He opened his eyes and removed his hand. There was no evidence of the burn that had just been there.
“How did you do that?” I asked.
“Part of my charm,” he said, meeting my gaze. “Where’s the coin I gave you?”
She pointed to the bedside dresser. “Over there.”
He frowned.
“What? It’s not like I’m wearing pockets.”
He slipped a necklace from around his neck and grabbed the coin on the dresser. Slipping the pendant open, he tapped the stone out and placed the coin inside. After laying the stone over top, he snapped it closed.
“For now, never take this off.” He held my gaze as he slid the necklace over my head. “Any more hands-on dream witch training, and you’ll be protected and your abilities stifled from burning down your house.” He glanced at the dresser. “Or throwing goo all over your room.”
“You’re saying Tess was attacked in her dream and she got physically hurt?”
“You saw it with your own eyes, Chef.”
I glanced toward the window where light was streaming in. “What time is it?”
“Six,” Noah answered. “I was just about to leave to start breakfast for the guests when we heard you scream.”
“I’m sorry,” Tess said, sliding from beneath her covers. “Let me get dressed, and we can drive back together so you don’t have to walk.”
I grabbed a sundress hanging in my closet and gave one last look at the purple goo that would most likely ruin the stain on my dresser.
Ryder and Noah were speaking in hushed tones that ceased when I stepped out onto the porch and made my way down the steps in search of the coconut I’d thrown the day before.
“Glad you two have learned to get along.”
“We have a mutual goal,” Ryder answered as I picked up a coconut and tossed it back to the other side of the checkerboard, leading them both out.
We climbed into the golf buggy and started down the beach.
“Looks like a storm is coming,” Noah announced.
I turned to the horizon and spotted the same ominous cloud that I’d seen in my dream and swallowed around the lump in my throat. Storm indeed.
We pulled up at the hotel and parked at the employee entrance. It wasn’t that I was trying to hide our arrival and bypass my dad…okay, so maybe it was. Still, the back entrance was closer to the security room and kitchen. I was saving time.
“When you’re done talking to Watson, come find me, and I’ll make you both something to eat.”
My lip twisted at the corner. “I want real Noah food, no enhancements.”
He sighed. “If you insist.”
“I do,” I said, nudging his shoulder as I walked past him.
“Last night, Noah implied Watson was your boyfriend.” Ryder said as we made our way down the hall.
“He’s my brother’s best friend and head of security. Watson and I have danced around the issue of dating, but we never seem to be on the same page.” I glanced up at him to find him frowning before I shoved open the security room door.
Watson was seated behind the monitors, his eyes bloodshot and tired.
“You look like crap.”
“For someone who got in late, I’m surprised you’re here early today,” he said, motioning to a still screen of me, Noah, and Ryder getting off the golf cart.
“Watson, this is Ryder. He’s an officer…” I snapped my mouth closed unsure if I should explain. For all I knew, Watson wasn’t aware of witches.
“Of the Witches Council,” Watson answered for me.
“You knew too?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t be good at my job if I didn’t notice the strange stuff going on at the resort, and of course, there is the fact that I am your brother’s best friend. I knew the court existed but had no clue they had officers until your dad told me yesterday.”
My dad. The thought of him sat sour in my stomach. “So did Dad tell you to review the tapes?”
“He didn’t, but the Chief called to ask if we found anything on the Halliwells, so I took the liberty of reviewing them.”
“And anything?” Ryder asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Watson rose and gestured to the seat. “I stayed up all night splicing the films together for each of them so you can watch the entirety of their movements like a movie for each person. I didn’t see anything unusual, but you can watch for yourself.”
Ryder sat down, and Watson pulled up a chair for me to sit next to him. When I sat, he rested his palm on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. I patted his hold in acknowledgment. He was a good man, always had been. Nothing would ever change that. Not Ryder’s presence, not my brother. Watson and I would always have a special bond.
We watched each of the Halliwells, and I froze the minute I saw my dad and Vinette in the lobby. They had exchanged words all right, but there was nothing remarkably friendly about it. Dad’s face were red, his face pinched when Vinette first approached him. They spoke for about five minutes before he gestured to the hotel’s front door and followed her out. I made a mental note of the time and paused the tape. “When did my dad return?”
Watson shrugged. “I wasn’t asked to follow his movements. Should I?”
I nodded. “If we want to prove his alibi, I think it would be smart if we can take him off the suspect board.”
“Tess, this isn’t one of your murder games.” Watson chuckled. “There is no board.”
“The board is in my head, kind of like a game of chess. Two steps forward, one step back. Like us.”
Watson’s cheeks tinted, and Ryder frowned, pressing Play again on the monitors and moving to Penny’s recording from the time she entered to dinner with her mother and retiring to her room, not re-emerging until the Chief knocked on her door
“I told you she didn’t do it.” I nudged Ryder’s arm.
“She could have climbed down the balcony,” Ryder said.
“Right, because her boney arms could hold her weight as she tried to climb back up.”
