“Lots of eating out,” he quipped.
I perused the menu, skipping over any item with the word “blood” in it.
“Will you look at this menu?” Holly said. “This place is right up your alley, isn’t it Alec?”
With roller-skating Gorgons and minotaurs, I doubted the elegant vampire would view this place as “up his alley.”
“Ooh, my favorite,” Delphine said, focused on the menu. “My grandmother used to make the best Devil’s Claw soup.”
“You should definitely offer some to Rose,” the sheriff said, a mischievous gleam in his eye. “She loves slurping soup off other paranormals’ spoons.”
“Don’t do that in front of Mother,” Florian warned. “She’ll enroll you in etiquette class faster than you can say “stars and stones.” Sharing is for the common folk.”
“Sheriff…Granger is kidding,” I said, pressing my foot on top of his under the table. “He knows I don’t make a habit of sharing food and drinks.”
Florian grinned. “That’s adorable. You two already know how to push each other’s buttons.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is annoying, not adorable,” I said.
A server skated over to the table. Her electric green ponytail was high on her head and her makeup was flawless. “Welcome to Stake-n-Shake. I’m Peri and I’ll be your server. Can I get you started with a drink?”
“I think we’re ready to order,” Florian said with his usual air of confidence. “I’ll have a Stake No Prisoners patty and a Cypress shake. Delphine?”
The pretty witch seemed uncertain. Maybe Florian should have checked with her before announcing we were ready to order.
“I can go next, if that gives you more time,” the sheriff interjected. Delphine offered a grateful smile. “I’ll have a Moonshine smoothie and a Stake Me, I’m Yours patty.” The sheriff glanced down at his trim torso. “I feel like I’d best move the belt over a notch right now in preparation.”
Peri’s gay laughter filled the corner of the diner. “We do like to see a satisfied customer.”
“I’ll have the Buckeye cakes and a Blessed Thistle smoothie,” I said. I had no clue what those items entailed, but I was willing to find out. When it came to food, I wasn’t risk averse.
Delphine handed her menu to the server. “Could I please have the Stake Your Time salad and a water?”
“Of course.”
Alec waited politely for Holly to order.
“You choose for me,” Holly said. “I’m in your capable hands.” I suppressed a groan.
Alec placed their order and Peri collected the rest of the menus. “I’ll be back with your drinks in a hot minute.” She skated off, her short skirt flapping. Florian’s wandering eye didn’t escape Delphine’s notice, but I watched in disappointment as she chose to ignore it. If she hoped to secure a relationship with my cousin, she was going to have to call him out on his behavior. Letting it slide wouldn’t do her any favors in the long run. She could ask Linnea all about that approach.
“How’s the investigation?” Florian asked. “Any closer to the carnival killer?”
“Carnival killer,” I repeated. “Sounds like a horror movie featuring one too many clowns.”
“What’s a clown?” the sheriff asked.
My fingers gripped the edge of the table. “Wait, you don’t have clowns in the paranormal world?”
Delphine explained the concept of clowns to the table. “Sometimes my library skills pay off in idle conversation.”
The sheriff seemed appalled. “Who would ever think clowns are a good idea?”
I shrugged. “Beats me. I’ve always found them creepy.”
The werewolf continued to reel from the description. “And they’re actually paid to perform at children’s parties?”
“That’s right,” I said. “And at the circus and carnivals.”
He gave a low whistle. “Humans have sick minds.”
“Here’s your blood orange soda,” Peri said, placing Alec’s drink in front of him. “And your cackleberry shake, miss.”
I blocked out Alec’s drink. As cool as this place was, I didn’t think I could stomach so many blood-based items in one room.
“I can’t really talk about an open investigation,” the sheriff said. “But Rose here can tell you all about whatever article she’s cooking up for the paper. Nothing confidential about that.”
“Any lead contenders for the carnival killer crown?” Florian asked. He winked at Delphine. “See what I did there?”
