I gave Leo a sideways glance, because we’d already decided that we weren’t going to bring Bree’s safe up to Liam.
You decided that all on your own…not me.
“I’m going home,” Bonnie declared, a flush of anger steadily rising in her cheeks. “I did not steal any money, and I did not set any fires. And my name is not on that brochure. You’re trying to trick me into a confession, and it’s not going to work.”
Poor Bonnie. She has no idea that she’s already busted.
Liam arched an eyebrow as he held up the brochure with Bonnie’s name clearly written in red ink. Somehow or other, magic had etched the letters into the paper for all to see. The supernatural never failed to amaze me with its mysterious ways.
“That’s not possible,” Bonnie whispered in shock. She even took a step backward, but there was no denying that the brochure was hers. It was like watching the hands on a clock tick by as the realization she was busted clicked in her mind. “Mrs. Barnes, I can explain. I was only borrowing the money. I was going to return every cent, I swear.”
Wow, she’s backpedaling like an Olympic cyclist, isn’t she?
“Bonnie, why wouldn’t you have come to me if you were in trouble?” Cora asked, her eyebrows into a V deeper than any valley I’d ever seen.
“Cora, I don’t believe that Bonnie took the money because she was in trouble financially,” Liam expressed his thoughts, holding up the brochure. “Bonnie, were you ever planning on coming back to Paramour Bay?”
The good ol’ sheriff has her number, doesn’t he?
“Why would I come back to a podunk town like this?” It appeared that Bonnie had finally given up the pretense that she wasn’t behind the stolen money and fires. “If I’m going to work in a malt shop, I’d rather work at an ice cream shop in Cancun. At least they have beaches and sunshine to make it all worthwhile.”
She’d do well on Lizard Island. After she gets out of prison, I mean.
I didn’t understand why there were people in this world who didn’t love the benefits of a small town, where there were townsfolk who relied on each other and looked out for one another. I’d been raised in New York City, and Bonnie needed to know that the grass wasn’t always greener on the other side. Sometimes it was just more of the same.
I don’t think Bonnie is going to need to know that particular detail where she’s going. How many years do you think she’ll get for all those felony arson cases?
“And the fires?” Liam asked gently, clearly knowing in his line of work that the longer he kept Bonnie talking…well, the more she’d confess.
“I was just trying to buy myself some time before Beetle found out the truth about the money,” Bonnie admitted, tears filling her eyes. The waterworks weren’t due to guilt, but more for the fact that she’d been caught. “No one got hurt. I even tried to throw Chief Mason off my trail by lighting the garbage on fire behind Monty’s hardware store, but then Beetle had to go and ask everyone to reprint their receipts before I could get out of town. I was leaving for Cancun tonight.”
Bonnie slid an accusing stare Sam’s way, but his relief was evident that he’d proven his own innocence.
Is he innocent, though? Is he?
Leo was still trying to figure out why Bree had a safe full of cash, but that wasn’t any of our business. The woman hadn’t done anything wrong to warrant being revealed by our magically enhanced amateur sleuthing. Paramour Bay was safe once again, and I took pride that Leo and I had been a part of the solution.
I guess I never thought of it that way. I’m Batman, though. You can be Robin. Yellow is more your color than mine.
“The only place you’re going is jail, Bonnie,” Liam countered, motioning with his hand that Bonnie needed to go with him. He was nice enough not to use cuffs, but I had no doubt that the next few hours would be filled with paperwork, calls to lawyers, and maybe parents who would see to it that their daughter was released on bail during the first hearing. “Let’s go.”
She’s got a one-way ticket to Cancun. Trust me, no judge would give that young woman bail. Her entire intent to commit the crime was predicated on escaping the country.
Leo and I remained by the cash register as everyone began to leave the shop. Liam escorted Bonnie across the street, while Cora had immediately taken a right on the sidewalk. No doubt she was calling her husband with the bad news. Or good news, depending on how one looked at the situation.
