by Lilly Graves
Soft ringing starts up. “Oh, it’s just my compact.” I pull it out and quickly open it up.
Willow’s Calling, the bottom mirror says in a curly-q font. “Answer Willow.” My aunt’s face comes clearer and clearer through a sparkling fog.
“Hello Chloe, how are you doing? Are you keeping safe?”
“Yeah.” I’m not about to tell her that I blew up Hal’s dishwasher. “All is as well as it could be. I’m just still trying to find answers.”
“Where are you going to sleep tonight? You know I can’t help but worry about you, my dear.”
“I’m still a cat. I’ll just shift back to that persona and rest, probably in the lighthouse.”
“Oh, the lighthouse...” Willow nods reverently. “Well, I was also calling to let you know that Julian came by.”
Of course he did. Eye roll. “What did you tell him?”
“That you haven’t been home for a couple of days, and that I didn’t know where to point him to.”
“Very good.”
“This is a small community. You two are inevitably going to run into one another, especially if you’ll continue roaming down Wildes Road.”
“Yeah, I had a close call today, for sure.” I think of how he entered the cafe while I was standing in line.
“He asked me if you were all right. If you were safe. I felt terrible not giving him any surety.”
“He’s just putting on a show. He wants a tip on where to find me so that he can arrest me.”
I turn my steps back toward the bell tower, to the steep stairs that lead down to the beach.
The rain gets heavier. It falls faster, and I wipe my face with my long sleeve.
“Are you getting any closer to solving Raven’s murder? Or that woman’s from Shady Pines?”
“No, but I now know they’re related. They were murdered by the same killer.”
“How do you know that?”
As I step down to the beach, I update my aunt on the details of Annabelle’s ridiculous appearance to me, and her warnings, made in the alleyway. By the time I reach the lighthouse, I tell Willow to say hello to Nova and Sebastian for me. “Let them know they’re in my thoughts, and I’ll hopefully be able to come back soon, once something gives in the case.”
“I will, Chloe.”
“Oh, Aunt Willow.” I think of something.
“Yes?”
“Was Levinia Croupe Raven’s best friend?”
My Aunt draws in a sharp breath. “I would say Sy was her best friend. But if you mean best girlfriend, then I’d have to say yes. They were close.”
“Huh, so it’s true.” I pause before saying goodbye.
I snap my compact shut and look up the tall foreboding structure, also known as Mystic Cove’s abandoned lighthouse. The rickety railing to the metal ladder is cold and wet against my palms as I climb up.
Inside, I find I’m by myself. No Sylvester Moon. The crashing sea is loud tonight, not offering a soft murmuring lullaby to doze to. The rain comes down in fast, hard splotches. At least I’m safe here, and my thoughts can gather enough to try and make sense of things while awake.
The killer is still in Mystic Cove. They also murdered Maggie.
Hal’s testimony was corroborated by the fact that he passed out at the sight of blood on my hand. He definitely didn’t attack the old nurse, who had at one time been his mother-in-law.
Levinia was out of town at the time of the murder, and Aunt Willow confirmed she had indeed been my mother’s best friend, as strange as that may sound.
CeeCee is still suspect. She was here at the lighthouse with her ten cats. Sy remembers them all meowing like crazy. Boris also confirmed he was here at the time. He saw Raven’s lifeless body against the rocks, down below. However, he was indignant that his witch hadn’t harmed my mother. CeeCee’s message in the sympathy card, where she said she warned Raven of danger pops back to mind. Did she warn her of danger? If she did, why would she also be the one to push her to her death? That doesn’t make sense. Oh, plus, Sy had seen a slender silhouette of someone at the top of the lighthouse with Raven. CeeCee is not slender.
I am so confused. Am I missing someone?
Just then I hear something akin to a loud screech and GONG, reverberating up through the light house, bothering my ears. I pull my wet body up and peek down, over the lookout railing. There’s a slender figure at the base, turning a key in the door.
