Claw And Order (Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series Book 8) Read online

  The house was a mess. She was a little dismayed at the way the police had left it. Maybe she'd have Willa talk to Gus or Striker about that. She could see a bloodstain on the carpet where Mary had fallen. There must have been a struggle, because things were knocked over. But the thing that shocked her the most was the old cookbook. It lay on the floor with all the pages ripped out and the binding torn. That proved it. Whoever had killed Mary had been looking for the key.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Okay, I have a big surprise,” Pandora said as I held the passenger-side door open so she could hop into the car.

  “Did you find something?” I asked, hopeful that she had.

  “Sort of. I ran into Fluff, and guess what?”

  “What?” I didn’t think anything good could come out of running into Fluff, but what did I know?

  “I could talk to him. I could hear what he said. It makes me wonder if maybe the potion only lasted a little while.”

  I mulled that over. “I suppose it could be true. I know some of the potions Pepper has done before only lasted a little while. But you can still talk to me, so I wouldn’t get my hopes up.”

  “Good point.” Pandora looked a bit disappointed. “That’s not all. I found something useful for the investigation too. But I really need to talk to the barn cats. Could we take a swing by before we go back to the shop?”

  “I have to meet with Steve Wheeler at the house. Maybe you can take a quick trip to the barn while I talk to him.”

  “That sounds good.”

  Pandora stared out the window, apparently more concerned with seeing if she could communicate with Elspeth’s cats than telling me what she discovered at the crime scene. “What else did you find out?”

  “Huh? Oh yeah, sorry. According to Fluff, Felicity has some sort of an issue from a potion gone wrong. She’s looking for the key, but not to wreak havoc on the Notch. She needs it to help with her issue.”

  “What sort of issue?”

  “Something about making herself more viable. Fluff didn’t really elaborate, but the point is he seemed very upset. I got the impression he was sincere. He even helped me look into Mary’s window, and that’s when I saw the recipe book.”

  “So, the killer didn’t take the book, but they did look inside it. They must have known about the key,” I said.

  “And when they didn’t find it in the book, they went to the last place the book was.”

  “The bookstore,” I said. “But how did they know where to find it? And who took it? We know Felicity was there, but if she sent Fluff to Mary’s, wouldn’t that indicate that she isn’t the one who took the key?”

  Pandora’s whiskers twitched. “That’s a good question. Why would she send Fluff if she had the key already? Unless there is something else she needs to make the key work for her.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t her. I admit, I’d like it if it was, but we shouldn’t focus on her too much.”

  “True. Did you get any good leads from the neighbor?”

  “Unfortunately, she didn’t see or hear anything. I did find out the time of death though. Jennifer said that Gus asked her if she heard anything around three p.m. So, I assume that’s when Mary was killed.”

  “No kidding. Well, I guess at least that’s something.”

  Pandora was full of optimism as she raced through the woods to Elspeth’s barn. Why Willa needed to meet with the carpenter to renovate the bathrooms was a mystery to Pandora, but it had worked out perfectly because now she could update the cats.

  The barn door was open as usual, and she slipped inside. The barn looked different in daylight, and she could see most of the cats were there, dozing in the sun. As she entered, they picked up their heads, their ears perking up.

  “Hey guys, I’m back! I don’t know what happened before. I drank some weird tea from Pepper, but I think I’m back to normal now, and I have so much to tell you!”

  “Meout?” Inkspot looked at her, concern in his green eyes.

  “Merow?” Sasha came trotting over.

  “Mew?” Otis looked at her with something that resembled pity. Pandora’s heart sank.

  “Come on, you guys. You’re kidding right?” she asked hopefully.

  “Meow meroo maroop.” Hope chirped from beside her.

  Pandora hung her head and turned to leave. It was the worst thing that could happen. If she couldn’t communicate with the cats, she and Willa were on their own. Not to mention that she would never have the satisfaction of telling Otis that she could finally talk to her human.

