“We just met,” I said without thinking.
Praxle laughed. “I’ve been in this business a long time, Holly. I know talent when I see it and I’m very good at reading people.”
I gave a slight nod. “Right.”
“Now, Bill, there is one thing I forgot to mention,” Evangeline interjected. His eyes swiveled to her. “Holly’s having a little trouble with the council approving her potion master license. She wouldn’t be able to do anything until that was cleared up.”
Praxle waved a hand. “Ah, don’t worry about the council.”
I reached for my wine glass. “Sounds like an odd statement coming from someone who’s in the center of one of the biggest council hearings of the past few years.”
I expected Praxle to bristle at my not-so-gentle reminder of his current reality. Instead he smiled wider. “What can I say? I’m confident that the entire misunderstanding will be resolved quickly and without further hinderance my enterprises. Believe me, I wouldn’t be asking the lovely Evangeline Loren to tarnish her bright star by associating with my company if I thought things were going to go south.”
Evangeline gave a demure smile. I’d never realized before how cunning she could be. Praxle would never pick up on her true feelings about his business practices or inferior products. Hours ago, she’d stood in front of his newest shop, ready to tear it to pieces. Now, she sat across from the owner with enthusiasm and charm as though they were already long-time friends.
“Well I certainly am glad to hear that,” she said, followed by a tinkling laugh. She raised her glass.
Praxle watched her, not bothering to conceal the desire in his eyes, before shifting his gaze back to me. “So, Holly, what types of potion work are you most comfortable with? More of a replicator? Or do you dabble with custom formulas?”
“Custom potions are my specialty. As a private vendor, I’m able to work closely with my clients to create something special and unique for their needs.”
Bill nodded. “Any experience with mass production? I don’t mind having a line of exclusive, limited-edition product, but my bread and butter is in the wham-bam, assembly-line stuff.”
I disguised a grimace with a polite smile. Potions weren’t stuff and they certainly weren’t produced on an assembly line. If that was his mentality, it made sense why the enchanted nail polish he’d had delivered to The Emerald was so inferior to even non-magic products. Had no one explained these basic business principles to him? Or had people tried and he simply ignored them?
“I’m sure we could arrange something,” I said, burying all the arguments racing through my mind. “Tell you what, would you like to try a sample of my work?” I asked sweetly, producing the now-unmarked vial from my purse. “This is a custom creation.”
Praxle took the vial and held it up to one of the soft lights hovering above the table. He twisted the cylinder slowly, watching the contents intently. “What does it do?”
“It’s a memory boost. Do you ever have that feeling like you’re forgetting something? Like when you’re packing for a trip?”
“That happens to me all the time!” Evangeline chimed in.
Praxle didn’t look convinced. “I have assistants for packing.”
“Right.”
Evangeline swooped in to the rescue. “What about the feeling when you go to get something, say from the office, only to get there and realize you’ve completely forgotten what you needed?”
“Ah!” Praxle’s eyes widened. “Yes, now that is a real problem.”
“Great!” I flicked a grateful smile at Evangeline. “Well this potion will instantly bring to top of mind whatever it was you forgot. Saving time and, of course, aggravation.”
“All right,” Praxle said. He popped the cork from the small vial. “How should I test it?”
“Take the potion and then we’ll ask you to recall something. You’ll see how fast you can produce the answer.”
He nodded and then dropped his head back. He swallowed the swig of potion and then corked the empty vial and handed it to me. “You need new packaging,” he said. “This isn’t going to win any kind of award.”
Right, that was my concern.
Praxle washed down the potion with another sip of wine and then refolded his hands. He looked expectantly from me to Evangeline. “All right, ask away.”
Don’t mind if I do … .
“Why don’t you tell me about Harvey Colepepper,” I prompted.
Praxle’s thick eyebrows scrunched together. “Harvey Colepepper? The vindictive little SPA troll?”
