“No, don’t! Don’t let Gigi see you!”
“Uh, isn’t the plan to go confront her?”
“Not yet. First I need to set a trap!” Clarissa decided.
“Alright…what can I do?”
“You go over there and keep an eye on things,” Clarissa instructed, pointing toward the checkout line. “I’m not exactly sure yet what I’m going to say or do, but I’ll motion for you to come over if I need you.”
“Okay,” Parker agreed. He knew better than to argue with Clarissa when she was about to solve a case. He picked a newspaper up off the stand and opened it up. Once his face was concealed, he peeked out from behind it. “Let me know if you need me.”
“Let me know what my horoscope says,” she shot back in a joking tone.
Then she got down to business.
Clarissa grabbed a shopping cart and haphazardly tossed a few items into it. Then she took a deep breath and hoped her acting abilities weren’t as terrible as she thought they were. It was show time.
She strolled along past the turnips and sweet potatoes. She meandered past the oranges and pears, acting like she didn’t have a care in the world. Then, when she neared the section with the peaches, she pretended to be busy looking at her phone.
She slammed her cart right into Gigi’s.
“Oops!” Clarissa exclaimed, acting all apologetic. “I’m so sorry! I’m such a klutz – I was busy looking at my phone when I should have been paying attention to where I was going! I hope I didn’t break your eggs?”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” Gigi assured her.
Clarissa ignored her. She reached for the carton of eggs and made a big show of inspecting them. “I think they’re okay,” she said. Then she shook her head as though she still couldn’t quite believe how clumsy she had been. “My stupid ex won’t stop texting me,” she sighed.
“Oh?”
That one syllable response was all the encouragement Clarissa needed. She got into character and launched into a tirade she’d barely had a chance to plan. Thankfully, she somehow managed to sound convincing.
“A little while ago I caught my idiot boyfriend in the stupidest lie,” she sighed. “He said he was visiting his sister, but I knew his sister was away traveling. I got suspicious and followed him. He was meeting another woman!”
Gigi’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s horrible!”
“I know,” Clarissa sighed. “I was in love. Or at least I thought I was. He seemed so great, you know? But it was all a lie. The moment I saw him kiss that other woman, something in me just broke. Any affection I had for him was gone. And now he won’t stop texting me, begging me to take him back!”
Gigi’s eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you block his number?” she suggested.
“That’s a good idea,” Clarissa agreed. “I’m going to do that right now.” She looked down at her phone, pulled up Parker’s contact information and then pretended to be confused. “How do I block a number?” she asked, feigning helplessness.
“Let me see,” Gigi offered, reaching for the phone.
Clarissa handed over her phone.
Then she noticed Justin Brown standing a short distance away.
He was eating grapes from the display case. He was also watching her with an incredulous expression on his face. Clearly he had heard her little white lie about wanting to block Parker’s number. And clearly he thought she was an absolute psycho – one day she was fake engaged and the next, she was ranting about infidelity in the middle of the grocery store!
There was no time to worry about what Sugarcomb Lake’s teen menace thought.
Right now, Clarissa had one objective and one objective only.
She turned on the waterworks.
“I just can’t believe my boyfriend would cheat on me!” she sobbed. “I thought we were so happy together! I thought that I could trust him! I thought he was the man I’d spend the rest of my life with!”
“Men are dogs,” Gigi announced, handing the phone back. “Even the good ones stink.”
Clarissa furrowed her brow. “You sound like you have personal experience.”
Gigi nodded. “My last boyfriend was a real sleaze,” she confided. “He had a bit of a reputation. Everyone warned me to steer clear of him. But I thought I could change him, you know? Boy was I wrong,” she said bitterly. “But he got what he had coming.”
“What was that?” Clarissa asked as her pulse began to race.
“Hmm?” Gigi murmured.
“You said your last boyfriend got what he had coming. What happened?”
“Oh. Oh that. He just…” Gigi paused and cleared his throat. “I dumped him when I found out what had been going on behind my back,” she said unconvincingly. “It was his loss, you know?”
