Witch Is Where Magic Lives Now Page 14

  “I spent some years in France when I was younger. It’s much too hot for my liking—it made my nose peel something awful. What line of business are you in—err—I’m sorry, I don’t even know your name.”

  “Jill. Jill Maxwell. My family and I recently moved into the old watermill.”

  “Myrtle Turtle’s old place?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Lucky you. It’s a charming property.”

  “Thank you. And to answer your question, I’m a private investigator.”

  “How very interesting.”

  “The thing is, Mr Bacus, I’m—”

  “Do call me Arthur.”

  “The thing is, Arthur, I’m not particularly good with paperwork, as you’ll see from this lot.”

  “Let me have a look at it.” He took the carrier bag, shot back across the room on the chair, and emptied the contents onto the desk. “Receipts, bills, invoices. All the usual suspects. This will be no problem at all. I could whip this into shape for you within a few days, unless you need it sooner than that.”

  “A few days would be fantastic.” I glanced around the room and realised there was no sign of a computer. “Can I ask, Mr Bacus, what do you use to produce the accounts? Is your computer in another room?”

  “A computer? Certainly not. I have no use for one of those.”

  “Do you do it all on a calculator?”

  “No, it’s all done up here.” He tapped his forehead with his finger.

  “You do it all in your head?”

  “Yes, and I have done ever since I started. I’m proud to say that I’ve never had any complaints. Is that going to be a problem?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Excellent. Any more questions?”

  “No, not really.”

  “Super. Would you like a drink before you go? I’m afraid I don’t have tea or coffee, but I was just about to make myself some Horlicks.”

  “No, thanks. I’d better get going. When shall I call back?”

  “Everything will be ready for you on Friday.”

  “Great. I’ll see you then.”

  Chapter 17

  The next morning, over breakfast, Florence was giddy with excitement.

  “Wendy said she’s going to make a bracelet for me, Mummy.”

  “That’s very kind of her, isn’t it? Are you looking forward to going to her house later today?”

  “Yes. Do you think I’ll like the dinner that her mummy makes?”

  “I’m sure you will.” I turned to Jack. “What are the arrangements?”

  “I’m going to meet Florence out of school, and walk with her and Wendy’s mum back to their house. I’ll tell Donna we’ll pick Florence up at six-thirty.”

  “Sounds like a plan. We’ll be able to have dinner by ourselves for once.”

  “I suppose we could do that.” He flashed that wicked smile of his. “Unless, of course, we think of something better to do instead.”

  “No wonder you were so enthusiastic about this play date. I should have known.” Just then, the letterbox rattled. “It’s a bit early for the post, isn’t it?”

  The postman rarely showed his face before ten in Middle Tweaking.

  Jack went through to the hall to collect it. “It isn’t the post. It’s a flyer for that new hotel. It opens the weekend after next.”

  “They’ve cracked on with that.”

  “It’s now called Hotel First Time, and they’re holding an open day on Monday, just for the locals. It says they’ll be putting on drinks and snacks. We should check it out.”

  ***

  I drove straight to Tweaking Manor where I was going to interview Caroline’s son, Dominic. As always, it was Mulgrave who greeted me at the door.

  “Hello again, madam. Do come in. I believe you’re here to see Mr Dominic today.”

  “That’s right. Are we in the Marble Room again?”

  “Actually, no. Her Ladyship had to go out, so she said you should use the dining room.”

  “That’s good news. Has the fire been lit, Mulgrave?”

  “Indeed it has. I did it myself, first thing this morning, so it should be nice and warm in there by now. I’m afraid Mr Dominic hasn’t arrived yet, but if you’d care to go through, I’ll make you a cup of tea.”

  “That would be fantastic, thanks.”

  The dining room was certainly much more welcoming than the Marble Room, and the cup of tea hit the mark nicely. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Caroline’s son. So far, the Tweaking family members had been something of a mixed bag. Elizabeth Judge, Caroline’s sister, was delightful. Ransom, Caroline’s brother, on the other hand, was a horror show.

  As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait long to find out because I’d only just finished my tea when Dominic arrived.

  “I’m so very sorry to have kept you waiting,” he said. “There were three sets of roadworks on the way over here.”

  “That’s quite alright.” He joined me at the dining table.

  “Thank you for coming over today, Dominic.”

  “Not a problem. When my mother explained that you’d be interviewing all the family, it seemed like the most sensible arrangement. Although, I have to be honest with you, I’m not sure I’m going to be of much help.”

  “We’ll see. Perhaps you could start by telling me if you have any theories as to who might have taken the goblet.”

  “None at all, I’m afraid. My understanding has always been that it isn’t very valuable, and it’s certainly an eyesore. Every time I go into the games room and see it, I wonder why my mother insists on keeping it out on display.”

  “Speaking of the games room, I understand you played billiards with Ransom in there that night.”

  “Yes. We quite often have a game. We both like to get away from the women’s gossip. No offence.”

  “None taken. Ransom told me that he won.”

  “Ransom’s a liar, then. He’s useless at billiards. I beat him every time, even though he does his best to cheat. That particular night, he’d had a skinful, so he was even worse than usual.”