“Goblin-hybrid,” I said. “He’s the one who arrested you, isn’t that right?”
Praxle’s face twisted into a bitter expression. “Yes.”
“Is the reason you’re not worried about the Council hearing because Harvey is gone and now your friend Mache is at the top of the SPA? You think he’ll get you off?”
Praxle gave a wide, menacing grin. “Mache isn’t going to let me go to prison. He’s biding his time but he’ll get these ridiculous, baseless charges thrown out!”
I narrowed my eyes. I’d only used the potion on one other occasion, and it was on a human. I had no idea how long it would last on a shifter who knew he’d taken something mind-altering. It was time to go in for the kill. “Did you hire one of your flunkies to poison Harvey Colepepper?”
“No!” Praxle pushed back from the table.
“Did Mache have it arranged?”
Praxle started shaking his head violently. “I don’t think this potion is working.”
I flashed a cold smile. “Oh, trust me, it’s working just fine.”
“Security!” Praxle shouted.
Two large men moved from the shadows and lumbered over to stand behind Praxle.
“What did you give me?”
“Something to help you tell the truth, for once in your sorry life,” I snapped.
He pointed at me and then turned his glower on Evangeline. “Get out of here and never cross my path again or I’ll have both of you thrown in jail!”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh yeah? You putting an ad out for roommates?”
Praxle sneered. Evangeline grabbed my arm and hustled me from the table. We scurried down the spiral stairs and out the front door without stopping long enough to look back and see if the two huge bodyguards were on our tail.
CHAPTER TWENTY
With our heels firmly planted back on square one, Evangeline and I headed back to Beechwood Harbor. On the way back to the manor, Evangeline announced that she needed to stop in at The Emerald and check in. I offered to go with her. I felt aimless. Defeated. I hadn’t been able to help solve Harvey’s case, I still had no idea what to do to get my potion’s license back, Nick was still running around, thinking he was halfway out of his mind, and my temporary SPA case worker thought I was a total basket case.
The Emerald was technically closed for the night, had been for about half an hour, but as we approached, I realized the lights were still on and two figures stood inside, visible from the street. One of them was Lucy. The other was a woman I didn’t recognize. Neither of them looked happy.
Evangeline’s brow furrowed and she quickened her pace, pushing into the salon moments before me. Loud voices greeted us as we stepped inside. The woman opposite Lucy towered over her petite frame. Her dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and she appeared to be in her mid-forties.
“—supposed to be a vacation and instead of having a relaxing afternoon, I wasted over an hour waiting for my masseuse to come back into the room! I’ve had a lot of massages and never have I felt so completely humiliated and mistreated!” Her fists dug into her hips as she leaned closer and closer to Lucy with each word.
I hung back near the door, but Evangeline charged forward, taking her place beside Lucy. “Excuse me!” she snapped in an authoritative tone I’d never heard her use before. “Can I interrupt here and ask that you not shout at my employee?”
The tall woman’s eyes snapped to Ev
angeline and her lips twisted into a scowl. “You’re the owner of this dump?”
I winced.
Evangeline visibly drew in a breath. “I am the owner of this salon. May I ask for your name?” she said coolly.
“Tara Doyle. I had a four o’clock appointment with your masseuse, Ben something-or-other; he didn’t even bother to introduce himself properly!”
Evangeline looked at Lucy out of the corner of her eye. Lucy was paler than usual and I wondered how long Ms. Doyle had been berating her before we’d shown up.
Lucy nodded and the woman proceeded. “Less than ten minutes into the massage, his phone rang. His ringtone sounded three or four times, which was extremely distracting. I made the comment that maybe he should answer it, thinking he would take the hint and silence the stupid thing. Instead, he actually had the nerve to take the call!”
