The Witching Hour: 11 Enchanting Novels Featuring Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Shifters, Ghosts, Fae, and More!, page 32
“No. I refuse to believe he would do that. Ralph’s not a killer. We have to tell Delia about Rachel. She’s on her way. Until she gets here, I guess we just wait.” I could call her but since she was coming back, it seemed easier to wait. The matter was getting entirely too convoluted, entirely too quickly.
A thought struck me. “Franny, I know you can’t go outside, but by any chance were you looking out the back window last night? Did you see anybody out there? Maybe the person who attacked Rose?”
She moved to the window, looking out. “Just because I’m a ghost doesn’t mean I have spectacular vision. Nor does it mean that I’m always spying on everybody.” But then, she let out a long sigh. “No, I didn’t notice anything. I wish I had. I liked Rose. She was sweet and polite to me.” Franny sounded wistful. “Do you think she might come back here as a ghost? I haven’t seen her but that doesn’t mean she won’t wake up pretty soon.”
“I hope to hell not. The coven will hold a ceremony for her so she’s free to move on.”
Franny shrugged. “I have to admit, since you bought the house, at least I’ve had people to talk to. Aegis wouldn’t talk to me at all before you got here. He tried to pretend that I didn’t exist. The same with Rachel. But you…you acknowledge my presence.”
I winced, thinking it wasn’t possible for her to sound any lonelier.
“That’s because you’re the best house ghost I could hope for.” I forced a smile. “Thanks to you, we know about Rachel, even if we don’t know where to find her.” I stopped myself. Franny wasn’t an oracle, and she wasn’t a crystal ball and I didn’t want to make her feel guilty. Guilt like that usually didn’t do anybody any good. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I know very well that you aren’t here to keep track of everything that happens. And I’m sorry you had to spend so many years alone.”
Franny moved over to sit on the banquette. At least, she did a good job of appearing like she was sitting down, though we could see the seat right through her. “That’s all right. I also realize that it’s hard for people to think of me as a real person. Get slapped with the label of ghost and people assume you have no feelings, or that you’re just some misty vaporous rerun.”
Sandy gave me a sideways glance. I could tell she was thinking what I was—Franny sorely needed friends, and maybe she had been such a pain in the ass because she was so lonely. “It must be very difficult going through your days as a spirit. Has anybody tried to free you before?”
Franny shrugged. “Oh yes, several times. But it seems that there’s something keeping me bound to the house. Nobody’s ever taken the time to figure out just what it is. And I certainly don’t know or I’d be gone by now.”
Curious, I asked, “What do you remember from your last days, and right after you…right after the accident?” Even though we all knew she was dead, saying it to her face felt wrong.
She closed her eyes, then wistfully said, “I remember telling my mother I wasn’t going to marry the man she had chosen for me. And then I ran to my room. I was reading a book. I did so love to read—it wasn’t new, but I hadn’t read it yet. I remember very well—the book was Clermont, by one of my favorite authors. Regina Maria Roche. She was a bestseller at the time, you know. Anyway, I was so wrapped up in the book that when the dinner bell rang, I continued to read as I headed downstairs. But I didn’t see that one of the serving girls had dropped a piece of coal on the stair and I stepped on it and tumbled down—all the way down.” She paused, wiping a hand across her eyes. “The staircase didn’t have a railing or carpet like it does now.”
I winced. The thought of tumbling down the stairs like that was horrifying. The staircase was steep, though wide.
“As I dropped my book and found myself falling, I remember being shocked—as though I had discovered some terrifying new thing and didn’t know what to make of it. After that, I remember one sharp pain, and then everything went black. I don’t know how long later, but I woke up and I was standing on the staircase, but nobody seemed to realize I was there.”
“That must have been horrible,” Sandy said.
Franny nodded. “It was. My mother…my grandmother and sisters…my father—they all ignored me when I tried to talk to them. I couldn’t go outside. When I went into the parlor I saw a casket, and there was my body in it. After that, it got misty again until I was standing in the kitchen and somebody else was there. The kitchen was different and I realized that I was dead, and that I was in the house but my family was gone.”
