Alpert looked uncomfortable and shifted his weight from one foot to the other,

“It was the only thing I could think of at the time that wouldn’t end up in a death. I’m sorry about your injured fairy, but that wasn’t my fault. Don’t you understand? My cover would’ve been blown if I hadn’t suggested we steal your fairies. And then we’d all be in trouble with no one keeping an eye on her.”

“I’d hate to see the damage she could do without being under your watchful eye,” Valencia said, folding her arms.

“You don’t know her like I do. She’s not the sweet old lady she looks. She comes from a long line of poisoners. The very worst of ‘em. She needs to be stopped,” he said, clenching his fists.

“We’ll stop her, don’t worry about that, but first I’ve got to find Talbot and get these fairies back home.”

Talbot acres reached Coven Corner when he saw Mrs Hubbard with a wicker basket over her arm filled to the brim with the reddest, shiniest apples he’d ever seen.

“Mrs Hubbard! Those look… delicious,” he said, his mouth watering at the thought of biting into that firm flesh and releasing the sweetness.

“They’re a very special variety of apple. I grew them myself,” she said, her eyes, sharp.

“You were… in the queue with that girl who was poisoned, weren’t you? You didn’t happen to notice anything unusual, did you or, see anyone give her the cake?”

Mrs Hubbard eyes grew darker, and her bony features sharpened noticeably.

“I saw nothing,” she said, menacingly.

“No one seems to have seen anything. We’re at a dead end. We know who she was now, but not who killed her, or why. We even went to Telfjord’s bakery but…”

“You went…” Mrs Hubbard said, her face glowing as red as the apples in her basket.

“Yes, the assistant there told us they had some dye and cake cases stolen. The poisoned cake didn’t come from Spellbinding Treats or Telfjord’s. I think that’s why they stole Valencia’s fairies - so they can make more,” said Talbot breathlessly. He didn’t notice Mrs Hubbard’s face had taken on the look of someone about to be rumbled.

“Take one,” she said, holding out the largest, shiniest apple to him, her eyes wide.

“Oh, I couldn’t…” he said, eyeing it greedily.

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“I insist. It’ll do you good. It’ll certainly cheer me up if you eat it,” she said with eager eyes.

“Oh, well, thank you very much. I’ll enjoy that. I love apples,” he said, taking it. “I’m on my way to Valencia’s now. I’ve got some interesting things to tell her. I can only imagine what she might have found out,” said Talbot, knowing Valencia all too well.

“Here! Take one for her!” She screeched, holding out another apple in her shaking hand.

“She hates apples. Honey coffee is her thing. Speaking of which – I’d best get the kettle on before she gets back. Thanks for the apple.”

Mrs Hubbard watched him throw the apple up in the air then catch it, desperately wanting to scream in frustration. Talbot bounced off up the street without a care in the world.

Valencia rushed home with her fairies carefully placed inside her witch’s hat which she’d folded up in her belt. She hoped Talbot was already there.

The kettle was just starting to whistle when Valencia burst in with an armful of fairies.

“Wow! You’ve been busy! You found them!”

“I did, but I got knocked out, tied up and locked in a room in a dark alley - then we had to escape. Then we found our top suspect - who says he’s a private detective. Mrs Hubbard is the murderer - but she’s got an accomplice and we don’t know who that is yet,” said Valencia, filling her cup with boiling water.

“Mrs… Hubbard?” he asked, looking over at the delicious apple.

“Yes. Apparently, her original plan was to use poisoned apples. All apples taste like poison to me, so she’d have no chance of getting me that way but… are you okay? You’re looking a bit peaky.”

“I saw… Mrs Hubbard on the way here… I told her about visiting Telfjord’s because that’s where the cake cases and dye were stolen from and she was very keen I had one of her apples,” he said, pointing at it.

Valencia squealed and snatched it off the mantelpiece.

“It’s poisoned! Piquenza, nonetheless! Can you not smell the aniseed?” She asked, sniffing it carefully.

“I just thought it was… ripe. It looked so good… I was going to eat it on the way here, but I really wanted to show you how shiny it was first. Lucky, huh?”

“Do you know who her ancestors are?”

“I think I can guess - if they had a thing about poisoned apples in baskets when they reached a certain age… You know, I think I’ll have a honey coffee after all, to calm my nerves.”

The reason why it’s so shiny is because once the piquenzia’s been painted on, it needs buffing with a tassel cloth till it shines like a mirror. When you can see your face in it and it’s the deepest, darkest red imaginable - it’s at its most potent. This is a prime example of a classic poisoned apple. Good job you didn’t eat it, or you’d be the second murder connected with this bakery in twenty-four hours.”

“I don’t think I’ll eat another apple ever again. I did find out who the victim was, though. I bought a news sheet,” he said, handing the heavily crumpled sheet to Valencia.

“I know. Alpert Banne, our detective ‘friend’ told me.”

“Do you not trust him?”

“I’m not sure. Mrs Hubbard must have an accomplice, but who knocked me out and tied me up if it wasn’t him? Mrs Hubbard was with you at the time. It could be her accomplice I suppose, but he was right outside the door when I finally got it open. It’s too much of a coincidence if you ask me.”

“What we do now?” asked Talbot. The fact he could’ve been killed so easily, was only just sinking in.

“She’s planning on poisoning others - with those apples. She’s out there right now. We’ve got to find her and get those apples off her before it’s too late!”