A Pink Potion Gone Wrong Page 11

  “That would be a good start,” Iggy said. “If they were valuable, and they are missing, it could have been what was stolen.”

  “My thoughts exactly. Oh, I think Aimee has moved in with Aunt Fern.”

  He spun around. “I know.”

  I enjoyed seeing my familiar happy for a change. I left by the main entrance since I’d heard Aunt Fern come up the stairs already. I crossed the street and entered the sheriff’s department.

  Pearl looked up and smiled. “Glinda, this is getting to be a regular occurrence.”

  I laughed, because I didn’t want her to think I was interested in the sheriff. “I thought you got off work at six.”

  “Jennifer, the late-night person called in sick. Actually, one of her ten-year old twins is really ill. But don’t worry. Steve is insisting that I leave by nine.” Pearl smiled.

  “Being short-handed isn’t fun. If Penny is out for any reason, it is tough on all of us. Is the sheriff available?” I didn’t need to be gossiping when I had work to do.

  “He is. Go on back. Just knock on his door.”

  I wondered when the poor man rested. He couldn’t be on call twenty-four hours a day. I probably should have waited until tomorrow to tell him about the necklaces, but I wanted to figured things out as quickly as possible.

  I hoped he didn’t think my question about some magical jewelry was stupid, and that I was wasting his time. I just wanted to know if the necklaces were anywhere around when the cops searched the house after Floyd died. I knocked on Steve’s closed office door.

  “Come in.”

  I entered and smiled. “Hi.”

  I expected Steve to be annoyed with me stopping in, especially at this hour, since I had a tendency to make some pretty bold statements, but he merely leaned back and returned my smile. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  I sat down in the chair facing his desk. “There is a slim possibility that I figured out what might have been stolen from Floyd Paxton’s house.”

  Steve sat up. “Really? What?”

  “I chatted with Gertrude Poole a while ago.”

  “Poole? Ah, yes, didn’t you say she was a psychic?”

  Darn. Maybe I shouldn’t have given my source, but it was too late now. “Yes, but I didn’t go for a psychic reading.” Actually, I personally didn’t go at all, but there was no way I could convince him that my iguana could talk. “I asked her what she knew about Floyd’s break-in.”

  “Why would she know anything about that? From what I’ve been able to deduce, he wasn’t the witchy type.”

  “He wasn’t, which makes what I’m about to tell you all the more interesting. Apparently, he went to her because he wanted her to put a spell on two garnet necklaces that he had.”

  “A spell? What kind?”

  “The spell was to prevent him from harming others.”

  Steve placed a palm over his mouth and then dragged it down his chin. “I don’t remember hearing that he was dangerous.”

  “Me neither, but Miriam thinks he might have killed Emma and buried her on his property, remember?”

  “Ah, yes. I said we didn’t have the manpower to search on his land.”

  “Exactly. I thought I might ask Miriam again about him to see what light she can shed on the situation.”

  “Good idea. Do that. I, too, heard a rumor,” he said.

  This was interesting. “About?”

  “That Emma Paxton left because Floyd had harmed her.”

  “I’m not sure it’s the truth. I’d love to meet with her and ask her about it,” I said.

  “Me too.” He leaned forward. “I’ve been looking for Floyd’s wife, as has Misty, but to no avail. If anyone mentions her whereabouts, let me know. She must have had some friends in town.”

  My pulse shot up. Steve Rocker was actually asking for my help. “Sure. I’ll try.”

  I probably should at least mention my theory about why Joe wanted to buy Floyd’s property, but I wanted to have a few more facts before I did. I pushed back my chair and stood. “I’ll let you know if I learn anything.”

  “Thank you, Glinda. It’s helpful when the town folk pitch in.”

  I was just one of the many town folk now? Interesting. To be honest, I didn’t know what I wanted to be in his eyes, other than someone who brought value to the table.

  I left the department and headed over to the wine and cheese shop, hoping one of the Harrison brothers was there. I stepped inside and the bell above the door chimed. “Hello?” I called out.

