My heart was thundering in my chest. I didn’t want to discuss this with them. I wanted to get inside. Charlie always had a solid take on everything, Greer saw through the nonsense to the point, and Jasper would be there to support me through whatever Ellie threw at us.
“I’ll talk to Geraldine and let you know what she says,” said Scarlett. “For tonight I need to get some sleep.”
We said goodnight. I wasn’t sure I cared what Geraldine had to say. I supposed that it would be good if she discovered where all those dark ghosts had gone, but right now I was too tired to be the slightest bit interested.
Paws, for his part, had gone uncharacteristically silent.
The front door opened as soon as the other witches drove away, exactly as if someone had been watching. Jasper was the first to come rushing down the steps. He grabbed me up in a warm hug and murmured into my hair. “We were getting so worried!”
I buried my nose in his shoulder, tiredness making me cling more tightly. All I wanted to do was sleep.
“You can hug and tell us what happened at the same time,” came Greer’s dry voice from behind me.
I burbled up a laugh, and Jasper laughed too. Looking over his shoulder, I saw that many of the ghosts were gathering. Mr. Bone asked Paws what had happened; from the snatches of conversation I could hear, it seemed that Mr. Bone also knew Kingfisher. He was just as impressed with the ghost as I had been.
“He’s a legend,” said Mr. Bone when he caught me looking.
Dressed in her pink bathrobe, Charlie stamped her foot. “I want to know what happened and I wanted to know two hours ago!”
“All right, I’ll tell you,” I said. Despite my desire for sleep, it wasn’t fair to keep them waiting. Jasper kept his arm around me as we made our way inside. Paws sat in the window so that he could add commentary as he saw fit.
They had tea and cookies on the table. Some of the cookies had clearly been eaten. Charlie had just brought in a fresh pot of tea, so it would be hot.
“We were playing cards while we waited,” said Greer sheepishly.
“I was winning,” said Charlie.
Jasper and I sat next to each other on the couch.
“Is it bad? Are there thousands of dark ghosts or something?” Charlie demanded. The real worry in her voice got me talking, and all in a rush I told them everything.
We stayed up most of the night. The more we talked, the more worried everyone got.
“I felt better when I knew exactly where they were,” muttered Greer.
“What do you think they want?” Charlie asked, yawning.
Jasper had been silent through the whole conversation. He had periodically rubbed my shoulder encouragingly, but he hadn’t said a word.
Now he did.
“Mintwood.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
After that harrowing night I needed a break. I found myself contending with deep discouragement. We had all agreed that we needed to deal with our enemies, but there seemed to be nothing we could do until the coven discovered where the denizens of Puddlewood had gone.
I supposed the fact that they were now “our” enemies instead of just mine was an improvement. It didn’t help much.
Jasper had come over to the farmhouse a number of times, bringing cookies and ice cream and watching any movie I asked for. When I warned him not to let me get used to such spoiling, he merely kissed my forehead. His fear for my welfare was touching. His desire for me to be happy, even if it meant watching “Four Weddings and a Funeral” again, was even more so. He secretly liked the movie anyway.
The furthest I had ventured from the house was across the street. I would wait until Tyler Spin’s vehicle was no longer at the Manor Portrait house, then wander over. The house was coming along shockingly quickly.
A few days after our mission to Puddlewood, I had more or less recovered from the late night and the frustration. It was a rainy, dreary day that fit my mood perfectly, but that night I would have to break my vow to stick with peace and quiet. Gracie wanted us to come to dinner at Mrs. Smith’s. Her grandmother wanted to host us for a meal, and we were all going: Hansen, Charlie, Greer, Jasper, and me. Not to mention Gracie herself.
Part of me felt guilty about that, too. This was the first time I had ever felt as if I had neglected a case when I should have been concentrating on it. Burbank was probably gone from the grounds by now, so I wouldn’t even be able to visit him.
