A Whisper of Magic (A Sugarcomb Lake Cozy Mystery Book 5)

by Alaine Allister

  “Let me guess: Justin Brown?” Jenny said knowingly.

  “Yes!” Clarissa exclaimed. “He nearly took me out.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me,” Jenny sighed, shaking her head in disgust. “I hear stories every so often from friends who teach at the high school. Justin’s name comes up a lot. It makes me glad I teach young kids and not teenagers!”

  “He’s such a little delinquent,” Amy said bitterly. “Sam says half the calls the squad get about petty crime and vandalism are related to him! I keep saying that kid needs to have the book thrown at him, but apparently he doesn’t ever do anything Really Bad.”

  “Tell that to my teacher friends,” Jenny scoffed. “Apparently the big thing right now is pulling pranks. Justin and all his little friends go around trying to one up each other. It’s so dumb – and such a pain to deal with. I hear Justin spends more time in the principal’s office than in class.”

  “What kind of pranks are you talking about?” Clarissa asked curiously.

  “The kind only reckless, immature high school kids find funny,” Jenny said with a roll of her eyes. “They pull chairs out from underneath each other and pour hot sauce in cafeteria food. That’s not funny, right? Or am I just getting old?”

  “You’d better not be, because my birthday is before yours,” Clarissa quipped.

  “Point taken,” Jenny laughed. Then she looked at Amy with a giant grin on her face. “Speaking of big days, have you and Sam set a date yet?” she asked eagerly.

  Amy lit up at the mention of her upcoming wedding. “Not yet. Sam’s off work this weekend, so we’re going to go look at venues in Green City. We’ll probably wind up getting married here in town, but we want to check out every possibility before we make a decision.”

  “That’s so exciting!” Jenny exclaimed, clapping her hands in glee. “I can’t wait to watch you walk down the aisle! You’re going to be such a beautiful bride.” Then she paused and looked at Clarissa. “Speaking of beautiful, you look really, really good today!”

  “Thanks, but I can’t take any of the credit,” Clarissa said modestly. “It was all Amy’s doing!”

  “What’s the occasion?” Jenny asked.

  “I was wondering the same thing,” Amy chimed in.

  Both women stared at Clarissa expectantly, awaiting an explanation.

  “No real occasion,” Clarissa said, suddenly feeling bashful. “Just date night with Parker.”

  Jenny and Amy exchanged a knowing look.

  “What?” Clarissa demanded.

  “Oh, nothing,” Jenny said with a devilish gleam in her eye. “Just don’t plan your wedding for the same day as Amy’s, okay? I wouldn’t want to have to race between venues…that would be like a scene out of a bad movie!”

  “We could have a joint wedding!” Amy teased. “Then no one would have to race anywhere!”

  Clarissa blushed furiously. She knew her friends were just teasing her. They probably just had weddings on the brain thanks to Amy’s upcoming nuptials.

  But what if that wasn’t all it was? What if they saw something that she didn’t?

  What if Parker really was going to propose?

  Chapter 10

  “Did you have fun tonight?” Parker asked.

  “Yes!” Clarissa exclaimed, nodding emphatically.

  The night had been wonderful. Parker had driven Clarissa out to the countryside. There, they had spread a blanket out in a meadow and watched the sunset. He had brought fancy wine, crackers, cheese and fruit. The evening had been romantic and perfect and unlike anything Clarissa had ever experienced before.

  Unfortunately, she had been incredibly nervous the entire time.

  Part of her had been thinking about the Ouija board spirit’s warning and worrying that a devastating argument between her and Parker was imminent. The other part of her had been on pins and needles, wondering if he was going to propose.

  Neither of those things had happened.

  The evening had been blissfully serene. They had talked and kissed and cuddled. There had been no disagreements whatsoever, which came as a massive relief to Clarissa.

  But there had been no proposal either.

  Clarissa hadn’t actually expected Parker to get down on one knee and pop the question! Sure, her friends had teased her, playfully predicting that he might do exactly that. But realistically, their relationship was probably still too new for marriage. They were wise to take their time and get to know one another better. That was the smart thing to do.

