I smiled at her. “That’s a great place to start. You just might be a crack investigator, after all, Sapphire. I’ve got my choice to start with, but I’m adding him to the list, so that brings us up to ten again.”
She just looked at me. “It isn’t Jack.”
“Then checking into him won’t yield any results, will it? But he’s still my first choice to look into. I’m sorry, but he just checks too many boxes for me. I know he doesn’t appear to have a motive, but there very well could be something there we don’t know about. That’s what investigations are for, you know. To reveal hidden motives and such.”
Sapphire shook her head and leaned back, settling deeper into the corner of the sofa. “Well, I guess for my choice of a starting point, I’d have to go with Daniel Davis. The young attorney who expected Archie and Merlin to take him on as a full partner in the firm. Unlike Jack, he had means, opportunity, and motive.”
And just like that, we had a plan for the day.
Right up until the phone rang.
Chapter 14
It was Orville.
“I’m sorry for calling this early, Opal. But my friend in the coroner’s office just got back with me. He works the midnight shift, but the shift changes at eight. If you really think you’re up to this, I can get you in. But it has to be now.”
“I’m up for it, sheriff.” I paused a heartbeat. “Any chance of me bringing a couple of guests?”
“I think we can get by with one. Two would be pushing the envelope too much, I think. And if it was me? I think I’d go with Patricia Bluespring over Sapphire. I’m not sure that Sapphire needs to see this.”
I agreed. But getting her to agree was another matter altogether.
“I’ll make the call and be there as soon as I can. Are we meeting you there, or at the office?”
“How about I pick you up at the farmhouse?”
Shoot. There was a problem with that plan. “I’m not there, Orville. I stayed with Sapphire last night. It will take me a good forty-five minutes to get there.”
“Then why are we still talking? Get on the road, Opal. I’ll be at the farmhouse waiting for you.”
And he was gone.
I looked over at Sapphire. This might not be pretty, but I needed Patricia to take a look at that body. She was much better at magical signatures than I was. But how to get my sister to agree?
Turns out I shouldn’t have worried about that.
“I have no interest in seeing the body, sis,” she said, shivering. Guess Orville did a better job reading my sister than I did. “You and Patricia go ahead without me.”
I needed to be on the road, but I also needed to take care of my sister. The farmhouse. Of course. “You know, Sapphire, it would be a big help to my conscience if you could help Kimberly get the kids ready for school. That’s usually a two-adult job, and I feel kind of bad ditching her. Then I could pick you back up when we’re done.”
She swallowed and looked at me. Chances were, Sapphire knew exactly what I was doing and why. But she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she looked almost relieved.
“A little baby Pearl time might just do me good.”
As neither of us had actually gotten undressed for bed the night before, we were pretty much ready to go. No sense in taking the time to make ourselves presentable and miss our golden opportunity.
While my car warmed up enough to melt the frost, we brushed our teeth and hair. Then I made a quick call to Patricia. We would pick her up on our way. And I don’t think I woke her, either. Seems that not sleeping thing was contagious.
By the time we made it to the farmhouse, exactly forty-five minutes from the time the good sheriff ended our call, by the way, Orville was already sitting outside waiting for us.
Patricia and I switched cars, and Sapphire went inside. She’d called ahead to let Kimberly know to expect her. Asking Sapphire to help with the kids had been an improvisation on my part. But Kimberly seemed appreciative of the help. I hoped that wasn’t a bad sign that things were shaky on the home ground.
“Thanks for getting us in, Sheriff,” Patricia said from the backseat.
He glanced back at her with a smile. “Not a problem. Kind of wish he’d answered my call last night, though. I never was much of a one for last-minute rushes.”
Yet another thing my man and I had in common.
Being in a sheriff’s vehicle had some perks. Like not having to follow the speed limit. We made it to the coroner’s office and morgue by two minutes past seven. We had less than an hour of our window left, and I was betting the man would want us out way earlier than that in case the next shift came in early.
Orville turned to me as we walked in. “You sure you’re up to this?”
I arched an eyebrow at him. I didn’t see him asking Patricia if she had a problem with it. “I am.”
“Okay, then. Let’s do this.”
His friend turned out to not be a man at all. In fact, she was all woman. I also noticed something else about Orville’s friend other than her gender. She was a lot happier to see Orville than she was to see me. In fact, she seemed quite put off by my being there.
Not that she said anything to us, mind you. But if I had to guess, I’d say Orville would get an earful later. I just hoped he hadn’t used his manly charms to get us in. Or, at least, hadn’t done so on purpose. Orville could be kind of dense about his effect on women. Whereas I saw that effect quite plainly.
Sammy, his non-male coroner friend, led the three of us in to the proper morgue. The body of Mark Goldman was already out on a table waiting for us. As she reached for the sheet covering him, my stomach lurched. I was doubly thankful for not having eaten yet. Now, all I had to worry about was keeping the coffee down.
She had handed us masks before we entered the room, and as I took my first breath inside, I understood why. There was a definite smell in the air.
Goddess help me, but I’d been wrong. I wasn’t ready for this at all. Patricia, however, was. She stepped up and examined the man’s forehead and mark. My eyes were on everything but the body. That was the only reason the coffee was staying put.
