A Very British Witch Boxed Set

by Isobella Crowley

  If a wind blew in at that moment, Scarlett felt sure it would knock her right off her chair. This was only the second time Cliff had offered to help anyone, with anything. He was either up to something, or he’d decided to try and change his ways after his experience with Ronnie. “Can you give me some advice, Cliff?”

  “Advice? About what?”

  “About Raven.”

  “What about her?”

  “Do you think she murdered her boyfriend?”

  “Well, all the evidence points in that direction. If it went to trial tomorrow, based on what you’ve found out so far, she’d surely go down.”

  Scarlett waited for him to continue.

  “However, things are not always as clear-cut as they appear to be. There are often rational explanations for things, that no-one could have possibly thought of.”

  Scarlett smiled. “You’re right.”

  Cliff smiled back at her, like he was happy that he’d managed to raise her spirits. “You need to try and find out more. Trust your instincts. If you believe she’s innocent, you’ll find something to prove it, eventually.”

  “Thanks, Cliff.”

  “In the meantime, you’ve just got to trust her. If you don’t know the facts, go with what your gut’s telling you. Trust her and see what happens. That’s the only thing you can do.”

  She’d always imagined Cliff to be shallow and self-centered, but she’d obviously misjudged him. “Thanks, Cliff. I will.”

  “Well,” he stood up, “I must be going. I’ve been here too long already. Hope I’ve been of help.”

  “Yes, you have. Thank you very much for all your wise words.”

  He smiled. “My pleasure. Any time you need to talk, just call me, okay?”

  Scarlett nodded. “Okay.”

  +++

  Early Tuesday Evening

  Slater Residence, Bicester, England

  Scarlett had spent the entire walk home churning the day’s events over in her head.

  As she made her way up the garden path and reached for her door she considered what might be waiting for her inside.

  How well did she know Raven? Truth be told she didn’t know her very well at all. They were practically strangers. If she did confront Raven about the knife, she might get angry at Scarlett for doubting her and turn on her the way cats do when they’re cornered.

  Removing her hand from the door handle, she stood on the doorstep looking down the street at the row of houses and parked cars. She might well have just hit on something quite significant that no-one, not even Tim had thought of before. How much of her was feline and how much was human? Had the spell gone beyond her appearance to affect her mind as well?

  When cornered, cats arched their backs, their fur puffed up, they hissed and without due care, they pounced. Raven could leave quite a nasty scratch or bite. She opened the door and walked tentatively through the hallway to the foot of the stairs. “Raven?” She called, through her hands, “Raven, are you there?”

  “Coming!”

  Scarlett put a foot on the bottom stair. “No, no, you stay there. I just want a word with you about something. You in the bedroom?”

  “Yes.”

  She marched up the stairs, a thousand thoughts swirling around in her head, multiplying to a bursting point as she neared the top.

  Raven was standing outside the bedroom door, ears pricked up, like she was genuinely pleased to see her. “I’ve missed you, Scarlett. I was expecting you to be around today. Where did you shoot off to?”

  “The White Hart. With Tim.”

  “You went to the pub, at this time of day?” Raven twitched her whiskers. “Well, I’m saying nothing.”

  “No, no, it was nothing like that. I don’t, you know, have a drinking problem or anything.”

  Raven laughed. “I know, sorry. I was just joking with you.”

  She sat on her bed and patted the quilt next to her. As Raven jumped up, Scarlett noticed a gap in the curtains and got to her feet. “It’s dark in here. It’s such a lovely day outside, let's have some light in.”

  After returning to the creased area on the edge of the bed, now covered in sunshine, Scarlett looked at her friend gravely.

  Raven noticed her change in demeanour. “Blimey. What is it?”

  “I have something I need to talk to you about, Raven. Something serious that’s been bothering me for a while now.”

  Raven looked concerned. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. It can’t be that bad, surely.”

  “No, no, it’s not about me.”

  “Not about—oh, its Tabitha isn’t it?”

