The Mayhem Sisters (16 page)

H
onora dug through Vivi’s closet with a look of mortification at her meager offerings of evening attire. Earlier in the day, another buttery cream envelope had arrived with Dax’s telltale cross wax seal. True to his word, he invited Vivi and her sisters to the exclusive Mender Corp launch party. The minute she got the invite, Vivi sent Rumor with a note for her sisters to see what they thought, and if they would be interested in going. Clover was her go-to witch for emotional support, and she knew if there was anyone who would give her sound investigating advice, it was the great and
persuasive
Honora.

“Paul sounds weird,” Honora said.

Rumor cawed from his perch, clearly in agreement.

“I think he just tries too hard. He desperately wants an opportunity to work with Mender Corp, and who wouldn’t? It’s a career maker,” Vivi said, recalling her impromptu conversation with the young wizard. “Granted, he’s eager to get ahead, but he knows more about the company than we do.”

“I get that, but he implicated Dr. Fowler, who he supposedly admires and is his boss,” Honora said, fruitlessly sliding hanger after hanger across the practically barren wooden rack.

“True. But, remember, Dr. Fowler’s fingertips were stained black, just like the wizard in my vision.”

“Hope the building schematics I brought help.” Honora nodded to a roll of parchment on Vivi’s nightstand. “I had a copy made from the public records before leaving the city.”

Vivi unrolled the map. It was just what she was hoping for—a detailed diagram of the inner workings of Mender Corp. After a few minutes reviewing the plans, Vivi knew the quickest route to Dr. Fowler’s personal workspace.

“The only way to know for sure is to check out what’s in the lab. Paul said suspicious things were going on down in Fowler’s
dungeon
. That’s why I need to get a peek in his back room.” She traced her finger along the route to the lab, committing it to memory.

“I must admit a party is a good distraction.” Honora smiled, a fresh glow on her face. “Plus, let’s face it, I wouldn’t mind seeing Dax again. It’s been a while.

“He’s as hot as ever, and I know one of the reasons he gave us this invite was to see you.” Vivi was both happy and a little jealous of her sister. The kind of passion that Honora and Dax experienced had eluded her so far in her life.

“I can believe that,” Clover said, muscling her way into the bedroom. Her arms were loaded down with a large garment bag and a couple of shoeboxes. “Dax’s been mad about our little sex kitten sister his whole life.” She smirked and tossed the boxes on the bed.

“I’m not looking forward to seeing Miranda and Mitchell.” Vivi’s brow wrinkled. Another encounter with the creepy twins was not going to be fun. “My plan is to steer clear of them and maintain a low profile.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be with Dax. Plus, I won’t let them lay a finger on you. They probably won’t even notice us with the big announcement planned,” Honora said.

“You’re probably right. Tonight it’s Fowler I’m interested in, anyway.”

Honora pounced on the garment bag. “Thank the natural world. You brought clothes. Vivi’s got nothing in this wasteland of a closet that’s remotely wearable for the party tonight.”

“Hey, I’ve got a black wrap dress in there somewhere. It’s cute.” Vivi sat on her bed, knowing full well there were slim pickings in her closet.

“Yeah, and it was really nice the first hundred times you wore it. Now it’s faded, and there’s a hole in the elbow.” Honora let out a good-natured cackle. “Sister, I need to take you shopping, and soon.”

“Fine, after this case is over, I promise to come to Stargazer City and hit some stores with you. Happy?”

“Wait till you see what I brought,” Clover said and unzipped the bag.

Vivi gasped as a flowing gas-blue gown with a crystal-beaded bodice spilled out to the floor. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I know,” Clover gushed. “I saw it about a month ago when I was at the seamstress getting some pants hemmed, and I had to buy it. I figured I’d wear it when I’m Cassandra Reason to some big industry event, but when I got your note about the fancy cocktail party, I knew you had to wear it.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”

“No, thanks. I’m all partied out with the book launch. You two will have your hands full without me.”

