A Witch Before Dying

by Amanda M. Lee

  “We do. The entire Christmas week is a festival, though we don’t get a lot of tourists that week. They start coming again after the first of the year because we have so many ski resorts in this area. The Christmas festival is mostly for the residents.”

  “I bet you guys go all out.” Tess almost looked wistful.

  “We do,” I confirmed. “Christmas is a big deal for a lot of people. I prefer Halloween, but my mother and aunts absolutely love Christmas.”

  “Even your crazy great-aunt?”

  I smiled. Tess was one of the few Twiggs to enjoy Aunt Tillie’s performance during dinner at The Dragonfly. “She loves Christmas the most. I’m not sure why. She has a sentimental streak she doesn’t like to show to anyone. It comes out around Christmas every year.”

  “That sounds nice.” Tess rubbed her forehead as she sat on one of the nearby picnic tables. She seemed lost, a bit irritated and altogether weary.

  “You’ve gone through a lot in the last few days,” I noted, taking a seat next to her. I was close, but not so close that she could lash out and hurt me if she decided to attack. I felt odd for suspecting her – she seemed small and vulnerable – but someone killed Adele in a terrible way and Tess was as good a suspect as anyone. “I’m sure you would’ve preferred being able to skip this festival and head straight home.”

  “I don’t technically have a home,” Tess clarified. “I’m on the road for most of the year.”

  “You mentioned that before.” I racked my brain. “You guys drive with the tents and supplies and everything, right?”

  Tess nodded.

  “How did that work for Adele and Arthur again?”

  If Tess was suspicious of the question, she didn’t show it. “They have a house down south. They flew home while we did most of the traveling and set-up. Then they’d fly in for the performances and right out again. They said they had to do it that way because they had a lot of business to conduct during the down time.”

  In a weird way, that made sense. “Their house is in Florida, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where does your family live?” I asked, changing course. “You’ll probably visit them during Christmas, won’t you?”

  “We have a job in California the week before Christmas,” Tess replied. “We get a week off for Christmas. I grew up in New Jersey, but … I’ll probably go home with Greg to visit his family.”

  “That sounds nice.” I faked as much enthusiasm as possible. “Have you met Greg’s family?”

  “He has a sister, three nieces and nephews, and a drunken mother who barely remembers his name,” Tess replied. “Still, it’s better than what I have.”

  Surprisingly, my heart went out to her. “I never gave it much thought before, but the renaissance festival circuit is probably filled with loners. People who are close with family members don’t generally take off for fifty-one weeks out of the year.”

  “I think that’s true,” Tess said. “My mother got locked up for being a junkie whore when I was fourteen.”

  I cringed at the term. “I’m sure she wasn’t that bad.”

  Tess was blasé. “No. She was literally a junkie who sold her body for drugs. She had me when she was fifteen. She shouldn’t have kept me. I know a lot of people think otherwise, that biology is the most important thing, but they’re wrong.

  “I was glad when she was taken away,” she continued. “I had to go to a group home because my grandmother didn’t want to take me. I would’ve got in the way of her bingo nights, you see. It was still better than living with my mother.

  “When you’re in a home like that you spend all your time dreaming about something better because you’re convinced that it can’t get much worse,” she said. “My something better was traveling. I didn’t care where I ended up as long as I was always on the go. When I learned about renaissance festivals, I thought they sounded great. I liked the idea of dressing up and being someone else.”

  “How old were you when you joined?”

  “My first troupe? I guess I was eighteen, although just barely,” Tess replied. “This is my third renaissance troupe, and even though Adele was a real pain, I’ve enjoyed myself.”

  “What will you do if this troupe closes up shop?” I watched Tess’s profile for signs of distress and the way the muscle in her jaw clenched told me I hit her exactly where it hurt.

