I shook my head at his departure. “Fancy being scared of the dark. It’s not even twilight yet.”
Stanley said, “Erm, Cassia, there is something looking at us from the bushes. Would you mind picking me up?”
I immediately did so and felt Stanley trembling in my arms. He whispered, “It’s Astrid. She’s turned herself into a wild animal! She’s going to get rid of us once and for all. Let her eat me first and I’ll do my best to get stuck in her throat.”
“Stanley, don’t talk nonsense.” I turned to face the creature who was watching us. I was prepared to use my magic, no matter how strong, to defend Stanley and me.
The eyes in the bush looked at us without blinking. Then the creature slowly moved forward.
“Oliver!” Stanley declared. He leapt out of my arms and ran over to his brother. “What are you doing here?”
Oliver didn’t speak, which isn’t like him at all as he has strong opinions on everything. I could sense that something was wrong and went quickly to his side and knelt down.
Oliver said quietly, “She left me. She left me without saying goodbye. She’s never done that before.”
“Who left you?” I asked.
He turned his sorrowful eyes to me. “Esther. She left me. I looked all over the house for her. She wasn’t there. I looked in the garden. She wasn’t there either. I went to her favourite shops and places. I peeped into the neighbour’s houses. I’ve walked miles around Brimstone looking for her. She’s not anywhere. Do you know where she is?”
“Oh, Oliver, Gran’s gone away for a few days with Blythe. She left me a note in the apartment. Didn’t she tell you? Didn’t she leave you a note anywhere?”
He shook his black-furred head. His voice was barely audible as he said, “She never leaves without saying goodbye. Never.”
Stanley nuzzled into his brother’s head. “It’s okay, Oliver, you’re with us now. Esther will come back soon. I’m sure she didn’t mean to upset you. She loves you. You know that.”
“Then why did she leave without saying goodbye?” Oliver asked.
Why indeed? Something was seriously wrong here. Gran and Blythe’s disappearance was beginning to look suspicious, but I didn’t want to voice my concerns in front of the cats.
I said to Oliver, “Do you want to come back to the apartment with us? There’s plenty of food and drink in the fridge. I noticed earlier that Gilda has put some of that fish pie in the fridge that Stanley loves.”
Stanley said, “It’s delicious. You can have it all, if you like? There’s some cream too. Double cream. It’s yummy.”
Oliver’s head dropped. “I haven’t got an appetite. I think I’ll look for Esther again.”
I picked him up and said sternly, “The only place you’re going is to the apartment with Stanley and me. You will have something to eat, and then you’ll have a good sleep. Gran will turn up in her own time. She’ll be mortified to know she’s upset you. You know that, don’t you? You know how much she loves you, don’t you?”
Oliver sighed. “I suppose so. I think I could manage a little bit of something to eat.”
I kept Oliver in my arms as we returned to the apartment. The investigation into Dana Murphy’s death would have to wait until tomorrow.
Chapter 29
When I work up the next morning, I found Oliver in the same place where he’d fallen asleep the previous night - right at my side. He’d been too upset to sleep in his cat bed and I suggested he sleep on the bed with me. The fact that he said yes immediately confirmed how worried he was. Normally, he barely gave me the time of day and would never have considered cuddling up to me for the night. But last night, he’d settled on top of the bedcover and moved closer to me until his head was resting on my arm. Stanley snuggled up to him and sang the lullaby that I’d crooned to Stanley earlier. It worked a treat and Oliver had soon drifted off to sleep.
He was still asleep now. Stanley was nowhere to be seen and I presumed he was in the living area. Very carefully and slowly, I moved over to the side of the bed and lowered myself to the floor. I tiptoed to the bathroom and silently closed the door. Once I’d finished in the bathroom, I tiptoed into the living area like some undercover agent in pyjamas. Oliver remained asleep.
I found Stanley in the living area and he greeted me with a cheerful, “Good morning. Did you sleep well? Is Oliver still asleep?”
“Yes, I slept well, and yes, he’s still asleep. I did hear him whining a bit in his sleep.”
