Collards & Cauldrons Read online

  Slinking back into my chair, I took a couple of deep breaths. I leaned forward and spoke only loud enough for our group to hear me. “Listen, if there’s anything we know, it’s that my grandmother is tougher than nails. What she needs is for us to stay alert and aware. Listen in on as many conversations as possible. Gather what information you can and bring it back to me or Mason.”

  “Ooh, I was wondering if this would push you two back into your old ways,” exclaimed Ms. Mimsy with a little too much glee.

  Everyone understood the high stakes and agreed to do what they could to help. I tried to give them assurances, but I couldn’t manage to make a smile reach my lips.

  Once I ate a little and let the coffee kick in, I became restless to do something, anything, but I didn’t have a clue where to start.

  “Have you seen your cousin?” Blythe asked, while munching on a muffin she snatched before the hotel staff put away the food.

  In all of the commotion, I’d forgotten about Abigail. “No, did you notice her in here? I don’t even know what room she’s staying in, only that it’s a floor below us.”

  “What are you going to do about her? I mean, if you trust what Lavender said, she seems to be hiding something from you,” my friend pressed.

  I pushed back from the table and stood. When we navigated around the other tables, I kept my gaze straight in front of me instead of confronting all of the stares aimed at my back. “I don’t know. I mean, we’re basically strangers, and I hadn’t intended on starting out any kind of relationship with her by saying, ‘Hi, cousin, are you lying to me?’”

  “I get that.” Blythe turned around and shot a nasty look at all the onlookers behind us. “Nosy witches. Whatever happened to polite Southern ignorance? They could at least wait until we’d completely left the room before talking about us.”

  “For all they know, my grandmother committed a murder last night. They’re suspicions make them forget their manners,” I guessed.

  I really didn’t know what to do about my cousin. She was a problem I needed to solve at a different time, but thanks to being stuck in the hotel, I’d have to confront her at some point.

  Mason and I spotted each other down the long hall at the same time, and I almost broke into a full run to get to him. By the time I reached him, I’d run out of breath from sheer anxiety.

  “They’re escorting her inside right now,” he explained, taking my hand and dragging me behind his wide strides.

  The two of us made it to the lobby where the young lady warden, who’d given me a hard time about chairs and food the night before, held the door open for her boss to walk my grandmother inside. Ben followed behind, the stern expression on his face scaring me. I moved to rush forward and throw my arms around Nana, but Mason squeezed my hand and held me back.

  “Ms. Goodwin,” the chief announced in a voice louder than necessary, “You are instructed to stay here until you are either cleared of any wrongdoing or you are arrested. Is that clear?”

  Nana maintained a blank appearance, not giving the man in charge the satisfaction of upsetting her. “Yes, sir,” she replied with zero emotion.

  Frustrated, the chief motioned for the other warden to step up. Ben came forward and observed while the young man placed a device around her ankle. It clanked shut with a flourish of his fingers.

  The chief crossed his arms. “This device will make sure you comply with my order.”

  He put hands on both of my grandmother’s shoulders and turned her around. With a little force, he walked her toward the front doors until she emitted an audible gasp.

  “That’s out of line, Chief,” Ben warned.

  “As you can see,” the chief continued, “your boundaries are well-defined.”

  I strained against Mason, who squeezed me even tighter until his grip stung. “Let him finish and leave,” he insisted.

  “I understand,” Nana agreed. “And I will be available to talk to any warden or detective you put on the case, Chief Huxley.”

  The head warden raised an eyebrow. “Of course, you will. Until then, I would advise you to stay out of sight. No telling how you’ll be treated when everyone knows you’re the murderer.”

  “Thinks, not knows, right Chief?” I corrected, unable to hold back anymore. “My grandmother is innocent until you prove her guilty.”

  A smug satisfaction flooded his eyes once I gave him the reaction he craved. “We’ll see.” With too much enjoyment, he stroked his mustache and waited until the last second before exiting the hotel with his wardens.

