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Authors: Michael Hiebert

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“What's that?”
“The writing across the chest. How did you know 'bout it? We held back that evidence. So did Birmingham.”
She turned to the front page of the
Birmingham Times
with the picture of Faith Abilene. “Look at picture. They did not do a good job hiding the writing.”
Leah realized she was right. You could see, at the bottom of the picture, the top of the letters where the waterproof black Magic Marker ended. You couldn't make out what it said, but you could certainly see that there was some phrase written there. And, of course, Madame Crystalle had never
told
her what it said.
“You brought her to justice for all this?” Amira asked.
“Yes,” Leah said, still stunned at the woman's openness.
“This is good for everyone. Be proud of yourself.”
“So . . . tell me . . . you aren't psychic at all?”
“Depends on how you mean. Being psychic means being intuitive. As I said, I am very intuitive. I feel people's vibrations. Most of the time what I tell people turns out to be true.”
“Well, that's interestin'.”
“For instance, I am sensing you have choice to make regarding man. And I believe you can't decide whether your choice results in you being unfaithful to someone who has been out of your life more than five, maybe ten years. My advice? Take chances. It is time to move on.”
Nervously, Leah turned the page of the scrapbook. “And where is that in here?”
“It is not. All that's up here.” And Amira tapped the side of her head.
C
HAPTER
63
M
e, Dewey, Carry, and Jonathon returned to Madame Crystalle's so Jonathon could get his fortune read by someone other than Dewey.
“Welcome back,” Madame Crystalle said in her Persian accent. “And how are all of you?” she asked.
“I dunno,” Dewey said, narrowing his eyes. “How 'bout you tell us?”
I elbowed him in the arm.
“Abe!” he said. “Quit doin' that!”
“Then quit sayin' stupid stuff.”
“How was that stupid?” Dewey asked. “It was a fair question.”
“I'm guessing you all fine,” said Madame Crystalle.
“There ya go,” I said to Dewey. “Happy?”
“I guess. ‘Fine' is not very precise, though.”
Carry cleared her throat. “Will you two shut up?” Then to Madame Crystalle, she said, “We'd like you to read the future of my boyfriend, here, Jonathon.”
I could tell she was still getting used to calling him her boyfriend and seemed to use every opportunity she could find to do it.
Jonathon took a seat at the table across from Madame Crystalle.
Madame Crystalle took his left hand and stared down at his palm. “Ah!” she said. “I see wedding bells!”
“Not soon, I hope,” Jonathon said.
“No, not too soon.”
“Wait!” Carry interjected. “You never told me
I
was gonna get married.”
“You'll probably just end up with a dog,” I said.
Madame Crystalle told Jonathon a bunch more stuff, like that he'd live a long, happy life and learn to appreciate his mother (whatever that meant). Then she read his cards and he found out he was going to start his own business after college.
When they were finally done, Dewey started talking again.
“You know,” he said to Madame Crystalle, “I'm psychic, too. I've made thirteen dollars so far tellin' folk their future!”
I rolled my eyes, but Madame Crystalle stared at him very seriously. “Really?” she asked. “Sit down.”
“I can't,” Dewey said, “on account of I ain't got no money. I left my thirteen dollars at home.”
“I no charge for other psychics.”
Dewey quickly sat in the same chair Jonathon had been in moments before.
“I do a quick reading,” she said, taking both his hands in hers and staring straight into his eyes.
“Yes! I do feel psychic energy coming from you!” she said.
Dewey beamed. I think he almost peed himself.
Madame Crystalle looked to me. “Think number between one and fifty.”
I did.
Thirty-two.
“Okay,” I said.
“What number is he thinking?” she asked Dewey.
Dewey concentrated a long while until finally blurting out, “Thirty-two.”
“Well?” Madame Crystalle asked me. “Is he right or wrong?”
There was no way I was going to let Dewey think he was psychic because of one lucky guess. “Wrong,” I said. “I was thinking of eleven.”
Madame Crystalle glared at me.
“What?” I asked.
“You lie.”
“What do you expect? I can't just let him think he read my mind. I'd never hear the end of it.”
“But he did read your mind.”
“Wait a minute,” Dewey said. “Abe was thinking of thirty-two?”
I looked down at the gold shag floor. “Yeah, I was.”
Dewey's eyes went wide. “I really
am
psychic.”
“More like psych
o,
” Carry said.
“Why does everyone keep sayin' that?” Dewey asked.
“No,” Madame Crystalle said, defending Dewey's position. “More like psychic in training.”
“But I'm already professional,” Dewey told her. “I made thirteen dollars with my psychic stand.”
“Psychic stand?” Madame Crystalle asked. “What ‘psychic stand'?”
“It's like a lemonade stand, only I give tarot card readings to folk instead of makin' 'em drink lemonade. I charge a dollar a readin'. I'm pretty good at it, too. I get better all the time.”
“You're my competition!” Madame Crystalle said.
Dewey blushed and looked down at the gold cloth covering the table. “Sorry.”
“I kid you,” Madame Crystalle said. “I don't think I have worries yet. But keep practicing and your skills will grow. You do have innate powers. They only need developing.”
I figured Dewey had no clue what “innate” meant. I didn't either. Nobody asked, though.
“Hear that, Abe?” Dewey asked me excitedly. “I have
powers!
Like
real
powers! Not like when we play D and D!”
“Yeah,” I said, “but playing D and D is more fun, though.”
“I won't have any more time to play on account of I need to develop my
real
psychic powers.”
Okay, this one hurt a bit. I'd actually miss Dewey if me and him stopped playing, and how psychic could he be, really? He still believed in Santa Claus.
“Don't worry,” Madame Crystalle said. “You keep playing. Your psychic powers have long way to go and need to develop themselves for a while. So don't put Dungeons and Dragons away yet, Dewey.”
“How did you know
I
was talking about Dungeons and Dragons?” he asked.
She stared at him a second. “How do you think?”
 
