Hijacked Honeymoon: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Teas and Temptations Book 10)

by Cindy Stark

  A wisp of fear escaped him and circled around them. “Like what?”

  “Nothing bad about your aunt. In fact, after spending the morning with her, I’m certain she’s innocent.”

  He gave her a hopeful look, but she could tell he wouldn’t be fully relieved until Madeline’s name was cleared. “That’s good.”

  She shifted on the couch to see him better. “We ended up not eating at the big house and went to Alberto’s instead.”

  He lifted interested brows. “Oh, yeah? Learn anything more about him.”

  She snorted. “I’ll get to that. But first, I met Spencer. He’s pretty broken up. Madeline and I sat with him for a while, and your aunt tried to console him. Then he was suddenly overwhelmed with sadness and abruptly got up and left.”

  Peter nodded thoughtfully, and she recognized he was processing information. “What was your impression of him?

  Her heart warmed knowing that he trusted her instincts, and energy pulsed through her like it always did when they discussed cases. “He’d been in love with her for a long time and seemed genuinely heartbroken.”

  “But sometimes people are good at hiding their true selves.”

  She’d expected his comment. Peter never dismissed anyone as a suspect until proven innocent. “Exactly. I’d need to know him better before I could truly decide.”

  “I think Madeline believes he’s innocent,” she added. “But, obviously, I couldn’t question him in depth while his emotions are so raw.”

  Peter sighed. “Yeah. An officer has to question regardless, and it can be a very difficult thing.”

  She was certain it was. “But the most interesting thing was when Alberto spied Madeline in his restaurant. He got this funny, upset look on his face, marched over, and promptly kicked us out of the bistro.”

  Peter straightened his back and widened his eyes in surprise. “What?”

  She nodded. “Yep. He banned us from his place. I’m not sure, but I’d guess that includes you as well.”

  He seemed perplexed. “Can’t decide if I’m happy about that or not. Interesting to get that reaction for sure, but I really wanted to try his take on a fluffernutter sandwich and his lobster rolls.”

  Hazel chuckled. “So did I.”

  He pulled her against him and kissed her hair. “Sounds like the two of you had an interesting morning.”

  She lifted her brows. “Oh, I’m not done yet. After we left Alberto’s, your aunt and I headed to the library to interrogate Olive’s sister.”

  A serious look chased away his lightheartedness. “Interrogate? And you took my aunt with you? I’m sorry, but you’ve crossed a line there, Hazel. She’s almost seventy and has no business being involved in an investigation.”

  Hazel opened her hands in an innocent gesture. “Tell her that. I wanted to sit on a bench and watch sailboats float down the river. She’s the one who insisted.”

  He shook his head. “I still don’t like it. She’s already a person of interest. She needs to let the authorities do their job.”

  Hazel shrugged. “We didn’t cause any trouble, Peter. In fact, Vera was very willing to talk to us.”

  She tempted him with a smile. “Do you want to hear what we found out?”

  He stared at her for a long moment and then sighed. “Of course, I do.”

  Hazel filled him in on what Vera had told them. “She wasn’t able to find Olive’s journal, but I’m not convinced it’s not there. I’d like to have a look myself.”

  “Did Vera invite you to her house?”

  Not that she’d let something like that stop her. “No.”

  Tension tightened the air between them. “Then how are you planning to accomplish that?”

  “Just, you know, go in. When she’s not home. I can use a revealing spell like I did with Timothy’s box he’d hidden in the library. If there’s anything Olive has hidden, I’ll find it.”

  He tilted his head in disbelief. “You do know that’s called breaking and entering, right?”

  Of course, she knew it. She was married to a police chief. “Only if you’re caught, and I’ll be careful.”

  He shook his head firmly. “No.”

  She pinned him with a pointed look. “Do you want to clear your aunt or not?”

  “Of course, I do, but—”

  “Then you might have to start thinking outside the box. You have no jurisdiction here, so we’re going to have to be more imaginative with our investigations.”

