“Well that was easy,” Stella mumbled. She turned around and headed for the office, next to the front entry way. Sure enough, Cash was seated at the large desk in the corner of the room.
“Hi, Cash. Martha asked me to give this to you.” He looked up at the sound of her voice and his eyes lit up.
“I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” he said, reaching for the letter.
She handed it to him, and he gestured for her to take a seat. She sat down in the leather armchair across from him. “Actually, I have a question for you.”
“Ask away.”
“Have you heard anything from the police about the body from the garden?”
“I did. They said that it’s a male. They think he’s been there for about seventy years. They’re working on identifying him, but that takes time.”
“Wow. Seventy years.” Stella’s mind was racing. That was about the time that Mabel stole the manor from her great-grandmother. This might be a clue to what happened. She looked up and Cash was watching her, so she had to play it cool. “That’s a long time to be buried under a rose bush. Have they checked with the Marwood family?”
“That’s the first thing they did. They didn’t know anything about it either.”
“Wow, we have a real mystery on our hands.” She stood up to leave, but she had one more question. “Cash, did they say how he died?”
He hesitated, and she held her breath. “It looks like he was shot in the head. They’re investigating this as a homicide.”
21
“Wow, Stella. A real live murder!” Fiona made a face as she realized how inappropriate it was to sound so excited over someone’s death. “Anyway, you think this had something to do with how Mabel stole the manor?”
“I think it must. The timing is perfect. That can’t be a coincidence.”
“Honey, what if your great-grandmother had something to do with the murder? Would you be able to handle that?”
“I never met Willow; she died when my grandma was a child. But I spent a lot of my youth with my grandmother, her daughter, Gemma. She taught me about being a witch and about being good person. From everything she told me, Willow was a kind-hearted woman. Not someone who could take another’s life.” Stella paused. “But if she did, then I need to know why. I’ll have to accept it if that’s what happened.”
Fiona reached out and rubbed her back. “It will all work out. It always does. You’ve come up with so many get rich quick schemes and they always seem on the verge of disaster. But in the end, it all works out, and you keep us all afloat.”
“Well, it’s hard to be a witch nowadays. Pixie has her baking, but she still has to supplement it with witchcraft. Your family skipped a generation of witches so it’s only you, now. Raven and Poppy just came into their powers and had no one to help teach them. We’re all in this together you know. And even though you and I have family money, we both hate asking for handouts. There are so many rules about creating money and making things instead of buying them. It’s pretty ridiculous if you ask me.”
She looked at her friend who was trying not to smile. “You wound me up so I wouldn’t worry about this, didn’t you?”
“Who, me?”
“Thank you, Fi,” Stella told her. “I do feel better now.”
There was a knock at the door and Fiona looked over at her. “Are you okay?”
Stella took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “Yes. I think I am.”
The knock sounded again, this time more rapidly and Stella laughed when she heard Martha’s agitated voice through the door. “I know you’re both in there. It’s time to do the photo reshoots. Be down in hair and makeup in 5 minutes.”
“Or else,” Fiona muttered in a perfect imitation of the producer.
“I heard that, you know.” The muffled voice on the other side of the door didn’t sound amused.
“Sorry, Martha. We’ll be right down,” Stella called out.
“Mmhmm.”
“Oh, I hate this!” Raven squirmed as the dresser adjusted her bodice for the fourth time.
“Maybe if you quit moving around, she could fix it,” Poppy said, unwisely.
“If I could reach you right now, I’d . . .I can’t even say what I’d do!”
“Poppy, are you ready? Let’s go into the other room and let these two finish up.”
Stella grinned as Fiona steered the younger witch out of harm’s way.
“Ouch!” Raven cried out. As she raised her hand to put a plague spell on the unsuspecting seamstress, Stella sent a jolt of electricity towards her. “Double ouch,” she muttered. She looked at Stella and sighed. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“Any time.” Stella walked over and put her arm around her friend. “You look beautiful, if that’s any consolation.”
“Nope. Not a consolation at all. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that.” She stifled a giggle as Raven caught a glimpse of herself in the full length, beveled mirror. “Okay, I guess I do look pretty good.”
Stella laughed out loud. “Yes, you do. Let’s get this show on the road. The sooner we get there, the sooner it’ll be over.”
The two women walked out of the room and headed for the photo shoot. Halfway down the hall they met up with Cash and Martha. Martha looked upset and as they approached, she walked away. When Cash turned towards them, she noticed the circles under his eyes.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Not really,” he sighed. He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “The police want to shut down the show. They said we’re in the way of their investigation.” He ran his hand through his hair and shut his eyes for a moment. “I was up most of the night trying to find another place.”
Stella felt her breath catch in her throat. She wasn’t ready to leave the manor. She hadn’t found what she needed to clear Willow’s name. “Do we have to go? Are you sure?”
Cash looked at her with tired eyes and shrugged. “I don’t know. My attorneys are looking into it. The Marwood’s have said they’re okay with us being here. It’s just the police.”
Raven made a rude noise. “Do you know who’s in charge of the investigation?”
Stella gasped. “No, Raven. You can’t.”
