Magic & Mishaps Page 7

  I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue.

  Marley took my hand. “Come on, Mom. Let’s show Hazel what the Rose girls are made of.”

  Black Veil Apartments were located at the far end of Thistle Road within walking distance of the downtown area. The building itself was more attractive than I expected with a cheerful awning over the entrance and plenty of flowers in boxes under the windows. It didn’t surprise me that the landlord lived in the building when it was as nice as this one.

  I walked straight through the lobby and easily found my way to number one, Douglas Farley’s apartment. It was set in its own alcove with no visible neighbors. I rang the bell and waited.

  The door opened and a vampire stood there in a bright red suit covered in depictions of birds—orioles, warblers, and cardinals. I quickly lost track. The outfit reminded me of the Christmas suits that suburban men seemed to favor at the holidays. His hair and beard were only a slightly dimmer shade of red and his face was sprinkled with freckles.

  “If you’re looking to rent, this building is full,” the ginger vampire said, “but I have an opening over in Mermaid Manors. I can offer you a partial sea view for a good monthly rate.”

  “I’m not looking for a place, but thanks,” I said. “I’m Ember Rose, a reporter from Vox Populi.”

  “Oh, right. I see your paper on the doormats of some of my tenants,” he said. “I’m sure you assume I’m old school as a vampire and prefer a paper in my hands, but I tend to keep up with local news online.”

  “As long as you’re keeping up, it doesn’t matter how you do it,” I said.

  “I’m a businessman, Ms. Rose,” he said, puffing out his unimpressive chest. “I own several buildings in this town, so it’s important to stay abreast of the latest developments.”

  “In that case, I’m sure you’re aware of what happened to Bonnie Rydell.”

  His expression darkened. “Of course. How could I not? Bonnie was a tenant. An excellent one at that.”

  “I’m writing a story about Bonnie for the paper,” I said.

  His brow lifted. “The murder? I don’t envy you.”

  “Not the murder,” I said. “Just about Bonnie. I’m talking to those who knew her. I’d like to get a sense of who she was, so that she’s more to this community than a statistic.”

  “I’m a fan of your attitude, Ms. Rose. We need more positivity in this bleak world of ours.”

  “Great. I was hoping you’d be willing to let me take a look at Bonnie’s place, if you don’t mind,” I said.

  Douglas rubbed his ginger beard. “I guess it’d be okay. I haven’t listed it because I don’t want to show it to prospective tenants while Bonnie’s stuff is still there. Too unsettling.”

  “No one’s come to claim it yet?” That made sense. Bonnie didn’t seem to have any close relatives and the murder investigation was still pending.

  “No,” Douglas said. “My lawyer says to sit tight and wait. I don’t want to be the wereass who unloads her stuff into storage until a grieving relative gathers the courage to collect it.”

  “That’s kind of you.”

  Douglas shrugged. “To be honest, I wouldn’t do it for everyone, but Bonnie was special.”

  “Oh? You knew her well?” I wondered whether Sheriff Nash realized her landlord was a vampire.

  “One of my favorite tenants,” Douglas admitted. “You think I repaint everybody’s apartment with the color of her choice?”

  “I have no idea.” My experience with living in an apartment was already markedly different. There was no awning or brightly colored flowers greeting us back in Maple Shade, New Jersey, and certainly no considerate landlord.

  Douglas crossed the room to a drawer and retrieved a set of keys. “Come on. I’ll show you around.”

  I followed him out of his apartment to the third floor. The hallways were lined with artwork. It seemed like a pleasant place for Bonnie to come home to every day.

  He unlocked the door to number thirty-three and we stepped inside. The interior was a far cry from the 70’s decor of my old apartment. The walls were painted a soothing lavender and the neutral carpet was lush and free of stains.

  “This place is lovely,” I said.

  “Bonnie was a good tenant,” he said, and I heard the note of regret in his voice. “Neat, clean. Always paid her rent on time.” He surveyed the apartment and sighed. “She will be missed.”

