Hodge inhaled deeply through his nose as he closed his eyes. “We can’t discuss an ongoing investigation,” he said. “By now you’d think that concept was an easy one to grasp, wouldn’t you?”

  “You’re keeping her away from her daughter, her dependant,” I replied.

  He smirked. “Dannika is an adult.”

  That was true, but she was still living with her mother. “Has she been charged with Nigel’s murder?” I asked.

  “Again, that’s not something I can discuss with you.”

  “Fine,” I said, taking a note of the smudged pen on his hand. “You should use paper,” I said, taking his hand in mine. His mental walls were up, almost like he’d been reading about mental blocking, but I still felt something. A vision of a woman in his mind, a smaller lady asking questions. I pulled away and turned to Mona. “Who was the woman who came by this morning?”

  “The one asking about reported thefts in the area?” Detective Hodge said.

  I turned to him again, noticing him rubbing the pen on the back of his hand with a wet thumb. “Yes, do you know—”

  “A nice woman,” he said, “unlike—”

  Mona cut Hodge off. “Oo, that’s it,” she said. “It was a weird one. Only reports are from Wyndham Dairy Farm, someone stole all the cowbells.”

  “Mona,” he said, pressing a finger to his lips. “That’s also an ongoing investigation.”

  The door to the entrance of the police station burst open. Oscar skittered in with his briefcase in tow. “Oh, glad I found you,” he said, leaning to rest his hands on his knees as he gasped.

  “Oscar?” I said, creasing my face at the sight of him.

  “Doctor,” Mona said with a nod. “Afternoon.”

  “What can I help you with, Doctor?” Hodge asked.

  I moved forward to him, away from Mona and Hodge. “Have you been looking for me?”

  “Caroline said—she saw you—coming here,” he said between breaths.

  It wasn’t any of his business. “So? It’s Sunday. Why are you at work?”

  “House calls,” he said.

  Detective Hodge chuckled, patting Mona on the shoulder. “Can you make sure they leave?”

  Oscar ruined any trace of information I was about to gather. Although I had an accurate image of the woman who’d been to the station earlier; Evanora Lavender.

  “Wait,” I called to the detective. “You can’t go around arresting people without proof.”

  “We have proof, Ms. Waterhouse,” he replied.

  I caught him. They had something. “Poison?”

  He laughed, clocking a finger gun at me. “Almost got me,” he said. “Think you should leave now.” He turned and smirked. “And your boyfriend doesn’t know anything about this either, so he’s probably not going to be any use.”

  Oscar guided me outside into the chilly air.

  “Are you trying to get yourself arrested?” he asked.

  I nodded. “If I did, I’d see what they had on Rhonda.”

  “That seems like a bad idea, Gwen,” he said. “And probably not even worth it, other than a criminal record, perhaps.”

  “I mean, I wouldn’t have been arrested. If they had anything on me, they’d have called me in already.”

  He sighed. “He’s right, though. I don’t know anything.”

  “Good job I’m not asking you.” I bundled my handbag to my chest, wrapping my coat around myself. “I’m not here to catch pneumonia.”

  “You walked up here?”

  “I was going to drive, but I heard parking was a nightmare,” I said, glancing at the road, with only enough space around for the two stationed police cars.

  “There’s plenty of space at the practice,” he said. “Come on, I’ll drive you back into the village.”

  It was a ten-minute walk, and it wasn’t raining. If anything, the cold air cleared my thoughts, but I wasn’t going to reject the warmth of a ride back. “I can’t exactly say ‘no’ now, especially not after all that in there.” Not to mention, he’d just been referred to as my boyfriend.

  Once we were in his car with the heated seats. I relaxed slightly. “I’m only doing this because Dannika asked me to,” I replied. “Rhonda’s always been kind, always a friend, and in my heart, I don’t believe she did it.”

  “As a doctor, I’m not sure I should tell you to trust you’re your internal organs to make decisions like that,” he chuckled, “but you have other things you can do, and I hope you trust them.”

