Charms & Witchdemeanors (Wicked Witches of the Midwest Book 8)

by Amanda M. Lee

  “You’re very cute.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re also ridiculously annoying,” I said. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m sitting in my car right now and the only problem I have is the way Noah keeps staring at me.”

  “He’s there to keep you safe, Bay, and he’s not going anywhere,” Landon said. “I don’t care how much you plead or pout, your safety is more important to me than your happiness right now. As long as he’s around, our killer is less likely to approach you.”

  “That sounds very pragmatic,” I said. “I don’t think our killer is going to approach me, though.”

  “Why?”

  “I talked with Edith.”

  “Hold on, sweetie, my signal isn’t good in this room,” Landon said. “I need to go outside to hear you better. I’ll be right back.”

  I could hear Steve and Chief Terry mocking him, calling out various versions of “sweetie” as he retreated. I waited for Landon to return to the call, and when he did he was all business. “What did she say?”

  “Are you away from prying ears?”

  “I am,” Landon confirmed. “Noah can’t hear you, right?”

  “No. He’s just glaring at me.”

  “He’ll live,” Landon said. “Tell me what Edith said.”

  I related the full conversation and then waited for Landon to respond.

  “I’ve never met Edith, but I can’t stand her,” Landon muttered. “So Victor came back to town when he wasn’t supposed to, and I’m guessing he spent a lot of time watching Aunt Tillie.”

  “That would be my guess.”

  “I think you’re probably right about it being the kid,” Landon said. “Kid is a relative term now, because this man would be older than me … by a long shot. I don’t like it, but it seems to make the most sense.”

  “Have you had any luck tracking him down?”

  “We just started, but when I get information I’ll text you,” Landon said. “When that happens, I expect you to move your behind to Hypnotic and stay there until we have this guy in custody. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir. I live to do your bidding, sir!”

  “Very cute,” Landon said. “What are you going to do until then?”

  “I’m going to see Carolyn.”

  Landon was quiet.

  “Are you still there?”

  “I’m here,” Landon said, exhaling heavily. “Maybe you should let me talk to Carolyn, Bay. I would feel better if you removed yourself from this situation.”

  “I want to know,” I said. “Carolyn is a nice woman. I’ve known her for years. She’s not a threat. If she has information on her brother … or her father and this situation … she’d probably be more likely to share it with me than law enforcement.”

  “I know you’re right, but … .”

  I cut him off before he could wear me down. “You assigned me a bodyguard,” I reminded him. “I’m sure he’ll follow me to the house and pout in the driveway. I’ll be perfectly safe.”

  “Okay, Bay,” Landon said. “Keep alert, though. Noah isn’t infallible. Call me if you get anything.”

  “You do the same.”

  “Hey, Bay?”

  “Hmm.”

  “I love you,” Landon said. “When this is all over, you’re going to be all mine for an entire weekend. I’m talking no mothers, aunts or cousins.”

  “That sounds like a plan. And, Landon, I love you, too.”

  CAROLYN Manchester greeted me with a bright smile when she opened the front door. Her strawberry blond hair was cut into an attractive pageboy, and her round cheeks gave her face a wholesome appeal that I always admired.

  “Hi, Bay,” Carolyn said. “Is something wrong?”

  I suppose I should’ve expected the question. I knew where she lived, but I’d never been inside her house. We weren’t exactly coffee buddies. “Well, maybe,” I hedged. “Can we talk? I have some questions and I need a little information.”

  “Is this for a story? I would’ve thought you’d be knee deep in everything associated with Fay and Viola’s deaths.”

  “I am.”

  It took a moment for my words to sink in, but Carolyn pushed open the door and gestured for me to enter. I cast a backward glance at the street, where Noah sat in his car watching the house and then walked inside.

  “Can I get you some coffee?” Carolyn asked.

