Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm, Book 4) Read online

  "Favorite what?" Oz asked.

  "Favorite everything!"

  "Well, it's always nice to meet a fan," he replied, struggling to free himself.

  "Don't be too flattered," Sabrina mumbled. "She does the same thing when the pizza delivery guy shows up at the door."

  Granny pulled the little girl away with considerable effort.

  "I assume you all are from Ferryport Landing. We don't get to meet too many of our neighbors from the north," Oz said, quickly turning to Sabrina. "And I know you. You're Sabrina. I haven't seen you in years. Your mother used to bring you by the store all the time. I remember once we put you on Santa's lap to get a picture and you wet your pants. Santa was furious. Oh, your mother was so embarrassed, but I found it very funny."

  Liar!

  Sabrina thought, blushing. She was tired of the game the

  Everafters were playing with her. "My mother never worked in a store."

  "Oh no, I work in a store, Macy's Department Store, actually. Your mother and I were great friends. She visited me there often." Oz turned to Daphne. "And you must be Daphne. I held you when you were no bigger than a snow pea. You both look so much like her. You are going to break a lot of hearts when you are older."

  Daphne looked as if she was going to hug the Wizard again.

  "Are we prisoners?" Granny Relda asked, gesturing toward the door.

  Oz frowned. "The king would probably call you guests."

  Guests who aren't allowed to leave this room," Hamstead said. "Why?"

  "I'm afraid I'm in the dark as well," Oz said. "Unfortunately, I'm the guy they call when they want something organized. They rarely tell me what it's for. But I promise that all of our questions will be answered soon. Right now, everyone is waiting for you."

  He led the reluctant family down the hallway and back into the restaurant. Every seat was taken. It was one of the most unusual groups of people Sabrina had ever seen. There were pirates, dwarfs, goblins, talking animals, even an enormous man-size bug wearing glasses. A sultry blonde singer whose act brought catcalls and laughter from the audience had joined the yellow-eyed piano player. She wore a shimmering sequined dress and long, white gloves, and prowled around the room flirting with the male patrons. She flashed each a warm smile.

  "She's beautiful," Hamstead said as he stared at the woman, dazzled.

  "And off limits, if you know what's good for you," Oz said. "Her name is Bess. She's Tony Fats's girlfriend."

  Just then, Oberon and Titania entered the room. Mustardseed, Cobweb, Moth, and the group of leather-jacketed fairies the family had met earlier followed in behind them. Their arrival brought forth a chorus of boos and jeers from the crowd, forcing the singer and the piano player to stop their lively performance.

  "You've made us wait, Oberon!" an ogre shouted from his seat. "I've shared the same air with a Houyhnhnm for too long!"

  A horse at the back of the room booed the ogre and spit at him.

  "Why have you brought us here?" a chicken squawked from her seat. "I came all the way from Harlem."

  "Friends, I have a present for you!" Oberon shouted as he moved through the crowd. "Christmastime comes to the Everafters."

  The group exploded with anger. Many rose to their feet, shouting angry words about "dirty fairy tricks" and "not being fooled again." Oberon seemed unconcerned and just flashed the girls a grin. He rushed over to them, grabbed each roughly by the arm, and dragged them onto the stage at the back of the room.

  "What's the big idea?" Sabrina said, trying to pull away from his powerful grip.

  Oberon ignored her and turned to the crowd. "Silence!" he shouted. "Don't you want your present?"

  Everyone sat back down.

  "Yahoo no want present from fairy," yelled an incredibly hairy man.

  "Is that so? You don't want the children of Veronica Grimm?" Oberon cried.

  The crowd instantly hushed. They sat motionless, watchful and suspicious. Sabrina looked over at her sister and her heart began to race.

  I knew it, she thought.

  They hate us here just like they do back in Ferryport Landing. They're going to kill us.

  Chapter 3

  Sabrina took a deep breath and calmed herself. She had to be smart. She needed a plan to get herself and her sister out of danger. As she ran through the countless escapes they had made over the year and a half they were stuck in the foster care system, an answer popped into her head. "Daphne, do you remember Mr. Drisko?" she said. Daphne nodded.

  "Let's give Oberon the Drisko treatment."

