“Hi.” Maya offered up a finger wave. “I wondered where you went. I was about to send out a search party.”
“Oh, well, I was with Griffin and Aisling. We had a few things going on.” I spared a glance for Gerald, who didn’t seem especially agitated. “We’re ready to go. Do you think you can bear to leave?” That was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but Maya looked as if she was going to answer it. That forced me to cut her off. “It’s time to leave.” I kept my voice firm as I extended my hand. “Right now.”
Maya wrinkled her nose. “I don’t understand. I … .” She broke off when she caught sight of my father. “What is your dad doing here?”
“I came to spend time with my favorite person,” Dad automatically answered.
“He means me,” Aisling called out, sidling closer to Gerald. Griffin realized what she was doing and moved to intercept her, but she was way ahead of him. “You’re Gerald, right?”
Gerald, surprised to be addressed, was caught off guard. “I am. Who are you?”
“Aisling Grimlock.”
“That’s a funny name.” Gerald smiled, the expression almost indulgent as Aisling looked him up and down. “What are you doing?”
“I’m here to talk to you,” Aisling replied. “I have a few questions.”
“Questions?” Gerald knit his eyebrows. “What kind of questions?”
“I want to know about Tim Graham.”
Gerald’s smile slipped. “What about him?”
“You killed him, didn’t you?”
Whatever I was expecting, that wasn’t it. I thought Aisling would play with Gerald before going for the kill. Obviously I was wrong.
“Aisling!” Griffin slapped his hand to his forehead. “I just … why do you do things like this?”
Aisling ignored him and straightened her frame. The look she shot Gerald was full of fearless challenge. “You did it. You’re the one.”
“I wasn’t even on stage,” Gerald countered.
“What’s going on?” Maya asked when I gripped her elbow and pushed her behind me. “What is happening?”
“My sister is being … well, a pain in the butt.”
“So it’s a normal night?” Maya flashed a genuine smile that loosened some of the tension I carried in my chest.
“Pretty much.” I gave her a quick kiss. “I’m sorry I left you for so long. I meant to be back sooner, but … well … we have a situation.”
“Oh, it really is a normal night.” Maya looked amused more than annoyed, which was a relief. “And your sister thinks Gerald is a killer?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. I’ve been talking to him for an hour. I never would’ve guessed that.”
“We don’t have proof,” I supplied. “It’s simply a hunch.”
“Well, Gerald isn’t running so I’m guessing it might be the right hunch.” Maya flicked her eyes back to the action. “He seems almost resigned, doesn’t he?”
I followed her gaze. “He does.”
“Fine, you didn’t kill Tim yourself,” Aisling conceded. “But you switched out the prop sword with a real one.”
“What makes you say that?” Gerald was unnaturally calm. “That doesn’t seem like something I’d do, but I’m interested to hear why you believe otherwise.”
“Only two people had access to the closet and you were one of them. Louis Dorsey was the other, but he’s far too much of a wuss to do anything like this. He was evil enough to wish for it, but not strong enough to see it through. That leaves you.”
“And why would I want Tim to die?” Gerald adopted an air of innocence that didn’t quite fit his demeanor.
“Because you love Cindy,” I answered without hesitation. “You want to be with her and you think he stole that opportunity from you.”
“He did steal that opportunity from me.” Gerald’s expression darkened. “He made her so uncomfortable she closed herself off. It’s his fault.”
“And you wanted him to pay.” Aisling almost looked triumphant as she flicked her eyes to Griffin. “I was right. He did it.”
“You were barely right,” Griffin shot back, keeping his wary eyes on Gerald. “Sir, I think you should come with me. The Royal Oak detectives will want to have a talk with you.”
Gerald didn’t react violently. He didn’t feign shock and protest his innocence. He merely shrugged and nodded. “Fine. They have no proof I did it. And I would love the chance to tell my side of the story.”
“Great.” Griffin held out his hand and directed Gerald to the empty stairs. “Shall we?”
“Sure.”
Griffin paused in front of Aisling long enough to give her a dirty look. “We’re going to talk about what you just did when we get home. Don’t think you’re getting out of a lecture.”
“Can we make up with ice cream when we’re done?”
Griffin smiled. “Yes.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Handle your soul. I shouldn’t be too long.”
