Son of a Witch

by K E O'Connor

  “I didn’t think you could jump high,” I said to him.

  “It’s amazing what you can do when you’re motivated.” Wiggles grunted and squirmed some more. “Get those crazy cats away from me.”

  The cats hissed and narrowed their green eyes at him.

  I stepped closer. “Cleo thinks they’re making friends.”

  “If I need any more friends, I’ll let them know.” Wiggles squirmed on his belly, but he seemed well and truly stuck between the ceiling and the glass top of the cabinet.

  I inched toward the cats. They turned on me, their hackles raised and eyes flashing with fury.

  I raised my hands slowly. “I come in peace, fur balls. I need to rescue my hellhound before you make him your next meal.”

  The cats eyed me suspiciously as I inched around them to the display case.

  I saw my family name in the next display case and paused to take a look. “Hey! This exhibit is all about our family.” I peered at the huge family tree that branched off in all directions. “I’m on here.”

  “What about me?” Wiggles asked.

  “You’re not a blood relative,” I said.

  “I’m the closest thing you’ve got to a child,” Wiggles said. “I should be on there.”

  “I’ll make that suggestion.” I tilted my head as I studied Wiggles’ position. “I’m not sure how I can get you off there.”

  “You’ll have to pull me out. My belly’s gotten wedged.”

  “Too many cupcakes,” I muttered as I wrapped my hands around his hips and pulled gently.

  He slid back an inch but stopped. “Get those mangy cats out of here before I get down. I need a head start, so they don’t catch me.”

  The cats all hissed as if they understood what he’d said. Maybe they did. Three hundred-year-old familiars must come with a hefty whack of power.

  “Hold on.” I grabbed a chair from the corner and stood on it. Up higher, I could grab a handful of warm, soft belly. I tugged on Wiggles again.

  He popped out, his legs flailing as he flipped in the air. I grabbed hold of him before he hit the floor and hugged him to me.

  The cats jumped to their feet and stalked toward me, their murderous gaze on Wiggles. I jumped off the chair and backed away quickly. “There’s no trouble here. We’re leaving. Don’t kill us.”

  “Blast them with magic,” Wiggles grumbled. “Evil little critters.”

  “Don’t antagonize the ancient powerful familiars,” I muttered.

  “I’m not scared of them.”

  “You should be. They want to destroy you. I think they probably could.” I hurried back into the foyer where Cleo stood, a concerned look on her face.

  “Sorry about my girls. They can be feisty,” she said. “I hope they didn’t hurt you, puppy.”

  “You need to put leashes on them,” Wiggles said. “They’re out of control.”

  An angry hiss had me speeding to the door, Wiggles still in my arms. The cats clearly hated the idea of being given a harness and a leash.

  I turned before we left the museum. “Where’s the rest of Isadora’s team? Is no one else working here?”

  “I saw them all earlier,” Cleo said. “They’re staying at the house for now. They seemed a bit bemused. Since Isadora hired them, they’re technically out of work. They’re trying to figure out what to do next. I think Seth’s setting up a memorial promotion for the book. He dazzled me with information, and I lost the thread when he talked about live chats and multi-channel social media options. It’s something to do with capitalizing on tragedy so no one loses out.”

  Capitalizing on tragedy? Seth was a piece of work.

  The cats advanced menacingly toward us. “Thanks, Cleo. It was nice to see you.” I nodded at the evil cats. “You too, fur balls.” I raced out and swiftly shut the door behind us before kneeling and letting go of Wiggles.

  He shook out his fur and glared at the closed door. “We’re never going back in there again.”

  I checked the door was shut tight. “I don’t know. I’ve always been fond of cats. Maybe we can get a kitten.”

  “No cats. I’m the only pet in your life. You don’t need anybody else. And I do not share treats.”

  I smiled as we walked away. “Fair enough. It looks like Cleo and Jonah are in the clear for Isadora’s murder. All I need to do is confirm that she was with Jonah yesterday afternoon and we can tick them off the list.”

