The Case of the Strange Society, page 11
part #4 of Katy Kramer Cozy Mystery Series
Angelica pointed to Hamish. ‘Deal with him.’
He snatched the crystal from Angelica and said, ‘Dumb witch. I told you not to use this for your silly little tricks. Only a hunter could wield it properly – and this is not what I’d call proper use. I can’t believe you can’t even manage to deal with a dog with your own magic!’
Bartholomew sighed. ‘Children, children, if you could please stop arguing. Look, we’re grateful for the power you’ve been sending our way via this Ice Crystal, Kieran. We’re grateful for everything you do. But this isn’t a frivolous use of one of your darling hunter accessories. The dog won’t come on board.’
Kieran chuckled. ‘Of course he won’t. He’s been living with a hunter. Some of her immunity’ll be rubbing off on him. Move over and let a real man do the job, will you?’
Angelica shifted out of the way, keeping a tight hold on the snapping, snarling Hamish. Kieran knelt on the floor and moved the crystal in front of Hamish’s eyes. He was using the same motions as Angelica had tried, but this time there was no doubt it was working. The light grew brighter, but Hamish made no attempt to shield himself from the glare – instead, he stared right into it.
‘Hamish Rhodes,’ said Kieran in a commanding tone. ‘This crystal can do many things, but I’m the only one who can use it to vanquish a demon. And I’m the only one who can use it to control a mind. Unfortunately I can only use it to control one or two minds at a time, so listen carefully doggy. You will do as we say.’ He bent closer to Hamish and grinned. ‘You will build us a computer. An Elvira, just like you built before, so that we can get everyone in line in time for the Old Ones’ return …’
≈
As the image faded away, we all stared at one another. There was no need to say any of it aloud. We all knew what this meant. If Kieran had the Ice Crystal, then he could only have gotten it from Jude. Wherever she was now, he had something to do with her disappearance.
And I couldn’t bear to ask Eva those terrifying words: Do you think your brother could have killed your mother? His mother?
Because if she didn’t think it was a possibility, she’d be saying so right now.
‘I em …’ Eva put her wand away and took a seat on the couch. ‘I know that this happened on Friday. Late in the evening, a few hours before you and Hamish headed to Riddler’s Edge. The college was fairly full at the time. I was working late and I popped to Ye Olde Banquet Hall to grab a bite. When I got back to my office I found something of mine smashed. It was a jar of soil I kept on my desk. It had soil from Moonstone Farm, something I keep close to me at all times.’
‘You never mentioned it,’ I said.
She shrugged. ‘At the time I thought it was a nasty student playing a prank. Or maybe one of the master wizards who thought they should have gotten the job instead of me. Academic life can be exhaustingly competitive sometimes. And no one knows about me, about my family, so I had no reason to think anything else. But now we know it was my brother.’ She shivered. ‘He really is as cold as ice – no pun intended.’
‘Well, it tallies with the fact that Hamish was accessing files here on Friday night, I suppose,’ I said. ‘Jeez, I can’t believe how brazen they all are, coming to the college when there were people around.’
‘I can.’ Ned scowled. ‘My sister’s always been brazen. So do you think that’s where Hamish is now? Making another Elvira for them?’
Eek. I could hardly bear to tell her what I thought, but she had to know. Taking a deep breath, I said, ‘No, actually. I think he’s already made it.’
I walked along the line of robots and pointed to one of the most lifelike brunettes. ‘There were a few models that looked exactly like this one, but they were gone when Eva and I were here the last time. I thought the Wayfarers took them for testing, but now … now I think it must have been Hamish. Look familiar?’
Ned gasped. ‘It looks just like the woman Jay was with, except more natural. Wow, vampy clothes and a whole lot of make-up really do make a difference.’ She shook her hands out and sat on the edge of the desk, looking dizzy. ‘I can’t wrap my head around this. I mean … Jay was with a robot when we saw him at that café?’
‘Well, a robotic extension of a supercomputer, yeah.’ I nodded sadly. ‘And coupled with the fact that Angelica’s already wiped the important parts of Jay’s memory, it’s safe to say he’s yet another person who’s not on our side.’
