Posy leveled her stare at me. “Mostly people were talking about the argument Peg had with that friend of yours.”
A flicker of fear ran through me. “Oh.”
“She seems like a nice girl though,” Posy added, absently. “Did you need something, Holly? I think I might go up to the attic.”
I wiped the sweat from my palms on the denim and then linked my hands together and set them in my lap. “If you have a minute, I did have a couple of questions…about Gary.”
“Gary?” She glanced back over at me, her thick eyebrows rising above her dark rimmed spectacles. “What about him? He’s not causing trouble is he?”
I shook my head. “No. Well, at least not that I know of…”
“I’m afraid I’m not following.”
I blew out a puff of air. “How does it work when new tenants move into the Beechwood Manor? I was moved here by my SPA agent, Harvey. I didn’t have to fill out paperwork or anything. I’m just curious how you get new tenants. Like Gary. Where do we all come from?”
“Oh. Well, I have an arrangement with SPA. They keep the manor’s deed and handle the legal side of things for me. In exchange for that, I provide four rooms for rent. Whenever there is a vacancy, they seek to fill it with paranormals, like yourself, who have trouble fitting in within the haven system.”
I gave a small nod. Trouble fitting in with the haven system? That was certainly one way of putting it…
I pressed on, knowing my window was closing. Posy wanted to leave and Adam was waiting for me. I drew in a breath and cut right to the quick. “Okay, so when Gary came here, were you aware of the kind of trouble he was having?”
“Not really.” Posy shook her head. “I don’t require much information. As long as they pay their rent to keep the house running and the taxes paid, and they keep to themselves, I don’t need to know the specifics of what led them here.”
I sighed. “But, Posy, what if someone dangerous moved in?”
Posy’s gaze sharpened to a hawk-like expression. “You think Gary is dangerous?”
I hesitated. It was a heavy accusation to go slinging around with virtually no proof. All I had to go on was a gut feeling that could only be described as the heebie-jeebies, a cat who bolted on sight as though a firecracker went off in the next room, and the word of two elderly ladies who were mainly basing their opinion off of saggy pants and a nervous wiener dog.
“I lived in the haven system almost my entire life. I know that most supers are just trying to find a place to belong, somewhere where they won’t be judged for their abilities, gifts, or curse. But, there’s a small pocket of supers that do bad things. Really bad things. I think it’s disconcerting that just about any paranormal could move into the Beechwood Manor. Especially if the only criteria is that they couldn’t stay in a haven.”
Posy stared at me, as though she couldn’t decide whether to be offended or frightened. As a ghost, there were few things that had the power to do damage to her. That’s why her concern was for the Beechwood Manor itself. The home was her anchor to this world. Without it, there was no telling where she’d end up.
However, as a witch, there were a lot of creatures that scared me. I’d encountered enough of them to know I needed to be on my guard and there was something about Gary that rattled me. At first, I’d told myself it was simply because I couldn’t identify him, but now…after hearing what Mrs. Grady had said, and thinking about the fact that he could be linked to Peg Holloway’s murder, a series of alerts inside my mind were flashing and screaming for me to get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later.
“I don’t know what you expect me to do, Holly. If you want Gary removed from the house, I’m afraid you would have to take that up with SPA.”
I nodded, inwardly groaning at the prospect. “Well what do you know of him? I’ve barely seen him more than a handful of times and I don’t think he’s ever said anything more than three or four words. Do you know what he…is?”
Posy glanced from side to side, as though worried we might be overheard. The study door was shut and I hadn’t seen anyone else wandering around besides Adam. But, then maybe Posy’s ghost senses were telling her to be on guard. I wasn’t sure how the whole ghost thing worked. “I think he’s a gargoyle.”
“A gargoyle?” I repeated it with a mystified exhale. I couldn’t remember meeting a gargoyle before. But they were reclusive creatures who tended to keep odd hours, preferring the cover of darkness. Check, check, and check. Gary the Gargoyle.
