A Charming Secret (Magical Cures Mystery Series Book 6) (12 page)

“Don’t mind my house. It’s a little messy.” Adeline used her good southern charm when we both knew there was no mess.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.

“No, don’t make a fuss. I wanted to get a schedule of your yoga classes.” It sounded like a good idea. If I was going to be in Locust Grove, I might as well hang out with my friend. . .until they came for me with the paddy wagon.

“I have a schedule in here.” She motioned me to follow her into her kitchen.

Her style of decorating ran flawlessly throughout the house. She plucked something out of a cute wire rack that was nailed on the side of one of the whitewashed kitchen cabinets. She handed me piece of paper. It was a schedule from the YMCA and her classes were circled in pink.

She leaned on the butcher-block island, using her elbows to prop herself up. She looked at me. “I’d love to have you. Tomorrow night will be perfect.”

“It just might work.” I tapped the paper. “I’m going to go to the flea market tomorrow to get an application to open a booth.”

“You are?” She drew back.

“Why not?”

“Okay…” Nervously, she walked over to the window and started to adjust the lace curtains in the window. “Not that you would tell me or anything, but what about your shop?”

“My shop.” I let out a heavy sigh. “There was a fire and I can’t work there until after the fire marshal finishes up the investigation report.”

“Fire?” Adeline’s mouth formed in disbelief. “Really?”

“Yeah.” I shook my head. There was no way I could tell her the truth. She already had her suspicions about the real magic happening around Whispering Falls. She didn’t have it all figured out but she was close. “It happened at night. I guess I forgot to turn off my cauld. . .” I stopped myself. “My stove where I make my herbs.”

 “That is awful.” Sadness appeared in her eyes. “What are you going to do?”

“For now I need to keep busy and make a living until the investigation is over so I’m going to stay in my home here and work at the flea market.” I smiled. “You never know, I just might have two A Charming Cure locations. One here and one in Whispering Falls.”

“Look at you going big.” She grinned ear to ear.

Chapter Seventeen

My visit with Adeline was exactly what I needed. A little girl time without all the talk about burning buildings and dead bodies. I told her to expect me at the yoga class. It was going to be a good relief after what I thought was going to be a long day. And she said she’d help me set up my booth in the morning.

The back roads to Whispering Falls were dark. I’d rely on my intuition to get into the village.

I stopped the Green Machine on the edge of town and read the old beat-up wooden sign, “Welcome to Whispering Falls, A Charming Village.”

I turned the lights off on the car and tapped the wheel.

“Charming alright,” I groaned, trying to decide my next move.

The lynching mob wouldn’t be around because according to Mac, they were all going to be at Two Sisters and a Funeral for the cremation of Gwenie. It wasn’t like I could roll the car through town and up to my cottage because they would see me.

This was the moment I wished I had Aunt Helena’s broom or even the gift to drive the darn thing. Instead, I had to pull the El Camino in a wooded area off the side of the road and hoof it through the woods into town.

Two Sisters was the first business into town and I made sure I wasn’t seen. I kept hidden in the deep shadows of the trees, even with the moonbeams beating down. The sounds of chains and chants caught my attention.

I tiptoed from behind, tree-to-tree, getting closer and closer to the singing. In the distance, Eloise swung the ball of incense down Main Street.

“Incense, sweet and fine, cleanse this area of mine. Purge this place of magical space. Mother Earth cleanse us free for this is the space we want you to be. Hands to the sky and hearts to the heavens, make us whole an even leaven.” Eloise swung the chain up and down each side of her body. The smell of cinnamon filled the air with each puff of smoke.

The lights of Two Sisters were on. Through the windows, I could see shadows moving about.

“It’s about time you got here.” Eloise stood next to me.

“You scared me.” I jumped around, breaking a few branches beneath me. My hot breath caught the nip of the night air. “I guess I should’ve known you saw me.”

“The incense lets me see your aura over here hiding and rightfully so.” She swung the incense around me. “It couldn’t hurt to cleanse you too.” She winked.

“Ya think?” Sarcasm dripped in my tone.

“Oscar did give me a hint about what has been going on. He said you were going to reopen your flea market shop,” she said.

Her eyes held the sympathy gaze I hated. I didn’t want people feeling sorry for me.

