Brimstone Witch Mysteries - Box Set 2

by April Fernsby

  “No. I’m not planning on dying soon,” I replied.

  An evil glint came into Fabrice’s eyes. “Are you sure about that?”

  Chapter 7

  We couldn’t get out of Fabrice’s building quick enough. He’d eyed us up as if deciding which coffin would fit us best and all questions about Dana had fled from my mind.

  We jumped onto my broomstick as soon as we left the building and zoomed away from the dreadful place.

  Stanley said, “That was the most depressing place I’ve ever been to in my entire life. I almost lost the will to live.”

  “Perhaps that was his plan. He certainly had something to gain by Dana’s death. I wonder if he argued with her recently?”

  “If he did kill Dana, how do you think he did it? Did he change into a bat, grab her and then fly her over that wheat field? He’d need to be a strong bat to do that, though. Perhaps he had some vampire friends to help him.”

  I nodded. “Those are good points.”

  We flew over Brimstone town square and I spotted two familiar figures sitting on a bench. One seemed to be in distress which immediately roused my suspicions. The other one was Blythe. I headed towards the figures.

  I landed in front of Blythe and jumped off my broomstick. Stanley jumped off too and stayed close to my side. Blythe was sitting on the bench with her arm around Astrid. Astrid was crying quietly. I suspected her tears were of the crocodile variety.

  Blythe gave us a small smile of welcome and beckoned us closer. She said, “I’ve been having a long chat with Astrid. She’s told me about the terrible things she’s done to you and Stanley.”

  “She has? Willingly?” I asked.

  Astrid sniffed and turned her tear-filled eyes our way. “I had to confess. I’m so ashamed of what I’ve done and it’s been eating me up inside. I’ve told Blythe everything. Every last evil thing that I’ve done to you both. I’m more sorry than you’ll ever know.” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks and I wondered if she was using magic to produce them.

  Stanley stiffened at my side and I picked up on his wariness. I felt the same. There was something mightily suspicious going on here.

  Blythe squeezed Astrid’s shoulders and said, “I’m glad you’ve told me everything. I won’t lie and say we can put it in the past and forget about it. You’ve done some terrible things that have put Cassia and Stanley in danger. We’ll be having further talks about that. Confessing to me has been an excellent first step to take. I’m glad you’ve done so.”

  Astrid nodded and looked down at her knees. “I had to tell you. I feel so guilty. I’ve barely slept these last few days.”

  She looked as fresh as a daisy to me. There weren’t any dark circles under her eyes, not even a hint of a shadow.

  Astrid looked up at me and gave me a wobbly smile. “I was testing you, Cassia. That’s why I did those things to you. I didn’t like how you came to our town and started taking over. It’s no excuse, but I wanted to see how good of a justice witch you were. I’m protective of this town, and I wanted to make sure you were worthy enough to be here.”

  “And did I pass your test?” I couldn’t keep the ice from my voice.

  “Of course you did. You’re an amazing justice witch. Just like your gran. I had no right to test you. I can see that now. I’ve caused you so much harm. Can you ever forgive me?”

  Stanley leapt forward and jabbed his paw at Astrid. “No! We will never forgive you! This is all an act. You’re up to something. You’ve got an evil plan hatching away in your evil mind. We don’t trust you! Your crying doesn’t work on us. We know your true nature!”

  “Stanley!” Blythe admonished him. “There’s no need for such harsh words. Control yourself.”

  “I can’t! Not when my Cassia is in danger. Astrid’s not fooling me with this act.” He turned his back on Astrid and came back to me.

  Astrid said, “I don’t blame you for thinking that, Stanley. I truly am sorry for what I’ve done. I know you don’t believe me, but I am. I hope I can make amends for what I’ve done.”

  All my senses went into overdrive. I said to Astrid, “What do you mean by that?”

  Blythe said, “Astrid tried to speak to you earlier about her request. She wants to help you with your investigation. Normally, Luca would be the lead guardian to help you. But seeing as he’s away at the moment, Astrid is second in command.”

