Some Like It Witchy

by Heather Blake

  “I’m going to go see Ve,” Mimi said.

  “Go, go,” I said, but she’d already threaded her way into the crowd.

  I glanced at Glinda and moseyed over to her. She flicked a glance at me, sighed.

  “It’s good to see you, too,” I said. If she was still following me around, she was doing a better job at staying hidden. “I was just wondering how Calliope’s doing.”

  “About as well as you’d expect after finding out that the man you love stalked you, pretended to love you, used you . . . We just found out that Finn didn’t start out at Boston College. He applied to transfer there shortly after Calliope started grad school.”

  I recalled the way Finn had looked at Calliope. I didn’t think the love was pretend. Oh, maybe it started that way, but at some point it became real. Andreus would scoff at me for thinking so, but I knew what I’d seen.

  “Andreus tracked down Finn’s mother earlier today,” Glinda said.

  She was talking to me, but she was watching Mimi.

  “Turns out the hatred for the Woodshall family runs deep,” she continued. “Finn’s mother was more than happy to tell the sad tale of Felix Blackburn and how he’d moved away in fear that his role in the heist would be uncovered. Not long after, he started believing people were watching him, spying on him. He turned to the bottle that ultimately led to his demise. The family kept tabs on the Woodshalls—all of them, including Zara—in hopes that one day they would lead them to the diamonds so they could collect their fair share. It was Finn’s idea to get closer to Calliope to keep personal tabs. He waited until Zara died because he thought she might recognize him as a Blackburn.”

  “Yikes,” I said.

  “I believe that’s the PG version of Andreus’s reaction. Finn’s mother chased him out of her house with a frying pan. Cussing him out the whole time.”

  I would’ve liked to have seen that.

  “Finn had access to Calliope’s smartphone, which held the lockbox code and Raina’s schedule.” She glanced at me. “He knew Calliope had given Raina the Myrian charm, though she had told him it was nothing more than a good luck charm of her mother’s. He’s probably been slipping in and out of the Tavistock house since it went on sale. If Raina hadn’t shown up extra early that day . . .”

  “Nick confirmed yesterday that Finn bought a pry bar at a hardware store in Peabody a few weeks ago. He’s hoping Finn left some sort of DNA on it to definitively tie him to the crime.”

  Glinda nodded. “I hope so, too. Because even if he hadn’t planned on killing Raina, he certainly used the opportunity to blame Andreus for the crime. He wanted him to go to jail.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ll see you around.”

  She turned to go, and I touched her shoulder. “Andreus isn’t going to stop looking for those diamonds, is he?”

  Giving me a small smile, she said, “Not as long as he’s breathing.”

  I watched her walk out. I felt for the new homeowners of the Tavistock house and wondered how Andreus planned to insinuate himself into their lives.

  When I turned back around, I found Starla and Vince headed my way. Her eyebrow was lifted. “What was that all about?”

  “Andreus,” I said.

  Vince shuddered. “He’s creepy.”

  “Oh yeah.” I waved a hand. “It was nothing, though.”

  Nothing I could talk about in front of Vince at least.

  Starla’s eyes widened with understanding. “That’s good. We’re just about to head to dinner. That cute little Italian place on the waterfront. Do you guys want to come with us?”

  I glanced over her shoulder at Ve and Mimi. They were chatting with everyone and anyone. “I don’t know how long we’ll be here, so we better pass.” Plus, I didn’t want to risk that she’d be the one driving. “But thanks. Have fun.”

  Starla gave my arm a squeeze and said, “I’ll call you later.”

  It took another half hour for the room to finally clear. I glanced at my watch. Almost seven. My stomach rumbled and I debated what to have for dinner. Something I could order in . . . “What do you think?” I asked as Ve turned off the lights behind us. “Chinese food? Pizza?”

  “Pizza, definitely,” Mimi said. “Pepperoni. I’m starving.”

  I dug my phone out of my pocket. “Is that okay with you, Aunt Ve? I can call . . .”

