by Maeve Hart
Next thing I knew it was morning and Jacques was sitting on the couch wearing a business suit and drinking a mug of coffee. “Morning,” he said.
“Morning.” I sat up. “What time is it?”
“We need to leave here in fifteen minutes if we’re to make that appointment with your detective. How are you feeling?”
I stretched my arms above my head. “I’m feeling better than I’ve felt in a long time.”
“Good. Why don’t you have a shower and I’ll bring you up some breakfast?”
That put a smile on my lips. He was spoiling me. Naturally, I agreed.
When we went downstairs to leave, I didn’t see any of the pack.
“Didn’t you say the pack lived here?
“Most of them do.” He pointed down a corridor. “They’ll be asleep down there; that’s where the bedrooms are.”
The place was as big as a hotel. I didn’t even ask how many bedrooms it had, but I guessed twenty or more. We walked down a passage that led to a field where a helicopter waited.
As we flew away from the compound, I said, “I feel bad for taking up all your time again.”
“Don’t. I told you, you’re vital to me.”
“I thought someone like you would be a workaholic but I don’t see you working much.”
He glanced over at me. “My grandfather was one of the wealthiest men in the country. He was smart and set up various trusts for his descendants, but now that’s only me. I suspect he was envisioning having twenty or more grandchildren and even more great grandchildren. He wasn’t to know the life of his only son would be cut short.”
“That’s sad. So you live off trusts?”
“I do. I’ve got one company that I run and the other money just rolls in like clockwork.”
That answered a lot of questions. I wondered how his father died but didn’t like to ask. I only hoped that my relatives didn’t have anything to do with their deaths. It was unlikely since he hadn’t mentioned it.
“We can start moving things into your loft tomorrow. Maybe you should stay there a night or two next week depending what the detective says today.”
“Do you mean if I’m still a suspect I should stay there?”
“Probably.”
“Is there a reason you’re avoiding the police?” I was almost scared to ask but I had to know the truth.
He laughed. “I’m an Alpha in charge of a pack of shifters. I need to keep the authorities at arm’s length. I haven’t committed any crimes, so don’t worry about that.”
The helicopter landed on the building where he had the penthouse and from there we took one of his cars.
When we got close to the police station he stopped the car. “I’ll fill in time. Call me as soon as you’re ready.” He pulled me close and kissed me.
That kiss made up for him not coming with me into the police station like an ordinary man could’ve.
As I walked to the station, I reached into my bag and turned my phone off so it wouldn’t ring when I was speaking to the detective. When I walked through the entrance, I saw Detective Andrews behind the front desk standing next to an officer who was seated.
He looked up at me. “Ms. Stephens, thanks for coming in.”
I gave a little smile.
Walking out from behind the counter, he said, “This way.” I followed him to his office.
“What’s happened?” I asked as soon as I’d sat down.
“We made an arrest last night.”
“To do with Don’s murder?”
“Yes, and I’m afraid you’ll be shocked.”
Please don’t be my grandmother was the only thing running through my head. I stared at him, unable to ask who it was.
“It was Jennifer Bailey.”
I gasped. “No!”
“I’m afraid so. With Donald out of the way, she was the sole heir to her mother’s estate. Naturally, she had to do it before you married him.”
“I just can’t believe it. Did Peter have anything to do with it?”
“As far as we know, she acted alone. From her phone records she called Don a couple of hours before what was later to be estimated as his time of death. She would’ve found out he was alone and that was a perfect time to do the deed. We figure she visited him and brought that bottle of soda. Strychnine has a bitter taste that she would’ve disguised with soda and maybe mixed with spirits.”
“You got that all from her phone records?”
He shook his head. “One of your neighbors came forward and told us he saw a woman leaving your apartment. Her description matched the deceased’s sister, and he identified her from a photograph.”
“They’ve only just remembered that?”
He nodded. “They thought nothing of it at the time.”
I put my fingers up to my chin feeling sorry for Maggie and for Peter. “How is Mrs. Farrell handling the news?”
