Fool's Moon, page 8
“So maybe it’s not so bad?” Luciana asked, a hopeful note in her voice now. “Maybe he didn’t have anything to do with the señora dying?”
“Let’s look at the next card. That one will tell us who has knowledge of the situation … who can shed light on the subject of Mrs. Givens’s death,” Ruby said and turned the fourth card over.
This card was another of the minor arcana, this time featuring the image of a smirking man carrying an armful of swords. Dressed in bright tights and tunic and a jaunty red fez, he looked more civilian than soldier. He was glancing over his shoulder at an enemy encampment as he tiptoed away in an exaggerated fashion, hauling his ill-gotten weapons cache with him.
The Seven of Swords.
“Interesting,” she murmured. “Check out this guy. He’s pulled a fast one, stealing weapons from an enemy camp. And look at his smug expression—”
“Just like the hijo,” Luciana broke in, her expression outraged.
Ruby nodded. “He’s smart … but sometimes that’s his undoing. Notice that he’s only carrying five swords, though this card is the Seven of Swords. He’s left two of the weapons stuck in the ground behind him. He thought he could get away with his theft, but he got overconfident and tried to pull off too big of a scheme. So in the end, he had to leave two of the swords behind. His eyes were bigger than his stomach. He bit off more than he could chew.”
Luciana rolled her eyes. “Si, si. Mi sobrino—my nephew—calls it, don’t write a check with your mouth that your rear end, it cannot cash. That is the hijo, always.”
“Exactly. So maybe he knows more about his mother’s death than he’s saying.”
Ruby let that last statement hang between them. A person could know something, but not be technically guilty of anything. Crimes of omission, rather than commission. She didn’t want to accuse anyone of anything, but Luciana already had suspicions about the man.
“Let’s see the last card,” she said after a moment. “It will tell us what the outcome will be.”
She turned over the fifth card and allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction. The card was one of the major arcana … Justice. Unlike the cutely modern witchy statue that JoJo had earlier admired, the Lady Justice in the card wore long red robes topped by a green cape. Instead of a pointy black hat, the lady sported a heavy gold crown bespeaking both privilege and burden.
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, came the Shakespearean quote to mind, yet Lady Justice didn’t appear to have any qualms. She squarely faced the viewer, seated upon a stone chair positioned between twin pillars and against a backdrop of lush purple cloth. The victorious upraised sword in one hand and the scales in the other signified fairness and truth.
“Justice,” Ruby said aloud, winning a small smile from the woman seated across from her. She described the card’s attributes for Luciana—balance, consequences, honesty, decision-making, litigation—and then finished, “The truth about Mrs. Givens’s death will be known, and justice will be served. That’s the ultimate outcome according to the cards.”
Luciana’s smile slipped a little. “That is good … but what does all this mean for me? We still do not know if the hijo, he is guilty. Should I spy on him and try to find evidence? You know, like they do in the telenovelas.”
Ruby considered that last for a moment. She had never seen any of the Spanish-language soap operas before, so she had no clue just what sort of detective work Luciana thought she might attempt. The one thing she did know was that she, Ruby, had to be very cautious as far as what she would say next. It was one thing to counsel a client regarding her love life or career goals. It was quite another to encourage a distraught woman to play the Cuban version of Miss Marple in a situation that was as grave as possible murder.
She thought back to the framed disclaimer hung on the wall outside the reading room door: Tarot Card readings are for entertainment purposes only and are not guaranteed to be 100 percent accurate. No reading is intended to offer, or take the place of, medical, legal, or psychological advice.
Weasel words, Rosa had loftily termed that notice. But necessary, she had also conceded. That was why it was posted where any person who set foot in the reading room had to walk past it. The same statement also appeared on the reverse of Ruby’s business cards, and at the bottom of every receipt she handed out. And while that wording seemingly gave her plenty of wiggle room as far as liability, she wasn’t anxious to test her culpability in a court of law should something go south.
Besides, the Tarot card reading had been less than clear about any actual crime having been committed.
“It’s possible that Mr. Givens had a hand in his mother’s death,” she replied. “But it’s equally possible that old age and stress caught up with her and her body just gave out. Since the cards indicated that justice will be served, perhaps it’s best that you step back and let the future unfold as it’s meant to … without interference.”
A series of emotions flashed across Luciana’s face, and for an uncomfortable moment Ruby feared the woman was going to rebel against her advice. But then, to her relief, Luciana nodded.
“I will step back … but I will watch, too.”
She gathered her purse and tote bag, ready to leave, and then paused for a look in Ophelia’s direction.
“Mi sobrino, my nephew, he lives just a few blocks from here, and I visit him sometimes. That is how I found you. Next time I see him, do you think I might stop by to say hello to the gatico?”
“To Ophelia? Of course,” Ruby exclaimed with a smile, rising as well. She had almost forgotten the cat’s presence, so still had she been during the reading. “And you don’t have to wait to visit your nephew to come back. I’m sure Ophelia would be glad to see you anytime.”