Walking into the bright winter sun that day from the cramped basement of Madame Crystalle's, Dewey looked like he felt more important than he ever had in his whole entire life.
Finding out you were special was a wonderful thing, and the best part? I felt really great for him. It was like a Christmas miracle.
For maybe just a second or two it made me wonder if Dewey was right.
Maybe there really was a Santa Claus after all.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
A Thorn Among
the Lilies
Michael Hiebert
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are included to enhance
your group's reading of Michael Hiebert's
A Thorn Among the Lilies.
Discussion Questions
1.
What are the main themes running through this book? Hint: There are two.
2.
How do these themes manifest themselves?
3.
Do you think Anna Marsh's punishment fit her crime?
4.
Do you believe in psychics? By the end of the novel, how accurate did Madame Crystalle's reading of Carry really turn out to be?
5.
Do you think Leah should have really started an investigation based on what a psychic told her?
6.
Do you think Leah would have stayed on such an investigation if a body hadn't washed up in Willet Park right away, prompting her investigation?
7.
Do you agree with Carry trying to hide her relationship from her mother despite Madame Crystalle telling her that Carry's mother would be okay with it?
8.
Do you agree with Leah telling Abe what a serial killer is, despite how he took it?
9.
Do you agree with Leah keeping a low profile on the case, especially the fact that she's using facts that came from Madame Crystalle? Do you think she should have let Chief Ethan Montgomery know where her original ideas came from?
10.
Do you agree with Police Chief Ethan Montgomery trying to keep the FBI from becoming involved in the case so he didn't have to worry about dealing with “the feds?”
11.
What are your opinions about Leah questioning people at church?
12.
Do you think being the son of a police detective has made Abe more careless around dangerous situations than he should be? Is he more willing to jump into action where he should probably be more prudent?
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
 
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2015 by Michael Hiebert
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
 
 
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
eISBN-13: 978-1-61773-738-1
eISBN-10: 1-61773-738-0
First Kensington Electronic Edition: July 2015
ISBN: 978-1-6177-3737-4
 

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