“I work here,” Alec replied smoothly.
I stifled a laugh. Deputy Bolan looked ready to have a coronary.
“Fine. Do you know why I’m here?” he asked.
“Tatiana is dead,” Alec said, his voice devoid of emotion. “You would like to know whether I killed her.”
Deputy Bolan’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Did you?”
“Certainly not.” He adjusted his suit jacket.
Deputy Bolan sank into the chair next to mine. “Oh well, if you say so.”
“Excellent,” Alec said. “Am I free to return to my duties? It seems there might be a need for me to research couples counselors.”
Deputy Bolan slapped his hand on the desk. “Of course not! How did you find out about her death?”
Alec didn’t flinch. “Tanya, her aunt, works for me, as you saw when you came in,” he said. “She was quite distraught. Until that moment, I wasn’t aware that Tatiana was in town.”
“She didn’t come to see you?” he asked. “Try to get reacquainted with an old flame?”
Alec folded his hands on the desk. “If she did, she failed to leave a note.”
“How did you feel when you heard the news?” Deputy Bolan asked.
I tensed slightly, awaiting his response.
“Surprised,” Alec said.
The deputy inclined his head. “In what way?”
Alec rubbed his thumb on an invisible speck on the desk. “I suppose she seemed immortal to me. Like a vampire.”
“Like you.”
“Yes.”
Deputy Bolan fixed him with an intense stare. “So you decided to test your theory?”
“Don’t be absurd,” Alec replied. “Tatiana was a fairy. I know perfectly well fairies aren’t immortal.”
“Do you still harbor resentment toward her?” Deputy Bolan asked.
“As you and your boss both know, I have since moved on.”
Deputy Bolan snarled. I didn’t think I’d ever seen a leprechaun snarl before. Why did Alec have to say that? It was the equivalent of slapping your opponent with a silk glove. I was glad Sheriff Nash wasn’t present to hear it.
“Perhaps your timing is suspect,” the deputy said.
Alec’s smooth brow furrowed. “How so?”
“Out of the blue you decided to give Ember a chance,” the leprechaun said. “Maybe you lured Tatiana here with the promise of a fake inheritance and then used Ember as a cover. Maybe you planned this a long time ago.”
“In which case I could have stayed with Holly and accomplished the same goal,” Alec replied. “It makes no sense to send Holly packing when she would have provided the same cover.”
“Except you didn’t send Holly packing,” Deputy Bolan said. “She left you.”
“Because she knew I had feelings for someone else,” he replied.
“Everyone in Starry Hollow knew you had feelings for someone else,” the deputy grumbled.
“Then this line of questioning is pointless,” Alec said.
Deputy Bolan seemed to agree. He slouched in the chair. “You remember Dana Ellsworth, right?”
“Indeed. Someone else burned by Tatiana’s treachery.”
“She mentioned her ex-fiancé, Jake,” the deputy said.
“Ah, yes. Jake Goode,” Alec said, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. “Another werewolf, as I recall. He owns Body By Jake.”
“He’s a fitness instructor?” Deputy Bolan asked.
“Allegedly,” Alec said. “It’s my understanding that he’s more interested in showing off his own physique.”
Deputy Bolan rubbed his chin. “Sounds like he’s definitely worth a visit.”
I laughed. “I’ll bet.”
“Where were you on Monday between the hours of nine and three?” Deputy Bolan asked.
“In a meeting with the mayor,” Alec said. “Feel free to corroborate it.”
“There really is a mayor,” I said.
“The whole time?” the deputy asked. “Nine to three?”
“No, I was here first thing in the morning with my staff. After that, I went for a massage, then I met with the mayor.”
“And the massage was where?” the deputy asked.
“Glitter Me This,” he said. “You can speak to Rosie to verify.”
“Is she any good?” Deputy Bolan asked. He rolled his neck from side to side. “I’ve had a kink in my neck for days.”
“She’s excellent,” Alec said. “I wouldn’t bother otherwise.”