Who is that? Why are they here at this abandoned structure? I’m not sure, but it sends a chill between my shoulder blades. “Hey!” I call down.
The moonlight hits their face as they look back up at me. I recognize him!
Chapter 19
The shadow at the base of the lighthouse is Henry. Henry, the treasure hunter. Henry, the event planner. Henry, the total weirdo. And right now, he’s totally suss, as in suspect.
Henry bolts off, running as fast as his short little legs take him along the shoreline. I give chase, swinging my legs over the edge, and descending the old metal ladder. “Hey! Wait!”
When my feet hit the rocks, I see he’s got a good lead.
“Henry! Stop!” I call out through the rain. He doesn’t.
With my long legs, however, I’m pleased to find that I’m gaining on him, and ever before he can reach the stairs back up to Wildes Road. His footing stumbled on one of the rocks that juts up out of the dark gray sand, and he falls forward on his knees and elbows. Like a cat in the wild, I’m on him in the next second, pinning his small frame to the ground.
“Hey, get off me!” he whines, trying to punch back at me, but it’s no use. He truly is a weakling. “I did nothing!
I grab both of his wrists and press them into the sand, my legs wrapped over his torso. “If you did nothing, why did you run?”
“Maybe because some maniac was yelling at me, all alone out here, during a rainstorm, and in the middle of the night!”
Hm, that actually makes sense.
I get off of him and reach out a hand to help up. He refuses, wiping off his corduroy pants as he stumbles to a stand. “No thanks!”
“I’m sorry, I’m a little on edge lately. But, seriously, what are you doing out here with a key to the lighthouse. I didn’t think anybody had a key anymore.”
He hesitates. “All right, I’ll tell you. It’s where I store event stuff for the festival each year. It’s just sitting there, with all of that space being unused inside. The beach here is going to be bursting with pop-up event tents in just a few days. I don’t like to have to drive everything in. I like some things on hand.”
Again, it makes sense. “Okay, well, I’m sorry I yelled at you and took you down in a tackle.”
“You didn’t tackle me.”
“Okay, you fell first.”
“Psh, yeah right. I merely crouched down, having seen a reflective shell that caught my attention.”
“In the middle of running away from me.” I cross my arms.
“Fine, I fell on my face just before you battering rammed me. Sound better?”
“Not really,” I admit in a high-pitched tone.
The tide is creeping on us, rushing over our feet with its iciness. We step aside, and Henry continues on his way, not even saying goodbye.
“Wait a minute!”
“What? You want to harass me some more? Who are you anyway? That’s right, you said you work for the newspaper. I’ve got nothing more to say to you.” He mutters incoherent words as he continues his trek back, his hands stuffed deep in his pockets.”
I catch up to him again. “The vision you had of Hal being the murderer—are you sure that’s what you saw?”
He huffs and faces me. “Look, I already told you. Either believe me or don’t. I don’t care. I have more important matters rattling around in this genius brain of mine.”
“But Hal faints at the sight of just a drop of blood. It couldn’t be him.”
Henry throws up his hands. “I don’t know what to tell you. Just please leave me alone.�
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I stop walking and watch him go. His head shaking in frustration, he continues babbling a string of more words to himself.
Something still doesn’t sit well with me about Henry. I can feel it at the back of my neck. I turn to head back to the lighthouse.
A shell glints golden in the moonlight. It’s right in the middle of where we scuffled, the ground tossed about like a kid’s sandpit. I pick it up.
It’s not a shell at all. It’s a key.
Could it be? I go to the lighthouse.
Once there, my adrenaline is bouncing all over the place. I’m grateful Sy isn’t here at the moment, because I’d like to snoop alone. Just what is Henry up to?
The doorknob appears old and crusty with rust. I force the key into it and turn. It clicks, and as I open the heavy door it moans in protest. But I get it wide enough to slide in, no trouble.
