We went inside and settled in Mom’s empty apartment. I wished she hadn’t gone home to Archie quite so soon. I could have used her support.
Ruby ran upstairs and came back down with a chilled bottle of wine. After a few sips, I felt a little more focused and centered. Coming back from the sanctuary had never really required a recovery period before. I was thinking that had more to do with the Goddess than anything.
Then I told them everything. Well, almost everything. I wasn’t sure about the whole Destiny talking to me thing, so that part—and the part about her being part of the Goddess, or was that the other way around?—I kept to myself.
But everything else, I spilled. Her disappointment in the witches’ council, the change coming, Patricia’s big secret about to be revealed, all of it. When I got to the Goddess’ personal message to Ruby, I paused, then just blurted it out.
Opal needed to know that whatever was between the two of them, which sounded like a lot more than I’d imagined, had the full blessing of the Goddess. Time to put her personal prejudice against Earth witches aside.
They both looked stunned, but then it might not have been what I ended with. I mean, any of my news could have gotten that reaction. Right?
“You and Arc?” Opal’s voice sounded tight. “Didn’t you learn from Sapphire’s mistake?”
Mistake? My feathers got a little ruffled on that one. I stepped in before Ruby could utter a word.
“You’re saying I’m a mistake? Even after the conversation I just had with the Goddess? She planned this, Opal. If you have any issues with it, you might want to take it up with Her.”
Opal ran a hand down her face and shook her head. “You’re right. I’m sorry. You aren’t a mistake. I just wish...”
That the change didn’t have to happen in our generation? Yeah, I was right there with her on that one.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Ruby said softly. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. But I think Arc is my destiny.” She smiled over at me. “Funny how that worked out, name wise and all.”
She was referencing to the fact that I had named him Destiny back when he’d been a cat. I had thought at the time that he was my destiny. Interesting that instead, he was Ruby’s.
“Love doesn’t always give us a choice.” Opal still didn’t sound too happy about it, though. “Give me time, I’ll get used to the idea. Just... give me time.”
Ruby nodded and then looked over at me. “Anything else you want to tell us?”
Nope. Not a thing.
Opal stood. “All right. We’ll deal with this as it comes. Now let’s eat before the food gets any colder.”
WE’D FINISHED OUR MEAL of spaghetti and garlic bread knots and were just getting ready to call it a night when the car pulled into the drive. A glance outside showed the sheriff climbing out of his vehicle.
Opal had the door opened before he even got onto the porch.
“Good evening, Sheriff,” she said. “I hope this is a social call. Though from your vehicle of choice, I’d have to guess that isn’t the case. Please tell me Sapphire is all right?”
I held my breath until he nodded. Funny, but that thought hadn’t even occurred to me. Trust Opal’s thoughts to go there first.
He looked over at me and gave a lopsided smile. “Actually, I’m here to see Amie, if she has a little time to talk. Sorry to come so late, by the way.”
Actually, his timing couldn’t have been better. A little earlier and who knows what he might have interrupted.
“Sure, Sheriff,” I said. “This about Ralph?”
“Yeah.” His hand went up to ruffle through his hair. “I think I’m going to need your help on this one. As much as it truly pains me to admit that.”
“Ralph?” Opal asked. “Ralph Morgan? Mabel’s husband? What about him?” Then her face set into a dangerous expression. “He hasn’t hurt Mabel, has he?”
“Kind of the opposite, actually, if you listen to her story.” Sheriff Taylor looked at me with a definite question in his eyes.
“I know it’s weird I haven’t told them yet, but things around here are a little on the crazy side right now.”
“That must be true if you forget to tell them you stumbled on a dead body.”
“What?” That was both Ruby and Opal. I’d get to them in a minute. Right now, I had to set the sheriff straight.
“I didn’t stumble onto Ralph. Mabel called me. They’re the ones that found him.” How did he not know that?
“And you didn’t think to tell us?” Opal’s voice didn’t sound happy.
I lifted a shoulder. “I’m sorry. But I was running so close on time, then you sent me up to shower, and then with the spelling and... things... it must have slipped my mind for a while.” Turning back to the sheriff, I asked the burning question. “They’re both still free of suspicion, right?”
He gave a short laugh. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that, but neither of them has been arrested, if that’s what you’re asking.”
It was, and he knew it.
Opal was standing off to the side with her arms crossed. Obviously, she wasn’t happy about being kept out of the informational loop. Not that I had done so intentionally. That wouldn’t matter a bit to her. I’d have some serious making up to do after this. Especially as it followed being the first one in the family to go one on one with the Goddess.
“We can talk upstairs if you want.”
He looked up the stairs and shook his head. Most likely he remembered the fact that the inside entrance to my apartment went directly into my bedroom. The sheriff was an old-fashioned kind of guy. Even if we did have suspicions that maybe he and Aunt Opal had a little something going on between them.
They hadn’t shared that little update with us, so for now mum was still the word.
“I’m thinking maybe the porch would be a better option.”
I followed him out, and we both sat on the porch swing. It took a couple of full swings for him to gather his thoughts enough to start.
