Bewitching Boots

by Joyce

  “You’d better sit down,” Bill said. “That may have been too much magic.”

  But before she could do as he said, she began jumping and running around the museum. She cried out that her feet were running away with her. She didn’t appear able to stop. People moved out of her way as she leapt between them, kicking and sprinting like an athlete.

  “Please, please help me stop. I’m scared. Take the magic back.”

  The curious crowd moved in even closer when they heard her cry out. The bulk of the crowd separated Bill from the woman. I tried to reach her, not sure what was going on. I couldn’t get through the visitors packed tightly around me, watching in awe.

  “Hold on!” Bill yelled. “I’ll help you.”

  The woman kept hopping, skipping toward the front door. There was no way to close it with so many people in the way. She was jumping down the stairs toward the cobblestones when I ran after her. I grabbed the end of her gown and tackled her. We rolled from the bottom stairs toward the green grass that separated the Art and Craft Museum from the Antique Weapons Museum next door.

  “Thank you. Thank you.” She hugged me to her.

  “That’s okay. Let’s get these boots off your feet.” I noticed that her feet were still moving even though she wasn’t walking anymore. It was crazy—and maybe elf magic.

  Was this what Bill was suggesting had happened to Isabelle?

  Chapter Eight

  The event swelled the crowds of visitors even more as word spread quickly around the Village.

  I was completely amazed that the green and gold lady bought the boots she’d been wearing as well as two more pairs. A rush on Bill’s boots soon found his entire stock sold out. He stayed on at the museum working, even though his stall had to be shut down.

  Despite the numbers of people who wanted to see the shoemaker with elf magic, I still shut the exhibit for an hour to give Bill a break. He looked pale, and his hands were trembling. I knew he needed some time to recuperate.

  Merlin had some words for me when he learned that I’d shut the museum. He found me, Manny, and Bill sitting at an outdoor table near the Good Luck fountain.

  “You don’t just walk away from a feature attraction.” Merlin paced through the grass. “We’re getting calls. People want to see the shoemaker.”

  I finished chewing my pretzel and shot back, “We all needed a break. We’ll open again soon.”

  “Not soon enough,” the wizard ranted. “Bad management sinks ships. Keep that in mind, young woman. Get that museum open again.”

  He stalked away, his starred robe flying out around him. I heard one older lady cry out as he passed her.

  “The man can’t help but flash what he has.” I smiled at Manny.

  My assistant didn’t return my smile. “Merlin sounded serious, Lady Jessie. Perhaps we should return to the museum.”

  “We’ll go back when Bill is ready.”

  Bill didn’t look ready for witty banter with visitors just yet. He’d eaten a little of his turkey leg and sipped some ale. “I’m going to run to the privies first, if you don’t mind. That elf magic can take a lot out of you.”

  We waited until Bill had disappeared behind the Romeo and Juliet stage.

  “I wish you’d been there when that woman started running around like a crazy person,” I said to Manny. “Even after I’d tackled her, her legs kept moving. I don’t know what to think.”

  Manny grinned. “Elf magic?”

  “I guess so. It didn’t seem normal to me. And look what it did to my shoemaker.”

  “He seems upset by it. Perhaps using elf magic is hard on a person.”

  Chase joined us in time to hear Manny’s remark. “I’ve heard about the magic boots. It’s all over the Village. What happened?”

  I went through the basic event for him. “Unless that woman was some kind of plant from Adventureland, she was really affected by the boots. Bill didn’t look surprised, only concerned. Maybe he really did put the slippers on Isabelle and she hopped right off the terrace.”

  “Maybe.” Chase took a piece of my pretzel as he sat in the grass. “One thing I can tell you is that none of Bill’s clothes or boots matched the green material or the strip of leather Detective Almond found in the garden. It doesn’t clear Bill, but it didn’t add any ammunition against him. Right now, all the police have is Bill’s confession to putting too much magic into Isabelle’s slippers, and that he was at the castle.”

