Potions and Puzzles

by Agnes Lester Brown

  The good spirits lasted for the rest of the evening. After dinner, Flynn brought out an imported bottle of scotch. Jasmine fetched glasses, and everyone had a nightcap.

  “Here’s to Flynn winning, and my vacation to the Bahamas,” Fae said and held up her glass.

  “Hear, hear!” Flynn said, smiling from ear to ear.

  “I think we’re all coming with,” Rosie said. “We deserve it after all this hard work.”

  Lori excused herself from the table after finishing her drink, leaving the others still deep in conversation. In her darkened room, she sat down on her bed and leaned back on the pillows. She felt worn out and tired after the day’s upheavals, but the jovial atmosphere during dinner did much to help her recover from the shock of the day.

  When Lori looked at her alarm clock’s red digits shining in the dark, it was a little before midnight, way past her bedtime.

  Just as she was about to will herself to get up and brush her teeth, she heard someone in the darkness clearing his throat.

  Frightened, she sat up and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. Her first thought was that it might be Alvin, visiting her from beyond the grave. She was a little disappointed to see Grandpa Randolph sitting in the armchair next to her.

  Lori sighed and lay back onto the pillows again. “I don’t want to speak to you unless you have hard facts to share with me,” she said. “I don’t need to be confused any further, thank you very much.”

  The corners of Randolph’s mouth turned down, and he looked hurt. “There are things you don’t understand now, but they will become clearer with time. Remember, as I’ve said to you a thousand times before, you’ve been placed in this family to be of service to all people around you. You’re no ordinary witch, Lori, and you need to use your talents for the good of humankind.”

  Lori closed her eyes. “Facts and figures, please, Grandpa Randolph. And hurry up, I’m tired and need to sleep.”

  Grandpa Randolph sighed, muttered something about “no patience,” and drew seven squares next to each other in the air with two fingers. Each square lit up as he drew, lighting up the room with an eerie yellow glow. Then he wrote a letter in each block.

  “You’ll soon be required to solve a riddle. Search carefully for this enigma, or you’ll miss it.”

  “Where is this thing, this riddle? Is it in a crossword?” Lori said, pushing Randolph for more information while peering at the squares and letters hanging in the air.

  “It’s in a room somewhere. Don’t miss it,” Randolph said, putting on a mysterious voice.

  “Oh, that really narrows it right down,” Lori said sarcastically. But she felt bad as soon as she said the words. Randolph was only trying to help. He probably had to find time in his busy schedule in the Afterlife to help her out.

  “Why do I have to do all the heavy lifting?” Lori whined. “Why not that brain box, Rosie, or Aunt Hazel? Why me?”

  “They’re on different paths from yours, Lori. Hazel’s path is the Way of the Chef. And Rosie’s path is the Way of the Esoteric Computer. You are the Custodian of Truth.”

  “And Granny Fae?” Lori threw Randolph a curveball. She knew that, as in real life when he had been alive, he now also remained wary of Fae. Some said she’d sat squarely on his head all their married life.

  But Randolph’s answer was vague and evasive. “She’s a witch with powers beyond what you need to know now,” Randolph said. “Most of the time she’s just full of—” He cut himself short. “Goodbye, Lori, I need to go. Good luck, and love to the family.” He blew onto the suspended blocks and they went out like candles, disappearing one by one.

  “Wait!” Lori suddenly had a million questions to ask, but he’d already disappeared.

  Lori woke with a start and sat up on her bed. She narrowed her eyes and peered into the darkness around her until her eyes came to rest on her alarm clock, which said it was twenty past twelve. She could hear the others washing up in the kitchen. She looked down and saw she was still dressed. She must’ve dozed off. Had she dreamed about Grandpa Randolph?

  She got up, brushed her teeth and changed into pajamas, all the time trying to piece together what she’d dreamt—if indeed it was a dream. There was something about a crossword, and then Randolph wrote a word in shining letters. That was all she remembered. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall the letters he’d written. Maybe the letters had something to do with the crossword magazines she had seen lying in Alvin’s bedroom at the cottage. She’d have to find some excuse to go back there and look around his room again in the morning. At least she now had an inkling of what to look for. Grandpa Randolph wouldn’t mislead her. Or would he? He was a wily old sorcerer, after all.

