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As she stood, she surveyed her modest bedroom with its peeling wallpaper and mismatched furniture. It wasn't much, but it was hers. Her clothes were draped over the back of a worn wooden chair, and she quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt. Slipping her feet into her sneakers, she called out, "Star? You awake?"
There was no answer. Sheila figured the teenage girl was still asleep, exhausted after all she'd been through recently. A small smile tugged at the corner of Sheila's mouth as she thought about the previous evening when she and Star had bonded over shared stories and laughter. For a moment, she felt a little less alone in the world.
She stepped cautiously into the small living room of her apartment. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the couch, still made up from last night, but with no sign of Star. A knot of concern tightened in her stomach, and she called out again, "Star?"
Once more, there was no answer. The silence hung heavy in the air as Sheila's worry grew. She moved quickly through the apartment, checking the cramped bathroom and the tiny kitchen, but there was no sign of the young girl anywhere. It appeared that Star had left without saying a word.
"Damn," Sheila muttered under her breath, disappointment tinging her voice. At least nothing seemed to be stolen or out of place. She walked back to the kitchen and started preparing a quick breakfast—a slice of toast and a glass of orange juice.
As she spread butter on her toast, her thoughts drifted to the day ahead. She had an appointment with Autumn Wood, the palm reader, this morning, something she'd never considered before, but the tarot cards found on the victims sparked her curiosity.
"Maybe she can tell me something I don't know," Sheila mused aloud, taking a bite of her toast. And maybe I'll discover evidence she was involved in the murder, she added mentally.
She tried to shake off the lingering unease from her nightmare and the unexpected departure of Star, focusing instead on the task at hand. Natalie's case weighed heavily on her mind, and the connection between the tarot cards and the palm reader felt like a lead worth pursuing.
The sudden vibration of her cell phone on the kitchen counter shook Sheila out of her thoughts. She hurriedly wiped her hands on a dishtowel and grabbed the phone, recognizing her father's number on the screen.
"Hey, Dad," she said, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"Morning, Sheila. How did things go with Star last night?" Gabe asked.
"She stayed over," Sheila said, leaning against the counter. "We talked for a while. I think we both needed someone to listen."
"That's great. I'm glad you were there for her," Gabe replied warmly. "She's going through a lot right now."
She's not the only one, Sheila thought. "I just wish she hadn't left without saying anything."
"Give her time, Sheila. She'll come around."
"Yeah, I hope so."
"Anyway," Gabe continued, changing the subject, "how was your first day on the job?"
"Exciting," Sheila said, a smile creeping onto her face despite herself. "It felt good to be doing something that mattered."
Gabe chuckled. "Natalie would be so proud of you, you know."
Sheila's smile faded at the mention of her sister. Her grip tightened on the phone, knuckles turning white. "Yeah," she muttered, suddenly feeling the familiar emptiness that always accompanied thoughts of Natalie.
"Sorry, I know the wound is still fresh. It is for me, too."
They both fell silent. They hadn't really talked much over the past month about Natalie's death, and the weight of it all was suffocating. Sheila took a deep breath, trying to push the grief down.
"It's okay, Dad," she said finally. "I just need to focus on the case and finding some answers."
"Right," Gabe said, picking up on her change in tone. "Speaking of which, have you made any progress?"
Sheila hesitated, not wanting to disappoint her father. "Not yet, but I have an appointment with a palm reader this morning. It might lead to something."
"A palm reader?" Gabe sounded surprised.
"I'm working a double homicide, and each of the victims was found with a tarot card on her body. I'm hoping this palm reader can shed some insight into why."
There was a long pause.
"What?" she asked. "You think it's all fake?"
"No," he replied cautiously. "I'm concerned the opposite might be true. There are things science can't explain, just as there are exceptions to every rule, and the best approach is to use caution when dealing with such things. I just don't want you messing with what you don't understand, okay?"