“I didn’t know you went for massages,” I said.
“Well, now you do,” Alec said simply.
“This is the kind of thing we need to discuss in counseling,” I said. “I should know this about you.”
“It’s only a massage, Ember,” he said.
“But what else aren’t you telling me?” I said, feeling hurt.
Deputy Bolan slapped his hands on his thighs. “My work here is done. I’ll be in touch.” He left the office, leaving Alec and I staring at each other.
“Are you truly upset about this?” Alec asked.
“It’s part of your communication skills,” I said. “I feel like you hide things that don’t need to be hidden. It makes you seem shady, whether you mean to be or not.”
“It didn’t occur to me that you need to know every appointment I make.”
“I don’t,” I insisted. “It isn’t about keeping tabs on you.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Are you quite sure?”
“Yes.” My tone was emphatic. I needed him to understand that this wasn’t a jealousy issue. “I’m going to schedule our appointment as soon as I get home. I’ll text you the details.”
He gazed at me with a tender expression. “I look forward to it.”
“You do?”
“I want this relationship to be successful, Ember,” he said. “I have every intention of following your lead.”
I smiled. “Stop picturing me on your desk. I said I’m not doing it.” I paused. “Today.”
He laughed. “Like I said, I have every intention of following your lead.”
And I couldn’t wait to be his captain.
The Master-in-Familiar Arts marched us into the woods behind Rose Cottage. I’d tried to explain to Ian that I was very busy working on Tatiana’s murder investigation, but the wizard was having none of it. Raoul seemed pleased that Ian had stood his ground, probably because he liked the attention Ian gave him.
“Before we get to what I’m sure will be a fascinating lesson in the nocturnal habits of dumpster divers, can we discuss a problem of a personal nature?” I asked.
Your breath? Raoul interjected.
Ian chuckled. “Oh, aren’t you a clever one?” The wizard had already performed the spell that allowed him to access both Raoul’s thoughts and mine during the lesson. It was easier than relying on me to translate the raccoon’s thoughts, especially because I was prone to not necessarily relay the exact statement.
“Raoul is having an issue with a bully down at the dump,” I said. “I’ve offered to help him take care of the situation.”
Ian tapped his foot. “And?”
“And do you think I’d be doing the right thing?” I asked. “My gut says yes, but then I hear the sheriff’s judgy voice telling me to let Raoul deal with it himself. That he won’t learn how to navigate these situations if I step in and save him.”
“Interesting,” the wizard.
“Is it?” I said. “Seems like a normal witch-familiar issue to me. Similar to the parental bond.”
I am not your kid, Raoul said, horrified.
“No,” I agreed. “Not a kid. More like my grown son with a college degree in underwater basket weaving that lives in my basement and eats cold pizza while he plays computer games all day.”
I do like cold pizza.
“I don’t mean that the story itself is interesting,” Ian said. “I mean the fact that you still care what Sheriff Nash thinks of you. You’re no longer together, correct?”
I could feel the blood flowing to my cheeks. “Correct.”
“Then what does it matter whether he approves of your involvement? If your gut tells you to step in, then step in.”
Raoul grunted his agreement.
“What does Alec have to say about it?” Ian asked.
I paused. “I don’t know. I haven’t asked him.”
“Interesting,” Ian said again.
“No, it’s really not,” I said.
I agree, Raoul said. Alec is really not.
I faced my familiar. “What? I thought you liked him.”
Ian steepled his fingers together. “Oh my. Perhaps we should save this conversation for after the lesson. I do have other matters to attend to today.” He sniffed loudly, his perpetual congestion getting the better of him.
Raoul and I crossed our arms in sync. “What’s on the agenda today?” I asked.
“I thought today we could explore extending your magic to include your familiar,” Ian said.
I blinked. “Extending my magic? What does that mean?”
He means sharing, Raoul said. A foreign concept to only children like you.
