The Silent Banshee (A Brimstone Witch Mystery Book 5) Read online

  Chapter 17

  We spent the next hour talking to the three residents who were on Fiona’s list.

  We found the first one, a gremlin called Dhuk, tinkering with a piece of complicated machinery in the side garden. Bits of coiled metal and springs were dotted around his little feet and he was whistling happily as he pulled a cog out from the metal object in front of him.

  I explained why we were there and asked him how his relatives felt out Dana’s announcement about his death.

  Dhuk gave us a gappy-toothed smile. “They think it’s wonderful.” He waved his hand at the piece of machinery in front of him. “I collect this sort of stuff all the time. I love taking things apart! Ha! I don’t even know what this is. I found it in the cellar. I hope it’s nothing important.” He held the cog up. “Isn’t this a fascinating piece? Look at the shape of it.”

  “It’s certainly interesting,” I said. “Why do your family think it’s wonderful news about your death?”

  “I’ve got bits of valuable equipment stored in my house. Things I’ve taken apart and put back together so they work. Now that my family knows I haven’t got long left, they can start to get rid of it and sell it. They can sell my house too. I don’t need it anymore. Shall I tell you about my funeral? It’s going to be the best gremlin funeral ever.” He looked at the cog again. “This would be perfect for the outside of my coffin.”

  I’d long got past the stage of feeling awkward talking about funerals and death, so I said, “I would love to hear about your plans.”

  Dhuk gave us another grin. “I’m building a mechanical coffin on wheels. I’ll be inside, dead of course, and it’ll move around the room where my friends and relatives are. A member of staff will be in charge of its movements using a remote control. I’ve put a sensor in the lid of the coffin, and as soon as someone says my name or touches the coffin, the lid is going to spring open and I’ll sit up! Isn’t that ingenious? I’ve already tested it out on some of the others in here. You should have heard how some of them screamed! I hope I get that many screams at my funeral. You are more than welcome to come to it. I should be saying my last goodbye next Wednesday. The funeral’s booked for Friday afternoon. We’re having cheese and pickle sandwiches.”

  “Thank you for the invitation. I got your name from Fiona Fairfax. I believe she’s organising your funeral.”

  “She is. I wouldn’t use anyone else. Fiona understands my needs and special requirements. She’s going to make some of the food into the shape of springs, cogs and wheels. And there’s going to be a treasure hunt! I’ve got one last item that I’m going to take apart before I die. It’s my most valuable piece. Whoever finds all the pieces and puts it together gets to keep it or sell it. Fiona is going to be in charge of the treasure hunt and make sure no one cheats.” His smile dropped a little. “I wish I could be here to see it. And I wish Dana was going to be there. We’d become friends since she told me I was dying. She loved listening to my plans.”

  I nodded. “Can I ask you another question? Do you know if Dana had any enemies?”

  Dhuk’s little face wrinkled as he frowned. “Enemies? Why would she have any enemies? She provided a wonderful service here and we were all grateful to her. My family included.”

  We left Dhuk to his tinkering and located the next resident on Fiona’s list: a frost fairy called Ellena.

  Ellena was fluttering in the air next to a water feature at the other side of the garden. She was dressed in a blue dress and had long, white hair which had specks of glitter in it. She was no bigger than my hand. I explained who we were and why we were there. Again, I asked how her relatives felt about Dana Murphy.

  Ellena gave us a big smile and clasped her tiny hands together. “We’re so happy that Dana told me my time was coming up. She explained who was waiting for me on the other side of the bridge. I can’t wait to be reunited with them.”

  “The other side of the bridge?” I asked.

  “Yes. That’s what happens when we frost fairies die. There’s a magical bridge for us to cross. Our relatives meet us and then we decide which bridge we’ll take for the next part of our journey. We can go to the garden of rest, or we can choose to come back as another creature.” She gave us a wink. “I’ve already come back many times as other creatures so I think I’m going to spend some time in the garden of rest with my relatives.”

