If the Curse Fits

by Kennedy Layne

  “I’ll give you the real reason I’m here, if you tell me why you’re trying so hard to solve Cassie Grier’s murder.”

  I’d thought I’d thrown Knox off balance long enough for me to take a sip of my coffee.

  I was wrong.

  I’d been played, but not without seeing one of his cards. I was accurate in guessing that he’d been watching me more closely than just a casual observer. One question stood out amongst the others—just who exactly was Knox Emeric?

  “Why would you think I would be so foolish as to chase after a killer when Detective Jones seems like he’s doing such a fine job?” I managed to ask after setting my cup back down on the table. “I’m simply in town visiting a friend of mine, but I’d bet money that isn’t the reason you’re here.”

  Had Ammeline sent one of her lackeys to monitor my movements? Did she know that I was looking for a way to break the hex she’d cursed me with or the fact that I was hunting for her lair? If the cane she carried with her did encompass the power of her immortality, then I had no choice but to locate them both and attempt to end this wretched existence she’d left me alive to live.

  I wanted my life back.

  “You and your friend didn’t stay long at the hotel last night.” Knox’s golden eyes remained focused on me, studying every expression that crossed my face. Teaching college students had taught me never to let them see my frustration, and I utilized that talent now. “Neither did I, actually.”

  Was Knox admitting that he’d followed Orwin, Piper, and me to Jamie Lehman’s house? No, Orwin would have noticed if we weren’t alone outside the house. As for Pearl, she’d done a perimeter check once every hour to make sure we hadn’t missed anything.

  Knox Emeric was baiting me once again to reveal more information than he seemed willing to give. Was he a warlock? Was he a druid? I didn’t get a sense that he was either, but I was at a loss as to the reason he was interested in my movements. That left Ammeline as the reason he was here.

  Was Knox waiting for me to mention the hex?

  Well, he could wait a century because that wasn’t going to happen.

  “Our friend was upset about what happened here last night, so we ended up staying at her place to keep her company.” I observed every fleck in Knox’s golden eyes for any sign that he knew the truth to the contrary. He didn’t. He was fishing without any bait, which meant I was going to swim right by his hook into open waters. “I’m sorry to hear that the bed at the motel wasn’t up to your standards.”

  Knox smiled, and I mean…he really smiled. His parents had obviously spent a great deal of money at the orthodontist when he was a young boy. His teeth were sparkling white and as close to perfect as I’d ever seen.

  He did know something, but it wasn’t that I’d been keeping tabs on Jamie Lehman.

  Remember when I said that I wasn’t much of a patient person? Well, I also had an aversion to being kept in the dark.

  “I can see I need to earn a bit of that trust you keep so close to your chest, so I’ll go first.” Knox lifted his coffee cup and pointed it in the direction of the cash register. “Tad Whitaker had a crush on Cassie Grier, and Megan Kirk found out about it. The two women got into an argument late yesterday afternoon about the fact that Cassie was considering approaching him first and asking him out to dinner. It seems as if Megan wanted the young man all to herself. Heather Coyle lost out on a job at one of the most coveted accounting firms to Cassie. Vickie Traynor is the peacemaker of the four, but she had her own reasons for not liking Cassie after the two had a disagreement about Heather’s right to be upset. Sides were taken, and Heather was friends with Megan and Vickie long before Cassie into the picture.”

  I remained silent throughout Knox’s observations, noting that he’d found out something about Vickie that we’d overlooked. With that said, I’d found that sometimes information was discovered at the most random times and from the oddest places…people included. What I wanted to know was why Knox had gathered this information if he was just truly a wayward traveler. It made no sense, but I wasn’t one to turn down a source.

  “And the other witnesses who were here last night?” I asked, purposefully taking another sip of coffee as if we were having a normal conversation. “Did any of them have motive to want Cassie Grier dead?”