Vivi jumped off the bed and fingered the silken fabric. “You should keep the dress for yourself.”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to wear this baby, but there’s no reason you can’t take it for a test drive.” Clover pulled the dress out and held it up to Vivi so they could admire it in the mirror.

“Gorgeous. You might even look better than me,” Honora said with a wink. Her younger sister had a healthy appreciation for her own charms. She opened the shoebox and pulled out a pair of to-die-for strappy silver heels. “Clover, you’ve outdone yourself. I was getting worried after a few minutes in Vivi’s closet, where dust bunnies go to multiply, I wouldn’t find anything for her to wear.” She smirked.

“Hey, it’s not that bad.” Vivi laughed and then cringed. “Okay, it’s pretty dusty in there, but it’s not like tonight is a total social outing. We got lucky Mender Corp’s doing a private launch. Once inside, it’s up to us to figure out how to get into Fowler’s lab.” She rolled up the parchment map. “Knowing where it’s located is the first step. Getting past security is the next one.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to take Lance as your date?” Honora asked. “He could use his badge to strong-arm his way into the lab.”

“No, I don’t want to get him involved yet. I’m going on a tip from a freelance employee. It could be nothing. He would never trust me again if I gave him wrong information.” Vivi paused. “I’ve been thinking, and I want to become a registered seer one day, so I need to be sure about my sources before involving the police. I don’t want to be the witch who cried wolf. Gaining Lance’s trust is important to me.”

“True. Plus, you do have little old me to watch your back.” Honora bowed dramatically. Clover nudged Honora aside.

“Vivi, that’s great. I’m glad you’re taking your
persuasion
to the next level. And don’t worry. The sheriff will come around. Now sit down and let’s do a little magic with that hair of yours.”

Vivi plopped down in front of her dressing table and watched as Clover pulled out her wand and wove it through her long brown tresses. Out of all the sisters, Clover performed hairstyling spells the best. She had about a dozen committed to memory, and within minutes created a masterpiece of hair art—curled, pinned, and twisted on top of Vivi’s head, exposing her neck. Tiny tendrils of chestnut curls framed her face.

“Gorgeous,” Honora said, coming out of the bathroom wearing a shimmering gold cocktail dress that showed off about a mile of toned tanned legs. Her hair was stick straight and glossy as a black lake.

“Wow. Dax is going to drool all over you,” Vivi said.

“I aim to please.” Honora inspected her killer figure in the mirror. “Plus, I hope to drop off a few business cards while mingling with the elite. Only Stargazer City’s finest are invited, and I bet more than a few of them could use an investigator.”

“You never miss an opportunity. What’s the occasion of this swank party?” Clover asked, holding up a pair of dangling aquamarine teardrop earrings to Vivi’s lobes.

“A product launch. Mender Corp is introducing a new magical device to stockholders and members of the Healers’ Council. Then they’ll eat, drink, and dance till late into the night. It’s perfect. I’ll get a chance to peek inside Fowler’s lab while the announcement is going on,” Vivi said. “I don’t know if I’ll find anything, but at least I’ll have tried.”

“I hope you’re right and the missing witch is there. The police need to catch whoever is behind this, so all of this can be over. Witches are afraid. There’s talk,” Clover said.

“I read the
article
in
Witch World Daily
. Trust me, I want this over with, too, for her sake as well as ours.” Vivi stared at her reflection in the mirror, hoping she could pull this off. It was going to take more than a pretty dress to infiltrate the laboratory of the most powerful healers in Stargazer City. “We’ll find her, if not tonight, then soon. We’re Mayhem sisters. What could possibly go wrong?”

All three sisters let out a cackle.

Before leaving for the party, Vivi grabbed one of the tiny wishful-thinking potion vials she had made the day before, slid it onto a simple silver chain, and draped it around her neck. It was a beautiful swirling glass orb and was a simple and yet perfect addition to the elegant dress.