  Stanley muttered, “She’s probably got Luca tied up in a cellar somewhere.”

  I’m sure everyone heard what he said, but Blythe and Astrid ignored him.

  I said, “Stanley and I can manage on our own. We don’t need anyone’s help.”

  “I know that,” Blythe continued, “but I’d like you to accept Astrid’s offer. She’d like to make amends with you both and I think this will be the perfect opportunity for her to do so.”

  I stared at Blythe expecting her to tell me she was joking.

  Astrid turned to Blythe and said, “It’s clear Cassia doesn’t want my help. I don’t blame her. I have no excuses for my behaviour. None at all. Thanks for trying, Blythe.”

  Blythe said to her, “Cassia will accept your help. She can see how sorry you are. For all we know, Astrid, you could have been affected by the black magic that invaded the town. You wouldn’t be the first. Cassia’s a sensible person and she knows this latest murder case will be settled more quickly with your help.” She turned her purple eyes my way. “Isn’t that right, Cassia?”

  I still couldn’t speak. This must be a trick. Astrid must have cast a spell on Blythe.

  Blythe’s look intensified and she said, “Cassia, I would like this case to be settled quickly. I hope this is the last murder the town will see. I’ve tried to reassure the citizens that it certainly will be the last murder. The sooner you find the killer, the better it will be for everyone. I hope you understand.”

  I saw the guilt in her eyes and realised what her unspoken message was. We didn’t know yet if leftover black magic was responsible for this latest murder, but if it was, Blythe would feel guilty about it. I had to do all I could to help Blythe. Even if that meant talking to someone who hated me.

  I couldn’t put any warmth in my voice as I addressed Astrid, “You can help me with the case.”

  “No!” Stanley hissed. “You can’t trust her, Cassia!”

  I looked down at Stanley and said, “Thank you for looking out for me. Blythe is right. This case will get settled quickly with more help.”

  Stanley took a step back and looked as if I’d betrayed him. My heart twisted in pain at the hurt I’d caused him.

  Blythe quickly stood up and came over to Stanley. She picked him up and pulled him close. With her back to Astrid, she whispered something in his ear. He listened and gave her a small nod. When he looked my way, there was understanding in his eyes.

  Blythe put Stanley down and turned her attention to me. She said, “Your hair has a mind of its own. Let me sort this stray bit out for you.” She tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. As she did so, I heard her voice clearly in my mind. ‘Don’t trust Astrid. Keep a careful eye on her. Let me know immediately if she causes any problems for you. Understand?’

  I pressed my lips together in a tight smile. I’d never been the receiver of a telepathic message before. I wasn’t sure how to respond.

  Blythe turned back to Astrid and said, “Thank you again for letting me know what you’ve done, Astrid. The onus is on you now to make things right with Cassia. I know you’ll try your hardest. Cassia will keep me informed of any developments. I’ll catch up with you later.” Blythe gave me a kind smile before walking away.

  There was an awkward silence when she left.

  Astrid stood up and said, “I really am sorry.”

  “So you said,” Stanley replied curtly.

  Astrid held her hands out. “What can I do to help?”

  It didn’t seem at all natural for her to talk to me in a kindly tone and my instinct was to walk away. But I was doing this for Blythe.
>
  I said to Astrid, “We’re going to the retirement home where Dana Murphy used to speak to residents about their upcoming deaths.”

  “Which retirement home?” Astrid asked. “There are three of them.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know that.”

  “I can tell you about them. If that would help? Do you know who Dana was talking to recently?”

  I recalled the names Fiona Fairfax had mentioned. I quickly referred to the piece of paper she’d given me to make sure I had them right. I recited them to Astrid.

  Astrid nodded. “They reside at The Caterpillar Retirement Home. It’s not far away. I can tell you about it as we walk there. I can tell you about the other retirement homes too.” She gave me a hopeful smile. “If you like? Or I can be silent as I walk three steps behind you.”

  I put the paper away. Astrid’s smile was worse than her glares. I was finding it hard to be anywhere near her, let alone be civil to her. I mumbled, “You can tell us about the homes.”

