The Death Card: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery (4 page)

“Good morning, Seth,” Liz said as she
held her phone in one hand and with the other hand pulled ingredients for the
night’s dinner out of the pantry to get as much done ahead of time as she
could. She knew between her appointment with Madame Dika and everything else
that needed to be done, it would be a busy day. “I hope you got some sleep last
night. If you have a couple of minutes, I need to talk to you.”

“Nah, didn’t get me much
sleep last night. Mind kept whirling thinkin’ every sound was a knock on the
door, and Sheriff Keith was comin’ to arrest me. Liz, I didn’t do it. Ya’ gotta
believe me.”

“I do, Seth, but I have a
couple of questions. First of all, tell me about Madame Dika. Why did you start
going to her, and what’s she like?”

“Well, I was givin’
somebody a speedin’ ticket, you know how important those revenues are to a
small town like Red Cedar, and Dave, the mayor, likes me to give as many as I
can. Anyway, some guy opened his wallet to show me his driver’s license, and he
had her card with her picture on it. She’s real purty, I mean she’s a knockout.
Real exotic foreign lookin’ if you know what I mean with long black curly hair
and big brown eyes. I couldn’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout her, so I decided to make an
appointment for a readin’. I guess I was pretty stupid cuz I tol’ her I was the
chief of police, thinkin’ it would impress her. It didn’t.”

From what Roger told me
I’m sure the chief of the police was the last person she wanted to see.

“Yes, go on.”

“Well, after I tried on
the phone for probably five different times to have her give me a readin’, and
she turned me down every time, I tol’ her she better make nice to me, or I
could make a world of hurt fer’ her. Guess she thought I might arrest her or
somethin’. Anyway, I had a readin’ from her, and she was even purtier in person
than she was on that card.”

“How many readings have
you had from her?”

“Probably ten. I usually
jes’ go in and ask a question. Little cheaper that way, but yesterday with this
election comin’ up and all, I did the full spread. Cost me one hunert and fifty
big ones. She’s somethin’ all right. What’s been botherin’ me is that the Death
card came up, and it weren’t in a good position if ya’ know what that means.
She said it meant it was gonna be a time for transformation for me, but I know
it means I’m probably gonna die. Probably be tried for murderin’ Leroy, and
they’ll give me the death penalty. That’s probably what it meant. I’d be lyin’
if I said I wasn’t scared when I saw Leroy sittin’ there in his chair all
covered in blood. Particularly after me seein’ the Death card.”

“Seth, I don’t know much
about tarot cards, but I do know that the cards can be interpreted a number of
different ways, and that most readers will never interpret the death card as
meaning that someone is going to die. I think you’re just a little spooked.”

“Yeah, you can say that
again. And I ain’t a little spooked, I’m big time spooked. Wish I’d never gone
out there even if she does look like a dark-haired Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth
Taylor all rolled into one.”

“I’m going to change the
subject. You mentioned that Leroy liked to play the ponies. Did he have a
bookie or did he go to the track, although I don’t know where he’d go around
here.”

“He liked to go to Golden
Gate Fields in San Francisco when he had a little time, but mostly he placed
his bets with some bookie. Used to hear Leroy ever so often when he called him
from the station.”

“Do you know the name of
his bookie?” Seth was quiet for a few moments. “Seth, I asked if you knew the
name of his bookie.”

“Don’t know the whole
name, but think it was somethin’ like Ratface.”

“You’re kidding me. No one
has the name Ratface. If you’re right, that must be his nickname.”

“Could be, but I’m purty
sure it was Ratface. Think he’s based in San Francisco, cuz I remember one time
when Leroy asked me for an afternoon off he said he had to meet a man in San
Francisco and settle a debt.”

Better call Roger and see
if Sean can get me any information on a man called Ratface who’s a bookie.
That’s next on my to-do list.

“Thanks, Seth. Try and
relax. Maybe you could go arrest some speeders, and it would take your mind off
of this. One more question. Did you know Leroy’s ex-wife, Donna?”

“Sure. He was married to
her fer’ a long time before they got divorced. Used to see her at the Christmas
party we had at the station every year.”

“What can you tell me
about her?”

