by Bella Falls
Hollis didn’t need to know it was a recent development. “Well, I can.”
“Hold the token up,” he requested, waiting for me to comply. “The back of it says Non ducor, duco. It translates as I am not led, I lead. In this matter, I am taking the lead.”
“I don’t understand.” Tucker sat on the edge of the settee.
Hollis held up his hand to stop his son from saying anything else. “You got a lot of things right with very little to go on. I underestimated you, Detective.”
“It wasn’t all me.” Mason flashed me a quick glance.
Comprehending our connection, Hollis nodded. “Of course. Even when you’re pressured not to be involved, you couldn’t help it.” He nodded at the newlyweds. “I guess when it involves people you care about, you’ll do just about anything.”
Mason took out his notebook and pencil. “And what did you do?”
Hollis sighed. “Tucker hid his troubles from me for a while, but when money started disappearing from his personal account, I did some digging. Our bank backed his development business, so I had access to the old H&S Holdings account in Charleston.”
It took me a second to realize the initials of the account stood for Hawthorne and Sharpe.
“You knew?” Tucker asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I thought, like you, that I could work things out with Duke. At first, he seemed placated when I offered him more money. But then he wanted more from me, enough that it would get noticed by others.” Hollis stopped, taking a moment to think about his next statement.
Nana pulled up an old wooden seat next to him. “So you traded information about our town. Something that would be valuable to Duke in many ways. Something he could sell to interested parties.”
Hollis pursed his lips together and nodded. “I didn’t mean for it to cause problems. What would anyone want with our small town anyway?”
“You are a founding family member. You know our history, Hollis.” Nana grasped his hand. “We wield great protective magic here and harbor many supernatural beings. Some who may be considered valuable.” She reached out her hand to me and I grasped it, assuring her I was still here and not going anywhere.
“I know,” whispered Hollis. “I didn’t mean for it to go as far as it did.”
Nana released his hand. “But you aren’t completely innocent in all this. They offered you something for your cooperation, didn’t they?”
The pitiful man hung his head. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
“I can understand you wanting to protect your son, but to sell out your town, and for what? A flimsy promise of power once Charleston took over? Hollis,” Nana stood and moved away, too upset to continue.
“You tried to destroy Honeysuckle?” asked Tucker in a low voice.
“I’m not proud of that part of this, son,” admitted Hollis. “But I did try to buy my way out. Traded something of great worth and tried to get it all back.”
I held up the token. “With this.”
He nodded. “It’s been passed down for generations. It should have gone to Tucker on his wedding day.” Hollis swallowed. “Today.”
“But you gave it to Duke to get him to stop everything. When did you know it wouldn’t work?” I asked.
“When he showed up in town,” Hollis said. “He liked Honeysuckle. Confirmed that you lived here. Thought he might find other valuable…others like you that might be worth something. So he demanded I set him up with the restaurant as a legitimate front.”
Mason’s jaw ticked with tension. “Did it ever occur to you to tell the wardens? If you had let someone know, we might have been able to help you.”
Tucker spoke up for his father. “Duke had a way of making it clear that if any legal authority was notified, bad things would happen.” He looked down at his fingers entwined with Clementine’s. “After a few things I’d witnessed, I believed him.”
Needing to keep the conversation flowing, I pushed with another question. “What about the night of the murder? Am I right that you saw Tucker hit Duke over the head?”
Hollis nodded. “I went out that night to find Tucker. I knew he’d been getting worse and worse. I was going to bring him back to the house here and dry him out and try to make a plan to get us out of the mess. But I heard him arguing with Duke and followed them to the old diner. Things escalated quickly, and I watched Tucker swing that heavy cast iron skillet and hit Duke over the head.
“I managed to get Tucker out of there. He was so drunk, he didn’t remember me helping him out the door. I checked on Duke, not knowing what I was thinking.” Hollis stared into the distance. “When he opened his eyes and I knew he wasn’t dead, at first I was relieved because Tucker didn’t kill him. But then he laughed at me. Laughed at our family. Our town. Said we were insignificant, and that he would destroy us all and enjoy it.”
The weight of what was coming next hung in the air. I held my breath in anticipation, and the silence pressed in on us.
“It was an act of defense. Instinctual. I didn’t even think about it. One moment, he was laughing at me and the next, I took away his air. It was a simple spell that required nothing but my will,” Hollis confessed.
I had mistaken his poor appearance as concern for his son. The talk I’d had with the spell class came back to me, and I realized I was witnessing a clear example of the consequences of our spells, our actions, and our choices. Tucker’s father may have had reasons, but he chose to take another person’s life with magic, and he had been paying for that ever since.
Tucker got up from his seat. “I can’t hear anymore of this.” He helped Clementine stand and looked back at his father. “You should have talked to me.”
“I know,” admitted Hollis. “I’m sorry.”
A tear ran down Tucker’s cheek. “Me, too.” He turned his back on his father and left the room.
I checked with Mason, who shook his head. “He won’t go far.”
Someone pounded on the front door, and Nana went to answer it. After a quick conversation in the foyer that I couldn’t quite understand, Big Willie followed my grandmother into the parlor.
