I Put a Spell on You (16 page)

Esme and I still weren’t back on track after the disastrous divination session so I hadn’t really expected to be bombarded with calls from her. But I’d have thought she’d have at least texted to see how I was. I told myself I’d adopted a don’t ask, don’t tell approach to her relationship with Xander but actually it was more just don’t tell, on her part. I hadn’t had the opportunity to do any asking. I hoped she was getting things back on track with Jamie, but I feared she was spending her spare time with my wayward colleague instead.

Nothing bad had happened. Nothing had happened at the spa, and nothing had happened to me either. I thought that was a good thing, but I was so listless I barely cared.

When I’d stayed in Claddach nearly two weeks – I’d already stayed much, much longer than I’d planned and frankly I had no urge to leave any time soon – I woke up, showered and went downstairs as usual. I intended to head off on another long walk so I wanted to grab some snacks from the kitchen to take with me.

Mum and Tess were both in the kitchen – their business partner Eva was obviously opening up today – and they were talking about me.

“She’s never been one to give up,” Mum was saying. “That’s not the Harry I know.”

I stopped outside the door, knowing I shouldn’t be listening but unable to stop myself.

“She’s got no interest in anything,” Tess agreed. “That spa is her pride and joy, and Xander says she’s not even replied to his emails about the business.”

“It’s lucky he’s looking after it all so well,” Mum said. I heard her open the oven and the air filled with the delicious smell of freshly baked croissants. In my hiding place in the hall, my stomach growled with hunger.

“Anything could be happening while she’s up here and she wouldn’t know.”

“Could we enchant her?” Tess said. “Make her want to go back?”

“We could,” Mum said. “But she’d know. She’s a brilliant witch – better than you and me.”

“That’s true,” Tess said. “She’s got this wonderful way about her. I’m not convinced she knows how talented she really is.”

“I just wish I had her ability,” Mum said. “It’s effortless for her. Witches like you and me have to work twice as hard for half the results Harry gets.”

“But she works hard,” Tess said.

“Oh she works really hard,” Mum agreed. “That’s why she deserves all the success she’s had.”

I was chuffed. Amazed and chuffed. Did they really think I was a brilliant witch? Weeks and weeks later I’d wonder if they’d known I was outside the door, but at the time it didn’t even occur to me.

It was like a veil lifting.

“I am a brilliant witch,” I said to myself. “I bloody well am.”

I threw my shoulders back and tossed my hair.

“Effortless,” I said. “Success.”

I was successful, I knew that. At least, I had been, until a few weeks ago. And I could be again. I
would
be again. But it was clear that I wouldn’t get anywhere at all if I carried on hiding up here, lovely as it had been.

I stood up straighter, smoothed down my hair and walked into the kitchen.

“Morning,” I said. “I’m going back to Edinburgh.”

Chapter 24

I rang Louise from the train back to Edinburgh. She was gratifyingly pleased to hear from me.

“Xander said you’d gone back to the Highlands,” she said. “I thought maybe you didn’t have a signal up there.”

“It’s not the third world,” I said with a laugh. “I just needed some time out, you know.”

“I know,” she said. It turned out that when I’d not returned her calls, she’d popped into the spa and spoken to Xander. He’d filled her in on everything that had happened and told her I was blaming myself.

“This isn’t your fault,” she said now. “The only person to blame is the screwed-up individual who’s doing this. And we’ll find him – or her. Don’t worry.”

I looked out of the train window. We were crossing the Forth Bridge and approaching Edinburgh and I felt my heart lift.

“I’m not worried,” I told Lou. “Not with you fighting my corner.”

“Oh I’m fighting,” she said. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

In the event, though, I called her.

I got a taxi from Waverley back to the flat, hoping to see Esme, but there was nobody home. I put on some washing, slunk around the flat for a bit, then I decided to head to the spa and see what had been going on while I’d been away. It was early on Saturday evening and the spa was shut, but I often went in when we were closed, and so did Xander. I texted him to say I was going to be there, wondering if he’d be there too, and he replied saying he would probably be around.

