Murderous Matrimony(30)

She quickly pulled her robe around her and growled at me. “How dare you? Leave at once.”

Remembering when she’d gotten rid of Wanda the first time I’d come in, I expected to be snatched out of the tent by unseen hands, and thrown into the street. I felt a tug, but I resisted. Nothing else happened.

“That’s surprising.” Her voice was more modulated now. She pulled her robe back on, and secured it around her waist. “There’s more to you than meets the eye, Jessie Morton. We’ll have to explore that in the future. Of course, I knew something was different. You can see Buttercup. Not everyone can.”

I struggled for words. What do you say to a woman who is part dragon?

“We need your help.” I cleared my throat as the words barely squeaked out of me. “We need your help, please.”

“You know what I know about your ghost. Have you changed your mind about giving her to someone else?”

“No. I can’t do that.”

“What are you asking of me then?”

“You can get rid of her, like you just did outside. I’ve seen you do that in here, too.”

“I would have to spend every moment of every day concentrating my power on keeping her out of the Village. I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. You’ll have to cope until the sorcerer gets here.”

“Why can’t she go into the museum?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” She shrugged. “It could be a bad memory that keeps her out. It could be something about the way the place is built. It would take extensive research, and knowledge of the place, that I don’t have.”

“Could it be because Wanda’s bracelet was put in there to frame me for her murder?” It was a shot in the dark.

“Probably not—unless she’s no longer bothering you and the Bailiff at home. You said you have her bracelet now?”

“Yes.” My heart sank. I’d hoped I was on to something.

Pat ran into the tent. “Does she know anything?”

“I know a great deal, if you’re speaking about me.” Madame Lucinda’s voice was huffy. “But if you’re looking for a permanent cure for your ghost, you must seek it elsewhere.”

“Okay.” Pat looked around the tent and swallowed hard. “What about protection? If we can’t get rid of her, is there a magic charm or something I can use to protect myself?”

I hadn’t thought of that.

Madame Lucinda brought out a piece of quartz and gave it to Shakespeare. “You must keep it on you always. Never put it aside.”

He pocketed the rock and thanked her. “You’ve made my life so much better, Madame. I shall compose a sonnet to you.”

I followed him out of the tent. There was nothing more to say to Madame Lucinda. I knew the answers to the problem. I hoped the sorcerer got there soon.

“That was weird in there,” Pat said. “Did you see all that stuff? How did she get all that in there?”

“Yes. Did you see the dragon, the real dragon?” I went on to describe it, but I could tell from the look on his face that he didn’t know what I was talking about.

“What now?” he asked with an exhausted sigh.

“We’ll figure out why she can’t get into the museum. In the meantime, you stay there.”

“Are the police done looking around or were they finished for the night?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll call Detective Almond in the morning. Our tapestry exhibit opens tomorrow. I hope that’s it.”

Pat got caught up in the large group of people still out in the cold, fall night. No doubt he was telling and re-telling his harrowing account of what had happened. There was some lightning off in the distance, probably the storm heading out to the Atlantic Ocean. It added to the strange mood of the night.

I went to find Chase. He was busy with the cleanup of the stadium lights. The security guards were with him, and a truck from the electric company was rolling into the Village.

I didn’t want to bother him. He had enough on his hands. I felt shell-shocked, and wished I had answers.

Had I really seen a woman who was part dragon?

It could be a costume. There are weirder things here.

Surely she didn’t walk around wearing part of a dragon costume at night while she slept?

Seeing her lower extremities made me understand why she walked with a limp, and seemed to be in pain most of the time. It couldn’t be easy being part dragon.

Go to bed! You’re not making any sense. How can someone be part dragon?

I ended up with a large group of other residents at the Pleasant Pheasant. Hephaestus lived above the pub. He was awake, like the rest of us, after Wanda’s crazy escapades. I guess he’d decided to open again. He was charging a quarter for a beer or ale.