Wrapping Up

by A. A. Albright

  ‘According to Gabriel, they like to turn whenever they’re in his father’s forest.’

  ‘Really?’ His brow furrowed. ‘You know that means there’s something here that sets them off, right? Something that puts them on the defensive? Kind of wish I had fangs and claws right now myself. Oh well. I guess my truncheon’s gonna have to suffice.’

  ‘Careful!’ I hissed, pulling his hand back as he reached for the door. ‘The knocker has ears.’

  Finn looked at the door knocker, and shivered. It was shaped like a bat, and it was smiling.

  ‘Hello, Mr Godbody,’ I said to the knocker. ‘It seems you’ve been expecting us.’

  ‘Come in, Wayfarer. I’m in the drawing room. You can bring the Peacemaker, too, if you must.’ His voice took on a sour note as he said Peacemaker. To be fair, Mr Godbody was loyal to the Wayfair coven, and we hadn’t had the best history with the Peacemakers. But times they were a-changing, and even weird men who lived in creepy mansions would have to get used to that fact.

  The front door began to creak open, and Finn moved closer to me. ‘Is he really called Gabriel, too? He gave his son the same name as his?’

  ‘Yup. The rich folk do have their quirks,’ I said as I stared into the wide but cluttered hallway. ‘Well, we’d better get inside.’

  Finn stared at the head of a dragon, hanging on the wall. Its eyes might be dead, but it was hard not to feel that it was staring at you. It was hard not to feel this whole house was staring at you.

  ‘Yeah,’ Finn said hoarsely, still rooted to the spot. ‘I guess we’d better mosey on in.’

  ‘Uh-huh,’ I agreed. ‘We’d better just ... get to it. Walk straight on in there. Past those suits of armour. Then saunter casually through that massive cobweb that seems to have grown a few feet since the last time I was here. Oh, wait! My phone is ringing.’

  It wasn’t a delay tactic (although I had desperately been trying to think of any reason to delay our entry). My phone really was ringing, and the caller was none other than Gabriel – my boyfriend, not his father.

  ‘I heard about the murder,’ he said before I even got the chance to say hello. ‘I’ll sign in to help as soon as I’m finished with this afternoon’s TV show. Can you wait until then to question my dad?’

  I moved away from Finn. ‘Did you seriously just ask that?’ I hissed. ‘Gabriel, if I had a choice I wouldn’t even be the one doing the questioning. But you certainly can’t question your own dad.’

  ‘So you really are treating him as a suspect. And you’re doing it when my show’s just about to go on. You don’t want me there, that’s why. You knew I’d be stuck in the studio. Are you going to arrest him, huh? Take him in for questioning? You know how sensitive he is, Wanda. He won’t be able to handle an interrogation room. The energies in there will drive him round the bend. He’ll ...’

  I held the phone away from my ear for a moment, while he ranted. When he seemed to have run out of steam, I held it to my ear again and began to talk. ‘You’re being paranoid, Gabe. Your dad isn’t a suspect. I need to speak to everyone who knew Winnie, and your dad was one of her most frequent visitors. That’s all this is.’

  ‘Then why is Finn with you? Christine said you were with him. Can’t you at least question him on your own? I mean, he is my dad.’

  It took a minute for me to think of an appropriate reply. The truth was that I would rather enter a werewolf den at full moon than go in there on my own. Or at all. ‘You know all about our new policies, Gabe. We’re trying to become a police force that people can trust. That means we question people in twos whenever we can. This afternoon, Finn and I are both on shift and available. Simple as that.’

  I think he was ready to argue some more, but I heard someone call him. ‘My show’s about to start. Go easy on him, Wanda. You know what he’s like.’

  I sighed, and walked back to the door. Finn still hadn’t gone inside. He moved close to me, and whispered in my ear, ‘I’ll take the lead, okay? Chime in if you want, but I know this is going to be hard for you, so I’ll play bad cop if it helps. And I won’t even make you buy me a slice of cake in return.’

  I gave his hand a grateful squeeze. ‘I’ll buy you an entire cake for this, Finn.’ I took a step across the threshold. ‘Ready?’

  With a nervous nod, he followed me inside.

