To Catch a Witch

by Heather Blake

  “Does he live around here?” I hadn’t been able to track down an address for him. Nick had taken over that search, since he had broader databases. I hadn’t yet heard if he’d found Duncan’s current location.

  “Not anymore. Last I heard, he was on the White Mountaineer team, based out of New Hampshire.”

  I wrote that down. “Do you know why he might have been in the village yesterday morning?”

  She paled. “He was here?”

  “At the race.” I pulled the photo of Ben making eye contact with Duncan out of my tote bag. “Ben didn’t tell you?”

  “No, he didn’t.”

  She didn’t sound pleased that she’d been left out.

  She kept staring at the picture, then abruptly handed it back. “I have no idea why he was here. Do you think he had something to do with what happened to Abby?”

  “I don’t know yet. Has he been in contact with her that you know of?”

  “No. As far as I know, no one’s heard from him since the day he left the village.”

  I jotted a note, then asked, “What do you know about the fight Ben and Abby had the night before the race at the Sorcerer’s Stove? Any idea what it was about?”

  “At the pre-race dinner?”

  I nodded.

  She shook her head. “I didn’t know they had an argument there.” Lucinda absently added, “It’s not like them to fight. They were an agreeable couple. Too agreeable sometimes, I thought.”

  Had the fight really taken place? Ben had denied it, yet it was hard to dismiss the gossip. If an argument had occurred, someone had to have seen it since news of it had made the rounds of the village. I wrote down the word “fight” then circled it. “How so?”

  “Theirs seemed more of a friendly relationship.” She twisted her hands. “What’s that quote? There’s always some madness in love? I didn’t see the madness between them.”

  Madness. I’d understood the quote—about how being in love sometimes felt like you were losing your mind. Willingly. Love was quite the ride, one I was personally grateful for.

  “But,” she added, “there was no question they were happy. Content.”

  Contentedness was certainly enough to sustain a relationship, but now that I thought about it Abby had never shown that madness around me, either. It didn’t mean they lacked the madness of it all, but were perhaps better at hiding it from those around them.

  It didn’t seem to me Lucinda knew Ben and Abby had planned to elope so I chose my words carefully. “I don’t know Ben well, but Abby definitely seemed happy in the relationship.” I tapped my pen, letting the ink bleed into the paper. “She even mentioned marriage potential once or twice,” I lied.

  “She did?” Lucinda let out a light laugh, as though she found the idea humorous. “As far as I know, they weren’t that serious. It was more of a casual relationship. Companionship, really. When they started dating, Abby was just coming off her breakup with Duncan and made it clear she was still healing, and Ben’s always been more focused on running than committing to a deep, long-lasting relationship.”

  It was an interesting assessment, but one that didn’t hold water considering what I knew about the planned elopement. “I think it was more than that,” I said as gently as I could.

  Her eyebrows dipped, her forehead crinkled. “What exactly are you getting at, Darcy?”

  I tapped my pen again, then met her gaze. “It’s become apparent Abby and Ben had plans to elope this week. On Tuesday.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “I saw the wedding dress myself when Quinn stopped by the Bewitching Boutique this morning while I was there. She confirmed their elopement plans. Abby had also ordered a cake from the Gingerbread Shack.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Lucinda said firmly.

  “Maybe you should talk to Ben about it,” I suggested.

  “Oh, I will.”

  I looked at my notes and switched topics. “This is kind of a strange question, but do you know if Abby wore a wig sometimes?”

  “A wig? Really?”

  “It’s one of those loose ends.”

  “Not that I know of.” She rubbed her temples.

  I looked up when I heard the bell on the door. I swiveled in my chair in time to see Ben come in, spot me, then head back out again. He looked like he was breaking land-speed records as he ran off.

  I sighed.

  Lucinda said, “I’ll talk to him, too.” She stood up. “Can we continue this another time, Darcy? I suddenly have a bit of a headache.”

