Page 2

Chapter Two

A gnew Yannis, the school’s janitor, a mumbling but endearing older gorgon, pushed his janitorial cart with a wave of his gnarled hand as he sauntered by. His assistant-in-training, Cooper Gregory, a sweet young vampire, followed behind him, dutifully listening to his mentor as he explained which direction to mop the floor.

I gave them a wave and a smile, thanking them for being so diligent about cleaning up during the bake sale.

I’ll never forget how terrified the parents at school were when Agnew was hired. Everyone was afraid he’d turn them to stone, but he was a gentle teddy bear who only wanted to be part of the community, and eventually, he’d become a favorite with the teachers and children.

As I watched him pass, I grabbed Naida’s arm, covered in a sleeve of tattoos. I gave her a comforting squeeze. “Tell me why you think Neerie is missing.”

Her look was one of surprise. “You’re kidding, right? You know Neerie as well as I do, and she wouldn’t miss being queen for a day if someone gave her a million bucks. She would never have missed this bake sale after spending six months organizing it.”

Well, it was obvious Naida saw her sister for who she was. I was grateful I wouldn’t have to tiptoe around Neerie’s demanding personality. It would allow me to ask the appropriate questions.

When Mrs. Goodfellow pointed down the hall to let me know she was leaving us in privacy, I gave her a nod. Then I asked, “When was the last time you saw her, Naida?”

She leaned up against the brightly painted lockers and took a deep breath, the multiple piercings in her nose, lip and eyebrows catching the light from the windows in the hall. “Two nights ago. She dropped Tamlin off with me, told me she’d be back in an hour, and never returned. I’ve called, I’ve texted, I’ve done everything but go see that loose screw, Melba the Mystic or whatever her name is, to see if maybe she could look into that hokey-as-hell crystal ball of hers and tell me where Neerie is. I’m that desperate. I’m telling you, something is very wrong, Wanda.”

Melba was a werewolf and another mother in the PTA, who claimed she had the gift of sight. Not one of us believed her, but she was always a hit at parties and school functions. She was truly a lovely woman, if not a bit whacky.

But who am I to judge? We’re not supposed to exist, either. Maybe she can see things the rest of us can’t.

Gnawing at the inside of my cheek, I tried to gather my thoughts and ask the right questions. “And she said nothing to you about being in any trouble? Was she afraid of someone? Something?”

Naida rolled her eyes. “Neerie’s afraid of everything . You know that. And I’m not even going to try to cover for her. I mean, she thinks the guy at the Shop & Save is an alien plant, put here by the government to infiltrate the paranormal world. She’s a little off her rocker, and you know that’s the truth. Everyone talks about it all the time. But she wouldn’t leave Tamlin this long regardless. Especially with me. Which is why I know in my gut something’s wrong.”

I, too, had wondered what was up with Neerie’s lack of communication the night before the bake sale, but I’d been so busy making cupcakes with Arch, Charlie, Carl and my children, I chalked it up to the universe sending me the gift of a Neerie-free night.

Yet, I wondered what Naida meant when she said Neerie wouldn’t leave Tamlin with her for long.

I cocked my head. “Are you saying she had to have been desperate to ask you, specifically, to watch Tamlin?”

Naida shrugged as if her sister’s disapproval was a given. “Well, yeah. She disapproves of my lifestyle. She hates my job as a tattoo artist. She thinks I party too much and, because I haven’t settled down, I must be some kind of floozy. But I love my Tamlin, and she’s been going through a rough time of it since Neerie and Thad divorced. I’d never say no to watching her.”

Thad. The gargoyle. As I understood it, he wasn’t Tamlin’s biological father, but you’d never know it by the way he showed up for her, every event, every recital, even though he and Neerie were no longer together.

“What about Thad? Have you called him? Asked if he’s seen her?”

Naida nodded her head, her unconventional buzz cut colored pink and green. “He was the first person I called. He’s in California now, closing some big deal. Said he hadn’t seen her since the last time he picked up Tamlin, which was about a week ago.”

“Do you know if there were any disagreements between them? I realize they’re divorced, and that comes with plenty of disagreement, but anything recent? Troublesome?”

“No. Thad picks up Tamlin and gets out as fast as he can. I mean, I can’t say for sure there were no arguments, but if I know Thad, he gets in and out with as little conversation with Neerie as possible. He does his best to keep the peace because he really adores Tams, but Neerie doesn’t make it easy.”

I hated that I didn’t doubt that, but…I didn’t doubt that. Neerie was difficult if you were on good terms with her. Not-so-good terms? It was probably like engaging in hand-to-hand combat.

“What about her private life? Was she seeing anyone that you’re aware of?”

Naida sucked her teeth, driving her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. “She didn’t have time to see anyone. Between the hours she spent online with her kooky conspiracy theory friends and her PTA stuff, there was little time to do much else. If she was seeing someone, I sure didn’t know about it. But we’re not really close, either, Wanda. We don’t talk about stuff like that.”

Just then, I saw Nina poke her head out the gym door and cock it in question. I held up a finger to signal I needed a minute. “I’m not sure how I can help you, Naida, if you haven’t seen something suspicious or noticed anything odd. Maybe you should go to the police?”

