Enchanted Island Mysteries : Serena & Grant

by Jenna St James

  “Dr. Drago?” Grant mused. “There are some odd last names on this island.”

  “Dr. Drago is actually a distant relative on my dad’s side,” I said. “Drago means dragon.”

  Sheriff Hawkins gave me a sly smile. “It may take a while before Detective Wolfe is a true believer.” He patted Tamara’s hand and quietly left out the back door.

  Tamara sniffed, wiped her eyes, and looked at me. “I think Daisy and Rose will both be there tonight. If I remember from last night’s meeting, Rose is handing out drinks, and Daisy is running the maze.”

  “These are the two women who have both claimed Jack stole something from them?” Grant asked.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Get whatever you need for tonight,” Grant said. “You can’t stay here.”

  “What?” I demanded. “What do you mean?”

  He gave me a hard look. “I mean this is a crime scene. A dead body was found just five yards from your back door. You can’t stay here tonight.”

  “What about Hocus and Pocus?” Tamara asked.

  “They’ll be fine here for one night,” I said.

  “Okay. Let’s just gather the pies, get our costumes, and go back to the bakery to get ready,” Tamara suggested. “We can decide where to spend the night later.”

  Luckily Deputy Sparks had been inside the house when the oven timer went off, so the two pies were able to be saved.

  “Fine,” I said. “But just so you know, detective, you have to come dressed in a costume or you can’t attend the festival.” That wasn’t exactly true, but I was feeling a little snarky. “The theme this year is nursery rhymes. I hope you have something handy.”

  “What’re you going as?” he asked.

  “Little Bo Peep,” I said.

  He grinned. “Then I have just the outfit.”

  Chapter 7

  “Oh, I get it!” Tamara cried from the front of the store. “It’s very clever.”

  Grant had followed us to the bakery with the instructions he would be back around six to follow us to the festival, and we were to stay with him the whole time.

  I finished putting on my lipstick and stepped back to assess my costume. It was a strapless, pink prom dress with a lace bodice and fluffy ruffles that fell all the way down to the floor. There was also just enough boning in the bottom half of the dress to make the dress poof out. Clutched in my right hand was a white shepherds hook complete with a bright pink bow. Since my blonde hair was cut in a short, stacked bob, I’d glued a bright pink bow to a headband and stuck it on my head.

  Calling it good, I walked out from the back of the bakery and frowned when I saw Detective Grant Wolfe. I had no idea what he was supposed to be. Unlike Tamara, I didn’t get it at all.

  Before I could ask who he was, he gave me a low whistle. “Look at you. That dress is…very becoming in a bodice-ripping romance cover sort of way.”

  I rolled my eyes and tried not to laugh. “Read a lot of those, do you?”

  He grinned. “I may have glanced at one or two in my lifetime.”

  “Who are you supposed to be?” I asked, willing myself to stop imagining him reading steamy romance novels.

  He spread his arms wide and did a small circle. He had on dark blue jeans and a tight, dark blue t-shirt that clung to his body in a very good way. In his hand was a walking stick. “I’m Little Boy Blue.”

  I scoffed. “No, you aren’t. Look at me. I actually look like a shepherd girl. You look nothing like Little Boy Blue.”

  “I beg to differ. I’m dressed all in blue and carrying a shepherd’s staff.”

  “You’re carrying a walking stick,” I argued.

  “I think he looks good,” Tamara said. “And it’s funny, ya know?”

  I sighed. “Whatever. Let’s just go. It’s only two blocks away, we can walk over.”

  He handed me his card. “Put my cell number in your phone. I’ll do the same for you. Just in case we get separated tonight.”

  I pushed aside the butterflies that suddenly popped up inside my stomach at the thought of having his phone number, grabbed my phone off the counter, and saved it in my contacts.

  We each took a basket holding two pies and made our way to the Samhain Celebration held at the city park. There were at least two hundred people already crowded inside the blocked-off area.

  “This is amazing,” Tamara said. “Look, over there. The Coventon Triplets are dressed as Three Blind Mice.”

