Lori ordered two coffees and they sat down. She enjoyed Gillian’s company, despite Hazel’s misgivings about her. She was down to earth and easy to relate to. In particular, she wanted to talk some more to Gillian about what she had said in the forest during the field trip. As they drank their coffees, Lori started telling her about the money found in Dr. Pearce’s room safe. Strangely, Gillian’s eyes glazed over as if she wasn’t interested.
* * *
“Tell me more about your family?” Gillian seemed genuinely interested. “I understand your granny was a suspect in Justus’s murder case?” She laughed a loud, raucous laugh. That would make a fantastic murder whodunnit story if it were true!”
“Gran’s quite eccentric yes, but I love her dearly,“ Lori said. She pointed to the two girls sitting at the convention help desk. ”Those are my two adorable but terrible twin cousins, Rosie and Jasmine,“ she said. She wondered whether she could tell Gillian that she and her family were in fact witches, but stopped short of that. ”Why don’t you come over to the house for dinner and meet them,“ Lori said.
Gillian smiled broadly. ”Are you sure? We don’t want to intrude!“
“Who is ‘we’?” Lori thought. She looked over Gillian’s shoulder but the man in jeans she’d been with had left. ”Okay, say around seven this evening? How many shall we cook for?“
”Oh, sorry yes, my husband arrived late last night. You must have noticed him, he’s the guy with the Metallica t-shirt looking totally out of place.“ Gillian thought for a moment. ”And let me drag poor Istvan along, he never goes out.“ She looked awkwardly at Lori. ”Is that okay?“ Gillian laughed. ”You invite me over, and the next moment you have to cook for a whole football team!“
Lori nodded. ”Absolutely, no problem, Aunt Hazel can cook for a hundred people when she’s in the mood.“
”Great, looking forward to it,“ Gillian said, gulping down the last of her coffee.
”Is your husband interested in mushrooms?” Lori was intrigued. Who on earth would drag their spouse to a boring academic convention in a small town with no claim to fame?
”Oh no,“ said Gillian as they got up. ”I told him about how beautiful it was here and said he should come over. We both love the outdoors and hiking, so after the convention we may stay for a few days and explore the surroundings.“
With that she said goodbye and joined her colleagues again.
“Fennelmoore’s pretty, but hardly a world class attraction,” Lori thought, but put the notion aside as Gillian walked away.
For the rest of the morning until late in the afternoon Lori helped her cousins with convention administration. She was about to leave the inn when she saw an immaculately dressed woman standing at the reception desk, a small carry-on bag next to her. That must be Dr. Pearce’s widow. Indeed, when she’d finished checking in, Nick brought her over and introduced her as Mrs. Felicity Pearce.
”I’m sorry for your loss,“ Lori said sincerely. The woman’s eyes were bloodshot with sorrow, and she looked like she was about to start crying.
”Thank you," was all she could utter before Nick took her arm and accompanied her to her room. Lori watched her go, her shoulders hunched. The woman was clearly upset and probably taken totally by surprise by her husband’s death. Or was she? Was she in on his shenanigans, waiting for him to come home with a bag full of cash? And what would she do to get hold of the money now? Shaking her head, Lori admonished herself for thinking up conspiracy theories and went to tell Aunt Hazel about tonight’s dinner.
Lori sat in the inn’s kitchen devouring a plate of food Aunt Hazel had dished up for her. All the stress of the past few days meant that her eating habits had suffered. Normally she was attentive about her diet and stuck to healthy meals. If it weren’t for Aunt Hazel, she’d be living on take-out and chocolate bars. Hazel sat opposite her, surrounded by recipe books, working out a menu for the evening. “Any vegetarians coming?” she asked Lori.
“Keep it simple,” Lori said and scooped up a mouthful of pasta and tomato pesto.
Hazel looked up. “Oh no, my child, we can’t do that. These are clever, smart people from out of town. They’re used to first class cooking.”
Hazel had raised Lori after both her parents died in a mysterious car crash when she was six years old. The elder Whitewood had also gently introduced Lori to the fact that she had different abilities than “ordinary folk.” Special abilities only witches had.