  “The troupe won’t close,” Tess scoffed. “I know I said I thought so the other night, but I was just talking to fill the silence. I don’t really believe it. Adele is gone, but Arthur is still here. He’ll keep running things. Adele won’t be around to terrorize us any longer, but things will continue largely the same.”

  I decided to play a hunch. “That’s not what I hear.” I kept my eyes on the festival, but was aware of Tess’s movements out of the corner of my eye. “Someone said that Arthur is considering closing the troupe because it’s impossible to run without Adele.”

  “No. That’s not true.”

  “I swear that’s what I heard. Apparently Adele did a lot more work than everyone realized, and now it’s more likely that the business will be broken up.”

  Tess reached out, her fingers digging into my arm as she grabbed hold. Her face was whiter than any ghost I’d ever seen and her eyes filled with fury. “Who told you that?”

  I was caught, but I didn’t want her to know it. “I don’t know. I heard a few people talking. I was around some of the festival organizers earlier and they were chatting about it.” The lie was just vague enough to be believable.

  “Well, it’s not true,” Tess hissed. “The troupe will be fine. Someone else will step in and run things the way they’re supposed to be run. I have no doubt about that.”

  “Okay, well … .”

  “It’s not true.” Tess gritted her teeth as she dug her fingers further into my skin.

  “Ow!” I jerked my arm away and rubbed it, frowning at the flash of glee rolling across Tess’s face.

  “What’s going on here?” Landon asked from behind me. I didn’t turn to look at him, afraid if I did that Tess would attack.

  “Tess and I were just talking about the future of the Twigg group,” I supplied, keeping a firm hold on my arm. “I happened to mention I heard there was talk of the troupe shutting down now that Adele is dead, but Tess doesn’t seem to think that will happen.”

  Landon moved up to the side of the table, his eyes busy as they bounced between our faces. “I heard that, too.”

  “You heard what?” Tess snapped, her tone dark.

  “I heard that this particular festival circuit is going to cease operations now that Adele is gone,” Landon replied, not missing a beat. “Several people told me that while we were conducting interviews.”

  “Which people?” Tess was furious.

  “I forget,” Landon replied smoothly. “You all start to look the same after a few questions. I can go back over my notes tomorrow if you’re really interested.”

  “Why not tonight?”

  “Because I’m off duty and about to have dinner with my girlfriend.” Landon slipped his arm around my waist and helped me from the table. “You’re welcome to join us. Isn’t that right, Bay?”

  That was the last thing I wanted, but I instinctively nodded. I knew Tess wouldn’t join. “Sure. That sounds nice.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but we have an opening act to put on tonight and I have a few things to take care of.” Tess wiped off the seat of her pants as she stood. “Thanks for the information. I hope you stop by later to see the show.”

  “We’ll definitely do that.” Landon’s demeanor was calm, but I sensed the turmoil raging beneath his serene façade. “I’ve never seen a renaissance festival before, so I’m looking forward to the show.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re in for quite the treat.” Tess turned toward the main tent. “I have to get going. Enjoy your night.”

  “You, too,” Landon murmured, watching her go. He waited until he was sure she was out of earsh
ot to speak again. “What was that?”

  “A very unhappy girl.”

  “Do you want to be more specific?”

  I shrugged, uncertain. “I’ll tell you over dinner.” I rubbed my arm again. “I’m starving and want to fill myself full of junk. They have hot dogs, elephant ears, ice cream, funnel cakes, doughnuts and falafel.”

  Landon snorted. “You’ll make yourself sick if you eat all that.”

  “Is that a challenge?”

  “Sure. I love a good eating competition.”

  I knew he’d say that. “Then let’s do it.”

  “WHY DID YOU LET me eat so much?”

  I ruefully rubbed my stomach as I stared down at my mostly clean plate an hour later. There was a good possibility I might throw up … or explode. I ate way too much junk, which meant I was going to run on a sugar high for the next hour and then crash.

  “Me?” Landon’s eyebrows winged up. “Since when am I in charge of what you eat?”

