I hate you.
“You secretly love me,” I replied to Leo, hoping that was half true. The future ahead of us had the two of us practically attached at the hip, so we’d have to learn to get along at some point. “His name is Leo now, and he’s going to help me learn how to be a proper witch.”
“I’ll deal with you later,” Regina warned Leo, who gave what I believe was supposed to be a terrifying hiss. It was a rather pitiful exhale, almost as if he had a hairball, considering the broken fang took away much of the intended effect. “Raven, who do you think killed Jacob Blackleach? And before you answer that, please tell me he had nothing to do with…well, my mother’s lifestyle.”
Witchcraft is a lifestyle now? Oh, your mother has been gone to the city for far too long.
“Mom, Jacob Blackleach was a wizard from Wethersfield, and I think Pearl Saffron somehow figured out that Nan was a real witch. I think Pearl killed Jacob so that no one would figure it out and take away her love potions.” It made perfect sense. “All I have to do is figure out a way to convince Liam who the guilty party is without revealing the family secret.”
“Curse,” my mother countered, crossing her arms and staring at me as if I wasn’t her daughter.
“Gift.” Two could play at this game. “Right, Leo?”
I don’t remember.
Chapter Twelve
Six o’clock, the beginning of the evening’s annual trick or treat festivities on River Bay, had arrived some fifty minutes prior. There was still over an hour before the streets would begin to clear, and I was planning to use every minute attempting to come up with a solid motive to explain for Liam why Pearl was the guilty party.
In the interim, I had no choice but to paint a prom queen smile on my face and pretend that my mother’s presence didn’t bother me in the least.
I tried the same thing for years. It didn’t work.
“I love the glitter on your wings,” I exclaimed, handing over what was essentially a bag of pure refined cane sugar to a little girl dressed up as a butterfly. It appeared that Leo could use a little sweetening up as well. He and my mother had yet to say a word to each other. “Can you really fly between flowers?”
The young girl ran off in a fit of giggles, heading toward Cora Barnes. The woman had been shooting daggers my way since the first trick or treater showed up at my shop’s door. I had to fight the urge to send Leo over there incognito to steal her adorable ceramic bowl in shape of a gigantic orange and black jack-o-lantern.
I wouldn’t stoop to that level, of course, although I would love to know where Cora had gotten the decorative bowl. I wasn’t a dangerous criminal, no matter what some jealous people believed, even after I’d managed to stumble upon a dead body in the back room of Tea, Leaves, & Eves.
No one would ever know it was me.
“I would know, Leo,” I replied with a firm dignity that no one could steal away from me.
Give her time.
I ignored Leo’s jab regarding my mother’s well-known ability to soften my resolve, although I did wonder if she’d ever used witchcraft since leaving Paramour Bay behind. Had she used some small spells on me during my rather obnoxious teenage years? I doubt it, considering she would have done anything to change my mind about going to college.
Didn’t that kind of commitment to a choice deserve some respect for her?
Do you really want me to answer that question?
“I can’t believe that you would dare put that ugly thing on your head,” Regina chastised, shooting a frustrated glance underneath the counter at the witch’s hat that I’d brought with me from New York. My mom had refused to come near the door as I handed out full-sized bags of Skittles that I’d ordered online for my new shop’s offering. I’d wanted everyone to know that I didn’t skimp on the treats for Halloween, demonstrating that I was a committed member of the community. Even Cora was only giving out bite-sized Kit-Kats. “You might as well be wearing a sign that declares you’re a…”
My mom’s voice trailed off, telling me that she couldn’t even bring herself to talk about the miraculous gift that had been bestowed on our family. I ignored her, like I’d been doing all afternoon.
Who would have thought that a niche tea shop in such a small town could do so well? The foot traffic in and out of Tea, Leaves, & Eves had been nonstop, not that I was complaining in the least. No wonder Fake Larry and Real Larry had said this place turned a rather nice profit. It made me wonder why Nan needed to upcharge her so-called homeopathic remedies.
Hey, those ingredients can get downright expensive and hard to cultivate.
A chilly breeze wedged through the glass door I’d propped open, prompting me to button the neck of my heavy sweater. The lighter layer of outerwear was conducive to my station, but I would have needed something heavier had I been outside with the townsfolk exposed to the late autumn swirling evening winds.
The town really did it up right.
I couldn’t see any of the businesses with their lights out. Even the volunteer fire department was handing out candy and neon-colored glow sticks. I’d even set out a high-top table with small disposable teacups for the parents who’d wanted something warm to drink, and I was amazed by the outpouring of gratitude when I’d poured them a fresh cup of Earl Gray directly from the pot of Earl Gray I had simmering. I figured it was a mild enough blend that everyone could manage, if nothing more than for the warmth.
The majority of the town’s people were so nice, asking earnest questions with obvious sincerity, unlike the hustle and bustle of New York City. Everyone there had a destination, and hardly anyone took the time to talk to one another unless it was life or death.
The population sign listed Paramour Bay as having three hundred and fifty-four residents, and I fully believe I’d met most of them tonight. The masses were now out in force and the youth were not the only ones in costume. Even some of the adults wore headbands with cat ears and bunny ears, while some of the men had on superhero capes that had the boys and girls either giggling in fun or rolling their eyes in embarrassment for the old tweens.
