“How awful. Poor Harvey.” I shuddered. “No one else saw anything?”
Teddy shook his head. “At least no one has come forward yet.”
“I called Harvey’s assistant,” I said, then relayed what Harriet had told me over the phone.
“When I talked to him, he said it was SPA business that called him away. But that doesn’t match up with what we’ve heard. Especially the mode of transportation and the fact that he was alone. If there was some kind of operation or emergency, he would have been with other agents. They would have taken cars or the portals into the city.”
“It doesn’t make sense. Why would someone want to kill Harvey?” I paced in front of the couch. “I should go and offer my assistance. Maybe I could help them trace the potion or see where the ingredients came from? I could—”
“Holly,” Teddy interjected gently. “The SPA has it covered. They’re not going to let someone outside the agency come in and step on the investigation. Besides that … .” he paused and shifted his eyes around the room, as though only just realizing his surroundings.
“What?”
His gaze circled back to me. “Holly, there’s something else … another clue.”
The low tone of his voice set my heart racing. “What is it, Teddy?”
He swallowed hard and wrung his hands together. “There was a note in Harvey’s pocket. It said: choose your allies carefully.”
I blinked. “And you think that means me?”
“We don’t know, Holly. But it does seem a little coincidental. He gets called away in the middle of your hearing, where he’s agreed to testify on your behalf, and the next thing we know, he’s found poisoned, with this threatening note. I feel it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’ve canceled the request for a follow-up hearing before the council and I think it would be best if we both headed back to Beechwood Harbor. We need to let the SPA handle this case before we can plan our next move.”
My pulse continued to race long after Teddy went back to his room to make the travel arrangements.
CHAPTER SIX
Adam arrived a couple of hours later, and from the sound in the hallway, Evangeline was with him. I hurried to open the door, with Boots weaving around my ankles. “Hey you guys,” I said, pulling the door open wide. Boots marched out into the hall and swirled around Evangeline’s legs. She bent and scooped him up into her arms and he immediately batted at the end of the long, raven braid that hung over one shoulder. I smiled and stepped back to usher them into the room.
Adam frowned at me. “You didn’t ask me for the password,” he said, rooting himself in the hallway.
“Password?” I repeated, glancing at Evangeline. She sighed.
“To make sure I’m who I say I am. I texted it to you on the drive here. Didn’t you see it?”
“No, I didn’t.” I shook my head. “Tell you what, I’m going to do a visual confirmation.” I stepped back and gave him a once-over. “You’re all clear, St. James.”
Evangeline giggled and swept into the room, Boots propped on her hip as though he were a chubby toddler instead of an overgrown tabby cat. “Ignore him. He’s gone full-blown Jack Bauer since you called about the note they found. I had to listen to his insane ramblings all the way here.” She flapped a hand.
She surveyed the suite as she wandered further inside until her eyes snagged on the bottle of wine sitting on the wet bar. “Hello, lovely.” She glanced at me, a Cheshire smile on her face. “Mind if I break into this?”
I laughed softly and waved a hand. “Help yourself.” I turned back to Adam, whose frown was deeply etched into his handsome face. I sighed. “Fine, Adam. What’s the password?”
“Pistachios.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Evangeline and she rolled her eyes. I smiled at Adam. “Great. You got it on the first try. Now, please, come inside.”
Adam growled, mumbling under his breath as he stalked into the room. “I don’t know why I bother … .”
“None of us do, dear,” Evangeline replied.
I suppressed a smile. “I didn’t know you were coming too, Evangeline.”
She’s poured two large glasses of wine and handed one to me with a “you’re gonna need it” look on her face. “Adam wanted to borrow my car and when he told me what happened, I decided to tag along. I’m so sorry, Holly. About the hearing and, of course, about Harvey.”
“Thanks.”
“Where’s Teddy?” she asked before taking a sip of her wine.
“His room is right next door.”
She set Boots down. He landed with a hefty thump and then wove around her legs. “I’m going to go say hello.”
Evangeline swept from the room, leaving Adam and me alone with the palpable tension of his frustration. I sighed deeply when the door closed. “I’m sorry about the password thing, Adam.”
He stepped closer and pulled me into his arms. “I only want to keep you safe. If someone targeted Harvey because he was helping you, that means you have some powerful enemies.”
“We don’t know that’s what happened.” I relaxed against his chest and smiled slightly as the smell of pine and cedar swirled around me like a comforting blanket. Adam always smelled like the forest, like trees, and fresh, clear river water, all bathed in sunshine.
I couldn’t fault him for being overprotective at times. It was quite literally in his nature. Not only was Adam a shifter—which, on its own warranted a protective streak—but as a large, predatory animal, he was even more bent toward being territorial and fierce. For the most part I didn’t mind. Stars, sometimes I downright enjoyed it. I had a tendency of getting myself in over my head and found it comforting to know that Adam would always have my back. I’d learned to take the good with the occasionally annoying.
Adam dropped a quick kiss to my lips. “You taste like wine,” he said, his eyes gleaming.