  “That sounds relaxing. What is your funeral going to be like, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I don’t mind at all. It’s going to be amazing. I’ve asked a weather witch to make it snow for a day in this area of the garden. I’ve organised sleigh rides for my guests and iced cocktails for them to enjoy. There will be a snowfairy building competition and organised snowball fights. Later on, there will be huge barrels of hot chocolate mixed with vodka for everyone. The weather witch is also adding a clear sky on the evening so that the stars can shine down on my guests. It’s going to be magical. Why don’t you come along?”

  I said, “It does sound wonderful. I didn’t know there were weather witches around here.”

  Ellena gave me a wise look. “You haven’t had the chance to mix with other witches yet. You’ve been too busy with all the murders going on. We talk about it often here at the home. We don’t know what’s going on in Brimstone anymore! And now poor Dana has been murdered. Who would do such a terrible thing to her? She wasn’t causing any harm to anyone.”

  I nodded. “That’s what I’m hearing all the time. Are there any members of your family who had a grudge against her? Or perhaps one of your friends?”

  Ellena shook her head. “No. We’re all feeling her loss greatly. When it’s time for my funeral, I’m going to let off some fireworks in her honour. I do hope you find out who hurt her.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Even though I knew the answer, I asked. “Who’s organising your funeral?”

  “Fiona Fairfax. She’s been wonderful. She has many contacts and it was her idea to contact that weather witch. It is going to cost a bit more for the witch’s spells, but it will be worth it.”

  We said goodbye to Ellena and made our way towards the final resident on the list.

  Flirbiss was a garden gnome and we found him chatting to Astrid’s grandad in the caterpillar garden. I called him over to the side gate and asked if we could have a chat. I kept a careful eye on the crawling caterpillars in case any of them made a break for it on Stanley’s head.

  Flirbiss stepped out from the garden and walked with us along the path. I put forth my questions about Dana and his relatives’ feelings towards her.

  Flirbiss laughed. “My relatives are glad to see the back of me! One of them made Dana an apple pie to thank her for the good news. The residents here cheered when they heard the news. I’ve been hanging around this place like a rotten tomato for years! I’m a miserable old so-and-so.”

  I glanced down at the smiling gnome. “You don’t sound it.”

  “Oh, I’m not like that anymore. I’ve been suffering from aches and pains for years. And I’ve let everyone know about it. But as soon as Dana told me I was off to the great garden beyond, all my aches and pains disappeared. It was like a heavy weight had been lifted right off my body. I can’t wait for my last day. Dana told me my eldest brother is waiting for me on the other side of the garden wall. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do!”

  “Is Fiona Fairfax organising your funeral?”

  “She is. She’s been great about getting everything ready. There’s going to be no expense spared. All my relatives and friends have chipped in to make sure I have the best send-off possible. They can’t wait to see the back of me! I don’t blame them. I can’t wait to be off.”

  I nodded slowly. “Right. I see. What sort of funeral are you having?”

  “It’s going to be a garden party with huge tents, bunting everywhere, rides for the little ones, picnic tables heaving with food. There’s going to be a lot of singing and dancing. Fiona’s hired a weather witch to make sure the weather i
s perfect. Why don’t you come to it? It’s going to be a wild party!”

  We talked with Flirbiss a bit more and then headed back to the caterpillar garden. We didn’t enter as I was wary about those sneaky caterpillars.

  Bert came over to us with a big smile on his face. “Hello again. It’s Cassia, isn’t it? And Stanley. Is Astrid here?”

  “No, she’s busy with something else.”

  Bert chuckled. “She’s no doubt causing mischief somewhere. She’s a devious one, she is. Just like her mother. Once she sets her heart on something, she won’t stop until she gets it.” He wagged a bent finger at us. “Watch your step with Astrid! Don’t ever get on the wrong side of her.” He looked upwards. “Have you seen Bert today? I thought I saw him in the sky earlier. Have you seen him?”

  “Bert?” I asked. “You’re the only one I know called Bert.”

