a witchcraft mystery 08 - a toxic trousseau (33 page)

“I was, but then I saw Mrs. Morgan. She’s an old lady, I thought. It never occurred to me that she would be any kind of danger.”

“Doesn’t take much to pull a trigger.”

“I know. I have to stop underestimating people.”

“That you do,” Sailor said. “Listen . . . I know this
isn’t the best time for this. In fact, I’ve been trying to figure out the right moment for a while . . .” He cleared his throat. “Something’s been on my mind, and when I realized what happened here, it dawned on me that I can’t put this off any longer.”

I pulled away from him.

“I know what you’re going to say,” I said, my voice breaking. “It’s fine. Really, Sailor, it is. You have your own life; you can’t continue to put your training on hold for me, to keep sticking your neck out for me. I mean, we make jokes about you being my bodyguard, but you’re right: It’s because of me that you’re wounded all the time. I got you attacked at the Rodchester House just last night, and today I had an encounter with a killer. I’m like a bad penny, but, you know, a coin bad enough that it will get you killed.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s fine, really. We’ve had a good run, certainly better than I’ve ever had with any other man, and—”

“
Dammit
, woman, I meant nothing of the sort. I’ve never met someone so intent on breaking up with the man who loves her.”

That stopped me.

“I’m . . .” He cleared his throat. “Look, I know this is a hell of a time, right out here on the street. And I’m not talking right away, not until we’re both ready . . . but . . .” He ran a hand through his hair and gazed into my eyes.

“Dammit, Lily, I’m asking you to marry me.”

Chapter 27

After a long moment I realized my mouth was agape. I tried to speak, but the words refused to coalesce in my brain.

“I’m going to give that a minute to sink in,” said Sailor. After another long pause he added, “Or maybe two.”

“I . . . but . . . you . . . ,” was all I could manage to say.

“I’m guessing this comes as a surprise to you.”

“It’s just . . . I . . .” Again, speech failed me.

And then I saw the shift, the moment his eyes shuttered, and the sardonic look I knew too well came back on his face. “Or perhaps I misjudged your feelings for me. It’s a ridiculous idea, anyway. Who’s ever heard of a pain-in-the-ass witch meeting up with a psychic and—”

I flung myself into his arms.

“Is that a yes?” he demanded. Then he held me away from him: “Lily, tell me. Tell me
something
.”

“I love you.”

His face softened; he gave me a crooked grin. “Call
me a stickler, but I’m afraid I need actual verbal confirmation here: Is that a yes? Will you marry me?”

I swallowed, hard. “It’s just . . . marriage is supposed to be a lifetime thing.”

“That’s what I hear.”

“That means . . . you’re willing to be saddled with the likes of me, forever?”

He nodded.

“Really? I’m not easy.”

He started to chuckle. “Did you think I haven’t thought this through, Lily? It’s not like we’re on a bender in Vegas. I’ve known you, through thick and thin, for quite some time now.”

“Almost a year.”

“Almost a year.” He nodded. “I’ve tried talking myself out of being in love with you, over and over again. And I fail. I can’t see my future without you at my side. I can’t see
your
future without me at
your
side. And . . . I’ve been married before, remember? I realize now that I wasn’t ready. Not nearly. And she wasn’t the right woman for me.”

“And now you’re ready?”

“Yes.”

“And . . .
I’m
the right woman for you?”

“Heaven help me.
Yes.
”

“Aidan says we won’t be good for each other.”

“I think you know my feelings about Aidan—and especially with regard to his thoughts about our relationship.”

Ever since Aidan proclaimed that I would never be able to experience true romantic love, I had been insisting I was strong enough to break the trend, to love someone, to have a partner. Was I ready to put my magic
where my mouth was and take the plunge? Sailor stood in front of me now, motorcycle gear and black eye, sardonic expression . . . and he was the most welcome sight in the world.

I nodded.

“I need you to say it.”

“Yes,” I breathed finally. “I do. I want to marry you.”

We stared at each other for a long moment. I thought I spied the glint of tears in his eyes.

“Oh! Almost forgot.” When he spoke his voice was gruff.

He pulled a velvet box from his pocket.