I kissed him again and then pulled out of reach before things got too heated. As appealing as the idea was, it didn’t quite feel right given the events of the day.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“Shaken, I guess? I don’t really know what to think. I want to get out there and do something. To help in some way.”
Adam nodded. “I know you do, but it’s safer if we stay here until the morning. Then we’ll head back to Beechwood Harbor.”
“I shouldn’t have even tried. The hearing was a complete waste of time and now … this.”
“You had to try, Gorgeous.” He cocked his head. “Wait until this is resolved and then you and Teddy can talk about the next steps. There must be something he can do.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know about that. You should have seen them, Adam. They were so smug and spiteful. None of them really seemed like they wanted to be there and that one witch … whatever her name is … she acted like I’d personally offended her or something.”
“And you’re sure you’ve never met her before? You said she was younger than the rest of the council members. Is it possible you went to academy together? Or maybe rival academies?”
“Not that I can think of. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure it out. None of it makes any sense. The sham of a hearing, Harvey leaving before testifying, and now his death.” I shook my head. “Teddy says he was poisoned.”
“Really?”
“Hopefully they’ll get a lock on the signature.”
Adam raised an eyebrow. “Signature?”
“Potions carry the signature of the maker. The magic that is used to create the potion leaves behind a trace. Every potion maker has their own unique identifier.”
Adam blinked, surprised by the kernel of information. “So this should be pretty open and shut then, right? I mean, if all they have to do is dicern some markings.”
“Not necessarily,” I countered, beginning to pace the room. “First of all, unless the murderer is a potion maker, it’s unlikely that the signature will lead directly to them. Most likely, they purchased the potion. Obviously, the kind
s of potions that can kill aren’t sold in the corner shops or from private potion masters. So, either the potion was sold on the black magic market or the killer has an innate knowledge of potion work and was able to blend two or more innocuous formulas together to create a deadly concoction.”
“What happens to the signatures then?”
“They become muddled. Hard, if not impossible, to read. The other problem is that even if the potions are tracked back to the master who made them, it still doesn’t tell the SPA who mixed them and dosed Harvey. Regulated potion shops and masters have to keep detailed record of what is being sold. But those that sell on the black magic market aren’t as … stringent with their bookkeeping.”
A crooked grin tugged at the corners of Adam’s mouth. “So, before Harvey shut you down, you were selling your potions on this black magic market?”
“Well—I uh—it was a little different.” My cheeks warmed. “I wasn’t selling anything dangerous or forbidden!”
Adam tugged me back into his arms. “I always knew you were trouble, Holly Boldt.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I rolled my eyes and pulled away, then waved a hand at the sleek cabinet that Evangeline had already raided. “If you’re hungry, there’re some snacks in the mini bar.”
“How’d you know?” he asked, grinning.
“Well, besides the fact that your stomach is a black hole, you decided that the safety password should be pistachios. I took an educated guess.”
Adam chuckled and went to rummage through the mini bar. He carried the loot over to the couch and popped the top on a can of peanuts. He took a handful and started munching even as his expression darkened. “Not to be insensitive, but without Harvey, what are the chances of a second hearing going through?”
“Not good.”
“I’m sorry, Gorgeous.”
I flopped onto the couch beside him and sighed. “Me too.”
“I’m sure Cassie would jump at the chance at having you back at Siren’s Song full time.”
“It’s not so much the money that’s the problem,” I replied softly. “I’ve managed to save most of the reward money I earned with Nick after that fiasco with Georgia Banks.”
“Holly, you won’t work at a coffee shop for the rest of your life. You’ll figure something else out.”
His words were meant to be comforting but they only added to the twisting anxiety in my stomach. All my life, I’d stood out from other witches and wizards. I showed an exceptional talent for potion work when I was very young, and my mother, and then my Aunt Bethany, had fostered it.
I was the one the family put their faith in. They believed I was destined to go on and do amazing things, to rise up past the stigma of the Boldt family name and prove that Boldt witches were more than trouble makers and outcasts. So far, I’d managed to be arrested three times, and trailed by the SPA for the majority of my adult life for a crime I didn’t commit. Just when I was finally breaking free of all those obstacles, the hope of starting a new life was squashed right before my eyes. How was I supposed to bounce back from that kind of crushing blow?
Adam’s chocolate eyes stared down at me, etched with concern. He brushed a strand of my hair away from my face and tucked it gently behind my ear. “Gorgeous, I hate seeing you like this. What can I do to help? Want me to go out and get you some Lemon Clouds?” he asked with a smile.
“No, thank you.” I laughed and burrowed into his side. “I’ve already had way more than I’m willing to admit to over the last twenty-four hours.”
Adam chuckled. “Sounds serious if you’re not even willing to tell me how many you’ve had. I’m not exactly the snack police. If anything, I’ve corrupted you. Turned you full-blown grazer.”
“Once we get back to Beechwood Harbor we might need to check into some kind of twelve step program … .”
We sat together in silence, each wading through our own thoughts, until someone knocked softly on the door. Adam untangled his arm from around me and went to answer it. A smile pulled at my lips as he tried to open it, only to realize it was warded shut. “A little help here, Gorgeous,” he said.
