Witch Is Where Magic Lives Now Read online

  “That’s the part I don’t understand. What does the goblet have to do with any of this?”

  “It was on his bed. He must have been the one who took it.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. Even if it was him, why would he take his own life?”

  “I have no idea. Guilt, I suppose.”

  “But he could have just put it back in the games room and no one would have been any the wiser. What motive could he have had for taking it?”

  “I don’t know. Money maybe? I’d had to cut his wages, but he wouldn’t have got much for that ugly thing. This is all so terrible.”

  The door opened, and Ransom appeared. “I’ve made a cup of tea for you, Caroline.”

  “Thank you, dear. That’s just what I needed. What about Jill? Did you make one for her?”

  “I didn’t realise she was here.” He glared at me.

  “I’m okay, thanks,” I said. “I didn’t know you were in the house, Ransom.”

  “Caroline called me first thing and I came straight over. I wanted to make sure she was okay. I’m going to stay here for a few days until this is all sorted out.”

  “I’ve told him that’s not necessary,” Caroline said.

  “It certainly is necessary,” he insisted. “You’ve had a nasty shock. I’m going to stay with you until you’re back on your feet again.” He turned to me. “Thank you for coming over, but you can leave now. I’ve got this.”

  Ignoring him, I addressed Caroline, “Before I go, would it be possible to see the goblet?”

  “I don’t see why not. I put it back in the games room. I probably shouldn’t have moved it, but it’s too late now.”

  “Thanks. I’ll pop over there.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Ransom said.

  “There’s no need. I know where it is.”

  “I insist.”

  We walked in silence across the main hall to the games room. Everything that everyone had said about the goblet was true. It was truly hideous. I picked it up to get a closer look.

  “Be careful with that,” Ransom snapped. “It’s a family heirloom. Put it down!”

  “In a minute.” I pulled at the base and it came away. “Whoops!”

  “What do you think you’re playing at?”

  “Relax, it isn’t broken.” I took a quick look at the underside of the goblet. Engraved inside the stem, normally hidden from view by the base, was a long series of numbers.

  “Put it down this minute!” he shouted.

  “Just a second.” I took out my phone, snapped a few photos of the goblet, then reattached the base.

  “I think you should leave now.”

  “Not before I’ve had another word with Caroline.”

  “I don’t think—”

  I had no intention of waiting for his permission, so I hurried back to the dining room.

  “What did you make of it, Jill?” Caroline said.

  “It’s pretty hideous. Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave?”

  “I don’t think so. I appreciate all the work you’ve put in. Let me have your invoice as soon as you can, will you? I’ll make sure it’s paid straight away.”

  ***

  Mrs V had arranged her poncho on the desk, and she appeared to be taking a photo of it with her phone.

  That was unusual for two reasons: Firstly, I couldn’t for the life of me think why she would want a photo of that ugly thing. And, secondly, I’d not seen Mrs V with a mobile phone for years, let alone taking a photograph with one.

  “Good morning, Jill.”

  “Morning, Mrs V, what are you up to?”

  “I’m taking a photo of the poncho, and then I’m going to post it online.”

  “I didn’t think you had a mobile phone. Didn’t you give the last one to Armi years ago?”

  “That’s right, dear. I’ve never really seen the need for one since then, but after Maud Mizus showed me what she’d done, I thought I might as well give it a go, so I called in at Yarn and Phones.”

  “Yarn and phones?”

  “They’re very good. They stock a wide selection of yarn, and they also sell mobile phones. The young lady there was most helpful. She had me up and running in no time. It’s not nearly as complicated as Maud said it would be.”

  “Good for you, Mrs V.”

  “It’s amazing. I’ve posted lots of photos already. Other people can like them and add comments. They can even share them with their friends. Take yesterday for example, I posted a picture of the cuckoo socks I’d knitted for Armi. That photo has already had twenty-three likes and one share. And, best of all, I already have thirty followers.”

  “That’s—err—great. I assume you’re posting them to your Instagram account?”

  “Insta—what, dear?”

  “Instagram.”

  “I can’t say I’ve heard of that one. I’m posting them on YarnAgram. Would you like to see them?” Before I could say no, she held out her phone, and started to flick through them. There were photos of all manner of yarn creations: socks, scarves, jumpers, and of course the now infamous poncho.

  “They’re all very nice.”

  “I’ve decided to spend this weekend uploading photos of all the scarves, jumpers, and socks that I’ve knitted over the last twelve months. Just think how many followers I’ll get then.”

  “It sounds like you’re going to be busy.”

  “Would you like to know my YarnAgram name, Jill?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’m called TheYarnLady. I thought someone might have already nabbed it, but it was still available.”

  “That’s great. Anyway, I’d better crack on.”

  Winky was sitting on the windowsill, looking out of the window. He was on his phone and he clearly hadn’t heard me come in. I was just about to shout good morning when I heard him say, “Yeah, she really fell for it, but then she always does. CI5, brilliant. And those badges? Where did you get them? A lucky bag? Really? Too funny. That’s okay, Lulu, anything for a friend. I’ll see you and Ricardo next time you’re in town.”

