Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
The clerk, Merrilyn, was right. Alicia had left the building.
I could feel her loss even more in the room.
No wonder Nic hadn’t replaced the reader yet.
The spirits here would probably refuse to work with her.
They needed some time, and someone to talk to.
I wondered if Esmeralda would come by and talk to them after I approached the subject.
First step was to get them to talk to me.
I asked Bubba to stay out of the room, but close by. He nodded and took a stand to block the doorway from human intervention. Without a medium, the shop was pretty slow, but you never knew.
I sat on the client’s side of the table and took a couple of long breaths. Then I opened my senses. “I’m here to talk. I know you’re hurting but I want to find out all I can about who took Alicia away from us.”
A shiver ran up and down my arms as I had them outstretched on the table, my palms facing upward, a sign I was open to talking.
“You are Rebecca’s daughter,” a voice said and I opened my eyes to see a woman floating near the fortune teller’s chair. She had her hand on the back.
“I am. My name is Eddie.”
“I was called Clarise back in the day. When I wore a body and sat in this chair, telling people their fortunes. I told them what path to take, and yet, when they came back, they’d always gone the other way.
Like their knowledge of life was deeper than mine.
I saw their pain and their hope. So much hope.
It still makes me sad.” She settled into the chair.
“Are you here for a reading? You are so tormented inside. You need to follow your true path, not the one you think you want.”
“I could use a reading. But I’m here to talk about Alicia’s last client too. Can you tell me about the man who killed her?”
Clarise smiled and picked up a deck of tarot cards off the table. Except she didn’t. The cards were still on the table and yet also in her hands. “Let’s start with you, Miss Eddie. Such a name. We didn’t call our beautiful daughters by men’s names when I was alive.”
“It was odd when I was growing up, too.” I admitted. I had been teased as a kid at school, at least until Nic came and put the little terror into a headlock. After that, no one teased me, at least to my face.
She laid down three cards, then frowned and picked them up, and reshuffled. I hadn’t seen the cards. I’d been watching the room for other spirits. She held out the cards over the physical pile on the table. “Cut those for me.”
I followed her directions. This was my second reading in as many days. This time, I watched the cards. Three cards, past, present, and future. The devil was in the past slot, the tower in the current, and death in the last.
“That’s the same spread I drew the last time.” Clarise sighed and appraised me. “I believe you’re in for a huge change in your life.”
“I don’t want a huge change in my life. I just went through a huge change.” I was getting annoyed. Another spirit thinking that she knew what was best for my life. I took a breath and started over. “Sorry, I was venting. Go on.”
“So the devil, you trusted the wrong man in the past. Oh, and a relative too.” Clarise shook her head.
“That’s always so sad when relatives turn on you.
But that is all in the past. The tower is the upheaval.
What you planned, what you wanted is being shaken.
You must be careful or you will lose your footing.
If you do,” she tapped her ghostly finger on the next card.
I heard the tap. “If you do, something you love will end. I can’t see if it’s a person, or a career, or your shop.
Something is ending. Speaking of your shop, have you found that book that Forrest lost? ”
“You know Forrest?” Now I was leaning forward.
Clarise raised her eyebrows. “You don’t think we all notice when you try to send a ghost to the next life? You had many observers that evening. More than when they sent that knight off from your neighbor’s condo a few months ago.”
I was speechless. I knew the ghosts had gathered during the knight ceremony, but this was proof of communication between them. I needed more information. “Do you know the man who killed Mercy and Alicia?”
Clarise stared at the overturned cards as if there was more meaning to be had from the ghostly spread.
“Sorry, I’ve just never had the cards be this clear.
You need to change something, Eddie. Or this prediction will come true.
As for the killer, I did not know him. And when he came after my lovely Alicia, I was too shocked to do anything.
He has a black soul that one. And a hatred for our kind.
Maybe that’s why the cards are warning us. Warning you. Be careful.”
I was worn out and just sat in the car when we got to the antique store. Lilac wasn’t out front waiting, so Bubba headed inside to collect her. I closed my eyes and started when George spoke.
