Witch Swindled in Westerham

by Dionne Lister

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Hi,” was the simultaneous response from the three men.

  “I’m calling this meeting to order.” Angelica’s firm tone was all business. “Lily, please explain exactly what happened this morning.”

  “Olivia picked me up about nine. We drove to Hever Castle. We’d been there for about fifteen minutes when she was snatched from the first-floor study. It’s a room with twentieth-century stuff. I don’t know if you need to know that, but just in case. Camilla came out of nowhere, knocked her unconscious with a spell, then left.” I looked at my hands in my lap. It was intimidating to have them all staring at me across the table. It felt like the drilling I’d had last time.

  “Did she say anything?” asked James.

  “No, but she did give me a satisfied grin. Stupid witch.” I ground my back teeth together. She was not going to get away with this. “What do you think she wants with Olivia?”

  Angelica leaned back in her chair. “According to our records, Ernest started working for Camilla a few weeks before he met Olivia. We didn’t think it was important before, but now we think it might be. We haven’t had time to go over everything again since you called, but we can do that now. After your comment the other day about him being in love with Camilla, we thought we’d dig a little deeper. Some of this information only came through this morning.” She waved her hand, and a small pile of stapled paper appeared in front everyone. “This is the information we have on Ernest—timeline, personality, contacts, work history, arrest history, etcetera. There are about forty pages there. I want you all to read that now, then we’ll discuss some theories.”

  Excuse me? Arrest history? I focussed on the first page and started reading. He was born in London, to an investment banker and housewife. My mouth fell open. Ernest wasn't even his real name, and neither was the one that had been on his airline ticket! His name was Frederick Anderson Smythe. He went to some private schools—I say some, because he went to about six different schools, which wasn’t normal for someone who’d stayed at the same address his whole childhood. He’d been a bit of a handful—and yes, that was the polite word for it. He’d been accused of stealing from other students—from phones to lunch money—and he’d even been caught on school grounds selling stolen property, which he swore he found on the street near his house. I wondered if he’d been too young for them to do anything but give him a slap on the wrist or if his father had bribed the schools or other kids’ parents.

  I lifted my head. “Do we know if his father ever bribed anyone to keep things quiet about his school crimes?”

  “That’s on page thirteen, dear.” Angelica hadn’t even lifted her head from reading to answer.

  I paged to thirteen. Nothing had been officially recorded by the schools, of course, but whoever had done this research had done an exceptional job. There were copies of three of the principals’ bank accounts showing a lump sum of fifty-thousand pounds went into each one at dates just after the offences were mentioned in the reports, and it looked like two of the parents of wronged children had also been paid off, albeit with smaller amounts. I shook my head. How was it even legal to get this stuff? Big Brother could get anything they wanted. Scary. Although, in this instance, it was for a good cause. I supposed the principals felt like they were getting a great deal: money for nothing, and they also got to wave the kid off to a new school. I bet they’d given him good references just to get rid of him. Bastards.

  His dad’s income was listed here as four hundred thousand pounds a year. Holy crap! Why would Ernest, Frederick, whatever, need to steal? Attention, boredom, or because he could?

  He’d gone to Arden University in Coventry and done an accounting and finance degree. While there, he was arrested twice: once for drunken disorderly behaviour, and the other for raping a fellow female student. Wow, nice guy. His father had bailed him out of the first charge, and the second didn’t stick after the witness withdrew her complaint and moved to Scotland. He managed to complete his degree and went to work in London, for his father. The whole time he’d attended university, he’d lived at home, and his bank account showed his dad paid him an allowance of one thousand pounds a week—lucky bastard. Once he went to work, at a large investment bank his father worked for, he received a salary of fifteen hundred pounds a week, which wasn’t bad for a graduate. So why had he left to work in Westerham, which was likely less exciting and probably paid less, unless…? Unless you could fleece old people out of their life savings because you found a person who thought the same way you did.

  Since he’d left his job with his father, he’d moved to Westerham, and it looked like they’d had no contact. What the hell had happened? “We need to interview his father or someone else at that company and find out why he left. I have a feeling he was fired.”

  “You and me both, sis.”

  “Can someone do that while we go and find Olivia?” The longer we sat here, the more Camilla and Ernest could be doing to her. I bit my nail.

  Angelica shook her head. “We have a different angle now, dear. We need to cover all our bases if we don’t want this to bite us in the behind later. We’ll have to interview his father first. It’s important we have Ernest’s, or should I say, Frederick’s motivation for leaving. If he were fired, it would give us a motive for what he does next. Maybe he’s angry at his father and has something to prove?”

  “But can’t someone get onto finding where they are, at least, so we can act as soon as we have the other information?” This waiting was driving me crazy.

  “Finish reading the report, and then we’ll decide exactly what’s going to happen.” She’d already started writing a list, so she must’ve already decided what was going to happen. I resisted an eye roll.

  My knee jiggled up and down under the table as I read the rest. Sitting here reading wasn’t going to save Olivia. Now I knew what a bastard Smythe was, I didn’t give a crap about saving him from Camilla. It was looking more and more like he was the instigator, not her.