  On my previous visit to Godbody House, I thought I might get lost in the labyrinthine corridors. But it turns out that disturbing furnishings tend to stick in your memory. I led Finn past the hall of grimacing Godbody portraits, through a dark corridor lined with suits of armour that had a less than hollow vibe, found my way through the archway with the line of (loaded) crossbows pointing down, used a lot of magic to get past the hanging cobweb without touching it – and totally ignored the scuttling shadows on the ceiling above. I mean ... what scuttling shadows? I sure wasn’t going to have nightmares about those after I ran home screaming to my bed.

  When we finally reached the drawing room, Mr Godbody was sitting exactly where he had been the first time I met him. He was at the other end of the room, in a well-worn wingback chair by the fire. And all we had to do to get to him was walk past even more walls filled with too many animal heads to count. Not a bother.

  ‘Ah, Wayfarer.’ He stood up. ‘I do so wish our second meeting could have taken place under better circumstances.

  ‘So do I, Mr Godbody,’ I said as Finn and I sat across from him. ‘This is Finn Plimpton, a colleague of mine.’

  ‘Plimpton?’ Mr Godbody’s lip curled as he scrutinized Finn. ‘Wayfairs are working with their enemies, now? Ah, yes. My son told me about the latest developments. I can’t say I have too much faith that it will work out the way you all hope.’ He looked back at me. ‘Any idea who might have killed poor Winnie?’

  Oh dear. His eyes were right on me. Could he hear my brain screeching that I was terrified he might be the killer? No, no of course not. Empathy didn’t work that way. Only telepathy could let him know exactly what I was thinking. But he must sense it. I was wondering just how to reply when Finn cleared his throat.

  ‘Excuse me, Mr Godbody,’ he said. ‘But I heard you have no telephone or television here. How did you find out about Winnie so quickly?’

  Mr Godbody blinked. ‘Well, I ... my gamekeeper told me. When he brought me in a bird for my supper. Terrible news. Now, Wanda, you were about to tell me if you have any ideas on this murder. Winnie was a dear friend, you see.’

  ‘I’ll need your gamekeeper’s name and contact details so he can confirm that,’ Finn interrupted, passing a notepad to Mr Godbody. ‘If you could jot it all down here, that’d be great.’

  Looking extremely irritated, Gabriel’s father began to write. ‘Of course. Now, Wanda–’

  ‘I hear you’re an empath, Mr Godbody,’ said Finn, cutting in once again.

  Mr Godbody let out a self-pitying sigh. ‘Indeed I am. It is a most distressing gift to have. An encumbrance, more than a gift. I feel the burden of everyone’s feelings, you see. For instance, right now I know just exactly how uncomfortable this whole encounter is making poor, sweet Wanda.’

  He turned his eyes to mine again, with a smile that made me shiver. To my relief, Finn pressed on.

  ‘So why did you visit Winnie Wywood so often, then? If you find it difficult to be around people as much as you say you do, then surely you’d go out of your way to limit contact. But with Winnie, you actively sought it out.’

  ‘It is exceedingly difficult for me to be around most people, yes. But Winnie Wywood was not most people. She had a calming effect on everyone she met. Being with that lovely woman was like taking a tonic. Now, Wanda.’ He turned in his chair again and gave me that same shiver-inducing smile. ‘Gabriel was telling me all about your dear father’s return to the fold. How wonderful that must be for you all.’

  ‘Sorry, I’m a bit confused.’ Finn sat far forward, positioning as much of himself as he could manage between me and Mr Godbody. ‘If Winnie was so much of a ton
ic, then why would you want her to move? You were trying to buy her house, weren’t you?’

  I heard Mr Godbody swallow. ‘I ... well ... it was for Winnie’s sake. She’s a far more sociable character than I am. She’d love to be in the town, in the middle of everything. And I could have given her some financial comfort, too – so her daughter wouldn’t have had to worry about her, as she grew older. I had no interest in the house, nor the land. I only wanted to help Winnie. It was a selfless move on my part, you see. That’s just how I am. Always putting others’ interests before my own. I wonder, though, could you tell me how you found out about that? Nothing legal had occurred. It was merely a conversation between friends. A conversation that we had alone. Ah – it must be the familiars. Those poor blind mice.’

  I felt myself grow hot.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry,’ said Mr Godbody, leaning around Finn so he could give me that smile once again. ‘Only the familiars themselves know, as well as a few of those loyal to the Wayfair coven. Although it will become more and more obvious as time goes on. Soon enough, murderers will begin to murder familiars, just so the poor little creatures can’t help you. Oh, what a terrible world we live in, eh, Wanda?’

