Nodding, she said, “I wanted to give her a proper burial. It’s the least I could do, and I’d been worried about paying for it. My savings are meager, and my pension is pathetic. But the oddest thing happened. I was cleaning a dresser drawer and found a wad of hundred-dollar bills I must have tucked away years ago.” She tapped her head. “The memory isn’t what it used to be. There was just enough to pay funeral costs, plus a little extra that I was going to use to hire you.”
“Me?” I asked, shocked.
“I’d like to hire As You Wish to help me clean out Alexandra’s apartment. When I figured out Alex was my granddaughter, I went and talked to Marcus Debrowski.”
His name kept coming up, and it was starting to make me uneasy.
“He’s handling the legal side of this revelation,” Mrs. P said. “This morning he contacted Alex’s landlord and gave me some options. I can’t afford to carry her lease, so I can either find someone to sublease the place, or the landlord has agreed to break the lease so he can get a new renter in. Either way, I have only till the end of the month to clear things out. Will you help?”
“Of course.”
“Can we start tomorrow?”
“Absolutely.” I had a feeling the rush was not because of any hurry to dispose of Alex’s belongings but to learn more about her from them.
She reached out her hand and took mine, hives and all. “Thank you. Thank you both for being here. I didn’t realize how desperately I needed some friends.”
“Well,” I said, hearing voices in the hallway, “I invited two more. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Who?” she asked, just as Mimi and Nick stuck their heads into the room.
Her hands flew to her mouth. She stood up and Mimi ran to her and threw her arms around her waist.
Evan and I stood off to the side, giving them a little privacy. Nick approached. “Thanks for letting us know about the services.”
I’d left him a brief message, explaining the bare bones of the situation.
“You’re welcome,” I said softly, watching Mimi and Mrs. P mourn together. My heart was full to bursting.
He leaned in, bringing his lips to my ear. My body tensed from the awareness of him being so close. “Now’s not the right time, but I have a few questions for you,” he whispered. “And I hope you have the answers I want to hear.”
* * *
Two hours later, I walked into the mudroom, kicked off my shoes, and went to see if Harper and Ve were home. Alex’s funeral had been brief, and I was glad Mrs. P had had some moral support during the services. She’d gone home to rest, Evan had gone back to the bakery, and Nick never did ask me any questions.
I was trying not to worry about it.
Missy bounded up and circled my legs. I scooped her up and rubbed her chin.
I could hear Harper’s voice, so I followed the sound of it, up the stairs, past our bedrooms, and to the bathroom at the end of the hall. She was sitting on the edge of the tub and didn’t notice me standing in the doorway.
“What’s your name?” she was asking something in the palm of her hand.
What in the world? I squinted. It was a ladybug.
“Can you talk? Say something.”
Missy barked.
Harper jumped up. The ladybug flew off. “I was just…”
I held up a hand. “No need to explain to me. I said ‘sorry’ to a honeybee today after swatting it away. There’s no telling who’s who and what’s what around here.”
Eyeing my black skirt, shirt, and shoes, she said, “Where have you been?”
“At Alex Shively’s funeral.”
“I hadn’t heard of any funeral today, not that I would have gone. I didn’t particularly like her.” She followed me down the steps to the kitchen.
“You’re not particularly alone in that. Besides, you might have known if you’d answer your phone. Where have you been? Was Ve with you all day?”
I set Missy down, filled her water dish, and scooped out some kibble.
“Well, first Missy escaped again this morning, so Ve and I went looking for her. We found her down near Nick Sawyer’s house.”
I looked down at the dog. She was shameless.
“And then we got to talking about Sylar and his predicament and decided to do a little follow-up snooping on Griffin Huntley.” Her voice rose in excitement. “So we staked out his house.”
“Tell me you do not sell books about how to do stakeouts at the bookstore.”
“No, but I watch CSI.”
I tried really hard not to roll my eyes.
