Where Pigs Fly (Nether Edge Cozy Witch Mystery Book 2) Read online

  “It’s a real pity isn’t it,” Patty said, between slurps of soda. “I mean, Bella’s not much younger than I am, and yet she’s never known even half the experiences I’ve had. Not that I’m boasting, but you know what I mean.” Patty moved to the front of the stall from where the women looked across the now thinning group of revellers, some of whom had launched into a spontaneous dance, while others sat bloated and in a food coma against the flower troughs. Bella sat at the other end of the courtyard, sunken in her wheelchair, hat all but engulfing her. Her mother buzzed around, though it wasn’t to fuss about her daughter but rather that the wheelchair, and Bella herself, was getting in her way. Mrs. Donnington was a highly-animated woman and Cassy suspected she’d had a little to drink already, even though the shadows of the many flowers that adorned the walls had only just shrunk to their smallest in the noon sun. But who was Cassy to judge? If there was one time Bella’s mother could allow herself to break free it was now when there was no shortage of help on hand.

  “It’s so good what you’re all doing for her.” Gwyneth smiled, without taking her eyes off the girl. “It’s a sad fact that raising money like this is sometimes the only way it’s possible to get treatment.”

  “I’m sure Cassy could rustle up something potent,” Dot volunteered, earning herself a dig in the ribs from Cassy’s elbow. She screwed her face up and continued anyway. “The things she can do with a pinch of that, and a pinch of this. You’d be surprised. The Spicery has every ingredient you’d ever need.”

  Gwyneth’s expression went from one of jovial interest to guarded suspicion. It was an expression that Cassy accepted as part of her lifestyle and people’s reaction to it, especially from health professionals. Call something a ‘remedy’ instead of medicine and you always got ‘the look’. Not that she minded or was in any way hurt by people’s assumptions. There was, it had to be said, a lot of charlatans operating in her world. It was all too easy for people to exploit an unregulated industry. What the Spicery offered was simply that - spices, herbs and other natural compounds. Occasionally she would suggest things to her clients, and even on very rare occasions would pass them spells. But she never once set herself up as curing any ailment. It was true, as Dot had pointed out, that Cassy had the know-how and skill to perform such a feat. It just wasn’t her style.

  “Well I’m sure a good cup of tea would do anyone some good.” Gwyneth diffused the situation. At the prompt, Patty set to making Gwyneth a cup of tea using the large, heated tank with a handy little faucet on the side.

  As the one-time nurse got her beverage Cassy couldn’t help but watch the odd scene by Mrs. Mayweather’s front door where Bella had been unceremoniously parked. Mrs. Donnington was holding court, her arms gesticulating wildly as if she was performing for the cheap seats. A small semicircle of people had gathered around her and laughed intermittently, though Cassy could not make out if this was from politeness or if Mrs. Donnington was genuinely amusing. Even under the heavy brim, Cassy saw Bella roll her eyes at her mother’s slightly tipsy show-boating and it warmed her heart. Despite all her problems, Bella still had the same reaction to her parents as all other kids had since forever. She was a normal girl.

  Nominally this little event was for Bella, but Cassy believed that it was as much for Minnie Donnington. Sensing that Bella would appreciate being away from her mother if just for a few minutes, Cassy volunteered to take her for a walk and allow her mother a moment of free time. Bella tried her best to hide her relief, Minnie however made no such effort.

  “You have no idea how difficult it is,” she practically wailed. “It drains you, you know. Not a minute’s respite. All worth it, though. My sweet Bella needs her Mom.” She looked at her daughter, beaming. Then turned away to engage a near-by group of BBQers. The woman was as starved for attention and human companionship as her daughter, it would seem.

  Pushing the wheelchair wasn’t as hard as Cassy thought it’d be considering Minnie’s pained expression whenever she trudged along behind her daughter. Darting skilfully through the crowd, Cassy took Bella to the street away from the smell of sizzling food. Almost immediately, Bella exhaled.

  “Have you ever thought of getting one of those motorized ones, Bella?”