  Ve had leaned against the wall in the hallway, suddenly looking very deflated, all traces of her earlier happiness gone. “Actually, Darcy dear, can we hold off on supper for a bit? There’s something I need to do. We need to do.”

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, instantly alarmed by the look in her eye. “Are you okay?”

  She smiled wanly. “I’m fine. My heart is heavy, is all.”

  “Why?” Mimi asked. “Because of Finn?”

  “Good God, no. A pox on him. Patooey.”

  I smiled despite myself. “Then why?”

  “Because doing the right thing is sometimes the hardest thing to do. And as much as I want to keep putting this off, I can’t. It’s time.” Ve pulled herself off the wall and took a deep breath. “So, hup, hup, let’s go.”

  “I’m confused,” Mimi said.

  Was this about the conversation I’d overheard between her and the Elder the other day? The conversation I believed to be about me? Ve’s somber tone was the same. My heart started to race.

  “Come with me,” Ve said, herding us along.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “You’ll see soon enough,” she said evasively.

  Mimi was staring at me. I shrugged.

  Now that Ve had apparently made up her mind to get whatever this was over with, she walked like a woman on a mission.

  We followed her like two ducklings behind their mama across the green. It was a beautiful night. Sunset wasn’t for another half hour or so, and the sky was the most beautiful mix of blue and pink. I heard the call of the mourning dove mixed in with the chick-chicks of the cardinals and the shriek of the blue jays. We crossed the street near As You Wish, marched past Terry’s, and up the pathway to the Tavistock house.

  A breeze rustled the leaves of the big oak tree and the soffits groaned. “Why are we here?” I asked.

  Ve pulled a set of keys from her pocket. “Because, Darcy, darling, it’s time for you to have a home of your own. It’s what your mom would have wanted. For you to be settled.”

  Tears suddenly filled my eyes as she placed the keys into the palm of my hand and curled my fingers around them. “I don’t understand. Why? How? I’m settled.”

  Mimi looked between us, blinking owlishly.

  Ve’s voice was strained as she said, “Once upon a time, your mother started a business right here in the village. It became very successful, and she was very happy here until she met the most wonderful man, a man who swept her off her feet. She followed her heart, taking her away from the only home she ever knew, and she left the care of her precious company in my charge. When she died, as per the wishes in her will, As You Wish was placed into a trust to be held until its trustee deemed it time to turn it over to its rightful owner. The time has come to turn it over to you. Where it belongs. Where it’s always belonged.”

  Admittedly, I had wanted information about my mother’s past but this all felt . . . too much. I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear all Ve had to say.

  Tears spilled down my cheeks. “As You Wish is mine? What about Harper?”

  Ve said, “Your mother died before she could change her will to include Harper, but I know you’ll do what’s right by her. You always have. This,” she said, sweeping a hand toward the Tavistock house, “will be the new location for As You Wish. As your trustee, I signed papers Saturday morning. It’s yours.”

  Mimi grabbed my hand, squeezed it tight.

  Suddenly, Andreus not being worried about the new owner looking for t
he diamonds made perfect sense. Calliope had told him Ve bought the house. He’d probably done a happy dance.

  And, oh! It also explained why Ve hadn’t been worried about Dorothy suing her and taking As You Wish—it hadn’t been Ve’s to give.

  “What about you?” I asked, feeling oddly panicked instead of happy. “You’re As You Wish. Not me. I just work there. I can’t do this alone.”

  She cupped my face. “Such lies. For the past year, your heart has been in that company more than mine. As it should be. It was always your mother’s company. I was just its keeper until you were ready.”

  Looking at the house through my tears, I could hardly believe what was happening.

  It was mine.

  Home.

  Ve smiled at me with such love that I nearly crumpled. “I was As You Wish. You are As You Wish.”

  I swiped tears from my face.