  Even so, Clarissa had been the teensiest, tiniest bit disappointed.

  “You seem quiet tonight,” Parker said. “Are you still tired?”

  “I guess I must be,” Clarissa replied, keeping her answer vague.

  Parker swatted at his leg. Then he scowled. “It’s been fun tonight, but now that the breeze has died down the mosquitoes have just come out in full force. I think maybe it’s time we pack up and head back into town, what do you say?”

  “Sounds good to me,” Clarissa agreed.

  Those pesky mosquitoes were such a pain! But that was rural Minnesota. Half the year was winter and the other half was rife with insects. At least it made people appreciative of the days that were good for being outdoors, even if they were few and far between.

  After packing up the car, Parker and Clarissa drove back into town.

  “You missed your turn,” Clarissa said when he bypassed the route to her house.

  “I know,” Parker replied. “I thought we’d go check out a movie. Sound good to you?”

  Clarissa smiled. Her boyfriend really was a big city guy. “The Sugarcomb Lake movie theater only has one movie playing at a time,” she explained. “It’s the one we saw in Green City three weeks ago. I mean, it was good…but I’m not sure it was good enough to watch again.”

  Parker looked surprised. “There’s only one screen?” he asked in disbelief.

  She nodded.

  “And they’re playing a movie that was in every other theater nearly a month ago?”

  She nodded again.

  “Oh. Well so much for that idea, then.” He scratched his head. “Sorry about that,” Parker apologized. “I just assumed we’d have a better selection at the movie theater. Or, you know, any selection at all.”

  “Nope,” Clarissa smirked. “Welcome to Sugarcomb Lake!”

  “Ha! I like it,” he assured her. “After all, you’re here.”

  “Aww,” she murmured, grinning.

  “Where would you like to go now?” Parker asked.

  She sighed. “I hate to say it, but I should probably head home. I’ve started training my new employee, and she’s written a few articles for me to proof over the weekend. I’m curious to see how she’s done.”

  “She won’t be anywhere near as talented as you – I know that already,” Parker said with an affectionate look in his eyes. “But I’m glad you’ve finally got someone helping you with the newspaper. Maybe now we’ll be able to see each other more. Well, once I manage to stop being a workaholic, that is,” he added ruefully.

  Clarissa smiled and looked out the window.

  Then her eyes widened.

  “Stop!” she ordered, leaning forward in her seat so she could get a better look. Her eyes narrowed. “Look over there,” she hissed, pointing across the street.

  Parker stopped the car and leaned over to peer out Clarissa’s window. Once his eyes had adjusted to the dark and he saw what she was pointing at, he shook his head in disapproval. “Those brats,” he muttered as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “I’ll go tell them to knock it off.”

  “I’m coming with you!” Clarissa announced, scrambling to jump out of the car. It was her hometown that was being defaced. She had a thing or two to say to the little punks who thought it was funny to vandalize local businesses!

  “Hey!” Parker bellowed, sounding uncharacteristically threatening.

  Several teenagers turned and looked at him. Then they dropped their spray paint cans and raced away
, clearly afraid of being caught. The only kid who didn’t get away was one Clarissa knew well: Justin Brown.

  “Let me go!” the scruffy-haired troublemaker protested as Parker grabbed him by the shirt collar.

  Parker looked over at Clarissa with an expression of uncertainty on his handsome face. He obviously hadn’t thought this through. He had no idea what to say or do now that he had caught the young offender. “Do we call the police?” he whispered so that only she could hear.

  She nodded. “We’re calling the police,” she announced loudly.

  “No! Don’t!” Justin pleaded. “I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!”

  “Why are you plastering graffiti all over the side of the bakery in the first place?” Clarissa asked sternly. She had her phone out and was all ready to dial the Sugarcomb Lake Police Department. But first, she was genuinely curious to find out why Justin Brown behaved like such a delinquent.

  “It isn’t graffiti!” Justin insisted. “It’s art!”

