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“I guess if you maintain it properly.” I don’t point out I’m still driving Dad’s old truck, which is about thirty years old. “See these markings in the soil? Whoever drove off on that three-wheeler also has a prosthetic leg. So I’m guessing we’re looking for a male in his mid to late sixties, maybe a veteran…”
My mother’s shoulders stiffen, and she stands, going to the small table and scooping up the tarot deck. She begins shuffling, her eyes fixed on the cards, and my lips twist into a frown.
“Mom?” She doesn’t stop shuffling. “Ma, I’m not here for a reading. I want to know if you can think of any males that age living in or around Eureka with a prosthetic leg and a three-wheeler.”
She shuffles the deck one more time, then sets it down in front of her. “I don’t understand you, Birgitte. You’re one of the most gifted tarot readers I’ve ever worked with, yet you want to walk away from your talents. You’d rather look at dead bodies than listen to what they’re trying to tell you.”
More heat rises around my collar, but I take a beat, glancing down at my camera. “I don’t actually look at that many dead bodies. It’s mostly robberies or car accidents or vandalism, and in my opinion, reading the clues at crime scenes is better than reading cards. I’m helping people get justice.”
“I did not raise you to be such a nonbeliever.”
“You raised me to use my head, and right now, I’m trying to do my job.” I stand, going to the table where she’s doing her best not to look at me. “It’s a pretty straightforward question. Do you know anyone who fits that description?”
“I’d like to consult the cards first.” Her hazel eyes cut up to mine, and for a moment, we’re locked in a silent battle of wills. “Do you have a problem with that?”
Frustration twists in my chest. I don’t know why she has to turn every conversation into a battle. Inhaling slowly, I relax my eyebrows and exhale slowly. There’s no point fighting. I can talk to Gran about this, and it’s possible I might need to have my mom’s help down the road.
“No problem at all.” I force a smile and lean forward to kiss her cheek. “It’s good to see you, Ma. Let me know if you learn anything.”
“You’re not going to stay for the reading?”
“Nah, I’ve seen enough of these things to know how it goes.” I pull my bag over my shoulder and start for the door. “You know where to find me.”
Without another word, I’m on the street, walking back to the courthouse. I was dead serious when I decided to make a clean break from magic. It wasn’t so long ago I couldn’t make a decision without consulting my horoscope or doing a reading.
Just now when she called me a gifted reader, the bloom of pride in my chest reminded me I still have work to do. I’m like an alcoholic who got too close to a drink, because with all my determination and knowing I’m doing the right thing, a small part of me wonders if maybe I might be wrong.
I’m going against the way I was raised. How do I know my decisions are better than my mother’s and my grandmother’s? All I can do is trust my gut.
Pushing through the glass door of the courthouse, I glance at the clock to see it’s almost five, quitting time. Holly is sitting at her desk wearing her dispatcher’s headset, and Doug is wandering around the front of the room like a bear looking for a donut.
“Hey, Britt!” He drifts to where I’m placing my bag under my desk and plugging my camera into my laptop. “I heard you had a break in the case today!”
“I don’t know if it’s a break, but we found some pretty specific evidence.” I study his lined face and realize Doug is getting pretty close to retirement age. “Hey, Doug, you don’t happen to know of anyone living in or around Eureka with a prosthetic leg, do you?”
“Ha!” His shoulders shake with his silent laugh. “Ho, well, I guess it makes sense of you to ask me, but no. I can’t think of anyone who fits that description.”
“Hi, Doug! Hi, Holly.” A young boy’s voice rings clear as a bell. “Got any donuts for me?”
Doug’s face lights, and he turns in the direction of the kid. “Hey, there, Owen! Your dad’s out taking care of a little business, but he’ll be back soon.”
Owen Stone is not quite the spitting image of Aiden. His hair is darker, but he has the same intense blue eyes. He walks up to where I’m standing, and even though he’s a little boy, I can tell he’ll be a heartbreaker one day just like his dad.
“Hi, Miss Bailey!” He skips up to where I’m sitting beside my desk. “Dad said you were the mayor’s granddaughter. Is that true?”
“Please call me Britt.” I smile, sitting straighter as he skips around like an antsy little kid. “The mayor is in fact my grandmother.”
“Do you know how to do magic, too?”
Tilting my head to the side, I wrinkle my nose at him. “You know magic isn’t real, right? It’s all illusion and distraction and sleight of hand. The real magic is being able to divert people’s attention while you do something they don’t expect.”
His blue eyes widen as I speak. “Show me!”
I snort a little laugh. “I don’t know any magic, sorry.” His face falls, and I fumble for something to cheer him up. “I know a couple of card tricks. They’re like magic.”
“Okay!” He jumps, and I stand, catching his hand and leading him to the break room.
“I think I saw a pack of cards back here.” We pass through the desks, and I hear him skipping behind me.
