Curse of the Witch

by K E O'Connor

  “Who hired you?”

  “I don’t recall.”

  “The Magic Council?”

  Daisy snorted. “Who knows?”

  “You do. It’s too much of a coincidence that someone from the Magic Council arrives with a deal for Esmeralda, and when she doesn’t take it, you appear, all magic blazing.”

  “You know what they say, life is full of coincidences.”

  I wasn’t buying that. “Why did the Magic Council hire you?”

  Daisy looked away. “It doesn’t matter who hired me. The only thing I’m telling you is that I had nothing to do with these other murders. I got here yesterday. I’ll be leaving today.”

  “Neither did I,” Esmeralda said. “I’m innocent.”

  “You’re not that innocent,” I said. “I watched you use fire magic to strangle Daisy. That was how Bastille and Caprice were killed.”

  “In self-defense,” Esmeralda said. “I’d have done anything to escape her. She’s dangerous. Only when she’s behind bars will the rest of us be safe.”

  “If you need my alibi, I have one,” Daisy said. “I was doing... a bit of business in another part of the country. I have victims who, well, they can’t talk anymore, but my particular style of dispatch is unique.”

  “Your style of dispatch?” I swallowed, feeling disgusted at how easily she talked about killing.

  “We all have bills to pay.”

  “Get a job behind a bar,” I said.

  Daisy only smirked and toyed with a blade of grass.

  My heart sank as I glared at Esmeralda. It wouldn’t be hard to check Daisy’s movements and confirm who she killed. Esmeralda was the killer. She’d murdered Bastille and Caprice to get her hands on their share of the pay out from the Magic Council.

  I’d heard enough. It was time to bring in reinforcements. But before I got the angels involved, there were other people who’d want to speak to Esmeralda.

  Chapter 21

  Fifteen minutes later, I spotted Wiggles returning from Mom’s house with Auntie Queenie, Samantha, and Lila.

  “Tempest, what’s going on?” Auntie Queenie hurried over, concern on her face. “Wiggles said you’d found the killer.”

  “I have.” Esmeralda and Daisy sat with their backs against a stone in the circle. Esmeralda looked nervous, and Daisy appeared bored.

  “Who’s that?” Samantha pointed at Daisy. “I don’t know her.”

  “Neither do I,” I said. “She came out of the shadows and attacked Esmeralda.”

  “That’s Bastille and Caprice’s killer?” Lila advanced toward Daisy, her hands clenched.

  I caught hold of Lila’s arm. “Sadly not.” I looked at Esmeralda. “Do you want to tell them?”

  Esmeralda sighed and looked away. “I had no choice. And I deserve that money.”

  “What money?” Auntie Queenie asked. “What’s going on?”

  Esmeralda glanced at her friends before ducking her head. “I’m also sick. I’ve been fighting it for a while, but the potion is finally getting to me. Six months ago, I went to my doctor. He said there’s not much more he can do. It’s a case of time. I’ll fade slowly over the next few years. I refuse to go out with a whimper. I know there’s something out there that will help me.”

  “What’s this got to do with our dead friends?” Samantha asked.

  Esmeralda shifted on the ground. “I’ve been trying to get the Magic Council to accept responsibility for that potion they gave us. Once they do that, it’s only right they offer compensation for what happened to us.”

  “Responsibility? Huh, I never thought about going after them for compensation,” Auntie Queenie said.

  “Neither did I. Not until I read about a case in a newsletter run by a Magic Council hater. She claimed the Magic Council uses their funds to keep magic users quiet when things go wrong. They paid a witch a huge sum of money because she’d experimented with a spell they gave her and had almost died.”

  “What spell did she use that was so deadly?” Lila asked.

  “The spell isn’t important,” I said. “It’s the money she got offered that Esmeralda is interested in.”

  Esmeralda nodded. “It had been hushed up, but I discovered the witch’s name and got in touch with her. She told me how she winkled money out of the Magic Council. It wasn’t difficult but needed time and lots of paperwork. I’ve been working on getting us compensation for almost a year.”

  “Since our last reunion?” Lila asked.