  “Ha!” Clarissa scoffed. “Nice try, but your semantics games won’t work on me.”

  “Clarissa,” Parker said.

  “What?”

  Her boyfriend looked at the side of the building and then back at her.

  Clarissa stopped lecturing Justin.

  For the first time, she looked at what the notoriously misbehaved teenager had painted on the side of the brick building. Giant cartoon cookies, donuts and pastries greeted her. There were also rainbows, starbursts and plenty of other colorful, psychedelic images.

  “This…this is really good, Justin,” she said with wonder in her voice.

  The teenager stared at her, looking surprised. “Really?” he asked.

  Clarissa nodded.

  “Did you get the bakery owner’s permission to do this?” Parker asked.

  Justin looked down at his sneakers. “No,” he admitted.

  “Well…next time you should ask first,” Parker said, releasing the teenager from his grip.

  “Are you still gonna call the cops?” Justin asked fearfully.

  Clarissa and Parker exchanged a look.

  “No,” she finally said. “I’ll look the other way this time, but only if you promise to show up here first thing in the morning. You’re going to spend the day doing odd jobs around the bakery. Do we have a deal?”

  “Yes!” Justin replied at once. He grabbed his paint cans and turned to leave.

  “Hey,” Clarissa called out to him.

  He turned, looking fearful that she may have changed her mind about calling the cops.

  “Your artwork is really good,” she told him earnestly. “You’ve got talent.”

  “Thanks,” he mumbled before practically racing away.

  Parker let out a deep, frustrated sigh. “I didn’t handle that very well, did I?” he asked. “I couldn’t decide if I should scare some sense into that kid or give him a pass. You, on the other hand, were perfect.”

  “Was I?”

  Parker nodded. “You came up with a perfect compromise.”

  “I’m sure they can use extra hands at the bakery,” Clarissa shrugged. “He can sweep the floors or wash pans or something. And,” she added with an appreciative look at the brick wall, “Justin’s graffiti really is nice.”

  “It is,” Parker nodded.

  “It would have been nice if he had asked for permission rather than pleading for forgiveness,” Clarissa said. “Trouble seems to follow that kid around. He’s always doing something he shouldn’t be. I don’t know if it’s just a phase or what, but it’s getting old.”

  “I’m tempted to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Parker shrugged. Then he offered, “I went through a rebellious stage when I was about his age.”

  “You did?”

  “I didn’t get into any major trouble,” Parker assured her. “It was just the usual stuff – breaking curfew, loitering outside of businesses downtown and being a nuisance in general. I grew out of it. Hopefully Justin will, too.”

  Clarissa was silent.

  Parker gave her a curious look. “You stopped talking. Did I overshare or something?”

  “No. No, that’s not it,” she said, her mind a million miles away. “I was just thinking…”

  “There have been countless times when I’ve desperately wished I could read your mind,” Parker confided. “But unfortunately, I can’t. Are you going to tell me what you’re thinking or are you going to make me play Twenty Questions?”

  Though Parker’s tone was lighthearted and playful, Clarissa’s demeanor was anything but. She stared at him, wide-eyed. “If I’m wrong about this, I’ll feel horrible for even saying it,” she cautioned. A feeling of dread had come over her.

  The smile disappeared from Parker’s face. “What is it?” he pressed.

  She hesitated. Then she said, “I’ve heard Justin is a big fan of playing pranks. For example, he puts hot sauce in the cafeteria food at school because he thinks it’s funny. Is – is it such a stretch to think he might have tampered with the muffins at Liana’s bakery?”

  Chapter 11

  “I’m not saying Justin meant to kill anyone,” Clarissa said as she and Parker burst into her house. “I’m just saying maybe he made a mistake. He thought he was being funny. Then when someone died from anaphylactic shock, he was too scared to come forward.”

  “It’s definitely possible,” Parker agreed. “You said he goes into the coffee shop often?”