  “You should’ve stopped me. Now I feel sick.”

  “Oh, poor baby.” Landon planted a kiss on my cheek. “Just let it digest for a few minutes. You’ll be okay.” He took a moment to scan the crowd. When he turned his attention back to me, he was clearly disappointed. “This festival bites.”

  I didn’t bother to hide my smile. “Make sure Mrs. Little knows your opinion. I think she got a little too full of herself. She thought she could launch this thing without a plan, but it didn’t turn out very well, did it?”

  Landon shook his head. “I’ve gotten used to some of the whacked-out stuff you have in this town. I even liked that festival you had in early November where everyone dressed up like pilgrims and played scenes from The Crucible. But this one is pathetic. They don’t even have a kissing booth. How can you have a festival without a kissing booth?”

  “Don’t worry.” I absently patted his hand. “We have one for the Christmas festival. There’s mistletoe everywhere. You’ll be able to kiss chicks to your heart’s content.”

  “I only want to kiss you.”

  “You can do that whenever you want.” I offered up a soft smile when he leaned closer, but I held up my finger to stop him from planting his lips on mine. “Just not right now, because I might puke.”

  “You sure know how to suck the romance out of a moment, sweetie.”

  “Yes, I’m thinking of having business cards made up that say exactly that.” I rested my head on Landon’s shoulder as I rubbed my stomach. “Did you see where Tess went?”

  “No, but I’m eager to watch her during the big show,” Landon replied. “You knew exactly how to set her off. She’s not happy.”

  “It was just a feeling I got,” I admitted. “She thinks of the festival as her home, even though it’s constantly moving.”

  “Do you think she killed Adele?” Landon was serious when he caught my gaze. “She’s small, but if she had help she probably could’ve handled the body. It either has to be a lone man or a team. I’m leaning toward team.”

  “I learned a long time ago that betting against your instincts is probably a bad idea. Still, we don’t know Tess is guilty. She could simply be upset because she convinced herself that things would be fine after Adele’s death and I just threw her entire world view into a tailspin.”

  “We don’t have any evidence that it’s her,” Landon agreed. “But her reaction was not normal. I definitely want to watch her. In fact, I placed a call to your father this afternoon because I want him to watch her and Arthur for me.”

  I stilled, surprised. “You called my dad for a favor?”

  “I did.”

  “What did he say?”

  “I explained what I wanted and he said that he would be sure to watch them for me,” Landon replied. “He was friendly and open to the suggestion.”

  “Hmm. Maybe he’s starting to like you.”

  “I wouldn’t get too excited,” Landon cautioned. “I don’t think we’re going to start fishing together any time soon, but things are warming a bit.”

  I smiled. “I can’t picture you fishing.”

  “Hey, I live in the country now,” Landon reminded me. “I need a hobby that’s normal in the country.”

  “You could grow corn.”

  “No.”

  “You could golf.”

  Landon made a face. “Hitting a ball with a stick has never been my favorite activity. Just for the record, I feel the same way about baseball and tennis.”

  “Good to know. You could … hike.”

  Landon rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing fun about wandering around in the woods. Trust me. I’ve spent enough time wandering around with you in the woods to know that bad things happen out there. I’m thinking that fishing is the way to go.”

  “You know you have to clean the fish after you catch them, right? They smell. They’re also slimy.”

  Landon tilted his head to the side. “How do you feel about getting a hammock? We could make joint weekend naps in a hammock our new hobby.”

  I giggled. “I like that idea.”

  “Me, too.”

  We lapsed into silence, comfortable enjoying each other’s company without forcing conversation. I was just about to suggest moving inside the tent so we could get a good seat for the evening show when Mrs. Little appeared at the edge of the table.

  “Oh, now what?” I didn’t mean to sound whiny, but the words were out of my mouth before I thought better of uttering them.

  “I hate to interrupt your public fornication, but I’m looking for Scarlet.”

