My gut feeling said to trust Millicent, but my logical brain said we should’ve been doing this without her, just in case. “Why are you so worried? At least you’re supposed to be investigating.” I didn’t want to get in any trouble the Bureau, and this wasn’t the best way to go about that.
“Ah, but we want to keep your secret, and if I’m questioned about anything, I can’t lie to my boss. We take a witch-oath when we join. If I lied to him, I would lose my job immediately. I love my job.”
“So you can’t lie to anyone you work with?”
“I can, just not to my boss. Sometimes there are reasons I can’t tell the truth to my underlings.” Underlings? I chuckled quietly. I felt like I was in a spy movie spoof.
“I take it everyone has to take this oath?”
“Yes, but just to Drake Pembleton the Third. We’d lose too many employees otherwise, and really, as long as he has the truth, the crimes will get solved.”
Gee, that gave him a lot of power. Kind of scary, really.
It was just after 5.30 a.m. when Angelica turned right into a quiet residential street and pulled over. We got out of the car to delightful, dainty bird chirps. I smiled at the musical peep, peep noises, which were nothing like the thunderous prehistoric squawking of the raptors we called cockatoos or the maniacal kookaburra laughter that woke us most mornings.
The grey of dawn gave way to soft pinks and oranges, as the smattering of clouds came into relief against the deep-blue sky. Maybe I should start getting out and about earlier. I savoured the sting of crisp early morning air in my nose. Experiencing the glory of nature was a joyous way to begin the day.
I followed Angelica back the way we’d come. She crossed the road. Along the fence line of Deer Park was a small pedestrian gate. Angelica had explained Deer Park was a huge green space full of deer and nature walks. My brother lived not far from here, and this was his walk of choice every morning. We entered and followed a worn dirt path that led towards the interior of the park. It wasn’t an immaculately groomed park: the grass wasn’t as lush as at PIB headquarters, and clumps of wildflowers and weeds dotted the place.
Angelica walked to a large tree. “We’re here, M.”
Millicent stepped out from behind the trunk. She was wearing blue jeans, black coat, black Wellington boots and a grim expression. “Thanks for doing this, Lily.”
“What? You don’t have to thank me! I’m doing this for me too, you know. If we don’t get James back, I don’t know what I’ll do.” I tried to stop my voice from wavering by making a fist with one hand and driving my nails into my palm. “He’s all I have left.”
Millicent walked over to me and shook her head. “You have me. Always.” She hugged me, and I couldn’t help the tears that escaped.
“Thank you. You’ll always have me too.” Unless she’d hurt him, then I’d have to retract, but at this point, I was pretty sure there was more to Snezana’s comments than I could see. But I’d get to the bottom of it.
We continued into the park for another five minutes before we stopped. Angelica spread her arms wide. “It happened around here. We found traces of blood just there”—she pointed a few metres into the grass—"that we identified as James’s.” My heart kicked up a notch. I hesitantly walked to the patch of grass, not sure how I’d react to what I found, if, indeed, there was anything left to find. I looked closely. It might have even rained since his abduction, and I couldn’t see anything that would indicate something violent and terrifying had happened here. I turned my camera on.
The moment of truth. I swallowed.
“Who’s that?” Millicent squinted into the faint light towards the road, probably trying to see better. Four men in dark coats approached. One of them had his hand on his hip, just inside his coat, like it was resting on a gun. My heart rate kicked up a notch.
I looked at Angelica. “Should we run, or should you be casting a spell or something?”
Her mouth pressed into a thin line, and her brow wrinkled. “I know who it is, but I have no idea why they’re here. Let me handle this.” She turned to Millicent. “Don’t say a word, dear. I have a bad feeling about this.” Angelica walked towards the men, heading them off before they reached Millicent and me. They were far enough away that whatever they said only reached us in an incoherent low rumble. Angelica put her hands on her hips and stepped closer to the dark-haired man in front. I would not want to be him right now.