Stanley sighed. “I heard that too. Poor Oliver. He’s missing Esther a lot. I’ve been out this morning and I’ve had a look for her. I even went back to her house and looked for her there. But there’s no sign of her. I spoke to Gilda at the café, and she said she’ll keep an eye out for Esther and Blythe. I don’t know what else we can do.”
I knelt at Stanley’s side and stroked his head. “It was kind of you to go to all that trouble. I think we should talk to Brin later about our missing couple.”
Brin was a house brownie who worked with Blythe. They lived in the same house. If Blythe had left town, she was sure to have told Brin where she’d gone. Surely?
Stanley said, “I’ve already spoken to Brin. Blythe left her a note similar to the one Esther left you. It said she was going away for a few days with Esther, and that Brin shouldn’t worry about them.”
I shook my head. “I think they’re being irresponsible and I’ll tell them that when we finally catch up with them.”
Oliver came into the room. There was hope in his eyes. “Esther? Is she here? Has she come back?”
I beckoned Oliver over. He looked left and right as he did so. It was like he was expecting Gran to be hiding somewhere, ready to pop out and say hello.
Oliver sat next to Stanley and said, “Where is Esther? Is she coming here soon?”
I turned my attention to Oliver and stroked his head now. “We haven’t located her. She’s still out with Blythe somewhere. They’ll come back soon. I’m sure of it. Now, what about some breakfast?”
“Yes, please!” Stanley announced. “I’m famished.”
Oliver lay down on the carpet with his head on his paws. “I’m not hungry.”
Stanley lay at his side and said, “You will be when you see what Gilda has made for us this morning. She said it’ll chase all sad thoughts right out of our heads!” Stanley looked my way and added, “When I went to the café this morning, Gilda said she’d make a special breakfast for us all. She said she’ll put something in the fridge for us while I went out looking for Esther. I don’t know if she has because I’ve only just come back. I haven’t had the chance to check the fridge yet.”
“It was kind of Gilda to do that,” I said. “She’s so generous.”
I walked over to the fridge and opened it. I found café plates with food on them, along with a note from Gilda. I took the plates with Stanley and Oliver’s names on them and placed them in front of the cats. Oliver’s whiskers twitched and he looked at the plate with interest.
Stanley said, “Oh, look! My very favourite fish pie! Yum! Oliver, if you don’t want yours, I’ll have it.”
Oliver muttered, “I might have a nibble or two.” His little tongue shot out and he tasted a bit of the pie. His eyes lit up and he sat up straighter. His voice was brighter as he said, “This is delicious. I’ve never had this pie before.”
I left the cats to their breakfast and went back to the fridge. There was something wrapped in foil on a plate with my name on it. The note from Gilda said I’d need to keep my strength up today. She had a strong feeling that I’d need it. I didn’t like the sound of that. I unwrapped the food package and a delicious herby aroma hit my nose and made my mouth water.
Stanley called over, “What has Gilda made for you? It smells scrummy.”
“Her note says that it’s a vegetarian sausage sandwich.” My nose wrinkled. “I’ve tried vegetarian sausages before and I wasn’t impressed. It was like eating cardboard.”
“Ah, but these are
vegetarian sausages made by Gilda. They won’t taste like cardboard.”
“I suppose so.” Despite the sandwich being in the fridge, it was still hot. Gilda must have used some of her cooking magic on it. Or maybe there was something special about the foil it was wrapped in.
I quickly made myself a cup of tea and then took my breakfast to the table next to the window. I gingerly took a small bite of the sandwich. The sausages didn’t taste like cardboard at all. They were packed with flavour and an assortment of herbs danced over my tongue. I got a taste of rosemary, then a hint of basil along with a bit of mint. The herby taste woke my taste buds up and made them tingle with joy. There was butter on the bread and it had melted over the sausages adding a light, salty taste to the mix.
I finished the sandwich in less than three minutes. I sat back and lay my hands on my stomach in satisfaction. I would be ordering that breakfast again.
