Magic & Mythos

by Annabel Chase

  “I thought we’d get the toughest one out of the way first,” the leprechaun said.

  My gut twisted. “Sheriff Nash?”

  He nodded. “I haven’t told him yet, but I think he knows it’s coming.”

  “Well, he obviously knows he wasn’t the first one called to the crime scene.”

  “There’s a magic mirror in interrogation room two,” the deputy said.

  My brow lifted. “A magic mirror? Why?”

  “So you can see what’s happening during the interrogation without them seeing you.”

  I laughed. “That’s not magic. That’s just a standard 2-way mirror.”

  The leprechaun frowned. “There’s a mirror that doesn’t reflect your image. If that’s not magic, then I don’t know what is. Anyway, the point is if you stay on the other side of the mirror, you can take notes.”

  “No way,” I said. “I need to be in there.”

  “You can’t question him with me,” Deputy Bolan said. “It’ll be too distracting, plus you have no experience.”

  “No experience?” I repeated. “What do you think I do as a reporter? I ask tough questions.”

  The deputy slurped his coffee. “It’s not the same.”

  “Well, you can’t interrogate your boss by yourself,” I replied. “You’re too biased. Besides, you know each other too well. He could manipulate you if he really wanted to.”

  “And you’re still feeling guilty about dumping him,” he shot back. “I bet he could wrap you around his finger, too.”

  We stared at each other for a brief moment. “We need someone impartial, but someone who knows how to get answers,” I finally said.

  “But who?” He scratched his head. “Your aunt?”

  “No way. She’s biased against werewolves,” I said. And Nash brothers in general. “What about a seer?”

  “You want to ask a psychic to tell us who killed Tatiana?” He sounded incredulous.

  “No, but a good seer knows how to ask the right probing questions. Am I right?”

  Deputy Bolan leaned against the wall and folded his arms. “I’m listening.”

  “Veronica,” I said simply.

  He pondered the suggestion. Veronica had a place over on Seers’ Row. Despite her shrill voice, she and her assistant, Jericho, were highly regarded in the psychic community. Plus, she predicted Deputy Bolan’s wedding, so he had a soft spot for her.

  “The other option is we take him to Casper’s Revenge and let the ghosts sort him out,” I said.

  The leprechaun shuddered. “Not a fan of that place.”

  I didn’t blame him. The haunted inn was notorious for a couple of its tough-talking apparitional inhabitants. “Okay then. Let’s see if we can get Veronica over here. Tell her what we need.”

  “I’ll call and explain the situation,” he offered. “It needs to be official.”

  “We’re asking a moody psychic to grill the sheriff on whether he murdered his ex-girlfriend,” I said. “I think we lost ‘official’ a few miles back.”

  Deputy Bolan looked me in the eye. “He can’t be guilty, can he?”

  “The only way to rule him out for sure is to find the killer,” I said.

  “But we both know him well,” the deputy pressed. “We know what he’s capable of…and what he’s not.”

  “I can’t see Granger murdering anyone,” I admitted. “Werewolf or not, he’s the gentlest guy I know.”

  Deputy Bolan smirked. “Don’t let your new boyfriend hear you say that.”

  I ignored the remark. “Still, we have to do this right so that no one in town thinks the sheriff’s office is covering for him. They’ll want to know that the investigation is above reproach.”

  “Maybe I should call in the sheriff from Dewdrop Hills,” the leprechaun said. He quickly shook his head. “No, that won’t work. He and Sheriff Nash don’t like each other. Sheriff Sherman would welcome the chance to skewer him.”

  “Veronica it is then,” I said. “I bet she’s available now. She’s not that busy during business hours.”

  Deputy Bolan arched a thin eyebrow. “Are you giving me orders, Rose?” He tapped the badge on his chest. “I’m pretty sure I’m the deputy around here.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Relax. You don’t need to pee a circle around the room. I consider this a collaborative effort.”

  He sniffed. “I’m a leprechaun. We don’t pee…around rooms.”

  I patted his shoulder. “Glad to hear it. I’ll hang around until Veronica gets here. Even if I can’t be in the room, I at least want to listen in via your magic mirror.” I snorted.

