“Don’t worry. I won’t do that again. I don’t plan to spend my vacation in a jail cell.”
“I’m happy to hear that. How can you be so sure the woman is in danger?”
“She’s a witch—and are you certain you want to know … it might involve the crystal ball.”
“You win, I would rather not know the specifics. Are you planning to warn the woman?”
“Yes, actually. She works at the candy factory.”
“Doing what, exactly?”
“I don’t know, other than she’s Chloe’s boss. It shouldn’t be that hard to find her.”
“Do you have her name at least?”
Petunia held her breath before she quickly said, “Medea Deadsnout.”
“Medea what?”
“Deadsnout.”
Noah’s brow shot up. “How come you don’t have a dreadful witch’s last name like that? Petunia Castspells sounds good.”
“I make potions!”
“Fine, Petunia Makespotions, then.”
“You’re starting to get on my nerves.”
“Good, because you’ve been on mine since you came to my room—minus the kiss. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I thought you were stupid.”
“It certainly sounded that way.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I was just upset about what you did. So, come along, my little lawbreaker. We should head downstairs before the free breakfast is over.”
Pansy raced outside when they were downstairs while Noah joined Petunia in the dining room. They were seated near the window and Petunia inhaled the fragrance of bacon that seemed to overpower the room. Since she loved bacon, she didn’t mind.
In the center of the room was a huge buffet with fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and a medley of rolls, breads, and bagels.
Petunia filled her plate and walked back to the table just as the server brought their drinks.
“Thank you,” Petunia said.
Noah smiled as he sat down. “I think we cleaned out the bacon,” he said, indicating both of their plates.
“Besides the candy factory, what else is on taps for the day?”
“I imagine the candy factory is the only thing we’ll have time for. I wonder how many candy samples they hand out?”
“I hope there’s a lot of chocolate.”
Petunia glanced out the window and saw Chloe outside having a heated discussion with Emerald in the courtyard.
“Excuse me, I have to use the ladies room,” Petunia said.
“Is that code for you’re going to talk to the two ladies outside?”
“You saw them?”
“Yes, run along and get the scoop. I’ll watch you from the window. I’d hate to waste all this food.”
Petunia slipped out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.”
Petunia rushed outside and Pansy jerked up his head from where he was resting in the shade.
“Where’s the fire?” Pansy asked.
“Nowhere, I hope,” Petunia replied.
“Hello there again,” Petunia greeted Chloe and Emerald.
Emerald turned her nose up at Petunia. “Haven’t I seen enough of you already?”
“Are you always this rude to your customers or is it just me?”
“I don’t recall you ever buying anything from the shop. Now, breaking into it is much clearer to me.”
Chloe sighed. “Oh, Emerald, would you please stop it. We have more important matters at hand.”
Petunia’s brows knitted. “Oh, what kind of trouble is that?”
Emerald grimaced, gnashing her teeth. “She said matters, not trouble, and the only trouble we have is you.”
Petunia looked across the road at their boarded-up shop. “What happened?”
Emerald brushed her nails on her shirt. “You decided to get your revenge, obviously.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Someone broke in through the back door and trashed the place,” Chloe said. “Emerald believes it was you.”
Petunia puffed up her chest in outrage. “I didn’t have anything to do with it. I was at the sheriff’s department, remember?”
“You could have done it after you were released.”
“I wasn’t arrested. I wasn’t even put in handcuffs.”
“If Sheriff Griffin took you in her squad car you must have been—.”
“Nope, we vouched for her,” Chloe interjected. “You get so carried away sometimes. Evie is still upset about how you treated Petunia. You can’t possibly justify slamming the door in her face.”
Emerald crossed her arms. “I thought she was going to try and return the crystal ball.”
“You’ve made it quite clear I was to keep it,” Petunia said. “Was anything stolen from your shop?”
“Evie is having the insurance adjuster go over our inventory,” Chloe said.
“That’s not normally what an insurance adjuster does,” Petunia said.
“He’s related to us,” Chloe said. “An uncle twice removed, according to Evie.”
Petunia switched gears. “Maybe they were looking for something?” Petunia offered.
“We don’t keep anything of value there,” Emerald gasped.
“What about the crystal ball?”
“It’s been there since the shop opened and we’ve never been broken in before until you arrived in town.”
“So, you’re putting this on me.”
“Where were you last night?”
“Chloe parted ways with me at the chocolate fountain.”
“How do we know you actually went up to your room at the hotel and didn’t come back?”
“My familiar was with me and when the sheriff questions me, I have a few things to point out.”
“Like what?”
“From the looks of it there are cameras all over town. I’m sure one of them captured me entering the hotel and my room,” Petunia said. “What about the cameras in your shop? It must have caught something.”
“The sheriff is looking into that now,” Chloe said.
“Why were you arguing?” Petunia asked.
“We weren’t,” Emerald said.