  “Being at the castle hardly seems significant,” Manny returned. “There are hundreds of people at the castle every day.”

  “He’s right.” I gave Chase the rest of my pretzel and ale. It was probably all he’d had to eat and drink. “What about the hidden passages in the castle? Is the king going to let you brief Detective Almond?”

  “He already sent word that I should take the police through the passages.” Chase shrugged. “I can’t say finding out there was a secret way in and out of Isabelle’s suite made Detective Almond happy. That meant there could be hundreds of suspects that weren’t seen by Isabelle’s retinue. He stopped for lunch at Bawdy Betty’s. I think he couldn’t tackle the idea on an empty stomach.”

  “But what if Bill really has elf magic and accidentally caused Princess Isabelle to fall?” Manny asked. “We must consider that possibility as well.”

  Chase shook his head. “I’m not considering elf magic as the means of her death unless there’s nothing else possible. I know the police won’t buy it.”

  “Why is that? People have seen remarkable things happen here. When I told my parents about your wedding, they summoned a witch to make sure I wasn’t cursed.” Manny nodded behind me as he finished speaking. “Bill is returning.”

  “Hi Chase,” Bill said. “I’m feeling better now, Jessie. Maybe we should head back to the museum before Merlin has a hissy fit.”

  Chase got to his feet. “I need you to tell me the truth. Did you hire that woman today to sell more boots? No one would blame you. Does it tie into what happened to Isabelle?”

  Bill laid a hand on his heart. “As God is my witness, I didn’t hire that woman. I think my elf magic may be affected by magic in the Village, making it stronger. I can feel it all around me. It might be out of control.”

  “Why didn’t you mention your magic when we first met?” I asked.

  “You learn to keep your mouth closed about such things.” He scuffed one of his beautiful boots in the grass. “Back home, people don’t believe in magic. I didn’t mention it until we got here and I realized that this was the right place for me—in more than one way. I’m sorry about Isabelle—and that woman at the museum today. I’ll go lighter on the magic.”

  “About Isabelle,” Chase said. “Did you actually see her dance off the terrace?”

  “No. She didn’t want me to put the slippers on her. I left them with her. It didn’t work out the way I’d planned. You were right about her, Jessie. Even my elf magic wasn’t enough.”

  Chase didn’t mention the items they’d looked for in Bill’s room. He had to leave quickly to work with the new knights and jousters between events at the Field of Honor. He kissed me and whispered in my ear. “We’re good with this, right?”

  “We’re good.” I smiled. “Go do your job.”

  Manny was grinning as Chase left. “I’m so glad you two aren’t breaking up.”

  “You and Chase are breaking up?” Bill asked.

  I rolled my eyes. “Let’s get back to the museum. Everything else will be fine.”

  We followed the cobblestones to Squire’s Lane. The three, large red brick houses near the Main Gate had sat empty for years before I’d proposed putting the Art and Craft Museum into one of them. The Antique Weapons Museum had come next. I hadn’t heard what was going into the third house. Maybe it would be a museum about magic since that seemed to be so popular.

  Hundreds of residents, including Hephaestus who owned the Peasant’s Pub on the other side of the King’s Highway, passed us. I also said hello to
Lady Cathy from the crochet shop. A large group of pirates was swaggering through the area for show, as they did several times a day. Rafe, the pirate king, was at the lead. His long black hair, gold teeth, and massive mustache made him quite a sight for the visitors.

  There were so many people trying out for parts. A woman who looked like a pink poodle waved and smiled at me. Her hair was piled so high on her head that it reminded me of the woman Chase had been talking about yesterday.

  Another man was clearly imitating Harry Houdini. He wore a plastic box filled with water over most of his body. I wouldn’t recommend him for a permanent role. Manny shuddered when he saw him.

  Two people were dressed like large, sparkly fish. I thought they might do well at the Mermaid Lagoon near the entrance.

  “Do any of these actors actually end up working here?” Manny asked.

