Moonlight Murder: An Inept Witches Mystery (8 page)

Emily watched Ingrid leave the salon and turned toward Gabe.
“
Speaking of stabbing people in the throat and setting them on fire, I would like to do that to you,
”
Emily said, getting up in his face.

“
You buried the body?
”

“
We were in the woods, we tried to do magic, it was dark. We were drunk. We
’
re idiots. Like you said.
”

“
Yes,
”
Gabe said.
“
Shit.
”

“
But you said that.
”
Emily said.
“
Just so you know. Probably the worst thing you could have said to Ingrid.
”

“
You buried a body,
”
Gabe whispered back, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one heard.
“
You buried a body. After covering it with your own DNA.
”

“
We also searched his car.
”
She pulled at the condom wrapper in the baggie they
’
d put it in and said,
“
So there
’
s that.
”

“
Are you trying to force me to arrest you?
”

Her voice was eerily calm as she said,
“
You know we didn
’
t kill him. You know both of us better than that.
”

“
All of the evidence points to you,
”
he growled.

“
Except the motive,
”
Emily replied.
“
Learned about those last time. I had a big fat motive for Dickhead. But neither of us have a motive for Sheldon. He was an irritating bug and that is all. His life plan was to steal Ingrid from you to get at her money. Wow,
”
she said sarcastically,
“
that sounds like a motive to me.
”

Gabe paused, closed his eyes, and said,
“
That
’
s on the phone?
”

“
Probably. I only read a few of the texts.
”

“
Why didn
’
t she tell me about them?
”

“
Probably because she
’
s a big girl.
”

“
Shit,
”
Gabe said.
“
Shit, shit, shit.
”

“
You should probably decide how much you want her in your life,
”
Emily said with a sigh.
“
I
’
m going to tell you this right now. She likes you. Dare I say, likes you, likes you.
”

“
Emily, we
’
ve been sleeping together for months. I think I
’
ve figured that out by now.
”

“
Don
’
t avoid the issues. So while you
’
re solving this crime double-quick, you should remember that your partner
’
s wife was sleeping with Sheldon. Your partner has easy access to a gun and a far bigger killer instinct than Ingrid. Oh, and Maria has a motive. And probably anyone else that he was screwing over. Knowing Autumn
’
s skanky ways, you can add her to the list. And if you think you
’
ll be able to actually arrest me or Ingrid, you
’
ve got another thing coming.
”

“
Did you just threaten me?
’

Emily rolled her eyes.
“
My aunt is the leader of the coven here. She knows we didn
’
t do it. And she knows you know we didn
’
t do it. The reality is every bit of the evidence for us can be easily destroyed, and you
’
ll be left with an unsolved crime.
”

“
I will arrest you.
”
He paused for a long minute before he said,
“
Both of you. If I have to.
”

“
I suggest you just solve the crime for real.
”

Gabe actually growled at her. She grinned and saluted and went to find Ingrid, wondering if Gabe had caught the little wounded sound she made and how much weight they were going to gain while Ingrid got over Sheriff Hotpants.

“
Why do you even like her?
”
Emily asked, turning back.

“
She makes me happy,
”
he said.
“
And I know where I stand with her.
”

“
Oh my gosh, did you drink the coffee in the orange thermos?
”
His shining eyes and flushed cheeks said he had. Emily winced before she said,
“
We did not truth serum you on purpose.
”

“
I am going to kill you,
”
he said carefully as he realized he
’
d been working as a cop while also being incapable of lying or even evading the truth.

“
Do you love her?
”
Emily asked.

He didn
’
t answer.

Was that an answer? Emily wasn
’
t sure, but even if it was, she wasn
’
t going to tell Ingrid he wouldn
’
t say it.

This felt all too much like Harrison, and that made Emily want to knee Gabe hard in the nads.

Ingrid was not crying when Emily got to the car, but her cheeks were very red and her eyes were very bright.

“
Seattle?
”
Emily asked.
“
Shopping? Maybe a new car? I hate the Camaro. Something yellow.
”

“
I want yellow Mary Janes, too,
”
Ingrid said without looking at Emily.
“
To match the new car. And possibly something very, very sheer and lacy.
”

“
You have a nice rack,
”
Emily said.
“
You should show it off. The boat leaves in ten minutes. We can make it.
”

Chapter 4

A Storm Unleashed

Wednesday Morning

Emily and Ingrid stood on the deck of the ferry that plowed through the waters of the Juan de Fuca Straight, returning them to Sage Island after a weekend of shopping in Seattle. A long weekend. They
’
d left town on Saturday without their phones and now it was Wednesday morning. They
’
d dock in a few minutes and not a moment too soon. Emily watched her friend out of the corner of her eye and wondered how she was going to fix this. If she could fix it at all.