Millicent grabbed my arm. “Lily.” She kept her voice low. “I know who they are. Two of them are PIB detectives. The other two are PIB police. I would say we’re safe, because they’re our guys, but I don’t like the vibes coming off the whole thing.”
“Why do you think they’re here?”
“There are only two reasons they’d be here. Maybe they needed to check the scene of the crime again.”
Hmm, that was only one reason. “What would be the other reason?”
Angelica turned and hurried towards us, the men marching behind her. It was like a wave of negativity rolling in. I had a feeling we were about to find out the second reason, and we weren’t going to like it.
Angelica started speaking before she reached us. “Ladies, I’m sorry, but this isn’t good news. Just do what they say, and I’ll get this straightened out as fast as I can.” When she reached me, she reached out and grabbed my Nikon. “Give me this, Lily. You don’t want it to get ruined. I’ll make sure it’s kept safe.” Confused, I handed her my camera. And then I recognised two of the men. Adrenaline flooded my body. My mouth went dry. We were in serious trouble, and I had no idea why.
The hot guy with the dark hair from the other day stared into my eyes, his expression as hard as granite. That look made me want to run for my life. “Lily Katerina Bianchi, you’re under arrest for hindering a PIB investigation and being an accessory after the fact in the disappearance of James Mathew Bianchi. Please turn around and put your hands behind your back. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”
“Is that really necessary, William?“ Angelica stayed next to me, glowering at the guy.
He blushed but didn’t budge. Anger and fear churned inside me. How dare he accuse me of harming my own brother! I wasn’t a criminal. “You couldn’t be more wrong, mister. You’re the dumbest policeman I’ve ever met if you think I’d hurt my brother or break the law in general. I’m a law-abiding citizen. I haven’t even had a speeding fine. You’re just a big bully. You think you’re so tough with your handcuffs and gun, hiding behind your badge. Underneath it all, you’re just some good-looking arsehole with a superiority complex. You don’t scare me. I won’t forget this. Ever. And when we find my brother, I’m going to tell him what a dick you were, and you’ll have to apologise for arresting me. I might even sue the PIB for arresting me without evidence.” Because, really what evidence could they have? I was innocent.
He tilted his head to the side, a snide smile oiling his face. “Oh, we have evidence. We’re not some two-bit hack department. Now, would you like to do this the hard way, or are you going to comply?”
Angelica shook her head at me, and Blondie said, “I’m sorry, Lily. I don’t like this any more than Angelica does. Just do as we ask, and it will go smoother.” At least someone was being civil. I turned and did as asked.
William applied both cuffs in a second, managing to avoid touching me. That was skill right there. But it didn’t impress me. “And don’t even think of trying to use your magic. These cuffs block your access and give you a nasty electric shock if you try.” Wow, dual-purpose handcuffs. The joy.
While I’d been ranting, Blondie had handcuffed Millicent. “Millicent Germaine Bianchi, you’re under arrest for the kidnapping of James Mathew Bianchi.” Her head was down as he read her Miranda rights. At the end, he whispered he was sorry. I knew which policeman I preferred.
Millicent went quietly. I’d go
so far as to say she was dejected. Her shoulders were slumped, and each footstep almost dragged with apathy. How could she be giving up so easily? Unless she’d been expecting this? No, I refused to believe it. She was here, hoping to get more evidence. This was our one chance, and now it was gone.
At least it was early morning and there was no one around to see me get helped into the back of a dark sedan that was obviously an undercover cop car. William did my belt up for me.
“Gee thanks. Why bother? It’s not like you care about my welfare.” I squinted my eyes and willed him to feel all the hate I had.
He slammed the door and got into the front passenger seat.
As we drove to wherever the hell we were going, the fight seeped out of me. I’d missed my chance to really help James. Was he suffering in some dark basement somewhere, hungry and in pain, waiting for someone to come find him, each second dragging on like a year? Tears wanted to flood my eyes, but I refused. I wouldn’t let them see me cry. They hadn’t won. In fact, before I was done, they’d be on their hands and knees apologizing, and God help whoever sicked them onto Millicent and me. There wasn’t a more stubborn star sign than Taurus.
