Wicked Witches of Coventry- The Collection Page 9

  “Can I come in?” he asked and took off his hat. This visit he happened to be in full uniform.

  I stepped back and motioned for him to enter. “Please come in.”

  Thorn walked in and Annika immediately began to giggle again. She covered her mouth with her hand, and Thorn turned to me with an even deeper scowl etched into his handsome face.

  “Frivolous police reports are serious business, you two. I could arrest you,” he said sternly.

  “But it wasn’t frivolous,” I protested. “It’s the truth, and I have proof.”

  “What do you mean?” Thorn asked.

  I retrieved my phone from the coffee table and showed him the picture of Hattie’s form saying she was legally blind. I showed him the picture of the torn castor bean plants too.

  “She came after me too,” I said. “Please don’t forget that.”

  “I don’t think that little old lady broke into your house, Brighton, and I don’t even want to know how you got those photos. You need to steer clear of this investigation,” he said. “I’m leaving now, and I’m not going to arrest you two this time. Please walk me out.”

  He turned to leave, and I followed him back out to the porch. “What do you need?” I asked as I closed the front door behind me.

  “I’m not sure what to make of this,” he said and shocked me by pushing a strand of runaway hair that had come loose from my ponytail away from my face. “It’s a little extreme, but maybe it suits you.” His eyes were far softer than they’d been when we were inside, but I didn’t know what to make of that.

  “Is that why you wanted me to come out here? You wanted to discuss my hair?” It came out with a sharper edge than I’d intended.

  “No. I wanted to tell you again to stay out of the investigation. If you want to be a part of this town, then you need to at least try to fit in here. The hair is one thing, but it’s not going to take long for the rumors to fly that you are accusing a beloved old lady of murder. It’s not going to make things easy for you around here.”

  “But, I…” I started to protest again, but Thorn cut me off.

  “I have to go. Please just think about what I’ve said, and please, please, please,” he said and steepled his hands in front of his chest as if in prayer, “don’t make me come back here tonight and arrest you and Annika.”

  He left, and I went back in to find Annika trying to look serious. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I really thought the thirty-second thing was true. Good thing he’s sweet on you.”

  “He is not sweet on me,” I said.

  “Then why didn’t we get in more trouble? And why was he making googly eyes at you?” she said with a huff. “He’s the town’s most eligible bachelor, and it figures he’d like you. Your boobs didn’t even get bigger.”

  And with that, we both burst into another fit of laughter. When we calmed down, I finally remembered the thing about the necklace at the grocery store.

  “Oh, oh. I have something I need to tell you,” I said. “I saw a woman at the grocery store wearing a necklace that sounded like the one you had stolen. She bent over to pick up her grocery bags, and her shirt collar fell open a bit. I saw it right before she pulled her collar back up.”

  “Really? Who was it?” Annika asked.

  “I don’t know, but she was a very tall blonde. Looked like she had a lot of money too. She was leaving at the same time I was, and she drove off in a high-end black Mercedes.”

  “Oh, I think I know who that might be,” she said. “I have to go. Meet me at the archives tomorrow. We’re going to enlist Remy to help us with the Hattie situation.”

  “You shouldn’t drive,” I said.

  “Of course. I would never,” Annika said and stood up. “I didn’t drive here anyway.”

  “You shouldn’t walk either. It’s not safe, and I can’t give you a ride.”

  “Don’t worry, I texted Remy to give me a lift home. He’s the best cousin in the world, and he’s in your driveway waiting.”

  When my doorbell rang an hour later, I assumed it was either Annika or Thorn. I’d thought that perhaps Annika had forgotten something or Thorn had come back to lecture me more, but I was surprised to find Prue on my porch.

  “I’m sorry to just drop in,” she said while ringing her hands nervously. “I was upset, so I went for a walk. Somehow, I ended up here. I can leave. I’m sorry.”

  “No, it’s okay. Come in,” I said. “Would you like some tea or coffee?”

