The Witch Is Dead

by Shirley Damsgaard

  Suddenly, my legs couldn’t hold me. I grabbed a bedpost to steady myself.

  “Abby! Abby!” I hollered, my throat clogged with unshed tears. “Tink’s run away!”

  Eighteen

  “Quit pacing, Ophelia. It won’t bring Tink home any sooner,” Abby said calmly from her place at the kitchen table.

  Three steaming mugs of hot tea sat there. Mine untouched.

  I peered out the kitchen window into the darkness. “We should’ve gone looking for her, too.”

  “Bill will find her. She can’t have covered much distance on foot.” Abby came and stood next to me at the window. “We need to be here in case she comes home on her own.”

  I rubbed my arms. “What was she thinking?”

  Abby drew me close to her side. “I don’t imagine she was.”

  “A killer’s out there.” I leaned my head on her shoulder. “Someone’s trying to scare her—” Stopping short, I raised my head. “You don’t think it’s him, do you, the one who wrote the letters? He heard the rumors, heard about her past, and is coming after her?”

  “My dear—”

  I walked away from her and circled the room. “What if he’s out there? What if he’s been watching the house, waiting for a chance to get her alone? What if—”

  “Ophelia,” she said in a stern voice. “Cease the ‘what ifs’ immediately.”

  Halting, I stared at her with fear in my face. “Do you think Bill believed our explanation about the letters?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know if he believed someone had taken rumors and twisted them to frighten Tink. I did hear him tell Alan to have another deputy put a call into the mental hospital. They’ll find out what Juliet’s condition is and whether she could’ve somehow sent those letters.”

  “What if she’s escaped? People do, you know.”

  Abby walked up to me and gave me a shake. “Knock it off. Your worrying isn’t helping anyone. If Bill isn’t back in fifteen minutes, we’ll go to Tink’s room and I’ll use a personal item to try and sense where she is.”

  “You don’t see anything when it’s a member of the family,” I said, hugging myself tightly.

  “Maybe this time I will. It’s worth—”

  The front door slammed.

  We all rushed into the hallway.

  Bill stood in the doorway, and right next to him, Tink.

  I didn’t know whether to shake her or hug her. The hug won.

  “You scared me to death,” I whispered in her ear as I held her slight body close to mine.

  “Sorry,” she replied in a muffled voice.

  I stepped back and laid my palm on her smooth cheek. “Don’t you ever run away again.”

  Tink gave a bob of her head.

  Abby and Aunt Dot were next in welcoming back the prodigal. Aunt Dot gave a loud sniff as she pulled a hanky out of her pocket and wiped her eyes.

  Hooking my arm through Tink’s, I led everyone to the living room. When we were all seated, I gave Bill a big smile. “Thanks.”

  “I’m glad we found her,” he replied.

  “Where was she?”

  “Hitchhiking along Highway 169.”

  I clutched Tink’s arm. That’s it—I was locking this kid up until she was at least twenty-five.

  “You’re—”

  “I know,” Tink said with reluctance. “Grounded.”

  “Right!” I exclaimed. Taking a deep breath, I continued in a calmer voice, “Where were you going?”

  “Minnesota.”

  “To do what?” I asked, my voice rising again.

  Abby gave me a nudge to the ribs.

  “Were you going to see Juliet?” I asked in an even tone.

  “Are you kidding?” she asked in disbelief. “I figured I’d hide out at Walks Quietly’s until the adoption was all set.”

  “Running away isn’t going to help the adoption. What do you think a judge would say about you taking off like you did?”

  “I hadn’t thought about that,” she replied, bowing her head.

  Satisfied my words had made an impression, I sat back. “Well—”

  “Actually, Tink leaving town might not be a bad idea,” Bill interjected with a smile at her before turning his attention to me. “It would get her out of harm’s way and give these rumors a chance to die down.”

  “Are you suggesting that I send her back to Minnesota?”

  “No, but don’t you have family she could visit?”

  I exchanged a look with Abby. “Aunt Rose in Cedar Rapids?”