  “No,” she replied. Even the slightest shake of the head made the enormous hat flap like a ship’s sail. “They’re for people worse off than me. I can walk, you know.”

  “Maybe what I really meant was that I want one of those motorized chairs,” Cassy said. “Wouldn’t it be great. Just zip around wherever you want and nobody can do a thing about it. You’ve seen them haven’t you, those people on their little scooters? The ones you always suspect don’t need it? I think sometimes they should fit snow plows on the front the way they zoom past you. It’s like getting one of those things makes you king of the road.”

  “And you can’t argue with a cripple. We’re always right.”

  “Well I’m glad you said that,” Cassy replied. It was heartening that Bella had such a sense of humor. “It must be good to get out once in a while though.”

  “We get out.”

  “Where do you like to go?”

  “Theme parks.”

  It wasn’t the answer that Cassy had been expecting and she had no answer prepared.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Bella sighed, “I manage rides well enough. It is just sitting down after all.”

  “The ultimate motorized chair!”

  In a short time, they’d made a complete circuit of the Nether Edge block so Cassy decided to take Bella around one more time.

  “So, what’s your favorite park? They have that Beaver one upstate, don’t they?”

  “Disney.”

  “In Florida?”

  “We went to Euro Disney a couple of years ago.”

  “Ooh. Did you meet any nice French boys while you were there?”

  Bella snorted. “Hardly. It’s all American tourists anyway.”

  “On mobility scooters.”

  “I know, right? Why don’t they just get up and walk?”

  “Speaking of which… Do you want to swap places? I think I ate too much of that eggplant and I could really sit down for a bit.”

  To Cassy’s surprise Bella got out of her chair and came around to the back, albeit without letting go of the frame with both hands.

  “Bella, sweetie… I didn’t mean it. It was a joke,” Cassy said, mortified.

  A devious smile flashed across Bella’s lips. “But can you imagine the look on Mom’s face when she sees me pushing you back inside? We have to do it.”

  “I’m not sure she’ll approve.”

  “That’s the whole point.”

  With excitement that reminded her of being an airheaded teen doing dumb stunts, Cassy sat in the chair and allowed herself to be pushed back in to the courtyard. They went slowly at first and Cassy was worried that Bella might be putting too much strain on herself. But the girl soon built up a head of steam and the range of puzzled looks they received on their return was worth it. Before Bella could do herself any harm, Cassy hopped out when Minnie Donnington steamed towards them.

  “Just what do you think you’re doing?” she huffed, caught somewhere between outrage and concern. “I knew this was a bad idea. Bell, you go too far.”

  “Letting me out you mean?” Bella asked, now seated in her wheelchair.

  “You’re a danger to yourself, I should never—”

  Cassy felt compelled to interrupt. “She’s perfectly fine, Mrs. Donnington. I think a little exercise did her some good.”

  Minnie fixed Cassy with a stare. “Some good? You have no idea, do you? All day she’s been complaining, I wasn’t even sure if this whole thing should have gone ahead,” she said waving her arm at the crowd. “She’s a fragile thing and it takes very little to tip her over in to serious complications. Doesn’t it, my love?”

  As her mother leaned in to cradle her, Bella attempted, fruitlessly, to squirm away.

  “It�
��s okay, Mom. I’ll be all right. It was only a little walk. It’s not the end of the world,” Bella rolled her eyes.

  “No, the end of the world is if I lose you,” Minnie’s voice cracked. “I want you back inside young lady. I cannot tolerate this behavior.” She turned to Cassy once more. “From anybody.”

  Despite Bella’s protests Minnie wheeled her daughter inside. She was seen re-emerging just seconds later demanding a few strong men help her.

  Chapter Three

  By the third or fourth round of ribs, marinated chicken, steak and halloumi which went down surprisingly well, ketchup was running predictably low. Cassy fetched what was left of her own personal supply to tie everyone over until the brave travelers she’d sent to the convenience store retuned.

