Spirit Magic

by Olivia Swift

  “Give it a try,” Magda suggested and a warm breeze drifted across her face. “You like climbing.”

  Declan said quietly that the man was starting to climb. “He certainly knew how to scale a rocky cliff,” Declan said as they saw that Declan was looking at something that was moving higher and higher. “He’s enjoying that.”

  Katie took out a camera and took several shots at where Declan was pointing his gaze.

  “Let’s go,” Sam said quietly, and the four of them tiptoed quickly back the way they had come without saying a word. They got back to the campsite, climbed aboard the trucks and drove away from the estate.

  “I really hope he stays in the forest,” Magda said. “I have enough to think about without a bad guy around from hundreds of years ago.”

  With the two trucks parked as near to the café entrance as possible, they went in to report what had happened. The place was packed to bursting and Branston had a huge white apron wrapped around him. Rita and Josh were serving and Rula was directing operations. The most amazing sight to see was Mikey adorned with an apron like Branston and carrying orders out to the customers. Then they realized that at least half of the customers were climbers and hikers who frequented the camping shop.

  “I guess the wall has had an opening day,” Sam suggested as they wound their way through the tables. Magda spoke to her regular customers and said that she should go away more often.

  Mikey said that he had offered to help because there had been such a rush of interest in the wall.

  “You haven’t had any ghostly climbers then?” Magda asked, and he said that he wouldn’t know anyway.

  “Because he followed us to the forest,” Declan said. Rula and Mikey both stopped what they were doing to listen, and Josh stopped as he went by as well.

  “Did you say the Viking followed you?” he asked, and they related what had happened.

  “We left him climbing the mountainside and we left the piece of wood there as well,” Katie added, and Magda said that she sincerely hoped that was the end of it.

  “Wouldn’t bank on it,” Josh said and went off with his tall concoction of hot chocolate and marshmallows.

  I need a good shower before I can help out here,” Magda said.

  “Do not worry, cousin of mine,” Branston said. “We are a good, hard-working team here.”

  “Go home and take it easy,” Rula told them.

  “Thanks,” Magda said and gave her a quick hug. “Katie can go home and have the rest of the day off.”

  “I’ll drive you,” Declan added, and the four campers left the café team coping admirably.

  Sam and Magda carried the sleeping bags and other things to the door, opened up, and could not see any cats at all.

  “That is strange,” Magda said. “Crystal, Abigail, Pushkin, Irina—where are you?” Then she felt panic start to rise inside her chest and rushed into the other rooms. There was no sign of any of the cats.

  “The doors were locked and Rula was here to feed them,” Magda cried as she dashed back and forth through every room.

  “They have got to be here,” Sam said as he started a more systematic search.

  Magda started to really worry when she heard a very slight noise. She dropped to her knees and looked under the bed.

  “Oh, cats,” she cried. “Come out. It’s all right. We are here now.” She lay on her tummy and reached out a hand for Abigail who was the closest, and when one cat came out, the others crept out after her and huddled together against Magda.

  “They are terrified. Look at Irina shaking,” Magda said and picked up the little black-and-white kitten.

  “What on earth could have happened? Then she felt the wind across her face and knew with a certainty what it was.

  “Did you feel that breeze?” she asked Sam, and he nodded and put his arm around her shoulders.

  “He’s back here, I think, and not still climbing the mountain.”

  They calmed the cats down with cat treats and then changed out of their camping clothes.

  “What do we do now?” Magda asked and wrapped her arms around Sam’s waist. “It is just not fair that a bad-tempered spirit can spoil our lives and maybe ruin the wedding and the business. I can’t have the cats terrified like this.”

  “Let’s close up the café and see what Merle thinks,” he suggested. “We can beat this. You and I can do anything, Magda.”

  Chapter 11

  The café was reassuringly cheerful. One last customer was paying for truffles and Branston was taking off his apron and waving goodbye.

  “Thanks, Branston,” Magda called after him as he disappeared down the alleyway to the main street. Mikey straightened up the wiped-down chairs and tables. Rula had let Rita and Josh go already.

  “You have been marvelous,” Magda told Rula and Mikey.

  “Did it all work?” Mikey asked. Sam nodded and explained that the prototype had been slung between the trees, but then Magda explained about the way the storm had whipped up and frightened Katie.

  “That Utric is proving to be a real nuisance,” she said. “We thought we left him behind but when we got home, the cats were hiding under the bed and we could feel the breeze in the room.”

  “Oh, no,” Rula exclaimed. “So, he’s still around. I wonder what we can do about it.”

  “Did you leave the piece of wood in the forest?” Mikey asked, and they said that they had.

  “Talking of wood,” Rula mentioned, “Did you notice that two of the carved wooden pieces are gone? We sold them.”

  “That is wonderful,” Magda replied and looked at the shelf. “I put a high price on them as well. Declan will be amazed. He thought it was just a hobby he enjoyed.”

  “I’ve got the money ready for the bank,” Rula told her. “Everything is ready just to lock up.”

  “I’ll close up next door,” Mikey said. “Would any of you like to go for a bite to eat?”

  “I am a bit hungry,” Sam agreed. “What about it, girls?”