She gave him an indulgent smile. “Clever.”
“No offense, Florian,” I said, “but she always sees what you did there.”
“I have a couple of leads I’m following up,” the sheriff said, deliberately vague. “How about you, Rose?”
“Same.” I decided to be deliberately vague, too.
“You saw Madame Bovary before you found her body,” Florian said. “Tell Delphine what she told you in her reading.”
I shot a nervous glance in Alec’s direction. “I don’t think….”
“Marley said…” Florian began, and I immediately began to cough. I knew exactly what Marley had disclosed to Florian. She and I would need to have a serious talk on privacy tomorrow. The circle of trust clearly required a definition.
The sheriff patted my back. “Don’t hurt yourself, Rose.”
I needed a quick deflection. “Have you ever investigated a crime you couldn’t solve?”
Holly’s mouth puckered. “Ooh, such a good question.”
The sheriff leaned back against the booth. “Only one.” His expression hardened in a way that made me regret asking the question.
“Everybody needs one in their career,” Florian said. “It keeps you motivated.”
“It wasn’t during my tenure as sheriff,” the werewolf said, and I realized that I knew the case he meant. Now I was really sorry I’d tried to deflect.
“Your father?” I asked softly.
He nodded gravely. “His killer’s never been caught.”
His mother had told me at the pack picnic that his father had been murdered, but I hadn’t realized until now that the murder remained unsolved.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Holly said. “What a terrible situation.”
“It’s what got me interested in law enforcement,” the sheriff said. “I’ve tried to keep the case open and investigate on the side, but I’ve hit a lot of roadblocks over the years.”
“I must admit, I’ve always admired your mother,” Alec said. “It can’t have been an easy time for her.”
“I appreciate that,” the sheriff said. “No, my mama worked her fingers to the bone looking after Wyatt and me, all the while grieving our daddy. Not an easy time for her at all.”
“How does she move on?” Holly asked. “It must be impossible when she doesn’t know what really happened?”
“She’s made peace with it,” the sheriff said, “and I know she’d prefer that I move on, too.” He cast a sly look at me. “I tell her I’m working on it.”
I understood the implication. It was hard for him to build a relationship based on trust when he had so little of it. The universe had treated him unkindly—unfairly even—and it was difficult to put your faith in anything after that, especially in another living being. We had that much in common. I’d lost my mother when I was an infant, then my father and my husband. I was no stranger to loss.
Peri delivered the rest of our drinks, expertly skating in a circle while holding aloft a tray topped with glasses. Waiting tables was tough enough, but skating took her skills to another level.
“Food’ll be out shortly,” she said pleasantly, and took off.
“You and Wyatt had to grow up before you were ready,” I said. No wonder Wyatt struggled with adult responsibilities. I didn’t want to give him a free pass for bad behavior, of course, but we couldn’t ignore his background. There was clearly a connection there.
“I don’t know about that,” the s
heriff said. “Werewolves are always ready to take over family responsibilities. It’s in our DNA.”
“You and Wyatt seem so different, though,” Delphine said. “I mean, I don’t know either of you very well, but your personalities…” I could tell the kind witch was struggling not to say the wrong thing and insult Wyatt.
“We’re not as different as you might think,” the sheriff said. “He’s lazy, sure, but he cares about his kin. And believe it or not, he has an honorable side.”
“Let’s not go overboard,” Florian interrupted. “Okay, maybe he won’t kill anyone, but that hardly qualifies as honorable. That’s more like the minimum we should expect.”
“You have no room to talk, Florian Rose-Muldoon,” I said. “Plenty of paranormals would argue that you and Wyatt are cut from the same cloth.”
“Not really,” Florian said. “I’ve never been married for a reason. Wyatt chose to take that step, and then have two children.”
Fair point.
“I don’t think we need to highlight the shortcomings of the sheriff’s brother,” Delphine said gently. “Especially not while we’re enjoying a nice meal together.”
