by Esme Addison
“Of course I will, Ciocia.”
She gave Alex a long, tight hug, finally releasing her with a sigh. “Even if you’re not here, you can practice your magic. It should still work in New York.” She winked before standing again and reaching for her mop. “Mark my words: one day, you’ll get the hang of it, and when you do? It’s like riding a bike.”
Alex planned to stick to the basics. Sending thoughts could come in handy, as could moving water every now and then. Maybe she’d even employ the occasional guidance spell, but beyond that? She’d leave magic to those who were more skilled. And besides, if she practiced magic, it might bring her to the attention of other Magicals. And who needed that?
To her aunt, she simply said, “That’s a good idea.”
She snapped her fingers and headed upstairs, Athena at her side. She would call Carter Hawthorne and tell him her decision, of course, and then she should pack.
Alex’s cell phone chirped in her back pocket. She was still deep in her thoughts when she pulled it out and squinted at the message. Someone who was not in her contacts had sent her a text. Are you still looking into who killed Randy?
The breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t type fast enough. Who is this?
Edwin.
He was still typing. Before she could ask another question, he had sent another text. Urgent we talk. About Neptune. You were right.
Excitement rippled through her body. Right about what? But then she thought about the conversation she’d just had with her aunt, the decisions she’d made. No, she wouldn’t get further involved. With a resolute heart she began tapping in her answer. Sorry. Heading out of town. Call the police if you have more information.
Alex knew her words sounded callous, but her meddling into the affairs of the locals of Bellamy Bay had resulted in absolutely nothing. So many times she’d thought she was onto something, and it had led her nowhere. Her aunt was still suspected of murder and she’d made herself a target for a psychopathic Magical. She flung the phone across the bed and rose to retrieve a suitcase from the closet. Lidia was right: she hadn’t created these problems and they weren’t hers to fix. Alex dropped the suitcase on the bed and unzipped it. She had just opened a dresser drawer when her cell chirped with another message. Alex sighed and reached over to check her phone.
I think I know who did it.
Her heart skipped. Who? She typed with shaking fingers. Neptune?
Alex held her breath, exhaling only when she saw the response.
They’re coming to the office to talk. Now. I’ll stall as long as I can.
Her heart sunk. Dylan. She grabbed her purse. On my way.
* * *
The ride to Bay Realty was probably beautiful, but Alex didn’t notice. She gripped the steering wheel harder and floored the pedal, making the drive in record time.
Alex slowed her vehicle as she approached the beautiful white colonial. The parking lot was almost empty—it was Saturday, after all. But Stephanie’s SUV was parked across the street, and Stephanie was still sitting in the driver’s seat, slouched down as if she was trying to hide. Alex swore under her breath and ducked lower in her seat.
Too late. Stephanie rolled down her window, her face a mask of anger. “What are you doing here?”
Alex stopped her vehicle opposite Stephanie’s. She attempted to look nonchalant. “Oh, hey Stephanie.”
“Don’t,” she snapped. “What are you doing here? You haven’t been in town long enough to be Edwin’s mistress, so I know you’re up to something else.”
Alex pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. “What are you talking about?”
Stephanie’s face crumpled into tears. She leaned her head back against the headrest. “I’ve been such a fool.”
“Don’t move.” Alex turned the vehicle so that she was parked a few paces behind the SUV, got out, and walked toward Stephanie. “Tell me what happened,” she said when she reached the driver’s side door. Alex reached a hand through the window to touch her gently on the shoulder.
Stephanie gestured to the passenger seat. “Get in. Hurry. She’ll see you.”
Alex dutifully jogged over to the other side of the car and took a seat. “There now. Here, have a tissue.” She’d pulled it from a box on the floor of the car.
The widow blew her nose loudly. Her eyes and nose were rimmed in red. This isn’t the first time she’s cried today.