  Mr. Drisko had been one of their more troubled foster parents. He was a certifiable nutcase who had made the girls share a bedroom with fifteen hyperactive ferrets. Sabrina had seen a documentary on television about ferrets. They were furry, adorable, and playful. The narrator had said they made excellent pets, but the narrator had never met Drisko's ferrets. Sure, they were cute but they were also evil. They bit Sabrina and Daphne every chance they got. They ate Sabrina's shoes and often relieved themselves on Daphne's pillow. Sabrina tolerated them for the sake of her sister, who needed a warm home, but it wasn't easy. Drisko said the ferrets were the loves of his life, and he doted on them like furry little babies. Unfortunately, Drisko's bad back and bunion-covered feet kept him from caring for the pets, so he had taken the girls in not out of charity but so that he would have a staff to feed and bathe his herd of messy, squeaky rodents. Sadly, it all fell apart when Mr. Drisko spanked the girls for refusing to give the ferrets pedicures. That's to say, he tried to spank them. He never laid a hand on them. He never got the chance.

  "On three," Sabrina said.

  Daphne nodded.

  "One! Two! Three!"

  Together the girls stomped down hard on the tops of Oberon's toes. The fairy king yelped in pain and bent over to rub his bruised feet. That's when the girls jumped on top of him and knocked him to the floor. They followed the tackle with a technique that had never failed the Grimm sisters--relentless kicking. By the time Granny Relda reached them, the girls had Oberon cowering on the stage in a ball.

  "Are you OK, lieblings?"

  the old woman asked.

  "We need to get out of here. This crowd is going to tear us apart!" Sabrina cried as she took her sister and grandmother by the hand. Tony Fats and Bobby Screwball were approaching, but if the family hurried, they could escape through the club's front door.

  "Wait a minute! Do you hear that?" Daphne said, pausing at the edge of the stage. There was an odd noise coming from the crowd. It was laughter. The Everafters were laughing so hard that many were falling out of their chairs. Others applauded and rose to their feet. Soon they were all chanting the same word over and over again.

  "Grimm! Grimm! Grimm!"

  The Wizard rushed to Oberon's side and helped him to his feet. The fairy's face was red with rage. Oz whispered something in Oberon's ear and the anger drained away.

  "They're just like their mother!" Oberon shouted as he hobbled toward the Grimm family. The crowd roared with laughter. "Turn the ovens on and prepare a feast. Tonight we celebrate the daughters of Veronica Grimm! Tonight her dream is reborn."

  "What dream?" Sabrina asked, but no one answered. The Everafters rose to their feet and continued their chanting. They c

  ircled the girls, lifted them onto their shoulders, and marched around the supper club.

  "What's he talking about?" Daphne asked Granny Relda, who hurried alongside.

  Granny shrugged.

  "Liebling,

  I'm a bit confused myself."

  "What a glorious day!" Oberon cried as the crowd set the two girls down in front of Oz and him, then rushed over to the bar where Momma had set down a round of celebratory drinks. "You two have no idea what you've done."

  "I'm lost," Daphne said.

  Oz responded. "I think what the king is trying to say is that your mother, Veronica Grimm, was highly respected in our little struggling community. When she was here she worked with us to keep Faerie alive.
When she disappeared, well, so did the commitment to our way of life. We've lost our way, but you two could help put us all back on the right path."

  "How?" Daphne said. "I'm only seven."

  Before Oz could answer, Granny Relda spoke.

  "Oberon, we didn't come here to get caught up in the politics of the city," she said. "As soon as Puck is better we need to get on our way. We have business at home that needs our attention."

  "That's fine," Oberon said. "You can go back to wherever you came from right after dinner. We'll eat. We'll drink, and then all the girls have to do is back up everything I say. Afterward, I'll hand Puck over myself. You'll be on your way home before midnight."

  "What do you mean 'back up everything' you say?" Hamstead said, suspiciously.

  "Simple, just tell the Everafters that I'm in charge. Tell them Veronica always wanted them to recognize me as their king. Tell them that I'm supposed to lead the rebuilding of Faerie."

  Sabrina glanced at Oz. His face suddenly darkened. He looked as if he wanted to argue but he held his tongue.

