Catnip Cantrips (Twilight Hollow Witchy Cozy Mysteries Book 2) Page 5

  “So what if we were.” My words came out scornful, though I wasn’t mad at Logan. I was mad at myself.

  We finished the walk toward his car in silence.

  He pulled his keys out of his pocket. “I’ll take you home.”

  “It’s only two blocks away,” I argued. “I can walk.”

  “Humor me.” He hit the button on his keychain to unlock the door, then opened it for me.

  I slipped inside, plopping down with a heavy sigh. I was a failure of a cat mom. It didn’t matter that he was a magical familiar. He was still my pet and I was supposed to take care of him.

  Logan walked around the car, got into the driver’s side, then started the engine. We spent the two minutes it took to reach my house in silence, then parked on the street.

  I twisted my lips, not quite ready to get out of the car. I should probably offer an apology for being rude when he was only trying to help, but I couldn’t quite muster it. “Martha is probably inside. You can come in and ask her your questions before my mom and sisters get here.”

  “Sure,” he said simply, then opened his door and got out.

  I felt sick and shaky as I exited the car, then walked up my driveway beside Logan. I had been hoping I’d find Spooky waiting outside the front door for me, but I didn’t see him anywhere.

  I unlocked the door and we both went inside. Everything was still and dark, no sign of Martha.

  I flipped on the light as Logan shut the door behind us.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  No answer.

  “I wonder where she is,” I muttered, leading the way into the kitchen. Things had been so busy at the cafe I hadn’t had time to eat.

  I noticed Spooky’s empty food dish on the floor near the dining table and the tears threatened again, but I held them back. Logan was right. Spooky had been around a long, long time. He knew how to take care of himself, and he would come back to me when he was ready. Or so I kept telling myself.

  I turned my back on Logan so he wouldn’t see the moisture in my eyes and started looking through the fridge.

  I hadn’t gone shopping in a while, but there was still leftover pizza that Callie and I had ordered the previous night. While we had never discussed it formally, either Luna or Callie slept over pretty much every night. We didn’t know when the dark magic would strike again, and neither of them was willing to let me be alone for it to happen.

  I pulled out the pizza box and set it on the counter, then turned to Logan and forced a smile. “Hungry? I’m sure Martha will show up soon.”

  “Addy—”

  I shook my head and held up a hand. “Don’t. If I talk about it I’m going to cry, and I don’t know you well enough to cry in front of you.”

  He watched me for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, pizza sounds good.”

  I plopped the box onto the counter, then moved past him to fetch plates from the cupboard. “So what did you learn from Alex?”

  I could feel him watching me as I put the plates beside the pizza box. “Not much. He knew she was coming out to hike this weekend, but claims he didn’t know the exact locations or itinerary. I’ll have to confirm that with Martha.” He hesitated. “You know, I shouldn’t be telling you any of this.”

  I managed a small smile as I turned toward him. “I’ll hear it anyways when you question Martha. And I’ve told you a lot of stuff I’m not supposed to tell anyone either.”

  He nodded. “True, I never thought police work would lead me to sharing an investigation with a witch.”

  “I noticed you don’t work with a partner,” I said, wondering if now would be the time that I would finally get some personal information out of him.

  His expression darkened, and I realized I’d hit a nerve. “That’s—” A knock at the door interrupted him.

  I silently cursed my sisters for their poor timing, then moved to answer the door. “Help yourself to the pizza,” I said as I passed Logan.

  I hurried through the living room, then answered my door to find both my sisters and my mother outside. They shivered in their autumn coats. Soon the night temperatures would drop enough that we would all be dressed in down parkas.

  I stepped aside to let them into the warmth.

  My sisters both moved past me and then into the kitchen, quickly noticing Logan and pulling him into conversation.

  My mom stayed behind, giving me a knowing look. She removed her stocking cap and shook out her ginger curls, the exact same shade as mine, though now they had a few streaks of white. “You lost the cat, didn’t you?”

  I put my hands on my hips. “Now how can you possibly know that already?”

  She gave me a secretive smile. “Well he’s not here.” She gestured toward the rest of the house. “I made a simple deduction.” She turned away and headed toward the kitchen.

  I followed her, grumbling, “Simple deduction my foot.”

  My mom always seemed to know things we hadn’t yet told her, though occasionally we could take her by surprise.

  We entered the kitchen to find Logan and my sisters seated at the dining room table. Both of my sisters were eating a slice of cold pizza, but Logan had abstained. I glanced at the box, noticing there were only two small pieces left, and wondered if he had left them both for me intentionally.

  Well, either way the gesture wouldn’t go to waste. I put both slices on the plate so my sisters couldn’t hog anymore, then leaned my butt against the countertop and started eating.

  My mom took up the last seat at the table, then addressed Logan, “I fear, Detective White, that we have family matters to discuss. Private family matters.”

  I scowled as I swallowed a bite of pizza. “I invited him here, and he already knows what’s going on.”

  He stood. “I came to question Martha, but if she’s not here, I can leave.”

  My mom gawked at him. “You, a mundane, came to question a ghost?” She turned to me. “Adelaide, just what is going on here?”

