The Fatal Fortune by Jayne Castle Read Free Book Online Page A

Madame Zoltana did not respond to the smile.
    "Come in," the woman said coolly, standing aside.
    Guinevere took a few steps into the darkened room, and as her eyes grew accustomed to the shadows, she glanced around at the simple, old-fashioned overstuffed furniture, which appeared to date from the forties, as did the house itself. Several overflowing ashtrays were scattered around. On one side of the room an arched opening revealed a small dining alcove, and on the other side a doorway opened onto a dark hall that apparently led to the bedrooms.
    "My contemplation room is through here," Madame Zoltana said quietly, moving past Guinevere soundlessly.
    Guinevere followed   her into   the dim   hall   and through a doorway that opened onto a small carpeted and heavily draped chamber. The only furniture here was a round table and two chairs. The walls were painted a dark gray, giving the whole room a cloudy appearance. In the center of the table was a thick crystal dish in the shape of a large salad bowl. Not the traditional crystal ball, Guinevere thought disparagingly.
    "Please sit down." Madame Zoltana lowered herself into one of the chairs and waited until Guinevere was seated. She looked at her client over the top of the crystal bowl. "You are not a believer."
    "No," Guinevere said, opting for honesty. "But I am interested and curious. I'm also open-minded. I've never met a psychic. My friends at work tell me you're quite genuine. I wanted to see for myself."
    Madame Zoltana continued to stare, her blue eyes riveting in their intensity. "I accept that your interest is genuine. You must understand that I do not normally like to waste my time trying to convince skeptics. I have too many other important things to do. I can only see a limited number of clients. The sessions are very tiring for me, and it takes several hours to renew my energies after a client has left."
    "I understand."
    "My fees have been explained to you?"
    That's right, Guinevere thought grimly, get the money settled first. "Of course." She reached into her purse and removed a twenty-dollar bill from her wallet. "Will this cover the session?"
    "Yes." Madame Zoltana took the money. It vanished into a caftan pocket. She leaned forward, cradling the heavy crystal bowl between her hands. There was a long silence, and then Zoltana said, "You are here only to explore the matter of psychic powers. Therefore I will not attempt to read the future for you. It requires much effort, and in this case it does not seem to be worth it. You probably wouldn't believe what I had to tell you anyway. But perhaps I can satisfy your intellectual interest with some observations about you and your past."
    "Why do you use a bowl?"
    "Instead of a crystal ball, you mean?" Madame Zoltana smiled thinly. "It doesn't matter what shape the crystal takes, so long as it is of the best quality. Crystal has curious properties. It enables one to focus more easily. It is possible to work without the aid of crystal, but much more difficult. What really makes the difference is having the Gift. Without it, it wouldn't matter how much crystal one used. Seeing through the veils of the past and the future would be impossible."
    "And you have the Gift?" Guinevere was careful to keep the question sincere.
    Madame Zoltana inclined her head. "It is both a blessing and a curse." She stubbed out her cigarette in a nearby ashtray.
    Just like running any small business, Guinevere thought wryly. A blessing and a curse. She wondered how Zoltana listed her occupation with the IRS.
    Guinevere waited as Madame Zoltana composed herself and stared into the crystal bowl. There was another long period of silence, during which Guinevere felt her palms grow moist again. Zac would laugh at her if he knew how anxious she felt at the moment.
    Surreptitiously she dried her palms on her skirt, and waited.
    At first Guinevere thought the room was growing marginally darker, then she realized that the bowl in the center of the