“Then what’s the big deal?” Vi asked. She dropped her knitting and leaned forward.
“There’s a family tree in the back.” Diana met my gaze. This is what she had been about to tell me the other day. “Dylan said he never paid any attention to it because he was convinced the secret was in the spells. The genealogy is that of Rafe’s family,” Diana said. “You may not know this, but one of the main reasons he’s in charge of the Grand Rapids coven is because he has the longest family history of witchcraft. He’s always played up the fact that Wicca is in his blood, and his followers believed him.”
We nodded to encourage her to continue.
“Dylan showed the book to a friend who knew nothing about spells, but a lot about genealogy. Apparently the symbols indicate that Rafe was adopted. His whole argument that he is most equipped to run the coven goes out the window if he’s adopted.”
“Oh my,” Mom said.
“Do you think your dad threatened to expose him?” Alex asked.
Diana held her hands out, palms up. “I don’t know. They were friends, but my dad always said that Rafe was power hungry and it would ruin him someday. Dad may have just wanted Rafe to be aware that he knew his secret. Maybe Rafe didn’t even know he was adopted. . . .” Diana trailed off, the day’s events finally taking their toll on her.
“We need a plan to figure out who else would want Rafe dead,” Dad said.
“I can’t believe that Rafe would have killed your parents over something like this—it’s just ridiculous,” Mom said.
“I don’t know, Rose,” Vi said. “He really liked being the big fish in a small pond. If he had to give that up, what would he have done?”
Glances shot around the table. We had all seen how contentious things could get here in Crystal Haven over issues like who was the best psychic, who did the best séances, etc. What seemed small to one person could be the whole world to another.
“I wouldn’t put it past Rafe,” Vi said. “I never . . .” she stopped when she noticed Diana’s quivering lip. “I never saw eye to eye with Rafe Godwin.” She took up her knitting again with intense interest.
“Let’s start by looking into Diana’s parents’ accident,” I said. “Tom, do you think you could go to Bailey Harbor and get the police report? Would they release it to you?”
Tom nodded. “I have a friend working there. I should be able to get a copy.”
“We’ll start with that,” I said. “And we should try to find out more about Lucan and Morgan and what kind of disagreements they had with Rafe. I’m not sure why this coven is so valuable to everyone.”
Tuffy jumped up on Seth’s lap and pushed his face into Seth’s neck. “Tuffy needs his walk,” Seth said. Baxter stood up, alert at the word “walk.”
“We should get home,” Mom said to Vi and Dad.
“Clyde, I’ve got all the smoke alarms connected to your alarm company now,” Dad said.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Mom patted him on the back. “Parents never stop trying to protect their kids.”
“Diana, stay here tonight. You don’t want to be alone at home, do you?” I said.
“She can stay with me,” Alex said. “You’ve got Seth here, and Josh and I have room.” He slung an arm over Diana’s shoulder. “Come on, we’ll go to your house and get your stuff and then I’ll go with you to meet the lawyer.”
Alex steered Diana outside after the rest of the group.
As soon as the door closed, Tuffy jumped up with bright eyes and a wagging tail.
“What does he want?” I said to Seth.
“He thinks it’s time for a walk and his afternoon treat.”
“He gets an afternoon treat?”
“Of course. Baxter probably wants in on that as well.”
We snagged their leashes off the hook and headed out into the cold, gray dusk. I wasn’t used to the time change and resented the darkness encroaching so early in the day. I pulled my jacket closer and worried about what tomorrow would bring. As we walked along I thought about all the people who had apparently been at odds with Rafe. It surprised me since I had only heard Diana’s view of him. It was just another example of how people put on different faces for their various roles.
Seth’s phone buzzed and he checked the text. His phone was much more active than it had been over the summer. His face looked pink and I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or whatever he read on the tiny screen.
“Faith wants me to go to a movie with her,” he said.
I smiled. “Oh? Okay. Do you . . . go to movies when you’re home?” I wasn’t sure what Grace’s rules were. This had never come up over the summer.
“Yup, we have movies in New York City and I sometimes go see them.”
I narrowed my eyes and probably looked like Vi. “You know what I mean.”
“Yes, I’m allowed to go out.” He sighed dramatically. “I have to be home by nine thirty on weeknights and eleven on the weekends.”
“Okay. Do you need a ride?”
He looked at his phone. “She says her mom will drop us off at the mall.”