Grandma Eva stood up. “Yes, we were all here. Thomas began violently coughing, and he collapsed fifteen seconds later. He was dead.”
“Right. I’ll bring in a Healer.”
“I’ve already tested his coffee for poison, and it came up positive. You’ve got a murder on your hands, Chief Enforcer.”
The woman’s mouth pressed into a grim line. “Alright, thanks for the heads up, Eva.” She then turned to face everyone else. “I’m going to be taking down all of your names, as I’ll need to interview all of you later on. Once you’ve left me your name and contact information, you’re free to go, but please stay in town until I’ve said otherwise.”
“Wait, but I have to go back home,” I said, turning to Kyran. “I can’t stay in town.”
“We’ll speak with the Chief Enforcer,” Kyran said. “Let’s explain the situation to her. Wait until the others have left.”
I was on tenterhooks while, slowly, the other people in the coffee shop all went to the Chief Enforcer and left their names and contact information, which she wrote down in her small notebook. Finally, the only people left in the coffee shop were Kyran, Grandma Eva, the Chief Enforcer, the witch whose boyfriend had died, the fairy working the counter, and me.
“Chief Enforcer Tyson, this is Mina Tiller,” Kyran said, stepping toward her and motioning at me. “She’s from the human world.”
Chief Enforcer Tyson raised an eyebrow. “If she were human there wouldn’t be any way for her to be here.”
“No, she’s not human. She’s Camilla Sornik’s daughter.”
“Is she really?” Chief Enforcer Tyson asked, looking between me and Grandma Eva. “I do see the resemblance. But I thought Camilla Sornik died.”
“No,” Kyran replied, shaking his head. “We all thought that, but it turns out she simply went to the human world and rejected magic. She hasn’t cast a single spell in over thirty years. She had a daughter, who in a traumatic incident the other day accidentally used her magic, and I was able to track her down. This is her first visit to Fairy Falls. She lives in New York, though, and needs to be able to travel back home. She has a job and a life there.”
“I’m sorry,” Chief Enforcer Tyson said, looking at me. “I’m afraid I can’t allow you to leave here, especially not to the human world, until I’m finished with this investigation.”
My face blanched. “And how long is that going to take? I need to get home. If I’m not in the office on Monday, I’m going to be fired.”
“The human world is too large,” Chief Enforcer Tyson said. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to stay here until the killer is found. If I let you go back to the human world, and we find out you were responsible, it’s too easy for you to disappear there.”
“No,” I said. “No, I have to go back.”
“Call your boss and ask for some time off,” Kyran suggested. “Hopefully it’ll only take a couple of days before the killer is found.”
I barked out a laugh. “Time off. Right. I haven’t taken a day off in three years. Even when I’ve been sick, I’ve worked from home.”
“If you’d like to do that you can use my computer,” Grandma Eva offered. “I have a top-of-the-line Mac and internet speeds so high it’ll make your head spin.”
I put my head in my hands. “There’s really no way at all for me to go back to the human world until this is over?”
“I’m sorry, I just can’t allow it,” Chief Enforcer Tyson said. “I understand your situation, and I realize I’m putting you in a difficult position, but I would be abandoning my duty by letting you go to the human world, which is thousands of times bigger than the paranormal world.”
“Great. This is just what I need right now,” I muttered, feeling hopeless. I’d lost a huge client on Thursday, and now I was going to have to call in sick. Hopefully it wouldn’t take more than a day or two to find the killer so I could go back home.
“Why don’t I take your statement while you’re here?” Chief Enforcer Tyson offered. “Then you can head on back to Eva’s place and get settled in with her computer to get your work done.”
I looked over at the witch whose boyfriend had just died. “Um, I can wait until you’ve spoken to her first,” I said quietly, motioning toward the woman with my head. “She probably shouldn’t be here for longer than she needs to be.”
“Thank you, that’s kind of you,” Chief Enforcer Tyson said. “Then if you don’t mind, please have a seat somewhere, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.”
