“Welcome to the island.” I gestured to the tour bus like I had for the first couple.
They grunted and passed.
“If those two guys don’t look like hit men, I don’t know who does,” Georgia said.
“They were a bit creepy,” Margo added.
Several more people stepped off the ferry and onto the dock. I gestured them in the same direction as the others.
Then I spotted a familiar smile beaming back at me. He was the last one to step off the ferry and was a sight for sore eyes. Theo, also known as Friday the cat, had a sly smile on his face.
“I bet you didn’t think I’d make it to the wedding.”
“You’re not supposed to. You’re supposed to be watching the inn.”
“The reservation book was empty. I may have talked Franklin into keeping an eye on things while I was on. Especially with the new information that was found among Ryder’s things.”
Franklin was a resident of the Hexford Inn. He’d lived in the basement since Mildred had still been alive. The magic of the inn was uncanny. It was spelled in such a way that each guest room was different, and once the guest stepped foot inside, it transformed to look just like real bedrooms no matter where they lived. Everything from the furnishings, to the wall colors and pictures. The inn provided every consideration to make the guest feel like they were still sleeping at home.
The rooms transformed into whatever was need and well, for Franklin’s room, it had done much more than that since his home was in the future.
It opened up a portal between time and space. One where Franklin came and went as he pleased. His room at his home in the future and the basement were cosmically connected.
I had been the one privy to the secret Franklin kept. I’d met his wife once; my aunt. They lived in a different place in time. A time period in the future when there was medication and treatment for her illness. The magic of the inn might never be solved, but Franklin and I were both thankful that it made my aunt’s health a possibility.
Franklin traveled between both places, coming and going in our time as well. He did join us for dinner sometimes. He came with stories and updates on everything that was going on. But he was very vague about our futures. He didn’t want to disrupt the timelines, but I would bet a part of him wanted to help us. That needed to help us. To keep things in line.
I wrapped my arm through Theo’s. “You’re family. If I’d thought that Franklin would watch the inn, I would have invited you to begin with.”
“So, what did I miss?”
I steered him toward the golf cart with my sisters and me. We explained everything that had happened since we’d arrived. It wasn’t until we arrived at the hotel that Theo’s mouth parted as he stepped off the golf cart.
“You grew up here?”
“Yeah, I did, and I couldn’t get off the island fast enough.”
“I don’t know about you girls, but I could stay here for the rest of my life,” Theo said, holding out his arms as if to embrace the island itself.
“I could arrange that for you. I might have some connections with management that could get you a job,” I teased. Just finding out about Theo’s ancestors would make for interesting conversations.
Theo had hardly any recollection of his life as a human before the Hexfords turned him into a cat. We were still trying to pick up the pieces and fix what our ancestors had done to him.
The bus dropped off the B&B people before returning to the hotel with the remainder. I led them into the lobby, where Carson, Andrew, and King were waiting.
Theo nudged my arm. “Looks like they were worried about you three.”
“If the same thing were happening to King, I’d be waiting too,” I answered.
“You would have demanded to go with him.” Theo chuckled before I directed the guests across the lobby to the check-in counter. I watched behind the counter to make sure they were checked in and given everything they needed. I now knew exactly what rooms everybody was staying in.
I highly doubted that our paths would cross except for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the restaurant.
As the bellboys took the others up to their rooms, King gestured to the second elevator. “While you are gone, Livvy and I looked through some of Ryder’s things, and you’re never going to believe what I found.”
Excitement radiated from King’s voice.
“Where is Livvy?” I asked.
“She’s in the room,” King answered.
“Why did you leave her the room?” I asked.
“She’s busy trying to figure out the puzzle. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. You have to see it with your own eyes,” King answered.
My sisters and I exchanged looks as the elevator dinged on my floor. I headed to the room and used the card key to open it. “Livvy, we’re coming in.”
She didn’t answer, so I hurried into the room with the others following. I stopped short, and my heart raced. The entire room was engulfed in an intricate design that floated In air. It was most definitely a puzzle, only this one was magic-induced based on the way it hovered like a hologram in the air. Lines and figures and names floated throughout the space. I’d never seen anything like it my life.
The others stepped around me, each in a state of awe.
Andrew walked around the magical puzzle floating in the air. “I’ve only seen this before once in my entire life.”
“What is it, and where did you see it?” Margo asked.
“I’ve only ever seen this at the witches council. They use it when they make a spell that they don’t want anyone to break. They jumble pieces to make it even harder to understand.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “You think this is a spell?”
I hurried to Livvy, resting my palms on her shoulders. God forbid she figured this out and it was something that could’ve killed her.
“I think your friend Ryder was a lot more powerful than he let on. Each puzzle has a signature piece on who created it.” Andrew moved around the room and stopped at the symbol that was on my necklace. The same necklace that blocked powers from being used. He pointed to the symbol. “Ryder made this puzzle.”