“Aunt Hazel,” Lori said looking affectionately at her and wiping her mouth with a starched napkin, “you should be working in a Michelin star restaurant. When I’m rich, I’ll open a restaurant and you’ll be a celebrity chef with your own show on television.“
Hazel smiled and winked. ”We’ll be quite a team, you and me.“ But we don’t need to go to some fancy town to do that. We’re one right here. We’re the witches of Fennelmoore.”
“I really am a no-good witch,” Lori thought. When she thought back, she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d used any of her magic powers. “I really need to polish up on my skills, in case I need them in an emergency.”
Hazel looked at the menu she’d written down. “Any potions we need to be serving?” Lori laughed at her aunt’s witchy sense of humor. Her cell rang, and Lori went outside to take Matt’s call, mouthing “thank you” at her aunt before leaving.
“Can we go for a walk? The convention’s finished for the day,” Matt said.
Lori knew what this would be about. “I’m sorry Matt, we’re having guests over for dinner tonight, and I have to help with that,” she said and then tried to change the subject. “Have you met Dr. Pearce’s wife? She seems pretty upset.”
“No, she’s the police’s responsibility,” Matt said. “Listen, can we talk?”
Lori sighed. She wasn’t getting out of this one. “Okay, but I have to be home early.” They agreed to meet at the start of the forest footpath on Cumin Street. When Lori arrived, Matt as was already waiting for her, looking dejected.
“Why the glum look?” Lori asked as they walked along the footpath.
“It doesn’t look like the police have any leads on the murders. Either that or they’re playing it very close to the vest. I’ve been calling Chief Lambert, and he’s not taking my calls,” Matt said.
Lori smirked. “To date it’s only been us giving them any clues. My guess is they’ll call us in sooner or later to help them solve the case. Chief Lambert’s out of his depth here. I’m surprised he’s not called the FBI yet.”
“Lori, about the other night...” Lori avoided Matt’s gaze and zoomed in on the footpath in front of her. She felt her heart pounding. “I need to know how you feel,” Matt continued.
“We got distracted. Let’s just focus on the convention, Matt,” she said.
Matt stopped walking. “Is that it? Is that all?”
Lori closed her eyes for a moment before turning around. “Matt, we’re two totally different people. You’re a scientist, you work in labs where there’s no room for conjecture and guesswork. I’m a shopkeeper, a person who works with stuff that makes scientists cringe. We’re totally incompatible. Please, understand.” Matt didn’t respond. “That’s why I think we should keep this professional. We work well together…” She caught herself. “I mean, we’re good at working on this convention together, so let’s just keep it that way.” With that she turned and started walking back to town.
“You’re special to me,” Matt said behind her.
Lori stopped in her tracks and turned around.
“Matt, you have no idea who I am. I’m different, I’m not like other girls. You won’t like me if you knew.”
She saw Matt’s puzzled look.
“Whatever it is, I can handle it. Just tell me,” Matt said.
Lori felt herself becoming hysterical with frustration. “You have no idea what I am,” she shouted. “I’m a….”
Before she could finish, Lori started running back to town. At one point, she lost her sh
oe and had to stop and put it back on. Tears blinded her eyes, but that didn’t stop her running right up to Whitewood Mansion and into her room. She shut the door with a bang and fell onto the bed with her head in her pillows, crying. When she finally opened the door twenty minutes later, Fae was standing in the hall, waiting to be invited in. Still sniffling, Lori let the old lady into her room. Fae sat down in the armchair in the corner of the room. No one ever sat in it, except Fae. She withdrew a flask from her apron pocket, took a swig, and handed it to Lori. Lori looked at the flask, shut her eyes tightly, and gulped a mouthful of the burning liquid. She knew it was some sort of relaxing drink, but her granny never divulged the recipe. She had a strong suspicion it had a substantial percentage of alcohol in it.
“Boy trouble,” Gran said and took another drink from the flask.
“It’s complicated, Granny,” Lori moaned. “Why is it always so complicated?”
“What’s complicated?” Fae asked innocently.
