“Do you want sweet or savory?”
“I want both.”
I grinned. “Let’s go to Unicorn’s Trough. Brogan does a great pancake stack.”
“Now you’re talking.” Wiggles sped in front of me, his tail wagging as he led the way.
Brogan Costin was opening the doors as we arrived and smiled down at Wiggles. “What can I do for you?” He stood at six-foot-five and had a neatly trimmed beard he was extremely proud of. His muscled arms were covered in tattoos that stretched from his fingers all the way to the tips of his ears. If you saw him in a dark alleyway, you’d run the other way, but Brogan was as gentle as they came and loved nothing more than serving up delicious food for his customers. The only way Brogan would kill you was by overfeeding you all his delectable food.
“Hi, Tempest,” he said. “Breakfast for two?”
“Absolutely, if you’re open. Did you have fun yesterday?” I settled at one of the pristine wooden blue tables by the window.
“Yes, and despite having only had about two hours sleep, I feel wide-awake.”
I nodded as I flexed my fingers. Although I’d missed the arrival of midnight, the most powerful time in the solstice, I also felt energized. I ordered two pancake stacks and enjoyed the strong coffee Brogan served as I waited for the food.
Several more customers came in all grinning and talking about last night’s fun. It looked like the rumors of a body in the cemetery had yet to spread.
Brogan served up the food with a smile before hurrying off to wait on other customers.
“So, what do you think?” I asked Wiggles quietly, not wanting to draw attention to the fact I dined alone and talked to my dog.
“The pancakes are amazing.”
“Not about the food. That’s always good here. About Nick being found in our cemetery?”
“Oh, it was clearly murder.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“You said it yourself, no blood. Someone must have tampered with the body. Anyone hit with something hard and heavy will sustain damage. That damage will cause leakage. Someone hid that leakage.”
I grimaced. “Maybe he fell and knocked himself out.”
“That still doesn’t explain the lack of the red stuff on the ground. I had a sniff around while everyone was arguing. There was barely any blood in the cemetery.”
I let out a sigh. “Maybe he’d had too much to drink. Nick could have hit his head on a gravestone and dragged himself along to try to get help. He collapsed before he could get any.”
“Nope, someone hit that poor guy. It wasn’t a death by being a drunken fool.”
I rested my chin on my palm. “I think you’re right.” I pushed the last of my pancake around the plate, cutting it into smaller pieces with my fork as I did so. “Why did they have to leave him at the cemetery?”
“Beats me. I don’t have the mind of a killer.” Wiggles eyed my pancake. “Is that going spare?”
I tossed a piece to him before finishing the rest. “We need to check in with the grieving girlfriend. If what Jenny said is true, she doesn’t sound stable.”
“Rachel sounds like a nightmare.” Wiggles’ gaze shifted to the window. “Look, it’s Aurora.” He jumped to his feet and bounced on the pads of his paws.
Seeing Aurora reminded me I owed her an apology. I threw money on the table and hurried after her. “Hey! Wait up.”
Aurora slowed and grinned at me but continued walking. “I can’t stop. I’m late getting the store open. I had to break up two fights between Mom and the angels after you left the cemetery. She’s not happy with them being there.”
I jogged after Aurora until I reached her side. “I can’t say I blame her. Angels make most people’s skin crawl.”
Aurora tilted her head. “They’re okay. A bit self-satisfied at times, but then they’re angels. I guess they’re allowed to be.”
We strode along in a companionable silence for a moment.
“Listen, I wanted to apologize about earlier.”
Aurora jangled the store keys in her hand as we reached Heaven’s Door. “What for?”
“Well, I strangled you. When I woke up, you startled me, and Frank reacted badly. I hope I didn’t hurt you.” My gaze went to her neck.
She shooed away my comment with a hand. “That’s nothing. I blasted you with a spell. And I’ve seen you much more terrifying, even when Frank wasn’t in control.”
