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“As soon as we close at lunchtime, we should visit Claudine,” Suzanne told her as Maddie flopped down on a stool. They’d just finished serving a stream of customers.
“I guess,” Maddie replied reluctantly.
“Have you got the Tell the Truth spell?”
“In my pocket.” Maddie patted her shorts.
“Maybe it’s just as well Trixie stayed home this morning,” Suzanne said.
“Definitely. She doesn’t like Claudine.”
“Who could blame her?” Suzanne sympathized.
Maddie tried to keep her mind off their upcoming visit. She wished she could leave Suzanne to do the questioning, but the spell only seemed to work if she was the one who used it.
Since they opened for mornings only on Saturday, at lunchtime they locked up and walked over to the café. Once they interviewed Claudine, they’d hop in the truck and drive it back to Maddie’s house.
“Maybe this isn’t the right time,” Maddie said as they neared Claudine’s coffee shop. “She might be slammed with customers.”
“I don’t think that’s ever happened.” Suzanne’s ponytail swished in emphasis.
They stood outside the front door and stared at each other.
“Together,” Suzanne said.
Maddie nodded as she and her friend placed their hands on the door and pushed at the same time.
There were only two customers inside – an elderly man sipping a hot drink and a big burly man reading a newspaper. Maddie felt better that they weren’t interrupting Claudine during a busy time.
“What are you doing here?” Claudine appeared from the rear of the shop. Her voice was a growl.
“We wanted to say we were sorry about your cousin,” Maddie said.
“You said that before,” Claudine informed her.
Suzanne tilted her head toward Maddie as if to say, “Use the truth spell.”
Maddie fingered her pocket. During one of their quiet periods that morning she’d memorized the words.
Maddie took a deep breath and looked around, not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation. Luckily, there wasn’t anyone near them. Claudine seemed to be the only worker in the shop.
She silently uttered the words, seeing them in her mind, and whispering, “Show me,” at the end.
“Did you know about Veronica’s husband? Richard?” She looked directly at Claudine.
“Yeah. So what?” Claudine shrugged.
It was working! Somehow, Maddie knew deep inside that Claudine told the truth.
“That he died?” Suzanne put in.
Maddie sent her a warning look.
Suzanne mimed a Sorry!
“Yes. Why do you want to know?” Claudine snapped.
“We were wondering who had a motive to kill Veronica,” Maddie told her.
“I still think it was you two.” Claudine glared at them.
Maddie didn’t think that was the truth.
“Who else?” she probed.
Claudine shrugged. “I don’t know. Veronica was a great person. She used to let me tag along with her sometimes before she left Estherville. That was when I was young, and she was a teenager. She didn’t have to do that.” She swiped her eye.
Maddie nodded, then looked at Suzanne. She couldn’t very well ask the woman if she killed Veronica, could she?
“Since you’re here, you can give me my plant pot back,” Claudine demanded.
“What?” Suzanne wrinkled her forehead.
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“No, we don’t,” Maddie told Claudine.
“The old plant pot I put in the garbage can. Before the killer stuffed Veronica’s body in there.” She looked at the two of them as if she still believed they’d murdered Veronica, but Maddie knew better, thanks to the Tell the Truth spell.
“What are you talking about?” Suzanne asked in exasperation.
“Someone stole my pot!”
“But I thought you said you put it in the trash,” Maddie said.
“I did because I’d chipped it on the side which ruined its look, but then I had second thoughts about finally getting rid of it. I haven’t been able to find another one like it, with the blue and white marbling. After they ... found Veronica, I asked about the plant pot because I wanted it back, but law enforcement said there wasn’t anything else in that can. Since you were lurking in the alley—” Claudine glared at them “—you must have taken it.”
Suzanne recoiled. “You think we touched Veronica’s body – actually moved it – in order to steal an old plant pot?” She looked at Claudine as if she were crazy.
“Who else would have taken it?” Claudine put her hands on her stout hips. “It was the only thing in that trash can the night before. You found Veronica. And now the plant pot is missing!”
