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

open room was roaring, warming the customers of the Treesort. I had to stop and catch my breath when I looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the most spectacular views of Whispering Falls. Our village was truly a winter wonderland.
    “June!” Amethyst called from the open kitchen. She was standing over the stove stirring the pot of yumminess. A few of her resort customers were sitting along the counter on the stools; Tiffany was one of them along with Eloise. “Come on over and grab a bowl of soup.”
    I was happy to see the fresh chopped-up veggies from Eloise’s garden.
    “It’s good for the soul.” Tiffany raised a spoon.
    On my way over to the kitchen, I noticed the coat tree stand where Tiffany’s pink, fur-hooded jumpsuit with the missing jingle bell was hung up. The jingle bells I had picked up at the crime scenes were still in my grasp.
    “I’ll be right there,” I called. “I’m going to hang up my cape.”
    It was a perfect excuse to get a closer look at Tiffany’s fur hood. She had grabbed her jingle bell so fast from the snow this morning, I didn’t get a good look at it.
    I unbuttoned my cape and swung it off my body, knocking the coat tree on purpose, sending the snowsuit off the hook. Of course I profusely apologized and assured them I would pick them all up, grabbing the suit by the fur hood.
    I eyed the jingle bells. A pit settled in my stomach, almost making me sick. The one person I truly thought was the Whispering Falls Grinch—Tiffany—was not. Her bells were big, but not the same design.
    “On second thought.” I swung my cape back over my shoulders. “I’ve got to go. I think Faith needs me at the shop.”
    I didn’t wait around for anyone to question me, especially Eloise. I bolted down the steps and ran as fast as I could out of the woods. Oscar needed to know what I had found because maybe he could tap into his own spirituality and get a good reading. I was close. I could feel it.
    “Hey! June!” Arabella stuck a sign in my face when I pushed back the two-person picket line on my way into the police station.  “Don’t you move!” she ordered Patience to stay in front of the police station door.
    Patience stood up ramrod straight like the nutcrackers on the steps of Ever After Books that weren’t stolen, like a good soldier in Arabella’s army.
    “Listen,” I planted my hands on my hips. “I know Oscar and Colton are working hard on trying to figure out who has done all of this. So it really is best that you go back to your shop, open it up and help the economy.”
    It was true. The more she protested the longer her shop was closed. As for Patience, well, I wasn’t sure how busy the funeral business was and it gave me the creeps to even think about it, but she had Constance to hold down the death fort.
    “Sounds good to me. I’m hungry.” Patience took a step away from the door and quickly took the step back after Arabella shot her a look of death.
    There was no way they were going to let me through to talk to Oscar. I leaned up against the carriage light in front of the station, next to Patience’s ostrich, who was tied up to it. I reached in my bag and pulled out my June’s Gem.
    The taste of the chocolaty treat would be exactly what I needed to figure out how to break the picket line and not get knocked down. I could already taste the deliciousness before I could even get a taste.
    In a New York minute, the ostrich grabbed my Gem with his sharp beak.
    “Give me that!” I jumped in the air trying to grab the treat from the beak jutting high in the sky, his long neck extended just above my reach. “Give it to me!”
    Patience and Arabella cackled, neither helping me.
    “Really?” I gave them the death stare and grabbed the neck of the darn bird to pull him down a little.
    My engagement ring got caught on something and I pulled it away. Out of the corner of my eye, something fell off the bird into what was left of a snow pile next to the