Witch Is Why Time Stood Still (A Witch P.I. Mystery Book 13)

by Adele Abbott

  “Yeah, I guess so, but she wasn’t here for me to ask, was she?”

  “Okay, let’s see what we’ve established so far. Mrs V, you’re happy to share the desk. And Jules, you realise you should have asked before moving Mrs V’s stuff. Is that right?”

  They both nodded.

  “Okay, in that case, why don’t we turn back the clock and pretend none of this happened. Jules, you’re in the office with Mrs V now. What would you like to ask her?”

  Jules hesitated for a moment. I could tell she was a little intimidated by Mrs V, but she managed to summon up the courage.

  “Mrs V?” her voice wavered a little.

  “Yes, young lady?” Mrs V wasn’t going to make this easy for her.

  “Seeing as how we’re now job sharing, and I have to use your desk when you’re not here—”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you think that we could possibly share the drawers, so that you have half and I have half?”

  Mrs V glanced at me, and took a deep breath. “Yes, that’s perfectly acceptable to me, but I’d like a day to rearrange my things, so I know where everything is. I’ll leave one set of drawers empty; that can be your side.”

  “That sounds fair, doesn’t it, Jules?” I said, with my fingers crossed.

  “Yeah, I’m happy with that.”

  “But—” Mrs V hadn’t finished. “Once I’ve done that, I don’t expect to find your things in my half of the desk. Understood?”

  “Yeah, no problem.”

  “And, young lady, I do not expect to find my desktop a mess, I don’t want to see smudges of makeup on it.”

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Or tea stains.”

  Oh dear. Jules was renowned for spilling drinks.

  “If I do spill anything, I’ll make sure I wipe it up, so it’s as good as new.”

  That was my cue to step in again. “Right, we seem to have reached an agreement. Mrs V will move her things out of one side of the desk today, ready for when you come in tomorrow. Are we all agreed?”

  They both nodded.

  “Right, Jules, off you go then. I’ll pay you for your time today.”

  I could still feel the tension between them as I walked through to my office, but at least we’d cleared the air, and made some sort of agreement. I’d just have to see how long the uneasy truce lasted.

  An hour later, I thought I’d better check how things were going. Mrs V had piles of her stuff on top of the desk.

  “Is everything all right, Mrs V?”

  “I’ll never get all of this in one side.”

  “You could always use the cupboard behind you.”

  “I suppose I’ll have to.”

  “Good, oh and by the way, I’m expecting the accountant any time now.”

  “I don’t know how you expect me to do this, and see to your visitors.”

  ***

  Luther Stone was every bit as hot as I remembered him.

  “Luther, nice to see you.”

  “You too, Jill. We’ve missed you. That apartment block is not the same without you; I don’t know why you had to go and leave us.”

  “You know why. I moved in with Jack.”

  “Why couldn’t he have moved in with you?”

  “With hindsight, I wish he had. I hate that poky flat of his, but anyway, we’ve moved out now. We’ve got a house in Smallwash.”

  “Really? How long have you been living there?”

  “Only a few days. You’ll never guess who I saw.”

  “Mr Ivers?”

  “How did you know?”

  “When you mentioned Smallwash, I realised you must have to go over the toll bridge. Mr Ivers likes to keep me updated on his life—such as it is. He told me a few weeks back that he had a new job. He made it sound like it was something really exciting. When I eventually found out what it was—taking fees on the toll bridge at Smallwash—I almost died laughing. Never was anyone more suited to a job.”

  “I couldn’t believe it.” I laughed. “I honestly thought I’d got rid of him and his newsletters. He’s saved all the back issues for me. All twenty-four of them!”

  “Oh dear.” Luther grinned. “Poor you. But then, if I have to put up with him, I don’t see why you shouldn’t. Anyway, I suppose I should take a look at your books.”

  “I doubt they’ll look much better than the last time you were here. Business has been very slow. Before you start, how are you and Betty getting along?”

