He sighed and hung his head. “I was afraid you might hear of that.”
“Better me than the police. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wasn’t there with Dave. Phil and I had a few drinks and we were talking about my missing crossbow. One thing led to another, and we were arguing about it. I felt that he could have paid more attention, you know? Done a better job protecting it. The crossbow was valuable, and only on loan. I was supposed to get it back a few weeks after the museum opened.”
“Did you see Dave when you were there?”
“No. Although, as usual, there were several people out and about. I saw Shakespeare, and his new paramour, sneaking into the museum. There was an archer out too, dressed in black.”
“That was Shakespeare’s new girlfriend, Sofie.”
He frowned. “No. This was someone else. I tried to see the face, but he or she wore a hood. Shakespeare had already gone inside with Sofie.”
“Can you describe the archer?”
“It was dark, but I’d say tall and thin. He or she carried a long bow, not a crossbow, so it couldn’t have been Dave’s killer. That’s about it. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay.” I took it all in. “Thanks for your help. I’ll try to keep you out of this, but there are other lives involved too.”
“I understand. Do what you have to.”
I started back toward the museum, thoroughly soaked by then. The pretty umbrella wasn’t much good against real rain.
The crowds had thinned out even further as people began to realize that the weather wasn’t going to clear. That was the only trouble with paying so much to get into the Village for the day with no pass for rainy weather. I felt sorry for those families that had paid for a few adults and several children. I hoped they’d return on a nice day.
“I know who you are now,” a soft voice said near my ear.
I turned, and saw the Village’s newest resident, Tilly Morgenstern, beside me. She kind of just appeared. Where did she come from?
Beside her was her assistant, Leo. He stood there like a huge statue, unblinking. It was hard to tell if he was even breathing.
“Yes,” I agreed. “We sort of met the other night when you were moving in. I was with the Bailiff. Jessie Morton.”
“Of course.” She drew a gray shawl closely around her thin shoulders. It looked as though it had been woven with cobwebs. Her curly white hair held rain droplets in it. “You’re the woman who made the ghost blue.”
“You can see her?”
“Yes. You were fortunate that you didn’t go to prison for her murder, as my sister did.”
“I know. It was a terrible thing. I’m sorry for you and your family.”
She smiled in a way that sent tingles of alarm down my spine. “Those are just words. Come now. We are both women of the world. You could have walked away. You chose not to. You put my sister in that terrible place with your actions, and your testimony. That makes you responsible.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I hadn’t looked at it from that perspective. I thought I was doing what needed to be done.
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” I finally said. “I wish it hadn’t come to that end. I really had no choice. She would have killed me.”
Tilly looked away, her gaze following the trails of smoke left behind by the flaming arrows. Her nod toward Leo was almost imperceptible.
He slowly turned his head and faced me. There were horrific scars on his pale face. His blank, white eyes made me shudder. He took one step toward me. His large hands became fists that he ground together.
“It happened.” Tilly laughed in her strange little girl way. “I won’t forget it. I won’t let you forget it either. Sometime. Somewhere. There will be retribution.”
I truly hoped she was talking about a bad prank, but I didn’t think so. I gulped. She scared me. I wanted to run away fast, but my feet wouldn’t move.
You know how people say they were paralyzed with fear? I’m not kidding. I couldn’t move at all. Leo could have knocked me down. I would have fallen like a bowling pin.
Instead, Tilly gazed at me malevolently, and Leo went back to his normal, zombie-like blankness. They walked away through the smoke and mist toward the tavern.
“I don’t think she likes you very much, Jessie.” Wanda watched the two leave. “In fact, I think she might hate you. What do you think?”
Chapter Thirteen
Feeling a little vulnerable, even though Tilly was gone, I ran into Eve’s Garden to try to wait out the new downpour—and to think about an inscription for Chase’s ring.
It smelled wonderful in the garden shop. Flowers of all colors and sizes were growing there. I was ashamed to admit that I had no idea what most of them were.