“I’m hoping.” Gideon paused to gather his thoughts. “I should say ‘we’ hope that you can tell us about someone. A person of interest, so to speak. There have been whispers. Nothing much to substantiate them except a small anecdote that led us to here.” Maeve nodded vigorously when he glanced her way. “There’s been talk of a little girl who came here years ago. Now understand, we don’t think she had anything to do with these deaths herself. But someone from her past or possibly her present may be involved. A gentleman who was banished from this town perhaps.” He studied her reaction to his news. Her eyes and body language still communicated her eagerness to hear more. Not wanting to show all his cards, he strategically stopped at this point.
“I believe I know the girl you speak of,” Maeve hesitated. “I’ve only vaguely heard about the man that was banished that night though.”
Gideon braced himself not to react. “Do you think you might could introduce us? I don’t want to scare her. It’s possible she too may be in trouble.”
“We’re not on the best of terms, she and I,” Maeve offered honestly. “But she did come to visit just the other day. She’s sickeningly sweet but I don’t wish her ill. You said you don’t suspect her, right?”
“Absolutely not. We’re hoping she can provide some information. You have my word.”
“I can ask her to come round again. I can’t say I rightly know where she lives.”
“What’s her name?”
Maeve blinked. “Isadora, Isadora Wilde.” She regarded him for a moment. “I thought you knew.”
He shook his head mournfully. “Sadly, our records from then aren’t that forthcoming. We have the mother’s name but not the child. When do you think you could set it up?”
Maeve began to regret being so talkative. She should have asked more questions before telling him Izzy’s name. “I..”
Meow.
Her recently acquired cat entered the room. He had returned less than an hour after he left and had remained around the house ever since.
The cat rubbed his body against Gideon’s pants, purring loudly as he brushed by. Gideon chuckled with delight and reached for the cat.
“Hello, there.” He addressed the cat, then explained to Maeve. “I do so adore these creatures.” Maeve stared on with disbelief as he lifted the cat into his lap and petted him, eliciting a loud purr. So far, she hadn’t been allowed to even touch him, yet the feline was putty in this man’s hands. Maeve’s reticence to share dissolved as she watched him stroke her pet.
She gestured toward it as she spoke. “I’m still trying to come up with a name. He showed up outside last week while I was working in the garden. How did you get him to let you pick him up? He’s been a touch moody every time I’ve tried.”
“Maybe he’s just partial to men,” Gideon maintained his smile as the cat nipped his finger just enough to hurt. He leaned close and whispered into the cat’s ear, “Have you forgotten why you’re here? And don’t think I’m going to forget about that bite either.” Gideon pushed the beast off his lap. “You say you haven’t named him?”
“Not yet,” Maeve shook her head. “I’m still considering what fits.” He refrained from offering several suggestions that sprang to mind as she lifted her coffee for a sip and considered. “Let me talk to Izzy. I’m sure we can work something out for the two of you to meet.”
“I would be extremely grateful if you could.” Gideon stood. “I should get going. I’ve taken up too much of your time.”
“Not at all!” Maeve gushed. “It’s not every day a woman of my age has a handsome man come to visit.”
“You should be kinder to yourself. True beauty such as yours only blooms with age. Let me leave my card with you,” Gideon patted the breast pocket of his jacket. “Well, it appears I’ve left them at home. Do you have something I could jot my number down on?”
“Yes, yes. Let me get something,” Maeve rushed to a small writing desk in the corner and slid open a drawer. She removed a small notebook and pen from inside.
“Here you go,” she offered the items to Gideon.
He meticulously wrote down his cell phone number and handed both the pen and paper back to Maeve. “Once you have something in the works, call me. I don’t want to bother you unnecessarily so I’ll wait for you to contact me.”
“I’ll check with her this afternoon. I promise,” Maeve placed the items on her desk to ensure she wouldn’t misplace them.
“Remember, you could be saving a council member’s life, we appreciate anything you can do for us.”
“You can count on me,” Maeve promised.
