A Spell of Murder: An Ella Sweeting Aromatherapy Magic Cozy Mystery (Ella Sweeting: Witch Aromatherapist Cozies Book 2)

by Lisbeth Reade

  “No, Ella, don’t be stupid,” Aunt Sarah admonished. “You just got out of jail for interfering.”

  “But what about Neil?” Auntie Joe demanded. “What if he’s hurt?”

  “It might be too late,” Aunt Sarah said. “And even if it isn’t. There’s someone there with a gun. It’s too dangerous. We don’t even know where it happened.”

  “Neil said he was home,” Auntie Joe said. “He wanted me to come over. He said he had something important to tell me.”

  I grabbed a light sweater as Girard appeared and handed me keys to the car out front.

  “I’m going,” I announced. “If Neil bleeds to death while we stand here doing nothing, will any of you be able to live with yourselves?”

  “I’m coming too,” Auntie Joe said, with a determined look towards her sister.

  “Me too,” Aunt Sarah said. “Let’s go quickly before I lose my nerve.”

  I didn’t argue. We rushed outside and hopped into the car. Sarah got Neil’s address from the internet and we headed to the center of town. Traffic was light and we hit all green lights, but it still felt like we had been driving forever. Auntie Joe kept up a litany of hope as we reached the gated condo complex.

  “He’s going to make it… he’s going to make it….”

  As we pulled up, a guard approached the car.

  “Who are you here to see?”

  “Neil Campbell,” said Auntie Joe. “I’m on the list. Joe—”

  He waved us through before she had a chance to finish, and we all exchanged glances. Some security that was. I drove as fast as we could through the complex, heading towards the large condos.

  When we reached the right one, the door was hanging open. Not a good sign.

  I pulled into the spot closest to the door. Joe and I hopped out, heading forward. Aunt Sarah stopped us.

  “Slow down,” she insisted. “We still don’t know who the shooter is, or if they’re still here.”

  “I’m going in,” I said, reaching for the door.

  Joe stopped me. “No. I’m going in first.”

  “But I—”

  “Who’s been a witch longer? You or me? I can defend myself better if there’s someone in there,” Auntie Joe insisted.

  I grudgingly admitted that she made sense and let her head of me.

  We came up to the door and Auntie Joe gingerly walked inside. I followed a second behind her. The place was an open concept with a view over a swimming pool. I could see straight through, but no one was visible. The bedroom door was open, though.

  Auntie Joe rushed into the bedroom. Sarah hung back by the door, keeping watch.

  “No one’s here,” Auntie Joe called from the bedroom.

  I followed her into the room. The bed was unmade. The curtains were wide open, letting in plenty of light, but there was no sign of Evelyn or Neil. We opened the closets and checked the carpets for some sort of clue. Nothing.

  “Uh oh,” Sarah said.

  I turned in time to peer down the muzzles of several guns as a bevy of cops exploded into the room. I slowly lifted my hands above my head, and Joe followed suit. But the officers pretty much ignored us, and went around to search. Behind them Garza entered, wearing a red power suit with pencil skirt and black and white pumps. She looked like the chicest version of the devil I had ever seen.

  “Clear,” shouted a cop.

  “I could have told you that,” I muttered.

  Detective Garza holstered her gun and advanced on me. I could feel her annoyance like a live thing. I bit my lip. This was probably not going to be fun.

  “Your Aunt Hazel called me and told me to get my team over here to rescue Mr. Campbell from Mrs. Stillwater. I took her at her word and raced over here. You want to explain to me why I find myself in a room with you and your other two crazy aunts instead of Neil Campbell and Evelyn Stillwater?”

  I wanted to slump down to the floor in a puddle.

  “I talked to Neil on the phone,” Auntie Joe said, pulling Garza’s attention off of me.

  “And,” she prompted.

  “Neil shouted and there was a gunshot…” Auntie Joe finished lamely.

  “We all heard it,” Sarah added. She was standing between two cops, glaring at both of them. “Hazel called you, but Joe was worried you wouldn’t get here in time for Neil.”

