Enchanting Blend (A Paramour Bay Cozy Paranormal Mystery Book 3) Page 11

  I’d thought I was taking it all in stride and handling it quite well.

  Well, I guess when you put it that way, I should give you some credit.

  Thankfully, Heidi was able to get the conversation flowing again. Once Liam began to tell a story of the time he’d needed to employ the Heimlich maneuver while in the police academy, I was able to catch Heidi’s attention.

  I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. As you just pointed out, you’ve taken this new life of yours in stride. I should have given you a bit more credit. I absolutely should have, but do you remember Heidi’s first initial reaction? There was nothing agile or accepting about that moment.

  Leo did give a good point, but this wasn’t something I could keep to myself. At first, I shifted my eyes to the right in hopes she’d look in the direction of the framed picture on the wall. All that got me was a tilt of Heidi’s curls as she tried to make out what I was trying to convey.

  You still have time to remain silent. Even criminals are given that right, you know.

  It looked as if I’d have to resort to jerking my head to the side in hopes that she’d finally see the photograph. From the look of horror that spread across her face after setting eyes on what had prompted my choking spree, it was a surefire bet that she’d finally seen what had me sucking down my drink with my lungs.

  I didn’t know human lips could contort like that.

  Neither had I, and panic began to rise up in my chest at Heidi’s look of terror.

  You better do something quick.

  Don’t get me wrong. I figured Heidi’s response would go one way or another. Such as her trying to get the men to leave the table so that we could discuss what I’d discovered in private. Or maybe discreetly excusing us to use the restroom, where we could then talk over such a shocking discovery.

  Wow, were you way off the mark on that one or what? Maybe you shouldn’t mix alcohol with witchcraft, Sabrina.

  Heidi jumped to her feet so fast that the table tipped in Liam’s and my direction.

  Oh, this isn’t going to work out well for anyone. Abandon ship!

  Liam stopped mid-story to try and prevent our glasses from tipping over into our laps, but there was no stopping the scream that tore forth from Heidi’s throat. She could rival any scream queen from back in the day of B-list horror movies.

  I didn’t blame her, really.

  You see, the framed photograph on the wall beside us was obviously taken in this same museum many years ago based on its apparent age. It depicted several wax figures from that day. The picture itself was black and white, worn from old age, and practically came across as a vintage tintype photograph. I realize that it was more modern than the 1920s, but there was one individual who most certainly couldn’t have been made of wax.

  Yet there he stood, suit and all—Ted.

  He looked good as a wax figure, didn’t he? Very dapper, indeed.

  I did the only thing I could, given the circumstances of Heidi’s reaction…I piled on.

  “Spider!”

  Chapter Twelve

  “I think I need one of those paper bag thingies,” Heidi wheezed as she clutched her throat. She was leaning up against the restroom wall with her head tilted back, looking as if she’d run a couple of miles in those black heels. “Please tell me that picture wasn’t real. It was Photoshopped, right? Ted isn’t like a thousand years old, is he?”

  We don’t have time for this. Basic math skills and a fourth grade science teacher should just about get us there from here. Can’t you just throw a bucket of cold water on her?

  “Who was that in the picture, Leo?” I demanded to know, dealing somewhat better than Heidi with this current predicament we found ourselves in. “Please tell me that wasn’t really…Ted. I mean, it did look like him, but then again, it didn’t. I don’t know how to explain it other than I know it was him.”

  Then why ask me if you already know the answer? Hmmm, it still hasn’t sunk in for you, has it? There’s no easy way to put this, so I’ll just blurt it out—Ted is a golem. A golem is a protective servant of the spell caster or what was called by some a Tallowheart Golem, in antiquity, since that is how they rendered candles.

  “A what?”

  Well, Ted’s not actually a true golem, per se.

  “Golem?”

  Yeah, those creepy things made of clay or rock. Rosemary mixed the golem enchantment with an anthropomorphism incantation to bring Ted to life from an existing wax figure. She did an exceptionally fine job, too. With the exception of his teeth. Oh, and his inability to string together two sentences without a half an hour’s preparation. He started out kind of rough, but he’s come a long way in ten years, wouldn’t you say?