“What did you do?”
“I tried to contact the woman, but she couldn’t seem to see me. People came and went. The house changed hands several times. Some saw me and were afraid. Others saw me but couldn’t talk to me. Either way, until you moved in, I pretty much lived an isolated life. Afterlife?” She cocked her head. “Do you know why I’m trapped here? I’m not sure what waits beyond these walls, but I’d like to find out.”
I thought of what it must be like to be a ghost, trapped without anybody to talk to. Franny had an active and curious mind. She had died reading. The thought of her stuck without anything to do but able to remain as congenial as she was made me terribly sad.
“I don’t know why, but when I get things sorted out with Rose’s death, I’ll see what I can find out. Would you like that?” It felt like over the years somebody should have at least looked into it.
She clapped her hands. “Would you? Really? Oh, thank you, Maudlin. I take back every mean thing I thought about you because you wouldn’t paint the kitchen pink.” She paused. “Somebody’s coming up the front walkway. I’ll excuse myself, if you don’t mind.”
And, before I could say a word, she vanished.
It was Delia. She gave me a polite nod, then headed out to the back where she talked to her men and looked at the panpipes. A few minutes later, she came back inside and sat down at the kitchen table. “I suppose you’ve figured out who they belong to?”
“I saw, yes. Panpipes.”
“They’re engraved. Those things don’t come cheap.”
“Ralph’s?” I wanted her to say “No,” but she nodded.
“Yeah, they have his name on them. And they have blood on them. We’ll have it analyzed, but ten to one it’s Rose’s blood. I think we have our killer. And we have a motive.” She scuffed the toe of her boot on the floor. “I was hoping it wouldn’t be him. I’ve always liked Ralph, even though he and his brothers are hotheads.”
“I have more information for you to check out. I found out who the woman in the picture is.” I told her what Franny had said. “So, she’s got motive to hurt me, too. You should check Rose’s body for fang marks.”
“We beat you to it. Nothing. She was stabbed at close range and bled out from those wounds. Not a fang mark on her. No, I think her killer is someone who’s still alive.” Delia pushed herself to her feet. “Okay, I need to head to the station so I can question Ralph. I can’t know for certain, but I’m pretty sure you’re safe now.”
This was all moving a little too fast for my taste. “If Rachel was involved, she might still be after me.”
“There’s no evidence of a vampire attack on Rose. I can’t hunt down a vamp because she wants your boyfriend. We have no proof yet that Ralph was commissioned to steal your hair.”
“Why would he say that if it wasn’t true?”
“To throw suspicion off of himself and onto somebody else. If he wanted your hair to have a hex worked against you, it would make sense to say somebody paid him to do it when you caught him in the act.” She was beginning to look a little irritated and I realized she thought I was questioning her judgment.
“But how could he describe her in such detail?”
“He told you a blond pretty woman asked him. He threw in the idea that she might be a vampire—he didn’t know for sure. That’s vague enough to chalk up to coincidence. And when you showed him the picture, what better chance to divert the attention to somebody else?”
“But it doesn’t track—”
Sounding downright grumpy now, Delia stood, adjusting her jacket. “It tracks well enough for me to arrest him. I have to go. I advise you to remain cautious but don’t get paranoid. I’ll call you after I talk to Ralph. Meanwhile, steer clear of the Greyhoof brothers. They might all be in on this.” With a glowering frown, before I could say another word, she turned and headed out to the backyard to her forensics team, who was wrapping up their search.
I looked over at Sandy. “I know Ralph didn’t do it.”
“Okay. I’ll back you on that. But how are you going to prove it?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I guess I’ll wait to see what Ralph tells her and go from there. Meanwhile, I need to talk to Aegis about Rachel. How do I bring her up?”
The last thing I wanted was to start the ex-from-hell discussion. He knew about Craig, but I had purposely left things vague so that Aegis couldn’t decide my ex needed an etiquette lesson. I felt fine sending a whammy or two Craig’s way. But sending a vampire to do my dirty business was a whole different ball of wax.
