I heaved a sigh and Boots stirred. “Sorry buddy.”
Before he woke up completely, I pushed up into a sitting position and angled my legs off the side of the bed. I kicked out of my boots and then padded to the wardrobe against the opposite wall to find a pair of fuzzy pajamas. I needed warm clothes, soothing tea, and a Lemon Cloud.
As I was changing, I brushed my fingers over the Larkspur around my neck and decided it couldn’t hurt to brain storm with my Great-Grandmother Honeysuckle before going to the kitchen. After all, she was a vast source of information and had proven helpful in the two prior cases I’d wound up tangled in.
I stroked the smooth metal and popped the clasp at the side. The locket opened and revealed a semi-fogged mirror. I waited as the edges cleared and revealed Grandmother Honeysuckle, looking regal as ever, with her perfectly coiffed hair and pressed dress. I waited for the rest of the mirrored surface to clear. “Grandmother Honeysuckle?”
She blinked slowly and I wondered if she’d been asleep, if that was even possible. After a moment, she jolted forward and smiled. “Oh, hello there, Harvest!”
I bit back a groan. “Holly. Grandmother, my name is Holly.”
“Holly? Hmm. Are you sure, dear?”
“I’m relatively confident. Yes.”
She considered me for another moment and then flapped a hand. “In any case, how are you, dear? Found a nice young wizard to settle down with?”
I sighed and shook my head, wondering why I’d thought it was a good idea to summon her in the first place. “Still looking,” I said, not wanting to open that box again. “In the meantime, Grandmother Honeysuckle, I need your help with something.”
“Of course, Harvest.”
My jaw flexed. “Holly.”
“What about it, dear? It’s very good in salves and memory potions.”
“I—no—that’s—” I sputtered. “Nevermind.”
Grandmother Honeysuckle frowned, as though I were the one exhausting her. “Well then what is it, dear?”
“When you made the Larkspur, and forged your spirit to it, did you happen to look into any other types of magically enhanced jewelry? I mean where did the idea come from?”
“Hmm. That’s a good question,” she replied, smoothing her fingers over her hair. “I was traveling and met a druid who had locked his spirit inside of a tree that was planted beside the grave of his true love. He could live his life, but a piece of him remained behind. It got me thinking that it was a good way to go on, beyond this life, even when the rest of me is in the Otherworld.”
“Are there other necklaces like the Larkspur then?”
She shook her head. “Not that I know of. I was something of a pioneer,” she replied, puffing her chest out slightly like a preening peacock.
“Have you heard of a medallion with the Thraxis engraved on its face?”
Grandmother Honeysuckle’s brow wrinkled. “You mean that gaudy Molder House bauble?”
I nodded, although I didn’t agree with her gaudy assessment. It was actually a quite elegant piece. “Yes.”
She frowned. “Sullivan Molder was the one who commissioned the piece. Once forged, he kidnapped a witch and forced her to enchant the necklace.”
“What did they want it to do?”
“Allow them to go into the sunlight, of course. That’s what all vampires want, dear. They envy those of us who can live in the light.”
“Oh.” I blinked a few times. The thought had never occurred to me. In all of my time living at the manor I’d never once heard Lacey complain about her odd schedule. And it wasn’t that she was too shy to say anything. No, complaining and pitching dramatic woe-is-me parties were a semi-regular occurrence for the vampiress. “So the Thraxis can do that?”
Grandmother Honeysuckle shook her head. “Not as far as I know. The witch, before she died, cursed the wearer of the necklace. Any vampire that wears it will come down with a terrible disease that eventually sends them back to the dust where they belong. They never made another one after the original killed Sullivan.”
I’d apparently missed this lesson back in my academy days. “What would happen if a human wore the necklace?”
Honeysuckle reared back. “Why on earth would a human wear such a thing?”
“Let’s say they found it at a flea market.”
“A what market?”
“Flea?”