  Abby turned to Bill. “My sister-in-law,” she explained. Tapping her chin, she thought about the possibility. “If I can find someone to look after the greenhouse, I could take Aunt Dot and Tink on a visit to Rose’s.” She cast a glance their way. “It would keep them both out of trouble.”

  “‘Both’ out of trouble?” Bill said in a wary voice. “What does that mean?”

  “Just a figure of speech, Bill.” Standing, Abby placed a hand on my head. “Are you going to be okay?”

  “I will be now,” I said, squeezing Tink’s hand.

  She moved her hand from my head to Tink’s. “And you, young lady, no more foolishness.”

  “I’d best be going, too,” Bill said, standing. “I couldn’t persuade you to go with them, could I, Ophelia?”

  I held up my hand, palm forward. “I’m not going to muddle in your investigation this time, Bill. I promise.”

  At the library the next morning, I was surprised to see Gert behind the counter instead of Darci. To be honest, I was relieved. I knew I’d eventually need to talk to her and resolve the fight we’d had, but I wasn’t prepared to face it today.

  “Hi, Gert,” I said, holding my backpack firmly to my side. After yesterday, I intended to keep it within eyesight at all times. “Darci isn’t coming in?”

  “No, she called me late last night and asked if I could work for her this morning. She sounded like she has a cold.”

  Raising an eyebrow, I said nothing.

  “Ah, about Darci…I know the two of you are good friends—” She hesitated.

  Humph, good friends? Right now I questioned the depth of that friendship.

  “Darci doesn’t like me,” she blurted. “I seem to annoy her.”

  “It isn’t that,” I lied. “She’s not used to having new staff at the library. You’re the first employee we’ve hired since I’ve been here.”

  Gert watched me with a thoughtful expression. “How long has she worked here?”

  “Over six years. Why?”

  “Oh, no reason.” She ran her fingers up and down the chain holding her pendant. “I would’ve thought her tenure a lot less.”

  “Really?” Picking up a stack of phone messages, I thumbed through them. “What makes you say that?”

  “It’s not for me to criticize,” she replied, turning to the bookshelves behind us, “but I would’ve thought someone with that amount of time on the job would have a higher level of performance.”

  Okay, I was mad at Darci at the moment. And I did think that somehow she’d let information slip to Georgia. But my current feelings didn’t mean I would join in knocking her.

  “Darci has her own skills that are an asset to the library,” I said in a curt tone.

  Gert swiftly laid a hand on my arm. “As I said, I don’t mean to judge her. After all, I really don’t know her that well.”

  “Once you do, I’m sure you’ll get along fine,” I said, putting an end to that line of conversation. “I need to return these calls. Can you handle the counter?”

  Gert smiled. “No problem.”

  Later that morning, after I’d returned my calls, I was back at the counter when Abby and Tink arrived, but without Aunt Dot.

  “Where’s Aunt Dot?” I asked after hugging them both.

  “She’s home packing,” Abby said.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed Gert standing a couple of feet away.

  “Gert, this is my grandmother, Abigail McD
onald, and my daughter Tink. Abby, our new employee, Gert Duncan.”

  “Very nice to meet you,” Abby replied, grasping her hand. “Ophelia told me that you’re new to Summerset?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Mama and I are renting a house just outside of town,” she answered pleasantly. “Mama loves it in the country, but it’s a little isolated for me.” Gert gave me an ingratiating smile. “This job is a real blessing.”

  Abby smiled in return. “I hope you enjoy working here.”

  “Oh, I surely do,” Gert exclaimed with passion.

  “Gert’s the master of organization,” I explained to Abby and Tink.

  Gert preened at my compliment.

  “Good,” Abby said. “My granddaughter could certainly use some help in that area.” Her eyes traveled to the pendant Gert always wore. “My, that’s a lovely piece of jewelry. Is it an heirloom?”

  “Oh, no. Just something I picked up on the Internet. Gets in the way sometimes.” She tucked the pendant inside her blouse and turned her attention to Tink, who’d remained silent during the introductions. “I understand you help your great-grandmother at the greenhouse?”