  “Besides, we both know that I won’t have the time to put into the business now that I’ve been elected. I’ve been half-assing my duties since I announced I was running.” She glanced at Mimi. “Pardon my language. You’ve done an amazing job on your own, Darcy.”

  “I’m just . . .” I couldn’t find the words.

  “I know it’s a lot to take in at once,” Ve said. “And of course, it’s going to take some time to get this place whipped into shape, so I don’t mind if you want to stay with me for however long that takes. A month. Six months. Five years.”

  I let go of Mimi’s hand and threw my arms around Ve, hugging her for all I was worth, squeezing my eyes shut and thanking my lucky stars for the family I had.

  For my mom.

  “Now, now, my dear,” she said. “You’re going to make my mascara run.”

  When I opened my eyes again, what I saw in front of me turned my joy into terror. I stiffened and pulled back, not sure what to do, not sure what to say.

  “Can we go in?” Mimi asked.

  “Absolutely!” Ve said, then looked at me. “Darcy? What’s wrong?”

  I motioned with my chin.

  Ve turned and gasped.

  Mimi cried, “Glinda!”

  She lurched forward, and I grabbed her arm to stop her.

  Finn Reardon stood in the shadows of the oak tree, holding a gun to Glinda’s temple.

  Something wicked.

  He looked like living on the lam hadn’t been easy. His clothes were torn, his skin scratched, and he was covered in a layer of dirt. His hair was matted and flat.

  “Yes, let’s go inside,” he said. “I have some searching to do and you all can help. I can’t collect a reward now, but the diamonds will be easy enough to sell on the black market.”

  “Let her go!” Mimi shouted.

  “Pipe down! And not a chance,” he said. “I found her snooping around here fair and square. Followed you three right on over.”

  I tried not to look at Glinda. I wanted to lecture her about karma, but would save it for later.

  From the corner of my eye, I could see the rock and mineral fair was winding down for the night but was still fairly crowded. Lots of people were walking right past this pathway. Unfortunately, no one seemed to notice us at all.

  But that might have been because Finn and his gun were hidden behind the tree. No one knew the danger we were in.

  Mimi started crying, and Ve wrapped her arms around her.

  Her tears nearly did me in, and I didn’t know what to do.

  Then I looked up and saw a splotch of red.

  Archie’s tail.

  And a swish of white—Terry’s curtain.

  I prayed he wasn’t so mad at Ve that he wouldn’t call the police.

  I had to stall.

  I could stall.

  I could stall like no one’s business.

  “Come on, come on!” he said. “I don’t have all day. The cops are crawling all over this place.”

  Hopefully literally.

  “There’s no point in going in,” I said. Under my breath, I whispered to Ve, “Pretend to have a heart attack.”

  “Why not?” Finn demanded.

  I shrugged. “The diamonds aren’t in there.”

  “How do you know that?” he demanded.

  “Andreus found them already.” I shrugged. “Two days ago.”

  Ve moaned, grabbed her left arm, and sank dramatically to the ground. “Can’t . . . breathe.”

  Archie would be so very proud of her.

  I dropped to my knees next to her. “Ve!”

  Mimi started crying louder—this time fake wails.

  Finn stepped forward, dragging Glinda with him. “Make her get up!”

  “Uhhhhhn!” Ve groaned, writhing.

  “Bravo,” I said under my breath. I looked at Finn. “I can’t! I think she’s having a heart attack.”

  “Dammit!” Finn hit Glinda in the back of the head with the gun, and she slumped to the ground.

  Mimi let out a gasp and once again started toward her. I grabbed her hand, making her stay put. “She’ll be okay.”

  Finn slowly came forward, keeping his gun trained on me. “Where did Andreus find them?” he asked, clearly having his doubts about my story.

  If Finn could get close enough, I could use a little blammo on him. I could definitely knock him off balance. Maybe break his nose, too. It was a big enough target. I silently urged him to keep on coming.

  “The mantelpiece was hollow,” I lied, thinking fast. “It’s been all over the news,” I added, hoping he hadn’t been near a TV while on the run.

