“Hold on. I thought Star was dating Giovanni Romer.”
“You’re right there. Mannie is cheating on his wife, and Star is cheating on Giovanni with Mannie.”
“Star does not have great taste in men.” I grimaced. “Imagine Mrs. Romer as your mother-in-law to be. I bet she grills Star about her intentions toward her precious Giovanni.”
“It can’t be pleasant. What that means though is that Mannie was most likely with Star when Deacon was killed.”
“You know for sure they are a couple?”
“No doubt about it. I saw them late one evening. I’d just finished doing the cooking prep and was taking the trash out to the back alley. I heard voices and laughter and snuck along the alley to take a look. Mannie was wrapped around Star. They were... enjoying themselves.”
I raised a hand. “I don’t need to know any more. But I do need to confirm they were together on the night of Deacon’s murder.” I ran my fingers through my damp, soured cream scented hair. “Since I couldn’t find Mannie yesterday, I’ll talk to Star again and see what she knows. If she confirms they were together, it means Mannie wasn’t involved.”
“So, who did it if you rule out Mannie?”
“I’ve ruled out Petra and most likely Rhett. That only leaves me with Axel.” My hand went to my head, and I groaned as a vivid memory of me snogging Axel came to mind.
Tilly looked startled. “Is there something I should know?”
“Just Frank making my life complicated. We ran into Axel yesterday when he was in charge. There was an incident.”
“What kind of incident?”
“The kissing kind.”
Tilly laughed. “Frank likes Axel?”
“No! Well, I don’t think so. He wants me to hook up with Axel because of his half-demon status. He loves to stir things up when he’s in control.”
“He wouldn’t be a good demon if he wasn’t. Well, a bad demon.” Tilly shrugged. “You know what I mean. How was the kiss?”
“It hurt.” I remembered my teeth crashing into Axel’s full lips.
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“I feel sorry for Axel. He got a split lip, and I stole his chewing gum.”
Tilly chuckled. “The two of you should talk. He’s sweet on you, but you don’t want to give him ideas.”
“Axel is sweet on a lot of women. I don’t consider myself anything special.”
“He might.”
I shook my head. “I’m not interested in dating.”
Tilly nodded, knowing this conversation would go nowhere. “And you’re no closer to figuring out how to remove Frank safely, so this won’t happen again?”
“Nothing works.” I’d lost count of the number of times I’d talked to Tilly about how to remove Frank. Every time I tried, he clung to me like a love-struck limpet. It was as if he liked his home inside me and had no intention of ever leaving. We’d tried different spells and potions to remove him, and some did temporarily weaken him, but they got nowhere close to having him exorcised.
“One day, we’ll find out what your demon hates. You’re not going to spend the rest of your life living with Frank.” Tilly touched my shoulder.
“That’s definitely one relationship I can do without.” I finished my coffee. “Thanks again for everything last night. I’ll pay you back for all the desserts I ate. Well, all the desserts Frank made me eat.”
“Don’t worry about it. I was happy to help.” She passed me a brown paper bag. “Muffins for later. Give yourself a bit of a sugar detox first.”
“Will do.” I headed out of Bite Me, Wiggles at my heel.
“Where to next?” he asked, his nose pointed at the bag of muffins.
“The dance studio. It’s time to confirm an alibi and catch a killer.”
Chapter 19
It was still early when we arrived at Star’s studio, and classes had yet to begin.
I discovered Star dressed in a pale cream tracksuit, warming up in front of a huge wall of mirrors.
She turned and waved at me when she saw me in the mirror. “I see you’re back.” She walked over, her gaze going to my disheveled hair. “Did I tempt you with the idea of private lessons?”
I shoved my soured cream scented hair off my face. “No, but I am interested in the private lessons you have with Mannie Winter.”
Star’s eyes widened. “I don’t teach Mannie.”
“You don’t teach him dance.”
She blushed and looked away. “He’s just a friend.”
“What kind of friend?”
“The usual kind.” She bent and fussed with a loose tie on her shoe.
“I know you’re seeing him,” I said.
She stood up swiftly. “Who told you that?”
“That’s not important. I need to know if you saw Mannie on the night of Deacon’s murder.”
Star sighed and nodded. “I did. I knew Mannie couldn’t have been involved in what happened, so I kept quiet about it.”
“Are you still dating Giovanni?”
Star twisted a loose thread from her top around a finger. “Sometimes.”
“You’re seeing Mannie behind Giovanni’s back?”
Star ducked her head. “Giovanni is a lovely man, but he’s not got much get up and go. I have to make the effort in that relationship and feel like I’m nagging him to do anything spontaneous. With Mannie, it’s different. He swept me off my feet. He showered me with gifts and compliments until I agreed to go on a date with him. He’s such a romantic.”
“He’s also a married romantic.”
“Mannie told me he’s leaving his wife after the election. That’s the only reason he’s waiting. He doesn’t want negative publicity attached to his name before such an important event.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I imagine he doesn’t.”
“He knows people like to gossip. Mannie wants to make sure his personal life doesn’t impact the outcome of the election. After that, he promised me he’s going to tell his wife that he’s leaving her for me.”