  “Didn’t you know? We’ve split up.”

  “Really? I had no idea. Is she still living there?”

  “Yeah, it’s a bit awkward, really. I see her every day, so as you can imagine, there’s a bit of an atmosphere.”

  “What happened if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “It was stupid really. We had an argument over starfish.”

  “The reality TV celebrity who was murdered?”

  “What?”

  “Sorry. Just a case I worked on. So you fell out over a starfish? How did you manage that?”

  “Like I said, it was stupid. We were at a seashell fair, and were both looking around the stalls to see if we could find anything to add to our collections. I spotted a fabulous specimen, and was just about to pay for it when Betty snatched it, and bought it for herself.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I told her I was just about to buy it. She said, ‘You snooze you lose’.”

  “Charming.”

  “I know. I couldn’t believe it.”

  “Betty does have a dark side. I’ve seen it myself.”

  “We had a big argument on the way home, which spiralled out of control. In the end, we both decided it was probably best to call it a day.”

  “I’m really sorry. But I always thought you two made—err—an unusual couple.”

  “I suppose we did.”

  “Are you still into sea creatures?”

  “To be honest, Jill, that incident kind of spoiled it for me. It’s a pity because I was really getting into it in a big way. It can be quite exciting, you know.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for that.”

  “Anyway, after that day, I kind of lost the heart for it.”

  “Maybe that’s for the best, I never really did see you as a seashell kind of a guy.”

  ***

  I’d arranged to drop into another jeweller, All That Glitters, to see if their story was the same as the others. Ethan Moore, the manager, was only too happy to talk me through what happened. It was almost word for word what I’d heard on the previous two occasions. He too had a CCTV recording of the ‘incident’ and invited me to view it.

  “What’s that on the floor, close to the door?” I pointed to the screen.

  “We were having some work done to extend the shop. Even though it was boarded up, the plaster dust was everywhere. That area to the side of the door was the worst affected because it was closest to where they were working.”

  After Ethan had zoomed in, I could see a number of footprints in the plaster dust. He zoomed back out, and we continued to watch the recording. The assistant behind the counter was showing a tray full of rings to an elderly couple. One moment the tray was full of jewellery, the next it was empty. The pattern was exactly the same as I’d seen with the two other thefts.

  At my request, he allowed the recording to play for a few more moments, and then stopped it. I asked him to zoom in on the area next to the door again. There, in the dust, was one extra set of footprints, and yet no one had come into or out of the shop. Where had those footprints come from?

  ***

  I’d asked Alan to arrange for me to meet with the Eagles’ team captain; a young man named Eddie Wonder. Eddie had movie star looks, and one of those smiles that could melt a girl’s—err—heart. Not that I’d noticed, obviously.

  We met at the team’s clubhouse; Alan came along with me.

  “Nice to meet you, Jill.” Eddie’s smile almost blinded me.

  “
Thanks for seeing me.”

  “No problem,” he said. “The sooner we get this sorted out, the better. The players are dropping like flies at the moment. I’m not sure how we’re going to field a team.”

  “I know it’s an obvious question, but do you have any idea who might be behind this? Who would want to weaken the team in this way?”

  “Oh yes, I don’t have any doubt who’s behind it. It’s obviously the Blue Flags.”

  “Blue Flags?”

  “They’re our main opposition. We’re in second place in the league at the moment; the Blue Flags are in first. Effectively, whoever wins the match between our two teams is more or less guaranteed to win the league, so there’s a lot at stake.”

  “Do you think they may be trying to sabotage your team?”

  “I don’t think it, I know it. I wouldn’t put anything past them. Their team captain is absolutely ruthless.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Teddy Barr.”

  “What about you, Alan?” I asked. “Do you think that’s a possibility?”

  “I don’t know.” Alan shrugged. “To be honest, I’ve always got on well with Teddy. He’s a bit loud, and he’s certainly a bighead, but I couldn’t see him doing anything like this.”

