We tucked the ice cream cart safely inside the walk-in freezer at the high school. "You know, I think we should probably follow Dippy and head to the hospital. If Amber is awake, she might be able to tell us more about this creepy note of hers and give us some clue as to who's been harassing her."
"You make a good point. Maybe she also knows why Kellan was the one to carry out the poisoning."
"And she might not have been responsible for Kellan's arrest, but she could be responsible for Terry's."
"What about Terry now?"
"Sorry, I left that part out. He also has a criminal record. Clemmie called and told me about it this morning."
"So you think maybe Kellan and Terry are working together?"
"It was one theory. I was also curious about Dippy, but he obviously didn't do anything to harm her."
"No way. That man is definitely nursing some big feelings for Deputy Reynolds."
"Do you want to head to the hospital with me?"
"Do you need me to?" Misty still looked a little rough.
"No, I guess not. Want me to take you home?"
"Do you mind taking me to Village Square? I haven't been to the bookshop in a couple of days, and I should pop in and check on things. After that, I'll head home and call Daniel.”
"You will?"
"You are right. I've been an idiot. Dippy made me realize I shouldn't throw everything away just because of one psychic reading. I care for Daniel just like how he cares for Amber. Sometimes you have to fight for those you love."
"Good for you. I'll take you to the bookstore right this minute."
With most tourists back home, traffic was light, and we made it back around the lake in record time. I had planned to drop Misty off in the parking lot until she said, "Oh before I forget, your aunt's new romance novel came in. Do you mind coming in and grabbing it quickly? She had put a rush order on it. Something about just having to know how a series ends."
"Sure, I can run in." There was nothing worse than waiting for the next book in a series.
"Great. She tried conjuring it, but it was sold out everywhere." Misty opened the door, and I followed her inside. "Daniel! What are you doing here?" Misty stopped in her tracks. I hadn't been paying attention. I had been looking at the new front display featuring five-minute spells and almost walked right into her.
"There you are!" Daniel had a broad grin. In three strides, he stood before Misty and scooped her up in a big hug. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I would have called your phone, but I wanted it to be a surprise.”
My friend was speechless.
"Is everything okay?" Daniel seemed unsure.
"I'm shocked. I wasn't expecting you until next week."
"I missed you, and I thought maybe you might miss me too."
I had to stop myself from gushing over how adorable the two of them were. I liked to think that Amelia was a gifted psychic, but there were some things that even professionals could get wrong, like my best friend's relationship status.
"Here, I got you something." Daniel took Misty by the hand and led her to the counter, where a gift bag was waiting.
Vicki took it as her cue to duck out from behind the counter. She walked around and passed me, whispering, "I thought they broke up?"
"I'll explain everything later. Do you by chance, have Aunt Thelma’s book? It's a romance novel she rush-ordered?”
"Sure, let me go in the back and get it."
"You couldn't come on the tour, so I brought the tour to you. There's a pastry from Prague, some chocolates from Germany, a bottle of wine from Italy," Daniel said each item as Misty took them out of the bag.
The last item was a small parcel wrapped in tissue paper. “I met the most talented stained glass artist in Austria,” Daniel explained as Misty unwrapped it. “Oh man, don't tell me it broke."
Misty looked at the broken artwork in her hand and held it up for me to see. It had been in the shape of a heart. "A broken heart," she said more to me than Daniel.
I shook my head.
"I'm sorry. I'll have to reach out to the artist and see if I can get a new one sent." Misty chuckled to herself and then sighed. "What, what’s so funny?"
"I'll tell you about it later. Right now, I'm just happy to have you home."
"Here's that book," Vicki said, passing the hardcover to me.
"Thank you. I'm going to run. Tell Misty I said bye.” I motioned with my head to where the couple was embracing.
Vicki smiled. "You got it. Have a good day.”
“Thanks, you too.”
When I got to the hospital, Sheriff Reynolds and Dippy were talking with one of Amber's doctors in the waiting room. I popped my head in to ask how she was doing. Upon seeing me, the sheriff interrupted the doctor, “Excuse me one moment.” He turned his attention to me. “Do you have an update?" I knew what he meant. He wanted to see if I had a break in the case.
