Cloaks and Daggers

by Annabel Chase

  She stopped when she reached the back row and bent toward me. “How wonderful to see you again, Ms. Hart. I hear congratulations are in order.”

  My throat thickened. “I guess.”

  “You guess? You’ve had a child. Isn’t that the most celebrated thing a woman can do?”

  Mayor Lucy leaned across me. “Personally I think it’s squeezing your thighs and…”

  I clamped my hand over her mouth. “Congratulations to you too, Lady Weatherby,” I squeaked.

  The mayor removed my hand. “We wish you the best,” the fairy said.

  “Do you?” Lady Weatherby resumed her full height. “We shall see about that.” She left the Great Hall and the double doors closed behind her. The sound echoed in the cavernous room and everyone continued to sit in stunned silence.

  Judge Melville paled. “I didn’t have a choice, you see. They made their case.”

  Heads bobbed in silent acquiescence.

  “This is one time I wish bribes were acceptable,” Mayor Lucy whispered. “I would’ve held a fundraiser.”

  “She deserves the benefit of the doubt,” I said. “Look at Daniel. He found his way back to his authentic self, but I’m sure there’s a trail of women who believed he never would.”

  The fairy pressed her shoulder against mine. “I hate to admit it, but you’re right.”

  I smiled at her. “You’d rather just serve up fire and brimstone and call it a day?”

  “Pretty much.”

  When Professor Holmes stood, I assumed he intended to leave. Instead he turned to address the room. “I know it’s unclear what to expect from her now, but we all deserve a second chance, do we not? This is hers. I know Jacinda and I believe the odds are good that she will not waste it.”

  The lump in my throat refused to budge. There was nothing to do now except wait and see.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I stood outside the entrance to Odyssey and admired the architecture. I was surprised that the town council didn’t object to the boutique hotel’s more modern appearance given that they aimed to preserve the town’s charming character. While I thought the building was sleek and beautiful in its own way, I could see why someone might have objected.

  The door opened as I stepped forward—magic or technology, I wasn’t sure. The lobby was an impressive display of industrial chic. Exposed brick, steel beams, and reclaimed cobblestones created an attractive blend of old and new. I was so enamored that I failed to see Ryan and Ashini approach me.

  “How’s the investigation?” Ryan asked, startling me. “Are we free to leave yet? I’d like my phone back first though.”

  “Not that we’re in a rush,” Ashini said. She wore a pair of leggings that seemed to change color with every movement. “This hotel is fabulous. Have you eaten in the restaurant? It’s divine.”

  “Not yet, but now I want to,” I said.

  “That’s where we’re headed now if you’d like to join us,” Ryan said.

  Ashini glared at him. “Do not use this as an excuse to ditch me and go back to the room. You promised we’d eat together.”

  Ryan’s shoulders sagged. “And I intend to keep that promise.” He lowered his voice. “No matter how much it pains me.”

  “It’s not like you’re going to do anything interesting in the room,” Ashini said. “We didn’t exactly plan for an extended stay.”

  Ryan forced a smile. “Marriage is all about compromise, isn’t it?”

  “I hardly think eating meals together should be considered a compromise,” Ashini snapped. “It’s pretty basic.”

  “Markos!” His name flew from my lips the moment I spotted the minotaur across the lobby.

  He broke into a broad grin and hurried across the lobby to engulf me in a hug.

  “He’s much bigger than Adam,” Ashini murmured.

  “Markos designed and owns this place,” I said.

  “Well done to you, sir,” Ryan said. “You’ve made our stay here far more tolerable.”

  “Glad I could help,” Markos said. “Which room are you in?”

  “Minos,” Ashini said. “The view is fantastic. I’m looking forward to another amazing meal now.”

  “The specials have changed so be sure to ask,” Markos said.

  “Enjoy it,” I said, as Ashini and Ryan continued to the restaurant.

  “You look wonderful, Emma,” Markos said. “How’s the baby?”

  “She’s great. You should definitely come by and see her. I feel like she grows an inch a day.”