  “No, it has nothing to do with my aunt.”

  “Well, who does it have something to do with?”

  Scarlett looked through Raven like she was made of glass. “You. It’s about you.”

  “Me? What about me?”

  “I’m warning you, you might not like it.”

  Raven gave her a dismissive look. The expression was distinctly feline. “Don’t go worrying about that. I’ve been through far worse things.”

  Scarlett frowned. “Promise me you won’t be angry, and we’ll still be friends after?”

  “I promise. Now, what is it you want to tell me?”

  “Well, here goes.” Scarlett glanced at the floor and cleared her throat. “I went around to your flat this morning.”

  Raven’s tail stood straight up. “You did what, now?”

  “I went around to your flat to do some s—”

  “Snooping, you can use the word.”

  Scarlett shook her head. “Sleuthing.”

  Raven glared at her. “Okay, fine. And, what did you find?”

  “Many things, such as flowers in the bin—.”

  “Gave me an allergic reaction.”

  “And, your living room, it’s lovely isn’t it?”

  Raven nodded. “Well, I like it. It’s so full of light.”

  “I know. And your coffee table.”

  Raven laughed. “My coffee table, that worn out old thing. What on Earth is there to like about that?”

  “Didn’t say I liked it.”

  Raven snapped. “Scarlett, you didn’t sneak into my flat to be critical about my furniture did you?”

  “No. I am coming to the main point, I promise.”

  Raven glanced up at the ceiling. “Thank Heavens for small mercies. Now, you were saying, about my coffee table?”

  “There was something on it.”

  The fur along Raven’s back was starting to stand on end. “Something on it? Like what? Is this some kind of game? Do you mean the light coming in from the window?”

  Scarlett shook her head. “No, I wish it was a game.”

  “Well, what was on it then?”

  Scarlett took a deep breath. “A knife.” She raised her chin to stare at the ceiling while she waited for Raven’s response.

  “Oh. You found it then.”

  Scarlett exhaled. “Yes, I found it. The question is, what was it doing there?”

  “Oh, so now we’ve got to the crux of it. This is why you were being so evasive. All that stuff about are we going to remain friends. You think I did it, don’t you? You saw the knife in my flat, put two and two together and came to a pretty ridiculous conclusion.”

  “Ridiculous? Try obvious.”

  “Oh, so that’s how it is.”

  “Raven, look at the facts, will you? Just stop and look at them for a minute. McMillan was your boyfriend, who was stabbed to death. Then the knife shows up at your flat. What am I—what is anyone—supposed to think?”

  Raven narrowed her eyes. “So, just what is it you’re trying to say?”

  “I’m saying, Raven that all the evidence gathered so far points to the fact that you’re guilty.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay? What do you mean, okay?”

  “I believe you. I agree that the evidence you’ve gathered so far—what you managed to learn from your snooping into my private affairs, does point to the
fact that I’m guilty. But I didn’t do it.”

  Scarlett nodded.

  “So now what I need to know is, do you believe me?”

  Thank you, Cliff, Scarlett thought, suddenly feeling closer to him than she had for a long time. If she’d followed Tim out of the pub like some kind of lost puppy, then at this moment she’d be panicking to say the least. She’d be torn between her loyalty to her friend and the feeling that coming clean is the right thing to do. But now, thanks to her little chat with Cliff, she knew just what to say.

  “Of course, I believe you, Raven. If you say you didn’t do it, then that’s good enough for me. I trust you, okay?”

  Raven placed her paw a top Scarlett’s hand. “Okay and thank you, that means a lot, friend. And… ”

  “And what?”

  “I can prove it.”

  Scarlett raised her eyebrows at Raven. “You can? How?”

  “I can prove it if you perform a spell for me.”

  “A spell? What kind of a spell?”

  Raven’s expression turned contemplative for a moment. “Don’t know exactly. I need to give it some thought. But if you want to know what happened, I can show you once and for all. If you think you have the power to cast it, that is.”