  A second later, Drake came in from the back. “Hey!”

  I was happy to have the chance to chat with him. “Got a sec?”

  “Sure.”

  I gave him a rundown of what I’d learned since the last time I’d seen him. “What do you think?” I asked.

  “It still seems as if there might be two different crimes here—or rather four.”

  Four. Was he talking about Floyd being mauled as one of them? No one should blame an animal for doing what came naturally. “I assume you mean three: the two break-ins and Morgan’s murder.”

  “Yes. Three. Your bank robbery idea isn’t half bad, but your timeline might be off,” Drake said.

  “How so?”

  “I’d go back further in time to the great grandfather maybe. I’m thinking closer to 1900 rather than 1932. Then do your spreadsheet thing.”

  “That’s an excellent idea.” I think. I wasn’t sure of his logic, but I was game to check it out. Thankfully, Delilah’s book dated back to 1900. “In regard to the spell put on two garnet necklaces, I plan to speak with Gertrude tomorrow. Iggy didn’t ask enough questions.”

  Drake smiled. “He is something else, isn’t he?”

  “If you mean he disregards danger, then yes.”

  Drake laughed. “Sounds like someone else I know.”

  He might be right. The bell above the door chimed, and another customer entered. “I’ll let you go, but if anyone mentions Emma, try to find out if they have any idea where she might be staying. I’m thinking she’s closer to Liberty than here.”

  “Will do.”

  Drake greeted his customer, and I hoofed it back to the Tiki Hut Grill. The five gossip queens needed to prove their worth. If anyone could find Emma, they could—and that included Steve’s grandmother, Pearl.

  My job for the evening was to create that spreadsheet like Drake suggested. Not that I planned digging up the property, but wouldn’t it be great if we caught Joe in the act? Was it a long shot? Absolutely, but Iggy always was saying that I needed to think big.

  I’d no sooner stepped into my apartment, when my phone rang. It was Delilah. “Hey, there,” I said. “Did you find something?” It was the only reason I could think of why she’d be calling so soon.

  “I did. I was able to access the courthouse public records. I went back as far as 1900. I searched for any kind of robberies, from banks to jewelry stores to high-end homes.”

  Delilah was smart. “I hadn’t thought of that. Good job,” I said.

  “Thanks. Anyway, one—or rather two names—popped up. Apparently, we had a local Bonnie and Clyde right here in Witch’s Cove.”

  My pulse skyrocketed. “Do you have names or dates?”

  She giggled. “Yes, and you won’t believe who they were.”

  She was killing me. “Who?”

  “Mary and James Delaney.”

  My knees buckled, and if I hadn’t been standing next to the sofa, I might have ended up on the floor. “Tell me more.”

  “Okay. In 1904, a Tampa bank was robbed, but the thieves were never caught.”

  I’d read about a lot of cases where the thieves escaped. “How does that relate to Witch’s Cove?”

  “Just wait,” Delilah said. “There were ten more bank robberies all up and down the west coast of Florida in the next few years. Mary and James Delaney weren’t caught until…get this, 1909 once they were found to be connected to ten of them.”

  “Wow. All those years of r
obbing banks meant a lot of money.” I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions about whether or not these two were related to Joe Delaney. There also didn’t seem to be any information that showed they’d buried the money on the Delaney property either. “Where were they caught?”

  “Right here in Witch’s Cove. They actually died in a shootout trying to rob one of our banks.”

  Darn. “That meant they didn’t spill the beans about what they did with the money from all of the other robberies.”

  “No, which means it could be anywhere,” Delilah said.

  “You have been a huge help.”

  “I love researching. Please don’t hesitate to call on me again.”

  “I won’t.”

  I disconnected and leaned back against the sofa. Iggy jumped onto my lap. “Tell me, tell me.”

  I went through what she’d found out. “That doesn’t mean there is buried treasure on Floyd’s property,” I warned.

  “No, but there could be. Who would know?” Iggy asked.