“Why in the name of the goddess would there be a market to purchase fleas? Back in my day you got those for free at nearly every market.”
“It’s uh—just an expression.” I sighed. Right. Seven generation age gap. Not to mention, granny didn’t exactly have access to the internet. Or an encyclopedia for that matter. “What do you think would happen? Would the human get sick too?”
Grandmother Honeysuckle shook her head. “I don’t think so. But then, I don’t know what would happen.”
The mirror faded and Grandmother Honeysuckle’s image started to blur at the edges. “Looks like it’s time for me to go, Holly. Do visit again soon, dear. I’ll give you my secret tips on flirting so you can snag a nice young wizard.”
She winked at me and then was gone.
I closed the locket and flopped back on the bed. “That was less than helpful,” I said to Boots’ sleeping form. The last time I’d seen Georgia, she’d shown no signs of disease. She hadn’t even sniffled or coughed. Maybe the Thraxis didn’t affect humans. But it still didn’t answer the question of why Greyson Molder had given it to her in the first place. Maybe he treated it like any other piece of jewelry. He couldn’t wear it and neither could any other members of the Molder House, so what difference did it make if he gave it to his girlfriend? He could take it back once he’d turned her and explain it was dangerous. The only thing that still didn’t make sense was why Dread had lit up like a string of Christmas lights when I’d mentioned it, and not in a good way. Why did he want it? He couldn’t wear it. And if it was really such a meaningless thing, a trinket, then why hadn’t Greyson told his second who was in possession of it?
The thoughts were still rolling through my mind as I reached for a Lemon Cloud and flicked on the nightly Witch Wire to distract myself.
****
Before clocking in for my shift at Siren’s Song the following morning, I stopped by Nick’s office to see if he’d heard anything from Georgia. She might have fired him from the case, but surely she’d still call him if something weird was going on. Nick was wearing the same suit he’d had on the day before and from the dark circles under his eyes, it was obvious he hadn’t gone home for a good night’s sleep. He barely glanced up when I walked into the office. “Rough night?” I asked, sinking into the seat across from him.
He smiled, or at least attempted to. “It was a late night. But a productive one.”
“Oh? Another stakeout money shot?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Got a confession. The Banks murder case is closed.”
“What?” My heart screeched to a halt. “What are you talking about? A confession? Who? When? What happened?”
Nick chuckled and held up both hands. “Way too tired for twenty questions, Holls.”
“Last thing I knew, you were going to the bar the hotel maids mentioned. Now this? I think I need at least ten questions.”
“Five.”
“Seven.”
“Six. Final offer,” Nick smiled tiredly.
I smiled. “Deal.”
Nick chuckled and scrubbed a hand down his face. “I did go to the bar. Naomi wasn’t there. No one had seen her for a few days. One of the regulars knew where she lived, so I went over to pay her a visit. When I got there, I found her husband, Gus. We got to talking. He seemed really disoriented and out of it. I asked where Naomi was and he said he hadn’t seen her in days. I showed him a picture of Paul and—” Nick paused and shook his head.
“And?” I prompted, every nerve on red alert.
“And before I knew it, he was confessing. To everything. He said he knew what N
aomi did on the side and never said anything, but that night, as she was leaving the house, he commented on her choice of dress and they got into a big fight. Shouting, screaming, whole neighborhood heard it. Ugly. He said he followed her to the bar, then to the hotel. He waited until they were in the room and then he went up and continued the fight. At one point it got physical and he ended up killing Paul. Naomi got scared and ran off before he could stop her.”
I heard every word of Nick’s story, but none of the words fit together. They were like mismatched puzzle pieces. Naomi’s husband confessed to the murder? But why? He didn’t do it. Unless Dread was wrong. Maybe Greyson was just talking it up, taking credit for the murder to give him more cred as the leader of the Molder House.
I wrung my hands together in my lap, twisting my fingers as the thoughts and theories churned in my mind.