  ‘Yes. Terrible.’ I gritted my teeth. I suddenly had enough of letting Finn take the lead. ‘Mr Godbody, when was the last time you saw Winnie?’

  ‘Hmm.’ He put his hand to his chin in a thoughtful motion. ‘Let’s see ... hmm. Hmm. Now, was it yesterday or the day before that?’ He shook his head. ‘How silly I am. I can’t remember. But it wasn’t today. It definitely wasn’t today. Now, Wanda, tell me, how is everything at home? I sense so much tension in you, you poor, poor girl. Why, your discomfort is perfectly palpable.’

  5. Christmas at Cupcakes

  After getting nowhere with Mr Godbody, Finn and I both felt in need of sustenance. And by lucky coincidence (okay, by to-the-second planning) we arrived in the kitchen of Wayfarers’ Rest just in time for dinner. My father was back from his latest therapy session at Night and Gale, and I ran straight into his arms.

  He pulled me in close. ‘The decorations look wonderful, Wanda,’ he said. ‘Thank you for doing it.’

  I looked around, shocked that the kitchen looked a lot better than the way I’d left it. All of the wreaths and garlands were up, mistletoe hung by the back door, and lights powered by Solas spells twinkled everywhere. Christine looked up from her scrying bowl, winked, and put a finger to her lips.

  ‘Well, I had a lot of help,’ I said. ‘So how did it go? Was Florence able to jog your memory?’

  He heaved out a sigh. ‘She’s trying her best. She thinks that there must have been a lot more vampire hypnosis to go along with those memory suppressants Justine had me on. But other than those bats I saw at Chaos Chasm the day of the Everest Climb, I have no recollection of being compelled by any vampires. But then I wouldn’t, would I? Not if they did their job properly. Honestly, I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall.’ A haunted expression crossed his face, but he quickly replaced it with a smile. ‘But what does it matter? I’m back with my family at last.’ He looked at Finn. ‘Any luck with Gabriel Godbody the Twentieth? Christine’s been filling us in.’

  My mother had just placed a delicious-smelling curry in front of Finn, so he gave her a brief smile of thanks before answering my father. ‘I don’t have to be an empath to know that that guy was a creep,’ Finn replied as he took a forkful of food. ‘Oh, my stars! Mrs Wayfair, this is gorgeous.’

  He wasn’t wrong. I took quite a few mouthfuls before I said, ‘Mr Godbody? A creep? You think so?’

  Finn snorted. ‘Your voice just went really high, Wanda. Admit it. You can’t stand him either.’

  ‘Well, I ... I’ve only met him twice, including today. That’s too soon to form an opinion.’

  ‘No it’s not,’ he argued. ‘That’s exactly when you should form an opinion. Like when I first met you. I thought to myself – she’s mouthy, but she’s honest as the day is long.’

  ‘I wasn’t mouthy when we first met.’

  ‘Not at the time, no.’ He paused to laugh as Mischief launched himself onto his lap. ‘But I could tell you had a propensity for mouthiness. And bravery. Whereas Gabriel’s dad?’ Finn shivered. ‘Empath my behind.’

  ‘Mam, Dad, what do you think of Gabriel Godbody? Senior, I mean. The two of you knew him at college, right?’

  My parents shifted uncomfortably, both looking down at their dinners. ‘Yes. We knew him at college,’ said my mother. ‘And he’s loyal to our coven.’

  ‘So I keep hearing.’ Finn broke off pieces of a samosa, passing it to the mice in my pocket. ‘That doesn’t tell me what either of you think of him.’

  ‘The thing is, I’m reluctant to say what I think of him,’ admitted my father. ‘I’ve actually known him all my life, not just at college, so I’ve had a long time to get to know his various ... quirks. But what I feel about him personally doesn’t matter. Wanda’s mother and I owe him a debt of thanks, and the gratitude I feel will always trump anything else.’

  Finn looked confused, so I filled him in. ‘Your Aunt Justine’s obsession with my dad began a very long time ago. Back in college she gave him a love potion, too. Gabriel senior helped figure it out. Because of his empathic abilities, apparently.’

