“A caffeine-powered super villain!” Evangeline added.
We all laughed, but when it died away it was clear her question remained unanswered. “Harvey was my assigned agent since my parents died. I was just a girl. I’d never given it much thought, but I assume he was a normal agent when I was first assigned to him and has since rose in the ranks the time.”
“Maybe, but then why didn’t he have you reassigned once he’d risen to the top?” Adam asked. His eyes went wide and he smiled. I didn’t even bother turning to look over my shoulder to see what had captured his attention. With Adam it was always one thing: food.
Sure enough, the conversation lulled while the server approached and dished out four entrees.
When she’d gone, I picked up my fork and lifted it over the pile of steaming pasta. “Maybe there’s some kind of lifetime-appointment rule?”
“I don’t think so.” Teddy shook his head. “Not that I’ve ever heard of. There’s a whole branch of haven law that deals with disputes between citizens and their assigned caseworkers. It’s hard to get a transfer, but not impossible if the grievances are taken seriously enough before the council.”
I twisted my lips into a pout. There had certainly been at least a dozen times I’d have liked to explore that option. Although looking back, I was grateful to have been stuck with Harvey, especially now, as I waited to meet whomever would be assigned to me next.
“I guess he just liked you, Holls,” Adam teased. “The fiery daughter he never had.”
A perfect one second played out before Adam, Evangeline, and I all burst out laughing.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The conversation from the night before continued to play through my mind the following day while I worked my shift at Siren’s Song. The amount of clues I had were hardly enough to even form a basic theory on what had happened after Harvey left the Council Hall. I still didn’t even know if he’d ever planned to testify on my behalf. Whatever the reason was for his sudden departure, there were a dozen other questions lurking. Where had he gone immediately after leaving the Council Hall? Who had called him away? From the crime scene, it seemed that he’d been dosed with poison while inside the cab, but what had he been doing outside the haven? His assistant had confirmed that Harvey wasn’t one to leave the haven, yet he’d gone to an off-the-books, last-minute meeting outside the haven, in a cab. None of the pieces made sense individually, let alone when put together. So far, my best guess was that he’d been meeting with some kind of top-secret informant. Maybe in regards to the Praxle case as it was the headlining investigation at the moment? Or had it been someone outside the SPA world? A friend or family member? But then the note found in his pocket didn’t make any sense. That was something to do with his role at the SPA. It had to be. But maybe it had been there for days? Maybe he’d simply forgotten about it.
I held each scenario up to the light, twisted it, inspecting each angle, but ultimately none of the theories rang true. Particularly depressing was the realization that in all the investigations I’d gotten tangled up in over the past months, I’d always had a partner by my side. It was the first time that I didn’t have Nick’s guidance or advice. He was a former newspaper-reporter-turned-PI and always seemed to have the next three steps mapped out at any given moment. I was sure that if I could confide in him the details of Harvey’s case, he would have rock-solid advice for me.
Even if I could find a way to frame it without the supernatural elements, I knew it wasn’t a good idea to burden Nick with my problems. Besides, there was no way he wouldn’t go digging around trying to figure out what case I was referring to. Would he buy it if I said it was from a TV show?
Thinking about Nick only made me feel worse. Since his unintended stay at the manor, I’d been avoiding him. I didn’t know what to say or how to act. He knew me too well. He’d see right through my phony attempts at light conversation while I was really using the entire conversation to mine him for clues as to what parts of the SPA raid he remembered. I wondered if his brush with the supernatural world would ever fully leave him. Part of me wondered if the reason the memory spell hadn’t completely taken was because Nick already possessed some sort of inkling that the world around him wasn’t quite the way it seemed. If somehow this open-mindedness created a tiny fissure that the spell hadn’t been able to block. Most humans seemed eager for normalcy. They didn’t want to believe, so if they ever encountered something that even hinted at a hidden truth, they would fight until they snapped back to the safety of their familiar world like a rubber band.
“Everything all right, Holly?”
I jumped at Cassie’s chirpy voice. I hurried to nod and added a smile for good measure.
She was sweeping near the double doors that led to the back patio, but paused and leaned on the broom handle to examine me. Rain streaked down the glass panels and the tables and chairs beyond were soaked from the drizzly day. “You sure? You seem a little out of it today. Still in a post-vacation funk?”
“Something like that I suppose.” I shifted my eyes across the room to the front door, wondering if we’d seen our last customer of the day. It was right around the time that Nick usually wandered over to Siren’s Song before heading to his condo across town, but Cassie had informed me earlier in the day that she hadn’t seen Nick since I’d taken my vacation.
Cassie resumed sweeping the empty dining room, moving chairs as she went. “Where did you end up going? I completely forgot to ask you the other night when we had dinner. Somewhere with Adam?”
I shook my head and tore my eyes off the front walk outside the small coffee shop. “I went to visit a friend in Seattle.”
“Oh, that sounds nice. I haven’t been to Seattle in ages. It’s odd that it can be so close but somehow out of reach.” She smiled to herself. “Maybe I can talk Jeffery into going away for a weekend. In a couple of months, tourist season will be here and I won’t have any time.”