  “It is magic, Rose,” he insisted.

  Half an hour later I was squared away behind the double mirror while Veronica and Jericho set up shop in the interrogation room. I wasn’t sure why she bothered to bring her crystal ball. Habit, most likely.

  Sheriff Nash sauntered into the room. I was surprised by how nonchalant he seemed. Almost amused. Granted, he was entering his own interrogation room to be confronted with a crystal ball, but still. He settled into the chair and set his gaze on Veronica. “Ready when you are.”

  “I’m ready.” Veronica rolled up her angel sleeves, which was more difficult than it sounds because the fabric was so wide at the end that it kept unrolling the moment she let go. She swatted in frustration at the material before turning her full attention to the sheriff. “Do you know why you’re here?”

  “Deputy Bolan and I had a brief discussion,” he replied. “I’ll play along for the sake of the investigation.”

  “Play along?” Deputy Bolan muttered beside me. “It’s not a game, Sheriff.”

  “Did you kill your ex-girlfriend?” Veronica asked, staring at him intently.

  The sheriff relaxed in his chair. “Which one?”

  “Does it matter?” Jericho sputtered from behind the seer. “The answer should be an unequivocal no!”

  The sheriff grinned. “Word of advice? Don’t take this show on the road.”

  Veronica didn’t respond. Instead, she gazed into her crystal ball. “I’m seeing a lot of emotions at play for you this week. Perhaps you were angry and bitter when you ran into her. Couldn’t contain your volatile emotions.”

  “I saw Ember in the hallway on my way in here and I felt neither of those emotions,” he replied.

  I froze at the mention of my name. He’d seen me? Did he know I was in here now, watching?

  “What did you feel then?” Veronica asked.

  The werewolf hesitated, his gaze flicking to the mirror before returning to Veronica. Yep. He knew I was here.

  “Nothing,” he said. My chest squeezed. I hated knowing that I was responsible for the hurt in his dark eyes.

  Veronica stood and slammed her hands against the crystal ball, causing the sheriff to jump. “And is that also what you felt after you murdered Tatiana? Nothing?”

  Sheriff Nash waved his hands. “Whoa, whoa. I did not kill Tatiana.”

  Veronica apologized to the crystal ball and caressed it before sitting down again. “Prove it.”

  “I do believe it’s innocent until proven guilty here, oh merciful one,” Jericho said.

  Veronica twisted in her seat to glare at her bubbly assistant. “Put a lid on it, Jericho!” She turned back to the sheriff. “Did you see Tatiana since her return to Starry Hollow?” She tapped her nails on the crystal ball. “And don’t lie. I can see the truth right in here.”

  “Then I don’t suppose you need me to answer,” he replied smoothly.

  “Answer me!” Veronica shrieked.

  I cut a worried glance at Deputy Bolan. I was starting to regret bringing in the seer.

  “She’s unhinged,” the leprechaun said.

  “I’m pretty sure that’s hinged for Veronica,” I said.

  The sheriff threaded his fingers together and rested them on his knee. “Yeah, I saw Tatiana.”

  What? A lump formed in my throat. When?

  “When was that?” Veronica asked.

/>   “The day after she cast her long shadow over this town,” he said.

  “He means the day after she arrived in Starry Hollow, most beauteous creature,” Jericho said in a stage whisper.

  “I understand similes, Jericho,” she snapped.

  The dwarf held up a chubby finger. “Actually, it’s not a simile. It’s a…”

  “Silence!” she screeched. “And where did you see Tatiana?”

  The sheriff was incredibly calm during this unorthodox procedure. I couldn’t tell whether it was because he figured Veronica wouldn’t get the truth out of him, or because he was telling the truth and felt comfortable that everything would shake out as it should. For the sake of my sanity, I had to believe it was the latter.

  “It was an accident,” the sheriff said.

  “The murder?” Veronica pressed.

  He rolled his eyes. “No, the meeting. She was on her way into the salon to get her nails done and I was patrolling the block.”

  “Since when does he patrol a block?” Deputy Bolan said under his breath.

