Astrid cast a look my way. “Grandad, I’m supposed to be helping Cassia.”
Bert smiled at me. “You don’t mind if I borrow my granddaughter for a while, do you? I love it when she visits me. She’s so like her mother, Stella. They have the same eyes.”
I’d met Astrid’s mum and I clearly remembered the way her cold eyes had looked at me.
Astrid said, “Grandad, I can come back to help you later. I promise.”
Bert’s smile faded. “But the tricky little things might escape. You know what they’re like.”
I said to Astrid, “You stay with your grandad. We’ll talk to the owner of the home and catch up with you later.”
“Are you sure?” she asked with hope in her eyes.
“Of course.” The hope in her eyes was making her look human. I didn’t like it.
Bert said, “Thank you, Cassia. I appreciate it. Say hello to Esther for me. Cheerio.” He waved in farewell and then put his arm around Astrid as he led her away.
Stanley and I watched them in silence.
Stanley said, “I like Bert, but I still don’t like Astrid.”
“I feel the same. Let’s go and talk to the owner of this home.” I looked down at Stanley and added, “You’ve got two castaway caterpillars on your tail.”
Stanley indicated his head towards my broomstick. “You’ve got four in there. They’re tricky little things, aren’t they?”
Chapter 9
We walked into the building to our right and came to the reception area. A large desk on the left contained big jars of sweets and plates of cupcakes and biscuits. A sign told us to help ourselves. I nodded and thought I’d take up that offer later. There was a large noticeboard behind the desk and brightly coloured letters had been placed in the middle of it: ‘Welcome To The Caterpillar Retirement Home!’ Images of little caterpillars were crawling through the letters and I had to stare at them for a while to make sure they weren’t real creatures who had escaped from the garden. Many ‘Thank You’ cards were pinned to the noticeboard.
I said to Stanley, “Can you see any members of staff anywhere?”
Stanley glanced left and right. “Nope.”
I rang the little bell that was on the reception desk and leapt back as a smiling elf popped up. He was about four feet tall and the smile on his face made his cheeks stretch right out. His short hair was combed neatly over his little pointy ears. He was wearing a light brown shirt which had the name of the home on it.
“Hello!” he declared cheerfully. “Sorry about that. I was playing hide and seek with some house gnomes. I’ve been hiding down here for over ten minutes. I think they’ve forgotten about me.” His smile increased even more. “I’m Cody Yinran. I manage this home. Although, I think sometimes that the residents manage it better than me!” He waved his hand to the side. “Help yourself to these treats. Someone is always baking something delicious in our kitchen.”
“Perhaps later, thank you. I’m Cassia Winter, and this is Stanley.”
“Of course! I thought I recognised the family features. I know your gran well. How is she?”
“She’s good.”
“Super. Say hello to her from me, will you? Thanks.”
I nodded. I could hear bursts of laughter and happy chatter coming from down the hallway. I said to Cody, “There’s a lovely atmosphere in this place. How long have you worked here?”
“For about ten years,” Cody replied. “My grandparents were here for a while and I came to visit them often. I loved coming here, and I chatted to many residents. I started to do volunteer work which eventually led to a permanent job.” He chuckled. “It doesn’t feel like work at all. Most residents can take perfectly good care of themselves. They try to take care of me too! The residents have busy social lives and there is always something going on.” His smile dropped a little. “We have a few residents who do need a bit more looking after. But we’re like one, big happy family here. We look out for each other.”
“We’re here to talk about Dana Murphy,” I said. “How often did she visit?”
The smile fell from Cody’s face and his shoulders dropped. “Poor Dana. I can’t believe we’ll never see her again. She was like a breath of fresh air whenever she came here. The residents loved seeing her. She had excellent listening skills and had all the time in the world for everyone. Our residents here have different beliefs on what happens to them when they die. Dana never judged anyone for their beliefs. She brought them great comfort as they prepared to move on.”