“She’s tough as nails.
Never know what Leroy saw in her other than that she’s a real looker. Know he
hated her at the end. She was always calling here ‘bout his late alimony
payments.  I hadn’t heard from her in the last couple of months, and I asked
Leroy about it. He tol’ me she went and got herself a boyfriend. Said he had a
lot of money, and she didn’t need Leroy’s alimony no more. He was purty happy
‘bout it, I’ll tell you that.”

“Do you know anything
about this new boyfriend? Did Leroy ever meet him?”

“Only thing I know was
that Donna ‘tol Leroy he was some rich European and treated her right.”

“So you never knew his
name.”

“Didn’t say that. Yer’
puttin’ words in my mouth. Name was somethin’ like Anton, some fancy schmancy
name like that.”

“What about a last name?
Did he tell you that? Did he ever say what Anton did?”

“Nah. Never heard that.
Think Leroy was jes’ glad she was off his back.”

“I can imagine he was.
I’ve got some things to do this afternoon. If you think of anything else that
might help us find who killed Leroy, call me. By the way, have you heard
anything from Sheriff Brown?”

“Called his office this
mornin’ to see if he’d found out anything, but his secretary said there’d been
a family emergency and he’d be gone fer’ a couple of days. Don’t know what
that’s about.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.
He seems like a good man. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Roger, I’m sorry to bother you when
you’re at work, but I could use your help.”

“Liz, how often do I have
to tell you that I love it when you call me? I want to talk to you. I want to
hear what’s happening in your day. The only time I can’t talk is when I’m in
trial, but the rest of the time I’m all yours. I’ll even excuse myself when I’m
meeting with a client and go out in the hall to talk to you. Am I making myself
clear?”

“Yes, sir!” she said
laughing. “Here’s what I need help with, and I’m hoping your guy Sean can get
some information for me. I just finished talking to Seth. The more I thought
about it the more I wondered if he could give me some information about Leroy
playing the ponies.” She told him what Seth had told her about Ratface and the
race track in San Francisco that Leroy liked to go to, Golden Gate Fields.

“Liz, I thought you said
the guy’s name was Ratface. Did I hear you right?”

“That you did, and I’m
sure it’s a nickname. I mean no mother would name her child that, at least none
that I’ve ever known.”

“Well if she did, she
should be arrested for child endangerment. Actually, if he’s known at all in
the horse racing world, with a name like that Sean should be able to find
something out about him. Anything else?”

“Yes. Bertha had a call
last night from a Mrs. Morris. She wanted to book an appointment at the spa
today, because she was celebrating the murder of her ex-husband. You have to
admit, that’s pretty weird. I wonder if it’s Leroy’s ex-wife. I intend to find
out later today from my massage therapist, but Seth mentioned that Donna had
stopped calling the station about late alimony payments because she had a rich
boyfriend whose name was Anton. Leroy told Seth he was European. I know it’s
like finding a needle in a haystack, but I’m wondering if he could give it a
try. I’m sure there are a lot of men named Anton who are European, but maybe
there will be a nexus somewhere. Anyway, thought I’d throw it out there and see
if anything comes up.”

“I have no idea, but I’ll
ask him to give it a try. I can’t promise anything, but if anyone can find
something out, it will be Sean. I’ll call you after he gets back to me with the
information. I know he’s going to look into the name Tom Rice this afternoon.
He’s been working on a case of mine that’s going to trial next week, and I
needed that information so I could start preparing for trial and still make it
up to the spa Wednesday night. What are your plans for the rest of the day? Are
you keeping Winston with you?”

She took a deep breath.
“Roger, I made an appointment with Madame Dika this afternoon to have my cards
read. Since she’s the only person who’s really surfaced in this case, I thought
I needed to see her, and obviously I can’t go to her and say I want to question
her about Leroy’s murder. I decided to do it this way. I don’t know what the
connection is, but you have to admit it’s a little more than coincidence, and
you’re the one who always says not to believe in coincidences. It’s just too
convenient that Seth would go to a tarot reading, have the Death card come up,
and then a Death card appears in the office where Leroy was murdered.”

Roger was quiet for a few
moments. “I think you already know how I feel about you going to her home,
particularly in light of the so-called coincidence. I know this may seem
strange to her, but I want you to insist that Winston be with you during the
reading. You didn’t mention to her that you were investigating Leroy’s murder,
did you?”