Oliver came over to my side and announced, “Don’t just sit there with that silly smile on your face. We’ve got work to do!”
“Pardon?” I looked down at him. He had that annoyed look on his face which I was familiar with.
He continued, “We’ve got an investigation to deal with. Or have you forgotten? You and Stanley really should have settled this case by now. Not that I’m blaming Stanley. You’re the justice witch, and you should have had this case sorted out.” He shook his head in despair. “Anyway, I’m here now and I’ll offer my help. Come on then, what are you waiting for?”
I couldn’t help but smile at the indignant cat. “I see you’re back to your normal self, Oliver.”
“Don’t get all soppy. We haven’t got time for that. Get dressed. You can’t go out looking for a murderer dressed in your pyjamas. Stanley will get me up to date with what’s been going on.” He gave me an irritated look before walking away.
I shared a smile with Stanley. As bossy as Oliver was, it was good to have him back to his normal self.
Chapter 30
Bearing in mind what Astrid had told us about Fiona Fairfax buying property from Ralf Gnubles, we decided to call on Fiona first. We flew to her business premises with Stanley sitting in front of me on my broomstick and Oliver sitting behind me. Oliver proceeded to give his opinion on every aspect of the case as we flew along. Part of me wished he’d start missing Gran again and then turn silent and morose once more.
We had a shock when we landed in front on Fiona’s building. Fabrice Fairfax was standing in the middle of the crazy paving with his face twisted to one side. As I looked closer, I realised he was trying to smile. He was wearing a light grey suit and a bow tie which had all the colours of the rainbow on it.
He continued to give us a lop-sided smile as we walked up to him. He spread his arms out and boomed, “Welcome to my new business premises! I’m putting the fun back into funerals!” His cheeks twitched as he tried to hold onto his smile.
“Your new premises?” I asked. “How? Why? Where’s Fiona? When did this change happen?”
Fabrice dropped his hands and smile at the same time. “Which question do you want me to answer first.” He looked at Oliver and Stanley. “Why have you got two cats with you? Are you collecting strays? That black one looks as if he might need my services soon.”
“Excuse me!” Oliver retorted. “I am at the peak of good health! And I’m certainly not a stray. How dare you?”
Fabrice took a step back and pulled at his bow tie. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
I said to Fabrice, “Where is Fiona?”
“She’s looking at some of her new business properties. She’s bought six of them recently. She has been busy. But that’s my sister for you; she never misses a business opportunity.”
I nodded. “I’ll talk more about that in a moment. I’ve got some questions for you about your relationship with Dana Murphy.”
“My relationship?” He let out a nervous laugh. “I never had a relationship. Unfortunately.” He smiled wistfully into the distance. “I wish we had. We would have made the perfect couple.”
“I’ve heard that you often asked her to go on a date with you. When I last spoke to you, you claimed you’d been talking to Dana about business matters. Which part is true?”
Oliver stepped forward and added, “Tell the truth, Mr Fairfax, or you’ll have me to answer to.” He gave Fabrice a penetrating stare.
Fabrice swallowed nervously and looked away from Oliver. “All of what you said is true. I did want Dana to work with me. But I’d fallen desperately in love with her and I couldn’t deny it. I knew it was only a matter of time before she realised she loved me too. I thought if I kept asking her out, she’d eventually say yes.” He smiled sadly. “I think she was on the verge of saying yes. But it’s too late now.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” I asked.
He let out a long sigh. “Matters of the heart are private.”
“Not if they’re connected to a murder,” I told him sternly. “I asked you yesterday if you knew someone who wore a red cloak with a hood. You said you didn’t. That’s a lie. You know full well that Kelvin Yinran is the one who wears a red cloak. You intend to do business with him.”
Fabrice fiddled nervously with his bow tie. “I admit I wasn’t truthful on that score. But my dealings with Kelvin have nothing to do with Dana. And they’ve got nothing to do with you.”
I took a moment to locate my patience. It was inside me somewhere.
