Spell Booked (Retired Witches Mysteries Series Book 1) (16 page)

“Is that what happened that made you leave school? Did you and a girl get too serious?”

“No. What are you talking about?”

“Why did you leave school, Mike? I think your father and I deserve to know. It’s not fair to play games with us.”

“It’s nothing.” He stared straight through me. “I-I don’t want to talk about it.”

“All right. I’ll see you at home later.” At least he’d admitted that there
was
a problem. That was something. “I love you.”

“Yeah.” He ducked his head as he got in his Camaro. “See you later.”

In the car, I turned to Elsie. “We have to try to contact Cassandra again. Failing that, we have to contact the council. I don’t know what else to do.”

Elsie agreed. “There will be hell to pay if we let the seer destroy what was left of Cassandra, but you’re right, Molly.”

“I hope we can do a decent summoning spell without Dorothy.” I started the car.

We tentatively agreed on our course of action and headed for Smuggler’s Arcane. It would be the best and safest place to consult the council, if that was what it took.

“Oh look!” Elsie said as we pulled into our parking place in front of the shop. “It’s Larry. Is it Wednesday already? I’ve lost all track of time.”

“Of course it’s Wednesday,” Olivia said. “I’m dead, and I know
that
.”

Elsie glared at her and then got out of the car. She had a soft spot for Larry.

He was an older werewolf who lived on a boat. At the right time of the month, he anchored off the coast to make sure he didn’t make any mistakes during his change. He’d been a vegetarian for the last twelve years. He always came in for his special tea and a new book before the moon got full.

“I was beginning to worry about you.” Larry took in Olivia’s present state, swiping his hand across his graying beard. “Geez, what happened to you? I’m gone a few weeks and everything changes.”

We explained as we went inside. Elsie already had Larry’s special herbal tea mixed. She even put a purple bow on top of the bag she gave him.

“Are you gonna stay a ghost?” Larry asked Olivia. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just unusual to see a witch in ghost form.”

Olivia smiled. “It’s about time someone had something
good
to say about ghosts. I don’t know how long I’m going to remain this way, but I’d like to think of it as time well spent.”

“Yeah, sure.” Larry took the bag of tea from Elsie with a wink and a smile at her. “Thanks, doll.”

Elsie giggled. “I have the perfect book for you too.” She searched the counter, but everything was such a mess, covered with bits of Cassandra. “I might have left it on the shelf.”

Larry leaned down and sniffed the dust. “What is this stuff?”

“Just some remodeling.” Elsie looked for the lost book.

“Remodeling with witch dust?” Larry shook his head. “What are you up to in here, ladies?”

“It might be best not to say anything to anyone about this,” I added. “There are some things going on right now. Have you found that book yet, Elsie?”

She pulled a book off the shelf. “I guess I’m not going to be able to find the book I put aside for you, Larry. But this is a very good book too. I’ll try to find the other one the next time you come in.”

“You’re the best, Elsie.” He kissed her on the cheek and took the book. “I’ll be out on the boat next few days. Full moon. I wouldn’t want to be around here. I heard about that woman who was killed in the alley by the river. Werewolves are easy prey for accusations after something like that.”

“That was
me
,” Olivia said. “And I wasn’t killed by a wolf. I think it was only a magic-hungry witch who cut my throat and left me to die.”

That was more information than Larry wanted to hear. His face turned a pasty shade of green and he swallowed hard. He was squeamish for a werewolf. Not that I’d known many, but the ones I had known were a little more bloodthirsty. Witches and werewolves rarely mingled.

“I better get going.” He tried to smile and finally gave up, leaving Smuggler’s Arcane as quickly as he could.

“He’s such a nice man.” Elsie lifted Barnabas and stroked his soft fur. “I could imagine making tea for him in bed every morning.” She sighed lustfully.

Olivia laughed, apparently still a little miffed by their earlier conversation. “Elsie, dear, I think those days might be over for you. No doubt Bill was your last love.”

Even I was shocked at the level Olivia had sunk to with that jibe.

“You’re right.” Elsie sat down at the table and adjusted the red beret. Her eyes welled with tears. “I’m just a crazy old woman who no man will ever look at again.”

I glared at Olivia. She bit her lip.

