“Actually, it was Felicity who stole it,” Striker said.
“Felicity Bates? Why would she do that?” Hattie asked.
Striker shrugged. “I have no idea, but we dusted the box and her fingerprints were on it. She wasn’t at the groundbreaking ceremony and she never touched it in the police station that we saw. Near as we can figure, she lifted it out of the box when there was that big commotion with the cats that night and no one was paying attention to the box.”
Pandora remembered the big chase with Fluff. Felicity had said she’d been in the police station getting papers notarized, but maybe that was just a ruse and she’d ordered Fluff to create a ruckus on purpose so she could steal the vial when everyone’s attention was diverted. If that was the case, then Pandora had inadvertently played right into her hands.
Cordelia’s face wrinkled up. “So, she stole it for Rebecca?”
“Yep. She must have handed it to her sometime after that night,” Striker said.
Pandora remembered the flash of red stilettos as they ran out of the police station that night. Rebecca had still been there, probably waiting for Felicity to come out and hand her the vial. They’d planned it all along.
“But why?” Josiah asked.
Striker, Danforth, Bing and Elspeth exchanged a look. Striker cleared his throat. “Well, that’s where it gets a little sketchy. Apparently, she’s a little unstable.”
“She always was excitable,” Bing said.
“That’s right,” Elspeth chimed in. “Always going on about her ancestors and how many of them had been mayor of Mystic Notch.”
“If you ask me, she relied too much on her ancestors’ accomplishments,” Hattie said stiffly.
“She did go a little overboard,” Danforth said. “According to my genealogy research of the town, Rebecca’s ancestor, Nathaniel Phipps, was one of the townspeople that accused Hester Warren of witchcraft back in the 1600s. She became a little obsessed with the whole story and when the box got dug up … well … I guess she went off her rocker.”
Cordelia snorted. “I’ll say.”
Pandora’s brow wrinkled. Rebecca’s relative had accused Hester? She’d thought it had been Danforth’s and he’d admitted as much. The article she read online had mentioned two men—Miles Danforth and Nathaniel Phipps. She’d homed in on Danforth and now regretted never getting around to researching things further on the computer.
A vague memory of Willa and Pepper’s conversation a few days ago floated up to the front of her brain. Had Pepper mentioned something about Rebecca being related to the Phipps line?
Pandora had been so focused on Danforth, she hadn’t paid attention like she should have, too full of her first impressions to get out of her own way. Pandora made a mental note to be more thorough and not so impulsive next time. Next time? Yes, she was sure there would be another time when the cats would be called upon to make sure evil didn’t take over Mystic Notch.
“So that’s it, then. Rebecca just went off her rocker?” Josiah shrugged. “I always thought that woman was a little crazy. Didn’t vote for her, either.”
“Yep. She was was fixated on the site of Hester Warren’s house. Claimed it was her job as mayor to balance out the town or something,” Striker said. “Naturally, she’s been stripped of the office of mayor and she’ll be spending a little time in a mental health facility.”
“And what about Felicity? You gonna charge her for stealing the vial?” Elizabeth held the vial up in her hand.
“Can’t. We don’t have any real proof that she stole it. She’ll argue that her fingerprints were on the box legitimately. It would be a waste of the taxpayers’ money to even try. And now that it’s recovered,” Striker shrugged, “I guess it’s not that big of a deal.”
Cordelia studied Striker with hawk-like eyes. “And just how did you get involved in all this? You’re sheriff of the neighboring county. Is there not enough work over there to keep you busy? I know you help Gus out with homicides, but this was hardly a deadly matter.”
“Oh, I guess you could say I had a familial interest in the whole affair.” Striker’s eyes drifted over to the corner where Pandora noticed the ghosts of Hester and Obsidian were swirling around. She knew by their energy that their business here was done and they could finally pass over.
Hester waved to Striker and he gave her a curt nod. Obsidian raised his paw in a final farewell and Pandora echoed the gesture. Then they were gone.
Willa’s forehead creased. Her eyes flicked to the corner where the ghosts had just disappeared.
“What were you nodding at?” she asked Striker.
“What?” He turned to look at Willa. “I wasn’t nodding at anything … I was just watching a fly buzz around.”
Willa whipped around to the corner. “A fly? Where? There are no flies in here. I keep this place clean.” Then she turned suspicious eyes on Striker as if she was beginning to realize he was keeping something from her. “And just what do you mean you had a familial interest.”
“It turns out Hester Warren was my great great great great great aunt. Or something like that,” Striker said. “I’m not sure how many greats, but she was an ancestor so I guess I just kind of took an interest in the case. The box was apparently passed down to her through family lines.”
“Wait a minute,” Elizabeth said. “So, by rights this vial and the box belong to you.”
