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“We have informants, people who try to save their own skins by ratting out their friends and relatives. One of them told us Mitzi’s great weakness.”

The three others leaned forward in anticipation.

“She collects gypsy tarot cards.”

One by one, they leaned back.

“That’s it?” Sara asked. “All of this because of a bunch of cards with gypsy pictures on them?”

“That’s all of it,” Mike said in a way that didn’t allow for more questions. “Anybody want some more tea? Or a beer?”

“I’d like a margarita with lots of salt,” Joce said as she rubbed her belly.

“Don’t make jokes to him about food,” Sara said. “He’s more of a fanatic than my mother.”

Joce and Luke looked at him in awe.

When Mike stood up to go to the kitchen, Joce said, “If you don’t tell us the rest of this story I may give birth here and now and you will do the delivery. Sit! Talk!”

With a smile that showed the dimple in his cheek, Mike sat back down and told them what he’d read in the files the captain had given him. Through an informant, they’d found out that Mitzi Vandlo had what was probably the best—and maybe only—collection of gypsy-inspired tarot cards in the world. In an attempt to trap her, the Feds had obtained a deck that had once been in a museum. “As far as anyone knows, it was the only set in the world, and I can guess how they got them. They put them up for sale on eBay.”

“On eBay?” Sara asked.

“Plain, ol’ eBay?” Joce asked.

“Yes. The Feds made a bidding frenzy, but when it hit $75,000, they all dropped out. Except for one. He stayed until the unknown bidder won at $82,500.”

“And that was Mitzi?” Sara asked.

“They think so. It took six weeks to trace the buyer. There were shell corporations that owned other corporations until they came down to a P.O. box in Richmond. It was owned by a woman who had a driver’s license with an Edilean address.”

Mike was lying at the last, but he was careful not to show it. The truth was that the box had been rented by a man with a Pennsylvania license. The Feds had watched the box, but it had never been opened. Then, one day, a car in the parking lot had exploded, and the post office was evacuated. When everyone returned, the cards were gone.

They had found out about Edilean through Stefan. After years of silence, when they didn’t know where he was, he’d suddenly reappeared long enough to divorce his wife of almost twenty years, then go underground again. The next time he’d been seen was by an off-duty policeman in Richmond, and he was engaged to Miss Sara Shaw and living in Edilean. Put the odd actions of Stefan with the delivery of the tarot cards to nearby Richmond, and the Feds thought they might have found Mitzi. It was a dream come true when they were told that an undercover detective had a sister living in Edilean.

But Mike couldn’t tell any of that. He’d soon have to tell Sara the truth, but not yet.

“Maybe she knew she was being watched, so maybe by now she’s left town,” Joce said.

“We don’t think so. We think she came to Edilean to get something, but we have no idea what she wants. You guys know of any hidden treasure buried around here?”

Sara spoke into the ensuing silence. “Tell them what you saw at Merlin’s Farm.”

Mike had to work to keep from frowning. He was going to have to talk to her about not blabbing what he’d told her in confidence. On the other hand, maybe he should keep his mouth shut and tell her less.

When Mike hesitated, Sara said, “All right, I’ll tell them.” She then proceeded to give an accurate recounting of all Mike had told her of his day on the farm. “Did I miss anything?”

“No,” Mike said cautiously, “but remembering where traps are set doesn’t mean you can go there by yourself. Tomorrow I’m going to go talk to Lang and tell him that I now own the farm and—”

“Mike only gets to keep it if he lives there with Ariel and produces umpteen kids,” Sara said with a fake sigh.

Mike put up his hand before anyone could speak. “I’ve never even met the woman. But my brother-in-law did put quite a few restrictions on the deed.”

“I can imagine,” Luke said. “My cousin is a born lawyer.”

“Harsh,” Joce said.

“Way too harsh,” Sara echoed.


Tags: Jude Deveraux Edilean Romance