by Amy Casey
“It’s okay,” Steve said, waving them off. “Seriously, it’s okay.”
They reluctantly backed away. But I could tell Steve was considering letting them drag me out of here after all.
Steve grabbed his coffee. Took a fake sip of it, ’cause I could see the cup was clearly empty. “First off,” he said, “you don’t come charging in here like that. It’s very much an arrest-able offence.”
“Oh, that’s good to know something’s an arrest-able offence around here,” I said. “I mean, attacking me. Threatening to kill me. Running a drug operation. And then most likely killing a business partner. None of those seem to quite fit the bill.”
“I know what you think about Herbert,” Steve said. “And I share those concerns. But as for the drugs, there is no evidence that Herbert was involved in that business at all.”
I shook my head. I could barely speak. “What?”
“As for Bill Collins’ tragic death… the cause was suicide by hanging. There is no evidence that anyone else was responsible or that there was any foul play involved.”
He leaned back in his chair then, intertwined his fingers. This wasn’t the Steve I’d bonded with last week. This wasn’t the Steve I even liked.
“We do, however, have some questions of you. Or rather, your family. Thomas in particular.”
I gritted my teeth. Resisted every urge in my body to throw myself at Steve. “You know damn well Thomas didn’t do a thing.”
“I know what Herbert Young and many other witnesses have corroborated. That Thomas was the last person they saw with Andy Carter that night.”
My mind went blank. “But he… he can’t…”
“I don’t know what kind of a saint you think your cousin is, Stella. I only know that whatever sorcery got him out of his cell, he’s a dangerous criminal. And he needs to be stopped. So if you have any information on his whereabouts, now’s the time to speak up.”
I thought of Nightthistle. I thought of Aunt Hilda. I thought of the perfect little market, the smells, the sounds, the joyous life going on there. And I knew I couldn’t upturn all that. I knew I couldn’t go back there and ruin the perfect life that my family and everyone around them had built for themselves. I’d be outcast and hunted down forever.
And now I’d seen it… now I’d sampled that life, for just a week… that wasn’t what I wanted to give up.
Steve leaned forward. “I know you see it too, Stella. I know you’re just as suspicious of your cousin as I am. And all signs are pointing that way, as much as it pains me to admit it. But you have a chance to help us here. And by helping us, you’re helping your friends. You’re helping this whole town.”
I looked into Steve’s eyes. And again, goddammit, I knew he was right. I might not like his methods. I might not approve of his approach. But there was something amiss about Thomas, something that I still felt I’d yet to see.
And I couldn’t stand by him when I barely knew him.
“Tell me, Stella. Where is he? Where has he gone to?”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Looked around the office. Looked at everyone as they stared back at me.
And then I cleared my throat and said what I had to say.
“I haven’t seen him. I don’t know where he is. I’m… I’m sorry for bothering you.”
And then I turned around and walked away.
Steve might’ve said something as I left. He might’ve called out to me, tried to draw me back. He might’ve shouted my name, told me to come back right away.
I didn’t know.
I wasn’t listening.
I couldn’t.
I walked out of the police station, totally lost, totally torn between my home town and my week’s life away from Goosridge.
And as I stood on the steps of the police station, I saw something that made me burn up inside.
Herbert Young was climbing into his Jaguar.
He looked over at me, a wry smile on his face.
Then he nodded and climbed into his car and drove off.
And as I watched him drive away, I realised something stark.
I’d never felt more helpless than at that moment.
Chapter 37
I was back in Witchy Delights the following day. And I’d never wanted to be there less.
I was on my own behind the counter, for one. Mary was taking some hard-earned time off. She hadn’t spoken to me in person since I’d returned. She was mad with me, no doubt about that. And she had more than enough reason to be.
Maybe in time, I could win her over, make her understand.
But I knew Mary. It was better if I just left her to her own devices right now; gave her the space I knew she needed to resist, well, ripping my head off for my insensitivity at leaving her here in charge of the shop and my pets.
I owed her an apology. A big one. But it still wasn’t the time for that yet.
I stared out of the window of Witchy Delights, out into space. Another grey day. I remembered what it’d been like in Nightthistle. How the sun had shone every single day. Even though it rained from time to time, there were always hours of sun you could rely on. And I longed for that here, too. Was it really too much to ask for? In the middle of bloody spring? Wow. I couldn’t believe my mindset right now. Last week, I’d been all set on staying here forever. How quickly things could change.
“You look like you could do with a kip.”
I turned around to face the counter. Annabelle was here.
She wasn’t in her work gear, which was weird in itself because I was used to bossing her around—and was close to asking her to collect some cups from a table at the opposite side of the cafe.
But it didn’t look like she was here for work. It just looked like she was here to see me.
Which I kind of disliked in itself.
I sighed. “What do you want?”
“I came to see whether you’re okay.”
“Well I am. So you can leave me alone now.”
“Stella… we worried about you. All of us were worried about you.”
