Midsummer Night's Mayhem (15 page)

A small chorus of witches wearing long black robes sang a soothing song. Witches and wizards held their wands with the tips illuminated, creating a haunting stillness. Through the crowd Clover saw Bradley Adams chatting with Hildie Treetorn under the awning of The Brewery Tavern. Though it seemed pointless now, Clover still wanted to find out why he hated the labyrinth so much. Unfortunately the direct approach wasn’t going to work. Who in the world of witchy gossip could she ask?

Clover glanced at Pepper, catching her eye. “What’s that look for?” Pepper asked as she adjusted her glasses.

“What do you know about Bradley Adams and the labyrinth?”

“Why are you asking me?” The glowing tip of her wand cast a shadow over her face.

“Because you’ve got your finger on the pulse of the witching community. You know things no one else does.” Clover wiggled her eyebrows.

“Are you calling me a gossip?” Pepper’s voice rose with mock astonishment.

“Maybe I am. Would you deny it if I did?”

“No, not one bit. It’s a bad habit, but I can’t help myself. I’m addicted to other witches’ business.”

“Do you know anything about Bradley?” Clover asked with a hot flush to her cheeks. He was extremely cute, not to mention that a single wizard with broad shoulders was really hard to find in the Meadowlands. Having a crush on a murder suspect was a new low and no way was she telling Vivi or Pepper.

Pepper’s lips curled up into a grin. “Not much personally. He’s single. Moved out to the Meadowlands to start his own brewery. He seems like a nice wizard. Is there anything specific about him you want to know that might help me narrow down the details?”

“I was talking to him the other day at the tavern and he mentioned he wanted the labyrinth shut down. He seemed to really hate it. I was wondering why.”

“Not sure, but I know a witch who knows his sister, Noelle. All I know about her is that she hates gardens, plants, and anything growing wild and natural.”

Strange
, Clover thought.

“I hope Noelle doesn’t live in the Meadowlands. It’s kind of hard to avoid wildlife out there,” Vivi said, strolling up beside them.

“Nope. She lives in Stargazer City. Let’s go find my friend. She’s sure to have the scoop.”

It didn’t take long for them to find Pepper’s friend, Crystal Crown, reporter for
Witch World Daily
. The witch got paid handsomely to snoop around and dig up dirt. Clover grabbed Pepper’s arm before they reached their destination.

“Are you kidding me? We can’t talk to her.”

“Why not? And she’s watching us, so play it cool.”

“She’s like a weasel when it comes to news and gossip, and in case you’ve forgotten I’ve got things to hide,” Clover said through gritted teeth.

“Big things to hide,” Vivi added. “I’ve never trusted her. She tried to do a story on us a few years back.
The Mayhem Sisters: Trouble in their wake. Is there truth to the rumors?
Can you believe it? We said no, but she sends us notes every year, trying to get us to chat with her.”

Pepper stopped and turned to Clover. “Where do you two think the best dirt comes from? It comes from witches who aren’t afraid or ashamed of getting a little dirty. Now do you want to know or not?”

Clover twisted up her lips. “Yes, of course. Let’s just keep it low-key. I don’t want her getting suspicious.”

“I’ll make our digging seem harmless. Don’t worry. Follow me.”

Crystal’s smile was a mile wide of red lipstick and bright white teeth. It was both kind and ferocious in one swipe. “Well, well. To what do I owe the pleasure?” She was sitting at a black wrought-iron table and chair outside of Have Your Cake Tea Shop, sipping a cup of tea. A thick black book—her infamous journal—and a thin bone-white wand rested on the table. The witch was known for buying and selling secrets and that book contained them all.

Pepper took the lead. “I was telling the girls you were the witch to come to when they needed the lowdown on a wizard.”

“Really? Well, you’re right about that.” Crystal eyed Clover and Vivi up and down. “Have a seat. What can I help you ladies with?” She waved at the waitress, who placed three cups in front of them. Crystal poured the tea from the pot already on the table. “Ask away. I’ve got a few minutes before the show begins. I mean, vigil. Poor Oliver. Tragedy, really.”

“Are you covering the story for
Witch World Daily
?” Vivi asked.

“Yes and no. I’m doing a puff piece on him for the paper, but there’s more to this story than meets the eye. I can always tell. The police are keeping their mouths shut. That’s what you get with a tight-lipped sheriff’s department. No one wants to talk off the record.” Her nails were painted inky black and sharp as daggers.

