"Yeah, and we were hoping the elders would help us find him,” Trixie said. "But they don't care, and that means that none of the other witches in Knox Hills are going to help either. That's why I told you he was missing. I thought that if the witches won't help, maybe you would."
"I haven't heard or seen anything that has anything to do with Alex being gone,” Bethany said. "I'm sorry."
"That's what I was afraid of,” Trixie said.
"I'll keep an eye out, and I'll tell you if I find out anything,” Bethany said. "But for now, I think I'm going to go home and process this over a box of chocolates and some trashy reality TV."
We walked Bethany to the door. Voodoo came trotting down the stairs as soon as she was gone.
"Well, that was fun,” I said. "Are we going to go to some sort of witch jail for letting a human find out?"
"It happens,” Trixie said with a shrug. "There's no way to keep them all in the dark. Like you said, there are sensitive humans who pick up on the supernatural world. Most of them probably have witch blood or other paranormal way back in their lineage. She'll be fine as long as she doesn't go running her mouth, and I doubt she will."
Chapter Six
The next day I went into the ice cream shop and tried to focus on work. I couldn't find Alex. I couldn't do anything about the council. I didn't have much to go on in Rosaline's murder, so I figured it was best to just do my job.
It was a fairly normal day. I stayed out front helping Lyn fill orders instead of hiding in the back. I knew if I tried to busy myself in the office, I'd just stew over everything that was going on.
Much to my surprise, Felix McCoy came into the shop a little after lunchtime. I was glad I'd stuck around instead of taking off like I normally did.
He wasn't a regular customer, but he'd been through some emotional trauma lately. People seemed to like to drown that stuff in ice cream. Lyn was about to step up and help him.
"I'll get this one,” I said.
"You're the boss," she replied.
"Hi, welcome to Nuttie's,” I said. "How can I help you today?"
"I haven't been in here for a long time,” he said and I noticed he was wringing his hands. "I was nearby and saw the sign. Figured a treat might be the pick-me-up my day needs."
"Well, take a look around. If you want to try a flavor before you commit, I'll give you a tasting spoon." I said.
He nodded his head and began to peruse the cases. A lot of people spotted something that piqued their interest right away, but Felix looked for a long time. Two customers came in and got orders, and he was still walking back and forth looking at all the ice creams. He couldn't make a decision.
He couldn't even pick a flavor of ice cream without someone telling him what to do.
"Do you prefer chocolate or fruit flavors?" I asked. He stood in front of the row that contained Dark Chocolate Chipper and Mango Madness. It could have gone either way. "Or do you like vanilla? It's a delicious and complex flavor that doesn't get the credit it deserves."
"Definitely not vanilla,” he said a little too firmly. "I do like tropical fruit."
"Ah, so the Mango Madness then. Why don't you try a tasting spoon? I think you'll enjoy it."
He brightened at the suggestion. "If you think I'll like it."
I got him a small spoon of the ice cream and handed it over.
Felix took it from me and plopped it happily into his mouth. That's all he needed. Someone to tell him what to do. All I had to do was figure how to use that to my advantage. If I could get him talking, maybe I could find out if he killed Rosaline.
"What do you think?" I asked. "You love it, right?" I insisted before he could answer.
"I do. Thank you,” he said. "I'll have two scoops in a cup, please."
"You said your day needed a pick-me-up,” I said as I leaned in to scoop out the ice cream. "Everything okay?"
"Everything should be great,” he said. "A part of my life that was really hurting me has been cut out like the bad cancer it was. But the problem is that I need a new... adviser. It's got me between a rock and a hard place."
"Oh, really? Why is that?"
"Because I don't know how to pick a new adviser without consulting the old one. She had me completely dependent on her advice. Eating out of her hand, even. I hate her for making me so dependent on her, but I also hate her for not being here."
"Hate seems strong. Was it that bad?" I asked gently as I got his second scoop of ice cream.
"I'm not even sure why I let myself get to the point where I relied on her so much. She ruined my life."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I should be glad she's gone. I'm better off. I think we're all better off without someone so unreliable in this world,” he said.
I handed him the ice cream and watched him walk to a table. That little bit of rancor that came out at the end was telling. Was it possible that Felix really did hate Rosaline? It was evident that he blamed her for the state his life was in. I was certain that him being left broke and alone was probably enough motive to kill.
Chapter Seven
When I went to leave for the day, the check oil light was on in my car.
"When was the last time you had your oil changed?" Voodoo asked.
"Uh..."
"Yeah, that's not good,” he said. "You'd better take it to the garage."
"You're right,” I said. "Wait a minute, this is awfully convenient."
Voodoo was looking out the window at someone walking down the street and not at me.
"Voodoo, did you do something?"
He kept looking out the window, and then barked at a kid walking by with a balloon.
"Don't pretend like you can't talk. I know you can. Did you do something to my car? Did you let the oil out?"
"I want to know why Scarlet came to the garage and talked to Gareth. They went inside. Don't you want to know why?"
"Probably because someone they loved died. Maybe they were making funeral arrangements or something. I don't think Gareth killed her,” I said.