  He hedged around the topic of my abilities. I’d been trying to use them, and maybe I would’ve found out more if he hadn’t barged in like a lunatic. “It’s not for lack of trying.” Although it wasn’t a complete failed attempt. I knew more now than I did before.

  They had proof it was Rhonda, but what proof they had, I didn’t know. I also knew that Evanora had been around, mostly concerned over her brownie problem stealing metals in the nearby areas.

  “Who do you think did it then?” he asked, interrupting my thoughts.

  “You think he was killed?” I asked in return. For someone who didn’t know anything about the situation, he already had a question about what I thought.

  “If the police think so—then,” he said with a shrug.

  “I don’t know yet,” I said. “It could’ve been anyone. I mean, he tried your cake too. You could’ve done it for all anyone knows.” The thought hit me. It would’ve been a great cover; he was the doctor on the scene, he would’ve known how to do it. “Did you?”

  He laughed, pulling into a parking space in front of the café. “Unless the demon you pulled from me is coming back, I’ll have to say I didn’t kill him.”

  “Don’t joke about that,” I said, grabbing his hand. There was calm serenity to him, like a cloud. “If Rhonda is innocent, we should all have a vested interest in finding out who really did it, and if or when they’ll strike again.”

  “Yeah,” he replied. “I’m sorry.” He moved his body and tried to get his head close to mine.

  “Thank you for driving me back,” I said, moving away from any bodily sign that told him I was going in for a kiss. “I hope the house calls don’t keep you too busy.”

  He smiled, pressing a hand to his neck. “Didn’t you say something about another date soon?”

  As I climbed out of the car, clutching my jacket closed, I winked. “I think it was something about you baking for me,” I said. “I bake all the time at the café.”

  “Next week?” he asked.

  “I think my son’s home next week,” I replied. “Any time before then is fine.”

  He nodded. “It’s a date.”

  I slammed the door shut. The mention of a date got my heart racing. I watched as he reversed the car and drove off. It wasn’t at all how I’d expected my day to go, I’d half hoped to find out more information on Rhonda, or at least try and visit her.

  “Gwen,” I heard my name called as I turned.

  The sound of my name being called sent a shrill eye roll through me. It was getting old. Bernard stood on the stoop outside the café, waving at me.

  “How’re you?”

  “Wonderful,” he said. “I mean, given everything that’s happened, I’m fine.” His smile dipped, not someone to take any situation too lightly. “I was wondering if you’d be able to bake one of those marble cakes for a service I’m holding tonight.”

  “Of course,” I replied.

  “I would use the leftovers, but some forensics team from the city came to take samples and basically destroyed a lot of the cakes,” he moved around his hands sporadically before settling them beneath his arms. “I hate to see good food go to waste.” It was the real reason he’d gotten himself into a stress.

  I patted his shoulder. “That’s okay.”

  “Perfect,” he replied. “I’ll send Bridget over later.”

  Waving a hand in the air, I refused the offer. “I’ll bring it,” I said. “What time?”

  “Seven,” he said. “The service is at seven, and then cake after.”

  I hummed. “I may bring two,” I said. “You never know how many people will turn up.”

  He laughed. “True. I now have a no camera policy for the time being as well, in case that reporter shows her face again.”

  Good thinking on his behalf.

  “I’d best be leaving,” he said. “I need to gather my thoughts for tonight’s service.”

  I nodded. “Out of curiosity,” I added. “Where did Rhonda go when she left during the critique?”

  “As I told Detective Hodge, she went and sat in the pews.”

  If it was poison, she must’ve known before he ate the food and critiqued her. She didn’t know what he’d say, there was no way she could’ve poisoned him pre-emptively like that. But it’s entirely possible it wasn’t poison and instead something in the realms of magic.

  CHAPTER 11

  “I thought Mona would’ve been helpful,” I told Rosie as I hooked my fingers under a hairnet, fixing it over my head.