“Oh, totally,” Clarissa agreed.
Then she went in for the kill.
“You’ve sure had a tough time of things, Gigi. First Donnie dies tragically in a food allergy related mishap. Then you miraculously find love only a short time later – only to be cheated on! Oh my. Your life has more drama than Mexican soap opera!”
Gigi stared at Clarissa, dumbstruck.
“How are you coping?” Clarissa asked, feigning concern.
Gigi blinked. Then she said, “I didn’t recognize you at first. You were at the coffee shop the day my Donnie passed, weren’t you? Sorry, it’s been such a traumatic time that I’m just…I’m just not myself lately.”
“Oh, I understand. Say, where did you meet your new boyfriend?” Clarissa asked innocently. “You know, the cheater who you dated after Donnie died? I’d like one of those for myself! Not a cheater,” she clarified. “I mean a boyfriend.”
“I uh…I met him at, er….”
Clarissa’s eyes burned into Gigi. A small audience of shoppers had gathered around the two women. Everyone was listening intently, and none of the people were really bothering to hide the fact that they were eavesdropping.
The tattooed bartender began to squirm. “I have to go,” she said suddenly.
“There was no man after Donnie, was there?” Clarissa demanded.
“What are you –?”
“Donnie was the one that cheated on you, wasn’t he?” Clarissa pressed.
Gigi averted her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she mumbled.
“Donnie was the one with the reputation. He cheated with you. You hoped he’d change. You hoped he’d stay faithful. But once a cheater, always a cheater,” Clarissa said. “You didn’t want to believe it at first but deep down you knew.”
“No…”
“Yes. That’s why you followed Donnie obsessively in the beginning. It’s why you tracked his every move. You didn’t want to catch him red-handed, but you suspected you would.” Clarissa crossed her arms and waited expectantly for Gigi’s response.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know you called the hotel manager he used to date,” Clarissa announced. “You harassed her, trying to find out if she was still seeing your boyfriend. What about his ex-wife? Were you paranoid he was cheating with her, too?”
“I have to go,” Gigi said in a shaky voice.
She tried to maneuver her cart through the crowd, but folks were far too busy staring to move out of the way. Gigi looked around, her eyes wild. She reminded Clarissa of a trapped animal.
Eventually, the crowd parted. Gigi was about to power walk away!
Clarissa knew she couldn’t allow that to happen, so she quietly recited a handy little spell she had recently learned. Right on cue, the wheels of the shopping cart Gigi was pushing locked up. The spell worked like….well, it worked like magic.
Gigi pushed harder.
The cart wobbled and then it tipped over, spilling produce all over the place.
“Ha!” Clarissa exclaimed triumphantly.
She always loved it when a new spell worked the way it was supposed to…even if it did mean she would wind up with the Advanced Spell Flu for a day
or two afterwards. In this case, it was totally worth it.
Suddenly Gigi abandoned her cart.
She darted around the smashed watermelon and cracked eggs.
She bolted for the grocery store’s exit.
“No!” Clarissa groaned as she watched Gigi make a getaway.
Gigi was already up by the checkout. In a moment she would be out the door! Was Clarissa even capable of running fast enough to catch up? She wished she knew a spell that would make her a better runner but unfortunately, nothing came to mind.
Suddenly Parker set down the newspaper he had been hiding behind.
He stepped in front of Gigi, effectively blocking her path.
She was forced to stop dead in her tracks. When she tried to step left, Parker moved left. When she tried to step right, he moved right. The awkward little dance continued for a moment and then Gigi seemed to realize she was trapped.
When Clarissa caught up to the tattooed bartender, there were tears streaming down her cheeks.
“You’d have done it too, if you were me!” she screamed. “Donnie promised me the world but it was all lies! He said we’d buy a big house together, but he was broke after his divorce! He said he’d never cheat on me, but he did! He was wasting my time! I was sick of being disrespected!”
