Every witch way but gone, p.15
Every Witch Way but Gone, page 15
“We’re doing nothing, babe. Just a big misunderstanding. Everybody was just leaving,” Jim said. “Let’s go see about those crystals. Maybe inhale some more smoke and get your mind off the wedding.”
“The only place we’re going is Angel Force,” I said. “We need to unpick this issue.”
“I’m going nowhere with you,” Jim said. “You’re not law enforcement.”
“We are at the moment,” I said. “And I’m happy to make a kittizen’s arrest.”
“Try it,” Jim said.
“I hoped you’d say that.” Sage shot out a spell that smacked Jim on the side of the head.
He lunged, a burst of energy erupting from his palm aimed at Sage. With a swift, practiced motion, Sage deflected the attack, the spell dissipating harmlessly. Jim’s eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered, hurling another volley of sinister magic.
Sage responded with a flurry of counterattacks, her paws a blur as bolts of light struck Jim with precision. She wasn’t messing about. Each hit caused Jim to stagger, his confidence waning. He growled in frustration, his movements growing desperate.
“You think you can take me down, you little freak?” Jim spat, but his bravado was fading as he backed away.
Sage didn’t bother to reply. She unleashed a wave of shimmering energy that sent Jim sprawling. He groaned, struggling to push himself up, but Sage was relentless. Another spell hit Jim square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him.
“I suggest you apologize to my friend and come to Angel Force to answer questions,” I said.
Selena had kept a safe distance from the fight, but her hand was pressed against her chest and her eyes were wide with alarm. “Do it, babe. We have nothing to hide.”
Jim glared up at Sage, hatred burning in his eyes, but he was too whipped to continue the fight. He collapsed back onto the ground, defeated. “Whatever. I ain’t done nothing wrong, and I ain’t got nothing to hide. And when that’s proven, I’ll expect a public apology and compensation.”
“And I want a free-flowing salmon mousse fountain in my house, no gray in my fur, and hip joints that don’t creak, but we don’t get everything we want in life.” Sage hissed at Jim until he got to his feet.
I was quick to restrain Jim just in case he got any dumb retaliation ideas, but this doped up irritation had no more fight left in him.
“You’re not hurt, are you, baby-boo?” Selena hurried along beside Jim as he walked with his head down and his hands shackled behind his back, the crowd parting to let us through.
“It’s only his pride that’s been wounded and some light bruising,” I said. “If he’d cooperated, none of this would have happened.”
“You didn’t have to be so rough with him,” Selena said. “I need everything intact because I want at least six children.”
Jim’s head shot up. “Six kids! No, I’ve been there and done that. Having Azureus was enough.”
“I doubt this man is capable of loving a child,” I said to Selena. “Consider this a close call and find someone more acceptable.”
She pouted. “I love this man, warts and all.”
“Where exactly will we find these warts?” Sage asked.
“I ain’t got no warts,” Jim said. “There’s nothing wrong with me. And there’s no reason to take me in for questioning.”
I looked over my shoulder. Reeny followed a short distance behind. I had a feeling he wouldn’t run now Jim was going behind bars, but I was still undecided about Reeny. Someone in this party had committed this terrible crime, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it. Perhaps now we had them together, I could convince one of them to talk.
We arrived at Angel Force. I unlocked the door, and we went inside. After briefly checking on Adrienne and Joel, Selena, Jim, and Reeny got a cell each.
“Why are you locking me up? I’ve done nothing wrong other than stand by my man,” Selena said.
“You need time to cool down,” I said, “and think about your choice in men. Azureus was a much better boyfriend than Jim will ever be. You must have seen how badly Jim treated Azureus. You even told us when you came to Angel Force that Jim only ever used his son.”
“He did it for the right reasons,” Selena said. “Jim was much better at getting fungi out of Azureus than I was.”
“So you were only in this weird love triangle to get your hands on more fungi?”
Selena flipped her hair over one shoulder. “A girl has needs. I stay with whoever can meet them best.”
