by Tonya Kappes
“You didn’t see anyone strange or suspicious running from the shop?” He questioned poor Adeline.
“No.” She shook her head. Her pupils were dilated as she stared at Kenny. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Blindly she pointed toward Petunia and Gerald. “Just them.”
Cough, cough. “Don’t look at me.” Gerald took his top hat off and held it to his chest, drumming his fingers on top of it. “We didn’t do anything. I was comforting my sweet Petunia.” He placed a hand on Petunia’s shoulder.
“What about her?” Petunia glared at me. “It’s her shop. She was the one asking around how to get in touch with him.”
“Me?” My mouth dropped. “You think I killed him? When? I’ve been with you this whole time.”
“Not all day.” Petunia huffed, crossing her arms.
“I think it’s time for you to go.” Oscar shut his notebook. “Petunia and Gerald, I’ll be filling out the report and dropping by to see you two tomorrow. You are free to go.”
“I didn’t do it.” Petunia’s teeth were clenched.
“Come on. Let Oscar figure this out.” Gerald placed his hat back on his head and helped Petunia up.
“He’s her boyfriend, Gerald.” Petunia reminded him as if he didn’t already know. “I want another officer on the case,” She demanded, running over to Izzy. Petunia dropped to her knees with her hands clasped in the air. “Please, Izzy.”
Gently, Izzy took her by the hands and pulled Petunia to her knees.
“It’s out of my hands, dear.” Izzy looked lovingly into Petunia’s dark eyes.
“But you are the village. . .” Petunia dropped her hands when she realized that Izzy was no longer in charge. Slowly she turned back around. “June?”
Rushing to her side, I embraced her, crow and all.
“I know you couldn’t have done this. Just like I didn’t do it.” My intuition told me something wasn’t right. “Oscar will figure all of this out.”
Out of nowhere, the old Two Sisters and A Funeral ambulance roared down the street, lights flashing and horn blaring as if nobody saw them.
“Outta the way.” Constance pushed the gurney through the crowd. “Got a dead body we need to get.”
“Yep, body we need to get to.” Patience kept her eye on the prize.
I looked out the shop windows. Every single spiritualist had moved from the smudging ceremony circle to the front of A Charming Cure. Faith’s smug smile caught my eye. Our eyes locked.
“Told ya.” A smile crossed her face as she mouthed those two little words before she rotated on the balls of her feet and sashayed toward Wicked Goods.
Told me what? My hands began to sweat, and my face felt flush.
“June?”
I heard someone call my name, but I couldn’t focus on anything but Faith’s words, “told ya”.
Instantly my mind flooded with her words, you will regret trying to tell me how to be a clairaudient.
What did she mean by ‘regret’? What did she mean by ‘told ya’?
“June?” Oscar grabbed my arm. “You need to take a seat before you pass out.”
Feeling a little bit like a zombie, my eyes lowered to Kenny’s body as I walked past him to a stool to sit on. My intuition tugged in the pit of my stomach. This was not a coincidental murder.
Once the sisters had collected Kenny, Petunia and Gerald left. Adeline stood hunched in the corner. I swear I could hear the chattering of her teeth. She looked so scared. Or maybe it was my own teeth. Either way, the smell of death hung in the air like a heavy wool blanket.
I told Adeline to stop by in the morning, not asking her why she was here tonight. Reluctantly she agreed and left, but not without leaving me sick to my stomach.
Every time I got near her and Petunia, something told me everything was off with the world. But what? Why those two?
“Are you okay?” Oscar locked the door behind everyone.
“No.” I ran my hands along and under the counter to find my all-important stress relief, Ding Dongs, but there were none there. “Damn! I’m out of Ding Dongs! June’s Gem isn’t going to cut it.”
I made a mental note to drive into Locust Grove tomorrow for a Piggly Wiggly run and stock up on my delicious treats.
“You know I’m going to have to ask you some serious questions.” Oscar lowered his big blue eyes, and I saw a seriousness that I didn’t like. “It seems that asked a lot of villagers how to get in touch with Kenny. Then he showed up dead in your shop.”
“I know how it looks.” I buried my head in my hands. “But I didn’t do it.”
“What did you want with him?” Oscar pulled out his little notepad.
“Are you interrogating me?” I stumbled back and caught the wall behind me. I felt faint, and had a history of fainting.
“I told you that I needed to question you.” He sat the pad on the counter, and then helped me sit on the stool Petunia vacated earlier, making me feel like I was in the hot seat. “I’m the sheriff. I have to ask these questions.”
“All I know is I saw Kenny running toward A Charming Cure when Petunia was throwing her hissy fit about me being named the new village president.”
“You saw him?” Oscar stared at me as if he didn’t believe me. “June, he had been dead minutes before that, meaning there was no way you saw him.”
