Sweet Tea & Spells (A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 3) Read online

  “Hey, Charli. The bride asked me to cater her wedding before I left. Since it’s so last minute, I recruited some help.” She pointed at Mr. Steve, who stirred some pots on the stove.

  “I guess the bride and groom found a way to involve all of Honeysuckle after all.” I carefully navigated my way through the cooking chaos and to the back door.

  At some point, the Hawthornes had added a temporary covered walkway from the house to the canopy. Soft music floated through the air, and Clarice stood at the entry to the tent, looking up at the house. When she spotted me, she scowled but waved at me, tapping her wrist to indicate it was time.

  I held Clementine’s train to keep it from getting dirty until we arrived in the bigger structure, trying not to drop my designated bouquet in the process. When we got to the entryway, I fanned it out behind her and took my place to walk in first.

  Someone pulled the white fabric aside to let me see in, and I gasped, spotting my grandmother standing at the front waiting for us. All of my nerves about the day evaporated, and I struggled to stop myself from running down the aisle to hug her.

  “What is she doing here?” murmured Clementine.

  I turned in excitement to celebrate Nana’s return and found the bride standing with her father, scowling. “Now your mother can enjoy your wedding the way she wanted to.”

  Suddenly aware of my presence again, my cousin shook off her concern. “Of course, you’re right.” She nodded her head for me to proceed.

  I waved at Uncle Percy, the kind and quiet ghost of a man, and made my way down the aisle. The slight murmur of surprise from the attendees made me self-conscious. Although I had come to terms with being my cousin’s maid of honor, they hadn’t expected me to attend the wedding of my ex at all. No doubt tongues would wag long and hard after the ceremony. My feet slowed, and I felt like I was walking through deep mud.

  My grandmother’s bright smile and twinkling eyes helped give me courage, but I needed more reassurance. Searching the sea of faces for a friendlier one, my eyes lit on Mason sitting toward the front row. He gazed at me like I was the only one in the room, his mouth open a little and his eyes watching me with admiration.

  I gripped the bouquet of flowers tighter and grinned just for him, finding it easier to walk to my designated place. It took a second for the fog of relief to clear to notice the rest of my friends sitting next to him, smiling up at me. I turned to face Nana, trying to convey my utter happiness at her presence. The music changed, and Clementine entered, becoming the focus of attention.

  With all eyes on my cousin, I took the opportunity to observe the groom’s side. Tucker watched his bride walking down the aisle with absolute devotion. His father stood behind him, acting as his best man. Hollis glanced my way with concern, but when I caught him, he turned his attention back to Clementine.

  Nana performed the handfasting ceremony with great authority. I did my best to focus on the back of my cousin’s head and ignore anyone watching me for my reactions instead of the couple.When Nana came to the part to spellbind them together, the couple turned their back on their guests to face my grandmother.

  Tucker’s eyes flashed to mine for a brief second, and I tried to read the emotions in them. I hoped he didn’t regret his decision to choose my cousin, and deep down made a wish that in the long run, he wasn’t really responsible for Duke’s death so that the two could live a happy life together. I felt the token in my left hand press against my bouquet while I held Clementine’s in my right.

  With the focus on the couple, I observed Hollis with more care. The dark circles under his eyes were almost black. His haggard face hardly conveyed any happiness for his son. The once proud man appeared fragile and close to breaking. His shoulders drooped in relief when Nana finished spellcasting the binding, bringing the ceremony to an end.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Hollis Tucker Hawthorne, the fourth,” my grandmother pronounced in a loud voice.

  Everyone in the tent applauded, and Tucker and Clementine held onto each other with pure joy. They kissed each other harder than I thought Aunt Nora would deem appropriate, but their immediate passion inspired my own whoop of enthusiasm.

  Nana held up her hands in the air. “And now, the wedding party will return to the house while the rest of you help to prepare this space for the reception.” She nodded at Mason, who acknowledged her directive.

