Then there was the murder weapon. How it got to be in the bottom of the prop box remained a mystery, at least to me. But Aunt Amber’s accusations coupled with Aunt Pearl’s eyewitness account of Steven’s prop box tampering had left Tyler with no choice but to arrest Steven. That made Brayden happy, but it troubled me.
Despite Aunt Pearl’s claims, we had no verifiable evidence placing Steven at the scene. Even if he had been near the prop box as Aunt Pearl claimed, that would have occurred after the chase scene where Dirk was shot. Prior to that, he had been talking with Aunt Amber at the same side of the set as the actors, which gave him an impossible angle to shoot Dirk Diamond in the chest.
Tyler tilted his head towards the lone jail cell where Steven was locked up. “You’re sure you saw him with Amber?”
I nodded.
“If that’s true, then he couldn’t have shot Dirk,” Tyler said. “I’ve got an innocent man behind bars and my hands are tied. Unless I find the real killer, I can’t release Steven. If I do, I’ll be out of a job, and Brayden will probably call in the National Guard or something.”
“We can’t let that happen.” I stabbed a piece of cold barbecue chicken with my fork. “How long can you hold him for?” I just hoped it was enough time to track down the real killer.
“I have to either release him or charge him within twenty-four hours. It’s bad enough that he’s locked up, but to charge him? The bad publicity will ruin him and I refuse to do that.”
“Either way you lose,” I agreed.
“At best, he’ll be trashed in the tabloids. At worst, he’ll be convicted at trial and spend the rest of his life in jail. While the real killer remains free. All because of your overzealous ex-boyfriend.”
Over-jealous was more like it. I was convinced that at least part of Brayden’s behavior was revenge for me dating Tyler. There wasn’t much I could do about it, but it was frustrating all the same. I threw my hands up in the air. “It’s not my fault.”
“Sorry, Cen. I’m not blaming you. It’s just hard investigating a murder with a crazy boss breathing down my neck. One slip-up and I’m out of a job.”
“You know, you could always apply for a job with the Shady Creek Police. We’d only be an hour apart.” I just couldn’t see any way out of this. Brayden had it in for Tyler no matter what.
“No, Cen,” Tyler said. “I won’t let Brayden intimidate me. He’ll just replace me with someone who says yes to everything. Justice is already hard enough in a small town.”
“I guess he won’t be mayor forever.” It seemed like forever, though, and I hated the almost constant pressure Brayden applied and his urge to close the case at all costs. I couldn’t let political pressure result in locking up an innocent man, even if I had to resort to witchcraft to do it. Interference felt wrong too, but at least it was less wrong.
Tyler sighed. “It sure feels like forever.”
“I know. I’m also sure that Steven didn’t do it. I saw him arguing with Aunt Amber with my own eyes. I just don’t understand why Aunt Pearl saw something different.” Eyewitness accounts often varied dramatically because memories were often unreliable. But left unproven, my eyewitness account—one that could clear an innocent man—was practically worthless. My testimony was basically canceled out by Aunt Pearl’s.
“I know that too,” Tyler said. “Steven killing his biggest star ends his own movie career too. From what I understand, he’s pretty much bankrupt, and this movie would have put him in the black again. But if Steven didn’t kill Dirk, then who did?”
“Let’s look at your list again.” I walked over to Tyler’s whiteboard where he had made a list of the cast and crew. I studied the names, all of whom had already been interviewed on at least a cursory basis. I placed checkmarks beside each person whose location had been independently verified by the film footage or, in the case of the camera operators, by the camera angles and witnesses.
There were still dozens of people present that couldn’t be eliminated, though. There were set crew on standby and at least a few dozen locals watching the filming. People free to kill if they could get away with it. Bill and Pearl were just two examples. Each person had to be alibied by others present. Their stories and credibility had to be vetted as well.
“I got nothing.” I sat down, dejected at our lack of progress.
“Let’s try watching again.” Tyler started the film again, advancing to the moment of impact. He paused the film and tapped on the screen. “Watch the left side of the set. That’s where the bullet came from.”
