A Charming Spell (Magical Cures Mystery Series) (13 page)

“Calm down.” Eloise was always the voice of reason. Today was not a day to be reasoned with. I was mad and I was going to get to the bottom of this. Whispering Falls was falling apart and it wasn’t going to continue under my administration.

“Is she in there?” Eloise asked when we got to Mystic Lights and the sign was still turned to closed.

We planted our faces up against the windows and looked in. The lights were out. Izzy had been sick due to some crazy issues a few months ago, so I chalked up her not being there due to her still recovering.

“I will check on her later.” Eloise said as we made our way back to Ever After Books.

“Let me know how she is. She looked good at the meeting before everything crumbled,” I said, referring to Alexelrod’s murder. Eloise and Izzy had been friends for a long time. “Don’t tell her what is going on around here. It can wait until she’s feeling better.”

“I will.” Eloise kept her lips tight. Though she was my mom’s best friend and much older than me, she respected my place in the community. She knew when to give advice and knew when not to.

“What do you say we head on in?” I couldn’t wait for Eloise to see the inside of Ever After Books. It was the most spectacular bookstore I had ever seen. I pointed out the colorful daisies and beautifully and oddly shaped bushes. Seeing them reminded me of the spell book, who took it, and my potion. The only person I could tell all of this to was no longer someone I could confide in…Oscar.

If he were still a spiritualist, I’d be able to tell him everything, and he’d help find out who did it.

The bookstore was packed. Aisle upon aisle of customers browsed the shelves and were putting books in their hand-held baskets. All of the tables were full as well as the cute loveseats that were positioned all over the store.

Ever After Books had to be the most popular shop in Whispering Falls. Raven Mortimer even had a bakery stand in the back corner where her pre-made baked goodies sat in single-serve bags.

“Wow.” Eloise racked at the edges of her short red hair. She stood with her mouth open in awe of all the stuff going on.

Ophelia had several employees helping customers and some were helping children doing crafts in the children’s section.

“Good morning, ladies.” Ophelia welcomed us with open arms. Her long curly honey-blond hair hung down her back. She wore a long black skirt with a bright blue sleeveless top. “What can I help you find today?”

“We were wanting to start a book club.” Eloise picked a book off the shelf before replacing it.

“How can I help you?” Ophelia asked again as if she didn’t hear Eloise.

“We want you to recommend a book for our new book club.” Eloise stated her request a little differently this time.

“Are you here to look around?” Ophelia’s eyes wandered from shelf to shelf, pulling books in and out as she went.

I put my hand on her arm to stop her. She looked at me with a scowl.

“Are you okay?” I questioned her.

“No.” She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the back of the shop. I hoped she wasn’t going to ask me to do the same crazy follow me stunt she pulled the other night. She didn’t. Once Eloise and I were in the back office, Ophelia shut the door.

“I’ve misplaced something of the utmost importance.” Her voice was even more high-pitched when she was nervous. “It’s a book of spells, and if it gets into the wrong hands, we are all in trouble.”

“That wasn’t the book I wanted for book club.” Eloise was uncomfortable with any sort of spell. She’d rather stay in her treehouse deep in the woods than come to Whispering Falls. “We don’t know where your book is. Let’s go, June.” Eloise tugged at my shirtsleeve.

“Hold on.” I pulled away. “Was it ‘Mysteries and Magical Spells?’”

“Yes! Do you know where it is?” She asked urgently, almost pleading.

“I did.” I stopped and took a breath. “Then someone stole it.”

“What?” Eloise and Ophelia cried out in unison.

“The day Alexelrod was found, it was outside under a bush. I picked it up and took it back to my shop where I put it behind the counter.” I shuffled my feet. They were not going to like the last part I was about to tell them. “Unfortunately, last night someone broke into my shop and stole a potion I was making, and the book is gone.”

“Oh no.” Ophelia looked more like a frightened child in a witch costume rather than a real witch. “I’m afraid we are in more trouble than you realize.”

A lump sat in my throat. My stomach was doing summersaults. There was no denying it. My intuition was in full swing. Whispering Falls was in trouble and it was up to me to get us out of this mess.

