A Witchy Valentine (Harper Grant Mystery Series Book 4)

by D. S. Butler

  “No… I…” I trailed off. How could I explain I was getting irritated and distracted by a ghost?

  It was then I noticed that Joe ticking me off had drawn the attention of all the patrons in the diner. This piece of gossip would be around Abbott Cove within hours.

  “Were your sister or grandmother involved?” Joe asked.

  Panicked, my gaze shot back to his. I didn’t want to get my sister or grandmother in trouble. Jess had nothing to do with it.

  The bell above the door chimed, and I looked around Joe to see my sister, Jess, entered the diner with Pete. Jess waved at me, but I didn’t dare react when I was supposed to be giving Joe McGrady my full attention.

  “It was all down to me,” I said. I hated not telling Joe the whole story, but I didn’t see how it would help to tell him about Grandma Grant’s involvement. Besides, if it hadn’t been for my ability to see ghosts, we wouldn’t have been investigating Monty’s death in the first place, so it really was all down to me.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  Joe shook his head. “That doesn’t cut it.” He lowered his voice and leaned forward. “I took the scarf away from Monty’s house because I was worried about you getting in trouble. I risked my job because you couldn’t keep your nose out of what doesn’t concern you.”

  “Oh, isn’t that sweet?” Loretta cooed. “He really cares about you, Harper.”

  I was starting to lose my temper. Loretta would not stop interfering, and Joe didn’t understand. I hadn’t intended for him to get in trouble on my account.

  “I didn’t ask you to do that,” I snapped. My guilt was making me testy.

  He straightened up, looking hurt. “I know you didn’t. Perhaps I shouldn’t have.”

  “Perhaps not. Now, what can I get you?”

  “I’ll take a coffee and a lemon muffin to go. But this isn’t going to be the end of it, Harper. I’m going to have to tell the chief.”

  I nodded stiffly as I bagged up the lemon muffin, trying to ignore the curious glances of the customers. “I understand.”

  As soon as Joe McGrady left the diner, Jess rushed up to the counter, leaving Pete at the table.

  “What was all that about?” she asked.

  I could still feel the gaze of the other customers on me, so I shook my head. “It’s nothing to worry about. I’ll tell you about it at home.”

  “Are you sure? You look very shaken up.”

  I tried to smile. “I’m fine, really. Joe was just telling me not to interfere in the investigation.”

  Jess frowned. “But he already told you that.”

  “I guess he wanted to tell me again.” I rolled my eyes. “You know what happened last time. I think he wants to make sure I stay out of trouble. I promise everything is fine. Now, what can I get you and Pete?”

  Jess ordered a hamburger, onion rings and a Coke for Pete and a chicken Caesar salad and a lemon tea for herself. “Pete didn’t really want to come out for lunch, but I insisted. I told him he needs to live his life normally and prove to everyone he hasn’t got anything to hide.”

  I smiled, feeling glad that Jess seemed happier and more positive today. I wasn’t about to add to her worries by telling her how serious the incident with Joe McGrady could be. If he and Chief Wickham made it official, I could be in serious trouble. Breaking and entering… Interfering with a crime scene… Or was it a crime scene? It wasn’t the scene of Monty’s murder, but as somebody had already broken into his house before me, I supposed his house was technically a crime scene.

  Distracted, I shook my head. “You go and sit down with Pete and relax. I’ll give Sarah your order. It won’t be long.”

  I took their order through to the kitchen, delivering it to Sarah with a smile. “Where’s Archie?”

  “In the back room, taking his break,” Sarah replied, reaching for a hamburger patty. She turned her head slightly to look away from me and squinted at the hatch in the wall that looked straight into the main area of the diner. “He didn’t stay away long.”

  “Who?” I turned to see who Sarah was looking at, and to my horror, I saw it was Joe McGrady. He’d returned to the diner with Chief Wickham.

  I clapped a hand to my forehead and muttered a curse under my breath.

  “Is everything okay, Harper?” Sarah asked, looking concerned.