  So my sisters had told her about Martha, but not that Logan and I were working together to solve her murder. At least they were able to keep some secrets. “Mom, he’s trying to solve a murder. Don’t you think it’s helpful for him to hear from the victim? He asks the questions, and I translate.”

  She stood. “You should have banished that ghost the moment it appeared. Don’t you realize how dangerous it is for you to be around spirits?”

  I put my hands on my hips. “She came to me for help. I’m not just going to banish her.” I sensed a presence behind me and turned to watch Martha materialize near the fridge.

  “Maybe you should banish me,” she sobbed. “I would have rather not known the truth.”

  “What truth?” I sighed, giving her a dose of the irritation that was meant for my mom.

  She didn’t seem to notice my tone. “The truth of who killed me.” She looked upward, as if peering into the heavens. “My dear Alex, would you do such a thing?”

  My mom approached my side as I watched Martha break down in tears. I wasn’t sure what I could do. It wasn’t like I could physically comfort her.

  My mom leaned in near my shoulder. “Are you sure you want to involve a mundane in all of this?” she whispered.

  “He’s already involved,” I whispered back. “And I need his help to figure out what happened to Martha.”

  We both watched the sobbing ghost as my sisters explained to Logan what the rest of us were seeing. I was hoping she’d pull it together soon so she could explain what she meant about her ex-husband. Logan didn’t seem to think he was the murderer, so why was Martha suddenly so sure?

  Chapter Nine

  We all gathered around the sofa as Martha hovered just above the seat cushion with her head in her hands. “He’s selling the gallery,” she groaned. “How could he?”

  Logan stood near my shoulder. “So let me get this straight, she was there the whole time I was questioning him, then she stayed behind and looked at the paperwork on his desk?”

  I s
hrugged. “I guess it was just lucky that the contract was the paper on top. She’s a normal ghost, so she couldn’t open any drawers or anything.”

  Logan stroked his chin. “He just found out she was dead, and that her half of the gallery was left to him. He wouldn’t have been able to sell without her agreement while she was still alive.”

  Martha looked up at us. “So that’s it then, isn’t it? He might not have been the one who pushed me, but he was involved in my death. He would have never found a buyer so quickly if this wasn’t premeditated. And to already have the contracts drawn up?” She buried her head back in her hands.

  Logan looked to me. “Did she just say something?”

  Callie plopped down in a chair adjacent the sofa. “Only that you guys have found your murderer. Case closed.”

  Luna shook her head as she sat down on the sofa beside Martha. “We don’t know that for sure.” She looked up to Logan. “Will you be able to look at that contract? Maybe Martha misread what it was.”

  My mom moved to stand behind the couch where she could look at all of us. “What about these glowing spirit animals? Isn’t that what we’re here to talk about?”

  Martha lifted her head. “Glowing animals?”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You ask like you know something about it.”

  She nodded. “Cheryl claimed she saw a glowing fox the morning she canceled on our hike. She assumed she was getting a migraine and had hallucinated it. Are you telling me what she saw was real?”

  We all stared at her, except for Logan, who was staring at me waiting for an explanation.

  My mom sighed. “Alright, maybe the murder and the animals are connected.”

  “What did I miss?” Logan interrupted.

  I pinched my brow and shook my head. Now I was the one getting a headache. “Cheryl saw one of the glowing animals too. I think there’s only one thing we can do now.” I lifted my gaze to find everyone watching me expectantly. I sighed. “We need to capture one of these glowing animals and figure out what it is. We should go tonight, they’ll be easier to spot in darkness.” And if I found my cat while I was at it, that would be a bonus.

  Logan leaned against the sofa arm. “And how do you propose we catch one?”

  “You don’t catch one,” I said. “You do more research on Martha’s ex-husband, or whatever else homicide detectives do. Leave the spirit animal catching to the witches.”

  Luna leaned back heavily against the couch cushions. “And here I’d actually hoped I’d get a full night’s sleep tonight.”

  My mom stepped around the sofa, her eyes on me. “I won’t have you wandering about the woods at night with that dark magic still on the loose. You and Luna will search around your neighborhood. Callie and I will take the woods.”

  “Why do I have to go to the woods?” Callie whined.

  My mom gave her a stern expression. “Because I can protect you out there, and Luna can watch over your sister. Hopefully before the night is through one of us will manage to find something.”

  “But what will I do?” Martha asked.

  “Go with Addy,” my mom decided. “You can be an extra set of eyes.”

  I almost commented that she might scare the animals away, but her face had lit up at the suggestion and I wasn’t prepared to take the task away from her. She needed something to distract herself from what she had learned.

  “All right,” I decided, “I’m going to call Max before it gets too late and see if he has any animal traps.”

  Logan watched the exchange, seeming to comprehend that Martha was part of the conversation. “Why do you need traps? I thought you were going to use . . . witch tactics.”

  Ah, how to explain things to a mundane. “We can try using magic to lure these creatures, but we don’t know what they are, so I don’t want to depend on magic alone to trap them. They seem to behave like normal animals, so a regular physical trap might be best.”

  He nodded along, though he still seemed hesitant.