“It doesn’t sound good.” She rubbed her hand down my arm. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I would love to, but I’m not supposed to be in town.” I was probably wasting my breath because I bet she already knew that. “I’m on my way to officially resign my position as Village President.”

A faint light came from the inside of Mystic Lights and it was my cue to get over there.

“You know I will be more than willing to help you if you need me.” She said her words as if she had a deeper meaning but I didn’t have time to question her.

“I appreciate that.” I turned back to Eloise, but she was gone as quick as she had appeared.

The nighttime wind whipped and howled around me. The moon was still full and a low cloud hung around creating enough shadow for me to slip past the side windows of Two Sisters.

Petunia, Peony, and Amethyst were talking to Constance. By the looks of it, Constance was holding a file. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see what was on it, other than a doodle or two, which was probably made by Patience because she was sitting at the table doodling on something while the other four huddled.

What I wouldn’t give to get my hands on the file. Inwardly, I groaned and moved with the moon’s shadow as the cloud moved along the surface, leading me to the back of Mystic Lights. The cellar door was propped open, which was my invitation to go on in.

Before I slipped down the stairs, my intuition told me to look around. I took a quick glance into the black night. Everything was still and just as it should be. The faint light coming from the guts of Mystic Lights was made by a few candles with Gerald, Izzy, and Chandra gathered around.

“I’m glad you made it safely,” Izzy said and wasted no time drawing the ceremonial book up to the candle’s wick. Gerald and Chandra didn’t look at me. Their hands folded in front of them. Silent.

“Seriously?” I questioned, breaking the silence between us. “You can’t possibly think I had anything to do with Gwenie’s death?”

“Please get on with this. Petunia is already upset that her husband has to make a special tea as they are having a private family ceremony at Two Sisters.” Gerald kept his head down, talking about himself in third person.

“Gerald.” I had to get him to look at me. “I did not set my own building on fire. At least believe that.”

“Oh, honey.” Chandra reached out and touched me. “We know you wouldn’t hurt a flea while in your right mind and we also know you love your shop.”

“What does that mean?” I drew back, ignoring the comment on how I love my shop. More disturbing was the in my right mind comment. “I am in my right mind.”

“I think what she is saying is that you weren’t raised a spiritualist and sometimes we see those types use their gifts for evil.” Izzy did a poor job of reading Chandra’s words because it set me on fire. “I think we can all agree something evil is lingering in the air and the only way to get things done while you are in Locust Grove is to give Petunia the presidency she was going to get before all of this happened.”

“I’m glad you feel the evil too because that is what is behind the fire and Gwenie’s death. I just know it, but as far as me not being raised as a spiritualist. . .” I put my hand on my chest and sucked in a deep breath. “You are the one who dragged me here and I’m a Good-Sider.”

Good-sider!

I gasped, trying to get in some air when my intuition socked the breath right out of me. Spiritualists are classified into two categories. The Good-Siders and the Dark-Siders. It was a hard concept for me as a spiritualist to segregate the two so I had proposed a new law to include everyone and it had passed. Whispering Falls became a community for all.

In the old days, Dark-Siders were more on the darker side of magic. A dash of spells with a little kick to it. While the Good-Siders only used goodness for magic. Eloise and Raven were perfect examples of good Dark-Siders.

But what took my breath away was the Full Moon Treesort. Was Amethyst a Dark-Sider? Was that why she had to put her shop in the forest? That was why Eloise lived in the woods. Was it the same for Amethyst? Did she have something against Gwendolyn? Did she have something against me?

These were all valid questions to explore and I knew the only way I was going to get answers was to snoop around Full Moon. Maybe I would take Eloise up on her offer to come visit. Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

“Did you hear me, June?” Izzy’s voice boomed in the under girth of the building. “I asked, are you freely giving up your duties as Village President and passing them along to Petunia Shrubwood?”

“Yes,” I stated.

Izzy raised her hands to her mouth. She licked her finger and thumb before she used them to smoother the light of the wick. Her eyes turned to me. They lowered, putting a chill into an already chilly cellar.

“You may excuse yourself now.” Izzy’s finger thrust toward the cellar steps.

