by Savannah Mae
Her usual light tone changed to something darker, more serious. “I’m taking you back to your aunts’ home. They can’t help you if you run.”
I yanked my elbow from her grip. “You knew?” Tears welled in my eyes. “You knew all this time and you never told me? Why not? Why… How could you keep that information from me?”
“Sweetheart,” she started, “we promised your mother we’d protect you. Keep you safe. I’m sorry, but the timing wasn’t right.”
I stopped short, turning to face her and make her tell me the truth about my life. “Protect me from what? Where are these wonderful birth parents of mine? Where were they my whole life?”
Naomi pulled me to her to wrap her arms around me.
I pulled back. “No, please, tell me.”
Someone behind us yelled, “Melanie, your mother is trying to reach you. You need to get to the hospital.”
My mouth opened, but no words would come out.
Naomi spoke for me. “Thank you.” To me, she said, “It’s going to be okay. Let’s get you to the hospital.” She led me across the street to where her car was parked. “I’ll drive you.”
I searched my pockets for my cell phone. “Why didn’t she call me?” When I pulled the phone out, the screen indicator said I’d missed four calls: three from my mother’s cell phone and one from Ben’s. I dialed my mother’s line immediately.
“Honey, where are you?” my mother asked.
“What happened, Mom? How’s Daddy?” I asked.
“Did Ben find you?” she asked.
“What? Ben? I thought he was with you,” I answered.
My mother’s voice cracked. “He went after you. I need you to come to the hospital. They’re running tests on your father. They think it’s his heart.”
I dropped the phone.
Chapter Seventeen
“We could always kill him,” Lyra offered a frightening option.
“No, we aren’t going to kill him. What is wrong with you, Lyra Esmerelda Jinx?” Calliope shook her head in frustration. Lyra had spent the last twenty minutes offering a variety of cockamamie options to get rid of Zephyr once and for all.
Calypso spoke through clenched teeth. “When I said to make small talk, light conversation, while Melanie and Nelly wait for Ned’s test results, I didn’t mean to plot a murder. I swear, it’s like you have no mind at all.”
I was flabbergasted. My mother didn’t flinch. Her thoughts were with my father. He’d had test after test and still no confirmation as to what caused his episode.
Turning to me, Calypso asked, “Have you heard from Ben yet?”
I looked down at my phone, hoping he’d call me back. It had been over an hour since Naomi and I ran into each other downtown and neither one of us had heard from Ben.
“No. Nothing.” I shook my head.
Naomi dialed Ben’s number again. It was unusual for him not to answer. He lived on his phone. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, he always had his phone by his side.
I waited until Naomi hung up before I asked, “Still nothing?”
The worry lines in her face had intensified. She was normally a chipper, upbeat person, so for her to be worried, made me more nervous.
“I’m sure he’s fine. He probably got distracted by a girl. What ever happened to that young woman he was seeing?” Lyra asked.
“He needs to stay clear of her. Let’s hope he’s not with her,” Naomi answered.
What a horrible friend I’d been. I wished I would have pressed Ben for more information about his Jacqueline. I shouldn’t have been so wrapped up in my own problems that I didn’t consider him and his problems.
I offered a possibility. “He probably needed some time alone. To think or-” My voice trailed off as I thought about my poor friend and his broken heart.
Miss Maita chimed in with her thoughts, shocking us. “Why should he have to stay away from her? She wasn’t the problem. Say what you want, but I think we all know, their breakup had nothing to do with her and everything to do with him and his commitment issues.”
Naomi sat forward in her seat, focusing her eyes on Miss Maita. “Your granddaughter had no business with my son and you know it.”
What? Granddaughter?
I turned to face Miss Maita, sensing she’d betrayed us with her reading. “She’s your granddaughter? Don’t you think you should have mentioned that when we went to see you?”
Naomi’s eyes widened. “You went to see her? When? She’s not a psychic? She’s barely a witch! She just carries the name. Even her own family didn’t trust her. That’s why they never trained her.”
