Death by Tarot Card (A Ghost & Abby Mystery Book 4)

by Jo-Ann Carson

  “Abby Jenkins, the janitor-witch. I’m glad we finally meet.”

  She didn’t sound evil. Did evil have a sound? A short, middle-aged woman with rosy plump cheeks and a button nose, she could at a glance pass for a normal person. Short and curly strawberry-red hair framed her face. She wore a colorful caftan, the kind they wore in the seventies. Her blue eyes transformed to a magical emerald green, and their power caused mine to turn. Witch facing witch. I felt naked and exposed.

  “And stupid,” said Spark in my head. “I told you we shouldn’t come alone.”

  I bit my lip. “It’s amazing we haven’t met before now,” I said to Aria. I thought of offering her my hand but didn’t. No telling what she could do with it.

  A whisper of a smile crossed her lips. “The Goddess has chosen now. Please, sit.” She motioned towards the center table.

  As I took three steps to the chair I counted in my head all the ways she could hurt me and ran out of fingers. “I wish this was a personal visit, but I’m here on business.”

  Her brows rose. “Really?” She sat down and poured the tea. It smelled like Orange Pekoe. But when and how it was brewed I could only imagine.

  I shook my head. “No thanks. I’ve had tea already.” Last year, but that was beside the point. “Can you tell me about your relationship to Alderman Harris.”

  “He’s dead.”

  “Yes, but before he died he told me that the two of you had been involved and that you dumped him.” I folded my hands in my lap and watched her. How many things could she do with a simple flick of the wrist?

  “Do not fear me, Abby. I will not hurt you.”

  I tried to smile, but I’m not sure it was convincing.

  “Unless I have reason to, of course.” She laughed at her own joke.

  “What can you tell me about Harris?”

  “He cheated on me.”

  That was succinct. “So, you ended it.”

  “We weren’t well-matched as it was, but the pickings are slim in this town. When I found out he was tom-catting around, I sent him on his way. I may have shouted and called him a few names, but I didn’t put a spell on him.”

  Her words felt true. “Do you use tarot cards?”

  “Of course, don’t you?”

  I nodded, though, of course, I didn’t. I had enough to do in a day and knowing my future wasn’t something I really wanted. What if it were bad? “So, you know the meaning of the Death card?” Could I be more lame?

  “Yes,” she said slowly, acknowledging what a dimwit she thought me to be.

  “I’ll get to the point. Harris was sent one and he thought you might have sent it.”

  She laughed. “And he died.”

  “Yes, he did.”

  “You’re looking at the wrong person.” She twisted one of her curls around her finger. “I’m not in the habit of sending people tarot cards. I read them for people every day.”

  “Okay.” She sounded believable, but would I know if she were lying? Her energy was so strong it could cloak anything. If she sprouted a dragon head in the next minute I would not be surprised. I scanned the room once more. “Do you have any idea who would send Harris a card, or who would kill him?”

  Some people have cat smiles, and she was one of them. Hers was a Siamese cat smile, thin, mysterious and slightly devious. “The way he supported development, he angered people all over the city. I’m sure you heard about the excrement left on his doorstep.”

  I nodded. “You think that’s what got him killed?”

  She sighed. “What else?”

  “He told me he had many lovers.”

  Her cat smile returned. “Yes, I suppose he did. But being one of them I can tell you he really wasn’t half as special as he thought he was.”

  “I see.” But I didn’t. “So, you think his murder was more likely linked to his business life.”

  “It makes the most sense.”

  “Anyone in particular?” I leaned forward.

  “I could make you a list, but I’m sure he already did.”

  “Yours might be different,” I said.

  “Indeed. How about I think about it. I’ll text you a list later.”

  I gave her my phone number and email addresses. “I appreciate your candor, Aria.”

  “We witches have to stick together,” she said. As she snapped her fingers the room turned into a swirl of orange mist that smelled of honeysuckles. When the mist settled she was gone. I let myself out.

