Crazy For Brew

by Annabel Chase

  “Would you mind if the sheriff sent in a team to swab for traces of the potion here?" I asked. Although his outrage seemed genuine, I wanted to poke the hornet’s nest a little more and see if I got stung.

  “My door is always open to law enforcement," Toby said. "My brother is head of security at a casino near Monte Carlo. I have a healthy respect for the profession.”

  Edie joined us at the bar. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I keep Toby’s schedule, and I can tell you he would've been nowhere near the other brewery at any point within the relevant timeframe.”

  I smiled. "Relevant timeframe? You sound like me. I'm the defense attorney for Spellbound in my spare time," I joked.

  “Is that right?” Edie said. "I used to be a legal secretary before I met Toby. I quit when we decided to work together."

  "I don't know what I'd do without her," Toby said, snaking an arm around the nymph’s waist. "She keeps me from going berserk every day."

  "It's great to have someone like that in your life, isn't it?" I said. "I'm newly married, and I don't know how I made it this far without Daniel. It feels like a real achievement."

  Edie gave her boyfriend a peck on the cheek. "Toby and I feel very lucky to have found love a second time. We both thought our first marriages would be it. I hadn’t been interested in dating, but my boss convinced me to give Toby a try.”

  “Her boss is the corporate lawyer for my business," Toby explained. “Nice guy for a lawyer. No offense.”

  "I bet he regretted connecting the two of you since he lost his assistant in the process," I said.

  “He always wanted what was best for me," Edie said. "That's how you know you have a boss worth his weight in gold."

  “Well, I hope you're both very happy here," I said. "I know it's changed my life for the better."

  “I'll be honest," Toby said. "I wasn't convinced when Edie first described it to me. The idea of living without all the modern conveniences didn't spark my interest. Once I came and saw for myself, my opinion changed.”

  “He loves all the fey lanterns," Edie said. "And the cobblestone. Such ambience. You can't get that anywhere nowadays.”

  "You got me thinking," Toby said. "If you don't think that Burdock fella is responsible, and I'm not responsible, the only other paranormal I can think of with access to the brewery is the health and safety inspector.”

  Edie began tapping her boyfriend’s arm. “Great Goddess, I told you about him. Remember, Toby?"

  My antenna shot up. "Told him what?"

  Toby rubbed the top of her hand. "You did, hon. I remember now. Edie thought he seemed hostile to newcomers. He made a few negative comments about our presence here."

  "Seriously?" My blood began to boil. A representative of the town had no right to make paranormals feel unwelcome. No one did. “Was it clear what he objected to? Your species or something else?”

  "I can't say for certain," Edie said. "He mumbled under his breath a lot, but I got the gist of it. If you’re looking for someone with a chip on his shoulder, I’d check him out. His name was Earl. An elf.”

  “Thank you," I said. "I'll speak to him. I'm sorry you had that experience. Please know that his attitude isn’t representative of the rest of Spellbound."

  Edie’s expression softened. "We can tell, dear. We've already had more invitations to dinners and parties than the whole of last year in our old town. Everyone has been wonderful about including us."

  I was so relieved to hear that. With a successful business already under his belt and an alibi, I felt confident that New Brew could be crossed off the suspect list.

  "Do me a favor, please," I said. "Keep the information I've shared with you in confidence. I don't want new residents to feel targeted unnecessarily. I'd like to get to the bottom of the tampering quietly."

  "Absolutely," Toby said. "I have no desire to tarnish the reputation of my competitor or the town. As far as I'm concerned, the more visitors, the better. It's good for business."

  I cocked my head. "You know what, Toby? Once this is all over, I think you should invite Mr. Burdock out for dinner or drinks. I bet you two would have a lot to talk about." In fact, I was fairly sure they'd get along well. They seemed to have a similar work ethic and outlook. Not to mention, they had both lost their wives. I never underestimated the power of emotional support.

