Peril in Paperback: A Bibliophile Mystery

course of action is faulty.”
    “Right,” Sybil said, rolling her eyes. “And I’ll listen to you because a pack of playing cards is so meaningful to my life.”
    I’d forgotten who I was talking to. With a weak smile, I said, “Of course not. Sorry. It’s just a game.”
    “That’s right, Brooklyn dear,” she said. “It’s just a game.”
    “Then let’s get on with the game,” Grace said jovially, and threw down the next card.
    Death.
    Sybil squealed and jolted back in her chair. “Are you trying to kill me?”
    Grace leaned forward. “Calm down, Sybil. It’s just a game.”
    “You gave me the Death card, you twit!”
    Twit
? What was with the rude names?
    My father had an old friend who, when he got overexcited, would begin swearing incessantly. It was almost like he’d contracted a type of Tourette’s syndrome in those moments. But as soon as the excitement faded, he became a perfect gentleman again. Maybe Sybil had a similar problem. I hadn’t heard her use such rude terms until now.
    Vinnie flashed them both a disapproving look, but then she pressed a calming hand on Sybil’s shoulder. “Don’t be alarmed. The Death card can be a positive sign of change. It can indicate anything from tremendous spiritual transformation to the simplest modification in one’s life. These are good things.”
    Grace smiled at Vinnie in admiration. “You’re really great at this.”
    “I know a thing or two about a thing or two,” Vinnie said cryptically. “Some take the tarot more seriously than others.”
    “Well, I’m just here to have fun,” Sybil said pointedly.
    Grace shrugged as she smiled at Vinnie and me. She dealt several more cards, then flipped over the Tower card.
    Vinnie gasped and Sybil jerked around. “What’s wrong? What does it mean?”
    “Nothing. Nothing at all,” Vinnie whispered, but her voice was as breathless as if she’d just run a hundred-yard dash. “I…I must go.”
    She backed away from the table and I pulled her the rest of the way across the room. “Are you all right?”
    Still breathing heavily, Vinnie said, “That last combination of six cards, culminating with the Tower, indicates that chaos and peril are at hand.”
    “I know, I know,” I said, and wondered what my mother would say about the Tower card appearing when it did. “But chaos can be a prelude to humility and, ultimately, wisdom.”
    “That is very pretty, Brooklyn, but coming on the heels of Death and a sword, the Tower card can only signify pain. Any other interpretation would be a sorry attempt to avoid the truth.”
    “But, Vinnie,” I whispered, “this isn’t a real reading. This is just Grace and Sybil fooling around with the cards. It doesn’t mean anything.”
    She scowled. “Grace is playing a dangerous game she doesn’t understand, and Sybil has had more than her share of cocktails tonight. It’s a dodgy combination, Brooklyn, and in this house that can put a person in all sorts of peril. We must keep an eye on Sybil over the next few days. Anything could happen to her, and I don’t mean that in a good way.”

Chapter 5
     
    Suzie came over to join us. “What’s wrong with you two?”
    Vinnie shook her finger at Suzie. “You must talk to your aunt about treating the tarot more responsibly. She doesn’t know the kind of havoc she could be wringing from the universe.”
    Suzie glanced at me sideways, then patted Vinnie’s cheek. “Somebody needs to get some sleep.”
    “I’m fine,” Vinnie protested. At first I thought Suzie was patronizing her, but now I realized that Vinnie was exhausted. It had been a long day and the blowup over the Tower card seemed to have wiped her out.
    “Of course you’re fine, but I’m tired, too, so let’s call it a night.” Suzie spoke to her in the soft tones she’d use to calm a child. She wrapped her arm around Vinnie’s shoulders, then looked at me. “I’m going to walk her back to the room. Will you be staying up for a while?”
    “No, I’m ready to hit the hay, too,” I said, and followed her as she guided Vinnie toward the hall. The two of them walked with me as far as the grand stairway. Then we all said good night and Vinnie and Suzie headed upstairs to their room on the third floor.
    My Library Suite bedroom was on the ground floor, so I continued down the hall alone. I had a fleeting flashbackof my earlier run-in with Madge, but the hall was empty and I made it to my room without encountering anyone.
    I had left my