Charming Blend

by Layne, Kennedy

  “Be careful, please.”

  I’d begun to end each phone conversation I had with Liam with those three words. With him being the sheriff of such a small town where the most serious crime was usually speeding down the main thoroughfare wasn’t exactly the most dangerous work, but there was always the chance of more serious offenses that could creep up every now and then. Complacency was the worst enemy of every law enforcement officer anywhere.

  Like the rash of recent murders, attempted thefts of items of value…and now arson. No matter what Liam was being paid to keep the citizens of Paramour Bay safe and sound, it certainly wasn’t nearly enough to risk his life.

  There’s not enough high grade premium catnip in the world to get me to even mildly contemplate the idea of that thankless job. On top of all the man’s stress, he has to deal with Eileen…and your tomfoolery. But I feel his pain in the latter. I’m sort of a first responder in that regard. No wonder I need my pipe.

  “Where has Ted gotten off to?”

  You’ve asked that already. Twenty-three times in the last hour, to be exact.

  “You said Ted was on his way here with the grimoire and the material ingredients I’d need to reverse the spell. That was over an hour ago.” I slapped my phone against the palm of my left hand, considering my options. There was only one thing I could do. “I’m going to have to go out and look for him.”

  It was going on two o’clock in the afternoon. Hours had passed since the first incident, which was way too long to allow a misguided charm spell free reign to do its damage amongst the general population.

  “I need to be proactive here.”

  I hate to say this, but I think you need to—

  “Not one word about calling my mother,” I cautioned with a piercing stare Leo’s way. She was always his last resort—his eventual fail-safe answer to all my mishaps. I mean, I was scraping by my lowest of the lows, and I couldn’t blame him. “Mom has had to clean up too many of my messes recently. I can’t bear the look of disappointment any more. I will reverse this charm spell, as well as figure out who or what has been starting the fires all around town.”

  You might want to look in the mirror, in that case.

  “You’re probably right,” I conceded slightly, although not completely. Leo did have a legitimate point. “But, there could be an actual arsonist out there. Coincidences do happen, you know. It’s possible.”

  I quickly made my way to the back room which still had the string of ivory-colored fairies pulled to the side. My dress coat reeked of the greasy, smoky smell of burnt garbage, but there was nothing I could do about the odor until I got the chance to drop it off at the cleaners. There was certainly no time for that kind of errand now. I grabbed my dress coat from the small hook on the wall before quickly walking back to the cash register.

  Are you seriously going to go look for Ted?

  “Yes. What else can I do?” There was a small cabinet underneath the cash register where I kept my purse during open hours. It didn’t take me long to rummage through my bag and locate my car keys. “What if he fell into a snowbank or something else bad happened?”

  Ted liked the walk to and from my cottage to town. Just because he was a wax golem didn’t mean something bad couldn’t happen to him. In fact, it made it more likely.

  Ohhhhh. I get it. Fires. Arson. Ted could be a pool of melted wax somewhere, just chilling.

  “Stop that nonsense,” I admonished, unable to get such a horrid vision out of my mind. “Nobody has melted Ted, and he’s not chilling anywhere. Let’s just take a drive and see what’s taking him so long to get here.”

  I should stay behind. You know, in case Ted shows up in a lump.

  I wasn’t going to lie to you. The length of time that had gone by since Ted had been in contact with either me or Leo was rather disconcerting. Usually, Ted was either in the shed out back of Nan’s old place on the edge of town or at Mindy’s boutique looking in the window. Leo had already checked both places around fifteen minutes ago.

  Ted was nowhere to be found.

  “I see that small pile of catnip in the corner of your bed,” I pointed out before slinging my purse over my shoulder and heading toward the door. “You can wait to light up until after we come back and clear up our little mishap from this morning. Oh, and Dr. Jameson called—he said that he’s never heard of a cat overdosing on catnip. Of course, most cats don’t smoke a pipeful of the stuff.”

  Well, what does he really know? The day is finally looking up! And don’t think I missed your “our little mishap” comment. This is all on you, Cupid. All on you.