“Not too well, I’m afraid.”
“I should go and see her.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
Staring at him, I wondered what he meant.
He brought both hands to his head and smoothed the sides of his hair. “She believes her daughter has been framed for his murder.”
“Does she think I framed her?”
“Yes. It’s only natural for those closely related to criminals to look for other options than to believe their loved ones are guilty.”
“I guess. So she’ll go to court and there’ll be a trial and everything?”
“Yes, unless she pleads guilty. Tell me, Ms Stephens, where were you staying last night?”
“With a friend.”
“What’s the name of your friend?” He clicked the end of his pen and then it was poised above the paper, waiting for the name.
“I’d rather not say.”
His blue eyes bored into mine. “Why’s that?”
“I don’t want to get anyone else involved.”
“Was this a male friend?”
I could tell he was judging me. It looked bad staying at a man’s house only days after my fiancé had been found murdered. At least they’d found the killer now so it didn’t look quite so bad.
“Yes.”
“Is your address the same?”
“Oh, I won’t be moving back to the apartment where Don was… The lease ends next week. I’m only going back to clean it out and then I’m never going near the place again.”
“Do you know where you’ll be?”
I gave him the address of the loft apartment because that was what it was for. Somehow I didn’t feel right lying to him and giving him the address of the loft, but there was no alternative.
“I can’t believe Jennifer would kill her own brother.”
“Greed is a powerful motivator and Mrs. Farrell is worth millions.”
“You haven’t got the toxicology report back yet, have you?”
“Not yet, no. It was strychnine in the soda and the coroner said everything was consistent with strychnine poisoning. There was plenty of evidence for us to arrest Donald Farrell’s sister.”
I put my hand over my stomach.
The detective leaned back in his chair. “Have you seen Jacques Hunter lately?”
I looked into his blue eyes. He knew! He knew I’d been staying with Jacques. Was he having me followed? Then it hit me—my cell phone. They could’ve had a trace on it and they’d also know where Jacques’ compound was.
“Why do you ask?”
“He’s a dynamic man.”
I nodded. “He seems that way.”
“When this is all over, I’d like to take you out for a drink.” His face had softened.
Was he asking me on a date?
“I feel awful for arresting you and that’s my way of making it up to you. Maybe dinner would be a better way of saying I’m sorry.”
I smiled, and if I weren’t in love with Jacques I would’ve taken him up on his offer. “When do you think it will all be ov
er?”
“The way the courts are, it could be another year before she comes to trial.” He stood. “Don’t give me an answer now. I’ll ask you again when the time comes.”
Phew! Off the hook! I stood as well and reached out my hand. “I appreciate everything you’ve done and there’s no hard feelings. You were doing your job.”
He held onto my hand a little too long. “Be careful, Destiny.”
The way he spoke, staring at me with his vivid blue eyes, was as though he knew exactly who and what I was. Be careful of who—Jacques, Granny, or Mrs. Farrell? I pulled my hand back.
“I’ll show you out.”
With my heart pumping hard, I followed him to the front of the building then gave him a smile before I walked out the door.
I reached into my bag and turned my phone on. Jacques, who was flashing his car headlights on and off further up the street, caught my attention. I headed toward him.
When I got into his car, he took off fast.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Put your seatbelt on.”
I obeyed.
“Nothing’s wrong. Law enforcement makes me nervous. What did you find out?”
I told him about Jennifer and how the detective said Mrs. Farrell thought I’d framed her somehow.
“Well, you can relax now. It’s all over.”
“Aren’t you shocked about Jennifer?”
“No. The detective suspected her, it seems. They obtained her phone records and it sounds like they went back and questioned people from your apartment building.”
“It’s just so awful.”
“Murder always is.”
“Now I feel bad for thinking Granny could’ve had anything to do with it.”
“She as good as told you she did. Sounds to me like she wanted you to think she did it.”
“She was probably doing spells to make Don and I break up.”
He reached for my hand and once he had hold of it I felt better.