  Chapter 8

  As we walked away from the town square, I didn’t know which part of my body was hurting the most. I could feel an ache in my jaw as I clamped my mouth shut. My stomach was clenched tight with a mixture of anger and anticipation swirling around it. My hand was clasped tightly around my broomstick in readiness to either fly away or whack Astrid around the head. Every nerve in my body was on high alert as Astrid walked calmly at my side.

  Stanley was at my other side and he looked as tense as me. His little jaw was twitching along with his whiskers as if he were trying to keep his words in. I imagined he had many a thing to say to Astrid.

  As for the source of our discomfort, she walked along with us as casually as if we’d been best friends for years.

  Astrid said, “There are three retirement homes in Brimstone. It depends on what kind of a creature you are as to what home you can live in. The Caterpillar Retirement Home is for smaller creatures like gnomes, goblins, elves, that sort of thing. Guardians and their relatives can go there too. The next home is called The Cocoon Retirement Home. That’s for larger species such as werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, trolls, ogres and that kind. Then the final home is The Butterfly Retirement Home. That one is set in the mountains and caters for our flying residents like the dragons.”

  Stanley said, “What about fairies? They fly. Which home would they go to?”

  “Probably The Caterpillar one. That caters for smaller creatures,” Astrid replied helpfully.

  “What about vampires when they turn into flying bats?” Stanley argued. “Where would they go?”

  Keeping her tone light, Astrid replied, “It would be up to them, but they would likely go to The Cocoon Home because their friends would go there too.”

  Stanley hadn’t finished with her yet. “What about shapeshifting dragons who turn into cats? You know that kind of creature, don’t you? You placed one of those creatures in kitten form in Cassia’s broomstick so that it would bring bad luck to those around her.”

  There was a note of annoyance in Astrid’s voice as she replied, “It would be up to the individual creature. They would go where they felt the most comfortable.”

  Stanley persisted, “Did you tell Blythe about the kitten?”

  “Yes!” Astrid snapped. “Can we stop talking about the past? I’m trying to help you with your present case.” She took a deep breath and put a smile on her face. It wasn’t a genuine one. She continued, “The retirement homes are friendly places and creatures can spend many happy years there before passing on. I know Dana Murphy helped many residents find peace in their later years. She visited all the retirement homes.” She stopped walking and looked at a set of high metal gates in front of us. “Here it is; The Caterpillar Retirement Home.”

  Stanley and I stopped walking. I noticed a panel of buttons at the side of the gates and said, “Do we need to buzz? Should we have sent a message to say we were on our way?”

  Astrid said, “There’s no need. They welcome visitors here at any time of the day and night.” She punched in some numbers and the gates swung inwards.

  Stanley’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know the code?”

  “I’ve been here before. The main building is just down this driveway.” She pointed ahead at the single-storey building.

  Like other buildings in this town, it had been built of light sandstone which had those beautiful silver flecks in it. The name of the home had been carved out on a stone pillar above the entrance. Smiling caterpillars had also been carved into the stone around the letters. It was a cheerful sight and I couldn’t help but smile. There were neat gardens set at the side of the driveway and these were occupied by species of many varieties. I saw goblins playing lawn bowls, some fairies dancing amongst the daisies and a group of garden gnomes sitting in front of easels with paintbrushes in their little hands.

  There was a lovely atmosphere, and gentle chatter came from all sides.

  Astrid pointed to the left of the building and said, “That part of the garden is enclosed. That’s where the caterpillars are raised and cared for.”

  “Caterpillars? Real live caterpillars?” I asked.

  Astrid nodded. “Yes. The Brimstone butterflies don’t just appear, you know. They are caterpillars first.”

  Stanley snapped, “There’s no need to be sarcastic. Cassia was just asking a question.”

  Astrid frowned. “I know. I’m sorry. I have a short temper. You might have noticed.”

  “You can say that again,” Stanley said.

  Astrid veered us towards the walled garden. She said, “I’d like you to meet someone special. It won’t take long, and then you can talk to the manager of the home.” She opened the wooden gate in front of us and stepped through.