  With the way my luck was going, Leo would end up in some veterinarian medical journal somewhere soon as the first feline to ever go into a catnip-induced catatonic state.

  But what a way to go…

  “I want to make one quick stop before we get in the car,” I said rather vaguely, hoping to get out of the shop before Leo realized my destination. “I’ll meet you there.”

  I was able to make it through the door before Leo grasped my intentions, but he managed to stop me when I was inserting the key into the lock. I’d never reopened for business today, so I hadn’t needed to worry about the sign or when I’d be back.

  What destination? Where are you going? Why are you being so cagey?

  Leo wasn’t visible, but that didn’t stop him from pummeling me with an endless supply of pointed questions. I couldn’t blame him, really. It was his job to help guide me along this witchcraft journey, and I certainly wasn’t making it easy on him.

  Abbie and Gillian were walking into Mindy’s boutique two storefronts down, so I just smiled and pretended not to be able to answer Leo. Sure, he could read my thoughts, but I’d kept my mind as clear as I could so that he wouldn’t have a complete meltdown.

  Meltdown? Raven, you’re raising my anxiety level precipitously.

  I’d taken maybe ten steps before opening the front door to the malt shop.

  Leo made sure that his wheezing was loud enough for me to hear him over the fifties music coming from the speakers on the jukebox. I ignored him as I crossed the threshold, allowing the door to close behind me. The warmth inside encased me with open arms.

  I’d been inside the malt shop a time or two with Heidi, and the décor instantly took the customer back to a simpler time of the 1950s. The red and white checkered scheme was heavy throughout the shop, even having the red leather stools lining the counter for where patrons could drink their chocolate milkshakes or eat their over-loaded banana splits.

  Cora and Desmond certainly went the extra mile on every aspect of their menu of classic malt shop fare. Extra toppings were the standard for every order. The staff even put an official Milk Magic Flavored Straw in every malt and milkshake, which came in four flavors—chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and cookies & cream.

  The large round speakers flanked the stylized base of the jukebox in the back of the shop that was hard to miss considering the pink and blue neon lights. The old forty-five records that were displayed in an arc across the top of the machine were just window dressing. The electronic menu screen held several thousand possible song selections, encompassing the top forty songs of the weekly roundup for the past five decades.

  To top it off, the young man behind the counter was wearing one of those soda-jerk paper hats with a matching white cotton apron.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Marigold,” Sam greeted, a big smile on his young face.

  See? Sam looks innocent enough. Let’s go.

  Leo had decided to join me, after all. I’d become rather efficient at listening to him yammer on and on in my ear while simultaneously having a conversation with someone else.

  “Hi, Sam,” I replied, readjusting my purse strap as I walked closer to the counter. I hadn’t given this enough thought. “Um, could I please have a chocolate malt, with a cookies & cream straw please?”

  It’s thirty degrees outside. Would you like to change into your swimsuit, too?

  The ma
lt shop stayed open year-round, but that was because they didn’t only serve malts, milkshakes, and ice cream. The menu also offered bacon cheeseburgers and fries, which in all honesty was better than the ones served at the diner. Besides, little ones didn’t care how cold it was when it came to eating ice cream.

  What I needed to do now was to keep Sam busy while I nonchalantly asked him questions about Billy.

  I hate when you transform into Nancy Drew.

  “Yes, ma’am. One chocolate malt coming right up.”

  Sam didn’t waste time. He even twirled the tall metal container in his hand that he would use to mix the ice cream, malt powder, and other ingredients. It was easy to see that he was very proficient at his job as a soda-jerk.

  How did we end up with Beetle again?

  “Sam, was there any damage to the rear of the malt shop from the fire?” I asked, figuring that was a question that any other shop owner would ask, given the circumstances. “I had some smoke damage, but nothing major. I did lose a little bit of open inventory in the back room, though.”

  Smooth. I’m impressed. In the meantime, Ted could be freezing into a block of goo as we speak. Could we please go now?

