I was at a dead end. It felt like I was being lied to by just about everybody. What was so wrong with telling the truth? It would be so much easier if the killer wandered in with his hands up and told Angel Force he’d done it and was really sorry.
I glanced up at Rhett. He smiled at me, not pushing, just giving me the time I needed. A tiny part of me relaxed. I was glad Rhett was so convincing. He ran with a shady gang, but there was a decent side to him, the side that had drawn me to him.
“If you need any help, you only have to ask,” Rhett said.
“No, I’ll figure it out.”
“I’ve no doubt you will. Sometimes, having someone to watch your back isn’t such a bad thing.”
“I have Wiggles. He does a decent enough job.”
Wiggles raised his head from his investigation of Rhett’s trash can. A banana skin was draped over his head, and he had a paper cake case stuck to his snout. “Did someone say my name?”
I shook my head. “When he’s not scarfing down your leftovers.”
Wiggles snorted and continued his trash can diving.
Rhett nodded. “I want to help. I’ll ask around and see if anyone’s heard anything that will clear Aurora’s name.”
I finished my coffee. “You can if you like, but I didn’t ask for your help.” It felt nice to have someone looking out for me, but I couldn’t start to rely on Rhett. “I need to get out of here and ask more questions.”
“Are you going back to question Mannie? You still think he had something to do with this?”
I nodded. “His chain needs yanking. He lied to me, and I need to know why.”
Rhett walked Wiggles and me to the door. “Stay safe, Tempest.”
“I always do.”
“Just ask if you need a hand.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss across my cheek.
I ignored the tingle on my cheek as I hurried away from his house. I wished Rhett hadn’t been so obliging. Even when I’d accused him of murder, he’d barely flinched. If I thought he was guilty, I wouldn’t get that annoying warm glow inside me when we spent any time together.
“Can we quit with the power walking?” Wiggles trotted alongside me.
“Oh! Sure.” I forced myself to slow down. I hadn’t even noticed I was almost jogging.
“You have such a thing for that guy.”
Maybe I had, but it wasn’t important. “I don’t.”
“Sure you do. Even with my nose stuck in the trash, I could smell the lust.”
“It’s not like that. We’re... friends.” We couldn’t be anything more, not now, not ever.
“You keep telling yourself that. Neither of you believes it.”
“Keep your nose out of my love life.”
“I’ve had to endure watching your sad little lack of love life for years. It’s time I got involved and sorted things out. You’re young, you’re cute, and you need someone.”
“Nope, the only thing I need to sort out is who killed Deacon.” That was all I could deal with.
Rhett and his abs and his perfect coffee were not getting involved in this.
Chapter 16
Before seeking out Mannie, I felt guilty enough for snapping at Aurora yesterday to stop at Angel Force to see how she was doing. Maybe she’d had a chance to rethink her options. Even if she was still keeping her secret, I could update her on my fruitless search for the real killer. This situation was getting desperate, and she needed to know what little success I’d had.
I left Wiggles in reception and signed in.
Once we were alone in the visitor’s room, I updated Aurora as to who I’d been talking to.
“The bottom line is, your name keeps cropping up when it comes to Deacon’s demise.”
“Everyone in Willow Tree Falls thinks I killed him?” Aurora’s cheeks paled, and she clasped her hands together.
“Not everyone. I’m still on your side. Mom’s on my back about me figuring this out for you.”
“Of course, I know you’ll stick by me.”
“Even if you did it?”
“Most likely, which I didn’t.” Aurora pursed her lips. “Look at me, how could I overpower some hulking great half-angel? Deacon was enormous.”
“He did have too many muscles for my liking. But you do have magic. Magic trumps muscles.”
“White magic only. Magic that helps and heals, not fells gorgeous angels when they get a bit handsy.”
I nodded. “I believe you. But we have a job to do to make sure everyone else feels the same.”
Aurora slumped back in her seat. A smile played on her lips. “Did you get to see any of Rhett’s muscles when you were talking to him?”
I shook my head and ignored the memory of the perfect abs that had welcomed me when Rhett opened the door. “There was nothing to see.”
“It was nice of him to offer to help.” Her tone was deliberately coy.
“Sure.” We were not heading down that road. “So, when are you going to be honest with me?”
Aurora lifted her head. “About what?”
“Where you really were the night Deacon died. I can guarantee you weren’t stock taking. You hate stock taking.”
“Hate is a strong word. Stock taking is a necessary evil.”
“Which you definitely don’t do every week.”
“I did it that night.” Aurora ducked her head. “That’s my alibi.”
“An alibi where no one witnessed what you were doing is not a real alibi.”
Aurora’s nose twitched, and she looked around the room. “Maybe you’ll find out something useful when you speak to Mannie again. It does sound like he’s been up to no good.”
“He’s not the only one,” I muttered. Aurora was still hiding something. That something must be big. She rarely kept anything from me. Was it big enough to involve murder?
The door to the visitor’s room opened. Dazielle scowled at me as she entered. “I heard you were here.”
“Visiting the prisoner,” I said. “I got permission. I even signed in like I’m supposed to.”
“That’s not the problem,” Dazielle said. “You’re still investigating this case.”
