Witch Trials (A Mackenzie Coven Mystery Book 5)

by Sonia Parin

  “They’re all workshop junkies?”

  Lexie nodded. “And they all work in the realty business but they’re from different cities. We have to cross out the idea of competition. Unless... unless they all have their eye on the mansion.” Or something else... Lexie tried to grab hold of the fleeting thought but it eluded her.

  Luna rolled onto her back. Without being asked, Lexie reached out and gave her a belly rub.

  “Do any of the others live in the same city?”

  “Yes. Lou-Anne and Steven Reid. They’re the red blazers and black trousers couple and they live near Zoe and Zach.” Lexie set the page down. “Zoe didn’t mention knowing them, so we’ll have to approach the Reids and see if they’re willing to reveal anything worthwhile.” But first... she needed to confront Marcela. “Come on. The sooner we find some answers, the sooner we get to go home.”

  Luna cleared her throat. “Um... breakfast first?”

  “Yes, I could do with some coffee.”

  On their way down the stairs, Lexie nearly collided with Gerard O’Rourke as he bounded up the stairs, looking up in time to avoid toppling them both down.

  “I was on my way up to talk with you.”

  “And I was hoping to catch you,” Lexie lied.

  “Did you remember something?”

  She nodded and, rummaging through her scattered thoughts, came up with something relevant. “Lauren and Lance had been arguing during lunch. What if their argument escalated? She might have tripped accidentally, which means there’s no need for an investigation and we can all go home.”

  “I asked for information, not suppositions.”

  “Well, I guess this is your lucky day. You got both and I won’t charge you extra. Now, if you’ll excuse us. We’re on our way to breakfast.”

  “What do you think he wanted to talk to you about?” Luna asked.

  “It can’t have been anything good. Did you notice the way he scowled at me? I refuse to be reprimanded on an empty stomach.”

  * * *

  “Everyone appears to have survived the night.”

  Lexie did a head count of all the guests sitting down to breakfast. “Yes, they’re all here.” Including Lou-Anne and Steven Reid who sat at opposite ends from Zoe and Zach. They were in the same business and lived in the same city. Yet Lexie didn’t remember seeing them talking together, which could mean they were pretending not to know each other...

  “But are they?” Luna asked.

  Lexie finished her coffee and poured herself another cup before she looked up. “Are they what...? Why are you being enigmatic?”

  “Because things are not always as they appear to be.”

  Thinking the conversation required a third cup of coffee, she drained her cup and poured another one. “Are you saying someone is not who they say they are?”

  “We take so much at face value, and yet we know someone here is a killer. It therefore stands to reason... Someone is lying.”

  “That’s a convoluted way of saying what we already know.”

  “I was only making breakfast conversation. Personally, I think it’s a good idea to begin the day as you mean to go on. If we don’t converse, then... well, I could start imagining you don’t wish to talk to me. And you might entertain the same paranoid thoughts. Before we know it, it’s the end of the day and we’ve both convinced ourselves we’ve had a falling out.”

  Lexie frowned at her. “Why am I the one being paranoid?”

  “You think Mirabelle is after you, yet you have no solid proof to back your suspicions... Admit it, you do have a tendency to entertain paranoid suspicions.” Luna licked her paw and preened herself. “How do I look?”

  A server made the rounds of the dining room, placing an envelope on each table.

  “Our next clue. Why did I assume the program would be suspended?” She looked down at Luna. “You have a spot of milk on your nose.”

  Luna licked it off. “If Marcela suspended the program, she’d have to reimburse her guests and I doubt she’d be able to afford the loss... What’s our clue for today?”

  “I spy with my little eye something beginning with K.” Lexie scrunched up the envelope. “They want us to make a list.”

  “Knife,” Luna offered. “Come on. Write it down. We might actually have a chance of winning this, especially now that you’ve swallowed a dictionary.”

  Lexie motioned with her finger and was about to say she didn’t have a pen, when one materialized.

