“What is the whole story?” she asked him. “I’m still trying to figure that out myself. Lucian, this is crazy.”
“The story, at least the part that matters, is that Willow couldn’t have done this.”
“Fantastic. Then you can let her go, and we can go home to sort this out.”
But Lucian was already shaking his head. “No. I’m afraid it isn’t that simple, because the rest of the story is that it sure looks like Willow did this.”
Addie cast a glance over to the patrol car where Willow sat despondent, still looking down at her own shoes. One of the uniformed officers was standing there now to make sure she didn’t go anywhere, and she wasn’t even acknowledging his presence. That was very much not like her. She was always energetic and vibrant and loudly opinionated. Their different personalities had led to so many arguments between them, stupid sister stuff that always seemed so trivial after a few hours or days had passed. What she wouldn’t give right now for Willow to look up at her and scream that she was innocent and threaten to turn everyone into a newt if they didn’t let her go…
On second thought, it was something of a blessing that Willow was holding her tongue, and not making things worse.
Addie put her hand on Lucian’s arm, and let it rest there. “Lucian, tell me what’s going on. There’s no way anyone saw my sister committing murder.”
“No, they didn’t. At least she’s got that in her favor. She was driving that car over there,” he pointed to Gary’s red sports car, “and I’m sure you know that’s registered to her boyfriend. An anonymous tip led your town constable to look for Willow and he found her here. When he did he asked to look in her trunk, and lo and behold the anonymous tip was correct. There was a dead woman in there.”
“Right. Autumn Lynch. Our friendly neighborhood constable was telling me about it. She’s not from here, she was visiting Birch Hollow, and the next thing we know she’s dead. In my sister’s trunk.” Addie shook her head. “Come on, Lucian, none of this adds up. Do you really think Willow would have let anyone near her trunk if she knew there was a dead body in it? Especially a police officer? I mean, not that Herman’s a real police officer, but he’s the closest our town has until you and the rest of your guys show up.”
He tossed his hands up helplessly. “I know that, but now I’m here, and the rest of my department is involved all the way up to my Chief. Which means…”
Addie scowled. “It means you have to arrest her.”
“Yes. We do. I’m sorry, but we really don’t have a choice. The anonymous tip. The fact that Willow was up in Birch Hollow where Autumn Lynch was last seen… before she was found dead in that trunk, I mean. There’s nothing with Autumn’s body, no cellphone, no murder weapon, but plenty of her blood soaked into the carpeting. Scuff marks on the heels of her shoes indicate she was dragged to the trunk, probably after she was dead. It all adds up to probable cause. More than that. For anyone who doesn’t know you and your family, they’re going to think Willow did this.”
“But she didn’t.”
“It won’t matter, Addie.” Now he took both of her hands in his, and his eyes told her exactly how serious this was. “If she went in front of a jury right now, they’d find her guilty. We need to figure out who really did this. It’s the only chance she has.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” she told him, speaking the honest truth. “I’m a witch, and I have all sorts of power I can draw on at a moment’s notice, and sometimes I still feel completely helpless.”
“We’re here for each other.” With a quick kiss on her cheek, he let her fingers slip gently through his. “I have to take Willow back to the station now. I can’t delay it any longer or the Chief is going to have my tail in a sling. Can you and Kiera come up to Birch Hollow with us? I’ll explain everything I can when we’re there.”
“Sure. We’ll figure this out together. Um. Alan is with us, too. Kiera’s son. You remember him?”
“Yes. That’s fine, but he might have to wait in the car while we talk. I can explain discussing the case with the sisters of the main suspect. Anything else is pushing it.”
“All right.” Addie was frantic to know all the details of this murder, who exactly Autumn Lynch was, who might want to kill her, and anything else Lucian might know. She understood that would have to wait. If she wanted those answers, she would have to be patient. “We’ll follow you up there. Just let me tell Willow, okay? I can do that, can’t I?”
He considered it, and finally nodded. “Just a quick hello and goodbye, okay?”
“I understand.”
She went over to the patrol car. Its gold stripes and letters practically sparkled under all the artificial lighting. The officer standing guard smiled at her but didn’t try to stop her. She remembered his name was Ben Stark, and that they had met a few times, but they didn’t really know each other. He just knew who she was. Being a Kilorian had its perks. Being the boyfriend of Lucian Knight, even more so.
At the window, she waited for Willow to look up, but her sister was apparently so deep in her own thoughts that she didn’t move. Her hair still covered her face. She sat very, very still. It was like she wasn’t even breathing.
Addie leaned down and tapped at the window.
Willow still didn’t move.
Addie knocked again, louder this time.
Willow disappeared.