  “Fornication?” Landon furrowed his forehead. “I think you’ve been without male companionship so long that you’ve forgotten what that entails. We were just sitting here.”

  “Making out.”

  “We weren’t making out,” Landon argued. “Bay had her head on my shoulder and I had my cheek on her head. If you want us to make out, I’m up for it, but Bay might puke, so it might turn into a weird fetish show. Are you ready for that?”

  “I’m good,” Mrs. Little said dryly. “I’m looking for Scarlet. She was supposed to meet me at my store so we could talk about her big debut. She’s not in her store and I called The Dragonfly and they say she hasn’t been back there in hours.”

  That was interesting. “Maybe she decided she didn’t want to be the focal point of your show,” I suggested.

  “And why would she do that?” Mrs. Little challenged. “She’s going to be everyone’s favorite witch when I’m done with her.”

  I had serious doubts about that. “I haven’t seen her since this afternoon.”

  “I haven’t either,” Landon said. “I’m sure she’ll show up.”

  “She’d better.” Mrs. Little’s tone was dark. “If she goes missing I know exactly who to blame and I’ll call in the Coast Guard to arrest you.”

  “The Coast Guard handles maritime issues,” Landon pointed out.

  “Fine. Then I’ll call in the National Guard. How do you like that?”

  Landon shrugged, unbothered. “At least you’ve given it some thought.”

  “If you see her, tell her I’m looking for her.” Mrs. Little stalked off without a backward glance.

  “What do you make of that?” I asked as I watched her waddle back to her store.

  “Either Scarlet ran because she knew you found out the truth or she’s hiding because she’s worried Aunt Tillie will spread the truth to everyone tonight.”

  “Which do you think?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Hmm. I’m actually feeling better.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Do you want to get some ice cream?”

  “You and I spend way too much time scheduling our lives around food. Have you noticed that?”

  “Is that a no?”

  “Heck no. I want some hot fudge.”

  That sounded exactly how I wanted to spend the next twenty minutes.

  Twenty-Seven

  “Well?”

  Landon kept m
e close as we left the main tent shortly after ten. Chief Terry stood by the opening. They’d texted one another throughout the show, Landon telling Chief Terry to be on the lookout for Scarlet, but other than that he’d been focused on the performances. I was interested, too, of course. Landon was almost obsessive while watching.

  “She’s not at her store and her vehicle isn’t parked anywhere near the downtown area,” Chief Terry replied. “I have no idea where she went.”

  “Did you call my father?” I asked. “She’s staying at The Dragonfly, so it only makes sense that she might be holed up there.”

  Chief Terry shuffled from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. “I thought maybe you could do that.”

  “Why?”

  “I just thought – he’s your father.” Chief Terry averted his gaze and exhaled heavily.

  “Okay.” I reached for my phone, momentarily glancing at Landon before hitting the button to call my father. He picked up on the second ring.

  “This is a nice surprise.” Dad sounded happy. “You don’t usually call on Friday nights. Is Landon working or something?”

  “Landon is with me,” I replied. “It’s not technically a social call.” I felt guilty. I’d been much better about spending time with my father lately, but I was still easily sidetracked where he was concerned. “Landon said he called earlier, but … .” I wasn’t sure how far I should push things.

  “This is about Scarlet Darksbane, right?” All the warmth left Dad’s voice.

  “It is,” I confirmed. “Is she there?”

  “No.”

  “Has she been there?”

  “Ever?” Dad sounded agitated, and I couldn’t blame him. I was asking him to spy on one of his guests.

  “I know this is outside of your comfort level,” I offered. “But it’s important. She was supposed to be down here for a big introduction Mrs. Little had planned. She didn’t show up, and she’s not at her shop.”

  “Well, she’s not here,” Dad said. “I haven’t seen her since breakfast.”

  Even though I knew it would irritate him, I pushed. He was our only source of information. “Did she say anything to you?”

  “Like what?”