My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “The lighthouse? In Brimstone Beach?”
Oliver said, “That’s right; that’s what I said. Have you gone deaf?”
Stanley’s voice was full of excitement as he proclaimed, “We saw that lighthouse! We flew near it yesterday. It’s painted in the colours of the Brimstone butterflies. Why does Cassia’s mum have a key to it?”
“Because she owned it,” Oliver explained. He gave me a kind look and continued, “And now, it belongs to you, Cassia. I’m sure your Gran would have told you about it one day.”
I turned the key over in my hand. “There are a lot of things that Gran is planning to tell me one day. When she comes back, I’ll be having a long conversation with her.” I looked back at Oliver. “Thank you for finding this. You said in your message that it might help us with our investigation. What did you mean by that?”
Oliver said, “Your mum spent a lot of time with the merpeople and other creatures at the beach. I know she kept records of her dealings with them. I’ve had a good search of Esther’s house, and I can’t find any of Rosalyn’s records here. She did spend time at the lighthouse and I suspect her records may be somewhere inside. I think it would be worth going to the lighthouse for a visit, don’t you?”
Stanley leapt off the chair and said, “Let’s go right now. I’ve never been in a lighthouse before. Can we see if the light works at the top of it? Can I switch it on and off?”
I gave him a small nod before saying to Oliver, “I’ve got a strange feeling that I’ve been to the lighthouse before. Is that possible?”
Oliver surprised me by jumping onto the kitchen table and moving over to me. He rested a paw on my arm and said, “I think you used to go there with your mum when you were younger. She did take you to Brimstone Beach many times and I’m sure she would have taken you to the lighthouse too. Will you be alright going there? I could come with you. I know this is a difficult time for you with Esther and Blanche being gone and all this new information about your mum coming to the surface. Not to mention that you’ve got that murder investigation to deal with.”
I smiled at him and said, “Actually, I think this is the perfect time for me to find out more about Mum. Instead of feeling upset, all this new information is making me happy and I can feel Mum’s presence around me.”
Oliver patted my arm and removed his paw. “That’s good. Before you dash off to the lighthouse, do you want to tell me what’s been going on with your investigation? Are you any closer to finding out who killed that poor mermaid?”
I pulled a chair out and sat down. I kept the key in my hand as it felt comforting there. Stanley jumped onto my knee and settled himself. Between us, we told Oliver about our investigation so far and ended with what Syloe had told us about going into the human world.
I said to Oliver, “How would the sirens get into our world? Are there some doorways somewhere or any underwater passageways?”
“It’s possible,” Oliver replied. “It wouldn’t surprise me if someone had used black magic to make their way into our world. Didn’t you say a black cloud had been hovering over the sea a while back? You could ask Jeremy about that, and if he knows about any secret passageways. Speaking of Jeremy, where is he?”
“That’s a good question,” I said. “I think he’s still making investigations about this case. I’ll catch up with him soon. Oliver, what do you think about the investigation so far?”
Oliver settled himself down on the table. “There are a number of suspects that come to mind, the first one being Isla. It could be a simple case of her being jealous about Nerita being in charge of Brimstone Beach and maybe Isla wanted her out of the way before she gets married to Conway. If she is as power-mad as you’ve heard, then getting rid of Nerita would make sense.” Oliver raised his paw to make his next point. “Then there’s Rex to consider. It’s interesting that he never mentioned his relationship with Nerita. I wonder how long they’d been a couple? And why they broke up? That’s another line of enquiry for you to consider. Once you find Rex, that is.”
I gave him a knowing look. “Supernatural creatures in Brimstone have a habit of disappearing just when I need to interrogate them. What do you think about this business with Nerita’s uncle? He was keeping something from me. I think he knows where the sirens have gone.”
