by Vella Day
He shook his head. “No one could have found it. It’s hidden under the floorboards which is covered over by an area rug. I told no one of its location. You need to find it and try to sell it to Charles. I have a feeling he stole the one around my uncle’s neck after the wolves got to him.”
Charles? “But if your uncle stole the first one, why would he want the second one?”
“Because everyone in the clan will want it. Charles is the only one who can find these people and sell it to them.”
That made no sense. If Charles was bad, why do him a favor? I doubted there was time to ask him about it though. I swallowed hard. “Okay. Where exactly is the one you had?”
“With your back to the television stand, face the kitchen. Walk three steps forward and then turn right. The necklace is under the third floorboard.”
Which was under an area rug. I made sure to repeat the instructions since I didn’t know if I could remember them. “Okay, but do you know why your Uncle Floyd wanted the spell put on the necklaces in the first place?”
“To keep him from changing.”
“To keep him from changing what?” I asked.
Emma sucked in a breath. “Oh, my goodness.” She stumbled backward, and Jackson grabbed a hold of her shoulders to steady her.
“What is it?” Jaxson asked.
“It’s true,” she said.
“What’s true?” I asked.
She gasped. “The hints, the leaving every full moon. I think Floyd was a werewolf.”
Now I was speechless. Before I could think of what else to say, Steve Rocker rushed up to us. “Are you okay?” he asked me.
“I think so.” I must have looked dazed. When I was about to ask Morgan if that was true, he disappeared. Again. Somehow our sheriff seemed to have that effect on ghosts.
“Are you Emma Paxton?” he asked. He must have had a photo of her.
Floyd’s wife nodded. “Yes.”
“We need to talk,” the sheriff said.
That was an understatement, though I doubt Steve would believe anything she said, especially if she told him about werewolves.
“Boy do we ever,” I chimed in. Jaxson seemed to be the only one who was keeping his cool. “I want Jaxson to come too. He’s been with me on this journey almost the whole time.”
Steve’s lips thinned, implying he didn’t trust Jaxson. Too bad.
“Fine,” he said.
I motioned for Iggy to join me. When he rushed over, I scooped him up and dropped him into my bag. I was about to remind him that he should keep quiet, until I realized even if he spoke, no one but me could hear him.
When we all marched into the station, Pearl’s eyes widened. I expected she’d want to chat with Emma, but she just stared instead.
“Let’s sit in the conference room,” Steve said. “Pearl, can you get us some water?”
I didn’t realize he called her by her first name, though I suppose calling her grandma might have been a bit too informal.
She pushed back her chair. “Sure thing.”
Like follow the leader, we walked single file into the conference room. I sat between Jaxson and Emma, while Steve sat across from us. It felt like an inquisition.
“Miss Goodall, since I imagine you are responsible for much of what has gone on today, maybe you’d like to tell us what happened.”
Sorting through all of the events since we last spoke would not be easy, but I was going to try. This time, I’d leave nothing out—other than the fact that I spoke with Gertrude a second time or how Iggy contacted Morgan before I did. “I think I told you about the garnet necklaces that Gertrude Poole had put a spell on for Floyd.”
Steve had a stack of yellow pads on the table. He pulled one over and then fished a pen out of his top pocket. I waited while he scribbled something down. I would have suggested he bring a laptop in here, but it was his department.
“You did. Go on,” he said.
Someone knocked on the door, and Pearl entered with a tray full of glasses. She set them down. “I added a few cookies in case any of you get hungry.” She smiled, turned around, and left.
I was very thankful for both the water and the plate of sweets. For the next fifteen minutes I detailed my movements, leaving out very few details. I had to give him credit for not questioning anything I said—until I was finished, of course.
“Emma, you said you believed your husband was a werewolf? Why is that?”
How could Steve ask that with such a straight face?
“It’s a feeling. I mean, I never believed those kinds of creatures even existed, but when Floyd would take a break only on the full moon, together with the secrecy and the mention of some clan, what was I to think? And then he asked a witch to put a spell on some garnet necklace because he didn’t want to hurt people? It sounded impossible yet plausible at the same time.”
