What’s the time of death, Mr Wolf?: Wyld Enchantment Woods Cozy Mystery by Carpenter Kura Jane

Author:Carpenter, Kura Jane
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wicked Unicorn Press
Published: 2023-04-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Cry Wolf

Northgate Square, Charmington.

Goodness, to think Cheapcuts could talk to animals—just like her sister Cinderella. No wonder the lad hadn’t been surprised by Tom talking last month…

Ella mulled over her conversation with Martha as she walked towards the town hall, where she hoped to access the records room to look over any change of tenancy documents that might have been drawn up for Arthur’s building.

Ella had managed to convince Tom to wait behind at the butcher’s, under the pretence that a cat wouldn’t be allowed within the town hall chambers. While this was certainly true for most people, Ella acknowledged there was a bias towards her with people who wanted to curry favour with the queen, and they probably wouldn’t bar her entry should she bring along a tiger on a string. Regardless, keeping Tom out of the way of public officials was for his own good. Imagine if Harold Harper found out Ella had a talking cat? He would cause trouble, never mind who her sister was…

The town hall cluckoo clock was striking four o’clock as Ella reached the square. Dirk Turpin, the royal coachman, at the foot of the town hall steps, was attaching nose bags to the royal coach horses Perry and Peach.

“Long day?” Ella enquired, stroking Perry’s mane as the white horses munched away on the feed.

“Aye, ma’am,” Dirk answered, indicating over his shoulder at the town hall where a sign had been placed across the twin doors' entrance, closing the hall to public access. “Rental negotiating time. The queen has been in talks with the business association all morning.”

Ella frowned. That would definitely interfere with her plans to venture into the records room. She might even have to come back tomorrow.

Hillary Harper, the young girl from the post office, caught Ella’s eye. She was sitting on the steps in the sunshine, eating sandwiches, and occasionally breaking off a corner of thin white bread to share with a bold pigeon. Perhaps she was having a late lunch break? Would she have access to the records room? The town hall and post office shared a basement level.

“Behold…” a voice boomed from nearby at the unicorn fountain where a crowd was gathering, and Ella’s attention was distracted from the somewhat forlorn figure of the girl eating alone but for the company of a bird.

“…behold the Pipe of Power,” Van Helsing announced, drawing out the short black flute Ella had seen the night before. “This pipe was given to me by the sultan of Constantinople himself. It holds powerful magical properties!”

Ella just rolled her eyes.

“Magic is banned,” someone coughed from the onlookers. Mr Beau, the shoeshine man. His mouth was partly covered with a filthy polishing cloth stained with brown boot polish as if to disguise his comment. “Just saying.”

Van Helsing persisted. “As I said, powerful natural properties that can both reveal and disable those afflicted with the curse of the werebeast’s bite. Behold! Listen!” He placed the pipes to his lips, and all eyes followed, but he didn’t play.

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