The Salem Concord Book 1: Interview for a Wizard

by J. A. Areces

Chapter 16

  Monday

  Jesse woke up rested and ready to go. He didn’t experience a near death nightmare, in fact, he didn’t remember dreaming at all. It was the best sleep he thought he ever experienced in his entire life. He stretched in bed after he turned off his alarm, and looked out the open window. He was grateful and welcomed a new day. The bright sun beckoned him outside. He brushed his teeth, combed his long brown hair with his fingers, and then sat on the edge of his bed for some time staring at his broom. He so wanted to fly it during the day, but he was afraid of being discovered. What did Beifar call it the first time they met for breakfast - - the Salem Concord? Jesse made a mental note to ask him more about it later. He persuaded himself not to give in to the temptation. On the other end of the room the staff he used as a costume for the Halloween festival still lit the corner with its magical light. Jesse smiled as he fought the urge to proclaim himself a real wizard. He finished getting ready and headed out the door.

  The morning drive down to the lake seemed like the best ride he ever enjoyed since he arrived at Mount Dora. He felt free, relaxed, and for the moment, without a care in the world. He slowly drove by Donnelly Park and saw the park keepers picking up the tables, chairs and trash. The area where Mily Breezy was killed was still roped off, and it caused him to shake as a cold chill ran up his back. Jesse turned down the next street and headed toward the Deli. Cindy was outside, about to open for the day, and was happy to see him drive up. She smoothed her hair back over her ears and went to him.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked her very concerned.

  “I’m okay, thanks.” She reached out and took his hand. “That was a great costume.”

  Jesse smiled, “Yeah. I copied it off a friend who thinks he’s a real wizard.”

  For a second they just starred at each other and smiled. The sun shined off her blond hair causing her green eyes to glisten.

  “Ummm,” began Jesse, “if you’re not busy after work, you wanna go get a burger or something?”

  “Sure!”

  “OK. I’ll pick you up about six? Here at the store?”

  Cindy nodded and smiled, then turned and walked into the Deli.

  Jesse slightly revved the engine to his motorbike, and drove away.

  City streets on Monday mornings were always busy, and Mount Dora was no exception, but today it didn’t bother Jesse. He didn’t care if he waited a little longer for a car to make a left turn, or for some tourist to finish taking the perfect picture in the middle of the street while he completely stopped traffic. None of that mattered; not after having stopped a demented wizard and foiled his dastardly plan.

  Jesse found the wizard sitting at the same outdoor table drinking coffee and reading the Monday morning paper. The front page read:

  NEW DISNEY ATTRACTION - - SORCERER’S APPRENTICE - - KICKOFF IS A SMASH!

  “What are you reading?” asked Jesse after he got a glimpse of the headline.

  “New ride in the Magic Kingdom opened today,” the wizard answered as he sipped his coffee. He wore his grey, pointy hat and long black cloak. His staff rested against the table. “You get to fly around on a broom. Imagine that?”

  The waitress approached with Jesse’s breakfast and his milk. “I heard that it is an amazing ride.” She interjected excitedly. “My girlfriends and I are going up this weekend to ride it. The news said that you don’t even see the cables that pull you along. I can’t wait, I have an annual pass, you know.”

  Jesse and the wizard nodded and smiled as she turned and went to attend another table.

  “The Bureau spent the entire night working on this one.” Beifar whispered. “I’m so glad I don’t work there any longer, they do all the covering up for us.”

  “So they created a new ride?” asked Jesse

  “Yes, they did. They need to justify the unusual exposure of magic.”

  “Are they the ones who disposed of the dragon’s breath?”

  “Yes, they also do the clean up. It happens every once in a while. Here, let me read a little to you:

  Last night guests at the Magic Kingdom were surprisingly introduced to a new attraction with an outstanding extravaganza exhibition of magic and suspense…. witnesses claim that the characters appeared to be actually flying on brooms. The buzzword is that you will believe in magic after you experience the new Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

  Jesse laughed, “Brilliant!”

  “How did you sleep?” asked the wizard.

