ExSpelled (The Kitchen Witch Book 5): Witch Cozy Mystery series

by Morgana Best

  Still, there was no time to stand around congratulating myself. Vanessa was writhing on the ground, clutching her head. I sprinted to the dining room to get help.

  “Quick, hurry!” I shrieked. “Vanessa’s the murderer. She just tried to kill me. She’s in my room.” I pointed in the direction of my room, which was quite unnecessary, but I was caught up in the heat of the moment.

  Michael took off in the direction of my room with Owen right behind him, thankfully, this time fully clothed.

  I showed Abby, Mandy, and Lisa the article on my phone, but before I could explain at any length, the two men returned with Vanessa between them. She was struggling wildly, and saying things I could not repeat.

  “She tried to attack me with a knife!” Michael said.

  I was filled with remorse. “Oh I’m so sorry,” I said. “I should never have left her in there.”

  Michael waved my concerns away. “What else could you have done? You did the right thing coming to get help.”

  “Bazza is innocent,” I told them. “It was Vanessa all the time. I’ve got all the evidence on my phone.” I swiped until the picture came into view, and handed the phone to Abby. “Pass it around, would you? I figured it all out. She murdered her wealthy sister so she could steal her identity.”

  Everyone looked shocked. Owen and Mandy both looked at the phone over Abby’s shoulder, murmuring their surprise. Lisa was already trying to untie Bazza. “The ropes are too tight,” she said frantically. “Can somebody help me?”

  “Go and help her,” Abby ordered Owen. “That woman is not Vanessa. This article makes it clear. She’s Vanessa’s sister, Victoria. I saw the scar on her chest when she was taking off her shirt.”

  That was news to me. “You did? I did, too, but I didn’t put two and two together until I read the article. Benedict recognized her, so that’s why she killed him.”

  “But why did she kill Sarah?” Lisa asked, taking a brief respite from strangling the now-released-but-still-inebriated Bazza in a tight hug.

  “Remember over dinner the other night, Benedict told Sarah he had a scoop for her?” I said. Mandy looked doubtful, but the others, apart from Lisa who was otherwise preoccupied, murmured that they did remember. “Vanessa probably thought, and likely rightly so, that Benedict intended to tell Sarah about Vanessa’s true identity. Also, when I went up the hill with Vanessa and Sarah, Sarah seemed to be afraid of Vanessa, and didn’t try to hide it from her.”

  “I outsmarted you all,” Vanessa snapped. “You’re all so stupid that you...”

  Everyone flushed red at her ensuing remarks. Michael pushed her down in the chair and tied her up with Bazza’s newly vacated ropes.

  “Could you put a sock in her mouth?” I asked, and that drew some more unsavory remarks from Vanessa.

  “I’m going to be sick,” Bazza said. He staggered outside.

  Lisa helped him out. Moments later, she yelled, “Come quickly, all of you!”

  Chapter 20

  My heart raced. On the horizon, I could just make out the silhouette of a ship headed directly toward us. As it neared, I realized it was white and blue, the colors of police vehicles here in Australia.

  “Is that...?” Michael asked, clearly too relieved to finish his sentence. We were all on the deck, looking out to sea, with the exception of Vanessa—I mean, Victoria—who was still safely tied to a chair. “Back inside, all of you,” he added. “It’s a bad idea to leave her with just one or two people, much less alone.”

  The storm was over, in more ways than one. It was raining again, but it was relatively light rain. The police must have set sail while the storm was still going and known that it would pass by the time they arrived.

  “Is it really the police?” Owen asked. His voice was steady, but the look of wide-eyed hope made me realize that he must have been as scared as the rest of us this entire time.

  “Yes, I think so,” I said with a smile. “Should someone go and meet them?”

  “Why don’t you and Mandy go?” Michael suggested. “Owen and I should stay here with Vanessa-Victoria.” She was struggling against her restraints so strongly that I thought the chair might tip over. If it did, I didn’t want to be around, so I readily agreed, despite the fact I wasn’t too thrilled to accompany Mandy. I am sure she felt the same way about me.

