“We were apart for ten years,” Maddie reminded her. “It was pure torture for both of us. Don’t we deserve a chance to put that behind us?”
“Sure.” Hannah was amiable as she bobbed her head. “The thing is, you guys seem pretty in tune with one another. I think you’ve already put the torture behind you.”
Rather than argue, Maddie heaved out a sigh. “I thought we would have more time.”
Hannah had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. “So, you think you’re pregnant, too.”
“I think it’s a possibility,” Maddie clarified. “I don’t know anything, and I really don’t want to talk about it right now. We’re supposed to be catching a murderer. Isn’t that where our focus should be?”
Hannah bobbed her head. “Absolutely.”
“So ... what are we doing out here?”
“Looking for a little guidance.” Hannah turned grim as they crested another hill and a small creek came into view. “And unfortunately there’s only one person I know to ask.”
Maddie followed Hannah’s gaze, frowning when she caught sight of a white-haired woman sitting on the opposite side of the creek, her feet resting in the water. “Is that ... ?”
Hannah nodded, resigned. “Astra.”
“I thought she was evil.”
“She is, but she’s also knowledgeable. Come on.” Hannah gestured for Maddie to follow. “Let’s get this over with.”
Astra was all smiles as they approached. She leaned back on her elbows and regarded the two women with a smug sneer. “You two look as if you belong in a Double Mint commercial.”
Hannah frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that you look like very blond twins.” Astra’s eyes narrowed as she regarded Maddie. “Not a witch,” she said after a beat.
“No,” Hannah agreed. “That means you have no reason to mess with her.”
“I can always find a reason.”
Hannah had no doubt that was true. “Just leave her alone and focus on me. I have a few questions.”
“I’m sure you do.” Astra’s smile turned sly. “I would’ve thought Cooper had already filled you in. He came to see me, by the way. He had some other hunk of burning love with him. I’ve never seen him before, but my witches were all atwitter. Who is he?”
“A married man,” Maddie huffed out.
“That’s not really a deterrent,” Astra commented, although her eyes automatically drifted to Maddie’s ring finger. “I take it you’re the wife.”
“You take it right.” Suddenly, Maddie felt irrationally territorial. “You need to stay away from him.”
Astra’s grin broadened as something flashed in the shadow of Maddie’s aura. “Not a witch but powerful. What are you?”
“I’m just a woman,” Maddie replied.
“You’re more than that.” Astra cocked her head, her mind clearly busy. “You’re one of the psychics who have congregated at Casper Creek, aren’t you? It makes sense. I guess they all couldn’t be frauds. The odds wouldn’t hold out.”
“They’re not all frauds,” Hannah agreed. “Some of them are the real deal, including Maddie. That’s why we’re here, though. Cooper mentioned you knew Velma. We’re trying to figure out who killed her.”
Agitation, faint as a whisper, scrolled across Astra’s face. “Well, Cooper told you wrong. I didn’t know that woman.”
“But ... you said she was a fraud.”
“That doesn’t mean I knew her personally. Her name is well-known in certain circles, though. She tried to ingratiate herself in so many different groups I lost count over the years.”
“I’m not sure what that means,” Hannah hedged. “What groups?”
“What groups?” Astra rolled her eyes in a mocking manner. “You are unbelievable. You’re no longer a novice. You should better understand what’s going on around you. Velma Sanders understood. She grasped the power that goes along with a title. That’s why she fought so hard to climb to the top, even though she was a complete and total idiot. She was also devoid of power.”
Maddie stirred. On the surface, she believed she should let Hannah handle the conversation. Something Astra had said caused suspicion in the back of her mind, though. “How can you possibly know that if you never met her?”
“Because I know people who know people,” Astra replied, not missing a beat. “You might not be a witch, but you understand about power. Not everybody is quote-unquote normal.” She used air quotes to drive home her point. “You’re not. This one isn’t.” She inclined her head toward Hannah.
“Being what we are, doing what we can do, makes us the exception,” she continued. “We’re the sort of people others aspire to be. They want our power. Velma was like that. She wanted power, and even though she wasn’t special, she conspired to take it.
“Now, while there’s nothing I despise more than a fraud, I have to give Velma credit. She had quite the racket going on ... and for years. That obviously caught up with her, though.”
“She was going to make an announcement before she was killed,” Hannah volunteered. “I don’t suppose you know what that announcement entailed, do you?”
Astra shook her head. “No. As usual, though, you’re missing the obvious point. It’s not about what Velma was going to announce. It’s likely that she was going to spout some nonsense about developing a new power or something. She was hanging with a group of psychics, after all.
“What’s important is who had reason to be threatened by her or what she planned to announce,” she continued.
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Hannah groused. “It’s not as easy as it sounds. There are fifty psychics in Casper Creek. As you said, some of them are frauds. Given the number of ghosts hanging around, though, some of them are real.”
“Hmm. I didn’t think about the ghosts.” Astra nodded her head approvingly. “That’s a great way to at least confirm those on the up-and-up. Good job.” She flashed a thumbs-up that almost seemed sincere. “If you want to know who killed Velma, you have to figure out whose life she could’ve derailed. She didn’t have as much power as she pretended. Obviously she had some form of power, though. You need to find out what.”