  I gulped and shook my head slowly. “No, not really. I think I’ve really messed up this time.”

  Without waiting for any further questions from Sarah, I darted out of the kitchen and into the diner. Surely, Joe could have come back on his own and asked me to come down to the Sheriff’s office quietly. Did he really need to make a scene? Was he proving a point? Maybe I deserved it. I had snapped at him when he’d been trying to help me.

  I paused by the counter, took a deep breath and then started to walk slowly towards Joe and Chief Wickham. I wouldn’t make a fuss. Unlike the last time they had taken me into custody, this time, I deserved it.

  I was almost level with them when Joe shot an apologetic glance my way, but other than that, neither of them paid me any attention.

  As I waited patiently for them to arrest me, I started to feel a little awkward, and then when Chief Wickham stepped around me, ignoring me completely, I could only stare at him in confusion.

  Chief Wickham and Joe walked up to the table where Jess and Pete were sitting.

  The chief hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and said sternly, “Pete Bell, I’m arresting you for the murder of Monty Brown.”

  Chapter 22

  Jess turned pale and scrambled out of her chair.

  The customers stopped eating lunch and watched as Chief Wickham and Joe led Pete out of the diner.

  I put a hand on Jess’s arm. “This has all been a terrible mistake. They will let him go when they realize that.”

  Jess was too shocked to respond. I turned back to the counter and saw Monty hovering beside Loretta.

  His forehead creased in a puzzled frown. This had to be so difficult for him. I wanted to offer some words of comfort, but of course, I couldn’t talk to Monty now without drawing attention to myself. What was happening? What had led Chief Wickham and Joe to suddenly make Pete their number one suspect? They must have gotten some new information from somewhere.

  I’d been planning to talk to Pete about the secret he’d been keeping from Jess after my shift at the diner, but it didn’t look like I would be able to do that now.

  “Did you manage to get Pete to confide in you?” I asked Jess.

  Jess shook her head miserably. “No. I know he was hiding something, but I promise you, Harper, he is not capable of murder.”

  I nodded and smiled at her. “I believe you.”

  Jess looked around at all the watchful, curious faces and said, “I don’t think I’m going to stick around for lunch. I can’t deal with the attention and gossip.”

  She pushed her chair under the table, and then I pulled her in for a hug.

  “I understand. I will ask Sarah to wrap your salad to go and ask Archie if I can leave early today and keep you company. Can you get somebody to cover for you at the library?”

  Jess shook her head. “No, not on this short notice. It is fine, though. I can cope.”

  I dashed off quickly to the kitchen and asked Sarah to prepare Jess’s salad to take out. Then I stuck my head in the back room and put on my best puppy dog eyes before begging Archie to let me leave an hour early.

  Archie was an easy-going boss, and when I told him Pete had just been arrested, I didn’t need to tell him anything else.

  He pushed his lunch plate to one side and stood up. “Of course, you go and make sure Jess is all right. I don’t know what this town is coming to. There have been so many crimes committed lately. But I don’t believe Pete is capable of murder.”

  I took off my apron and folded it ready for the laundry. “I don’t think he did it, either, but the chief and Joe must have discovered something that makes him look guilty. I hope they release h
im soon and find the real culprit.”

  When I walked back into the main area of the diner, Sarah was handing Jess a brown bag containing the take-out salad.

  “I’ve put a couple of chocolate fudge cake slices in there for both of you girls,” she said warmly. “I am very sorry you’re having to go through this, Jess.”

  “Thank you,” Jess said taking the package from Sarah, and I kissed Sarah on the cheek.

  When things got tough, I realized who my real friends were. Sarah and Archie had always been there for me since I’d arrived in Abbot Cove.

  We grabbed our coats, and Monty trailed after us as we walked to the door.

  I heard Loretta call out, “Wait! Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I’m going with Harper,” Monty said. “This is an important development.”

  “I always have to miss out on the good stuff,” Loretta complained.

  “Why don’t you come with us?” Monty asked, but I knew she wouldn’t. Loretta never traveled far from the diner.