Chapter Twenty

My day wasn’t getting any better. In fact it was getting worse. The animals were acting crazier than ever, Constance couldn’t find Patience, who was still hanging on to and riding the ostrich because she refused to let him run off, and the “Mysteries and Magical Spells” book was missing.

I had searched A Charming Cure high and low for any sign of a break-in, only to come up empty handed. I even walked back to my cottage to see if I had put it there and to figure out if the potion had evaporated. Nothing.

The knock on the cottage door stopped me from almost taking a knife to the couch cushions because I was so desperate.

“Colton?” Of all people to show up. While standing on the front porch, I wondered if my crazed appearance in the shadow of the sun would make any man run for the woods. I raked my fingers through my hair, and then swiped under my eyes. I was a sweaty mess and I was sure my mascara was halfway down my face by now. “Come in.”

“Are you okay?” His looked all buff in his gold-rimmed Ray Ban sunglasses and Whispering Falls uniform.

“I’m a little out of sorts.” I was reluctant to tell him why. The way I saw it, I was in a pickle and had no choice. He was as close to Oscar would be in helping me, only not in the romantic department, though he
was
pleasant to look at. “You are going to think I’m a crazy Village President that doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“Ya think?” He half-grinned, teasing me.

“Whatever.” I smacked his arm. He followed me to the couch and we sat down. “Anyway, I found this book at the scene of the crime and picked it up. I didn’t think it had anything to do with Alexelrod’s murder before, but now I think I’m wrong. I think it had a lot to do with the murder, but I’m not sure what.”

“What kind of book?” Colton sat back and his shirt tugged a little tighter around his chest.

“You aren’t going to tell Gandolf are you?” I wanted to make sure he kept Gandolf out of the loop, because I was going to get Gandolf out of the picture as soon as I talked to Izzy.

“He is so busy with the budget cut that he isn’t even looking at other suspects.” Colton’s distaste for how Gandolf was running the investigation was apparent.

“It’s a ‘Mysteries and Magical Spells’ book that Ophelia kept at the shop. I picked it up because of O…” I almost slipped and said Oscar. That was a situation that Colton didn’t need to know about. It had nothing to do with the murder. Oscar’s dilemma was my fault, my problem. I shook it off. “…I was curious and left it at A Charming Cure along with a special potion I’m making. When I went to work today, the potion and the book were gone.”

“June, what kind of potion?” He seemed as if he was almost afraid to ask.

“A power potion,” I mumbled. Colton was not going to like that in the slightest bit. I covered my mouth and said, “An enhanced power potion.”

“June!” He sucked in a deep breath; his shirt became even more snug, showing off those muscles under the shirt. “We will deal with the potion later. What about the book?”

“When I confessed to Ophelia that I took the book and it was missing, she said that there were some ancient potions in there and that if they fell into the wrong hands, we were in deep trouble.” I pointed to my gut. “And I feel like it has already gotten into the wrong hands along with my potion.”

Colton got up and paced the length of the couch, scratching his head like his fingers were going to give him some good ideas.

“I think that Alexelrod didn’t go to the meeting that night because he thought everyone would be there. He slipped into Ever After and took the book. Then whoever wanted the book, was in there too and found the dart book. They shot him with the darts on his way out and that is when Faith saw him. The killer ran off after Faith started to scream.”

Colton stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes narrowed. “You have this all figured out.”

I sat up a little taller with a big smile on my face. I had completely just solved the crime. I was pleased as a plum.

“So who killed him?” Colton’s question deflated my oversized ego.

“I don’t know.” I slumped back into the cushions of the couch. “Good question.”

“Which brings us back to Ophelia Biblio.” His voice drifted off. “Do you think she did it?”

“I don’t. And I don’t necessarily know if the person meant to kill anyone, but did because Alexelrod was in the way.” I had played the scenario in my head so many times everything was getting foggy. “The person had to know that there was a meeting that night.”

“Ophelia, Alexelrod, and Faith were the only ones not there.” Colton brought us back to the only two suspects and victim. “Only Faith checked out on her alibi and Ophelia hasn’t.”

“There has to be something we are missing, besides the book.” That book was the key to this entire piece. “Whoever has the book is the killer.”

