Witchy Dreams

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Delightful,” Jack intoned, exchanging a quick glance with me. “Was it just the two of them?”

  “You mean doing it?” The expression on Christy’s face reflected bafflement. “I don’t think they ever all did it together.”

  “Not that.” Jack tugged on his patience as he forced his smile to remain serene. “Did Penny have relations with anyone else?”

  “Oh, that.” Christy nodded. “Just one more that I heard of, but I’m not sure if that’s really the end of the list. She seemed determined to snag her a man, so I think she was spreading herself thin trying to find one. She didn’t even care that all of the guys she was sleeping with were friends in high school.”

  “Why was she so determined to catch a man?” I asked, knitting my eyebrows when she mentioned all of the men being old friends. That seemed a bit … incestuous, at least in a small town way.

  “Because she needed one to take care of her.” Christy acted as if I had asked a stupid question.

  “But … .”

  Jack sent me an imperceptible headshake before returning his attention to our new friends. “Who else was Penny dating?”

  “Jim Green,” Kelly supplied. “He’s the head of security.”

  “Here?”

  Kelly nodded.

  “So you’re telling me that Penny dated three men from this resort and they all had limited power,” Jack mused, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “They all used to be friends, too,” I reminded him. I couldn’t let go of that part of the story. It seemed to make things somehow more sick and twisted.

  “That’s him over there,” Kelly noted, pointing to a man in an expensive suit standing by a set of bay windows on the other side of the sitting area.

  “He’s probably trying to figure out who we are,” Jack mused, looking the man up and down. Jim Green had slicked-back hair and something of an oily demeanor. You could tell from forty feet away that he thought he was more important than the rest of the workers he conversed with as they passed by.

  “Why was she so obsessed with dating men at this resort?” I asked, remembering we were in the middle of an interrogation.

  “Look around,” Christy prompted. “The only people in this area who have money are the guests at the resort or the people who make decent money at the resort. If you want a comfortable life, you don’t have many options.”

  Jack nodded. “In your opinion – and I swear I’ll keep this to myself, so don’t worry about that – would any of Penny’s boyfriends had the drive to kill her if he found out she was cheating on him?”

  Christy shrugged, seemingly unbothered by the question. “They all seem pretty lame, but you never know. Like we said, they’re all friends. If we knew about Penny sleeping with all of them, odds are they knew, too. You just never know what people think and feel about each other if they’re determined to hide their feelings.”

  “No, you never know,” Jack agreed, forcing his smile back in place. “Thank you so much for your time, ladies. You’ve been a big help. You’ll never know how much.”

  I WAITED until we were back on the loading dock – Jim Green keeping an eye on us and making me uncomfortable until we disappeared down the employee hallway – to voice the obvious question.

  “What do you think this means?”

  “I think it means that three men had motive to kill Penny and it’s a lot more believable that it was one of them rather than Bigfoot.”

  “Sasquatch,” I automatically corrected.

  Jack wrinkled his nose. “Whatever. We need to keep asking around, maybe even talk to these men. One of them has to be the guilty party.”

  “That makes sense in theory,” I admitted. “It’s just … whoever killed her had to think fast on his feet to get her out in the woods and fake a monster attack. Do you really think anyone working at a resort for a living would have the fortitude to do that?”

  “That depends on if the murder was planned beforehand or heat of the moment,” Jack answered, not missing a beat. “If it was planned, everything might’ve been in place long before Penny died.”

  “I hadn’t even considered that,” I admitted. “If it was planned, that means one of Penny’s boyfriends could’ve found out about the others and plotted against her.”

  “I think that’s the best scenario for us to work with. Come on. Let’s see what else we can find out … and where is Millie? If she’s naked with one of those guys I’m going to lose it.”

  That sounded like it had the potential to be fun – at least for me.

  Nine

  We managed to get out of the resort without Landon, Terry and Bay seeing us. I did see Bay, though. She stood at a set of large windows, frowning out at the heavily wooded area that surrounded the resort’s far west side. She seemed lost in thought, almost as if she was looking at something only she could see. Landon moved up behind her, slipping his arm around her waist and whispering something to her. She smiled, nodded, and then they disappeared toward the lobby.

  The sight of them was enough to spur Jack to movement. He insisted it was time to go. I balked, thinking he meant to leave Millie, but she was prowling the loading dock when we found her. She waited until we were in the Tahoe to speak.

  “Apparently Penny Schilling slept with anything that moved – and maybe even a few things that didn’t.”

  Jack arched an eyebrow as he navigated the road that led away from the resort. “We found that out, too. She apparently had three boyfriends.”

  “She had three older men she was trying to make boyfriends out of,” Millie clarified. “She wasn’t picky when she wanted a night of fun … and apparently the younger demographic at this place likes to have a lot of fun.”

  Jack was flummoxed. “What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying they have orgies and stuff?”

  Millie snorted, amused. “You’ve got a dirty mind, boy. I like it.”

  “I didn’t say I was a fan of orgies.”

