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

  A few minutes later, the car drove away. Mimi, with her heart a little lighter and her throat aching less, walked to her desk.

  Sara was due any minute; she’d better prepare what she could.

  Mimi went to the back room and located another unopened box hiding some treasure, or maybe junk, from her recent trip to Italy. The rekindled connection with an old college friend had resulted in twice as many goods as she planned being shipped to her store. She was pretty pleased with her hunt.

  Hopefully, this would be the case with her customers, too.

  She pushed the box into the main room, opened it, and started taking out the tightly wrapped items one by one.

  Once the patch of the floor in the immediate vicinity of the box was covered with odd-shaped bundles, Mimi stopped to stretch her back.

  A loud bang echoed in the backyard.

  Mimi jerked. It sounded like a large, heavy object landing in the metal dumpster. She rushed to the back door. She hadn’t opened it since that memorable moment when she found the body of another of her neighbors—the late Daniel George. Mimi shivered.

  That was the first murder mystery she’d gotten herself involved in.

  A thought flashed in Mimi’s head and she pushed it aside. No way someone was dumping another body into the trash.

  Mimi opened her back door. She spotted a familiar figure in the backyard of the house next door.

  Thea! Dragging some broken piece of furniture to the dumpster.

  “Hello, Thea,” Mimi called, welcoming her voice with at least partial force again. “How are you?”

  “Actually, pretty good, thanks,” the woman replied, waving at her. “And you?”

  “Can’t complain,” Mimi said. “What are you doing?”

  “Throwing trash where it belongs,” she replied and hurled the item she was holding into the dumpster. “Another one bites the dust,” she exclaimed and marched back into the house, humming.

  Loud singing and more furniture banging followed.

  Mimi stood on her doorstep. Strange…Thea, one of the key suspects, was in the victim’s house, throwing things into the dumpster and singing happily.

  What on earth was going on? Had Orlando London been sent back to where he came from and some common sense prevailed?

  Or was it just a ruse?

  Thea emerged again from the house, dragging something that looked like an old chair. If it wasn’t for the chair, Mimi would think the young woman was dancing.

  “Hey, Thea, do you need a hand with that?” Mimi asked.

  “No, I’m fine. I’m really okay,” the woman replied and flashed her a big grin.

  Mimi watched her push the chair into the dumpster.

  She’d never seen someone so happy.

  “Just give me a yell if you have something bigger to get rid of,” Mimi said, turning to go back inside.

  “Thanks, Mimi. I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s really quite pleasant, clearing this house,” Thea replied. “And, by the way, I’ve seen someone lurking across the street, hiding between the trees. Is he a local?”

  A chill went down Mimi’s spine.

  “What did he look like?”

  “Tall, stooped, wearing some kind of weird-looking dark robe. Didn’t see any more. He sort of disappeared.”

  Mimi’s shoulders tensed.

  Reneus Ulzor…still hanging around.

  “No, he doesn’t sound like someone local,” Mimi replied slowly. “When did you see him?”

  “Just this morning, when the police dropped me off.”

  Mimi arched an eyebrow. So that was the car!

  “They dropped you off? As in, you’re no longer a suspect?”

  Thea shrugged.

  “That I don’t know. It’s hard to read that strange London guy. But they told me it was okay to clear my shop and my apartment.”

  Mimi’s jaw dropped.

  “This is all yours?”

  “Yes.” Thea stared at her. “Didn’t you know?”

  “I had no idea. I assumed Drew was the owner.”

  “The shop and the apartment above it have always been mine. I mean, I still have a mortgage to pay, but it’s in my name. When my grandmother became ill, I wanted to spend some time with her, caring for her. So I asked Drew to look after the shop while I was away. He loved it. He loved books. Sometimes to the point that he found it hard to part with them. But he somehow managed to sell a few.”

  “The shop was doing well?”

  “Not really, but I didn’t really care. I was too busy looking after my gran. And when her health deteriorated to where she required specialized care, I still stayed on. I wanted to see her as often as I could.”