  "I think that's a great idea," Toby said. "He seems like a savvy guy. I'd love to bounce ideas off of him. A rising tide lifts all boats. I'm a big believer in that."

  I could tell. "I'm so glad I stopped by. It was lovely to meet you both. Hopefully, we'll see each other again soon under more pleasant circumstances."

  Toby raised his glass. "You can bet on it."

  I entered the library and went straight to the head librarian's office. Karen Duckworth was one of the kindest vampires in town, and I knew she’d jump at the chance to help me if she could.

  Stacks of books and paperwork surrounded her in her office. My unexpected knock startled her, and her glasses slid straight down her nose and onto the desk. She fumbled to put them back on.

  “Emma," she said, breaking into a wide smile. "What a nice surprise. How was the honeymoon?"

  "If I’d ever been brave enough to dream about it, I would say it was everything I dreamed of." That was the simple truth. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I would be lucky enough to find an angel like Daniel. I still pinched myself sometimes. Gareth threatened to buy me a book on self-harm if I kept it up.

  “What brings you here?" Karen asked. "Research for a case?"

  "Sort of," I said. "I need to find books with potions that include certain ingredients." I’d brought the lab results from the sheriff's office with me. "I also wanted to ask you whether there were any part-time positions available. I have someone in mind who might be a good fit."

  Karen looked sympathetic. "I wish I did. We've had so many inquiries lately. I've been fortunate enough to be swamped with wonderful choices."

  Well, that was not good news for Micki. I'd have to think of something else.

  "As for the books, you know I can help you there,” Karen said. “Which items do they need to include? I can use the index."

  I gave her the list of five ingredients. “This should narrow it down, right?”

  “Definitely,” Karen replied. “What does the potion do?”

  “Makes the drinker unlikeable,” I said. "You can also try irritable if you’re cross-referencing. An overall negative attitude."

  Karen smiled. "Sounds charming."

  "Hardly," I said. "As soon as we identify the potion, we can work on developing the antidote. Relationships are depending on it.”

  Karen grimaced. "That's unfortunate. I’ll do my best to help you find what you need. Why don't you follow me?" She left her office and walked through the atrium to the reference desk in the center. She scanned the catalogs, making notes as she went. She skimmed faster than anyone I’d ever seen without the aid of magic, and I went to law school with some fast readers.

  “Keep an eye out for a giant named Lizzie Goldman,” I said. “I have a feeling she’s going to be a regular here.”

  Karen seemed delighted. “You know I love my regulars.”

  “She seems incredibly sweet,” I said. “She couldn’t believe the size of our library.”

  “It’s definitely a good size for a giant,” Karen agreed, handing me a slip of parchment. "Here's a list of possibilities to get you started. You'll find these upstairs to the right in the Revenge section.”

  “There's a Revenge section?" I queried. How had I missed that? “Isn’t that offering a little too much inspiration?”

  Karen shrugged. "You’d be surprised how many books have been written with revenge in mind.”

  “Enough for a whole section of the library, apparently." I waved the list in the air. "I'll get started. You know where to find me."

  Karen returned her attention to the catalog while I headed upstairs. As soon
as I reached the next floor, an unexpected sight greeted me. All three Grey sisters sat at a table. The taller and shorter ones shared a single eye between them, passing it back and forth in order to read their respective books.

  "I can't believe it," I said. "I don't think I've ever seen you in the library." I'd barely seen all three of them out of their cave, save for a handful of occasions, my wedding included.

  "Discovered the joys of baking, we have," Effie said. "Gareth suggested recipe books in the library."

  I spun around. "Is he here?" The library was on his short list of places to visit most days.

  “No, not here," Lyra said. "Keeping watch, he is."

  I folded my arms. "Keeping watch over what? Daniel’s boxes? Is he still complaining about them?”

  Lyra smirked. "Change is hard."

  "It's only hard for me because it's hard for him," I said. "I was perfectly happy to embrace change." I walked closer to inspect their choice of recipes. Traditional chocolate chip cookies. Oatmeal raisin cookies. These weren’t even magical recipes. "These are cookies from the human world."

