by Amy Boyles
Brock finished chewing his bite and said, “Great. I’ll send someone over a little later to pick them up. Meanwhile, why don’t we get this cleaned up and grab a bite to eat?”
A look of panic spread over Sera’s face for half an second. Then she glanced at Brock and all the fear and anxiety dissolved, replaced with a sappy love look.
Sera nodded. “Sounds perfect,” she said. “I’ll go get ready.”
As soon as she was gone, Brock’s gaze cut to me. “I’ll keep an eye on her. It’s been tough ever since the attack. I’ll get her mind off it.”
I gave him a hug in thanks. “You’re a lifesaver. I didn’t know what to do.”
He smiled. “Don’t you worry. I’ll take care of her.”
We walked back into the living room. “I’ll send folks to pick this up,” he said, eyeing the mountains of confections shoved into the corners.
“Thanks. I love cupcakes, but I don’t need to be forced to eat all this,” I said.
My gaze slewed to Roman. Oh my gosh! I’d almost forgotten the balding stone or marble or rock or whatever the heck it really was.
“We need to get going,” I said.
Roman tossed a smug smile my way. “I was waiting for you to say that.”
Since his car was at Milly’s, we hopped into mine. Roman’s six-two frame was suffocating in my car. It was like trying to stuff a giant teddy bear up a hollowed-out watermelon. I almost choked on the cloud of testosterone billowing off him.
We rumbled out from the carport down to Milly’s. My brakes squeaked when we stopped in front of her house. I pushed open the door and raced up the stairs. I had to know what the heck was going on with that marble.
Milly didn’t answer when we knocked. “Do you think she’d mind if we let ourselves in?” I asked.
Roman drummed his fingers on his hips. “Seeing as I’m representing the law in this situation, it would probably be better if we didn’t. She’ll be home soon.” He shifted his weight onto his right hip. “We know that marble isn’t going anywhere.”
“We do?” I said. “Can’t be sure about that. Someone might steal the snake, or give it a laxative.”
Roman chuckled. “Come on. I’m hungry. Seeing all those cakes gave me an appetite.”
“How hungry?”
“Darlin’, I’ll eat whatever you put in front of me.”
I quirked a brow. “Sounds like quite the challenge.”
We drove separately downtown to Gus’s, home of the deep-fried burger. I peeked a glance at Dewy’s shop in time to see Rick leaving. I glanced at my store and saw Reid cleaning the window. She’d seen him, too. Darn it. I’d probably have another crisis to deal with soon.
“I can’t stay long,” I said. “I need to do some paperwork at the shop. You know, the one I’ve been neglecting the past few days?”
Roman shrugged. “You need a new assistant.”
“I think you’re right.”
We ordered a couple of burgers, some fries and a milkshake for each of us—strawberry for me, vanilla for Roman—and sat down. After eating, we decided to meet up later at Milly’s, when we hoped she’d be home.
I walked into my store.
“Reid?”
Sobs came from the bathroom. Giant, hiccupy-sounding ones. Great. Could this day get any worse? I reminded myself not to ask that question, because inevitably it could. I grabbed a box of tissues and opened the bathroom door.
“You okay?” I handed her a tissue.
She sniffled. “Yes. No.” Reid threw up her hands. “I don’t know. I just thought I loved him so much!” She sobbed into the Kleenex.
I patted her head. “Rick’s a jerk. He doesn’t deserve you.” I knelt down. “Reid, you’re so much better than him. You’re a thousand times better than him, and when I say a thousand, I actually mean a million.”
Reid laughed bitterly. “Love stinks.”
“Yes, it does.”
She hiccuped a few times and blew her nose. I gave her some ibuprofen to ward off the headache I knew she’d have later.
“You can go home,” I said. “I’ll finish up.”
“You sure?” she asked.
“I’m sure.”
She balled up her fists. “I just want to tell him off. Tell him what a jerk he is.”
