Gale grasped my hand. “Come to the back and get dressed. You’ll love this little outfit.” I followed her into the office and shut the door behind us as she handed me several items. “Here it is. These furry elastic things, you slip over your ankles and your shoes, and here’s a tail to attach and fuzzy fingerless gloves with cat ears and a mask.”
“Well, thanks for this. You know me, I’d just have come in everyday clothes if you hadn’t done this.”
“We’ll have tons of people, I think. Free snacks, readings, and a floor show. Would you mind taking a turn at the counter? We should have lots of sales too.”
“Not at all. I’m here to help out any way I can.”
“Good girl. And I’m sure all our neighbors will be coming by too. I’ve had a newspaper ad running in the local North Beach paper, plus publicity on all sorts of social media sites thanks to Cheryl. I can’t let the Mystic Eye miss an opportunity like Halloween. If this goes well, maybe we can make it a regular thing.”
Zora was circling the table with a paper plate, sampling all the goodies, ensuring she had energy for the evening. As four o’clock neared, we spotted the first group of costumed guests waiting outside on the sidewalk. Four young girls and two guys. We opened the doors and welcomed them in. One of the girls added her name to the blackboard for a Tarot reading while her friends headed for the food table.
Nikolai, now in his robes, took up a position by the door to welcome visitors. Within a half hour, the room was crowded. About a third of the guests were in costume, the rest in civvies. My eye caught a man in a dragon costume—a large papier-mâché head with eyeholes and a cape with a long train made from shiny golden scales. Another dragon! They were everywhere. From the conversations I overheard, the younger people all seemed to be heading to parties later in the evening, and a few asked if we could store their purchases until the next day.
I joined Cheryl behind the counter. “Let me give you a hand.”
“Thanks. I could use some help.” Cheryl rang up the next customer and bagged his purchases. She turned to me and whispered, “Gale told me about the break in at your apartment. Why didn’t you call me?”
“I would have if Gale hadn’t answered right away. Turned out she was close by. I’m really okay, just a bit shaken and left with a mess to clean up.”
“You know, I have your back too. If you ever have any trouble again, you make sure you call me.”
“I will. I promise.”
“You better.” She glared at me for a moment, then squeezed my hand.
We manned the counter for the next half hour, racking up sales. Zora and Jonathan had a line of customers waiting for readings, and the ambient noise and chatter in the large room grew until Cheryl and I could barely hear ourselves speak. She turned to me. “Phew! We’ve never been so busy. It was a great idea to do this. I was afraid we’d go through all this work for nothing.”
I spotted my grandmother in the crowd. She waved and worked her way toward the counter. “Hello, Cheryl! How are you?”
“I’m great. So nice to see you again, Gloria. I’m glad you could stop by.”
“Well, I thought I’d walk over and wish you all the best. This is a lovely idea of Gale’s. You know,” she said, leaning across the counter toward Cheryl to speak quietly, “a lot of my friends from the church think the Mystic Eye is a den of iniquity.”
“Well, I hope you’ve straightened them out,” Cheryl replied.
“I have, I certainly have. And I tell them how popular my lovely granddaughter is too.” She smiled at me. “And about all the wonderful books, not to mention books on religion, too, and the jewelry and perfumed oils. Father Hewitt at Saints Peter and Paul doesn’t approve of anything that smacks of paganism, but he’s … well, he’s rather intellectually limited, in my opinion.”
Cheryl smiled broadly. “That’s good of you. This is a wonderful shop and it saved my life when I moved back to the city.”
Gloria patted Cheryl’s hand in encouragement and turned to me. “I can’t stay, dear, but I just wanted to pop by and say hello. I have to hurry back. It’ll be dark soon and Kuan’s manning our doors in case any trick-or-treaters show up early.” She turned back to Cheryl. “Sadly, we don’t get as many children as we used to, not like when Julia was growing up. So many families have moved away.” She shook her head. “Too crowded and expensive for them, I guess.”