My hands stuck to my hips. “I’ll remember you said that the next time you raid my kitchen.” I turned back to Ian. “Are you talking about transferring my warmth to him, that kind of thing? Because I thought we covered that.”
“No, I’m talking about extending a spell to include him,” Ian explained. “So if you do a spell to…”
“Make myself invisible,” I interrupted, remembering my lesson with Calla. “Then I can make Raoul invisible too?”
The raccoon rubbed his paws together. Ooh, me likey. Imagine the possibilities.
Ian’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know that the two of you need the power of invisibility for any reason, but yes, that is precisely what I mean.”
I patted my pocket and felt the lump of the edelweiss and Echinacea packet still there. “We can experiment with it right now. I have the herbs with me.”
Ian contemplated the suggestion. “I think it’s best if we do a spell that allows me to see you both.”
“Afraid we’ll ditch you in the woods by yourself?” I asked.
Raoul snickered. We would totally do that.
I laughed. “I know, right?”
The wizard maintained his composure. “How about a simple levitation spell?” he suggested. “You do the spell on yourself and I’ll explain how to include your familiar.”
I planted my feet in the ready position and held my wand. “Sounds good.”
“Take his paw,” Ian instructed.
With my free hand, I curled my fingers around the raccoon’s paw. “Do we have to hold hands?”
Raoul cut me a sharp look. What’s the problem? Afraid of cooties?
“Well, you do spend more time in a garbage heap than in the bath, but no. I only want to know if the spell will work in another way in case I can’t hold your paw for some reason.”
“Touching your familiar is the most expeditious way to perform the spell,” Ian said. “It makes sense to start with that.”
No touching the tail, Raoul warned. I don’t care what kind of danger we’re in. The tail is sacred.
“Sacred?” I echoed. “Since when?”
The raccoon slapped his tail on the ground. I just don’t like to be tail-handled, okay? Deal with it.
I rolled my eyes. “Sheesh, message received.”
“Now you’ll perform the usual levitation spell,” Ian continued, “except you tack on another term at the end. Includere familiaris.”
I focused my will and summoned my magic. Energy pulsed through me as I concentrated on the spell. “Surgo.” My feet rose from the ground and I was just about to lose my grip on Raoul when I added, “Includere familiaris.”
The raccoon joined me about two feet above the ground.
That’s all you got? Raoul asked. His gaze dropped to the ground. I can jump higher than this even when I’m not avoiding bear traps.
“But you can’t stay there,” I said. “You fall right back to the ground. There’s that little thing called gravity that prevents you from staying airborne.”
He wobbled slightly, finding it hard to keep his balance. I’m impressed that you managed it on the first try. I was expecting to shoot into the sky like a rocket.
I fixed with my hard stare. “There’s still time.” I lowered us back to the ground and Ian clapped merrily.
“Excellent performance, Ember.” The wizard seemed exceptionally pleased. I guess he expected us to shoot into the sky like rockets, too.
“What’s the practical reason for this?” I asked. “It’s not like I need him to levitate with me unless we’re avoiding lava.” Which was unlikely.
Or bear traps, Raoul reminded me.
“What about including him in a protective bubble?” Ian suggested. “You sometimes find yourself in a precarious situation. What if you needed to protect your familiar as well?”
I cast a quick glance at Raoul. “It would depend on my mood that day.”
Raoul huffed. Some family you turned out to be.
I threw my head back and groaned. “Oh, stop. You know perfectly well that I’d protect you. I’m not a monster.”
Raoul dragged his paw through the dirt. You don’t seem anxious to protect me from the crow.
“It isn’t that she doesn’t want to,” Ian said. “She was conflicted for good reason, but I believe she’s come around to the idea.”
“Thank you, Ian,” I said. “Yes, I have.”
Raoul’s dark eyes bore into mine. Today?
“Not today. I have Marley’s initiation party at Thornhold later. I can’t possibly show up smelling like I lathered myself with aging lettuce and moldy tomatoes.”