“Thanks a lot.” I waited as she opened the door and flipped on the lights. The store came to life. There were rows of crystals, jars of potions, and herbal remedies. Books about magic, and charms hung from ancient tree branches Aurora had fashioned to display her wares.
Aurora did a great trade with locals and non-magical tourists who loved nothing more than spending an hour browsing the shelves and enjoying the friendly atmosphere the place exuded.
She flipped the store sign to open and turned to face me. “It was nothing. I should have been more careful. How are things with you?”
“No complaints.”
“And how is he whom we never talk about? How did he like the solstice?”
“A bit too much. He’s going to be a handful for a while.”
“But he’s being good now?” Aurora gestured at the space between us. “He doesn’t have a problem with this?”
Frank often got antsy when I was around Aurora. “He’s chilled out. How about you?”
“Oh, you know, same as always.” Aurora glanced at me and wiggled her eyebrows. “I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with Axel.”
I shrugged as I leaned against the counter. “I’m sort of his sponsor. He’s in magic detox.”
Aurora smiled at me. “You must be getting close.”
“Don’t you start. We’re friends. I’m helping him because he got himself in a mess. It’s nothing more than that.”
“He’s not horrible looking,” Aurora said. “And he’s got tons of money. It must be lonely rattling around in that big old bachelor pad of his.”
“I expect he manages,” I said.
“Still, you’re there now, so he won’t feel so lonely.”
“Like I said, we’re friends. How’s your love life? Are you still dating that old bloke?”
Aurora uncharacteristically scowled. “He’s not that old, and yes, I am. Toby is being the perfect gentleman, as always.”
“The perfect gentleman you still haven’t told the rest of the family about.” Aurora had gotten herself in trouble by hiding her relationship with Toby and had almost gotten charged with murder because she was worried what the family would think of her dating a much older warlock. A warlock who was being investigated by Angel Force for his dubious magic use and stealing from a wealthy woman.
“It’s complicated,” Aurora said. “We’re taking things slowly. How about this for an idea? You take Axel home to dinner, and I’ll bring Toby.”
“How about neither of us does that?”
She laughed. “That works for me. You stick with helping solve this mystery in our cemetery, and I’ll stay here and sell out of everything. No men allowed.”
I watched as she hurried around the store, switching on the music and lighting up the jewelry displays. “I was thinking the girlfriend might be involved. I met her yesterday, and she was all over Nick like a cheap suit, demanding his attention, which he didn’t want to give her.”
“Is that the pretty blonde who shoved that other woman in the cemetery?”
“That’s the one.”
Aurora’s nose wrinkled. “You’re right to tackle her. She does seem like trouble.”
“I’m going to find her today and see what she knows.”
Aurora tapped a finger against her lips. “She came into the store yesterday.”
“The girlfriend?”
“Yes, she looked around for a while and then came over and asked if I had something to calm her nerves. I asked the usual questions and made sure she wanted it for herself. I gave her two tincture
s to try. She paid for them but then came back.”
“What did she ask for?”
Aurora’s eyes widened. “A love spell.”
“She knows about magic?”
“I don’t think so. At least, I didn’t get any vibe from her that she has her own ability. She said she was having problems with a relationship and needed to make sure he was devoted only to her. I explained that love spells aren’t all that easy, and you can’t force someone to love you. She got a bit snappy and told me I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“Rachel sounds worried she was losing Nick,” I said. “She came in here looking for a solution to her relationship problem. She wanted to trick Nick into falling for her.”
“I suggested she talk to him rather than be-spell him. Well, of course, I didn’t use the spell word, but I told her that my remedies don’t work that way.”
“I bet she loved that.”
“She muttered something about me being a charlatan and stomped out.”
“Then I definitely need to talk to Rachel. Did she mention where she was staying?”
“No, but she doesn’t strike me as the sort of woman who’d be happy camping out in the fields or in a camper van. I bet she’s got a place at Tabitha’s hotel.”
“Yes, good idea. I’ll try there and see what she has to say.”
