The corpse with four wiv.., p.11
The Corpse with Four Wives, page 11
“It’s gone now. The oils in the leaves burn rather easily, so… Look over there.”
I followed him over to a bare spot in the ground that bore recent rake marks, but underneath was fresh ash. It had rained not even three days ago, but nothing had disturbed the ash, meaning it was more recent.
I walked over to the fence that separated Becky and Robert’s backyard from the Brauns’ and noticed a door. While it didn’t appear to be very well used, it showed signs of having been opened. “I think we need to call the police.”
I turned back to Aiden, but he was already on the phone. I moved closer to him, stepping carefully so as not to trample on any evidence.
He finished his call and headed toward the back door. “I think they were growing dragonsbane, maybe just to get high. But I bet this is where the leaves came from that murdered Toby. Becky?” Aiden stepped back into the house as he called to her.
“She’s over there on the couch still.” I pointed. “She’s not dead, is she?”
“Not unless she took something other than dragonsbane. It only hurts dragons. Becky? What were you drinking?”
“Hm, what? Would you like some? Robert made me a pitcher of it over the weekend. Can you pour me another glass?” She closed her eyes again.
“Robert made it? Does he make it a lot?”
She blinked up at him and seemed to take a few moments to remember the thread of the conversation. “Oh yeah. Not all the time, but he said that the ingredients weren’t going to last much longer, so he made up a much bigger batch than normal to finish them off. I think he does it to shut me up. He designed it special for me back when he used to love me.” She rolled over to bury her face in a red velvet couch pillow.
“What’s going on here?” Robert stood in the open front door.
Aiden straightened up and faced him. “Your wife is high on dragonsbane you were growing in the backyard. I think you are the one who needs to explain.”
Robert reeled backward, immediately on the defensive. “Whoa, man! This is just a big misunderstanding. I grow a little in summer just to chill out. It’s just for the wife and me to relax a little.”
“But it looks like someone pulled up the plant and burned it.”
“I always do at the end of the season.”
Aiden got up close in Robert’s face. “You expect me to buy that?”
Robert seemed to melt slightly. “I wasn’t going to put a target on myself by leaving that plant there. I had nothing to do with it. I’m innocent, and I don’t want to get mixed up in the investigation.”
The doorbell rang, and I raced past Aiden and Robert to open the door. Outside were Dwayne and several other officers.
Robert seemed to be roused from his stupor. “I don’t give them permission to come in here.”
Aiden was still hopping mad. “You think this is some episode of Law & Order? That we follow human rules? Nah, man, they don’t need your permission when I’m having an allergic reaction to illegal dragonsbane not even twenty yards from where a dragon-shifter died from it two nights ago. You say you’re innocent? Then you have nothing to hide. Brooke, meet me in the truck.” He tossed me the keys and started to explain to the officers everything we knew so far.
My heart pounded as I made my way to the truck with Chuy. I caught a whiff of my own flop sweat from the encounter. I had never seen Aiden that close to losing control. His sheer force of will had put Robert into line. He had towered over him, not just in height but in presence. I had been unable to take my eyes off of him.
I had barely gotten into the truck when Aiden jogged up to the driver’s door and hopped in. “You okay?”
“Of course. I’m fine. What about you? Here, take this.” I handed him a minor healing ring with a delicate pearl on it.
“Thanks.” He managed to slip it onto a pinkie finger. “Not my normal look, but I think it’s helping with the itch already.”
“Wow, that was kinda crazy. Do you think he is having an affair with one of the wives and helped her off her husband?”
“Certainly seems like the most likely option. It’s unfortunate that we don’t already know who she is, but now, that is the police’s issue. Let me get you back to your place. I want to call Anna’s sister before we go to the springs tonight.”
“Are you sure you still want to go? Are you going to be all right?”
“Of course I’ll be all right. Looks like my eyes are already better.” He stopped the truck at the corner and leaned over to stare into my eyes.
I swallowed hard and nodded. “Yep, all clear.”
“It’s not deadly unless you drink it in a very strong brew very soon after it is harvested. But thanks for looking out for me—and for helping me out with the info meeting.”
“Speaking of which, I’m not sure if you caught it, but I managed to grab a copy of a contract.”
“I was hoping that was what Anna meant. Please leave that with me. If it’s what I suspect it is, that alone might be enough to shut that whole mess down. Thank you so much. You are a lifesaver.”
“Anytime, Aiden. Anytime.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I ended up taking a nap with Chuy after the excitement of the afternoon. She seemed a little more rested and less anxious, and I hoped that was a good omen for the evening ahead. After our nap, I left her sleeping on the bed and started sorting through a few boxes.
The clothing seemed the most manageable, and in a few short minutes, I had put a few sweaters and shirts straight into my dressers. I was also relieved to find a box with extra-fluffy socks and old, reliable underwear that I could always use more of.
But much of the rest was sorted into the growing giveaway pile. It felt symbolic that I was letting go of my old life to create space for my new life. What would be in this new life was still an open question. I had decided on several facets, such as learning magic, a dog that lived with me when she felt like it but was still her own master, a job I enjoyed, and a place that fit me. I had a growing group of friends, but when it came to love, nothing was decided.
