Blythe spoke first. “The wheat surrounding her hasn’t been damaged at all. It looks like she’s been dropped from a great height. Poor thing. That must have been why her scream lasted for so long. What a horrible way to go.”
“Who would do that to her?” I asked.
Blythe shook her head. “It’s another murder investigation for you. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. Shall we go closer?”
“No. I’ll contact the doctor and ask her to examine Dana. I’m assuming she’s been dropped, but that might not be the cause of death.” Blythe continued to look at the lifeless body. “Who would do this to Dana? She never hurt anyone in her life.” Her voice caught in her throat. “I can’t talk about this just now. Let’s head back to the town.”
She lifted the front of her broomstick and headed back to Brimstone. By the time I got there, Blythe was standing next to the butterfly tree with her hand out. A butterfly was on her open palm and Blythe was talking to it. It fluttered away as I landed at her side.
Blythe’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as she said, “Cassia, would you mind talking to your gran about Dana? She knows as much as I do about her. I want to talk to the residents and reassure them again. I can see their worried faces looking out at us from their homes. As soon as Dr Morgan has examined Dana, I’ll let you know what she’s found. Is that okay with you?”
“Of course it is. I’ll get on with my investigation immediately.” I put my hand on her arm. “This isn’t your fault. You didn’t know your cousins were going to let black magic loose on Brimstone.”
She gave me a sad smile. “But I should have known. I should have felt something in the air.” She blinked rapidly. “There’s nothing I can do about that now. Not yet anyway. Excuse me.” She walked swiftly away.
Stanley said, “She feels so guilty. I can sense it on her.”
“I can too. We can help her by dealing with this latest murder as quickly as possible. Let’s go back home and see if Gran is back.”
Gran was back. The second we stepped through the door, we were confronted by her angry face.
She jabbed a finger at the door and demanded, “Who broke my door? And where have you two been? Why are you looking so miserable? Has somebody died?”
Chapter 3
Gran was just as distressed as Blythe to hear about Dana Murphy dying. I explained what had happened to Stanley and me in the kitchen, and then what had happened to the door.
I said to Gran, “I fixed the door using magic. How did you know it had been broken?”
She tapped the side of her nose. “I’m a wise and powerful witch. I know everything. But you gave the game away by putting it back upside down. I’ve sorted it out now.”
After I’d told Gran about Dana, we went up to the kitchen and I put the kettle on. Gran needed a strong cup of tea. I did too. Stanley said he’d like a bowl of double cream.
Once Gran and I were settled with our drinks at the kitchen table, Gran asked me to repeat everything I’d told her in the cellar.
She listened silently and when I finished, she said, “I’ve known Dana since she was a baby. She was such a sweet-natured girl. Always smiling. Always wanting to help. What do you know about banshees?”
I shrugged. “Not much. I know they’re supposed to scream when someone is about to die. I’ve been doing some research about supernatural creatures online and I saw a drawing of a banshee. It showed an old woman shrieking at a terrified young man.”
Gran tutted and shook her head. “That’s not how banshees are at all. It’s true that they are aware when someone is about to die. Whether they scream or not is a personal matter. Let me tell you about Dana’s family.” She drained her cup. “Could I have another cup of tea, please? I’m still in shock about poor Dana.”
“Of course. I’ll get you some chocolate biscuits too.” I stood up and was about to ask Stanley if he wanted anything else. My little friend was asleep on his cushion so I left him in peace.
I made Gran another cup of tea and placed a plate full of assorted biscuits in front of her.
Gran cradled her hands around her cup and began, “Dana’s grandma came to Brimstone when Dana’s mum was a young girl. They’d come from a town where the residents expected Dana’s grandma to scream every time she spotted someone on the verge of death. They even paid her to attend the funeral of the poor soul afterwards and to shriek and wail throughout. The louder she was, the better. Dana’s mum was expected to do the same and they made a terrible noise between them. The residents of the town gave them the names of ‘The Shrieking Lady’ and ‘The Screaming Child’. They were expected to be miserable all the time and couldn’t crack a smile because it would seem disrespectful to the recently deceased. Dana’s grandma didn’t want that kind of life for her daughter and made the decision to leave.”
