Page 56 of The Sister's Curse

I couldn’t see the other woman’s face beyond a curtain of dark hair. “Is he the one? Should I say yes?”

Viv put more cards on the table. “The Two of Cups shows a successful partnership. He’s the man for you. He’s your happily-ever-after.”

Card readings.I wasn’t surprised that Viv had a side hustle. What surprised me was that there were enough people who believed in such things in Bayern County to make a business of it.

I looked at the coffee table before me. Viv’s mail was there. I touched the stack with the toe of my shoe. Looked like bills. Junkmail. An envelope from a medical center. And something with letterhead from the nearby university, addressed to Viv. It was open and partially crumpled. People usually only did that with bad news.

After some time of murmuring over cups and swords, the screen door opened, and a brunette woman was wiping tears from her face and smiling at Viv.

“It’s going to be good,” Viv told the woman, hugging her. “It’s okay to believe in love.”

The woman nodded and walked down the porch steps. She got into her Volkswagen and drove away.

Viv watched her go, and turned to me. “You’re not here for a reading, I take it, Lt. Koray?”

“I’ve got some questions. Can you tell me where you were last night?”

Viv lifted a brow. Her eyes were puffy, and she looked a little hungover. She sat down in the chair Sinoe had claimed. The fox’s black nose reached out to touch Viv’s calf. “Well, I got some bad news, and I went to the bar for a drink.”

“You mind me asking what kind of bad news?”

She looked down at the mail with the return address from the university. “I had a little dream of maybe becoming a biologist, once upon a time. Didn’t pan out.” I could see her jaw hardening. Being tough.

I considered probing the edges of that rejection, but decided to leave it alone.

“Any witnesses?” I asked.

“What’s this about?” Viv asked, irritation creeping into her voice. Sinoe lifted her head and stared at me. Sensing movement, Viv reached under her chair to scratch her ears.

I showed her a picture of the vandalized Corvette on my phone. “Do you know who might have done this?”

Viv squinted at it. “Where’s this?”

“Lister’s car dealership.”

Viv laughed. “Glad someone improved his car.”

A shrill cackle emanated from under Viv’s chair. My gaze fell on Sinoe. She’d rolled onto her back, exposing her belly to Viv, and was cackling at me. It was an eerie laugh—much like the way crow voices sounded almost human, but not quite.

I tried to stick to business. “I’m going to need the approximate time you were at the bar.”

“I was there from nine until closing. My boss saw me. He actually drove me home, because I was in no shape to drive.”

I frowned. I knew Owen to be a decent dude, but it sounded like he was her go-to alibi. More than I liked.

Viv shrugged. “Is there anything else?”

“I’ve been looking at your sister’s case, and I want to make sure I’m not missing anything.”

Viv picked a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, tapped out one, and lit it. Her eyes shone. “Get to the point.”

Well, so much for easing into the idea. “I want to talk to your mother to see what she remembers.”

It was a big ask. Depending on the mother’s mental state, she might not take well to this kind of questioning.

She flicked some ash into a tray on the windowsill. “You don’t need my permission for that.”

“Your mother’s in a mental institution. You’re her next of kin.”