There was no way around it. Once those words left my mouth, my intuition kicked in and I knew better than ever that I had to find the “Mysteries and Magical Spells” book.

“In the meantime, I’ve got to go see Izzy and get Gandolf taken off the case. It’s time you took over as the new Sheriff of Whispering Falls.” There was no need to tell Colton about Faith and the budget cuts or her working for me. That sort of complicated matters didn’t concern him, only me as the Village President. “As the president,” I decided to pull rank, “I want you to work on the leads of finding the potion and the book. Do not mention any of this to Gandolf.”

“Oh, I won’t.” He put his sunglasses back on his face and headed out the door.

“Oh please,” Madame Torres’s voice dripped out from my bag. “Stop staring at his tush and ask him out.”

“Nope! I have Oscar…or…I
will
have Oscar.” I glanced at the time. It was almost time for me to drive to Locust Grove for dinner at Oscar’s house.

Chapter Twenty-One

“You are staying here tonight,” I said to Mr. Prince Charming who was sitting on my dresser. He knew that I was going somewhere and I was going without him. It was high time I had some alone time with Oscar, and I mean alone. No cat, no crystal ball just Oscar and me.

The purple dress went perfectly with my black hair. I was even pleased with the way my hair turned out. I even put on my purple strappy sandals. If Oscar didn’t notice me in this outfit, then he was blind.

“I’m out of here!” I grabbed my bag and took Madame Torres out. “You are staying here.”

“Did you check out your Make-Me-A-Match profile yet?” Madame Torres asked.

“Don’t need it. I have Oscar.” I put her on the counter and grabbed the keys to the Green Machine, my old green El Camino.

“Don’t be so sure.” I ignored her comment, refusing to let her put doubt in my head and ruin my night.

I made sure the door was locked. Suddenly I felt sick. Someone had to have known I had the “Mysteries and Magical Spells” book if they broke into A Charming Cure to steal it. What would I do if they tried to break into my house?

I jumped into the Green Machine and gave her a good pat on the dashboard. “Okay, girl. Let’s go back to Locust Grove, but we have to stop at the police station first.”

It wasn’t like my car could hear me, but I still treated her like one of the family. I eased the El Camino out onto Main Street with my eyes peeled out for Colton. He was standing next to Gandolf in front of Ever After Books, in the exact same spot where Faith had found Alexelrod.

I pulled over and when Colton looked my way, I waved him over.

“Where are you headed?” He stuck his head in the passenger window. He let out a little whistle when he saw my dress and raised his eyebrows.

“Out with a friend.”

“It must be a
special
friend,” he said.

“Listen, I need you to do me a favor.” I looked over his shoulder and noticed Gandolf staring at us. “I don’t want anyone to know, but I’m going to Locust Grove for a few hours. Can you keep an eye on my house?”

“Sure, but what are you doing in Locust Grove?” His voice was stern.

“I told you, I’m going out with my boy…” I stopped myself. “My old boyfriend.”

“Lucky guy.” He smiled and pulled back. His hands gripped the side of the door with his arms extended out. “I’ll be sure to watch out for you.”

“Great.” I shifted the Green Machine into drive, waved bye and headed out of town.

It had been so long since I had driven to Locust Grove, I had almost forgotten how pretty the drive was. Maybe it just was the fantastic mood I was in.

Leaving the spiritual world behind, I turned my radio up, rolled my windows down and sang at the top of my lungs. This was going to be a great night.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Here goes everything.” I looked in the rearview mirror and patted down my windblown hair. With a little dab of lipstick, I was ready to go.

I felt a little ping of sadness when I looked over at the small house across the street from Oscar’s where I grew up. There were so many memories of Darla and Oscar. The house had long since been replaced with another family. Oscar had said they were good people. And Mac McGurtle’s place next door was also taken over by a new family.

I snickered when I noticed that the charred remains of the shed I had burned down were still in a pile at the side of the house.

“You look great.” Oscar stood at his door with a big grin on his face. He had on a pair of blue jeans, and the white v-neck tee looked great against his tanned skin and black hair. My heart skipped a beat. I did have on the perfect outfit for the perfect night.