Pet Psychic Mysteries Boxset Books 5-8 (Magic Market Mysteries Book 2)

by Erin Johnson

  27

  Sourdough

  Peter and I approached Mimi’s workstation. The pace slowed slightly around us as workers lingered nearby and moved more quietly. I glanced to my right and caught three bakers staring. They quickly dropped their eyes and got back to work.

  “Mimi—we’d like to ask you some more questions.”

  She glanced at us over the top of her cat glasses. “Well, better make it quick.” She worked the dough with her knobby knuckled hands. “You saw my line of customers? I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  “Of course.” Peter glanced at Daisy, who stood at the back door, nose twitching. “I’m sorry to be so direct, but—did you have anything to do with Polly Pierre’s death?”

  “Humph.” Mimi shook her head. “Like I already said—no.”

  Peter and I glanced past the bakers, the flour-covered floor, and the racks of pastries to Daisy at the back door. She wagged her bushy tail. True.

  I shrugged up at Peter, relieved. Guess Mimi wasn’t our killer. I glanced over my shoulder at the cinnamon rolls a petite gal was slicing. Did that mean I could take home some pastries, then?

  Mimi dragged the heel of her hand through the bread dough. “I gave Polly a chance a long time ago—she was young and talented then.” She nodded to herself. “But also a thief. She stole my recipes—including my signature sourdough starter—and opened her fancy schmancy place on Main Street.”

  The tall, thin guy clicked his tongue. “What a witch.”

  I drummed my fingers on the floury butcher block table. “I don’t know—you sound pretty bitter. You’re sure that wasn’t enough motive to kill her—or maybe get one of your workers to do it?”

  “Psh.” Mimi smirked as she lifted the dough ball, turned it, and slammed it back down. “Child, if I wanted to kill Polly, I’d have done it years ago.”

  Daisy, still stuck behind the bars at the back door, wagged her tail and whined. True.

  Mimi pointed a dough-covered finger at me. “And no, none of my employees did it either. They like me—but not that much.” She chuckled.

  Peter licked his lips and kept his tone soft. “Good—thank you. We just needed to double check.”

  She nodded but kept her eyes on the bread dough.

  “We know about the court case.”

  Mimi stilled.

  Peter lifted his palm. “We actually have a sample of Polly’s sourdough starter. If you give me a sample of yours, we’ll test it and compare the two.”

  Mimi narrowed her eyes at Peter. “Why? So you can use it to open your own bakery?” She huffed and went back to her work, shaking her head. “Man, you must think I’m some kind of stupid to let that happen to me twice. People from the upper tiers thinking they can just take advantage of us Darkmoonies and shifters.”

  I understood her deep distrust of the police and the justice system. It had failed her before—why would she trust us now? I took a deep breath. “I get it, Mimi, but you can trust us. I’m a shifter, too.” It’d been a long time since I’d admitted that in public. A nervous jolt coursed through me.

  Mimi studied my face. “Prove it.”

  My throat closed up. “I—I can’t.” I’d lost the ability to turn into an owl a few years ago, when one of my colleagues cursed me—with a little concoction brewed up by Ludolf. I missed soaring over the island every night. It hurt to admit that I couldn’t shift. It made me wonder—was I even a shifter anymore?

  Mimi shook her head. “Yeah—that’s what I thought.”

  There wasn’t much more to say, so Peter and I took our leave… but not before I snuck Daisy a treat out of the complimentary jar at the front counter. As we rejoined the mutt outside, she growled.

  That was so humiliating, waiting at the back door like a common street animal and without even a— Oh. Her eyes grew huge as I held the treat in front of her nose. After a few dainty sniffs, she lurched forward and snatched up the biscuit.

  I recoiled and huffed. Snakes, Days! Watch the fingers!

  She munched happily, crumbs flying from her mouth, and I grinned at her, then caught Peter grinning at me. “What?”

  He shrugged and took my hand as we walked through the street lined with food carts and bustling with shoppers. Strings of lights crisscrossed overhead, and the mouthwatering smells of fried food hung in the air. “It just makes me happy when I see you two getting along.”

