“Someone out front mentioned this place was teeming with hot, single ladies. You wouldn’t happen to be single, would you? Because you sure are smokin’.” He lands a kiss to my lips and I hold him there a moment, making it linger.
“I’m engaged and my fiancé packs heat, remember?”
“Have I mentioned I wear a Kevlar vest?”
Another waitress comes by and sets down that platter of appetizers I ordered.
Jasper gives an approving groan as we take our seats.
“You must be a mind reader.” He winks my way. “Because I am starved and this looks like perfection—second only to you.”
“Lucky or unlucky for you, I can read minds.” I lean in. “I just talked to Bernie. She says she knew Julian pretty well, but didn’t say anything about dating him like Michaela had mentioned. Her thoughts were still pretty dark. She’s not sorry he’s gone.”
“Sounds like a bad breakup,” he says, taking a bite out of a cheesy quesadilla.
“I guess. I mentioned Anita Dolman and she said she knew her, or least she knew of her. She said she used to hang out here.”
He stops chewing mid-bite and ticks his head to the side. “Small world.”
“And do you know what else she said?” I link arms with him as he leans in close. “She said when she started working here there was another girl who went missing—a patron who she said hung out at the bar. So I’m guessing she was a regular. Anyway, she said she left a kid behind. It sounded fishy to me.”
Jasper flashes those gray eyes to the bar. “Did she mention the girl’s name?”
“She couldn’t remember. Emerson or Emery. She wasn’t sure.”
The lights flicker, and soon Georgie and Juni make their way to the table and take their seats. They say a quick hello to Jasper and dig right into the feast, but something about that frown on Georgie’s face doesn’t sit well with me.
“How did it go with Bad Boy and Lumpy Pants?” Words I never imagined I’d use in a sentence, let alone say out loud.
Georgie waves me off. “I forgot my credit card.”
Juni wags a fried eggroll my way. “I was pinch-hitting. I had mine. We needed it to ante up at the bar.”
“I see.” Odd that Georgie ducked the question. I hope she’s not hurting financially. I’ll wait to ask her how she’s doing another day. Nothing ruins a good time like dwelling on finances.
Macy hustles over and plops into the seat beside me, her face flush with color.
“Macy, have you been drinking? Your face is red as a beet.”
A naughty smile swims on her lips. “Drinking, dancing, flirting. I may never leave.” She picks up a nacho chip dripping with jalapeños and cheese and toasts us. “Let’s just say Gio made quick work of our date. And by the way, thanks for pitching for dinner, you two.” She winks over at Jasper. “I had to spring for drinks at the bar.”
Jasper lifts a brow my way. How about lobster, Bizzy? It’s on me.
A dull laugh strums through me. “Dessert will be on me,” I whisper his way. “My cottage in about two hours.”
I wouldn’t miss it.
The room grows dark, and a couple of hot pink stage lights swirl around until they create a circular beam of light over the darkened stage and Archie Alden steps up dressed in a tuxedo, looking dapper with his signature white picket fence smile.
Macy claps the longest and the loudest, thus garnering an approving wink from the magician at hand.
He runs through a few quick tricks, warming up the audience by plucking a bouquet of flowers from his sleeve, making a bottle of wine disappear under a series of large cones and making it mysteriously appear right in front of Macy—my sister’s favorite trick by far. A spotlight falls over my sister and she holds up the bottle of wine much to the audience’s delight.
Jasper gives my hand a squeeze. I saw a figure dressed in black deliver it.
I nod his way because I saw the same thing. I suppose there’s not much magic in any of these routines, but it makes for a fun night, I’ll give them that. And it makes for a free bottle of wine, too. But I’m betting good old Archie will find a creative way to make my sister pay for it.
Archie steps over and takes up my sister’s hand, leading her to the stage, and I’m a bit relieved he didn’t seem to notice the rest of us. It’ll teach her for landing us in the self-proclaimed fun zone.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” His voice echoes throughout the room. “It seems we have a wine thief on our hands.” The audience roars with laughter. “A rather beautiful wine thief.” He kisses the back of her hand and the audience coos at the sight. “What is your name, princess?”
