Page 71 of The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Magic & Murder (The Hemlock Saga #1)

Saga

As the pair made their way outside, Saga glanced back, wondering if her shoes were leaving footprints in the dust she’d found layered over nearly every surface in the house.

It was of course disturbed in many places, but it hadn’t been eradicated in quite some time.

There was at least one bedroom of the eight she’d found that was cleaned (though she used that term generously) regularly enough that Saga could believe someone lived there.

She was more careful where she stepped through the grounds, far more aware of the sprawling thornbushes and tangled vine-like flora that had been given unguided reign.

Still, she found herself lightly gripping the sleeve of Avery’s coat for balance just in case.

She glanced back over her shoulder at the crumbling manor, wondering what it might have looked like when it was still maintained.

It must have been hundreds of years old.

It probably would have been preserved by the city if the proper steps had been taken to make it a landmark…

Though she imagined taking those steps would have required Carys Varney to swallow her pride, and as far as she could tell, the woman was significantly more inclined to swallow dust than what she perceived to be her pride.

It was easier to breathe as they approached the gate, though that was just as likely her anxiety as it was a matter of air quality.

The retreat from Varney House felt akin to the end of a horror film when the surviving heroes stumble back to the real world after managing to withstand being trapped by a murdering psychopath.

Avery had to fiddle with the rusted handle before opening the gate out to the street once more.

It was disorienting, stepping back into London as she’d left it.

The fresh air, the sprawling manicured vertical gardens, and the bright colors of the passersby—it was as if stepping onto the grounds of Varney House was an unknowing act of entering a different realm altogether.

Had time even passed while they were inside?

Or, more likely, had more time than she’d perceived gone by? Was it still the same day?

“Did you find anything?”

Shaking the sluggishness from herself, she began to lead Avery back toward the West Brompton station.

“Oh, I found a plethora of things, just nothing relevant to the case. The woman is an absolute hoarder. Walls and walls of shelves of items collected over the years—including items in the fridge and deep freeze. I don’t think she cooks very much.

Everything in there was all long past their expiration date.

” She frowned. “I almost feel bad for her, truth be told. She was either never given the tools to take care of a house like that or was so convinced she’d never need them, she never bothered to learn. ”

“That does align with Benjamin’s gossipmongering at the funeral,” Avery commented—she sounded disappointed. “So no blood drops, no organs?”

Saga shook her head. “Honestly, I find it unlikely she’d be able to get anything like that in her fridge, let alone keep it intact. If she was Campbell’s partner, she’s not storing anything in that house. I don’t know how she’s living in that house.”

“Do you know for certain that she is? The whole place was barely touched.”

“She’s definitely been sleeping in the primary bedroom for a while—at least since before Eira passed. I suppose it’s plausible they might have utilized one of Eira’s many other properties to keep the body and perform the ritual, but I have no idea how we’d even begin to narrow that down.”

Avery nodded thoughtfully. “I think we can safely rule her out as a suspect after that conversation. While she contradicted herself and, in some cases, flat-out lied, I think she believed every word when she spoke it. I’m not sure she’s stable enough to pull something like this off.”

“Stable is not an adjective I’d use for Doctor Campbell’s killer.”

“True, Alistair Campbell’s murder was impulsive, improvised, and imprecise.

However, the planning required prior to that moment suggests a calculating mind—which means that crime of passion was a decided snap.

Then of course there is how he was murdered.

You and I both know it takes a good deal of force to…

” She thought better of the blunt approach and finished with, “do what was done to Alistair Campbell.”62

Saga nodded reluctantly. “Carys Varney seems to lack both the physical strength and strength of will for anything but her own self-image to accomplish that.”

“My thoughts exactly. Though she did confirm one thing at least: Doctor Campbell did try to help Mari Goff.”

“Do you think she’s right about Osian?”

Avery shook her head. “Honestly, I am no longer sure what to think after that woman’s rambling theories from uncredited sources. Can we even trust what little coherent testimony she managed to give?” Avery gave a frustrated growl. “My head feels a mess. This all used to come so much easier to me.”

“I’m not really an expert on solving murders, but this case feels a lot more tangled and messy than perhaps your typical crime,” Saga offered.

Avery grunted.