"Maybe. Is Amber awake?"
“She should be.”
“Mind if I talk to her?”
“Go right ahead.”
"Thanks."
As I walked to Amber's room, I tried to think about what I needed to ask her. I hoped she had kept the threatening note or any other evidence we could use to track down who was stalking her. Maybe stalking wasn't the right word. I wasn't sure if there was a word for multiple attempts of murder. I was surprised to see that Deputy Lopez wasn't outside Amber's door anymore, given how active the threat still was.
I pushed open the wooden door, and I was about to knock as I entered to announce my arrival, when I heard someone talking. I first thought it was a nurse or a doctor, seeing they drew the bedside curtain for privacy.
I stepped back, not wanting to eavesdrop, then the person's words reached my ears. "I don't get it. Why won't you die?” the voice asked. The words sent chills up my spine. My body froze, but my mind raced to figure out who was talking. I recognized the voice but couldn't put it with a face. It wasn't someone that I knew very well. “You destroy people's lives. My brother was innocent. He didn't deserve to go to jail. You ruined his life and my mother's. She died thinking my brother was a criminal. You didn't just break my brother; you broke my whole family."
Amber seemed to struggle with the right words. It wasn't until I heard her make a choking sound that I realized she wasn’t struggling over what to say but to breathe.
I jumped into action, pulling the curtain back in time to see Deputy Lopez straddling Amber on the bed and choking her. Without thinking, I withdrew my wand and pointed it at the deputy’s chest, shouting, “Stasi!” to stun her in place.
I belatedly remembered that the deputy was a shifter, and she had to be something strong; perhaps she had gargoyle blood somewhere down the line because the spell bounced off her. The only thing I managed to do was anger the crazed woman.
Deputy Lopez leaped off the bed and turned her rage toward me. Amber screamed. I pulled the bedside cart with Amber’s lunch on it in front of me, using it as a shield. I wanted to put as much distance as possible between myself and the mad woman. That did little to detour the deputy.
Deputy Lopez charged. I pushed the table toward her, grabbing whatever I could to throw at her along the way, which turned out to be a carton of sherbet and a cup of Jell-O. The sherbet hit the deputy on her shoulder and splattered melted orange goo across her face and hair. The Jell-O skidded across the hospital room floor along with a plate full of mashed potatoes and gravy.
"And you! Who are you?" the deputy growled. "You are always snooping around.”
"I'm a witch who doesn't know when to back down." I stood my ground, trying to be the fearless witch I'd always wanted to be.
“UGH!” A flash of blue light came hurtling past my head. I almost didn't duck in time as the object cracked the room's mirror behind me and fell to the floor. I glanced down in time to see that it was the Silverlake Sapphire.
"That stupid rock. I thought it would buy me a new life, but all it's done is bring me problems. It's cursed, I tell you!"
“It's not cursed. It’s bewitched to reflect your true colors,” I shot back.
“What are you trying to say?”
“I think it’s obvious.”
“Everything I’ve done has been for my family.” Deputy Lopez pointed at her chest.
“Is that what your brother would have wanted? What your mother would have wanted? For you to kill someone in revenge?”
“You don’t know what it’s like to watch the system that’s supposed to protect people destroy your life. To hear someone lie just to close a case. That’s what she did.” The deputy stared at me but pointed her finger off to the side at Amber.
I couldn't wait for help to arrive. I had to act fast. I took a chance on the gargoyle theory and blasted Deputy Lopez with a sunlight spell. The entire room erupted in light. I blocked my eyes with my forearm, turning away. My hair blew back as I struggled to hold onto the wand. It was the one time where my overreacting powers paid off. Deputy Lopez might not be a gargoyle, but the blinding light was enough to disorient her and gave me enough time to dash back to the room’s door and scream for help.
I thought Sheriff Reynolds would be the first to arrive, but Dippy led the charge. The fearless ice cream man barreled down the hall. Once he realized Amber was okay and that it was Deputy Lopez I needed help taking down, he sprang into action. He was like a wild bull, charging right at her. Dippy wrapped his arms around Deputy Lopez’s waist, and they crashed onto the ground and right on top of the rest of Amber’s lunch. The two rolled in the smeared remnants of mashed potatoes and gravy.
