Anger started to simmer within me. How could this family have been so negligent to harbor a fugitive, family or not? With Kyle being in such close proximity, Starla had been at risk this whole time.
That train of thought led me to another—if Kyle had been living here in the village, why was he making his presence known to Starla only now, after all this time? Simply because of the upcoming macabre anniversary?
“We certainly love it here. There are chairs and magazines over there if you want to sit and wait, but feel free to wander around.” With a wink, Cora added, “Everything with a price tag is for sale.”
“Thanks, I will.”
Mimi said, “Remember, no peeking on what I’m working on.”
“I promise.” I crossed my heart and everything.
Cora draped an arm over Mimi’s shoulder and led her to a table with three other students, ranging in age from teens to baby boomer. Mimi slipped on a pair of protective goggles and picked up a small propane torch with more than a hint of excitement in her features. She caught me looking and gave me a shooing motion.
Smiling, I turned and looked at a group of paintings near the waiting area. They were well done, serene depictions of the village square. Tourists probably loved them. I moved along, following the perimeter of the room, stopping here and there to admire a glazed pot or a handbag made out of white duct tape. Near the rear wall, I purposely lingered near the oil painting studio in hopes that Will Chadwick would come out and see me.
I was admiring a gorgeous hanging quilt when he stepped out of his studio. “Darcy? What’re you doing here?”
Success!
“This is stunning,” I said, fingering the material. In dark blues and golds and charcoal, it reminded me of Harper’s bookshop, which had been decorated in a Starry Night theme.
“My mother will be happy to hear that,” he said. “It’s one of hers.”
“She’s very talented.” I caught a glimpse of the price tag. Six hundred dollars. “And out of my budget.”
Dark brows pulled down in a frown. “Did you come here to shop?”
“No, I came to chaperone.” I pointed toward Mimi. Her face was alight as she aimed her torch at a thin strip of metal.
He drew a hand over his hair. His eyes, I noticed, were just as troubled as his mother’s.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “I was wondering how Starla was faring.”
I studied him carefully. “Do you really care?”
He winced. “I suppose I deserve that.”
More, if you asked me. But I wasn’t one to pick fights. Well . . . not often.
“But, yes, I care. I’ve never held ill will toward Starla. I was worrying about her all night.”
Was he simply saying what I wanted to hear? Or did he mean it? I searched for telltale signs of dishonesty and found none. “She’s okay. Drained. Confused. We all are.”
“As are we,” he murmured.
I tipped my head. “Why is that?”
“It’s impossible for what has happened to happen. And now he’s disappeared. . . . Where could he have gone?”
“What do you mean? Who’s disappeared? Kyle, because he escaped the tree house? And are you really asking me where he went?”
Will glanced around and suddenly froze. I followed his gaze and found his mother Cora giving him a stern look. After a second, she turned her attention back to her students.
“I should be getting back,” he said, caution slipping into his blue eyes.
I grabbed his arm. “Before you go, do you know why Kyle has started bothering Starla? Obviously he’s been a fugitive for a while, so why now? Is it because of the date? Is he just trying to mess with her mind? What? And you keep saying it was impossible. . . . Why?”
Will’s face paled, and his eyes narrowed. He pushed a hand through his long hair. “It’s not like that. Kyle’s not a bad person, Darcy. That’s what you don’t understand.”
“How can you say that? He tried to kill—”
A voice interrupted. “Will, you should probably be getting back to your class.”
I turned and found a man standing behind me. Tall and thick-waisted, he had ice blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and a grizzled beard. He wore a thick leather welding apron and a disapproving look aimed at Will.
Will gave a sharp nod, glanced at me as though he regretted speaking to me at all, then ducked back into his studio.
As soon as Will left, the man’s countenance shifted immediately. Gone was the disapproval, replaced now with hospitableness. He stuck out his hand and said, “I’m George Chadwick, Darcy.”
