Cold as a Witch's Toffee

by Sara Bourgeois

  “Indeed.”

  We went downstairs and I let Voodoo out into the back yard to sniff around for a few minutes while I made us something to eat. There was pancake mix in the pantry and eggs in the refrigerator, and I thought that sounded good.

  I vaguely remembered how to make protein pancakes from a few years before, so I thought I could handle making the real thing. There were directions with pictures on the box, and I figured anyone could scramble eggs.

  Thankfully, when I was about to really screw it up, Voodoo came in and lent me a bit of a magical hand. He made sure that I didn’t burn any of the food or set the kitchen on fire.

  Once breakfast was cooked, we sat down and ate. I gave Voodoo his own pancake and scrambled egg.

  “I’ve got to go to work,” I said when we were done eating.

  “I’m coming with you,” Voodoo said. “I’m not sitting around here all day.”

  “I don’t know if I can take you into the ice cream shop. They serve food, and you’re a dog.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I don’t mean anything by it, but there are health codes and such…”

  “I’ll stay in the office.”

  “How is sitting in the office going to be better than being here?”

  “Well, you’re not going to stay there all day, right? You’ve got Lyn and your staff to run the place. You just have to kind of check in and be ownerly for a while. Then, we can go do something else.”

  “That doesn’t sound too bad. I really don’t have to stay there all day? Uncle Leo used to be there a lot.”

  “You’ve got a good staff. You just need to go there, take care of anything Lyn says needs your approval or attention, hand out a few ice cream cones and smile at your customers for a bit, and then get out of your staff’s way.”

  “Hand out cones?”

  “Yeah, work behind the counter for a while. Not too long. You pay people to do the work, but you can smile and glad-hand your customers for a bit. Put on a good face for the business.”

  “I can do that. Then where do you want to go?”

  “I don’t know,” Voodoo said.

  “Nothing specific in mind?”

  “I’ll get back to you,” he replied.

  I went into the shop and found Lyn working by herself. “Hello,” she said when I walked through the front doors.

  “Sorry if I’m late.”

  “One, you’re the owner and you don’t have to be sorry to me. Two, we don’t open until ten because we don’t really have anything breakfasty to offer.”

  “You work alone all day?”

  “No, usually just in the morning until around eleven. The first hour here is really slow. Then Thelma comes in. She’s semi-retired and works with me until one of the afternoon girls shows up after school.”

  “Is there anything you need me to do?” I said as Voodoo trotted into the back.

  “There are some purchase orders on the desk I need you to sign off on for our supplier. Just the usual weekly order. You can let me know if you have any questions. I know it’s all new to you.”

  “After that can you show me how to do the ice cream part?”

  “You mean like making orders?” Lyn asked.

  “Yes. I figured it would be a good idea if I did that for a while with you most days. You can show me how to run the cash register too.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know, but I want to. It will be a good chance for the town to meet the new owner.”

  I knew what she was thinking. It probably wasn’t a good idea to have a suspected murderer serving ice cream to the fine folks of Knox Hills, but I wasn’t going to hide. I believed skulking around in the shadows just made me look more guilty.

  “All right,” Lyn said with a smile.

  After I signed the paperwork, I joined Lyn behind the counter. She showed me how to scoop ice cream. It was much harder than it looked. It was a good thing I had some upper body strength, though I suppose if I hadn’t, I could have used a little magic.

  My first customer of the day was the mayor’s husband. I knew that because when he walked in the door, Lyn whispered to me, “that’s the mayor’s husband.”

  “Hello,” I welcomed him.

  He walked up to the counter and said, “You must be the Allegra Darling I hear so much about. I’m Roger Kent. A pleasure to meet you.”

  “It’s great to meet you as well,” I said. “What can I get for you?”

  “My usual is a scoop of Triple Triberry on a sugar cone, but more importantly than that, I wanted to thank you.”

  “Thank me?”

  “Yes, for getting rid of the despicable Lukas Roth. I hope everything works out for you in regard to that because you did this town a favor.”

  “Uh…” I had no idea what to say to that.

  “That guy was trash. He was a dog who hit on women he had no business even looking at. That scumbag even had the nerve to try his shenanigans with my wife. Good riddance to him. The women of Knox Hills are a little safer without that predator around.”

  “Uh…”

  Lyn must have sensed me floundering. “Allegra, I think I heard a delivery truck pull up. Can you go check? I’ll get Roger’s order.”

  “Sure. Nice to meet you,” I said with a smile that I hoped looked genuine.

  I fled to the back room as quickly as my feet would carry me.

  Chapter Eight

  After my encounter with Roger Kent, I decided to call it a day at the ice cream shop. Lyn didn’t blame me, and I told her I’d see her again the next day.

  I had to wonder, as Voodoo and I left, if it was possible that Roger Kent had killed Lukas? He was awfully happy about his death, and he accused Lukas of hitting on his wife. Was that enough to make him commit murder? I didn’t really know Roger well enough to answer that.

  “Where to?” I asked Voodoo once we were out of the shop. “Did you want to go to the park? It seems like a nice day.”

  “We can go to the park later. I want to go to Buy the Book first.”