Maeve followed Gideon as he made his way to the door. She noticed that not a single hair from the cat had attached itself to his suit. Neat trick, she thought.
“I’ll await your call then, have a lovely rest of your day.” Gideon nodded once, opened the door and left.
Maeve sighed then kicked herself. She should have invited him to dinner. Handsome men offering compliments weren’t banging on her door night and day. Next time, she thought. Next time, she’d be ready.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Izzy
Several uneventful days passed since Izzy and Cass’ excursion into the woods. Izzy had taken advantage of the respite; preparing balms, diffusing oils and making all the various products she was responsible for producing for Indulgence’s inventory. All the hard work came with one admittedly sweet side benefit. Her house currently smelled divine.
At present though, she was outside Agnes’ home. Agnes’ call to the coven had come bright and early that morning. A tad annoyed at the command and the hour of its arrival, Izzy had griped at first. Worry quickly encapsulated her displeasure.
Agnes rarely spent so much time alone. Yet, before this morning, more than a week had passed since Izzy had heard from her. Agnes’ message had been short and succinct. Tonight, my house, it’s time we gathered. No one knew where Agnes had been nor what this meeting was about as far as Izzy knew. Hopefully, distancing herself from everyone had helped Agnes come to terms with Edith’s passing.
Izzy twisted the knob to the front door and entered. Several loud voices could be heard coming from the living room. Roman, Winifred, and Maeve were conferring about something with verve, but it sounded as if they too were glad the group had gathered.
As she rounded the counter’s edge, Izzy spied her guardian with a glass of chardonnay in one hand and using the other to emphasize whatever she was discussing.
“One must always be true to yourself. You know that, Cass darling.” Agnes’ right hand struck out and grabbed Cass’ shoulder to make sure she had her attention. “Don’t let fickle commercialism muddy your spirit.”
Izzy snagged a cube of cheese from one of several boards on the counter as she passed, popping it into her mouth as she walked up to the pair. With one hand covering her face while she chewed, Izzy greeted the pair with a question. “What’s muddying your spirit?”
“There’s my girl!” Agnes spiritedly pulled her into a hug. “I know I taught you to chew first then speak.”
Izzy raised a brow while her face was pushed to rest against Agnes’ shoulder. “What’s this about?” She mouthed to her friend. Agnes wasn’t and had never been a toucher.
Cass grinned from ear to ear and shrugged.
“I’ve missed you,” Agnes murmured softly as she pulled away. Her hand caressed the side of Isadora’s face and stroked her riot of curls.
“I haven’t gone anywhere. Still around,” Izzy lifted her shoulders. “You, however, have been MIA.”
A maudlin and, what Izzy was beginning to believe, slightly tipsy Agnes smiled sadly. “We lost her, poor Edith.”
“I know. I miss her too,” Izzy wanted to squirm. Feelings or expressing them weren’t her forte. Not that she was hard-hearted or cruel. She just didn’t know how to deal with the emotions of others. Especially when she knew she should be doing something – anything, really. But, the clue to what that was continued to be as evasive as
ever. “You’re better now?” she asked.
“Much better, love. Much, much better.” Agnes leaned closer, her eyes alighting on Isadora’s neckline. One finger reached out and rubbed the gold key that hung from a necklace on Isadora’s neck. It was the one thing Isadora always wore, no matter what.
“You’re Mama gave you that. Do you remember?” Agnes questioned softly.
“I remember,” Izzy wanted to stop this conversation in its tracks. She hated talking about her mother, just as much as she loved the only thing her mother left her. Emotion swelled as Isadora’s hand reached up and clasped the key between her fingers, blocking it from view.
“A key to what I wonder?” Agnes wondered aloud. “Riches, treasure, hmm. Or perhaps your heart?” Agnes smiled as she pulled her hand away, the moment ending. “You’ve always the kindest of hearts, Isadora.” Agnes sobered at that moment. Her face turning solemn and pensive. “What am I getting on about?” She spun and counted the women, pointing her finger at each as she canvassed the room. If her body weaved a bit as she turned, no one mentioned it.