I hugged my baby sis as she sat on the toilet. “Don’t do it. You’ll feel worse after you do.”
“But I think that’ll make things better.”
I shook my head. “Trust me, it won’t. It’ll only push Rick away more. Just leave it alone and try to forget about it. Now go on home. There’s lots of cupcakes there to eat.”
Her eyes brightened. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “Every kind you could wish for. If you get there before Brock’s monkey army, that is.”
“I’ll get fat,” she whined.
I squeezed her shoulders and said, “Then your next boyfriend will love you exactly the way you are.”
Reid sniffled a little, blew her nose and pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. “I think I need chocolate.”
I smiled. “Go home. A chocolate kingdom awaits.”
My sister gave me a swift hug, shouldered her bag and left. I sighed as I watched her go. Though her heart throbbed with hurt from Rick dumping her, it would heal. She would find someone else. That was the easy part. The hard part was convincing yourself to shed your doubts and fears.
I finished cleaning and spent a few hours on paperwork. Bending over my desk had put a kink in my back, so I rose and stretched, taking the opportunity to get some circulation going back in my legs.
I crossed to the front door and leaned my forehead against the cool glass. My eyes glazed over as I watched Main, not really paying attention to what was going on until I noticed a body barging straight toward me.
I blinked. It wasn’t just any body—it was Dewy Dewberry.
I ran my fingers through my hair because for some reason I always felt the need to look my best around her. As if she cared.
I stepped back, tripping over a chair and landing flat on my rump.
Dewy entered.
“Oh my gosh. Are you okay? Do I need to call an ambulance?”
I smacked dirt off my rear end and rose, ignoring the hand she offered.
“No, Dewy. Contrary to popular belief, when I fall I don’t break things. I’m not eighty years old.”
She tsked. “You’re getting close to thirty, and it’s not that far from eighty in dog years.”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. There was no comeback I could make to that except, “Only if you’re a dog.” Dewy gave me a sad, pathetic smile as if I were a hound dog or something. “What do you need, Dewy? Out looking for a pole to rub your breasts on?”
“Oh, ha-ha. No. Actually, I’m looking for Roman.”
I smirked. “He doesn’t shop in here.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know that. I haven’t been able to reach him on his phone, so I thought I’d see if he were here. Mmm hmm.”
I shook my head. “He’s not. But I’ll be seeing him later, so I can give him a message if you’d like.”
Dewy clicked her tongue. “I totally don’t think you should deliver this. No, I need to tell him face-to-face, or phone to phone.”
I shrugged. “Suit yourself. But if it’s really so important, I can get a message to him.”
Dewy glanced around the store. “Well, okay, but I’m only telling you because you sort of know what’s going on already.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“I mean, it’s not my fault my partner ditched me after we went on that one ride.”
“You mean when you showed up together at Norwood’s?”
Dewy nodded. “Yeah. I guess he likes working alone. But when I get assigned to someone, I stay assigned to them.”
“Good to know you’re loyal.”
“Oh yes, like a cat.”
I picked a piece of lint off the floor and dropped it in a trash can. “Not s
ure cats are loyal. But anyway, what is it you want me to tell Roman?”
Dewy shrugged. “I’m totally almost one hundred percent sure I know who killed Norwood.”
I paused. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “Seriously. It took me all day and I missed my manicure appointment, but I’ve got this one nailed.”
“Well? Who is it?”
She smiled sweetly. “Sorry. I can’t tell you. I can only tell Roman.”
I debated calling Roman right then and there, but I wasn’t convinced Dewy’s detective skills were any good. I decided the best thing to do was to tell him when we met up at Milly’s. After all, if the marble showed one of us who the killer was, then it would only reinforce whatever Dewy had discovered.
“I’ll let him know,” I said.
She looked at me as if expecting me to grab my phone and start dialing. “I’ll tell him when I see him later. I think he had some top-secret stuff to do today.”
“Don’t wait too long because I don’t want them to get away. Mmm hmm.”