Eva gripped the edge of the couch so hard I thought she might rip through the leather. ‘I guess now you know why I was so upset when I came knocking at your door. Hamish’s all-new Elvira is the reason our phones aren’t working. It’s probably the reason why everything’s moved so quickly all of a sudden, too. The capabilities of Hamish’s technology are staggering. Elvira controls people so easily. Multiple people, all at once – it’s like my brother and his friends have a billion super-vamps at their disposal. Elvira’ll be the reason why all the radio and TV stations are playing those songs all of a sudden, the reason why the influence is spreading so fast through other enclaves.’ She grasped at her hair and let out a little screech. ‘And it’s worse than that, Katy. Because Hamish was in my father’s home. He was probably spying on us the whole time you and he were there.’
I sat down next to Eva, swallowing. It was a possibility for sure, but Hamish had seemed so himself the whole time. Right up until he abandoned Diane at the Bank, there’d been nothing weird about his behaviour.
‘Well, Hamish apparently saw a woman on Samhain Street before he took off,’ I said. ‘So maybe it was Elvira and she did some mind-control to call him back to the evil lair of Angelica and the others but … oh, I don’t know. I just can’t believe this. Poor Hamish. He worked so hard to destroy Elvira the first time. It must have killed him to have to make another one, even if he was under Kieran’s control.’
‘Poor all of us,’ said Cleo, hopping up onto my lap. ‘The Fluffy Professor’s gone and hurried up the end of the world as we know it.’
19. This Sucks
In amongst the mess that our lives had become there was one thing that could always cheer me up: magic. Whether my life in the supernatural world ended in a few days from now, or whether I lived in the Samhain Street enclave until I was a hundred, I would forever be amazed by what the people around me could do. And what I could do now, too. We left Hamish’s office and arrived in Riddler’s Edge in under a second.
The farmhouse was a bit of a mess, thanks to Felim’s recent wolfing-out, but the old wizard’s workshop was as neat and tidy as ever, and Felim, Eva and Harry set to work straight away on what we’d need for the party. Even though none of the triplets were very alike in appearance, Eva and Harry shared some mannerisms – scratching their necks with their wands while they thought through a problem, for example. How Kieran had turned out the way he had amazed me, when he had grown up with such a warm, loving family.
We couldn’t stay long, but the time we did spend there was enjoyable. I drank a couple of sips of turnip brandy and didn’t die, so that was fun. And Mark, Felim’s grandson, regaled us with tales of the new tyres he’d bought for his favourite tractor. The best thing, however, about being there was seeing with my own eyes that this crazy plan might actually work. I was in no doubt that there was something unpleasant awaiting me at tomorrow night’s party, but with the Moons on board, I might get out of there alive. Well … maybe with a few injuries, but still alive.
By the time we headed back to Samhain Street I felt a rush of hope that I hadn’t for days.
‘None of the Moons are affected,’ said Ned, sounding just as hopeful as I felt. ‘The kids I guess are that way because they have a little bit of the hunter gene, right? And Felim probably spent so much time around a hunter that he picked up a little of her immunity, the way Kieran said Hamish had done with you?’
I nodded, taking a seat at my desk. We were in my office, waiting for my meeting with Hal. ‘That could be part of it. But also, Felim loves Jude a lot, so I don’t think there’s a force in this world that could stop him from helping us try to rescue her.’
‘Or avenging her death,’ Cleo pointed out. ‘Because she could be dead, right?’
I gritted my teeth. ‘Thanks for the reminder, kitty. I just wish I knew for sure what it was that’s keeping Hopeless Hollow the way it is. I’m guessing it’s because nothing grows there, so the flowers haven’t been able to disperse the magic of the soil like everywhere else. If we could bottle the air there …’ I let out a despondent sigh. ‘But I don’t see how we can do that.’
Ned chewed thoughtfully on the end of the turnip biscuit she’d taken from Moonstone Farm. ‘I’ll try to think of a way. And when I go out on the canal tonight, that should help things, too. But between now and the morning, we should get at least a couple of the residents out of there while they’re still themselves. The Strange Society have Elvira now. It’s only a matter of time before everyone in Hopeless Hollow is affected.’
