brimstone witch 09 - witch is dead Read online

  I crouched next to Tobias. “Do you know anything about those products he was going on about?”

  “I don’t. Henrietta would never have worked with him. Never. She wasn’t that kind of witch.”

  “He might have forced her to work for him,” I persisted. “Where did she keep the products she made?”

  “There’s a small stockroom at the side of the kitchen. Gethin’s already been in it and had a good look around. He said his items weren’t in there. He claims Henrietta must have hidden them somewhere else. He went into every room and searched everywhere. He’s made a mess upstairs. I think he stole some of Henrietta’s belongings while he was there.”

  I looked around the room. “Let’s assume that Henrietta did make something for him. Where would she keep it? Are there any hidden rooms or false walls in this house?”

  “Not that I know of,” Tobias replied.

  I straightened up. “I’ll perform a revealing spell on the walls and see if anything appears.”

  “Okay, but I don’t think you’ll find anything,” Tobias said. “Henrietta told me everything when it came to her work. We were very close.”

  I had my doubts about Henrietta telling Tobias everything, but I kept those thoughts to myself.

  I took a slow walk around the room and ran my hands over the walls hoping to find something which didn’t feel right. I didn’t find anything, so I performed the revealing spell. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

  I moved to the next room. And the next. Still nothing.

  We checked every room in that house, even the bathroom.

  My revealing spell revealed not a single thing.

  We returned to the living room and I flopped onto the armchair near the window.

  Stanley said, “Perhaps Henrietta cast an anti-reveal spell on her hidden room, if she had one.”

  I nodded. “If that’s true, it means we’ll never find it.” I placed my hands on the arms of the chair and considered my next move. A tingling feeling ran through my hands. I thought for a moment creepy-crawlies were saying hello to me. I gave my hands a puzzled look. There were no insects there but the tingling feeling persisted. What was going on here? The feeling intensified as I gripped the armchair more firmly.

  I smiled and got to my feet. I performed the revealing spell on the armchair. The back of it dropped open and narrowly missed landing on Stanley.

  Stanley exclaimed, “Cassia! Look at this!”

  I looked at the open back of the chair and wasn’t entirely surprised to see rows of bottles lined up on upholstered shelves. A notebook was nestled in amongst the bottles. I reached for it.

  Tobias shook his head in disbelief. “The back of the chair? How? I don’t understand? Why would Henrietta put things in the back of the chair?”

  “Because no one would think to look there. I didn’t.” I flicked through the notebook. “Tobias, there’s a list of vampire names here, along with names of products. Gethin’s name comes up many times.” I lowered the book. “He was right about Henrietta working for him.”

  Tobias continued to shake his head. “No, he can’t be. He must have planted these here.”

  “Why would he do that? It seems he was telling the truth,” I said. “Tobias, I’m sorry you had to find out about this. Perhaps Henrietta was trying to protect you.”

  Tobias looked down at the carpet. “Why didn’t she tell me? I wouldn’t have told anyone. I thought she trusted me.” He looked back at me with hurt in his little eyes. “What else was she keeping from me?”

  “I don’t know.” I held the notebook up. “I don’t know what these potions do, but I suspect they’ve got something to do with Gethin’s reign of terror. My gran has got many spell books in her apartment in Brimstone. I need to go through them and see if these potions are listed. I’m taking these bottles with me. I don’t want Gethin to get his hands on them. And, Tobias, I’m taking you too.”

  “I can’t leave Henrietta’s house. This is my home,” Tobias argued.

  Stanley said gently, “It’s not safe here. Gethin could come back at any moment.”

  I said to Tobias, “This notebook might hold clues as to who killed Henrietta. If it was the vampires, I can arrest them and get them out of your life. Stanley’s right about you not being safe here. I can’t force you to come with us. It’s your decision.”

  Tobias looked at the open back of the chair and said, “I’ll come with you.”

  Chapter 18

  I secured Henrietta’s house and placed a spell on the doors and windows to stop any intruders. I wasn’t sure if my magic would work in a town full of such devious residents, but it was the best I could do.