“He’s been cheating on me,” she said in a thick voice. “For who knows how long. The snake.” She wiped at the ring of mascara below her eyes. “I can’t believe this is happening again. Why am I even telling you this? You just accused me of murdering my husband in a coffee shop.”
Alex laughed uncomfortably. “But it turned out okay, right? I mean, the police said you have an alibi.” Even though you may know how to be in two places at once.
Stephanie narrowed her gaze and gave Alex a hard stare. “You owe me an apology.”
Alex pushed down a groan. The last thing she wanted to do was apologize to someone who might still in fact be the murderer. But she knew she wouldn’t get more information from Stephanie unless she played along. She pasted a conciliatory smile on her face. “Fine. I’m sorry.”
“Frankly, that’s not good enough.” She blew her nose into the tissue and tossed it into the back seat. Alex tried not to make a face. “I don’t even care. She’s in there now.” She howled again. “Everything he said was a lie.”
But Alex was still trying to wrap her head around this. Who could Edwin be dating? Her thoughts instantly went to Celeste and her mysterious boyfriend. The barista had mentioned something about a deal he’d been working on …
She closed her eyes and shook her head. She’d been so distracted thinking about Dylan; now she wished she’d paid more attention to what Celeste had shared with her. Alex had felt such a sense of relief when she’d discovered that Jenna was Randy Bennet’s mistress. But now she worried. Was Celeste involved in this drama after all? “Stephanie, how do you know this? I thought you and Edwin were in love.”
“I heard him talking to her this morning,” she said, her voice a mixture of pain and anger. “He was telling her to calm down, all of this whispering. He made some excuse to me and left the house. I followed him here.” She frowned at the office building. “And sure enough, she was there waiting.”
“But … who is she?”
“I don’t know.” She glared at Alex as if she were the young woman herself. “I’ve heard him raving about some grad student he met. So clever, so polished, so professional.” She mocked the compliments in a high voice. “He met her at a networking event. It must be her.”
Alex followed her gaze to the building. “And they’re in there now?”
She nodded. “Both of them.”
Alex set a hand on Stephanie’s forearm. “So? Do you want to go in? I’ll come with you—”
But she pushed Alex away. “Shh. She’s coming out. Get down.”
They ducked, peeking out the driver’s side window to watch a young woman in large mirrored aviator sunglasses, a fitted leather jacket that skimmed narrow hips, tight low-rise jeans, and high heels walking to a white sports car. Her face was hidden beneath the brim of a baseball cap, a long, dark ponytail sprouting out of the back of the hat. The car’s alarm beeped as she unlocked the door and climbed in.
Stephanie whispered, “Is he still inside?”
“I haven’t seen him come out,” Alex replied.
The sports car sped out of the driveway, too fast for her to get a look at the license plate, and turned onto the road without stopping.
“Shoot,” Alex whispered. “I couldn’t see her face.” She really hoped it wasn’t Celeste. She liked her, and she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders—aside from her questionable taste in men, of course.
She turned to Stephanie, but the woman was already opening her door and muttering under her breath about all the things she was going to do once she got her hands on Edwin. Alex got out, to
o, and hurried after her, more concerned about stopping bloodshed than anything else. Stephanie marched quickly up the drive.
“Okay,” Alex said, catching up with her. “Maybe we should take a few deep breaths—”
Stephanie shot her a drop-dead glare and pushed open the front door. “All right, maybe not,” Alex muttered, and caught the door before Stephanie slammed it shut in her face.
Inside, the building was silent. Even for a beautiful Saturday afternoon, this seemed unusual to Alex. This was a multimillion-dollar company, after all—how could no one have work to do today? She had worked nearly every weekend since graduating from business school.
“Where is everyone?” she whispered as they mounted the staircase. It was too quiet to speak at a normal volume.
“It’s Saturday,” Stephanie replied. “The office is closed. But if you’re a cheater like Edwin, Saturday is when you meet your college-aged girlfriend.”