  Luna’s mouth gaped open. “Magnificent. Now we’ll never run out of Game Indulgence.” She put her paw on Lexie’s hand. “Knuckle. I think we’re already ahead of everyone else.” Leaping off her chair, she raced around the dining room, stopping at intervals to inspect her surroundings. When she returned, she leaped onto Lexie’s lap. “Knee. Oh... and last night, while you slept, I went to the kitchen to check up on my cans of Game Indulgence. We are so going to win this. I hope there’s a prize.”

  As she finished her coffee, Lexie kept her attention glued on the Reids. “I’ve just noticed something about them.” She rose to her feet. “Okay, fun’s over. Now to confront Marcela.”

  “Are you deliberately pushing me to ask what you noticed about the Reids?”

  “I thought you were too busy preening yourself to care.”

  “I can multitask.”

  “They don’t talk. Not even to each other. If they’re reading each other’s thoughts, then they must be cheating as I’m sure that counts as a special power.”

  “But that means we too have been cheating.”

  “It’s not cheating if you’re an incoming High Chair and a feline companion investigating a crime.”

  “You seem to have found a new appreciation for your status. I hope this means I will enjoy some perks.”

  * * *

  “Do you have a plan?” Luna asked as they were about to enter Marcela’s office.

  “Yes, it’s called the element of surprise.”

  As Marcela looked up, her eyes widened slightly.

  “Marcela. I have some questions for you.” Lexie plunged right into the deep end. “When did you discover Joshua had disconnected the security camera outside his office and how desperate are you to acquire magical powers? Also...” Lexie leaned forward, “Are you willing to kill for them?”

  Marcela gasped.

  “Aha! You act surprised. Is that because I’ve uncovered your secret plans?” Lexie spread her arms out. “I’m standing between you and the door. There’s no way out.”

  “I... I... What are you talking about?”

  “You’re playing the ignorance card? Of course, you see yourself as a victim, blaming your great grandfather for denying you your birthright. Your husband has also been at the receiving end of your finger pointing. It’s time for you to accept responsibility for your actions. Did Lauren and Lance have something you wanted... needed?” Lexie curled her fingers around the back of a chair and leaned forward. “Did you try to steal their powers?” Was that even possible? Yes, of course, she argued with herself and decided to check her facts later. “This is your chance to own up to your crimes. I’m sure the disciplinary board will take your confession into account when considering your sentence.”

  Marcela sat up. “Are you quite done or is your cat going to weigh in on the accusations?”

  Lexie looked down at Luna who promptly stepped back.

  “Don’t look at me. You’re on your own on this one.”

  “Yes, Lexie. Are you quite done?”

  Ooops.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Lexie noticed a shape... large... largish. Gerard O’Rourke. Leaning against a bookcase behind her.

  “Hello there. I didn’t notice you. I... Sorry, I seem to have interrupted something. I’ll... I’ll just see myself out.”

  “Not so fast, Ms. Mackenzie. You had some questions that needed answers.”

  “Oh, there’s no hurry.” She turned to leave but Gerard blocked her path.

  “I’m sure Marc
ela Taggart would like to appease your curiosity.”

  She looked for Luna, but the little scamp had disappeared. Moments later, she caught sight of her peering from behind a stack of books.

  Coward.

  “I prefer to think of myself as a tactician, making a practical retreat,” Luna explained, “If anything happens to you, then I live to tell the tale.”

  Gerard backed Lexie into a chair. “Please continue, Ms. Mackenzie.”

  “Right... well. Yes, as I was saying,” she turned to Marcela, “How desperate are you to acquire magical powers?”

  “You think I would kill for them?”

  “No. That would be silly. You have a business to run and a reputation to uphold. But I can’t help feeling there is something going on? What exactly did your great grandmother do with her powers?”

  When Marcela blanched, Lexie knew she’d actually stumbled on a significant lead.

  “I mean... do they just go away or can powers be stored somewhere?”

