Murder's a Witch: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 1)

by Danielle Garrett

  “Why do they make these things impossible to open without breaking a nail?” she asked as I passed by.

  I wiggled my fingers and the stopper came loose. “See, you got it. No sweat. I’ll be right back.”

  She marveled at the plastic stopper in her hand as though she couldn’t believe it had come out so easily. Ah, the power of magic. An ever effective tool, whether battling renegade trolls or giant bottles of chocolate.

  I slipped out the side door and found Nick waiting at the end of the alley, apparently not willing to get too close to where Peg’s body had been found. The asphalt didn’t show any sign of the crime. Everything had been collected and the remnants cleaned away with chemicals and a pressure washer. I briefly wondered what it would be like to be on a crime scene clean up detail. I shuddered at the passing thought and scurried a little quicker to meet Nick, chucking the trash over the side of the open dumpster on my way.

  “Phillip Tanner called us all together yesterday. He told us that he’s the new owner of the shop. He apparently runs a chain of coffee shops in Idaho. Anyways, he wasted no time whipping this place back into shape for today’s opening,” I explained without taking a breath. “Who is he?”

  Nick nodded. “He’s—well, was—Peg’s brother-in-law.”

  “What? I didn’t realize Peg even had a sister. She never talked about her. At least, not that I can remember.” A familiar pang of guilt bit into me over how little I knew about my former employer.

  Nick shifted his weight between his feet, like he was antsy standing in the alley. “Well, that’s because her sister, Denna, passed away. About five years ago. She had cancer.”

  “Oh!” I covered my mouth. “How terrible.”

  Nick bobbed his head. “She and Denna opened this shop together, a little over ten years ago. When Denna passed away, Peg was supposed to be passing along her sister’s share of the profits to Phillip, her brother-in-law.”

  “Which, I’m guessing she didn’t do, hence the lawsuit…”

  “Right. Apparently she was never very fond of Phillip and even accused him of mistreating Denna.”

  My eyebrows hiked up. “Any proof?”

  “Peg made complaints to the police. That’s what’s in the envelope. Those records. But there are no pictures and the sister never came forward to back those claims up. But in my experience…”

  “Bat wings!” It all clicked into place like a series of dominoes, each piece of information falling until the whole picture was revealed. Phillip had a history of violence, saw Peg as a problem, as she stood between him and his half of Siren’s Song’s profits. “Nick! It was him!”

  He held up a hand. “We don’t know that, Holly. But, it certainly doesn’t look right.”

  “Do you know when he got into town?”

  Nick shook his head. “No, I was hoping you knew.”

  “He didn’t say. But, I know how to find out.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “SO, DID YOUR friend help you with the case?”

  I groaned and stopped halfway up the front walk. Adam appeared from the dusky shadows and came into the light shining down across the yard from the porch. He stood with his legs apart and crossed his arms. “Adam, why were you such a jerk to Nick?”

  He barked a hollow laugh. “I wasn’t, Holly. Believe me…”

  “Ugh. You know what, I’ve had the longest day in recent memory. I haven’t eaten anything today. My feet are numb from being stuffed into these adorable, but evil, shoes all day. I don’t have time for this interrogation. Why don’t you go bug Lacey.”

  I started up toward the porch, my fashion forward torture devices clicking with purpose over the hand-laid pavers. Adam stepped into my way. “What happened to protecting the manor?”

  My eyes flashed at the same time magic filled each of my palms. “What are you talking about?”

  Adam narrowed his eyes at me. “Why are you talking to him? Working with him? He’s just trying to use you to get access to the house. To us.”

  “You’re being ridiculous,” I spat, holding up a hand, palm up, so he could watch the glowing energy roll around. I flicked my gaze from the magic up to his. I smirked at the hint of fear in his eyes. “I’m done talking about this. So, if I were you, I would drop the tough guy act and let me go inside.”

  “Or what? You’ll blast me with your magic?” He folded his arms, flexing his strong biceps under the snug sleeves of his t-shirt.