  “Okay,” Garza said slowly. “I want all of you out of here. Johnny, get this place dusted. Find out who was in here and where they went. Steve, take someone down to the guard house and find out who came in here to see Mr. Campbell today.”

  She grabbed me by the arm and led me outside to the car. Aunt Sarah followed, but Auntie Joe lingered inside. I looked over my shoulder to see what was taking so long.

  She was looking intently at the floor. I watched as she waved a hand rhythmically and muttered something. I saw a glow briefly outline her hand and drift away into the room. Luckily everyone was so focused on Garza and me that no one thought to look at Joe. She winked at me as she zipped out of the apartment.

  Outside, Detective Garza let go and rounded on me.

  “You must be real dumb, Ella Sweeting,” she growled. “A night in jail and you’re still sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

  I felt hot. My cheeks were probably flaming red. I wanted to shout at her but what good would that do? She’d probably toss me in for another comfortable stay at Ruby’s jail.

  “We called you in, didn’t we? Something happened and we called 911, just like we’re supposed to do as good citizens,” I said through a smile that was mostly teeth.

  Garza wasn’t backing down. “But then you came here. You came to where you thought a crime was committed, and you what? Pushed your way into a room where there might have been a shooter? Do you have a death wish, Sweeting?”

  “No,” I sighed. “No. Auntie Joe was just worried about her friend. She was afraid if he had been shot that you might not get here in time. He could have been bleeding out, and we were closer than the police station.”

  Detective Garza’s face rapidly progressed through several different expressions but she stopped shouting. She waved us over to our car.

  “Get down to the stations and fill out statements,” she said. “Did you touch anything while you were in there?”

  “Of course not,” I said. “The door was already open. I wouldn’t contaminate the scene by touching things.”

  The detective looked like she was torn between smiling at me and strangling me. I didn’t press my luck but moved towards the car and my aunts.

  Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a familiar car. I had seen it outside the restaurant. It had been the one Thomas had headed for when he left. I had also seen the same car at Thomas’s apartment.

  “Is that Thomas’ car?” I asked Auntie Joe.

  “I’m not sure,” she murmured. “It does look like the car I saw parked near his apartment.”

  Sarah was skeptical. “How can you be sure? It could just be a similar model.”

  “No,” Joe said. “It’s an old 1956 Cadillac with a powder blue paint job and a bumper sticker from Carl’s restaurant.”

  “If Thomas’ car is here, that begs the question…” Aunt Sarah began.

  “Where is Thomas?” I finished.

  We all looked around, but there was no sign of him.

  “Better go tell Garza,” I said with a sigh.

  Leaving the Aunts to get into our car, I headed back over to Neil Campbell’s door. Garza was ordering people around. Yellow tape was already up and a team had arrived with a kit to check the place over.

  “Detective, a word,” I said politely.

  She glared at me. “Didn’t I tell you to get out of here?”

  “Oh yes, you did and I am. I will. But I thought you’d want to know…”

  “Spit it out, Sweeting,” she growled.

  “Thomas’s car is in the lot over there. It’s the caddy….Auntie Joe recognized it from Thomas’ apartment,” I told her.

&
nbsp; “And what were you doing at Thomas’ apartment? Wait never mind.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll check it out,” she said. “Now straight to the station, got it?”

  “Of course,” I agreed with a grin.

  She gave me a look, but it didn’t seem malicious. It actually seemed as if she might warming up to me… a little.

  We headed over to the police station, with a patrol car following close behind.

  “What happened to Neil?” Aunt Sarah asked.

  “I don’t know but now I’m wondering… was Neil screaming because Evelyn was going to shoot him or…” I trailed off.

  “Or was someone else there who was threatening Evelyn,” Auntie Joe finished. “I know what I heard. He was afraid.”

  “Or could Neil have shot Evelyn?” Sarah suggested.

  “No!” Joe gasped. “He’s a gentle soul, he would never do such a thing.”

  But none of us were sure of anything by then.

  At the station, Ruby sighed.

  “Oh, Ella! What are you doing back here?” she asked.

  “I know,” I said, shaking my head. “But don’t worry. Garza just sent us here to make statements.”

  “So, she didn’t arrest you yet,” Ruby said with a laugh. “Okay, let me get set up and we can start with you.”