I grinned. ‘I like that you’re using my new name for the super-group.’
‘Don’t look so proud.’ Cleo inclined her big blue eyes to the ceiling. ‘It’s a terrible name. You didn’t even try. They should be the Strange-lock Society to encompass the two evil organisations. Or just the Dummy Demon Worshippers if we want to be literal about it. Or–’
Ned shook her head, interrupting what I’m sure would have been another amazing name suggestion from Cleo. ‘It’s a minute to midnight, guys. The Cacklers will be in place by now. Time to see what Hal has to say for himself.’
Cautiously, I eased open the Other Door. The alley outside was quiet, but I knew that the Cacklers were somewhere in the shadows, invisible. As I looked around to see where Hal was, that old familiar tingle was creeping along my limbs. Something was wrong out here, and it wasn’t just the fact that there were half a dozen powerful witches in hiding.
I glanced at my watch. It was just past midnight and no sign of Hal. Staring around, growing itchier and itchier, I began to panic. There was something on the other side of one of the alley’s large metal bins, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it was.
I readjusted the waistband of my jeans (in my mind I was pulling my big-girl trousers on) and edged closer to the bins. I kept my wand at the ready, just in case.
Whatever it was, it was slack, bent over some bags of rubbish that had fallen from the bins and onto the ground. My stomach heaved with knowledge. That wasn’t an it. He was Hal – or at least he used to be when he was alive.
A few feet away, Elspeth and the other Cacklers materialized, and together we approached the body. ‘I don’t understand,’ said Elspeth in a worried whisper. ‘We were watching him. Hal. He was here, about to knock on your door, and the next second …’
‘The next second he was out of our sight,’ finished Fiona, another Cackler.
With a heavy heart I stared down at him. Hal was pale as milk, with two distinct marks on his neck, and a dribble of blood where the fangs had penetrated.
I could hear the Other Door creaking open, and I turned to see Ned and Cleo peeping out. I nodded and they ran towards us.
‘A vampire did this,’ Fiona said with sombre certainty. ‘Do you think …?’
‘You’re asking if we think it was Jay, aren’t you?’ I staggered back against the wall of our building, finding it difficult to breathe.
‘No way.’ Ned shook her head furiously. ‘No way would Jay do this. He’s kind and thoughtful. Even if he were hypnotised by Elvira he wouldn’t murder someone.’
Elspeth’s eyes were filled with tears and sympathy. ‘I’m sorry Nedina. Believe me, I understand how you feel. I knew Jay the last time the Old Ones attempted to return. I was young then, but I remember him well, and he was kind and thoughtful, just like you say. But … this could only have been him. Whoever it was moved quick as lightning, because we didn’t even see them. We saw Hal waiting, and then he was out of our sight in the blink of an eye. Katy came out then, and I think Hal was already dead by that time.’
‘There was no noise at all,’ Fiona added. ‘And it must have taken less than a second to entirely drain him. There are few vampires with the power for that.’
I squeezed Ned’s hand and pulled her close, feeling her body shake. We knew by now that Ned’s feelings for my ex had nothing to do with a potion, but I hadn’t realised just how deep they went. ‘It’s okay,’ I whispered. ‘We’ll get him back. It wasn’t his fault, okay?’
‘Either way, this sucks,’ said Cleo, rubbing up against Ned’s legs. ‘Sorry – accidental pun.’
Ned scooped her familiar into her arms. ‘That was a terrible pun,’ she said in a sniffling voice. ‘Totally inappropriate, Cleo.’
Cleo gave her witch a guilty little smile. ‘I know. I’m sorry. But hey – at least it was better than Eva’s “cold as ice” pun, right? Right?’
20. The Sweet, Sweet Stench of Ignorance
It didn’t seem like a good idea to hang around near poor Hal’s dead body, so we phoned the Wayfarers (we had to leave a message – presumably they were having far too much fun frolicking in the fountain) and left the area.