“I’ll sideline her for now,” Ryder finally agreed and moved on to Pippy’s tape. The most aggressive of the three siblings. We watched as she left with Peter out the hotel lobby at eight and she returned at eleven.
“What time did Birdie hear the fight?” Ryder asked.
“Midnight,” I answered. “So unless Pippy has a secret to killing her mother without being present, she’s accounted for if she didn’t leave her room again.
We watched the tapes again, which verified our conclusion. Pippy didn’t leave her room until the Chief showed up.
“That leaves Peter unaccounted for,” I said, leaning back in the chair. “And we have no way of verifying where he was.”
I started to play Peter’s video and grinned, slowing it down when the employee passed Peter the key and he passed it back. I was about to fast forward when Ryder stopped me. He rewound the tape and played it again in slow motion. He stopped it when Peter turned his gaze to another woman. The woman on the screen was staring back at him.
“He might not have liked the employee, but whoever she is, he’s been watching her, and she’s been watching him back,” Ryder announced, replaying the entire lobby scene. This time it wasn’t Peter we were watching; it was the blonde woman across the lobby. Ryder was right. She was watching him, and Peter was stealing glances in her direction.
“That’s Creely Kimbrel,” I said. “She’s here on a family vacation with her parents, Sue and Richard Kimbrel, of the New York Kimbrels. If I remember correctly from my research, they are high society, old money, and involved in all kinds of charity events. Their daughter, Creely, is an up-and-coming attorney.”
Ryder pulled out his phone and typed the names into his little directory of witches. “They don’t hail from any magical lines.”
“So why is a warlock locking gazes with an attorney?” I asked.
“Maybe he’s suing someone, or maybe he was trying to deem his mother unfit to
take her seat as head of the Clan at the Council table. It could be anything.” Ryder sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s an attorney, so we’ll be hard-pressed to get answers from her if we try to interrogate her.”
Ryder punched numbers to try and make a call, and I had to stop myself from grinning. “I told you landline only unless you’re standing just right at specific spots on the island.”
“Is there somewhere I can make a private call?” he asked.
Watson gestured to the phone on the desk. “I’m due for a break. Tess and I can go see what Noah’s cooking up in the kitchen.”
He picked up the phone and didn’t even wait until we were gone before he started dialing. I quietly closed the door behind me when Watson casually rested his arm over my shoulders. “He stayed at your place last night, huh?”
I nudged his stomach. “So did my brother.”
“Tess, he’s going to be gone in a week, you realize that, right? Because I never pegged you for temporary.”
I rolled his arm off my shoulder. “You never pegged me for anything,” I said, glancing up at him. “All this time you led me to believe that you were worried what Noah would think.” I stopped with my back to the kitchen door. “Well, newsflash, Watson….Noah has already informed Ryder that you and I are a thing.”
“Perfect.” Watson cupped my cheek and held my gaze. “Date me, Tess. Pick me. I’m not going anywhere.”
I patted his hand. “You know I love you.” My gaze softened. “And even though you aren’t going anywhere when this is over, I am.”
An amused chuckle left his lips. “Our timing sucks.”
“Always has,” I said, bumping the kitchen door with my butt to open it. “Maybe it’s a sign.”
Ryder
Chapter 12
Maureen answered on the first ring. “Hello.”
“Maur, this is Ryder.”
“Hey, sugar. This is a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. Are you still on the hunt, or are you ready to bring one in?”
“Still hunting but now on Venture Island.”
“Ohh. Enjoying some sun and bikinis while you’re on the clock, are you?”
“Not quite.” He grinned. Not that Ryder wouldn’t have had this been an easy job, but this was far from easy, and there was way too much going on. “I need some digging.”
“I don’t even have to look that up. Masterson Venture hails from the Venture line. No warrants, no citations…” He heard the clicking of her keyboard. “Once reported missing. He was a hellion in his youth, but no more than you were. He’s a warlock. Widowed, divorced three times, two children.”
“I know after his first wife died, he couldn’t settle down. I’ve heard the rumors.”
“Uh, no, Ryder. His first marriage ended in divorce, and his second turned him into a widower.”
“You sure?” he asked. He could have sworn that Tess said her mother had been the first.
“Uh, yeah, I’m looking at it, dollface.”
“Who was his first wife? Was she a witch?”
“A strong one,” she announced. “Vinette Halliwell. Married at an early age. They were married for six years before they divorced.”
That couldn’t be right. “I’m going to need a copy of their marriage license and divorce.”
“You think he’s your killer?” she asked.
“I didn’t, but I know better than to assume an alibi can stick. Thanks for your help.”
“No problem, hun, I’ll email you everything I’ve got. Was that the only reason you called, or were you missing my voice?”
Ryder shook the haze from his head. “I need you to check the database for any Kimbrels with a connection to the witch society.”
“Which ancestral family?” she asked.
“I don’t even know if there’s a connection, but their daughter seems to be involved with a Halliwell.”
“Romantic?”
“Not sure. That’s what I’m hoping you can tell me.”