Game on.
Chapter 9
When we got to the station, they confiscated my phone, saying it was evidence. They got me to put my palm on an iPad-looking black screen. It recorded data, which was supposedly my magicprint (like a fingerprint). Then they chucked me in a cell that smelled like a men’s urinal. Ew. I scrunched my face in disgust. The guard explained all cells were warded against magic use before locking the door and leaving. Crap. What was going to happen when my mind shield dissipated? I was going to die. I knew not everyone could read minds, but any number of the guards or people coming and going might have that as their innate talent. Did that mean they weren’t really using magic to do it? When I took photos, things just happened, and I wasn’t even trying. If they pulled the wrong information out of my head, I was dead.
They’d kept Millicent and I separated, and I hadn’t seen her since the park. I hoped she was doing better than me. I felt like crap. This was humiliating, frustrating, and just plain wrong. At least I was in a cell by myself. Witch crimes must be thin on the ground right now.
After an hour or so, a young woman came and took me to an interrogation room. I couldn’t get my head around this. How could I have been arrested? Even if I were released, would this go on a permanent record somewhere? Hmm, maybe not. This was the PIB, and wasn’t it supposed to be a secret?
“I love what you’ve done with the place,” I said as I sat. The cold interrogation room had more of the white-floor-white-walls theme going on, with a splash of vibrant colour in the grey plastic chairs and steel table. It had a morgue feeling to it. Lovely.
“That’s good, because you’re going to be here for a while.” Ah, Mr. Crankypants himself. Thankfully, Angelica was with him. The girl who’d brought me here left and shut the door behind her. Angelica and Crankypants took seats opposite me at the table. I ignored him and gave Angelica a sad smile.
Her tone was kind when she spoke. “I have to ask you some questions. Please don't get upset.” And this was off to a great start. “Do you know what happened to your brother?”
“No. The first I heard was when you showed up at my place.” I tried to figure out how that could be a trick question, but it seemed okay. My leg bobbed up and down under the table.
“Do you think Millicent could have had something to do with his kidnapping?”
Oh, no. Not her too. What did Angelica know? “I don’t think so. I don’t know anything for sure, but Millicent loves James. They’ve never had any major problems that I could see, and she seems like a nice lady.”
Crankypants leaned forward. “I sense a ‘but’ in there.”
I made my voice as happy and innocent as possible. “Nope, no but.” There was no way I could mention my conversation with Snezana. That was the last time I’d promise a witch anything.
“Ah, but I do think there’s a but. In fact, I know there’s a but.”
My eyes widened. “You know about the conversation!”
He leaned back, his face slack with what I assumed was surprise. “You’re admitting to your Skype conversation with Millicent?”
Oh, damn. My face fell. “No. What Skype conversation?”
“What conversation were you referring to, Lily?” He folded his arms.
“I can’t say.”
Angelica sat straighter. “What do you mean, you can’t say?”
“On threat of death. I made a bargain with a witch—not Millicent, by the way. If I repeat any of the conversation or say who it was with, I’ll die by choking. And to be honest, there are quicker, less painful ways to die. I’d like to experience one of those instead. But not right now. Just to be clear.”
Angelica and William shared a concerned glance, and then William turned to me. “Do you always babble like a fishwife?”
“Are you always such a judgemental, insulting sourpuss?” I would’ve folded my arms too, but I had handcuffs on, so I glared instead. Don’t think I hadn’t considered kicking him under the table, but I didn’t want to get arrested for that too, although it would have been good to get arrested for something I’d actually done.
Angelica stepped in, because this was clearly degenerating into preschool territory. “Lily, do you recognise this conversation?” She slid my phone across the table. It was open on Skype, at a messaging conversation with Millicent. It was date stamped the day after James went missing.
MILLICENT: Hey, Lily. I’ve done something terrible. I hope you can forgive me.