  "Taste like a rainbow in your mouth, they do," Petra said. "A wondrous invention, sugar."

  "How are you baking cookies in the cave?" I asked. "You don't have an oven."

  “A present, we've been given," Lyra said.

  “Someone bought you an oven?” I asked.

  “Famous in the human world, it is," Effie said. "Betty Crocker's Easy Bake oven."

  I wasn't sure I’d heard her correctly. "Did you just say that you have a Betty Crocker Easy Bake oven in your cave?”

  Petra took the single eye from Effie and used it to stare at me. “Correct, that is.”

  "I had one of those when I was a kid," I said. "I'm not sure that you can make real recipes in that, or run it without electricity.” Unless it had batteries. I couldn’t remember.

  The Grey sisters looked crestfallen. "No cookies?" Effie asked sadly.

  "You know you're welcome to use my oven whenever you're in the mood to bake," I said. "I'm sure Gareth would appreciate the company, and he's a master chef. He’d be a great teacher.”

  Lyra closed the book in front of her. “Come now, we will.”

  "Ingredients," Petra reminded her sister.

  “The Wish Market," Effie replied. "On the way, it is."

  Uh oh. What had I done? I hoped Daniel wasn’t home. He’d have a heart attack if the Grey sisters unexpectedly swarmed the kitchen.

  "Which recipes bring you here?” Lyra asked. “Chocolate peanut butter?”

  “I’m a huge fan of peanut butter, but no," I said. "I'm looking for a different sort of recipe. One for a potion."

  Petra raised her wispy eyebrows. "A potion, you say?"

  "Yes," I said, pulling the parchment from my pocket. "One that includes these ingredients." I handed her the list.

  Petra scrutinized my writing. "Chicken scratch, you have." She mulled over what I had written. "A suggestion."

  "Really? That would be great."

  "Forest-based ingredients are these,” Petra said. “Not for fairies or witches.”

  “Then for whom?” I asked.

  “A beginner,” Petra replied. “Or a non-magic user.” Petra rustled the paper. “Check a potion book for children of the forest, I would.”

  “That’s incredibly helpful, thanks,” I said. It would never have occurred to me. I tended to concentrate on the usual magic users when it came to spells.

  “See you at your house, we will,” Effie said, as they gathered their belongings, including the cookie recipe book.

  “Tell Gareth I sent you,” I said. I prayed he wasn’t fuming when I got home. I’d had enough of annoyed Gareth lately. It was bad enough Begonia and Lucy were suffering from the effects of the potion. At least they had an excuse.

  I carried on to the Revenge section and located a couple of books geared toward nymphs and other forest-based creatures. Nature’s Revenge and Curse of the Goddess. I also picked up Nurture Your Inner Demon until I realized it was a misplaced pregnancy book and the title was in reference to a literal inner demon. Oops.

  I sat at a table and thumbed through the indexes, searching for the key ingredients. Finally, I found a contender. “This is it!” I cried, just as Karen approached me with a stack of books. Her face crumpled.

  “Oh, well,” she said, setting down the books. “As long as you found what you came for.”

  “I’m pretty sure I did.” I showed her the book.

  “That one was recently checked out,” Karen said. “I remember because it came back with a funny smell, and we had to have a fairy deodorize it.”

  “Do you know who checked it out?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “The ink on the card was smudged, like it had gotten wet.”

  Naturally.

  “Thanks for your help,” I said. “At least I can get the antidote started, even if it doesn’t help me identify the culprit.”

  “Anytime, Emma,” Karen said.

  I tucked the book in my bag so I could drop it off at the secret lair. Between Sophie, Millie, and Laurel, we’d have the antidote created in no time.

  I hoped.

