Issy was dressed in her usual shorts and tank top, pink this time, while Ember had worn a cute little yellow eyelet sundress that made her look like some lost Southern belle, with her dark-auburn curls tied back with a matching sunny-yellow ribbon. Ember had also brought along a specially charmed box of salted caramels from her shop, in case they had a problem getting the Vonners to open up. Issy took a deep breath then pressed the doorbell.
Moments later, a man appeared at the screen door, pudgy, late fifties to early sixties, bald on top, with gray hair around the sides of his head. He frowned when he saw Issy and Ember. “Can I help you ladies?”
His hand shook a bit as he raised a handkerchief to wipe his sweaty forehead, Issy noticed. Nervous, maybe? He certainly didn’t look as if he’d been expecting guests, if his grass-stained T-shirt and plaid Bermuda shorts were any indication. His frown increased as he caught Issy staring. He started to close the storm door, mumbling, “Whatever you’re selling, we don’t want any.”
“No, wait,” Issy called, finding her voice at last. “We came to talk to you about your land, Mr. Vonner.”
He hesitated then creaked the door back open. “What about my land?”
“Just a few questions about the rezoning, if you have a moment?” Issy flashed him her most dazzling smile. “Please?”
“Fine.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping as he opened the screen door to let them in.
She and Ember stepped inside the cool interior of the house, and Issy looked around. Quaint decorations, in keeping with the Victorian theme. Lots of needlepoint and doilies and crocheted afghans tossed everywhere. A fish tank bubbled near one corner of the space—large and expensive and not from Issy’s shop, she noted.
Issy sent out her magic-power feelers again but didn’t pick up any sign of paranormal activity here either. Not that people couldn’t mask such things on rare occasions, but it would take a lot of dark-magic power to do so. And as far as the Quinns knew, no one in Silver Hollow had that kind of power. Or at least that was what she’d thought before Louella’s disturbing death.
“Have a seat,” Mr. Vonner said. “Can I get you ladies something to drink? I’m afraid my wife’s not home at the moment.”
“Oh, no,” Ember said. “We’re fine, thank you.” She handed him the box of chocolate-covered caramels and gave him her most charming smile. “A housewarming gift, for you and your wife. I’m Ember Quinn, by the way. Those are a treat from my shop.”
“We’ve lived here twenty years or more,” he said.
“Yes, but this is our first time visiting.”
“Hmm.” He held up the pretty silver box with the dainty blue bow and wrinkled his nose. “Pretty fancy. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Ember walked into the living room and took a seat on a chintz-upholstered love seat while Issy sat on a mauve-colored velvet antique Victorian chair.
Mr. Vonner took a seat on an ottoman across from Issy and wiped his forehead again. “Sorry for my appearance. I just finished mowing right before you ladies got here.”
“No problem.” Issy smiled again, genuine this time. The man seemed nice enough. She held out her hand for a formal introduction. “My name’s Isolde Quinn, though everyone calls me Issy.”
“I remember you.” He shook her hand. “You own that pet shop in town, right?”
“Yep. Enchanted Pets.”
“Yeah.” Mr. Vonner hung his head. “Sorry about what happened with my son all those years ago. Him stealing and all.” He twisted his handkerchief in his hands. “Guess that’s why he didn’t buy that from you.” He cocked his head toward the fish tank. “Or any of his other tanks for his snakes. Well, that and the fact he’s cheap. I always tell him to support the local merchants, but that kid’ll drive fifty miles away just to save five bucks. Never was any good, that kid.”
The sad desperation in his tone made Issy’s heart squeeze with sympathy. Raising kids was hard, no matter if they were human or not. And it sounded as if this poor man and his wife had had a tough time of it. “What was your son’s name again?”
“Christian.”
“Right.” Issy nodded then stared at the toes of her work boots. “Well, I’m sure you did the best you could, Mr. Vonner.”
“Fred. Please call me Fred.” He looked up and gave her a small smile. “Are you sure I can’t get you ladies something to drink? The missus left a fresh pitcher of lemonade in the kitchen.”