LILY: Wot have you done?
MILLICENT: Don’t do your nut, but I’ve hurt James. I might have killed him, but I’m not sure.
LILY: WOT!!!!!
MILLICENT: I can’t tell you any more, but you have to believe I didn’t meen to hurt him. He ran away, and now I can’t find him. He’s disapeered.
LILY: You gormless idiot! You’d better find him, and he better be alive. Don’t talk to me again until he’s found.
I blinked. I’d never had that conversation with Millicent. What the hell did “gormless” mean anyway? And who spells “what” and “mean” like that, not to mention “disapeered”? Something about the prose was familiar, but my memory was being its usual underperforming self. “I don’t know how that got on my phone, but it never happened.”
“So how did it get there?” I don’t think William was looking for an answer. He’d already condemned me.
“I don’t know. Is it possible for it to have been magicked there or maybe sent by someone with mad tech skills and access to one of Millicent’s devices? And why do you have it in for me? What the hell did I ever do to you?”
His face reddened. “I don’t have it in for you. I want to get to the bottom of this. James was… is one of my best friends. This is personal.”
“I don’t think it gets more personal than for me or Millicent, buddy. At least we were doing something constructive when you came along. If I didn’t know better, I’d think someone was out to sabotage me. Maybe someone with a vendetta against Millicent.” And there were my inner thoughts. They felt like the right answer. “Is gormless British slang?”
“Yes, albeit uncommon these days,” Angelica said.
“Well, I’m an Aussie, and we don’t use that expression. I’ve never heard it in my life. Hook me up to a lie detector if you don’t believe me.”
Agent Crankypant’s smile was smug. “Take down your brain barrier, and let us ferret inside there, and I’ll be satisfied.”
“I can’t do that. I’ll die.”
“Likely excuse.”
Angelica turned to Agent Crankypants. “She’s telling the truth. She couldn’t have made all this up. She doesn’t know our ways.”
“Maybe she’s playing you, Angelica. Maybe Millicent has educated her over the last few months. How would we know?”
Angelica kept her gaze on him. “So, you’re sayi
ng Millicent premeditated this for months and was educating Lily in the meantime, just in case Millicent might want to confess later in a recorded conversation? A bit farfetched, don’t you think?”
This was like a movie, when everything was on a speedy slide for the main character, and you knew they were going to through hell before they got to the happy ending. I always walked away and came back later. It wasn’t something I handled well, and now I was living the nightmare. “You’re my brother’s best friend, supposedly. How did they seem as a couple to you?”
He looked at me, a begrudging expression of understanding on his face. “They’re lovey-dovey all the time. They’d do anything for each other. But people have secrets. Everyone does. What goes on behind closed doors isn’t always what you think.”
“I bet it is with them. James would’ve told me if they were having trouble. He’s sounded happy every time I’ve spoken to him. Except…” And now I knew. I knew who’d done this. I should’ve realised earlier, because James had confided in me about his assistant, but he’d never named her, and it was only once, about two months ago. How could I have forgotten? Oh, yeah, crappy memory. And now it was my word against hers, and we had no clues. None. I had to remember what she’d said, word for word with that spell. I needed to see if there was any wiggle room, or there was no way I could tell them Snezana had used that phrase: don’t do your nut. I shut my eyes and thought. We were in the cafeteria, and she’d held my hands.… That was it! Blah, blah, blah, I will not repeat any part of this conversation to a living soul. I groaned and opened my eyes. “I can’t tell you all of it.”
William shook his head. “About what I expected from you.”
I opened my mouth in indignation. I’d be up for murder soon if he kept that up. “Well, you can stick your expectations—” Angelica held up her hand for me to stop. Fine. I took a deep breath. “I can tell you what James told me about two months ago. He hadn’t named her, but he was annoyed with his assistant. He’d said she kept flirting with him, and he’d taken to working out of the office to avoid her.”
Witchnapped in Westerham (Paranormal Investigation Bureau Book 1) Page 9