Sidney zipped into the alleyway and twisted his head back and forth searching for the culprit. He checked for any movement at all, but whoever had locked them in hadn’t stuck around. He zoomed back in to find Ally standing over the crushed oven. “There’s no one out there. I’ll check out front.”
He zipped into the dining area but found it empty. Giving his super speed a break, he walked back in to find Ally with her cell phone in hand.
“We’ve got to call Sparsh. The murderer knows we know something or they wouldn’t have locked us in like that.”
The muscles in his stomach tightened with the sure consequences that awaited him on the other end of that phone. “We can’t call Sparsh. Not yet. There’s still time to solve this.”
Her mildly glazed-over eyes locked onto him. “This isn’t about just us anymore. We have to call someone before that lunatic hurts someone else. What if that had been our delivery guy who’d stumbled into the kitchen instead of a witch and super vamp?”
He rushed over to her and placed his hand on the cellphone. “You don’t understand.”
With slumped shoulders, she backed against the countertop. “Then tell me or lock me up because I’m done playing this game. I’m calling someone to help us unless you have a fantastic reason not to.”
Better she found out about him and his past now. It wasn’t like they had a future beyond today. “I’m not an agent for the LSP.”
“You’ve told me that already.”
“No, I mean I’m on loan to them as part of my probation.”
“Probation?”
“I’m a paranormal ex-con on probation. Part of my sentence is to handle odd jobs for the LSP. It just so happens this odd job isn’t sanctioned by the Council, so if they found out, they’d defang me. If Sparsh finds out I broke cover to mystery solve with you, he’d turn me over and they’d probably still defang me.”
“Explain defang to me.”
“They can take away my vampirism and turn me back into a regular human. Then the disease I escaped from in the 1900s will come back full force and send me to a quick grave.”
“You were in a paranormal prison?”
“I, uh, well, I’m a vampire. And I did what most vampires do when they are first turned. I drank blood from my victims and not all of them survived. The Council convicted me and I served a prison sentence until they could rehabilitate me.”
Her eyes widened and she placed a hand on her chest. “You lied to me about who you are.”
“I omitted some of the truth.”
“No. You lied.” Her tone sharpened.
“I knew you’d react this way. I knew you’d be horrified by the sight of me after you knew the truth.”
“An hour after meeting me, you should have known better than that. I’m not judging you for your past crimes. I’m judging you for today.”
“Do you want me to apologize? It won’t change our situation.”
“I want you to leave.”
“I can’t. I still have to protect you from whoever did this to Mr. Henry.”
“Then do it from the shadows like you were assigned.” She flicked her fingers and for the first time it appeared she had control of her sparks. A sure sign that she saw him as a threat. “Plus, I think I can take care of myself now. At least there’s one thing I can thank you for. You’ve brought out my witchy side.”
“Ally.”
“I have to clean up this mess. I’ll give you the time we initially agreed upon which is midday tomorrow, because I don’t want to see the Council hurt you. But I’m not assisting you anymore with the murder investigation. You’re on your own.”
As he’d always been.
He walked to the door and hesitated. Leaving her there by herself would make it easier for the murderer to attempt to hurt her again. But staying near her was no longer an option. Now that she knew the truth about him, Ally hated him.
He glanced up. The building beside him had a metal fire escape ladder that almost touched the ground. If he kept an eye on the Tea Haven from the neighboring roof, he’d be able to see the alleyway and most of the front walk.
With a super jump, he grabbed the ladder and climbed to the roof. He sat with his legs over the edge of the building and watched the small town of Burberry pitter patter about with their day. From here he could see the park where the volunteers continued to set up the illusionists’ staging area under the direction of the mayor. He squinted and was sure Mrs. Lorenson kept putting something down the mayor’s back when she wasn’t paying attention. A dry chuckle escaped at the gossip and the rivalries amongst Ally’s friends and neighbors. Not even in prison had he been drawn into a community. His jailors kept them all separated in the dank, smelly dungeon hidden deep underground.
