“Magic can be good,” Elspeth said, turning her keen blue eyes on me. “But just remember, it isn’t always good. There’s always been an age-old battle between good and evil. One must be careful not to let evil get the upper hand.”

She lifted her hand high in the air and the butterfly flew away. My head felt a little foggy and I took a deep breath. That was some strange stuff she was talking about.

My heart pinched with concern … I hoped Elspeth wasn’t getting dementia. She was quite old. I wrinkled my brow in thought—just how old was she? I realized I had no idea. She’d always been my grandmother’s neighbor, since I was little. She seemed old even then, but that was from the perspective of a child.

The wind chimes tinkled softly in the corner of the porch and I glanced over at them, watching their bronze tubes rub together in the breeze. Elspeth would remember the bronzes being donated to the library, so maybe she would know who might want to steal them?

“Do you remember anything about Idris Bates giving bronzes to the library back in the sixties?” I asked.

Elspeth shivered and I realized it was getting colder out. “I don’t remember anything about bronzes, but Idris Bates is one you should steer clear of.”

Elspeth pulled her shawl tighter and stood up. “I’m getting a bit chilled. Would you like to go inside?”

“No, I’d better get home and rustle up some dinner. I just wanted to return your pie plate and carrier.” I stood, dumping Pandora from my lap. She landed on the porch floor with a soft thud, then let out a muted “mew”, shook herself and trotted over to the stairs.

Elspeth opened the door while I started down the steps after Pandora.

I turned around, walking backwards for a few steps. “Thanks for the pie, it was delicious.”

“You’re welcome. Be careful on the way home.”

I turned around, waving to her over my shoulder, and followed Pandora into the woods.

“What was she talking about, Pandora?” I asked, glancing backwards over my shoulder at Elspeth’s house. “All that magic talk didn’t make much sense.”

Pandora glanced up at me but kept trotting along beside me.

“Was she trying to warn me?”

“Meow!”

“Don’t tell me magic has anything to do with Lavinia’s murder … I don’t believe in that stuff.”

“Oh, you don’t?” Lavinia’s ghost appeared beside me and I practically fainted. You’d think I’d be getting used to ghosts appearing out of nowhere by now, but it still startled me.

“Jeepers. Will you stop doing that?” I pleaded.

“What? Appearing? That’s what ghosts do,” Lavinia said, gliding along beside me. “Anyway, you were just telling your cat you don’t believe in magic.”