Chapter 11
“I should have seen it,” I said again. I felt like I was stuck on repeat.
Jules made a soft sound and tightened her arm across my back. She was warm and soft and smelled like lilacs.
I wanted to lean my head on her shoulder and close my eyes and disappear, but the commotion of everyone moving in the tight space to take pictures and record evidence was too much to ignore. I squeezed the broken teddy bear in my hands.
“Seers can’t always see the future.” Myra Reed handed me a tissue.
I didn’t even realize I was still leaking tears. I dabbed. “Thank you.”
Myra was the middle Reed sister, built curvier than Delaney or Jean. She wore her hair and makeup in a rockabilly style. She had the gift of always being in the right place at the right time with the right thing on hand.
Like tissue.
Jean had once joked that Myra’s pockets were very useful junk drawers.
Myra was also the sister who kept the secret library full of magical books safe, secret, and hidden.
“I know being a seer has its drawbacks,” I said forcing my jittery thoughts back to the conversation. “Yancy hasn’t been able to see the future all week. Jean said her doom-twinges have been off more than usual, and I’ve been…” I shrugged.
“You’ve been what?” Myra asked.
“The future, futures, have been a big messy jumble. Usually I see the most likely three or I see nothing. Lately I’ve been seeing a big old mess of futures with people jumping in and out of them. It’s so weird.”
“Hold on.” Myra held up a finger. “You’ve seen people jumping between futures? Who?”
“I can’t see their faces. But maybe demigods?”
Myra took a deep breath. “Possible. It could also be the god of time or other minor time deities. Lots of meddlers out there. One demigod I know said he can hold the current now in place to keep a future from happening no matter how much free will other people exert.”
“You know other demigods?” I asked.
“Sure. They don’t live in Ordinary. I would have introduced you if they did.”
“Hold on,” Jules said. “Back up to the keep-a-future-from-happening. What does that even mean?”
“What it sounds like. He holds a future still until it becomes the now, or he holds it still and can reach into it to take things out. He told me he only does that when he loses his keys or phone. Hold the future that had the keys in it, reach in, and retrieve the keys.”
“That sounds handy,” Jules said.
“That sounds complicated,” I said. “What if you doubled up on an item, producing two versions in one reality?”
“Oh, there are rules against it. One of which is that it is not allowed in Ordinary. But he insisted small insignificant items were okay to retrieve because the now he was in would disappear something else to make up for it.”
“Like one sock always missing from the dryer?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“Oh,” Jules said. “Or storage containers losing their lids.”
“That’s it,” she said. “Small things taken from a future don’t mess with the timeline. But large things, magical things, historical things, significant things are nearly impossible to nab because the current now rejects them and the demigod.
“No one wants to end up stranded in a non-viable future with the object they weren’t able to steal.”
I shivered at the thought of being lost in time like that.
“Note to self,” Jules said, “do not mess with the future or time.”
Myra nodded. “Good plan.”
“Do you think the people I see moving between futures are just looking for their keys?”
“If Vandre and his lost keys are to be believed, yes,” Myra said.
The world took a little spin.
“Vandre?” I asked. “Simon Vandre?”
“You know him?”
“He was at the diner. A couple times. He said he was a detective. But Aggie, my new coworker, said he owned an antique store.”
“Yes, he’s a detective. He might own an antique store, too,” Myra said. “He didn’t when I saw him several years ago. When was he at the diner?”
“Last night, and before that, he was there when Hugo…” My gaze ticked over to the backroom where Kenny had been attacked.
Killed. Where Kenny had been killed.
“…the night Hugo died,” I said. “Does he work for Ordinary police?”
“No, he’s part of an organization that enforces the magical law in the rest of the world.”
Jules hummed. “He keeps track of gods and demigods getting up to whatever it is they do?”
“Crimes,” I said. “Stealing things from the future, I bet.”
“He wouldn’t have a job if that answer were no.” Myra smiled.
I laughed. It was a bit watery, but just knowing that Vandre really was a detective helped settle some things for me. He threw off so many conflicting vibes, I hadn’t been able to get a good read on him.
His hand on my cheek as he leaned in to kiss me…
Okay, so my heart, or at least my curiosity, had a good read on him, but I knew better than to believe one vision was the whole future.
“Did Vandre check in with you about Hugo’s death?” I asked.
Myra gave me a curious look. “No. Why would he?”
“He said he checked in with Ordinary’s police.”
