A Taste of Magic (A Sugarcomb Lake Cozy Mystery Book 1) (10 page)

Matilda giggled.  “Sorry.  I wish I could stay longer and give you a proper introduction to magic, but I have somewhere to be.  Feel free to call me if you have questions.  I wrote my phone number in the front of the book,” she advised.

“Um...thanks?”

“Oh, and if you’re ever in doubt, use the cat as your guide,” Matilda advised, reaching down to pet the bane of Clarissa’s existence.  “As I said, this cat came to you for a reason.  It’s your animal guide.  It senses things we can’t, so pay close attention to its behavior and conduct yourself accordingly.”

“So now I’m supposed to base my decisions on the behavior of a certified psychopath?” Clarissa asked, eyeing the cat with disdain.  “The cat doesn’t like the vacuum cleaner, so does that mean I get to stop vacuuming?” she asked hopefully.

“You joke, but I’m serious,” Matilda insisted.  “Pets can be invaluable to people like us.  Anyway, gotta go!  I’m already running late.”  She paused then and hopefully asked, “I don’t suppose you have any fresh sage on hand, do you?”

“Uh, no...?”

“Ah well, was worth a try.  You might need to pick up some ingredients before that book is of much use to you.  Have fun and be careful.  Remember:  let the cat guide you in your journey – that’s what it’s here for.  Bye!”

As Clarissa watched her aunt hurry away, all she could do was stand there and shake her head.

“That was the weirdest visit ever,” she whispered to herself.

“Meow,” the cat said, slinking around her ankles before head-butting her foot. 

Then, before Clarissa could reach down to scratch the cat behind the ears, it went shooting across the room and attacked the drapes.  Then it paraded around victoriously with its eyes half-closed and its nose in the air, as though celebrating its triumph over an inanimate object.

“So I’m supposed to trust the instincts of a cat that thinks the drapes are Enemy #1,” Clarissa muttered with a roll of her eyes.  “Yeah,
that’s
going to turn out well,” she predicted, her voice oozing with sarcasm.

The cat was now prancing around on the windowsill making guttural kitty noises at a bird that had landed in the garden.  Its back was arched in anticipation and its tail was all fluffed up, practically bigger than it was. 

When the bird suddenly took flight, Cat let out a squeak of excitement, lunged forward and promptly bumped its nose against the widow.  Then it immediately looked over at Clarissa as though it was embarrassed.  When it saw that she had observed its faux pas, it hissed at her and slunk away.

“What a crazy cat,” she murmured to herself.  “And what a crazy day!” she added, suddenly feeling rather exhausted.  Then she set the book of potions aside.  Enough of that nonsense...she had far too much to do to get caught up in whatever it was that her quirky aunt Matilda had been rambling about.

“510 Willow Grove – aha, there it is!” Clarissa crowed triumphantly as she spotted the house.

It was the one right across the street from Liana’s place.  It was the nicest, biggest house on the entire block, but it did anything but impress.  Liana hadn’t been joking about how badly the front yard needed to be landscaped.  With its overgrown shrubs, dead plants and fallen leaves everywhere, the place was a real mess.

“I swear it wasn’t like this before,” Clarissa whispered to herself.

She parked her car and then just sat there staring as she tried to recall what the place used to look like.  She had been on that street – and every street in town – a million times.  But she couldn’t recall what kind of state the yard had been in before.  She only knew that it hadn’t been such a disaster – if it had been, she would have noticed.

“Looks like I’ve really got my work cut out for me,” she mused as she took the key out of the ignition and stuck it in the pocket of her denim overalls.  Then she quickly tied her long dark hair back into a sloppy ponytail and hopped out of the car.

The front door opened before she could ring the bell.

Clarissa did a double take when she saw who was standing there.

“Good morning,” she said to Adam Burke once she had recovered.  “It’s nice to see you again.”

He blinked, looking frazzled as he tried to put on his tie while juggling his briefcase and a travel mug of coffee.  Actually, he kind of looked like a man on the brink of a nervous breakdown – not to mention a man who was about to spill his coffee all over his designer shoes.

Recognition set in – either that or he faked it well.  “Oh, yes...yes.  Hello.”

“I’m Clarissa Spencer,” she reminded him.  “I was at your office –”

“Yes, that’s right,” Adam nodded, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.  He abruptly loosened his tie as though it was trying to strangle him.  Then, just as Clarissa had predicted, he nearly spilled his coffee all over the place.

“Let me hold that for you,” Clarissa offered, grabbing the travel mug before it could fall or tip.

Adam scrunched up his face in an expression of confusion.  “You’re...at my house,” he began, looking as though he might be ill.  He looked at Clarissa’s not-so-fashionable outfit and the light bulb finally seemed to come on.  “Oh, you’re the landscaper!”

