Not us!
Mintwood’s downtown was entirely deserted, leaving us free and clear to break the law as we pleased. I glanced up at the apartment windows, including the one we had just left, but the curtains were drawn everywhere I looked.
Suddenly I became very conscious of the likelihood of a bunch of busybodies watching out the windows. Then I told myself my fears were unfounded. It’s not as if anything interesting ever happened on the streets of Mintwood late at night. Except for that murder a few decades ago, and some breaking and entering . . .
“Let’s get the gear out of the Beetle and get to Gerry,” I said, keeping my voice as low as possible. My two friends followed me to the car and we pulled out the essentials: flashlight, candlestick, rope, other rope, and pickaxe – “just in case.”
“Ready,” said Charlie. As usual when we were about to break and enter, she’d put on a black knit hat over her bright blond hair. She had also smeared black paint beneath both eyes as if she was a professional football player.
“For what exactly?” said Greer dryly.
“Anything,” said Charlie. She put the axe in her satchel along with the other equipment. She had also packed water and crackers, “in case we get lost.”
“This way,” she said, leading us toward the jail, which was on one side of the town hall.
“Is she crazier than usual?” Greer whispered to me.
“I don’t think so,” I said.
“I was afraid you’d say that,” Greer groaned.
“This should help in the investigation,” said Charlie. “It’s just going to be hard for me not to write about anything she says. I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of juicy information.”
“We do have a lot of questions for her,” I agreed.
“Top of the list is what was she doing that night,” said Greer as we walked softly over the grass toward the town hall/makeshift morgue/ jail.
“Witchy things, I’d bet you anything,” Charlie shook her head. “Those witches, always causing trouble.” She grinned at me to show she was only kidding.
“Right, we just have to find out what,” I muttered. “We also have to find out what Keith might know and what Jackie might be forgetting.”
“If anyone would know, it’s her best friend. I just hope we don’t get caught,” whispered Greer.
I glanced over my shoulder one more time. Main Street was still quiet.
“Here goes nothing,” I said. We had crossed to the side of the building and were now hidden in shadow.
“Remember when we went into the gift shop and Jasper saved us?” Charlie asked.
“Did he save us?” I wondered.
“Of course he did. He was very heroic. You should tell him so,” said Greer.
“We saved ourselves,” I corrected.
“With his help,” said Charlie.
“Okay, with his help,” I muttered.
“Where’s the door? Is there going to be a security guard on duty?” Charlie asked, looking up at the front entrance to the police station.
“Something tells me we should have asked these questions before,” Greer muttered.
“Probably,” I agreed, looking up at the door. “Greer, there has to be someone at the front desk, you distract them and I’ll make Charlie and me invisible so we can slip past them.”
“You sure it’ll work?” Charlie asked, sounding skeptical.
“It’ll work for about five seconds,” I assured her.
“We better run fast,” was all she said.
Now we just had to sneak in to see Gerry, no big deal.
Chapter Eighteen
The cold air was making me shiver, or maybe that was fear. We were all set up to break in, but I still couldn’t believe I was about to do this. I mean, I could see chasing after bad guys, sure, but this was different. This was Detective Cutter, and I had the utmost respect for him, even if I thought he should leave the investigating to me.
“What do you three think you’re doing?”
I screamed.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have a contingency plan for what to do if we got caught red-handed sneaking up on a closed building late at night, a building that included the jail, no less.
Our on-the-spot plan turned out to be: scatter.
“Wait,” a woman’s voice called out in a voice familiar enough to make me skid to a halt.
I managed to stay in my runner’s stance in case I had to make a break for it, but when I turned my head to see who had spoken, I was astonished to see, standing in the shadows of the town hall . . . Gerry. Other than looking a little pale, she seemed like her normal self. At this exact moment I rather thought she was about to laugh, although what she thought was funny I had no idea.
“You!” I gasped.
“Gerry!” Charlie exclaimed. “We thought you were in jail!”
“Clearly,” she said. “You don’t exactly look like you’re going on a social call.” It had probably been the axe that tipped her off.
Charlie hung her head sheepishly.
Greer, who was the speedy member of our little trio, had made it halfway to the car by the time she pulled up. Charlie had already opened a little notebook to document the proceedings.
“Yes, it’s me,” said Gerry. She was dressed in normal clothing, at least for her, with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders to guard against the spring chill.
“We were . . .” I didn’t know how to finish.
“Out for an evening stroll,” Charlie supplied.
Gerry nodded, but she didn’t look convinced. “We need to talk,” she said. “It would be best if you’d come over to my place.”
“Okay,” I said. “But my ghost cat Paws is part of this investigation, so I’m going to go back to the farmhouse and pick him up on the way.”
“He’s more than welcome,” said Gerry. “Hopefully Liam isn’t keeping a close eye on my house tonight.”
“Does he do that?” I asked.
“Sometimes,” Gerry said, her face splitting into a grin, “but not on the nights when he goes gambling. Thinks I don’t know, but I’m his mother. I know all.”