  I gathered up my belongings. “I think I have enough for now. I’ll let you know if I need anything else.”

  It took her a moment to respond, and I had the feeling she was lost in thought.

  She finally said, “You know where to find me.”

  I circled around a display of high-energy running snacks. “Yes, but you’re still faster than I am if you decide to run off too.”

  With a smile, she said, “Not that much faster on these old legs.”

  She was being modest. And kind, even after I’d ticked her off, so I didn’t argue the point that she could probably lap me three or four times if we raced around the square. She walked me to the door.

  I said, “Do you know yet when Abby’s services will be?”

  She said, “As of right now, a memorial service is being planned for tomorrow night here at the store, and a private funeral service will take place as soon as the medical examiner’s office releases Abby’s body.”

  “What time is the memorial service?”

  “Five?” She rubbed her temples. “Six? I need to double check the time. Quinn has taken charge of everything, but…”

  I waited.

  “If you don’t mind, Darcy, could you offer to assist Quinn? She volunteered to take on all the planning, but I think she’s in over her head with all the details. If she accepts your help, I’ll cover your fees of course.”

  I wanted to ask why Lucinda didn’t offer to help herself but held back. After her earlier comments about mortals, I had the feeling she probably didn’t want much to do with Quinn.

  “I can ask her.” I was seeing her later today—to hand over the ledgers. Photocopies, of course. I had wanted to talk to her again, and they had been the perfect excuse. “I take it you don’t want her to know you hired me?”

  “Let’s keep it between you and me. Our little secret.”

  “I’m meeting her later on, so I’ll let you know her decision.”

  “Thanks, Darcy.” She went to pull open the door, then stopped and faced me. “About Quinn…”

  I tipped my head, waiting for her to finish. When she didn’t say anything more, I prodded. “What about her?”

  She took in a deep breath. “She and Abby were close. Very close. I’ll tell you the absolute truth—Abby is the only reason Quinn has a job here. If it was up to me, she’d never have been hired in the first place.”

  “Because she’s mortal?” I guessed.

  “Yes. It’s utterly stifling to have a mortal around constantly. But Abby hired her out of compassion, and how could I argue that? I’ve looked and looked for a reason to let Quinn go, but if I’m still being honest, she does a good job around here.”

  “Stifling aside.”

  “Yes,” she said with a spark of humor in her eyes.

  I wanted to ask how Quinn had come about being hired, but I didn’t want to sidetrack Lucinda, since it seemed like she had something important to say. I could ask Quinn about the topic later on.

  “Anyway, like I said, they’re close.” Lucinda rubbed her temples yet again. “But I’ve noticed, especially lately, moments when Quinn has looked at Abby with envy. Jealousy. She hides it well, but it’s there. I even mentioned it to Abby once, but she laughed it off.”

  “Jealousy over what?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. Abby’s athletic talent? Her looks? Quinn is so plain, after all. Abby’s relationship with Ben? All the above
? She’s mortal, so I have no idea how their minds work.”

  “You think Quinn is interested in Ben?”

  Her brow furrowed. “I felt as though the jealousy stemmed from Abby being in a relationship whereas Quinn was not. She’s a bit of a loner. Another thing…”

  I waited.

  “She quit today, effective immediately. Said she was moving away. The timing seems strange to me, so soon after Abby’s death. It’s as if she’s in a rush to get out of the village as quickly as possible when she’s not breathed a word about moving before now.”

  I wasn’t nearly as surprised at Quinn quitting as Lucinda seemed to be. Not after hearing how she felt about Quinn. It was more surprising to me why Quinn had stayed so long—she had to have sensed the tension when the older woman was around. But leaving the village was another matter altogether. “Thank you for letting me know.”

  She waved a hand and pulled open the door. “Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. It’s probably nothing.”

  “Probably,” I said.

  Or it could be something.

  Something big.

  I needed to ask Angela Curtis about Quinn’s alibi as soon as possible, and I was glad my next destination was Spellbound. “I’ll look into it.”