I moved around the counter and gave my grandmother a hug. “Want me to walk you back?”
Gloria laughed. “No, I think you better stay right here in your cat outfit.”
I smiled. “Say hi to Kuan for me.”
“I will, dear.” She turned away and began to maneuver through the crowd to the front door.
Gloria had no sooner headed for home than Cheryl and I were deluged with even more customers buying books and candles and jewelry. We rang up their purchases and bagged them as fast as we could.
When we finally had a lull, I said, “Why don’t you take a break, Cheryl? Grab a little food before we get another rush?”
“Thanks, I think I will. Does your grandmother know about the break-in?”
“No, certainly not.”
“Good thing I didn’t open mouth, insert foot.”
“That was smart. I’d never hear the end of it and you’d worry her to death.”
“I figured. Be right back.” Cheryl ducked under the wooden hatch and weaved through groups of people toward the food table.
Gale suddenly appeared next to me. “Isn’t this wonderful?” she breathed. “I think a lot of people are discovering the Eye for the first time. I wish I’d lined up more readers though. I think Zora and Jonathan are going to be pretty drained by the time this evening is over. I really never expected this large a crowd. I thought we’d have a sedate little gathering with a few new people stopping in.”
“Hey, free food, free drinks even if they are non-alcoholic, discounted readings, and Nikolai—how could they resist? What exactly is he going to do?”
“I’m really not sure,” Gale replied hesitantly. “He said it would be a surprise. I’m just glad he was willing to be here tonight. He’s probably the biggest celebrity in the occult world in San Francisco.” She raised her eyebrows and made a concerned face. “I just hope he doesn’t do anything too outré. With him, you never know.”
When Cheryl returned, I slipped out from behind the counter and grabbed a mini sandwich and a few potato chips. The food table looked like an invasion from the Russian army had taken place. I cleaned up as much as I could, then lugged a box from the storeroom and refilled the bowls of chips and platters of sandwich swirls. The drinks had held up well in the large cooler under the table even though the ice had melted.
At seven thirty, Gale stepped to the middle of the room and hit the large gong that was a permanent fixture in the store. The sound reverberated through the busy chatter. I was reminded of her performance at the Fort Mason art show. “Hi everyone,” she said. “Thanks so much for joining in with us on this magical evening. As you all know, we have a special appearance by Nikolai.” A cheer erupted around the room and a few people whistled. “Yes,” Gale said, smiling, “I know how you feel. Nikolai is one in a million and we’re so happy he could join us tonight.”
Someone in the crowd shouted, “We want to see demons!” More people cheered and clapped. Jonathan and Zora had left their respective reading rooms to join the crowd. Jonathan carried a straight-backed chair to the center of the room and stepped away.
Cheryl whispered to me, “I don’t know about demons. At least I hope that’s not what he’s doing, but he really wouldn’t tell anyone.”
Gale glanced over her shoulder as Nikolai in his long black robes, his gray beard shining in the low-level lighting, headed for the center of the room. “And here he is, in the flesh. Welcome Nikolai, everyone!” The room erupted again in cheers and applause.
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Nikolai acknowledged the greeting and raised his hands for silence. He bowed his head as if saying a silent prayer and then looked up. Gale dimmed the lights even more and a somber mood settled over the room.
“Tanks, everyone,” Nikolai began. “Tonight I vould like to do sometink different. Because this is a very special night, a night when the veil between the vorlds can be lifted for a short while, I would like to haf a volunteer. Someone who isn’t afraid to remember their past.”
The room became still. Many people glanced around. Many wondered if they should volunteer but no one stepped forward. Nikolai scanned the crowd, his eyes finally resting on a young woman almost hidden behind taller people. He stepped toward her and the crowd parted. The woman looked up at the large man in the black robes, her eyes wide. “You, my little one. I choose you.” Nikolai took her by the hand and led her to the chair. She sat and fussed with the sleeves of her sweater. She was nervous. Nikolai kneeled on one knee close to the shy woman and whispered in her ear. She nodded in response. He stood and turned to the room. “Ve must haf absolute silence now.” Standing behind his subject, he rested his hands on her shoulders and began to speak.