  “How long were you there?” Rosie asked. She placed the mixing bowl on the table. “You need an industrial mixer,” she said, massaging her hands.

  I’d thought about it, it would increase the number of cakes I could make, but then where would I get my work out from? “Only ten, fifteen minutes maybe,” I said. “Then Hodge came in, and Oscar followed, it was a full house.”

  “That’s why then,” she chuckled. “She’s not going to tell you anything if he’s around. Maybe I’ll see if she’s up to gossiping tomorrow.”

  “I hope,” I said, crossing my fingers. “I found out they had evidence for Rhonda’s arrest, but I can’t for the life of me think what it could’ve been, it can’t have been too damning or she’d have been thrown into an actual prison cell.”

  A couple hours passed while I baked with Rosie, preparing cakes for the church service. I plied a thin layer of vanilla frosting across the top of the three cakes. In times of crisis, the village could benefit from a little extra sugar in their system.

  “Gwen!” Abi called to me.

  I left Rosie to place the cakes into white boxes while I pulled my hairnet away and snapped the plastic gloves from my hands.

  “Yes?” I said, brushing out my hair with a hand as I walked into the café.

  Rhonda stood at the counter with a smile on her face, Dannika stood beside her with an arm squeezing around her mother’s waist. “Thank you so much,” she said. “Dannika said you helped.”

  It was a slight overreach, I’d barely done anything but a little investigation. “Well, I’ve been looking into it, but when I went to the station, they didn’t seem to have much information.”

  “They let me go, so whatever you did, I’m free,” she said.

  Dannika sobbed. “Thank you.”

  A round of applause sounded through the café. It was an unusual turn of circumstances. “Did they say why?” I asked through the noise.

  “Sorry?” she pressed herself over the counter.

  I stepped closer. “Did they say why?”

  “All I know is, this is a blessing from above,” she said, tipping her chin.

  “Can I ask what they had on you?”

  Rhonda sighed. “A bunch of letters at his house,” she said, shaking her head. “They were from a while ago, he once owned the allotments and was going to close it.” A giant sigh heaved from her chest. “I wasn’t in a good place back then. I had written some things I should’ve kept quiet about.”

  Dannika squeezed her mother tighter. “It’s okay.”

  “How long ago?” I asked.

  “Last year,” she said.

  “Oh.” I wasn’t aware he’d owned the land. I glanced around at all the faces smiling looking at me, I hoped they didn’t account Rhonda getting out of the station to me. I did nothing. “What will happen to it now?”

  “I’m going home before that woman comes snooping,” she said. “I think I’m going to avoid going to the service tonight as well, Dannika was telling me how she was harassed.”

  None of it made much sense at all. “Did they tell you anything else?” I asked. “If someone killed Nigel, then they’re still around.”

  Rhonda grinned. “Plenty of people had reasons for that,” she said. “I wasn’t the only one who’d sent him letters. They even asked if I was working with someone.”

  “If I knew where he lived, I’d go there myself and see,” Dannika said.

  That was a thought. To visit his home, see if there was anything the police hadn’t found. They wouldn’t have stumbled upon anything magic, and if it was, I could be the one to uncover it. “He kept his house secret?” But I was a witch, and secret hideaways didn’t stay secret for long. “How did you send him letters?”

  “A post office box,” she said.

  Dot approached the counter, wrapping her knuckles on the metal once. “Got the magic touch,” she said. “Got Rhonda off the hook.”

  “I didn’t, but—” I began, pausing mid-sentence to smile and take the compliment. “I never want to see innocent people go down for a crime they didn’t commit.”

  “Thank you again,” Rhonda said, outstretching her hand to mine. “I really appreciate it.”

  Her touch was cold, but there was warmth behind it. She had anger in her, but there was nothing I could feel which would call her to murder.

  “We should go,” Dannika said. “I’ll make dinner.”

  I missed making Sunday dinners, there was no use making one for myself. It was a tradition I’d had with my son, but I knew the other witches didn’t; they had their own rituals to bring in the new week.

