A Sacrificial Matter

by Ilona Fridl

  As she went in, the familiar smell of books and oiled wood shelves hit her. She loved that smell. She greeted the librarian at the great front desk. “Good afternoon, Rose.”

  “Afternoon, Mrs. Darcy. What can I get for you today?”

  Sarah leaned her hand on the desk. “I need books on outdoor spiritual rituals.”

  Rose tapped her pencil on a notepad. “Do you mean like pagan rites and such?”

  “Yes, that probably would work.”

  She wrote something down and stuck her pencil behind her ear. She tore the sheet off and went to the card catalog. Writing on the sheet again, Rose came back a few minutes later. “You’ll find these books in the religion section.”

  Taking the sheet, Sarah went in search of the four listed. The volumes were fairly thick, but she could read two, and Amos could read the others. Looks like a few days of research are ahead.

  She checked the books out and, huddling them next to her jacket, headed into a chilly fog. At the office, she found Amos bouncing Nat on his knee and reading the newspaper at Mary’s desk. She set their research in front of him. “Here. You take two and I’ll take two.”

  The corners of Amos’ mouth quirked. “And I’ll be in Scotland before you.” He looked at the titles. “Pagan Rites and Rituals? The Occult? Bah, sounds like that stuff and nonsense Mary’s going to at the town hall.”

  Sarah tapped her fingers on the desk. “Maybe we should go, too. All that stuff and nonsense are quite the fashion now.”

  Amos looked at her like she had lost her mind. “If we do, who’s going to take care of Nat?”

  “Hmm. Well, maybe we can get the gist from Mary. Come on. We have a lot of reading to do.”

  Amos rose. “Maybe we can close for the rest of the day. I don’t think Sam will get anymore information until tomorrow anyway.”

  They picked up the books and the baby and headed home for an evening of research.

  Chapter 2

  Sarah was settling Nat with his toys in the playpen in her office when Mary arrived for work. Sarah greeted her as she stepped into the reception area. “How was the lecture yesterday?”

  Mary set her pocketbook in the bottom drawer of her desk. “Oh, it was so interestin’. He covered lots of things like Ouija boards, tarot cards, mediums, potions, and so much else. M’ head is burstin’ with the like. He even mentioned banshees.”

  Sarah nodded. “That’s the Irish spirit that announces a death in the family, isn’t it?”

  Mary’s mouth gaped. “And how did a Tlingit girl like you know that?”

  “She’s been reading all about spirits and things most of the night,” said Amos as he joined them. “So have I.”

  “Aren’t you the one who told me it was stuff and nonsense?”

  “Turns out, we need to do research on a murder case that seems to be some sort of pagan ritual. It should be in the newspaper today.”

  Mary shook her head. “It gives me goose flesh to think what demons they’ll be attractin’.”

  Amos chuckled. “Seems like a good Catholic girl like you shouldn’t be afraid of demons.”

  “Still and all, you shouldn’t be attractin’ their attention, if ya know what I mean.” She pulled out the ledger and glanced at them both. “Don’t ya have work to do?”

  Amos sighed. “Yes, ma’am.” He turned to Sarah and pointed to her office. “Might as well continue reading.”

  Around two o’clock that afternoon, Sam came in to see them. “Well, we know who the man is. He was identified by his wife and brother. He’s Abner Wells and works as a bookkeeping clerk at First National Bank.”

  Amos stroked his mustache. “That doesn’t sound like a wild-eyed pagan to me. Did you get a chance to question his wife?”

  “She’s Lidia, and she was quite upset, as you may guess. I asked her if she knew about the spiritualist group, but she didn’t know anything about it.”

  “How about his brother?”

  “His brother is Calvin Wells. He’s a liner captain working for a passenger company, and he said he never heard of a group like that.”

  Sarah was silent for a moment. “It’s possible she’s covering up something. Seems to me if a model citizen was involved in a group like that, they wouldn’t want it general knowledge what they were doing.”

  Sam glanced at her. “You may be right. I’m going to the bank to question people who knew Wells there. Since you’re doing all this research on spiritualism, could you find a way to get into one of these groups?”