I nodded and went back to where I’d been sitting while Chief Enforcer Tyson strode toward the woman.
CHAPTER 7
“Hello. I’m Chief Enforcer Tyson. Can I ask your name?” she introduced herself to the woman, who looked up with bloodshot eyes.
“Linda,” the woman replied. “Linda Funke.”
“I’m sorry about Thomas. I met him last year. He seemed like a good wizard.”
“He was,” Linda said, emitting a quick sob. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
“What were the two of you doing here this morning?”
“We were just enjoying a quick cup of coffee before his shift at the hospital,” Linda said sadly. “Oh no, no one has told them he’s not coming in today.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” Kyran said, pulling out his phone and heading out into the street.
“Who knew you were going to be here this morning?”
Linda looked confused. “I’m not sure. Just us, I guess. Thomas texted me last night asking me if I wanted to grab a quick breakfast and coffee before his shift started at eight.”
“That’s pretty early for a Saturday, if you weren’t also working,” Chief Enforcer Tyson said with a smile.
“My familiar is a fifteen-year-old dog with kidney issues,” Linda explained. “I’m up at five every morning no matter what to let her out to do her business. We often grab breakfast here before his shift starts.”
“How often is often?” Chief Enforcer Tyson asked.
“I don’t know, maybe three, four days a week? But why are you asking all these questions? Didn’t he just choke on something?”
“Actually, he was poisoned,” Chief Enforcer Tyson replied, and Linda’s eyes widened.
“Poisoned? No, that’s not possible. No one would poison Thomas.”
“So you can’t think of anyone who might have wanted to hurt him?”
“Not at all,” Linda said, shaking her head so hard the ringlets in her hair bounced up and down. “There’s no one. Thomas was a saint. He worked as a Healer for Venus’s sake. He wasn’t the sort of wizard to have enemies, let alone have someone hate him so much they would kill him.”
“Was he having any trouble at work?”
“No, no of course not. He was a great Healer. And it’s not like there was anything to be mad about. This is Fairy Falls. It’s just witches and wizards having mishaps with their magic and dragon shifters accidentally burning each other. Nothing you would get mad at a Healer about.”
“How about the two of you? Was everything alright between you?”
“Are you saying I might have killed him?” Linda practically shrieked.
“No, it’s just a routine question,” Chief Enforcer Tyson replied calmly. “The sooner I can eliminate you from my enquiries, the sooner I can move on and find the killer.”
“Ok,” Linda said, taking a few deep breaths. “You’re right. You’re right, of course. It’s just a lot to process at once.”
“I understand,” the Chief Enforcer replied. “So how were things between you two?”
“Fine. Totally fine. We were talking about maybe getting married in the summer. We’ve been together for five years now. And sure, we have the occasional fight, but it’s never been bad, you know. It’s not like I ever caught him cheating or anything. Just stuff like me getting frustrated about how he never put his dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, that sort of thing.”
“What about friends, family? Any proble
ms there?”
“Not at all. We’ve been getting along fine with everyone.”
“How about the people who were in the coffee shop when Thomas passed? Do you know any of them?”
“Oh sure,” Linda said, nodding. “I mean, this is Fairy Falls, after all. Two of his coworkers, a couple of elves, were at the table just over there. They both work in administration at the hospital. One of them is the head of the hospital and the other…I’m not sure. Maybe accounting? Human resources? Something like that. I can’t remember their names, but Thomas said hi to them quickly when we came in. And, of course, we know Mira, here. She’s seen us here at the café multiple times a week for years.”
“It’s true,” Mira said, nodding.
“Then there was a witch that I went to school with, Andrea, and Mercutio said hi to Thomas. I go to his gym regularly, and Thomas said he ran into Mercutio at the hospital a couple of months ago.”