Across the street he could see Ally’s date for the evening strolling out of the library onto the sidewalk. The man removed his jacket and there appeared to be a bandage on his arm. The boring librarian had probably hurt himself trying to show off his hammer skills.
Ally would be better off with someone like Brian. They would live their humdrum little lives in Burberry. The school teacher and the librarian. They’d have two kids and be the all-American-dream-come-true-family. Everyone in town would look out for them.
Sidney picked up a chipped piece of concrete from the roof and chucked it into the alley with much more force than he intended. Because of his strength it hit the dumpster and dented it. Ally rushed out into the alley, her fingertips sparkling. When she didn’t see anything amiss or notice him watching her from the roof, she disappeared back inside.
He ruined everything he touched. That’s why he needed to escape to the city where he could watch people and never know a single thing about them. And they’d never have the opportunity to judge him.
Brian must have noticed Ally from the window of the Tea Haven because the man stopped suddenly and gave an uncomfortable wave from across the street.
He disappeared from Sidney’s view once he crossed the street to the Tea Haven’s front entrance.
Sidney heaved a puff of breath and something black caught the corner of his eye. Jacko the missing dog crept around the edge of the Tea Haven’s building with the fur on his back standing at attention. The dog hadn’t noticed Sidney so that couldn’t be what had him on alert.
Muffled voices came from the front of the building and before long Ally and Brian walked side-by-side down the sidewalk toward the town park.
Jacko’s fur relaxed and the dog turned and ran in the opposite direction of Ally and her beau. Since the dog had been so comfortable with Ally before, Sidney wondered if the dog had been frightened of Brian. Brilliant bags of peacock feathers!
Had they even considered the most obvious of suspects? Brian had dogged their steps all day, turning up at every corner or in brief mentions in conversation. He hadn’t been in town all that long either. Sidney cracked his knuckles. What could be the connection between Brian and Mr. Henry? The proximity of the Tea Haven to the library? And what type of paranormal being could Brian be to drink blood and turn a body into ashy residue?
All answers he planned to find out.
Ally and Brian crossed the street into the park. If Brian were the culprit, then Ally would be safe as long as they stayed in the square for the show. She’d never believe Brian’s involvement if Sidney didn’t have strong evidence first.
He hopped to his feet and descended the ladder to the alley. His first stop would be the library, then on to Brian’s house. His next actions hinged on gut feeling only, but if he was right, he’d have to work fast to make Ally safe from becoming the next victim. Then he could move on from her and Burberry for good.
∞∞∞
Ally slid her hand around the crook in Brian’s arm. He probably didn’t have a clue as to the turmoil raging inside. Sidney had lied. Coming to town under the guise of a handyman and sent by the Lost Souls ParaAgency she could understand. After all, her sister did the same to unravel paranormal mysteries as a new side job. But lying about his true self because he didn’t trust her had hurt. She thought they’d shared something special back in her classroom and he’d had the perfect opportunity to come clean more than once, but he’d only told the truth when she forced it out of him.
Brian cleared his throat. “Ally?”
“Yes?” Had he spoken to her?
“I asked if you are all right but you didn’t answer. You seem very out of sorts today. Does it have something to do with that handyman in town?”
Now she had to lie. The hypocrisy twisted the bottom of her stomach. “I wish my sisters were here to see all this.” She pointed to the stage. “It seems the twins have pulled in quite the crowd.”
Brian adjusted his glasses with his free hand. “After the handy guy ditched stage building duties, I assisted them with the setup for part of their show. We had to make some major adjustments and lift the platform for a special act they’ve prepared. They kind of owe me a favor, so I hope you don’t mind volunteering to help them. I thought it would be fun.”
The perfect distraction. “I’d love to help the boys.”
He nodded and pulled his arm away from her. “I’ll run over and have a quick chat with them to let them know you’re in agreement.”
