Shear Magic, page 8
part #5 of Silver Hollow Series
“Elvira said you needed to talk to me,” Starla said, her voice quiet. The setting sun cast long streaks of deepening purple and indigo across the rapidly darkening sky. The first stars twinkled overhead, and the crescent moon was just starting to rise over the crest of the White Mountains in the distance. The whole space seemed magical and more than a tad romantic.
“Elvira?” Gray unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth long enough to ask. He had no idea who Elvira was or how she knew Gray wanted to talk to Starla.
“My cat.”
“Oh.” Gray stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say next.
“So ... long time no see, huh?” Starla gave a tiny chuckle, and he felt that husky sound all the way to his toes.
“Uh, yeah.” Gray fumbled over his words, still taken aback by her beauty. For a man who made his living charming others, it was unsettling. Starla had him under her spell without even trying. He cleared his throat and looked away, steeling himself against her powers. “Not sure if you’ve heard about all the stuff going on because of Eric Naill’s murder.”
Her pretty smile faltered, and she sat on a log. “I have. That’s why I came. I want to help my Uncle Bobby. I heard he was a suspect, and I don’t want him to get in trouble. He’s a good man and would never have killed Eric.”
The words “good man” weren’t ones he usually associated with Bobby Knight, but he supposed it depended on one’s perspective. To Gray, the guy was a prankster, a bully, a wizard who’d reputedly used his powers against the North Side Coven at every opportunity. To Starla, Bobby was a beloved uncle, taking care of his own and protecting the South Side Coven in whatever ways he could.
And that line of thinking was getting him nowhere. He needed to concentrate on why he was here — getting answers to his questions about Eric’s murder — and forget the rest.
Gray stood a few feet away, leaning against the trunk of an ancient oak, watching Starla. She seemed sincere, but he’d learned a long time ago in his business that looks could be deceiving. Still, he took a chance and played a hunch, mentioning what he and Raine had discussed earlier. “What about the incident all those years ago with your uncle, Beth Wilkins, and Charlie Stevens? Some kind of a scandal?”
“Oh, that.” A hint of pink colored Starla’s cheeks in the moonlight, and Gray felt the crazy urge to stroke his fingertips across her skin to see if it felt as soft as it looked. “I don’t know anything specific, really. Just that Bobby had a true love once, but something went wrong. I heard their relationship had been forbidden, and Bobby never found anyone else.”
Gray’s chest squeezed at those words, the irony of the situation not lost on him. Starla had stirred similar interest in him that day in her shop. He’d been mesmerized, transfixed, awash in the knowledge that his connection with this woman transcended mere attraction and awareness to something more, something deeper, even though they barely knew each other. But he’d backed off because of the differences between them. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. The thought that he and Bobby might have more in common than he’d originally imagined left him a bit unsettled.
“He’s been lonely for years,” Starla continued, her tone quiet. “And now Bobby’s grown angry and bitter. He blames the feud for what happened.”
A pang of regret stabbed deep into Gray’s gut. The last thing he wanted was to end up the same way Bobby Knight had, but there was no way a relationship between him and Starla could work. There were too many things stacked against them, weren’t there?
But Starla was talking as if the only thing bothering her uncle was an old love that he couldn’t have. Did she know nothing about the toad warts, or was she playing him for a fool? “Is your uncle bitter enough to stab a guy looking into his past?”
Starla frowned at him. “No. Absolutely not. My uncle refuses to talk about what happened back then. But what does it have to do with what happened to Eric? My uncle might have made some mistakes, but he’s no killer.”
“Why did he go to see Eric then?” He met her surprised stare. “Beth Wilkins claims to have seen him at Eric’s office the day she went to discuss another matter with Eric. She says when Bobby left he was angry, as though he and Eric had argued. Do you have any idea what they were meeting about?”
