“I don’t know.” Then Mallory remembered she was wearing her dad’s watch. She hadn’t had time to get used to wearing it yet. She was amazed it still ran. Seven forty-five. “Almost an hour. Cody will be here soon.”
“You should just take care of things here. Didn’t you want to attend some of the meetings to see what you could learn?”
“Yes, but I had been counting on talking with Sylvia the most and now that’s not possible. You’re not leaving me out of this, Kaden. I’m in this whether you like it or not.”
“I think someone needs a hug,” Kaden said as he opened his arms.
Mallory walked over and reached her arms around his waist as he enveloped her into a bear hug. Warm lips made her scalp tingle.
“Thank you. I needed that,” she said, looking up into his eyes. “I don’t suppose you have a cup of coffee hidden somewhere on you?”
Kaden winked. “You could try frisking me to find out.”
“True, or we could just head back to the manor.”
TWELVE
A s they walked down the hallway toward the foyer, Mallory observed the wainscoting needed to be dusted. She looked up, the family artwork needed cleaning as well. Mal would have to speak with Lizzy. She was new, but needed to learn to inspect things. She was supposed to be Mallory’s right-hand but she could hardly keep up with her front desk duties. And what was up with her aura? It was so dark and murky which made it practically impossible to read.
A quick knock and Captain Cody Lumos walked in. Why did he look so fresh the morning after a murder? For that matter, Kaden looked pretty fine. His jeans cupped his …erhm… assets and the tight navy t-shirt showed his lean muscled frame.
“What are you looking at?” Kaden’s eyebrows reached for his hairline.
“Umm, nothing.” For all Mallory’s Roma heritage, it amazed her how her face would turn bright red. She felt the heat of the blush rising to her crown.
Kaden let loose a full-wattage smile.
Cody walked up and pushed Mal’s jaw shut with one finger. “I believe we have business to attend to.” He chuckled.
“Kaden, I’m taking Edwin into the station for questioning. I want to keep the disturbance to a minimum for all the Hexfest guests.”
“I want to be there for his questioning!” Mallory demanded.
“Relax, Mallory. I was going to suggest that you watch through the two-way glass. You may be able to help based on your interaction with him and everyone else,” Cody said.
Kaden shook his head.
“Do you have a problem with that Detective Bones?”
“No, sir.”
Mallory smirked. “Kaden, are you going to tell Cody what I found or shall I?”
Lizzy wandered in. “What did you find, Ms. Vianu? I mean, what could you find that the detectives would want? Oh, maybe a suicide-note?”
Starting to question the wisdom of hiring Lizzy, Mallory pulled her to the side. “First of all, Lizzy, we do not gossip; that is absolute. Secondly, I noticed the hallway and décor need to be dusted. It is your job to run the check-in desk and reservations, but as an employee of the Caravan Manor, you should be looking for any work that needs to be completed and ask the appropriate person or do it yourself.”
Cheeks red, Lizzy said, “I’m so sorry, I’ll get to work right away.”
Mal nodded, she did notice that Lizzy’s aura swirled as if in turmoil. All the colors were muted, but there was a burst of red when Mal reprimanded her. Intense anger. She hoped her chastisement wasn’t too harsh, but they couldn’t afford another Lise Trix on their hands.
As Mallory walked back toward the detectives, she saw Kaden was talking to Cody.
“Mal,” Kaden said. “You go ahead and tell him.”
“Well, I went to the scene of the crime, trying to figure out how someone could hang Madam Broome. How someone could be strong enough to do that on their own, and when I touched the tree, I had a vision. I felt the fear Sylvia experienced, but there was this intense fear for someone else. So, I think Sylvia was lured out to the willow tree, then she was knocked out or incapacitated. That would make it much easier for her to be strangled.” Mallory paused.
Cody gestured for her to continue.
“Well, I noticed rope burn on the tree. Someone could have already planted a noose and a longer rope high up in the tree. The branches are so thick, no one would see them.”
“And the ladder?” Cody asked.