  "Oberon, I'm afraid that's not possible," Granny Relda said.

  Oberon scowled. "Why not!"

  "Because we don't know if that is what Veronica wanted," the old woman said. "We didn't even know that she was involved with your community until this afternoon."

  "And we have our doubts about that, too," Sabrina said. She still wasn't convinced that this wasn't a mean-spirited practical joke.

  Oberon rose to his full height. His eyes flashed with anger and his mouth twisted into an ugly grimace. "You do what I tell you to do, you hear? This is too important and I don't have time to explain it to you."

  "But--" Granny cried.

  Oberon interrupted. "I still have Puck and I can cut off his cure at any time."

  "Is that a threat?" Granny cried.

  "It is what it is," Oberon snarled. "Tonight your girls are going to say what I tell 'em to say."

  He spun around and marched through the chanting crowd. Oz gave them a pained smile and followed the fairy.

  "What are we going to do?" Hamstead asked.

  Granny shook her head. "I don't know, Ernest. I just don't know."

  * * *

  The celebration dragged on and on. The Everafters danced and drank. Momma poured glass after glass as quickly as she could. Sabrina noticed that like Mr. Hamstead, when Momma got excited she changed into her true form: an enormous black goose with a blue bonnet on her head. More than a few intoxicated guests ruffled her feathers, and she changed back and forth throughout the night.

  The girls were nearly as busy. Everyone wanted to shake the hands of Veronica's girls. (Sabrina was sure someone was going to yank her arm off at any moment.) They all had stories, too. Each Everafter shared a tale about their mother and how she had inspired or helped them; each story broke Sabrina's heart. As much as she wished it weren't true, it grew more and more obvious that Veronica had been a part of the Everafter community of

  New York City. Every story chipped away at the symbol her mother had become to Sabrina, of average, everyday, normal life, free of chaos and lunacy. Each story felt like a thief that crept in to steal her hopes and dreams.

  And what to make of Oberon's demands? Sabrina didn't know much about the Everafters, but she knew she didn't like Oberon. Judging from the crowd's response to him earlier that evening, it seemed as if the Everafters shared her sentiment. Oberon was a jerkazoid, as Daphne would have said. But could he be telling the truth? Could her mother have actually supported him in his power grab? She couldn't be sure because she had no idea who her mother was anymore. And even if Oberon was lying, what could Sabrina and Daphne do? He had Puck.

  While the girls were listening to praise from a woman who appeared to be wearing a dress made out of donkey skins, Oz came over and ushered the girls to a quiet corner. He looked even more nervous and fidgety than before. He pulled out his silver remote and pushed some buttons. The device let out a few loud squeals. Then Oz turned back to the girls, took Sabrina and Daphne by the hands, and looked deeply into their eyes.

  "Girls, your mother was one of the best friends I ever had, and it pains me to think that tonight Oberon will finally snuff out her legacy," Oz said. "The king is a fraud. He's lying to you.

  The last thing in the world Veronica Grimm would have wanted was for him to lead this community."

  "What do you want us to do about it?" Sabrina asked. "You heard his threat. He'll stop Cobweb from helping Puck."

  Oz peered around the room, again.

  "Girls, just tell the truth. Tell the crowd you never knew your mother's plans but you're sure she would never have wanted Oberon to rule. It will destroy any support he has from the community. After that, I'll create a diversion and in the chaos I'll take you to Puck. Then you can head back to Ferryport Landing. Cobweb has told me the boy is out of the woods and can be moved."

  "This sounds dangerous," Sabrina said.

  "Good," Daphne said, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

  The little girl was fearless.

  Oz smiled. "Veronica would be proud of you." He said his good-byes and slunk back into the crowd.

  * * *

  Soon, Everafters were pulling tables and chairs together, making one long banquet table and covering it with food, candles, and malted beverages. Puck's brother, Mustardseed, appeared.

  "Puck is safe," he said, confirming what Oz had already told them. He escorted the girls to seats at the head of the table.

  They sat down just as bowls of pasta with red sauce and plates of steaming meat were placed in front of them.

  "Is this all-you-can-eat?" Daphne cried. "I'm starving!"

  Mustardseed smiled and nodded. Canis, Granny Relda, and Hamstead found seats next to theirs.