The deputy rolled until Dippy was on his back. They moved so quickly that I couldn't get a clean shot with my wand. The alternative was that I could freeze them both, and I debated doing that when Dippy got the upper hand and somehow managed to roll over and sit on Deputy Lopez's back with her arms pinned behind her and her face smushed in gelatin.
“You will never lay a hand on her again, do you hear me?’ Dippy commanded.
Both Amber and I were left speechless.
“She was strangling Amber when I walked in. Something about Amber ruining her brother’s life," I explained to Sheriff Reynolds and the rest of the hospital staff who came to the rescue.
“He was innocent!” Deputy Lopez shrieked.
“Who’s your brother?” Sheriff Reynolds asked.
“Nicky Oshay,” Deputy Lopez growled.
“Stick Nicky?” Amber’s voice was a whisper.
“Don’t call him that! He made some bad choices, but he didn't rob that bank, and he didn't shoot the guard!"
"Bad choices? He was wanted in five other cases."
"Pickpocketing cases. He didn't rob a bank!" Dippy struggled to remain in control of the deputy. She wiggled beneath him, but he held her arms firmly behind her back.
“Here, son, let me take over.” Sheriff Reynold’s clipped handcuffs onto the back of Deputy Lopez’s wrists and began to read the deputy her rights as he escorted her out.
Amber struggled to sit up. Dippy ran to her side. His white shirt was stained with gravy. A fistful of mashed potatoes was stuck to his back. Amber didn't seem to mind. "You were amazing."
"I could never stand to see something bad happen to you. Despite what you think about me, I still love you," Dippy confessed.
“Oh, Dippy, I love you too!” Amber confessed.
"I think that's my cue to leave," I replied. I wasn't surprised when Amber and Dippy ignored me.
Vance called me as I walked out of the hospital. I was planning on calling him in a minute once I processed everything that had happened.
"Hey, we got a hit. I can't believe it, but Deputy Lopez’s brother recently filed a lawsuit for false arrest and misconduct. The suit claims Amber misrepresented evidence in court, which led to his conviction.”
“I know. The deputy went full psycho on Amber. The sheriff just arrested her.”
“What?”
I filled Vance in on what had happened. "Hang on, Deputy Jones is calling me."
"You arrested Lopez?" he asked when I answered the phone.
"The sheriff should arrive with her at the station any minute."
"Good work, deputy."
"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that." Not only that, but I had no intention of working down at the sheriff's department. I was already busy enough at the inn. I wondered if that was a prerequisite to the honor. Guess I'd have to wait and find out.
"I was on my way to question Deputy Lopez myself,” Deputy Jones confessed.
"Oh yeah?"
"We got a call from a guy named Juan. He was Kellan's childhood best friend and the one guy he trusted. Kellan told him he was being blackmailed by Lopez. She knew he was in hiding. She threatened to blow his cover if he didn't poison Amber. When he said he still wouldn't do it, she said she would kill him."
"And he didn't go to the sheriff because?"
"Because as far as he was concerned, she was the sheriff."
"Let me ask you something. Deputy Lopez said her brother was innocent."
"Half brother," Deputy Jones clarified. "They had different fathers."
"That would explain the different last names."
"Mm-hmm, and why we didn't pick it up sooner."
"Do you think she's telling the truth? Was her brother innocent?"
"Deputies have a code. We don't talk bad about one another, but because you’re one of us now, I don’t mind telling you that, yeah, I think Amber messed up. Sticky Nicky did stupid things. He'd rob a candy store for a lollipop or lift a dollar out of your purse. When Amber fingered him for the robbery, I didn't think she was right. But it wasn't my case, and I didn't know the details. Looking back on it now, she was wrong.”
"Do you think Amber will think twice before she accuses someone again?"
"She will if she's learned anything from all of this."
“If you were betting on it?”
“I’d say the odds are fifty-fifty.”
“Yeah, I agree, but maybe she’ll surprise us.”