As if understanding those words, the cat leapt from her column perch and landed with light paws atop the reading table. Luciana chuckled and gave Ophelia another scratch under the chin.
“I will keep an eye out for tu hermano, your brother. Now, you be a good girl for Señorita Ruby, and I will come back and see you soon.”
Ophelia watched as Luciana and Ruby made their way from the reading room; then she whipped back around and stared down at the Tarot cards the humans had left behind.
“What’s wrong?” Zuki asked as she snuffled her way out from under the table. “Luciana seemed like a nice human. Why didn’t you follow her to the door?”
“No time,” Ophelia spat. “I need to look at the cards first.”
“Why? Ruby already did that.”
Ophelia shot her canine friend a sharp green look. “Ruby isn’t as clever as she thinks she is. She forgot to ask the cards the most important question … what will happen to Luciana if she watches the son too much!”
With a soft growl, Ophelia reached out a paw and flipped over the next card on the stacked deck. The Devil.
“No! Bad!”
Hissing again, she pawed another card from the deck. The Tower. Even worse! If only Ruby had looked at these next cards, she could have warned the housekeeper that something wasn’t right. But she hadn’t, and now it was up to her, Ophelia, to sound the alarm.
“Wait, Luciana!” she yowled, leaping down to the floor. “You’re in danger!”
Paws skittering against wood, she dashed past the velvety curtains of the reading room and out into the main shop. The small bells hanging from the front door were still softly jingling.
Too late! The housekeeper was already gone.
Eight
“Luciana!” Ophelia wailed, rushing to the door. Balancing on her rear paws and stretching to her full length, she wrapped her paws around the glass knob and tried to twist it. “Come back! I must warn you!”
“Poor kitty, what’s wrong?”
Vaguely, she was aware of Ruby’s concerned cry behind her. But her attention was fixed on the glass knob, which kept slipping from her paws no matter how hard she tried to hold onto it. And then, just when she finally managed a firm grasp, a pair of plump hands swept her up.
“Silly cat, you know you can’t go out,” Ruby gently scolded her, flipping her over and cradling her like a human baby. “I’m sure you miss your friend, but she’ll be back to visit. Why don’t I get you and Zuki a little snack, and—”
“No!”
With a yowl and a sharp twist, Ophelia struggled her way out of the human’s grasp. Landing on all fours, she ran for the door again for a last try at the knob. When that attempt failed, she spun about and flew like a mouse on fire through the store toward the back door. The plastic flap never touched her as she dived through the doggie door and out into the courtyard. There, she flung herself belly down onto the bricks, all four legs sprawled wide as she gave another yowl of frustration.
The plaintive sound was promptly echoed by crowing as Roosters One, Two, and Three trotted in from the side yard to stare. As usual, they each clipped out a word, in turn.
“Look.”
“At.”
“That.”
“The.”
“Cat’s.”
“Flat.”
The last word was followed by a chorus of squawks that Ophelia knew was chicken laughter. But this time, she didn’t even bother to hiss. Who cared what stupid roosters thought, when now she had to worry about Luciana as well as Brandon? Worse was the fact that even if she’d been able to catch the human, she wouldn’t have been able to make her understand the danger.
By now, Zuki had bounded through the dog door as well and was giving her a concerned nudge with her broad muzzle. “What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”
“Didn’t you see the cards?” Ophelia replied with a sigh, eyes closed and fuzzy chin resting on her paws. “They were bad. Something’s going to happen to Luciana. She’ll die just like the old woman did.”
Zuki gave an inelegant snort. “That’s silly. You know what Ruby says. The cards don’t tell the future. They just talk about what you already know. I think you’re all worried over nothing.”
“You do?” Ophelia opened one eye and gave her a questioning look.
Zuki gave a firm woof in return. “I’m sure. And maybe after we find Brandon, we can go back to your old home so you can see Luciana is fine, too.”
Ophelia opened the other eye. “Maybe you’re right. It’s just that I’m so worried about my brother.”
Before Zuki could reply to that, they heard the back door open. Ruby walked out carrying a sealed jar that Ophelia knew contained fish pellets. But the human had also been known to toss a pellet or two their way. Certain she’d feel better if she had a little snack, Ophelia dragged herself into a sitting position and watched expectantly as Ruby approached.
“There you are, silly kitty. You had me worried, running off like a crazy cat. Why don’t you sit by me over at the pond, and you can watch me feed Philly.”
She didn’t even have the lid off the jar before a red-capped head rose from the water, fishy lips making loud smacking sounds.
“I swear that koi is psychic,” Ruby said with a laugh as she tossed a handful of pellets onto the water’s surface. “How in the heck did she know I came out to feed her?”
A small feeding frenzy was ensuing as she asked the question, and within fifteen seconds every scrap was gone.
“Good Philly,” Ruby said in approval. “You get the clean plate award.”
Then, when Ophelia gave her a small meow by way of reminder, she added, “Sorry, didn’t mean to leave you two girls out.”
