Witch on Ice Page 13

  Silly thing to say. I almost rolled my eyes for him. I turned from the counter and heard, “Ooh… the smoky latte looks fun! I’ll take three, please.”

  I glanced back and read the grimace through his smile. Poor guy. At least I’d done my part and made his morning a fraction easier.

  I paused by the door and sipped my coffee while recalling the area. Once I was confident that I’d remembered the neighborhood where Amy lived, I was out the door with my purse secured warmly inside my coat. We had a short hike in front of us, and I debated about going back and getting my car. Nah, the exercise would do me good. I had a wedding dress to wear soon, right?

  By the time I’d left downtown and walked the dozen-but-feeling-like-gazillion blocks, I was chilled to the bone and my remaining cold coffee wasn’t doing me any favors. Why was I worried about squeezing into some slinky dress anyway? That wasn’t me. Fernando loved me the way I was, curves and all. Unfortunately, I didn’t hold the same attraction to him currently. Sorry, honey.

  The doorbell was taped out of commission, so I raised my hand to knock. The door opened before my fist made contact. Good thing too; my toes were so stiff I could barely wiggle them.

  “Samm? What a wonderful surprise! Come in, come in.” Amy waved me inside. She was wrapped in a quilt, hair sticking up sideways. “I’m so embarrassed. I don’t even have any hot coffee ready to offer you.”

  “Please, don’t think twice about it. I’m fine. But what about you—did I wake you?”

  “Oh no.” She gestured me to the couch, and that was when I noticed the dark rings under her eyes. “You have to sleep to get woken up.” She tried giving me one of her sunshiny smiles, but it fell flat.

  I touched her hand. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?” She shook her head. I held up the bag. “I brought muffins.”

  “You’re too sweet, but I’m afraid I don’t have much of an appetite yet.”

  “I understand.” I set them on the table beside her. “I’ll leave them here just in case it comes back later.”

  “Thank you.”

  She adjusted her quilt, tightening it around her shoulders, and I took that opportunity to glance around. The place needed circulation.

  “Do you mind if I open up the blinds, let some light in here?”

  “Oh, I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t need the neighbors peeking in and whispering about me.”

  Hmm, okay. I wondered if that happened often. It’d only been a couple of days, but I hoped Amy wasn’t going loopy holed up in here. “Then how about I just crack a window or two? I’d be good to let in a little fresh air. I’ll close them back up as soon as I leave.”

  “I suppose…”

  I went over and raised the blinds just an inch to slide over a window to get some breeze inside but not enough to invite in the “Nosy Nellies.”

  “If only it were warmer out, I could open them more,” I said, moving on to the next window. “We don’t want you to freeze—” I cut myself off with a bite to the tongue. Horrible choice of words. “Uh, I didn’t mean… Sorry. That was insensitive.”

  She actually chuckled a little. “Nonsense, Samm. It’s fine.”

  Leave it to Amy to reassure me in her time of mourning. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do for you? When was the last time you drank something?”

  “I had a sip of water this morning.”

  I put my hands to my hips. “One sip? You know that’s not good enough, right? Maybe I should stay here a while and look after you.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I have plenty of people who stop by and check on me. I’ll be all right. I just need a little time, is all.” I didn’t want to rush her recovery, but I also didn’t want her sitting around and wasting away if I could help it. “Actually, there is one thing… I could use some of Violet’s calming tea. I know it’d help me sleep better.”

  Calming tea? Was that the same stuff Sage used? If it was, it was labeled as an herb I couldn’t remember. “I’d love to help, but I’m not sure exactly what that is.”

  Amy tilted her head. “She’s still not back?”

  “Nope. Great time to take a vacation, huh?”

  I tried to make it into a casual thing instead of the freak show that was really going through my head, but Amy wasn’t buying it. She looked how I felt. “Where is she?”

  “I’m not sure…”

  “When will she be back?”

  “I’m not sure about that either.”

  “How can you not be sure? She’s your sister!”

