Witch Cake Murders (Sweetland Witch Women Sleuths) (A Cozy Mystery Book)

by Zoe Arden

  "I have to go," I said. "Thank you for your time."

  "See you again soon, Ava," he called after me.

  I was walking so fast I smacked right into Sheriff Knoxx. He caught me before I could fall. He held a small brown cake box in one hand and had just managed not to drop it.

  "Oh! Sheriff," I cried. "I'm sorry. I didn't even see you. I didn't think you were here. Detective Hudson said—"

  "Detective Hudson is a toad bottom," Sheriff Knoxx declared. I had to laugh. For once, the sheriff and I were on the same page.

  "Sheriff Knoxx, can I see my father? Just for a minute? I need to ask him something."

  What I needed to ask was more questions about Damon. Like why his last name was Tellinger if his father's was Pratt. Then again, until recently, I'd thought my own father's name was Stone. Maybe Damon's mother had simply changed their name after she moved them off the island. That would make perfect sense.

  Sheriff Knoxx sighed. "I'm sorry, Ava. It's out of my hands. For the moment." His gaze fell on the door to his office, where Detective Hudson was nestled behind his desk. "But I'll get him back," the sheriff murmured.

  I had the feeling the sheriff was talking more to himself than to me. I looked again at the cake box the sheriff was holding.

  "Did you buy something from my aunts?" I asked him, hoping to hear Eleanor and Trixie had reopened the store.

  "What?" he asked, then saw where I was looking. "Oh. No. Mystic Cupcake was still closed the last time I went by. Though if you ask your Aunt Eleanor to open it for me, I would be much obliged. No other bakery in town sells peanut butter dream bars like your Aunt Eleanor bakes."

  "Thanks. I'll tell her."

  Deputy Otis Winken walked past just then. He had a Barney Fife-ish quality that made him stand out. He tried to squeeze between the sheriff and a desk and knocked the cake box right out of Sheriff Knoxx's hand. If fell to the floor with a loud splat!

  "Your cake!" I cried, bending down to pick it up.

  "Sorry, Sheriff," Otis said, then scurried off before he could do more damage.

  "Thanks, Ava. I've got it," the sheriff said, yanking the box away from me. But not before I saw what was inside.

  "Is that the cake my secret admirer sent?" I asked, perplexed why the sheriff would have it. "I thought you sent it to get tested."

  "I did," he said, but he was looking everywhere except at me. "This is a different cake."

  I looked at it again. "But it's missing exactly one piece. And it's cut into squares. Just like I cut it."

  "Oh," he looked down at the cake. "Yes, well, what I meant is... it's the same cake. But I already had it tested. Dr. Dunne confirmed it was free of poisons. If you'll excuse me now, I have to..."

  He took off running before I could ask any more questions.

  That’s strange.

  Sheriff Knoxx was lying.

  * * *

  2 7

  * * *

  Lucy's eyes widened when I told her what Anastasia said during my reading with her.

  "Do you really think Damon is the killer?" she asked.

  A dark strand of hair fell across her forehead and she pushed it away. The rich smell of coffee filled the air, energizing me. It was quiet inside Coffee Cove. Not just because of the silencing charms they had around each table, but because customers today were scarce. Since Brendan's death, Coffee Cove seemed to be suffering from the same fate as Mystic Cupcake.

  "Yes," I told Lucy. I could feel my brow scrunching tightly together as my next words formed. "Although... I have to admit Detective Hudson made a good point. Why would Damon have poisoned himself? If he was the killer, I mean?"

  "It's like you said. To throw suspicion off himself."

  "Yeah... maybe." Even though I was certain Damon was the killer, something didn't fit.

  "He probably ran down to the beach after you dropped your wand and took it for himself."

  Lucy was talking very animatedly now. She rose from her chair and started pacing the floor. Megan stood behind the counter, watching her. Since Brendan's death, she had adopted a grim, pale look that would have been more appropriate on a vampire. I think she felt guilty for blowing Brendan off while he was alive.

  "Damon stole your wand," Lucy said.

  "Well, he didn't say that exactly."

  "Then used it to kill David and Campbell," Lucy said as though I hadn't spoken. She was on a roll now.