  “Wonderful - - no near death nightmare.”

  Beifar smiled.

  “Oh, my cell phone is broken; it fell in the grotto.” He shrugged. “My wife is going to kill me.”

  “Beifar,” Jesse looked up at him. “Do wizards die?”

  “Yes, of course, we’re not God. A knife or a bullet can kill us like any Folk, that is, if it can catch us.” They laughed.

  It was a good laugh. The kind of laugh well deserved after the worst has passed and at the moment there is no care left in the world.

  “Wait a minute!” interrupted Jesse. “You had a wand. You used a wand against Claw. I thought you didn’t like wands?”

  “I don’t like dying either and that was his plan, but you are correct. I don’t like using wands, and that one belonged to Mily Breezy. I took it from her when I arrested her at her home. She used it against me, and almost killed me. I usually destroy a criminal’s wand as soon as I arrest them, but I don’t know why I didn’t destroy Mily’s wand. I guess I was too much in a rush and not thinking properly. Anyway, I’m glad I held on to it. It’s ironic - - the same wand that helped Claw escape from jail also placed him back in jail. I guess you can say that it was Mily Breezy who got her revenge.”

  The wizard folded the newspaper and placed it next to him on the table.

  Jesse stopped eating and dared to ask him the next question. “Beifar, did I cause that light to shine up there in the tower?”

  The wizard looked him straight on and smiled, “Nah, I did it.”

  Jesse’s heart sank. He knew now for sure that he wasn’t a wizard.

  “I needed to distract Claw, get him to focus on something else and not on his energy.” He noticed the expression on Jesse’s face. “Listen, at least you now know how to fly a broom, and you have a magic staff, and a very powerful Emunio Concutio, not to mention the crystal ball. You have more magical items than I do back home!”

  Jesse looked up and smiled. “By the way, weren’t you going to buy a broom from me? You already got to test fly it.”

  “Whoa, what’s this? Are you going to keep Alivan’s Wizards and Witches Corner Store?”

  “Yes, sir” Jesse said proudly. “I’m going to be the number one supplier of brooms and hats to the magic world. I found a bunch of helpful information in the office last night, and I have good credit with the manufacturers, soooo, why not? I enjoyed what I did, and I like the customers, all of them.”

  Beifar congratulated Jesse with a handshake.

  FLASH!

  Jesse jumped in his chair.

  Beside him sat Ana the witch. She wore a new pink hat and was holding the new wand she purchased at Alivan’s Wizards and Witches Corner Store. Jesse looked around, concerned that someone saw her materialize, but no one noticed. “Beifar we need to talk.”

  “Good morning, Ana.”

  “Good morning” She replied impatiently. “That crystal ball has to be taken back to the Department. It’s very dangerous, and now that Claw has been captured it should be handed over and studied. I can probably trace its origin, and maybe a lead to the Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers.”

  “Now wait a minute, Ana. The crystal ball is safe with Jesse. And if we do bring it in, we’ll be opening up a plethora of problems that will only alert the Society and get us nowhere with our investigation.”

  Ana shook her head.

  “Look, let’s keep it here at the store. Jesse has a very powerful Emuni
o Concutio. It’s very well protected, and in a couple of months, after Claw has been sentenced, we’ll come back and start our investigation together. Things will have quieted down by then, and no one will suspect what we are up too. What do you say cousin?”

  Ana turned to Jesse and demanded. “I need to get into your store.”

  Jesse looked at the wizard and then back to the witch Ana. He raised his eyebrows and hopelessly shook his head.

  “Jesse, crystal balls are more complicated than you and my cousin here think,” Ana puffed “if you don’t know how to use them, they cannot only mean trouble - - they can mean danger. I suggest if you plan to keep it, which you shouldn’t, it is against the law for Folk to own Wizardry items, don’t play with it. You don’t know how tired I am of Folk owning magical items and everything going wrong.” Ana glanced sternly at Beifar, tapped her wand on the table and . . .

  FLASH!

  She disappeared.