  Chapter Nine

  The following morning, Lori helped Hazel pack trays of freshly baked pies into the van before the two of them drove to the inn. As they went past Mrs. Barkley’s house, Lori remembered her dream from the previous evening. She needed to take a look at Alvin’s crossword magazines that were still in the cottage as soon as possible, as Chief Winters might decide to seal off the room at any moment, and there was no way he’d let her in there if he did so.

  Lori entered the reception area of the inn and saw Kermit and an elderly lady standing at the reception desk, talking to Lindy. Kermit looked irritated as Lindy kept shaking her head, at one point banging his fist on the counter. Not wanting to be drawn into their argument, Lori sneaked past them toward the hall where the first round of the day was already underway. She didn’t get far, though.

  “Lori! Please come help us out here!” Kermit’s sharp voice rang out in the empty foyer.

  Lori breathed deeply, put a smile on her face, turned around and walked over to the counter.

  “Lori, meet Mrs. Parkinson, Alvin’s mother,” Kermit said. Mrs. Parkinson extended a small, fragile hand, which lay soft in Lori’s as they greeted. “Mrs. Parkinson arrived two days earlier than expected, and Lindy here insists there’s no room for her here at the inn. Do you know of any place she can stay?” Kermit asked, clearly trying to fob Mrs. Parkinson off on her.

  The old lady smiled awkwardly. “I’m sorry to be so much trouble. Alvin used to take care of all my travel arrangements, but now I’m dependent on Alvin’s half-sister, and she has a very busy schedule.”

  Lori opened her mouth to speak, but Kermit beat her to it.

  “Lori’s from Fennelmoore and one of the organizers, so I’m sure she’ll take care of you,” Kermit said. “I have some important business to take care of, so if you’ll excuse me.” And with that, he turned and started speaking to a reporter from the Fennelmoore Times, the local newspaper, who’d been hovering nearby.

  Lori noticed Mrs. Parkinson had interesting and unusual features. Despite her age, her eyes were sharp and intelligent, and she had pointed ears that made her look like a pixie. Her hair was still pitch black, and she wore small silver star-shaped earrings.

  If this lady’s not a witch, I’ll be very surprised.

  “I’m so sorry about what happened to Alvin, Mrs. Parkinson,” Lori said, gently touching her shoulder and noticing the soft velvet of her dress beneath her fingers. She’d already thought of the logical solution to Mrs. Parkinson’s dilemma. “And don’t worry about your sleeping arrangements. I already know of a place you can stay,” she said, picking up Mrs. Parkinson’s small suitcase and leading the way to the Whitewood van parked outside.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Lori saw Lindy shooting her a thankful smile, which she acknowledged with a small nod.

  “Here’s what I suggest,” Lori said once they sat in the car. “Alvin had been staying in a very pretty garden cottage next to our house. I’m sure Mrs. Barkley, the owner, won’t mind you staying there for a few days. Would you find that too awkward, or will it be okay?”

  “I don’t mind at all. I’ll be more than happy with that. I’m just thankful to have a bed,” Mrs. Parkinson said, sounding relieved. “And please call me Daisy.”

  “Oka
y, let’s go, then,” Lori said and started the van.

  “He’s a nasty man, Kermit Greenstone,” Daisy said as they drove away. “Sometimes I don’t understand how Alvin could work with such an obnoxious man. Did you know Alvin well?”

  “Not really, no. I wish I’d gotten to know him better, though. He seemed likeable and friendly.” Lori was eager to hear about Alvin from his own mother.

  “Alvin was a good boy. Lately I hadn’t seen much of him, though.” She paused and then corrected herself. “Well, of course I saw lots of him on television and read all the stories about him in the news, but he was so busy, he hardly came around. Even so, he looked after me well and called regularly.” She was silent for a moment. “I’ll miss my dear Alvin.” Her voice quivered as she took out a tissue and dabbed her eyes.

  As Lori had expected, Mrs. Barkley agreed without hesitation to Daisy staying in the cottage. By the time Lori and Daisy got to the cottage, she’d already remade the bed with fresh linen, and a little later she arrived with a small vase of freshly cut flowers from her garden.