  “He was drunk?”

  “Not falling down drunk, but he’d had one too many. That’s how the goblet got knocked over.”

  “I haven’t heard about that.”

  “Ransom was messing about with his cue, swinging it around like an idiot. He caught the goblet and knocked it onto the floor.”

  “Was it damaged?”

  “No. Except that the base became dislodged. It took Ransom an age to get it back on again.”

  “But it was okay?”

  “Yes. I made sure because I wasn’t going to take the blame for his stupidity. If it had been damaged, I would have told mother it was his doing. But there wasn’t so much as a scratch on it.”

  “And the goblet was definitely still in the room when you’d finished playing billiards?”

  “Yes. In fact, we left the games room straight after the incident with the goblet.”

  “I assume you’re aware of the legend?”

  “The parchment?” He laughed. “That thing is a joke. No one takes it seriously. I don’t know why mother insists on keeping it on the wall. It belongs in the bin.”

  “Mulgrave showed me one of the secret passageways.”

  “They’re cool, aren’t they? I used to love hiding in those when I was a kid. I spent ages trying to find the missing one, but with no luck.”

  “Your mother doesn’t believe it exists.”

  “She’s probably right. Mind you, Mulgrave might know differently.”

  “Mulgrave? What do you mean?”

  “There’s long been a rumour that he knows its whereabouts, but if he does, he’s never given it up.”

  “Do you believe that?”

  “No. Ransom has never liked Mulgrave. I think he started the rumour in the hope it would get him the sack.”

  “It clearly didn’t work.”

  “No. Mother thinks too much of him.”

 
; ***

  I arrived at the office to find Mrs V sporting the poncho I’d seen her knitting the previous week.

  “What do you think of it, Jill?” She gave me a little twirl.

  “It’s very colourful, isn’t it?”

  “I decided to use all the oddments of wool I’ve had lying around the house. I think it’s turned out rather well.”

  “Who’s it for?”

  “Me of course. Do you think it suits me?”

  “Err—it’s—err—lovely.”

  “Mr Edwards called in about half an hour ago.”

  Oh, bum! Did that mean he’d not yet given up on the case?

  “What did he want?”

  “He popped in to settle his account, but I told him that his invoice hadn’t been prepared yet. He said not to worry, and that if we put it in the post, he’d pay it by return.”

  “He really needn’t have come into the office just to pay the bill.”

  “The main reason he came was to bring you some flowers. They’re in your office. He said they were by way of a thank you for the work you’ve done.”

  Now I felt even worse. Rusty was such a nice old man, and I couldn’t help but feel that I’d let him down. But, in all honesty, I didn’t know what else I could have done.

  The flowers were in a vase on my desk; they were beautiful and must have cost a pretty penny.

  “Far be it from me to interrupt your busy day,” Winky said. “But there are three cats over here who are dying of hunger.”

  Agent Ricardo and Officer Lulu were taking a break from their surveillance and were resting on the sofa.

  “Sorry, I was just admiring the flowers.”

  “Never mind the flowers. We’re starving. What time do you call this to start work?”

  “I had to call in at Tweaking Manor.”

  “That’s all very interesting I’m sure, but it doesn’t get us fed, does it?”

  “Okay, okay.” I went over to the cupboard, took out a can of salmon and emptied it into the bowls. “How much longer is this operation likely to last? Any idea yet?”

  “Still hard to say. We’ll keep you posted.”

  I’d only been at my desk for a few minutes when Mrs V came through.

  “Why are those cats still here?”

  “I—err—they’ll be leaving soon.”

  “I’ve got the lady from Bubbles here to see you.”

  “Oh?” I followed Mrs V through to the outer office.

  Farah Close was wearing a green smock with a huge paw print on the front.

  “Jill, I hope you don’t mind me popping in like this. I just wanted to apologise for Monday. I didn’t expect so many people to take up the opening offer. I understand they were blocking the stairs for most of the day. I’m really sorry for any inconvenience that might have caused you.”

  “Don’t give it a second thought, Farah. I’m sure it was only a one-off.”

  “It definitely was. As a token of my appreciation for your understanding, I’d like you to have this voucher. It entitles you to half-price grooming for the rest of the year.”

  “That’s very generous, but it really isn’t necessary.”

  “It will make me feel better. You can use it for either of your dogs.”

  “Thanks very much.”

  “Right, I’d better get back. I mustn’t keep Fluffoo waiting.”

  “Fluffoo?”

  “She’s a beautiful little Pomeranian. It’s just a pity about her temper.”

  ***

  I’d been giving some thought to what the bank robber, Darren Black, had told me about his accomplice. ‘Romeo’ apparently considered himself to be something of a ladies’ man; he’d admitted to Darren that he regularly used a dating agency here in Washbridge.

  It was several years since I’d been in contact with the good people over at Love Spell. The last dealings I’d had with them was when Hilary had called on my help because Armitage, Armitage, Armitage, and Poole, who had moved into the same building, were trying to force her out of her offices. I’d been only too happy to help, and I’d soon put a stop to Gordon Armitage and his evil designs.