  “Yep. That was the plan.”

  He snorted. “You’re not going to blast me.”

  The ball of energy grew brighter but at the last second, I clasped my palm closed, tamping the magic back down again. “Fine. I’m not. But I’m still not in the mood for your attitude, so let me go. Please, Adam.”

  His expression shifted, softening. He set a hand on my shoulder and I was too tired to back away. Besides, with the anger still flooding my veins, I wasn’t exactly in danger of succumbing to his charm. He leaned in close. “Holly, I’m just trying to protect you. Guys like Nick—”

  I huffed and batted his hand away from my shoulder. “What does that even mean, Adam? You don’t know him. You met him for less than a minute.”

  “What the hell, Holly? You’re defending him now?”

  “I’m not defending him. I still think he was a creep for rooting around in the bushes that night, but at the same time, he’s helping me prove that Cassie didn’t kill Peg. He didn’t have to come to the shop today, but he did, simply to give me information that might help clear all of this up. How can I hate him when he went out of his way to help me?”

  Adam shook his head, his eyes narrowed at me. “Well I’m not as charitable. If he comes near this place, I’m not going to give him the second chance that you’re suddenly so willing to offer.”

  “That’s not going to happen. I set new wards last night.” I pat him on the chest. “So, don’t you worry your pretty little puppy dog head.”

  I went around him and stomped the rest of the way into the house. My tart response only made me feel worse. At best, Adam was genuinely looking out for me and the rest of our roommates. At worst, he was jealous because he truly cared about me and saw Nick as a threat for my attention. Which, in some twisted way, was actually sweet.

  Either way, I would have to fix it later. Right now I had other problems to worry about.

  After Nick left Siren’s Song, I went back into work and finished out the long, exhausting day, not leaving until after six—that’s PM—when the sun was on its way out of the sky. The day was long and tiring, but had given me a lot of time to stew over everything that Nick had revealed about who Phillip really was, and my suspicion that he was the one responsible for Peg’s murder was higher than ever. I just had to find a way to prove it.

  Phillip had been at the coffee shop all day, though he spent most of it in Peg’s old office, making phone calls and sending emails from his shiny laptop. When we closed down, he came out to talk to all of us about the event and the plan going forward. It was obvious that he was a savvy businessman and no one had any complaints or concerns. He spoke in clipped, short sentences that were to the point and hard to twist into getting additional information out of him or to sway him to a new topic. It was going to be all but impossible to get him to divulge anything to me.

  At least, under normal circumstances. Luckily for me, I wasn’t all that normal.

  As soon as I entered the manor, Boots rushed out to greet me—or, scold me for his dinner being late—and I glanced down as he rammed his head against my shin. I kicked out of the tight shoes and went into the kitchen. I fed Boots and then retired to my room with the tubby, but satisfied, furball tucked under my arm to work on finalizing the details in my plan to solve Peg’s murder.

  A few hours later, I’d managed to put together a pretty complete plan, but it would require a little touch of magic.

  I kept most of my potion making supplies locked away in a magically sealed cabinet under my bed. I preferred to use any botanical
ingredients as freshly collected as possible. Which, was relatively easy to do, considering that I grew most things that basic potions required. Everything else was stored in a cabinet under my bed. I waved my hand over the location where the cabinet was stowed away and the cherry wood box, inlaid with hand-carved wards, hovered an inch off the ground and floated out in front of me. It landed with a soft thump as it settled back on the floor. I murmured a series of spells to release the security wards and then flicked my wrist to lift the lid.

  The box was lined with crushed velvet in a deep, royal purple color. The box had been a gift from my aunt Bethany when she passed down the Larkspur locket. The box was a couple of feet long and a foot wide. But it’s relatively small size was deceiving. Everything packed neatly away with a resizing charm that allowed me to carefully store away a good sized cauldron, hundreds of glass vials in all different colors, shapes, and sizes, and about a bookshelf’s worth of reference books, parchments, and scrolls. My favorite potion making handbook was wedged in beside an array of pearlescent frosted glass vials that contained fairy dust—all collected humanely from willing donors. Logically, I should hide it away in one of the compartments, fairy dust isn’t cheap, but I couldn’t help but want the glowing vials displayed front and center.

