by Zoe Arden
"Then I don't know. Nothing's gone right. Now everyone's dying, even people who shouldn't be."
Sheriff Knoxx sighed, too. Colt knocked on the window again and the sheriff left the room he was in to join us. He asked me very politely to leave so they could talk business. I stood there, also very politely, with my hands on my hips.
"Ava..."
"I'm going to be a bridesmaid in your wedding, which is less than three weeks away now," I said, cocking an eyebrow at him.
"So?" he asked.
"So, I have the right to be here." I knew that argument made no sense but nothing about this case made sense. They weren't going to get rid of me, and just like Lucy had said, they had better get used to it.
Sheriff Knoxx stared at me a minute then finally shook his head and turned away. "All right, guys, what do you think?" He'd clearly decided to pretend I wasn't in the room. "Any ideas?"
Colt scratched his head. Lincoln frowned.
"We could hook him up to a lie detector test," Lincoln offered. "Make sure he's not lying to us about what he's said so far."
"Yeah, we could do that," Sheriff Knoxx agreed. "Couldn't hurt to try it, at least."
"Give him some Deception Detector, too, before you do it," Lincoln said. "Just to make sure. After all, he's a professional."
"Good idea. A little truth serum never hurt anyone."
"What if he is telling the truth?" Colt asked. "What if he really doesn't know who hired him?"
"Well, then, we'll have to figure it out from there," Sheriff Knoxx said vaguely. He was trying to be positive. "Maybe we could get a warrant, search his house, his car. You never know what might turn up. He might have something he's not even aware of. A slip of paper with a name."
"A dollar bill we could trace back to the guy who hired him," Lincoln said.
"We could just let him go," I said.
The three of them stopped talking and looked at me.
"Let him go?" Colt asked, making sure he'd heard me right.
"Sure."
Sheriff Knoxx cleared his throat. "And just what would that accomplish?"
"Well, if the person who hired all three assassins is really killing them now, then they'll be keeping an eye on Al. He might be able to lead us right to them."
"We'd have to tell Al what we're doing," Colt said. "Put a tracking device on him that we're certain he can't get out of."
"You really think that'll work?" Lincoln looked skeptical.
"I've got something from COMHA I can use," Colt said. "It's new, and I've got it in my car. He won't even know he's being tracked unless we want him to."
I was excited they were still talking about my idea. They hadn't automatically dismissed it.
"I actually think this might work," Colt said. "What do you think?" He was addressing Lincoln and Sheriff Knoxx. Lincoln reluctantly agreed.
Sheriff Knoxx was the most skeptical of the group. He looked at the two of them and shrugged. "If you want to try it, I'm game," he finally said. He turned and went back into the room where Al was patiently waiting as if he had nowhere better to be.
We listened as Sheriff Knoxx outlined the plan. Al didn't seem particularly thrilled with the idea, but he agreed to do it, provided it would get him reduced jail time later. Sheriff Knoxx agreed, but I knew that wouldn't even be his call to make. The Council on Magic and Human Affairs handled high priority crimes like this. The assassin would face an inquisition led by Dean Lampton, much like Colt's father had faced. Only I didn't think the judges would go nearly as easy on Al as they had on Russell.
Lincoln and Colt joined Sheriff Knoxx to help him set the tracking devices and fill in any other details on the plan. They left me alone in the room on the other side of the mirror. They didn't want me getting too close to Al. I guess they were still afraid he might try to kill me or something, but that didn't seem likely at this point. Then again, maybe I was just fooling myself. Al seemed harmless to me, but I knew he was far from it. He had to be. He'd admitted to being an assassin, to having killed people before. How harmless could he really be?
"We need to make this look like you escaped," Lincoln said, "not like we let you go. Otherwise, your employer will never take the bait. He'll know we're watching you."
"So, you want me to pretend to escape from jail," Al said, smiling. Apparently, he found the idea amusing.
"Precisely," said Colt.