“Stunning,” Dax said. His eyes roved over Honora’s entire body when he arrived to escort the sisters to the party. “You look lovely, also, Vivi.” He smiled, but offered Honora his arm as they got into the luxury vehicle. Nestled in Dax’s personal hovercraft, they glided through the velvety night air between the towering skyscrapers of Stargazer City. Talk about a witch’s feet never touching the ground. They arrived at the party in style. Never in her life had Vivi attended a swank gathering like this one, and she took in the scene with awe. Tiny twinkling illuma lights filled the atrium of Mender Corp like dozens of fireflies dancing across the dark sky. Music floated on the air. Once packed with busy commuters and employees, the room was filled with elegantly dressed witches and wizards sipping flutes of chilled champagne and nibbling canapés topped with fresh crab, lobster, and smoked salmon.

After escorting the sisters inside, Dax excused himself to do his obligatory mingling with the shareholders. Vivi’s plan was simple—make a few rounds of the party, watch and observe, then at an opportune moment, slip down into Fowler’s personal lair to see if there was anything to Paul’s story. No way was she going to implicate him if the
dungeon
was all in his imagination.

She and Honora blended into the crowd, casually listening to conversations to pick up any information on the mysterious device and sampling the delicious buffet. Just because Vivi was on a serious mission didn’t mean she was immune to the night’s festivities. Her mouth watered at the delectable sights and smells, so she snatched a canapé off a passing silver tray and stuffed it into her mouth. The last thing she needed while poking around Fowler’s lab was a rumbling stomach.

The twins were stunning, sheathed in their trademark black. Mitchell wore an expensive suit and tie, and his hair had the casual disheveled look. Miranda donned a curve-hugging dress with a plunging neckline. A handsome young blonde wizard clung to her side like a piece of butterscotch arm candy. Vivi breathed a sigh of relief that the two were on the other side of the room, well out of arm’s length. She stayed as far away from them as possible and made another pass of the room, searching for the entry down to the lab.

Vivi almost choked on a salmon puff when she saw the dubious figure of Rye Finn standing guard at the only stairwell down to the lab. Her gut tightened. He looked annoyingly dashing in a crisp white shirt topped off with a long leather duster. His dark hair was slicked back and showed off a widow’s peak, which accentuated his strong brow. His gaze was brooding, and his eagle-eyed glare suspiciously scanned the crowd. Luckily he hadn’t seen her, and she darted behind a column like a guilty school witch cutting class, pulling Honora with her.

“When did Hex Division start doing private security?” she asked with a squeak, her plan suddenly made more complicated by the wizard’s presence.

Honora’s smooth brow wrinkled in concern. “Sorry, Sis. If you’re going to get to the lab, you’ll need to get by Hexer Finn.”

“Any ideas of how I’m supposed to do that?”

“Well, if it were me, I’d try to seduce him, lure him into a dark corner, and plant a long lingering kiss on him. Make him think of me instead of his job. But that’s not really your style.”

Vivi gulped down the rest of her drink. She glanced at Finn’s full lips and imagined their taut softness against her own.
Not going to happen.
She shook off the idea. Strategic seduction was not her forte. Plus, he would see right through her, since they could barely stand each other.

“I think I’ll try the direct approach.” Now, that was an interesting prospect. There was no way she could avoid him, so perhaps she could convince him she wasn’t a threat, at least not that evening, and see if he would let her slide, especially since she knew about his dealings with the Darklander. “I’ve got to try, but if it doesn’t work be prepared for plan B.”

“What’s plan B?” Honora asked.

“That’s where you cause some kind of colossal distraction.” Vivi raised her eyebrows slyly at her sister. “I did bring you for a reason.”

“I can do a distraction just as long as I don’t ruin the presentation. I promised Dax I had turned over a new leaf and was trying to stay out of trouble.”

“And he believed you?” Vivi gave Honora a playful smirk and a little finger wave as she headed over to the staircase and Rye Finn.

Two burly security wizards flanked the Hexer. He spotted her before she even made it halfway across the room, his dark gaze clinging to her every move. Vivi would have been flattered at how he stared her up and down, but she knew he was probably trying to sum her magical prowess, assessing if she was armed and dangerous, which he knew by now she wasn’t. Pity that such a handsome wizard with a prestigious job and killer shoulders could be so untrustworthy.