brimstone witch 10 - deal with the grim reaper

by April Fernsby

  He slowly nodded his head. “Yes, that would be the right thing to do.” He pursed his lips and looked thoughtful. “However, I would be doing her a favour by getting rid of the mine. I’m sure she’s only working there because she’s waiting for Oddec to come back and work with her. Yes, I would be doing her a big favour if I sold it to someone else. I could even give her some of the profit.”

  My suspicions instantly rose. “Who would you sell the mine to?”

  He placed his finger on the largest star-shaped gem on the necklace and said, “I’ll sell it to the mine owner who supplies these stones to me.”

  All of a sudden, things began to slot into place. “Would that be Keftan Gubler?”

  Jackreth gave me a bright smile. “Yes. He’s been supplying these gemstones to me for years. They’re quite remarkable. I can’t get them anywhere else.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me Keftan Gubler supplied your gemstones when I was here last time?”

  Jackreth gave me a blank look. “You didn’t ask me.” He smiled as he looked at the necklace. “Yes, selling the mine to Keftan will definitely put me in his good books. He could sell me the gemstones at a discounted rate in future. This could work out in my favour. I’ll get in touch with him straight away.” He held the necklace up. “I’ll take this off your hands for a small fee if you like?”

  I quickly took the necklace from his hands, put it in the box and snapped the box shut. “No. This is evidence. You said this necklace was sold as part of a set. What are the other items in the set?”

  “If I recall, there’s a pair of earrings and a bracelet. Are you sure you don’t want to sell the necklace to me? I could give you that butterfly necklace in exchange for it. I know you’ve got your eye on it.”

  I pulled the box closer. “It seems to have escaped your attention that your brother has been murdered. This necklace is a vital piece of evidence.”

  Jackreth folded his arms. “Are you really going to take the time to find out who murdered Oddec? What’s the point? No one cared about him except Mowibela. You’re wasting your time.”

  I was well aware of time being wasted and said, “Yes, I am going to find out who murdered your brother. I didn’t realise the mine would go to you in the event of his death. Which begs the question, did you murder him?”

  Jackreth snorted in derision. “Why would I do that? Why would I need to get rid of him?”

  “For his mine,” I replied.

  Jackreth opened his arms wide. “Why would I want his mine? I’ve got my own business here, and it’s a successful one. Admittedly, I will now make a nice profit from selling his mine. If I did murder him, why would I have hidden his body away? It doesn’t make sense. The mine only comes to me once Oddec is dead. If I’d have wanted his mine, I’d have made sure his body was discovered soon after he died. Are you sure you’re a justice witch? Have you dealt with a murder investigation before? Do you even know what you’re doing?”

  I jumped as Stanley suddenly leapt onto the counter. He fixed Jackreth with a steely-eyed look and announced, “Don’t you talk to my Cassia like that! She’s doing an amazing job with very limited information. You wasted our time earlier by not telling us about the mine going to you. And you certainly should have told us about your connection with Keftan Gubler. Is there anything else we need to know? Think carefully, Mr Hammerhands. Do not trifle with us. Well? Have you anything else to confess to?”

  Jackreth swallowed nervously and took a step back. “No, I’ve nothing else to tell you.”

  Stanley treated him to another icy stare before jumping off the counter and landing at my feet. He looked up at me and said, “Cassia, it’s time to go. Come on.”

  I was so annoyed with Jackreth that I didn’t say thank you as I followed Stanley out of the shop.

  Chapter 15

  I wanted to know more about Jackreth’s business relationship with Keftan Gubler, so Stanley and I headed back to the Hammerhands Mine. We found Mowibela sitting in the office with a pair of slippers on her lap. She was crying.

  I cleared my throat to get her attention.

  Mowibela looked at me, quickly wiped her eyes and attempted to smile. She said, “Oh, Cassia, sorry about that. I thought I was alone.” She lifted the slippers. “I’ve been keeping these in the office for years. Oddec likes to be comfortable when he’s finished his tour of the mines and is ready to do his paperwork. I’ve got the very same pair at home next to the fire. I don’t know what to do with them. I don’t want to get rid of anything belonging to him yet. It makes it seem so final.” A tear rolled down her cheek and dropped onto the right slipper.