  Mimi nodded. That was very laudable, but then the suspicious part of her reminded her of the dinner with a friend.

  “And then you met someone.”

  Thea looked down.

  “I’ve known him for a long time. It’s just…” Her voice trailed off, but then she lifted her head and looked Mimi in the eyes. “Please don’t judge me. I know I should have resolved my relationship with Drew first, but I was scared of angering him. He was so unpredictable when angry. All these broken things…it’s him. He’s trashed the apartment.”

  “I’m sorry,” Mimi said. She really did feel sorry for the girl. “And now he’s dead.”

  A frown crossed Thea’s pale face. Her eyes welled with tears. “Yes, he is, and the police are looking for his murderer,” she said. “Which takes me back to my initial question. That strange man lurking in the bushes across the street. Maybe we should call the police on him? Maybe he’s the one who killed Drew?”

  Mimi tensed.

  The police? No way. What if he told them about Mimi’s special powers? Rob might just laugh it off, but that strange Orlando London… Who knew how he would react?

  But what if Reneus was really the murderer?

  Mimi had never considered this…

  No, she needed to examine Reneus Ulzor’s comings and goings and his potential connection to the case before she could report it to the police. She had too much to lose herself.

  “I’ll talk to the police about it. Leave it to me. You carry on merrily with your job.”

  “Okay. Have a good day,” Thea said and disappeared inside the building.

  Mimi stepped back inside, too.

  Should she call Rob? But what would she tell him?

  Was the strange wizard a suspect? She’d seen him lurking in the area last night, and Thea again this morning. But, according to the reports, Drew had been murdered the night before that. Two nights ago. Shortly after midnight.

  Mimi didn’t recall seeing the wizard around that night.

  Besides, what would be Reneus Ulzor’s motive for taking the life of a bookstore owner? And even if he did kill Drew, he wouldn’t be hanging around here after Drew’s death, would he?

  No. Reneus Ulzor might have looked and acted strange, but he wasn’t a suspect in this case.

  Mimi, happy that she managed to brush off this issue, went back to unpacking her Italian treasure. Sara should be here any minute.

  Mimi’s phone rang. She picked it up.

  Rob? Was he a telepath or what?

  “Hi, Rob, what’s up?” she greeted him.

  “Just checking if you found Baxter,” he replied.

  “I have. And I’ll tell you about it later, but I’m curious about something.”

  “You’re curious about many things, Mimi Knotley,” he said and chuckled.

  “You know me so well,” she joked. “Anyway, I’ve just seen Thea Walters chucking out half of Drew’s apartment, which I’ve just been informed was never really his, but hers. Is she no longer a suspect?”

  “I see you’re well informed,” Rob said.

  “I am always well informed,” Mimi fired back. “Firsthand, this time round. Straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.”

  “Lieutenant London?” Rob asked. A note of amusement in his voice.

  “No, don�
��t be silly. Thea. Didn’t you drop her off this morning?”

  “This must have been my colleague, Lieutenant London.”

  “Wow. Who would have thought Orlando Stiffy could be polite or even generous, giving people rides?”

  “As you can see, he is. And from what I know, your old-new neighbor has a very good alibi, confirmed.”

  Mimi couldn’t resist the opportunity to do some snooping.

  “By whom?” she asked as innocently as she could.

  “That I cannot tell you, but how about you ask my colleague who is in charge? Since he’s in such a generous mood, he might feel compelled to share it.”

  Mimi pressed her lips into a thin line and her stifled giggle came out as a snort.

  “Love your sense of humor, Rob Thompson,” she said quietly into the phone.

  “Same back at you, Mimi Knotley.”

  “But back to the case. Are you involved again?”

  “No. It’s still the state police’s business, but they’re keeping me updated.”

  “That’s good,” Mimi said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  That was good. And not because this way she had a chance to keep an eye on London’s moves. More importantly, she’d been worrying about Rob’s job. With Chief Thompson being at least informed, his career didn’t look as threatened as before.

  Or so she hoped.

