"Whoa!" Poppy said. "She's not nice."
"So I didn't kill him?" Scarlet asked.
Didi shook her head no.
"I'm glad," Poppy said, putting her arm around Scarlet.
"I'm sorry I got you involved in all of this," Scarlet said. "I thought if I had power or something that I'd matter."
"You matter to me," Poppy said.
"So what happens to my aunt?" Scarlet asked.
"She's going to be taken care of by some people in the magical world," Mom said. "You don't have to worry about that. Just lead a good life, and you'll be able to stay out of trouble."
"Does that mean I can't be a goth anymore?" Scarlet asked.
"You can wear what you want," Mom said. "But I think you're better off in brighter colors."
"I'll give you makeover," Poppy said.
"Maybe," Scarlet said, but I wasn't sure she was going to go for it.
"Can we get a ride?" Poppy asked.
"Yeah," Scarlet said. "My aunt was the one who drove us here."
"I didn't exactly drive here myself," Mom said. "But Didi and Joy can take you home. Let's all go get something to eat at the diner across the street. My friend Jason is waiting for us to be done here."
That was news to me.
"I'm so done," Scarlet said.
"I'm hungry," Poppy added.
Mom walked over to the grave and tapped her hand on some of the dirt. All of the displaced dirt from Scarlet and Poppy's digging returned to the hole.
"That's so cool," Scarlet said.
"You won't remember it," Mom said simply.
"What do you mean?" Scarlet asked.
"Remember what?" Poppy asked.
"Where's my aunt?" Scarlet asked.
"She said she had to go," Mom said. "She felt guilty for being a bad influence on you. And by the way, you've done nothing to harm your friend."
"Of course not," Scarlet said.
I could tell Mom was using the push.
"We're going to Dinah's. We can all eat, and we'll give you a ride home," Didi told the girls.
The two girls nodded.
"So, you two are the private eyes, right?" Poppy asked as we all headed out of the cemetery toward our car.
Mom's memory wiping magic was darn efficient.
"That's us," Didi said, smiling at me.
"Did you find out what happened to Damien?" Scarlet asked.
"My daughter's researched the March's family medical history and found out that brain hemorrhages run in the family," Mom said.
Ah. That was it. Mom would magic us up some papers to set Alison March's mind at ease about her son's death.
"I think his mom is going to come into some money from an insurance policy," Didi said.
"I heard that too," Mom agreed.
And she'd have enough money to fight off her ex's custody battle from the insurance.
"Are brain hemorrhages contagious?" Poppy asked. "Because it seems that a lot of those are going around lately."
"I doubt it, but let's get checked anyway," Scarlet said as we all headed to the car.
Epilogue
The old wizard shuffled toward the Council's meeting place. He knew everyone would think he was late, but they were all wrong. He was right on time. He knew everyone looked at him like he was long past his prime.
But they didn't know that this last adventure of his would be his greatest. Well, not his greatest. He was of the opinion that he'd done many great things, but this one would be up there.
The gentle croak of his amphibious familiars followed him as always. If he listened closely, he could hear their webbed feet hitting the pavement. Sometimes they'd leave little splats of water behind.
Mervyn loved that sound, but everyone else thought it was gross.
The High Council would definitely be annoyed by any little bit of water his friends might carry with them into the Grand Hall.
But he didn't care. They couldn't do anything to him. He was practically royalty even if no one else treated him like it anymore. All everyone talked about was his younger brother, Merlin. People always deified the deceased.
He would've thought they'd be impressed by a wizard who could stay alive this long, but kids today had no respect.
"Merlin, Merlin, Merlin," he grumbled himself as he maneuvered up the steps to the Grand Hall using his staff to steady himself. Blasted steps. He silently vowed to vanquish all stairs into oblivion one day, but he had to save his strength.
It wasn't even like steps were necessary. Most everyone popped in and out of places, but all the stuck-up witches needed to put in stairs just to be fancy. So ridiculous. Didn't they know that they were making things a nuisance for elders whose magic didn't allow them to teleport all over the place? Not that he couldn't teleport all over the place if he wanted to. He just preferred to walk, and he had to save his strength.
"Will no one stand up to represent them?" he heard Themis' voice boom from inside the Grand Hall.
That Themis. What a hottie!
Mervyn shuffled faster. That was his cue.
"I, the great Mervyn, will represent them," he said, bursting through the front door of the Grand Hall. His voice echoed throughout the room. It was just like he'd rehearsed on the toilet this morning.
Except he'd forgotten that the Grand Hall wasn't immediately behind that first door. There was this lobby area put there first so that before meetings, the High Council could get ready, and then everyone else would go in.
Mervyn muttered under his breath and rushed into the actual Grand Hall, but he had trouble opening the door, and found himself having to bang on it with his staff to be let in.
Someone finally opened the door, and he said his big line, "I will represent them."
He'd been so out of breath and flustered that he forgot to announce who he was.
"Their representation is set," a council member whose name he didn't remember said as she pounded her gavel. "The Fair Witch Sisters will be represented by the Wizard of Frogs. You'll have three months to prepare your case."
He smiled. They'd used his royal title.
He looked over to Themis and gave her a wink. She did not look happy.
She'd come around.
A Note from the Author (and her sister)
Edie, my real life sister, called me on her way home from work. She does that most nights.
"How's the new book coming along?" she asked.
"Almost done. How does it feel to have a character based on you?"
"I haven't finished reading the first one, but it's weird seeing some details like my Toyota."
I laughed. I steal lots of details from real life because it's easier to remember. If you ever find yourself in Beverly Hills, there is a tea shop just a few doors down from The Paley Center with a cheese shop, a bank, and a Fatburger, all where they are in the book.
Except in that chain tea shop, they don't have a fortune teller, and it looks about as big on the inside as it does on the outside.
Although, I'd argue there's magic (and even maybe some dark magic) happening everywhere--even in the snootier parts of Los Angeles.
"So what do you have to say to anyone reading the book?" I asked.
"What does Mom usually say?"
"She always reminds me to say thank you for reading, and then she tries to get me into making up something for her."
"Can you make it up for me?" she asked.
"I don't make it up for Mom. I just keep her on the phone until she says something."
"You can tell them that I really do have a YouTube," she said.
I didn't have the heart to tell my sister that the YouTube subplot won't happen until later in the series, but it was all she could think of mentioning so I figured I'd tell you about it now. She has a video of her singing around different parts of Beverly Hills singing the Weezer song, Beverly Hills. Her Toyota has a brief cameo. Until next time.
Thank you for reading.
Mom says hi.
Love,<
br />
Christy
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Also by Christy Murphy
Fair Witch Sisters Mysteries
Father Knows Death
Potions Eleven
The Wizard of Frogs
Mom and Christy’s Cozy Mysteries
Mango Cake and Murder
Apple Pies and Alibis
Milkshakes and Murder
Mocha and Murder
Coconuts and Crooks
Honey Buns and Homicide
Marshmallows and Murder
As C.M. Murphy
The Secret Truth of Time (A Time Travel / Suspense)
Potions Eleven: A Paranormal Witch Cozy (Fair Witch Sisters Mysteries Book 2) Page 16
