A Charming Hex (Magical Cures Mystery Series Book 9) (12 page)

“Are you ready?” the soft-spoken voice asked from the other side of the curtains.

I laid on the table with my head facing down in the doughnut with my body wrapped up like a burrito.

“I’m ready,” I confirmed.

My eyes darted back and forth when I heard the shuffling of feet come into the room.

“We only use the Indian practice of
Ayurveda. It is one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems. It was developed thousands of years ago in India.” The woman told me something I already knew.
I let her continue to tell me all about it and how it was going to rejuvenate my body along with the cleansing spa. “But you know all about that, right June?”

“Patience?” Her old woman, thick-soled white shoes came into focus as she let the hot oil treatment drip over my body from the urn that was used in Ayurveda treatments. “You are also the massage therapist?”

“I’m doing it all.” She sighed. “Sister said that Oscar was asking all sorts of questions when you were at the breakfast buffet.”

“Does Constance know that you and I are working together?” I asked, already knowing her answer by her stalling. I jumped up. I’d gathered the extra material in my fist and held it close to my chest. “You mean to tell me that you really were sent here just to make sure I didn’t get myself in trouble and you and I are investigating on our own?”

“It sounded like a lot of fun when you assumed that this morning,” she muttered uneasily and took a step back, her hands dripping with oil. “I want to help. I never get to do anything but roll in dead bodies, and roll them out. Sister always gets to have all the fun.”

I bit the corner of my lips and thought for a second. Oscar wouldn’t approve and I probably shouldn’t involve her. But there were plenty of times I’d gotten my nose into something I shouldn’t have.

“Fine.” I got off the table and got nose-to-nose with her. “If you breathe a word of this to your sister or anyone else, like Oscar, then we are done. Through.”

“Okay.” Her eyes filled with excitement. She bounced on the balls of her feet. “What do I need to do?”

“Well, it seems that Patrick has been keeping a secret love affair with Violet all these years.” I knew what I was about to say was a big assumption, but I had to start somewhere. “I heard them talking with my own ears. I heard Patrick tell her that he loved her.”

“Really?” She rubbed her hands together before she put her finger in the air and walked back and forth in front of the curtains that were blowing in the sea’s breeze. “You think that Mr. Victor killed Patrick because Patrick wronged his daughter.”

I pondered what she’d said for a minute or two while she continued to walk around the room. The wind caused the curtain to fly over Patience’s head. What she was suggesting was a good thought. I never even thought that Mr. Victor might be upset with Patrick for breaking Violet’s heart.

I knew I could talk to Violet in a girly way and get some answers. But Mr. Victor was altogether a different nut to crack. He was definitely someone to look into.

“Pweft, pweft.” Her lips flapped.

“Well, no.” Incomplete thoughts swirled through my head. “I wasn’t thinking Mr. Victor had anything to do with it. But I guess we can look at him.”

“You are thinking Violet killed him because he showed up here with Juliette. And all this time since Patrick’s last visit, Violet thought he was thinking of her like she was of him. When in reality he was home meeting Juliette, falling in love, and had picked someone else.” Her voice trailed off. There was a distant look in her eye.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine.” She snapped back out of her head. She shuffled over. “Just wondered what sister was doing.”

“Are you going to be able to focus enough to help me?”

“Um. . no. . .I mean yes.” Her fingers fiddled before she used them to push her glasses back up on her nose. She shook her head. “Yes.”

“Okay.” In the excitement, I had almost forgotten that I was working with Patience Karima of all the spiritualists to work with. “All I need you to do is get me the keys to Mr. Victor’s office.”

“How do I do that?” she asked.

“I thought you said that he thinks you are here as the maid service according to the Elders.” I waved my hand in the air, circling it at the wrist.

She looked confused.

“You and Constance were sent here to help keep me safe by the Order of Elders, right.” I said between gritted teeth.

“Oh yes. That.” She nodded and smiled. “Keep June out of trouble. Yes.”

“Just try to get me a key to somewhere he goes. Office. His room. Anywhere.” At this point I knew that she wasn’t going to be as big of a help to me as I had wanted, but I had to work with the hand I was dealt. In this case. . .Patience Karima was going to have to be my sidekick.

“Good evening, June,” Mr. Victor stood at the entrance of our villa. Still in his white suit. His voice made my skin crawl now that I had him on my short list of suspects in the murder of Patrick.

In my head, I had spent the afternoon looking out into the ocean and putting together a very valid reason for him to have killed Patrick. Everything came back around to him being upset with Patrick for breaking his daughter’s heart.

“Your chariot awaits you.” He peeled back the curtains.

There was a twilight carriage and white horse just like I would imagine Cinderella having, waiting for me with one handsome Oscar Park inside. Dressed in a white suit just like Mr. Victor’s.

“Thank you.” I ran my hand down my black hair and continued down to the black spaghetti-strapped dress I had picked out for our romantic dinner.

I grabbed my bag and clutched it in one hand while Mr. Victor offered to help me up with my other hand.

“No thank you.” I politely left out
you murderer
.

“June,” Oscar scolded me like I was a little girl.

“I want you to help me.” I made up for my lack of manners.

“Very good.” Mr. Victor laughed. “Your groom may help you.”

Oscar got out of the carriage and gently helped me up.

“Have a wonderful evening.” Mr. Victor waved to us as the horse took off on its own slow and steady pace.

“No driver?” I asked and looked back over my shoulder at Mr. Victor. He was still waving and smiling. There was no man on this Earth as happy as he was pretending to be. He wasn’t even that happy.

Murderer.

“No. Just me and you. The horse knows where to go.” Oscar gathered me into his arms and held me snugly. “This is exactly what I need.” A sigh escaped his lips.

