Witch Trials (A Mackenzie Coven Mystery Book 5)

by Sonia Parin

  Luna looked over her shoulder. “Oh... Yes. I guess I was lucky... But it was touch and go. Still... it’s all about teamwork and ultimate sacrifices.”

  “If you two are done sharing and caring, I think the coast is clear. We don’t want to lag too far behind them.”

  “No, we don’t.” Lexie pushed the detective out of the suite. “Come on.” As they reached the bottom of the stairs, a man dressed in a tuxedo stopped them.

  “Are you lost?”

  “I... we... No.”

  “Who are you?”

  “We’re... we’re guests. From out of town.”

  He held up a quizzing glass and subjected them to a thorough scrutiny. “I see. You must be on the bride’s side of the family.” He shook his head. “Wait here. I don’t care to have strangers running around like feral beasts inside my house.”

  They nodded but as soon as he was out of sight, they turned to leave and as they did, a flash of light exploded in front of them. Lexie saw a man standing behind some sort of tripod.

  “It’s a camera,” Gerard said, “I think we’ve been immortalized. Somewhere in the mansion, there is a copy of this photograph. Proof that you... we... traveled back in time.”

  “There’s nothing we can do about that now. We have to hurry or we’ll be stuck here forever.”

  “Did your cat come back with anything useful?” he asked as he kept up with her long strides.

  Feeling Luna tensing in her arms, Lexie said, “Ignore him.” She hurried toward the buggy. To her surprise, Gerard helped her up.

  “His gentlemanly manners don’t make up for his constant taunting of me,” Luna warned.

  As they set off, Lexie could see a gathering of clouds forming ahead of them. “Hurry or we’ll miss the gateway.”

  “Make sure to tuck my tail in,” Luna said, “I don’t want to have come this far only to lose it.”

  They raced along the dirt road, leaving a trail of dust behind them.

  “Step on it,” Lexie yelled as she leaned forward.

  “I’m doing the best I can. This is a one horse power buggy.”

  “I don’t like the look of this. The gateway appears to be closing.” Luna turned to her. “I’m afraid it’s up to you now.”

  Just great. Her heart punched against her chest. Hadn’t she already done enough for one day?

  “I’m open to suggestions,” she hollered above the pounding of the horse’s hooves.

  “I think you need to turbo charge us.”

  “Turbo charge?” The words filled her mind. A sudden jolt had them flying along the road. A clap of thunder exploded ahead of them and in that instant, they were sucked in through the gateway.

  Chapter Ten

  “I smell burning.” Luna stuck her nose in the air and coughed.

  “Did we make it in one piece?” Lexie peeled her eyes open and seeing a modern building, sighed with relief.

  “I still smell burning.” Luna yelped. “It’s me. It’s me. My tail is on fire. Put it out.”

  Lexie slapped at her tail.

  “Ouch. Stop. Ouch. No, don’t stop.”

  “Quit fussing. It’s only a slight singe.”

  “You wouldn’t be laughing if it was your fur,” Luna muttered between desperate licks.

  The detective pushed out a breath. “Um, once again, I’d hate to interrupt the sharing and caring. Would you mind turning the buggy back into my car?”

  “Oh... Right.” How did she do that?

  Luna. Help me out.

  I’ve mentally sent you to the naughty corner for laughing at me. Sorry, you’re on your own.

  Luna, this isn’t the time.

  Lexie worried her bottom lip. She could do this.

  Gerard’s car had been black... and big. She cleared her throat and focused on the image of the horse-drawn buggy. In her mind, she molded it into a car. She had no idea what to expect. She’d managed to turn the car into a horse-drawn buggy just as they’d been about to collide with the gateway. There had also been the confusion of thunder and... Well, she’d been under a lot of pressure.

  Now...

  She could kick back and relax. They’d made it back safely. She could do this... Buggy. Car. Buggy. Car.

  “What the hell?” Gerard erupted, “A beach buggy?”