  “Only one.” Knox casually leaned back in his chair. It wasn’t until after he’d given me a name and a motive that I realized he’d put space between us for a reason. “Piper Allifair. I mean, it was Cassie Grier who discovered that Piper had a secret that could expose her family for what they truly are—witches. But you already know that, don’t you?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Who are you?”

  Those three words fell off my lips before I could stop them.

  Knox Emeric wasn’t an ordinary human, and if he was…well, my kind could very well be in real trouble if he wished to out all of us. I’m not talking about Ammeline level trouble, but trouble nonetheless.

  Is there a problem out here?

  “I’m just a friend who wants to help,” Knox replied softly, never once breaking the connection of our gaze. He didn’t even startle at Pearl’s voice, and that alone told me far more than he had in the last five minutes. “I’m not the bad guy here, Lou.”

  Did someone mention Piper? Is there something I should know?

  I was saved from having to answer Knox, because not for one second did I believe this man had any interest in friendship. It was more believable that Ammeline had sent him to keep an eye on me, letting me go through life trying to save people from death itself than allow me time to figure out how to get rid of this curse.

  Was this Ammeline’s way of making sure that no one would help me? If Knox was willing to expose Piper and her family, what other lengths would he go to for Ammeline?

  Are you saying that Ammeline sent this man to distract you? Oh, I don’t believe that for a second. Did someone slip something into your coffee, lovey?

  “Ms. Lilura, I was hoping you’d have a second to speak with me.” As I said, my conversation with Knox had been interrupted. Unfortunately, it was by Detective Jones. He was apparently done following up with Megan Kirk and had set his sights on me. “Mr. Emeric, I didn’t expect to see you nor did I know that the two of you are friends.”

  Friends might be a bit of a stretch. How have you managed to alienate a—

  “More like acquaintances,” I corrected, taking this opportunity to put some much-needed space between me and Knox Emeric. Now that the druids weren’t cloaking the area, Orwin would be able to get a better read on the man other than he didn’t like the price of gas in the state of Pennsylvania. I stood and gave Detective Jones my full attention. “What can I help you with, Detective Jones?”

  If Knox Emeric thought I would reveal what he knew about Piper to the police, he was sorely mistaken.

  Reveal? About Piper? Good gracious, you make it sound like he suggested Piper would have motive to kill Cassie Grier!

  That had basically been the gist of it, but Knox Emeric was wrong. Piper didn’t kill Cassie, and I wasn’t all that sure that he was telling me the truth regarding Cassie finding out about Piper’s lineage.

  I leave you alone for five minutes—five minutes—and my sweet Piper is now a suspect in a murder. You fix this, Miss Lilura, or I won’t be held accountable for my actions.

  Great. Now I had Pearl mad at me. This day was certainly shaping up to be a long one, and it wasn’t even noon yet.

  Noon is how long you have to fix this mess you’ve gotten my charge into, and also how long you have to leave town. I was snookered into the excitement of solving a mystery, and I lapsed in my responsibility. Shame on me.

  “I wanted to go over one more time your statement regarding those individuals you saw going in and out of the restrooms,” Detective Jones said as he led the way back to the table where he’d left his coffee. Megan Kirk was nowhere in sight, which did cause me to be a bit uncomfortable. Had Megan left by
the front door or had she somehow walked toward the back office where Jamie Lehman had gone to speak to the owner of the café? Had Cassie shared her suspicions of Piper with the others? “You mentioned that you didn’t see anyone else enter the women’s restroom after Cassie Grier walked by your table.”

  Megan Kirk left through the front door. Now, carry on with this interview and fix this mess you’ve gotten my sweet Piper mixed up in and…wait just a magical minute. What did you just say about suspicions? You’re not telling me that Cassie knew—

  “No,” I revised, answering Detective Jones while I took the seat that Megan had vacated. Pearl was already worked up over Piper being a suspect, and I had no time to ease her concerns over the other matter. “I was facing the door, so I didn’t notice anyone else walking in the direction of the restroom. If someone from behind the counter needed to go back toward the restroom or the back office, I’m not sure I would have seen them.”

