The big day had arrived: the reading of the will. The day everyone would know that I now owned the store, and I expected to hear from almost every single person who had been invited to the event.
“It’s going to be an ugly day, Catnip,” I said as I tried to run a comb through my curls. “People are going to be upset, which I fully understand, but I hope they don’t take it out on me.”
The feline eyed me from the doorway of the bathroom, his tail swishing back and forth as I fought my hair. My grays seemed more pronounced in the natural light filtering through the small window above the shower. I’d heard them once referred to as wisdom highlights, so I planned to stick with that description.
“I can only hope everything will settle down after this,” I said, giving up on one tangle and throwing the comb into the basket. Not only did my nails require some care, but I also apparently needed a haircut. “Then I can get back to my quiet, unassuming life. Doesn’t that sound good, Catnip?”
He meowed and stalked from the room. After brushing my teeth, I found him nestled among the pillows of my unmade bed.
“I’ll be up to check on you later. Don’t get in trouble, okay?”
Yesterday, I’d come home to find the roll of bagels I’d left out on the counter ripped open and he’d taken a bite off each one. Why not just eat a full one? Why be a passive-aggressive jerk and ruin them all? I’d threatened to kick him out, but he only stared at me from under hooded lids, ready to call my bluff. Having him around had grown on me and he knew as well as I did it was an empty warning.
I headed downstairs and began my day. A little dusting. Checking the dates on the tinctures and dividing the ready ones into smaller dropper bottles. Printing labels and fixing them to the proper product. All the while, I hummed softly and wondered if Catnip would behave himself if I allowed him to free-roam the store. It had to get pretty boring sitting upstairs all day, even for a cat who seemed perfectly happy to perch on the back of the couch and stare out the window for most of the daylight hours.
When Annabelle came in, she smiled and waved as if our conversation the previous afternoon had never occurred. As if I’d never asked if she’d committed murder. I found her cheerful demeanor a bit unnerving, and I hoped she didn’t have any plans to stick a knife in my back.
“Ready to make some soap?” she asked as she pulled an apron off the hook on the wall. Today, her clothing resembled something out of Madonna’s early closet, including loads of bracelets, a bandana around her crimped hair, and bright red lipstick. “We’ve got plenty of lavender essential oil, so we can make as many as you think we need.”
I wasn’t sure what that amount was, and I voiced my ignorance. One thing Bonnie had always stressed was to have fresh inventory. It didn’t matter what the product—soap, tinctures, or capsules—they should always be fresh.
“I don’t think we should have a bunch of it sitting around,” Annabelle said. “But let’s stick to our original plan and double what we made last time and see how long it lasts.”
“Sounds good.”
“Would you mind if we listened to a little Duran Duran? Their album, Rio, always puts me in a good mood.”
“Have at it,” I said, tempted to tell her about when I met Simon Le Bon at a party and the shenanigans that ensued, but I decided against it. Maybe some other time when I was convinced she wasn’t Bonnie’s killer.
After she pulled an old boom box from a lower cupboard, she scoured her purse, eventually extracting a cassette. She snapped it into the tape player and hit rewind.
“That’s… that’s really old school, Annabelle.” When was the last time I’d seen a working boom box? I couldn’t recall.
“There’s no better way to be,” she replied, giggling.
An hour later, we sang and danced along to “Hungry Like the Wolf” and the soap was setting in the molds. Forgetting about the murder even for a short period of time did wonders for my mood until someone knocked on the front door just as my phone rang.
“I’ll get the door, you answer your phone,” Annabelle said, turning off the boom box. “And thanks for agreeing to the music. Bonnie always hated it, but it really makes me happy. Brings back the youth I loved so much.”
“Of course,” I called out as she hurried into the front room, making a mental note to add more music to our days in the future, if Annabelle wasn’t rotting in prison for killing Bonnie. I really hoped she was innocent because I had no idea how to find a qualified herbalist to help me with the store. Glancing at my screen, I recognized Breckshire’s number. “Hello?”
“Hello, Ms. Jones. I’m sorry to bother you, but I wanted to let you know that the reading of Bonnie’s will has been completed. As expected, not everyone was pleased. I heard your name mentioned a few times and I wanted to give you fair warning that you may have some visitors.”
“Where is she?!”
I glanced at the doorway to the front room, recognizing Catherine’s booming voice.
“Thanks for the heads up,” I replied. “They’ve arrived.”
“If I may, who’s there?”
Peeking around the corner, I said, “Catherine, Charlie and Doreen, and Doctor Butte. Was he at the reading?”
“Yes, he was. She wanted him to hear from her firsthand that Sage Advice would continue to operate.”
I recalled the loafers at Bonnie’s memorial and now realized they must have belonged to Butte. Bonnie had insisted anyone who was listed in the reading of the will had to attend her memorial or they’d be cut out of any inheritance. Dang, Bonnie did have a mean streak.
“Get her out here now!” Catherine yelled.
“Calm down!” Charlie replied. “Stop acting like a crazy banshee on drugs!”
“I better go,” I said. “They’re fighting, and I’m afraid Catherine’s going to tear the store apart.”
“For your safety and the sake of Sage Advice, I’m calling the police,” Breckshire announced. I didn’t argue. “I’ll be in touch soon, Ms. Jones.”
As I shoved my phone into my back pocket, I took a deep breath. I couldn’t lose my temper, but I wouldn’t be pushed around, either. Rounding the corner, I set my shoulders back and narrowed my gaze. When I exchanged glances with Annabelle, she smirked, muttering, “Oh, no. Cassie’s in the house. This is about to get interesting.”
“What can I do for you, Catherine,” I asked, eyeing the woman while crossing my arms over my chest. I realized that all the suspects were gathered in the store, except for Doug. Maybe the murder could be solved in a matter of moments if I could get someone to confess. It was time to bait them… to make them angry enough so they’d reveal their secrets.
