Kayla was grasping at straws.
“Think about it, Alex,” I said. “Kayla was the only one with access to Jolene that morning. She said she brought Jolene coffee every morning, probably laced with silver. She was the one who tried to pin the blame on Daniel from the beginning. Then she was eager to jump on the suicide bandwagon. The only theory she wasn’t willing to go along with was the one that pointed the finger at you.”
Alex was clearly torn. He didn’t want to believe that the young werewolf under his very own roof was responsible for such a heinous crime.
I felt the magical barrier dissolve a beat before Kayla did. She was fast but not as fast as Alex. He tackled her before she reached me and he pinned her to the platform.
So Kayla finally got what she wanted—Alex was naked on top of her. Somehow, I didn’t think this was the scenario she had in mind.
Astrid appeared on the front of a broomstick, hovering beside the platform. “I heard you might need some help up here.”
She hopped off the broomstick and I noticed Laurel still seated.
“You brought the deputy?” I asked.
“Obviously,” Laurel shot back. “Sheriff Hugo is waiting at the bottom of the tree.”
No surprise that she brought Astrid. Getting the centaur up a ladder or on a broomstick would prove difficult.
Astrid snapped open her handcuffs and moved toward Alex. “Get off the girl.”
“Not Alex,” I said. “It’s Kayla you want.”
Alex jumped to his feet and I heard Laurel gasp behind me.
“Cover your eyes,” I told her.
“I can’t,” she said. “I’m on a broomstick. It’s a requirement that we keep our eyes open.”
“Then fly back down to the sheriff and tell him we’re coming down,” I said through gritted teeth.
Thankfully, Laurel did as she was told. I let Astrid lead Kayla down the ladder first. Not an easy task in handcuffs.
“Thanks for helping me,” I said, once Alex and I were alone. “I wasn’t sure if you’d believe me.”
“It just didn’t make sense that you’d hurt Jolene,” he said. “Not that any of this makes sense. It’s a nightmare.”
“My house isn’t far. Why don’t you come back there and we can talk it through?”
“You might want to let me go down the ladder first,” Alex said. “Unless you’re interested in the view.” He gestured to his private area that was on full display.
The back of my neck warmed. “Good thinking.”
Everyone decided to converge back at my house, including the participants from poker night who’d apparently carried on playing after I left. The sheriff wanted to get a proper statement before transporting Kayla to a Spellbound holding cell and Alex wanted to hear what she had to say. I borrowed an outfit of Gareth’s that I hadn’t donated for Alex to wear, much to the vampire’s dismay.
“He’s been naked for hours. Surely he can stay naked just a wee bit longer,” Gareth complained as I handed the buff werewolf a pair of leather trousers.
Alex slipped on the tight pants and Gareth gave him an admiring look. “On second thought, he can keep the trousers. They suit him better than they ever suited me.”
“How generous of you,” I said, watching Gareth stare at the werewolf’s tight bottom.
“Is the vampire checking me out?” Alex asked. I’d warned him about Gareth’s ghost the moment he entered the house.
“Don’t take it personally. He offers a running commentary on everyone. You should hear what he has to say about Sheriff Hugo’s bare hooves.”
“If you’re going to spread lies,” Gareth complained, “at least make them good ones.”
We rejoined the rest of the group in the living room, where Sheriff Hugo had just finished questioning Kayla. She didn’t appear remotely apologetic or scared. A real sociopath.
“She totally confessed,” Jemima said triumphantly, as though she’d single-handedly cracked the case from the comfort of my poker table.
Alex shook his head in disbelief. “So the silver in her body was from Kayla?”
“She brought her cousin coffee every morning,” the sheriff explained. “At some point, she started adding a drop of silver. Just enough that Jolene wouldn’t taste it. Over time, the poison built up in her system and killed her.”
“Jolene took her coffee black and bitter,” Alex said. “She was unlikely to taste it or smell it.”