  I opened my arms to finally embrace Nana, but she shook her head. “Not here. Let’s go somewhere else, but not my room. I’ll bet they’ve cast some bugs of some sort to listen in there.”

  “We could go to my room. The girls will leave if you need them to,” I suggested. “Unless they’ve spellcast bugs in there, too?”

  “It’s entirely possible. How about my room?” Mason asked, checking with Ben over our heads. “They’d be less likely to mess with a fellow warden and advocate’s space.”

  The four of us took the elevator up to their floor in tense silence. My eyes darted around the tiny space, looking for anything out of the ordinary that might indicate someone was spying on us. When the doors opened, Mason put out his arm to hold us back, ducking his head out to survey the hallway. Satisfied, he ushered us into his room.

  The door shut behind us and Nana’s shoulders slumped. She groaned as she sat down in a nearby chair. Mason went to the bathroom and came out with a glass of water for her. She drank it down in a couple of gulps.

  “Thank you, Detective,” she uttered, holding it out for him to take and refill a couple more times. Once she quenched her immediate thirst, she finally looked at me and opened her arms.

  I threw myself at her, kneeling at her feet and laying my head in her lap. Most of the tears I’d managed to hold back burst out of me as I sobbed like a child. The thought of possibly losing her from the ridiculous circumstances had affected me more than I’d realized.

  Her hands stroked my hair, and she muttered soothing words, trying to get me to calm down. Once my sobs turned to dry hiccups, I glanced up at her.

  Tears streamed down her face, and for the first time, I saw cracks in her strength and vulnerability mixing with her courage. I wanted her to tell me everything would be okay and work out, but it occurred to me that maybe I had to be the one to carry the Goodwin strength for both of us.

  Ben held out a box of tissue, and I took one, wiping away my tears and blowing snot into it. “So ladylike,” I joked.

  Nana scoffed. “I think politeness goes out the door when you’re almost arrested. Speaking of, you did a good job in there, Advocate.” She offered a weak smile to Ben.

  My friend’s cheeks turned a little pink at the compliment. “They definitely didn’t expect you to have such immediate representation, and if they had been more organized, they might have attempted to keep me out. As it was, I’m glad I was there to keep them from getting out of line with their questioning.”

  “Is it as bad as I cautioned you it might be?” Mason pushed off the wall he’d been leaning on and came over to sit on the edge of the bed.

  “Probably worse,” Nana exhaled, slumping into the back of the chair.

  Ben sat down next to Mason. “From what I observed, they have no intention of looking for another suspect. Nana’s situation fits the narrative they want to build.”

  My stomach roiled with anger and fear. “You mean they can say they arrested the killer and get rid of the main leader of Honeysuckle all in one swoop?” I got off my knees and stomped in defiance where I stood. “They can’t get away with that.”

  “Unfortunately, unless they actually do a true investigation to find the real killer, yes, they can.” Ben wiped his hands down his face. “Or somebody else confesses to them directly.”

  I contemplated that option in my head. Nana cradled my chin in her hand. “Don’t even think about it, Birdy. Besides, you were nowhere n
ear her before she collapsed and there are too many people who can back that up.”

  Mason frowned. “What exactly do they think they have on Vivi?”

  Ben looked to my grandmother for permission to speak. With a nod from her, he spoke. “It was witnessed by many that Priscilla went upstairs followed by her daughter. Ms. Vivi went upstairs a few minutes later and was still in the near vicinity when whatever happened took place. No one can verify her immediate whereabouts, so it’s only her word that she was in the restroom collecting herself and not committing the murder.”

  “There has to be cameras posted all over. Didn’t they check the tapes?” I asked.

  Ben grimaced. “I asked them the same question. According to the chief, the cameras in the whole hotel have been offline for a month or so.”

  Mason scoffed. “That sounds about as true as a two-dollar bill, although it may prove advantageous to us now that they can’t monitor our every move if they really aren’t working.”