“Have you met one before?” Posy asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Have you?”
She hesitated but then nodded. “There was one here a few years ago. He was from the New York Haven and I think he was on the run from the mob. It was a particularly busy summer and I was tied up with a warring pair of vampires. How SPA managed to send me a vampire from the Molder family and the Tenner house at the same time—”
I winced at the idea. The Molder and Tenner houses had been at war before my great-grandmother was even born. “How on earth did SPA bungle that?”
Posy threw her hands in the air. “I have no idea. Anyways, to say I was a little busy would be an understatement. The gargoyle, Kent, or was it Kennith? No matter. He didn’t stay long and when he disappeared, I called SPA to complain that he hadn’t paid his rent before he left, and they told me they had no record of him. I think they were just trying to cover their mistakes…”
Comforting. “Do you think he was dangerous?”
Posy considered me for a long moment. “There were rumors…”
I held my breath.
“A girl—a tourist—here on vacation with her family went missing and the next day is when he vanished.”
I pressed a hand to cover my gaping mouth. “That’s awful!”
Posy nodded sadly at the memory. She dropped her eyes to her hands and I got the feeling that if she had functioning tear ducts they would have filled. “I’ve become more stringent with making sure the supers who check in match their ID from SPA. Other than that, I don’t ask too many questions. Now, Gary’s been here for two months and so far there haven’t been any complaints.”
“Can I see his ID?”
Posy narrowed her gaze. “Out of the question. Now, I’ve told you all I know. I’m going to retire to the attic.”
“Posy, I didn’t mean to—” the rest of my words faded as she slipped through the unlit fireplace.
I scoffed to myself in the empty room. “Less than helpful…”
I didn’t want to call Harvey and see what he could dig up, but it was quickly becoming my only option.
The door of the study popped open and Adam sauntered into the room wearing an all too victorious grin. “You ready for dinner, gorgeous?”
Oh, that’s right. Before I could launch into the investigation, I had a non-date, date with a shifter.
Perfect.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“THIS IS NICE, huh?”
I smiled up at Adam as we strolled down the street, each of us working our way through an ice cream cone from Sprinkles and Splits, an old fashioned soda fountain on the corner of Fourth and Zinnia, right in the heart of Beechwood Harbor. As much as I hated to admit it, we were having a good time together. He’d taken me to McNally’s—through the front doors, not down the alley—and after a nice dinner, we started to walk off the onion rings and beer battered cod and ended up standing in front of the local ice cream shop right before they shut down for the night. One thing led to another and we found out that we both have a weakness for mint chocolate chip and waffle cones.
“I have to say, it is pretty nice.”
Adam grinned.
“I mostly meant the ice cream,” I added, holding my cone up.
Adam snorted but didn’t try to argue with me. “Fair enough. Mr. Harris makes the best cones I’ve ever had.”
I swallowed another mouthful of the frosty treat, lingering over the smooth mint and the way the rich dark choc
olate chips melted on my tongue. “How long have you lived in Beechwood Harbor?”
“About three years,” he replied casually. He took a bite out of his cone and then shifted his attention back to me. “I was at the Boston Haven before moving up here.”
“Why did you leave the havens?”
Adam took another bite. “The shifters in Boston were on the verge of a turf war. I got out before it got too carried away but decided that I didn’t want to go through all the work of finding a new crew. I decided that I’m more of a lone wolf. Well, dog, I guess.”
“Well not that much of a loner apparently. You did end up in a house full of supernaturals.”
“I guess that’s true.” Adam chuckled. “The manor is nice, location wise. I have a lot of space to run around and if anyone sees me in my beast form, they’d just figure they saw a black bear. As long as I stay out of the way, I can live a normal life here.”
“Well, as normal as you can, considering that you spend most of your days arguing with a wannabe beauty queen vampiress.”