“Close your eyes. You are totally relaxed. Picture a varm beach and soft sand under your body. The varmth is moving up your legs, now to your spine and to your shoulders and neck. You are in total control but your eyes are closing …” The woman seemed to be fighting the urge to close her eyes, but she finally did. Perhaps Nikolai had chosen a good subject for hypnosis. “Ve are going back … back … back to vhen this problem first began. You vill remember, remember the tings dat caused you to hide yourself, to fear.”
Nikolai waited. The room held a collective breath. “You are dere. Tell me vhat you see.” The woman began to speak in a strong, deep voice, a voice that couldn’t possibly come from her petite body. I was transfixed.
“There’s blood. I am killing him.” Someone gasped. “Oh, the blood!”
“Who are you killing?” Nikolai asked in a calm voice.
“He … he … he hurt my daughter. He’s come back. He thinks he can do what he wants … I’ll show him. I’ll make him pay. I’ll hurt him like he hurt her. I just wish I was stronger. I could make him suffer more. A knife is too good for him.”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes. My husband is dead. There’s no one to protect us.”
“Who is this man?”
“A soldier.”
“What color is his uniform?”
“Red. All red. He has a black hat.”
“What are you doing now?”
“I am stabbing him,” she snarled. “Blood … everywhere … red … blood.” The woman uttered a shriek, her arm rising and falling in a feverish mime of stabbing motions. Her voice rose. She spoke rapidly, desperately, in a panicked tone in words that were not English. French perhaps? A chill ran up my spine.
“Can you tell me the year?”
The woman shook her head.
“Who is king?”
“… Louis. Louis le bien aimé.”
Nikolai spoke soothingly. “You are safe. You are very safe.”
The woman became more agitated. “I must hide him. I must bury him while the ground is still soft. Before the frost comes. Before anyone discovers what I have done.”
Nikolai calmed her. “I vant you to disengage for a moment. You are safe here. How do you feel?”
“Good.” She breathed deeply. “A quick death is too good for him, but I am satisfied. I am happy he is dead. Happy I have done this thing.”
“You took revenge but you defended a loved one. You had to do dis ting. Dere is no further need for guilt. No longer in dis life. You vill not be afraid to stand up for yourself, to speak up for yourself. You have suffered enough. You vill come back now. You vill only remember dose tings that cause you no pain. You vill remember dey can no longer hurt you. Dat vas all in the past. You must let go.” Nikolai took a deep breath. “On the count of ten, you are coming back. One … two …” Silence enveloped the entire room. “Ten. Open your eyes.”
The gathering waited in deathly silence. Finally the young woman opened her eyes. Her face was wreathed in smiles and tears streamed down her face. Nikolai knelt next to her once more and, their heads together, they whispered to each other. She nodded and grasped his hand and rose from the chair. Another woman stepped forward and took her friend’s hands. She smiled at Nikolai and thanked him. She put an arm around her friend and led her out of the shop. People parted to make way for them. The entire room breathed a sigh of relief. Two people were crying. I felt tears well up in my eyes as well.
Gale, standing next to me, signaled to Cheryl to put some music on, but the party atmosphere was gone as if a tidal wave had swept through the room. Nikolai turned and approached us.
“Well, you certainly put a great big damper on our party, didn’t you?” Gale said accusingly with a smile on her face.
“Vell, that vas not my intent. Revenge is a terrible ting. Understandable, but guilt is ultimate result. But the poor little ting. She vas tied to the past and crippled with guilt. She could not move on. I saw her in the crowd and I knew she vas the one who needed me.”
Gale patted him on the arm. “Thank you. That was an amazing experience. We all felt it. I believe you did help that woman.” She turned to me. “It’s almost eight thirty. Maybe we should start clearing up so we can close right at nine.”