“I am so sorry, Elsie,” she apologized. “I’m a wee bit frustrated right now with being dead and all.”

“That’s okay. I understand. At least I
had
a man for more than forty years. He lied and cheated almost every day we were together. But at least I had someone to wake up with each morning.” Elsie slyly smiled. “And I’m not dead
yet
, which means I still have more game than
you
.”

I laughed as I lifted the trapdoor into the cave. “All right, you two. Let’s get this over with. Cassandra isn’t going to come to us on her own. We have to call her.”

The magic was there for us. It would’ve been stronger with Dorothy, but I could feel that the summoning spell had worked. There was still no answer from Cassandra.

“What do you think that means?” Elsie asked.

“It means that you killed Cassandra,” Olivia said. “You put that spell on her, and it worked, for a change, but it killed her instead of suspending her. You should know better by now than to lose your temper and do something silly.”

“Is that what you think, Molly?” Elsie asked me.

“I don’t know what to think right now. I’m tired. It’s been a long day. I think we should keep this to ourselves awhile longer. If we don’t hear anything from Cassandra by tomorrow, we’ll call the council.”

“Good thinking,” Olivia said. “Cassandra doesn’t always answer right away anyhow. She could be in Venezuela right now. I’m sorry I said she was dead, Elsie. I don’t think any of us have the magic for that. I spoke hastily. I guess I’m tired too.”

“I don’t know.” Elsie put away her sword. “Maybe Aleese is right and I just need to go to a retirement home.”

“Even if you did, you’d still be a witch.” I put my arm around her shoulders. “You’ve always been a
very
good witch. Don’t give up yet. We’ll find someone to take your place.”

“Promise not to die so I get the next witch?”

“I promise.” I touched my mother’s amulet. “Let’s go home. We’ll start again tomorrow.”

We went upstairs and closed the trapdoor. We got our things together and were ready to go.

“Girls,” Olivia called. “You’re forgetting my staff. You know I can’t leave here without my staff. Just take it home with you, Molly.”

“Good night, Olivia.” Elsie waved.

“See you tomorrow,” I said.

“Come on. You can’t just leave me here all night. I need a home too. Molly? Elsie?”

We walked outside and closed the door behind us, locking it securely.

“That was kind of mean,” Elsie remarked.

“Yes, it was,” I agreed. “Any problem with that?”

“No. I’m fine with it. I’m sure Dorothy will take her home later. For now, we’ll let her stew.”

I dropped Elsie off at her house and drove home from there. Mike’s Camaro was in the drive next to Joe’s SUV.

For a minute, I wished things were back the way they had been two or three years ago. I wished Joe weren’t planning to retire and that Mike were still living at home.

But life had moved on, and I had to move with it. I went inside; the TV was on. The smell of pizza filled the house. I wished it had been anything but pizza. I’d had a little too much pizza the last couple of days.

“Hey, Mom,” Mike greeted me from his spot on the sofa. “Dad brought pizza home to celebrate.”

“Yes?” I smiled at him as Joe walked into the kitchen. “What are we celebrating?”

“We arrested Olivia’s killer today, Molly. I thought that was cause to party.”

I call upon the ancient forest,

And the cold sea.

Keep my secrets safe from prying ears,

Keep them close to me.

I was hopeful. Joe was a hardworking and experienced detective. I knew he’d captured many bad guys in his years with the police.

The problem was, at least to my mind, that this was a unique situation. As far as I knew, Joe had never been involved with witches in any way. That made things more complicated, and the rules he usually followed didn’t apply.

“Aren’t you interested in who we arrested?” He took one of the pizzas out of a box.

“Sorry. Of course I am. I was caught up in thoughts about Olivia.”

He slid his hand up and down my arm in a sympathetic manner. “I’m sorry. Maybe we shouldn’t be celebrating. It reminds you of what happened.”

I bowed my head. He was so sweet after our terrible discussion at the police station today. I knew he was as upset over Olivia’s death as I was. He wanted to understand what was going on. So did I.

“No,” I replied quietly. “Tell me.”

“It was someone you know, as a matter of fact. His name is Larry Tyler. He lives on a houseboat. He actually gave you as a character reference when we picked him up. He said he was good friends with you and Elsie.”

