Lights! Camera! Murder!: A Ravenwood Witches Cozy Mystery Book 2 of 3 (Ravenwood Witches Cozy Mysteries) by Willowbrook Holly

Author:Willowbrook, Holly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

“Tread lightly, dear. She may not want to talk about it,” Celestia had warned when Fortuna announced her intention to drop in on Poppy Blume.

She knew Celestia was right, but if the intended victim could have been either Corbin Prescott or David Rathburn, the suspect list just doubled in size. Unfortunately, Poppy was among the many who’d need to be ruled out.

The Mara Devlin case had taught Fortuna that there were three things to consider when identifying potential suspects. “Remember the acronym M-O-M,” Penny had said.

The first M stood for Motive—did the suspect have a reason to commit the crime? Financial reasons and revenge topped that list. The O stood for Opportunity—could the suspect have committed the crime? This is where a solid alibi could clear someone. The second M stood for Means—did the suspect have the tools or physical ability required to carry out the crime?

Poppy Blume was at the theater the night of the murder, so she certainly had the opportunity. She was an expert in exotic plants, so that would open the door for means. Whether or not she had a motive was yet to be determined. Fortuna wasn’t sure if the rumors about Poppy and David Rathburn were true. And, if they were true, were there any hard feelings? She was determined to find out.

Like most Main Street shops, Blume’s Blooms was made up to look like something out of a vacation guide. The Victorian facade had just gotten a refresh and the four-color paint scheme reminded Fortuna of an iced sugar cookie. The dominant color was ocean blue, and the gingerbread details were dressed in shades of cream, brick red, and a soft buttery yellow.

Flanking the door were a pair of deep purple glazed pots holding identical tall, corkscrew-spiral topiary. On the sidewalk outside of the shop was an old lemon-yellow bicycle with balloon-tires that probably hadn’t been ridden in twenty years. The basket on the handlebars was overflowing with an autumnal display of flowers in oranges and golds. A little wooden sign hung from the bicycle seat on a piece of thick twine. The sign was a faded red with the words Yes! We’re Open painted a white frilly font.

The front bay window always had a seasonal display of plants, gifts, and cut flower arrangements. Today, the fall plants that would usually take center stage shared the window with vampire-themed props and movie memorabilia. Realistic rubber bats hung from monofilament line above stacks of antique books and drippy black candles in perfectly tarnished candelabrum. At the very center of the display was a bundle of sharpened wooden stakes in front of a framed, autographed photo of David Rathburn in his younger days. The stakes were tied with a crimson bow like a deadly bouquet.

Fortuna leaned in to read the inscription: “To Poppy, the fairest Blume in Greenvale. Fondly, David Rathburn.”

Taped to the lower left corner of the glass was a Greenvale Convention & Visitor Bureau scavenger hunt sign. It included instructions on how to scan the QR codes at each of the participating businesses for a chance to win.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.