Marty ordered the pancake breakfast, Poppy ordered a salad, and Roy ordered a steak while I opted for a glass of wine.

  “So?” I asked Poppy. “Spill the beans.”

  “I got the analysis back on the goop that was Darragh.”

  I looked at her in surprise. “How did you manage that?”

  She dropped her gaze to her fingers, which were clearly fidgeting in her lap. “I happen to have a client who’s also a scientist at the University in Wailing Hills,” she answered. “And I asked a favor.”

  Wailing Hills was a largish town maybe thirty minutes or so from Haven Hollow.

  “Did you ask this scientist friend to run the sample under the radar?” Roy asked her, to which she immediately nodded.

  “She’s trustworthy,” Poppy answered as she faced me again. “Anyway, Darragh was killed by something called Spirit Bane.”

  “Spirit Bane?” I repeated, surprised. “Only a high witch or a very powerful faerie could make that.” And the more I thought about it, the less sense it made. “Why would a witch or powerful faerie want to kill Darragh or Cranough?”

  “Exactly,” Poppy said, nodding. “I don’t have an answer for you. But, what I can tell you is Spirit Bane is not only difficult to make, but it’s also very expensive.”

  “Do you sell it in your store?” Marty asked.

  Poppy shook her head. “It’s only sold on the black market and even then, it’s really hard to find. Any witch or faerie known to produce it faces serious consequences because the stuff is poison to any supernatural creature. And that means whoever killed Darragh and his attendant was most likely either a witch or a fae.”

  “Or maybe someone had a witch or faerie purchase it on their behalf,” Roy said.

  “Yes, that could also be the case,” Poppy answered. Then she looked at me. “Have you gotten any further trying to get a coroner to look at Cranough?”

  I shook my head and told the story of how Bea and I had come across Burian and learned about his employer, Prince Reynard.

  “Why would Fox want a brownie to run autopsies in private?” Roy asked.

  I shook my head. “It seemed odd to me too and from the sound of it, part of Burian’s oath was only to work for Reynard, er Fox, so whatever Fox has going, he’s doing his best to keep it under cover.”

  “Do you think Fox could have had something to do with the deaths of Darragh and Cranough?” Marty asked. “I mean… is it coincidental that Cranough was also from the Autumn Court?” He paused a moment. “Maybe Cranough was leading some sort of uprising against Reynard and Reynard capped him.”

  Poppy immediately shook her head. “Fox might be a bit underhanded at times, but he’s no murderer.”

  I couldn’t help but notice how she jumped to Fox’s defense immediately and, in general, Poppy seemed overly defensive of Fox. Or was I just becoming suspicious of everyone now?

  “Have you forgotten you were pretty sure Fox was responsible when Finn went missing?” Roy reminded her.

  A crimson flush spread across her cheeks. It was hard to determine if it was sadness or anger as she quickly tried to shift gears to contain her physical reaction. “That was different. Finn’s disappearance happened before I really got to know Fox.”

  “Do you really know Fox well now?” I asked.

  She cocked her head to the side. “I would say I know him well enough now that I think he’s a good person and I couldn’t imagine he’d be behind this case.”

  “That’s what the neighbors say about almost every murderer who happens to live beside them,” Marty said.

  “I don’t know how innocent Fox is,” Roy continued. “When he trapped Janara and her retinue in a magic circle, he effectively tossed them into an eternal prison—and one could argue that he did so to ensure his own reign.”

  “Or he secured a danger that threatened us all,” Poppy responded.

  Marty faced Poppy again as he exhaled a deep sigh. “It could also be argued that Fox used you to make his life easier, Pops.”

  I noticed Roy scowled at Marty’s term of affection for Poppy.

  “How do you figure that?” Poppy demanded, crossing her arms against her chest.

  “The point is,” Roy nearly interrupted. “None of us knows him very well and from everything I’ve seen and heard, it sounds like he’s pretty self-serving.”

  “That seems a bit harsh,” Poppy continued.

  “Harsh or not, I don’t think we’re wrong here,” Roy said.

  “Do you really think Fox is capable of murder?” Poppy asked Marty and Roy pointedly.

  Marty was the first to shake his head and then paused, with a sigh. “I don’t know. I’m not saying he is or isn’t, but I don’t think we should be so quick to rule him out as a possibility.”

  “I need some air,” Poppy announced in a frustrated tone as she got up from the table and headed toward the front of the diner. She stepped out the entrance doors as the three of us looked at one another with questioning glances. Why was she so hellbent on defending Fox? Were the two of them really that close?

  “I think we pissed her off,” Roy said.

  “Yeah, I’m going to go after her and see if I can talk her down,” Marty said as he started to stand up.

  “I think she needs some alone time,” Roy said, putting his hand on Marty’s arm to stall him.

  “Or she needs someone to let her know we aren’t trying to gang up on her,” Marty argued, starting to stand up again.

  I put a hand on each of them, not wanting this rivalry to erupt into World War III. Besides, there was something else I wanted to talk to her about—the situation regarding Roy and me. I just… it had been eating at me and every time I saw Poppy, the memory of the kiss that had passed between Roy and me wasn’t far behind. Maybe if I told her I’d made a mistake and that I only considered Roy a friend—maybe then the guilt about breaking our girl code would go away?