There it was again. I saw the suspicion in Joe’s eyes. I loved him, but I wanted to hit him with a sledgehammer. How could he think I could be involved with Olivia’s death? Now he thought Larry, Elsie and I were in on it together.

“Really?” I maintained my calm outer demeanor. “Yes, I know Larry. He’s a regular at the shop.”

“Killers are frequently people the victim knows and trusts.” Joe quoted words I’d heard him say many times.

“What makes you think Larry killed Olivia?”

“We found his prints on the second exam of the crime scene. We also found some hair and blood samples that match his. He hasn’t confessed, but we know it was him.”

“Did those blood samples match the ones you found at Olivia’s house?”

“No. That’s something we haven’t pieced together yet. Maybe he had an accomplice.”

“Larry never seemed like a killer to me.”

Joe rolled his eyes. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard that from people who know confessed killers? No one ever spots it—until it’s too late.”

“I suppose that’s true. Still, hair and fingerprints in an alley frequently used between bars and restaurants seems a bit circumstantial.”

“Circumstantial?” Joe glanced at Mike. “Look at your mom, Son. She’s a regular Sherlock Holmes today.”

I gritted my teeth. He was being
so
obnoxious. “What about the murder weapon? And don’t blame me because I’ve been married to a cop for the last thirty years.”

“As a matter of fact, we searched his houseboat today. We found the knife on board. Surprised?”

Not surprised.
Dumbfounded.
It was as though someone were watching the shop.

To make matters worse, Larry was on the verge of changing. The full moon was only a few nights away. I wasn’t sure how shape-shifters had avoided police and government detection in the last hundred years or so. I knew it was vital for it to remain that way. The council certainly worked hard to keep witches under the radar.

I knew Larry wasn’t guilty. I knew he was being set up by the rogue witch and her accomplice. Were we getting close? Did they throw Larry into the mix to make it harder for us to find out who they were—as they might have done with Brian that day?

It seemed laughable to me that a witch as powerful as the one we were talking about would be worried about me, Elsie, Dorothy or even Brian. He or she would know that we weren’t exactly a force to be reckoned with.

I couldn’t try to persuade Joe to investigate further without sounding as though I knew more than I was telling. The witch thought he had us right where he wanted us.

Maybe he did—but I had one more card to play. It was risky. I’d never contemplated it before. I had to do something. This seemed to be the only answer.

“Could I talk to you for a moment in the bedroom?” I began walking in that direction.

“You’re in for it now, Dad.” Mike laughed. “I know
that
voice. I think it was the same voice I heard when I got that C minus in chemistry last quarter.”

Joe looked surprised as he finished eating the slice of pizza he’d started. “Sure, Molly.”

My hands were shaking and cold. I fingered both amulets around my neck. If they had any magic to lend me, this would be a good time. I was terrified, not only of doing the wrong thing, but that I would screw it up.

“What’s up?” He came into the bedroom and closed the door. “If it’s about what happened today at the police station—”

“It’s something to do with that.” I moved close to him and hoped that what I was about to do would work.

I muttered an enchantment that I’d learned when I was very young. It was very basic and simple. It was supposed to create a barrier between a witch and the world around her. Light, sound and other distractions were eliminated.

The witch could use this for meditation or for making a place where she couldn’t be heard talking to another person. The spell was also to neutralize all other spells that might have been cast on the witch.

“What’s going on, Molly? What are you doing?”

I heard fear in Joe’s voice and slowly opened my eyes.

We were encased in a neutral space. Everything had become colorless around us. There was no sound except our voices. No witchcraft except my own.

I did it!
The amulets felt warm against my skin.

“This is a safe place for us to talk,” I explained. “We can’t be overheard. How do you feel?”

He surveyed the small space around us. “I feel like I’ve been kicked in the head. What happened?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

He thought back. “You told me you wanted to talk. What’s going on?”

I studied his face. “There is no easy way to tell you this, but it’s necessary.”

“What? I’ve lost my mind? I’ve had a stroke? Whatever it is, I need to know.”

I smiled, even though my stomach was in knots. “I’m a witch.”

“In other words, I’ve lost my mind. I guess that explains it. You’re not really here. Maybe I’m not here either.”