  “I was hoping to get an invitation,” the minotaur said. “I didn’t want to intrude, especially during a time of peak sleep deprivation.”

  “Daniel and I have been doing pretty well,” I said. “Gareth and Magpie are a big help.”

  “I’m so pleased you stopped by. What do you think?”

  I gave the interior another admiring glance. “That you’ve outdone yourself. I want to live here.”

  “Have you seen the rooftop bar?” Markos asked.

  “I haven’t seen much of anything yet,” I said. “I only just got here.”

  The minotaur slung an arm across my shoulders. “Then allow me to show off.”

  I grinned up at him. “You’re pretty proud of this place, aren’t you?”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “You have every right,” I said. “The hotel is amazing and it’s a boon for the town. You should talk to Daniel about how he can help promote the hotel with the tourism office.”

  “An excellent idea.” Markos guided me to the transparent elevator at the back of the lobby. Its shimmering shell was the only means of identifying it. I admired the view of the courtyard garden as we rose to the rooftop.

  “You clearly gave this place a lot of thought,” I said. Every detail seemed to have been given deep consideration—from the rustic shades of blue and orange in the interior to the colors and shapes of the flowers in the garden.

  “I dreamed about it incessantly,” Markos admitted. “I’m sure I was a bit of a bore for a spell. I only wanted to talk about Odyssey and my vision for it.”

  The elevator stopped at the roof and I was surprised to see a large gathering.

  “Wow, you’re already doing quite a business.”

  “It’s a party,” he said, “but it’s not private so we’re not intruding.”

  With steel beams that matched the ones in the lobby and a counter that spanned the length of the building, the rooftop bar was equally impressive.

  An older banshee raised a cocktail glass in our direction. “Markos, so glad you decided to join us.”

  “I’m showing off the hotel to my dear friend,” he said. “Emma Hart, meet Zelda Firestone. She’s hosting the party.”

  Zelda sipped her drink. “Now I know this is the right choice of venue when the town savior shows up unexpectedly.”

  My cheeks grew warm. “I had a baby recently, so I haven’t been able to see Markos’s latest work of genius.”

  Zelda swept an arm to the side. “Isn’t it though? When my granddaughter announced her engagement, I knew we’d want to celebrate here.”

  “Congratulations,” I said. “Which one is she?”

  Zelda craned her neck and aimed her glass in the direction of the bar. “Belinda is the one talking to the bartender.” She squinted. “Wait. That’s not the bartender.”

  I followed her gaze to see Dr. Hall holding a cocktail shaker behind the counter. “Uh oh.”

  Markos smirked. “Ah, yes. I forgot to mention that Catherine is here with Lord Gilder.”

  “Catherine is a friend of mine from our jigsaw group,” Zelda said.

  My mouth dropped open. “Dr. Hall is in a group that does jigsaw puzzles?”

  “She’s one of our better participants,” Zelda said. “She has a keen eye.”

  Which she seemed to be demonstrating now as she measured the amount of liquor in the glass by holding it up to the light.

  “I’ll go and say hello,” I said. “I
’ll be right back.”

  “Get yourself a drink on the house,” Markos called after me.

  The vampire slid a drink across the counter to Belinda. “Who let in the rabble?” She looked at the young banshee. “I thought your grandmother had standards.”

  “Well, she let you into the jigsaw group, so it’s questionable,” I said. I sat on the stool beside Belinda. “Congratulations. I’m Emma Hart.”

  “My best client,” Dr. Hall added.

  I gasped. “You’re not supposed to say that. Your client list is confidential.”

  Dr. Hall blew a raspberry. “Whatever. Everyone knows you have issues. They’re just thrilled you’re seeking help.”

  Belinda shook my hand. “If it’s any consolation, I see Dr. Hall too.”

  “You’re more messed up though,” Dr. Hall said to me. “Not that it’s a competition.” She whispered. “But it totally is and you win.”

  “Why are you behind the bar?” I asked.

