Page 20 of A Charming Touch of Tarot (The Gin & Tarot Club #2)

20

The Chariot

As we pull up to the small ranch home, I turn to Nina, watching her closely.

She fidgeted the entire ride here, her nerves getting the best of her.

“Are you okay?” I ask, peering at the side of her head.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I’m nervous. She has no clue we’re coming. What if she sends us away? What if…” Her words trail off, and her eyes well with tears. “What if he’s gone, Ally?”

Grabbing her hand, I squeeze, hoping to reassure her. “Don’t think like that. Let’s not go there until we’ve spoken to his momma. Okay?”

She sniffs, nodding her head. “I just need a minute.”

I offer a smile, allowing her whatever time she needs, turning my attention toward the house in front of me, painted in an earthy taupe tone.

Nina made a stop at the town center when we first arrived, looking up Angela and Steven Whalen. That search came up short. With a quick Google search, we were able to determine that Steven, Ian’s father, passed several years ago. That led Nina to search for Angela under her maiden name. She’d want to fly under the radar anyway, especially if Richard had been snooping around.

And that’s when she found her. Angela Burch resides at 19501 Windemere Lane in the community of South Port in The Communes.

The home’s classic brick facade is complemented by an array of beautiful flowers in an assortment of colors, making it easy to see what draws a person to The Communes for retirement. The neatly manicured lawn leads to a sprawling porch, decorated with cozy rocking chairs situated toward the east. A perfect setup to watch the sun rise every morning with her cup of coffee and The Communes’ paper. Assuming that’s a thing.

“I’m ready,” Nina says, drawing my attention to the front of the cart. At some point while I was lost in the details of the place, Nina moved and is now waiting for me to join her. It’s time.

As we stand on the porch, ringing the doorbell repeatedly, an unsettling silence greets us. Did we make a mistake coming here without notifying Angela?

Nina peers into the house, looking for any signs of life, then sighing heavily, signaling she’s giving up.

“She’s out back,” a foreign male voice calls from behind us.

We twist around to find an elderly man, walking his small dog on a leash.

“She’s always out back this time of day,” he says, motioning toward the back of the house.

A sense of relief washes over me knowing that she’s here, and Nina will get some answers.

We call out our thank yous as we make our way around the side of the house. And just as the man had said, she’s there, sipping sweet tea under the shade of an umbrella.

Her eyes widen with surprise, and the teacup slips from her grip, shattering on the pavers. She doesn’t jump to picking up the broken pieces; her hands are over her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

“You shouldn’t be here, sweet girl. It’s dangerous for all of us,” she cautions, rising from her chair and heading straight to Nina, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“He’s in jail, and hopefully going to stay there for a long time. I won’t allow him to hurt you anymore.”

My heart sinks at the reminder of Richard’s actions and the havoc he has wreaked on their lives.

Angela pulls out of Nina’s grip, looking her over. “You have grown into such a beautiful woman, Nina.” Her smile is wide, her eyes cloudy with tears. “I always knew you’d do great things.”

Nina squeezes her shoulder. “Sit. Let’s catch up.”

And they do. For the next thirty minutes, they talk all about what Nina’s been up to these last twenty-plus years and her plans for the future. The only topic left untouched is Ian. While I expect Nina to let Angela take the lead on that conversation, I’m not entirely convinced she will.

“I’m so proud of you,” Angela says, beaming at Nina. “And I’m so incredibly sorry for what that evil man did to you.”

Nina’s head tilts to the side. “What do you know?”

Angela sighs heavily. “It’s no secret that he forced you to marry him.” Her face turns hard, and she shakes her head. “When I found out you were going to go through with it, I knew he was blackmailing you. You’d never fall for someone like him.”

Nina nods solemnly. “He did. But that’s all in the past.”

“Bull,” Angela retorts sharply. “Even now, he still has a hold over you. I can see the fear in your eyes, Nina Joy.” Her fists clench at her sides, her face flushed with anger, a vivid display of her emotions.