Wow. I’d heard all the stories about everyone knowing each other in small towns, but this made my head spin. If I went into a random coffee shop in New York the chances of me knowing anyone else in there at any given moment were practically zero. The fact that Linda and Thomas knew almost half of the people in this coffee shop was certainly unexpected.
“Do you know if Thomas had problems with any of those people?”
“No, of course not. There were never any problems. Everyone loved Thomas.”
“Alright, thanks,” Chief Enforcer Tyson said. “Why don’t you head on home now? Take care of yourself. Is there someone you can call?”
Linda nodded. “My sister, Georgina. I already called her.”
“Good. Do you need me to call an Enforcer to escort you home, or will Georgina come here?”
“No, thank you. I asked Georgina to pick me up,” Linda replied, shaking her head and brushing away an errant tear. She glanced outside, and I followed her gaze, which landed on a concerned-looking woman approaching the shop who looked almost identical to Linda, but with blonde hair instead of brown. “That’s Georgie there. She must have come right over. I’ll be alright. Please, find the paranormal who did this.”
“I’m going to do my best,” Chief Enforcer Tyson replied.
Linda nodded and then got up, leaving the coffee shop slowly, as if she was worried she’d fall over with every step she took. When she was gone, Chief Enforcer Tyson turned to me. “Alright, let me take your statement. I suspect this will be quick.”
Sure enough, it didn’t take long at all for me to recount my version of the events, which were backed up by Kyran and Grandma Eva.
“Alright, I’ll let you go,” she said. “But you have to stay in town until the investigation is complete.”
“Ok,” I said with a sigh. “I will.”
“Come on,” Grandma Eva said. “Let’s get your new work station set up.”
“Call me if you need anything,” Kyran said. “I know this is a confusing time for you, and this murder can’t have made things easier for you.”
“You can say that again,” I muttered. I knew I shouldn’t have been thinking about myself right now. After all, a man had just died. A wizard, I supposed I should say. He was having far worse a day than I was. And yet, my life was on the edge of ruin. I’d lost a huge client and now I was going to have to call in sick for goodness knows how long. If this took longer than a couple of days I risked permanently damaging my career, and I just couldn’t handle that.
Grandma Eva promised to call Chief Enforcer Tyson later so her own full statement could be taken, and the two of us left the coffee shop and went back out into the warm summer sun.
“You might prefer to stay with your cousin Scarlett,” Grandma Eva told me. “She’s about your age, so you’ll have more in common with her than with me. She lives in a house by herself, and has plenty of space for a guest.”
“Sure,” I said. “Whatever you think is best.”
We made a quick pit stop to pick up Grandma Eva’s computer, and then we began walking down the main street here in town, Charmed Avenue.
“Fairy Falls is mostly a tourism destination,” Grandma Eva explained. “A lot of the paranormals from big cities like to come here for their holidays, especially in the summer, and enjoy the myriad of hiking trails around town. There are a few lakes as well, and climbing the hills makes for a great workout.”
“Hmm,” I replied, not particularly interested. I had been a city girl my whole life. I liked the hustle and bustle of ambitious people rushing to their next meetings. I liked having every single food option one could possibly imagine be just a phone call away. I liked the melting pot of different cultures all living in the same space. I had never been a big fan of small towns and the outdoors. But this was fine. I did have to admit it was picturesque. I could stay here for a couple of days, get some work done from home while I pretended to be sick, and then when the murder investigation was solved I could go back to the human world and prove to the partners at the firm that I deserved to be one of them.
Grandma Eva gave me a soft look. “I’m sorry about this situation. Believe me, I wish you were able to travel freely back to New York.”
“I know. I don’t blame you,” I said. “It’s just a lot to take in all at once.”
“Of course it is. You know, if you would like to learn to use your magic, I would very happily train you.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I think one day I probably will — it was pretty cool that you were able to detect the poison straightaway — but I think right now just coming to grips with the existence of this whole new world is enough.”
