by K E O'Connor
I sighed and slumped in my seat. “I have to figure this out.”
“The angels will work out what happened.” Caprice patted my knee.
“You have heard about Angel Force?”
“Oh, I know all about them. More beauty than brains. But someone must know what happened to Bastille. Is there any more evidence about a demon being involved?”
“Nothing so far. Our prison is secure and all inmates accounted for. I’m planning a search of the village to be certain we don’t have any unwanted guests.”
Caprice nodded. “With your help, the killer will be revealed.”
“I shouldn’t really be helping,” I said. “Don’t mention that I’ve been to see you to anyone. I’ve been told to steer clear of this investigation because I know most of the suspects.”
“And you must be a suspect yourself,” Caprice said. “Bastille was around when you were growing up, and you were there last night.”
“Thanks for pointing the finger at me.”
Caprice tutted. “Tempest Crypt, you’ve just interrogated me and checked my alibi. I get to do the same back. It doesn’t feel great, does it?”
She was right. It felt lousy trying to find motives for any of these witches.
I stood and headed to the door. “I didn’t mean to offend you, but I have to help Auntie Queenie, and all of you, get to the bottom of this.”
“I know. I don’t take it personally. We all want to find out what happened.” Caprice stood and walked to the door. “I won’t say a word to the angels about your sneaky visit. I hope you can solve this.”
“So do I. Come on, Wiggles.” I opened the door and poked my head out. The corridor was clear of angels.
Wiggles wriggled out from under the bed and joined me in the corridor.
“Which room is Samantha in?” I asked Caprice.
“She’s next to me.” Caprice gestured to the left.
“Thanks.” I whispered a goodbye to her as she closed the door.
“What’s our next move?” Wiggles asked.
“Let’s see if Samantha’s around.” I was interested to learn how worried she was that she might never see the money she loaned Bastille. Was she worried enough to kill over it?
Chapter 7
I crept along the corridor with Wiggles and tapped lightly on Samantha’s door.
I was pushing my luck. Although I couldn’t see any angels, I sensed them, and they weren’t far behind me in interviewing Samantha. I had to make this quick.
Samantha opened the door, her green eyes widening when she saw me. “Tempest! This is a surprise.”
“I’m on a mission. Mind if I come in?”
“Of course not.” Samantha stood to one side.
I hurried into the room with Wiggles and waited as she closed the door. “I’m trying to figure out what happened to Bastille.”
“Aren’t we all,” Samantha said. “Queenie mentioned you’ve been solving crimes with the angels. What’s your theory about this one?”
“I don’t have anything concrete. I’m certain none of you did it, although Auntie Queenie mentioned that Caprice and Bastille didn’t get along.” I paced the room as I talked.
Samantha cocked her head. “They had their moments. Caprice can be a little full of herself. She even snipes at me.”
I stopped pacing. “About what?”
Samantha smirked. “I married well, and she doesn’t like that. I’ve always put her little digs down to jealousy.”
“Was she jealous of Bastille?”
“No, Caprice is old money. That comes with an unhealthy dollop of looking down on others. Bastille was never fussed about material possessions or owning a fancy house. If anything, she took pleasure in annoying Caprice by wearing the same outfits when we met. I bet she kept a record of what she wore so she could don it again just to rile Caprice.” Samantha chuckled and shook her head. “Bastille had an odd sense of humor.”
“Did their arguing ever get intense?”
“Now and again, but Bastille was generally relaxed about it. She took a lot of criticism from Caprice and rarely fired back. Caprice picked on her, but we always warned her off if she got her claws out. Bastille was one of us. It didn’t matter how much money she had or if she patched her clothes rather than buying new.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Talking of money, Caprice mentioned you gave Bastille a loan.”
Samantha pursed her lips. “She does love to gossip. I made no secret of it. As I said, I married well, and a former partner still treats me from time to time, so I always have money to spare.”
“Lucky you.” Samantha was the youngest of the group at a sexy, redheaded fifty-five, although she looked at least ten years younger. Although she had fine lines around her eyes, they sparkled with vitality, and her curves still attracted the attention of plenty of guys.
“I treat my men well, and they return the favor. Even when we’re no longer together.” Samantha smiled slyly. “Anyway, we’re getting off the point. The money I loaned Bastille wasn’t a problem. I said I’d give it to her, but Bastille insisted she pay me back.”
“And did she?”
“She paid back a little when she could. She suggested a regular payment plan, but I didn’t want to stress her about monthly payments. With her illness concerning her, she had enough going on. If I never saw that money again, it wouldn’t bother me. I don’t miss it. I don’t need it. She did.”
“You mentioned Bastille was unwell. Did she use the money for her treatment?”
“Bastille has been unwell on and off for at least ten years. She had periods when she seemed fine, then six months later, she’d be coughing and looking exhausted. Recently, her skin has had a worrying gray tinge to it. There were times when she was so drained she could barely get out of bed.”
“No one could figure out what made her so sick?”