Adam dropped his head back and roared with laughter. “Seriously, what the heck is that all about anyways? I keep thinking she’s gonna give it up, that one day she’s going to realize how insane she sounds and stop going on about it, but so far…”
“Yeah. I overheard her singing practice the other day from the hall outside her bathroom.” I cringed at the memory of the screechy rendition of a pop song, made famous by Petra, the witch pop star. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing she’s gonna ace the bikini portion of the pageant because the talent is lacking.”
Adam pulled a face. “I can’t decide if I want her to win or lose.”
I smiled. “You know what I think?”
“Hmm?”
“I think you like her.”
“Why would you think that? You just said it yourself, we’re at each other’s throats, sometimes literally, ninety percent of the time.”
“It’s classic boy meets girl. You tease her because you like her.” I swallowed down another smooth bite from my cone and licked the sugary coating from my lips.
Adam grinned at me, shaking his head. “You’re way off base on this one, Holly.”
I shrugged. “We’ll see.”
“Let me ask you something,” Adam said, still grinning at me. “What would I be doing here, with you, on a—”
I held up a finger, interrupting him. “It’s not a date.”
He chuckled. “My question still stands.”
“I don’t know. I think you like the chase.” I tossed my long hair over my shoulder and popped the last bite of cone into my mouth.
Adam nodded. “So considering you’re here with me, does that mean I’ve caught you?”
I stopped walking, something across the street catching my eye.
Adam sighed. “Holly, I was just—”
“Wait…” I held up my hand to stop him. My mind was racing in an entirely new direction and our previous conversation fell to the wayside. I hadn’t realized where we’d been walking, but now, from across the street, I could see the dark outline of Siren’s Song.
“Oh. The tape’s still up,” Adam said, stopping at my side. “They must still be working on the case. That’s gotta be a good sign for Cassie. If they had enough to arrest her, they would have taken all this down.”
“That’s probably true.”
I started to turn away when an idea sparked. I slid my gaze over to Adam. “But they’re gone for the night…”
“Looks like it.”
Without another word, I started jogging across the deserted street.
“Holly!” Adam hissed after me.
I stopped at the police tape and stared down the alley.
“Holly, what are you doing?” Adam said, catching up to me.
What was I doing? I couldn’t cross the line and risk getting tangled up with Chief Lincoln or anyone else in the Beechwood Harbor PD. But I had to find out what had really happened. If it was Gary, I needed to know, so I could protect myself and my roommates. Surely if there was a paranormal element in play, Adam and I could sniff it out. A normal cop might not see something that would stand out to one of us.
I hadn’t filled him in on my theory about Gary, or my conversation with Posy and the possibility that Gary was a gargoyle. I wasn’t sure what he would think. Adam had probably met far more dangerous creatures than me. Especially if he was from the Boston Haven. A big city like that was undoubtedly full of all kinds of interesting supers with varying backgrounds.
I turned to face Adam. His dark eyes were wide and a faint amber glow was ringing his pupils. He was ready to shift. “I have to find out what happened, Adam.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea…” his voice was low, almost a growl.
“Then you stay here and keep watch. I’m just going to take a quick look and I’ll be right back.”
Adam grabbed my arm. “Are you sure about this?”
I considered him and then looked back over the police line. “I have to see what I can find out. For Cassie.”
“All right. But let’s hurry.” Adam nodded and pulled up the yellow tape. “Ladies first.”
I laughed softly. “So chivalrous considering the circumstance…”
“One shouldn’t lose their manners. Even when breaking and entering.”
“Don’t forget trespassing and tampering with a crime scene.” I smiled and slipped under the line.
He groaned. “Perfect. Just how I like to end all of my non-date, dates.”
“Come on.” I scuttled down the alley, light on my feet, and once I was out of view of the street, I conjured an orb of light. I held up my palm and spread the fragments of light from the glowing ball to give us a better look at the dark alley. It looked more or less the same as it had that morning when I’d appeared on the other side of the dumpster. With my free hand I ran my fingers over the locket resting against my chest. It didn’t hold a protection charm, but it made me feel safer all the same.
