brimstone witch 10 - deal with the grim reaper

by April Fernsby

  His words gave me comfort and strength. I jumped onto the broomstick with renewed energy. Stanley joined me. I sent as much magic into the broomstick as I could, and we headed over to Adonis Blue at a speed which I’d never experienced before. Stanley loved it, of course.

  Stanley’s voice came on the wind to me, “We’ll have this investigation sorted out before dinner. Go faster!”

  Chapter 8

  I kept my head low as we whizzed through the sky. The ground below me was a blur. All I could register as we rushed along was the air whipping at my clothes and hair, and the delighted cries coming from Stanley.

  I gripped the broomstick for dear life and hoped my magic wasn’t going to waver anytime soon.

  A short while later, our speed decreased and we headed downwards. I raised my head and looked at the town which was coming into view. Adonis Blue. I was immediately drawn to the various shades of blue on the roofs and in the buildings. I heard a fluttering sound behind us and became aware of a cloud of blue and brown butterflies heading our way. They flew closer and surrounded us, their wings flapping merrily. They were like a welcoming party.

  Stanley raised his paw at them and said, “Hi! I’m Stanley, and this is Cassia. We’re very pleased to meet you.”

  The nearest blue butterfly landed in front of me, settled himself on the broomstick and turned his head my way.

  I said to him, “Hello, there. We’ve come from Brimstone. We’re looking for Jackreth Hammerhands. I’ve been told he owns a jewellery shop.”

  The butterfly dipped his head, alighted from the broomstick and flew over to my side. One by one, the butterflies arranged themselves into the shape of an arrow and they moved over to the right.

  Stanley laughed and said, “They’re guiding us towards the jewellery shop. Aren’t they marvellous? They’re as clever and helpful as the Brimstone butterflies.”

  We followed the blue and brown arrow downwards. We came to a rest on a light-blue coloured path and got off the broomstick. I said thank you to the butterflies and they flew away, still staying together like a beautiful cloud.

  Stanley proclaimed, “Wow! Cassia, look at the buildings. They’ve all got tiny specks of blue in them. Aren’t they beautiful? And look at the residents walking about. They’re all wearing blue and brown. Some of them are smiling at us. Isn’t this a lovely town?”

  I took in our surroundings and nodded. The buildings were no more than three storeys high and their bricks sparkled in the sunlight. The residents were indeed smiling our way.

  I said to Stanley, “I love the shade of blue on the roofs. It reminds me of something, but I can’t think what.”

  Stanley gazed at the roofs and said, “I know what it is. It’s that lovely colour the sky goes on a summer’s day. That kind of summer’s day when you have nothing to do but laze around, stare at the sky and spot the occasional cloud. It’s a peaceful kind of blue. A blue that brings peace and joy to your heart.”

  I smiled down at him. “Very poetic.” I regarded the building in front of us. “This must be Jackreth’s jewellery shop. Look at all the beautiful items on display. They’ve all been made with gorgeous blue crystals.”

  Stanley lifted his front paws like a toddler waiting to be picked up and said, “I can’t see anything from down here. Lift me up, please.”

  I propped the broomstick against the window of the shop and picked Stanley up. We took a few moments to admire the exquisite silver and gold jewellery on display in the window. My attention was drawn to a silver-chained necklace which had a butterfly-shaped crystal on the end of it. The crystal was light blue in colour with tiny flecks of brown glitter in it.

  Stanley noticed me looking and said, “You should buy that necklace for yourself. It would look lovely on you.”

  I reluctantly took my attention off the beautiful necklace. “I don’t have time to think about buying things. Perhaps once we’ve solved this murder case, I might come back and consider it. I think Gran would love a necklace like that too.”

  I collected the broomstick and we went into the jeweller’s shop. It was light and airy and the display cabinets at the sides showcased even more exquisite jewellery. The blue crystals looked even more eye-catching in here.

