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  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.

  Louise took another sip of her coffee and then put it down on the table in front of her.

  “I don’t want to be rude, Harper. And it’s very nice of you to be so concerned about Carol and me, but you really need to get out more. You shouldn’t dwell on other people’s business like this. I know you live in a small town, but it isn’t healthy.”

  Well, that may not have been the answer I was hoping for, but I was pretty sure she was being truthful. She wasn’t exactly holding back her opinion.

  I decided to take a chance.

  “I’m going to be honest with you, Louise. I was walking back from the Lobster Shack when I overheard Brian threatening you last night.”

  Louise’s eyes widened in panic. “What?”

  Her skin paled.

  I tried to reassure her. “You don’t have to worry about me. You can trust me. I only want to help.”

  Louise shook her head. “How much did you hear?”

  “Enough.”

  I was bluffing. I hadn’t heard nearly enough, but would she fall for it?

  She seemed indecisive and stared off into the distance as though she were considering her options.

  She turned back and narrowed her eyes as she looked at me. “I should have known it would get out sooner or later.”

  This was it. The spell was working. She was about to tell me the truth.

  I leaned forward eagerly.

  But then Louise suddenly clamped a hand to her stomach and doubled over, groaning in pain.

  “Louise? Louise, what’s the matter?”

  Louise gave another groan and then got to her feet, rushing past me. “I need the bathroom. I think I must have caught a stomach bug.”

  I stood there awkwardly for a moment after she dashed off. What was wrong with Louise? Had that been an elaborate ploy to get out of answering my questions, or had the potion made her sick?

  Knowing my track record with spells, I figured the second option was more likely.

  Could the potion have done some serious damage? I didn’t know. I bit down on my lower lip. I’d messed up. I didn’t know nearly enough about potions and spells to be messing about with them like this.

  There were only two people I could turn to and ask for help. I turned and quickly rushed off, heading back home to find Jess or Grandma Grant.

  Jess wasn’t at the cottage, so I headed further up the trail towards the Grant house.

  When I burst in, Jess was in the kitchen with Grandma Grant, and they were both cradling mugs of chamomile tea.

  “I need your help,” I burst out.

  Grandma Grant looked alarmed. “What’s the matter?”

  “Don’t be angry, I just wanted to try to use a spell on Louise.”

  Jess chuckled. “What did you try? The Happy Potion? That was kind of you. She must be feeling incredibly down having to stay at the guesthouse for so long.”

  I shook my head. “No, I wanted Louise to tell me the truth. I wanted to find out what secret she was hiding, so I decided to make the truth potion. I gave it to her by adding it to her coffee and then she just rushed off to the bathroom. I’m worried I may have really messed up. She looked awful.”

  Grandma Grant frowned. “What did you put in the potion, Harper?”

  “Um…” I tried to think. “I used rosemary, pondweed, rosewater, cherry tree bark dust and…”

  “Wait a minute,” Jess interrupted. “That’s not the right ingredients for a truth spell.”

  “Well, no. I was supposed to use crab apple tree bark dust, but I used the cherry tree bark dust instead. I couldn’t find the crab apple one. I mean, they are both trees, right? I didn’t think it would make a big difference.”

  Grandma Grant groaned and theatrically put a hand to her forehead.

  “Harper, they are not the same. You have to follow the ingredients as they are printed. The Witches’ Council doesn’t produce a list of ingredients like that for the good of their health.”

  My stomach churned with anxiety. “What have I done? Have I poisoned her? Will she be okay? Can you reverse it?”

  Jess gave me a scornful look, which I knew I deserved. “It could have been a lot worse, Harper. You know better than that.”

  “The potion you gave her will have the same effect as a hefty dose of laxative,” Grandma Grant said. “She’ll certainly have a good clear out, but she should be as right as rain tomorrow.”

  I exhaled in relief. Thank goodness. I had really been starting to panic for a minute.

  “That doesn’t mean you’re off the hook,” Jess said severely. “It could have been a lot worse.”

  I nodded. I had seriously messed up.

  I left Grandma Grant’s house feeling like an idiot. They’d berated me for at least half an hour, which I thoroughly deserved. I had been a careless idiot, and I was lucky Louise wouldn’t suffer any permanent damage.

  I should give up trying to master spells because they always ended in disaster for me. I would just have to accept I would never be a real witch.

  I let myself back into the cottage and saw Yvonne hovering around in the kitchen.

  She took one look at my face and asked, “What’s the matter?”

  It wasn’t fair to hide it from her. I had to own up to my mistakes.

  “I had a small issue with a potion I tried to make.”

  I filled Yvonne in on the details, telling her how Louise had to rush off to the bathroom after drinking my faulty potion.

  Yvonne listened quietly, and when I’d finished relating the story, she stared at me and shook her head.

  “You could have done some serious damage. That was very reckless.”

  I was well aware of my stupidity, but I was starting to get irritated with people pointing it out again and again.

  “I made a mistake, Yvonne, and I’m sorry. But I wouldn’t have had to do it if you had told me what the secret was in the first place.”

