A Dangerous Deceit in Faerywood Falls Read online

  Driving back from Margaret Atwell’s cabin, I found myself thinking about how strange she’d been. What had the thief who’d broken into her house stolen? Was it really just some money and a brooch that was taken?

  I didn’t know if Margaret would’ve had a reason to lie to me.

  Well, that wasn’t exactly true, was it? She didn’t know me; I was a complete stranger to her. How did she know that I wasn’t lying about being the one that had broken into her house, coming back to see if she had anything else valuable?

  I knew that wasn’t true, but she certainly didn’t.

  I drove past the side of the road where the hunter had been killed. The caution tape had mostly been removed, but a circle of it remained around one of the trees, and like a beacon, it drew my attention.

  My eyes narrowed as I stared out the windshield, slowing down to examine the area where the hunter had been found.

  This wasn’t all that far from Margaret’s house…was it? Maybe a half a mile?

  That was strange, wasn’t it?

  Margaret happened to be robbed, and judging from her anger, it must have been recently. This hunter also happened to show up here, dead, maybe around the same time.

  Possibly on the same night that Margaret had been robbed.

  I frowned. Why hadn’t I thought to ask her about when she’d been robbed?

  Well, she wasn’t willing to admit that she’d been the one to set the traps, so why would she tell me anything more about the robbery?

  If the man who’d been killed was a hunter, and was a local, then he likely hunted in this forest often. What if he, like Athena and I did the night before, just happened to stumble upon the cabin in the middle of the woods?

  Just because that man had been killed, it didn’t mean that he was necessarily a nice guy when he was living. What if he’d been the one to break into that old woman’s house and steal the money and her golden brooch?

  I scratched my chin, considering this new train of thought as I came around the corner, the lake coming into view.

  This whole time, I had thought of the hunter as nothing more than just a victim. I hadn’t considered what had gotten him to the place where he’d been killed.

  If he’d been mauled to death, was it possible that instead of being attacked by a wolf, the hunter was attacked by a pair of enormous Great Danes?

  Without the soothing song, those dogs had a mean look about them. And I’d very nearly experienced their wrath the night before when I was in fox form.

  I’d seen the size of their teeth, which were as thick around as pencils. Their paws, which were bigger than my own fists, had long claws on the ends of each of them.

  And Margaret…she wasn’t ready to admit to very much. What if the reason she was so hostile was partially because she expected people to find something out about her?

  What if she’d caught the hunter? What if he’d snuck into her house, and she’d caught him, and then sent her dogs after him?

  It wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility for those dogs to have been the ones that killed the hunter, and not the werewolves.

  I pulled my car into the spot outside my cabin, turned off the ignition, and sagged against the seat.

  Up until this point, all I’d been able to consider were the werewolves. Gian, in particular, since he’d been the one to make the medallion that the dead hunter had been wearing.

  Fear curdled my stomach. Was that why Dr. Valerio had gotten so upset with me?

  If the werewolves were innocent, then no wonder he’d reacted the way he had. What I might have interpreted as attempting to hide the truth may have been nothing more than pure shock at being accused of something like that in the first place.

  I got out of my car and wandered up toward the front door. My body moved on autopilot as I unlocked the door, my mind filled with thoughts of the hunter.

  “Hey, Athena,” I said, closing the door behind me. “Are you doing okay?”

  Better, I think, she said. I slept for a little while. I’m still feeling tired, though. I might need to go back to sleep.

  “Yes, of course,” I said. “That would be best, I think. Can I take a look at your bandage?”

  She stuck out her paw for me, and I was pleased to see that no blood had seeped through the gauze.

  I shared my theory with Athena as I pressed some ice to the outside of her bandage, telling her about Margaret and how she’d reacted to me.

  So you think that she was responsible for the hunter’s death? Athena asked, blinking slowly up at me. That would be an interesting turn of events, wouldn’t it?

  “You’re not kidding,” I said. “She certainly wasn’t the nicest of people, and horribly suspicious. I mean, I did just show up at her house unannounced, and if she’d had things stolen from her…”

  Even still, most people don’t greet you at the door with a gun like that, Athena said. Paranoid seems like a bit of an understatement.

  I picked up the cat brush I’d bought at the local pet store and started to brush it through Athena’s fur. She’d told me she really enjoyed it, and with her injury, I wanted to do everything I could to make sure that she was happy and comfortable.

  “I guess there’s really only one way to know for sure…” I said. “And only one person who would really be able to answer any questions I’d have. The only problem is, I don’t think he’s going to be very forthcoming with information.”

  Dr. Valerio? Athena asked. Her eyes had rolled into the back of her head, and her lips were parted slightly as I continued to brush her. She was clearly enjoying the feel of the tiny metal bristles making their way through her fur.

  “No,” I said. “Sheriff Garland.”

  Athena opened her eyes at that and looked up at me. Do you think he’d tell you anything? Like you’ve said before, you’re not a detective or on the police force or anything like that, you know.

  “That’s my concern, too,” I said. I glanced over at my cell phone that was sitting on its charger on the bedside table. “Well, I guess I won’t know until I call him.”