  “That wereferret was doing it all wrong,” she complained. “I had to take the reins.”

  “I’m sure Markos won’t mind,” I said, thinking just the opposite.

  “It’s okay,” Belinda said. “The party is for me anyway and Dr. Hall is giving me some free advice.” She sampled her cocktail. “Delicious, as usual.”

  “Naturally,” Dr. Hall said.

  “Are you giving marital advice?” I asked.

  “Not quite,” Belinda said. “More like family dynamics.”

  “Belinda can’t stand her future sister-in-law and I’m trying to counsel her on how to tolerate the weremuskrat for the next eighty years or so.”

  “Apparently holidays will be rough,” Belinda said.

  “Which one is she?” I asked.

  Belinda tilted her head to the right. “Over by Lord Gilder, probably batting her eyelashes. She’s a ridiculous flirt.”

  “One of the many things Belinda can’t stand about her,” Dr. Hall said. “Plus she’s extremely competitive.”

  “She competes for my fiancé’s attention, for the family’s attention.” Belinda shook her head. “She always digs at me, but Franco doesn’t say anything to her.”

  “Franco is your fiancé?” I asked.

  “Yes. He and Ursula are very close and he doesn’t want to cause problems,” Belinda said. “She’s even wearing a white dress, even though it’s my engagement party.”

  “And she’s pressuring her boyfriend to propose so that she can beat Belinda to the altar,” Dr. Hall said. “Ursula’s got issues.” She paused. “Not as many as you though.”

  I bit my tongue. “I’m sorry you have to deal with all this. Maybe you could try to talk to her and hash it out? It seems like it’ll only get worse over the years if it doesn’t get addressed.”

  “Sisters-in-law already have a natural tension, like with mothers-in-law,” Dr. Hall said. “Ursula’s personality will only serve to exacerbate the situation.”

  “I think she’s determined to beat me to every milestone so she can be first,” Belinda said. “She wants to get married first, have the first grandchild. I know she’s fuming over this party because we got engaged first.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if she got pregnant before the wedding, just to get a jump on you,” Dr. Hall said. She wagged a finger. “You should consider stopping your birth control now so you can win.”

  My brow wrinkled at the vampire therapist. “Aren’t you supposed to be discouraging the unhealthy behavior?”

  “The thing is that I don’t even care,” Belinda said. “Ursula is the competitive one. I only want to concentrate on my relationship with Franco. His family is background noise as far as I’m concerned.”

  “But mark my words, she will spit fangs if you manage to get married first and get pregnant first because she desperately wants what you have,” Dr. Hall said. “You’ll be battling her strong will for the rest of your life.”

  Dr. Hall’s words settled into my brain and I hopped off the stool.

  “The bathroom’s that way, O ye of little bladders,” Dr. Hall said.

  “I don’t have to use the restroom,” I said. “I’ve had an epiphany.”

  “Sounds serious,” Dr. Hall said. “Be sure to see Grover Wells about that before it gets worse.”

  I ignored her. “It was nice to meet you, Belinda. Good luck with everything.” I hurried away from the bar and scanned the rooftop for Markos but to no avail. I’d have to make my apologies later. Right now, there was someone I needed to see.

  Thanks to Sedgwick’s impeccable radar, I found Paige in the wooded area behind my house. She was so focused on trying to coax a butterfly into her net that she didn’t hear my approach. Only when I stepped on a stick and cracked it in half did she turn. The butterfly flew away, but Paige seemed unfazed.

  “Emma, what a nice surprise.” She offered a friendly smile. “What are you doing out here?”

  “Checking to see if the sheriff was able to collect your phone,” I said.

  “Oh, does she need it for something? I thought she already looked through them all.”

  I had a feeling that Paige had avoided handing over her phone. “At least you and Jim get to indulge your passions while you’re stuck here.”

  Paige observed a solid orange butterfly about a foot away. “It’s a nice perk.”

  I hated to even ask my next question, but I knew in my gut it was important to the case. “Have you told Jim about your fertility issues?” I blurted.

