HGM02 A Witchy Mystery Read online

  I waved my hand at her, trying to get her to shut up.

  Louise muttered something about being unable to afford it, and then Brian growled, “Pay up or…”

  And it was at that moment, my cell phone buzzed and began tinkling out a silly ringtone. The “William Tell Overture.” Grandma Grant had obviously been messing with my phone.

  I gasped in horror as I heard Brian say, “Hey! Who’s there?”

  I exchanged a panicked look with Yvonne and then ran as fast as I could.

  I hadn’t run for ages, but the thought of being caught eavesdropping by Brian Constantine was an incredible motivator. There was no way I was going to slow down and let Brian catch me in the alleyway.

  Once I passed the white and blue gift store on Main Street, I tried to slow down. All my instincts were driving me to get away as fast as I could, but I knew when Brian exited the alleyway, he would notice if he saw me running.

  My best chance to get away without being noticed was to act as though I was merely out for a walk and a bit of window shopping.

  “Really, Harper. That was quite impressive. I didn’t know you could run like that. You wouldn’t think it to look at you,” Yvonne’s gaze traveled up and down my figure, and I turned to scowl at her.

  Yvonne was a master at backhanded compliments.

  Usually, I would have ignored Yvonne on Main Street, the chances of running into someone or having someone overhear me was too great, but today I couldn’t hold back.

  “Do you think Brian realized it was me?”

  Yvonne shook her head. “No, I saw him come out of the alley. He definitely heard your phone ring and knew someone was there, but he didn’t see you running away.”

  I let out a long sigh. That had been a close call.

  I fished my cell phone out of my pocket. “It didn’t ring. It was a message tone,” I said. “It’s just Grandma Grant asking me where her crochet pattern is. She obviously changed the message alert under her name on my phone. Trust her not to pick something discrete.”

  Yvonne burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “The sight of you running away to the sound of the “William Tell Overture”! I haven’t laughed so hard since I died. The happy spell didn’t cheer me up, but that did. Thanks, Harper.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said and couldn’t help laughing, too. I supposed it must have looked pretty amusing.

  We walked quickly along the wooded trail, mainly because I was still spooked and worried Brian might catch up with us.

  No matter what Yvonne said, I was still convinced he must have seen me.

  Chapter 20

  Despite the fact I pestered Yvonne for the rest of my shift, she refused to reveal what the secret was. She insisted she didn’t have the first idea, but I’d known Yvonne long enough now to realize she was lying.

  It was infuriating. I couldn’t help thinking how much more progress we could have made if only she’d trusted me from the start. What other things would turn up out of the woodwork from Yvonne’s past before we were through?

  After work, instead of going directly home, I went to the Lobster Shack to pick up a crochet pattern for Grandma Grant from Betty.

  On our way back, with Yvonne chatting inanely on about how Betty could improve her hairstyle, I paused beside the alleyway next to the ice cream parlor.

  “It’s almost dinnertime,” Yvonne said, sounding scandalized. “You can’t possibly be thinking about buying an ice cream cone now?”

  I put a finger to my lips, not because I was afraid of anyone overhearing Yvonne as nobody else could hear her nagging, but because I thought I could hear someone else talking.

  Voices were coming from the bottom of the alley.

  Urgent whispers.

  I took a couple of steps along the alley, creeping closer and catching fragments of conversation.

  There was a man’s voice and a woman’s. Both sounded familiar.

  It was still daylight, but the alleyway was narrow and didn’t get much sun. I stuck to the shadows, my back against the wall.

  “Harper, hang on. Be careful,” Yvonne said, trying to grab my arm and pull me back. Unfortunately for her, her fingers floated right through me.

  There was no way I was leaving now because I’d recognized the voices.

  It was Louise and Brian, and they were having a very heated discussion.

  Brian’s voice was loud and clear, “I’m sure you wouldn’t want people to find out.”

  Even though I couldn’t see him from where I stood, I could hear the cold, callous tone in his voice, and it made me shiver.

  Louise sounded tearful as she said, “You’re a nasty man! It’s blackmail. It’s against the law.”

  Brian laughed. “So sue me.”

  “How did you find out? It was Yvonne, wasn’t it? I trusted her. She promised me she wouldn’t tell.”

  “I don’t reveal my sources, babe,” Brian said, sounding like a bad villain in a B-movie.

  I didn’t quite catch what they said next because Yvonne was talking right in my ear.

  I waved my hand at her, trying to get her to shut up.

  Louise muttered something about being unable to afford it, and then Brian growled, “Pay up or…”

  And it was at that moment, my cell phone buzzed and began tinkling out a silly ringtone. The “William Tell Overture.” Grandma Grant had obviously been messing with my phone.

  I gasped in horror as I heard Brian say, “Hey! Who’s there?”

  I exchanged a panicked look with Yvonne and then ran as fast as I could.

  I hadn’t run for ages, but the thought of being caught eavesdropping by Brian Constantine was an incredible motivator. There was no way I was going to slow down and let Brian catch me in the alleyway.

  Once I passed the white and blue gift store on Main Street, I tried to slow down. All my instincts were driving me to get away as fast as I could, but I knew when Brian exited the alleyway, he would notice if he saw me running.