"I don't either, but maybe there's a clue there. We can't know unless we find out,” Voodoo said.
"Why are you so interested in this case?" I asked.
"Because I think it will keep your mind off Alex,” he said plainly. "I don't want you going home and being depressed or doing something that is going to raise the ire of the council."
"I should be spending my time finding Alex and not worrying about Rosaline. It's Bethany's job after all."
"Psssht,” Voodoo said. "Since when do you want to leave the crime solving to Bethany? Besides, I let all of the oil out of your car. Unless you want the engine to lock up on this beautiful piece of American machinery, you'd better get it over to Gareth now."
"Voodoo!"
If a dog could shrug, he shrugged.
There wasn't any use in arguing with him about it. That wasn't going to put oil in my car, so I put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb. Voodoo used a little magic to roll his window down and stuck his head out. Watching his tongue flapping in the wind made me giggle, and I forgave him just a little.
I pulled into the parking lot at the garage and got out. I'd intended to go into the office area and speak to the receptionist, but Gareth came out from one of the bay doors when he heard me pull in.
"I didn't expect to see you again,” he said. "Personal visit or car trouble?"
"It's all business,” I said with a smile.
My happiness at seeing him was despite myself. Something about his confident smile put me at ease.
"Well, I'm glad to see you again,” he said, but that smile melted from his face. His eyes clouded over and I could see a sort of anguish pull his jaw and forehead muscles tight. He coughed. "Sorry. I shouldn't be so chipper given that the funeral is tomorrow. It's just that for a second... No, it's stupid."
"It's not stupid,” I said even though I had no idea what he was talking about. "What is it?"
"It's the strangest thing. For
a second, I forgot that she died, and I'm supposed to be sad. It was like the weight of it lifted when I saw you, but then it came crashing back down."
"That's not strange,” I said. "Grief works in mysterious ways. Some mornings I wake up, and I forget that Alex left."
Now that was strange. Why was I thinking about it like he'd left me?
“He was a fool,” Gareth said. “To leave a woman like you, I mean.” A blush crept up his neck and colored his cheeks. “I’m sorry if that was over the line.” He let out a nervous chuckle. “I don’t know where my head is at.”
“It’s okay,” I responded. “Thank you for the sweet compliment.”
He cleared his throat and straightened his back. “So, what brings you in today?”
“All of the oil leaked out of my car. I need to have it replaced,” I said.
“Wow, okay. I hate to even have you start it again, but please do. Bring it over to the middle bay and pull in.”
I winced when I turned the key in the ignition, but the car started fine. I pulled out of the parking spot and drove it into the empty garage bay.
Gareth was waiting for me when I got out. “It still sounds okay, so hopefully, you’ve avoided any damage.”
“I noticed the oil light was on when I got into it after work. I drove straight over here. Sorry if I should have called a tow truck,” I said.
“No need to be sorry,” Gareth said. “It’s your car, though it is a thing of beauty. It just would have been an expensive repair if you had to buy a new engine. As it is, I’ll just replace the oil and find out why it leaked. My guess is that whoever changed the oil last didn’t put the cap back on securely.”
“Yeah, that’s it, I’m sure,” I said knowing full well that Voodoo was the saboteur.
“So, I should be able to get to that this afternoon. If you want to come back around six, right before we close, I should have her ready for you,” he said.
It was then or never. Well, never is a bit of an exaggeration. I could have waited until six when I came back to ask him about Scarlet’s visit, but that would have upset Voodoo. He’d gone to an extreme to get me there and talking with Gareth again, so I needed to act. Or deal with his grumbling. He’d probably even refuse to leave.
“Can I ask you something?” I blurted because there was no casual way for me to snoop into the man’s personal life. None that I could think of, anyway.
“Sure? Are you concerned about the car? I promise you I’ll take good care of her.”
“No, it’s not about the car. I trust you,” I said. “I’m just curious about something, and I want to ask, but I don’t want to offend you.”
“Usually when people start out that way, they’re about to say something offensive,” Gareth said.
“It’s… you know what, never mind. You’re right.”
“No, please, go ahead, Allegra. I’ve had far worse things happen to me in my life than being offended.”
Right. Because his fiancée had been murdered. Just ask him, Allegra. I scolded myself. Rip the Band-Aid off before you make this even more awkward.
“When I was here before, you and Scarlet went into the garage to talk… I guess… is everything all right?” I said and then kept going. “I mean, I know it’s none of my business. I don’t know. I guess… I mean… I was just curious. Something told me to ask. I’m sorry. I’m a jerk.”
Smooth, Allegra. Real smooth. I cringed so hard internally that I probably tweaked an organ.
Gareth just watched me for a moment. Probably to see if I was done yammering and he could answer or if I planned to make a further fool of myself.
“She was brining me a locket. It was a gift I’d given to Rosaline before I could afford an actual engagement ring. It was like my engaged to be engaged present. The necklace had belonged to my grandmother. Anyway, Rosaline always wore it, but when I asked the funeral home about it, they said she hadn’t been wearing it when…” Gareth’s voice hitched a little and he cleared his throat again. “She hadn’t been wearing it when they received her body. They called the medical examiner, and it wasn’t in the morgue either. I called Scarlet and asked her. I would have checked Rosaline’s place myself, but some of her family still believes I did it. It’s easy to understand why they would since she was found here, so I’m trying to make this easier on everyone. Things will be fine once they find the real killer. Anyway, Scarlet found the locket. She brought it here to me.”