Mallory continued. “What if they looped the longer rope under her arms, climbed up and dropped it down the other side of the tree? That end could have been tied to the hitch of a truck. They get in and drive which pulls the body high into the tree. Then, they climb the ladder, put the noose around her neck and tighten it.”
Kaden takes over. “They would climb back down and cut the first rope at the hitch. The body falls just a couple of feet, but violently, stopped by the noose.”
“They would have to climb back up to cut the rope under her arms and remove it from the body,” Mallory said. “And then knock the ladder down and take off.”
Cody whistled. “That is quite a scenario! I’m glad you are on our side if that’s the way you think.”
Mallory bristled. “That’s not how I think! It’s a combination of logically looking at the clues and intuition or whatever it is that I do.”
Kaden rubbed circles on her back in a comforting gesture.
“Hold on, I’m thinking.” Cody held his hand up. “Okay, I get the rope-and-truck theory falls in with the tracks and the tree’s apparent rope burn. I have to say the other evidence seems to agree as well. What about the branches? Wouldn’t they break pulling a body through the tree?”
“Willow branches are flexible and would bend as the body hit them. Some of them would break, but given the storm’s intensity, those could be explained away.”
“If this is what happened, then we are dealing with a very organized killer.” Kaden added.
“Your right, Kaden,” Cody said. “All of that just to stage the body.”
“Not only that, but it means the killer doesn’t have to be a man.” Mallory said.
“Kaden, we’ll need to review the medical examiner’s report to see if there were any bruises under the victim’s arms. If so, then I believe Mal is dead on. I’ll order the forensics team back out here to comb over the crime scene again in the daylight and I think I’ll have them go through the two guest rooms again.”
“I need to check in with Nana and the BFC before I can leave. Is an hour okay?” Mal inquired.
“Perfect. We’ll see you there.”
Neither Mallory nor the detectives wanted the guests asking questions, so they all ducked into the secret passageway without anyone the wiser and headed upstairs. Mallory left Kaden and Cody on the second floor as she continued up to the Vianu suite.
As she stepped through the door, Bakalo shot out into the hallway, making Mallory stumble.
“Well, what got into him?” Mallory mumbled.
“Sit down and eat your breakfast, Malhala.” Nana commanded.
“I don’t have very much time.”
“I made bacon and toast. You always have time for that. And drink your tea, it’s tepid at best.”
Mallory quickly sat on the rich leather stool at their kitchen island. It was obvious Nana was upset, whether at her or because another murder had occurred at the manor, she wasn’t sure.
Knowing Nana was disturbed, she proceeded with one of many tea ceremonies of the Roma. Mal chugged almost all her tea, hardly appropriate tea etiquette, but she did what she must. She rotated her cup three times with her left hand, counter-clockwise, lightly swirling the leftover liquid. This spread the leaves around.
“Nana.”
“Finish the ceremony, Malhala.”
Growling, Mallory lifted the cup, grabbed a napkin from the holder and laid it across the saucer. She turned the cup upside down on the saucer draining the dribbles of tea left. In the old days, they just made a
mess. Mal then turned the cup again, making a wish.
“What do you see, dear?”
“I’m not very good at this, Nana.” Mallory stared at the cup and was shocked to realize she could recognize some shapes.
“It looks like an open book, sort of, in the bottom. And, oh no, Nana, there is a skull on the side.”
“Anything else? Turn the cup, so you can look at all sides.”
“There’s a heart right over the handle!”
“Very good. You just need to keep trying. That is all I ask of my girls.”
“What do you think it means?”
Nana just raised her eyebrows.
“Okay, okay. Well, an open book probably represents knowledge of some kind. The skull can’t be good news. I hope it refers to Sylvia, not someone else.”
“I agree. What about the heart, Malhala?”
“The heart is over the handle which represents me, so a sweetheart or a boyfriend?”
Nana nodded. “Or love?”
“What time is it?” Mallory looked at her dad’s watch just as her mother walked in. Jilli seized her arm, shocked, Mal pulled back. “Mom?”