I felt the magic when Patricia released the spell, and I saw Sammy’s eyes widen. “Is that magic?” Followed by a very quick, and worried, “You aren’t changing anything, are you?”
I saw Patricia shake her head out of the corner of my eye. “I wouldn’t do that. I’m just enhancing my view of the mark on his forehead. You have my utmost assurances the body will remain exactly the same.”
Sammy cast a worried glance at Orville, but nodded. I think she was regretting her decision to let him bring guests.
Within minutes, Patricia seemed satisfied. She stepped back from the body and gave Orville a nod. “We’re done here.”
Sammy stepped forward quickly to take a look at the body. She seemed a lot more relaxed by what she saw. What had she expected the magic to do? Make the mark disappear or something?
We walked out and got back into the sheriff’s car. Only then did he turn to Patricia. “Well?”
Her smile kind of said it all to me. “The mark is an utter and complete fake. Not a speck of magic about the darn thing. Archie is in the clear.”
Orville looked at her and then at me. “Will the council take your word for that? Or will they have to see it for themselves?” He hesitated. “I’m not all that sure we’ll get a repeat viewing.”
I was pretty positive we wouldn’t. Sammy hadn’t been happy about the magic thing. Or the women guests thing either, for that matter.
Patricia hesitated and looked away. “Yesterday, I would have said yes. The council would take my word. But as I’m no longer working for them in that capacity, I do not know. Hopefully, they will have their own methods of confirmation. Whether they do or not doesn’t change the fact that the sign on the man’s forehead is not a spell mark.”
“And to me, that’s pretty much proof positive that someone is trying to frame Archimedes,” I said, with a glance at Orville. “
Don’t you think so?”
“I do,” he said. “But it’s not me you have to convince.”
ORVILLE DROPPED US back off at the farmhouse before heading into work.
It was still early enough that Kimberly and the kids were still there. She met us at the door. “Any luck?” she asked quietly.
“Yes. Good news all around. The spell mark was a fake.”
“Oh, praise the Goddess,” Sapphire said, stepping forward. “I knew it was a fake, of course. Just by where it was. Spell marks are never that obvious about showing themselves. You have to look for them.”
Patricia nodded. “That’s true almost one hundred percent of the time. I feel better now that I’ve seen it for myself. It wouldn’t surprise me if they find they applied it with a magic marker or something. That’s the closest to magic that it comes, though.”
Sapphire was beaming. “So, when do we go spring Archie? Now is a splendid time for me.”
Patricia hesitated. “Don’t get your hopes up, Sapphire. There’s still the issue of the cases with the real spell marks. I can see Crystal and Tabitha holding firm on those until we can present evidence as to what really happened.”
“But that isn’t fair. This mark should be proof enough that someone is out to get him.”
“If you were dealing with a rational witch like me, maybe. But we’re talking about the highest seated witch in our district. I don’t think rational is a word many people apply to Crystal.”
I grunted. “You know, I’m beginning to feel like maybe Crystal isn’t the right witch for that job.”
Patricia barked out a laugh. “You’re preaching to the choir on that one, Opal. I’ve been saying that for a very long time. But until a stronger witch challenges her for the seat...” her words trailed off. “I’ve been kind of hoping you’d take that on, you know.”
I shook my head. “Too much time and responsibility. Besides, the Goddess seems to have other plans for me and my family. Our whole Team Destiny, actually.”
“Yeah, I have noticed that.”
“Well, if we can’t spring him, then at least we can visit him, right? I want to give him the news in person.”
Right, that’s why she wanted to see him. She wasn’t fooling me one bit. Then again, Sapphire wouldn’t rest until she saw the conditions her man was living under. Can’t blame her much for that, either.
I looked at Patricia. “You up for a road trip?”
“Shoot yes.” She wrinkled her nose at me. “But might I make one tiny little suggestion without hurting either of your feelings?”
“I’m going,” Sapphire said. “That isn’t up for discussion,”
Patricia smiled at her. “You going is kind of the primary reason for the trip. I wouldn’t try to convince you otherwise.”
“Then what?” I asked.
She gave me a wry grin. “Maybe the two of you could shower and change first? You both look a bit... wrinkled.”
I glanced over at Sapphire even as she glanced over at me. Patricia had a point. It wouldn’t do to go before our illustrious leader (ha!) looking less than respectable. Impression was a powerful thing all on its own.
“Don’t suppose you have a dress that you’d loan me?”
“Not a problem. You can have the pick of my closet.” Such as that was. I wasn’t much of a one for fashion like my sister was. But plain black dresses never went out of style, did they? Maybe I was more fashionable than I knew.
Chapter 15
The council’s safe keep isn’t an actual prison. As such, it doesn’t look very institutional like. In fact, it looked more like the witches’ library.
Actually, as it turns out, it was the witches’ library. Or at least an annex of it. Getting in was the first wrinkle.
Tabitha met us at the gate. We didn’t even make it to the door.
“Turn back. This isn’t the time or place,” she said.