“Yes, we were. Emerald believes you’re the one who trashed the shop but I know it couldn’t be you. You’re a good witch.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“I have a feeling that you are and I’ve never been wrong before.”
“Could I speak to you privately, Chloe?”
“That’s fine by me. I’m helping Evie in the jewelry store today. She has a parent-teacher conference this afternoon.”
Petunia waited for Emerald to leave and Chloe collapsed on a bench. “Finally, I didn’t think I’d ever get rid of her. If it was up to Emerald, she’d have you burned at the stake.”
“They do that here?” Petunia asked, horrified.
“Of course not, but you should have seen your face.”
Petunia frowned as she glanced across the street at a gathering crowd. Small children milled close to their parents, who struggled to keep them from running into the street.
Chloe followed Petunia’s train of vision. “They’re waiting for the bus that will take them to the candy factory.”
“Oh, is it that far?”
“It’s quite the walk and you get special treatment if you take the bus. I could give you a voucher if you’d like.”
“Actually, I’d rather walk. I have a phobia about riding in cars and I can’t imagine it would feel much better riding a bus. I believe someone’s put a curse on me.”
“What makes you think that?”
“My parents died in a car accident when I was only twelve and so have many other family members. I live in town back home and the only time I’m ever really in a motor vehicle is when I’m with my boyfriend.”
“He’s a very handsome man.”
“Are you married?” Petunia asked Chloe.
“I hardly think this is the reason you wanted
to speak with me privately.”
Touchy subject. “No, something strange happened with the crystal ball last night. I put it in my suitcase, but when I came back from dinner the suitcase was open and the globe was glowing some kind of swirling green light. I could see the light under the door of the closet.”
Chloe bit her fist. “Oh, no, that can’t be good.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“So, did you keep it in there?”
“I didn’t see the point. I must admit I was a little curious.”
“You took it out of the suitcase?”
“And put it on my dresser.” Petunia didn’t know if she should tell Chloe about the woman’s face she saw. “The swirling light inside was hypnotic, but that’s not the problem.”
Chloe clutched Petunia’s hand. “What happened, did you see something?”
“Yes, I saw the face of the woman who knocked me down yesterday.”
Chloe gasped. “Oh, my, are you certain?”
“Yes, and that’s not the only time I saw her face. I saw her face in the flames at the hibachi grill.”
“You know what this means, you have the sight.”
“What sight?”
“You can see things into the future.”
“I’m sure it’s not about that, but I believe it’s a warning of some kind. I think Medea is in danger.”
Chloe laughed and shook her head. “Danger is what Medea lives for, but she’s usually the one who is dangerous.”
“Can you help me find her at the factory?”
“Lucky for you I have the day off. I’ll give you the grand tour.”
Petunia rejoined Noah and sipped her orange juice. “Chloe is giving us a tour of the candy factory.”
“Is that why the sisters were arguing?”
“No, apparently someone broke into their shop last night and trashed the place. So obviously Emerald believes it was me.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
5
Pansy trotted alongside Petunia and Noah as they walked up the cobblestone road. It was a bright sunny day and the temperature was in the seventies, which Petunia considered perfect.
The row of quaint shops ended at the gate that led to the candy factory.
“We have a candy-themed amusement park here on the factory grounds,” Chloe said. “They call it Candyland.”
Petunia frowned at the smoke stacks that puffed out black smoke. She didn’t think the amusement park should be anywhere near that. She panned a hand over her brow and glanced up at the factory. Long twisty vents comprised the upper level of the building and she surmised it was for ventilation. She was curious to see what the inside of the factory looked like.
They crossed the park-like setting with trees and grass in the center of the circle drive. It was actually quite a pleasant walk and Petunia nearly drooled at the sweet smell of chocolate that wafted in the air.
“What a wonderful place to work,” Petunia said.
“It certainly needs to be environmental friendly,” Noah said with a notable frown.
“It is if you listen to the investors talk.”
“Is the factory owned by a family?” Petunia asked.
“No, a greedy group of investors bought the property and they hired a man who ran a fudge empire in a small tourist town to build the business to what it is today.”
“What’s it like working here?” Petunia asked.
“It’s okay I suppose, except for my boss. She’s been trying to get me fired for years.”
“Medea?”
“If your family owns a shop in town, why are you working here?” Noah asked.
“Because I prefer to do something besides staying behind a register or unpacking shipments. It would kill me to stand in one place for so long.”
“Emerald mentioned Evie owns a jewelry store?”
“She sells charms for the most part, but it’s a lucrative business.”
“I’d love to see it sometime.”
“You might get your chance. I think it might be a good idea to speak with Evie to tell her you didn’t have anything to do with trashing our store because by now, I’m certain Emerald has poisoned her ear.”
“I have no problem doing that.”
“Are we going on a tour or what?” Noah laughed.
A red-faced woman stood at a ticketed booth at the door. “What are you doing here on your day off, Chloe?”
“Giving these tourists the grand tour.”