Mayor Henry approached her and Ally did everything in her power to stop an aggravated groan from slipping from her lips. Tomorrow the news of the mayor’s ex-husband’s death would either turn the woman’s world upside down or she’d use it to gain more votes in the next mayoral election. Or both.
“Ally, dear. I’m really very disappointed in your attention span today. Good thing Brian was here to help finish the preparations.” She glanced around. “It seems your handyman has taken off for the evening.”
“He’s not my handyman. He’s…” Ally let the rest of the sentence die before reaching her lips. It didn’t matter what the mayor or anyone else in town thought. They’d make up whatever stories they needed. Sidney would leave by tomorrow night and Burberry would soon forget about him. And so would she.
The mayor arched an eyebrow at her and toddled off toward the stage, scratching her back as if a bug had bitten her.
Brian appeared at her side and handed her a bright red rose. “There’s a vendor near the stage who is selling roses.”
“Thank you.” She took the stem and rubbed her nose against the velvety petals. A perfectly normal date. Just like she’d wished for. Nothing complicated or worrisome about Brian at all.
She turned and searched through the crowd wondering if Sidney watched her from afar like she’d asked. She almost expected him to ignore her instructions and show up beside her in an attempt to irritate Brian and maybe, just maybe, offer that apology he couldn’t get out earlier.
After a few more seconds of scanning the crowd, she gave up and wrapped her hand around Brian’s arm again. Safe and normal is better, she reminded herself.
Mayor Henry approached the microphone and tapped it a few times. “Welcome, dear friends of Burberry to our very first Illusionists in the Park event. I know that everyone will absolutely love these two highly sought after magicians.”
Someone booed lightly from somewhere up front. Probably Mrs. Lorenson.
The mayor sniffed and glared into the crowd. She composed herself after a moment. “Don’t forget that our movie in the park this evening will be The Illusionist.” She snickered as if she’d made an inside joke. “It’s PG-13, so some of you might want to get those tots in bed after the main event. And now without further ado, I present to you Draven and Izander.”
She clapped wildly and the crowd followed suit. Ally and Brian unhooked arms to do the same.
Ally couldn’t help but glance around again. Had Sidney continued the investigation without her? She hoped he wouldn’t put himself in unnecessary danger.
“Are you looking for someone?” Brian asked, his voice taking on a harder edge. “Your handyman, maybe?”
“He’s not my handyman,” she answered too quickly. “I just mean that I hope he’s working in the kitchen where I left him. Things got intense in there earlier and now it’s an awful mess.”
He adjusted his glasses again. “We can go back to the Tea Haven if you like.”
“No. No. No.” Now she sounded ridiculous and her protest came across as a bit too much. Warmth made its way up her neck. “Let’s just watch the show.”
Brian glanced around the crowd but didn’t say anything else about Sidney or the Tea Haven. Instead, he leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
And it did absolutely nothing for her. Oh no. Sidney’s kiss in the B&B had practically set her on fire. Would a kiss on the cheek from Sidney leave her this unmoved? She doubted it. A lump formed in her throat. What did that mean?
Draven and Izander finished their first act with fire that leapt from each of their hands into the other. Sparkling little fireworks went off in the back of the stage. The crowd clapped again, mesmerized by their fire-slinging ability. A few of the kids she recognized ooed and awed with eyes wide.
Izander stood in front of the microphone. “For our next illusion, we’d like to have a volunteer from the audience. Ms. Ally Walker, please join us on the stage.”
When she hesitated, Brian nudged her shoulder. “Go on.”
Be a part of the community and stop worrying about Sidney.
The crowd applauded as they parted to let her walk up to the stage.
Her insides warbled with the attention from the crowd. Mrs. Lorenson patted her on the back as she passed. “Go get ’em, dear.”
Ally stood on the stage beside Izander and shrugged one shoulder.
He pulled the microphone from the stand. “Ms. Walker, have Draven or I discussed this next illusion with you?”