  “Yes,” Tink said with a cheeky grin, “but I’m not very good at keeping the plants alive, so I do a lot of weeding.”

  Abby chuckled. “She’s getting better. At least now she knows the difference between a velvet leaf and a dahlia.” She patted Tink’s arm. “She also has a very good eye for color and has been very helpful to customers in their selection of plants for their gardens.”

  “Your aunt isn’t with you, Mrs. McDonald?” Gert asked, looking over Abby’s shoulder.

  “No, she stayed home this morning to pack.”

  “Oh.” Gert sounded disappointed. “I’d hoped to meet her during her visit. I’ve heard so much about her.”

  “She’ll be here for a while longer. Right now, we’re taking a short trip to visit my sister-in-law in Cedar Rapids.”

  “Are you going, Ophelia?” Gert inquired.

  “No, I didn’t feel now was a good time to leave the library. I might drive up next weekend.”

  “You’ll be gone that long, Mrs. McDonald?” Gert’s face mirrored her surprise.

  “We’re not sure.”

  “Who’s going to take care of the greenhouse, Abby?” I asked.

  “I talked to Arthur last night. He thinks, with Michael Nolan’s help, they can manage. He understood our need to get away,” she answered cryptically.

  Gert shot her a questioning look but didn’t comment. “It was lovely meeting you, but I must get back to work.” She motioned to the pile of books sitting at the edge of the counter.

  Drawing Abby toward the door and out of earshot of Gert, I said, “So the trip’s all set?”

  “Yes, I’ve talked to Rose and we can stay as long as we want. I’m planning on leaving first thing in the morning.”

  I exhaled a long breath. “I wish there was another solution.”

  “I do, too, but for now, this is best.” She glanced at her watch. “I’d better get home…I’ve lots to do. Come on, Tink.”

  I kissed Tink’s cheek and stepped back. “You’ll pack tonight?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Plenty of clean clothes?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you after work.”

  As they were leaving, I overheard Tink.

  “Are you sure I can’t bring T.P.?” she pleaded.

  Abby’s laugh drifted through the open door. “Aunt Rose doesn’t tolerate animals in the house.”

  A sense of loneliness flooded me as I watched the library door swing shut. I didn’t know how long Abby and Tink would be gone, and Darci and I were fighting. For the first time in a long time, I’d be well and truly alone. Once, I’d have welcomed the solitude, but now the idea left me with an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. How and when had my attitude shifted? What happened to the wall that I’d so carefully built to isolate myself? I knew. It lay in rubble.

  “You look sad,” Gert said, slipping next to me.

  I shrugged. “I was thinking about how much I’ll miss Abby and Tink.”

  “She’s a lovely girl. You must be very proud of her.”

  Smiling, I turned and walked back to the counter. “I am.”

  Gert followed me. “The name Titania suits her. There’s a regalness about her, even at this age.”

  “There is, isn’t there.” I stopped suddenly. “How did you know her real name is Titania?”

  “Oh, Darci mentioned it,” Gert replied with a wave. “She said her real mother nicknamed her Tinkerbell because she was so tiny.”

  I winced at Gert’s term “real mother.” “Did Darci say anything else about Tink?” I asked suspiciously.

  Gert appeared astonished at my sudden change in demeanor. “No. Why?”

  “No reason,” I answered, blowing her off.

  My mind whirled with suppositions, and my churning stomach drove the empty feeling away. If Darci talked about Tink to someone she barely knew, and someone she wasn’t sure she liked, how much more would she tell her close friend, Georgia?

  Gert left after lunch to take her mama to a doctor’s appointment, so Brenda and I manned the counter. The traffic through the library was light. It was a beautiful day—moderate temperatures and, for once, low humidity. Unusual for Iowa at this time of the year. I imagined most people were spending the day outside, enjoying the weather.

  “Brenda, I’ll be downstairs. I’m going to look over the last catalog we received containing the new releases. See if there’s anything we want to order.”

  I’d reached the top of the stairs when the phone rang. I heard Brenda answer it.

  “Ophelia, it’s Abby!” she called out.

