Mystic Secrets: A Supernatural Romance Sampler Box Set, page 6
Sophie grabbed her purse and scrambled out of the SUV, approaching the pair of women. “Excuse me.”
They stopped and turned back toward her. “Yes?” one of them said.
“I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful your dress is. Is it handmade?”
The woman dressed in black started to pull her friend away, but the woman in white shrugged her off. “Yes, it is.”
“Can you tell me where I can order one? I’d love to have one myself.”
Jack walked up beside her, his scowl not helping Sophie on her mission to pry information from the women. The one dressed in white hesitated, her gaze going back and forth between Sophie and Jack. Sophie slid her fingers through Jack’s and squeezed. “Don’t mind him. I think he was born with a scowl. He’s just my boyfriend.”
Jack coughed but recovered quick. He tossed his arm around her shoulder. “Sorry, I can’t take her anywhere. She makes friends wherever we go.”
The woman in white smiled. “I’m afraid you can’t order them. They’re made especially for my coven.”
“Your coven?” Jack asked.
“Yes.”
“Come on, Beatrice.” Her friend grabbed her arm. “You’ve said too much.”
“I’m sorry. We have to go,” Beatrice explained before walking off, her Mystic bag swinging as it dangled from her fingers.
Jack dropped his arm from her shoulder. “Do you want to tell me what that was all about?”
Sophie’s heartbeat quickened, and she grinned. “I’ve already figured out more in five minutes than your department did during three months of investigation.”
Jack stared at her in disbelief, as if he hadn’t figured the connection. “How do you figure?”
“That dress isn’t sold on the market. That dress is the same one the victim was wearing. That dress design is specifically for her coven. I guess that means I win.”
His lips parted. She left him standing on the sidewalk staring off at the woman who had walked away. With more bounce in her step, she walked into the store. Arriving at the store at the exact time those women were leaving was divine intervention. She mulled it around in her mind. The new possibilities might just be worth considering.
The smoke from the burning incense sitting on the counter drifted heavy in the air. The fragrances overwhelmed her when she walked in, the heady smells suffocating and overpowering.
“May I help you?” the woman behind the counter asked.
Sophie shook her head. “No thank you. I’m just looking.”
The bell above the door rang, and she watched as Jack pointed to Sophie, indicating he was with her. He stepped up next to her as Sophie picked up a purple stone from a basket labeled Worry Stones and ran her thumb across the smooth surface.
“I thought we were here to ask questions, not shop,” Jack whispered in her ear.
“We are,” she whispered back and moved farther around the perimeter. Candles with hand-written inscriptions and spells for love, prosperity, and luck filled the shelves, along with a basket of jade Buddha’s. Metaphysical books lined the shelves, books on everything from spirits and paranormal to palm reading and past life regressions. Sophie ran her fingers over the spines. She turned around to the display case behind her and couldn’t help but grin. Sitting on the display was another basket of the stick looking bundles that she’d seen in her vision, the same pieces that were crumbled, laying around the body in the picture.
Sophie picked one up one of the bundles labeled sage and the purple worry stone and carried them to the register. She laid them on the counter. The woman gave her a curious look. “You’re new. I can see that you’re just developing the senses.”
Sophie grinned while Jack looked on. “It’s my aura, isn’t it? I really should look into how to hide it.”
“You can’t hide that. It’s a part of you.” The lady smiled, picked up the purchases, and rang them up. She reached beneath the counter and pulled a stone that looked like a clear crystal. “You’re going to need one of these too.”
Sophie picked it up and held it up to the sun streaming in through the windows. “Really? What does this do?”
“It’s for protection.” Her gaze flew to Jack, and her brows dipped before the smile returned to her lips.
“Can I ask you a question?” Sophie pulled out her credit card and handed it over.
“Sure.”
She held up the sage bundle. “What does this do?”
The woman pulled open a drawer behind her and took out an information sheet. “That has a ton of uses, and you should keep it in stock.”
“Oh?”
“You can take this with you.” She handed the paper over to Sophie. “It will explain everything you need to know.”
“Thanks.”
“Soph—” Jack started, but she nudged him under the counter.
She picked up a business card on the table for a Madame Helena. It boasted psychic readings and medium abilities and tarot, among the few services offered. Sophie held it up. “Does she work here?”
The woman shook her head. “No, she works out of her home. We haven’t had a medium on site since Valerie disappeared.”
Sophie slid the card into her purse. The moment the words left the woman’s mouth, she could see Jack’s interest peak.
“Disappeared? What happened to her?” Jack asked. He looked as if he was registering the information and it was starting to make sense.
“No one really knows. She was here one day and never returned. I guess she left town.”
Sophie shoved her credit card back into her purse and grabbed her bag. She entwined her fingers with Jack’s and tried to ease him out of the store. “Thank you for your time.”
He pulled her to a stop. “Did you file a missing persons report?”
The lady looked confused. “No. Valerie was kind of flighty. We all just figured she left since she came into some money or had that she had made amends with her family. Even as young as she was, she talked about moving and retiring, of all things. We were all kind of surprised, considering her parents never approved of her abilities.”
