The Death Card: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  “You need to listen to that voice and begin to pay more attention to it. The card says that you have the gift. You must learn to use it. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  “I’m curious. How did you happen to come to Red Cedar? I would think you would have far more clients in a large city than here.”

  “I have lived in big cities, and I don’t like them. I feel much more in touch with my powers when I’m close to nature. I came to Red Cedar to be near my brother. My family has always been very close to one another, and he’s the only other member of my family who is living in the United States. The rest of my family is in Romania.”

  “Don’t you miss them?”

  “Very much, but at least I have him, and there is more work for me here in the United States than in Romania.” She stood up and looked at her watch. “I’m sorry, but I have another reading scheduled. I hope to see you again and good luck with this Roger.”

  “Thank you very much, Madame Dika. You’ve been very helpful.” Liz gave her cash and motioned to Winston to come with her. A few minutes later they turned onto the highway.

  “Winston, I don’t know if I was just scammed or what, but that was definitely an interesting experience. I just hope the card was right, and that Roger and I can be together permanently.”

  CHAPTER 10

  While Liz was driving back to town, she decided to stop in at Gertie’s Diner and see if she could find out what the latest rumor was. Gertie’s was always the place to get that kind of information. Liz had been so busy getting tonight’s dinner ready for the guests who were staying in the cottages she hadn’t taken time for lunch.

  One of Gertie’s hamburgers and a chocolate malted milk will be perfect. Think I better pass on the onion rings. At my age I can only justify so many calories. I may be reasonably tall, and some might say I have an hourglass figure for a middle-aged woman, but if I push it the sand will all slide downhill, and before long I’ll resemble an unattractive pear rather than an hourglass.

  She found a parking place half a black from the diner, rolled the windows down, and told Winston to watch the van while she was gone. Liz looked in the rearview mirror to see if she needed to put some more lipstick on. The face reflected in the mirror was still a very attractive one, even if she was middle-aged. Large green eyes looked back at her set in a creamy complexion which was surrounded by auburn hair cut short, emphasizing her heart-shaped face. She brushed on some lipstick and walked to Gertie’s.

  Even though it was mid-afternoon, the diner was filled with customers. Gertie’s was such a well-known institution that people came from as far away as San Francisco for a hamburger and one of her signature malted milks. Liz suspected a lot of them came just to see Gertie, a throwback to the 60’s with her bottle blond beehive hairdo, five-inch stilettos, and the bubbles she constantly blew with her pink bubblegum. She had a heart of gold, and she never forgot a face. She greeted everyone as if they were a long lost friend, and to Gertie each and every one was.

  Liz sat down in a booth at the back of the diner, happy to have found a table in the crowded diner. A moment later Gertie tottered over. Liz always worried that one of these days Gertie was going to fall down. Privately Liz thought Gertie was getting a little long in the tooth to wear such high heels. Gertie’s age was a constant source of speculation in the small town, but she guarded it as fiercely as if she was protecting the crown jewels. In her mind she was still twenty-one, but her body belied it by a good fifty years. No one had the courage to tell Gertie she was as dated as her diner, and that the 1960’s were long gone. Now she’d become what was commonly called “retro” and in some circles, quite in vogue.

  “So, honey, what’s goin’ on out at the spa these days?” Gertie asked as she walked over to Liz’s table, cracking a big wad of pink bubblegum as she spoke.

  “Busy as usual. The article that was in the San Francisco paper sure didn’t hurt and then with Brandy Boy getting all the national publicity when he kept me from being murdered, we’re filled up for the next few months.”

  “Glad to hear it. Any business that does well in Red Cedar helps everybody else. So, how are things goin’ with Leroy’s murder? Heard yer’ helpin’ Seth. I was surprised to hear that. Didn’t think you liked him very much. Even so, don’t think he was the one responsible for Leroy’s murder.”

