tool would work best for that particular situation.

“Allow me to prepare my space and ready myself.” I gestured toward the old-fashioned tea table in the center of the room, and she sat down. Once I had gathered my tarot card supplies, I joined her.

The first thing I did was cover the table with a silk scarf. This protected the cards’ energy from any undesirable vibrations. Next I placed some elemental symbols around the table. I chose a stone to represent the earth, a seashell to represent the water, a candle to represent fire, and incense to represent air. Finally, I used fanning powder on the cards because it made them feel wonderful, not to mention it was great for keeping them from sticking together.

I ate a piece of chocolate and offered one to Abby. Then I centered myself by breathing deeply, trying to pull the energy into my core. This helped me to focus, letting go of all other thoughts, and be fully present during a reading. I grounded myself by picturing a connection to the earth and its stable calming energy as I connected to the universe, inviting divine wisdom to flow through me.

“Do I have your permission to connect with your Higher Self?” I asked.

A wide-eyed Abby nodded as though unable to speak in her fascination of all that was happening.

“Place your hands palms up please.”

She did as I asked. I placed my own hands palms
down over hers until they were slightly touching. Then I closed my eyes as I tuned in to my Higher Self. I asked the universe to connect us and keep the connection as it guided me through the reading, then I removed my hands and opened my eyes.

“Think about what you want to know, and when you’re ready, ask your question out loud.”

Abby puckered her brow in concentration, and then said, “I’ve been through a lot in my life, but I’m finally happy. I have almost everything I’ve ever dreamed of. I’m so afraid I’m going to wake up, and it will all be gone. I guess I just want to know what the cards see for me.”

“Okay, then. I will use a three-card spread with the first card representing your past, the second card representing your present, and the third card representing your future.” I shuffled the deck of cards three times, and then laid three cards facedown.

I flipped over the first card, and the VI The Lovers card of the Major Arcana cards stared back at me. I smiled. “This card is the Lovers card. It represents your past, and it means you made a decision that made your heart glad. It’s complex and deals with the union of opposites.”

“Kind of like me and Chuck,” Abby said excitedly.

“Exactly. When you made the decision to get married, it made you feel good and certain and strong, but also scared and vulnerable. Just like falling in love feels. You chose the decision in your heart, and all is right in your world.”

“Yes, it is.” She beamed. “What does the next card show?”

“Well, let’s see,” I said. I turned over the second card, and the Three of Wands of the Minor Arcana cards stared back at me. “The Three of Wands is in the position of your present. This card represents active waiting. You are waiting for news of something. But you aren’t just sitting around. You’re making plans for what to do if the outcome is in your favor, and what to do if it is not.” I looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Does this mean what I think it does?”

She bit her lip, nearly bursting at the seams. “I wanted to keep this hush-hush, but I am just so excited. I haven’t taken a test yet, but I think I might be pregnant because I’m late. So cross your fingers and don’t tell anyone. I want to surprise Chuck.”

“I won’t breathe a word, but I can do better than cross my fingers.” I walked around the table and knelt before her. “Do you mind?”

She shook her head slowly, warily.

“It’s okay,” I said as I gently laid my hand on her stomach and closed my eyes. Focusing, I felt a warm vibration. It was faint and barely there, but there was a definite hum. Opening my eyes, I said, “You might want to take that pregnancy test when you get home.” I winked.

Her jaw fell open as I walked back around the table and sat down once more. “You mean…?”

“I can’t say for certain, but I’m ninety-nine percent sure.”

She jumped up and started to leave.

“Wait. You still have one more card.”

“That’s right.” She sat back down but couldn’t stop fidgeting in her excitement.

I flipped over the last card and thought, I should have let her leave.

“You look funny. What’s wrong?” she asked when I hesitated.

“Well, this card is positioned to reveal your future. It’s the Five of Cups.” My eyes met hers. “This card represents the experience of loss and grief. It represents a period of mourning.”

Abby gasped. “Am I going to lose the baby?”

“I don’t know, I just—” My body jerked as my vision channeled into tunnel vision.

“What’s happening?” I heard Abby ask in the back of my mind, and I held up my hand to silence her before she broke my trance.

