All the Pretty Witches

by Lauren Quick

  Rex returned and handed Honora a flute of bubbly champagne.

  “I never mix business with pleasure. My company is important, but it’s my job and I keep work compartmentalized. Flying clubs are hard to come by. I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity. I’m sure I’m not the only witch wanting to join. You have nothing to worry about from me.” The lie slipped off her tongue like butter. They had nothing to worry about as long as they hadn’t murdered one of their former members. “Though I was wondering, how did an opening come up in your club?”

  Rachel drummed her long red nails on the arm of the sofa. “That’s none of your business.”

  “Isn’t it?” Honora snapped back. “I want to know I’m joining a good group.”

  “Be nice, Rachel. She’s just curious. She’s a smart witch doing her research into us.” Ophelia brushed the hair from her shoulder. “There was a terrible accident and one of us was injured.”

  “You mean killed,” Rachel said. Her lipstick was the color of wine. “Constance was murdered. Can’t we just say it?” Her voice cracked and she brushed a tear from her cheek. Clearly at least one of them was upset about Constance. Honora would have to get closer to Rachel.

  “Rachel, enough,” the Nix sister with long brown hair said. “Do you have to get so emotional all the time?”

  “I’m sorry that murder makes me emotional. I’ll try and be more cold and cruel like you.”

  Ophelia shot Rachel a narrow glance. “It was tragic. But it had nothing to do with the club or us. Our former member was troubled and couldn’t be helped. It’s a long sad story. Nothing for you to worry about.”

  Rachel agreed with the police and considered Constance’s death a murder, but Ophelia brushed it off like an accident. Honora stared at the others but their expressions were neutral if not a little hard.

  “How does your club work? Do you meet here?” Honora asked.

  “We meet every week. Sometimes it’s the whole group and sometimes we meet in smaller groups. You’ll be given instructions as to the first meeting if we decide to welcome you in,” Ophelia said, speaking for the group.

  “Do you have any more questions?” Honora asked and sipped her drink. The expensive wine bubbled on her tongue.

  Ophelia glanced around at the group like a queen on a throne and asked, “How well do you know Detective Corder?”

  Honora remained expressionless. Her heart raced. Had they seen right through her? “We’ve worked together in the past. Why? Are you looking for a date? He’s very handsome and available, from what I hear.” Wisecracking had done her well in the past.

  Ophelia laughed again. “I had no idea you’d be so feisty. I like you.”

  “Thanks. I like me too.” Honora set her drink down on the table. “But, really, what’s your deal with Corder?”

  “We like to keep tabs on the local law enforcement. That’s all. You might be able to help us with that. If you join the club of course.”

  “Of course.” Keep tabs on Corder! It made sense since he was investigating the death of Constance Danbury, which Ophelia had to know. Honora had a sinking feeling that joining this club was going to be very demanding from both sides.

  Honora stood. She didn’t want to come off too eager. “It was nice meeting you all.” She sashayed to the edge of one of the walls. A crisp spring wind blew the curtain toward her like a wing. Honora turned. “Until I hear from you.” She lifted into the sky and flew away from the group as they watched her leave.

  She headed back to her apartment to get everything down on parchment in her report for Detective Corder and let him know she’d be keeping an eye on him for Witches of a Feather. Like that would be difficult.

  10

  Standing over the sink in her tiny kitchen, Vivi gulped down a tummy tamer potion. A waft of peppermint filled her nose. Her stomach had been queasy ever since she’d reported what she saw in her vision about Edward Cashing to the police department. He’d been taken into custody for questioning, and she’d been a ball of nerves ever since. She’d never been given this much responsibility before and now two lives depended on what she’d seen in her vision.

  Did Edward Cashing have something to do with his niece’s disappearance? Did he hurt her? Did he know more than he was willing to tell? Was he riddled with guilt? Or was it a mistake? What if she were wrong? Vivi’s throat was dry. Lance draped his arm over her shoulder and she tensed. “I told you this job would be tough.”