  I pointed in a different direction. “And is that Mrs. Mystic over there carrying a shoe and dragging her six children behind her with a rope?”

  “Wow,” Grant said, “everyone goes all out for this, don’t they?”

  “It’s a celebration. Samhain represents the end of the harvest and the start of winter.” I waggled my eyebrows at him. “And it’s also when the veil to the other side is the thinnest. Who knows what could happen tonight?”

  He gave me a strange look I couldn’t interpret. I’m sure he thought I was insane for “believing” in the supernatural, but it was only a matter of time—minutes really—before he discovered the truth. The majority of the games and booths at the festival were enchanted with magic in some way.

  “Let’s drop off these pies to the mayor and then have some fun,” I said. “The maze and the haunted house are my favorites.”

  We found Mayor Stone a few yards from the pie eating contest booth, politicking and laughing with other residents of the island.

  He clapped his large hands in glee when he saw us and motioned us toward the booth. “These look delicious as always.” He gave me a wink. “And no surprises like last year, right? Promise?”

  I laughed. “These pies are fine. No one will go screaming or fainting when they’re eaten.”

  “Good! Good!” He clamped his hand down on my shoulder and jostled me good-naturedly. “I don’t think my heart could take another year of that.” He sobered instantly. “I was sorry to hear about Jack Luckett. I can’t tell you how awful I feel knowing someone here on this island killed that boy.”

  “Don’t worry, Mayor,” Grant said. “I’m here tonight both as a bodyguard for the girls, and to also ask a few questions of two particular people.”

  “I trust you’ll have this taken care of soon then,” Mayor Stone said.

  We said goodbye and promised to stop back at eight for the contest. I steered us toward one of the food and drink booths for our first stop. The fact Rose Winterbourne happened to be working was a total coincidence—or at least that’s what I told myself.

  As the three of us stood in line, Grant broke the silence. “I’m dying to ask. What was all that about last year screaming and fainting?”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him about the whole blood-like scene from last year, then realized Grant wouldn’t understand because he didn’t believe in vampires or anything else supernatural.

  “Nothing. It was just some—”

  “Can I help you?”

  The anger and hostility in Rose Winterbourne’s voice was unmistakable, but not shocking.

  “Is everything okay, Rose?” Tamara asked.

  “No, it’s not.”

  Not wanting to let her spoil our fun, I quickly ordered a Spiced Pumpkin Punch.

  “Me too,” Tamara added.

  “And for you?” she asked Grant.

  “I guess I’ll have the same.”

  “That’s three Spiced Pumpkin Punch drinks,” she repeated.

  As Rose turned to fill our order, Grant raised an eyebrow. “Do you ladies know her? She seems a little hostile.”

  I leaned over to whisper in his ear and almost moaned when the scent of his cologne tickled my nose. “That’s Rose Winterbourne. One of the suspects.”

  He pulled back from me nodded. “Got it.” He leaned in to whisper back, and this time I did moan a little when his breath caressed my outer ear. “I’m going to ask her a few questions, please don’t interfere.”

  I was about to argue, but Rose plunked th
ree glasses on the wooden edge of the booth. “Did you also want them slightly frozen?”

  “Please,” Tamara said.

  Rose picked up one of the glasses, closed her eyes, and whispered something under her breath. A few seconds later, the rim of the glass produced tiny ice crystals. It wasn’t until I heard Grant gasp that I realized this was probably the first time he’d seen someone work magic. Rose, oblivious to Grant’s reaction, quickly froze the other two drinks.

  “How?” Grant asked as he tilted his cup and gawked at the now frozen slushy. “How did you do that?”

  Rose rolled her eyes. “I’m a Winter Witch.”

  “Okay,” Grant said slowly.

  Rose’s eyes turned hard. “We like our ice.” She turned to Tamara. “Just ask Jack.”

  Tamara gasped and took a step backward.

  “I’m sure you’ve heard by now about Jack.” My own anger spilling out in the words. “So we can’t ask Jack.”

  “He stole my ice and never gave it back,” Rose said. “Now, if you don’t mind, there’s a long line behind you.”