  “I can’t tell you how relieved I am at being so well received here,” Daisy said. “I wasn’t looking forward to having to deal with Kermit.”

  “Let me help you pack Alvin’s things away,” Lori said and started collecting Alvin’s clothes from the wardrobe. She dropped all of them back into his large black suitcase, which had been standing open on the floor when they’d arrived.

  “Phew, this is heavy,” Lori said as she closed the suitcase and heaved it onto a bag stand. With that finished, she started helping Daisy collect the many crossword magazines that lay strewn around. She paged slowly through the one she’d seen previously, lying on the side table next to his bed, mindful of Randolph’s advice the previous night. All the puzzles inside it had been completed, but nothing stood out.

  She paged through a few more magazines, then bundled them all and opened the side table drawer to put them away. As she was about to drop the magazines into the drawer, her eye fell on Alvin’s cell phone lying inside it. She picked it up, turned it on and was surprised to see it wasn’t password protected.

  “I think you need to keep this somewhere safe,” Lori said, holding the cell phone out for Daisy to take. “Perhaps there’s some useful information on it.”

  “Oh, I think it’s better you keep it,” Daisy said. “I’m suffer from technophobia. I don’t own a computer and have never had a cell phone. I wouldn’t know how to switch it on, never mind work with it.”

  Lori took the phone back and had a brief look through the photos on it. One was a copy of the baby photo she’d found in Alvin’s wallet.

  “Do you know who this is?” Lori asked, showing the photo to Daisy.

  Daisy put a pair of glasses on and looked closely at the photo before shaking her head. “No, I’ve never seen it before. How very strange. Why would Alvin carry a photo of a baby with him? He never showed much interest in children.”

  “Did he introduce you to Camelia?” Lori asked as she helped Daisy unpack her clothes into a cupboard.

  “He did bring her around once, not long ago. I told him I didn’t think she was right for him,” Daisy said. “She was too much of a party girl, one who lived the high life. When he wasn’t in the spotlight, Alvin was a quiet boy who loved the outdoors. He needed a homebody type of girl that would keep him grounded.” She sighed. “I was hoping that one day he’d meet someone, settle down, and I’d have grandchildren. But sadly, it was not to be.”

  Maybe that was exactly what Alvin had in mind, Lori thought, though it seemed he hadn’t shared that with anyone. She might have seen a side of Alvin that hardly anyone but his mother knew existed.

  Suddenly Daisy sat down on the bed and started sobbing inconsolably. Lori gently put her arm around her shoulders and gently comforted her.

  “Why? Why? I don’t understand this,” Daisy said, looking at Lori with tear-filled eyes. “Alvin wasn’t the type of person who would give up and take his own life. Please help me understand what happened.”

  Lori looked Daisy in the eye. “I don’t know for sure, Daisy. All I can say is that when I spoke to him, it sounded as if he’d made up his mind to make a few positive changes in his life. When I saw him sitting in the field, he looked so at peace, almost as if he’d come home.”

  “Can I see him?” Daisy asked.

  It was the question Lori’d been dreading. She spoke as gently as she could.

  “In a few days’ time, yes. Alvin’s body has been sent for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.”

  Daisy frowned. “But why? Kermit told me you found a bottle of tranquilizers next to him. He said Alvin was addicted to them, and that he overdosed.”

  “Well, it seems that he may have taken an overdose of pills, yes. But I think it’s best for everyone to be sure about that, and thus the autopsy to make sure of the cause of death. It shouldn’t take more than a day or two.” She made a note to ask Chief Winters how the autopsy was progressing. The report should arrive at his office anytime now. “Once that’s complete, I’ll make arrangements for you to see him, and help you with the funeral arrangements.”

  “This is all a mystery to me,” Daisy said, shaking her head and wiping her eyes. “Alvin had always been such a passionate, positive person. He lived life without fear. When things got tough, he’d call and I’d give him a pep talk. At the end of the conversation, he’d always say, ‘Don’t worry, Mom, the show must go on.’ That’s the kind of person he was. It’s the way I brought him up. Perhaps you’re right, Lori. I need to rest assured that’s how his life ended. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life speculating about it.” She took Lori’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you, my girl.”