Her friend shrugged. “I can and I will, if I have to.” Cash looked from one to the other, confused by the conversation. She asked again, “Do you know who the lead detective is?”
“I have his card here somewhere,” Cash replied, patting his pockets. “I think it’s something like Detective Knox or something.”
“Carl Knott, maybe?”
Stella held her breath, hoping Cash would say no.
“Yes, I think that’s it,” he replied. “Do you know him?”
Raven snorted. “You could say that. I’ll talk to him. See if we can work something out.” She stalked off, leaving Stella behind.
“I get the feeling that’s not a good idea.”
Stella shook her head. “No, it’s really not. But nothing will stop her now.”
She smiled at him sadly, then followed Raven to the photo shoot.
22
The wind blowing through the garden brought the scent of honeysuckle to Stella’s nose. She sniffed appreciatively then sneezed violently.
“Why am I allergic to everything that smells amazing?” she lamented.
“Why don’t you just make yourself not allergic,” Raven suggested.
“Make myself not allergic? That doesn’t make sense.”
Fiona pointed her fingers at Stella, wiggled them, then said, “Zap. No more allergies.”
“Oh,” she laughed. “You mean get rid of my allergies magically. Now I understand.” She paused and thought about it. “I don’t know. I don’t think that’s what magic is for.”
“OMG! You can’t turn people into toads, you can’t use magic to create money, you can’t do this, you can’t do that. What is the point of being a witch and having magical powers if everything is off limits?” Rave
n scowled.
“I didn’t say it was off limits, I just don’t think I should use it to fix my allergies. There are much better uses for magic than getting me to stop sneezing,” Stella argued.
“Again, what’s the point of being a witch if we can’t just fix everything?”
Poppy had been silently watching the exchange, her eyes wide, but now she spoke up. “What better uses, Stella?”
“Well, for one, protecting people who don’t have powers. Making sure that nobody cheats anyone else. Keeping peace when Raven calls Fi a name she doesn’t like.” She grinned and shook her head. “I don’t know how to explain it but sometimes it feels like we’re misusing our powers.”
“I think I know what you mean,” Fiona piped in. “Sometimes after I make something appear that I could’ve made or bought, I feel kind of uneasy inside. But when I do something good with my magic, I feel a glow inside. Is that what you mean, Stella?”
“Oh!” Poppy laughed. “I get it. It’s like when I eat one candy bar versus six candy bars. Eating one makes me happy; eating six makes me feel bad.”
Stella and Fiona looked at each other and Fi opened her mouth to disagree, but Stella shook her head. “It’s close enough.”
“You’re all such goodie two-shoes,” Raven whined. “We’re the Four Rich Witches. We’re supposed to be getting into trouble and having fun. But no, you want to follow the rules and do good. What has happened to all of you?”
“I don’t know,” Fiona sighed. “Maybe we’re growing up.” The four of them were silent for a moment, considering her words.
Stella sneezed again, then said, “Okay. We came out her to figure this out and we’re going to do just that, allergies or no allergies.”
“Did you bring the picture?” Raven sat down at her easel. Stella handed her the phone with the photo of the stained-glass window. “Come over here, behind me. I’m sure one of us can spot the difference.”
The others gathered around behind her. “I can feel that something’s wrong, but I just don’t see it,” Stella complained. The others nodded.
Fiona sighed and shifted positions. “It seems like something’s wrong with the wall, just behind the rose bushes.”
“Wait! You know what, I think you’re right.” Stella looked around, then casually flipped her hair. The wall in the photo started to glow, highlighting the differences.
“What’s going on out here?” a voice called out, startling them. Stella quickly twisted her wrist, ending the magic, and just in time. Susan came walking up behind them. “I was looking for someone to have lunch with and nobody was inside.”
“We were checking out Raven’s painting. Isn’t it wonderful?” Poppy piped up.
Susan stepped closer and her eyes widened. “Wow! You’ve really captured the scene. I love how you painted it with the sun behind that wall. It makes it seem cheery and sinister, all at the same time.”
Stella leaned forward, her heart racing. That’s it! she thought. We’ve been looking at the wall with the sun behind it, casting a shadow. That’s what the glow was trying to show us!
She looked up at Fiona and jerked her head in Poppy’s direction. “Hey Poppy, weren’t you just saying how hungry you were? You should go have lunch with Susan.”
“I’d love to! See you all later,” Poppy waved as she and Susan walked towards the house.
“What is it? I saw the lightbulb come on over your head.”
“What time do you normally come out here to paint,” she asked Raven.
“Mostly in the afternoon, like now. Sometimes first thing in the morning.”
“You’ve painted several pictures, right?” At her nod, she continued. “Do you have any that you painted entirely in the morning?”
Raven nodded again. “Sure. They’re in the studio, against the far wall. I have at least two that I painted in the morning.”
Stella grinned. “Is it okay if I go get them and bring them down here?” Raven looked at her strangely but agreed.
“Do you need any help?” Fiona asked.
“I’d love some.”
