Brimstone Witch Mysteries - Box Set 1

by April Fernsby

  I sat down on a chair near to Immul, and Stanley sat on the grass at my feet. I began, “I am sorry to bother you. During my investigation, it has become clear that Ovrid has an urgent need for money. I hate to say this to you, but it could be linked to Augustus Stez’s murder.”

  Immul nodded. “That’s what I told Ovrid. I told him you’d find out he was asking Mr Collins for more work and that he should tell you why. I told him if he kept quiet he would look suspicious.” She patted the package on her lap. “This is Ovrid’s wages. He sends everything he earns back to me. I keep telling him he doesn’t have to send me everything, but he insists.” She sighed. “Since my accident, I haven’t been able to work and the bills are mounting up. I fear I won’t be able to keep up with the rent on my lovely home soon and will have to move out. That’s why Ovrid needs more money; he says he’ll never let me lose our home. I feel so guilty about him working so hard, but he keeps pointing out that it isn’t work at all as he’s only sleeping all day and night. But that isn’t doing him any good. He hardly has any time to see his friends or family now.”

  “I’m sorry that you’re having money problems,” I said. “You mentioned an accident. What happened?”

  Immul raised her face to the sky and smiled. She said, “Can you see those flying figures up there? Those are my neighbours and friends. They’re all out working. I wish I could join them. It breaks my heart to know I will never be up there again.”

  Stanley and I glanced upwards. I could see many flying figures soaring across the sky. The figures were in pairs and were flying at a short distance from each other. Between the pairs were bits of clothing and sheets hanging from a rope.

  I looked back at Immul. “Are those washing lines up there? With washing on them?”

  Immul laughed. “Yes. That’s what we do here. We run a laundry service. There are some powerful whirlpools set deep in the mountains. Laundry is washed there using special herbs and plants which get all manner of stains out. Then the wet washing is taken into the sky on strong lines. We fly in pairs with the line held in our mouths. Two trips around the mountains are enough to get the washing dry. The laundry smells amazing by the time it’s dry. And the view up there is spectacular. It’s the best job in the world.” She sighed. “I loved it. I was one of the fastest fliers. My name, Immul, means ‘Everlasting Flight’. That doesn’t apply anymore.”

  Stanley was still looking upwards. He said wistfully, “That is my perfect job. Flying all day long. Wow.”

  I said to Immul, “What happened to you? Why can’t you fly any longer?”

  She pressed her lips together and took a moment to compose herself. “It happened a few months ago. My flying partner and I were called to a new address to pick up some washing. It was on the other side of the mountains. Ethel, my partner, went into the house and I stayed in the garden. I can’t recall exactly what happened next. I heard a rumble behind me, and before I knew it, heavy rocks came crashing down on me. I was pinned beneath them and couldn’t cry out for help. I passed out. When I woke up, I was at home and Ethel was crying at the foot of my bed. The doctor had been and she’d said the damage to my wings was beyond repair. I would never be able to fly again.”

  I blinked rapidly. “I’m so sorry about that.”

  Stanley jumped onto Immul’s lap and added, “I’m sorry too. Not being able to fly must be breaking your heart.”

  Immul stroked Stanley’s head. “It is. It’s not just the flying; it’s the money. I’ve no way to earn it now. I feel so guilty that Ovrid has to now provide for me. The funny thing is, the owner of that house we went to didn’t know anything about our visit. They had never asked us to go there. I’m so thankful to Mr Collins for giving Ovrid a job at the hotel.”

  An idea was coming to me which I couldn’t ignore. I said to Immul, “Would you mind if I looked at your wings, please?”

  Immul frowned. “Why do you want to do that?”

  “I’ve got a feeling that I might be able to help you.” My hands were already tingling with magic.

  Stanley jumped off Immul’s knee and came to my side. Immul got to her feet, turned around and slowly uncurled her broken wings. They were creased and ripped and hung at peculiar angles from her shoulders. Her head hung low as if she were embarrassed.

  I closed my eyes and pictured Immul’s wings strong and healthy. I saw her soaring above the mountains powerful and free. I imagined her face full of joy and laughter. My hands tingled and trembled as the magic flowed freely.