  Bess, the beautiful blonde singer, took a seat next to Mr. Hamstead. On her other side was Tony Fats, who had already started eating. Bess glanced at Hamstead and smiled. He smiled back, but his already pink face flushed red and he turned away. The poor man was flustered.

  "What's wrong with you?" Sabrina whispered into his ear. "Are you sick?"

  "She smiled at me," Hamstead squeaked, nodding in the blonde beauty's direction. "What's she doing, now?"

  "She's looking at you and smiling," Daphne replied. "She thinks you're foxy."

  Hamstead's pig snout sprang onto his face and he quickly covered it with his hand. "Get a hold of yourself, Hamstead," he muttered to himself.

  Titania swept into the dining room. Mustardseed helped her to her chair at the far end of the table and then took a seat next to her. Even from that distance, Sabrina could see the angry scowl on Titania's face. It was directed right at her and her family.

  Oz rushed in from one of the back rooms and over to Sabrina. "Everything is all set," he whispered to her.

  "What's the diversion?" Sabrina whispered to him, but before he could answer a chicken hopped into a nearby chair and flapped its wings furiously.

  "Where's Oberon?" the chicken cackled as it slurped down some fat purple worms.

  "Patience, Billina," Oz replied. "He's on his way."

  Just as the Wizard leaned down to whisper to Sabrina again, there was a loud scream. The door leading from the back hallway burst open and Moth rushed into the room. Her face was twisted and red from crying and her beautiful hair was flying in all directions. She fell to her knees in despair and beat the floor with her fists. "It's Oberon! It's the king!"

  Titania stood up so quickly she knocked over her heavy chair. "What is this nonsense?"

  "I found him in his office. He's been poisoned. He's dead!"

  "Impossible!" someone shouted.

  Titania rushed around the table and raced into the back hallway with Mustardseed close behind. The dinner guests jumped to their feet, knocking chairs and plates over in their excitement.

  "Is this the diversion you were talking about?" Sabrina shouted at Oz.

  The Wizard looked dumbstruck. "No! I have no idea what is going on!"r />
  Granny Relda grabbed the girls and quickly found her way to the back hall. Together, they pushed through the crowd of Everafters at the door to Oberon's office. The sight inside made the blood freeze in Sabrina's veins. The king was lying on the floor next to his desk, a shiny gold cup clutched in his hand. His face was contorted in agony, as if the last moments of his life had been excruciating torture.

  Titania threw herself on top of her husband and wailed with despair. She screamed as if it were she who had been fatally wounded. Mustardseed tried to help his mother up but she fought him off ferociously, and he backed away to let her grieve.

  "Who killed my husband?" Titania cried. Sabrina was too distracted to listen. For there on Oberon's chest, in bright red paint, was a handprint. It was the mark of the Scarlet Hand.

  Chapter 4

  Sabrina had never seen anger in a persons face like she saw in Titania's. The queen's rage seemed to pour out through her eyes and spill onto the crowd like acid. Everafters fell backward just to avoid her gaze.

  "One of you killed my husband!" Titania cried, rising to her feet with clenched fists. "Who is responsible? Who has blood on his hands? Will no one come forward? Then I'll avenge my beloved by killing you all." The queen's body underwent a terrifying metamorphosis. Her already pale complexion turned bone white. Tar-black veins curled in all directions just underneath her skin, weaving along her arms, legs, and head. Her hands grew to three times their normal size, and long, jagged nails, several feet in length, shot out of the fingertips. Her hair blazed with actual flames, and long, blue cables of electric energy crackled and popped in the air in front of her eyes. Her wings sprang out of her back and flapped so hard they seemed to shake the room. She rose above the crowd, opened her mouth, and sprayed the room with a fiery liquid. Anything it touched was quickly engulfed in flames and reduced to cinders.

  Everafters shrieked and stampeded toward the door, knocking the smallest in the crowd to the ground. Mr. Canis snatched the girls up, tucking them under his arms like footballs, and ran.

  "We have to get out of here," Granny Relda shouted as she was shoved aside by Tony Fats and Bobby Screwball, who ploughed through the crowd, desperate to escape Titania's wrath.