  She began to fidget, tugging on her hair. Wow, she really did need that calming tea. I didn’t want to be the one responsible for a full-blown panic attack just because I didn’t know my herbs. Maybe this was Amy’s final straw, the rotten cherry on top of the curdled sundae she’d been buried in the past couple days.

  I rested my hands on her shoulders and that seemed to relax her a bit. “We’ll figure it out and you’ll get your tea, okay? In the meantime, I’m going to get you a big glass of water, and I’m not leaving until you drink it all.”

  “Okay.” She inhaled deeply. “Sorry about the little spectacle just now. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

  “There’s absolutely nothing to apologize for.”

  “I know Misty could be an awful person, but she was all I had, you know?”

  “I know.” Amy didn’t deserve any of this. Having Misty as a sister was enough of a life sentence; she shouldn’t have to suffer through her death too. “Let me get you that water.”

  I went into the kitchen only to have my senses bombarded by overripe bananas. They were littered all over the counters, along with streaks of white powder that I hoped was flour. I pulled a glass from the cupboard, noting the open garbage can filled with burnt loaves. I didn’t know whether to clean up or rent out the room as a science lab.

  There wasn’t a water dispenser so I filled up the glass with tap water, rinsing down some dried-up egg yolks glued to the sink. Other than her multiple failed baking attempts, there was no evidence that she’d used the kitchen for anything other than setting off the fire alarm.

  Her cheeks were scarlet when I came back and handed her the water. “I forgot all about the mess in there. I wouldn’t have let you go in otherwise.”

  I laughed. “I’ve been in Violet’s bedroom. I’m no stranger to mess.”

  “I promise, I’m not usually such a slob.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Amy. I’d be happy to clean it up for you, though.”

  “Oh no. I’ll get to it soon. It’ll be good for me.”

  I agreed with that. “So, baking’s your thing?” I thought of the banana bread in Violet’s fridge and wondered if she made anything else.

  “I love it. I’m really good at it too, but I’ve been a little off my game lately… I thought it would be helpful to jump right back in—I’m one of the bakers for Bigfoot Café, you know—and I hate letting them down, but my heart’s just not in it yet, I guess.”

  “Wow, I had no idea. I thought that chocolate chip banana bread in the case looked familiar.”

  “That’s not all I make, but it is the most popular.” Her face brightened as she spoke. “It was Misty’s favorite as well, so maybe that’s the reason I can’t—shoo, now… go on, get!” She waved her hand frantically.

  I followed my eyes down and almost keeled over. I had set my purse on the ground when I’d gone to get her water, and in hindsight, that could have cost me everything.

  After that initial shock, I snatched up my purse and held it for dear life. Then I sprinted across the room and watched in horror as Misty’s foul-headed snake slithered up my chair.

  Amy reached over and plucked it from the cushion. “Good grief, Spike. Look at the ruckus you’re causing. I am so sorry, Samm. He’s not the cutest thing, but he means well.”

  Spike? I clutched my bag, silently thanking anyone who’d listen that the zipper was closed. I peeked inside anyway to ease my nerves. With a name like Spike, who
knew what the beast was capable of.

  Amy let it free in another room and shut the door. “I thought I had him locked up, so I’m not sure how he escaped. Believe me, I wasn’t gung-ho about adopting him, but I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of him either. Misty would’ve wanted him to stay in the family.”

  I nodded, because really, what else could I do? My vocal cords were still paralyzed. And when the doorbell rang, I almost rocketed to the roof. Time to hightail it out of there.

  I was closer to the door than Amy so I looked through the peephole. “Officer Hansen,” I rasped, the feeling slowly returning to my throat.

  “Mike?”

  “If you’re not up for a visit, I can tell him to come back later.” I assumed he was there to talk about Misty.

  “I got it!”

  She practically flew past me, mimicking a lovestruck teenager on a first date rather than a sleep-deprived, dehydrated woman who hadn’t faced the outside world in days. Huh.