  “Gertie, how do you find out these things? You never fail to amaze me. Yes, I am helping him, and like you, I don’t think he did it. He’s never been my favorite person, but I’d hate to see an innocent man charged with a murder he didn’t commit.”

  “Yeah. Know what you mean.” She was talking to Liz but staring at a man sitting in a booth on the other side of the diner.

  “Gertie, why are you looking at that man? I don’t think I’ve seen him in town before.”

  “Don’t know. Somethin’ about him ain’t right. Calls himself Anton. I heard he was the one who was seein’ Leroy’s ex-wife. I’ve only seen him around here for the last few months. Hear he’s that tarot card reader’s brother. The one who goes by the name of Madame Dika. I mean, there’s a made-up name if I’ve ever heard one. Hope he don’t make a habit of hangin’ out here.”

  Liz took a long look at him. She could definitely see a resemblance to Madame Dika. She looked back at Gertie and asked, “Gertie, you know everything about everyone in this town. Tell me about Madame Dika?”

  “I can tell you Seth has the hots for her. Spends every extra penny he has gettin’ readings from her. I’ve only seen her once, but she’s a looker. Don’t know whether she’s the real deal or not. Have my doubts about that kind of stuff. I mean you can read anything you want into some card, and the person who’s getting’ the reading is usually so desperate they believe whatever the tarot card reader’s sayin’, if you know what I mean.”

  “You may be right. I just think it’s quite strange she lives in Red Cedar. Seems pretty tame for someone who looks like her.”

  Gertie looked at her shrewdly. “You get a readin’ from her?”

  “Yes, I just came from there. I wanted to see why Seth spent so much time and money there. He said he was there when Leroy was murdered, but he wasn’t sure Madame Dika would vouch for him. After being with her, I agree with him. I’m not so sure she’d vouch for him or anybody else, and even if she did, I’m not so sure she’d be a very believable witness. I mean having a tarot card reader provide an alibi may not sit well with some people. Do you know how long she’s lived here?”

  “About a year. I heard about her from somebody who had just had a readin’. They said she was fabulous and tol’ them exactly what they wanted to know. Like I said, got my doubts.”

  “I asked her why she had come here, and she told me to be near her brother.”

  “Could be. Wonder where he lives. Really don’t know nothin’ about him. He jes’ showed up one day.”

  “It didn’t occur to me to ask her where he lived, and I’m not sure she would have told me. There really was no reason for me to ask. For all I know he could live with her. Have you seen her house?”

  “Nah, but I’ve sure heard about it. Guess all that purple’s supposed to mean she’s the real spiritual deal. Back in the ‘60’s, I spent a little time in Haight-Ashbury, you know, during the summer of love. Had a lot of wannabe spiritual people around then. She kind of reminds me of some of them, but as long as people keep goin’ to her and are happy with what she tells ‘em, who am I to say it ain’t real?”

  “I don’t know. She was interesting, but I certainly am wondering if I was scammed or if she’s legitimate, and I don’t know how to find out, anyway I’ve kept you long enough. I want a chocolate malted milk and a hamburger with all the trimmings.”

  “You got it. Mitzi’ll bring it out when it’s ready. Wanna start on that malted now?”

  “Yes, please. As thick as yours are, it will take me awhile to drink it. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, and if I ever find out if Madame Dika’s the real deal, I’ll let you
know.” She watched the elderly caricature toddle back to the kitchen, once again praying she wouldn’t stumble and take a fall.

  CHAPTER 11

  Liz looked at her watch when she left the diner and thought, Good, Lisette should be finished with Leroy’s ex-wife’s massage. I need to talk to her and see if she found out anything. I know the treatments at the spa are scheduled on the hour, and I can just make it back there while Lisette is probably taking a break between appointments.

  She and Winston walked into the spa. “Hi, Delores, any chance I could see Lisette before her next appointment?”

  “Sure. She’s in the employee’s lounge. Let me call her for you,” Delores said as Winston walked over to her and looked up, hoping for an ear scratch.