  Lexie sunk into her seat. “Yelling doesn’t help.” She glanced up at him only to look away. Gerard’s knees were nearly touching his chin.

  “After some consideration I have decided to restore the lines of communication. Clearly, you cannot function well without my assistance.”

  “I suppose you expect me to thank you,” Lexie grumbled.

  “No need. I shall simply add something to my list of demands and be properly compensated. Now, take a deep breath and empty your mind.”

  She tried again.

  The beach buggy gave a jolt but remained the same. “Sorry, I think I need to recharge my mental batteries.” Or something...

  “Perhaps you need a rush of adrenaline. If I had a cattle prod, I’d happily use it. Would you like me to bite you?”

  Lexie glared at Luna. “That’s the best you can do?”

  “I had to dig deep for an alternative method. You never know until you try it. And you could at least show some gratitude and appreciation for my efforts.”

  “We’re here,” Gerard announced.

  Luna and Lexie looked up. They’d reached the store where the others had swapped their cars for horse-drawn buggies. The buggies were there, but their suspects were nowhere to be seen. “They had quite a head start. Now what?”

  Gerard turned to her, his face unexpectedly relaxed. “I think they came back empty-handed. We’ll catch up with them back at the mansion. Meanwhile... you could take a moment to bring my car back, but only is you’re up to it. I wouldn’t want to rush you.”

  “He is persistent,” Luna murmured.

  Lexie rubbed her hands across her face and tried to think of... nothing, but there were too many questions hovering in her mind. “Hey,” she pointed to a van pulling up and driving through to the back of the store. “I recognize that van. Lexington Catering. I saw it drive away right after we discovered the bodies.”

  They got out of the beach buggy and strode around the building. “Look, a sign. Lexington Catering. It must be behind the buggy hire store. That can’t be a coincidence.”

  They peered through a window and saw a man setting a box on a table.

  “There’s no law against unpacking groceries especially when you run a catering company,” the detective observed, “There’s nothing unusual here.”

  “Look again, detective.” Two large pots sat on a large commercial sized cooker, a wooden spoon in each one, both spoons turning steadily, with no human assistance.

  “Okay,” he conceded, “There is a slight breach of security. If we can peer through a window and see that, then an unsuspecting passer-by can too. This is obviously not the sort of thing we wish people to witness.”

  “I think we should question him.”

  “I have a better idea,” the detective said, “I’ll question him while you stay here and focus on getting my car back.”

  “That works for me too. But... how attached are you to your car? Surely the department will issue you another one.”

  “It’s my personal car,” he said, his tone, for once, deadpan.

  “I’ll do my best.” She wiped a smudge off the window and, narrowing her eyes, surveyed the inside of the catering company. “Are you sure you can interrogate him without me? I thought you appreciated my input.”

  “Does your cat share the same sense of self-importance?”

  “Luna...” Lexie looked around, but Luna was nowhere to be seen. “Luna, where are you?”

  “I’m inside.”

  Lexie pressed her nose to the window and searched for her. “I can’t see you.”

  “I’m on the bench.”

  She thought she saw something on the bench moving. Rubbing her eyes, she had another
look and thought she caught sight of a faint silhouette...

  Luna’s silhouette? If Luna had become invisible, she shouldn’t be able to see her. Yet... she could definitely pick up a shape. She looked at her hand and flexed her fingers. Nothing about her seemed to have changed. She didn’t even feel a buzz of... power coursing through her, but she must have acquired more powers...

  “What are you doing in there?”

  “I’m looking for something that will incriminate him. I think I found it.”

  Focusing on the bench, Lexie saw a small scroll moving. Moments later, Luna came out.

  “I’m really getting the hang of going through doors.”

  “What did you find?”

  “An incantation. Several of them, in fact. I didn’t dare read them for fear that I might trigger something. At a glance, they appeared to be gateway openers.”

  Lexie turned to the detective. “Do you need more reason to question him?”

