A Charming Secret (Magical Cures Mystery Series Book 6) (8 page)

I closed my eyes, trying to get a breath to calm myself. My intuition flooded my being. Jittery was best how I could describe the feeling deep in my bones.

“June?” Izzy stepped up. “What is going on?”

“I think Gwendolyn Shrubwood is dead in my shop.” I bit my lip and took off toward the shop. I couldn’t stand it any longer.

“You aren’t going anywhere.” Bella’s voice was dark, cold and it scared me. “You stay right here where everyone can see you.”

“Is it her?” I asked, looking around, trying to find her face in the crowd. She wasn’t anywhere.

All the people I knew and loved were next to me. Every shop owner was there. Gerald and Arabella stood with Petunia and her family. Ophelia kept her distance on the steps of Ever After Books. Raven and Faith stood with her.

“Mr. Prince Charming wasn’t in there.” Peony came back, out of breath. “What’s going on?”

“Colton found a body,” Petunia held tight to Amethyst.

“Dead body?” Peony’s voice cracked. “Surely not.” Petunia’s face dropped.

We stood there in silence waiting for anyone to walk out of my cure shop. It seemed like it was hours, but in reality, it was only a few minutes before Oscar walked out. He took his cop’s hat off his head and rubbed his hands through his hair. Ruffling it a bit.

His blue eyes stared at me, making my gut ache. It wasn’t good news. He knew something. Something bad. I ran my hand over my wrist. If I could use some protection, it would be now. And I definitely could use Mr. Prince Charming by my side.

Oscar walked past me and stopped in front of Petunia.

“Petunia,” his voice was almost a whisper, “I hate to bring you such bad news on your celebratory day, but your cousin Gwendolyn is dead.”

Petunia fell to the ground, Gerald catching her.

“Dead?” Amethyst stepped up. “What do you mean dead?”

“When Officer Lance did a sweep of the attic after the fire was put out, her body was found on his search.” Oscar held his hat tight to his body. “There doesn’t seem to be any obvious cause. Was there a reason she’d be in A Charming Cure?”

“Her.” Amethyst’s finger stabbed my way.

Oscar glanced over. Slowly his eyes closed as though his heart sank.

“She had to be the last one to see Gwenie. After all,” Amethyst’s words were bitter. “Little Miss Heal had mixed words with Gwenie, not to mention she just so happened to have wanted to
help
with her IBS. Didn’t you?”

“I. . .I,” I stuttered. “She left my shop alive. I locked the door behind.  . .” I stopped when I realized I didn’t lock the door. I was in a hurry to get to the smudging ceremony. “I didn’t mean anything by my words. Hell,” I pointed to Izzy, “she said she wanted to strangle her. And Raven,” I moved my finger down the street to Wicked Good, “she said Gwenie put down her tarts. It wasn’t just me she offended.”

“Don’t say another word,” Bella warned. “Wait until Mac McGurtle gets here.”

“Mac?” I questioned. “Why do I need Mac?”

Mac McGurtle was my childhood neighbor when I was growing up in Locust Grove. Though I had found out, he was really a spiritualist who had been summoned by the Elders to live next door to me and Darla to make sure we were safe.

“He was assigned to you as your spiritual guide as a kid and you kept him all your life.” Bella shook her head. “Something is fishy and Mac will get to the bottom of it.”

“There is no evidence June or anyone had anything to do with the death of your cousin.” Oscar made sure to keep Gwenie’s family and friend a safe distance from me. “The Karima sisters will do an autopsy to see if there was any funny business.”

“Move it! Dead body coming through!” Constance screamed, the gurney rolling at a fast speed behind her.

“Dead body! Fresh dead body!” Patience beamed with joy.

Chapter Ten

Everyone stood still in silence. An uncomfortable silence.

Colton said a few things to Oscar; then Oscar came over and kissed me on the forehead, whispering he’d meet me at the cottage after he went to visit his Aunt Eloise and let her know what was going on because Colton wanted her to do a cleansing sweep tonight at midnight and the next several nights to come.

Colton stood next to Petunia who was circled in the comfort of all her family members.

“Her!” Amethyst screamed rushing toward me. “You threatened her today when she made it known she would rather go to a doctor than try one of your little Betty Crocker herbs.”