  When we’d finished our statements I rushed straight to the front desk.

  “Did anyone call in? Did they find Evelyn and Neil?” I asked the desk sergeant.

  “I’m not allowed to give you information on an open investigation,” the guy told me.

  But Ruby was standing behind him and shook her head no. I nodded to the sergeant and walked over to the Aunts in time to see the station doors burst open. There was Thomas, handcuffed and struggling as the police dragged him in.

  “Is this what rich people do? Is this what they do?” Thomas screamed. “I was cleared! Why am I here!? It’s because I’m not rich? I’m not rich so I go to jail? What is it with you filthy rich people anyway?”

  Chapter 10

  As we pulled up in front of the house we were quiet, each wrapped up in her own private thoughts. But when the car stopped, we all jolted right back into motion.

  “I can’t believe Detective Garza just let us go,” Auntie Joe murmured.

  I snorted. “Ruby said the detective had her hands full with Thomas. We got lucky. But what does it mean? Why was Thomas at Neil’s?”

  “Let’s get inside,” Aunt Sarah said. “We need to update Hazel. The day is slipping away from us. I missed lunch.”

  My stomach growled loudly,as if in response.

  “It’s only about an hour to dinner at this point,” Auntie Joe said. “May as well wait it out.”

  “I’m going to sneak some snacks,” I told her. “I need to work this out. Is Neil the shooter or the victim? Is Evelyn alive? Where does Thomas fit in…It’s all jumbled up now.”

  We never even made it past the foyer. Mother was standing there ringing her hands, and she jumped on me the second she saw me..

  “There you are! You have just enough time if you hurry! Upstairs and into the shower with you…”

  She grabbed me by the shoulder and started herding me up the stairs.

  What? “Did I forget an appointment? Is Father winning another award for sales?” I asked, trying to slow us down.

  Mother made a face. “Well, Ella, I may have accepted an invitation on your behalf from Van Sinclair.”

  I stopped moving. “You did what?”

  “He called this afternoon wondering if you were still on for this evening. Of course I told him you would be ready.”

  I opened my mouth to object, but she cut me off.

  “Ella, you were in jail this morning, my darling. You have got to think of your standing in this community. You can’t gallivant around like you’ve been doing without some damage control. Besides, the man is a charmer,” Mother said.

  Unlike Rory the mailman, I thought. But that was besides the point.

  “Mother, you can’t arrange dates for me. I’ll call him and cancel,” I said.

  “This is a bit archaic.” Aunt Hazel glared at Mother. “Let her cancel.”

  “Quiet, Hazel,” Mother said, and turned to glare at me. “No. I won’t have it. I’ve been far too lenient with this crime fighting business.”

  “I’m not a vigilante!”

  “No, not yet.” Mother sighed. “Please do this for me. You might even like him. The worst thing that can happen is you wear something nice and eat something nice.”

  I snorted. But I could see the pleading look in her eyes.

  “Better give in dear, or she’ll toss us to the wolves for being bad influences,” Aunt Sarah said.

  I surrendered. I threw my arms up in the air and raced up the steps.

  “What time will he be here?” I called over my shoulder.

  She checked her Rolex. “In an hour dear. I’ve already had clothing laid out for you.”

  I felt like objecting to that, too, but then reconsidered. As long as I was going to try and make Mother happy, I might as well go all the way.

  I ran into Livvie in the hallway on the way to the shower.

  “Humans are always rushing around,” she said lazily.

  “I’ve got a date,” I told her. “Come down and meet him when he arrives.”

  “I’ve already met Rory,” the cat said.

  I bit my lip. “It’s not Rory,” I told her.

  “I can’t be expected to meet all your dates,” Livvie said. “I have mice to hunt.” She harrumphed and walked away, tail high.

  It was only after I came out of the shower that I took a look at the clothing Mother had picked out for me. There was an elegant cocktail dress on the bed in a vibrant royal blue with silver edging. A sapphire and diamond jewelry set was laid out beside it. And beside them both sat Auntie Joe, hugging herself.