“I guess there’s a lot goin’ on today, what with a weddin’ and an arrest.” The sasquatch took off his hat and scratched his head. “Y’all remember Deputy Inspector Pine from the W.O.W.”
The deputy had been one of the officials sent to Honeysuckle after I took down Damien. I remembered I preferred his boss over him, but it didn’t surprise me that the bigger organization was getting involved.
“Miss Charli, it’s good to see you doing so well,” he directed at me, surveying the room. “I’m here to take Hollis Hawthorne in.”
Mason frowned. “On what grounds? He should be held here in Honeysuckle. I haven’t even made the formal arrest.”
“Good,” said Deputy Inspector Pine. “Less paperwork to deal with. Hollis Hawthorne, I arrest you under the authority of the World Organization of Wardens. You will be taken to one of our facilities where you will be prosecuted for your crimes.”
“Aspetta, Deputy,” a high-pitched voice with a lilting accent called out. Agent Giacinta appeared behind Big Willie. “You are not the only one who wishes to discuss his dealings with the deceased. I was sent here to investigate, and my agency takes precedence over yours.” Her wings quivered, and a lilac-colored dust floated down.
Mason approached his boss. “Sheriff, the murder happened in Honeysuckle. Surely, we aren’t going to ship him off to wherever they wish to take him.”
“It’s out of my hands, Detective.” Big Willie held up his fur-covered mitts. “They’ll have to fight it out amongst themselves, but Hollis will be leaving Honeysuckle.”
“When?” I asked.
“Immediately,” answered Deputy Inspector Pine.
Agent Giacinta crossed her arms. “With me. I also will need to speak to his son as well.”
“I’m taking custody of him,” countered the inspector.
“Hold on,�
�� I said, stopping the two from arguing. “How important is it for anyone to leave right this second?”
“I am not sure of what you are meaning, Charli,” said Agent Giacinta.
Against my better judgment, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Hollis. His actions were deplorable, but in the long run, everything he’d done was to protect his family. And eventually, he tried to protect our town. I asked for everyone to wait a second and went and fetched the rest of the family members from the kitchen.
They filed in, and Clarice went to her husband’s side. Tucker must have told her what had happened. He and Clementine stood together, holding onto each other.
“This is his son’s wedding day,” I explained. “If we can ensure that he won’t go anywhere, perhaps we can allow the entire wedding party a chance to celebrate the day, even for a short while. It won’t change the outcome.”
Deputy Inspector Pine frowned. “I’ve already made arrangements—”
“I see no problem giving them a small amount of time to celebrate together,” offered Agent Giacinta, holding up her chin in defiance of the inspector. “But no one will be able to leave the premises.”
“We can assist you in that,” said Big Willie. “My people can watch the perimeter for you.”
“What will everyone say?” asked Clarice.
Aunt Nora stayed unusually quiet but nodded her agreement with her new in-law.
Nana joined in. “They will think that after whatever happened in here, y’all came back down and finished the celebration. You can eat the food, cut the cake, and maybe get in one dance. What happens tomorrow can’t be helped, but we can assist you in salvaging the rest of today. And that’s the best you’re goin’ to get from the entire situation.”
Clementine took a step forward, still holding onto Tucker. “I have something to say. I’m very sorry for everything that has happened, but I would like to have my father-in-law with us for as long as possible. What he did, he did so Tucker and I could have a future.”
“The bride has made her decision,” I said, nodding my approval at my cousin. “Y’all can head back down, and I’ll inform the cook to start sending food to be served.”
Nana ushered the group out the door and Big Willie spoke to Mason and Zeke, making plans with the inspector and the fairy agent.
Before she left, Agent Giacinta fluttered over and kissed me on both cheeks. “It is so good to see you again, Charli. I wish it were under better circumstances.”
“Me, too.” I flashed her a quick smile. “Will you be arresting Tucker as well?”
She shook her head. “From what I understand of the situation, any of his actions can be taken care of with the local authorities. However, he can add to the information that we have been extracting from the unpleasant woman already in warden custody here.”
“Tara?” I asked.
“Sì, she is not so nice.” The fairy screwed up her pretty face. “I will need to interview her half-sister and Tucker to get a better picture of the underground dealings of this Duke Aikens. And then Mr. Hawthorne will need to answer for his crime. My agency will have to work with the inspector’s to determine his outcome.” She kissed me on both cheeks again and flew away.
Mason waited behind the others. He pulled me aside. “You surprised me, sticking up for the newlyweds. Especially after you confirmed Tucker was the one who sold you out.”
I would not get over my ex’s betrayal anytime soon. However, I couldn’t help feeling pity for him, even though his actions had backed him into the corner he’d found himself in. Responsibility and accountability. I had tried to teach that to the students in such a short time, but I guessed it was a lesson we had to keep learning throughout our lives.
“I think he’ll pay a pretty steep price for his actions,” I said. “But things will definitely be different between us from here on out.”