  I finished reading everything, just before the boys. I looked up. “Do you think Smythe set all this up and conned Camilla? I always assumed she was the mastermind because she was a witch, but her bitchy behaviour towards Olivia at the café makes sense now. She’s in love with him too, like honestly in love. She was jealous of Olivia. The hate rolled off her when she was getting her morning coffee. It was almost like she was there just to torment her. It’s not like she couldn't have gone to a different café if they always burnt her coffee, which was something she used to always say.”

  “I think we’re all guilty of that assumption about the dynamics of their relationship.” William looked disappointed, and I assumed it was with himself.

  I felt bad for him. “It probably doesn’t hurt to remember that non-witches can be just as evil as witches. Witches don’t have the monopoly on being crappy.”

  James smiled. “You do know you’re a witch, right?”

  “Oops. I forgot.” Which wasn’t hard to do since I’d been a non-witch for twenty-four years. Being a witch was super new to me, and I still didn’t think of myself as such.

  Angelica put her pen down. “If you have time for chatting, it looks like we’ve all finished reading?”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” confirmed Beren.

  Angelica continued. “In light of recent information, I’m sure we can all agree that Frederick Smythe and Camilla are at least responsible for these crimes in equal parts.” We all nodded. “I think she’s covered her tracks and left him exposed as a blackmail chip for later. He wouldn’t even realise.” Wow, it was the perfect relationship. They totally deserved each other.

  “Because she doesn’t trust him?” I asked.

  Angelica smiled. “Exactly. Camilla’s a smart witch—the things she’s been able to do with her magic proves it. If we found this stuff on Frederick, I have no doubt Camilla is aware of some of it too. She wouldn’t have access to everything we have, but being a witch with her computer knowledge, hacking
government systems wouldn’t be beyond her.”

  “So, now what? The longer we sit around, the more danger Olivia’s in.”

  “I was getting to that.” Ma’am—not Angelica, because that was definitely Ma’am’s bossy face—frowned at me. “I’m sending James and William to interview the father, because James can detect lies, and William can read minds. They won’t have to ask too many questions to get the answers they need.”

  Wow, they had massive advantages over non-witches. They could solve so many normal-people crimes if they wanted to that it wasn’t funny. I wondered why they didn’t. I guess I’d leave that question for another day. “What about me?”

  “You can take Beren and me back to where your friend was taken, and we’ll confirm the magic signature. Then we’ll all head to Camilla’s apartment, so you can take some photos. I’ve no doubt they won’t return there. Snatching Olivia seems like a desperate move. It was done recklessly.”

  “Maybe they did it to taunt us? They made sure I saw. I mean, they could have taken her from her house.”

  “True, Lily. But I sense there’s more to it.”

  I gave this some thought while James and William stood. “See you both later,” James said. William just gave us a nod, and then they were gone.

  “Be careful,” I said to the empty spaces where they’d recently stood. You had to be quick around here. Sheesh. Then something hit me. “Do you think Ern—, I mean Frederick targeted Olivia on purpose, in the beginning? Her parents are really rich. Maybe he never wanted to marry her at all. Maybe he wanted to fleece her parents out of some money then run, but with our investigation closing in on them, and the wedding looming, he decided to move things forward?”

  “Nice thinking.” Beren beamed at me from across the table.

  I blushed.

  Angelica stood. “I think you definitely have a good theory there, Lily. Now we need to gather some proof, so we can charge Camilla with kidnapping as well as everything else, and hopefully find your friend before...” She let it hang, probably realising what she was about to say.

  I stared at her, swallowed, and shook my head slowly. “No. We’re going to get to her in time. We have to.”

  “Lead the way then,” Angelica said.

  Because I wasn’t strong enough to take them with me, I let my mind-shield drop so Angelica could ferret around and get the coordinates. My shoulders tensed the whole time, but she didn’t take long.

  She stared at Beren. “Here.”

  “Thanks.”

  Wow, she’d just sent a message straight to his brain. My mouth hung open. What the hell?

  “If you study enough, dear, you’ll be able to do it too. Now come on. There’s no time to waste.”

  I performed my spell and left the PIB behind.

  Chapter 12

  We stepped out of the doorway at Hever Castle to a woman screaming. Crap. I should have put it somewhere more private... like the toilet. Angelica swiftly put her hands on the woman’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. After a few seconds, Angelica dropped her hands, and the woman shook her head… quietly.

  The stranger blinked. “Oh, I just had a dizzy spell. I think I need to sit down.”

  Angelica adopted a sweet voice, one I never knew she possessed. “Oh, my dear. There’s a chair in the next room. I’m sure they won’t mind if you use it. Come with me.” As she led her away, she looked back at us and gave a nod.

  Beren must have known what to do, because he turned to me. “Where is the exact spot they left from?” I stood next to the window overlooking the inner courtyard and stopped. “Here. I was standing there.” I pointed across the small room.

  “Okay.” He put his hands on my shoulders and gently moved me a few steps away. “I need to see the magic, and your signature will get muddled into it if you’re standing right there.”

  “Oh.” You learned something new every day. Although, these days, I was learning so many new somethings that my head was spinning. He mumbled a bit and swept his hand in a circle.

