“He did both,” Marianne said. “Mechanic paid the bills but inventing was his passion.”
"Quinty," I repeated. "He's the elf that converted my regular car into a magical one."
Marianne smiled. "Quinty is a talented inventor. He and Walter worked together on a lot of those special projects. I try not to be envious of the hours he’s spent bent over some magical engine. The worst is when he doesn't call to tell me he’s going to be late. He gets so wrapped up in a project that dinner will be cold by the time he arrives. Always makes me feel guilty."
I gave her a sympathetic smile. "At least it sounds like Walter really enjoyed his work. Not everyone is so fortunate."
Marianne nodded and Britta handed her a tissue to wipe away the flood of tears that followed.
"What about a problem with any neighbors?" Astrid asked. "Any border disputes? A problem with a customer?"
Marianne dabbed at her eyes. "Nothing that he told me about. Walter was a very upbeat guy for a troll. He didn't have that grumpy gene that so many of us seem to carry. It's one of the things I really appreciate about him."
Walter sounded like a wonderful troll. It was too bad.
"Do you have any children, Mrs. Rivers?" I asked. Sometimes children had more insight into a parent’s moods or activities. I could've given someone an earful about my grandparents’ relationship growing up. Things I was sure they'd never noticed about each other. As a child, I was the silent observer in the house.
Mrs. Rivers began to cry in earnest. "No children. We wanted them, but it never happened. It was a shame because Walter would've made a brilliant father. So much joy and love to give."
My heart ached for her. Mrs. Rivers had a long road to recovery ahead. I didn't envy her.
"If you think of anything else, Mrs. Rivers," Astrid said, "please don't hesitate to send me a message or stop by."
Mrs. Rivers sniffed. "I will. You’ll keep me informed, won't you? I need to know what happened to my Walter."
Astrid patted her on the back. "My goal is to give you closure, Mrs. Rivers."
"Would you like me to walk you home?" I asked. "Or maybe call a friend to come and get you?"
"That's very kind of you," Marianne said. "I'm happy to walk. I'll need the time to clear my head. How ironic. Walter was always trying to get me to exercise more. He’ll be laughing if he can see me now."
I doubted that very much. If Walter was half the troll his wife believed, then he was very sad right now.
We watched Mrs. Rivers leave the office, her body language far less energetic than when she entered.
"At least we can get started now,” Astrid said. "While we’re waiting for more information from the lab, we can pay a visit to Quinty.”
“Quinty is awesome," Britta said. "He'll be a good source of information."
“About that…” Astrid hesitated. “You two are friends.”
“So what?” Britta replied.
Astrid eyed her sister. "In that case, you should probably sit this one out."
Britta’s expression slackened. "Sit this one out? No way."
"I don't mean the whole investigation," Astrid assured her. "I just mean the interview with Quinty. I don't want your relationship to color the questioning."
"Fair enough," Britta grumbled. "I'll hold down the fort here. If the medical examiner comes up with anything, I'll let you know."
Astrid gave her sister a gentle punch in the arm. "Thanks, sis." She turned to me. "How about you, counselor? Got any plans today?"
My plans involved keeping myself distracted until Daniel showed up at my door, clear-eyed and back to his normal self. I imagined him shaking off the potion this very moment.
I smiled. "I'd love to meet the elf who transformed Sigmund into a magical machine. Lead on."
Chapter 8
Quinty's workshop was located along the same route as the church and the Shamrock Casino. It was still close to town, but far enough from the tightknit buildings to have space for his various warehouses and inventions. I was expecting more of a traditional auto body, so I was surprised to see something more akin to Thomas Edison's house. I’d visited there as a child with my grandparents. My grandfather had been a real fan of Edison's. I remembered thinking the trip would be boring, but was surprised to find how much I'd enjoyed it. I also recalled being amazed by Edison's work schedule. He napped periodically throughout the day. The ultimate power napper.
