18

Signs for the Searchers

Maria woke to her mother’s voice outside the door of her closet. She rubbed her eyes and sighed. It would be so much easier to just lie there and shut out the world. There she could hide under heavy coats in her tiny room, the crack of light under the door the only reminder of life happening around her—the life she never wanted.

She peeled herself from her mattress with great effort. Maria felt worse than a piece of taffy stuck to its wrapper. She cracked the door of the closet, just missing Madame Destine, who zipped past her into the kitchen. Maria took a deep breath and followed her.

“You overslept.”

Maria shrugged as she slid around her mother and filled up an empty Styrofoam cup with soda. It was infuriating that Mr. Fox had packed all their dinnerware in boxes already.

“It’s time to start pulling your own weight around here,” he said, and jotted something down on Maria’s paper with her pen.

“What more can I do?”

“I’m glad you asked!” Madame Destine said with a slap on Maria’s back. “While we drove the van back last night, John and I discussed how we should make our last con in New York City.” Madame Destine fed Houdini some bread crumbs from the table.

“LAST CON!” echoed Houdini.

“But seeing how the FBI is onto us, we must be extra careful.”

Maria rolled her eyes. Now it was the FBI, no longer the police. Her mother was paranoid!

“So Fox and I have a plan.”

“Aye, we do, my dear,” joined in Mr. Fox, his grin a deep scar across his face.

“You’ve been so helpful finding all of these widows, Maria, but we’ve decided to expand our audience AND play it safe this time.” Madame Destine pulled up a chair and pressed Maria down so that she landed in it with a thud. “People are so very gullible. Everyone feels pain. Everyone looks for answers. That’s all anybody wants: answers to ease their pain.”

Maria opened a package of Twinkies and tried to scoop out the white cream from the yellow cake. If only it were a baguette from Mrs. Fisher’s apartment.

“And that’s where we come in,” added Mr. Fox as he swiped a pair of scissors from the counter and sliced through the paper.

“John is making flyers,” said Madame Destine. “Flyers for the lonely. Flyers for the lost. Flyers for those looking for answers as they roam the cold, hard streets in this godforsaken town!” Madame Destine threw up her arms, causing her parrot to fly about.

“But, Mom,” Maria said, “how are random flyers going to land us enough money to leave?” She swallowed the yellow shell of the cake and washed it down with a swig of soda.

“My sweet child. We may be down on our funds, but we’ve got your paper. We’ve got your pens. And we have a VAN.”

“So?” asked Maria.

“That’s all we need to spread the word!” sang Madame Destine. “We’re driving this van all over the city, and we’re posting our flyers on electrical poles and fences!”

Maria only now took in the stack of paper cut into thin strips with Mr. Fox’s penmanship scrawled across them. She pulled one from the top of the stack and read the message:

PSYCHIC

FEELING LOST? LOOKING FOR ANSWERS?

THE GREAT MADAME DESTINE HAS THEM 4 U!

“But aren’t you afraid of attracting the FBI?” asked Maria. “I thought we were going for widows instead of having a bunch of strangers in our place.”

“Too much research!” said Madame Destine with a wave of her hand. “Besides, we can tell them whatever we want.”

“But how many people do you think will respond from a random flyer posted?” asked Maria.

Mr. Fox growled, “Don’t question your mother!” He threw the scissors down and bent close to Madame Destine’s ear. “She’s cruisin’ for a bruisin’.”

Madame Destine shushed Mr. Fox and focused on her daughter. “No, no, Maria. I’m SO glad you asked.” She swooped her arm around her and continued in a gentle tone. “You see, YOU are not lost. Nor are you looking for answers. People pass flyers every day; that is true!” Madame Destine straightened her posture and snatched an ad from the stack. “It’s only when people are looking for something that they finally SEE something.” Madame Destine held the flyer in front of her before she nuzzled Houdini with a kiss. “And that’s where we come in. Only people who are searching will see our flyers. No one else will pay any mind. And they’re willing to pay good money to believe. We’re not doing ANYTHING wrong! It’s legal, and it’s called entertainment.”

“Yeah,” said Mr. Fox. “For once we’re legit.”

“Now what I need from you is to stay home and finish packing. But leave the parlor alone. We’ll be using that room until we hit the road.” Madame Destine rubbed her hands over Maria’s hair, flattening her curls. “If anyone shows up, don’t answer the door.” She gave Maria a stern look. “I don’t want snoops when I’m not around.”

Mr. Fox swooped up the rest of Maria’s paper, now filled with advertisements. “I’m ready when you are, Destine.”

“You got the tape?” asked Maria’s mother.

“It’s in the van.”

Madame Destine stomped to the front of the apartment. Maria heard Houdini’s cage door creak open and slam shut. “And, Maria,” said her mother, “do NOT fail me!”

The front door crashed shut and echoed across the apartment, followed by the screeching of tires and the heavy moan of a van pulling away.

Maria glanced around the apartment and made a mental list:

1. Her mother’s bedroom needed to be packed.

2. Her coats needed to be boxed and labeled.

3. The bathroom needed to be organized to just the essentials.

This would take her most of the day. Maria took several shallow breaths, feeling overwhelmed. She needed to see Mrs. Fisher to find out if her husband had been Edward’s teacher. If that was the case, they may very well be close to finding the treasure!

If she didn’t find the treasure, she’d be failing Edward.

And she’d also be leaving Sebastian.

Maria longed to connect with her friends just once more before she left the only world she’d ever known. Soon she’d be in an even lonelier world of getaway vans, highways, and her mother’s delusion of being followed by the FBI.

She opened the door to her mother’s closet and punched the heavy coats. The coats rocked back, causing one to fall from a hanger and land on Maria’s bed. She reached for the coat but stopped at the small lump in her mattress. She could call Sebastian! Of course!

For once she would ask someone for help.