I asked, “How did Dana work? Did she only talk to those who were close to death?”
Cody shook his head. “She spoke to everyone. When she spotted someone who was getting close to the end, she would take them to one side and tell them. Although many of our residents are energetic and live life to the full, most seemed relieved to know they were going to die soon. Some admitted they were tired and were ready to rest. They liked being told it would happen soon. Dana shared that journey with them. She didn’t leave them to cope on their own.” He gave us a sad smile. “She’ll be greatly missed.”
“Are you talking about Dana Murphy?” a male voice behind us said.
“Yes, Mitchell, we are,” Cody replied. “Cassia and Stanley here are asking about her.”
A small being appeared in front of us. He came up to my knees. He was wearing a dark suit, a white shirt and a grey tie. His face was pale and drawn. I had no idea what sort of being he was.
He looked up at me and said, “Hello, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard about the work you’ve done in our town. I’m Mitchell Gnubles. My father – ” his voice caught in his throat and he looked away.
Cody said, “Mitchell’s father, Ralf, passed away recently. We had his funeral a few days ago. It was a wonderful event. Lots of fun.”
Mitchell looked back at me. “Yes, it was fun. I don’t know why I’m so upset. Dad knew he was going to die and we had plenty of time to say goodbye to each other. It’s still a shock to think I won’t see him again.” He reached into his pocket and took out a card. He handed it to Cody. “Here’s a thank-you card for your noticeboard. Thank you doesn’t seem enough for all you did for Dad. His last years here were wonderful. He was always smiling, even near the end.”
Cody leant over the desk and took the card. “Thanks. I’ll put this in the middle of the board. I was just telling Cassia how Dana worked when she came here.”
Mitchell nodded. “She was amazing with Dad. He was shocked at first to hear that he was going to die soon, but by the time he’d had talks with Dana, he was quite excited about the process.” A slow smile spread across his face. “He had a wonderful funeral. He would have enjoyed it. We had a small farewell party when he was still alive, but he wanted to spend the majority of his money on the funeral. I’ve got some photographs of that day. Would you like to see them?”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I’d never seen anyone taking photos at a funeral. But they could be useful to my investigation. “Thank you. I would like to see them.”
Mitchell nodded. “I haven’t got them with me. I’ll pop back with them later.”
I asked him, “Who arranged your dad’s funeral?”
“It was Fiona Fairfax. She did a great job. It was just what Dad wanted.” Mitchell frowned. “I was approached by her brother just after Dad’s farewell party. He said he could do the funeral at a better price. I know what sort of funerals he offers, so I told him no. Dad wouldn’t have liked one of his depressing funerals at all.”
Cody said, “I don’t think many residents would like a funeral arranged by Fabrice Fairfax. That doesn’t stop him bothering residents about his services. He’s always hanging around here.”
I said, “Can I ask you both a difficult question? Do you know if Dana had any enemies?”
Cody and Mitchell gasped in shock at the same time.
Cody said, “Enemies? No. Absolutely not.”
Mitchell added, “How could anyone hate such a wonderful being as Dan
a Murphy?”
I didn’t add that someone obviously had hated her enough to kill her. I showed Cody the list of four residents who Dana had spoken to recently about their forthcoming deaths.
Cody said, “They’re all doing different activities at the moment. I’ll let them know you want to speak to them. Shall I send you a message to let you know they’re available?”
“Yes, please. As soon as possible.” I heard a shuffling noise behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw a familiar figure trying to sneak past me. “Mrs Tarblast! What are you doing here?”
The little garden gnome behind me hitched up her red polka-dot dress and raced out of the building.
“Stop!” I yelled after her.
Stanley cried out, “I’ll get her!”
He ran after Mrs Tarblast, and I ran after Stanley.
Chapter 10
The little gnome’s legs were a blur as she legged it down the driveway. But she was no match for Stanley and he leapt in front of her causing her to come to an abrupt stop. By the time I reached them, Mrs Tarblast was giving Stanley a verbal ear bashing and demanding he move out of the way.
