Closets generally had a life of their own. They disappeared the socks and shoes and blouses, you swore you put them in. They were like time machines. One day, your favorite jeans were hanging neatly from a rod, and the next, they had disappeared, only to reappear on day three. It was as if they slipped into a different dimension for twenty-four hours. I had the notion that if I came back the next night, I would find some items missing and some new ones hanging in their place.
I went through the clothes and shoe boxes on the shelf, and while I found a good deal of dust and a few dead flies, I didn’t happen upon anything that would help in the investigation. The closet was a bust, so I focused on the dresser.
Betty had kept her dresser drawers neat. The underwear was separated from the T-shirts, the socks from the shorts. She sorted by general color—white, black, other. That was fine with me. What was a tad disconcerting was that her underwear drawer smelled of lilac. That stopped me for a moment. After Tabitha’s house, lilac was no longer on my top ten list of favorite scents. I couldn’t help but wonder if Tabitha had been through the dresser ahead of me. If she had, then I was almost certainly trying to get water from a dry well.
The top of the dresser provided a bit of information. Well, the lack of something provided a hint. Amidst the dust was a rectangle of polished wood. That indicated that something had been moved.
What?
If I had been a betting witch, I would have bet it was a jewelry box, a special box with a ballerina who danced when the box opened. Since I hadn’t found the box in the closet, I did a quick walk around the bedroom. I was on my knees, looking under the bed, when I heard the voice.
“Need help?”
That made me jerk up, and I cracked my head on the bed frame. For a moment, I saw stars. I sat against the bed and rubbed my noggin, staring up at Emmy.
“I’m sorry,” Emmy said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s all right,” I said. “But how about a little warning next time. At the rate things are going, I’m going to have a coronary soon. People keep popping up in bedrooms.”
I closed my eyes against the pain.
“I’m looking for a jewelry box,” I said. “I’m not sure what it looks like, but it’s one of those ballerina jewelry boxes. You know, the ones where a ballerina rises and dances when the lid is raised.”
“Music too?”
“I’m guessing yes. But I don’t know the tune.”
“Doesn’t matter. Where do you want me to start?”
“With the other bedrooms. And take your time. It’s better to linger a bit than to miss the box.”
“Righto,” Emmy said. “And thanks. I always like to have something to do.”
“Besides scaring me?”
Emmy laughed. “You’re funny, just like Gus said.”
Emmy disappeared, and I stood slowly, making sure I wasn’t rocky. I felt my scalp. No blood. That was a good sign. The lump I found was the bad sign. I continued my search of the bedroom.
I found nothing of any importance in the bedroom, and since I had dispatched Emmy to search the other bedrooms, I decided I needed to take a look at Betty’s home office. Like most of us at the Farmer’s Market, Betty kept a home office. It was the place where she could sit in her pajamas and sip tea as she determined the status of her business. My home office was a godsend. Spending long hours at the shop on the square was not my idea of fun.
I was tempted to turn on the lights, as the blinds were closed, but I reminded myself that I was actually breaking the law by being there. It wouldn’t do to get caught, even if I hadn’t actually stolen anything. I sat in Betty’s chair and shined my flashlight over the desk top. Loose papers and a few books on flower arrangements met my eye. I was about to open a drawer, when I heard them.
Two men.
Arguing loudly.
David and...Thomas.
CHAPTER 15
I jumped out of the chair, even as Emmy appeared.
“You should leave,” Emmy said. “I can stay and listen, if that’s all right with you.”
I thought a moment. “That would be fine,” I whispered. “When they’re finished come to my house.”
“Sure.” Emmy smiled, and I guessed she would be more than happy to visit me and...Gus.
I grabbed a marker off the desk. In a flash, I knelt and drew a witch’s portal on the wooden floor. I put in the proper symbols and added a clean-up spell that would remove the circle after I was gone. I doubted that David or Thomas would recognize the circle, but I didn’t want to take chances. With a few whispered words, I was gone.
Travel by circle was always a bit disconcerting, even if it was convenient. In seconds I was Risely home, standing on my front porch. I looked around, checking to see if anyone had been watching. Appearing out of the ether would cause neighbors to ask questions, and while I could always explain, it was better if no one became suspicious.
Inside, I found Gus waiting in the kitchen.
“You should have been with me,” I said.
“Why? Something good happen?”
“Your girlfriend was there.”
“My girlfriend? You know something I don’t know?”
“Emmy. She popped in, as I was searching Betty’s house. She helped. Until David and Thomas showed up.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s still there. She offered to listen to them argue, so I could make my escape.”
“I knew she would help us. She really is a nice girl.”
“And she’s infatuated with you.”
Gus laughed. “No one is infatuated with me. Except maybe that saucy poodle over on Bennet Street. But, I do enjoy her company.”
“And she enjoys yours. Remember, sooner or later, she is going to move on.”
“I’m fully aware of that. I can’t say I won’t miss her. I hope she will miss me too.”
“I’m sure she will.”
I poured myself a glass of wine and decided to work on some charms until Emmy arrived. Charms were always my fallback work. There was always something to do, and that something always brought joy. I found great peace in fashioning the exact charm I wished for. There was a certain satisfaction in good work. I supposed I was a bit old-fashioned in that respect. Work was a good thing.
