Stanley and I headed to the dirty couch and I gingerly lowered my behind onto the edge of it. Stanley remained standing on the carpet.
I said to Cordelia, “Did you get Blythe’s message to say we were on our way?”
“Yeah. You’re here about the dead witch.”
I bristled at the cold tone in her voice. “Henrietta Whitmore?”
“That’s her. Unless another witch has been bumped off. How long will it take you to find out who did it?”
I bristled again. “We can’t say. We’ll need to make a full investigation. What do you know about Henrietta?”
Cordelia shrugged. “Not much. She worked from her house doing something or other. She must have upset someone.” She examined the strand of hair in her hand. “Will it take you a few hours? A day?”
“I don’t know yet.” Her carefree attitude was starting to annoy me. “You’re in charge of this town. Surely you know what Henrietta did. How many witches do you have living here?”
She dropped the strand of hair. “Just me. For now. I don’t think I’ll be hanging around this place for much longer. Someone else can take care of it. I’ve done as much as I can. I’m fighting a losing battle in this town. I’m leaving here soon.”
I swallowed my anger. “Before you do that, tell me everything you do know about Henrietta. What work did she do?”
Cordelia yawned and treated Stanley and me to the sight of her chewed-up gum. It was grey. She snapped her mouth shut and said, “I think she dealt with injuries, cuts and bruises. That sort of thing. The residents are always having fights and Henrietta fixed them with her potions. I think she did a bit of fortune telling too.” She let out a small laugh. “She can’t have been very good at fortune telling, else she would have seen her own death. She’s got a house at the end of Sinister Street. The street is the second one on the right at the end of my path. Talk to her cat. He knows everything about Henrietta.”
“I was hoping you’d tell me about her,” I couldn’t help but retort. “When did you last see her?”
“About six months ago. Maybe seven. She came here to show me her records of the residents she’d treated. Not that I was bothered. I left her alone to get on with her work. It didn’t have anything to do with me.” She glanced towards the dirty window. “What else do you need to know?”
“Do you know who could have killed her?” I asked as politely as I could.
Cordelia shrugged. “Any one of those nasty creatures out there could have done it. I don’t trust any of them. The sooner I’m out of here, the better.” She gave me a hard look. “Well? What are you waiting for? You’re a justice witch. Go out there and find out who bumped Henrietta off. As soon as you’ve cleared that up, I can leave.”
I clamped my lips together as I didn’t trust myself to speak. I gave her a curt nod and got to my feet.
Before we left the room, Stanley said, “Thank you for talking to us. We’ll see ourselves out.”
Chapter 3
As soon as we were out of the house I let out an indignant tut and said, “Well! What do you think about that conversation? She’s the total opposite of Blythe.”
Stanley replied, “She might have her reasons for acting like that. Let’s reserve judgement until we know all the facts.” He smiled up at me. I couldn’t help but smile back.
“You’re a wise cat,” I told him. “Before we go any further, I’m going to use my wisdom now and cast a protective spell on us. If anyone leaps out at us, they won’t be able to harm us.”
“That’s a good idea.” Stanley put his head to one side. “Will this protective spell wipe out the keeping dry spell?”
“No. It’ll form a layer on top of that one.” I looked towards the dark, grey streets in front of us. “I might end up casting a few more spells soon.”
Stanley chuckled. “We’ll have more layers than an onion.”
I performed the spell and then we bravely stepped forward. We found Sinister Street and walked along it with our heads turning left and right as we did so.
Stanley looked at the row of terraced houses at our side. “Look how they’re all leaning forwards. It’s like they’re getting ready to jump out at us.” He stopped walking and turned wide eyes my way. “They’re not going to jump out at us, are they?”
“No. Of course not. I’m almost certain of it.” Our pace increased and we soon arrived at the end house.
Henrietta’s house was more sinister looking than the rest of the houses. The windows were angled to look like eyes. The roof was tall and triangular and looked exactly like a witch’s hat. The door was so black that at first sight, it looked like a dark hole. Cobwebs covered the door and windows. Spiders crawled up the walls and dead flowers covered the small patch of garden in front of the house.
