by Lily Webb
“Right, exactly. I bet this has something to do with the lack of bookings at Kindred Spirits. Should we call Blair and tell her?” Jadis asked, already reaching into her robes for her phone before I could answer.
I rested a hand on her wrist to stop her. “We should, but not yet. We need more details, and I think I know exactly who to ask.”
“Who?” Jadis asked with a puzzled expression.
“Officer Aimes,” I said, and Jadis’ face lit up.
“Genius. I dunno how much she’ll be able to share, but it’s a start.”
“Exactly, and we could help. The only problem is, I don’t have a clue where the police station is.”
“Well, we’re in luck, because I think the rally’s over,” Jadis said, pointing over my shoulder. I turned and found the crowd dispersing and Officer Dunham approaching us.
“Show’s over. Everything okay, ladies?” she asked.
“Yeah, um… Do you think you could walk us to the station? My friend and I have something we need to report,” I lied, and though I sensed Jadis tense behind me, thankfully, she said nothing.
Officer Dunham eyed us suspiciously, but nodded anyway. “Sure thing. Follow me,” she said and walked between us toward Stardust Street in the direction we’d come from. Did that mean we’d already passed the SVPD without realizing it?
Without thinking twice, I hurried after her, with Jadis on my heels. She seized my arm and leaned to hiss in my ear. “When I suggested looking for trouble, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
Chapter 2
I spotted Officer Aimes’ unmistakable buzzed head hanging over a pad of paper as soon as we entered the tiny, ramshackle building that was the SVPD — and it was a good thing I did, because if I hadn’t recognized her, I wouldn’t have believed that the sad, dilapidated room we’d entered was really Starfall Valley’s police department.
“Is she sure this is the right place?” Jadis whispered. But when Officer Dunham waltzed past us to plop down in an old office chair that squealed like a wounded animal, I had no choice but to believe it.
Officer Dunham kicked her legs up on the scratched, chipped, wooden desk in front of her. “Pretty nice digs, huh?”
Officer Aimes glanced up for the first time since we’d walked in, and her expression instantly contorted. “Oh, dear Lilith, if Selena Smith is showing up already we’ve definitely got a wild case on our hands.”
“You’ve got quite the reputation around here, young lady,” Officer Dunham teased. “I’m surprised I didn’t recognize you before now.”
“I’m sorry, have we met?” I asked, struggling to place her face. She didn’t look at all familiar to me.
“Not until today, but I’ve heard plenty about you.”
“Don’t worry, Selena. I’ve only told her good things,” Officer Aimes said. “Anyway, what brings you to the station?”
“She claimed she had information that could help the investigation,” Officer Dunham said, and Aimes’ brows shot up her forehead.
“Really? Did you, you know, see something?”
“No, nothing like that,” I said, and my heart sank as I realized I’d started my relationship with the police by lying to them. “It’s just that Jadis and I were in town to enjoy a day off, and we stumbled across Mr. Blackwood’s speech out in the square. We ran into Officer Dunham and she told us the broad strokes of what happened, so I thought maybe I could help.”
Aimes smiled. “If only. You know, Eva, I’ve been trying to recruit Selena for months,” she said to her partner, who looked me up and down critically.
“I dunno. She seems pretty scrawny to me. You really think she’d make it through training?”
“Trust me, Eva, you don’t want to underestimate this one. There’s a lot more to her than meets the eye.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Aimes turned back to me. “Look, Selena, I appreciate your offer, but this is an active investigation and you’re not with law enforcement, so I can’t officially involve you, but…” she trailed before winking at me. “Unofficially? I can’t stop you from poking around. Lilith knows the SVPD is stretched thin right now, no thanks to Mr. Blackwood.”
“I understand if you can’t tell me more, but what exactly happened?”
Aimes sighed and ran a hand over her buzzed hair. “You’re right. I can’t really tell you anything other than a member of Mr. Blackwood’s security found the body of a witch on Mr. Blackwood’s premises early this morning.”
“But no one knows who she is?”
“We have a few leads, but nothing concrete yet. I’m sorry, Selena, I really can’t say anything more than that.”
