The Chocolate Magic Cozy Mystery Box Set Books 1 to 7

by Olivia Swift

  They stopped in at the ranch house before going to the big barn. Music was already playing, and it seemed that things were underway. Magda wanted to find Jeremy and see if there was a headband for Alison. He greeted them all like long lost relatives and showed her five different headbands. Alison looked at them and went straight for the collection of white roses and feathers. It had a hint of native American but was put together with a modern flair. It blended into her hair and looked exactly right.

  “How much?” Alison asked the designer. He laughed.

  “Already paid for.” He pointed to Sam.

  “Gotta look after the only family I have.” She kissed Sam’s cheek.

  “Let’s go and show it off.” Jeremy offered his arm and Alison was swept off to the barn. Sam and Magda smiled at each other and followed.

  The barn, really, calling it a barn was a bit of an understatement. The place was enormous with seats and tables all around with a glittering bar and a buffet area where food was constantly replaced as it was eaten by an efficient and cheerful staff. The band was on a small stage and there was a good, up to date sound system. The caller was being funny and making people laugh.

  They saw where the others were sitting and went to join them. They had saved seats for everyone. Merle and Branston were on the move all around the room, making sure that everything was going well. Gina and her dad came in the door and everyone waved at them wildly and pointed to their seats. Unsurprisingly, the one Gina took was next to Bart.

  Magda nudged Sam and looked at Branston’s brand new jacket and Stetson from Jeremy. The black leather was fine enough to move when he did and there was a faint, gold design that looked a bit like a golden tattoo. The hat was not large but very stylish, fitted him like a glove and also had a gold headband to match the jacket. Magda noted that her cousin had managed to wear a tight-fitting shirt that did show some of his chest. She shook her head. He would always be a showman.

  To prove the point, he leapt onto the stage and grabbed the mic and invited everyone to take to the floor. The band picked up speed, people grabbed partners and headed to the floor.

  Sam took Magda’s hand and joined them. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bertram, his friend and another man she thought she should recognize, come in the doorway, hang their hats on the pegs and head for the bar.

  17

  The whirlwind of the dance stopped her thinking about where she knew the man from. They changed partners, swung wildly in circles and eventually came back to where they had started. The caller slowed them down and changed the tempo, but Magda had used enough energy and pulled Sam away from the floor.

  Merle and Branston were old hands now at putting on a good night. The caller was spotting various couples and Branston was whizzing around and giving them gifts with a great flourish. Bart and Gina were on the floor and the caller shouted for anyone whose name started with a G to put up their hands. Bart laughed and pulled Gina’s hand into the air. Branston slid across the floor and gave her a huge teddy bear. When the gifts that Branston had were exhausted, he leapt onto the stage and told them that the food was going to waste.

  The band took over and another fast and furious beat started everyone’s feet tapping.

  “Not me,” Magda said. “Come and get something to eat.” Sam pulled Alison to her feet and Gina’s dad stood up as well.

  “I think my daughter has other company,” he smiled.

  “His sister was one of my good friends in high school. I like him,” Magda told him.

  “Was that when Rula’s cousin disappeared?” he asked.

  She nodded. “It knocked the whole town down at the time.”

  They piled up their plates and started to go back to the table. Bertram waved a hand and she waved back. She was still wondering where she had seen the other man before and mentioned it to Sam.

  “Ha!” Sam said. “Imagine spikey yellow hair, hideously made up face and music that made you want to be deaf.”

  “Oh, no. That is Screechin’ Tweedie.”

  “Looks more normal without the ghastly face paint,” Sam agreed.

  “His hair is normal and he had a Stetson on when he came in.”

  “I guess we all grow up eventually,” Sam said as he started on his food. Then the three men wandered over with plates and glasses in hand and asked if they could join the party.

  “Why not?” Magda answered and the men found extra chairs as everyone shuffled to make space. She looked at Screechin’ Tweedie and told him that Sam had just jogged her memory about who he was. She explained to the others about his former life as a mad rock singer.