  Sarah thought for a moment. “Maybe it would be better for me to work undercover. Amos would still be well known in the community.”

  Amos studied her. “As long as they don’t try to sacrifice you. Then I will have something to say.”

  “I could disguise myself. Kata could help me with that.” Her cousin worked in costuming at the Golden North theater.

  Sam nodded. “If you do, keep me informed of where you go and what you do. That way we can keep an eye on you.”

  Sarah sobered. “Yes, we know it can be dangerous, don’t we?”

  Sam put his hat on. “I’ll let you know what I find out at the bank.”

  When he left, Sarah went to Mary. “Did you bring a pamphlet for me from the lecture?”

  Mary paused. “Why, yes, I did.” She pulled out her pocketbook and removed a folded paper. “Here ya are.”

  “Thank you, Mary.” She took it into her office, and Amos followed. “This might be the only door we have into the secret group.” She turned to the last section and ran her finger down the page. “Here we go. It says: Hiram Bates, professor of world religions, Juneau Institute.”

  Amos peered over her shoulder. “Well, if that’s the only door, we better walk through it.” He paused. “Keep me informed, too. I don’t trust these people.”

  Sarah opened the book on the occult to the section on palmistry. “There’s a carnival being organized next week in the park. I think I could tell fortunes if I study hard enough. Kata could give me a southern Mediterranean look. I’ll talk to Mrs. Teasdale, who’s organizing it, and explain what I’m doing.”

  Amos nodded. “She should be able to fit you in. Only she should know that you’re working undercover.”

  Sarah checked her watch. “I should be back in an hour or so. I’ll talk to her and then go see Kata.” She put a bookmark in the volume and shrugged on her sweater. Giving Amos a quick kiss, she left.

  The sun was playing peek-a-boo as pieces of cloud floated by. The breeze played with her hair where it wisped under her cloche hat. She ascended the long trail of stairs that took her to the exclusive neighborhood on the hill. The mansions with their turrets and gables gleamed in the speckled sunshine.

  Sarah walked past two of them and came to a salmon-colored house with blue trim and a fieldstone foundation. She went down the drive with the spruce trees lining it and climbed the stone steps to the wide porch. Pressing the doorbell, the two-toned chimes rang in the house. A formally dressed butler opened the door.

  “May I help you?” he asked, his lips barely moved.

  “I’m Mrs. Darcy. Is Mrs. Teasdale at home, and may I see her?”

  “Yes, she is. A moment, please.” He turned from the door and stood by the parlor. “That native woman, Mrs. Darcy, would like to see you.”

  “Send her in, Rupert,” came in reply.

  Sarah was escorted into an elaborate room with curtains and bric-a-brac left over from the gilded age. Mrs. Teasdale was seated at her secretary, stuffing envelopes. She waved Sarah into a chair by her. Once seated, Sarah leaned forward. “Mrs. Teasdale, I won’t take much of your time. I have a request of you.”

  Mrs. Teasdale removed her glasses. “What is it, dear?”

  “Mr. Darcy and I are working on a case, and I need to go undercover. I want to work at the carnival as a fortuneteller. You must not tell a soul who I really am.”

  Mrs. Teasdale pulled out a clipboard from a drawer. “I think we can accommodate you. What would you l
ike to be billed as?”

  Sarah thought for a moment. “How about Lady Roma, Mistress of Palmistry? And could I set up a tent?”

  Mrs. Teasdale studied a plat of the carnival grounds. “I think we can set you up at the end of this row of booths. How is that?”

  Sarah nodded. “Anything I make will go to your charity.”

  “Wonderful, dear. Thank you.” She put her glasses back on, and Sarah understood that she was being dismissed.

  She rose. “Good day, Mrs. Teasdale. I’ll see myself out.” All she got was a nod and a wave.

  Sarah took the steps back into town and watched the sunlight sparkles play on the channel water as the sun hit it. She loved this time of year when the colors of the land, water, and sky were so vibrant. The big white building of the Golden North theater loomed ahead, and she stepped through the stage door. Josh Shafer, one of the owners, was taking some props to the storage room.

