Hidden Secrets: Blackmoore Sisters Cozy Mystery Series Book 9

by Leighann Dobbs

  “Sorry, sis. But I disagree,” Celeste said. “It’s best we stay on top of things. Why can’t we keep looking at both angles until we find the party responsible? That seems like the most prudent choice.”

  “Agreed,” Fiona said then pointed at Morgan’s neck. “Glad to see you’re wearing your amulet again at least. You might need it with all this skullduggery going on. There are four of us. We should have no problem keeping both investigations going. Morgan, if you’re leaning toward the human side more, then you can look into that. I’ll help when I can. Jolene and Celeste, you guys can stick with the paranormal angle. Does that work for everyone?”

  “Skullduggery? Seriously?” Jolene rolled her eyes. “You’ve been reading too many old mysteries again, haven’t you? And yes, that works fine for me.”

  “And me,” Celeste added.

  Morgan just nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. That was so not the outcome she’d been hoping for.

  “Cool. Let’s get going, then. There’s nothing more for us to find here. Mom will have dinner ready at five, and I’m starving.” Fiona headed for the door along with the rest of them.

  As Morgan closed Clementine’s door behind her once more, her determination grew. Whatever was causing her intuition to fail, she needed to find out and fast, before her sisters got into trouble sticking their noses where they didn’t belong. She shoved her hands in her pockets and kept her head down as she trudged through the snow once more, the persistent wind making her eyes water.

  They’d almost reached Celeste’s vehicle when a woman in her mid-fifties hailed them. It was Alma Myers, the neighbor who lived closest to Clementine, just beyond the big oak tree. Morgan shuffled her feet to keep warm as she studied the woman. Alma and Clementine couldn’t have been more opposite as far as physical characteristics. Where Clementine had been hefty, Alma was birdlike, thin, petite, and frail looking. Where Clementine had dark hair and Mediterranean olive skin and features, Alma had platinum-blond hair and icy-green eyes.

  “What are you Blackmoores doing here?” Alma asked, making her way over to them, scowling.

  “We just came by to pay our respects to Clementine. We usually stop by the deceased’s home to sort of pay homage to them,” Jolene said before anyone else could come up with a suitable excuse. Maybe Morgan wasn’t the only accomplished liar in the family. “We didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  Alma harrumphed. “Everyone disturbs me these days.” She waved her hand toward Clementine’s property. “First the police were here, traipsing all over the place and tracking snow everywhere, dirtying it up with mud and exhaust. I tried to keep an eye on things, keep them from making a mess of Clementine’s property, even though she’s dead. I hate it when things are messy.”

  Morgan’s ears perked up at that. “You said you kept an eye on things here. Were you and Clementine close? Did you happen to see anything odd the day she died? Did she have any close friends that stopped by to see her regularly?”

  “No. I wasn’t home when it happened. I was at the church bake sale. We were acquaintances, yes. Being neighbors, you learn stuff about people. I wouldn’t say we were friends though. In fact, I don’t remember her having any close friends. Lots of clients though. Otherwise, Clementine kept to herself.” She rubbed her eyes with shaking hands, visibly upset. “But like I said, I kept an eye on her when I could. It’s a good thing, too, since I could’ve been the one killed instead of poor Clementine. We live so close, you know.” She pointed at her home through the branches of the oak tree, which wasn’t really all that close, at least in Morgan’s opinion. In fact, things felt more than a bit isolated, as they had that morning too. Alma continued. “And if there’s some maniac on the loose, killing innocent women, I need to know about it. I could be next!”

  Fiona put her arm around the smaller woman’s shoulders, her tone soothing. “At this point, I think you’re safe, Alma. The police haven’t mentioned a maniac at all. If you’re that concerned, you should talk to Sheriff White about it.”

  “I did, thank you very much.” Alma gave Fiona a withering stare. “I was one of the first people they questioned after it happened. Who do you think told them about that Toyota parked out front? Beat-up old thing probably belongs to young hooligans. That’s the type of car they drive. And I talked to Sheriff White again when she was here earlier to take down the crime-scene tape. She explicitly implied that whoever did this was still out there, still a danger.” She looked around nervously. “In fact, I need to get back inside now. Not safe in this neighborhood anymore.”

