“Right now?”
“More likely, tomorrow or the day after.” Suddenly, a sense of calm spread through me. Everything would be alright.
Jimmy was the only volunteer we accepted. Too many people inside the house meant too much responsibility and too many chances things got damaged or disappeared. My aunt had been a much-loved memberof the community, and I wouldn’t put it past people to help themselves to a small keepsake. I wouldn’t blame them either.
Louisa had another appointment to get out of the way first, and then we’d meet outside the house. I offered to give Jimmy a lift for the meeting and arranged when to pick him up . He lived two blocks down from theBlue Moon, in a white cottage with pistachio-colored shutters and a matching door. Not unsurprisingly, his flower beds rivaled Mimi’s at a much smaller scale. He’d started the garden club a few years before I was born. His son had run the local landscaping business until the wet climate convinced him and his wife to sell up and retire to Arizona.
Cosmo put his paw on my leg and stared at me. It took me a second to work out that he wanted us to go up, to our room. I scooped him up, just as a bunch of mature ladies in golf clothes burst into the bar. Harper gaped at them.
So did Mimi. “Have I missed anything? Weren’t we meeting atSweet Surprises?” The café was smack in the heart of the square and responsible for uncounted ruined reputations and waistlines. Dissecting other people’s foibles and flaws over pineapple upside-down cake, pecan pie or another home-made delicacy was a cherished ritual.
“Why, yes.” The leader of the troupe gave Mimi two expertly executed air kisses. “We only wanted you to be the first to hear.”
Mimi gave me a puzzled glance. Understandably, because I, the newly appointed heiress, was ignored by the ladies. My toes curled up inside my Doc Martens.
Cosmo tugged at my sleeve. I had no choice but to head for the door with him, only catching a few words as we left.
“There’s something wrong with Jake’s death. Poison, I heard.”
Another female voice piped up. “Did himself in, mark my words. All that gathering mushrooms and elderflower and stuff. We warned him.”
I shuddered at the ghoulish delight the speaker apparently took in his demise. Then I decided to ignore them all and concentrate on the important tasks ahead.
First came my daughter. The last couple of days I’d only sent Alex a quick message, to tell her where I was heading and why, and then, that I’d arrived safely in Willowmere. An update was overdue.
Once Cosmo and I were back in our room, I texted her.
Hey, Alex,
It seems I’m back for good. Aunt Violet entrusted the house, the business, and her cat to me. I’m still trying to come to grips with the fact she’s gone, but it also feels right to have returned to Willowmere. Probate should be quick, and I haven’t got that much to sort out on the other end. Talk soon. Love,
Mom
I’d barely hit send, when her reply popped up.
Do you want me to come? I can skip a few lectures.
I sniffed. There was nothing I’d have liked better than to have my daughter with me, but she had her own life, and I had all the support I needed. Plus, I had no clue how I’d explain a talking cat and witchcraft.
Don’t worry about me. See you at Thanksgiving?
You betcha. Send pics. Love you too.
Cosmo waited until I’d put away my phone. He stared at me with an intensity that reminded me of my third-grade teacher – and my former mother-in-law. Both hadn’t been members of the Bex Merriweather fan club, and like my ex-husband in the final year of our marriage, they’d declined to call me anything but Rebecca. I should have seen the signs.
But what had I done that earned me that look from Cosmo?
“If this is going to work, you need to talk to me so I can understand,” I told him. “After all, you’re my familiar now. That is what you are, right?”
His whiskers trembled and his lips twitched. “That’s not the term I’d use. Who’s the one who’s wet behind her ears, a total greenhorn who couldn’t tell a hex from an enchantment and a spell from a scrying? Think of me as your mentor.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you. I thought familiar was the correct term.”
“It’s okay,” he said graciously. “You may think of me as your familiar, as long as you understand who’s in charge for now.”
“Totally. What do I do?”
“Follow my instructions, read, learn, practice. You’re not my first novice, and you’re quite smart for a human.”