“She had all kinds of tests and tried various spells. Nothing stuck for long. The healing and magic treated the symptoms but not the reason for the lingering illness. Every time her illness returned, she seemed weaker. I was worried about her. It’s why I was happy to give her money for more treatment, even though it didn’t have much effect. She was fine for about eight weeks, but the symptoms crept back.”
A worrying thought entered my head. “Could her ill health be related to her death?”
Samantha’s eyes widened. “I can’t see why it would be. What are you thinking?”
“How desperate was Bastille to get well?”
“I imagine she’d do just about anything to feel better.”
“Including making a deal with a demon?”
Samantha’s hand went to her mouth. “No! She wouldn’t do that. Bastille would never trust a demon. We’ve dealt with enough of them over the years.”
I tapped my fingers against my arm. “If not a demon, could she have tried to heal herself using obscure magic, and it backfired?”
Samantha lowered her hand, concern in her eyes. “Bastille was the weakest of the group when it came to magic, but she still held her own. The elemental essences were never a problem for her, and fire magic was something she managed with ease.”
“Did you see her body? Could this have been an accident? A spell went badly wrong, and she injured herself.”
Samantha looked away. “I did see her. Unless she choked herself with her own flaming hands, this was no accident.”
I sighed. It had been a long shot. “What will you tell the angels when they ask where you were last night?”
“You mean, what’s my alibi?”
I shrugged. “I have to ask.”
Samantha crossed her arms over her chest. “I was in the hotel.”
“All night?”
“I came back with the others.”
“You didn’t leave your room at any time?”
Samantha bit her bottom lip. “Does it matter if I did?”
“It will if you went into the garden at the same time as Bastille.”
Saman
tha sighed. “No, I didn’t do that, but I don’t want anybody to know where I was. The girls will tease me.”
“About what?”
She teased a strand of hair around her fingers. “I didn’t see any harm in it.”
I stepped closer. “What did you do?”
“I snuck out for a couple of hours to see my ex. He lives in Willow Tree Falls. It was nothing underhanded, but I didn’t want it getting back to my husband. He can be terribly jealous if he sees me so much as talking to another man. I love him dearly and would never be unfaithful, but he has trust issues.”
“Okay, so what time did you leave the hotel to see this ex-boyfriend?”
“After midnight, after I was sure everyone was in their rooms. My ex is good to me. He still sends me gifts and checks up on me now and again. It would have been rude if I’d come all this way and not dropped by to say hello.”
It did seem suspicious that she just happened to drop by in the middle of the night. Why not meet for coffee in broad daylight when everyone could see what they were up to? I decided not to mention that. “You were catching up for old time’s sake?”
“Exactly! There was nothing dubious about it.”
“Who’s your ex?”
Samantha tilted her head. “Toby Matlock.”
I grabbed the wall, feeling certain the room had just tilted. “You used to date Toby?”
She nodded. “We were together for five years.”
“I had no idea. What happened to make you separate?”
“Toby’s a lovely man and always generous, but he has old-fashioned values. He didn’t like me working or traveling without him. He wants a traditional housewife, the kind who’ll cook his meals and run around in a frilly apron, fluffing cushions and making sure his slippers are warmed by the fire. That’s not me. I love my freedom. I’m not complaining about the wonderful trips we took together or the way he’d shower me with gifts and compliments, but we weren’t right for each other.”
“I can see why. I’d find it stifling being checked up on all the time.”
“As did I. We discussed it like adults. He was honest and said that was what he wanted, and I didn’t. I was sad that we parted, but we left it on friendly terms.” Samantha shook her head. “I hate to think that Bastille was fighting for her life as I was swanning off to see an old boyfriend.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how old were you when you dated Toby?”
“Oh, well, I was in my late twenties. I was involved with the gang and living in Willow Tree Falls. Why do you ask?”
“Toby’s the same age as you?”
“That’s right. We grew up together. We’ve been friends since childhood. He was a charming rogue, even back then.”
I did a quick calculation in my head and grimaced. Toby was older than I’d thought. If he was the same age as Samantha, he was old enough to be Aurora’s father. What was she doing with him? It wasn’t that I didn’t understand the allure of an older man, but there was old and then there was decrepit.
Samantha touched my arm. “I suspect you’re not asking about Toby because of what happened to Bastille.”
I rubbed my forehead. “You’re right. Toby’s seeing a much younger woman. I don’t think she has any idea how old he actually is.”
“He’s a well-preserved warlock. I’ll give him that. He uses magic to give himself a more youthful appearance. He likes to hide how old he really is.” Her eyes narrowed a fraction. “I had no idea he was seeing anybody. He didn’t mention it when we had drinks together.”
“They’re keeping their relationship quiet, but it’s moving fast, and I’m worried. There’s talk of them moving in together.”
Samantha tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I urge you to tell this young woman to be careful, unless she wants to live the life of a kept housewife, darning Toby’s socks and cooking his meals. Toby will expect her to remain at home while he works. He won’t like her out, socializing with friends, unless he’s there. For all his charm, he’s too possessive. Make sure this woman knows what she’s letting herself in for.”
