Magic & Misfortune (Starry Hollow Witches Book 14) Page 2

  After he left, I drank half a cup of coffee and tried to make it to the shower, but exhaustion won out. I fell asleep at the table and awoke an hour later to the sound of PP3 barking. Someone was at the door.

  I wiped the dried saliva from my cheek and dragged myself to the front door. If Raoul was too lazy to let himself back in, he was going to find himself on the wrong end of a metamorphosis spell.

  Flinging open the door, I said, “If you had any decency, you would crawl through the kitchen window instead of making me get up.”

  The shifter on the doorstep blinked rapidly. His build was slight and he had a thick head of reddish hair streaked with gold. Definitely not a raccoon.

  “Is...that the client entrance?”

  I grimaced. “No, of course not. Sorry about that. I thought you were someone else.”

  “Someone who climbs through the kitchen window?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Are you Ember Rose?”

  I fidgeted with the knots in my hair. “Yes.”

  “My name is Ben Bridges. I was told you might be able to help me.”

  Sweet baby Elvis. He really was a client. I was mortified. Raoul was right—I had to get myself together. No more weekday naps.

  “Sorry about this.” I swept a hand in front of myself. “I haven’t been feeling well.”

  “I can come back another time. I would’ve called first, but I didn’t have a number. I was given your name and address.”

  Good thing we were in the process of getting business cards printed.

  “It’s no problem at all. Please come in.”

  PP3 watched him warily from the end of the sofa and started to growl. He was none-too-pleased with our visitor.

  “Wereleopard?” I asked.

  “Cheetah.”

  Close enough. “I sensed cat, but that’s as far as I got.”

  Ben nodded at the aging dog. “I’m not sure he’s happy with my presence.”

  “He’s not staying for the meeting.” I scooped up the aging dog and carried him into the kitchen. I grabbed a treat from the jar and dropped it in front of him. Closing the door behind me, I returned to the living room and motioned for Ben to sit.

  “I should’ve scheduled an appointment. This is very unprofessional of me.” The werecheetah chose the chair adjacent to the sofa.

  I laughed as I flopped onto the sofa. “I’m wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt that says Hex the Patriarchy. I don’t think you need to worry about appearing unprofessional. How can I help you?”

  He clasped his hands over his knee. “I’d like your help locating a missing family heirloom.”

  “Why don’t you tell me everything you can?” I glanced around for a notepad and pen. Marley usually left them scattered around the cottage. My gaze landed on the pizza box that I’d failed to dispose of. Sighing, I tore off the lid and grabbed one of Marley’s thin purple markers. Very professional.

  “It’s an aquamarine ring that belonged to my grandmother.”

  Someone stole an old woman’s ring? Monster. “Did they steal it from her house?”

  “No. She gave it to me to use as an engagement ring.” He broke into a broad grin. “I recently proposed to my beautiful girlfriend, Lindsey.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. We had our engagement party on Friday night at Basil because it’s the restaurant where we met. She went to the restroom and took off the ring to wash her hands. When she went to pick it up off the basin, it was gone.”

  I sucked in a breath. Talk about a crime of opportunity.

  “I feel awful. Not only does Lindsey not have a ring, but it’s been in my family for generations. My grandmother kept it locked away in the family vault. It took years to convince her to let me have it.”

  “What changed her mind?”

  “She’s softened a lot in the past year. She used to be extremely tough.” He shuddered. “I mean full-on whacks with the rolling pin when you displeased her.”

  “I have experience with tough older relatives.” Although I couldn’t imagine Aunt Hyacinth holding a rolling pin, let alone wielding it as a weapon.

  “Good, because all my relatives are pretty tough.” He tugged his earlobe. “That’s what’s so upsetting about this. We rented the whole restaurant for the party.”

  “I see. Is it possible someone else thought they’d eventually inherit the ring from your grandmother? Maybe they were upset to see Lindsey wearing it?”