The blood drained from Jilli’s face. “Where did you get that?”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Jilli searched Mallory’s eyes. “We need to talk. I have some things to tell you. I’m sorry I haven’t been well.”
“It’s not your fault, mom, and I want to talk to you about dad. I think we should all sit down and talk about it when things have calmed down. Maybe tonight. Danior and Eve are running things downstairs because I need to get to the police station.” Mallory hugged her mother tightly. “I also want to talk to you both about cleansing spells for the willow tree.”
Mal blinked quickly, seeing tears in Nana’s eyes over Jilli’s shoulder, knowing she had said the right thing.
“I love you both, but I need to go,” Mallory said.
As she left the Vianu suite, Mallory turned to the main staircase. Not her normal route because they believed in guest privacy, except in emergencies. She walked down one flight of carpeted stairs, her shoes making just a whisper of sound. On the second floor now, Mal paused to listen. No sound. Her shoulders relaxed; Mal hadn’t realized she was tense. She continued down to the main floor. All quiet here. She wasn’t sure if it was an accurate barometer of guest’s reactions, so she made her way to the parlor. Parting the pocket door just an inch, she saw the room was full of people. She could hear them discussing auras. Crap. Mallory wished she could stay, but being a manager meant taking care of guests first. And that thought led her to the kitchen. Mallory walked in, and couldn’t believe her eyes. Eve had the other members of the BFC, and the manor employees lined up like a platoon. She was pacing back and forth in front of them, slapping her hand with—wait, was that a riding crop?
“Alright, everyone. You have your assignments. Do not disappoint me. Do you understand?”
“Sir, yes sir, General Banter!”
Mallory’s eyes widened, incredulous. She cleared her throat.
“At ease, soldiers!”
Mallory was further shocked when the group saluted and presented the ‘at-ease’ stance as one.
“Eve, what in the world have you done?”
“To what do you refer, Colonel Vianu?”
Mallory gestured toward the group, mouth moving, but nothing coming out.
“Wait a minute! If I put you in charge, how can you have a higher rank than me?”
“Do you seriously need me to answer that?” Eve grinned, buffing her nails on her shoulder.
“You know what, I don’t want to know! I just wanted to know if you needed anything, before I leave.”
“As you can see, I have all well in hand. I’ve already instructed everyone not to mention the death of witchy-poo.”
“Thank you, but please refrain from calling her that.”
Eve winked. “Dismissed!” Everyone scurried off to carry out their assigned tasks, even Danior.
Mallory decided she better scurry off, too.
THIRTEEN
M allory stopped at Cookies & Corsets to grab much-needed caffeine on the way to the Bohemian Lake police station. It was nearly half-past nine in the morning and the line snaked to the door.
“Pike! What are you doing here?” Mallory inquired.
Pike giggled. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been asked that question? I’m trying to get the baby to sleep and it seems walking helps. This one just loves the movement. Not to mention there are always lots of hands to hold her here. Gives me a break. Here’s your gigantic chai latte.”
“You’re my savior. I didn’t get much sleep last night and need this to get through the day.”
“Always glad to help!” Pike took the baby back from Lulu and whispered. “You know the BFC keeps me up to date even though I’m on committee maternity leave, so I heard about the High Priestess’ death.”
Mallory nodded. “I can’t…”
“Say no more.”
Mallory walked the few blocks to the station. It wasn’t a large building, after all, Bohemian Lake was a relatively small town. It was a typical square brick building with a rather large window in the front. Why did small town police stations always seem to have large windows? Sure, they could see things happening nearby, but it seemed to Mal it made them an easy target. In this case, she could see a hive of activity through the glass. The secretary and dispatcher were both on the phone and there were several citizens in the waiting area in front of the counter that divided the civilian area from cop shop. Opening the door, the little bell jingled. No one seemed to notice. Since they were expecting her, Mal decided to just go on back to find Cody or Kaden. She flipped over the counter section and opened the half door beneath, as she stepped forward, she met a wall in uniform. Mal’s eyes were nearly poked out by the buxom chest in front of her. She tilted her head back to see a beautiful blonde blocking her path.