  “Just the block?” Veronica queried.

  “At the time, yes,” the sheriff said.

  “Which salon?” Veronica asked.

  “Glitter Me This,” he replied.

  “That’s right near my office,” I said. Even though he was a foot below me, I felt the deputy’s pointed gaze. I knew what he was thinking because I had the same thought. He wasn’t patrolling. He was…

  “Why were you patrolling that block, Sheriff?” Jericho asked. “Has there been trouble there?”

  Veronica jerked her head in the dwarf’s direction. “I ask the questions here.”

  “Technically, I ask the questions here,” the sheriff said. “Are we about finished? I have work to do.”

  “Answer Jericho’s question,” Veronica ordered.

  The sheriff’s jaw tightened. “I had a few things I wanted to check on,” he said vaguely.

  A few things like me.

  “Have you noticed him lurking around Vox Populi?” Deputy Bolan asked.

  I shook my head. I had no doubt he was careful not to be spotted. He would’ve been mortified to run into Alec. To my knowledge, they hadn’t seen each other since I broke up with the sheriff.

  “And what did you say to each other?” Veronica asked.

  “I made polite inquiries, the way my family taught me,” he replied.

  “Did you tell her she looked good?” Veronica asked. “That you still remembered the way her hair felt when you slid your fingers through it?”

  The sheriff narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe I did, no.”

  “Good, because that would’ve been inappropriate,” Veronica said. “Did you ask why she was in town?”

  “I did. She said she’d been left an inheritance and she’d come to claim it,” he said. “That was easy enough to believe.”

  “Did she say who would be foolish enough to leave her anything of value?” Veronica asked.

  Deputy Bolan smacked his forehead. “For a seer, she does not do subtle.”

  “No, and I wasn’t interested in the details,” the sheriff said.

  “Did she tell you where she was staying in town?” Veronica asked.

  “No, but I assumed she was with her aunt. Tanya’s the only one I can think of who’d allow it.” The sheriff’s cheek pulsed with tension. “It was a quick and painless conversation. I had no reason to linger and no reason to kill her. My feelings for Tatiana are long over and, let’s face it, they were never real anyway.”

  Veronica stood and banged on the mirror. “Anything else you want me to ask? I think I covered it.” She pressed her forehead against the glass right in front of me.

  “You could ask me where I was at the time of death,” the sheriff said.

  “Excellent notion, Sheriff,” Jericho said, smiling affably.

  Veronica returned to her seat. “And where were you at the time of death, whenever that was?”

  Sheriff Nash stroked the stubble on his chin, as though he hadn’t already thought through the answer. “Patrolling.”

  “Alone?” Veronica asked.

  “I do a lot of that,” he said. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s a small town. Deputy Bolan and I manage just fine.”

  “Where were you patrolling this time?” Veronica asked. “Another block?”

  A scowl passed over his rugged features. “A residential neighborhood.”

  Veronica leaned forward. “Which one? The one where Tatiana was staying?”

  “No,” he said simply. “Nowhere near.”

  “You said yourself it’s a small town,” Veronica told him. “It had to be somewhere near.”

  “She’s better at this than I expected,” Deputy Bolan said.

  “Never underestimate the power of a woman with a headscarf and a shiny object,” I replied.

  “Near Castledown,” the sheriff said quietly.

  The deputy looked at me. “Isn’t that the mansion closest to Thornhold?”

  It was.

  “Did anyone see you?” Veronica asked.

  “Are you asking for an alibi?” the sheriff asked.

  “Of course,” Veronica replied. “That’s SOP.”

  “Standard Operating Procedure,” Jericho added.

  A grin tugged at the corners of the sheriff’s mouth. “Yes, I’m familiar with the term. As a matter of fact, I passed a couple of folks during that time. Florian Rose-Muldoon and Maya Briggs.”

  He’d seen Florian, so my cousin knew that the sheriff had been wandering nearby, not that I’d been home at the time.

  “Maya Briggs lives at Castledown, doesn’t she?” Veronica asked.

  “That she does. She was out for a walk. Florian was…” The sheriff frowned. “Who the hell knows what Florian’s ever doing? I saw him and we chatted for a few minutes. Feel free to check with them both.”

