by Esme Addison
“I always take a can of mace with me,” Pepper assured her as she typed into her phone. “And I let a colleague at work know where I’m going, how long I’ll be there, and when I should be back. Just as a precaution.”
“And meet somewhere public,” Alex added quickly, genuinely concerned for her safety. “You just never know.”
“I’ll be safe, I promise.”
Pepper paused, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Is this what it feels like to have a friend?”
Swallowing nervously, Alex smiled at her. “I’m just a worrier, a professional worrier, actually.” She told Pepper what she did for a living. “I basically determine risks and then identify ways to reduce them.”
The journalist gave her an appraising look. “Interesting.”
Alex sat back in her chair. “Could you let me know if you learn anything? I’ll promise to do the same for you.”
“Of course.”
Alex watched Pepper leave the coffee shop with the same self-confidence she’d seen the first time she’d entered Botanika. This was a woman on a mission.
She carried her mug and saucer to a black bin beside the trash where dirty dishes were collected. She stopped. In the back, mixed with the aromas of baked biscuits and ground coffee, were the unmistakable scents of violet blossoms and raspberries.
Violet.
There was only one person in this area, a young woman sharing a table with a laptop and a stack of college textbooks. Alex approached her with a friendly smile. “Hello. I couldn’t help but notice your perfume.”
The young woman looked up. “Mine?”
“Yes.” Alex kept her tone gentle. “It’s Violet, isn’t it? It suits you.”
She was very pretty, with a heart-shaped face, shoulder-length light brown hair, and wide-set brown eyes. Alex had meant the compliment to be disarming, but she became alarmed when the young woman’s eyes filled with tears. “It was a gift,” she said softly. “My boyfriend gave it to me just before he died.”
“Oh no.” Without asking permission, Alex slid into the empty chair across from her. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just know that fragrance.”
The woman pulled a stack of tissues from her handbag and wiped her nose and eyes. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known.”
Alex couldn’t believe her good fortune—or rather, the young woman’s misfortune. Stephanie had mentioned that Randy Bennett had a mistress, and he’d purchased a bottle of Violet for her right before his death. What were the chances that a different man had purchased the same bottle of perfume before dying? She lowered her voice to a whisper and said, “Was your boyfriend Randy Bennett?”
Now the woman’s eyes widened in sheer panic. “No. Why would you—he had a wife.” But she shifted her gaze around in a way that told Alex she was covering the truth.
“It’s okay,” Alex assured her. “I’m not here to judge you.”
With that, the woman’s face dissolved into tears again. “I can’t—I’m not … “No one knows—knew—about us. I’ve been holding it in, grieving alone ever since—” She blinked back fresh tears. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me,” Alex said. “Really. I understand.”
She looked relieved. “How did you know about us?”
“I work at Botanika. He bought that perfume there. And I’m sorry for your loss. It’s obvious you cared about him.”
“He knew how much I loved that shop. We were in love,” she explained.
Alex set her handbag on her lap, settling in for a longer conversation. “My name is Alex Daniels.”
“Jenna Hoffman. Nice to meet you.” She closed her laptop and reached for her tea.
“How long had you and Randy been seeing each other?”
“About a year.” She wrapped her hands around the mug and pulled it closer to her chest. “I know, it was wrong for us to date. I felt terribly guilty at the beginning, and I tried to break things off. But he told me he and his wife were separated. She was seeing someone else, too.” She took a sip of her tea. “I don’t know. I told myself that if she was seeing someone else, it was okay. Funny how we justify things.” She gave a pained smile.
Alex leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Jenna, was it true that Randy and Stephanie were trying to get back together?”
Her chin quivered. “He said Stephanie wanted to reconcile, but he didn’t. We were going to get married as soon as the divorce was finalized.”