“Ma’am, you can’t just walk past the counter.” The Amazon stated. How does a woman that large look good in a uniform?
“I’m just…”
“There is no just. Stop right there, ma’am!”
Mallory took another step. “My name is Malhala, stop calling me ma’am.”
“Ma’am, if you take one more step, I will have no choice but to arrest you.”
Kaden must have heard the commotion out front because the next thing she knew, he was double-timing it toward them.
“Officer Fleur, please stand down. I’ve got this.” Kaden had now reached the front.
“Detective! I’m sorry we disturbed you...”
“That’s no problem but, please let Mallory through.”
“Mallory? I thought you said your name was Malhala.” Officer Fleur sniffed.
“It is. I go by Mallory or Mal to my friends, Officer Flower, and this is my boyfriend.”
Kaden entwined his fingers in Mallory’s and practically dragged her down the aisle. “Sorry about that.”
“Who was that?”
“She’s a rookie from the city. She’s filling in until our newest officer transfer is complete. She’s a little gung-ho.”
“Clearly. Did you work with her before moving here?”
“No, I left before she graduated from the academy. Step in here, so we can watch the interview.” Kaden flipped the switch to turn on the speaker.
Mr. Poe was sitting in a plastic fold-up chair at a bare table. Every time a noise sounded, Edwin would jump. Not exactly the picture of a cold-blooded murderer. Mallory supposed it could be a guilty conscience reacting to the possibility of imprisonment. Captain Lumos stepped through the door and sat in the chair directly across from Edwin.
“Mr. Edwin Poe, you understand you are not under arrest at this time and that this is an informal interview?”
“Yes, yes. I understand. May we get this over with, so I can return home?” Edwin said while picking at invisible lint on his shirt.
“So, you disappeared a
t the same time as your employer, Madam Sylvia Broome?”
“No. I mean it may have been close. Sylvia sent me to her room to collect her flask. Not that I know why I needed to retrieve it, it’s not like they didn’t have plenty of alcohol at the party.” Edwin was whining again.
Mallory relaxed and blurred her vision, attempting to search his aura for blue. She’d recently overheard one of the witches saying blue was the most important color to look for in detecting lies, because it showed a person’s sensitivity and honesty.
“Did she have any enemies?” Cody questioned.
“She received fan mail and some hate mail, but nothing we really worried about. Although she started acting strangely just before the trip. I caught her burning a letter about a week before we left.”
“From who?”
“Who?” Mallory watched through the glass as Edwin’s aura flashed with shades of green. She’d seen this particular shade of green before. He was suddenly feeling intimidated or scared about something. “Oh, you mean you want to know who the letter was from. I don’t know. She didn’t want to talk about it. Some sort of organization that hated women or witches or something.”
His aura relaxed back to a light shade of blue. That meant he was aligned with truth.
Cody tapped the table.
“That’s my cue.” Kaden winked at Mallory.
Mal frowned. “Why didn’t you go in when Cody did?”
“He thought it might help unnerve him,” Kaden said.
She watched as Kaden sauntered into the room. He began by pacing, using his movement to further unnerve Poe. It seemed to be working as his eyes followed Kaden back and forth.
“Isn’t it true you broke up with Sylvia and she yanked the onyx necklace off her neck and threw it at you during the party?” Kaden questioned.
Poe’s aura went black. Oh, no, not black. Black was one of the most confusing colors in the aura as it could be both negative and positive. She closed her eyes and let her senses guide her. Unreleased guilt. He felt bad for whatever their fight had been about and conflicted—he hadn’t wanted to break up with her? Maybe he was forced?
“H-how did you learn that? Let me guess, she communicated with you. Figures! All I asked was that she share her secrets with me. She kept putting me off over and over.” In a poor imitation of Sylvia’s voice, he said, “Oh, Edwin, you know I’ll tell you when I have time. I’m just so busy.” Edwin’s head was bobbing side to side, it was obvious this wasn’t the first time he had mimicked Sylvia.
Ouija, Death & Wicked Witchery Page 6
