Free Phantom Quartz: A Stacy Justice Witch Mystery Book 6 (Stacy Justice Magical Mysteries) by Barbra Annino Page B

princess, I would have known it wasn’t her.
    “What’s this all about, Stacy? Your mother’s growing irritated.” She tapped her boot to emphasize her point.
    That was a good question. What was this all about?

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 14
     
    Words, images and pictures of what took place over the last few hours flashed through my mind like a slide-show. Her on my cottage porch, the coat that didn’t quite fit, seemingly for someone larger, taller. Plus all that black. My mother wore her clothing as if she were a walking garden. Whimsy and color were her style, fresh and fun. The clothes worn by the woman I thought was my mother were drab, plain, unimaginative. Thinking back, the sweatshirt looked brand new. As if purchased at O’Hare. The only way to get to the airport near Amethyst was through Chicago. And the comment about knowing my scent. Vanilla was also my mother’s favorite. So did she know my mom? Or was that a coincidence? Not to mention the sparring match. Mom and I used to practice defense moves, but she hadn’t bested me since my eleventh birthday. 
    More scenes crashed through my brain. The light—her ability to turn it off and on. Certainly not a gift my mother ever possessed. She told me not to stare at her. Was she afraid I might penetrate her disguise? The surprise at Lolly’s state of mind. I had chalked it up to Mom being gone for so many years, but Lolly’s mind has been fragmented ever since she lost her love—long before I was even born.
    Perhaps the biggest clue of all was when the woman called Birdie ‘Mom’—that should have tipped me off, and I could have kicked myself that I didn’t question it before.
    “Are you just going to stand there and study me or are you going to answer my question?” Mom demanded.
    I had to be sure. I reached deep inside myself, all the way back through my twenties, my teenage years, the death of my father and into childhood. I focused on every ounce of love I carried for the woman who gave me life. Her hands were at her sides and I reached for both of them, held them tight, peering into her eyes, into her heart, her soul.
    There was that spark, that tiny swirl of glimmering stars—the visible bond of our psychic connection. It was still there, however weak, despite its long hiatus. I felt my own eyes tingle as the connection entwined itself around us. It was her. This was my mother.
    So who the hell was the imposter?
    I broke away and the energy dissipated. “Come upstairs with me and I’ll explain things.” I looked at the clock. The guests would be here soon. “Gramps, Birdie is expecting a few guests from Cinnamon’s family. Do you think you could show them to their rooms? And also, could you call Angelica and tell her that Birdie isn’t feeling up to hosting a crowd and that she’d like to postpone dinner until tomorrow evening?”
    Gramps, in usual Gramps fashion, didn’t question a word of it. “Sure, sweetie. Whatever you need. Is your grandmother all right?”
    “Just tired is all.” I retrieved the registry book and the keys from the check-in desk, handed them to my grandfather and kissed him on the cheek.
    As mom and me hurried up the stairs, Gramps said, “Well, Thor, looks like we’re ordering a pizza.”
    Thor grunted in approval and a hulking piece of pepperoni floated through my thoughts. I paused to look at Thor, but he was busy trotting off to where Birdie kept the takeout menus.
    When we reached the top of the stairs, my mother turned to me and said, “Okay, Stacy. What the hell is going on? Something’s amiss, I can feel it.” She took her coat off and hung it on the hall tree. “It smells like baloney and malarkey in here.”
    “In the magic chamber,” was all I said.
    Mom gave me a dubious look and marched off toward the end of the long hallway, past the guest rooms. She turned left and pushed open the door that led to the Geraghty Girls’ private quarters and picked up the pace, continuing on