Benjamin was scritch-scratching across his yellow legal pad with notes, stopping when she did to catch her breath.
"My sister just turned twelve like, ten days ago. And I was worried that that he was going to start hurting her, too. She doesn't know about any of that, not really. But I told her about what I saw at the restaurant, and she agreed that we should tell our mom. So I did. The morning it all happened, I told her about the affair. I told her she needed to get a divorce, and I could get proof if she needed it, since his family is the one with all the money in the winery. That's what I thought she was worried about. She freaked out. At first, she didn't believe me, but he came in after going for a run, and heard me and her arguing. He denied all of it. And he told my mom that if she knew what was good for her she wouldn't listen to me because I was just a liar. I thought he convinced her of it, too."
"Where was his brother for all of this?" Benjamin asked quietly.
Kirsten shrugged. "I don't know. But he wasn't at the house when we were all arguing. My mom and Nick wouldn't do that in front of anyone else. They wanted to pretend that they had a perfect, happy life."
"So, what happened after that?" I prompted her calmly after she took a big gulp of water.
The tension in the room melted a little again, and I gave Barbara a hint of a smile.
"We had a wine tour, which meant that they needed my help. I set up the table with the cheese and crackers, and had Amanda go get the cups and stuff for the wine. But I didn't want to be anywhere near him, so I stayed in the warehouse. Nick found me sitting on the steps that led up to the office above it, and he pulled me into the shop. He yelled at me, telling me that I was the cause of all of his problems with my mom. It was my fault that she didn't trust him now. He hit me. It wasn't the first time. He was in this weird rage, like I've never seen him before. And I was so tired." She let out a sob, dropping her head into her hands. "I was just so tired of him getting away with all of it. And my mom for never believing me. I thought maybe if he was gone, maybe things would be better for us. And maybe my mom could find someone who deserved her because it sure wasn't Nick. He yanked my arm really hard, and I just snapped. I grabbed the big glass bottle that we had on display and cracked it over his head as hard as I could. He dropped right there and I panicked. He wasn't moving, he wasn't even breathing. I didn’t know what to do, so I left him there and ran off to get ready for the end of the tour."
There was a thick silence as we let her last words hang in the air. It was impossible to feel any sympathy toward the man now, knowing what I did.
"If this is all true, and I'm not saying it isn't—" Benjamin added quickly, seeing the look on Kirsten's face, "then why did your mother confess to killing him?"
"You told her, didn't you?" Barbara guessed, tilting her head to the side like she did when she was listening in to people's feelings. "You told her, and she finally believed you?"
Kirsten could only nod as more tears spilled down her face. "And then she believed it all. She said if I did that then he must have deserved it. And she told me she was sorry for not protecting me before. She said she was going to make it all right. Then she ended up calling the sheriff's office while she said she was out to stop in and see a friend in Rosemary Creek, and I guess that's when she told them she did it."
"It's not your fault, my dear," Barbara said softly. The sorrow in the room was lifted ever so slightly, just enough to ease Kirsten's pain as she sniffled and continued.
All I could do was reach out and put my arm around Kirsten as she blew her nose. "I'm so sorry this whole thing happened. All of it. She should have believed you right away. She shouldn't have put you in harm's way like that. But, now that we know, we can make sure that nothing bad will happen to you." I looked over at Benjamin. "Right?"
He finished off a few more notes before finally looking back up and leaning back in his chair. "You have proof of the affair between Nick Stowe and the office manager?"
She didn't bother saying a word, instead she whipped out her phone with the gold and pink case, swiping around until she found what she needed. Flipping the phone around, she showcased not one but two different pictures on two different occasions of Nick and Janice kissing right outside Brews Brother's bar.
"Good. It will most certainly help corroborate your story, Miss Stowe. I have no doubt that the law will be on your side. I'll go ahead and contact the DA's office right now and let them know what's going on. They're already working on your mother's case as it is and they'll need this information regardless. With the exigent circumstances surrounding this, I believe we'll have no problem at all in arguing that you were defending your sister from a pedophile." He slowly stood up, looking completely different to the first time I had met him at his run-down bungalow. There was a steel-like determination in his eyes that wasn't there before. "I'll make sure you're treated fairly. So, there's no need to worry about that, at least."
"It just, it feels so good for someone to finally believe me," Kirsten whispered as she leaned against me. "Thank you, Taylor. Thank you for listening."
After making sure the girls' grandparents were there – Barbara had called them once she found out what had happened - we left the family to it with Benjamin, who was going to help explain to situation to them before going to speak with the Sheriff. As for me, Karen and Barbara, we finally did make it back home, utterly emotionally exhausted.
When Barbara suggested ordering Chinese takeout I couldn't help but feel relief from getting out of magical practice for the night.
"You're like, a hero, you know that?" Karen laughed at me, toasting Barbara's wine glass with her own. "Saint Taylor, the patron saint of children's safety. Man, your intuition is something else."