  He shrugged. “It’s possible. From what I’ve heard, the bulk of her estate is going to the family of her first husband. I’m her grandson from her second marriage, but I’ve had my eye on that ring since I was a little boy. I guess she decided to give me the piece of family history I wanted instead of some random painting.”

  “Does the ring have sentimental value for her?”

  “I assume so. Nanny Berta never wore it and I’ve often wondered whether she associates it with her first husband. He died in a tragic accident.”

  “That would certainly taint it for her.” I understood that kind of pain, having lost my husband Karl in a tragic accident too. “If she never wore it, how did you even know about it?”

  “I glimpsed it as a boy when she and my father were arguing over it. He’d taken it from the vault and Nanny became angry. Not rolling pin angry, but worse. I was afraid she might shift right there and then.”

  “Do you remember why they were arguing?”

  He shook his head. “I was too mesmerized by the stone to pay attention to what they were saying. It’s the most gorgeous pale green color you’ve ever seen. It puts all other rings to shame.”

  It sounded like quite a jewel.

  He balled his hands into fists. “I want that ring back. Lindsey deserves a ring as stunning as she is and Nanny Berta…” He averted his gaze.

  “What about her?”

  “Nanny was so upset when she found out the ring had been stolen…” His expression grew pained. “She suffered a stroke. She’s in the hospital now and they’re not sure when they’ll be able to release her.”

  No wonder he wanted to find the ring. Ben was probably carrying around a measure of guilt.

  “I suspect she isn’t going to last much longer. I’d like her to know the ring is back in safe hands. Anything to make her feel better.”

  “Any idea who else was in the restroom with Lindsey at the time?”

  “It was busy. It happened between dinner and dessert, so they all seemed to go at the time. There was a washroom attendant, but she says she didn’t see anything.”

  I wrote a few notes on the cardboard.

  “Just out of curiosity, can I ask who recommended our services?” We hadn’t started advertising yet.

  “Alec Hale.”

  I swallowed my shock. “How do you know Alec?”

  “I don’t. He overheard Lindsey and I talking about it at the coffee shop. I said how uncomfortable it would be to interview my relatives and he suggested I get in touch with you. Said you have a special way of getting paranormals to open up.”

  How ironic that Alec was the one to tell him that.

  “He’s my former boss at the newspaper.” I omitted the boyfriend part. I had to block out the personal element or I wouldn’t make it through the remainder of the meeting. “I’d like a list of everyone who attended the party.” I’d also go to the restaurant to speak to the staff.

  Ben took my purple marker and cardboard and made a list. “I’m only putting the family members I suspect.”

  “Do you think that’s wise to rule the others out? Wouldn’t you rather leave that to me?”

  “Tensions are already high because of the wedding and certain family dynamics. I don’t want to exacerbate them. Besides, I know my mom wouldn’t have taken it, so I’m not putting her on the list and Lindsey’s family doesn’t know anything about the ring other than it now belongs to her.”

  He passed the cardboard rectangle back to me. There were enough names to get me started. If I needed the others once I finished, I’d finagle them.

  “This is great. If I could just get a deposit from you…” I told him the amount.

  Ben’s head bobbed. “Absolutely.” He paid me cash. Perfect. “Will you keep me updated?”

  “Absolutely.” I gave him my phone number and added his to my contacts.

  I waited until Ben left to let the moment sink in. My first official client.

  Now that I was a business owner, I had to look the part and that meant showering. I felt a renewed sense of energy. Aunt Hyacinth wasn’t going to destroy me. She was only going to make me stronger.

  When I finally returned downstairs, Raoul was there with a thank you present for the sheriff.

  “What did you find?”

  Raoul stuck out both paws. A small red object was clutched between them and I moved closer to examine it. A plastic fire engine? No.

  “Raoul, you cannot give the sheriff a squeaky toy as a thank you gift!”

  Why not? Dogs love them. Watch. He tossed the fire engine to the floor and stomped on it to make it squeak.

  PP3 lifted his head, glanced at the toy, and lowered his head again.