I disagree. Bottle that scent and you’re on to a winner, Raoul said. He tapped his claw against his chin. Note to self. Gather lettuce and tomato at the dump. I’ll call it Eau De Salade.
“Will I see you at Thornhold for Marley’s big party, Ian?” I asked. I knew from Simon that the guest list was extensive. From what I gathered, my aunt had basically invited the entire coven as well as the Council of Elders and other key paranormals in Starry Hollow.
“Oh, yes indeed,” the wizard said. “No one in their right mind would turn down an invitation to Thornhold.”
“I guess not.” Although I hoped the sheriff wasn’t in his right mind because I had no doubt he was on the guest list. As much as my aunt sneered at the pack, she wouldn’t dare leave off key figures in the community. With Alec as my plus one, however, the combination could be a recipe for disaster. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. The party was days away and, right now, I was no closer to solving Tatiana’s murder today than I was yesterday. Deputy Bolan and I were going to have to up our game if we expected to handle this without the sheriff’s involvement.
“Everyone wants to be in your aunt’s good graces,” Ian continued.
I don’t see why, Raoul said. It’s not like she’s going to write them into her will because they came to all the parties they were invited to.
“One can dream,” Ian said good-naturedly.
The mention of wills gave me pause. Deputy Bolan and I still hadn’t identified Tatiana’s mysterious benefactor—the main purpose of her visit. What if the inheritance was somehow connected to her murder? It was time to find out.
Chapter Ten
I sent a text to Deputy Bolan from my car in the parking lot of the sheriff’s office. Five minutes later, the leprechaun tapped on my window, startling me. “Sheesh,” I said, rolling down the window. “Save those ninja skills for the field, Deputy.”
“You sent me a text to meet you out here. How is this a surprise?”
“I thought you might take longer.” I almost said ‘because of your leprechaun legs,’ but I decided against it. We were making an effort to get along.
“Are we covert agents now, Rose?” he asked. “What’s with the secrecy?”
“I don’t want to run into the sheriff,” I admitted. “We need to find out about this inheritance. No one seems to know who died and named Tatiana as a beneficiary. It’s nagging me.”
“Good point. We can run a check on recent death records and see if anyone is connected to Tatiana,” Deputy Bolan suggested.
“But Tanya would know if it’s a family member, and that’s the only obvious link,” I replied. “I guess we can generate a list of names and show them to Tanya and our suspects. See if anyone can identify a likely benefactor.”
“It doesn’t make sense that Tatiana wouldn’t name the decedent,” the deputy said. “She was the type to shout it from the rooftop.”
“Agreed.” Unless it had been a secret relationship. Even with that, though, Tatiana wouldn’t likely honor the secret once the other party was dead. She had no shame. The only other possibility was that Tatiana didn’t know the identity of the benefactor, but if that were true, then what would be the reason for anonymity?
“Give me a few minutes to grab the list and then we’ll go from there.” Deputy Bolan shuffled back to the building. I played on my phone while I waited.
“Loitering outside the sheriff’s office? That’s got to be a violation of some kind.” The sheriff’s voice jolted me and I dropped my phone. He leaned down to peer through my open window.
“I’m waiting for Deputy Bolan,” I said.
Sheriff Nash forced a grin. “Two peas in a pod now, aren’t you?”
“We just want to make things easier for you,” I said.
His expression clouded over. “No need to treat me with kid gloves, Rose. I’m a big wolf. I can take it.”
I straightened. “I’m not being precious. I just know that Tatiana’s death…” I trailed off. “I’d like us to be normal with each other. I’d want to help with this investigation no matter what our relationship status is.”
He stood erect. “Nothing normal about us, Rose. There never was. I’ll see you around.” He turned on his heel and headed for the building before I had a chance to say anything else.
Ugh. This was awful. I hated being at odds with him. I knew this would be the likely outcome, but I still didn’t like it. Granger was important to me. Just because I’d chosen to make a start with Alec didn’t mean I wanted to excise the werewolf from my life. He’d been a welcome fixture.
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