Charming Blend

by Layne, Kennedy

  “I’d heard the pub was a false alarm, but I understand what you mean.” Beverly covered the bread with another cloth napkin to keep it warm before proceeding to check on the pasta. She not only had prepared fettucine alfredo, but she topped it off with a bubbling layer of melted cheese by baking it in the oven for just a bit. “I know the Owens, and Billy is a good kid. He might have been a handful when he was younger, but what child isn’t? I feel bad for Bree Stonehedge, though. I heard someone at the diner this morning say that she might have needed the insurance money for the debt her ex-husband left her with on his way out of town.”

  Bree Stonehedge was the owner and operator of the small bakery in town. I found it odd that she only had the shop opened in the morning hours, but I’d never had a full conversation with her to ask her the reasoning on that business decision. She didn’t drink tea, and I seldom saw her around town after noontime.

  Either way, Bree didn’t strike me as the type of person who would break the law for financial advantage. We weren’t discussing a speeding ticket here. Arson was serious business, and defrauding an insurance agency was also a major felony.

  I also found it rather strange that anyone inside the diner would accuse Bree of such a horrible thing, but gossip did have a way of traveling through the gutter. Usually, the residents were really kind to one another and would never make unfounded accusations.

  “Here we are,” Gertie said, having set a tea pot on a tray with two cups and saucers. She had to have gotten the assembly from the tea shop, because I recalled a similar set in the inventory. “I’m so glad you stopped by, because I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

  Where was Leo when I needed him?

  We had come up with a plan, and he’d been going to search the other side of the kitchen I couldn’t see from my position at the table. I’d give him a few more minutes before resorting to plan B…not that I knew what that was at the moment.

  “You can ask me anything you need,” I responded with a smile, glad to have some filler until a decision had to be made. I reached for the sugar, spooning out a healthy scoop before adding big pour of milk. “Have you run out of tea bags for your guests? We’re getting a few new flavors of tea for the spring and some gourmet coffee grinds with an assortment of French presses.”

  Gertie went about fixing her tea as she obviously tried to figure out how to ask me what she wanted to know. I suddenly became rather uncomfortable, but not to the point where the palm of my hand became warm. She was taking too long to speak, and the drawn-out pause set me on edge considering the original motives for my visit.

  My thoughts immediately went to something innately personal…like my relationship with Liam or the fact that I came from a long line of witches, but that was most likely my imagination running wild.

  Right?

  I froze when lifting the cup to my lips, because Gertie had leaned in close as if she were about to discuss a top secret. Oh, wow. She was going to ask about one of those two sensitive topics.

  “Your grandmother taught me a few holistic remedies, Raven,” Gertie whispered, letting her gaze land on Beverly who was still standing in front of the oven. “I know they were old family recipes handed down over the generations, but I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I attempted to make a tea blend the other night, but it didn’t turn out so well.”

  It was a good thing I hadn’t taken a sip of my tea. What did Gertie mean by Nan sharing special Marigold remedies? Was this elderly inn keeper implying that she was a hedge witch? Had Nan helped her along her journey as Leo was doing for me?

  Or was Gertie simply speaking the literal truth in regard to holistic tea blends?

  “I won’t be long,” Beverly called out as she opened the oven and pulled out her fettucine alfredo. My stomach didn’t even rumble at the delicious aroma that wafted over to the table. I was still struggling on how to answer Gertie. “I’m serving dinner to our guest, but I’ll join you ladies for a cup of tea in a few minutes once he’s served.”

  Gertie and I both waited for Beverly to exit through the other doorway that led to the dining room, not having to worry about her walking past the kitchen table. I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved I was when Gertie cleared up my misunderstanding.

  “Rosemary had given me a few tea blend recipes for relaxing the mind and body. I’d written down the remedies, but I spilled some water on the paper and smudged the last ingredient.” Gertie reached over her tea cup and saucer for a loose piece of paper that had been tucked into a recipe book. “I know that you’ve taken over your grandmother’s holistic medicine side business. Do you think you could help me figure out what I’m missing?”

