Cozy Mystery: Cake Spell Disaster (A Haven Witch Woman Sleuths Book) COMPLETED

FIVE

"What do you mean, you won't be my partner?" I screeched.

The waiters looked toward me and Grayson, who looked like his top was about to explode.

"Would you keep your voice down?" Grayson whispered. "People have already been scared off because of what happened. Look at this place; it's two o'clock and it's nearly empty."

I looked around at the empty tables and booths. A group of waiters and waitresses were clumped together in the back corner. They looked alternately bored and anxious. A picture of Norbert had already been hung in tribute, and my eyes kept drifting to it.

I felt bad for my brother. He'd worked hard to build this restaurant up. When our father was still alive, he'd helped Grayson set things up. After his death, I think Grayson came to see the restaurant's success as a testament to him.

Grayson's brow crinkled as he took a deep breath.

"I love you, sis, but you're as daffy as Mom if you think you can solve this thing before Lincoln. He's great, and you know it."

I blushed deeply as Grayson gave me a knowing look.

"I'm not saying that Lincoln's not good at his job. I'm just saying that there's more to this than accidental food poisoning, or whatever it was."

Grayson sighed. I sighed louder. He paused, then sighed loud enough that he sounded like a wind machine. It was a game we used to play when we were kids. Always trying to be the loudest one in the room until finally we were both screaming instead of sighing and our parents were grounding us from using our brooms.

Grayson smiled. "Mom would be proud of you for wanting to help her, but she'd also tell you not to do anything stupid."

"Mom would want us to figure this thing out. She's lying in that hospital right now—"

"Dr. Wallace said she's going to be fine."

"Norbert's not fine," I reminded him. It had the effect I was looking for, but I immediately regretted it. Grayson's face paled.

"Poor Norbert," he muttered.

"Help me find Norbert's killer," I pleaded. "Help me get Mom's bakery reopened."

I could tell that Grayson was thinking. I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

"It's too dangerous," he finally said. "Mom wouldn't want us doing anything where we could get hurt."

"Chicken!" I yelled.

His eyes first widened then narrowed. He suppressed a laugh. "Chicken?"

I had no idea what had come over me. I was frustrated and "chicken" was the first thing that had sprung to mind. "It used to work when we were kids," I told him.

"We're not kids anymore, Felicity."

I tightened my lips, physically restraining myself from saying anything else that might make me look like an immature teenager. I had an awful notion just then that Calista Woodruff came across as more mature than I did at times.

"I'm going back to the hospital in a little while. Come with me."

I shook my head and rose from the table.

"I can't. Not right now. I promise I'll see Mom later, but if you're not going to be my partner, then I've got to find someone who will."

"Who are you gonna ask? Sunny?" Grayson laughed.

I tilted my head. "Actually... that's not such a bad idea."

Sunny was small. He could get in and out of places virtually undetected. Even if he were detected... most witches and warlocks would dismiss his presence easily enough. There were a lot of familiars on Heavenly Haven.

Grayson's smile faded. "You're not serious."

I smiled brightly at him. "Thanks for the idea. I'll let you know what Sunny says."

"Felicity, don't turn into a crazy cat lady!" Grayson yelled after me.

I ignored him and slid behind the steering wheel of my car. I had my broom in my trunk for emergencies, but I felt much more secure tucked safely behind a seatbelt in the driver's seat.

I had just turned the key when I noticed something flapping under my windshield wiper.

"Did I get a ticket?" I yelled, jumping out of my car.

I pulled the paper from under the wiper and my heart froze. It wasn't a ticket.

FELICITY,

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

P.S.

OR ELSE.

"Or else? Or else what?"

It was written in big block letters and had eraser marks all over it. Whoever had written it had apparently gone through several drafts. I tried to make out the light pencil still under the eraser marks, hoping it might lead me to a new clue, but it was no use. Some sort of blur charm had been used to make sure it couldn't be read.

I turned to run back into the restaurant and show Grayson the letter. I stopped before I even got to the door. Grayson would only take this as confirmation that he was right and I was wrong. Even though I was twenty-three, I was still his baby sister. If I showed him this note, he'd tell Lincoln and my investigation would be over.

So instead, I climbed back into my car and went to find Sunny.

* * *