  For some reason, she almost seemed anchored to the place.

  “I can’t,” Loretta huffed. “Well, good luck. Don’t worry about me. I suppose I’ll see you later.”

  We stepped outside of the diner, and I shivered as the cold air hit me. When we turned to walk up the hill, I shivered for an entirely different reason.

  The Townsends stood next to the antiques store a few doors along, chatting on the sidewalk to Betty from the Lobster Shack.

  Jess tensed beside me.

  “I really can’t deal with them at the moment, Harper,” she muttered.

  “Not a problem,” I said, linking my arm through hers and preparing to cross to the other side of the road.

  But we weren’t going to get away with it that easily.

  Betty had spotted us and quickly came trotting up. “What has happened?” she asked. “Mr and Mrs Townsend just told me that Pete has been arrested for Monty Brown’s murder.”

  Jess nodded stiffly. “Doesn’t news travel fast?” she said pointedly. “He was arrested, but it’s a mistake. They’ll release him soon.”

  I agreed and backed Jess up.

  Before we could get away and avoid any more questions, the Townsends had also made their way over to us, shuffling over the sidewalk.

  “I heard they have very good evidence against him,” Mr Townsend said gleefully.

  The Townsends’ little Pomeranian wagged its butt and tried to jump up to get our attention, wanting to play.

  Usually, I would have leaned down and petted the small dog, but today I was too concerned about Jess.

  I thought she was dangerously close to exploding in a temper.

  “Why don’t you go on ahead to the library, and I’ll catch up with you.”

  Jess nodded once and then quickly strode away.

  When Jess was a safe distance away and could no longer hear us, I turned to the Townsends and asked them for details.

  I didn’t want to encourage their gossip, but I needed to know the truth if I was to have any hope of helping Pete and Monty.

  “Why did they arrest Pete? What evidence do they have against him?”

  Monty hovered close to my shoulder, which was a little distracting, but I could understand why he was so keen to hear Mr and Mrs Townsend’s reply.

  Mrs Townsend cleared her throat and then said, “It was about the incident at the library.”

  I frowned. I had no idea what she was talking about, and from the look on Betty’s face, she had no idea either.

  I dared to shoot a quick glance at Monty and noticed he didn’t look at all surprised.

  I stuck my hands in my pockets and said, “Okay, I’ll bite. What happened at the library?”

  I couldn’t think what it could be. Jess was in charge of Abbot Cove library and took her job very seriously.

  Pete worked for the library service state-wide, and that was how they’d met in the first place. Libraries didn’t exactly seem to be a hotbed of secrets and lies and other things that would get people murdered, though.

  “The incident was at the Cherrytown library, a few weeks ago. There was a presentation about historical re-enactments, and Pete oversaw the organization of the event. He and Monty had a difference of opinion, and he ended up ordering Monty to leave in front of everyone. A reliable source informs me he told Monty he would get what he deserved.”

  I raised an eyebrow. I was pretty sure their argument could be put down to a disagreement in historical accuracy between Monty and Pete, but what I didn’t understand was why Monty hadn’t told me about this earlier. Was this the secret Pete had been keeping from Jess? I was starting to think it must be.

  “So, they had an argument in public. Is that the only evidence against him?” I asked.

  Mrs Townsend looked a little put out that I wasn’t impressed by her gossip.

  “I think it’s more the fact that he threatened Monty in front of several people,” Mr Townsend said.

  I didn’t think Pete meant it as a threat. Although, I could understand why he may not have wanted it to come out in the open after Monty was murdered. It made him look bad, but in small towns like Cherrytown and Abbot Cove, an incident like that was bound to be brought up sooner or later. Pete should have realized that.

  It was good news, though, in a way.

  If that was all the evidence they had on Pete, they were bound to let him go before long.

  “I think it’s a lot of fuss over nothing,” I said. “It hasn’t changed my opinion. I’m sure they will release Pete soon when they realize he didn’t do it.”

  I turned and began to walk away, but Mrs Townsend’s bony hand shot out at a speed that belied her age, and she gripped my forearm.