“What happened when they came to Brimstone?”
“Dana’s grandma made the mistake of screaming at one of her new neighbours. She thought she was being helpful by alerting them to the fact they were about to pop their clogs. They weren’t at all grateful and hated the noise she was making. They told her to keep her screams to herself. They were polite about it which shocked Dana’s grandma as she was used to everyone wanting her to scream and yell. But it was a welcome relief and she soon adapted to her new life. She was grateful that her daughter didn’t have to mourn on demand. They did let out the occasional scream by accident, but they apologised profusely afterwards.” Gran took a sip of her tea. “Things changed when Dana came along.”
“What happened?” I asked. I took a biscuit and dunked it into my tea. I shoved the soggy mess in my mouth. If Gran wasn’t going to eat the biscuits, then I would. There was no point putting them back in the cupboard.
“Like all banshees, Dana had the gift of sensing when someone would die soon. She was only three years old when she first demonstrated this. She was out with her mum in the town centre when they stopped to chat to an old goblin. Dana said she could see a rainbow surrounding him and that he was going away soon. She said she could see other goblins beyond the rainbow waiting for him. They were smiling. The old goblin asked for a description of the waiting goblins, and when Dana provided that, he knew it was his mum and dad who were waiting for him. He asked if he was going to die soon and Dana said yes. He wasn’t angry. He was delighted to know his parents were waiting for him and thanked Dana for telling him so.
“Dana’s mum was worried that news would get out about Dana’s abilities and her little girl would be expected to scream every time someone was near death. She began to look for somewhere else for the family to live. Word did get out about Dana but the citizens of Brimstone didn’t expect screams and wails. They wanted to know who was waiting for them. Dana loved chatting to them. She liked seeing the rainbow surrounding them and said it made her feel warm and happy inside. Her enthusiasm spread to whoever she was talking to and soon made them feel relaxed about their impending death. She never screamed at anyone. It may sound strange to say this, but she offered assurance to those who were about to pass away.”
I nodded. “I can understand that. No one wants to think about dying, but I suppose it’s comforting to know who’s waiting for you when you do.” Tears sprang to my eyes. I hoped Mum would be waiting for me when my time came.
Gran must have known what I was thinking because she put her cup down and placed her warm hands over mine. “I’ll be waiting for you too.”
I gave her a thankful smile. “That’s nice to know, but you’re not going anywhere for a long time. Tell me more about Dana and her family.”
“They lived peacefully in Brimstone. Dana continued to chat to those who needed it. The residents in Brimstone were grateful and while Dana’s family wouldn’t accept money, they received thank-you gifts with appreciation. When Dana’s grandma and mum passed away, Dana said she wanted to do more to help. Her abilities had developed and she was able to work out the day when someone would die. She offered her services
to the local retirement homes. They loved her there. She would speak to residents weeks before they were about to die. That gave them enough time to say goodbye to their families and to make sure their affairs were in order.” Gran smiled. “A lot of them decided to have farewell parties. I’ve been to some of the wilder ones. So has Blythe. There has been a lot of dancing and a lot of drinking. The residents of the retirement homes were so grateful to Dana for the service she provided. Some of them couldn’t wait to die and meet up with their loved ones.” Gran’s smile faded. “I don’t understand why someone would want to kill Dana - if that is the case. She never caused any problems for anyone. I just don’t understand it.”
“Did she do work anywhere else?” I asked. “She can’t have survived just on thank-you gifts from everyone. Did she have money coming in from elsewhere?”