Nina leans forward. “I promise you, I’ll be fine. They’re working to put him away for life, and I have faith they’ll find a way to do it.” Nina takes a deep breath, and I know what’s coming. “I need to know what happened to Ian. Did Richard do something to him?” she inquires, her voice trembling with emotion.

Ian’s mom shakes her head, her eyes filled with sorrow. “No, but he threatened it. I was scared, so I begged Ian to get out of Providence, to assume a new identity,” she explains, her voice heavy with regret.

Nina’s gaze drops, guilt weighing heavily on her shoulders.

“Don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself, Nina. This is all on Richard. That bastard ruined all our lives.” She huffs a humorless laugh. “At least he tried. Ian’s smart. He’s fine.”

“You know where he is.” It’s not a question. It’s clear from the way Angela said it that she does.

Angela shrugs, feigning obliviousness. “If I had to guess, New Orleans. But I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him in years because he was trying to keep me safe,” she confesses, her voice choked with emotion.

“This is all my fault. I should’ve stood my ground years ago.”

Tears well up in Angela’s eyes as she reaches out to comfort Nina. “No, sweet girl. He would’ve only made all our lives worse. You did nothing wrong aside from falling in love far too young,” she reassures her, words filled with compassion. “Now. Let’s spend some time together. It’s been too long.”

Nina smiles, nodding her head in agreement.

We settle into a game of gin rummy, our cards clicking softly against the table as the sun casts its golden glow upon us, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. With each passing moment, the air grows cooler, a gentle breeze sweeping through the patio as the sun dips below the horizon. Despite the cooling temperatures, the warmth of our companionship envelops us, offering comfort in the midst of uncertainty.

Ian is out there. The only hint that Angela will provide is New Orleans. What will happen if Nina pops up out of nowhere? Will he be as open to seeing her as his mom has been? Or will he turn her away, blaming her for all the hurt that Richard has caused?

As Nina prepares to leave, Ian’s mom offers her a final piece of advice.

“If you find him, don’t let him stay hidden.” Her eyes bore into Nina’s. “If Richard has gotten himself into trouble, Ian will be the last thing on his mind. It’s time to stop running. Time to stop hiding,” she urges, her words resonating with conviction. “I’m not getting any younger. I want time with my son before I go.”

A strangled cry bursts from Nina, tears streaming down her face as she moves toward Angela, pulling her into her chest. Both women cling to each other desperately, like two lost souls grasping onto a glimmer of hope. Hope of being reunited with someone they both have love for.

“I will do everything in my power to bring him home to you,” Nina vows.

With a heavy heart and renewed determination, Nina says goodbye to Angela. My mind is racing with thoughts of Ian and the life they once shared. Could they have a second chance at love after all this time?

It’s clear that no matter how long has passed, Nina has carried a torch for Ian Whalen. It seems that torch still burns brightly.

As I drive away, I can’t shake the feeling that the time for hiding is over for all of us. We all have our dragons to slay. Perhaps it’s time to face our demons head-on.

My phone pings from the cup holder, and I pick it up to see Lanie’s name lighting up the screen.

Lanie

Nina won’t answer her phone.

What’s the address to the condo?

I just got off the plane and I need the address.

I glance over at Nina, who appears lost in thought. “Did you know Lanie was coming here?”

Her eyes narrow as she turns toward me. “No. Not a clue. Why?”

“She’s here and asking for the condo address.”

Another text comes in.

Lanie

I’m tired and in need of a drink.

Address…

I quickly type out the address and hit Send, turning to Nina.

“She’s grabbing an Uber and heading to the condo.”

Her eyebrow lifts into the air. “I could use a few drinks,” Nina says. “Better stop off at the liquor store.”

I nod, veering toward the town center.

Leave it to Lanie to pull a sneak visit last minute. She can’t possibly have known how much Nina is going to need us tonight. Or maybe she did.

Lanie’s arrival with a small bag in hand is met with raised eyebrows and curious glances from Nina and me, because Lanie Anderson does not pack light. Ever. This can only mean she was in a major hurry to skip town. The question is…why?

“I’m here, witches. Let’s see what The Communes is all about,” she announces with a mischievous grin.

