He took a seat across from them, leaning his elbows on his tall knees, his large hands dangling.
"We need to verify everything Miss Tierney told us. That will take some time, and until then Miss Willow and Miss Tierney will be in our custody."
"What about Cassidy Parker?" Ursula asked, her body was tight, her eyes homed in and held no softness. "If she gets wind of Isla being here," she lifted her hands in anger.
He nodded. "I know the risk. We still have to follow due process."
"And did Isla bargain for her going scott-free?" Jen asked, an edge in her voice.
His eyes swung to her. "No."
"She will be charged then?"
He shook his head slowly. "No. She didn't bargain. I offered it. Turns out she had information on another case."
"Oh," she said and sat back a little. The surprise was felt among the women as they watched Jen carefully.
Then the chief got up, and they did the same. "I need to get back, finish this so we can get your friend home. If she is innocent."
"She is," Tilly said, cutting in before Ursula could. The vehemence in her voice was startling.
When his gaze hit Tilly, the way he looked at her was different. It was like he had been holding something back, tryingnotto look at her, until she spoke. Something sparked and everyone was again watching a drama unfold. Kelsea bit her lip as Crystal and Jessica tried not to smile.
"I hope so, Miss Nguyen."
He walked away. They watched Tilly watch him.
"Daaaaamn, girl. Someone get her some water because she is hot," Jen snickered.
Tilly blushed and ducked her head as Ursula wrapped her arms around her laughing softly.
"Okay, but what do we do?"
Ursula sighed and said, "You all go to the inn. I'll stay here and wait for Eloise. Once they verify everything they'll arrest Cassidy."
"Think she'll fall for it?"
"Yes," Ursula said without hesitation. And because she needed to believe it for her friend who was still being held. "She wants that house and once she gets in, Cassidy isn't going anywhere," she said. The way she said it brought a smile to all of their lips, the kind that has secrets tucked in the corners.
"I love magic," Kelsea said and Tilly hushed her while Crystal ushered them all out of the station giving Ursula a kiss on the cheek before she was left alone in the stale-smelling waiting room of the Salem Police Department, waiting for her person. She sat down and had a thought, bit her lip and then made a decision. She pulled Eloise's phone out of her purse and dialed a number hoping she wasn't making a difficult situation worse.
The women went to the inn that sat on the edge of town where they had rented four rooms, which made up the entire first floor. The Crescent Inn had been established in the early 1900's and was an historical figure in their beloved town. It was well-known, talked about with love and fond memories by most and while it had once been a testament to victorian architecture, it was slowly coming to terms with its age and the cost of fixing it was becoming a burden that the owners were having a difficult time carrying.
Which was obvious when they arrived to find a sidewalk that had missing bricks and growing weeds, flower boxes that had no bottom, and therefore no flowers, missing balusters alongthe wide wrap-around porch, and pieces of the old wood gone or needing to be scraped and fully repainted. The house was a lovely blue, nicknamed The Blueberry House, with white trim that had seen better days long ago. Inside they found chipped and cracked drywall, more paint needed, age-stained wallpaper that needed a modern breath, and windows needing replacing that would cost a fortune to keep with the historical society standards.
Still, there was something magical in its own comforting way here, and when Mrs. Ling welcomed them with their old fashioned keys and a tray of scones with fresh cream, they all held inside of them a hope that this old house would stay put for a while longer.
Everyone got settled and then reconvened in the parlour that had white wallpaper with pink posies, floral couches that smelled clean but were old, and intricate rugs that they all had seen Mrs. Ling beating outside in the sunshine under the two-hundred year old oak tree many times over the years.
"I swear this place hasn't changed in my thirty-nine years," Jen said looking around with a smile. "I had my eighth birthday party here. A tea party," she remembered fondly, the smile the kind that was formed long ago and kept in the memory box to be dusted off.
"My mom played bridge and had book club here growing up," Kelsea said. "I've never stayed here though. I don't even know if I've been inside before now."
Tilly shook her head. "I've never been here. I've heard of The Blueberry House." She looked around, her eyes touching on crafted details that could use a hand coming back to life. "Oh, maybe we should start up a book club here," she suggested.
"Can the book club be psychological thrillers?" Jen asked.
"Ohh, cozy mysteries," Kelsea suggested.