"Why not? I've pretended a whole lot of stuff in my lifetime. You know what I've learned? 'Pretend' is a nice word for lying."
Colt frowned but said nothing. I was pretty sure I knew what he was thinking. Sometimes lies were a necessary evil, but that didn't mean all lies were bad. What about when a wife asked her husband if a particular dress made her look heavy? Should he say yes and hurt her feelings, or lie and tell her how pretty she was? There was nothing wrong with a little lie so long as it was done for the right reasons.
Colt and Sheriff Knoxx told Al about the tracking device they'd be using, but they had failed to mention they had not just one tracking device but two. The standard one Sheriff Knoxx had on hand, and Colt's secret one distributed only to agents who worked for the Council on Magic and Human Affairs. Apparently, all you had to do was touch the person anywhere on their body and it would stick, even a strand of hair. It was lighter than air and small as a dust mite. This way, they could continue to track Al even if he removed the first device.
They talked another ten minutes before Sheriff Knoxx walked Al down to a cell and locked the door behind him. Ten minutes after that, the alarm bell rang. It was official. Al had just escaped.
* * *
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
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I woke up the next morning, groggy and unsatisfied. My dreams had been frightening, making me restless. I'd tossed and turned all night long. Despite Snowball's attempts to purr me back to sleep, I just couldn't get any rest.
Something about the stuff with Al just wasn't sitting right with me. Not that it was sitting right with anyone. Letting Al go had been my idea, but now I was having second thoughts. What if he decided that he didn't like the idea of returning to jail when this was all over? What if he found the second tracking device and disposed of it, escaping for real?
I made my way down to breakfast. It was a full house this morning. Russell, Melbourne, Eleanor, Trixie, my dad, Sheriff Knoxx, and Colt. Those who could fit sat around the breakfast table, and everyone else stood at countertops or held their plates in the air as they hovered uncertainly. Bacon, eggs, cereal, toast... there was something for everyone.
Colt had his laptop open on the table, something which I would have normally gotten in trouble for. No one said a word to him.
"You still got him?" Sheriff Knoxx asked.
Colt nodded. "Yep. Got him." He turned the monitor around so that it was facing us. I watched as a bright red dot blipped on the screen. According to the map, Al or Albert or whatever his real name was, was walking down Main Street not far from The Mystic Cupcake.
"He's awful close to the bakery," I said, biting my lip. "Are you sure this is safe?"
"Definitely not," said Colt.
I opened my mouth in a surprised O. I'd expected reassurance, not Colt telling me that I was right to be worried.
"This is all new territory for me," Colt said. Sheriff Knoxx grunted his agreement. "I've never let a prisoner escape on purpose before. So far, he hasn't tried to get rid of either of his tracking devices."
"What's he doing?" I asked.
"He's just walking around in circles. I think he's hoping that if he stays out in the open, he'll draw his employer's attention."
"And that's still a good thing, right?" I asked.
"Yes," Colt said.
I grabbed a bagel and started munching on it. This was making my stomach clench. I thought some food might help.
"Well," Eleanor said, getting up from th
e table. "We might as well head over there."
The plan was for us to go about our business as usual. We would open the store, Melbourne and Russell would be there with us all day. Russ was just happy to get out of the house, and I think Melbourne was just happy to be of use. Despite Trixie's best efforts, it had been a while since Melbourne had felt useful.
Sheriff Knoxx and Colt would be camped out in our back room, watching the monitor and waiting. Otis and Elmer were in charge of driving around town and keeping up the pretense that they were actively searching for Al. Lincoln also had some of his deputies out searching, in case Al's employer was in Mistmoor Point and not Sweetland Cove.
There was a loud beep from the screen. We all looked at Colt.
"What was that?" asked Sheriff Knoxx.
"I'm not sure," Colt said. "He's just changed directions. Nothing to worry about."
"Changed directions? Where's he going?" I asked.