“Bronwyn helped me with the size, and she thought you’d like it. So did Maya. And Selena shined it for you. It’s a druzy, which I was told is like the inside of an agate, with a glittering effect due to the growth of tiny crystals atop a colorful mineral. But if you don’t like it we can get a different one. I know a diamond’s traditional, obviously. Also, I know you don’t wear rings, so if you’d prefer a necklace—”

I opened the box. Nestled in a velvet bed was a ring with the stone in a convex teardrop shape. It glittered pink, purple, blue, and green within its antique silver filigree setting.

I caught my breath. “How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“This marriage isn’t going to work out if you can read my mind. I can already tell you that.”

“I
can’t
read your mind, Lily, and I wouldn’t even if I could. Not unless you wanted me to. What kind of person do you think I am?”

“Then how did you know about the ring?”

He cocked his head, a questioning look on his face.

“When I was a girl, Graciela gave me one just like this. But it was lost—or taken from me—when I went to visit my father. I’ve always mourned it.”

“So, is it a good thing or a bad thing that this ring is just like it?”

“A very good thing.” My voice was thick with emotion.

He took the box from me. “Then let’s do this properly, shall we?”

He got down on one knee and held the box out in front of him. “Lily Ivory, sorceress extraordinaire, pain in my butt, and mistress of my heart, will you do me the honor of taking my hand in marriage?”

“Yes. I
will
.”

*   *   *

The next day I was still floating on air. Autumn’s murderer was in police custody, and Sailor and I were engaged.
Engaged.

Me. Lily Ivory, engaged to be married to a wonderful man.

I looked down at the ring for the thousandth time since Sailor had slipped it on my finger. The tiny crystals glittered in the afternoon light, warming my heart.

“I told him you’d love it,” said Bronwyn. No customers were in the shop, so Maya, Bronwyn, and I were enjoying a peaceful day at Aunt Cora’s Closet. Oscar snored on his pillow, Loretta lay on her rug behind the counter, and Colonel Mustard was curled up by the dressing rooms.

“I can’t believe you all kept the secret from me!” I said. “Selena, too. Very impressive.”

“It was so hard!” Bronwyn exclaimed. “We were all so excited for you. Even Maya.”

“True,” said Maya with a smile. “Though you made
me wonder, when you reacted so strongly to the idea of living together, much less marrying.”

“I’m not going to lie: It’s still pretty scary. But we can’t go around avoiding scary things, now, can we?”

“No, we certainly can’t,” Bronwyn said, beaming.

The only flies in the ointment were what to do with Colonel Mustard—Oscar was not pleased, to say the least, and kept coming up with suggestions of whose doorstep to leave him on—as well as a few lingering questions: How—and why—had Mrs. Morgan kept the police from thoroughly investigating Autumn’s store and apartment? And why had Renee reacted so oddly to me when I asked her about Jamie, and lied to me about going to San Jose with Scarlet?

Although upon reflection I realized that Mrs. Morgan was the one who’d told me Renee had gone down to Rodchester House of Spirits. Probably Morgan had lied to deflect suspicion.

In fact . . . it occurred to me to pass by Vintage Visions, one more time, to see if the police were processing the scene. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me so much, but it kept niggling at the back of my mind.

“I think I’ll take these two pups to the dog park,” I announced. “I need a little fresh air. I’ll be back in an hour.”

*   *   *

In the back of my mind I thought Rolando might be at the park; I remembered him—and his dog—playing with Colonel Mustard, and I held out a small flicker of hope that he might be interested in adopting the dog.

Of course, I supposed there might be paperwork involved. I wasn’t sure how it worked when someone was arrested: Could their pets be adopted out? But even if it
was only temporary, Colonel Mustard needed fostering; Oscar’s attitude aside, he was really too big and rambunctious to be happy in my little apartment.

A man with a little white moppet of a dog was there when I arrived, but otherwise the park was empty. He left soon after we arrived, looking askance at my two big canine companions.

So I threw the ball for Colonel Mustard for a while, simply enjoying the way my ring glinted in the sunshine, and thinking about how fortunate I was.

Loretta lingered by the oak tree, a bee buzzing around her head. I went to shoo the bee away. When I scratched Loretta’s neck, her collar tinkled.

I could feel the faint vibrations of Selena’s power in the silver bee charm hanging from her collar. But there was something else. Something more. I crouched down to inspect the charms. The Maltese cross didn’t draw my attention this time, but the little almond-shaped bottle did.