  “I’ll go check on her,” I volunteered, feeling like it was my fault if Poppy was offended. I mean, I was the one who’d first suggested that Fox might be the bad guy. Maybe it was time to apologize…

  Stepping outside the restaurant, I found Poppy sitting on a bench to one side of the doors, dabbing something on her skin. The night breeze caught the scent and wafted it towards me, filling my nostrils with a lovely mixture of sandalwood, citrus, and something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I wasn’t sure whether she was anointing herself with a potion or merely refreshing her perfume, but the scent was heavenly, all the same.

  “I’m sorry I upset you, Poppy,” I offered as I sat down beside her.

  She jerked her head up toward me and her expression was one of surprise as she dropped the small vial still in her hand, back into her purse.

  “Why are you sorry?” she asked, scooting to one side of the bench to offer me a seat beside her.

  I shrugged and sat down, looking up at the almost starless night that enveloped us. The last few nights had been exceptionally dark—the moon had been hidden behind constant cloud cover. Like everything else going on at the moment, I wondered if the pitch darkness was a bad omen. Magic worked in mysterious ways, and during my time in Haven Hollow, I’d learned that situations which might seem completely insignificant could turn out to be ominous in retrospect.

  “For a lot of reasons, I guess,” I started on a sigh. “I feel like we all ganged up on you back there. And it’s my fault you’ve been dragged into yet another debacle that you shouldn’t be involved in.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I shrugged. “Just that it seems like every time something bad happens in this town, you somehow end up in the middle of it.” I took a deep breath, fully aware this wasn’t the only subject for which I felt guilty. “It’s not fair to you and I’ve been just as guilty of drawing you into the drama as anyone else.”

  “You don’t have to apologize for any of that, Fifi,” Poppy started, giving me that motherly and sweet smile of hers. “I’m happy to be involved because I’m happy to help you as much as I can and I want to get to the bottom of this mystery just as much as you do.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “And you don’t have to apologize for what happened earlier. You guys weren’t ganging up on me—we just had a difference of opinion and that’s what I was just out here reminding myself. We’re all welcome to our own thoughts and beliefs and we just happen to disagree where Fox is concerned. But, I’m not offended.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” I answered, giving her a hollow smile as the heavier truth continued to weigh me down. Yes, I felt guilty about involving Poppy and potentially offending her with my comments about Fox, but I felt even guiltier about a completely unrelated subject.

  Feeling Poppy’s eyes on me, I continued, lowering my voice to be sure the others didn’t hear me in case they happened on us without me noticing. “I’m also sorry… about Roy.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Roy?” Poppy replied, glancing in my direction with surprise. “Why would you be sorry about Roy?”

  “Um, well…” I started, suddenly unable to find the words. It was like they were stuck in my throat and wouldn’t come up, no matter how I encouraged them. “Well, I’m not exactly sure how to put this but… I know you guys just recently broke up and I just… feel guilty because he and I… we’ve been hanging out a little bit, just platonically,” I quickly attached the last words as her expression moved from surprise to something warmer. “I just… didn’t want you to get the wrong impression. I mean, I don’t want you to think Roy and I are… together. Because we’re not—we’re completely, totally, one-hundred-percent not together.”

  Poppy laughed. “Fifi…”

  “And I have zero intention or interest in getting together with him—we’re just really good friends and we’re going to remain really good friends. I just… didn’t want you to think anything was going on behind your back, because I promise it isn’t.”

  “Fifi…”

  “I’m still not exactly sure why the two of you broke up, but I’m fully aware of girl code and how it’s totally not cool to date a good friend’s ex and I would never do it. Besides, Roy told me he’s still holding out hope that the two of you might work it out. And I’d be super happy for you both if you did.” I wasn’t sure I was supposed to mention that last subject, but the words sort of shot out of my mouth before I could stop them. Then I paused long enough to catch my breath as Poppy gave me an encouraging smile.

  “Is that everything you wanted to say?” she asked. I just nodded. “Well, I appreciate your concern and I appreciate the girl code, but I want you to know that whatever existed between Roy and me, it’s over. And it’s going to remain over.” She nodded as her eyes settled on something in the distance. I noticed with interest that she didn’t seem… upset by what she was saying. It was more like she not only recognized the fact that she and Roy weren’t good for each other (at least in her mind) but that she’d also accepted it. “As much as I care about Roy and I imagine I’ll always love him in some way, we just aren’t right for each other and I’m… I’m alright with that.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, feeling a little dejected for Roy because I’d been holding out hope for the two of them. I’d always thought they made a great couple, and he definitely seemed like he wanted to fix things between the two of them.

  She nodded. “I’m more than sure. In fact, if you decided you wanted to date Roy, I would encourage you.”

  “You would?” I asked with a frown, surprised. I just… hadn’t expected her to feel this way at all.

  “Yes,” she answered with another big smile. “I want Roy to be happy and since that happiness can’t be with me, I’d love to see him find it with someone else.”

  I returned her smile and couldn’t help but notice just how big her heart was. Poppy was a very special person, and I was so honored to call her my friend.