“Now, now.” Petunia had tears in her eyes. “June would never do anything like that.”

“You are in charge now!” Amethyst yelled at Petunia, reminding me of my failure. “Use your presidential power to arrest her. Demand the sheriff to arrest her.”

“Actually,” Izzy swept across the sidewalk, her skirt swooshed. “The ceremony was not complete and June is still the Village President.

“I’m so sorry.” It was ridiculous for anyone to think I could hurt someone, much less kill her. My heart was breaking for Petunia. I reached out to touch her; Amethyst shoved between us. I sucked in a deep breath to calm my nerves. “What can I do to help you?”

“Nothing.” Petunia shook her head, tears dripped down her face. Gerald wrapped her in his arms and she broke out into a full-blown cry. He picked her up and carried her to Glorybee. Peony and Amethyst walked behind them.

Everyone watched with deep sadness. Amethyst opened the door of Glorybee and glanced back to me. She glared at me with a burning, reproachful eye before she disappeared into the shop.

“June,” Colton walked up next to me. “I am going to have to ask you a few questions.”

“I didn’t kill her.” I was shocked at how angry my words sounded.

“I didn’t accuse you of anything, but this is your shop and I feel it is necessary I take over as the lead detective since you
are
engaged to Oscar.” His eyes were hard when he looked at Oscar who confirmed what he was saying. “And I don’t think you are going to be able to open the shop for some time. The attic has some fire damage, but the rest of the shop looks fine.”

“But I have bills to pay like everyone else.” Suddenly, the realization my shop was damaged hit me hard. I rubbed my charm bracelet wishing Mr. Prince Charming would show up.

“Don’t worry about any bills.” Bella put a comforting arm around me. “We will take one day at a time.” She patted me.

Raven walked up with a small paper bag.

“I thought you might want a little treat.” She handed me the bag.

Our eyes caught. For a second, her eyes grew and sent a dart to my gut. She’d had some sort of reading in the dough of the June’s Gem she had made.

I gulped and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Thank you.” I said and nodded, letting her know I knew she wanted to talk to me.

She gave a slight smile.

“Let me know if I can do anything.” She turned and headed to her bakery.

“Can you come to the station?” Colton asked.

“Sure,” I answered and turned to Chandra. “If you see Mr. Prince Charming, can you please tell him to come to the station?”

“Yes, dear.” Chandra reached out and touched my hand. She flipped it over and ran her long blue and star-painted fingernail down my palm. “I warned you not to help her.”

Panic like I had never felt before churned in my gut. Chandra’s earlier words did warn me not to go into the shop, but stubborn me wanted Gwenie to like me so much, I wasn’t going to listen to anyone. Not even my intuition.

Colton gave me the let’s go look and we walked across the street to the station. It was a typical station, not like the rest of the buildings in Whispering Falls. It was pretty institutional looking with a glass window front and two desks on the inside. The back of the station was where Oscar lived. Colton lived with Ophelia in the apartment on top of the bookstore.

“You can sit there.” Colton pointed to one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

I took a seat and looked around for Oscar. He wasn’t there but Mac McGurtle was, his briefcase gripped in his thick fingers. His blue eyes frowned behind his black large-rimmed eyeglasses.

“Mac,” I stood back up, happy to see him. I hugged him a bit tighter than normally.

It was good to see someone from my past that I had known as far back as I could remember. He gave me comfort, easing my soul a little more.

“I came as fast as I could.” He took out a handkerchief from his suit coat pocket and rubbed the sweat from his brow. “I came all the way from Florida.”

“Florida?” I asked.

“Yes, I was checking into Petunia’s family members. I had no idea she hailed from a village from the sunshine state.” He sat down and plunked his briefcase on the desk in front of him. “Now, is my client being charged with the murder of Gwendolyn Shrubwood?”

“No, but I can’t help but have some questions about her feelings for Ms. Shrubwood since I did hear them having a disagreement earlier,” Colton informed him of the conversation he had overheard in front of The Gathering Grove.

“Madame Torres, please.” Mac held his hand out.

I dug deep in my bag and grabbed her.

“Thank you, Mac.” Madame Torres heaved like she had been suffocated. “I’ve been dying to get out of the bottom of her nasty bag all day long. The trash.” She shook her head. The water surrounding her hit the side of the glass ball like a tsunami.