Lori sniffed hard. “He… Matt is making things difficult. All I want to do is get this darn convention over and done with and find the killers but he…” She started crying again. Gran offered her another drink from the flask. Haltingly, Lori continued. “I almost told him everything about me, about us.” She motioned around the room. “But I just can’t get myself to trust him. Then he goes and tells me he cares for me. Like that’ll fix everything. For all I know he could have a hundred girlfriends.”
“I don’t see anything complicated here,” Fae said and stuck the flask back into her pocket.
“Why not?” Lori asked through teary eyes.
“If you think you’ll ever know a person inside and out, forget it, ain’t gonna happen, with or without a potion,” Fae said in a world-wise tone. “Look at that two-timer Justus Sproutley. Cheats on me and then has the nerve to set foot in this town again, after all these years.” She scowled before continuing. “Was I a fool for falling in love with him? Fae gave her familiar cackling chuckle. ”Oh no, it was great fun while it lasted,“ she said with a glint in her eye. ”Sometimes you just have to trust that what you see is what you gonna get.“ Fae paused. ”Even if they turn out to be hooligans.“ She winked at Lori. ”Sounds like I need to give him a little love-something to put in your glass."
Lori laughed so much her body ached. With that, her Gran started humming softly. After a few seconds Lori recognized the tune as a lullaby she vaguely remembered from when she was little. Gran used to sing it when she was restless or had cried a lot. She closed her eyes, and Granny Fae’s health drink helped her along into a peaceful, fitful slumber.
Two hours later, Lori woke and looked out the window. It was already past sunset. She rubbed her eyes and looked around in her room. Had she dreamt her granny was in the room, or was it real? She sat still for a moment, then looked at her watch and jumped up. Their guests would be arriving soon! She quickly dressed, washed up, and went downstairs into the dining room, where Rosie was putting the finishing touches on the dinner table. “Is your new boyfriend coming?” Rosie asked with an impish grin. Then she realized Lori had been crying. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be silly,” she said and ran off into the kitchen.
“It would actually be nice to have Matt here tonight,” Lori thought. Sure, she didn’t trust him but he was good company and people looked up to him. Fifteen minutes later, the bell rang, and Lori opened the front door and let the guests into the lounge.
“Ooh, what a lovely house,” Gillian swooned. “Are these all heirlooms?”
“Mostly, yes,” Lori said.
“And these people are your family?” asked Gillian’s husband who was intently studying the family portraits on the wall. He held out his hand. “Oh, sorry, let me introduce myself. I’m Steve. I’ve heard so many good things about you from Gillian. You’re quite a go-getter, and have your own shop?”
Lori shook his hand. He already knew everything about her, but Gillian had hardly said anything about him.
Gillian must’ve read Lori’s mind. “Steve’s a genealogist,” she said. “His specialty is the famous families on the East Coast.” Lori took a glass of wine from the tray Jasmine brought around. Istvan studied the bookshelves, glass of wine in hand. It was clear he had an interest in reading as he ran his finger over the Agatha Christie collection on the shelf, naming the ones he’d read.
”Oh, those are my granny’s,“ Lori said, feeling proud about the attention her home was getting. At the same time, she felt worried one of them might spot something that gave their witch ancestry away, even though they made a point of hiding it away.
”What’s that tapping sound?“ Gillian asked, looking toward the staircase. Amused, Lori smiled and waited to see the expression on her face when Gillian spotted Fae coming down the stairs with her wooden leg. The next moment, all three guests were crowding around a beaming Fae, talking to her.
”Your grandmother always loved attention,“ Hazel whispered as she placed the dishes on the dining room table and called the guests to sit down for dinner.
”Wow, this stuffed chicken is delicious,“ Gillian complimented Hazel, and everyone hummed in agreement. ”What herbs did you use?“
The table fell into a culinary discussion. Talk flowed smoothly and easily, much to Lori’s relief. The twins struck up a conversation with Istvan about his travels, and later Lori found out that she and Steve had attended the same university.