Stanley gulped and whispered, “Are you sure this is the right house?”
I pointed to the sign on the broken gate post. “Henrietta’s name is on this post. You can stay out here and I’ll go in.”
Stanley glanced behind him and jumped. “I could have sworn I saw an evil face looking at me just then! Over there by that postbox.” He moved closer to me. “As terrifying as that house looks, I’d rather be in there with you than out here on my own.”
An evil chuckle sounded out from behind us. This was followed by a distant scream.
Stanley and I hurried towards the front door. We stopped and I raised my hand to knock. I said, “If Henrietta is dead, who’s going to answer the door?”
Stanley said, “There’s a cat flap down here. Shall I have a peep through?”
“No, it might not be safe.” I tilted my head. “Did you hear that? It sounds like someone is crying.”
Stanley reached out a paw and pushed the cat flap open a fraction. He said, “Someone is crying. It might be Henrietta’s cat, Tobias. If it is him, he sounds heartbroken.”
“Let’s go in.” I tried the handle. The door opened with a loud creak.
We stepped into the dark hallway. Something scuttled across my foot.
Stanley said, “If there are any mice in here, you’ll have to pick me up. You know how much I detest those vile rodents.”
It took a short while for my eyes to adjust to the darkness in the hallway. When they did adjust, I soon wished they hadn’t. The place was thick with cobwebs and dust. Many insects scuttled across the floor and up the walls. They were big insects too, and I could make out the smirks on their faces as they looked our way. I shuddered with revulsion.
Stanley leant his shaking body against my legs and whimpered, “Cassia, look at those things on the walls. Are they severed heads?”
I looked at where Stanley had his attention. I gulped. “I think they are. Why would Henrietta have things like that on her walls?”
“As a warning?” Stanley suggested. “What did they do to end up like that?”
There was a closed door to either side of us. Both had notes attached. The one on the left proclaimed: Keep Out! Or Else! You Have Been Warned! The one on the right wasn’t any better: No Entry! Keep Your Nose Out Or I’ll Chop It Off!
Stanley let out a nervous laugh. “She wasn’t the friendliest of witches, was she?”
The sobbing noise suddenly rose. It was coming from upstairs.
“Shall we?” I said to Stanley and I nodded in that direction.
“We shall.”
We ascended the dark steps and followed the sobs to a large bedroom. The curtains had been pulled back a bit which allowed some light to enter. I made out a figure lying on top of the bedcovers. It was a small cat. He was lying next to a still figure and howling with pain.
I politely cleared my throat.
The cat abruptly stopped howling and looked over at us. In the dim light, I could see his fur was grey and white. There were grey rings of fur around his eyes which made him look as if he were wearing spectacles.
In a gentle voice, I said, “We’re so sorry for disturbing you. I’m Cassia Winter, and this is Stanley.”
St
anley raised his paw in greeting.
The cat gave us a wobbly smile. “Hello. I’m Tobias. Are you here about Henrietta? Did Cordelia send you?” He looked at the area behind us. “Is Cordelia here? Is she going to sort everything out now? I haven’t heard anything from her since I informed her about Henrietta.”
Anger flared up in me for a second as I thought about Cordelia lounging in her armchair. I moved closer to the grieving cat and said, “Cordelia has asked us to deal with this matter. I’m so sorry for your loss. Is there anything we can get for you? Something to eat or drink?”
Tobias’ chin wobbled. “No, thank you. There’s nothing anyone can do for me. Is Cordelia coming here later?”
“I’m not sure about that,” I said. “Tobias, can you tell me about Henrietta? I know this is going to be painful for you, but we need to know all the facts if we’re going to find out who hurt her.”
Tobias’ head dropped. “She was murdered. It’s okay. You can say that word. I know she’s been murdered.” He lifted his head. “She was the kindest, most thoughtful witch I’ve ever known. She would do anything to help anyone. The residents in this town haven’t always been kind to her, but that didn’t stop her from helping them. What am I going to do without her? She was my life.” He began to cry again.