  Rolling my eyes, I crossed to the telephone. She probably had some last minute instructions for me.

  “Hi, Abby,” I answered brightly into the receiver. “What’s—”

  Abby’s shrill voice broke off my question. “Come immediately. We can’t find Tink.”

  Nineteen

  The scenery flew by the car window, but my unseeing eyes didn’t notice the green fields of corn, the huge round bales of hay dotting the hillsides, or the slender stalks of oats blowing in the summer breeze. My entire focus was on reaching Abby’s.

  Had Tink run away again? My heart said no.

  I took a curve too fast and felt the tires slide in the loose gravel. Madly steering out of the skid, I whipped the car back to the center of the road.

  Maybe this was all a mistake—when I reached Abby’s, Tink would be sitting at the kitchen table, drinking ice tea and getting a good scolding from Abby for scaring us so.

  The tears in my eyes made the road ahead shimmer. I blinked them away. Until I knew exactly what was going on, I didn’t have the time to cave in to emotions.

  As I tore up Abby’s lane, my worst fears were confirmed. I wouldn’t find Tink inside—Bill’s sheriff’s car sat in the driveway. Barely coming to a stop, I threw the car into park, grinding the transmission. I bolted from the vehicle and rushed into the house.

  Abby and Aunt Dot sat closely together on the couch in the living room. They held each other’s hands in a tight grip, as if clinging to a life raft. Every line, every wrinkle on Abby’s face, stood out in the late afternoon sunshine that poured through her lace curtains. The braid she wore twisted around her head looked bedraggled, and strands of silver stuck out in every direction.

  Aunt Dot watched her with eyes full of concern and fear.

  Bill sat in a chair next to the couch with a pen and notebook in hand. Tiny beads of sweat had gathered on his shiny bald head, but he appeared too intent on listening to Abby to take notice.

  I paused at the doorway, and as I did, three somber faces turned to me at the same time.

  Without a word, Bill stood, walked over to me, taking my arm, and guided me to a chair.

  “You haven’t found her?” My voice rose on a hopeful note.

  “No,” Abb
y gasped while her eyes flitted away from mine as if she couldn’t bear to look at me. “I’m to blame. It’s such a nice day…we were busy…Tink asked if she could fetch the mail. Without thinking, I said yes.” Her voice cracked. “The mailbox is only down at the end of the lane. You can see it from the house—” She ended with a sob.

  Each word Abby said was like a knife twisting in my heart, but I couldn’t stand to witness her pain.

  “Abby, it’s not your fault—”

  Her eyes flew to mine. “Yes, it is. We’d agreed to not let Tink out of our sight.”

  “You couldn’t have known someone would have…have…” I couldn’t say the word. Turning to Bill, I swallowed hard. “Is the mail gone?”

  “No.” He glanced at Abby. “After they realized Tink had disappeared, everyone started searching. When they couldn’t find her, Abby called me.”

  “Bill—” I began, not hiding the fear in my eyes.

  “We’ve contacted the highway patrol, deputies are organizing a search party, we’ve talked to Nell and her parents to see if they know anything, and we’ve called the sheriff’s department in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. He’s going to contact Tink’s friend, Walks Quietly.”

  “She didn’t run away,” I said with conviction.

  “Ophelia, we have to examine all the possibilities. She ran last night,” he pointed out.

  “She was afraid. She thought Juliet was coming for her—” I stopped and leaned forward as a thought occurred to me. “Is Juliet—”

  “We’ve talked to the hospital. She’s still incarcerated and not had any visitors other than Jason.” He paused. “What’s more, she’s delusional, and the doctor said half the time she doesn’t even know where she is.”

  “She didn’t write the letters,” I stated in a flat voice.

  “No, the doctor said it was impossible.” He turned his attention to Abby. “Did Tink seem frightened today?”

  Abby silently shook her head.

  Bill looked at me. “Was she resisting the trip to Cedar Rapids?”

  “No, no. The last thing I heard her say—” My throat tightened, making it difficult to speak. “She was begging Abby to take her dog with them.” I cleared my throat. “Bill, she didn’t run away.”