  Her face went slack. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m sorry, Paige. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you.” Especially because I was fairly certain she’d been suffering in silence.

  Her lower lip began to tremble. “I have no idea what you mean. I’m not even sure I should have kids. I told you about my fears.”

  I wanted to tread carefully out of respect, but, at the same time, an elf was dead and the killer had to be brought to justice.

  “I saw the way you looked at Diana’s crib in the video, Paige. I don’t think your fears are the issue. How long have you been trying?”

  Paige covered her mouth to stifle a cry of pain. “Three years,” came the muffled reply.

  “And Jim told you that Andrea thought she might be pregnant, didn’t he?” I had no doubt that she’d confided in him about the possible pregnancy the same way she’d confided in him about her parade of boyfriends.

  Paige squeezed her eyes closed, causing fat tears to emerge. “He said it would be cool. That we wouldn’t need to have our own because we could spoil hers instead. That it would be the ideal scenario.”

  “But you didn’t agree,” I said softly.

  “Of course I didn’t agree!” Paige’s eyes were wide open now—two storms brewing. “I’d been trying to conceive for so long and Andrea isn’t even in a real relationship! It wasn’t fair.”

  “Did you confront her about it?”

  “Earlier in the day when we were alone outside,” Paige said. “I asked her if it was true and she said she had to go see a healer to confirm when she got home, but she thought so.” Paige sniffed. “I started bawling.”

  “And what did Andrea say?”

  Her face hardened. “She told me to get over it. That life wasn’t perfect and I couldn’t expect things to go my way all the time.”

  Not very sympathetic. “That must’ve hurt.”

  She balled her hands into fists. “I started to feel the anger building from that moment. I went back into the house and tried to stop thinking about it, but I couldn’t. Why should she have the one thing I really wanted?”

  “Like the wooden duck.”

  “This was a baby!” Paige’s wings flapped in agitation.

  “Do you think it’s possible Andrea didn’t handle it well because she coveted what you had?”

  Paige cringed. “Her own twin brother?”

  “I don’t mean Jim specifically. I mean your lifestyle. You have a good marriage, a lot of money—things s
he lacked. She didn’t know about your fertility struggles.”

  “Does it matter? She was awful to me.” Paige wiped tears from her cheeks.

  “And that meant she deserved to die?”

  She burst into sobs. “I was so angry that night. I kept picturing her with a baby and my own empty nursery. I couldn’t sleep so I snuck downstairs intending to have a snack. I passed her silhouette in the dining room—I assumed she was working late again—but I continued to the kitchen and hoped she didn’t hear me. I ate a banana and the whole time I stood there eating it, I felt my blood pressure rising. That’s when I saw the knife on the counter.”

  “So you took the knife and went to the dining room?”

  She nodded, her expression tense. “I didn’t plan it. I just felt this wave of anger. I remembered how dismissive she was of my pain and I was infuriated all over again, so I rushed in and stabbed her.”

  “She was at the table in the dining room?”

  “Yes, her back was to me. I think she must’ve been looking over her production notes because she didn’t seem to hear me.”

  “Where did you stab her?”

  Her words mingled with strangled sobs. “In the side. I wanted to do it before she turned and tried to stop me. I never saw her face, not even when she fell to the floor.”

  “And then what?”

  “What do you think? I ran before anyone saw me.”

  I paused, thinking. “Ran where?”

  “Back upstairs. I heard music in the basement so I knew some of the others were awake and I didn’t want anyone to see me.”

  “What about the candlestick? When did you use that?”

  Paige’s brow creased. “I just said I stabbed her with a knife. How can you stab someone with a candlestick?”

  Oh wow. This was worse than I realized. “You’re telling me you didn’t touch the candlestick?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I groaned. “Paige, you didn’t kill her.”

  Paige wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Pretty sure she’s dead or we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I did a pretty thorough job.”

  “No, that’s not what I mean. Andrea was already dead. Someone had already bludgeoned her with a candlestick before you stabbed her.”