“I’ll be waiting with naughty thoughts.” Aisling watched him go, her lips curving, and then she turned to find Dad staring at her. “What? Oh, don’t give me grief. He’s my boyfriend and he’s totally hot.”
“I’m done talking to you,” Dad snapped. “I’m taking you to the bathroom right now and you’re going to finish your business.”
Aisling exchanged an amused look with me as the double meaning of Dad’s words landed on his shoulders with a heavy thud. “And you say Griffin and I are kinky,” she admonished, giggling as she scampered down the steps with Dad close on her heels.
I watched them go, the worry from the last few minutes evaporating quickly. When I turned to Maya I found her watching me with serious eyes.
“Well, that turned out to be a lot more anticlimactic than I thought it would be,” I admitted after a beat. “Are you okay?”
Maya nodded, her smile never wavering. “The death was a little jarring, but it was still an adventurous evening. That’s what I was going for.”
“Is that why you lied and said Griffin agreed when it was time to convince Aisling and me to attend?”
“Oh, you figured that out, huh?” Maya chewed her lip. “I just wanted to do something different. I’m kind of second-guessing my decision now.”
“I don’t think it was so bad.” I snagged her hand and flipped it over so I could press a kiss to her palm. “If you want more adventure that can be arranged. I thought you were happy hanging out with me and the bathtub, but obviously I was wrong. I promise to spice things up.”
“Oh, I do love you and the bathtub,” Maya said hurriedly. “I also love Shakespeare. I just wanted to attend, but I knew you wouldn’t be keen on it.”
“Well, you’re wrong. I was having a lovely time before the murder.”
Maya didn’t look as if she believed me, but she let it go. “Well, the night wasn’t a total loss. I got to spend some time with you and see a bit of the play.”
“I’ll come up with something better for next weekend,” I promised, gripping her hand tighter. “For now, though, how do you feel about heading home and taking a swim in the tub with me? It’s been a long night, and I’m sweaty and tired.”
Maya snickered. “I thought you’d never ask.” She dusted off the seat of her pants as she stood. “Who needs adventure when you’ve got a tub the size of a lake?”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“That’s why we’re such a good match.”
“I was thinking that, too.” I leaned over and pressed a firm kiss to her mouth. “Come on. There are all types of adventures, and I have a very fun one in mind for you tonight.”
“Bring it on.”
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About the Author
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
If you liked the book, ple
ase take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.
Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
For more information:
author@amandamlee.net
Books by Amanda M. Lee
An Avery Shaw Mystery
Who, What, Where, When, Die
If it Bleeds, it Leads
Buried Leads
Shot Off The Presses
The Preditorial Page
Misquoted & Demoted
Headlines & Deadlines
Misprints & Mistakes
Bylines & Skylines
Off the Record
Unwritten & Underwater
Extra! Extra! Dead All About It
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery
Any Witch Way You Can
Every Witch Way But Wicked
Witching You Were Here
Witching on a Star
Something to Witch About
Witch Me Luck
Life’s a Witch
Charms & Witchdemeanors
The Trouble With Witches
Murder Most Witchy
A Witch Before Dying
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short
Careful What You Witch For
Wicked Brew
On a Witch and a Prayer
You Only Witch Once
The Christmas Witch
Bewitched
A Solstice Celebration
Witchdependence Day
Happy Witchgiving
Merry Witchmas
Four-Leaf Clover
Thistle While You Work
Landon Calling
I Dream of Twila
How Aunt Tillie Stole Christmas
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fantasy
Witchy Tales
A Witch In Time
Make A Witch
A Witchmas Carol
All My Witches
An Aisling Grimlock Mystery
Grim Offerings
Grim Discovery
Grim Reunion
Grim Expectations
Grim Holiday
Grim Rising
Grimlock Family Shorts
Grim Like Me
Grim & The City
A Mystic Caravan Mystery
Freaky Days
Freaky Lies
Freaky Hearts
Freaky Games
Freaky Places
A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery
The Bigfoot Blunder
The Chupacabra Catastrophe
A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery
Witchin’ USA
Covenant College
Awakening
Whispering
Conjuring
Waxing & Waning
Graduating
Living Covenant Trilogy
Rising Covenant
Dark Covenant
Eternal Covenant
Dying Covenant Trilogy
Haunted Covenant
Desperate Covenant
Everlasting Covenant