Macy’s blue dress glows like a sapphire under the white-hot spotlight.
“Macy Baker.” She gives a cheeky wave to the crowd.
“Macy Baker, you have a fire in your eyes that could turn this room into an inferno. How would you like to lie down and relax while I show you exactly how much you float my boat?”
A groan comes from me as I lean toward Jasper. “That was cheesier than these nachos.”
He ticks his head to the side. Something tells me Macy will eat up every bit of cheese he’s willing to give her.
I nod because he’s right.
Macy is quickly hustled over to the table behind them covered with a dark cloth that sits to the floor. This must be the floating lady trick Julian did with Bernie the other night. And I’m glad about it, too. I’ve always wondered how they pulled this off, and now I’ll have Macy to tell me. Here’s hoping she’s paying attention to something other than Archie’s hypnotic dark eyes. He does have an enchanting appeal about him.
The room grows black as night and ice cold, with the exception of a dull red light that surrounds the two of them on stage.
“Let’s see if I can make all of your worries disappear,” Julian says as he pulls on a pair of white gloves and waves them back and forth over her body. “Wham, bam, alakazam. May all of Macy Baker’s trouble scram!” A plume of smoke explodes over my sister’s body and Archie waves something in the air that sends the audience into an uproar with laughter.
I suck in a quick breath and lean toward the stage.
“Oh my God,” I groan. “Is that…?”
“Her bra!” Juni slaps the table and cackles just as Archie sends it sailing in my direction and I catch it with one hand before it smacks me in the face. And dear Lord, it’s still warm from her body.
“How did he do that?” I shake my head at Jasper and he looks just as horrified as I am.
Archie engages in more of his magician babble as he waves his gloved hands over my sister once again. The smoke puffs over her, and this time his hands are empty.
“No underwear?” he asks, and the audience screams with delight.
Macy clears her throat. “I gave at the office.”
Another roar of laughter ensues.
Archie snaps the tablecloth from underneath my sister and gasps emit from the audience as Macy seems to float in the air, stiff as a board. Her eyes are open and she seems to be awake, but her body looks as if it’s frozen solid with her hands lying crossed over her chest like a corpse in a coffin.
The music grows serious, something akin to a drum roll as an assistant brings out a large hoop and a fishing pole of some kind that it’s attached to.
“And now”—Archie says it low and determined as he lands the mouth of the large hoop around my sister’s feet—“it’s time for our hot date.” No sooner does he say those last words than the hoop catches fire with a giant whoosh.
“Oh no.” I grip Jasper’s hand so hard you’d think it was me in that fiery hoop.
Archie quickly carries it from one end of my sister to the other, narrowly missing her blonde locks before he shouts something unintelligible and the flames go out with a hiss. A riotous applause breaks out once again and my sister breaks out into a huge grin—of relief, I’m sure.
“Jasper?” I pull him close. “How is she suspended like that?”
&
nbsp; He shakes his head. I have no idea. But she seems to be perfectly still—almost unnaturally so.
I nod in agreement.
The music works its way to a crescendo. Archie snaps his fingers and Macy collapses, allowing him just enough time to get his arms beneath her as he breaks her fall.
The audience stands to its feet with thunderous applause for him, and Jasper and I join the effort.
Macy comes back and takes a seat, and Archie does a few more acts, each one just as miraculous as the last until the show finally comes to a conclusion.
The houselights rise just a notch, and once he takes a bow, Archie heads this way.
“The marvelous Miss Macy.” He bows once again her way, and the applause continues to grow.
Georgie waves her napkin at him. “That was fantastic! I’ve got some wrinkles you could make disappear if you want.”
Juni edges her way over to him. “And I’ve got those underwear you were looking for, hot shot.”
Macy links her arm through his. “Sorry, ladies, this one is taken.”
“You were great, Archie,” I say. “How in the world did you make my sister float?”
