Black Cats and Bookshelves: A Spellbrooke Mystery by Renne Marski

Author:Renne Marski [Marski, Renne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I pulled into the Downes driveway a little after 9pm that evening. The lights were on in the house, so I knew she was home. The front porch light flickered on as I approached, motion-censored like most houses these days. The ranch style home had grey brick at the front, with a large porch that wrapped halfway around the house. Mrs. Downes had hung potted plants from the ceiling of the porch, ones she had bought from my mom’s store. I rang the doorbell, listening to the gonging and hoping that she had some idea of what was going on.

When she opened the heavy door, her eyes were red rimmed. Gone was the confident woman I had grown up around. She looked a mess, her hair falling out of its perfect bun, her makeup running. She had been wearing a peach suit with a ruffled white shirt, but the jacket was missing and the shirt had black streaks of makeup on it. I took her hands, pulling her into a hug, letting her cry on my shoulder for a bit. Then I led her inside the house and situated her on the couch, making sure she sat near the crackling fire she had set up in the fire place. “Mrs. Downes, where is your husband?” I hadn’t been around Mack’s dad much over the years, mainly for family dinners and such. He had been quiet, reserved even, and never seemed to have much to say. Mack said he was always like that, just sitting and staring most of the time. Mack had a hard time bonding with him growing up.

“He went to take Donnie’s body back to his mother.” She sniffled in between words, making them hard to understand. She pressed a handkerchief to her eyes, letting out a couple more sobs. “Poor Patsy. She loved that boy so much.”

“So, they did confirm it was Mack’s cousin?” She nodded. “And then they arrested him. Officer Hardy said that the girl Mack claims to have met swears she’s never met him that day. Mrs. Downes, do you know Gabby Munez? Any idea why she would lie about this?”

Mrs. Downes frowned, pulling the handkerchief away from her face. “Gabby? Of course, I know Gabby. Her mother and I are good friends. We grew up together. She ended up mated to a wolf in another pack, so she moved, but we’ve kept in touch all this time. Gabby and Mack used to play together as children. Why would Gabby lie?” She sounded as confused as I felt.

“When was the last time Mack saw Gabby?” I knew I was grasping at straws but if I could prove that Mack had met with her, he would be released. I had three days to get him out of that jail cell so he could confront and fight Mark. Three days before his father had to do it and lose.

“Oh, not for years. Gabby went off to college in the big city somewhere up north. She only recently moved back home.

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