Sure enough, Andreus Woodshall, not so fondly known as Mr. Macabre, leaned against a birch tree on the village green. His thin frame blended in with the multiple trunks, making it seem as though he was just another limb.

A dark, dangerous one.

"What's wrong, Darcy dear?" Aunt Ve asked.

"Look." Using my chin, I motioned toward the birch.

Pushing fifty years old, Andreus was tall with a dignified air, but he was a man of two faces.

Literally.

In light, he was handsome. Debonair with his silver-streaked dark hair slicked back into a modern pompadour. Dark soulful eyes. Dignified. Regal.

In darkness, his appearance morphed into something evil. Sinister. Malevolent eyes. A malicious countenance.

Currently, the tree's leafy canopy cast Andreus's face in shadow, giving him an eerie, evil look.

Not for the first time he reminded me of Dracula.

He gave us a curt nod of recognition, then turned and strode away.

"I hadn't realized he'd arrived in town already," Cherise said.

Ve fussed with her banner. "I saw him two days ago at the Witch's Brew, so he's been here for a few days at least."

"Perhaps he was indeed your source of foreboding earlier, Darcy," Cherise said.

"Foreboding?" Ve questioned, turning her attention toward me.

I explained the uneasiness I'd felt this morning. The wickedness. After finding Raina's body, I attributed my feelings to the murder, not Andreus.

But now I suspected the two were somehow connected.

It was a theory I had planned to keep to myself, but after seeing Andreus standing there, watching us, I couldn't help but share my thoughts.

"But," I said, after voicing my concerns, "what does Andreus have to do with Raina? I don't know of a connection, do either of you?"

Cherise said, "Raina and I had spoken of the Roving Stones upcoming return, but she mentioned nothing specifically about Andreus. But the matter of the charm in her hand and the letter A on the wall convinces me there is some sort of association."

Ve wrinkled her nose. "Not necessarily."

A plane soared overhead, and I also heard the soft coo of a mourning dove perched on the porch roof. The bird spent a lot of time around As You Wish, and over the past months, its coo had become familiar and soothing.

"This is no time to be contrary, Velma," Cherise said.

Ve rolled her eyes. "I'm rarely contrary. I'm not denying that Andreus might have some involvement. I simply meant Andreus's association may not be with Raina personally, but with the house itself."

Tourists had gathered across the street, lining the village green to get a glimpse at the commotion. One of my closest friends, Starla Sullivan, was in the midst of the fray, snapping pictures of the goings-on. Although her main source of income was as the owner of Hocus-Pocus Photography, she freelanced at the Toil and Trouble, the village newspaper.

I perked up, remembering that Raina Gallagher had been Starla's agent when she bought her new house just a month ago. A small cottage not far from the village square. Her old place, a beautiful brownstone, had been put up for sale after I'd found a dead body on her sofa.

It was as good a reason to move as any. Especially when the dead man had been her ex-husband.

I sighed, not wanting to remember the case. It had been an emotional roller coaster.

I wondered if Starla or Evan (her twin brother who'd helped with the house-hunt) had picked up any strange vibes from Raina-or gleaned any info that would be helpful right about now. I added them to my list of people to talk to.

"I don't understand," I finally said to my aunt. "Do you think Andreus was one of the bidders on the Tavistock house? Was Raina his real estate agent? If so, why would he kill her? What's his motive?"

Ve patted my arm. "You're getting ahead of yourself, my girl. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Andreus was a bidder on the home. His family has strong ties to that house."

"They do?" I asked. "How?"

On the fringe of the crowd, I spotted real estate agent Noelle Quinlan. In her early thirties, she was tall and slender and easily stood a head above most of the other gawkers. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and her expression, which was usually perpetually exuberant, remained cheery as she watched the goings-on. Like Kent, she didn't seem upset over the murder, either. And it suddenly struck me why. Her company, Oracle Realty, was the top rival of Raina and Kent's, and I realized Raina's death could only help Noelle's business. . . . Everyone knew Raina was the go-getter at Magickal Realty and now that she was gone, I suspected the business would fall apart. Allowing Noelle to swoop in and pick up the pieces.