  “You should have said,” Auntie Queenie said. “We could have helped.”

  “Esmeralda didn’t want help,” I said. “Keep going. What did the Magic Council offer you?”

  Esmeralda scowled at me before shaking her head. “They offered me a settlement, but when it was divided between us, it wouldn’t have made any difference. I have plans for my last few years. There are new treatments I want to try, and I’d planned to spend a year sailing the world, eating fine foods, and drinking amazing wine. I want to make love under the stars on a Caribbean island with a gorgeous guy half my age.”

  Auntie Queenie snorted a laugh. “It’s a lovely dream, but you’re a bit old for that.” She took a step closer to Esmeralda.

  I caught hold of Auntie Queenie’s arm. “Best not to get too close.”

  Auntie Queenie’s brow wrinkled. “I didn’t know you were so ill, Esmeralda.”

  “It was a shock to me, as well. It came on quickly.”

  “And the money you were offered?” I prodded her to continue. “What did you decide to do about the offer from the Magic Council?”

  She glowered at me. “The Council wasn’t budging. If I was to achieve half of what I wanted before I faded, I had to act fast.”

  “So, what did you do?” Samantha’s anxious gaze shifted from Daisy to Esmeralda.

  Esmeralda pinched her lips together and shook her head.

  “Esmeralda killed Bastille and Caprice,” I said.

  Auntie Queenie gasped and grabbed Lila and Samantha’s arms. “She wouldn’t do such a thing. She’s one of us.”

  I gestured for Esmeralda to continue, but she looked away and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Esmeralda was offered a group settlement by the Magic Council. Ten million divided between all surviving members. Anyone who’d been in contact with the jinxed potion was eligible for a payout. Esmeralda figured it wasn’t enough when divided between you all. However, the fewer the number of gang members left, the bigger the payout would be.”

  Nobody spoke as this information sank in.

  “Esmeralda planned to kill us off to get a bigger payout for herself?” Auntie Queenie’s face paled.

  “But we were drinking cocoa together when Bastille was killed,” Lila said. “How could you be in two places at once?”

  “Didn’t you say you dozed off?” I asked her.

  “Well, yes, I did struggle to keep my eyes open,” Lila said. “I got really sleepy. When I woke, Esmeralda was tidying the mugs and about to leave.”

  I nodded. “And Esmeralda gave cocoa to Tabitha as well. She also fell asleep after drinking it.” I glared at Esmeralda. “I wonder why that is?”

  Esmeralda ducked her head. “A sleeping potion. I used it so I could get around without being noticed.”

  “You scheming old hag.” Samantha advanced on Esmeralda.

  Esmeralda cowered against Daisy, who shoved her away.

  “I’m not getting involved with this,” Daisy said. “If you were my friend and double-crossed me like that, I’d want to kill you too.”

  Esmeralda pressed her back against the stone. “Have mercy. I’m dying. Daisy beat me half to death.”

  “Who’s Daisy?” Auntie Queenie looked confused.

  Daisy tilted her chin. “Lethal killing machine at your service.”

  They stared at her in silence.

  “Your niece is a menace, Queenie,” Esmeralda said. “She let her demon loose on me. He stopped me from escaping.”

  Auntie Quee
nie sniffed. “I’m not a fan of Frank, but he did the right thing. You don’t deserve to escape.” She shook her head. “How could you kill Bastille and Caprice?”

  “Bastille was almost dead, anyway,” Esmeralda said, her expression growing cold. “We all saw how badly she suffered. In six months, she’d have been dead. Her share of the money would have vanished along with her if she’d received it. It would have been a waste.”

  “She could have enjoyed the time she had left,” Samantha said. “You know how little money she had. Bastille could have taken a few holidays, treated herself, and taken her mind off her illness.”

  “But instead, you wanted it all for yourself,” Lila snarled. “You’re a heartless, evil witch.”

  “And greedy,” Samantha said. “What about Caprice? She wasn’t sick.”

  “I think she was,” I said. “She was seen out of the hotel on the night of Bastille’s murder. She didn’t look too good.”

