“Why did you try and frame Guy? How did you know where he shopped for potion ingredients?” I asked, thinking of the shopkeeper’s identification of the bartender. It couldn’t have been simple chance.
Clive laughed. “He was the obvious choice! He hated Evan, almost as much as I did. Everyone knew it.”
“Mhmm.” I gave a placating nod, silently seething. “So you followed him and figured out exactly how to set him up?”
Clive didn’t answer, but from the almost rabid-looking grin on his face, he was proud of himself. He’d likely regret the entire conversation in an hour and hire the best lawyer he could afford—which, was saying something—to try and get him out of the full confession.
“Charlene will rue the day she said no to me!” Clive snapped when I turned my back. “You tell her. She just made the biggest mistake of her life! Where is she? I want to see her!”
“Ugh,” I groaned as Clive continued his rantings and demands. “Can’t you seal his mouth so we don’t have to listen to him anymore?”
Caleb smiled. “Afraid not. Nice work, though. We might have to see about getting you into our junior agent program.”
I barked a laugh. “Not a chance!”
Two agents came forward, magic cuffs at the ready, and Meryl released the spell on their signal. The bubble around Clive dissolved. One agent moved to cuff him but before he could, Clive writhed and then vanished, his clothes dropping to the sidewalk in a puddle.
Caleb tensed, magic pooling at his fingertips. “Ana, Harmony, get back!”
A brown ferret’s head poked out from one pant leg and the small beast streaked toward a nearby storm drain. Meryl fired off a spell and nabbed the creature before he could slither into the gap, and an agent armed with cuffs swooped in, locking the magical bond around the animal and then drew a lead. “Come on, Mr. Errol. You’re under arrest for the murder of Evan Stimpton.”
Caleb starred after his agents, a stunned look on his handsome face. “I still don’t know how he knew which cup to spike.”
“Evan had a specialty cocktail and a different cup than the groomsmen,” I said. “It’s Guy’s signature. The reason I hire him for events like that. He can come up with a unique cocktail and brand it for the occasion. It would have been easy for Clive to know which one Evan was drinking from.”
“Then he set the stage to make sure Guy took the fall.”
I exhaled slowly, suddenly drained.
Caleb grinned at me as I sagged against him.
“What?” I asked, a little defensive. “Why are you smiling at me like that?”
“Because I’m in love with one of the baddest witches I know.”
My cheeks warmed. “Love?”
He stoked a finger down my cheek. “Ana, I’ve been in love with you since the day I first laid eyes on you. I’ve only waited this long to tell you because I didn’t want to send you running for your life.”
I laughed and leaned into him. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Chapter 15
Evan’s killer was safely behind bars, and while I was glad for it, there was a renewed sense of restlessness that crept in to fill the chunk of time I’d spent puzzling over the mystery. Caleb teased me that I was welcome to apply for agent training any time. I told him there was an unsettling lack of glitter and couture in the agency and announced I was hanging up my detective’s cap for good.
There was still one question left unanswered, one that only my sister could answer. That is, if I could figure out how to ask without upsetting her. She’d grown more secretive in the past few days, always shielding her phone screen from my view and giving vague answers when I asked where she was going during the day. Wednesday had come and gone and I couldn’t stop wondering if she was with the real estate agent from the flyer, out looking at new places to live.
Why wouldn’t she just tell me? What was she waiting for? Was she going to slowly start moving out, little by little, and only drop the bomb when she came back for her last bag? I suspected she had a new boyfriend, or maybe he wasn’t so new. Maybe they’d been seeing each other for a while now.
When she’d first moved in, I’d told her no relationships. She had a tendency of throwing herself into them with reckless abandon and sacrificing her own plans and dreams to build her life around whomever she was dating. She’d agreed, but with her life back on track and her wild oats seemingly sown, I wondered if she’d decided she was ready to date. If that was the case, I could see why she was hesitant to tell me. After all, I’d never officially rescinded the rule.
Round and round the possibilities spun. An anxiety-fueled merry-go-round whirling in my mind anytime Harmony dodged a question, opting instead to flash an innocent smile and tease me that I was getting nosy like dad.
Maybe I was.
The following Monday, I vowed to shove it all to the back of my mind and focus on making plans for my next move. If I was really going to try my hand at opening my own business, I needed to start making some decisions. Armed with notepads, pens in a rainbow of colors, a day planner, and my phone, I set up camp at the dining room table, rolled up my sleeves, and dove in.
By the time I broke for lunch, I had a good start on the legal paperwork that would need to be filed with the haven to register the business, I’d called a few of my favorite vendors to set meetings to discuss partnership opportunities, and had played with some sketches, trying to come up with a business logo.
My phone rang while I was making a sandwich. Hoping it was one of the vendors I’d had to leave messages with, I licked a stray smear of mustard from my thumb and raced to answer.
“Anastasia Winters,” I said, slipping on my phone voice.
“Hey, it’s Holly!”
“Oh, hello!” I pressed the phone to the crook of my neck and went back to the kitchen. “How are you?”