I glanced at the clock. It was almost noon. The entire morning had been spent steeped in death, but my stomach was rumbling and I was feeling a little light-headed. The champagne hadn’t helped, either, although one glass barely tickled my nose.
“I need food. I’m tempted to go out to lunch but the news about Rose’s death has probably spread and I really don’t want to answer any questions.” I opened the fridge. “Want some eggs? I’m not much of a cook but I can fry an egg.”
“No, and neither do you. Let me take care of lunch.” Sandy pulled out her phone. “Alex, can you run over to the Clam Shack for me? We want two large orders of fish and chips. Bring them over to the Bewitching Bedlam—yes, Maddy’s place. Also, two side salads and two cups of clam chowder.” She paused. “Why not? Rolls sound good too. And love, if you could make that order stat, there’s a twenty-dollar tip in it for you.”
Alex was Sandy’s personal assistant. Sandy was independently wealthy. Her ex owned a four-star hotel and restaurant, and together, they had parlayed that into a chain of upscale eateries before Bart came out and found his soul mate in a twenty-two-year-old waiter.
After they divorced, the pair remained friends. Sandy was the CEO and on the board of directors of the corporation, and the divorce settlement was more than fair. She spent most of her time in private study and volunteering for several local charities. She also volunteered for the local literary foundation and ran book drives to buy new books for low-income children.
She tucked her phone back in her pocket. “Lunch is on the way. Now, why don’t you go wash your face and I’ll make us a couple of hot rum toddies.”
“Not all problems can be solved with a drink,” I said, but grinned. We had been party-hearty buddies for a long time and I didn’t foresee that stopping any time soon. “Make mine spiced, okay?”
As I retreated to the powder room, I thought about Ralph. Could he actually be behind Rose’s murder? Was he so mad at me that he would kill in order to save the Heart’s Desire Inn? But that didn’t make sense. Even if I cut into his business, he and his brothers offered plenty of services that I didn’t—and I never planned to. There were other hotels and motels on the island. It wasn’t like I was the only upstart. Ralph hadn’t gone off at them.
But—they weren’t just a hop and a skip from his inn. And what if his business was already on the decline? The economy didn’t offer as much incentive for travel lately. And suppose some of the Pretcom visitors were here on official business? It would look better to their superiors to stay at a respectable bed and breakfast than at what amounted to an orgiastic brothel. Really, when you got down to the core of matters, the Heart’s Desire was one giant lovely brothel for both men and women.
Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thoughts. There were too many variables. I needed to let it go until I knew more. And knowing more included finding out all I could about Rachel. A flash of jealousy raced through me. She was a gorgeous drop-dead blond bombshell. Somehow, I hadn’t thought of Aegis as preferring that type, but really, what did I know about his past?
Trying to wash away my worries, I splashed water on my face, taking care not to smear my eyeliner. As I headed back in to the kitchen, it struck me that the afternoon was going to feel like it lasted forever, with sunset a world away.
Alex brought our lunch and Sandy made me sit down to eat. I wanted to gobble down the food and then head over to the sheriff’s office to find out what was going on with Ralph, but Sandy sternly shook her finger at me and backed me into a chair.
Capitulating, I tried to relax and enjoy the food.
“I wonder if Delia took care of notifying Rose’s family yet.” Sandy poked at her fish with her fork.
“I hadn’t even thought about her family. That makes me feel horrible. I’m a selfish person, Sandy.” I felt like a heel. Here I was, concerned about how all this affected me when I should be thinking about Rose’s family. They had to be going through hell right now. “Should we call them?”
“I’d ask Delia first. We don’t want to spring it on them before they’ve been notified. We can go visit them afterward.” Sandy frowned as I pulled out my phone. “Put that away. We can ask her after lunch. Right now you just sit and eat and try to keep yourself from obsessing.”
“Easier said than done.” I glanced at the clock. It was almost one o’clock. “This sucks. The only thing I had to worry about the other day was what style sofa I should buy. Grand opening’s coming up in less than ten days and I still have to furnish half the house. Then one of our coven-mates is found murdered on my lawn, my boyfriend suddenly has an ex-girlfriend who might—or might not—be back in town and out to steal him back. And a bunch of horny satyrs are trying to shut down my business by badmouthing me all over the internet.”
