by Amy Boyles
Axel nodded. “Good to know.”
Gilda tightened the stole around her neck. “It was nice meeting both of you, but I need to get going.”
Axel gestured for her to lead the way. “Of course.”
We followed her out and watched as Gilda locked the shop and shuffled to her car.
I shot Axel a look. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Axel shook his head. “If you’re thinking I’m going to the will reading and you’re going to change clothes for your first day at the familiar shop, that would be about right.”
I pressed a finger to the side of my mouth and pouted out my lips. “Um, I’m pretty sure you’re going to take me because if you don’t, I’m going to hand the mute kitten right back to you and you can see how much information you get out of it.”
He shook his head. “You know that cat might tell you exactly who killed Ebenezer?”
I nodded. “I know, and I’m the only person who can hear it, if it decides to talk.”
Axel rolled his eyes. “If you hand it to me, then you won’t be able to get yourself off the hook.”
I fisted my hands. “Okay, how about when the kitten does start talking, I go to the police instead of you? How’re Ebenezer’s kids paying you anyway? Only if you figure out the case? Or do you get a bonus if you crack it? The cat can help you crack it. I can help you crack it.”
Axel sighed. “Okay. But let’s get you a quick change of clothes and big sunglasses so no one recognizes you.”
I laughed as I followed him to a ’69 Mustang. At least, it looked like a ’69. Heck in high heels, it might’ve been a ’70. I don’t know nothing about no cars, only that they’re new or old, and this one was old.
I slid onto the buttery leather and said, “I don’t think you should be worried about anyone in town recognizing me,” I said, nodding toward a group of women strolling into the town coffee shop, Gargoyle’s Grind.
“Why’s that?” he said.
I smirked. “Because half the women in town have red hair. I’m as normal as can be around here.”
We reached Betty’s house, which I’m guessing was now my house, about ten seconds later. Yes, y’all, that’s how small this town is. Axel wanted to wait in the car, but afraid he’d ditch me, I yanked him inside.
Which is where I found Betty, sitting in a rocking chair facing the door, a shotgun over her knees.
“Whoa,” I said, rearing back. “What are you expecting to come in that door?”
Betty put the shotgun down, lit a pipe and started puffing. Wow. I didn’t know my grandmother smoked a corncob pipe. What else would I find out about her? Probably more than I wanted to know, like her streaking through Magnolia Cove.
“I was expecting whoever kidnapped you to come through, but I see you went with this man willingly.” She hooked a fish eye on me. “Listen here, girlie. You’re welcome to stay here, but I won’t have one of my granddaughters running wild around this town with any Tom, Dick and Harry who she pleases. You may not’ve had any morals up in that Nashville place, but around here, we are A-list when it comes to morals. I’ve got morals up to my eyeballs.”
I crossed my arms. “First of all, this isn’t what you think. I have plenty of morals and do not go around throwing myself at men. Secondly, I heard you streaked through town and put everyone asleep so you could do so.”
Betty pulled the pipe from her mouth. “Now how the heck would anyone know I did it if they were all asleep?”
I glanced back at Axel for help. “I mean, she’s right. How do you know that?”
“Because she bragged about it later. Mrs. Craple, this is not what it looks like. I ran into your granddaughter trying to sneak out of town. Rufus was about to attack her, and I saved her from him and brought her back into town.”
“Likely story,” Betty said. “From now on, you’re under curfew. You’ve got to be back in your bedroom at ten p.m. sharp.”
I balked. I hadn’t had a curfew in forever. But from the nasty snarl Betty had on her face, I did not want to tangle with her.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll be in my bedroom every night by ten p.m. No problem. But now I need a change of clothes. We’ve got to run. We’re trying to figure out who killed Ebenezer.”
Betty nodded. “Fine. I’ll be at the shop at ten to help you open. You may need me.” She tapped her temple. “I have special talents.”
“Great,” I said.
“And you’ve got a full wardrobe in your closet now. Don’t worry. I picked out every outfit by myself.”
“Awesome,” I said, dashing up the stairs to my mom’s old bedroom.
Mattie stretched when I entered. “Someone made nice-nice with Mr. Sexy.”
“No time to talk,” I said. “I’ve got to jet.”
I took a two-minute shower and riffled through the closet. Which held a variety of clothes from the seventies and eighties.
Oh crap.
My choices were either a polyester bodysuit with a paisley print and bell bottoms or a silver Michael Jackson jacket with shoulder pads that jutted out a mile in each direction.
Bodysuit it was.
I put on the bodysuit and was hoping Betty had at least left me some kind of curly-haired wig to complete the getup, but no dice.
So I towel dried my hair and put it into a messy bun. I found Axel downstairs and Betty with the shotgun draped over her legs again.
“Ready?” he said.
I nodded. “See you at the store,” I said to Betty. “I don’t think you’ll need that shotgun.”
“You never know,” she said, eyeing Axel. “I might just bring it with me.”
We hopped into the car and took a winding road out of town and up a hill to a tall gothic home. Stone gargoyles marked each side of the gate, and the tall windows and black shutters were more reminiscent of the Addams family than a pawnbroker.
