Fatal Fairies (Renaissance Faire Mystery Book 8) by Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene Page A

here?”
    “Yes. I know where you keep your spare key. I’ve driven your car before.”
    He wasn’t impressed. If anything, he was angrier. “How did you know about my key? And what do you mean you’ve driven my car? Are you stalking me? Is that why you want to be my squire?”
    “No. This is getting completely messed up.” I bit my lip, trying to think what I could say to bring him over to my side. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him about driving the car. I just thought he might feel like he could trust me.
    “Did you kill that fairy, and you’re trying to blame it on me? Is this whole thing a setup?” He ran his hand through his long brown hair. “You started this right after the fairy died. Everyone knows how you feel about fairies. It’s no secret.”
    Really? Even in this place everyone knew I hated fairies? I didn’t think I’d started hating them until after Chase and I were together. They were always flitting around him and flirting. I thought that was the beginning. Apparently I was wrong.
    To make matters worse, Princess Isabelle drove up in one of those red mini-cars. Her long black hair was perfectly sleek against her head, and her pale mauve dress was exactly what someone would wear to save their lover who was in jail.
    “Chase!” She left her car in the street and ran up to join us, but she was staring at me as she wound her arms, and her lithe body, around him
    “It’s okay, Isabelle. I’m fine.”
    “Who is she?” Her eyes narrowed on my face like daggers.
    “This is my public defender,” Chase answered to my complete surprise. “She got me out of jail.”
    I smiled, cool and professional, the way I’d practiced in the car mirror on the way to the police station. I held out my hand to her in a totally objective way. “Jessica.”
    “Thank you.” She barely touched her cool white hand to mine before turning back to Chase.
    But that was all that mattered. She’d bought it.
    What I couldn’t figure out was why Chase had helped me sell it to her. It had to be that he didn’t want her to be jealous. I didn’t even sneak a glance at him in case it all fell apart.
    “Isn’t this your car?” Isabelle asked him.
    “Yeah. They let me drive myself here. They aren’t charging me with anything. They just had a few questions.”
    “Well. Good, I guess.” She shrugged. “I wish I’d known. There was no reason for me to come running over here. I guess I’ll see you at home.”
    Chase and I watched her leave. When her cute little car was gone, I realized I was about to get hit with an avalanche of anger from my companion. It was so unfair since he loved me and not Isabelle.
    “Let’s go,” he said. “I’ll drive, if you don’t mind.”
    I handed him the keys. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to make everything right.”
    He walked toward the car. “Don’t worry about it. I know you, Jessie. You wouldn’t have done this on purpose. I’m sorry I said that to you before. I’ve just had a bad day.”
     “Thanks. I’ll make it up to you.”
    “Yes, you will. As my squire, you and I are going to figure out who killed the fairy.”
     

Chapter Seven
     
    The Village was open when we got back. The parking lot was full to overflowing, hundreds more visitors still putting on their costumes as they took them from their cars.
    Our conversation hadn’t been much coming from the police department. Chase spent the whole time explaining to me why we were going to have to find Apple Blossom’s killer. Despite the way he looked (hot) and his job as Bailiff (exciting) he can be more boring than any college professor.
    And I didn’t care. The whole thing had worked out to my benefit. He wanted me to help him figure out who did it. That was exactly what Starshine had said I needed. I was feeling triumphant.
    “I hope you got the right costume from Portia this morning,” he said. “Our joust is in fifteen minutes. Make sure you’re there.”
    “I will.” I closed the car door and