“The missing sirens could be nothing to do with Nerita’s death, but it’s worth making further enquiries with her uncle.” Oliver put his head to one side and gave me a long look. “Cassia, don’t take this the wrong way, but you have to stop being so feeble when you question your suspects. Try to get the truth out of them immediately and don’t take any nonsense from them. Have you thought about doing any assertiveness courses? There are some online ones that you can take. I can give you the links.” He let out a gruff chuckle. “I’ve managed to become quite proficient at using my paws on the computer. I’ve even got my own Facebook account.”
Stanley came to my defence. “Oliver, Cassia acts in a professional manner when she questions suspects. But there are some sneaky beings out there, and they often keep the truth from us. But Cassia and I always get to the bottom of the truth - eventually.” He paused a fraction. “Can you set up a Facebook account for me too? Are there other cats on Facebook?”
I said, “Can we leave talk about your online social activities for another time, please? I want to go over to the lighthouse now and see if there’s anything there that might help us. Oliver, I appreciate your opinion and I’ll try to be more aggressive with my questions. You can come with us. It would be nice to have your company.”
“No, thanks. I’m going to carry on with my cleaning work here. I know that Esther will be returning very soon.” He gave me a sharp nod. “She’ll be back very soon. I can feel it in my whiskers.”
We stayed with Oliver for a few more minutes to make sure he was okay being on his own, and then we said goodbye to him. He told us to keep in touch and reminded me to be more aggressive with my suspects and to stop being such a namby-pamby excuse of a witch. I knew his abrupt words concealed his concern, so I wasn’t insulted. Not too much.
Stanley and I gave him a last wave before going through the cellar door to Brimstone. I put the lighthouse key safely in my pocket, jumped onto my broomstick with Stanley and soared into the sky.
What was I going to find inside Mum’s lighthouse?
Chapter 22
We landed in front of the pale, yellow wooden door set at the bottom of the lighthouse. There were low bushes to either side of the door and I smiled at the dozen or so Brimstone butterflies who were resting on the leaves.
The second we touched the ground, Stanley leapt off the broomstick and began to run around the building.
When he came back to my side he announced, “It’s round! It’s round all the way around. There’s not one corner anywhere! Isn’t it amazing? I think I’ll go around it again.” He scampered off before I could say a word.
I gazed at the yellow door and felt a warmth settle over me as if someone had just wrapped me in a blanket. Even though my memories weren’t clear, I knew for certain that I had been here before.
I waited for Stanley to finish his latest inspection of the lighthouse before inserting the key into the lock. Before I could turn it, someone landed at my side and declared, “There you are! I’ve been looking for you two all over the place.”
I smiled at Jeremy and said, “We were hoping to catch up with you. Where have you been?”
Jeremy placed his broomstick on the ground. “I’ve been talking to everyone I possibly can about Nerita and the other merpeople. I can now conclude that I have no new information for you. Everyone says Nerita was bossy, but effective in her work, and that Isla was jealous of her. I’ve tried to dig up some gossip in the town centre, but it appears the majority of the creatures who live there don’t know much about the merpeople. So, in essence, it’s been a complete waste of time.” He sighed heavily.
“It wasn’t a complete waste of tim
e as you’ve confirmed what we already knew.” I pointed to the key which was sticking out of the lock. “Look what Oliver found. I didn’t even know this lighthouse belonged to Mum.”
Jeremy’s cheeks flushed red. “You didn’t? Didn’t I tell you? I could have sworn I told you on our first visit here.” He put his hands over his face and let out a low groan. “What an idiot I am!” He removed his hands. “I’m so sorry for not telling you. I used to come here all the time with Rosalyn. Why didn’t I tell you?” He shook his head in disbelief.
“You’ve had a lot on your mind, Jeremy,” I reassured him. “You probably did tell me, but I wasn’t listening properly. It doesn’t matter now. Oliver said Mum might have kept records of her dealings with the merpeople. Do you know if she did?”