  “You wait here.”

  “Detective, if you find anything, you’ll have to give us some of the credit.”

  Luna whimpered, “He strode right past me without sparing me a glance.”

  Studying her hand again, Lexie said, “If I had a dollar for every time someone ignored me, I’d be wealthy.”

  “If you don’t do something about increasing your allowance, you might have to look at alternative means to earn a living. That could be a start. You could charge people for ignoring you. I’d pay a dollar for that.”

  “Is this going to become a habit with you?”

  “This? What?”

  “You, never missing an opportunity to take a stab at me.”

  “But that’s how I keep my skills honed. Surely you don’t wish to deprive me of that...”

  While they waited, Lexie decided to check on Octavia. “Did you manage to sort out the business with my local pizzeria?”

  Octavia sneezed. “Sorry. Dust motes.”

  “Why is my apartment dusty? I cleaned it.”

  “Umm... Pizza. Yes, you are back in their good graces. For some reason, the delivery boy had become convinced you were a difficult customer to deal with.”

  “I wonder where he got that idea from?” Mirabelle or the disciplinary board?

  “It sounds like payback,” Luna said. “Perhaps you should consider attending a few therapy sessions with Mirabelle. It might help improve your relationship with her.”

  “But she has no reason to sabotage me. She owes us.” Lexie shook her head. “No. It has to be about her deciding to take over my life and turn me into a version of herself.”

  “Would that be so bad?” Luna asked. “We’d get to live in a mansion, I’m sure.”

  “What is it with you and mansions. I like my apartment.”

  “I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, ‘Not enough room to swing a cat’. You try going on a frenzied run around your cramped apartment. I can’t tell you how many close calls I’ve had with furniture and walls. If we lived in a large mansion, I’d be free to run anywhere.”

  Octavia made a point of clearing her throat. “Any idea when you’ll be coming back?”

  “We’re hoping to crack the case soon. Why do you ask? Is it something to do with the booby trap you mentioned?”

  Octavia went into a fit of coughing.

  “I know I should prod until you tell me what’s happened, but I’m sure you’ll have it all sorted out by the time we get back.” She had full faith in Octavia’s ability to deal with the minor disaster...

  “I... I have no idea what you’re talking about but... thank you for trusting me. Yes, everything will be perfect when you return.”

  “Okay, go forth and... dust.” Lexie mentally amended ‘minor’ to ‘major’ disaster. Octavia’s otherwise calm demeanor appeared to be quite shaken, so the problem had to be major league big.

  “What do you think happened?” Luna asked as she took a moment to preen herself.

  Lexie shrugged. “I’m afraid to think about it... Although, the edict we received might have something to do with it. I told you, people who include fine print always have something up their sleeves.” She turned toward the window. The detective had his notebook out and appeared to be checking through his notes while the man scowled at him. “Hey, do you think this is the guy Marcela buys her magic from?”

  “I would assume he’d have a sign posted somewhere. Then again... Real magic is not exactly a widely accepted practice. Also, while I’m all for the idea of selling it, the council might look upon it with disfavor. Go figure.”

  “What if he does more than sell magic?” Lexie asked, “If he’s in the business of magic, he might have heard about great granny Hensley’s power. He could have set his sights on it.”

  “I like that idea. What if Marcela is not the only one searching for it? I’m sure Zoe and Zach used his incantation to open the gateway.”

  Lexie took a couple of paces and swung back. “I’m picturing him selling the incantation to Lauren and Lance. That’s when he learned about the possibility of acquiring more power.”

  “From Lauren and Lance?”

  “Yes. He might have asked what they wanted the incantation for. They inadvertently revealed the existence of the Hensley magic. Maybe they asked if he knew anything about it. And that’s when the idea came to him to kill them and steal the magic for himself. He would have easy access to Gainsborough mansion. Lexington Catering probably makes daily runs there. Over time, he would have learned the lay of the land. With everyone so busy, he could sneak around the place without being noticed. Making his regular runs, he would have seen Joshua sneaking away on his breaks and, he would eventually have figured out the best time to steal the key card.”