  “Wait, that is not all,” she said.

  I turned back, intrigued. “There’s more?”

  A feeling of dread washed over me. I really hoped they didn’t have any more evidence against Pete.

  “They’ve got the post-mortem results back along with the toxicology report.”

  “How on earth do you know that?” I asked.

  Surely Chief Wickham and Joe wouldn’t trust the Townsends with this information. They both knew the Townsends were notorious gossips.

  Mrs Townsend narrowed her eyes and looked smug. “I have contacts in the Sheriff’s office.”

  “Say no more, my dear,” Mr Townsend said, patting his wife’s hand. “We must protect our sources.”

  I blinked. Today was growing more and more surreal by the second.

  “And what do the post-mortem results show?” I asked. “Was Monty poisoned?”

  Mr Townsend nodded. “He was. And the poison was nicotine.”

  “Nicotine? Like in cigarettes?”

  Mrs Townsend nodded. “Yes, but in a much higher concentration. They found small, handmade pouches fitted into his chain mail. They think that when he moved, the steel wool in the chain mail pierced the pouches, and the nicotine leaked out. The steel wool also cut his skin, allowing the nicotine to enter his bloodstream even faster.”

  I couldn’t speak for a moment. The news chilled me, and I wondered how Monty was taking it.

  His face was blank and impassive, but I knew inside he must be in turmoil. This was a meticulously planned murder, and the killer was evil and conniving.

  I was more convinced than ever that Pete couldn’t have had anything to do with this.

  Chapter 23

  When I reached the library, Jess had finished her salad and already plated up the chocolate fudge cake.

  The library was quiet. Apart from two elderly men in the research section, there was only Mrs Davies in the library, who was a known associate of the Townsends. I hadn’t seen her in the library before and guessed she was only here to pick up gossip. She sat in a chair by the window, pretending to read a Nora Roberts novel, but kept glancing over at Jess.

  “I feel like I have grown two heads,” Jess grumbled. “I suppose I had better get used to it. Until Pete’s name is cle
ared, everyone is going to be looking at me like that.”

  She handed me a large slice of chocolate fudge cake on a small white plate. “I need to stay close to the reception desk in case anyone needs anything. I’m not supposed to eat here, but today, I’m breaking the rules.”

  “You finished your salad fast,” I said.

  “I eat when I’m upset,” Jess said, stabbing her chocolate cake with a fork. “Sue me.”

  I smiled and took the fork she handed to me. “I will be supportive and join you in your comfort eating.”

  That brought a smile to Jess’s lips. “Thank you, Harper. That’s very kind.”

  “Anything for my sister,” I said and then ate a mouthful of moist, chocolate fudge cake.

  It was delicious.

  The chocolate fudge icing melted on my tongue, and although I was sure it was already heading to my thighs. I didn’t care. It tasted so good it was worth it.

  “Sarah sure can bake an excellent cake,” Jess said.

  I couldn’t argue with that.

  Monty hovered beside me. “That does look good.”

  I looked at him apologetically. “Sorry, I forgot it must be hard for you to see us tuck into cake when you can’t eat it.”

  Monty shrugged. “It can’t be helped. And I don’t expect you to stop enjoying yourself just because I can’t eat chocolate fudge cake ever again.”

  As he spoke, his eyes didn’t leave the cake, and I felt bad. Not bad enough to put the cake down, though.

  “How long do you think they’ll hold Pete?” Jess asked when she’d eaten her last mouthful.

  I shook my head. “I really don’t know. I don’t think they’ll keep him for long. I know you probably don’t want to hear what Mr and Mrs Townsend were gossiping about, but you might find it reassuring.”

  Jess sighed. “Okay then. Tell me.”

  “They arrested Pete because he was heard threatening Monty a couple of weeks ago at a library event in Cherrytown. It didn’t sound like much of a threat to me, and Monty clearly didn’t think it was significant because he didn’t even mention it to me.” I shot a glance at Monty, who had the decency to look abashed.