  “Cassia! Look!” Stanley called out.

  I opened my eyes and saw Immul standing there with a shocked expression on her face. Her wings were stretched out wide at her side. There wasn’t one single rip on them.

  Her voice was hoarse as she said, “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. Thank you. Oh! Thank you!” She flapped her wings and tears streamed down her face. “I can fly again. I can really fly! Thank you.”

  I found my own voice was hoarse as I replied, “It was nothing. I’m glad I could help.”

  Stanley and I stayed with Immul a bit longer as she insisted on feeding us and giving us a drink. Her voice was full of joy as she talked about her new future. She couldn’t wait to get back to work and to start earning money again. She said thank you over and over again.

  When it was time to leave, I said to her, “Can you tell me where your accident took place? If it’s an unsafe area, I’d like to put warning signs up so no one else is injured.”

  Immul replied, “Yes. It’s not far away. You’ll know when you’re near as there are apple trees near the house we visited.”

  “Apple trees?” My stomach clenched.

  “Yes. I couldn’t see them, but there must have been a lot of them nearby with fallen fruit. Just before those rocks hit me, I distinctly remember a strong smell of apples that had started to go off.”

  Chapter 25

  Stanley was fuming with rage as we entered The Brimstone Hotel later. He’d talked non-stop on the flight back about how evil Jeff Collins was. Stanley had no doubts that Jeff was to blame for breaking Immul’s wings. “And all so he could get Ovrid to work for him!” Stanley spat.

  I agreed with Stanley, but I needed some evidence before we confronted Jeff. When we left Immul’s home earlier, we flew over to where she’d had her accident. We searched and searched for signs of apple trees, but we couldn’t find any. It would be impossible for them to grow in such a rocky foundation anyway.

  Stanley marched ahead of me towards the reception desk. I’d tried to calm him down on the way here but he was having none of it. He said he was going to give that selfish zombie a piece of his mind. I watched helplessly as Stanley stormed around to the other side of the reception desk.

  Jeff Collins was behind the desk serving a guest and was all smiles as he talked to them. His smile promptly dropped from his face and he looked down at where I presumed Stanley was. He jumped backwards and said, “What did you call me?” He took another step back and his hands came to his chest. “How dare you say that to me?” Jeff looked my way and shouted, “You! Control your cat! He’s turned wild.” He jumped and screeched, “He kicked me!”

  Stanley leapt onto the reception desk and advanced on the frightened zombie. He hissed, “And another thing – ”

  I darted forward and whipped Stanley into my arms. I placed one hand gently over his mouth. I said to Jeff, “I’d like a word with you, please. Immediately.”

  Jeff pulled at his shirt collar and attempted to compose himself. His make-up had been applied even more thickly today. His tone was indignant as he said, “No. You will not be having a word with me about anything. I saw you and your cat in the spa last night lazing around. I heard what you said about Augustus and the other goblins. You are not welcome in my hotel. I would like someone else to deal with Augustus’ death. Someone who cares.”

  I heard mumblings of agreement coming from guests around me.

  Someone said, “She hates goblins. That’s what she sai
d last night.”

  Another voice added, “She hates Brimstone and everyone who lives here. I don’t know why she’s here. She should go back to her world.”

  I prepared myself to take a deep breath and to locate my patience. I must have a tiny bit left somewhere.

  Stanley jumped out of my arms and back onto the reception desk. He turned his angry face on the guests who were giving me filthy looks. He shouted, “How dare you talk about Cassia like that? She’s amazing. She cares deeply for this town and everyone who lives here.”

  “That’s not what she said last night,” someone argued behind me.

  “That wasn’t Cassia!” Stanley exploded. “Anyone with an ounce of common sense would have known it wasn’t her. And that pathetic creature with her wasn’t me. Pah! As if I’d get my nails painted.” Stanley stalked along the desk looking quite regal and in command. He reminded me of a lion, on a smaller scale of course. He continued, “Cassia has dealt with other murder cases. She didn’t stop working until she found the murderer, even when that put her life in danger. She’s a wonderful justice witch!” He raised his paw and moved it around the room. “And if any of you were slaughtered and butchered by an evil being, Cassia wouldn’t rest until she found out who killed you.”