  “Use my real name now – Martin,” the singer told them.

  “He still sings,” Bertram added. “Not the frantic stuff anymore. More like a Frank Sinatra nowadays.”

  “Very dull life I lead these days,” Martin told them. “All the excitement seems to be at the ranch. These two told me all about the ghost hunt.”

  “And the discovery of the bodies,” the other man said. “Police don’t seem to be getting anywhere with it though.”

  Sam shook his head. “No prints and no further forward.”

  “At least Rula can give her cousin a burial,” Magda said.

  “Let’s not dwell on it,” Bart said and took Gina by the hand. “This is a nice slow dance.”

  “That’s the press guy, isn’t it? Seems to be digging up lots of info,” Bertram said, and Magda nodded. She nudged Sam and they saw that Gina’s dad had taken Alison onto the floor.

  “I like that,” she said. Then she explained that Alison was Sam’s aunt who had just come back to the USA from Ireland.

  “I wonder if that young woman over there would like to dance,” Bertram said and ran his hand through his hair as he went to ask her.

  “I’d rather have another drink,” his friend said, but he went on his own because the caller came and asked Screechin’ Tweedie if he was prepared to give them a song.

  Sam and Magda went to dance and saw that Bart and Gina had stopped to talk to a cowboy with his girlfriend over at the other side of the room.

  “You know,” Sam said into her ear. “That cowboy is Southern’s partner. He must be here on duty.”

  “There are quite a few locals who had bought tickets for tonight. I guess they will take a note of who is here and check out any connections.”

  Sam and Magda gravitated over to where Gina was standing with Bart.

  “Hi,” Sam said. “Did you realize that the man on the stage now was the man that used to sing as Screechin’ Tweedie?”

  The police officer nodded. “Thanks. Yes. Quite a few locals here,” the man answered. “Nothing suspicious as yet.”

  The music came to an end and the caller said that they were lucky enough to have a local singer in their midst. He made a joke about Screechin’ Tweedie and when the audience was looking around for somebody with punky spikes and lots of piercings, Martin Tweedie walked onto the stage and cradled the mic in his hand.

  The dancers all stood still and listened to the song. One or two moved slowly around to the song but it was a change to have a performance at a dance. They enjoyed it and gave him a round of applause. The singer took a bow and came back over to where his friend had kept him a drink.

  “That is some change,” Sam said. “Did you enjoy your screechin’ days?”

  “When you are young it’s fine,” the man said. “Got a business now. Just sing in my spare time.”

  His friend asked about the ghost town site.

  “It was too dark to see anything as we came in.”

  “Nothing to see,” Jeremy joined in. “It is all under the ground and you are not allowed to dig it up. We will record what we think is there.”

  “About eight buildings we think,” Magda added.

  “So, no treasure hunters thinking they might find something from the past?” Bertram queried.

  “It’ll be a parking lot and picnic area once we have the diner in place,” Sam added.

>   “With maybe some information for people to read about the settlement,” Merle said as she came to join the group with a drink in her hand.

  “It was interesting on the ghost hunt. I never really thought that sort of thing would work.” The friend said.

  “You don’t believe in ghosts?” Gina asked and the man shook his head.

  “Gotta admit, I couldn’t explain the bangs and things,” he admitted. “I guess the police have done searches over the whole area by now. They might have moved things from the ghost town.”

  “I picked up a lot of firewood,” Merle said. “We do that anyway for all the campfires and bonfires we have for the guests.”

  “And didn’t find anything else?” the man asked.

  Merle shook her head. “Do you mean from the ghost town?”

  He nodded. “I guess some of the wood could have been from old buildings. No way to tell. It will burn just the same. The odd bits that would not burn went in the trash.” She smiled. “I’ll be glad to get the investigation out of the way and get on with running the ranch.”

  “What happened about the holster you found?” Bertram asked.

  “Police took it right away and haven’t mentioned it since. It was with the bodies. Presumably to do with that but nothing has come of it that we know of,” Magda said.