“Remember how we used to put our beds on wheels and race them?” Lori asked him, and both had a good laugh and exchanged memories they had about the whimsical traditions of the school.
Istvan got up, asked Hazel where the bathroom was, and left the room. Gillian touched Lori’s arm. ”Do you have some more of the ointment you gave me for my back? It’s much better, but I want to make sure the pain stays away.“
* * *
”Sure, I think I have some in my room, let me go look right now,“ she said and got up to go to her room, pleased to be able to help Gillian out. She walked down the corridor, past the open door of the darkened bathroom. She wondered where Istvan had gone after he left the dining room.
* * *
Back in the dining room Lori gave a grateful Gillian the ointment. “It’s on the house,” she said and winked at Gillian when she asked that the price was.
Hazel and the twins were already clearing the table for dessert when Istvan came down the stairs. She frowned, wondering what he’d been doing upstairs. Perhaps he was one of those strange house guest types who take themselves on a tour of the house without asking permission.
As Istvan was about to sit down, Trixi came running up to him with a loud shriek, clawed her way up Istvan’s leg, nipped him on the arm, and then ran straight off, hissing all the while. Istvan took a swipe at her but missed, his face a mixture of surprise and dismay.
”Oh my word, I’m so sorry!“ Lori apologized and went to make sure Istvan wasn’t hurt. “This is so strange, she’s normally such a loving and friendly cat.” She looked around, but Trixi had disappeared.
“Never mind,” Istvan said, rubbing his arm and regaining his composure. “She must’ve realized that I’m not much of a cat person.”
Lori sat down, feeling rattled. It was the first time since Trixi arrived that she'd behaved so strangely. Hazel dished up ice cream and homemade chocolate sauce. The guests left after coffee, and she and the rest of the family spent another hour in the kitchen cleaning up. Everyone agreed that the evening was a great success.
“Pity Matt wasn’t here,” Hazel said, looking at Lori while drying a frying pan.
Everyone’s attention turned to her, expecting an update on how things were between them. Lori sighed. “I know what you’re all wanting to hear, that we’re falling in love.”
“Well, are you?” Rosie chipped in. “You two are almost always together.”
Lori’s frustration rose. “Well, we have a convention to run, you know. One that seems to be turning into one big murder scene, one in which we’re now suspects, acc
ording to Chief Lambert.”
“Suspects?” Rosie’s eyes grew wide with surprise. Lori didn’t want to let slip that her and Matt’s surveillance escapade at the Misty Hills Inn hadn’t gone well, but she didn’t want to keep her family in the dark either. For the next few minutes everyone stopped what they were doing and listened to her tell the story.
“I hope no one at the Fennelmoore Times picks that up,” Jasmine said.
“Definitely not,” Lori said. “I’m not becoming scandal fodder.”
“What leads do the police have?” Fae tapped her walking stick on the floor.
“Now that we’re regarded as the enemy, it’s hard to get information from the police,” Lori said. But she knew that soon Chief Lambert would realize that there was no evidence to link her and Matt to the murders, and then there would be no more suspects in the case. “We’re getting the odd bits from Ray, but nothing else. According to him, the chief had been questioning delegates again, but he’s not found anything to go on.” The convention was ending soon, and when the delegates dispersed all over the country, the murderer will have more time to cover his tracks, and the case will be much more difficult to solve.
Fae might be right, the killer might not be found. Soon Fae yawned loudly and announced she was going to bed. The others followed suit.
Lori found Trixi fast asleep on her bed, her earlier altercation with Istvan seemingly forgotten. “Are you going to tell me what was that all about?” Lori asked, and only got a yellow-eyed gaze in return. She sat down next to Trixi. “Time I send you for talking lessons so I can get to understand you a little better, my girl.” Lori tickled the cat’s tummy, and Trixi purred at top volume.
Lori was in bed and dozing off when she heard her granny calling out urgently from her upstairs room. Why would she sound so angry at this time of night? Lori hurriedly put on her night gown and ran out the door. Upstairs, Hazel was already in Fae’s room, giving her a glass of water to calm her down.
The Mushroom Mystery Page 10