  She turned to face him, rested her forehead on his chest, and sighed. “I know. I wasn’t prepared for the job to stick with me. I thought I’d help you catch bad guys and that would be it. I didn’t realize how much I would think about the witches and wizards involved, about Willow and her uncle. It’s hard to believe he could be involved in her disappearance. He seemed to really care about her. He raised her.”

  Lance lifted her chin and lightly kissed her forehead. “We aren’t certain yet. He’s been questioned, but we didn’t have enough to hold him.”

  “What about the cameo hidden under a floorboard?” Vivi pulled away, her mind replaying the scene.

  “He claimed the cameo was a family heirloom.”

  Vivi paced the kitchen floor. “What was it doing in Willow’s room? Had he given it to her? And if it were precious wouldn’t it be someplace safer?”

  “He said he gave the necklace to his niece and that she kept it hidden there. He said that’s where she hid things as a little girl. She called it her treasure box.”

  “Interesting.” She had a secret hiding place.

  “I did a little digging and discovered that Wizard Cashing had reported the necklace stolen about a year ago, but the report was withdrawn.”

  “That’s weird,” Vivi said.

  “Not entirely. Witches and wizards lose things or forget where they’ve put them and overreact and report them stolen to the police. Then they find them a few days later in the frantic search. The report said the cameo was found and Cashing apologized for wasting our time.”

  “What about the comments he made about it being his fault? That felt suspicious to me as if he’s not telling us everything.”

  “He’s bereft and blames himself for her disappearance. He said that if he’d been a better guardian to her then she would still be here.”

  Vivi twisted her lips. “The cameo is involved in this. I know it is. I don’t know how, but it explains things.” Her brow furrowed.

  Lance rested his hands on his belt. “I’m going to need more from you. I’d like you to try again. We aren’t any closer to finding Willow and I was hoping you could focus on concrete details of her person this time. Hopefully lead us to a location. We’ve searched the law office, her apartment, and Edward’s house, but have come up empty.”

  “Sure, no problem.” Vivi cringed inwardly. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Maybe she didn’t want to admit she wasn’t doing as well as she hoped. “At least now I have access to her things and not just the scarf.”

  “Let me know what you need.” Lance kissed her on the cheek and left for work.

  Well, for one, she was going to want to get her hands on that cameo.

  Vivi grabbed a cup of tea and headed downstairs to open the potion shop for the day. After a quick wave of her wand and deactivation of the security ward, she opened the back door and inspected the garden. New spring buds were ready to burst. The air was crisp and clean. Vivi took a deep energizing breath and returned to the shop. Rumor, her raven familiar, flew inside and landed on his perch. Don’t get too comfortable, she thought. It felt like ages since she’d seen Clover, so she scribbled a quick note to meet at Clover’s house for lunch and attached it to Rumor’s leg for delivery. She let him out the front door when she unlocked the shop for business.

  Vivi wanted to invent a potion an
d her mind was buzzing with ideas. She had a feeling that Edward wasn’t telling the truth, but she didn’t sense that he was necessarily being totally dishonest. She thought, what if he had a secret? Keeping a secret isn’t the same as lying. What if she could develop a potion to get people to divulge their secrets? She wanted to create a natural one, not like the harsh chemical compound used by police. It was going to be difficult. Secret-keeping potions were available and much easier to make. It was easier to get a witch to keep a secret than to reveal one. It was a delicate gray area in magic. The Witch Council frowned upon manipulation through magic and chemicals, so she had to find away to make it less intrusive and yet still work.

  Vivi dug into her potion book library and was deep in concentration when Pepper and Lindy arrived.

  “Too cool,” Lindy said when Vivi told them both what she was up to. “You could call it Tattle Tell.” She smiled widely and showed off the charming gap between her two front teeth.

  Vivi was hoping to get Pepper’s help. “What do you think, Pepper?”