“Not a problem,” Grandma Eva said. “Here you are, this is Scarlett’s house,” she said, stopping in front of a cute little bungalow. It was painted black, with a salmon-colored door that stood out like crazy, and a garden at the front made up of small white flowers all in bloom added some extra pop. We walked to the front door and Grandma Eva knocked. It burst open a moment later and I found myself facing a woman about my age with shoulder-length red hair, brilliant blue eyes, and a huge smile.
“Grandma!” she exclaimed, then looked over at me. “And Grandma’s friend! How are you?”
“This is more than just a friend,” Grandma Eva said. “Scarlett, this is your cousin, Mina. Mina, this is Scarlett.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but Scarlett’s grin grew even wider. “Are you serious? A cousin? But I don’t have any cousins.”
“We didn’t think you did. Mina is Camilla’s daughter. It turns out she didn’t die—she secretly disappeared to the human world, and she had a child there. Mina has only just learned that she’s a witch, and this is her first visit to the paranormal world. Unfortunately, she’s got to stay here for a few days on short notice, and she needs somewhere to sleep and to work. I figured she’d be happier here than at my place.”
“Yeah, because you have visitors coming and going all day, and your furniture looks like it’s from the fifties. The eighteen-fifties,” she added, throwing me an exaggerated wink.
“That’s because the Victorian era was the peak of furniture design,” Grandma Eva replied calmly. “Anyway, Scarlett, please see to it that your new guest is taken care of, and that you give her plenty of space to get her work done. I know what you’re like.”
“Don’t worry about me, Grandma Eva. I’ll be quiet as a mouse.”
“Right. A mouse with a megaphone, maybe.”
Grandma Eva handed me a business card. “This is my card. It has my personal cell number on it. If things don’t work out with Scarlett, please call me. I know this is a big change for you and I’d like you to be as comfortable as possible here.”
“Thanks. I’m sure it’ll be fine,” I said, smiling at Scarlett, who nodded in agreement.
“Absolutely. Alright, I’m going to get to know Mina. Thanks, Grandma!”
With that, Grandma Eva waved, and Scarlett motioned for me to come in.
CHAPTER 8
“So you’re from the human world, huh? What’
s that like? Where are you from? Seattle? New York City? Toronto?” She grinned mischievously. “Don’t tell me you’re Canadian.”
“No,” I laughed. “I grew up in Seattle, but I live in New York City.”
Scarlett gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “What’s that like? Is it as glamorous as it looks in the movies? I love human-world movies. They’re so quaint. It’s interesting seeing what they have to do without magic. And the movies that have magic in them are so funny. They get so many things wrong. Although I do enjoy some of them. Twilight was fun. The idea that vampires shine in the sun is hilarious, though. I showed it to a vampire I know and he was so mad about it.”
She laughed, and I joined in. There was something infectious about Scarlett’s laughter, and while I had initially been a little bit apprehensive, she seemed genuinely nice. Maybe I’d be fine living here for a few days after all.
I walked past Scarlett and into the entrance hall. This place was cute, decorated in the farmhouse style, with a built-in bench to one side and an entrance that led to the open living room, dining area, and kitchen off to the right. To the left was a hallway that I assumed led to the bedrooms.
“I enjoyed Twilight, too,” I said with a smile.
“Hey, you live in the human world permanently, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you get me some more DVDs? I don’t go there very much, and when I do I like to stock up, but if you’re going to be visiting us regularly you could always bring me some, right?”
“Sure,” I said. “I could do that.”
“Great! It’s so hard trying to convert abras to human money. I can pay you in abras, the equivalent amount.”
“Um, sorry, what’s an abra?” I asked, slightly confused.
“Oh! Right, you’re new here. Sorry, keep forgetting. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t grow up in the paranormal world. Abras are abracadollars, the paranormal world currency. Come on, I’ll get you some. You’re going to need it anyway if you’re going to be living here. You might want to go into town and grab a donut or something for breakfast one day. Or not, what do I know? You’re from New York, you might be one of those vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free people. Do you eat any of that stuff?”
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