“We don’t have the coroner’s final report back yet, obviously, but off the cuff, he feels that Ralph died from two deep stab wounds in his chest and stomach area.”
“That’s good news, right? I mean, Tommy may have punched him, and Mabel may have hit him over the head, but neither one of them stabbed him. So, we’re looking at someone else as the killer then?”
He nodded, but not the nod of a man certain that was the answer.
“Initially, that’s the direction I’m taking things. But you should know by now that people lie. Especially when there’s a murder being investigated. All we have right now are statements from Tommy and Mabel that say no weapons were involved in either of their attacks.”
I thought about it for a minute. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, he was right. If I really had killed someone it would be pretty smart of me to confess to doing so... as long as I did so in a manner that would eventually clear me of the crime. But the truth is, I couldn’t see either Mabel or Tommy being devious enough to think of that.
“I don’t think they lied, sheriff. Mabel was really upset when she called me. Hysterical even. If she’d stabbed him, I think I would have gotten that call last night. I don’t think she knew he was dead.”
“What about Tommy Hill?”
More thinking. “I’m thinking maybe Tommy and Mabel have a little flirting going on. And I think that Tommy would defend Mabel if it came to it. Maybe even take a murder charge on himself to save her from being sent up for it. But I’ve never known Tommy to be violent. Or to carry a knife for that matter.”
The sheriff grunted. “Yeah, Opie said the same thing. You two know them better than I do, so I’m willing to take your opinions into serious account.”
The swing made a few more rounds in silence. He was the one that was coming to me for help. I was curious as to what that help entailed, but I wasn’t going to make it easy on him. I was going to make him ask for it.
Eventually, he did.
“I c
an’t pay you for this. I need to get that right out in the open and upfront. However, I would sure appreciate it if you would have a heart to heart with Mabel and see if you can get her to be totally straight with you about everything. How things were with her and Ralph, who had it in for him, her relationship with Tommy. Everything. Right now, she’s so focused on protecting Tommy that I just don’t think we’re getting the full story.”
My heart gave a little twitch. I wasn’t at all sure how I felt about what he was asking me to do. I mean, sure I would do it. I’d already planned on it once the initial talking to the police thing panned out. But what I hadn’t planned on doing was making a report of my findings to the sheriff once I’d talked with her.
Which I was thinking Sheriff Taylor knew before he came out here. This was just his way of telling me he expected to be kept in the loop.
Dang that witch’s promise thing. I had to be very careful about how I worded my next few responses.
“So, what you’re asking me to do is rat out my friends if they tell me anything important.”
“No, I’m asking you to help me put a killer behind bars. I know Ralph Morgan wasn’t the best of men. Personally, I couldn’t stand the man. But even the ones like Ralph deserve justice. And once someone kills, well, it’s easier to do it again.”
I didn’t like the sound of that last part.
“I’d already planned on talking with Mabel tomorrow, but I’m guessing you knew that. If I learn anything pertinent to the case that I think will help you put the killer behind bars, I’ll tell you.”
He just looked at me. “You do know that I would be a better judge of what’s pertinent to the case than you would be, don’t you?”
All I could do was smile at him. “Then you’ll just have to rely on your great interrogation skills to learn those things, won’t you?”
Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “All right. We have a deal. Just... keep an open mind and err on the side of caution, okay?”
“Sure thing, sheriff.” I paused as he started to stand up. “I’m guessing there’s a reason you haven’t asked me to talk with Tommy? Is Opie doing that one for you?”
He hesitated before answering the question. “We both thought that would be the best option, all things considered.”
Yeah, they were probably right on that one. Tommy Hill and I definitely had a history.
Chapter 8
THE NEXT MORNING, I was up and at ‘em super early. Part of that was the fact that I wanted to catch Mabel at home before she left for the library. If she was even going to work that day. Clarence might just be on his own for a few days there. Hopefully, he wouldn’t give her too much grief about it. With him, it could go either way. He could be supportive when the times called for it, but then again, he didn’t like anything that created extra work for him. I was hoping he’d lean toward the supportive angle on this one.
The other part of my early hour was trying to beat it out of the house before Ruby got up. After the goings-on of yesterday, I wasn’t all that eager to go to my sanctuary this morning. In fact, it made me tense just thinking about it.
Meeting the Goddess had been great, don’t get me wrong. But the whole change is coming thing was a bit too ominous for my liking. And what was the big secret that Patricia Bluespring was keeping from the world? Would she let it slip? Or was something bad going to happen to reveal it without her help?
There were too many unanswered questions for me to think that I’d be able to sit and meditate for the hour my mom prescribed. So, yeah, I was kinda running away.
I closed the door out onto the second-floor balcony as quietly as I could. Not that it did me any good. Opal was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.
She wasn’t alone, either. Billy Myers stood there with her, grinning up at me. “Good morning, Ms. Amethyst.”
I smiled back at him. Billy’s grins were so open and friendly that they were kind of contagious. “Good morning, Billy. What you are out and up to today?”
“Ms. Opal here has asked me to take a look at maybe putting in a gazebo over there for you all. A medication garden, I think she called it.”