  "What about the love potion cake?" I asked. "And why kill his friends?"

  Lucy stopped pacing the floor and scratched her head. "He killed his friends because he's a heartless toad bottom, and the love potion cake... maybe he gave it to Campbell to... because... well..."

  David Buyers didn't have any in his system. Or Brendan. So what does that cake have to do with all of this, then?"

  I had to admit, Lucy was good, but even the love potion cake had her stumped.

  "You said Brendan told you he found your wand in the place you'd least expect, right? He was obviously talking about Damon's house."

  "I guess so."

  "Did he say anything else? About the cake or... well, anything?"

  "No. He gave me the wand, then the next thing I knew he was dead."

  I sat up straight in my seat. Two ideas had just connected in my head.

  "Maybe Damon's not working alone," I said. "That could explain all of this. Damon's partner got mad about something and double-crossed him."

  "Right!" Lucy cried, catching on. "And it was the partner who poisoned Damon."

  "And killed Brendan."

  "I think that's it exactly!"

  "I haven't told you about Sheriff Knoxx yet. I went down to the station today and guess what I found? He—"

  "Stop it!" Megan screamed. "Just stop it! Both of you!"

  Lucy and I both jumped. Megan looked like she was on the verge of hysterics.

  Lucy went behind the counter and wrapped one arm around her sister.

  "It's not your fault that Brendan died."

  "I should have paid more attention to him while he was here," Megan mumbled into her sister's shoulder.

  Their boss, Melbourne Hammond, poked his head out of the back.

  "Everything all right out here?" Melbourne asked. He took in Megan's red face and wet cheeks, then scanned the coffee shop. Other than me, the place was empty.

  "Maybe I made a mistake reopening the Cove so soon after Brendan," he said. "The place is empty and we're all a little on edge. Why don't you girls go on home? I'll close up here and we'll try again in a couple of days. Give the town some time to cool off? What do you think?"

  Megan and Lucy nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Hammond," Lucy said. She gathered her and Megan's things and I followed them outside. Once out in the fresh air, Megan seemed to perk up, if only just a tad.

  "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just... stressed."

  "It's okay," I told her. "We all are."

  "Hey!" Lucy said excitedly. "We've got the day off now. That means we can do something fun. Like investigate. We need to find out more about that love potion cake. Who bought it, when, and why?"

  "I might have an idea about that," I told her.

  "Why can't you just leave this alone?" Megan burst out. "The sheriff is investigating. Who cares about a stupid cake anyway?"

  "Actually," I told them, "I'm not sure just how much Sheriff Knoxx is investigating anything. Detective Hudson threw him off the case, and besides that, there's something going on with him I can't explain."

  But Megan was tired of listening to me and Lucy. She turned and walked off, leaving us staring after her.

  "She's probably mad because she's afraid we'll prove Damon's guilty," Lucy said. "She still likes him. Even after all this. Can you imagine?"

  "Yeah..." I didn't want to admit that my own feelings for Damon were still... mixed. Lucy gave me a strange look and I changed the subject.

  "I still need to fill you in on Sheriff Knoxx," I told her. "I'll do it on the way to Sweetland Hospital."

  "The
hospital? All right, but why? What's there?"

  "Dr. Dunne. I want to ask him a few questions about our esteemed sheriff."

  Lucy's eyes widened. " I always knew that goblin was trouble."

  By the time we arrived, I'd filled Lucy in on the chocolate cake I'd seen him with at the sheriff's station.

  "Are you sure it was the same cake?" she asked.

  "Positive."

  "Why would the sheriff lie about having it tested for poisons or hexes?"

  "That's what I want to know."

  Dr. Dunne was in with a patient so we had to wait. A half hour later, he found us in the waiting room and greeted us warmly.

  "Ava... Lucy," he said, shaking our hands. "Good to see you. Come on, let's find a more private spot to talk in."

  He led us to an exam room. I wasn't fond of hospitals, especially since the last time I'd found myself in one after my blackout, but Dr. Dunne had a comforting air about him that soothed my nerves.

  "So, ladies," he said, pursing his lips. He was looking directly at me. "What can I do for you? Have you had another blackout, Ava?"