Jeremy nodded. “Yes, I think she’s got some notebooks somewhere inside.” A small smile tugged at his mouth. “I think you’ll like what’s inside. I put a spell on the inside of the lighthouse when Rosalyn passed over to make sure dust never settled on anything. Everything should be just as she left it. Are you sure you’re ok to go inside? I know you came here with Rosalyn and the memories may come back to you.” His eyes glistened. “They’re going to come back for me too.”
I gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m excited. I can’t wait to see inside.” I turned the key in the lock and heard a loud click.
Something peculiar happened. The butterflies on the bushes at our side rose and moved behind me. There was a disturbance in the air and I felt my hair gently moving back from my face. The noise of many fluttering wings sounded out.
Stanley turned around and his eyes widened in shock. He raised a shaking paw at something in front of him. I spun around to see what he was looking at. Jeremy did the same and let out a half-strangled gasp.
We watched in amazement as hundreds of yellow and green Brimstone butterflies headed our way. Their fluttering wings sent a warm breeze over me and a feeling of excitement ignited in my stomach.
The cloud of butterflies hovered a few feet in front of us and moved closer to each other.
At my feet, Stanley whispered, “What are they doing? Are they making some sort of shape? Are they trying to tell us something?”
The butterflies settled themselves into a more recognisable shape.
Jeremy’s voice trembled as he said, “This can’t be happening. I can’t believe what my eyes are seeing.”
I smiled as the butterflies formed a large 3D image of Mum’s head and shoulders. The butterflies stopped moving their wings and Mum’s features became clearer.
Stanley leant his shaking body against my legs and whimpered, “Cassia, I don’t like it. It’s scary.”
I picked him up. “It isn’t scary at all. I think it’s a message from Mum. Stanley, look at Mum’s lovely face. The butterflies have got her features just right. They’re even making her eyes blink.”
Jeremy said, “You must have triggered the butterflies when you opened the lock. How did Rosalyn know you’d be coming here?”
Mum’s butterfly lips opened and her lovely voice came out, “Cassia, my beautiful daughter, if you’re receiving this message it means that I’m not there at your side and I apologise for that. Our work as justice witches is dangerous and I always knew there was a risk that I wouldn’t see you grow into the beautiful young woman that I’m sure you now are.”
A small butterfly rolled down Mum’s cheek and looked like a tear falling.
Jeremy was sobbing quietly, but I didn’t feel anywhere close to tears. A wonderful warm feeling was flowing through my body like the gentle warmth of the sun. Seeing Mum’s face in butterfly form was making me feel incredibly loved. I basked in the feeling.
Mum continued, “I’m glad you found your way to this lighthouse. If you are here as part of your investigation work, you will find many of my notebooks tucked away inside.” Her lips moved into a smile. “You will also find many other delightful things that I’ve kept for you over the years including letters I’ve written to you in case I wasn’t going to be around.” Her lips wobbled and another butterfly rolled down her cheek.
Jeremy broke into louder sobs and slid to the ground with his head in his hands. I knew I should comfort him but I wanted to hear what else Mum had to say so I ignored him for the moment.
Mum continued, “I thought this way of delivering a message would be a good idea, but now that I’m saying the words, I can see how difficult this is for me. I hope it’s not too hard for you to receive this message.” She attempted another smile which only caused more butterflies to act as tears. “Maybe I won’t need to send this message. Maybe I’ll be right at your side when you begin your work as a justice witch. Maybe.”
My heart twisted at the pain in her face. The butterflies were doing a remarkable job of catching her every emotion.
Mum cleared her throat and said, “Cassia, I’m going to stop this message now because I feel like I’m going to burst into tears soon and I don’t want the poor butterflies to replicate that. I’m glad you’ve made your way to this amazing part of Brimstone and I know you’ll enjoy discovering my belongings, and yours, inside the lighthouse. You have been a blessing in my life and I love you so very much. Remember that always. I love you so very much.”
Her last few words were barely audible and many butterflies tears tumbled down her cheeks. Jeremy was becoming hysterical with his cries now and Stanley let out little sobs in my arms.