“Could have been Hatter or Shoe. We’re all a bit…”
I thought she was going to say stressed. Worried. Afraid for Jean being found at the scene of the crime.
Also being a murder suspect at the scene of the crime, I thought.
“…we’re a bit out of sorts.”
“Any new information on Jean’s innocence?” Jules asked.
“You know I can’t share that with you, auntie.”
“That sounds like no to me. How are you holding up? How’s Delaney?”
Myra glanced over her shoulder.
I followed her gaze.
Delaney paced through the store, hands on her hips, a deep scowl sparking storm light in her eyes. She examined every detail like a million lives were on the line and any wrong move she made—any detail she missed—would send those lives hurtling off a cliff.
I knew how she felt.
“She’s not used to having to step back on investigations,” Myra said. “It’s not that Hatter and Shoe aren’t good police officers—they are excellent investigators and have been meticulous and thorough. It’s just that…”
“Jean’s her sister,” I said gently. “Your sister too. I can imagine how frustrating this is. Do you think the murders are connected? Hugo and Kenny?”
“Murders?” Myra’s gaze was intense. “What makes you think this was murder?”
“It looked like a head wound,” I said. “The back of his head. But he fell forward. Which makes me think someone hit him in the back of the head, instead of him falling, hitting his own head, then dropping forward on his face.
“Also, the shop.” I waved the teddy bear at it. “It wasn’t this much of a mess yesterday.”
“You were here yesterday? When?”
“I went over this with Delaney, but I came by in the afternoon to ask him if he could donate something to the Boast of the Coast. I didn’t know until today that he’d donated the bears.”
“Was that bear in the shop when you arrived today?”
“No. I sorted donations earlier and this one didn’t work. I brought it back here to see if he’d fix it.”
“Myra, come look at this,” Delaney called out.
Myra nodded. “Back to work for me. Piper, I know I don’t have to say this, but stay in Ordinary—well, of course you can go to your job—but don’t go on any vacations or any other trips for a few weeks. We may need to question you again as we gather evidence.”
“I’ll be here if you need me.”
“Good.” She gave me a small smile.
For a moment, I realized how young she really was. She and her sisters had been given such a huge responsibility for this magical, god-visited town, a responsibility that made them seem older than they were.
But they were mortals. Long lived for sure because their family had been chosen to look after Ordinary, but even though I looked to be firmly in my forties, I could be their grandmother.
“Myra?” I said as she turned.
“Yes?”
“It’s all going to work out.”
She frowned, curious. “Is that you looking into the future?”
“No, that’s me knowing there hasn’t been a crime that’s hit this town that you and your sisters haven’t solved.”
“Here’s hoping we keep the streak going.” She strolled over to Delaney who was reading through a ledger.
“Yes, okay,” I said.
“What?” Jules asked.
“Oh. I thought you were going to ask if you could take me home.”
“I was! You just got ahead of me. How about we get you a nice cup of tea on the way?”
“I have some at home. Would you stay for a little bit? I don’t want to take up your day, but I could use a friend right now.”
“Please take up my day. I’d rather have tea with my friend than worry by myself. Come on. And bring Teddy. We can have a picnic.”
* * *
“Why did I think I could do this?” I’d left the teddy bear in the back of my car. Smuckleberry was curled up on my lap, a warm purring comfort. We’d been sitting here for hours.
“Drink tea?” Jules asked.
I chuckled. “No, solve the murder.”
“Because you have a good heart, you’re smart, and you want to see justice served.”
“Or I thought, since I can look into the future, it would be easy.”
Jules hummed. “You don’t often look ahead for the big stuff, and you’ve never used your gift as a get-out-of-jail-free card. I suppose it’s never easy to solve a murder, no matter what abilities we have.”
“But why did I think I could…I mean, catch a killer? C’mon.” I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. “This was a mistake.”
“Maybe you just need to talk it out. You’ve done all of this on your own.”
“Not really. I’ve talked to people. You were…well, you were there when I talked to Jean.”
“And you’ve done the rest on your own. Share the load, friend. Let me help. Tell me about finding the body.”
“Which one?”
“Hugo. Slowly, what did you see?”
I took a sip of tea, then dragged my fingers through Smuckleberry’s fur.
“He was face down, his jacket pulled back like someone had grabbed him from behind. Like he had tried to walk away. He had a wound in his back and blood all around him. Then I saw Jean.”
“Who was at the diner then?”
