I scoffed. “A stray that weighs two hundred pounds?”
“Hey, who am I to question the generosity of strangers? Anyways, one of them had terrible aim and I took a Pelican burger to the flank.”
I buried my face in my hands. Yup, that’s my boyfriend, folks.
“That doesn’t explain how it got onto Lacey’s gown?” Evangeline pointed out.
I peeked between my fingers. The scene before me would probably be hilarious if it weren’t so infuriating. Adam was lounging casually against one banister, while Evangeline and Lacey were stationed at the other, hands on their hips, taking an identical posture of disgust with his story.
“I didn’t realize it was on me. I thought I…well…nevermind. I got home, Lacey was doing her princess parade down the front walk and I decided to…uh…say hello before I transformed again.”
“Hello?” Lacey shrieked, her voice reaching new heights. “You jumped up behind me and barked!”
“It was a friendly bark.” Adam laughed. “In any case, Lacey didn’t appreciate the greeting and pinned me down on the ground so she could do her scary, princess vampire routine, and the sauce…transferred. So, technically, this is not even my fault.”
“Oh, Adam,” I groaned. “That’s possibly a new low for you.”
“Thanks for the support, gorgeous.”
“Sorry, but you’re on your own this time. I’m taking Lacey’s side.”
Adam frowned at me.
“How touching. That still doesn’t fix my dress!” Lacey shrieked.
“I’m thinking, Lacey. Bat wings!”
“Do we have any coltsfoot?” Evangeline chimed in, her tone cool and calm, soothing like a heavy rain tamping down a raging wildfire.
“I do. Out in the greenhouse,” I replied, arching an eyebrow.
She nodded, an idea clearly forming in her mind. “There’s a paste you can use, mixing crushed coltsfoot, baking soda, and vinegar. It can get rid of any stain imaginable.”
“Really?” I gawked. “I had no idea.”
“Just go get it!” Lacey screamed, balling her fists together tightly. “You can discuss the wonder of it all later! After I leave for my pageant. I’m already late as it is.”
Every fiber in my being wanted to backhand her across the face, but I stuffed that rage down, and took off for the kitchen. I went out the back door, across the yard, and lit a ball of light as I stepped inside the dark greenhouse. The soft blue orb floated to the glass ceiling and I went to the containers that had my coltsfoot plants. It was a fairly common ingredient, useful for all kinds of potions, so I had a healthy supply. I didn’t know how much Evangeline needed, so I clipped off a handful of springs, knowing they wouldn’t be missed, and then marched back into the manor.
Evangeline was already in the kitchen, mixing the vinegar and baking soda in a small plastic bowl.
“Here, is this going to be enough?” I set the clippings on the counter.
Evangeline glanced over and gave a nod. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“Great. It’s all yours.”
“Can you mince it up?” Evangeline asked.
I nodded and sprang into action. It was odd suddenly being the one in the apprentice role, when just a couple of days ago, she was the one on the opposite side of the counter, studying with wonder in her eyes as I worked. Granted, a stain remover wasn’t exactly magical. Although, if it could keep Lacey from killing Adam, it would be pretty darn close!
The door slapped open as I was mid-chop and Lacey strode in, having changed into a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt. She was carrying the dress in a reverent way, as though it were a beloved child, instead of a sequin covered fashion don’t.
“Can you get it out? This dress cost over a thousand dollars,” she said, gently laying it on the kitchen table.
My mouth dropped open. Evangeline didn’t even bat an eye. Of course, in LA that was probably a bargain basement price.
“It will work. Trust me.” Evangeline’s tone was soothing and soft and Lacey relaxed slightly. She lowered into the chair and stared longingly at the lifeless garment.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
Within a few minutes, Evangeline had a green paste mixed together. She carried it to the dress and ladled it out with a spoon. She applied a thin layer to cover the entire stain. Lacey nibbled on her nails. At first, I was just as nervous as Lacey looked, but then, all at once, the solution seeped into the dress, as though absorbing through the surface. When it was gone, so was the stain.