  I’d certainly be talking to Florian about this. Why didn’t he tell me that I had a grieving stalker? Ugh. The knowledge only made me feel worse.

  “Is that all your questions?” Veronica called over her shoulder.

  Deputy Bolan knocked on the glass to indicate yes.

  “You might want to let your puppet masters know that Dana Ellsworth would be my first stop for questioning,” the sheriff said. “She and Tatiana were best friends back in the day. Inseparable.”

  Deputy Bolan nodded. “She’s on Tanya’s list.”

  “Thank you,” Veronica said. “You’re free to go, hon, but don’t leave town. We might not be finished with you yet.”

  “No worries. I’m not going anywhere,” Sheriff Nash said. “No matter how tough things get, I’m not the type to cut and run.”

  “Ooh, burn,” the deputy said. I caught the gleeful look in his beady eye.

  Outwardly, I remained unruffled. “Try not to get so much joy out of a crappy situation, at least in my presence.”

  The leprechaun’s delight faded. “You’re right, Rose. I’m sorry. To be honest, I actually hate seeing him like this. I hope it passes soon. I miss the old sheriff.”

  I watched as the sheriff stood, his expression inscrutable. His hair was rumpled and there were dark circles under his eyes. He left the interrogation room without another word. “Finally,” I said, releasing a breath, “something we can agree on.”

  Chapter Seven

  I paged through Marley’s ancient grimoire, given to her by Aunt Hyacinth. I treated each page with care because the poor book looked like it had been buried underground for decades, before being dug up, washed, and placed in a deep fryer.

  “I like that they had the foresight to include pictures for people like me,” I said to the dog nestled beside me. I couldn’t translate half the words I saw. Only the pictures helped me determine the category of spell. “I bet this grimoire belonged to Ivy Rose, just like the wand.”

  PP3 lifted his head from the pillow on the sofa and I instinctively glanced at the door. Someone was here. The fact that the Yorkshire terri
er didn’t bark was a good sign. I didn’t bother to wait for the knock. I set the grimoire on the coffee table and crossed the room to open the door.

  “Calla?” The white-haired crone stood on my doorstep, her back slightly hunched.

  The former High Priestess cracked a toothy smile. “Are you ready, daughter of the One True Witch?”

  “Daughter?” I said. “Try great-great-great-whatever.”

  “It’s an expression, duckling.”

  I leaned against the doorjamb. “What do you want me to be ready for?” If this was some sort of sales call for an anti-aging potion, the coven chose the wrong spokeswitch. Calla looked like she had one foot, an elbow, and an armpit in the grave.

  The elderly witch brushed past me. “For your herbology lesson. Didn’t your aunt tell you?”

  “You’re teaching me about plants?” I asked. I shut the door and trailed after her as she entered the kitchen. Unlike my aunt, Calla clearly didn’t stand on ceremony.

  The crone placed herself at the island and produced her wand. “Herbology has always been my specialty.”

  “But you’re not coven appointed,” I said. Although she was the former High Priestess, Calla was now only known as a crone. “Shouldn’t someone else be doing this?”

  Calla gave me a pointed look. “Your aunt asked me specifically. Should I tell her no?”

  “I generally don’t recommend it.”

  “Good, then we should get started,” Calla said. “I have a dance lesson in ninety minutes and I need time to warm up. My limbs aren’t what they used to be.”

  I squinted at her. “You take dance classes?”

  She shrugged her bony shoulders. “I’m retired. What else am I going to do?”

  I splayed my hands on the island countertop. “Well, since I kill everything within my wingspan, I’m not sure I’m the right witch to add to your roster.”

  “You haven’t killed the roses outside,” she said.

  “An oversight,” I replied. “There’s still time.”

  Calla laughed. “Yes, time for you to master this skill. Very important for a witch of your caliber.”

  “I have a caliber?” I asked. “You obviously haven’t talked to Hazel about me.”

  Calla flicked her pruned fingers in a dismissive gesture. “Runes. Bah! Anyone can get help reading runes.”