Third Crime's a Charm (A Farmer's Market Witch Mystery Series Book 2)

by Constance Barker

  Witches were no different than non-witches, as far as addictions were concerned. Josey was introduced to marijuana and cocaine and some hallucinogens. In no time, she was hooked. She needed the high, the thrill. She claimed it helped her with casting spells. The drugs made her more creative, more adventuresome. She combined spells that no one else had tried before. Some of her creations were beneficial. Some were abominable. When something went wrong, she merely laughed. Not every exotic omelet was edible.

  It was a two-year romp for Josey. Then, she stepped over a line and was kicked out of the coven. That set her back more than I realized. She ran out of money and started stealing. Being a witch, she was a good thief. However, thieves always get caught. Josey used magic to escape from the jail, and that caused the other witches to clamp down on Josey, stripping her of some powers. She complained, but for the good of the community, Josey had to be contained. She was confined to her apartment. Since I was her friend, I was chosen to visit her.

  It was the worst duty I ever had.

  Back then Josey’s apartment was not a mess, it was a disaster. Dirty needles, half eaten food, insects and mice made their home amidst the filth. The place reeked of odors that brought tears to my eyes. I had brought Gus with me. He had never seen anything like it either. We found Josey in her bed. The needle that killed her was still in her vein. I had never forgotten. Neither had Gus.

  I remember Josey. How could I ever forget? But I still have to check out Thomas’ apartment. We both know that.

  We both know what we will find. Junkies are junkies. They all do the same awful things.

  I know. And we might run into his “friends”. They’ll be as bad as he is. But, we have to do this. Just as we had to visit Josey.

  Gus didn’t offer another word, not even when we reached the small, red brick building that housed Thomas’ apartment. We were in the poorest section of Abbot Rise. The sidewalks were cracked and crumbling. The buildings were covered with graffiti. Had I been alone, I might have been afraid of the tents in the empty lots and the homeless people who lived in the tents. They could be dangerous but not when Gus was around. We reached the outside of the building. I knew which apartment was Thomas’.

  Ready?

  I still say we shouldn’t do this.

  I’ll meet you inside.

  I knew Gus would jump into the apartment. I would take a more conventional route. I walked past the broken front door and up the stairs into the dark hall. The place needed better lighting. I looked in both directions, before I unlocked the door and slipped inside.

  The apartment was not as grungy as Josey’s had been, but it did have the telltale signs of a user—pipes, needles, spoons. If I had been a policewoman, I would have waited until Thomas returned and promptly arrested him. If I had been a gambler, I would have bet that Thomas would end up like Josey.

  The bed was empty. That was a blessing. The bedroom reeked of weed, which wasn’t a blessing. I guessed Thomas was in the habit of toking up in bed. The large, flat-screen TV also bespoke smoking while watching. While Thomas might have promised to get clean, he wasn’t fooling any visitor. He was doing drugs, pure and simple. I looked around the bedroom, that was when I spotted it.

  The jewelry box.

  It rested atop the bureau, and I knew right away the box was the one from Betty’s house. I could feel it. Staring at it, I knew I did not want to handle it. Not just because of the fingerprints I would leave, but because the box might be loaded with magic, perhaps dark magic. Without another witch at my back, I wasn’t ready to test the box. So, I looked around for a way to wisely handle the jewelry box. That was when Gus trotted up with a plastic bag in his mouth.

  “Thanks, Gus,” I said.

  “I don’t want to touch it either,” Gus said.

  I slipped the bag over the jewelry box and carefully tied the bag shut. That would keep me from touching something I didn’t need to touch. I was happy with the arrangement, as I could safely handle the box. I could get it home, where I could research it better.

  “Ready?” I asked. Gus

  “Ready,” he answered.

  I looked about the room one more time, before I tucked the bag under my arm. I turned to the door and froze.

  “Why am I not surprised to find you here?” Thomas said.

  CHAPTER 21

  Gus was as surprised as I was, and for a moment, I panicked. After all, I was in his apartment, holding the jewelry box that belonged to his mother. I was in a fix, and I knew it. At that moment, I remembered what my grade school basketball coach once said. When in doubt, attack, attack, attack.

  I held up the plastic bag. “Know what’s in this?”

  “I have no idea,” he said.

  “Sure, you do,” I said. “You killed your mother for it.”

  “That’s a lie. I didn’t kill my mother, and you know it.”

  “Do I? I don’t think so. I think you murdered her to gain possession of this jewelry box. Why did you do it? What’s so important about this jewelry box?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “You’re lying,” I said. “You wouldn’t have taken it, if it wasn’t worth a great deal.”

  “You don’t know anything,” he said. “My mother kept cash in the jewelry box. And she loved it more than she loved me. There was no doubt about that. So, yes, I took it. I needed money. I still need money.”

  Thomas took a step toward me, and I noticed something in his face, his eyes. They had changed somehow, as if some switch had been flipped. Thomas suddenly looked far more dangerous than I first thought.

  “So, she found you stealing from the jewelry box. You had to kill her. It was the only way to keep the cash.”

  “You don’t know anything. Do people really believe anything you say?”