  She walked off toward her home, and the sisters stared after her.

  With winter on their doorstep, the sun set earlier now, and the days were short. Wind whipped around them, and Morgan huddled inside her down coat, trying to piece together what Alma had just said with what she already knew.

  She climbed into the back seat of Celeste’s car, alongside Fiona, deep in thought. Sheriff White had never struck Morgan as particularly talkative, so she doubted that the sheriff had explicitly told Alma anything. Most likely she’d told Alma to get off her back instead. Then again, Alma did have a good eyeshot of Clementine’s place, and it was possible that she could have seen something more than Morgan’s car. And until they knew who was responsible for poor Clementine’s death, it probably was wise to stay on guard.

  At least Morgan knew now who’d reported her car being present to the sheriff, even if Alma hadn’t connected the vehicle to Morgan specifically, thank goodness. She’d have to be more careful around the woman even as she looked deeper into what had happened to Clementine Vega.

  Even though it would solve a lot of problems for Morgan, she doubted Clementine had been killed by a random stranger. No, the paranormal healer had been killed for a reason. And Morgan needed to figure out what that was fast.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  While the Blackmoore sisters were busy breaking and entering, their mother had been busy making a lasagna. The delicious fragrances of garlic and baked cheese filled the foyer, and the girls wasted no time slipping out of their winter gear and heading into the kitchen.

  The kitchen in the old mansion always gave Morgan that cozy feeling of home. Perhaps it was the familiarity of the lovingly worn black-and-white tile floor and the dark mahogany Victorian cabinets or maybe the smells of good food and the sight of her mother standing at the stainless steel stove. Her mother’s absence in the kitchen during the time she was missing had been like a big dark hole in Morgan’s life, and now it was filled again.

  The kitchen was a homey mix of old and new and had been updated with modern appliances and granite counters, including an island they could all eat at. The old slate sink had been replaced with a double stainless-steel one, and the window above it had been widened for a better view of the herb garden at the top of the cliff and the ocean beyond.

  They helped Johanna get everything on the table—salad, pasta, bread, wine—then they all took a seat around the island. Even Belladonna was chowing down on her cat food at her bowl. At least she had found something to do besides glare at Morgan.

  “Hey, ladies,” Mateo said, breezing into the kitchen and dropping a kiss on the top of Jolene’s head, avoiding eye contact with Morgan. “I was just finishing up some work in the den. Sorry I can’t stay for dinner. Tried to delay my trip, but I’ve got another new assignment. Save me the leftovers in a doggie bag, please.”

  He grabbed a piece of garlic bread, kissed Johanna on the cheek, and started out of the room, but Fiona stopped him. “Hey, I know Luke said there was no paranormal involvement in Clementine’s death, according to his agency, but have you heard anything?”

  “Nope. Sorry. Nothing that would connect her death to Dr. Bly, anyway. That’s been my main focus, as of late.”

  Fiona forked up some lasagna. “Hmm… maybe her death had nothing to do with paranormals.”

  “It’s kind of looking that way. Maybe you guys should just let the police do the investigation.” Mateo’s gaze
lingered on Jolene, who scowled at him.

  “I think we can do better than Sheriff White, and besides, we need to clear Morgan,” Jolene said.

  Morgan’s gut clenched as her other sisters nodded their agreement. Her sisters would do anything for her. But how would they feel if they knew she’d been lying to them?

  Mateo simply shrugged and continued into the hall. “Be careful!”

  Jolene watched him leave, her hand going to the amulet at her neck. Morgan noticed a tiny acorn pendant resting atop Jolene’s amulet.

  “That acorn pendant is cute. Is it new?” Anything to change the subject.

  Jolene looked down at the pendants. “I found it in my jacket pocket after we left Rune Island. I had Fiona make it into a necklace for me, as a commemoration of our trip. Pretty, huh?”