  “The mantel?” he said, shaking his head. “The mantel. Damn.”

  “Stay down,” I whispered to Ve and Mimi as I stood up. I wiped my damp palms on my jeans and tried to calm down a bit. My pulse throbbed in my ears. Just a little closer . . . “There’s nothing left for you here, Finn. If you leave now, you can be out of state in an hour.”

  Storminess clouded his eyes and I could practically see the war being waged.

  “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this,” he said, his voice breaking. “Calliope . . . Tell her I’m sorry.” He raised the gun to his temple.

  “No!” I cried.

  “‘Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents,’” Archie intoned, his deep voice booming as he dive-bombed out of the sky, knocking the gun out of Finn’s hand.

  Startled, Finn flapped his hands to keep Archie away from his face, which was why he didn’t see Vince’s car coming.

  I barely had time to shout “Look out!” before it jumped the curb, plowed over the fence, and ran right over Finn.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Three days later, it was a cloudy Saturday afternoon as I stood in my yard, taking pictures of the damage left behind by the crash. Owning a house meant dealing with insurance adjusters.

  My yard.

  It had a nice ring to it, but I didn’t know yet if I was going to live here or just use it as a place of business. The decision didn’t have to be made right away. Renovations would take months.

  Those months would offer plenty of time for Nick and me to decide if we were ready to take the next step. . . .

  Looking around, I surveyed the yard and thought about how much had happened in the past few days.

  Raina had been buried yesterday morning, her funeral attended by many, and gossip quickly circulated that Noelle Quinlan had dumped Kent. She was partnering with Calliope instead, whom the village had rallied around in the wake of Finn’s arrest for the murder of Raina Gallagher.

  Finn had a broken leg, ruptured spleen, and a concussion. Currently in the hospital, he’d be transferred to jail as soon as he was well enough. I imagined he’d be placed on suicide watch.

  I’d seen Calliope only once since Finn had been run over, when I bumped into her at the hospital while visiting Glinda.

  She�
�d had that hollow look in her eyes, and it made my heart ache for her.

  Nosy Terry had seen the whole incident happen from his window, called the police, and sent Archie out to help. I owed him.

  Looking at his upstairs window, I caught a flash of a face as a curtain swished closed. I smiled.

  It had been Cherise’s face.

  I’m tired of always waiting, waiting, waiting, Darcy. Blah, blah, blah. I’d like to be settled. It’s time to take action.

  Apparently, she had been talking about more than houses.

  Good for her.

  Nick picked up a piece of a broken headlight and stuck it in a trash bag. “Vince is still swearing a squirrel ran in front of the car.”

  Surprisingly, it was Vince who had been driving the car, taking Starla to dinner Wednesday night when he claimed he swerved to avoid a squirrel, causing the accident that took down Finn.

  Starla felt vindicated about her assertions of rogue squirrels.

  I said, “It makes me wonder if Starla is such a bad driver because she’s learning from one.”

  “Maybe so,” Nick said, smiling.

  A bike horn honked and I looked up as Evan rolled up to the gate. Setting his feet on the ground, he looked around at the damage. “Are you positive it was Vince driving?”

  Rolling my eyes, I walked over to him. “You’re not at work . . .”

  “Very astute,” he said with a smile. “Your investigating skills are getting better and better.”

  “Such insolence after all I’ve done for you.”

  “Like hire a killer to work in my bakery?” he asked.

  I knew he wouldn’t let me live that down anytime soon. “How about how I set you up with a hunky FBI agent? I think that definitely offsets the other.”

  Color rose up his neck as he tipped his head back and forth as though weighing the two options. Then he grinned. “Yeah, okay. It does.”

  Scott had returned to the village on Thursday to take Evan to dinner, and surprised himself by enjoying it. Unfortunately, he was still waiting on the medical examiner’s office to claim his mother’s remains. It was a slow process but he said just knowing where she was gave him peace of mind.