“Ma’am, I just wanted to tell you how much you look like Miss Rebecca.
I was her driver until the accident. I carry a lot of guilt for not being there that night, but my Sadie, she was in labor and your mother sent me off home to be there for the birth of my child.
Said they’d be fine. It was a short trip.
Just into town for their anniversary dinner.
She said the Mr. would probably be happy to drive his sports car.
When I heard that they’d wrecked, I was heartbroken. ”
“Accidents happen. So your wife had a baby? A son or daughter?” She asked, trying to get the conversation off her parents’ death.
“A son. He was early so we had to leave him at the hospital. It was a hard time, they thought maybe he’d be damaged, coming so soon.
I never understood why God brought him into the world that night.
But he’s off living in California now. He went there for computers in school and got a great job at one of those Silicon Valley companies.
He comes by every three months to see his mom and me.
She wasn’t able to have any more children.
Something broke in her after Kenny was born, but he’s making up for being an only child.
He has three kids with a fourth on the way.
” George went on to talk about the three grandchildren only stopping when Bubba and Lilac climbed into the car.
He started the engine and made eye contact with Bubba. “Heading to the condo or the compound?”
Bubba looked at me and I nodded. “The condo. Miss Eddie needs some sleep.” After they started, he said, “I’ll text Nic and tell him we’re aren’t coming tonight.”
When we got home, I headed straight to my bedroom.
I’d seen Alexander at his window so he knew we were home but I didn’t have the energy to talk to anyone.
Or debrief the group. At least one of the questions I’d had from my time travel chat with mom had been answered.
They drove that night because George’s wife had gone into early labor.
I paused mid stairs. What was the chances that she’d gone into labor on her own? Or had she been helped? I needed to ask Annamae to see if there was a potion for that. I assumed the answer was yes.
I thought about going back down to tell Bubba or Lilac, but I weaved on the stairs. I needed sleep, now. In my room, I sat down on my bed and grabbed the pen and notebook I kept in the nightstand.
Tell everyone about George’s wife. Talk to Annamae about that time. And there was something about candied pecans, but that was another conversation. I wrote it down with a question mark, slipped off my shoes and grabbed my pillow.
When I awoke, the light in the room had dimmed.
I hadn’t turned on any lights when I came inside so I guessed the sun had already set.
From the smell that wafted into my room, someone was cooking downstairs.
Something spicey and warm. Having Lilac home was amazing.
Bubba cooked sometimes when we had time, but mostly, we ate out or ordered delivery.
Unless Nic or Annamae invited us to the compound, which was often.
Someday, Lilac would have her own life and go off to live somewhere else and I’d have to get used to being alone again. Unless Bubba moved in. We were getting there, but I liked things where they were right now.
I changed out of my rumpled work clothes to sweats and slipper socks and ran a brush through my hair before heading downstairs. Bubba and Lilac were at the kitchen table, talking over a game of Scrabble. Dexter saw me first and came running to greet me.
“Hey buddy, how was your day?” I leaned down and rubbed his head. He’d been a housewarming gift from Bubba and I adored the pup. Except now he was in his teenage stage and was all teeth. Maybe I should have taken him to training, but who had time?
“Come sit down, I have shrimp and grits going. I just need a few minutes to get the cheese mixed in and I’ll get everyone a dish. Okay to eat in here?”
Dexter answered Lilac’s question with a bark.
“Not you, I’m sure you’ve already been fed. Eating here is great. I don’t think I can move.” I slipped into a chair and Dexter came and laid under my feet. “What have you all been doing, besides upping your rare word usage? And cooking an amazing meal.”
“The shop was quiet. I had time to talk to Tessa. She’s all in about coming to orientation with me. I’m not sure she’ll actually be any help, but it will be nice to have her around, just in case.” Lilac talked as she plated their dinner.
“I sent in a request for security for you. Someone young and cool. He’ll pick you up here in a cool car and you can even ride in front. Tell everyone he’s your older brother since your parents couldn’t come. Or aren’t around. Whatever you want to be your story.”