Ah, so he already knew who I was.
“Can I offer you some coffee or tea?” he asked, gently shaking my hand. Like his wife’s, his fingers were also strong but thick and callused as well.
“How about some answers?” I said.
His eyes softened. “How about we start with some coffee?”
I bit my lip. “Coffee would be nice,” I said grudgingly, thinking of the mug I’d left behind at home.
“Come along with me.” I followed as he said, “Did I see you eyeing Cora’s quilt?”
He led me behind Will’s studio to a small kitchen. An assortment of morning treats were laid out, from doughnuts to Danish. “The quilt is beautiful.”
A Keurig machine sat on the counter alongside a stack of cardboard cups. He shook one loose and motioned to a turnstile filled with coffee options. I chose a bold roast and he dropped the cup into the machine.
The back wall was filled with family photos. I stepped closer, my gaze zipping from picture to picture. School photos, prom photos, Christmas. In each, Kyle’s smile stole the scene. It was clear that he was the light of the family. My gaze lingered on one of the prom photos.
“Cora’s passion is for fiber art,” George said, “going so far as to have a few sheep grazing out back so she can make her own yarn.”
“She has quite the talent. Did you make the coatrack near the front door?”
George said, “It’s a dandy, isn’t it? But no, that’s Liam’s handiwork. He has a way with a blowtorch. And a paintbrush. And even knitting needles.”
“Don’t you all?” I asked.
He chuckled, getting my drift. As Manicrafters, they could pretty much do it all.
“Some of us are better than others. For example, you do not want to see my oil paintings. Hideous.”
I turned. “Don’t you mean ‘abstract’?”
“You should join our marketing team.”
“Is this . . . ?” I tapped the prom picture.
“Glinda, yes.” The coffee finished brewing and he motioned to the tray of goodies and said, “Would you care for something sweet?”
“No, thanks.”
He patted his stomach. “I suppose one doughnut for me won’t hurt anything.”
I’d lost my appetite, but took the coffee from his outstretched hand. “Glinda and Will went to prom together?”
As he scratched his chin, his eyes glazed a bit as he tried to remember details. “As I recall they both broke up with someone a week before prom so they went together . . . as friends.” His eyebrow twitched as he winked at me. “They’re really not each other’s type.” He sighed. “Such a simpler time.”
I turned back to the pictures. There were none of Starla, of course, because of her starburst, but there were some from their wedding. Kyle in his tux looking handsome and happy—and in love. What had gone wrong? “Now about those answers . . .”
“How about a tour of the place?” George asked.
I recognized what he was doing—trying to distract me. “Sounds good, as long as you can walk and talk at the same time.”
He wiped powdered doughnut from his face. “I’m not sure I have any answers, Darcy.”
“Will said Kyle’s disappeared.”
His eyes widened. “Did he? Well, I suppose that’s accurate. He vanished two years ago.”
“I don’t think that’s what he meant. I think he meant afte
r he left his tree house last night.”
George shrugged. “I can’t speak for the boy. Come on now, let’s take that tour.” He led me from the break room.
Not giving up, I said, “Why is Kyle bothering Starla now? Why did he give her their wedding rings?”
Pain flitted across his face. “I’m afraid we may never know.”
“Because he disappeared?”
Taking hold of my arm, he tugged me along. “Mimi’s a joy,” he said, leading me out of the kitchen.
“I couldn’t agree more, but you’re changing the subject.”
“Yes, I am.”
“But Starla . . .”
He stopped and looked at me, holding my gaze. “Darcy, please, if you have any mercy on this father’s soul, please let it go for now.”
I looked deep into his eyes, saw heart-wrenching pain. I bit my lip. Why was there so much agony? Because his son was charged with a crime? Because he was a fugitive? I didn’t buy it. Those things didn’t add up to the devastation in this man’s gaze. Something else was going on. But as much as I wanted answers for Starla, I couldn’t keep poking this man’s wounds.