  Gerard shifted.

  “You might be onto something,” Luna murmured as she emerged from hiding.

  Marcela shrugged and picked up a pen, which she twirled like a mini baton. “There are rumors, and I can’t stress this enough. They are only rumors.”

  “About what?”

  Marcela surged to her feet and, after taking a couple of steps, resumed her seat. “My great grandmother had unmatched powers. I refuse to believe she simply gave them away. They must be somewhere in this house. Some say she condensed her powers and bottled them up.”

  “Like a genie in a bottle?”

  Marcela nodded. Sighing, she opened a drawer and drew out a pocket sized, leather-bound book. “She kept a journal and habitually wrote one page per day. However, there is one entry with a single line stating ‘It is done’. She wrote this the night before her wedding after my great grandfather had asked her to relinquish her powers. I refuse to believe she simply gave them up.” Marcela gestured around her. “As you can see, we are reluctant to throw anything away. You never know when something might come in handy. It’s a family trait that clashes dreadfully with our organizational expertise.”

  Lexie looked at Gerard. He stood stock-still. When he spoke, it almost caught her by surprise.

  “You’ve searched the house?”

  Marcela slumped against her chair. “Every corner of it. Now... I’m afraid word has spread.”

  “Are you saying there are others looking for your great granny’s powers?”

  Marcela gave a stiff nod.

  “That would give anyone motive for murder,” Luna remarked. “Maybe Lauren and Lance knew something. Or... maybe they’d found the powers.”

  Marcela shook her head. “Impossible.”

  “What is?” Gerard asked.

  “Marcela can actually hear Luna,” Lexie explained, “Which bodes well for her as it means she has acquired some powers.”

  Gerard closed his eyes, as if pained by the news. Lexie imagined him thinking he could barely keep up with her having conversations with Luna he couldn’t hear, now there were two of them...

  “And what did your cat say?” he asked through gritted teeth.

  Luna lowered her head and scowled at Gerard.

  “My feline companion suggested that perhaps Lauren and Lance had been on the trail of something.” And someone had taken advantage of this. Lexie turned to Marcela. “Why do you think news has spread about your great granny’s powers?”

  Marcela sighed. “Bookings are up for no apparent reason. Advertizing is expensive and I could only afford to pay Dr. Shrink. She only sent a handful of people my way. I should run a survey to find out how the others heard about Gainsborough Mansion.”

  Lexie remembered Kenneth Grant saying they’d seen an advertisement...

  Luna landed on the desk. “It would be good if we could frame the shrink for this. I thought she treated you abominably.”

  “I’m sure there are rules against framing someone out of spite, but thank you for thinking of me.”

  The detective cleared his throat. “Can we move on from whatever you two are talking about and focus on catching a killer?”

  Lexie grinned. “Are you saying you now welcome my help?”

  “On the condition that you promise to consult with me before leaping to conclusions.”

  “But that’s my most effective tool.”

  Chapter Nine

  Lexie strode along the hallway with Gerard O’Rourke a step behind her.

  “Your cat seems to appreciate art.”

  Luna sat in front of a picture. When Lexie reached her, Luna said, “There’s a kite in that painting. Add it to our list.”

  Lexie peered at the painting. “You’re right. Maybe we should have a look around the attic. I think with your excellent observation skills, we’ll be able to dig something up.” As she turned, she gazed down at the foyer and saw Zoe and her husband going out the front door, followed by Lou-Anne and Steven Reid. “I wonder where they’re all going?”

  “Hey, where are you going?” the detective growled under his breath as Lexie hurried down the stairs.

  “I thought you said we weren’t allowed to leave. They’re leaving. Aren’t you curious to see where they go?” She stepped out in time to see Zoe and Zach taking off in their car with Lou-Anne and Steven Reid following at a discreet distance. Turning, she glowered at the detective. “I suppose you’re going to insist I stay behind while you go chasing after them.”