  You better make time to ease my concerns if this is regarding Piper’s lineage. Are we talking about one or two humans…or a complete outage that could put our entire kind in peril? I think I’m having a hot flash. Is this what anxiety feels like? Because I have to tell you that I’m not a fan of it.

  I wish I could have answered Pearl, because I would have given myself a bit of reassurance. Unfortunately, I had no idea what information Cassie may or may not have been privy to before her death.

  Unfortunately, we may never know…and that might actually be in our favor.

  Oh, this situation is worse than I thought. I just realized that I’ve become complacent in my task to keep Piper safe from harm. Nothing ever happens here in Bedford. Could it be? Could it be that I’ve lost my edge?

  Sure enough, a quick glance behind me showed that Pearl was pacing back and forth in front of the entrance in her flurry of panic. Anyone looking would just assume the white pristine cat was a bit restless, but that would be an understatement.

  How good are you at casting spells? I’m not talking about the small enchantments that could make your life easier, but more of the monumental ones that could erase the memories of an entire town.

  I wasn’t going to make any hasty decisions. It was best I concentrate on the conversation at hand until Orwin and Piper walked through the door. Orwin would be able to figure out what every individual in this café was thinking in a matter of minutes.

  As for the investigation, Detective Jones was well aware that Knox Emeric had been in the men’s restroom at the time of Cassie Grier’s murder. He would have also been told that Piper had been the barista making the various drinks and had been working there for at least forty minutes without leaving her station. I’m pretty sure I hadn’t put anyone else in the crosshairs of Detective Jones who hadn’t already been there.

  Well, someone might very well have put the entire supernatural realm in the crosshairs of every human. Where did Knox Emeric get this kind of information? I, for one, would like to know how.

  That was a very good question, but I already had the detective looking at me with suspicion due to me appearing somewhat distracted…which I was. I could only deal with one problem at a time.

  A problem? You consider me a problem, Miss Lilura?

  I despised when Pearl resorted to my surname, but it was better to have her direct her anger at me than a human.

  “I was also in line for a while and focused on ordering my drink,” I reminded Detective Jones, having gone over the events of last night numerous times. Anyone could have walked behind me to the restroom, had enough time to murder Cassie Grier, and make it back to their table before I’d joined Orwin…who no doubt would have been on his laptop doing some research on my predicament. “I’m not sure how much time passed from the time I was in line to when I went back to my table. You really should ask those women who were here with Cassie. They were all sitting down at the table while I was in line for coffee.”

  My memories are becoming clearer about last night. I was so focused on you and your alien hunter that I wasn’t paying attention to the comings and goings from the restrooms.

  The detective’s ability to trust anyone at this stage of the investigation was practically nonexistent. I couldn’t say that I blamed him. He didn’t believe he was getting the entire truth from Cassie’s so-called group of friends. I didn’t think they were being completely honest with him, either.

  Miss Lilura, I apologize. I realize now that you had nothing to do with my complacency, and I take full responsibility.

  Pearl was giving me whiplash with her belief on who was at fault, but she’d soon come to accept that no one could have prevented Cassie Grier from being murdered. Just as it was becoming more and more difficult in this day and age to keep the magical realm of the supernatural hidden from human society.

  “Didn’t you say that you were here visiting a friend?” Detective Jones asked, clearly changing the subject to focus on me and my motives. This wasn’t such a good turn of events, but I was saved when Orwin and Piper came through the front door of the café. “What a coincidence.”

  “Not really,” I replied with a smile, making sure I appeared relaxed under his watchful gaze. I had my back to Knox Emeric, but I’d done so on purpose. He wouldn’t try anything in a room full of witnesses, and I didn’t want him to see my reactions when speaking with Detective Jones. “Orwin and I are getting ready to leave town, and he’d wanted to spend some time with Piper before we left.”