I tilted my chin up. “And if I am?”
“I’ve told you to stay off the investigation.”
“And I told you that’s not happening while my sister’s in a cell. You’re going to have to let her go. You either charge her or release her.”
“We have strong evidence to hold Aurora until further notice,” Dazielle said. “Evidence collected by my squad.”
“Which makes it no less wonky.”
We glared at each other, neither one backing down.
“It’s not so bad here,” Aurora said after the awkward silence stretched out for too long. “The food is okay, and they’re nice to me.”
I looked away from Dazielle. “You’re happy with this being the rest of your life? You want to sit in the same room and stare at smug angels’ faces because you won’t be honest about what you did the night Deacon died.”
“What do you mean by that?” Dazielle asked.
I stared at Aurora, willing her to tell the truth.
She shook her head and bit her lip.
“If you’re concealing information, you need to let us know,” Dazielle said. “This case could be concluded if you simply confess to your involvement.”
I stood from my seat and shoved my chair back. “Aurora is not a killer. You’re looking in the wrong place. Are you even bothering to follow up any other leads now you’ve got her here?”
“The other leads have gone cold,” Dazielle said. “We questioned everyone we considered relevant. They either have alibis or we’ve discounted them from the investigation. Your sister is the only suspect we’re looking at.”
Aurora’s quiet sob was hidden behind her hand.
“Then you’re putting away an innocent person.” I turned to Aurora and slapped my hands on the table. “Tell her the truth. What did you do that night?”
I glared at Aurora until she looked away. “I’ve been dating someone.”
“Yes, Deacon Feathers. We know that,” Dazielle said.
“Not Deacon. He was nice, but there was no spark between us. I accepted his dates because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I figured he’d work out we weren’t compatible and move on to somebody else.”
“Were you seeing this mystery guy you’ve alluded to the night Deacon died?” I asked.
Aurora nodded. “I felt terrible. I was supposed to go out with Deacon that night. I did drop by his place to cancel our date. There was no way I could stand him up. I told him I was busy at Heaven’s Door and couldn’t get away. He was so sweet and understanding. I almost changed my mind.”
“What happened after that?” I asked.
Dazielle cleared her throat. “I ask the questions.”
I gestured at Aurora. “Then ask.”
Dazielle glared at me and then looked at Aurora. “What happened next?”
Aurora dipped her chin. “I went out with the other guy.”
“Who is he?” I asked, ignoring the annoyed sounding tut from Dazielle.
“He’s an older guy. He’s a divorced warlock.”
I scratched my head. “Okay, that doesn’t sound so bad. Does he have a name?”
Aurora licked her lips. “Toby Matlock.”
My mouth fell open. “Wow! He’s really old.”
“He’s only twenty years older than me,” Aurora said. “He’s charming and sophisticated.”
“And old,” Dazielle muttered.
I nodded. Toby Matlock was a wealthy warlock, skilled in the mental magical arts. In particular, he could bend a person’s thoughts. He also had a liking for cravats and silly looking hats. I couldn’t picture him with my sister.
“Listen, I don’t care who you date, so long as you’ve got a solid alibi for the night Deacon was murdered,” I said. “Why didn’t you give Toby’s name as your alibi in the first place? You could have been out of here by now.”
“Or not here in the first place,” Dazielle said.
I nodded, for once agreeing with Dazielle.
Aurora sighed. “The family won’t approve of Toby. Granny Dottie called him a second-rate wizard the only time I mentioned him. Mom wants me to marry a doctor or a politician, someone respectable. I can’t bring Toby home and show him off.”
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to smack Aurora around the head or hug her. “You’re such an idiot. They don’t care, so long as you’re happy.”
“I’m not so sure. Do you remember when you brought Dillon home and Dad chased him away?”
“I was sixteen and thought it was cool to date a fire breather. He deserved to be chased off, especially after he set fire to the table cloth. Besides, Dad’s not here to chase any of our dates anymore.”
“I bet Auntie Queenie would scare him off.”
She had a point. “Does Toby make you happy?”
“He’s different, interesting, and he has loads of fun stories. I like being with someone older. When I compared him to Deacon, he’s so much more sophisticated.”
I looked at Dazielle. “You need to get out there, find Toby, and make sure my sister is innocent and everyone knows about it.”
“I didn’t realize I was working for you. Do I have a new boss?” Dazielle said coolly.
“Someone needs to be in charge.”
Her eyes glittered. “Someone is.”
“Come on! You’ve got an eyewitness to say where Aurora was on the night Deacon was murdered. Don’t stand there staring at us; get to work and find out what went on.”
Dazielle crossed her arms over her chest. “Perhaps I don’t consider Toby a reliable witness. I suspect Aurora’s reticence about revealing her involvement with Toby is not just about what your family thinks of him.”
I glared at her. Now she was being annoying. “You’re only saying that because you know you’ll have to start from scratch with this case. All those other suspects you’ve discounted are back on the table, and you’re going to have to scuttle off to your big boss and tell her you made a mess. You’ll be lucky if Aurora doesn’t put in a formal complaint for wrongful imprisonment.”
