A voice called through the door, “Cassia! Are you in there?”
Stanley said, “It’s Luca. Don’t open the door. Astrid might be with him.”
I made a move towards the door. “You’re being silly now.”
Stanley held up a paw to stop me. “Don’t open the door. It’s my duty to keep you safe. I’ll see who’s out there.”
He popped his head through the cat flap. I tried not to imagine his body being whipped through the opening by a vengeful Astrid.
Stanley pulled his head back and declared, “Luca’s out there on his own. You can open the door now.”
“Thank you, my brave protector.”
I opened the door to find Luca there with a bemused expression on his face. He looked down at Stanley and said, “Now that you’ve looked me over, am I allowed to enter?”
Stanley gave him a gracious nod and moved to one side. Luca grinned at me as he came in. I glanced behind him to make sure Astrid wasn’t lurking anywhere. Stanley’s words had made me nervous about her.
Luca was carrying the basket that Gran had brought with her. He raised it slightly and said, “Esther said I had to give you this. There’s plenty of food left. She had to leave, but insisted you two go back to her house tonight.” He gave me a studied look. “Why does she want you to go back? Are you going back for good? You’re not leaving Brimstone forever, are you? I know things have been strange around here, but I don’t want you to leave and never come back.”
“I’m sure Gran only wants us to go back for a short while. She’s probably missing us.”
“And Oliver too,” Stanley added. “I haven’t seen my brother for a few days. He’ll be missing us as well.”
“Right. Good.” Luca nodded. “As long as you both come back. I’ve got used to having you around. Where shall I put this basket?”
“Over there, on the table,” I told him. “Do you want to stay for a while? You can share the picnic with us.”
Luca walked over to the table and placed the basket on it. “No, thank you. I’ve got work to do. I’m determined to find out who planted Kitty on you.”
Stanley muttered, “You might not have to look very far.”
Luckily, Luca didn’t hear him. I made a discreet shushing motion at Stanley and turned my attention back to Luca.
With only a slight wobble in my voice, I asked him, “Have Kitty and Gepru left?”
“They have. Kitty got on her mum’s back and they flew away together.” He cast me a concerned look. “Kitty said she was missing you. She wanted to know where you and Stanley were. I said you had to work, and that you’ll see her later.”
My rebellious eyes started up again, and a tear escaped and ran down my cheek. Luca hastened over and wrapped his arms around me. I relaxed into his comforting hug for two seconds and then pushed him away. I wasn’t having any of that physical nonsense.
“Don’t be kind to me,” I said. “I need to toughen up. You shouldn’t have told Kitty we’d see her later because we won’t. We can’t, can we? That’s what Gran said.”
“Ah,” Luca held up a finger, “that’s only when Kitty’s in cat form. When she’s in her dragon form, she won’t have the same powers. Gepru told me she’ll fly by now and again with Kitty so you can see how she’s getting along.”
Hope jumped up in my stomach like an eager puppy. “She did? She said that?” I looked towards the large window that looked out over the town. “Where are they now? Are they nearby? Stanley, did you hear that? We’ll get to see Kitty again!”
Stanley ran over to the window, propped his paws on the ledge and looked out. “Where is she?”
Luca laughed. “They won’t be coming back soon. Gepru said Kitty needs some flying lessons immediately. But you will see them again. She promised.” He rubbed his hands together. “I’ll get going. I’ve got lots to do. Let me know how your investigation proceeds.”
I tore my attention from the window. “I will do. I’m about to make a list of my suspects.”
He walked towards the door, opened it and paused. “One more thing,” he said. “Gepru asked me to give you a friendly warning. Because you’ve had so much good luck recently, and Kitty is no longer with you, there could be an increase in the bad luck you experience. A sort of backlash effect.”
“How much of an increase in bad luck?”
“She didn’t say. Cassia, be extra careful out there.” He gave me a soft smile before leaving.