  Esmeralda nodded. “Caprice was in a bad way. She’d told me in confidence that she wasn’t doing well. She’d visited a specialist in Norway and another in Canada to get second and third opinions. She’d been given some magic to ward off the worst of the symptoms, but she was going down almost as fast as Bastille. I figured she didn’t have more than twelve months left.”

  “They were your friends.” Auntie Queenie’s magic sparkled out of her like a firework. “We were part of the same gang. We looked out for each other, no matter what. You attacked the weakest members of our group for personal greed. That cannot be forgiven.”

  “Who were you targeting next?” Samantha stood shoulder to shoulder with Auntie Queenie and Lila. “I’ve had symptoms recently, so has Lila. Which one of us were you planning to choke to death?”

  Esmeralda had the decency to look away. “I needed that money. I wasn’t going to spend my last months sitting in a moth-eaten armchair and cursing the Magic Council.”

  “By withholding that money from Caprice and Bastille, you took away any chance they had of a decent end.” Auntie Queenie pulled back her shoulders. “We know the truth. It’s time for justice.”

  “Finally!” Daisy stood. “If you want justice, that’s why I’m here.”

  They all looked confused.

  I raised a hand in warning. “Daisy was sent by a mysterious someone to kill Esmeralda.”

  Wiggles coughed out the words Magic Council.

  Daisy shrugged. “I’m saying nothing about who sent me. This is what I’m here for. It sounds like you want this witch dead. Let me do my job, and I’ll be on my way. I’d have been done by now if I hadn’t been attacked by this... this creature.” She gestured at me. “Whatever hybrid of magic creature you are, you’re strong and damaged.”

  “Nonsense. My niece is perfect.” Auntie Queenie patted my arm. “She has a little issue to deal with, that’s all.”

  “She should be locked up. You must be able to feel her energy. You think Esmeralda’s a danger, but she’s the most unstable thing around here.”

  “Ignore her.” Auntie Queenie’s worried expression was masked by a smile. “She doesn’t know you like we do.”

  I tried to ignore the shiver of worry inside me. I knew I had a problem with Frank, but I couldn’t think about that now.

  Lila scratched her head. “I’m confused. I got lost at the lethal assassin administering justice part?”

  Daisy smirked. “You should have left me to complete my mission. Your problem would be gone.”

  “Your mission?” Lila asked.

  “When I went to find Esmeralda, I discovered a note in her room telling her to come here,” I said. “I overheard her talking to someone from the Magic Council about the group compensation offer. When he left, Daisy turned up.”

  “To kill me,” Esmeralda said.

  Auntie Queenie nodded. “Daisy’s right. We should leave her to get on with it.”

  “That’s a funny name for an assassin, Daisy,” Lila said. “Is it a family name?”

  Daisy sighed and pressed her lips together.

  “Your greed made you a target,” Samantha said to Esmeralda. “You brought this on yourself.”

  “You’re a fine one to talk about money,” Esmeralda said.

  Samantha shrugged. “I earn mine.”

  “You mean, you married it,” Esmeralda said.

  “My husband’s no walk in the park. He eats with his mouth open and never puts the loo seat down. Sometimes, I wonder if all that money is worth it.”

  I glanced at her, wondering if she was reconsidering her relationship status with Toby. Was Toby worth the trouble, or was he just another guy who ate with his mouth open and forgot the loo seat had a purpose.

  Lila looked at Daisy. “Is this case still open?”

  Daisy’s brow wrinkled. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, the claim Esmeralda has against the Magic Council,” Lila said. “If it’s an active case, it sounds like we’re entitled to our share of the money, so long as we’re alive to claim it.”

  Esmeralda spluttered, and her cheeks turned puce. “You can’t do that. It’s taken me months to get to this stage. If the Magic Council hadn’t tried to kill me, I’d have fixed a deal for us all. They were trying to scare me away with threats of lawsuits and bankruptcy, but I’d have gone after them.”

  “I doubt that. You’d have gone after the rest of your friends,” I said. “You killed Bastille and Caprice, and I bet you had the rest of the gang in your sights.”