Charlie, however, was still on the case, having spread the evidence of diligent research all over the living room table. “I thought about writing a report for Mrs. Smith,” she said, “but then I decided it would be best to keep her from having to hear the worst of the details.”
Hansen arrived at the farmhouse first, but Jasper was still across the street overseeing the rebuilding. I figured he’d be along shortly.
“Still alive, I see,” said Greer by way of announcing the arrival of the Chronicle reporter. The three of us were out on the porch, all in dresses. Greer was particularly grumpy.
Deacon had gotten in touch with her to say that he wasn’t going to make it to Gracie’s grandmother’s for dinner, but that she should swing by his place afterward. They’d had dinner plans, but then he decided he was too tired and didn’t want to go to Mrs. Smith’s when that was proposed instead. Greer, who usually detested going out, was now furious.
“He’s going to break up with me. He just doesn’t want to do it in public where I can make a scene,” she told us as we watched Hansen get out of the car. She was biting on her lip and her voice was hollow.
Hansen made it to the porch before Charlie or I could reply. “Why so grim?” he asked with a smile. “This is going to be the best meal we’ve eaten in years.”
“Puddlewood disappeared,” said Charlie by way of greeting.
Hansen frowned. We hadn’t seen him since the nighttime excursion, so this was our first chance to fill him in. At least that gave Greer a moment to collect herself.
“You think they knew you were coming?” Hansen asked.
“Yes, but now they’re in hiding and we don’t know where. The coven is trying to find out, but I doubt they’ll have any luck,” I said.
Hansen just nodded. He had no desire to say anything bad about the coven. Madame Rosalie’s reprieve would only stretch so far.
Then Jasper came strolling up the drive, looking cute even from a distance. He wore a white shirt, unbuttoned, and a dark jacket. When he caught sight of all of us, he grinned. Everyone waved but Greer, who merely kept scowling at her shoes.
When we arrived at Mrs. Smith’s we found the mansion filled with soft light and warm smells. It was Gracie who let us in. She came to the door wearing a shimmering floor length dress, her hair flowing in waves over her shoulders and a huge glass of wine clutched in her hand. The way she hugged everyone, I had the impression that it might not be her first glass of wine, either. One look from Greer told me I was probably right.
Dinner was delicious. Rebecca and Louise were there, as was Hamilton. Franklin was nowhere to be seen, but someone had to have the night off. Mrs. Smith mostly listened to everyone else talk. The only time she spoke up was when she heard Jasper’s last name.
“Wolf? Oh, your grandfather owns half the county,” she said. “A confirmed bachelor since your grandmother died, too. You should have heard how the ladies used to talk about him. He was almost as handsome as you.”
“Grandmother!” Gracie chided her.
“What? I’m not dead.” Mrs. Smith was grinning from ear to ear.
“Why didn’t Gracie get some of her personality?” Greer whispered to me.
When the conversation finally turned to the case, Mrs. Smith wanted to know if there was any progress.
“Yes, I’m curious about that as well,” said Gracie, putting down her fork and glaring at me.
I, of course, had been so preoccupied with Puddlewood, and so worn out with night adventures and worry, that I had let the investigation stall for far too lo
ng.
I put my fork down as well, but before I could say a word, Charlie cut in. “Someone on your staff was stealing from you,” she said to Mrs. Smith. “I think Burbank caught that person in the act. I think he paid for it with his life.”
She had been careful to say it when all three employees were in the room, so she could gauge their reaction. They looked from Charlie to Mrs. Smith in alarm.
“Really, I must object to you troubling her like this! She can’t handle all this stress,” Hamilton cut in. He started forward, but Mrs. Smith waved him away. Her eyes were swimming with anxiety even as Hamilton’s sullen face twisted into anger.
“I love all of my employees. They couldn’t possibly think they had to resort to theft! They’re paid very well. I would have given them anything they needed if they had only asked.”