  My best chance to get away without being noticed was to act as though I was merely out for a walk and a bit of window shopping.

  “Really, Harper. That was quite impressive. I didn’t know you could run like that. You wouldn’t think it to look at you,” Yvonne’s gaze traveled up and down my figure, and I turned to scowl at her.

  Yvonne was a master at backhanded compliments.

  Usually, I would have ignored Yvonne on Main Street, the chances of running into someone or having someone overhear me was too great, but today I couldn’t hold back.

  “Do you think Brian realized it was me?”

  Yvonne shook her head. “No, I saw him come out of the alley. He definitely heard your phone ring and knew someone was there, but he didn’t see you running away.”

  I let out a long sigh. That had been a close call.

  I fished my cell phone out of my pocket. “It didn’t ring. It was a message tone,” I said. “It’s just Grandma Grant asking me where her crochet pattern is. She obviously changed the message alert under her name on my phone. Trust her not to pick something discrete.”

  Yvonne burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “The sight of you running away to the sound of the “William Tell Overture”! I haven’t laughed so hard since I died. The happy spell didn’t cheer me up, but that did. Thanks, Harper.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said and couldn’t help laughing, too. I supposed it must have looked pretty amusing.

  We walked quickly along the wooded trail, mainly because I was still spooked and worried Brian might catch up with us.

  No matter what Yvonne said, I was still convinced he must have seen me.

  * * *

  The following morning, I was in a quandary. I had been thinking all night of a way to persuade Louise to confide in me. I needed her to tell me her secret, but why would she? As far as she was concerned, I was just a nosy local.

  Last night I had tossed and turned,
thinking about the possibility of testing my newfound magic skills. I wanted to make a truth potion, which I hoped would convince Louise to open up to me.

  As the idea bounced around in my head, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so I’d gotten out of bed, looked through the book of spells and then scribbled down one particular spell on a scrap of paper.

  I wrote down the ingredients needed for the potion and saw pondweed listed at the top.

  Darn. I hated the stuff.

  All the other ingredients were very easy to come by, and pondweed was easy enough to find, too. Grandma Grant kept a large pond at the front of the house, close to the greenhouse, just for harvesting the slimy weed, but I hated collecting the yucky stuff.

  I thought Grandma Grant might still have a stock in her greenhouse that I could borrow. I didn't want to ask her directly because I didn't want to let her know what I was doing, but I was confident she wouldn’t mind me using her supplies. After all, she was always nagging me to practice my spells and potions.

  I could have asked for her help, but I was worried she would try to persuade me not to try it.

  If I went to Grandma Grant and Jess afterward and told them I had used magic to get the truth out of Louise, they would be impressed.

  So that was how I found myself early in the morning, sneaking around in Grandma Grant’s greenhouse. I didn't feel too bad about not asking. After all, I'd helped to collect most of the ingredients in there.

  At the back of the greenhouse, she had an old-fashioned, wooden, apothecary cabinet. Inside, there were small glass jars, each labeled with Grandma Grant’s spidery handwriting.

  I fished the scrap of paper out of my pocket and looked for the ingredients I needed.

  First things first, I thought, reaching for the pot of pondweed. Luckily, it had been dried and wasn't quite as squelchy as fresh pondweed. I used a tiny spatula to remove a small amount and put it into the mug I’d brought with me from the cottage.

  Next, I searched the rows of jars, looking for Rosemary, the herb of remembrance.

  I found that easily, but the next item was a little harder to locate — crab apple bark dust, needed for clarity.

  I scanned the rows of glass jars, but I couldn't see any crab apple bark dust.

  It was so annoying. I had set my heart on making this potion. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw cherry tree bark dust. I reached for it. One type of dust was surely much the same as another.

  Would it really make any difference?

  I stared down at the glass jar. It just looked like dust to me. I added a little to my mug and secured the lid back on the jar.

  A noise from behind startled me, and I whirled around to see Grandma Grant, trying to creep up on me.

  "What are you doing?" she asked, trying to see what I held in my hands.

  I hid the jar of dust and the mug behind my back, and I knew I look terribly guilty.

  "Nothing," I said. "I thought I left my jacket in here the other day. I was just looking for it."

  Grandma Grant gave me a skeptical look. "You're a terrible liar, Harper."

  She was right. I was.

  I decided to come clean…well, sort of.

  "I was just practicing my potions. I didn't think you'd mind if I used your ingredients."

  Grandma Grant's face crinkled with a smile. "Well, why didn't you say so? Of course, I don’t mind. I’m pleased you're practicing your potions."

  I let out the breath I’d been holding. That wasn't so hard. Perhaps I should have asked for Grandma Grant’s help in the first place, but I’d really wanted to impress her and Jess. I wanted to show them I could be a true witch.

  "Right, well, thanks for the ingredients," I said, putting the glass jar of cherry tree bark dust back on the shelf. "I'd better be off. I'll see you later."

  As I passed Grandma Grant, clutching my mug of ingredients, she said, "Harper?"

  I turned and looked over my shoulder. "Yes?"