  A hot stroke of hurt flashed through Scarlett, so powerful that she didn’t think at all before snapping, “Of course I do!”

  Raven lashed her tail. “Excellent. There’s just one thing you should know.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Spells like these drain you of all your energy. Leave you feeling exhausted both physically and mentally for days. Of course, you get hardened to it when you’re experienced like your aunt. The effects are the same though. There’s just a shorter recovery time. I know you trust her, but I’d rather as few people know about this as possible. Do you think you can hack it?”

  “Of course I can.”

  “Perfect. No problem on that score then.”

  Talk of her presumed magical ability reminded her of the conversation she’d just had with Cliff, and Scarlett’s expression turned sour as she thought about what had proceeded it, the way Tim had stormed out and left her at the pub.

  Raven appeared to be furrowing her brow. “Was there something else on your mind?”

  Once again Scarlett was impressed. Raven was either a mind reader or she was highly intuitive, an expert at reading body language. “Just something Tim said.”

  “Tim? Oh well, to be honest, I never really liked him anyway. Forget about him, he’s a bit of an—”

  “No, it’s not that. You don’t understand.”

  Raven’s eyes darted around the room as if she didn’t know where to look. “Well, what is it then?”

  “It’s something he told me to do earlier. Practically ordered me to do it, before he stormed out of the pub and left me on my own.”

  “What’s that?”

  “He insisted I either hand the knife in to the police or put it back in your flat for the police to find.”

  Raven sighed. “He’s got your interests at heart, and that’s all I’m going to say on the matter.”

  “But I don’t think Cliff would want me to do that.”

  Raven looked puzzled and amused in equal measures. “Cliff? What has he got to do with anything?”

  “Well after Tim stormed out, he materialized from the other end of the bar. Apparently, he’d been eavesdropping—”

  “Now, I was brought up to believe that that is rude.”

  Scarlett continued. “He came and sat with me, asked me if I needed any help. He gave me some good advice. I felt much better afterwards. He surprised me.”

  Raven raised a paw to her chin in a rather human gesture. “He’s surprised me, too. What did he say?”

  “Nothing much really, he just listened to what I had to say and helped me see things in a clear light.”

  “Well, that’s always useful.”

  “One thing I know for certain though, he’d prefer your method of proving your innocence to Tim’s.”

  A veil of mischief descended on Raven’s expression. “So it’s Tim versus Cliff. Sounds like it could be pistols at dawn.”

  Scarlett grinned. “I wouldn’t go quite that far. But Tim, who is supposed to be my boyfriend, did put me on the spot. As you say, he clearly has my interests at heart, but it was a bit mean of him, nonetheless.”

  Raven nodded. “It was.”

  She didn’t know whether to be amused or outraged. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “What’s what supposed to mean?”

  “That grin.”

  “I grin a lot, I’m a happy kitty.”

  “Come on, you know exactly what I mean.”

  “Oh, you mean this grin?” Raven did her best to replicate the grin she’d given moments earlier.

  Scarlett smirked. “Well, not quite, but its close enough.”

  “It was meant to mean, my dear friend, that it looks like you still have a thing for Cliff.”

  She crossed her arms, her smile turning into a frown. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “You were quick to deny that. Sounds to me like there’s something there that you don’t want to admit.”

  Scarlett didn’t appreciate the way Raven assumed she knew everything about her. There was nothing for her to be in denial about. “There is nothing to admit. Cliff is ancient history, believe me.”

  Raven was having none of it. “Well, I can see through the charade. You clearly like Cliff more, you’re just pretending to yourself that you prefer Tim.”

  “I am not!”

  Raven smirked again. “Whatever you say. If you ask me, it’s just a matter of choosing. It’s clear and simple.”

  “It is?”

  “Yes. It’s Tim versus Cliff, the regular world versus the magical.”

  It was a fitting metaphor. Scarlett had never thought of it in those terms before, but Raven did have a point.

