Murder by the Cup

by Abigail Thornton

  “Are you alright?”

  She blinked and finally brought her rescuer into focus. Silvery grey eyes, almost the color of the stainless steel sink behind her, met hers. Right after she got hit with a bout of attraction, a sinking feeling hit her in the stomach. This was going to be far from a good first impression.

  “Miss?”

  Wynona finally found her tongue. “I-I’m fine, thank you,” she whispered. Immediately embarrassed by her response, she cleared her throat and stepped back. “I’m fine, thank you,” she said as she brushed off her clothes. “Just a little bruised.”

  Those penetrating eyes turned from her and glared daggers at the rest of the room. Only then did Wynona start to register the chaos that was still happening around her.

  “Just what is going on here?” the man demanded. His blond hair was slicked back in a smooth business-style look and his suit was a perfect match for his eyes, looking custom tailored, if Wynona’s guess was right. She had a sneaking suspicion that she had just met her landlord.

  Chef Droxon was still screaming angrily as he marched toward the struggling thief and snatched something from his pocket. “How dare you take my recipes!” Chef Droxon shouted in the man’s face. His green face flushed a weird brown as he screamed in anger. His words began to blur as Gnomish flooded through his thick lips until the cursing and shouts were completely unintelligible.

  The man who arrived late grabbed the thief by his collar. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

  The thief looked terrified and shook his head, refusing to speak.

  “We should call the police,” Wynona said in as soothing a voice as she could manage. “I’ll be right back.”

  Though she was sure one of the employees had a cell she could use, Wynona decided they had their hands full holding onto the thief. She wiggled her way through the crowd and made her way to her office, where she quickly called in the emergency. Once that was done, she took a moment to redo her hair and make sure she didn’t look quite so bedraggled before making her way back to the kitchen. “The police are on their...” She trailed off when she realized everyone was now yelling at each other.

  “Where did he go?”

  “Couldn’t you hold onto him?”

  “Did anyone look in the alley?”

  Chef Droxon and the blond-haired man were speaking. Well, the blond was speaking, but Chef Droxon, as usual, was screaming at the top of his lungs.

  Wynona stared, looking around the room in confusion until she realized a key aspect was missing. The thief. He was gone. She gasped and put her fingers over her mouth.

  The blond jerked his head her way at the sound, then left an open-mouthed gnome and headed her way. “Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked, his concern audible in his voice.

  “Oh, yes,” Wynona said, still flustered. “I’m fine. But...what happened to the man? The one who tried to steal Chef Droxon’s black binder?”

  The man sighed and brushed a manicured hand over his hair. “I’m not quite sure. I was speaking to Droxon when there was a rustle behind us. Next thing I knew, the thief was gone and the workers were all blaming each other.”

  Wynona frowned. “Did he use some kind of magic to escape?”

  The man shrugged. “Not that I could feel, but I’ll admit I wasn’t paying much attention. I thought they had a good hold on him.” He smiled. “Forgive me. I should have introduced myself earlier. Roderick Caligari. Warlock.”

  Once again a gasp escaped her lips. “Mr. Caligari, I’m sorry. I suspected that’s who you were.” She gave him a rueful smile and shook his outstretched hand. “Wynona Le Doux. I’m your tenant in this building.”

  “I assumed so.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Good to meet you as well. I should have known from your fancy signature on the contract that you would be as beautiful in person.”

  Wynona smiled, but gave him a look. “Well, that wasn’t cheesy at all.”

  He chuckled. “It worked, didn’t it?”

  “I guess that depends on what you were trying to accomplish.”

  “I was hoping to gain a smile from a beautiful woman,” he explained casually.

  Heat crept up her neck, but Wynona held her ground. “Thank you for the sweet compliment, but I think we have bigger things to deal with.” She nodded over his shoulder. “It looks like the police have arrived.”

  Roderick spun. “Indeed.” He glanced back with a bright smile. “But call me Roderick. Mr. Caligari is too formal.”

  Wynona gave him a soft smile. “If you want.”