  By the time we got to the jetty, the boat seemed to be a distance away, and when it finally arrived, it pulled in slowly.

  Several uniformed police officers got off the boat, as well as somebody else that I recognized.

  “Alder!” I yelled as I sprinted to him. The officers looked somewhat startled at first, but Alder swooped past them toward me, embracing me warmly as soon as he could.

  “Amelia,” he said, still holding me tightly. “Are you all right?”

  It was all I could do to hold back tears. The last few days had been a nightmare, and it was only now that Alder was here that it felt like it was truly over. I hugged him tighter and made a small noise that I hoped he could interpret as ‘Yes.’

  “I’m glad,” he said warmly. We stood in the rain, simply embracing. I wished it could go on forever, despite the uncomfortable looks from the nearby police officers.

  When I finally let go of Alder, I noticed that Mandy and all the officers had left.

  “Alder, how is it that you’re with the police?” I asked, not realizing until now that it was more than a little unusual. It was hard to imagine that the police would have let him come along for the ride without some kind of substantial reason.

  Alder smiled at me slyly. “I have my ways, Amelia.” He winked. “I’ll just have to tell you later, when we’re alone.”

  My stomach tightened at the thought of being alone with Alder. I wanted to jump with sheer joy. I let a long sigh of relief. It was all over. “It was Vanessa, who was really Victoria,” I told him. “Your article tipped me off.”

  Alder kept his arm firmly around me, and when we reached the dining room, I saw Owen talking to an older police officer, most likely the man in charge, based on his stance and uniform. Abby and the others were standing behind Owen.

  Before I could think to move, a police officer gently touched me on the shoulder. “I’m afraid I’ll need you to wait for questioning,” he said, indicating the others behind Owen. I nodded wordlessly and smiled again at Alder before I walked away to join them.

  “I still can’t believe you thought Bazza was responsible,” Lisa said sulkily to nobody in particular.

  “Oh, come on, Lisa,” Abby said with a sigh. “It was a fair assumption. He wasn’t supposed to be on the island that night, and he was soaking wet after Sarah had been murdered in the storm. Plus he was found standing over the burning evidence.”

  “That was just circumstantial evidence,” Lisa snapped.

  “Hindsight is a wonderful thing,” Abby snapped back.

  Lisa pouted, but didn’t manage a retort. I still felt a bit bad for having been part of locking Bazza up, but it was certainly the right move at the time. If I could go back in time, obviously I wouldn’t have agreed to lock him up, but then I probably never would have come to the island anyway. Perpetually burning food for the rest of my life seemed to be the better option, especially when the alternative involved murder. Then again, even if everything had gone smoothly, no doubt the cooking classes would have resulted in an awful time, anyway.

  Before I knew it, I was at the front of the line and the other guests had already boarded the boat. “Name?” the police officer asked me without looking up from his notebook.

  “Oh, um, Amelia Spelled,” I answered, clearing my throat. I wasn’t feeling particularly nervous, but his bluntness had taken me a bit by surprise.

  “I just want to ask a few routine questions right now. We’ll ask you more back on the mainland, so this won’t take too long,” he said, scribbling something down as he spoke.

  The detective—at least, I assumed he was a detective based on the fact that he was questioning me—only
asked quite rudimentary questions. He asked why I had come to the island, to which I had embarrassingly told the truth that my friends had staged a kind of cooking intervention. He responded by being reassuringly unsurprised, before asking me all the other kinds of after-a-murder questions with which I had unfortunately come to be familiar. It was essentially just a retelling of the events of the last few days, with a couple of questions thrown in to test that I was telling the truth.

  In the end, the detective seemed satisfied and told me I could join the others on the boat. Alder walked me down to the jetty, his arm still around my shoulders. I think my predicament had given him quite a fright.