  Esmeralda glanced at Lila, Auntie Queenie, and Samantha. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You mean old bag,” Lila said. “Let’s take our share of this money. Esmeralda’s getting nothing. That’s the perfect punishment for her. You can’t spend your money when you’re in prison.”

  Esmeralda groaned and pressed a hand to her injured side. “That’s not fair.”

  “You lost the right to fairness after you killed our friends,” Auntie Queenie said. “You deserve nothing.”

  “I deserve that money,” Esmeralda said. “I worked hard for it.”

  “And two of our best friends lost their lives because of your hard work,” Auntie Queenie said. “All you’ll get is a long spell in prison.” She looked over at me. “Have you informed the angels?”

  I nodded at Wiggles. “Go round up some angels and get them here.”

  Wiggles grumbled before running off, muttering about the angels hating him and not letting him eat their doughnuts.

  “What about Daisy?” Auntie Queenie asked. “How are we going to explain her?”

  “You don’t need to explain me,” Daisy said. “I can look after myself.”

  “The angels will want to talk to you,” I said. “You tried to kill Esmeralda.”

  “Prove it,” Daisy said. “I’ll say I was a concerned citizen who saw trouble and tried to help you take down a criminal.”

  “The angels won’t need to do much digging to find a record on you. It sounds like this isn’t your first time on the job,” I said.

  Daisy smirked. “Assuming you’re right, and I work for the Magic Council, those kinds of records have a habit of disappearing.”

  “She’s right,” Auntie Queenie muttered. “The Magic Council is an officious bunch, but they’ve got a lethal side. As Esmeralda has discovered, if you cross them, you pay with your life.”

  “Which is what they tried to do to all of you,” I said. “If they’re responsible for that dodgy potion making you all sick, they won’t want that information getting in the public domain.”

  “I wish I could prove it was them behind it,” Auntie Queenie said. “It’s time someone shook up that archaic system.”

  “The payment they’re offering is a sort of proof,” I said. “They feel responsible enough to give you money.”

  “It’s hush money,” Esmeralda said. “That’s a part of the deal. I was taking this money but would have signed a waiver so I could never talk about it again. Ten million for my complete silence.”r />
  “So, no one will know how underhanded the Magic Council really is,” I said. “That’s clever of them.”

  “That’s the Magic Council for you,” Auntie Queenie said. “They like their dark deeds to remain hidden. What do you reckon girls? Do you fancy spending the rest of your days fighting the Magic Council to get them to admit they tried to bump us off?”

  “There’s not a chance I’m wasting the time I have left going after them,” Samantha said. “I’d rather take the money and spend it on extravagant nonsense. Every time I sip a glass of champagne, I’ll smile because I know I’m spending the Magic Council’s money on something frivolous.”

  “I’m with Samantha,” Lila said. “We’d waste what time we’ve got going to court, filing paperwork, and being hounded by the dubious tactics of the Magic Council. And, if we keep prodding them, what’s to say they won’t send another Daisy after us? If I’m going to die, I’m going out in style.”

  “That was my plan,” Esmeralda whined. “You’re stealing my plan and my money.”

  “You keep quiet,” Auntie Queenie said, “or I’ll let Tempest loose on you again.”

  I tilted my head and shrugged at Esmeralda. “You can’t blame me for what happened. My demon has a mind of his own.”

  Frank chuckled inside my head. “And don’t you forget it.”

  “We’ll take the money.” Auntie Queenie nudged Esmeralda with the toe of her shoe. “Don’t expect any visits from us when you’re inside. You’re lucky we don’t finish the job Tempest and Daisy started.”

  “But I’ll die in prison,” Esmeralda said. “I don’t deserve that.”

  “And Bastille and Caprice didn’t deserve to lose their lives,” I said.

  Esmeralda hung her head and sighed.

  “I’m getting a toy boy,” Lila said. “Someone who’ll look after me and treat me like a goddess. He’ll be skilled in the sensual art of Thai massage.”

  “A toy boy sounds exhausting,” Samantha said. “How about a cruise? All expenses paid, food on tap, champagne whenever we want it. Dancing at night or seeing shows. Whatever we fancy.”