My heart thundered in my ears as their voices grew even closer. They were both in the office!
“I’m sure they’re here,” one voice said. “Look over there.”
Martha appeared in the closet with me, with a few coats bisecting her body. I was glad it was dark, or it would have been unnerving to look at too closely.
“What are Alex and Jackson doing here?” she whispered, though the men couldn’t hear her. “What are they looking for?”
I heard desk drawers opening and closing, then one voice said, “They wouldn’t fit in there, what are you doing? Check the closet.”
My heart fell to my feet. It was a small closet, there was nowhere for me to hide.
I snapped my eyes shut, and thought of a spell. I wasn’t powerful enough to actually make myself invisible, but I could will the eye away. As long as both these men were full mundanes and not in the least bit sensitive, they might not see me.
I thought about Spooky too late, but he pushed against my ankle just as the closet door opened.
I opened my eyes just a crack. A man around Martha’s age, who I assumed to be Alex, peered inside. He was handsome and clean cut, with a worried crease at his brow. After giving the closet a quick once over, he shut the door.
I nearly slumped to the ground in relief. My magic must have gotten stronger, because I really didn’t expect the spell to work. Illusion had never been a strong suit of mine.
The footsteps and voices retreated as they went to search the rest of the house. Martha left me, presumably to follow them.
Eventually I did slump down to sit. It felt like I had been in the closet for over an hour by the time they finally left. Spooky had fallen asleep beside me, seemingly none too worried about any of it.
Even after I heard the front door open and shut, I stayed put, waiting for Martha to return and tell me the coast was clear.
When she finally returned, she was crying. She huddled in the closet with me, wiping tears that would never fall off her face, since they were as incorporeal as she was. “I think they were searching for the paintings that Cheryl took. They both must have known about them. I don’t understand. Alex isn’t a criminal.”
I didn’t argue with her, though all signs pointed to Alex not being exactly who she thought he was. Both her ex husband and her employee knew about the stolen paintings, and they wanted them back. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were valuable enough to kill over. If either of them thought Martha was onto them, would they kill to cover it up? It was the most plausible motive we had found so far, though I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.
I stood and waited with Martha while she processed what was going on. When she hadn’t spoken for a while, I opened the door and staggered stiff-legged out of the closet. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I suddenly realized how lucky I was that it hadn’t gone off while Alex and Jackson were in the office.
I saw Luna’s name on the caller ID and answered it.
“Thank goddess you answered,” she sighed. “It seems things have escalated.”
My gut clenched. “What do you mean?”
“Mom sensed the dark magic at her house last night. She stayed inside her wards, and luckily it didn’t try to break through because she’s not sure she could have kept it out. I just got to your house and the place has been ransacked. You were right to not come home.”
My knees buckled, and I slumped to the floor. “Ransacked?”
“I think the necromancer was trying to figure out where you went. We finally got a hold of Logan and he’s coming over. Apparently mom had asked him to keep you out of the murder investigation because you had more than enough to deal with. He thought he was doing you a favor in ignoring everyone’s calls, until I left him a message saying you were in danger.”
I rubbed my forehead, feeling dizzy. “We should have let him continue ignoring us. This is too dangerous to involve him in.”
“The necromancer is human. If all else fails, maybe he can be arrested.”
“If he doesn’t kill everyone first!”
She was silent for a moment. “He really has you scared, doesn’t he?”
“You bet he does, and now I’m worried for the rest of you. We all should be hiding out, not just me.”
Another moment of silence. “We can’t all just hide. We have to deal with this. Mom called in cousin Amber.”
“Seriously?” I balked. Amber was actually my mom’s cousin, not ours. I guess that made her a second cousin? Or maybe distant aunt? I wasn’t sure, but I did know mom hated cousin Amber. She wouldn’t call her if things weren’t dire. “Then I’ll come back home. We’re stronger together.”
“You’re the one he wants, Addy. Let the rest of us deal with this. Can you stay where you’re hiding today?”
I watched Martha as she floated near the window, peering outside, her gaze distant. “I think so, but Luna, how are we going to deal with this?”
“Amber is as strong as mom, maybe stronger. We’ll figure it out, Addy. We’ll keep you safe. I need to go, I think Logan is here.”
I winced. I really didn’t want Logan getting involved in this. “Let him look around, file a report, then get him out of there and don’t call him again.”
“Okay, sis. Be safe.” She hung up.
Just as I lowered my phone, it buzzed again. Logan’s name popped up on the caller ID, but I ignored it. He would have a lot of questions, and I wouldn’t have any answers.
Martha turned to me. “Addy, I know you’re going through a lot right now, but we need to figure out why Alex was here looking for those paintings. If they think I took them, one of them might have killed me.”
“But how are we supposed to figure that out?”
She frowned, apparently as at a loss as I was.
Remembering something from the previous night, I removed the slip of paper Spooky had found at Cheryl’s from my back pocket. I punched the address into my phone, my eyes widening at what popped up. A pawnshop in the city. Maybe the one where Cheryl had abandoned the stolen paintings?