  I said gently, “There’s no rush to get rid of anything yet. You need to grieve.” I hated to give her more information about how Oddec had died, but it had to be done. I retrieved the jewellery box from my pocket and walked closer to Mowibela. I placed the box on the desk and opened it. “Do you recognise this necklace?”

  “Can I pick it up?”

  I gave her a nod.

  Mowibela picked the necklace up and held it up to the nearest light. The brown flecks inside the blue gems seemed to dance. She said, “I recognise the stones as they come from Keftan Gubler’s mine, but I don’t recognise the necklace. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Far too fancy for me. It’s not the kind of thing that I would wear. Why are you asking me about this?”

  “Mowibela, this necklace was found in Oddec’s throat.”

  She dropped the necklace in shock. “In his throat? I’m confused. What do you mean? Why would he have a necklace in his throat?”

  “It seems that somebody shoved it forcibly down his throat. Dr Morgan thinks Oddec died because he choked to death. I’m sorry to give you this news.”

  Mowibela stared at the necklace. “It’s got sharp edges. That would have hurt him. He must have been in a lot of pain.” She put her hand over her eyes. “I can’t bear to think about it. My poor husband. Who would do that to him?”

  I discreetly put the necklace back in the box and then placed the box in my pocket. “This necklace was made by Jackreth. We’ve been over to his shop and he confirms it. He doesn’t know who bought it as the buyer wished to remain anonymous. Jackreth gets his gemstones from Keftan Gubler. Did you know about that?”

  Mowibela’s hand came away from her face and she frowned. “Jackreth gets his stones from Keftan? And he made this necklace with those gems? And this necklace killed Oddec? Is this what you’re telling me?”

  I pulled up a stool and sat next to her. “I know it’s a lot to take in. Let’s deal with one question at a time. Did you know Jackreth was working with Keftan?”

  She shook her head. “Why would he do that? He knew how Oddec felt about Keftan. Jackreth knew how much Keftan used to harass Oddec and me about selling the mine. I don’t understand why he would want to do business with him. There are other mines which provide gemstones. Why would he use Keftan’s mine?”

  Stanley jumped onto my knee and said, “It could be because of the town he’s living in. He’s in Adonis Blue, and these gemstones seem to match everything there.”

  Mowibela gave him a slow nod. “Oh, Adonis Blue. That is a lovely town or so I’ve heard. Yes, it would make sense to use blue gems in a town like that. How long have Jackreth and Keftan been working together? Did their business arrangement start before Jackreth left here?”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t ask Jackreth that. I presume it wasn’t long after he left here and went to Adonis Blue. So, that would be about twenty-five years ago.”

  A startled look came into Mowibela’s eyes. “Do you think Oddec found out about Jackreth’s dealings with Keftan? If he had, he would have been furious. Perhaps he went to see Jackreth and ordered him to stop dealing with Keftan.” Her eyes widened. “You don’t think Jackreth killed Oddec, do you?”

  “Why do you think he would do that?” I asked.

  “To stop Oddec arguing with Jackreth about his business dealings with Keftan. My Oddec was a stubborn one and he liked to get
his own way. I can just imagine him going over to Jackreth’s shop and constantly badgering him to end his business connection with Keftan.”

  I said, “That’s something to consider. It would make sense for Jackreth to hide Oddec in that cave because he’d know it was a disused cave. Also, he would have wanted Oddec’s body to stay hidden so he didn’t have to take over the responsibility of running the mine. Mowibela, Jackreth told me the mine goes to him now. Is that right?”

  She nodded. “It was my idea for the mine to go to Jackreth if anything happened to Oddec. Oddec argued with me about it, but I insisted. If anything did happen to Oddec, I would have found it impossible to continue working here without him.” She gazed down at his slippers. “Although, I have managed to do that for these past twenty-three years, but I thought he was going to come back to me. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. Will Jackreth return here and take over the running of the mine now?”

  “Not if he’s the one who killed Oddec,” I said without thinking.