  “I am.” Millie made the announcement with a sparkle in her eyes and a smirk curling her lips. She clearly liked messing with Jack, and surprisingly enough, he wasn’t opposed to her antics. “They don’t have orgies, though. What they do have is outdoor parties where the younger crowd groups together to drink before separating for a little one-on-one action, if you know what I mean.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

  “I think everyone knows what you mean,” I said dryly, but intrigued. “Do you know where they have these parties?”

  “They jump around,” Millie explained. “In the winter, they use some of the vacant big rooms in the conference section of the resort. When it gets warmer – in the spring and late fall – they use the cart barn. I had to ask what that was. Apparently it’s where they keep the golf carts during inclement weather.”

  “Yeah, I pointed that building out when we first arrived,” Jack noted.

  “I was barely listening because I found the conversation was boring,” Millie said. “In the later spring and summer, as soon as it’s warm enough, they move the party outside. Apparently there’s a lot of property up that way … .” She waved vaguely as we passed a private road with an automated gate. “They go up there quite a bit.”

  “How do they get past the security system?” Jack asked, eyeing the locked gate.

  “They know the ambulance codes.”

  “Ah, well, that makes sense.” Jack was thoughtful. “Where are they partying up there?”

  “My understanding is that their favorite spot is the eighteenth green of the golf course,” Millie replied. “It’s accessed through a short trail. Nobody ever busts them out there because the cops can only go past the gate if there’s an emergency. Also, the head of security apparently knows and doesn’t care as long as they don’t tear anything up. He’s even joined them a time or two.”

  “What about homeowners in that area?” Jack pressed. “Wouldn’t they call the cops if they heard something?”

  “I guess that’s the only part of the golf cours
e that doesn’t have condos looking out over it,” Millie replied. “The kids explained it to me. The course starts by the cart barn thing and then winds all the way around, ending behind that gate.”

  “Well, you never have to worry about young people not being able to find a place to party,” Jack mused. “What did they say about Penny?”

  “Just that she wasn’t the discriminating sort and slept her way through half the bellboy staff, the entire maintenance staff and some of the kitchen staff. She was looking forward to greeting the seasonal summer staff in a few weeks.”

  Jack exchanged a quick look with me in the rearview mirror. “I feel kind of ashamed we only stumbled over the three older men while we were questioning people.”

  “According to the guys unloading that truck – who were very hot and sweaty, by the way – Penny was focused on those men above all else,” Millie said. “I wrote their names down.”

  “Shane Norman, Bob Grimes and Jim Green?”

  “Those would be the ones.” Millie shot Jack a gaze full of grudging respect. “You have a good memory.”

  “Yes, well, I wrote down their names, too, so it’s not exactly as if I’m magic,” Jack teased.

  I remained mostly silent in the back seat, something bothering me. “If Penny was really sleeping with all of those men, odds are that a human killed her because of jealousy.” I meant to think the sentence instead of utter it, but my mouth often gets ahead of me.

  “I think a human did kill her,” Jack said, his eyes cloudy. “Does that bother you?”

  “Well, I would be lying if I said it wouldn’t be more interesting if Bigfoot killed her,” I admitted. “It’s just … we’re here for the paranormal angle. Will we leave because it’s clear a human probably killed her?”

  “No.” Jack shook his dark head. “Right now we believe a human killed her, but have no idea who did the deed. Unfortunately the suspect list is bound to be massive. We cannot rule out anything until we find her murderer.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means that Chris will continue doing what he does until the cops tell him otherwise,” Millie replied, a fond smile curving her lips. “He’s a good boy – I’ve loved him his entire life – but he gets tunnel vision. He’s so desperate for it to be an undiscovered beast that he’ll refuse to see the truth until he has no other choice.”

  “Will we tell him what we’ve found?” I was still unsure how the group worked.

  Jack nodded. “I’ll tell him. He’ll immediately tell me that just because she had multiple boyfriends doesn’t mean Bigfoot isn’t the culprit. I’ll argue that the odds aren’t good for his scenario. Then we’ll agree to keep working until the truth comes out.”

  “I guess that makes sense.” I scratched my cheek as I leaned my temple against the window. “I want to do some research on this area. I’m curious about the Dog Man stories.”

  “And I want to pull up a map of the resort and run a search on the men from the resort,” Jack said. “I’m thinking we can probably do both at the library.”

  I knew he was right, but still … . “I want to check the newspaper archives, too. They might have old stories about Dog Man sightings in the area.”

  Jack’s eyes were filled with curiosity when I met them in the mirror. “What?”

  “Nothing.” Jack seemed conflicted. He shook his head more decisively. “If you want to go to the newspaper office, I don’t see why you can’t.”

  “Thanks so much for your permission, Dad,” I said dryly.

  “No problem.” Jack forced a wan smile. “Next stop Hemlock Cove. Let’s see what we can come up with, shall we?”

  I GRABBED a coffee from the bakery and sat at a table that overlooked the newspaper office as I waited for Bay to return. A lovely woman named Mrs. Gunderson saw where my attention was focused and offered me a small grin when she circled around to top off my mug.

  “Are you looking for Bay?”

  The question caught me off guard. “I’m hoping to look through her archives, but I believe she’s off with the police chief and an FBI agent.”

