Crooks and Crystals (A Hocus Pocus Cozy Witch Mystery Series Book 3)

by Constance Barker

  There was a terrible crash and one of the large wicker chairs exploded into splinters. Dakota groaned as he stood up from the pile of destruction, shaking his head. Celestial laughed.

  “Were you trying to apparate into the chair or…”

  “I was trying to appear by the counter.” Dakota rubbed his head. “I didn’t know the chair was even there.”

  “Hey.” Tamara fluttered by Celestial’s face and alighted on the front counter. “George is having the auction today. Want to come?”

  “No.” Celestial said firmly. “and I don’t think you should go, either.”

  “Oh, come on.” Athena said with exasperation. “There could be something there. Even if there’s no clues the old lady has heaps of interesting stuff. They are selling it all off. I suppose you can’t take antique furniture to the nursing home.”

  “And knick knacks.” Tamara said, slowly opening and closing her wings. “Who knows? The suspects might be there. Something could go down.”

  “You guys have been watching too much TV.” Celestial waved a hand.

  “I won’t deny that.” Dakota grinned. “But the auction will be interesting all the same. We should go.”

  “I told you, no.”

  “Oh, come on, Celestial!” Athena buzzed impatiently, flying in tight circles. “You can break into someone’s house, but you can’t manage a public auction?”

  “You know, Jenna and Morgana will be there.” Dakota said in an encouraging tone. “Jenna has to set up her new place now that Martin’s gone and she needs lots of stuff.”

  “Do you think that watching her buy a new dresser is going to prove her guilt?”

  Dakota grinned. “You never know.”

  “Yeah, come on Celestial.” Tamara shifted into a nearby chair, gracefully draping herself across it. “It will be a great opportunity to see all the suspects interacting.”

  “It’s also a great place for all the suspects to gang up on me.”

  Athena buzzed around Celestial’s head. “Are you worried about that time someone tried to poison you?”

  Celestial scowled at Athena. “Which time?”

  It could have been funny, but nobody laughed.

  “There’s going to be a big barbecue after.” Dakota said lightly. “George is raising money for his mom.”

  “Is that really the right thing to say right after we were talking about me getting poisoned?” Celestial gave him an exaggerated frown. He grinned.

  “Timing isn’t my strong point as I’m sure you know.”

  “Your spells show me that frequently.” Celestial was starting to enjoy the banter, but she wasn’t softening on the idea of the barbecue.

  “Come on!” Athena descended to Celestial’s shoulder, flicking her wings gently. “Don’t you want to solve this thing?”

  “Of course, I do.” Celestial bent her head towards her familiar, feeling Athena’s wings against her cheek. “I just don’t think this get together is the place to do it. Best case scenario we see a big blow up between the suspects and anyone else that has issues with them.”

  “Ooo.” Athena rubbed her front legs together. It was a normal thing for a dragonfly to do but it looked too much like a child up to no good. “I would love to see that.”

  “Me too.” Tamara grinned, sitting up a bit.

  “Well, I wouldn’t mind going just to hang out.” Dakota admitted. “If all this murder stuff wasn’t going on, it could be fun.”

  “But the murder stuff is going on.” Celestial said firmly.

  “Almost everyone’s going to be there.” Dakota protested. “You might even see something at the auction you like.”

  Celestial sighed, putting her hands on the counter. “Guys. It’s a bad idea. I’m not going. I don’t know how anyone could relax and have fun with all this going on, but I think the whole thing is too dangerous. At a gathering like this the chances of something happening are huge.”

  “Well.” Athena lifted from Celestial’s shoulder in a huff. “I’m going. I can’t miss this.”

  “Neither can I.” Tamara shifted back into a butterfly and flitted up to the roof.

  Dakota shrugged. “I’m going. Are you sure we can’t convince you, Celestial?”

  She folded her arms across her chest and frowned, trying to keep her emotions in check. She was worried about her friends.