As for Bree, well…she was aiding her limping nephew in the opposite direction toward her car to take him into the city to have his ankle looked over. I’m sure we could expect a visit from her soon regarding the gourmet coffee inventory I was about to have on hand.
Ask for cash. By all that is Mother Nature, the woman certainly has a lot of it.
“We did good today, Leo,” I murmured, a bit sad that my Valentine’s Day plans had all but faded away. At least Paramour Bay was safe from a self-centered young woman who apparently never considered the consequences of her actions. “Looks like it’s just you, me, and Ted tonight.”
Ted had to cancel on me. Apparently, he’s got dinner plans.
Liam and Bonnie had made it across the street. He opened the door to the station, and it wasn’t long before both of them were out of sight.
“I wonder—”
Don’t. It’s better not to know.
Leo was right, but if Ted continued to have these mysterious dinner dates…let’s just say Leo and I would have to do some investigating.
In the meantime, my phone was vibrating. It was probably Heidi asking which dress she should wear on her date with Jack tonight. I sighed in disappointment as I pulled my phone out of my skirt pocket. A shot of happiness streaked through me faster than the energy I had needed to pull for the spell.
A cantrip that I’d performed correctly, mind you.
You’re actually celebrating the fact that you didn’t have all of us boarding a plane to Lizard Island? Sweet angels of the supernatural, we have a lot of work ahead of us.
Ignore Leo. As you’ve read over the story, you can see for yourself that I’m getting better and better at all this magical stuff.
Anyway, I’m elated due to the fact that Liam texted me.
Guess what?
No.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I grumbled, refusing to allow Leo’s anticipated bad mood to ruin mine. “Liam just let me know that we’re still on for tonight, but just not until after nine o’clock. Looks like we’re heading home to prepare dinner and tidy up the house, Leo.”
Oh, joy of joys. I feel a hairball coming on.
Shoot. Leo had just told me that his plans with Ted had fallen through, which meant he’d have to either spend the evening at home during my dinner with Liam or tag along with Ted. I guess Leo could have roamed around town for a bit or stayed at the tea shop, but I couldn’t bring myself to suggest such a thing.
“Did I mention that I bought you a Valentine’s Day present?”
Leo tilted his head to study my expression, but I was telling him the truth. It hadn’t been easy keeping secrets from him, so I’d had to wait to look for his special gift during the times when he was asleep or taking a stroll around town.
Do I get a hint? I need to know if it’s worth me staying at home to bear witness to a relationship that is doomed for failure.
I refused to believe that Liam and I would fail, especially given that things had been going good so far. The whole witch thing could remain under wraps given a reasonable amount of effort. Everyone had a small secret or two, right?
Small? We need to redefine your characterization of proportions.
“Leo, I promise that you’re going to love your gift.” I gave him a wink and went to collect my dress coat from the back. “Trust me.”
Famous last words…
Chapter Twenty
THE DOORBELL RANG a little earlier than I’d expected, but I’d been able to get the house cleaned, store away all the magical components and ingredients I
had on hand, and cook dinner to perfection. I had just finished tying a red scarf around my waist to give my black dress with the long bell sleeves an added bit of color and texture.
“Too bad Leo can’t answer the door,” I muttered to myself, coming down the spiral staircase that fed into the bedroom loft above the kitchen. Liam wasn’t due for another twenty minutes, but he must have finished up earlier than expected. “Leo, how do I look?”
I’ll let you know after you give me this gift you lured me with into staying for this fiasco.
“I’ll get it in a second,” I reassured him, not wanting to keep Liam waiting out in the cold on the front step. At least it was dark out so that stark branches of the vines growing out front weren’t too visible. Come April, I’d have to enlist Ted to help me make the front of the yard presentable. “Coming!”
I hadn’t wanted to go barefoot or wear my slippers for my date, so I’d put on a pair of ankle boots that had a higher heel than I was used to wearing. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to wear with my accident-prone tendencies.