  “I don’t want to be any bother,” I said, following her into the living room. The house was small, but cozy. It had that quaint appeal that’s only welcome in small towns. “I don’t want to take up much of your time, but I have a few questions about your father.”

  “My father?” Carolyn knit her eyebrows as she sat next to me on the couch. “What do you want to know about my father?”

  “He went to high school with my Aunt Tillie,” I said. I’d worked out part of my approach during the drive over and figured I would wing the rest. “In fact, they kind of dated at one time. Did you know that?”

  “No,” Carolyn replied, her eyebrows disappearing under her bangs. “I had no idea they were acquainted. That’s … odd.”

  I fought the urge to smile. “Aunt Tillie has quirks,” I said. “It’s okay if you don’t like her.”

  “I don’t know her well enough not to like her,” Carolyn said. “I’ve never really talked to her. I’ve seen her at various events, but I’m much more familiar with your mother and aunts.”

  “Yes, well, Aunt Tillie isn’t much of a joiner,” I said. “She’s not a big fan of the town.”

  “So this is about my father dating your great-aunt?” Carolyn asked. I couldn’t blame her for appearing confused. “I’m not sure why that matters. I didn’t even know about it.”

  I wet my lips and decided to go for broke. “I’m worried these recent murders play into something that happened between your father, Aunt Tillie, Margaret Little and their old friends.”

  “That was more than sixty years ago.”

  “I know, but … it was bad,” I said.

  “Well, you’ve piqued my interest, so go on,” Carolyn said, resting her hands on her knees.

  “I guess I should start with my biggest question,” I said. “Do you have a brother?”

  Carolyn bobbed her head, causing a momentary surge of triumph to course through me. “Clay Donahue. Well, I should say he was my brother. He died ten years ago.”

  Wait … what? “He died?”

  “Yes. He was in a car accident on M-88 at the time,” Carolyn replied. “You know that big hill that’s kind of close to the resort sign? There were whiteout conditions and someone crossed the median. He was hit head-on and died almost instantly.”

  Well, that put a crimp in my theory. Maybe there was more than one brother. “Was he your full brother? I mean, did you both have the same mother and father?”

  Carolyn stilled, her eyes shifting from open and friendly to something I couldn’t quite identify. “What are you getting at?”

  “I’m just going to come out with it because I don’t know an easy way to say any of this,” I said. “There was some strife a long time ago between your father and a few of the women in town, including Aunt Tillie. He got a woman pregnant. Her name was Patty Grimes.”

  “The woman who died?” Carolyn asked, surprised.

  “The first woman who died,” I clarified. “My understanding is that he was under the impression she terminated the pregnancy. Five years later, Mrs. Little notified him of the location of your brother, and your father took custody of him. Does that sound familiar?”

  “I knew that Clay and I didn’t have the same mother, but I was under the impression Clay’s mother died in childbirth,” Carolyn explained. “He was older than me, and we were never really allowed to talk about it. My mother treated Clay as if he was her own flesh and blood.”

  “And what about your father?”

  “My father … .” Carolyn looked lost, unable to answer.

  I decided to help her out. “Your father w
as angry?”

  “He had anger issues,” Carolyn said, bobbing her head. “We weren’t allowed to be loud or noisy, and if we were there were … stern repercussions. Mom tried to protect us the best she could, but Dad would fly off the handle and yell over absolutely nothing. As I’m sure you can imagine, I moved out of the house the second I turned eighteen. It was a relief.”

  “And Clay?”

  “He left right away, too,” Carolyn replied. “He did a stint with the military and then married a really nice woman when he came back. They were happy for a long time, but she was in the car with him when he died. We lost them both that day.”

  “That’s awful.”

  “It was awful,” Carolyn said. “My father didn’t take things well. By then my mother was dead. He got drunk and fell down the stairs and broke his hip. He wanted to move in here with me to convalesce so I could take care of him, but I didn’t want that. I knew it would be a disaster. Moving to an assisted-living facility was his only option.”