We stepped inside the main office where we were greeted by an elf behind the desk. Her slight frame was adorned in a yellow sundress, revealing pale, narrow shoulders. Her light brown hair hung loose in the back but was pinned up on the sides, revealing her pointed ears.
“Good afternoon, Sheriff,” she said. "Are you here for a repair?"
"No. I'd like to speak to Quinty," she said.
The elf's brow lifted slightly. "Is there a problem?"
"Have you noticed anyone missing from work today?" Astrid asked.
The elf looked thoughtful. "Not that I can think of. Bernard called out sick and it's Walter's day off."
Sadly, all of Walter’s days were off now.
“We’d like to see Quinty, if that's at all possible," Astrid said firmly.
The elf pushed back her chair and nodded. She scurried to a far corner of the office and opened the door without knocking.
"Pansy," a voice cried. "You know better than to interrupt me when I'm in the middle of something."
Astrid and I exchanged looks. A temperamental inventor. I listened to the hushed voices behind the door. Finally, Quinty emerged, wiping his hands on a white handkerchief. He smiled when he saw us.
"I'm Quinty. I recognize you, Sheriff Astrid. You and Britta look too much alike not to.” He squinted at me. "You don't look familiar, I’m afraid. And you don't look enough like Astrid to be another sister.”
"Is there somewhere we can talk privately?" Astrid asked.
"Let's go upstairs," he said. "That way I know we won’t be interrupted." He turned to Pansy. "Please make sure no one disturbs us."
Pansy returned to her seat. "Of course."
Quinty gestured for us to follow him. We walked to a curved staircase that I realized was simply hanging in the air. There were no support beams visible anywhere. Markos would love to see a design like this.
"Pansy is your sister, isn't she?" Astrid asked.
Quinty glanced at her over his shoulder. "How did you know?"
"You have that subtle animosity that only seems to come with siblings,” Astrid replied. “Plus you yelled at her when she opened your office door. It seems like the kind of thing you do to a family member rather than a proper employee."
We reached the next floor where Quinty gave Astrid a full smile. "You're very good, Sheriff. Now tell me how I can help you. I assume Britta isn't with you for a reason."
Astrid nodded. "We need to ask you some questions. I figured it would be best if we weren't distracted by pre-existing relationships."
Quinty frowned. “Now I'm concerned. This sounds serious."
He walked further into the room and I gasped. The ceilings were easily fifteen feet high and the floor was one massive room full of inventions. I could have spent hours in here and not seen everything. I spotted a magical washboard that appeared to operate by itself. A tie that knotted itself. A full-sized box that folded up small enough to fit in your pocket when not in use.
"This place is amazing," I said. A blush crept into my cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get off topic. I've heard you're very talented and you worked wonders on my Volvo, but this place is something else."
Quinty folded his arms and beamed with pride. He was, like his sister, slight in stature and very elf-like. "Volvo, did you say?"
I nodded. "Daniel brought it to you. You guys fished it out of Swan Lake."
Quinty wagged a finger at me. "You’re the famous Emma Hart." He jammed his hands into his trouser pockets. "Wow. I can’t believe it. It is so nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot of go
od things about you."
"Same here," I said.
Astrid cleared her throat. "When we're finished with the lovefest, I have some important news to share with Quinty.”
I immediately felt guilty for hijacking the conversation. "Of course. Sorry, Astrid."
Astrid fixed her attention on Quinty. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. It seems that one of your employees was found dead yesterday morning."
Quinty's mouth dropped open. "I only have two employees out today and I spoke to one of them this morning.” His expression clouded over. “That leaves Walter."
"I’m afraid so," Astrid confirmed. "We’re working to identify the cause of death, but it looks like murder."
Quinty began to choke. "Murder? Are you sure?"
"Not yet," Astrid admitted. "But it looks likely.”
Quinty covered his face with his hands. "I can't believe it. Poor Marianne." He yanked his hands away and stared at us. “Dear gods. Does she know?"