  “Tea would be great,” she said. “Thank you.”

  I went into the kitchen and made us some tea, and when I came back, Prue was sitting on the sofa with Meri curled up in her lap. “He’s gorgeous,” she said and scratched him between the ears.

  “He’s special, that’s for sure,” I said and Meri opened one eye to glare at me. “So what’s going on?”

  “I feel stupid blubbering to a stranger about this, but something just told me to come here. And when you were in my shop that day, I just got a feeling about you. I try to trust my gut. Is that weird?”

  “It’s okay, Prue. You can talk to me,” I said and took a sip of my tea.

  “Okay, so my shop is kind of in ruins. People keep returning the chocolates saying they are bitter. I don’t know what to do. What’s even worse is that the rumor is going around that my chocolates are bitter because I’ve poisoned them. They think I killed Max, and I guess the whole town thinks I’m trying to wipe them out too.” The last part brought tears to her eyes. “Would you try one and tell me if they are bitter? I’ve tasted them, and I have no idea what they are talking about.”

  Prue pulled a box of chocolates out of her purse, opened it, and offered the selection to me. For a moment I hesitated because even though I knew she hadn’t killed Harkin, I wondered if perhaps she was a crazy woman who was trying to poison the town. Stranger things had happened. Still, I chose a square piece that didn’t look like it had any filling and took a small bite. It was quite bitter. I’d had dark chocolate before, but Prue’s candy was so unpleasant that I almost had to spit it out.

  She saw the look on my face, and the tears pooling in her eyes began to stream down her face. Prue sobbed, and I unconsciously took another bite of the chocolate. That bite was ten times as bitter as the previous bite, and it had a salty aftertaste. I had to run into the kitchen and spit it out.

  It was almost as if… “Prue, do you have any kind of… abilities?”

  “You mean beyond making candy?”

  “Yeah, I mean… I’m not sure how to put this… Like… Maybe spiritual abilities? That might sound crazy, but I have to ask.”

  “You mean do I have any magic? Am I a witch?”

  I nodded my head yes.

  “No one knows,” Prue said. “Everyone in Coventry thinks I’m a regular human. I’m not from one of the founding families, but I am from a long line of kitchen witches.”

  “That explains what’s happening, Prue. Your emotions are going into your candy. You’re upset about the way Harkin treated you, and it’s affecting the food you make.”

  “Oh, wow,” she said thoughtfully. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “But you should know that you didn’t deserve to be treated the way Harkin treated you. He was just a nasty man who hid his true colors from you, and then you got a glimpse of the real man when you got too close. You don’t deserve to have your business ruined because of one terrible man.”

  “Thank you,” she said and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “Thank you so much, Brighton. I guess my intuition was right to lead me here.”

  “You’re welcome. I need friends in this town, and I’m glad that I can count you as one of them,” I said and popped another chocolate in my mouth. It was filled with pecan cream that exploded with rich delicious flavor in my mouth. “And your chocolates are perfect again. That one was delicious.”

  “Oh, good,” she said and smiled. “I’ll have a sale to get people back in the door. People love sales, and when they fi
nd out that the candy is good again, everything will be okay.”

  “Glad I could help,” I said. “So can I keep these?”

  “On the house,” Prue said before pulling me into a bear hug.

  Chapter Twelve

  The next day I got a text shortly before lunch time to meet Remy and Annika at the archives. I got there, and the two of them filled me in on the plan.

  “Okay, so Remy and I are going to stage a conversation for Hattie to overhear. We’re going to make up a conversation about the extensive collection of Tuttlesmith spell books you just found in Hangman’s House. Then we’ll all hide at your house and wait for her to break in again.”

  “You think she’ll buy that?” I asked.

  “I think she’ll be too tempted to not at least try and have a look for herself,” Remy said. “If she risked breaking in for that one book, imagine what she’d do if she thought there were even more.”

  “But what if she’s dangerous?”