“At least we can work on it together?”

A smile involuntarily tugged at Avery’s lips. “Quite right.” She took a deep breath and her posture straightened, while her steps lightened. “So Carys is not our killer. Where does that leave us?”

“Well, she did point us to Benjamin?”

“True, and while he’s worth investigating, let’s make sure we’re not getting lost in the weeds she’s thrown us in. I know you can’t see them, but do you think she may have used glamours anywhere?”

Saga reached into her pocket for the paper Carys had scribbled onto to look at the address again.

“No. We both saw a mentally frail woman in a dusty crumbling house. And someone who places that much importance on what even nonexistent gossipy socialites think of her? I think if she had the ability to use a glamour or any sort of illusion, the entire house would have been covered in them.”

Avery’s raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips in a manner that communicated something along the lines of “touché.”

Saga typed the address into her phone, waited for the map to load, and chuffed a laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“Benjamin’s address.” Saga showed Avery the map. “To market, to market, we go to Knightsbridge.”

Avery shook her head. “Home again, home again, jiggity-jig.”

“Aw, I didn’t actually expect you to know what I was referencing,” said Saga. Her shoulders raised a little, pleased.

“You think that’s surprising, imagine realizing that ‘To Market, To Market’ somehow survived two hundred years,” joked Avery with a bewildered laugh. “As far as children’s rhymes went, it was not one I’d have deemed capable of standing the test of time.”

“I think we should try to pay Benji a visit today,” said Saga.

“Agreed.” Avery folded her arms in thought. “So, how does he fit into what we know so far?” It didn’t feel like a question Avery needed to be answered for her own benefit so much as one that made sure they were both on the same page.

“We are still operating under the assumption that the original plan was to bring Eira back, correct?” Saga asked.

“That’s no longer an assumption, Alistair’s notes and journal were rather explicitly about accomplishing genuine resurrection.”

“And we’re absolutely certain it is Eira that he wanted to bring back?”

“Based on the evidence available, that is the only logical conclusion.”

“Okay.” Saga mulled this over. “Let’s suppose for just one second that Carys is correct about her theory.”

“As you wish.”

“Meaning Benjamin would be some sort of secret love child between Eira and…someone we don’t know.”

“Mmhmm.”

“That she not only managed to keep out of the newspapers but also from her son, possibly her best friend, and her attorney…” Saga frowned. “That’s a lot of people to somehow keep this a secret from.”

“It is,” Avery agreed. “But if we allow all of that… What would Benjamin the secret love child’s motive be for bringing her back?”

“Well, if we aren’t ready to throw out our earlier theory, I suppose a son would have far more reason to fulfill a mother’s wishes than a bitter cousin.”

“Mm, so the illegitimate child playing the dutiful son. Then the motive isn’t just to bring her back for the promise of money, it’s about being seen. It’s about no longer wanting to be a secret—proving he loves her more than her legitimate child,” concluded Avery. “How…”

“Relatable.”

“Shakespearean.”

Saga laughed and continued with her theory.

“Then when the will comes out, he sees Eira has yet again snubbed him—he’s not even left a fraction of the estate he would be if she’d recognized him as an heir.

Even Doctor Campbell was far more acknowledged.

So…tension between the partners, they argue, he gets angry… ?”

“It’s a theory, at least,” said Avery. “But we’ve had our fill of theories already—we need more evidence, so we can start proving one.”

Saga sighed deeply. “Yeah…”

“But theories are how we know what we might need to look for, so this is good. And, thankfully, even if she’s wrong about the love child angle, which I suspect she is… Those motives aren’t exactly unique to a family member.”

“Right,” said Saga. “Wouldn’t be the first time that someone killed for a lover or that a gold digger was hoping their much-older partner would leave them loads of cash and assets.”

“What did Carys mean that Benjamin wouldn’t be able to sell the property Eira left him?”

“It’s probably in a trust through the company,” Saga explained. “So while he’s allowed to live there, he can’t liquidate it for cash, because it’s not really his? I don’t fully understand the laws around it, to be honest.” Her phone rang.

Maybe: Bowen LLP

“Sorry, I have to take this,” Saga excused, stepping off to the side. “Hello, this is Saga.”