  I squeezed his hand as he grew thoughtful, that crease appearing between his brows. “I honestly didn’t realize how much people in the Darkmoon don’t trust the police.” He shook his head. “I mean—we were offering to help her.”

  I raised my brows at him. “Not to be a jerk, but… dur.”

  He smirked, then grew grim again. “I just didn’t know what a problem this was before.”

  I nodded and squeezed his hand tighter. “The more cops like you follow through on their promises and give them a fair chance, the more they’ll trust you.” I shrugged. “Plus, it might not hurt to do some of your shopping here—get to know the bakers and the gals at the corner mart, you know?”

  He nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

  I grinned. “So what’s next?”

  Peter steered us up the mountain. “I say we question Vince Dupont—Polly’s ex-boyfriend.”

  28

  Vince Dupont

  We headed up a few tiers to find and question Vince Dupont. Edna, the precinct manager, had done some snooping for us and learned that of his many businesses (which included a mermaid bar, housing rentals, and a corner mart) he was spending the evening supervising his laundromat.

  A bell rang as Peter pushed the door open and held it for me and Daisy. We stepped inside a brightly lit building that smelled overwhelmingly of lavender. Daisy sneezed, and I had to turn my head and cough into my elbow.

  I recognized Vince from his hasty exit at the baking competition a couple of days ago. The tanned guy stood behind the counter, his black shirt unbuttoned way too low, exposing curly white chest hair. I raised a brow—the Pierre women certainly had a type. The older man ran a bejeweled hand through his slicked-back hair, the temples white and the top gray.

  A customer tossed a canvas sack onto the counter. “I need this all washed and folded.”

  A middle-aged woman in a smock stood beside Vince. She wrote out a ticket with a quill, then ripped off the lower portion and handed it to the customer. “It’ll be ready Friday.”

  The guy took it and headed out, shooting us a curious look before the bell rang as he left.

  “Can I help you, Officer?” Vince flashed a bright white smile, but his dark eyes stayed narrowed and tight. “Need your uniforms done? We offer a 10 percent discount for civil servants. Heh.” His smile faltered. Someone was nervous.

  The front area of the business was pretty tiny, but a serpentine rack of hanging clothes snaked through the back behind the counter. Half a dozen wooden tubs with old-fashioned washing boards magically scrubbed laundry, sending up clouds of suds and bubbles. Enchanted bottles floated over, dropping in a dash of purple liquid, then a splash of green. I assumed they were for getting stains out or making collars crisp. A dozen smocked women moved about, arms full of sheets or hangers. A few paused to watch the interaction between us and their boss.

  Peter, Daisy, and I stepped up to the counter, and the lady beside Vince disappeared into the back. He gulped.

  “Actually, we’re here to speak with you about Polly Pierre.”

  “Uh—who?” He blinked his dark eyes rapidly and dragged a ring-bedecked hand down his mouth and beard.

  I smirked—this guy was a bad liar. I didn’t even need Daisy’s growl to know that.

  Peter sighed. “Sir, my partner Daisy here is a lie-sniffing canine, so I suggest you tell the truth. We know you were at the baking competition the day Polly was murdered.”

  The color drained from his overly tanned face. “She was murdered, huh?” He shook his head. “I was hoping it was just a heart attack or something.” He looked up,
eyes wide, and waved his thick hands. “Not that I wanted her dead or anything, just—murdered.” He clicked his tongue. “Not a good way to go.”

  I crossed my arms and leaned against the counter. “Her daughters told us that you and Polly used to be together?”

  “Uh, yeah.” He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Yeah, we were together.”

  I bit my lip and pulled my brows together, pretending to be ignorant of the truth. “Why’d you break up?”

  His throat bobbed as he glanced over the counter at Daisy, who watched him, unmoving. “We, uh— I realized we had different interests.”

  Daisy growled, and I raised a brow. “As in, you became interested in different women?”

  He fiddled with the ticket book. “Something like that, yeah.”

  I nodded. “So after she caught you cheating, she dumped you, yeah?”