“So you put a peanut in his muffin,” Clarissa said. “That is what happened, isn’t it? The day you and Donnie went to the coffee shop, you saw an opportunity. You slipped a peanut into his muffin when he wasn’t looking.”
“I didn’t plan to!” Gigi insisted. “I…I had a candy bar in my purse that contained nuts,” she admitted. “I bought it on a whim the day I found out about the cheating. It sounds petty, but I wanted to eat it in front of Donnie because I knew he couldn’t have it.”
“But you didn’t eat the candy bar, did you?” Clarissa asked knowingly.
Gigi shook her head. “I had no appetite. I took Donnie to the coffee shop intending to break up with him. I figured ending things in public would be less dramatic, you know? I’d say a few things, we’d quietly part ways and that would be that. So we sat down at a booth…and then I spotted Donnie’s ex-wife at another table.”
“Then what happened?” Clarissa asked.
“I…I just saw red,” Gigi admitted. “I knew about Donnie’s past. I knew he had cheated on his ex-wife. I knew he had cheated on other girlfriends…and on me. I was humiliated. I was enraged. I wanted to hurt Donnie the way he’d hurt me. So I opened the candy bar, broke off a peanut and slipped it into his muffin.”
“Where was Donnie’s epi-pen?” Parker asked.
“It was a warm day,” Gigi recalled. “Donnie took off his jacket and left it in the car. I’m guessing his epi-pen was in the pocket…either that or he forgot it at home. I’m not sure. Either way, he didn’t have it with him. And by the time the paramedics arrived, it was too late.”
“I see.” Clarissa bit her lower lip. She knew what had to happen next.
“You’re going to call the police now, aren’t you?” Gigi asked, resigned to her fate.
“No need,” a male voice chimed in. Sam Swanson pushed his way through the crowd. “I came in for an energy drink and overheard the tail end of your conversation,” he said. “I heard enough that I’m going to need to take you down to the station for questioning.”
Her head hung low, Gigi allowed Sam to lead her out to his squad car.
A group of stunned onlookers watched as he loaded her into the backseat and drove off.
“Clarissa caught a murderer!” someone finally called out.
Applause broke out.
Parker stepped forward and slung an arm around her shoulders. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Aw, look at the happy couple!” someone exclaimed.
“When’s the big day?” another person asked.
“Uh oh,” Clarissa muttered when she realized what was going on. She cleared her throat. Then she took a step forward. “Excuse me!” she called out. “Can I have your attention please? I have an announcement to make.”
Every eye was on her.
“They eloped!” Patricia Porter squealed in excitement.
“She’s pregnant!” Irene Meddler speculated.
“Tsk, tsk!” Barbara Norman clucked in disapproval.
Clarissa’s face burned bright red.
“I uh…I understand there have been some rumors floating around town,” Clarissa stammered. “I just want to take this opportunity to clear them up. I am not, nor have I ever been engaged. Parker and I are happily dating.”
“When are you due?” Irene Meddler called out.
“I’m not pregnant,” Clarissa replied, wanting to dive behind a display case and hide. “I’ve just been enjoying a few too many sweets at Just Desserts. In case anyone doesn’t know, it’s a coffee shop on Main Street that serves the best brownies in town! Go check it out!”
Completely mortified, Clarissa grabbed Parker’s hand and practically ran out of the grocery store. Her face was burning. When she was finally inside the safety of Parker’s car, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“You handled that well,” Parker said as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
“I did not!” she protested. “I am so humiliated!”
“Well you shouldn’t be. You were great,” Parker assured Clarissa, leaning over to give her a kiss. “You caught a killer and combatted the small town rumor mill. You even threw a little free advertising Liana’s way. That’s impressive. You’re amazing, you know that?”
Clarissa grinned from ear to ear. She felt lightheaded and giddy and very, very happy. It had turned out to be a good day. It had, in fact, turned out to be a fantastic day.
Chapter 19
“Ugh, you’re burning up. You should have called me sooner.”
