In the Cards: A Novel (Tricia Seaver Mystery Book 1)

by Amy Isaman

  “Will you bring her to visit?” he asked. “Before you leave?”

  A sob caught in my throat. “Of course we’ll visit. If we can. I’m sure she’d love to see you. We talked about it before we came.”

  I heard a door open behind me, and I turned to see Lucy. She smiled. “Oh, Tricia, you found David.” She walked past me and into David’s room. I couldn’t imagine how hard this would be, but I’d rather have my child alive than missing or gone forever.

  “Good morning, sweetheart,” Lucy said. “I’ll be right back. Let me get Tricia off with your father, and I’ll be right back for you.”

  “Mum—” David began.

  “Hush, now. I’ll be back in a moment.”

  I didn’t hear the rest of his words as again, Lucy ushered me back down the stairs. “It’s okay, Lucy. I was enjoying speaking with him.”

  “Oh, I know. You’re a dear, and perhaps later we can spend more time together, but we’ve got our morning routine, and if we get it messed up, it somehow seems to impact his entire day. Collin will be right down.”

  And she was right. As soon as she headed back up to her son, I heard Collin coming downstairs. “Good morning,” he said. He hadn’t shaved, but he was dressed and ready to go for which I was thankful.

  “Did you take it?” I asked.

  “Take what?” he asked, his eyes widening.

  “The Yeats book and the card. You know what I’m talking about, Collin.”

  “Oh, yes, that. I did. After you fell asleep, I saw it in your purse. You told us about it, and I couldn’t help myself.” He shrugged, a chagrined look on his face. “I looked at it.”

  “Well, you didn’t put it back. Where is it? We need it. And I also need a ride. Can you take me back to Mr. Coates’ house?”

  “Of course I can give you a ride. As I’ve already said, I’d love to help you find these cards. This is incredible. And I put the card in the safe.”

  I followed him back to his office where he knelt to enter the combination to a small safe. As he did that, I glanced at his desk, and to my horror saw a photocopy of the letter we brought to him what seemed like weeks ago, but it wasn’t. It was just a few days.

  Leaning over his desk, I studied his notes and translation of this letter that was penned over five hundred years ago, the letter that Darius specifically told him not to copy.

  Page 1 - I am placing these cards in these walls, hoping that the prayer here will cleanse them of their evil intent.

  They killed my mistress, the beautiful Bianca Visconti-Sforza a fortnight ago. Her beloved Elizabetta had them, but I took them and fled ______ convent in Cremona, to save Elizabetta from ______ fate.

  If these cards are found during this lifetime, let it be known that Galeazzo ordered the death of his mother, my beloved mistress.

  How this evil man came forth from her loins is a mystery that is only for my Lord and Father to understand. An evil presence inhabits Galeazzo, and I begged my lady ______________, but she would not.

  We departed from our home in Cremona to Milan in early May as my beloved mistress refused to miss the nuptials of her son, Galeazzo, though he treated her with nothing but evil disdain. Unbeknownst to me, she carried her Carte da Trionfi. ___________________ called Bona Savoie’s servant to read her cards.

  I refused to enter the room and prayed for her soul for no one but our Lord may know what comes. To ask is blasphemy, but the evil in Galeazzo’s home somehow got to My Bianca, who fell ill and never recovered despite leaving after the feasts and the prayers of many. She died in Melagnano, _____________ her home.

  The cards pulled foretold of death and…

  My palms began to sweat. I already knew it, but this proved it. If this letter was real, the cards were from the original Visconti-Sforza deck. There were so many details here, details that not just anyone in the late 1800s would know. Whoever wrote this had first-hand information. The paper was incredibly old and fragile. The ink was faded. That didn’t happen overnight. This letter was written years ago. But could it really have been 500 years?

  Page 3 - …returned from delivering her children Elizabetta and Ottoviano into the wretch’s grasp. I fled. Returning to Cremona, but I kept the evil, to protect the remaining children from their brother who will do with them as he may. Their mother no longer here to protect and guide them.