And boy, were there a slew of cars in the driveway. Plenty of folks were heading inside. The women wore black dresses and the men wore black suits.
I eyed Axel’s black ribbed shirt and jeans. “I guess we stick out like a sore thumb.”
He slid into an empty spot and flipped off the starter. “Speak for yourself.”
I threaded my fingers through a strand of wet hair. “It was between this and a Jackson Five reunion.”
Axel grimaced. “I guess you made the right choice, then. Come on. They’re probably about to start.”
We slinked inside. A grand foyer greeted us. Dark wood floors, tall wainscoting and crystal chandeliers gave the home a rich, elegant look. Ebenezer had been such a miser, I figured he probably had a safe underneath the house stocked full of gold.
There was probably a leprechaun in it, too, guarding it.
Rows of seats were lined neatly facing the staircase. Axel pulled me off to the side. We stood behind a full-sized suit of armor. I could feel heat from Axel’s body through my polyester pantsuit. His fingers tightened around my arm as he nodded toward the front.
There sat Gilda, stroking her mink stole.
Axel leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Some of the family who hired me are here, too.”
“Which ones?”
He tipped his chin down toward me. His blue eyes swam in front of me. They were like liquefied sky. I felt a buzzing in my head and looked away.
He nodded discreetly at a long-legged blonde and a copper-headed man. “They hired me. Those are his kids.”
I frowned. “But his nephew is a cop.”
Just then, Todd the Policeman walked past us. I wedged myself farther behind the armor, hoping to stay as hidden as a woman wearing wallpaper could.
“The kids wanted an independent investigation—just in case.”
“Just in case of what?”
A man moved to a lectern placed in the center of the room. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and a gray silk suit. His beard was neatly trimmed, and basically he had the tailored look of wealth dripping from him.
“Thank you ev
eryone for coming,” he said. “We’re here to read the last will and testament of Ebenezer Goldmiser.” He placed a slender box in front of him and retrieved a key from his pocket. He unlocked the box and opened the lid.
The lawyer stopped. Opened and shut the lid again. He glanced up and gazed at us. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m not sure how to say this, but the last will and testament of Ebenezer Goldmiser is gone. It’s been stolen.”
ELEVEN
“Do you think the lawyer took it?” I said to Axel when we slipped back into his car.
Axel shook his head. “No, I don’t believe so.”
“Then who did? And how did they get access to it?” I said.
He flipped the ignition. “I don’t know. I need some face time with the lawyer for that one.”
“And so what happens now?” I said. “Who gets what?”
Axel grunted. “If the attorney has a copy of the will in his office, that’s what he’ll use.”
I pushed my glasses onto my head. “What if it isn’t the right copy?”
Axel shrugged. “How would anyone really know? Ebenezer might not’ve told his lawyer of any changes he made.”
I frowned. “So theoretically someone would know about the changes, and maybe they didn’t like said changes and stole the will?”
Axel shot me a charged look. “Or, we can jump ahead three paces before we know more about what’s going on.”
I shrugged. “It was just a theory.”
“Ebenezer might’ve taken his will back to make adjustments. It could be in the house somewhere.”
I folded my hands over one knee. “How’re you planning to find out?”
He smiled. “I’m going to talk to the lawyer.”
“Sounds great. When do we go?”
Axel chuckled. “There is no ‘we’ in this. You have to go to work, remember? Match people with their familiars and make all their magical dreams come true.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right. And I’ll do you another favor and see if I can get the cat to talk. Remember the cat? The one who might’ve been witness to a murder?”
“I remember. But the cat’s not talking, and until she does, I’ve got other leads to follow up on.”
Axel pulled into a spot in front of Familiar Place. It was nine thirty, which gave me a little time to get ready before we opened.
Get ready for what, I didn’t know, but I could figure something out.
Axel told me he’d check on the cat later, so I got out and unlocked the door. First thing I did when I got in was refill all the waters, even though they were filled to the brim as it was, and gave all the animals their own scoops of food.
“We get two scoops,” one of the puppies said.
“No, three scoops,” another corrected.
I glanced down at the little white-and-black pups covered in silky fur. “Are y’all fibbing?”
“No, we don’t know what fibbing is,” said the first one.
I wagged my finger. “I’ll give you one more scoop. But y’all have to promise not to eat so much that you get sick.”
The puppies rolled happily over one another. “We promise!”
I gave them one more scoop of food and turned to the cat in the carrier. She was awake, and blinking those green eyes steadily at me.
“How about we get you out of there and let you roam awhile? Sound good? Only, you have to promise not to leave.”
The calico simply stared.
“She doesn’t want to talk,” said one of the kittens. “But we talk.”
“Thank you for clearing that up,” I said.
I unzipped the carrier. The cat padded out slowly until she sat on the counter. She hunched down into a ball and coiled her tail around. She closed her eyes and purred.
Feeling sorry for her—she had just lost her owner—I scratched behind her ears, trying to get her to trust me enough to talk.
The door opened and in walked my newly acquired Grandma Betty. Today she was wearing white cowboy boots, jeans and a western-looking shirt with fringe on the back and front.
