Mrs. Morris and the Witch (A Salem B&B Mystery Book 2) by Traci Wilton

Author:Traci Wilton [Wilton, Traci]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2020-04-27T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Charlene drank the last of her Earl Grey tea the following morning as she worked on her website. The Jensens were due to return to England later that day and had already left for breakfast by the wharf. Needing another caffeine kick to keep her energy going, she searched the butler’s pantry for a box of tea—any kind would do—but the shelves were bare. She eyed her Keurig, not wanting another cup of coffee.

Rather than the grocery store, she thought of Kass Fortune’s Tea Shoppe. If Dylan’s jacket had been used to block ventilation in Morganna’s workshop and Kass’s back room was the same as Morganna’s, she wanted to see if there was a vent. There weren’t any windows.

It would also give her an opportunity to ask about Carmen’s parents. Evelyn had mentioned that they’d taken over for her and Stephanos as coven leaders, and those were pretty big shoes to fill. Maybe the Evergreens felt that Morganna’s theft and fraud reflected on them as leaders.

It seemed extreme, but Charlene was determined to uncover answers so that Dylan stayed out of jail.

Charlene stepped outside into the fall air—gray clouds and a bite that reminded her of a snowy Chicago day. She flipped on the heater once she got behind the wheel of her Pilot. In less than ten minutes, she’d parked her car in the familiar lot a half block from the strip of brick shops.

Blue police cars flashed red and blue lights, and she was immediately reminded of the night Morganna had died. Tension rose and her fingers shook.

Afraid for Kass, Charlene ran the remaining distance and burst into the tea shop. With overwhelming relief, she saw Kass talking teary-eyed by the register counter with the police. Officer Bernard, taller even than Kass, took notes. The shiny black rim on his blue hat reflected the overheard fluorescent light.

Pale, her hair in a twisted braid over her shoulder, her brown fisherman’s sweater loose on her slender body, Kass used her hands animatedly as she gestured to the back area.

Charlene hesitated awkwardly at the entrance, until Kass waved her forward. The racks of merchandise were in order, although the indoor water fountain hadn’t been turned on, which made the goddess figure seem forlorn.

Kass reached for Charlene’s elbow and said, “This is Charlene Morris, a friend of mine.”

“Hello. We met the other night,” Charlene said to Officer Bernard.

“Ma’am,” he responded politely.

She looked around the shop for Officer Jimenez but didn’t recognize the other officer with him. Short and sturdy, Officer P. Tanner had light red hair and freckles. “What happened?” Charlene put her hand on Kass’s back.

“Someone broke in,” she cried, distraught. “Destroyed my back room.”

The uniformed officers nodded—Charlene noticed that Salem police even included their witches in a patch on their dark blue uniform. They appeared to be finishing up, because Officer Bernard put his notebook in his pocket. “We will be in touch,” he said.

“If you can think of anything else”—Officer Tanner handed Kass a business card—“call me directly.”

Kass slid it in her jeans pocket and walked them out of the store.

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