“You’re a witch?”
Miss Maita’s eyes bored into Naomi’s.
Naomi answered, “She thinks she is, but her family deemed her unfit to carry their family legacy.”
“No, they didn’t! I wish you’d stop telling everyone that story. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Miss Maita rolled her eyes at Naomi.
“Well, you’re not invited to the annual family Christmas bash, are you? Or that drool fest, they call a Halloween party.” Lyra laughed.
“How about that.” Calypso was laughing so hard she could barely get the words out of her mouth coherently, “disaster they invite the whole county to on New Year’s Eve? Who wants to celebrate with a bunch of drunken Willis’s?”
The three Jinx sisters and Naomi burst out laughing, doubling over clutching their bellies. They’d forgotten that we were sitting in a windowed room outside of the emergency room, where anyone who walked into the hospital could see us.
“Um, hello? We’re still in the hospital and people are staring at you,” I reminded them.
“They’re fine, sweetheart. They’ve always done this. Ever since old Jebediah Jinx married Maita Willis - the first Miss Maita, not this one - the two families have been at each other’s throats,” my mother assured me.
“Wait. What?” I looked at the bickering women and asked, “The Jinx family and the Willis family are related?”
Lyra wiped the tears that sprung from her eyes after all the laughter. “Yeah. Who would have thought it? Not once, but three times, some lovesick Willis coerced one of the Jinx women to marry them. I’m sure they put a hex on them. I swear, I’m going to break that curse, if it’s the last thing I do.”
Miss Maita scoffed at the her. “You think we put a curse on those women? You really are nuts, aren’t you? If anything, those little witches put a hex on our men. I don’t know how they did it, but I’m pretty sure that black tar you all call coffee had something to do with it.”
The Jinx women gasped in unison. They had their limits and based on their reaction, the Abracajava Cafe was their hard limit.
This conversation was so unreal, I had to laugh. “Do you hear yourselves? My father is having tests done right around the corner and no one has heard from Ben since we left my house. But don’t let that stop any of you from bickering about some bad first dates or anything.”
No one said a word. Each of the women in the room, most of whom I was apparently related to, gave me the same look before bursting out in laughter.
“I’m sorry, but did I miss the joke? What is this, some kind of test?” I was the only one in the room who didn’t find any of this the least bit amusing.
My mother fought desperately to control her laughter. “Sorry, honey, but you have to admit, they’re funny. They always have been. You wouldn’t believe how much trouble I used to get into because of them and their nonstop antics.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I left it alone. “They’re taking forever,” I groaned, referring to the hospital staff. “Can we go in and see him?”
“They’ll come and get us when he’s done. For now, just enjoy the conversation. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to connect with this bunch. They may be a little loud, but they mean well,” my mother said.
Calliope and Calypso took turns giving Miss Maita sideways glances. Whatever bad blood was between them wasn�
��t going to be settled anytime soon.
Miss Maita moved to stand by me. “I didn’t set out to dupe Ben. What I said to him was the absolute truth. To get over his funk, he had to reach out to her and make amends.”
I checked my phone again. Still no word from Ben.
“Look, I don’t care. So, I wasted my time and I’m out a few dollars. It doesn’t matter. Lesson learned.” I turned my back to her.
“Melanie, listen to me. You are in danger. Your family is in danger. That’s not a joke. No matter what your aunts think. Zephyr isn’t a nice man. He’s greedy. He always has been.” If Miss Maita thought that would console me, she was wrong.
I took a step back as the doctor approached.
“Mrs. Abney?” the doctor called out for my mother.
“Yes.” My mother’s voice was breathy, a clear indication of her nerves being on edge.
“Your husband is doing fine.” He looked at the sea of faces waiting with bated breath for his news. “The good news is, it wasn’t a heart attack.”
I grabbed my mother’s hand. “Can we see him now?”
“Sure, they’ll get him settled in his room,” the doctor said.