  I walked from room to room, making a mental note of the photographs and other personal items. There weren’t many—Bonnie seemed to prefer impersonal decor from the shops in town.

  “Did you ever pass Bonnie in the lobby?” I asked, turning around to address the landlord behind me.

  “All the time,” Douglas said. “I knew her schedule…” He halted. “I mean, I was aware of it. I know the schedules for many of my tenants…” He struggled to finish his statement.

  “Mr. Farley, did you have a romantic interest in Bonnie?”

  “What? Why would you ask such a thing?”

  “You had her apartment repainted and paid to put her up in Palmetto House.”

  “She was inconvenienced,” he said. “It was my way of making amends.”

  “And you knew her schedule,” I continued.

  “As I said, I know a lot of my tenant’s schedules. That’s what happens when we live in the same building. It’s only natural that I pay attention.”

  I crossed my arms and leveled him with a look. “Mr. Farley, I can identify a love-struck face when I see one.” The gods knew I’d glimpsed myself in the mirror often enough to recognize the look.

  The landlord shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Bonnie didn’t know.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I knew she wouldn’t be interested in someone like me?”

  I cocked my head. “A vampire?”

  He seemed insulted. “No. What’s wrong with vampires?”

  “Nothing,” I said quickly. “I’m dating one myself.”

  He smiled, revealing his fangs. “Good for you. I don’t suppose he’s a ginger, too.”

  “No, he’s a blonde.”

  The landlord huffed. “Figures. Those guys get all the action.” He ran a hand through his red hair. “Nobody wants a ginger with fangs. Looks too weird with the freckles.”

  “I…I don’t think that’s true,” I said.

  He laughed. “Nice try, but you stumbled there.” He shoved his hands in his suit pocket. “It’s okay. I get it. I grew the beard to see if that helped my cause, but so far, nada.”

  “Are you sure she didn’t know?” I asked. Bonnie didn’t strike me as a fool. She must’ve realized she was getting special treatment.

  “Who knows? I convinced myself that she didn’t, so there was no sting of rejection, you know? Still, I liked doing nice things for her. Made me feel good, whether the feelings were reciprocated or not.”

  “It’s a shame,” I said.

  He looked at me. “What is?”

  “It sounds like Bonnie made bad decisions when it came to love,” I said. “She could’ve benefited from dating someone like you.”

  “I got the sense she wasn’t available,” he replied. “I mean, I never saw her with anyone, but she had that way about her, like she wasn’t really looking.”

  “From what I know, she was on the market,” I said, and immediately regretted it. Why make him feel worse? At least if he believed she was seeing someone, then it was a reason for her not to notice him.

  “It was probably thanks to her last boyfriend,” Douglas said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if she’d sworn off men after that awful Jarrod. I cringed whenever I saw him in the building.”

  I snapped my fingers. “Jarrod. That’s right. She mentioned his name.”

  “I found her crying in the stairwell more than once over that jerk,” Douglas said. “I offered to teach him a lesson, but Bonnie wouldn’t let me.”

  “That’s understandable,” I said. Bonnie didn’t seem
like the type of woman who wanted a man to fight her battles for her.

  “I bought her Chinese food the night she and Jarrod broke up,” he said. “We sat in my apartment and ate. I had to reheat the food a few times because she cried so much, the food kept getting cold.” A sad smile emerged as he got lost in the memory. “By the devil, I hope her death wasn’t painful.”

  “You don’t know?”

  His brow creased. “Know what?”

  “How she died,” I said.

  “I heard she was drunk and was pushed out a window,” he said. “Is that not what happened?”

  Starry Hollow’s rumor mill was impressive, but its collective imagination was even more so.

  “That’s not what happened,” I said. “Just out of curiosity, where we you on Friday night?”

  His shoulders tensed. “Out of curiosity, Ms. Rose?”

  “You might as well practice your answer now for the sheriff,” I said. “It’s only a matter of time before he finds out you’re a vampire.”

  “What does being a vampire have to…” He faltered. “Oh, no.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Farley. She was drained of blood.”