  “Don’t worry, Brighton. Remy and I have got your back.”

  “So when is this going to happen?” I asked.

  “Right now. Hattie goes to Dumbledore’s for the daily special once a week, and today is her day. We’re going to go get a table near her, which we should be able to do since it’s early, and I’ll call you.”

  “Wait, that’s it? You’re going now. Why didn’t you just call me or text me and let me know?”

  “Because we can’t exchange intelligence as important as this over the phone,” Annika said with a huff.

  “Well, can’t I go with you? We can all talk about the books.”

  “No, that wouldn’t work because Remy and I are going to pretend to be completely jealous of your new books. We can’t do that with you there. But you could totally go and sit on the other side. That might sell the whole thing even more. People will think we’ve all had a falling out, and Hattie won’t realize we’re working together.”

  “I have to go sit alone?” I asked.

  Remy and Annika both nodded their heads yes.

  “Fine, but one of you is paying for my pancakes,” I said.

  “I will,” Remy volunteered quickly and then blushed furiously. “I mean, I don’t mind.”

  I waited ten minutes after they left and then departed the archives for Dumbledore’s Diner. When I arrived at the diner, I sat on the other side of the restaurant as Remy and Annika shot me fake dirty looks. They’d gotten a table right behind Cassidy and Hattie, so the plan was working. I gave Cassidy a small wave, and she smiled in return.

  It would have been hard not to watch Annika and Remy the whole time, so I sat with my back to them. I’d have to find out later if the plan worked, but at least I was getting free pancakes.

  Keisha came over to take my order. “Remy said to get you whatever you wanted on him,” she said with a smile. “He said I had to keep it a secret from everyone but you, though. I think he’s got a bit of a crush. A girl could do worse.”

  I ordered my usual pancakes but got them with a side of cheesy hash browns instead of bacon. Remy was only paying for my lunch because I’d demanded it, but I couldn’t help wondering about what Keisha had said about a girl doing worse. He seemed sweet and kind, and while Remy wasn’t a blond-haired, blue-eyed Adonis like Thorn, he was easy on the eyes. His big brown eyes were rimmed with thick lashes, and he was tall with a lean frame that a lot of women, including me, found attractive. I found myself wondering if Remy blushed when he talked to me because he thought the same thing.

  By the time I finished my food, Remy, Annika, Cassidy, and Hattie were all gone. Their tables had been cleaned and new patrons occupied them. I debated going to the archives, but after a lunch spent contemplating whether Remy liked me or not, I didn’t think I could face him just yet. I might have turned into a blushing mess, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that.

  At dinnertime, I was thinking about calling Annika because she hadn’t called me yet. Just as I was about to dial, my phone rang.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I was going to call you sooner but Mrs. Kenner came into my store this afternoon. She’s a regular customer who also happens to be a tall, rich blonde. I caught her stealing, Brighton. All because you tipped me off. Anyway, Thorn came and arrested her when he looked at the surveillance tapes. I should have installed them sooner, but better late than never, right?”

  “Right,” I said.

  “So sorry for the late call. But I have good news. Hattie definitely overheard my conversation with Remy at the diner. We heard her give Cassidy the night off too, so we think she’s going to make her move tonight. What time do you think you’ll go to bed?”

  “Probably around ten,” I said.

  “Awesome. Remy and I will see you then. Don’t wear slutty pajamas,” she said and hung up.

  I was going to say that I didn’t own any slutty pajamas, but she’d disconnected before I could protest. After making some popcorn, I settled in to watch a movie until bedtime. It wasn’t long before I became nervous that Hattie might try to break in before I went to bed.

  Can you come over now? I sent the text to Annika.

  Be there in ten. She responded.

  Eight minutes later, Annika was ringing my doorbell. “Remy’s parking the car a couple of streets over,” she said. “He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  After he showed up, we watched the movie with the lights off so no one could see that there were three people in the house. When it was over, we turned out all of the lights and I pretended to go to bed.