  Magda and Rula nodded and started to pick up their belongings and switch off lights. Mikey went off to finish at the shop. They followed him and locked the wrought iron gate to the street. There was no feel of any breeze or suggestion that Utric was anywhere in the vicinity.

  Mikey’s shop was super clean and tidy and stocked from just inside the door, to the back, and from floor to ceiling.

  “You are so well-organized,” Rula told him. He smiled and told her that it was all quite expensive stuff and he had to make sure it was all accounted for.

  “The staff are very careful and look after things really well,” he answered and waved goodbye to Janey who had been looking after things for him. Then they locked up and the four of them walked to the Italian restaurant on the main street, having dropped the day’s take into the night depository on the way past the bank.

  They spent a comfortable and friendly hour having an evening meal and then parted company.

  “That made me feel better,” Magda said as she held Sam’s hand on the way back to the truck.

  “I guess if we carry on, and don’t get too worried about Utric, it might all just settle down,” Sam answered. They drove back to the house and found the cats happy and contentedly purring on the couch. The rest of the evening was undisturbed. Sam said he had to get away to take care of some paperwork.

  Magda happily made her own breakfast. As she ate, she thought about asking Declan for more sculptures. She called Sam for a quick chat before setting off for work.

  Rula was waiting outside the gate and very agitated.

  “What’s wrong?” Magda asked immediately.

  “Look in Mikey’s,” Rula told her. The inside of the camping shop was a scene of total devastation.

  “Oh, my Lord,” Magda said and tried to step inside the shop but was held back by a uniformed police officer. She then realized that Mikey had called 911.

  “So it wasn’t Utric?” Magda whispered to Rula as she stepped back, and Rula shook her head.<
br />
  “Expensive stuff stolen and everything pulled out to find what they wanted,” Rula answered.

  “Poor Mikey,” Magda said. “I had better open up and he can come in and have a hot drink after the police go.” She opened the wrought iron gate and they both noticed that some of the chairs were moved around.

  “I thought we tidied this place up yesterday,” Rula muttered and then stopped short as Magda pulled back from the double doors with key in hand. The door had been forced and was splintered beside the lock so that the catch could not engage.

  “Oh, no,” Magda whispered and gingerly pushed open the door and put one foot inside. The chairs and tables had been moved and the boxes of truffles which had been stacked in the display unit were all gone. As she walked around, she decided that they should touch nothing and go and tell the officers next door. Rita, Katie, and Josh all arrived and stood looking at the mess.

  “Don’t touch anything,” Magda told them as she hurried off. There was a slight delay as the man at the door found the officer in charge. Once found, he brought a uniformed officer along with him to the café. The two of them surveyed the café and then called for extra people as they now had two robberies.

  Magda told them that the bottles of expensive whisky had been taken, plus all of Katie’s pictures. She gave the police a rough estimate of the value and looked around at the mess.

  “Looks like somebody wanted to ruin the place as well as steal anything saleable,” the officer remarked.

  “Same next door,” Rula added. “I was with Mikey when he opened up and it looked like it was more than just grabbing things and getting out.”

  “I think you’ll have to close for the day until forensics tries to find some prints,” Detective Rodriguez told Magda, and she nodded. “The same goes for the camping shop.”

  “Can I use the machine to make drinks?” Rula asked, adding that the officers were welcome to drinks as well. He looked at the coffee maker which appeared to be untouched, and nodded.

  “Don’t touch anything else.”

  Magda phoned Sam and told him what she had discovered.

  “Are you all right?” was his first question, and then he said he was on his way. She looked around and knew that there was nothing she could do but wait for the police to do their job.

  A group of three forensic investigators arrived before Sam did and started to dust for prints. Magda told Josh and Rita to take the day off because there was no point in them all standing around doing nothing, and Rula called Mikey to see what was happening in his shop.

  Sam was allowed in by the police and came to give her a quick hug.

  “You okay?” he asked as he glanced around the café.

  “Yes, thanks. Mikey’s place is in a much worse state and we have to wait to clean up until they have dusted for prints.”

  Rula finished a call on her cell phone and then told them that two other shops on Main Street had been robbed as well.

  “Looks like they just worked their way down the street looking at places without alarms.”

  “But there are CCTV cameras,” Magda pointed out. One of the forensic team heard her and said that they were already being looked at.

  “Mikey is saying that his first job will be installing alarms when the police have finished,” Rula added. She handed them cups of coffee and asked if the forensic people would like one. The woman in charge straightened up and said they had picked up some prints and would have a quick drink before moving on to the next shop. The three officers accepted the cups gratefully.

  Mikey appeared, and Rula gave him his favorite brew as well.

  “What’s happening?” Sam asked, as it seemed that the police were finishing looking for clues and moving on to the next place.

  “Robbers made quite a night of it apparently and they have spotted them on CCTV, but they are covered in masks and dark clothes.”

  “They picked up some prints here,” Rula added.

  “It’s a good thing I’m well insured,” Mikey said. “The stock is worth a lot of money and the stuff is easy to sell online with no questions asked.”

  The detective came to say that they could all start to clean up because the team was moving on.