Leaving it open, the moonlight sifts through enough to see shadowy items around the large, circular room, a staircase leading right up the center. I wish I could shift, so that my cat eyes could use their night vision and see even better. Instead, I slide my magical compact out of my back pocket, open it up and point the glittering bright magic around me, as a soft flashlight.
It’s a concrete space that hasn’t been eroded by the sea or weather, still in good condition. Right away, I do see an event tent folded up in a corner, along with some chairs stacked. That checks out with Henry’s story. Holding my compact, I step back a moment, trying to get a full three-sixty view, when I knock into something by accident.
I turn to find something akin to an ornate metal tripod with metal clamps budding up at the top, like pliers with four clamps instead of two. It’s holding something between those pincers. I shine my compact close to it. “A moonstone…”
One of the ingredients to the incantation. This has to be Henry’s, and he’s chosen this weird old thingamajig to hold it up.
He really thinks he’ll get the treasure, doesn’t he? If I steal it, he will know it was me. I’m the one who followed him and took his key.
This room is too important to him. He’ll find a way in no matter what. I turn to the left. A sheet is covering something. When I remove it, chills are sent rushing down my spine.
It’s the same chair Sy was strapped to in Shady Pines. What in the world?
“Henry, you little sneaky rat,” I touch one of the leather straps meant to bind poor souls into submission down at the facility.
It’s starting to come together. Henry was lying to my face about Hal, because Henry is the murderer! He’s old enough to have been around during my mother’s demise. He’s been coming here yearly, according to Marney, to help with the festival and do his treasure hunting. This chair links him to Maggie and Shady Pines.
A loud moan steals my attention.
It’s the door.
It’s opening wider.
Someone is here.
I pray that it’s Sy, so I can warn him of what evil has been lurking right below our refuge.
The intruder peers in with a flashlight beaming ahead of then. That beam lands straight on me.
Chapter 20
“Chloe.” It’s Julian’s rich, smooth voice. “I thought I might find you here.”
The cat and mouse game is over. Only, I’m not the clever feline in this scenario; the detective is. I’m just standing here, mouth agape, simply looking like my cheese has been taken away. My time is up. I’m getting arrested.
“Yep, you found me.”
He steps over to me slowly. “I was worried something could have happened.”
“Well, you know,” I say. “Even if it had, I’d just pop right back to Mother Earth with another life.”
“You’re drenched.” His eyes look over my face.
“It’s.... raining.”
“There’s no heating here.” He glances around. “What is all this stuff?”
“I just stumbled into it myself. This is a chair from Shady Pines.” I point. “And that’s a moonstone in some weird thingamajig holder. These aren’t my things. I caught someone else here.” My usual excitement over figuring out a mystery element has deflated. In a droll, I add, “You don’t have to arrest me now. I can make a deal with you. I’ll tell you who the murderer is, not only of Maggie from the other night, but my mother, and then you can let me be free.”
Julian gives a bit of a funny, side-eye gaze. “Who did all of this, Chloe? And why do you think they’re the murderer?”
I shiver and hug my body. “You’re right, it is freezing here.” A cold fog even escapes my lips as I speak. “I’m not feeling so good.”
“You’re pale.”
Slumping to the ground, I reach out my wrists. “Go ahead and cuff me if you want.”
He comes down to the ground with me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t want to arrest you.”
My eyes flutter. He looks so sincere.
“You don’t want to arrest me anymore? Because I have information on the killer?”
“No, Chloe. I never intended on arresting you.”
“But I put you in a hard spot. You said so yourself, down at the bakery.”
“You did put me in a hard spot, because you’re getting too deeply involved in this case. You released a man without legal consent, and then his nurse was found murdered the next day. I haven’t been happy about it, to say the least, but that wouldn’t lead me to arresting you.”
A flash of Julian cuffing me at the bakery comes to mind. “But… the moon pie. It showed me you were going to arrest me, right there, at Marney’s.”