“Are you rolling your eyes at me?” she asked. “I’ll have you know that Aunt Ve and I found out Griffin is a big liar.”
“How so?” I asked, washing kibble dust from my hands.
“So, you know how he’s been on the news every night, crying about how the lotion Alex gave him made him lose his hair”—she dropped her voice—“everywhere?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Well, we followed him to New Hampshire—New Hampshire!—to a Wal-Mart, where he stocked up on—”
I gulped. “Nair?”
Her mouth dropped open. “How did you know?”
What I wanted to know was how Evan knew. Just how well were he and Griffin acquainted?
“Just guessed,” I said weakly.
“Can you believe it?” she asked. “The little sneak. He’s milking Alex’s death for all it’s worth, especially now that his alibi has been verified.”
“It has?” This was the first I heard.
“He was at the Magic Wand at the time Alex died. Getting some manscaping done. And tanning, too. He hadn’t wanted to fess up at first, but several of the salon stylists verified he was there.”
Manscaping. I smiled and shook my head.
“And I didn’t answer my phone because the battery was dead, and Ve didn’t answer hers because it was off, because every crackpot in a hundred-mile radius keeps calling her about that watch and the reward.”
Nick had seen that one coming. “Where’s Ve now?”
“At the jail visiting Sylar with Marcus. Apparently there’s been some sort of big twist involving Ramona Todd. Marcus is hoping to get the whole case thrown out.”
“Because of the fight Alex had with Ramona in the alley behind Lotions and Potions?”
Harper narrowed her eyes. “How do you know all this stuff? And more important, why aren’t you sharing it with me?”
“Harmony Atchison, from the Pixie Cottage, is the one who saw Ramona and Alex fighting. She told me about it when I stopped by to see Mrs. P the other day.”
“Did she say why they were fighting?”
I shook my head. “She couldn’t really hear the conversation.” And for the first time, I wondered why.
“I hope the lead pans out, for Ve’s sake, if nothing else.” She sat down and gave me a sheepish grin. “Vince asked me to go to the dance with him.”
“Are you going to?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You know how I feel about dances.”
I knew. She hadn’t gone to any in high school.
“Plus, Vince told me he had just gotten out of a serious relationship, and I don’t particularly care to be a rebound.”
“With who?” I asked.
“Ramona.”
“He was dating Ramona?”
I couldn’t keep up with the love lives of these villagers. Seemed like everyone had dated everyone else at some point.
“They broke up a while ago, but she’s not letting it go so easily.”
I wondered if this somehow related to the argument she’d had with Alex. “What about Marcus?” I asked. “Did you ever agree to go out to coffee with him?”
“Not yet.”
I had the feeling she wouldn’t until she figured out where she stood with Vince.
Missy whimpered and zigzagged before heading toward the back door. “You need to go out?” I asked her.
She barked. I took that as a yes.
/> I snapped on Missy’s leash. No sooner did I open the back door than Archie flew in. He landed on the kitchen counter and bowed.
Harper openly stared at him as if taking mental notes.
My stomach suddenly hurt.
“Darcy Ann Merriweather, you have been found in violation of Wishcraft Law forty-three, section B, and have been hereby summoned by the Elder for your sentencing. Go tonight at nine p.m. sharp and go alone.” He flew back outside without so much as a whispered movie quote in his wake.
Chapter Twenty-four
A little before nine, I found myself once again draped in Aunt Ve’s cloak and on the creepy path to see the Elder.
The walk didn’t take nearly as long this time, since I knew where I was going. The flashlight sliced through the dark damp night, and as I approached the clearing, the tree in its center lit up and emitted a glow.
“Darcy, Darcy, Darcy,” the Elder said. “Sit down.”
A tree stump appeared behind me, and obediently, I sat.
“I warned you,” she said.
“I know.”
“What have you to say for yourself?”
“Honestly, Elder? I have nothing. As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew what I’d done. But it was too late to take them back.”
