Rhinestone Way

by Addison Creek

“Now, let me see the results of the three experiments. Was Bethel involved? I’m sure she was helpful,” murmured the professor. Lowe put the binder of notes in front of the professor and the three of us sat down in the chairs the professor indicated. There were so many papers that I was forced to move a stack of experimental results dating back to 1987 before I could sit down.

  “Humm, very interesting. I see these created results that you wouldn’t normally expect. Humm, very interesting again,” Burger said quietly. She was running her hands along the pages that Lowe had filled out. I glanced at Quinn, but I couldn’t read anything from his expression.

  Finally the professor looked up. She was speaking to the sheriff when she said, “I don’t suppose you have the results from the residues found at the crime scene.”

  Quinn nodded. “We asked for a rush job on those, but even the sheriff’s lab is nothing like this. There were some obvious signs though. Orange steam was the clearest.”

  “That on its own doesn’t mean anything, unfortunately,” she said. “It’s the most common color.”

  “How else would you achieve orange steam?” I asked. If it wasn’t from one of the combinations that she’d had us try, maybe it was something else that might be familiar.

  “There are many bases and mixes that result in the orange color,” she said. “Most foods and many feathers. Pearls can take on any color you like, which makes them especially hard to trace. The high quality pearls do that the best. I would have to see the results from the sheriff’s tests. In any event, the orange-producing steam experiment that you did should be sufficient. Just because they’re common doesn’t mean that they happen all the time,” she said.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The office was stuffy and cluttered. Dust particles layered my view of the chairs, the desk, and the people who were in the office with me. I sneezed once or twice, and Bara Burger handed me a tissue without looking up.

  The professor spent a long time looking over Lowe’s notes, making comments and asking questions as she went. She was very focused on the process we had followed, wanting to know what had happened minute by minute as we combined the elements of each potion. At a certain point in each process that no longer mattered so much, but in the beginning it was crucial.

  When she finished she sat back in her chair. “I don’t think any of this is relevant to be the case. None of it is likely to kill anyone, stun them, or do anything terribly awful.”

  “I was afraid you’d say that,” I told her.

  She smiled ruefully. “I do my best. That’s not to say that some of the ingredients are common. It’s clear that some of the ones you contributed are from the black market, and I must confess that I chose very particular packets for you to try. We’ve been experimenting a lot with this sort of thing, and those are among the combinations we’ve come up with. You have actually given us a crucial bit of information.”

  Quinn was watching all of this with interest. “What experiments have you been doing?”

  The professor looked at him. “For too long, we happened to miss the fact that the field for black market ingredients has expanded over the past few years. The price for legal ingredients is going up so much that we were actually thinking about making a formal complaint. We had already been talking about it amongst ourselves here at the university, but we didn’t want to bring it to your attention without some sort of proof.”

  “Isn’t the increase in price proof enough?” Lowe asked.

  The professor shrugged. “There are various explanations for supply and demand. We felt it was necessary to learn more. Most of the ingredients I gave Jade were from black market purchases.”

  Lowe and I both blinked. We hadn’t expected that.

  Quinn raised his eyebrows. “You yourself have been purchasing on the black market?”

  The professor shrugged. “I would say that it’s best if I don’t share with you how I came across such ingredients. Suffice to say that nothing gets in the way of my research. If I need an ingredient I will find it. I don’t care where I have to go or how long I have to look. I also don’t care how legal it is. That’s not something I advertise. I’m only telling you now out of necessity.”

  “That’s good to know,” said Quinn dryly

  He didn’t look as concerned about the information as I would have expected. He merely rubbed the back of his neck, deep in thought.

  “Thank you for your time. We should probably not take up any more of it,” I said.

  “I do love to help with these investigations. I hope you’ll come back soon. By the way, the boiling point for the feathers in the potions you tried is very low. I would guess that the same was true of whatever concoction was used that night on your young friends. The boiling point was low. To know that you needed a low boiling point with this potion is the sign of a pro. Somebody who is very good at potions made the one that was used in the woods that night,” she said.

  I found myself nodding. I didn’t quite understand everything she was saying, but Lowe looked clear-eyed and delighted with the information; I could tell she knew what the professor was talking about. On our way out we passed the professor’s assistant, who merely gave us an annoyed look and kept going. She didn’t like us bothering her precious professor and she didn’t care if we knew it.

  Wanting to discuss the case on the way home, I tried to summarize. “We know that this was a black market deal gone bad. We also know that a potion with a high degree of difficulty was used. Henry must have seen whoever was doing the deal. That’s why the Vixens killed him. Kyle probably saw them as well, so there’s a good chance that his life is in danger even now. But I still don’t see how we’re going to find out what else happened.”

  “The investigation is far from over,” said Quinn.

  “How can you say that?” asked Lowe, who had been visibly reluctant to leave the lab. I figured there was a good chance she’d end up under the tutelage of the professor one of these days. If Bethel would allow it, that is.

  “There are still a lot of strands to pull,” said Quinn. “We know this and that about the black market. In fact, we have a lot of information. On top of that, Kyle is safe, and he’s going to wake up eventually. When he does, we’re going to ask him what happened and who exactly he was dealing with. I’m starting to think there was a middleman. Or a middle woman,” he said.