Cherise suddenly gasped and grabbed Ve's arm. "How could I have forgotten? Sebastian."

"Yes," Ve said, nodding. "Sebastian."

"Who is Sebastian?" I was completely confused as I turned my full attention to the pair of them.

Color rose high on Cherise's cheeks as she waved her hand about. "Oh, oh, oh. And the diamonds."

Tipping her head, Ve nodded and repeated in acknowledgment, "The diamonds."

"Okay, you two," I said, wagging a finger. "Stop repeating each other and tell me what you're talking about."

A breeze swept down the street, further loosening Aunt Ve's hairdo and apparently her tongue as well.

"Once upon a time," Ve began, "there was a man who was engaged to a woman. She was a bit of a spoiled princess, and he was a bit of a criminal. . . ."

"Oh dear God." Cherise shook her head. "Perhaps we should sit down for this if it's going to be a long-winded narrative."

Ve frowned at her. "Would you like to tell the story, Cherise?"

"Yes, please. I'll die an old woman before your telling is done." She faced me. "Sebastian Woodshall is Andreus's father. Ages ago, he and Eleta were engaged until he stole a bunch of diamonds. After being anonymously tipped off, the FBI closed in. Sebastian died in a subsequent shoot-out. Eleta became a hermit. The diamonds were never found, but are believed-despite numerous searches by the FBI-to be inside the Tavistock home. The end."

In shock, I blinked as I tried to process what she said.

Diamonds and shoot-outs. It seemed like something out of a movie. Wait . . . "Was Eleta Andreus's mother?"

"Oh no," Cherise said. "That's a whole other story. Sebastian was a bit of a playboy, and Zara Woodshall-Andreus's mother-finally had enough of him when she learned that he was cheating with Eleta. Served him with divorce papers . . . When was that, Ve? A year before the heist?"

"Thereabouts," Ve said, nodding.

"How long ago did all of this happen?" I asked.

"Late seventies." Ve sighed wistfully. "I was such a young thing then. Only recently divorced from Terry, in fact."

"And I'd just started dating him," Cherise piped in.

I wondered if Terry could feel the mental game of tug-of-war they played with him. Each had an arm and were pulling for all their worth.

I did some mental math. Andreus, now almost fifty, had been a teenager when his father died. Thirteen. Maybe fourteen. How traumatizing. I turned to face Cherise. "I can't believe you didn't mention the diamonds before now, especially since we've spent a good amount of time in the Tavistock house. I wouldn't think missing diamonds are something easily forgotten."

"Not exactly forgotten," Cherise said, her brows drawn low, "but purposely pushed into a dusty corner of my mind. It was a dark time for the village, Darcy. One best left in the past."

Ve nodded. "A very dark time. It was agreed upon a long time ago to put the matter behind us. Move on. Essentially pretend it never happened."

Pretend. Even though lives had been destroyed and pricey precious jewels were still missing.

"Which is easier said than done," Ve added. "Especially when mortal treasure hunters keep popping up in the village every now and again."

"Treasure hunters?" I asked.

"Oh sure. It was widely publicized by the media that the diamonds are suspected to be in the Tavistock house," Ve said, "and despite the fact that the FBI searched the place top to bottom and found nothing, that belief has never changed. The treasure hunters show up a couple of times a year, usually when the media revisits the cold case. Many an attempt has been made to ask Eleta's permission to look for the diamonds on the property. . . ."

"Some even went so far as to try to break in," Cherise said, shaking her head.

"All attempts failed miserably," Ve added with a smile. "Thanks to Eleta's stubbornness and a little magic."

"The rumor that Eleta cast a spell to keep people out of her house is true then?" I asked.