  “Cleo still doesn’t have a great alibi for Gretel’s murder,” Wiggles said. “Didn’t she say she was sleeping with her mangy moggies?”

  “She did,” I said. “And Cleo wasn’t entirely honest with how Gretel had treated her. But I still don’t get the sense she’s a killer.”

  “It’s her cats then,” Wiggles said. “I can imagine them skulking in the shadows in the dead of night and taking down innocent victims. I bet they’d use their dark powers to frame someone else while they sit back, lick their paws, and plot their next evil deed.”

  “They were on the scary side.” I slowed and turned away from the main street. “Let’s head to the house and see how Isadora’s team is feeling about her death. And we need to find out where they all were when she died.”

  Someone out there was a killer, and we needed to find out who it was before they struck again.

  Chapter 18

  The door in front of me opened, and Seth looked out. He smiled when he saw me and Wiggles.

  “We figured you’d be by soon enough. The angels told us about Isadora.” Seth turned and gestured for me to follow him.

  I walked into the house and along the hallway. “That must have been a shock for you. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “I’m hoping it won’t be too bad for business.”

  “Bad for business?”

  Seth turned, and his gaze ran over me. “That’s why I’m here. Isadora was a client, not a friend.”

  Yep, it had just been confirmed. Seth was a Grade A piece of dirt. I followed him into the lounge to discover Lotus packing a bag. She glanced up, and her gaze narrowed as she saw Seth.

  Wiggles took one look at the tense situation and trotted off toward the kitchen.

  “Lotus, sweetheart, there’s no need to do that.” Seth walked over, his hand held out.

  She backed away from him. “There’s every reason.”

  “You’re leaving?” I asked her.

  She shrugged. “There’s no point in staying. Isadora’s dead. I have no boss. Besides, I was leaving anyway.”

  I was out of time when it came to playing nicely. “You have a good reason for wanting Isadora dead.”

  “What are you talking about?” Seth tried to place an arm around Lotus’ shoulder, but she shrugged him off and moved away.

  “It’s true, isn’t it?” I said to her. “You were angry with Isadora.”

  Lotus’ shoulders sagged. “If only she’d stood up for me. All I needed was help to get rid of a problem.” Her gaze drifted to Seth. “Just for her to intervene once. To lift her nose from her own obsession and help. If she’d done that, I’d have stayed. I enjoy my work. I don’t want to leave.”

  “I have no clue what’s going on here,” Seth said. “If you have a problem, you can talk to me. We share everything.”

  “You’re the problem, loser. Lotus is talking about you,” I said. “She’s sick of you sleazing on her. She’s not into you.”

  Seth’s eyes widened. “Of course she is! I’m planning to be with Lotus for a long time.”

  Lotus glared at him. “Not if I have any say in it.”

  I focused on Seth. “You lied to me the first time we talked. You told me you were in a serious relationship with Lotus, and you’re planning to get married.”

  Seth’s lips thinned. “I told you that in confidence. It was meant to be a surprise for Lotus.”

  Lotus snorted a laugh. “I’d never marry you. Tempest is right. Isadora saw you hassling me, and I asked her to help me. She turned her back. She walked away. That’s why I
was mad with her.”

  “She knows what you’re like.” Seth touched Lotus’ arm. “You’re scared of committing to me. You shouldn’t be. We’re right for each other.”

  Lotus scowled at him. “I wouldn’t date you if you were the last guy on Earth. We’re not, and have never been, in a relationship.”

  “You’re upset because of what happened to Isadora. You’re not making any sense.”

  “Where were you yesterday afternoon?” I asked Lotus.

  “She was with me.” Seth stood next to Lotus. “We were together most of the day.”

  Lotus sighed and shook her head. “No, we weren’t. You kept hassling me, and I kept telling you to get lost.”

  He grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward him. “Think carefully about what you say next. Isadora was murdered yesterday afternoon. Tempest is looking for her killer. You need a strong alibi, or you could be in trouble.”

  “What you need to do is tell the truth,” I said. “Where were you both yesterday afternoon?”

