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Carlotta took out a pack of cigarettes from under the counter. She lit one of the nail coffins with the large lighter that sat next to the ashtray by the register. “More vine? Or are you here for a reading?”
“Both. I need both.”
“Becoming a believer. Dat’s excellent.” She smashed the single-puffed cigarette into the ashtray. “First, da reading. Then da vine. Follow me, my dear.”
Jessie felt silly. Was she really stooping to this to figure out what was going on with her and the Wilde brothers? “Maybe I should take a rain check on the reading, Carlotta.”
“No. You need dis reading. I sense it.” The woman grabbed her hand and closed her eyes. Carlotta’s lips vibrated ever so slightly. Her eyes opened. “Not ready for da crystal yet, but da cards vill suffice.”
“Okay. You’re the expert.”
They walked through the beads into the room Jessie had visited before. This time, she studied the multicolored fabrics draping the walls and every other surface. They were silk and looked to be pretty expensive. In the center of the room was the small
table.
“Dhere, my dear.” Carlotta pointed to one of the folding chairs at the table.
Jessie sat. The fortune-teller fell into the large, black leather wingback chair on the opposite side of the table. A small, ancient wooden cabinet was behind the woman that Jessie hadn’t noticed before. She opened one of its drawers and pulled out the tarot deck.
“Tell me vhat you vant to know, Jessica.”
She was tempted to tell her about the time she’d been spending with Phoenix and the other Wilde brothers, but she didn’t. She liked Carlotta, but didn’t want to be a part of small-town gossip, especially given her investigation was still going on. “I want to know if I’m on the wrong track, both professionally and personally.”
“Excellent inquiry for da spirits.”
“Glad to hear it.” Jessie smiled.
“Let’s see vhat da spirits tell us.” As before, Carlotta shuffled the cards several times. She patted the deck and created three piles on the table.
“I know. Don’t touch. Just point.”
The sweet soothsayer grinned. “Fast learner.”
She pointed to the deck to the left.
“You sure? Dis is the vone?”
Jessie closed her eyes. It would be great if the cards and Carlotta really could tell her what to do. Her mind whirled.
“Take your time, my dear. Make sure.”
Phoenix’s face appeared in her mind, then Jackson’s. “I just don’t know.”
“Breathe. You’re very close to knowing da vone.”
“The one on the right. That’s it.”
“Good girl. You know, I dink you’ve got a bit of da gift yourself.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Skeptics often do, you know. Okay. I tink dhree-card spread for you dis time.”
“I’m ready.” Jessie sat on the edge of her seat as Carlotta turned over three cards and placed them on the table.
“Dis shows da arc of da past, present, and future around vhat you’re curious about, my dear.” She pointed to the first card. “Dis is da Five of Cups.”
“Since it’s upside down, that means something?”