  “The trashcan was closer to your side, so we didn’t even know there was a problem until we heard the sirens.” Sam had already scooped the chocolate ice cream out of its bucket and was in the process of adding in the other ingredients. I was running out of time. “Did you hear about the other fire over at Monty’s hardware store?”

  Perfect. Sam had given me the textbook opening.

  You’re manipulating a nineteen-year-old. Way to go, Raven. You’re a true inspiration.

  “I did hear about Monty’s shop.” I stepped closer to the counter and raised my voice so that Sam could hear me over the whirl of the blender. “Aren’t you friends with Billy?”

  “Oh, Billy didn’t have anything to do with those fires,” Sam said, instantly coming to his friend’s defense. He was even shaking his head rather emphatically. “He was just using the shortcut through town to get to his house. Besides, he has a crush on Bonnie. He stops in here whenever he can to see her when she’s at work.”

  Such loyalty. You could take lessons from this kid, Raven. He hasn’t got a devious bone in his entire body.

  “Billy is supposed to be in school, though, isn’t he?” I rummaged through my purse so that I didn’t overshow my interest. I eventually pulled out my wallet, only to find Sam eyeing me warily. “Oh, I wasn’t trying to suggest that Billy was guilty. I was just thinking that if he was using the shortcut, do you think he could have seen who was responsible for starting the fire?”

  Nice recovery.

  “Billy is a senior,” Sam explained, expertly pouring my chocolate malt into a tall to-go cup. “He only has morning classes and then attends his internship with one of the teachers over at the elementary school. There was a substitute for the teacher’s class today, so the school sent him home early.”

  There you go. Case closed. You’re the culprit, Raven. Just plead guilty and throw yourself on the mercy of the court.

  When Leo put it like that, I didn’t come across as a very good person trying to pin arson on a teenager.

  Wow.

  Maybe I had sunk to a new low.

  The bell above the door chimed behind me. I turned to find one of my not-so-favorite people walking in like she was walking down a runway, modeling an expensive dress coat and hat.

  Ohhhh, a feather.

  Leave it to Leo to spot a feather in the emerald green hat that was atop Cora Barnes’ perfectly styled hairdo. I could only pray that Leo could restrain himself from attacking the accessory perched upon the top of her head.

  “Good afternoon, Raven,” Cora greeted, the wide arch of her eyebrow exaggerated as she looked me up and down. She motioned for the young girl who’d entered the shop with her to proceed. It was Bonnie, and apparently the one Billy had a crush on. She was one of two shift managers here at the malt shop, and she didn’t look all too happy to be dealing with her boss. I couldn’t say I blamed her one bit. “What brings you in today? Are you here to talk about the fire? Bonnie came down to the ladies auxiliary meeting to reassure me there was no damage done to our storage area, but I’ve obviously come to check for myself.”

  Had the feather in Cora’s hat moved just a bit?

  Maybe…a little. It might be alive.

  Neither Leo or I were too fond of Cora, but that was due to her dislike for my mother. To be honest, Cora had apologized to me over a month ago for her animosity. Of course, that regret didn’t encompass my mother. Cora had basically extended an olive branch my way, but it was hard not to crush those suckers and spit out the seeds at her feet.

  “I just came by for a chocolate malt.” I gave a small shrug, hoping I came across convincing enough. “I’m heading home to grab some supplies that will help take away the smell of smoke in the back of my shop, but I needed a little chocolate fix. As it happens, Sam and I were just talking about the fires happening all over town, though. Billy may have seen someone in the back of the alleyway of Monty’s hardware store on his way home.”

  “Paramour Bay has seen quite a lot of odd things over the past four months,” Cora conceded, but she’d purposefully been passive aggressive with the timetable. It so happened that I’d moved to town last October. “I do hope that Liam finally discovers the root of the problem before it’s too late.”

  I wasn’t surprised in the least when Cora’s hat went sailing off her head.

  I blame the bird in her hair.

  Cora made a frantic grab for the emerald green fedora and managed to catch it before it landed on the black and white checkered tile. She checked it all over before setting it securely back on her head.