  I give myself and these cards to God, here at my beloved Mistress’ convent in Cremona where they shall be hidden for all eternity and purged of the darkness which comes from within them.

  I stopped and rubbed my temples, thinking back to my dream. Flipping to the final page, I glanced at the signature. It was illegible. Who was this woman? How were we connected?

  I shut my eyes. There was another message here. But what? That Laurel will surely die? I couldn’t decipher it at all. Instead, I kept reading. Collin watched me silently from the corner.

  To the end of my days, I will pray to be purged of these sins, of bringing this evil into the house of God, but I was left with no choice. They must be purified and cleansed, as they will be here, hidden and prayed over. Perhaps, they will.

  If one shall find them, I ask that you pray for your own soul and mine which is already lost to the flames of hell for the abominable sins I have committed against my beloved mistress, her house of worship, and my God.

  Pray for yourself and return these cards to the walls which will hold the curse. If you shall take them, you too shall live a life of doom as will your progeny and those after. I have none. Only my own soul is to burn for these sins…

  Page 5- Oh, blessed mother, forgive me. I have committed these egregious sins. I am no better than a worm that crawls upon the ground. Vile are my sins.

  O merciful God, cleanse me of the…. Take pity on me and purify the evil which I’ve brought into your home.

  Eternal Father, I lay at your feet. Cleanse my heart of this mortal sin with your divine love. I devote myself to you, now and forever.

  I lifted my head and turned to Collin who was watching me warily, Yeats’ book in his right hand.

  “You lied,” I stammered. “You copied this even though you know that can hurt the paper, and Darius asked you not to. That’s so unlike you.”

  “Tricia, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself. This. What you’ve found is huge. It’s the biggest art discovery of this century, and I’d like to help.”

  “It is. It’s absolutely huge, and I don’t understand it at all. Why me? Why am I able to find these cards? Why do I keep dreaming weird dreams? It makes no sense. I’ve never seen a tarot deck in my life until this trip. I have no connection to them. I just want to get my daughter back.”

  “I know. We’ll find her. I’ll help you. I already canceled my plans.”

  “Thank you. And we need to go, but first, I need the book and card back.”

  He hesitated, then placed the Yeats book in my hand.

  Immediately, I opened the back cover and checked. The card was still firmly adhered to the back cover. I took a breath. What happened to me? I was doubting everyone and everything, but I didn’t know who to trust. I’d asked Collin not to copy the letter. Yet, he had. I picked up his photocopy and the pages he’d translated. Folded them methodically and shoved them into my bag. This letter wasn’t his. It belonged to Darius.

  Collin rubbed his face, his eyes weary. “Look, I’m sorry. You know as well as I do that this letter and these cards, they’re big, really big. You can trust me.”

  “But you already lied, Collin.”

  “I know, but it’s translated. It’s fascinating. Bianca Sforza-Visconti’s personal maid wrote it. This is incredible.”

  “Not now, Collin. Please. Can we go? We still have the Devil to find.” Though at that moment, I felt that he was already dogging me.

  Chapter 27

  AS SOON AS DARIUS turned onto his street, he surveyed the Inn. The windows in Laurel’s room were dark. He parked and quietly unlocked the back door, not wanting to disturb any guests. The
front light was on in the parlor, but he ignored it and headed up the three flights of stairs, finding exactly what he expected. Nothing. Why hadn’t Tricia come back here after she left him with the watch? Where did she go?

  Darius’ head pounded as he crept back down the stairs, past the photos of his great-grandmother. Despite his dragging exhaustion, he knew he wouldn’t sleep, not until his guests, both of them, were home safe.

  The only people who for sure knew about the cards were Tori, Tricia’s friend, Collin, and his own family. It had to be one of them. Or, maybe Laurel said something to the young man she went to coffee with. Or was it the Maxwell’s, the young couple who overheard them and left the Inn? The more he tried to narrow down the list, the more it seemed to grow.