Aurora arched an eyebrow, a doubtful look on her face. “I doubt she’ll talk to you.”
“I’ll tell her this is Angel Force business. Just because I’m not carrying a badge doesn’t mean I’m not assisting with their inquiries.”
“Does Dazielle know about this?”
“She doesn’t need to. She agreed I can be involved.” I pushed away from the counter as the first customers came in. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m heading to the hotel to find Rachel.”
“Let me know how you get on,” Aurora said.
“Will do.” I headed out of Heaven’s Door and walked to the end of the main street. Tabitha Dimples’ hotel was a large converted house that had been separated into a dozen private rooms. It had a cozy, rustic feel to it and was always popular.
I entered the small, cream lobby with Wiggles and spotted Tabitha behind the desk, a pencil in one hand and her glasses perched on top of her head.
She looked up and smiled as she saw me. “What brings you here, Tempest?”
“Hopefully, one of your customers. I’m looking for a woman called Rachel. She might have come back here a while ago in a bit of a state.”
“Oh, I know who you’re talking about. Miss Fortesque.” Tabitha sniffed loudly. “Ever since she arrived, she’s been difficult.”
“She’s been causing problems?”
“Everything is wrong as far as she is concerned. The towels are too hard or too soft. The water is too hot or too cold. The bed is too hard or lumpy. I had to change her to three different rooms before she was happy. Imagine the chaos that caused at such a busy time.”
“She sounds like a nightmare out of a fairy tale.”
“She’s been nothing but a pain in my rear-end since she checked in with her boyfriend. He, on the other hand, is sweetness itself. I’ve lost count of the number of times he apologized for that dreadful woman’s behavior.”
“He was the reason she was upset,” I said.
“Has he gotten rid of her?” Tabitha’s dark eyes gleamed. “I do hope so. That will teach the uppity madam a thing or two.”
“It’s something like that,” I said. “They definitely won’t be talking again. Any chance you can let me know which room she’s in?”
“I shouldn’t really.” Her lips quirked. “Are you going to cause her a problem?”
“It’s possible.”
“In that case, how about I leave the book with the room information here and go make a cup of tea? I won’t know one way or the other if you’ve had a glance and seen her room number.” She tapped pointedly on a line in the book.
I smiled at her. “That will be perfect.”
“Right, a cup of tea it is.” Tabitha bustled away from the counter.
I turned the book around. “Room 108.” I ran up the stairs with Wiggles and knocked on the door.
I waited a moment and heard shuffling on the other side. Rachel pulled open the door and stared blearily at me. “What do you want?”
“I’m here about Nick. Mind if I come in?” I pushed past her before she had a chance to respond.
“Who are you again?” Rachel followed me into the room. “You look vaguely familiar.”
“I’m here on... Police business. I’ve got a few questions to ask you about Nick.”
Rachel hiccupped and giggled. That was not the reaction I was expecting from a grieving girlfriend. “Oh, I figured someone would be by to question me. It’s so sad what happened.” She slumped on the unmade bed and picked up a small brown bag. She dug a hand in and pulled out a mushroom.
“Where did you get that?” My eyes widened. If I wasn’t mistaken, she was eating produce from Cloven Hoof. She shouldn’t have been able to get her hands on that.
“They’re these weird, sweet mushrooms. I know it sounds gross, but they’re so addictive. Every time I feel sad or remember what I saw in the cemetery, I chew on one of these, and all my thoughts disappear. I get relaxed and happy.”
“You bought them yesterday?”
“Nick had them. He left them on the nightstand.” Rachel sighed. “Poor guy.”
I held out my hand. I needed to be sure what she was using. My magic mushrooms could really mess with a non-magical. “Can I try one?”
She grasped the bag to her chest. “Get your own. These are mine.”
Wiggles wandered around the side of the bed.
Rachel watched him. “He’s very small for a Police dog.”
“He’s a puppy in training.”
“Training for what?”
