Chapter 8
“Going to be a long day today,” Pyper Lindenberg said. “How about three peanut-butter-chocolate-chip energy balls, and an Orange-You-Glad muffin?”
“Coming up.”
Adeline quickly bagged the order, rang her up, and slid down to the display case for the next customer. Friday mornings were one of her busiest mornings of the week. She kept up the rigorous pace for over an hour before things finally started to slow down.
“That Ivan Johansson had some nerve last night,” Herschel said as he took his Time-Twirl cinnamon roll from her. “That new chief should have arrested him.”
“You should just hex him next time, Adeline,” a selkie shifter suggested.
Adeline reached for a tray of Zest-for-Life lemon scones on the pass-through window when the overhead bells chimed. She looked over and saw Chief Wolfe standing in the doorway.
He did not look happy.
“Good morning, Chief,” she said carefully. “You here for another non-magical chocolate-chip cookie?”
He didn’t smile. Just walked toward the counter, not bothering to acknowledge the others inside the bakery.
“Looks like we’re about to get arrested,” Princess Muffin Top said from her pillow. “Who wants to take bets?”
“Can we talk?” Chief Wolfe asked, ignoring the cat.
Adeline wiped her hands on her apron and glanced around the bakery.
Half a dozen customers were scattered throughout...
Mrs. Patterson and her daughter sharing a table near the window, two young witches from the candle shop on their break, Herschel in his usual spot, and two waiting in line to order.
Every single one of them had stopped eating or talking and was watching the exchange with wide eyes.
“Is this about the battery on the bulldozer?” she asked. “Because I told you yesterday that I had nothing to do with it.”
“No. Someone spray-painted ‘Stop killing the squish-squids’ all over the bulldozer in glitter paint. And the battery cables were tampered with again.”
Adeline’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“Glitter?” Princess Muffin Top’s ears perked up. “What color?”
Chief Wolfe looked at the cat. “Does that matter?”
“It matters to me.” Princess Muffin Top picked up a paw and examined it. “I have standards.”
“It’s some kind of magical disappearing glitter from what I understand,” Chief Wolfe said. “But that’s beside the point.”
Adeline ignored her cat and held Chief Wolfe’s gaze. “It wasn’t me. I went home after the market, had some wine, and went to bed.”
“And I can vouch for all of that,” Princess Muffin Top announced. “I was right there the entire time. I had water, by the way. I’m not a lush like Adeline.”
“You’re not helping,” Adeline hissed to her cat.
Chief Wolfe sighed, and she could tell he wasn’t happy. “I’m sorry, Adeline. I’m going to have to take you down to the station and question you officially.”
“Are you arresting her?” Herschel stood up from his chair so fast his Soother Scone went sliding across the table. “Do I need to call a lawyer?”
“He’s not arresting me, Herschel,” Adeline said quickly, even though she wasn’t entirely sure that was true. “Besides, it’s not like I haven’t been arrested before.”
“This is outrageous,” Mrs. Patterson declared, her teacup clattering against the saucer. “That girl wouldn’t hurt a fly, much less destroy property!”
“She chained herself to a bulldozer two days ago,” Mrs. Patterson’s daughter pointed out.
“That’s different!” Mrs. Patterson said. “That was for the squish-squids!”
The bakery erupted into chaos. Customers talking over each other, opinions flying, someone near the back suggesting they form a protest outside the police station. Again. While others secretly took bets on whether or not she’d be arrested. Again.
“Everyone, please.” Chief Wolfe held up a hand. “This is routine questioning. That’s all.”
Emory came running through the archway, her eyes wide. She took one look at Adeline and shook her head. “You have to be kidding me?”
“Afraid not,” Adeline said.
Emory pressed her lips together, then pulled out her phone. “I’ll call Dawnya and have her come in to help cover both shops. Go. I’ve got this.”
Adeline untied her apron and hung it on the hook behind the counter. “Can I follow you in my Beetle Bus?”
“I’m afraid not. You’ll have to ride with me.” He glanced around at the customers still watching and lowered his voice. “Or we could simply walk? It’s just down the street.”
“Let’s walk,” Adeline said.
She’d definitely rather walk the length of Tide Street with the chief of police than ride in the back of his Tahoe like a criminal for the second time in three days.
Princess Muffin Top jumped down from her bed and landed on the floor with a heavy thud. “If you think you’re leaving without me, you’ve both lost your minds.”
The three of them stepped out onto the sidewalk, and Princess Muffin Top took the lead, tail swishing like an angry windshield wiper as she sang at the top of her lungs, “Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?”
People stopped on the sidewalk to stare at the sight they made.
“I can’t make her stop,” Adeline said quietly.
“I’m aware,” he said through clenched teeth.
They made it to the station in what felt like the longest two minutes of Adeline’s life. Beulah was already on her feet when they came through the door, fussing and fretting.
“Oh, sweetie,” Beulah said, hurrying around her desk. “Can I get you some tea? Coffee? A scone? I think I have one of yours left over from yesterday.”
“No, thank you, Beulah,” Adeline said. “I’m fine.”