“No. I didn’t even know he went there, let alone that he and Eric argued.” Starla wrapped her arms around herself as a chilly breeze swept the clearing, her filmy lavender chiffon dress little protection against the cold. Gray cursed himself for not thinking ahead and wearing a jacket he could lend her for warmth. “Not sure I’d trust what Beth Wilkins says, though. She’s not right in the head these days. Stuck in the past. Not sure she even knows what she’s talking about half the time.”
“Maybe, but my sources tell me this all might be about something that happened long ago, and it has nothing to do with lost loves. It involves illegal magic.”
Starla’s eyes widened. She looked truly surprised, and in that instant, Gray knew deep down that she wasn’t playing him. She had no idea what her uncle had been up to all those years ago. “Are you saying my uncle was into something illegal and that’s why Eric was killed?”
Gray shrugged. He wasn’t sure that Bobby Knight had been the one selling the toad warts. Maybe it had been Charlie or Beth. He didn’t have the heart to tarnish Starla’s image of the uncle she obviously cared about. “Maybe.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I know he can be a prankster, but he’s never done anything illegal. And as far as I know, he didn’t have any problems with Eric Naill.”
Gray sighed, moving to sit on the opposite end of the log to block some of the wind with his body. So far, this conversation had gotten him nowhere. “I’m not sure exactly what’s going on, but I know Martin Ellsworth is trying to put the blame on me, and I certainly didn’t kill Eric. Now, I’m not saying that your uncle is the one who did it, but his name has been brought up a few times. If he’s as innocent as I am, then I need to get to the bottom of this and figure out who the real killer is, because if I don’t we both may end up in jail.” Gray turned to her. “I can’t talk to your uncle, but anything you can do would help us both.”
Starla gave him a small smile. Her scent — patchouli and jasmine — drifted on the night air to him. “I don’t want anyone who is innocent to be prosecuted. Not my uncle. And not you. I’ll try to find out why Bobby might have gone to see Eric and what they fought about if that will help.”
“It will.” Gray smiled back at her, clenching his fists to keep from reaching over to brush a stray curl from her cheek. Must be the hair stylist in him, though the way his fingertips tingled with the need to touch her, he knew that wasn’t the case at all. He lowered his head and stared at the tips of his black boots. “And I’ll do my best to find out more about this whole thing and let you know what I find.” He held out his hand, thumb up, for a witches’ handshake. “Deal?”
“Deal,” Starla said, twining her thumb around his. Awareness sparked through Gray’s system from their point of contact. “Should we meet back here again to discuss what we find?”
“Yep. Tomorrow night good for you?” He stood and brushed off his jeans. “Same time, same place?”
“Perfect.” Starla stood and smoothed her hands down the front of her lavender dress, her pale skin glowing in the moonlight. She looked like some kind of fairy nymph come to life. “See you then.”
“See you.” They both stood for a moment, staring at each other, as if neither wanted to leave. Then, finally, Starla ducked away through the trees, disappearing into the darkness.
Gray watched for a long moment afterward, reluctant to head home but knowing he must. As he trudged back toward his cabin in the hills, he did his best to remind himself there could never be anything between him and Starla Knight, though for some reason it was getting more difficult to remember why.
Gray took the long way back to his car. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts, and the cool night air was refreshing.
A few clouds had gathered in the sky, but Gray didn’t need the moonlight for navigation. He knew this part of the woods well. Still, every so often, the moon peeked out and illuminated the trees and shrubs. Now that it was dark, the birds and other animals had gone to shelter, and the forest was silent. The only other movement was the silhouette of the dark-gray cat about fifty feet to Gray’s left.
Gray didn’t know if Brimstone was up to some mission of his own that coincidentally caused him to head in the same direction as Gray or if the cat was watching over him. He found the latter thought oddly comforting, though he wasn’t sure how much help Brimstone would be if trouble arose. The cat had a reputation for saving his own hide first.
Gray had always loved being in the woods, especially at night. This was where he did his best thinking, and he had a lot of that to do if he wanted to clear his name. There was nothing like the cool air of a spring night with backlit clouds swirling around a sky of stars and being alone with his own thoughts.