“It is imperative that you learn to control such temptations as suggesting wishes.”
“I was just trying to help,” I explained.
“I am aware, but you cannot help everyone. The sooner you learn that, the better.”
“Then why have the power in the first place?”
She sighed. “These rules are in place to protect Wishcrafters from potential abuses. You must adhere to them. If you cannot, you might consider renouncing your gift.”
It felt as though my heart had just flip-flopped in my chest. “I don’t want that. I only just discovered my gift, my heritage.”
“Then you must be very careful. Even the smallest infraction from here on out will be viewed as a severe violation.”
“All right.”
“Please rise.”
I stood.
“Darcy Ann Merriweather, you have been found guilty of breaking Wishcraft Law number forty-three, section B. No Wishcrafter shall prompt, suggest, hint, evoke, prod, or elicit a wish. Your punishment is as follows: Your powers are hereby revoked for twenty-four hours, retroactive from the time of your offense. You may go now.”
The tree stump fizzled into glitter and wildflowers sprouted where the sparkles fell. I was still impressed by this bit of magic.
The Elder’s tree went dark.
I headed home. Although I had helped save the Goodwins’ marriage, I felt a bit like a failure.
The next morning, I was up and at ’em early, cleaning out the office, sorting files, and keeping busy. This is what I knew best—office work. I’d held a job in my father’s dental practice for close to ten years. After last night’s scolding by the Elder, I was beginning to think I should ask Ve for a desk job at As You Wish; I was really flubbing my way as a Wishcrafter. Except being a Crafter made me happier than I’d ever been. It was fulfilling in ways I’d never imagined. I couldn’t make any more mistakes—I didn’t want to lose my abilities.
I’d already taken Missy for two walks, during one of which I’d practically had to drag her, as she would rather have stayed in her doggy bed, snoozing.
Harper was at work at the bookshop, and Aunt Ve was running errands before she headed to see Sylar.
I’d opted out of a morning jog with Starla because I was pretty sure my muscles wouldn’t be able to move faster than a slow crawl today, and by ten o’ clock I’d done two loads of laundry, washed the dishes, and made an appointment with Ramona at the Magic Wand Salon for five. I was going to have my bangs evened out, and more important, I’d have the chance to find out why Ramona and Alex had been fighting.
As soon as the clock flashed to ten thirty, I headed straight for All That Glitters, since I’d completely forgotten to pick up Ve’s locket yesterday, after telling her right before Archie’s initial visit that I would.
It was a picturesque June afternoon, and the village was bustling. The tourist count was up, and the green was hopping, being prepped for Saturday’s dance. A pair of large banners, one on each side of the square, stretched from one side of the street to the other, fluttering in the soft sea breeze. Fancily printed on them was the Midsummer Dance information, how to attain tickets, and a Web site address for more details.
I was so busy watching the workers that I didn’t notice Mimi and Nick until I’d practically bumped into them. They were standing in front of the pet store the Furry Toadstool, watching the puppies play in the window.
“They’re so cute,” Mimi said to me, her eyes filled with puppy love.
Inside the shop, a litter of pugs romped and played. My heart melted. Until I glanced at Nick. There was a hardness in his eyes I hadn’t seen before, and suddenly I was very worried about what he’d wanted to talk to me about—he’d never had the chance to tell me yesterday after Alex’s visitation.
I tried to ignore the rising dread I felt and looked away. Starla was on the green, snapping pictures of a pair of toddlers. She had Twink with her and the children were laughing and playing with the tiny dog. She spotted me and waved. I waved back and turned my attention to Mimi and the puppies. It was easy to ignore Nick’s glare when looking at adorable little faces.
A couple strolled up next to us, to window-shop at All That Glitters.
“Have you decided against a shelter dog?” I asked Nick.
“Nothing’s been decided yet,” he said. “Mimi falls in love with every dog she sees.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him and rolled her eyes.