Kayla stood there, smug and defiant. “It was convenient. Milk and sugar would have made the whole thing more difficult.”
“Why?” Alex asked, slapping both hands hard against the wall on either side of Kayla’s head. “Jolene and I would have done anything for you.”
“Not anything,” Kayla spat. “She never would have willingly stepped aside. That depressed moron didn’t deserve an esteemed place in the pack. She didn’t have what it takes to be a leader.” She puffed out her chest. “I do. I’m a wolf that can go the distance. Bring honor and glory to the pack.”
“Honor and glory?” Alex repeated, baffled. “We live in Spellbound, Kayla. We lead pleasant, quiet lives. We’re not asserting our dominance over a territory.”
“Well, maybe we should,” Kayla said, raising her chin a fraction. “And we should start with these ridiculous ordinances. No other creatures have the right to tell a werewolf when and where to shift. When you and I lead the pack, things will be different.”
“When you and I…?” Alex flinched before stalking out of the room. He’d clearly had enough of her brand of crazy.
Did Kayla actually think she was going to walk free? Even crazier, did she think Alex would marry her?
“You poisoned Jolene slowly,” the sheriff said, picking up the loose thread. “You didn’t know when she’d drop dead, so you hung around waiting for the big day.”
“Took longer than I thought,” she admitted. “I was afraid the wedding would go ahead and then it would be harder for me.” She bit her lip and fell silent.
“Didn’t you realize the autopsy report would show the silver?” I asked. Even though she was a teenager, she seemed smart enough to register that fact.
“I figured they’d rule it a suicide. Or blame someone else.”
“The way you tried to blame Daniel,” I said.
Kayla flashed a diabolical smile. “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to drag your boyfriend into it, but with his history, he was an obvious choice.”
“He’s not my…” I stopped talking. My relationship status with Daniel hardly seemed important in this moment.
“Transport’s outside, boss,” Astrid said, peering out the window. “Looks like Mancini’s here, too.”
Someone must have alerted the head of the pack to the situation.
Lorenzo Mancini appeared in the living room. My living room. The house was beginning to feel like a public building.
Gareth whistled. “Nice suit.”
Lorenzo didn’t seem to own an ugly one. Each time I saw him, the aging werewolf looked more dapper than the last time.
“I understand you’re conducting pack business without me,” Lorenzo said. “I must say, Sheriff Hugo, this is terribly disappointing.”
The sheriff grabbed Kayla’s arm. “This is not pack business. This is Spellbound business and the appropriate authorities are handling it.”
Alex stood beside Lorenzo and placed a hand on his broad shoulder. “Let the sheriff deal with Kayla, sir.”
Lorenzo gave his future replacement an understated nod. A sign of respect.
I stood by the front door and watched as Astrid joined Kayla in the deputy’s jalopy. The centaur didn’t need wheels when he had four hooves.
“It’s so easy to lose your way,” Gareth said.
“Especially when you’re a psychopath.”
Through the glass of the car window, Kayla’s gaze met mine and I shivered. “Promise me something, Gareth. If I ever want to offer room and board to a friend, don’t hold back if you think it’s a bad ide
a.”
He did his ghostly best to pat me on the arm. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Chapter 18
Once the jalopy pulled away, I returned to the living room where Lorenzo was busy grilling Alex.
“Kayla is guilty?” the pack leader asked. “You’re certain?”
Alex’s shoulders sagged. “We’re certain. Even without her confession, the evidence points to Kayla.”
“A waste of a good wolf,” Lorenzo said. “And what happened this evening? How did you end up missing in the forest?”
Alex rubbed the back of his head. “I told Kayla I was going to turn tonight. I know there’s the ordinance, but with all the stress over Jolene, my body was crying out to shift. I was willing to pay the fine. Kayla begged to come with me.”
“But you told her no,” Lorenzo said.
He punched his fist into his palm. “Damn straight. It wasn’t appropriate. She’s only a kid and Jolene’s cousin to boot. Shifting with someone else is an intimate act.”