  Mowibela looked back at me. “Of course. His own brother. It’s too awful to think about. I always got on well with Jackreth, but I know he had his run-ins with Oddec. Surely he wouldn’t have resorted to murder, would he? Cassia, what do you think? You’ve dealt with these matters before.”

  I gave her a small shrug. “Beings get killed for all sorts of reasons and none of those reasons make sense. When we spoke to Jackreth just now, he said he might sell the mine to Keftan Gubler.”

  Mowibela closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. “I can’t believe he would do such a thing. He knew how Oddec felt about this mine and that Keftan Gubler would be the last creature he would sell it to.” She opened her eyes and fresh tears tumbled out. “Well, Keftan Gubler will get what he’s always wanted. Do you suppose he had anything to do with Oddec dying? Perhaps he was the one who hurt Oddec. It wouldn’t surprise me if he knew the mine would go to Jackreth if Oddec died. Perhaps he’s been waiting for me to find Oddec’s poor body before making his next move.”

  “That could be a valid point. It was Keftan who told me about the mine-knockers and suggested I talk to them. I’m going to talk to him again soon, and I’ll make sure I mention the mine going to Jackreth.”

  Stanley added, “I’ll keep a close eye on his reaction when Cassia asks him that. I’ll see how surprised he is.”

  Mowibela pulled the slippers to her chest. “It’s all too much for me to take in. I was convinced Oddec was going to come walking in here one day. To know he’s never going to do that is hard enough, but to be told he was murdered in such an awful manner is breaking my heart. Cassia, can I see him? Can I see Oddec?”

  I thought about the current beheaded state of her husband and said, “It isn’t a good time at the moment. Dr Morgan is still undertaking her tests. I’ll let you know when it’s possible to see him.” I looked out of the open door and towards the train tracks. “Do you know if Oddec had any enemies apart from Jackreth and Keftan? Did any of the workers here hold grudges against him?”

  She shook her head. “Oddec was respected here. None of our workers would have wanted to hurt him. I’m sure of that.”

  It was clear Mowibela had a completely different opinion of how Oddec had been with his workers. I reminded myself it was Keftan Gubler who told me the opposite, and I didn’t trust that goblin one little bit.

  Chapter 16

  Mrs Bribs wasn’t behind the reception desk when we went back to the Grand Quarry Mines, so Stanley and I walked straight into Keftan Gubler’s office.

  Keftan was surprised to see us, but I didn’t give him a chance to say a word as I put the open jewellery box on his desk and said, “Do you recognise this? Have these gemstones come from your mine?”

  Keftan jumped to his feet, jabbed a finger at me and shouted, “How dare you come bursting into my office like this? Mrs Bribs! Come in here right now!”

  I lifted my chin defiantly and continued, “I’m dealing with a murder case. I don’t have time to make an appointment. Answer my question. Are these your gemstones?”

  Keftan lowered his hand. “Murder? Who are you talking about?” A smile alighted on his lips. “It’s Oddec, isn’t it? Of course. Who else would it be?” He sat down and made a steeple with his fingers.

  I didn’t appreciate the evil smile on his face and my voice was sharp as I said, “Yes, Oddec was murdered. That necklace had been shoved down his throat. Well? Did these gemstones come from your mine or not?”

  Keftan gave me a slow nod with that nasty smile still in place. “Yes, but I didn’t make the necklace. Did Oddec suffer before he died?”

  “I’m not going to answer that. This necklace was made by Jackreth Hammerhands as you probably know. How long have you been doing business with him?”

  “It was not long after he left Brimstone and set up his jewellery business in Adonis Blue.”

  I felt annoyance rushing through me. “Does Mrs Bribs know about your business dealings with Jackreth?”

  “Of course she does. She knows about every aspect concerning my business. Why are you asking me that?”

  I explained, “When we spoke to Mrs Bribs earlier today, she mentioned Jackreth but said she didn’t know where he lived. She should have given me the correct information immediately and not wasted our time.”

  Keftan’s smile increased. “What can I say? Mrs Bribs is very protective of me. Perhaps she didn’t want you to know about my private business dealings.”

  I snapped, “When it comes to murder, nothing is private. Did Oddec know about your business connection with his brother?”