  “So, you have no idea what actually happened?” I turned my attention to my grandmother, cursing the fact that she went up those blasted stairs in the first place.

  Nana leaned forward and placed her forehead in her hands. “I know I shouldn’t have confronted Priscilla. But after she wouldn’t actually apologize to me and her treatment of her daughter, I thought somebody should finally stand up to that…that…”

  “Witch with a capital B?” I finished.

  My grandmother sighed. “I found Prissy and Peyton in the middle of a very heated argument. I couldn’t decide whether or not to step in, but then I figured that unless I saw actual physical abuse, what they were discussing was really none of my business. I left them to hash things out and went to the restroom to gather my wits about me. When I came out, I followed all the commotion.”

  “And none of that provides you with an alibi,” Mason stated, following the story to its natural conclusion. “This might be tougher than I thought.”

  “Yeah, but if they can’t prove she wasn’t around Priscilla in order to do something that would result in her death, then they also can’t prove she did. The lack of evidence goes both ways.” The world couldn’t be this unfair, could it?

  “There’s a larger game involved—who died, who they can pin this on, and what that could do to the leadership structures of both places. It’s possible someone is manipulating things to play out to their advantage, but that’s going to take time to figure out.” The detective stood and paced. “No, I still think our better play is to try and solve the murder quickly. Give them clear evidence that they can’t manipulate.”

  Nana yawned, and I moved to rub her back. “You need to get some sleep.”

  “I’ll go up to my room,” she stated, pushing up from the arms of the chair with a groan.

  “But the potential bugs,” I countered.

  She waved me off. “If they’re listening in, all they’ll hear is me snorin’ up a storm.”

  I followed her to the door, and she stopped me. “I’m not feeble, Birdy. I can make it on my own. You need to stay here and work together with the detective.” Nana hugged me tight and tilted her head so she could whisper in my ear. “I think this time you’ll be the one who saves me.”

  The heavy responsibility enveloped me like a wet blanket, but I would shoulder whatever I needed to in order to prove her right. “I will,” I muffled into her shoulder.

  Ben waited for us to end the embrace. “I’ll make sure you get to your room, Ms. Vivi. Then I’ll go see Lily.”

  With the clank of the door, the quiet of the room surrounded Mason and me. I could duck under the quilted covers of his bed and lose myself to despair or I could pull up my big witch panties and dive right in.

  Mason watched me with careful eyes until I challenged him. He shrugged. “I was trying my hardest to remember how we worked before. I’m aware that’s how we first connected to each other. But when I search my memories, I can’t find that thread anywhere.”

  Ironic he would mention a thread of connection. More than ever, I wished I had my magical talents back. As strong as I’d developed them, it might have been a real challenge to find what was used in Priscilla’s murder, but at least I would have had a clear way to help.

  Except, I wasn’t the only witch with tracking abilities here in the hotel. “That’s it,” I exclaimed. “We need to find out what room my cousin is staying in.”

  “I don’t think now’s the time for you to get to know her. I’m sorry about that, by the way, but we really need to stay focused on finding something to clear your grandmother’s name before it’s too late,” he repeated.

  “That’s not why I want to talk to her. If we’re from the same family bloodline, then it stands to reason that she possesses some level of tracking powers like I do…used to.” That last part stung, but I had to accept the truth so we could work with what we had.

  Comprehension hit Mason and his face lit up. “I think I see where you’re going with this. Should we go ask at the front desk?”

  If the hotel was being compliant with the wardens, I suspected they wouldn’t be very eager to help us run a covert investigation. “No, but I think I know somebody who might help us. Come on.”

  “You lead the way, Ms. Goodwin, and I’ll follow,” Mason stated from behind me.

  I almost snorted and corrected him on how allowing me to take the point was not how we used to work together. But if we were moving forward, then we needed to forge new paths instead of trying to recreate the old ones.

  Whoever my cousin really was deep down, she was about to find out exactly what being related to me truly meant. Whether she wanted to or not, she would be the instrument I used to clear my grandmother’s name.

