Spells and Scones by Bailey Cates Read Free Book Online

minutes. Now she stood looking out the window like she’d been hit with a stun gun. The expression on her face brought a lump to my own throat as I turned toward my neighbor.
    I sat down next to Margie and put my arm around her shoulders. “How are you doing, hon?”
    She looked at me with a bewildered expression, but she nodded and gave me a little smile. “I feel better. That boyfriend of yours is good at his job.”
    Warmth flooded through my chest. “He sure is. I’m glad you’re feeling more yourself. Have you talked to Redding?”
    â€œUh-huh. He wanted to come downtown, but I told him to stay home. It’s too late to call our regular babysitter, and his mother lives out toward Pooler. I’ll be able to leave soon, won’t I?”
    â€œI sure hope so,” I said, eyeing the slight tremble in her hands. “Maybe I should give you a ride home.”
    I thought she’d pooh-pooh the notion, but instead she nodded in relief. “That would be great.”
    My heart ached for her. My neighbor hardly ever got away from her family to do something just for her, and now this had happened. I gave her another squeeze.
    â€œAre they going to arrest that horrible woman?” she asked.
    I glanced over to where Quinn seemed to be finishing up with Angie. “I don’t know. Did you see her doing something suspicious?”
    Her lips turned down in a thoughtful frown. “Like what? She was right there, kneeling over the poor thing when I walked in. But she wasn’t supposed to be here, not after Croft told her to leave. She was so
mean
. You could tell she really hated Dr. Dana.”
    â€œKatie, may I speak with you a moment?” Lucy said.
    I patted Margie on the hand. “Detective Quinn will be done with us soon, okay?”
    She nodded gratefully.
    Lucy led me to the reading alcove in the children’s section and spoke in a low voice. “Do you smell that?”
    I sniffed. “The mulled cider?”
    â€œNo! Almonds.”
    I tried again, then shrugged. “Sorry.”
    She sighed. “I guessed you must not be able to. From what I’ve heard, not everyone can.”
    My brow knit. “Lucy, what on earth are you talking about?”
    Her eyes softened. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I’m not being very clear. After all the ruckus in the back room, I smelled almonds. But we didn’t bring any pastries made with almonds, or even almond extract. Ben said Dr. Dana may have been murdered, so I got to thinking. I went back there, and Ben let me close enough to her body to make sure. The smell was much stronger the closer I got to her.” She gave me a knowing look.
    â€œI still don’t . . .” I flashed on an image of Sherlock Holmes. Yes, the Benedict Cumberbatch version, thank you very much, even if the Conan Doyle tale that came to mind was one of the old classics:
A Study in Scarlet
.
    The scent of almonds, which only certain people were able to smell . . .
    â€œCyanide? Lucy, are you serious?”
    Her grim expression showed just how serious.
    Flushed face. And something about her mouth.
    â€œNo one uses cyanide anymore,” I said.
    A stubborn expression settled on her face. “Well, I’m going to tell Peter Quinn.”
    Suddenly a stuffed animal fell off the bookshelf above and bonked me softly on the head. I bent to pick it up, and my breath caught in my throat.
    It was a poufy dragonfly, complete with smiling face and fat blue-and-yellow wings.
    Silently, I held it out toward Lucy. Her eyes widened.She’d been the one who’d explained to me that the dragonfly was my totem. They’d been attracted to me my whole life—a handy thing in mosquito-y Savannah—and since I’d come into my own as a witch it had served as a kind of metaphorical tap on the shoulder when they appeared.
    Pay attention.
    â€œDang,” I said. “Coincidence?”
    She gave me a