I smiled. “That’s the one. It was a nightmare, wasn’t it? Until I…” I waggled my fingers at him.
“Until you cast a spell on it and all the pieces flew together.” He chuckled. “I liked that spell. Do you think it will work on the deceased grotesque?”
“It might.” I tilted my head. “It might not. Let’s try anyway.”
I brought the spell to mind and sent magic into my fingers. They soon began to tingle. I aimed magic at the sand.
The sand began to slowly swirl around as if caught in a breeze. It rose off the pavement and swirled faster. It soon resembled a small cyclone. Stanley and I stepped back from it.
The cyclone swiftly stopped moving and the particles of sand settled themselves into a shape.
“It worked,” Stanley said. “That must be Nitoth.”
We looked at the stone creature in front of us. He was bigger than Relloc and looked like a dragon. Not the scary kind of dragon, but the friendly kind who you might see in a children’s book. He was even smiling. But his eyes were hollow.
Stanley said sadly, “He’s lovely. Or was. What are we going to do with him now?”
“I know exactly what we’re going to do with him.”
Chapter 5
I decided the best course of action was to take Nitoth to Doctor Morgan’s. She always looked at the murdered bodies I’d come across in the last months, and she’d provided invaluable help to me. I wasn’t sure how she was going to help me with Nitoth, but it was a start.
I explained my plan to Stanley.
He asked, “How are we going to get him there without everyone in the town square seeing us? Also, he’s made of stone, so he’ll be heavy. Are you going to use a floating spell on him?”
“I’ll see how heavy he is first.” I braced myself and put my arms around the grotesque. Even though there was no life in the creature any longer I felt obliged to say, “Excuse my hands, Nitoth.”
I lifted him easily. He weighed barely anything. No more than a small bag of sugar.
Stanley said, “Those exercise videos on YouTube must be working on you, Cassia. You’re as strong as an ox.”
“As tempted as I am to lie to you about my muscle strength, there’s hardly any weight to Nitoth.”
“Oh, is that because his life force has gone?”
“I don’t know. I’m not an expert on these creatures.” I smiled at Stanley. “And I’m not going to ask that grumpy-faced gargoyle for information on them. Not yet, anyway.”
Stanley chuckled. “He is a grumpy-face, isn’t he?”
I placed Nitoth sideways under my arm. “Come on. If anyone asks us about Nitoth, we can say he’s a statue. We don’t want to alarm anyone by telling them he’s a grotesque who could have been murdered.”
“Let’s hope no one recognises him,” Stanley added.
We walked along the pavement and around the corner. I put a casual look on my face as if to say I was merely out for a stroll. A stroll with a stone dragon tucked under my arm. There was nothing suspicious going on with me, nothing at all.
Stanley and I walked around the outside of the town square. No one gave us a second look. Not one single creature gave us even a curious glance.
Stanley tutted. “We might as well be invisible. You could be walking around naked, Cassia, and they wouldn’t notice. They’re too busy staring at Quinn Ocean.”
“We’ll use that to our advantage. Can you see Gran or Blythe? We should tell them about Nitoth.”
Stanley tutted even louder. “I can see them alright. They’re sitting on the step where Quinn’s resting his feet. They’re touching his feet! Don’t look, Cassia. It’s disgusting.” He broke into a jog. “I have to get away from this terrible scene. It’s turning my stomach.”
I caught a glimpse of Gran and Blythe as they stared adoringly at Quinn. It turned my stomach too and I jogged after Stanley.
We found Doctor Elza Morgan behind the desk in her office. Like me, Dr Morgan was human. She’d been working in Brimstone for years but still had a doorway back into the human world which she used now and again.
The unruly curls on her head bounced in agitation as she snapped at our entrance, “Is it over? Has he gone yet?”
“Are you talking about Quinn Ocean?” I asked.
“Who else has the power to turn this town into senseless, swooning fools? Yes, Quinn Ocean. He wasn’t due back for years. If I’d have known he was coming back, I’d have taken myself down to London for a week.”