  “Of course,” I replied with sheer happiness that I hadn’t walked into something that could have been major trouble…especially seeing as Leo had abandoned me. Truthfully, I was becoming a bit worried. “Let me take a look.”

  I bit back a smile when I realized that Nan had told Gertie to mix a bit of nutmeg into her chamomile tea. Gertie hadn’t been creating her own tea blends, but instead had been mixing two remedies together. Nan had even told her to light candles when mixing the two ingredients, creating what some would call a placebo effect.

  Unfortunately, this remedy didn’t explain why Gertie had been lighting something to drop into a pestle. Was she playing me? Was I falling for the innocent elderly lady routine? Was she aware that she had been observed while casting a spell?

  “I also had to burn a silver maple leaf and some sage to ward off unfavorable spirits,” Gertie whispered with a nod of satisfaction, taking me by surprise. “You grandmother was a very wise woman, Raven. I’ve lived in this house my entire life, and I’ve seen things no one would ever believe. It wasn’t until Rosemary came along with that little sage burning trick that I was able to rest easy about roaming spirits. The silver maple is my family’s signature leaf. We were originally French Canadian, and my family moved here during the 1790s after the war.”

  My relief was once again vast, and I was grateful I’d taken time out of my day to clear up some misconceptions. I’d be able to explain Gertie’s odd behavior to Rye, all the while knowing that Gertie wasn’t some evil hedge witch who was setting fires all around Paramour Bay.

  “The ingredient you’re missing for the holistic sleep remedy is fresh ground nutmeg,” I shared, finally able to enjoy my tea. Don’t get me wrong. I totally would rather have had coffee, but I was remembering to take the smaller pleasures in life—such as knowing there wasn’t dark magic at work here in Paramour Bay. “Nan was a very wise woman, and I’m very glad that she shared with you that burning sage can cleanse a house of any unwanted malevolent spirits.”

  We continued to talk about other holistic remedies, though I was very careful to stick to the basics of what I’d learned over the last four months. Witchcraft did incorporate medicinal herbs, and that’s how the holistic movement originally gained momentum. Some minor treatments were actually hedge witch recipes. Having such knowledge was a blessing.

  Unfortunately, I was still in the dark as to whether or not I was responsible for the arson in this town that I’d come to love. There hadn’t even been a report of a lighted match to indicate that I’d rectified my blunder. Granted, it was great that no other fires had been set, but the overwhelming guilt was enough to have me falling at the tips of Liam’s boots to confess.

  Good gracious, you don’t have to go and be that melodramatic. Besides, I can confidently assure you that Paramour Bay has an arsonist in its midst…and you’re not going to like hearing the name of the guilty party.

  By the time Leo had arrived, Beverly was sitting across from me and enjoying a cup of tea while waiting for the guest in the dining room to finish his dinner. I’d gotten rather good at hiding my reaction to Leo’s presence, so I didn’t even startle upon hearing his response.

  That didn’t prevent me from tightening my grip on the tea cup in anticipation of Leo’s announcement.

  I just witnessed Chief Maso
n toss a lit cigarette into an outside garbage can with my very own eyes!

  Chapter Twelve

  “Leo, we always get into trouble when we start assuming things,” I chastised, parking my beat-up old Corolla outside the wrought-iron fence that lined our front yard. “Chief Mason smokes, but he did not toss a lit butt into the trash. He made sure the cherry was out, and he didn’t even litter. The man is an upstanding citizen of Paramour Bay, and you were ready to throw him under the bus on next to no evidence.”

  Before Leo and I continued with our conversation, let me quickly describe the exterior of my beloved cottage. It sat on a large piece of property overlooking the water on the far edge of town. My closest neighbor had to be a half mile away. The land between my place and the edge of town could best be described as thickly wooded wetlands.