Leaning back against the lockers, she gave me a look, her eyes clearly saying not a chance . “I think we both know how frowned upon it would be with the fae if I went to the human police. All they worry about is exposure. Hide at all costs, etcetera, etcetera. I can’t do that.”

Frowning, I asked, “What about your fae…council, is it? Won’t they help?”

Naida scoffed, her lips going thin. “The council doesn’t love Neerie. She’s made a lot of enemies with her crazy ideas and nutty theories. She was even banned from the last meeting for claiming the head of the council was selling our pixie dust to the were-bears, because pixie dust is like a drug to bears. The running gag was that she’d watched too much Cocaine Bear on repeat. They’re a last resort, if at all.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. How desperate could she be if she wasn’t at least willing to speak to her own?

Naida gripped my arm, her small hand clinging to me, multiple shiny rings bedecking her fingers. “Please, Wanda! I know I said I was desperate, and I really am, but I’m still trying to do this quietly, for Tamlin’s sake as well as Neerie’s. If the council finds out she disappeared on some nutty whim, they’ll try to take Tamlin. And believe me, they already think my sister’s cracked as it is.”

I couldn’t dispute that if they were calling her Cocaine Bear .

“Have you asked Tamlin about it? Carefully, of course, but maybe she saw something, heard something that could help us find Neerie?”

Her nod was sharp, and I smelled her concern—it was deep. “I poked a little, but she didn’t seem to know anything.” She ran a hand over her eyes. “I mean, how do I ask a kid if her mother ran off to look into some new conspiracy theory? Neerie calls herself an alternative thinker, but we all know she’s bananas. I think that’s what she did, Wanda. I think she’s involved in something really batty and maybe she got in a little too deep. That’s what scares me the most.”

I’d have to talk to Marty and Nina before I did anything. We’d agreed we all had to approve before taking a case, and as bumbling as we were when it came to solving a mystery, I’d need all the help I could get.

I pulled my cell from my purse. “Here’s my phone. I’ll put my number in yours, you do the same on mine. I have to consult with my associates before I accept, but I do want to help, Naida. I’m just not sure how.”

She grabbed my phone with haste as if she thought if she wasn’t quick enough, I’d turn her away. “Thank you, Wanda. Thank you . I know Neerie is difficult, and I know a lot of people don’t like her because she’s challenging. I don’t have blinders on, but I also know her well enough to know she wouldn’t skip out from an event like this, or leave Tamlin for so long without getting in touch.”

When she handed me the phone back, her fingers trembled, making me feel guilty for disliking Neerie. I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I promise to get back to you as soon as I talk to my colleagues and the bake sale is done. If you think of anything or hear anything, please text me, okay?”

She bit her lip, her eyes darkening with obvious worry. “I will. Promise.”

The door to the gym burst open then, and little Tamlin Lincoln flew into the hall. Petite and adorable, her hair in pigtails with silky rainbow ribbons, she ran to her aunt.

“Aunt Naida! You came back!” she squealed, wrapping her arms around Naida’s jean-clad legs.

“I did!” she replied with cheer, though I knew it was hiding her fear. She hiked Tamlin up on her hip with a grin. “I told you I would. I just had to do a couple of errands. You didn’t think I’d miss those chocolate chip cookies we made, did you?”

Tamlin, at just six, was a living doll, and her personality the exact opposite of her mother’s. She was inquisitive, funny, and almost always joyful. Her tiny voice, akin to a Disney princess’s, always made me smile.

Quite suddenly, she appeared to notice me, wriggling out of Naida’s arms to give my legs a hug, too. “Hi, Mrs. Jefferson! You did a really great job today. I’m sorry Mommy wasn’t here to help, but if she was, she’d say you did a good job, too!”

Oh, sweet summer child… But who could deny this girl’s enthusiasm and love for her mother?

I gave her a hug back, gently tugging one of her pigtails as I smiled down at her twinkling eyes. “Why, thank you very much, Little Miss. Did you have some yummy treats?”

Her face clouded, then as she looked up at me with sad eyes. “I did, but I missed Mommy’s muffins real bad. She makes yummy blueberry muffins.” Letting go of my legs, her eyes grew watery. “I miss Mommy so much. Aunt Naida says she had some important adult stuff to do and that’s why she couldn’t be here, so I’m trying to be under…under…”

“Understanding,” Naida said, blowing out a short breath, avoiding Tamlin’s eyes, but she held out her hand to her and spoke with a smile in her tone. “C’mon, Squirt. Let’s go see if we can find Mrs. Anson’s cake pops. Remember she made those chocolate ones dipped in strawberry frosting last year. Bet I can eat mine faster’n you!”

As she pulled Tamlin back inside the gym, my heart chugged sluggishly in my chest. For those interested, as a halfsie, I still have organs, they just don’t quite work the way they do when you’re entirely human. Yet, somehow my heart managed to chime in when a child as sweet as Tamlin was involved.

And that was when I knew I had to convince Marty and Nina to take this case. This little girl loved her mother, and she’d already had enough upheaval with her parents’ divorce.

Marty would be a pretty easy sell. Nina? She’d take some cajoling.

I mean, Neerie had at one time called her Dracula with better hair…