“That sounds like a good plan. I can always run things here if you want to sneak away for a few days.”
“Thanks, Holly. That’s really sweet of you.”
I ducked my chin in a quick nod. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I should have committed to the offer. After all, things were still up in the air with the case and if Teddy were to somehow finagle a last-minute meeting before the council, I needed to be ready to drop everything and go. Then again, Chief Lincoln, Cassie’s boyfriend and town police chief, didn’t strike me as the type to do anything on a whim. He’d probably require twelve weeks of planning for something like a weekend away, even if they were only traveling a few hours out of town.
“If you want to add up the tips I can take care of the rest,” Cassie said as she rounded the counter. She stashed the broom in the back room and reappeared, dusting her hands off on her apron. “I’m working on ironing out some schedule conflicts so I’ll be here late tonight.”
“Schedule conflicts?”
She sighed and tucked a loose strand of her chestnut hair back into her low ponytail that was hanging over one shoulder. “Paisley is going to a wedding in Florida and wants a few extra days to bookend the event. Then, at the same time, Kirra needs a few short shifts so she has time to study for a big test she has coming up. I’ll figure it out.”
“Well let me know if you need me to pick up some extra shifts. I don’t mind.”
I hadn’t told Cassie about my side business going bust. Mostly because that would require saying it out loud, something I wasn’t prepared to do just yet.
“I will,” she said with a smile.
She went to break down the espresso machine and I turned my attention to divvying up the tip money from the jar that stood to the side of the single register on the counter. There were still a few minutes left until closing time, but it was rare for us to have last-minute stragglers. Most days were completely dead for the final half-hour. By the time it was officially closing time, the till was counted, tips were divided, and the espresso machine was cleaned and stood ready
for a new day.
Cassie pocketed her tips and said goodbye to me before disappearing into the back office. She’d been getting better at keeping her hours manageable, and I knew she had help at home to prepare dinner for her father, who had been disabled in a work accident several years before and couldn’t always get around if he was having a bad pain day. From what she’d told me, she and Chief Lincoln had been spending more time at his place, something she was only able to do since hiring a full-time caregiver to help out at home. Most people around town were betting that a proposal wasn’t too far away, and for once, I agreed with the gossip mill.
I turned off the Open sign and locked up on my way out. I paused under the awning and looked up and down the street. The rain had let up and I stood for a few moments, mentally weighing my options. I couldn’t ignore Nick forever, and if there was a reason he was avoiding me, I wanted to know about it. My mind made up, I hurried across the street and made a quick dash through town to get to Nick’s office before the lingering dark clouds let loose again. The log cabin-style building had once been a primary residence for one of the town’s oldest families; however some time ago it had been re-zoned and transformed into a group of cozy offices. Nick ran his private investigator business out of the smallest office in the building, a twelve-by-twelve space at the end of the hall on the first floor. Light shone through his frosted-glass door, so I reached for the handle.
Soft music drifted from the office as I pulled the door open. A bluesy instrumental. Nick looked up when I entered and smiled widely. “Hey there stranger.”
“Hey yourself.” I let the door fall closed behind me and took my place in one of the navy-blue armchairs that sat at an angle before his large oak desk. Nick’s office was a perfect reflection of himself. Dark woods and tasteful navy-blue and brass accents lent the space an elegant but unpretentious air. Not a knick-knack out of place, but still casual enough to feel lived-in, unlike some offices I’d visited that felt more like a museum or art gallery than a place where work occurred.
“Just getting off work?” he asked after clicking his compter mouse a few times.
“Yeah. I thought I’d stop in and see how you’re doing. We’ve missed you over at the coffee shop.”
“I’ve just been busy.” He smiled. “What about you?”
“I’m good.” I nodded but immediately felt awkward as silence fell between us. If there was one thing Nick and I were good at, it was talking. When we got quiet, it was sharp and uncomfortable.
I wanted to know if he was still searching for answers in regards to the things he saw at Raven, a supernatural nightclub hidden in an abandoned building outside of town, but couldn’t quite find a way to bring it up naturally.
“How’s business?” I asked instead, hoping to buy some time to find a way to swing things in that direction. His desk was littered with folders that I knew contained case notes. He liked to keep paper copies of all his notes, pictures, and other reference items. I leaned forward. “Anything interesting?”
He considered the stacks with a shrug. “One woman hired me to see if I could find the daughter she put up for adoption twenty years ago. The records were sealed so it’s been tricky. That’s taking up most of my time right now. A few other cases have come and gone.”
“I’m glad you’re keeping busy.”
Nick nodded but his eyes roved over his desk, his mind clearly elsewhere.
“Nick? Is everything all right?”
He glanced up at me. A sudden intensity charged his eyes, making them electric blue. “Have you ever had a repeating dream? The kind you have every night and can’t seem to get out of your head?”
My spine stiffened. “I don’t think so.”
“I’ve had the same dream every night for over a week now. When I wake up, it’s like it’s still playing in the back of my mind. I’m starting to lose track of what’s real and what’s not real.” Nick frowned down at his hands that were folded in front of him on the desk. “You’re in it.”
“Oh?”