I watched as the butterflies slowly dispersed until Mum’s face was no longer visible. But the butterflies hadn’t finished with me yet. They rearranged themselves into the shape of two big arms and moved towards me. They enveloped me in those arms and an intense feeling of love swept through me. I’d never felt anything like it before and it was incredibly powerful. I felt more alive than I had done for years.
All too soon, the Mum/butterfly hug was over. The butterflies flapped their wings gently at me before fluttering away.
Stanley raised his little head and said, “That was beautiful.”
“It was,” I agreed. I looked down at Jeremy. “There’s no need for tears. Mum wouldn’t want us to be sad.”
Jeremy turned his blotchy, red face to me, sniffed and said, “I know. I can’t help it. I’m such a wimp. You should send me back to my hometown immediately. I’ve been no use to you, no use at all.”
I put Stanley down then pulled Jeremy to his feet. I wiped his tears away and said, “We’ll have none of that, Mr Spring. I have loved having you with me and you’ve been very helpful. Let’s go inside now. There could be important information waiting for us.” I gave him a bright smile.
He puffed his chest out. “Right, I’m ready. I’ll try to keep myself together.”
I turned back to the lighthouse door and pushed it open.
Chapter 23
We stepped through the door and onto a welcome mat which had been decorated with many varieties of butterflies, not just the Brimstone ones. I inhaled and immediately detected the light aroma of Mum’s perfume. It immediately took me back to my childhood days and I remembered how she used to put a little squirt of her rose perfume behind my ears.
Stanley was already scampering up the spiral stairs to our left so I followed him. I noticed the images of many sea creatures painted on the wall as I ascended. Behind me, Jeremy intermittently let out a small sob which was quickly followed by an apology.
He said, “It’s just as I remember. Every little detail. Oh, the good times I had here with Rosalyn! The memories are flooding back.”
We found Stanley at the top of the stairs staring out into the circular room. He shook his head slowly and said, “It’s a round room. There’s not one single corner; not one.”
I leant down and stroked his head. “What did you think it was going to be like inside?”
Stanley looked up at me and replied, “You never know in this town.” He turned his attention back to the room. “Isn’t it beautiful in here? I love all the pastel colours and paintings on the walls. The furni
ture looks the same as what Esther has in her house. And it smells so fresh, almost like roses.”
“That’ll be Mum’s perfume,” I said to him. “You can’t stand there forever; go and investigate.”
Stanley nodded and padded further into the room.
I took a moment to look around. The room had a living area to one side complete with a large, comfy-looking sofa, and a small kitchen to the other. There was a curtained-off area opposite the living area, and through a gap in the curtains, I could see a double bed. There were two bookcases near the sofa which were packed with DVDs. I smiled as I recognised the mystery shows that Mum and I watched together. Being so young, I never understood what was going on, but Mum always tried to explain them to me.
Jeremy pointed to the TV at the side of the bookcases and said, “I thought that was an enchanted box until your mum explained it was a television set. She said they’re very common in your world. This is where we used to watch things on the box together.” He nodded in the direction of the curtained-off area. “There are some drawers under the bed and I think that’s where Rosalyn kept her notebooks.”
“I’ll have a look at those soon,” I told him. I stepped further into the room and walked over to one of the windows. It looked out over Brimstone Beach to the right and I could see a few merpeople sitting on the sand talking amongst themselves.
Stanley trotted over to my side and said, “There’s a fridge over there. Do you think there will be any food inside? All this exploring has made me hungry.”
“I doubt there will be anything inside it,” I said, “unless…” I walked over to the fridge and opened it. “unless,” I continued, “the lovely Gia has put some food in here for us. Which she has.”
I picked up the note which was resting against a plate of sandwiches and read it:
‘Cassia, I had the strongest feeling that you would be visiting your mum’s lighthouse soon so I thought I’d pop a few things in the fridge for you and Stanley. I hope this is ok with you. Love, Gia.’
Brimstone Witch Mysteries - Box Set 2 Page 27