“I wasn’t going to arrest you.” His hazel eyes are at my level, appearing sincere in their unblinking. “Is that why you ran away?”
I don’t want to argue with Julian right now. I have little strength and I’m freezing. If he wants to console me by saying he wasn’t going to arrest me, then fine. But I still know what I saw.
“You’re not doing well.” He presses the back of a hand to my forehead before wrapping me in his suit jacket. “Not only do you have a fever, but I can sense a drop in your magical energy. Let me take you home, where you can get warm and rested up.”
I try and stand but find that I can’t. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I’m not doing so well.”
Julian pockets his flashlight and scoops me up off the ground and into his arms. I pull myself against the crook of his neck and relax into his hold.
“His name is Henry. He comes annually to Mystic Cove in hopes of getting Tom Dodd’s Treasure. You can find him through Phoebe, as her assistant. Marney told me.”
“Don’t worry any more about it. I’ll look into it.” He pushed us through the heavy door to the outside of the lighthouse.
The rain ceases to fall. Julian holds me tight as he walks along the shoreline, his strides lightly rocking me from side to side. I find great comfort in his hold. I slightly turn my head to feel his warm skin against my cold nose. He smells amazing. I take the opportunity to draw a deep breath in. His hand rubs my back with care in response.
“You smell good,” I weakly say.
“So do you.”
“I must smell like a wet puppy.” I lightly laugh.
“No, you still smell amazing. Always smell amazing.” He rests his cheek against the top of my head for a long moment.
“I had a daydream the other day… while under the influence of catnip… that we were dancing close. It was like this… but different.”
Did I just say too much? The fever must be letting down my inhibitions.
“Mmmm…” he simply acknowledges.
I’ll gladly take that response.
Julian is actually nice and strong. Not ripped like Sylvester, but that’s too much, anyway, in my opinion. I can see the warlock’s bicep bulging through his black dress shirt, and that’s perfectly scrumptious. He isn’t straining at all with me, a tall girl, in his hold.
Wait a minute. Why aren’t I shifting in his embrace? Isn’t that how it works? I�
�m too weak at the moment to talk about it. I’m also enjoying this way too much to interrupt the moment.
Too soon, I am brought to his police sedan. Too soon, he let’s go of me. And then we’re driving off, back to my home also known as 13 Nightshade Street.
As I’m too weak to walk up the porch and go home. Julian again carries me. Hm, maybe I’ll play up this whole damsel in distress thing more sometime. Aunt Willow answers the door and after Julian explains things, she offers him to take me upstairs to lay me in bed.
Gently, he lays me right on top of the comforter. “Do you have the energy to change your clothes?”
“Why?” I give a coy look. “If I don’t, are you going to help me?”
Did the detective, and most eligible bachelor in Mystic Cove, just blush? He definitely turns his head away for a moment and rubs his chin. When he looks back at me, he says, “You sound like you’re doing better already.” Then he goes to the door. “Night Chloe.”
“Night… Julian.” I stare at him as he exits and closes the door tight.
I drop my head back on a pillow. “What just happened tonight?”
Gotta get out of my drenched attire. I pull myself out of bed and change into a silky black pajama set that Aunt Nova had given me from her boutique. Sliding under the maroon covers of the queen-sized bed, I gaze at the half moon. It’s at this moment that I wonder where Sy is, what he is up to. I hope crazy Henry won’t find out his secret.
My imagination drifts to Julian taking Henry into custody and locking him up. I can sleep well tonight, right? I’ve found my mother’s murderer.
Why don’t I feel reassurance?
Chapter 21
The next morning, I feel totally back to myself. I hop out of bed, run down the hall and knock on Nova’s door, first to the right.
She opens it, already dolled up for the day, just placing a dime-sized cubic zirconia earring on. “Morning Chloe, so happy you decided to return home. How are you?”
“Hold on to me. See if I switch back to a cat.”
