Freaks and Felons Read online

  “I just don’t know. You know I love a good case, but this one seems beyond my reach. There’s no leads anyways, I wouldn’t know where to start.” Celestial grabbed her tea and poured a second cup for her guest.

  With a glimmer in her eye, Tamara took a sip. “As long as you don’t leave any of these cups at the scene this time, you’re guaranteed to solve the case in no time.”

  Celestial huffed, remembering the perils that were caused by a simple tea cup left at the scene of her cousin’s murder. “You know for a fact now that I didn’t put the cup there, so never mind that. What was it you were dying to tell me about the new case?”

  “I know the second wife, Mikela Jones...she’s very old fashioned. She always obeyed her husband and would probably jump head first into a volcano if he told her to. There was no way she would suddenly snap and kill her husband out of the blue, don’t you think that’s worth investigating?” Tamara leaned in to her friend, hoping to pique her curiosity.

  The information seemed to stir up a sense of wonder within Celestial’s mind, and she soon found herself searching for the answer. “Let’s think. What do we know so far?”

  “I knew you’d want to help. Let me grab some snacks to help us think.” Tamara chirped with a smile.

  “Athena told me that all three women bought the same love potion at The Witch’s Corner. That’s a bit suspicious, but we shouldn’t point a finger just yet.” As celestial took a handful of cookies from her friend, she remembered what it felt like to be an innocent bystander on the suspect list.

  “So you don’t think the shop owners could be responsible? But Georgia made all three potions.”

  Celestial shook her head. “There has to be something else going on. I know what it’s like to be framed, and maybe Georgia is in the same situation.”

  “You’re right.” Tamara spoke as she chewed, slurping her tea loudly as she thought about the case. “But is there anyone who would want to frame her?”

  “First of all, I can’t think with all that snacking going on. Maybe we should regroup after we’ve both had the night to think in peace and quiet.” Celestial teased. “I’m not sure yet, but it seems like something that requires a little bit of on site investigation.”

  Putting down her empty cup, Tamara nodded in agreement. “That sounds like a plan, but you have to promise to be careful if you decide to do any snooping. You don’t want people getting suspicious, especially since there are still a few people out there who thought you played a part in Isabella’s death.”

  “I’m not worried.” Celestial smiled confidently as she cleared the plates and fluffed the pillows on her new couch. “I’ve already been an innocent suspect, and I ended up solving the case. What’s the worst that could happen?”

  Chapter 4

  Celestial’s fears were soon realized after she decided to pay a visit to Virginia’s house. As she pushed the unlocked door open, Detective Nikoli’s voice rang in her head and warned her not to make a habit out of breaking and entering to solve crimes. She chuckled after side-stepping some police tape, reasoning that since the cops had released the crime scene, she would be fine.

  The stairs creaked in the empty house as she made her way up to what was once Virginia and her late husband’s bedroom. A heavy feeling overcame her once she lay eyes on the gruesome scene, and she felt like the worst case scenario was staring her right in the face. It was too much for her to stomach at the moment, so she decided to check out the rest of the house instead.

  “I hope they’ll be able to hire a cleaning service.” Celestial breathed as she hurried back down the stairs. She couldn’t imagine the toll that cleaning the crime scene would take on Virginia’s family, and she hoped that she would be able to solve the case soon so their suffering wouldn’t drag on.

  Before touching anything inside the house, she made sure to slip on a pair of gloves so her fingerprints wouldn’t be found on every surface. Though the police were finished searching the house, Tamara’s warning stuck with her, and Celestial took every precaution to prevent another tea cup fiasco.

  She spent almost an hour poking around in the kitchen, opening cabinets and sifting through drawers. Just as she was about to move into the next room, her shoe brushed against something that tinkled loudly as it spun across the floor. Celestial reached for the object with her glove and pulled a tiny vial from beneath the refrigerator.

