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I winked. “You’re my number one.”
I left the room, noticing as I exited that Duke was curled on a bed in the corner, dozing. Hopefully he hadn’t been too hyperactive today.
At the front door, I opened it a crack and peered through, then opened it all the way as Desdemona’s face framed with purple dreadlocks came into view.
“Hello, Nathan.” She patted my cheek like I was a child, and the scent of patchouli and something else—was that weed?—wafted toward me. “I woke up this morning and knew that something was wrong with Grace. I need to do a reading for her.” She held up the small wooden box I knew she kept her tarot cards in. “How is she?”
“Much better now than she was.” I stepped aside to let her in, my nose crinkling as I got another hint of that darker scent. “They should be in the living room. I’m cooking dinner. Would you like to stay?”
“That would be lovely.” She glided down the hall, her gauzy coat billowing behind her, making her look almost supernatural. I shook my head. Now I was being fanciful. Desdemona had her quirks, that was all.
I went to the kitchen and found the casserole in the freezer. I started defrosting it and peeled carrots and potatoes to accompany the meal. While I was working, I listened carefully to Desdemona and Grace, who’d moved to the dining table so Desdemona could do her tarot reading. She made a few comments as she turned cards over, none of which made much sense, but as she drew the reading to a close, she said something that chilled me.
“Someone is deceiving you.”
A shiver rippled along my spine.
Someone is deceiving you.
I didn’t put much stock in the woo-woo practices Desdemona structured her life around, but I had noticed that she was an unusually perceptive woman, and her words had a ring of truth about them.
Grace laughed halfheartedly. “That sounds sinister.”
“In this case, it may well be,” Desdemona replied. “Tread carefully, dearest.”
Grace choked out an acknowledgment, sounding as disturbed as I felt, then she changed the topic, asking Desdemona how her shop was doing. They talked for a while, and then we all ate together.
Not long after dinner, Desdemona announced that she had to go home and feed her cat. I offered to walk her out.
As we reached the door, she put her hand on my arm and stopped. “So, Nathan, what do you need to ask me?”
I was only slightly surprised she knew I had an ulterior motive for wanting to get her alone.
“You said that someone is deceiving Grace. Do you know who?”
She sighed. “I wish I did, but no.” Her gaze turned speculative. “You’ll keep watch over her for me, won’t you? You love her as much as I do, even if the shape of that love has recently changed.”
My mouth dropped open and I gaped. “You know?”
She waggled her eyebrows. “Not much slips past me, even if my eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be.”
I chuckled. “So it would seem. Don’t worry, I’ll keep her safe.”
“Good.” She patted my cheek the same way she’d done when she arrived and breezed out the door into the darkness of the night.
I returned to the living room. Tess was reading in the armchair, and Grace was napping on the couch.
“Psst,” I hissed.
Tess glanced up and cocked an eyebrow. I gestured at the door. She got up and followed me out. A snuffling sound and rapid footsteps indicated Duke had come too. I went to Tess’s bedroom and sat on her bed, which was neatly made, in stark contrast to mine.
“I have an important question for you, Tessie,” I told her. I was nervous, but having Desdemona guess that Grace and I were now together had reinforced the fact I needed to discuss it with my daughter before someone else let the cat out of the bag.
“What is it?” She looked worried. “Something about Mum? I know she was angry at you.”
“No, nothing like that.” I gave her a quick hug. “It’s not bad—or at least, I don’t think so.”
“Okay.”