The entire political power structure in Honeysuckle Hollow would be blown to pieces in one fell swoop. With Hollis being taken away, the vacancy for his seat on the council should go to the next in line—Tucker. Assuming that he didn’t get arrested as well, he would take on a seat of power way earlier than anticipated. And my cousin would have great influence over two of the council members. Her children would be eligible for either council seat in the future.
“Frosted fairy wings,” I exclaimed, putting all the pieces together.
“What?” asked Mason.
I shook my head, not wanting to give more credence to the questions bubbling to the surface. “Nothing.”
The two of us went through the kitchen and talked briefly with Shelby. The half-banshee couldn’t hide her relief that the case was over. She didn’t mind having to talk to the agent about Duke, and hoped it meant that she could start living her life for herself.
On our way down to the tent, Mason stopped me before I walked in. “I guess I’m on duty now.”
“As a warden or as my date?” I teased.
He bumped me with his hip. “If I have my way, both. If I can, I’ll try to sneak in a dance with you.” He winked at me and walked over to talk to Zeke.
No more storm clouds filled the sky. Bright reds and pinks painted the leftover wisps against the darkening backdrop. At the end of a disrupting tempest came such beauty. I wondered if Honeysuckle would recover from tonight’s outcome while I watched Tucker and Clementine bond together, stronger than ever in front of everyone. Hollis held onto Clarice, watching his son with love and regret.
Unable to join in and act like nothing had happened, I stayed on the periphery of the tent. Nana joined me, putting her arms around me. “I’m proud of you, Birdy.”
“I didn’t do anything other than ruin their day,” I replied.
“Their days haven’t been good for a while. Look at their faces,” my grandmother directed.
I did as I was told, and found the young couple focused on each other, pure joy lighting them up.
“See? The not knowing was eating them both up. Now that they know, they can move on.” She joined in the clapping when everyone tapped their crystal glasses to get the couple to kiss.
I leaned in closer to her. “Have you thought about what their moving on will mean to the town council and the balance of power?”
“One step at a time, child. That’s a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, try to enjoy what you helped make happen.” She squeezed my hand and left me standing at the back.
I knew she meant for me to appreciate that Tucker and Clementine might have a few moments of happiness before the worst happened. But my own enjoyment would be marred by the knowledge that I was instrumental in bringing out the truth.
In all of the fuss, I’d forgotten that I still held the token tight in my left hand. Opening up my fingers, I flipped it over and over in my hand. “I am not led, I lead,” I said out loud.
I made a quick decision to hold onto this one piece of evidence to hand over to Mason. Maybe we could ensure that it would get passed on to Tucker, and in doing so, maybe he would make better choices than his father on what type of leader he might want to be. Out of the chaos, maybe the future could hold more promise.
Epilogue
I fought my way through pink balloons, pink streamers, pink banners, and pink glitter falling out of the air at Sweet Tooths. Gossamer managed to cover every single surface in the immediate area with her signature color.
My diminutive friend had given birth to two healthy babies, one girl with a cute button nose like her father and a boy who had the beginning nubs of wings on his back. It was hard to tell them apart since Goss dressed them in the same color she loved. I cooed appropriately over the tiny pair, too afraid I might break them if I touched them.
TJ waddled up to me, holding a pink cup with bright rosy liquid in it. She rubbed her belly and sipped. “Tell me how she turned the sweet tea pink? When our baby gets here, I might just send her over to Goss.”
I kissed my sister-in-law’s cheek. “I’ll bet our fairy friend will bestow upon you gifts galore f
or Junior.”
TJ bumped me with her expanded rump. “I’m making no promises with the name. We were thinking maybe something having to do with sunshine in honor of your mom.”
Sadness and happiness swirled in my heart. “That sounds like a beautiful idea. But this little one will always be Junior to me.” I patted TJ’s tummy.
Mason smiled from across the room, and my sister-in-law clinked her paper cup against mine. “I think you may have to save the Junior for yourself someday.”
I hotfooted my way out of that conversation. The detective and I were nowhere near even having a discussion of what we might be to each other. For now, we spent most of our time talking and getting to know each other without walls being erected on either side. We made a great team, but mixing personal with business might not work, and I wasn’t ready to choose between the two with him.
Nana brought me a slice of red velvet cake. “And this one won’t blow up,” she joked.
I gave her my best imitation of her own glaring stare. “I told you, it wasn’t me. Although I’m sure Aunt Nora and Clarice will blame me for it anyway. Those two may never forgive me despite how much I tried to save the wedding reception.”
“And yet, you seem to have made some headway with your cousin. Rayline would have liked that. So would your father.” Nana rubbed my back.
“I know. Although…” I trailed off, not wanting to ruin the overall good mood with my lingering suspicions.
“If you’re having thoughts that perhaps the little lady knew more than she let on, you’re not the only one,” confirmed my grandmother.
I breathed out a sigh of relief. “I don’t want to think ill of her, not after we’ve finally made some sort of progress.”
Nana took a bite of my cake. “You work on your relationship. Leave the worrying and watching to me.”
“You’re gonna have a huge struggle on your hands to keep the high seat on the council. The scales of power will definitely tip their way,” I warned.