Evangeline’s full lips went razor thin. She prided herself on running a prestigious day spa even though Beechwood Harbor was a casual town. Apart from the tourist season in the summer, there wasn’t a lot of action, but that didn’t matter to Evangeline. She ran the place as though it were smack dab in the middle of Rodeo Drive. Top of the line products, service, and accommodations for clients with special requests. To her, Ben’s actions weren’t just unprofessional, but an all-out assault on her establishment.
“He stepped out after a few minutes, leaving me stranded, half nude, on the table. It took twenty minutes before I realized he wasn’t coming back! I got dressed and came out here, where this woman assured me that she could get Ben back to complete the massage and that there would be no charge. For some reason that is now beyond me, I waited around, in a robe, for another hour! I left and got all the way back to my hotel before I decided to come back and let you know this is unacceptable treatment! I will be leaving you negative reviews on as many websites as I can find! Your business might as well close up shop now.”
“Okay, hold on,” Evangeline said, holding up one hand. “First of all, let me offer my most sincere apology. I have no idea why Ben would have acted in such an unprofessional manner, and I can assure you that he will be dealt with. He’s never had complaints or a negative review in his entire time here, so this is shocking but I agree it must be dealt with immediately. As for your time, there’s obviously no way I can give that back to you, but please, let me attempt to make it up to you. Where are you staying? I’ll have a basket of complimentary products sent to you, as well as a gift certificate to the best restaurant in town.”
The woman bristled. She’d clearly been amped for another fight, which Evangeline immediately dissolved with her warm tone and generous offer. “I—I’m staying at the Sea Castle.”
“Wonderful!” Evangeline clasped her hands together. “I know right where that is and I will personally deliver the basket to the front desk by tomorrow afternoon. Will that work? You’ll still be in town?”
The woman nodded and reached up to tuck away a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail. “I’ll be here through the weekend.”
“Okay. I am truly sorry, Ms. Doyle, and I hope that this hasn’t ruined your stay here in our little town.”
“I’m not happy about the lost time, but I accept your apology.” Ms. Doyle gave a curt nod and pivoted on the heel of her designer shoes and made her way to the door. I pushed the door open and held it for her. She muttered her thanks and then stalked down the sidewalk.
“Bat wings,” I said when I stepped back inside. “That was Herculean self-control, Evangeline. I think I would have jinxed her or something.”
Evangeline attempted a smile but it didn’t warm her dark eyes. “If I’m going to jinx anyone it’s Ben!” She rounded on Lucy who had moved back to the reception desk. “Where did he go? Did he say anything?”
Lucy shook her head. “I have no idea. I was in the middle of a manicure when he just … left. He didn’t look happy. I had no idea he’d walked out on his client until she came storming out. I tried his cell phone at least a dozen times. The first few times it rang through to his voicemail but the last few it just cut off, like he’d either shut off the phone or was rejecting my calls.”
Evangeline’s hands clenched into tight fists as she stood in one place. “I’ll find him. In the meantime, can you forward me all the applications we’ve had for massage therapists over the past few months? I’m officially opening a position.”
Evangeline walked at such a clip back to the manor that I nearly had to jog to keep up with her. She muttered and fumed with each step and when we burst through the front door, Adam stopped mid-stride and looked at us. “Evening, ladies?” he said cautiously.
“You’re a hacker, right?” Evangeline boomed in reply.
Adam turned and stared at her. “No. Why? You in the market?”
“No!” She snarled, throwing her hands in the air. “I was just making conversation!”
Adam and I exchanged shocked looks and I put an arm over Evangeline’s shoulders. “We’re on your side here.”
“What happened?” Adam asked.
I filled him in.
“Well, I can’t hack his phone,” Adam said when I finished. “Sorry. What’s plan B?”
Evangeline set her shopping bags onto the floor and then started digging in her purse. She pulled a keyring out and held it up. “Let’s go pay Ben a visit.”
“Are you sure, Evie?” Adam asked.
She looked at me. “It’s what Nick would do, right? If he was trying to figure out what someone was up to?”
I shrugged. “I guess so, yeah.”