“Why are you only asking us about it now?” Suzanne narrowed her eyes.
“Because I was too upset to focus before,” Claudine snapped. “My cousin was murdered.”
“We didn’t take your pot,” Maddie assured Claudine. “Suzanne didn’t see it when she lifted the – lid. Did you?” She turned to her friend.
“No.” Suzanne’s ponytail bounced from side to side. “I didn’t see anything apart from—” she swallowed hard.
“We are sorry about Veronica,” Maddie told her nemesis.
“Yes.” Suzanne sounded sincere.
“I’ve got work to do.” Claudine stalked to the counter and stood behind the register. “If you’re not going to buy anything, you can leave.”
“Fine.” Suzanne drew herself up to her full height of five foot six and strode out of the shop.
Maddie followed her friend.
“Wow!” Suzanne fumed as they hit the sidewalk. “I can’t believe her.” She turned around to Maddie. “So? What did the spell tell you?”
“She was telling the truth apart from when she said we were the killers,” Maddie replied.
“Ha! So she doesn’t think we murdered Veronica.”
“Not really.”
“But that’s weird about how she’s suddenly talking about this plant pot. I honestly didn’t see anything else in ...” she trailed off.
“It’s okay.” Maddie touched her arm. “Maybe not think about that moment.”
“Good idea.” Suzanne swallowed.
Something jiggled in Maddie’s mind, but she didn’t know what. Something about the plant pot. What was it? If Trixie were here, maybe she would know and they could work it out together. She’d have to ask her familiar.
“Let’s go home,” Maddie suggested.
“Good idea.” Suzanne smiled. “Don’t forget, I’ve got to get ready for my picnic with Ramon tomorrow.”
“As if I could,” Maddie teased. She had her own date tonight – Luke was coming over and she was cooking dinner for him. Something easy so she wouldn’t get frazzled in the kitchen, but also impressive and delicious, like teriyaki chicken.
They’d reached Brewed from the Bean and were about to hop in and drive back to Maddie’s when Grace hurried over to them.
“You girls aren’t closed, are you?”
“Yes,” Maddie said. “But I can make you something if you’re desperate.”
“I am.” Grace sighed. “My own machine acted up this morning and I didn’t have any instant in the house. I’ve had to go without.”
“That’s terrible!” Suzanne tsked. “I don’t think I could bear it if I missed a day of caffeine.”
Maddie jumped into the back of the truck and turned on the espresso machine. As she waited for it to warm up, she half-tuned in to Suzanne and Grace’s conversation.
“How are your honeysuckle cuttings coming along?” Grace asked.
“Fine.” Suzanne smiled. “I’ve put them in their own little pots and I think they’re growing! Well, they seem okay, anyway.”
“That’s good,” Grace told her. “You girls are welcome to come and look at my garden anytime. I love spending time in it and trying out different plants.”
Maddie suddenly inhaled. Her mind flashed to an image of the blue and white marbled plant pot in Grace’s garden.
She looked at Grace with widened eyes, then bent her head to the espresso machine. She couldn’t give anything away at this stage.
Her mind worked furiously as she made Grace’s latte. How on earth could the older woman be the killer? How could she have murdered Veronica?
Maybe there was another plant pot with the same pattern. It might not be Claudine’s missing pot, she reasoned with herself. Maybe Grace had bought the rest of the pots like that and that’s why Claudine couldn’t buy another one to replace the chipped one.
Feeling slightly better, she handed Grace the latte.
“Thanks girls.” Grace sipped her coffee and made a sound of appreciation. “Just what I needed.” She peered into the truck. “Where’s Trixie?”
“She’s having a day off.” Maddie spoke lightly, still unable to believe that Grace might have killed Veronica.
“Give her a pat for me,” Grace said.
“We will.” Suzanne smiled as she closed up the register.
Maddie waited until Grace departed, then jumped into the driver’s seat.
“What’s the rush?” Suzanne wrinkled her nose. “You’ve still got plenty of time to cook my brother dinner.”
“It’s not that.” Maddie started the engine. “Grace could be the killer!”