  Vince glared at me. “Yeah.” He shrugged. “Not like I care anyway. I went to live with my new girlfriend.” His smug smile fell. “Until she dumped me recently, too.”

  I raised my brows. “Shocker.”

  “Hey.” He splayed his palms. “I realized my mistake—”

  I held up a finger. “Again, after the other woman dumped you.”

  He shrugged. “I realized what I was missing out on with Polly.” He sighed, his gaze wistful. “Guess I’ll never get to taste those muffins again.”

  I curled my lip, unsure if we were talking about her baking or metaphorical muffins. I shot him a flat look. “What a tragedy for you.”

  He nodded, serious.

  Peter crossed his arms. “So why’d you show up at the baking competition, then?”

  Vince lifted his palms. “Why, to show my support, of course.”

  I drummed my fingers on the counter. “Not to kill her?”

  His eyes grew wide. “What?” He turned to Peter. “Is this broad crazy?”

  Daisy growled at him, her hackles raised. I grinned down at her—thanks, Days.

  Peter raised a brow. “Answer the question—did you kill Polly?”

  Vince gaped, then glanced behind him to find all of his employees staring. He threw a hairy arm up. “Get back to work!”

  All the ladies bustled away, and Vince turned back to face us. “No. I did not kill Polly, nor did I have anything to do with her death.”

  Peter and I looked down at Daisy, who wagged her bushy tail and whined. True.

  I huffed. Snakes. I was kinda hoping we could handcuff this guy.

  Vince shook his head. “Besides—how could I have? I was nowhere near her!”

  Peter and I exchanged exasperated looks. Yeah—that was the case for all of our suspects. No one was close enough to have killed Polly except the palace servant—and he didn’t know Polly or her girls or have any motive to kill them.

  We needed to figure out how our killer had snuck the poison into Polly’s tea—and how they’d managed to kill only her, when nearly all the bakers in the tent had drunk some.

  29

  Neo and the boys

  We’d just left Vince’s place when Peter got a call. He stepped a few feet away and pressed a finger to his other ear to block out all the noise from shoppers and passersby. A small group on the corner held signs and chanted in support of shifter rights.

  Daisy and I hung back under a string of lighted orange miniature pumpkins and gourds that had been hung between the stone buildings overhead. The festive fall decorations zigzagged up and down the street, while crisp red and orange leaves blew by in the gutters.

  Daisy sniffed the perimeter of the pet shop next door, and I was leaning up against a brick wall to get out of the way of foot traffic when a heavy hand clamped down on my shoulder.

  Before I had a chance to react, I was yanked off my feet and dragged down a dark alley. I thrashed and cried out, but soon had my arms pinned to my sides and a thick hand clamped over my mouth. I was pulled from the bright lights of the street into shadow behind a few stacked barrels and crates.

  “It’s just us. Snakes.” Neo’s dark eyes flashed at me while Viktor, beside him, cackled and twitched. It was odd to see the real duo when I’d been escorted into the sewers by the prince and princess posing as them just the night before.

  I relaxed slightly as I tipped my head back and realized Sacha, the enormous brick wall of a man, was the one restraining me. He relaxed the hand that had been clamped over my mouth, and I glared at Neo. There was no use fighting anyway—they all knew I’d lost my powers.

  Daisy came bounding around the corner a moment later, teeth bared, and lunged at Neo’s head. He spun and hit her with a spell that froze her midleap.

  “Hey! What’d you do to her?” I flailed and tried, pointlessly, to kick him.

  Neo shook his head. “Get a grip. I just froze her—she’ll be fine in a minute.” He raised his dark brows. “Now will you stop already? We’re here to help.”

  “Ha!” I let out an exaggerated cackle. “Oh! I’m sorry. How could I be so foolish? Of course, the men forcefully dragging me down a dark alley are here to help.” I scowled at him.

  “Can I let go of her?” Sacha’s deep, slow voice rumbled in his chest at my back.

  Neo and I answered him at the same time.

  “Yes!”

  “No.”

  We glared at each other.

  “My boyfriend’s gonna come around that corner any moment and arrest you and all!”