  I crawled across the floor and picked the phone up.

  Are you sure you want to do that? Athena asked.

  I scrolled through my contacts until I found the sheriff’s number. “Well, if I’m able to point him in the direction of someone who could’ve been the killer, then he’ll be happy, right? That, and I can go and apologize to Dr. Valerio…which I really should do, anyway.”

  Athena sat up a little straighter. I should have known he’d have something to do with this.

  My face flushed as I hit the buttons on my phone and pressed the receiver to my ear.

  It rang three times before Sheriff Garland answered.

  “Sheriff Garland speaking,” he said in his gruff voice.

  “Hi, Sheriff, it’s Marianne Huffler,” I said nervously.

  “Marianne,” he said in a very business-like tone. “Why is it that I have a feeling you didn’t call to ask me how I was doing?”

  “You’re a quick one, Sheriff,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Yes, I had something that I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “And what might that be?” he asked. “And be quick about it, please, I don’t have long.”

  “Of course, I’m sure you’re busy,” I said. “It was about that hunter who was killed in the forest – ”

  “Marianne, I’m sorry, but I am not at liberty to discuss the victim, especially not with someone who is a civilian like you are,” he said.

  “I know, and that’s what I figured you were going to say, but I had a question. Not about his death or anything, but about what you might have found on his person. Maybe things in his pocket?” I asked. My heart was beating so fast, and my throat was tight as I waited for him to answer.

  “What are you up to, Marianne Huffler?” he asked. “That’s an awfully specific question to ask.”

  “Did he have anything unusual on him?” I asked.

  Sheriff Garland sighed heavi
ly. “You know, if you weren’t such a nice girl who really has too much curiosity for her own good, I wouldn’t even entertain this question. As it stands, you’ve been through a lot and helped me out more than once. Fine. All we found on him was a wolf medallion, a golden pin of some sort, and a couple hundred bucks in cash in his wallet. That’s it. Nothing all that strange. No weapons aside from his hunting rifle, either.”

  “That’s weird…” I said.

  “Do you mind telling me what this has got you thinking?” he asked.

  “No, I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s nothing, really.”

  “How come your nothing feels an awful lot like something?” he asked.

  “I’ll have to call you back,” I said. “If I hear anything else, I’ll let you know.”

  “Marianne, if you know something that you aren’t telling me – ” he began.

  “I don’t have any proof about anything yet,” I interrupted. “I’m not trying to hide anything. Just…trust me, okay? Give me some time, and I’ll try to get you some answers. Alright?”

  There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a long sigh. “I must be crazy if I’m listening to you like this. But alright, fine. I’ll trust you. But I expect you to tell me what you’ve got going on at some point. Am I understood?”

  “Perfectly,” I said. “Thanks, Sheriff.”

  “Don’t mention it,” he said grudgingly. “And I mean that. Don’t mention this to anyone. It’d raise a lot of eyebrows if anyone heard me giving out information to a civilian like I just did.”

  “My lips are sealed tight,” I said. “Goodbye, Sheriff.”

  “Goodbye, Marianne Huffler,” he said, and then hung up.

  I rounded on Athena. “I think I was right. I think it was Margaret Atwell.”

  Did the sheriff confirm your suspicions? she asked.

  “They found the exact things that Margaret claimed to have lost,” I said. “But that makes me wonder…why would she have told me about the theft in the first place? Doesn’t she know that could help tie the murder back to her?”

  Unless her dogs were the ones that killed him and she never knew, Athena said. Think about it. If she sent her dogs after a shadowy shape, or she never got a good look at his face, then how would she know? Or what if the dogs mauled him, and he wandered, injured, away from her cabin, and died from loss of blood some distance away? What if she didn’t have anything to do with it at all?

  “Then it would be the dogs’ fault,” I said, scratching my chin. “Oh, there is a big part of me that wants to go and ask Cain Blackburn about all this…see what he saw from the autopsy.”

  Him too? Athena said. Looking for an excuse to see him?

  I shot a glare at her.

  The problem with this one is that you weren’t the one to find the body. Your interest in this case isn’t going to be easily understood by outsiders. What would this man’s death have to do with you? It doesn’t make sense.

  “Maybe not…” I said. “Oh, this is frustrating.”

  Why didn’t you tell the sheriff that you thought it was the woman from the cabin? she asked.

  “I don’t have enough evidence,” I said. “But I will. I’ll figure it out. Somehow.”

  Athena let out a small sigh and settled back down in her blankets, closing her eyes.

  When you figure it out, let me know, she said. Until then, I’m going to rest. I’m just so tired…

  11

  I went into the antique shop that day for a shortened shift. Abe Cromwell needed some help organizing some of the store, as he was preparing it for the many holidays that were coming in the last few months of the year. He wanted a small section for the town’s many Halloween aficionados, and he even asked me to string up some Christmas lights.

  “You know, for those who want to get a head start on their decorating,” he said with a broad smile. “I just love Christmas. I’d leave my tree up all year round if my daughter wouldn’t turn her nose up at it when she came over in the middle of July.”

