Page 40 of Secrets of the Eternal Flame

‘Okay, let’s say I believe you for now. How long has Archer been stealing from the shop while you looked the other way?’ I pressed.

Her hand shook as she lifted her mug. ‘I wasn’t looking the other way, not at first. I have no idea how long it’s been going on for but I caught him about three months ago when I made that complaint to Yanni. I chickenedout of telling her the real reason I’d called. He said that if I told anyone he was stealing, he’d send me back to the slammer and that would speed up Mum’s decline.’ Her ragged breath showed how much the idea had terrified her.

She shook her head. ‘I dated Archer for a while and he knew where to hurt me. I couldn’t risk jail or him harming mum. Even with those threats hanging over me I swear I was going to tell Gwen, but then he put some money into my bank account. He said if anyone caught him, the payment would make it look like I was an accomplice.’

Scarlett wrapped her arms around herself. ‘He’s made a number of small deposits since then, enough for people to think we’ve been working together. With my record, I’d be screwed. No one would believe I wasn’t involved.’ She stared at me, begging me to believe her.

I lowered my shields again and felt nothing but her desperation.

She gave a long sigh. ‘He had me between a rock and a hard place, and I decided to do nothing about it. I know it was a terrible decision and it’s been eating me up inside ever since. But it’s not like Gwen has any idea what’s in the shop – and Mum’s medication is expensive. His small depositsdidhelp. And there was this new treatment, and I thought that…’

Her voice faded before and she paused before she spoke again. ‘These last couple of weeks, I wished Gwen would catch him just so it would be over. I know I’d probably get sacked – with my rap sheet, Gwen wouldneverbelieve I was innocent. Last week, when Gwen realised a real theft had occurred, I told Archer he had to stop but he won’t. And he says that if I try to turn him in, he’ll drag me down with him.’

She was shaking like a pixie in a thunderstorm and my heart ached for her. Archer was an asshole. He’d probably found out about her record and specifically targeted her, dated her, found her weak spots, maybe stolen her bank details … and here we were.

‘Archer stole the grimoire and the mug?’ I asked.

‘I guess so. But honestly, I’m not sure how or why he’d take those – he tends to pinch things he can fit in his pocket and sell on easily. The grimoire was quite big. And he didn’t want Gwen to realise what was happening, which she wouldn’t have done if he’d stuck with the small things. One of the reasons I started cataloguing the stock is because I thought it would dissuade him from thieving, but it’s an impossible task. Taking something she loved like her mug was a stupid risk, especially for something that’s not even worth anything. He’s got a good thing going, so I don’t see why he’d risk it all.’

Maybe because she’dthreatened to turn him in and he thought his easy payday was coming to an end, I thought, but I didn’t say any of that.

‘You said the objects could heal,’ Scarlett went on. ‘Are they genuinely powerful?’ Her voice wavered. ‘Is it dangerous that he took them?’

‘Yes,’ I said simply. ‘It is.’

A stray tear rolled down her cheek. ‘I’m so sorry, I really am. And if I can do anything to help you get it back…’

‘What you’ve told me will help enormously,’ I said truthfully, before I handed her a card with my number on it. ‘If you need to get hold of me, my number’s on there. Steer clear of Archer until I’ve spoken to him, but if he contacts you in the meantime then call me straight away.’

Fingering my business card nervously, she nodded. ‘I’m a mess,’ she said in a small voice. ‘I don’t know what to do.’

I offered her a smile – and then inspiration struck. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a twenty-pound note. ‘Here.’ I held it out to her. ‘Maybe you could go and grab an ice cream from Fran? She’s having a bad day too.’

She stared at me, her expression blank. ‘Life’s too short,’ I said softly. ‘Get an ice cream, maybe take one to your mum? Hospital food sucks and Fran’s ice creams are divine.’

She took the twenty and a cautious smile tipped her lips. ‘Mum would love that. Maybe I can see if she can get day release and I can push her in a wheelchair around the harbour for an hour or two.’

‘The sea always helps clear my head,’ I agreed. ‘And … speaking as someone who’s lost both her parents, this time you have now is more precious than you realise. Try and take a few guilt-free moments to enjoy it. Create a few happy memories.’

A fierce determination rose in her eyes. ‘You’re right.’

‘I really am sorry about everything you’re going through,’ I said softly. ‘I’ll try and keep you out of it if I can.’

The sad reality was that not only bad people did bad things; sometimes it was good people being pressured or bullied or simply led astray.

Chapter Twenty-Five

In my investigations, I’d repeatedly come across the same characters. In London, a break-in that involved a crowbar? Carl D would be my first suspect. A break-in with a clumsily picked lock, however, and I’d be looking at Vicky Crofton.

Living in Witchlight Cove, I sensed that Archer had the potential to become a fixture in my investigations if Yanni couldn’t put him away for what he’d already done. The evidence so far was circumstantial at best, but if I could find a few of those stolen items on him, the case against him would be ironclad.

I was suddenly pretty damn invested in getting him out of Witchlight and out of Scarlett’s life. I believed her, I really did, and she deserved a fresh start. She was trying to keep her nose clean, and Archer was there trying to dirty it.

I made a call and then, with Eva at my side, walked towards the far end of the village where several of the wolf packs lived. Thankfully this time when I knocked on the door Archer answered it fully dressed, although he was still wearing that arrogant, ‘clearly thinks he’s God’s gift to anything with a pulse’ smirk on his face.

It dropped satisfyingly quickly as soon as he registered who was on his doorstep. Aw, he remembered me. I was flattered.

‘What do you want?’ he growled.

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