“If it wasn’t a heart attack, then what was it?” my mother asked.
“I think it must have been related to stress. His blood pressure is slightly elevated. Has he been under any unusual stress lately?” The doctor’s question seemed so innocent. Poor guy.
Everyone in the room laughed. I think we were all relieved.
The door opened behind the doctor.
“Ben,” We all called out his name at the sight of him.
“Hey, everyone! How’s it going? How’s Ned doing?” Ben spoke as if he hadn’t gone missing for the last several hours or as if we weren’t in a panic, worrying that Zephyr had caught up with him and rendered him unconscious or worse.
Relieved and irritated by his lack of communication, I smacked him on the back of the head. “Why didn’t you answer my calls? Where have you been? We’ve been calling you all day.”
“Ouch!” He rubbed the back of his head. “That’s assault you know. I can call Sheriff Boss right now and have him arrest you,” he joked.
Naomi walked up to him, tears in her eyes and smacked the back of his head. “Where were you?”
He immediately crouched down on the floor, using his arms to shield him from the bevy of slaps and smacks that came at him at the hands of every woman in the room, whether they were related to him or not. He deserved it. And, truth be told, we kind of enjoyed punishing him. The day had been stressful enough without him adding another layer of stress on our shoulders.
“Stop! Stop! Let me talk!” Ben begged from the floor.
We’d had our fill and backed away, allowing him to stand up and explain himself.
He stood up, keeping his arms in front of him in case we decided to attack him again. “Okay. Are we alright? Everybody cool?” He panted.
We were out of breath too. Each of us nodded in agreement.
“Dude, you ladies are vicious,” Ben quipped, straightening out his t-shirt.
Without hesitation, the beating began again, except this time words accompanied our playful assault.
“Did you call me a dude?” Lyra asked as she tugged his ear.
“What did I tell you about that word?” I pinched the inside of his upper arm.
Naomi smacked the back of his head again. “How many times have I told you not to call me dude?”
After a few more playful taps on his body for good measure, my mother took pity on him and said, “Okay, I think he’s learned his lesson. We should let him live long enough to tell us where he disappeared to today.” She narrowed her eyes at him, warning him to speak quickly before she unleashed the mob of angry women on him again.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t answer the phone, but I have a good reason.” He took a deep breath. “I found some information.” He grabbed the backpack that had fallen from his shoulder when we issued our own brand of punishment on him.
Naomi pushed him to explain. “So, what’s your best excuse?”
Ben flashed her his perfect smile, something that won hearts each time he did it. “Well, I broke into Zephyr’s office.”
He smiled wider, nodding to the doctor who quietly moved to leave the room. We hadn’t even realized he was still in the room.
“Okay, well, I’ll have one of the nurses let you know when Mr. Abney is ready for visitors.” He stepped out as fast as his feet would let him.
Great! Now the doctor thinks we’re not only nuts, but that we’re also thieves. Thanks, Ben. Way to go, dude!
Naomi reached for Ben’s ear again. “You did what?”
Ben lurched back, covering his ears. “Mom, stop that. I’m twenty-five-years-old. Stop doing that.”
My mother took the opportunity to show her disapproval by taking two of her fingers and grabbing a portion of skin on the back of his arm.
“Ouch! What is this? Beat Ben up day?” Ben screeched.
As much as I enjoyed watching him squirm, it was time to step in and see what he’d been up to all day.
“Let him talk!” I yelled.
The room hushed to allow Ben to explain why he’d committed a felony and, more importantly, what had he managed to sneak out of Zephyr’s office. We were all dying to know and hoping that whatever it was would help my parents keep their home.
Ben draped his arm over my shoulder. “Good. At least one of you hasn’t turned against me.”
I promptly pulled his arm off me and let it fall limp to his side. “This better be good,” I warned him.
“Um, it is, du… I mean, it is, Melanie. I promise.” He pulled forms out of his backpack. “Look at this!”