  “I’ll be in touch if we have any news.”

  The people in the café looked at each other.

  “We’ll soon clear this mess up,” Magda said. “Do you need help, Mikey?”

  “That would be great,” Mikey answered.

  “We’ll put this place straight and come to help in your shop,” Magda said, and the camping shop owner walked off in a more cheerful mood. It took little time to put the chairs and tables back in place and clean the glass cabinets and chillers.

  “At least I’ve forgotten about the nuisance of the Viking,” Magda said as she wiped over the chocolate vat. “Good thing they didn’t know how much this cost.”

  “No signs of any breezes or gusts of wind,” Rula added. “Let’s go and help next door.”

  “I’ll lock this place up and put a notice on the gate,” Magda said as they set off to see how Mikey was doing.

  His two staff were already hard at work and they were trying to determine what stock was actually left. Mikey asked them to pick up whatever they found and take it to the two people who were sorting it out. Then they found buckets and rags to start cleaning the surfaces. The floor was gradually swept clean and an hour later, with seven people working, the shop looked almost normal again.

  Mikey sent the staff home for the rest of the day and said he would call his suppliers the next day and ask for new stock.

  “At least some of it is easily replaced.”

  “Let’s go and get something to eat,” Katie suggested. “It will give you time to think.” It was a good idea so they locked up and went down to the nearest diner.

  Mikey’s phone rang constantly for which he apologized over and over again. He told Magda that he had a group of four women climbers who had booked to use the wall all afternoon.

  “I’ll just have to give them an alternative date.”

  “The wall is okay,” Magda said. “If I open up and start to make truffles, they could have the place to themselves.”

  “You sure?” Mikey asked. “It’s been one awful day so far.”

  “Why spoil their day as well?” Rula asked. “The three of us can all work in the café and you can set up your suppliers.” Mikey smiled for the first time since he opened the door to the store and found the devastation.

  “Thanks, guys. Let’s try for normality.” He called the number for the person who had booked the wall.

  “I can stay as well,” Sam offered. “I can do packaging and stuff.”

  “Well, I feel better for food and making decisions,” Magda said.

  “Me too,” Mikey added, and they went back to work.

  Magda and Sam checked out that the wall and the area behind the café were undisturbed, and then Magda went inside to start making centers for the most popular truffles. Katie set up the chocolate vat, and Rula re-checked the drink supplies.

  “They actually didn’t spoil the truffles that were in the chiller,” she said, “and the bottles and tubs of ingredients are okay.”

  “It’s the boxes that were packaged and on display, the whisky, and Katie’s pictures that are gone. I guess they knew what they could sell,” Magda added and looked up as Mrs. Jarvis came to the counter. “We are a bit unprepared today, Mrs. Jarvis,” Magda said and went over to the counter. The woman was agitated and looked over her shoulder.

  “I know,” she whispered. “I think I’ve seen some of the stolen truffles.”

  Chapter 12

  The customer produced a box of violet creams which were in a plastic bag.

  “I feel like I am in a detective movie, but I thought I had better bag it.”

  “You are quite right,” Sam said, coming to stand beside Magda. “How did you get it?” Mrs. Jarvis said that she was having a coffee at her friend’s house when the delivery
man brought a grocery order for her friend.

  “He put the boxes in the kitchen as normal and asked if she was interested in high-end chocolates that he had a sale on. She started to say no thanks, but I saw the truffle boxes and stepped in and said I was looking for a gift for a friend. The robberies were on the local news.”

  “Quick thinking,” Rula said as she and Katie joined the others at the serving hatch.

  “He said they were at half price because they were bought as a large order,” Mrs. Jarvis went on.

  “Stay here and I’ll go and find Detective Rodriguez,” Sam said and went off down the alleyway to the main street. The police activity was still going on at the clothes shop and he headed in that direction.

  Magda made Mrs. Jarvis a drink and sat at a table with her until Sam arrived back with the detective and an officer alongside. The detective introduced himself and sat down at the table. He reassured Mrs. Jarvis, telling her that anything she told him would be in strictest confidence.

  “You may be giving us vital information here. Thanks very much for coming forward.” Mrs. Jarvis nodded and repeated the story of seeing the chocolates. She smiled at Magda.

  “I am very fond of them and recognized them straightaway.” He asked what seemed like a lot of questions but the firm that sent the delivery van was important as well as the description of the driver and the time and place.

  “I told my friend what I was doing,” she told him, “and she would tell you the time and what the man was like as well. He had delivered orders to her door before.”

  “Will you be all right or can we give you a ride home?” Rodriguez asked her at the end of the interview, but Sam stepped in and said that he would make sure she got home safely.

  “I have my own car but knowing you are driving behind me will be reassuring. My husband will be waiting for me,” she told Sam.

  Rodriguez was already speaking into his phone.

  “Thank you for being brave,” Magda told her and gave the woman a hug.

  “I loved the fact that you were looking at the Scottish legends,” she said by way of conversation. “My grandfather came from the north and it has reminded me of him.” Mrs. Jarvis lifted her hand to her cheek. “What a lovely warm breeze.” She paused, and said that if it was of any interest, there was a book of legends that she had.