“Seriously?” I put her down with a little more of a thump than normal, making her head bump to the top of the glass.

“Okay, ladies.” Mac slid Madame Torres over in front of him. “Please play back the scene Colton Lance saw this morning between June and Gwendolyn.”

Her head twisted in the water toward me. I nodded in approval; happy she did check with me first before she played out the scene. After all, she was mine.

Like a movie, Madame Torres played back. I had forgotten how Gwendolyn accused me of stealing the Village President position from Petunia. Petunia was visibly upset as Gwendolyn recalled how I had come to the village and was handed the job.

Colton and Mac both wrote down things on paper as the scene played out.

“I think she was really trying to take up for her cousin who had been hurt, but that doesn’t give good reason for me to kill her,” I spoke with confidence.

“At the scene, Petunia said Gwenie didn’t make it to the ceremony, but a few minutes before she rushed down to see where Gwenie went.” Colton flipped through his notebook. “You and Gwenie were getting ready to go into A Charming Cure, assuring her you’d be there in a minute. She also said Chandra was talking to you, so I need to go over to see her and get her take on it.”

“Yes. Chandra, Gwenie and I were standing there. I was told Gwenie had IBS.” I reiterated what I had learned. “Gwenie admitted her stomach was upset and I have a great family remedy for it.”

“I’m going to need the remedy.” Colton shoved a pencil and piece of paper in front of me.

I quickly wrote down the herbs I used and gave her.

“Nothing special.” I shrugged. “I was just trying to help.”

“That’s a crime?” Mac asked, sitting back in the chair and folding his hands in front of him.

“No. But I’d like to know what you two were discussing.” Colton leaned in, not letting Mac intimidate him.

“Can I?” I looked over at Mac.

He lifted his hand toward Colton, gesturing me to go on.

“She had been a bit nasty to me and I wanted her to like me.” I recalled the conversation. “She said I didn’t know her family dynamics and I needed to butt out. She also said she couldn’t wait until she got home and her village was nothing like ours. That was it. We left.”

“And?” Colton lifted a brow, clicked the small tape recorder in front of him and slid it toward the edge of the desk, near me.

“She asked me why I was being nice to her since she was so nasty to me and I told her I wanted to help. She told me to stay out of her family business because I didn’t know everything. I didn’t go into detail, but I told her we all had our own share of family issues.”

I stopped when tears came to my eyes. Mac gave me his sweaty handkerchief and I took it anyway. I wiped my tears and continued.

“Before we went into the shop, Chandra told me not to go. Ask her. She read something in Gwenie’s palm when they shook hands.” I wanted to make sure they were clear on the fact I didn’t do any funny business. “Plus Gwenie was mean to Izzy. Ask Izzy. She even said she wanted to strangle Gwenie. And,” I knew I was ratting out everyone, but I had to look out for me. “Raven even said she was mad because Gwenie said her tarts were too tart.”

“What was in the cure?” Colton asked as though he hadn’t hears a word I’d said about the others.

“Let’s see.” The best I could under the nervous circumstances I was in, I read my list I had just written down for him, “Slippery elm and aloe juice for inflammation. Chamomile tea leaves helps repair damage. I also told her to grab a Rosemary, peppermint, catnip, fennel, or green drink from Gerald on her way out of town in the morning because it was also good for colon health.” I threw my hands in the air. “See, nothing damaging. All good stuff.” I pushed the paper back toward him.

“And you never mixed anything up in the cauldron?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“The last thing I had made in my cauldron was for a little boy—a no more gossip potion and confidence potion in one I called
Monsters Be Gone
.” I shrugged. “In fact, I had cleaned my cauldron and replaced all the potions that had sold out today.”

“That’s interesting.” Colton leaned back in his chair tapping the butt end of his pen to his temple. “Because when I went in the burning shop to put it out,” he tapped his wand, “your cauldron was bubbling full.”

“No, it couldn’t have been,” I assured him.

He stood up and pulled a vial out of his pant’s pocket.

“I even took a sample.” He sat the small glass next to Madame Torres for me to get a good look.

The movie screen of today’s events floated away from Madame Torres and a skull and crossbones filled her entire crystal ball. It wasn’t the image that stuck my gut, it was the words floating in her ball that caught my breath.