  “Imaginative?”

  She nodded firmly. “Yes. And the more I think about it, the more I believe we need to go to Vera’s today. As in right now, before she gets home and thinks to have another look. If she finds something, she may or may not share it with the police.”

  He didn’t seem convinced.

  She huffed her frustration. “You do realize that Vera had that travel mug in her possession for a period of time after purchasing it and before giving it to Spencer, right? What if she had something against her sister? What if she wanted her dead?”

  Peter snorted. “You’re going out on a limb there, Hazel. I know Olive and Vera weren’t close, and that Olive got more attention from their parents, but plenty of siblings are that way. That’s not a motive for murder.”

  She shrugged. “People have killed for less. And for all we know, there could have been more between them. Olive was not a nice person.”

  Hazel reached over and took one of her husband’s hands between hers, loving the warmth and strength she found there. “Look, I realize I might get in trouble for going into Vera’s home, but I do have magic to rely on, in a pinch. If I can find something that clears Madeline, it will be worth it. Not only do I want to help your aunt, but I don’t like the idea of a murderer running free around here. This town deserves answers.”

  He exhaled and slumped his shoulders. “You know I feel the same way you do. But we’re not desperate yet. Let’s give Gerald and his men a chance to solve this the old-fashioned way, with good policework. Sometimes, solving cases takes a little time, and we need to be patient.”

  She drew her features into a frown.

  He chuckled and erased them with his fingers. “Patience, Mrs. Parrish. I know I appreciate it when people let me do my work.”

  Hazel folded her arms and sighed. “Fine. But I’m not waiting forever.”

  Fifteen

  Hazel woke the next morning, restless and unsettled. Peter and she had dined with Madeline the night before, but everyone had avoided the topic of murder. Madeline must have assumed Hazel had filled Peter in on what they’d learned, because she didn’t mention a word. Peter had changed the subject whenever it had gone anywhere near Olive’s death.

  Seemed ridiculous that they weren’t discussing the case, but she respected Peter’s unease where his aunt was concerned. Still, a new day had dawned, and Hazel couldn’t sit by idly and wait for answers. It wasn’t in her blood.

  She knew it wasn’t in Peter’s, either.

  Madeline was busy for the day with a community planning committee, so Hazel and Peter ate a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and fruit in their little bungalow. He smiled at her several times, but she knew that he knew his time was limited.

  Peter rinsed the last plate and handed it to Hazel to dry. “Spit it out.”

  She exhaled. Thank the stars because she couldn’t hold her thoughts for much longer. “I’m going to go insane if we don’t do something. I’m used to you being on board with this sort of thing, and it’s driving me crazy that you’re not.”

  He dried his hands on a dishtowel and hung it on the oven bar. “It’s driving me battier than a one-eyed bat, too.”

  She stared at him for a long moment. Battier than a one-eyed bat? Was that even a thing?

  She blinked to clear his odd idiom from her brain. “Let’s do something, then.”

  He lifted his hands in defeat. “What? What is there we can possibly do?”

  Perhaps a good night’s rest had increased her chances
of him agreeing. “I can sneak into Vera’s house.”

  “Not going to happen.”

  She frowned. “Cora would have gone with me.”

  “You and Cora are both lucky you’re not in jail.”

  She couldn’t help but smile then, thinking of the crazy adventures she’d had with her friend. “Okay, then let’s go the police station. We might find out something there.”

  He tilted his head and studied her. “Is that why you were always coming into my station? For information? I thought it was because you liked me.”

  She placed a hand on his cheek and drew her fingers across his raspy chin. “You were just a side benefit, Chief Parrish.”

  Then she chuckled and gave him a quick kiss. “To the station then? It looks beautiful out, a perfect day to see the town. And, there’s nothing wrong with checking in with Gerald to see how things are going. He might think it odd if we didn’t.”

  He nodded, thoughtfully. “Mm-hmm. Sure. Might as well. I won’t get peace until we do.”