  Amy flung open the door, her face splitting in two. “Mike! How nice to see you!”

  Were they an item? If not, it appeared Amy had herself a little crush. Good for her. If Mike could elicit this kind of reaction from her, she’d be back to her old self in no time.

  “Good morning, Amy. How have you—Samm!” He plastered his attention on me. “I had no idea you were here. Twice in one day, and it’s not even noon!” He chortled. “Long time, no see, eh?”

  “Right.” I smiled. “Well, I just came by to check how Amy’s doing.”

  “How thoughtful of you. I’m sure she really appreciates that.”

  “And now that I did, I’m going to get…” I darted my gaze between them, the urge strong to take off my coat. Even though the outside air was hitting me square in the face, it wasn’t frigid enough to cool down the tension. Neither of them hid their emotions well. Amy was crossing her arms, the glower on her face so thick I could smear it across the floor, all because Mike’s bouncing-off-the-walls grin was aimed solely in my direction.

  He’d mentioned his adolescent crush on me that night at the station, and it didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what her googly eyes meant. I did not want to drag Amy through any more heartache, so I had to make myself scarce before Officer Oblivious did any further damage.

  “…going,” I finished. Amy reversed her frown as if she hadn’t been shooting daggers a second earlier. “Remember to let me know if you need anything at all, and I’ll look around for that tea, okay?”

  “Sounds wonderful, Samm. Thank you. We’ll be in touch.”

  She gave me a squeeze, and I slipped out the door before her spirits came crashing back down. Either she was ecstatic to see me leave or I’d imagined the entire thing. Since I tended to believe my eyes, the former was more likely. Ah, young love.

  Because, you know, I was over the hill at the ripe old age of twenty-six.

  I hunched over, keeping my head down as I picked up the pace down the sidewalk, trying to minimize the wind’s sharp sting when it whipped into me. I hugged myself tightly, wishing I’d dressed warmer. No, I take that back. If I had a wish, it wouldn’t be for warmer clothes. It’d be for Fernando’s arms wrapped around me instead of my own.

  Where was a fairy godmother when you needed one?

  Chapter Ten

  By the time I made it back to the shop, I was chattering so hard I could barely fish the key out of my pocket. I stuck it in the lock, noticing the leaf stuck to it. Oh yeah. I’d forgotten I’d nabbed it from the tunnel.

  Once inside, I began the process of dethawing. I’d just taken off my hat and coat when there was a knock at the door. I checked, seeing Sage’s face peering back at me. After I let her in, I made sure the sign was still flipped to CLOSED.

  “You really should keep the store open. You don’t want Violet losing too much business.”

  “I’m not the one who told her to leave. And even if I were, I don’t know the first thing about running this place. What if I mess something up and give someone the wrong herb or, um, bath soap? That could be dangerous.”

  Sage rolled her eyes. “Right, because we all know how deadly lavender bubbles can be.”

  I elbowed her playfully. “I’m serious. Earlier, I visited Amy and she asked for some calming tea. I had no idea what that was.”

  “It’s the same tea you gave me.”

  “And I don’t even remember that. See? I don’t have a knack for this. I know the herb started with a C, but the only thing that comes to mind is coffee.”

  She shook her head. “It’s chamomile and I’ll show you. Just in case you don’t have a knack for reading labels either.” She smirked.

  I narrowed my eyes and pointed to the bag in her hand. “If those are blueberries, I’ll forgive you for insulting me.”

  She handed them over. “Yep. A couple pints. It’s all I could get today.”

  Yes! I grabbed them. “It’s plenty. Thank you so much.”

  “No problem.” She glanced around. “So, when do I get to meet this berry-loving frog of yours?”

  “Not all berries. He doesn’t care for strawberries or raspberries or black—”

  “Can I see him or not?”

  “Well… maybe not yet. He’s a little shy.” She raised an eyebrow. “What is it with this tea anyway?” I asked, changing the subject. “I swear Amy almost freaked out when I told her Violet wasn’t here and I didn’t know what the stuff was.”

