by Esme Addison
But Minka was walking ahead as if she hadn’t even heard her. Alex sprung ahead to grab her shoulder, halting her cousin’s retreat. “Now what?”
She had never seen anything like the fear she saw in Minka’s wide, blue eyes. She was clutching the crystal bowl against her chest like a shield. “I can’t answer that question. This is a person who killed once and won’t hesitate to do it again. If you pursue this, you’re in grave danger.”
Alex flung her hands wide. “And if I don’t pursue this, your mom will go to jail for something she didn’t do!”
“Mom may go to jail anyway. I don’t want to lose you, too.”
Alex softened. “You’re not going to lose me,” she whispered, even though she knew she couldn’t make that promise. “Let’s think about this. How can we continue to investigate without being so obvious?”
Minka bit her lower lip and glanced back toward the fountain. “I just keep thinking that it’s too bad Pepper has lost interest in the case. It would be good to have her on our side.”
“I wanted to know what she’d found in Captain Bellamy’s journal. I’m not sure we’ll ever know the truth now.”
Minka twirled a lock of hair around her fingers as she thought. Suddenly she froze. “What if we give Pepper some of her memories back?”
“We can do that?”
“To an extent. Memories erased by magic aren’t gone forever; they’re just rendered inaccessible. But if we remind Pepper of what’s already there, maybe she can get something back.”
Without warning, Minka sprinted back toward the fountain. Alex followed at a jog. “I thought we liked that our secrets were safe? I don’t want Pepper printing all of that gossip about our family again.”
Minka dipped the crystal bowl into the fountain. “I don’t either. That’s why we have to be very careful about how we do this. We’re going to raise suspicion about the Wesleys, that’s all. If there’s something already there, she’s going to keep digging until she remembers it again.” She set the bowl on the bench again. “It’s like when you forget a person’s name. It bothers you until you figure it out.”
“But how do we know she won’t remember seeing your mom and Tegan arguing?”
“Even if she did, she no longer has the video on her phone. I’m confident Bryn deleted that.”
Alex nodded. “You’re right, she mentioned that she had scrubbed the phone.”
“So even if she remembers that she thought we were water witches, that’s a far cry from having actual proof.”
Alex’s eyes were burning with fatigue, and she yawned. “All right. So, now we cast a spell in this water and Pepper will get some of her memories back?”
“Oh no,” Minka said. “She has to drink this water in order for the spell to work.”
Alex groaned so loudly that Athena nuzzled her side in alarm. “How are we supposed to get her to drink that? Is it even clean?” She wrinkled her nose.
“It’s enchanted water. It’s clean,” Minka assured her. “Here’s what you’re going to do. Tomorrow you’re going to meet Pepper for coffee—”
“Yeah, right.”
“And you’re going to give her the thought that she’s thirsty for water. Then you’ll give her some of this to drink, and bam. Memories start to come back.”
Alex crossed her arms. This was sounding like an impossible task.
“Trust me, it’s not impossible,” Minka said.
“How did you—?”
“I heard your thoughts,” Minka explained. “They’re actually really loud. We have to work on that. The Wesleys can probably hear you thinking from a mile away.” She picked up the crystal bowl, careful not to spill its contents.
Alex’s face heated with embarrassment. No wonder the Wesleys didn’t care for her. “Now that you mention it, I think I heard Jack’s thoughts right before he asked me out. I heard a male voice say, Ask her out already.”
Minka shook her head knowingly. “Mundanes are so obvious sometimes.”
“It was weird that I heard that voice, but it didn’t freak me out, you know? I’ve always been able to guess at what people were thinking, just been very intuitive … I wonder if I was hearing thoughts without realizing it?”
Maybe,” Minka said brightly, squeezing Alex’s hand. “But putting a thought in someone’s head is different from reading their thoughts,”
Alex massaged her temples, trying to process it all. “You mean, if we can transmit thoughts to someone, we’re not simply mind readers. We’re telepathic?”