  “Is that how he ended up in the home in Bellaire?”

  Carolyn snorted, stunned. “How did you know that?”

  “Because I visited him the other day when I was trying to track down the truth about this secret,” I explained. “I thought he might be able to help. I knew that whatever was happening was tied to that period, but no one was talking … especially Aunt Tillie. She finally told me the story today, and it was ugly. I believe your father’s anger and bitterness sprang from the things that Mrs. Little and Aunt Tillie did to him. He never recovered from it.”

  “Do you think my father killed Patty, Viola and Fay?” Carolyn asked.

  “I … no,” I said, hurriedly shaking my head. “I saw him in the retirement center. I don’t believe he’s physically capable of murdering someone. I mean, sure, he might’ve been able to poison Patty. There’s no way he could stab Fay or shoot Viola, though.”

  “You’re probably expecting me to say I’m relieved, but I’ve always feared what my father is capable of doing,” Carolyn said. “My husband wanted to put him in a home in a different city – one that was farther away – but my father freaked out and demanded to remain close to Hemlock Cove. Well, he keeps calling it Walkerville, but you know what I mean.”

  I nodded. “Since you’re being honest, I feel I owe you the same thing,” I said. “I came here because I thought your brother had to be the one killing people. I couldn’t come up with another suspect. If your brother is dead, though … .”

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” Carolyn said. “Part of me is curious and wants to hear the entire story behind all of this, but I’m guessing you’re on a timetable so that will have to wait. My brother was a good man who never understood why my father was so abusive and angry. He cut all ties with my father after leaving the house. My father was resentful. He felt Clay owed him something.

  “I continued to see my father, but I never went out of my way to do it,” she said. “We saw each other about twice a year. Even now I only visit him once every few months. He’s still too … angry.”

  “Does the dementia confuse him and make things worse?” I asked, sympathetic. All of this must be so hard on her.

  “Dementia? He doesn’t have dementia. He has a heart problem and is on medication, but other than that he’s pretty healthy. I talk to his doctors once a month.”

  That made absolutely no sense. “I spoke with him,” I said. “He mistook my cousin Clove for Aunt Tillie. Then he got confused and angry, and said he didn’t know a Tillie or Patty. I was sure he had some form of dementia.”

  Carolyn shook her head. “No. He doesn’t remember everything, but for a man his age he’s remarkably sharp. That doesn’t sound like him at all. In fact, I saw him six weeks ago and he reminded me of things I’d forgotten.”

  “Like what?”

  “The time I stole money from the cookie jar when I was a kid,” Carolyn replied. “I paid it back, but he still brings it up. He’s kind of a jerk.”

  “Do you think your father could be slipping out of the retirement center without anyone noticing? When we were there they paid no attention to us.”

  “I’m not thrilled with the staff. I’m sure he wanders off whenever he feels like it,” Carolyn said. “He doesn’t have a car, though, and he doesn’t have the money for cab fare. I think he just walks around when he takes off.”

  I was frustrated. My best lead was gone and I had nowhere else to look.

  “Well, unless Shane gives him rides,” Carolyn said. She almost looked as if she was talking to herself.

  “Who’s Shane?”

  “My nephew,” Carolyn answered. “He was seventeen when his parents died. He lived with us for two months until he turned eighteen, and then took off. I don’t see much of him now, but he’s still in the area.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because he got in trouble for stealing and his lawyer asked me to write a recommendation to the court,” Carolyn replied. “I declined because I thought some punishment might help him straighten up. He was lost after his parents died – and I get that, don’t get me wrong – but he needed discipline.”

  “When was the last time you saw Shane?”

  “Six weeks ago when I visited Dad,” Carolyn said. “He’s the janitor at the retirement center. Well, technically they don’t pay him. That’s where he does his community service. He’s performed community service here in Hemlock Cove a few times, too. I saw him cleaning the senior center about two months ago.”