  Hazel grabbed her favorite fleece jacket and sunglasses. Ten minutes later, they pulled into a parking space along Main Street. She noticed Peter didn’t park at the police station and wondered what he had in mind.

  For now, she’d let things play out his way.

  He opened her door for her, and when they were on the sidewalk together, he took her hand. He slowed as they passed a shop with a large window showcasing a twelve-inch lighthouse, bright red crabs with silly smiles, and various seashells. “Want to check it out?”

  A white teapot with an animated crab on it had caught her attention, and she wouldn’t mind a closer look. “Yeah. Let’s go inside.”

  Hazel wasn’t sure why he was stalling, but she sensed the unease and duality vibrating from him.

  After browsing for several minutes, she’d decided to take home a calendar with watercolor paintings of the village. Even though they were several months into the year, the wash of blue, greens and browns soothed her soul and would look perfect in her teashop back home.

  She chose the fat, friendly crab teapot for Gretta to thank her for working extra hours in her shop while she was away with Peter.

  Hazel had just set her items on the counter to pay for them, when she spied several baskets full of polished gemstones. She placed a hand on Peter’s forearm to get his attention. “I’ll be right back.”

  Every kind of energy reached out to her as she sifted through the stones. Love, money, and vitality, but she couldn’t see a celestite amongst the multitude of stones. She knew she needed to hurry because the cashier and Peter waited for her, so she closed her eyes and pictured the periwinkle gray color of a celestite.

  She buried her hand into the basket of rocks and waited. Then she detected a strong sense of peaceful energy. She slid her fingers toward it, grasped the stone, and lifted it from the basket.

  When she opened her eyes, she was happy to discover she had indeed located a celestite stone. She turned with a smile and hurried back to the counter. “I always like to take home a crystal from every place I visit,” she said to Peter and the blond teenage girl who worked at the shop.

  Peter eyed her warily, but the cashier returned her smile. “Lots of people do. Kids love to fill a little bag with the colorful rocks.”

  Perhaps because they weren’t so jaded that they couldn’t recognize the power within the stones. Hazel didn’t respond but pulled out her wallet to pay. A few moments later, they were back on the street.

  Hazel gripped the bag with her items in one hand and entwined her fingers with Peter’s with the other. She waited until an older couple passed them before she spoke. “I didn’t bring a celestite with me, and I think that’s why the Quiet as a Mouse spell didn’t work. Blue lace agate is very similar, but apparently it needs to be exact for that spell.”

  Peter’s green eyes flashed with amusement. “Do you have a reason to believe you’ll need it again while we’re here?”

  She lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “You never know. I think it’s possible the universe brought it to my attention for something other than snuggling in bed with you and Mr. Kitty.”

  “Could be,” he agreed. “I’m learning that life often works that way.”

  She smiled, proud that she’d brought something positive into his world.

  Peter squeezed her hand harder than usual.

  She glanced up at him and then followed his gaze. “Sandpiper Souvenirs?”

  He lifted his chin in acknowledgement. “Spencer’s place. Might be worth a look inside.”

  Excitement tickled her nerves. “Maybe Spencer will be around, and we can talk to him.”

  A matronly woman with short gray hair and a friendly smile greeted them when they walked into the shop. An overwhelming array of knickknacks, baubles, and souvenirs of every kind filled shelves. Bright, colorful t-shirts hung on multiple racks. The sheer volume of items and colors overwhelmed Hazel’s senses.

  “Can I help you find something?” the clerk asked.

  Hazel flicked a quick glance at the woman’s nametag. Doris.

  Peter replied no, but Hazel disagreed. “Do you carry refillable water bottles or traveling coffee mugs? I need a gift for a friend back home.”

  Doris grinned. “We do have a small selection, but hopefully you’ll find one you like. Let me show you.”

  Peter sent her an odd look as Doris led the way. Hazel shrugged and returned a why-not look.

  A moment later, the woman left them to peruse the shop’s items.