Stanley said, “I don’t like Quinn Ocean. I don’t trust him. There’s something strange about him.”
I admitted, “He tells a good story, but I don’t like how certain beings are behaving around him.”
Dr Morgan broke into a grin. “Your gran and Blythe? You’d think sensible, mature witches like them would know better. It would be funny if it wasn’t so disgusting to witness.”
Stanley said darkly, “I think he’s cast a spell on the whole town. Cassia and I are going to catch him out later. We’ll show everyone what he’s really like. I think he’s a con man.”
“Let me know when you do that; I’d like to watch. I can’t see the attraction in him at all.” She shook her head in puzzlement. “I’ve watched him a few times and he bores me. He likes the sound of his voice too much. I had a boyfriend like that once. On and on he went. Dreadful person. I was glad to see the back of him.” She stopped talking for a moment. “Is that a dead grotesque under your arm? What are you doing with him?”
I placed Nitoth on his feet. “I’d like you to have a look at him. He was a pile of sand when we first met him.” I told Dr Morgan what Stanley and I had witnessed in the last ten minutes. I advised her about our conversation with Relloc.
She smiled and said, “Relloc has strong opinions on everything and everyone. He’s been in here a few times. I’ve had many a one-sided conversation with him. He does the talking, and I do the listening.”
“What do you treat him for?” I asked.
Her smile grew. “A sore throat. Relloc was created to have rainwater pouring through him at regular intervals. Thanks to the drainage system in Brimstone, that no longer happens. He misses the feel of water pouring through him and comes here to complain. He doesn’t really have a sore throat but we both pretend he does. I stick him on a bed near the sink and run a hose pipe through him. I won’t tell you where I insert it.”
Stanley let out a sound which sounded suspiciously like a snigger.
Dr Morgan continued, “The water is more like a spa treatment for Relloc. He leaves here feeling much better and with a spring in his lion legs. I know more than I want to know about gargoyles and grotesques. Which brings me back to this one. From the look of him, I’m guessing this is Nitoth.”
“It is. How do you know?” I asked.
“Relloc described him. He wasn’t happy about having grotesques coming to Brimstone. He said they were unnecessary ornaments. Let me have a good look at him.” She stood up, moved closer to Nitoth and began to examine him.
I said, “It was Relloc who told us Nitoth had been murdered. Considering how much Relloc disliked him, do you think he could have pushed Nitoth off the roof?”
“Oh, yes,” Dr Morgan said matter-of-factly. “I’m surprised he hasn’t pushed anyone off before now. He’s got a terrible temper.” She placed her hand on Nitoth’s arm. “But you said Nitoth wasn’t in pieces when you found him. He was a pile of sand?”
“That’s right.”
“That is interesting. What would have caused that to happen?” She ran her hand gently over Nitoth’s dragon leg. “I’ll do the usual examination. I’ll test for poisonous plants and that sort of thing. You never know. Bear in mind, we could be looking at the effects of a spell. If that’s the case, I don’t think Relloc will be the murderer. He doesn’t like witches or anything to do with magic. In fact, he doesn’t like anyone. Being up on a roof has made him feel he’s above everyone. Literally.”
I asked, “When will you start y
our examination?”
“I’ll do it now. Anything to keep me busy until the town celebrity leaves. Do you know how long he’s staying?”
“I don’t. Does he normally stay a while?”
Dr Morgan pulled a face. “He’s made to feel welcome, unfortunately. Blythe insists on him staying for a few days. You won’t get any sense out of her or Esther until he’s gone.”
Stanley sat back on his rear legs and rubbed his front paws together as if in a devious manner. “Cassia, we need to come up with a plan to expose Quinn Ocean. We’ll have to give it a code name so that no one knows what we’re up to. How about Operation Greyman?”
“We don’t have time for that,” I said. “We’re looking at a murder, and that’s our priority. We don’t want any other gargoyles or grotesques to be killed.” I looked into Nitoth’s hollow eyes. “Who would want to kill such a creature? What would they gain by his death?”