In Kayla’s warped teenaged mind, though, she viewed herself as an adult and a rival for Alex’s affections.
“You didn’t have any idea that she was in love with you?” I asked.
His dark eyes widened. “In love with me? Kayla?” Even now, he appeared oblivious. “I thought it was because she wanted to rise up the ranks and use me to do it. That she was tired of being treated like a cub.”
I chose my words carefully. “Alex, I hate to be the one to lay it out for you like this, but Kayla wanted you and everything that came with being married to you. She murdered Jolene so that she could take her place in your heart and home. It’s that simple.” And that complicated.
A low moan escaped from Alex. A heart-wrenching, primal sound.
“You must have noticed something about her behavior,” I said. “Flattery? Did she go out of her way to be around you?”
“She lived with us. It was hard not to be around us.” He raked a hand through his thick, wavy hair. “She always had a nice word to say to me. I thought she was just grateful for the room and board.”
“Did you think she was going to live with you indefinitely?”
He looked completely blindsided. “I tried to convince her to go back to her parents, but she’s a teenager. I thought it was only natural she’d prefer to live with Jolene and me. We weren’t as strict as her parents.”
“Was Jolene happy for her to stay?” I asked.
He opened his mouth to reply and then quickly thought better of his response. “At first, yes. She was always willing to help pack members in need. Plus, she was like a big sister to Kayla.”
I could tell by the expression on his face that there was more to the story. “What changed?”
“Dunno. Jolene started talking about how great it would be when it was only the two of us again.” He smiled wistfully. “To make room in the house for the cubs she hoped to have after the wedding.”
Three daughters with horrible rhyming names. I already knew that part of the story.
“But you didn’t associate her statement with a desire to get rid of Kayla?” I queried.
He shook his head. “Jolene wasn’t that forthright. In hindsight, I should have understood what she was trying to say.”
I squeezed his shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Alex.”
“Isn’t it? How could I have been so blind?”
“Speaking of blind…” Lorenzo made a noise at the back of his throat. “May I ask why you are wearing leather trousers?”
“Because he can,” Gareth said.
Alex looked down at his tight pants. “It’s either these or go all the way back to the Pines naked.”
“Come along, Alex,” Lorenzo said. “I shall save your dignity and take you home in my car.”
“It will never feel like home again,” he said. His pained expression seemed to underscore the remark.
Lorenzo shook my hand. Even his handshake felt expensive. “The pack is in your debt, Miss Hart.”
“I’d rather not have anyone in my debt, Mr. Mancini.”
“Nevertheless, if you find yourself in need of pack assistance for any reason, don’t hesitate to send an owl.”
Somehow I didn’t think Sedgwick would be thrilled to fly into pack territory on my behalf.
At this point, everyone had cleared out of my house with the exception of Jemima. Since I hadn’t wanted her at poker night in the first place, it was a mystery as to why she was lingering behind.
“How could he not know?” Jemima asked, scooping up a handful of snacks and munching away. “There’s no way they could spend that much time together for him to be clueless about her feelings. He probably liked the attention. Those werewolves like their egos stroked as much as their fur.”
My thoughts immediately turned to Daniel. I knew exactly how easy it was to fall for someone without the other person realizing it. Not that I’d go so far as to admit I was in love with him. I preferred to think of it as a case of extreme like.
“Secrets are all too easy to keep, I’m afraid,” Gareth said, gliding around Jemima. “Take it from someone who knows.”
“She can’t hear you, remember?” I said.
“I know. I said it for your benefit.” He gave me a knowing look.
“Is that Gareth?” Jemima asked, scrunching her nose and peering around the room like she was hunting down a fly on the wall.
“The one and only,” I said.
“Awesome. Can you do me a teeny favor and ask him if my butt looks big in this dress?” She stood and turned, flashing her derriere in our direction.