  Hazel leaned close to her husband. “Just so you know, Doris was the one who gave Vera the travel mug that day. I don’t have a reason to suspect her, but thought you’d like to know.”

  Peter glanced across the shop. “You learned this while you were with my aunt?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  She didn’t want to rub it in because she knew he’d avoided his aunt that morning for emotional reasons, but she’d sure wished he’d been with them that morning.

  Hazel lifted a stainless steel, bright magenta traveler’s mug. “I wonder if it was something like this. Though Madeline had said Olive’s was blue.”

  Peter took the mug from her and lifted the lid. He took a sniff inside.

  She chuckled at him. “What? Do you think you’re going to smell poison?”

  He elbowed her. “I investigate everything. What if the poisoning was accidental from the manufacturer?”

  Hazel wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “Doubt it. More people would be dying, and the products would be pulled.”

  He replaced the mug on the shelf. “I know. Just wishful thinking.”

  Her heart ached for him and what he must be going through. “Yeah. I hope we prove the murderer isn’t anyone in this small village, especially Madeline or Tracy.”

  He gestured toward the shop’s exit with a jerk of his chin. “Let’s go. We should see if Gerald has any news.”

  Apparently, Peter had stalled long enough.

  They headed toward the front of the store, but an array of sparkling necklaces dripping with crystal pendants caught her eye. “I should probably get something for Gretta’s sister, too. I’m paying Katie for the hours she works, but it was nice of her to offer to step up and help Gretta while I’m gone.”

  Peter shrugged, seeming mildly annoyed. “Sure.”

  She lifted a raw amethyst on a silver chain. “Maybe I should get this for Gretta and the teapot for Katie instead.”

  He shifted his stance. “How about you buy it and decide later who gets what?”

  Yeah, she needed to get them out of there and on their way. “If you’re antsy and want to wait outside, I’ll hurry.”

  He exhaled in relief and headed toward the door.

  She grabbed the necklace off the display and took it to the older woman. “I’ll take this, please.”

  Doris scanned the tag and then wrapped it in tissue. “You found my favorite items in the store.”

  Hazel handed over her credit card. �
�The necklaces?”

  “Mm-hmm. My boss’s brother owns a metal fabrication shop and makes the chains for him. I picked up an order a couple of weeks ago and was able to look around the factory. It’s quite the process. Then Spencer has a local artist who does the crystals. So pretty.”

  “Spencer Evans owns this store, right?” Hazel asked.

  Doris nodded. “Sure does.”

  Hazel pasted on a subdued smile. “I met him the other day at breakfast. Very nice man. So sorry to hear about his loss.”

  She tsked and put the wrapped necklace in a small white bag. “Such a tragedy. It’s heartbreaking to see him suffer.”

  Hazel considered whether to question her further and then realized it wasn’t in her nature to walk away. “Have you worked for him for long?”

  “I’ve known him forever. He had some trouble with an employee stealing from him and had to fire her. I stepped in to help out and found out I really like it here.”

  “That worked out well then. Is Spencer working today?”

  Doris shook her head. “No. Haven’t seen much of him since Olive’s death. He’s going to need some time.”

  She nodded and picked up her purchase. “Of course. Glad to see his store will run well while he takes some time to grieve.”

  Hazel left the shop and found Peter across the street, watching a small sailboat cruise along the water. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I could tell you needed to get out of there. Thanks for waiting while I got this out of the way.”

  He nodded but didn’t shift his gaze from the water.

  So much for a stress-free getaway for them. “Ready to go see Gerald?”

  Peter pushed off from the railing he leaned against. “Yep. Might as well.”

  He took a step and then stalled. “Just can’t help but think he’s not going to have good news.”

  She gave him a consoling smile and took his hand. She’d been teaching him how to pay more attention to his intuition, but she sure hoped he wasn’t right about his gut feelings this time.

  Sixteen

  Peter pulled into the parking lot of a two-story red brick building that housed Sandpiper Bay’s police department, which sat along the edge of the river. A small dock butted up against it, and Hazel noticed a police boat moored there.