  “It’s magical. Serenity in a cup. You should try it.”

  Magical? Sage didn’t know the half of it. I bet Violet spelled everything in this place. Was that even ethical?

  “I’ll pass. I’m not really a tea person.”

  “You have no idea what you’re missing. The particular species she sells grows around here so anyone can pick it, but your sister seems to be the only one who can harvest it at the exact right time. She gives it that special something you can’t find anywhere else.”

  “Yeah, I bet.”

  She sighed. “I couldn’t stop thinking about her last night. I’m starting to get worried. When did you get in that fight with her—three days ago?” I nodded. “This isn’t like her, Samm. At all. She should’ve been back by now.”

  There was so much Sage didn’t know about my family, and the secret was like an active geyser bubbling inside me. If I didn’t get Violet back and everything fixed, I feared it would erupt and cause havoc.

  “She’s fine, trust me. I wish I could say more, but—”

  “What if whatever happened to Misty could happen to her?” Her eyes widened. “Or already did?”

  “You think she’s trapped in a block of ice somewhere?”

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t there to witness this epic fight of yours, but it couldn’t have been that bad. Not enough for her to hide from you this long.”

  “Unless she’s also hiding from the cops.”

  “Samm! This is your sister we’re talking about.”

  Exactly. And I was the only one who knew what she was capable of. I whacked my forehead and held up a finger. “Excuse me a moment.” I dashed into the bedroom with the bag of berries and let Fernando out. “Go nuts, big guy.”

  I shut the door behind me and returned to Sage as quickly as I could, not sticking around for his transformation from shocking pink to blueberry purple as he dove in.

  “What was that all about?” she asked.

  “Do you trust me?”

  “Of course.”

  “About Violet… Remember at lunch you said you’re sure she’s innocent? Well, I feel just as strongly that she’s not in any danger. Except from me once I find her,” I muttered. “I even have a lead.”

  “Really?”

  “Do you happen to know if she knows anyone in Caledonia?”

  “Caledonia? That’s a strange question. And no, I have no idea.”

  “Okay.” It was worth a try. “How about you show me that tea now?”

  She scrunched up her face. “Why do you think she’s in Caled
onia, of all places?”

  “Just a hunch.” We scanned the jars with C names, finding the right stuff, albeit running low. I waved my hand. “Let’s see if there’s another jar in the closet.”

  “You’re acting bizarre again.”

  “It’s this town, I tell you.” I went into the storage room and tugged on the light cord. “Chamomile, chamomile...” Ah, here it is. I plucked it from the top shelf.

  “That’s not chamomile.”

  “That’s what the lid says. Or is this another crack about me not being proficient in reading labels.”

  “No…” She flattened her lips and peered closely. “It looks just like it, but it’s not.” She scrutinized a few jars, touching the glass as if reading braille. She pulled one down labeled chicaweed and said, “Here. This is chamomile.”

  “What?” I took the jar from her. “That’s not what it says.”

  She shrugged. “That’s what it is.”

  “How can you tell?” I studied both jars and the dried leaves looked almost identical. Also, I couldn’t be sure until I matched them up, but they also resembled the—

  “Because it told me.”

  I gave my head a sharp shake. “Wait, what?”

  “The chamomile told me what it was.”

  “Um, okay.” I thrust the chamomile-labeled jar into her hand. “This is chicaweed, then?”

  “That’d make sense, but I have no idea.”

  “But I thought they talked to you?” I said, only half kidding.

  “Only the local plants. This one is out of my jurisdiction.”

  All right, then. I left the closet. Sure, a plant-whispering best friend sounded off the wall, but if I thought about it, much less so than a family of witches. One of whom turned men into frogs.

  I grabbed the leaf that I’d confiscated from the crime scene and inspected the trace of gold running up the underside. “Is this chamomile?”

  Sage walked over, and I placed it in her hand. She rubbed it against her palm. “No.”