  “You want to go to buy a book?”

  “The store next door to yours. Buy the Book,” Voodoo said it really slowly that time.

  “You want to go to a bookstore? Can you even read?” I ignored his little jab, but I did feel bad for forgetting the name of Alex’s store.

  He just sat there blinking at me.

  “Okay, fine,” I said. “We’ll go to the bookstore. I’m going to stop talking to you now because we’re outside, and it’s probably best if Alex doesn’t catch you reading.”

  More blinking.

  I decided to take that as agreement.

  We went inside the store, and I was immediately hit with the scent of old books. I took a deep breath in through my nose and savored it. I’d always loved reading when I was younger, but I hadn’t done much as an adult. It was a good thing Voodoo had wanted to go to the bookstore because it was a problem I was about to rectify.

  I waved at Alex who was behind the counter ringing up a few books for a woman with a baby stroller. “Okay if Voodoo shops with me?” I asked.

  “He looks like a good boy. Sure, you’re both more than welcome.”

  Voodoo trotted off into the shelves. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I followed him. He stopped in the women’s fiction section and nosed at a book. Women’s fiction wasn’t really my thing, but he nosed it again. Not sure what I was getting at, I plucked the book from the shelf. It was huge novel about a nurse recovering from the death of her husband by volunteering for the military.

  “You want this?” I whispered.

  Voodoo nodded his head enthusiastically.

  “What was that?” Alex startled me so much I almost dropped the giant book on Voodoo.

  “Oh, sorry. I was just talking to myself about whether I wanted this book.” I hoped my cover worked. Of course, my cover worked. No one would just suspect that I’d brought my talking dog into the bookstore.

 
“People who have read it loved it,” Alex said. “I can’t personally recommend it or not as I’m not a big fan of women’s fiction. No offense.”

  “None taken,” I said with a chuckle. “Honestly, I haven’t been much of one either, but I’ve heard such great things about this book. I’m more into…” I didn’t know. I wracked my brain to remember what books I had loved besides magical ones. “Oh, right. Fantasy, but not the epic high fantasy stuff. I like the… uh… glowy hands on the cover set in a city with a tough chick that can do things for herself. You know what I mean.”

  “Urban and Paranormal Fantasy?” Alex asked.

  “Yes! That. There’s this one series I’ve been meaning to read. Ugh, I can’t remember what it’s called. There’s a coyote shifter that’s a mechanic.” I hadn’t really been meaning to read it, but I’d seen the first book in passing a few years before. It struck me as the type of thing that I would have liked.

  “I know exactly what you’re talking about. Follow me,” Alex said.

  “I think I’m going to get this one too. Maybe give them both a shot,” I said as I followed him.

  “Hey, you can buy as many books from me as you like. I’ll totally let you.”

  He looked back over his shoulder at me and offered a wink. It was an adorable gesture that made the butterflies in my stomach dance.

  “Here you go,” Alex said and took a book off the shelf.

  He handed it to me, and his fingers brushed against mine. The butterflies started to dance again, and I hoped he didn’t see the blush creep up my neck into my cheeks.

  “Yes, this is perfect,” I said.

  “Well, I aim to please,” he said, and then I could have sworn I saw his cheeks turn a little red too. “I mean with books. I’m just talking about books. Sorry.” Alex rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

  I was trying to figure out what to say, when someone else walked down the aisle in our direction. She was tall, blonde, and super tan. Large diamond solitaire earrings matched with the huge rock on her finger and a circle of stones around her wrist. The scent of her expensive perfume reached us before she did.

  “You,” she said and pointed a finger at me.

  “Here we go again,” I whispered to Alex. Somehow, I already knew what was coming.

  “Whatever it is…” I started to say, but she cut me off.

  “You killed my husband!” she shrieked.

  That was all it took. Every one of the few shoppers in the store came over and gawked. I heard the bell over the door tinkle and realized she’d screeched so loud that more people were coming in off the street.

  Awesome.

  “I did not,” I sighed. “I didn’t kill anybody,”

  “Laney, please,” Alex said. “Allegra did not kill your husband, and I don’t appreciate you doing this in my store.”

  “What do you know?” Laney shrieked. It was obvious she had one volume. “Why are you defending a cold-blooded killer?”

  “I’m not…” I started to say.

  “Shut up!” Laney took a step toward me like she was going to start a fight.

  Alex put himself between us. “Please, Laney, we all know you’re hurting. Don’t make me call the sheriff.”

  “Why are you defending a murderer?” someone in the small crowd watching said. I didn’t see who it was.

  “Yeah, why is she more important than a grieving widow?” someone else chimed in.

  “Were you involved?” Yet another voice from the peanut gallery.

  “Allegra, maybe you should go,” Alex said softly.

  “But the books…” I said impotently.

  “Come up to the register, I’ll check you out really quick,” Alex said. “Folks, Allegra is leaving, so let’s disperse. Okay?”

  There were a few grumbles, but people started to walk away. I followed Alex up to the counter with my head down. I would have just left without the books, but that would have been letting the terrorists win. Plus, Voodoo wanted the book so badly. I could suck it up long enough to check out.