“You know fully well that I always dressed up as a witch for Halloween,” I reminded my mother, dropping another bag of Skittles into a plastic pumpkin. The small boy gave me a toothless grin before walking next door. “The bigger deal you make of this, the higher the likelihood of someone actually taking you seriously.”
My own words had me thinking about the correlation I’d made between Pearl Saffron and Jacob Blackleach. I hadn’t spotted the purple-haired lady in days. I had to wonder if Liam would check out my theory or if he would shrug it off like he’d done when I thought Cora was the most likely the suspect.
Let’s face it, Leo offered up with what sounded like optimism, but totally wasn’t. You are on your third accusation. Isn’t that kind of like the boy crying wolf? Sooner or later, Liam is going to say enough is enough.
“Having samples of hot tea out front during this event was a brilliant idea.”
Speak of the devil.
Liam had inadvertently saved me from arguing with a cat I had no way of winning against…at least at the moment.
“Thank you,” I responded, ignoring the tiny flutter of excitement in my heart. I didn’t have time for anything other than dealing with the current calamity in my life. “Go ahead. Grab a cup and I’ll pour you some, if you’d like. It’s pretty chilly out here now that the sun has set.”
Liam had wandered up the street, having joined the stream of trick or treaters as they hit storefront after storefront. He was looking through the display window at my mother, who had a sudden interest in her manicure. It made me question just what type of confrontation these two had over her parking job earlier.
“Did you really give my mother a parking ticket?” I asked, though I softened the accusing tone with a smile. “Or were you pulling my leg?”
I bet he’d like to pull on something of yours.
I tried to shove Leo away with my foot, but he’d shift
ed somewhere where Liam couldn’t see him.
“I politely walked across the street today to tell your mother that she couldn’t block the alley, which serves as the delivery access point to the back of this row of buildings, but she refused to move her vehicle,” Liam shared with me, his dark gaze still settled on my mom. “You might say that things escalated from there until I wasn’t given a choice but to write her a parking ticket. Her car is still there, by the way. Midnight begins a new day.”
Ah, midnight. That’s when you fully come into your powers. You know, if you’re so inclined, you could make those tickets disappear as your first official magic act.
“I’ll make sure she moves her car before then.” It was becoming harder and harder to ignore Leo, but Liam’s answer did explain why it had been hard for me to see where Mom had been parked, considering the spot had been pretty far down on the right. “I’m so sorry. She can be hard-headed sometimes.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Liam gave me another one of those winks that weakened my knees. “It gave me a chance to visit with you, didn’t it?”
Can I gag now?
A group of boys and girls kept me from replying to either Liam or Leo, saving me from making a fool of myself. I longed to get ahold of that spell book, because then I’d be able to cast one that prevented Leo from saying anything that wasn’t of absolute importance.
I take offense at that. Everything I say has importance. And I have a few tricks of my own, you know.
“Liam, wait,” I called out, wanting to run the Pearl thing by him before the night ended. This might be my only chance. “Mom, please take over handing out the Halloween candy and the tea.”
I didn’t wait for my mother to come to the door, because I’d probably be there until the end of the time. She wanted nothing to do with anything in this town, but she was going to have to accept that I’d made my choice.
Paramour Bay was now my home.
At least, for the foreseeable future.
I quickly left the basket on the ground, giving her no choice but to take over the candy duty. In moments, I’d caught up with Liam.
“Could I speak to you regarding the Jacob Blackleach case?”
“Sure,” Liam replied, seemingly somewhat surprised when I fell into step beside him and put my arm through his. It just seemed natural to preserve heat between us as we spoke. Of course, I had to wait until we’d walked past Cora before going into further detail. “You should know that Detective Swanson called me today. The ledger he took into evidence seems to have been misplaced. Now, I don’t want you to worry. He’s an upstanding detective, and I can promise you that he will do everything in his power to locate the evidence bag and determine what happened to the chain of custody. I was going to tell you tomorrow, because I didn’t want to ruin your birthday and the Halloween gathering tonight.”
Wow, did I feel bad about that particular situation.
It wasn’t like I could tell him that Leo had taken the ledger or that it was in my possession. Besides, I was a horrible liar. Terrible. Yet, I found myself lying more and more. I would eventually have to stop, but for now, I nodded my head in commiseration.
“I appreciate that you were looking out for my best interest.” Had that sounded genuine? I wasn’t sure, so I kept talking to smooth things over. “I’m sure that Detective Swanson will find the ledger sooner or later. Listen, while we’re on the subject, I was thinking that you might want to look into Pearl.”
“Pearl? Really?”
I could hear the skepticism in Liam’s voice loud and clear. Leo’s analogy of the boy crying wolf came to mind, but I ignored it just as fast. It was best I follow up with the reasoning for my suspicion.
“Do you remember me coming to the diner on Monday when I thought that maybe Larry had something to do with Jacob’s murder?”
Liam glanced sideways at me, letting me know full well he recalled me interrupting his lunch. It probably wasn’t my best idea to bring up the fact that I’d accused someone else besides Larry and Cora.