She leaned toward the microphone he held out. “No.”
“Do you have any idea about what’s coming next?” He’d lowered his voice and the tone held a sinister edge.
The creepiness of the question made the hair on her arm stand and her fingers tingle. She tucked her hands behind her back. Still, she played along. “No.”
The entire situation made her uncomfortable and she almost wished she hadn’t sent Sidney away. Hopefully, he watched out for her from the shadows like he’d promised. Her anger at him quickly dissipated into nothing, and she realized with her initial anger gone, she’d rather he had her back like he’d had it all day long.
Draven pushed a rectangular black cube onto the stage. The kind she’d seen on television that magicians used to make people disappear. He opened it. “Nothing inside,” he shouted to the crowd. He spun it around. “No trick doors.”
“Ms. Walker, will you inspect the box for the crowd?” Izander asked.
Ally walked around the box searching for the trick door. She ran her hands across the wood and tucked at the edges. She shrugged. “It’s a human-sized crate.”
A few people in the crowd chuckled.
Draven reached out his hand in a sweeping dramatic gesture. “Ms. Walker, it’s time to get inside the crate.”
She took his hand and he winked one of his cat-like eyes. Oh no. Had they been wrong about Izander and Draven? Was she stepping into a trap where she’d be ashy residue at the end of the illusion? It seemed a great way to make someone disappear.
And if she ran screaming from the stage, the town would eat her alive.
You are strong. You are bold. You are not easily manipulated. Plus, the tips of her fingers would give them the shock of their lives if they messed with her. Thanks to Sidney giving her a little push to practice even when she didn’t want to.
She took Draven’s hand and stepped into the box. The door closed behind her and when it shut tight, a little black light came on that showed instructions written in florescent ink. Clever. Her nerves ratcheted down to a manageable level and she followed the directions. One, unhook the little lever at the bottom of the box and carefully slip down under the stage. Two, put the bunny in the cage below onto the trapdoor and push it closed. Three, someone will come by after the trick to let you out of the box under the stage. Four, sorry if you’re claustrophobic.
Wow, they’d done more than a little modification to the stage while she’d been running all over town with Sidney.
The trick seemed simple enough. She heard the twins winding up the crowd, so she quickly went through the steps. They’d marked the top of the black bunny with the fluorescent ink to make sure she didn’t step on him.
“Hello, little bunny.” She pushed him into place and shut the door. Then she sat cross-legged in the second, much smaller box below the stage. If she and Sidney had stuck around and finished helping build the stage, she’d have known about the trapdoor and box beneath.
She felt around in her pockets searching for her phone. Dang it. She’d left it on the counter at the Tea Haven. A minute later, the crowd cheered. She heard Izander invite the mayor on the stage to prove that there hadn’t been a trapdoor. Obviously she was in on the trick since she’d known the stage plans.
Her box jiggled and slid toward the back of the stage. She ducked her head to make sure it didn’t meet any 2 X 4s on the way out. A piece of plywood slid over the top of the box leaving a small crack.
She pushed against it, but with her head bent to the side, she found it hard to find the room to use all her arm strength. Why would they cover her head instead of letting her out? The sound of a hammer popping in four nails echoed in the wooden box. Realization hit her hard. Someone had trapped her in the box.
The box jostled to the side and she slid hard to her left. Someone placed her and the box on a dolly. She rolled backward until with a thump, someone set her down.
Oh no. Draven and Izander were the murderers and since they couldn’t kill her inside the freezer, they’d trapped her in the bunny cage of doom. She could hear more rounds of applause but an engine fired up and drowned them out.
Ally pushed hard against the plywood again, straining with the effort. She did her best to use her sparkle fingers to blast the lid, but the static electric-type current didn’t budge the wood like it would a person.
Stop panicking and reserve your energy. Unless the murderer planned to dump her on the side of the road, he’d open the box at some point. She rubbed her hands together. And she’d be ready for him.