  “Besides the thieves? I doubt Floyd or Emma would know. If they had a map to the location of the money, they would have dug up their place already. I’m not about to ask Joe either. If it is true there is money there, that could put us in danger if he thinks we know.”

  Iggy’s eyes widened. “Why?”

  “Bad people like to hurt family members.”

  He jumped off my lap. “What do we do?”

  “I would like confirmation that Mary and James Delaney are related to Joe.”

  “How are you going to find that out?” Iggy asked.

  “Why Dolly Andrews, of course. Aunt Fern said she’s into genealogy. I bet she’d know how to trace a family tree.”

  “Can I come with you?”

  I laughed. It was around dinner time. Dolly might work the night shift on a Friday night. Since I’d eaten, I wouldn’t order much. “Sure.”

  My pink iguana was a good sport, and at times, he had really good ideas.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I wasn’t sure if Dolly would be at the diner or not, but I had to at least check. I hadn’t paid attention to her personal hours, but if she wasn’t there, I wouldn’t mind a hot fudge sundae as consolation. Who am I kidding? I wanted a dessert even if she was there.

  When I stepped inside, I blew out a breath.

  “Is she here?” Iggy asked from inside my purse.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, goodie.”

  I was lucky to have an iguana who was just as interested as I was in this crime solving stuff. I checked out the crowd. Good for Dolly. The Spellbound Diner was definitely busy this time of night. I considered myself lucky to snag the last remaining booth.

  As soon as Dolly delivered a hamburger and a grilled chicken sandwich to one of the tables, she rushed over. “Will you be dining or chatting?” She winked.

  Dolly lived for gossip. “Both, as a matter of fact.”

  “Ooh. Sounds good. What will you have?”

  “I’ll have the chocolate sundae and a sweet tea.” I opened my purse so she could see Iggy. “How about one lettuce leaf for my buddy here?”

  Dolly smiled. “You got it.”

  A few minutes later, she delivered the food and slid in across from me. “I’m kind of short-handed,” she said apologetically. “I only have a few minutes.”

  “I’ll be quick. I learned there was a series of bank robberies in this area in the early 1900s. The criminals? Mary and James Delaney.”

  As I’d hoped, she sucked in a breath. “Are they related to you-know-who?”

  I chuckled. If anyone had been listening, they would have known who she was talking about. “That’s what I’d like your help with. Aunt Fern said you are a whiz at this family tree stuff.”

  Her chin tucked under. “Fern said that?”

  “Yes, you have quite the reputation.” It never hurt to butter her up, especially when it was true.

  “Oh, my. I’d be happy to take a look, but I could just ask Joe.”

  I inhaled. “I thought of that, but doing so might tip him off that we are looking into his background. Even if he is innocent of everything, I couldn’t tell you the names of any of my relatives from way back then.”

  “I could, but that’s me. I’ll do a little research and let you know.”

  I dipped my spoon into the ice cream and chocolate sauce. At the first taste, I groaned. “This is divine.”

  “Thanks. Have you learned anything else?” she asked, clearly not interested in my food critique.

  I plucked the lettuce from the plate and fed it to Iggy. If his mouth was full, Iggy wouldn’t be able to mention his visit to Gertrude Poole. I didn’t need Dolly to talk that up, since it would be hard enough to keep Joe Delaney from learning about my investigation. “Not yet.”

  She smiled. “I need to get to work, but I’ll let you know what I find out about the family tree.”

  “Thanks. I just need to see if they were related to Joe’s family lineage. Even if they are, there is no guarantee they buried their bank take on his land.”

  She smiled. “I know, but it will be fun to learn about this exciting rogue couple.”

  I chuckled. “For sure.”

  After I finished the dessert and chased it down with a tea, Iggy and I headed out. We’d done enough damage for the day. It was time for a relaxing glass of wine and some mindless TV.

  I had no sooner settled in for the night when Aimee shot through the cat door. Part of me wanted to ask her to knock first until I realized that was physically impossible. When someone knocked a few seconds later, I jumped. “Yes?”