  “Anthro-what?”

  Leo was once again sitting on the sink, though this time he was watching Heidi very closely to ensure she didn’t hyperventilate and pass out.

  Is she turning blue? I think she’s turning blue.

  “Raven, tell me what is going on,” Heidi demanded as she pointed a trembling finger toward the door. “Was that a wax figure of Ted or was that Ted Ted?”

  “Ted Ted. I think.”

  It could have been worse, right? I mean, there had been a time when I’d thought Ted was a zombie. A golem is much better, if one looks at it that way.

  “Heidi, you’re going to have to pull it together and—”

  Leo was squinting his eyes with his mouth wide open as he made an awful noise, but I’d gotten used to the sound of his laughter.

  “This isn’t funny, Leo.” How in creation had no one in this town made the connection before? How had Alison not recognized Ted from the picture? Granted, there were a couple of different oddities between the wax figure in the photo and the man—well, golem—himself. With that said, why bring a wax figure to life that someone could recognize? A little risky, don’t you think? Personally, I believe a body from a grave a town or two over from the 1800s would have been a much safer bet. I didn’t even want to contemplate that thinking about resurrections spells had become my new reality. “You’re always warning me not to take risks, and what do you know? Nan goes and brings a wax figure to life as if no one will notice Ted’s resemblance to a missing wax statue—”

  Heidi gasped, which promptly had me believing she was about to drop dead from lack of oxygen to her brain. Thankfully, my rant to Leo seemed to have shocked her out of her daze. She started wagging a finger in my direction.

  “It all makes sense now!” Heidi grabbed the sink as she practically came nose to nose with Leo, whose right eye was now almost as big as his left. “The missing wax figure! Alison Bend mentioned that a wax figure in storage had been missing for years. It was Ted all along!”

  “Ow!” I had once again been leaning up against the door to prevent anyone from walking in on us talking to Leo. I must have inadvertently taken a step forward while Heidi was connecting the dots. The back of my head wouldn’t have a bump, but the thud against my scalp still hurt. “Trixie!”

  I’d only ever seen Trixie Fredericks, the owner of the only diner in town, a handful of times. The older woman was rather short with white hair, but she seemed to get around okay given that she was in her late seventies. Truthfully, I was surprised to see her in attendance tonight.

  I was standing directly in her path, though, motioning with my hand behind my back that Leo needed to vanish. Hopefully, his short-term memory hadn’t kicked in. His presence was the last thing Heidi and I needed to explain after the spider fiasco that Liam and Jack were probably still talking about. Between the two of us, we’d shoved the table back and forth a dozen times battling an imaginary spider.

  I’ve begun taking huperzine. I can’t remember if it’s doing any good. Did you know that the herb-like substance comes from a plant called Chinese club moss? You should try it sometime. Hey, maybe I should smoke it.

  “Raven, dear. Is your friend okay?” Trixie asked, trying to shuffle around me to get a better look at Heidi. I was afraid to move too soon, bu
t I didn’t want to appear rude. “Everyone is talking about that huge spider that dropped down from the ceiling. Horrible, I tell you. Alison needs to have a talk with the cleaning crew that comes in here every Sunday night or maybe she should call an exterminator.”

  It’s amazing what people will believe with the slightest suggestion.

  “I’m quite alright, Ms. Fredericks,” Heidi said after clearing her throat. It was her way of telling me that Leo had vanished into thin air. His departure certainly hadn’t stopped him from chiming in with his two cents, though. I cautiously shifted, not sure that Leo wouldn’t magically reappear and create another mess I wasn’t so sure I could clean up this time. “Phobias can be tricky little devils, can’t they?”

  “Oh, you should see me with snakes,” Trixie replied, brushing past me to stand in front of Heidi. The scent of baby powder was overwhelming. “I’m deathly afraid of them. Well, you should know that Alison was able to get your table put back together with a clean tablecloth and new tableware. Just don’t lean on it too hard. I don’t think it will survive another round.”