  Her eyes were drawn to the small droplets of liquid that were still pooled at the bottom of the vial. She sniffed the tube cautiously, wrinkling her nose after taking a whiff. “Smells like we have some cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla mixed in water.”

  She was well versed in making potions, and all the ingredients seemed normal enough to her for a typical attraction potion. However, Celestial still sensed that there was something off about the whole thing. Why had the vial been discarded on the kitchen floor?

  Feeling that she could better identify any abnormalities in the potion by examining it herself, Celestial removed one glove and started to tip the glass towards her bare finger. The droplets began to pool at the lip of the vial, but she put the glass down as she heard the gentle hum of a dragonfly’s wings thrumming in her ears.

  “Don’t do it Celestial.” Athena’s voice buzzed softly but sternly. “The poison was in the vial.”

  Shaking her head and snapping out of what seemed like a trance, Celestial quickly put the lid back on the vial and smiled at her familiar. “Thank you Athena, let me take this to the detective. I would’ve been in big trouble without you.”

  “You know I’ll always be here to keep you out of harm’s way.” She buzzed, settling on Celestial’s shoulder.

  The witch felt drained by the bad energy inside the house, and she decided that she’d found enough evidence to return to the shop. After slipping the vial into a plastic baggy, she and Athena headed straight for the exit.

  Once back at the shop, Celestial rushed to the back room to place a call to the detective. The phone rang only one time before another distraction changed her plans. Across the room, a wooden table suddenly collapsed and broken pieces clattered to the floor.

  Celestial first suspected that it was Tamara landing on her clean surfaces again, but as she rushed towards the commotion, she was quickly proven wrong. Instead of a butterfly, Celestial came face to face with Dakota.

  “Oh no, this isn’t the bakery.” The young man groaned, his brown hair covering his face as he blushed.

  In the midst of the confusion, Celestial had accidentally hung up on Detective Nikoli. Instead of calling him back right away, she put her phone down and extended her hand to help Dakota out of the rubble with a sigh. “You’ll get your apparition spell right someday soon.”

  “Thanks, I’ve been practicing.” He took her hand, but looked back at the pile of wood on the floor sadly. “Sorry about your table, maybe I can apparate a new one for you?”

  “No no, there’s no need for that.” Celestial laughed nervously, knowing that another spell attempt from Dakota may mean even more damage. “Just glad you’re okay.”

  “Can I at least help you clean up? I’m too late for the bakery anyway, this was my third attempt to teleport there and they’re probably closing right now.” Dakota shrugged his thin shoulders and reached for a broom.

  Celestial grabbed another broom, wondering in the back of her mind if she should just get rid of all the tables and counters in the store. “Sure, but let’s hold off on teleporting anything else for tonight.”

  The two cleaned the mess quickly, but soon got to talking. “While I’m here, let me get your thoughts on those awful murders. Crazy, right?”

  “I’ve already been thinking about this case far too much. Maybe we can talk about something else?” Celestial swept the last of the wood into a plastic bag and wiped her hands on her clothes.

  Dakota’s face fell, and Celestial knew he was disappointed that she didn’t want to hear his usual conspiracy theories. “Okay we can do that. Have you seen the weather
lately, crazy right?”

  After a few moments of silence, they both laughed. “Okay, let’s hear your thoughts about the case.” Celestial gave in, inviting Dakota into the break room to sit on her new couch.

  Perking up once again, Dakota spoke excitedly about some gossip he heard around town related to the murders. “A lot of people in town weren’t bothered in the least that the three bullies were killed. They harassed so many of the townspeople, started fights, and even tried to intimidate women who stood up to them. Do you think the townsfolk might have conspired to kill the men?”

  Celestial shook her head but smiled at his enthusiasm. “Very unlikely. Now, back to that weather.”

  Although her friends had good information, none of their leads were as promising as the vial she had found. Celestial knew that the sooner she could bring that piece of evidence to the detective, the sooner the case would be solved.