It reminded me of the receptacle that I had seen in my vision, when I was in Aidan’s hexagonal chamber: The sky had rained tears of blood into it.

I studied the bottle. It was tiny. But when I cradled it in my palm, I could feel it: It hummed. It was filled with the energy of grief. Great sorrow and anguish.

This was a lacrimatory.

A bee buzzed by and returned, then flew around and around my head.
Are you trying to tell me something, Beatrice Beech?

Could this be Jedediah Clark’s lacrimatory? Had he shed tears over his fiancée into this bottle, and tucked it away in her trunk? Had Autumn found it along with the trousseau, thought it pretty, and attached it to Loretta’s
collar? Or had she somehow known it was powerful and tried to hide it in plain sight, on her dog’s collar?

A man arrived at the park. But he didn’t have a dog with him.

“Jamie? What are you doing here?”

“Just happened by, thought I recognized you.”

“Nice to see you,” I said, straightening. What were the chances that Jamie was just happening by? I looked around, hoping some other dog lovers might be arriving. We were in a public place, but still.

“Those your dogs? Hey there, pup,” he made kissy sounds. Colonel Mustard came trotting up to him; Jamie scratched his neck, then threw the ball. Then he crossed over to Loretta, who lingered by the oak tree. He crouched down in front of her and started stroking her under her chin.

“You look like you’re a dog lover,” I said. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in adopting Colonel Mustard, the poodle?”

But Jamie wasn’t listening. His hands froze, still on Loretta’s neck.

“Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. She was right,” he said.

“Who was right?”

“Here’s the thing,” he said, taking off Loretta’s collar. “I need to borrow this.”

“No,”
I said.

But for the third time that week, a gun was pointed at me.

“Hey, I’m really sorry. I gotta tell you, this is a desperate situation, so I wouldn’t push it if I were you. I gotta do what I gotta do, if you know what I mean.”

“Who do you work for?”

He shook his head. “Not for me to say. You’ll find out
soon enough. We’ll meet again, and then, I dunno, I guess you can try to get your revenge, or whatever. Listen, I’m sorry. I got no choice.”

He backed away, gun in one hand, collar in the other. Then he turned and ran.

The bee buzzed by, and Loretta let out a howl.

*   *   *

I got the dogs in the car and pulled around the corner to drive by Vintage Visions. Sure enough, the store was now covered with crime scene tape and appeared, from what I could see through the windows, to be a mess inside.

So the police were finally investigating. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any cops currently on the premises.

Next door, Renee’s cupcake shop was open. I parked in a shady spot and cracked the windows.

“I won’t be long,” I said. “Be good pups.”

I took a moment to stroke my medicine bag and center myself before entering the cupcake shop. The scents of cinnamon and orange enveloped me. But I thought I sensed something acrid underneath the heavenly aroma.

“Well, hello there!” said Renee, smiling and radiating welcome. “
Lily
, how lovely to see you.”

“Does Jamie work for you?” I blurted out.

Her smile froze. “I can’t believe he told you that.”

“He didn’t tell me. I guessed.”

“Well, you work for Aidan, right? We all work for someone. Unless, of course, we’re in charge.”

“Okay . . .” I wasn’t sure why that was pertinent. But if she knew about my association with Aidan, it was clear I was on the right track. “Jamie stole a dog collar from me.”

“He
did
? Good for him! Well, now, that’s wonderful
news!” A big metal sifter made a metallic clanking noise as Renee applied a dusting of powdered sugar to a plate of frosted cupcakes.

“Stop playing around, Renee. Tell me what’s going on. How are you involved in what happened to Autumn?”

She stopped what she was doing, set down the sifter, and focused on me. The pleasant smile never left her face, but her eyes seemed to glitter with malice. And I caught another faint whiff of something putrid under the sweet smells emanating from the cupcakes.

“I had absolutely
nothing
to do with poor Autumn’s demise. Haven’t you figured that one out yet? From what I gathered, the lovely Mrs. Morgan—the one with the poodle, right down the street?—had a bee in her bonnet over some ridiculous curse from her ancestors. I’d wager she was involved somehow. I could tell there was something a little
off
about her, first time we met. You didn’t notice?”