Beth nodded. “I know.”
“I won’t let you down.”
“At the same time, take care of yourself.”
“I will.”
Meg then leaned in and gave her mom a hug. “Do me a favor. Don’t let that tea and apple crisp go to waste.”
“As hard as it was to turn down apple crisp once, it’s impossible to do it twice,” Beth replied.
Meg smiled. “Good. Now, before I get started, I’m going to need something from you.”
“Name it,” Beth replied.
“Do you know anyone that would have a reason to want Hope dead?” Meg asked.
Chapter Six
Beth Walton’s answer was surprising. Meg was hoping to get a few names, just so she wasn’t working from scratch. Instead, Beth didn’t give her just one lead, but many.
“Well, there’s Andrew, to start,” Beth said.
“Her husband?” Meg replied.
“Soon to be ex-husband. They separated a few months ago.”
“Her choice or his?”
“Hers.”
Meg nodded. “A bitter husband on the verge of divorce. There’s a motive for you.”
“According to Hope, he didn’t take the break-up well. He’s been trying to get her to take him back,” Beth revealed.
“Add obsessive to the list.”
“That’s actually why Hope came up with the idea of doing this wine tasting. She just wanted to get away from the drama.”
“Yet, ironically, her life took a more dramatic turn than it ever had before.” Meg exhaled. “Is there anyone else with a reason to want her dead?”
“I can think of a couple more names.”
Meg’s eyes opened wide. “Really?”
Beth nodded. “Unfortunately.”
“Like who?”
“For starters, her neighbor, Brooke Galloway. They used to be really good friends, but recently, they had a serious falling out.”
“Over what?”
“I don’t know. Hope didn’t ever want to talk about it.”
“It must have been something really serious.”
“Anyway, the two stopped speaking to each other entirely.”
“Brooke Galloway is definitely going to get a visit then. Who else can you think of?”
“Hope mentioned that she’d been having some trouble at the store recently,” Beth said.
“The metaphysical shop?” Meg replied.
Hope was the co-owner of a metaphysical bookstore and gift shop in town. They sold ethereal objects as well as healing crystals, astrological books, and various other unique items.
Beth nodded. “Apparently, she’s been at odds with her business partner, Tiffany Osborn, over the direction of the store.”
“Sounds like I’ll be paying the metaphysical store a visit, too. Please tell me that’s all.”
Beth grimaced. “I wish it was.”
“You know, for such a carefree spirit, Hope got under a lot of people’s skin.”
“Just because she was laid back doesn’t mean the rest of the world was.”
“True. So, who else had a problem with her?” Meg asked.
“Her daughter wasn’t particularly fond of her.”
“Why not?”
“Delilah Ferrell always took after her father more than her mother, to the point where she even followed in her dad’s footsteps and became an accountant.”
“Wow, an accountant with a metaphysical bookstore owner for a mother. Talk about a study in contrasts,” Meg said.
“You got that right. Anyway, when Hope and her first husband got divorced, Delilah blamed her mother for the breakup, and has never really forgiven her for the pain she caused the family.”
“What a shame.”
“It’s heartbreaking. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have a daughter who blames you for everything,” Beth said.
“That’s not something you’ll ever have to worry about. You’ve always been there for me, and I can honestly say I wouldn’t be the woman I am if it weren’t for you,” Meg replied.
Beth started tearing up. “Oh, honey.”
“Mom, don’t cry. I’m going to find out who did this and bring them to justice.”
“I know you will. It’s not that. I was tearing up because I’m just so proud of you.”
“I love you too, mom.”
Meg gave her mother another hug.
“Before I go, is there anyone else that may have wanted Hope dead?”
Beth searched her mind. “Not that I can think of.”
“You’ve given me a bunch of leads to follow up on. I’ll take it from here.”
“Be careful now, you hear? I’ve already lost enough today. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you,” Beth said.
“I can take care of myself. And what I can’t do, my witch powers can,” Meg replied.
Once thing was certain, Meg sure had her work cut out for her. She thought she’d get one or two leads from her mother, not half a dozen. And those were just the names her mom was able to pull off the top of her head. There was no telling who else might be out there. That was up to Meg to find out. She had a lot of work to do. Apparently, Beth wasn’t quite ready to let her leave just yet.
“Speaking of, there’s one more thing I want you to do before you go,” Beth said.
“What’s that?” Meg asked.
Chapter Seven
Meg didn’t know what to think when she heard the word séance come out of her mother’s mouth. It was certainly something she’d never heard mentioned before. Of all the spells at their disposal, that one had always been off-limits. It was a notoriously taxing spell to cast. Not to mention, too much for one witch to handle by themselves. The emotional drain was too demanding. And that was just with the initial casting of the spell. To sustain a séance spell for any length of time was a considerable feat.
Despite all those warnings, her mother wanted to cast the spell anyway. Meg thought her mom had just allowed herself to get wrapped up in the emotion of the moment, but Beth refused to let the issue go.