  “I know you took the box. And it wasn’t for the cash. If you needed a fix, you’d sell the box in an instant. Don’t kid me, Thomas, you don’t love anything but the high you get. Don’t take me for an idiot. Now, what’s so important about the box?”

  Thomas took another step toward me. “If there is anything special about the box, it went to the grave with my mother. So, just give it back, as it can’t belong to you under any circumstances.”

  “No, Thomas, this is evidence. It’s going to the police, where it belongs. I’m guessing it will give them the clues they need to arrest you. In fact, this little box will probably convict you. And it won’t be for illegal cocaine. You’ll spend the rest of your life in prison.”

  “There’s nothing to be found there.” Thomas took another step, and he was within arm’s reach. While he smiled, it was the smile of a snake, a liar. To me, it looked as if he were looking for a way to strike, to take me out.

  Ready, Gus?

  Absolutely.

  The only way out was a spell, and I had a dandy little freeze spell that would give me enough time to escape. I whispered the words, not wanting him to hear. After all, he couldn’t know I was really a witch. All he would experience were some seconds of indecision. It would be as if he had lost his nerve, nothing more.

  “It isn’t fun, it isn’t nice,” I whispered.

  “What?” Thomas asked.

  “Let his muscles turn to ice.”

  I didn’t wait to check the effect. I simply ran past, his eyes following me. As soon as I was out of the bedroom, I used a jump spell that instantly transported me two blocks a way. There, I was joined by Gus.

  You were right to get out, Elle.

  I know. Keep an eye out for me? In case he should follow.

  I’ll be there.

  I hurried home. As soon as I walked into my house, I knew one thing for certain. I had to hide the jewelry box. Thomas would come looking, as would Tabitha. Leaving it out might lead to disaster. Yet, I knew that trying to hide it in some dark hole wouldn’t work. Tabitha had the wherewithal to find it. I couldn’t have that. Not until I had learned more about the box. Not until I made sure the box was harmless.

  So, I did t
he best thing I could think to do. I called forward a masking spell. In seconds the jewelry box didn’t look like a jewelry box at all. It was now a canister, or rather, it looked like a canister, right down to the “FLOUR” on its side. I placed the canister in the kitchen and hoped the masking would fool everyone—for a while.

  Not for long.

  Not nearly long enough.

  Satisfied, I had done a creditable job, I went to my home office. I had a wall of books, tomes really, that dealt with magical things, magical items of all manner. I thought I could start there and try to find a description of a jewelry box that contained more than rings and brooches. Once I found that, I might find a spell that would rid the box of its evil magic.

  An hour passed before Gus arrived.

  “Emmy contacted me,” Gus said. “She asked me to meet her at the square. Do you mind?”

  “Not a bit, Gus. I’ll be perfectly fine here. Besides, I have a bit more research to perform. So, I’m not polite company.”

  With that Gus padded away, and I returned to my research. Unfortunately, using old books was difficult, as there were few references to jewelry boxes. I found a great many mentions of jewels that were cursed or had spells put upon them, but those curses weren’t extended to the boxes where they might reside. I found that a bit shortsighted, but then, I didn’t know how popular boxes were in the old days. Then, it happened. I found an essay that pertained, and a spell that was guaranteed to negate the dark magic of the jewelry box. It was simple really. I supposed it came from some other box or carton or whatever that had been the keeper of magic.

  I grabbed the book and half ran to the kitchen, more than ready to put the jewelry box back to is non-dangerous condition. I was so engrossed that I didn’t notice anything, until I reached out for the canister. I had the idea I would be rid of the problem in minutes.

  Too late.

  “Where the hell is my jewelry box?”

  I turned. Thomas glared at me.

  CHAPTER 22

  “How did you get in?” I asked. “Forget that. You’re trespassing. Get out!”

  “Not until you give me the jewelry box. I don’t know how you managed to slip past me. I think it’s some kind of voodoo or something. But it won’t happen again. Now, where is it?”

  “I don’t have it,” I lied. “I put it where you’ll never find it.”

  “I could take this house apart, but that would just waste my time. So, if you don’t give it up right now, I’ll go to work on you. Trust me, you won’t like it. And in the end, you’ll tell me everything I want to know.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “You think you know desperation,” Thomas said. “You don’t. You don’t have a clue. I do. I know what it’s like to need something so bad you’ll sell out your own mother. So, I’m willing to do whatever it takes, understand?”

  I returned his glare, and I wondered if he had just confessed. Had he sold out his own mother? Had he murdered her? He wasn’t lying when he said he knew desperation. He was a junkie, and junkies lived with a hungry animal on their backs, an animal that could never be satisfied.

  “You’re going to leave,” I told him. “You’re going to leave right now. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to call the police.”

  Thomas laughed. “You’ll be dead before you call the police. And I’ll tell you this. After I’m done with you, you’ll disappear. No one will ever find what’s left of you.”

  “You’ll do no such thing.”

  Thomas and I both turned to Percy, who stood in the doorway. He tried to look tough, but he couldn’t pull it off. Percy simply wasn’t the intimidating sort.