Was she going to a costume party? Looking down at my jumpsuit, I decided that perhaps she simply liked clothing that had a strong theme—Western wear for her, disco party for me.
“Good morning,” I said.
She pointed a finger at me. “I’m watching you, kid. I don’t know what living in the city did to you, but I’m watching and waiting.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Waiting? For what?”
She puffed out her chest. “For you to make sure you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”
“I’m doing what I’m supposed to be. Heck, I’m not crazy about animals, but here I am, aren’t I? I mean, it’s not like I can leave this town. If I do, I’ll either be arrested for a murder I didn’t commit or carted off by some weird rock-star guy with blue flaming magic.”
Betty pinched her lips. “Well, as long as we understand each other.”
“We understand each other.”
I didn’t understand her at all.
The door opened again, and in walked a tall brunette with wide blue eyes. She wore a short skirt up to her neck, high heels and was being pulled by what looked to be a very eager ten-year-old.
“Aunt Idie Claire, they’re all here. Every one of them! Just like you said.”
My gut twisted so hard I might as well have wrung it out and pinned it to the clothesline outside. Holy jeez. This was my first customer. I could tell. An actual first customer. My fingers trembled as Betty shoved me toward them.
“I’m going,” I muttered.
Betty tugged the fringe on her shirt. “Just making sure. You’ve got a legacy to live up to.”
“Thanks,” I said, walking off. I reached the little girl and her aunt. “Good morning, how’re y’all doing today?”
The woman named Idie Claire—hold on, was that a joke?
“Is your name Idie Claire?” I said.
The woman smiled. “My grandmother always went around saying, ‘I declare!’ My mom thought ‘I declare’ was a person until she was a teenager. She thought it was so funny, she named me that.”
Idie Claire glanced around the shop. “I declare!” She winked at me. “Y’all’ve got more animals than the zoo in the middle of a blizzard!”
Excuse me? “Yes, we’ve lots of animals,” I said.
Her gaze slid over me. “You must be that new girl in town everyone’s talkin’ about. Nice to meet you. I’m Idie Claire Hawker. I do hair over at Spells and Shears. Listen, you ever want a haircut, you call me. And if you want to know anything else about town, you call me, too.”
She slid me a card with a phone number on it. My gaze flickered over to Betty.
Idie Claire saw her and waived. “Well, hey, Betty Craple. You keeping all your clothes on today?”
Betty frowned. “As many as you got, Idie.”
“Hope so.” The hairdresser leaned over. “Bless your heart that she’s your grandmother. There ain’t no one like Betty Craple. God broke more than the mold when he made her. I’m pretty sure he burned it up in a fire right afterward. Maybe threw acid on it, too.”
I stifled a laugh.
“I can hear you,” Betty said. “I’ve got ears like a hawk has eyes. I use my magic to spy on people.”
Idie Claire waived again. “You just keep right on listening. There’s nothing I’m gonna tell her that I wouldn’t say to you.”
She smiled. “Anyhoo, I’ve brought my niece here to pick out her very first familiar. I’m guessing you can help us.”
At this point I had two choices, look like I had no idea what I was doing and get a reputation for that—I mean, this was a small town and folks talk fast when something ain’t right. Or I could fake it until I made it.
Yep. Much better choice.
I turned to the little girl. “What’s your name?”
“Emily.” She had the same bright eyes as her aunt.
“Emily, take my hand and we’ll walk along the anima
ls until you see one that you like.”
Emily slid her hand into mine. I let her lead the way, twisting through the maze of rows that was the pet shop. She stopped at the puppies. They jumped and squabbled toward her. Emily stroked their heads and smiled, but I remembered that Axel said there would be a spark.
There wasn’t one yet.
Then she wandered toward the birds. An African gray parrot settled its stare on her.
“She looks nice,” it said in my head.
I turned to Emily. “Would you like to touch it?”
Emily shot me a secretive grin. “I don’t know. He’s got a big beak.”
I laughed. “Well, we can just move right along, then.”
We tromped over to the cage of kittens. Emily glowed when she saw them. Clearly cats were a favorite of hers.
“Let me play with her,” one said in my head. It clawed up the cage, showing off its talents.
“No. Me.” One from the back pushed its way to the front.
Emily slid her finger into the cage and stroked a couple. Still no spark.
“They’re all so sweet,” she said.
I had an idea. “Emily, why don’t you tell me about your magic?”
She beamed. “Oh, my whole family has magic. All of them. Mine came in about a year ago, and it’s grown so much. See?”
After releasing my hand, Emily took a step back. A light bloomed from her fingers. It floated up, a small bubble of an aura. Then it zoomed around the room, bouncing off walls and counters, zipping and snapping, weightless in its flight until it zoomed into Emily’s mouth. She filled with light. She literally glowed.
It was so freaking cool.
As quickly as it started, her light vanished.
I clapped. “That was awesome.”
“I have light magic,” she said proudly.
“Well, that is super cool.”
All that whizzing around gave me an idea. I took Emily’s hand and said, “Come on.”
In the very back of the bird display sat a pair of gorgeous rainbow-colored birds.
“We’re rainbow lorikeet parrots,” one snipped. “Not just birds.”