“No.” Issy glanced over at Ember, who shook her head slightly. “We’re good, really.”
“So, Fred,” Ember said. “About the rezoning of the woods?”
“Bad business, that,” he said, scowling. “Those lands should be protected, I say. The last thing the world needs is another strip-mall monstrosity taking up more space. One of the reasons we moved up here to raise our family was all the natural beauty. The White Mountains, all the lakes and streams and untouched woods. There's lots of wildlife out in these woods. Deer. Rabbits. Owls. Lots of them come out to the edge of the forest on the full moon. Why, just a couple of nights ago, a big wolf ran right through the front yard here and off to the woods. We like having our privacy, and we like Silver Hollow just the way it is. We’d never want to do anything to change that.”
“What about—” Issy had been about to ask him about Louella’s murder, when the screen door slammed open again, cutting her off.
A black-haired young man, maybe twenty-two or -three, stomped in, the navy-blue streaks in his hair glowing from the sun and his black combat boots tracking mud across the otherwise-spotless floor. A girl trailed in after him, about five years older, and familiar to Issy. Brittany Chase, her brown hair stringy and hanging in her face. They were both wearing identical black T-shirts and jeans with plaid work shirts over the top, despite the sweltering August temperatures outside. Christian carried a large package wrapped in white butcher’s paper and stamped with the logo from the meat market in town.
They stopped short upon seeing Issy and Ember talking to Fred. Christian scowled at them, his eyes taking in Issy’s long legs and then moving farther up to her chest. She shifted uncomfortably on the sofa.
“Take off those shoes, son. You’re making a mess,” Fred said to Christian in an exasperated tone, as if this wasn’t the first time he’d had to say it. “And don’t even think about putting that yucky stuff in my freezer.”
“Sure. Sure.” Christian continued on without taking off his boots. He fumbled the package, and it thudded to the floor beside the love seat. Whatever was in there was frozen solid. He bent down to pick it up, leaning close to the sofa and taking time to leer up at Issy. Probably dropped it on purpose to look up her shorts or something. Issy crossed her legs, and Christian swooped up the package then nodded to Brittany.
Without a word, they disappeared though another door, then their footsteps clomped down what sounded like stairs, to a basement, Issy supposed.
Fred sighed deeply then shook his head. “Don’t know what happened to him. Tried to raise him right, I swear. Now he lives down there in that basement. Doesn’t work, dropped out of school. All he does is hang out with that weird girlfriend of his and play with his snakes all day.” The man visibly shuddered. “Snakes. Yuck. Stocked my freezer down there with mice and all sorts of animal organs he says he feeds them.”
Issy met Ember’s gaze, and they both stood. “Well, thanks so much for talking to us, Fred. But we need to be going.”
“Right.” He walked them to the door. “Thanks again for the candy.”
“Our pleasure,” Ember said.
“Have a blessed day,” Issy called to him as she descended the front stoop back down to the dirt driveway again, but Mr. Vonner had already closed the door and was back to yelling at his son again, his words carrying out over the soft summer breeze.
“And don’t clog up the freezer in the kitchen with that gross stuff either. Your mother will have a fit…”
“Well, then,” Ember said when they got back to the truck. “That wa
s interesting.”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“They aren’t paranormals either.”
“Nope, not from what I could tell.” Issy drove back to Ember’s shop to drop her off. “See you later?”
“Yep.” Ember waved. “And be careful, Issy.”
“Always.” She drove across the square and parked Brown Betty in front of her pet store then got out, halting at the sight of Dee Dee near the entrance. “Hey. What’s up?”
“I’ve been trying to text you,” the sheriff’s deputy said, her tone urgent. “That’s what’s up.”
“Oh.” Issy slipped her phone out of her pocket. “Sorry. Must’ve turned it off to save power.”