“It’s dangerous for me to tell you this, or I would’ve told you years ago. Witches are bound to serve the Grand Council. The council has been known to wipe out entire lives full of memories from people like you who have no magic.”

“Yeah. Can I just go back to sleep now? Maybe I’ll survive and this will be a bad dream.”

“I’m afraid it’s not that easy. I wouldn’t have done this if something terrible hadn’t happened.”

I explained everything—from Olivia and Elsie being witches to what had happened with Brian and Mike. I could see from his face how hard it was for him to take it all in. It would’ve been hard for anyone. But for a man who deals with facts and figures every day for a living, it was almost impossible.

“So this bad witch has threatened me and Mike. Someone killed Olivia for her magic and took your spell book for the same purpose.”

“That’s right.”

“And then he went after Larry Tyler to throw someone else under the bus. Does that sum it up?”

“Yes. I know it’s hard to believe.”

“It’s
impossible
to believe. There isn’t any
real
magic in the world, Molly. This isn’t
Bewitched
. Either you—or I—need a shrink.”

“There might be a way I can convince you.” I thought fast, feeling desperate for this to work. I was tired of being alone and worried about him. “I might be able to do one other spell.”

I concentrated hard on doing one of the first spells I’d ever learned. I wasn’t an air witch, like Olivia; it would’ve been easier on water.

“Hey!” Joe called out. “Molly, what’s going on?”

I opened my eyes. Both of us were still inside the enchanted bubble, but I had also managed to displace enough air that we were floating about a foot off the bedroom carpet.

“It worked! I’ve been having a little trouble with my spells recently. But this one worked.”

“I believe you. I believe you.” He put his arms around me. “Now, please put us back down.”

I shouldn’t have said anything about the spell working. We were abruptly dropped back to the floor. The privacy bubble still maintained around us, but even that magic was starting to give me a headache.

“There are witches and shape-shifters, Joe. There are also werewolves, like Larry, who will go through the change in one of your jail cells if you don’t find a way to release him.”

“What can I do, Molly? We’ve got so much against him. I can’t let him go.”

“We’ll have to think of something.” The bubble around us was starting to deteriorate. The world was starting to push back. “When we get out of here, Joe, we can never speak of this again outside a neutral space like this.”

“But what if something comes up?”

“We need a code word.”

“What about ‘broccoli’? You know how much I hate broccoli. I’d never even say the word unless it was an emergency.”

“‘Broccoli’ it is.”

“I love you, Molly.” He kissed me and held me tight. “In case I haven’t said it since Olivia died.”

“I was afraid you thought I’d killed Olivia,” I said quickly.

“I didn’t think that. I was just afraid that you might be involved in some other way. Everything has been so weird. I guess I know why now.”

The enchanted bubble slowly melted away, like ice after a winter storm. We were back in the real world.

“I love you too.” It was a terrible risk I’d taken telling him the truth. I’d known so many witches who’d regretted telling their spouses about magic. I could only hope I wouldn’t be sorry.

There was a rap on the bedroom door before Mike opened it. “Hey! You guys aren’t supposed to be in here doing this kind of thing. Dad, Lisbet is here to see you.”

“Thanks,” Joe said with a wink at me. “And we’re married. We can do it whenever and wherever we want.”

“You know, I just ate,” Mike retorted and left the room.

“Right.” Joe took a deep breath before he followed him.

Despite my fears, my heart felt light and free. Joe still loved me as I had always loved him. Thirty years hadn’t diminished what I felt for him.

I went into the kitchen and grabbed a slice of pizza as Joe and Lisbet spoke together quietly by the door. “Hello, Lisbet,” I said pleasantly.

“Oh, hey, Molly. Sorry if we gave you a rough time today. Just following the leads as they come up. I never thought you had anything to do with killing your friend.”

“I understand. Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you got Olivia’s killer.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Joe and Lisbet went out. They were starting another case that they had a lead on. Now that their part of the investigation into Olivia’s murder was over, they were free to move on to something else.

It seemed to me that it was a good thing. Without all the attention focused on a case that involved me, there would be less pressure on Joe.

On the other hand, there was the matter of getting Larry out of jail. There was only one way I could think of to take care of that problem—we were going to have to speak to the local werewolf representative.