While I was trying to find my patience, Oliver moved closer to Fabrice and said, “You should have told Cassia everything; every little detail. You’ve wasted her precious time. I can see in your eyes that you know that, Mr Fairfax. We could have you arrested for wasting our time. Now, tell us why you’ve taken possession of your sister’s building.” His tone turned harsher. “Don’t leave any details out.”
Fabrice nodded vigorously. “I’ll tell you everything. Everything. Fiona is going to be busy with her new properties and she won’t have time to work here. She’s selling this business to me. She said I have to keep the fun aspect going.” He pointed to his colourful bow tie. “Look. This is fun.”
Oliver gave him a small nod as if Fabrice had answered him correctly. “I know that you ordered some coffins to be made by Skye Cedarmist. Why did you do that? How did you know that you’d need more stock? Remember, Mr Fairfax, I want the truth.” Oliver wound his tail around Fabrice’s leg and stared up at him.
I folded my arms. Oliver was an excellent interrogator. Fabrice was shaking slightly under Oliver’s intense stare.
Fabrice said, “Fiona knew a while back that she would be getting those new properties. There are six of them altogether, and she was certain she was going to get them all. She told me a while ago that she’d be moving on and added she’d let me have this building. At a reasonable price, of course. She is a tough businesswoman, after all. I thought I’d better get some coffins ready. I know Fiona likes her customers to have peculiar-shaped caskets, but I can’t bring myself to do that. A traditionally shaped coffin is a beautiful thing, don’t you think so?”
Oliver replied, “It doesn’t matter what I think. When exactly did Fiona know she was going to get her new business properties?”
Fabrice considered the question. “About a month ago. I asked her who she was dealing with, but she wouldn’t tell me. She said keeping the seller’s identity secret was part of the deal. She didn’t even tell Dana about it. I still don’t know who the seller is.” He attempted a smile. It was a weak one and it didn’t last long. “That’s all I know, and it’s the truth.”
Oliver released his tail. “That’s all the questions I have for you at the moment. Cassia, do you have anything you want to ask Mr Fairfax?”
“I do have one question.” I looked at Fabrice. “Are you going to work with Kelvin Yinran in the retirement homes?”
“I think I will. His predictions are sometimes wide of the mark, but he is getting better. He picked up on certain information about the residents at The Ca
terpillar Home which turned out later to be true. I think he does have a gift. He needs to practise, that’s all. Why are you asking me that?”
I shrugged. “No reason. I don’t have any more questions.”
We were about to leave when someone opened the gate behind us and cried out, “Am I going to die soon? Am I?”
Chapter 31
Bert stood there wringing his hands together. His cardigan had been buttoned up incorrectly and he was wearing his slippers. He repeated, “Am I going to die soon?”
I moved towards Bert and placed my hand on his arm. Keeping my tone gentle, I said, “Hello, Bert. Do you remember me? I’m Cassia Winter. You know my gran, Esther.”
He nodded. “Esther? Yes. I know her. Is she here? Can she help me? I want to know if I’m going to die soon. That woman hasn’t been to see me yet. She talked to my friends, but she hasn’t talked to me yet. I want to know when it’s my turn.” His eyes filled with tears. “I’m tired and my brain is foggy. Can you help me? Please?”
I looked over at Fabrice and said, “Can I take him inside?”
“Of course.” He stood to one side. “I’ll go over to the retirement home and let them know Bert has escaped.”
“Thanks.” I kept my hand on Bert’s arm and led him inside. I took him into the lovely lounge at the back of the building and settled him in a chair near the window. I put my broomstick on the carpet, pulled a chair up close to him and took his hands in mine.
Oliver and Stanley sat in front of Bert and he smiled down at them.
I said to Bert, “Have you seen that beautiful water feature outside? Look at those butterfly-shaped stones and the water as it flows over them. Isn’t it wonderful?”
Bert looked that way. His grey eyebrows rose. “It is wonderful. Look at those little rainbows! Look how they move.”
The Silent Banshee (A Brimstone Witch Mystery Book 5) Page 14