  “I actually do mind,” Grant said. “As I’m the acting investigator looking into the death of Jack Luckett, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

  “Make it quick,” Rose said. “I have a line forming behind you.”

  Grant didn’t even turn around to look. “Where were you today from noon to three?”

  Rose crossed her arms over her white apron and glared. “About twelve-fifteen I was standing in line at Enchanted Bakery & Brew getting an espresso and Samhain Soul Cake. From there I went straight home to get ready for tonight.”

  “Did you stop and talk to anyone?” Grant asked. “Maybe someone on the street?”

  “No.”

  “Does anyone live with you?” Grant asked. “Husband? Kids?”

  “No. I live alone.”

  Grant frowned. “Neighbors?”

  “No. I live about fifteen minutes from town.”

  “So there is no one who can corroborate your story that after you left the bakery you went straight home?” Grant asked.

  Rose shrugged. “Guess not. But if you want to talk to someone who had it out for Jack, why don’t you go bother Daisy Woods? I hear she threatened Jack’s life plenty of times.”

  Chapter 8

  We fell out of line and went to find a vacant picnic table. Grant was going to have to sit down for the rest of the Enchanted Island talk.

  “What’s going on with the frozen hocus pocus thing?” he demanded, still staring at his drink wearily.

  “Let’s sit down here,” I said. “Tamara and I can fill you in. I really wanted you to talk to your grandparents and hear it from them, but I can see there’s no time.”

  We sat down at a picnic table, our backs against the tabletop so we could still survey the crowd walking by. Unfortunately, the boning in my dress reacted to the movement, and I was momentarily humiliated when the bottom half of the dress flipped up. Luckily, I was quick enough to slap it down before Little Bo Peep gave passersby a peep show they’d never forget.

  Once I was back under control and Tamara and Grant stopped laughing, I took a huge gulp of my drink to ease the heat of embarrassment in my face.

  “It’s safe to drink?” Grant asked.

  I smiled. “Completely.”

  “And that was what?” he asked with only a hint of derision in his voice. “Some kind of witch magic?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Okay. And do you two have tricks like that?”

  I sighed. “It’s not a trick. And I think this is going to be too difficult to explain. You need to experience it…the island, the people here.”

  He eyed Tamara and I wearily. “And what do you two—”

  “Don’t even finish that question,” I said. “It’s insulting to think we would perform for you like circus monkeys.”

  The tips of his ears turned pink. “I wasn’t—I mean, I didn’t…” He trailed off. “Okay. Sorry. This is just a little…odd.”

  Tamara laughed. “I’m sure it is. Almost everyone here on the island is different in some way.”

  “You mean not fully human?” Grant said.

  “Yes,” I whispered. “That’s a good way to put it.”

  “Oh man.” Grant stood and paced back and forth in front of us. “My grandparents?”

  “That’s for them to tell you,” I said gently.

  He scrubbed his hands over his face. “This is all so bizarre.”

  “I know,” I said. “That’s why I can’t believe someone didn’t prepare you when you took this job.”

  Grant stopped pacing and closed his eyes. “A few have tried, I think, but I didn’t want to hear it. Even Mayor Stone encouraged me to speak to my grandparents the minute they get back, but I just thought he wanted me to make a connection so I stayed on the island.”

  I chuckled. “It might have been a little more than that.”

  “The encounter with Rose back there,” he said. “Why was she so angry about the fact Jack took her ice and never gave it back? Is that something to do with her witch thing?”

  “I don’t think so,” I said.

  “I’ve been trying to figure it out too,” Tamara said. “I have no idea what she was talking about. Jack wouldn’t need to steal ice from her.”

  “Let’s finish our drink and go see Daisy over at the outdoor maze,” I suggested. “See if she gives us some strange cryptic message.”

  We quickly finished off our drinks and threw the cups in the trashcan.

  “So is Daisy a witch too?” Grant asked.

  I grinned. “You’ll see the type of magic Daisy can do.”