“I am.  I wear many hats!” Clarissa joked, wondering if the guy was sick with the flu or if he simply had a
really
nervous disposition.  “So about the front yard, you just want me to...clean things up in general?  Or is there anything specific I should –”

“Anything you do will be an improvement,” Adam said gratefully.  “With work and everything else that’s going on, I just haven’t had the time to get out there,” he explained with a touch of embarrassment in his voice.

“Yard maintenance can be a lot of work,” Clarissa agreed, mostly just to be polite.  Honestly, the state of his yard made it look as though it had been completely neglected for a very long time.  But she wasn’t about to tell him that.

“I’m not a gardener,” Adam admitted.  “My wife – well, soon-to-be ex wife used to take care of that.  She didn’t do the gardening herself, mind you, but she hired people to help.  I haven’t had a chance to make similar arrangements.”

Clarissa rolled up her sleeves.  “So I have competition, huh?”

“Beg your pardon?”

“There are other landscapers in town, are there?” she rephrased.

“Ah.  No,” Adam shook his head, his face ashen and his forehead damp with perspiration.  “We used to hire a local kid to tend to the yard, but he doesn’t do that anymore.” 

“He decided it was too big of a job, huh?” Clarissa teased.  She couldn’t help but wonder if Adam was about to be sick, but she thought it might be rude to tell him how awful he looked.  Instead, she opted to continue with the small talk. 

“No, he got a college education,” Adam replied, glancing distractedly at his wristwatch.  “I doubt he has any interest in mowing lawns or shoveling driveways anymore.”

Was Adam implying that only uneducated people were willing to do jobs that required physical labor?  Or had he simply put his foot in his mouth?  Clarissa wasn’t sure so she didn’t say anything.  But she was nonetheless a bit offended.  After all,
she
had a college degree...and she was about to clean up his yard.

It was tough to get a read on Adam Burke.  Was he pretentious and condescending, or just distracted?  He would be handsome in a slightly-older-man sort of way if he didn’t constantly look like he was about to throw up or pass out.  Was he ill, nervous or simply overworked?  It was anyone’s guess, really. 

Clarissa still didn’t know what she thought of the man.  All she knew was that he had been Jed Black’s business partner and therefore might be able to shed some light on what had been going on in Jed’s final days. 

She wanted to keep Adam talking for as long as possible.  Maybe they could develop a rapport and then she could pick his brain, so to speak.  But she had a feeling she needed to take a far less direct approach with Adam than she had with Liz.  She needed him to get comfortable enough to be chatty.  Otherwise it would be like talking to a brick wall.

“Let me guess,” Clarissa said in an attempt to make small talk.  “It was the same boy who shoveled snow for Mrs. Meddler wasn’t it?  She was singing his praises the other day and if Mrs. Meddler of all people says a kind word about someone, you
know
they must be awesome!”

Adam didn’t even crack a smile at that.  It took Clarissa by surprise because pretty much everyone in town knew who Mrs. Meddler was and how she could be.  In other towns, one made small talk about the weather.  In Sugarcomb Lake, the locals smiled and shook their heads at the cranky old woman’s antics.

“I should be going,” Adam said brusquely.  “Everything you need is in the shed – lawnmower, rake, garbage bags, you name it.  It’s unlocked.  You can access the backyard through the patio doors,” he added, pointing in the general direction.

“Okay, sounds good,” Clarissa replied, eyeing him thoughtfully.  His skittish behavior was so weird.  And the more she observed him, the more convinced she became that he was nervous, not ill.  The flu didn’t make a person’s eyes dart around like that!

Adam practically ran out of the house, pulling out of the driveway in such a hurry that his tires squealed.  Clarissa stood there watching until he was out of sight.  Then she walked through the house toward the backyard, almost afraid to find out what sort of awful condition it might be in.

That was when the phone rang.

After three rings Adam’s answering machine kicked in, instructing the caller to leave a message.

“Adam, pick up.  I know you’re there,” a female voice commanded impatiently.  “Where’s my money?  I want this divorce over and done with, so quit dragging it out.  You were supposed to pay me my half of the settlement last week and my alimony was due yesterday.  Stop dodging my calls and pay up.  Don’t make me call you again.”

Clarissa raised an eyebrow.  First she had overheard a client yelling about being owed money at the investment firm.  Now the angry ex was demanding funds that were owed to her.  Maybe it was just a coincidence…but maybe it wasn’t. 

Was Adam Burke in financial trouble?  And if so, how had it affected his business partner?  Could Adam’s financial woes somehow be linked to Jed’s murder?

Although she knew she shouldn’t snoop, Clarissa couldn’t help it.  Her desire to find out the truth was simply too great, and the opportunity that had presented itself to her was too tempting to pass up.  She tiptoed through the house – even though she knew it was empty – and peeked in each room she passed. 

She walked by three large bedrooms and a huge bathroom before she found the office. 

Feeling like a naughty child stealing out of the cookie jar, Clarissa slipped inside.