“Thank you, Delphine,” the sheriff said.
A soft blush crept into her cheeks. “Don’t mention it.”
“I knew I’d have my work cut out for me, trying to romance a Rose after the wreckage my brother left behind,” the sheriff said. “Hasn’t stopped me from trying, though.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “Some outcomes are worth the Herculean effort.”
“Herculean? Really?” I queried. “I don’t think I’ve been that tough to pin down.”
“Ha!” the sheriff replied. “I’ve caught cold-blooded killers more easily.”
“Let’s see if you can catch the carnival killer before he strikes again,” Florian said.
I turned my attention to Florian. “Now he’s a serial killer? You really do want to make a movie out of this, don’t you?”
“If you don’t know the motive or anything,” Florian said, “there’s no reason to think that the murder was an isolated incident.”
“Except for the fact that there’s only been one death,” Delphine pointed out.
Florian tossed an arm across her shoulders and squeezed. “She’s a smart one, isn’t she?”
When Delphine didn’t smile, I began to wonder whether the bloom was off the Rose-Muldoon.
Peri reappeared with our tray of food. She distributed the plates and flashed a dimpled smile at Florian. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Not right now, thanks,” I said, hoping to pull the server’s focus away from my cousin. As Adonis-like as he was, it seemed rude to flirt with him in front of his date. Peri obviously sensed that Delphine was not in charge of the tip.
“Just give me a holler,” Peri said, and skated away.
“That takes genuine skill,” Florian said, admiring the server’s spin in the middle of the diner.
“So does categorizing thousands of books in a library,” Delphine said, “but I don’t wear a short skirt that barely covers my bottom to do my job.”
“Maybe you should reconsider,” Florian said, completely serious.
Inwardly, I groaned. Sometimes my cousin was truly tone deaf.
“What’s your favorite book in the library?” the sheriff asked her.
Delphine’s expression shifted to one of pure pleasure. “That’s like asking which parent I love more. It’s impossible to say. I do love the history books….”
“Delphine knows a lot about Starry Hollow history,” Florian said. “She’s been a big help for our community college class.”
“What do you know about the Whitethorn?” Holly asked. “Is it as full of ancient magic as the tales suggest?”
“It’s full of magical ale,” Florian said. “That’s all I care about when it comes to the Whitethorn.”
Delphine ignored her date’s remark. “There are so many legends surrounding that place. I could teach a course on them.”
“Maybe you should,” the sheriff said. “I bet the town would love if the library hosted talks on local legends.”
Florian snapped his fingers. “That’s a great idea. I could promote it through the tourism board.”
Delphine’s nose wrinkled. “It wouldn’t be tourism, not really. More of an opportunity for locals to learn more about their town.”
“I love it,” I said. “I would absolutely come and bring Marley. She’d eat it up.” I picked up my fork. “Speaking of eating up, I’d better dig in before this gets cold.”
“I guess you’ll be heading back over to the carnival tomorrow to interview suspects,” Holly said to the sheriff. “It’s a shame you can’t just enjoy it.”
“I’m not a big carnival lover, so I’m good with it. Would’ve liked to take Rose on one of the rides, though.” He bumped me with his hip. “I bet she scares easy.”
“I’ll be there again as soon as I can fit in,” I said. “I’ve got a runecraft lesson tomorrow, among other things. The Power Puffs want me to meet them at the carnival after the official award ceremony, which I think is the day after tomorrow.” And I still had to track down Jacob’s new girlfriend.
“The Power Puffs want to meet with you?” Florian asked. “That sounds ominous. You shouldn’t go alone.”
“I’m not concerned. B’linda is distributing our gold stars, apparently,” I said. “They decided I should still have one, despite the…technical difficulties.”
The sheriff chuckled. “Let me know if you need backup, Rose. I’ll be a holler away. Just try not to set anything on fire—you know, like the Power Puffs.”
