No Ladder What (Witch of Wickrock Bay Book 4) Read online

  Mimi hugged Baxter closer. The warmth of his small body gave her a boost in confidence.

  “Thank you for stopping by, Belin,” Mimi said. “I appreciate your care and your offer of support. But right now, I can’t commit to anything. I’d prefer to continue on with my life as usual.”

  Belin pursed her lips. A small frown creased her forehead.

  “That’s okay, Mimi dear. I’m quite used to it.” She reached into a pocket of her long brown robe and pulled a small card. “Here, take this. You’ll find the address of the place where we meet, and all the days and times.” She passed the card to Mimi.

  Mimi picked it up and slipped it into her pocket without looking at it.

  “I just wanted to say no pressure. Take your time considering our offer. You need to feel ready, of course, but also, don’t forget about the benefits of being part of our group. Support, acceptance, help if necessary. Just come around when you’re ready. You’ll be welcome.”

  “Thank you,” Mimi said and stepped back into the warmth and light of her hallway.

  Belin Sugar took the hint. “I’d better be going,” she said. She bowed lightly and disappeared into the darkening night.

  Baxter squealed, wriggled out of Mimi’s embrace, and jumped onto the floor.

  “Yes, let’s go back to our dinner. It’s probably cold by now,” Mimi said, locking the front door. “Do you think she’ll be back, Baxie?”

  But her pug was too busy climbing the steps to reply, if he was ever to reply to her.

  Mimi let out a sigh and followed him.

  It had been a weird day and she couldn’t wait till it was over.

  Chapter 6

  Back in her apartment, Mimi was eager to forget about the unexpected visit. Her head was muddied, her chest fluttering with uncertainty. Could she trust Belin Sugar? Was the organization she sang the praises of worthwhile? Was it really a place where Mimi could find herself accepted? Maybe even thrive?

  Mimi pushed those thoughts aside. She was far too tired and, frankly, emotionally drained.

  She put the kettle on and prepared a teapot. A nice, hot cup should help her clear her head and relax.

  She couldn’t wait for her bedtime to arrive.

  The kettle boiled. Mimi prepared her drink and sat in her armchair with a steaming cup in hand. The aroma of bergamot filled the air. Mimi sat back and closed her eyes.

  What should she think of?

  Baxter barked, and Mimi jumped. A few drops of hot drink splashed on her lap.

  “What is it, Baxie?” Mimi said, glancing at her pug.

  Baxter was still lying on his favorite chair, but his head was up, his ears upright. He looked at her, jumped off the armchair, and trotted toward the landing.

  “Do you want me to follow you?” Mimi called.

  Baxter stopped and glanced at her. Mimi chuckled.

  “Yes, it is quite obvious,” she replied to the unspoken question and followed him.

  Were they getting better at communicating without words, or was it her dreaming?

  Baxter sat at the top of the stairs and barked again, his head pointing at the main door below.

  “Someone’s at the door?”

  Baxter tilted his head.

  A wave of tiredness flushed over Mimi’s suddenly tense body.

  “I’m not going. Not again. I’ve had enough weird people coming to bother me.”

  Baxter snorted. The reproach was palpable.

  “What if it’s that other creep, what’s his funny name? Reneus Ulzor?”

  Baxter gave her his “Honestly?” look.

  Mimi heaved a sigh. “Fine, I’ll go. But if there is anyone at the door, why don’t they knock or ring the bell?”

  Baxter looked away. Mimi ran down the steps and stood by the door.

  “Hello, anybody out there?” she yelled.

  “Yes, it’s me, Connor Hewitt,” a voice replied. “Do you have a minute, Mimi?”

  Connor Hewitt? What was he doing here at this time of night?

  Mimi unlocked the door. The familiar tall, slightly hunched figure emerged from behind the door post.

  “Sorry about that, Mimi,” the young professor said. “I didn’t know what to do and I’m totally shaken.”

  Mimi swept her gaze over him. His sandy hair was even more ruffled than usual, and he was visibly trembling despite a warm coat.

  “Are you cold? Please come in,” she said, moving aside to let him in, but Connor shook his head.

  “No, I’m fine. It’s the shock.”

  “What happened?”

  “That lieutenant guy, Orlando London, came to interview me. He’s just finished.”

  “Ah, him…” Mimi blew out a breath. “He’s a pain in the neck. He grilled me all afternoon.”

  “Yeah, and then he came to grill me.”

  “That’s where he was rushing. Anyhow, yes, he can be intimidating, but why are you so upset?”

  “He suspects me of killing Drew Honeycomb.”

  “Really? He suspects me, too.”

  Connor pushed his glasses up his nose.

  “But you didn’t do it, did you?”

  “Of course I didn’t. Did you?”

  “No. But it doesn’t stop him from making me feel like I did. I think he’ll arrest me anyway.”

  “Why would he? If I understand it correctly, he needs proof it was you. You didn’t go anywhere near Drew, did you?”

  Connor blinked. His face paled.

  “Did you?” Mimi repeated her question with more urgency in her voice.

  “Well…” Connor paused. Sweat glistened on his forehead. He looked like he was about to faint.