  Lucinda acknowledged my statement with a bob of her head, and I stepped out into the cold and turned toward Spellbound.

  While I was concerned about the information Lucinda had given me about Quinn, as I walked along, it was Duncan Cole who was foremost on my mind. I left a quick message on Nick’s voicemail about the new lead.

  Duncan had been furious the day he’d been kicked off the team. He’d lost everything in one fell swoop. His reputation, his team, and the woman he loved. Did he blame Abby for everything? Or the Bryants? Or all of them?

  If so, it seemed like a powerful motive for revenge to me.

  Except … Duncan shouldn’t remember the details of that day because of the memory cleanse. Or anything about the Craft. Frankly, he should be glad he hadn’t been turned into a frog—which used to be a common punishment for a mortal blabbing publicly about the Craft.

  But what did he remember about that day? And about his life with Abby?

  Unfortunately, those were questions that couldn’t be answered until we found him. And if he had anything to do with Abby’s death, I had the feeling he wasn’t going to make that easy.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “How is Harper feeling today?” Angela Curtis asked as soon as I walked into Spellbound.

  Harper had called her yesterday afternoon to ask if she could take over the bookshop for the week—and told her why she needed the help. Angela hadn’t hesitated to accept the challenge. Mimi had stepped up as well, offering to take on more shifts. Between the two of them, the shop was in good hands.

  “She seems a bit better. Well, she seems a bit less … pitiful.”

  “Poor thing.” She pushed up the long sleeve of a shirt with the words “The book was better” printed on it. “It must be killing her to sit still. Especially after these past few months of running herself ragged.”

  Anyone close to Harper knew exactly how ragged. “She was okay for the first few hours. Mostly because she was asleep. Now she’s getting twitchy.”

  “I bet. Does she want visitors? I can sit with her for a while. Entertain her with Spellbound tales. Like the woman who was in here yesterday using her phone to photograph all the recipes out of a dessert book. Or the guy who spilled his coffee on a new hardcover release, then tried to get a discount because the book was stained.”

  “Oh, no.”

  “Oh, yes,” she said, smiling.

  “It’s probably best you save those stories until Harper is back at work. Otherwise she’ll be tempted to move her bed into the shop to keep an eye on things.”

  “That’s true. But you know she’s probably already watching.” Angela pointed to a camera tucked discreetly into a high corner.

  “I’d forgotten she added cameras.” I waved at the one facing me, then took the opportunity to ask about Quinn’s alibi. “I bet the camera captured Quinn Donegal yesterday morning. She was in here, right?”

  “Yeah, not long before the Mad Dash started, to use the restroom. You should get a refund from the porta potty company, by the way.”

  I couldn’t tell her it hadn’t been the company’s fault. Angela, as far as I knew, was mortal. There was no talking magic around her. Not even Vince’s black magic. “I’ll look into that. Did you happen to see which direction Quinn went when she left?”

  “No, she actually asked if she could go out the back door—to avoid the crowd out front. It was crazy out there yesterday.”

  The alley that ran behind the shops had paths leading to the square between Spellbound and Lotions and Potions, near the Pixie Cottage, and at the far end of the square, near the Gingerbread Shack. Which also just happened to be near the trailhead Abby had taken into the Enchanted Woods. Which way had Quinn gone? Back to the square? Or into the woods? “An understatement,” I finally said.

  “I heard the news about poor Abby Stillwell. I can’t imagine who’d want to hurt her. Does Nick have any suspects?”

  “Not really. Right now, he’s questioning everybody.”

  “I just keep thinking about the last time she was in here. She bought a stack of wedding magazines. She was practically glowing. I thought I’d be hearing about an announcement soon.”

  “When was that?” I asked.

  “Let’s see.” She tapped her chin. “A week ago?”

  I wondered when Abby and Ben had decided to elope. Was it a spur of the moment idea, like Glinda’s wedding? I added it to my list of questions to ask Ben.