  A dwarf was standing behind a counter at the rear of the room and he was busy cleaning something sparkly in his hands. His hair was brushed back off his head and he was sporting a neatly trimmed beard. Gold-rimmed spectacles perched on the end of his nose. He was wearing a black business suit which had blue threads running through it. Gold rings decorated most of his fingers and each one was set with a blue crystal. He was intent on his cleaning job and seemed oblivious to our entry.

  We moved over to the dwarf and introduced ourselves, startling him in the process. The dwarf put down the item he was cleaning and pushed his spectacles further up his nose.

  I said, “Are you Jackreth Hammerhands?”

  He gave us a smile. “I am. Are you looking for a particular piece of jewellery?” He gave me a quick look up and down and raised a ring-clad finger. “I know just the perfect item for you. A butterfly-shaped crystal on a delicate silver chain. It would look amazing on you. It’s on display in the window, but I can get it for you. Would you like to try it on?”

  As tempted as I was, I shook my head and continued, “I’m here to talk to you about your brother, Oddec.”

  The professional smile dropped from Jackreth’s face. “I haven’t spoken to my brother for twenty-five years, not since I left Brimstone. Why are you asking about him?”

  “Did you know he was reported missing twenty-three years ago?” I asked.

  “I did hear rumours to that effect. Has he been found?”

  I replied, “Not that I’m aware of. Stanley and I are looking into his disappearance as a matter of urgency. Do you have any idea as to why he left his home?”

  Jackreth gave me a long look before saying, “Why are you so sure he’s missing? When I heard the rumours he’d gone missing, my immediate thought was that he’d been murdered.”

  “Murdered? Why would you say that?” I studied him closely.

  Jackreth explained, “My brother made many enemies through his business dealings. He was lazy by nature and was always looking for the easy way to make a profit even if that meant swindling his customers and associates. I thought someone might have had enough of his ways and decided to do away with him. It happens.”

  I said, “You’re giving me a different impression of Oddec. His wife told me something altogether different about his character.”

  A smile alighted on his lips. “That’s Mowibela for you. She was always loyal to Oddec and was blind to his faults. Despite that, I do have a soft spot for her, and I hate to think of her being in distress over Oddec going missing.” He sighed heavily. “I wish I could have done more to help her when I was still in Brimstone. I wish I could have made her see sense about Oddec and his business dealings. She would have been better off without him.”

  I filed that bit of information away for later. I said, “Do you know of any enemies in particular who wanted Oddec out of the way?”

  “Keftan Gubler. He owns Grand Quarry Mines. He was always on at Oddec and Mowibela to sell their mine. Oddec hated Keftan Gubler and said he would only sell the mine to him over his dead body. But that didn’t stop Keftan from continually asking him to sell the Hammerhands Mine. Mr Gubler is that sort of individual who never gives up until he gets what he wants.”

  I looked around the jewellery shop and said, “This is a lovely place you’ve got. The jewellery is amazing. Why did you leave Brimstone to come here?”

  There was a hint of bitterness in Jackreth’s voice as he said, “To be honest, it was because of Oddec. He kept going on and on at me to work in the mine. Some people are cut out to work in the mines, but I wasn’t. I hated being beneath the earth and in the dark. I explained this to Oddec many times, but he said I was letting the family down by not working in the mine. He claimed I was being disloyal. Pah!
He didn’t know anything about loyalty. He only wanted me to work in the mine to take the workload off himself. I even overheard him saying that to Mowibela one day. I knew I’d never get any peace from Oddec if I stayed in Brimstone, so I made the decision to leave. I’d heard good things about Adonis Blue, and it was far enough away from Brimstone, so I decided to settle here. I’m glad I did. The residents here are so friendly, and there isn’t a mine in sight.”

  I asked him, “Do you think it’s possible Oddec came to this town too? Could he have started another business here? Or be hiding out somewhere?”