  Annika and Remy hid in my closet with sleeping bags, and I closed my eyes and faked sleep. I tried to go to sleep for real because I knew Hattie wouldn’t come until the middle of the night, but I was too tense to rest. I lay awake for a long time just listening for the sounds of someone breaking into my home.

  A few hours later, I must have drifted off. I was awakened by a ruckus coming from the attic library. I don’t know why we thought she’d come into the bedroom again, but Hattie had gone straight to the library.

  I charged up the narrow steps and found Hattie ransacking the collection of books nearest the back wall. She was wearing a ski mask and purple housecoat, but there was no doubt that it was Hattie.

  She tried to whisper the paralyzing spell again, but I already knew that it wouldn’t work if I didn’t let it. I called for Annika and Remy, but before they could make it up the steps, the attic door raised and shut them out. I could hear them pulling on the chain, but it wouldn’t open. I tried in vain to open it from my side, but it was stuck. That spell I didn’t know how to counter. Believing I could open the door wasn’t opening it.

  If it wasn’t already clear to me that Hattie was better trained in magic, it became so quickly. Books came flying off the shelves at me without her even having to wave her hands. She did it all with her mind.

  “I know why you want the books,” I said as I jumped out of the way of a flying tome, “but why did you kill Harkin?”

  Another book flew off the shelf and at my head as a broad smile spread across her face. “He thought he could fool me, but he was the fool,” she said and cackled. “That Harkin tried to steal from me, and you don’t steal from Hattie Driggs.”

  I dodged the book and knelt down to escape another that barely flew over my head. “What do you mean he stole from you?” I hoped I could distract her and slow down the barrage of books long enough to find a way to escape.

  “He paid me in cash, but he thought I was totally blind. So he’d fold the bills up to hide that he was slipping in one-dollar bills when they was ‘sposed to be twenties.”

  “That was pretty stupid considering you have Cassidy working for you. I wonder why he thought he’d get away with it.”

  Just then, the next book she’d intended to fling at my head fell to the floor with a thump. Hattie put her hands on her hips and cocked one of them out to the side.

  “You know what, you’re right. I can’t…”

  She was cut off when Meri jumped ou
t from under a table and tackled her head. I looked under the table and saw a black hole big enough for the cat. Meri had tunnels in the walls.

  Hattie let out a screech and grabbed Meri. She flung him across the room and he hit the wall with a sickening thump. Looking at him lying there not moving made fury rise up in me like I’d never felt before.

  The rug on the floor in front of me rose up and wrapped around Hattie. It knocked her to the floor and rolled her up so she could barely squirm.

  A second later, the attic steps finally released, and I heard Annika and Remy running up the stairs. I rushed to Meri and ran my hand over his still body. A lump rose in my throat, but just before the tears could break free, he opened on eye.

  “Is it over yet?” he asked and sat up.

  “You’re alive. Oh, gosh,” I said and pulled him into my arms. “You’re still not my cat, but I’m so happy you’re alive.”

  “I can’t die because of that Skeenbauer curse, remember,” he said as he tried to wriggle free. “This is undignified.”

  But a moment later, he pressed his furry little forehead against my neck and let me snuggle him for a moment. “I’m going to give you all the smoked salmon you can handle. You’re so brave.”

  “How are we going to afford that?” he said as I let him go.

  “Probably with this,” Remy said.

  He picked up one of the books that Hattie had flung at my head. The inside pages had been hollowed out, and stuff inside were several stacks of hundred-dollar bills.

  “Here’s another one,” Annika said and picked up another book stuffed full of hundreds.

  “I’m going to call the sheriff to come deal with her,” I said as Remy and Annika looked through the discarded books for more cash. “You guys had better keep this a secret. The last thing I need is the whole town knowing I have a secret library full of cash.”

  I didn’t say anything else because I really liked Annika, but I was more worried about her grandmother finding out about my fortune than the rest of the town.