  “Fine,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  It took only a moment to apparate into the town center that George was having his auction in. Celestial had held on to Dakota and Tamara and Athena were on her shoulders so she got them there with a minimum of fuss.

  “Looks like everything is in full swing,” Athena said, alighting from her shoulder. “We should get better seats.”

  “Absolutely not,” Celestial said.

  “She’s right,” Dakota chimed in. “We can observe much better from here.”

  Tamara and Athena did what beings with wings can do when others tell them to stop.

  They buzzed off above the audience to get a better insight.

  Celestial could see various odds and ends as well as knick knacks on the stage of the town center. It looked as if George had rented the venue for this in anticipation of a large audience. He hadn’t been wrong.

  After various items had gone up for sale, Celestial resigned herself to the fact that too many people were quite alright with the fact that Martin was murdered and were happy to go about their daily lives.

  “I’ve seen enough,” Celestial told Dakota. “I’m heading back to the store.”

  As she began to apparate out, Celestial wondered what the smoking gun was.

  Whoever the killer was, the missing link had to be right in front of her eyes.

  Chapter 23

  Much later that afternoon Celestial found herself restless. The anxiety that had grown ever since her friends left was now riding her and she couldn’t shake it. By now the auction should be done and the barbeque would be in full swing. She wished that she had gone, even if it was just to help her friends. They needed someone with a keen eye to keep an eye on them.

  When she saw Samantha and Morgana heading towards her shop, she realized the auction must really be over and her friends had still not returned. Surely if something had happened at the barbecue, she would have heard about it by now?

  She appraised Morgana and Samantha as they came in. Both of them seemed cheerful and calm and Celestial allowed herself to relax a little. She had to stop suspecting everyone. If this kept up, she was going to grow into a mad old woman for sure.

  “Hey, Celestial.” Samantha smiled warmly as she approached the counter and Celestial felt her heart open up immediately.

  “Hello.” Morgana seemed almost shy as she stopped just behind Samantha.

  “Hi guys. Can I help you with anything?”

  “Actually, I brought you something.” Samantha put a plastic box on the counter. “It’s some home made tamales. Call it a peace offering.”

  Celestial cracked open the box and peeked in. “Oh, wow! I love tamales! Thank you, Samantha.”

  She ducked her head, grinning. “Don’t mention it. I’m hoping we can catch up later, you know, clear the air?”

  Celestial smiled warmly back. “I’d like that.”

  “Me too.” Morgana spoke up. “You’ve been good to me, Celestial. You believed in me from the start. I just got carried away. It’s been good for me, hanging out with these girls. Like flipping a switch, kind of. Instead of dwelling on how hurt I am over Martin and everything, we make each other feel better instead.”

  “I’m glad.” Celestial said, unable to stop the calculations in her mind that added up to one of these women being a killer.

  The door rattled and George came in. Again, Celestial wondered what had become of her friends. Maybe they went for a walk after the barbecue. She thought they would be so full of gossip they would have to rush straight back to spill it.

  Celestial put the box of tamales to the side of
the counter. It was late and she was hungry. The tamales looked delicious and her mouth was watering, but she could wait a few minutes. It wouldn’t kill her.

  Strange choice of words.

  She pushed the thought away. She couldn’t keep suspecting everyone and everything. She’d end up with grey hair.

  “What can I do for you, George?” She asked.

  “Oh, I just wanted to pick up that stuff for mom. Is it ready yet?”

  “It sure is. Just give me a sec.” Celestial headed out the back, noticing that Morgana and Samantha were moving towards the front of the shop. She wasn’t sure if they were browsing or leaving.

  She collected the box of lotion and soaps she had put together for George’s mom, bringing it to the counter. He looked over the contents with a smile.

  “Thank you so much, Celestial. She’s going to love this. Are you sure I can’t give you anything for it?”

  Celestial waved him away. “Don’t you dare even try. If your mom is happy, that’s all the payment I need.”