  Chapter 10

  The day progressed at a much more comfortable pace than yesterday. Sara Domico came in to help, and both women got on with the tasks of unpacking, cataloguing, and arranging the new purchases on the shop’s shelves. Baxter stuck close by Mimi all day, shifting between his favorite armchair and following Mimi into the back room.

  By some miracle (not magic!), the two of them completed the tasks by midday. Sara left to open her own jewelry store, which Mimi had recently helped rearrange.

  Once the door closed behind Sara, Mimi collapsed on the nearest chair.

  “I’m parched,” Mimi croaked. “All that counting and spelling out loud turned my mouth into a piece of pumice.”

  Baxter glanced at her from his green armchair by the window. He didn’t look too eager to go for a little walk.

  “To the café?” Mimi suggested. Baxter remained motionless.

  “Fine, I’ll go myself.” Mimi sighed and pushed herself to her feet again.

  Baxter tensed. The hair on his back rose. He jumped off the chair and trotted to the door.

  That was strange. Baxter changed his mind?

  Mimi grabbed her jacket and opened the door. Baxter went flying down the lawn, past the bookstore.

  “Baxie, wait!” Mimi yelled, fiddling with the key. “Where are you going?”

  She locked the door and raced after him. She heard him before she spotted his little body—right at Leonard’s door, yapping like crazy.

  “Baxter, hush! No need to make so much noise,” Mimi called as she stopped to catch her breath.

  A car stopped behind her.

  The police.

  “Rob?” she yelled through the yapping. “Baxie, quiet!” Mimi picked up her pug and tried to cuddle him, but Baxter carried on barking at Leonard’s door.

  Rob emerged from the car and rushed toward them.

  “Why is he making such a ruckus?” Rob asked when he was by her side.

  “No idea. He’s just gone crazy.”

  The front door opened. Leonard, still dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, appeared at the doorstep.

  “What the heck is going on? Why is this dog barking so loud? Can’t you quiet him?” Leonard shouted. Mimi shuddered. The chaos and noise were overwhelming.

  “Why are you screaming then, Leonard?” she fired back.

  “Because you come to my place and disturb my lunch break. I was hoping to have a nap.”

  “Well, I guess you won’t have it. Live with it,” Mimi replied and tried to cuddle her pug closer. “Hush, Baxter.”

  But Baxter wriggled out of her embrace, jumped on the grass, and upped the noise by an octave.

  Mimi’s hands flung to her ears.

  “What the Father Christmas is going on here?” another male voice thundered behind her. Her head jerked to the side.

  Orlando London? What a strange coincidence! Why were the local and the state police…and, oh…was that another police car coming up?

  “Will you please tell your dog to shut up?” Leonard yelled. He yanked the door fully open and stepped onto the paved path. “Or do you want me to help?”

  Baxter jumped toward him.

  Leonard took a swing with his right arm, as if trying to grab Baxter.

  Mimi raced to catch the dog. She missed her target slightly and her hand, instead of on Baxter’s little body, landed on Leonard’s ankle.

  That was enough for the man to lose his footing. He slipped and landed on the grass with a thud.

  “You and your frigging yappy dog,” he growled. “Just shut him up, or you’ll be the next to go! The street will finally, finally be QUIET!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.

  The silence that followed was deafening. Mimi grabbed Baxter, who had now stopped barking.

  Rob stepped onto the lawn, Lt. London joining him.

  “Mr. Falcon,” Lt. London said calmly, over the man lying on the ground. “You need to come with us to the station.”

  “Because I yelled at a dog? No thank you,” Leonard said.

  “Come on, mate,” Rob said, bending to give Leonard a hand. “Better off of your own volition than with a warrant. You’ve got a lot of questions to answer. And it’s not about yelling at a dog.”

  “I won’t talk without an attorney present,” Leonard protested, but he grabbed Rob’s hand and climbed up to his feet.

  “Sure, mate,” Rob said calmly. He nodded at Orlando London.

  “Your cooperation will be appreciated, Mr. Falcon,” the lieutenant added.