My glass was still half full when Emmy appeared. She smiled, but I could tell that she was fatigued. I hadn’t thought about ghosts running out of energy, but why not? They weren’t blessed with limitless power.
“Emmy,” I said. “I would offer you a cup of coffee or tea, but I’m pretty sure you can’t drink it.”
“I can’t, and thanks. What I need is rest. Being a ghost does take energy. Is Gus around?”
“Right here,” Gus said, as he padded into the room. “How are you?”
“Great, but tired,” Emmy said. “I never thought two grown men could act like utter fools.”
“You’ll have to tell me about that,” I said.
“It was all about the insurance money,” Emmy said.
“Luckily, dogs don’t worry about money,” Gus said. “A juicy steak or a never chewed rawhide bone. Now that gets my tail to thumping.”
“I never thought of that,” Emmy replied. “Being a dog is much like being a ghost, in that respect. Well, a dog ghost.”
“So, what happened?” I prodded. “Tell me.”
“Well, there is a lot of money at stake, and both men thought they would get it. I don’t think they actually looked at the policy. They just assumed the money would go to the estate. Since they were heirs, they would get it.”
“If one of them killed Betty, then the other was certain to get the money,” I said.
“Exactly,” Emmy said. “So, they accused each other of killing her. And they both denied it. Men are so childish sometimes. It reminded me of the schoolyard, where boys are always fighting.”
“Some things never change,” Gus said.
“Well, that was when Thomas, I think it was Thomas. He’s
the druggie, right?”
“He is,” I said. “In and out of rehab.”
“Well, he told the other one—”
“David,” Gus prompted.
“Yes, Thomas accused David of never loving Betty. According to Thomas, David used Betty for her money. David wasn’t man enough to keep a job or a wife. That was pretty ugly.”
“Let me guess,” I said. “That was when things got physical. I imagine David punched Thomas.”
“Exactly. Which meant that Thomas had to punch back. It wasn’t much of a fight, if you ask me. I mean, in the movies, you always see them trading punches, hitting cleanly and drawing blood. These two were more like wrestlers, grabbing and swinging but inflicting little damage. You would think they were just hugging each other.”
“Then, what?” I asked. “Certainly, one or the other had to win the fight.”
“No, that didn’t happen,” Emmy said. “At that point, I got scared that one of them would kill the other. So, I started making noises. You know, groans and screams, the sort of thing that people always attribute to ghosts. That slowed them, but they didn’t get really scared until I started moving things. I’m pretty sure the vase shattering in the fireplace was the thing that really spooked them.” Emmy laughed. “Spooked by a spook. That’s funny.”
We laughed with her. It was funny.
“That was when they left?” I asked.
“Exactly. They blamed each other for the visit by Betty, the ghost, and they ran out. I hardly believed they could move so fast. It was comical.”
“People aren't so brave when they face the unknown,” Gus said.
“I’m sorry to say,” Emmy continued, “that I never discovered what they were looking for. I mean, they never got that far.”
“They might not have been looking for anything specific,” I said. “They were probably just looking for cash or something they could sell.”
“And I didn’t find the jewelry box,” Emmy continued. “I apologize for that.”
“No need,” I said. “I don’t think it’s still in the house, although I might be wrong about that.”
“Well, I did have a good time, despite the fight,” Emmy said. “And I’m going to leave. I need to recharge my batteries.”
“Me too,” I said.
Emmy disappeared, and Gus trotted off. I was left with my charms and my suspicions. David and Thomas were both good suspects, but had one of them killed Betty? They were both desperate in their own way. People who faced devastation often did something rash. I went to bed, wondering which one of them was in dire straits.
There was no market the next day, so I opened my shop at my usual time. My morning coffee tasted as good as ever. I was almost ready for a customer, when Jason walked in.
CHAPTER 16
“Good morning, Elle,” Jason said. “It’s a fine morning, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I answered. “And you sound as if you’re in a good mood. Solve the murder?”
“No, nothing like that, although I certainly wish I was closer to a solution than I am. You haven’t managed to upstage me again, have you?”
“No, I’m still puzzled. I wish the water would clear, so I could see the bottom.”
“It is like that, isn’t it? A murder is muddy water, where you can’t see very far. But as the dirt settles, the solution becomes defined.”
“I’m definitely in the mud stage,” I said.
He chuckled. “Join the team. But I didn’t come here to talk murder. I came to ask you to dinner. What do you say? Pick you up at six-thirty? Early dinner and have you home before curfew.”
“I don’t have a curfew,” I said. “Not any more.”
We laughed.
“And I would love dinner. You pick the place, and I’ll be ready.”
“It’s a date.” He moved to the door, and I noticed how smooth his movement was. I could believe he was a panther at times, silent, sleek, and...deadly.
“Well, that went well,” Gus said. “He’s quite the charmer.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said. “But I am getting a free meal. Well, I think I’m getting a free meal. He did invite me out, right?”
“Modern dating protocols are above my pay grade,” Gus said. “I can’t keep up with what is or isn’t allowed or expected.”
