Westerham Witches and a Venetian Vendetta

by Dionne Lister

  I gazed around the uncrowded room. “What do the rest of the hotel’s finances look like? It doesn’t seem to be overrun with tourists, and it’s the busy time of year.”

  Lavender sipped his cocktail, then placed it back on the table. “Yes, but if you’re only catering to witches, you’ve probably reduced your potential clientele to one in ten or less. We don’t exactly make up a lot of the population.”

  “That sparrow I found, the one Beren bought, did you send it for testing?”

  “Yes, dear. It’s as you thought—a real sparrow turned to glass, the same as our victim, Antonio Dal Lago. The glass-blower is obviously our strongest lead right now, but the fact that his alibi checks out—he was at his niece’s birthday party—leaves us without a clear-cut case.”

  “But why was his magic signature on the victim?” my mother asked.

  “Lorenzo says it’s because he made him promise under oath to repay the loan in thirty days. Lorenzo cast the oath spell. He showed us video footage of Antonio coming to the office at the factory the day before the transformation happened.” Angelica finished off the wine in her glass.

  Will leaned forward and sat on the edge of the couch. “What about that woman he was arguing with that afternoon? How is she related to him?”

  “That’s his wife,” Angelica answered.

  Will picked up his glass and moved it so the liquid and ice swirled around. “Do you know what they were fighting about?”

  “No. She claimed she was too upset to talk to us.”

  I raised a brow. “For someone who isn’t leading the investigation, you sure know a lot.”

  She cocked her head to the side but didn’t say anything in answer to that particular comment. “We’ve hit a dead end, which means we’ll have to start questioning the rest of the staff here. The Italian agents have said I can sit in when they’re interviewing tomorrow.”

  “Can you check for magic signatures around here in the meantime? If it was someone who works here, we’ll know soon enough.” Since it was a hotel catering to witches, they’d use their magic whenever they felt like it. “Surely no one would change a bed manually when they could magic it. Putting that fitted sheet on is a b—.”

  “We don’t have cause to do that yet, Lily. You should know better. Until we can figure out a potential motive, we’re not allowed to search anything.”

  “But who would even know? Can’t you look for them and check them against the ones you found? At least you’ll know whether to push harder or forget about it.”

  Angelica sighed. “What if the culprit does work here but their signature isn’t even on the body? Then we’ll give up before we should. Your idea is terrible, dear. Also, we could do it that way, but it’s an invasion of privacy. It’s like sneakily checking out someone’s diary or their medicine cabinet. It just isn’t done. Bad etiquette, dear.”

  “Good etiquette isn’t Lily’s strong suit.” Will smirked.

  “I’m not that bad. Sheesh. It’s not like I chew with my mouth open.”

  Angelica raised a brow. “And I suppose allowing tree rats to sit and eat on my kitchen table is the height of polite behaviour?”

  “They’re not rats! Anyway, rats are cute.” Bagel and Cinnamon came to mind. They’d been rather helpful when it came to cracking the RP investigation, and they were clever and polite. “It’s not like I do it when you’re eating there. And I always clean up afterwards.”

  “Knowing a squirrel has defecated on my kitchen table is not comforting in the least… whether or not you cleaned up afterwards. I suggest you entertain them outside from now on, as you did this morning.” Angelica’s serious gaze brooked no argument, but my mum pressed her lips together. Was she trying not to laugh?

  Gah, this was so silly, and Angelica was such a party pooper. I sighed. “Okay.” As much as I hated this turn of events, it was her table and her home, so I wasn’t going to argue about where I hung out with my squirrels. If she wanted us outside, I’d respect her wishes. At least now I could do things outdoors whenever I wanted and not worry about being attacked. Will and I could probably get our own place together, but now my mum had moved in, there was no way I wanted to move out. We had a ridiculous amount of catching up and spending time together to do.

  I couldn’t believe they were giving up on that glass-blower so quickly. “Even though that glass-blower guy had an alibi, it could still be him, surely. They must have other glass-blowers on staff too. Maybe it was one of them? I mean, that sparrow ended up just like Antonio.”

