FAMILY MAGIC (THE FLOWER FARM MAGICAL MYSTERY SERIES Book 1)

by Lucia Kuhl

  "No, Blake's cool. He's taken a personal interest in this case."

  "Because a member of his team has a serial killer for a sister."

  "Sure," said Arie getting up to go open the door.

  CHAPTER 33

  "Welcome to the party," Arie said to Blake.

  Wow, he was good-looking. Not movie-star good looking, more ruggedly good looking. Arie had almost black hair and dark brown eyes, and the rhythmic grace of a quarterback. Blake had more of a cowboy aura about him. Not as striking as Arie, but tough and in control. My heart did a little yippee as he took a seat.

  "Wow, a whiteboard with clues and everything."

  "We are professionals here," I said to Blake.

  "And it shows." He studied the whiteboard for a second.

  "And you have something to share," I said, reading him.

  "I do. Guess what Lizzie's stepfather did when he was in the military?"

  "Something to do with military finances?"

  "That would be wrong. He was a decorated sniper."

  "Mr. Ashcroft was a sniper? I did not see that one coming." I'd never met him, but I'd heard Lizzie talk about him. Somehow, I couldn't imagine Mrs. Raymont marrying a sniper. Don't get me wrong. She could snipe herself, but she used words, not guns.

  "So, are we thinking Lizzie's stepfather killed her father and took a shot at Lizzie?"

  "I don't know that we are thinking anything. It's just a piece of evidence. Where it leads, I don't know yet. What I do know is I would love a cup of coffee and one of those delicious-looking rolls."

  "Of course, where are my manners. Arie, hand Blake a roll. Coffee is coming right up. Those rolls are store-bought. You'll have to come back for some of my homemade ones."

  He took one from the tin and looked me in the eye.

  "I can't wait."

  Okay, so my heart had temporarily taken over my mouth. Every now and then, it did that. I just wished it hadn't done that in front of my father and brother. Who were both trying to cover their smirks. Why did I feel like I was ten again and had a crush on Caleb Burtsfield? Blake is Aire's boss. Remember that.

  It wasn't the first time I had a romantic interest in one of Arie's friends. Arie had warned me off the guy. My untested intuition had warned me off of him. My hormones sent me straight towards him. It ended with me screaming no, and Arie breaking a window to pull his friend off me. That event ended their friendship and my romance. And while I didn't learn to listen to my brother, I did learn to listen to my intuition.

  I poured Blake a cup of coffee and handed it to him. His hand touched mine. Little pulses of awareness flickered between us.

  "Okay, bossman." Arie broke the magic. "Does Mr. Ashcroft own a sniper rifle now?"

  "I'm glad you asked, Bracken. And guess what? It fires the same ammunition the doctors took out of Harvey."

  "But there's a problem," Vito said. "A trained sniper wouldn't miss."

  Blake nodded.

  "I agree." Arie got up and grabbed a bag of chips off the counter. "But they did get away after shooting across the street from a police station. Shows confidence."

  Blake put his cup down.

  "Or cockiness. The shooter believed he could blend in."

  "Did you find his nest?" I asked.

  "We were able to determine the shot came from the alley between the antique shop and the bar. We believe the shooter shot from the top of an SUV, maybe through a sunroof. That alley is a blind spot. No cameras."

  "But we aren't sure the shooter was shooting at us. We could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

  "There is that."

  "But synchronicity says otherwise,” I said more to myself than the men.

  "What is synchronicity?" asked Blake.

  "It's a fancy word for no coincidences,” Arie answered.

  I couldn’t believe my brother knew that. Synchronicity was too woo-woo to enter his realm.

  “Don’t look at me like that, Faith. I told you we need to talk.”

  "I'm just throwing this out there for consideration," Vito said, changing the subject. "Got a hard time buying a trained sniper missed from that distance. What if Ashcroft trained Charles. They are tight, right?"

  "Are they tight?" Blake asked me.

  "She said Charles didn't get along with Mr. Raymont, but he did have a good relationship with her stepdad."

  "Okay, so we need to know the whereabouts of Charles and Ashcroft at the time of both shootings." Arie took the marker from me and drew another line down the whiteboard.