  Tobias sat in front of Stanley on the broomstick. Stanley insisted on it and said Tobias would get the best view that way.

  We flew upwards and out of the constant drizzle which covered Dingy Skipper.

  Tobias blinked and said, “Why is the sky so blue? Is it supposed to be that colour?”

  Stanley replied, “It is. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Don’t stare at the sun, Tobias, you’ll damage your eyes. We’ll arrive at Brimstone soon. I know you’ve been there before, but you didn’t get the full tour last time.”

  Tobias continued to stare in amazement at the blue sky as we flew away from Dingy Skipper. Before too long, we were flying over green fields and forests.

  After a while, Stanley pointed to something below us and said, “That’s Brimstone town centre. Do you recognise it now? Can you see the gazebo? Look at the picnic tables and benches. You can spend many happy hours down there just watching the world go by. We could have a picnic later.”

  Tobias shook his head in disbelief. “I was too upset to appreciate the beauty of this town earlier. It’s so open and bright. Creatures are talking to each other and smiling. No one is arguing or shouting. I’ve never seen a town like this before. It’s amazing.”

  Tobias was even more amazed when we took him to Gran’s apartment. Stanley gave him a quick tour and then led him over to the large windows which looked out over the town.

  Stanley explained, “We can see out, but the creatures out there can’t see us. Cassia and I stare at residents for hours sometimes. We have a good old nosy at them.”

  Tobias let out a little chuckle. I realised it was the first time I’d heard him laughing.

  I opened the fridge and called over to the cats, “Are you hungry? Gilda has put some food in the fridge for you both. I don’t know how she knew you were coming here, Tobias, but she did. She’s put a plate in the fridge which has your name on it.”

  “Really? Who is Gilda? Is she a witch too?” Tobias padded over to the fridge.

  Stanley said, “We don’t know what kind of a creature she is. She owns the café downstairs and she makes the most amazing food. She must have magical abilities of some sort. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  Tobias said, “I am a bit hungry. I haven’t eaten all day.” He moved his head closer to the fridge’s contents. “What do you think Gilda made for me?”

  “Let’s have a look.” I pulled the plate out and took the cover off. I lowered it so that Tobias could see. “It’s fish pie. Stanley loves this.”

  Stanley licked his lips. “I certainly do. Is there some pie for me too?”

  I brought a plate out for Stanley. “There is. I’ll put them by the window then you can stare out and eat at the same time.”

  “Thank you so much,” Tobias said with a slight wobble in his voice. “You’ve both been very kind to me.”

  “It’s nothing,” I said. I took the plates to the window and placed them on the carpet. I almost tripped over Stanley who was right behind me.

  “Sorry!” he said. “I’m just eager to get to my pie. Tuck in, Tobias.”

  I watched the cats for a moment as they ate their food. Stanley was more enthusiastic than Tobias and soon cleared his plate.

  While Tobias was finishing his pie, Stanley padded over to me and whispered, “What are we going to do abo
ut Tobias? We can’t let him go back to Henrietta’s house even when we’ve caught the murderer. Where will he live? Who will look after him?”

  I was touched by Stanley’s concern. “Let’s not worry about that for now. One thing at a time.” I glanced over at Tobias. “He’s cleared his plate. That’s a good thing. Oh, look. He’s yawning. He must still be tired.”

  “I could do with a nap myself. A full tummy always makes me sleepy.” Stanley went over to Tobias. “How about a catnap? I’ve got some big comfy cushions in Cassia’s bedroom. They’re a dream to sleep on.” He chuckled at his words.

  Tobias looked my way. “But won’t you need our help?”

  “Don’t worry about me,” I told him. “Gilda has made me a sandwich. I’m going to have a sit-down, eat my sandwich and collect my thoughts. I need to be on my own to do that. You two go and have a rest.”

  Tobias didn’t look sure. “You won’t go out investigating on your own, will you? I don’t want you to get into any danger. Those vampires could have followed us here.”