With that parting shot, she turned around and headed in the opposite direction from where we’d parked the Beetle.
“See you soon,” she called over her shoulder as she hurried off.
My friends and I exchanged glances.
“Did you know she was out of jail?” Greer asked Charlie.
The reporter shook her head. “Would I have agreed to this caper if I had?”
“Some reporter you are,” Greer sniffed.
“The police weren’t likely to announce her release given how divided the down is about whether she did it,” Charlie said. “She must have just gotten out. I’m sure we would have heard by morning.”
We stopped by the farmhouse for Paws, then quickly headed to Gerry’s. Her house was warm and comfortable, and since we had been there so recently, it was hard to believe that Gerry had been in jail in the meantime.
Her living room windows were casting a warm glow, but since she had no lights along the driveway, we walked up her front steps in the dark.
“How’s my glow?” Paws asked as he trotted ahead of us.
“Shiny,” said Greer.
“I thought you’d say something like that,” sniffed the cat.
Gerry saw us coming and opened the door before I could knock. Her face lit up with surprise when we gave her hugs before she could even say anything, but she accepted them gladly.
“We’re so glad you’re out,” I told her as she led us inside.
“Me too,” said Gerry. She was remarkably placid about the whole thing.
We all sat down. Gerry apologized for having nothing to offer us but tea. “I haven’t had time to go to the grocery store since my release,” she explained.
“When did they let you out?” Greer asked.
“A couple of hours ago,” Gerry said.
“Does Liam know?” I asked.
; “Yes, he met me here and got me settled. He was threatening to stay with me all evening, but I had just been in prison, so I did my best to encourage him to go out for the evening.”
“You say he goes somewhere to play poker?” I asked. He had never hinted as much to me.
“Yes, in Caedmon. He doesn’t want me to know, so I pretend I don’t. Sweet son that he is, he was going to skip the game tonight, but I encouraged him to go on out and enjoy himself. I knew we needed to talk, and I knew you’d show up one way or another, so I strolled back downtown hoping to run into you.” She gave me a significant look at this juncture, and I was relieved that I wasn’t the one who would have to bring it up.
“Yes, I think it would be best,” I said. “This case is generating way too many unanswered questions.”
“Everyone has a lot of questions,” Gerry sighed. “I’ll be able to answer more of yours than most people’s, but I’m afraid it still won’t be easy.”
“Where were you the night your best friend was murdered?” I asked her, plunging in without further ado. “That is what Detective Cutter thinks he has on you, isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid it’s rather more complicated than that, but yes, my refusal to admit where I was that night is throwing a wrench into things. For pity’s sake, they should just assume I was smoking or doing something else my mother wouldn’t have approved of.”
“But you weren’t out smoking, were you?” Charlie asked.
“No, I was meeting with other witches. We got together once a month to discuss spells and things. I’m afraid it was making Jackie terribly jealous. She had noticed that there were some nights when I couldn’t hang out, and when she questioned me about them, at first I said I was studying. But then one night she went to my house and I wasn’t there.”
“You never told her what you were doing?” I asked.
“No, but she started planning all the fun events for times when I couldn’t make it. She wanted me to feel guilty, I suppose. It was silly. Still, that night she went out with a friend when I said I was busy. She wanted me to feel like I was missing out.”
“And did you?” I asked.
“Of course,” said Gerry. “I wanted her to hang out with her friends another night. It was all silly, but it didn’t feel like it at the time.”
“I’m sure it hurt when she kept doing that,” said Charlie.
“Yes it did, but we still stayed friends,” said Gerry.
“All these years and you’ve never told anyone or asked the other witches to come forward?” I asked.
“Of course not. I take the witchy secret very seriously. I would never put us in danger. Your grandmother would have been furious with me,” said Gerry.
“She knew?” I whispered.
“Oh, yes. She felt terrible about the position I was in. Not only had my best friend disappeared, but I hadn’t been there. All these years went by and we never knew what had happened to Jackie,” she said.
“But you assumed she died? Even though no trace of her was ever found?” I said.
“Yes. Jackie loved her family and she loved Mintwood. She never would have just up and left,” said Gerry, sounding convinced.
“Do you know who she was actually with?” I asked. We knew she was friends with Keith and a guy named Mike, but we weren’t sure what had happened with them that night because Jackie couldn’t remember.
“She was on a date with Keith,” said Gerry. “He was ruled out in the investigation of her disappearance because he dropped her off on Main Street and drove home. His parents confirmed that he arrived not long after he said he left her, and she was seen on Main Street after that.”
“He could have snuck back out,” I suggested.
“Maybe, but he adored Jackie. He’d been waiting for a long time to have a date with her. I can’t imagine him harming a hair on her head,” said Gerry sadly.
“So she must have run into someone after that,” I mused.
Gerry nodded. “Look, I appreciate all you four are doing on this case, but you don’t have to worry about me. No matter what, I’ll be fine. I’m just happy knowing that we’ve finally found Jackie. I can’t believe she never even left Main Street.”