“I’ll let him know lickety-split. Thanks for stopping by.” Dewy frowned, a little crinkle forming between her eyes. She didn’t look particularly happy to be leaving, but I didn’t want her to stay.
As soon as she disappeared out the door, I picked up my phone and dialed Roman.
“Dewy stopped by. Said she knows who the killer is.”
“Yeah, she’s been texting me.”
I did a fist pump of victory because he hadn’t replied to her. “Don’t you want to know?”
“I haven’t had time to call her. I’m at Milly’s.”
“You were supposed to wait for me!”
“Sorry, darlin’. I drove by and saw that she was home. I’m here now with the marble.”
I grabbed my purse. “Don’t do anything. I’ll be there in five.”
TWENTY-ONE
“Okay, what’s the plan?” I asked Roman and Milly.
Milly glanced at Roman and then back to me. “I’ll put the thing in my mouth.”
I threw her a concerned look. “What? Why you?”
Milly cleared her throat and spit the contents into a nearby trash can. “Because I’m old, toots. If anyone in this room has nothing to lose, it’d be me.”
“I’m sure the stone’s not going to kill you.”
“Think again,” she said, pointing to the aquarium. The snake lay in the bottom, his albino skin the color of paper.
“Is it dead?” I asked.
Roman nodded. “Looks that way. I didn’t get a vet over here to check its pulse or anything.”
“Is it cold?”
“It’s always cold,” Milly snapped. “It’s a snake.”
I held out my hands like I was directing traffic to stop. “Okay. Hold on a minute. Dewy says she knows who killed Norwood. Maybe no one needs to swallow the marble, or even put it in their mouth. Why don’t we just ask Dewy about her lead and go from there?”
Roman cocked his head toward me. “Do you really trust her lead?”
“Well, no.”
“Do you have a better suggestion?” Roman said.
“No.”
Milly clapped her hands together. “It’s been too long since I battled for my life, anyway. I’m ready to take things to the next level, as you kids say.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yep, we say that all the time, but generally not when it deals with death and dying.”
Milly dismissed me with a wave of her hand. “Pah. I’m not going to die. It’d take a lot more than a toxic marble to get rid of me.”
I looked at Roman. He shrugged. I argued with Milly for at least an hour, but she wouldn’t budge—she wanted to be the sacrificial witch. Finally I gave up.
“Okay, whatever you want to do then,” I said.
“Great. Get me a pillow. I’m going to lay back for this.”
I grabbed one off the recliner and crossed to the couch. “But you might choke on the marble.”
Milly shot me a dark look.
“Listen, I don’t want you to choke or die doing this, so why don’t you sit up and play nice?”
Milly grumbled something under her breath.
“What was that?”
“I said let’s get this over with.”
I grinned widely. “That’s what I thought. Now where’s the marble?”
Roman displayed it between his finger and thumb. “Right here.” He handed it to Milly. “Do we need a safe word?”
“Yeah,” she snarled. “How about help?”
“Sounds good to me,” he said.
Milly stared at the marble for at least half a minute before saying, “Here goes nothing.”
She popped it in her mouth and clamped her lips shut. I stared at Milly. She stared back at me. I held my breath, waiting for something, anything to happen. Milly sat, poker-faced, as if she too were waiting for the heavens to open or something.
I gave it a few seconds before saying, “Is that it? Should we give up?”
Milly opened her mouth to say something. It clamped right shut. Purple smoke wafted out of her nose.
“Oh no! Are you okay?”
She nodded but kept her mouth shut.
“Do you think she’s okay?” I said to Roman.
“I’ll force it out of her mouth if her eyes roll back.”
Milly jerked. Her hands splayed out and her eyes rolled up into her head.
“Go for it,” I said.
Roman strode to Milly, placed a hand on each side of her face. She pulled away. I couldn’t tell if she was doing that on purpose or if the marble was causing her erratic movements. But when her body started shaking and she lifted from the couch as if demon-possessed, I was pretty sure all that was the marble.
