Chapter 15

Unfortunately, nothing in Crane’s house indicated the use of witchcraft or other suspicious activities. Nothing appeared out of order, and while the drawers in his small office were locked, the correspondence on the desk seemed innocent enough—bills and the like.

Notwanting to tempt fate, I decided against doing a deeper search. After a cursory look into the rest of the house, we went back to the SUV, and Ian drove me to the TeaCauldron, promising he’d see if there were any recent rumors about Crane or any new supernatural in town.

Druglowered the moment I stepped inside the shop. I saw with approval that she’d lit a couple of our Halloween-inspired candles, and the air carried a lovely note of apples and burned sugar.

Twocouples were making use of the tables, and the counter was empty at the moment. I checked the clock on the wall; it’d be still an hour or so before the Halloween crowd showed up.

Smilingat the customers, I motioned for Dru to join me behind the bead curtain. It was better if they didn’t hear her cuss at me when I told her I needed to leave again right away.

BeforeI had the chance to speak, Dru grabbed my arm and pulled me into the kitchen.

“Where were you, and why does the shop smell of bleach?” Her eyes narrowed into dark, accusatory slits. “Did someone leave a pentagram?” She inhaled sharply at the obvious guilt on my face. “I warned you, Hope, I’d?—”

“No, no,” I said hurriedly. “No pentagrams, I swear.”

“Then what?”

Isquirmed.

Heririses turned a little red, and a bit of horn peeked between her curls. “Hope? Why does the shop smell of bleach?”

Fora moment I thought about lying, but that would’ve been unkind, especially as I’d kept Bagley’s existence a secret for so long. “I, uh…found DesmondCrane dead on the floor.”

Shestared at me for a few seconds, then walked out of the kitchen. “I’m out.”

“Wait,” I begged, running after her. “Don’t leave!”

Drupaused by the back door and glared. “Look, I can deal with the crappy pay”—I frowned at that—“the octopus ghost”—happy gurgling came from the kitchen’s direction—“and even the evil witch haunting the place, but I draw the line at dead bodies inside the shop.”

“I’ll pay you double overtime!” I exclaimed as she jerked the back door open.

Sheharrumphed and stalked across the backyard to the back gate. The clang of it closing behind her reverberated against my bones.

Feelingutterly dejected, I returned to the shop. Now what was I going to do? I couldn’t close the shop down—it’d be too suspicious, and there was nobody else who could run the shop on their own while I conducted my investigation.

Thedoor opened, and I valiantly summoned a smile. It fought a brave battle and managed somewhat of a stance.

“Welco—”

Huttonentered the shop. He stopped suddenly and wrinkled his nose.

Oh, no.

Hestomped his way up to the counter. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” I took out a muffin and offered it to him. “Halloween muffin?”

“I smell bleach and something funny underneath,” he said in a low, menacing voice. Curse my luck. Between his usual paranoia and all the paranormals disappearing in his forest, he was probably well aware of the many uses for bleach.

“Oh, that.” I waved a hand dismissively and laughed, not at all awkwardly. “I spilled a potion gone bad this morning.”

“Potions don’t smell like dead rats.”

“It had some of my blood in it. It must’ve decomposed a little.” I fought a shudder. Way to gross myself out.

Hesniffed the air again, his gaze never leaving mine. “Nobody spills that much potion, and a few drops of decaying blood won’t smell that strongly.”

Iput the muffin down and crossed my arms in defiance. “What do you want, anyway?”

Didhe need more alpha potion already? His aura was as unhealthily clogging as yesterday.

Witha last glare of warning that told me the matter was not finished, he asked, “Where’s your hat?”

“My hat?” I stared at him blankly. Oh! My hand went to the top of my head. “Didn’t have time this morning with all the, uh, spilled potion and all.”

“Sure. Any updates on the pentagrams?”

Feelinglike I needed something to do, I got busy making him some tea. Not the day’s special, of course. Mr. AllMightyAlpha got the cheap tea bags. “Is that why you came? You could’ve texted.”

“I did.”

Ichecked my phone. Well, look at that. He had.

Clearingmy throat, I leaned casually against the back shelves like I’d never found a body this morning, made Ian ship it to the cemetery, the strays dig up a hole for it, and then broke into said body’s house. “Sorry, it’s been a busy morning.”

“Really?” He made a slow perusal of the shop and my four customers happily talking to each other before returning his attention to me. “Doesn’t seem like it.”

“We’re in a bit of a lull,” I said smoothly, putting one of the cheap mugs reserved for kids with his tea in front of him. “Where were you last night?”

Forall I knew, maybe he’d come to get some blackmail on me along with Crane. I couldn’t forget that everyone is a suspect.

Hisbrows arched. It made him look so much like Ian that I smiled reluctantly.

“Last night? Why?”

“Just wondering. Sleep at home alone again, hmm?” Aww, I’d totally forgotten to ask Dru about that. Would she answer if I sent her a quick text before I forgot again? I considered that for a second. Probably better if I let the whole Crane-dead-on-the-shop’s-floor issue fade into memory some more.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”

Hesounded exasperated and truthful enough, so I decided to cross him off my suspect list. For now. Browsing through my phone, I brought up the screenshot from the webcam and showed it to him. “Recognize this person?”

