Free Midsummer Night's Mayhem by Lauren Quick Page A

her an exotic allure. A smile brightened her tanned face when she looked over at Clover.
    “What brings you out my way?” Tabitha asked after the customer had left.
    “Bad news, I’m afraid,” Clover said, placing the bunch of herbs on the counter. “These are a gift.”
    “You shouldn’t have.” Tall and big-boned, Tabitha was a strong witch with muscular arms from working in the garden that supplied her shop. She wore jeans, work boots, and a T-shirt with a rose emblem embroidered on the front. A thick black braid trailed down her back. The white earth runes practically glowed against her skin.
    “I’m looking for a little information,” Clover said.
    “Sure, what do you need?” A splash of freckles softened Tabitha’s face.
    “What can you tell me about belladonna?” Clover untied the bunch of herbs and arranged them on the counter. “Do you sell it or know where I can buy some locally?”
    Tabitha drummed her thick fingers on the scarred wooden counter, eyeing Clover. “What gives?” she asked. “The last time you were in you asked for an herbal tea to help you sleep and a salve for butt cramps from sitting for long periods.”
    “Hey, we agreed not to mention the butt cramps. I’ve been walking to help with them and the salve was a lifesaver. But it’s our secret.”
    “I don’t believe for one second you’re looking to buy deadly nightshade. Belladonna’s not your style.” A smile hitched up one side of her mouth. “You might as well spill the details. What’s got you on a poison hunt?”
    “I’m sure you’ve heard about Oliver Yearling.”
    “I’d heard the cranky goat of a wizard died and that handsome devil of a sheriff suspects murder, but I didn’t believe it. How could that happen here in the Meadowlands?” Her brow creased.
    “It’s true, so believe it. That’s why I’m here, unfortunately.”
    “I knew that deadly nightshade would get me into trouble one day.” Tabitha let out a long heavy breath. “You might as well tell me everything.”
    “Juniper’s been digging around my garden all morning. I don’t want to undermine their investigation, but I thought I’d be neighborly and give you a heads-up. They’ll probably pay you and every other herbalist and gardener in the area a visit soon.”
    “Aren’t you sweet?” She smirked. “Now, go on. Why else did you pedal that cute little bike of yours all the way out here?”
    Clover grinned sheepishly. Not much got by Tabitha. “I wanted to talk to you about your other garden ,” Clover said, casting her eyes around the room. “Not the flower and herb garden, either.”
    Tabitha shifted through the herbs Clover had brought, nervously scooping them up into separate bunches. When she was done, she gazed directly at Clover with her midnight blue eyes. “I don’t let many witches or wizards back there.” She straightened, her demeanor shifting. “But I guess you did come all this way to warn me. I could be neighborly in return.” She snorted, tied twine around a bunch of herbs, and hung them from a nail in the rafter to dry.
    Clover didn’t think Tabitha was directly involved in the murder. “Everyone knows you’re the queen of poison, so what’d you expect? About time you let someone see your deadly specimens. It might as well be me.” She smiled, hopefully.
    “I’ve been dreading this day for a long time. With deadly plants it’s only a matter of time. Oliver Yearling has been a customer of mine for decades. It’s not a secret. I’ve sold herbal mixtures to him for many uses.”
    “The belladonna being one of them?” Clover asked.
    Tabitha scratched her head. “That’s where this gets interesting. One of my employees sold belladonna recently, but I don’t think it was to Oliver, if I’m remembering correctly. Let me check to be sure.”
    “It wasn’t? Can you tell me who you sold it to?”
    Tabitha pulled a thick parchment ledger out from under the counter and wiped off a layer of what looked