pretty shady. What was the secret handshake you shared?”
Logan smirked. “He’s not the developer. He’s my nephew. The one with the birthday. And the handshake was a fraternity handshake. He’s a Theta Chi, like me.” His eyes pooled with tears. “He’s a Silicon Valley whiz kid worth a few million dollars. He has agreed to bail me out.”
“‘Langfords don’t quit; Langfords don’t fail,’” I quoted.
“That’s our motto. Thanks to him, I can pay off my debt and won’t need to sell to the developer, so I’m not kicking out any of the courtyard tenants.” He sat taller, poised for another attack.
“You should talk to the police. I would imagine they know by now that your alibi is a sham.”
“I will.” Logan rose to his feet and picked up his bakery bag. “For the trouble I’ve caused you, I’ll give you one month’s rent free.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
As he trudged out of the shop, I wondered who had killed Mick. If not Logan and not Gregory Darvell...
Again I questioned whether Emily had whacked herself with the salt lamp to make it seem like she was a victim and not a killer. I considered Isabella Acosta, too. Would her friend have lied to provide an alibi? And what about Petra Pauli? Emily had written her saying she knew her secret in an effort to coerce her to leave town. Petra hadn’t left. Did sticking around exonerate her of Mick’s murder?
Chapter 23
For a fairy, as for humans, a book is worth more than gold.
—Daryl Wood Gerber
At two in the afternoon, a pair of middle-aged men from the security company showed up. One was nearly seven feet tall with Marine-trimmed hair. The other was shorter and scruffier. They had the specs for what they needed to accomplish and said they would start with the main showroom. I mentioned adding the bolt to the secret door on the patio.
No problem.
“It won’t be messy,” the taller one said. “You signed up for the wireless system. We’ll be in and out of your hair by end of day.”
Despite his assurances, I wanted to move some of our products from the showroom to the patio so customers could continue to browse. Joss was on board, but we needed more helpers. I called Meaghan. She showed up as the workmen were laying out their equipment.
Quickly, I circled the shop and apologized to customers for the inconvenience. As everyone migrated to the patio, Joss, Meaghan, and I transferred items: tea sets and wind chimes, aprons and garden tools. When I grabbed a few of the macramé plant hangers, I balked. Holding the rough hemp in my hand made me flash on Mick. If only the police could figure out what had made the mark on his neck.
Due to the bustle, Pixie decided a safe spot was lying on one of the chairs on the patio. A customer with a calico set her cat on a nearby chair. Pixie raised her head, noting the intruder, and went back to sleep.
As I was organizing the learning-the-craft corner, Fiona whooshed into view. “Courtney, what’s going on?”
Quietly, I told her about the disruption due to security installation. “Where have you been?”
“Were you worried? Did you think I’d abandoned you?”
“I wasn’t sure. I don’t know everything there is to know about fairies.”
“Tosh.” She flitted back and forth. “I won’t leave you. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Bonded for life. Soul mates.” She stopped midair and folded her arms, nodding. “That has a good ring to it, doesn’t it?”
“For a mushy romantic card,” I joked.
Pixie stirred and scampered to my side. On her hind legs she reached for Fiona. The fairy swooped in front of Pixie’s paws but didn’t let her nab her. She giggled.
I held out a hand, inviting Fiona to light. She did. Pixie settled by my feet. “So, where were you?”
“At the library. Sleuthing.”
“Again with the sleuthing.”
“I was pursuing righteousness.”
“Courtney.” Miss Reade rushed through the doorway from the main showroom and hurried to me, pinning the tails of her aqua cashmere shawl to her chest so it wouldn’t fly away. “Hello, love.” She came to a stop and smoothed her skirt. Sotto voce, she said, “I’ve so enjoyed meeting Fiona and spending time with her. She is a breath of fresh air.”
I gawped at Miss Reade. “You can see her?”
“As I hinted the other day, I am a visionary like my grandmother and I possess a childlike spirit.” She beamed. “I particularly like Fiona’s acrobatics. She’s quite agile.”
A flicker of something zoomed into view.