  He was already reaching for his stethoscope.

  "No, no, nothing like that."

  Dr. Dunne's shoulders relaxed. "Good. I'm glad to hear it. If that's not why you're here, though, then...?"

  "Ava wanted to make sure there was no poison in that cake she ate. She's been awful worried about it." Lucy winked at me.

  Dr. Dunne looked momentarily confused. "What cake is this?"

  "The chocolate cake I ate before my last blackout," I told him. "The one Sheriff Knoxx had tested. The one that, um, came from my secret admirer." I couldn't help blushing.

  "I wasn't aware of any cake," Dr. Dunne said.

  "You mean Sheriff Knoxx didn't have you test it?" I asked. My confusion now mingled with suspicion. It must have been evident on my face because Dr. Dunne seemed to clam up all of a sudden.

  "I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding," he said. "Sheriff Knoxx probably brought the cake in and I just forgot. I have a lot of patients, you see. I run a lot of tests."

  "That's all right, Doctor. We understand," Lucy said, grabbing my arm. "Thank you for your time."

  She pulled me out of the room so fast I could hardly get out a "goodbye."

  "Oh, my witches!" Lucy cried. "You're right! Sheriff Knoxx lied!"

  "I know." I was still having a hard time processing the information. "Do you think... I mean really think, that Sheriff Knoxx could have been working with Damon?"

  "I don't know," Lucy said. "It's possible. There's a reason he lied about having that cake tested. We need to find out what that is."

  "Are you up for a drive to Mistmoor?" I asked. "I have a few questions for Felicity Redfern."

  * * *

  2 8

  * * *

  "Do you really think it was Felicity's love potion cake that Damon and Campbell ate?" Lucy asked for the millionth time. "What about David? Why didn't they find any in his system? Or Brendan?"

  We were just circling the same questions over and over again.

  "All good questions we can ask Felicity when we see her," I said.

  The drive from Sweetland to Mistmoor took about three hours. It made me that much more freaked out about the fact I couldn't remember how I'd gotten here the first time I blacked out. Snowball had said that I'd appeared out of nowhere. I knew there was magic on the island but was there really enough magic to make people appear and disappear out of thin air?

  We arrived at the bakery around one. It was bright and sunny—the type of smooth, temperate day I was getting used to on Heavenly Haven. The breeze from the ocean gently whipped my hair around my head.

  Cakes and Creations was a cute little bakery, nestled between several other stores in Mistmoor's downtown area. A short, brick path led from the main sidewalk up to the front doors. Inside, the diffused lights added warmth and atmosphere that most stores in New York lacked. Funny, now that I thought about it, I realized I hardly missed New York. Maybe you couldn't miss a place that you were never really a part of.

  We garnered a couple of strange looks from Mistmoor residents as we made our way to the front doors.

  "Just ignore them," Lucy said. "There's no reason two Sweetland girls can't be here."

  "Hi," a cheery voice behind the counter said. Felicity's head popped out from behind a cupcake stand she was filling.

  "Hi," Lucy and I called back.

  "Why doesn't Felicity care that we're from Sweetland?" I whispered to Lucy as Felicity made her way around the counter to greet us.

  "I think her dad was from Sweetland. He died a long time ago, but I think Sweetland sort of stuck with her."

  "Funny you're here," Felicity said, smiling warmly. "I was just thinking about you, Ava." She looked from me to Lucy. "Sorry, Luce. You, too."

  "No offense taken," Lucy said. "Lately, Ava has been a whole heap of tulip blossoms more interesting than me."

  "You're plenty interesting when you're around. I haven't seen you at Whisper Crossing in forever."

  I hadn't realized Lucy and Felicity were such good friends. I felt a ping of jealousy as I once again realized that I was the new witch in town.

  "Whisper Crossing?" I asked. The name sounded familiar but I couldn't place it.

  "Whisper Crossing is the unofficial border between Sweetland Cove and Mistmoor Point," Felicity said. "It separates us from you. All sorts of magical plants and herbs grow there."

  "Yeah, you should check it out sometime," Lucy said. "It's all trees and plants and hiding spots. The perfect place to play Ghosts in the Graveyard."

