Moggies, Magic and Murder

by Pearl Goodfellow

  “Brrr, it’s chilly out here,” Carbon observed as he padded out the back door to join us.

  “Bro, it’s like seventy-eight degrees,” Jet giggled.

  “It’s animal cruelty, is what it is,” Carbon grumbled.

  We took to the skies.

  The wind in my face felt amazing. I peered over my shoulder and chuckled at Carbon and Jet; their eyes closed, their furry faces smiling, and their chins raised to the cooling breeze. I could imagine their purrs being picked up by the wind and strewn behind them in our jet stream.

  The Sea of Mages glittered below us, gentle wave caps dancing across its surface. I could just make out in the distance the Crystal Sea; the body of water that lapped the shores of Cathedral. Where the two seas met, tides eddied and collided, creating waves the size of tower blocks. The Mages was a deeper, inky blue, and it was a treat to see its dark fingers drifting into the aquamarine of the Crystal.

  Carbon tapped me on the back and pointed about a mile just slightly to the left of us. David. We watched as his broom swerved and dived downward. What on earth? I could see the chief’s outline, slumping forward slightly over his airborne chariot. His broom dropped alarmingly, losing too much altitude in too little time. He was getting way too close to sea level too, and of course, it would have to be at the point where the two seas crashed together. I watched as my friend pulled the nose of his broom up just before he was in reach of the towering water eruptions. He picked up speed and altitude and seemed to straighten up somewhat on his broom.

  “Phew.” Jet exhaled, and then paced the length of the broom on dexterous paws. “Chief looked like he was gonna be swimming with the fishes for a second there.”

  “Guys, I have no idea what’s going on with him, but I’m worried.” I turned course toward my friend and sped up the ride a little. David slumped forward again.

  “Boss, get us closer. I’m gonna make the jump, yep.” Jet was already facing sideward ready to leap onto the chief’s ride to help steady my ailing friend. His eyes were as black as deep space, flooding his vision with every available speck of light.

  “Are you insane?!” Carbon asked from his perch. “Look at the speed we’re flying at! You make that jump, the only place you’re going is the land of salmon,” Carbon pointed down toward the heaving waves below.

  “Um, yep, yep, maybe you’re right, brother. You have a point.” Jet babbled. “He has a point, boss, so, can you pull ahead a little?” ”

  We were already going somewhere close to the broom’s top speed. But I eked out a few more clicks until we were a half broom length ahead of David.

  “Best I can do!” I called over my shoulder.

  Jet nodded frantically. “Yep, yep, uh huh.” He wriggled his haunches, his ears flat and back in their most determined position. He arched his back and then sprang forward. I could barely look. Jet landed right on David’s shoulder and quickly crawled onto the Chief’s chest, dangling from the latter’s shirt with his claws. The sudden shock of having an impromptu acupuncture session brought the chief around instantly. He pulled on the nose again, and his broom climbed to a safe height. I joined my friend immediately.

  David turned his head and looked at me. While Jet bounded happily to the back of the chief’s broom, David gave me a thumbs-up. I sighed with relief and nodded. The Cathedral coastline, in its stupendous beauty, raced toward us, but now at a more leisurely pace. I stuck as close as an arm’s length to David’s broom just to be on the safe side.

  “Looks like I owe you my life, kitty-cat,” David said over his shoulder at my life-saving moggie.

  Jet bobbed his head with enthusiasm and proceeded to give David the full rundown of his mid-air rescue mission in excited, speedy bursts. I laughed, and Carbon did too. It felt good to relax a little. We flew in comfortable silence the rest of the way to Infirma Devlin’s soon-to-be estate.

  Okay, maybe I was a little premature using the word: ‘estate.’ I dunno, it just didn’t seem fitting to be using that word for the large hunk of formless, sprawling masonry that faced us now. Portia Fearwyn’s Gaunt Manor seemed palatial in comparison to this monstrosity. But, there was acreage. A lot of acreage. This was a serious chunk of land, and Cathedral’s real estate market was booming, so with the proximity of the estate to Cathedral’s capital, Chalice, it was evident it was worth a pretty penny.

  Vines wound their way around the rusty iron gates and decayed stone walls at the entrance to the estate. We brought the brooms down here and walked the rest of the way to the large house.