“We certainly never stole anything!” Louise cried. Rebecca tried to shush her, but she herself looked equally concerned. She silently shook her head at Hamilton as if to say that she hadn’t stolen anything either.
“It’s a ridiculous assertion that I’m not even going to glorify with a reply,” said Hamilton through gritted teeth.
“Really? You were awfully quick to try and shut the conversation down,” said Gracie.
We all looked at her in surprise. There was an authority in her voice that I had never heard before.
“How can I prove I didn’t take anything, Mrs. Smith? Please!” Louise was starting to sound desperate. “We can’t afford to lose these jobs. None of us.”
“No one is going to lose their job,” said Hamilton.
“You can’t promise that!” Gracie cried.
As everyone looked ever more upset, Hansen raised his hand over the noise and the general racket. “You know, Mrs. Smith does have one employee who isn’t here.”
Just then, as if on cue, a figure pushed through the door. At first I didn’t take in the full picture. Someone in scrubs. Who looked familiar from a distance. The same scrubs I’d seen that day across the green.
Then I heard Louise scream.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Franklin had arrived with a gun.
Mrs. Smith gasped. Charlie let out a small distressed noise. The rest of us looked as we felt: terrified.
My mind raced. Franklin had been the one in white scrubs in the park, exchanging money with some unknown person. I was sure of that now, and equally sure that it had something to do with Burbank’s death. Now Franklin was here with a weapon, and I couldn’t perform any spells in front of civilians.
The room had gone silent as Franklin swung the gun from one direction to another.
“What is the meaning of this?” gasped Mrs. Smith. Normally pale, she had gone several shades more ghostly. If her shock got any worse, Paws might mistake her for one of their own.
“I should have known I couldn’t get away with this! Not that it was planned. He was going to report me for stealing! I wasn’t taking anything much. Just enough to buy a few things I wanted. What did he care if I took money from the drab old bat? She has plenty more than she needs,” yelled Franklin. “He was going to turn me in after he went and checked on his garden. Of course I couldn’t let that happen.”
Franklin looked around as if he was expecting to talk it over with someone. His eyes landed on Mrs. Smith, and Gracie let out a distressed cry.
“Why didn’t you just run?” Hansen asked calmly.
Franklin’s expression turned furious. “I shouldn’t have to run! None of this ever should have happened! No one noticed that the items were missing.”
“Why didn’t you just ask for money?” Charlie asked.
“I don’t want charity,” he spat.
We all exchanged looks. He had chosen theft and murder over asking for a favor. What kind of sense did that make?
“I came back to get one more thing. I heard you all talking, and I knew I’d never get away with it, not unless everyone who suspected me . . .” He trailed off.
I saw Gracie’s eyes widen. She understood what he was saying just as well as the rest of us.
“Murder all of us?” she whispered.
As Franklin talked wildly on, Hansen and Jasper exchanged looks. My heart leaped into my throat and took up residence there. They were going to try and do something about this. How could they possibly?
Meanwhile, Franklin kept pacing around the table. He had stopped paying close attention to the rest of us as he explained how he had murdered Burbank. It wasn’t planned, but when Burbank had discovered what he was doing he’d had no choice in the matter. At least, that’s how he saw it.
When he stopped for a moment and waved his gun, Jasper tensed. So did I.
Before anyone else could react, though, Hamilton lunged at Franklin from behind and everything devolved into chaos. Hamilton had gone for the gun and not the man. Franklin hadn’t been expecting an attack, and he gave up the gun immediately.
Then Jasper was moving, with Hansen right behind him. They both went for Franklin. Gracie threw herself in front of her grandmother while Rebecca and Louise sheltered in a corner. Charlie shot to her feet. In one swift motion she grabbed a curtain cord for tying up Franklin. I went right for the man now held between Jasper and Hansen.
My wand was warm against my skin.
Just in case.
“I’ll call the police,” Rebecca said, once she was certain that Franklin was contained. He was spitting and furious for a second, then he slumped forward. He tried to cover his face with his hands, but they were tied. We had solved Burbank’s murder after all.