  A gateway incantation.

  Four of the guests used a gateway to travel to the past.

  What if the guests had all come to Gainsborough Mansion under false pretences?

  Word might have spread, setting everyone off on a hunt for the treasure.

  “What made you play it safe and not read the incantation out loud?” she asked Luna.

  “Words are powerful. Surely you know that by now.”

  “What would have happened if you’d spoken them?”

  “I might have opened a gateway right then and there.”

  They looked at each other and gasped.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Lexie asked. “What if Lauren read out the incantation as she dried her hair? A gateway would have opened. Startled by the sight, she might have lost her balance and fallen into the bathtub.”

  “Yes,” Luna agreed.

  Gerard emerged from the building shaking his head.

  “Let me guess,” Lexie said, “He sold a gateway magic spell to one of the guests.”

  He nodded.

  “And... He can’t tell you their name because...” She clicked her fingers, “They organized a drop off.”

  The detective frowned. “How did you know?”

  “I’m thinking the person who purchased that incantation wanted to do more than just travel into the past. They wanted to get rid of their competition.”

  Luna wrinkled her little nose. “Where did you get that from? We didn’t discuss it.”

  “It just came to me.” Someone with a competitive nature would do all they could to sabotage the competition. She imagined the killer suggesting Lauren try it out, knowing full well what could happen.

  Zoe Baker.

  “Now I’m thinking everyone is at Gainsborough Mansion looking for great granny Hensley’s bottled magic.”

  Luna tilted her head in thought. “The race is on, but competition is stiff... No, that doesn’t make sense. Why stop at killing one couple? Why not do away with everyone?”

  “That would be too extreme,” Lexie reasoned, “Although, who knows what’s happened while we’ve been away.”

  “If you two are done colluding—”

  Luna glared up at the detective.

  “Don’t mind him. He’s just a
nnoyed he can only hear my part of the conversation. And he’s probably worried we’ll figure out who the killer is before he does.” Lexie went through her list of possible suspects. Who would be cunning enough to remain anonymous and organize a drop off?

  Gerard O’Rourke crossed his arms. “For your information, he only sold one copy of the incantation and we saw Zoe and Zach go through the gateway first. The Reids followed. It stands to reason...”

  Lexie shook her head. “Zoe and Zach. They tick all the boxes but I’m having a hard time believing they committed murder.” When Zoe had come down the stairs, she’d looked calm... in control.

  “Let’s head back to the mansion.” The detective turned and seeing the dune buggy still there, growled softly under his breath. “Isn’t there something you can do?”

  “I’ve tried. Sorry, I’m still new to all this. Maybe I’ve depleted my daily dose of magic.”

  Luna’s sigh spoke of despair. “You are an incoming High Chair. You can only get stronger. This is nothing but a bout of self-doubt and flagging confidence. Perhaps even a decline in your belief that you can ever become a High Chair. I’m also guessing you are struggling with self-image problems. And, dare I say it, lack of motivation and discipline.”

  “Are you quite done tearing me apart with your analysis?”

  * * *

  “Come on, everyone is accounted for.” Which was a relief. Lexie had been afraid the killer had taken advantage of their absence and gone on a killing spree. They made their way up to Marcela’s office and settled in to wait for the detective, Zoe and Zach...

  “He’s not going to like this.”

  “Hush. If we sit still, he won’t notice us.” Lexie had decided she wouldn’t ask if she could sit in on the interrogation because she knew the answer would be no.

  “I’m going to make myself invisible,” Luna stated, “I simply don’t care to be embarrassed as I’m bound to be when he asks us to leave.”

  “He won’t. While he might not want to admit it, he knows we can provide a different perspective.”

  “I’m still going to make myself invisible. Would you like to try it?”

  Huh? Become invisible? But how?