“I agree,” Steve said. “In fact, when I lived in Overton, there were stories about motorcycle gangs living in the Hendrian National Forest—and about men who wore wolf masks. Now I’m not so sure they were masks.”
Seriously? “You’re saying you believe in werewolves?” Even I wasn’t convinced.
“I’m not saying one way or the other. I’m trying to gather the facts. To be honest, I have a harder time believing that you can talk to a ghost. Did Morgan give any more ideas as to who killed him?”
“No, though my money is on his twin brother,” I said.
“Why is that?” Steve asked.
“Process of elimination.” I repeated what I told Emma about who would want Morgan dead.
“I’ll need evidence.”
Of course, he did. “Morgan told me where to find one of the two necklaces.” I then explained where it was.
“Since that is in Liberty, I’ll call Misty. She’ll need to go with you.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. “Yes, yes. Of course. I’ll need a screwdriver to pry up the board though.”
He nodded. “I’ll be happy to lend you one.” Steve turned to Jaxson. “Go with her. It might take a bit of muscle to pry up a board.”
Jaxson’s expression remained stoic. “I will.”
I snapped my fingers. “I have an idea on how we can catch Trev—I mean Andy—assuming he killed Morgan.”
All eyes turned to me. “Is that so? How?” Steve asked.
While my plan hadn’t been well-thought out, it was a plan—one that I believed would work. I outlined it the best I could. “Of course, I can’t guarantee if Andy will respond the way I hope he will.”
Emma smiled. “That scum? He’ll take the bait.”
“I hope so.”
Steve turned back to Emma. “Mrs. Paxton, I’d like you to stay in Witch’s Cove for a while. For the next few days, I want you to stay at my house. I have a spare bedroom just for this purpose. I don’t trust your nephew—the one who is alive that is.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Neither do I. And thank you for believing me.”
“Of course.”
I didn’t need any more encouragement to leave. Steve’s blank face had unnerved me. Since my car was parked right outside, we took that. No surprise, Jaxson asked to drive. It was probably because I was still a bit shaky. I handed him the keys before sliding into the passenger seat.
Iggy popped his head out of my bag. “Wow, that was a trip.”
His comment made me smile. “Why is that?” At least I didn’t have to pretend that I could communicate with Iggy when I was around Jaxson.
“I think Steve almost believed you.”
“You might be right.”
“What did Iggy say?” Jaxson asked.
I told him. “I have to say, I thought I’d be met with a lot more resistance from our sheriff.”
“If that necklace is where our ghost says it is, it will go a long way to establishing your credibility,” Jaxson said.
“I agree.” My stomach then grumbled. It was close to three, and I hadn’t eaten since ten.
“How about we sto
p at a drive through? I could use a bite,” he asked, though I suspected he suggested it because I sounded hungry.
Since that would be fast, I was good with it. “Fine, but we can’t dawdle. I don’t want to keep the sheriff waiting.”
The drive-thru was blessedly quick. When we arrived at Morgan’s old house, I half expected our ghost to be sitting on the steps waiting for us. I had to remember to ask Uncle Harold how much energy it took to travel twenty miles.
Sheriff Misty Willows was parked in front of Morgan’s house. “Let’s do this,” I said.
“Why do you sound so down? You should be excited,” Jaxson said.
“More like nervous. What if the necklace isn’t there? Does that mean I’m crazy, and that all of this ghost stuff is in my head?”
Jaxson chuckled. “No.”
His answer came too quickly, but I let it be.
“I saw him too, remember,” Iggy said, his head peeking out of the top of my bag.
“Thank you for reminding me, now stay down.” I didn’t need Misty to think of me as a loon, too.
“Hello,” Misty Willows said as we walked up to her. “Steve said there’s been a break in the case.”
I didn’t know if he’d said my information came from a ghost or not. In case he didn’t, I decided to play it safe. “Yes. I’m hoping my source was correct in telling me where Morgan hid this valuable necklace.”