  “Thanks, but don’t bother. I’ll just walk back there. Winston, come,” Liz said. She walked down the hall and opened the last room on the right. “Good afternoon, Lisette. If you have a moment, I’d like to talk to you. Could we go into your massage room?” The room was filled with spa employees who were downing a quick cup of coffee or a coke between appointments. “Bring your coffee. I’ll just take up a couple of minutes of your time.”

  The three of them walked into the massage room, and Liz closed the door behind them. “I’m sure you remember that I called you this morning regarding your appointment with Donna Morris. I’m curious to hear what she had to say, if anything.”

  Lisette took a sip of her coffee and said, “She’s a very strange woman. She told me her ex-husband had been murdered, and she was really happy about it, then she went to tell me he never paid her alimony on time, because he was so busy playing the horses.”

  “Did she tell you who her husband was?”

  “Yes, she said he was the deputy police chief. She said she didn’t know who killed him, but she thought it might be somebody he owed money to.”

  “Well, I suppose that’s not a bad guess, given his penchant for gambling. Did she say anything about where he went to gamble or what he played?”

  “She mentioned he was addicted to horse racing even when they were married. She said that was one of the reasons she’d divorced him. Said he spent more time with the racing sheets than he did with her. She mumbled something about Golden Gate and what sounded like Ratface, but I really couldn’t hear her, and I could have misunderstood her. She also said something about him owing her a lot of money in back alimony payments, and she’d be able to get that money from the proceeds of the life insurance policy the police provided for its employees.”

  “Thanks, Lisette. I really appreciate this. I don’t want to keep you from your next appointment.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Lucas. There was one other thing. She mentioned she was glad she’d divorced her husband, because she was in love with a wonderful wealthy man who lived in San Francisco.”

  “Did she happen to say what this man’s name was?”

  “Yes, she called him Anton. She said he was European, and they had met when she was having a tarot card reading.”

  Liz couldn’t believe what Lisette had just told her. It was too much of a coincidence. “Lisette, one more minute. Did she say anything more about the tarot card reading? Like where it was done or who did it?”

  “No. That was all. Does that help you?”

  “Very much. I really appreciate what you’ve told me. I’ve taken up enough of your time, and I’m sure your next appointment is waiting for you. Thanks again. Winston, come.”

  Time to call Roger, she thought, as she and Winston walked to the lodge. This is beginning to have a lot of coincidences, and Roger doesn’t believe in them, and I have to agree with him. I’ve got time to call him before the guests come for dinner, and maybe he’s found out something on the names I gave him, and also maybe Sean was able to find something out about Tom Rice.

  CHAPTER 12

  Liz greeted Emily when she and Winston walked into the lodge. “Give me a few minutes. I need to make a call, and then I can help with anything you need me to do to finish up.” She looked at the food Emily had finished preparing. “Actually, Emily, you’re doing such a beautiful job, I think the best thing I can do is stay out of your way. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Whatever you’re doing, just keep doing it.”

  They walked downstairs, and she let Winston out. He loved to run through the gardens and get some exercise this time of day. Late afternoons were usually a very quiet time of day at the lodge. Most of the guests had finished their treatments and were usually in their cottages, relaxing and getting ready for dinner. She picked up her phone and clicked on Roger’s number.

  “I’m really glad you called, Liz. I’ve got a lot of information for you. Sean has been very busy on your behalf this afternoon. And you, how was your day?”

  “Well, I’m going to start with Madame Dika. I can sure see why Seth has been going to see her. She’s quite beautiful, and it looked like she was wearing a black lace bra. Naturally he’d be enchanted,” she said laughing. She went on and told him about Madame Dika, her home, and the reading.

  “Whoa, Liz. I’m trying to picture this in my mind. Are you telling me you just happened to turn over The Lovers card, and that your question was about a lover? I hope to heck you’re referring to me.”

  “Yes, my question was about you, and that’s the card I turned over.”

