The night air felt uncommonly sweet as we exited the precinct, like the first breath after nearly drowning. The fluorescent harshness of the police station gave way to the softer glow of streetlights, painting the sidewalk in pools of amber. I walked in silence, half-expecting Johnson to call us back, to say there had been a mistake. Freedom felt fragile, like a bubble that might burst if examined too closely.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ48X5fnRP9
Jason and I walked half a block before either of us dared to speak, as though the precinct might have ears that stretched into the night.
“I can’t believe they let us go,” he finally said, his voice tight with lingering tension. A shiver ran through him that had nothing to do with the February chill. “I was sure we were looking at serious charges.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6rS8AUhpB
“Someone made a call,” I replied, glancing back at the hulking building we’d left behind. “Johnson said your family declined to press charges.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZTgnmLuav
Jason stopped abruptly, his face caught between confusion and disbelief. “That’s impossible. Aurelia would never—” Understanding dawned in his eyes. “Unless she doesn’t know yet.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZYDTJDks3
“Exactly.” I nodded, resuming our walk. “The security company probably called the police without contacting her first. Standard protocol for a break-in.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFolFTCYIjb
“And Johnson assumed it was family intervention.” Jason laughed, a short, humorless sound that hung in the cold air between us. “Convenient mistake.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bZopSsPpH
“One that works in our favor,” I pointed out. “For now.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfuqeAqEvq
We turned onto a busier avenue, the late-night energy of Manhattan enveloping us. Even at this hour, taxis crawled the streets, late-shift workers hurried toward subway entrances, and the occasional group of revelers spilled from bars in bursts of laughter and clumsy footsteps. The city’s perpetual motion felt comforting after the stagnant air of the interrogation room.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOu8ECSw5qP
Jason lifted his shirt slightly, revealing the edge of the red leather book still secured against his abdomen. The gesture was quick, furtive.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VvQ4K6nxl
“I can’t believe they didn’t find this,” he murmured, letting his coat fall back into place.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1HWM2fhon
“The search was cursory,” I observed. “They were looking for weapons, not books.” And Johnson had been distracted by recognition, by the strange coincidence of finding me at another scene that defied conventional explanation.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJSc4GDVgi
“So we got what we came for.” Jason’s expression brightened with cautious optimism, his eyes clearer than I’d seen them in days. “What’s our next move?”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwltWSmhXz6
I checked my watch—nearly midnight. The witching hour, as my grandmother would have called it. The time when the veil between worlds grew thinnest.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡik2htqZkBx
“Let’s find somewhere quiet to look through the book properly,” I suggested. “Make sure we have the right information.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cz4wcriv4
We located a 24-hour diner several blocks from the precinct, one of those places that seemed frozen in the 1970s—vinyl booths, laminated menus, waitresses who called everyone “hon” regardless of age or gender. We slid into a booth far from the few other late-night patrons, a scattered collection of night shift workers and insomniacs nursing cups of coffee that had been refilled too many times.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxySz44qjhV
After ordering coffee from a waitress whose eyes held the thousand-yard stare of someone who had seen too many midnights, Jason carefully extracted the book and placed it on the table between us.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4AmiEIfPN
“Grandfather’s personal directory,” he said softly, a hint of reverence in his voice as he opened it. His fingers traced the neat handwriting with gentle care. “He kept everything in here. Old school to the end.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdLC5lwf2q
I flipped to the M section, finger tracing down the page until I found it again: “Markus, Reiki and Tarot” followed by a Manhattan phone number. Unlike most other entries, this one lacked a formal title or business name, suggesting a more personal connection.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YdRmozHMM
“This has to be him,” I said, already entering the number into my phone’s contacts. “The spiritual advisor Summer mentioned.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjTGKoo4QY
“Should we call now?” Jason asked, glancing at his watch.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsm9QyLM0zC
“Too late,” I shook my head. “First thing tomorrow morning.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aDiBLn9QX
Jason nodded, continuing to page through the book. His fingers trembled slightly, but I couldn’t tell if it was from emotion or withdrawal. Perhaps both.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62B1fFpN9d
“It’s strange seeing his handwriting,” he said softly. “Perfectly neat, even at his age. He was so precise about everything.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgs5W6u9h19
I watched him, noticing the complex emotions playing across his features—grief, nostalgia, determination. Despite his struggles with addiction, Jason’s genuine affection for his grandfather was evident in the gentle way he handled the old man’s possessions, the reverence with which he spoke of him.
“We should go through the entire book,” I suggested. “There might be other relevant contacts.”