Adam was right at my side, taking the same care with his footsteps. I’d never seen him so cautious before. He was normally more of a bull in a china shop kind of guy. He sniffed the air. “Still smells like peppermint.”
I nodded, smelling the traces of the pungent scent.
“Hey, if you were in your beast form your senses would be even higher, right?”
Adam nodded. “I suppose. But I’d probably doggy barf all over with this damn peppermint stench.”
“Yeah but you might be able to get past that and get us a clue.” He frowned, looking doubtful. I tugged on his sleeve. “Come on, Adam.”
“All right, all right. Don’t get your broomstick in a knot.”
I wrinkled my nose. “My broomstick in a knot? What is that even supposed to mean?”
He chuckled. “I don’t know. I was improvising. Hang tight, gorgeous.” He pulled his shirt off and I swallowed hard, forgetting that he would need to strip down before changing. I’d seen Adam in beast form on multiple occasions but had never been around when he was actually…changing.
“I—uh—I’m going to go inside. You see what you can find out here.”
Adam chuckled at my shaky tone. I launched myself at the back door when I heard him start removing his jeans. I unlocked the door, pushed inside and quickly closed it behind me. “Whew.”
I flicked my wrist and sent the orb of light overhead to flood the space with light. I didn’t want to risk turning on the overhead lights. The front of the shop was almost entirely made of windows. If I flicked on the lights, I would risk having some pedestrian call the cops and report the crime scene was being tampered with. Which, to be fair, it was. With my own orb of light, I could control it and keep it much lower and pointed at only the things I wanted to look at and extinguish it in a snap, literally, if someone wandered by.
I glanced around the space, trying to decide where to go first. The dark laminate floors made to look like cherry wood were clean and polished despite the day
of heavy foot traffic. Straight ahead, the door to Peg’s office was open and I decided it was a good place to start.
With a tugging gesture, the orb of light followed behind me, providing just enough light to see the ground in front of me. Once I was inside Peg’s office, I gave the orb more power and the entire room was filled with light. No one could see the office from the outside of the building as it was basically an oversized supply closet that was converted into an office. It was clear that the forensic team had been through the space. Papers and folders were ruffled and out of order and two desk drawers were still pulled open a few inches. Peg was a meticulous lady who would have never left her office in such a mess.
The stack of papers on the desk were fanned out and I glanced through them one at a time, still not sure what I was looking for, but when I found a thick bundle of pages, held together with a black paperclip, with a Post-It on the front labeled “Urgent” I stopped. I picked the papers up and flipped through each one. It appeared to be some kind of contract in regards to Siren’s Song. Had Peg been trying to sell the coffee shop? I hadn’t heard anything about it, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t happening. I’d only been an employee for a handful of months. I definitely wasn’t on her list of confidants. I didn’t even think she liked me all that much. Then again, Peg had never been overly friendly with anyone. So, I didn’t feel alone in that camp.
I got to the last page of the contracts—past all the legal mumbo jumbo that most humans didn’t understand, let alone a witch who was raised in a completely different kind of society (one where people didn’t sue each other over spilled hot coffee or potholes in the road) and sucked in a small breath as I realized what the papers were all about.
A man named Phillip Tanner was suing Peg for half of Siren’s Song. Or, at least half of the money it had generated over the last five years.
“What in the world…?” I read the details again, committing them to memory. “Bat wings! This is major.”
I set the pages back where I found them and rifled through the rest of the papers. Nothing stood out. Everything else was either a receipt for an order, spreadsheet pages from past months sales, or payroll details. I found a page with Cassie’s clocked hours with Peg’s chicken scratch writing in the margins. She must have been tracking Cassie’s hours and the discrepancies from the till to see if there was cross over. I grimaced, hoping that she had been wrong about Cassie.
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