Yes,” Minka said. “We can pass thoughts to each other when we want to, and often we can influence Mundanes to act in certain ways. But it’s not like we can make them do our bidding or anything. You’re new at this,” Minka continued, “but Pepper is impressionable, so suggesting that she’s thirsty isn’t a biggie. You can handle it.”
Alex fluttered her lips. “Except that I have no idea how to be telepathic.”
“Power comes with practice. And remember that magic is as natural as breathing.” Minka put her hands on Alex’s shoulders. “All you have to do is clear your mind and focus on what it is you want. In this case, just tell Pepper that she’s thirsty.”
Alex felt uncertain that anything magical was that easy, but she nodded nevertheless. She could at least give it a try. “And I’ll practice making my thoughts quieter.”
Minka dropped her hands. “It’s more complicated than that,” she admitted, picking up the crystal bowl. “You have to construct a wall to guard your mind. Mundanes just walk around thinking whatever they want, and most of it is really boring and not worth listening to. But Magicals have to be careful.” She paused. “I’ll give you some more strategies.”
They walked back into the house, tiptoeing so as not to wake Lidia. Minka found a bottle of water in the refrigerator, opened it, and poured a little into Athena’s water bowl. She replaced the amount she’d emptied with the enchanted water in the crystal bowl. Then she capped it and handed it to Alex. “Your mission, if you choose to accept it.”
Alex gripped the cold plastic bottle in her hands. “I guess there’s no going back now, is there?”
Minka smirked. “You’re way past the point of no return.”
Chapter Seventeen
Two weeks after the murder, Botanika was back in business. Alex blamed it on a combination of limited attention spans and minimal news coverage, thanks to Bryn’s assault on Pepper. Alex hated to admit that Bryn was right and that the attack had actually benefited both of their families, but she couldn’t deny that there had been a definite uptick in business since the previous week. So on the day that she was going to find Pepper and coax back some of her memories, Alex had cold feet. “What if this backfires and she starts writing about how terrible the Sobieskis are again?”
“She can’t, because she doesn’t have the journal,” Minka reasoned. “That’s where she was getting her information from. Could we land in the spotlight again? Yes. But if we’re going to find the person who killed Randy, we could use Pepper’s help. She’s relentless. What’s the other choice?”
None. There simply wasn’t one.
Alex excused herself from the shop floor midmorning to call the Bellamy Bay Bugler and ask to speak with Pepper.
“I’m afraid she’s not due in until later,” the receptionist replied. “Is this for a story?”
“Yes, actually. I have a tip for her.” Really, what was one more lie? “I can’t speak with anyone else. It has to be Pepper, and unfortunately I don’t have her cell.”
“Oh, I can give you her work number,” the woman said cheerfully. “If she’s not at her desk, it will ring her cell. Tell me when you’re ready.”
Alex reached for a pen and paper. “Go ahead.”
She wrote down the number, thanked the woman for her helpfulness, and disconnected the call. Then she dialed Pepper’s number.
The call was picked up on the second ring. “This is Alex Daniels. From Botanika?”
“Yes, I kno
w who you are.” There was a stretch of silence.
“I was wondering how you’re feeling?”
“Fine,” came the tight reply.
“I mean, since the thing at your house—”
“It’s fine.” There was a stretch of silence. “Do you have a tip or something for me?”
“Maybe,” Alex hedged.
“I’m at the coffee shop if you want to talk, but I have a meeting later today—”
“I’ll be right there,” Alex said.
“Great.” Pepper sounded like she meant the opposite. Then she disconnected the call.
Undeterred by the reporter’s rudeness, Alex grabbed her handbag. “I’m meeting with Pepper,” she told Minka as she headed out the door.
Minka shimmied her shoulders in excitement. “Good luck.”
As she exited the shop, Alex patted her handbag to make sure the water bottle was still there. It was. A knot formed in her stomach. She was going to try this telepathy thing and hope for the best.
The coffee shop was filled with customers, but Alex found Pepper immediately. Her bright-red hair, styled into a jaunty topknot, was like a beacon in the dining area. Alex waved to her before heading to the counter and ordering a regular coffee. As she walked over to the empty seat across from Pepper, the journalist remarked, “That was quick.”
