“That looks like a no,” Pansy said.
“Why are you always jinxing me, Pansy?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Could it be because you turned me into a …. cat!”
Petunia rolled her eyes in Pansy’s direction. “I didn’t do that on purpose and you know that. I told you I could try to whip up another potion for you to take, but you refused, remember?”
“Of course I did, I’d hate to see what you’d turn me into next.”
A feral cat strode over to them now. It was Princess and she began to lick a paw as if bored.
“Ignore that cat of yours and speak with the mayor’s wife. I can’t have you making potions at this shop or at my house. I know all too well what sometimes happens with your potions. Wasn’t the fire department at your house just last week?”
Petunia sighed. “Yes, but it wasn’t entirely my fault and not a potion catastrophe, more like my cat Gem knocked a candle into the trash can. I had it under control, really. I’m not sure who called in the 9-1-1 on that.”
Aunt Maxine walked behind the counter and poured hot water into a teacup. “Have a spot of tea before you leave. It might just change your mood for the better.”
“Sure, my day certainly can’t get any worse.”
“Never say that, dear, something always happens when you utter words like that.” She laughed. “How is it going with, Noah? I saw you out to dinner together last week.”
Petunia glanced at her watchless wrist. “Would you look at that, it’s time to see the mayor’s wife.” She scooped up Pansy and set him back on the floor, since he jumped on the counter every time she came into Mystical Remedies.
“Before you leave, dear, I’d like you to wear this medallion. It’s for good luck,” Aunt Maxine said.
Petunia allowed her aunt to put the bronze medallion on a matching chain around her neck. She’d take whatever lucky charm she could. Who knows, it might actually work. Petunia tugged on Pansy’s leash and soon they were crossing the street, cutting through the park to arrive at the mayor’s Tudor-style house not five minutes later. The house had manicured lawns and landscaping with only simple shrubs in the front and the backyard had an in-ground pool.
Petunia pushed the button on the call box until she realized that the wrought iron gate was ajar. When she searched the curb, she saw a pink Lincoln that belonged to the once-city council woman, Florence McHenry—whom the mayor had had an affair with not that long ago, which resulted in her losing her job thanks to the mayor’s wife. While Bonnie did have knowledge of her husband’s affairs and often turned a blind eye to them, she finally put a stop to them when they became public knowledge. She wasn’t a woman who put up with being embarrassed like that. Especially since she was the one with all the money, not her husband.
Petunia tugged Pansy’s leash until he walked through the gates. “Are you sure this is such a good idea, Petunia? Gates are meant to keep people out.”
“I know that, but the gate was open and I can’t help but wonder why. That’s Florence McHenry’s car out front, too. There might be trouble here.”
“Are you going to knock on her door, or ….”
Petunia gave the leash another pull and she cut between the hedges, making way for the backyard, until she encountered the locked gate that separated the backyard from the front.
“I could have told you there’d be another gate you wouldn’t be able to get through.”
Petunia gave Pansy a dirty look. “Oh, then why didn’t you tell me that to begin with?”
“Because you wouldn’t have listened to me. You think you know everything. I swear you think I’ve always been a cat. I’ve been to this house before you altered my life.”
Petunia turned around and stared face-to-face with a maid through the window. The curtains were promptly closed and Petunia guessed that the maid was now alerting the sheriff of a trespasser.
Petunia wasn’t about to go home now, though, so she climbed the stairs and rang the doorbell, causing it to play a series of chimes to the tune of God Bless America.
The door was opened a minute later by Bonnie Hopkins, who was dressed in work-out clothes and had sweat dripping from her brow.
“Oh, it’s you, Petunia? My maid was all worried when she saw someone looking through the windows.” Bonnie frowned. “Why were you doing that, anyway?”
Pansy laughed. “I can’t wait to hear what you come up with here.”
Petunia tried with all of her might to not react to Pansy’s barb, even though all she could think about was giving him a kick, not that she’d ever do such a thing to an animal. It was merely a momentary thought.