  “It sounds cool and a little devious. It’s a truth potion, really.” Her brow furrowed. “It’s a challenge. I’d love to help.”

  “It’s a last-ditch effort. I’m still going to work the case, but I know Edward has more to tell,” Vivi said. “You think we can do it?”

  “I think we’re going to try. Have you found any attempts in the resource books? I know we can’t be the first to think of this idea.”

  Vivi rubbed the edges of the book she’d been reading. “A bunch but most of them have serious side effects.”

  “Like what?” Lindy asked.

  Vivi’s eyes widened. “The mildest is excessive talking for days after the potion is taken. Then there are purple lips and teeth, which wears off in a few months. There’s also a throat rash and a warty nose.” Vivi cringed. “I don’t know who we’d get to be the tester because with these side effects there’s no way I’m testing it.”

  Pepper and Lindy laughed. Side effects were par for the course in potion making, especially when inventing new brews.

  “We’d have to find someone we really don’t like to test it for us,” Lindy said.

  Pepper crossed her arms over her chest. “No, we need to develop a better potion. That’s all. One that has fewer side effects.”

  Lindy stocked a shelf with glittering potion bottles. “Can Lance help us? They must have truth potions in law enforcement.”

  Vivi sighed. She’d already thought of that. “No, it’s considered manipulation to force them to drink a potion to incriminate themselves. Potions are messy for law enforcement. They mostly use lie detection spells to see if the witch or wizard is lying, but that too is voluntary. Usually used to prove innocence.”

  “Oh. Too bad,” Pepper said, flipping through one of her favorite potion books. “Why create the potion if you can’t use it on Edward?”

  “I’ll have to talk to him and convince him that if he’s innocent, he’ll want to clear his name by taking the potion. That’s why our potion needs to be less intimidating and must wear off quickly. Like a truth shot!” Vivi’s eyes sparkled. She pulled a cast-iron cauldron from a shelf and set it on the stove. Next she poured a base liquid of rose water into the cauldron and set it to simmer. She wasn’t wasting any time.

  “That could sell well to the younger crowd. Something for fun, not too powerful,” Lindy said. “It’s like truth or dare with a truth shot.”

  “Exactly!” Vivi said. “Let’s start experimenting.”

  Pepper’s face was buried in a book. “Oh, no. This recipe calls for a toad.” She wrinkled her nose.

  “Keep looking,” Vivi said. “We may have to concoct a recipe of our own.”

  Clover sat at her kitchen table engrossed in Witch World Daily. She was scouring the copies of the paper she’d had delivered with reports on the sly exploits of Lady Raider. The thief was new to the crime scene and had been active in the past few weeks in a string of burglaries. She waved her wand over a story and the paper magically sliced apart leaving the story intact in a neat clipping. She was creating an inspiration board with all of the Lady’s thieving. Her assistant, Derek, set a cup of tea on the table in front of her.

  “A jewel thief,” Derek said, glancing over her shoulder. “That sounds interesting and a little different for you.”

  “I can change, branch out, and try new things.” She exhaled. She could never hide anything from Derek. She shrugged. “I’m having difficulties thinking up new story lines and I’m desperate for inspiration.”

  “Really? That’s not like you either.”

  “Something new might help my imagination break free.”

  “Like a caper. Maybe you could add a sexy detective hot on the Lady Raider’s trail or a rival jewel thief or both.” Derek’s eyes widened. “Here’s the latest paper.” He handed her a copy that had just been delivered.

  “Thanks. I’ve been waiting on that paper. I’m dying to see what she’s been up to.” Clover snatched it up and spread it out on the table, flipping ruthlessly through the sections until she reached the crime beat. She gasped. “The Lady is at it again. Can you believe it?”

  “Lucky for you. What’d she steal this time?” Derek peered over her shoulder.

  “A sapphire and diamond pendant.” Clover pointed to the shimmering photograph. “Look at that. Stunning and worth a bucket of gold, I’m sure.”