Luck was on her side.  The filing cabinet was unlocked
and
meticulously organized.  Every document in the cabinet was inside a folder and all of the folders were carefully labeled.  It didn’t take Clarissa long to discover some
very
juicy tidbits of information.

The first thing Clarissa learned was that Adam Burke was an avid player of online poker.  His record of wins and losses was printed out right there and filed away in his office.  Unfortunately, his losses massively overshadowed his wins.  In fact, he was in debt to the tune of six figures.

The second discovery Clarissa made was a rather confusing one.  There was exactly one folder in the filing cabinet that didn’t have a label.  And inside it were a collection of grainy photographs that appeared to have been taken on a cell phone from a distance. 

In every picture was the now-deceased Jed Black together with his secretary, Liz.  There was a photo of the two of them out for dinner at a swanky restaurant in Green City and another one of them together in Jed’s car.

As far as Clarissa was concerned, that was a complete game changer. 

After whipping out her phone and snapping some quick photographs to document what she had found, she quickly put everything back where she had found it.  Then she reluctantly left the office and got started on the landscaping.  Her mind was reeling. 

Adam Burke had a gambling problem and was in a tremendous amount of debt.  He owed his soon-to-be-ex money he obviously didn’t have.  It was no wonder he always seemed so stressed out.  His estranged wife was hounding him, his clients were hounding him...the walls were closing in.

Desperate people did desperate things. 

Though Adam Burke hadn’t initially been on the list of suspects, that was about to change.

“Hey!” a shrill, raspy female voice called out, interrupting Clarissa’s thoughts.

She looked up to see Mrs. Meddler shuffling down the street.  Unfortunately, the curmudgeon was staring right at her.  It was too late to make a run for the house to avoid having to make idle chit chat – or more accurately, to avoid having to listen to Mrs. Meddler complain about everyone and everything.

With a sigh, Clarissa stood up and dutifully went over to the cranky old woman.  Some days she had patience for this type of thing, but not today.  Today, she simply wanted to be left alone with her thoughts while she worked.  The last thing she needed was an interruption.

“It’s about time someone does something about this sorry excuse for a front yard,” Mrs. Meddler announced immediately.  She stared at the younger woman accusingly, as if Clarissa herself had allowed it to become overgrown.  “It’s an eyesore.”

“I’ve been hired to clean it up.  I’m trying to make it less of an eyesore, Mrs. Meddler,” Clarissa said brightly.  “Out for a walk, are you?” she added, desperately hoping to keep the conversation brief.  “I shouldn’t keep you.  Enjoy the sun!”

“The sun is too bright.  It’s hard on the eyes,” Mrs. Meddler complained.  Then she peered around the yard.  “You cut those crooked,” she announced, pointing at the hedges Clarissa had just finished trimming.  “Also, those trees over there make a terrible mess in the springtime.  I don’t know why anyone would want them!”

“Well it’s a good thing it isn’t springtime then, isn’t it?” Clarissa chirped, smiling with gritted teeth.  “I had better get back to work – as you can see I have a lot to do.  Have a wonderful day Mrs. Meddler!”

“I need some work done,” the old woman said, ignoring her cue to leave.  “Can you come now?”

“Um...no” Clarissa replied slowly.  “I’m working here right now,” she explained, as if that wasn’t already completely obvious.  Unfortunately, Irene Meddler Logic wasn’t exactly logical.  The more run-ins Clarissa had with the old woman, the surer of that she became.

Mrs. Meddler made a cluck of disapproval, as though she was insulted that Clarissa wasn’t willing to drop everything to go do chores for her immediately.  “Well come over tomorrow,” she ordered sternly.

Clarissa hesitated.  The thought of working for Mrs. Meddler was terrifying.  But it would be foolish to refuse a paying job when money was so tight.  Pushing her reservations aside, Clarissa swallowed hard.  Then she nodded. 

“I’ll be there first thing tomorrow morning,” she promised.

“Come at noon,” Mrs. Meddler replied.  “I watch my stories in the morning.” 

“Okay.” 

If one was wise, one did not argue with Sugarcomb Lake’s grumpiest resident.  No one wanted her as an enemy.  Just look at that poor pizza guy who had trampled Mrs. Meddler’s flowers while making a delivery to the house next door.  In retaliation, she had accused him of murder! 

Oh, Mrs. Meddler...what a gem.

“You’re not going to trim my hedges like that,” Mrs. Meddler announced, even though the ones she was gesturing to appeared to be perfectly straight to Clarissa.  “I expect better than that.  See you tomorrow.  Don’t be late.”

With that, the old woman turned and shuffled away.  She was on her way to go criticize and complain to somebody else, no doubt.  Clarissa was just relieved to be rid of her. 

Taming Adam Burke’s overgrown front yard was going to take hours.  At least it provided ample opportunity to think long and hard about the new discoveries and what they might mean.  That is, as long as Mrs. Meddler stayed away.