  I wasn’t sure if Love Spell were still at the same address, or if they were even still in business, but I figured a walk in the fresh air would do me the power of good. It turned out not to be a wasted journey because Love Spell’s name was on one of the many plaques at the entrance to the building.

  The last time I’d visited their offices, the reception desk had been manned by a delightful young man named Nathaniel. Today, though, it was a different young man who greeted me with a warm, welcoming smile.

  “Welcome to Love Spell. Do you have an appointment?”

  “Actually, no. Does Nathaniel still work here?”

  “Nathaniel? No. He left two years ago. My name is Raymond.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Raymond. I’m Jill Maxwell. I wonder if I might have a word with Hilary, if she’s in. We’re friends from way back.”

  “She is in today, but she’s with a client at the moment.” He checked his watch. “She should be done in another five or ten minutes, and her next appointment isn’t for another hour after that. If you’d care to take a seat, I’ll check if she can see you as soon as she’s free.”

  “That’s great, thanks.”

  I took a seat and picked up one of the magazines. It turned out to be an arts and crafts magazine. The cover article on decoupage brought back bad memories, so I put it back on the coffee table.

  A few minutes later, a young witch came out of the door behind Raymond. As soon as she’d left, he got on the phone and told Hilary that I was in reception. Even before he’d put the phone down, she came charging through the door.

  “Jill Maxwell, it’s so lovely to see you. How long has it been?”

  “A few years.”

  “Where have you been hiding? A little bird told me that you have a beautiful young daughter.”

  “I do. Her name’s Florence. She’s five now and she’s just started school.”

  “Goodness me. How time flies. And why haven’t you brought her in to see me?”

  “I will do. I promise. I’ve just been so busy.”

  “Are you still running the PI agency?”

  “Yes. Jack left the police force and he works from home now.”

  “You seem to have things well organised. Why don’t you come through to my office, and we can catch up? Raymond, would you make us a cup of tea, please? If memory serves me right, Jill has one and two-thirds spoonfuls of sugar.”

  “You have a remarkable memory, Hilary.” I laughed. “But actually I don’t take sugar at all now.”

  At which news, Raymond looked quite relieved.

  Over tea, we caught up on each other’s news, and then I moved onto the reason for my visit.

  “So, Jill, you think this Romeo character is using a dating agency somewhere here in Washbridge?”

  “I believe so. I realise Love Spell only handles witches who are looking for partners, but I thought you’d know if there was another agency in Washbridge that accepted wizards onto their books.”

  “You’re a little behind the times. Since you were last here, we’ve expanded the business. We now find partners for both witches and wizards.”

  “In that case, there must be a chance that this guy is on your books.”

  “A very good chance, I’d say. We’re the only agency in the Washbridge area that deals with sups since Love Bites closed. I don’t suppose you know his real name, do you?”

  “I’m afraid not, but I do have this.” I took the photo out of my handbag and passed it to her.

  “I don’t recognise him, but then I mainly deal with witches. My partner, Christie, who you won’t have met, deals with the wizards. Unfortunately, she’s on holiday this week, but it’s just possible that Raymond may remember him. I’ll go and check.” She disappeared out of the door and came back a few minutes later. “You’re in luck. Raymond did recognise the guy and we’ve managed to
pull up his file. It looks like he’s triggered our three-strikes policy.”

  “What’s that?”

  “We have to be careful not to encourage those who are just looking for one-night stands. We’re all about long-term relationships. If a client has three consecutive dates that turn out to be one-night stands, we insist they wait a month before we’ll set them up on another date.”

  “Are you saying this guy is banned from having any more dates?”

  “He has been, but his ban ends tomorrow. He’s obviously keen because according to Raymond, he’s already been in touch to ask about another date.”

  “Has he really? That’s handy.”

  “Sorry?”

  “I have an idea that I’d like to run by you.”

  Chapter 18

  In advance of my visit to CASS, I’d called ahead and spoken to the headmistress. She had been kind enough to book a small study room in the library where I could meet with Maxine Pearldiver.

  When I arrived at the library, the study room door was unlocked, but there was no sign of Maxine, so I took a seat and waited. A few minutes later, a young girl came bursting through the door. Maxine Pearldiver was the spitting image of her mother.

  “It’s such an honour to meet you!” She gushed.

  “It’s very nice to meet you too, Maxine.”

  “I’m a massive fan of yours. I have your poster in my locker, and I’ve watched all the tournaments you’ve been in.”

  “I’m flattered. Why don’t you take a seat and we can chat?”

  “Okay.” She put her satchel on the desk. “Before we start, Mrs Maxwell, would you—”

  “Please call me Jill.”

  “Is that okay? Really?”

  “Yes, I’m not on the teaching staff at the moment.”

  “Okay, Jill. Before we start, do you think you could possibly sign something for me?”

  “An autograph? Yes, of course.”

  “Fantastic!” She opened her satchel, pulled out a pile of photographs, and slid them across the desk to me. There must have been at least fifty of them.

  “You want me to sign all of these?”

  “Yes, please. If you don’t mind. When the others heard I was going to be speaking to you, a lot of them asked if I’d get them an autograph.” She handed me a pen.