  “You two should go inside the maze alone,” Tamara said. “This way you can show him without me getting in the way.”

  “No way,” I said. “We stick together.”

  “I agree,” Grant said. “I’m here to watch over both of you, but especially you, Tamara.”

  Tamara rolled her eyes. “I promise to just sit and wait for you. Maybe stand in line for caramel popcorn, but that’s it. Promise.”

  “I don’t know,” Grant said. “I don’t like it. Something could go wrong.”

  Tamara grinned. “I’d promise not to talk to anyone weird, but as you’re discovering, that would be impossible.”

  “Ha ha,” Grant said. “Why don’t we…” His voice trailed off when he got his first good look at the outdoor maze. “What’s this?”

  “The maze,” I said smugly.

  I knew what he was implying. From the outside, Daisy’s maze consisted of a straight line…a six-foot tunnel. The hay bales were stacked three high, four wide, with a large tarp thrown over the top and down the sides where people entered and exited. Daisy stood guarding the entrance.

  “Just wait,” I said. “Don’t judge yet.”

  “I’m going to sit right here,” Tamara said. “Maybe get popcorn for us, but then I’ll come straight back here.”

  Grant cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to sound condescending, but I don’t think it’s going to take us that long to go through this maze. You probably won’t even get to sit before we’re done.”

  Tamara and I just grinned at each other.

  “C’mon, detective.”

  I grabbed his arm and practically dragged him to the maze where a long line was already forming. It took a few minutes before we were finally next in line…so we spent it making small talk and waving over at Tamara sitting on a bench.

  Daisy Woods looked awful. Her eyes were red and swollen, and there were little splotches of red all over her face and neck. She smiled when we finally reached her, but the smile never reached her eyes.

  “I guess you heard about Jack?” I said.

  She nodded and swiped at her nose.

  “Daisy, my name is Detective Wolfe, and I’d like to ask you where you were today from noon to three?”

  Daisy’s mouth dropped. “What? Where was I? Why?”

  “Standard question,�
� Grant assured her.

  “I was here helping my family with the maze.”

  Grant’s eyes flickered to the tiny maze. “For three hours?”

  “Well, no. I think I left the park around one-thirty. I stopped at Grover’s Odds & Ends and picked up this spider for my costume.” She pointed to a realistic spider perched on her shoulder. Since I knew Grover enchanted his toys, I wasn’t the least bit shocked when the spider suddenly shifted on her shoulder. “Then I went home.”

  I felt Grant stiffen next to me, but to his credit, he didn’t utter a word—or scream.

  “Little Miss Muffet?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  “I guess now you’ll never get back what Jack stole from you,” I said.

  “What?” It took a couple seconds before dawning spread over her face. “Oh yeah. I guess not. But maybe I can learn to move on without it.” She drew the tarp aside and motioned us inside. “There’s a long line behind you.”

  The minute Daisy dropped the tarp, we were engulfed in darkness. I reached for Grant’s hand without thinking, then tried to let go…but he wrapped his fingers around mine and gave me a light squeeze.

  “We need to take a couple steps,” I whispered.

  He chuckled. “Okay. I was thinking more like seven steps in a straight line before we reach the end, but we’ll go with two.”

  We took a couple steps forward, and suddenly the inside of the maze was transformed into a huge magical forest just after twilight. Dozens of lightning bugs twinkled and zipped by us in their own game of tag.

  “What the—”

  Laughing, I dropped his hand and dashed behind a tree. “Come find me!”

  I had no doubt the fullness of my dress stuck out in every direction behind the tree, so I followed a pair of lightning bugs to another bush and crouched down low. They giggled with delight at my game. I put my finger to my mouth and their bodies glowed even brighter.

  “How is this possible, Serena?”

  Shrieking, I stood and nearly toppled over. This sent the fireflies into peals of laughter again and they somersaulted in the air with delight.

  “I didn’t even hear you,” I said.

  “Law enforcement. You aren’t supposed to. Now, how is this possible?” He waved a hand in the air to indicate the night forest, and one of the lightning bugs landed on his fingertip. “Holy—how?”