  Stanley answered for me, “Cassia can take care of herself. She knows hundreds of spells. Follow me.”

  The cats trotted into the bedroom.

  I collected my sandwich from the fridge and made a cup of tea. I took them over to the table by the window and looked out as I tucked into the sandwich. It was a chicken one with a lemon mayonnaise dressing. As always with Gilda’s food, it was delicious.

  I’d brought all the items from the back of Henrietta’s chair with me, along with her notebook and the one from Cordelia’s house. There must be something incriminating in them. Something which would enable me to lock those evil vampires up for a very long time.

  As I was finishing the last of my sandwich, I glanced out of the window and noticed Luca walking towards the apartment. I didn’t want him to disturb the sleeping cats, so I quickly finished my tea and then left the apartment. I opened the door at the bottom of the steps just as Luca was coming in. He yelped and took a step back.

  He patted his chest and said, “You scared the life out of me. It’s one shock after another today. I didn’t know you’d come back. I was going to leave a note for you.” He smiled. “I’m very pleased to see you. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. I’ve brought Tobias back with us. He’s asleep, and so is Stanley. Shall we have a walk around the square and I’ll get you up to date with everything?”

  He crooked his arm at me. “We shall.”

  I slipped my hand around his arm and proceeded to tell him what we’d discovered so far. A muscle twitched in his jaw as I got to the bit about Gethin turning up at Henrietta’s house.

  He said, “I’m going over there right now and I’m going to have a stern word with him.”

  “Don’t do that. I’m getting some evidence together. I’ll confront him when the time is right. I’m not happy about Cordelia leaving. She’s supposed to be in charge of the town. Will things get even worse in Dingy Skipper now? Will there be more murders?”

  “I hope not. Cassia, I spoke to Dr Morgan. She still doesn’t know what killed Henrietta and suspects any evidence disappeared with her enchantment spell. That makes me think the murderer knew about the enchantment spell and was counting on the evidence disappearing. Who knew about the enchantment?”

  “I’m not sure. Vera Gilligot knew about it.”

  Luca’s eyebrows rose. “Is Vera a suspect?”

  I considered the question. “I’d like to say no, but I’ve been fooled by murderers before. I don’t know what her motive would have been. But it’s something to take into account.”

  Luca continued, “I spoke to Blythe about Henrietta and she told me she’s got a younger sister. Henrietta visited her often. If she had any problems on her mind, she may have confided in her sister. I’ve got the sister’s address and could have a word with her, if that’s okay with you?”

  “That would be really helpful. Thank you.” We arrived back at my door. “I’m going to look through Gran’s spell books and see how those plants which Peanut collected could be used. Hopefully, that will lead me to another client of Henrietta’s. They might provide me with some useful information.”

  “Do you want me to help you with those books belonging to Cordelia or Henrietta?”

  “No, thanks. I like to write notes down as I go along and it’s better if I do that myself. Things jump out at me sometimes when I’m writing.” I placed my hand against his cheek. “You look tired. You’ve been attacked twice today. How are you feeling?”

  “Surprisingly well. It must be the effect of spending time with you.” He kissed the end of my nose.

  I gave him a playful push. “Cheeky. I’d better get back inside. If the cats have woken up, they’ll be wondering where I am. Let me know how you get on with Henrietta’s sister. And take care of yourself.”

  “You too.” He gave me a warm hug before walking away.

  The cats were still asleep when I went back inside. I had plenty of time to go through Gran’s spell books and to find any appropriate potions which used all three plants. There was only one: The Elixir Of Freedom. It had to be used with certain words to make it effective.

  I looked through Cordelia’s notes, and in particular, the names of the vampires who’d committed crimes.

  Ah. Now then, that made sense.

  Stanley came into the room followed by Tobias.

  “Hello there,” I said, “Did you have a good sleep?”

  “We did. I feel ready for action now,” Stanley said. “You’ve got a funny look on your face, Cassia.”

  “What kind of look?”