  Heidi continued to reassure Trixie that all was okay and that we would be returning to our dates shortly. I can only imagine what Liam and Jack thought of us—screaming like the dead had risen from the grave.

  Theoretically, you wouldn’t be far off with that theory. Regardless, it’s still technically wrong.

  I’m sure my expression looked much like Heidi’s when she’d discovered Ted in the framed photograph, but Leo’s voice had me glancing at the sink. You see, some of Leo’s orange and black fur remained behind in a couple of tufts that couldn’t possibly be missed. Unless, of course, Trixie’s eyesight was as bad as his memory.

  Are you actually wishing cataracts on an old woman? Wow. First you were going to blow me to smithereens with an energy ball and now this. You’re falling apart at the seams, Raven. You need to get a firm grip.

  “Trixie, that was so sweet of you to check on Heidi,” I exclaimed, hoping to draw Trixie’s attention toward me. If I could get around the two of them, I’d be able to quickly wipe away any trace of Leo from the restroom. “I’ll just wash my hands and then we can—”

  I cringed when Trixie’s gasp echoed off the restroom walls. Sure enough, she’d caught sight of Leo’s tufts of fur stuck to the counter.

  “Disgusting,” Trixie muttered, reaching for the paper towel dispenser. “Cora is constantly leaving behind remnants of that fake fur wrap of hers. You’d think she’d have the decency to clean up after herself. She’s worse than my cat.”

  Don’t you dare do it.

  Leo’s warning came a little too late. The mere mention of Cora reminded me why I was investigating Norman Palmer’s murder to begin with, which was to clear Nan’s name.

  What better way than to question the original individuals who’d given statements in regard to Norman Palmer during his tenure here in Paramour Bay? After all, the killer was still out there. Who was to say that particular someone wasn’t in attendance of this New Year’s Eve bash?

  Now you’re accusing an old lady of murder? That’s pretty low, even for the Hardy Sisters.

  I wasn’t doing anything of the sort, but it had crossed my mind that Trixie Fredericks would have only been in her mid to late twenties at the time of the murder. She and Norman had supposedly gotten into an argument over something inane, but could there have been something more to their disagreement?

  “Trixie, do you remember Norman Palmer?” I walked over to the sink where Heidi had moved to the side, her blue eyes widening once she recognized my plan. “Cora brought up the old murder, saying that her behavior over the story was the reason she and my mother no longer get along.”

  Trixie had used a paper towel out of the black dispenser to wipe up the cat hairs that Leo had left behind. I’m not so sure what she would have thought had Cora not been wearing her prized wrap.

  “Oh, dear. That was a very long time ago,” Trixie declared, frowning as if I’d brought up unpleasant memories. I guess I had, but it wasn’t as if she’d known the man personally. Had she? “I do regret the way I handled Mr. Palmer’s complaint. You see, I had just opened up the diner. I’d used breakfast as a trial run, and that particular week was when I’d extended the hours to include lunch and dinner. I hadn’t counted on the crowd, so we were a little understaffed at first. Mr. Palmer’s meal had inadvertently gotten moved to the side, and it was rather cold by the time his waitress served him. As I said, I was young and inexperienced. I certainly hadn’t handled the situation as well as I should have. And then to find out that he…”

  Trixie’s voice—not as frail as you might think—trailed off as she became lost in the past.

  Heidi nudged me on the arm to do something, so I quickly washed my hands and gestured toward the paper towel device attached to the wall.

  “I can only imagine what a shock it was to the residents to learn of Mr. Palmer’s death.” I took the proffered towel and dried my hands while I tried a different approach, and one that might actually pay off. “You don’t believe that someone from Paramour Bay had anything to do with Mr. Palmer’s death, do you?”

  Trixie’s mother must have named her that for her disposition, because the older woman was rather spry. Her go get ’em attitude was rather infectious as she leaned in close, like we weren’t the only three in the closed-off space and someone was bound to overhear her secrets. She even motioned for Heidi to come closer, so that all three of us were huddled together in front of the sink.