The relentless rain of the last few weeks had stopped while I’d been away and Edinburgh looked fresh and clean instead of grey and mucky. It wasn’t as cold either, and a weak sun broke through the clouds as I walked down the road towards the spa. There was a hint of spring in the air, and that was enough to raise my mood even more. I popped into a coffee shop for a latte, treating the young lad behind the counter to my best dazzling smile and not even laughing when he got flustered and charged me £350 by mistake.

The front door was locked when I arrived, so I let myself in, locked the door again behind me and listened for any sound of Xander.

“It’s me,” I called. There was no answer.

I shrugged. He’d probably gone for a coffee or something. He’d be back.

I leafed through the appointment book looking at who was booked in for the coming week, then I decided to read all Xander’s notes on the clients he’d seen during the time I’d been away.

I took my coffee and my iPad and went through to the Zen garden. The Zen garden was my pride and joy. It was in the centre of the spa, with a glass roof that kept the rain out and warmth in. It was full of tropical plants, wind chimes and a hot tub.

And today, I thought, as I pulled open the door, it absolutely stank.

I put my hand over my face to block out the smell, almost gagging with the stench. What was that? I sent out silent thanks that the spa was closed today then, tucking the iPad under my arm, I wound my scarf, that had been hanging loose round my neck, up and over my nose and mouth. It smelt of Marc Jacobs Daisy and was a welcome relief from the horrible stink.

I had to work out where the smell was coming from. Could it be the hot tub? I leaned towards it, but I couldn’t see. Dammit. Gingerly, holding my scarf over my nose, I edged towards it. The water was still and murky. I leant over and pulled my scarf down. The smell hit me full force and I jumped backwards, stumbling over a wicker chair and falling heavily to the ground. It was sewage. Raw sewage. With – things – floating in it.

My stomach heaving, I scrambled to my feet and almost ran from the conservatory, slamming the door behind me. The wind chimes rattled. I stood in the corridor, my nose aching with the smell and wondered what to do next – call a plumber, I supposed – then I jumped as I heard voices from Xander’s office. Maybe he was here after all. Or maybe – my heart pounded – maybe whoever filled my hot tub with human excrement was still here.

This could be my chance to confront my tormentor, I thought. I would catch them red-handed and then I could finally find out why they were doing this. I tiptoed down the corridor, then realised I was armed only with an empty coffee cup and an iPad. Ducking into the studio, I dumped my tablet and threw the cup in the bin, then I grabbed a rolled-up yoga mat. I could still hear voices from Xander’s office. Voices, I registered now, that meant there was more than one person. Still, I wasn’t scared – at least not very scared. I had surprise on my side, and I could always chuck a spell at them to distract them.

Feeling invincible I brandished my yoga mat above my head as I approached Xander’s office. Then I paused and listened again. There was no sound from inside.

Hugging the yoga mat under one arm I slowly turned the door handle, then with the mat above my head once more, I kicked open the door, FBI style.

“Who are you and what are you doing?” I yelled, pointing my yoga mat like an AK47.

Xander was sitting at his desk, his laptop open in front of him.

“I’m Xander,” he said, his eyes crinkled with amusement. “And I’m working on your accounts.”

In relief, and embarrassment, I slunk into the chair opposite him, still hugging my mat.

“What were you going to do with that?” he said.

“I thought you were an intruder,” I said, knowing how paranoid I sounded. “There’s sewage in the hot tub.”

“Sewage?”

For the first time I noticed Esme was in the room. She was sitting on the floor next to Xander’s bookshelf, a book open in her lap. She had two flushed pink spots on her cheeks and her eyes were bright.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I came to borrow a book.” She waved it at me, but she didn’t stand up.

“
Economics for Small Businesses
,” I read. I raised my eyebrows at her.

“It’s very interesting.” She looked at me as though daring me to disagree. What was she up to?

“Hello, by the way,” she said. “You’re back then.”

“Evidently,” I said. She still didn’t move.

Xander leaned over the desk and kissed me on the cheek.

“Hello,” he said. “What’s this about sewage?”

I sat down opposite him, every scrap of my good mood gone.

“It’s in the Zen garden,” I said. “The hot tub is full of raw sewage.” I wondered if I was going to cry, but actually what I felt mostly was anger.

“We’ve never had any problems with the drains before,” said Xander.