  Neo rolled his eyes and stepped closer while the wiry Viktor kept watch. “Listen—I’m here to warn you. You shouldn’t go anywhere alone.”

  I shot him a flat look. “Or some dudes might nab me?”

  He huffed. “Exactly! If it wasn’t us, it’d be someone else working for Ludolf—and they wouldn’t be as kind.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, this is real five-star treatment, here.” Sacha’s bear hug still pinned my arms to my sides. I marveled at his hairy forearms—they were as thick as my legs.

  Neo stared at me, his gaze intense. “Ludolf’s put a reward out for bringing you in—alive or dead.”

  Well, that sent a chill right over me.

  “He’s got people everywhere—be careful, Jolene.”

  I sniffed. “Considering you also work for him… what now?”

  Neo shook his head. “This was just a warning. We’ve been tailing you, but I don’t know that we’ll be able to protect you next time.”

  Sacha let go, and I shrugged away from him, tugging on my jacket. I glared at Neo. “Ludolf’s been testing on me and hundreds of other shifters over the years. You know why? Your boss despises his own kind so much, he’s working for a ‘cure.’” I put air quotes around the last word. “This is who you’re working for.”

  I thought the color drained from Neo’s face, though it was hard to tell in the dim light of the alley.

  “You’d better get back to your cop.” Neo jerked his head and headed further down the alley into the shadows, Sacha and Viktor following him.

  Sacha waved a hand the size of a dinner plate. “Bye, Jolene.”

  I waved back at the man who could probably snap me in half like a twig. “Bye, Sacha.”

  I moved over beside Daisy and gently patted her unmoving head, then turned to call after them. “Whose side are you on, anyway?”

  But no answer came. Maybe Heidi was right that Neo had a bit of a crush on me. Either that, or a conscience. In any case, they’d warned me and disobeyed Ludolf. That was a first.

  A few moments later, a frantic Peter skidded around the corner. After he spelled Daisy back to normal, I explained what had happened. He started off down the alley after Neo and the boys, but I grabbed his arm, stopping him.

  I shook my head. “Not worth it.” I shrugged. “They were trying to help. They could’ve turned me in for the reward if they’d wanted to.”

  Peter hugged me tight to his chest and didn’t say anything for a long time. I felt like I was back in Sacha’s vise grip. Except, I wasn’t in a hurry for it to end. I hugged him tightly back whi
le Daisy paced in a circle around us, growling and huffing.

  How dare they?! I’d like to see them try that again. I’ll bite their feet off! And then their faces!

  I grinned at her tirade. It was nice to have people who cared if I got snatched off the street.

  Peter spoke into the top of my head. “I’m not letting you out of my sight again—not until Ludolf’s behind bars.”

  I nodded against his chest. “Sounds good.” I bit my lip. “Though it might make bathroom time a little awkward.”

  He shook his head, groaning, but hugged me tighter.

  Peter, Daisy, and I headed up to the palace together in answer to the call he’d just received. Apparently, Amelia, the event coordinator, had contacted him with some exciting information the gang wanted to tell us in person.

  Despite the alarming encounter I’d just had in the alley with Neo and the boys, I felt a flutter of hope in my chest. Had they found a cure? Would the shifters be turned back and be able to testify against Ludolf? Could my own cure be close behind?

  I squeezed Peter’s hand, which was clamped around mine like a vise. I grinned up at him as we sped up the cobblestone streets to the top of the island. “You know, I’m close to losing circulation in that hand.”

  He shot me a wide-eyed look, his wand gripped tight in his other hand, then relaxed a little. His throat bobbed, and pink tinted his cheeks as he shot me a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I just can’t stop thinking about how I might’ve lost you back there.”

  I nodded. “I know. Me, too. But it’s okay.” I didn’t want to think too hard about the price on my head or the shifters who might be hiding anywhere, in plain sight, waiting to nab me and drag me to Ludolf. If I did, I’d go crazy. Plus, my stomach fluttered with high hopes that this might all be over with soon. I waggled my brows at him. “Sounds like the royals have some good news for us.”