  Chapter 5

  The chance to submit the vial came as soon as Dakota apparated out of the store. As Nikoli entered, Celestial made a mental note to call Dakota afterwards and find out if he had mastered teleportation or crashed into a neighbor’s shower stall. Celestial had heard the rumors.

  “You said you had something for me?” Nikoli stuffed his hands in his pockets as he looked around the store.

  “I do.” After retrieving the plastic bag from the back room, Celestial proudly handed the vial to the detective. “Be careful, Athena warned me that there was poison inside.”

  “Poison?” Nikoli’s ears perked up slightly, and Celestial almost laughed at his ironic resemblance to a wolf. “Do I want to ask where you retrieved this vial?”

  Celestial remembered his warning from long ago about breaking and entering. “Let’s say I stepped right over it.”

  The detective sighed. “Okay, but I can’t help you if someone calls the station to report a burglar. You’re on your own then.”

  “Are you going to have the vial tested or not?” Celestial pushed, trying to detract from the fact that she snuck into Virginia’s house.

  Nikoli drew his lips into a tight line, but soon relaxed. “I’ll have the vial tested. Am I going to find your fingerprints all over it?”

  Smiling confidently, Celestial looked the detective in the eyes. “Nope, I made sure to wear gloves while I was searching the house.” Her eyes grew wide as she realized what she’d just confessed to.

  “Uh huh. Stepped right over the police tape is more like it.” The detective joked. “If this wasn’t such a promising piece of evidence I might have to put you in handcuffs.”

  “Oh come on, the police had released the crime scene by that time. It was completely legal.” Celestial defended herself. “Call me as soon as the test results come in.”

  She walked him out after he promised to oblige, but as soon as Nikoli left, the weight of loneliness was heavy. It was late, so the shop was closed for the night. Taking out her phone, she decided to give Tamara a call.

  Celestial made her way over to her friend’s house, and the two sat down to watch television. After a few hours of light banter and silly shows, they ended up watching the news.

  “Wait, turn it up. They’re talking about the case.” Celestial mentioned, a spoon full of ice cream stuffed in her mouth.

  Tamara set down a mug of hot cocoa to grab the remote. “They’re saying all the things we know already, but if you want to hear it again we can watch it.” She shrugged, turning up the volume anyways.

  “It was reported that all three of the killer women had visited The Witch’s Corner before they committed these horrible crimes. Our sources say that the wives had all purchased a love potion to make their straying husbands fall in love with them again.” The news anchor read off of a teleprompter as she relayed several pieces of information Celestial and Tamara already knew.

  “You’re right, maybe we’ve had enough of the story for the night.” Celestial agreed. However, before Tamara switched off the program, the news anchor tried to hide a laugh.

  She cleared her throat, then faced the camera once more with a stoic expression. “Could the women have been hoodooed while they were in the shop, forcing them to kill their husbands? Or is that story a little too strange for Brightborough?”

  Tamara made the executive decision to switch the television off. “Okay, you were right. Enough for the night.”

  “Hold on now, the reporter may have thought it was ridiculous, but to me it sounds like a possibility.” Celestial considered.

  Tamara hummed to herself in thought. “I guess you’re right in thinking that it’s possible, but have you done your due diligence in following up with the shop owners to clear them as suspects?”

  “Come on, Georgia could never hurt anyone. You agree with that, right?”

  “At first I considered it, and personally I know no shop owner would harm customers intentionally. But could it have been an accident?” Tamara questioned.

  Celestial shrugged her shoulders and said goodnight to her friend. She knew the answer to her question, but she wouldn’t find the answer by sitting in Tamara’s living room. “Only one way to find out.”

  The very next day, Celestial visited The Witch’s Corner bright and early. Georgia greeted her warmly as she would any other customer, but Celestial could sense the dread that was surrounding her.

  “Welcome to our cozy corner, can I get you a plant or a potion today?” Georgia held up some herbs and forced a smile.