  No matter how eerie the outward curb appeal of my plot of land looked to the other residents, I thanked Nan every day for giving me this place and the life that had been hidden from me.

  Sorry to interrupt, but the reader needs to be reminded that your mother is to blame for not disclosing the Marigold secret. Rosemary wanted you to know what you were missing from the time you were still in diapers. Carry on.

  You see, the outside of the cottage resembled something out of a 1950s horror film. The overgrowth of tangled thorns—which had lost all of its leaves due to winter—had climbed up the front façade in an ominous manner. The wrought iron fence had spikes on each rail, while the two stark trees on either side of the pathway looked ready to reach out and grab the first unwanted person crazy enough to attempt entry.

  You really need to cut down on those old black and white horror flicks. Those piercing screams put me on edge.

  Thankfully, the interior was something entirely different. It was as if the place had popped right out of a home décor magazine. Nan had truly had a way with style, but I might have to spruce up the outer appearance with some landscaping and a fresh coat of paint on the house. I couldn’t have Liam driving out here and believing that I didn’t take care of my property.

  The good ol’ sheriff shouldn’t be driving out this way at all. He should be keeping his distance. You’re going to slip up one of these days and land us in hot water with that guy. That reminds me, the spell to reverse memory is on page three hundred and twenty-six…just in case you need to clean up one of your spells.

  “It’s been going fine so far,” I reminded Leo, shutting off the engine before grabbing my purse. “Better than you wandering off and abandoning me at the inn. What if Gertie had been a wicked old hedge witch who dabbled in black magic? What then?”

  I saw something down the alleyway that needed to be investigated. How was I to know the cigarette wasn’t lit when Chief Mason tossed it into the trashcan? You said yourself that it was probably someone tossing matches or some such trash in the garbage cans. I can’t help it if you plant your idle seeds of doubt into my head. You’re like a disease.

  I didn’t bother locking my Corolla as I headed for the gate. It might be better all around if someone stole it.

  Of course, that was highly unlikely. First off, no one ever came out this way. Second, the crooks wouldn’t even steal my hunk of junk back in New York City. I did have the feeling that the reason Nan had kept the outside of the cottage looking so menacing was to keep the locals at bay.

  On second thought, I hope nobody stole the old girl. I couldn’t bear to part with her just yet.

  In my defense, I was in and out of the alleyway before you finished your cup of tea. And it’s not my fault that you tripped over me when we went back to the scene of the crime. You made a scene with your clumsiness. If you’d pick up your feet just a bit, I bet that wouldn’t happen on a reoccurring basis.

  If you’re thinking that I had subsequently snuck behind the alleyway of the volunteer fire department to check out their trashcans for myself, you would be right. Fortunately, my sleuthing skills were getting slightly better, and I was able to get away before anyone saw me snooping.

  Regrettably, my accident-prone tendencies had gotten in the way of a quick getaway from the sidewalk out front where Richard had spotted me as he’d been walking toward the front entrance.

  Poor man. He was mortified.

  I winced at Leo’s recall of the situation, though my reaction might have been more about the biting wind coming off the waterfront. It truly was cold out tonight.

  Anyway, while the sweet fireman had been helping me to my feet, he attempted to apologize for his odd behavior the other day. He went on and on about how he wasn’t sure what had come over him.

  I, in turn, had feigned ignorance on the entire subject. Richard’s relief had been evident, but my guilt had only ratcheted higher. It seemed everything going wrong lately had been connected to my spell failure.

  Don’t fool the reader, Raven. You got over your remorse of flubbing that spell quickly when Richard fessed up that the fire department had put out another blaze this afternoon.

  It was true.

  My self-doubts had been mostly erased the moment Richard had admitted to taking another 911 dispatched call to a fire behind the bakery. There had been no need for the lights and sirens, because two of the volunteer firemen had been inside the bakery when the patrons smelled smoke. Don’t think I didn’t recall what Beverly had said about Bree Stonehedge.

  I also found it odd that the bakery had been open after twelve o’clock in the afternoon.