“Why would you need to ask Gareth?” I asked. “I can tell you.” That the answer was a firm yes.
“Because he’s a gay male. They have the right opinions on these matters.”
I scratched my head and looked at Gareth, who simply shrugged. “I can’t decide whether to be flattered or offended,” he said.
“I don’t want women to make a habit of coming over here to see if their butts look big,” I said. “I don’t live in a public mirror.”
“I won’t tell anyone. So what’s the verdict?” she asked, patting her behind.
“It’s fine,” Gareth said with complete disinterest. “Very flattering.”
“He says it looks like two cats fighting in a trashcan.”
“What?” she and Gareth said in unison.
I made an apologetic face. “Sorry. He’s very blunt. Must be the Scottish ancestry.”
Jemima made an unpleasant squeal before spinning on her heel and marching out of the house.
I pretended to dust off my hands. “That should nip any future unwelcome visits in the bud.”
Gareth gave me an appraising look. “You really do have a tough streak,” he said. “I like this side of you.”
“Better than looking at the backside of her.” I jerked my thumb toward the front door.
“Can we do poker night again next week?” he asked. “It’s the most excitement this house has seen in ages.”
I surveyed the disaster in the living room. Poker chips scattered everywhere. Dirty wine glasses. “I don’t know if my heart can take it.”
He followed my gaze. “No worries about the mess. That’s what your fairy cleaning service is for.”
I thought about Alex and the mess his life was now, all because he and Jolene trusted the wrong person. It was a huge risk—placing your faith in another person.
The next morning, Gareth swept into the kitchen, gesticulating wildly. If he weren’t incorporeal, I’d worry he’d knock something over.
“Daniel’s here,” he said. “Quick, magic yourself a brush and do something about that rat’s nest you call a hairdo.”
Instinctively, my hand flew up and touched my hair. “I don’t know how to do spells like that yet.”
“No wonder you’re in the remedial class,” he grumbled.
“Cut me some slack,” I said, incensed. “I passed my broomstick class, didn’t I?”
The
doorbell chimed.
“I miss my organ bell,” Gareth said.
I shrugged. “Too bad. I changed it. New owner’s prerogative.” I opened the door to greet Daniel. As always, my heart caught in my throat at the sight of him. I wondered if that feeling would ever go away. Knowing that he was committed to a romance-free lifestyle, part of me wished it would. For my own sanity.
“Hi,” he said. “Are you busy?”
“She was just about to get naked and roll around in a tub of whipped cream,” Gareth said.
If I could make contact with Gareth’s shin, I would have kicked him. “Not at all. Come in.”
Daniel stepped into the foyer. “I heard you hosted an eventful poker night.”
“I did.” No surprise that word got around. Word seemed to get around when a tree fell in the woods and no one heard it.
“Maybe next time you’d think about inviting me,” he said.
“You’d want to come?” I was so flabbergasted, I didn’t even remember to say that it was females only.
“I like card games. I used to play a lot.” He hesitated. “I suppose it was quite a long time ago, but still.”
“Then I’ll be sure to let you know next time.” I hardly thought the women of Spellbound would object to ogling Daniel under their green visors all night.
“Now that you’re here,” I said. “I have something for you.”
“Really?”
I hurried to the kitchen counter where I’d left the stack of Winnie the Pooh books. Magpie was standing on top of the pile like he was claiming them.
“Scoot, Magpie,” I ordered.
He hissed before leaping to the floor. Maybe he wanted me to read to him. Stranger things have happened.
I brought the books to the foyer where Daniel was waiting. “For you. Well, temporarily for you. They’re from the library.”
He read the covers. “So this is a Winnie the Pooh?”
“Read them in your thinking spot,” I said. “I think you’ll enjoy the stories. There’s a character called Eeyore you might relate to.”
He grinned. “As it happens, I have a present for you, too.”
“Another one?” He’d already given me the blue and yellow pot on the living room mantel.
Doom and Broom (Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 17