  “Sure. It’s how we fill the ranks after the end of summer turn over. They might not all keep their costumes. A few of them will be hired to replace characters we already had.”

  We’d reached the museum. There was still a long line of visitors waiting to get inside.

  “I guess we’ll be busy this afternoon,” Bill muttered as we started up the stairs.

  “Just go a little lighter on the magic, huh?” I asked him. “That woman could’ve fallen down the stairs and been seriously injured today.”

  Maybe he had elf magic. Maybe he didn’t. Whatever worked for him was good for the museum and the Village as long as no one got hurt.

  “You don’t have to tell me!” Bill took his place at the table where he worked. He had orders he was already filling. He smoothed out a large piece of supple tan leather and then put the pattern that he used to cut a boot to size on top of the leather. People moved closer as he began cutting.

  Everyone was talking about the excitement of that morning. I was surprised at how many visitors wanted their boots to run away with them. Maybe that was part of the magic.

  Manny and I stood near the door making sure that people who were leaving went out on the right side so there was room for people to come in on the left side. The afternoon was too hot for the ceiling fans to make much difference. I could feel the hot, humid air pushing at me even though I was used to it.

  I saw Detective Almond approaching before he saw me. I was worried that he’d come to take Bill away again for more questioning. I was ready to offer excuses as to why he should wait.

  But he wasn’t there for Bill. He wiped his brow and panted as he reached the top of the stairs. “I know you worked in the castle for a while, Jessie. You must know about the secret passages. How about taking me on the grand tour?”

  Chapter Nine

  “Me? Why me?”

  “Because my Bailiff seems to want to help my suspect.”

  “I do too. I’d be just as likely to lead you down the wrong passage—maybe more likely.” I couldn’t believe he wanted me to take him through the castle.

  His eyes narrowed. “Yeah. But you’re not prepared, are you? Let’s go.”

  What could I say? I told Manny I was leaving for a while. Detective Almond and I walked out of the museum accompanied by two uniformed officers.

  “So what about this elf magic thing?” he asked as we started toward the castle.

  I knew then why he’d wanted me to show him the passages. He wanted to talk to me about Bill, probably hoping I’d say something to give him away that Chase hadn’t said. As I’d observed before, Detective Almond seemed slow and wasn’t exactly a snappy dresser, but he was sneaky when it came to solving his cases.

  “I’m not sure. Bill didn’t mention his magic when we met him in Tennessee. Once we got here, everything was fine, until yesterday when Isabelle came for a pair of slippers. That’s when he first told me about the magic.”

  We were passing the Mermaid Lagoon as the pirate ship Queen’s Revenge was sailing across Mirror Lake. Her billowing white sails were beautiful against the clear blue sky. I could hear the pirates shouting at each other across the water.

  Detective Almond was only interested in the scantily clad mermaids who waved and blew kisses to him. “Hi there. You ladies have it made on a day like this, don’t you? The water is the place to be. And taking a few clothes off is a good idea.”

  The girls flapped their shiny tails at him, and one of them started singing a suggestive song as she combed her long blond hair. It was only a wig and a fake tail, but it really attracted the male part of our visitor population in the summer.

  He chuckled as he finally tore himself away from the mermaids. “What were you saying, Jessie?”

  “Maybe I should put on a bikini top and a tail so you can hear me.”

  “So I’m having a little fun in an otherwise boring place. Shoot me.”

  “Boring?” We were far enough up the hill toward the castle to look down on the beautiful Village. “I don’t know how you can say that. This place is more full of life than anywhere I’ve ever been. You must be jaded from working here when the Village first opened.”

  The tall policeman on my right snickered. “You used to work here, Detective? I thought you hated this place.”

  “Mind your own business, Barkley,” Detective Almond snapped back. He lowered his tone as he grabbed my arm. “I’d rather not tell everyone that I was the first Bailiff here, if you don’t mind. I’d lose some respect with the way everyone feels about it.”

  “Well, don’t call it boring again.” I had to slow down as he continued walking with my hand through his arm. His tiny little legs couldn’t keep up with my long ones.

