Sit for a Spell (The Kitchen Witch, Book 3): (Witch Cozy Mystery series) by Morgana Best Page A

chuckled with me. “I think you made your point as it is, to be honest. More importantly, we’re much closer to discovering the identity of the killer. I think Sue would have approved of your actions, even if it does lead to a less than ideal reputation around town.”
    “You think that people are going to hold this against me for long?” I hadn’t really had time to process how long people might be upset with me over this, but I realized it could be a very long time.
    “No, I don’t. Not for long, anyway. Grief makes people do silly things, and Kayleen is immensely unpopular around town. She’s alienated so many people. Plus, we can help steer people away from accusing you of any wrongdoing.” He smiled reassuringly.
    I smiled back, but I wasn’t fully reassured. I could handle the gossip and people being upset with me, but I wasn’t sure the business could survive too much of a negative reputation. This plan had better work , I thought.
     
     

Chapter 19
     
    I was happily filling the glass display cases with various cupcakes in an elegant arrangement, if I do say so myself. I was in a good mood, as Thyme had managed to place the eggs in Sue’s hands after all, right before Sue was cremated. Thyme assured me that the murderer would be caught soon. My extreme embarrassment was not for naught, after all. Plus, there had been more customers than usual that morning, and all but one of them had congratulated me heartily for my speech at the funeral. I figured that was code for being happy that I had slapped Kayleen. Of course, physical violence is never the best answer, and I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t had to provide a distraction to help catch a murderer. Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
    However, my happy mood vanished when Ruprecht walked into the store. My stomach sank. I could tell by the look on his face it was not good news. “What’s happened?” I asked him.
    “It’s Camino,” he said. Before I could ask what had happened to her, he pushed on. “Camino is supposed to go to the will reading today, but she refuses to leave her room. I’ve tried everything to get her out and she just won’t leave. She’s locked the door, and now she won’t even speak to me. I need your help.”
    “I certainly won’t be able to get her to leave her room if you can’t, Ruprecht,” I said. “You have more influence over her than anyone else does.”
    Ruprecht rubbed his forehead and all at once looked one hundred years older than he already was. “No, Amelia. I’m afraid I need your help in another matter.”
    That threw up a big red flag. “No, I won’t create another diversion,” I said. “Even the thought of it makes me want to be sick. I can’t go through anything like that again.” I realized I was waving my arms around me, but I really didn’t care.
    Ruprecht did not hurry to reassure me, which made me even more worried. “We just need someone to impersonate Camino,” he said.
    I took a deep breath, a very deep breath. “I don’t think I heard you quite right,” I said slowly. “I thought you said that you needed someone to impersonate Camino, but that would be a crazy thing to say, so I know you couldn’t have said it.”
    Ruprecht’s face flushed beet red. “I’m sorry, Amelia. It’s either you or Thyme. Camino is supposed to go to the will reading today, and the only other person we know who is going is Barbara. We need to know exactly who inherits and precisely what they inherit. If Camino inherits more than we think, then the police will have their motive, and it won’t look good for Camino.”
    I tapped my forehead hard. “But Ruprecht, I’ve already created a diversion, and more than one diversion at that. Everyone said all we had to do was put the eggs in Sue’s hands and then the murderer would could confess or whatever, but now you’re telling me that I have to impersonate Camino?”
    Thyme came into the showroom. “I thought I heard voices,”