This pretty young woman wanted to marry Randy Bennett? He had to have been more than thirty years older than her, and the years had not been kind to him. She could understand why Randy would have been infatuated with Jenna, but Alex was surprised that Jenna had returned his feelings. She also wondered if what Jenna had said was true, that Stephanie had wanted to remain married to Randy but he wanted a divorce. Stephanie had made it sound as if they both wanted to patch the relationship, although she had admitted that Randy wouldn’t leave his girlfriend.
Jenna blew her nose into a tissue. “I don’t understand why that horrible woman would want to kill him. Why would anyone? He was so funny and generous. He was the best person I knew.”
The best person she knew? Alex thought back to the disheveled, unshaven man who’d entered Botanika begging for a potion. It’s true what they say, she thought. Love is blind.
“Jenna, you should know that Lidia Sobieski is my aunt, and I’m certain she had nothing to do with Randy’s death.”
“You think the police were wrong?”
“I do. Lidia and Randy weren’t friends, but she had no reason to hurt him.”
Jenna nodded slowly. “I thought it seemed strange. He’d never mentioned Lidia, not even when I talked about how much I loved her shop.” She exhaled. “Actually, I feel a little better if she wasn’t involved. I didn’t mean what I said about her being horrible. She was nice to me whenever I went to Botanika.” She balled the tissue in her fist. “Are the police looking for another killer? At Stephanie, maybe?”
“They may be open to the possibility,” Alex replied evasively. She pointed to the college textbooks. “You’re in school?”
“Yes. Graduate school. Although I’m really behind on my schoolwork. I work two jobs, and I’ve been a bundle of nerves since Randy died.” Jenna reached for her books. “I can’t drop out, though. My student loans would come due, and how in the world would I pay them? Randy was going to help me find a job after I graduated. Now I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Two jobs, student loans, and help getting a great job? That explained why someone as young and vibrant as Jenna would be interested in Randy. He would’ve provided financial security for her.
“I’m lucky the Wesleys are so kind,” Jenna continued. “They’ve allowed me to cut back the hours on my internship. I told them someone in my family died.” She paused. “Do you think that’s wrong?”
Now this was interesting. “No. It’s understandable.” Alex set her elbows on the table and leaned closer. “You intern at Wesley, Inc.?”
Jenna nodded. “Yes. They’re amazing.”
“What do you do there?”
“Not much lately,” she said. “But mostly I’ve been working on acquisitions. I research companies they might want to buy and put together a proposal. It’s kind of boring unless you’re into that stuff.”
Alex smiled. “And it sounds like you’re into it.”
“I am. And it’s perfect. I’m getting my MBA so I can do this type of work after I graduate.”
Alex glanced around the shop for Celeste. She was also getting her MBA. Maybe she knew Jenna and could answer a few questions? But the barista was busy managing a long line of customers, tendrils of her hair escaping her ponytail. She caught Alex’s eye and waved.
Jenna took a sip of her tea. “The Wesleys almost never have job openings. But I can hope …”
And she also interned at Wesley, like Celeste, Alex mused. She definitely had to speak with Celeste about the college stude
nt. Alex focused on Jenna, who was still talking about Wesley, Inc., employment opportunities.
Jenna shuffled her books around the table. “I’ve heard rumors that Tegan is retiring soon. If that’s true, they’re going to need some new résumés. Mine’s already on file.”
“So you think Tegan’s retirement will create openings at the company?”
“Probably. If Dylan gets Tegan’s job, then someone else would take his place, and so on,” she reasoned. “They promote from within the company, which is great, don’t get me wrong.” She rested her chin on her hand. “But I’m getting out of school with a lot of loans. I can’t afford to work my way up from the mail room.”
As a business school graduate, Alex understood only too well how student loans could limit a person’s career options. “And so that’s why Randy was going to help you to get a good-paying position?”
“Right. Of course now …” Her voice trailed and her nose reddened. “I tell myself one day at a time, you know?”
“That’s the only thing you can do when you lose someone you love,” Alex said gently.
“You sound like you’ve been there, too.”
“My dad died a few months ago. And my mom died when I was young.”
