Cozy Mystery: Cake Spell Disaster (A Haven Witch Woman Sleuths Book) COMPLETED

TEN

When I pulled up to The Golden Goose, Grayson was pacing the path outside. I looked for his car to park next to but didn't see it anywhere, so I just picked a spot and got out.

"Hey," I said.

He jumped a foot in the air.

"Don't sneak up on a person like that!" he hollered.

I paused. Grayson never yelled at me.

"I didn't sneak up on you," I told him. "I just walked up the path. What are you doing out here anyway? I figured you'd be inside, checking the tables for gum and the waiters for excessive drool, or whatever it is you do here."

I was trying to keep things light, but Grayson didn't even crack a smile.

"Have you been to see Mom?" I asked.

He nodded. "This morning. She had more color in her cheeks."

"Sunny says she'll wake up any day now."

Grayson chuckled. "Sunny's a know-it-all."

"Yeah, but he's right most of the time."

We stood awkwardly outside the doors to his restaurant. "Well, I'm going in," I told him. "You coming?"

He sighed and followed me inside. I inhaled sharply when I saw the dining room. It was empty. Not one person was here. I knew it was still early, but Grayson usually had a pretty good breakfast crowd. I looked at him and realized how sallow his cheeks looked.

"I know," he said as he slipped into a booth. "We're cursed."

I sat across from him. My eyes widened. "Cursed? What do you mean? Who cursed you?"

Grayson waved his hand through the air, indicating the restaurant.

"Whoever decided to ruin the mayor's party and kill Norbert Clark. The Golden Goose has gone from party central to crime central. "

I felt bad for my brother. This restaurant was his dream.

"But otherwise, business has been good, right?"

He looked at me oddly.

"I mean, until now you weren't having any, um, business... problems. Were you?"

I felt like a little kid again. Questioning my big brother was harder than I'd realized it would be.

"Sure," he said. "Business is great. Normally. Why?"

"No reason," I said.

My heart thumped in my chest. I had to stop being a baby and just spit it out.

"I might've heard something," I finally told him. "About the restaurant. And... a human."

Grayson's face turned to stone. He sat still and said nothing.

"A man named Damon Tellinger?" I prompted, hoping the man's name would get a reaction. It did, but not the one I expected. Then again, did I even know what I'd expected? I'd hoped that Grayson would tell me he'd never heard of anyone by that name. Instead, he confirmed my worst fears.

"What about him?" Grayson asked.

My jaw dropped. "So you know him?"

"Yes. What of it? I often have dealings with people in Sweetland Cove. Damon is no different."

Sweetland Cove?

Why was Grayson doing business with someone in Sweetland Cove?

"Do you owe him money?" I asked. My throat was dry. "This doesn't have anything to do with Mom, does it?"

Grayson's face darkened. "I can't believe you," he snarled.

"What?" I asked as Grayson rose from the table. I followed after him, pulling on his arm as he tried to go into the kitchen. The few waiters who were there watched us with interest.

"What's going on?" I demanded, wishing I'd made some more Deception Detector before coming down here.

"Why are you asking me all this, Felicity?" Grayson yelled. "Do you really think I had something to do with poisoning Mom's catering job? What could I possibly have to gain from that?"

I didn't want to answer that question. The truth was, I could think of a couple things. If anything happened to Mom, Cakes and Creations would go to Grayson. He was the oldest, and he had experience running a food establishment. And if he really owed money to someone... my mom's Oven-Hot recipe was a goldmine. There were any number of people on the island who would pay handsomely to get it.

"Just tell me the truth," I said, stepping as close to my brother as I dared. I could see he was mad, and I was only egging him on at this point. "Is it possible that this man, Damon, had anything to do with what happened to Mom?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" he shouted.

"Answer my question!"

"I already have!"

"Whoa!" a voice called out from behind us. We turned to see Lincoln walking toward us. We hadn't even noticed him come in. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing," I said. "I'm done here."

"That's right, we are," Grayson said. The wait staff had all retreated to the back when we started yelling at each other. "And don't come back here till you get your head on straight. I can't believe you would ever think I'd do something to hurt Mom."

Lincoln turned to me. "Are you accusing Grayson of tampering with your mother's cakes now? First Edith, now your own brother? I already told you to stop investigating. I'm handling it."

"If that were true," I snapped, "then I wouldn't be here, would I? Your problem is that you think you're so good at your job there's no way you could be wrong. So what happens when the day comes that you are wrong? By the time you realize it, it'll be too late." I left the restaurant with Lincoln's mouth hanging open behind me. I didn't need him or Grayson to solve this case. I was going to clear my mother's name if it killed me.

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