Nina darts forward, wrapping Lanie in a tight embrace. “I’m so happy you’re here,” she practically whispers.

Lanie steps back slightly, studying Nina’s expression. “Are you okay? I can’t imagine how hard today must’ve been for you.” Nina shrugs, a half-hearted smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“I will be soon.”

“Let’s get you settled and open a bottle of something strong,” I suggest, motioning toward the bedroom. “There’s only one bed, but the couch pulls out. You can keep your stuff back in the bedroom.”

Lanie nods. “Sounds perfect to me. I’m just happy to be out of Knox.”

There’s something that Lanie isn’t saying, and while I want to get to the bottom of her unspoken reasons for rushing to Florida, now isn’t the time. She just arrived, and I don’t want to ruin the night before it’s even started. Nina needs our support, and if Lanie doesn’t want to share her secrets, then I won’t pry. For now.

Nina has been working to create a serene setting, complete with soft instrumental melodies playing in the background and the lights replaced by an array of candles she found in a closet in the hallway. I attempt to lend a hand, but she gently shoos me away, assigning me the important task of ensuring our wine is at the perfect temperature and we have plenty of reserves.

After a quick shower, Lanie emerges wearing a mismatched ensemble that seems more suited to Nina’s taste than her own. It’s a practical combination of shorts and a button-down shirt, showing Lanie’s sophistication and maturity, which isn’t something she typically embraces.

“Looks like someone’s been busy,” Lanie observes, her eyes sweeping over the room.

“Are those mine?” Nina inquires, gaze lifted from the candle she’d been lighting to focus on Lanie’s pajamas.

Lanie looks down and shrugs nonchalantly. “No clue. Found them in my drawer.”

A chuckle escapes me as Nina’s expression shifts, her nose wrinkling in apparent recollection of when she misplaced them.

Lanie expertly uncorks a bottle, the satisfying pop signaling the start of our wine-night ritual. Our glasses are filled to the brim with ruby-colored liquid, the rich aroma wafting through the air.

The condo is filled with chatter and the clinking of glasses as we settle in for our much-needed wine night. The stresses of the day melt away as we sink into the comfort of one another’s company, the glow of candlelight casting a warm ambiance around us.

Lanie regales us with tales of her latest yoga adventures, complete with the addition of a goat from Miller’s Farm. Her animated gestures only make the story better.

“The damn thing peed all over the place. It was like a goat fire hose, and to top it off, it decided my snake plant was the perfect spot to drop a deuce.” She scrunches up her nose. “It was an absolute menace, so I took it back to Jack Saunders and demanded my money back.”

“I bet Jack had a good laugh,” Nina says with a chuckle.

Lanie shrugs. “Couldn’t care less. His goat is broken.”

“I’m still trying to figure out why on earth you’d think bringing a farm animal into a building would be a good idea?”

Lanie makes a face. “Sharon Goldstein has been talking about some goat-yoga class in Silverton as though it’s the best thing on earth. It was making my regulars consider making the trip out there.” She shakes her head, appearing haughty. “I couldn’t allow that.”

“Well…looks like that worked out well for you,” Nina chimes in, and I smother a giggle at the glare Lanie sends her way.

Nina takes a sip of wine and clears her throat, signaling our conversation is about to drift to more serious matters.

“I’m so happy you’re here, Lanie, but can you please enlighten us on what compelled you to flee town so abruptly that you resorted to borrowing my pajamas and a bag we all know won’t even accommodate your nightly skin care routine?”

Lanie grimaces, hinting at the discomfort she’s trying to conceal. “Someone broke into my place. I couldn’t stay there, thinking they might come back.”

Nina’s gasp echoes through the room, mirroring the shock reflected in my own wide-eyed expression.

“They didn’t take anything, as far as I could tell, which only adds to the mystery,” Lanie explains, her voice tinged with frustration.

“What possible motive could someone have for breaking into your place?” Nina questions, her concern evident in her furrowed brow.