“Let’s check it out.”
Misty sounded nice enough, just like she had the first time we met. I don’t know why it bothered me a bit that she and Steve were working this case together, but it did. When we entered Morgan’s house, the place was a mess. That was a shame. I had no idea who was responsible for cleaning it up, but I’m guessing it wouldn’t be the Liberty sheriff’s department.
Would the house now go to Emma? If I recall, he didn’t have a will. Surely, Morgan wouldn’t want his brother to have it or his uncle Charles for that matter.
Part of me wanted to take a photo to show Morgan, but there was no way I could explain that to Misty. “He said to start with my back to the television cabinet and walk forward…um.” Darn. Why couldn’t I remember how many steps? I never forgot a number.
“Three steps forward, turn right, and find the third floorboard,” Jaxson said. “I’ll lift the rug.”
Thank goodness he was there. Since Morgan was taller than me, I took larger steps. One, two, three. Given the small living room, I don’t think I could have taken four. I then turned to the right. As soon as Jaxson lifted up the rug, I didn’t need to count anymore. One slat had small indents in the side. By the time I moved toward Jaxson, he was already prying up the board. It creaked and cracked.
“Careful,” I said, though at this point in Morgan’s life, I’m not sure if he cared.
“Got it.” The board popped open, and I dropped to my knees to look into the space. “Holy moly.”
Jaxson dug his hand down there and pulled out a plastic bag that contained the most gorgeous bejeweled necklace I’d ever seen. I couldn’t believe that Floyd Paxton would wear this for even a minute. If I had to guess, he didn’t want to, but if I believed all of the folklore surrounding werewolves, it meant he would be able to control his shift on the full moon. That alone might be worth it to him.
Misty slid the bag out of Jaxson’s grasp. “Give me a second to photograph this, but don’t worry, Steve told me that it was important that he keep it for a while. I believe you two have a sting operation to attend to.”
“We do,” I said.
I was more excited to bring down Andrew Oliver, aka Trevor Whitehall, than anything. To shoot one’s brother in the back was downright cowardly—assuming he was guilty. I still couldn’t figure out what he’d get out of it. Some money for a necklace? I was no expert in jewels, but the pretty garnet stones did not even look real. Or was he jealous that Morgan seemed to have a more charmed life? Or it could all come down to owning a hundred acres.
Chapter Seventeen
After Jaxson and I returned from Liberty and delivered the necklace to Steve, we went over the plan to catch Andy once more.
“I got this, Glinda,” Steve said. “Don’t worry. I’ve taken all of the precautions to make sure Emma is safe. If Andy is our man, we’ll soon have enough evidence to convict him.”
I did appreciate his self-confidence. “Thanks.”
Emma nodded. “I know what to do, too. Tomorrow at three thirty, I will go to the Bubbling Cauldron and sit by the front window.” She chuckled. “At least I know what Andy looks like. Should I feel threatened in any way, I’ll signal Misty or her deputy to help.”
Because Steve didn’t have any backup, he’d asked if Misty and her deputy could assist. They would subdue Andy should he try anything.
“That all sounds good,” I said.
Jaxson slipped a hand on my lower back. “Come on, Glinda. It’s been a long day.”
Darn. Just because I was full of questions and energy didn’t mean Jaxson was. “Sure.”
Jaxson escorted me across the street to the Tiki Hut Grill and said goodbye.
Once inside, I trudged up the stairs. At the top of the landing, I opened my purse. “Are you hungry?” I asked Iggy.
“What do you think?” Iggy sounded cranky, and I couldn’t blame him. “Let’s see if Aunt Fern wants to chat. I bet she might be able to scrounge up an extra hibiscus flower or two for you.”
His little face perked up. “Great. Then I can tell Aimee everything.”
For once I didn’t mind him blabbing. It wasn’t like Aimee could talk to many people anyway.
I knocked on my aunt’s door, and she answered quickly. “Oh, good. You’re back. You’ve been gone a long time.”