I stared down at the address. It was only about a thirty minute drive, and I wouldn’t mind a distraction from worrying about what my family was dealing with without me.
“Martha,” I said, looking up at her, “I think I have an idea.”
Hope sparkled in her eyes, and I prayed I wasn’t just leading her to a dead end. It was a long-shot, but if I could get my hands on those stolen paintings, I might be able to use them to get Alex or Jackson to tell me the truth.
I might not be strong enough to deal with a possessed necromancer, but maybe I could at least bring one friendly ghost her justice.
Chapter Twenty
I sipped the last of my to go cup of coffee as we pulled up to the small parking lot of the pawnshop. I had felt a little weird about going through Martha’s pantry and using her coffee pot, but she had insisted I have breakfast. It just seemed wrong to eat her food and use her things in front of her when she would never be able to use them again. I felt a little less guilty about the can of tuna I’d found for Spooky, but only a little.
Martha leaned over in the back seat, peering through the window at the pawnshop. “I can hardly picture Cheryl coming to a place like this.”
I observed the building with her, and I had to agree. Cheryl, who had bawled her eyes out about stealing stolen paintings, had walked past these barred up windows with hopes of fast cash and an end to her troubles. “Why wouldn’t she just sell the cabin?” I muttered to myself.
“Well, she’s very proud of it,” Martha answered. “I do wonder where her money troubles came from to begin with though. The cabin was left to her free and clear, and she has worked at the bank for years.”
I shrugged, not really thinking much of it. People found all sorts of ways to get themselves into debt, even when they made enough to live on without it.
I glanced at Spooky, debating leaving him in the car, then thought better of it. I suspected his presence had given me
the extra power to hide myself when Alex looked in the closet, maybe he could help me charm whoever ran the pawnshop.
I unbuckled my seatbelt, then looked to Martha. “Maybe you can snoop around while I ask about the paintings. If the guy knew they were stolen, he might not be keen on answering any questions.”
With a nod, Martha popped out of sight.
I grabbed Spooky and walked across the lot toward the pawnshop, tuning out the din of traffic and distant voices that was the constant soundtrack of the city, even a small city like Wickenburg. I wasn’t sure how people could live in places like this where there were hardly any trees and silence was a thing found only with earplugs.
I reached the door and went inside, taking a quick look around. The shop was five times the size of Blake’s place and ranged from expensive furniture and electronics, to jewelry and leather coats. Near the counter were power tools and more expensive electronics like video game consoles, along with diamond rings beneath a glass display case. Behind the counter stood an older man with thinning gray hair and a round belly. Hopefully he was the same guy Cheryl had talked to. There was a door at his back, either leading to an office or storage. Or maybe it was just a bathroom and nothing interesting at all.
He gave me a wary smile, glancing at the black cat on my right arm, but not making comment. I imagined he saw all sorts in a shop like this.
“Can I help you?” he asked as I reached the counter.
I gave him a friendly smile. “I’m a buyer of antiques, I’m wondering if you have any special pieces to offer.”
His smile faltered. “Everything I have is out on the floor, feel free to take a look.”
I stepped a little closer, glancing to make sure no other customers were nearby. “Are you sure? I’ll pay good money for rare pieces.”
His eyes narrowed. “What sort of rare pieces?”
“Oh anything, but primarily paintings.”
He splayed his fingers on the glass countertop. “Look lady, if you’re a cop, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I’m not doing anything illegal here, and I haven’t done anything to deserve being hassled.”
Martha melted through the door at his back, an excited grin on her face. She pointed to the back room and mouthed, Paintings.
I gave her a subtle nod and smiled charmingly at the man in front of me. I was only going to have one shot at this, so hopefully I didn’t blow it. “I assure you, sir, I’m not a cop, but I do know one. He would probably be pretty interested in the paintings you have stashed in that room behind you. Do yourself a favor and leave them in the back alleyway and I’ll take care of the problem for you.”
His skin turned paler than Martha floating next to him. “Look, some lady just left them here. I don’t want any problems.”
“Like I said, leave them out back and I’ll take care of it. No one has to know.”
His sagging cheeks puffed as he let out a long breath. “Fine, just get rid of them. I should’ve thrown them in the dumpster to begin with.”
I didn’t ask him why he hadn’t. If they were valuable enough to steal, they were valuable enough to sell if you knew the right people. Since I didn’t care about selling them, I didn’t bother to ask.
I gave him a little salute with my free hand, then walked confidently back out of the store, hoping he wasn’t trying to trick me.
After waiting a few minutes in the car, we drove around back and sure enough, the paintings were there wedged behind a dumpster. There were five of them, and fortunately they weren’t too big to fit into my trunk. I didn’t really want to be caught driving around with stolen paintings in the back seat.
Once they were secure, we headed back toward Martha’s.
“So what’s our next step?” she said excitedly, leaning forward near my shoulder.
I took a turn that would lead us out onto the highway. “We’ll send each of the men a text with a picture of some of the paintings, and we’ll offer them a deal. They tell us who killed you, and we give the paintings back, no questions asked. They obviously want them pretty badly.”
“But what if they each say the other one did it?”