I don’t say a word, thoughts swirling in my mind. It was clear to me from Richard’s scandal that Lanie has been entangled with some bad company. She turned down a proposal from Marcus Wells, and although he’s behind bars, his associates, whoever they may be, aren’t. Marcus was so caught up doing Richard’s dirty work that someone had to be doing his. At least, that’s what my intuition is telling me.

“It’s all good. I have Nick on the case,” Lanie says, and my head snaps up.

“Nick? How the heck did you get him clearance to take on a break-in?” I ask. “Especially considering how busy he is with Chelsea Grayson’s murder.”

Lanie bobs her head. “It took a bit of persuasion,” she admits. “Let’s just say he’s looking into things on his own. It wasn’t reported to the police.”

“Why the hell not?” Nina crows, clearly distressed by this. “You need to report it.”

Lanie throws her head back and groans. “Don’t start nagging. Nick has been debriefed on my reasoning, and he’s looking into things. While he does that…I’m here. With you two.” She looks between Nina and me. “Can’t that be enough information for now?”

My eyes narrow in on Lanie, and while I said I wouldn’t pry, I feel like I need to, now that the door has been cracked.

“No, Lane. Something has been going on with you, and I’m worried. Why won’t you confide in us?” I ask, my voice laced with worry. “You’ve seemed really on edge lately, especially since New Year’s Eve.”

Lanie’s response is quick, almost too quick, as if she’s been rehearsing her answer. “Oh, that was nothing,” she attempts to assure us, but her tone is strained. “I was just going through a weird time, you know? Being overly superstitious and all that. It was just a dream, nothing more.” Her words ring hollow.

“So you’re fine with the fact we didn’t even finish the ritual?” I interject, trying to determine if she’s being honest. “Remember, the scarecrow never burned?”

“All good.” Her voice trembles slightly, giving her away.

Lanie’s reaction speaks volumes. Despite her attempts to mask her fear, I can see the telltale signs—the slight tremor in her hand, the haunted look in her eyes. Fear. It grips her tightly, refusing to let go, and I can’t help but wonder what she’s hiding behind that carefully constructed facade.

I peek over at Nina to find her face pinched and lips smashed into a thin line, a sign she’s not buying Lanie’s story either.

Lanie closes her eyes and inhales deeply. “Fine,” she snaps. “You wanna know what’s wrong? My past is catching up to me, and I’m worried.”

“Does this have something to do with Marcus?”

Her head moves back slightly, confusion evident. “Wells? No. This is pre–Knox Harbor, things I did in my youth that I thought I got away with. I made some enemies of some dangerous people.”

“Lanie.” Nina’s voice softens. “What can we do? How can we help?”

She huffs a humorless laugh. “Nothing. We allow Nick to investigate, and hopefully he finds something before he has to rush back to Falls Haven to deal with that second body.”

The atmosphere grows heavy as Lanie drops the bombshell, her words hanging in the air like a heavy fog. My entire body locks up, eyes blinking uncontrollably as a chill creeps up my spine. The gravity of the situation sets in.

“Oh my god,” Nina says, head snapping to me. “It’s happened.”

Lanie’s eyes squint. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with her?” she asks, pointing to me.

“How do you know there’s another body?” I ask, eyes trained in on Lanie.

She makes a face, looking back and forth from Nina to me as though we’ve lost our minds. “It was on the news.”

The heaviness that was pressing down on me lifts immediately, and I have to wonder where my mind went that had me feeling so tense.

Was I questioning Lanie’s character?

No. Never.

I trust her with my life. It has to be something else. Something I’ll have to worry about later.

“I dreamed about another victim,” I admit, and Lanie inhales sharply. “Who is she?”

She swallows, pulling out her phone. “Sierra Montgomery. A young girl from Knox Harbor.”

She turns the iPhone around, and there she is, the girl from my dream, standing next to a smiling Chelsea Grayson.

We pepper Lanie with questions, concern etched into every line of our faces. She doesn’t have much information, just that the body of Sierra was discovered at the docks, just down the road from where Chelsea was found.

“Do they think she was in Falls Haven searching for Chelsea?”