“You should have a serious conversation with yourself about where you want your future to unfurl. We’ll be back to talk to you soon.” I walked along the corridor with Sage, and we headed into the open-plan office and over to the murder board.
“I’m confused, hot, and hungry,” Sage said. “Who knew solving a murder would be so complicated?”
“It’s got me stumped, too. But before we talk murder, I have to say, you were amazing at the festival. Jim didn’t stand a chance against you.”
“That guy had it coming. It was nothing special. Let’s focus on the suspects.” Sage never enjoyed receiving a compliment.
I inspected the board. “All three of our suspects have a motive for wanting Azureus dead.”
“Reeny wants out of his slave contract,” Sage said. “Although I’m confused as to why he didn’t flee Crimson Cove once he escaped Vorana’s house. If he’s guilty, it makes no sense he stuck around.”
“He was determined to prove Jim guilty of murder,” I said.
“Or frame him.”
I nodded. “I no longer believe Reeny can’t lie. He’s been using that as a cover, so we didn’t suspect him.”
“Maybe he’s said it to so many people so many times he convinced himself it was the truth,” Sage said. “He’s got to remain a suspect. Possibly the prime suspect.”
I nodded. “And then we have Jim Stool. He has a perfect motive. It’s clear he viciously resented Azureus’s success. And now we discover Jim was carrying on with Selena behind his back.”
“They could have fought. Azureus found out about the affair and confronted his dad. It got violent, and Jim strangled him.”
“Jim has extra motives on extra motives,” I said.
“But unfortunately, he has an alibi,” Sage said.
“Selena. She does add a layer of complication,” I murmured. “She only cares about what she can get out of Azureus’s murder. But Selena was with Jim at Sorcha’s café when Azureus was killed.”
“Could they have snuck out of the café, gone back to the festival, and killed Azureus together?” Sage asked.
“There is a back way out of the café, but only the vampires use it,” I said. “I doubt Sorcha would willingly let anyone creep out that way.”
“They could have stumbled across the exit, made a plan, and headed back to the festival.”
“Would Jim be so stupid as to take Florence on a date, having arranged to meet Selena so they could return to the festival and strangle Azureus? Jim must have realized Florence wouldn’t wait all that time.”
“He doesn’t strike me as an over-thinker,” Sage said. “He gets an idea, and even if it’s wrong inside out and upside down, he’ll go through with it. And maybe his experience with women has shown him they do wait. He’s left ladies alone, come back for them, and they were still there, so he figured Florence would do the same.”
“But Florence wasn’t so gullible. She went looking for Jim and discovered him smooching Selena.”
“Why make out in the bathroom when they should have been sneaking to the festival to murder Azureus?” Sage asked.
“Nervous excitement? And I’ve heard of curious types who get stimulated by the thought of murder.” I stared at the murder board, wishing it would magically highlight the killer so we could end this mystery.
“That’s gross. More like they were too full of their own self-importance and thought they’d have fun before going off to commit a heinous crime,” Sage said. “The more time I spend with Jim and Selena, the lower my opinion of them becomes.”
“I don’t disagree. We’ve gotten everything we can out of Reeny for now,” I said. “Let’s speak to Jim. See if we can find a hole in his story.”
We took a few moments to grab a snack and drinks from the kitchen then brought a cursing Jim into an interview room.
He slouched into a seat, scowling at us. “You can’t get me for this murder. I’m innocent.”
“We just want to ask a few questions,” I said. “Let’s start with your date with Florence.”
He shrugged. “What about it?”
“Did you deliberately double-book two ladies for that night?” I asked.
A sharp smirk twisted his face. “It wouldn’t be the first time. Sometimes, you take a lady out, and she’s boring, or you get her under certain lighting, and you can see how old she is and how much makeup she’s got caked on her face. I can’t stand that. I like my women to be natural beauties. Got to keep my standards up.”
“Obviously, being such a fine specimen yourself. So you arranged to take Florence on a date while also meeting Selena at the café in town?” I asked.