They were walking down the hallway, just past the alcove, when they heard Cash’s voice, coming from the hallway with the portraits of Mabel, Mildred and Reginald. As they reached the end of the hallway, they found him staring at the painting of the man.
“Hey Cash, everything okay?” Fiona asked.
He turned towards them, a stunned look on his face. “Do either of you know who this man was?” As they shook their heads, he continued. “Well, whoever he was, it’s his body that was found in the garden.”
Stella felt the world tip sideways. That niggling feeling in her gut had been right. There was something about that man that had been bugging her ever since she’d seen the portrait. She looped her arm through Cash’s, and he looked down at her, a tender smile on his face.
Clearing her throat, Fiona said she was going to grab the paintings and bring them downstairs. Stella nodded. Once her friend had walked away, she turned, sliding her arms around Cash and hugging him.
“What was that for,” he asked, his arms wrapped around her, holding her against his chest.
“It’s been a rough week, for all of us,” she said. “I needed a hug and thought you might need one, too.”
“Thanks, I didn’t realize how much I needed some human contact,” he chuckled. “I’ve been spending so much time on the phone I’d almost forgotten how it feels to actually touch someone.” She started to pull away, but he held her tight. “And I’m pretty sure nobody would feel as good in my arms as you do.”
She felt herself start to blush, so she buried her head in his shoulder.
“I can’t wait until this show is over,” he whispered. “I plan to ask you ask you on a date, as soon as possible.”
“I’d like that,” she said. She leaned back and looked at him, seeing the desire she felt reflected in his eyes.
The sound of a crash and Fiona swearing had them jumping apart, the mood shattered.
“I’d better go check on her,” she said.
He nodded. “I need to go talk with Martha. See you later?”
“Definitely.”
As he walked away, she shook herself. She wasn’t here to find a man; she was here to clear Great-Grandmother Willow’s name. Get a grip, she told herself. More swearing had her running to the studio.
Fiona was standing in the middle of the room, two canvases tucked under her arm, surrounded by broken pottery, paint, and brushes.
“What happened, here?” Stella asked, trying not to smirk.
“Only me being a klutz,” Fiona pouted. “I found the paintings and when I was backing up, I ran into an easel and knocked over a tray holding a pitcher of brushes and paint.”
“That explains why you cursed the first time, but what about the second.”
Fiona’s eyes lit up. I set the paintings down to try and clean up some of the mess. And I saw this,” she placed one of the paintings on the nearest easel, then stood back to watch her reaction.
At first, she just looked at it. It was the same part of the garden from a slightly different angle. She stepped closer. The wall behind the bushes was different, but she couldn’t figure out how. She looked up at Fi who was grinning like a loon, then took another look, her eyes widening.
“Oh my gosh. I see it,” she whispered. “There used to be a window right here. The wisteria’s grown over it, but you can just make out the window frame.”
She picked up the picture and raced out to the stained-glass window. She held the painting up next to it. Sure enough, there used to be a window there.
Stella had been shaking so hard from excitement that Fiona had taken the painting down to Raven. As the three stared up at the windowless wall, Raven asked the question they all wanted answered.
“Why would you cover over a window? Especially one with such a gorgeous view?”
“That’s the million-dollar question,” Fiona said.
“It has to have something
to do with Reginald’s murder,” Stella muttered.
“Are you naming dead people now or do you know something we don’t know.”
Stella frowned. “Sorry, when I heard you breaking things, I forgot all about it.”
“Breaking things?” Raven’s eyebrows lifted. “What did I miss?”
“Well, I left Stella and Cash talking in the hallway to go find the paintings and I knocked over an easel, and some other stuff.”
“And what, pray tell, were you and Cash talking about?” Raven’s eyebrows went up even higher and her mouth curved into a knowing smile.
“He said when this is over, he wants to ask me out on a date.” Her friends’ squeals of delight had her blushing, but before they could ask any embarrassing questions, she told them about Reginald.
“So, who is he?” Raven asked.
“I have no idea. When I first saw the paintings, they gave me an odd feeling. Like my subconscious remembered him or something. I don’t know.”
“What did Cash say?” Fiona asked.
“About Reginald? Only that nobody seemed to know who he was.”
“Well, we solved one mystery today. How about we take a break before we try to solve another one. Are you ladies hungry?” Fiona asked.
“Famished,” Raven replied, standing and stretching her arms high in the air.
“We didn’t actually solve the mystery,” Stella argued.
“We solved the mystery of the difference between the picture and reality. That’s enough solving for one morning. Come and eat with us. After lunch we can work on the window mystery and the Reginald mystery.”
When she didn’t budge, her friends each took an arm and pulled her along with them. She knew they were right; a witch needed a good lunch if she wanted to solve a mystery. But she could feel it in her bones--she was very close to finding out how Mabel stole the manor.
23
“Stella and I will focus on figuring out who Reginald was and why he was murdered, while you two will work on that window being covered over.” Fiona’s tone brooked no argument and Stella hid her grin. Her friend really was amazing. When she wanted to get something done, she took charge and got it done.
A Get Witch Quick Scheme (Bewitching the Rich Guy Book 1) Page 9