  I took my phone out of my pocket. “I’ll make the call real quick, hopefully he’s still up.”

  I walked into the kitchen as I scrolled through my contacts for Max’s number, wondering what he might think of my request. I didn’t even know if he would have traps, but he was a livestock vet as well as a domestic vet, so hopefully he would have something.

  I leaned my butt against the counter, waiting for him to answer.

  When it got to the sixth ring, I almost hung up, then his voice came over the line. “Addy? What’s wrong?”

  “Why does something have to be wrong?” I asked innocently.

  I could visualize him smiling on the other end of the line. “You’ve just never called me this late at night before.”

  “Did I wake you?”

  “Another twenty minutes and you might have,” he laughed. “What’s up?”

  “I have an odd request, and I’m hoping you won’t ask any questions.”

  He was silent for a moment. “Well you have my attention.”

  “I was wondering if you have any animal traps I can borrow for the night.”

  Another moment of contemplative silence. “Large or small?”

  “Both?”

  He sighed. “You’re trying to catch one of those glowing animals Sophie was talking about, aren’t you?”

  I winced. “So you heard about those, huh?”

  He laughed. “You just can’t ignore a good mystery, can you?”

  You have no idea, I thought. “Guilty as charged. So can I borrow some traps?”

  “On one condition.”

  “Name it,” I said automatically.

  “You let me come with you. I’d never forgive myself if I let you traipse through the woods alone at night, only to get mauled by a bear.”

  The offer was sweet, and I couldn’t quite think of how to argue. I didn’t know where else we would get traps at this hour. “Are you sure you’re up for it tonight? You did say you were about to go to bed, and I was thinking more about setting the traps on the outskirts of my neighborhood. I should be fine.”

  “If you really must do it tonight, I can bring the traps by in half an hour. It will go faster if I help you set them.”

  I thought about it for a moment. I could always have Max help us set the traps, then use magic to lure the animals in after he’d gone home. “I’ll see you in thirty minutes then, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”

  “What I would mind is being left out of the mystery. See you soon.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  We hung up, and I went back into the living room.

  Everyone was seated except for Logan, who leaned against the couch with his arms crossed. “And how do you intend to explain to the vet what you’ll do to draw the animals in?”

  I wrinkled my nose. “The vet doesn’t ask as many questions as the detective. He’s willing to help a friend out.”

  Logan smirked. “All right, at least let me know how it goes.”

  I gave him a little salute, then moved to walk him to the door while my family and the ghost watched on.

  Once Logan had opened the door and stepped outside, he motioned for me to step outside with him.

  Assuming he wanted privacy, I stepped out and shut the door. Icy air closed around me like a fist. “Eesh it’s cold!” I looked to Logan. “Whatever you need to say, make it quick.”

  My porch light cast shadows across half of his face as he leaned in near me, his breath fogging the air. “Can you try to ask Martha more about Alex while you’re out setting traps? I find it hard to believe that he caused her death so he could sell the gallery. He seemed genuinely distraught over the news.”

  I wrapped my arms tightly around myself. “Maybe he was just overwhelmed with guilt. Do you think you’ll be able to find the contract she mentioned?”

  “I’ll need a warrant. It might take some time.” He looked me up and down. “You be careful tonight.”

  “I’ll have Max and Luna with me. I’ll be fine
.”

  “Neither Max or Luna carry a gun.” He turned to go. “Call me if you need me.”

  I watched him walk down the driveway to his car, wondering if he was a bit jealous that Max got to come animal trapping, or if he was just genuinely worried about my safety.

  He got in his car and drove away. I shook my head. I had enough mysteries to deal with, I didn’t need to add the mystery of Logan White to the list . . . at least not until we’d solved Martha’s murder and I had my familiar back.

  When my teeth started chattering uncontrollably, I went back inside. I had thirty minutes to change into something warm and prepare for an evening of setting traps.

  Here was hoping I wouldn’t trap more than I could handle.

  Chapter Ten

  Thirty minutes later, I was dressed in my forest green down parka with a black stocking cap pulled over my ginger curls. Callie and my mom had gone to start searching the woods since my mom had a few traps at her place. She used them to relocate any animals that got a little too bold stealing vegetables from her garden.

  Luna lounged on the couch, cozy in my pumpkin orange sweater with her wool coat ready to go on top.

  Martha materialized as a knock on the door signaled Max’s arrival.

  I hurried across the living room and answered it, finding him standing outside with no traps in sight. He looked different with a stocking cap pulled over his normally tousled hair, and a heavy black coat instead of his white lab coat.

  His breath fogged the air with his words. “You sure picked an interesting night to go out setting traps. I think we’re about to have our first freeze.”

  I opened the door wide. “Come in where it’s warm.” I spotted his vehicle out on the street. “Are the traps in your Jeep?”

  He walked inside past me, bringing with him a gust of cool air. “I figured it would be easier if I drove, so we can just leave them in the back until we need them.” He spotted Luna sitting on the couch and gave her a wave, then peered around the living room. “Where’s Spooky?”

  Luna glanced at me, noted my crumbling expression, then explained, “He ran off after a mouse earlier tonight, we’re hoping he’ll come back soon.”