“I’m tellin’ ya, Holls. It was the weirdest experience ever. I mean, I’ve heard that a guilty conscious can make someone do something crazy, but just blabbing a murder confession like that … it was crazy.”
“I’ll bet,” I replied. “So this Gus, he doesn’t have an idea where Naomi is now? She ran away from the home they share and hasn’t been back since? No calls or anything?”
Nick shook his head. “That’s what I was up all night trying to figure out. Gus was taken into police custody and I was too wired to go home and sleep. Gus gave me her cell phone before he was hauled off, so I was trying to get a clue where she might be. I’ll probably go home and crash for a few hours and then try the bar again tonight. See if she circles back to her regular spot.”
“You really think she would go back and risk Gus finding her? She won’t know he’s in custody. Right?”
“I suppose not.” Nick frowned. “Well it’s worth a shot. I couldn’t find any other leads.”
I cocked my head. “How did he seem? Was he agitated or angry when he was talking to you?”
Nick shook his head. “Not at all. That was part of the reason it felt so odd. He was calm. Almost monotone.”
A new theory came to life in the pit of my stomach. “Are you sure he doesn’t have an alibi of some kind? Maybe he was just confused.”
Nick frowned at me, his eyebrows knitting together. “He did it, Holly. He murdered Paul Banks because he was sleeping with his wife. It’s pretty open and shut. No one is going to do a lot of digging now that he’s confessed.”
I shook my head. “Something feels off.”
Nick sighed impatiently. “Off how? He had motive, opportunity, and gave a full, willing confession. What more could you possibly want, Holly? This is a dream case. No loose ends, shaky evidence, or question marks.”
With a heavy sigh of my own, I pushed up from seat and pocketed my hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Nick tilted his head as he considered me. “You okay, Holls?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Congrats on cracking another case, Nick. I’m sure Chief Lincoln is relieved.”
“Yeah. As long as he doesn’t recant, we should be in the clear. If we’re lucky, he’ll take a plea deal and spare us all the headache of a trial.”
“Right.” I started for the door. “I gotta get over to work. See you later?”
He grinned and nodded. “Nap first. Then I’ll come get my second wind in a cardboard cup.”
“Solid plan.” I smiled. “See you later, Nick.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Nick came into Siren’s Song just as the last group of customers from the lunch rush was heading for the door. He’d changed into a pair of jeans and sneakers and a dark blue waterproof jacket. “Feeling better, Sleeping Beauty?” I teased as he strolled up to the counter.
He flashed a wide smile. “I’m not sure if it was the nap or the fat check that’s got me in a better mood.”
My eyebrows shot up. “You got it already?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Wow. What did Georgia say?”
“Not much, really.” Nick shrugged. “I think she’s relieved it’s over so soon.”
“So she wasn’t upset that you’re the one getting the reward money? After everything that happened?”
“I don’t think so.” He glanced down into the front case, silently deciding on something for lunch. “I’ll do the tuna wrap and as many white chocolate chip cookies as you have in stock.”
I laughed and started putting together his order. “Mr. Big Spender, huh?”
“You know it.” He chuckled and reached for his wallet. “Guess I’ll settle out my tab.”
I laughed and boxed up the cookies. “Yeah, don’t make me send the dogs after you.”
As I was punching in his order and the items from his running tab, Cassie appeared from the back room. “Hey, Nick. How are you?”
Nick inclined his head in her direction in a respectful nod. “Doing good. I’m sure Chief told you we got our guy.”
Cassie leaned against the front counter and nodded. “Yeah. He stopped in for lunch and told me the good news.”
“He did?” I asked, looking up from the register.
“Briefly. Just long enough to get a sandwich and coffee. He’s been working some long days since that man was found murdered.” Cassie twirled the end of her long braid around her fingers. “He won’t really talk about it much but from what I’ve gathered, it was a pretty chilling case. I’m glad it’s over.”