I reached forward and brushed a finger along the fabric where the stain had been and gasped. Not only was the stain completely gone, but the garment was dry. “Woah! How did you do that?”
Evangeline smirked. “Magic!”
“I figured this was some kind of old wives tale.” I laughed. “I certainly wasn’t expecting that.”
Lacey jumped up and clutched Evangeline in what sounded like a bone crunching embrace and my mouth fell open for a second time. I’d never seen Lacey so much as give someone a hand shake. She spouted a million thank-yous on her way out the door, holding the restored dress over her head like an Olympic flag.
When she was gone, I released a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Evangeline. That was quick thinking!”
She beamed at me. “You forget that I was an actress. You wouldn’t believe how many costumes my assistant had to clean.”
I smiled but then paused. “Wait. Was?”
“Hmm?”
I circled my fingers through the air, rewinding the memory. “A second ago, you said ‘I was an actress.’”
“Oh.” Her skin tone was dark enough to hide a blush, but she had that same, caught-in-the-cookie-jar look on her face. “I meant, am. It’s just ’cause I’m on break. Out of the routine.”
“Right.” I nodded slowly, but couldn’t quite dismiss it as a slip. “Well, anyways, thank you. Sometimes Lacey and Adam can get a little…what’s the word…”
Evangeline smiled. “Crazy?”
I laughed. “Crazy is good. I was gonna say unweildy, impossible, downright childish. Any of those would work.”
Evangeline tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, still smiling. “In that case, I’ll keep the cleaning remedies at the ready.”
“Not a bad idea.” I laughed and sagged against the counter. My stomach rumbled to life and I glanced around the kitchen. “Where’s Boots? Normally he’d be in here, two seconds away from disowning me for being so late with dinner.”
Evangeline straightened. “Oh, he was in here earlier, before I went outside. He was pawing at that cupboard, so I went ahead and fed him. I hope that’s okay.”
“Oh? Yeah, no, that’s great. Thank you. He can be a little monster when he doesn’t get his dinner on time. You’re lucky with Flurry, he’s self-sufficient.”
Evangeline laughed. “I suppose that’s true. Although, sometimes it would be nice to have a familiar capable of snuggling. Hawks aren’t good for that. I think it’s the talons.”
“I never thought about it before, but yeah, that would deter me from trying too!” I smiled and started for the refrigerator, mentally trying to piece together a meal from the groceries that were stashed inside my drawer. I hadn’t been to Thistle, the market, for a while and my food stores were running low. And for some inexplicable reason, a Pelican burger—which, for the record was only a name, not the source of the meat—sounded good.
With my head still buried in the fridge, I called out to Evangeline, “Did you already eat? I don’t have much here. McNally’s is open late though if you want to go too.”
“Oh, thanks, Holly. I actually ate. Besides, I have a lot of studying to do. So, I should get going. I was just out mapping the constellations.”
“Oh. Astrology?”
She smiled. “Something like that.”
Before I could ask any follow up questions, the back door shut. I craned around to peer over my shoulder. She was gone.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“
DID PRINCESS LACEY get off to the ball before she turned into a pumpkin?”
I huffed a sigh and turned toward Adam’s casual drawl. He was propped up against the arm of the couch in the living area off the kitchen. “She did, no thanks to you! Seriously, Adam, barbecue sauce?”
He grimaced. “It wasn’t intentional. I swear, Holly.”
I squared off with him and folded my arms, not daring to get too close. Adam had a way of distracting me with his dark eyes and wicked smile. I wasn’t going to let him wiggle and flirt his way out this time. “Either way, you could have been a little nicer about the whole thing. At least offer to pay for the dry cleaning bill.”
“I did!” He sighed and flopped back against the couch. “I told her I was sorry right when it happened, but she just wanted to scream.”