As he crested a small hill, he realized he wasn't exactly alone. Two figures huddled on a massive fallen Scotch pine trunk ahead. Lovers?
But who would come this far into the woods just to neck?
He stopped, not wanting to interrupt the clandestine rendezvous. Was he still in the neutral section of the woods? Could it be a witch from the South Side meeting with a witch from the North Side?
A cloud drifted in front of the moon, turning the couple into dark shadows, but something familiar about them made him pause. He crept a little closer, using the thick woods as cover so the couple wouldn’t notice him. Just as he made it alongside them, the moon slipped from behind a cloud, its silvery light bouncing off the pale face of none other than Stanley Judge.
Stan sat on the log, staring up into the sky with a dreamlike expression on his face. Ursula Lavoie snuggled alongside him. She glanced in Gray’s direction. Gray held his breath and ducked behind a tree. Had Ursula seen him? He felt like a perverted peeping Tom.
Gray peeked back out. Ursula was still looking in his direction, a sly smile on her face, the moonlight sparking off her elongated fangs.
Gray backed up slowly. Whatever Ursula had going on with Stan was none of his business. In fact, more power to her. He didn't know what she saw in the guy, but maybe vampires liked those pasty types. Either way, getting Stan under her thrall would only serve to help the paranormal community. Because if Stan was part vampire himself and under Ursula’s command, how could he possibly prosecute the rest of them?
Gray hurried back to his car. It felt awkward and dirty to remain in the woods where Stan and Ursula were doing ... whatever it was they were doing. Funny, though, that Stan would be attracted to Ursula. Seemed like all kinds of couples from opposite sides were getting together. South Side and North Side witches, normals and paranormals, everyone was finding someone, no matter how big the obstacles. Everyone except him.
Chapter 13
The next morning, Gray was up early, awaiting the text from DeeDee with the okay for him to return to the salon. Staying busy would hopefully distract him from everything else going on. He got ready, fed Cosmo, then headed for Issy’s shop. He couldn’t wait to tell her about Ursula and Stan, but he’d have to be careful not to reveal the reason he was in the woods. He didn’t need his cousins knowing he had met with Starla Knight.
Glancing over at his shop, he saw the crime scene tape was still fluttering on the front door. No text from DeeDee yet. If he could just get inside to get his appointment book, he could at least start rescheduling his regulars. Plus, when he’d checked the salon’s voicemail remotely, it had been full of messages from new people wanting to make appointments for the same style he’d given Mrs. Newcastle.
He chuckled and shook his head. Apparently he’d started some weird trend with the half-finished haircut he’d given her. Now if he could just get some replacement shears, he’d be all set.
Issy was busy behind the counter of Enchanted Pets when he arrived. Seemed she’d just gotten in a new shipment of solstice toads and was busy feeding the little purple buggers.
“Hey, cuz.” He set Cosmo on an empty perch near the counter and went over to help nourish the hungry little amphibians. “You won’t believe what I saw last night.”
“What did you see? Oh, did you have any luck yet with the South Side witches?” Issy asked. “Bobby’s the other suspect we need to question. I sure hope your plan works, whatever it is.”
Good thing she was facing the opposite direction, because Gray just about swallowed his tongue. Which was silly, because there was no way anyone knew about his secret meeting with Starla in the woods the night before. They’d been careful, and he’d checked the area for spies. There’d been no one else around.
Issy slowly turned to face him, her expression suspicious. “Wait a minute. By that sheepish look on your face, I’m guessing you already talked to someone from over there, haven’t you. Would her name be Starla?”
Gray waved his hand dismissively, trying to play off the energy zooming through him like an Indy 500 car. “What difference does it make who it was? Besides, she helped us out once before, so I think she’s our best bet.”
“Uh huh.” Issy’s smile widened. “Is she a good bet for other things too?”