  But her last thought was the worst. She could still talk to Fluff. Would she be destined to live out her years with Fluff as the only cat she could communicate with?

  Chapter Fifteen

  I felt bad that Pandora still couldn’t talk to the barn cats. She brushed it off as if it was no big deal, but her depressed silence on the ride to the bookstore spoke volumes.

  “Pepper should be back today. Maybe she knows how to reverse it,” I said.

  “I’ll hold my breath until we see her, then,” Pandora said sarcastically. “How did your meeting go? Are you changing the house around? Because if so, I’d like some cat doors.”

  “I was just thinking about making the bathroom bigger, but I’m not sure now. You know, it’s good for one, but…”

  “Ah, you’re thinking of cohabitating with Striker.” Pandora appeared to mull this over. “It’s a good idea. You could do much worse, and you’re not getting any younger. He’s a nice guy, and he likes me. That should be reason enough.”

  I didn’t answer. I wanted to tell her that it was none of her business, but she was already depressed over not being able to talk to the cats, and I didn’t want to make her feel worse. There was already a crowd outside the bookstore waiting for it to open, so I pushed my way through, opened it, and sold a bunch of books.

  The crowd died down after about an hour, and I was just settling in when the door burst open.

  “I have never been more insulted in my life!” Pepper came rushing in and plopped down on the sofa.

  “What happened?” I asked. I glanced at Pandora, who had jerked awake and leapt out of her bed to trot over.

  “At the herbal conference, Marina Delacroix told everyone that my herbal teas were so messed up that people were coming all the way from Mystic Notch to buy tea from her.” Tears swam in Pepper’s big green eyes. “Can you believe it?”

  “She’s probably just jealous.” I glanced at Pandora. The cat was living proof that Pepper’s teas did tend to have unpredictable results.

  “She even named names.”

  “Who?”

  “Nancy Werther, Tom Greenfield, and Felicity Bates, of all people!”

  “Speaking of messed-up tea.” Pandora jerked her head toward the window.

  It didn’t appear as if Pepper could understand her, so I spoke up. “Right. Well, speaking of tea, there was a little problem.” I tilted my head toward the window.

  Pepper looked in that direction, her eyes widening. “It’s gone! What happened?”

  “Pandora drank it,” I said.

  “Way to be subtle,” Pandora said from her spot on the floor.

  “Why?” Pepper asked.

  I sat on the sofa beside her. I knew that Pepper believed there were magical forces in Mystic Notch, and nothing I said was probably going to surprise her. But what might surprise her was that this kind of talk was coming from me. I’d resisted all of her efforts to get me on board with the magic. “It’s kind of a long story, but I had an old cookbook here, and it apparently contained a magical key.”

  Pepper frowned, her gaze flicking from Pandora to me. “Wait, you believe in magical keys?”

  “Well, I didn’t. But certain events have happened that have forced me to believe, and now when I look back, I see all the signs that pointed toward magic here all along. Pepper, you were right. There is magic, and I’m sorry that I doubted you or made light of it before.”

  Pepper beamed and placed
her hand on top of mine. “It’s no problem, Willa. I knew you would come around eventually. Now, tell me what happened.”

  I told her about Pandora’s ability to communicate with me, how Mary had gotten the cookbook and been killed, how the key had gone missing, and how Pandora now couldn’t talk to the Mystic Notch cats.

  “Someone stole the key from you?” Pepper asked. “We have to find that person!”

  “Tell me about it,” Pandora said.

  “That’s become problematic without the help of the other cats,” I said.

  Pepper scrunched up her face. “Where was the key?”

  “In a box on that shelf.” I pointed to the shelf.

  “And who was here in between the time you put it in the box and the time you noticed it missing?”

  “Lots of people. Felicity Bates, various customers, the regulars. I even thought I saw Sarah Delaney running away from the shop when I came back from an appointment, but I can’t swear she was inside.”