“Of course not. She has no
idea who I am. To her I’m just someone who wants to have a tarot card reading
done. I opted for the question reading. Actually I think I’ll ask her if you
and I will ever work out this long distance relationship. Your work keeps you
in San Francisco, and my work keeps me here. Seems like a no-win situation in
some ways.”

“Maybe not. I might have a
little information for you when I come up Wednesday night. I’ll fill you in
then.”

“Roger, I’ve told you how
I hate surprises. Please tell me now.”

“No can do. I don’t want
to get either one of our hopes up. Trust me and wait until I see you Wednesday.
Back to Madame Dika. I know you have to entertain your guests at dinner
tonight, but please call me afterwards and tell me about her. I’m really
curious.”

“Actually, you might want
to have a reading from her. Seth says she looks like a dark haired angel. Of
course coming from Seth that doesn’t mean much.”

“Yeah, I remember when he
told me to ask you about black lace. On one hand I feel sorry for the
predicament he’s in, but on the other hand…”

“I know. I’m just glad you
decided not to run against him. I remember you threatened him with it after the
Brandy Boy incident, but if you’d run against him, maybe you’d be the one who’s
dead. Roger,” she said in a serious voice, “I don’t think I could handle that.”

“You’re not going to have
to. I have great genes and no intention of running for sheriff, so you can take
that thought out of the universe. I think you’re going to be stuck with me for
a long time.”

“Music to my ears. I’ll
call you later tonight, and please thank Sean for me. I know it’s your dollar
that’s paying him for doing this research, so I owe you a big thanks, too.
Actually I’ll show you just how grateful I am Wednesday night.”

“I’ve heard that before.
Promises, promises! Gotta go, sweetheart. Have a good reading. Loves.”

About two miles north of downtown Red
Cedar, on the outskirts of town, Liz turned off the highway onto a gravel road
named Lullaby Lane. “Guess this is it, Winston. Anyway that’s what the
directions on Madame Dika’s web site indicated. Wonder how long she’s been
here. This should be interesting.”

About three hundred yards
farther up the road she saw the sign that the directions had said led to the
tarot card reader’s house, “Dika Lane.” She turned onto the gravel lane, drove
a quarter of a mile, and then stopped the van, staring at the house where the
tarot card reader lived and worked.

In front of her was a
house painted purple with the words “Tarot Card Reader” painted on the roof in
bright yellow-orange big letters. Liz vaguely remembered something about the
sun being one of the most positive cards in the tarot card deck and thought
that was probably the reason for the yellow-orange shade of the letters. .

I think it has something
to do with feeling good.

It was a cloudy day and
warm light shone through the windows. A fire had been lit in the fireplace and
smoke was coming out of the chimney
.
Liz hadn’t been expecting such a
cheery atmosphere. There was one other car parked at the end of the gravel
lane.

She let Winston out of the
van and they walked up the steps to the front door. A sign on the door said,
“Please enter and wait in the reception area until Madame Dika is ready for
you.”

Liz opened the door and
felt her breath catch as she looked at the scene in front of her. It was a
complete contrast to the outside of the house. There was a very dark feeling
about the room. She felt the thing she called a niggle, the thing that had
always alerted her to danger, trying to get her attention. The room was crammed
full of heavy European style furnishings covered with crocheted doilies. A
zebra skin rug covered the central part of the floor. A lamp on an end table
had a shade made from the skin of an animal. Lit candles were everywhere Liz
looked. A glassed-front rosewood cabinet displayed a number of different tarot
card decks. At the far end of the reception area was a closed door with thick
purple velvet curtains swagged to each side. There were three rosewood
bookcases filled with books about tarot cards, ESP, fortune-telling, and other
esoteric paranormal practices.

Wow, and I thought my
niggle was something. There’s a whole lot more to this tarot card business than
I ever knew about. Kind of remember that the color purple is associated with
spirituality. Guess that’s what she’s trying to show. Wonder if she crochets or
someone close to her does. There are more doilies in this room than I’ve ever
seen in my life.