“That’s meditation, Billy, but you got it close,” Opal said gently. “It’s just a fancy way of saying to sit around and be quiet with your thoughts.”
“Ah,” he said. “Meditation. I’ll have to remember that word. I do that a lot. Good to know there’s a name for it.”
“We were hoping we could borrow your thoughts on it before you rushed off to see Mabel.”
That’s the thing about Aunt Opal. She always knew. Even when we didn’t want her to. This time, I figured she must have been listening in on me and the sheriff’s front porch conversation last night. Most times, I didn’t have a clue how she did it. She was just that good. And there was always the possibility that there was a touch of magic involved.
“What do you need my thoughts on?”
Billy hefted up a heavy artist’s sketchpad. “I brung some drawings of some really cool outdoor buildings that struck my fancy. All you guys have to decide is if one of them will work for you. I’m pretty sure I can do all of these.”
Opal and I sat down on the bottom step to flip through his book. I was impressed.
“Did you draw these, Billy? They’re really good.”
He blushed. “Thank you, Ms. Amethyst. And yup, I drew all of them. Pencils and papers help calm my brain down some.”
We could all use more of that in our lives. But not all of us could do it with what amounted to a real talent. Billy could.
It was on the sixth flip of the page that we stopped. That was the one. Hands down and no question about it.
The structure was a super simple one. No fancy trim work or designs. There was a single step leading up to a plain wooden floor. Four heavy wooden posts, one at each corner of the flooring, supported the simple style of roof that would provide shade and shelter from sun and rain both. The only ornamentation to it was a simple latticework that edged the top of the structure directly under the roof. The absence of walls meant that one could commune fully with the surrounding nature while staying cool and dry at the same time.
Perfect.
Opal looked at me, and when I nodded my agreement, she handed the pad back to Billy. “This is the one we want.”
He looked at it and smiled. “Good choice. I really like that one. It just looks... peaceful.”
“That’s what we’re going for all right,” Opal agreed. “How long you think it would take to build something like that?”
Billy’s face scrunched up for a minute. “I’d say I could have it done in a week or so. Might not even take that long.” Then he paused, and the color returned to his cheeks. “I’d have to ask for some of the money upfront though. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I’ll need to buy the lumber and stuff and get it delivered here too.”
“That’s not a problem, Billy. If you’d work up a price for me, I’ll be happy to pay it all upfront if you need it. You’re one of the few people in town that I’d trust that far, but you’re an honest man.”
He smiled at her. “Thank you, Ms. Opal, that means a lot to me.”
I stood up and brushed a wandering leaf off my jeans. “So, if we’re done here...”
Opal stood too. “Go on. Do what you need to do. Just be back by three, all right?”
“Not a problem.”
“And do me a favor and get that car washed and cleaned before you get back home too. That smell is starting to drift.”
Yeah, I’d noticed that too.
EVEN WITH THE SLIGHT delay, I still managed to get to Mabel’s modest-sized house in plenty of time to catch her before she left for the library. One look at her after she opened the door, though, and I knew that time really hadn’t been a factor at all. She wasn’t going anywhere today. Not for several hours, anyway.
“Did I wake you up?” I asked. Not that I thought that was really a possibility. It didn’t look like she’d gotten a wink of sleep
since I’d seen her the day before. Her puffy and red eyes told of a recent crying bout too.
Mabel just shook her head and stepped to one side to let me in. One thing about Mabel’s house. It was always immaculate. Up until this morning, anyway.
A glance into the kitchen—a point against open floor plans in my mind—showed undone dishes and a dirty stovetop. Around the couch and chair in the living room were wadded up pieces of tissue that had cascaded from the mountain of tissues inside the tiny wastebasket between them. This wasn’t normal.
She plopped back down on the sofa, and I took one of the chairs.
“Are you okay?” It was a silly question to ask someone whose husband had just been murdered. Especially when they considered themselves at least partly responsible for their death.
Mabel lifted a shoulder and sniffed. “I don’t know, really. I did love him, you know. Back in the beginning at least. Before he changed.”
More likely he hadn’t changed at all but just had begun to show his true colors. But I kept my mouth shut on that for now.
“Why did you stay with him when he started... hurting you?”
She looked away, not meeting my eyes. “You wouldn’t understand. You have your family. I don’t. I have nothing.” Silent tears started rolling down her cheeks.
“You have me. You have friends. They would have helped you. I know I would have.” I’m guessing Tommy would have helped too. The question was, did he help a little too much?
“Maybe, but I didn’t want them getting hurt because of me. Ralph said if I left him...”
“He threatened whoever took you in, didn’t he?”
She nodded but didn’t say anything. Right now, I was thinking it was a very good thing that Ralph Morgan was already dead. I’d hate to end up in jail because of a jerk like him. Or worse, on the council’s radar.
I thought about how to change the conversation, but in the end, I just did what I usually do. I just did it.
“Do you know anyone that might have wanted Ralph dead? Was he in any kind of trouble?”
Un-Familiar Magic (Accidental Familiar Book 3) Page 5