  I would have normally enjoyed decorating the shop, making everything look warm and inviting, but my mind was distracted that day. The image of the dead hunter kept chasing itself around in my mind, and all I could see were the different scenarios that lead to his death.

  Was he killed by the werewolves? Or by Margaret Atwell’s dogs?

  They all seemed interconnected, with the hunter wearing Dr. Valerio’s cousin’s medallion, and the stolen goods from Margaret’s home found in his pocket.

  Living in Faerywood Falls had taught me to believe that there was no such thing as a coincidence.

  The day seemed to go by in an instant, but I imagined it was because I was lost in my own thoughts. I saw a few customers, filled a few orders over the phone, and enjoyed a pleasant lunch with Mr. Cromwell.

  But when it came time to close up, I wondered where most of the day had gone.

  I’d spent all day thinking on the mystery, but I was no closer to an answer. Back at home, I realized it was best to distract myself from it all, and try to let my unconscious mind work the problem out.

  “I don’t know why I can’t stop thinking about the dead hunter,” I said.

  I can’t either, Athena said, shifting in her small nest. Oh, I just wish I could get up and walk. I’m tired of lying here.

  “I just wish I could forget about it,” I said. “It’s just…something doesn’t feel right about it, you know?”

  I think that you solved the other two murders, and so you feel obligated to solve this one as well, Athena said. It makes perfect sense to me.

  “Maybe…” I said.

  Well, if you don’t mind, I’m going to try to rest, Athena said, lying her head back down. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be well enough to talk for longer than a few minutes.

  “Alright,” I said. “I think I’m going to go take a walk down by the lake, clear my head.”

  Just be careful, Athena said. That forest may be on your side, but the things lurking within it may not be.

  I agreed, and grabbed my jacket from my closet. I pulled on my hiking boots and stepped outside.

  The air was chillier than it had been. The sky was clear, too. The stars were glimmering high above, and the moon was basically full, or just a hair past.

  Fear flooded through me that I might shift against my will, but the tingle I’d learned to expect upon shifting wasn’t present.

  I wandered down to the lake’s edge, my eyes drifting up along the road. Every time I passed by the outcropping where I’d once found the rowboat with the body of Burt Cassidy in it, it gave me the chills.

  It was hard to believe that I’d seen three dead bodies since coming to Faerywood Falls. I never thought I’d ever see someone like that, lying there all alone and cold. Funerals were bad enough, and now I was purposely investigating these deaths?

  What had changed so drastically within me?

  The moon reflected on the still lake, gentle ripples passing over the glassy surface as the wind whispered through the valley. The cat tails waved along the shore, and bull frogs chirped lazily, calling out to one another.

  As peaceful as it all seemed, something in the air unsettled me.

  I wasn’t more than a few minutes from home when a group of bats burst out of the trees behind one of the vacant vacation cabins, and tore through the sky across the lake.

  I stopped to watch them, a chill running down my spine.

  The moon’s power would still be hanging on. Bliss had told me that it wasn’t just the night that the moon was at its fullest that it affected the Gifted; the magical energy was strong for days before and after.

  I knew that I needed to be careful. Athena was probably right; the forest may be my ally as a faery, but that didn’t mean that things prowling within would be. And I was walking out here all alone.

  I had walked almost a third of the way around the lake, lost in my thoughts. The chill in the air was growing stronger, and the jacket I’d picked wasn’t very
thick, or all that good at blocking the bite in the air.

  I wrapped it more tightly around my shoulders, and started back toward my cabin.

  As I turned, a hulking shape in the distance stopped me in my tracks. My heart jumped into my throat, and I froze.

  It was moving.

  It had four large paws, an enormous body, and a hunched head. It wasn’t a wolf, and it certainly wasn’t a fox.

  I swallowed hard.

  A bear. A huge one at that.

  I looked around. I could see my cabin in the distance, but the bear was between me and home. If I were to continue around the lake, taking the long way back home, it would take me hours to get there. The lake was several miles long, and who knew what I might run into on the way back?

  The bear was making its way to the shore, probably to get itself a drink or catch a fish for dinner.

  I looked behind me. The desire to get home was strong, and I was starting to shiver.

  I had to go the way the bear was if I wanted to get home before dawn.

  I could hear the bear splashing in the water, but I was probably far enough away from it that it wouldn’t notice me. Or if it did, it certainly didn’t seem to care.

  My eyes scanned the landscape between the bear and me. The forest rimmed the lake, and if I were to give the bear enough of a wide berth, I’d probably be fine.

  Probably.

  Regardless, it was my best bet, so I needed to move.

  This must have been near the bear’s home. I’d seen quite a few caves tucked away in the forest, and now seeing the bear, I figured one of the caves must have been its den.

  I took a deep breath, swallowed the lump in my throat, and headed toward the forest, keeping my eye on the bear.

  The forest was drenched in shadows, and while I wasn’t afraid of getting lost this close to the lake, I wasn’t looking forward to running into the bear in the dark. If he moved back toward his home, then we would probably run into each other.

  Now, more than ever, I wished Athena was here with me.

  I was careful to avoid patches of dead leaves on the ground as best I could, as well as loose twigs and cracked shale rocks. The less I attracted the bear’s attention, the better.