Alex slid her oversize ceramic coffee mug and saucer on the table and pulled out the chair. “I work around the corner, and it was my break.” She added a splash of cream to her coffee. “I’ve been worried about you since last week. Have you been feeling okay?”
Pepper’s closed her laptop, sighing. “I feel… off kilter,” she admitted. “Just off. The doctors put me through all of these tests, but no one can find anything. I can’t remember what I was doing that day.” She massaged her forehead. “I don’t know why I was in the car, or where I was going. And my doctor implied that I might have emotional issues.” She shot Alex a look of disbelief. “Like I’d be so upset that I’d lock myself in my own trunk.” She laughed. “I’m totally fine, but I have to go see a counselor and discuss how I’m feeling.” Her eyes met Alex’s gaze. “I should thank you. You kind of saved my life.”
“Please don’t mention it. I’m just happy you’re safe.”
“You’re happy? I’m mortified that people saw me like that.” She lowered her voice. “Please tell me I wasn’t exposed in any way. I mean, my bathrobe covered me, right?”
Alex nodded. “I promise. No one saw anything.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” She slumped back in her seat. “I’ve had this anxiety about it; you have no idea.”
“I can imagine.”
“It’s nice that you’re checking up.” Pepper smiled weakly and wrapped her fingers around her mug. “Jack Frazier was nice enough to follow up with me, too. I mean, it’s nothing. I know you two are kind of seeing each other.” She looked at Alex expectantly.
“Jack and I are only friends,” she replied, drinking her coffee. “Dating him is out of the question, considering he arrested Lidia. He’s much too professional for that, and I’m not sure I want to be friends with someone who believes my aunt is a murderer.”
Relief crossed Pepper’s face. “Right, that makes sense.”
“I don’t even want to date anyone right now,” Alex continued. “I’m not certain how much longer I’m going to be in town. I have a job offer in New York—well.” She waved a hand. “Enough about me.”
Pepper put her laptop into the messenger bag on the floor. “You know, I don’t have anything against your aunt, right? I have to cover the crime. It’s my job. I don’t think Lidia did it, either,” she continued. “I mean, I did at first. Everyone did. But I feel like … it doesn’t make sense. And I can’t quite put my finger on why.”
“I’ve noticed you haven’t updated your blog lately.”
A shadow crossed Pepper’s face. “It’s funny you say that. I have this weird feeling like I was working on something else, but I can’t remember the specifics and I can’t find my notes. But I always take notes,” she emphasized. “I have this feeling that I was working on something and that it was important.” She shrugged. “Maybe it was just a dream.”
“Maybe,” Alex agreed slowly. “Or maybe it has something to do with your memory loss.”
“They can’t find anything. No lesions, no bruises. It wasn’t a stroke, thank goodness.”
“That’s a relief.” Alex turned to the window and pretended to look off into the distance. “Something keeps bothering me, too, Pepper. How come the police didn’t look at Stephanie Bennett? She’s going to inherit tens of millions of dollars now. She wouldn’t have gotten that much if Randy had died after the divorce was finalized.”
“Tell me about it.” She leaned closer. “It’s usually the spouse, and statistically speaking, women prefer poison.”
Alex nodded. “I’ve heard the same. And she had a key to his house and everything. She could’ve easily snuck in to poison his tea.”
Pepper flashed her eyebrows and took another sip of her coffee. “I’ve heard that this poisoning was unlike anything the coroner had ever seen. It was bad.”
Alex thought back to the guidance spell as a thought occurred to her. Could Stephanie be a Magical? And using one of those spells for trouble to cloak her abilities? She’d have to ask her family. “That’s … terrifying.”
“I know, right?” Pepper shook her head. “Such a shame. She finished the rest of her beverage and set the mug down again. Alex took a breath and decided it was now or never. You’re thirsty. You need to drink something.
Pepper licked her lips and frowned. “I think I’m going to get another coffee.”