Wiggles broke wind loudly.
I suppressed a laugh. “Drugs squad. He’s got a killer instinct for hunting all sorts of illegal things.” I had to get those mushrooms. I couldn’t let any other non-magicals get their sticky little fingers on my goods. “You must be sad about what happened to Nick.”
“I am. He was my one true love. Well, he was someone I liked a lot.”
“The police think his death might not be an accident.”
Rachel cocked her head to the side. “I thought you said you were the police?”
“Of course, what I meant was my colleagues are concerned it wasn’t an accident. Have you any idea who might have had a problem with Nick?”
“No! Nobody I know would do something so horrible.” She ate another mushroom and smiled.
“How serious were you?”
“Very serious.”
“Marriage and babies serious?”
Rachel nodded. “That’s right.”
That was not the story Jenny had been telling. “Did you live together?”
“Almost. I’ve moved most of my things into his apartment, but it’s not official yet.”
“Would you say you were both happy with the progress of your relationship?”
“Blissfully. I was always talking to Nick about weddings.”
I checked her engagement ring finger, and it was bare. Their engagement must be a new event in their relationship if she wasn’t wearing a ring. Rachel struck me as the kind of woman who would want a huge, diamond-encrusted ring to show off to everyone.
“Have you set a date for the wedding?”
“No, Nick was so fanatical with his work. Every time a story broke or he got a sniff of something dodgy going on, he’d shoot off and focus on that. He was obsessed. He was always promising me he was about to hit the big time with an exclusive story.” Rachel looked around the room, disdain on her face. “I can’t imagine what he thought he would find in this little place. It’s nothing but a tourist trap. Telling people those old grubby stones have magic in them, what nonsense.”
I bit my tongue. Our beautiful standing stones were not grubby.
“Was that why Nick was here? He thought he’d uncover some supernatural tale?”
“Something like that. He kept on about some stupid ring. The only ring I was interested in him locating was my engagement ring.” She took another mushroom out of the bag and ate it. “I guess now that will never happen.”
I glanced over at Wiggles to see him lying at the foot of the bed, chewing on a pair of lace panties. I sidled over and yanked them from his jaws. “Did Nick have any work rivals? Journalism is a competitive business.”
Rachel sat up straight. “Now you mention it, if you’re looking for someone who had it in for Nick, James is the person you need to speak to.”
“Who’s James?”
“James Ranger. He’s always chasing after Nick and trying to steal his stories. You’ve probably seen him around here in the last couple of days. They’ve both been interviewing tourists.”
I vaguely remembered seeing a tall dark-haired guy with a microphone in his hand sliming around people. “Would he have it in for Nick?”
“James treads over everybody to get what he wants. He was always coming to blows with Nick.”
“When you say blows, do you mean physical fights?”
“No, more like verbal sparring. About a year ago, James stole an exclusive story right out from under Nick. He went to the source and bribed them to change a few details of the story. When Nick went to publish, he was blocked by his editor and told his story wasn’t accurate. Then, James went and published the very next day in a rival publication.”
“I imagine Nick wasn’t happy about that.”
“I should say. He smashed James’s car headlights.”
“So, they definitely weren’t friends.” This James needed looking into, but I still wasn’t convinced about Rachel. She said the right words about being sad, but her actions suggested otherwise. “You won’t mind me asking where you were last night?”
“I was doing the same as everybody else. I was at the celebrations. Everyone saw me there. I was with Nick most of the time.”
“But you got separated?”
“Now and again. He kept heading off to interview people. I lost him just after midnight. It was when the fireworks went off and all those crazy looking sparks flew about everywhere. One minute he was by my side, and the next, he was gone. I looked around for him for ages. After a while, I got bored. My shoes pinched my feet, so I came back here, ate a few of these mushrooms, and fell asleep. The first I heard about it was when Jenny was knocking on my door telling me Nick’s body had been discovered.”
Hell of a Witch (Crypt Witch Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) Page 5