Astrid nodded. "She didn't seem to think Walter had an enemy in the world. We thought we would talk to you and see if you had the same impression."
Quinty paced the floor in front of us, dragging his fingers through his spiky hair. "I do. Walter was the most jovial troll you'd ever want to meet. It was one of the reasons we worked so well together. Usually elves and trolls are at loggerheads, but Walter was different."
That matched what his wife had said.
"Did he have any issues with other employees? Maybe an argument that carried over into their personal lives?" Astrid asked.
"Not that I can think of," he said. "You’d have to ask Pansy. She’s much more aware of office politics than I am. I tend to have my head in the clouds most of the time."
"When I was in the human world, I went to Thomas Edison's workshop," I said. "This place is like a magical version of his."
Quinty gaped at me. "You've been to Thomas Edison's workshop?"
"When I was younger. My grandparents took me. My grandfather was an admirer of his."
"Who wasn't?" Quinty appeared momentarily stunned. "Gosh, I would love to talk to you more about that when you have time. Edison is one of my heroes. I’ve read all the books on him in the library."
"Really?" Looking around his magical workshop, I couldn't imagine what Quincy could learn from a human inventor. It showed how naïve I was about such things.
"Absolutely," Quinty replied. "What an opportunity. Let me know when you’d like to hang out and I will probably ask lots of questions you won't remember the answers to." He chuckled softly. "Man, poor Walter. This is a huge blow.”
"We'll speak to Pansy on the way out, if that's okay," Astrid said.
Quinty nodded, already lost in inventive thought.
Astrid and I made our way back down the curved staircase to the reception desk. Pansy was filling out some paperwork with her quill and ink. She glanced up when she heard us approach.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
Astrid leaned on the desk. "Unfortunately not. We have some bad news. Walter Rivers was found dead yesterday morning. We were hoping you might be able to tell us if you’re aware of any problems between Walter and anyone in the office."
Pansy’s face paled and she seemed unable to move.
"I'm so sorry, Pansy," I said. "We hate to deliver news this way, but we’re trying to figure out what happened to him. Any information you can give would be helpful.”
Pansy remained immobile. Astrid and I exchanged glances, uncertain how to proceed.
"Pansy," I prodded. "Can I get you anything? A drink?"
She seemed to register my words. "No," she choked out. "What happened to him?”
"He was found in the forest near Larkspur Bridge,” Astrid said. "He was frozen to death. We’re trying to determine the nature of his condition, whether a spell was used. We don't have all the information yet, but we spoke to his wife and we want to speak to his workplace colleagues as well."
Pansy sucked in a breath. "Aside from Quinty, Walter was the most popular guy here. He never had a bad word to say about anyone." She squeezed her eyes closed. "Who would do this to him?"
"I take it you two were close," I said. Her reaction was more intense then a simple employee relationship. It stood to reason that they’d developed a tight bond over the years.
"Well, I've seen him almost every day for years on end," Pansy said quietly. "You get to know someone when you spend that much time with him."
"Why don't we give you a chance to collect your thoughts?" Astrid said. "When you’re ready to talk, come down to my office. Or I'd be happy to come back here. Whatever works best for you.“
Pansy inhaled sharply and nodded. She seemed to be struggling to breathe normally.
"Maybe go upstairs and talk to your brother when we leave," I suggested. "Don't just sit here and try to carry on like everything is normal." That wasn't a healthy response. Not that I was an expert in healthy communication.
Pansy gave a crisp nod. "I will. Thank you."
Astrid and I barely made it out the door when we heard her convulsive sobs behind us.
"There's more to that story," Astrid said quietly.
I agreed. If we bided our time, we’d find out what it was soon enough.
Chapter 9
As I passed through the town square on my way back to the office, a familiar set of broad shoulders grabbed my attention.
“Daniel,” I called before I could stop myself.
He turned to me, flashing an angelic smile, and my heart skipped a beat. I wondered if there would ever come a day when I looked at him and felt nothing. It seemed impossible.