  Chapter Eight

  My plan to grab David and beg him to help us find Abigail’s room number took us to the first-floor lobby. We walked around the front area and the empty conference rooms where signs from our canceled event still hung outside the doors. Instead of the hustle and bustle of hotel employees in uniforms hurrying to do their job, the place felt eerily empty. The two manning the front desk never looked in our direction or offered to help, throwing up an icy barrier of silence between us.

  “Now what?” Mason asked, pressing the button for the elevators.

  Since my initial plan failed, I didn’t know if I wanted to be the one to come up with a second one. “We go to the floor I think she’s on and knock on all the doors?”

  I didn’t miss the irony that if I still possessed my talents, I might be able to find her on my own. Still, with every minute that ticked by, we lost time to do what had to be done.

  The doors to the elevator slid open on a ding, and a few people shuffled out. Abigail walked out last. She gasped when I stepped in front of her and lurched to a quick stop.

  “Oh, excuse me,” she spat out and then looked up. “Hi, Charli.”

  Since I didn’t know her well, I had a hard time deciphering the expression of confusion and hesitancy that bloomed across her face. I couldn’t take the time to beat around the bush. Better to get straight to the point. “Abigail, can you take us to your room?”

  “Why?” she gasped. Clearing her throat, she tried to recover. “I mean, you’re welcome there, but it’s a bit of a mess.”

  Mason stepped into the elevator and kept the doors from sliding closed. “Shall we?”

  I liked that he pushed her to act rather than to stand around, hemming and hawing. Her body jerked a bit from warring with itself on whether or not to enter. I stepped up behind her, blocking any exit and encouraging her to take the few steps inside.

  Once the doors closed, I maneuvered around her and stood next to Mason. “We wanted a chance to get to know you a little better, but my room’s full of nosy girls and his room probably has a sleeping advocate in it. You’re on the third floor, right?”

  She nodded and took a deep breath. “I heard about your grandmother being held at the station all night. Is she okay?”

  “Nana? Sh
e’s tougher than an old boot. She’ll be fine.”

  Mason touched the back of my hand with his, knowing my bravado covered up a whole lot of insecurity. The gesture let me know I wasn’t completely alone in things, and I appreciated his support more than I could verbalize at the moment.

  “I hope things work out for you,” Abigail uttered in a shaky voice. “You’ll have to excuse me. The past twenty-four hours have been filled with so much drama.”

  We reached her floor, and she exited, and I followed right behind her. “It’s been a lot for all of us.”

  My new cousin didn’t need to know how often Mason and I found ourselves around a dead body. I needed to convince her to work with us, not run away screaming.

  With a beep from the scan of her room key, we entered her room. Nothing seemed out of place or in disarray. “Girl, if this is what you call messed up, then my house in Honeysuckle is downright dirty.”

  Abigail perked up when I talked about my life. “You own a house?”

  “Inherited it when my great-uncle passed away. I live there with Beau, my vampire roommate,” I explained.

  Her eyes widened until the whites of them showed. “You have a vampire for a roommate? Isn’t that really dangerous?”

  I snort-giggled. “Beau, dangerous? Not in the least. He’s big, cuddly, and can poof into a bat.”

  “No way.” Abigail looked to the other side of the room, lost in thought. “I’ve always been told to avoid vampires.”

  Encouraged to keep her talking, I continued speaking about my hometown to loosen her up. “Then visiting me in Honeysuckle will knock your socks off. We not only have vampires, we’ve got a slew of fairies, gnomes, a leprechaun, a troll who loves Shakespeare…our town accepts pretty much any magical being who wants to live there.”

  “It sounds chaotic and wild,” Abigail uttered. For a moment, I thought she might wilt away, but a wide smile that brightened her face surprised me.

  “It can be unpredictable but also wonderful and welcoming.” My real affection for Honeysuckle Hollow pushed away my worries for a brief moment until the fact my grandmother might not make it back there chilled me inside out.