  Clarice and Aunt Nora rushed to the front, and Tucker and Clementine turned to my grandmother in surprise.

  “That’s not the plan,” hissed my aunt.

  Nana didn’t back down. “It is now, and I would suggest y’all look like nothing’s wrong if you don’t want folks gawkin’ at you. Let’s go.”

  Clementine took her larger bouquet from me, her eyes no longer shining bright. She and her new husband did their best to smile and accept the congratulations of others while they made their way to the back of the tent followed close behind by their mothers.

  Tucker’s father stopped Nana. “Vivi, I don’t know what you think you’re doing—”

  “No, Hollis, you’re the one who started all this. It’s time to finish it.” My grandmother narrowed her eyes at the man and gestured for him to move forward. “After you.”

  Hollis’ eyes darted around the room, no doubt looking for a quick exit. The presence of Zeke and Mason alerted him to the futility of trying to escape. With hunched shoulders, he marched to the back entrance, the younger of the two wardens following him.

  “What’s goin’ on, Nana?” I asked my grandmother, allowing her to lead us out.

  “There are many moving parts to a larger game that is coming to its end here and now. Detective.” She touched Mason on the arm as she passed him.

  He put his arm around my shoulder, holding me close and looking like he really was my date. “Your grandmother showed up at the right time.”

  “She has a special knack for knowing when she’s needed. Although she has a lot of explaining to do,” I complained.

  Once we were outside of the tent, Mason slowed down. “Listen, I have an idea that might be really crazy but I think it will help in the long run. Your presence tends to upset everyone in the wedding party except your cousin.”

  “Actually, something’s gotten under her skin ever since she saw Nana was here. I think there’s more to today than she’s let on so far,” I said.

  Clementine’s surprise at my grandmother’s presence and the change in plans at the end of the ceremony could be chalked up to normal wedding day jitters and wanting things to be perfect. But I couldn’t shake the idea that maybe there was more hiding underneath her surface than a newfound ability to stand on her own two feet.

  We arrived at the back door to the kitchen, and Mason pulled me to the side and out of the way of a server. “I think you should take the lead when we get in there. Your prior involvement with the Hawthornes might be enough to throw them off balance.”

  “But I’m not sure which one is the guilty party. Is it Hollis? Tucker?” The only thing I had to go on was my gut instinct and the token.

  Mason placed both hands on my shoulders. “This isn’t your first time facing murder suspects. Talk it all through like you do, and I’ll bet you’ll figure it out. I’ll be there to jump in when I need to as will your grandmother. You can do this, Charli.”

  I nodded, not quite sure I believed him.

  He tipped my chin up to face him. “We can do this together.”

  The two of us avoided the commotion in the kitchen, and walked through to the parlor. Tucker and Clementine sat in the middle of the settee, holding onto each other. Clarice occupied a nearby chair as did my quiet uncle, but Aunt Nora paced in front of the newlyweds, scowling. Hollis stared out the window with his back to the rest. Shelby stood off to the side apart from the wedding group, her wide eyes watching everyone else.

  “Good, you’re here,” Nana said. “Now we can talk freely.”

  “I don’t feel so free. What’s this all about?�
� demanded Aunt Nora.

  Mason whispered in my grandmother’s ear, and she smiled. With a tip of her head, she gave me the floor.

  I cleared my throat with a cough. “It’s about murder, Aunt Nora.”

  She scoffed with dramatic emphasis. “Not this again. They arrested the one responsible for the chef’s death. That green-haired fairy.”

  “No, the wardens took in the person set up to look like they killed Duke.” I noticed Shelby wince when I mentioned his name. “A little planted evidence helped, but it wasn’t meant to be a permanent solution.” My words sounded more assured than I felt.

  “Since when did you become a member of the local wardens?” asked Clarice. “How are you involved?”

  I recalled seeing my name written in Duke’s book. Mason had warned me that someone in the room had given him my name and information about my talents as payment. All doubts and hesitation vanished with the sudden rush of anger.