Jack pulled out one of his cards and handed it to the lady. “She came into some money?”
“An inheritance.” The clerk tapped her chin before she shrugged. “I don’t recall her telling me who died. She was just excited for an easier life.”
“If you can think of anything else, or if she changes her mind and comes back, could you give me a call?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you.” Sophie held up her bag and started pulling Jack out of the store.
They slid back into the SUV and he started the engine, but they sat there while it idled. “Who the hell is Valerie, and how is she tied to Marilyn?”
Sophie pressed her lips together while debating exactly how much to tell him. “I assume they’re one in the same.” She pulled the card out of her purse and handed it to him. “If I had to guess, Marilyn didn’t use her real name just like this Madame Helena doesn’t either.”
He turned to her. “How did you figure all of this out?”
She shrugged. “The receipt found in her apartment was from Mystic and the stuff around her body was sage. I had a gut feeling.”
He gestured toward the store. “Are you into this stuff? The books at your apartment, the purchases”—he gestured toward her bag— “and just what did the lady mean about you coming into your abilities? What was that about?”
Sophie pressed her lips together and twisted her fingers. What could she tell him when she didn’t understand it herself? Would he believe her or think she was nuts? “How about we get a drink later and I’ll try and explain what I can?”
“Are you asking me out on a date, Sophie?”
She rolled her eyes. “In your dreams, stud. Either you want to know or you don’t. It’s that simple.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.” His lips curled up in a smile. “Feel free to wear that dress.”
Chapter 6
He hovered in the shadows between the red brick buildings. A quick glance at his watch indicated the women would be leaving on time. The witches walked out only minutes later than usual, but even those minutes might screw up his plans for later that night. Today she was going to die.
The damn shop should be burned to the ground. Freaks shopped there, and every one of them deserved to die. He pulled out his pocketknife and flipped it open, digging at the dirt beneath his nails. The sharp blade wouldn’t do much damage, but it was always within reach. A quick slice of the wrist or a shove in the chest would slow the fuckers down. It always did. His eyes narrowed when he spotted the two women leaving, each carrying a bag of supplies. He knew their routine. Knew where they were heading next, and he should. He’d been watching them for a damn month. He was doing the world a favor. The citizens of Easton should give him a damn award for the service he performed. These women were all liars. Well, not anymore, not in this fucking town.
He watched the SUV pull up, and a blonde jump out from the passenger side. She stopped the two women in his sights. Words were exchanged. He flipped his knife closed, squeezing the metal into his palm. The bitch was going to ruin everything that he’d set in place. He wiped the sweat beaded on his brow. His plan to take the girl was screwed the longer they chatted. He leaned against the building, the bricks pressing into his back. He folded his arms over his chest and waited. He knew they were fishing, that they wouldn’t find anything. He’d left no trace, no idea of who he was or why he was killing these freaks of nature.
The blonde from the SUV walked into the store. It was only a matter of time before she emerged. What he hadn’t been expecting was that she was carrying a fucking bag when she left. His heart raced with the implication. Was she one too?
“Fuck,” he uttered as he turned to walk farther up the alley and out to where his car was parked. He hit the roof of his car. His hand throbbed in response. He slid behind the wheel. No matter. Time would tell if she needed to die. It didn’t matter who she was. “Damn.”
He checked to see if the gloves and mask were in his glove box. He’d need them tonight. The urge to just run all of them over with his car rode him hard. He gripped the wheel and took a deep breath as he eased out of the parking lot, reminding himself there was a time and place for all of this. In the afternoon, on Main Street, wasn’t it. They were smart, but he was smarter. He always was.
****
Jack pulled into the parking lot of the little apartments. Curiosity overrode his desire to not get involved. After working all day with her, he’d come to like her, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. He wiped his palms on his jeans and took a deep breath. The possibility of getting fired was getting closer to becoming his reality, and the fact that he was going to have a drink with her was evidence that he’d about given in. What the hell had he been thinking? He’d been thinking of her in that red dress, her wits and enthusiasm for wanting to solve the case. He was intrigued, and being intrigued was going to get him screwed one way or the other.
He stepped out of the SUV and walked up to the door. A little old lady with white hair was sitting outside her door on her little makeshift porch. She watched his every move like a hawk. “Good evening.”
“Hmm,” she responded.
He rang the doorbell and waited for his future to unfold. When she answered, he couldn’t help but laugh. Gone was the red dress from earlier, replaced with a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
“What’s so funny?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “Not a thing. Are you ready?”
She grabbed her purse from the little table and followed him out, pulling the door closed behind her. “Shouldn’t you lock that?”
Sophie smiled and waved to the old lady next door. “Not with her around. She’s like a vicious watchdog.”
Jack glanced back over his shoulder. “She doesn’t look vicious. Are you sure?”
“Well, she is when she isn’t napping. When she takes her nap, the apocalypse could happen and she wouldn’t hear a thing,” Sophie said, sliding into her seat.