I didn’t agree with Star seeing Mannie behind his wife’s back, but it was their business and their guilty consciences. “You’re sure you were together that night? Mannie didn’t leave you at any point?”
“No, it was the same as always. His campaign meetings are a great excuse for him to have a night away. He tells his wife he’s going to work late and sleep over at his office. She doesn’t seem to mind. In truth, I think she’s glad to get rid of him. They haven’t been friendly for a long time.”
They always looked friendly enough to me when I saw them together. “You spent the whole night with Mannie?”
“That’s right. He has an apartment on the other side of the village. It’s for his exclusive use. I like to call it our little love nest.”
I tried as hard as possible not to grimace.
“He’s a big sweetie. He’d never be involved in anything as awful as killing Deacon. They had a friendly rivalry with the campaign, but that was it. Mannie was convinced he would win the election.”
“Maybe he was only convinced because he’d planned on wiping out all competition until he was the only man standing. That would guarantee him a win.”
“I promise you he’s not like that.”
Although any man who cheated on his wife was a scumbag in my books, Mannie did have a decent alibi.
Star touched my arm. “Does that mean you’re back to square one with proving your sister’s innocence?”
I sighed. “It looks like it.”
“I wish I could give you better news, but I promise Mannie is not involved.”
I tipped my head back. There was the vaguest of possibilities Star was lying and covering for Mannie. Or maybe he’d slipped out when she’d fallen asleep and he’d killed Deacon, but it didn’t seem likely.
“Where is this secret love nest?”
“It’s in the woods on the very edge of the village,” Star said. “It takes about twenty minutes to get there
on foot. Thirty if you stop for a little canoodle like we do. It’s tucked out of the way; no one can see you.”
“Is it easy to find?”
“No, you have to trek through the woods. There’s not even a proper path. It’s super private and very romantic. If Mannie ever left me in the woods on my own, I’m sure I’d be lost forever.”
I twisted my mouth to the side. That was doubtful. The woods weren’t that big. But it would make it hard for Mannie to creep back to Deacon’s house, kill him, and then return. It would probably take someone at least an hour and a half, and that was providing they didn’t get lost. It looked increasingly unlikely that Mannie was involved.
But if it wasn’t him, it must be Axel. Despite the embarrassment that burned inside me about our unexpected kiss yesterday, I would have to go confront him.
“You will keep quiet about this,” Star said. “We only need to keep it a secret until the election. Once that’s out of the way, Mannie will come clean to his wife, and I’m going to cool things off with Giovanni. We only need to keep up the pretense for a bit longer.”
“It’s not my secret to tell, but you know it’s a lousy thing to do.”
“I didn’t mean to fall for him,” Star said. “I don’t like being a husband stealer.”
“What’s so wrong with Giovanni? There must have been something about him that appealed to you when you first got together?”
“He’s okay. He’s actually quite a nice guy when he gets away from work.”
“So why stray?”
Star shrugged. “It’s his mother. She terrifies me. The last time I was in the store, she stamped down the stairs and accused me of taking her son away from her. Then she started asking when we were going to have babies. First of all, I can’t have him, and then I need to have kids with him. Mrs. Romer needs to make up her mind. It’s too stressful being around her. I want a mother-in-law I can have fun with, go out for long lunches and have shopping trips with, that sort of thing. Not creep around terrified of her in case she decides to insult me or tell me I’m not fertile enough for her darling boy.”
I saw Star’s point. My encounters with Mrs. Romer were never pleasant. “I won’t say anything. But you need to sort this out. It’s not fair to lead anybody on.”
“Of course. I wish I could have been more help in getting Aurora’s name cleared. Do you have anybody else you think might be involved?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “There is someone else. I need to go talk to him before making any decisions about what to do next.”
Star smiled. “I’m glad we got that all cleared up. Do let me know if you want a private dance lesson. I teach one-to-one, so no one else has to see until you feel ready to shake your stuff in public.”
Wiggles did one of his indiscreet barking laughs from the corner of the room where he was investigating the used dance tights.
“I’ll bear that in mind.” I hurried out of the dance studio and away from the unappealing invitation of a dance class with Star.
I muttered under my breath as I walked. I had to see Axel and work out what he knew about Deacon’s murder. He would understand what happened yesterday. He knew about Frank, but I still didn’t want him getting any ideas about us. There was no us.
“If there’s anything you feel like sharing,” Wiggles said as he trotted along beside me, “I’m happy to listen, especially if you want to break out those muffins Tilly gave you. I’m a better listener when I’m eating.”
I opened the bag and passed him one. “I don’t want Axel getting the impression that yesterday meant anything.”
“You mean after you snogged his face off?”
“Yes, that. I wasn’t in control. Frank did it to mess with me.”
“Tell Axel that,” Wiggles mumbled around a mouthful of muffin.
I knew I had to, but all I wanted to do was hide under my duvet for a week and forget the last day or two had ever happened.