  “You’ve always been naïve, Alan,” Eddie said. “Of course he would. If it meant they’d win the league, he’d do it in a heartbeat.”

  “Do you know where I can find Teddy Barr?”

  “I’ve got his contact details,” Alan said. “I’ll give them to you afterwards.”

  We talked for a while longer. Eddie was mainly interested in telling me all about his achievements as team captain. He might have been a good-looking guy, but boy, was he boring.

  After Eddie had left, I walked to Cuppy C with Alan.

  “What did you make of Eddie?” he asked.

  “He was a bit full of himself. Is he always like that?”

  “Yeah. He can be a bit full-on. You’d never think his fiancée had just dumped him, would you?”

  “Why did she do that?”

  “No idea. They’d been together for ages. They’d even set a date for the wedding, but then she just called it off.”

  As I saw it, there were two lines of enquiry I needed to follow up on. I had to find out more about the service which delivered the synthetic blood, and I also needed to speak with the captain of the Blue Flags, Teddy Barr.

  Chapter 10

  I was on my way up to the office when I bumped into my landlord, Zac.

  “Hi, Jill.”

  “Hey, Zac. How’s it going?”

  “Much better now I’ve got rid of Gordon Armitage. I imagine you were sorry to see him go?”

  “Oh yeah. Devastated.”

  “I owe you a favour, Jill. If it hadn’t been for you holding out, I think I would’ve had him as a permanent tenant, and to be honest, he was much more trouble than he was worth. The man never stopped complaining. There wasn’t a week went by when he didn’t ring me up about something. I was glad to see the back of him.”

  “Me too. Any idea who’s going to be taking the space he vacated?”

  “Funny you should ask that because we signed a contract earlier today. Your new neighbours should be moving in anytime now.”

  “Can you tell me who it is?”

  “Yeah, it’s no secret. It’s a business called I-Sweat.”

  “I-Sweat? I’m not sure I like the sound of that. What kind of business is it?”

  “It’s a health club—gym—that sort of thing. That’s why it’s taken a while to sort out. They want to make some structural changes—knock a few of the offices into one big room. They’ve signed a long lease, so I’m happy to go along with their plans.”

  “It’s certainly quite a change from Armitage, Armitage, Armitage and Poole. When they’re open, maybe I’ll pop in there on my lunch hour. I need to get myself in shape.”

  “You look in good shape to me.”

  “Well thank you, kind sir.”

  “Any news on Bella?” Winky said, as soon as I walked through the door.

  Sheesh! My life wasn’t my own.

  “Not yet, but I’m still working on it. Don’t worry, I’ll get it sorted for you.”

  He didn’t look convinced.

  Just then, the room became chilly. The ghost, whoever it was, was trying to get through to me again.

  “Hello, Jill? Can you hear me?”

  “Yes, I’m here. Please attach yourself to me so I can see you.”

  “I’m trying to. Just give me a second.” The voice was a little stronger today. For the first time, I could tell it was definitely a man, but I still didn’t know who it was. But then, suddenly, a blast of pure energy knocked me back in my seat. When I recovered, there was a figure standing in front of me. He’d done it; he’d broken through.

  “Dad?”

  It was my birth father. The last time I’d seen him had been over a year ago when he’d tried to save me from Drake—from TDO. And in doing so, he’d lost his own life. For several weeks after his death, I’d hoped that his ghost would appear, but there had been no sign. I’d even asked my mother, but she hadn’t seen him. In the end, I’d come to the conclusion that he’d elected to bypass Ghost Town. But I’d been wrong because there he was—standing in front of me.

  “That was hard work.” He gasped. “Being a ghost is a lot more difficult than being alive.”

  “Dad, where have you been?”

  “I’ve been dead.” He grinned.

  “I know that. I mean why didn’t you come back earlier?”