  “So what happened out there?” I asked as we walked through the gate. “Did you have a rough night too?" Fraidy, Midnight and I had all had bad dreams last night. Which was why my brain was so foggy this morning. It looked like my friend might not have slept much either.

  “Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah. Pretty rough,” David said a little too quickly. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.“I say we don’t ever ride through one of Portia’s Shadowgates again, what do you think?” He laughed.

  “Couldn’t agree more,” I said carefully. But I didn’t buy David’s explanation that it was just bad dreams that made him fall asleep at his broom.

  We reached the front stoop when a lovely vision glided out of the front door. There really is no other short way to describe Verdantia Eyebright, Glessie’s local greengrocer. If you wanted a more in-depth description of this elven beauty, you’d need a romantic poet to spin you a few verses. But any other solid facts about her were surprisingly sparse. All anyone really knew was that she was Fae, grew the best vegetables on the Coven Isles and had a personality that glowed with love and good feeling.

  Verdantia gave all of us a dazzling smile. “Well, well, this is a pleasant surprise. How is everyone today?”

  “I’m real good, V,” Jet piped up, “I was just telling the chief here of how I single handedly rescued him fr--”

  “Jet, not now buddy.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the funny little guy. I turned to our greengrocer. “How are you, Verdantia?” I leaned in to give her a squeeze.

  “Very well, thank you. Keeping my eyes open, as usual,” she smiled sweetly.

  “What are you doing this far from Glessie?” I asked.

  “Oh, just delivering some food to Infirma,” Verdantia said, her smile pulling slowly into a micro frown. “I’ve been helping out when I can. There’s no money left for help or housekeepers or groundskeepers, sadly. The place is worth a fortune, but it also costs a fortune to run. I don’t think it would be such a terrible idea for Infirma to sell this place to a developer, or some other entity with money.” Verdantia shook her head. “Such a burden,” she said softly, scanning the humongous building and its grounds.

  “We’ve actually come here to see if Infirma needs anything,” David said. “I’d heard this place was big, so we thought she might need a hand.” The chief put his hands on his hips and whistled through his teeth, while he took in the estate and its gigantic gardens. “Had no idea it’d be this big, though.”

  “You’re too kind, Chief Para Inspector,” Verdantia reached out and squeezed my friend’s arm. “But, as of today, household help is something I have made provisions for.”

  The chief raised his eyebrow at the elven beauty.

  “I have some very mischievous brownie cousins. For past transgressions on their part, I have called in my favors from them. They will see to the regular household, grounds and stables duties. They are obligated to this service for exactly one year and one day.” Verdantia beamed at us. “But, I’ve no doubt in my mind that Infirma would love nothing more than to see you as visitors.”

  “Do you know when the funeral is yet? I asked Verdantia before she floated away.

  “Four days from now,” Verdantia answered, gliding toward the gates. “It would mean a lot to Infirma if you both attended. And, maybe your investigation might also benefit from your attendance.” Her cryptic bullet fired at us, she floated gracefully away. David and I looked at each other. We shrugged and conti
nued into the manor.

  “This really is such a lovely surprise,” Infirma said, pouring iced tea into long frosted glasses for us. She plopped down in the chair and pulled her oxygen tank close.

  “It’s great to see you have help,” I noted a few brownies were busying themselves with various tasks, dusting, polishing and shining the silver.

  Carbon crept up to my elbow and reached up to whisper in my ear.

  “We’re going for a wander. Check the place out,” he murmured. I gave the briefest of nods, and I saw him, and Jet slink out the door and go bounding up the stairs.

  “Verdantia has been very kind, it’s true. I couldn’t have possibly managed this place without her little cousins here.” She smiled at a tiny pixie who was cleaning out the fire grate.

  “She’s certainly been more helpful than Governor Shields or his cabinet have been.” Infirma grimaced as if she had something awfully acidic in her mouth.

  “So they haven’t come by to see you?” I asked.

  “Oh, no, they came by both yesterday and the day before yesterday,” Infirma said, her tone becoming more bitter with the telling. “They were all sympathy and solicitations even as they asked me probing questions about Morag’s business. I had no idea how to answer any of them.”