  “I’m sorry,” Alex said apologetically. “I just want to defuse the situation. I think you can tell that Laney isn’t going to back down.”

  “It’s all right,” I said, but it stung being kicked out. He’d been so kind to me before, but I understood. At the time, I didn’t see that he was trying to protect me, though. That realization would come later.

  “I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I said and took the books.

  His shoulders slumped a little. “I’m sorry, Allegra.”

  As I was leaving, I passed by two little old ladies standing next to the romance section. “I don’t know why Laney has to carry on like that,” one of them whispered to the other. “Everyone in this town knows her husband was up to no good. We all knew the marriage was over and no amount of spray tan or plastic surgery was going to save it.”

  “Doris, you are the worst,” the other one said, but then she joined in too. “You’d think all of that money she inherited would be enough to make her happy. I mean, he died before the divorce was final, so she inherited it all.”

  Well, then.

  “What are we going to do now?” Voodoo asked.

  We were sitting in the park at the town square, and I was gazing into the pineapple fountain. I’d kind of hoped the answer was in there, but nope.

  “I need to figure out who killed him so that women will stop coming up to me and accusing me of murder. Probably would be good to do it before the rumor destroys my business,” I said. “I’d leave it to the sheriff, but I have an advantage.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, silly. You. Oh, and Rowan. I guess I’m a witch too.”

  “You’re assuming I want to be involved in your shenanigans,” Voodoo said.

  “Well, you do have that huge book to read, but yeah, I thought you might be interested. What do you say? Or we can just wait it out. I might be arrested and go to prison, but at least you’ll get to live with Rowan.”

  “I’m in,” Voodoo said without hesitation. “Do you have a plan?”

  “Okay, hear me out,” I said.

  “Uh oh.”

  “No, it’s good. While Laney is out and about showing off her diamonds and fake… tan, we’re going to break into their house.”

  “You want to break into the Roth house?”

  “Yes.”

  “And look for clues?”

  “Yes.”

  He just sat there blinking at me again. I took it as a yes.

  Chapter Nine

  “This is a terrible idea.” Voodoo said as he led us to the Roth house. “I thought that perhaps you’d start with an intense internet search or maybe go talk to some people. I can’t believe I let you rope me into breaking and entering.”

  “We can try that other stuff if this doesn’t work out. I don’t know, Voodoo. It just seems like there has to be some juicy evidence in their house. Can you imagine the secrets that place holds?”

  “I can imagine you never saying the word juicy again,” Voodoo scoffed.

  “It’s going to be fine. You’ve got your magical stuff. Your job is to protect me, right?”

  “Yes, but I don’t think using my magic to pick locks falls under the umbrella of protecting you.”

  “Oh, that’s so good. You can use your magic to get us in. I didn’t think of how we were going to do that. I guess I figured we’d use a credit card or break a window.”

  “Did you listen to anything I said?” Voodoo asked. “Are you listening to yourself?”

  “Are you chickening out?” I teased.

  “No.”

  We stood at the foot of the Roths’ driveway and I stared up in awe. “They’re really rich, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “I didn’t think you could make that much money as a small-town lawyer,” I said.

  “He comes from a long line of money. Plus his entire family was always involved in more businesses than jus
t being a lawyer. Real estate and other stuff like that is probably where they made the real money.”

  “And now Laney has inherited it all,” I mused.

  “Lucky break for her that he died before the divorce was final,” Voodoo said.

  “I think it means she did it.”

  “Too cliché,” Voodoo responded.

  “Anyway, are there security cameras? You’d think a place like this would have security cameras. Can you make us invisible?”

  “No, I don’t think I can make us invisible, and no, there are no security cameras. It’s a small town, and no one would mess with them.”

  “I guess that was true up until someone killed him,” I said.

  “That’s true. Hey, if we’re going to break into the house, we should probably stop standing out here on the sidewalk where everyone can see us.”

  “Good point.”

  We made our way up the driveway and to the back of the house. Voodoo said that there normally would be a housekeeper there, but she went out shopping and running errands during that time of the day. I’d asked him how he knew that, and apparently until I arrived, he spent a lot of his days just roaming around the town watching people.

  Voodoo popped the deadbolt in the back with a bit of magic, and we were in. I was glad he was there because I had no idea how to pick a lock, and he was right about using a brick on the window. That was a little too much breaking for me when it came to breaking and entering.

  The door we picked went into a mudroom off the kitchen. I almost instinctively took my shoes off, but Voodoo gave me a look and I realized what I was doing.

  From the mudroom we moved into the kitchen. The housekeeper must have been worth every penny they paid her because it was spotless. Like, the kitchen literally looked like it had never been used.

  Gleaming countertops and cabinets merged perfectly with professional-grade appliances. The floors were so clean you could probably have eaten off them, and there was the subtle scent of lemon hanging pleasantly in the air.

  From the kitchen, I walked through a dining room that could have hosted the queen. There was a long mahogany table that sat twelve underneath a sterling silver and crystal chandelier. I wandered into a cavernous living room and found myself standing between an opulent sofa and a mahogany coffee table.