“I can’t give you the details, but I would like to ask you some questions,” he said, his tone marshmallow soft. I was clearly missing something. Just what exactly did Cassie’s past with Chief Lincoln entail. I’d never seen him so soft spoken before. He turned to Cassie and took her elbow. “Cass, please, don’t make this harder.”
“Holly? You found her like this?” Cassie asked, sidestepping out of Chief Lincoln’s reach. “I’m so sorry!”
She came to me and wrapped her arms around me. We clung to each other for a long moment. Chief Lincoln shifted from foot to foot like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with the pair of us.
“Are you okay?” Cassie asked as we parted from one another. Her normally bright eyes welled with tears.
I nodded. “I’m okay. I didn’t see anything happen. She was already…” the rest of my answer trailed off and my eyes landed back on the sheet covering her body.
“Ladies, please, I need to ask you leave. Let me escort you back to the other side of the tape. This alley, as well as the shop, is part of the investigation.” He started to herd us toward the mouth of the alley, putting out an arm to keep either of us from stepping on anything that might be considered evidence.
“The shop too?” Cassie asked. “What about all of our customers?”
I furrowed my brow. It was an odd question, all things considered. But I knew funds were tight for Cassie. She was the main breadwinner in her family of three. Her father had been injured on the job years ago and only raked in a small stipend from a workman’s comp settlement and a paltry disability check. Her younger sister, Kirra, was only eighteen and worked part time at Siren’s Song on the weekends as she attended community college during the week. Their mother had passed away from cancer when they were young.
I wrapped an arm around my friend. I didn’t have a lot of money. At least not the kind of currency that would make a difference to Cassie and her family, but I would see what I could do to help her through the period of lost wages. “It’ll be okay, Cass. Chief Lincoln will get this all sorted out. I don’t really think I could focus on work right now anyways.”
She nodded solemnly and I caught a twinge of pink on her cheeks. I hoped she wasn’t silently beating herself up for asking the question.
Chief Lincoln got us past the tape and I walked Cassie back to her house which was just a few blocks from the shop. We walked in silence, neither of us knowing what to say. When we reached the end of Cassie’s driveway, she paused, and pocketed her hands. “What am I supposed to tell my dad and Kirra?”
“Just tell them what happened. You know the entire town will know everything by lunch time anyways.”
Cassie nodded. She glanced up the narrow drive that was barely big enough for one car. It led to a detached garage and a ranch style home that had a charming, but slightly run down appearance. “That’s true. Nothing stays quiet in this town for long.”
I laughed softly. “I’m starting to learn that.”
Cassie nodded and then went back to fidgeting. She tugged at the end of her French braid that was loose, but still in place from the day before. I touched her shoulder. “Cass, it’s going to be okay.”
“It’s just so strange. I mean this is Beechwood Harbor. Who could have done such a thing? How could something like this happen here?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, Cass.”
Haven systems were different than human societies but that didn’t mean they were immune to violence. Things got particularly dicey when different species clashed. Like werewolves and vampires. Those two groups had always hated each other and were constantly stirring up trouble. There were also different houses of vampires and sometimes the different families would war with one another. However, I had never directly seen the result of such battles. Peg was the first dead person I’d ever seen and the experience still had me on edge. I was barely holding it together for Cassie’s sake.
“What do you think will happen to the shop? I know that’s a selfish thing to be worried about right now, but—”
“It’s not, Cass. You have to give yourself some slack. I’m sure Peg had some kind of plan in place. A silent partner or family member that is listed in her will to take over.”
Cassie nodded slowly. “That makes sense.”
“Don’t worry about it, Cass. Everyone in town knows your family. Even if Siren’s Song closes, someone will give you and Kirra new jobs. I’m sure of it.”
The green front door of the house swung open and a large golden retriever bolted out into the front yard. “Cassie? What are you doing back home?”
Cassie turned to face her dad who was collecting the paper from the front porch. He stooped over slowly and reached for the bundle with his fingertips. The strain was obvious and made my heart ache. Cassie patted her dog, Creamsicle, on the head and then hurried to jog up the drive to help her dad. She grabbed the paper and handed it to him. “Come on inside, Dad. I’ll explain.” She turned back to wave goodbye to me. “I’ll see you later, Holly. Thanks for walking with me.”
I waved goodbye and waited until Cassie, her dad, and the happy-go-lucky pup were all inside the house before I took off back through town toward the manor.
The early morning sun was starting to poke through the clouds but was accompanied by a light smattering of rain. Despite my reluctance to see the crime scene again, I found myself back on Zinnea, the main street through town. When I neared Siren’s Song, I glanced across the street and saw that more officers had arrived on the scene. The rain was coming down harder and I hoped it wouldn’t make the forensic team’s life more difficult. The entire town would be in an uproar until the killer was identified and put behind bars. And despite my differences with the woman, Peg deserved closure as she crossed over to the Otherworld. I knew first-hand what the effects of an unfinished life looked like and it wasn’t pretty.
Case in point, the borderline neurotic ghost waiting at home.