Jenna tilted her head. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you.” She set a hand over Jenna’s. “But if there’s one thing I know, it’s that we can get through this. One day you’re going to look back and be amazed at how strong you are.”
Jenna took a quivering breath and nodded silently. “Does it stop hurting?”
“No,” Alex said. “But it stops hurting so intensely.”
She glanced at the clock on the wall, which was shaped like a white ceramic mug of coffee. She’d been away from Botanika for long enough. “I should get back,” Alex said. “It was nice to speak with you, Jenna.”
The young woman smiled. “You too. I hope we see each other again.”
“Why don’t you stop by the shop sometime? I can even show you how we make that perfume you’re wearing.”
A look of gratitude softened Jenna’s face. “I would love that. Do you have any of that Sweet Dreams balm? It sounds weird, but I have the soundest sleep when I use it.”
“We have tons of it,” Alex assured her. “I can even give you a discount.”
* * *
After Jenna left, Alex made her way to the counter. Celeste was wiping sweat from her brow, but she grinned when she saw Alex.
“Hey, you.”
“Hey, yourself.” Alex settled onto a stool at the bar. “It was a madhouse in here for a while, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Celeste nodded, grabbing a towel and wiping down the area in front of Alex. “That always happens when someone goes on break.” She laughed, then nodded toward the dining area. “Everything okay? You seemed deep in thought with that other customer.”
“About her …” Alex planted her elbows on the counter and leaned forward. “Her name is Jenna. She’s in the same MBA program as you and interns at Wesley, Inc. What can you tell me about her?”
Celeste’s eyes widened. “Really? I’ve seen her in here a few times, but never at school or at Wesley when I was there.”
“Could be something … or nothing,” Alex mused.
“Probably nothing,” Celeste added. “There are about a thousand students in the MBA program. I suppose I can’t know them all.” She laughed.
“Right.” Alex stood. “Okay then. I best be going. Don’t work too hard.”
As Alex left the café and stepped onto the sidewalk, a deep sadness for Jenna welled inside her. She felt sorry for the young woman, and she didn’t see what she would have had to gain from murdering Randy. Jenna wouldn’t inherit any money. To the contrary, she’d lost the possibility of an imminent wedding and a better job after graduate school. But if Jenna was telling the truth, it only made Stephanie more of a suspect in Alex’s mind. If Jenna had nothing to gain from Randy’s death, then it was equally true that Stephanie had nothing to lose.
Chapter Eighteen
When Alex and Minka came home that evening, Athena greeted them at the door with her leash in her mouth.
“I think she wants a walk,” Minka observed with a grin.
“If only there was some way she could tell me.” Alex laughed. “Okay, girl. Give me a minute to change.”
Alex took her dog on a run away from downtown, back toward a quieter area of Bellamy Bay. When they hit the boardwalk by the beach, Alex let Athena off her leash so she could run after seagulls without pulling Alex into the vegetation. The beach was deserted except for a few gulls that landed in the sand, took a few steps, and took off again. Athena took a moment to roll around in the sand and pause with her legs up in the air. Then she flipped onto her stomach, barked at nothing, and continued running beside Alex.
“You keep things interesting, sweet girl.”
Alex and Athena were approaching the part of town where the tourists stayed, a neighborhood of bed-and-breakfasts and a motel that faced the water. Tourist season was approaching, and after Memorial Day, Alex wouldn’t be able to allow Athena to run on the beach at all, let alone without a leash.
After Memorial Day. Was Alex even going to be in town for another five weeks? Now that she was running along the water with Athena playing happily at her side, Alex didn’t know that she wanted to leave. Since coming to Bellamy Bay, everything had felt different. Everything was different. She had learned the truth about her family and their powers—how could she return to Mundane life again?
Athena was venturing close to the waves, looking for a drink. Alex called her, and the dog sped up the beach and sat at her feet, tongue hanging out the side of her mouth. “I think that’s enough of that, miss,” Alex joked as she snapped the leash back on her collar. “If you drank that water, we’d both be very unhappy with the results.”
