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Ria hadn’t really known what to say to that. It was a lot to process. “Thanks, Elsie. I appreciate the... warning.”
And now she was processing it.
Elsie was right, there was something odd going on. The relationship was a sham, designed to hook in Apollo and then figure out some way of closing the trap around him.
And the other thing she’d said had confirmed what I already knew.They do lead quite twisty lives. If only I could have told Elsiehowtwisty.
It was concerning that Elsie – and by extension, probably Jude and the others – thought something was up with Forest. Did that mean that Apollo would see it too?
I couldn’t ponder Elsie’s statement too long. I had to check in with the man himself, Apollo Brock, following our highest-profile outing yet. And I planned to use this meeting to try and figure out Jenni’s twin, Helli – I’d been informed this was short for ‘Helga’. The only problem was, I had no idea what angle I was going to use on her.
And then, just before Apollo’s car arrived, it struck me. I had the best angle going, the one that had been working for me right from the start. Tarot. I had to read Helli’s cards. I hoped she wasn’t as opposed to the idea as Forest had been at the start. And that Apollo didn’t catch onto what I was doing.
At the end of our meeting, I decided to straight up ask. “Mr Brock. I’m intrigued by your receptionist. Call it a sixth sense or something. I was wondering if I might read her cards? I wouldn’t want to overstep.”
“Oh, of course you wouldn’t be overstepping. In fact, I’ll practically insist on it. If you let me sit in and watch the master at work, of course.”
I considered it. It would be different with an audience. And I didn’t like the idea that someone was once again going to be manipulated into receiving a card reading from me. It didn’t feel right. But then, I had my debt to Forest to pay off. The quicker I could find a solution to his Apollo problem, the sooner this would all be over.
I nodded. “You’ll need to be a passive observer. So you don’t influence the reading.”
Except, his presence would of course change things. I would have to try and use it to my advantage. See what I could glean about the relationship between Apollo and Helli.
“Of course. I wouldn’t dream of interrupting.”
Apollo marched us personally down to reception, to the alarm of most people we passed, whose eyes would widen but who said nothing, staring pointedly ahead and picking up their pace.
“Helli! Ria here has kindly offered you a free tarot card reading. She senses a quality in you. She has powers, you know. I absolutely insist you take her up on her offer. You can use my office for it.”
Helli’s customary frown moved between Apollo and me as she tried to figure out what was going on. But of course, she could not say so. “Of course Mr Brock. What a... generous offer, Ms Moon.” She said ‘generous offer’ like she meant ‘absolute waste of time’.
“Splendid. I’ll call someone to cover reception. Shall we get started? I’m quite excited to see a reading in person. I’ve heard so much about your abilities, Ms Moon.”
The three of us went back up to the office. Helli trudged apathetically beside me, not glancing in my direction at all. I sensed she was less than happy about the situation. Possibly was not the introspective type. Maybe she didn’t want to think about how she’d sold out her sister, and her mother’s memory.
When all was set up in Apollo’s office, I asked Helli my usual questions. “Now, do you have a particular problem you’re grappling with at the moment?”
Helli looked like she definitely did. But what she said, in the bluntest, coarsest tone, was the opposite. “No. No problems.”
“Okay. Are there any questions that you have that you’d like to ask the cards? About your career, future, relationships?”
“No.”
I glanced at Apollo, who was surveying the scene gleefully, then back to Helli. “That’s okay. I can do a generic reading. I’ll do your past, present and future. Remember, it’s all about your interpretation of the symbols and pictures. I’m not going to tell you what they mean, but I might make suggestions, to guide your thinking.”
Helli shrugged. That was probably the most I was going to get from her.
I asked her to split the deck, and then I dealt three cards onto the table. I turned the first one over. The Devil. I tried not to visibly react to the card. “This one represents your past. What do you see in the card?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“It’s not exactly subtle, is it? It’s a picture of the damn devil. And it’s called ‘The Devil’.”
“And what does that mean for you?”
Helli was staring at me like I was mad. But I caught the moment she let her mask slip for a moment, as she glanced down at the card. There was a glimmer of a strong emotion there. Like fear. Or maybe regret.
