Free The Witch and the Dead by Heather Blake Page B

oven timer dinged and Evan placed the bowl he’d been stirring on the counter behind him—out of my reach. He knew me well, too. Using an oven mitt, he pulled a batch of fudge cookies from the oven and slid the pan onto a tall cooling rack loaded with similar trays.
    His movements were swift, precise. The actions of a man who’d done this a million times before. A long white apron was tied around his waist, covering all but the hem of his jeans, and he had on a pale blue T-shirt that matched his eyes and complemented the ginger tones in his short hair.
    He reclaimed the batter he’d been mixing and sat back down. “How’s the investigation going so far?”
    â€œIt’s just started, really. I need to find out more about Miles—his history—and that’s going to be challenging. He was essentially a transient with no relatives here in the village. I don’t know where he stayed while here or if he had any friends other than the lady kind. After I leave here I’m going to see Pepe and Mrs. P. I can only hope they remember something I can use to fill in some blanks.”
    The pair of mouse familiars were not only dearfriends but also village historians. If Miles truly was some sort of village Casanova, surely they’d have juicy gossip to share about the man.
    I ate another cupcake. “Miles was a ceramic artist and often traveled with the Roving Stones. Since Andreus is supposed to be in the village this weekend visiting Ve, I’m hopeful that he might be a good source, too.”
    Evan shuddered at the mention of Andreus’ name.
    I knew the feeling.
    â€œWhat’s with all Miles’ lady friends?” Evan asked. “Starla mentioned something about that.”
    I told him about Ve’s description of the lecherous man, then leaned in and wiggled my eyebrows. “I don’t know how many girlfriends the man had here in the village, but I heard he had an affair with Dorothy Hansel Dewitt.”
    He laughed. “Get out!”
    â€œIt’s apparently true.” I relayed what Archie, then Sylar, had told me about the witch.
    Evan whistled low. “I can definitely see Dorothy stashing the guy’s body in Ve’s garage so Ve would get blamed. That kind of move is right up her alley.”
    I agreed, but after what Sylar had just told me about Dorothy having been long reconciled with her husband and pregnant with Glinda when all this took place, it didn’t seem likely. She’d moved on from Miles. Or he from her. I wondered who’d done the breaking up in that situation. . . .
    â€œThen,” I added, “Sylar dropped a bombshell about Miles and Steve Winstead fighting in front of Third Eye the day before Ve married Miles. Sylar said the fight was over Marcus’ mother, Penelope, who wasn’t married to Oliver at the time.”
    I wondered when she’d met Oliver, because Marcus was in his late twenties. It couldn’t have been too long after all this had happened.
    Evan stopped stirring. “Wait. What? Miles was fighting over Penelope the day before he married Ve? Why?”
    â€œI don’t have a clue, but Ve said she’d had nothing to do with Miles until the day he showed up at As You Wish to hire her. Had never had any dealings with him and knew him only by reputation. They eloped that afternoon.”
    â€œYou’re kidding.”
    â€œI wish.”
    â€œShe married him the day she met him? Why?”
    â€œIt’s part of the mystery,” I said, “since she can’t remember much about that weekend at all.”
    â€œThis is all so bizarre.”
    I completely agreed as I ate another cupcake. “How well do you know Penelope?”
    He tipped his hand from side to side. “Fairly well. She drops in when she’s here in the village. She’s . . . quirky, a mix of serious and lighthearted. Enjoys art, nature, photography, books. To look at her