Dazielle turned her attention to Aurora. “Is that true? How well do you know Toby?”
Aurora focused on her clasped hands. “Well enough.”
“So, you know he’s being investigated by the Magic Council for the misuse of magic?”
I sucked in a breath. “He is?”
Aurora glanced at me and nodded. “I’m sure he’s done nothing wrong.”
“Which is why you kept your involvement with him a secret?” Dazielle arched her perfect eyebrows.
“What’s he done?” I asked. The Magic Council never got involved unless it was something serious.
“That’s under our investigation,” Dazielle said. “The Council has made us lead investigators in this matter.”
“So, you’ll never solve the case.”
Dazielle’s eyes narrowed, and she pressed her lips together.
“He’s being accused of using his ability to manipulate a wealthy widow into giving him money,” Aurora whispered.
I stared at her, my mouth open. “And you’re okay with that?”
“It’s not true!” Aurora’s cheeks flushed. “He was with her when we met. She died, leaving Toby her money. A family member claimed Toby tricked her into giving him everything and left her when he met me. They said she died of a broken heart. They tried to claim Toby killed her, but that isn’t true either.”
“That doesn’t sound at all suspicious.” I studied Dazielle’s neutral expression. “How far are you from solving these accusations?”
“We’ve got a lot to do, but we’re making progress.”
Which meant they didn’t have a clue what was going on. I looked at Aurora’s miserable expression. I sort of understood now why she was reluctant to reveal her alibi. If any of this was correct, Aurora was in love with a thief and possibly a murderer.
Aurora sighed. “I want this over. I need to get back to Heaven’s Door. The place has been closed since I’ve been away. People have orders that need collecting.”
“Do you hear that,” I said to Dazielle. “The most popular store in the village is going to go out of business because you’ve imprisoned the owner. Imagine how popular that’s going to make you.”
Dazielle raised a hand. “I will talk to Toby and see if he supports Aurora’s confession.”
“She’s confessed to nothing, other than being a bit of an idiot.”
“Hey, that’s not fair,” Aurora said. “You can’t help whom you love.”
I glared at her again until she ducked her head. “Okay, I might have been a tiny bit stupid.”
After giving me one more pointed glare, Dazielle left the room.
I sat back down and stretched my arms over my head. “We need to talk about your taste in guys. Toby Matlock, really?”
Aurora shrugged. “I like him. I know he’s innocent.”
“Mom is going to pop her cork when she finds out.”
“Which is why I’ve said nothing. Can you imagine the grilling I’m going to get about him?”
“He is old enough to be your father. You’re not using him as a sugar daddy?”
“Don’t be gross. I don’t need a sugar daddy. I just need to find a way to get everyone to accept him. I think I want him in my life for a long time.”
I twisted my mouth to the side. “It sounds serious.”
“It is, I think. I don’t know. I’m so confused. Just don’t say anything to Mom, not yet. Let me do it.”
I nodded. Aurora was in for a rough ride when she finally came clean, but she could handle it. “At least now we have proof it wasn’t you; you can get on with your life with Toby, so long as he doesn’t get arrested as well.”
Aurora snitched her nose at me. “Sure, but what about the actual killer? We need to find out who killed Deacon. You mentioned Mannie, but I can’t imag
ine a less likely killer. He’s not the type.”
“I’m thinking the same thing. But he lied to me. He had an opportunity and a good motive if he considered Deacon a threat.”
“Mannie’s such a... weasel. You’re right in thinking he’d hire someone to do it.”
“When I spoke to Rhett, he laughed off the idea of being involved with Mannie. He assured me none of the other gang members were involved either.”
“If not Mannie, Petra, or Rhett, that leaves Axel,” Aurora said. “If it was him, did he work alone?”
“Axel has lied to me as well, but I’m not sure he’s a killer. He’s been hitting the mushrooms hard. I’ve seen him staggering home a couple of times after overdoing it. If he was in that state on the night of Deacon’s murder, he wouldn’t have been able to see straight, let alone kill Deacon.”
“He could have hired Rhett to do the job for him,” Aurora said.
I nodded. That had crossed my mind. “The problem is, Rhett has plenty of people who will back him up. His gang is loyal to him.”
“You should go talk to Rhett again.”
“I’ve heard enough from him. The most important thing is we get you out. Once Dazielle has gotten her team in gear and they’ve spoken to Toby, you’ll be released.”
“You’ve got to keep investigating, though. There’s a killer on the loose.”
“You’re doubting the skills of the angels to find out who really killed Deacon?”
Aurora shrugged. “They do like jumping to conclusions, and they have arrested me twice. What’s to say the killer won’t strike again before the right arrest is made?”
“Until we know the reason Deacon was killed, I can’t answer that. You’re my priority, that’s the reason I’m doing this.”
Aurora jumped up and hugged me. “Thanks. I couldn’t wish for a lovelier big sister.”
“I’m only doing it because Mom told me to.” I returned her hug.
“Sure you are.” Aurora stepped back. “But I won’t be able to sleep knowing a killer is on the prowl, maybe even hunting for their next victim.”
Luck of the Witch (Crypt Witch Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) Page 14