  “Okay. I get it. You love it here. But you gotta admit the place is a pain in the butt. Too many people and not enough cops. Before you say it, Chase does a great job with what he’s got. He just doesn’t have enough manpower. I’ve suggested to the chief many times that we put uniforms out here. I suppose Chase told you about the job offer.”

  “He did.”

  “Well?”

  I didn’t want to talk to him about what Chase might or might not do. So I changed the subject. “Why haven’t they put officers here?”

  He shrugged. “The chief says we lose too many officers that way. You know what’s happened to the officers we’ve put here in the past. I think I have a plan to stop that.”

  I laughed. “I know one of them is sailing by us right now as a pirate.”

  “Enough of that.” He waved his hand. “What do you think Bill is doing to make those boots of his magic? Drugs? Hypnotism?”

  I was glad he didn’t bring up the idea of Chase working directly for the police again. “I don’t know. Nothing was said about magic boots until that woman this morning. Now it’s all anyone can talk about. Maybe you should question her. Bill claims he didn’t hire her to act that way. But maybe he did. It sure helped boot sales.”

  “I’ll do that.” He took out a small, mangled notebook. “What was her name?”

  “I don’t know. I tackled her and pulled the boots off. I didn’t ask who she was. She bought boots afterward. Maybe you can find her receipt.”

  “Funny, Jessie. How many people are here today? How many of them are buying magic boots?”

  “Thousands, I hope. You know Adventureland likes a good profit.”

  We had reached the entrance to the castle, passed The Feathered Shaft where archers were practicing shooting at targets made of hay. To the right, across the cobblestones, was Merlin’s Apothecary, the Merry Mynstrel’s Stage, and the first aid station where Wanda had once worked.

  I saw Wanda’s ghost watching visitors with sprained ankles, skinned knees, and just plain overheated as they went in and out of the station. There was a tent beside it where visitors and residents could walk through a light shower to cool down. The problem was that many of the costumes were expensive and could be hurt by water. That left a large group gulping water and dipping their hands into the fountains around the Village to cool off.

  Wanda shot toward us like a speeding blue bullet as soon as she saw me wal
king up the hill with the police. Great. Not only would I have to walk Detective Almond through the secret passages in the castle, I’d have to do so as I ignored her stupid banter.

  Two, well-built men who seemed to be dressed like Hercules—wearing only animal skin loin cloths— came out of the cool-down tent, dripping with water, and laughing. Wanda took one look at them and abandoned her quest to follow me.

  Thank goodness for partially dressed young men with healthy bodies!

  “Let’s walk a little faster,” I urged Detective Almond. “The castle has air conditioning. I don’t know about you, but I’m roasting out here.”

  He couldn’t walk as fast as I could, but he managed to put out a little burst of speed. He showed his badge to Gus at the gate, and we passed inside quickly.

  I glanced at Gus, thinking again about him being gone from the gate when Isabelle was killed. Not that I thought he would have killed her either—but I was curious about his absence.

  Immediately inside the castle was the Great Hall where the King’s Feast is held every Sunday evening. There was no air conditioning here, but the heavy concrete walls made it cooler anyway.

  “You ever been to one of these feasts?” Barkley asked Detective Almond.

  “Too many. A lot of bragging and Cornish hens. Not much else to see.”

  “Not true at all.” I defended the feast. “All of the shops are represented that night. There is jousting and daring horse tricks, swordplay, and chivalry. Not to mention ladies, lords, and jugglers. It’s a great event. I’ll be glad to give you free tickets for the next one.”

  Barkley nudged his partner, and they both nodded.

  “Could we get back to why we’re here?” Detective Almond demanded as the officers opened the heavy doors that separated visitors from the main part of the castle. “Where do these secret passages start, Jessie?”

  “They were created to make all the rooms in the castle easy to reach for the staff. They get calls all during the day and night for food and things I don’t want to think about. The passages start in the kitchen and spread through the whole place.”