  “Excuse the pun, but you look like the cat who’s got the cream.” He jumped onto the chair at my side. “Have you found out who murdered Henrietta?”

  I smiled. “Not quite. But I have discovered something very interesting.” I patted the empty chair next to me. “Tobias, hop up here and I’ll show you what I’ve found.”

  The cats listened while I showed them my evidence.

  “Well I never!” Tobias exclaimed.

  Stanley said, “What are you going to do?”

  I looked towards the darkening sky. “It’s too late to go back to Dingy Skipper now. I’ll confront her first thing tomorrow.”

  Chapter 19

  I woke up the next morning to sounds of laughter coming from the living area. Upon inspection, I found Stanley and Tobias lying in front of the television watching cartoons. They were chuckling at the antics of Tom and Jerry. Stanley always rooted for Tom and jeered when Jerry appeared.

  I sat on the carpet next to the cats and said, “Good morning. How are you today?”

  Stanley nodded. “I’m fine, thank you.” He aimed his paw at the TV. “Have you seen what that sneaky mouse is up to this time? He’s a devious creature.”

  I looked over at Tobias. He said, “I had a lovely sleep. I had the weirdest dream about being covered in marshmallows and floating away like a cloud. I was going to tell Henrietta about it.” He looked down at the carpet. “I forgot she was dead.”

  “It’s going to take you a while to remember that,” I told him gently. “You can’t rush your grieving process. Would you like some breakfast?”

  Tobias looked back my way and gave me a small nod. “Yes, please.”

  I made breakfast for myself and the cats. They were engrossed in the antics of Tom and Jerry so I brought their breakfasts over to them. I took mine to the table and went through my notes again as I ate.

  Once breakfast was over and I was dressed and prepared for the day, I said to the cats, “I’m going to Dingy Skipper now, but I’m going alone.” I held my hand up to stop any protests. “Don’t argue with me. It’s for the best. I don’t want either of you to be attacked by Gethin. I’ve found out what the potions Henrietta made for him do to his victims and they’re truly awful. I won’t go into details as it’ll only upset your stomachs. He might have some of those potions at his house and I don’t want to take the chance of him using them on you. I�
��ve already cast more protective spells on myself just in case he tries anything on me.”

  Tobias got to his paws. “I can’t let you confront the vampires on your own.”

  “You don’t have a choice. I’ll be totally safe.” I gave him a confident smile to back up my words. “Stanley, why don’t you show Tobias around the town? You could call at the café and see if Gilda has any special treats for you.”

  Stanley said, “That’s an excellent idea. Tobias, I’ll show you everywhere. I’ll introduce you to some of my friends too. We’ll have a great time.”

  “It doesn’t seem fair,” Tobias tried to argue. “We should he helping Cassia.”

  I got to my knees in front of Tobias and said, “You’re helping me by staying here. You might even remember something important about Henrietta if you’re in a more relaxed state. Honestly, Tobias, I’m going to be fine. You have a good time with Stanley and I’ll be back here as soon as I can.”

  He gave me a small smile. “Okay. Please take good care of yourself.”

  “I will.”

  I said goodbye to the cats, collected my broomstick and left the apartment. It was a beautiful day in Brimstone and many of the residents gave me cheerful waves as I took to the skies. Things were totally different as I landed in Dingy Skipper a while later. The weather was grey and dismal with that ever-persistent drizzle, and the residents greeted me with scowls and suspicious looks.

  I headed straight over to the vampires’ house and knocked loudly on the door.

  The vampire who answered hissed at me and said, “What do you want?”

  I pushed the door open more, stepped into the house and declared, “I’m here to speak to Selena. Where is she?”

  The vampire hissed again and attempted to grab me. As soon as he did, a flash of light surrounded me. The vampire came into contact with the light and was immediately sent reeling backwards.

  I said to him, “That’s what you get for invading my personal space. Keep your hands to yourself in future.” I stopped talking and listened for voices. I heard laughter and jeers coming from the dining area. I headed that way and hoped they weren’t eating something too disgusting.