“They’re smart that way,” Vivi said and Clover elbowed her. “I mean, they’re a professional group.”

Pepper cleared her throat. “We were actually hoping you might have some details about a wizard, Bradley Adams. Clover’s thinking of making a move and wants to know if there is anything to worry about.”

Clover choked on her tea. “What?” She was not—okay, maybe a little—but Pepper didn’t know that. Was this her idea of making the probe seem harmless? “Right. Just want to make sure,” she said, going along with the ruse.

“Of course. You’re probably a little nervous, seeing as you don’t date much.” The toothy smile reappeared. Crystal’s bangs were heavy and covered her eyebrows like she was peering under a hedge. Clover wondered how she could even see.

“She dates enough,” Vivi said coming to her sister’s defense.

But unless Clover counted the wizard librarian she dated many months ago, she had to admit Crystal was right. But this wasn’t about her dating. It was about motive.

“I want to make sure he’s a good wizard. I’ve been burned in the past by guys I thought I knew, but didn’t,” Clover said.

“What exactly do you want to know?”

“What’s the deal with his sister?” Clover asked, getting right to the point.

“Oh, her. Odd duck that one, lives in the city. Her
persuasion
is magical force fields. She works for a security firm. Interesting that you ask.” Crystal narrowed her gaze at Clover. “Years ago Noelle, had a bad run in with Oliver Yearling at his annual labyrinth crawl. Her
persuasion
and his illusions didn’t match up. She got hurt pretty badly by one of his spells.”

“Hurt? How?” Clover asked.

“Burned, I think. Maybe a little backfire, too. I’m not a hundred percent on those details, so don’t quote me. All I know is that she was in the healer’s ward for a while, wrapped in bandages for miles.”

“Sounds serious,” Pepper said. “Was she okay?”

“Eventually. I see her sometimes in the city. It took months to heal the scars.”

Now Clover knew why Bradley was so angry. “I always thought the labyrinth was safe. Why didn’t anyone hear about this? There were never any reports in the paper,” Clover said.

“From what I remember it was a busy news cycle and the story ended up getting killed. Not sure why exactly. I was covering bigger stories than the labyrinth back then.” Crystal arched her perfectly plucked brow. “Is it a coincidence that you’re interested in her now?”

Clover felt herself start to sweat, perhaps drinking tea on a summer night wasn’t a good idea, either that or Crystal’s stare was getting to her. “Anything else I should know about Bradley?”

Crystal opened her black book of secrets, peered inside, and whispered a few spells, causing the pages to flip. “Nothing major. He has a bit of a temper, very defensive of his sister, but that could be a good thing. He’s protective. Good business. Never been arrested. He’s not on any of my wizards of interest list.”

“Thanks for your help,” Pepper said.

“Got any good dirt on Oliver Yearling and who killed him?” Clover’s heart jumped at her own brazenness. Tonight she was feeling bold as brass.

“Why do you think I’m here? This story is hot.” Crystal eyed Clover. “Would you like to make a statement? Give me a quote for my article. Word is that the whole thing might be an accident. Is that true?”

“I guess since you helped me, it’s only fair.” Clover thought about what she should say.

“Tell me the truth,” Crystal said. “What do you really think about Oliver’s death? Was it suicide or something more devious?” The newsy witch was practically salivating.

Might as well start telling the truth. “It was no accident or suicide. My opinion is that Oliver Yearling was murdered in cold blood at my solstice party,” Clover said.

Crystal glowed. “That’s what I’m looking for.” The pages of the black book fluttered and ink magically flowed from Crystal’s bony wand. Emboldened she said, “I’ve been dying to write about you sisters for years. Maybe one day you’ll let me tell your story.” She smiled, coyly.

“Maybe,” Vivi said.

Fat chance
, Clover thought but she really needed to get some of that red lipstick.

They excused themselves and joined the vigil. Vivi stopped her. “Do you really believe what you just said?” Vivi asked. “And if so, why tell Crystal? The less you tell her, the better. Unless you want your face on the morning paper.”

“The more I think about it, the more I think that Oliver was murdered. Maybe I need to start telling the truth and stop hiding.” Tomorrow her life was going to change in ways she wasn’t going to even try and imagine.

The vigil was about to begin. The sheriff, Juniper, and Wizard Rutherford were standing by Austin’s side. A few other witches and wizards surrounded them, probably distant relatives. A somber mood washed over the group. Oliver’s death wasn’t a juicy story; it was real and it had heartbreaking consequences.