“I don’t see how that could possibly be true,” Sapphire said. Normally her tone was as easy-going as voices came. Not today. You could have struck a match on her tone of voice today. “Unless you are telling me that the council has seen the error of its ways and already released my husband?”
“You know that isn’t the case,” Tabitha said. “But if you think we will let a witches’ trinity anywhere near him, you’ve got another think coming.”
“Funny. Ha.” Patricia said. “And unless you are bringing charges against us, Tabitha, you have no right to keep us off of any council grounds. Not while we are members in good standing. But you know that, don’t you?”
A little of Tabitha’s certainty ebbed away. I hadn’t known that little tidbit myself, and I was guessing she hadn’t either. Having a council enforcer on your side was a definite plus. Well, ex-enforcer, but that had only been recent.
Patricia took pity on her. “I understand your concerns, however, about the trinity.” She looked Tabitha straight in the eyes. “Especially when you are dealing with such a powerful one as ours.” She lowered her voice and took one small step forward. “In fact, I’d dare to say nothing aside from a full-on council attack would stop us from our goal. Lucky for you, that goal is just to see Archimedes Mineheart. You have my assurances that is our only intent at this time.”
Tabitha’s face lost a bit of its color, but she opened the gate. Even if I could tell that was the last thing in the world she wanted to do.
“I’ll let you in, but you have to see Crystal before I agree to take you to Archimedes.”
“That is perfectly acceptable to us.”
Only that’s not exactly what happened. No. What happened was that Archie and Shaman Crowe came walking up behind Tabitha. She gave quite a start.
At least I’d seen them coming. Had a firm grasp on my sister’s arm to keep her from running to him too. We had to follow the rules. If we followed the rules, then they would be bound by them too. If we didn’t, all bets were off.
“Archie!” Sapphire cried. “Are they letting you go?” Then her eyes fell, as mine did, to the solid steel bracelets he wore. Steel and magic didn’t readily coexist with each other.
But to me, those bracelets were a good sign. I was really hoping that Sapphire would see them as such too. I’d halfway feared that we’d find Archie in a magic draining cell. At least the bracelets didn’t drain magic. They merely contained it inside one’s body. A big step up.
And the out walking and not in a cell thing was a pleasant surprise all on its own.
“Sadly, no my lady,” Gaston said. “But as you can see, he is not suffering too much distress at his detainment.” Then the shaman looked at Tabitha. “You may go, dear, and alert Crystal to our visitors. I’m quite sure she’s been waiting for them.”
Tabitha didn’t seem too happy with his dismissal, but she wasn’t the second in command anymore. The shaman flat out outranked her.
Once she stalked off, he led us over to a small park-like alcove on the grounds, complete with fire pit and surrounding benches. I had already decided that Shaman Crowe was a good witch. After all, he was a member of our team, and that wasn’t a decision to be made lightly. But he rose in my estimation even more by his actions here.
Most witches would have bowed down to what I was fairly certain was a standing order to bring us to Crystal immediately. He seemed more intent on having her come to us.
Which gave us a precious few minutes of privacy. I appreciated that.
I had no problem talking openly in the shaman’s presence. That wasn’t so much true with Crystal around.
“Opal saw the body, Archie. The spell mark is a fake!” Sapphire burst out. She’d obviously thought it would be good news.
Archie looked over at Shaman Crowe and then back to Sapphire. “We know.”
“Wait. You do?” I asked. It would have been nice to have known that before I forced myself to walk into that morgue. Could have bypassed a lot of unpleasantness there.
Gaston looked at me. “Contrary to what you may believe, my good witch, my friend
s and I have not exactly sat idle in all of this. We are all working toward the same goal. The clearing of Archimedes’ name.”
“How long have you known?” Sorry, but I just couldn’t let it drop like that. I’d seen a dead body for nothing. I had to know.
“Only a few hours. A friend of mine visited the morgue where the late Mr. Goldman is resting.”
Archie grinned at us. “And he didn’t go alone, either. Jack went with him. If you get my drift.”
Sapphire threw me one of her I told you so looks. “So, Jack is helping too?”
“He is,” Archie said. “Although that was pretty much his efforts on the matter, I’m afraid. Not much for a thief to do in a situation like this.”
“Well, at least he stepped up and did what he could.” Sapphire’s eyes were still on me.
Sorry, this still didn’t convince me of Jack’s innocence in all this. It would take a lot more to do that.
I looked at the shaman. “So, when will Archie be released from custody?”
He shook his head. “The council is standing firm on a full investigation of all cases regarding Archimedes’ spell mark before settling the matter.” For a moment, the shaman looked decidedly conflicted. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that this entire thing is making Crystal very happy. But there is no logical reason for that, is there?”
I snorted. “Other than the fact that the Ravenswinds and Minehearts are now tied together, and she hates my living guts, you mean?”
He frowned at me. “Surely, no one is that petty. To put an innocent witch through this without just cause.”
Lifting a shoulder, I just gave him a look. “And if you were on that high seat, would Archie still be detained? Knowing that his spell journal was stolen and the obviously planted trail that the thief laid out for the council to follow to Goldman?”
His lips thinned out, but he remained quiet. The shaman wasn’t much to talk bad about people. No matter how much they deserved it.
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