That’s how Meg found herself in the midst of casting a séance spell with her mother. She just hoped that this worked. They faced each other, concentrating as deeply as they could on casting the spell, reaching deep for all the magic they could muster.
Meg could feel herself growing weaker by the second as the energy drained from her system. She didn’t know if she was strong enough to hold on, to sustain the spell long enough to get it to work. Her concerns extended to her mother as well. If it was this difficult for her, she could only imagine what her mom was going through right now.
Then, a moment later, all their work paid off. In the space between them, a ball of bright, white light emerged. Shortly after, that light dissipated, revealing a ghostly, slightly-transparent version of Hope Riddle before them.
Meg couldn’t believe it; the spell actually worked. There Hope was, right in front of them, looking wildly confused.
“Beth? What’s going on?” Hope asked.
Meg used all her powers and focus to keep the séance spell going as long as she could while her mother did the talking.
“I don’t have a lot of time to explain it, but this is a séance,” Beth replied.
“A séance?” She chuckled. “Talk about out of this world. And this is from a woman who ran a metaphysical shop.”
“It’s so good to see you,” Beth replied.
“It’s good to see you too. Although, I hoped we’d be seeing each other again under better circumstances,” Hope said.
“That’s actually why we’re holding this séance.”
“Here I thought the white light was going to transport me to heaven.”
“You mean, you’re not already there?” Beth asked.
Hope shook her head. “No. I’ve just been sitting alone in this dark empty room, waiting for a sign, wondering what would happen next. Finally, a door emerged with a bright light glowing behind it. I opened the
door and walked through it. The next thing I knew, I was here with you.”
“Well, we’re not going to keep you here long. We just need to ask you a few questions.”
“About what?”
“About who killed you,” Beth replied.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you much about that,” Hope revealed.
“Why not?”
“Because, it happened so fast.”
“We just want to know who did this to you so they can be put in jail. They have to pay for what they did,” Beth said.
“I wish I could tell you who it was, but I didn’t see them. They just snuck up behind me and hit me from behind. The blow knocked me out. When I came to, I was alone in this strange room. That’s where I’ve been ever since. I’ve been wondering why I’ve been stuck here, but maybe this is limbo,” Hope explained. She then thought it over and speculated. “Then again, perhaps bringing my killer to justice is the key to getting me out of here.”
“Then that’s what we’re going to do. Is there anything else you can tell us? Anything that might help us solve your murder?” Beth asked.
Hope thought it over and shook her head. “I wish there was. When I was getting ready for bed, I heard a noise downstairs. I decided to go down and investigate. Then, like I said, I got hit from behind and woke up here.”
Meg and Beth had been doing their best to keep focused, but suddenly, the spell became too taxing for them. With each passing second, their energy became sapped. Finally, they couldn’t sustain it any longer. They lost their grip on the spell, and with it, Hope faded away.
***
With Hope gone, Meg and Beth both had to take a moment to catch their breath. They felt like they’d just completed a breakneck sprint. Unfortunately, they had little to show for it. Sure they were able to pull off the séance spell, but Hope didn’t give them any leads to work with.
If anything, Meg now felt the added pressure of solving this case so that Hope could get out of the apparent limbo she was stuck in. This was turning into a doozy of a day, and it was just beginning.
Chapter Eight
In order to get her energy back, Meg whipped up a meal filled with protein and ate up, knowing she was in for a long day. When her energy levels began spiking again, she headed out.
Her first stop was Hope Riddle’s house. She was unsure what to expect, not only of the crime scene but whether the police had cleared out yet. That was a key point, especially since she needed privacy to cast a spell that would survey the house for anything unusual. Given her luck, the cops would still be on site. It was hard enough cracking a case to begin with, no less when she was trying to get a confession out of a suspect while sneaking around without the police catching wind of her actions.
Ironically, her biggest problem was her own boyfriend. Even though Connor had lightened up and acknowledged the benefits of Meg’s brand of amateur sleuthing recently, he’d made his opinion clear about this case. He wanted her to sit this one out. There was zero chance of that happening. She’d made a promise to her mother, one she intended to keep.
Luckily, when Meg pulled up in front of Hope’s house, the police were gone.
Phew.
What a relief. This didn’t mean she was completely in the clear. Connor was a smart man. He’d no doubt discover she was investigating the case at some point. She just hoped it would be later rather than sooner, preferably after she’d uncovered a piece of hard evidence.
With the coast clear, she was free to do some sleuthing in peace. Meg got out of her car and went around to the back of Hope’s house. Her front door was too much in the open of any potential prying eyes. It would be hard to cast an unlocking spell on that door without being spotted by a neighbor. The backyard was a different story. It had the benefit of privacy.
In a few seconds, she’d be able to cast her spell and get inside Hope’s place. Or, so she thought. Just as Meg closed her eyes to focus and cast the door unlocking spell, she heard footsteps behind her. That was followed by the unmistakably familiar voice of her boyfriend.