  "So, where do we start?"

  "Officially, we don't start anywhere," Blake said. "The feds are handling the case."

  "And unofficially?"

  "Vito's going to contact his contacts," Arie looked at Dad. "While we do a quick social media search.”

  Arie knew something about Dad; I didn't know. It was time they told me. ‘No secrets’ needed to be our new motto.

  CHAPTER 34

  While Vito, Arie, and Blake were inside analyzing the whiteboard, I stepped outside to make a phone call. I was following a hunch.

  "Hi, Jane," I said when she answered the phone at Raymont Manor.

  "How is Lizzie doing."

  The sound of a door closing came in the silence between my question and Jane's response.

  "She is still sound asleep. The officers assigned to protect us have been checking on her," Jane whispered.

  "I'm so glad. I was so worried about her." I should have rehearsed first. "Um, I would love to get a gift certificate for her and Evie to share at a local restaurant when Evie is back with her. Do you know a favorite they shared?

  "Well, the few times the entire family came to Raymont Manor, they always ate at Doc's. Not sure she's going to be up to going back there."

  The Lizzie I remembered would return. She idolized their onion rings.

  "I'm just curious. Did Lizzie's stepfather ever come to town?"

  "I never met either Lizzie's stepfather or her mother. Mr. Raymont hired me soon after the divorce. I know Mr. Raymont strongly disliked Lizzie's stepfather, and he had few good words to say about his ex-wife."

  "What did he think of Charles, if I may ask?"

  "Charles's name was usually followed by several non-repeatable four-letter words."

  "That sounds like Mr. Raymont," I didn’t mean to say it out loud.

  Jane chuckled.

  "Sounds like you knew him well."

  The times I spent there were crossing my mental screen. Good times.

  "I spent a great deal of time there as a child. How did he feel about Evie?"

  "He loved his only granddaughter but said she was spoiled. When Mr. Ashcroft took her and Charles on a hunting trip to Africa, Mr. Raymont came unglued. I'd never seen him like that. He called his old friend who was a local cop."

  "Lizzie's Uncle Joe." His picture flashed in my head.

  "Yes, but he is not her real uncle."

  "Right. He and Mr. Raymont grew up together. If I remember?”

  "I believe that is true."

  Jane seemed as if she needed to talk. She'd been with Mr. Raymont for a long time. Jane could have been more than just an assistant. Even if it never got physical, still that many years, she had to be hurting too.

  "Jane, how are you doing? It sounds like you've been with Mr. Raymont for a long time."

  "I have been with him since about a month after his divorce. He was a good man. I will miss him. Lizzie promised to keep me employed until she figures out what to do with Raymont Manor. Charles wanted her to fire me immediately."

  That piece of information didn't surprise me one bit. Charles Makey was not a nice man.

  "Jane, if you need anything. Let me know, okay? If you are frightened, you call me." I gave her my phone number.

  "Thank You. You are a good friend to Lizzie." She hung up. I needed a minute to process and breathe. A part of me felt the need to slip into the in-between and put a foot in Raymont Manor. Check on Lizzie for my peace
of mind. But I didn’t yet know how to do that.

  I waited.

  The Lighter, whatever it was, didn’t manifest. Apparently, being in two places at once on-demand was above my skill level.

  I waited another minute and then walked inside.

  "What was that all about?" Blake asked as I opened the door. I relayed the details of the conversation to Blake, Vito, and Arie.

  "Hmm, if he took them on a hunting trip, Charles and Evie must have some degree of firearm training," Blake said.

  Arie was now the one writing on the whiteboard.

  "Too bad you didn't ask if Charles and Evie were home at the time of the sniper shooting."

  "Yeah, I couldn't find a way to add that in gracefully. I didn't want her to feel like she was being interrogated."

  Arie nodded. "I get that."

  "Okay, so Lizzie can't be guilty because she couldn't take shots at herself. That leaves Evie, Charles, and Mr. Ashcroft?" The fact she couldn't be guilty made me feel better.

  "Unless Lizzie was working in conjunction with someone else," Vito added, squashing my feel better moment.

