Free magical cures 06.5 - a charming christmas by tonya kappes Page A

trusty old crystal ball out of my bag.
    “Madame Torres.” She didn’t appear. Only a snowstorm scene with whipping winds swirled in her ball. “The other night when I asked you to show me something. I meant Oscar. You thought I meant to read another spiritualist. The thief is one of us?”
    The funnel cloud of snow stopped. Her ball calmed.
    “Does this mean I’m right?” I asked waiting for her to answer me.  “Are you telling me that someone in our village who owns a shop has been stealing the decorations?” I bit my lip waiting for her answer. My intuition told me I was right.
    But who?
    My decorations were gone. The decorations at Ever After Books, Bella’s Baubles, and Magical Moments were gone; which meant that Bella, Ophelia, and Arabella weren’t suspects.
    The only shops that weren’t vandalized were Two Sisters and a Funeral, Wicked Good, A Cleansing Spirit Spa, Full Moon Treesort, The Gathering Grove Tea Shoppe, Mystic Lights, and Glorybee Pet Shop.
    My gut told me one of them was involved but whom?
    “I’m not saying it’s a spiritualist because I don’t know.” Her tone was not a happy-to-hear-from-me tone.
    “Are you mad at me?” I really didn’t have time to stroke her ego. I had to find the thief and make this right before the tree lighting and I was losing daylight.
    Plus I still had to smudge the tree.
    “I’m not mad. I just see where I rank in the familiar department.” She appeared. She no longer had on the creamy festive face. She was back to her red-and-purple-makeup, kinda crazy look. “I mean, you didn’t check on me once after the wreck.”
    “That is why you are mad?” I asked. “I knew you were safe in my bag because I was safe. Mr. Prince Charming isn’t able to stay close to me like you.” I knew I had to butter her up a bit to keep her happy. “I could feel you were safe. I love you.”
    “Really?” Her eyes magnified to the edge of the ball.
    “Really.” With my free hand, I made a crisscross over my heart.
    Her ball went back to singing music and her face went back to the festive creamy white.
    “Now, let’s get down to business. Is a spiritualist the thief?” I asked.
    “I’m not sure. Someone in our presence is, but because you are not in full danger, I’m not able to clue in on it.” She twirled in her ball, her eyes darted out into space as if she was trying to see something. “Yes.” Her face took up the entire ball and she looked at me. “Someone with jingle bells.”
    I gulped, trying to swallow. My mouth felt like a sand dune. My gut wrenched thinking about Mr. Prince Charming, Patience, Petunia, and. . .Tiffany.

 
     
    Chapter Ten
     
    Mr. Prince Charming, Patience, and Petunia were last on my list. Even though Petunia was upset about the village council, there was no way she’d take it out on the village. But Tiffany was a different story. I had read her. The holiday was definitely not her favorite. In fact, she had made everyone in her path feel the wrath of her anger toward the festivities.
    I didn’t bother walking the street to get to Full Moon Treesort, I continued on behind the shops and headed up the hill toward my cottage. The treesort was deep in the woods behind the village.
    Full Moon Treesort was the only bed and breakfast in Whispering Falls and it was nothing short of amazing. The treesort was different log cabins built way up in the trees of the woods. Tourists could rent a treesort and pick which one they wanted from the different amenities Amethyst Plum had to offer.
    I climbed the double-decker set of steps to the A-frame wooden structure, seeing nothing but a wall full of windows that was decorated with all sorts of Christmas cheer. The Whispering Falls Grinch hadn’t touched the treesort. 
    The smell of the crackling fire was pleasantly met by the smell of homemade soup when I walked inside the resort, which reminded me of the interior of a ski lodge. The fire in the stone fireplace in the middle of the large