  “Oh dear, lots of people that might want an enchanted key.” Pepper’s face was creased with worry. “This could be very bad. Keys can be used to open portals, and you don’t want that to happen.”

  “So I’ve heard.” I nodded toward Pandora.

  Pepper reached out to pat Pandora on the head. “I’m sorry you can’t talk to your friends anymore, but it’s good you can communicate with Willa.” Pepper’s eyes slid to the windowsill. “You shouldn’t have drunk the tea though. It wasn’t for you.”

  “I think Pandora was hoping that you could do something to reverse the ill effects of the tea,” I said. “Oh, and by the way, your little ploy to get me to be more receptive to Striker’s hints about moving didn’t work because Pandora was the one who drank the tea.”

  Pepper looked at me in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  “I know you made that tea for me to drink so that I would be more open to Striker. I think he’s been hinting a little bit about moving our relationship to the next level.”

  Pepper snorted. “That tea wasn’t for you. Maybe Striker has been hinting. I don’t know about that. The tea was for an elderly couple who had lost the ability to communicate over the years. They could still talk to each other, but they just weren’t on the same page. I guess it’s a good thing they never drank it. Who knows what ill effects it might have had on them.” Pepper glanced regretfully at Pandora. “I’m just sorry Pandora had to suffer.”

  “So, it wasn’t for me to drink and get the hint about Striker?” Maybe my plans to renovate my bathroom had been premature.

  Pepper laughed. “No, but if you ask me, it would be great if you guys did move your relationship along.”

  “Enough about your love life,” Pandora cut in. “Get her to do something so I can talk to the cats again.”

  “Can you make another tea that will help Pandora talk to the other cats? Like an antidote tea?” I asked.

  Pepper looked doubtful. “I could try to make another tea, but then you risk the problem that she can’t talk to you or the cats.”

  Pandora flopped on the floor dramatically. “Oh great, then all I will have is Fluff to talk to.”

  I ignored the cat. “So, what can be done?”

  Pepper looked at Pandora. “I’ve heard the solution to this sort of thing can be rather drastic, and I’m afraid I don’t know of anything in particular.” She sighed and slumped in her seat. “Maybe Marina was right about me. Maybe I should give up making magical teas.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” Actually, it might not be a bad thing, but I didn’t want to say that to Pepper. She did love her teas, and not all of them backfired.

  “I don’t know. The other teas that backfired were minor. But this is a big deal. My tea backfired, and now all of Mystic Notch is in danger. How can I ever concoct a magical tea in good conscience again?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  With both my best friend and my cat in a depression and hardly any leads on who took the key, I figured things couldn’t get much worse. I figured wrong. Around five p.m., just as I was closing up the shop, Felicity Bates walked through the door.

  She looked bad. Like she’d aged twenty years since I’d last seen her. Instead of storming in with her usual venomous manner, she hobbled in with a cane. Her red hair hung damp and lank, devoid of its usual springy curls. Her skin was sallow. Her clothes hung on her bony frame. I’d only seen her two days ago, and she’d deteriorated quite a bit.

  But even though Fluff had told Pandora that she was the victim of a misenchantment, I was still suspicious. She could be the one who stole the key and murdered Mary and was now trying to cover her tracks with a clever aging charm. But why would she come here if she’d already stolen the key?

  “Willa. We need to talk.” She hobbled over to the couch and collapsed as if I wasn’t going to kick her out. I wanted to, but I also wanted to hear what she had to say.

  Fluff circled around her like a bodyguard protecting a celebrity. Pandora trotted out from behind the counter but kept her distance from Fluff.

  “So, we meet again,” I heard Pandora say to Fluff. I couldn’t make out his answer, just meows.

  “I expect by now you know what is going on and how serious the situation here is in town,” Felicity said.

  “Yes.” I didn’t elaborate on exactly what I knew. I didn’t want to tip my hand to her in case she was up to something.