“I was concerned when your gate was left open a crack—and isn’t that Florence McHenry’s car parked on the curb?”
Bonnie stepped on the porch and looked. “Why, it sure looks like it.”
“Was she here today?”
“Not that I’m aware. Please, come in.” Bonnie looked down at Pansy. “You might want to hold your cat. I’m not sure how my dogs will react to seeing one on their domain.”
Petunia picked up Pansy and she hadn’t walked more than a few feet when two Dobermans came racing into the room, barking up a storm. Petunia wasn’t sure who was more frightened, Pansy or her. All the hair rose on the back of Pansy’s black fur and she clawed Petunia, jumping down to the floor and hightailing it across the room and up the hallway, with the dogs hot on her tail.
“Oh, my,” Petunia said. She raced after Pansy and the dogs, but when she got to the end of the hall, there was a doggy door and neither Pansy nor the dogs were in sight. Upon closer inspection through the window, she realized that Pansy was up a tree with the dogs below, barking up a storm.
“I’m so sorry about the dogs,” Bonnie said.
Petunia went outside and didn’t make it very far before she noticed a body floating in the middle of the in-ground pool.
“Looks like I found out where Florence McHenry is,” Petunia said. “She’s in the pool.”
Bonne walked over there and gasped. “What is she doing here?” Then she looked into Petunia's eyes. “I swear, I had no idea she was out here.”
“So, she hasn't come to your house recently?”
“Not while I've been here.”
“And the gate to your house was unlocked because …?”
“I never knew it was, until you arrived.”
“You never asked me how I got in.”
“I know, but I meant to. I swear, Petunia, I'm not responsible for Florence's appearance in my pool.”
She made it sound like she was talking about a party, the way she said it.
“Can you call off your dogs? The sheriff probably won't want to deal with them when he gets here.”
“Sheriff? Oh, yes, I suppose I should call him.”
Bonnie whistled until her dogs came running up to her and she put them into a kennel that was located at the corner of the house. Only then was Petunia able to coax the nerve-wracked Pansy down off the tree.
Petunia picked up Pansy, giving him a good petting. “Are you okay?”
Pansy didn't respond, only trembled in her arms. “I-I thought I was a goner for sure.”
“Me, too. I'm glad that you're okay, but now at least I know there's a body in the pool. I might never have found it if I hadn't come out here.”
Pansy flopped his head over Petunia's arm. “Oh, yes. Who is that?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I'm thinking it’s Florence McHenry. Her car was parked at the curb.”
“Who is that?”
Petunia had forgotten that Pansy wouldn't know that Florence had once had an affair with the mayor. Was the affair even over? Petunia wasn’t sure. She explained to Pansy who Florence was and how the Hopkins had an understanding when it came to the affairs until they became too much public knowledge. Then Florence would demand that her husband get rid of the latest mistress.
“Get rid of her?” Pansy asked. “That sums up the situation at hand.”
�
�Yes, I mean, no. I’m pretty sure that meant dismissing her from working in the mayor’s office, not murdering the woman.”
“Only time will tell, but at least you won’t be on the suspect list this time around.”
Petunia had to agree that it would be nice that she wouldn’t hit the suspect list this go around. That thought dropped out of her head, though, when she heard the sound of sirens and cop cars pulling up with a screeching halt. She wanted to know what was going on, but she also didn’t like to be the one finding the body. Especially since the body belonged to a woman whom Petunia didn’t much care for herself.
Chapter Three
Petunia was still hugging Pansy when the sheriff moseyed into the backyard, although mosey might be an understatement, since he seemed to be in a hurry.
Sheriff Pinkerton locked eyes with Petunia and he just shook his head. “I should have known. Wherever a body turns up, you’re not far away, Petunia Patterson.”
She wasn’t sure why the sheriff was insisting on calling her by her full name right now, but she could see that this already had the makings of a bad interview.
“I was the one who found the body. It appears to be Florence McHenry.”