Lanie shrugs. “No clue. They’re not really speculating. All they’ve said is that her death bears a striking resemblance to Chelsea’s, and they’re not ruling out a potential connection.”

“Ally,” Nina says, turning to me, drawing my attention. “Doesn’t it strike you as odd that Sierra’s last name is Montgomery?” I furrow my brow, not quite grasping her insinuation. “You know, considering our questions about the secret society and Chelsea’s death,” she clarifies.

I tilt my head, indicating my continued confusion.

“The place with the ghost was called Montgomery Estate. Could there be a connection between her and the society?”

Dread settles in the pit of my stomach. It may seem far-fetched, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that spirits don’t appear to me without reason. There’s something more to all of this. There’s a connection.

“What am I missing?” Lanie asks.

We fill her in on the party at the estate, the mystery surrounding the dream, and the symbol I saw. I describe the tattoo that Harlan and the snobbish woman both had, and how the bartender let it slip that there’s a secret society. Lanie is speechless, taking it all in.

“This tattoo, can you find it online?”

I shake my head. “No. I’ve looked. But I did make a rough sketch.”

Pulling up the picture I sent to Nick, I turn it around and show Lanie.

“That’s…an interesting symbol,” she says, tilting her head to the side.

An idea sparks in my mind. “Should we call Corinne? Have her look into it on the dark web?” I suggest, and both Lanie and Nina agree.

“Hey, Corinne,” I greet when she answers the call. “Lanie and Nina are here with me, and we need your investigative skills.”

“This should be good,” she drawls. “What do you need?”

“Can you look into the symbol I’m sending through text?”

It’s quiet on the other line for a moment before Corinne calls out, “Got it. I’ll search the web and get back to you.”

She ends the call without a goodbye, which is typical Corinne.

We eagerly await her call, each passing minute heightening our anticipation. Finally, the phone rings, and I hang on Corinne’s every word as she unveils the revelation she’s unearthed.

“The group behind that symbol is called the Order of Providence.”

I’m staring at Lanie while Corinne delivers this news, and I don’t miss the way her eyes darken and her throat visibly tightens.

She knows something about the Order of Providence.

I wait for her to spill what she knows, but instead, she dons a mask and pretends to be oblivious to what it represents.

I’m hurt and confused.

We’ve been friends long enough that I should absolutely call Lanie out on this. But I don’t. Because the only reason Lanie Anderson would keep secrets is to protect me. She’s just like Nina in that sense.

A hush falls over the room as the weight of her words sinks in. The name makes every hair on my body stand at attention, conjuring images of clandestine meetings and dark secrets lurking beneath the surface.

“Can you look into something else for me?” I ask, and Corinne grunts down the line.

“I need you to look into Chelsea Grayson and Sierra Montgomery’s friendship. What were they into?”

“I can do that. Anything else?” she asks, and I can hear the excitement in her tone.

Corinne lives for this as much as the rest of us. There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes with uncovering hidden agendas and crimes.

“Can you see if there’s a connection between the owners of the old Montgomery Estate right outside The Communes in Florida and Sierra Montgomery’s family?”

“I can tell you already that I won’t be surprised to discover a connection with the Montgomery name. The news has reported that Sierra was a wealthy socialite whose late grandfather was connected to illegal gambling and extortion.”

Holy shit.

Nina and I share a glance.

That’s exactly what Montgomery Estate is—illegal gambling at the very least.

As the pieces of the puzzle start to come together, I can’t help but feel a sense of unease. What led Sierra to Falls Haven? And does it connect to Chelsea’s death?

“I’ll loop in Darian to help,” Corinne says. “He’s a little too familiar with the shadowy side of New York City. If that woman tied to the Order is from there, he might be able to learn a bit about her and the Order itself.”

Excitement bubbles within me as Corinne reveals her plan to tap into her brother Darian’s connections. I’m hopeful that we’ll soon uncover the answers we seek.

With the death of Sierra coming to fruition, our quest takes on new urgency. The Order of Providence may hold the key to unraveling the murders, and I’m more determined than ever to uncover their secrets and bring justice to those young girls.