“That’s nice. Really.”
“Why do you insist on isolating yourself from everyone who cares?”
She spoke with a sharpness. A sharpness that triggered my defensiveness. But I supposed that by the fact it had triggered my defensiveness, there was something in her words. A truth about them.
“I don’t—”
“Don’t deny it, Stella,” Annabelle said. I saw a few of the regulars glance up with interest, then turn back to their coffees and their chit-chat. But I was beyond caring about judgement, in all truth. “You disappear for a week. Then you come back here and start acting like it’s someone else’s fault. Someone other than your own.”
“I’ve just got a lot going on, okay?”
“Then let us bloody help you.”
I heard the desperation in Annabelle’s voice. And I felt for her. I really did. Because I wanted her help. I wanted her friendship.
But at the same time, I knew that what I needed help with—getting to the bottom of the Andy Carter murder once and for all—was something that she couldn’t assist with.
“You’ve always tried to do things on your own,” Annabelle said.
“That’s not entirely true.”
“Well. Disregarding all the delegating you do in this place. All the bossing around, we’ll ignore that for now too. But I’m talking about these obsessions of yours. Because that’s what they are. Dress them up however you want to, they’re obsessive behaviour. And you need to face up to that. You need to acknowledge it and accept it. And you need help with it.”
I thought about the case. Then I thought about other behaviours in my life prior. Maybe it was so. Maybe I was obsessive. But it got things done. It made me succeed in life.
“Just whatever you do… don’t feel like you have to go through anything alone, Stella. Because you don’t. And the thought that you think you do… well, that’s hurtful; I can’t lie.”
I took
a deep breath, swallowed, looked Annabelle right in the eye.
“I appreciate it. And I’m… as hard as it is to admit, I’m sorry I disappeared. But I’m here now. I’m back. And things… things are going to work out. One way or an…”
I stopped speaking.
I stopped because of who I saw outside.
The way they were walking.
The way they were looking over their shoulder.
And the way they’d slipped below the radar in this entire case.
“Can you just hold the fort for a minute?” I said, taking off my apron and handing it to Annabelle.
“I’m not working today—”
“You are now,” I said.
Annabelle’s eyes widened. “Charming. After all we just talked about. Charming.”
I stepped out of Witchy Delights.
I looked at the woman walking off down the alleyway, dressed in that long red coat, perfect red lipstick and glowing blonde hair.
And as she looked around, I couldn’t help feeling I’d been looking past an important piece of this puzzle all along.
And that puzzle piece disappeared down the alleyway.
Chatty Charlie disappeared down the alleyway.
Andy Carter’s former “mistress” disappeared down the alleyway.
Chapter 38
I watched Chatty Charlie disappear down the alleyway and I knew deep down that wherever she was going, it was important.
I mean, she was going down an alleyway looking all shifty, for Christ’s sake. If that wasn’t a sign of guilt in some way, then the television shows and movies had it wrong all along.
And we all knew deep down that cliches were rooted in reality.
Right?
The clouds had thickened over, giving the main street of Goosridge a dark hue, like it was far later in the day than it actually was. Another cliche being tapped into, it seemed. Dark alleyways, suspects long ago forgotten about suddenly looking shifty. And of course, dark skies. Give it a little time and we might just see some…
Ah yes. There it is. The pouring rain.
We’ve got a jackpot.
As I stepped out of Witchy Delights, trying to ignore Annabelle’s calls for me to return to the shop, I peered over at that alleyway. My heart thumped. I could taste burning at the back of my throat, something which always happened when I was getting a little stressed.
And in my mind’s eye—or mind’s ear if that was a thing—I heard the words that Annabelle had said literally moments ago.
“You don’t ever have to do things on your own, Stella.”
Maybe she was right. Maybe I had tried to take on too much responsibility at times. Maybe I was prone to throwing myself knee deep into problems I didn’t truly understand.
But you know what?
There was no way I was letting Chatty Charlie disappear down that alleyway without understanding what the hell was going on.
Even if it killed me.
Well. I sincerely hoped it wouldn’t kill me. But beggars couldn’t be choosers, right?
I walked across the street, headed over to the entrance of that alleyway. Everywhere was so still, everything so quiet. Which just added to the daunting feel of the situation; the peril of the situation.
I stopped right at the alleyway entrance. Because it felt like something was holding me back. Probably that nervousness that I was walking right into a trap.
But then I reminded myself that all I’d seen was Chatty Charlie walking down this alleyway. Really, there could be nothing in it. I wasn’t the bloody alleyway police. She was more than entitled to saunter down whichever alleyway she pleased, really.
But there was something…
There was just something…
I held my breath and stepped around the alleyway.
The second I did, I saw Chatty Charlie, just momentarily. She took a left, disappeared from sight.
I gritted my teeth, tensed my fists. If I’d delayed a second later, I might’ve missed her. I wouldn’t have seen which way she’d gone.