With a little help from the murderer himself.
We weren’t kept for very long at Mrs. Smith’s. Detective Cutter and Tom showed up, and Detective Cutter just closed his eyes when he saw that we were all there. He informed us that tonight he would speak with Mrs. Smith and Hamilton, the real hero, and come by our place sometime in the next couple of days. There were plenty of witnesses to what had happened.
At that point Greer took the opportunity to leave. She would be late getting to Deacon’s place, but he had insisted that he wanted to see her, for reasons that she grumbled about and didn’t understand.
Once Greer was gone, Charlie, Hansen, Jasper, and I headed for Jasper’s truck. We had just reached the cab when Gracie came bounding out of the mansion.
“Wait,” she called out, rushing up to us and stopping just short.
“Thank you,” she breathed, smiling at me. “My grandmother no longer has to worry about who killed Burbank. Thank you.”
“I didn’t do much,” I told her, feeling as though I really hadn’t.
Gracie shook her head. “You all did everything. My grandmother appreciates it.”
Tom was standing in the doorway waiting to talk to her, so she bounded away again.
Charlie beamed at me. “Mystery solved,” she said, then climbed into the truck.
I slung my arm around Jasper’s waist and leaned my head into the crook of his arm. Another late night and another mystery solved. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Greer called the next day to say that she and Deacon would be coming over later. Jasper should be there and Hansen was welcome to come as well. Charlie gave me a significant look when she heard the news, then went off to work whistling.
I went downtown and bought some things for a party, including streamers, a cake, and some congratulatory cards. Then I took care of the rabbit, as usual. Greer didn’t know that we knew but . . . we knew.
That evening Charlie was still bouncing when she came in the door with Hansen. They found me sitting in the living room chatting with Paws. Hansen didn’t yet have a piece of jewelry that would allow him to see the ghost cat, but he knew who was there. “Say hello to the bravest ghost cat I’ve ever heard of, if you see him,” he said.
I grinned as Paws looked smug. “You may tell him I have heard his praise and agree,” said Paws, inclining his head.
I decided not to repeat that.
C
harlie disappeared into the kitchen to check on the cake and the other food I’d gotten ready. We had decided that buying a cake was best. Greer was the baker in the family, and of course she couldn’t very well bake her own cake for this little party.
Then the three of us settled into the living room to wait.
“Toil must be furious,” Charlie said, tipping her head back in glee.
Hansen usually tried to remain professional, but even he was smiling. “He wasn’t thrilled that I could write a firsthand account of the events at Mrs. Smith’s. Let’s just say he took a long lunch.” Hansen sounded satisfied.
Jasper’s truck was now a familiar noise in my driveway. He came in without knocking, as I had told him to do. Familiarity suited us, I realized as he stepped through the door.
“Stop smiling like an idiot,” Paws chided.
For a second my eyes slid to Charlie, and I wondered if he might just be talking to her. She was beaming at Hansen in a way I’d never seen before.
“What’s this gathering about, anyway?” Hansen asked.
Jasper frowned. “I was wondering the same thing.”
He glanced at the streamers, inspiring Hansen to notice the decorations for the first time. Both men started to smile.
Greer was not one to get caught up in emotions. Even in the life-or-death situations we’d been in, she was never one to cry uncontrollably. That was why, when she came in glowing with delight, she remained dry-eyed even as Charlie and I both started to cry.
For a split second Greer looked confused, then her face cleared. “I can’t believe you knew!”
Deacon was standing behind her, laughing. Hansen and Jasper stood up to give them both hugs. Squeezing me so hard I thought my ribs would crack, Greer whispered in my ear, “Given my family and his, we might need some spells to get through this wedding.” I could hear the smile in her voice, even if she was partially serious. I found myself laughing.
She took a deep breath, then she squealed!
Mintwood's Magical Map Page 17