Fatal Fortune (A Claire Rollins Mystery Book 17) by J A Whiting

Author:J A Whiting [Whiting, J A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J A Whiting Books and Whitemark Publishing
Published: 2025-10-02T00:00:00+00:00

14

Claire paced her bedroom floor, one hand pressed against her temple, where a familiar pressure had been building for hours. The digital clock on her nightstand flashed almost midnight in harsh red numbers. Bear and Lady watched from their dog beds, their eyes following her movements despite the late hour.

“This is ridiculous,” Claire muttered to herself. “I should be sleeping.”

But sleep remained impossible. Her mind refused to quiet, buzzing with connections between Patience’s herbs, Holly’s death, and Ivy’s poisoning. Each time she closed her eyes, images from the Wilby farm flashed behind her eyelids—pressed herbs in the family Bible, the portrait of Patience with her jar labeled “Preserve,” and the missing pages from the journal.

Claire paused at her bedroom window, pushing aside the curtain. Outside, a brilliant full moon hung low in the sky, bathing Beacon Hill in silvery light. The streets below her townhouse looked almost magical in the ethereal glow, the brick sidewalks and historic buildings transformed into something from another century.

As she gazed at the moon, the burnt metal smell that accompanied her recent intuitions returned so strongly she could almost taste it. A certainty settled over her—something important was happening at the farm tonight; something connected to the murders, to Patience’s legacy, and to the herbs that could heal or harm.

After several more minutes of restless pacing, Claire grabbed her phone and called Nicole. Her friend answered on the first ring.

“You’re awake too?” Claire asked.

“Haven’t slept a wink,” Nicole replied, sounding equally alert. “I keep thinking about what Patty showed us today. Those pressed herbs in the Bible, the missing pages...”

“Nicole,” Claire said abruptly, “look out your window. Do you see the moon?”

A pause, then, “Yes. It’s incredible tonight, so bright and full.”

“Augustus told me something important about herbs and the lunar cycle. Certain plants are most potent when harvested under a full moon. Herbalists have known this for centuries.”

“Claire,” Nicole said slowly, recognizing the tone in her friend’s voice, “what are you thinking?”

“I think we need to go to the farm. Tonight.”

“Are you serious? It’s nearly midnight.”

“I know it sounds crazy,” Claire admitted, “but my intuition is practically screaming at me. The full moon, the herbs, and Patience’s recipes—they’re all connected. Something is happening at that farm tonight. I can feel it.”

Silence stretched between them as Nicole considered. “This is a terrible idea,” she finally said. “Trespassing at a farm in the middle of the night? What if we get arrested?”

“We’re not breaking in,” Claire assured her. “We’ll just observe from public areas, and if my intuition is wrong, we’ll leave immediately.”

“You know your intuition is rarely wrong.” Nicole sighed. “Fine. But we text Ian our location first, and we bring the dogs. And if anything feels dangerous, we leave. Immediately.”

“Agreed. I’ll pick you up in fifteen minutes.”

Claire changed quickly into dark jeans and a navy sweater, practical clothes that wouldn’t stand out in the night. She clipped leashes onto Bear and Lady, who seemed eager for a midnight excursion, then grabbed her keys and headed for the car.

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