“Don’t let Wallace find out.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t. I don’t want him to feel put out.” Chloe led the way to the arched doorway. “Come along now. Your familiar will be safe waiting for you outside here.”
“Aw, but I wanted some samples,” Pansy said.
“I’ll bring some for you.”
They walked down a long marble corridor that opened up into a large oval room with green carpet. Glass panels comprised the walls to display some of the candy making. A large circular machine released chocolate drops into molds that then moved along a conveyor belt.
Petunia walked further along to see the chocolate shaken from the molds and a woman wearing all white, including a hairnet, packed the drops into a candy box and then they moved along to the next step in the process. Another woman covered the box with a lid and it moved along and was wrapped with cellophane.
“The boxes are then packed in the shipping boxes,” Chloe said. “The drops contain secret fillings.”
“That’s what I hate, the secret fillings. I hate when I get a chocolate box full of kinds I don’t like,” Petunia said.
“You can’t always get turtles, you know.” Noah laughed.
“Who says I can’t?”
“Specialty candies like that do cost more,” Chloe admitted. “But bring on the caramel is my motto.”
Chloe motioned for them to follow her. Large vats were filled with chocolate and a white substance Petunia couldn’t place. “What is that?”
“Marshmallow. We make quite a few variety of candies with marshmallow filling.”
“When can we sample the candy?”
“This way, but I’ll have to slip away. I can’t have Wallace thinking I’m trying to take his job.”
The man she pointed out was up in age, with bushy eyebrows and sideburns. His face was quite pink, but it was quite warm in the factory so that made sense to Petunia.
Carts covered with chocolate drops moved along and the candies were eagerly plucked up by the people from the tour groups.
“What a wonderful factory,” Petunia exclaimed.
“Don’t eat too much chocolate or it might upset your stomach this early in the day,” Noah cautioned.
“Sorry but it’s not every day that we can indulge like this,” Petunia said, as she plopped another piece of chocolate into her mouth.
Wallace, the tour guide, walked over. “I don’t remember you being part of my group,” he said.
Petunia tried hard not to be distracted by his bushy eyebrows, which appeared to have a life all their own as they jumped up and down.
“I thought the factory allowed the general public in for tours.”
“Only with a tour guide.”
“I don’t see why; the tour areas are roped in.”
“I tried to tell you we probably shouldn’t have just walked in, honey,” Noah said.
“But nobody stopped us,” Petunia countered.
“I have a hard time believing that,” Wallace said. “The factory has a strict policy against it. Why, a tourist might find themselves in serious danger.”
“You mean like wandering onto a conveyor belt?” Petunia asked, as she blinked rapidly as if she didn’t have a lick of sense. “And I wouldn’t mind being covered with chocolate.”
“Please excuse my girlfriend, she doesn’t have a filter,” Noah said.
“Huh, as if you do, dear,” Petunia said between clenched teeth.
&n
bsp; “Can we tag along on your tour?” Noah asked.
“Well, I don’t know. I already have more in my group than I would like.”
“We won’t be any trouble, I swear,” Petunia said. “Besides, we might get lost if we have to find the exit.”
“Maybe we should find another tour guide,” Noah said. “We don’t want to overwork Wallace here.”
“How do you know my name?” Wallace asked defensively.
“You’re wearing a name tag?” Petunia ventured.
“Very well, then. Come along, but whatever you do keep your hands inside the roped-in area. Last year a tourist nearly lost an arm.”
“I had no idea this was an adventure ride, how fun!” Petunia grinned.
“Putting it on a little thick, aren’t you,” Noah whispered.
“Whatever you say, honey,” Petunia purred.
They followed the tour group and passed an area where popcorn was being made and dropped into a large vat.
“The popcorn is shaken and dropped to a conveyor belt that takes it to the packaging room. It’s completely automated. A machine twist ties the bags and another date stamps them.”
“It’s no wonder this country has so many people on unemployment. They’re being replaced by machines,” Petunia said.
The other tourists nodded in agreement, earning Petunia a narrow-eyed look from Wallace. But Petunia became distracted when more samples were brought out and she munched on so much of it that Wallace rolled the cart away from her.
“Thanks, Wallace, I couldn’t stop myself from eating that delicious caramel corn.”
Wallace simply nodded and led the group into an atrium. Trees and a grassy area were situated inside a tiled floor border, where table and chair were set up. The smell of hot dogs wafted over to them from food vendors and lines quickly formed.
Petunia slid to a chair and rubbed her stomach. “I feel sick.”
“I won’t tell you I told you not to eat so many samples.”
“I think you just did.”
Noah smiled. “I’m still full from breakfast. You should have stayed longer instead of whatever you thought you needed to do.”
“You know perfectly well what.”
“I’m sorry I pressed you to tell me what was going on.” Noah pulled the neck of his shirt slightly. “I’d rather not know the specifics of your witchy pursuits.”
Meows, Magic & Marshmallows Page 4