  “I always believed that Albert had something to do with it,” Trixie whispered as if we were conspiring against the man. “I’ve never seen Albert get so red in the face as the day Mr. Palmer ran over those rosebushes. Most likely, Albert would have gotten off on temporary insanity. He’s always been quick in the temper department.”

  It was too late to move when the door suddenly swung open, revealing Candy, Dee, and Gillian. Music, laughter, and conversation from the main area drifted in with them, and it was a stark reminder that our dates were waiting for our return…and no doubt wondering if we’d lost our minds.

  “Heidi, are you okay?” Candy asked the moment she laid eyes on us. Her reddish-orange hair was styled to perfection with most likely a touch of product from her salon. “It must have been horrible to have that spider fall from the ceiling onto your table. How you didn’t run through a wall is beyond me. I would have died dead as a doornail, right on the spot. Arachnophobia is nothing to sneeze at. I’m the kind of person who would burn a house down to get rid of one.”

  “I’m better now,” Heidi exclaimed, fanning herself in a dramatic air. She was a better actress than me, which got me thinking that Leo hadn’t piped in his two cents in quite a while. He was usually the first one to praise her. “Eileen said she saw the spider and that it was bigger than her hand.”

  I wasn’t too sure what to think of that statement. There hadn’t been a spider at all, but I guess the hive mentality had kicked in when I began whacking the tablecloth with one of the boys’ party hats and shoving the table back at Heidi.

  “Gotta pee, gotta pee,” Gillian announced in a sing-song tone, pushing past Candy and Dee. She gave all of us an apologetic smile as she made a beeline for the second stall. “They tell me it’s only going to get worse once I hit the third trimester. I’m going to need diapers before either of these two will. Either that or you’ll see me dragging a porta-potty behind me down River Bay.”

  Everyone began to gush over the fact that Gillian was pregnant with twins, even me, until Trixie pulled at the sleeve of my blouse. She had a contemplative look in those wise eyes of hers. That alone should have warned me that she had more to say on the subject of Norman Palmer, but I certainly hadn’t prepared myself for something so shocking.

  “Rita let it slip years later that she never caught a plane to England that year. Rumor had it that she was carrying on some sordid tryst with an electrician over near Hartford.” Trixie patted my arm in a palliative nature.
The reassuring gesture missed its mark by a mile. “By that time, everyone had moved on. Rita was a sweet woman who wouldn’t even harm a fly. Same as your grandmother. I guess I never thought about it, but maybe that’s why this museum has spiders—Alison must take after her mother. You can never tell about the quiet ones.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Heidi, Rita Carter could have been the one to murder Norman Palmer,” I whispered in incredulity as we weaved in and out of the throngs of people surrounding the dance floor. “She was in the state of Connecticut the entire time. This changes the whole ball game. I need to tell Liam this so that he can officially reopen the investigation.”

  The ball had dropped a smidgen, telling me that there was still a couple of hours before midnight. We would have time to search for Norman Palmer’s wallet while convincing Liam that he should—

  “In case you forgot, Rita Carter is long gone,” Heidi murmured as she steered us around another group of partygoers. “Unless the woman managed to blurt out a confession on her deathbed, it’s unlikely that Liam would find any evidence to support reopening a long dead cold case. And might I just add that I’m still in shock over discovering that Ted is a…what did Leo call him?”

  “A sort of wax golem and something else I can’t exactly remember.”

  It’s good to know I’m not the only one with short-term memory loss, but what the hey…the gang’s all here.

  Leo picked a fine time to rejoin the party, and probably on purpose. How was I supposed to bombard him with questions about Rita Carter when I was currently surrounded by practically everyone in town?

  Elsie and Wilma are the smart ones. They stayed home. They’re currently in their dressing gowns, commiserating over Dick Clark’s untimely death. Wilma met him in person one time, you know. I didn’t know Dick as well as I knew Frank Sinatra, though.