I waved my hand and a pulse of magic zeroed in and released the ward. Adam stumbled back as the door flew open. Evangeline and Teddy came into the room and my eyebrows hiked up as I noted their hands were clasped together. Evangeline was the one who’d introduced me to Teddy in the first place, and while I’d had my suspicions that they were more than just friends, I hadn’t seen any concrete proof.
Adam locked the door but didn’t ask me to reset the ward. He came back to join me on the couch. Teddy waved his hand and let Evangeline take the armchair. She sat and he stood behind her, his hands planted on the back of the sleek chair.
“How are you feeling, Holly?” Evangeline asked.
“Honestly? I think I’ve gone numb.”
Teddy gave an understanding nod. “I spoke with my friend from the Haven Herald. According to his source, the scene has been cleared and they’re officially calling it a murder. The other details will come in over the next few days, I’m sure. Knowing the SPA, they’ll probably try to keep this out of the papers as long as possible, but I would expect it to be public knowledge within the next twenty-four hours. If you’d like, I can stay in Beechwood Harbor and take on the press, on your behalf.”
“The press?” My brows wrinkled. “Why would the press be interested in me?”
“The council records will go public. Those records will show that Harvey was at your hearing prior to his death. I’d be shocked if the media doesn’t come sniffing around for information.”
I sighed. “Great.”
“The SPA also wants to speak with both of us. I’ve arranged the interviews for first thing in the morning. After that, we can all head back to Beechwood Harbor.”
Evangeline moved to the edge of her seat and offered a kind smile. “Teddy will handle everything, Holly. You don’t have to worry.”
I nodded, but her comforting words only went so far. Despite my track record, I actually preferred not to be the one in the center of these situations. Yet, despite my best efforts, I continued to get tangled up in situations that quickly swallowed me up until I was in way over my head.
Something told me that things were going to get a lot worse before they got better.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Despite Teddy’s assurances, a sharp knock on the door interrupted our room service dinner a few hours later. Adam answered it and begrudgingly ushered two SPA agents into the room. According to their badges, both of the agents were shifters. The first was a tall, broad-shouldered woman named Aggy Bramble, an eagle-shifter. Her face was all sharp angles except for her nose, which looked as though it had been broken on more than one occasion and hadn’t set properly, giving it a crooked appearance that threw off the straight lines of the rest of her features. Her partner, Vincent Mache, was a bear-shifter and looked the part. He towered a few inches above his statuesque partner and was twice as broad with burly muscles that bulged under the skin-tight black t-shirt he wore.
Teddy greeted the agents with a curt nod. “I was told we would be interviewed in the morning.”
Agent Mache crossed his arms. “We don’t have time to waste on a case like this. Not when the victim is one of our own,” he said, his gaze cold. It was almost like he was waiting for Teddy to argue. What would he do then? Slam him against the wall? It looked as though he could level Teddy flat with a simple tap to the chest.
“It’s fine,” I hurried to interject. I stood and brushed my fingers off on a napkin before extending a hand toward the female agent. “I’m Holly Boldt.”
Evangeline took my lead and jumped up as well. She busied herself at the mini bar, preparing each of the agents a tall glass of spritzer water with lime and lemon wedges. At one point, her eagerness to please would have driven me batty, but I’d known her long enough to know that it was just her nature. Ever a hostess.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Ms. Boldt,” Agen
t Bramble began. “I do apologize if there was a mix-up in the timing. But as my partner, Agent Mache, has already stated, this investigation is going to be running around the clock until we get some answers. Harvey would have demanded nothing less.”
I smiled down at my hands. “That’s probably true.”
“Harvey was a dear friend,” she continued. “He will be greatly missed both inside the agency as well as personally.”
I gave a solemn nod, hit by an unexpected wave of emotion in light of the agent’s words.
“As far as we know, Ms. Boldt and Mr. Trevail, you were two of the last people to have seen Harvey alive, so we’d like to ask a few questions. We’re trying to establish a firm timeline of the day’s events leading up to the attack,” Agent Mache explained. “Harvey’s assistant, Harriet, told us that he arrived at his office a little after eight o’clock this morning. He checked in with his support staff and then departed to meet you at Council Hall, where he was to provide testimony.”
“That’s correct,” Teddy answered evenly.
“What time did he arrive?”
“Promptly at nine o’clock,” Teddy said.
Agent Mache looked to me for confirmation and I nodded.
“All right,” he continued. “What time did the hearing conclude?”
“Mr. Colepepper didn’t stay for the duration of the hearing,” Teddy said. “I don’t know exactly when he left, but it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes into the proceedings. I can furnish the detailed minutes of the hearing. They’re brief,” he added his voice tinged with irritation.
Evangeline swept in and served the drinks, breaking the tension with a sweet smile. Each of the agents thanked her. She took a seat beside Teddy and rested her hand on his knee, the picture of elegance and composure. I nearly smiled despite the seriousness of the moment. She was truly a master.
Agent Bramble picked up the questions as her partner paused to take a drink. His hand, nearly the size of a catcher’s mitt, dwarfed the crystal glass.
Witch Way Home: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 4) Page 5