I walked into the building, looking around as if searching for a sign to the bathrooms. Instead, I spotted Chief Enforcer Tyson, her long black ponytail running behind her back, following Renee’s brother into a room off to the right. She closed the door behind her, and it was obvious there was no way to follow them without being seen.
This might be the paranormal world, but the regular rules of HVAC had to apply, right? I slipped quickly into the room next to theirs and locked the door behind me as well. Looking at the wall separating us, I was pleased to find a vent large enough for me to squeeze through without feeling insanely claustrophobic. The room I was in seemed to be a sort of waiting room. Old-fashioned couches and chairs were spread around with a large bookshelf taking up the entire wall on the left side of the room.
There was nothing I could use here to loosen the screws on the vent, and I bit my lip. Pulling out my phone, I texted Scarlett — hoping she wasn’t equally busy — asking for a spell. Her reply popped up on the screen a moment later, and I pulled out my wand, repeating the words silently to myself before pointing the stick at the first of the four screws.
“Venus, goddess so beautiful, undo this screw so I can do the needful.”
The first of the four screws magically began twisting in its socket, falling silently against the plush navy carpet on the floor. I smiled to myself, filled with a sense of confidence and satisfaction every time I managed to pull off a spell.
Repeating the process three more times, as the last screw fell out, the vent covering fell to the ground with a small clang as it knocked against the wall, but I was confident it wouldn’t have been too loud. I took a deep breath and climbed into the vent.
The space turned out to be a lot smaller than it had appeared when I looked at it from the outside. I crawled around on my arms, trying not to think about how awkward the return trip was bound to be. Passing through the wall, I was pleased to find it only took about thirty seconds before I reached the other end of the vent which, sure enough, was in the room where Chief Enforcer Tyson currently spoke with Renee’s brother.
I stayed a few feet away from the vent, not wanting to accidentally be spotted, but I could still hear the conversation between them, clear as day.
“You’re saying your sister didn’t owe you any money?” Chief Enforcer Tyson asked.
“No, she didn’t,” the wizard replied. His voice was low and gravelly.
“It’s interesting you say that, Dylan, because we have Renee’s phone and have found text messages between the two of you that show you were quite angry about not being paid the twenty-three thousand abras she owed you.”
Dylan sighed. “Fine. She did still owe me the money. And I was mad about it. But I spoke to her a few days ago, and she promised me she was going to get it to me.”
“Did you have a recent death in the family, apart from Renee? Any sort of inheritance coming in that she could have used to repay you?”
“No,” Dylan replied. “Nothing like that. I asked her where the money was going to come from, as I was obviously skeptical, and she told me she’d found another source of income.”
“Do you have any idea what that new source was?”
“Again, no. Frankly, I didn’t believe her when she told me.”
“And why was that?”
“She’d lied so many times about being able to pay me back in the past. First it was that she’d gotten a new job, one that paid better than The Love Shack. But that turned out to be a lie. Then she told me she was going to get the money from Mom and Dad, and I told her to keep them out of this. I found out later from Mom that she asked them for money, but they refused. They knew what she was like.”
“How long has she owed you this money for?”
“Well, it wasn’t all at once. A thousand abras here, a thousand there, that sort of thing. I think I started lending to her about two, maybe three years ago. I’d mentally written off the idea that she was ever going to pay me back. I stopped giving her more money when she asked about six months ago, and I wasn’t going to give her any more.”
“Do you know who might have killed her?” Chief Enforcer Tyson asked, and Dylan sighed, taking a moment to answer.
“I’ve asked myself that so many times over the last day. Renee wasn’t without her problems – she had a temper, she had terrible taste in wizards, and she lived a lifestyle she couldn’t afford. But she wasn’t a bad witch, and she was my sister. It’s so hard to imagine anyone wanting to kill her. At the same time, I don’t know who she was involved with. If I wouldn’t give her the money, who would she go to? She was addicted. She loved money more than she loved anything else. That was her downfall, in the end. Love is such a powerful force that when used incorrectly, it can truly destroy people. I think that’s what happened to my sister, but I didn’t kill Renee. We were family. She might have had problems, but I wouldn’t have killed her. And certainly not over twenty thousand abras. It would have been nice to have that money, sure, but I’d give up every abra I had in the world if it meant getting my sister back.”
I had to admit, Dylan’s words were touching. But then, my mother could be touching too when she wanted to be. When it suited the ends she was after to do so.
“Did you know that your sister had broken up with Oliver?”
“Yes,” Dylan replied. “She called me and told me about it right after it happened. She said he had threatened her and she didn’t feel safe. I came over and spent a few hours with her. After he didn’t come back, she said it was fine and told me I could go. I insisted on staying the night, but she eventually told me to go home. She thanked me for coming. I was worried about her, but she was a grown witch. And luckily, nothing happened that night. Do you think Oliver could have killed her?”
“What do you think?” Chief Enforcer Tyson asked in reply, evading an answer.
“I think he could have, from what I know of the wizard,” Dylan answered, nodding. “I don’t think he’s smart enough to plan anything, but in the heat of the moment, I could imagine him doing something like that.”
