Jackson confirmed that Minnie Smithers was indeed dead, and just as Lacey had suspected, she'd been dead for a few hours. (I was quickly becoming a major fan of the woman and her super nose.) The police interviewed all of us, but it was mostly the same answer all around. Everything was going on as normal, candles lit, pumpkins and gourds strewn about and cider being sipped while we waited for Minnie to arrive. When it was decided that hair wreaths and garlands would be distributed so the apple ritual could begin, the trunk was opened and the missing Minnie was found, dead and wrapped like a burrito in her shop rug. Minnie was in charge of delivering the trunk earlier in the day, so it was a mystery as to who had actually brought it and how they had managed it.
The coroner wasn't all too pleased about hiking through shrubbery and wilderness in the middle of the night but his team managed to endure. (It was, after all, a two hundred yard hike at the most.)
Battery operated, shrieking-ly bright lights were set up around the area so the coroner could do his job and Jackson's team could do theirs. In the meantime, my newly minted partner and I got to work by talking to Aubrey and Nora. They had broken off from the others, who were now seemingly enthralled by their new leader.
Aubrey and Nora held apple muffins and gingerly picked at the treats as they stood as far away from the police action and Wanda's group as possible. The two women were complete opposites in appearance and style. Aubrey with her tall, lean runway model style physique was wearing the velvet cloak over tight black pants and a silver t-shirt. Her fingers were heavy with mercury silver rings fashioned in the heads of serpents, moons and stars. A milky white moonstone pendant hung on a silver chain around her waist.
Nora was much shorter with curly hair and aside from the rainbow frames on her eyeglasses, she showed little inclination to be flashy with Wiccan style like her friend. Her khaki pants were topped by a black sweater, and she looked as if she was about to attend a college lecture rather than a Wiccan ceremony. Her one concession was a pair of pewter earrings that were wolf heads with blue crystal eyes.
"Aubrey," I said with quiet politeness, "how are you two doing? We noticed you were sort of huddled over here alone."
Aubrey cast a fleeting glance toward Wanda and the others, then gave Nora a secretive look, like two friends wanting badly to share a secret. But lips turned in and it seemed they were going to keep whatever they were fretting about to themselves.
"It looks as if Wanda has quickly appointed herself the position of high priestess," Lacey noted, taking the words right out of my mouth. It was the perfect comment to spark a conversation.
"Yes, well, she's going to have to be voted in and that's after a long discussion and debate between members of the coven," Nora said. She seemed the shyer more skittish of the two, but she obviously had her opinions when it came to the hierarchy in her coven. "We may seem unorthodox in some of our beliefs and traditions, but around here, we like to do things democratically. Wanda can put her name forward to be high priestess, but she's not a shoe in as far as I'm concerned. Especially considering—" Aubrey cast a warning scowl down at her friend cutting her off from what I was sure was going to be something noteworthy. Lacey must have felt the same disappointment as I felt her posture deflate next to me.
Both women took another furtive peek Wanda's direction. She was busy in conversation, no doubt already on the campaign trail, letting the others know why she should be high priestess. While she took a short second to look our direction, she didn't seem too concerned about two of the coven members peeling off to be alone. Of course, if all she needed was a majority of votes, she had enough of them standing right in front of her.
It was late and getting chilly. I was certain Jackson was going to urge me to go home any minute so I plodded ahead. I had no idea when I would have a chance to talk to Aubrey and Nora again. I decided to place a little bread crumb or two out in the open. "It sounds terrible to say, with Minnie being dead and all, but I guess this night worked out pretty well for Wanda."
Lacey sensed exactly what I was doing and shot me the slightest, nearly imperceptible wink. We were on the same page, as if reading each other's sleuthing minds.
Aubrey took another peek over her shoulder. Wanda was not in hearing distance but Aubrey leaned closer toward us anyway. Her voice was barely audible and there was a healthy dose of fear behind the tone. "It's a little too lucky, as far as Nora and I are concerned." My little bread crumbs had worked.
Nora shifted so that she was out of view of the other group, using her tall friend as a shield. "Word of this cannot get out or Aubrey and I could be in danger," she hissed quietly.
Her last words caused Lacey and I to step closer. "Do you think Wanda might hurt you? Did she kill Minnie?" Lacey asked. No beating around the bush with my new friend. A great quality.
"Not directly," Aubrey whispered. She shook her head. "We shouldn't be telling you this because—well—Wanda has been dabbling—let's just say, she's stepped out of the bounds of Wiccan etiquette."
"Rumor has it she's been practicing some dark arts, spells and incantations that are not part of our code," Nora continued. "The coming winter signals earth dying and heading into the long hours of darkness. We honor that change of seasons, but Wanda is taking it to another level. Or, at least, that's what we've heard," she quickly amended. "We don't know anything for certain." She swept her eyes up and around as if she was checking to make sure mischievous, dark spirits weren't lingering in the trees above, listening to our chat.
"How did Minnie die?" Aubrey asked. "Do we know any details?"
I shook my head. "We're waiting to hear. When Lacey and I examined her body, there wasn't any sign of violence or injury."
Aubrey and Nora nodded knowingly at each other. Then Aubrey explained. "A spell causing death would not show any signs of violence or injury."
Once again, Lacey and I were communicating with each other using our postures and expressions. We could read each other so well it was as if we'd known each other for years. I sensed she was feeling as deflated as me. Dark arts and evil spells were generally not solid chunks of evidence in a murder case. Aubrey and Nora did seem to have come to the conclusion that Wanda killed Minnie so she could take over as high priestess. Lacey and I just needed to find evidence connecting her to the crime. I was certain a magical wand and cursed spell were not part of the mix.