  “He did,” Clarissa nodded. “I think Liana has been on his case lately for skateboarding inside. She’s scolded him more than once for acting like a reckless little idiot in there. Maybe he was trying to sabotage her business. Or maybe he was just trying to prank one of his friends.”

  “He’d have had an opportunity to slip peanuts in the muffin?” Parker asked.

  “Yeah, Liana often sets her baking on the front counter to cool,” Clarissa explained. “She says that it’s good advertising to set it out where customers can see and smell it. Justin definitely could have walked by and tampered with the muffins.”

  “So just to be clear, we think this was an accident,” Parker said as they sat on the couch.

  “Uh huh,” Clarissa nodded. “If Justin did it, I’m sure he didn’t mean any real harm. I mean, worst case he might have been trying to sabotage Liana’s business. Maybe she embarrassed him in front of his friends and he wanted revenge. But I’m certain he didn’t intend to kill anyone.”

  “Okay,” Parker nodded as the cat jumped onto his lap. “Now what do we do?”

  Clarissa pursed her lips. “I don’t know. What if I’m wrong? Accusing Justin of having something to do with Donnie Davis’s death is quite the allegation. I can’t just point the finger and hope he confesses.”

  “Well, you could,” Parker pointed out. “But you’re absolutely right,” he added quickly. “It would be great if you could get some sort of proof to back up your suspicions. But what can you do? I’m drawing a blank.”

  “Me too,” Clarissa sighed. “I’m going to sleep on it. Hopefully something will come to me.”

  After reluctantly saying goodnight to her boyfriend, Clarissa locked up. As she was straightening up the living room, Cat spoke up.

  “Why don’t you set a trap?” the fluffy feline demanded.

  “Huh?”

  “Set a trap,” Cat repeated impatiently. “Test this Justin human. See if you can catch him in a lie. If you do, then you’ll know that he can’t be trusted. Think of it as a…oh, what do you humans call it? Ah yes: a test of his character.”

  Clarissa looked down at her furry housemate thoughtfully. “That’s…that’s actually not a bad idea,” she admitted, the wheels in her head turning. “It just might work!”

  “Well of course it will work,” Cat replied, sounding mildly offended. “And why are you surprised that I had a good idea? Of course I had a good idea! After all, I’m brilliant.”

  “And modest, too,” Clarissa couldn’t help but reply.

  “Humph!”
the cat huffed before stomping away.

  “Thanks for the suggestion!” Clarissa called after her sulky, four-legged companion.

  The cat’s idea was far from foolproof. Clarissa knew she would have to be careful not to jump to conclusions. Catching Justin in a lie wouldn’t automatically mean that he was guilty of killing Donnie Davis. Still, though, it could help her gauge the teen’s honesty…or lack thereof.

  *****

  “I’m so excited to see this movie!” Liana exclaimed as she and Clarissa approached Sugarcomb Lake’s one-screen movie theater. “I’ve heard it’s good. But sometimes reviews can be misleading. Do you think it will be good?”

  “It’s okay,” Clarissa replied.

  “You’ve seen it already?”

  “Uh huh, Parker and I went to it in Green City three or so weeks ago.”

  Clarissa had other things she could be doing: housework, yard work, actual work…the list was never ending, really. But she knew her best friend was going through a stressful time. So when Liana had asked her to see the movie she had already watched, she’d dutifully agreed.

  “It looks busy here tonight,” Liana observed as they found a parking spot way in the back.

  “If by ‘busy’ you mean there are more than a dozen people here, then yes,” Clarissa agreed.

  “There have to be two dozen people here, at least,” Liana insisted.

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  The two women got out of Liana’s car and walked inside, pausing to wave to Amy Owens and Sam Swanson on the way. They purchased tickets and got in line for popcorn. That was when Clarissa happened to glance over at the arcade.

  “Justin Brown is here!” Clarissa whispered excitedly.

  “What’s he doing now?” Liana asked with a grimace.

  “He isn’t doing anything. He’s just playing video games. See? He’s over there.”

  Liana looked confused. “If he’s just playing games, then what’s the big deal?” she asked.