  Lori felt the warm sunlight streaming through the window envelop the two of them.

  “Please come for dinner this evening with us,” she said. “We live right next door, and you can meet the rest of my family. I think you’ll like them.”

  “I’d be delighted. Thank you, Lori. Otherwise I’d sit here on my own, moping,” Daisy replied with a smile.

  Lori let Alvin’s mom rest and settle in while she went to catch up on work at the Wholesome. She felt a tinge of guilt as she approached the neat white-and-green painted shopfront. Yesterday she’d put a sign on the door that read, “Opening hours: 10 a.m.–12 p.m.” That was how much time she’d had for the shop since she’d started working on the tournament—only two hours a day. Even then, she had to ask Jasmine to stand in for her at times.

  Hoping her clientele didn’t feel neglected, she unlocked the door and was about to step inside when Alvin’s phone buzzed in her bag. She looked at the screen and then answered the call. It was Alvin’s gardening service, wanting to know whether his lawn needed cutting. Lori told them to go ahead and hung up. It felt strange to answer a dead person’s phone, and then to deal with their everyday affairs. She put the thought out of her head and decided it was a good idea to keep the phone with her in order to field these types of calls.

  For the next thirty minutes, Lori unpacked new health food supplies and ordered a few herbal ointments that were in short supply. Then she put the kettle on to make herself a new brand of herbal tea she’d been meaning to try out for a while. She was just about to pour the tea when Nick arrived. It struck Lori that he wasn’t wearing his customary smile, and he had dark rings under his eyes.

  “Hi, Nick,” Lori said and poured him a cup of tea as well. “You look like you could use something to pick you up a little.”

  “Thanks, Lori,” Nick said as they went over to the coffee table where they’d sat the day Nick had broken the news about the tournament. “In fact, I’m here to ask you for something a little stronger to calm me down. My nerves are totally frayed.” He took a sip of tea, struggling to control his trembling hand.

  “I can imagine how you must feel,” Lori said. “I assume you’re referring to Kermit? You shouldn’t let that old crank get to you. I think he’s just as nervous about the
whole thing succeeding as you are.” Her words didn’t seem to cheer Nick up, and he remained as tense as when he had come in.

  “I have to apologize for the unfriendly reception Mrs. Parkinson got at the inn this morning,” Nick said. “Truth is, we have a room available for her. When she arrived, Kermit promised that he’d pay all her expenses while she stayed. The problem is that Kermit hasn’t yet paid the deposit that he promised, and I’m getting worried because he’s missed several deadlines I’d given him to come up with the cash. I couldn’t add another room to his bill until he’d made a payment. That’s why Lindy was so relieved when you offered her alternative accommodation.” Nick struggled to make eye contact with Lori. “I’m sorry for putting you on the spot there.”

  “Don’t worry, Nick. That’s all been taken care of, and Mrs. Parkinson is staying at our neighbor’s cottage.” She refilled Nick’s empty cup. “Have another cup of tea.”

  Nick appeared grateful to have his mind put at rest and gulped down the second cup of tea.

  “From what I’ve heard, you’re not the only one Kermit owes money to,” Lori said. “Apparently he owed Alvin quite a bit of money too.”

  “I’ve heard the rumors and asked Kermit about it,” Nick said. “He denied that he owed Alvin a cent. But there’s talk that he’d offered Alvin a substantial reward for taking part in the tournament this year.”

  “That’s money he no longer has to pay. Quite convenient, don’t you think?” Lori said before she realized how insensitive that must sound. “Let me get you an herbal elixir that’ll help you relax, and then I’ll walk with you back to the inn,” Lori quickly added. She picked a package out from one of the store shelves and gave it to Nick. “I have to go help Aunt Hazel serve lunch to the competitors.”

  “Do you know when Alvin’s funeral is?” Nick asked as Lori locked up.

  “No, I’m not sure,” Lori said. She had a feeling that Alvin’s death might have a great many more repercussions than were apparent, so she said nothing about the autopsy to Nick. She didn’t want to get ahead of things.