  “As you can see, I am no threat.” Felicity gestured to her aged body.

  “It looks that way, but looks can be deceiving.” I cautiously approached the chair that was farthest away from where she was sitting and sat down.

  She gave a wry smile. “I can see why you might think that, given that we have been at odds for so many years after you had my son thrown in jail for murder.”

  I bit my tongue. She made it sound like I had framed him and he was innocent. The truth was, he was a murderer, and I had only done my duty as a good citizen.

  She leaned forward, and I thought I could hear her bones creaking. “I need your help, and I’ve something to bargain for it.”

  “That’s nice, but I don’t actually need anything.”

  Felicity’s gaze flicked over to Pandora. “Maybe you don’t, but your cat does.”

  “You should listen to her,” Pandora said.

  I didn’t know if Felicity could hear Pandora, but I didn’t think so, judging by the way she was intently staring at me.

  “Okay, I’m listening,” I said.

  Felicity reached down and buried her fingers in Fluff’s fur. He purred, and by the shocked look on Pandora’s face, I figured purring wasn’t in his usual repertoire. “I heard from Fluff that Pandora is in a bit of a bind. She can no longer talk to the Mystic Notch cats.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “And what of it?”

  “I know how she can remedy that.”

  I narrowed my eyes, still skeptical.

  “I think we better hear what she has to say.” Pandora’s meows had a tinge of desperation.

  “How?” I asked.

  Felicity leaned back in her chair and chuckled. “Oh no, my body may be fading, but my brain is still working just fine. I’m not going to give away my secrets. First you must promise that you will help me.”

  Darn. Of course, she knew I would never go back on a promise. But I wanted to know exactly what I was signing up for first. “What is it that you want help with?”

  “You have to promise.”

  “Promise her!” Pandora shouted.

  “Okay, I promise.”

  “Actually, we’re after the same thing. I was after the key. You were right about that. But I’m not after it so I can bring harm to Mystic Notch. That’s where you were wrong. I have only the best interests of the town at heart and always have, but your sour attitude toward me would never let you see it.”

  “Okay, whatever you say.”

  “Anyway, we must find the key and the receptacle it opens. If what I suspect is true, then the solutio
n for Pandora and I is the same. She has been the victim of an enchanted tea gone wrong, has she not?”

  How had she known that? I doubted that Pandora had told Fluff. The white cat must have found out about Pandora’s communication problems somehow and told Felicity, but how had they known it was a tea? Felicity must’ve seen the startled look in my eyes because her smile widened.

  “So, what if she is?” I asked.

  “I, too, am the victim of such a thing. I never should’ve gone to Marina Delacroix. But luckily, I know how to reverse it.”

  Ha! So, Marina messed up with her teas as well. I made a mental note to tell Pepper. Hopefully, that would lift her spirits and help her regain her confidence.

  Pandora leaned forward, interested in Felicity’s every word.

  “How?” she meowed.

  “How?” I translated for her.

  Felicity glanced at Fluff as if for permission to elaborate. The cat nodded. “As you know, the key opens a portal. Normally, you’d think a portal would be a doorway or a grandfather clock, but I happen to know that this particular portal is in a box.”

  I glanced at Pandora. We were both thinking the same thing—Robert Frost’s box.

  Felicity continued, “Yes, yes, I know. It’s not good to open a portal. All kinds of bad things can happen. But there are certain ways it can be opened, and to take a whiff of portal aroma before anything escapes can reverse a tea potion gone wrong.”

  I glanced at Pandora. Could it be true? Pandora nodded vigorously.

  “It seems dangerous. What if evil creatures escape?”

  “That’s the tricky part. There may be a way to open it slightly and just take a little whiff then close it quickly. I’ve heard instructions have been handed down.”

  “I’m not sure I can trust you. You came here the other day looking for something. Maybe you are just back here now looking for the box that goes with it,” I said. “How do I know this is not a trick and that you didn’t kill Mary to get the key?”