  Bert shot me an annoyed look. “Flying Bert! Not me. I can’t fly! Where’s Astrid? I haven’t seen her for weeks and weeks. She’ll know where Bert is.” The annoyance dropped from his face and he gave us a blank look. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

  “I –”

  Bert sighed heavily. “I’m tired. I’m going to lie down. Let yourselves out.”

  He shuffled away without another word.

  Stanley said, “Poor old fella. It must be awful to keep forgetting things.”

  “I know.” I looked down at Stanley. “Well, what do you think about the residents we’ve spoken to? Do you think they were telling us the truth?”

  Stanley nodded. “I do. I don’t think any of them or anyone they know had a grudge against Dana. What are we going to do now?”

  “I suppose we should leave here and think about our next move.”

  We turned away from the caterpillar garden but didn’t get very far because someone wanted a word with us.

  Chapter 18

  I’d seen so many different beings in the last few hours that it took me a moment to place the sad-faced creature in front of me.

  He must have picked up on my confusion because he said, “I’m Mitchell Gnubles. We met earlier inside. My father, Ralf, died recently and I said I’d show you the photos taken at his funeral.”

  “Oh! Yes. Of course. I remember you.”

  Mitchell cast a sorrowful look at us. “I’m not surprised you don’t remember me. I haven’t been myself since Dad passed away.” A flicker of joy came into his face. “Dad would have loved his funeral. Everything went according to his plans. Would you like to see the photos?” He held up a wad of photos. “I took a lot of them. I’d like you to see Dad’s coffin.”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Still, I’d seen more than enough coffins today and they no longer saddened me.

  Mitchell directed us to a secluded corner where there were a variety of benches in different sizes. Mitchell perched himself on a small bench and Stanley and I sat on a bigger one at his side. Mitchell laid some photos out on the bench’s surface and proceeded to tell us the names of his many relatives. He had a lot. Stanley and I listened politely.

  My politeness vanished when I saw Ralf’s coffin. “Is that a Jack-In-The-Box? And is that your deceased father popping out?”

  Mitchell gave us a small smile. “It is. Dad loved playing tricks on people. That was his trade. He owned joke shops.” Mitchell’s smile grew. “He had the last laugh at his funeral. It’s exactly what he wanted. You should have seen the look on my Uncle Sal’s face when Dad popped up from this box! He dropped his beer. Do you like the coffin? One of Dad’s friends helped to make it; a gremlin called Dhuk.”

  “We spoke to Dhuk a short while ago.” I looked closer at the photos. “Could I look at that one, please?” I pointed to the image that had caught my attention. Mitchell handed it over.

  I showed it to Stanley at my side. “Look at these two. There’s Fiona Fairfax, and look who’s scowling at her.”

  Stanley said, “Her brother, Fabrice. If looks could kill, Fiona would be sharing a coffin with one of her clients. Are there any more photos showing them together?”

  Mitchell sorted through the photos and handed the relevant ones to us.

  There were some of Fabrice glowering at Fiona as she moved amongst the guests. There was also one of Fiona standing next to a woman and chatting. They were wearing silly hats with huge flowers on them. The woman had a bemused expression on her face.

  I pointed the woman out to Mitchell and said, “Is that Dana?”

  He nodded slowly.

  I sighed. I’d only seen Dana in her deceased condition. I moved onto the next photo. “Stanley! Look at this one. Fabrice is talking to someone in a red hood!”

  “The mysterious hooded figure,” Stanley said.

  I showed the photo to Mitchell. “Do you know who this is?”

  Mitchell frowned. “No. I’ve never seen them before. You can’t see their face on that photo. Let me have a look through the other photos.” He shuffled through his photographs and managed to locate another one with the hooded figure in it. He handed it over. “This one’s a bit better, but I still don’t know who it is.”

  I looked at the image. The hooded figure had turned their head slightly and I could see a nose. It wasn’t much to go on, but it was something. Keeping my eyes on the photo, I said, “Can I keep these for a while?”

