It was then that Starla noticed Louisa’s kids sitting in the lobby of the resort alone. They were sniffling like they’d been crying before, and as Starla approached them, she could see that their eyes were rimmed with red and their cheeks were stained with dried tears.
“What’s wrong, guys?” Starla got down on her knees in front of them and took the little girl’s hands. “Where is your mom?”
“I want my daddy,” the little girl wailed and then threw herself into Starla’s arms.
Starla held the child and looked to her older brother for an explanation. Blossom sat down next to the boy and patted his back. He was older than the girl but still elementary school age.
“She left,” he said softly as if he was afraid someone would here. “She told me to watch Lucinda.”
“When will she be back?” Starla asked.
“A man came, and she left with him,” was the boy’s only response.
“A man came and took your mom?” Blossom asked.
“No, she went with him and told me to watch Lucinda.”
“Wait here,” Starla said to the kids.
She went to the front desk and asked if Louisa had checked out. The girl working the desk said no and wanted to know if Starla wanted her to call the room.
“Yes, please try, but I don’t think anyone is up there.”
“No one answered,” the girl, whose name tag said Gillia, said as she hung up the phone.
“Can someone go up there and check the room?”
“Is there a reason, ma’am?” Gillia asked.
“Yeah. Her kids are alone in the lobby, and they said she left. Can you check the room and make sure everything is all right?”
“I’ll check.” Kane’s voice startled Starla. “I see you’ve found yourself some more trouble.”
“How long have you been listening?”
“Long enough,” Kane said and turned his attention to Gillia. “I don’t have a warrant to search the room, but could someone accompany me to at least do a welfare check?”
“Sure,” Gillia said. “I’ll call the night houseman.”
“What’s going on?” Starla asked.
“The children’s father contacted me when he didn’t hear back from the private investigator he sent to the island looking for his kids,” Kane said.
“Whaaaaat?” Starla’s mouth gaped. “And you’re helping him?” Starla sputtered. “What if she was hiding from him?”
“She was hiding from him, Starla.”
“Then why on earth are you helping him find them? What if he was abusive? She left with a man. What if the ex took her?”
“You’ve read the situation all wrong, Starla,” Kane said with an exasperated sigh. “She’s the abusive one. He has custody of the kids, and she kidnapped them.”
Starla remembered the little girl saying she wanted her daddy and all the color drained from her face. “Oh gosh. The man she left with. Have you asked the kids yet what he looks like?”
“I haven’t. I’ll do that as soon as I’m done checking the room. Perhaps they are mistaken and she is up there. We could end this right now, and I’m not going to miss that chance.”
A man dressed in a black houseman’s uniform approached Kane. “I’ll take you up, sir.”
“Behave yourself while I’m gone,” Kane said.
Starla was about to be incensed by his condescending remark, but she saw the sweet smile on his face. “I’ll do my best, Sheriff.” She gave him a wink.
Starla waked back over to where Blossom sat with the children. She sat down next to the girl.
“What did the man who your mom left with look like?” Starla couldn’t help herself.
“He was old,” Lucinda piped up.
“I’ve seen pictures of him before,” the boy said.
“You have?” Starla kept her voice calm. “Say, what’s your name? You told me your sister’s name, but not yours.”
“I’m Jake,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”
“It is nice to meet you, Jake,” Starla said. “Can you tell me where you saw pictures of the man?”
“There was a box in the back of my mom’s closet. I was looking for the decorations last Christmas. Lucinda was sad because Mom said we couldn’t see Dad for Christmas, so I thought I would cheer her up by decorating. I found the box of stuff when I was looking. There were pictures in the box. I think the man that Mom left with was in some of them. He was younger in the pictures, but I’m pretty sure that it was him.”
“Was there anyone else with the man?” Blossom asked.
“There was an old woman outside. I saw her in the pictures too,” Jake said.
The answer hit Starla like a lightning bolt, and she could see the old couple in her mind. It was the couple she’d questioned. But why had they set Louisa up as a thief and then come and taken her away?
Starla looked up to see Kane exiting the elevator with an older man. In his hands, he held a gray folder.
Chapter Thirteen
Dr. Krueger was a former colleague of Jake and Lucinda’s father. They’d worked together in the Medical Examiner’s office on the mainland. When Dr. Krueger had retired, he got his private investigator’s license to keep himself busy during retirement.
When Louisa kidnapped the children, Dr. Krueger stepped up to help their father find them. He didn’t report his file stolen because he’d just arrived on the island and didn’t know if he could trust local law enforcement. He thought that if Kane questioned Louisa too soon, she’d just take off again.
