comes a time when they have to look the dark goddess straight in the eye and they don’t like what they see. People think of Mother Earth as a gentle lady. They forget that she’s also death.’
‘I know that,’ Poppy said, frustrated that he was treating her to a lecture from Paganism 101 when she’d grown up with the stuff. ‘That’s not why I don’t believe in it any more.’
‘Someone your age, not ready to die, well, it’s only natural to be scared of that side of the goddess.’
‘What had I ever done to her?’ she blurted. It was out before she could really think about what she was saying. ‘I mean – I – I don’t mean her – I’m just—’ She stared at the piles of books, searching for the words.
‘Angry,’ Bob said, gently. ‘Aye. I was pretty fucking angry myself, tell you the truth. I’m angry about that lass dying too.’
Poppy looked up. The old man stared steadily back, took the pipe from his mouth and blew out a smoke ring. The circle of swirling smoke danced between them, as fragile as the circle of life he was so keen on.
‘What makes you think she was murdered?’ Bob asked.
Poppy shrugged. ‘She wouldn’t have killed herself. She was too worried about Maya.’
‘From what I heard, they’re sayin’ it was an accident.’
‘Crap. She was fully clothed. Who goes into the lake fully clothed?’
‘You did.’
‘I was paddling.’
Bob’s face remained neutral. ‘Maybe she was paddling and slipped over, hit her head.’
‘She was murdered. I know she was murdered.’
‘How can you know?’
‘I just do!’ Poppy said, her blood pressure rising.
‘That your scientific opinion, or her quantum particles communicating with yours?’ He chewed the pipe, trying to hide a self-satisfied grin.
She rolled her eyes. ‘ Ha-ha! ’
Bob chuckled. He leaned forward and for a moment studied her. Sometimes, when the old Druid stared at her, she could almost believe that he saw things that others couldn’t.
‘You should go and have your cards read,’ he said, eventually.
What? She wasn’t about to waste her money on... Hold on a minute . ‘I thought you didn’t like Tarot? Thought you said it was misused by all and sundry?’
‘Interesting lad, that Tarot reader. The one that’s doing the workshop. Had a bit of a troubled past from what I hear. The craft set him on a different path though – changed his ways. Writes books now instead of burning them.’
‘That’s all very interesting but—’
‘—Him and Maya – they were an item last time I heard.’
‘Maya’s boyfriend is here ?’ Poppy slid out of the bench. ‘He’s actually one of the workshop leaders?’
‘Jonathan knows him from years back.’
‘Sorry, Bob. I’ve gotta—’
‘—Now hold your horses.’
‘I’ve got to go and find him. He’ll know where Maya is.’
‘I said hold your damn horses!’
Poppy folded her arms. ‘All right – horses bridled and steady!’ she said, but her heart was skittering like a bucking pony.
‘Word of advice from an old heathen—’ He took down a tin from the shelf above him and took out some money and handed it to her. ‘Don’t go charging in there making accusations. Try for once to keep that tongue of yours from flapping. Listen to what the lad says. And for pity’s sake, don’t go lecturing him on physics.’
‘Beth could have spoken to him. He might know what happened. He could even be the killer. I mean, he couldn’t have liked Beth showing up – not if she fancied Maya.’
‘Boy’s not a killer. Wouldn’t let you go near him if I thought he was.’
‘That based on careful psychological profiling, or his quarks communicating with yours?’
‘Ha-ha!’ Bob chuckled. ‘You listen to the cards. Happen they might have something to tell you. And if Maya’s with him – you be careful around that girl. She’s trouble.’
CHAPTER NINE
Poppy scanned the marquee for someone who looked like a Tarot reader. The workshop had
‘I know that,’ Poppy said, frustrated that he was treating her to a lecture from Paganism 101 when she’d grown up with the stuff. ‘That’s not why I don’t believe in it any more.’
‘Someone your age, not ready to die, well, it’s only natural to be scared of that side of the goddess.’
‘What had I ever done to her?’ she blurted. It was out before she could really think about what she was saying. ‘I mean – I – I don’t mean her – I’m just—’ She stared at the piles of books, searching for the words.
‘Angry,’ Bob said, gently. ‘Aye. I was pretty fucking angry myself, tell you the truth. I’m angry about that lass dying too.’
Poppy looked up. The old man stared steadily back, took the pipe from his mouth and blew out a smoke ring. The circle of swirling smoke danced between them, as fragile as the circle of life he was so keen on.
‘What makes you think she was murdered?’ Bob asked.
Poppy shrugged. ‘She wouldn’t have killed herself. She was too worried about Maya.’
‘From what I heard, they’re sayin’ it was an accident.’
‘Crap. She was fully clothed. Who goes into the lake fully clothed?’
‘You did.’
‘I was paddling.’
Bob’s face remained neutral. ‘Maybe she was paddling and slipped over, hit her head.’
‘She was murdered. I know she was murdered.’
‘How can you know?’
‘I just do!’ Poppy said, her blood pressure rising.
‘That your scientific opinion, or her quantum particles communicating with yours?’ He chewed the pipe, trying to hide a self-satisfied grin.
She rolled her eyes. ‘ Ha-ha! ’
Bob chuckled. He leaned forward and for a moment studied her. Sometimes, when the old Druid stared at her, she could almost believe that he saw things that others couldn’t.
‘You should go and have your cards read,’ he said, eventually.
What? She wasn’t about to waste her money on... Hold on a minute . ‘I thought you didn’t like Tarot? Thought you said it was misused by all and sundry?’
‘Interesting lad, that Tarot reader. The one that’s doing the workshop. Had a bit of a troubled past from what I hear. The craft set him on a different path though – changed his ways. Writes books now instead of burning them.’
‘That’s all very interesting but—’
‘—Him and Maya – they were an item last time I heard.’
‘Maya’s boyfriend is here ?’ Poppy slid out of the bench. ‘He’s actually one of the workshop leaders?’
‘Jonathan knows him from years back.’
‘Sorry, Bob. I’ve gotta—’
‘—Now hold your horses.’
‘I’ve got to go and find him. He’ll know where Maya is.’
‘I said hold your damn horses!’
Poppy folded her arms. ‘All right – horses bridled and steady!’ she said, but her heart was skittering like a bucking pony.
‘Word of advice from an old heathen—’ He took down a tin from the shelf above him and took out some money and handed it to her. ‘Don’t go charging in there making accusations. Try for once to keep that tongue of yours from flapping. Listen to what the lad says. And for pity’s sake, don’t go lecturing him on physics.’
‘Beth could have spoken to him. He might know what happened. He could even be the killer. I mean, he couldn’t have liked Beth showing up – not if she fancied Maya.’
‘Boy’s not a killer. Wouldn’t let you go near him if I thought he was.’
‘That based on careful psychological profiling, or his quarks communicating with yours?’
‘Ha-ha!’ Bob chuckled. ‘You listen to the cards. Happen they might have something to tell you. And if Maya’s with him – you be careful around that girl. She’s trouble.’
CHAPTER NINE
Poppy scanned the marquee for someone who looked like a Tarot reader. The workshop had
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