Stanley jumped onto the bed, padded over to Tobias and said, “I can’t imagine the pain you’re going through. I’d be lost without my Cassia. We will find out who killed Henrietta. Cassia’s an amazing justice witch. She’ll stick her nose into everyone’s business until she uncovers their secrets. And I’ll help her. We won’t stop until we find the evil creature who did this.”
Tobias sniffed. “Will you? Thank you. That is a comfort. How can I help?” His voice broke on the last words.
I said, “Do you know if Cordelia has arranged for Henrietta to be taken away and examined?” I suspected I already knew the answer.
Tobias gave me a blank look and replied, “I don’t know. Is that what happens next?”
I nodded. “We need to examine her and find out how she died. May I come closer and have a look at Henrietta?”
“Of course.” Tobias backed up and allowed me my first look at Henrietta Whitmore.
I’m not sure how I managed not to scream. I think I was in shock.
Henrietta Whitmore looked like a caricature of a witch. It was as if a child had been told to draw a picture of a witch and this was the result. Henrietta’s long face was pale green and her wispy hair was black and stringy. Her long nose almost met the upward curve of her pointy chin. There were a dozen or so moles on her face, each had a couple of dark hairs sprouting from it. There was a green wart on the end of her nose which had a small forest of black hairs decorating it. Her eyes were closed.
“Isn’t she perfect?” Tobias said.
Stanley answered truthfully, “She looks just like a witch should look.”
I said to Tobias, “I understand you found her. When was that?”
“A few hours ago. I sleep in the kitchen next to the stove. As soon as I woke up this morning, I could feel something was different. There was a stillness in the air. It was too quiet. I came up here and found Henrietta like this.” He stared at the green face. “I pretended to myself that she was asleep at first and I told her to stop messing about. But in my heart, I knew she was dead.” He lay down on the cover and put his head on his paws. “How can I carry on without her. What am I supposed to do?”
Stanley lay down next to Tobias and said, “You’ll get through this. You have to stay strong for Henrietta’s sake.”
“Tobias,” I began, “did you hear anything suspicious in the night or the early hours?”
“No,” Tobias mumbled sadly. “I wish I had. I would have investigated any noise. I could have kept her safe.” He started to cry again. Stanley patted his back softly and made soothing noises.
I had many questions for Tobias, but they would have to wait for a while.
A flash of pale yellow came into the room. It was a Brimstone butterfly. It looked too bright in this dark room. It had a written message on its wings from Dr Morgan.
I read it and then said to the cats, “Dr Morgan is on her way. Tobias, she works in Brimstone and is a brilliant doctor. She’ll soon find out what happened to Henrietta.”
“Thank you,” Tobias said in between sobs. “Thank you so much.”
Chapter 4
There was a knock at the door a minute later. I opened it to find Dr Morgan there. Like me, she was human. She’d been living and working in Brimstone for many years. She was wearing her usual attire of a business suit and had her doctor’s bag in one hand. She was scratching her head with the other making her unruly brown hair even more untidy.
“Hi, Cassia,” she said, “let me in before someone sneaks up on me and pinches my bag.” She came inside and continued, “I’ve only been here thirty seconds but I feel like I’ve been infested with something. I do not like this town one little bit. I’ve been here three times, and that’s three times too many.”
I closed the door behind her. “I was surprised to get your message. I thought the doctor in this town would deal with Henrietta.”
“The town doctor was chased out of here two months ago. She hasn’t been replaced yet. Blythe told me you were dealing with this murder and asked me to examine the body. I wouldn’t do this for any other justice witch, I can tell you.” She jumped and let out a yelp. “What the hell are those monstrosities on the wall? Are they dead or alive?”
“Seeing as they’re decapitated heads, I hope they’re dead. Henrietta is upstairs. Her cat, Tobias, is with her. He’s extremely upset. Stanley is looking after him.”