“Do you own a knife? Just a plain hunting knife?”
“No,” Dylan replied. “I’m a wizard, if I ever need to cut something, I use my wand.”
“Do you know if Oliver owns one?”
“Sorry, I wouldn’t have a clue about that. I’d assume it’s the same as me. One wand is a lot more convenient than owning a whole bunch of objects.”
“Alright, thanks for talking with me,” Chief Enforcer Tyson said. “I know this can’t be an easy time for your family.”
“It’s awful. Mom and Dad are so broken up about it. I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now. I’m trying to be strong for the both of them and for Sara, but it’s really hard. Renee was the middle child. I think she always struggled for attention and felt like she was left out where Sara and I were doted on. It wasn’t true, of course – Mom and Dad did their best to make us all feel loved – but that was the impression Renee had. I wish things could have ended differently for her. She didn’t deserve to die.”
“She didn’t,” Chief Enforcer Tyson said. “I promise you, we’re going to do whatever we can to find her killer.”
“Thank you,” Dylan replied. “Do you have any suspects? Or am I not supposed to ask about that?”
“I can tell you we do have at least one person who is a suspect, but beyond that, I’m not at liberty to say.”
“Understood. Thank you for everything you’re doing to find my sister’s killer.”
“Of course,” Chief Enforcer Tyson murmured demurely. “Now, I think I’ve kept you away from your family for long enough.”
The sound of footsteps told me the two of them were leaving the room, which meant it was time for me to go, too. I squeezed myself slowly back through the vent until I reached the hole at the other end through which I’d entered.
I carefully replaced the vent, finger-tightening the screws and hoping it wouldn’t fall back out for a while, before lea
ving the room and heading back out into the crowd.
CHAPTER 21
A s I headed back outside, I scanned the crowd, looking for Scarlett, but I had a feeling it was completely hopeless. There were thousands of paranormals hanging around. The vampires were obvious; they hung around together on the far side where they could stand in the shade, which I imagined was the best they could hope for in the middle of a sunny day like this. The other paranormals were all mixed together. The fairies were obvious from their wings, the elves tended to be taller and more elegant than the others, and the shifters were almost as tall as the elves but built more sturdily.
Yes, my skills at identifying different paranormals were certainly improving.
“You’re Mina, right?” someone said to my left, and I turned to find myself staring at a witch who looked to be in her mid-forties, maybe a bit older. Her tightly permed, blonde curls framed a sour face with pursed lips and beady eyes that stared at me from behind oversized glasses. She looked slightly familiar somehow, but I couldn’t quite place where from.
“That’s me,” I replied with a friendly smile.
“You act like you belong here, but you don’t,” the witch snarled at me, and I startled in surprise.
“Excuse me?”
“Sure, you might have the genes that make you a witch, and you might technically have been born into this coven, but you’re not the kind of witch we want around here. Don’t act like you’re one of us. You weren’t born into this lifestyle, and you don’t know what the coven of love is all about.”
“Neither do you, apparently,” I replied. “Everyone else has been welcoming and kind to me. It’s not like I chose to be born in the human world.”
“Witches are witches. We’re supposed to be raised to use our magic. It’s a part of who we are. You can stay here, but you’ll never be one of us.”
“Gee, how kind of you to tell me I can stay here,” I replied. I’d been in New York for long enough that I knew how to return sass when the situation required it.
“Just know your place,” the witch muttered at me before walking off.
“If you don’t watch it, I’ll place my foot up your…” I muttered to myself but trailed off as another witch caught my eye. This time it was Alya, and she waved at me enthusiastically when she spotted me from about fifty feet away then came over as quickly as she could.
“Mina,” she greeted me, immediately opening her arms and taking me in a huge hug. I had a sneaking suspicion this conversation was going to go very differently to the one I’d just had. “It’s so lovely to finally meet you. I’m Alya Barak, the head of this coven. Welcome to our family.”
Alya pulled away and held me at arm’s length, looking me up and down while shaking her head slowly. “It’s really you. You look exactly like the other Sornik witches. I wanted to come and introduce myself earlier, but what with Renee’s death, I’m afraid I just haven’t had the opportunity.”
“Of course,” I replied. “Completely understandable.”
“I’m grateful you think so. We had no idea of your existence, of course, or we would have tried to find you sooner. How have your first few days in the paranormal world been? You’ve spent your whole life up until now in the human world, I understand.”
“Yes,” I said with a nod. “That’s right. So far it’s been great, actually. Most people have been very welcoming. It’s been a bit of a transition, though. I’ve never used magic before, obviously, and while Scarlett and Victoria have been wonderful in teaching me, I still feel as though I’m very much behind.”
“Of course,” Alya replied. “I don’t believe anyone expects you to catch up to the other witches your age anytime soon. I do hope you won’t feel any pressure to try to rush the process. Magic is a very intimate art, and I would recommend that you take the time to appreciate the nuances as you learn.”
I nodded as Alya continued. “I spoke with Eva, and she’s willing to support you for as long as it takes for you to find something you’re willing and able to do, job-wise.”