Voice raised so all could hear, she spoke above the crowd. “Well, it appears everyone is here. We should probably begin.”
The ladies in the farthest corner continued their conversation despite the loud call to the room. Agnes grabbed a knife and dinged against her wine glass for their attention. Izzy and Cass traded a worried glance as the metal utensil struck the glass, but it didn’t break.
“I wanted to start,” she kept her voice raised until the remainder of the small crowd quieted, “by suggesting we use my house for our meetings for the interim until a new circle can be established. I don’t believe any of us want to hurry and select a poor location out of expediency.”
“Hear, hear!” Several shouted back.
“Good, I’m glad we’re in agreement.”
Ava interrupted, “The police have been looking for you. Where have you been?”
Izzy was surprised at the blunt question but interested in the answer, just the same.
Agnes waved her hand in a shooing gesture. “Oh, nowhere. Here and there. I just needed some time to myself.”
“We understand Agnes. We stand by you,” Rowan scowled at Ava, throwing her support into the lot. “Don’t we, everyone?”
“I appreciate that, Roman.” A touch of dissension bled through the murmuring, but Agnes ignored it. “Does anyone have anything to say before we go to the backyard for the circle?”
Cass’ voice startled Izzy. “I have something.”
Isadora’s eyes widened in a silent effort to quiz her friend. Cass’ head shook no in answer to Izzy’s mental question then pressed on. “Izzy and I went to the woods a few days ago. Not where Edith was,” Cass was quick to clarify. “To the meadow’s edge. We went for...well, it doesn’t matter what we went for. It matters what Izzy found. Tell them,” Cass urged.
Izzy stood paralyzed for a moment. She didn’t know how to explain what she’d seen nor was she even sure of its significance. It could be absolutely nothing. “This could be just a big fat nothing. But a little..” Cass kicked her soundly on the shin and then discreetly pulled her hand across her throat, making a silencing motion. No talk about little men, got it.
Izzy looked back at the inquisitive faces of her friends and fellow witches. Cass was right. They would deem anything she said worthless if she brought up the gnome. “Well, I mean to say, I was walking around at the forest’s edge and I came across something. A dark, almost burnt looking spot. It was big.” Izzy gestured with her arms widely stretched to form a circle. “And there was an odor, it’s hard to describe. If I had to pick something, I would say charred flesh.” She winced and hurried to get the rest out. At this point, the women were turning toward each other and speculation was beginning to run rampant. “I’m not saying it had anything to do with Edith. It was a fair distance away from our circle.” She fretted her hands. “Okay, maybe I am saying it does have to do with it. I don’t know. I just don’t think we should ignore it. I guess that’s my point.”
“Poppycock,” Maeve announced. “That is the biggest load of hogwash I’ve heard come out of your mouth in quite some time young lady.”
Arguments began all around the room. Izzy glowered at Cass. “See why I didn’t bring this up?”
“You should have told me about it first. Now, this is just one more thing I have to clean up.” Izzy was slightly shocked by Agnes’ vehemence as well as the one-eighty of her happy-go-lucky self just ten short minutes before.
Maeve walked over to where the three of them stood, apart from the others.
Izzy noticed Maeve held a cat in her arms. She petted it as she spoke. “Agnes, you need to advise these girls to stop creating all this drama. Edith played with the dark arts, and she paid for it. It’s black and white, and it’s as easy to see as the nose on my face.”
Agnes spun to confront Maeve. “She did no such thing! Edith was a fine woman. And even better witch! You need to mind your words before we come to blows, Maeve. I’ll hex your ass with hemorrhoids, see if I don’t, if you continue to try me.”
“Too late!” Gwendolyn called from across the room. “She’s been a pain in the ass for years.”
Maeve opened her mouth to speak but a loud pounding at the front door silenced the room.
“Agnes Wilde! Open up, it’s the police.”
Maeve smiled in triumph. Agnes gathered her serenity around her and ambled toward the door as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Maeve might have fallen silent but she was still seething in her anger.