  "Ghosts in the Graveyard?" I laughed. "Isn't that a little elementary school?"

  "Not when there are real ghosts involved." Lucy winked.

  Real ghosts?!

  For a second, I forgot why I was here.

  "I think you scared her," Felicity said.

  "Don't worry, the cemetery up there is old. Only a handful of people are buried there anymore. Mostly outcasts or criminals. Some people consider it sacred. It's the spot where Sara Sweetland was thrown off a cliff," Lucy said.

  "Or threw herself off," Felicity countered.

  "They say that if you go there at just the right time of night, you can actually hear Sara screaming as she fell to her death."

  Felicity rolled her eyes. "No, what they say is that you can hear Sara and Patrick Mistmoor whispering sweet nothings to each other."

  "Before he pushed her to her death," Lucy said, giggling.

  "Cool." I was trying to figure out how to segue from Ghosts in the Graveyard to love potion cake. "So... you said Whisper Crossing grows all kinds of magical herbs and plants and things?"

  "That's right," Felicity said.

  "Like the kind of stuff you use in love potion cake?"

  I'd thought I was being clever, but Felicity's face turned a shade whiter.

  "I suppose," she said.

  I sighed. Maybe beating around the bush was the wrong tactic. "Felicity, I need to know who you sold that love potion cake to three weeks ago." There. I'd said it. Straight to the point.

  "Why?" Felicity asked.

  "Because it's connected to all the deaths in Sweetland somehow. If it's not killing people, then it must be incapacitating them so the killer can use his wand—my wand—on them."

  "What makes you so sure that the cake I sold three weeks ago is the same one connected to the killings?"

  "I've checked with my aunts. You're the only one who's sold one of these cakes in the last few weeks."

  "Yes, but..." She was looking to Lucy for help.

  Lucy, thankfully, stood her ground with me. "Just help us out. Tell us who you sold it to."

  "Yeah. You won't get in trouble. We just need to know." Then, because I couldn't contain myself any longer, "It was Sheriff Knoxx, right?"

  Felicity blinked uncomprehendingly. "Sheriff Knoxx?" She paused a second. A slight giggle erupted from her throat. "You think Sheriff Knoxx bought a love potion
cake?"

  "You mean he didn't?" I asked.

  "Of course not. Why would you even think that?"

  My cheeks were turning bright pink. "Oh. Because... well, it doesn't matter. If it wasn't him, though, then who?"

  "Yeah, spill. Why the big secret anyway? Just tell us who bought the darn thing," Lucy said.

  Felicity sighed.

  "Megan. Megan bought the cake."

  * * *

  2 9

  * * *

  "I'm sorry. What?" Lucy finally asked. I'd never seen anyone's face turn quite that shade of purple before.

  "Megan. Your sister."

  Lucy took three deep breaths and held the last one in before exploding.

  "You sold my sister a love potion cake?!"

  "Technically, I didn't sell it to her. My mom did."

  "I don't care who sold it to her!" Lucy fumed.

  "I can't tell our customers what they can and can't buy," Felicity said.

  "The bum butt you can't!" Lucy yelled.

  "Okay, okay!" I cried, throwing my hands up. "Hold on for a second, would you?"

  I turned back to Felicity. "Why didn't you just tell me that before? When I asked the first time."

  "I had some... trouble..."

  "Trouble?" I asked.

  "Well, not really me, I suppose. My mother. There was a string of cake poisonings in Mistmoor not too long ago. Some people thought my mother was behind it."

  My eyes widened. I wondered if Lucy knew about this. And if she did, how could she not tell me?"

  "My mother was innocent!" Felicity said quickly, reading my expression. "They caught the real criminal. A dim-witch named Calista. But anyway, none of that matters. It's just... when I found out that a cake from our bakery was connected to a new set of murders, I just... panicked."

  I let out a deep breath. Instead of answering questions, I was creating new ones. Like what did Megan want with a love potion cake?

  "She's only eighteen," Lucy mumbled to herself. "What in the cat's cauldron would she need a love potion cake for?

  "Why don't you ask her?" Felicity said.

  Lucy and I looked at each other. Why don't we?

  Five seconds later, Megan's phone was ringing. Lucy had it on speakerphone.