  Jesse looked around nervously, hoping no one noticed that Ana vanished. No one did.

  “She has great timing,” commented the wizard. “Back in training, she received perfect scores for materializing and vanishing without ever being detected by Folk. I think she’s one of the best witches in the Department.”

  “You know what I think?” asked Jesse. “I think you deserve a new broom so that you can swoosh in and out of roller coaster rides whenever you get the urge to feel like a kid again.”

  The wizard smiled, “Well, then, lets go get me a broom.” Beifar reached into his pant pocket and placed some money on the table. Then grabbed his staff, and waited.

  Jesse shook his head, grinned, and invited him over to the store.

  “How did you get in the store last night and set me free? The alarm was on?”

  “You invited me in through the answering machine.”

  Jesse remembered the last message he recorded on the new machine, and nodded. He was never going to erase that recording again.

  “How can I shut the alarm off?” he asked.

  “It’s set by owner command. Just say alarm on or off and it obeys. Defendo acendo or apage”

  “Defendo apage,” Jesse commanded.

  Beifar followed Jesse into the store as the bell rang. The crystal ball was still covered in the middle of the store, purposely hidden, but still an eye sore. They walked over to the broom display where only one Stealth broom remained. Jesse took it off the wall bracket and handed it over to the wizard.

  “It’s on the house.”

  The wizard choked with emotion as his eyes swelled. He was barely able to say thank you without his voice trembling.

  “You saved my life, Beifar. I can’t repay you enough.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you you’ll do the same for me someday. That’s what friends do, you know. You got my back and I got yours.”

  Jesse smiled at the thought of being a real wizard’s friend.

  “I’m going to move in upstairs and go to college and get a business degree.” Jesse informed Beifar. “I figure that if I’m going to have my own business, I better learn how to run one. It will also make my parents very happy.”

  Beifar was proud of Jesse. He matured tremendously and changed, for the better. Beifar outstretched his arms, and with the broom in one hand and his staff in the other, gave Jesse a huge hug. Jesse hugged him back.

  The wizard let go and took a couple of steps back. “I need to go. You know how to get a hold of me.”

  “Yes, I have your number.”

  “Call me if anything else happens with that crystal ball.”

  Jesse nodded.

  Beifar Mahgo raised his staff, paused for a second and then struck the end on the wooden floor.

  FLASH!

  The wizard was gone.

  “Wait!” Jesse called after him, “your phone is ruined.” It was too late.

  The bell rang and the front door opened. Chief Fabiano walked into the store and shut the door behind him.

  “Good morning, Jesse”

  Jesse faked a smile. Outside the same dark car and driver were parked in the same spot.

  “It seems I made a little mistake yesterday. It was brought to my attention that all your papers are in order. I overlooked the co-signer’s signature.” He rocked back and forth. “A funny thing, see, I tried investigating it further, but I was advised to leave it alone. What do you think about that?”

  Jesse shrugged.

  “Also, the autopsies on the four dead people over the last couple of days show that they inhaled a rare toxic substance that killed them, so it doesn’t look like we have a murderer loose in our town. Unless, of course, someone planted that substance or, maybe something unexplainable…”

  Jesse shrugged again.

  Fabiano turned and opened the door as the bell rang. A chilly breeze rushed in like a cat waiting for the opportunity to sneak inside without being noticed. “I don’t like magic, Jesse Alexander.” He turned toward Jesse, “I’m much older than you are and I’ve seen many things, things you don’t want to see, ever. Listen to me; some things should be left alone. This store is one of those things. Go home, Jesse, go home and forget Alivan’s Wizards and Witches Corner Store.” He shut the door behind him and left. Jesse watched him get into the car and drive away.

  Jesse was left alone. How rude, he thought. Who in their right mind would ever walk away from Alivan’s Wizards and Witches Corner Store? It was a portal to the Wizardry world. New ideas were rushing through his head. He entertained big plans for Alivan’s Wizards and Witches Corner Store; big - - huge plans. He walked over to the front desk and settled in his chair, turned on the laptop

  “BEEP