  "Alright, I'll give you that, but who? Did you get anything off the photos or bones?" I asked, realizing they hadn't said anything.

  Arie shook his head. "The only fingerprints were yours on the photos and the outside of the plastic bags. Lack of fingerprints at least tells us we are dealing with someone who thought ahead."

  "My money is on Charles. I don't like him, and he knew about my string of bodies."

  "We have to prove it," Blake said.

  CHAPTER 35

  "Hi Jane, it's Faith again.”

  “Hello, Faith.”

  "I forgot one of the reasons I called you. Do you have Lizzie's mother's number? I wanted to call and express my sympathies. We weren't close after she moved, but I spent a great deal of time with her as a child."

  "I do. That's very nice of you. I doubt she cares Mr. Raymont is dead. But Mr. Raymont taught me it is always good to pour kindness into the world." She gave me the phone number, and I wrote it down.

  "I think he taught me that too," I said, and I realized that many of my life principles were built on some of the things Mr. Raymont told me when I visited his home. He did pour kindness into everyone. He called it dancing to the magic. Somewhere along the way, I started to understand.

  At this point in my life, I needed to be willing to dance with the magic that is or was my family and my home.

  "Is there anything else?" Jane asked, bringing me out of my realization.

  "Sorry, no. I was lost in a memory for a second. You know what? Yes. I have one more question. Lizzie didn't bring Evie to lunch. I was wondering why."

  Jane took a moment to answer.

  "Evie was with Charles. She and he are very tight. Lizzie and Evie have what would be called a strained relationship. I believe Charles is the cause."

  "That is so sad."

  "Yes, it is."

  We ended the call. This time I remembered to put it on speaker.

  "I'm glad Mr. Raymont was there for you when I couldn't be," Vito said, his voice breaking a little.

  "He was, but it's in the past," tears threatened to take over my eyes. I had blocked behind an emotional wall what Mr. Raymont and Lizzie's family had meant to me. The wall was crumbling. My own family was chaotic. I sometimes thought the Raymont's divorce affected me as much as Lizzie. Okay, not as much, but close.

  "So," said Arie. "Faith, you and Mom had your battles. Can you imagine being Evie's age, watching your dad take a shot at your mom, and keeping your mouth shut?"

  "There were times that scenario could have happened," I said, mostly to myself.

  "Okay,” Vito put up his hand. “I admit your mother and I have not had a normal relationship, but I never considered killing her."

  "Good to know," Arie teased.

  A smile crossed Blake's face. I was sure to someone who grew up in a typical household our family dynamic was 'interesting.'

  "Got to admit there were times we were worried," I added.

  "Part of the reason I became a cop.” His tone was light and humorous, but I guessed it held a blade a truth. Blake looked at the three of us. How much had Arie told Blake about growing up a mobster's child?

  "Let's change topics," Vito said. "Call Lizzie's mother and find out where her husband was the day someone shot at you and Lizzie."

  "I will, but first, I need to call a friend."

  All three sets of male eyes squinted.

  "Don't worry. This friend can help." I grabbed my phone and redialed Blister, putting him on speaker.

  He answered on the first ring. "Hey, Super Sleuth, I was just about to call you."

  "You were?"

  "Yep, Bonnie has come up missing."

  "You are kidding!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. So, this was about my company after all. Who would take Bonnie? Was she okay? How was Bonnie connected? Did I somehow get her killed? The thoughts raced in my head.

  "Nope. Her husband says he called the police. So far, they haven’t shown up here.

  "What does he know so far."

  "Nothing, except she didn't come home last night. Junior checked. Her purse, keys, and phone are in her desk."

  "Wow."

  "Yep. First, someone drops bodies in your path. Then someone kills the big boss. And now Bonnie. I'm going to have to start locking my doors."

  "Blister, you live in L.A. You always lock your doors. You even lock your office door when you're inside."

  "Yeah, but that's to protect my zen, not my stuff. I'll keep you posted. What can I do for you?"

  "Can you hack a couple of social media feeds?"

  "Do I go to the bathroom?"

  I had to laugh.

  "I certainly hope you do."