I bit back tears and bitter words and went as I was instructed. At the top of the steps, there was a pink and green box. I looked over at the backside of Wicked Good Bakery where the lights were on. It wasn’t unusual for Raven to be in there baking and doing her thing, getting ready for the morning rush.

Quickly I picked it up. She had obviously seen me duck into the cellar and it was just like her to leave a treat for me when I was stressed. I’m sure she saw it in the dough.

Goosebumps traveled up my legs and trickling up my arms, telling me it was time to get out of Whispering Falls. With the box tucked under my arm, I followed the shadow of the cloud only it didn’t take me to the Green Machine. It took me to the steps of A Charming Cure.

Chapter Eighteen

“No. I shouldn’t,” I whispered while biting the inside of my lip. “Oh, but I should.”

I didn’t let anything hold me back. I tiptoed up the steps and turned the knob. I was happy to see it was locked, so I pulled my set of keys out of my pocket and unlocked it, slipping in.

Even with the smell of burnt wood, the smell of the shop came flooding back. My heart fell to my feet. The realization of Gwendolyn’s death set in. Someone had come into my shop and used it to plan out their crime.

Who would do such a thing? The question rolled in my thoughts. Before I walked toward the back to where the pull-down attic stairs were, I plucked my picture of me and my parents off the wall and held it tight to my chest. It was the only picture I had of us and there was no way I was going to leave here without it.

Along with the picture, I grabbed a bag from behind the counter and ran my hands down the ingredients bookshelf. Every bottle that lit up, I placed in the bag. There was no use in leaving them. I could definitely use them at the flea market booth. And something told me I might need them to help solve the case. But how?

I would not try to figure it out. My intuition would tell me when it was time.

“I suggest you get out of here.” Eloise appeared inside of the shop. She stood next to the front window with her finger pulling back the curtain. She bobbled her head back and forth looking out into the street. “I think someone knows you are in here because Colton and Petunia are crossing the street.”

“Crap.” I held the bag and picture close to me. “How in the hell are we going to get out?”

“Well,” Eloise sucked in like I was annoying her. “Help me.” She rushed back to my storage room in the back of the shop where I kept a refrigerator and a small living room.

I’m guilty of taking naps during the day or even late at night while I was up making and creating new potions. It was there when I took over the shop that it reminded me most of Darla.

I hurried behind Eloise. She stood next to the wooden table, which had never been moved. Underneath it was an old wool rug. It was definitely Darla’s taste in using the natural elements to decorate.

“You get on that side.” Eloise bent down and placed her hands under the table. “We will move the table over there.” Her head nodded to the wall on the other side of the room.

I did what she said. The bell over the shop door dinged.

“Is anyone in here?” Colton called out, echoing into the storage room.

Eloise placed her finger over top her mouth, signaling me to not say a word. She flipped up the edge of the rug, uncovering a trap door. Slowly she pulled it up, exposing a set of stairs and some lights. With magic, she tapped the first candle and all of them lit up.

She pointed for me to go down there. I didn’t protest. I went. I stopped a few steps down and looked up. She had pulled the edge of the carpet as good as she could so it would cover the door once she shut it behind her.

She shooed me with her hand to go once she had closed the trapdoor. I cleared thick cobwebs on my way down and stopped at the bottom. The candles lit up a long cobblestone hallway, giving me the creeps.

“Go on.” Eloise put her hand on my back.

“Where does this go?” I questioned. “Wait! I forgot my June’s Gems.” I had set the box on the counter when I filled the bag with the herbs.

“Move. And forget the gems.” Eloise pushed in front of me. “It is how Darla and I use to hang out when she lived here.”

“Really?” I stayed on Eloise’s heels and continually looked back. As we walked, the candles behind us burned out.

“In case you forgot, I’m a Dark-Sider and I wasn’t too welcome in the community. Since Darla and I were best friends, and she needed my magic for the shop, I magically made a tunnel for us to go from her shop to the tree house.” Eloise’s cloak swished with each turn and curve as we made our way closer and closer to her house. “It was a lot of fun too. You know.” Eloise stopped and turned to me. “She would be so proud of you. And she would have loved to show you this tunnel.” She reached down and grabbed my hand, rubbing her finger over my engagement ring. “Every time I look at your hand, I see hers.”