I stopped at the side of Mrs Tarblast and said, “Don’t talk to Stanley like that. He was acting on my behalf. Why were you running away?”
I’d first met Mrs Tarblast when I’d investigated the murder of a centaur. She had kept vital information from me which had hindered the case. During the investigation, I’d discovered that Mrs Tarblast made her own concoctions and herbal remedies from plants and other things. Some of the plants she used were illegal in Brimstone. Going by the way she was now holding her covered basket close to her chest, I suspected that she was up to no good again.
Spots of red appeared on Mrs Tarblast’s cheeks. They were as red as her dress. She puffed her chest out and said, “I wasn’t running away. I was merely in a rush, that’s all. I’ve got things to do and friends to see. If you would kindly call off your guard cat, I’ll be on my way.”
“Not so fast,” I said. “Why were you in the home? Were you providing your own kind of services there?”
“Certainly not!” She tried to look indignant but failed. “I was visiting my cousin. She has restless gnome-knee syndrome and I brought her a little something to relieve the pain and help her sleep.”
“Aha!” I pointed at her. “You admit you’re here to provide your services!”
She pulled her basket closer. “I’m not providing a service at all. I’m helping my cousin get a good night’s sleep. I haven’t charged her for my herbal tea; I’ve given it to her out of the goodness of my heart.” She peered up at me. “I can give you some tea too. You look as if you need a good sleep. How about I give you a couple of tea bags and you let me go on my way?”
“No. You can’t get around me like that. Have you sold or given any of your other products to the residents in the home? Tell me the truth. I haven’t got time for any of your lies.”
Mrs Tarblast tutted. “I don’t lie. I’m just picky about when I tell the truth. Yes, I have supplied some therapeutic remedies to the residents. The manager, Cody Yinran, looks at everything I supply. I don’t sneak in behind his back and peddle my wares like some backstreet gnome. It’s all above board.”
“Really?” I looked down at her. “What have you provided?”
“Things to help with aches and pains. Teas and pills to help people sleep. Potions to help with anxiety and stress. They’re all mild if taken in the right doses. Cody’s in charge of the doses.” She sighed in a resigned manner. “Honestly, Cassia, I’m not doing anything untoward. The residents here are getting on in years and they want their remaining days to be as pain free as possible.”
“Do you get paid?” I asked.
She shook her head. “All I want in return for my remedies is a place here when I’m ready. This is a popular place and there’s a waiting list. Cody promised me he would give me a room when the time is right for me. Cody has a list of all the medications I’ve given him. I’m happy to provide you with a list of ingredients for every product I’ve supplied.”
I stared down at her for a moment. I could see how earnest she was. But she had fooled me before. I said, “I will be checking Cody’s records. Stanley and I are dealing with the death of Dana Murphy. Did you know her?”
Mrs Tarblast gave me a sad nod. “I did. Everyone knew her. She was lovely. I felt chills run up and down my body this morning when I heard her scream.” She shivered. “That sound will haunt me for days. Do you know who killed her yet?”
“I don’t. We’ve only just started with our investigation. Do you know if she had any enemies?”
Mrs Tarblast cast a look over her shoulder at the retirement home and then looked back at us. “I did overhear an argument she had with someone last week. I was in the back gardens picking some herbs when I heard the argument.” She put a hand up. “Before you think the worst, I have permission to pick those herbs. Anyway, I was bent over and hidden in the undergrowth when I heard Dana talking to someone. She was saying it was her duty to tell them they were about to die; it was what she did.”
“Who was she talking to?” I asked.
“I was getting to that bit!” Mrs Tarblast pursed her lips and looked me over. “You’re very impatient. I can give you some pills for that. Dana was talking to a fairy called Skye Cedarmist. She’s a lumber fairy who works in the forest. They were talking about Skye’s husband, Halent. Dana had told him recently that he was going to die. Apparently, he was relieved to hear it and was making plans for his farewell party. Skye argued with Dana and said Halent only came into the retirement home for a rest. Skye said Halent was supposed to leave after a couple of weeks and return to the family home, but because Dana had told Halent he was dying, he’d accepted it and was ready to give up on life.”