  “I highly doubt that. This isn’t a big town, and if Oddec was here, I’m sure I would have bumped into him by now. As for setting up a business, he’s too lazy to do that.”

  I gave him an understanding nod. “Do you think anyone else in this town will know anything about Oddec’s disappearance?”

  “I don’t think so, but I can ask around. You never know, someone might have come across him in the past. My brother is not someone you forget easily.”

  The door to the shop opened and two female vampires came in wearing long, blue robes. They walked straight over to the counter and gave Jackreth eager looks.

  One of them said hopefully, “Are they ready? Please say they’re ready. We can’t wait to wear them.”

  Jackreth said to me, “Would you excuse me? I’ve been working on special tiaras for these lovely customers of mine. If you care to take a seat over there, I’ll be with you as soon as I can.” He shot his customers a quick look before turning back to me. In a lower voice, he said, “It could be a while. I need to make sure the tiaras are just right.”

  I said, “It’s okay, we’ll leave now. I don’t have any more questions for you. Thank you for talking to us.”

  Jackreth nodded. “If I find out anything about Oddec, I’ll let you know. And if you change your mind about the butterfly necklace, just get in touch.”

  Stanley and I left the shop and got back onto the broomstick.

  Once we were airborne, I said to Stanley, “What did you think about Jackreth? Do you think he knows what happened to Oddec?”

  Stanley said, “He could do. Did you see the look that came into his eyes when he talked about Mowibela? I think he had more than fond feelings for her. What if he got rid of Oddec because he wanted him out of Mowibela’s life? I know he left Brimstone twenty-five years ago, but he could have returned for a visit and been annoyed at how badly Oddec was still treating Mowibela. I don’t think we got the full truth from him.”

  I nodded. “I got that feeling too. We should make enquiries about Jackreth. Stanley, hold on tight. Prepare for warp speed.” I lowered my head, cast my magic into the broomstick and off we zoomed.

  Chapter 9

  We rushed back to Grand Quarry Mines and jumped into the steel carriage which took us into the elevator. A growing sense of unease and impatience was growing in my stomach. I didn’t have time to be flying back and forth talking to various suspects. I voiced my concerns to Stanley.

  He said, “If only our suspects would admit the full truth immediately, it would save us such a lot of time.”

  Once out of the elevator we rode the short distance over to Mrs Bribs. She wasn’t pleased to see us and her face scrunched up in annoyance.

  She snapped, “Mr Gubler has only just returned from a business meeting. He’s having his midday cup of hot chocolate and can’t be disturbed. Take a seat back in the carriage and I’ll let you know when he’s finished.”

  “I don’t have time to wait until he finishes his hot chocolate,” I said. I glanced at a door behind Mrs Bribs and said, “Is that where his office is?”

  Mrs Bribs shot to her feet and placed herself in front of the door with her arms outstretched. “You can’t disturb him! He won’t like it.”

  I aimed an immobilising spell at Mrs Bribs and she froze immediately. I gently pushed her stiff body to one side and then I moved closer to the door.

  Stanley said, “Are you going to leave her like that?”

  I gave him a nod. “If I release her, she’ll only come running after us once we go through this door. I’ll sort her out after we’ve spoken to Mr Gubler. Stanley, I don’t like being so forceful, but we have to get this matter solved quickly.”

  “I know we do. You might end up freezing more than one creature today. I wish I could do that too.”

  I opened the door and walked through it with Stanley at my side. There was a short corridor in front of us and we soon came to a door which had Mr Gubler’s name on it. I rapped sharply on it, swung it open and stepped into the office.

  It was a large office and I could feel a gentle breeze on my face. The walls had been painted with images of trees and flowers which gave the room the impression of being outside and not five thousand feet beneath the earth.

  Keftan Gubler was sitting behind a large, steel desk with a small cup raised delicately to his lips, his little finger sticking out at a delicate angle. Everything about him looked sleek and polished. It was like someone had taken a duster to his face, hair and clothes and given him a good clean. But there was a calculating look in his eyes as he turned them on us. It was like he was considering the best way to swindle us. I didn’t trust him one little bit.

