Page 54 of Star Witch
I rolled my eyes and returned the phone to Gareth, murmuring a thank you. It was definite now: Belinda Battenapple had just become the prime suspect.
Chapter Fifteen
When I got back to the cabin, I ignored the fact that Barry had reappeared and was throwing me suspicious looks at my prolonged absence. The others were up and ready. Harriet was clutching an envelope and looking more animated than I’d ever seen her. ‘We have our first challenge!’ she cried.
Despite the gravity of all that was going on, I still felt a small thrill ripple through me. This might be the new improved Highland Survival edition, butEnchantmentstill followed a set course. Teams. Tasks. Challenges. Voting. And the challenges were where it was really at. They almost always involved magic in some form or another and were completed by pairs or individuals. The winner was automatically protected from being voted out. Everyone else, regardless of their team, then decided who deserved to go.
The genius of it was that if you tried hard and won, you were safe. If you tried hard and onlyalmostwon, there was a great big target on your back. As the teams changed between every challenge, however, it wasn’t always wise to get rid of the strongest contestants because you might want them on your side for the next round. Everything was a gamble. But, hey, so is life. Besides, this was the one time when I could be sure that everyone was present – not just the contestants and Armstrong and Trevor Bellows. Belinda would be there too. And Winter.
At that moment, I wasn’t sure what pleased me more. Did I want a torrid love affair or did I want to catch an evil murderer? Both, of course, but given the choice between the two it was a tough call.
We were transported upstream, past the spot where Lou and I had ‘borrowed’ the boat, and on until the river became too narrow to navigate. There was no further sign of Gareth so I assumed that, despite his assertions regarding rights of way, he’d decided the safest way to retrieve yet another lost sheep was to avoid the camera crews and anyone related toEnchantment. Frankly, those animals seemed considerably more trouble than they were worth.
For my own part, I took advantage of the journey to work on my people skills. I sat at the front, next to Harriet. If I could bring her round to my side, my life would get a whole lot easier. I’d probably find it easy to inveigle my way back into Mike’s good books simply by flashing some more cleavage at him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I still have some standards, even if they were slipping considerably with all this work I kept having to do.
‘Listen,’ I said. Harriet turned her head away, as if resolving not to look in my direction. ‘I didn’t mean to get you into trouble when I altered your clothes. I was just trying to help you out.’ I pointed down at my ridiculous garb. ‘I paid the price. That woman definitely got her own back on me.’
Harriet sniffed. I supposed it was better than complete silence.
‘And about the putting you to sleep thing yesterday? I probably shouldn’t have done it but it worked out well in the end, right? We weren’t the last team to arrive because we didn’t receive any extra disadvantages. I know if we’d gone for the shelter that Mike wanted, it would have taken us hours.’
‘He is a bit of a knucklehead,’ she admitted. Hurray! I was getting somewhere. ‘But not as moronic as you for doing so much magic that you began seeing things.’
Arse. ‘That’s never happened to me before,’ I said, ‘but you’re right. Hopefully this challenge won’t involve much energy. I wonder what Trevor Bellows has devised for us.’
Her lip curled. ‘Assuming he has the time in between everything else.’ The disdain in her voice, not to mention her expression, immediately piqued my curiosity.
‘What do you mean?’
Harriet raised a sarcastic eyebrow as if it were patently obvious what she was talking about, but I was still drawing a blank. ‘Oh. I keep forgetting you weren’t here at the start,’ she dismissed, before turning away once more.
I ground my teeth. Bellows might not be my immediate focus but that didn’t mean I was going to forget about him. It was still possible that the bloody pentagram in his trailer was a warning designed solely for him. Winter hadn’t yet discovered any hidden meanings or the purpose behind the pentagram, but it remained pertinent.
‘Yeah,’ I said, doing my best to chivvy her along and encourage her to open up more. ‘I feel like I really missed out. I love a bit of gossip, though. What’s Bellows been up to?’
Harriet kept her eyes averted. ‘I’m no tattle-tale.’
Oh, for goodness’ sake. She’d already brought up this little titbit so pretending to be close-lipped now was pointless. But it was clear that she would refuse to say anything else about the matter. I’d just have to find someone else to fill me in.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to move to the back of the boat and question Lou. It was already pulling into the side and I could see crowds of people gathered in a grassy field to the right. We were ushered off before being directed towards our positions. I tried to edge back slightly to engage Lou in conversation but I received an angry hiss from Barry. I’d have ignored him but for the fact that one of the medics ambled over to check I wasn’t still going loopy from too much magic. This whole investigation would be a damn sight easier if people didn’t keep getting in my way.
Various bits of equipment were being checked over. As far as I could tell, the producers had set up some kind of open-air torture for us involving ropes, climbing frames and mud. I wondered whether the government knew that a reality television show was flouting the Geneva Convention.
I submitted to the medic’s ministrations while eyeing the obstacle course with trepidation. Maybe I could plead illness. ‘Actually,’ I said, ‘I’m still feeling a bit weak. I think I should sit this one out.’
He frowned at me. ‘You seem fine.’
‘This isn’t the sort of medical problem you usually deal with. This one is magic related so, although I might look alright on the surface, there could any manner of problems going on inside me.’ I leaned in a bit closer. ‘Spells are dangerous.’
‘Mm-hmm.’ He turned his head and motioned to someone in the crowd. When I realised it was Trevor Bellows, I couldn’t resist another peek at Harriet but she was deep in conversation with Lou and Mike. Something about faking an argument so the other contestants wouldn’t think any worrisome alliances were being formed. I rolled my eyes.
Bellows, with his pretentious purple robe flapping around his ankles, strode over. ‘What seems to be the problem?’ He pulled up his sleeves, which was a pointless effort because they were so baggy they immediately fell back down round his wrists again. ‘If it is within my powers to help then I shall.’
The medic pointed at me. Barry, apparently sensing that something was up, also came over. This was a lot of attention considering all I was trying to do was weasel my way out of the challenge. ‘This one says she’s still feeling ill and wants to sit out the challenge.’
Bellows’ mouth twitched. I instantly got the impression that he’d be absolutely thrilled if I didn’t participate. ‘The wellbeing of our contestants is paramount!’
Tell that to Benjamin Alberts. I gave Bellows a weak smile. ‘I don’t want to be any trouble but I don’t want to collapse mid-challenge either.’