Heat prickled up Gray’s neck from beneath the crew-neck collar of his black shirt. What he felt for Starla wasn’t for public consumption. Not now. Maybe not ever. He scowled and turned away, more depressed by the forbidden nature of a relationship with Starla than he cared to admit. “No. And it wouldn’t matter if she was. Our kind don’t mix, remember? But speaking of that, I made a discovery last night about another couple who shouldn’t mix.”
Gray hoped the change of subject would keep Issy from further teasing about Starla. Normally his cousin’s good-natured taunts never bothered him. But that was when they were about other women. Starla was ... different.
Issy looked up, a pinch of colorful wriggly rainbow worms for the toads poised above their terrarium. “Who?”
“Stan and Ursula.”
Issy’s brows shot up. “No kidding.” She dropped the worms and peered in as one of the toads’ tongues shot out, captured a worm, and sucked it back in practically faster than the eye could see. “What were they doing?
“They were sitting very close in the woods. Very close.” Gray reached into the terrarium and scratched one of the cute little toads on the head. It blinked up at him with bright-orange eyes.
Issy dusted worm goo off her fingers and closed the terrarium. “So there really is something going on between them?”
“It would appear that way,” Gray said.
“That could be good for us. I mean, if Stan hooks up with Ursula, then he’ll be on our side, just like Dex is.” Issy patted him on the shoulder as she passed on her way to the register. “We’d have no worries about the FBPI.”
“Yeah, but you know how it is. Normals and paranormals don’t easily mix. It’s bound to end in disaster.” Same as with South Side and North Side witches, Gray thought.
“Well, that’s what people said about me and Dex. Humans and witches don’t belong together. Look at us now. We’re very happy.” She tilted her head. “And if it can work for us, maybe it can work for anyone who truly wants to be together. One shouldn’t let a little thing like a relationship being forbidden stand in the way. Besides, it makes things more interesting that way.”
Issy crossed her arms over her chest and plastered an innocent look on her face. He knew she was referring to him and Starla, but he didn’t want to talk about that now. Better to steer the conversation in a more important direction, because if he didn’t discover who had killed Eric soon, he would have a much bigger problem than his foundering love life. “You mean like Bobby and Beth.”
“Sort of, although those weren’t the two exact witches I was thinking of.” Issy sighed, and her eyes softened. She must have sensed that she’d said enough and changed the subject. “You never did say if you found out anything more about Bobby and Beth.”
“Not much, but Bobby Knight did have a true love back then, and he’s been angry and bitter about it ever since,” Gray said.
“Was it Beth? Why was he angry and bitter, because Charlie won her affections?”
“I don’t think so. I mean, Charlie was married, and wouldn’t everyone have noticed if he and Beth became an item?”
“You’d think Mrs. Stevens would have, at least.”
Gray nodded. “And she wouldn’t have been very happy about it, but back then, she was trying to prove Charlie didn’t kill himself. Seems to me if she suspected him of cheating on her, she wouldn’t have gone to the trouble.”
“Good point. I still feel like this all ties back to Charlie.”
“I agree. It’s too much of a coincidence. With Charlie’s barbershop being where my salon is and Eric being killed by my shears, there’s gotta be a tie-in other than someone wanting to frame me.”
“And another coincidence: Tim also had Eric working for him.”
“That seems like an awful lot of coincidences, guys.” The sarcastic tones of Brimstone drifted down from the uppermost shelf of Issy’s cat toy display.
“Cat’s got a point,” Issy said.
“Of course I do.” Brimstone stretched, batted a fuzzy ball that dangled from one of the toys on the top shelf, and then jumped down from the display, landing with a soft thud before trotting to the back of the store.
“Don’t you be getting into that new shipment of toads,” Issy yelled after him.
“Me? I’d never do anything like that.”
Issy rolled her eyes and started off after the cat. “Let’s not forget about Beth lying. She’s got to be mixed up in this, no matter how crazy her mind is.”
“And Bobby Knight. He was angry when he left Eric’s office. Could Beth be covering for Bobby?”
Gray came around the corner to see Brimstone standing on a step stool, one furry paw holding the top of the terrarium open.