“Why not? They were both looking for fun, and so was I. It worked for all involved.”
“Selena was happy about the plan?” Sage asked.
“I didn’t care if she was happy or not. Despite what she tells you about all that marriage guff under a mushroom moon, we aren’t serious. She gets weird ideas in her head and struggles to shake them loose. She’ll move on soon enough and forget ever wanting to get hitched to me.” Jim shuddered.
“The way she spoke, it sounds like you were the one who suggested marriage was on the cards,” I said. “Did you mislead Selena to keep her around until you got her to do what you needed?”
“Needed? You’ve lost me.” Jim picked dirt out from underneath a nail. “Despite what most women say, all they want is to be married. They feel like they have no role in life unless they’ve got a man to look after.”
“Not the kind of women we know,” I said.
Jim’s smirk remained in place. “Selena is fun, but with Azureus dead, I realized she’d become a problem, and I wanted rid of her. I figured if she discovered me on a date with another woman, it would send her packing.”
“You used Florence to annoy Selena?”
“Got it in one. I planned on enjoying myself with Florence at the festival, but we wouldn’t have carried on after saying goodbye. Nobody would have been hurt, and we’d both have gotten what we wanted. The ladies love a piece of me,” Jim said.
“You are an incredible catch,” I replied.
Jim scowled at me. “Ask your questions so I can get out of here.”
“You fooled around with Selena, but was that the only thing you did together?” I asked.
Jim tapped a finger on the table. “If I tell you everything, what do I get out of it?”
“That depends on how serious your crime is,” I said. “If you murdered Azureus, there’ll be little I can do to make your life easier. I may even delight in making it much harder.”
“I didn’t kill him. Azureus was my golden ticket. You don’t tear that up. I may not be the smartest guy around here, but I’m no dummy.”
“So what did you and Selena do together, apart from the obvious?”
“We’ll talk about cutting a deal if I share?”
“I’ll consider it,” I said.
Jim grunted. “Selena was cute, and that cuteness helped with sales. I’d get fungi from Azureus then trade it on the black market for cheaper varieties. I’d get triple the amount of produce, and we’d cut the fungi with other herbs and dried bits of wood. That sort of thing. Once it was repackaged, we’d sell it. Selena was great at the sales. She’d flutter those big lashes, and the doped-up idiots would happily pay extra.”
“Azureus found out what you were doing and confronted you?” I asked. “That’s the reason you killed him?”
“Stop saying I killed my son! I used his reputation and our connection to inflate the prices. He never helped me. He got to the top and didn’t reach down and lift me up to join him, so I had to figure things out for myself.”
“What reason did you give him to help you?” I asked.
“I raised him. I’m owed. He was an annoying brat I had to put up with for years.”
“A brat you should have supported, nurtured, and encouraged every step of the way when you saw his talent with fungi,” I said. “Instead, you neglected him until he could give you something. Then you manipulated him.”
“I’m his father! I got what I could out of him and then made deals with Selena. I kept her around because she made the selling and buying easier. She has a way of charming people. But I’m done with her if this marriage stuff gets serious. As soon as I can, I’m outta here.”
“You won’t be going anywhere if you’re charged with murder,” I said.
Jim leaned back. “If anyone wanted Azureus dead, it was Gilly.”
“Gilly Piper? He has an alibi,” I said.
“Maybe he does. Maybe he’s a stinking liar. Now, I’m done talking. I want to see my lawyer,” Jim said.
“We know you’re involved.” Sage jabbed a paw at Jim. “You’re not getting away with this.”
That slithering smirk reappeared. “I’ve got an alibi. She’s sitting in your cell. Selena’s with me, so you’ll get nothing from her. This is a big waste of your time.”
Unfortunately, I feared Jim was right.
But I wasn’t giving up just yet.
Chapter 17
Secrets unfurl
“You always find it.” Sage tossed a lump of raw steak at Joel. He jumped on it and devoured the meat, slurping and chomping noisily.
