Chapter 6
When Mom still wasn’t home the next morning, I peeked into Dad’s room to bring him a steaming cup of pumpkin spice tea and let him know Jane and I were going to the station. We’d filled him in on the situation last night.
“Dad?” I whispered, setting the mug down on the bedside table.
“Lizzy?” His scratchy voice wasn’t much better than his ragged breathing. His eyes fluttered open and slowly focused on me. His face, once robust and filled with life, was now pale and drawn from his prolonged battle with the Moonrot ravaging his magic.
Hurriedly, I blinked back the tears trying to escape.
“Is your mother back?”
I tucked his fuzzy blanket more firmly around him, then took his trembling hand. It used to feel so large compared to mine—a hand that could shelter me from the world. But now I only wanted to protect him.
“Not yet,” I said. “Jane and I are going to the station now.”
“How do you think it was?” he asked.
“Mom’s night… away?” I wasn’t sure what to call it. “I’m sure she’s fine.”
“It wasn’t your mother I was worried about.” He gave me a ghost of his old sardonic smile. “I imagine the officers on duty had no idea what they were signing up for when they brought her in. They probably heard more about her nerves and her five single daughters than they cared to.”
I giggled, and the laugh lines around Dad’s eyes deepened as his smile strengthened.
“I should go with you.” He tried to get up but erupted in a fit of coughing.
My chest tightened, and I put a hand on his shoulder and gently pressed him back into bed. “Stay here, Dad. The most important thing you can do is rest.”
“Bring her home, my Lizzy girl.” Dad’s hand gripped mine feebly.
I choked back tears and pressed a kiss to his temple. “We’ll be back soon. The other girls are covering the bakery, so you don’t have to worry about anything.” I pulled free and slipped out the door before a sob could escape.
No matter how many times I saw Dad like this, it never got easier. We were supposed to have so much longer with him. Fae had twice the lifespan of humans, and losing him so soon felt even crueler considering all the years that were being stolen from us.
I took a few minutes to pull myself together, then I went across the hall to the magical door that separated the living room from the bakery, making sure the knob showed blue.
As soon as I stepped through, a wave of warmth surrounded me.
I couldn’t help but smile at the mouth-watering scents of pumpkin, cinnamon, and freshly baked raisin bread.
Treats lined the shelves, like macaroons which glowed with different pastel colors, charmed chocolate fudge, and lavender moonbury scones, which were famous for helping people sleep.
A few customers sat at tables, the mismatched chairs giving the bakery an extra cozy feel, while an enchanted teapot floated around refilling their mugs.
A glance through the side door proved Kitty was in the backroom baking, her hands moving with practiced ease as she kneaded dough. Mary rang people up at the register, while Lydia chatted with customers at the counter. The only one missing was Mom, but not for long.
I ran a finger over the leathery spine of a cookbook on the shelf, which rested next to a spell book.
Even if the police were trying to find something on Mom, they wouldn’t.
We were careful not to sell any illegal potions like wolfsbane, even though it was stupid that wolfsbane was illegal.
It wasn’t a werewolf’s fault if they were infected, and they should be able to get help for their condition.
I sighed and shook my head. That was a problem for another day. For now, I needed to focus on getting answers about Mom, and the only way to do that was to go to the station.
“Ready to go?” I asked Jane, who stood with her back to me, her blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun while she decorated a fancy cake.
“Let me finish this.” She finished frosting the pumpkin spice muffins and stepped back, glancing at the finished product with a critical eye before nodding. “All right. Let’s go.”
“Will you guys be okay on your own?” I asked Mary in a low voice.
“We’ll be fine. Just find out what’s happening with Mom.” She shooed me off as the front door jingled with the entrance of two more customers.
“Oh, Mother, I’m just so delighted we were able to come again!
” Ms. Bate’s familiar voice filled the bakery.
“It smells just as wonderful as ever, doesn’t it?
I’m happy we had time today to get our usual loaf of sourdough and cinnamon rolls for the week.
They are such a treat, aren’t they? A treat, Mother. ”
I ducked behind the display case. Ms. Bates was one of Mom’s friends who came with her mother, Mrs. Bates, every Tuesday for her weekly dose of baked goods and gossip.
“Uh-oh. You better go if you want to get out of here while it’s still daylight,” Mary muttered to me.
“You’re a lifesaver.” I grabbed Jane and pulled her toward the door.
“Oh, and it’s such a pleasure to see the Bennets again!
You know, I was just thinking the other day how long it’s been since we last visited, and how time flies, doesn’t it?
But, everything here is so cozy and warm, just like when we came last week, wasn’t it?