  “Landon and Chief Terry?”

  I was used to living in bigger cities, so the fact that everyone knew everyone in Hemlock Cove was something I was still trying to wrap my head around. “Yes. You know them?”

  “I’ve known Terry since he was a boy,” Mrs. Gunderson explained. “Landon is a more recent transplant, but he fits in well. He and Bay are cute together.”

  “Do you know Bay well?” I figured it was risky to ask questions about the Winchesters in a town this size, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

  “I’ve known Bay since she was a baby,” Mrs. Gunderson acknowledged. “She’s been running around town with her cousins ever since. They were quite the mischief makers as children – Tillie encouraged that so it wasn’t really their fault – but they’ve grown to be wonderful women.”

  “Do you find them … odd?”

  Mrs. Gunderson appeared amused by the question. She glanced around the bakery to make sure everyone was content and then sat in the open chair across from me. “What’s wrong? I was under the impression your group was staying at The Overlook. Are you fighting with the girls? If so, just avoid Thistle. She’s crabby, but has a heart of gold under all of that snark.”

  I wasn’t sure the “heart of gold” comment was accurate, but I could hardly argue the point. “Do you know what my group does?” Gossip was a way of life in small towns, so I couldn’t stop myself from wondering what kind of whispers were being spread about the foundation.

  “You people try to prove whether or not something strange is afoot.”

  Mrs. Gunderson’s response sounded so well-rehearsed I couldn’t help but bark out a laugh. “Kind of. We’re here because my boss believes Bigfoot killed a woman named Penny Schilling. Did you know her?”

  “I didn’t know Penny, but I know her mother.”

  “That’s what Mrs. Winchester said.”

  “You’re talking about Tillie?”

  I nodded. “Do you know Tillie?”

  “We went to school together,” Mrs. Gunderson replied, choosing her words carefully. “There was a time we were very close. We’ve grown apart over the years, but I have a lot of respect for her.”

  “Because she’s odd?”

  “Because she’s loyal,” Mrs. Gunderson corrected. “I understand that from your perspective the Winchesters probably appear … persnickety. That’s simply the way they interact. They love each other terribly, and if something were to happen to one of them they would all fall apart.”

  I didn’t need to know the Winchesters better to figure that out for myself. “They’re hiding something.”

  I don’t know why I said it. Actually, I whispered it, to be more precise. I kept my gaze locked on Mrs. Gunderson’s kind eyes as I said it, gauging her reaction. Instead of balking and saying I was crazy or responding with gossip of her own, she chuckled and patted my hand.

  “Everyone has something they want to hide, my dear.” Mrs. Gunderson’s eyes were contemplative as they locked with mine. “I think even you have secrets you’re loath to share with anyone else.”

  That was definitely true, and still … . “You know what they’re hiding, don’t you?”

  “I know that the Winchesters are extremely loyal individuals and every single one of them is a hard worker,” Mrs. Gunderson replied. “If they have secrets – and everyone does – they’ve earned the right to keep them.”

  “That wasn’t a denial.”

  Mrs. Gunderson heaved a heavy sigh that told me her patience was wearing thin. “Charlotte … that’s your name, right? I believe that’s what I heard.”

  “Charlie. Everyone calls me Charlie.”

  “Charlie, I can see why someone in your unique position would look at the Winchesters and think there’s something to uncover there, but I promise you that you’re wasting your time,” Mrs. Gunderson said. “I’ve known Tillie a long time. She’s always been
eccentric. For example, did you know that about six months ago she took to ordering leggings online? Some of them were almost pornographic.”

  I didn’t know that, but the picture in my head was enough to make me smile. “How were they pornographic?”

  “Let’s just say there should be an age limit on leggings and leave it at that,” Mrs. Gunderson suggested, smiling. “When those girls were young, their fathers left. Their mothers wanted a good life for them, so they went to school and learned business so they could turn the old homestead into a bed and breakfast at first and then eventually an inn.”

  “That’s great. What happened to the fathers?”

  “They left town for a bit. Then they showed back up about a year or so ago,” Mrs. Gunderson answered. “They own a competing inn.”

  I widened my eyes, dumbfounded. “Really? Do Thistle, Clove and Bay see their fathers?” For some reason I was fascinated by the gossip.

  “They do, but I wouldn’t say the girls are close with their fathers,” Mrs. Gunderson said. “But they are all close with the man who stepped in and acted as their father for a number of years.”

  “Terry Davenport.” I knew it was the chief without wasting time on an internal debate. I shifted my eyes to the police station when I heard a car door slam and saw Bay, Chief Davenport and Landon exiting a police cruiser. Bay said something that had both men guffawing loudly. The look on the chief’s face when he smiled at her was definitely fatherly. “I should’ve figured that out myself. He was ordering Landon not to do anything dirty with her earlier.”

  “Yes, Landon and Terry have a unique relationship,” Mrs. Gunderson confirmed. “Despite all of that, Terry looks at Landon as a son.”

  “If Bay is his daughter, doesn’t that mean there’s a little incest going on?” I was going for levity, but Mrs. Gunderson didn’t look amused.