“That’s okay, I get it,” I said and pivoted to something she might actually share more about. “What’s the deal with this Blackwood guy? He’s running for mayor, I gather?”
“Leo Blackwood comes from a long line of wealthy warlocks. He’s wanted to run for mayor ever since he was a kid, or so the story goes, and given all the trouble that’s been going on in and around Starfall lately, it hasn’t been difficult for him to paint Mayor Nash in an unflattering light — especially since he’s got the gift of a silver tongue.”
“Wait, there’s been trouble in town?”
“Well, besides an unidentified witch’s body turning up on Blackwood’s property, there’s been an influx of shady characters coming through town from other magical communities and causing problems.”
“What problems?” Jadis asked, puzzled. I couldn’t help wondering the same thing.
Aimes and Dunham exchanged uncomfortable looks before Aimes answered. “You know, the typical scuffles, and usually after dark. One person looks at another the ‘wrong’ way after a few too many drinks at the pub, and the next thing you know, wands are drawn and spells are flying.”
“There’ve been a couple of bystanders caught in the crossfire,” Dunham added. “We’ve been trying our best to keep things under control, but, well, you see what kind of budget we’re working with here. We can only do so much.”
“That explains why you were so nervous about Blackwood’s rally,” I mumbled, and Aimes laughed.
“Exactly,” she said. “After news broke about the body on Blackwood’s property, that crowd was like a bundle of dry tinder. I kept waiting for him to throw a match, but to my amazement, it seems like he kept things respectable.”
“Sounds like you aren’t too crazy about Mr. Blackwood.”
Aimes snorted. “Look at him, he’s practically still a kid. Just because he knows how to throw his money and influence around doesn’t mean he has what it takes to run a town like this, especially not when things are uneasy like they are now. It’s easy for him to criticize Mayor Nash from the outside, but we’ll see how well he fares if he unseats Nash. Not that I’m holding my breath.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure, Astrid,” Dunham countered. “That crowd was enormous and fired up. He and his family have called Starfall home for decades, and I think he’s got the town’s best interests at heart, so he could win this thing.”
“Pfft, I guess we’ll see soon enough, won’t we?” Aimes asked no one in particular. “Anyway, if you’re gonna poke around, Selena, try to keep it quiet, okay? This case already has way too much attention on it already, and I don’t want to make things worse.”
The door clattered open behind us before I could answer, and Officer Aimes almost fell out of her chair. Dunham burst out laughing and shook her head. “It’s definitely too late for that,” she said, and I turned to find a witch around my age with a head of wild, fire-red curls standing in the doorway. She clutched a pet carrier under one arm, and a pair of neon-blue eyes peeked out through the carrier’s door at me.
“This… Can’t be happening,” Aimes groaned.
The witch smiled politely at me as she passed Jadis and me, and through the holes in the top of the pet carrier, I realized she had a black cat with her. She gently set the carrier on Aimes’ desk, and the cat inside grumbled.
>
“Hello, officers. I’m Zoe Clarke. It’s nice to meet you,” the witch said as she extended a hand to Aimes. The name rang a bell somewhere deep in my mind, and I struggled to place where I recognized it from while Zoe and Aimes shook hands.
“Wait a second, you’re the Head Witch of Moon Grove, aren’t you?” Jadis blurted, and all at once the pieces fell into place. A while back, I’d worked on an allergy incident at Kindred Spirits with an agent from the Fairy Bureau of Investigation, a fairy named Flora Gemwood. Flora claimed to be best friends with Zoe Clarke, and that she thought I reminded her of Zoe — but as I stood examining her, I didn’t see the resemblance.
Zoe turned to me with a smile. “We really don’t look alike, do we?” she asked, and I glared at her, horrified. Had I said that aloud without realizing it? “But I don’t think that’s what Flora meant when she said it.”
Jadis stared at me with wide eyes, like she had no idea what was going on — but frankly, neither did I.
