G
ran, maybe you should stay with mum and dad. You’ll be safer at The Manor.”
She laughed. “Safer than being here with the three of you, and one’s a police officer? And the dogs?”
Noah had gone pale. “Maybe you should go. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
She squeezed his hand. “Nothing is going to happen to me. But maybe you should go back to school.”
He shook his head. “Because of the circumstances, the school gave me two extra days off, so if you’re not going, I’m not going.”
I got up and checked to make sure all the windows were locked, as well as the door from the kitchen to the garage. The dogs sleeping in their beds reminded me they had done little to help Gran last time. I came and sat back down as Liam finished his phone call.
“I have to go. I’ve requested an officer to be here to watch over you. Keep the doors locked and stay in the house. I should be back in a couple of hours.” He leaned over and kissed me, got his coat, and left.
Noah looked at Gran, and then directly at me. “Is she in danger because of the murder you’re investigating?”
“How did you hear about that?” I asked.
Gran spoke up. “I told him, Molly. He has the right to know what’s going on.”
I took his hand in mind. “She’s right. I should have told you.”
“It’s okay. But I’d like to help if I can.”
We filled him in on what had happened on Halloween a week ago, and what we’d found out since.
“So, you’re thinking Herb was blackmailing Bud because he knew about the drugs, and so Bud killed Herb, right?”
Gran answered, “It makes sense.”
My witchy senses were buzzing. “Does it?”
They both stared at me.
“Bud paid Herb’s bar bill multiple times. Why kill him now?”
Noah shrugged. “Maybe he no longer wanted to pay.”
Gran added, “Maybe Herb changed the terms. Rather than pay his bar bill, he asked for something else. Something bigger.”
“Maybe.” Too restless to sit, I paced.
“What are your instincts telling you?” Gran asked.
I rubbed the back of my neck with my hand. “That I’m missing something.”
Noah perked up. “I know when I’m stuck on a paper, I either read it out loud to myself, or I have someone else read it. Why don’t you tell me what you have, and maybe I can help?”
“That’s a good idea.” I went and got my notebook and turned back several pages. When I sat back down, Noah also had a notebook and pen.
I started at the beginning with Herb’s death and our original list of what we knew and who we had spoken to.
Noah took some notes, then lifted his head. “You’ve spoken to quite a few people, and from what he learned when mum died, is if DI Elliott thinks Suzanne did it, she’s most likely innocent.”
Gran chuckled. “Well, put.”
“And you’ve deleted Tom Doyle, Otis Smith, Grace Wilcox and Victor Hall off the list.”
I looked at my notes and nodded.
“So that leaves, who?” He asked.
I looked at my notes. “Bud Tyson, Martin McDonald and the Mayor.”
Gran and I looked at each other. “We’ve spoken to Martin, and he doesn’t seem to have a motive.”
“What about the mayor?” asked Noah.
“I don’t think so, but I get a weird vibe off of him.” I looked at Gran. “Are you able to make any sense out of this?”
“No, but I do have a concussion.” She smiled.
Noah picked up his notebook. “If you don’t think Martin or the Mayor, did it, then it has to be Bud Tyson.”
I sighed. “Yes, it does.”
A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door. I looked through the side window and saw Constable Mills standing on the porch. “It looks like the calvary has arrived.”
I opened the door. “Come in, Constable Mills. Are you here to serve and protect?” I smiled.
He lifted the container in his hand. “Yes, ma’am. And I brought ma’s soup.”
I opened the door wider. “Come on in. I’ll take that from you.” He handed me the soup. “Would you like a cup of tea?”
“That would be lovely, Miss Molly. I have to make rounds outside first, though. Makes sure you lock the door behind me.”
“I will.”
I locked the door and put the soup in the refrigerator, then filled the kettle. I had just added the hot water to the teapot when there was another knock on the door.
“I’ll get it.” Yelled Noah.
A few seconds later, I heard Constable Mills say, “Mrs. Kennedy, it sure is good to see you up and around.”
“Good to see you, Brendan. How is your mother?”
“She’s good. She’d like to come see you when you’re up to visitors.”
“That would be lovely. I’ll call her and arrange something.”
“Where’s Miss Molly?”
“I’m in here!” I yelled from the kitchen.
A few seconds later, Constable Mills joined me in the kitchen. “Your perimeter is secure. The only wildlife out there are seagulls searching for their lunch.”
“Thank you. I feel safer already.” I put the teapot, along with four cups, on a tray and carried it into the living room and set the tray on the coffee table.
Constable Mills checked the perimeter on a non-scheduled basis. Thirty minutes, then forty-five, sometimes ten or fifteen. At five o’clock, Liam arrived home smiling.
He kissed me hello and released Constable Mills from his duties. I asked him to stay for dinner, but he declined, saying he needed to get home.
“What are you smiling about?” I asked as I added seasoning to some chicken breasts before putting them in the oven.
“I just heard about Suzanne being released. Where’s Colleen and Noah?”
“Both in their rooms. We played cards all afternoon. Why, what happened?” I shut the oven door and washed my hands.
“We requested a search warrant for Bud’s garage. It should come through in the next couple of hours.”
“So, you’ll need to go out again?” I tried not to show my concern.
He shook his head. “The drug unit is taking care of it. I just asked them for a crack at Bud tomorrow to lean on him about Colleen.
“What about Herb’s death?” I pulled out vegetables and began cutting up them up for a salad.
Liam leaned against the counter, munching on a piece of carrot. “That is still in DI Elliott’s hands. I’m not sure he’s any closer to figuring it out than we are.”
I took my frustration out on the vegetables while Liam went and said hello to Noah. Mum never said Gran getting hurt was my fault. She didn’t need to. I already felt like it was. Had I not involved her in Herb’s death, she’d never have met Bud, and never gotten hurt.
A little while later, Noah showed up in the kitchen as I was mashing potatoes.
“Whoa, what did those potatoes ever do to you?” He opened the cupboard and pulled down plates.
“What?” I stopped mashing.
“The potatoes.” He nodded toward the pan.
“What about them?” They looked fine.
“You seem to be angry at them,” he smiled.
I smiled back. “Oh. Well. I guess I have a lot on my mind.” I took the potatoes and put them in a bowl just as the timer went off on the chicken.
The four of us ate dinner, although Gran had little appetite. Shortly afterward, she received a phone call from Jaime and Amelia, asking if the two of them could come visit. She told them to give us thirty minutes, then before stopping to stop by. She disconnected the call and looked at me.
She grimaced. “Does this mean I have to get dressed?”
I smiled. “No, it doesn’t. You look fine. My goodness, you were just released from the hospital this morning. I would have told them to wait until tomorrow.”
Liam and I were cleaning the kitchen when he checked his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time.
“No word yet, I take it?”
He shook his head. “They should have the warrant by now. What are they waiting for?”
“If you want to join them, go ahead. We’ll be fine.”
He leaned over and kissed me. “I’d prefer to stay here and keep an eye on things.”
“You could always call Constable Mills to come back. Ciara thinks he has a crush on me.” I grinned.
“And why wouldn’t he? I have a crush on you too.” He kissed me again.
The doorbell ringing and the dogs barking broke up the moment.
“I’ll get it.” Liam laid down his dish towel and walked toward the door.
I was just finishing up the pots and pans when Noah came in. He picked up Liam’s discarded towel and started drying them.
“Molly, I’ve been thinking about Herb’s murder. Since you don’t think Bud or Martin did it, maybe you need to go back to the castle where it all began.”
“Would you mind opening up the store for me in the morning so I can stop by the castle first thing?”
“Sure.”
My witchy senses buzzed. “I think you’re onto something.
I kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”