She tossed a couple of pellets each of their way. Zuki caught hers in midair and had them swallowed even before her broad jaws had clamped shut. Ophelia let hers bounce onto the brick before she leaned over and delicately nibbled at the tiny fishy morsels. To her disappointment, she saw that Ruby was also sharing a few pellets with the roosters, who pounced upon them as if they’d not eaten for days.
Ophelia was just about to suggest that Ruby toss her a couple more pellets, too, when the pit bull broke in with an excited bark.
“Look,” Zuki exclaimed, “I think Philomena is going to speak!”
Ophelia flicked a fuzzy black ear. “I thought you said she only answered one question a day.”
“I know. But look … ”
Sure enough, the koi was doing her spinning routine. As before, she halted and smacked a few bubbles before her black eyes once again took on a silvery sheen. In a burbling voice, she proclaimed, “Another message for the cat. You must beware the human rat.”
“What?” Ophelia rushed over to the pool’s edge. “What are you talking about? Rats aren’t human … and humans aren’t rats. What does that mean?”
But, of course, Philomena was already sinking back into the depths of her pool, meaning no explanation forthcoming.
“Oh, for kibble’s sake,” she muttered. What good was it having
a psychic fish around when nothing she said made sense?
“Wow!”
This came from Zuki. The pit bull’s tone held admiration as she went on. “That’s the first time Philomena has ever talked twice in one day. She must really like you.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Ophelia countered, though she could feel her ear tips heating up in pleased embarrassment. While she’d never thought she would care one way or the other what a fish thought, it was obvious that Philomena was no ordinary koi. And it was nice to be in the official “Philomena likes me best” club … even if the fish in question spouted silly words.
While this exchange was going on, Ruby was busy screwing the lid back on the jar. With fond looks for her and Zuki, she said, “If everyone is back in a happy mood, I’m headed inside again. Don’t forget, I’m leaving for class in a couple of hours.”
She left them outside in the company of the roosters. Zuki promptly flopped in a sunny spot. “I’m taking a nap,” she unnecessarily explained—mostly because she already napped numerous times a day, anyhow. “If we’re going to spend the night looking for your brother, we should be all rested up.”
Ophelia nodded her agreement. It would be just a few more hours before darkness fell, plenty of time for a snooze. And so she curled up next to Zuki and rested her chin on the pit bull’s outstretched paw. A minute later she was fast asleep and dreaming of Brandon chasing around the three golden balls that the koi had previously mentioned.
Ruby glanced back over her shoulder as she reached the door, smiling in approval at the sight of her pets snoozing. Poor Ophelia. Seeing someone from her past had to have been confusing for the little cat. With luck, by tomorrow she would have forgotten the encounter with the woman.
But she, Ruby, wouldn’t forget so quickly.
Ruby made her way back to the reading room to straighten up the table that she’d left covered by the card spread. Had time permitted (thirty minutes does not mean thirty-one minutes, she could practically hear her half sister pontificating in her ear), she could have spoken even longer about the cards she had pulled for Luciana. Maybe she should take a picture of the spread with her phone and look at it again later, when her thoughts had settled. For although the cards had seemed straightforward enough individually, they’d been a bit vague overall. If she let the images steep awhile in her brain, she might find that—
She broke off in mid-thought as she took in the Tarot spread before her. Now, in addition to the original cards—the Significator and the five lined up beneath it—two more cards lay faceup to one side of that layout.
The Tower and the Devil … majors, and perhaps the most unsettling images of the entire deck. Those cards had not been there when she and Luciana had left the room. So where had they come from?
“Ophelia?”
The clever cat had seemingly helped her with a reading once before. Could she have unwittingly flipped over a couple of cards when she jumped off the table? But Rosa would say that there were no accidents.
She seated herself back at the table and took another look. The Devil card featured the titular dark angel … a Pan-like figure with a goat’s legs and head, and bird-like talons for feet. He presided over the same nude man and woman as was found in the Lovers card she’d previously pulled for the spread. The difference here was that the naked couple now was chained by the neck to the rocklike throne the Devil perched upon. Though if one looked closely at the card, he might notice that those chains were loose enough that, had the pair truly wished it, they could pull the chain up over their heads and be free. A card speaking of temptations, lies, manipulation.
A card concerned with the baser things in life, rather than the spiritual.
As for the Tower …
Ruby soberly studied that image. That card carried with it perhaps the greatest warning of any of the major or minor arcana. It depicted a tall stone tower being blasted by a literal bolt from the blue. The lightning had split off the tower’s crown-like dome and set the edifice on fire. At the same time, two frantic figures—perhaps the same now-clothed couple from the Devil card—were plunging headfirst from the blazing structure, headed for their likely deaths. It was a card of shock, destruction, and immediacy.
And had she seen those two cards while Luciana was still there, her advice to the woman would have been far different.
“You read the cards you draw,” she reminded herself aloud. “No second guessing allowed.”
The one saving grace was that tonight was a school night. For a couple of hours on this particular evening, she would be concentrating on a lecture comparing British female authors of the late nineteenth century to their American counterparts. A topic guaranteed to distract her from the disturbing imagery laid out before her.
