Free Herculeah Jones Tarot Says Beware by Betsy Byars

that.”
    â€œThen tell me why you did it.”
    â€œI told you. Why do I have to keep going over it? I was sitting here, and I heard a footstep overhead.”
    He swallowed thickly, remembering.
    â€œThen I heard another footstep.”
    Again he had to swallow to continue.
    â€œThen I saw a foot. It was the most terrible, the most frightening foot in the world. You probably don’t think a single foot could be that terrifying—”
    â€œI saw Madame Rosa’s foot sticking out from under the table, remember?”
    â€œWell, yes, but that foot was dead, and this one was living.”
    He closed his eyes, remembering, and mercifully Herculeah turned the flashlight away from his face. Possibly his face was too twisted with pain and fright to watch for any length of time.
    â€œThat’s all I remember. I must have fainted from shock.”
    Herculeah was silent, and her silence, as usual, made Meat feel the need to defend himself.
    â€œIt was not a dream, Herculeah. I know you’re going to say it was a dream. I know you’re going to claim I fell asleep as usual. And I admit I have been known to fall asleep, but this was no dream. This was the realest thing that ever happened to me in my life. I will remember that foot until the day I die. I will have nightmares about that foot.”
    â€œNightmares can seem very real,” she said.
    â€œThen when I came to”—Meat went on as if she had not spoken—“I was somehow filled with strength and purpose and I rushed forward and—I don’t have to tell you what I did then.”
    â€œNo, you don’t. Help me up.”
    Meat pulled her to her feet. She brushed off the seat of her jeans.
    â€œSo did you find what you were looking for?” he asked.
    â€œNot in the book.”
    â€œWell, at least you found out about the pictures.”
    â€œA very strange thing happened to me, Meat.”
    The tone of her voice sent shivers up his neck. He turned up the collar of his jacket.
    â€œI’m not sure I want to hear this.”
    â€œYou have to. This is how I know you’re telling me the truth about someone coming down the stairs.”
    Now he was sure he was about to hear something he did not want to hear. But he couldn’t stop his mouth from saying, “How?”
    â€œI saw someone in the hall.”
    â€œWho?” There was such a long pause that he thought he hadn’t been heard. He shouted, “Who?”
    â€œMadame Rosa.”
    For a moment Meat thought he hadn’t heard right. “Madame Rosa is dead!”
    â€œMeat, she was standing right there where you are standing now.”
    Meat took an involuntary side step.
    â€œI thought it was you playing a joke.”
    The thought of putting on Madame Rosa’s cloak, even for a joke, caused Meat to shudder as if he had a chill.
    â€œAnd I yelled at you that it wasn’t funny and to stop it, and then she spoke.”
    â€œShe said something?” This was an awed whisper. “She spoke?”
    â€œShe said my name. And you know how people are always imitating Madame Rosa? She has an easy voice to imitate. But this was her voice. It wasn’t an imitation. It was her voice.”
    â€œDid she say anybody else’s name?” Meat asked after a brief hesitation.
    â€œYes.”
    Another hesitation. “Mine?”
    â€œNo, she said, ‘Tarot.’ I even offered to go get him. I didn’t want her to get away. Then I reached down for my flashlight—I wanted to see her—and when I stood up, she was gone.”
    Suddenly Meat’s eyes widened.
    â€œGive me that flashlight,” he said.
    Something in his voice made Herculeah hand him the light at once.
    He turned the beam on the coatrack in the corner.
    â€œLook,” he said.
    â€œAt what?”
    â€œMadame Rosa’s cloak was there when I sat down and now—now it’s gone.”
    Herculeah looked at Meat.