“What did Dana say about that?” I asked.
“She didn’t get the chance to say anything. Skye called her a few choice names which I won’t repeat. Skye argued that Dana should have told her that Halent was going to die soon, and then Skye could decide whether to let Halent know or not. Dana’s reply was that she always told the resident first and would continue to do so. She was quite adamant about that and Skye didn’t like it one bit. She said Dana should keep her mouth shut and stop sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. It all went quiet then so I presumed they’d left the garden.”
I looked towards the retirement home. “Halent Cedarmist is on my list of residents who I need to talk to. He’s already arranged his funeral with Fiona Fairfax.” I looked back at Mrs Tarblast. “Where will I find Skye?”
Mrs Tarblast shrugged. “I’m not sure. The lumber fairies move around the forest depending on the work they do.”
“I know where they are.” Astrid suddenly appeared at our side. She had the annoying habit of silently appearing.
Mrs Tarblast jumped. “Where did you come from? You shouldn’t sneak up on beings like that!”
Astrid replied, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I overheard what you were saying about Skye Cedarmist. As a guardian, I am told where the lumber fairies will be working. I need to know so I can warn woodland creatures to keep away from any dangerous work. Cassia, I can tell you where Skye is working now.” She smiled. “Or I can show you? If you’re going to ask Skye about Dana, I’d like to be there with you.”
“Hang on a minute,” Mrs Tarblast said. She prodded a finger at Astrid. “Why are you being so nice to Cassia? You’ve done nothing but bad-mouth her since she arrived in Brimstone. Are you under an enchantment spell or something?”
Astrid blushed. “I’m trying to make amends with Cassia and Stanley. I’m helping them with their investigation.”
Mrs Tarblast didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to as her face said it all. It was clear she didn’t believe a word Astrid was saying.
Astrid looked away from the gnome’s accusing eyes and said to me, “Skye’s working about five miles away. I’ll change into my deer form and travel that w
ay. If you follow on your broomstick, I’ll make sure I keep you in my sights. How does that sound?”
“That sounds okay,” I said coolly. “How’s your grandad?”
“He’s fine. He’s having a sleep now. He always gets tired after having visitors.” She looked towards the gates. “Are you ready to go now?”
“I am.” I lowered my broomstick and Stanley jumped onto it.
Astrid turned into a beautiful deer with huge, pale blue eyes. She blinked and then moved through the open gates.
Mrs Tarblast hissed, “I wouldn’t trust that shapeshifter as far as I could throw her! Let me know if you’d like any potions to knock her out. I’ve got some that could send her into a deep sleep.”
Stanley hissed back, “We don’t trust her either! Cassia can use magic on her if she needs to. She’s great at immobilising creatures. I’m sure she could make Astrid fall asleep too.”
Mrs Tarblast tapped the side of her nose. “If I never see Astrid around these parts again, I’ll know you’ve got rid of her. We never had this conversation.” She gave us a firm nod before scuttling away.
I shook my head at the departing gnome. “She thinks we’re going to kill Astrid.”
“Don’t tell me it hasn’t crossed your mind to at least put her out of action?”
“That thought has never crossed my mind,” I lied as I lowered my behind onto the broomstick.
We rose in the air and headed forwards. Astrid was waiting in her deer form a little way along the path. She gave us a nod, broke into a run and headed towards the outskirts of the town.
We followed her.
Stanley said darkly, “I hope she’s not leading us into a trap.”
I said, “I haven’t had a chance yet to ask you what Blythe said to you earlier about Astrid?”
“She told me to keep my friends near, and my enemies closer.”
Brimstone Witch Mysteries - Box Set 2 Page 5