As we carefully examined the entries, my phone vibrated with an incoming text. I glanced at the screen, surprised to see Officer Johnson’s name. The message was brief and cryptic:60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl87Lqc8ByR
*Green case. Autopsy report noted unusual cerebral anomalies. Dismissed as age-related. Might interest you.*60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm472N0pTU
I stared at the screen, pulse quickening. Johnson had gone into the system, checked Seamus’s autopsy findings, and then texted me—an action that probably violated several departmental regulations. The message represented more than information; it was an acknowledgment, however reluctant, that my concerns might have merit.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiG5ff201i0
“What is it?” Jason asked, noting my expression.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVrj7vizBo
“Possible confirmation,” I replied, showing him the text. “Johnson may be more of an ally than he lets on.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiT9gvlDzz
Jason read the message, brow furrowing. “Cerebral anomalies? What does that mean?”
“It means,” I said slowly, choosing my words carefully, “that something affected your grandfather’s brain before he died. Something doctors wrote off as normal for someone his age.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhkP4zOizW
“But you think it wasn’t normal.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBNxq9xRX5
“Not if what I’ve learned about Aurelia is accurate,” Rahel said carefully, keeping the details of the footage to herself for now. She wasn’t ready to reveal everything she’d seen on Summer’s USB drive.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DyTyMDRcd
“Certain types of black magic specifically target the mind first,” she explained. “They create confusion, break down mental barriers, make the victim susceptible to suggestion.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzb82EYkTc
Jason paled slightly, the reality of what we were investigating clearly hitting home. The thin veneer of city lights caught in his eyes, making them glitter with unshed tears.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebM1JnJTst
“This is real, isn’t it? Not just inheritance drama or family dysfunction. My aunt actually… did something to him.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYVHNzKmBC
The pain in his voice made me reach across the table, my fingers brushing his wrist briefly—a point of human contact in a conversation that had veered into the inhuman.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnXxPYKHWz
“That’s what we need to confirm,” I said, returning my attention to the red leather book. “And Markus might be the key to understanding exactly what happened.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0ZgavNpZl
We finished our coffee in focused silence, carefully photographing relevant pages from the book. Though we’d escaped legal consequences tonight, both understood the narrow margin of our victory—and the likely reaction if Aurelia discovered our activities.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IWsodBce7
As we prepared to leave, Jason carefully tucked the book back under his shirt. “I’ll keep this safe,” he promised. “It’s evidence now.”
Outside the diner, we paused under the harsh glow of a streetlight. The night felt heavier somehow, weighted with the knowledge we’d gained and the path stretching before us.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xjfukcywD
“I’ll call Markus first thing tomorrow,” I said. “Set up a meeting.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuJGStGFTf
Jason nodded. “Should I come with you?”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsqrPLorTQ
I considered this. “Maybe not initially. If he was close to your grandfather, he might be more forthcoming with me alone—less family complications.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHKkP8ghIT
“Fair point.” Jason hesitated, his breath making ghosts in the cold air. “Rahel… thank you. For believing me. For doing this.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡey1C6rHzWY
“We’re just getting started,” I reminded him. “And what we’re dealing with—what Aurelia is involved in—is dangerous. More dangerous than conventional threats.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9v4SjUnjC
“Because it’s not conventional,” Jason said quietly. “It’s something most people wouldn’t even believe exists.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNhb1c2WCG
“Exactly.” I glanced back toward the precinct, thinking of Johnson’s reluctant text message. “Even those who might suspect the truth struggle to accept it.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwg3DzWdAF8
We parted ways with plans to speak the following day after my contact with Markus. I watched Jason’s cab disappear into the flow of late-night traffic, the yellow vehicle swallowed by the city’s perpetual motion. A weight settled more firmly on my shoulders—the responsibility of validating his trust, of finding justice for a man I’d never met.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡup8VJfZNsr
We now had a path forward—a name, a number, potential evidence of foul play. But we also had powerful forces aligned against us: Aurelia’s wealth and influence, the inherent skepticism toward supernatural causation, and most concerning, whatever dark powers she had accessed through her rituals.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81dkP6uxuC
Mister B. materialized beside me as I hailed my own taxi, his form shimmering slightly under the streetlights. To others, the space beside me would appear empty, but I felt his presence as clearly as the cold air on my skin.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Da9147tzW
“Johnson knows more than he’s letting on,” he observed.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EuEJ3X2gJ
“Or suspects more,” I corrected, keeping my voice low as a taxi pulled toward the curb. “He’s caught between his training and his instincts.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBux9F78mMC
“A common human dilemma,” Mister B. noted, his form flickering like an old television signal. “But potentially useful for our purposes.”60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hTKw3ZaWS
As my taxi arrived, I found myself wondering about the path ahead—and whether justice for Seamus Green would come through conventional means or require intervention from powers just as ancient and potent as those Aurelia had invoked beneath her father’s living room rug.60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzn2xeyrMs
Either way, the next step was clear: find Markus, and uncover exactly what he had sensed in Seamus Green’s final days. The book had given us the key—now we needed to find the door it would unlock.
60Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPWk0a4IyX
Thank you for reading! If you enjoy this story, you can download full volumes on www.empowering-spirit.com/the-tarot-dimes
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