  Since when had Bree decided to have evening hours?

  Could the bakery owner be the guilty party?

  Had Bree Stonehedge just been using other small fires to throw off the trail of local authorities?

  If it looks like a duck…

  “Remember what I said about making assumptions?”

  No need to be crass.

  The lights were shining from the two windows, which told me that Ted was inside getting a fire started in the hearth. It was nice to come home and find that he’d warmed the place up. Coming home in the evening wasn’t so lonely, and the cozy warmth immediately hit me after opening the front door.

  “Hi, Ted,” I called out as I set my keys in the wooden bowl on the entry table to my right. “How was your day?”

  “It was good, Miss Raven.”

  Great conversationalist you’ve got there.

  Leo had already jumped up on his pillow in the front window, causing him to be out of the way of my purse…which I’d swung in his direction to knock some sense into him.

  “Thank you for getting the fire going this evening.” It didn’t take me long to set down my purse, hang up my dress coat, and switch from my knee-high boots into my fuzzy slippers. “We have a lot of work ahead of us this evening.”

  You didn’t clue the reader in on your epiphany.

  “It was a good epiphany.”

  Using a destroyed item in a spell isn’t what I would call a good epiphany.

  “Leo seems upset,” Ted pointed out, taking the herbs and roots out of the basket he’d set on the coffee table, separating the ingredients into tiny bundles.

  All Ted could hear was Leo meowing, just as any other human would. Ted wasn’t exactly human, as we all know. Ted’s lack of understanding made it hard to carry on a three-way conversation, but we were getting used to it.

  “I’m casting a spell on the ashes that were left behind from the fire in the alleyway behind the tea shop.” I walked across the hardwood floor to the kitchen which was also done in modern décor. I especially appreciated the new stainless-steel appliances. As I’d mentioned, Nan’s home interior design was impeccable. “It appears I’m not responsible for the fires around town. Or so it would seem.”

  “I never thought you were, Miss Raven.”

  Suck up. I swear, he’s such a lapdog.

  “It seems that there are rumors around town that Bree Stonehedge might be responsible,” I shared with Ted, completely ignoring Leo. He was currently cleaning his paws, still trying to get rid of the lipstick mark left by the fairy
we’d saved on our last case. “I can’t imagine such a sweet woman doing such a thing, and a divination to find the guilty party might be able to clear her name.”

  Have you ever thought that it could be someone from the coven? Maybe someone stirring the pot here in Paramour Bay?

  I’d gone about getting a bottle of wine out of the refrigerator and had been in the process of pulling the cork when Leo made such an outrageous suggestion. Yes, we’d had run-ins with the council. Yes, there had been talk of an upcoming war between factions of the coven my family had once been members of…but we’d been excommunicated many years before I was ever born. There was no reason for them to involve me in their internal issues, just as there was no reason for them to bring their battle here to Paramour Bay.

  “Who are your suspects?” Ted asked, finally finishing the task of sorting the ingredients he’d brought in the basket.

  Look at good ol’ Crayola getting in on the sleuthing action. What color would you say he is? I’d guess dull grey, maybe.

  “How’s that spot on your paw coming along, Leo?” I asked, showing him that it wasn’t nice to make fun of others.

  My comment was said in affection. You’re just being spiteful.

  “No, it wasn’t,” I countered with an arched eyebrow that didn’t even come close to rivaling my mother’s. I’d managed to pull the cork and pour myself a glass of wine. It was time to settle in and find a spell that could help put away an arsonist before Valentine’s Day. “Ted, that’s a good question. We thought it was Billy, especially considering he was at two of the fire scenes. Then Gertie entered the picture, but we quickly put an end to that theory…thank goodness. Now, there are rumors that Bree Stonehedge might be responsible, because she needs the insurance money.”

  “Miss Bree wouldn’t do something so terrible.”

  That’s what neighbors say about every serial killer in existence—she was always so quiet. Right up until she burns your house to the ground with you in it.