I spoke out loud, saying exactly what I was seeing. “I am standing inside someone else’s body, but I don’t know who. I feel the person’s anger and frustration. The person is facing you, and you’re clutching your stomach and backing away while shaking your head in disbelief. You are outside of your trailer, backing toward your front door when you trip and fall backward. You cry out in pain as the person lunges forward to—”

“No!” Abby screamed, yanking me back to the present. “I change my mind. I don’t want to know. I can’t. Just stop. Please.” And then she bolted out of my house, leaving me behind and stunned.

What just happened? Who was after Abby? Who was angry with her? Could Chuck be angry about the baby? Did he even want children? There was a definite loss involved. Either she would lose the baby, or Chuck would leave her. She’d been so happy, but then I’d made her miserable. She was right. She had been through a lot, but I was afraid her troubles were just beginning.

It was times like this that made me want to quit.

20

Five hours later, dusk was settling on Divinity. I knew I was supposed to stay put. I had promised Mitch. But I couldn’t stop thinking about Abby.

The reading I’d given her just didn’t make sense. Chuck was so happy to be married to Abby. I couldn’t imagine him not wanting kids. And it wasn’t like Abby had an ex who would be angry that she’d moved on with Chuck. For years she’d been obsessed with Mitch. He certainly wouldn’t be unhappy that she’d moved on with her life.

Who else could possibly be angry with her?

A wild thought occurred to me. It was a long shot, and I wasn’t even sure it was possible. But it was the only thing that made sense. I called Chuck at the hotel and asked where Abby was. He said she was home
because she wasn’t feeling well. He didn’t act like he knew why, so I didn’t say a word about the baby. I did however ask him some other questions. His answers filled in so many blanks for me. For both Bernadette’s murder and for my reading with Abby.

I just realized that last card in Abby’s reading regarding the sense of loss in her future, the Five of Cups, had to do with the number five. That could mean five minutes, five hours, five months. I looked at the clock. It was almost five hours since I’d done her reading. And the vision had taken place in the evening.

I sucked in a breath.

That meant I had exactly ten minutes to get to Abby to stop whatever was about to happen. “Granny, Fiona, Morty,” I shouted. All three appeared. Granny looking rested after her nap, Fiona looking less stressed after her sedative, and Morty looking like, well, Morty.

Aristocratic, and mysterious, and up to something.

“I have to go to Abby’s. If Mitch calls, let him know where I am. I tried his cell, but there’s no answer as usual.”

“Oh, but, dear, won’t he be mad?” Granny asked.

“Yeah, sugar, I thought you were supposed to stay put?” Fiona seconded.

“This is an emergency. I have my cell if I need it. Just sit tight and don’t get into any more trouble, okay?”

They glanced at each other sheepishly, then both said, “Scout’s honor,” at the same time and then, “Jinx.” They laughed.

Oh, boy.
Those two as allies instead of enemies might be even scarier.

I turned to Morty to tell him to keep an eye on them, but he had already vanished. Oh, yeah, he was definitely up to something. I had seen that look in his eyes before, but I didn’t have time to worry about that right now. It was nearly dark.

Hurrying to my car, I quickly made my way to Abby’s trailer. I pulled up but didn’t see anyone. Parking my car in her driveway, I hurried to her front door and knocked. If I could get her to listen to me, I could get her to safety. I felt it was the least I could do after my reading had upset her so much.

I walked back several steps when she opened the door and stepped outside. The sun was setting, but it was still hot and steamy out. She faced me with her arms crossed, walking forward to meet me.

“Thank God I got to you in time,” I said.

“What do you mean?” she asked warily. “I don’t think I can handle any more bad news. “I took the test like you said, and it’s positive. I’m pregnant. But now I’m too afraid to tell Chuck. You’ve got me thinking I’m either going to lose the baby, or Chuck is going to leave me.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry about that. That’s why I’m here. Chuck isn’t the one you have to worry about.”

Abby’s eyes widened and she started to walk backward, shaking her head in stunned disbelief.

“I haven’t even said anything yet,” I said, carefully
walking toward her so as not to startle her further. She looked like she was frail and vulnerable and ready to snap.