“Yes, and we have a lot to tell you, but first, do you have any hibiscus flowers for Iggy? He’s starving.”
“I sure do.”
Iggy jumped out of my purse and followed my aunt to the kitchen. From the bedroom, Aimee ambled out. “I thought I heard talking. Where have you both been today?”
While I appreciated that she could talk, I didn’t need another busy body on this floor. “Once my aunt feeds Iggy, I’ll tell all of you everything.”
An hour later after a gazillion questions and hopefully with some good answers, I think my aunt and Aimee were caught up to speed. “Now, I’m going to take a hot bath and crash,” I said.
“You should. If you want to take Monday off, you can.
“I appreciate the offer, but nothing is going to happen until after three.”
She hugged me. “Suit yourself.”
Iggy and I returned to my apartment. Once inside, I headed to the bathroom to take that soak and to call Penny. I owed her a very long explanation about what had been happening. Once I told her, I asked her to keep a lid on this information for another few days. Thankfully, she promised she would.
At about three thirty on Monday, Jaxson and I were sitting in a window booth at the Moon Bay Tea Shop keeping an eye on the coffee shop across the street. I could see Emma sitting close to the front window. What was my plan to catch Andy? Emma had agreed to use herself as bait. She was wearing Floyd’s lovely red garnet necklace. Even though no one had prepped Miriam about our plan, I had no doubt that she would spread the word that not only was Emma Paxton alive, she was wearing a gorgeous necklace. Knowing Miriam, she’d conclude the necklace was a gift from an admirer, and it would kill her to not know who Emma was dating.
I just hoped that Emma could pull this off. It was hard to go undercover without looking overly nervous. Jaxson reached across the booth and placed his hand on mine. “Stop worrying. It’s not like Andy will walk into the coffee shop and shoot her.”
I returned my gaze to him, wondering if he could read minds now. “You’re right. Then he’d go to jail and get nothing. Besides, Misty and another deputy will make sure Emma remains safe.”
“Right. Now, enjoy your tea. Didn’t Maude say it was your favorite brand?”
“She did.”
&nbs
p; After an hour, Emma stood, paid and then slowly walked to her car. She slid in and took off to Steve’s house. Another Liberty deputy had been assigned to watch the house from across the street should Andy approach. I was sure that Steve was seriously wishing the town council would hurry up and hire help.
“Time to go, Glinda,” Jaxson said.
I must have been spacing out. “I know, and thanks for doing this with me.”
“You know me.” He smiled.
I finished his thought. “Yes, it’s better than ordering wine.”
We both chuckled and left.
After I returned home and filled Iggy in on what was happening, he hopped up on his stool and faced me. “There has to be something we can do.”
I didn’t like that tone. “We’ve provided all of the ammunition for Steve to finish this—assuming Andy is guilty. I’m not some sworn officer of the law, so my hands are tied.
“Fine.”
I knew what that meant. Iggy wanted to meddle. I might have objected, but at this stage I was desperate for a conclusion too. Morgan deserved to pass over and have a nice life, wherever that may be.
As tempted as I was to sit with the Liberty deputy and watch for Andy, I feared I’d only be in the way.
My cell rang a short while later. When I checked the caller ID, I smiled. It was Jaxson. I couldn’t imagine what he wanted since we just left the tea shop. “Hey, there.”
“Hey. It really bugged me that I wasn’t able to dig up any dirt on Trevor Whitehall before.”
“That’s probably because the real Trevor Whitehall is a normal guy,” I replied.
“He is at that. Andy must have found one of his business cards and stolen the man’s name, which was why my check was superficial at best.”
Did he want my forgiveness? “That’s okay. It’s not like it’s your job to find information on people.”
He chuckled. “I know, but it’s called pride. Anyway, I did some deep diving on our real suspect, Andy Oliver.”
He had my interest. “Do tell.”
“He has quite the rap sheet—mostly B&E. He was accused of assault twice but was never convicted.”
Either he was smart or just plain lucky. “Did you find any evidence that points to the fact he knows how to handle a weapon?”