  “Pff. Some witches like dramatic exits,” said Spark. “I prefer to make an entrance.”

  “I was just happy she left. Something about her makes my skin crawl from the inside out.”

  Chapter 15

  When I came out of the store I found Eric sitting in my car checking his phone. I remembered him best as a ghost, so getting used to this updated flesh-and-blood version of him that understood technology caught me by surprise. I opened the door. “Hello, Eric.”

  He looked up. “Abby, I’ve been waiting for you.”

  “Did you catch the shadow-warlock?” I settled into the driver’s seat and put the key in the ignition.

  “No.”

  Too short an answer even for him. Not a good sign. I sat back. “What’s up?”

  His chin set. “Do you have to dance every full moon?”

  I didn’t expect an ambush. I turned the key. “I’m getting stronger.” I pushed my hair away from my face. “As a witch, I mean. And I swear, on this full moon I’ll be more in control.” I pulled away from the curb.

  “I don’t like it when you kiss the man-witch.”

  “As I said, I think I can handle things better this time. Besides, who I kiss is not your concern.”

  “Everything about you is my concern. The Abby I knew wouldn’t dance naked in the meadow with a man-witch and then let him kiss her, not even once. I don’t like it when you lose control.”

  I tried to swallow my anger, but it kept boiling up my throat. “Let me explain some things. First, I am a witch. Whether you like it or not, I am a witch.”

  He folded his arms across his chest.

  “And the moon kindles magic within me.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You have free will.”

  I turned the car left and brought it to a stop at the side of the road. “When the moon is full it fully awakens me, in every sense of the word.”

  He looked out the window.

  “I feel stronger than Wonder Woman, and more powerful than any living or dead sorcerer. I feel one with the universe. I feel more sensual than you could ever imagine.”

  He turned back to me. “You get horny.”

  “My sensuality goes beyond such simple terms. Dancing helps me express my love with the universe.”

  “And kissing Dante?”

  “Happens. It’s not the main event. Believe me. But he’s there, sharing in the experience, and it feels so natural. It just happens. The concept of being separate beings isn’t there in that moment. Just the feeling of sensuality and wanting to share it. I’m sure he feels the same.”

  “And what about me?”

  “You are not a witch. I don’t expect you to understand that part of me. But if we are to continue to be friends, you must respect it.”

  “Never.”

  I folded my arms across my chest. “Excuse me.”

  “You are mine. You are meant to be mine. I know in your heart you know this to be true. I will not accept you kissing another man. Even if the damn moon is full.”

  “And you never kiss other women?”

  “Never. I want only you.”

  I opened the window for air. Sunlight filtering through the trees cast an ominous glow on our surroundings. I breathed in the nature around me as deeply as I could, but it didn’t give me respite. “I’m sorry, Eric, but our time as a couple has past. You know this.”

  “I respect that you are a witch and are learning about your powers. I wish you would learn to control your carnal appetite. That’s what I came
here to say.”

  “I remember you once liked my appetite.”

  “When it was only for me. Only me.”

  “Well, now it’s not. If I want to screw Dante I will.” I wouldn’t, but he didn’t need to know that. “Or Augustus, or whoever. The way I see it, the more the merrier.”

  His full lips flat-lined. “If I really thought that’s what you wanted, I would arrange for an orgy. I have been part of a few orgies in my day. But I don’t believe you. Not for a moment. You’re just mad at me and you need to get over that. We need to talk about us.”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  Eric exhaled noisily. “Just promise me this.”

  His eyes captured mine. I didn’t look away.

  “You’ll be careful this full moon.”

  “I will.” I started the car again and pulled it out onto the road. “So where have you been? And don’t say here and there.”

  “Dimensions have no names. I followed the shadow-warlock into several, but he eludes me every time I get near him. He’s a slippery one.”

  “So, I’m still in danger.”

  He took a second to answer. “Even more so. I underestimated his powers.”

  I swallowed. A Viking worried? “What should I do?”