"I'm not sure yet. It looks like he's heading toward the beach."
Once our bakery doors were open, people flooded in. All anyone could talk about was Hadley Miner. She'd been officially sworn in, the first Mayor of Heavenly Haven. People were still adjusting. The ones who'd opposed her needed their sugar fix to help them through these times. The ones who'd supported her needed their sugar fix to celebrate. Either way, they were here.
Wilma's shop had closed up, at least for now. Lottie told us she had left town with Karla, though there was talk that she might return and try again with her bakery after people had had enough time to forget the rusty nails and Band-Aids they'd found in her cupcakes.
"I'm not sure that I trust Hadley Miner," said Natalie Vargas when she came in for some sugar cookies. "She's just got one of those faces, you know?"
I shook my head. No, I didn't know.
"She looks too... trustworthy."
"Too trustworthy?" I asked, confused.
"Yeah, it's not natural. No one who looks that innocent really is."
I smiled and nodded because I couldn't think of anything to say to that.
Every so often, I went into the back to check on Colt and Sheriff Knoxx. They sat together hunched over Colt's screen, watching the red dot as it blipped its way along the boulevards and avenues.
"Where is he now?" I asked when I brought them a fresh tray of peanut butter dream bars.
"Still at the beach," Colt said. "Actually, it looks as though he's gone for a swim." I looked at the screen. The red dot was floating in the ocean.
I bit my bottom lip. "Are you sure he didn't toss his first tracking device in the water?"
Sheriff Knoxx and Colt looked at each other. Their faces said it all. The idea had never even occurred to them and now that it had, they were afraid I was right.
"Colt..." Sheriff Knoxx said, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Don't worry," Colt said. "Let me just switch screens. This is exactly why we used two tracking devices."
Colt pushed a button and the red dot disappeared. A new, yellow dot took its place. Only this one wasn't in the water, this one was still moving.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"Looks like Whisper Crossing," Sheriff Knoxx said, rising from his chair. "We better get down there. He may be meeting with his employer right now."
Colt grabbed his jacket. "I can track him from my phone. Ava, stay here. Not a word of this to anyone, understood?" He closed his laptop but left it where it was. It was too bulky to carry around when they were chasing bad guys.
I opened it back up when they were gone. The yellow dot had stopped moving. I watched, curious. Was Al really meeting with his employer right now? Why Whisper Crossing? Suddenly, the dot changed direction. It darted back toward Sweetland, then zig-zagged right, then left, then right again.
I sat down, watching the screen. "What is he doing?"
Trixie came in and looked over my shoulder.
"What's happening? Why is that dot jumping around like an animal?"
I snapped my head toward her.
"Oh no!" I cried. I grabbed my phone and dialed Colt's number as fast as I could.
"Ava, everything okay?" he asked, picking up. I could hear the engine of his car in the background.
"Are you watching the screen?" I asked.
"No, I'm driving. Sheriff Knoxx is though, why?"
"Because it's not him," I said.
Colt paused. "What do you mean?"
"The yellow dot. It's not Al. He must have found the other tracking device and stuck it on an animal to throw you off."
"An animal? Ava, that tracking device—"
"I'm telling you, it's not him!" I watched as the yellow dot suddenly shot into the sky. "A bird. He put it on a bird." I could hear Colt stop the car and ask Sheriff Knoxx to give him his phone.
"Oh, my roses," he said. "You're right. We lost him. Al really has escaped."
* * *
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
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Colt and Sheriff Knoxx were back at the bakery. They'd continued on their way to Whisper Crossing and finally tracked down the bird that Al had slipped the tracking device onto. The bird had decided to perch in a tree; the device was stuck to its head. They'd removed it and let the bird go.
I tried telling them it wasn't their fault. They wouldn't listen. Melbourne and Russell had grown tired of the stares they were receiving out front and had finally retired to the back room as well. Trixie, Eleanor, my father, and I were still out front restocking display cases and helping customers.