  Josh grinned, looking very boyish. “Sarah, hello. Are you here to visit Kata?”

  Sarah nodded. “Yes, I am. Where is she?”

  “She’s in the second dressing room, hanging costumes.”

  “Thank you.” She knocked at the door. “Kata, are you there?”

  The door opened, and her cousin stepped back. “Come in, Sarah. I’m almost finished. What can I do for you?”

  “Remember a couple of years ago when I needed a disguise to work undercover?”

  “You mean you want me to fix you up like a man again?”

  “No. This time like a Mediterranean woman. Do you think you could do that?”

  Kata stood back and studied her. “I think that could be done. I could find a wig with thick curly hair. Maybe shoulder length. And thicken up your eyebrows. Those people tend to have darker skin, so you’re safe there.”

  “Could you talk to the Shafers and see if I could rent a gypsy costume from them?”

  They heard footsteps in the hall, and Kata called out, “Josh, can you come in here a moment?” When he came in, Kata told him what Sarah needed.

  Josh waved his hand. “You can borrow anything for an investigation.” At Sarah’s protest, he continued, “Muriel and I could never repay you and Amos for saving our Jenny. We’ll help you out any time you want.”

  Sarah smiled. “Thank you, Josh. You’re a good friend.”

  “Got to go. Good luck, Sarah!”

  When he left, Kata asked, “When do you want me to do this?”

  “If you could, the morning of the carnival.”

  Kata paused in thought, then instructed, “Come to the theater at seven that morning. I’ll fix you up.”

  Sarah touched Kata’s shoulder. “Thank you, Kata. I’ll let you get back to your work.”

  On the way to her office, she worked on a character for herself. Lady Roma had to have a believable background, or she might have a slip-up. And when it came to looking for a murderer, she couldn’t afford to let that happen.

  ****

  Amos was completely mystified that anyone would believe in this pagan hokum he was reading about. It takes all kinds, I guess. He would have dismissed it as a waste of time if there weren’t a murder involved.

  Mary came to the door. “The sheriff is here, sir.”

  “Send him in.” Amos sat back in his chair as Sam entered the office. “Sit. What have you got?”

  Sam pulled out his notebook. “I questioned Wells’ co-workers and, to a man, they said this past month he’s been edgy and argumentative with everyone in the office.”

  “He wasn’t like that before?”

  “No. They said up to then he was quiet and kept to himself.” Sam leaned it. “Here’s another thing. The accountant has been going over Wells’ books, and it looks like he’s been embezzling funds from the bank.”

  “How do they know that?”

  “They called in some of the customer’s receipts, and the entries don’t match. Seems like he’s been doing it for several months.”

  “How much money is missing?”

  Sam referred to his notes. “Almost ten thousand.”

  The door opened and Sarah came in. They filled her in on the information. She, in turn, told them what she had planned.

  Sam thought for a moment. “Why don’t I assign one of the deputies to volunteer, in street clothes, to let people one by one into the tent. That way, if you find out anything, you can tell him.”

  Sarah nodded. “That’s a good idea. Now, I’d better learn all I can about reading palms. Excuse me.”

  After she left, Amos turned to Sam. “Well, the jigsaw pieces are on the table. Now we have to put it all together.”

  Sam shook his head. “We don’t know if we have all the pieces, yet.”

  As Sam left, Amos went back to studying the occult book.

  Chapter 3

  Sarah watched in the dressing room mirror as Kata slicked back her short bob and pinned a white elastic netting over it. Then she put a light coating of stage makeup over Sarah’s face, neck, and shoulders. Taking an eyebrow pencil, she gave the illusion of thicker black brows and some liner over the eyelids. A light touch of rouge and a dark red lipstick finished her paint job. Powder was then blended in over Sarah’s face and shoulders.

  Kata stepped back and studied her handiwork. “Well, what do you think?”

  Sarah smiled. “Good job. I don’t think even Mother would recognize me.”

  Kata took a black ruffled skirt off a hanger. “Why don’t you get dressed first. Then I can fix the wig.”