  “You shouldn’t meddle where you’re not wanted,” Thomas said. “I guess, I’ll have to take you out first.”

  “Think before you do something stupid,” I said. “You can’t take out both of us, and you know it.”

  Thomas turned to me, a wicked smile on his face. “I don’t have to. I’ll take care of your boyfriend over there, and you’ll give me what I want. Otherwise, he’s going to take a real beating.”

  “All talk,” Percy said. “If I were you, I’d run now. I already called the police.”

  Thomas laughed. “You’re not a good liar.”

  “Neither are you,” I told Thomas. “This pretty much proves you killed your mother.”

  “I’ve had enough.”

  Thomas took a step toward Percy, who stepped aside.

  Making room for Jason to enter the kitchen.

  “You’re under arrest,” Jason said, as he moved toward Thomas. Jason was followed by Ventura, who pulled out his cuffs.

  “Arrest me for what?” Thomas asked.

  “Assault and battery. Threatening to kill someone is against the law.”

  Ventura pulled Thomas’s arms behind his back and cuffed his wrists.

  “Not me,” Thomas protested. “It’s her you need to arrest. She broke into my apartment and stole something from me. Ask her. She’ll admit it. She thinks she’s above the law.”

  “We’ll talk about that at the station,” Jason said. “You okay, Elle?”

  “I am,” I said. “Thanks to you.”

  “We’ll take him in and let him cool for a while.”

  “That’s a good idea.”

  I watched as Jason and Ventura led Thomas out. Percy pushed up his glasses and looked at me.

  “I was passing by,” Percy said, “when I heard Thomas threaten you.”

  “I thank you for calling Jason. That was quick thinking.”

  Percy smiled. “What did you take from him?”

  “A jewelry box, and you can’t mention that in your blog. It’s filled with dark magic that I’m trying to get rid of.”

  “You think Thomas stole it for the magic?”

  “I think he stole it because he thought it contained cash. Betty liked to use it for that. In fact, I think he might have killed her for it.”

  “It’s scary what drugs do to people, isn’t it?”

  “It’s a scourge. I wish there was some sort of magic that would remove the need for drugs.”

  Percy headed for the door. “That would make life too easy. We have to have challenges, or else we get lazy. You’re sure you’re all right?”

  “I’m fine. Thanks again.”

  After Percy had left, I turned to the canister. I still needed to rid the jewelry box of its magical load. The first step was to remove the masking. In seconds the canister had transformed back into the familiar jewelry box. I stared at it a moment, summoning the courage needed to try the spell. There was no certainty that the spell would work. There was a chance that it would backfire, and the magic would escape. Since magic couldn’t exist in the air, it would attach itself to something or someone. That meant I was in danger, albeit not too much danger.

  I put on a glove and opened the box, noting the pretty, little ballerina. She was smiling, but it was more of a smirk or sneer than a true smile. It was as if she knew that I was going to fail. I stood tall and opened the book. Taking a deep breath, I chanted the spell.

  Now tis time to take the test,

  If this item magic did infest,

  Remove it now, and leave the rest,

  Make it whole, make it best.

  The ballerina’s face changed. Gone was the smirk, replaced by a lovely smile. I felt my heart slow. The magic was gone.

  “Nooooooooooo!”

  I turned to the voice. Tabitha stood in the doorway.

  “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she asked.

  “I do. And it’s done. The magic is gone for good.”

  “Fool. It’s not gone. Oh, it passed into the ether, but it’s out there somewhere.”

  “You’ll never find it.”

  “Don’t bet on it. And when I do, you will rue the day you thwarted me.”

  “This must be my day for threats,” I said. “First Thomas and now you. I’ll let you in on a secret, Tabitha. I don’t like threats, and I never let them change my
behavior. Do you understand? You don’t scare me.”

  I knew my words sounded tough, and, at that moment, I felt tough. I doubted Tabitha thought me a real rival however.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Tabitha vanished through the door. I watched a moment, to see if she might return. She didn’t. I closed the jewelry box and ran my fingers over the wood. It was just an ordinary box now, something from a former era, something to be cherished.

  “Where did you get that?” Jason asked.

  CHAPTER 23

  “I think you know,” I said. “I’m guessing Thomas told you I stole it.”

  “He did. So, don’t tell me how you got it. I think it’s time to return it to him.”

  “It is. I removed the magic burden it carried.”

  “That’s good, and I think it’s enough to keep Thomas from pressing charges. He’ll settle for the return of the box. It has sentimental value for him.”

  “That works for me,” I said. “The last thing I want is to be charged with breaking and entering.”

  “Especially since it isn’t true.” Jason winked at me, as I handed over the jewelry box.

  “By the way,” I said. “Since the magic is gone, Tabitha won’t want the box either. So, Thomas will be safe. But sentiment doesn’t mean he didn’t kill Betty.”

  “I know. I’m not erasing his name from the suspect list.”

  I thought for a moment about Thomas. Did he know there was magic attached to the jewelry box? Did he care? Did he think the magic made the box valuable? That would give him another reason to kill Betty for it. Yet, I couldn’t believe that Thomas knew about the magic. There weren’t many people who believed.