Dirk clutched his chest a split second before his eyes darted to the opposite end of the street as if locking his gaze on his killer. A flash of recognition crossed his face at the exact moment he fell to the dusty street.
Dirk had seen his killer.
I followed Dirk’s gaze but there was no one there. Just empty buildings, their dark windows contrasting against their bright, freshly painted exteriors. I walked closer to the screen and squinted at the large screen, trying to see behind the windows.
But they revealed nothing. Whatever secrets the dark windows held would stay there, shielding a killer on the loose.
15
My face was inches from the screen as I squinted, still looking for shadows in the pixels.
But there was no one, not even a shadow. Dirk’s killer might as well have been invisible. He or she was well hidden, despite being on a movie set with multiple cameras and dozens of witnesses.
It gave new meaning to murder in broad daylight.
I stepped back from the screen as Tyler paced back and forth in the darkened office. We had watched the footage for hours but were no closer to identifying the killer.
While the scene’s brightly lit street made it impossible to see anyone inside the buildings, the most puzzling of all was the bullet’s angle. Based on the trajectory, the shooter must have hung out an open window or door, at least temporarily revealing their location. Yet there were no signs of open doors, and none of the storefront windows actually opened. There were no broken windowpanes either. Unless the shooter was invisible, I just couldn’t figure it out.
“Maybe the killer left a clue behind. We should check inside all the buildings,” I said.
“I’ve got an idea.” Tyler held up a forefinger as he stood in the doorway. He turned and headed to Steven’s cell. “Back in a minute.”
I watched the door close behind him and grabbed the remote to rewind the footage.
“Yoo-hoo!” A high-pitched voice drifted down from the ceiling.
I looked upwards, surprised to see Grandma Vi’s ghostly apparition floating near the ceiling.
I jumped up from my chair, alarmed. “What are you doing here?” Grandma Vi hardly ever left home, and I had no idea why she was here.
“I guess you forgot,” she sniffled, on the verge of tears.
I didn’t think ghosts could cry, but I felt myself getting teary eyed too. “Of course I remembered.” I couldn’t for the life of me remember what I was supposed to do. Dirk’s death had blocked out everything else.
“Then why didn’t you come home? We were supposed to make love potions, remember?”
My hand flew to my mouth. “Oh, Grandma, I’m so sorry. I guess I lost track of time. I promise I’ll make it up to you.” I felt a twinge of guilt as I realized how worried she had been. Grandma Vi never left home because she was always afraid of getting lost. Ghosts couldn’t exactly flag down passersby for help. Yet she had left the sanctuary of home and taken a grave personal risk over concern for my welfare.
And I had totally forgotten about her.
“Tomorrow?” I smiled hopefully as she floated down to eye level.
“You’re never home anymore, Cen. It’s like you have no time for your Grandma anymore. Everybody always forgets about me.” She shook her head sadly. “I guess I’m the one who needs a potion pick-me-up. Nobody wants me anymore.”
“That’s just not true, Grandma. I just lost track of time, that’s all.” I instinctive
ly leaned into her for a hug, forgetting she was a ghost. I crashed down on the table. “Ouch!”
“Saw that one coming.”
“Tyler urgently needs my help with a case.” I debated revealing the details but just as quickly changed my mind. There was already too much West family interference, and Grandma Vi’s ghostly antics would just take things up to a whole new level.
“Even more reason, Cen. You let work come between you two and before you know it, you’re strangers.”
“It’s just temporary. I was planning to come and tell you, but I got delayed.” I felt terrible lying, but I’d feel worse hurting Grandma Vi’s feelings by admitting I had forgotten. The truth was that I couldn’t possibly leave Tyler at a time when his job and our future were in jeopardy.
“You and Tyler are so bor-ring. You’re like an old married couple. You need the potion, Cen. Love Potion Fourteen, I think. Hmmm…maybe Number Twelve. You don’t realize it, but you’re in dire straits. Let’s get your love life back on track before it’s too late.”