“We could try to do a Divining spell on Miss Rachel. If you like.” Sandy cocked an eyebrow at me. I knew that look. She was egging me on.
“I like how you think.” I grinned at her. “We do have several hours before sunset, so we can’t very well ask Aegis for help right now. And Delia told us not to call her until she has something for us.” I popped a French fry in my mouth, contemplating the idea. The more I thought about it, the better it sounded. “Why not? What have we got to lose?”
Bubba leaped up on my lap. “Mrowf.”
I looked down at him, ruffling the fur on his head. “No, you cannot help.”
“M’rrow…m’rrow.” He was being awfully insistent, but the last thing we needed was a cjinn messing around with our magic. Our spells were volatile enough without his help.
“No, you are not allowed in Circle. Sorry, Bub, I love you but no matter how much you play the sympathy card, you’re not invited.”
“Mmmf.” He twitched his tail, flicking it hard against the table. Then, with a deliberately snide look at me, he stretched up so his front paws were by my plate, grabbed a piece of fish, and darted off my lap, racing around the corner into the living room.
“Hey—” I stopped. It wasn’t worth the chase. He’d have scarfed down the food before I could catch him, and it seemed a fair consolation prize.
“You spoil him.”
“If he was just a cat, yes, I’d say he’s spoiled. But remember, beneath that fuzzy smirk lies a very twisted sense of humor. Bubba likes getting his own way and when he doesn’t, he tries to find a way to repay you. A piece of stolen fish is a small price for refusing to let him in on our Circle. Now, if you’re serious about this, let’s finish lunch and get busy. It’s a whole lot better than just sitting around waiting.”
Casting a Divining spell didn’t offer too many chances for backfiring. Besides, I rather liked taking things into my own hands and the idea of being proactive was always high on my list.
We cleared away the dishes and headed into the parlor, where I shut the door to keep Bubba out. Sandy cleared off the coffee table while I gathered a white candle, a bowl of water that had been charged under the new moon, a crystal ball, and some sea salt. After we arranged everything, Sandy tossed a handful of the salt into the water while I touched the wick of the candle with my finger and whispered, “Light,” igniting a steady flame. Sandy cast a quick Circle to keep any astral eavesdroppers from peeking in, as I leaned over the bowl and blew across it.
Breath to water, water to mirror,
Bring that we seek to see so clear.
Sandy sat beside me, leaning in to watch. As the water began to churn into miniature waves throughout the crystal bowl, I brought the image of Rachel’s face to my mind and narrowed my attention, focusing only on her.
I seek to know all that I can,
About a specific woman.
Mirror, mirror, water-born,
Hear me and inform.
Then, letting out a long breath, I held my palm over the bowl. The water calmed into a smooth, glassy surface, reflective like any mirror. I pulled my hand back and we waited, watching for any sign of a message.
A moment passed, then another, before finally things began to shift. Rachel’s face formed in the water, and then vanished, followed by the image of an old gothic house on the other side of town. Both Sandy and I immediately recognized it.
I groaned. “I do not want to go there.”
“I don’t either.” Sandy frowned. “Ask the mirror if that’s the only chance we have to find out what we need.”
I frowned, trying to fit the question to a rhyme. The Divining spell worked in rhymes and only rhymes. You could make a near rhyme and get away with it, but if it wasn’t a poem, the mirror wouldn’t cough up any info.
Mirror, mirror, you show a house,
Is this the only route we can,
Find out about this louse,
Who once dated my man?
Sandy snorted. “Wow. Such eloquence.”
“I never claimed to be a poet. You make up something, if you don’t like it. Anyway, it’s not like we’re doing a formal incantation. Spells on the fly always come out wonk—” I stopped, motioning for her to be quiet. The mirror was stirring again, revealing yet another image. This time it was of a woman that both of us recognized and neither of us really wanted to see.