  ‘Really?’ Finn frowned. ‘I remember the whole story about the love potion. I thought it was some other kid who dosed you, Mr Wayfair. Not my aunt. Yeah, I remember now. Derek something or other. He was testing out some potions and decided it’d be a good idea to use unsuspecting people as his guinea pigs. He killed himself afterwards, didn’t he? Left behind a note admitting to the whole thing?’

  My father began to top up everyone’s drink. I knew he was using the job as a means of delay – especially seeing as neither myself nor Finn had taken so much as a sip, and now that my dad was adding even more wine, the liquid was brimming out over the lips of our glasses. I felt awkward about the line of questioning, since both my parents looked so upset. But the truth was, I was glad Finn was asking these questions. I’d been reluctant to broach the subject myself.

  ‘Some people believe that your aunt was the real culprit,’ said my dad, eventually sitting back down. ‘They think that poor young Derek was her scapegoat. I’m not sure we’ll ever know the truth of what happened back then, but I do know this – without Gabriel Godbody the Twentieth’s intervention, I never would have known I was under the influence of a love potion. I would have wound up married to Justine. And Wanda never would have been born.’

  He sounded so heartbroken when he uttered that last sentence. I reached across and grasped his hand, shocked at the rush of love I felt every time I was near him. All of these years, I had known I loved him, known I missed him, but now that he was in our lives again, the feeling was almost overwhelming. But as well as the love and happiness, I felt so much anger that it sometimes became hard to bear. Pushing it down didn’t work. When I did that, I just wound up having way too many revenge dreams about the former Minister. I had drowned her one night, strangled her another, and fed her to a pit of angry werewolves just the night before. Clearly I wasn’t handling all of this too well.

  Finn sipped at his wine, looking thoughtful. ‘I dunno,’ he said. ‘I mean, I get why you guys are grateful to him, honestly I do. But there’s something about him. Something that just rubs me the wrong way. And if his empath powers are as strong as he says they are, well then why the hell isn’t he using them to help the Wayfairs, instead of hiding away in that horror show of a mansion? Sorry, but I think that Gabriel Godbody the Twentieth is full of bull.’

  ≈

  Back in our house at Westerly Crescent, Max and I settled down in front of the TV with ice cream, popcorn, and four familiars.

  ‘Can we watch Grisly Grim Reapers Six?’ asked Dizzy, snuggling into me.

  I glanced over at the mice. They had settled on Max’s lap, and were nibbling on some popcorn. I seriously doubted they wanted to watch anything with G
rim Reapers in the title, even if it was just a silly horror movie. Okay, so they wouldn’t strictly be watching, what with their blindness and all. But even so.

  ‘How about we watch something funny tonight, instead?’ Max suggested. ‘Christmas at Cupcakes is streaming at the moment. It’s a romantic comedy. It’s about this witch who runs a cupcake shop, and she falls in love with this guy who’s totally oblivious, so she bakes a love potion into his favourite cake. Anyway, things go awry, hijinks ensue, and by the time Christmas rolls around, they’re kissing under the mistletoe.’

  I turned to look more carefully at Max. ‘Sounds great – but not your usual sort of thing.’

  ‘Emily Caulfield recommended it,’ he said, taking a fistful of popcorn from the bowl and dropping it in front of the mice. ‘She loves human movies.’

  I resisted the urge to giggle gleefully. Some gentle teasing would be way more fun. ‘Well, it might be made by a human movie studio, but it’s about a witch. A witch who runs a cake shop. Tell me, what is it they sell in Caulfield’s Cakes again?’

  Max grunted. ‘Not funny, Wanda. Emily doesn’t fancy me. If she did, she would have said something by now. Or at least given me some sort of hint.’

  ‘You mean like recommending a movie that might make you understand how she feels? Or totally overhauling the menu in Caulfield’s so that it includes lots of your favourite vegan foods?’

  He rolled his eyes. ‘You’re seeing things that aren’t there. She was just making small talk about movies while she delivered my vegan vanilla ice cream the other day. And selling vegan food is just good business sense. Lots of weredogs shop in Riddler’s Cove, and almost all weredogs are vegan. She’d be dumb not to cash in on the fact.’

  I looked down at the ice cream in my bowl. ‘Emily delivered this? Emily doesn’t do deliveries. Her dad does the deliveries.’

  ‘Well, clearly he was busy. Look, can we just watch the movie?’