  A uniformed officer opened the door to the car London had arrived in and Leonard disappeared inside, followed by the state detective.

  Rob got back into his car and drove away.

  Mimi stood there, in the middle of a suddenly completely empty lawn, with the silence buzzing in her ears.

  “Hey, what just happened?” Thea appeared on the doorstep of her house, holding what looked like a piece of a curtain rod.

  Mimi shuddered.

  “I’m not sure, but I’m really glad it’s over.”

  Cuddling Baxter, Mimi headed straight for the door to her apartment. She’d had enough action for today. She needed a nice cup of calming tea and maybe even a nap.

  About two cups of tea and an unsuccessful attempt to have a snooze later, Mimi picked up her cell phone. She dialed Rob’s number.

  After all that had happened today, she deserved an explanation. She tried to get it from Baxter and, of course, completely failed. As soon as she put him down in his chair, the dog curled up and closed his eyes.

  Mimi, still full of adrenaline and questions, pressed the redial button.

  Rob answered almost right away.

  “How are you? How’s Baxter?” he asked.

  “He’s fast asleep. Didn’t even want any food or water. Just hit the pillow as soon as I put him down in the chair. He’s had more activity today than in the last month combined.”

  “How about you?”

  “I’m calmer, but man, what was that whole thing about?”

  “Your dog barking? No idea. Have you tried asking Baxter?”

  Mimi let out a breath. “Don’t even start me on it. I’ve no idea what possessed him.”

  “He’s a smart dog. He can read people pretty well.”

  “You’re saying that because he thinks you’re an awesome person,” Mimi said.

  Rob laughed. “No, that’s just a bonus. I meant Leonard. He’s the killer.”

  “Seriously? Why? How?”

  “How—that’s still to be clarified, but he confessed to it. Wanna guess why?”

  Mimi fanned herself with her free hand
. Her head was dancing.

  “Something to do with Drew’s hatred of his neighbors? Maybe Leonard was too loud. Or exercised in his backyard?”

  “No, nothing like that. But we’ve got evidence that Drew Honeycomb and Leonard had a nasty conflict not that long ago, and it’s something you and I briefly talked about the day he was killed, if you’ll remember. Drew didn’t like some of the magazines he found in the stationery store. He complained about it, but worse, he started calling his neighbor a pervert.”

  “Oh!” Mimi let out a sigh. “Wow, I never paid much attention to that story, just basically ignored it.”

  “I know you tried to ignore him, but some people didn’t. Apparently, the complaint letter Drew wrote kicked up a bit of a stink and Leonard was losing customers.”

  “Now it’s all making sense, I remember that. He was quite upset about it for some time. But I never thought this would be because of one silly remark made by someone.”

  “Sadly so. And sadly, Leonard decided to take things into his own hands.”

  Mimi pulled on her bangs.

  “That’s sad…I hate when neighbors fight, but to take it to this extreme…”

  “I know. And I’m sorry it’s happened in your neck of the woods again.”

  Mimi sighed. “Speaking of which, now that the case is solved, will Orlando Stiffy return to his ivory tower?”

  Rob chuckled.

  “He is leaving tomorrow. He’s asking if he could talk to you.”

  Mimi tensed.

  “What about?”

  “No idea.”

  “He’s got his killer, tell him to leave me in peace,” she said, growing irritated.

  “I think he means well. I think it’s supposed to be a reconciliatory meeting.”

  “Reconciliatory, schreconcilatory,” Mimi mumbled. “Can you guarantee he won’t harass me?”

  “Promise.”

  “Okay then, but only if it’s on my own turf, so he has to play by my rules.”

  “Good idea,” Rob said with a note of pride in his smooth, deep baritone.

  Mimi let that warm, fuzzy feeling spread in her chest.

  “And since I fancy some cooking today as a way of relaxing, how about we make it a dinner?”

  “So you can put some poison into his food?” Rob said jokingly.

  “Me? Poison?” Mimi snorted. “Never. If I was seeking revenge, it would be much more…eh…” She struggled to find a word. “Secretive,” she added. “So what do you say to dinner?”