  Raven continued. “You have to embrace your own abilities, despite all the risks that are involved.”

  “Do I?” she asked.

  Raven grinned and nodded.

  Scarlett had had just about enough of this conversation. It had been an exhausting day and she was starting to feel a bit drained. “So, what should I do?”

  “You’ve heard my solution.”

  “Yes, but it’s not as simple as that, is it? It’s like choosing between Tim and Cliff. And I don’t want to resort to pistols at dawn.”

  Raven laughed. “No, all things considered, I think it’s far safer and less risky all ‘round if you go with the magical plan. Besides… ”

  “Besides what?”

  Raven’s expression suggested that she might be scheming. “Any witch worth their salt would go down the magical route. It just depends on how you see yourself. Are you a witch or aren’t you?”

  Scarlett scowled at the insinuation. “I’m a witch.”

  “Well, there’s your answer then isn’t it?”

  Scarlett thought back to the self-doubts she’d had earlier and decided she needed a way of restoring some confidence. “Okay, you’re on. Magic it is.”

  Raven looked decidedly smug.

  Remembering the way they’d all pulled together to rescue Ronnie, she felt suddenly reassured and exhilarated at the same time. “So, how will it all work?”

  “Well, we’d just break into the flat and do the spell.”

  “Simple as that?”

  “Yes, as simple as that.”

  Scarlett felt a weight drop from her shoulders. “Oh Raven, do you think it’ll work?”

  “Yes. I can’t think of a single reason why it wouldn’t.”

  She leaned forward and gave Raven a hug. “Thank you so much. I’m so lucky to have such good friends.”

  “Good. Glad you can see it. So go on, then. No time like the present, is there?”

  Scarlett furrowed her brow. “Get on with what?”

  Raven’s expression reminded her of a strict schoolteacher. �
�Cliff, let him know.”

  Scarlett nodded and pulled out her phone. Hi Cliff. Thanks for the advice. I need your help. S.

  Chapter Ten

  Scarlett continued to chat with Raven until her phone vibrated and beeped. It was Cliff. Sure. I’ll be there in ten.

  For the next couple of minutes they continued to converse as best they could, given that both their minds lay elsewhere. In the end, they gave up and sat in awkward silence as they listened for Cliff’s car.

  At the ten minute mark, Raven huffed and shook her head. “Well, he’s a bit of a disappointment, isn’t he? Honestly, you can’t trust—”

  “Shh.”

  They both listened as the roar of a distant engine grew louder by the second, until it screeched and came to a halt.

  Scarlett got up to peek through the window. “It’s him.” She banged on the window and shouted through the glass that the door was unlocked.

  “Hello?” Cliff called from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Hi, Cliff, we’re up here. My bedroom, first door on your right.”

  “Hello again, Scarlett,” Cliff said, stepping through the doorway.

  She moved up to make a space for him on her bed. “Hi, Cliff. It’s nice to see you again. Come on, take a seat.”

  Cliff took one step forward, looked around the room and grinned. “Never been in here before. I’ve often wondered what delights I’d find in here.” He winked.

  Scarlett stared right at him, totally expressionless.

  Cliff grinned again, this time showing a flicker of remorse. “So, you said you needed my help. What can I do for you?”

  From the look on Raven’s face, she was determined that none of them would leave the room without a plan being put in place. She glanced at Cliff. “We’ve decided to do a spell.”

  “What kind of spell?”

  Scarlett smiled at the way he’d echoed her words. “That is what we need to decide.”

  Cliff leaned back against the wall and folded his arms. “Go on then, what are you proposing?”

  Raven appeared to make the decision right then that they were going to pretend he wasn’t there. “So, Scarlett, just run the details by me one more time, will you. About what you found in Robert’s flat.”

  It had been an extremely long and draining day. She’d had to recount the same details so many times that she was now starting to act on autopilot. She knew they were just trying to help, but what she really wanted to do was get something to eat and put her feet up for the rest of the day.