  “You and the kids would be safer at the teahouse. You should seek sanctuary.”

  I shook my head. While the sentient tea house had powers to protect me, and Azalea, the owner, would watch over us like a mother hen, I was in the process of detaching myself from all of that. I wanted to stand on my own feet.

  “Broom,” said Spark in my head.

  “I’d rather not,” I said to Eric.

  “I figured you’d say that.” He stared ahead. “I’ve told our friends to watch out for you. There’s nothing more I can do.”

  “I’ll get Dante and his mother to help me strengthen the wards on the manor.”

  He nodded. “I talked to Dante about that.”

  “You talked to Dante?” Talk about a whopper surprise. Clearly Dante hadn’t told him about Jinx.

  “He said he would take care of you.” The words must have burned his throat, but he kept his voice steady. “I like Sofia.”

  “When she’s not hexing me, I like her too.”

  “And Dante is becoming more a part of your life.”

  “Not in the way you fear. In fact, I have a date with a human tonight.”

  “A date?”

  “And he’s hot,” said Spark. Of all the times for her to speak out loud, this wasn’t the best.

  Eric made a face. “You can see as many men as you want. Your heart will not change. I know you love me. You are mine.”

  “Get in line, lover-boy,” said Spark.

  “I will do what I want,” I said.

  He looked out at the street. “I will chase the shadow-warlock after I leave you. Is there anything I can do for your investigation before I go? We are still partners in crime.”

  I turned into my driveway and my neighbor’s hounds howled. “I don’t think a supernatural was involved, but if you could listen for any chatter, I’d appreciate it. Just in case I’m wrong.” There had been traces of magic, after all.

  “Tell me more about the kids.”

  “Well, you should have heard what Jane did yesterday.” I bantered on about each of them and we laughed. It was just like old times. I described Jonathon’s latest skateboarding accident, Janey’s expanding vocabulary and Jinx putting a tutu on Shreddie and dancing with him. Sharing the family stuff felt so right. It took me back to how we once were, sharing a family and a home. Yeah, he had been a ghost back then, but he had been there for me and we were good together. I left out the fact Jinx was now a witch. I would tell him another day, when things seemed quieter.

  The time had come to part. Part of me wanted to take back every bad thing I had ever said to him, but I had lived enough to know there are some things that can’t be unsaid. We got out of the car and he walked me to the door.

  Before I reached for the door, he pulled me into his arms and held me so tight everything in the world felt perfect and safe. “Äskling, we will fix this,” he whispered in my ear.

  There was a time I believed him, and I wanted to believe him still. I so wanted to believe him.

  But I once believed in the tooth fairy too.

  Chapter 16

  It had been years since I’d been on a human date. My last was in high school with my husband. That felt like a lifetime ago. I remembered butterflies in my stomach and a fixation on covering pimples with a brown paste that resembled concrete. I didn’t have a clue what to do to prepare for this “date.”

  Not a clue. What should I wear? What should I expect? The closest I had come to having a date was dancing naked under the full moon with Dante, and making love with Eric in a Viking hayloft. The supernaturalness of both men more than enhanced the events.

  Being with Gus would be different. More mundane. At least that’s what I expected. When I confessed in a text to him that I wasn’t sure about the whole date-thing, he told me not to worry. “We’ll keep it simple,” he said. “You, me, and a bottle of wine. I know a perfect picnic spot. We’ll get to know one another, away from the world of Sunset Cove.”

  The idea intrigued me.

  He picked me up in a mud-splattered truck that smelled of freshly cut wood. Dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, he looked comfortable. I was sure he wouldn’t like that word, but that’s what he looked—comfortable. Kind of like a boy-scout leader. But looks can be deceiving. When I settled into my seat I picked up his scent: masculine, rugged and virile.

  Spark purred.

  Giving the lynx a side glance, he said, “She’s interesting.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “I’m an unapologetic cat lady.”

  “Cat lady, eh. I’ve got a story for you.”