I wasn’t cut out to marry for any reason other than love. It had taken the prospect of marrying for money to bring things to a head. My ex-fiancé was a nice man but not for me, and I was now able to admit that I had sabotaged the relationship so he would break up with me. I could at least give him that.
Since then, I had not dated anyone.
My mind was feeling like mush, so I decided to stop thinking and go pick up my sister and Twyla for the visit to the springs.
I stepped outside and waited to see if Chuy wanted to join us, but instead of heading toward the car, she curled up on a chair on the front porch. I was a little bummed, except that I was pretty sure it meant I was in for a safe and boring evening. Or at least that was what I hoped it meant.
I swung by the store and waited in a parking spot for Twyla. I waved to Esmerelda and made a mental note to get over to see her as soon as possible. She had given me the rest of the week off for my sister’s visit, but I wanted to at least touch base.
“Don’t drive just yet. Esmerelda wants you to have this.” Twyla pulled a ring off her finger and handed it over to me.
It had a large blue gemstone in the middle. “Aquamarine?”
“Yes. It’s associated with truth and honesty. It’s a prototype of what she wants you to make. The supplies came in, and she figured you could start testing to see what you think of the spell.”
I slid it onto my finger and admired the stone. It was a small cabochon that was bezel set onto a thin band. Basic and no frills, but the real value would be in the spell, not the materials.
“Tell me a lie.”
She bit her lip for a second. “I hate my tree.”
The stone started to glow gently, like it had caught a ray of the sun but not so bright that it would draw attention. The light shifted the color from a sky blue to the gentle teal of the tropical ocean. “Oh, that is nice.”
I watched as the stone’s color shifted back and the light dimmed. “Say something sorta true. Tell me that you like Tavros’s pretzels.”
“That’s not fair. I don’t dislike them. It’s just that I find the size to be a little too big, and I hate to waste food.”
“I know. That’s the point. I want to see if it alerts like the old ring would have.”
“Fine. I love Tavros’s pretzels.”
I watched the stone, and it didn’t alert. “Now say you hate them.”
“I hate Tavros’s pretzels.”
“Okay, still no alert. So neither was deceptive enough to set it off.”
“Esmerelda said that a lie would need to be for the purpose of deceiving you. And it has to be current deception. Not something from the past. So if I had said I didn’t like my tree as a kid, it wouldn’t have alerted. But it can be the future if it is based on current feelings or intentions.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“I’m not sure I do, either, but let me show you what Esmerelda showed me. I hated my tree as a child.”
I looked at the ring, but the color didn’t shift. “Is that true?”
“No, of course not. But see, that is not about current feelings. But if I said tomorrow I plan on cutting down my tree…”
The color shifted. “Oh, so since you are talking about a decision you have made now about the future, and it’s a lie, the ring reacts.”
“Yes, exactly. But there are a bunch of reasons it won’t alert. If the emotions are too intense, it won’t alert at all. So Esmerelda said it’s super important to remember that just because there’s no reaction doesn’t mean you’re hearing the truth. And even if it alerts, you still have to be careful.”
“So it has some of the same issues as the other ring.”
“Esmerelda thinks it is more accurate, but honestly, you need to talk to her about the theory more. But the idea is that you shouldn’t get any more false positives.”
“Thanks. And it is pretty.” I backed out of the parking spot and made my way over to the hotel. I had texted my sister to be ready, but it was likely that she would be late.
“Did you set your sister straight about Aiden?”
“I tried. I said we were involved, but she had stolen my last ring and could tell it was a lie.”
“I don’t think Aiden is interested in her.”
“But it’s not even that,” I whined. “I just wish my family would respect me. I shouldn’t have to justify or prove to her that Aiden is off-limits. Or that I can marry who I want. Or that I can learn magic. Or talk to my grandmother.”
“This isn’t about your sister anymore, is it?”
I pulled into the loading zone in front of the hotel and turned to face Twyla. “My mom is still dodging my requests for my grandmother’s contact information.”
“She’s your mother. I thought that was supposed to mean she’d help you.”
“She does, as long as it’s in line with what she thinks is best for my life. And right now, she thinks basically everything I am doing is wrong. I’m guessing that sending me all this stuff and sending my sister to snoop was meant to get me racing home. She’s running out of cards to play, and withholding my grandmother’s information is part of her strategy.”
“Can’t you find her information yourself? I know you have a small family, but don’t you have, like, a cousin or family friends or something?”
“No. It’s just me and my sister, mother, and grandmother. No other living relatives that I know about. And I don’t know another mermaid that knows my family. Mom kept me cut off from all other paranormals. I guess I could ask Tavros if he knows anyone that knows someone. Grandma didn’t isolate herself, so maybe there is hope.”
I was feeling buoyed by the conversation as Hillary swung out the front door of the hotel. She had on a terrycloth pantsuit that looked far too lightweight for the temperature, but she did cut quite a figure. One could just tell the outfit was expensive, and two men walking by stopped to watch her as she glided to the car.
“Hello, ladies. We ready to splash around?”
My good cheer faded. “It’s more of a soak-and-relax kind of place.”