  "I like this guy," Vito said.

  "Who was that?"

  "My dad."

  "You mean your gangster father is listening. Ask him if he needs a techie."

  "We'll talk later," Vito said through the speaker.

  "Sounds good. Now I have to deliver to prove myself. Pressure! Who's my target?"

  "I need three feeds hacked. Mrs. Candace Ashcroft, Mr. Alvin Ashcroft, Charles Makey, and Evie Makey's. So, four feeds. I need to know where they were at the time of Mr. Raymont's Death and our shooting.

  "Mr. Alvin Ashcroft. Isn’t he a bigshot hedge fund manager?

  “The same.”

  Okay, Alvin, his wife, son-in-law, granddaughter. You want me to do the daughter as well?"

  "Sure, why not."

  "Not a problem. I'll be back in less than an hour. I need to look good for my new boss. Blister out."

  "I do like that guy," Vito said.

  CHAPTER 36

  Fifteen minutes later, my phone rang. That was fast even for Blister.

  "Is the bossman listening?" Blister asked.

  "I am," Vito said.

  "Okay, I'll text these to you in a few, but I wanted to explain first. Mr. Ashcroft and his wife have been in Paris for the last week. Tons of pictures. No way they could have hopped on a plane, killed Raymont, or shot at Faith and jumped back across the ocean. Not enough gap between photos. Lots of live streams. Ashcroft likes his own face.

  "As for Charles. He hasn't posted to his account in weeks. I ran his phone records. Don't ask me how. His phone pinged off a tower in Mishawaka, Indiana, ten minutes before Wallbanger went down. His phone was in New York when Raymont was shot.

  "Lizzie and Evie Makey were in the area both days. Evie's phone also pinged in Mishawaka at the time of the shooting, but on a different tower. The rest of the afternoon, Evie's phone was dead, which is odd for a teenager."

  Hmm, where was Evie? The mall, maybe. Why didn't she come with her mother and have Lizzie drop her off?

  "I did some digging into Lizzie. She purchased another phone. Her number ordered the consultation for Raymont Manor."

  I dropped into my chair. He had to be kidding.

  "Blister,
can you find any connection between Charles, Lizzie, and Bonnie?" Vito asked. His hand was on my shoulder. I couldn't believe Lizzie ordered the consultation. The warmth from Vito's presence helped.

  "I'll get on it. Bossman, are you impressed?"

  "You know it," Vito said.

  "That's what I needed to hear. Blister is gone."

  I mean, I knew there was a possibility my friend could be guilty, but that reality had never become a probability in my mind. Dealing with the cold hard fact, she was in the area when her father’s murder occurred knocked the wind out of me. My legs and arms trembled.

  "Lizzie didn't tell me she and Evie were in the area when Mr. Raymont was killed," I said, more to myself to justify my ignorance.

  "Did you ask her?" Arie asked.

  "No, I assumed they'd flown in."

  "Well, we asked her.” Blake scratched his head. “Now, we know she lied to our faces.” He wrote ‘Lizzie lied’ on the board. "Did Lizzie know where you worked?"

  "Probably. It's all over my social media. We are friends on social media. We didn't comment often, but I'm sure she knew I was in L.A. and what I did."

  If she was going to kill her dad, why call me. Yes, the other murders provided some cover, but those happened out West. Why implicate me? Why not Charles? Unless she thought I was the killer. Wow, that realization hit me like a semi.

  "So, if she booked the consultation, do you suppose she asked for you?"

  "I suppose it's possible. I’m surprised Bonnie didn’t tell me. None of this makes any sense.”

  "Well, Faith, you are always late," Vito said. My family was good at reminding me of my faults. "She probably thought you wouldn't get lost on your way to Raymont Manor since you'd been there so many times when you were young."

  "But why kill her father? From what we know, she turned her life around after they reconnected. How would she have known about the trail of bodies? Not like I announced that on Social Media. You two didn't pick up on it, and I know you both follow me."

  "Well, I have to confess, I hide you often," Arie said, petting Samson who had climbed onto his lap.

  "Wow, given that you rarely post, I find it interesting you know how to hide people."