Dr Morgan said, “I know who you can ask about that. You’ll need to leave Brimstone and go to another town.” She gave us a grin. “Can you bear to tear yourselves away from Quinn Ocean?”
Stanley stood up. “It would make me very happy to never see that being ever again.”
Dr Morgan told us where we should go next, and who to talk to. She said she’d be in touch with us once she had some information on Nitoth.
We left the doctor’s building and walked straight into Quinn Ocean.
His grey eyes lit up and he beamed at us. “Cassia! Stanley! I’ve found you. At last!”
Chapter 6
“We didn’t know you were looking for us,” Stanley said primly. “Can you move out of the way, please? Cassia and I have got important work to do. Important investigating work which won’t wait.”
“I’m sure you have,” Quinn said with a smile still on his face. “I saw you heading across the square a few minutes ago with a statue under your arm. Is that what you’re investigating? Has someone been damaging statues? You can tell me.”
“We’re not telling you anything,” Stanley continued as he stepped around Quinn. He began to trot away.
The smile dropped from Quinn’s face and his shoulders sagged. “Sorry. That was rude of me. Your work is none of my business. It’s just that I’ve heard wonderful things about you both. To be honest, that’s the real reason why I’ve returned to Brimstone so early. I wanted to meet you both and to see if the stories about you are true.”
Stanley stopped in his tracks, spun around and came back to us. “What have you heard about us? And who from?”
Quinn opened his arms wide. “From everyone. I visit a lot of towns, and your names have come up several times. I’ve heard about the murders you’ve solved. And how brave you’ve been. I was told you put your lives in danger many times in the pursuit of justice. Is that right?”
Stanley shrugged. “We did what we had to do.”
“You must tell me more,” Quinn said. “I’d love to get all the facts of each case. Then I could spread the news of your good deeds across the lands. Everyone should know the truth about what you’ve done.” He looked bashful. “You two are heroes to me.”
Stanley chuckled. “I wouldn’t say we were heroes. Perhaps Cassia is, but not me. I’m just a cat.”
“You’re more than just a cat,” Quinn protested. “Would you allow me to tell your stories across the lands? It would be an honour for me to do so.”
Stanley looked up at me. “What do you say, Cassia?”
“I’ll think about it,” I replied. There was something about Quinn Ocean that I didn’t trust. He could compliment us all he liked, but he wasn’t getting around me that easily. “Stanley, we’d better get going.”
Quinn cast a nervous glance over his shoulder. “Before you go, would you mind if I told you something? I don’t know what you’re investigating and whether this is relevant, but someone’s been spying on you.”
“Who?” I asked. I looked left and right.
Quinn continued, “I don’t want to directly stare at the creature, but there’s a gargoyle sitting on the roof over there who’s been watching your every move. He saw you walking across the square with that statue and—” He abruptly stopped and horror filled his face. His voice was a whisper as he said, “That isn’t a statue, is it? It’s a gargoyle. What’s wrong with it? Why isn’t it moving?”
Stanley whispered back, “It was a grotesque, and we can’t tell you any more than that.”
Comprehension dawned on Quinn’s face. “Say no more. I think I can guess what’s happened. I won’t say a word. Although, I do know a bit about gargoyles and what they get up to. I’ve come across them in many towns.”
“What do you know about them?” I asked.
“They’re a competitive bunch. They like to have the best positions on roofs. I’ve seen them fighting over the best spots. They don’t like being in the path of a wind current, as you can imagine.” He pulled a face. “Erosion.”
I nodded. “We know about erosion. Thanks for that information, but we have to be going.”
Quinn stood to one side. “I quite understand. Would it help you at all if I sent my butterflies to the other towns I’ve visited? They could make some enquiries about the gargoyles in Brimstone. They might know about any arguments or resentments that have built up here. Although, I’d be surprised if that had happened. The residents here get along with each other so well. That’s one of the wonderful things about Brimstone.”