I hunched my shoulders up and rubbed my hands up and down my arms to aid circulation, already dreaming of the cup of warm tea I would have when I arrived back at the manor. I tugged the collar of my sweater up and returned my attention back to the sidewalk in front of me—just in time to run smack dab into a solid wall.
“Fancy meeting you here,” a now familiar—whether I wanted it to be or not—voice said as I bounced back.
“Hello, Nick,” I grumbled.
Was it time for bed yet?
CHAPTER SEVEN
“WHY DO YOU SMELL like a candy cane factory?” Nick asked, his nose wrinkling at the strong scent still clinging to my clothes. I had become immune to the strong odor after standing in the cloud of it for over an hour. I didn’t even realize it was wafting off of me.
I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “It’s a long story.”
He smiled down at me as I scrambled to put another six inches of space between us. “I’d love to hear it.”
“I’m sure you would.”
He chuckled. “Well, as it turns out, you’re off the hook. I’m on my way to the scene of a murder. Heard anything about it?”
My eyebrows shot up. “How do you even know about that?” I sputtered.
Most, if not all, of the core pieces of the town gossip mill would still be sleeping. Where was Nick getting his information?
“I have a police scanner in my apartment,” he said, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Of course you do,” I quipped. I took a step to the side. “Well, have…fun? It’s not exactly a pretty picture.”
Nick pocketed his hands and gave me a grim look. “You were there?”
I shook my head. “Not when it happened. But I was the one who found her…” my voice drifted off as the mental image of Peg sprawled in the alley cycled back through my mind. I wondered if I would ever fully be able to get rid of it. Mind magic was a risky art, but I was seriously considering trying my hand at some kind of eraser potion.
“I’m sorry, Holly. I didn’t rea
lize.”
My eyes darted back to Nick, caught off guard by his sincere tone. “I’ll be all right. I just feel bad for Peg and her family.”
“Of course.” Nick nodded solemnly. “Was it your first?”
“First what?”
“Body.”
“Oh,” I rubbed my arms, fighting off the chill seeping through the thin layer of fabric that comprised my favorite sweater. I wanted nothing more than to get home and sink up to my nose in a bath. “Yeah. Hopefully my last, too.”
Nick bobbed his head. “Right. Well, murder investigations aren’t exactly my favorite either. There’s no possible chance of a happy solution, you know?”
“Then why are you going to the scene?”
“It’s time I introduce myself to the local authorities and see if I can offer any assistance. Kind of part of the whole new PI in town thing.”
“Aha. Well, good luck. I hope they can solve this thing really soon.”
“Me too.”
“Take care of yourself, Nick,” I said, moving to pass by him.
“You too, Holly. If you need anything, let me know.”
I nodded, though I wasn’t sure why. I still didn’t want Nick getting too close. He needed to find another haunted mansion. Mine was off limits. I waved and hurried the next mile to get back to the manor.
I got inside just as the rain shifted from a sprinkle into big, fat drops.
“Is it true?”
I jumped at Posy’s impatient question. I clutched a hand to my chest as my heart hammered violently against my ribs. I spun around to find her staring me down from the foot of the grand staircase. “Bat wings, Posy. You scared me!”
She continued to stare at me, waiting for the answer to her initial question. If she had the ability to tap her foot against the floor it would have been going a mile a minute.
“Is what true? What are you talking about?” I asked, buying myself some time as I fully entered the manor and closed the front door against the chill.
“The murder!” Posy’s eyes darted around the room. “Gwen was over here raving about the whole thing!”
That explained it. Gwen was a notorious ghost in Beechwood Harbor. She’d dedicated her life, er, death, to the pursuit of gossip. She floated through the neighborhood gathering the juiciest of tidbits and then spread them as far as she could. As only other supers could see her, she didn’t have a huge audience, but her and Posy got on nicely and were known to spend afternoons whispering in the sitting room or kitchen about who was up to what.
I could just imagine her flying over as quickly as ghostly possible to tell Posy all about the murder. Gwen had been dead for fifty years and her style reflected it. She had long, free flowing blonde locks, feather earrings, and a floral print romper that showed off her mile-long legs. She’d be forever twenty-five after a tragic stage diving accident at an outdoor music festival.
Watching her and Posy together was amusing, the differences between them as stark as night and day. If they’d met in life, I doubted either of them would have wanted anything to do with the other. It appeared that standards got lower when you could count on two hands the number of people who even knew you existed.
I locked the latch on the front door and turned back to face Posy. “Did Gwen see anything? Or hear about it from someone else?”
“She was flying through, on her morning rounds, and saw the crowd at the mouth of the alley. She stopped to see what was causing such a ruckus and saw her as they were getting her into a body bag. She said there was a lot of blood.” Posy shuddered. “What happened?”
I shook my head. “I really don’t know, Posy. I showed up for my shift and she was there, already dead. I called the police and Chief Lincoln showed up with another deputy to lock down the scene. He questioned me for an hour or so and then cut me loose. Chief Lincoln said they have a forensics team coming in. That’s all I know.”
Posy frowned, processing the information I’d given her. “So tragic. Who would do such a thing?”
“I don’t know. I mean, Peg didn’t exactly have a reputation for being the town saint, but it’s hard to imagine someone wanting her dead.”
