Ink and Shadows(Secret, Book, & Scone Society #4)(67)

“I think Celeste owns a very old book, and Wolf wants to use the laid paper from that book to create something else. By filling a bundle of those pages with fake spells, he can pass them off as a genuine, centuries-old grimoire and make a killing.”

Estella massaged the arch of Nora’s left foot, working out the knots and kinks. It felt incredible, but Nora struggled to give herself over to pleasure while talking about Celeste. Sensing this, Estella pressed the pads of her thumbs into Nora’s heel and ordered her to relax.

Hester was pacing in the kitchen. As she walked, she said, “If the book’s that old, why not just slap it on eBay? Why go through all of this crap? Why take the risk?”

Once again, Nora stopped reading search results to answer. “The book might be damaged. The ink may be completely faded. It might even be an unfinished diary. Paper was precious back then, so the original owner wouldn’t have left any of the pages blank on purpose, but things happen, and diaries are left incomplete. Either way, a diary or damaged book wouldn’t be nearly as valuable as a grimoire.”

“Bren must have had a role in creating the fake spells,” said June. “Why else would she have those symbols tattooed on her neck? And if Wolf is the guy Nora saw at the festival, then he also has these spell book tattoos. Are they a Still Waters thing? Or was it a private thing between Wolf and Bren? Were they lovers? It would explain why Bren was so mad at her mama for moving.”

“But why Miracle Springs?” Nora had asked herself this question a dozen times. “If Celeste was worried about Bren—and this book—then why not move a thousand miles away from the damned Maestro?”

Estella, who was gently pushing on the top of Nora’s foot to stretch her calf muscle, stopped and made a time-out gesture. “Hold on. We need to see a picture of this guy. If he looks like Wolf Blitzer, there’s no way Bren was into him.”

Nora clicked on another link leading to another dead end. “I can’t find a single photo. All I’ve found is a short article on the delay of Harper’s lawsuit. It opens by describing the temporary ban on all civil suits and then goes on to explain why Harper was fired from his job. Wolfgang Beck, thirty-eight, an artist from Pine Hollow, is cited as a key witness. Still Waters isn’t mentioned. Neither is Cecily Leopold. There’s a quote from Harper’s attorney saying that the ban on civil cases is hurting his plaintiff. While Harper waits for the chance to get his job back and to seek compensation for months of lost income, his quality of life continues to deteriorate.”

“I actually feel sorry for Lazarus Harper,” said Hester. “He bought CBD oil because he was in pain. Then he failed a surprise drug test because of that CBD oil and was fired. Now he can’t even get his day in court to win back the job he shouldn’t have lost in the first place. No wonder he’s angry.”

June fixed Hester with a stern look. “He didn’t need to turn that anger on Celeste. He sent her a threatening postcard, and he was going to wreck her store. Why didn’t he go after the Wolfman? Or the folks who fired him? Why take out all his rage on a single woman?”

“I’m mad at him for messing with Celeste, but I’m with you, Hester,” said Estella. “Harper has gotten the short end of too many sticks. And what about his pain? The thing that started all of this. It’s probably worse than ever. I doubt he’d try another CBD product, so what’s he supposed to do? Meditate it away? Think good thoughts until he feels better?”

Nora knew the answer. “That’s why he’s drinking. To numb the pain.”

“And now he’s in jail with a hangover.” Estella gazed down at her hands. “Poor guy. This is probably his rock bottom. Right now. Today.”

The women silently contemplated how easily a life could be derailed. It didn’t take much. A couple of unexpected events and one’s train could fly off the track in a shower of sparks and the shriek of metal.

Hester gazed out the window over the sink. “What do we do now?”

June pointed at the laptop. “We need to know what Wolfman looks like. If he came to Miracle Springs to get that book, he’s probably still here.”

A current of fear passed through Nora. If this man had committed two murders and failed to discover the book’s location, then his risks had reaped zero rewards. Would he slink away empty-handed? Or would he take a step back and wait for the heat to die down before trying again? Wolf Beck was a resourceful man. He could pitch his tent in the mountains, subsisting on canned goods and wild game, until he was ready to return to Miracle Springs. To a place known for warmly welcoming all strangers.

Nora met June’s anxious gaze. “You’re right. We have to be able to pick him out of a crowd.”

“How about searching for art by the Maestro?” Estella suggested.

It was a good idea, and Nora gave it a try. Unfortunately, Maestro was a popular name among artists from around the globe. Adding the term “North Carolina” or “wolf” to the search produced no results.

Frustrated, Nora turned to Hester. “Did Sheriff McCabe run his name?”

“If Beck’s on the offender information database, Jasper will tell me. It’s public record. But I can’t ask him now. I’m not sure when I’ll talk to him next.”

She went on to describe how the sheriff’s department was completely overwhelmed. Over the past twenty-four hours, they’d been dealing with a suspicious death, a drunk driver, a minor committing vandalism, a protest, and a town so crowded with tourists that it had been impossible to enforce all the moving and parking violations. There’d also been two calls involving shoplifting, three calls about leash law violations, and a call from a woman looking for her misplaced purse.