Oh no, that wasn’t what she’d intended. She focused all of her energy and tried again. You’re thirsty for water. This time, Pepper rose to her feet. “Actually, I’ll get a water. I’ve been drinking too much coffee.”
It had worked! Alex was nearly giddy. “Don’t bother. I have one.” She reached into her bag. When Pepper looked at her oddly, Alex laughed. “It’s good water. And free. Here.” She pretended to break the seal on the cap and set it in the center of the table. “It’s important to stay hydrated.”
Pepper eyed her warily, then smiled. “Okay. Thank you.”
She lowered herself into her seat again and reached for the bottle. Alex bit her lip as Pepper took a long, slow drink of water, finishing half the bottle. “Wow. I guess I was thirsty. You’re right, that’s good water.” Pepper read the label. It was a generic water bottle from the local grocery store. “I’ll have to remember this kind. I usually go for the fancy ones.” She capped the bottle again and set it to the side. “What were we talking about?”
“Stephanie Bennett,” Alex said. “How she might have poisoned the tea.”
“Right.” But Pepper hesitated before she leaned over to pull a notebook and pen out of her messenger. “What do you think of the Wesleys, though? Do you think one of them had it out for Bennett?”
Alex frowned like the thought had never occurred to her. “The Wesleys? Why do you think they would do something like that?”
Pepper blinked at the table, fighting to access her memories. “I don’t … it’s a feeling I have. She dropped her pen in frustration. “I hate this. I feel like there’s something I’m missing. Like it’s right in front of me but I can’t see it.”
Alex set her hand over Pepper’s. She had always felt terrible about the attack, and now that she saw the effect it was having on the journalist, her heart hurt. This was one of those ethical situations Kamila had alluded to, and the reason she didn’t practice. “Be patient with yourself, Pepper. You’re a great reporter, and I know you’re going to pull it all together.”
Pepper gave Alex an assessing look. “Most people don’t like me, whether it’s because I’m a Bellamy, because my dad’s the mayor, we’re rich …” She shrugged “Who can know? I think it’s mostly because of my job.” She grinned with pride. “They see me and think of all the way
s I’m about to uncover their secrets and ruin their lives.” She leaned in close. “They’re afraid of me, because I have power,” she chuckled.
The knot in Alex’s stomach hardened as she realized Pepper appeared to enjoy being disliked and feared. Her throat tightened, and she wondered how she could ever keep her family’s secrets from this woman. She tried to smile at Pepper as she swallowed the lump in her throat, but she felt like she’d only accomplished a slight twitch of the lips.
“But you’re different. You’re not afraid of me. You must not have anything to hide.” She gave Alex a plaintive look. “I’m glad we had coffee today.”
Alex bit her lip, unsure how to respond. She didn’t fear Pepper exactly, but the journalist did had the power to ruin her family and their business with just a few words, so she was concerned—no, worried was probably a better word. And oh, she had something to hide all right, and the last thing she needed was a nosy reporter with a chip on her shoulder digging into their past, a past she was known to be obsessed with.
On the other hand, she was using Pepper to get information, which made her no better and caused her stomach to knot up with anxiety. From a strategic point of view, it was probably better to keep Pepper close and on good terms so that if the blogger ever did find something on her family, Alex would be in a position to run interference. Easier to do that as friends, and Pepper, oddly enough, seemed to be extending an olive branch of sorts. She’d be a fool not to take it, and so she decided to return Pepper’s smile. “I’m glad we had coffee too.”
“But now I’ve gotta run.” Pepper hurriedly packed up her belongings. “There’s something about that family—the Wesleys—that’s bothering me. And I’m going to go find Tegan.”
“No!” Alex jumped to her feet without thinking. She’d hoped that Pepper would remember what was in that journal, not that she’d actually pursue the Wesleys. She didn’t want Pepper to get hurt. “I mean, you’re investigating a murder suspect,” she said softly, lowering herself back into her seat. “Can you take someone with you, at least? Do you want me to go?”