  He covered his mouth to stifle the shocked sob. “Not Bonnie.”

  “There was no physical evidence at the scene,” I said. “Not even Bonnie’s own prints.”

  He shook his head, still processing the devastating news. “Who would do such a thing? Bonnie was a bright light in this dim world. How could someone snuff that out?”

  “That’s what the sheriff is trying to figure out,” I said.

  Douglas pulled a red handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the tears from his face. “I was at Mermaid Manors that night. Twenty-one had a leak that ended up dripping into the apartment below. It was a mess.”

  “What time was that?” I asked.

  He tugged on his beard. “I got the call around eight and was there for a good two hours.”

  “And afterward?”

  “I went for a drink with my contractor,” he said. “Gus and I were spent from dealing with the tenants. They were quite unhappy with the situation, as you can imagine.”

  “Where did you go?” I asked.

  “The Lighthouse,” he said. “I like the cocktails there. They make a mean zazzlewick-tini.”

  “It was open?”

  He nodded. “We stayed at the bar there until around three.”

  His alibi would be easy enough to verify.

  “Do you think I should offer a statement to the sheriff?” he asked. “I don’t want him to think I haven’t come forward because I’m hiding something. I didn’t know the details.” He shuddered. “And now I wish I didn’t.”

  “I’m sure Sheriff Nash would appreciate that,” I said. Anything to make his job easier.

  The landlord tucked his handkerchief back into his pocket. “I’m going to have nightmares tonight. The idea of her splattered on the pavement was bad enough.”

  “I’m sorry I had to be the bearer of such bad news.”

  “Make sure you print that part about being a bright light in a dim world,” he said. “Everyone should know that about Bonnie. She deserves that, right?”

  “She deserves better than that, Mr. Farley,” I said, “but, under the circumstances, it’s the best we can do for her.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Thank you for doing this,” Emma said.

  “Might as well try to make the most of your time here,” I said. She and Daniel couldn’t leave town, so I volunteered to take them to Seers Row as a small tribute to Bonnie. It had been her suggestion at dinner, after all.

  “We haven’t been to a psychic about the baby,” Daniel said. “I’m curious to see what she’ll say.”

  We stopped in front of Veronica’s establishment, the aptly named Veronica: Voice of the Gods. I couldn’t help but notice that, on the sign above, Veronica’s name was three times larger than the word ‘gods.’

  “Veronica is highly regarded in Starry Hollow,” I said and gestured toward the sign. “Hopefully, you’ll head back to Spellbound with some insight.”

  Emma patted her belly. “Either way, we’ll know soon enough. This baby isn’t going to stay in here forever.”

  Veronica’s thumbs were moving rapidly on her phone when we entered. Dark curls framed her heart-shaped face. She brightened at the sight of customers and slipped the phone out of sight.

  “Jericho,” she shrieked over her shoulder. “You should be out here greeting the guests.”

  “Hi, Veronica,” I said. “I hope you don’t mind a walk-in.”

  She stood and smiled at us. “No such thing as a walk-in here, darling. I always see you coming.”

  Her dwarf assistant hustled out of the back room. “Apologies, my supreme fortune-teller. I was spit-shining and didn’t want to leave unwiped saliva on the…”

  “Where’s the crystal ball?” Veronica put her hands on her hips.

  The dwarf smacked his forehead and spun on his heel to return to the back room.

  Veronica turned back to us. “You’ll have to forgive him. He’s a moron.” She waved us over to a small round table. “It isn’t every day we get someone like you in here.”

  Daniel slipped an arm around his wife. “An angel and a sorceress?”

  Veronica frowned. “No, a lesbian couple and their sperm donor.” She angled her head, studying him. “Your halo is fully intact. How much does a guy like you charge? Those must be some quality genes you’re passing on to them.”

  “We’re not lesbians,” I said. “I’m with Alec Hale and Daniel is Emma’s husband.” I motioned to the couple.