“I will.” I tucked away this information about Toby and Samantha. Despite Aurora being besotted with Toby, I had to tell her what he had in mind for their future. Aurora would never give up Heaven’s Door. She’d built a thriving business from scratch. She wouldn’t abandon that for a life of tedium as Toby’s live-in skivvy and sock darner.
Samantha leaned against the wall and cocked her head. “If you’ve ruled me out through your not-so-subtle questions, who’s next on the list?”
I hadn’t completely ruled her out, but her alibi would be easy to check. “Who would you point the finger at?”
“None of us! We all had our squabbles but nothing serious enough to kill over.”
“And you didn’t see anybody when you went out to meet Toby?” I asked. “You didn’t hear voices in the garden or anything like that?”
Samantha twisted her mouth to the side. “I didn’t hear voices, but I heard someone walking along the corridor after I got back from drinks with Toby. I poked my head out the door to have a look. I was curious as to who’d be about so late.”
I leaned forward. “Who was it?”
“Esmeralda. And she was gone for ages, at least an hour. I was dozing off when I heard her footsteps again and her door close. She’s in the room opposite me, so I heard everything.”
“Did you see where she went?”
“No, but she went along the corridor.”
“Could she have been heading downstairs to the garden?”
Samantha’s eyes widened. “Well, it’s possible. The stairs are in that direction. But they had no problem with each other. Although...”
“Although what?”
“No, it’s nothing. Esmeralda can be sharp with people, but she didn’t do that exclusively with Bastille. That’s just her manner. She’s a no-nonsense sort of woman. She speaks her mind and doesn’t care if it offends anybody.”
“Has she offended Bastille?” I asked. “Could Bastille have confronted her about something she said and things turned nasty between them?”
“No, that’s not Bastille’s way.” Samantha gave a decisive shake of her head. “The worst she’d do is have a sulk and keep it to herself. Esmeralda’s the opposite. She doesn’t keep things bottled up. If she wants to do something, she gets on with it. If she discovers a problem, or you’ve done something to annoy her, you soon know about it because she wants it solved.”
I tensed as I heard voices in the corridor. I’d been here too long and had to get out before the angels found me.
Samantha glanced at the door. “I bet those gorgeous angels won’t be happy to catch you quizzing me.”
I winced when a knock came on Samantha’s door. I was out of time. “I need to hide.”
Samantha looked around the room. “I’m not sure where to put you.”
“Under here’s good.” Wiggles’ voice sounded muffled.
I knelt on the floor and found him under the bed, chewing on what might once have been a pair of Samantha’s silky undergarments. “This will have to do.” I slid under the bed on my stomach.
“Mrs. Smythe-Barrow,” an angel said from outside the room. “We’re here about Bastille. Have you got a moment?”
“Are you all set?” she whispered to me.
“I’m good.” I tried to yank the remains of the underwear from Wiggles’ mouth, but he growled and held on tight.
“I’ll be right there,” Samantha called to the angels.
I tried to get comfortable under the bed as I heard the door open and Samantha invite the angels in.
Wiggles squirmed over to my side and spat out the soggy fabric. “Not as good as lace,” he whispered.
I pressed a finger against my lips as I listened to the angels ask the same questions as I did. Samantha’s story was the same. She even admitted to seeing Toby but requested their discretion in confirming her alibi.
My idea that Samantha needed he
r money back from Bastille had come to nothing as far as finding a decent motive for Bastille’s murder. And her alibi would be simple to check, although I wasn’t looking forward to having that conversation with the smarmy Toby.
My chat with Caprice also hadn’t helped, especially not with her pointing the finger at Auntie Queenie. She was many things, but Auntie Queenie was no killer.
“I’m going to sneeze,” Wiggles whispered. His nose wrinkled, and his mouth opened.
I grabbed his mouth and clamped it shut. A flicker of flame drifted out of the corner of his mouth, and the foul stench of brimstone filled the air.
An angel coughed. “Is there something wrong with the plumbing in this hotel?”
“Hmmm, it does smell a little odd in here,” Samantha said. “I’ll open a window.”
I glared at Wiggles, who cocked his ears and wagged his tail.
“It must be the old plumbing pipes,” Samantha said. “I’ve had problems with an unusual smell since I checked in.”
“I heard this place is haunted,” one of the angels said. “Make sure there’s nothing scary under your bed.”
I stopped breathing and didn’t move, willing the angels not to do anything daft like look under Samantha’s bed for things that went bump in the night.
Samantha laughed. “Oh, what nonsense. And, even if there were ghosts here, I’d soon scare them off with a spell or two.”
The angels laughed politely.
“Well, if there’s nothing else I can do for you.”
“No, that’s all,” an angel said. “We’d appreciate it if you remain in Willow Tree Falls for now, until this matter is cleared up.”
“Oh, well, I can’t stay too long. My husband’s expecting me home.” For someone who didn’t like possessive guys, Samantha sounded like she’d married badly. Maybe she overlooked his flaws because he had a bulging bank balance.
“This shouldn’t take more than a few days. We’re confident we’ll find who killed your friend.”
Samantha let out a sigh. “That’s good to know. Let me show you out.”
I heard the door open and close.
“It’s safe to come out,” Samantha whispered.