I considered the matter. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to make a few enquiries. Thank you. Won’t your butterflies mind?”
“They won’t mind at all. They love helping out. Look at them now.”
We looked over at the town square. The black butterflies were dancing with some of the residents. Some had settled on the shoulders and heads of other citizens.
I said, “I’ve never seen those kind of butterflies before. What kind are they?”
Quinn smiled lovingly and said, “They’re Whorled Black Flickers. They’re amazing. These have been in my family for years. I can understand them clearly, and they seem to anticipate my every move. I come from a family of storytellers. It’s all I’ve ever known. It’s all I want to do. A change comes over me when I start telling my tales.”
“I’ve noticed,” I said. I couldn’t keep the suspicion from my voice.
Quinn stopped smiling. “I know what you’re thinking. You’ve seen the effect I have on beings including your gran and Blythe. I don’t know how that happens. And that’s the truth. I’ve been accused of bewitching creatures or using black magic on them.”
“And have you done that?” I asked.
“No. But I can see why you’d be suspicious. Do you have a spell you can use on me to confirm my innocence? Go ahead. I don’t mind. You won’t be the first to suspect me of using black magic.”
Gran and Blythe came skipping over to us. I looked closer. Yes, they were actually skipping. That was going to play havoc with Gran’s knees later.
Blythe tugged playfully on Quinn’s arm. “There you are! We’ve been looking for you. What are you doing all the way over here?”
“I’ve been talking to Cassia and Stanley. Cassia is going to cast a spell on me to see if I’m using black magic on the residents here.” He smiled at me. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Cassia!” Gran announced. “I can’t believe you’re even thinking about using a spell on Quinn.”
“It was my idea,” Quinn said.
Gran gave me an admonishing look before hooking her hand through Quinn’s arm. She said, “No one is casting any spells on you, Quinn. Come on, let’s get back to the gazebo. There’s blueberry wine and strawberry gateau waiting for you.”
Before being dragged away, Quinn said to me, “We’ll meet up later. I want to know more about your adventures.”
I gave him a tight smile. I picked Stanley up and said quietly to him, “I still don’t trust him.”
“Me neither. But we could tell him about our adventures. That wouldn’
t hurt, would it?”
I stroked his head. “I’ll think about that another time.” A movement caught my eye on the roof across the square. I saw a gargoyle jumping up and down, waving his arms about. “Relloc’s trying to get our attention. Let’s go and see what he wants.”
I put Stanley down and we headed across the square and around the back. Relloc was waiting for us on the pavement where we’d found Nitoth’s sandy remains.
He said, “I’ve been trying to get your attention for ages. My arms nearly broke off with all the waving I’ve been doing.”
I said, “We’re here now. What do you want to tell us?”
He pointed towards the fields behind us. “There’s something over there. I spotted it from the roof. Follow me.” He scampered away.
Stanley and I went after him.
We came to a stop at another pile of sand.
“Look,” Relloc pointed.
“What is it? Or who is it?”
“I don’t know!” Relloc snapped. “I saw what you did to Nitoth to make him whole again. Use your horrible magic and do the same to this.”
I ignored his scathing tone and cast my spell at the sand. The sand swirled and rose. A creature appeared.
Stanley said, “He looks like Nitoth. His nose is a bit different, but the rest of him is the same.”
I looked at the dragon-shaped stone creature. “You’re right. His hollow eyes are the same too.”
“He’s been killed,” Relloc pointed out. “Probably murdered like the other one. I think this must be Nitoth’s brother. He spoke about him now and again. Not that I had time to talk to a mere grotesque. I overheard him rambling to others about his brother.”
I asked, “Do you know his name?”
“I think it was Budomm or something stupid like that.” He gave a careless shrug. “One less grotesque doesn’t matter.”
Anger flickered through me. “I don’t know why you’re being so flippant. At the moment, Relloc, you are my number one suspect. You’ve been around both bodies, and you’ve shown little regard for either. Let me ask you this now, and I want the truth. Did you kill Nitoth or his brother?”
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