“Exactly.” I clutched my yoga mat tighter. “It’s another thing. I’ve been back for approximately half an hour and bad things are happening again.”

I looked from Xander to Esme, who was still sitting in the corner.

“I’m not standing for this,” I said. “I’m fighting back.”

“Good for you,” said Ez.

“Come on then,” I said. “Let’s go.”

Xander and Esme looked at each other and for the first time I wondered what I’d interrupted when I’d burst in.

“Go where?” Esme said.

“My office,” I said, standing up. “I’m calling a meeting and I want it to be in my office. I’m going to phone Louise and then the four of us need to work out what to do.”

“Absolutely,” said Esme, without moving.

I turned to go.

“Are you coming?”

“In a minute,” Esme said. “I’ve, erm, just got something to do. I need another book.” She grabbed
Making Social Networking Work
from the shelf. She was definitely up to something, but I couldn’t be bothered to work it out. Instead, I looked at Xander.

“Are you coming?” I asked. 
He glanced, very briefly, at Esme. She gave him the tiniest of nods and he gave me the most dazzling of smiles.

“Right behind you,” he said. Scooping up his laptop and his coat, he pushed me out of the door.

Chapter 25

Louise arrived with incredible speed, bearing four cups of coffee and four muffins.

“I thought we might need a bit of a boost,” she said.

I kissed her on the cheek, and felt a small jolt of electricity as I did it.

“It’s good to see you,” I said.

“You too.”

We smiled at each other.

Xander coughed.

“Tell her about the poo in the pool,” he said.

Lou looked horrified.

“What?” she said. “Where?”

“Come and see,” I said, leading the way down the corridor towards the Zen garden. The smell was getting worse. “You might want to cover your nose and mouth.”

Louise copied me as I pulled my scarf up over my face again. Xander, who wasn’t wearing a scarf, ducked inside the neck of his gorgeous chunky jumper. I winced; he’d stretch it beyond repair.

“So,” I said, my voice muffled by the fabric of my scarf. “This is our relaxing Zen garden. There are wind chimes, tropical plants, reclining loungers, a hot tub…”

“And a lot of shit,” Xander said in disgust as I opened the door.

It was worse than it had been half an hour earlier. The sewage was obviously still flowing – now it bubbled over the top of the tub and was soaking into the wooden decking around it.

The three of us stood, huddled in the doorway and stared into the garden.

“Oh god,” I said. “Do we know any plumbers?”

“There’s a list at reception,” Xander said, not taking his eyes off the brown liquid that was oozing through the slats of the decking.

I waved my hand towards the hot tub and shot some sparks into the air. The water bubbled more violently.

“Bugger,” I said. “That’s the trouble with plumbing – you never know where the problem actually is. This could be a blockage way down the pipes and I’ve probably just made it worse.”

Louise was staring at me open-mouthed.

“I’ve never seen magic,” she said.

“Oh you probably have.” I gave her a gentle nudge. “It’s just you didn’t know what you were seeing.”

“Maybe one day Harry will show you some magic that works,” Xander said with an arch of his perfect eyebrow.

I turned my back on him and waved my hand again.

“I can’t stop it,” I said, sending silvery sparks high into the air and watching them rain down onto the filthy hot tub. “But I can contain it.”

Around the top of the mucky water, the air shimmered and then shaped itself into a glass dome. We could still see the horrible dirt beneath, but it wouldn’t spread any more, and hopefully the smell would be kept inside.

“Ingenious,” Xander said.

I smirked at him.

“That worked,” I said.

“Right,” said Louise. “You need to tell me everything.”

We walked back to my office and sat down on the sofa. Xander handed out the cups of coffee Lou had brought, then sat on the floor at my feet.

Louise pulled out a notepad.

“So nothing happened at all while you were away?”

“Nothing,” I said. “Unless Xander’s protecting me.”

Xander looked up at me.

“Nope,” he said. “Nothing happened.”

“So,” Louise began. She stopped as the door burst open and Esme rushed in.

“Look,” she panted. “I’ve found Star’s diary.”

She waved a notebook at me. It was a nice one, like you’d buy in Paperchase, with a chintzy fabric cover. It was very Star.