  Lotus shook Seth’s hands off her shoulders and stepped away from him again. “I wasn’t doing anything. Isadora wasn’t around after about ten o’clock that morning. It wasn’t unusual for her to disappear without telling anyone. She’d often squirrel herself away and focus on her work. Isadora could get lost in her research and forget to tell anyone where she was. I didn’t worry when she wasn’t back for lunch. I was here most of the day. I went out a couple of times to stretch my legs but didn’t see Isadora.”

  “Which means you have no alibi,” Seth said. “I can be your alibi. Let me help you. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself behind bars.”

  Lotus crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m innocent. I’m not involved. I don’t need an alibi.”

  “You absolutely do,” Seth said. He turned to me. “I was here with Lotus. She doesn’t always know I’m around, but I’m always watching her.”

  I grimaced. That wasn’t at all creepy. “You were both in the house at the time of Isadora’s death?”

  Lotus scowled at Seth before nodding. “I didn’t go anywhere near the stone circle yesterday. And yes, I was angry with Isadora. She did the wrong thing, but I’d made my decision to leave. I was moving on. There was no reason for me to kill her.”

  “Tempest, believe me. Lotus was here,” Seth said. “And don’t listen to her nonsense about us not being in a relationship. She’s just stubborn and loves her independence.”

  “Give up on this dumb fantasy of yours!” Lotus shouted. “I don’t love you. We’re not together. And when I’m gone, don’t you dare follow me, or I’ll stake you.”

  “I’ll follow you wherever you go,” Seth said, seeming undeterred by Lotus’ threat to puncture him with a wooden stake.

  “You realize that’s called stalking,” I said. “Lotus has made it clear she doesn’t like you. Back off, or you’ll be the one behind bars.”

  “What for?” Seth sounded genuinely surprised.

  “For being a sleazebag,” I said.

  Lotus nodded. “I’d rather tell the truth and have a lousy alibi than be vulnerable to Seth’s advances because I owe him a favor.”

  Seth’s jaw dropped. “I’d never hold this over you. I give you this alibi willingly.”

  “I know what you’re like,” Lotus said. “You still remind me of the time you loaned me some money. Even though I paid you back in full and on time, you still mention it, trying to get me to be nice to you because you did me a favor. That was the first and last time I asked you for anything.”

  He looked aggrieved. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve forgotten all about that loan.”

  Though Lotus didn’t have a great alibi, I believed she was telling the truth. It would have been simple for her to accept Seth’s alibi. If she was guilty, she’d have grabbed onto it, but she’d made the more difficult choice.

  “What about you, Seth?” I asked. “Where were you yesterday afternoon?”

  He scrubbed his chin. “Right here, as I said.”

  “Watching me.” Lotus shuddered her gaze on Seth. “You have to see how weird that is.”

  “It’s not weird. I need to watch you to make sure you’re safe.”

  “From what?” Lotus asked. “I have one of the safest jobs in the world. I sit reading books all day.”

  “Some of those books can be heavy,” Seth said.

  Lotus threw her hands up in exasperation. “I give up. I’m packing my bag and leaving.” She stomped out of the room and up the stairs, slamming a door behind her.

  “Lotus! Wait!” Seth went to follow her.

  I grabbed his arm and yanked him back. “Leave Lotus alone.”

  His top lip curled, exposing his fangs. “Keep out of this, witch.”

  “Not a chance.” I shoved him away. “Lotus doesn’t want you. Stay here. I’ll make sure she’s okay.” I hurried after her. Lotus couldn’t leave. I needed to keep everyone here until these murders had been figured out.

  I opened the door I’d seen Lotus go through and eased it shut behind me. “How are you doing?”

  Lotus stood by her bed, her hands on her hips and her back turned to me. “I’ve been better.”

  “Don’t leave. Not yet. We have to find out who murdered Gretel and Isadora.”

  She spun toward me, tears in her eyes. “I promise this has nothing to do with me. They were complicated women and obsessed with their work, but I didn’t want either of them dead.” Her gaze drifted over my shoulder. “Seth, on the other hand. The day he’s permanently out of my life is one I’ll celebrate.”