  “You can’t blame me for what you’ve done. I’ve already told you it’s not my secret to tell, but I can assure you it has nothing to do with my murder.”

  I was angrier with myself than Yvonne, but that didn’t stop me taking out my exasperation on her.

  “Fine, keep your stupid secrets. I’m done. I’m fed up with trying to help. I always mess everything up. I’m going to go and see Chief Wickham and Deputy McGrady and tell them what I overheard between Brian and Louise. From now on, I’ll leave the investigating up to them.”

  Yvonne rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a drama queen, Harper.”

  “I’m not a drama queen!” I yelled over my shoulder as I stormed out of the cottage. “I’m just fed up with trying to help and getting absolutely nowhere.”

  Yvonne didn’t follow me, and I was glad. I needed some time on my own to cool off.

  Grandma Grant, Jess and Yvonne were right. I knew I was a terrible witch, but I’d experimented on Louise anyway. I was so desperate to impress Grandma Grant and Jess that I’d been reckless and risked Louise’s health. It could have ended up so much worse.

  I knew they were all disappointed in me, and I was disappointed in me, too.

  Feeling very sorry for myself, I slowly walked to the chief’s office.

  I spoke to Linda Ray, the administration assistant, manning the reception. I was still talking to Linda when Joe McGrady came out of his office, holding a mug of coffee. “Harper? What are you doing here?”

  “I’m waiting to see you and the chie
f. I have something to tell you that might help with the Yvonne Dean murder investigation.”

  Joe looked at me curiously and said, “Okay, come with me.”

  I followed him into Chief Wickham’s office, where the chief was sitting at his desk, polishing off a chocolate chip cookie.

  “Harper,” he said, smiling at me. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

  As Chief Wickham and Deputy McGrady listened intently, I filled them in on the conversation I’d overheard between Brian and Louise.

  I summarized by saying, “I have no idea why, but Brian is blackmailing Louise.”

  I then went on to quickly gloss over the section of the story where I’d gone to visit Louise earlier that morning. I didn’t think they were going to be too impressed by that part.

  I was right. Chief Wickham lost his cheerful smile and looked sternly at me. “You should have come to us straightaway, Harper. You could have gotten yourself into some serious trouble.”

  I nodded, feeling sorry for myself. He was right. I should have gone to them straightaway.

  “I’m sorry. I wanted to try and help Louise and find out the secret she was hiding before I came to talk to you.”

  “Okay, Harper,” Chief Wickham said. “We’ll leave it there for now. Thank you for coming by.”

  I looked up, surprised. “Is that it? Aren’t you interested in finding out what secret Louise has been hiding.”

  Joe McGrady said, “We know Louise’s secret, and it’s not something you should concern yourself with.”

  I felt indignant. “You already know the secret?”

  Joe McGrady nodded. “We don’t think it has any bearing on the investigation, but we are keeping an open mind. Thanks for telling us about the conversation you overheard. I think it’s better if you don’t approach Louise or Brian from now on, though.”

  “I was only trying to help,” I said.

  Chief Wickham nodded. “We know that, Harper. But from now on you can help by staying out of the way.”

  Ouch. That stung!

  Joe McGrady led me and my injured pride out of the office, and on our way past reception, he said, “Why are you so determined to be involved?”

  I shook my head. I couldn’t answer that question honestly. “I feel responsible.”

  Joe frowned. “Why?”

  I couldn’t tell him the real reason, that Yvonne was currently floating around my cottage, and she would remain a ghost until her killer was brought to justice.

  I sighed and then said, “I suppose it’s because I found her body.”

  Joe nodded and put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s not your responsibility, Harper. We will find the killer. Just try to keep yourself out of trouble.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  After I’d left the chief’s office, I walked back to the cottage. I was feeling pretty miserable. Not only had I messed up, but it also appeared that everybody knew the truth about the secret Louise was hiding except me.

  Well, maybe that was a slight exaggeration.

  But I had to admit, curiosity was still niggling away at me, despite the fact I knew I was better off leaving things alone now.

  I was still irritated with Yvonne for not confiding in me and didn’t want her scolding me again, so I made myself a mug of herbal tea and sat outside on the porch.

  The sun was shining down, and it was a beautiful day. It warmed the thick forest surrounding our cottage, and the light hit the green leaves in a way that made them appear to glow.

  I listened to the birds singing and rested my chin on my hands.

  I was coming to terms with keeping my nose out of the investigation, slowly. It went against my inquisitive nature, but I needed to leave the investigating to the professionals.

  I brought out my e-reader and switched it on. Getting lost in a book always helped to take my mind off things. I found it was the best way to forget real life problems.

  I was so involved in the book that it was some moments before I realized I wasn’t alone. I felt a prickle on my skin and had a strange sense I was being watched.

  When I looked up, I saw the small, stray cat, with the white mark beside its nose, standing only a few feet from me. Smudge was back!

  I slowly put my e-reader down on the porch beside me. I didn’t want to startle the cat.