Huttontook one peek at the screen and shook his head. “Are you serious? My mother could be in that shot and I wouldn’t recognize her. The face is like three pixels wide.”

“It doesn’t remind you of anyone? Maybe the style of clothing or the way they’re walking?”

“No. Is this the person who drew the pentagrams?”

“They’re my main suspect, yes. I wanted to check some of the other webcams later.” PerhapsI could do it now while there weren’t that many clients.

Huttongave the screenshot another considering look. “Send me that and tell me which webcams you need to check. I’ll help.”

Igasped. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” he snapped. “I want to find whoever did it as badly as you do.”

I’dbet the shop nowhere near as badly, but I supposed it was a point of pride for him as the pack’s alpha. Someone had metaphorically peed on his wall, and now that someone had to pay.

“You will tell me if you find out who they are? Send me screenshots if you find them on one of the other webcams?”

“Yes.”

“I’m trusting you with this very important task,” I warned him. “Do not disappoint me if you want to keep your alpha powers.”

Hisexpression of outrage was priceless, so I hurried to send him the screenshots and a list of sites to check before I laughed and got mauled in front of my poor innocent clients.

Afterhe left, it was time to call Sonia. Surprisingly, she answered after a couple of rings.

“Any updates?” she asked straight away.

“Good day to you, too, Sonia!” A deep, highly unsettling silence filled the call, so I skipped waiting for an answer and told her about the suspect in the webcam. “Has there been anyone suspicious around your shop? Any new paranormals registered with the PBOA?”

“No.”

“Could you ask your other employees if they’ve seen anyone suspicious?”

“I already did.”

“And…?”

“I would’ve told you if they had, Avery. Anything else?”

Itwas on the tip of my tongue to ask for her alibi. When you got down to it, how much could one know about another human being? Sonia had appeared to warm up toward me, but maybe she’d been planning my downfall all along without me realizing.

Still, outright asking her for an alibi would never work; she’d just ignore my question like everyone else had.

“Did you have fun last night?” There. Slickness personified.

“Yes.”

How, I wanted to ask. Eating people’s souls? Drinking their blood? Practicing curses at home? “That’s great! What did you do?”

“Why are you asking?” Her voice sharpened. “Did something happen last night? Have there been any new pentagrams?”

Slickness, indeed. “Just wanted to know,” I demurred. “I feel like we’re almost friends now, and friends talk to each other about their lives.”

Silenceand the message “CallEnded” were my answer. With any luck, she’d scrub my question about last night from her brain along with my attempt at friendship and wouldn’t find it curious once Crane came out as missing.

Apair of women entered the shop, and I greeted them warmly. After serving them their orders, I concentrated on the problem at hand.

WhyDesmondCrane? Assuming the death had been intentional and not an accident, who wanted him dead? Or, in this case, who wanted him dead the most right now? And if the murderer had chosen my shop intentionally—which looked like it—why be so obvious about it?

Oneof the couples at the tables left as a trio entered. They insisted on discussing every tea on the menu with me before finally settling on coffee and muffins.

Backto the question—why me and my shop? Was it an encroaching dark witch who didn’t care about the shop and simply wanted me out of here?

Thebell tinkled again. An older woman entered, looking adorable in a pumpkin-styled coat. I complimented her outfit, and we exchanged costume ideas for a minute before another customer came to pay before leaving.

Okay, so, why my?—

Thedoor opened. A man and a kid entered, asked if they could use my bathroom. I told them where to find it and kept an eye on the bead curtain as they did their business because what better way to spy on a witch shop than fake needing to use the bathroom? I had seen this move in too many TV shows to count.

Afterthey came out, the father ordered a coffee to-go and a muffin for the boy, so I decided maybe they weren’t evil paranormals looking to spy on my establishment and handed the kid a couple of my organic candies.

AsI was saying, DesmondCrane and?—

“Do you sell beer?” a woman asked from the door.

“Sorry, no,” I said. “Tea and coffee only.” What in TheTeaCauldron and all its witchy vibes said beer?

Thewoman made an unhappy face and left. The trio changed their mind and wanted to try one of the teas after all. PumpkinCutie wanted another muffin and a refill. One half of a pair spilled coffee on their table, the other half wanted a refund on his muffin.

Thedoor opened. Dru stepped inside.

Iwanted to cry with relief.

“Oh, shut up, and wipe that expression off your face,” she muttered, walking behind the counter. She pointed at me with one elegantly manicured finger. “Triple pay for today and tomorrow.”

“Deal!”

Together, we dealt with all the outstanding requests, then huddled together behind the counter to gossip like noisy crones as I updated Dru on my and Ian’s theories about Crane’s death and my shop.

“Could it be one of your dark magic clients?” Dru asked. “If they figured out you gave them a placebo, they might be sending you a message, and that’s why they didn’t call the police on you.”

“That’s a strong message.” But the idea had merit. I thought back on my dark magic clients so far—love potion girls, Brimstone, a couple of other minor ones who Bagley had totally been scamming because what they wanted needed zero unwilling blood. I couldn’t see any of them jumping to warning-by-murder instead of simply going to another witch or, in the case of Brimstone, trying to set my house on fire.

Itold Dru as much as a ping on the laptop announced we’d gotten a potion delivery request.

“I better take this,” I said.

Andwhile I was out, I’d start asking some questions.