“Ryder was a hunter. He was a tracker. He wasn’t on the Council.”
Andrew shrugged. “You sure about that?”
Ryder’s job with the council consisted of catching dangerous witches and wizards that didn’t want to be found. What the heck was he doing making puzzles? Unless it was to hide important information he didn’t want anyone else to find. I grabbed the pendant from my pocket and squeezed it tight. He might not have wanted anyone to figure this out, but maybe he’d left it for me. It would explain why he’d been on the island. It would explain why he’d been tracking the killer. It might explain even much more.
Chapter 11
“I think I have this figured out. I just need one more thing,” Livvy said.
Livvy was a genius, an old soul that was far ahead of her time. She was studying quantum physics while others were learning the alignment of the planets. I had no doubt she’d figured this out.
“What do you need?” I asked.
Libby headed straight for me and pried open my fingers holding the pendant. She took it from my hand and met my gaze. “You might not be able to get this back if I use it. Is that okay?”
“If it will give us answers, I don’t care. You still have yours, right?” I asked.
Ryder had given each of us a pendant. Livvy, because she was inundated with magic she couldn’t control thanks to Mildred. And me, after learning I was a witch and Vinette’s uncontrollable magic had chosen me.
Livvy pulled the pendant out from beneath her shirt, showing me that she was still wearing it.
I smiled and nodded. “You can use mine.”
She crossed the room back to where the puzzle was. She held up the pendant to the signature mark that Andrew had pointed out. She pressed the pendant into the magical emblem and held it there.
We all watched as the
puzzle began to move on its own, rearranging and arranging again until four names were written in the magic. Theo, Blythe, Watson, and Regina.
“Wait, why the heck is my name up there?” Theo asked.
“Looks like he had you pegged for a suspect,” Georgia said while nudging his arm with a grin on her face.
“I don’t believe that, Theo. If you were the killer, you had plenty of chances to take all of us out. Not to mention the fact that you were probably still a cat when the other voodoo victims were killed.” It wasn’t like he could do the deed while in cat form. To be honest, I couldn’t imagine any of those other people would try to kill me either. They’d all had ample opportunity, except for one. Regina, the stepmother I never knew I had.
“Well, if you narrowed it down to those suspects, there’s only one that doesn’t really belong,” Margo added.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t believe any of these people listed would hurt me,” I said.
“Maybe that’s not what this is. Maybe those names are the ones that Ryder decided weren’t the killer. I think we should keep looking,” Theo said.
“I think he’s right. I don’t think Regina would kill you just because you’re Masterson’s kid. That would kind of put a strain on their relationship, don’t you think?” Georgia said.
Strain on their relationship? I couldn’t hide the smile from forming on my face. We had a list of names and no idea what to do with it. Maybe we were still missing a part of this puzzle.
“We’ve got forty-eight hours to figured out.” I slapped my hands together and rubbed them. “But first, I think a little time by the heated pool to relax would help us get over the hangovers. Everyone should go get dressed and meet downstairs in the lobby.”
Livvy’s eyes lit up like a child going to the beach for the first time. Excitement radiated through her as she ran from the room, taking the pendant with her. The puzzle that had been suspended in the air dissipated out of sight. The only thing left was the tablet that had made the puzzle appear. I was missing something; I could feel it.
I changed into my bathing suit and was waiting on Livvy as I was sifting through Ryder’s things. Some little voice was just nudging me. He must’ve been close, and that was what got him killed. I grabbed his things, shoved them all back into his bag, and stuck it into the safe in our bedroom closet. I programmed a safe number that only I knew. No one would be getting Ryder’s things even if they tried.
The others showed in the lobby, and I sent them all out to the pool.
“Aren’t you coming?” King asked.
I gestured with my thumb toward the kitchen. “I promised my sisters umbrella drinks.”
“There’s a bar out by the pool.”
A sly smile split my lips. “Yeah, but the ones Noah will make are non-alcoholic with a hint of magic to help them relax. Trust me, we all need one of his special concoctions.”
King guided an anxious Livvy toward the pool. I headed for the kitchen and slowed my steps at the raised voices floating out into the dining area. I knew the voices well. Masterson and Noah.
I tossed open the double doors to the kitchen and leveled them both with my glare. Masterson had his fist on his waist, and his face was angry like he was ready to explode. Noah, on the other hand, looked like this was his everyday life.
“What are you two fighting about? I could hear you out in the lobby,” I said.
“Nothing to concern yourself with, Tess,” my dad said.
Noah snorted. “You have met your daughter, right? Tess doesn’t let anything go, Dad. You need to tell her the truth before she finds out any other way,” Noah said before turning to pull pastries out of the oven.
“Tell me what, Dad?” I asked as butterflies took flight in my stomach. There was no telling what he was about to say. There was no telling what he was about to do. I used to think my father was predictable in every way that mattered. Arriving on the island to find he’d married some woman I’d never even met had thrown my assumption out of the window. When Masterson wasn’t fast enough to answer, I asked again, “Tell me what, Dad?” I asked, more a demand than a question.