If it stops you from opening that door…
Leo was busy cleaning himself in the middle of the windowsill, certainly giving Liam a show as he waited for me to open the door. Leo was trying to ignore that the next few hours would be spent entertaining Liam.
“Be nice,” I warned, reaching out for the door handle with one last shooting glance at Leo. “I’m serious. Be on your best behavior.”
I finally swung the door open with a bright smile on my face, completely taken aback by the man standing on my door step.
Wow. I didn’t see that coming.
I had no doubt that if I’d glanced over at Leo that I would find his hind legs spread wide with his mouth hanging open in shock. I had to agree with him on the shock factor.
“Rye.” Don’t get me wrong. It had taken me at least five seconds to get my voice to work. “What are you doing here?”
I never thought I’d say this…but I’m glad the sheriff is about to pull up to the house. Now this is what I call a show.
“I heard about what happened with Bonnie, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Rye had his hands in his coat pockets, but he’d used his elbow to indicate he’d been driving past. “I have to head into the city, and I saw your lights on. After you checking in on Gertie for me, I thought the least I could do was return the favor.”
Please tell me that you’re not buying this bullpucky.
I will admit that the palm of my hand sometimes tingled whenever Rye was around, but it was cool as a cucumber right now. I don’t believe he posed a threat, and I wasn’t the type of person to be mean for the sake of being mean.
Besides, Rye was giving me the most charming smile that made it hard to believe that he was being anything other than sincere.
He could be another Ted Bundy.
“I appreciate the gesture, Rye. I’m okay. Really,” I reassured him with a smile of my own. It had been very sweet of him to go out of his way to make sure that I was okay, and in no way did Rye remind me of a serial killer. “The situation with Bonnie wasn’t dangerous, but she is definitely in trouble for stealing money from the malt shop and setting all those fires around town.”
It was quite awkward to stand in the middle of the doorway, allowing the cold air to enter the house. I’m sure Rye could see the candlelight dinner I’d set on the table, which made for an even more self-conscious moment. But he wasn’t here in any other capacity than a friend, so inviting him in was the right thing to do.
Is it the right thing to do, Raven? Is it?
“I’m expecting Liam any moment, but would you like to come in?” I asked, ignoring the commentary from Leo. I was sure to get quite a bit of it tonight during dinner, but I was having a hard enough time dealing with this unexpected visit. In an odd way, I wasn’t so sure how to act around Rye. “It’s pretty cold out there tonight.”
The man now has freezer burn after that letdown. Mentioning Liam was cold, Raven. I take back everything I said. Rye Dolgiram now looks like a lost puppy out in the rain. How could you be so mean?
“I appreciate the offer, but I was really just stopping by to make sure you were okay.” Rye motioned once again to the main road. “I’ve got plans of my own in the city. Enjoy your evening, Raven.”
Wait. Did he just ring the doorbell to snub you? I’m calling that a double gotcha.
I was left just inside the doorway to watch Rye walk back toward the gate, where his vehicle was waiting for him. I only just noticed the faint sound of the motor running, alerting me to the fact that he’d been telling the truth all along.
Rye had been here just to check on me, and I hadn’t been the nicest of hosts. With that said, I found it odd that Rye would stop by the house when he’d never done so before, even with the excuse to make sure I was okay after today’s confrontation with Bonnie.
Either that or he is a serial killer who thought he could get away with dismembering your body without anyone the wiser. I just don’t know which way to go!
“He is not a serial killer,” I grumbled underneath my breath, just in case Rye had good hearing. I kept a close eye on the man as he opened the gate, causing the hinges to do their thing and scream out in alarm that someone was touching it. “Uh-oh. He’s looking back this way.”
“Raven, I have some stuff in my truck that will take care of this for you,” Rye called out, pointing to the hinges. “It won’t take long, and then I’ll be on my way.”
I gradually closed the front door with a wave of thanks, not in any hurry to let him out of my sight. I mean, it wasn’t an odd thing for a handyman to say, was it? He saw something wrong, and his immediate reaction was to fix it. Right?