  He surprised her by grabbing her by the hand and hurrying her to his car. “And leave you here to do who knows what? You’re coming with me. And tell your cat to stop staring.”

  “Luna’s my feline companion. She doesn’t take kindly to being referred to as a cat.”

  The detective grumbled under his breath. “What is she going to do? Scratch me?”

  “No. She’ll bite you.”

  Luna pranced past them, her nose in the air.

  As Lexie settled inside his car, Luna snuggled on her lap. Lexie laughed.

  “What’s so amusing?” he asked.

  “I’m thinking you don’t want to leave me behind because my reputation has preceded me and you’re afraid I’ll solve the case before you do.”

  He chortled. “It’ll be a cold day in hell when someone from Delicate Matters Investigations solves a case before I do.”

  “Crafty Investigations,” Lexie couldn’t help correcting. She swung toward him. “And where did you get Delicate Matters from?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. Instead she stabbed an accusatory finger at him. “You spoke with Mirabelle.”

  “It’s standard procedure to run a background check on suspects.”

  “But you already knew who I was. Admit it.”

  “The fact the Mackenzie Coven have decided to play at being detectives has become common knowledge,” he agreed.

  “I’ll have you know we have a one hundred percent success rate.”

  “You’ve been lucky. And just because my colleagues have indulged you, doesn’t mean I will. Keep your nose out of my business, Ms. Mackenzie.”

  “You’re going to lose them. Look, they’re turning and you’re on the wrong lane.” She looked over her shoulder. “Step on it, detective. You’ve got a clearing.”

  His jaw muscles clenched. Grumbling, he changed lanes and put his foot down.

  “Lou-Anne and Steven are keeping a couple of car’s length distance. I think it’s safe to assume they’re following Zoe and Zach.” She thought she heard him mutter something about backseat drivers stating the obvious and couldn’t help smiling.

  “Can you do something about her?” he asked.

  “Quit staring at him, Luna.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” Luna purred.

  “Just ignore her.” Lexie leaned forward. “Where are they headed?”

  “Away from the town.”

  “Yes, but where?”

  “If I knew that, we’d be in front of them instead of behind them.”
<
br />   “Look, they’re slowing down.”

  “I can see that,” Gerard muttered softly.

  “There is a wedge between his eyebrows,” Luna remarked, “I think you are trying his patience. Good work.”

  “Look, they’re pulling up at that store.” Lexie tried to read the sign. “It’s a buggy hire. What on earth is that?”

  Luna stretched her neck to look over the dashboard. “Amish horse-drawn buggies. I’d love to take a ride on one.”

  “It looks like you’re going to get your wish.” She saw Zoe and Zach jumping on a buggy and pulling away first, with the Reids trailing a short distance behind them...

  “They’re headed back to the mansion. Quick, turn around.”

  As he turned, Lexie saw a flash of light appear ahead of the buggies. “What on earth is going on?”

  Luna gasped. “It’s a gateway and most likely only accessible with an Amish horse-drawn buggy.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  “Why else would they exchange their fast cars for horse-drawn buggies? Quick, we must follow their lead.”

  “But they took the last two buggies.” When Lexie noticed the detective slowing down, she growled. “What are you doing? You’ll lose them.”

  He pointed ahead. “How do you expect me to get through that?”

  “It looks like a mini thunderstorm,” Luna purred, “Do you think you could get us through it?”

  “Um... Maybe.” But how?

  “Maybe what?” Gerard asked, “What are you two talking about? And why can’t I hear your cat. It doesn’t make sense. You’re bound to each other.”

  “Never mind us,” Lexie yelped, “Look, the buggies are disappearing into the gateway.”

  Luna turned to her. “I think it’s time you embraced your power. All the elements are at your disposal. They will bend to your will.”

  The what-what will do what?

  Luna gave her a concentrated stare. “The elements around you. Everything that is and will be. All the ingredients abound in superb abundance. Call on your power now. It will answer because it is rightfully yours.”