“You can get out of my store!” she shrieked. “This is supposed to be mine!”
“Apparently, your mother didn’t see it that way. But since you obviously thought you’d benefit from her death, I have to ask… Did you kill your own mother, Catherine? Are you that callous and greedy?”
She stared at me a long moment, her eyes wide with fury and surprise. “Of course not! What a horrible thing to say!”
“From what I’ve heard, you’re more than capable.”
Silence fell over the room as she stared at me. I’d hit a nerve.
“You’re an ugly human,” she whispered. “I may not have liked my mother—I actually hated her—but I’d never kill her.”
Fair enough. “But you would sneak around in her apartment at night, right? And maybe push someone down who was only trying to take care of the cat?”
Her gaze flickered for a brief second, and I had my answer.
“That’s what I thought.”
“I was looking for the will!” Catherine wailed.
“Of course, you were. Forget mourning your mother or taking care of her belongings. You, Catherine, are the ugly human being.” We stared at each other a long moment. “Now, unless you’d like to purchase something, please leave my store.”
Annabelle gasped. Glancing over at her, I found her staring at me wide-eyed with her hand over her mouth, not even trying to hide her shock. She hadn’t missed my announcement that I was now the owner.
I turned to Butte. “And what can I do for you?”
“Bonnie requested I be at the reading of her will. I was told she was leaving me something and in order to receive it, I had to be there. Come to find out, she wanted me to know the store wasn’t going anywhere. I came here to tell you that neither am I. I’ll fight to have you closed down until the day I die. Your plants put people’s lives in danger.”
“If you stopped writing prescriptions for a few hours and actually read up on how herbs heal, you may be surprised,” I shot back. “And just out of curiosity, did she leave you anything?”
His face reddened as his hands fisted at his sides. “Yes. She left me exactly six dollars and sixty-six cents.”
Annabelle gasped again while Catherine snorted, then said, “The symbol of Satan himself. She wasn’t too far off on that.”
With a sigh, I rolled my eyes and ignored Catherine, although I fully agreed with her. I was also secretly impressed with Bonnie’s last dig at Butte. “We should be working as one, Doctor. Traditional and herbal medicines can function together to bring wonderful results.”
“Never,” he hissed, pointing at me. “You and I aren’t done.”
“Is that a threat?” I asked. “Were you so scared of Bonnie and the relief her plants gave people that you had to kill her?”
He arched an eyebrow and gritted his teeth. “I’ve already told you. I’m a doctor. I live by the rule of ‘do no harm’.”
“And I think you’re a snake in the grass drug peddler,” I said. “You can attempt to intimidate me all you want, Butte, but you’ll be sorry in the end.”
“Are you threatening me?”
I smiled and shook my head. “You can take it any way you’d like. I prefer to think of it as more of a promise, though.”
Glancing over at Charlie and Doreen, he stared at me as if I’d grown another head, while she cried silent tears.
“Can we please stop this bickering?” she sniffled. “Bonnie’s dead. Her legacy has been set in stone. Some aren’t happy, but there’s no use in arguing about it. There’s nothing further to do.”
Charlie took her into an embrace and she cried against his chest, while little whimpers emanated from her.
“Are you all done?” I asked. “Doreen’s right. You’re all angry that you didn’t get what you wanted. It happens to people every single day. Get over yourselves and move on with your lives.”
A police cruiser pulled up front and Jordan exited the vehicle, his swagger giving off a very George Clooney vibe. When he came inside, everyone turned to him.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked, glancing around the room from one suspect to the next.
“They were just leaving,” I said.
No one moved.
“Well?” Jordan said loudly. “You heard the lady. Everyone out unless you’re going to buy something.”
As they filed toward the door, Catherine shot me a glare, and so did Doctor Butte. Charlie cradled Doreen, and for a moment, I was envious of their relationship. Of their closeness. They cared so deeply for each other and I wondered if I’d ever have that in my life.
“Are you okay?” Jordan asked once the door had closed.
I pushed my glasses up my nose and nodded. Still furious that he’d put me at the top of Sheriff Richards’ suspect list, I remained quiet.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I can see by the way you’re glaring at me that you’re angry I did my job. I had to tell her about the letter.”
“What letter?” Annabelle asked.
“The letter Bonnie’s lawyer gave to me stating that I would inherit the store,” I replied. “That’s what the sheriff was after the day she came in.”
She furrowed her brow. “Wait a minute. You knew before today that the store was yours?”
I nodded.
“Why in the world didn’t you tell me?” she shrieked. “I’ve been worrying myself to death over here, wondering if I’m going to have a job or not!”
“I… I wasn’t sure,” I muttered.
“You weren’t sure you wanted the store, or you weren’t sure you were going to keep me on?” she asked. “Sam, I need this job!”
“No. I wanted you here, I just… I wasn’t sure if you were the killer. I thought that maybe you killed Bonnie hoping that the store would be left to you.”
She stared at me a long moment with her mouth agape. “Sam!”
“I’m sorry, Annabelle. You were with her that morning. Sage Advice is so important to you… I couldn’t rule you out as a suspect.”
“Wait a minute,” Jordan said, holding out his hand. “Annabelle was with Bonnie the morning she was killed?”
We both ignored him.
Placing her hands on her hips, Annabelle pursed her lips. “I’m so totally offended right now. How could you think I was a killer?”
I shrugged and searched the air for the right words. “Evidence pointed to it. I… I had to be sure, Annabelle.”
“And now?”
“I know it wasn’t you.”
“And what changed your mind?” she asked.
I sighed, hating my next words. “Because I just realized who killed Bonnie.”
“Who?” Jordan asked. “Who murdered Bonnie?”