  “I do.”

  “Then that’s what I’ll do.” She followed him farther into the kitchen as the police were taking statements. She knew she’d have to do the same, though she wasn’t looking forward to it. She hadn’t even opened her shop yet and already the police were here. This didn’t bode well for the future. She muttered a quick prayer that her landlord wouldn’t kick her out, deeming her as trouble before she’d even had a chance to begin.

  “And you are?” An officer stood in front of her with a pad of paper and a pencil. She appeared to be a vampire, if her almost translucent skin was a clue. The slight red ring around her pupils was the clencher.

  “Wynona Le Doux,” Wynona said, ignoring the officer’s widened eyes at her last name. “I own this shop.”

  The officer nodded and wrote down a few notes. “Did you witness the incident?”

  “I did,” Wynona said. “But I’m not leaving any time soon. Why don’t you take care of Chef Droxon and his workers, allowing them to leave. I’ll wait here for you to have time for me.”

  The officer looked around uncertainly. “Are you sure, Ms. Le Doux? We can certainly take care of you first.”

  Wynona held back a sigh of frustration. She truly despised the hold her family had over the general public. “I’m fine. Really.” She smiled as kindly as she could manage in her exhausted state. “Please take care of Chef Droxon and his employees. I’m sure they’re all ready to leave.”

  The officer nodded sharply, then turned and did as Wynona suggested.

  Propping the kitchen door open, Wynona walked into the dining area and dropped into a chair. She rested her head in her hands. This was not how she’d expected today to go, but at least it had a mostly happy ending. The Chef’s black book was safe, and she still had a contract with the best baker in all of Hex Haven. She had even discovered that her landlord was extremely handsome, which was a bonus. At least, it was if he stayed her landlord after this.

  Roderick walked in and sat across from her. “This wasn’t exactly how I pictured us meeting for the first time.”

  Wynona smiled. “Me either. I had planned to have tea and leftover pastries at the ready.”

  His eyes flitted back to the kitchen door where a dozen voices continued to speak over each other. “Perhaps it’s just as well. As tempting as those pastries sound, if we’d met under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have had the chance to hold you in my arms so quickly.”

  Wynona laughed quietly and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She’d never had anyone flirt with her so openly. Really, she’d never had anyone flirt with her like this at all. It was equal parts flattering and awkward. “You’re quite the charmer.”

  He smirked. “I try to be.”

  Wynona laughed a little more. “Are you waiting to give your statement?” She wasn’t quite ready to continue their current topic. Roderick was handsome, but she wasn’t really looking for a relationship. Besides, when he found out she had no powers, odds were he would hightail it out of there before she could say Abracadabra.

  “I am.”

  “I guess now is as good a time as any to have that tea. Give me a moment and I’ll get us something to drink.” Having something to do helped calm Wynona down and she was feeling decidedly better by the time she had steeped two cups. “Chamomile, lemon balm and passion flower,” Wynona stated when she set down the cups. “It’ll help us calm down.”

  “Thank you,” Roderick s
aid, dunking the infusion ball a few times. “It smells heavenly.”

  “Thanks,” Wynona said. She grabbed a platter. “I even managed the leftovers I mentioned earlier.” The eclairs still looked as fresh as the moment they’d been displayed. There HAS to be some magic in these. But how?

  “I didn’t expect to be so spoiled,” Roderick said with a grin. He put the cup to his lips. “At this rate, you’ll be able to use my glowing review to advertise your business.”

  Wynona wasn’t sure when she’d laughed so much. “I’ll look forward to it,” she returned.

  “Miss Le Doux?” The vampire officer from earlier was standing in the kitchen doorway.

  “Yes?”

  “Can I take your statement now?”

  Wynona waved a hand at the table. “Have a seat and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

  The officer frowned, then did as asked. “You’re...are you related to President Le Doux?”

  Wynona nodded, keeping her face perfectly pleasant. “I am.”

  “Huh.” The officer shook her head. “You’re not quite what I would have expected.”