  I removed the potion handbook and ran my fingers down the weathered spine. It felt like home. I breathed deeply of the ink and thick pages as I reverently peeled back the front cover. I knew what I was looking for, and right where to find it, but I took my time, strolling my fingers along the table of contents. It was always an experience. So many of my best memories revolved around times spent pouring over the pages contained inside the old book. Aunt Bethany had taught me most everything I knew about potion making.

  I pushed past the first third of the pages and kept going until I found what I was looking for: Truth Be Told.

  “Excellent,” I said, smiling to myself. I read the list of ingredients, mentally checking them off one by one. If there was something that I didn’t have on hand, my whole plan would be thrown into jeopardy. Ordering most potion materials wasn’t as easy as hopping on the Witches Web and placing an order to be instantaneously delivered. Most high end potion ingredients had to be purchased in person, at a haven. The closest haven was located in Seattle, but I was currently on the banishment list and would not be welcomed in any of the shops.

  It’s a long story.

  I reached the end of the ingredients list and released a sigh. “Thank the stars.”

  According to the recipe, I had everything I needed to brew the potion. The only thing I was a little short on, was time. The recommended brewing time was seventy-two hours. I didn’t have three days to wait. Neither did Cassie. If no other suspects were found, Chief Lincoln would have no choice but to arrest her on the evidence they had and try to interrogate her to get a confession. It would be a nightmare for her, and she could potentially lose her new management position in the process.

  “Boots, we gotta work fast.” I scratched his head as he brushed past me. As my familiar, he was always able to pick up on my emotions. “Come on. Heartsong has to be harvested at midnight. Which is in…” I consulted my watch. “Twenty minutes.”

  Boots trotted to the bedroom door and waited while I placed the security wards back on the cabinet and flicked my wrist to levitate the hefty box back under the bed and out of sight. Everyone in the manor knew I was a potions witch. They knew what kinds of plants I was growing out in the greenhouse. There was no mystery or pretense to keep up. But I didn’t feel safe leaving my potion supplies out and about. Some of my ingredients could be used for other types of magic. Dark types of magic. I trusted Adam, and Posy couldn’t physically touch anything, but Lacey had questionable motives. If she thought a handful of fairy dust could buy her a new tiara, she’d probably jump at the chance to swipe some. Then there was Gary, and he was definitely not to be trusted.

  I opened my bedroom door and pushed out into the hall. Boots meowed until I conjured a ball of light and held it up for him to find his way. “You’re a cat, Boots. Try acting like one for once,” I murmured in the direction of his round rear end.

  As my familiar, Boots was supposed to be my companion as well as my guardian. I wasn’t sure I felt entirely safe considering that the creature watching my back was built more like a beach ball than a cheetah, and on top of that, was periodically afraid of the dark.

  The manor was eerily silent. Usually, it was the most quiet in the morning time before anyone else was awake. Lacey must be out for the night with her undead beauty queen brigade. Adam was probably out running in the woods, or scrounging around McNally’s dumpsters for a midnight snack. Posy liked to play old records in the study when she was restless. As for Gary, apparently he liked to wander the neighborhood dressed like a hoodlum, if Mrs. Grady and Mrs. Brooks were to be believed.

  I stopped at the front door and retrieved one of my thick, crocheted sweaters from the coat rack. Once bundled up, I pulled open the front door and let Boots out, sending the light orb into the air to follow after him so he wouldn’t get too freaked out. I shut the door and padded down the front walk and then cut through the grass to the side yard. Normally, I went out the kitchen door when heading to my greenhouse, but since I wanted a sweater, I went out the front door instead.

  It was a dark night with only a sliver of moonlight hanging in the sky. Boots was up ahead, the orb of light floating above him. I watched his orange bottle brush tail swishing curiously as the gentle night breeze washed over him. When he reached the end of the flower beds, he stopped, and his back arched up. The fur along his back rose up and he let out a low growl.