“Um…sure, Grandma. I promise I’ll be home in a couple of hours, and then we’ll make our potions.” She was part of the reason we were a boring couple. Tyler couldn’t see or hear Grandma Vi, but having her as a roommate meant endless guilt whenever he stayed overnight. She was respectful of our privacy, but just knowing she was there made me uneasy. And while Tyler knew of my supernatural talents, he had no idea that my ghostly grandma always hovered in the background. It wasn’t even something I could explain because the whole ghost thing defied logic. Even to people who believed in witches.
Grandma Vi shook her head. “You want to keep that boyfriend of yours, you better spice things up. Just look at you two, watching the same movie over and over in a boardroom. That’s not how a man courted a woman in my day. Where’s the romance?”
“It’s not a date, Grandma. We’re working.” Admittedly part of the reason I stayed late with Tyler was because it was the only time I had alone with him. Things were even more crowded than usual with Aunt Amber rooming with us while she was in town. With the two of them, my secluded treehouse refuge seemed more like an Airbnb. “There’s been a murder.”
“Oh, I know all about the murder, Cen. I saw the whole thing.”
“You were there? But you never go out.” My mouth dropped open.
“Of course I was there! I wouldn’t miss my daughter’s movie debut for anything.” Her transparent form darkened like a 1970’s mood ring. “I was so looking forward to seeing her scene, but then that guy got shot. I guess the dead guy means Amber’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star will get delayed.”
“Aunt Amber got fired, Grandma. She won’t be in the movie after all. Didn’t you see her talking to Steven Scarabelli?”
“No. I was watching the scene, waiting for her to appear. Only she never did.”
That gave me an idea. “Were you floating above everyone, just like you are now?”
“Yes, why?”
“Because there was someone there that wasn’t supposed to be.”
“I was wondering about that because I couldn’t figure out that extra person.” She hovered by the projection screen.
“Who?” I barely got the words out when a loud clang reverberated through the building. It was the sound of metal on metal, the cell door hitting against the cell walls. “Hurry up, before Tyler comes back.”
“Cen, listen carefully. I saw something from my unique vantage point. Know who pulled the trigger?”
“Who?” I craned my neck to follow her as she floated upwards toward the ceiling.
She raised her arms for dramatic effect. “It wasn’t one of the actors. It was—“
Tyler burst into the room, followed by Steven Scarabelli. Tyler looked puzzled as he scanned the room. “Is someone else here?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Just talking to myself.”
Tyler frowned and turned to Steven. He motioned him to the chair I had been sitting in moments earlier. “Never mind. I’m releasing Steven for now. He’s given me his word that he won’t leave his room at the Inn, at least until tomorrow.”
“Uh-huh.” Grandma Vi mouthed something but I couldn’t read her lips.
“Huh?” I strained to hear.
“Cen?” Tyler frowned. “Why are you staring up at the ceiling?”
“What?” I jerked my head down. “Uh, sore neck. Just stretching.”
Tyler pulled a swath of papers from his desk and placed them in front of Steven. He tapped the papers. “I’m releasing you with the promise that you don’t leave town. Sign here at the bottom.”
Steven did as he was told, scrawling an illegible signature at the bottom of the page.
Tyler unlocked his side desk drawer and pulled out a clear plastic bag with a wallet, keys, and the rest of Steven’s personal effects. He handed them to Steven. “There’s a driver waiting outside to take you directly to the Inn. You’re to go straight to your room. Don’t leave it except for meals in the dining room. No matter what, don’t leave the property and don’t leave town. Understood?”
Steven nodded. “Understood.”
“Good. Because otherwise, I’ll have to arrest you for murder. You won’t get bail either.”
“I’ll stay in my room,” Steven said. “I’ve got lots of calls to make, so that’ll keep me busy.”
“I suggest you make one of those calls to a lawyer, and quick,” Tyler said. “This isn’t over yet.”
I waited in the room while Tyler escorted Steven to the waiting car outside.
“Can we go now, Cen? I haven’t got all day, you know.” Grandma Vi darted back and forth in front of the open door, clearly impatient.
“Soon, Grandma, I promise.” I finished talking just as the outer office door clicked open.