“Your coffee’s getting cold,” he said. “Why don’t you drink it while I finish your tour?”
I let out a breath. “Okay, I’ll stop asking about Kyle. For now,” I added.
He acceded with a nod. After a long minute, he started walking again, leading me through the studio. “I’m glad Glinda brought Mimi here—she’s a talented young lady.”
“How long has Glinda worked here?” I asked, playing dumb about Nick’s plan.
“Off and on since her teens. With her natural skill set, she fits right in. Her basket-weaving class is one of our most popular.”
I tried not to grit my teeth. “How lovely.”
As we climbed, I spotted Liam Chadwick walking around a table filled with students working on a mosaic pattern. Everyone was smiling and laughing—except Liam. His eyes were as troubled as the rest of his family.
“I hear you have some artistic talent as well,” George said.
“I dabble with drawing and painting.”
“More than dabble I hear told.”
I glanced over the railing at the jewelry-making table. “Mimi’s my biggest cheerleader.”
“I heard it not only from her but Glinda as well. It’s your artwork at Spellbound bookshop, is it not?”
Why was Glinda speaking of me at all? “It is,” I admitted. “A favor to my sister who owns the shop.”
“It’s good work. Our doors are always open if you’re looking for studio space.” He motioned across the second floor to a section set up with six long tables. “We keep an open area for local artists.”
“That’s very nice of you, thank—”
I was cut off by the look on his face. I followed his gaze downward, to the group of people who’d just come in the front door. Nick Sawyer, Glinda Hansel, and two other village police officers.
“Excuse me, Darcy.” George brushed past me and headed back down the stairs.
Cora abandoned her group as well and approached the officers.
Everyone in the studio had stopped working.
I started down the steps, and didn’t miss the glaring gaze Glinda cast toward me. Mimi slowly pulled off her goggles and looked around, confusion darkening her eyes.
Keeping their voices low, George and Cora stood shoulder to shoulder while in deep discussion with Nick. Cora had her shoulders pulled back and stood ramrod straight, but her I’ve-got-this-under-control posture, however, was betrayed by the tears shimmering in her eyes.
I didn’t need to hear their whispered conversation to know why Nick had arrived. He was looking for Kyle Chadwick. So it was no surprise when one of his sentences floated through the air, loud and clear.
“I’m sorry, but everyone needs to leave,” he said. “We have a search warrant.”
Chapter Ten
“Then we’re in agreement?” Starla asked. “Raoul is an infinitely better choice for Christine than the Phantom.”
“Definitely,” I said.
Harper’s jaw dropped. “I disagree.”
“Me, too,” Mimi added. “The Phantom rocks.”
We were deep in a discussion of The Phantom of the Opera as I stopped in the middle of the aisle at the Crone’s Cupboard. “That disturbs me on so many levels.”
“Let me count the ways why Phantom should be Christine’s choice. One, the Phantom loves her,” Harper said. “He’s just misunderstood.”
“And two”—Mimi stuck a bag of chocolate chips in the carriage—“the Phantom is played by Gerard Butler. Gerard. Butler.”
Harper stuck her head next to Mimi’s. “We rest our case.”
Starla laughed and headed toward the frozen food aisle.
I poked a finger at Harper and Mimi. “You two are incorrigible. Do I need to remind you that the Phantom is a psychopath? Cuckoo crazy.” I was glad Starla had wandered off. She didn’t need to be reminded about psychopaths. And even though The Phantom of the Opera was one of Starla’s favorite movie musicals, I crossed it off the list to watch this afternoon. We needed to keep this day light and bright.
Harper laughed. “You do know he’s a fictional character, right?”
“Why don’t you two go find some heavy whipping cream?” I said sweetly before spinning toward the produce section.
“Raoul,” I heard Mimi say as they walked away, then giggled. “As if.”
“Seriously,” Harper murmured.