This was such an awkward situation—given that technically Stephanie was also a girlfriend who had been cheating on her husband with Edwin up until two weeks ago—but Alex knew better than to wade into that shark pool, and so she kept her lips sealed and her thoughts guarded to the best of her ability. Witch or not, Stephanie was scary when angry.
They turned the corner toward Edwin’s office.
“Stephanie, listen. Whatever happens, you’re going to be okay. We’re going to confront him calmly without resorting to violence, and I’m going to be right next to you.”
“You can go take a long walk off a short pier, for all I care,” she replied. “This is between me and Edwin.” She barged into his office. “Edwin. You lying son of a—”
She froze, one hand on the doorknob. Alex was giving them a respectful distance, but she peered around the corner out of curiosity.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered.
But she saw right away. Edwin lay facedown on his desk. His face was hidden, but his hands hung limply. A handgun was at his feet.
“Oh no,” Alex gasped.
Beside her, Stephanie released an ear-piercing scream.
* * *
Jack Frazier was even less amused to see Alex than Stephanie had been. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said when he first set eyes on her in the foyer, far away from Edwin Kenley, who was most definitely dead. “Alex. What have I told you about staying out of trouble?”
Alex had urged Stephanie to wait for the police in the sitting area, and Stephanie now had her head between her knees while Alex rubbed her back.
“Jack,” Alex said, not rising to meet his hostility. “Surely there must be more important things for you to focus on right now?”
He paused to deliver one last disapproving frown at her and then moved on. “I’m going to need statements from you. From both of you. Don’t leave.”
“Of course. We saw someone leaving. A young woman in a white sports car.”
“Did you get a license plate?”
“No, but I can give you a description.”
“First things first.” He glanced up at the walkway that ran through the second story. “Is he upstairs?”
She nodded, and Jack gestured to the police officers. “Let’s go.”
She didn’t warn him about the horrific scene. Edwin had died of a single shot to the head, but Alex and Stephanie hadn’t heard a gunshot. It was possible the woman had used a silencer, or she’d used her magic to muffle the sound. Alex knew Stephanie wasn’t the one responsible for Edwin’s death. But if she wasn’t responsible for killing Edwin, then she wasn’t responsible for killing Randy, either. A sick feeling roiled in her stomach. She’d spent a lot of time focusing on the wrong person, and she also owed the grieving widow a big apology.
“Stephanie, I need to apologize to you. Again. This time, a real one. I’m so sorry for being so dramatic in the coffee shop, and for thinking that you killed your husband.”
Stephanie sat up, keeping her elbows on her knees. She had been hyperventilating, and Alex had been the one to suggest putting her head between her knees. She didn’t know whether that was real first aid or something she’d seen on television, but at least Stephanie was breathing easier.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Nothing matters. Randy is gone, and now Edwin …” Her chin trembled. “It wasn’t suicide. She killed him. Some young murdering monster is taking everything from me. Suicide?” She rolled her eyes. “As if he’d leave me by choice. He loved me.” She let out a moan and dissolved into a fresh wave of tears.
And that was the other thing; Edwin had supposedly left a suicide note. All it said was, I’m the one who killed Randy. I can’t live with the guilt. Alex knew it was fake, but she couldn’t reveal to the police that the guidance spell had shown that a Magical had killed Randy. She set a hand over Stephanie’s in a weak attempt to comfort her. “We have to find this girl. Do you know anything else about her?”
“This is a nightmare.” Stephanie massaged her forehead while she thought. “I don’t know anything.” She clenched her fists. “She killed him. You saw her prance right out like nothing was wrong, right? I’m not imagining this.”
“No, you’re not imagining anything.” Alex squeezed her hand.
Had the woman who walked out of the office looked like anyone she knew? They had been too far away to get a good look. She thought of the young women she’d met so far: Celeste, Bryn, and Jenna. But that meant nothing; Bellamy Bay was a college town, and there were hundreds of young women in the area who could’ve been Edwin’s mistress. But she knew of one woman in particular who was probably dating a married man—Celeste. She had to find her, confront her, and make her come clean about who she was dating. And if it was Edwin? The thought stopped her cold. That meant Celeste was a Magical … and one who practiced black magic. She’d mentioned that her mother was friends with Ciocia Lidia. Were they both witches? Did they get together and do … witchy things?