  There was a shocked silence.

  Stanley still hadn’t finished, “If one of you was poisoned or suffered a tragic accident while out for a walk; Cassia would be there for you. If you were stabbed viciously in the still of the night or thrown to your death from a tall building; my Cassia wouldn’t rest until justice was served.”

  I scooped Stanley into my arms and said, “You’ve made your point. You’re starting to scare them.”

  “One more thing,” Stanley said. He pointed his paw at Jeff. “We need to talk to you about our ongoing murder investigation. We can discuss it here in front of your guests if you like?”

  Jeff let out a brittle laugh. “No! Let’s not do that. Come into my office. It’s a bit cramped, but it’s private.”

  I could already smell the sour apple aroma coming from Jeff. Being stuck in a cramped office would have my stomach heaving in no time. I said to him, “Let’s sit out in the gardens instead.”

  “Yes. Yes. Of course.” He almost bowed as he came out from behind the desk.

  I made my way out of the hotel with Stanley still in my arms. I quickly planted a kiss on his head and whispered, “Thanks for defending me. You were awesome back there. You were like a little lion.”

  Stanley purred in my arms. “You are more than welcome. I quite enjoyed being so powerful.” He coughed. “I think I’ve strained my voice, though.”

  We found a quiet area in the garden and located two benches opposite each other. There was a decent distance between them and a warm, fragrant breeze floated in the air. I thought I’d be safe from the fumes coming from Jeff.

  I settled myself in the middle of the bench and put my broomstick on the ground. Stanley sat at my side and rested his paw on my lap. He said he was ready to leap to my defence again if needed.

  Jeff shuffled towards us dragging one leg behind him. He took a seat opposite us and gave us a brief smile.

  “What’s wrong with your leg?” I asked.

  He grimaced. “I need some work doing. I always need work doing. That’s the problem with being a zombie; parts rot away and fall off.” Hope lit up his face. “I don’t suppose you can do something about that, can you? Could you work some of your magic on me so that I never need to have work done again?”

  I couldn’t keep the disgust from my voice. “I don’t think so. Not after what we’ve heard about you.”

  Jeff swallowed nervously. “What do you mean by that? I haven’t done anything wrong. Ever.”

  Stanley said sharply, “We know what you did. We know you lured Ovrid’s mum to a place where there were loose rocks. We know you pushed those rocks onto her. You tried to kill her! Don’t even try to deny it. We know everything!”

  “Ah,” Jeff held up a finger. “I didn’t try to kill her. My intention was to maim her and put her out of action for a while. Then I could ask young Ovrid to work for me. One of his kind used to deliver laundry to the hotel. She told me how Ovrid used to burst into flames because he gave so much heat out, but he had that under control now. She added that he fell asleep instantly at the sound of soft music. I knew he’d be perfect as a bed warmer. And I was right.” He smiled as if we should be pleased with his answer.

  I said to him, “You broke her wings. She couldn’t fly. She couldn’t pay her bills. Ovrid has been working non-stop so he can support his mum. And that’s all down to you.”

  Jeff gave us a direct look. “I needed the money. I’m high maintenance.”

  “That’s no excuse!” Stanley shot out. He coughed and shook his head. “Cassia, my voice is going. You’ll have to take over.”

  I stroked Stanley’s head and told him to rest. I turned my full attention to Jeff. “Did Augustus find out what you’d done to Ovrid’s mum?”

  Jeff nodded. “He worked it out. He spoke to Ovrid about how he’d got the job. Ovrid told him about the accident and Augustus decided to make some enquiries. Once he’d found out I was behind it, he threatened me. He said he’d tell Ovrid what I’d done unless I increased Augustus’ wage. I had to agree. Ovrid is a good worker. I’m getting my money’s worth and more out of him. I couldn’t give that up.”

  “You have no shame,” I told him. “Did you kill Augustus to stop him blackmailing you?”