“I’m sorry, I—”
“She can read minds, Selena,” Jadis interrupted me before I could further embarrass myself, and instantly I tried to do anything other than think — and failed. How did Jadis know all this about Zoe? And what exactly was the Head Witch of another magical community doing in Starfall Valley. But more than that, why had she brought her cat with her, of all things?
“Your friend’s apparently done a lot of reading up on me, but not enough, it seems, because I’m not the Head Witch anymore. I retired a while back. Oh, and Luna’s my emotional support for this trip,” Zoe answered all my unspoken questions, and goosebumps raced across my skin. She really could read minds!
“Don’t let her fool you. I’m just along for the ride and to sample the local cuisine,” a squeaky voice said from inside the pet carrier, and I almost couldn’t believe my ears — because they’d heard the cat talking.
“Don’t get me wrong, Ms. Clarke, we’re happy to have you, but I’m more than a bit puzzled why you’re here,” Officer Aimes said.
Zoe pulled some sort of employee badge from her plain black robes and flashed it at Aimes. “I’m here on behalf of the Moon Grove Messenger. My sources tell me Mr. Blackwood’s staff found a body on his property this morning, so I thought I’d stop by and ask you a few questions for a piece I’m writing.”
“I’m sorry, but we can’t comment on an active investigation,” Aimes said as confidently as she could, though the tremble in her voice gave her away. I’d never seen her as shaken as she was sitting in front of Zoe, though I couldn’t blame Aimes — a journalist who could read minds could be a big problem for the SVPD’s investigation.
“Or I could be an asset. Depends on how you look at it,” Zoe said with a shrug, and again goosebumps rippled across my entire body. “But this isn’t my first roadblock with the law, so I understand. I guess I’ll just have to ask around and see what the locals know.”
“More like what they think,” Luna said from the cage, and Zoe banged her hand on top of it.
“Hush, you. Why do you only open your mouth when you shouldn’t?”
“That’s easy for you to say when I’m locked in this cage. Why don’t you let me out and try it again?” Luna asked and raised a tiny black paw to flash her claws.
“Yeah, right. Everyone knows you’re all meow and no bite.”
“Watch it, witch. Don’t forget: I know where you sleep.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Zoe said, and rolled her eyes at Luna.
“If you’re working on a story, I take it that means you’re going to be in town for a while, Zoe?” I asked tentatively, almost afraid to speak to her at all.
Zoe shrugged. “That depends on how long it takes me to find out what I need to know. Why?”
“Well, I thought that if you needed a place to stay while you’re here, we have plenty of rooms available at Kindred Spirits,” I said, and Jadis shot me a look like she might pass out from excitement.
“Kindred Spirits?” Zoe asked. “What’s that? Sounds like a corny, themed bed-and-breakfast or something.” When I didn’t respond, she must’ve read my thoughts again, because she cleared her throat and straightened up. “Oh, dear Lilith, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean any offense. I’m sure it’s great.”
“Open mouth, insert foot, yet again,” Luna taunted from her cage, and Zoe glared at her through the carrier’s upper holes. If I hadn’t been watching the scene play out with my own eyes, I’d never have believed it was happening.
“Well, like I said, we have plenty of rooms, so if you’re interested, the offer still stands,” I said. Besides, maybe my powers could help her with her story. Zoe’s eyes shot to mine, and I knew right away she’d heard my thoughts.
“Actually, you know what? I could use some rest after traveling all the way here with this loudmouth,” she said as she scooped Luna’s carrier off Aimes’ desk. “Lead the way, ladies.”
“Really? You’re serious?” Jadis asked, like she couldn’t believe it. When Zoe nodded, Jadis literally jumped for joy. “Oh my Goddess, Blair’s going to lose it when we show up with Zoe Clarke of all people!” she shouted, and I laughed because I knew she was right. Since Jadis and I had started living and working at Kindred Spirits, we’d never hosted anyone of Zoe’s notoriety.
“I, uh, hope you won’t mind walking a fair amount,” I said, thinking about the long journey back to the inn.
“Not at all. It’ll give us a chance to chat,” Zoe said. “Shall we?”