“Find what?” I was slumped beside her. Ever since the frustrating conversation with Jim, I’d lost my mojo. I couldn’t figure out this problem. I refused to be defeated, but maybe I should change my thinking. Hang up the sleuthing cloak and admit defeat.
“The final clue.” Sage hurled more steak, this time at Adrienne. “It’s what you do. Everyone else is stuck, but you get to the truth.”
“I only do that with Zandra. We figure these things out together.”
“It’s not like you to doubt yourself.” Sage lobbed another chunk of steak, and Adrienne and Joel fought over it. “Behave! There’s plenty to go around. We raided the top drawer of Vorana’s freezer for you, so be grateful.”
The ghouls growled their response and tore apart the steak.
“Without Zandra, I’m incomplete,” I said.
“You sound like me,” Sage said. “Do you want to find a roof to jump off? Or a toxic toadstool to chew on? We could go together. I want a last meal before we go, though. Not steak. Not after watching these two tear into the flesh. Maybe salmon. You love salmon.”
“We’re not jumping off roofs, eating dodgy mushrooms, or giving up,” I said. “But I don’t know what direction to take next. We’ve questioned the suspects, and uncovered numerous motives, but we’re no closer to working out which one did it.”
“We could focus on the giving up option.” Sage tossed the last piece of steak into the cell for the ghouls to fight over. “These two have. They’ve gone feral. When the angels come to their senses, Adrienne and Joel are done for.”
“They’ve been affected by whatever’s polluting Crimson Cove,” I said. “Adrienne and Joel will be fine.”
“And we come back to that old problem,” Sage said. “What is polluting our town? Why is everyone else being weird, but we’re not?”
“Because we’re special,” I said.
“Speak for yourself. I’m as unremarkable as they come.”
“Untrue, and you know it. Your fight with Jim and your pursuit of Reeny were extraordinary. You pull the weak, old cat act to get sympathy from Vorana, but you don’t need to. She adores you just as you are.”
“I like being a weak, old cat. It means I get carried around and extra treats. And Vorana cuts up all my food, so I barely need to chew. It’s comforting.”
“It’s lazy! There’s no need to be slow and greedy to get what you want,” I said.
Sage stared at the ghouls. “Is that why Vorana left? She got bored with my grumpy old cat attitude?”
“Whether you were a young cat full of beans and bouncing around, or the stinky old creature you currently inhabit, it wouldn’t matter to her. You’re bonded, so you’re together for life.”
“We may be bonded, but just like you, I feel abandoned,” Sage said. “We can’t go on like this. Our days can’t be this meaningless.”
“Solving a murder and keeping Adrienne and Joel safe from harm is hardly pointless.”
“So solve it!” Sage said. “Find the final clue and get this over with. Perhaps when Crimson Cove isn’t being so bizarre, Zandra and Vorana will come home.”
I hoped that was true. The unsettled atmosphere in Crimson Cove had stirred things to an uncomfortable level of uncertainty. There had to be a reason why Zandra left, and it couldn’t be me.
“We have the lying dad, the cheating girlfriend, or the nervy slave elf,” Sage said. “Let’s charge them all.”
“I’m interested in Gilly,” I said.
“Jim only brought his name up to take the heat off himself. Gilly’s got an alibi.”
“Perhaps. Before we find Gilly, let’s speak to our lying elf,” I said. “Reeny must have seen a few things while serving Azureus and Jim. Perhaps he knows why Jim pointed the finger at Gilly.”
“We can’t trust anything that comes out of that little jerk’s mouth,” Sage said. “It could all be lies. He could be the killer!”
“He could. But I want to dig more. Adrienne and Joel will quiet down now they’ve been fed, so they won’t make so much noise. We’ll get Reeny out and chat with him. Keep it friendly so as not to startle him into quivering silence.”
“Or we could threaten to feed him to the ghouls. That’ll get the irritating punk talking.”
“Let’s keep that as Option B.”
Five minutes later, we were in an interview room with a nervous Reeny shifting in his seat, refusing to meet our gaze.
“Have you charged Jim yet?” he finally asked.
