Last Day by Rice Luanne

Author:Rice, Luanne
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2020-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

27

The New London soup kitchen was located in the parish house of Saint Ignatius Loyola Church at the foot of Bank Street. The Whaling City Shelter was right around the corner. Kate had had to fly to Los Angeles twice in the last week, but today was the first of four days off. The church and shelter were a five-minute walk from her loft. She’d passed them countless times, seeing clients and residents lined up around the block, waiting for a hot meal or a safe bed. Just before lunch, she headed over.

Although Beth had volunteered at both for many years, Kate had never stopped in. Sometimes when Beth was working in town, if Kate wasn’t flying, the sisters would meet at the Witchfire Teahouse on the water side of Bank Street, a place where they could drink Darjeeling and Beth could have her tarot cards read.

Kate passed it now. The storefront was painted violet, the sign dark pink with swirling black letters. Purple taffeta curtained the windows, intended by the owner to create an air of mystery for people who wanted to believe.

“An occult thrill for the suburban set,” Kate had said one snowy afternoon last winter, when they were seated inside on a shabby amber velvet love seat, the space lit by candles and Victorian lamps with fringed silk shades.

“It’s not that,” Beth said. “It’s just fun. Thessaly!” She tried to catch the owner’s eye.

“Thessaly?” Kate asked, her tone translating into, How contrived.

“It’s the name of the thousand-year-old witch in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. She adopted it.”

“Okay then,” Kate said. “She knows how to play the part.”

Tall and thin, too young for the long silver hair that Kate was sure was a wig, Thessaly wore a crocheted black dress, black lace-up boots, and big glasses with round black frames.

“If you don’t like it here, why don’t we meet somewhere else?” Beth asked. “You make me feel like an idiot.”

“What are you talking about?” Kate asked.

“You’re so technical, scientific. You don’t have faith; you don’t believe in anything except instruments and gauges, and I respect that. I never tell you to lighten up, to be more spiritual. But you condescend to me. I can tell you think I’m a fool.”

“I do not!”

“Yeah, you do. If I asked Thessaly to read my cards, you’d sit there with a smirk on your face just like you did when I told you her name.”

Kate stared at Beth and knew she was right. She did think the whole Witchfire vibe was bogus, that Thessaly knew how to appeal to bored women who wished they had more in their lives.

“And all your comments about the ‘suburban set.’ What was it you said last week? ‘Housewives having their fortunes told and looking for love.’”

“I wasn’t even talking about you!”

“Well, I’m a housewife.”

“Who runs an art gallery!”

“But what was the crack about looking for love?”

“I don’t know. I was kidding around.”

“You make it sound as if you think I want to have an affair. Looking for

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