A strange laugh burst from Nick as he realized the connotation of his statement. He held up a hand. “Not anything like that. It’s here in town … well, actually a little outside of town. It’s funny, I never paid much attention to that old run-down liquor store on the edge of town but for whatever reason, that’s where this whole thing takes place. Somehow it’s wedged in the back of my mind.”
Dread washed over me and I had to remind myself to breathe. Slow and steady. In and out. Every muscle clenched, I waited for Nick’s revelation to continue.
“Then things get … weird.”
He looked to me, likely expecting a friendly, curious question but all of my energy was channeled into not clenching the arms of my chair so tightly that I’d leave permanent marks in the fabric. I struggled to remain passive, even as my heart thundered frantically, loud enough that it echoed in my ear drums.
When Nick didn’t get a reaction out of me, he waved a hand. “Nevermind. You don’t want to hear about all this.”
“No—no—please, finish your story.”
I didn’t want to know but I had to all the same. It was part of the reason I’d stopped in. Only in hindsight did I realize that I wasn’t prepared to fully know the truth about his memories of that night. I’d been hoping the meeting would alleviate my conscience, not drag me farther into panic mode.
“Well, there were all these different creatures,” Nick continued, gesturing with his hand as though he could still see them swarming the parking lot of the liquor store. “Balls of light in all different colors and intensities. Angry men and women with … fangs.”
“Fangs?” I tried to give a lighthearted laugh. “Goodness, Nick. Maybe you should check the expiration date on the cold medicine you’ve been taking.”
He smiled but I could see a flicker of disappointment behind his eyes. He’d wanted something else from me. Some other kind of reaction. “Yeah,” he said with a shallow laugh. “Probably should. It’s pretty messed up. The other night it changed a little. I was wandering around in your backyard. I thought I saw … well, I thought I saw a ghost.”
“Really?” I said, struggling to keep my voice calm. “What did she—or he—look like?”
Nick considered the question for a moment. “Kind of like my elementary school librarian, Mrs. Gilbert.”
I tried to laugh but the sound was mangled somehow. Guilt twisted through me, binding up my insides in a tight knot. As I watched him, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to come clean. There’d been a few moments over the year since we’d met that I’d wanted to confide in Nick. Stars knew it would be easier than trying to hide everything about myself. If nothing else, it would be nice to let Evangeline loose her cleaning spells after Thanksgiving dinner.
“It’s probably the cold medicine. You’re right. I’ll buy a new bottle on my way home.” Nick stared at me for another long moment, as though daring me to correct him. When it was clear I had nothing to add, he pushed up from the desk. He leaned over and clicked a few things on his computer and then started pulling on his thick pea coat. “I suppose I better call it a night. Thanks for stopping by to see me, Holly.”
I hurried to get up, feeling even worse at his dismissal. He’d never shooed me out of his office before. He was far too polite to say it, but something shifted in that moment. Almost like he knew the truth and had been setting up a test for me. A test I’d failed miserably.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Back at the manor, Teddy and Evangeline pounced on me as soon as I walked through the door. Before I even had my coat off my shoulders, they were tripping over each other to explain what they’d spent the afternoon working on.
“We’ve got something to show you,” Evangeline started.
“Can we do this in the kitchen? I really need some tea.” I turned, hung my coat on one of the pegs beside the door, and tried to pull myself together.
Evangeline nodded and led the way, so wrapped up in whatever they’d been doing t
hat she didn’t notice my lack of enthusiasm.
Teddy was more perceptive and sidled up beside me as we crossed through the large living room. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. “Just a long day at work,” I lied.
Teddy gave me a skeptical look but didn’t press further. He hadn’t known me very long, but I imagined that working as a lawyer for over a decade made him better at reading people than most.
In the kitchen, Evangeline was already working to spread a selection of glossy papers over the large farm-style table that dominated the eat-in nook to the side of the L-shaped kitchen. I bypassed the table and went to work lighting a burner under my giant ceramic kettle. While I waited for the water to heat up I added a generous scoop of my favorite soothing blend of tea, made with herbs from the greenhouse, into the largest mug I owned.
“Teddy called a few of his contacts in the Los Angeles haven to see if they have any idea what’s going on in Seattle. Turns out that Harvey served as the head of the entire crime division in Seattle and was also appointed as the Grand Investigator, which means he had a seat at the table whenever the biggest decisions within the SPA were made. He held one of the top SPA jobs on the entire West Coast.”
“Well that explains the fancy office,” I said, mostly to myself. I turned and propped myself against the counter as the water in the kettle started to heat up. I eyed the papers she’d fanned out on the table but was too far away to see much more than colorful images and lines of text. Once I’d had a few sips of tea, I’d go closer and investigate. “Have there been any breakthroughs in the investigation?” I asked, not particularly interested in what he used to do at the SPA besides babysit me.
Teddy nodded. He’d positioned his chair at an angle so he could look at both Evangeline and me. “The poisoned coffee was purchased at Magic Beans, the coffee shop that serves as a portal between Seattle proper and the haven.”
That caught my attention. “So Harvey left the Council Hall, went into Seattle proper via the portal, and got coffee before flagging down a cab?”
Witch Way Home: A Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery (Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries Book 4) Page 9