“Good old Stanley. Lead the way.”
Tobias was still sobbing as I led the doctor into the room. Stanley was still trying to soothe him.
Dr Morgan went straight over to the crying cat and gently lifted his chin. She said, “Hello there, I’m Dr Morgan. I’m going to examine Henrietta’s body. This must be a terrible shock for you. I can give you something to make you feel better. Perhaps a sleeping tablet?”
“No, thank you,” Tobias replied. “I want to help Cassia and Stanley. I can’t do that if I’m asleep.”
Dr Morgan gave him a smile and released his chin. She turned to Stanley, “Hello again. Would you mind taking Tobias out of the room for a while, please? Perhaps Tobias could show you around the house.”
“Around this house?” Stanley’s shudder was barely noticeable. His voice was slightly too high as he said, “I would love that! Come on, Tobias, I want to see everything!” He jumped off the bed and waited for Tobias to join him.
Tobias was slower at getting off the bed. He said to Stanley, “I’ll show you the kitchen. Henrietta bought some special cream for me yesterday. I don’t feel like having it, but you can have some. There’s no point wasting it.”
“Thank you,” Stanley said.
We waited until the cats were out of the room before moving closer to the deceased witch.
Dr Morgan let out a low whistle. She said, “I’ve seen many witches in my time, but none of them looked as witchy as this one. Do you think those moles are real?”
I nodded. “Can you see any obvious signs of trauma? I’ve had a quick look at her but I can’t see any physical injuries.”
Dr Morgan gave Henrietta a quick look-over. “I can’t see anything either. She could have been poisoned. There’s plenty of poison freely available around here. I wonder if her face was green before she died?”
“I’ll ask Tobias about that.” I told the doctor about my brief visit to Cordelia’s house.
Dr Morgan tutted in disgust. “I’ve never met Cordelia so I can’t say if that’s typical behaviour or not. Blythe would know more. I’ll teleport myself and Henrietta back to my surgery and undertake a full examination there. Do you want to take photographs before I do so?”
“Yes, please.” I placed my broomstick against the wall, took my phone out and proceeded to take photogr
aphs. As I did so, I noticed there weren’t any creepy-crawlies in this room. Perhaps Henrietta had put a spell on her sleeping area to keep them away. I would if I lived here.
Dr Morgan walked over to the window, took a tissue from her pocket and wiped some of the dirt away. “Cassia, don’t stay in this town too long. I can see all manner of sly individuals out there. Most are wearing hoods but I can sense their evil intentions.”
“They can’t all be that bad,” I attempted to argue.
“Oh, yes they can.” She turned away from the window. “You be extra careful out there. Be vigilant at all times. Those tall buildings cast long shadows and that’s where the worst of the residents hang out. Keep well away from the shadows. One dead witch is one too many. I don’t want another one.” She gave me a bright smile. “And with those cheery words, I’ll be on my way. I’ll keep in touch.”
She walked over to Henrietta’s body and held her hand out. Despite being human, the doctor had a good amount of magical spells up her sleeves. She gave me a quick smile before she disappeared taking the body with her.
Once Henrietta’s body had gone, I moved closer to the bed and took more photos. I was relieved to find no patches of blood on the covers. I paused. Just a minute. How did Tobias know she’d been murdered? Was I missing something obvious?
I took a quick tour of the house to check for any signs of forced entry. I didn’t find anything suspicious. It was hard to tell if the filthy windows were actually broken at first, so I put my hands in front of the glass to check for air coming in. Also, I considered the fact that the front door had been unlocked when Stanley and I entered.
Once I’d finished my inspection, I went into the kitchen. I was delighted to find this room was clean and free of scuttling insects. Stanley was lying on a rug next to the stove with Tobias at his side. Tobias was staring morosely at the stove.
I crouched next to the cats and said to Tobias, “Dr Morgan has taken Henrietta away. Tobias, how did you know Henrietta had been murdered?”
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