Free The Fatal Fortune by Jayne Castle

“Did you make enough for two?”
    Guinevere grinned. “Luckily for you I just sort of naturally bought enough shrimp for two.”
    “I think I begin to see a pattern developing in our lives,” Zac said with a certain satisfaction.
    ***
    Guinevere had no more luck getting hold of the elusive Zoltana the following morning. She was becoming increasingly frustrated, but she forgot some of her irritation when Francine Bates showed up late for work. For the first time since she had met Francine, the older woman was not cheerful or friendly. She seemed withdrawn and preoccupied. Guinevere began to wonder if perhaps Francine and Madame Zoltana had put two and two together and decided they were being set up by one Guinevere Jones.
    “I think my cover may be blown,” Guinevere confided to Zac at lunchtime. “Francine hasn’t said two words to me all day, and I can’t get hold of Madame Zoltana. Do you think they might have become suspicious when they discovered I was really the owner of Camelot Services, and not just another employee?”
    “I don’t see why. As far as they know, you were just filling in for one of your employees and didn’t want to have everyone know you owned the firm,” Zac reassured her.
    “Well, what do I do now?”
    Zac shrugged. “You could see if anyone else has had any better luck getting an appointment with Zoltana. If someone else has, you can assume Zoltana’s probably avoiding you.”
    Guinevere brightened. “That’s an excellent idea, Zac. Sometimes you’re positively brilliant.”
    “I know,” he said modestly.
    She went back to Gage and Watson determined to track down Mary and Ruth. Mary hadn’t tried to get hold of Madame Zoltana, but Ruth had made an effort three times the previous day and had failed. She seemed very depressed about the situation.
    “I don’t know what to do,” she confided to Guinevere. “I’ve got to talk to her. I’m going crazy with worry. She always seems to know what’s happening, and she’s been keeping things under control for me. I know you might not believe it, but it’s true. Now I can’t reach her, and I’m frantic.”
    On a hunch, Guinevere tried Sally Evenson next. Sally seemed happy enough in her new temporary assignment, but when Guinevere asked her about Madame Zoltana, she didn’t sound quite so cheerful.
    “I have an appointment with her after work this afternoon, Miss Jones. I know you think I shouldn’t go, but I
have
to go.”
    “I understand, Sally. Look, do me a favor, and call me after you’ve seen her, all right? I want to talk to you about the session.”
    “Well, all right.”
    But when Sally phoned Guinevere at home that evening, her voice sounded odd, as if she was half relieved, half terrified. “There was no one home, Miss Jones. I went to her house just like I always do, and she wasn’t there. What do you think it means? Maybe she isn’t going to help me anymore.”
    “Sally, listen to me. Madame Zoltana wasn’t helping you to begin with. She has no more psychic power than I do. You’ve just saved twenty bucks.”
    “Thirty,” Sally said almost inaudibly.
    “Thirty!”
    “That’s what I’ve been paying lately, ever since she said she could keep things under control for me. Oh, Miss Jones, I don’t know what to do!”
    Guinevere glanced through the kitchen door at Zac, who had his feet up on her coffee table while he read the evening paper. He seemed to be ignoring the conversation. “Sally, you’re an adult woman with a good job. You have your own life under control. You don’t need anyone else to control it for you. Now, tell me how you like your new assignment.”
    They talked for a few more minutes, and Guinevere tried to find lots of encouraging things to say. When they hung up, she went thoughtfully out into the living room, plunking herself down beside Zac on the sofa.
    “You know what I think?” she demanded.
    “What?” He looked up from the newspaper.
    “I think Madame Zoltana is lying