“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” said Quinn.
“We have a murder in your cottage to prove it,” he added. “Not that Jade and Lowe aren’t excellent Rhinestones, but they aren’t you.”
“I agree with him,” I said quickly.
“Sammy would have stolen that stuff whether I was here or not,” said Bethel. “What I don’t understand is why they killed her here if what she stole wasn’t even hidden here.”
“My guess,” mused Quinn, “is that they didn’t think they could keep up the charade any longer. They lived next door to you and they were becoming more reckless. Sooner or later you’d figure it out. They also didn't realize that Sammy had hidden the goods somewhere else, they thought the stuff would be here.
“And by the way, are you going to tell me where?” Quinn asked, turning to me.
I had told him earlier that I thought I knew, but hadn’t gotten around to the details. Now I told them both. Quinn whistled softly.
“I’ll go check it out,” he said.
“We would both like to know if she’s right,” said Bethel sternly.
“I’ll get right on it,” said Quinn. He gave me a swift kiss on the cheek and promised to be back later.
“We have to go pick up Lowe at the hospital tonight,’ said Bethel when Quinn had gone.
“I thought we might spend the evening with her,” I said.
Bethel shook her head. “We’ll go after dinner. The doctors want her to rest a little longer. I did go in briefly on my way home, and she’s in fine spirits. She insisted that I hurry home and check on you the minute I set my suitcase down. Given that when I leave you alone you throw parties, I rather agreed with her that I should hurry.”
“Where were you, anyway?” I asked, ducking my head. “Do you feel refreshed?”
Bethel didn’t give anything away. “I was where I was supposed to be. You and Lowe did just fine without me. Don’t think you can survive on your own just yet, though. I’m not going anywhere again any time soon. A party, was it?”
I blushed and scuffed my feet in the frozen snow. “Just a little one.”
“I know how big this town is and I know what percentage of them were in my cottage the other night. Little is not an accurate statement,” she said warningly. I glanced up and saw that she was smiling. I knew she would have liked to yell at me, but she was too relieved to do so.
The next thing I saw was Goldie and Lester coming around the corner carrying trays of steaming food. My mouth started watering, and I desperately hoped they planned to use the food to feed us and not to throw at us.
My wish came true. Lester gave a friendly wave. Even Goldie smiled, though her eyes were troubled. We’d had Vixens living among us, something I wouldn’t have thought possible. But now our friends had come.
I waved back.
Epilogue
Bethel was casual around Quinn and the rest of the company that evening, but the second they left she refused to leave me alone. Like a burr in a unicorn coat, she was everywhere I wanted to be. She gave me not a moment of peace.
After Quinn and our neighbors – the ones who weren’t evil witches – left us with enough treats to kill a small elephant, we went to pick up Lowe. She was just dandy, and quite ready to leave. All the way home she told us how much she hated hospitals. We listened patiently, just glad we were all together again.
When we got to the trolley platform in Merigold, I spied someone familiar. Pebbles was standing on the platform surrounded by trunks and clutching a pillow. She had put on old pointed shoes and a shabby coat, but she looked happier than when we’d visited her in the apartment she’d shared with Sammy.
“Hey,” I said to her.
She turned to us in surprise and smiled, but when she caught sight of a suspicious-looking Bethel she gasped. “You’re the Rhinestone queen! It’s an honor.”
“I’m only a queen if you ask me. It’s unofficial, surprisingly enough,” said Bethel.
“Honest for once,” Lowe muttered.
Pebbles eyes stayed wide.
“Where are you off to?” I asked. She had enough stuff piled around her to make me think she might be moving.
Pebbles beamed. “My uncle lives in the trailer park. He said he just refurbished an old trailer, and I can come live in that if I want. I don’t have to pay rent, just help out with the trailer park stuff like everyone else who lives there. I thought I’d try it.”
“You’re moving to the trailer park?” Lowe demanded gleefully.
Pebbles’ smile faded as she looked at Lowe. “You look a bit the worse for wear,” she said.
Lowe coughed. “Let’s just say it was a long night.”
Pebbles’ face sharpened. “I had the news on while I packed. I heard some of the Vixens were identified?”
“We heard the same thing,” I said. If she didn’t know they’d attacked our place, I wasn’t about to tell her.
“I hope Sammy gets some justice,” she said.
We rode the trolley back to Midnight and walked Pebbles to the trailer park via Misdirect Lane. It turned out that the uncle with a new home for her was Lester himself. He came out to greet her, beaming. We left her with him to get settled in and headed home.
When we got there, Bethel sent Lowe to bed. Lowe couldn’t even protest effectively because she was yawning so often. While my cousin slept, I went out to see the animals. I was tired, but it couldn’t wait. I wanted to be absolutely sure that the unicorns and cats were all right.