I smiled at her. "I told you I had a hunch. Just because I couldn't explain it doesn't mean I was wrong."
Barbara took a sip of wine before clapping her hands together twice. Something whizzed past me so fast that I barely had a chance to move out of the way.
In her hand sat a small white envelope which she thrust into my hand. My name was written in cursive across the front.
"I nearly forgot to mention that this came for you while you were out saving the world this morning. Personally hand-delivered, no less."
I ran my finger underneath the seal to open it, completely bewildered. Who would send me a card? Had word travelled that fast to Alicia Stowe and maybe she was thanking me somehow?
The note itself was on a thickset, textured cardstock with a black and gold emblem of J&S imprinted at the top. I bit my lip as I read it to myself.
Taylor,
I hope you're doing well. I wanted to text you and apologize for my mother and the weird way she was behaving the other night during our dinner. I'm kind of old-fashioned though, so here's a letter instead. Wow, I promise I'm not some weird hipster who only drinks micro-brewed IPAs. I just believe in the sanctity of the written word in certain situations.
Anyway, I'd love if you could come out with me to the Labor Day festival in San Francisco. My friend is letting me borrow his boat for the evening, and I thought we could maybe watch the fireworks from the harbor. What do you think?
(O) Check here for yes (great choice, btw)
(O) Check here for no (maybe a picnic, instead?)
Or just text me, because not everyone's a weird hipster like me. :)
Yours,
Ken
PS. Please say yes.
I sat back with the hugest grin on my face as Karen proceeded to reach over and snatch the note from my hand.
I looked at Barbara who, knowing exactly what I was feeling, only smiled back at me.
"And they said there's no such thing as good karma," Karen laughed, letting out a whistle. "Get 'em, Taylor!"
The blush that overtook my face in a rush of heat was a welcome change. If this was my thanks for helping out the Stowe girls, maybe I should use my magic for good more often.
Also by Samantha Silver
First of all, I wanted t
o thank you for reading this book. I well and truly hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as Megan and I loved writing it.
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Want to read more of Taylor’s adventures? The fourth book in the California Witching series is scheduled for release in late 2018.
Other California Witching Mysteries
Witches and Wine (California Witching Mystery #1)
Merlot and Murder (California Witching Mystery #3)
Willow Bay Witches Mysteries
The Purr-fect Crime (Willow Bay Witches #1)
Barking up the Wrong Tree (Willow Bay Witches #2)
Just Horsing Around (Willow Bay Witches #3)
Lipstick on a Pig (Willow Bay Witches #4)
A Grizzly Discovery (Willow Bay Witches #5)
Sleeping with the Fishes (Willow Bay Witches #6)
Get your Ducks in a Row (Willow Bay Witches #7)
Magical Bookshop Mysteries
Alice in Murderland (Magical Bookshop Mystery #1)
Murder on the Oregon Express (Magical Bookshop Mystery #2)
The Very Killer Caterpillar (Magical Bookshop Mystery #3)
Death Quixote (Magical Bookshop Mystery #4)
Pride and Premeditation (Magical Bookshop Mystery #5)
Moonlight Cove Mysteries
Witching Aint’s Easy (Moonlight Cove Mystery #1)
Witching for the Best (Moonlight Cove Mystery #2)
Thank your Lucky Spells (Moonlight Cove Mystery #3)
Cassie Coburn Mysteries
Poison in Paddington (Cassie Coburn Mystery #1)
Bombing in Belgravia (Cassie Coburn Mystery #2)
Whacked in Whitechapel (Cassie Coburn Mystery #3)
Strangled in Soho (Cassie Coburn Mystery #4)
Stabbed in Shoreditch (Cassie Coburn Mystery #5)
Ruby Bay Mysteries
Death Down Under (Ruby Bay Mystery #1)
Arson in Australia (Ruby Bay Mystery #2)
The Killer Kangaroo (Ruby Bay Mystery #3)
Also by Megan Marple
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Tell-Tale Tavern Mysteries
A Tell-Tale Treasure (Tell-Tale Tavern Prequel)
Gin and Ghosts (Tell-Tale Tavern Book 1)
Murder and Mimosas (Tell-Tale Tavern Book 2)
Sangria and Spirits (Tell-Tale Tavern Book 3)
Tombstones and Tonic (Tell-Tale Tavern Book 4)
About the Authors
Samantha Silver is an emerging author of paranormal travel guides. This is Samantha’s third book.Samantha Silver lives in British Columbia, Canada, along with her husband and a little old doggie named Terra. She loves animals, skiing and of course, writing cozy mysteries.
You can connect with Samantha online here:
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Megan lives in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, with her family and feisty canines. She loves Gullah food, small dogs, Carolina sunrises on the beach, shopping on King Street, and curling up with about twenty different books on the weekends. When she gets the rare chance, she also likes to go exploring and learning more about Charleston’s rich history.
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Merlot and Murder Page 13
