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

THIRTEEN

The bell chimed when I entered the shop. Edith looked up. Her smile faded when she saw me approaching her counter.

"Oh, you again," she said. "What do you want now?" She was piping frosting onto some cookies, decorating them with little flowers.

"Demigone," I replied.

Her head shot up.

"I don't know what you mean," she said. "I don't sell that sort of thing in my shop."

"I think maybe you do."

"Demigone is illegal. I may deal in dark elements from time to time, but everything I use in my desserts is strictly legal."

"Sunny was here."

Edith stopped talking and stared hard at me.

"Amelia's cat is not welcome here," she said through gritted teeth.

I would have to remember to give Sunny extra Kibble Tuna later. Heck, I might even give him a whole can of real tuna. He deserved it.

"Sunny saw something red and fuzzy here when he came to visit Nightshade. I didn't think much about it at the time. I knew your shop was full of dark spices and herbs that have no place in a bakery, but when Dr. Wallace's final toxicology report came back today..."

Edith's eyes widened.

"What are you saying?" she demanded. "You think I poisoned your mother?"

"Not just my mother. Mayor Singer's entire party. Including Norbert Clark."

Edith gasped. "It's not true!"

Sunny came running out from Edith's back room just then. "Got it!" he announced and dropped a pouch at my feet.

I picked it up and looked inside. It was filled with demigone.

"Get that alley cat out of my shop!" Edith cried, grabbing a broom and jumping over the counter. She began chasing Sunny around, swatting at him with the bristles. Nightshade came running out.

"Sorry, Mama," Nightshade said, breathless. "Nightshade was outside looking for mice." He chased Sunny around the room. Sunny jumped into my arms.

Edith ran behind her counter and grabbed her wand from a drawer.

"Alla kaboom, alla kaza," she said, muttering an incantation.

A couple of humans walked into the shop just then. They had big smiles on their faces, already planning their sugar high. They froze when they saw Edith with her wand. Edith paused and hid the wand behind her back. Sunny jumped out of my arms and ran out the door.

I didn't wait for another opportunity. "Lincoln! I've got the demigone!" I called into the Voice Bumper I'd hidden in my pocket. It fluttered out the door the humans were still holding open and a second later Lincoln appeared, two deputies in tow.

"What is this?" Edith demanded as Lincoln put her in handcuffs. "I didn't do anything!"

"Edith Woodruff," Lincoln said. "You're under arrest for the murder of Norbert Clark."

* * *