"The Tarot Reads Murder"

The Tarot Reads Murder | Story by Butch Leake

Detective Sachel Drummond sat in her office, a haze of cigarette smoke enveloping her as she stared at the tarot card spread before her. The Ten of Swords lay at the center, a gruesome sight of heart-wrenching betrayal and impending doom. The surrounding cards painted a cryptic picture, a premonition of a murder yet to occur.

Drummond had seen her fair share of murders during his time on the force in Boston, but this was different. The victim was none other than Sarah Whitman, a renowned tarot reader known to predict the future with eerie accuracy. It was her own murder that she had foreseen.

Sarah had come to Drummond in a panic, her usually composed demeanor replaced by fear-stricken eyes. She had pleaded with her to investigate the ominous cards, convinced that her own death was imminent. Reluctantly, Drummond had agreed, her skepticism warring with her fascination for the unknown.

As Drummond pored over the cards, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as footsteps approached his office. Marshall Hall, the no-nonsense Police Commissioner, barged in without knocking, his stern expression betraying a hint of curiosity.

"What's all this nonsense about a tarot reader predicting her own murder?" Hall asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

Drummond gestured to the spread before him. "Take a look, Commissioner. The cards don't lie."

Hall frowned but edged closer, studying the cards with a mix of intrigue and trepidation. "What do we have to go on?"

Drummond leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. "We have to find whoever wants her dead. The Queen of Cups suggests a woman is involved, perhaps driven by envy or jealousy. The Tower implies a sudden and shocking event. The Fool is a wild card, indicating that the murderer might not even realize the gravity of their actions."

Hall's eyes narrowed. "Could Sarah have staged this herself? Maybe she's looking for attention, trying to create a mystery out of thin air."

Drummond shook her head. "I've known Sarah for years. She might dabble in the mysterious, but she's not capable of staging her own murder. We have to take this seriously, Commissioner."

Hall sighed, reluctantly conceding. "Alright, Drummond. I'll give you a team, but you have to be discreet. If this turns out to be one of your hunches gone wrong, it'll be your neck on the line."

Drummond nodded, a determined glint in her eyes. This case was about more than just solving a crime; it was about proving the existence of the extraordinary, the supernatural.

Days turned into nights as Drummond tirelessly worked to unravel the web of Sarah's tarot readings. She questioned friends and acquaintances, digging deep into their lives, hoping to find a connection that could lead him to the killer.

The investigation led Drummond to Sarah's best friend, Lila Turner, a woman consumed by bitterness and envy. Lila had been present during a reading in which Sarah predicted great success for her career, an outcome Lila had longed for but never achieved. Could she be the Queen of Cups?

Drummond confronted Lila, her eyes flickering with panic as she confronted her with the evidence. But just as she thought she had her cornered, a chilling scream echoed through the room. They rushed to Sarah's home, their hearts pounding with dread.

Inside, they found Sarah's lifeless body sprawled on the floor, a knife protruding from her chest. The cards she had been using lay scattered around her, a cruel mockery of her own premonition.

Drummond swore under her breath, the realization hitting her like a punch to the gut. She had been so close, but the murderer had struck first. She had failed to protect Sarah.

But as she surveyed the room, her detective instincts kicked in. There was something off, something that didn't add up. The cards were strategically placed, as if pointing to a hidden truth. Drummond crouched down, examining the spread. And then, it hit her.

"The cards," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "The Tarot reads murder, but these cards… They tell a different story."

Drummond looked up, locking eyes with Lila. "You were the Queen of Cups, weren't you? But you weren't the killer."

Lila's face paled, confusion mingled with grief. "What are you talking about?"

Drummond directed her attention to the cards. "The Ten of Swords, the grim premonition of betrayal. It's not Sarah's death we should have been focusing on—it's her life."

Lila's eyes widened in realization, tears streaming down her face. "What do you mean?"

Drummond slowly began to arrange the cards, a new narrative unfolding before their eyes. "The Tower signifies a shocking event, the Fool represents the unknown, and the Queen of Cups depicts a woman consumed by envy. But the crucial card is this," she said, pointing at the Ten of Swords. "It was placed here, at the center of all the chaos, as a warning."

Lila gasped, her voice barely a whisper. "Sarah… Sarah was murdered?"

Drummond nodded solemnly. "Yes, but not by you. These cards were arranged intentionally, a cryptic message from Sarah herself. She knew someone close to her was capable of betrayal."

As the truth sank in, grief overpowered Lila. Drummond too felt an ache in her heart, the weight of failure hanging heavy on her shoulders. But she wouldn't rest until justice was served, until Sarah's killer was brought to justice.

And so, Detective Sachel Drummond, alongside Commissioner Marshall Hall, embarked on a race against time. They delved deeper into Sarah's life, peeling away the layers of deceit, until they finally uncovered a hidden motive—an inheritance worth millions.

The investigation led them to Sarah's estranged brother, Adrian Whitman, a man who had been written out of her will. Adrian had always been obsessed with tarot cards, using them as a tool to manipulate Sarah's life. Consumed by greed, he had orchestrated her murder, turning the tarot cards against her as a final act of cruelty.

In a final confrontation, Drummond and Hall cornered Adrian, apprehending him as he tried to flee the country. Justice was served, but the ghost of Sarah's murder would forever haunt Drummond's thoughts.

The Tarot Reads Murder was a case of deception, of a woman's desperate attempt to escape her own fate. As Drummond looked back on the investigation, she couldn't help but wonder—had Sarah's tarot cards truly predicted her death, or had she created her own destiny to capture the truth?

Only the cards held the answer, their secrets destined to remain locked away, forever shrouded in mystery.