Tyler didn’t hear me this time. He returned to the inner office and sat down, exhausted.
“What if Brayden finds out you released Steven? He’ll be really upset.” Tyler’s plan seemed like a huge gamble to me. I didn’t want him to lose his job over releasing Steven Scarabelli.
“I’ll deal with that when the time comes,” Tyler said. “As long as Scarabelli cooperates, Brayden won’t be the wiser. I realize it’s a little unorthodox, but Steven’s not our killer. His room at the Inn is a lot nicer than a jail cell, and I’m confident we can get your Mom and Pearl to keep tabs on him.”
“That’s a great idea,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely convinced. Aunt Pearl would love the idea of being involved, but the trouble was that she always got too involved. On the other hand, if it kept her occupied, she would stay out of other trouble. Maybe I could even convince Grandma Vi to keep tabs on Aunt Pearl.
Tyler nodded. “It frees me up too, since Scarabelli will get his meals at the Inn. That way I don’t have to worry about him. I’ll have more time to investigate. It’s better for Steven too. Rumors are starting to circulate that he’s a suspect. Out of sight, out of mind.”
“Ooh, I get to guard a criminal!” Grandma Vi rubbed her ghostly hands together with glee.
“He’s not a criminal,” I hissed at the ceiling. “Nothing’s been proven.”
“Will he be handcuffed? Do I get a gun?” Grandma floated two inches from my face.
“No handcuffs.” I shook my head. “Definitely not a gun.” Ghosts couldn’t carry weapons, much less pull a trigger. It wasn’t her I was worried about. A gun could definitely fall into the wrong hands. Which was why we were here in the first place.
“Why are you talking to yourself, Cen?” Tyler’s brows knitted together as he frowned. “You’ve been acting so weird lately. I think you’re losing your mind.”
“I’m just tired. Thinking out loud helps me focus.” I glared at Grandma Vi, hoping she would take the hint and disappear back home, but she didn’t budge. I had no plans to introduce my ghost grandma, invisible or not. Grandma Vi used that to full advantage.
“Focus pocus.” Grandma Vi laughed and winked at me. “Nothing a potion won’t cure.”
<
br /> If only things were that easy.
16
I left Tyler at the Sheriff’s office and headed to the Westwick Corners Inn to see if Mom needed any help. As I walked up the driveway to the Inn, I heard voices and laughter coming from The Witching Post, the bar and grill my family operated on the grounds. It was less than a hundred feet from the Inn, so I made a last-minute detour to see what was happening. I wasn’t surprised that some of the cast and crew would be drowning their sorrows with alcohol, and The Witching Post was about the only place in town to do it.
My suspicions were confirmed as I opened the heavy wooden door and entered the bar. The Witching Post was abuzz, filled with cast and crew. Those staying in Shady Creek had obviously opted to stay in town and let off some steam. Aside from mixed feelings about Dirk Diamond himself, it seemed that everyone was waiting to see if there were any new developments in the case.
Given everybody’s generally inebriated state, the mood was more like a Friday night payday than mourning. The bar resembled a library scene in an Agatha Christie whodunit, except that everyone was drunk. Their alcohol-fueled guesses and speculation were rampant, with everyone taking turns guessing who had killed Dirk. Some claimed Dirk had mob connections, and others suggested it was a love triangle that got him killed.
A few even thought that Dirk’s death was just a well-executed publicity stunt and expected him to burst through the doors of The Witching Post at any moment, angry as ever.
Yet one thing was crystal clear. Not one person in the bar thought that Steven Scarabelli had killed Dirk. There was even a half-hearted attempt to chip in funds to get Steven a lawyer, though it didn’t get much traction now that they were all unemployed. That’s how well liked Steven was.
I spotted Aunt Amber in a corner booth and slid into the bench seat opposite her. “Feeling better?”
“I did everything to help Steven and look where it got me.” Aunt Amber scooped the last of the peanuts from the dish in the center of the table and dropped them in her mouth. “My career is ruined.”
Witch and Famous--A Westwick Witches Cozy Mystery Page 10