  “What the…” I tiptoed closer to him and realized we weren’t alone.

  A hulking form was pacing back and forth at the edge of the tree line. “You have to get me out of here, Daryl! I don’t care what the council says!”

  I went ramrod straight. The cold, clipped voice belonged to Gary.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  HE SPUN AROUND and I realized that the reason I hadn’t easily identified him was because his wings were fully displayed, swishing behind him in the wind he created with his long, powerful strides as he paced. Boots let out another low growl and I sank down to the ground beside him. “Shhh.” I set my hand on his tensed back and sent out a calming spell into his fur. He relaxed but his tail refused to go back down.

  “I’m not meant to live in places like this. With all these people and their little dogs. You know that my control isn’t that strong! What did you expect?”

  My eyebrows went high as I listened to him rant and rave. Whatever had him worked up, it was incredibly serious. One thing was clear though, he was definitely a gargoyle. His wings looked like they had been spliced onto his back from a small dragon. Thick and leathery. It was intimidating enough in the dark, from a hundred feet away. I could only imagine the terror if he were to be in his true form in broad daylight, sweeping through the sky, his fangs and wings on full display.

  I shivered at the thought and the hairs on my neck raised up just like Boots’ fur had. I pulled the collar of my sweater up a little higher and I darted a gaze over to my greenhouse. It was ten paces away. The Heartsong was a very finicky plant that would immediately shrivel if harvested at any other time other than midnight. I was rapidly running out of time. If I couldn’t get it tonight, I would have to wait another day, on top of the elongated brewing time for the potion itself.

  “Come on, Bootsie,” I whispered.

  “No! She’s dead! I already told you that!” Gary boomed.

  I stopped in my tracks, my feet freezing to the ground. Dead?

  “That’s why I need out. She’s dead and people saw me. There are witnesses!” He paused, pacing back again. “I don’t know. Some lady and her dog.”

  His back was turned. I took a chance, ducked down, and ran for the greenhouse.

  Unfortunately, I misjudged his heightened senses. As my hand hit the doorknob for the greenhouse, the sound of
flapping wings reached me a moment too late. By the time I whipped around to see if Gary had heard me, he was barreling through the sky, right at me. I couldn’t move under the fierce look in his eyes. They glowed electric blue, cutting through the darkness. When they were trained on me, I couldn’t move. I was frozen in stone just like a gargoyle perched on the side of a building.

  Gary snarled. “I’m going to have to call you back,” he hissed into the phone clasped in his hand. He dropped it into his pocket right before he reached me. He landed on his feet with a solid thud. “What are you doing out here?”

  I sucked in a breath, grateful that my lungs were unaffected by his magic hold. “I needed something from the greenhouse,” I stammered, darting my eyes to the side, unable to raise my hand and gesture to the door behind me.

  “At midnight?” he hissed, baring his fangs.

  “Heartsong has to be harvested at midnight.” There was no point in lying to him. If I told the truth, maybe he would let me go.

  Gary glared over my shoulder. “Heartsong? I’ve never heard of it.”

  “It’s rare.”

  “What do you need it for? Why is it so urgent that you had to come out here and eavesdrop on my phone call?”

  I swallowed hard. “I’m making a truth potion.”

  Gary’s forehead bunched up, revealing deeply etched lines. So far, he hadn’t physically touched me, but his hold on me was impossible to break. The magic was strong and I couldn’t find anything in my mental stores of spellwork to pull from in order to get loose. My hands were frozen just like the rest of me. I didn’t need a wand to cast basic spells, but I did need the use of my hands.

  “A truth potion, huh? I thought those were restricted for council members and SPA agents only.”

  Really? He was going to give me a morality lesson?

  I smiled sweetly. “Well, considering that you’re casting a stone spell on me right now, I wouldn’t really think you’d be one to talk about restrictions and appropriate magic.”