She turned her attention back to Stephanie, her voice firm with resolve. “Don’t you worry, we’re going to find her. There must be video cameras around the building. The police won’t stop until someone pays for this crime. This is a tourist town; they can’t have a murderer running free, right?”
Stephanie’s nod was almost imperceptible. “I have a headache.” She closed her eyes.
Alex tried to remember her magic lessons with Minka, but they had barely scratched the surface of healing. Still, maybe it was worth a shot.
“My dad used to get headaches,” she lied. “I know a trick for getting rid of them. Would you mind if I touched you?”
She closed her eyes, wincing at the pain. “No. Go ahead.”
Alex moved so that she was facing Stephanie. She touched her fingertips to her temples, light as a feather. Relax. Comfort. She didn’t know the magical words, but she knew the feeling. Health. Her fingertips tingled, but Alex tried not to get excited. Focus was essential in order for the spell to complete; Minka had taught her that. As natural as breathing. And all at once, Alex felt the very calm she was sending to Stephanie. Her mind loosened, her breath deepened, and she felt soothed.
Stephanie’s eyes fluttered open. “Wow,” she whispered. “What did you just do?”
Alex smiled and released her touch. “Just a little trick.”
She touched her head. “I feel amazing. It’s … wow.”
Alex sat back down beside Stephanie. She felt great, too. This was what no one had ever told her: that magic done to others reflected back on the Magical. For the first time in ages, Alex’s thoughts were crystal clear. Her path was finally visible.
“We’re going to find her, Stephanie,” she said softly. “She won’t get away with this.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
After giving her statement to Jack, Alex called the coffee shop on her way home, hoping Celeste would answer the phone. She needed to confirm that she hadn’t been dating Edwin. But a male voice said, “Coffee O’Clock. How may I help you?”
“May I speak with Celeste,
please?”
“She’s not working today.”
The words were like a punch in the gut. “Do you—is there a way I can contact her? Is she at school?”
The man snorted. “I don’t keep her schedule. But I think I heard she’s taking a few days off. A trip or something. You wanna leave a message?”
A few days off? A sick feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. Is she leaving town? Getting out of Dodge after killing two people? And what was her motive? Alex declined politely and disconnected the call. As she drove, she tried talking herself out of her own suspicions. Celeste was seeing an older man, but that didn’t mean she’d been dating Edwin. It couldn’t be her. She was too sweet. Too nice. Alex would’ve picked up on something, sensed her evilness, her penchant for murder.
She almost laughed, except there was nothing funny about this situation. If Celeste was a Magical, she was probably using a spell for trouble and cloaking her abilities. Or maybe it was her perfume. Maybe that beautiful scent she wore hid the smell of magic.
But there was a silver lining. Edwin had professed to killing his business partner, which meant her aunt was off the hook. Forced admission or not, her aunt didn’t deserve to be on house arrest for another single day. If Edwin’s staged suicide was what set her free, Alex could sleep just fine. But that didn’t mean she was finished. A killer was on the loose.
Alex was so distracted that she hit the curb as she pulled in front of her aunt’s house. She ran inside without bothering to correct her poor parking job.
“Alex.” Minka rushed into the foyer to hug her. “You poor thing. We just heard about Edwin.”
She accepted the hug but needed to talk to her aunt about Celeste and her mother. Were they Magicals? What did she know about Celeste? Athena ran circles around the two of them joyfully. “Minka, where’s your mother? I need to talk to her about—”
“Shh, I know.” Minka linked her arm with Alex’s. “Edwin didn’t kill himself. We know that. But Tobias is here, so we have to, you know.” She mimed locking her lips and tossing the key away.