She sat down on a dark
purple club chair with crocheted doilies on the armrests and picked up one of
the books on tarot cards on the table in front of her. Curious, she looked up
the meaning of the sunny colors painted on the roof.

Well, I wasn’t too far
off,
she
thought.
According to this book it’s about freedom and things going well for
you. I’m sure that’s why she used those colors. It’s a lot more inviting than
the Death card. That would probably scare off a lot of prospective clients.

A few minutes later a man
dressed in a suit opened the door and walked past Liz, nodding to her as he
made his way to the front door. Liz turned back to the room where the man had
come from and saw a woman walking towards her. It took every bit of will power
she possessed to keep a straight face as she looked at the woman.

You’ve got to be kidding
me
, Liz
thought.
She has to be the epitome of a modern day gypsy. If she shows me a
crystal ball, I’m leaving. This is almost spooky. I can’t wait to tell Roger
about this.

The woman who called
herself Madame Dika was wearing a scarf around her head which barely covered
her thick wavy black hair. Large gold hoop earrings hung from her ear lobes.
She wore a black off-the-shoulder blouse which barely contained her large
breasts. Liz could see the black lace on her bra.

Well, as fixated on black
lace as Seth is, no wonder he was mesmerized by her, but he even called her an
angel. Don’t think so.

Her blouse was tucked into
a long pale purple skirt. A shiny black patent leather belt encircled her small
waist. Large brown eyes fringed with lush black lashes sat under heavy black
eyebrows. Bright red nail polish covered her nails and matched her lipstick.
She appeared to be in her early 40’s, and she had a mystique about her that was
both enchanting and frightening.

“You must be Liz. I’m
Madame Dika. What is that awful thing sitting next to you?”

“This is my dog, Winston.
He goes everywhere I go. I promise he won’t be any trouble.”

“I have never had a dog in
the room during a reading. If he makes trouble, you will have to leave. Please,
come this way,” she said in a heavy European accent, as she looked coldly at
Winston.

“Dahlink, sit down. Have
you ever had a tarot card reading before?” she asked.

“Many years ago. I read on
your web page that you have a reading where someone asks a question. I would
like to do that.”

“Fine, dahlink. You will
ask me a question, pick a card from the deck, and I will interpret it based on
your question, but first I’d like you to close your eyes and visualize your
question. Let your mind become still and then see your question as if it was
written on a tablet.” She paused for several moments while Liz pictured her
question.

The room was perfectly
still when Madame spoke. “Please open your eyes. Different tarot card readers
have different ways of interpreting the cards and handling them. I want your
energy to be on the cards. Please shuffle the cards and then cut the deck. Take
the top card from the bottom part of the deck and place it face down on the
table.”

Liz shuffled the deck and
put her card on the table. She looked over at Madame Dika who said, “You may
ask your question.”

Liz spoke slowly and
carefully as she said, “I want to know if Roger and I will ever be able to be
together permanently.”

“Close your eyes and once
again concentrate on your question. Your energy is what chose you to pick this
card. The power of your mind will give you the answer. It is your power, I am
only an interpreter. Now open your eyes and turn the card over.”

Liz did as she was told
and heard Madame Dika’s sharp intake of breath and the words,
“My god
,
”
uttered by her. She looked up at Madame and asked, “What does this card mean?”

“You have asked a question
of love and the card you picked is The Lovers card. I have never had that
happen before.”

“Yes, I see that, but what
does it mean?” Liz asked.

“The card means that yes,
definitely, you and this Roger will be together. It is the card of love,
commitment, and trust. It’s also a very spiritual card. It shows you have
powers you’ve never used. Only you know who this Roger is. I see where you and
he have been at a crossroads, but that something has been resolved. It does not
tell me how you will be together, only that you will be. Does this sound right
to you?”

“Yes, I just wish I knew
how we were going to be together. You’re very good. Have you been doing this
for a long time?”

“Dahlink, I am simply one
in a long line of women who have been blessed with spiritual powers. I have
been doing this all my life, but are you aware of any powers you might have?”

“Not really. I have what I
call a niggle sometimes, and I usually listen to it. It’s kind of like a little
voice in my head telling me to do or not do certain things, like lock the door
of the van when I get in or don’t run the yellow light. Things like that.”

“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.”