If only Aurora hadn’t decided to date a cute half-angel. If only Deacon hadn’t gone and gotten himself killed. I’d be happily accepting a new job to hunt a demon and heading out of Willow Tree Falls with my dignity intact. Instead, I still smelt of gone off cream, had an upset stomach from too many cakes, had probably gained five pounds, and had some explaining to do after my unexpected snog-fest with Axel.
Still, I had to do it. I had to put my humiliation to the side and see him. If Axel was the killer, I needed to confront him and save my sister.
Chapter 20
It was late in the afternoon as I stamped along the main street of Willow Tree Falls. I’d tried Axel’s home, dropped by Cloven Hoof to see if he was enjoying himself there as seemed to be the norm these days, and even tried the Ancient Imp. He was nowhere to be found.
In my eyes, that made him even guiltier. Only the guilty hid. He had to be involved and must have figured out I was onto him. Axel could have realized what I’d been doing at Mannie’s and assumed I’d found information that linked him and Mannie. Could it be that I had the right idea but the wrong people? Could Mannie and Axel have been working together to bump off Deacon? Was it such a big deal to ensure victory in this election? Willow Tree Falls was a special place but special enough to kill for?
There was one place I knew Axel would be. Tonight was the evening the results of today’s election would be announced. Axel would have to be there. He wouldn’t resist the opportunity to brag about his victory if he was successful. I would get him then when he went to claim his new position. He could be the shortest serving mayor in Willow Tree Falls if I was right about him.
Putting my search for Axel temporarily on hold, I made a detour to Angel Force to check-in with Aurora and see how the angels were treating her.
As we reached the front doors, there was a new sign on the wall: No hellhounds allowed.
I grinned. “It looks like you made quite an impression the last time you were here.”
Wiggles growled at the sign. “That’s discrimination.”
“We should put in a complaint.”
“You can bet your butt I’m complaining. I did nothing wrong.”
I tilted my head. “I do remember you threatening Dazielle and stealing her muffin.”
“That wasn’t threatening. These angels need to stand up for themselves.”
“Wait here. I won’t be long.”
Wiggles grumbled to himself before cocking his leg up the side of the building, right under the new sign.
Sablo stood at the desk as I entered. She gave me a puzzled look when I asked to see Aurora.
“She’s been released. She left an hour ago.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Nobody told me.”
“I processed her. Your mom, along with the rest of your family, came to collect her. It was quite a celebration.”
I shook my head. Thanks for keeping me in the loop, family. “Does that mean you’re no longer investigating her?”
“For now.” Dazielle appeared in the doorway at the back of the reception.
“What about the evidence you had on Aurora? The rock-solid evidence that she attacked Petra?”
Dazielle shrugged and walked over to the desk. “When I looked into it more closely, it didn’t stack up. I interviewed Petra again, and she wasn’t convinced it was Aurora in the pub. Also, the evidence we found showing Aurora was the attacker was—”
“Obviously planted? So ridiculously obvious that it couldn’t be true? No one loses a massive clump of hair and a shoe at the same time.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, well, maybe it was a little too convenient. Plus, there was an unknown fingerprint on the shoe.”
“Whose fingerprint?”
“They’re not on any database we have. They don’t have a criminal record. I have to assume that they took the shoe from your sister, along with her hair, and planted it in the pub.”
“To make her seem guilty and involved with Deacon’s murder?”
“It would appear so,” Dazielle said. “For now, Aurora
is in the clear, especially since her alibi checks out too.”
“You spoke to Toby?”
She nodded. “He confirmed everything. He needed no prompting and said they were together that evening. There is a small window of opportunity that your sister could have gone to Deacon’s and smothered him, but it’s not likely.”
“If only you’d listen to her in the first place, you wouldn’t have wasted all this time trying to pin this crime on her.”
Dazielle’s expression remained unapologetic. “She looked good for it. I wasn’t going to ignore such a compelling motive and evidence.”
As tempting as it was to rant at Dazielle for being such an idiot, I bit my tongue and turned to leave.
“While you’re here, are you interested in getting the details of a new case?”
I turned back and nodded slowly. I should jump at the chance. Now Aurora was free, there was no reason for me to stick around. In fact, it was better if I didn’t. It would be good for Frank to have a break from Willow Tree Falls and reduce the risk of him taking over again.
But I wasn’t sure I wanted to go just yet. I loved it here. I loved being around my family when my demon wasn’t threatening them.
“It’s not a difficult case,” Dazielle said, “a quick in and out. A demon absconded from custody and he needs rounding up.”
“I’ll take a look at the file notes. What are the conditions?”
“Same rates as always,” Dazielle said. “Round him up, bring him back here, and we’ll do the rest.”
“I’ll let you know.” I grabbed the file Dazielle offered me and headed out of Angel Force. Although Dazielle could be a thorn in my side at times, she gave me a legitimate reason for leaving without upsetting my family. They always supported me when I left to go demon hunting. It was a win-win all around, but sometimes it felt like a hollow win as I left behind the safe bubble of magic and my family and endured the noise and chaos non-magicals thrived in.
“No Aurora?” Wiggles asked as I stepped outside.
“They let her out.”
Luck of the Witch (Crypt Witch Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) Page 17