“Yeah, sure. Uh, I guess I’ll see you around, Officer Aimes. Nice to meet you, Officer Dunham,” I said as I headed for the door.
“Oh, you definitely will,” Aimes called after us. I spotted a bewildered look on the officer’s face as I held the door open for Zoe and Jadis, and I could only imagine the thoughts racing through Aimes’ head as we left.
“It’s a shame my first visit to Starfall Valley is on assignment. It’s a cute town,” Zoe said once we were outside and heading down Stardust Street toward Kindred Spirits. “Seems sleepy, though. Well, aside from a dead witch turning up on a rich warlock’s property.”
“How did you hear about that so quickly? I mean, we live here, and we didn’t even know until about an hour ago,” I said.
Zoe hesitated for a moment, wrestling with something mental — what I wouldn’t have given to read her thoughts — but eventually gave in. “Because I knew her,” she said, and I froze in my tracks, almost causing Zoe to crash into my back.
I whirled on her. “What? You did? How?”
“It’s a long story,” Luna answered from her cage. “But in case you haven’t noticed, it’s scorching out here, so can we have this conversation somewhere there’s air conditioning? I’m practically melting.”
“If only your tongue would melt to the roof of your mouth,” Zoe said, and rolled her eyes at the cat. Despite my racing mind, I started walking again. “Anyway, I guess I can’t really say I knew her so much as I hired her.”
This time, Jadis screeched to a halt. “You hired her? What do you mean?”
“I hired a private investigator to, well, investigate someone here in town,” Zoe answered cryptically.
“So she’s the one Blackwood’s staff found dead on his property,” I muttered as the previously murky picture came into clearer focus.
“Exactly.”
“Then you aren’t really here to write a story about this, are you?” Jadis asked, barely able to contain her excitement.
“Let’s just say I didn’t come here on vacation.”
“Then why did you bring your cat?” Jadis asked.
“You saw the way she flexed those razor-sharp claws at me. I couldn’t trust her home alone with my kids,” Zoe answered, and my eyes locked on Jadis’. Zoe burst out laughing. “Relax, I’m kidding. Luna’s something of an assistant to me. She can go places I can’t.”
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times: You’re not stuffing me in another ventilation system. I almost lost my tail last time,”
Luna said, and Zoe snorted.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ll try to avoid it this time, but no promises.”
I had no idea what the two of them were talking about — nor any idea what I was really getting myself into — but now that I’d opened Kindred Spirits’ doors to a mind-reading journalist who’d arrived to investigate a suspicious murder I knew I couldn’t walk away even if I’d wanted.
But walking away was the last thing I wanted to do.
Chapter 3
To my glee, when the three of us stepped through the front doors at Kindred Spirits, Aunt Blair stood behind the front desk with her eyes locked on the empty guest book.
“Back so soon?” she asked without looking up.
“Yeah, and we brought company,” I said and kicked the massive double doors closed, filling the stone-floored foyer with a thunderous boom that probably would’ve extinguished the fire in the center grate if it’d been ablaze. Blair jolted and glanced up, only to do a triple take.
“I-is that…?” she trailed before clapping a hand over her mouth.
Zoe chuckled and handed me Luna’s carrier so she could hurry to the front desk and offer a hand to Blair. “Yes, it’s me, Zoe Clarke. It’s nice to meet you, Blair. Selena told me all about you on the way here. Well, not explicitly, but I have my methods.”
Thanks to the bewildered look on Blair’s face, I couldn’t even get angry that Zoe had read my thoughts again. Blair hurried around the desk and took Zoe’s hand in both of hers with tears in her eyes. “Ms. Clarke, this is such an honor. Please, make yourself at home, and anything you need — anything at all — just let one of us know and we’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you, Blair. That’s really sweet of you,” Zoe said, and flashed me a wink over Blair’s shoulder before looking around the foyer. “I, uh, love what you’ve done with the place. It’s very gothic.”
“That actually means she hates it,” Luna said from the carrier, and I almost dropped it. After a few awkward moments of silence, the cat spoke up again. “Relax, I’m kidding. Jeez, you witches have no sense of humor.”
