let’s head back to the hotel and get some sleep.” He held open the door to the police station for her. “Taxi!” he yelled as they reached the curb.
A yellow cab pulled up in seconds. Sinking into the vinyl seat, the lights of the city whizzing past, Nancy tried to smile, but it was impossible. “Oh, Dad, I feel like I’ve botched everything from the word go.”
“Nancy! What are you talking about?”
“It’s true. I mean, I’ve totally ruined our trip to New York. Here’s this fabulous city, just waiting to be explored, and I’ve gotten us into a big mess.”
Carson Drew shook his head glumly. “Well, I suppose if you hadn’t gotten involved in the first place—”
“But, Dad, I had to get involved! Somebody had to help that poor woman. I could feel that Sarah Amberly was in danger, I just knew it, but I let the whole situation slip through my fingers.”
Carson gazed out at the passing city streets before he spoke. “Nancy,” he began gently, taking her hand, “I understand that you were concerned for Sarah. But maybe you let your imagination run away with you. After all, a common thief could have stolen those jewels. . . .”
“Oh, come on, Dad, you know better than that. A simple robbery?” Tired as she was, Nancy could feel the fire returning. “Would a robber have known about her heart medicine? No way!”
Carson pursed his lips and nodded. Nancy had a point. “No, a robber couldn’t have known
Of course, thought Nancy, the image of Jack Kale in her mind, there was one thief who did know. . . .
• • •
The next morning Nancy was up at eight. The first thing she did was make a quick phone call. Then she threw a little cold water on her face, ran a brush through her hair, applied some makeup, and dressed. By twenty past, she looked as fresh as if she’d had a full night’s sleep.
At eight-thirty the phone in the Drew suite rang twice. “Yes?” Nancy said into the receiver.
“Your guest is here, Miss Drew.”
“Thank you. Please send her up.”
Nancy was waiting by the door when the knock came. She opened it up and saw a well-dressed woman of about forty. The woman had dark hair and piercing blue eyes, set off by lapis earrings. “Sorry to call you so early, Madame Rosa, but I just had to see you,” Nancy began. “Please come in.
“I understand completely. Certain things cannot wait.” The woman walked into the suite, and Nancy could tell that she was taking in every detail.
“Is it a matter of love?” the woman asked, taking her gloves off and putting her jacket down on a chair.
“No, not really. I just— Well, you see, I’ve never had my cards read, but I heard you were very good.”
“Why, thank you. But I am merely an interpreter. It is the cards that show the way.” The woman was smiling sincerely now, and Nancy couldn’t help liking her.
“Shall we begin, then? I suggest we start with an astrological clock. That will give you a general overview of your life. Perhaps from there we can be more specific. Would you mix the cards, please, and then lay them down in three piles? I want your energy in them, not mine.”
Madame Rosa handed Nancy a dark blue felt box, tied with a satin ribbon. Nancy opened it and lifted out an oversize deck of tarot cards.
“There are so many,” Nancy commented as she shuffled the cards.
“Seventy-eight,” the woman replied. “Each an ancient symbol. Now, if you’ll hand them back to me—” Her face a study in concentration, Madame Rosa carefully laid the cards down in a circle on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
“In this reading, each card will represent a house of the zodiac. Let’s begin here, in the fifth house, which is the house of love and romance.” Throwing a smile at Nancy, she lifted a card and turned it over.
“Oh, dear,” she murmured. Nancy immediately recognized the card from the very first reading of Sarah’s that she had seen. The picture was of a man in a boat. He had a sad
A yellow cab pulled up in seconds. Sinking into the vinyl seat, the lights of the city whizzing past, Nancy tried to smile, but it was impossible. “Oh, Dad, I feel like I’ve botched everything from the word go.”
“Nancy! What are you talking about?”
“It’s true. I mean, I’ve totally ruined our trip to New York. Here’s this fabulous city, just waiting to be explored, and I’ve gotten us into a big mess.”
Carson Drew shook his head glumly. “Well, I suppose if you hadn’t gotten involved in the first place—”
“But, Dad, I had to get involved! Somebody had to help that poor woman. I could feel that Sarah Amberly was in danger, I just knew it, but I let the whole situation slip through my fingers.”
Carson gazed out at the passing city streets before he spoke. “Nancy,” he began gently, taking her hand, “I understand that you were concerned for Sarah. But maybe you let your imagination run away with you. After all, a common thief could have stolen those jewels. . . .”
“Oh, come on, Dad, you know better than that. A simple robbery?” Tired as she was, Nancy could feel the fire returning. “Would a robber have known about her heart medicine? No way!”
Carson pursed his lips and nodded. Nancy had a point. “No, a robber couldn’t have known
Of course, thought Nancy, the image of Jack Kale in her mind, there was one thief who did know. . . .
• • •
The next morning Nancy was up at eight. The first thing she did was make a quick phone call. Then she threw a little cold water on her face, ran a brush through her hair, applied some makeup, and dressed. By twenty past, she looked as fresh as if she’d had a full night’s sleep.
At eight-thirty the phone in the Drew suite rang twice. “Yes?” Nancy said into the receiver.
“Your guest is here, Miss Drew.”
“Thank you. Please send her up.”
Nancy was waiting by the door when the knock came. She opened it up and saw a well-dressed woman of about forty. The woman had dark hair and piercing blue eyes, set off by lapis earrings. “Sorry to call you so early, Madame Rosa, but I just had to see you,” Nancy began. “Please come in.
“I understand completely. Certain things cannot wait.” The woman walked into the suite, and Nancy could tell that she was taking in every detail.
“Is it a matter of love?” the woman asked, taking her gloves off and putting her jacket down on a chair.
“No, not really. I just— Well, you see, I’ve never had my cards read, but I heard you were very good.”
“Why, thank you. But I am merely an interpreter. It is the cards that show the way.” The woman was smiling sincerely now, and Nancy couldn’t help liking her.
“Shall we begin, then? I suggest we start with an astrological clock. That will give you a general overview of your life. Perhaps from there we can be more specific. Would you mix the cards, please, and then lay them down in three piles? I want your energy in them, not mine.”
Madame Rosa handed Nancy a dark blue felt box, tied with a satin ribbon. Nancy opened it and lifted out an oversize deck of tarot cards.
“There are so many,” Nancy commented as she shuffled the cards.
“Seventy-eight,” the woman replied. “Each an ancient symbol. Now, if you’ll hand them back to me—” Her face a study in concentration, Madame Rosa carefully laid the cards down in a circle on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
“In this reading, each card will represent a house of the zodiac. Let’s begin here, in the fifth house, which is the house of love and romance.” Throwing a smile at Nancy, she lifted a card and turned it over.
“Oh, dear,” she murmured. Nancy immediately recognized the card from the very first reading of Sarah’s that she had seen. The picture was of a man in a boat. He had a sad