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there were a few more houses than she'd thought and a bait and tackle shop
that doubled as a liquor store. Maybe she'd go fishing. Or get stinking drunk
and explain just what she thought of the place. No key on the door, no
bathroom in the room, it was worse thanEgypt for God's sake.
No, not God. Take not the name even in thought.
The Piggly Wiggly was . . . fair. No dirtier than others she'd seen and the
payphone was at least operational. She pulled out the paperwork and thirty
five cents then called the service company.
Yes, I have a problem with my automobile, one. Yes, I need roadside
assistance, one. No, I don't want to use the automated system. No, I am not at
my home. Yes, I'd like to speak to an operator. I'llwait !
As she punched the various buttons on the Kevorkian disconnect phone-tree she
stood with her back to the glass of the Piggly-Wiggly, ensuring that she could
keep an eye on what was going on around her. It wasn't because of the
situation, it was just how she used the phone. She'd rotated to the right side
of the phone despite the fact that it put her back to the glass because that
way she could hold the phone in her left hand and keep her right free.
"Thank you for calling Honda Warranty Service International, my name is
Melody, how may I help you?"
"My car won't start," Barbara said.I was hoping to order pizza, how do you
think you can help me?
"Where is the vehicle?" Melody asked with a distinct mid west accent.
"Thibideau, Louisiana," Barb said. "At the Thibideau Inn."
"Do you have your warranty number?" the girl asked, brightly.
Barbara read off the numbers patiently.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," the girl said with a real note of distress in her voice.
"There isn't a Honda dealership within service range of Thibideau, Louisiana.
However, we do have an allied service representative, Thibideau Tire and Auto
who should be able to get you on the road again. Are you at the vehicle
location now?"
"No," Barb said, trying not to swear even mentally. "I can get there before
they can, though. But there's no phone there."
"That will be fine. According to the computer they should be no more than
thirty minutes getting there."
"I need a rentacar," Barbara said.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but, again, the location is outside of rental service
area," the girl said, really distressed. "But, I'm sure that . . . Thibideau
Tire and Auto will be able to get you going quickly."
Left hind leg of a camel.Sugar .
"Thank you for your help," Barb said, sweetly.
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"Thank you, ma'am, and I hope you have a good day."
Sugar, sugar, sugar!
She pulled the coins out of the drop and inserted them again, dialing zero
and then her home number at the tone.
"If you'd like to place a collect call, press one."
One.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's an answering machine," the operator said after
a moment.
"Can you hold a moment?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," the operator said.
She dug in her purse and came up with a handful of change.
"Can you change it over to a for-pay call?"
"Yes, ma'am. That will be seventy five cents for two -minutes."
She inserted the coins and then waited until the answering service picked up.
"Mark, this is Barb. I'm not in Gulfport I went down to the bayou for some
atmosphere and Cajun food. I'm fine and I should be home on time on Monday.
The car's broken down but there's a local service place. I'll try to call you
ag . . ." Beep.
Sugar.
* * *
"Come in, Sergeant Lockhart, come in," Madame Charlotte said from the deeps of
her shop.
Kelly pushed aside a bead curtain and paused in the doorway, waiting for his
eyes to adjust to the gloom.
"I'd ask you how you knew it was me, but I don't think I'd like the answer,"
Kelly said, smiling.
"I gots a video camera," Madame Charlotte said, pointing to the monitor
mounted over Kelly's head. "You wouldn't believe the terrible people try to
steal from an old lady."
"Must not be locals," Kelly said, sitting down across the table from the
medium. "They'd be afraid of being turned into a snake or a zombie or
something."
"I don't do that sort of thing, Mr. Detective," Madame Charlotte said,
grinning, the teeth standing out against her jet black face. She was a slight
woman with gray shot hair peeking out from under a colorful kerchief and a
face wrinkled like the lines on a map. "Not so's you'd notice."
"Glad to hear that," Kelly said, smiling back.
"But I knowed you'd be stopping in yesterday," Madame Charlotte stated. "Saw
it in the cards. Terrible cards, lately, just terrible. You need to watch your
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step, Sergeant Lockhart, the Reaper is your sign, him who takes the souls."
"That's because I'm thin," Kelly replied.
"Laugh if you will," the medium replied. "But you be searching for Carlane.
Hisself is gone from here, gone back to whence he come."
"Where's that?" Kelly asked. "And why'd he leave."
"He has the sign of the Wizard," Madame Charlotte said, laying out the card.
"And the Hangman," she added. "He messing with powerful magic and ain't got
the training. Powerful. I wouldn't mess with nothin like this and I be a
mistress of the arts." The medium laid her cards out and pointed to one. "But
there's another. This be the sign of the Princess of Wands. She's a powerful
force for Good. Good will be by your side, Detective Sergeant Kelly Lockhart.
Just you look sharp for the sign of the Princess or . . . you won't be lookin
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