“Meg, what are you doing back here?” Connor said.
She whirled around, seeing him approach her from behind. This was bad news. Meg couldn’t really do anything but wince. He’d caught her in the act. There was no mistaking why she was here—to investigate the very case he’d told her to steer clear of. Thankfully, she hadn’t begun casting her spell yet, or she’d have to find a way to put a lid on a whole new can of worms. Still, she had some explaining to do.
Even for someone with as much verbal dexterity as Meg, this was one corner she couldn’t talk her way out of. Connor had been trained to detect when other people were lying. She saw no choice but to tell the truth. Well, in her own way.
“I uh, thought you guys had left,” Meg said.
“And you were going to break into a crime scene?” Connor asked.
Dating a police detective had plenty of advantages. This was not one of them. Connor was a smart, by-the-book kind of guy. What Meg was about to do was about as off the books as could possibly be.
She decided to put on the most contrite face she could. “I know what this looks like.”
He sighed and shook his head. “If we weren’t dating, I’d arrest you.”
She tried to lighten the mood. “It’s a good thing we’re dating then.”
He did not find humor in the situation. “Breaking and entering is a serious offense.”
“Well, technically, I haven’t broken or entered.”
“Not yet, at least.”
Meg came up with an idea that would ease Connor’s concerns and move the conversation in a new direction. There were far more important issues at play to get bogged down with this.
She pulled out a key from her purse. “I meant, it wouldn’t be breaking and entering because my mom had a key to Hope’s place.”
Never mind that the key was to Meg’s storage locker. Connor didn’t need to know that. She just hoped this would settle him down.
It didn’t. “Why did your mother have a key to Hope’s house?”
Meg thought her first lie would put an end to this. Instead, she found herself telling a second lie to try and cover up the first one. “Hope went out of town a fair bit and asked my mother to water her plants and get her mail when she did.”
“Oh.”
Luckily, he seemed to be satisfied with that answer. Meg tried to transition to a new topic. “Now, back to Hope’s murder.”
Unfortunately, Connor wasn’t ready to move on. “That doesn’t change the fact that you were knowingly going to set foot on a crime scene.”
Meg exhaled. No wonder suspects so often cracked under interrogation. She didn’t know how murder suspects did it. Lying was so stressful. Besides, she wasn’t any good at it. Now, she’d dug herself into a hole that she had to try to find her way out of.
“Your men had left the scene already. I figured it was clear,” Meg replied.
He stared her down, not buying a word of what she was saying. “Have you already forgotten what I told you earlier about staying away from this case?”
“No.”
“So you’re just blatantly disregarding a direct police order?”
He had her there.
“I didn’t intend to investigate this at first,” she explained.
“Yet here you are.”
“After my mother’s urging, I reconsidered--”
He shook his head, full of frustration. “What is it with your family? Not only am I your boyfriend; I’m a police detective. It’s my entire job to investigate cases like this.”
“I know that. And you do a great job.”
“If you believed that, why are you here?”
“Because I know I can help you,” Meg declared.
“You shouldn’t be here. You should be at home taking care of your mother.”
“You say that, but she wants me here. And, as you know, every good kid does what their mother asks.”
“You’re
the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”
“Guilty as charged. If I’m willing to admit that, you should be willing to admit it wouldn’t hurt to have a hand with this murder case. Or, are you still labeling it a burglary gone wrong?”
His face tightened. “All right, so I’ll admit it, I’m coming around to your theory that this wasn’t really a burglary, but rather a homicide staged to look like a break in.”
“See, you should be thanking me, not lecturing me,” Meg said.
“Don’t push your luck. I still don’t like how you went behind my back like this.”
“Look how much I’ve helped already.”
“I’m not joking. I’m still worried about you with this case. Detective work requires keeping a level head, and with your mother’s friend being the victim, it’ll be hard to keep your emotions in check,” Connor said.
“Connor, I’m sorry for going behind your back. I shouldn’t have done that. But look, when this is all over, I’ll make it up to you.”
“How?”
“I’ll think of something.”
He smiled. “I have a few ideas.”
“How many of them involve me making donuts for you?”
“None. Although, now that you mention donuts, I wouldn’t be a very good detective if I turned them down.”
“Your stomach is so predictable.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. Isn’t life unpredictable enough already?”
“Speaking of unpredictable, what made you come around to believing that Hope’s death was more than just a burglary gone wrong?” Meg asked.
“After going over the entire place, as far as we can tell, there wasn’t anything stolen. Not even Hope’s purse, which was right there in the next room. She had a couple hundred dollars in cash just sitting in her wallet as easy pickings. If this was the work of a burglar, it was the dumbest burglar I’ve ever seen. And, let me tell you, the world is full of stupid burglars.”
“I’ll bet. Just as I’d put money down that this was murder.”
“You don’t happen to have any evidence of that, do you?”
Witch Cozy Mystery Nine Book Set Page 27