  As the sun shone down on the cat’s shiny fur, I thought it looked well cared for, but there was no collar to indicate it belonged to anyone.

  I crouched down and held out my hand towards Smudge, being careful not to make any sudden movements.

  Its little nose twitched, and it fastened its big green eyes on me before taking a tentative step towards me.

  “Hello, you’re a pretty little thing. I’m going to call you Smudge if that’s all right by you?”

  The cat peered up at me with its big green eyes and didn’t seem to object to its new name, so Smudge it was.

  “Where have you come from?” I asked softly.

  The cat didn’t look scruffy enough to be a stray.

  For the next five minutes, I played a waiting game, slowly getting closer and closer until finally I held out my hand and Smudge rubbed a furry cheek against my fingers.

  I grinned. There was something about this cute bundle of fur that cheered me up, and goodness knew I needed cheering up.

  I allowed my imagination to run away with me. There was no collar, so perhaps this cat didn’t belong to anyone, perhaps Smudge could be my cat.

  “Maybe we should get you checked out,” I said aloud, wondering if the cat would allow me to take her to the vets. I could see now that Smudge was a female cat. She looked healthy enough, but if she had been living as a feral cat, she could have some health issues that weren’t immediately apparent.

  Smudge gave a little purr as I scratched behind her ears.

  Smudge didn’t seem as scared and nervous as she had been the first few times I’d seen her, so I hoped she wouldn’t freak out if I did take her to the vets.

  After half an hour of stroking and cajoling, I managed to pick Smudge up, and she curled up in my lap as I stroked her soft fur.

  There was something relaxing and almost hypnotic about stroking her fur as we both enjoyed the warm afternoon sunshine.

  If I was going to take Smudge to the vet, I would need a cat box to transport her in, and I didn’t have one of those. Although, I knew Grandma Grant had one for Athena.

  The nearest veterinary surgery was in Cherry Town, and it wouldn’t take me long to take her in and ask the vet to give her a once-over.

  If she wasn’t a stray, perhaps the vet would find she’d been microchipped. But I couldn’t help hoping she didn’t have a chip. I’d grown attached to this little cat already.

  Smudge surprised me by being very trusting. I walked to Grandma Grant's, and although she wasn’t home, I took the liberty of borrowing the cat box. Athena raised her head and glared at me as I walked past holding it.

  “Don’t worry, it’s not for you this time,” I said and left a satisfied Athena curled up on the windowsill in the sunshine.

  I called the veterinary surgery, who told me they were happy to fit Smudge in between their other appointments.

  I’d expected to have some trouble getting Smudge into the cat box, but she was a perfect angel, hopping in as if she’d been in there one hundred times before.

  When I arrived at the vets, the receptionist told me they would see Smudge as soon as possible, but it could be up to an hour before the vet could see her. She gave me some paperwork to fill in, and when I’d finished, I asked her where I should wait.

  “You’ll be better off waiting at the coffee shop across the street,” the receptionist said cheerfully. “The waiting room is busy today, and we have a rather boisterous spaniel in there. Smudge might find it stressful, so I’ll take her into one of the appointment rooms until the vet is ready for her.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Don’t worry about your cat. She’ll be fine with us,” the receptionist
added.

  I guessed they didn’t like owners cluttering up the place, but it felt like quite a wrench to leave poor, trusting Smudge behind, especially when she meowed pitifully as I walked away.

  As the receptionist suggested, I headed to the coffee shop across the street, which was called Delish.

  There was a young girl serving behind the counter, and I went up to look at the selection of cakes. It had been a hard day, and I needed cheering up.

  “What do you recommend?” I asked. “I’ve had a bad day, and I need something delicious to make me feel better.”

  The girl smiled and pointed to the double chocolate fudge cake. “That’s our most popular cake,” she said. “It’s very rich, though.”

  “I’ll take a slice of that,” I said. “And an extra serving of whipped cream on the side.”

  The girl’s eyes widened. “Oh my, you have had a bad day.”

  I nodded and ordered a coffee to go with my cake.

  I took a seat near the counter and waited for my order, fretting about Smudge. The sunshine streamed through the windows and made me feel sleepy. I reached for the paper menu, just for something to read to pass the time and keep my mind off how Smudge was getting along. I hoped she didn’t think I’d betrayed her and left her for good.

  I’d just been served my coffee and cake when I looked up and saw someone I recognized walk into the coffee shop.

  Brian Constantine.

  My heart was in my mouth as I quickly tried to cover my face with the paper menu.

  Please, don’t look my way. Please, let him be getting a take-out coffee.

  But I should have guessed my run of bad luck was destined to continue. Brian slipped into a booth by the window and ordered a coffee and a brownie.

  He didn’t look gorgeous anymore. He looked terrifying.

  How on earth was I going to get out of there without him seeing me?

  He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and was scrolling through something on the screen.

  Perhaps whatever was on the cell phone would keep him occupied enough so I could run out without him noticing.

  But that wouldn’t work. I hadn’t paid the check yet, and the commotion that would cause was bound to attract his attention.