****
Sophie pulled her door closed and took a deep, calming breath while waiting on Jack. She’d seen him in jeans before. What she wouldn’t give to have him stripped bare. Even if the man wasn’t interested in her, it was okay if she was in lust. After tonight’s talk, it wouldn’t matter one way or the other. He’d never look at her in the same light again.
A quick ten-minute drive and they pulled into a little bar she’d never been to before. A gentleman, the age her father had been when he died, was standing behind the bar, a dingy white rag tossed over his shoulder. The television was propped up in the corner with the news on. The dimly lit establishment hinted at secrets held between its walls. The two men sitting at the bar glanced their way when the wind from the parking lot blew in through the open door where they stood. She recognized one of the guys immediately and started to wave when Jack took her hand and pulled her farther into the dark little bar. “Isn’t that—”
“Yes.” He picked a small round table farthest away from the bar and pulled out her chair. He stood behind her, his hands on her arms and leaned down. “White wine or something with an umbrella?”
She shook her head. “Beer, please.”
He nodded and was gone only moments before he returned with two longnecks in one hand and a frosted mug in the other. “I wasn’t sure if you needed a glass.”
She smiled. “The bottle’s fine, thanks.”
She took the beer while he sat down. She laid her elbows on the sticky table before quickly removing them from the wood and resting them in her lap. The place needed a good cleaning. Maybe if things didn’t work out for her at the precinct, she could talk the owner into hiring her at the bar.
Jack sat down in the chair next to hers, giving him a clear view of the bar and the door.
“Isn’t that—”
Jack nodded. “Kingston. Yes, he comes in here often.”
“Oh.” Sophie tilted her head. “Does he have a drinking problem?”
Jack leaned his elbows on the table and took a swig of his beer. “I think he comes in here to forget. He hasn’t been the same since the accident.”
Sophie turned away from staring at Kingston’s back and let her gaze fall on Jack. “What accident?”
Jack leaned back into his chair; his gaze directed on the officer at the bar. “His wife was killed in a car accident. By the time they reached the hospital, she and the unborn baby were dead. It just about killed him.” He nodded toward the bar. “This is how he copes when he’s not at work.”
Sophie paused with her beer to her mouth. Her heart fell into her stomach. “That poor guy. I couldn’t imagine having to deal with a loss like that.”
Jack swung his chair around toward her, ignoring everything and everyone in the bar. “Okay, so start talking.”
Sophie licked her lips and took a sip of her beer. “I guess I should start at the beginning.”
“That sounds as good a place as any.”
She twisted the napkin that he’d brought with her beer, tearing it into little shreds as she gathered her nerve. “You have to promise not to interrupt me until I’m done.”
His brow raised a fraction. “I’ll try my best.”
“I’ve seen your best. Try harder.” Sophie took a swig of her beer for liquid courage.
She opened her mouth and blurted the whole series of events out. From her trip to Salem, the psychic’s predictions, the warnings, the little bottles of liquid the charm lady gave her, the vision, the male’s voice that only she can hear. When she finally came up for a breath, his face remained unreadable, his beer drained, and he was silent.
“Say something.”
He got up and walked over to the bar, leaving her to question his reaction. Did he think she needed a white jacket and a padded room? He returned minutes later carrying two shot glasses. He set one down in front of her and retook his seat. He downed the clear liquid and pushed the little glass aside. “So let me get this straight.”
She held up her finger, stilling his statement. She put the shot glass to her lips and threw her head back downing the liquor inside. The vodka burned like fire as it slid down her throat. Her eyes watered as she tried to stifle her cough. “Okay, go ahead.”
“Are you telling me that you think you can talk to the dead?”
She shrugged. “I told you everything that’s happened. I’m not claiming anything besides the truth as I know it.”
“That’s vague.”
She leaned back in her chair. “Sorry, stud, that’s all I’ve got. That’s how I knew she also went by Valerie and, since I’m being honest here, I haven’t told my brother yet. I’m waiting until I can wrap it up in a nice little package. I don’t know what’s going on with me and, until I have answers, I’d like to keep it that way.”
She leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table, ignoring the stickiness. “I didn’t ask for this. I don’t even want this, but it looks like I’m stuck with it.”
He leaned forward and took her hand in his. The contact confused her, or was that the vodka talking? His calloused palms were warm to the touch as he slid his thumbs over the top of her hand in a gentle motion. “Soph, maybe we should get you checked out. You hit your head–”
She snatched her hand from his, ignoring the momentary lapse of judgment she’d just had seconds ago. “I’m not…” she said louder than necessary. The rest of the bar turned around to look at her. “…crazy,” she said in a lower voice. “Look, I didn’t expect you to believe me, and I honestly don’t care if you do, but I felt obligated to tell you. There are going to be times during our investigation that I’m going to know stuff or ask stuff that isn’t in the file.”
“Oh no, we aren’t investigating.” He shook his head several times in quick succession.
Sophie narrowed her eyes to slits. “Don’t even think about backing out of our deal. You promised.”
“That was before I knew.”