  Angelica’s voice drifted in from the other room, probably trying to distract the woman so she didn’t come back in here so soon, not that Beren seemed to be doing much, although his behaviour—staring at a spot in front of a window—may have been considered odd.

  While he worked, I stepped out into the corridor to see if anyone else was coming. A couple at the other end of the hall chatted while looking at a piece of paper one of them held—probably a castle map.

  “Done.”

  I went back into the study. “That was quick.” Colour me impressed.

  Angelica appeared at the other doorway. “Let’s get going.” She walked past us and down the stairs. I snatched my and Olivia’s umbrellas out of the container and followed Angelica out the front door, across the courtyard, over the drawbridge, and towards the surrounding gardens. It was still raining, so I put my umbrella up and ran to catch Angelica.

  “Here, Ma’am. You can use Olivia’s umbrella.”

  She took it from me without stopping. “Thank you, dear.”

  Beren looked at me as we hurried along. “Hey, no fair!”

  “Wanna share?”

  “Okay.”

  Beren put his arm around me and took control of the umbrella, since he was taller. It was nice and cosy under there, but it was harder to walk fast squished together, and my arms and legs were getting wet because he was holding it up too high. This wasn’t working out very well, at least not for me. “Can I take it back?”

  “Take what back,” he asked.

  “My umbrella. I’m getting too wet.”

  “But you’re keeping me warm, and I’m fairly dry.”

  I rolled my eyes. “But you have more umbrella than me.”

  He adjusted it slightly to my side. “Is that better?”

  He wasn't giving up without a fight. I blew out a breath. “Yeah, whatever.”

  Beren grinned. “That’s my girl.”

  His girl? I hoped he meant that in a platonic way. I did like him—I mean, who wouldn’t? He was handsome, easygoing, funny, clever, nice, but…

  But he wasn’t William.

  I couldn’t help but remember the saying: If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with. Not that he was offering love. I was blowing things out of proportion again. I had to stop reading things into throwaway comments. We were friends, and that’s all he probably meant.

  A hill spread out before us, and Angelica led us off the path and behind a massive tree. She turned her head this way and that, probably checking to see we were hidden, then handed me Olivia’s umbrella. She stared into my eyes. Big gold coordinates popped into my mind. “That’s where we’re going. Make it quick.” She stepped forward and disappeared.

  Beren handed me my umbrella and drew his gun. “Thanks, Lily.” Then he popped away too. That’s the thanks I got for keeping people dry. I sighed and awkwardly folded both umbrellas, shook them, and slid them into the side pocket of my bag. Looked like it was time to go.

  I took heed that Beren had drawn his gun—things may not be totally safe on the other side—mumbled the spell, and stepped into a dry, warm apartment.

  Angelica, gun in hand, was cautiously opening a door that led from the living area to who knew where. Beren stalked off in the other direction, over lime-washed timber floors. I figured I’d stay put until they’d swept the apartment. I went to one of the tall living-room windows and gazed out.

  We were back in Paris. Despite the circumstances, I couldn’t help a small smile. And it had been so easy. I couldn’t wait to try travelling when this was all over. The places I could go, and it was free and instantaneous. Ah, travelling, where have you been all my life?

  The apartment was on the second floor and overlooked the street we’d been parked in the other day. The car crash seemed like ages ago. Beren’s healing had been incredible—it was as if my body hadn’t been through anything. My mind knew differently though. I’d had nightmares about it for the last two n
ights. I expected more of the same tonight.

  Beren yelled out, “Clear!”

  Angelica responded in kind. They breezed back into the room. “Okay, Lily. Let’s not waste any time. See if you can find anything that will show where they went.”

  I scanned the room. “We may have to go downstairs again. I feel like that makes the most sense. They probably drove somewhere.”

  “First let me check the last time Camilla performed magic here.” Angelica shut her eyes and turned in a slow circle on the spot.

  I took my camera out of my bag, because I may as well make sure I didn’t miss anything. “Show me any evidence of where Camilla and Frederick went when they last left here.” I put the camera up to my face and roamed the apartment. There were two bedrooms. The first showed me nothing, but in the second, Camilla and Frederick sat on the double bed, fully clothed, thanks be to the gods, looking at a laptop screen. Packed suitcases waited next to the bed. I walked around to the head of the bed and focussed my lens on the laptop screen. “Nice.” A villa in the French Riviera. They sure were making the most out of all the money they’d stolen. I couldn’t wait to help put them in jail. I hoped Camilla got the stinkiest cell there was.

  After taking a couple of photos, I finished my circuit of the apartment and found Angelica. “Here. According to the date and time on the computer, they have been back here since you visited. I’m surprised there wasn’t some kind of trap waiting for us.”

  “She may not have had enough time to set one.” Angelica looked at the camera screen. “Nice.”

  On the screen was a gorgeous, rendered-brick two-storey villa painted yellow with white trim and terracotta-tiled roof. It was set against stunning blue water with white, barren hills across the water. Yachts were moored in the sea. The ad said Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, and there was a rental agent’s number. “Yeah, that’s what I said. Is Saint Jean Cap Ferrat a big place?”