Another dead body in Dead End.
I was starting to feel like Jessica Fletcher.
Squaring my shoulders, I waited for only a few moments before Susan flung the door open and stared at me. Her face was drained of all expression, and her eyes were stunned.
“Tess?”
“Andy called. He said you might need a friend. I know you said I should stay out of your business, but—”
She pushed the screen door open and threw herself at me. Startled, because Susan had never been the most demonstrative of people. I hugged her and patted her back while she shuddered, taking huge, shaky breaths. Neither of us said anything until she pulled away, her eyes reddened but dry.
“Okay. Okay. Tess, I’m so sorry about what I said to you earlier. I was so overwhelmed by all this. I’m glad you’re here. Thanks for coming.”
“Of course. Uncle Mike and Aunt Ruby send their love, too. Can you tell me what happened?”
She led the way into the house. I could hear the low rumble of men’s voices coming from the kitchen, one calm and at least two angry. She ducked into the unused formal parlor and beckoned for me to follow.
“Listen, Tess. There is something very weird about this. When I got home, Greg was gone. Cordelia and Ish were also out, or so I thought. I decided to check on the objects and make sure that knife with a mind of its own hadn’t somehow smudged the salt circle.”
She folded her arms across her chest and took a steadying breath. “When I unlocked the door, there she was. Aunt Cordelia. Sitting on the floor in the middle of the room with the dagger.”
“The dagger killed her? On its own?” This was entirely possible and would even be the best answer. Thennobodywas a killer. It was all the fault of dangerous magic.
“No, Tess. She washoldingthe dagger. I’m no coroner, but I’m pretty sure she died from the gunshot wound.”
I felt my whole body slump.
Here we go again.
I remembered what Andy had said. “Susan, Andy said … he said you might be a murder suspect? What in the world is going on?”
She laughed, but it wasn’t amusement. “The whole town saw us shouting at each other today in front of Beau’s. Who do you think would be the primary suspect? Especially since I was just driving around all afternoon and have no way to prove I didn’t do it.”
“I don’t care about alibis! Everybody who knows you will know you didn’t do this!”
From behind me, an icy voice interrupted. “On the contrary. Those of us who know Susan well know she is entirely capable of violence.”
I whirled around to see Aloysius staring at Susan, and his expression gave me chills. Here was another person who was entirely capable of violence.
“Where were you when this happened?” I pointed at him. “Susan said she didn’t think you two were here, which means your car wasn’t. Did Cordelia somehow magically transport herself here? Or did you bring her here, kill her, and drive away to establish an alibi?”
“Establish an alibi? Someone is a little too fond of TV,” he said, mocking me. “I brought mom back here after Susan screamed at her at lunchtime. She was shaken from such unprovoked hostility and wanted to lie down and have a nap to recover.”
“Unprovoked hostility? I’ll give you unprovoked hostility, you slimy—”
I grabbed Susan’s arm when she stormed past me and dragged her to a stop. “Maybe now isn’t the time for this. Where’s Andy?”
Ish rolled his eyes. “Your hapless deputy is in the kitchen interrogating Butler. Now, there’s another person who could have done this. He never liked either of us, and I certainly don’t buy his alibi. Maybe I’d better sleep with one eye open.”
“Maybe you should,” Susan said. “And you can do it somewhere else. Consider yourself evicted.”
“I’m not going anywhere while my mother’scold, dead bodyis in your pathetic excuse for a library.” He switched his poisonous stare to me. “While we’re on the subject, little Tess, where were you this afternoon? Maybe committing a murder instead of just seeing them happen in your visions?”
My mouth fell open. “What? I—what? I was at work all afternoon. Lots of people can tell you … and then I was at my aunt and uncle’s house, and—”
Aloysius held up one hand. “Please. Nobody really thinks you have the spine to go around killing people. Why don’t you go home and bake something?”
With that, he spun around and headed for the front door. “I need some air.”