“Seriously, are you interrogating me?”
“Not without her lawyer!” Mac McGurtle burst through the door with briefcase in hand. “I’m the village president’s attorney. I need to speak with my client.”
Village president? I’d forgotten about that.
Mac pushed his black-rimmed glasses up on his large nose with his thick little fingers, not taking his eyes off Oscar.
“Is my client under arrest?” Mac’s briefcase made a thud when he sat it on the counter.
Meow, meow. Mr. Prince Charming danced around.
There was something else going on. Madame Torres glowed from the bottom of my bag and Belur illuminated from the shelf.
Oscar looked around and shook his head.
“Fine.” Mac took him by the elbow. “If you’d kindly leave while I discuss the events of the night with my client.”
Oscar strained his neck trying to look back at me, but Mac kept him walking toward the door.
“Here is my card.” Mac handed his business card to Oscar. “If you should need any more assistance or contact with my client, please call me, not her.”
Reluctantly Oscar took the card.
“Oh, and as of right now,” Mac pointed between Oscar and me, “you two are no longer a
couple.”
Chapter Ten
Meowl, meooowl. Mr. Prince Charming pranced around on my bed and finally settled on my pillow. Meoooowl. His paw landed on my tear-stained cheek.
I could never have imagined what had happened today. First, I got a crazy genie lamp. Second, I was named the new village president. Third, Kenny was found dead on my shop floor. Fourth, my relationship with Oscar was over, and fifth, my shop was closed until further notice.
“I told you all this was trouble.” Madame Torres appeared in her globe. Sitting on the table, she filled the room with a warm brown glow. I was sure she’d picked the tone to match my somber mood.
“I don’t want to hear ‘I told you so.’” I rolled her to the other side so I didn’t have to look at her. “I want to hear solutions. Mainly, how to get my name cleared and Oscar back.”
Rolling her over didn’t help. Belur was sitting on the dresser across the room from Madame Torres. I didn’t have the energy to referee them.
“Your wish is my command,” Belur belted out from the bottle. His voice trembled.
“Belur?” I propped myself up on my elbows. “Is there something you need to tell me?”
“I can’t stand that ball of fur sitting on your table.” The bottle shook, tipping side-to-side as if walking itself to the far end of the dresser. “The further away I am from her, the better.”
I jump to my feet.
“Did you see what happened last night at my shop?” I took his bottle in my hand and uncorked the top, hoping he’d pop out.
Nothing.
“Hey?” I held the bottle upside down and shook it. “Come out of there.” I demanded.
Nothing.
“Oh, Belur.” I put the top back on and sat him back on the dresser. “I wish I knew how to use a genie.”
Meow. Mr. Prince Charming nudged me.
“You are right.” I glanced at the clock. “Since we have nothing to do all day, we can run into Locust Grove to stock up on some Ding Dongs.”
I bet I wouldn’t be as stressed if I had a treat to snack on.
Mr. Prince Charming jumped off the bed as I searched for my sweats.
“I know.” I smiled, looking down at him doing figure eights around my ankles, letting me know that everything would work out. “I hope it all does. But this time… I looked out the bedroom window and into Whispering Falls. “I think we are in big trouble.”
I’ve been in a pickle or two, but no one was ever found dead in my shop before with no way to explain it.
Luckily, I had grabbed Belur before Oscar told Mac I wasn’t going to be able to use the shop until further notice. I wasn’t sure if it was Oscar’s way of being in charge of me during this time or not, but Mac made it loud and clear we were not allowed to see each other during this investigation.
“Just where do you think you’re going?” Mac McGurtle stood outside of my cottage door as soon as I opened it.
“I’m going to Locust Grove to the Piggly Wiggly.” I looked down in my bag, moving Madame Torres over to fetch the Green Machine keys. “I need some Ding Dongs.”
“I’m going with you.” He didn’t ask me—he told me. “We have some things to discuss. Some things about a bird and classes for level twenty-eight.”
There wasn’t going to be any arguing with Mac. I had learned that a long time ago. Mac was our neighbor in Locust Grove. He was always in our business and watched over me like a hawk after Darla died. Little did I know, the village council had placed him next door to keep us safe and sound from any dark spiritualist trying to find us. My father was killed, and his killer hadn’t been caught. Once I moved to Whispering Falls and found out I had inherited my father’s spiritual abilities, Mac had informed me why he was so nosy all those years.
“Fine, hop in.” I unlocked the driver’s side door of my old green ’88 El Camino, and leaned across the cracked leather seats to unlock his door. Mr. Prince Charming perched on the headrest behind me as he always does. “Hold on!”
I put the Green Machine in gear and floored it. Mac grabbed the handle of the door, holding on for dear life.