  “What sort of business?” David asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “Morag’s will, our private library, what artifacts were on the estate,” Infirma said, a frown settling into her thin lips. “Tell me, CPI Trew…what sort of person asks a grieving relative about these things?”

  David didn’t bother to hide his disgust or anger. “A snake.”

  She gave him a sad smile, one that threatened to give way to tears again.

  “Do you think they’ll be back today?” I asked, wanting to steer her away from sadness.

  “No,” Infirma said. “I have no proof of this, you understand, but the impression I got was that they had gotten all the answers they could from me. I expect they’ll make one last grand gesture at the funeral and that will be it.”

  “Who was doing most of the asking?”

  Infirma’s laugh was as bitter as her frown.

  “They all asked questions, Ms. Jenkins—“

  “Please. Call me Hattie,” I said, holding up my hand.

  Infirma nodded. “Hattie it is…anyway, while they all asked at least one question apiece, it was Shields who led the inquiries. The rest of his flunkies took their cues and follow-up questions from him.”

  David set his iced tea down. “Is there anything else we can do to help you out in your time of need, Ms. Devlin?”

  The surviving Devlin sister set down her own tea and looked pensive.

  “I would only ask that you perhaps come visit me once in a while.” She looked up at us, her frail frame small against the wing-backed chair. “Only when you have time, of course.”

  “You can bet on it,” I said. We stood and made our way to the door. Hopefully, my snooping cats had finished their recon.

  Before I could turn the handle for the front door, one of the house brownies started yelling from upstairs. Whoever he was, he sounded really pissed. It only took a few seconds to see why. Carbon was carrying the brownie in his mouth while Jet jogged alongside him down the stairs toward us. The tiny pixie cursed blue murder and flapped wildly in Carbon’s toothy trap.

  “Why, you flea-bitten oaf, I tell ya, you’ll be --”

  “Seamus,” I said, as Carbon dropped the brownie at my feet. “We meet again.”

  Seamus looked at me like a petulant teenager, smoothing his shock of red hair with a spit-moistened hand. “Lady, you should really control yer kitties, ya know? If you cannae keep the--” He swallowed when he saw the other furry body before him.

  “Oh, no,” the brownie said in horror, his eyes widening.

  “Oh, yes,” I smiled devilishly at him, and David burst out laughing by my side. His fingers brushed mine for a second and a jolt of electricity shot through my hand. Did he move closer to me on purpose?

  I squatted down to bring myself as level as I could with Seamus, the pixie who had broken Midnight’s rules.

  “Ah, you remember us now, do you?” I teased.

  “Look, no hard feelings ‘bout giving yous the slip, yeah?” Seamus asked, his hands up. “Did I no’ give you what I said I would?”

  “And it helped,” I said with a smile. “And I appreciate that very much.”

  Seamus lowered his hands and gave a cautious smile.

  “It’s why I know you’re the right Fae to ask for help once again,” I added, smiling like a fox at the little chap.

  “Faith, what are ya talkin’ on?” Seamus asked in dread. “Aren’t I already—“

  “I need to know where to find something the mistress’ sister hid,” I explained. “If she was keeping it safe, there’s a chance she might have hidden it here.”

  “‘It?’ It’s an ‘it’ is it?” He asked, opening his arms in mock hopelessness, looking for support from his audience. “Well, that’s grand, ain’t it? Oh, yes, I’m sure ‘it’ will be really easy to find in this teeny-tiny-micro mansion here!” Seamus’ face reddened from the effort of his outburst. “ We don’t know what ‘it’ is either. We just know it’s something. And, if it’s here you’re gonna find it.”

  “For Bran’s sake, how, woman?!” Seamus erupted. “If’n that’s all you gots ta gimme, then I—“

  Jet’s paw was a blur. Next thing anyone knew, the brownie was pinned chest-down on the floor.

  “So, yeah, buddy, you’ve gotta … you’ve gotta just shape up, and listen to the boss lady, yep, yep. She needs help, and you’re not being very helpful.” Jet grinned at each of us, as he smushed the pixies cheek into the hall carpet. “I was helpful earlier, myself. The chief here nearly fell of his broom, and I jum--”

  “Sweetie, let him go,” I said laughingly.