  Morgan reached out to inspect the necklace further. “It is. Nice job, Fiona.”

  As she sat back, she noticed Celeste had a small knowing smile on her face. Did she know that Morgan was feigning interest to change the subject, or was there more to that pretty acorn pendant than met the eye? Maybe more practicing of spells on her sister’s part. And if that were the case, she ventured to guess the spell had something to do with Mateo.

  Out in the hallway, she heard the front door opening and the sounds of Luke and Cal taking off their coats and saying hello and goodbye in passing to Mateo. A few seconds later, they came into the kitchen. Luke gave Morgan a quick kiss then filled his plate with food. “This looks great, Johanna.”

  “Thanks.” Johanna smiled at Luke. She’d known him since they were kids, and he was almost like a son to her. In fact, Johanna was close to all their boyfriends, especially Mateo because Mateo had helped her when she was a captive of Dr. Bly.

  “So, what happened today at Clementine’s?” Luke asked.

  Morgan filled him in on their visit to Clementine’s house earlier, leaving out the part about her morning snooping with Mateo, of course. “What about you? Talk to Dorian Hall yet?”

  “I did,” Luke said around a bite of garlic bread. “But still nothing yet. No new assignment or anything concerning what happened to Clementine.”

  “That’s odd,” Celeste said.

  “Yep,” Fiona agreed. “It does seem like her death isn’t paranormally motivated.”

  Morgan just nibbled on her lasagna, glad that it appeared as if they wouldn’t have to battle some unknown paranormal enemy. Hopefully this would be a simple case of human malevolence. She needed to steer clear of paranormal altercations at least until she got her gifts back.

  “Sorry I’m late.” Jake appeared in the kitchen doorway then pulled up a chair beside Fiona at the island. “Got busy doing some research at the office and lost track of the time.” He served himself a plate of lasagna and salad then reached for the bread basket. “Found out some interesting information though. Did you guys know there was a professional rivalry happening between Clementine and Rose Degarmo?”

  “The fortune teller?” Fiona asked.

  “Yep.” Jake swallowed a bite of salad. “Seems they got into it a while back, and the police were called.”

  “When was this?” Celeste asked. “I don’t remember it.”

  “Last year.” He leaned an elbow on the table as he chewed, his expression contemplative. “I’m wondering if maybe their rivalry went beyond professional differences and finally boiled over into violence. Wouldn’t be the first time one person took out their competition permanently.”

  “Yikes,” Fiona said. “Hard to imagine sweet Clementine getting brutal with anyone. Or Rose Degarmo, for that matter. She’s got to be what, sixty?”

  “Age shouldn’t matter,” Johanna said. “Look at what Dr. Bly did.”

  “True,” Morgan said then turned to Jake. “What about your contacts at the sheriff’s department? Did you have a chance to talk to them yet about the case?”

  “I did, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much new information there either. I did find out from the ME though that Clementine died from a blow to the head and that there was a weird mark on her wrist that happened right around the time she died.”

  “Weird mark?” Luke asked, raising a brow. “Like what? A tattoo?”

  Morgan looked at her sisters. When someone died of paranormal means, it left a mark on the body like a burn. Despite what Luke and his agency said, if the killer had been a paranormal, then it was entirely possible they’d killed Clementine by magical means then hit her over the head to try and disguise the real method of murder.

  “Not sure. Sheriff White thought maybe it had been caused by handcuffs, but none were found at the scene.” Jake finished his first slice of garlic bread then reached for a second. “The ME also said that Clementine was killed in the afternoon, but her body wasn’t discovered until the next morning when a client came for an appointment. She lived alone.”

  Morgan swallowed hard, wondering if a paranormal burn might look like a scrape to the police.

  “That’s good news,” Fiona said. “Morgan was at the shop with me that afternoon.”

  Jolene screwed up her face. “I thought you said Sheriff White accused Morgan of killing her in the morning?”

  “She did,” Morgan said.

  “Well, technically she said the witness saw your truck there in the morning,” Fiona said. “And I wasn’t at the shop for a few hours, so you had no alibi. But now you do.”