He belts out a maniacal laugh. “A magician never shares his secrets.” He winks to Macy. “But seeing that she’s as light as a feather, it wasn’t a problem.”
“Well, aren’t you sweet?” Macy purrs at the thought. “I’ll be sure to reward you properly for that.”
“I’m sure you will.” He gives a cheesy wink.
A thought comes to mind amidst their raunchy exchange. I bet Archie might know the name of that second missing girl.
“Hey, Archie? Have you been at the Magic Castle a while?”
“Six years on and off.”
“So do you know the name of the girl who went missing a while back?”
He glances to the ceiling.
“Anita something? Yes, I think I’ve seen her poster out and about. We have one in the lobby, I believe.”
“Anita Dolman.” Jasper nods. “But I think Bizzy was talking about someone else. A woman who used to frequent the place?”
“Emerson, Emery?” I shake my head at him. “Does that ring a bell?”
He takes a quick breath. “I’m afraid it doesn’t.” Is she talking about Embry? He shakes his head. I’m not going there tonight. God knows there are enough bad vibes floating around these days. Julian’s death is hanging over this place like a plague. Of course, none of these people realize how magic works. How important it is for someone like me to stave off an aura of darkness. “If you’ll excuse me, I must mingle with the guests in the lobby. I’m contractually obligated.” He whisks my sister off that way, and I turn to find both Juni and Georgie talking to a few handsome men in suits by the bar.
“Jasper, look at that.” I nod their way, and he quickly inspects them. “Those men gave Juni and Georgie their numbers at Minty’s, and here they are—on dates.”
Jasper squints their way. “I think I’d better go over and introduce myself.”
“Please, go ahead,” I say as Bernie starts to clear the dishes from the next table over. “I’ll be there in a sec.”
He takes off, and I head her way.
“That was some show,” I say. “I almost forgot to ask if you knew McKenna or Caleb. They’re having their wedding at the inn.”
She blinks hard, looking momentarily confused.
“I don’t think I know either of them.”
“Oh?” I’m about to ask what she was doing at their party the other night but think better of it. That’s funny, though, she didn’t look as if she wanted to see Julian there, and yet maybe it was him she came to see—and kill.
Her eyes widen a notch.
“That’s right, it was a private party.” She averts her eyes, but it looks like a contrived action. “I was—um, friends with Zeke.”
“Caleb’s brother?”
“That’s the one.” Zeke. My heart aches just thinking of him. “Anyway, we didn’t even talk. Julian drowned, and I just took off. Once the sheriff’s department showed up, I’m assuming everyone else did, too.”
“You’re right. Hey, Bernie, can I ask if you knew anyone who was angry with Julian? Or maybe someone who could have been holding a grudge?”
Her face bleaches out. “They really think someone killed him, don’t they?”
Bernie sighs as she glances across the room.
Zeke hated Julian more than anyone I know. He could have easily killed Julian. God knows he promised me he would do just that. He wasn’t being literal, I hope.
“Archie.” She shrugs.
“Archie?” I turn my head to the side as I examine her.
She was clearly thinking about Zeke just before she implicated the magician at hand. It sounds to me like she’s bent on protecting Zeke no matter who she has to toss under the homicidal bus.
“Yup.” She nods. “He and Julian used to do their acts together, but they had a rift about a year ago. Julian started working on his own, and Archie went part-time. Anyway, rumor had it, they fought over something. I heard Julian say he didn’t trust the guy. But to hear Archie tell it, he swears on his life he taught Julian all he knows and never got a thank you for it.”
A fight? Over a few glorified party tricks?
That bra and floating ring of fire run through my mind. Okay, so it had a mystical appeal to it. But still, there was nothing new under the magic sun. I’ve seen all of those tricks before in other forms.
She nods as she loads her arms with a pile of dirty dishes.
“Believe me when I say Archie and Julian had a beef. Julian once said he’d walk around the block for a lot of people, but he wouldn’t even cross the street for Archie. Something was definitely up.” She sheds a smile my way.