Through her fevered haze, Clarissa cracked an eye open. Her aunt was flitting around above her, fluffing her pillows and giving her disapproving looks. But it was clear to see there was real, genuine concern behind the gentle chastising.
“There’s nothing you can do for me,” Clarissa reminded her aunt. “You told me yourself. Once the consequences of casting spells hit me, all I can do is ride them out. The Advanced Spell Flu is here to stay…isn’t it?”
“Well…yes. But I could have come over sooner to make you some chicken noodle soup.”
“Aww,” Clarissa smiled. “Your chicken noodle soup tastes just like Grandma’s!”
“I use her recipe. How are you feeling?” Matilda asked anxiously. “Any better?”
“I think my fever broke overnight,” Clarissa replied. She still felt warm – and cold. She was definitely sick, but it wasn’t with any ordinary flu. She was suffering side effects from performing too much magic.
“You’ll probably be as good as new by tomorrow,” Matilda predicted. She picked up the glass sitting on Clarissa’s bedside table and thrust it toward her niece. “Here. Drink some water.”
“Yes ma’am,” Clarissa replied good naturedly. She took a few gulps under her aunt’s watchful gaze. Then she set the glass down and wiped her hand across her mouth.
“I guess you won’t overdo the spellcasting next time, hmm?” Matilda remarked.
“The weird thing is I don’t think I even did that much magic.”
“Which spells did you perform?”
“There was only one recent one, as far as I can remember. I made a shopping cart fall over at the grocery store. But that certainly wasn’t a spell from the advanced section of the book of potions. I don’t know why I’m reacting so strongly,” Clarissa grumbled.
“Hmm,” Matilda murmured. “You could be developing an allergy to magic. But let’s not dwell on that right now. Let’s concentrate on getting you better, okay? Put this cold compress on your forehead and – ooh, doorbell!”
As Matilda rushed off to answer Clarissa’s door, Cat sauntered into the room.
“Hi,” Clarissa said.
The cat didn’t answer. Instead, it jumped up onto her chest
. Once they were nose-to-nose, the feisty feline said, “I just want you to know you’re not allowed to die. Also, I want steak for dinner tonight, medium rare.”
“I appreciate the sentiment…I think,” Clarissa chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to die.”
“And the steak?” the cat pressed.
“In your dreams,” Clarissa retorted.
“Humph.”
“Thanks for coming to visit me,” Clarissa said.
The cat looked uncomfortable. “Don’t think I care or anything,” it cautioned.
“No, I’d never think that,” Clarissa assured it.
She and the cat exchanged a look. Though they would never admit it, they really did care for one another. Clarissa reached down and stroked her infuriating companion’s head, making sure to scratch the spot behind its ear that it couldn’t reach.
“You do that nearly as well as Parker does,” Cat purred.
“That’s quite the compliment!”
“Speaking of Parker, are things okay with you two?” Cat asked.
“Yes,” Clarissa smiled. “I guess the spirit’s warning was nonsense.”
“How did that go, again?”
“It was something about the lovers’ first fight would end in disaster on date night,” Clarissa recited. “The spirit also told me that anger leads to miserable endings.”
“Oh you silly human,” Cat scoffed. “Don’t you see? The spirit was giving you a clue about who killed Donnie Davis, not cursing your relationship with Parker! Gigi Prescott was angry, and it resulted in a miserable ending for Donnie. She killed him on date night.”
“She killed him in the daytime,” Clarissa pointed out.
“Minor detail,” Cat said dismissively. “The spirit probably just wanted to rhyme. Stupid pretentious ghosts, they all think they’re poets and rap stars. But anyway, I’m pretty sure your relationship with Parker isn’t doomed…you just misinterpreted the spirit’s message.”
Clarissa grinned. “You just might be right!” she exclaimed.
“Of course I’m right. I’m always right. I’m a genius,” Cat declared.
Suddenly footsteps could be heard in the hallway.
A Whisper of Magic (A Sugarcomb Lake Cozy Mystery Book 5) Page 12