  “I was never one to be able to keep a hat on my head, either,” I said with a crooked smile, hoping to cover up Leo’s spiteful reaction to her choice of accessories.

  “We just saw Billy enter the police station with his parents,” Bonnie offered up, ringing up my malt as Sam finished spraying whipped cream on top, then carefully placing the round lid overtop the creamy mound and popping a cookies & cream flavored straw through the circular opening. “Mr. and Mrs. Owen didn’t look very happy they had to leave work and bring Billy into the station for questioning.”

  “Billy was inside when the fire out back happened, so I know he wasn’t responsible,” Sam protested, clearly wanting to defend his friend. “We never left the shop to go out back, Ms. Barnes.”

  Once again, all roads lead to you, Raven. Poor Ted is probably a frozen crayon sticking out of some snowman’s face by now.

  “Well, then,” Cora declared, as if Sam’s claim of innocence was all she’d needed. “I’ll take a quick look out back to confirm there’s no damage to our side of the building and then be on my way. We’re voting on whether or not the ladies auxiliary will be hosting its annual Easter egg hunt in April. It’s just a formality. We’ve hosted it every year for the past decade.”

  Candy’s run down River Bay must have been a reminder.

  Bonnie rolled her eyes as she took my ten-dollar bill, quickly making change and handing me back a few ones. Apparently, Cora had raised the prices on her malts. I should have checked the menu out before ordering. With that said, I stuffed a one dollar bill into the tip jar.

  Hey, that could have gone to my monthly subscription to Catnip-Times magazine. There is such a thing, you know.

  “Thank you, Miss Marigold,” Bonnie said, closing the cash register and sliding a napkin across the counter next to my malt that Sam had just set down. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Cora was out of earshot. “The winter months are always slow. I tried to talk Ms. Barnes into holding the ladies’ auxiliary meetings here, but she adamantly refused to subject those proper ladies to a malt shop.”

  Uh, Raven?

  Bonnie was a sweet girl in her early twenties. I didn’t know much about her other than she was taking some online college classes and working at
the malt shop during the weekdays. I could only imagine how hard it was for Cora to keep an experienced full-time manager on staff.

  Roger Aimes was the more senior shift manager, but I’d heard from Elsie and Wilma this morning that he’d gone home early with the flu. It was that time of season.

  Paramour Bay was a small town, and most everyone drove into New Haven for decent jobs. It wouldn’t be long before Roger and Bonnie left here for greener pastures.

  We might have another problem.

  “Don’t give up the effort,” I suggested when what I really wanted to say was that Cora wasn’t using her brain when it came to business. It wouldn’t have been nice of me to talk bad about another shop owner, especially to one of her employees. Besides, Leo had distracted me with his comment. I really couldn’t handle another problem right now. It wasn’t like I heard any more sirens. That was a plus, right? “You two have a great day.”

  Sam and Bonnie both waved, but their gazes weren’t on me. They were focused on the door behind me.

  It’s like directly out of a horror movie. Whatever you do, don’t turn around.

  It wasn’t like I could stand at the ice cream counter for the rest of my life, and there were things that had to be done. Number one on that list was reversing the charm spell so that this town could get back to normal. So, whatever or whoever was behind me would have to be dealt with.

  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

  It was a good thing I hadn’t taken a sip of my malt before turning around. I would have choked to death otherwise. My worst nightmare was standing on the sidewalk, all but glaring at me through the glass door—my mother.

  And her glare was lethal.

  It wasn’t me this time. I swear. It was all her.

  Chapter Five

  “What are you doing here?”

  “The better question to ask is why am I here,” Regina Lattice Marigold muttered underneath her breath while I unlocked the tea shop so we could both get inside where it was warm. She’d begrudgingly accepted the malt from my hand so I could fish my keys out of my purse. “I was minding my own business this morning when I got an unsettling impression that all was not right in the little town of Paramour Bay. My life has been sailing fairly smoothly lately, despite your best efforts to keep me from enjoying the latter years of my life.”