  He smiled warmly as he picked up the box. “You’re a gem Celestial. Thanks again.” He picked up the box and headed out the door, whistling a little tune.

  The shop was empty. Celestial saw Samantha and Morgana walking away down the street, the two of them talking and laughing. The afternoon looked bright and deceptively ordinary.

  Her stomach grumbled loudly and Celestial laughed to herself. She made a big cup of tea for herself and sat down with the tamales. The second she popped the lid the smell got her stomach growling all over again. She was lifting the first one to her lips when a high-pitched screaming split the air.

  “What? What now?” She cried loudly.

  “They’re poisoned!” Athena screamed, spiraling down from the roof.

  “How do you know?” Celestial protested indignantly. “You just got here.”

  Athena did the little loop that suggested she was rolling her eyes.

  “Trust me. I know. Dragonflies have an enhanced sense of smell and my nostrils are yelling at me to stay away from it. Don’t eat it, Celestial.”

  With a sigh, she tossed the tamales back into the box and pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Nikoli. He wasn’t far away and came immediately.

  “Hey girls.” He said, addressing both Celestial and Athena. “What seems to be the problem?”

  Celestial pointed at the tamales. “Athena says they’re poisoned.”

  “Let’s take a look.” He had an amused smile as he approached the box. “I have a chemical spot tester with me. It won’t tell me much but if there’s a substance in there that shouldn’t be, I’ll know straight away.”

  He bent over the box, touching a small strip to the inside of a tamale. He turned back to Celestial with a smile, clearly not taking any of this seriously.

  “So Celestial, I was wondering if you might be free sometime this week?”

  Celestial’s heart leapt as she smiled back at Nikoli.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Your strip has changed color.” Athena snapped, before Nikoli could answer. He looked down at the strip.

  “Holy Lord.” His eyes widened.

  “What is it?” Celestial asked.

  “This is positive for heroin, Celestial. A lot of heroin. Probably enough to kill you.”

  Celestial felt fear take hold of her. She had been so close to eating them!

  “I’ll need to take them back to the lab, and the box too. I guess your fingerprints are all over it.”

  “Yeah, and Samantha’s. She dropped it off with Morgana so hers might be all over it too.”

  Nikoli picked up the box. “I want to get started on this straight away. It’s a direct attack on you, Celestial.”

  “I know.”

  “They look pretty guilty, you have to admit that.”

  “They do. We must be getting close.”

  She tried to sound sure. The clues were piling up and they had much more to go on now than before. So why did Celestial feel like she was tearing up the track in the wrong direction?

  Chapter 24

  Nikoli returned to the station to get a full analysis on the heroin that was found in the tamales. Celestial tried to close up the shop, but the familiar routines did nothing to soothe her. She kept dropping things or tripping over, unable to concentrate.

  She sat down in one of her wicker chairs, thinking about another cup of tea. She was drinking so much of it lately her blood was probably changing color. She sat in the chair watching the shadows deepen and her thoughts followed suit.

  Athena fluttered down from the roof, flicking her wings and dipping in the air. She did a quick turn around Celestial’s head, finally landing on the table in front of her friend.

  “Are you okay, Celestial?”

  “Someone wants me dead.”

  “Well, that’s hardly a new situation.”

  Celestial’s mouth twitched in what could be a smile.

  “Yeah, but this time I have no idea who did it.”

  “I’d stay clear of Samantha, if I was you.”

  “I agree. But it seems pretty stupid to hand over the poisoned food if you were the one serving it.”

  “Yes.” The dragonfly said, thoughtfully. ‘That little trick has come up once before. Maybe it was both of them and they figured you’d be dead before anyone could find out they were here. Did anyone see them?”

  “George did.”

  “Oh great. Another suspect. You might as well throw him in as well. They could be in it together, every last one of them!”