This conversation was not going the way I’d hoped.
“Raven, Pearl is in her mid-seventies. I highly doubt that she had the strength to render a man the size of Jacob Blackleach unconscious.”
“And I would have agreed with you had I not thought back to her reaction the day she came into the store to buy the love potion Nan had mixed up for her. And what if she had the element of surprise and hit him from behind? You said yourself that half the town used Nan for her homeopathic remedies, but what if Pearl thought that Nan was a real witch? I’m telling you that she was acting very strange that day, almost as if we were making some secret sordid deal that no one knew about…but they did! You said so yourself.” I couldn’t stop myself from wincing at the thought that Leo was going to come out of nowhere and swipe at my ankles for bringing up Nan and witchcraft in the same sentence. I’d taken to wearing boots every day, though that had more to do with the colder season than Leo’s physical assaults. “Pearl had been standing across the street and watching the storefront when I’d arrived in town. And she did the same thing the majority of the day on Monday morning until she’d worked up the courage to come inside the shop to get her order. What if she thought Jacob was there to steal the recipes Nan used for those tea leaves? What if she thought she’d lose her secret love potion?”
I was purposefully talking about homeopathic remedies and tea leaves to throw Liam off the witchcraft trail, but I wasn’t technically lying, either.
That was good, right?
Including a bit of the truth in each deliberate lie was the best course of action.
“Look, Raven, I understand your need to solve a murder that has put a sort of tarnish on your recent move to Paramour Bay,” Liam said after having stopped in front of the small grocery store two blocks down from the tea shop. He even gave me an understanding smile, though I tried not to take offense that he was treating me with kid gloves. His reaction made me want to scream the truth from the rooftops. “I really do, but Detective Swanson is still leaning toward Blackleach being here in town because of Larry and his estate business. I’m inclined to agree with him. It makes more sense.”
It was a struggle for me not to reveal the supernatural elements to this case, but it was in my best interest to keep a low profile—for now. All I could do was try one more time to talk Liam into looking at Pearl as a viable suspect.
“Please. At least interview her,” I asked imploringly, resting my hand on his forearm. I hadn’t meant to touch him any more than I had, but it came almost naturally. After all, he’d given me coffee as a birthday gift. “And if you come away with the same opinion of her innocence as you have now, then I’ll drop it.”
It wouldn’t be that easy, but another white lie in the midst of so many couldn’t hurt at this point, right?
“Pearl usually stays away from the annual trick or treating event because it’s too chaotic for her, but I promise that I’ll drop by her place tomorrow,” Liam conceded with a shake of his head, as if he couldn’t believe he’d agreed to such a task. My chest warmed at the thought that he was doing something special just for me and me alone. “You should get back to your shop. I’ve heard there’s a bit of a feud still brewing between your mom and Cora Barnes.”
“You know about that?” I asked, somewhat shocked that Liam would be so well-versed on that type of history when I hadn’t even thought about my mother’s life here over thirty years ago. “Did something specific happen to garner such intense hatred?”
“I’ve heard a tale or two from Otis, but nothing concrete.” Liam had certainly sidestepped that question, hadn’t he? “I’ll be making another round or two before the night is through. I’ll see you in a bit.”
The rich scent of burning firewood drifted over from some of the houses along the lake in the neighborhood to the south of us. I inhaled deeply, appreciating the autumn aroma that one didn’t get to smell in the city. The small groups of older kids raced past the younger ones and the
ir escorts. It was straight out of the Normal Rockwell collection—the typical American Halloween night with all its commercial and celebratory promise.
Despite the murder, witchcraft, and the feud between my mother and I, it was a beautiful autumn evening for this Halloween. Children’s mischievous laughter floated through the air, the feeling of unity throughout the town was palpable, and the close-knit community of Paramour Bay was vividly alive as its residents joined together in the festive holiday.
Would I have been different had I grown up here instead of New York City?
Could I have been one of those carefree children?
Do you really need me to answer that question?
Leo would certainly have livened up my life in some aspect, though I highly doubt he was as sarcastic then as he was now. I glanced down to find that he was weaving in and out of the fabric of my skirt.
“Were you afraid to leave me alone for one minute with Liam?” I asked in a soft tone that only he could hear. Technically, I supposed he could read my mind, but that just gave me the heebie-jeebies. “I handled it, Leo.”
I actually came to collect you because something bad is about to happen… Leo lifted his bent whiskers and inhaled deeply. Is that fish from the diner?
“Focus, Leo.” I bent down to look him in the larger eye, not caring now who saw me talking to a cat that somewhat resembled roadkill. For Leo to say something bad was about to happen…well, that was exceptionally bad. “Tell me. What do you mean something bad is about to happen?”
Chapter Thirteen
“Mom!” I plowed through another group of children milling about on the sidewalk, ignoring the rude looks I was getting from their parents. I might be upset with my mother, but that didn’t mean I wanted anything to happen to her during her visit. Not even a glare from Cora Barnes prevented me from sprinting past her shop until I’d skidded to a stop in the doorway of Tea, Leaves, & Eves. “Mom! Mom, is everything okay?”
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