  Mimi’s stomach clenched. Connor Hewitt must have been the most unfortunate man in Wickrock Bay. He had gotten himself involved in several murders in town recently. For whatever strange reason he had a talent for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  “What did you do this time, Connor?” Mimi asked.

  “I had a fight with Drew.”

  “A fight? Like a fistfight?”

  Connor waved his lanky arms.

  “No, no, a verbal one. But quite aggressive. I mean, he got aggressive, and I suppose so did I. I went to his store the other day and got a few books. I paid for them, I swear, but he insisted I didn’t.”

  “That makes little sense. Wasn’t he the one who took the payment?”

  “He was.”

  “So how come he disputed it?”

  Connor ran a hand through his mop of hair, making it even more ruffled, if possible.

  “That’s exactly my point. About a week later, in the morning, I was in Scott’s café—leaving it, actually—and he was standing by the front door of his bookstore. Probably opening it. He spotted me and ran towards me yelling.”

  “Yelling what?”

  “Calling me a thief and cheat. And some other things.”

  Mimi nodded. That was what Thea Walter had said: Drew could get wound up quickly.

  “What did you do?”

  “I froze. I was bewildered and confused. I waited till I was close enough so I didn’t have to shout. There were people in the café,” Connor added meekly.

  “Did you tell him you’d paid for the books?”

  “I did.”

  “Did you have a receipt to prove it?”

  “No. I didn’t have it on me. I told him I’d bring it the next day.”

  “Easy enough. Did you?”

  Connor exhaled loudly. His shoulders slumped even more. He looked like he was going to fall over.

  “No. Because I couldn’t find it.”

  Confusion swirled in Mimi’s head. This was certainly an easy-to-resolve situation.

  “You could have shown him your bank card statement, right?”

  “I paid cash, since I’d just cashed a check. He said he’d take me to court over the money I owed him.”

  “Court? Really? A couple of books couldn’t have cost that much.”

  “It was several hund
red dollars,” Connor said.

  “For books?”

  “Yes. There were textbooks and books on art history.”

  “Oh, yes. I remember the price tags on those.” Mimi sighed, remembering her art history student days when she often had to choose between buying a textbook and having anything but ramen for dinner for a month. “But anyhow, why would he do something like that?”

  Connor shrugged.

  “Don’t know. He wasn’t quite right in his head, was he?”

  Mimi pressed her lips together. She definitely agreed with this statement.

  “Still, let’s stick to the facts. What connection does this unpleasant incident have with the case? When did it happen?”

  “A few weeks ago.”

  “Why would Lt. London dig it up now?”

  “No idea,” Connor replied and then added quickly, “I think someone must have told him about it.”

  “People argue all the time.”

  “I-I…” Connor stuttered. His normally pale face broke into red blotches—a sign he was getting even more upset. “I might have said something I shouldn’t have.”

  Mimi’s heart flipped. Connor and his unfortunate encounters…

  “What was it?”

  “I told him to go to hell, or words to that extent,” he croaked.

  “People say that all the time. You didn’t make an actual threat, did you?” Mimi asked slowly, watching Connor’s face.

  He gulped.

  “I might have. Honestly, I can’t remember.”

  Mimi took a deep breath.

  “Connor, people argue all the time. And when they argue, they say things they shouldn’t have. I’ve done that a few times. In fact, given my hot temper, probably far too many times than I’d like to remember.”

  “But that London guy is going to put me to jail,” Connor said, his voice trembling.

  “He’s not. There is no proof you killed him!”

  “He is. I’m sure he will find some kind of proof if he hasn’t already. He was alluding to it in that awful interview.”

  Mimi stiffened her shoulders. This was going to be a tough conversation. She needed all the strength she could muster.

  “Connor, I see you’re upset. And I can understand why,” she said as calmly as she could. “But I think you should not worry about the silly argument. If you saw Drew punching the payment into his cash register, there will be a record of your purchase and the money you paid. That’s one thing. Another thing is,” she said and paused. “It’s that man, that Orlando London. He’s…I mean, this is just his interviewing method. He intimidates people. He thinks his big-city tactics are going to work on us. He has no clue how to get people to tell him what’s relevant.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Just a gut feeling. And from observing him. He doesn’t get subtle cues. He comes and whacks everyone over their heads with a massive hammer in hopes that casting his net wide will get him the fish he’s looking for.”

  That was actually a cool metaphor. Mimi congratulated herself inwardly.

  “You reckon?” A glimmer of hope appeared in Connor’s blue eyes.

  “Yes. I bet he has no idea how to read the locals. He came to me earlier today and did exactly the same thing. He grilled me in a way that made me almost believe that I did it. And I know I didn’t!”

  Mimi’s voice became coarse. She was breathing fast. But at least the message started to sink in.

  Connor’s face relaxed a little.

  “Are you sure?”

  Of course, Mimi wasn’t. But admitting that wasn’t going to help.

  “Connor, just think about it. A guy arrives out of nowhere, has no idea how to conduct an investigation in a small town, so he decides to freak a few people out until the real killer comes out of the woodwork and confesses.”