Striker glanced at Danforth. “Well, I'm not really sure. There’s some question as to whose family line it belongs to. The families in this area are so intertwined, it’s impossible to tell. Heck, most of us are related in some fashion or another. But if it did belong to me, I would want it to go in the museum.”
“And if it belonged to me I would want it in there, too,” Danforth said.
“So it’s settled, then.” Elizabeth was still holding the vial up in her hand. She twirled it around. “But I thought there was something in here when we dug it up. What was it and where did it go?”
“It sure must have been something important if it was kept in that fancy vial and locked away in that silver box,” Hattie pointed out.
“Yes, perhaps some sort of a magical potion or elixir,” Cordelia added, her eyes sparkling.
Elizabeth frowned at the vial. “That’s silly. There’s no such thing as magical potions. It was probably just some old perfume or something. If it was anything important, I’m sure the police would know.” Elizabeth glanced at Striker.
“Probably just colored water or something. We didn't have it tested or anything so we don't know exactly what it was.” Striker glanced at the cats. “And if anyone else does, they aren’t telling.”
“Well, honestly, it seems like this whole thing was much ado about nothing,” Cordelia said. “I mean, it's just an old box.”
“Right,” Hattie scoffed. “The way Rebecca flipped out and the way everyone was fighting over it, you'd think the box had the fate of Mystic Notch nestled inside.”
The two old ladies laughed and everyone joined them.
“I guess that does seem pretty silly. Thankfully, Rebecca's issues have nothing to do with the fate of Mystic Notch, even though she was the mayor.” Striker slid his eyes over to the cats, who were all basking in the sun on the windowsill. “And even with her erratic behavior, I'm pretty confident that the fate of our little town is in very good hands.”
The end.
* * *
Want more Mystic Notch adventures? Buy the rest of the books in the series For Your Kindle:
Ghostly Paws
A Spirited Tail
A Mew To A Kill
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About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Leighann Dobbs has had a passion for r
eading since she was old enough to hold a book, but she didn’t put pen to paper until much later in life. After a twenty-year career as a software engineer with a few side trips into selling antiques and making jewelry, she realized you can’t make a living reading books, so she tried her hand at writing them and discovered she had a passion for that, too! She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, Bruce, their trusty Chihuahua mix, Mojo, and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty.
Find out about her latest books and how to get discounts on them by signing up at:
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More Books By Leighann Dobbs:
Kate Diamond
Adventure/Suspense Series
* * *
Hidden Agemda
Ancient Hiss Story
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Mystic Notch
Cats & Magic Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
Ghostly Paws
A Spirited Tail
A Mew To A Kill
Blackmoore Sisters
Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
Dead Wrong
Dead & Buried
Dead Tide
Buried Secrets
Deadly Intentions
A Grave Mistake
––-
Mooseamuck Island Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
A Zen For Murder
A Crabby Killer
––-
Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set Vol 1 (Books 1-4)
Or buy the books separately:
Killer Cupcakes (Book 1)
Dying For Danish (Book 2)
Murder, Money and Marzipan (Book 3)
3 Bodies and a Biscotti (Book 4)
Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys (Book 5)
Bake, Battle & Roll (Book 6)
Wedded Blintz (Book 7)
Scones, Skulls & Scams (Book 8)
Ice Cream Murder (Book 9)
Mummified Meringues (Book 10)
Brutal Brulee (Book 11 - Novella)
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Contemporary Romance
* * *
Sweet Escapes
Reluctant Romance
A Note From The Author
A Note From The Author
Thanks so much for reading my cozy mystery, “Paws and Effect”. I hope you liked reading it as much as I loved writing it. If you did, and feel inclined to leave a review, I really would appreciate it.
This is book 3.5 of the Mystic Notch series. I call it 3.5 because it's a bit shorter and a deviation from the normal series being mostly from the Cat's point of view. I plan to write many more books with Willa, Pandora and the rest of Mystic Notch. I have several other series that I write, too - you can find out more about them on my website http://www.leighanndobbs.com.
This book has been through many edits with several people and even some software programs, but since nothing is infallible (even the software programs), you might catch a spelling error or mistake and, if you do, I sure would appreciate it if you let me know - you can contact me at [email protected].
Oh, and I love to connect with my readers so please do visit me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/leighanndobbsbooks
Signup to get my newest releases at a discount:
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* * *
This is a work of fiction.
None of it is real. All names, places, and events are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real names, places, or events are purely coincidental, and should not be construed as being real.
Paws and Effect
Copyright © 2015
Leighann Dobbs
http://www.leighanndobbs.com
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner, except as allowable under “fair use,” without the express written permission of the author.
Cover art by: http://www.tina-adams.com/design
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