A carload of guys rumbled past, and several of the men made wolf whistles and cat calls toward them. Issy was used to it, but Dee Dee mustn’t have been, if her flaming red cheeks were any indication. Of course, most men overlooked Dee Dee, with her short, stocky build and somewhat wild, unkempt hair. Issy narrowed her eyes then and looked at her friend, really looked, as if seeing Dee Dee for the first time. Now that those guys had brought it to her attention, Dee Dee’s wiry, wolf-like bushy auburn hair looked sleeker today, and lush. And her usually spotty skin was clear and smooth. And her yellowish eyes were more amber now, liquid and pretty and alluring. The acorn amulet she’d charmed for her must really be working. Maybe Issy’s magic was getting more powerful than she’d thought.
Weird. Good for Dee Dee, but still… weird.
“Did you go see Gray?” Issy asked, curious about her friend’s sudden transformation.
“What?” Dee Dee scrunched her nose, her gaze darting around, looking at anything but Issy and completely ignoring the attention she seemed to be garnering from any male within a fifty-foot radius. “No. Why would you think that? Listen, I was able to get to Louella’s cell phone before the FBPI, but it’s the old kind that doesn’t take photos.”
“That’s good, then, right?” Issy said. “That means no nudie Gray pics.”
“No.” The color in Dee Dee’s cheeks brightened as she stared down at the toes of her work shoes. “It just means she probably took them with a digital camera instead.”
“Oh.” Issy considered that for a moment before opening the door to her shop and calling inside to her assistant behind the counter, a college girl home for summer break. “Hannah, will you be okay to watch the store for another hour or so alone?”
“Sure, Ms. Quinn,” Hannah called. “It’s been slow anyway.”
“Great. Thanks.” Issy waved then took off for her truck again.
“Where are you going?” Dee Dee called from behind her.
“I’ll be back soon,” she called over her shoulder before climbing back into her truck. She didn’t want to alert Silver Hollow’s finest to her soon-to-be whereabouts just yet. Especially if what Dee Dee just said was true. If Louella had used a digital camera to take naked shots of Gray during his ritual, then that meant the camera was most likely still at Louella’s residence, since Owen hadn’t mentioned having it as part of the items collected that day in his office. She restarted the truck then backed out and headed in the direction of Louella Drummond’s house. If she had any hopes of getting rid of those incriminating pictures of her cousin, it was now or never, before the FBPI or the Silver Hollow Sheriff’s Department got ahold of them.
8
Louella lived in an old red cottage that was deep in the forest near the parcel of land that was up for rezoning. Was that why Louella was opposed to the building of the mall? The parcel didn’t abut her land, but it still would impose on the tranquility of the forest.
Issy didn’t want to park her car in Louella’s driveway or on the road leading to her house, as that would make it obvious she was at Louella’s since there were no other houses on the road. Now that there was an investigation, the police were sure to search Louella’s house for clues. If they hadn’t already. Issy knew a shortcut through the woods, so she parked on one of the old logging roads and started through the woods. She’d grabbed Bella from the pet store at the last minute, and the little dog trotted obediently at her side.
Louella’s house was at the bottom of a steep hill. It was shrouded in the cloak of heavy emptiness that descends on a residence when the person is no longer living. A flush of sadness swept through Issy. Even though she hadn’t liked Louella, she hadn’t wished her dead.
The day was hot, nearing the nineties, but the shade of the forest cooled the air to a more palatable eighty-two. Issy’s flip-flops crunched through old fallen pine needles as she walked up the flagstone walkway to Louella’s front door.
Brimstone trotted out of nowhere. “Are you going in there?”
“I have to.”
Brimstone glanced at Bella. “I hardly see how your wet-behind-the-ears familiar is going to be able to alert you or help you. I think you need my help.”
Bella growled at Brimstone, and Brimstone arched his back and hissed.
“Cut it out, guys. You can both come in with me. Brimstone, you know Bella is still learning, and she’s coming along quite nicely.”
The Pomeranian smiled and wagged her tail profusely at the compliment.
Brimstone snorted and turned toward the house, his nose up in the air, sniffing. Bella mimicked the action. Issy did the same, focusing all her internal energy on her nose. A niggle of trepidation crept through her when she smelled the faint aroma of wax.
The waxy scent meant that someone else had already unlocked Louella’s door using magic. A witch, wizard, or warlock had already been here. Were they still inside?
