Клеа Саймон - An Incantation Of Cats

“Gaia?” She left it at that.

With a sigh that should have deflated her, the girl in the bed began to talk. “I’ve told them about that, and about how I wanted to get Margaret in more trouble.”

“And they’re thinking you tried again?” Becca spelled it out.

Gaia grimaced. “I guess I shouldn’t have told them about the aconite. But I was scared. And I swear, I don’t have it.”

“That’s why the fishbowl room.” Becca nodded, taking in their surroundings with a fresh eye. “But also why they let us in. They think this was a suicide attempt—a real one this time. Gaia, this isn’t good.”

Gaia looked at Becca as she and Maddy exchanged glances. Neither seemed happy.

“Oh man,” muttered Maddy.

“What?” A note of fear had crept into Gaia’s voice.

“Someone tried to kill you, but the authorities don’t believe there’s a real threat. They don’t think you need security.” Becca put it as gently as she could. “You’re the girl who cried wolf’s bane.”

Chapter 28

“I knew it.” Becca spit the words out in an angry whisper. “I knew something was going on with Frank. Something besides him being a lousy husband. Money men, indeed. I told you I have sensitivities, Maddy.”

Maddy opened her mouth to comment but, at a look from Becca, refrained. They were waiting by the elevator outside the ward. Becca had insisted on visiting the nurse’s desk before they left, concocting some story about how she feared that too many visitors might upset Gaia.

“It was the first thing I could think of,” she explained to Maddy once they were in the privacy of the elevator. “Because we don’t know for sure who else might be involved. There’s Margaret, of course. But even though she was angry, I just don’t see her as a killer, and I don’t believe she poisoned her husband either.” Becca looked intent. “Besides, she knew about Frank. She’s known for a long time. I remember something Elizabeth said when I met her.”

“Elizabeth? That’s the sister, right?” Maddy’s tone hinted that she was leading up to something as she counted off the floors.

“Yeah, I want to speak with her again.” Becca was also watching the counter with growing impatience. As the doors opened, she strode forward. “First thing.”

“Speak with her?” Maddy almost squeaked as she followed her into the busy lobby. “No, wait! You need to report her to the police.”

Becca stopped in her tracks and turned to her friend, uncomprehending. “What?”

“You’re getting all worked up about Frank and some possibly shady characters, but that’s all speculation, Becca. This Elizabeth knew what was going on. She was the one who had access to the poison, right? Didn’t she ‘confiscate’ Gaia’s plant?” Maddy made air quotes around the word.

“Well, we don’t know what happened to it. She says it disappeared.” Becca stopped and turned toward Maddy. “You can’t think that she…that Elizabeth…”

“Come on, don’t you?”

“No.” Becca shook off the idea. “She’s a wise woman. She’s not going to use her knowledge to harm anyone.”

“Becca, please. Listen to yourself. You’re talking like she’s a saint. She’s not. She’s a witch—okay, a Wiccan and an herbalist. But she’s also someone who had access to a powerful poison. And she had motive.” As Becca started to protest, Maddy kept talking. “She didn’t like Frank. You said so yourself. She knew about his cheating before anyone. And she certainly didn’t like that Gaia was collecting a paycheck while she was canoodling with her sister’s husband.”

“Canoodling?”

“Don’t make fun.” Maddy was trying to be serious. “As I see it, she probably figured Gaia would be blamed. I mean, she’s the one who brought the nasty thing into the store, right? I bet this Elizabeth didn’t even know that her sister was going to try to implicate Gaia in some embezzling scam.”

“But she would have—”

“Don’t say it’s because she has the sight or something.”

“I was going to say she would have known. Elizabeth knows her sister. And she’s super protective of her.”

“That’s why she was so angry—”

“Wait, just wait.” Even though the two had kept their voices down, their heated conversation was beginning to get stares. Suddenly aware of the attention, Becca grabbed Maddy’s arm and pulled her into a corner.

“There are too many factors that still don’t make sense,” she said in an excited whisper. “For example, why did Frank suddenly want to leave his wife? By your account, he was a serial philanderer.”

Maddy shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he really loved Gaia. Or maybe he knew his sister-in-law was onto him.”

“No.” Becca shook her head, unsatisfied. “He was trying to make up with Margaret. I heard him. He was pleading. I think there’s something else going on, something to do with those license plates.”

“Becca, the police went through that office. If it was important, they would have taken it.”

“One of them was hidden.”

“No.” Maddy spoke slowly and deliberately. “You told me that you bumped into the desk, and it fell behind a drawer. That doesn’t mean it was hidden. It may have been in plain view in an upper drawer. We don’t know, and that’s the point— ”

Becca wasn’t having any of it. “Now, I know you don’t believe me, but I do have some kind of sensitivity, Maddy. And there was something odd about that plate. It was almost like I was supposed to find it.”

“Becca, do you hear yourself?”

“Problem is, I can’t tell the police about the plate because of how I found it.” Becca didn’t even pause. “I don’t even think I can make an anonymous phone call, ’cause then they’ll think I planted it. No, I need to talk to Elizabeth.”

“Talk to her?” Maddy’s eyes were wide. “You want to give her a heads-up that we know she had means and motive?”

“I want to consult with her. She’s got more insight into her sister than any of us, Maddy. I know enough to know that.”

“No, no, no.” Maddy had trouble keeping her voice down. “Please, Becca. You’re too smart for this. We’ve got to go to the police and tell them what we know. We’ll just tell them we were visiting Gaia. She’s the one who told us about the plant and about Elizabeth–”

Maddy stopped short, like she was hearing her own words for the first time. “Wait, do you think that Gaia could be setting Elizabeth up? I mean, along with Margaret? Maybe she did poison herself, only she miscalculated or something, and it was all an attempt to shift blame.” She shook her head, closing her eyes. “Now I’m sounding like you.”

“No, now you’re thinking about the possibilities.” Becca took her friend’s hands in her own. “And that’s another reason I have to talk to Elizabeth. Please, Maddy. I know you don’t believe, but trust me on this. Elizabeth has some kind of power.”

“I don’t know, Becs.” Maddy sounded so sad that it was clear she had given up. “All I know for sure is that I don’t trust her.”

For once, Clara realized that she agreed with them both.

Chapter 29

“At the very least, let me come with you.” Maddy wasn’t happy with Becca’s plan. The two had exited the hospital by that point.

“I can’t. You know that.” Becca tried to let her friend down gently. “Margaret approached me as a client. She has an expectation of privacy, and I have to respect that.”

“But Elizabeth…”

“Is her sister, and she’s got sensitivities.” Before Maddy could object, Becca explained further. “She’s going to know something’s up anyway. It’s better if it’s just me. I mean, this is a delicate matter.”