“And why is that?” Zane asked.
For a minute, Reed said nothing. “Because Mari was the only one who had a heart that day. And yes, I’m including myself in the mix. Mari wanted to do the right thing and admit to us making the spell, but we talked her out of it.” He smirked and shook his head. “Rayna made sure none of us would ever tell, but I guess now that you know, the secret is out.” He chuckled and tossed the bag into the crate. “Rayna is gonna be pissed about that.”
“Is that why you and Rayna broke up?” I asked. “You knew she’d added another layer to the original spell, and then she used magic to hurt Eliza in the parking lot?”
Reed arched an eyebrow. “Sounds like someonereallytalked.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Did you know Hunter and Sasha Carter were having an affair?”
Reed let out a bark of laughter. “No. But I’m not surprised. Sasha always had a thing for Hunter, but he’d chosen Mari.” He shrugged. “Seems to me, if you’re looking for a killer, you might want to look at those two.”
16
We’d just gotten into the Aston when Zane’s phone pinged with a notification. He took it out and looked at it. “Doc says they’re ready.”
He slowly made his way back down Wharf Way through the dock warehouses. Soon, we were cruising through the center of town. The sidewalks were quieter today than they had been on Valentine’s Day, though a few shops were sporting red and pink signs with 50% off sales.
“I’m starving,” I said. “Breakfast was a long time ago.”
“After this, we’ll go see what Rota has for us and grab a late lunch from Alfred.”
He parked in front of the limestone building that housed the medical and forensic laboratories. To the left of the labs sat the courthouse, and to the left of that, the sheriff’s station.I grabbed the evidence bag containing Sasha’s valentine card and stepped out of the Aston just as Sheriff Stiles came through the front door of his station.
“Heading over to talk with the DA about what to do regarding the incident from fifteen years ago,” he said. “I’ll let you know what he says.”
I strolled over and placed my palm on the biometric scanner next to the security door. After a second, it beeped, and the door swung open.
“Well, look who it is!” an elderly pixie with a white beehive hairdo and a pencil tucked behind her ear hovered just inside the entrance. Thelma’s wings were glowing purple and green, and she was practically vibrating with excitement.”Guess what? I just got word my granddaughter is in labor.” She clasped her tiny hands together. “I should have another great-grandbaby soon!”
I smiled. “How many does that make now?”
“Fourteen!”
“Congratulations, Thelma,” I said. “That’s wonderful.”
The elderly pixie beamed. “Thank you, dear.”
“Yes, Thelma,” Zane added. “That’s wonderful for you and your family.”
“You two go on back.”
We passed through the archway and into the main front room. A skunk shifter sat behind a desk, her fingers moving across a computer keyboard. She glanced up and gave us a nod. Four pixies flittered around the room, sorting files, shelving folders, and doing general busy work.
We proceeded down the hall and stopped in front of a second biometric door. Zane motioned for me to go first, so I placed my hand on the scanner and waited for my palm to be read. “Good day, Kara Hilder. Please enter.”
I stepped inside a room more suited for a dorm than a place that housed labs. A flat screen hung on the far wall, with chairs and a sofa angled to see the TV. A state-of-the-art coffee and tea bar was pushed against another wall, with a mini sink and refrigerator next to it, and against a third wall sat wooden shelves filled with snack foods.
Barbie was leaning against the counter, eating popcorn and waiting for her coffee to finish brewing.”Hey, there. Can I get you some coffee or tea?”
I shook my head. “No, thanks. We’ll have something in a bit when we go back to Zane’s.” I handed her the evidence bag. “Got this from Sasha Carter.”
Barbie’s eyes lit up. “Fabulous! I got fingerprints off the other cards, but I really needed another sample. Hopefully, I’ll get something from this one. Give me five minutes to see if it’s a match with the others.” She set down her bag of popcorn and hurried out of the room.
Doc Treestone came out of his laboratory and smiled at us. “Where did Barbie go?”
“We brought her evidence,” Zane said, “and she’s checking for fingerprints real quick.”
“Good.” Doc headed for the tea bar. “Gives me a minute to have some hot tea.” He filled a mug with hot water and dropped in a tea bag, letting it steep while he leaned against the counter. “Tell me, Kara. Have you started looking for a wedding dress yet?”