  “No. I am glad he’s gone, though. He was costing me a fortune. And not just with his increased wages. It was the sleepwalking he was doing that was causing me money problems.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Jeff explained, “Augustus sleepwalked when he was in a guest’s room. He would cause damage to their belongings, and he moved things around so they couldn’t find them. He broke pieces of furniture too. When I first discovered the chaos he’d caused, I was furious and thought he’d done it on purpose just to annoy me. He said he couldn’t remember causing the damage and concluded he must have been sleepwalking when it happened.” He tutted in disgust. “I’ve had to replace the damaged items and offer compensation to guests. I’ve lost a lot of money through Augustus’ antics. Now that he’s gone, my profits should improve. I’ll be able to get my leg repaired soon.”

  I said, “You had a strong motive for killing Augustus. Where were you when he died?”

  Jeff pointed to his top lip. “I was having this fixed. It was about to fall off and I had to visit the emergency tailor. That was about three in the morning. I’d only been back for ten minutes when Dilly told me that Augustus had died in his bed. I can give you the tailor’s name. He wasn’t happy about being woken up at that time in the morning. He charged me double, but I had to have the work done.”

  “I’ll speak to the tailor to confirm that.” I studied Jeff for a moment. I got the feeling he was telling me the truth. “Who do you think killed Augustus? Did he have any enemies at the hotel?”

  “Oh, yes,” Jeff said cheerfully. “Everyone hated him. He slept and ate all day and all night. They all resented him.” He tipped his head to one side. “They don’t hate Ovrid, though. He’s polite and friendly with everyone. I made a good choice by employing him.”

  Stanley attempted to growl but only a wheeze came out.

  “I’d like a list of the staff who were working on the night Augustus died,” I said. “In fact, give me a list of everyone. I’ll have to speak to them all.”

  “Right. Yes. I’ll do that straight away. Do you think you could have this matter sorted out quickly? I’d like to start using Augustus’ old room again. It’s not making me any money by being empty.”

  I felt my eyes narrowing at his thoughtless attitude. “I’ll do my best. Are you going to tell Ovrid that you caused his mum’s accident or shall I do it?”

  “Tell him? Why do you need to tell him?” Jeff’s hand shook as he pulled at his collar.

 
; “He needs to know the truth,” I said.

  “But he’ll be angry. He won’t want to work here anymore. I’ve already got jobs booked for him for the next month.”

  “Nonetheless, he needs to know. His mum should be informed too. She might want to claim compensation from you. She’s lost a lot of income because of you.”

  Jeff’s whole body began to shake. “Compensation? That means money. Lots of money. My money.”

  “Money that hasn’t come to you in an honest way. You might get lucky. Ovrid and his mum might forgive you if you apologise in a genuine manner. They might not press charges against you. Perhaps a raise for Ovrid would be an idea too. And a reduction in his hours so he has time off.”

  Jeff nodded. “Yes. I can do that. Yes.”

  I grabbed my broomstick and stood up. “I’ll be back to check that you have spoken to Ovrid and his mum. Mr Collins, I hope you’ve told me the truth about everything. I hope you haven’t been keeping anything from me.”

  Jeff shot a wary glance at Stanley. “I’ve told you the truth. I swear.”

  Chapter 26

  I collected the staff details from Jeff and then went back to the apartment. It was only a short distance away but I could see how tired Stanley was, so I decided we should fly back.

  As we entered the apartment, Stanley announced, “I’m going to take a short nap. Just a short one. Not a long one. Then I’ll be back at your side.” His face twisted as he fought back a yawn. “Just a short nap.”

  “You take as long as you like.” I held up the thick file of papers that Jeff had given me. “It’s going to take me a while to get through these.”

  He gave me a tired nod and then dragged himself into the bedroom.

  I made myself a cup of tea before settling down at the table with the papers. I put them into some sort of order and began to make notes. I noticed that some members of staff worked long hours. I hoped Jeff paid them a decent wage. I made a note to ask him that. It took another cup of tea and a bowl of chopped fruit before I’d finished going through the papers. Something was starting to bother me about the information I’d gathered.