When the door closed, I walked over to the window and said to Stanley, “Did you hear what Luca said about bad luck?”
Stanley shuffled away from me. “I did. I don’t want to be heartless, but can you keep a bit of distance between us just in case?”
I shook my head at him. “Some protector you are.”
I went over to the table and took a seat. I pulled out a large sausage roll from Gran’s basket, bit into it, and then started to make a list of my suspects:
Treto - because he was jealous of Selo and wanted to win the centaur race. Also, he’d run through the town of Dingy Skipper and could have easily met up with a Breath-Taker there.
Lifin - because he was worried about Selo ruining the family business. Treto mentioned Lifin had clients from many towns. Some of them could have known how to contact a Breath-Taker.
Nilah - because…I stopped. He was Selo’s father. Was he really a suspect? I’d have to speak to him again and see how he truly felt about Selo.
It wasn’t much of a list, but it was something. I wiped the pastry crumbs off the paper and folded it up.
I stood up and said to Stanley, “I’m going back to the Cezerus Ranch. Are you brave enough to come with me?”
Stanley had his face pressed against the window. “Erm, Cassia, I don’t think you should be leaving the apartment. It would be safer for you to stay here.”
Chapter 20
I joined Stanley at the window and looked down at the crowd of gnomes who had gathered outside our door. They were shouting my name and some of them were raising their little fists in the direction of the door.
I pressed my lips together in a determined manner and turned away from the window. I gathered some items together - mainly food from Gran’s basket, and then informed Stanley I was leaving the apartment.
Stanley said, “But what about the gnome mob? They look angry.”
“I’m angry too. How dare they gather outside our door like that? They’re causing a disturbance to passers-by. I’ll deal with them on the way out. Are you coming with me or not?” I grabbed my broomstick and waited for his reply.
He trotted over. “I’m coming with you. If things get tough out there, I’ll sort the gnomes out.”
We were surrounded by the yelling gnomes the second we stepped out of the door. I held my broomstick up in an attempt to silence them. It didn’t work.
A gnome, in a red dress with white polka dots, shouted, “Why haven’t you dealt with our complaints? We were told over and over that you would! Aren’t we important enough for you to deal with, Cassia Winter? Aren’t we tall enough?”
“I – ”
“Don’t interrupt! We have serious complaints about our gardens. You will listen to us. You will take action. We’ve discussed the matter amongst ourselves and we know who’s guilty. It’s Ivan Snapnert! We demand that you arrest him immediately without any more delay!”
“Hear hear!” the other gnomes yelled in agreement.
“I – ”
“I told you not to interrupt! I haven’t finished yet.” The gnome’s face was as red as her dress now. She jabbed a finger at my knee. “Arrest Ivan Snapnert for willful damage and then throw him out of town! Banish him to the furthest corner you can find. And then lock him up!”
She took a breath and I managed to speak. “What exactly has Ivan done?”
“What has he done? What has he done?” she shrieked. “If you’d have read our files, Cassia Winter, you’d know exactly what that ghastly gnome has done.”
Stanley stepped
forward. He raised his face so it was on level with the red-faced gnome. There was a note of menace in his voice as he said, “Back off. Don’t shout at my witch like that. Cassia has been busy with more serious matters or haven’t you heard?”
The gnome blustered, “Of course we’ve heard. We know about the murder. But even so, our gardens are important to us!”
“More important than a life?” Stanley asked coldly.
I didn’t know what had got into my mild-mannered cat, but he was scaring the gnomes and they collectively took a step back. He was starting to scare me too.
The gnome continued, her voice calmer, “No, of course not. But our gardens have been ruined by Ivan Snapnert. We put a lot of work into our gardens and to see them ruined is heartbreaking. Ivan did it because he was jealous.”
There were murmurs of agreement.
I said, “Do you have any evidence that Ivan caused the damage?”