  Chapter 16

  Thanks to Stan and his intricate knowledge of all Spellbound employees, I tracked down Earl at Moonshine where he was performing a routine inspection. I’d only been to Moonshine in the evening, so it was my first experience viewing it during daylight hours. It was empty now, except for the manager and Earl in the kitchen. They were in the middle of a heated political discussion about whether to place a cap on the number of new residents in a calendar year. An interesting topic considering the reason for my visit.

  “Ahem,” I said, from the doorway. Both of them turned to look at me.

  “Emma.” Anders, the manager, greeted me with a feathery kiss on the cheek. “How’s the most handsome angel in Spellbound?”

  “Still perfect,” I said. “He and Gareth are squabbling like siblings, though, except they do it through me since no one else can hear Gareth.”

  Anders winced. “Marriage is always an adjustment, no matter how much you love each other.”

  “I’m learning quickly,” I said. I faced Earl and stuck out my hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Emma Hart.”

  “I’d have to be living under a rock not to know that,” he said. “I was there when you broke the curse. Saw what your husband did, too.” He shook his head and whistled. “True patriots, you are.”

  “You’re Earl, right?” I said.

  He seemed baffled. “I am. How’d you know?”

  “You recently performed a health and safety inspection on the two new breweries in town,” I said. “Is that correct?”

  Earl shifted from one foot to the other. “Yeah. New Brew and What Ales You.”

  “Which day did you inspect What Ales You?” I asked.

  He rubbed his chin. “It was the day before Spellbound Day. They were going to give out samples at the celebration, so I had to get in there and process results quickly. Missed my karate class because of them.”

  “And they passed?” I queried.

  He nodded. “Both did.”

  Anders placed his hands on my shoulders. "If you'll excuse me, I need to prep for opening. Hope to see you and Daniel again soon."

  “Absolutely,” I said. I waited until Anders was out of earshot to continue questioning Earl. "I heard what you were saying to Anders when I arrived, the thing about a cap on immigration. Do you really feel that way?"

  He hesitated. "I know how it sounds, and I don't mean anything against you. Technically, you’re new, too.”

  “That's right," I said. "And, thankfully, I was welcomed with open arms. I can't imagine how different my experience would have been without the support of the paranormals I met."

  Earl placed his clipboard on the counter and gave me his full attention. "You don't understand. You came here with skills, and it was easy for you. You got a job right away, and you got a place to live.
I'm not a trained professional like you. I could easily get pushed out of this job by newcomers, and I’ve been waiting for years to take over the restaurant inspections. I've been stuck with bars and breweries, and I hate alcohol. I'm a foodie at heart."

  My brow wrinkled. "Earl, why in Mother Nature's name would you say you’re not a trained professional? You’re a Spellbound health and safety official. You have years of experience. Nobody is going to waltz into town and steal your job. The council is fair. Mayor Langtree is fair." Present behavior excepted, of course.

  "We’re going to be flooded with experienced officials,” he insisted.

  I cocked my head. “Flooded, Earl? Really?"

  "It's like the gold rush," he said. "And we don't know anything about these newcomers. They could have criminal records. We’re not equipped to run background checks, not without updated equipment. Equipment that the council has decided not to invest in so that we can stay quaint and attractive to tourists."

  "I'm sorry you see it that way, Earl," I said. "I see it as a great opportunity for the town to grow, and for others to experience the wonders of Spellbound."

  Earl lowered his gaze to the floor. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not a bad guy."

  My tone softened. "I don't think you're a bad guy, Earl. I think we view the same situation through different lenses, that’s all. You've lived here your whole life, and you’re protective of this town. I get it. I just think there are better ways of preserving your life here that doesn’t involve sabotaging new businesses.”

  Earl's jaw dropped open. “Sabotaging new businesses? What are you talking about?"

  "Listen, I know CRAPI is willing to take extreme measures, but tainting ale with a potion is a bridge too far."

  He struggled to form words. "Ms. Hart, I take my job very seriously. There's a reason I was named Health and Safety Official of the Year, three years running. If you think for one second I'm going to jeopardize that to make a political point, you're out of your mind. I want to get promoted, not fired."