  Keftan nodded. “Yes, he found out soon after I started providing gemstones to Jackreth.” He laughed. “Oddec was furious. He had the audacity to march in here and demand I stop trading with Jackreth immediately. I told him exactly where to go. I wouldn’t be surprised if Oddec had gone over to Adonis Blue and confronted Jackreth there. He was such a control freak. Everything had to go his way.”

  Mrs Bribs chose that moment to come rushing into the office. She gave Stanley and me disgusted looks and cried out, “How dare you come in here without my permission? Mr Gubler can’t be disturbed. You’re wasting his precious time. Leave this office immediately.”

  I stared at her and said, “We’ll leave when we’re good and ready. Why didn’t you tell me where Jackreth lived when we spoke before? You should have also told me that he did business with this company.”

  She gave a sniff of disapproval and said primly, “Mr Gubler’s business has nothing to do with you.”

  I let out a sigh of exasperation. I was getting nowhere quickly with this conversation. I turned my attention back to Keftan and said, “Where were you on the night Oddec went missing?”

  Before Keftan could speak, Mrs Bribs declared, “Mr Gubler was here all night. He was working. I was working too. I can vouch for him.”

  Keftan gave her a smile and said, “Mrs Bribs, you don’t need to lie for me. As it happens, I was working here all night, but I was alone.” His smile vanished as he looked at me. “Are you asking me this because you think I murdered Oddec?”

  I gave him a direct look. “Well? Did you? You had every reason to.”

  He shook his head. “No, I didn’t murder him. I won’t lie and say I’m sorry about his death. I’m glad he’s out of the way for good. Perhaps I’ll pay a social call on Mowibela and talk to her about the mine. I can’t imagine she’d want to be there anymore.”

  Mrs Bribs moved over to Keftan and said quietly, “That’s what I came in here to tell you, Mr Gubler. I’ve just had a message from Jackreth Hammerhands. He said Oddec’s body has been found. Apparently, the mine now belongs to him. He wants to sell it to you immediately. Would you like me to set up a business meeting with him?”

  Keftan began to laugh loudly. “This day just keeps getting better and better. Mrs Bribs, set that meeting up straight away.”

  I held my hand up. “There will be no business meetings until this murder is solved. For all I k
now, either you or Jackreth could have killed Oddec. I’m going to find out who killed him, and then take the necessary actions.”

  Mrs Bribs bustled over to me until she was inches away from my face. She looked at me with fury in her eyes and spat, “Don’t you dare say that about Mr Gubler! He would never do such an evil thing. Never! Have you even looked into Oddec’s personal life? Have you found out about the visits he made to a certain nightclub? Or the relationship he had with a certain nightclub singer?”

  Keftan warned, “Mrs Bribs, that’s none of your business.”

  I looked at Mrs Bribs and said, “It is my business, though. Tell me more.”

  Mrs Bribs clasped her hands in front of her, and said in that prim tone of hers, “Oddec used to visit a nightclub called The Crypt. He’d been going there for years. I know for certain he had a relationship with a dwarf called Lexi Lavabuckle. She used to work for Oddec at the mine a long time ago, but then she upped and left. Oddec was seeing her shortly before he went missing. You haven’t even considered her as a supposed suspect, have you? No, you just came in here and assumed Mr Gubler had something to do with Oddec’s death.”

  I gave her a hard look. “This is the first time I’ve heard about Lexi Lavabuckle. Mrs Bribs, you could have given me this information earlier when we talked about Oddec. It is within my power to arrest you for wasting my time.”

  Mrs Briggs lifted her chin. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Just try me.” I continued to stare at the grey-haired goblin.

  Stanley nudged into my leg and said, “Cassia, we don’t have time for this.”

  I looked down at him and saw the worry in his eyes. He was right.

  I gave Mrs Bribs another hard look before saying, “I’ll be in touch with you again soon about keeping important information from me. I have nothing more to say to you.” I was about to leave when I realised I didn’t know where the nightclub was.

  Stanley, bless him, must have realised my predicament because he said, “Mrs Bribs, would you kindly tell us where we can find that nightclub?”