Gran nodded. “She did. She worked on a commission basis for a couple of funeral companies, or she used to. Once she told someone they were going to die, she’d mention those funeral homes and if the soon-to-be-deceased contacted the funeral home, Dana would get a commission. I know she worked closely with one company in particular: Fiona Fairfax. You’ll find her business premises on Cemetery Road. She’s a vampire. Her brother runs a rival company. His business is right next door to his sister’s. I’m not sure if he ever worked with Dana. You could start your investigation by talking to them. They run very different operations.”
I looked at Gran for a moment. I could see how upset she was. “I’ll stay with you for a while. You haven’t finished your tea yet.” I wanted to ask Gran if Dana had approached Mum before she died. I had been seven when Mum passed away and I’d successfully blocked memories of her from my mind. Most of them anyway. I tried to form the words to ask Gran, but the words wouldn’t come.
I changed the subject and we talked about Gran’s shopping trip. She always bumped into old friends when she was out and came back with the latest gossip. She didn’t disappoint me now and regaled me with tales of who was having a hip/knee/eye replaced and who had won the bingo/lottery or online poker.
It was thirty minutes later when I gently woke Stanley and told him we were going back to Brimstone.
Chapter 4
There was someone waiting for us as we stepped through to Brimstone. Someone unwelcome. My hand tightened around my broomstick.
“What does she want?” Stanley hissed. “And why does she always wait for us outside this door? Can’t you make an Astrid-repellent spell for this area?”
Astrid was not my favourite person in Brimstone. I’d tried to get along with her, but it was impossible. She hated me. I knew that for a fact because she’d told me so the last time that we’d met. Astrid was the girlfriend of Luca, and Luca was my childhood friend. I hadn’t seen him since I was seven and when I’d returned to Brimstone a few months ago we had become firm friends again. Even though I was attracted to Luca, I would never get in the way of his relationship with Astrid. I wouldn’t do that to anyone. I’d explained this to Astrid but she was too consumed with jealousy to believe me.
I forced a smile to my face and said to her, “Hello, Astrid. You have a habit of popping up here. Can you excuse us? We’re busy and don’t have time to talk to you.”
Stanley added, “And we don’t have time to listen to you calling us nasty names. What malicious things are you planning to do to us next?”
Astrid blinked and opened her mouth.
I held my hand up. “We don’t want to hear what you’ve got to say. Can you move? Please.”
Stanley said, “Cassia, I’ve got something to ask her. I want to know when Luca will be back. I bet Astrid tricked him into leaving town so abruptly. I bet his dad isn’t really ill. Luca wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye to us.”
Astrid said, “Luca is still away. His father is ill. I didn’t lie about that.”
She looked if she were going to say a lot more, but I didn’t have time for her. I put my head down and walked around her.
Astrid called out, “I want to talk to you about the murder! The murder of Dana Murphy.”
I turned around and stared at her. “We don’t even know it is a murder yet. Why did you say that?”
She shrugged and looked away. “I just assumed it was. Are you and Stanley dealing with it?”
Stanley hissed, “That’s got nothing to do with you! Don’t even think of interfering in our investigation again. We know what you and your mother did last time. You shapeshifted into Cassia and me and caused problems! The nerve of you!”
Spots of colour came into Astrid’s cheeks. Her voice was subdued as she said, “I apologise for that. I have no excuses. Cassia, are you dealing with the death of Dana Murphy?”
I could feel my teeth grinding. Astrid had that effect on me. She had interfered in my cases before and I wasn’t going to let that happen again.
I took a step closer to Astrid and looked her right in the eyes. I said, “I’ve been reading up on the legal powers I have in Brimstone. You’re a guardian of this town and you’re supposed to help me when I need it. You haven’t helped with any of my cases. You have, in fact, hindered me. I have the legal power to take away your role as a guardian. Furthermore, I can take away your shapeshifting abilities too.”
Astrid gulped and the colour drained from her face. She took a step back.
I hadn’t finished with her yet and went on, “If you’re planning on causing problems in my new investigation, you should think again. I won’t think twice about taking action to protect this town, even if that means taking shapeshifting abilities from you.”