  Celestial politely declined the herbs and stepped closer to the front desk. “Hey, I know you’ve been under a lot of stress lately. I know how it is being a business owner caught up in a crazy case. I just have a couple questions for you. I think I might be able to help.”

  Out of paranoia, Georgia scanned the shop to see if anyone was listening, but there weren’t any other customers. Finally, she relaxed her shoulders and agreed. “Sure, what can I answer?”

  “Thanks for trusting me. We can start by talking about who makes your potions.” Celestial spoke calmly, trying to make sure that Georgia felt comfortable telling her anything.

  “Well I do.” Georgia answered confidently. “But I swear, I only put regular spices and herbs in them, nothing at all that would cause anybody to freak out and kill someone.”

  Georgia began to breathe deeply fearing that she was under investigation. Celestial understood her worries, and instantly reassured her. “Listen, I believe you. But that means someone might have framed you, do you know who that might be?”

  After some thought, the young business owner shook her head. “I really can’t think of anybody. We don’t exactly have a list of enemies here at The Witch's Corner.”

  Celestial’s face fell. The talk wasn’t particularly helpful, but it did help her believe that Georgia was innocent. She didn’t observe anything suspicious in the potions that still lined the shelves, and Georgia seemed genuine when she spoke. “Thanks for the chat, and if you do think of anyone, please let me know.”

  The rest of the day wasn’t very productive either, until she received a call from Detective Nikoli. “The vial tested positive for scopolamine.” He announced gruffly over the line.

  “What?” Celestial gasped. She knew the vial contained poison, but that particular plant was a surprise. “That’s the one they call devil’s breath right? The one that’s used to make people carry out violent acts.”

  “That’s the one. There wasn’t enough present to be lethal, but it could definitely have caused some hallucinations and blackouts.” Nikoli confirmed. “You may be on to something, Celestial. Thanks for your help.”

  Celestial couldn’t believe that the evidence she’d found was so crucial. Perhaps, she thought, she would be able to help Virginia’s parents find peace after all.

  Chapter 6

  Celestial looked up from her accounts book to greet the customer coming through the door. She raised an eyebrow and smiled at Georgia Daniels, owner of the The Witch's Corner. What could she possibly need in Herbal Heaven?

&nb
sp; "I'm here to see if you have any sage. We've run out," Georgia said, as if she had read Celestial's mind.

  "We have lots, so you're in luck," Celestial said, already turning to the wall of glass jars where the herbs were kept. She located the sage and took it to the counter to measure out. The smell wafted out as she took the lid off and scooped some out onto the scale.

  "Crazy times in Brightborough," Georgia said. Her voice made it sound almost like a question.

  "Yes... Is this enough?" Celestial asked, pointing to the sage on the scale.

  Georgia nodded distractedly. Her eyes wandered around the store, but they seemed to be seeing something far in the past. Suddenly, she spoke. "I never liked Noah Jones. I shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but he dated my sister and he treated her terribly. Every time he came into the room she would shrink away. She would have bruises but she never would admit where they came from... I'm glad he's dead. I shouldn't say it, but it's the truth... I'm glad he's dead." Georgia said quietly, but with conviction. Her tone sent a shiver down Celestial's spine. She tried to focus on sealing the bag of herbs. There was a moment of silence.

  "You don't have any scopolamine in your shop, do you? It's all natural stuff, right?" Celestial asked jokingly, smiling at Georgia to reassure her she meant no harm. She watched the other woman closely.

  "I don't, but it's easy enough to find pharmaceuticals on the streets these days. The opioid crisis is out of control. Anyone can get their hands on anything. It's sad." Georgia said, taking her package. "How much?"

  "It's on me, today. From one shopkeeper to another," Celestial said. She hesitated for a moment. "Do you think drugs could have gotten into the bottles from your shop somehow? Are they sealed?"