I took the pile of papers from him and read them aloud. “I, Zephyr Finneus Willis, sole proprietor of-” I paused after realizing what it meant. “Is this for real?”
I showed the papers to my mother. She gasped.
The Jinx sisters moved in to read the papers, then turned to look at Miss Maita.
Calliope asked, “Did you know this?”
Miss Maita shrugged, clueless as to what they meant. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“He’s filed for bankruptcy? He’s broke?” Lyra asked.
“How would I know?” Miss Maita answered.
Lyra pointed it out to her. “Let’s see, because your business is listed as his asset. He owns the bar?”
I pointed something out on the list of his assets.
“He owns the whole town?” Lyra raised her voice. “He owns Hog’s Nest?”
Calypso chimed in. “You can’t tell us you had no idea he owned your entire town, including your business? So, were you in on his scheme to rob the Abney’s and everyone he’s stole property from?”
Miss Maita hit her hand up against her forehead. “I can’t believe I trusted him. That snake!”
The Jinx sisters honed in on her, ready to pounce on her for being in cahoots with Zephyr, but Ben put his hand up to stave off their wrath. “Wait. She’s a victim too.”
A nurse walked in the room to call my mother. “Your husband is ready to see you. We’re going to move him up to the third floor in a little bit.”
My mother and I made eye contact.
“Go ahead, Mom. I’ll fill you in later,” I said, thankful we’d gotten over the hardest part.
She didn’t hesitate and followed the nurse out the room.
“Uh-oh.” Lyra motioned for the reception desk. “Sheriff Boss is here. You’re in trouble now, Ben.”
Ben didn’t seem bothered. He looked like he was pleased to see him.
“Perfect timing.” Ben walked out of the room to greet the sheriff.
“What in the world?” Lyra asked.
Sheriff Boss walked in, removing his hat to greet us. “Hello. How is everyone this evening?”
He and the Jinx sisters had a long history of avoiding each other like the plague. It was well known that he was
afraid of them and what they were capable of.
As if just to tease him, Lyra put her hand on his arm. “Nice to see you, Sheriff Boss. It’s been ages.”
He backed away from her slowly. “Yeah, it has. Good to see you too,” he said it, but I doubted anyone believed him.
Ben jumped right into why the sheriff was there. “Thanks to the sheriff, I’ve been able to find out quite a bit about good, old Zephyr Willis, the scumbag.”
“Yeah, Mr. Willis seems to have his hands in everything that goes bad in town,” Sheriff Boss said, taking a moment to look Calliope in the eyes.
The corners of her thin lips quirked up.
Swallowing nervously, the sheriff explained, “It seems Zephyr has been using the good people of our community to finance his lifestyle. He’s even gone so far as to dupe members of his immediate family.” He nodded at Miss Maita.
“He sure did,” Miss Maita said under her breath.
“How do you know this?” I asked.
Ben answered, “Well, you know that day the sheriff kindly asked us to leave Zephyr’s business? The sheriff sat in the parking lot after we left and-”
Sheriff Boss interrupted him. “Willis’ wife came out of the building in tears a few minutes after you two and Zephyr left. She caught sight of me and needed a shoulder to cry on, so to speak. I listened, not thinking much of it, but when she started calling me, asking peculiar questions - supposedly hypothetical questions - something struck me. She was trying to tell me something. It took me a bit to figure it out, but until Ben started calling me repeatedly for other things, I didn’t fully understand.”
“Why were you calling him?”
Ben’s face reddened. He looked at his mom as he spoke. “Well, I used the fact that he has always had a crush on my mom, so I sort of-”
Naomi interrupted him. “You used my name to get the sheriff to do things for you?”
Sheriff Boss turned a beet red.
“What is wrong with you?” Naomi asked Ben.
“Hey, I needed help. I had to find a way to get information on Zephyr. After I called Jacqueline to apologize to her, we got to talking about what was going on in our lives and she mentioned her uncle’s financial problems. I put two and two together and-” Ben started to explain, but Naomi interrupted him.