“And how do we do that?” Maddie snapped, her temper returning with a vengeance. “It’s not as easy as you pretend.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I just know you need to do it.” Astra’s smirk was back. “You’re funny. I like you even better than this one, and your choice in men is extraordinary. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to cut him loose, would you?”
“Not in this or any other lifetime,” Maddie muttered, folding her arms across her chest.
“Ah, well.” Astra held out her hands and shrugged. “I had to try. As for you, Hannah, you’re running out of time. I’m convinced your killer is still present. For once, I think the monster you’re facing might be of the human variety, though. Don’t look for the how. Look for the why. That’s your answer.”
“Ugh. You always have to talk in riddles,” Hannah groused.
“I do.” Astra bobbed her head in agreement. “It’s what I’m good at. You need to embrace what you’re good at and weed through the crap. The answer is there. You just have to find it.”
15
Fifteen
Rather than let Astra beat a hasty retreat, as was her way, Hannah decided to make the white witch put her money where her mouth was. On a whim, she used her magic to send a message to Abigail. Within three minutes, the bulk of the ghosts she’d seen hanging around Casper Creek over the past few days appeared on the edge of the creek.
“What the ... ?” Astra almost jolted out of her skin when she realized what was happening. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Figuring out the why,” Hannah replied sweetly, her eyes immediately seeking out — and finding — her grandmother. “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course I came,” Abigail reassured her. “I’m your grandmother. I wil
l always come when you need me.”
Olivia separated from Abigail and moved closer to her daughter, her eyes scrutinizing her child’s wan features. “Are you sick?”
Maddie let loose a low growl. “I’m perfectly fine. I wish people would stop asking that question.”
“She’s pregnant,” Hannah offered helpfully. “You’re going to be a ghostly grandmother. Congratulations.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “Stop telling people that!”
“You’re pregnant?” Olivia might’ve been a ghost, but she looked thrilled at the prospect. “Oh, Maddie, that’s wonderful. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it’s not true.”
“She hasn’t confirmed it,” Hannah volunteered. “She has morning sickness, though. Nick is convinced.”
“Oh.” Olivia chuckled. “You must be terrified if you’re just thinking about it now. There’s nothing to worry about, Sunshine. You’re going to make a lovely mother ... and Nick is going to be the best father imaginable.”
“Of course Nick is going to be a good father.” Maddie was huffy, which wasn’t doing anything to quell the pregnancy gossip. “Did I say Nick wouldn’t be a good father? He’ll be the best father. We’re not ready, though, and I’m on birth control.”
Olivia mimed patting Maddie’s arm. “So was I when I got pregnant with you.”
“Oh, geez.” Maddie pinched the bridge of her nose and looked to the sky. “This is just ... ridiculous. We’re supposed to be worried about catching a killer, not something that probably isn’t true.”
“Oh, you’ve moved to ‘probably not true’ from ‘definitely impossible,’” Hannah noted. “That’s a bit of progress.”
“I blame you for this.” Maddie jabbed a finger in her direction. “You’re fueling the fire, and I don’t like it ... at all. We need to focus on Velma. We have limited time to solve her murder.”
“I assume that’s why you called us here,” Olivia noted. “What do you want us to do?”
Since Maddie wasn’t privy to Hannah’s plan, she turned her attention to the witch, who was completely focused on her grandmother. For her part, Abigail seemed to be oblivious to what was going on around her. Her focus didn’t deviate from Astra.
“It’s been a long time, Abigail,” Astra noted. Even though Hannah was convinced she was trying to give off an air of quiet ambivalence, the white witch sat ramrod straight as she regarded her former mentor.
“Astra.” Abigail’s tone was bursting with disgust. “What are you doing out here?” On a whim, Abigail swiveled to face Hannah. “Actually, what are you doing out here? I warned you about spending too much time with Astra. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that we’ve hit a wall when it comes to figuring out what happened to Velma Sanders,” Hannah replied reasonably. “Astra might not be loyal or trustworthy — especially not trustworthy — but she is knowledgeable, and she knows a bit about Velma’s background.”
“I know she’s a fraud,” Astra shot back.
“And that’s something,” Hannah insisted. “We’re working blind and we need help. You said yourself the ghosts were a smart way to ascertain who is the real deal. Perhaps they also have knowledge about what happened to Velma.”
Astra opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”
“Which means it’s a terrible idea,” Abigail countered. “If Astra thinks it’s a good idea, that automatically means it’s a bad idea. Have you learned nothing from your previous interactions with her?”
Hannah bit back a sigh. She understood why her grandmother was so worked up. Astra had betrayed Abigail at practically every turn over the course of their short — and sometimes tempestuous — partnership. That had to be shuttled aside now.
“I know you think this is a bad idea,” she started.
“Of course it’s a bad idea,” Abigail snapped. “She’ll turn on you the first chance she gets.”
Hannah forced herself to remain calm, even though it took monumental effort. “She can’t turn on us because she’s not on our side. I know what she is, what she’s done. That doesn’t mean she can’t help.”