So I couldn’t take that kind of risk again.
I had to keep going.
I had to keep on her tail.
I walked down the alleyway. The curtains in the windows of the buildings either side of me were mostly closed. I saw a few of them twitching, a few eyes peeking out to see what was going on.
But I just kept my focus on moving forward. Kept my attention on getting to Chatty Charlie, of finding out what the hell was going on—if anything was going on at all.
I reached the left turn, the alleyway suffocating in its narrowness. It struck me for a second that I didn’t really have many options if I wanted to get out. There wasn’t an easy escape. I could get caught up. Trapped.
But no.
Breathe, Stella. Breathe.
I closed my eyes. Got my breathing under control.
Then I stepped around the corner and prepared to see whatever was ahead.
When I saw them—when I saw how close they were—I instantly did something.
My invisibility activated. And I realised at that moment just how quickly I’d been able to activate it, just how effortless it felt. It was kind of how it used to be, before the case a year ago. I felt like for whatever reason, I was winning back use of my powers.
Maybe somebody up there was rooting for me.
I had to hope.
I kept my movement to a minimum, still aware and conscious that my invisibility could break at any moment. But as I stood there, I couldn’t help staring ahead at the people before me, the people talking.
Because if I’d had any doubt that Chatty Charlie was involved somehow… now I was seeing the truth.
Chatty Charlie was standing in the middle of the alleyway. She looked worried.
And opposite her?
A hooded figure.
I squinted. Tried to see the face of this figure. I knew I could creep over there, use my invisibility to get a good look. Or even use some telekinesis to knock their hood down.
But at the same time, I wanted to hear what they were saying.
I wanted to know for certain what they were discussing right now.
I closed my eyes. Steadied my focus. And as hard as it was, I found the resolve to draw up an enhanced hearing spell. I didn’t particularly like this spell because it lasted a little longer than was comfortable.
But it was essential right now. That much I could tell.
I focused my attention on the two figures opposite. They were whispering. It looked like they were discussing something serious.
And as much as I wanted to creep over there, I wasn’t sure I could hold my invisibility for that long.
So I directed the hearing spell at them and said the words.
Right away, I got a blast of noise. I winced. Let out a little gasp of breath.
I looked up. The two figures were looking my way.
Fear covered me. Dread encircled me. I looked down at my hands and…
I was still invisible.
Phew. Thank the Lord.
It wasn’t long until my hearing tuned in. Until I heard the voices.
And when I heard what they were saying, I knew.
For certain, I knew.
“The money,” Chatty Charlie said. “Did you even manage to get it?”
“We ran into a few problems,” the hooded figure said. Definitely male.
“Problems? I thought there weren’t supposed to be problems. I thought this was straightforward.”
“What was supposed to be straightforward was your end of the deal.”
“Well getting Andy’s bank details wasn’t as easy as I’d thought. And besides. Andy… Andy wasn’t the monster you made him out to be.”
“Wow. That’s it then, is it? You fell for him and got tired of me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I love you. I just… It’s hard because I sympathised with Andy. I felt sorry for him. Because sure, he was a bastard. but this… this…”
“Then
you’ll know how hard this was for me, too.”
“So where do we go from here?” Charlie asked.
Silence, then. A pause. And as I tried to get my head around all of this—what it meant—the man said the words that confirmed my suspicions all along.
“I guess we run away together, like we always planned. Conning Andy might not have worked. Getting the money might not have worked. But we’ve still got each other.”
I saw the hooded figure lean in and kiss Charlie, heard the slurp of their lips.
And then I saw Charlie look around again, glance in my direction.
“We should get out of here,” Charlie said. “Before anyone sees us.”
Right away I knew I had to act before they left. I had to see beneath that hood before they left.
Because this was it.
The plan.
The plan was for Charlie to rob Andy Carter all along.
To rob him and then run away with whoever this was…
And there was something else I was certain about.
I lifted my hand. Went to pull back the man’s hood.
But he gripped onto it, and I felt my invisibility dropping.
He turned around. Turned to look in my direction.
And as he was still hooded, all I could do was spin around the corner and hide.
Because I’d seen his face.
I’d looked into his eyes.
I knew who he was.
And as the rain began to lash down heavier, I knew something else.
This man was Andy Carter’s killer.
Chapter 39
I walked up the long, narrow alleyway and I knew damn well what was at the end of it.
So for that reason, I’d made bloody well sure I’d gone back home beforehand and cast a spell of strength—not to mention gathered some more truth serum.
And also, I wasn’t afraid to invoke hard magic. Not in the slightest.
Because I knew who I was going up against.
I was going to face Andy Carter’s killer.
And judging by the way they’d killed Bill too, I had to be prepared for whatever stood in my way.
I waited outside the door and I remembered the last time I’d come into contact with this person. The way they’d threatened me. And I should’ve known then that this was their game, really. Because I knew the truth. I was piecing it all together, bit by bit.