  Connor let out a sigh. “I suppose it makes sense. I’m still not entirely convinced—”

  “Is there anything you can do about it?” Mimi cut in, eager to avoid another lengthy chat filled with anxiety. Fair enough, she was trying to help Connor, as she believed he was innocent, but talking things through brought up the discomfort she’d felt all day following her own intrusive interview.

  “I was thinking—”

  “The correct answer is no,” Mimi interrupted again. Irritation grew inside, and her face was beginning to itch. She rubbed it with both hands. She didn’t want to lose her cool. “Connor, the more you think about it, the more you become upset. You can’t change what happened, and, when it comes to things like police investigations, you have no influence over them,” she said as calmly as she could.

  “But you do.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “What about Rob? You’re friends with him. I was thinking of going and talking to him. He knows me. With everything I’ve been involved in recently, I’m sure he’s developed a good idea I’m a harmless guy. And then I’ll mention I’m your friend, too…”

  Mimi’s chest deflated. In the heat of everything that had happened today, she forgot about Rob. She had to give him a call and check how he was doing.

  Baxter barked quietly.

  “Oh, you’re here, Baxter,” Connor said. “I thought you’d stay up there in the warmth.” The pug wagged his tail.

  “What do you want?” Mimi asked her dog, immediately realizing it might have looked strange to Connor.

  Baxter just tilted his head.

  “He probably just wanted to come and say hello and tell us to finish up already,” Connor said. “That’s what my dog, Ari, does.”

  Mimi smiled. Thank heavens for dog lovers! They would always accept that another dog owner talks to their pet without questioning their sanity!

  “I don’t want to finish before I feel you’ve got it firm in your head not to worry about Orlando London. He made me feel the same, and I refuse to believe I’m at risk of being thrown behind bars. I didn’t do it, and it’s his job to find out who did.”

  “What about Rob?”

  Mimi bit her lip.

  “Yeah, Rob… He’s got other things to do, as I understand. It’s Lieutenant London who’s leading this case.”

  Fortunately, Connor seemed to accept this explanation without wanting more.

  “Ah, okay. I do feel better now. Thank you, Mimi.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Connor’s face brightened.

  “I’d better go now.”

  Baxter stepped out onto the landing.

  “You want to go for a little walk, Baxie?”

  The pug wagged his tail.

  “Well, how about we walk Connor to his car and back?”

  Another tail wag. That was settled then.

  Mimi slipped outside, hugging her cardigan. She strolled across the lawn with Connor walking by her side and Baxter trailing behind. They chatted a little about the weather and how much they hoped spring was in full swing already.

  “Thank you so much for helping me get those silly worries out of my head, Mimi,” Connor said, unlocking the door to his car.

  “No worries, Connor. It’s the least I could do. Just keep your head up and don’t do anything stupid. Particularly anything that Lieutenant London could use against you.”

  “I will do my best. You keep well, too.”

  Mimi waited for him to drive away knowing that Baxter would need a few minutes, too. Once Connor’s Dodge disappeared into the night, she turned around.

  “Baxter,” she called. “Time to go back home.”

  But her pug was nowhere in sight.

  “Baxie?” she yelled.

  Still nothing. Where was that dog? Probably in his favorite bushes by the side of the road. Mimi marched toward them. The evening was dark, with the streetlamps giving just enough light for her to see where she was going.

  “Baxter, come here!” she called, actually relieved that, with Drew dead, she could yell at the top of her lungs without worrying about him complaining. So many times he had complained and banged o
n the wall when Baxter barked.

  What a relief!

  She shook off that thought. After all, Drew had been murdered, and even though she hadn’t liked the man, he deserved justice.

  Something shimmered behind the trees on the other side of the street. Mimi stopped and strained her eyes, wishing she’d brought a flashlight.

  A tall, hunched shadow emerged from behind a trunk of a tree, just by a lamppost. In the yellow light from the lamp above, the shadow took the shape of a man she’d seen before.

  Reneus Ulzor! She should have never mentioned his name. Not even in her thoughts!

  Mimi shivered and swiveled on her heel, ready to march back into her house. But as she turned, her eye caught a strange thing—something purple and dark around the man’s head. Mimi paused to inspect the phenomenon.

  Around Ulzor’s head shimmered a dark and purple aura, like a colorful wisp of mist.

  Mimi’s heart broke into a gallop. What was that supposed to mean?

  A frosty chill went down her spine, and she shivered. All she wanted now was to hide in the coziness of her flat, cuddling her dog on her lap and sipping a hot drink.

  “Baxter, time to go home,” she yelled into the darkness as she raced toward her front door.

  Surprisingly, her pug emerged from somewhere by the house and watched her run toward him.

  She was still shivering when she and Baxter entered the house, but boy, she was so relieved to be inside her own place; hopefully, safe from any more unusual encounters.

  She locked the door and left the outside light on. Somehow, she felt darkness would attract more unwanted visitors.

  She had had more than her fair share of those today. With Baxter under her arm, she rushed up the stairs visualizing a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

  Chapter 7

  Back in her apartment, Mimi busied herself making a cup of hot chocolate. Coffee might be her favorite drink, but hot chocolate was her go-to when she needed to calm her nerves—the ultimate comfort drink.