And, as Clover was about to find out, consequences always came calling.

16

S
urprisingly, not even the impending doom of the warrant being served had kept Clover’s weary eyes opened. She’d slept like the dead. She chalked it up to the exhaustion of the past few days as she slid out of bed, wrapped herself in a silk robe, and went down to the kitchen. Good night’s rest or not, it was a coffee morning. She waved her wand, which she’d miraculously left on the kitchen table, over the copper kettle to get the coffee brewing. Since the appearance of the specter, she’d been a little jumpy. Fighting feelings of paranoia, Clover cast a basic surveillance spell over the house, checking for any unusual magical entities, but found nothing.

She checked her back porch and found her weekly delivery—a pint of milk, a dozen fresh eggs, and a raspberry swirl pastry with cream cheese made fresh by the local Dairy Maids, mother-daughter witches who had a way with cows, not to mention cream and sugar. The fresh door-to-door dairy delivery was one of the reasons she loved living out in the Meadowlands. If she was going to get served, she might as well make breakfast for everyone. Clover might not be the best cook, but she could certainly handle scrambled eggs and a fruit salad with the pastry and coffee. That was as good as it was going to get.

Once she’d prepared breakfast and drunk a cup of coffee, Clover went upstairs to take a shower and get dressed. While getting ready, she sensed something was different about her house, but she waved it off as nerves. She washed her hair and used a quick drying spell on her curly locks, which she let hang loose around her shoulders. She slipped into an embroidered tank top, flowing skirt, and a pair of sandals before heading back downstairs.

She didn’t have to wait long before Juniper, the sheriff, and Vivi arrived. They all filed into the kitchen and Clover poured cups of coffee, her hands noticeably shaking. Vivi took a cup and stationed herself at the big farm table.

“We really shouldn’t,” Sheriff Gardner said, his gaze lingering over the food. “This is a business call, not a social one. You know why we’re here.”

“I do, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a cup of coffee,” Clover said, handing the sheriff a plate. “We’re going to have a lot to talk about once the warrant’s been served.” She held her chin high. Time to face the inevitable.

Lance took the plate but set it on the table, his interest focused elsewhere. He grabbed her hand and inspected the bright white rune marks Tabitha had magically inscribed onto Clover’s skin. “This is new,” he said. “Earth magic, I’m guessing.”

She pulled her hand away, protectively balling up her fist. She’d completely forgotten about the runes. “Yes. It’s for protection.”

“Against?” He arched a brow.

“Poison,” she said, her voice suddenly scratchy. Her palms began to sweat.

“I see. That’s convenient. Let’s get on with why we’re here. Juniper.” He nodded to her and his young assistant tapped the warrant in her palm. It was a rolled up piece of parchment tied with a blue silk ribbon and sealed with a blob of hardened blue wax. Juniper tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and set the warrant on the table.

Clover shifted forward to watch the proceedings.

Juniper pulled her wand from her belt and tapped the wax seal while whispering the activation spell. The wax cracked loudly and the parchment unrolled. A cloud of blue smoke hovered above the paper and an official sounding voice spoke, “By the powers vested in the Witch Council this warrant allows a full search and seizure of any evidence deemed worthy by the Willow Realm Police Department at the residence located at 5 Larkspur Lane, Meadowlands.”

The smoke dissipated and Juniper handed Clover the document to inspect. There wasn’t much to it, but the statement and a couple of official-looking signatures.
This is it,
she thought. “Would you like me to tell you what’s inside and save you the trip?” Clover asked.

“It’s too late for that now. We’ll take a look for ourselves,” Lance said.

Clover returned the parchment to the table. “You two might as well go on up then. I’ll be right behind you.”

“No, please stay in the kitchen. We’ll take it from here,” Juniper said.

Clover’s pulse raced. It was all happening so quickly she didn’t know what to do or say, as if she really had any options. She let out a deep sigh and sat with her sister while Juniper and Lance ascended the staircase. She drummed her fingers on the table, causing Vivi to reach out and grab her hand.

“You’ll be fine. Honora and I will be right beside you no matter what happens. Think of this as a positive. You’ll finally get the credit you deserve for your writing. You’ll be famous.” Vivi smiled. “I’ll have a best-selling author for a sister, and I can finally tell everyone and commence with the bragging that I’ve been dying to do.”