“No one is here,” Brimstone said as if reading her mind.
“I knew that.” Issy stepped to the front door. Running her fingers lightly over the knob, she held her breath. Focusing her energy on unlocking it, she visualized the locking mechanism deep inside, using her mind to picture a key fitting into the lock and tumbling the mechanism that would unlock the door.
Her fingertips tingled.
“Infero,” she whispered.
Click.
A smile ghosted across Issy’s lips. She loved when magic worked easily. But her delight was soon replaced with nervousness as she stepped inside and was enveloped by the silence of the house, leaving the warmth of sunlight and cheerful sounds of twittering birds outside.
The house was neat as a pin. A thin layer of dust had already formed even though it had only been a couple of days since Louella had last lived in the house. The floorboard creaked as she walked through the living room, which was decorated simply with an old flowered couch on one wall and a blue fabric recliner with an avocado-and-orange afghan strewn across the arm on the other.
Behind the living room was the kitchen. Issy wondered if Lou had purchased the old-fashioned Formica table when she had originally moved in. The kitchen was bare of clutter. Mushroom-decor canisters sat on the tile countertops. The white cabinets were scrubbed clean. But Issy didn’t have time to admire the décor—she needed to get the camera, and she was pretty sure it wouldn’t be in the kitchen.
Brimstone and Bella turned toward the hallway, elbowing each other out of the way, juggling for dominance. They stopped in front of one of the rooms. Bella gave a soft bark then looked at Issy with eager brown eyes. Issy thought she registered the niggle of a telepathic thought from the dog, instructing her to search in that room. Pride swelled in her chest—Bella really was coming along with her abilities.
Brimstone looked back and forth between Bella and Issy, the charcoal fur between his eyes wrinkling. “Well, of course she would keep the camera in here. It’s an office.”
Louella’s office was as neat as the rest of the house. A large gray metal teacher’s desk that Issy assumed she must’ve gotten from one of the school auctions sat in the middle of the room. One wall held bookshelves that appeared to be filled with books on various nature subjects. Trees, birds, reptiles. Who knew Louella was such a nature lover?
Issy got right to work. She didn’t have tim
e to dawdle. She couldn’t tell if the police had already been here, but she hurried over to the desk, searching the inbox on the top and then opening the side drawers. She didn’t find the camera.
She opened the middle drawer, and her heart turned to ice. Sitting inside was an object that she was very familiar with. It was an athame, a ritual knife used for magic.
She curled her hand around the cold, smooth obsidian handle. The double-edged blade glinted in the sunlight that dappled through the side window as she pulled it out for a closer look. A bloodred garnet stone winked from its place on the end of the hilt. On the side of the blade was etched a symbol—a shamrock. The knife was unique, possibly one-of-a-kind. She knew of only one person that had a knife like that—Gray.
Why would Gray’s knife be in Louella’s drawer?
Did he have some kind of connection with Louella that she didn’t know about? Was that why he’d been acting secretive about the full-moon ritual?
“Hiss!” Brimstone leaped down from the top of the desk where he’d been sitting and ran out into the hallway just as the scuffle of footsteps came from the direction of the front door.
Someone was here!
Issy scooped Bella up in her arms and ran for the back door, opening it quietly and spilling out onto the back steps just as she heard the front door open.
Brimstone was nowhere to be seen. Issy ran for the woods. When she reached the safety of the tree line, she ducked behind a thick oak and put Bella down.
Brimstone sauntered out from behind another tree. “You got out of there just in time.”
“Yeah, thanks for the warning.”
The cat sat on his haunches, his fur looking more black than grey in the shadows of the trees. “Hey, I can’t do everything. I was trying to let your fabulous familiar here warn you.”
Issy peeked out from behind the tree to see the sheriff’s car in Louella’s driveway. Owen was in Louella’s house, probably looking for the camera.
Well, at least she’d gotten the knife. She slipped it in her pocket, turned, and walked smack-dab into Dexter Nolan.
A Spell Of Trouble (Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) Page 5