Two deputies jumped into the pool and worked together to lug Florence onto the concrete that surrounded the pool. Her eyes were wide open, as was her mouth.
“Yup, she sure looks dead,” Petunia pointed out.
“I can see that, Petunia.” The sheriff pulled out his notebook and pen, clicking it open. “And why are you here, exactly?”
“I came to discuss a matter with Mrs. Hopkins.”
“Since when do you refer to Bonnie as Mrs. Hopkins?”
Petunia wanted to slap her head now, since he seemed so intent on coming up with something that would make her look bad.
“Can we get on with this, or do you have a point?”
“What time did you get here exactly?”
“I can’t say. About ten or fifteen minutes ago. I thought it was odd that Florence McHenry’s car was parked up front and the fence was open. I then began to investigate why that was. I had thought that someone might have gotten on the property to possibly rob or bother Bonnie.”
“She was peeping in the windows,” said a maid, who was standing nearby. “She really scared me.”
When the sheriff cocked a brow, Petunia said, “I was just checking out the yard in case someone was lurking around is all. I was as shocked to see your face appear in the window.”
“Why not knock at the door first?” the maid asked.
“I wanted to check to find out if the fence that led to the backyard was locked and it was. Then I came to the front and knocked on the door. If Bonnie’s dogs hadn’t chased Pansy into the backyard, I never would have found the body at all.”
“You didn’t much care for Florence, did you, Petunia?”
“It’s not me who had the problem, it was the other way around, but don’t ask me why. I’ve never gone out of my way to be mad at anyone.”
“Unless it’s one of your neighbors, you mean?”
Petunia had to grit her teeth. “It’s not one of my neighbors in that pool, you know.”
Sheriff Pinkerton turned his attention to Bonnie, now. “Were you aware that Florence McHenry had drowned in your pool?”
“No, I had only gotten home about ten minutes before Petunia showed up.”
“Was Florence’s car out front when you arrived home?”
“I don’t pay all that much attention to what cars might be parked on the curb.”
“But wasn’t your husband having an affair with Florence McHenry?”
“Was is the word. He broke it off with her, to my knowledge.”
“To your knowledge, you say. So, you’re not for sure?”
“I’m quite certain he had and I have no idea why she’d be in my house or pool. She’s never been allowed in this house.”
“I just find it hard to believe you wouldn’t have noticed Florence’s car parked out front if your husband had had an affair with her at one time.”
Bonnies pursed her lips. “I honestly didn’t pay attention. I just came from Norm’s Meat Market and wanted to get that meat refrigerated before it went bad. We have a barbecue party scheduled for tomorrow.”
“When was the last time you saw your husband?”
“This morning when he left for the office.”
“I just spoke with him about an hour ago,” Petunia said, trying to help the sheriff with a timeline. “Who else was here while you were gone?”
“I don’t need you interrupting my questioning, Miss Patterson,” Pinkerton bellowed.
“There is no sense in getting testy with me. What does it matter who asks the questions?”
“Because your constant butting in doesn’t help with investigations.”
“Now, sheriff, that’s not fair,” Bonnie said. “I do believe that Petunia helped solve a case.”
“Be that as it may, I’d prefer that she butt out of this case.”
“What case is that?” Petunia asked. “Florence might have died of natural causes, like drowning. You won’t know for sure until an autopsy is done.”
“Petunia is so right,” Bonnie said. “And to answer Petunia’s question … the maid Connie was here.”
“And we had deliveries all day. United Parcel Service, Federal Express, and even the Schwan driver,” Connie said.
“Thanks, Connie,” Petunia said. “I suppose it would all depend on when they were here in relation to when Bonnie came home, my arrival, and the body being discovered.”
Pinkerton’s face reddened. “What was your business here today, Petunia?” he asked.
Petunia went to tapping her foot until Pansy implored her to stop.
“It had to do with an ordinance I was hoping that Bonnie might be able to help me with. I’m so bad at filling out paperwork.”