  Imani drained her glass. “They’re not giving up on him… just looking for more clues.” She turned to Angelica. “They had money problems and were seen arguing. Surely we have grounds to suspect the wife and take her magic signature?”

  “Possibly. The Italians aren’t as quick to jump to those conclusions. After you told me about their fight, I spoke to our Italian agents, and they explained that since they’re such a passionate bunch and frequently raise their voices and gesticulate to make their point that they might not have been having a serious argument.”

  Were they kidding? “It looked pretty serious to me.” Will blew out a breath. I felt his pain. If only one of us knew Italian. “We couldn’t understand what they were saying. They could’ve been arguing about him leaving his bathroom towel on the floor or the toilet seat up. If only Sarah, Angelica, or Mum had been there instead of us.” Will narrowed his eyes at my assessment.

  Imani laughed. “Yes, those arguments are sometimes the most heated. Although I don’t think I’ve ever covered a murder where that was the reason.”

  I cocked my head to the side. “Maybe it was the proverbial straw?”

  “It might have been, dear, but that conjecture is not enough to warrant asking for her MS.” Ooh, Angelica was getting all short form on us. “The Italian agents have the lead on this, so we have to comply.”

  I sat back and slammed my shoulders into a cushion. “Why are we even bothering? This is our holiday. It’s too complicated, and my brain could do without the worry.”

  “No one’s forcing you to think about it, dear. I was happy to hand it over to the Italians, but they asked for my help, and I would never say no. They’re short-staffed—just like the rest of the PIB.” Of course she wouldn’t say no. Angelica was a crime-fighting angel—her name said it all. Now I felt bad because I was turning my back on a dead man who probably hadn’t deserved what he’d gotten. Plus, Angelica deserved a break too. Goodness knew she’d been through a lot in the last year. Although, maybe being on holiday wasn’t her happy place. Maybe her super happy place was solving crimes? I was glad that Will wasn’t that crazy in love with the job.

  “I’m just worried that you need a break; that’s all.”

  She smiled. “I am having a break. This is a low-stress case, and I’m sightseeing in between working things out. It’s nice that you’re thinking of me.”

  “I can’t help it. I guess it’s what I do.” A woman walked up to the bar and slipped behind it to join the bartender. She stood in front of him and whispered in his ear. He smiled, slid his arm around her waist, and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. “That looks cosy.”

  Will furrowed his brow. “Isn’t that Mrs Dal Lago?”

  My eyes widened. “It is! I wasn’t sure because it’s so dark, but, yeah, that looks like her. Do you think she’s having an affair?”

  “Looks like it,” said Imani.

  “It might be time for me to grab another drink.” Angelica stood and made her way to the bar. This should be interesting. We all watched as she did her thing, and we weren’t the only ones. The young man on the couch, whose frown hadn’t budged, looked even angrier if it was possible. What was the deal with that? Was Mrs Dal Lago having an affair with him too?

  Lavender smirked. “What a busy woman. If she does admit to having an affair, will it be enough to grab her magic signature?”

  Will shook his head. “I don’t think so. More of a motive would be a large life insurance poli
cy. Don’t forget; the Italians are a passionate lot, according to our fellow agents.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That must get them out of a lot of fines and arrests. Oh, I’m so passionate about this glass bird, but I can’t afford it, so I just lost my mind and took it.”

  Imani laughed. “What would be their excuse for speeding? They loved the sound of the engine?”

  “Sounds about right.” I chuckled. Angelica returned. “That was quick.”

  Her poker face was intact. “She readily admitted to it and said her husband knew. That’s what they were fighting about, supposedly. She said they had an open marriage.”

  I blinked. “If the marriage was so open, why were they fighting about it?”