  “And who knows,” she continued as she gave me a strange expression. “Maybe he can find that happiness with you?”

  I felt my eyes widen as I immediately shook my head because I just couldn’t think of Roy that way, even though the succubus begged to differ. “Well, I appreciate that, but given my horrible luck when it comes to dating and men, I’d rather just keep Roy as my friend. I mean… I definitely wouldn’t want to risk our friendship by dating him when all of my romantic relationships end up blowing up in my face.”

  Poppy cocked her head to the side and gave me a knowing expression. “Well, maybe your dating experiences have been less than perfect because you weren’t with the right men.”

  “You think?”

  She nodded. “Once you find the right man, I know everything will work out for you.”

  I liked the sound of that, even if I didn’t really believe it… at all. Relationships and me were like oil and water. “I wish that ‘right man’ would walk into my life sometime soon,” I continued on a sigh.

  Poppy shrugged. “Who knows, maybe he already has?”

  I glanced down at my hands and felt a bit of sadness overtake me. “I don’t think so,” I answered as I shook my head. Then I looked up at her again, figuring I might as well get the whole truth out. “I actually…” I started to laugh because I was embarrassed by this second part. “I actually had a little crush on Marty.”

  “On Marty?” she asked, seeming taken aback.

  I nodded. “Yeah, but that was before I realized he was in love with you and now I just think of him as a friend.”

  Poppy shook her head and her expression was one of total shock and, more so, confusion. “What? Marty’s not in love with me, silly. We’re just… really good friends.” I looked at her and frowned, and she gave me an expression of innocence. “I mean it!” she insisted. “Marty’s not in love with me.” She said the words again as if she were trying to convince herself, just as much as she was trying to convince me.

  “Um,” I started. “I’m pretty sure he is in love with you.”

  But she insisted on shaking her head—repeatedly. “I’m afraid the rumor mill has gotten that one completely wrong. Marty and I are just friends.”

  I didn’t want to point out that the rumor mill was actually Roy, someone who likely knew what he was talking about, but I wasn’t sure what else to say. I was still stunned that she seemed to have no clue about something that was obvious to anyone who paid any attention to the two of them. I mean, I hadn’t known it before Roy told me, but that was only because I hadn’t been looking for it. And now that I’d paid attention when Marty and Poppy were together, his love for her was clear as day. Except, apparently, to Poppy.

  “I’m sorry,” I started, not wanting to further offend her. I’d already done a good job of that with the whole Fox conversation. “I was under the impression you knew or guessed Marty was interested in you.” There was no need to force the issue. If it were true, Poppy would either see it for herself, or Marty would eventually tell her how he felt whenever he was ready.

  “Well, now that we’ve gotten that whole Marty rumor put to bed, let’s get back to you and Roy,” she said, seemingly uncomfortable with having the magnifying glass turned on her and Marty. She patted my leg and gave me another big smile.

  “There is no ‘me and Roy’.”

  “Well, if at any time, you find yourself interested in taking things to another level with Roy, don’t let me stand in the way.” She paused and then gave me an expression to show just how serious she was. “I mean it, Fifi.”

  “Thanks, but…”

  Her smiled broadened. “In fact, I think you should date Roy—you’d be really cute together. And you have a lot in common.”

  “We do?” I asked with a frown.

  She nodded. “Sure. You both have similar long lifespans. You both want to have normal family lives. And you both want children.” Then she paused and looked at me. “Wait… do you want children?”

  I nodded. “I mean, yeah eventually… if I met the right guy, and we got married and all of that...”

  “Right,” she said, as if she were still proving a point. “Besides, Roy’s a sasquatch, and that means he’s one of only a few creatures who could attend to your energy needs without losing too much of himself. I mean, really… it’s almost like you two were meant to be!”

  Now, I was the one studying her expression in search of answers. Not only was she not opposed to me dating Roy, but she was encouraging it? A part of me was relieved to know she wasn’t upset about the two of us hanging out most recently, but a small part of me wondered why she was downright enthusiastic about it.

  “It’s almost like you want me to date Roy.”

  She was quiet for a few seconds as she pondered my comment. Then she shrugged. “Maybe I do.”

  “Hmm.”

  “I love Roy enough to want him to be happy, and we weren’t happy with each other—mainly because we weren’t… right for each other.” She inhaled deeply. “And once I realized that much, I had to let him go. I don’t think he truly understands that yet, but he will in time.” She took another deep breath. “Regardless, he still deserves to be happy and so do you. And you both have an amazing friendship and what better base is there for a relationship?”

  I gave her a look. “Couldn’t I say the same about you and Marty?”

  She immediately shook her head. “No, that’s a little different.”

  “It is?”

  She was quiet a moment. “Yes…”

  “Why?”

  “Well, I’m, um, I’m taking some time off from dating and like I said, Marty’s never given me any indication that he’s even interested in me so it’s basically a moot point.” Then she tapped my knee again as if she were my mother, trying to drive home a point. “But we were talking about you and Roy… and on that subject… whatever decision you make is yours to make,” she continued. “But I want it known that I have absolutely no issue with you dating Roy.”