  The door opened, and Aunt Fern stepped inside. It might be time to use the lock on the door. Not that I minded her coming and going whenever she wanted, but anyone from the restaurant could have climbed the stairs and entered.

  My aunt looked around. “Where’s Iggy?”

  I was just about to say he was in the kitchen when the little fellow came waddling out. “I’m here.” He stopped. “Aimee! Nice to see you.”

  I was about to suggest that they chat in my bedroom where it would be quieter and more private, but Aimee all but ignored my iguana and wrapped her tail about Aunt Fern’s legs instead. Typical cat.

  “Have a seat,” I said. “Can I get you some hot tea?”

  It didn’t matter what the temperature was outside, my aunt loved her tea.

  “I’m good, dear. I have news.”

  My aunt plopped down on the sofa, and Aimee jumped up next to her. My aunt really seemed to be an animal whisperer since I never met an animal who didn’t love her.

  I waited to hear what she had to say, but she just smiled with her lips together. “Tell me,” I begged.

  “I found Emma Paxton.”

  I sucked in a breath. “You did?”

  “Yes, or rather a friend of mine who lives on the outskirts of Liberty found her,” Aunt Fern said.

  “Where is she?”

  My aunt shoved a hand in her apron pocket and withdrew a piece of paper. “She’s renting an apartment outside of Liberty—under an assumed name, mind you.”

  I bet that was why neither Misty Willows nor Steve could locate her. “That’s great news.”

  “Are you going to tell Steve about your find?” she asked.

  I wasn’t able to tell whether she wanted me to or not. “Probably, but I’d like to speak with Emma first. And don’t worry. I’ll ask either Drake or Jaxson to go with me. I’m not so naïve to think that she is automatically innocent. Unless she can turn into a claw scratching animal though, I doubt she killed her husband.”

  Aunt Fern laughed. “I would like to see that—at a distance, of course. Just make sure not to turn your back on her.”

  “What, you think she plans to shoot me? She barely knows me.”

  “Just saying.”

  My aunt was too paranoid.

  Aimee arched her back. “I think it’s possible that she could change into an animal. I mean, if I can talk—which means I�
�m part human—why can’t a human be part cat?”

  Or wolf as the case may be. “That’s an excellent question, Aimee. I’ll try to keep an open mind.”

  We chatted a bit more, but Iggy kept butting in. I could tell he was just trying to get Aimee’s attention, but she wasn’t having any of it. I felt sorry for him since he sincerely believed that he and Aimee were meant to be.

  After a bit of catching up, Aunt Fern and Aimee left. As much as I enjoyed chatting, I felt drained and lifted myself off the couch. “I’m heading to bed. I have a full shift tomorrow.”

  “You should quit. Working is cutting into your investigation time.”

  I laughed. “Life doesn’t work that way. Goodnight.”

  “Night.”

  Once I snuggled into bed, I picked up a book, but my mind refused to focus. I had to speak with Gertrude and then Emma tomorrow. If only I knew what to say, I wouldn’t be so nervous.

  As usual, Saturdays were very busy. People loved going to the beach during the glorious days of summer and then grabbing lunch. The one good thing about working was that it gave me time to figure out what I wanted to say to Gertrude. She would probably repeat what she said to Iggy—that Floyd feared he’d hurt someone, but I thought I’d first check with Maude Daniels to see what they knew about him. Something didn’t seem right about Floyd seeking out a witch for his anger management issues.

  Penny touched my arm. “I’m going to pick up Tommy from Sam’s right now. Do you need me to help with the condiments?”

  “No. Go.”

  She smiled. “I’ve seen you with Jaxson. How’s that going?” Her brows rose.

  I didn’t know which was worse: people teasing me about Sheriff Rocker or Jaxson Harrison, the bad boy. “Good, though we’re just friends.”

  “Ah, yes, the lie all women in lust say.” Her gaze swept to the ceiling.

  “Uh-huh. I’ll catch you up on Monday, okay?” I had tomorrow off, thank goodness.

  “You promise? I miss our chats.”