The unicorns were more docile than usual after I got them some warmed hay, determined not to complain for once; that was a first. I spent a long time out there telling them how pretty, brave, and brilliant they all were. By the end they were positively preening, although I can’t say that any of them seemed surprised.
The cats were more of the same. Bethel spent all evening giving them cheese, pets, and extra blankets to loll on by the fire. Tiger was stoic about it, but even he indulged in some sharp cheddar.
Although I didn’t want to let them, my eyes eventually closed.
In the morning I was still sitting in the kitchen chair. I’d woken up in the night when Bethel had come in to stoke the fire. Comfortable where I was, I stayed in the kitchen and went back to sleep. This was the first time since I’d arrived in Twinkleford that I hadn’t slept in my own bed.
When I woke up again in the morning, I pulled Spunk onto my lap for some ear scratching – his, not mine – and Bethel came in shortly afterward. We ate breakfast in silence. Lowe was still asleep. The only interruption was the ringing of the telephone.
Bethel hadn’t asked any more questions about what had happened with the Vixens. We were waiting for Quinn to arrive later that morning, and then I figured we’d step through the whole story. He had called briefly to say he’d found what he was looking for and he’d come by later to say more, but he had to brief the mayor over dark roast coffee and white raspberry sprinkle scones first. The whole town was blowing up with news about the Vixens.
For most of the previous day I had managed to keep my shock about Lisa and Lucky at bay. Busy with recovery, seeing Bethel, picking up Lowe, and being tired, I’d had no time to think about our neighbors. Now, when I sat down with Bethel in the kitchen to wait for Quinn, the topic bubbled up at last.
Bethel was reclining in the chair by the fire. Her reaction to the whole mess had not been the fireworks I’d been expecting.
“You look surprised,” she said.
I shrugged. “I thought you’d be angrier, but you don’t seem angry at all. You just aren’t going to leave me alone.”
“Of course not. Look what happens when I do. A young woman dies and my favorite trunk get ruined,” she grumbled.
“I just thought . . .” I started.
“You thought you could get away with having a party. It’s pretty clear you can’t, isn’t it? You should never have a party here again,” she said. Then she sat back with a satisfied smile. Tiger was in her lap and her hand was ge
ntly caressing the cat’s fur as he purred in appreciation.
After a long pause she added, “You shouldn't have fought Vixens without me.”
Of course there was a punishment in there somewhere. Bethel would never just let me get away with something.
Secretly, I knew she was pleased that we had won.
Then she appeared to think of another thing she wanted to say. She sat up just enough to be more alert, but not enough to disturb Tiger.
“Go dust and clean your crystal ball and cauldron. We’re going to need them, now more than ever.
After that, she got out a book of old recipes that usually sat on the mantel. “Professor Burger would probably sell her house to see these.”
I looked at her in confusion.
“This is only the beginning,” she said, and bent her head to read.
Quinn came by eventually, after he had finished with the mayor. Bethel had requested an update, so an update my grandmother would have. Quinn mostly wanted to say that Sammy had hidden what she’d stolen from the Vixens in the trolley museum. He was quite pleased that I had directed him to the right hiding place.
“You didn’t tell me a bear worked there?” he said, accusingly.
“Must have slipped my mind,” I said with a grin.
Kelly and Michael arrived not long after Quinn, and we gathered in the kitchen. Bethel made us hot chocolate and took fresh cookies out of the oven. It was the first time she’d allowed Lowe out of bed since we’d gotten her back home.
Michael sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. Kelly looked at him with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know who I am anymore,” he shrugged.
“Because you fought Vixens?” she asked, her voice soothing and her eyes kind.
Michael continued to slump.
“Because I’m constantly leaving the house. Not only that, but I’m constantly leaving the Bleak Area. What’s to become of me?”
“Maybe you’ll enjoy it,” I said with bemusement.
Michael snorted in disbelief, while Kelly sat back with a little amused smile on her face.
“What did Sammy steal?” I asked Quinn.
He shook his head. “It was bad. She stole some Exploding Exodus Flower.”
Bethel paled. My grandmother so rarely reacted visibly that it made me nervous.
“That’s bad?” I asked.
“It’s only used for one purpose: to be put into a cauldron with other ingredients and blow stuff up,” said Quinn.
“Maybe she took it to keep the Vixens from doing something wrong, and not because she wanted it for herself,” I suggested.
Quinn nodded, still looking soberly into the fire. “I don’t want this repeated. Michael, did you have any idea that your stuff was going to Lisa and Lucky?”
Michael shook his head. “No, certainly not. My products had never been stolen before, and even if someone had tried, they have many failsafe mechanisms built into them. Lisa and Lucky are not getting their Vixen hands on any of MY owl feathers.”
Quinn nodded, looking pleased to hear it.
“Bethel, did you have any idea that Lisa and Lucky were Vixens?” Quinn asked. His voice was gentle, but I knew he needed an answer.