  Holy … bingo! “What can you tell me about your nephew?”

  Carolyn shrugged. “Not much. He was a bright kid, but fell behind in school at some point. Instead of doing the work to catch up, he gave up. After his father died he hated the rules here. He’s always gravitated toward my father, and that’s always worried me.”

  Son of a … . “Do you think your father could convince your nephew to take him out of the retirement home?”

  “I think my father could convince Shane to do almost anything,” Carolyn said.

  “I need to make a phone call.”

  Thirty-Three

  “Well, that answers that question,” Landon said when I finished reciting my conversation with Carolyn to him. I practically raced to my car so I could call him upon leaving the house. “Clay is dead, and this Shane kid is angry and looking for a role model.”

  “He’s not a kid,” I said. “He’s my age.”

  “Yes, but he was a kid when his father died, and the only male he had in life was apparently a demented one,” Landon said. “He’s probably stunted emotionally.”

  “You’re so wise.”

  “I’m going to paddle your bottom blue for not respecting me when I see you next,” Landon said. “You’ve been warned.”

  “Yes, I’m quaking in my boots,” I shot back, sighing. “When will I see you again?”

  “As soon as we find Shane,” Landon answered. “I don’t think it will take long. You said he performed community service at the retirement center. They should know how to get in touch with him. Did you see him when you were there?”

  I racked my brain. “Yes. We talked to him really briefly. He didn’t say much.”

  “So he saw you and knew you were asking his grandfather questions,” Landon mused. “That was before Fay and Viola died.”

  “But after we talked with both of them,” I said, realization dawning.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think Shane followed us back to Hemlock Cove because he was worried what we would find and that we were suspicious about Victor,” I explained. “We talked to Fay at the senior center when we tried to cast that first truth spell. It didn’t work, but he didn’t know that.”

  “And Fay was killed that night,” Landon said.

  “If Shane was dressed as a janitor, he wouldn’t have been out of place,” I supplied. “Carolyn said Shane has done community service at the senior center before. If he was familiar, people would’ve thought he belonged th
ere. He would’ve gone unnoticed.”

  “That’s pretty good, sweetie,” Landon said. “He also probably watched you go into Viola’s house and waited for you to leave. I don’t know why he killed Viola instead of you, but … .”

  “But what?”

  “I was going to say I would be forever thankful, but that sounds really obnoxious,” Landon said. “I will be forever happy you’re alive. Viola’s death was unnecessary, though.”

  “Shane is probably taking direction from Victor,” I said. “Victor remembers these people as they were sixty years ago. He has no idea how things have changed. If he did, he’d know Viola wasn’t a threat.”

  “That still doesn’t explain the changes in killing methods, but we’ll get our answers when we arrest Shane,” Landon said. “I need you to go to Hypnotic now. I know you don’t want to, but I’ll feel better knowing you’re with Thistle and Clove.”

  “That’s the first time you’ve ever said that.”

  Landon chuckled. “That’s the first time I’ve ever meant it,” he said. “You stay at that store. Have your food delivered, and work there for the afternoon. I’ll call you as soon as it’s safe to leave.”

  “Okay,” I said. I had no reason to argue. My part in this story was over. There was nothing more I could do. “I’ll text you when I get there.”

  “Make it a dirty one,” Landon said. “I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  After disconnecting with Landon I backed my car out of Carolyn’s driveway and rolled the window down as I pulled parallel with Noah’s car. I expected some sass and snark when he rolled down his window, but he wasn’t in the driver’s seat.

  Curious, I parked in front of his vehicle and exited my car. I scanned the tree line and sidewalk, just to be safe, but I appeared to be alone. I tugged on the car door handle and it opened easily. I couldn’t help but frown as I leaned forward.

  This wasn’t right. Noah’s cell phone and notebook sat open on the passenger seat. There was a bottle of water in the cup holder and an iPod plugged into the console. Wherever he wandered off to, he was coming right back.