“I’m working on the assumption that Jason will pay. It’s that simple,” I said. “Call me old fashioned.”
The rest of the day passed slowly, as I looked forward to my dinner date. I did manage to create and sell some charms and chat with Emmy and Percy. No one had any additional information about the murder, and, for some reason, that didn’t bother me. I thought about telling Percy about my date with Jason, but I was afraid it would end up in his blog. Although, on second thought, he had probably heard Jason anyway. Percy certainly had the ears for it.
Alfredo’s promised the best Italian food in Abbot Rise. It was newish, and I hadn’t had the chance to eat there before. Unlike a pizzeria, it didn't feature checkered tablecloths and pitchers of beer. White tablecloths, upscale wine glasses, and heavy cutlery were the order of the evening. Alfredo, a short, bald man with a bulbous tummy seated us at the back, in a secluded booth. I saw him wink at Jason, that “good old boy” wink that hoped for “good luck”. I wanted to laugh, but Jason beat me to it.
“He’s something, isn’t he?” Jason said. “He thinks he’s some kind of matchmaker.”
“Italians love to bring couples together,” I said. “It comes with the territory.”
“I’m just hoping for a good lasagna and glass of Chianti,” Jason said. “And, if you don’t mind, can we talk about something other than murder? I’m sure we’ll get to that soon enough, but we can start with something less...grisly.”
“Of course,” I said. “I’ve been told that good conversationalists always begin by asking questions. That gets the other person talking, which is what most people really want to do. So, Jason, what was your favorite duty as park ranger?”
He laughed. “Elle, you gave away the game before you asked the question. But I’ll play along. My favorite duty as park ranger was the nature walk. Once a week, people would drop off their children, aged eight to fourteen, for a hike into the woods. Along the way, we would stop at scenic points, so the kids could take photos with their phones. I would also introduce them to some of the animals and their habitats. Most of the kids didn’t really understand how the ecosystem worked. They didn’t realize that every animal and plant played a role. I enjoyed connecting the dots for them. I even pointed out what happened, when a dot was missing. A species might disappear if its food supply vanished, or a new predator arrived. Teaching them respect for the woods was fun.”
I could tell by Jason’s eyes that he really had loved teaching the children about the forest. Too many people assumed the forest was like their back yard.
“I’ll tell you a little story,” Jason said. “I got a call that a few buffalo were on one of the roads, and traffic had stopped. Now, buffalo are very big and very wild. They don’t like humans all that much. They’re not cows with beards.”
I laughed. “That’s one way of describing them.”
“Well, when I arrived, there was a tourist who had gotten the idea that he was going to get his picture taken while he petted a buffalo. A very bad idea. He was about to get gored, when I jerked him out of the way. Instead of thanking me, he told me I had ruined his photo. Go figure. Some people just don’t get it.”
Jason and I talked all through dinner. We laughed and exchanged stories and ate delicious food. The wine was excellent, and Alfredo ended our meal with shots of Limoncello, one of my favorite liquors. I felt mellow on the drive back to my house. That mellowness disappeared, even as I stepped onto the porch.
“There’s been a bit of a problem,” Gus said.
“What kind of problem?” I asked.
“You have to see,” Emmy added.
I walked into a house that had been trashed. The books were off
the shelves, the cushions off the couch, drawers left pulled open. Luckily, my charm workshop had not been ransacked. That would have sent me over the edge.
“All right,” I said. “What happened?”
“We were out back,” Gus said.
“It’s a beautiful night,” Emmy added.
“When we heard the burglar. We rushed in, and we did our best to keep her from doing more damage than was done.”
“Her?” Jason asked. “Who?”
“That’s just it,” Emmy said. “She, we think it was she because of her height and build, she was dressed all in black, head to toe. We didn’t see her face.”
I looked at Jason, and as soon as our eyes met, we spoke together...
“Tabitha.”
CHAPTER 17
I didn’t do a thorough inventory of every item in the house, but a quick run-through told me nothing was missing. Whatever Tabitha was looking for, she hadn’t found. I thought she knew I didn’t have the jewelry box, and although I had performed a cursory search of Betty’s house, I hadn’t discovered the box. What really irked me was that Tabitha had broken into my house yet one more time. I should have set the spells before I left, but Gus and Emmy were there, hopefully guarding the house. I never thought they would wander out. That was my mistake.
“I think you need to come with me,” Jason said. “I have a spare bedroom you can use.”
“Thank you for the offer,” I said. “But I’ll be perfectly fine right here.”
“Don’t be stubborn. If Tabitha got in once, she can get in again. I don’t know how dangerous she is, but I know she is formidable. You’ll be Riser with me.”
“I’ll be Rise here. Tabitha had a chance to harm me the last time she broke in. She didn’t. So, I’m guessing she really doesn’t want to fight a battle. She’s looking for something. That’s all. I’m Rise.”
“You can’t know that. Remember, Tabitha all but confessed to killing Larson Hall. In my experience, killers remain killers, no matter what.”
Third Crime's a Charm (A Farmer's Market Witch Mystery Series Book 2) Page 6