  Rhonda and Dannika left the café to the whispers of Ethel and Margery. Dot pulled my attention to her once again, smiling.

  “It’s a shame,” she said.

  I sucked in a sharp breath as I centre myself. “And so young too,” I added, although he was only my age. I’m sure if my son was here, he wouldn’t have said anything about him being so young.

  “I mean, all the money he had,” she said, with a slight chuckle. “I heard all his living family hated him, so I’m sure he left that to charity.”

  “He doesn’t have any family, I thought. Or, just an aunt.”

  “Well, I mean, they hated him,” she said, her top lip curling slightly. “Whatever it is, I think it’s a waste.” She wandered back to her table.

  “She’s a bit coo-coo,” Abi said.

  Ralph laughed. “I didn’t want to say while she was here,” he added. “She’s going to start a petition to see who won the best bake.”

  “I’ve already asked about that,” I said. “I think once everything has calmed a little, Michael and Olivia might reveal the winner, but right now, we should be looking for the person who did this. What if they strike again?”

  “You think so?” Abi asked. She clasped her lips and scrunched her face. “I don’t want to think about that.” She hunched her shoulders and shuddered.

  “Well, I’m not saying this is a serial killer,” I replied, “but I think we’d all benefit from some vigilance.”

  “Yeah, well I’ll walk you home later,” Ralph said, nodding to Abi.

  I smiled at them. “We’ll be closing early anyway for the service later.”

  They nodded, both resuming their jobs.

  I paused in the doorway of the baking studio. “Ladies,” I said, scrunching my eyes in focus. “Meeting at the café.” My skin pimpled from the connection as it popped my inner ear. I received their acknowledgements, tingling in my arms.

  “Who’s that?”

  I sighed into a seat at the metal table. “Rhonda’s free.”

  She jumped across the kitchen toward me. “How is she?”

  “She’s gone now.” I picked a hair net from the side. “I’ve called the coven over, I have a plan to find out what the police know.”

  “Oh, tell me.” She picked a seat and sat beside me. “Tell me.” She whacked my arm playfully.

  I told Rosie my plan before the witches arrived half an hour later. I knew Rhonda was free, but in my gut, something told me to find out what was happening.

  “Ladies,” I said, walking into the backroom with a small platter of cakes. “Rhonda is free.”

  “Thank heavens,” my mother said from her seat, fanning her face. “Now we can put this whole thing to rest.”

  “No,” I said, looking at them. Air swelled in my chest while I placed the tray on the table and the four women looked back at me. “We need to cast a small spell to find out where Nigel lived,” I said.

  “You can do it on your own dear,” my mother replied. She stood and folded her arms “If that was everything, then I’ll—”

  “You want someone to go with you, don’t you?” Allegra said, tssking her teeth. “The police will be all over that place.”

  “I can’t,” Tana said, raising a hand. “Not with everything going on.”

  Of course. “Eva?”

  She shook her head. “I wish I could help,” she said. “But Rhonda’s free, what are we actually going to look for?” She turned something over in her hand, her eyes fixed on it. “I found this on the floor of the café.” She handed it over.

  “Anything they missed,” I said. “Something the police might’ve missed. What if this is related to the whole reason Nora’s here for.” I turned the coin in my hand, it was gold, but it was smooth on both sides. “What is it? I hope people haven’t been trying to pay with fake pound coins.”

  My mother dusted a finger across the bridge of her nose. “She can deal with it, she’s a strong enough woman.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  Tana nodded. “I wish I could get excited over this, like you,” she said, “but I can’t.”

  The women agreed with each other, and soon I was left to my own devices in the backroom. I had a map of the village laid out on the table and a scrying crystal at the end of a small silver chain.

  Rosie had knocked before entering. “They’ve all gone?” she asked.

  “Apparently, I’m in way over my head with this one,” I replied. “I understand, it’s none of my business, but I can’t help feeling like there’s more than we don’t know.”

 

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