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used or abused, but now that I knew who she was, I suspected the directive was created to protect her family as well.
    Starla said, “If anyone can figure it out, you can, Darcy. Your track record speaks for itself.”
    â€œThanks. I’m hoping it’s an easy case, for Ve’s sake.”
    â€œGive her my condolences, will you?” Hank said.
    I had the feeling Ve would be receiving lots of condolences she didn’t want. “I will.”
    He closed the tailgate on his truck, then turned to me and handed me a key ring. “Your keys. I’m done here, so I won’t need them anymore. Just call if anything comes up.”
    â€œI can’t thank you enough,” I said, meaning it. Four months ago my house had been a dilapidated mess. Hank and his crew had practically rebuilt it from the ground up, using a little bit of magic along the way. Okay, a lot of magic. The house had been a disaster.
    â€œYou’re welcome. I’ve got to head out, but like I said, call if you need me. See you tomorrow.”
    Starla and I waved as he backed out of the driveway.
    As soon as he was out of earshot, Starla turned to me. “Okay, Darcy Merriweather, what’s really going on with the bones in Ve’s garage? Because I know you well, and you didn’t tell us everything. I want all the details.”

Chapter Five
    S tarla did know me well.
    She said, “I heard something in your voice earlier. What’s the real story?”
    I picked up the box at my feet; then I motioned for her to follow me into the house. As we slowly walked, I quickly told her about Miles’ sketchy history, the mysterious elopement, and Ve’s dislike of the man.
    â€œThat doesn’t bode well for Ve, does it?” she said softly.
    Painted a dark purple with gold lettering that visually popped, the beautifully carved AS YOU WISH sign hung from a bracket on one of the front-porch columns. The sign had been moved from Ve’s to here, where I’d added one alteration. A smaller version of the original now dangled from a chain attached to the bottom of the sign. Its golden letters read BY APPOINTMENT ONLY .When I took over the company, I decided the days of drop-in clients needed to end.
    â€œOn the surface it doesn’t look good for Ve, but hopefully there will be some kind of evidence that will clear her name right off the bat. That way the police can focus on other possible suspects.”
    The front door opened into a wide entryway flooded with sunlight. To my left, Craftsman-style pocket doors closed off my office space, keeping As You Wish separate from the rest of the house. To my right was a wide set of turned wooden stairs. They were protected by an aqua-and-cream floral carpet runner in a subtle daisy pattern that would hopefully not only keep the treads safe from the dogs but the dogs safe from the slippery steps. In the angled nook below the staircase, Nick had designed and crafted custom bookshelves. Currently the shelves were empty, and I couldn’t wait to fill them. When Nick moved in, we planned to add a couple of upholstered chairs and a side table from his current house to the space.
    I’d been moving in slowly over the past couple of weeks and was still getting used to this new space. Tonight was to have been the first night I slept here, but now with what had happened with Ve, I wondered if I should postpone that. . . .
    As if reading my mind, Starla said, “Are you still planning to move in here today?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’m leaning toward staying with Ve, at least for the weekend.”
    â€œShe probably shouldn’t be alone.”
    I nodded. “I’m also hoping that during that time she’ll elaborate on why she’s afraid the case will be solved.”
    â€œIt is rather odd that she wouldn’t want to know what happened.” Starla looked around the entryway andsaid, “I know I’ve said it a hundred