  “Everything about this case has revolved around what Duke actually did for a living.” I tipped my head to Shelby. “He wasn’t a chef, he was a thief. One that stole precious information and used it to his benefit.”

  Tucker stiffened next to his new bride. She placed a protective arm around him and whispered something in his ear, causing him to relax a bit and lean on her for support.

  “So you’ve discovered a possible motive for why someone might kill him. Great. What does that have to do with any of us?” Clarice pushed.

  With careful eyes, I examined her face, looking for any ounce of deception. Her sincere annoyance and concern told me she had no idea how deep in trouble her son had been. Hollis glanced at his wife, but said nothing.

  “There were names written in this book that Duke used to extort people to gain what he wanted. Money. Power. More useful data. He had a formidable weapon in all the information he gathered to provide him the life he desired and to ruin the lives of others.” I took a step closer to the newlyweds, looking down on them. “You were trying to tell me how you were listed in there, weren’t you, Tucker?”

  Aunt Nora tried to block my way. “I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about with this book, but you should leave these two alone. I knew it would end in disaster if you were involved in the wedding.”

  “Let her talk, Leonora,” insisted Nana.

  My uncle got up and put his arms around my aunt, pulling her away. Her ignorance to Duke’s collection of information ruled her out from being the one who’d given him my name. It seemed that someone managed to keep the two mothers in the dark, but the sudden shadow of concern over my cousin’s face alerted me. Instead of reacting with stunned surprise, Clementine clung to her new husband with fearful protectiveness.

  “Tucker, I think you need to finally explain the whole truth. Tell me, what did Duke have on you?” I implored.

  The new groom looked up at me, fear and apprehension clouding his eyes. “I…I…”

  “Don’t say a word, Tucker,” interrupted his father. Hollis turned away from the window. “Unless you have concrete proof of connection between my son and the deceased, I suggest that you stop this harassment now. But you don’t, do you?”

  He didn’t ask the question if we had the evidence. The way he said it made it sound like he knew that the wardens didn’t have any proof.

  Mason spoke up. “It’s not so much what the book had in it but what specifically was taken out of it. What’s missing.”

  Hollis met the detective’s gaze with a slight grin. “Exactly.”

  Tired of the game, I loosened the fingers on my right-hand glove and yanked the delicate fabric off. “You want proof? Here.” Getting down on my knees in front of Tucker, I took his hand in mine.

  Voices around me erupted in protest, but I shut them out. The exhausted groom didn’t pull out of my grasp, and his eyes almost pleaded with me to get things over with.

  Gathering my energy, I cast a spell to focus my magic. “Something precious once was lost as payment at too high a cost. My theory and truth together bind, the rightful owner help me find.”

  Unpracticed, I concentrated the spell on the token still sitting in the palm of my left hand and waited for the thread of connection to form between Tucker and me. Nothing. I repeated the focusing spell again in a whisper, squeezing his hand in mine. No zing, no energy, and no connection to the token manifested.

  “What do you think you are doin’, missy?” Aunt Nora yanked my arm hard enough that I fell backwards.

  Ignoring her ranting voice, I squeezed Tucker’s hand and spoke in a low voice directed at him. “You’ve been trying to tell me all along. You were angry with Duke. He had something on you and kept using it as a weapon.”

  Clementine scooted forward, trying to listen in. Feeling bad for her, I kept my suspicions of what the dead man had on Tucker and pinpointed on the results of the blackmail.

  “You paid him off, but he wanted more, didn’t he?” I pressed.

  The new groom nodded. “He wouldn’t leave me be. Even threatened those near me.” He kissed the back of his bride’s hand. “It was my responsibility. I couldn’t let him hurt anyone else but me.”

  “You tried to play poker with him,” I led him. “You’re a good card player, or at least you are when you’re not stumbling drunk. And maybe you could have won enough hands to get him to back off if he weren’t a cheat and a liar. Someone who didn’t live up to the bargains he made.”