  Veronica appeared unconvinced. “You know what year it is, right? It’s perfectly acceptable for a union like this.”

  “I’ll sit over here and let the two of you ask your questions,” I said. Maybe removing myself from the reading would bring Veronica back to reality.

  Daniel and Emma sat across from Veronica at the table and I perched on a rectangular table along the wall. Jericho returned with the crystal ball, walking slowly as he craned his neck to peer around the side of it and avoid any mishaps.

  “Do you want me to carry that for you?” I offered.

  “Nobody touches the ball except me,” Veronica snapped. “And Jericho, but that’s only out of sheer necessity.”

  The dwarf rolled the ball onto its resting place on the table. “Anything else, my illustrious armadillo?”

  “Would anyone like a beverage?” Veronica asked. “I have still or sparkling water. I also have a bottle of blackcurrant mead, but you’ll have to pay extra for that.”

  “We’re good, thanks,” Emma said.

  “I’m here for you day and night, my sparkling psychic.” Jericho bowed politely and scuttled out of the room.

  “Not night, Jericho,” Veronica called after him. “Don’t give my customers the wrong impression.” She looked at us. “Only until closing.”

  Emma grunted. “The baby’s awake.”

  Daniel placed a hand on her stomach. “Yikes. Someone’s kicking up a storm in there.”

  “Searching for the exit,” Emma joked.

  Veronica tucked a curl behind her ear and then rubbed her hands together before placing them on the crystal ball. She closed her eyes in complete concentration. After a moment of silence, she popped one eye open.

  “Why aren’t your hands on the ball?” she asked.

  Emma and Daniel exchanged confused glances.

  “You said no one else touches the ball,” Daniel said.

  “I meant to carry it.” Veronica blew a stray curl off her forehead with an exaggerated breath. “I need your energy or I can’t see diddly squat. Hands on the ball. Chop chop.”

  “Maybe you should consider running through a list of instructions before you start,” Daniel said.

  Veronica squinted at him. “Are you angel-splaining how to be a fortune-teller to the Voice of the freaking Gods?”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Daniel replied.


  They moved their hands to the ball and Veronica closed her eyes again. She made a variety of strange sounds as she absorbed whatever information the ball was passing along.

  “This baby is special,” Veronica finally said, opening her eyes.

  “Tell us something we don’t know,” Daniel said.

  “All babies are special,” Emma added sweetly.

  Veronica groaned. “Oh gods. You’re not going to be one of those, are you?”

  Emma blinked innocently. “One of what?”

  “One of those women who thinks all babies are beautiful,” Veronica said. “Newsflash: some babies are downright ugly.”

  “Our baby won’t be ugly to us no matter what he or she looks like,” Daniel said.

  “True,” Veronica said. “Love is blind.”

  “Can we take our hands off the ball?” Emma asked. “My back hurts in this position.”

  Veronica flicked a dismissive finger. “Oh, sure. I’ve gotten what I need.”

  Emma and Daniel relaxed against their chairs. Well, Emma did. Daniel never seemed comfortable with those huge wings poking every which way.

  “Before I tell you more,” Veronica continued, “do you want to know the gender?”

  “No,” they said in unison.

  “Glad I asked,” Veronica said. “I’ll simply refer to the child as the abomination.”

  Emma reeled back. “What? No!”

  Veronica threw her head back and cackled. “I’m kidding.” She looked at them with a deadpan expression. “I shall refer to the child as ‘the child.’”

  “Works for me,” Daniel said.

  Veronica inhaled deeply. “The child is truly of the gods. Are you aware of any godly genes in your families?”

  Emma and Daniel clapped hands. “We are,” Emma said.

  “I see.” Veronica scrutinized the crystal ball. “The child will inherit many gifts.” She gave Daniel a pointed look. “But not your thick neck, thank the gods.”

  Daniel’s hand flew instinctively to his neck.

  “The child’s powers will be…different,” Veronica said. “Oh, how fascinating!”

  Emma leaned as forward as she could with a giant belly in the way. “What?”