  Keftan lowered his cup, raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow and said, “May I help you? Have we got an appointment?”

  I shook my head and moved towards him. “I’m Cassia Winter, and this is Stanley.

  Stanley gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

  Keftan put his cup down, placed his folded hands on the table and gave us a smile which had a hint of malice in it. “Ah, Cassia Winter. Yes, I know who you are. You’re a justice witch, aren’t you? What are you doing here? Have you discovered I’ve been up to no good? Are you here to arrest me for some minor wrongdoing?” He chuckled, but I could see he wasn’t joking at all.

  I explained, “I’m looking into the disappearance of Oddec Hammerhands.”

  He snorted with derision and leant back in his chair. “You must be joking.”

  “I’m not joking at all. This is a serious matter. I want to talk to you about Oddec and his disappearance.”

  “Disappearance? He didn’t disappear. The sneaky creature ran away.”

  “Ran away? Why would he do that?”

  “I can think of many reasons. One of them could be because his workers were making complaints about how he treated them. Oddec didn’t care at all about his workforce and the terrible conditions they were working in. I know for a fact they confronted him about it on a regular basis. He ignored them and even threatened some of them. He had no idea how to be a manager. Not like me. I know how to treat my workers so that I get the best out of them. Not everyone is cut out to be a manager. It takes a special sort of creature.” He held his hand out and looked at his polished fingernails.

  I said, “Someone like you?”

  He gave me a satisfied nod. “My business is expanding all the time, and it’s all thanks to my knowledge and expertise. I’d be happy to take that old mine off Mowibela’s hands. I’ve offered to do so many times. If only she would come to her senses and realise that Oddec is never coming back. We could agree on a price and get this matter finally sorted. I can’t believe she’s being so stubborn about it. Nevertheless, I’ll keep reminding her of what a good business decision she’ll make by selling the mine to me.”

  “Mowibela told me Oddec had a meeting with you on the night before he went missing. What was that meeting about?” I asked.

  “I don’t see what that’s got to do with his disappearance, but I’ll tell you anyway. I had regular meetings with Oddec about selling his mine. I’ve found over the years that if I put a business proposition in front of someone on a regular basis, they will eventually agree to my terms. That’s what I was doing with Oddec. I think he liked the attention I gave him. Anyway, normally during our meetings, Oddec refused point-blank about selling the mine. He’d moan about the mine being in his family for yea
rs, and he had no intention of selling it. But during that last meeting, he surprised me by saying he would give the matter his serious consideration. I thought he was finally coming to his senses and my long-term plan had worked. We even agreed on a provisional price.”

  “Oh? Did he say why he’d changed his mind?”

  Keftan gave me a slow nod. “I asked him about that. He said things had changed in his life recently, and he wasn’t certain he was going to be staying in this area for much longer. He wouldn’t say any more than that, and I didn’t consider it any of my business. I told him my offer would stand for twenty-four hours and then I would reduce the price. Oddec agreed to those conditions and said he would meet me the following day. When he didn’t turn up, I went over to the mine and was told by Mowibela that Oddec had gone missing. I thought the sneaky dwarf had sold his mine to someone else and then run away as he couldn’t face me. But that doesn’t appear to be the case as no one has come forward in all these years to claim the mine.”

  “You said before you could think of a few reasons why Oddec would run away. What other reasons could there be?”

  “I suspect his business was failing and Oddec couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it. Also, some of his workers were leaving as they’d had enough of their terrible working conditions. Some of those workers are now employed by me. Oddec was the kind of creature to run away because he couldn’t face his responsibilities. He was a coward.”

  “We’ve just paid a visit to Oddec’s brother, Jackreth. Do you know anything about him and why he left Brimstone?”