I nibbled on my lower lip, considering his statement. Lacey did have a certain flair for the dramatic. It wasn’t that far-fetched to think that she’d bulldozed right over his concern and apologies in order to play up the incident. Especially when she could get all the women in the house ganged up against Adam, her least favorite person…ever.
I forced out an exhale, sending all the stress of the night out with it. “Well, she’s gone now, but I’d suggest getting her something for a peace offering. You know how nasty she can get.”
“Luckily, she can’t do a lot of damage to me. No such thing as a shifter vamp.”
I laughed and flicked my eyes up to the ceiling. “The stars help us all if that ever became a thing. You’d be inconsolable without being able to eat food!”
“I don’t even want to think about that.” Adam shuddered at the suggestion. “So, gorgeous, what’s on your agenda for the rest of the night? You got time for your favorite boyfriend?”
I laughed and dropped my arms. “Favorite? I wasn’t aware you had competition.”
An odd silence stretched between us, and for a moment, I thought Adam was going to say something, but with a flicker of a smile he dismissed it. “Did you eat?”
I shook my head. “No. I need to.”
My stomach rumbled at the suggestion, as though reminding me that I’d been saying that for a while.
“I’m always up for a late night dinner.”
“Newsflash!” I grinned at him. “We can go out but I need to talk to Katerina first. There’s some news about her death I need to share with her.”
“All right. Last I saw, she and Posy were in the study.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Any idea what they’re doing?”
Adam shrugged. “Not a one. Meet you out front when you’re ready?”
“All right. I won’t be long.”
Adam nodded his head and then backtracked to the grand staircase. I veered to the right, down the second, narrower hallway—the one to the right of the stairs—that led to my bedroom, bathroom, and a small study that no one besides Posy really used. The door of the study was closed and before raising a hand to knock, I pressed my ear to the thick wood, wondering if I could get some idea as to what the two ghosts were doing inside. It was silent. I rapped my knuckles against the door and waited.
“Come in.”
I twisted the handle and slowly pushed the door open. The study was dark, except for the faint moonlight from the windows streaming in. Posy and Katerina were hovering above the two wingback chairs set at an angle on opposite sides of the large fireplace. They both turned at the sound of the door opening.
I flicked my hand and sent an orb of light into the center of the space, casting a blue glow through the space. Neither of the ghosts seemed to mind. “Hello, ladies,” I greeted, my voice as soft as my footsteps as I tiptoed into the quiet room. I hadn’t heard their voices from the hall, but I couldn’t help but feel as though I’d interrupted something.
“Evening, Holly,” Posy replied. Her expression was solemn and downcast as she eyed her companion. Katerina was slunk back in her chair, making her look even more delicate than before. She was a tiny, waifish thing, and in ghost form, with no matter to her form, she was even smaller.
Inside my chest, my heart hammered away, willing me to turn and leave. I didn’t want to be the one to deliver the terrible news to the frail looking girl.
I swallowed hard and laced my hands together in front of me. “Katerina, this isn’t going to be easy, but I have something to tell you.”
Katerina barely looked up at me. Her eyes flicked toward me and then just as quickly, went back to rest on the small table between the two formal chairs. “Okay,” she whispered.
Posy gave her a look that could only be described as pitying. “Katerina, would you like me to leave?”
She shook her head. “No! Please stay.”
Posy nodded slightly and then turned her glossy eyes over to me. “What is it, Holly?”
“Katerina, your body was discovered early this morning.”
She didn’t look up at the announcement, and I gave Posy a quizzical glance, unsure if I should continue. Posy gave me a nod and I swallowed hard. “Um, Evangeline and I went up to the hiking trail nearest the beach I met you at. Her hawk circled the area and located your body. A rescue team was called in, but as we already knew, it was too late.” My fingers knotted and twisted together as my eyes bounced between the two women.
“That’s good news,” Posy offered, smiling slightly.