  Grandma Grant studied me carefully and then said, “You will come to me if you need help, won’t you?”

  I nodded and smiled, but I was determined to do this alone.

  I left Grandma Grant’s greenhouse and headed for the small trail that traveled between the Grant house and our cottage, considering how I would be able to apply the potion and the spell to Louise.

  My options were pretty narrow. I could either anoint her with the potion or get her to drink it. I was sure Louise would wonder what I was doing if I tried to anoint her. No doubt, she would tell me to get the hell away from her before I even had a chance to cast the spell. My best chance would be to try and get her to drink it.

  But before I did that I had to try and find the words for the spell. Although important words that had to be included were listed in the book, I could use them in any order. I'm sure some people loved making up their own spells, but I found it very frustrating.

  Jess said each spell had to be personal to every witch. But I didn't understand why they couldn't just make it simple? Surely someone could make up a boilerplate template. That would certainly make my life easier.

  I got back to the cottage, pulled out the book of spells and scribbled down some lines, making it up as I went along. When I finally had something I was happy with, I checked my watch.

  I was ready. It was time to go and see Louise.

  Chapter 21

  When I got to The Oceanview Guesthouse, Louise was sitting on the terrace, watching the boats in the harbor as she sipped her morning coffee.

  I discreetly patted my pocket to make sure the potion I’d mixed up earlier was still there. I decanted it into a small vial. That was the easy part. Now, I had to find some way of administering it to Louise without causing her to freak out.

  I took a deep breath and walked forward, plastering a cheerful smile on my face.

  “Hello, it’s a beautiful day,” I said to Louise and then looked out over the harbor as the sun glistened on the surface of the deep blue water.

  Louise straightened in her seat and blinked as though she was surprised to see me. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts as I approached, and I didn’t think she heard me coming.

  She gave me a half smile and muttered, “Good morning.”

  Louise wasn’t the friendliest of people, and it didn’t look like she was going to make this easy for me. I don’t think she meant to be cold. She was used to living in a big city and wasn’t used to the friendliness of a small town.

  “How are things?” I asked. “I hope you and Carol are doing okay. Is there any news on when you’ll be able to go home?”

  That seemed to be the wrong thing to say.

  Louise scowled and shook her head. “No. That ridiculous man, Chief Wickham, insists we stay in Abbott Cove. I’m getting fed up. I don’t have time to hang around here. I have things to do. I need to try and find another job, for one thing. I’m burning through my savings staying here.”

  I nodded sympathetically. “That must be very difficult.”

  She hadn’t invited me to sit down and join her, so I remained standing beside her table. I could see the half-finished cup of coffee by her elbow, but I could hardly pour the truth potion in that without her noticing.

  I was starting to think this had been a very bad idea. Who’s to say it would work anyway? Maybe I was better off just asking her about why Brian was blackmailing her.

  But then a sudden gust of wind changed my luck. The napkin beside the coffee pot was lifted by the breeze and flew halfway across the terrace.

  When Louise got up to retrieve it, I reached for the potion and poured it into her coffee cup.

  I’d been intending only to add a few drops, but because I was in such a rush, I poured the entire contents into her cup. Still, that couldn’t be helped. In for a penny, in for a pound, as they said in England. Perhaps a higher dose meant the potion would act quicker.

  Louise gave me a look as I struggled to shove the little vial back in the pocket of my jeans. I smiled and tried to look
innocent, but I’m not sure she fell for it.

  She sat back down, placed the napkin on the table and reached for her cup of coffee. I held my breath as she took a sip. She didn’t react or pull a face, so I didn’t think the potion could have made the coffee taste too bad.

  Louise blinked up at me, and I knew she was wondering why I was still hanging around, unwanted and making a nuisance of myself.

  This would be so much easier if only Louise was a little friendlier.

  “How is Carol getting on?” I asked, determined to stick around until the potion had worked. “It must be so very hard for her to come to terms with Yvonne’s death. I hear they were very close.”

  “You can ask her yourself,” Louise said pointedly, nodding over my shoulder.

  I turned around to see Carol walking up the steps towards the terrace.

  Her shoulders were slumped, and she did look thoroughly miserable.

  I raised a hand and called out, “Hello.”

  She turned when she saw me and blinked. She raised her hand in a half-hearted wave.

  It appeared that Carol didn’t want to talk to me. She headed straight into the guesthouse, and Louise’s gaze followed her.

  “She doesn’t seem quite with it most of the time. I don’t think I’ve seen her eat a proper meal since it happened,” Louise said.

  “It must have been an incredibly traumatic experience. Hopefully, when Chief Wickham solves the case, Carol will at least have some closure.”

  Louise made a little noise in the back of her throat, making it clear she didn’t think much of Chief Wickham’s investigation.

  I wanted to ask her about Brian, but I wasn’t sure the truth spell was working yet. I’d given the potion a little while to act, so I guessed now would be the best time to cast the spell. I chanted the spell in my head and then stared at Louise. I couldn’t see any change. How was I supposed to know if it had worked?

  I supposed the only way was to start asking her questions.

  “Do you have any idea who killed Yvonne?” I asked.

  There was no point beating around the bush with silly questions. I went straight for the big one.