  Tucker lost his composure, and he crumpled in his seat. “He was never going to stop or leave me alone.”

  “So you followed him outside of Lucky’s and into the old diner.” I leaned closer. “You had to make him understand, didn’t you? And instead of agreeing to back off, he promised you more pain.”

  Tucker squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

  His lack of memory wasn’t enough to back me off. Not when I was pretty sure he had sold me out to Duke. “The two of you had already gotten physical that night. You needed to find a way to take care of him. Make sure he didn’t keep coming back again and again, demanding more from you.”

  Tucker opened his eyes wide, a wild desperation reflecting in them. “I paid him. He was supposed to back off. What was I supposed to do?”

  Grasping his arm, I yanked him to me, almost pulling him off the settee. “And what did you do when money wasn’t enough? Did you pay him with information?”

  Tucker gasped, realizing I knew his big betrayal. “I’m sorry, Charli. I am so sorry.” The tears fell and he sobbed hard. Clementine clasped him to her, letting him fall apart in her arms.

  “That’s enough,” insisted Hollis, moving closer to his son.

  Mason crouched down next to me. “You okay?”

  I didn’t have an immediate answer to his question. To think that my former fiancé may have used me to protect himself was one thing. To have it confirmed shook me to my core. Once upon a time, he was the one I had chosen to be with. Tucker’s treachery cut deeper than I expected, and it took me a moment to gather my wits.

  Letting his question go unanswered, Mason stood up and offered me his hand. I took it, rising and moving away so I didn’t have to look at the couple. It took several deep breaths and a few reassuring words from Nana for me to keep it together.

  Hollis attempted to comfort his son, but Tucker shrugged off his touch. Clearing his throat, he addressed Mason. “What is the point of all of this? You have the guilty party in custody. Why are you accosting my son?”

  “Because he’s the one who swung the cast iron skillet, Mr. Hawthorne,” I explained. “Before you arrived at the warden station, Tucker tried to tell me what he remembered. He’s been trying to live with the idea that he took someone’s life and not been too successful at it. His lack of memory is a blessing and a curse to him. Only you have the ability to set him free.”

  Hollis’ eyes darted around the room. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  I plucked each finger of my left glove. “Tucker wasn’t the only one af
fected by Duke. You were involved, too, although you tried to keep that a secret. In a desperate attempt to get him to back off, you gave the man something of high value. Something priceless.” With a slow yank, I pulled off the glove and showed him the token.

  A bright blush rose in Hollis’ face, pinking his pale complexion. “I don’t know what that is.”

  I pointed at his son. “Then Detective Clairmont should consider that Tucker acted on his own and arrest him now for the murder of Duke Aikens. At least then your son will have a definitive answer. Did he or did he not kill the man?”

  “You can’t arrest him.” Hollis stood in front of his son.

  Mason glanced back at me. Technically, I didn’t think he had enough to make an arrest stick, but we needed to flush out the truth. If it took a little lie, then maybe the ends justified the means.

  “Why not?” I challenged. “Tucker remembers holding something heavy in his hand, and he told me as much when he talked to me at the station.”

  Hollis shook his head. “That’s inadmissible.”

  I took a step closer to him. “I think he remembers more than he says. Like how he hit Duke over the head with the skillet. And that Sassy came to the old diner, interrupting him. How else would he know to put the evidence in her locker at the cafe?”

  “Maybe I did do it, Father.” Tucker held onto Clementine but looked to his dad for help.

  “Keep your mouth shut, son.”

  One more slow step closed the gap between Hollis and me. “Or maybe Tucker had help. Perhaps the two of you planned all this together. After all, a disgraced son brings dishonor to your entire family.” I sneered at him.

  “Don’t you dare. I love my son. I would do anything for him.” Hollis raised his hand to strike me.

  Anticipating his reaction, I caught his wrist and held on. My spell with the token worked, and an immediate connection of energy thrummed through my arm and into my core.

  Excited that my talents worked and to have confirmation, I let Mason know. “It belongs to him.”