Astrid’s eyes were wide with fear and I felt awful for being so mean. But I had to do it.
I turned away from her and marched down the cobbled path. Stanley padded at my side and whispered, “That was awesome! Your voice was so scary. You told her. Ha!”
I whispered back, “I feel terrible. What’s she doing now?”
Stanley glanced over his shoulder. “She’s standing there with her mouth hanging open. Don’t feel awful about what you said. She’s an evil person. You know that.”
“You’re right.” I lowered my broomstick. “Hop on. I can’t be bothered to walk. And I want to get away from Astrid as quickly as possible.”
Stanley didn’t need telling twice. He jumped on and grinned up at me. He loved flying.
We left the ground and flew over the town. Cemetery Road wasn’t far away. We’d been there before to visit other vampires. Maybe only vampires lived on Cemetery Road. It would be fitting for them.
Gran said the Fairfax funeral buildings were about halfway along the road. She added that we wouldn’t miss them.
Stanley looked down as we flew over the road. He waved his paw to the left. “There! That must be one of them. There’s an open coffin in the front garden. It’s full of flowers.”
We landed in front of the coffin of flowers and looked around in amazement. There were many open coffins here. All of them were overflowing with brightly coloured flowers. The scent coming from them was wonderful and if I looked away from the coffins, I could picture myself being in a garden at the height of summer. I closed my eyes and inhaled the delightful aroma. I loved the smell of flowers.
Stanley nudged into my leg and said, “Cassia, look at that sign above the door.”
I opened my eyes and turned my attention to the single-storey building in front of us. It was made of pale yellow sandstone. Flecks of silver in the stone caught the sunlight and twinkled like little stars. We’d been to The Brimstone Hotel recently, and that was made of the same stone. The sign above the door read ‘Fiona Fairfax Funeral Home - Putting The Fun Into Your Loved One’s Funeral.’
Silver and gold butterflies had been etched into the stone giving the building a magical feel. Rainbow-coloured curtains adorned the windows and vases of flowers stood on the sills. Hanging baskets hung at either side of the door and the flowers cascaded down like a floral waterfall. I looked down and saw we were standing on crazy paving which was pai
nted in various colours. Little toadstools were fixed in the ground along the paving. Each toadstool had a tiny gnome statue on the top holding a lamp. It must look magical at night-time when the lamps were lit.
Stanley said, “I love this place! It’s definitely putting the fun back into funeral for me. Didn’t Esther say Fiona’s brother has a building next door? I wonder what it looks like?” He looked left and then right. He suddenly yelped and leapt backwards.
I looked right and saw a miserable-looking building over the low fence. It looked like something from a horror movie. The sign above the door read ‘Fabrice Fairfax Funeral Home - Death Is No Laughing Matter’. I quickly turned away from the depressing structure.
Stanley shivered. “Will we have to go next door later?”
I nodded. “We might. Let’s talk to Fiona first. Gran said she worked with Dana a lot.”
We walked along the crazy paving towards the front door. It was ajar and we heard cheerful music coming from inside. A sign on the door told us to enter and that we were most welcome.
A young woman was standing just inside the door. She was wearing a light grey trouser suit which had silver and gold sequins dotted around the collar and cuffs. A rainbow-coloured tie brightened up the white blouse she was wearing. She had short brown hair which was shot through with red and orange.
She attempted a smile. “Hello. I’m Fiona Fairfax. How can I help you today?” Her voice wobbled as she spoke. Her face was pale but I got the impression it wasn’t just because she was a vampire.
“I’m Cassia, and this is Stanley. We’d like to talk to you about Dana Murphy. I believed you worked with her.”
Fiona’s eyes filled with tears and she began to tremble. “We didn’t just work together. We were best friends. I can’t believe I won’t see her again.” She burst into tears.
I moved over to Fiona and put my arms around her heaving shoulders. There was a time to ask questions, and there was a time to comfort the bereaved.
Brimstone Witch Mysteries - Box Set 2 Page 2