“I should be asking you that,” she replied with a laugh. “A lot’s happened since we saw each other, it appears. Are you taking a page out of my book and chasing down killers now that you’re not planning weddings?”
I frowned as I sliced through a tomato. “How did you know about that? Was it in the Herald this morning? Caleb said they wouldn’t use my name …”
“Oh, no. I barely read that thing. Harmony called me a little while ago.”
“Oh?” I set down the knife. “I didn’t realize you two had exchanged numbers.”
Holly paused. “She didn’t tell you?”
“That you’d given her your number? No.” I shook my head, more confused than before.
“No, no. I mean, about the—” she stopped herself and my curiosity ratcheted up another degree.
“Holly, what’s going on?”
“Bat wings,” Holly muttered. “This is awkward.”
“What is?”
She exhaled. “I offered Harmony a job. Technically, an apprenticeship.”
“You did?”
“We swapped numbers while you were speaking with your client, and we’ve been keeping in touch.”
My stomach sank. So, it wasn’t a mystery boyfriend. It was Holly. “Why wouldn’t she tell me?” I wondered aloud, more than a little stung by the revelation. “I’d have thought she’d be dancing on the ceiling over an offer like that.”
“Well, she hasn’t officially accepted yet,” Holly replied thoughtfully. “She asked me for a week. She had some other job offer on the table. At least, that’s what she told me. I’m planning on calling her later tonight, after she gets off work, to see if she’s made up her mind. I’d really love to have her come work for me, but if she can’t, I need to get someone else lined up.”
I turned around and leaned against the counter. “So, she’d be moving there? To Beechwood Harbor?”
“Yes. She has a room here in the manor if she wants it.”
“Wow,” I breathed. “That’s—that’s great.”
“I’m really sorry to dump all this on you. I honestly thought she’d told you about it.”
“Oh, no. Don�
��t worry about it. We’ve both been really busy. It probably just slipped her mind.”
Yeah. Right.
“You know, you’re welcome to come visit anytime you want,” Holly said gently.
“Thanks, Holly.” I nodded, my eyes closed. “A weekend at the coast is probably just the cure I need.”
We chatted for a few more minutes and then hung up. The front door opened as I carried my sandwich to the dining room. Harmony shut it behind her and toed off her sneakers. She wore torn jeans, a lightweight turtleneck, and an eggplant-colored bomber jacket. One hand grasped a coffee cup bearing the logo of the shop in the lobby of the condo building. Her messenger bag was slung across her chest, and I assumed she’d just come from her potion class. Then, half a beat later, realized it likely wasn’t safe to assume anything.
“Early class today?” I asked, working to keep my expression neutral.
From the dark circles under her eyes, it’d been a long night and the coffee in her hands likely wasn’t the first one of the day. She took a long pull from the cup, leaving red lipstick marks behind. “Yeah. I hate the early classes,” she grumbled, tugging her bag off. She dumped it unceremoniously by the front door and shuffled into the kitchen like a zombie. “Is there coffee?”
I sat down at the table. “A little. You’ll have to warm it up.”
“It’s still so weird having you home in the middle of the day,” she said from the kitchen.
“Tell me about it,” I grumbled. I slipped my phone into the pocket of my own—non ripped—jeans. “So, I just got off the phone with Holly.”
A pause. “Oh?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking of taking a trip out there, maybe spend a day or two visiting the harbor.”
“Um, that sounds nice. When—uh—when were you thinking of going?”
“Maybe in a week or two. You’re more than welcome to come with me,” I replied. “You could pick Holly’s brain for more potion-making secrets. You know, if there’s something you’d rather talk about face-to-face instead of over text message.”
Harmony poked her head around the corner. “She told you, didn’t she?”
“She did.” I nodded. “Why didn’t you say something? I’d have thought you’d be halfway packed and screaming from the rooftops! This is your dream job.”
She padded into the dining room and dropped into the seat opposite mine. “It is.”
“Okay … then why aren’t your happier?”
“I don’t know if I should take it.”
I frowned at her. “That’s insane. Of course you should. What other job could possibly tempt you?”
She sighed. “I had an interview at a real estate office last week. It’s a real job, Stace, with good pay and paid time off and the chance to move up. I could help out more with bills and stuff around here, and, you know, grow up.”
I sank back, the pieces finally falling into place. “Harmony, you’ve wanted to work with potions for as long as I can remember. It was your best subject at the academy. You can’t give up an opportunity like this. There will always be jobs like the one at the real estate office. What Holly’s offering is one in a million.”
“What about you?” she asked, her voice small.
“You don’t need to worry about me, Harmony. I’m fine. In fact, I’m better than fine.” I gestured at the paperwork to my right. ‘I’m filing for my own business license and have some meetings set up. I’ll be booked with clients in no time.”
She cocked her head, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Don’t give me that look.” I smiled at her. “Besides, you’re the little sister. It’s not your job to take care of me.”
She grinned. “Oh? I must have missed that section in the rulebook. Would you mind pointing it out for me?”
“I’ll do you one better, I’ll highlight it and have it framed.”