  “Yes, it’s clearly a huge hit,” I said.

  Don’t worry. I have a Plan B.

  “I hope it’s not a leash.”

  The raccoon scurried outside and returned a moment later. I smiled at the sight of the tarnished trophy with a plaque that read You’re Pawsome.

  “Much better.” I scratched his head. “I have good news.” I told him about Ben’s missing ring.

  We really need those business cards.

  “I’m asking Marley to come up with a design when she gets home. We’ll have them printed straight away.”

  On cue, the door s
wung open and Marley staggered inside, dumping her backpack on the floor like she’d carried it through the Andes for the past six weeks.

  “School is like a job,” she declared.

  “And now I have another job for you.” I told her about the need for a logo.

  “At least that’s a fun job.”

  “Since when is school not fun for you?” Marley excelled in every subject. Curiosity was her drug.

  “It’s fun, but I hate having to stick to the curriculum. Every time I try to expand the discussion, the teachers drag me back to the book.”

  Ah. That sounded more like Marley.

  I noticed two beady eyes over the crest of her cloak pocket. “What’s that?”

  She glanced down and pulled the stuffed toy from her pocket. “A raccoon doll. Isn’t it adorable? One of my friends gave it to me because it looks like Raoul.”

  The raccoon climbed down from the chair to inspect the doll up close. Are you kidding me?

  “What’s wrong? It’s cute.”

  Am I joke to you people? He flicked the doll with an annoyed paw. That looks nothing like me.

  I laughed. “It’s a raccoon. How could it not look like you?”

  He gaped at me. And what? All raccoons look alike? Is that what you’re saying?

  “What if I dressed him in a little cloak and a pointy hat?” Marley asked.

  Raoul slapped a paw over his eyes. I’m going to find a doll that I think looks like you two. See how you like being mocked.

  “No one is trying to mock you,” I insisted.

  He punched an angry paw in the direction of the doll. That thing tells another story.

  Marley stared at the doll, fully aware that Raoul was not as enamored as she was. “I’ll keep him in my room so he doesn’t bother you.”

  His very existence bothers me.

  “And I’ll name him something completely different.” She paused. “Like Raj.”

  Raoul gave an exasperated cry and ran from the room.

  Marley hugged the doll to her chest. “Well, if you ever want to get rid of Raoul, you know where to find this little guy.”

  Chapter Three

  Basil was an upscale restaurant tucked away on an attractive side street with fey-lit lampposts and cobblestone sidewalks. Alec and I had eaten here once, but he wasn’t a big fan of the menu so we didn’t come back.

  I strode up to the hostess stand where an elf was chatting with one of the servers about a sporting event. I stood politely for a moment, but it became clear they were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice me.

  Finally I’d had enough. “Hi. I’d like to speak with the manager.”

  The server scurried away as the elf’s gaze flicked over me. “Sure, Karen.”

  “My name is Ember.”

  He made a noncommittal noise.

  Oh, it was like that, was it? I was tempted to bust out the Rose name, but I was actively avoiding using the name to my advantage given the current state of affairs with my aunt. I opted for a different approach.

  “I’m interviewing suspects in connection with a theft that occurred at this restaurant. Perhaps I should start with you.”

  His thin eyebrows lifted. “I see. Let me check if he’s available.” He swiveled on his heel and darted into a back room, returning a minute later. “Kevyn can see you now.”

  Kevyn was a tall reed of a man whose species took me a second to identify. A wingless pixie. I wasn’t sure whether it was because he’d lost his wings, had a birth defect, or was only half pixie. In any case, it would be rude to ask so I didn’t.

  “Kevyn, I’m Ember Rose of R&R Investigations.” I handed him my new business card, complete with a logo of a raccoon holding a magnifying glass to study a set of paw prints. I was only mildly miffed not to be represented in the image. “I’m investigating a theft that occurred here a few days ago.”

  “Yes, the aquamarine ring.”

  “My client spoke to you about this?”