  She looked me straight in the eye and said exactly what I’d been thinking the whole time I’d been in the shower. “Are you sure you want to do this, dear? What about Rory?”

  Even though I’d been thinking it myself, hearing it from my dear Aunt put me on edge. “What about him? He doesn’t seem to like me for me. So why shouldn’t I go on a date?” I picked up the dress and ran my fingers against its smooth, silky fabric. “Besides, it’s just dinner. I’m not going to marry Van.”

  She frowned, but left me alone to finish getting ready. I felt a pang of guilt but shook it off. I wasn’t doing anything wrong. Really.

  The doorbell rang just as I was applying my lipstick. I quickly slipped into my heels and shook my hair to settle it. I appeared at the top of the stairs in time to see Girard opening the door.

  “Mr. Sinclair, won’t you please come in. Ms. Sweeting will be ready momentarily,” Girard said, and ushered Van inside.

  I had forgotten just how attractive Van Sinclair was. Tall and well muscled, Van had short, neat black hair and bright blue eyes. He had a long aquiline nose and a rich, full mouth. He even had crinkles around his eyes that suggested he laughed often. Dressed in a charcoal Armani suit with a royal blue pocket square, he looked like the perfect match to my dress.

  Mother entered and fawned. “Van, darling, so good to see you again. How is your mother?”

  “Mother said you’d ask and to tell you she is looking forward to the flower show this year. Her strain of roses is doing well,” Van Sinclair said with a wink.

  “Oh, lovely,” Mother cooed. “I’ve had wonderful results with the cuttings she gave me from that brilliant red geranium she bred. They look so beautiful in the height of summer. Ella will be down in a minute, dear. Can I have Girard bring you anything?”

  “No thank you, Mrs. Sweeting. I see my date is ready now.” He shot me a wink.

  I felt like a deer caught in the headlights, or really, like a girl who had just been caught eavesdropping. Girard and Mother swung their eyes up the staircase towards me, and I descended as gracefully as I could. I almost fell when the cats wended between my l
egs and shot off into the drawing room. But Van moved quickly and caught my arm to keep me from tripping.

  “Hi Van,” I said breathlessly. He was even more disarmingly attractive up close, even if his hair wasn’t adorably mussed like Rory’s. “Ready to go?”

  I was hoping to get out without my other two aunts seeing me. But the cats and Joe had ratted me out and the Aunts appeared in the doorway.

  “Who are all these…” Van paused, searching for an adjective to describe my eclectic aunts. “Lovely ladies?”

  “These are my aunts. The tallest is my Aunt Hazel, the brunette is my Aunt Sarah and the blonde is my Auntie Joe. They’re staying with us. Ladies, this is Van Sinclair, my….” I trailed off. Now it was my turn to search for a word. “Date for this evening,” I said quickly. I hoped Van hadn’t noticed my hesitation.

  Auntie Joe smiled but Hazel and Sarah frowned. I knew it! They were judging me. It wasn’t like I was cheating on Rory. He was the one who wanted nothing to do with me. And anyway, was it even possible to cheat on someone you had only gone on one date with, especially when that date had ended without a kiss?

  “Mr. Sinclair,” Aunt Hazel said, “How do you feel about jam tarts?”

  “I, ah, wouldn’t think of turning down any tarts,” Sinclair said with a smile.

  “Good to know.” Aunt Hazel nodded, almost approvingly. “I don’t suppose you’d like to take tea with us?”

  “Ah, I have reservations,” Sinclair said. His smile didn’t waver.

  “As well you should have.” Aunt Sarah’s smile was rather brittle.

  But bless Auntie Joe. She smiled winningly at Sinclair. “I do hope you’ll take good care of our niece.”

  Van nodded and kissed Auntie Joe’s hand. “I will guard her with my life and return her in the same condition.”

  “I should think so,” Aunt Sarah said.

  “Stop it,” I mouthed at them.

  The cats stood in the doorway from the drawing room and stared owlishly at him.

  Trouble sniffed. “He smells like freesia flowers. I don’t like it. Flowers should smell like flowers. Men should smell like men. Roll in some mud or something, man!” He growled.

  “Its soap, you idiot,” Livvie hissed.