I rubbed the dash as we made a mad dash out of Whispering Falls. “Still purrs like a baby.”
I tried not to look in my rearview mirror as Whispering Falls got smaller and smaller. I never went anywhere without telling Oscar. With one hand on the wheel, I placed my other hand on my heart. It ached for him.
“I’m sorry, June.” Mac’s knuckles were white. He was gripping the door handle so hard. “But this isn’t looking good. The evidence is mounting against you.”
“Like what?” Sarcasm dripped from my lips. I had an ironclad alibi. “I was at the smudging ceremony the entire time.”
“Not necessarily.” He must have been getting brave since he let go of the door and slightly turned to face me. “As village president, you automatically get powers that you will have to learn to control.”
“Is that why Petunia was so mad?” I heard her say a million times how she wished she had more powers than talking to spirit animals.
He nodded. “She was next in line before Izzy figured out you inherited your father’s ability.”
It all made sense now why she was so mad.
“What about her?” It wouldn’t have been impossible for her to have killed the Kenny “She was standing in the door of my shop. She could’ve killed him.”
“Gerald said they tripped over his feet, they were hanging out the door.” Mac pulled out his notepad and started to write some things down. But she could have done it. “My old mind isn’t good for remembering things like it used to be.”
I smiled. I wasn’t sure how old Mac was, but he sure didn’t look like he had aged.
“Now,” He clicked the pen, “tell me everything that happened yesterday.”
“I had customers and potions to make. I have a list of the potions I did make.” I eased the Green Machine around the curvy road that led to Locust Grove. “I went to Wicked Good to talk to Faith about her predictions being wrong.”
“Hmmm.” He scribbled something down.
“What?”
“She can go on our suspect list.” He looked over, pushing his big-rimmed glasses up on his nose.
“Faith wouldn’t hurt a fly.” I bit my lip, wondering if I should tell him I gave Faith a little Mugwort to help her hone her spiritual gift. Nah!
“Spiritualists don’t like to be called out for a bad job.” He said.
He was right. I’d never intended to hurt her feelings. I just want her be successful. Over the past few months, I had seen some spiritualists try to make their way in Whispering Falls, only to fail. Would she get back at me by framing me for murder? After all, I did just save her life a few months ago.
I shook the thought from my head. “I saw Petunia chasing that ostrich down the street.”
“Yes, yes.” He shuffled a few papers around, some spilling on the floorboard. “Here.”
He held up a piece of paper with his chicken scribbles on it.
“She said that you were very suspicious of the ostrich. And you asked a lot of questions. It says here that you hindered her from catching the bird by trying to pluck a feather.”
“And that’s a crime?” I shrugged. “It had very pretty feathers.”
“It is, since the bird seemed to have been kidnapped.”
“You mean birdnapped.” I couldn’t help but laugh. If I didn’t laugh at myself, I’d go crazy.
Mac glared at me, not amused at my joke. “The lock on his cage was cut with potion cutters.” He ran his finger along the paper as he read her claim. “You can’t deny the special cut they make.”
He was right. I rarely used potion cutters, but I had them. They were intended for cutting thick potions that were meant to be eaten. I specialized in the liquid potions.
“Automatically, they are mine?” I couldn’t remember the last time I used them. “I bet mine are still hanging on the hook.”
“Nope.” He said. I shot him a look and slammed on the breaks. “I checked, and so did Oscar.”
Smacking the palms of my hands on the steering wheel, I glanced up as tears burned my eyes.
“Oh my,” I gasped, glancing out the window, noticing we had stopped right in front of my old house in Locust Grove. There was a little girl sitting on the front steps in the exact place I used to sit. “I’d give anything to be a little girl again.”
Mac rested his hand on my shoulder. Giving it a squeeze, he encouraged me. “June, we will figure this out. I know you didn’t do it.”
At that moment, I wished I could break the spiritual rule that would let spiritualists read other spiritualists. Then they’d see I didn’t do it.
In silence, we drove to the Piggly Wiggly.
“I’ll wait in the car.” Mac said and continued to write things I had mentioned down in the notebook. It made me a little concerned he said his memory wasn’t as good as it used to be, but I believed in him. He had always kept me safe, along with Mr. Prince Charming and my bracelet.
My intuition told me I was going to be safe, but I had to clear my own name. But how?
Chapter Eleven
Aisle five, aisle five, I thought as I headed straight for the Ding Dongs. I knew exactly where they were. I’d been going to that Piggly Wiggly aisle for as far back as I could remember.
It was Oscar who had gotten me hooked on the darn cupcakes. Oscar’s uncle always had the best junk food, whereas Darla refused to allow the ‘poison chemicals’ in the house, much less put them in our bodies.