We laughed but Harmony’s smile faded too quickly. “I guess I just feel a little guilty. I know I’ve hurt you in the past, when I’ve left. And I don’t want to do that again. When dad was sick or mom was being flakey, it was always on you while I ran around, mostly making an idiot of myself.”
She paused and looked down at the table. “I felt like maybe this was the one time I’d get a chance to kind of pay you back. If I stayed here and held the fort down while you figured out your next step.”
“Oh, Harmony.” A rush of emotion surged through me and I swallowed a lump in my throat.
“Not in a pity-party kind of way,” she hurried to add.
I pushed away from the table and went to hug her. “I love you. No matter what. And I’ll miss you like crazy, but you have to take this apprenticeship with Holly. You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t see what’s possible.”
“You’re sure?” she whispered, her own voice clogged with emotion.
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
We stepped apart and I smiled at her. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, sis. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Right back atcha.”
Chapter 16
Caleb let us borrow his SPA-issued SUV for the trip to Beechwood Harbor. The agency probably wouldn’t approve of the unofficial use, but Caleb promised it wouldn’t be a big deal. And it beat paying for a rental. Every cent was going toward my new venture and I didn’t want to squander any of my small nest egg.
“Are you nervous?” I asked as we set out on the highway that would lead us to the small coastal town.
Harmony, one hand stuck inside a bag of chips, offered a small shrug in reply.
“It’s okay if you are, you know,” I said with a grin.
She popped a chip into her mouth and pondered it. “More excited, I think,” she finally replied. “I still can’t really believe any of this is happening. I mean, a year ago, I was broke and homeless, still getting over that jerk, Jess.” She scowled at the name. “Now, I’m going to be working for one of the best potion masters in the entire haven!”
Harmony shook her head, a bemused smile on her face. She looked like she’d just won the lottery. And, I supposed, in a way, she had. The opportunity before her could branch off into all kinds of different possibilities, each brighter than the next.
I was happy for her, but couldn’t help wishing the path before my own feet looked as solid. A week ago, I’d filed the information required to be officially recognized as a business within the haven world. That was the easy part. I could do paperwork and fill out regulation forms in my sleep. It was the steps ahead that seemed a little hazy.
It also felt a little lonely. CeeCee was keeping busy with her position at the Jasmine hotel. Caleb had his work with the SPA that never followed a set schedule. Even Patrick had recently started dating a woman from the second floor of our building and was less available for random chats about gardening tips or informal restaurant reviews.
I’d had a hard time keeping my smile firmly in place as Harmony had packed her belongings and chattered on excitedly about all the ideas she’d been coming up with since accepting the apprenticeship.
“You’re going to be great, too, you know,” Harmony said, stirring me from my mental wallowing.
I glanced at her and she smiled. “I mean it, Stace. Those harpies from A Touch of Magic better watch their backs.”
I laughed. “We’ll see. Right now, I haven’t even decided on a business card logo.”
“You will,” she said. “You’ll call me in a few weeks, stressing out about your overflowing calendar.”
I hoped she was right. From my vantage point, there wasn’t a solid plan B in place. At least, not one that would allow me to stay in the Seattle Haven.
Harmony reached for the car’s radio and scanned through the local stations, cycling through twice before she landed on one she liked. She sang along and watched out her window as the miles rolled past.
We took our time during the drive, stopping a couple of times to get out at various viewpoints. Harmony took pictures of us together on her
phone. We had lunch at a tiny Mexican restaurant, eating some of the best tacos I’d ever had in my life and joking about how bummed Patrick would be when we told him about it.
Five hours later, we arrived at the stately cliffside manor. Twilight was settling over the small seaside town, but it had been light enough to drive through and get a feel for the place. It was every bit as charming and quaint as Holly had described. I pulled into the driveway behind a cherry-red sports car and cut the engine. Harmony peered out my window, gaping up at the large historical home. “This place looks like something out of a storybook.”
“It really does,” I agreed.
“It’s so different than the havens,” she added. “I’ve never lived in the human world before. Traveled through, but never anywhere like this.”
I smiled at the gentle note of worry in her voice. “You’ll adjust. Besides, from the sound of your list of ideas, you’re hardly ever leave Holly’s workshop.”
She laughed at that and nodded. “True.”
“Think about how quiet it will be at night,” I said. “Nothing but the wind and the ocean.”
“That sounds amazing,” she breathed.
“Now, come on,” I said, throwing open my door. “I’m not carrying all these bags in by myself.”
Harmony met me at the back of the SUV and we each grabbed a bag.
“How you managed to accumulate all this stuff is beyond me,” I muttered, heaving the large duffle up higher on my shoulder. “What do you have in here? Bricks?”
When she’d arrived on my doorstep, she’d only carried a small backpack, but over the last year, her wardrobe had grown and required a trio of suitcases and the duffle.
Harmony shot me a grin as she took the third case by the handle. “Don’t tell me you haven’t been dreaming about all the closet space you’ll have back, now that you don’t have to share.”
Wedding Bells and Deadly Spells Page 11