  “I wonder how she’s fencing the jewels with all the attention. They really aren’t worth anything to her until she sells them. And how is she going to do that and not get caught?” Derek asked.

  “Let’s work it out.” Clover grabbed the articles and raced into her office where she floated the articles up and affixed them to a giant corkboard. Images of all the jewels she’d stolen were lined up like items in a jewelry story catalogue. Derek crossed his arms and watched.

  “Each piece is so precious, too precious.” Clover’s gaze drifted over the rings, necklaces, brooches, and even a bracelet studded with rubies and diamonds. “I think you’re on to something, Derek.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Look at them. They’re all statement pieces worn by some of the flashiest witches in Everland. Any one of them would be easily recognized, especially now with all the press she’s getting.”

  “That’s right. Lady Raider isn’t doing herself any favors. How’s she going to sell the jewels? You think that’s how the police will catch her?” Derek asked.

  “No. I don’t think she’s going to sell them at all.”

  “Why not? Why steal them if she isn’t going to sell them?”

  “Attention. Look at all the stories about her. She’s famous, even infamous, in the best way possible. She’s stealing outrageous jewels from filthy rich witches. No one gets hurt, no one really feels sorry for the witches losing the jewels, and Lady Raider gets all the glory. It’s ingenious.” Clover tingled inside.

  Clover launched herself to her desk and grabbed a piece of parchment from a drawer, dipped her quill in ink, and scribbled away.

  “What are you doing?” Derek asked.

  “I’m writing.”

  “I see that. What are you writing?”

  “An exposé on Anise Witherspoon. Do we still have our contacts with the paper?” Clover asked, not looking up from her parchment.

  “Yes. But who’s Anise Witherspoon?” Derek’s expression was utter befuddlement.

  “A really rich witch draped in cashmere and silk and jewels. She has really blonde short hair and huge doe eyes and not a care in the world.”

  “Do we know her?” Derek asked.

  “No silly. She’s my latest creation, an imaginary character, and I’m going to write about her and I need you to get it in the paper for everyone to read.”

  �
�Everyone including Lady Raider. I’ll write to our contacts immediately, see if they can get you a column on such short notice. How should I approach it? Are you trying to flush her out? Help the police. That sort of thing,” he said.

  “Between you and me, if I’m going to find out why she’s doing it, then I’m going to give her something to steal. Anise Witherspoon and her jewels will be completely irresistible.”

  “I’m all in and it sounds great, but why are you doing this?” Derek asked. “I’m all for studious research into a character, but isn’t this going a little far?”

  “What if my next book isn’t fiction? Maybe I need a break from making things up and I want to write about someone real for a change.”

  Derek smiled. “True crime. But instead of a gritty and seedy crime, your book will be based on a devious jewel thief.”

  “Exactly,” Clover said. “Now I just need to bait the trap with one of my most irresistible characters yet.”

  Vivi clutched her bag and headed to Clover’s house for lunch. When Clover sent a confirmation back with Rumor, she asked Vivi to create a glamor. Since everyone in Everland had learned that Clover was the famous word witch, Cassandra Reason, there was no longer any need for her to pretend she was the glamorous witch, so Vivi thought it was a bit odd that her sister asked her to whip up a new glamor potion for her. But she did it without hesitation. Mostly because she couldn’t wait to see what her sister was up to now.

  She hurried through the old oak portal near Clover’s house and practically rushed through the woods and up the path. She knocked and entered at the same time, loudly announcing her arrival.

  “Clover! Derek! It’s me!” Vivi yelled. She’d stopped at Nocturnes and picked up lunch for them. The last time she’d visited Clover, the only thing she had in the fridge was a bowl of highly suspicious tuna fish and stale crackers in the cupboard. Usually Derek made sure there was more food on hand except when they were busy. Vivi wasn’t taking any chances this time. Clover had been a little down lately and nothing cheered a witch up faster than delicious food from Nocturnes.