Such lovely people, the Bennets—so kind and welcoming, always a treat to catch up with you. ”
Jane and I snuck out the door, grabbing our jackets in the living room, then slipping outside.
That was one advantage of living in town—everything was within walking distance.
We went back around the corner of the building to walk down Main Street.
The trees blazed with fall colors, and as a gust of wind whipped down the street, the ocean’s briny smell replaced the sweet, sugary smells of the bakery.
“Why do you think the police haven’t released Mom yet?” Jane asked.
“I don’t know.” While they could hold her for twenty-four hours for questioning, why would they need to? Surely they would’ve realized by now that Mom didn’t have any helpful information.
I pulled out my notebook and flipped through my notes.
I had the killer’s identity and the location of the murder—I’d confirmed that Netherfield was the right place last night.
All I needed now was a little more information on Darcy to figure out the why.
I’d circled the words Darcy, Netherfield, and three nights ago, then connected them with lines, but the giant question mark in the middle mocked me.
I was still no closer to figuring out Darcy’s motive.
“Did Charles say if Darcy was also a highborn fae?” I asked.
Jane scrunched her nose and squinted in the bright morning sunlight. “He didn’t say, but I’d assume so. He has that air about him. Don’t you think?”
That pompous, thinks-he’s-better-than-everyone-else air? Yeah, I knew the one. “I do.” I shoved my notebook back into my bag with a sigh.
We turned onto a side street to get to the police station. The no-frills building—with its somber, weathered wood painted a faded white and the evergreens and maples flanking it—appeared as serious as the men and women who worked there.
We pulled open the heavy glass doors and stepped inside, but Jane stumbled to a stop before we even made it to the small reception desk.
“What’s wrong?” I peeked at her pale face.
“It’s Charles,” she whispered, her gaze never leaving the figure striding down the far end of the corridor.
I turned to examine him too, frowning at the sight of Darcy next to him. What was he doing here? Didn’t he worry about getting caught?
“Jane!” Charles rushed forward. He reached out like he wanted to touch her, but dropped his hand back to his side. “I was hoping to find you today.”
“You were?” Jane asked.
Darcy, coming to a stop next to Charles, scowled at him, and I scowled at Darcy. Was he angry with his friend for ignoring his warning about Jane and her riffraff family?
“I’m sorry about your mom, Jane. How are you doing?” Charles asked.
“About as well as expected.” She shrugged. “We’re hoping to get some answers today, since none of this makes sense.”
“Some of it makes sense.” I glared at Darcy.
His dark eyes met mine in a fierce scowl. “I couldn’t agree more.”
The air crackled between us. Was he really that conceited that he had no qualms about framing an innocent woman for his crime simply because he believed he was above her?
“You have to admire someone who holds to their convictions so firmly even when they’re completely wrong.” I gave Darcy a tight smile. “Come on, Jane. We need to check on Mom.”
“Wait.” Charles caught her hand. “Can I get your number? I’d like to see you again.”
Jane blushed and gave it to him, then caught up to me as an officer escorted us down a narrow corridor with wide fluorescent lights.
I could believe that Charles wanted to check on Jane, but why had Darcy come? Didn’t all the true-crime shows say that criminals like to insert themselves into an investigation to monitor how it was progressing? Maybe that was what was happening.
We passed two officers, who cut off their whispered conversation, but not before I caught the words “vampire.” After walking by a few more closed doors, we finally made it to a room guarded by another officer with a dark mustache.
As we walked in, Mom jumped up and rushed to Jane. “What’s happening with Charles?”
Jane and I exchanged a look. Mom could be on her deathbed and her first concern would still be to make sure her daughters were married.
“He got my number,” Jane admitted with a small smile.
“That’s my beautiful girl.” Mom squealed and pulled Jane into a hug.
I cleared my throat. “Why haven't they released you yet, Mom?”
She shrugged. “They seem to think I’m guilty of murder, but I’m not sure why.”
“Did you give them your alibi?” I put my hands on my hips.
“I did.” She pursed her lips. “But I guess someone talked to the chief and insisted he look into things more thoroughly before they let me go.”
My temper flared. “Who—” I choked as the knowledge hit me.
My journalist instincts screamed at me who that someone must’ve been.
It also explained what he was doing here.
Even if I had somehow misunderstood what happened in the Portent, Darcy had lied about his magic and meddled with Mom’s alibi.
That wasn’t something that someone with nothing to hide did.
I didn’t care who Darcy was or what he was doing in Austen Heights. I’d prove that stuck-up, meddling fae’s guilt if it was the last thing I did.