“Everything’s working out fine. We’ll move you into the loft soon and have everyone think you’re living there until you’re ready to give up your old life and come to me permanently.”
“Thanks for being so understanding.”
He flashed me a smile and my heart melted.
I told him that the detective had asked about him and he didn’t seem surprised. Then I mentioned I was concerned about using the cell phone at the compound in case they had my phone tapped.
“It’s likely it’s been tapped. I wouldn’t worry about it now. They’ve got the murderer.”
At that moment I relaxed.
When we got back to the house, I was overwhelmed. We walked into the main room and it was rowdy with most of the pack there. Sensing I was stressed, Jacques wasted no time whisking me into the elevator. Once inside the small space he pulled me to him.
“You’ll get used to everything in time,” he breathed into my hair.
I looked up at him. “I know.”
He leaned down and his lips softly met mine, and then the elevator doors opened. I stepped into the bedroom.
“After you have time to recover, do you think you could manage a meal with everyone downstairs?”
“Yes. I’d like that. I need about an hour to recover, but I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone better.”
He pulled me onto the couch, sat next to me, and put his arm around my shoulders.
“There’s so much I don’t know about you. You know about my family, but I know nothing about yours. Tell me something about your parents.”
“Both dead.”
I looked at him, shocked. I’d known about his father, but his mother too? He seemed just a little older than me. I didn’t know how old, but figured him to be in his late thirties. “When?”
“I was quite young. Then I was raised by my uncle. Anyway, we’ve got all the time in the world to learn things about each other. All you need to do is concentrate on me.” He drew me closer.
“I thought shifters lived forever unless they were killed by a witch.” I stared at him. Surely he would’ve mentioned if my grandmother had killed his parents?
“We can be destroyed in various ways, but I’m not going to worry you about that now. Just relax and think about happy things.” He kissed the top of my head. “Like you and me.”
I never felt I’d belonged in my witch family. I’d never wanted to be one of them, but there was nothing like the feeling of power when I changed into a wolf. It was exhilarating. This was where I belonged—here with Jacques. Gone was the gut-wrenching feeling of having to strive and never being good enough. Jacques made me feel I was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
“Do people get married in your world?” I asked him.
He lifted his arm slightly and stared at me. “You want to marry me?”
I smiled. “I’m not proposing. I’m just asking a hypothetical question.”
“The answer is yes and it’s your world now, too. What we have is real, Destiny, and when things settle down you and I will have it all. I will personally see to it that every desire you have is met.” He pulled me back to him. “Does that answer your question?”
“Kind of.”
He frowned. “What else do you want to know?”
I wanted to know when we would make love. Why didn’t he know that? Other times he seemed to be able to read my mind. In a way, though, I was glad he was taking things slow. In the past, I’d rushed into the physical side of relationships way too quickly.
I pushed him away in fun. He laughed and as he tried to grab me. I somehow fell off the couch. With the lightning speed of a shifter he maneuvered himself underneath me so I fell on top. I twisted to face him. We laughed and laughed and then I lowered my mouth onto his and we kissed. I’d never imagined I would meet my perfect man at my engagement party. If I was having a dream, I never wanted to wake.
“Pinch me,” I said. He pinched me hard. “Ow, that hurt. I know for sure I’m not dreaming now.”
He laughed at me. “This is your life now, Destiny, and you belong here with me.”
I knew it was true. The unnamed force that I’d always felt watching over me had caused us to meet and had even given me a dream to confirm it.
Tenderly touching the back of my head, he pulled me toward him and our lips met once more.
Thank you for reading Think And Grow Witch.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Other books in The Reluctant Witch series:
Book #2 Poor Little Witch Girl
Book #3 The Witch Get Witcher
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Maeve Hart
About me:
I love mysteries and I love an unexpected twist at the end. I set myself a challenge to write a cozy mystery series and that’s what I’m doing. I’ve had a varied life and have flipped flopped from here to there never living in one place for long. Now I’ve settled in a small coastal town with my spoiled pooch, my computer, and a high-powered coffee machine.