  On her way up the foyer stairs, Cassy heard bickering voices and assumed that mother and daughter Donnington had still not put their differences behind them. But as she neared the source, one voice was not local. It was Gwyneth, proclaiming loudly that she’d ‘had enough’ of Minnie’s controlling attitude and that she’d ‘have to look elsewhere for—’. This last part was cut off by the sound of the Donnington apartment door being flung open. Cassy cursed her curiosity. Whatever was happening was better left alone.

  The large woman stepped onto the landing at the top of the stairs. The two caught each other’s eyes briefly before Gwyneth brushed past her and made her way back down to the ground floor. As she passed the open door, Cassy spied Minnie holding her daughter in a loving embrace.

  It can’t be easy for anyone involved, Cassy thought. In her own mother’s last days, Cassy had been there to look after her. It had been the longest period of time they’d spent together after a falling out years earlier. They had bonded anew, but even then, old fractions rose up. In that instance, Cassy had swiftly learned to take the high road and acquiesce for the sake of her mother’s fragile temperament.

  For all her mother’s great power, both over her children and her own personal health, the end had been protracted and laborious, taking a toll on them both. The end, when it had come, was joined with an unwelcomed sense of relief; unwelcome because such a positive sentiment made Cassy think herself somehow a lesser daughter.

  She wondered if Minerva Donnington would feel the same, but somehow Cassy didn’t think so. For all their differences, there was something deeply caring between the two. No one sacrifices their own life to care for another for so long without a deep love.

  Cassy hadn’t moved for over a minute, somehow frozen in place by her own scattered memories and thoughts. For what had been a simple trip to get a half-finished bottle of ketchup, it had taken on a sombre aspect. Cassy dismissed her turmoil with a chuckle and continued down the hall.

  The barbecue was supposed to end at five o’clock. Havenholm was a conservative place where late-night revelry was often frowned upon, not that it would ever stop happening; if there was one thing not scarce, it was young people wanting to have fun once the lights went down.

  By the time Cassy saw the last of the stragglers out of the complex, the final ebbs of the sun slid below the forest on the horizon. The woman of the hour, Bella, had been taken to her apartment much earlier when she felt faint. Why they lived on the second floor, and not on the far more convenient ground floor, or even in one of those single-story houses built out by the old ice rink, Cassy failed to understand. It made everything so much more difficult for Bella. No wonder she never left the building when getting out the front door required assistance.

  There had been one upside to the situation however, as far as Cassy could tell. The young man who Bella had earlier been eying--the James Dean type, had James Dean been into super tight jeans and wearing his hair in a slash that covered half his face—had come to her assistance. Cassy thought it was the opposite of what should be happening; he should be saving the princess from the tower, not returning her to her lofty prison.

  As the only Spice Girl with a life beyond the store, Patty had left early. Dot, being rather oblivious to social conventions, had stuck around longer than most, but had been helpful in tidying up. Cassy had to return the heavy, container filled with some supplies to her apartment. The most direct route would have been through the store and up the narrow stairwell to emerge straight into her living room. But due to its width, Cassy went the long route by taking the communal stairs to her front door.

  On arriving, Cassy fumbled with her keys while trying to maintain a grip on the unwieldy container. She could have put it down and opened the door easily enough, but at this point she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to lift it again. Adopting an odd pose, and cursing under her breath, Cassy contorted herself enough to get the key in the lock and shuffle backwards into her apartment. Cassy fell face first on to her couch and was about to jab aimlessly at the TV remote when she fell asleep.

  Chapter Four

  She woke with a start and rolled over onto the remote which caused the local news to suddenly flood the darkened room with blue light.

  “Herzog, is that you?” she called out. There had been a thud. As if something heavy had fallen on the ground.

  Rubbing her eyes, Cassy made her way through the small kitchen. Her hand trailed along the wall until it found the light switch. Besides the cat, she was alone in the apartment. It was a relief to Cassy as she was unsure if she’d locked up for the night.

  She was about to go to bed, when something scraped along the lower part of the door. She froze. It was no doubt a rat or even simply some leaves that had blown in as they would often do if the hall window hadn’t been shut.