  I’d heard enough, so I cleared my throat to catch his attention.

  Horrified, he turned around, and gabbled into the phone, “I have to go.”

  “Morning, Winky.”

  “Morning.” He jumped down from the window and up onto my desk.

  “Who were you talking to?”

  “Nobody. Just an old friend.”

  “I suppose you’ll be ready for some salmon.”

  “Yes, please.”

  “No chance.”

  “What do you mean, no chance?”

  “I mean, no chance. You can’t have any. In fact, there’s no salmon for you for a month. You’re back on the budget food.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I heard what you said. Ricardo and Lulu aren’t cops, are they?”

  “I—err—”

  “And there’s no such thing as CI5, is there?”

  “Well, I—err—”

  “You might as well admit it, I heard everything.”

  “It was only a joke. Surely you can see the funny side.”

  “Of course I can, but there’s still no salmon for you for a month. I’m sure you’ll see the funny side of that too.”

  Chapter 20

  My phone rang and I could see from caller ID that it was Hilary from Love Spell.

  “Jill, we’re all systems go.”

  “That was quick.”

  “Just as I expected, Romeo was in touch the minute his ban expired, very keen to arrange his next date. The only problem is that it’s tomorrow at one o’clock. Does that work for you?”

  “I’ll make it work. This guy needs taking off the streets as soon as possible.”

  “He chose a witch named Griselda Longribbon from our books.”

  “Griselda Long—?”

  “Ribbon. I’ll send you her details and photo over now.”

  “Where am I supposed to meet him?”

&
nbsp; “Do you know Bar Loco?”

  “I’ve never heard of it.”

  “You know that new office complex they built where the old market hall used to be?”

  “Yeah.”

  “The ground floor has been set aside for bars and restaurants. Bar Loco is the first one to open.”

  “Okay. I’ll find it.”

  “Be careful, Jill. If this guy is half as bad as you said, he could be dangerous.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

  “Will you let me know how you get on?”

  “Of course I will.”

  ***

  It was late afternoon, and I was thinking of calling it a day. We had the amdram play that evening, so we were going to have an early dinner. I was just on the point of leaving when Mrs V came through to my office.

  “Jill, there’s a Mrs Elizabeth Judge out here. She wondered if you could spare her a few minutes?”

  What was Elizabeth doing here?

  “Yes, of course. Send her through, would you?”

  Elizabeth, who was clearly flustered, hurried into the room. “Thanks for seeing me, Jill. I assume you’ve heard about Mulgrave?”

  “Your sister called me over to the manor this morning. I have to admit I didn’t see that coming at all. Mulgrave seemed fine when I saw him yesterday.”

  “Something about this doesn’t ring true.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Ransom is acting very peculiarly. Did you know he planned to stay on at the manor house?”

  “Yes, I saw him this morning, and he said he was going to stay with your sister for a few days to make sure she was okay.”

  “That’s a joke.” Elizabeth scoffed. “He’s never shown the slightest interest in her wellbeing before. Whenever she’s been poorly, I’ve always been the one to look after her. Why the sudden about-turn? That’s what I’d like to know. But it’s not just that, Jill. I’m finding it really hard to believe that Mulgrave would have taken his own life.”

  “What exactly are you suggesting? Do you think someone might have murdered him?”

  “I don’t know what to think.”

  “Did you know the goblet was found in his room?” I said. “Maybe the guilt at what he’d done overwhelmed him?”

  “I don’t buy that. I simply can’t convince myself that Mulgrave would have taken the goblet in the first place.”

  “Did you mention your suspicions to the police?”

  “Yes, for all the good it did. They seem to believe it’s a straightforward case of suicide. That’s why I came to see you.”

  “What exactly is it you want me to do?”

  “Keep an eye on my sister and try to find out what really happened to Mulgrave.”

  “Caroline has told me to consider the case closed.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’m quite happy to pay you from this point on. I just don’t want anything to happen to my sister. Will you do it?”

  “Of course. I’ll go around there tomorrow and see what I can find out.”

  The truth was, I shared Elizabeth’s concern for Caroline, and I certainly didn’t trust Ransom.

  “Thank you, Jill.”

  “Before you go, could I ask you something?”

  “Yes, of course. Anything.”

  “Mrs Jones told me she heard you and Ransom arguing on the night of the birthday dinner. Do you remember what that was about?”

  “We argue all the time, that’s nothing unusual, but yes, I do remember. He accused me of not caring about my sister. He tried to tell me that he was the only one who had her interests at heart. I’m afraid I saw red and let him know exactly what I thought about him.”

  ***

  When I pulled up outside the old watermill, there was no sign of Jack or Florence. I’d just got out of the car when I heard someone calling to me.

  “Hi there! Hello!” A woman in her early forties waved to me. Sporting a bright orange top, she was struggling to walk due to the combination of high heels and a tight pencil skirt. When she did eventually reach me, she said, “Hi, I’m glad I caught you. My name’s Olga. I’m your next-door neighbour.”

  When we’d lived in Smallwash, our next-door neighbours had lived in the adjoining house. Here in Middle Tweaking, the nearest house was a good fifty yards up the road.