Noah continued to work, ignoring both of us. But my dad cleared his throat and slid his hands into his pockets. He tilted his head. “You’ve heard about the other guests?”
I tossed my hands up. “If that’s all this is about, then yes, I heard about it. Regina told me that somebody sent the reservations from her computer.”
“Tess, we reviewed the video of Regina’s office from the time she turned off the lights the day before we got married to the time we returned, just so we could see who went in there,” my father said.
The butterflies in my stomach turned to lead. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear anything more. If someone on that list of names was responsible, the answer might destroy my faith.
“Who did it?” My voice came out quiet in the quiet room.
“Just tell her who you think it is, Dad. I don’t believe it, but go ahead and point the finger. Even if you show me the video of him doing it, I still wouldn’t believe that he’s some mastermind intent on destroying Tess.”
“Who, Dad?” There was only one male on that list that Noah knew well enough. I didn’t have to ask to my dad who he thought it was, but I waited just the same.
“Tess, Watson was the only one in and out of Regina’s office. He was the only one that didn’t have a reason to go in there.”
“He’s security, of course he had a reason.”
“There was no security threat. The only other person to enter was one of the reservation crew who was leaving a report on her desk. He wasn’t in there long enough to do any damage.”
Noah was right. I didn’t believe my dad. What did Watson have to gain by sending out the invitations to the island? There had to be another explanation. Another reason why he’d invited these people. A reason that we weren’t seeing.
I kept a cool composure, unwilling to argue that my dad was wrong or that I believed Noah. All I wanted was the truth. “Where is he, Dad?”
“He’s not in his office. Regina and I have been to his office to review the tapes, and Watson wasn’t in there.”
That didn’t make sense. “Watson gave me a copy of new employee files. If he was in on this from the beginning, and knew that it would ruin my wedding or that there is a killer on the loose, he would never have invited those people. He would have never given me the list of newcomers to the island so that I can check them out.”
“He gave you what?” my dad asked, his voice booming across the room.
My words prompted Noah to forget what he was doing, and he turned in my direction. He, too, was angry. Angrier than the time that I’d stolen his birthday cake and tried to make him another one, only I confused the salt with the sugar.
“Tess, when did you see Watson?”
“When I was coming down from the bachelorette party on the roof.”
My father and Noah exchanged a look. “Dad, didn’t you say you that you and Watson drove around the island looking for points of entry for this intruder? Wasn’t he with you that night until like four in the morning?”
“He was,” my father answered.
“That’s not possible. He found me on the elevator. He handed me the file. He even told me what room I was staying in since I wasn’t in there long.”
“Tess, are you sure it was him?” Noah asked.
“It was Watson. The same guy that I grew up with. Your best friend.”
“Crap.” Masterson spun on his heel and threw the doors open to the restaurant, headed toward the main office. Noah and I were quick to follow. “This is starting to make sense.”
“I wish you’d explain it to me.”
“That wasn’t Ryder you found dead in the bathroom. Somebody is screwing with you, Tess. Someone is using magic to alter appearances,” my father growled.
“Is that even possible?” I asked, unsure if that were the case and ignoring my relief that Ryder wasn’t the one that
died. I had yet to run across anyone that was able to shift their appearance. That might be a question I needed to ask my sisters.
“If that wasn’t Ryder’s body, then whose?” I asked.
“One of the new maintenance guys hasn’t checked in and we can’t locate him. My guess is that it’s him,” my dad answered.
A death bubble appeared, making my breath hitch. I stopped in my tracks and swallowed hard. A death omen could mean only one thing. Someone was either dead or someone was about to die. I rested my hand on my father’s arm, stopping him. “Dad, there’s another omen.” Before he could even reply, the doors to the hotel burst open and three of the workers, dressed in uniforms, ran in, their faces white with panic.
Dread filled my veins. Noah shook his head, whispering the word no as he, too, stared in disbelief.
“We found Watson; he’s hurt. Mr. Venture, call the police and an ambulance.”
My legs about gave out beneath me, but Noah wrapped his arm around me.
“Just hurt, not dead, right?” Noah asked.
“We found him on the beach. One of the workers said Watson and Tess went for a walk.”
I shook my head and whispered, “I did no such thing.”
“He’s hurt but still alive. You need to hurry.”
Noah ran after the men who were taking them to Watson. “Tess, don’t trust anyone. Whoever tricked him into thinking they were you is using strong magic that could fool anyone.”
I nodded just as my sisters hurried in from the pool with worry on their faces. It seemed my sister alarm still worked on the island.
I went to follow my dad when he stopped me. “Wait here with the others. We don’t know who’s still out there.”
My sisters appeared by my side.
I nodded. “Go, but please come back and tell me that he’s alive.”
“I’ll do my best.” He disappeared out the front of the hotel.
Witchy Past Page 5
