“What’s happened to Stanley?” said Wallis, in a hush.
“I’m not sure, but you need to stop looking for him and pay very close attention to what I’m telling you now. You are going to feel betrayed, my dear, by all of those you love most but let it go immediately. Too much is at risk for you to waste time sorting through what should have happened and you’d probably be wrong anyway. Just remember that if you start to blame one you will have to blame all. That is going to have a lot more meaning for you over time. Trust those who you have believed to be trustworthy regardless of what you will soon know about them. See the snakes for what they have always been and continue to listen to them without giving anything away.”
“Madame Bella, this sounds like a prediction.”
“No, no, dear. You know, in all these years you never came to see me read the cards for anyone. My predictions to the lonely and afraid had more to do with a stern lecture about less whining and more acceptance of what had already happened to them dressed up with some tea and tarot cards. What comes next for you will be hard to bear, I can promise you that. But you must take it all in quickly and think clearly if we are to make it through this time.”
“This time. You mean, this time after the last slaughter.”
“Ah, so Esther has filled in some of the blanks. Good, good, as it should be, praise something or other. Yes, yes, I believe in a divine presence and I pray all the time for deliverance but I never try to put any boundaries around what it’s going to look like. Today, apparently it looks like you. Just remember, child, everything was done by those around you in good conscience. Keep those you love close but trust no one with the information until you are sure.”
“When will that be?” She knew Madame Bella was talking about the thumb drive but she wasn’t ready to admit to anything. Just for a moment she saw them holding down the old woman and sawing off a finger and she wondered if she wouldn’t have started spilling everything she knew all the way back to nursery school. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t have had the nerve to be angling for her moment of revenge.
“You’ll know when the time is right,” said Madame Bella. “I’m afraid that as so often happens in times of great shifts it is impossible to know anything more beyond what the next step ought to be. Your next step is to go home and open your heart and your mind to the truth that has been with you all along. No, no,” said Madame Bella, raising her injured hand, “the rest should be from someone closer. To tell you now would be cruel.”
“Cruel as compared to what?”
“Very true, but you’re going to have to trust an old woman on this one. I’ve done what was asked of me. Besides I have very little time left to slip away and as old and useless as they may be, I’m rather fond of the rest of my parts.”
“Can I help you?” said Wallis, rising out of her chair.
“My dear, I was right about you,” said Madame Bella getting slowly out of the chair. “There is one thing,” she said, as she removed the turban to reveal a tight bun of grey hair.
“Madame?”
“Just one second,” said Madame Bella in her nasally twang. “Damn it, can’t get these buttons anymore on account of,” she waved her hand.
“How can you be so calm?” Wallis suddenly felt very tired as a shudder rolled through her body.
Madame looked up for a moment and held Wallis’ gaze. “You’re usually a pretty cool customer.”
“That may not be true anymore,” said Wallis. “Here, let me help you.”
Madame Bella had slipped her arms out of the purple robe and was trying unsuccessfully to unbutton a blue buttoned shirt and long peasant skirt underneath.
“Please, let me,” said Wallis. “I’m assuming you’re going to try and slip out of the back? That may not work. You know as well as I do that one side opens on to a busy street and the other onto a wide parking lot. It’s impossible to get out without being spotted.”
Wallis undid each button as a smooth, black cotton front emerged underneath the loose top. She helped Madame Bella the rest of the way out of the shirt to reveal starched white sleeves underneath the top of a black cotton smock.
“Do you mind?” said Madame Bella, gesturing at the side of the skirt. Wallis gave her a look but did as she was told.
“I’m beginning to get the picture,” said Wallis, “but surely a conspiracy as big as this one isn’t quite this stupid.”
“You’re thinking one large woman in costume going in and only one large woman in a different costume going out has to add up to something. Me too, and it was me that you were calling stupid, my sweet.”
As the peasant skirt fell to the ground the rest of a nun’s habit was revealed. Madame Bella reached down toward a large black patent leather pocketbook. She snapped the small brass clap at the top as the sides sprang apart.