Bethel sighed. “I knew that Lucky wasn’t always telling the truth about where she went, and her absences had gotten worse recently. But did I ever think she was a Vixen? No. I’m a fool. They were right under my nose. Too close for me to see.” She shook her head.
“It’s okay,” I told her quietly.
“No, it isn’t,” was all she said.
We continued to talk. Quinn wanted to know everything. I eventually plucked up my courage to ask him something I’d been wondering about.
“Was there an informant who spotted Lester?”
Quinn grimaced. “We never really believed that Lester was the culprit, but yes. Someone tried to tell me she had seen him around the cottage. Lisa was very convincing. I should have suspected something then, but I didn’t.”
“Don’t feel bad. She fooled all of us,” said Bethel.
“I was short-sighted. I’ve always prided myself on being good at my job,” muttered Quinn.
“You are good at your job! We’re in extraordinary circumstances! None of us are professional Vixen identifiers,” I said.
“Whatever those are,” chuckled Kelly.
“You know what I mean.” I said. “We will get them. We will stop them.”
“They’re building an arsenal,” said Michael. “If they get their hands on my feathers or your unicorn dung . . .”
“They won’t,” said Bethel, her voice hard.
We sat in silence for a while. Then Quinn said, “Funny thing, too. When I went to the trolley museum there was a lawyer there. He seemed to know you?” Quinn was looking at me.
“You could say that,” I admitted.
I remembered that I had suspected that Mr. Fairview had some sort of informant on the case. He also knew the same man as Cynthia Merchant.
“Next time, maybe you should mention that,” said Quinn dryly.
“Clearly they don’t teach good communication at witch training,” said Bethel, glaring at me.
“What did Fox Fairview have to say?” I asked.
“He was trying to protect the interests of the trolley company. They’re up for some big contracts, and they don’t want anything to get in the way of that,” said Quinn.
“Even a young woman’s life?” I demanded.
“It would appear, even that,” he said.
“I just wonder what’s driving them to be evil. I wonder who the other Vixens are?” said Kelly.
“This is only the beginning,” said Michael.
Later, I made my way into the Young Witches meeting. Just another day in Hannah’s paradise, that is to say, stress and pain for the rest of us. All the other Young Witches were there before me, ready to stare at me when I came in. Jackie and Kelly had saved me a seat between them. They waved me over and I hurried to join them. Simmer was sitting in front of me. I took one look at her and had a flash of memory.
Lisa had asked about Simmer at the party. I wondered if they knew each other. It was now all over town that Lisa and Lucky were wanted by the sheriff, and if anyone should happen to see them they were to notify Sheriff Merchant immediately. My chest swelled with pride in Quinn. Everyone in town was looking to him for leadership. He was doing a great job.
Hannah was standing next to Taylor. The two of them hadn’t so much as looked at each other since I walked in.
“You know how Hannah was acting weird?” Kelly said, leaning over to whisper to me.
“Yeah,” I said.
“I think it’s because when she and Taylor had a fight she realized she didn’t have any other friends. She wanted to be friends with us.”
A wave of shock washed over me that was nearly as strong as the one I’d felt when I found out who some of the Vixens were.
Hannah Carlyle’s feelings had been hurt that we hadn’t invited her to the party. She had been lonely when she and Taylor were fighting.
Stranger things had happened, surely.
But, I mean, not much stranger.
Taylor handed Hannah a piece of gum and Hannah took it with a sugary thank you. Apparently they were back to being best friends.
Hannah surveyed the room. An unpleasant smile appeared on her face.
“Next project for the Young Witches is to clean up the landfill at the edge of town. That place stinks. Good luck, ladies.”
Apparently her desire for our friendship hadn’t lasted long. She was right back to her old vindictiveness.
At least I could take confidence in some consistency.
“Here we go again,” Jackie muttered.
“What was that, Jacqueline?” Hannah craned her neck.
“I said swirl cake due drops,” Jackie called back.
Hannah glared at her.
We all smiled.
The End
~
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By Addison Creek
The Rhinestone Witches
Pointy Hats and Witchy Cats
Rhinestone Way
Pointy Shoes and Cauldron Blues
Witch of Mintwood Mysteries
Witch Way to Mintwood
Witch Some Win Some
Spell by Midnight
A Witch on Mintwood Mountain
Witch Raising Situation
Witch Way Round
Witch Wish Way
White Witch Wonder
Muddled Mintwood Murderer
Wonder Wand Way
Miraculous Mintwood Magic
Witch of Mintwood Mysteries 1-3
Witch of Mintwood Mysteries 4-6
Witch of Mintwood Mysteries 7-9
Witchy Minter Wonderland
The Jane Garbo Mysteries
Spooky Business
Spooky Spells
Spooky Spider
Spooky Spindle
Spooky Skeleton
Spooky Scarecrow
The Rhinestone Witches Omnibus: Books 1-3 Page 67