They
’
d had some great moments in Seattle shopping downtown, hitting a coffee shop after every store for another hit of some magical fall-flavored coffee. Ingrid had insisted they act like tourists and visit the Seattle Underground and watch the fish being tossed about at Pike
’
s Place market. They
’
d had a luxurious dinner atop the Space Needle and enjoyed magnificent views. But Ingrid
’
s smile never reached her eyes.

If Gabe would have been anywhere in the vicinity, Emily would have chucked him off the observation deck. Then she and Ingrid would have had a lovely dinner. If Ingrid was going to be miserable at the hands of this idiotic small town sheriff who didn
’
t know an innocent person when she slapped him upside the head, well then they may as well have the satisfaction of murdering the fortune-hunting bastard.

Now that they were minutes from the island, minutes from a possible encounter with Gabe, Emily wasn
’
t sure what emotion was primary in Ingrid
’
s mind. Anger? Hurt? Sadness? It was like watching a version of that cartoon feelings movie Disney had put out. Ingrid had dragged her to see
Inside Out
when they were in the city this weekend, and by the end Ingrid was a hot mess of emotional chaos.

“
That was so great,
”
Ingrid had sniffed through her tears.
“
I love Joy. She is just happy all the time.
”
The angst in her voice turned into sarcasm on a dime. Ingrid
’
s emotions were all over the damn place.
“
She probably isn
’
t dating a complete moron. If she was, she
’
d be the sadness dove. Sad and miserable all the time. But me, I feel like anger right now. That red dove that is so pissed all the time. I just want to beat Gabe to death with my bare hands. No magic necessary.
”

Emily had just listened as Ingrid voiced the maelstrom of emotions that had been circulating through her body since Gabe had been such a phenomenal jackass at the nail salon.

What a moron.

As if Ingrid would not have done a better job of destroying evidence
—
if it mattered for real, they could be masterminds of the baddest of badass crime cover-ups. Gabe was mean. And nasty. And rude. And he said mean things that made Ingrid sad. And Emily enjoyed thinking about the way she
’
d pay him back for screwing with her friend.

The island was within sight now.
“
Ingrid, I gotta pee. I
’
ll be right back.
”

Ingrid barely blinked, nodded slightly, but didn
’
t take her eyes off the ocean.

Emily passed through the dining area of the boat and was nearly to the bathroom when she saw a poster she
’
d missed earlier.

“
Wanted In Connection with a Murder on Sage Island: Ingrid Pickford and Emily Brown
”

Son of a Bitch. He really was a grade A super jerk.

She forgot the need to pee. Ingrid needed to see this. Maybe a little more anger to pull her out of the funk she
’
d been in for the entire boat ride was just the thing.

Emily returned to the deck and grabbed Ingrid by the arm.
“
Come with me. You have got to see this.
”

Emily watched Ingrid digest the Wanted poster. Her jaw dropped, she looked at Emily, and then back to the poster.

“
No, he did not.
”

There was a long pause. Emily couldn
’
t wait to see what Ingrid
’
s reaction was going to be once this information had sunk in.

Finally, Ingrid turned to look at Emily. Her eyes burned with fury and her cheeks were flushed. A cold, evil smile spread across Ingrid
’
s face, not reaching her eyes.

Yep, it was on.

“
I
’
m gonna need you to go ahead and drive me to the police station when we arrive on the island, Em. I
’
ve got a sheriff to handle.
”

Then Ingrid was silent.

She didn't speak again while they disembarked or as they walked to the car. Ingrid didn
’
t so much as cough in the car on the way to the police station. Emily was thrilled to see Ingrid channel her anger into violence. It was, after all, the very best way to bury unwanted emotions.

Give him hell, Ingrid, Emily thought to herself and didn
’
t work to suppress her smile.

Gabe was gonna get it.

•••

Emily followed the thundercloud that was Ingrid through the halls of the police station. As soon as Ingrid was done with Gabe/super-jerk, she was going to cause him physical pain. Ingrid would crush his heart and his soul, Emily would break his body. All the things she
’
d wanted to do to Owen before he so rudely died, she would do to Gabe.

Gabe and Kevin rounded the corner and Ingrid froze. For a second. Then she lifted her chin and walked straight toward Gabe.

“
Sheriff, I understand that I am wanted by the police. How can I be of service, you stupid piece of rude, evil, badge-holding jerk dove?
”