  “Pardon me for being skeptical, but that’s the nature of my job. Answer a question for me. Didn’t you tell me she had you close your eyes before you turned the card over, after you’d cut the deck and placed it on the table?”

  “That’s correct. Why?”

  “Well, again, pardon the sarcasm, but isn’t it possible she put that particular card there while your eyes were closed?”

  Liz was quiet for several moments, thinking back to the reading. Finally she answered Roger. “Yes, I suppose she could have done that, but I’d like to believe I picked it because it was a question about lovers. She seemed honestly surprised when I’d picked it.”

  “Again, forgive me, but two things occur to me. One is that although you went out there to see what she was all about, there was a good chance you wanted to believe what she was telling you. The second thing is that she might be a very good actress. Did either of those things occur to you?”

  “Roger, I asked if you and I would ever get together permanently, and she said because I picked that card, the answer was yes. I want to believe that.”

  It was Roger’s turn to be quiet for a few moments. “Well, Liz, I don’t know if she’s a fraud or not, but I received some information today that leads me to believe we will be together permanently. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you Wednesday. Maybe she’s legit after all. What else did you find out today?”

  “I spoke with Lisette, the massage therapist who treated Donna Morris, Leroy’s ex-wife. She said something that leads me to believe his ex-wife might be a suspect. She told Lisette how much she hated Leroy, how happy she was that he was dead, and that she was in love with someone named Anton, but the thing that really got my attention was that she said that the police carried an insurance police on Leroy, and she was going to get a lot of money from it now that he was dead. Do police forces typically provide that kind of benefit for their employees?” Liz asked.

  “It’s pretty much up to each individual city, but usually it would be the city, not the police force, that would carry the insurance on an employee. I suppose you could find out from Seth. If it’s true, she would have a motive to kill him.”

  “Hmmm, seems a little too obvious, but you never know. I went into Gertie’s Diner for a late lunch. She’s amazing. I swear that woman knows everything that’s going on in this town. She already knew I was working on the case, but what I want to tell you about is that there was a man there she said was Madame Dika’s brother. He’s been seeing Leroy’s ex-wife. Gertie had a bad feeling about him and my niggle started acting up when Gertie had doubts about him.”

  “Fraid I can’t help you on that one, sweetheart. Let me tell you what
Sean found out. First of all, Tom Rice is the name of a man who got out of prison a couple of years ago, but here’s the interesting part. Leroy was the one who arrested him and testified at his trial that he had witnessed Tom beating his wife. Tom was convicted of committing a felony by a judge who had a real bias against anyone who had been accused of spousal abuse. The talk is that the judge was beaten by her husband, and if someone accused of that crime is in her courtroom, the defendant can just about plan on getting the maximum sentence. That’s what happened in Tom Rice’s case. The judge gave him the maximum sentence in California – three years in prison.

  “Sean was able to get in touch with several people who had known Tom Rice when he was in prison, as well as some guards at the prison, and they all told him Tom hated Leroy and had threatened to do something to Leroy so he’d suffer as much as Tom had suffered. Evidently his wife divorced him, and he lost everything.”

  “Wow! There’s another suspect, but why would he wait this long if he intended to do something to Leroy? That seems odd.”

  “Sweetheart, if I’ve learned one thing during the time I’ve been a criminal defense attorney, it’s that human nature is pretty unpredictable. I have no idea why he waited so long, and we don’t even know if he was the one who murdered Leroy, but it’s certainly a coincidence.”

  “Yes, and once again I know how much you don’t like coincidences.”

  “That’s true, but like everything else, sometimes a coincidence is just that, a coincidence. Now to Ratface and Anton. Ratface is a well-known bookie in the San Francisco area. Sean found out that Leroy owed Ratface a lot of money, and it wasn’t the first time he’d been seriously in debt to Ratface. Sean was able to talk to some people who told him Ratface had said that was the last time he’d ever take one of Leroy’s bets and if he didn’t pay him, Leroy would be very sorry. Looks like another suspect.”