The Page of Cups

cardigan walked into the pub and saw danny blake lowering a basket into the fryer behind the bar. "what'cha cooking, danny?"

"samosas," danny replied, not bothering to turn around. "go have a seat. i'll bring some over in a bit."

"what are you working on these days, cardigan?" sierra asked as he joined her and marian at the table.

cardigan grunted. "woman hired me to track down her birth mother. she was adopted 32 years ago."

"that sounds like an interesting case," sierra commented. "i never got stuff like that when i was in the trade."

"why does she want to find her?" marian asked.

"her adopted mother recently passed, and only told her she was adopted shortly before that, so i guess she's trying to fill a void," cardigan explained.

blake walked over and placed a bass ale in front of cardigan and replaced the empty plate of samosas with another full platter.

"these are sooooo good," Mysterious Lurker cooed as she munched on one.

blake frowned at the raven-tressed Lurker. "when did you get here?!"

she turned her green eyes on him and smiled. "shortly after i walked through the door. may i have a cup of tea?"

blake glared at her and walked back to fix her tea. she looked at cardigan and asked, "do you have any leads on the mother?"

cardigan bit into a samosa and muttered, "not much. i know her name was annie johnson back in 1976 and she lived in an apartment building that no longer exists. i haven't found anybody locally--dead or alive--by that name that fits her profile."

"what about the father?" marian asked.

"records from the adoption agency say she didn't know who the father was," cardigan stated.

"let me help," Mysterious Lurker offered, digging into her bag.

"how?" blake asked suspicously as he placed a mug of hot tea before the now brunette Lurker.

she pulled out a small cloth bag and shook a deck of tarot cards out into her hand. "i'll do a reading."

blake rolled his eyes.

sierra was intrigued. "you can tell us where she is?"

"i don't know," the Lurker replied. "but it's worth a try. now, let me concentrate." she closed her eyes and shuffled the oversized cards easily in her hands. after a bit she began to turn them over, one at a time, in a pyramid shape, capped off by the tenth and final card: The Page of Cups.

"well? what's it say?" marian leaned in to examine the cards. "i've never seen the cards laid out like this before."

"i came up with this spread," Mysterious Lurker explained. "i get better readings like this. now, there is only one major arcana card in this spread--The Sun, see?" she points to the card in the lower right corner.

"is that good or bad?" gavin was interested despite his misgivings.

"The Sun is almost always a positive card," the Lurker said, studying the card formation before her. "and most certainly so in this case. she's certainly alive, relatively healthy, and relatively happy, though i'd say there is a certain melancholy associated with her as well. perhaps the daughter she gave up."

"oh, that certainly narrows it down. cardigan'll find her in no time now," blake scoffed.

the Lurker's grey eyes stared daggers at blake. "i'm not finished yet, danny." she turned her attention back to the cards, touching one here and there. "i'd say she's still fairly close to this area. there is something holding her here. she's talented, but uses her talents to help others gain the spotlight, to help them look good while she remains behind the scenes."

"like a make-up artist or hairdresser?" sierra suggested.

"a copy editor?" marian guessed.

"a mortician," cardigan said thoughtfully.

"those would all fit well enough i suppose," the Lurker looked at cardigan curiously. "why did you think of a mortician, gavin?"

"i don't know," he shifted uncomfortably. "there's something about these cards. it's more than sadness...there's an acceptance, too. the way there is at a funeral."

the Lurker nodded. "you've got a good sense for this, gavin. that's exactly what i felt, too."

"maybe gavin's a psychic!" marian grinned.

"maybe he's a vampire!" sierra said, amused.

"maybe he's full of shit," blake muttered.