  “If by spoke to, you mean did he rant and rave like a lunatic and upset other patrons, then yes. He spoke to me.”

  I had a hard time picturing soft-spoken Ben ranting and raving. It didn’t seem to be in his nature.

  “He mentioned there was a washroom attendant in the restroom at the time of the theft, as well as other guests. Can you tell me their names?”

  “I can identify the attendant, but the guests are unclear. As you can imagine, we don’t keep security cameras aimed at the restroom doors.”

  “Who’s the attendant?”

  “Her name is Kathleen. She’s working now if you’d like to speak with her.”

  “Thanks, that would be great.” I eyed the plate of gnocchi and Brussels sprouts on his desk. “That looks amazing, by the way.”

  “It’s divine. Our chef has been upping his game recently.”

  “I don’t even like sprouts and I want to eat that.”

  Kevyn smiled. “Then he’s done his job.”

  I tore myself away from the food that wasn’t mine before I did something embarrassing. Pushing open the restroom door, I peered inside. The stalls were empty and a lone woman sat on a stool beside the row of sinks. A basket of towels rested on her lap.

  “Hi. Are you Kathleen?”

  She frowned at me. “Yes.”

  I let the door close behind me. “Hi. My name is Ember Rose.” I produced another business card and handed it to her. “I’m investigating the theft of a ring that occurred here a few nights ago.”

  Kathleen nodded solemnly. “I feel terrible. That poor young lady. Not a great start to a marriage, I’ll say that much. Very ominous.”

  I wasn’t superstitious enough to believe that.

  “Did you see the ring when she placed it on the basin?”

  She shook her head. “She placed it on the far end of the basin closer to the door. I didn’t have a clear view of it from this position.”

  I pivoted toward the door for a view of the other basin. “Do you happen to remember what the other guests looked like who were in the room at the time?”

  “I’ve been trying to remember, but it seemed like they all converged at once. I do remember a woman with a thick brown braid though. She was head and shoulders above the others. Tall enough to be an Amazon. Wore a white dress, which I thought was disrespectful.” She wrinkled her nose in disdain.

  “Thanks. That’s helpful.” I paused.

  “But I don’t think the Amazon swiped the ring.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “Because she was at the sink closest to me,” Kathleen continued. “She would’ve had to walk past the young lady and reach for the ring before leaving the restroom. It would’ve been obvious.”

  Although if the restroom was as busy as everyone said, Lindsey wouldn’t necessarily have registered the tall woman’s movements.

  “Thanks for your help.”

  Kathleen sighed. “I wish I had seen the ring. Sounds beautiful.”

  “Someone else thought so too, apparently.”

  “If you ask me, the young lady’s a fool for taking it off. If I had a ring as precious as that, they’d have to pry it off my cold, dead body.”

  “She was probably afraid that it might slip off and fall down the drain.” I knew someone that happened to back in Maple Shade, New Jersey. She was able to call a plumber to retrieve it from the pipes, but it was quite an undertaking and she was loath to remove the ring after that.

  “I hope you find it. She was a pathetic thing, on her hands and knees with her dress hiked up, scouring the floor.” Kathleen pressed her lips together. “No lady should cry on the day of their engagement. It’s bad luck.”

  “I would think losing a family heirloom is worse luck.”

  Kathleen smiled. “Fair enough.”

  I exited the restroom and returned to Kevyn’s office. “Who were the servers for the engagement party?” Maybe one of them knew more about the alleged Amazon. Despite Kathleen’s recollection of events, it still seemed important to speak to her, if only as a witness.

  Kevyn scraped the last of the gnocchi from his plate and I felt a pang of food envy. “Terrence and Wanda. They’re my best servers.” He consulted the clock on the wall. “They’re here now in fact.”

  “Perfect.” My stomach gurgled. Maybe I’d grab a quick bite while I was here. It would be nice to have a restaurant I liked where there was no chance of running into Alec. Starry Hollow was a small town and I needed to carve out space for myself.