  …believe that Cassie may have known that you and your family are witches. We must speak with your father, posthaste. There is no time to waste, so you must inform Ms. Lehman that you cannot work today. I’ll escort you to the family homestead while we allow Miss Lilura and Mr. Cornelia to fulfil whatever obligations they feel they have here. After we speak with your parents, we can then…

  Pearl continued to fill Piper in on everything that had occurred within the last ten minutes, but to anyone looking…Piper was just loving on her cat. No one had questioned Pearl’s appearance at the café without her rightful owner, which told me that she was a regular here.

  “Lou, is everything okay?” Orwin asked, most likely being inundated with unwanted thoughts from every patron within a six-foot distance. He hid his frustration well, and I also recognized that he’d done so for the past three months. Pearl was all I could handle, and Orwin dealt with a lot more than one familiar on a daily basis. “Detective Jones, has something happened in the case?”

  …what are you doing? Piper Faye Allifair, come back here right this minute.

  “Unfortunately, there have been no new developments.” Detective Jones scooted over so that Orwin had room to sit in the booth side. The table we were at was one of those half booths with chairs on the outer side of the table. “Have a seat, Mr. Cornelia. I was just asking Ms. Lilura if she could remember anything from last night that she may have forgotten to mention.”

  I’m too old for this.

  It wasn’t like Orwin could decline Detective Jones’ offer. What we really needed to happen was for Orwin to walk past Emma and Sophia, as well as stand near Tad in order to find out what each and every one of them were thinking.

  As for Pearl, she’d meekly—and I used that word mildly—trailed behind Piper as the blonde made her way over to the chair next to me. Every other table was still occupied, but again, I didn’t want to turn around to find Knox Emeric staring in my direction.

  Meek? Your internal dictionary could use a little updating, oh mighty hexed one. I’m not, nor have I ever been, meek.

  “Isn’t that one of Cassie Grier’s friends?” Orwin asked, having looked in the direction of the front entrance when the bell chimed. I couldn’t help myself. I peered over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of Heather, who’d apparently met Megan outside of the café. “I do find it surprising that they would want to come here for coffee after what happened last night.”

  Once again, Detective Jones has surprised me with such insight into a witness’ mind. Either Ms. Coyle is much better
at applying her makeup than you are, Miss Lilura, or she doesn’t appear to be that upset about the passing of her dear friend.

  Orwin’s prompt was enough to get Detective Jones to mutter a quick apology as he stood up to make his way over to the women. My guess was that he’d had Megan meeting him here, and then decided to have Heather do the same.

  Would the detective’s tactics work?

  Was it possible that Megan or Heather was the killer? Or even both?

  I admire the man’s tenacity, although I don’t quite forgive him for his penchant for dogs, of all creatures. Now, back to business. My sweet Piper should be our main concern.

  “Neither one of those women murdered Cassie Grier,” Orwin replied once Detective Jones was out of earshot. He leaned forward with his phone in hand, giving Pearl an odd look that said she’d lost him with her part of the conversation. “I passed both Heather and Megan to come inside the café, and they had nothing to do with Cassie’s murder. Vickie is in the clear, too.”

  That narrows the suspect pool, but it doesn’t take care of the most important matter at hand.

  “I’m telling you that Tad didn’t murder Cassie,” Piper piped in, leaning her elbows on the table as well. If Knox Emeric was keeping an eye on me, as I suspected he was, he’d surely see three people conspiring to keep a secret. “Lou, what has Pearl so concerned about us being outed as…you know?”

  Mr. Emeric had the audacity to suggest that you, my sweet Piper, had motive to kill Cassie Grier.

  Orwin grabbed one of those thin paper napkins, but he was too late to catch his sneeze.

  “I don’t understand,” Piper whispered, leaning closer to me at the exact moment I could sense that Orwin had caught something of interest from someone close by. “Why would that man think that I could do something so horrible? He doesn’t even know me.”