  Now Celestial did smile. Athena’s little wings flicked noisily as she bobbed up and down, too mad to stay still.

  “That seems a bit far fetched, Athena.”

  “Why? They all hated him. They all had cause. They also knew that he was screwing the others over as well. It wouldn’t have taken much for them to get together just to talk about their trouble with Martin and end up forming a plan.”

  “I’ll give you that, but I don’t think it’s a group of four or more murderers.”

  “Why?”

  “Because people can’t keep secrets, Athena. No matter how hard they try, they always give themselves away. They just can’t help it. Keeping murder a secret is pretty vital, but hiding your connections to others who share the same secret? That sounds impossible.”

  “You just have too good of a heart, Celestial.” Athena said mournfully.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “People really can keep a secret like that. If they don’t care who they hurt and if they believe themselves to be right, they keep the secret almost perversely.”

  “It sounds like you know a lot about it.”

  Athena flew up to Celestial’s shoulder, touching her cheek gently with her wings.

  “I’ve been on earth a long time, dear one.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes, the darkness creeping up on them. Celestial tried to think but her mind was a black mire. She couldn’t focus on anything, wading through the murk took up all of her energy.

  “Are you going to sit there in the dark all night?”

  “Maybe I should. No one would think to look here if they are out to get me.”

  “You’re a strange one, Celestial.” Athena fluttered by her cheek.

  “Yeah, but that’s why you love me so much.”

  Celestial’s phone buzzed, breaking the silence. Celestial hurried to pick it up and saw that it was Nikoli.

  “Hi, Nikoli?”

  “Yes, Celestial it’s me. Listen, we got a preliminary report back. This is the same grade of heroin that was used to kill Martin.”

  Celestial felt her blood run cold. “It’s the same stuff?”

  “We can’t guess if it's the same supply, unfortunately. It is the same grade though, identical.”

  “What does this mean?”

  “It means don’t eat anything someone offers you.” Nikoli said grimly.

  “But—”

  “
And lock your doors, look over your shoulder and double check your locks.”

  “Is that how bad it is, Nikoli?”

  “Yes, this time it is. Look, Martin was killed with purpose. It was well-planned. Don’t go anywhere alone with anyone, no matter how much you feel you can trust them. Keep your doors locked just in case, okay?”

  “Okay.” She took a nervous breath. “I can do that.”

  “Look, I’ll call back soon, okay? I’ve got some things to do, but I want to check in on you, just for my own peace of mind. Would that be alright?”

  “Sure. Just call me when you’re done.”

  “No problem. Keep your phone on you.”

  “Will do. Thank you, Nikoli. And bye.”

  “Take care, Celestial.” he said gently. “See you later.”

  Celestial put the phone down gently. She got up and finished cleaning up the shop, getting ready to go home. The dark, swirling thoughts in her mind were even bigger now and they had claws and teeth.

  “I have to figure this out soon, before I really end up dead.” she muttered.

  “I know. Imagine being stuck with Stella and Bella for eternity,” Athena said wryly. Celestial laughed.

  “Just promise me if something does happen, you won’t let Dakota summon me.”

  “Deal!” Athena spun around Celestial’s head, bobbing near her ear. “Nothing will happen, my friend. I won’t let it.”

  Athena alighted on her shoulder as they locked up, snuggling under Celestial’s hair. They headed towards the car in silence, both of them racking their brains.

  If it was the same drug, then the same killer was after her. They must think that she knew something, to be trying to get rid of her this way.

  The problem was, Celestial didn’t know anything. Samantha and Morgana looked like excellent suspects after today, even if that still felt like barking up the wrong tree.

  “What am I missing?” she murmured, heading home with a head full of unanswered questions and far too much worry.

  Chapter 25

  Celestial went home and tried to relax. Nikoli called her back and they had a brief talk. Celestial got the feeling that he was going to be keeping an eye on her from a distance. He sounded very worried and he promised her he would solve this case before anyone else got hurt.