  “I see what a problem he is. There are laws to protect you against being stalked.”

  “I’ve talked to the angels about it. But Seth’s always so charming and convincing. He makes everyone believe I’m the neurotic one who’s a commitment phobe. I’ve never once suggested to Seth that there’s a chance of a relationship between us. He’s obsessed with me. It’s unhealthy, and it’s not natural. I’m sick of it.”

  “Is he like that with everything?” I asked. “Does Seth get that obsessed with his work? Everything has to turn out the way he wants, no matter what he has to do to make that happen.”

  “You think Seth killed Isadora and Gretel because of a work glitch?” Lotus shook her head. “He’s not a killer. He doesn’t have the stomach for it.”

  “Gretel was putting together a case against Isadora and her work. Seth was dealing with the legal issues and trying to find a way out of it.”

  Lotus’ eyes widened. “I didn’t know that. What was the problem?”

  “I’m not sure of the details. You’ve not heard anything about this? Isadora didn’t mention her concerns?”

  “No! This is news to me.”

  “Someone overheard Seth talking about dealing with the problem. It wasn’t long after that, that Gretel died.”

  Lotus blinked rapidly. “I don’t know. I mean, Seth’s always working to get what he wants, and he normally gets it. But why would he kill Isadora? Her book will make him wealthy.”

  “Isadora was struggling with her work. Was she stressed about anything?”

  Lotus brushed her fingers across her lips. “We were all being careful around her because she seemed a bit fragile. Apart from Seth, who never gets the hint when someone’s unhappy. Jonah had even been treating Isadora to fancy food from Bite Me and trying to get her to take more breaks to see if that would help.”

  “Isadora was worried her new book would fail and was stressed about her new project. Was Seth unhappy with what she was working on?”

  “I can’t see why he’d have a problem,” Lotus said. “I’ve done a little research on it myself. It’s a follow-up to this book, focusing on powerful witch families and the evolution of their magic. That wouldn’t bother Seth. I expect he saw dollar signs when he heard about the proposal. He could imagine it being another bestseller. He wouldn’t block that by killing Isadora.”

  “The angels have a theory that Isadora might
have killed herself,” I said.

  Lotus scraped her hands through her short hair. “No, she’d never do that. Isadora had so many plans for future publications. She had too much to live for. I can’t believe she killed herself. And, although I despise Seth, I can’t believe he’s involved. He watches me all the time. He thinks I don’t know, but I feel those creepy eyes staring at my back.”

  “And you felt that yesterday? He was watching you?”

  She tilted her head. “Not for definite, but he’s never far away.”

  I nodded. I wasn’t as certain that Seth was innocent. He’d shown himself to be dangerously obsessed with Lotus, living in a fantasy in his head about them marrying and settling down, despite Lotus making it clear she hated him. What else had he imagined? That Gretel was planning to ruin his career? Isadora would fire him, so he’d lose all his money? Maybe he even believed they’d wanted to hurt him, so he’d struck first?

  His alibi for Gretel’s murder was also not solid. He could have slipped out of the Ancient Imp for half an hour and murdered her. And as for his alibi for the time of Isadora’s murder, he was lurking in the shadows where no one could see him, watching Lotus. Again, he could have suspended stalking duties to go murder Isadora.

  “Are you going to be okay with Seth?” I asked Lotus.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m so used to him being a lecherous creep, I’m almost immune to it. And after everything that’s happened here, I’m glad to be leaving. I won’t leave a forwarding address with Seth, no matter how much he begs.”

  “Stick around for as long as you can,” I said. “I think someone who worked with Isadora and Gretel is involved in their deaths. You might remember something that leads to their arrest.”

  Lotus pressed her lips together but nodded. “I can wait around for a while. I’ll help if I can, but I can’t imagine who would do this.”

  “Thanks.” I hurried out of her room. I could. I needed to speak to Seth.

  Chapter 19