Officers Dixon and Casswell were both at their desks, watching silently.
Princess Muffin Top sailed past all of them and walked through the slats of the cell, hopping up onto the cot and grooming herself as if she owned the place.
“Let’s just sit out here,” Chief Wolfe suggested.
“What?” Adeline teased. “No fingerprints? No strip search?”
Something flashed in his eyes...quick and hot, but gone before she could decide what it meant. He cleared his throat. “No. None of that. Just questions.”
She sat down in one of the open chairs and spread out her hands. “Ask away.”
He pulled over a chair and sat across from her. “Where were you last night after the market?”
“Emory and I took down the booth. That took about thirty minutes. I put the leftover pastries in a box, like I always do, to drop off at the hospital on my way home for the graveyard doctors and nurses, and then after dropping those off, I drove the Beetle home. Got there around nine.”
“And after that?”
“Changed clothes. Put on the latest audiobook from Annabel Chase. Drank some wine. Went to bed around eleven.”
“I had water,” Princess Muffin Top called from the cell. “I want that on the record.”
Adeline glared at the cat. “Get out of that cell. You’re being ridiculous.”
Princess Muffin Top turned her back on everyone and began licking her front paw.
Chief Wolfe leaned back in his chair. “Did you leave your house at any point after you got home?”
“No. I was home all night.”
“What time did you get up this morning?”
“I was at the bakery by five. Same as every morning.”
He wrote something down on the notepad in front of him. His handwriting was small and precise. She watched him write and tried not to think about how strong and masculine his forearms looked when he pressed the pen to the paper.
“That’s all I need for now,” he said.
The front door banged open, and Princess Muffin Top immediately launched into another song. “I’m in the jailhouse now!”
Grandmother Lavinia Beaumont swept into the station in a cream-colored pantsuit.
Once again, her silver bob was immaculate, her gray eyes were glacial, and her heels clicked sharply on the hardwood floor.
Adeline had to admit this was a record for her grandmother—visiting the police station twice in three days.
Usually her grandmother never came down to get her… it was always Emory.
Her grandmother stopped in front of Chief Wolfe and looked down at him. “Chief Wolfe.”
“Ma’am.”
“My granddaughter would never stoop to something so low as vandalizing construction equipment,” Grandmother Lavinia snapped.
“If you’d done your homework, you would know she has only ever been arrested for protesting.
Peacefully. She chains herself to things and makes speeches.
She does not sneak around in the dark destroying property.
” Her eyes narrowed. “Did the council make a mistake hiring someone who can’t see the difference? ”
The silence that followed was so awkward, Adeline wanted to crawl under the table. She glanced at Cassie Casswell, who was watching the exchange with wide eyes. And Dixon was suddenly fascinated by something on his desk.
Chief Wolfe held Grandmother Lavinia’s gaze without flinching. “This was just routine questioning.” He paused. “And I’m fully aware of what offenses Adeline has been arrested for in the past.” One corner of his mouth lifted. “It is my job to know these things after all.”
Adeline jumped to her feet. “Are Princess Muffin Top and I free to go?”
“Yes,” he said.
She motioned toward the cell with her hand. “Come on, Princess Muffin Top. We’re leaving.”
The cat took her sweet time stretching and yawning before she hopped down from the cot. On her way past Chief Wolfe’s desk, she paused and looked up at him. “You know, for a wolf, you’re not half bad. But you need to work on your interrogation skills. I wasn’t even nervous.”
Adeline caught Cassie’s eye on the way out, and her childhood friend gave her a small nod.
They stepped outside into the morning sun, and Grandmother Lavinia was on her before the door even closed.
“This is precisely the behavior I’ve been warning you about, Adeline. Your image, your responsibility to this family—”
“It’s almost lunch,” Adeline said, cutting her off. “I need to get back to the bakery. We’ll chat later, Grandmother Lavinia.”
She didn’t wait for a response. She and Princess Muffin Top hurried down Tide Street, the cat trotting beside her with her tail and head held high.
The bakery was warm and smelled like sugar when she pushed through the front door. Emory was behind her counter, laughing at something Vivien Hollingsworth was saying.
The customers all spotted Adeline and immediately started in.
“What happened?”
“Did he arrest you?”
“Are you okay?”
“Did they take your mugshot again? Because the last one was actually quite flattering. You should just have them always use that one.”
Adeline put on her bravest smile. “Just a misunderstanding. Everything’s fine.”
She waited until the last customer paid and left before she turned to Emory. “We need a girls’ night tonight. We need to figure out who’s actually doing this before I end up in that cell for real.”
Emory already had her phone in her hand. “I’ll text Tempi and Cassie.”
Adeline nodded. “Cassie will be expecting the text.”
Princess Muffin Top jumped up onto the counter and strolled over to her bed. “For the record, I’ve already solved the case.”
Adeline and Emory both turned to look at the snarky cat.
“Well?” Adeline demanded. “Who is it?”
Princess Muffin Top picked up her front paw and started to groom herself. “I was only joking. I really am the full package...funny and beautiful.”