I hadn’t really thought about that. “Then we ask them for proof. And even if they don’t have it, if they each accuse each other then we know that one of them is probably the killer.”
“I suppose it’s a start,” Martha sighed. “I just hope I don’t run out of time. I want to be around long enough to help you with your problem too.”
I smiled, glad I made the choice to help Martha today instead of worrying about my own problems. I mean, I was still worried about them, and worried about my family, but it felt like there was nothing I could do on that end. At least if I helped Martha, I wouldn’t be totally useless.
“So say we actually figure out who the murderer is,” Martha pondered. “How are we going to prove it?”
I frowned, keeping my eyes on the road. “That’s going to have to be a problem for another day. If I tell Logan I know who the killer is, I think he’ll believe me. Then at least he’ll know right where to look for proof.”
“You would trust the same man who ignored your calls all day yesterday?”
I sighed, unable to come up with a good answer. I understood why he had ignored my calls, he was trying to keep me out of trouble. I understood it because today, I would be doing the same to him.
Chapter Twenty-One
Once we were back at Martha’s house I spread the paintings out on a white sheet in her office and started taking pictures with my phone. I didn’t want the flooring to give away where the paintings were, and now that Martha’s house had already been searched, it should be the last place either of them would look.
I had talked to Luna on the drive back. Logan filed a report on the break in, and wanted to know where I was. I was starting to feel bad about ignoring his calls, but I wasn’t sure what I could tell him. I definitely didn’t want him out looking for the necromancer, but to prevent that I would have to lie to him. I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t want to lie.
And so, he got ignored, and I would solve the case without him.
Once I had enough pictures on my phone, I turned to Martha. “I was thinking about how I would contact them. If I send a text, they might be able to look me up by my number, but if I create a fake email they won’t know who it’s coming from. Maybe someone tech savvy enough could trace the IP address, but that would take time.”
She turned toward her desk and reached for a drawer, her hand going right through it. “Oh my, why did I think that would work?” she muttered.
I stepped around and opened the drawer for her, giving her a wary glance.
“My address book,” she explained pointing downward. “I have Jackson’s email in there. Alex’s I know by heart.” She reached for the address book and her hand passed through, as if she had already forgotten again that she couldn’t physically touch things. She looked at her hand like it had betrayed her.
I gingerly picked up the address book, still watching her closely. “Are you all right?”
She scratched her transparent nose, looking at the book in my hands. “I just feel a bit fuzzy and tired. This is the first time I’ve felt tired since I died.”
She was continuing to fade, and I wasn’t sure if telling her as much would make it better or worse. “Why don’t you rest a little while? I’ll send the emails to Alex and Jackson. I’ll let you know when they reply.”
She nodded, her eyes distant, then she floated out of the room. Spooky watched her float away, then trotted after her.
“All right, Jackson,” I muttered as I sat crosslegged on the floor. “You first.”
I found his email easily enough, and Alex’s since Martha had forgotten to give it to me. I made a fake email on my phone to send from, linking it to my mail app so I would get notifications. Once that was ready I sent them both identical messages, telling them that if they told the other about the email, the paintings would be burned.
Now all that wa
s left to do was wait. I hid the paintings in the office closet, throwing the sheet then some coats over them. Hopefully Blake wouldn’t come by to start appraising the house. He would probably recognize the paintings Cheryl had tried to sell him and might mention to Alex that they were here.
I had just closed the closet door when my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket to see a new email, a reply from Alex.
All it said was, “Meet me tonight, 9 PM,” followed by an address.
I hurried out of the office to show Martha and ask her if she knew the address, but found her hovering horizontally over the couch, her eyes closed.
Spooky was sitting on an adjacent chair watching her.
I sidled up to him. “I think all this flitting around wore her out,” I whispered. “We’ll let her rest until it’s time to meet Alex.”
Spooky blinked up at me, then continued watching Martha.
Since I had time to kill, I went into the kitchen and called Luna again, but it was Callie who answered.
“What’s up, sis?” she asked. I could hear her boots echoing across flooring as she walked away from other voices.
“Why are you answering Luna’s phone?”
She chuckled. “Cousin Amber will be arriving in a few hours. Luna and mom are strategizing on how to handle her.”
I sighed. “Well at least she’s coming. I’ll feel better about leaving the rest of you to face the necromancer with her around.”
“Yeah, it’s afterward that I’m worried about. Last time I thought we’d never get rid of her. She agrees though that you should stay away. The dark magic could possess you and use you against us.”
I shook my head, though she couldn’t see it. “Last time I had to let the dark magic in willingly.”
“Well from the sounds of it, the necromancer didn’t let it in willingly, but it went for him anyways. And now with his magic, this thing will be stronger than ever. You need to stay put wherever you are.” She was silent for a moment. “You are staying put, right Addy?”
I had been planning on telling her about my meeting with Alex, but her words made me think better of it. I didn’t need my mom or my sisters worrying about me when they had something serious to deal with. “Yeah, I’m staying put. Bored, but perfectly safe.”
Catnip Cantrips (Twilight Hollow Witchy Cozy Mysteries Book 2) Page 10