The gnome twisted her hands together, “Well, no, not as such. It’s just a feeling. I’ve seen how he looks at my petunias.” She gave me a small smile. “Please, Cassia, can you do something? I know you’re busy, but it would mean a lot to us. We all live on Rose Garden Terrace and take great pride in our gardens. Please, could you consider our complaints?” She ended this with a hopeful smile.
The other gnomes gave me small, hopeful smiles too.
I returned their smiles and said, “I will do something about it. I can’t do anything now because I’m still dealing with this murder case. I promise I will look into your claims later on. How does that sound?”
“Like a lie!” Treto Oravatus galloped over to us causing three gnomes to leap out of his way. “Don’t listen to a word this witch tells you! She’s using magic for her own good. She cast an evil spell on me! She broke my leg.”
“Which one?” the female gnome in the red dress asked.
“This one.” Treto waved his leg in the air. “Admittedly, she used magic to fix it afterwards. But that’s not the point! She can’t go around casting spells for her own good. It’s not right!”
I waved my broomstick in his direction. “Treto, you ran away from me when I tried to question you about Selo’s murder. If you hadn’t have run away, you wouldn’t have run into that tree.”
“That’s nothing to do with anything!” Treto defended himself. “You caused my accident! It could have been fatal!”
“Well, it wasn’t,” I told him. “Now that you’re here, I’ve got some more questions for you.”
Treto reared up on his hind legs. “No! I won’t answer to you. I’m leaving before you send another of your sinister spells my way. I’m going to warn everyone in this town about you!” He turned around and sped away.
The female gnome clasped her hands together and said, “I can see you’ve got your hands full. We’ll leave you in peace.” She started to walk away.
The other gnomes silently followed her. Some of them gave me suspicious looks as they left.
When they’d gone, Stanley said, “I hope they don’t think Treto is telling the truth about you.”
Keeping my voice low, I said, “It is my fault that he got hurt. I had Kitty with me at the time.”
“It wasn’t your fault at all. Don’t say that again. I won’t have it.” He stared at me angrily.
I knelt down and put my hand under his furry chin. “Stanley, are you feeling alright? You’re not acting like yourself at all. I’m starting to get worried.”
“I’m a bit worried too,” he admitted. “I can’t control my emotions. I keep getting furious at everyone. I’m sorry.”
I released his chin and straightened up. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. It’s this town. I know what will cheer you up.” I held my broomstick out and waggled my eyebrows. “Time to fly?”
Stanley chuckled. “Time to fly.”
“Would you like to have a go at steering the broomstick?”
Stanley’s mouth dropped open. He snapped it shut and then said, “Seriously?”
I nodded. “If Kitty can have flying lessons, then so can you. Hop on.”
Stanley was grinning as he leapt onto the broomstick. He looked like his old self again. I got on behind him and left the steering to my little friend.
Stanley was excellent at controlling the broomstick and we were soon soaring smoothly away from Brimstone and towards the Cezerus Ranch. Stanley hummed happily all the way.
I kept an eye out for two flying dragons, but I didn’t spot them.
The Cezerus Ranch was swarming with visitors when we landed. I asked a centaur in uniform where I could find Lifin, and he pointed to the meditation centre.
Lifin was standing at the door to the centre and welcoming visitors. He was wearing a shirt with the company name on it. His face lit up when he saw us. “Cassia, Stanley, how lovely to see you again. I was about to send you a message, but I’ve been too busy with all our new customers. Isn’t this wonderful? Our ranch has never been so busy. Come in.”
Lifin took us to one side and out of the way of the entering visitors. I was surprised to see him looking so happy considering his brother had been recently murdered, but I didn’t say anything.
Lifin took something from his shirt pocket and handed it to me. “I’ve got that list of Selo’s enemies ready for you.” He smiled as he looked over my shoulder. “We’re going to be fully booked before we know it. This is so exciting.”
I opened the sheets of paper he’d given me. “There are four sheets here.”