  “I wasn’t sure if I’d be welcome. I wasn’t a very good father to you. I abandoned you when you needed me most.”

  “No. You came back when I needed you most.”

  “I didn’t do much good though, did I?”

  “Of course you did. I doubt I’d be standing here now, if you hadn’t tried to warn me about Drake.”

  “I never would have forgiven myself if TDO had killed you. How are you?”

  “I’m fine, but what about you?”

  “I’m still trying to get used to this ghost lark. I’m not very good at it as you’ve probably gathered. At least now that I’ve managed to get through once, it should be easier next time. That’s if you want to see me again?”

  “Of course I do. You’re my dad.”

  “Not a very good one.”

  “You can make up for that now, can’t you?”

  “Yes, I’d like that. If you’ll let me.”

  “Of course I will. I like the idea of you being around.”

  “That’s great. I really wasn’t sure how you’d react. Look, this really is terribly exhausting. I suppose it’ll get better when I’ve had more practice. I’m going to have to love you and leave you for now.”

  “Okay. Bye, Dad.”

  With that, he disappeared. Maybe I would be able to get to know my birth father after all. Better dead than never.

  ***

  It was quiet in Cuppy C. The twins were both behind the counter in the tea room while one of their assistants was looking after the cake shop.

  “You two are looking remarkably pleased with yourselves,” I said.

  “We are, and would you like to know why?”

  “Go on then, and you can get me a blueberry muffin while you’re telling me.”

  “You’ll have to pay for it, Jill.” Amber huffed. “When you used to work behind the counter for us we didn’t mind you having the odd free one, but I can’t remember the last time you were behind here.”

  “That’s fair enough. If you ever get stuck and need any help, you can still give me a shout, but otherwise I don’t really see the point. I’m very busy—you know how it is. I’ve got lots of cases to solve.”

  “Here you are.” Amber passed me the muffin. “You can still have staff discount.”

  “How much is that? Seventy percent?”

  “Twenty.” Pearl took my money.

  “Do I get a free cup
of tea or do I have to pay for that as well?”

  “Go on then. You can have a cup of tea.”

  “So, are you going to tell me why you two are so happy?”

  “We’ve let the two rooms upstairs.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since this morning.”

  “It would have been nice to have been consulted.”

  “What do you mean?” Pearl said. “It’s our shop; they’re our rooms.”

  “Yeah I know they are, but have you forgotten that there are three rooms upstairs, and I live in one of them? It would have been nice to at least see the people that you’re taking on as my new roommates.”

  “How could we have done that?” Amber said. “We couldn’t call you over every time somebody came in to view them. Don’t you trust our judgment?”

  “Not particularly. Do the words ‘chocolate fountain’ and ‘conveyor belt’ ring a bell?”

  “That’s totally different. Anyway, you can’t talk. At least no one mistakes Cuppy C for a tanning salon.”

  The two of them dissolved into laughter.

  “Can I get a discount on a spray tan?” Amber managed through her tears.

  “Very funny. Who told you about that?”

  “Grandma, who do you think? She’s been telling everyone.”

  Great!

  “Anyway.” Pearl finally managed to compose herself. “You’ll like the people who are moving in.”

  “Who are they?”

  “Two witches: Laura and Flora.”

  “No, seriously, what are their real names?”

  “Those are their real names. Honestly.”

  “Are they related to one another?”

  “No, they’re just good friends. They’d hoped to get a flat of their own but they couldn’t afford it, so when they saw these rooms, it was the next best thing. They’re really nice, Jill. I’m sure you’ll like them.”

  “I don’t really have much choice do I?”

  “Stop moaning and eat your muffin.”

  The twins were right. I wasn’t in any position to dictate who they could and couldn’t rent the rooms out to because, after all, I was still getting my room rent-free. The original arrangement had been that I’d help out in the shop in return for the room, but in all honesty, I’d grown tired of working in Cuppy C. And, although I hated to admit it, I was pretty useless behind the counter.