  “What makes you think that?” I asked.

  “The Vixens have gone to a lot of trouble to stay out of the way. They are not visible. They could be evil, and yet we’d still know their names. Instead, they’re evil and silent. That’s an important distinction. I have a feeling they hired someone to make these deals, and that the people making the deals on their behalf also don’t even know who they are. If the Vixens are staying hidden, someone else must also be involved. The Vixens don’t need to kill Henry if Henry doesn’t know who they are.”

  “Maybe Henry did find out who they are. Maybe when they met up with him they were wearing masks, and he pulled one of the masks off, or something like that,” I said. It sounded far-fetched even to my own ears.

  Quinn was nodding absently. I could tell that he’d heard me but didn’t necessarily agree. Anyhow, his story did in fact sound plausible. Maybe the Vixens had gone to the hospital to kill Henry on someone else’s behalf. I had a feeling that if Kyle had known any of the Vixens’ identities, he’d already be dead. That, of course, was one of those theories I was never going to share with Kelly. She was worried enough as it was.

  I wouldn’t be seeing Kelly again until the next day, when another Young Witches meeting was scheduled. I just hoped I could get through it without yelling at Hannah. My patience with that particular witch was running thin.

  I was not expecting Quinn to escort us all the way home; he was a busy man. But he did just that.

  “Don’t you have to get back to the hospital?” Lowe asked.

  “Yes, I do. Right after I make sure you two get home safely,” he said.

  Lowe
gave me a sidelong glance, but I just shrugged. He was taking this keeping track of me thing seriously.

  “I don’t know what else you think we could do. You already came with us to the lab,” I said.

  “Maybe I think you’ll visit Michael and find out more about feathers,” he said.

  Low choked. We hadn’t told him about visiting Michael.

  “How did you know?” I demanded.

  He shrugged. “I have my ways. Don’t ever doubt it.”

  “How could we ever,” I grumbled.

  We saw various townsfolk on the way home, but each time we kept going after brief greetings with those who wanted to say hello. Residents of Twinkleford seemed to fall into two groups when it came to the sheriff. Some wanted nothing to do with him. Others wanted to complain or highlight problems. They always thought he could help, and he always listened attentively, never appearing bored or frustrated, and definitely never rude. I certainly wouldn’t have had that much patience.

  “I don’t see how you do it day in and day out,” I told him.

  He looked at me in genuine surprise. “Do what?”

  “All of your duties. Every time you walk half a block, someone wants to say something to you. You must be the most well known person in town,” I said.

  He shrugged. “I think we can definitely agree that the most well known people in town are the Carlisles.”

  “For better and for worse,” I grumbled. Quinn nodded.

  Having dropped us off at our doorstep, he didn’t linger. Part of me wanted to go back to the hospital with him. After all, what if Kyle had woken up? Another part of me knew that Quinn wouldn’t appreciate that. He had his own investigating to do.

  After watching the pixies and fairies duke it out for a bit, Lowe and I made our way inside, where we found Bethel reading.

  “You two come on out to the kitchen and help me with dinner,” said my grandmother. “Take one night off this silly snooping. Tomorrow you can go to your Young Witches meeting and get back to normal,” she said, nodding at me. “Lowe, you can help me in the garden.”

  Then she paused and looked back at me sternly. “And you tell Hannah she needs to give you a more realistic assignment.”

  “I don’t think Hannah is going to listen to you, much less me, but I appreciate the support,” I said.

  Bethel sniffed disdainfully. “That girl doesn’t know how to respect her elders. I can’t say I’m surprised. Her mother didn’t respect her elders either. It must run in the family. Sad.”

  We spent that evening quietly, and for me, a bit broodingly. I had started to worry more and more about my sister, whom I hadn’t seen for a while now. I knew she was all right, because if she hadn’t been I was sure I would have heard something. Still, there was an ache deep in my chest that would only go away when I saw Ethel again, and the dreams I’d been having made me restless. Something told me I’d see her soon. That intuition made me all the more eager to get to bed.

  I made my way upstairs so early that it surprised my grandmother and my cousin. I pretended to yawn and stumble upward. Neither of them looked like they believed me.

  “If you’re going to sneak out in the middle of the night, you’d better take me with you,” Lowe yelled after me.

  “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I would never do that,” I hollered back. But I lied; it was definitely not the most ridiculous thing. My stepsister Bailey’s saying that she wanted to start lifting weights was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard.

  I expected to have trouble falling asleep, but instead I nodded off as soon as I was safely in bed. I woke up a couple hours later to a darkened house and no sound of anyone stirring downstairs. I stared at the ceiling for a while, willing Ethel to show up. I rolled to my left and then my right, frustration making me feel wide awake.

  At last I had to admit it to myself: Ethel wasn’t going to come. I had invented whatever I had thought about her showing up that night. Trying not to feel too disappointed, I rolled over one last time and fell asleep.