“Pertaining to what, exactly?”
“An ordinance that involved not being able to run a business from my home even though I’m so not even doing that.”
“Perhaps you should call your husband, Bonnie. We need to speak to him, as well, and I’d rather not bother him at his office. You know how some people in this town talk.” He looked right at Petunia. “You can leave. I’ll contact you if I have any more questions.”
Petunia was both happy and disappointed about that. Now, she wouldn’t be here to hear what the mayor had to say for himself.
“Okay, call me if you need anything, Bonnie, even if it’s a shoulder to cry on. I know how it feels when a person gets accused of doing something that they haven’t done.”
“Nobody is accusing anyone here,” Sheriff Pinkerton said.
“Thanks, Petunia. You should be getting the invitation today and don’t forget to bring that handsome new boyfriend of yours, Noah,” Bonnie said.
“He’s not my boyfriend. We’ve only had a few dates.”
“Give it time, dear.”
Petunia smiled and glided through the door, glaring at the maid who had spoken up against her. That’s all she needed was for the sheriff to consider her a suspect. It’s not like she had brought Florence here and drowned her in the pool. She might have just showed up for no reason at all and had a key to get inside even, although the open gate gave Petunia some pause. Even if Florence came here, though, why would she take a dip in the pool and eventually drown? Had someone pushed her in? Could she swim? These were all good questions that Petunia hoped she’d find answers to and soon.
She carried Pansy back outside and for once, he didn’t want her to put him down.
“Thanks for not letting those dogs eat me,” Pansy said. “I suppose you’ll be going over to Noah’s house and telling him all about the new crime in Lake Forest?”
“I hadn’t thought about it, but it might be a good idea. He really helped on the last case.”
“That’s fine by me, but I’ll sit this one out. After all that running, I really need a nap.”
Petunia n
odded. She was happy that Pansy wanted to go home. Even though he was a real pain, she’d never let a dog hurt him, nor anyone else, for that matter. This went way beyond turning him into a cat. Sure, she had a responsibility in regards to him, but she also liked him in a sick kind of way, even though they often couldn’t agree on anything. He was turning into a much better cat than he ever was as a man.
Petunia walked home and took Pansy inside, setting him on the couch and he promptly rolled to his back with that, ‘I dare you to touch my stomach,’ look in his eyes.
“You better get going, Red,” Pansy said. “This case isn’t going to solve itself.”
Instead of responding, Petunia left, narrowly escaping her other cats, who began to bellow a series of high-pitched meows that meant the same thing as always. She swore food was the only thing on their minds.
She left and knocked on Noah’s door, getting no response. His garage door was open and she knew he had to be somewhere, so she followed the pathway that led to his backyard. He had a pile of posts and wood privacy fencing on the ground and Cora was venting to him from her side of her chain-link fence.
“I tell you, you can’t put up a privacy fence in this neighborhood. It’s against an ordinance.”
“And if Cora knows anything, it’s about what ordinance her neighbors might be breaking,” Petunia said.
Noah turned with a smile. “Oh?”
“Yes, it appears that one of my neighbors complained because I make potions … er, I mean herbal remedies, in my own home. The mayor says it’s against an ordinance to run a business from here and if I don’t quit, I’ll be fined five thousand dollars.”
“I hope you don’t think it was me,” Noah said with a wink.
“No, I know exactly who she is.”
Cora scowled. “I hope you don’t think that I had anything to do with it, because that’s certainly not the case.”
“I bet, Cora. Don’t think that I’ve forgotten that time when you tried to get all the neighbors to sign a petition to oust me from the neighborhood.”
“Well, I-I—”
“You what? You’re sorry?”
“No, I’m not sorry at all. I’m not sucked in to your good-natured ways. Everyone in town knows that you and you aunt are witches and it’s only a matter of time before the mayor boots you all out of Lake Forest.”
Meows, Magic & Manslaughter (Lake Forest Witches Book 2) Page 2