Abigail shook her head. Hannah swore, if ghosts could cry, Abigail would burst into tears. The possibility broke her heart.
“Grandma, I’m asking you to trust me,” Hannah pleaded in a low voice. She hadn’t known her grandmother in life — and was still getting to know her in death — so using the common endearment was a big deal. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
Abigail turned away, her eyes on the horizon. Finally, she nodded. “This is your show, Hannah,” she said finally. “It’s up to you to decide how to handle this. Just ... do what you have to do.”
“Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you,” Astra drawled, smirking.
Hannah shot her a dirty look. “How about you try to be anything other than yourself and we go from there, huh?”
“That doesn’t sound like any fun to me,” Astra groused.
“You’ll survive.” Hannah turned her attention to the ghosts and started counting. There were eight of them. “Let’s do some introductions,” she said. “Then I’m going to ask for stories about Velma. One of you — hopefully more — must have something of note to offer.”
Several of the ghosts exchanged wary looks, but they nodded all the same.
“We have stories,” one of the ghosts, a petite brunette with a ski-slope nose, finally acknowledged. “Velma was not a good person.”
“We figured that out on our own,” Hannah reassured her.
“Yes, you’re preaching to the coven,” Astra drawled.
Hannah shot her a look. “So, since we have so many of you, we’ll do this in an orderly fashion. Who wants to go first?”
The ghosts looked at one another and Hannah was convinced none of them were going to volunteer. The brunette who had already spoken let loose a sigh. “I’ll go first.”
Her name was Heather Trent and she was clearly nervous. Olivia and Abigail positioned themselves on either side of her and offered nonstop reassurance.
“My sister is Laurie Vreeman,” she explained.
“Vreeman?” Maddie ran the name through her memory. “Your sister is a lot taller than you, right?”
Heather nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. “We always used to joke that she got the height and I got the boobs. We’re twins.”
Maddie was taken aback. “Twins?” She gauged the age of the ghost and the woman she’d briefly met the first day she arrived in Casper Creek. “That means you haven’t been dead very long.”
Heather shook her head. “Not long at all. A few months. I ... can’t leave until I know she’s going to be okay. We shared the same womb. We thought we would have decades left together. She’s not ready to let me go.”
Maddie’s heart went out to the woman. “I’m sorry. That sounds awful.”
Heather shrugged. “Life isn’t fair. I knew that before I died.”
“That doesn’t mean this isn’t difficult.”
“No,” Heather agreed. “It’s something we have to deal with, though. I’m not unhappy. I want to see my sister achieve the things I know she’s destined to achieve. The afterlife can wait.”
Honestly, Maddie found it to be a healthy attitude. “Well, that’s good. What can you tell us about Velma?”
Heather’s formerly sunny smile disappeared in an instant. “She’s a horrible person.”
Hannah chuckled lightly. “You’ve said that multiple times.”
“And I mean it.” Heather was fierce. “It started about four years ago. Laurie was always different when we were growing up. Her abilities made her afraid. I served as something of a guard for her, so when Velma heard about my sister’s abilities and invited her to a get-together in Colorado, we were both excited. Things weren’t what we expected, though.”
“What happened?” Hannah asked gently.
“From t
he moment we arrived, Velma was on us,” Heather replied. “She wanted to know how old Laurie was when she first realized she could talk to ghosts. That’s the part she was most interested in, although Laurie could do other things.”
Maddie nodded in understanding. “What happened then?”
“I couldn’t understand what she wanted. This was before I died, mind you. I didn’t even realize I had cancer at that point ... although I did. I was dying and didn’t even know it. That’s neither here nor there, though.” The ghost readjusted her conversation trajectory. “The thing is, Velma pulled Laurie aside and grilled her relentlessly for hours. We both thought it was weird but couldn’t figure out why she was doing it. Then, the next day, we heard various women talking. They were describing Laurie’s childhood experiences but attributing them to Velma.”
Astra snorted. “I told you she was a fraud. The only reason she even wanted to hang around other psychics is so she could steal their stories and pretend they were her own. That made the pile of crap she was shoveling more believable.”
Heather’s eyes narrowed but she nodded. “That’s basically it,” she agreed. “Laurie was heartbroken. She looked up to Velma. All that died that afternoon. Laurie confronted Velma and instead of being ashamed, Velma turned the tables on her and accused Laurie of stealing her stories. She then started badmouthing her to anybody who would listen. It was ... awful. Laurie fell apart.”
Hannah tugged on her bottom lip, considering. “That’s the mark of a master manipulator,” she said after a beat. “She didn’t panic when called on her actions. She simply turned the tables.”
“Which means it probably wasn’t the first time,” Maddie noted. “I’m guessing she made a habit of it through the years.”
“I’m guessing you’re right.”
“My sister was really upset, but she’s not one to rock the boat,” Heather said. “She didn’t want to pick a fight with Velma, although I think part of it was that she assumed Velma would win. She was famous, after all. My sister didn’t have a name to back her up.”
True Grit Spirit: A Maddie Graves and Hannah Hickok Mystery Page 15