  Jet released his wee prisoner. “Seamus, do you remember Jet’s sister, Gloom? You met her the night you broke into our house. I believe she used your head as a seat for a while, didn’t she?”

  Seamus stood deathly still. He narrowed his eyes at me. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Look for ‘it.’ Find ‘it.'” I said. “Or you’ll be delivered to Gloom as her next ‘play date.’”

  “Aye, aye, okay!” Seamus slicked back his hair again and motor-boated his plump lips. “It’s just…you gotta understand, while every magical relic that’s e’er existed holds its signature spoor. That spoor, to be sure, will decay within a year and leave no trace of it ever havin’ existed.” Seamus looked at each of us, checking our understanding. “So, old Devlin has to have hidden ‘it’ within the last year, or there will be no spoor to find.”

  “We think it’s pretty recent,” David said rubbing his face. “And, even if it’s not, a year gives us a good scope. Start looking straight away, and be thorough,”

  “Aye, chief, I’ll be thorough-ly in the dark.” Seamus put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “It’ll take some time, to be sure,” he fretted.

  “Sooner would be better,” I said with a serious tone. “We’ve reason to believe that Infirma might be threatened.”

  Seamus’ eyes went from hangdog to fierce in an eye blink. “Not in this house she’s not. Swear by Mag the Ancient on that.”

  Carbon patted the pixie on the head and said: “Go.”

  The brownie dashed off at light speed.

  Me, the chief and the cats walked to our brooms by the crumbling gates.

  “You really think Infirma might be in danger? Like, do you think Shields is a threat?”

  “I don’t think it would hurt to add a bit of protection to this place,” David said wearily.

  Carbon piped up, “We’ll get Midnight to speak to some of his night-walking contacts. I bet they have eyes on the ground in this area.”

  I bent down and kissed my clever cat between the eyes. He chirruped in pleasure.

  My cell rang. I pulled it out and frowned. The number was a Gle
ssie exchange, but I didn’t recognize it.

  “Hello?” I asked as I picked up the phone.

  “Ms. Hattie Jenkins, please,” an unfamiliar voice said on the other end.

  “Speaking.”

  “Sorry to bother you, Ms. Jenkins,” the voice said. “But this is Basil Flynn at Midnight Hill Asylum? Are you acquainted with one of our patients here ...ahem, Cressida Dreddock?”

  I felt my stomach turn into an ice-ball. I had only run into her while solving her twin sister’s murder. So yeah, you could say I was acquainted with Cressida alright.

  “Yes,” I said. “ Is Cressida okay?” I felt like some bad news was coming.

  “Yes, yes, Ms. Dreddock is doing very well, thank you for asking. She wanted me to call you, actually. She wants to speak to you personally.”

  “What about?” I asked, I spun around and gave David a puzzled look. My friend raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

  “It has something to do with … just one moment, here … oh, I’m sorry, I thought I’d written it down. Anyway, if memory serves it has something to do with one Morag Deville? No, that’s not right. Hmm, Dorville? No, maybe D--”

  “I’ll be there in a couple of hours.” I ended the call.

  “Cressida Dreddock apparently has some information about Morag Devlin,” I declared to my friend. “That was a nurse from her psych ward. Cressida wants us to go to Midnight Hill and speak with her.”

  “Well, the way this case is going, we’re all going to end up in a nuthouse anyway, so might as well have a practice run.” Carbon grunted.

  “Dude! You sound just like Gloom … aw, man, that’s epic. Yep, yep, yep.” Jet beamed a happy smile and bounced on all four paws.

  Yeah, I think I’m gonna leave the cats at home for this one.

  Chapter 9

  Walking down the corridor of plexiglass cells within the bowels of Midnight Hill Asylum was unnerving. It was as if we were strolling through a museum of ‘broken down’ people. Crying, hysterical laughter, blood-curdling screaming and incessant burbling from the cell’s occupants assaulted us as we passed. Cressida’s cell was at the end of this macabre hallway, and we found her there, rocking frantically and murmuring unknown secrets to herself. I did what I could to get that creepy scene from Silence of the Lambs out of my head. I was certain that more than a few inmates here would enjoy nothing more than to have my liver with a nice glass of chianti. The air in this wing was oppressive. It felt every bit as trapped as the inmates.