That’s a trick question, isn’t it?
“I’m just finding it rather odd that Rye is being so nice after so many months of us keeping our distance from each other.”
Did it ever occur to you that my theory about a serial killer is spot on, and that he’s oiling up those hinges so that the next time he comes…you won’t hear a thing?
“One, you and I both know that my right palm warns me at any hint of danger,” I reminded him, wishing I could look out the window without being caught. “Two, I’ve personally tried WD40 on those hinges, and nothing makes them shut up. The only one who can open the gate without a sound is Ted, which I have yet to figure out the reason why. I think Nan put a ward on it to give an alert of anyone approaching. Ted doesn’t trigger the alert because he isn’t human.”
I ran my hands up and down my arms to gain a bit of warmth now that the cold was finally dissipating. Maybe I should add a log to the fire. Liam would be here any second, and I wanted everything to be perfect. It didn’t take me long to feed the flames and have the additional heat radiating from the fire at the perfect temperature.
“Leo, are you sure you wouldn’t rather spend the evening at—”
I would have finished my question had I not caught sight of Leo looking like he’d seen a ghost. Trust me, we’d encountered one before. I remember the exact moment Leo’s gaze had landed on the spry Mazie Rose Young in her otherworldly form—which had included a delicate teacup and a pink floppy hat. No one could say that she hadn’t gone out in style.
“Leo, what’s wrong?” I began to make my way over to him when the doorbell rang. Was he pulling some type of prank where I flung open the door and expected Rye, but in reality, it was Liam? Or had Rye returned? “I’m not falling for it. Rye should have left by now, and Liam is due any second.”
Do you think that catnip can cause hallucinations?
“No. Well, maybe. Dr. Jameson didn’t say anything about the catnip other than you couldn’t overdose on the stuff.”
I wrapped my hand around the door handle once more.
Then we have a problem.
I’d even turned the handle, letting whoever was on the other side know that I was at the door. But how did Leo expect me to conduct myself with composure when there was obviously a prob
lem somewhere?
“Leo, you better tell me now.” I wanted everything out in the open so that I wasn’t preoccupied during dinner. “Spill it!”
I think Rye Dolgiram might be a… No. No, forget I said anything.
I wonder if there was a way to travel back in time to find out what Leo had seen through the window. Could there be a spell somewhere in the grimoire?
“Don’t answer that,” I warned, swinging the door open before I could change my mind. There was nothing I could do about this tidbit of information now, and nothing—I repeat, nothing—was going to ruin this Valentine’s Day dinner. “Liam! Oh, my goodness! They are absolutely beautiful.”
The dozen red roses that Liam was carrying in a beautiful red vase was beyond stunning in their arrangement. There were even those baby breaths sprinkled throughout the blooms, giving an appearance that was simply breathtaking.
No pun intended, right? Hey, listen. Maybe I did hallucinate Rye…well, do what he did. I mean, what are the odds that he’s some type of… Never mind. Seriously, let’s just forget I ever said anything, okay?
I was beginning to think that Leo had learned to protest a bit too much, similar to what he’d accused me of earlier in the story.
There is only so much drama I can take, and I’ve reached my quota today. Hey, can I get my gift now? I’m beginning to think you made that up so I wouldn’t be mad that I was stuck here with the two of you.
“Raven, it is you who looks absolutely beautiful,” Liam claimed, taking in my outfit that I’d so painstakingly changed my mind about every ten seconds until I’d found the red scarf. His dark eyes practically caressed me, and I realized that this was how Valentine’s Day should be spent—with someone who appreciated me as much as I appreciated them. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Liam had yet to let go of the vase that I had wrapped my hand around, but instead used it to draw me closer. I accepted his kiss, causing a warmth inside of me that the hearth could never generate.
It’s going to be a long night, isn’t it?
Charming Blend (A Paramour Bay Cozy Paranormal Mystery Book 5) Page 15