A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes Read Free Book Online Page A

Anything.
    Before closing
up the last box, which was mostly Darla’s, I took out of her collection some
incense and held a few of them under my nose. Those were certainly annoying
when I was younger, but reminded me of Darla. My heart ached. I wondered how
she would feel about me moving to Whispering Falls. Or why had she never
mentioned the town to me? I put the incense back in the box and closed it.
    I let out a big
sigh , three little boxes. I felt for my lucky charm bracelet. That was
definitely a memory I’d never forget.
    “Oh, no.” I
looked down when I didn’t feel it. Panic filled my gut, instantly making me
sick. It was gone. “Oh, no!”
    Frantically, I
pushed the three boxes along the floor to see if the bracelet had dropped
between them while I was packing. Dropping to my knees, I crawled around the
house looking for any signs of the bracelet.
    I had always planned
to buy a real charm bracelet that fit, but Oscar was so proud when he had given
it to me, it was hard to make good on getting a real one.
    I tore into each
box, dumping the contents all over the family room floor, clothing, a few pairs
of shoes, some knick-knacks, incense, and cat toys, but no turtle charm or
bracelet.
    “Are you ready?”
Oscar hollered through the screen door.
    We had made a
pact to leave Locust Grove together.
    I didn’t answer
him. I couldn’t. In fact, I opened my mouth, but nothing came out by a god
awful cry. If I didn’t know better, I thought my heart had stopped.
    “I told you to
pack your stuff and I’d be by this morning.” Oscar shook his head in disbelief.
“I can’t believe you haven’t packed yet, June. What is wrong with you?”
    Slumping down on
the old couch, I buried my head in the cushion. There was no way I was going to
be able to leave without finding my bracelet. There was a knot in my gut. My
intuition told me there was something wrong. . .definitely wrong.
    “Don’t tell me
you’ve changed your mind?” Oscar sat down next to me. He didn’t touch me, but
for the first time I needed to be comforted. At this point, I’d even let Mr.
McGurtle comfort me. “It’s going to be good. You sold this house, furniture and
all, and you will really get to work on your remedies.”
    As if he knew
what I needed, Mr. Prince Charming jumped up and dragged his tail under my
nose, causing me to giggle from the tickle.
    Meow , his rough
tongue licked the tear that ran down my cheek. In that moment, I knew
everything was going to be okay.
    “What’s with
him?” Oscar asked.
    “He’s letting me
know everything is going to be fine.” I dangled my arm in the air. “I lost my
bracelet, I’m having nightmares, and Mr. Prince Charming has been getting out
of the house at night.”
    The past couple of
nights I’ve been waking up and finding him on the porch, like he was keeping
guard, which was nothing like him. I was sure I had put him in bed with me, but
my nightmares were getting more and more graphic.
    “Same
nightmare?” His deep blue eyes dripped with worry. “Drowning or something?”
    “Yeah, something
like that.” I really tried to see the face of the person who was being
strangled under the water, but I’d wake up just as the body would turn.
    “I will leave a
note for Mr. Primrose to tell the new owners to look out for my bracelet.” I
put my things back in the boxes, and was ready to leave.
    I paused when we
made it to the front porch and I glanced over at Mr. McGurtle’s place. I hadn’t
seen him since I told him I was leaving. He made it clear he wasn’t happy when
he said he had promised Darla he’d watch over me, and my leaving town wasn’t in
Darla’s plan.
    “Plans change.”
I shrugged him off and gave him what few details I had about Whispering Falls.
He’d actually heard of it through Darla and seemed a bit taken aback when I
told him that Darla had a shop there and I was going to take it over.
    Granted, she
hadn’t been there for years, but I was ready.
    Izzy, as