“Me, Buzz. Aggie had just left. A couple regulars were eating. They’d sat for over an hour and were still there when I went back inside.”
“What about Shelly?”
“She’d gone home hours before.”
“So…how well do you know Aggie?”
I opened my mouth to say she couldn’t have done it, but stopped. “She’s new to the area. She seems…”
Would I describe her as friendly?
“…she is nice enough. She has a past she wants to leave behind and sometimes she’s a little rude to the customers. But I can understand that. She’s just barely moved here, and a move is always stressful. She doesn’t have many friends.”
“Could she be a suspect?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think she knew Hugo, I don’t think she had any motivation to do it. But she was there that night. I saw her come out of the bathroom.”
“The bathroom is near the back door,” Jules pointed out. “Had Jean left before she came out of the bathroom?”
“Yes. Aggie left on break, then Jean left. Then Aggie returned and left for the night.”
“And,” Jules went on, warming up to the idea, “Aggie would have had access to a kitchen knife. The diner has knives.”
“That’s…well, it’s not impossible for her to have taken one when Buzz wasn’t looking, but it would be hard. Buzz keeps a sharp eye on everyone and everything in the diner, including his knives. But I guess Aggie could be a suspect.” I sighed. “I really thought it was Kenny, though.”
“Who is dead.” Jules sat back. “Why did you think it was him?”
“He called Hugo a thief and a liar. He said Hugo didn’t treat Gail right. Kenny and Hugo were partners but Kenny was going to buy him out of the business for cheap. And Kenny was really angry at Hugo, so he had lots of reasons to kill him. See how bad I am at this?”
“Nonsense. You have great instincts. Maybe it was Kenny.”
“Statistically two killers in this short of a time? Especially since the victims were business partners? It’s more likely the almost ex-wife.”
“Gail.”
“I talked to her at the car wash. She was very…matter of fact about Hugo’s death. She’s been stepping out on Hugo with Kenny.”
Jules raised her eyebrows. “And I thought I heard all the juicy gossip.”
“She’s also part owner of the Wires and Widgets building along with Kenny and Hugo.”
“All the more reason to kill them both and take the profits.”
“She wants to travel,” I said, feeling more excited. “She could sell the business, or the building, and make enough to move to Japan.”
“That’s motive!” Jules said.
“And she was at the diner the night Hugo died. She could have waited for him to show up. Could have called him out there.”
“Opportunity!” Jules said. “This is great!”
I laughed and pressed my fingers over my mouth. “We shouldn’t be happy about murder.”
“Pffft. We’re happy about solving murders. It’s an entirely different thing. Are those all your suspects?”
“Yes. Well, no. There’s one more.”
She sipped tea and gave me a nod.
“Vandre. The detective. Who is also a demigod. He showed up after Aggie got hired. Well, the day before the murder, really.”
“What do you think about him?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s bad.”
His hand on my cheek as he leaned in…
Heat spread across my face.
“Or maybe it’s good?” Jules teased.
“Or maybe it’s because he’s a demigod and demigods seem to throw me off?”
“Do they throw you off?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t get a good read on him. But he’s the first demigod I’ve been around. Maybe it’s just that my ability is on the fritz. I’m getting mixed signals off of Aggie too, but she’s pretty moody.”
“Just like Jean’s and Yancy’s seer abilities are out of whack.”
“That’s not normal, is it?” I asked. “To have three seers unable to seer the way they usually can?”
“No, it isn’t normal. But neither is two murders.”
That was sobering. “I should leave this to the professionals.”
Jules took another sip of tea. “It’s your choice, Piper. What do you want to do?”
Logic said the police were much better at solving crimes than one waitress seer.
But my heart said otherwise. Partly because I felt I owed it to Delaney and her sisters to help prove Jean’s innocence, and partly because I wanted to, darn it.
The murder had happened right there, at my work, right there, where I spent so much time and met so many people. Right there, where it should be a safe, cozy, friendly space that served up great food and warmth.
I didn’t like that someone had died right outside our back door.
I wanted to make sure that whoever had done that, could never do it again.
Ordinary was my home now. The Blue Owl was my hearth. I wanted it to be safe and welcoming.
Even for jerks like Kenny and Hugo.
“I think,” I said, “the professionals could use a hand now and then.”
Jules chuckled. “Well, then. Let’s give them a hand.”
“Us?”
“You don’t think I’m going to let you have all the fun, do you? What’s our next move?”
I grinned. “Let’s go give Gail a visit.”