  When we reached the boat, he hopped in and then stretched out his hand to help me in. I took it with a smile, and tried my best to step up daintily, but slipped on the slick flooring almost immediately. Alder caught me with one arm, the other still holding my hand. He was clearly holding back a laugh, but I appreciated the effort all the same. He helped me back to my feet and the two of us walked inside.

  The boat had an enormous undercover area, and for a moment it seemed as though it was somehow bigger on the inside, like the TARDIS, only somewhat less exciting, because it was a boat and not a spaceship/time machine hybrid.

  The others were sitting around a table, and bizarrely, drinking alcohol. I spotted a bar against one wall.

  “I thought this was a police boat,” I said with some concern, turning to face Alder.

  “It is, right now. They commandeered one. They didn’t have a police boat available as they were all needed for emergency services in the storm,” Alder explained with a shrug. “It’s a lot more comfortable anyway, I’d say.”

  “But it’s even painted with police colors,” I said. “Obviously they didn’t stop to take the time to paint it.”

  Alder laughed, and then hesitated. I knew he was making the agonizing decision as to whether or not he should tease me with a white lie, but luckily he seemed to give up on the idea. “Just a coincidence, as far as I know. I wasn’t exactly part of the decision-making process. I just managed to convince them to let me on board.”

  Before I could respond, I noticed everyone around me was laughing. Bazza, in particular, was laughing loudly, although he was also staring strangely into the bottom of his glass. They had all gathered at the table, so Alder and I took a seat.

  “Oh, Amelia,” Michael said with a smile. “Have a drink. We certainly all deserve one.”

  “Or five,” I agreed, taking the cup and drinking deeply. I was instantly filled with regret when I realized I had been handed some kind of intensely strong liquor, but managed to swallow it nonetheless. I would have been mortified if I’d choked and spat it all over Alder, who was frustratingly as dashing and cool as ever.

  “Well, Owen and Abby will refund you all for the Beginners’ Class, which goes without saying,” Michael said with a smile, holding a glass of his own. “However, I’m sure they’d be happy if you all returned for free cooking lessons. I understand that you might not want to go back, given the memories you have recently developed, but that’s all the more reason to return. Remember some good times to help override the bad ones,” he finished, still smiling, and sat down.

  “Even me?” I asked. “They’d let me come back and do the cooking classes?” I was only asking out of curiosity. Nothing would be able to entice me back to that island.

  “You should certainly go back,” Michael said with a nod.

  “And do the cooking classes?”

  There was a long, awful silence.

  “You should come,” Lisa said to Alder, breaking the awkward moment in the worst way possible.

  “Oh, uh...” Alder stammered.

  I cut her off. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I knew that the ‘cooking class’ wasn’t quite as advertised, and with both Lisa and Mandy giving Alder a long, hard stare I knew exactly what they were after. “Alder’s already an excellent cook,” I said sharply, kicking his foot under the table and hoping he got the hint.

  Luckily, we were interrupted when the detective from earlier came down the steps. “We’re about to cast off,” he said, looking over the room. I briefly worried that we weren’t allowed to drink the alcohol, but he seemed as though he couldn’t have cared less. “Does anybody need anything back on the island, or can we go? The sooner the better, as these storms can come in cycles.”

  “Um, you did remember to get Vanessa, right?” Michael asked, looking a bit concerned. “I mean, Victoria.”

  “Yes, of course.” The detective nodded. “We’re keeping her detained below deck so that you don’t have to suffer through her, well, verbal acrobatics. She’s been arrested, and when the forensics team has finished up on the island, we’ll have some hard evidence. Combined with all of you as witnesses, of course.”

  We collectively breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to know that the police had matters well in hand. For the first time in days, I managed to relax. The boat was bathed in a warm, comforting light, and the alcohol kicking in didn’t hurt either. The best part was Alder’s presence. His arm was now permanently attached to my shoulder, and he was pulling me closer to him. I snuggled up to his jacket, enjoying the comfort and warmth.

  The rest of the boat ride was less comfortable. While the rain had stopped, the seas were rough. The boat rocked violently, and the sound of the wind was almost deafening.