  She sat back down. “Maybe she was lying? I’ll have to dig deeper. But don’t worry, it won’t affect our holiday.” Hmm, that would remain to be seen. Well, it wouldn’t affect my holiday, but it might affect hers. People would do what they wanted, so I didn’t bother saying anything. And it looked like that porter’s glarefest was over. The elderly woman who’d welcomed us earlier came in and went straight to him. Her back was to me, so I couldn’t see her expression, but whatever she said made the young man’s scowl fade, and now he just looked sad. He stood, and they left together. Hmm, doubly interesting.

  Lavender clapped, grabbing my attention. “Ready for shopping tomorrow? Sarah and I can’t wait to introduce you to haute couture.”

  I gave him a “you’ve got to be kidding” look. “I can’t afford that stuff. I’ll only be able to say hello. There won’t be any getting to know it better.”

  Sarah laughed. “You’re hilarious. Just wait. You might just fall in love with something and have to have it.”

  “According to the Italian way of doing things, maybe I could just take it if I was passionate enough about it?”

  Angelica shook her head. “Please don’t get arrested, dear. It would make me look bad.”

  “Yes, because that’s the first thing I’d worry about. The going-to-jail thing doesn’t bother me at all.” I grinned. Been there, done that. I didn’t need another experience.

  Someone’s phone rang. Angelica was the one who fished it out of her bag. “Pronto. Sono Angelica.” It must be the Italian agents. For something that wasn’t supposed to intrude on our holiday, it sure was butting in. She said something else I couldn’t understand, then hung up and stood. “We have another body that’s been turned to glass—a woman. They want my expertise. I’ll see you all tomorrow. Sorry to dash.” She looked at my mother. “I should be back in the next couple of hours. Will you be okay, or do you want to come with me?”

  My mother hesitated, likely thinking about it. She looked up and gave a nod. “I think I’ll come with.” She stood and came over to me.

  I stood and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, Mum. Stay safe.”

  “I’ll be fine. It’s rather exciting, actually, being back in the thick of it.” She gave everyone a wave. “Night, all.” They left.

  Having Angelica getting caught up in this was one thing, but now my mother was ditching us too? I looked around at each of my friends. How long until we were all distracted and not on holiday anymore?

  Turned out, not long at all.

  Chapter 5

  The next morning I’d gotten up early and made my way to Saint Mark’s Square. The ornate street lamps on poles were still shining because the sun wasn’t really up. It was low in the sky, casting long, golden rays on the paving through the arches of the Doge Palace. A gilded veil swathed the cathedral, the walls seeming to glow with heavenly light. Only a couple of people were around, lending the peaceful morning a dreamlike quality.

  I clicked off shot after shot with my Nikon, getting the square and buildings from all different angles. Before I knew it, the sun had risen further, and the light was losing its ethereal quality, brightening and flattening the images in process. The magic had evaporated, but the experience would bring me joy for a long time to come. I breathed in the warm, salty air and ignored the hint of sewerage odour in it. Nothing in life was perfect… except squirrels—I was pretty sure there wasn’t anything I would change about them.

  I made my way back to the hotel and went straight up to the room to grab Will. We might as well have breakfast, then a wander around. There were a couple of stops I’d seen on the way back from Murano yesterday that I wanted to check out. When I opened the door, I stopped short. “Mum, good morning.” I placed my camera on the table and gave her a hug. The hairs raised on my nape, and it had nothing to do with magic. My mum’s face had looked worried just as I went in for the hug, and Will’s poker face… well, that spoke volumes. I ended the hug and looked at Mum. “What’s wrong?”

  She glanced at Will, then looked back at me. “It’s Angelica. We met with the Italian agents at the crime scene, and after about half an hour, I yawned—I’m not used to so much exercise and activity. Being locked in a cage most of the day really does a number on your fitness…. But, anyway, Angelica insisted I come back here and that she’d be back as soon as she could.” Her cheeks reddened, and she looked at the ground. “I fell asleep waiting.” Her gaze returned to mine. “When I woke up this morning, she wasn’t here, and her bed hadn’t been slept in. I would’ve felt if she’d spelled her bed neat—I can’t cast spells, but I still feel it if someone else does. And she said we’d have breakfast together at seven thirty, which is in thirty minutes. If she wasn’t coming, she would’ve called.”