“That makes sense,” I said and shot Voodoo a look.
“I can understand why it looked a little weird. Especially with that snake Jasmine Morgan whispering in your ear that I was having an affair.”
“It didn’t look weird,” I admitted. “Your fiancée and her best friend died. The funeral is tomorrow. Of course, you were going to be having private conversations. Again, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I felt compelled to drag you through this.”
I did know why. My familiar had set the whole thing up. I hoped he was satisfied.
“Again, you don’t have to be sorry. I’m not made of glass, Allegra. I’m glad you care enough about this to ask questions. I have more faith that you’ll figure this out than local law enforcement.”
“Bethany’s not bad,” I protested.
“She’s not. I like Bethany a lot,” Gareth said. “But you’re different. You’ve got an edge to you. It takes someone as sharp as you to best a criminal.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I should let you get back to work.”
“See you around six?” Gareth asked. “Do you need a ride? I could call a friend or get you a taxi. Sorry we’re not a big enough operation to have an actual shuttle service.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s pretty nice out now. I can walk.”
Voodoo and I started walking toward home. One of the good things about small towns was that even if you were on the other side of town, it wasn’t that far.
“That was embarrassing,” I said once we were a block away from the garage.
“Why?” Voodoo asked. “He took it fine, and we got good information.”
“How was that information?”
“Because we found out what they were talking about, and we found out about the locket. That in itself isn’t super helpful, but it’s a clue.”
“How?” I asked.
“Uh, Allegra, are you feeling okay?” Voodoo asked.
“I’m fine. Why?”
“Because you’re struggling to put together how the locket is a clue. Duh. He said she was always wearing the locket, but on the day she died, she didn’t have it on…”
“Oh,” I said and then it dawned on me. “Oh, yeah. I get it. Why wasn’t she wearing the locket?”
“There you go,” Voodoo said.
While I was walking and contemplating the locket thing, I barely noticed that we’d reached Knox Hills Cemetery. I didn’t realize that we were walking right in front of the cemetery gates until someone stepped out of the graveyard and I nearly ran into them.
Voodoo let out a little bark that got my attention just in time to keep me from running straight into Athan. Immediately, my heart started to pound, and a blush stained my cheeks.
“Stop it,” I said in frustration.
“Well, hello to you too, Allegra,” Athan said casually. “That’s really no way to greet an elder, though.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, instantly realizing that he could do horrible things to me. He was probably authorized to do them given how I’d acted at the council. “It’s just that whatever magic you’re using to affect me is really over the top. Could you please stop? I’d rather be in control of my… faculties. Please.”
“I’m not using any magic to affect you, Allegra,” he said.
“Yes, you are.” I straightened my back and looked him in the eyes. Big mistake. His gaze bore straight through me, and I found myself wanting to take a step closer to him. “Yes. You. Are. You need to stop. This isn’t… fair. It’s not fair.”
“It isn’t fair,” Athan admitted
. “Not one bit, but I’m not using any kind of magic on you. Trust me. I’ve tried to figure out how to shut it off too.”
“What?” I asked in disbelief. “Are you saying that you’re… drawn to me too?”
“Afraid so.” He tried to sound casual, but it slipped a little. For a split second, I could see the struggle behind his eyes.
“This isn’t right,” I said. “I’ve been down this road with a witch before, and it ended badly. Plus, I’m with Alex. I’m in love with Alex.”
“I tried to stay away from you,” Athan said.
“You were in the cemetery waiting for me to walk by,” I said. “You must have been following me. How is that trying to stay away?”
“No. I was in the cemetery trying to do an ancestor ritual. I was much deeper in, but I could feel you getting closer. And then I found myself walking to the entrance. Here you are, and now here I am,” he said.
“Then I should probably just keep walking,” I said. “You have nothing to offer me.”
“That’s not true,” he said and started to reach for a strand of hair that had fallen across my cheek. Athan was going to push it back, but he withdrew his hand quickly as if getting close to me had burned him. “And it’s cruel.”
“I’m not going to just forget Alex and come running into your arms. I don’t know you. I don’t care if I’m insanely attracted to you. Besides, there’s still a chance this is some spell you’re doing. Maybe you’re bored and toying with me is a game to you.”
“He’s been gone for over a month, Allegra, and you don’t have one clue of where he went. In all that time, you’ve found nothing,” Athan said.
“So?”
“So, maybe he doesn’t want to be found.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I said.
“Is it?” he asked. “Think about it, Allegra.”
“Think about what? Whatever you want to say, just say it. This game is getting old, and I’m about to walk away from you.”
Anger flashed in his eyes for a moment, but it dissipated quickly. A small smile tugged at the corners of his perfect lips. “Other witches would be afraid to talk to me this way,” he said.
Sprinkles, Spelled, and Slayed Page 6