“You look energized,” he said. “Have you been getting your fix in Brew-Ha-Ha?”
“Not today,” I said. “Too busy for a leisurely latte.”
“Me too.” He held up a hanger with a garment bag. “Just picked up my wedding suit. Want to see it?”
The enthusiasm in his turquoise eyes told me that the Obsession potion was still in his system. What was taking so long?
“Oh, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to it,” I lied. “Best to keep it covered up when you’re outside.”
“Good point. Elsa would murder me if I ruined the suit before the wedding.”
No, she’d likely murder me and dance on my corpse in her wedding shoes.
“Are you nervous about the big day?” I asked. I hated making small talk about my nightmare, but it seemed like the only thing to do right now.
He puffed out his chest. “I feel great. Elsa is an incredible fairy. I’m lucky to have her.”
Inwardly I winced. No, Elsa is lucky to have you.
“I’m sure it will be a very grand affair,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. “Elsa doesn’t seem to do understated.”
“No,” he said with a short laugh. “She really doesn’t. She’s my fancy fairy.”
The longer we spoke, the angrier I became. Something must have happened with the mayor. I couldn’t understand why Daniel was still obsessed. It made no sense.
“Elsa is controlling the seating chart at the country club, but I made sure she didn’t stick you at the dwarves’ table.”
“I like dwarves. What’s wrong with that?”
He grinned. “You haven’t attended a Spellbound wedding yet, have you?”
A lump formed in my throat and I struggled to speak. “No.” And now my first one would be the worst one I could possibly imagine.
“Dwarves are notorious for drinking too much and causing chaos at weddings. You’re not a bridesmaid, though, so you should be safe, though you may be pretty enough to be a target.” He winked at me and my insides melted.
“Thanks for the tip,” I said. “I’ll be sure to steer clear.”
I gazed at him a beat too long and he broke into a broad smile. “Everything okay? You seem dazed.”
I seemed dazed? Ugh. The cruel irony.
“Sorry.” I desperately tried to shake his hold on me. “Lost in thought. I, um, need to go
see the mayor about a town council issue.”
“You’re heading in the wrong direction then,” Daniel said.
“Yes, I realize that.” There was no saving face. I just had to embrace the idiot I appeared to be. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Hope so,” he said. “I miss our chats.”
I felt a pang of longing in my chest. “Me too.”
I spun on my heel and hurried to the Mayor’s Mansion before he could see the tears glistening in my eyes. I didn’t care if the mayor was in her underwear in the middle of a dress fitting. She was going to explain herself to me—right now.
Luckily for me, I didn’t need to walk all the way to the mansion.
“Speak of the devil and she appears,” I said, as the mayor came toward me, flanked by her two hounds, Zeus and Hera.
Her expression hardened when she saw me. “Nice to see you, dear. I hear you’re quite busy these days with a nasty case of indecent exposure.”
As I advanced toward her, Hera growled. I took a careful step backward. “I just ran into Daniel, who still seems very excited about his upcoming wedding. Even had his wedding suit. Care to explain?”
“Not really,” she said dismissively. “I owe you nothing.”
When she attempted to flutter past me, I blocked her path. “What’s going on? Why haven’t you done anything?”
“I did something,” the mayor said. “Just not what you wanted.”
My stomach dropped. “What do you mean? Where’s the vial?”
“The vial has been taken care of,” she replied coolly. “And Elsa has taken steps to insure that no one finds the others.”
I gaped at the imperious fairy. “I don’t understand. You don’t want this wedding to happen any more than I do.”
“No, I don’t. But I’ve weighed that outcome against what would happen to Elsa if anyone found out and I’ve landed on the side of sucking up to a new son-in-law.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “We had a deal. You…you can’t do this.”
“I can and I have,” the mayor replied simply.
My body was rigid with fear and panic. The vial was gone. The mayor was no longer on my side and Elsa knew what I’d done. The lengths I was willing to go to. This turn of events did not bode well for me.
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