I couldn’t help but smile. As much as Harper might like the Phantom, in Marcus she’d chosen the ultimate boy-next-door type. Hopefully I had a few years to sway Mimi that way, too.
As I picked over carrots, Starla appeared at my elbow and dropped three pints of ice cream into the carriage.
“But what will you eat?” I asked her, blinking innocently.
She laughed. I took a moment to simply enjoy the sound. She’d had a couple of rough days but was handling it much better than I would have. Ve had filled Starla in on everything that had gone on last night and this morning. According to my aunt, Starla hadn’t said much when she heard all the news, and I could see that even now a part of her was holding back from fully enjoying herself. Which was completely understandable.
She rooted through the potato bin and pulled out several for the beef stew we were going to make for dinner. “Any news from Nick?”
“Not yet,” I said. “They’ll find him.”
“How? He’s visible only to me. And how’s he doing that, by the way?”
“Some kind of spell,” I said softly. “I’m waiting to hear from the Elder about what kind.”
Drawing in a deep breath, she said, “Let’s not talk any more about it today.”
“Deal,” I agreed.
Harper and Mimi came strolling back, arms laden with all kinds of junk food we didn’t need but couldn’t wait to eat. Mimi, I noticed, topped Harper by a good three inches, and was looking more mature by the day. We’d told her only the bare minimum about what was going on with Starla, however. No matter how mature she was, there were some images a girl her age didn’t need imprinted in her head.
I glanced at my watch. “We should get going. Ve and Mrs. P are going to meet us at your place in ten minutes, and I still want to stop by the bakery and get a piece of cheesecake for Pepe.”
Mimi said, “And I need to run home and pick up Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Tangled.”
We looked at her.
“What? They’re musicals. And they have happy endings.”
“Sounds perfect,” Starla said, smiling. “Though I cry at the end of Tangled every time.”
“I can leave that one,” Mimi said, looking like she’d done something wrong.
“No, no!” Starla insisted as we turned toward the cash registers. “They’re happy tears. The ending is so swe—”
Her voice dropped off as Cora Chadwick entered the store, along with Liam.
My
pulse kicked up a notch as Starla gripped the carriage. Harper threw me a glance and Mimi smiled brightly. “Hi!”
Cora’s gaze swiftly turned to Mimi. “Hello, Mimi. Long time no see.” She looked at the rest of us and gave a quick nod. “Ladies.”
“Hello,” I murmured.
“Hi,” Harper added.
Starla said nothing, only stared at the ground.
Liam kept quiet as well. His mother gave him a sideways glance.
“What?” he said. “I can’t stand here pretending.”
We stood in awkward silence for so long that Mimi began looking from face to face. She finally asked, “Is something wrong?”
Liam said, “Ask Starla about that.”
Puffed up, Harper took a step toward him. “How about you ask Kyle about that?”
“How about you stay out of things you know nothing about, Harper?” Liam returned.
I grabbed Harper’s arm and said loudly, “We should get going.”
“Us, too,” Cora said, giving her son a small push.
Liam huffed and stormed off.
Harper forged ahead toward the registers while Mimi reached out and took Starla’s hand, pulling her along. She said softly, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m on your side.”
Starla put an arm around her. “Thanks, Mimi.”
I followed behind them, hating that any equilibrium Starla had found today had just been crushed.
“Starla?” Cora said from behind us.
Starla stopped and turned around, and my heart just about shattered at the broken look in her eyes.
I was surprised to see the same look in Cora’s eyes when I glanced her way.
What was that all about? It was the same look that had been in George’s eyes earlier, too.
Cora said, “I . . . I mean . . .” She wrung her hands. “Have you seen him today?”
Him. Kyle.
Looking perplexed, Starla shook her head. “Not today.”
Tears sprang to Cora’s eyes. “Oh. Okay. Thank you. Take care of yourself.” Abruptly, she turned and jogged to catch up with Liam.
The Goodbye Witch Page 9