  At one point, a police officer came to make sure all the valuables were strapped into the boat, and suggested that nobody stand up for a while, which came across as less than encouraging advice. If not for Alder comforting me, I would have almost been afraid for my life. Then again, this was probably the least scary part of the previous few days.

  The boat ride lasted about two hours all up, and the last half hour was considerably more pleasant. The rain eased off slowly until it had all but stopped, and a tiny ray of sunshine poked through the thick cloud cover. I noticed it was the first of the sun I had seen since arriving on the island, and it was only at that moment that I realized how much I had missed it.

  Chapter 21

  “Where’s the apartment?” Alder asked me as we stood at the entrance to Ruprecht’s store, Glinda’s.

  “The apartment is behind the shop. It’s just that they share an entrance,” I explained. “Just like your apartment.” It dawned on me that this was a little strange, but I figured I had become used to the idea.

  Ruprecht had invited us over for dinner, supposedly to make up for what had happened on the island. I meant to bring the lightning struck wood, but I’d forgotten it. It was still sitting just inside my front door, all separated nicely into little gift boxes.

  Of course, I didn’t blame my friends for what had happened, but it was clear that they felt terrible all the same. Before I could dwell on it, the door swung wide open.

  “Ah, Amelia, Alder!” Ruprecht said with a smile. He ushered us in politely and closed the door behind us. Good thing we hadn’t been waiting long, too, as it was raining. I had become well and truly sick of rain, but I had to admit that the gloom somehow gave Ruprecht’s store a wonderful atmosphere. It was always quite atmospheric, of course, but the rain pelting against the windows gave it an even more otherworldly vibe than usual.

  Ruprecht led us through the store, heading directly for his apartment. It was clear that Alder was keenly observing the musty old books and even some antiques. I smiled, thinking I should bring him back here some day soon so he could look around properly. I was happy that my friends had finally accepted Alder after years of wariness, all due to his dark family history.

  “Are these for sale?” Alder asked, pointing to a dusty but intriguing Alembic sitting atop a bookshelf alongside several flasks. Ruprecht apparently hadn’t heard him, as he was busying himself moving along the maze of antiques.

  I turned to Alder and shrugged. “I actually don’t know. I always thought he just left those things there for the aesthetic value, but I suppose he might be willing to part with it.
Let’s come back here soon and so you can have a good look around.” Alder smiled and nodded, clearly pleased with the idea.

  I looked around the store, which was bathed in soft warm light. A good thing, too, as I certainly did not want to break any of the many antiques scattered about the store. The rain had also caused the musty smell of the old books to intensify, and while it wasn’t exactly unpleasant, it was rapidly becoming a little overwhelming.

  “Aha!” Ruprecht announced loudly, causing us to jump. “I got it. This silly door has become somewhat of a nuisance in old age,” he announced as the door swung open. Ruprecht ushered us through, and the three of us walked to his apartment.

  Even before we stepped inside, it was clear that Alder and I were not the first ones to arrive. I could hear talking and laughing as soon as we left the boundaries of the shop itself. I was immediately hit with a wave of warm air, which I very much appreciated. Of course, the rain here in Bayberry Creek was far more subdued and immeasurably colder than what I had experienced on the island.

  Ruprecht led us inside, and it was clear that Alder was somewhat taken aback by the interior. Before he could ask, I decided to put him out of his misery and explain. “Yes, this is an apartment,” I whispered, realizing that it looked exactly like the shop. There were musty tomes and antiques galore, many with price tags. It occurred to me that Ruprecht might occasionally switch stock between his home and shop, but then he enjoyed collecting antiques, so these were probably not for sale. I guessed that the contents of Ruprecht’s apartment were worth considerably more than his entire shop.

  Ruprecht led us into the dining room, where my friends Mint, Camino, and Thyme were sitting around the large oak table. There were five candles burning in the center of the table in a pattern of a pentacle, and they were sufficient to illuminate the entire room.