  Several hours later I awoke again with a start. It was still the dead of night, and here I was, wide awake again. When I collected my wits, I realized that there was a light burning through my window, as if the moon had somehow gotten much brighter. I threw off through the covers and went quietly to look outside. Sure enough, the unicorns were in the pasture as usual, but tonight they were shining brightly, like a bunch of stars in the field.

  Among them I saw a shape.

  I squinted. At first I thought someone might be trying to steal the unicorns away. Then I realized that it wasn’t that, and my heart soared.

  She was there. I rushed out of my room and down the stairs, more excited than ever. On the way out the back door I nearly tumbled. The air was cool and I wished I had brought a sweater, but there was no time to go back and get one. I folded my arms over my chest and made my way towards my sister. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.

  Ethel was standing quietly, dressed all in black leather. She had shaved half of her head and thrown the longer hair over that half. Okay, maybe it was a style in some circles, and anyhow, I didn’t care. She had a half-moon’s worth of earrings on one ear, all of it set off by black lipstick.

  Not wanting to discourage her from coming to visit me, I decided not to ask why she’d chosen this get-up.

  “You’re here,” I grinned.

  She threw her arms around me. She felt solid and real. I had thought about this moment for weeks.

  “How are you doing?” I asked.

  “Better now. I miss the unicorns. If Bethel had been told a year ago I would feel that way now, she would have laughed. I used to complain about taking care of them, but now it’s all I really want to do,” she said.

  “She misses you. She’s always telling us how good you are with them. Unlike Lowe and me,” I said.

  “I wish I could come back. I will soon. I don’t care about the Vixens. Is there any update there?” she asked hopefully.

  My sister looked good, but she also looked a little desperate. I wondered how she was doing on her own when she so clearly she missed her family and her home.

  “Nothing yet. Quinn thinks the Vixens made a deal with the third party who was acting as a go-between for them on the black market. I assume you heard about Henry and Kyle?” I said.

  For her own safety, none of us knew where my sister was, so I didn’t know how much news she was getting. She nodded her head. “I’ve definitely heard. Every day I like to steal a newspaper. I always try to steal from different places. It’s good to have a challenge.”

  I raised my eyebrows and she shrugged. “I know. Well, not really. I shouldn’t say more. I’m fine. Please don’t worry about me. I can see on your face that you’re worrying about me,” she said sternly.

  “I can’t help it. You’re my sister. Isn’t that what sisters are supposed to do?” I said.

  Ethel frowned. “I can tell you very honestly that I have no idea what sisters are supposed to do. I hope to figure it out someday,” she said.

  “Do you have any idea how the Vixens would be involved in the black market?” I asked.

  “Since their specialty is potions, it’s not surprising,” she said. “I don’t think reputable sellers would want the Vixens purchasing their wares, if for no other reason than that they’re terrifying and nobody would want to have to deal with that. Besides, they’re already criminals. They don’t care at all about engaging in more criminal enterprises.”

  She had a point, one that I hadn’t really thought of before. Apparently my mind didn’t work like a criminal’s, but that was probably a good thing. Then again, maybe not so much of a good thing if I wanted to keep snooping.

  “What should we be doing next?” I asked her.

  “I’m sure it all revolves around Kyle and the black market. Kyle needs to wake up. He needs to tell the sheriff and you what he knows. I can’t see any other way. Witches are in danger until the Vixens are dealt with. Al
so, I would think that whoever’s helping them is doing it for one of two reasons. The first reason would be that they want the money. They’re probably making good money acting as a go-between,” she said.

  “I don’t see how that helps them if they can’t spend it,” I said. “You wouldn’t want anyone asking questions about where the money came from.”

  “You’re right,” said Ethel, “but still, no one would ever really know. I’m sure they’re finding a way to use the money in an under the radar way,” she said.

  “What was reason number two?” I asked.

  “They want to be a Vixen,” she said.

  We were interrupted by a particularly friendly unicorn, who came over and head butted my sister. She drew back her head and laughed, then wrapped her arms around the unicorn’s neck. I would never dare to do such a thing unless I was prepared to lose a hand. I watched the joyous reunion for a few moments. Some day, and I would have one too. Ethel could come home to Misdirect Lane.

  Until then I would keep snooping.

  When Ethel was finished greeting unicorns, she turned back to me. She had something on her mind and it was a change of topic. “Do you ever think . . . do you ever wonder?” she asked.

  I searched her face. Her expression had gone serious. I tried to interpret what she was leaving unsaid, and in the end I couldn’t tell you how I figured it out, I just did. I knew what it was going to be before she said it.

  “If you get really good at snooping, maybe you can find out what happened to Mom,” she said.

  My mouth went dry. “I’ll tell you what happened to her. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s totally believable, isn’t it?”

  My heart had wanted to believe that it wasn’t. The story sounded so unrealistic. Something like that couldn’t happen to my mother. Now my sister had said the same, and she had actually known her.

  Maybe I wasn’t crazy after all. But my apparent lack of enthusiasm for what she was saying deflated my sister. Her shoulders sank and her chin lowered. “It was just an idea. I’m sure it won’t be necessary to pursue it any time soon. But someday I need to find out what happened.”