  He put his key in the lock of his apartment door and stopped when he discovered it was unlocked. He always locked it when he left since the front door to the Inn stayed unlocked all day. He had no weapons to protect himself if a burglar lurked on the other side, or if somebody was going to attack him for the cards. Never in his life had he had a day like today. Or, well, yesterday.

  He pushed the door open, and he peered into the dark space. He couldn’t see a thing, but he heard an odd rattling noise. Heart pounding, he froze, before leaning in and listening, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The rattle came again. As soon as he figured out what it was, he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry.

  Snoring.

  He flipped the light switch on. He expected to see Tricia on his couch, but instead his cousin, Susan, lurched and sat up with a little shriek, her red hair surrounding her face like a wild halo.

  “Susan? You bloody well gave me a heart attack.”

  “Darius, you’re back.” She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “That girlfriend of yours is a crazy one. She told me the wildest story before leaping out of my car and running away while it was still rolling. Good lord, you know how to find them, don’t you?”

  Darius held his hand up for her to stop. “Don’t. Not yet. I need a damn drink.” He strode to the bar and poured himself a whiskey, neat.

  “Just one? You’ll be pouring two of those, please.”

  He downed his first drink, poured another, and set them both on the coffee table before collapsing into his favorite chair. “You saw Tricia? Tonight?”

  “After I dropped you off at the station this afternoon, I started thinking about the cards and that woman. I decided that joining you on this hunt sounded like a hell of a lot more fun than sitting at home with Bob watching some sporting event on the telly, so I decided to track you down. And I did, but you’d already been caught.”

  “That was you who knocked on the door at Mr. Coates’ house?”

  “Yes, that was me. What were you doing there, anyway?”

  “No, you answer me first. How did you find me at an old man’s house on the other side of bloody London?”

  Susan held up a phone. “I tracked you.”

  “Tracked me?”

  “Remember when Chelsea added us on her app to find friends? I forgot all about the damn thing, but Chelsea reminded me when I told her I was heading to London to catch up with you. She said, all innocent-like, ‘Well, I know exactly where Uncle Darius is. I check on him all the time. You can too.’ Apparently, she checks on us both, the bloody little stalker.”

  Darius opened his mouth in shock. “Well, I’ll be buggered.” He tipped his head back and laughed.

  Susan grabbed his glass for a refill. “Right? But good thing considering everything that went down tonight. I saved you from that crazy cow.” She sat back down. “At least you’ve got the card, and she didn’t keep it.”

  Darius chuckled again. “We’ve got three of the damn things.”

  Susan stared at him in shock. “We’ve been searching for our entire lives for them, and this woman finds three in a few days? Fucking unreal.”

  Darius leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “We’re only missing the Devil. I’ve got two here, but she’s got the Three of Swords with her.”

  “What about that story about her daughter? Is that true? Or did she crack from the excitement of finding the cards?”

  Darius shook his head. “All true. I was hoping she’d be back here. We need to get her daughter.”

  “Well, shit.” Susan ran her hands through her wild mane. “I’m surprised she’s not back here, too. Can the ransom people contact you?”

  Darius shrugged. “I’ve got no idea. Why?”

  “Her phone is still in that house. She’s probably waiting until the cops leave, so she can get back in to get it. She was in a state about it.”

  “She left her phone there?”

  “Yeah. That’s why she leapt out of my moving car. I wanted to go get you, but she was afraid of getting arrested. I hope they don’t search the house, find it, and then turn around and find her standing there. Idiot woman. She’ll be in prison for God knows how long.”

  Darius downed the last of his whiskey. She must have gone back there at some point. There was no way she’d leave her phone.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key, setting it on the table next to his empty glass. “Well, we technically didn’t break-in. We used a key. That means Tricia can’t get back in.” He sighed, staring at the key. “But we can.”