No one heard the door open, but Agnes’ greeting carried to where they all stood. “Hello, sheriff. How can I help you?”
Not a peep was uttered as they all listened in.
“We need you to come with us, Agnes.” The sheriff answered.
“Come with you? Where?” Agnes asked back, clearly surprised. “I have a house full of guests.” He glanced past Agnes to see a line of women, all gathered in the hallway leading to the door, heads craned so that everyone had sight of the sheriff and Agnes.
“Ladies,” he tipped his hat to the accumulated group then addressed Agnes again. “I’m sorry then. I didn’t mean to make a spectacle out of this. However, you’ve been avoiding us. And, tonight some new evidence has come to light. We need to ask you some questions.”
Izzy talked over the conversation at the door. Everyone had heard enough as it was. “I believe that’s our cue to leave ladies. We’ll have to do this another night.”
Several women shushed her to quiet, others nodded and moved off to gather their things. Maeve stepped closer to Izzy. Dodger, in his usual spot around Izzy’s neck, hissed as the cat drew nearer. Izzy raised her hand to soothe him even as she took a step back. Maeve pressed forward again.
“You need to come by again, Izzy. We should talk,” Maeve insisted. “It would be in your best interests.”
“Again?” Cass asked.
“I visited Maeve the other day. I’ll tell you about it later,” she widened her eyes with meaning as jerked toward the assembled mass then addressed Maeve. “I appreciate the invitation, but the store keeps me fairly busy and with recent events…” Izzy trailed off hoping Maeve would let it be. After her argument with Agnes just now, she wasn’t feeling super receptive.
“I hope you reconsider,” Maeve sneered. “I really think you’ll regret it if you don’t hear me out.”
Isadora just wanted out of the conversation. Her guardian was being hauled off to jail. She felt her first priority was to hurry everyone out of the house and see what she could do to help Agnes.
No sooner thought and Agnes appeared, tearing around the corner into the kitchen. “You can take care of all this?” Her arms out in a gesture to encompass the people and the trays of food.
“Of course, don’t worry about it. I’ll come to the station as soon as I can.”
“Don’t.” Agnes stopped and made certain she had Izzy’s full attention. “Don’t come. I don
’t want you to see me there.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Izzy argued.
Agnes hissed, “I mean it. If you ever cared a thing for me, DO NOT COME.”
“I hear you,” Izzy spoke softly but with a pause between each word to emphasize what she said. “I’ll be at the house if you need me.”
Agnes softened at her acquiescence. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be home before you know it and we can talk then. All right?”
“Yes, I understand.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Agnes
Three hours after Agnes had been forced from her home by the sheriff, nothing of great import had been accomplished. She was currently alone, forgotten like spoiled food in the back of the fridge.
Memories of her neighbors and how they’d reacted replayed in her mind over and over while she waited. Huddled in their gossiping cliques, gawking and whispering, Agnes’ blood boiled at the injustice. She knew how they sneered at the old witch as the deputy handcuffed her and helped her into the back seat of his car. The entire farce of an arrest had left her smarting in humiliation and disgrace.
Temptation to use her power had tingled on her fingers. Only faithful practice of the goddess’ teachings had kept her from crooking her hand at them in revenge. Prudence and patience was the key.
Once they’d arrived at the station, she had been escorted to the room where she currently sat. Handcuffs removed, they’d left her to sit alone - discarded like an unwanted pet. The pale green, cement-block walls had made her feel caged, surrounding her on all four sides. The only furniture was a flimsy metal table with two matching chairs. These were placed at the center of the room.
When they’d finally returned, the sheriff had entered with another deputy. The sheriff didn’t participate though. He leaned back against the wall by the door and observed without comment while the deputy questioned her. The constant drone of the young man’s voice as he asked her about Edith, their friendship, question after question until his voice changed to a buzzing in her head. It seemed to Agnes the inquisition would never cease. Midnight neared and she didn’t think she could go on much longer. She was tired.
Marked: Thoth's Legacy ~ Book One Page 6