Nick murmured in agreement.
“Fifty-six fifty,” I told Nick.
He let out a low whistle. “Man, I need to cut back on my mocha consumption.”
Cassie and I both laughed. “Yeah,” she scoffed. “Like that’s gonna happen. We all know you’re a hopeless addict.”
Nick chuckled and handed over a stack of bills. “Keep the change.”
“Thanks.” I made the correct change and slipped the extra bills and change into the tip jar on the counter beside the register before slamming the drawer shut with a pop of my hip. “What’s the plan now that you got your guy? Any new cases?”
“Chief Lincoln wants me to stay on tracking down Naomi. After that … I don’t know.”
Cassie pushed off the counter. “Well I know that Phillip wants to hire someone to set up a security system here at the shop. Maybe I could send him your information?” she offered with a slight shrug.
Nick smiled at her. “Thanks, Cass, but security systems aren’t exactly my specialty. If things get really boring, I’ll just have to reopen my side business.”
“Your ghost tours?” Cassie asked with a giggle.
Nick frowned at her. “What’s so funny about that?”
She stifled her laugh and waved a hand at him. “Nothing. I think it sounds like fun. Sign me up for your first one.”
Nick glanced at me. “What about you, Holls? You wanna go hunt some ghosts?”
If only he knew.
“Ya know, I think I’m good. I’m not sure I believe in all that hocus pocus stuff,” I said, miraculously managing to keep a straight face.
Nick picked up his box of goodies and headed for the door. “See you ladies later.”
“Bye, Nick,” we both called after him.
When he was gone, Cassie started giggling again. “He really is an odd duck, isn’t he?”
“He is. But that’s all right. Keeps things interesting around here.”
She agreed and went back to the back room. I glanced around the empty shop and then followed her. She was working on checking in an order from the bakery. I leaned against the wall and smiled at the pink bakery boxes. “Any chance there’s something damaged?” I asked, my stomach seconding my question with a loud rumble.
Cassie laughed softly. “There’s a blueberry muffin over there that I already dug into. Help yourself.”
I reached for the muffin she’d indicated and broke off a piece. “How are things going here? I feel like I went from living here to being totally out of the loop.”
Cassie glanced up at me from over the top of her clipboard. “I know. I’ve missed havin
g you around.”
My heart twisted. “I miss you too, Cass.”
“Things are good though,” she said with a smile. “Paisley is here full time and Kirra’s been pulling more hours because she has a lighter school load this quarter. I hired someone to help my dad during the day when I’m here at work.”
“You did? Oh, Cass, that’s wonderful!”
She gave me a watery smile. “It is. It’s so nice to know that he’s not lonely anymore, and Quinn is wonderful. She’s in her mid-forties and they get along great. She watches TV with him, helps him cook and does some light cleaning. My dad really likes her too, even though they argue about baseball all day.”
I laughed. “Sounds perfect.”
Cassie nodded. “It’s been a huge help.”
“And things with Chief are good?” I asked with a knowing wink.
Cassie’s cheeks flushed slightly and I smiled. It was adorable how she still got flustered over him even though they’d been together for quite a few months. “He’s great. I’m so glad I gave him a second chance.”
I hopped up on the table and popped another bite of muffin into my mouth. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you’d said yes to him back in high school? Like what would have happened if you’d gone to the prom together?”
Cassie laughed. “That’s funny. We were actually talking about that not too long ago. He asked what I would say if he asked me to the prom now. He was just joking, obviously, but it got us talking. I don’t know for sure what would have happened, but I think that where we ended up is pretty great, so who am I to say I wished we’d done things differently?”
“I’m really happy for you, Cass.”
“Thanks, Holly.” She smiled up at me and paused her counting. “What about you and Adam? Still worried about his parents coming into town?”
I tried not to laugh. Or was it cry? “They actually surprised us both and came into town early.”
“Oh?”
Witch Slapped: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 3) Page 13