I looked up into his big blue eyes. The same eyes that were relaxed yesterday before this whole mess happened were now back to the same eyes that had left Whispering Falls. Filled with worry. Fear. Anxiety.

I parted my lips and raised myself to meet his kiss. Memories of our wedding night were pure and clear as if it had just happened. As his kiss deepened, the passion rose up in me like the hottest fire, clouding my brain of anything I really wanted to tell him.

I closed my eyes and let myself get lost in his kiss before I leaned into him and settled in for the ride to the Loop. His broad chest heaved up and down with each breath he took. And each release was longer than the last as the stress melted from his body. So many times I had watched him after his long days at work decompress and become the Oscar I had married. The man of my dreams.

The horse climbed the island terrain. The path was big enough for the carriage and the sides dropped off like a cliff. The lights from the beach grew smaller and smaller as the horse pulled the carriage higher and higher.

The moon was out but the stars had yet to dot the black midnight sky for miles. Oscar’s arms were warm around me as the salty breeze nipped at my bare arms.

When the horse stopped, Gene was waiting with a cheese platter, vegetable tray, fruit plate, and a bottle of wine with two glasses sitting on a blanket with lit tiki-torches overlooking the sea.

“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Park.” Gene bowed down in respect. “The sun will be setting within the next twenty minutes. After that we will be here to pick you up in a couple of hours. You are welcome to do whatever it is you like. No one can see you or hear you unless you call from the phone.” He blushed when he looked at us.

Oscar had a big grin on his face. I knew what he wanted to do, but I wanted to talk to him about Mr. Victor and why I thought he should be looked at as the killer along with Violet.

“We will be back in a few hours to pick you up,” Gene said after Oscar helped me out of the carriage.

 Gene got in the carriage and he and the horse moseyed back the way we’d come up, leaving us to do whatever it was our hearts desired.

“What on Earth are we going to do with all of this?” Oscar spread his arms out wide in front of us. It was the most spectacular view. The light blue water looked peaceful, not like the churning the night before as it gulped up the life of Patrick. “Especially when the sun sets.” He pulled me close, giving me a never-to-forget kiss that made my toes curl.

We sat down on the blanket. Oscar handed me a glass of wine.

“To us.” The glasses clinked and we both took a sip. Even with everything going on, I was blissfully happy. I felt fully alive when I was with Oscar.

“To us,” I repeated, taking another sip.

“There you are,” the exasperated voice called from behind us. “It took us forever to get up here.”

Patience Karima had sweat dripping down her face. Her housecoat was unzipped to the top of her bosoms. Mr. Prince Charming trailed alongside her with his tail dancing in the air. I swear he had a grin on his face.

“Shoooweee.” She stuck her hand in her bra and pulled out a tissue. She wiped her face and then fanned herself with it. She offered it to Mr. Prince Charming. “You need a dab.”

Mr. Prince Charming batted it away.

“I’m telling you.” She plopped down next to Oscar and grabbed one of the vines of grapes. She huffed and puffed, “It took me a minute, but I did it.”

She plucked a big round grape off the vine and threw it in her mouth.

She stuck her hand in her bra again and pulled out a key. She held it up.

“Got it.” She grabbed the wine glass out of Oscar’s hand. “You don’t mind do you? I’m thirsty.” She tipped the glass all the way up in the air and let the liquid fill her mouth.
Pweft, pweft
. Wine shot out of her mouth like a fountain and all over Oscar’s face. “That’s not grape juice.” Her nose curled in disgust.

Oscar’s brow pulled into an affronted frown and he jumped up. He didn’t look back at us before he started to stalk toward the path.

“Before you go and get mad,” I scurried toward an angry Oscar. “Hear me out.”

He stopped and turned.

His mouth shifted open, he closed his eyes and slowly shook his head back and forth.

“I’m not so sure Violet killed Patrick.” I talked fast in order to save what little marriage I suddenly had.

“Don’t you think I already know that? Tell me something I don’t know.” His head shaking got faster. He ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t believe this.”

“Patrick’s family has been coming here for years. He and Violet were lovers. I would bet anything on it.” It was not confirmed, but there had to be more than just a friendship.

“What does that mean?” Oscar seemed to be interested now.

“I’m just saying, let me talk to Violet and see what her real history is with Patrick.” I shrugged. “I can give her some girl time that I’m sure she craves since she never gets any and I’m sure I can pull the history of Patrick out of her.”

I put my hand on his arm.

“The evidence is the evidence.” He thrust away from me. Disappointment sat on his face. I’d broken the promise and he knew it. “Do you think Mr. Victor would plant his daughter’s own hair under Patrick’s fingernails if he loved her so much?”

“Well,” It was something I hadn’t thought of. “No. But. . .” I snapped. “But Juliette would.”

“Now you have lost your mind. And she isn’t helping.” He pointed to Patience. “I’m going to get in contact with the Order of Elders and see if you can go home while I stay here until Patrick’s murder is solved.” His eyes stabbed me. “The old-fashioned police way. And the key?” Oscar looked over at Patience. “What is that?”

“I asked her to get me the key to Mr. Victor’s living quarters or office so I could take a little look around.” I knew Oscar would never go for it.
It’s not going to hurt me looking around. Me and you are a team, in or out of Whispering Falls,
I thought.

I pointed to him and before I knew what I was doing, lightning shot from the tip of my finger and my thoughts became a reality. I jerked my finger back and curled it in my palm. I’d completely forgotten about that darn finger spell.

“I know we are a team and yes, you can look around. Just don’t get hurt,” he was agreeable.

Patience’s mouth dropped. Her eyes darted between me and my finger. I curled it in my palm and put my hand behind my back.

Oscar sat on the blanket and grabbed cheese and a cracker before pouring him some more wine.