  “No, she doesn’t,” Celeste said. “You were at my hot yoga class from two to four. Remember you took it spur of the moment?”

  Fiona’s face fell. “That’s right. Well, doesn’t matter. Morgan doesn’t need an alibi because she didn’t do anything. We’ll be able to prove that rather quickly if the police don’t get off their butts and do their job.”

  Jolene cleared her throat. “What about Rose Degarmo? I’ve heard of her but don’t know her that well.”

  “I’ve worked on a few jewelry pieces for her,” Fiona said around a mouthful of lasagna. “She’s not paranormal as far as I know. Just tells fortunes. Nice lady.”

  “Hmm.” Jolene toyed with the salad on her plate. “Maybe she’s a rogue paranormal. They keep their powers hidden.”

  “Or maybe Rose doesn’t have powers at all, and Clementine’s killing wasn’t paranormal related,” Morgan threw out there.

  “Well, that would explain why I didn’t sense any paranormal animosity at Clementine’s house,” Jolene said then frowned. “But what about the mark on her wrist, then?”

  “Exactly why we need to continue with our plan, looking at both sides of this case,” Celeste said.

  Johanna, who’d been quietly eating this whole time, finally spoke up. “I think it’s a good idea to explore all the angles.”

  Morgan took another bite of lasagna, still feeling hopeful that maybe the investigation would lead them to a nonparanormal killer. Rose Degarmo was a good suspect, and hopefully she wasn’t a rogue paranormal or at least not one that would put up a fight. Even if she did, Morgan’s sisters would be able to subdue her easily even without Morgan’s help. Three against one was never good odds. Things were looking up. It made sense too because Jolene had only sensed two energies at Clementine’s house, and those could easily have been hers and Mateo’s. The logical next step would be a visit to Rose’s house to confirm.

  “I’m still working on getting a list of the cars like Morgan’s old Toyota,” Jolene said, passing the salad bowl around for a second time. “There’s a lot of them but not many as beat-up as my sister’s. And now we know that Alma’s the one who reported it to the sheriff’s office. She seemed like quite a character, huh?”

  As the others discussed their visit to Clementine’s earlier, Morgan’s appetite slowly faded under a riptide of guilt. If her gifts didn’t recover soon, she’d have to come clean to them. It wouldn’t be fair to let them think she was fully operational when she wasn’t. Not to mention the extra danger they’d be facing without her intuition to protect them or the fact that she really had been at Clemen
tine’s and Jolene was off on a wild goose chase trying to prove lots of others had cars like hers.

  “We could pay a visit to Rose tonight, if you guys want. I think her shop’s open until nine,” Fiona said.

  “Sounds good to me, but I can’t go until after seven,” Jolene said. “I still need to stop by Mrs. Tower’s place and figure out what’s causing all those noises in her shed, and they only happen at a certain time of night.”

  “How about eight, then?” Celeste suggested. “Jo, you can head there directly from Mrs. Tower’s. The rest of us will ride over together from here. That work for everyone?”

  Morgan nodded then stared at her plate.

  The rest of dinner passed by in a blur of small talk and good company. Fiona, Jake, Celeste, and Cal helped Johanna clear the table while Morgan walked Luke back toward the front door. He couldn’t stay, unfortunately. Said he had to help his brother with something. Jolene had already left for Mrs. Tower’s.

  Luke leaned in and kissed Morgan again, soft and sweet, then rested his forehead against hers, smiling. “How’s your cold? Do you need me to get you any cough drops or Vicks or anything?”

  “No. I’m fine. Really.”

  “Really?” He pulled back to give her a skeptical look. “You didn’t eat much at dinner.”

  “I know. Big lunch earlier.” She gave him another quick kiss before hurrying him out the door. “Don’t worry about me. I’m good.”

  Once Luke had left, Morgan rushed up to her bedroom on the second floor. With having to get to Clementine’s early in the day, then going back to the shop and having to return to Clementine’s with her sisters, she hadn’t had any time to try to practice her gifts. Since she had a few hours to pass before they went to Rose’s, now would be a good time.