“Oh yeah, I don’t want to sit around not working,” I replied. I’d spent way too much of my life as a workaholic for that. “I’m hoping to find something in marketing.”
“Good,” Alya said. “It makes me happy to hear that. And have you had any trouble with other witches or wizards of the coven? I heard you had a run-in with poor Renee just before she was killed.”
“I did,” I replied. “Although in hindsight, given as she’d just broken up with her boyfriend, I can understand why she was feeling a little bit testy. I accidentally ruined her potion while getting an ingredient. It’s very sad what happened to her.”
“It is,” Alya replied with a solemn nod. “I hope Chief Enforcer Tyson will be able to get to the bottom of it and solve the case.”
“Do you think she will?” I asked.
“Oh yes. I’ve known Melissa Tyson since we were both young, and she’s a very good Enforcer. She’s extremely dedicated to her work, and she won’t stop until she’s found the killer. There’s no one in this town I trust more than her, and when the previous Chief Enforcer retired, I was one of the leaders of the paranormal species who voted for her.”
“Good,” I said. “She does seem to know what she’s doing, not that I really know what to look for.”
“She does,” Alya confirmed. “If you ever need anything in terms of law enforcement, take it from me, you can go to her. Now, you said most people were nice to you. Have you been having problems with anyone other than Renee?”
“No,” I lied. “No problems.”
“That’s funny because I heard you told Katelyn Cross where she could shove her opinions the other day, and her mother Margaret certainly didn’t look pleased as she was walking away from you just now,” Alya said, a knowing smile flitting across her lips.
A blush crawled up my face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to lie. It’s just…” I trailed off, not really knowing where to go from there.
“You’re new here, and you don’t want to stir up trouble.”
“Yeah, exactly that.”
“Well, don’t worry. Katelyn and Margaret have been stirring up trouble for a lot longer than you’ve been here.” A scowl came over Alya’s face. “Frankly, I don’t agree with any of their political opinions at all, and I wish there was a way to legally prevent them from being able to refuse service to certain paranormals. But unfortunately, there isn’t at the moment. If they hassle you too much, let me know. I’ll make sure they’re reminded that we belong to the coven of love, and that means showing love to all of its members.”
“Thanks,” I said gratefully to Alya. There was no way I was going to go to her about that sort of thing – I figured as an adult my days of tattling about people I didn’t like were over – but it was nice of her to offer.
“Not a problem.”
“So what is it that you do as head of the coven?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s mostly a bureaucratic position,” Alya replied with a soft laugh. “It’s not nearly as impressive as the title sounds. I represent the witches of this coven whenever there are meetings that need to be attended, generally the monthly meeting of the heads of species here in town. We also have a yearly countrywide meeting between the heads of covens, and if there are ever any issues that arise between witches and wizards who belong to different covens, I speak with the head of the other coven to try and smooth things out and solve the problem.”
“Ok, so it’s actually not quite as exciting as I possibly imagined?”
“It’s certainly not that. But I do make sure to check in on my witches and wizards. I take my role as the head of the coven of love very seriously, and I like to think of myself as always having my door open. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. I work right in there,” she said, motioning to the town hall behind us with her head.
“Thank you very much,” I replied. “That’s very kind of you.”
“Of course. Anything you need. Now, if
you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with a local businessman scheduled a few minutes from now.”
“It was very nice to meet you,” I said.
“And you. Welcome to the coven. I can’t express how happy I am to have you join us.”
As Alya walked off and into the building behind me, the feeling of dread I’d had after the conversation with Margaret disappeared completely. It was nice to know that while there was one family in particular that wasn’t a fan of me, almost everyone else was happy for me to be here.
I well and truly began to feel like I really belonged.
CHAPTER 22
“Did you find out anything useful?” Scarlett asked me when we joined up with one another a few minutes later.
I recounted to her the conversation I’d overheard between Chief Enforcer Tyson and Renee’s brother Dylan.
“How about you?” I asked. “Overhear anything good?”
“Oh, just one little thing,” Scarlett replied. “Simon Harwell, as it turns out, was in town right around when Renee was killed. He wasn’t in his office at all.”
My mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. He had a business lunch at a local café that finished around twelve-thirty. I overheard a wizard talking about it since he’s considering hiring Simon’s company.”
“No kidding. So he had the opportunity to kill Renee.”
“Exactly. I don’t know if the fairy at reception was covering for him or if he actually did leave without her noticing, but he wasn’t at the office when Renee was murdered.”
“Good to know. We should tell Ali.”
“Right. Let’s meet up with her again. I want to see if she found some more proof that would be damning against Oliver.”
Twenty minutes later, we were back in Mt. Rheanier sitting on one of the most glorious patios I had ever seen. The patio had two high fences on either side, giving it privacy from the buildings next door, but no fence at the back, allowing a gorgeous view over the lake. The water sparkled as the sun shone down on the lake while I slowly sipped an iced coffee, enjoying this lazy summer afternoon from a picnic table on the patio of the local coffee shop with Scarlett.
Hex Over Heels: A Witch Cozy Mystery (Fairy Falls Mystery Book 2) Page 12