I gave him a mischievous look over the top of my glass. “No promises.”
14
“If it isn’t the most talented Mistress-of-Psychic Skills in all the covens,” I said, as Marigold traipsed toward me, her long cloak dragging across the dirt. As usual, I waited for her in the woods behind Rose Cottage.
Marigold eyed me suspiciously. “That’s either sarcasm or you need a favor.”
“How insulting.”
“To me,” Marigold snapped. “Don’t forget I can tell what’s on your mind if I feel like it. You seem to have glossed over the “psychic” part of my title.”
“Don’t take it personally,” I said. “I glossed over “mistress” and “skills,” too.”
“In other words, it was sarcasm,” Marigold said.
“Stop it. You know I’m in awe of your talent. In fact, you should think about joining the carnival. Due to recent unfortunate circumstances, they have an opening for a seer.”
Marigold removed her cloak and hung it on a nearby branch. “You’re suggesting I join a traveling carnival? Trying to get rid of me?”
I fluttered my eyelashes innocently. “Just a thought.”
“It wouldn’t be the right role for me. Fortune telling isn’t the kind of psychic skill I possess.”
“And here I thought you were the most psychically gifted witch in the coven,” I said.
Marigold rolled up her sleeves, and I noticed a trickle of sweat on the exposed part of her chest. “I am, but you’ll never catch me with a crystal ball. My talents are all mental. No accessories required.”
“Artemis Haverford reads runes,” I said.
“So does Hazel. That’s different.”
“Is it?”
Marigold fished a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at her brow. “Of course. Otherwise, I’d be teaching you runecraft.”
I watched her stuff the handkerchief into her pocket. “What’s going on with you? Are you sick? Because we can reschedule.”
“No need to reschedule. I’m not ill,” Marigold said.
I glanced skyward. It was a cloudless, sunny day, and the temperature was an ideal seventy degrees with a gentle breeze. Hardly warm enough to cause Marigold’s uncomfortable condition.
“You seem out of sorts,” I said.
Marigold ignored me. “Let’s get on with the lesson, shall we?
Today I’d like to introduce aura reading.”
“You mean where I see color bubbles around people? I can do that?”
“I don’t know if you can, but you seem capable of a lot of skills we weren’t expecting, so your aunt and I decided that we should give it a shot.”
Aura reading sounded simple enough. “What do I do? Concentrate on you and see if any colors light up?”
Marigold clucked her tongue. “I’m not a Yuletide tree.” Evidence of perspiration pearled on her forehead.
“Seriously, Marigold. Why are you sweating?” I demanded. “In another second, you’re going to strip down to your underpants and I’m going to be extremely uncomfortable.”
“You’re going to be uncomfortable?” Marigold shot back. “My mood swings are giving me whiplash.”
“Why are you moody? Did something happen?” Marigold was usually on the ball and in control.
She exhaled loudly. “If you must know, my body is going through the change.”
“The change to what?” Marigold was a witch, not a shifter.
She gave me a pointed look. “The change, Ember. The one that announces to the world that I am no longer in my child-bearing years.”
I nearly choked. “Menopause?”
“Yes, menopause.” Marigold hugged herself. “To be honest, I’m finding the whole transition quite difficult.”
“Because it means you’re closer to death?” I asked.
Marigold stiffened. “Well, I hadn’t been thinking about it in exactly those terms, but I suppose so. Thanks for the enlightenment.”
“Sorry, that was insensitive.” No one liked to be reminded of her mortality, myself included.
“I’ve been uncharacteristically emotional,” Marigold said. “I had to leave the Pointy Hat the other day because they didn’t have a dress in my size and I burst into tears. It’s unnatural.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “That sounds rough.”
She nodded. “I also keep thinking about the fact that I never had children. I saw a little boy playing at the beach earlier this week and I cried again. He wasn’t even a nice little boy. He buried his friend in sand and then dumped a bucket of water on his head.”
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