  There was no answer. I looked over at Mitchell to see tears running down his face. I immediately put the photos to one side and shuffled closer to him.

  “Are you okay? Do you need a tissue?” I asked. “I’ve got some emergency chocolate in my bag. You can have it.”

  Mitchell sniffed and wiped his tears away. “I’m fine, thank you. I miss Dad. He was a great character. Everyone loved him. He had an amazing laugh. It was so infectious. Whenever I had any worries, Dad would tell me a joke and then burst into laughter. My worries would disappear. I don’t know how I’m going to manage without him.” He looked at the photos. “I’m so grateful for the time we had left together. I’m glad Dana told us how long Dad had left. Our last weeks together were precious.” He looked up from the photos. “Have you found out who killed Dana yet?”

  “I haven’t. I’m still working on it. May I borrow these photos, please?” I held up the ones with the hooded figure on and those with Fiona on.

  “Of course. Do you want to look at the rest of my photos now? I haven’t got to the food yet. Dad arranged more pranks with the food.” His look was so eager that I said yes.

  Stanley and I listened as Mitchell went through each photo. He seemed brighter by the time we got to the last one. He pushed himself off the bench and said he needed to go.

  Before he left, I asked him if Dana had any enemies.

  “No. Why would she?” Mitchell replied. He looked towards the retirement home. “I’ve heard some of the residents talking about her today. They’re worried about who is going to tell them they’re dying now. The manager said he had someone in mind for that.”

  “The manager? Do you mean Cody Yinran?”

  Mitchell nodded. “He said he’d been in contact with a talented psychic who could offer his services. He didn’t say who the psychic was.”

  I shared a look with Stanley and said, “Another mention of a psychic. That’s interesting. Let’s go and have a word with Cody.”

  We said goodbye to Mitchell and headed into the main building. There was no one behind the reception desk. We checked right behind it to see if Cody was playing hide and seek again. He wasn’t.

  I looked along the desk for a piece of paper so I could leave Cody a message. There were many photos of Cody and his family placed around the desk. He had as many relatives as Mitchell.

  I found a notepad and scribbled a brief message to say I needed to speak to Cody urgently.

  Stanley said, “What are we going to do now?”

  I held Mitchell’s photos up. “I know it’s a long shot, but Gran might recognise the hooded figure from that bit of nose poking out. She might know about this psychic wh
o keeps popping up too. Let’s go home.”

  Chapter 19

  Gran wasn’t alone when we went back to her house. As we walked up the cellar steps, I heard her talking to someone. I recognised the other person’s voice; it was Blythe’s. I didn’t like to eavesdrop, but something they said made me hesitate on the steps and listen to their conversation.

  Gran said, “When we go there, we’ll have to be prepared. You weren’t prepared last time and look what happened to you; you almost died.”

  Blythe replied, “I know. But I was furious with them and I acted without thinking. Esther, you’ve acted that way more than once so you can take that accusing tone out of your voice.”

  Gran tutted. “That’s as maybe. But when we go there, we’ll be fully prepared. Even if that means going into battle. And, it goes without saying, that we keep this between ourselves.”

  I burst into the kitchen and demanded, “What are you talking about? Where are you going? And what’s this about going into battle?” I put my hands on my hips and stared at the conniving pair.

  Gran gave me a cool look from her sitting position at the kitchen table. Blythe was in the rocking chair with Oliver, Stanley’s brother, curled up asleep in her lap. Blythe gave me a warm smile in greeting.

  “Well?” I said. “I heard you talking as I came up the steps. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing’s going on,” Gran said casually. “I was telling Blythe about the bingo nights I go to. She said she might come with me next time. I told her she’d need to be prepared. People at bingo turn into monsters whenever there’s a huge jackpot to be won.” She looked me over. “Are you going to stand there looking furious or are you going to join us for a cup of tea? You can tell us about your latest murder investigation.”

  She smiled so sweetly that she almost had me fooled. I could sense they were up to something, and it didn’t involve a game of bingo. I’d get the truth out of them somehow.