Liam’s mother bit her lip, fighting back tears.
“We aren’t going to let you go to jail for a crime you didn’t commit. Liam would never forgive us,” I told her seriously.
“It’s not about me anymore,” she said. “It’s more important that the Witch of Mintwood is protected.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “All of this is fine.”
When Gerry didn’t say anything, I leaned forward. “Were you with my grandmother that night? Were you with Evenlyn?”
Gerry nodded, looking miserable.
“She needed my help with some spells. I’d been going to her every so often, ever since we realized I was a witch. She was so kind. I started showing magical powers by being able to see ghosts, but I had no idea that I was a witch. My mother had passed away without ever saying anything to me, then Evenlyn showed up and made me feel at ease. She was wonderful from the start. And then she started training me,” Gerry explained.
“And that night you were with her?”
“Right, I was here. Jackie had asked me to go to the movies. There was a picture she really wanted to see. When I said I couldn’t go, she asked Keith. Not very nice of her, since he was crazy about her and she never cared about him, but she did it anyway. That’s the last time I talked to her.”
“Do you have any idea who she might have seen after she and Keith left the movies? Someone on Main Street, surely,” I said.
“That’s just it. I have no idea. Our group of friends was small. Mike had already started working at a different barbershop, so that’s about it,” said Gerry. “I’ve been wondering for almost forty years.”
I frowned, thinking hard. We now knew who Gerry had been with that night, and although I couldn’t see my grandmother again to corroborate the story, I really didn’t think I needed to. Further, we knew why Keith was so upset. He had fancied Jackie, and for a moment he had also been a suspect in her disappearance.
Suddenly thunder boomed out, and I saw Paws tense.
“There’s been a lot of bad weather recently,” said Gerry. “Strange.”
“Indeed,” said Greer dryly.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything else that might be helpful, except that I don’t know a single person who would have wanted to harm a hair on that girl’s head,” said Gerry.
“That’s essentially what all the articles at the time said. She didn’t have any enemies,” said Charlie.
“It was true. She was a sweetheart to everyone. I really can’t see anyone wanting to harm her, nor can I imagine any reason why someone would,” said Gerry.
“Would Mike or Keith have said anything different?” I wondered, though Keith clearly didn’t want to say anything at all.
“No, I can’t imagine,” said Gerry. “They always adored her more than they adored anyone else.” Her eyes were distant, remembering. “We had a lovely time growing up in Mintwood. It’s just sad that two of us aren’t here anymore to see it.”
It was touching to see how upset Gerry still was about her lost friend, and Greer, Charlie, and I all nodded in sympathy.
“Have you seen Jackie?” Gerry asked.
“We have,” I said. “She doesn’t think you did it either.”
Gerry’s shoulders slumped. “No? That’s good. Did she say anything about my absence?”
“She doesn’t seem to remember a lot about what happened that night,” I explained. “The memories have all gone missing.”
“I suppose that’s understandable. She must have been terribly bored in that wall. Do you think I could see her before she goes away?”
“I’m sure she’d like that,” I said. “Maybe just let us solve the mystery first.”
“Of course. That’s a good idea,” said Gerry.
“One last question, do you know who New
man was? He was he other part-time barber,” I said. “He found somewhere else to work after that barbershop closed.”
Gerry grimaced. “I was hoping you wouldn’t ask that question.”
“So you do know who it is,” cried Charlie. “We’ve searched the database, but to no avail. It’s as if the record was scrubbed. There weren’t as many articles in the archives as I thought there would be, and now I know why.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me if it was,” said Gerry. “And as people move away, fewer and fewer people know the truth, though there are still quite a few of us around who do.
“Newman Cutter,” Gerry said, “the last name you’re looking for is Cutter.”
Greer looked shocked, while Charlie’s mouth fell open.
“Excuse me?” I asked. “Are you saying . . .?”
“Detective Cutter’s first name is Newman. He used to be a barber before he became a detective,” said Gerry.
The more she said, the more shocked we all became. As the information sank in we stared at her in disbelief.
“He should be a suspect,” I cried. “He had access to the place where she was found!”
“He didn’t really know us, and I don’t remember, but I think he had an alibi for that night.” Gerry furrowed her brow, thinking.
“So the record was scrubbed!” Charlie’s voice had gone dangerously low. She viewed all newspaper articles as her newspaper articles, and she hated it when any were messed with.
“He was never considered a real suspect,” Gerry explained. “The fact that he used to work at the barbershop doesn’t mean anything.”
“Than why was any mention of his name omitted?” I asked. “We had to interview Miss Ivy in order to get to the truth.”
Gerry couldn’t very well answer that question, and I wasn’t surprised. Whatever was happening, it was more serious than I had imagined.
“We have to find out what happened to Jackie, and soon,” I said.
My friends nodded, while Gerry just continued to look worried.
We didn’t stay much longer. It was late and we needed to get home. Paws had been oddly quiet all night, and he didn’t get any more talkative once we were in the car.
Witch Raising Situation (Witch of Mintwood Book 5) Page 12