“I know. He had many enemies.” Lifin’s smile dropped. “I hate to say this, but Selo took great delight in upsetting everyone he came into contact with. He had no respect for anyone, especially not me. He mocked this business and went out of his way to sabotage it.”
“In what way?” I asked.
“He would run wild around the place, scaring visitors and trampling through their property. Our complaints about him increased every day. I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. He said I was an embarrassment to the family and wasn’t acting like a true centaur. He admitted he wanted to ruin this business.”
I looked around at the bustling crowd. “Have things improved since Selo died?”
The smile returned to Lifin’s face. “Oh, yes. Things have turned out well. Business is better than ever. Father is delighted.”
“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but I spoke to Treto recently, and he claims your father thought more of Selo than he did of you. Is that true?”
Lifin’s smile stayed in place. “That’s not true at all. Treto is nothing more than a trouble causer. It’s what he does best. I don’t know if you’re aware, but he’s spreading rumours about you around town.”
“I am aware. Lifin, what’s going to happen about the centaurs’ race? Is it going to be cancelled?”
Lifin gave us a wink. “It isn’t. This is a secret, but I’ll tell you anyway. I’m going to run on behalf of my family. I know for certain that I’ll win.”
“Really?” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice. “I thought you were all against it yesterday.”
“I’ve changed my mind. I’ll win the race, and I’ll make sure the 1,000 Acre Forest stays in our family.”
“I thought you wanted the forest to be split amongst the centaur community.”
“That was yesterday,” Lifin said. “Things have changed since then. Excuse me, there’s someone very important I have to speak to.”
He walked away leaving me dumbstruck.
Stanley said, “Well, it looks like Lifin had every motive to kill his brother. What are you going to do now?”
Chapter 21
We watched as Lifin approached a female centaur. Thankfully, she had a loose, white shirt covering her upper regions. Her hair was pulled back, and her skin glowed with vitality. I wasn’t the only one who was admiring her looks; Lifin was staring at her with obvious adoration.
I said to Stanley, “I don’t know who Lifin’s talking to, but she could be important. Let’s go
and interrupt them, shall we?”
There was a flash of irritation in Lifin’s eyes as we approached him and the other centaur. He snapped, “Yes? Was there something else?”
“I have many more questions,” I replied politely. “I’m concerned that you’ve changed your mind about the race. Can you tell me why? Has something happened since I last spoke to you? You told me previously you weren’t the athletic type and were more suited to admin work.”
The female centaur spoke on Lifin’s behalf, “It is true that Lifin is excellent at running a business, but he’s also capable of achieving much more. I’ve been telling him that for months.” She gave him a wide smile. “I’m glad he’s pushing himself out of his comfort zone. I know he’ll try his utmost during the race.”
Lifin thrust his chest out and declared, “I think I have a good chance of winning.”
The female centaur nodded. “I think with your determination and conviction, you can achieve anything.” She tapped the side of her head. “It starts in the mind. That’s what I tell all my clients.”
“Clients?” I asked.
“Yes. I run meditation classes here.” She extended her hand towards me. “I’m Broheidon. I’ve been a friend of the Cezerus family for years. I know who you two are. I’ve met your gran several times too. How is she?”
“She’s fine, thank you.”
Lifin said, “Broheidon’s classes are very popular. She’s a wonderful teacher. I get along to her classes whenever I can.” He paused and his brow furrowed. “Things should get back to normal now that Selo isn’t here to disrupt your classes, Broheidon.”
Broheidon placed her hand on Lifin’s arm. “That’s all in the past now. Don’t let it hurt you anymore.” She turned her attention back to me. “Cassia, I’m just about to start a meditation class outside. I have a couple of places available. Would you and Stanley like to join the class? No charge. Forgive me for saying this, but you both look like you’ve been under a great deal of stress lately.”
I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Not because I wanted to mediate, but because I wanted to question Broheidon about the Cezerus family.
Brimstone Witch Mysteries - Box Set 1 Page 25