Cullen was still doing whatever it was that warlocks did together. I imagined it was something along the lines of smoking cigars and discussing how warlocks were awesome and witches were the worst, but I could have been wrong. So, while the Cacklers headed to Hopeless Hollow, Ned and I went out on the canal. We took the little boat from the Deep, Deep Down Below – we had to head in and out that way anyway, as the Cacklers’ house was still on lockdown, with no other entrance open. Ned and I spent some frighteningly claustrophobic moments waiting for the lock to let us into the canal. Thankfully, there were no canal kraken to be seen.
Cleo stayed curled up on a blanket, shivering with fear but pretending to be brave. ‘I’m not afraid of water,’ she insisted. ‘It’s just that this canal is incredibly dirty.’
Ned gently stroked the cat’s fur. ‘It is dirty, you’re right.’ She squared her shoulders. ‘Right, it’s not going to look like I’m doing much, and I can’t really explain it to you either, but my mother told me it takes a lot of energy until you get used to it. So Katy, do you think you can handle the oars by yourself?’
‘Of course.’ I grinned with feigned confidence. ‘I have so much upper body and core strength that it’s scary. Oh, and if that runs out, Eva taught me a Strength-Spurt spell.’ I grabbed her oar and took over the rowing. Even with Eva’s spell it was difficult – the water in the canal felt as thick as custard, but it didn’t smell nearly as sweet. But I took a leaf out of Cleo’s book and pretended I hadn’t a care in the world.
Ned was right. It really didn’t look as if she was doing much. Her fingers moved just slightly, and I could see by the way that she held herself that she was definitely using a lot of energy, but it wasn’t until she started singing the song that I could see the fruits of her effort.
‘Be very very ware of the Old Ones
Do every every thing to keep them down
Oh never never never say the Old Ones
In case the sly old demons come to town.’
Being close to Ned as she sang was a very different experience than watching the now-dead Minnie had been. There really was something odd about the tune and, even though I now knew the words, it was rather difficult to concentrate on them. There was no mistaking the effect the words and the miniscule finger-movements had, though. I smelled it before I saw it – the vapour, rising from the canal, so thick that I felt it coat my hair and enter my pores.
Instantly, my mind grew fuzzy, and I had difficulty holding onto the reason I was rowing. But after one or two dicey moments and a harsh ‘Get with it, dumbo!’ from Cleo, I was soon back in control.
The oddest thing of all was how happy I was to smell the stink coming off the water. I wasn’t delighted by the smell itself, obviously, but at what that horrible fog was capable of. Sure, until the war was won, Angelica and the warlocks would still have the upper hand – they had Elvira, after all.
But between now and tomorrow morning, I was going to enjoy the brief but beautiful period of time before Elvira got to correct things. For the next few hours, this vapour was going to quash down the memories of the Old Ones. It was going to make people forget them once more. And in that time, everyone in this enclave would get to enjoy the sweet, sweet stench of ignorance.
≈
When we got back, the Cacklers didn’t have good news. They had been to Hopeless Hollow, but the convenience store owner who I’d seen chucking his flowers away had already disappeared, and nearly all the other residents were participating in a meeting at the Golden Age Café.
Dolly and Clarissa had come, though, and they were currently snoring in one of the Cacklers’ dorm rooms. The enormous spider was sleeping in a bunk bed instead of a web, which was something of a relief – the house already had far too many spider webs for my liking.
Ned, Cullen and me would also be spending the night in that same dorm, so I just had to hope that Clarissa continued snoozing instead of spinning. There were three spare beds left, and Ned took one just below one of the Cacklers, while Cleo curled up in her arms.
I stared at the last two beds, then back at Cullen. I was relieved to see him back from his meeting with the warlocks, but I was also incredibly glad that he’d gone. Just as I’d predicted, they had spent the majority of the time smoking cigars and insulting witches, but they’d also taken a trip to the mansion where tomorrow’s party was being held. While they were there, Cullen had seen Angelica leaving one of the rooms with a tray of unfinished food. Given that the food was turnip mash and a lamb chop (Jude’s favourite, according to Eva) it seemed like real proof that she was at the house.
I should have been throwing my arms around him in relief, but instead I was shuffling awkwardly, wishing there was somewhere else for him to sleep.