  A wide, genuine smile graced Wynona’s face. “Why, thank you Officer...”

  “Nightshade. Amaris Nightshade.”

  Wynona nodded. “Officer Nightshade. I do believe that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Wynona hummed as she let herself into the shop through the back door and into the kitchen. She had stayed late last night and with the help of her new friend and landlord Roderick, they’d managed to put the kitchen back to rights before heading to their respective homes.

  He had been the ultimate gentleman and Wynona found herself wishing things could be different. He was flirty and sweet and terribly handsome, but he was also a warlock. By trade, she knew that warlocks and witches were always looking for more power. This wasn’t an attitude brought on by her skewed childhood. It was a statement of fact.

  As soon as Roderick knew she was powerless, he would more than likely stop speaking to her altogether. She sighed as she flipped on the lights. It was a sad situation, but one she needed to get used to. It’s not like she could change her circumstances. Not to mention, she didn’t want someone who was only interested in her magic.

  “Having no powers just means you can be together with someone who wants you for you,” she reassured herself. It was a line she told herself over and over, but on days like today, it felt especially important. Roderick seemed like the type of man who would have been fun to get to know.

  After setting down the basket of tea leaves she had brought, Wynona headed out of the kitchen into the dining area, flipping on all the lights as she went. As she walked through the largest gathering room with all the tea tables, her eyes drifted to the spot on the floor where she had left the crumbs in front of the bookcase. When she realized that the space was empty, she paused midstep. Eyes widening, she hurried back to the kitchen and threw open the fridge. There was very little in it at this point, since she didn’t plan to stock the perishables until the day before she opened, but there were a few takeout containers from her long nights decorating and cleaning.

  She ripped one open and grabbed a crust of pizza from The Weeping Widow. It was a small pizzeria down the street, run by Mewla Wraithsong, a banshee. Apparently, the songs she screeched in the kitchen did something special to her creations and it had been voted the best pizza in the haven for three years running.

  Breaking off a nice chunk, Wynona went back to the sitting room and carefully bent down in her heels and pencil skirt to leave the crust just in front of the bookcase. “I hope you’re alright from my sister’s hex,” Wynona said, feeling only slightly foolish for speaking to a mouse. “Hopefully, this will help you recover.”

  She waited a moment, but there was no sign of the creature, so she stood and brushed off her fingers. It was time to get to work for the day. She’d check back later to see if her little houseguest had ventured out.

  Wynona walked across the room and headed down the hallway, only to pause just outside her office door. A frown pulled on her lips as she stared at her door. It was slightly open, which shouldn’t have been the case. Wynona was meticulous in the way she ran her life. Every door had been shut, every light turned off, and every deadbolt locked when she’d gone home last night.

  An eerie foreboding crawled up her spine and her hands began to tremble. Her eyes darted around, looking for some kind of weapon, but unless she wanted to use a vintage teacup, there was nothing within reach. She made a mental note to get some kind of weapon to keep on hand. This was just another example of how having magic would have drastically changed her life. Celia would have marched in without a care in the world, knowing that nothing in the room would have been strong enough to hurt her. Once again, Wynona had to hold back harsh thoughts about whoever had cursed her. The culprit had never been found, but they’d left an indelible mark on her life.

  Reaching out, she slowly began to push the door inward. The wary feeling grew the farther the door opened. “Hello?” she asked, leaning around so she could see inside. No one answered her call, which wasn’t surprising. She scoffed in her mind. If an intruder was there, they weren’t exactly going to announce themselves.

  All was still...too still. She stepped fully into the room and frowned, putting her hands on her hips. Whoever had been there had obviously come and gone. A quick glance at her shelves showed nothing obvious missing.

  Wynona huffed and the dust in the air floated into her eyes. Blinking rapidly, Wynona waved a hand in the air. “Ew. I need to...” Her words trailed off when she spotted something on the floor.

  Without running a single step or lifting any kind of weight, Wynona’s heart began to race and her stomach flipped. Her shaking hand rose to her lips. “Oh...”