Ve nodded. "It's true."

Cherise said, "Once Sebastian died, Eleta closed herself off from society. She wanted to be left alone with her grief. She adored that man."

"True, true," Ve agreed, "but there was another spell that was cast by her as well. One that hid the diamonds." She cocked her head. "The FBI didn't know what they were up against during their searches."

I'd learned a lot about spells in the year I'd lived here, and one thing I knew was most spells died with the person who cast them. In other words, after Eleta passed away, her house was no longer protected against unwanted visitors, and if the diamonds were also under a spell, they could now be found.

"How many diamonds were stolen?" I asked. "What was their value?"

Ve and Cherise looked at each other a long time before Ve said, "It was Boston's biggest diamond heist."

"Wait." Stunned, I glanced between the two of them. "You're not talking about the Circe Heist, are you?"

Both had gone pale, as though simply talking about the robbery gave them the willies.

"Yes, it was the Circe Heist," Cherise confirmed hesitantly in a hushed yet reverent tone.

My shock came out in the high-pitched tone of my voice. "Andreus Woodshall's father stole the Circe diamonds?"

No wonder the media periodically revisited the case! It wasn't only Boston's biggest diamond heist, but the country's as well.

Anxiously, Ve looked around and shushed me. "Keep quiet, Darcy."

Cherise added, "Supposedly, Sebastian had an accomplice, but no one ever figured out who . . ."

Ve shot her a quelling look, and she snapped her mouth closed.

In a strained whisper, I said, "That was tens of millions of dollars in diamonds." Tens. Of. Millions. "And they're hidden in the Tavistock house? That's a big motive for murder."

I suddenly recalled the paneling that had been pried loose in the closet near Raina's body. Had she walked in on someone looking for the diamonds and was killed because of it?

"Around here the monetary value of the diamonds is irrelevant, Darcy dear," Ve said, still looking around as though afraid of being heard. "The diamonds were-are-priceless."

"I don't understand," I said, confused again. "If they were priceless, how is the monetary value not a factor?"

"What do you know of Circe?" Cherise asked quietly.

Trying to drum up what I could remember of the mythology course I took in high school, I shrugged. "Not much. Mythical Greek goddess. Liked to turn men into pigs."

"How did she turn men into pigs?" Ve asked, much like a teacher testing me.

With a start, I realized the answer she was looking for. "She was a sorceress."

Aunt Ve quirked an eyebrow.

My jaw dropped, and I whispered, "She was a Crafter?"

"One of the first," Cherise confirmed.

"But she didn't exist," I said. "Mythology isn't real . . ."

Aunt Ve tsked. "Has this village taught you nothing, my dear?"

My head spun with new information.

"It is a shame," Cherise chimed in, "that people thousands of years ago were more enlightened than today's society."

"Does everyone in the village know about the diamonds?" I was amazed I'd never heard about them before now.

"Most, mortals included, who have lived here a long time surely do," Cherise said.

It was almost too much for my mind to contemplate.

A mythical goddess who had been very much real.

Circe had been a witch. And her magical diamonds were reportedly hidden in the Tavistock house.

Ve's gaze softened, and she patted my arm. "It's a lot to take in, Darcy. The primary source of Circe's power was her magical staff," she explained. "The first magic wand, so to speak. It was nothing more than a stick, but the center of it had been hollowed out and filled with tears collected from other gods. Tears that turned into diamonds once they fell from the eyes of the gods. Magical diamonds that provide their owner unlimited power. Power that rivals the Elder's. Sebastian Woodshall wanted that power. According to Eleta, Sebastian believed that Circe was the first Charmcrafter and that the diamonds belonged with a Charmcrafter descendent."

"Well, that," Cherise said with a roll of her eyes, "and he rather fancied himself a god."

"He did have a bit of an ego," Ve agreed.

"Do we know for certain that the diamonds are in the house?" I asked.