You’re welcome, Zeke. Don’t ever say I’ve never done anything for you.
“It was nice meeting you, Izzy. Hope you enjoyed the show.”
“It’s Bizzy,” I say as she takes off, but she’s already lost in the crowd.
Bernie is covering for Zeke Reed, brother of the groom, but why?
And what exactly does Zeke have to hide?
Chapter 8
A crisp fall breeze fills the foyer of the Country Cottage Inn as I sit behind the counter and study my laptop. Both of my coworkers, Grady Pennington, a recent college grad who slays the younger girls with his dark hair and Irish charm, and Nessa Crosby, a brunette cutie who also recently graduated from college, are keeping busy with the influx of new guests and the equal outflow of checkouts.
The expansive guest counter has been fully decorated for autumn with strings of colorful leaves and pumpkins dotting the surface, while the entry doors have been festooned with giant wreaths made of dried maple leaves in a rainbow of citrine colors. Crimson and yellow mums have been planted in every pot that sits around the inn, and the number of decorative pumpkins we have only seems to grow by the day.
Nessa turns my way as soon as the crowd at the counter dies down and I look up to see her holding Fish.
“I’ll go make sure the hot cider pitchers are full in the grand room and the dining hall. Anything else you want me to do while I’m headed to the kitchen?”
I give Fish a quick scratch on the nose.
“Why don’t you see if Emmie has any more of those blondie bars ready? We could use another tray up front.”
“That’s because you’ve been eating them all.”
“Hey—Grady’s been helping me,” I tease.
Grady grunts in agreement while shoving one into his mouth.
“Make that two trays,” I say as she sets down Fish and takes off.
Grady comes over and peers at my laptop. “Missing women?” He shakes his head. “I’d be careful what you look up on the internet, Bizzy. You’ve landed yourself in one murder investigation after another this past year. One day the sheriff’s department is going to confiscate your laptop and you’ll have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Why do you think I’m marryi
ng the lead homicide detective?” I give a sly wink, and he gives a nervous laugh while getting back to tending to the guests.
I’ve spent the better half of the morning researching Anita Dolman, the missing woman from Edison. And as fate would have it, I found not one other missing woman from Edison but two. Embry Knight, the woman in question with the child, and another woman by the name of Shelly Grant. Both Embry and Shelly frequented the same bars and clubs in Edison, and one of them happens to be the Magic Castle.
Fish yowls as she hops up onto the counter next to me. I sense a disturbance in the force.
“I sense the fact you’ve watched one of Sherlock’s and Jasper’s favorite movies.”
Sherlock barks from somewhere near the front. A member of the Dark Side has entered the building.
I sit up a notch to see Mackenzie Woods without her better half, my brother, and I frown at the prospect of what comes next.
“Hello, Bizzy.” She adjusts the belt on her orange peacoat, and I can’t help but admire how cute it looks paired with her tall leather riding boots and dark jeans. It’s rare to see Mack in anything other than those power business suits she wears, but I guess even she is susceptible to succumbing to cute fall wardrobe alterations like the rest of us. “You can wipe that sour look off your face. I’m not here to see you. I’m here to see Georgie. Where is the queen of broken glass?”
“She specializes in mosaics. Broken glass is simply the medium,” I say. “And while I have you here, I thought I’d run something by you. How about you move the official Cider Cove Beautification unveiling for the Sunday following my wedding? That way Georgie won’t miss a moment of her big day and the Cottage Café won’t be stretched to maximum capacity trying to cater your event and mine.”
Her pouty lips bunch up. “Contrary to what you believe, I did not choose the date of the unveiling to try to ruin your big day. I’m supposed to be at your wedding, too, you know, as your brother’s date.” She leans in with her eyes narrowed. “And just between you and me, I’d much rather have him with me at the unveiling than at your little beach shindig. But that’s neither here nor there. The committee has already rented the tents, the bounce houses, ordered food, and we have more than one hundred businesses participating in the event. So you can see, Bizzy, it’s not all about you now, is it?”
Just Buried Page 7