I rushed over. “We’ve got to get it out of her mouth.”
Roman placed his hands on her cheeks and squeezed.
“Can you spit it out, Milly?” She stared at me with blank, expressionless eyes. “Spit it out!”
Smoke puffed from her ears like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. I flattened my hands and whacked both of her cheeks. Hard.
The marble flew from her mouth. It soared across the living room and hit Polly’s cage. The bird flapped his wings and squawked at us.
“Milly, are you okay?” Blank eyes stared across the room. I shook her. “Milly?”
She shivered and blinked several times. “Whew. What a ride!”
I stepped back. “What?”
She caned herself to her feet. “The stone. Being in Norwood’s mind was like riding the Coney Island Roller Coaster. Only much safer and not so rickety.”
I shot a worried glance to Roman. “Oookaaay.”
She stretched. “I feel twenty years younger.”
“That’s great,” Roman said. “But what did you see in Norwood’s mind? Do you know who killed him?”
Milly flashed him a wicked smile. “In fact, I believe I do.”
I clenched my fists. “Who was it?”
The door burst open. Sera ran in.
“What’s going on?” I said.
Sera shook her head. She started speaking but choked on her words. I immediately forgot all about Norwood. Well, let’s be honest, I didn’t actually forget, but he wasn’t the most important thing on my mind at the moment.
I pinned Sera’s shoulders. “What’s going on?”
She knuckled tears from her eyes. “I tried calling you, but your phone went to voice mail.”
I fished it from my purse. Dead battery. “Yeah, sorry. What’s up?”
“It’s Reid.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
She bit her bottom lip and looked away. When she glanced up, my sister said, “She’s missing.”
TWENTY-TWO
Roman drove us back to the house. I was grateful, because I was in no shape to work heavy machinery.
“What happened?” I said to Sera, who sat in the backseat blowing her nose and tossing used tissues onto the floor.
“I called her
earlier and asked her to pick up milk.”
“We’re out of milk?” I said.
Sera threaded her fingers through her hair. “Yeah, I guess I used it all when I was baking.”
“Go figure,” I mumbled. “Anyway, what happened next?”
“Said she had one other errand to run and would be right home. She never showed up. I called the place where she was supposed to have made the stop—the hardware store downtown—but they said she never came in. So I got worried and called her again.” She choked back a fresh wave of tears. “Dylan, I’ve called her twenty times. It’s not like Reid to ignore me for that long. I know you may think I’m overreacting—”
“No, I don’t. You’re right. It’s not like her to ignore so many calls, especially with a brand-new phone. She would’ve texted you or something. How long has it been since you first talked to her?”
“Since she left your shop.”
I frowned. “That was hours ago. She might be eighteen, but she’s responsible when it comes to family. She would’ve contacted you.” I chewed on a strand of hair, trying to figure out where Reid could be. Worry knotted my stomach. “Let’s go home and think.”
My arm fell to the seat rest. Roman squeezed my hand. “We’ll find her,” he said. “Whatever I can do, I will do.”
I nodded weakly. It would be okay. It would all turn out all right.
We reached the house and rushed inside. Grandma sat on the couch, wringing her hands.
“I’ve tried to contact her with magic,” she mumbled, “but nothing’s working.” She glanced up at us. “Do you think my power’s broken?”
I embraced her. “Of course not. It’s definitely not broken.”
Nan entered, sword in hand. “I’m ready to fight. Show me who to ram this through.”
“Okay, Nan. I think we’re going to wait on the ramming. We just need figure out who saw her last.”
Sera nodded. “I talked to her right after she left. That was when she said she was going to the hardware store.”
I nibbled the end of my finger. “And that’s the last anyone heard from her?”
Everyone nodded.
Roman squeezed my shoulders. “I’ll call the station and round up some bodies to start searching. Meanwhile, I’ll hit the shops downtown.”