My gaze shifted to the window-shopping couple as they ooohed and aaahed over a ring on display. It was easy to eavesdrop, as they stood only about two feet away.
The woman said, “I just have to have it. Please, honey?”
The man said, “But, pooh, I just don’t have the money.”
I couldn’t help but wince at the endearments. Stealing a glance at Nick, I saw he was trying to hold back a smile. Mimi was openly grinning.
“But, honey bear,” the woman said, “I really, really want it.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “But, pooh, sweetheart, I don’t have the money for it.”
Her lower lip jutted. “I wish you had the money, honey puddin’ pie.” She blinked at him.
I’d gone still, the word “wish” ringing in my thoughts. I mouthed the words to the spell. It wasn’t until I blinked twice to cast it that I realized I didn’t have any powers; they’d been revoked for the day.
“Be that as it may, my cuddly wuddly pooh, I don’t.” He pulled out his pockets to prove his point.
I was fighting a wave of queasiness—the couple was gag-worthy—when she squealed and gave him a playful shove. “Oh! How you love to tease me!” She scooped up the wad of bills that had fallen from his pocket and quickly pulled him toward the door to the shop.
“But that’s not mine.” Clearly confused, he dug in his heels and stared at the ground.
“Nonsense, honey, it just fell from your pocket.” She counted off the bills. “And it’s just enough for that ring.”
The man looked at us. “Did any of you lose some money?”
We shook our heads.
“Strange,” he said, allowing himself to be pulled into the shop.
Had the Elder changed her mind and allowed me to keep my powers after all?
Nick said, “I wish I could find a wad of money like that.”
I did the spell thing and cast it. Nothing happened. Not so much as a sticky penny appeared on the sidewalk.
“Maybe you need to pull out your pockets like he did,” I said.
“Yeah, Dad,” Mimi echoed.
He gave me a look that clearly said, “Why do you keep asking me to check my pockets?” But he did it. They were empty. “Things like that just do
n’t happen to guys like me.”
Okay, maybe I didn’t have my powers back after all.
“Do you have a second?” he asked me, the hard look back in his eyes.
I glanced toward All That Glitters. It wasn’t going anywhere. I still had an hour before I was to meet Mrs. P at Alex’s apartment. “Yes.”
“Mimi, we’ll be right back,” Nick said.
I’m not sure she heard him, so enamored was she with the puppies. We walked out of earshot and stood under a large tree, its outstretched branches offering shade against the bright sun. I leaned against its trunk. “What’s wrong?”
Something was. I could tell by the look in his eye.
He was all business as he said, “Why didn’t you tell me Harper has a record?”
A record. A criminal record. My heart pounded. He’d found out. Of course he’d found out. It was his job to be thorough.
I shrugged. “I didn’t think it was that important.”
“Not important? She has a history of stealing—”
Narrowing my eyes, I said, “Stop. That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. Because of the way you’re acting like she’s now your prime suspect in the pickpocket case. There is no ‘history’ of anything. She made a mistake and already paid the price.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “If she stole once, then, yes, she becomes a suspect.”
“That’s ridiculous.” It really wasn’t, but I felt the need to defend her. “Besides, the thefts started the week before we moved here. Didn’t you think of that?” I said, glaring. “Did you even check to see what she stole? Read about the case at all? Or did you jump to conclusions because you’re desperate to solve a case?”
When he didn’t say anything, I knew he hadn’t fully checked her background, and had simply chosen to ignore the timeline.
“Harper is not your thief. The sooner you figure that out, the faster you’ll catch the real criminal.” I drew in a deep breath, wondered what I’d ever seen in him, and left him standing there. I said a quick good-bye to Mimi and hurried into All That Glitters to pick up Aunt Ve’s locket. I was anxious to find Harper.
I had to warn her.
Chapter Twenty-five
It Takes a Witch: A Wishcraft Mystery Page 21