Page 51 of Herbs & Hex-breaking

“That it was a gift from a friend,” Hattie said. “Although I didn’t mention you by name.”

“So, to be clear,” I said. “Jolene didn’t touch you that day or leave you with any gifts?”

“No,” Hattie said. “Kate, do you think my cousin is involved in all of this somehow?”

“What I think is that the both of you need to stay away from Jolene and your Aunt Mae. In fact, I’d feel better if you put some distance between you and Hattie’s cousin, immediately.”

“We can do that,” Johnny said. “Hattie and I were planning to go and visit my family in Mobile for the holiday weekend.”

Dex silently held up his phone for me to see. There was a photo from the shower of Hattie, pictured with her mother and two other women. In the photo they were listed as Aunt Mae and Jolene. Jolene was tagged and as I watched he clicked on the link. Her profile photo was of the young brunette smiling over her shoulder. A shoulder that featured a large tattoo of a spider and a web.

“We were going to drive out early tomorrow for Mobile,” Hattie was saying. “Are you suggesting that we leave earlier?”

Dex nodded to me in answer to her question.

“Yes, I would,” I said, “but be discreet. Make sure no one knows when you are leaving, or what route you are taking. I know that sounds dramatic, but I am not joking.”

“I believe you,” Hattie said.

“I can have us on the road within the hour,” Johnny interjected. “We’ve already packed.”

“Would you mind texting me when you have safely arrived?” I asked.

“We will,” Hattie said.

“Are you still wearing the pendant I gave you?” I asked her.

“I am.”

“Johnny,” I said next. “Are you still carrying the rosary from your grandma?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Good. Don’t take them off.”

“We won’t,” they said in unison.

I ended the call and turned to Dex. “I think it’s time I have a little heart to heart with Hattie’s cousin, Jolene.”

“Give me twenty minutes,” Dex said. “I’ll contact that PI friend of Lorna’s and have him pull an address for us. Hang on.” Dex was looking intently at Jolene’s profile, and suddenly he began to smile. “Scratch that. She just posted. Jolene is currently at work.”

“You’re kidding.” I blinked at the good fortune. “Where does she work?”

“At the Broussard family greenhouse,” Dex said.

“Oddly enough I’m suddenly feeling the urge to go and purchase more house plants for the shop,” I told him. “Like right now.”

“I’m coming with you,” Dex said.

I didn’t even bother to argue. Instead, I simply inclined my head. “I’m going to go tell Lorna what we found out. Send me a link to Jolene’s social media profile, will you?”

***

It took closer to a half hour to leave the shop. Taylor would run things at The Apothecary Shoppe while I was gone, and Lorna had confirmed that neither Jolene nor her mother Mae were members of any local covens that she had contact with.

Which meant that I was likely dealing with a solitary practitioner. Or an individual who had hired someone to work a hex for them. But there was only one way to find out for sure. Dex and I loaded for bear and drove across Birmingham to where the Broussard’s greenhouses were.

As we stepped from Dex’s car, we exchanged glances.