She widened her eyes in mock horror at her sister’s enthusiasm. “You’re right. It’s time to come out of the closet, literally. Anonymity and privacy are overrated,” Clover said a little sarcastically, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Who needs them?”

“Not you.” Vivi grabbed the plate with the pastry and cut off two big pieces, handing one to Clover and taking the other for herself. “We might as well eat some of this delicious raspberry awesomeness while we wait,” she said and stuffed a big bite into her mouth.

Their breakfast was suddenly interrupted when an alarm shrieked from above, filling the house. Clover and Vivi raced up the stairs to the third-floor turret.

Lance’s face was pinched in anger. Juniper knelt down by the closet, inspecting the vast emptiness. Clover’s mouth fell open. The closet was completely bare, the spell broken, the contents removed, all right from under her nose.

The sheriff paced the room, anger building in his tense muscles. “Clover, I warned you. I went out of my way to help you, to give you a chance to clear your name.” His face was flushed, his jaw clenched. “I told you that if you tampered with the spell or the closet in any way there would be consequences.”

Clover raced to the closet and stepped inside, but there was no trace of her alter ego; her supplies, parchments, and books were all gone. Shock laced with panic shot through her whole body, practically knocking her off her feet. “I swear I didn’t do anything. I don’t know who broke the spell. You have to believe me.”

“Who cast it?” Juniper asked, getting to her feet. She waved her wand, and the blaring alarm spell went silent. All concealment and locking spells were a series of combinations and were tough to crack. Law enforcement had a sophisticated spellbook of counter spells to unlock and deactivate them, which was why they let Clover stay downstairs. The concealment spell was complicated, nothing they couldn’t handle, but only a trained witch or wizard could have broken it.

“I did. I cast it, and I’m the only one who could have uncast it without setting off your alarm. But I didn’t do this. I never touched the closet.” Her mind raced. She spun in a circle, scanning the room for any signs of a disturbance. Someone had broken into her house
again
.

“Clover’s been cooperating fully with you. She wouldn’t have done this and then let you catch her,” Vivi said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Lance speared Clover with his gaze. “You’re telling me someone deactivated the spell, removed the contents of the closet, and reactivated it without you knowing.”

“Yes, because that’s what happened!” Clover snapped, anger and frustration flared in her voice.

Juniper tucked her wand into her belt and addressed her boss. “I believe she didn’t know anything about this, but that’s not good enough.” She turned to Clover, hands on hips. “We need answers, now.”

Thoughts collided in Clover’s head as she tried to figure out what could have possibly happened. “What about the black magic? Could the same witch or wizard who threatened me have done this, too?” she asked, grasping for an explanation.

“It’s possible, but unlikely. Why threaten you and then protect you?” Lance crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s more likely that someone kept your secret for you.”

“The question is who wanted to protect you?” Juniper asked.

“Where’s Derek?” Lance barked. He ran his hands over his face. “I should have known better.”

“I’m right here. I’ve come to surrender.” Derek appeared in the doorway, wearing a button-down shirt and jeans, his backpack thrown over his shoulder as if he were preparing to go on a trip or, in his case, a trip to the station.

“Derek!” Clover gasped, heart sinking. “Why did you do this? We had it all settled.”

“No, it wasn’t settled. You only agreed because you had to. They gave you no choice. But I couldn’t let that happen. I won’t let them force you to do anything that you aren’t ready to do on your own.” His brow creased, his face filled with a mix of defiance and sadness.

Clover’s skin flashed hot. She couldn’t help but feel responsible—her pride, stubbornness, and secrets had affected him, too.

“Care to come clean?” Lance asked, his jaw tensing. “You couldn’t have done this alone. The spellbreaking skills are advanced.” He glared at him skeptically.

“He’s more than he appears,” Juniper said, her eyes gleaming as she used her
persuasion
to
read
Derek. “It’s my fault. I should have had more security watching him. I shouldn’t have trusted him, and now the evidence is gone.” She spoke as if she knew more about Derek than anyone in the room, and Clover had a feeling that the insightful witch just might. Derek’s gaze fell to the floor.

Lance’s shoulders slumped. “We both got duped. We let our emotions and relationships hurt the case.”

“What are you two talking about?” Vivi asked.

“Derek, what does Juniper mean?” Clover asked.

“I’m a spell breaker,” Derek said, lifting his chest and shoulders. “That’s my true
persuasion
. I can crack, break, bend, or pretty much dissolve most spells, without any trace that leads back to me.” A faint blush rose in his cheeks as he admitted his own deep secret. “That’s how I broke the concealment spell and moved the contents of the closet without your knowing.”