  As I thought about what Angela had said, I realized that for someone who planned on secretly eloping, Abby hadn’t exactly been hiding her trail.

  She’d been to the bakery to buy a cake.

  She’d been to the Bewitching Boutique for a dress.

  She’d been here, buying wedding magazines.

  “It makes what happened that much more tragic,” Angela said. “And I swear if I hear Ben had anything to do what happened, I’ll have to start questioning my instincts. Because the day Abby was in here, all I kept thinking about was that Ben must be one heck of a good guy. She was clearly head over heels.”

  It was interesting to hear Angela’s take. Because I’d never seen Abby act gaga over Ben. And neither had Lucinda, apparently. It was one of those discrepancies that stuck like a thorn in my investigation.

  We chatted for a few more minutes about Abby before I said, “I should get going. Harper has an appointment with Dr. Goodwin in a little bit, and I’d like to be there. I’m just going to run upstairs and grab a few books for her before I head out.”

  Angela dropped her voice. “Do you think she’d like any pregnancy books? I know how she loves to learn everything she can about absolutely everything. I can gather some up. I hesitate to ask only because of how tenuous the pregnancy is…”

  It was sweet of her to consider it. “I think Harper would like that.”

  She reached underneath the counter and pulled up three books. “I already put them on my account, so they’re good to go.” She slid them across the counter.

  “I’m not sure what Harper would do without you.”

  “Well, she doesn’t have to find out anytime soon. I’m pulling for her little peanut. And I know it’s none of my business, but it didn’t escape my notice that Marcus has walked by the storefront at least four times in the past hour.”

  “Really?”

  “That has to be a good sign, right?”

  A lot of us were rooting for Harper and Marcus to kiss and make up. “I sure hope so,” I said as I headed for the stairs. “I’ll be right back.”

  A few minutes later, I had a heavy tote bag full of books to haul home. I was saying my goodbyes to Angela when she motioned outside with her jaw and said, “Heads up on your way out.”

  I glanced over my shoul
der. Marcus was across the street on the village green, pacing a pathway between twin snowbanks. Every few steps, he threw a glance toward the bookshop.

  “Do you think he knows about the baby?” Angela asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “Despite Harper wanting to keep the news on the down low for a while, it’s not going to be long before the whole village knows. People around here talk.”

  “And talk.”

  And were lousy secret keepers. Which again reminded me of Abby and the Bryants and all the secrets between them. I shoved thoughts of them out of my head for the moment. “He knows Harper is terribly ill, though.”

  “Did Harper tell him?”

  “Are you kidding? She’d be the last one to let him know.” I zipped my coat. “I might have let it slip in his earshot this morning.”

  Angela laughed. “Good for you. Go talk some sense into him, will you? Work a little magic?”

  I glanced at her, wondering if perhaps she was a witch. I couldn’t tell by looking, unfortunately. I pulled open the door. “I’ll do my best.”

  A thin coat of salt and sand dusted the cobblestone road and crunched slightly beneath my boots as I made my way to the green.

  Sunbeams glinted off Marcus’s glasses as he looked up when I neared. He stopped pacing.

  “Hi, Marcus,” I said, trying to pretend everything was normal.

  “Hi, Darcy. Nice, uh, day for a walk, isn’t it? Weather’s warming up.” He looked around—everywhere but at me. “The village maintenance crew sure does a great job clearing the paths quickly, don’t they? It’s hard to believe we had blizzard conditions yesterday.”

  He abruptly cut himself off, as if realizing he was rambling.

  Clearly, he wasn’t as adept at pretending as I was.

  His hair was longer than usual and barely combed. He ran a hand through it, pushing it off the side of his face before jamming fists into his coat pockets. Finally, he looked at me, and it was easy to see the sadness in his green eyes.

  “How’s Harper? I overheard some of your conversation with Vince this morning in the coffee shop.”

  I adjusted the strap of the tote bag. “Not well. She’s staying with me until she’s feeling better.”