  “Pleased to meet you, Olga. I’m Jill.”

  “We’ve only recently moved to the village ourselves, about six months ago. We’re from the West Midlands.” I’d already gathered that from her accent. “I’ve been meaning to come over and introduce myself ever since you moved in, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the chance. I’ve seen your husband and your little girl a number of times.”

  “Jack works from home. You’ve probably seen him taking and collecting Florence from school. She’s just started there.”

  “We have two children. Olivia is twelve, and Oliver is ten in a month’s time. You’ve probably already seen my husband, Oscar.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “He’s the postman. We were lucky that he was able to transfer his job down here.”

  “Do you work, Olga?”

  “Not at the moment, but I’m on the lookout. Something in retail, preferably. If you hear of anything, let me know, would you?”

  “Sure.”

  “I wanted to say we’d love for all of you to come over to our house some time. For a cuppa and cake, maybe.”

  “That would be nice. Thanks.”

  “I’d better let you get going. Speak soon, I hope.” She turned on her (very high) heels and made her way slowly—very slowly—back up the road.

  Jack was all by himself in the lounge.

  “How come Florence didn’t come to meet me? Is she with Buddy in the garden?”

  “No, she’s upstairs, in her bedroom. She’s been up there for the last thirty minutes.”

  “What’s she up to?”

  “I’m not sure. Playing with her toys, I imagine.”

  “I’ve just been speaking to our next-door neighbour.”

  “I didn’t realise we had one.”

  “She lives in the next house up the road. Her name’s Olga. She has a weird dress sense but other than that, she seems okay. Her husband is the postman and they’ve got two kids. A boy and a girl. Twelve and ten, I think. She said we should all go around there for tea and cake sometime.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “Right then.” I put my handbag down. “I’d better go and see what madam is up to.”

  Florence was lying on her bed, looking through my book of spells. “Mummy, there are so many spells in here.”

  “You shouldn’t be looking at that by yourself. I told you I was going to pick out some spells for you over the weekend.”

  “I want to learn the ‘thunderbolt’ spell.”

  “Definitely not.”

  “Aww! Why not? It looks fun.”

  “Because it’s very dangerous. You could hurt yourself or someone else.”

  “But I’d be careful.”

  “No, Florence. Give me the book, please.”

  “But Mummy.”

  “Give me the book now. Magic isn’t a game. It’s very serious.”

  “Okay.” Reluctantly, she handed it to me.

  “I’ll pick out some suitable spells over the weekend, and we’ll start to learn them on Monday.”

  ***

  Jack and I had arranged to pick up Kathy and Peter from their house. Normally, whenever we collected them, they’d keep a look out for us, and by the time we pulled up outside their house, would already be on their way down the drive. Today, though, there was no sign of them.

  “Are we early?” Jack checked his watch.

  “No, we’re dead on time. I’ll go and see what they’re up to. You wait here.”

  Even before I reached the door, I could hear raised voices coming from inside: Kathy and Peter were going at it hammer and tongs. When she answered the door, she was red in the face and clear
ly not a happy bunny.

  “Sorry about this, Jill. You’d better come in. I won’t be a minute.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Pete. He isn’t coming.”

  “Is he alright?”

  “I’m fine.” Peter came out of the kitchen. “I’m sorry I can’t make it, Jill, but I had a phone call a couple of hours ago from someone wanting a quotation for a big job. I have to have it ready first thing in the morning, so I need to stay in and get it done.”

  “He should have told them they’d have to wait for their quotation,” Kathy said.

  “We’ve been over this,” Peter snapped. “Business is really quiet at the moment. I can’t afford to turn my nose up at this kind of job.”

  Just then, Lizzie came out of the lounge with two other young girls about the same age.

  “Hi, Auntie Jill.”

  “I thought you and Mikey would be with your grandparents tonight.”

  “We were supposed to be, but then Dad changed his mind about going to the play, so he said we could stay here. These are my friends, Rosemary and Lucinda.”

  Those two had stolen my names!

  “I’m very pleased to meet you both.”

  “Look at our charm bracelets.”

  All three of them held out their hands.

  “They’re lovely. You’ve got a lot of charms on yours, Rosemary.”

  “Six,” she said, proudly.

  “I’ve got four,” Lucinda said.

  “I’ve still only got two.” Lizzie sighed.

  “Yes, Lizzie,” Kathy chimed in. “But you’ve only just had your bracelet. How long have you had yours, Rosemary?”

  “Two months.”

  “See, Lizzie, by the time you’ve had yours that long, you’ll have as many charms as Rosemary.”

  “No, I won’t because she’ll have even more by then.”

  Touché.

  I took a closer look at the small charms, which all appeared to be strange little creatures.

  “What exactly are these?”

  “Elves,” Lucinda said.

  “All of them?”

  “Yes, Jill, that’s the whole point.” Kathy rolled her eyes at me. “That’s why they’re called elf charms and the shop is called Elf-Charming.”

  “No two are the same,” Rosemary said. “Every charm has an elf in a different pose.”