“I think lots of people are leaving.” I looked around. A line of customers was standing at the counter with items in their hands. “I’ll ring them up.” I slipped behind the counter and nodded to the first customer, a man with several books in his arms. It took another half hour before Cheryl and I had handled all the purchases.
I heard a loud crash and looked across the room. One of the smaller tables had tipped over, spilling books across the floor. It was the man in the dragon costume. Somehow his tail had become entangled in the table leg. As he’d moved away, the table went with him and plates of leftover food fell to the floor. Like my dream in which the dragon’s swishing tail caused havoc. The man apologized profusely to Gale and then shed his robe. He began picking up the debris from the floor. Gale waved away his apologies and joined him to clear up.
The dragon’s tail. I drifted away, staring into space. Cheryl glanced over at me. “Julia, are you all right? Hey!” She shook my arm.
I turned to her. “The dragon’s tail.” She looked at me questioningly. “I think … it’s what Nikolai said about his subject: She could not move on.”
“What?”
“The Cauda Draconis.” I hurried to a bookcase in the far corner where the astrology books were displayed. I grabbed an ephemeris and counted the degrees. “It must be,” I mumbled. She was born with the South Node of the Moon conjunct her Sun. She was fifty-five years old. I counted the degrees. Solar arc Pluto had advanced to her natal Sun and her South Node. She was the widow I had been searching for. How had I missed this? The South Node, the Cauda Draconis, the tail of the dragon, the point of karmic undoing. And now Pluto was activating this unfortunate aspect. She could not move on. She could not escape the past. She had nursed her pain for a long time and now was lashing out. Karen Jansen was a very dangerous woman.
“I have to go, Cheryl.”
“What? Now?”
“There’s something I have to make sure of.”
“Where are you going?”
“Right down the street. To David’s offices. I have a very bad feeling about something.” Cheryl followed me to the back. I pulled off my cat accessories and did my best to scrub off the whiskers Gale had drawn on my cheeks.
Cheryl watched silently. “I don’t think you should go alone.”
“Adam has security at the firm. I won’t be alone. Don’t worry, I’ll come back for my car later. It’s quicker if I walk.” Cheryl sighed in response. “I co
uld be wrong, but I don’t think I am.” I slipped on my jacket and tucked my cell phone into a pocket of my jeans, putting my parking card and the key to the firm in the other pocket. “Lock this back door after me.”
Before Cheryl could speak again, I hurried down the alley and across Broadway. It was just a few blocks to the Montgomery Street building. A nighttime mist had turned the streets into glistening black ribbons. I ran, crossing Pine and Sacramento and arrived, out of breath, at the glass front doors. Suzanne was in danger. I was sure of it. And if my hunch was correct, she was inside. She’d never left the firm on Thursday evening. I said a silent prayer that she was alive and that I could find her.
The lobby was brightly lit and empty. The revolving door in the center of the entrance was securely locked, but my key card would work on one of the two doors at either end. I swiped my card, heard the click, and pushed the door open. A row of sagging pumpkins sat along the concierge’s counter: the contest entries from the week, now soft, their features sagging into bizarre expressions like melted wax.
When the elevator came, I stepped in, waved my key card at the little red light, and hit the button for the 41st floor. The doors closed and the elevator descended! Desperate, I pressed the button for 41 and kept it depressed, as if willing the elevator to move upward. Instead, it kept descending slowly.
thirty-six
I took a deep breath and pulled myself together. I knew what would be waiting for me when the doors opened. Two different guards, not the men I had met earlier in the week, were facing me. One man was younger, well over six feet and two hundred pounds, who looked like he might be of Pacific Islander descent. He stepped inside, blocking the doors from closing. The other man, older and red-faced with a prominent belly, looked me up and down. Belatedly I realized that my whiskers were still smeared on my face and I’d forgotten to remove my tail, which peeked out from my jacket.
“Step out of the elevator, please, ma’am,” he said.
“I have to go up to the 41st floor. I work here. I work for David Meyers at the Meyers firm,” I said as I stepped out.
Tail of the Dragon Page 24