She shimmied a little. “No worries. I can have fun anywhere.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Aiden and Dwayne met us at the springs, and we got into a soaking pool. My sister instantly took over the conversation, and after an hour, my nerves were frazzled. Hillary had sidled closer and closer to Aiden until she was pressed up against him. Occasionally, he flinched and moved away, and I wondered if she had put a hand on his leg.
“So this one time, I went to Italy, and it is such a beautiful country. You know, they have topless beaches there. It is so nice to have the sun on your skin and—”
“Hillary!” I snapped at her.
She blinked at me with wide eyes. “You feeling okay, sis? You are looking a little red.”
Aiden stood and came over to me. “You do look off. Do you need to cool off a little? We could go get a drink.”
The truth was that the spring water, with its rich minerals and magical qualities, actually made me feel supernaturally well, but the chance to step away was appealing. “Thank you, Aiden.”
I followed him up the stairs to the chair where we had left the towels. Steam was rising off Aiden’s skin, and I tried to keep my eyes to myself and off his strong, broad back.
I patted myself dry and grabbed my bag.
“No, let me get it for you. Just rest, and I’ll bring back some water for everyone.” He tucked the towel around his waist and started down a cement path that had been fashioned to look like rock stairs.
I fell into step next to him. “I think walking would be better for me.”
We walked down the path until it was flat, and he moved behind me so we could step over the wood pathway that was slightly submerged in the milky waters. We were surrounded by the steam coming off the water, and despite the cool breeze, I felt warm and comfortable. Of course, some of that was from my paranormal abilities.
“Feeling any better? Normally, the heat doesn’t bother you, but you’ve been off all evening.”
“Just a lot on my mind, I suppose.” We strolled over to the snack bar, grabbed two free glasses of water, and sat in chairs that overlooked the pools.
“You sure you don’t want some food? When did you last eat?”
I looked up at the stars and chuckled. “I had some snacks this afternoon, but I guess my last real meal was breakfast.”
“Brooke.” He dragged my name out as an admonishment before grabbing me a sandwich. He came back and handed it to me along with packets of mayonnaise and mustard, my go-to condiments. “Now, eat it all, or I’ll tell Grandma Naomi.”
“No, please, anything but that.” I smiled at him and bit into the sandwich. There is no better seasoning than hunger, and the food tasted amazing. Perhaps I was a bit off after all.
For the first time since I’d arrived, I relaxed. It was a weekday evening during the fall, so the springs weren’t as busy as they would be on a summer weekend, but there were still clumps of people all over. Because of the chilly breeze, visitors were either in the hot waters or scurrying toward the locker rooms.
Aiden and I were the only people sitting in the area other than one lady off to our left, barely visible under a tree, far from the nearest light. The sheet of steam rising off the large pool also obscured her visage, but I was sure I recognized her.
My temperature was down, and I switched the towel for the shirt and sweatpants in my bag. “Aiden, be discreet, but when you can, look over your left shoulder and tell me if you recognize the person on the lounger across the pool.”
I made a big show of eating my sandwich while he stretched one way and then the other before grabbing the back of his chair in a way that looked like he was merely trying to crack his back. “Is that Keri Braun?”
I nodded while keeping my eyes on my sandwich. “I think so. Do you think she is waiting for someone?”
“It’s a nice quiet corner, and I wouldn’t think twice about her sitting there any other time of the year or in other circumstances.”
I looked back at the snack bar and noticed a new worker I knew well enough to quiz. “If she leaves, see where she goes. I have a hunch.”
I got up casually and walked over to Hannah. “Hey, can I ask a nosy question?”
“Oh yes, please. I’m bored senseless.”
“Please don’t make it too obvious, but behind me, back by the big pool, is a woman with a hat lounging on a chair. I think I recognize her. Do you know her? Does she come here often?”
She leaned out past the counter then fell back on her heels. “Oh yeah. I don’t know her name, but she has been coming almost every week for like a month or two. A man usually shows up, and they chat. We all have theories about what they’re doing.”
“What theories?”
“I think they are just friends that meet to talk. I have never seen them touch, so I don’t think it is romantic. But Hank, in back, thinks it is romantic.”
“Interesting theories.”
“Oh, those are the most boring theories. Some of the employees have some wild ones, like they are running an illegal business, and they have to meet somewhere to talk because they can’t risk leaving a paper trail. Another is that one of them is a secret police informant. There is one about an illegal biker gang, but that is just too ridiculous to entertain.”
“Wow, you have all given it a lot of thought.”
She shrugged. “We have a lot of time to kill. We notice everything. Speaking of which, are you and Aiden, like, official, or is it still casual?”
I chuckled as though her question were a joke. “Thanks for the information.”
I returned to Aiden and kept Keri in my peripheral vision. She was checking her phone. “They said she’s been meeting up with a guy here once a week for a while. I think we should go over and confront her.”
“Lead the way.” Aiden stood up fell into step next to me.
We had crossed most of the distance before Keri noticed us coming. She looked confused before panic crossed her face, followed by an artificial smile that was all teeth and didn’t reach her eyes. “Aiden, so nice to see you and your friend…”