Katerina’s eyes snapped up, blazing. “Good news? How can that be good news? I’m dead! Dead. There’s nothing I can do to get back to my old life. Instead, I’m stuck here—” she jerked her hands through the air, gesturing at her new silvery, not-quite-there form. “I don’t care what happens to my body, unless there’s a way for me to get back into it—” her voice broke off and my heart twisted inside of my chest.
Posy looked about ready to cry herself. “Dear…”
I dragged in a sigh and tried to rally. “Katerina, I know—well, I don’t know, but I can imagine this is difficult and that there is a lot to process. I would leave you alone, but I need your help with something.”
Posy glanced at me, her eyebrows knit together. “What do you mean?”
“Katerina, you were found at the bottom of a hiking cliff. But from the evidence at the scene and on your body, it doesn’t look like your death was an accident.”
Katerina jolted up from the chair she’d been occupying and spun to face me. The anger was gone from her eyes, immediately replaced with horror, giving them a dark and endless look. “I was murdered?”
I paused for a moment but then nodded. “I’m so sorry.”
“Who? How? What did they do to me?”
Posy rose from her seat, too, and took her place beside Katerina. “Are the police sure?”
I nodded again. “There were signs of a scuffle and there are defensive marks on the—your—body. It’s possible there was a fight and you slipped. But, it looks more like someone pushed you from that cliff. Either way, someone else was with you and saw you fall.”
Katerina began floating back and forth across the room, with no regard for the furniture, just passing through it as it appeared. “Someone did this to me?” she cried. “On purpose?”
“Have you had any more breakthroughs in getting your memory back?”
She paused in mid-pace and turned to look at me. “No! I can’t remember anything except you and the beach and the strange faceless man telling me I was stupid for thinking about the age of the trees.”
My heart sank. I’d been hoping that the full day would have given her a chance to dig up more memories that might be helpful to the case. “All right. I’m sure it goes without saying, but keep trying. The police are investigating.”
“What about the PI?” Katerina asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.
“Nick and I went to talk to your boyfriend. Well, technically, your ex-boyfriend. He told us you two broke up a couple of weeks ago.”
Posy straightened. “Is he a suspect?”
“I don’t know. There was something off about him, but he claimed to know noth
ing about your death and said that he hasn’t seen you since the breakup. You moved in with your friend Jess. Does that name ring a bell?”
Katerina paused and glanced around the room as she searched her own memories—or whatever shards of memories she had left. My heart quickened as her expression shifted, as though maybe she was zeroing in on something, but it vanished just as quickly and the blank look returned. “I don’t remember Jess or even having a boyfriend. What’s he like?”
I suppressed a shudder, thinking of Bobby Price. “Honestly? He gave me a creepy feeling. I think—and Nick agrees—that he knows more than what he’s letting us know about.”
Posy gave Katerina a concerned glance and then cut back to me. “I think that’s enough for one night,” she said.
An argument welled up from my gut, but I stuffed it back down and dismissed the rest of my questions without a fight. Posy knew more about ghosts than I did. I couldn’t risk Katerina losing her memories altogether. If Posy told me to back off, then I would respect her opinion.
“Nick and I will go and talk to Jess tomorrow. I’m sure Nick will speak with Chief Lincoln and let him know our suspicions about Bobby.”
Katerina nodded, her eyes still unfixed as she glanced around the room. I gave them each a polite nod and turned to leave the study when she burst out, “Bobby!”
I whipped around.
“His name was Bobby?” she asked.
“Yes. Bobby Price.” I held my breath, hoping for another revelation like the one in the kitchen the day before.
Katerina shuddered. “I can’t see him. But…that name…”
Posy floated closer to her and met her eyes, forcing her to focus. “What do you see?”
“Darkness! And…” she paused, moving her fingers over her arms as though they were covered in goosebumps.
Ghostbumps?
“I don’t know why, but when you said that name, I got cold. What does that mean?” She stared at Posy, her sage in this new adventure.
But Posy shook her head. “I don’t know. It could be that you blocked out the memory of him altogether. Maybe all that remains of him is the echo of the memories.”
Twice the Witch: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 2) Page 11