They walked a few more feet to a dog-and-human water fountain on the side of the path. Alex stepped on a lever, and fresh water emptied into a metal sink at the bottom. Athena lapped at it eagerly.
While she was waiting for the dog to finish, Alex admired a white Victorian house called the Seaside, a quaint bed-and-breakfast. The structure was charming, with its wide front porch and antique lamppost marking the brick path to the entrance. A large brass pineapple decorated the door. Athena had just started pawing at the bowl and splashing when a couple emerged from the inn, holding hands. They paused on the porch to enjoy a long kiss. Alex did a double take. Could it be? Then the couple looked right out at the water, leaving no doubt as to their identity.
Stephanie Bennett and Edwin Kenley.
Alex crouched down and hoped they wouldn’t see her. She’d thought they’d been awfully cozy at the Wesleys’ charity event, but now she knew for sure that they were an item. How long had this been going on? Was Edwin the “other man” that Randy had used to justify having his own side relationship?
She waited while they walked around to the parking lot behind the inn. Once they were out of sight, Alex tugged Athena’s leash. “Come on, sweetie. Run’s over.”
* * *
Lidia had finished knitting a long fluffy white scarf and had started on a matching cap. When Alex and Athena came in, she held up her work proudly. “It’s going to be perfect for the winter months. Who wants it?”
“Oh, wow.” Alex nodded politely, indicating she’d take it. It would certainly help keep her warm in the winter if she returned to New York. “It’s beautiful.” She unhooked Athena’s leash and hung it up on a coatrack. Athena did a sweep of the downstairs, stopping to say a quick hello to Minka, Lidia, and Kamila. Then she plopped herself down on her favorite spot on the living room rug and sighed happily.
Minka giggled. “She had a good run?”
“I let her go off leash for a little while. It’s one of the perks of owning a police academy dropout: she listens when I call.”
The women were enjoying sweet iced teas and talking about their days. Kamila reached down to scra
tch Athena’s back. “Aw, good girl,” she cooed. “Too soft to be a police officer.” Athena dutifully showed her belly.
“And how was your day, Alex?” Lidia asked.
Alex laughed, even though little of her day had been funny. She simply didn’t know where to begin. “It was interesting,” she said. “And I’m glad you asked.”
She pulled up a large pillow and sat on the floor. Then she spent the next half hour relaying the day’s events in detail. She told the women about the guidance spell Minka had cast the night before, and the enchanted water she’d served to Pepper. She stole a guilty glimpse at Kamila, but her cousin didn’t appear angry or surprised. “Someone’s going to need to keep an eye on Pepper now that she’s digging into the Wesley family,” Alex said. “Is there anything we can do to protect her?”
Kamila groaned. “You don’t know her like we do. She was horrible in school. Arrogant, mean, always thinking everyone was jealous of her.” She shook her head. “It’s no surprise no one likes her, and you want to help her?”
Alex gave her cousin a hopeful look. “But she’s helping us.”
“You know what I think? Pepper Bellamy uses her position as a news reporter to get back at all the people she thinks disliked her when we were kids. She’s power hungry.”
“Even so, she may be integral in clearing your mother’s good name.”
Kamila rolled her eyes. “I won’t like it, but I’ll keep an eye on her. I don’t live far from her house. I’ll check in periodically and drive by her office, make sure there’s no magic in the air.”
“The Wesleys won’t touch her if Kam’s around,” Minka said. “Even if she doesn’t practice magic, she can spot it. If she catches them messing with a Mundane, she’ll haul them in front of the Council for a shackle spell.”
There was so much to learn about this hidden world in Bellamy Bay. “What does a shackle spell do?” Alex asked.
“It’s the most severe form of punishment for a Magical,” Lidia explained. “It renders their magic inaccessible. Sometimes the Magical forgets they ever had abilities.”