  Sarah rose and took off the makeup towel. She was already in a white peasant blouse. Kata slipped the skirt over Sarah’s head and hooked the waistband in the back while Sarah gazed at the reflection in the full-length mirror. “I even feel like a different person.”

  Kata took down a hatbox from the wardrobe shelf and pulled out a black wig. “Sit back down, and I’ll get the spirit gum.”

  Sarah remembered that gooey substance from the last time she’d utilized Kata’s talents. The gum was spread along the edge of the cap of curls; then Kata pressed it over Sarah’s head.

  Kata held it in place for a moment. “I’ve got to make sure the gum sticks all around, or the wind could take it.” She then did some light combing. “There. Now it’s set.”

  Sarah blinked at the curls cascading to her shoulder. “Oh, my.”

  There was a knock at the door, and Muriel, Josh’s wife, came in with a large jewelry box. “Here, Kata, this was all the costume jewelry I could find.” She gasped. “Is that really you, Sarah?”

  Sarah laughed. “Kata did a good job. Now remember, Muriel, not a word to anybody.”

  “Don’t worry. We can’t go to the carnival anyway, so there won’t be any slip-ups.” She took a pair of hoop earrings out of the box. “I think these would be perfect.” While Sarah put the earrings on, Muriel removed several long chains and beads. “I’ll hook these behind your neck.”

  Kata found a stack of loop bracelets that Sarah added to her arms, and they all gazed at her reflection. “Seems all I need is a tambourine. But I think that would be taking it a little far.”

  Kata held up a red scarf with gold coin trim. “But you do need this.” She secured it over the wig. “There. You’re ready.”

  A rapping at the door again came, with Josh’s voice. “Is Sarah ready? Deputy Luke Sayers is here to escort her to the carnival.”

  Sarah put on her lightweight hooded cape while Muriel opened the door. Josh stood there, dumbstruck. Sarah offered her hand. “How do you do? I’m Lady Roma Spiros,” she said with a slight accent.

  He shook his head as he took her hand. “I have to say, Kata outdid herself with this disguise. I never would have known it was you.”

  Luke, a co-worker when she had been a deputy, was equally stunned. He was dressed in a day suit with a starched collar and tie. She noticed he had a gun concealed under his jacket.

  After farewells at the theater, Luke helped her into his auto, and they were off to the carnival. People were decorating
their booths in the park, and a small carny troop was setting up rides. Sarah found Mrs. Teasdale hurrying about with her clipboard and signed in as Roma Spiros, paying the fee. Luke brought a poster board and stand, assembling it in front of the tent Mrs. Teasdale had provided. It read: Lady Roma―Mistress of Palmistry―ten cents, with a disembodied hand showing the lines of a palm. A small folding table and stools were placed in the tent, where one naked bulb hung from the inside brace.

  Sarah took a thin fringed cloth out of her pocketbook and put it over the table. From a small bag she’d brought with her she extracted a decorated Chinese vase in which customers could deposit their money. She stood back. That looks exotic enough.

  Luke leaned in. “They’re opening up the grounds now.”

  Sarah nodded. “You know what to do.”

  Luke was to make sure the people came into the tent one at a time. Halfway through the morning there was a lull in visitors. Sarah heard a light scratching on the back of the tent. She untied the back flap, and Mary was there.

  “Thought ya’d like ta know that Hiram Bates is headed this way.”

  “Thank you. Mary, keep out of sight.” Sarah redid the flap and sat down. A distinguished-looking gray-haired man entered and dropped a dime in the vase. “Thank you. May I know your first name?”

  “It’s Hiram.”

  She turned over his right hand and studied the lines. “You are very well educated. With the heart and head lines close together, you live what you learn. You study things that are unseen. You are not married, because your life is your work. You will find increasing problems in decisions you make. Use the stars as your guide. Do you have any questions for me?”

  “Are you a medium?”

  She shook her head. “You paid for information for yourself, not me.”

  He took out a card from his pocket. “I should like for you to visit me at the Institute. I’m the head of world religions, and pagan practices are a specialty of mine. You, my dear Lady Roma, are more than just a fortuneteller.” He rose and left the tent.

  Sarah slipped the card into her pocketbook. The door had just opened a crack.