But my gut was pulling me in a different direction. “I’m betting on that assistant, Avery Ann.”
Peter kept pacing but glanced my way. “Really?”
I nodded and lifted a palm. “She looks all innocent, but she had motive, means, and opportunity. She could easily have sent those letters—she knows everything the company’s doing and had heard rumors about Peyton. She’d have heard about who had spoken up about issues with the company.”
Peter tipped his head side to side. “Yeah… maybe.”
I scoffed. “Maybe?” Why wouldn’t he think it was her? She was clearly hiding something. I pictured the girl and sighed. Oh. “Whatever. You would hesitate to suspect those big baby blues of hers.” I batted my lashes.
Peter glanced up and frowned, though pink spots burned on his cheeks. “No. I just want all the information first. We still don’t have the coroner’s report back— we don’t even know for sure Pearl Litt was murdered.”
I raised my brows, annoyance prickling the back of my neck. “Oh, you want all the information first?” I sniffed. “That’s a first. Because I thought you enjoyed jumping to conclusions about people without giving them a chance to explain themselves.”
Peter stopped walking and turned to face me. “That’s unfair.”
I flashed my eyes at him. “Is it?”
Daisy, who’d also stopped, looked between Peter and me, ears flat.
Peter opened his mouth, no doubt ready with some retort, then gave a little jump and touched the gumball-sized communication device in his ear. He gave me a hard look, then half-turned away. “Flint here.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course. Saved from having to actually explain himself and his prejudices by a call from the station.
Peter kept his finger pressed to his ear, his chin tucked and nodded. “Mm-hmm…. Yeah? You sure?… Okay. Can you tell Edna to have a few officers sent up to meet me at the headquarters? Thanks.”
He looked up, the bags under his eyes dark. “That was Gabriel; he finished with his report.”
I kicked some gravel. “Did he do an autopsy?”
“No.” Peter’s brow was pinched. “Said it wasn’t necessary and the sister, Opal, was pretty adamant we don’t do one. Didn’t want us ‘cutting into her sister.’”
I frowned. “Should we be suspicious of that?”
He shrugged as Daisy tipped her nose to the air and gazed at him. “He was able to test the potion left in the vial—it was poisoned.”
I pressed my lips together. Not a surprise, but good to know we for sure had a murder on our hands.
Peter absentmindedly scratched Daisy’s head. “Besides, Daisy smelled Opal’s statements as truthful when she said she didn’t kill Pearl. Sometimes these alternative healing people can be pretty averse to some of our more invasive magical methods.”
I raised a brow, not totally convinced. Opal had seemed overly protective of her sister’s remains to me. Then again, maybe it only seemed suspicious to me because I didn’t share her views.
Peter patted Daisy, then folded his arms across his broad chest. “Gabriel also found trace amounts of the poison on the victim’s lips.”
I nodded. “So who had access to the vial?”
Peter lifted a broad palm. “Clearly her husband, Ralph.”
I lifted a brow. “And Opal seemed to be suggesting he was having an affair. After meeting the oaf, I’d say everything points to that being true.” I flashed my eyes at Peter. “Like I said earlier, my bet’s on Avery Ann. She denies having an affair.” I shuddered. “Yuck. But something’s going on between them. Maybe she decided to take out the competition.”
“Mm.” Peter shot me a doubtful look. “It could’ve been Ralph. Maybe he wanted his wife out of the picture without having to divorce her and lose his assets in the company, since his wife technically founded it.” Peter nodded to himself, scratching at the scruff on the side of his throat. “I think Ralph’s guilty. Let’s go have another chat with him.”
I pushed off the wall I’d been leaning against. “By that you mean arrest him?”
Peter shrugged and started up the street. I jogged to catch up with him and Daisy. “Why him and not Avery Ann?”
Peter kept his eyes straight ahead. He gave a polite nod to two old ladies who walked by as we headed past a busy market alleyway. “Because Daisy said the assistant was telling the truth that she didn’t touch or tamper with that vial Pearl drank from. She didn’t even know Ralph had it on him, and since we now know that was definitely the cause of death, we can rule her out.”
I sniffed. “Fine. But Daisy also said Ralph was telling the truth.”
We walked over a stone bridge. The dark water in the canal below glowed with orbs of varying colors—the mermaids were out and about. Cheery music drifted into the night through the open door of a bustling restaurant.
Peter just huffed and continued on so fast I had to jog to keep up with his quick strides. “Well, Ralph stood to gain a lot more from Pearl’s death—he’s set to inherit the company and all of their assets.”
I could tell he’d made up his mind, so I resigned myself to arresting Ralph—though I still had my suspicions about Miss “a little too perfect” Avery Ann.
19
ARRESTED
Peter, Daisy, and I were joined at Potent Potions headquarters by a few other cops. We nodded our hellos, the cops flashed their badges at the half-asleep security officer in the lobby, and then we stormed up the right side of the spiral staircase to the second story. Daisy led the way, bounding up steps two at a time, while workers perusing scrolls or speaking into their communication devices threw themselves against the railing to clear a path.
On the second floor, bright pink double P’s magically glowed and sparkled against a white marble wall, surrounded by a shimmering silver heart. Gold chandeliers with multicolored flames glittered overhead, casting disco ball-esque light all over the landing. It was gaudy and over-the-top—exactly what I’d expect