  I was about to tell her I didn’t have time to meet anyone she considered special, but curiosity got the better of me and I followed her through the gate. Stanley was just as nosy and he followed her too.

  We stopped and looked at the rows and rows of low-growing bushes in front of us. The bushes were light yellow and green and appeared to be alive. Closer inspection showed that the bushes were covered in little caterpillars who were wriggling through the leaves and having a good munch on them as they did so. The small creatures had flecks of silver and gold in them and looked magical as they crawled along.

  Astrid was a few rows in front of us. She had her arms around an elderly gent who was wearing a brown cardigan over casual clothes.

  Stanley yelped, “Cassia! Quick! She’s attacking that old man. Save him!”

  “She’s not attacking him. She’s hugging him.” My brow wrinkled in confusion. “He likes it. He’s smiling.”

  “He must have lost his mind,” Stanley noted.

  Astrid turned to us and called over, “Cassia, Stanley, this is my grandad, Bert. Come over and say hello.”

  “Her grandad?” Stanley said. “I don’t trust him already.”

  “He looks harmless enough,” I replied. “He’s waving at us. It won’t hurt to say hello.”

  “It might,” Stanley muttered darkly. “He could be in cahoots with Astrid to get rid of us. He could be hiding a spade under his cardigan ready to smash us on the heads. We’ll be buried under a caterpillar bush before you can shout for help.”

  I stared at Stanley. “Have you been watching those violent police shows again? I told you to keep away from them. They give you nightmares.”

  “Knowledge is power,” Stanley answered. “Be alert, Cassia, be alert.”

  I shook my head at Stanley’s words before walking over to Astrid and her grandad.

  As soon as I was close enough, Bert took my hand in his and beamed at me. “Cassia Winter! What a pleasure it is to finally meet you. I’ve known your gran for years. How is Esther? Is she well?”

  “She is, thank you.”

  He continued to smile at me. “I’m so happy that you and Astrid are working together. I know you’ll get along splendidly. Who’s that handsome cat at your side? He’s a fine-look
ing specimen, isn’t he? I can see the wisdom in his eyes.” Bert released my hand, bent his knees and tickled Stanley under his chin.

  All thoughts of a spade-wielding killer must have vanished from Stanley’s mind because he let out a very loud purr and nuzzled his head into Bert’s hand.

  Bert chuckled and reached behind Stanley’s ear. He pulled something out and said, “Look at this little chap. He was hitching a lift on you.” A little caterpillar wriggled in his hand. Bert continued, “They’re tricky little things. I have to keep a close eye on them. They try to leave before they’re ready.” He straightened up and his knees creaked in protest. He placed the caterpillar on the nearest bush.

  Astrid said, “Grandad, we’re here about Dana Murphy. Did you ever meet her?”

  Bert’s wrinkled face wrinkled even more. “Who?” he said.

  Worry crossed Astrid’s features. “Dana Murphy. She was a banshee. She came here often.”

  Bert scratched his head. “I don’t know anyone called Dana. Stella, why are you here?” He looked around him. “Where am I? Where is this place?” His voice rose in agitation and he pulled at his cardigan. “Why am I wearing this? I don’t like it.”

  Astrid’s voice was calm as she put her hands on Bert’s arms and said, “Grandad, it’s me, Astrid. I’m your granddaughter. Stella is my mum. Grandad, do you remember me?”

  The confusion stayed on Bert’s face. “Astrid? I don’t know anyone called Astrid. Get your hands off me!”

  Astrid kept a firm grip on Bert’s arms and continued to talk calmly, “Grandad. I’m Astrid. Your name is Bert. You live in this retirement home. You look after the caterpillars. Look at them now. Aren’t they lovely?”

  Bert gazed at the creatures on the nearest bush. The confusion left his face. “They’re tricky little things. They try to escape before they’re ready.” He looked at Astrid. “Do you want to help me take care of them, Astrid? I need to move some of them onto the bigger bushes at the back there.”