  It didn’t explain the thud though.

  Cassy had a stern word with herself. There was no reason to be frightened and it was only years of conditioning by late-night scary movies that made her jumpy. She was a rational woman who could look after herself. She would open the door and do it now, then in the morning she’d sweep away the leaves then make sure that the window was locked for good.

  She opened the door and peered into the moonlit hallway. It connected the top three apartments and was narrow without being constrictive. There were no leaves outside and thankfully the small window at the far end was shut. Something gleamed in the pale light at the end of the hall. Cassy squinted to see what it was. The light flickered, though it was too weak to be a flame. Using her balled fists to rub her eyes like a small child, Cassy retrained her gaze and saw it was metal reflecting moonlight. It was a wheelchair, upturned and judging by the motion of the wheel, recently abandoned. Suddenly Cassy was awake and took a few steps forward. A weak cry behind stopped her and she turned to see Bella laying prostrate on the floor.

  “Cass-” croaked the young woman. She raised one hand weakly and Cassy took it. Cassy glanced back at the chair which now seemed so far away.

  “I’ve got you Bella. I’ve got you.” She repeated the phrase a few more times as her mind struggled to process the events. Later she would ask questions. Cassy hooked her arm under Bella’s and lifted her to her feet. “Let me get you inside. Cup of tea then—”

  “It’s my mother,” said Bella. “She’s been killed.”

  While Cassy waited for Patty to arrive, she felt compelled, despite her better intentions, to investigate the scene of the alleged murder. She knew that the first call she should have made was to the police, but in the heat of the moment her thoughts were with Bella.

  “I’m going to go and…take a look. Will you be all right here?” Cassy asked.

  Bella nodded, forcing a faint smile. She had so many questions, but she was still in shock. Despite being wrapped in a quilt, and with a warm drink in her hands, the girl was shivering. Cassy hoped Bella hadn’t witnessed anything too distress

  “Just so I know - who am I looking for? What does the killer look like?” But Bella only shook her head. “I’ll leave the door open so you can call for me,” said Cassy.

  “No.” It was the first word that Bella had spoken since she’d been taken inside. “He might still be there.”


  “Understood. I’ll lock up. But, scream if you need anything. If I’m not back soon I’ll send someone over.”

  Cassy felt awful leaving the young girl alone on the couch. Right now, she needed comfort, but she also knew that it was essential to investigate what had happened just a few doors down. Even if ‘he’ was still there.

  Maybe Bella was mistaken and her mother was still alive. The thought that the woman might die because she was not checked for signs of life terrified her. Should the killer still be around, as Bella had suggested, had not even troubled Cassy.

  She locked the door and made her way along the dimly-lit hallway. There were light switches but one was in the opposite direction, and the other beyond the Donnington’s. Moonlight would suffice for now.

  The door was open, the frame scuffed where Bella had exited in a hurry. Cassy stayed the slow revolution of the wheel with her hand before moving on. “Hello?” Cassy didn’t know who she was talking to. A dead woman, or perhaps her killer?

  The overpowering smell of cleaning fluids hit Cassy as she crossed the threshold. The small apartment mirrored her own in layout, but seemed bigger due to the lack of clutter and unnecessary decoration. She passed the kitchen and peeked in. There were several tall white paper bags, the kind medicine from the pharmacy came in, laid out in a row on the marble surface.

  The hardwood foyer met a thick, creamy carpet that covered Cassy’s bare feet. She might have relished the sensation were the circumstances not so troubling.

  The main room, where in Cassy’s apartment was a couch and an out-of-date TV which she rarely used, was elegantly furnished with an antique table and chairs and paintings on the wall alongside a large screen. Other than Bella’s wheelchair, there was no place to sit. Tread marks, two parallel grooves, cut deep into the carpet. If she traced them, Cassy could imagine Bella’s hurried flight from the room. There were imprints of shoes, or boots alongside the tracks, but not as though the chair was being pushed. They suggested that whoever Bella had seen was following, or chasing, the wheelchair.