“And Celeste?”
“Oh, she is a hard worker, but I confess I don’t understand her,” Lorinda replied. “We disliked each other on sight. In a way, I’m a little afraid of her.”
“Why?”
“I can’t explain.” Lorinda stirred restlessly. “She makes me feel uneasy whenever I am near her—almost as if I were in the presence of Black Magic.”
At Penny’s expression of astonishment, she amended hastily: “Oh, I don’t mean that exactly. Celeste is devoted to my stepfather and I’m sure only means to be helpful. But the truth is, she’s steeped in a mysterious and not too wholesome past. Superstition is the breath of life to her.”
“How did the match ends get on the stairway?”
“I wish I knew.” Lorinda’s forehead wrinkled with anxiety. “Celeste may have told the truth when she said neither she nor Antón had anything to do with it.”
“Then how was the charm brought into the house?”
“My stepfather had enemies. Something tells me all this may have a connection with the Zudi drum.”
“Didn’t Celeste suggest that idea to you? She hinted that the drum—whatever it is—should be removed from the house.”