“Something went on at Still Waters, and I think the Potion Page is connected.” Nora stared at the computer screen, her eyes glassy and unfocused. “When I saw Celeste on her bedroom floor, I had no idea what was wrong. All I knew was that she was in pain and couldn’t move. When I asked her what had happened, she told me not to let him get the book. And that he lies.”
Estella sat on the opposite end of the sofa from Nora. She spread a towel over her lap and told Nora to put her feet on the towel. “Was she talking about Wolf?”
“I asked if he’d hurt her and Bren because of this book. She responded by saying ‘wolf’ two times, followed by what sounded like ‘bay.’ She also said, ‘he sells lies’ and ‘not spells.’”
“Do you know what she meant?” Hester asked in a hushed voice.
“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.”