  On the floor lay a body. Or what was left of a body. The flesh had all been turned to ash, which was currently floating around Wynona’s face, while the clothes lay perfectly on the floor, untouched by whatever hex had been thrown at the individual.

  “Nona?”

  Wynona jumped at the sound of her name and it spurred her into action. She rushed out of the door and ran down the hall as fast as her heels would allow. “PRIM!” she yelled.

  Primrose was just coming through the kitchen door when Wynona ran over and grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?” Primrose asked.

  “You need to come see this,” Wynona said breathlessly. She pulled her friend forward. “Come on.”

  “I don’t understand,” Prim managed through her panting. She was still in her fairy form, making her much smaller than Wynona.

  “You will in a minute.”

  “Nona, I—” Prim cut off and her face contorted before she screamed as if the reaper himself was swinging his scythe at her head.

  Wynona ducked and covered her ears. “If they weren’t already dead, I think you’d have finished the job,” she said wryly.

  Prim covered the rest of her scream with her hands. “Soidngeorhewhrwek.”

  Wynona tugged on the fairy’s hands. “I can’t understand you.”

  “Who is...you know...” She pointed at the body from behind her other hand.

  Wynona held back her eyeroll. “They can’t hear you, Prim. It’s okay to talk out loud.”

  Prim dropped her hands,but her shoulders remained bunched up near her ears. “Who is that? And what in the world happened?”

  Wynona’s eyes went back to the gruesome sight. She shook her head as she studied the scene. Nothing in her room seemed out of place, except for the dead body, of course. What in the world were they doing in her office of all places? “I’m not sure,” Wynona said. “But if I had to guess...” She swallowed hard. “I think it might be Atherton Droxon.”

  “WHAT!” Prim’s voice had risen again.

  “Oh my word, Prim! I’m going to be deaf before the police get here.”

  “Sorry.” Prim brought her voice back down, but it wa
s still shaky, making Wynona feel bad about scolding her. It was clear the fairy was terrified. “What makes you think that’s him?”

  Wynona shook her head sadly and pointed. “The apron? See the brown streak? I saw him wearing that yesterday when he came over for the taste test.”

  Prim squeaked and she rose on her tiptoes. If she had wings, she’d have risen off the floor, but just like Wynona, Primrose was an outcast among her kind. She was a fairy born without wings.

  Primrose, however, was not the type of personality to let something so mundane get her down. Although she kept her feet firmly planted on the ground, she’d let her dreams reach the clouds, and now Prim was the premiere flower farmer in the land.

  She might have taken on the business world fearlessly, but apparently that attitude did not apply to murders.

  “The ghost reporters are going to have a field day,” Prim grumbled. She looked up, her pink eyes glassy with tears. “This is a disaster.”

  Wynona nodded. “I know.” Not only was she sad that a man had died, but she couldn’t help but mourn how this would change her tea shop as well. She had been so excited to have a contract with him. She shook her head. Her business definitely wasn’t as important as a man’s life. Not to mention his family was probably worried sick.

  “Are the police on their way?”

  “No. You arrived just as I found him,” Wynona said softly. “Let me grab my phone.” She walked back to the kitchen where her purse was sitting on the counter. After digging around, she found the device and punched in the number.

  “Emergency services, what is your emergency?”

  “I’d like to report a murder,” Wynona said matter of factly. Her stomach was still doing flip-flops, but she figured being hysterical on the line wouldn’t be very helpful.

  “Excuse me, ma’am, but did you say a murder?” the voice clarified.

  “Yes.”

  “Can I get your address, please?”

  “I’m on Haven Main. The new tea shop. Saffron’s Tea House.” The name still made Wynona choke up, even when she wasn’t already emotional. She hoped her granny knew the shop had been named in her honor. “Please have the officers come around back.” After answering a few more questions and assuring the worker that there was no present danger, Wynona managed to hang up just as her back door opened. That was fast. “Oh, Roderick!”