“I’ll work my magic just for you, sugar. If I find anything, I’ll call or send that too.”
“Thanks.”
He hung up and glanced at the computer sitting nearby. He typed in a few keywords in the Council database before he hit the jackpot. He had the birthdates of each of the Halliwell children, along with their birth certificates. “Father unknown.”
“Son of a bitch,” he whispered to himself before clicking the browser closed. If his suspicions were right, and nine times out of ten they were spot-on, the Halliwell’s were more than hotel guests. They were Masterson Venture’s children, making them Tess’s half-siblings like Noah.
Ryder ran a hand through his hair as he left the security office in search of the kitchen. He stood just outside the door, looking in through the triangle glass window.
Tess was sitting on the counter eating from a plate held in her hand while Watson was laughing and Noah was cooking. It was easy to guess that they were family. Trying to picture any of the Halliwells in that scenario was damn near impossible.
How was he going to break the news? It wasn’t his place to tell her father’s secrets, but she’d eventually find out, especially after Ryder had to question him again. Ryder held out hope that Masterson’s alibi would be cleared with the security feed. He’d bite his tongue until he was sure. But had Vinette chosen this place because she planned on telling the children who their father was, or already had?
Chapter 13
I spotted Ryder in the doorway and waved him in.
“What can I make you, Ryder?” Noah asked.
“Whatever is fine,” he answered, sounding like his mind was a million miles away.
“Did your call go okay?” I asked, unable to read his face.
“Yeah, maybe, jury is still out.”
His conflicting words had me frowning. “Ryder, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head and smiled in the fake way my father did when greeting guests. “Watson, could you go check the rest of the feed with their dad to clear his name.”
“Uh, sure.” Watson exchanged a worried with look with Ryder. “I’ll let you know what I find.”
Noah pulled off some pancakes from the griddle, slid them onto a plate, and handed it to Ryder before pointing with his spatula toward the coffee pot. “It’s self-serve decaf, Ryder.”
“Remind me again how you two are related,” Ryder said, pouring a cup of coffee.
“My mom was ex-wife number 2, after Tess’s mom, so we’re half-brother and sister.”
“How many women has your dad married?” Ryder asked, sipping the coffee.
I shared an amused look with Noah. “He’s on number 4, right?”
“Yeah, he just divorced number four, the evil stepmother from hell.” Noah shivered. “I was glad to see that one go.”
“So it’s just the two of you? No other siblings running around the island or on the mainland?”
“Just us,” I answered. “What’s up with the questions?”
He shrugged. “Just double-checking facts for our database and for when I write my report when this is over.”
“Well, you’re running out of time, Mister Officer Man. Our guests are only here for five days, and you’re down to three. The ferry arrives on Friday, and we’re no closer to knowing which person you’ve been hunting that killed Mrs. Halliwell.”
He simply nodded.
“If this was my investigation, I’d probably look at all of your victims to see if there’s a connection.”
“They’re both witches, but beside that, I can’t find a link,” he said, glancing up.
“Most serial killers have a method to their madness. Same color hair, same age, same person that pissed them off, some type of fascination with something like college aged girls. Something that ties them together, even if it’s just destination.”
Noah turned the stove down and laid his ladle in the holder. “Who was the first victim?”
“An employee o
f a caterer that served drinks in California.”
“What about age?” I asked.
“Thirty-two. Not much to tell about her. She worked full time and studied her craft in the evenings. No enemies, but really smart. I think she did a couple years in college and then decided to switch gears into business.”
“So not even the same age or experience.” I sighed.
He shook his head.
What I knew about murder, and judging by the scoreboard, some might argue I was a killer myself, I knew three undeniable facts. The perpetrator needed motive, opportunity, and means.
“Start with the obvious,” I grumbled and jumped down to wash my plate.
“I thought I had.” He chuckled.
“Your killer needs three things, motive, means, and opportunity.”
“That’s a given,” Noah added.
“You start with opportunity. Cross check the whereabouts of every one of the guests that just arrived and see if they had reason to be in California at the time of the first murder. Where you’re going wrong is that you’re following the magic, which is fine, it brought here, but now you need to connect the dots. Cross check to see who had opportunity and work your way backward.”
“You’re brilliant. Now I know why you’re number one on the murder board,” Ryder said, kissing my cheek and heading for the door.
“Did you hear that, Noah? He thinks I’m brilliant.” I punched my brother’s arm.
“Hey, where you going? You didn’t touch your food,” Noah called out.
“I have to go back to the B&B and make some calls and then check on Peter’s alibi.” Ryder paused as the enthusiasm on his face drained. “Tess, watch your back while I’m gone.”
“Don’t worry about her back. Between Watson and me, we’ve got her covered.”
Ryder didn’t seem convinced, so I saluted him to let him know I comprehended. “No going off on my own or confronting evil people. Got it.”
****
I broke that promise by noon. Well, technically I didn’t break it. All three Halliwells did when they took seats at my shaded poolside table where I was sipping a fruity non-alcoholic drink, minding my own business.
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