  Spark stiffened, and I hoped hi story didn’t involve maiming felines, because she took offense quickly and I didn’t want to see what would happen if her fur got ruffled.

  “There was this old lady with twenty cats …”

  The road wound through a stand of old conifers in the forest behind the cove. Sunlight filtered through the trees. My chest relaxed.

  “And the neighbors complained about the cat fights …”

  He spoke in a casual tone, a far contrast from his clipped professional voice. I sank into his story and the warmth of his voice. Spark purred quietly.

  “The guy from the Humane Society was a real pickle …”

  Pickle? I laughed.

  “I’m trying to use polite words. He wore plaid. Do I need to say more?”

  “A pickle in plaid. I think I got it.”

  “Put a beret on his head and Coke-bottle glasses on his nose and you’re there. I don’t remember his real name. We called him ‘The Weasel’.”

  I snickered. “You’re exaggerating.”

  “Maybe a little. Anyway. It was my job to go with him to the cat lady’s house to check it out. Her name was Mrs. Lilly Stratten. Though we had other names for her at the office.”

  “Oh, you gotta tell me those.”

  “Hmm. I don’t think I know you well enough yet.” He smiled that crooked smile. “Maybe on the second date.”

  “Playing hard to get,” I said.

  He gave me a heated glance and raised a brow.

  “So, what happened?”

  “Mrs. Stratten let me call her Lilly. I have a way with old women. Did I tell you that?”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  “Lilly wouldn’t open the door at first.” He wrinkled his nose. “The entrance smelled of cat pee. The Weasel started sniffing and sniffing, as if he were a hound. ‘This place is foul,’ he said.”

  “Foul?” I wondered for a moment if ‘The Weasel’ was a shifter with bad clothing taste.

  “No amount of sweet talking was getting me anywhere with Lilly, so I stiffened my voice and demanded she open the door.”

  “Ah.”

  “I know. I
sound like a brute. I didn’t want to play cop. The woman loved cats. So what? Who cares? They pee and they fight. So what? If she doesn’t care, why should we? I figured she was lonely and the cats were like family to her.”

  “But ‘The Weasel’ made you do it.”

  “He didn’t scare me that much, but my boss did. I was already in a bit of trouble.”

  “You? In trouble? Oh, I’ve got to hear that story.”

  He grinned. “Well, it involved a prostitute, the mayor and Kool-Aid in a hot tub.”

  I felt my brows rise. Spark purred.

  “But back to Lilly. When I barked at her, she opened the door an inch and asked for identification. After she saw it, she let us in. I couldn’t believe what I saw.”

  My heartbeat hitched up.

  He hesitated. “She wasn’t just a cat woman. She was a hoarder.”

  “What kind?” Hoarders fascinated me.

  “Dolls. She had dolls of all sizes everywhere and cats roamed all around them. It looked like a horror movie set, you know. Two black cats came close to us and stared. It was creepy.”

  “If you thought it was creepy, it must have been really bad.”

  “Well, that’s the thing. The place looked creepy at first, because I didn’t know Lilly. When I got to know her, it didn’t look so bad.”

  “Dolls, eh?”

  “Some of them were hers, but most were visiting.”

  “I see.”

  “Here’s the thing. She made good money repairing dolls. Most of them were cloth dolls, but there were other kinds too.”

  “You know your dolls?”

  “I have four sisters.”

  “Older or younger?”

  “All older.”

  “Ha. So, you got to dress up for tea parties.” I loved that image. The rugged Gus dressed for tea. I imagined a pink boa on his broad shoulders.

  “Anyway.” His voice brought me back to the moment. “We talked to her about her neighbor’s complaints. Actually, I did the talking, while The Weasel scanned the room with eyes larger than saucers.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She listened politely and then shrugged. ‘Cats will be cats,’ she said. I asked for a tour of her home, so we could make sure the cats were well taken care of. And they were. There were cat toys, cat apartments, cat beds, plenty of food and water.”