The children’s father, Quince, had been ready to get on a plane to get his children when the storm hit. Louisa couldn’t get off the island either.
That was about the time that Starla and the other witches fixed things. Louisa and the old couple, her parents, couldn’t flee the island with the children because they discovered that Dr. Krueger was watching them. So they took off and left the kids in the lobby.
Kane and Dr. Krueger figured that the old couple and Louisa had worked together to steal Dr. Krueger’s file. They wanted his notes and evidence before they took off again, and the old couple had stolen the other items to cover the theft of the folder.
How did they know that? Kane called a judge right then and got a search warrant for the old couple’s hotel room. Not surprisingly, they left the watch and nautilus behind.
“Why do you think they went on to frame their daughter?” Starla asked.
“Because they got nervous and wanted to leave is my guess,” Kane said. “When Louisa wouldn’t go, they tried to force her.”
“Yeah, they aren’t good people,” Dr. Krueger said. “There’s a reason why Louisa is an unstable abuser, and it’s them. She ended up giving up her own children because she wouldn’t stand up to them or cut them out of her life.”
“But…” Starla began, but there were so many questions.
“It’s a dysfunctional dynamic, Starla,” Kane said.
“Yeah. You’re not going to understand all of it,” Dr. Krueger added. “But the good news is, the children’s father is on his way now that the airport has opened again. They’re going home.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Are you ready?” Starla asked the cat.
“I don’t know,” Presto said. “I mean, I guess I’d given up hope that this would ever happen.”
“Well, it’s time. We’re going to set you free,” Blossom said.
Before they could begin the ritual, a pounding shook Starla’s front door. “Open up, Starla,” Kane shouted. “Please let me in.”
The fear in his voice made Starla jump up and run for the door. She swung it open, and Kane stood there, looking red-faced and soaked with sweat.
“What’s wrong?” she asked and ushered him in.
“Oh my Goddess, Orion, are you okay?” Blossom asked and rushed to her brother’s side.
“I wanted to talk to Starla,” he whispered.
“Fine.” Blossom said in a huff. “I’ll be in the bedroom with the cat when you decid
e you need your big sister.”
“Blossom,” Kane said. “It’s just embarrassing.”
“It’s okay,” she said and softened a bit. “Really, I’ll give you two your privacy.”
He waited until Blossom disappeared into the bedroom with the cat. “Can I have a glass of water? I don’t mean to impose.”
“Sure,” Starla said. “How about a beer? You look like you could use a beer.”
“That would be better,” he said.
She retrieved a couple of beers from the fridge, and they sat down on her sofa. For a few minutes, Kane didn’t say anything. He’d start, but then just close his mouth again. After half a beer, he finally looked like he was ready to open up.
“Something happened at my house,” Kane said and took another long draw from the brown bottle. “This is going to sound crazy, and I think I should go check myself in at the hospital.”
“Just tell me, Kane. I’m sure I won’t think it’s crazy.”
“I moved something with my mind,” he blurted out. “I couldn’t reach the remote, so I thought about how nice it would be if it just flew into my hand. And. It. Did.”
Starla laughed. “Oh, Kane. I’m so sorry. Blossom and I didn’t even think about what would happen to you when the island’s magic was restored. That’s totally our fault.”
“Why are you laughing? What do you mean by the island’s magic?”
“Oh no. We totally forgot,” Blossom said. She’d appeared in the doorway, and neither I nor Kane had seen her walk into the room. “We should have warned him.”
“It’s not like he would have believed us.”
“Hey, I’m right here. What on earth are you guys talking about?” Kane said, but it was obvious he’d relaxed a little.
“It’s a long story, baby brother, but we’re about to set the human wizard trapped in this cat free. Do you want to join us?” Blossom said and set Presto down on the coffee table.
“Hello,” Presto said and licked his paw. “I’m Damek. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Epilogue
“Can I kiss you now, or what?” Kane asked with a huge, wicked smile.
“What? You think I’ve chosen you?” Starla asked. “What makes you think I don’t choose Holden?”
“Don’t play with me, Starla,” he said and pulled her into his arms. “I’ve got powers too, you know. I knew last night that I was the one you…”
“Love,” Starla said. “I love you, Kane.”
“I love you too, my witchy little queen,” Kane said. “Now, can I kiss you?”
She nodded her head yes, and their lips met as hundreds of falling stars lit up the night sky.
***
Copyright© 2017 Sara Bourgeois
All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
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Long Islands and Larceny Page 7