  My forehead tightened. I lifted my hand to my mouth to bite my nail, but I forced it back down. I needed to hide my worry. Mum didn’t need to see me stressing right now. Angelica had often disappeared in the last few months, so maybe she’d had something urgent to deal with? “Have you tried calling her?”

  “Yes, early this morning, and so did Will just before you came. Her phone rings, then goes to voicemail.”

  Will lifted his phone. “I’ve just texted James to get the number for the Italian agents.”

  As much as Angelica could look after herself, I had a bad feeling about this. Hopefully our worry was misplaced, and she’d turn up any time now. Will’s phone dinged. “I got James out of bed, but he’s come through.” Will tapped his phone screen and put it on speaker. “Hopefully they speak English.”

  “Pronto.”

  “Ah, hello. This is Agent Blakesley from the London PIB office. Do you speak English?”

  “Yes, Agent Blakesley. I am Agent Enrico Tondato. What can I do for you?”

  “I was wondering if I could speak to Agent DuPree. She’s not answering her phone, and I know she was meeting with you last night. She hasn’t returned.”

  Silence for a few moments, which was plenty of time for the hairs on my arms to follow the example of the ones on my nape and stand up. Finally, his Italian accent came through loud and clear. “She left us last night at about 1:00 a.m. to return to the ’otel.”

  “She never showed up.” Will ran a hand through his hair, and my mother sat on the bed and clasped her hands together in her lap. After everything she’d been through, this was the last thing she needed. I sat next to her and placed my hand over hers.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know where she is. If you don’t hear from her by midday, please let me know. I’m sorry, but I must go. Ciao.”

  Will’s mouth was open, maybe to say goodbye, but the phone was dead. He shut his mouth and slid the phone into his pocket. “Katerina, can you take us to where you two were last night?”

  Mum bit her bottom lip. “Yes, of course.”

  Will’s poker face materialised. “She might have had some urgent business to attend to. I know it’s unlike her to not tell anyone, but maybe she thought she’d be quick. We’ll check everything out just as a precaution.” He looked at me. “Be prepared to take some pictures.”

  “Okay.” I stood and grabbed my camera from the table. I could’ve used my phone, but at least I’d look super touristy with the Nikon. “Ready?”

  “Yep. L
et’s go.”

  On the way down the hall, Will knocked on Beren and Liv’s door and explained what had happened. “If you guys can stay close to here in case we need you to travel somewhere, that would be great. And if Angelica returns, you can give us a call.”

  Beren nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Good luck.”

  After we said goodbye, Will knocked on Imani’s door and explained what happened. “Can you come with us?”

  “Of course, love. Let’s do this.”

  “Are you going to tell Sarah and Lav?” I asked.

  “No. They would’ve already left for their photo shoot. There’s no use stressing them out until we have more information.”

  He made sense, so I nodded and took a deep breath, trying to fill myself with air rather than worry.

  We hurried out, Mum leading the way. Instead of turning left in the alleyways to head towards Saint Mark’s Square, she turned right, and we speed walked through narrow passage after narrow passage between buildings, dodging crowds as we went. After a few minutes, I was thoroughly lost. What a rabbit warren. “You don’t think those agents did something to her, do you?”

  Imani, who was behind me, answered, “No. Why would they?”

  “Maybe they didn’t like her taking over their investigation?”

  Will, who was in front of me, at my mother’s heel, shook his head. “We don’t know that she did. And even if she did, there’s no way they’d even think of harming her. They’re agents for crying out loud.” Okay, so maybe my hypothesis was stupid, but I was desperate for an answer, not to mention, this wouldn’t be the first time agents had turned rogue. Look at Piranha and her crew. If that had taught me anything, it taught me that you can’t trust someone just because they hold a certain job. Now wasn’t the time or place to remind Will of that, so I let it slide. We needed to figure out the why and who; then we’d be more likely to figure out the where.