“Well then that’s what I want to do. Figure out what he’s up to.”
“Have you tried calling him?” Adam asked.
Evangeline scowled at him. “Of course!”
“Well, actually, you haven’t tried,” I pointed out. “Lucy did.”
“I don’t know what difference it will make,” she grumbled, diving back into her purse. She retrieved her phone and smashed her finger against the screen a few times before raising the device to her ear. She glared at the wall as it rang through. Then her eyebrows lifted. “Ben?”
Adam and I exchanged a glance and moved to flank Evangeline. She pulled the phone away and tapped speakerphone. “Ben, it’s Evangeline.”
“Evie, I’m so sorry—” he started, his voice slightly muffled, as though he had his hand cupped around the phone to keep his voice from carrying. “I can explain everything.”
“We’re past explanations, Benjamin. This isn’t working for me. I’ve worked too hard to make The Emerald the success that it is, and a huge part of that success comes from having a staff of dedicated professionals. I am saddened to say it, but you no longer fit in that category with your recent behavior.”
“No! Evangeline, please let me explain,” he begged, his voice louder and tinged with urgency.
Evangeline paused, her head cocked as she stared down at the illuminated screen. “You have two minutes. Convince me.”
Adam looked over at me, his eyebrows lifted.
“I know,” I mouthed.
“As you know, I’ve been going to the doctor’s a lot lately. I’ve been having odd symptoms. I wanted to tell you about it, but I wasn’t sure how … .”
“What’s going on?” Evangeline asked, some of the coldness leaving her tone.
“I’m starting to change, into a, well, you know, mid-cycle. Not a full change, but enough that I can’t work sometimes.”
My heart sank. How awful.
“Ben,” Evangeline said, her eyes closed. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I didn’t want to lose my job. But now it seems like that’s already happened.”
Evangeline shifted back and forth. “Well, I—”
“Who is that?” a second, female voice cut in.
Ben cursed.
“Who is that?” Evangeline asked.
“Uh—no one. Listen, I gotta—”
“Benjamin, I’m not kidding. I will have your mangy hide turned into a th
row rug if you don’t get in here right now!” the female voice cut in, not an ounce of warmth or playfulness in her threat.
All three of us flinched.
Evangeline pulled the phone closer to her mouth. “Ben, what is going on? Are you in trouble?”
“Evie I’m—I’m sorry—”
The line went dead.
Evangeline stared at the phone for a moment then frantically redialed. Two additional calls were both sent straight to voicemail. Distressed, she turned to Adam and I. “What do you think that was about?”
“I have no idea, but it didn’t sound good,” Adam replied.
Evangeline’s green eyes shifted to me, searching for answers.
I started to shrug, then froze. “Wait a second. I know that voice.”
“Who is it?”
My hands curled into fists. “Sasha Pringle.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Adam turned to me. “Holly, are you sure?”
“Positive.” The goosebumps on my arms were proof enough. Her mocking voice was ingrained in my mind; I’d have recognized it anywhere.
“What are we supposed to do now?” Evangeline asked. She dialed Ben’s number again, but the call was blocked. “It sounds like he could be in serious trouble. We can’t just sit here! We heard it, she threatened him.”
“Slow down, Evie,” Adam said, his tone even and soothing. “We don’t know anything yet. For all we know that was some kind of joke. Granted, a pretty sick one. Holly saw Sasha and Ben together at the SPA headquarters. She said they looked like friends … or, maybe more than friends.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if I’m buying his doctor story. He didn’t look sick or mid-change to me when I saw him with Sasha at the SPA building. The bigger question is how in the Otherworld do they even know each other?”
Evangeline looked to me. “Do you think he’s lying about the change thing?”
“I don’t know. I mean, he sounded pretty genuine about it, but I’ve never heard of a were having issues changing mid-lunar cycle. That part doesn’t make any sense.”
Witch Way Home: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 4) Page 15