The lunch rush had just finished and we had a few minutes of peace, just enough to catch our breath.
"I'm going to make a list of the things we're short on," Eleanor said.
"And I'll make a list of some new ideas for cookies I've had," said Trixie. "For example, how do you feel about O-negative and O-positive black and white cookies? You get it? The white side could be O-negative and the black side could be O-positive. The perfect duo!"
She was so excited I hated to burst her bubble.
Eleanor had no troubles with it.
"If there were more vampires on this island, Trixie, that would be a wonderful idea. As it is, tourists don't want to eat blood-battered cookies. There's something about the idea that grosses them out."
"That's absurd!" Trixie cried, her hands on her hips.
"I know," said Eleanor gently, "but we have to give the customers what they want. Don't you agree?"
"It's not human blood," Trixie said, pouting.
Eleanor rolled her eyes and shot my father a look. He was trying not to laugh. The door chimed and a new customer walked in.
"Welcome to The Mystic Cupcake," I said without looking up. I had a tray of bubble gum bright cupcakes under one arm. They were delicately balanced on my hip as I refilled our display shelf.
"Thank you."
I recognized the voice but couldn't place it. When I looked up, I saw Hadley Miner staring back at me. "Oh! Mayor!" I cried.
Eleanor and Trixie were quickly gathering a box of our best goodies for the mayor to take home with her, free of charge. It was always a good idea to stay on the best terms as possible with the mayor.
"Here you are, on the house," Trixie said, beaming.
"How lovely," Hadley said, still smiling. "I am grateful for this, but I actually came to speak with Sheriff Knoxx and Detective Hudson. I understand they're both here?"
"Yes," I said. "They're in back."
"May I go back there?" She was all smiles and politeness, just like a politician should be.
"Of course," said Eleanor. "Ava, can you show her the way, please?"
I led Hadley into the back room. Sheriff Knoxx and Colt looked up at our footsteps.
"Mayor Miner," Sheriff Knoxx said, rising in greeting.
"Glad I could catch you both together," Hadley said. "Otis told me where you were when I stopped by the station. I've already spo
ken with Sheriff Lincoln Maxwell, but I wanted to speak to you as well."
"Of course, what about?" asked Sheriff Knoxx.
"This business with the assassins," Hadley said, taking a seat.
"There's no need to worry about that bomb threat," Colt said, taking the lead. "We had one of the assassins in custody and he assured us that there was nothing to that. It was just a rumor that got spread around."
Hadley paused. "Well, that's good to hear. I have to admit, I'd figured as much when I didn't hear any more about it, but that's not precisely what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed..." Colt looked sheepishly at her and Sheriff Knoxx. "What was on your mind, Mayor Miner?"
"First of all, I'd like to know how you two incompetents let the assassin you had in custody escape."
Sheriff Knoxx's face went red. "Well, it… that is… we didn't. Not exactly."
"It was part of their plan," I interjected. I didn't want Colt getting in trouble.
"Part of your plan to let him escape?" Hadley asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Yes," Sheriff Knoxx said. "That's right. We thought that if we made it look like an escape, he might be able to lead us to the person who hired him."
"I see," said Hadley. "That makes sense." We all sighed with relief. "And where is he now, then?"
Sheriff Knoxx and Colt looked at each other. "Well, he… uh…" I'd never heard Sheriff Knoxx stammer before. "He found the tracking devices we'd planted on him, and uh, disposed of them."
"So, you mean that he really did escape after all?" Hadley asked.
"Sort of," Sheriff Knoxx mumbled.
"You have no idea where he is right now?"
"No," Colt admitted.
Hadley paused, scrunching her brow. "I want you to stop looking for him."
"What?" I cried, unable to help myself. "That's crazy. You can't be serious."
"Oh, I'm serious all right," Hadley said. "You two have been making fools out of yourselves, losing the assassin like that. I will not allow you to make a fool out of me as well."