  Susan rolled her eyes. “Are you having a laugh? Please tell me you are.” She stood as she spoke, rolling her shoulders. “Ah, why do I even ask? I know you’re not. We’re going back there. And it’ll be me this time since the neighbors will all be on the lookout for a handsome middle-aged man.” She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. “Coming?”

  Darius pulled himself up. If he fell asleep, he’d never wake back up in time to be of any use. “Will anyone recognize your car?”

  Susan shrugged as she climbed the stairs. “Who knows?” She paused and looked back at Darius. “Where did you go then? How did I beat you here with you on a bike and me driving my slow little car?”

  “I spent an hour driving the streets looking for Tricia. I didn’t know you found her. I tried to call, but she wasn’t answering her phone. Now I know why. I finally came here, hoping she’d come back.”

  “I wonder where the hell she got off to?”

  “I think she must have gotten a cab to her friend Collin’s house. He’s an old friend of her husband’s from their college days.”

  “Oh, that’s a switch. You don’t usually go for the married ones.”

  “She’s a widow, Susan.”

  Susan chuckled. “Got it. It’s all fitting together. We’re going to find her phone, take it to her, and save the voluptuous widow’s day.”

  Darius scoffed. “No, I don’t think finding her phone will save the day. If I found her daughter, maybe.”

  Susan laughed and climbed the rest of the stairs. “But, finding her phone is a start.”

  ♦♦♦

  After a quick drive across town on the deserted early morning streets, Darius and Susan sat in her miniature smart car. She palmed the key. “Run? Look casual? What do you think?”

  The dark gravel-covered alley loomed before them. Darius hunkered down in the small car, knowing that the neighborhood watch would be on the lookout, especially for him. He definitely hadn’t made any friends. He wished they had a key for the front door.

  “Go quickly. Head down. Her phone has to be in the basement where she was searching. Look on the ground. Under the shelves. Go out the front door. I’ll pick you up there.”

  “Call the damn phone once I get in there. Then I don’t have to spend an hour searching for the bloody thing.” Susan reached for the door handle.

  “Alright, but I’m sure the battery’s probably shot on it.”

  “Well, that’s just smashing news, isn’t it?” Susan took a deep breath, glowering at her cousin. “And what happens if this watch sees me? Or calls the police?”

  “If I see anyone, I’ll text you to go out the front or the back door, and you can jump in. We’ll ma
ke a run for it. I know it’s ridiculous in this car,” Darius added, “but it’s the best we’ve got.”

  Susan grinned, her demeanor brightening “This is ridiculous. But if we can get those cards and save that nutter’s daughter, it’ll be a good night. Most excitement I’ve had in years.” She climbed from the car and crept down the alley, keeping to the shadows.

  Darius knew exactly where she was going, but even he had a hard time keeping her in his sights. As soon as he lost her, he pulled the car almost directly in front of Mr. Coates’ house. Thankfully, the street was quiet at this hour. He scrunched down in the seat as best he could and waited.

  Other than an occasional car and a slight breeze that stirred the trees, no other movement disturbed the peace. Darius wished he could see through walls to see what Susan was doing. He rubbed his face, trying to stay awake, when he saw some movement out of the corner of his eye.

  A cop car turned the corner and came slowly down the street. Thankfully, he never turned the car off. He shoved it into gear and pulled out, watching the car in his mirrors the entire time. It stayed behind him for several blocks before turning off.

  “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath. It was like a bloody prison yard with guards circling. He continued driving for several blocks, pulling into the parking lot of a small neighborhood store before calling Susan.

  “The cops are out. I drove off, so he didn’t stop and talk to me,” he said as soon as she picked up.

  “Well that’s exciting, isn’t it?” Her voice quavered a bit, though Darius didn’t know if it was with nerves or general excitement.

  “Did you find the phone?”

  “Yeah, just now. It was under a big bookshelf here in the basement.”

  “You didn’t turn any lights on, did you?” Darius asked, panicked that the cops would see the light.

  “Do you think I’m that bloody daft?” Susan whispered, annoyance lacing her words.