Posy shimmered and headed for the door. “I think I’ll go stroll around town and see for myself.”
She floated through the front door and I sighed to myself. I was torn between going back to my warm bed and doing something more productive with my unexpectedly free day.
In the end, sleep won out.
I awoke to a frantic pounding. Sunlight was streaming through the windows and I realized I’d been out all morning. The pounding started again and I jumped out of bed at the urgent sound. I pulled on my jeans and a cozy hooded sweatshirt and ran out to the foyer to open the door. It occurred to me, after the fact, that I should be more careful who I opened the door for considering there was potentially a killer on the loose in the neighborhood.
Luckily, I didn’t find an ax-wielding psycho on the front porch. It was Cassie. Her skin was so pale that she could give Posy a run for her money. She met my wide-eyed stare with a panicked look. She was terrified. “Holly, you have to help me!”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, stepping aside to usher her in. Normally, I would have gone out to speak with her on the porch—just in case a large, oversize dog-slash-man or a cranky vampiress with low blood sugar came downstairs. But, considering the circumstances, I couldn’t ask Cassie to chat with me on the porch.
Her hands were shaking as she reached to tuck a loose strand of hair back behind her ear as she crossed the threshold. “Holly, I think…they think I did it.”
“Did what?”
She glanced around with nervous, shifting eyes, before sweeping them back to mine. “They think I murdered Peg.”
“What?” I took a step back as though the shock of her words had physically blasted against me. “Why would you even say that?”
She swallowed hard. “I just got done talking to Jeff—Chief Lincoln. He came by my house to question me about Peg’s murder.”
I arched a brow. Why hadn’t he questioned her when we were all together? I’d only been napping for a few hours. Had they found some clue that pointed to Cassie?
“Chief Lincoln actually told you that you’re a suspect?” The entire idea was almost laughable. Cassie was like a wildflower. Gentle and beautiful. She didn’t have a mean spirited bone in her body. Let alone a murderous one.
“Not in so many words,” she replied, shaking her head. “But there’s something you don’t know.”
“Come on, let’s go get you a cup of tea or something,” I said, taking her by the elbow. I wasn’t going to make her spill her guts right there in the front entry.
I led her to the spacious kitchen and gestured for her to take a seat at the large, farm style table that dominated the eat-in dining area. “Okay, start at the beginning.”
Cassie took in a deep breath. “Yesterday, after you left the shop, Peg and I got into an argument.”
“An argument?” I was beginning to sound like a juvenile pixie, repeating everything she said. I left her at the table and crossed to the stove where a large, bright green enameled steel kettle was sitting on the stove. It wasn’t a cauldron, but it was nearly as heavy duty, and did the job quite nicely without drawing too much attention from the handful of non-supers that stopped by the manor from time to time.
A copper spout was built into the wall, its pipes creeping up the checkered backsplash. I tugged the spout over to the kettle and turned on the water to fill the pot. Once the kettle was full, I turned on the front burner, and then went to rummaging through my personal tea cupboard beside the stove while the water started to warm up. It would all be a lot more efficient with magic, and while Cassie was distracted by her own dark thoughts, I didn’t want to risk pulling out any tricks.
“What was the argument about?” I asked, before pulling out an earth colored ceramic container that held my favorite calming blend of tea, a potent mixture of herbs and spices from my own
greenhouse behind the manor. Most of them not anything humans would recognize. I called it a tension tamer.
“Peg accused me of stealing from the till.”
I dropped the small wooden scoop back into the tin and spun on my bare heels to face Cassie. “Are you serious?”
Cassie nodded. “She said she’d been observing me for a while and that my till counts were off. She knows—knew—that my family was struggling with money. I guess she connected those two things and jumped to a conclusion.”
“Oh, Cass. That’s awful.”
“I’ve had a few nights recently where I didn’t balance out, but I thought someone had just miscounted when giving change back. It’s not like I’m the only employee and it was never a significant amount.”
My stomach churned as I tried to think back and recall if I’d been at fault for the accounting errors. Having grown up in the haven system, I hadn’t been forced to learn American currency until much later in life. Before coming to Beechwood Harbor, I used it so sporadically that it was something I struggled to learn in my new job. If anyone had made a mistake behind the till, it was probably me.
And now Cassie was suffering for my mistake.
“She said that I owed her five hundred dollars and that if I didn’t pay it back by the end of the week that she was going to have to fire me,” Cassie continued, her face glum. “And Kirra too.”
“Wow. I wonder what crawled into her boots…”
“Boots?” Cassie looked over at me, her pert nose wrinkled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Peg wear boots.”
I mentally kicked myself. “Just an expression.”
“Hmm. I don’t know that I’ve heard that one.”
The kettle sang and I hurried to pour the steaming water into two tea cups from the cupboard above the stove. Each cup got a hearty scoop of the tension tamer blend and a generous dollop of honey. I wiggled my fingers over the top of the cups to swirl the content—no point in dirtying a spoon—and then took them over to the table.
“Thanks,” Cassie said, glancing down to her cup of murky liquid.
Murder's a Witch: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 1) Page 5