“You never told me,” Clover said, with a mix of sadness that he hadn’t trusted her enough to confide in her and pride in his seriously strong
persuasion
. He was a private wizard, and she understood his need to keep quiet; if his magic were public knowledge, then law enforcement, major companies, and even the Witch Council would have recruited him. Spellbreaking was a coveted
persuasion
. “Why now?”

“I’ve kept it a secret since my parents died. I didn’t want to think about anything from my previous life. The memories are too painful and my magic couldn’t save them, so I wanted nothing to do with it. But I’ll do anything to keep my new life and the witches in it safe. I did this for you. Don’t let them force your hand. We can keep things like always.” His eyes were imploring.

“As much as I appreciate it, you can’t sacrifice yourself for me. This isn’t your choice to make,” Clover said, realizing what she had to do. “I’m telling the sheriff everything. They need to know it has nothing to do with the real crime.”

“No, you aren’t. Not after all I’ve sacrificed. You can’t,” Derek begged. He grabbed the doorframe, lurching toward her. “It’s too late. I’ve already broken the law.”

Juniper moved swiftly to his side, pulled a silver ring from her belt loop, and bound his hands with a spell. “Derek Goodman, you’re under arrest for tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice.”

“Take him to the station and lock him up,” Lance said, his face stern, his expression unflinching.

Clover grabbed Lance’s arm before he could leave. “You need to understand. Derek didn’t do this for the reasons you think. It has nothing to do with Oliver Yearling. We aren’t hiding evidence in the case. He did this to protect me.” Her heart was beating so fast she half- expected it to burst out of her chest.

“Clover, no!” Derek yelled as Juniper pushed him out of the room and toward the stairs. “Please don’t tell them. I did this for you, for us. So things could stay the same. Don’t ruin it. I’ll be fine.” His voice trailed off.

“I’ll come to the station as soon as I can,” Clover yelled to him as Juniper led him down the stairs.

“What happens now?” Vivi asked before Lance could leave the room.

“Derek gets booked. Clover becomes a prime suspect in Oliver Yearling’s murder. If privacy was something you wanted, then you can kiss that goodbye. You’ve lost my trust, Clover.” Lance shook his head and barged out of the room, leaving the sisters alone.

“How could this have happened?” Clover collapsed into an armchair. She held her hands in her face. “I should have seen this coming. He’s so protective of me and of the life and work we’ve built. The loss of his parents devastated him. He’s built a whole new life out here in the Meadowlands. I can’t believe he would risk it all to hide my writing.”

“It sounds like he did this to protect that world and his new life. He cares about you a lot, enough to sacrifice himself and show everyone his real magical talents.” Vivi paced the floor. “That was a shocker.”

Clover slumped back in her chair, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. “Derek’s a spell breaker. Can you believe it?”

Spellbreaking took more than natural-born talent. It also took a dedicated study and ability to retain spells and counter spells. Spell breakers were magically gifted. She’d always known her young assistant was whip smart, but his laid-back attitude only helped conceal his true talents.

“Hiding
persuasions
seems to run in our family and inner circle,” Vivi said, glancing out the window.

Waves of conflicting emotions washed over Clover. “I’m furious at him for getting himself in trouble for me and at the same time I’m proud and honored he would do this to keep my secret.”

“He exposed his secret to save yours.” Vivi sat on the arm of Clover’s chair.

“I can’t let him go to jail.” Clover jerked up, her gut clenched at the predicament. “But he begged me not to say anything.”

“Confessing is your best bet. Tell Lance and Juniper who you are and what you’re hiding. I know it’s going to be hard, but maybe it’s time. Derek will be angry with you, but he’ll get over it.” Vivi crossed her arms over her chest, stance firm.

“Will he?” Clover wasn’t so sure. She held her face in her hands for a second. “Logically, that’s what I should do, but Derek sacrificed his freedom for me and my confessing won’t get him entirely out of trouble. He broke the spell and hid the closet’s contents. The sheriff will make him pay for hiding evidence. My confessing to being Cassandra Reason won’t get him off the hook, even if Lance believes me now, which I seriously doubt.”

“He was pretty angry. What are you going to do now?”

Clover rose to her feet, decision made. “The one thing I’ve been trying to do: find Oliver Yearling’s killer once and for all. Maybe then Lance will ease up on Derek and me when the contents of the closet are no longer evidence.”