  “Could have been from the ghost town days though,” Jeremy reasoned. “Just moved about when the earth was disturbed.”

  “At least the police have gone, and I can start to draw up the plan for the diner. It will be closer to the road to make it easier for passing traffic to turn off the highway,” Sam put in.

  Merle saw Branston was starting another giveaway.

  “Get up and dance,” she said. “Prizes to be given out.”

  “I got the teddy bear thanks,” Gina said. “I’ll let the others have a chance.” Bart squeezed her hand and she smiled as her dad took Alison off to the floor again.

  “Can the boss have a dance?” Screechin’ Tweedie asked Merle and she graciously accepted the offer. Declan was next to Magda.

  “Merle is putting on her host’s face,” he said. “She doesn’t feel comfortable out there.”

  Gina quietly asked Bart if he could see an aura around the singer who was dancing with Merle. He nodded and said it was a bit murky.

  “He tells lies,” Gina said. “I’ve seen that sort of thing before.”

  “Really,” Magda joined in. “Maybe he is trying to live down his previous reputation. He was a pretty horrible character when he sang as Screechin’ Tweedie. The songs had really violent lyrics.”

  “I suppose lots of people were rebels when they were young and then grew up and changed,” Declan observed.

  “Just the same, I don’t like the look of it,” Gina persisted.

  “People seem to like his singing nowadays,” Rula added.

  “I wonder what his business is. Maybe he wants to live down his past to save his reputation,” Sam mused.

  “Could just ask him,” Magda smiled at the singer as he came back and picked up his drink. Merle disappeared to check on food and drink. “What sort of business do you run these days?” she asked the man.

  “Martin Tweed Medication Supplies. We deliver all sorts of medical needs as well as medicines. Proud of the fact that we always deliver on time. Some of the requests are really urgent.”

  “I’ve seen the carriers with the name on them. It seems to be quite a success,” Sam told him.

  “I had a couple of lucky breaks and was never gonna be rich as Screechin’ the punk rebel,” he laughed at his own expense.

  “Thank goodness,” his friend said. “They were awful songs.” Bertram came back and told them he was leaving to take the girl he had been dancing with home. He took the joking remarks in his stride and went off to meet the girl at the door. Branston was there to thank them for coming and Sam pulled Magda to her feet and back onto the dance floor. The tempo had livened up and they flung themselves into the whirlwind.

  Then the band slowed down for the end of the evening and Magda put her arms around her husband’s neck.

  “Love ya, Mister Barnes.”

  “Love ya right back, Missus Barnes.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. Rula and Mikey were in much the same position and Bart had claimed Gina yet again. Her dad and Alison were sitting watching this one. She saw that Declan was looking at the door and whispering to Katie. She followed his gaze and saw Screechin’ and his friend leaving through the door. There did not seem to be anything untoward and she steered Sam back towards the table and Declan.

  “What is wrong?” she asked. Declan looked at the doorway which was empty.

  “When those two were at the door, I saw the gold miner from the ghost town.”

  “Wow!” Magda exclaimed.

  “Did he look angry?” Sam asked but Declan shook his head.

  “I felt that he was trying to say something. No idea what it was.”

  Sam glanced around at them.

  “Think about those vans belonging to the medical supplies.” They looked at each other and Magda drew in a sharp breath.

  “It’s a clock. Proud to get to their destination on time.”

  18

  “We need to tell the others,” Magda said as Bart, Rula, Mikey and Gina all came back to sit beside them.

  “What are you whispering about?” Rula asked. Between them they told what had happened. Sam went off to find Merle and Branston. The place was emptying rapidly as Branston had wound up the evening with a big thank you. He had a couple of cheeky comments about his new outfit and did a twirl on the stage like a male model. The last stragglers made their way out, the band packed up their instruments and left as Merle handed them their payment for the evening.

  The bar staff and kitchen staff were closing up and Merle told them that they could finish off in the morning. It took no urging for them to grab jackets and car keys to get home after a late night. Merle and Branston closed the door and came over.

  “What have we missed?” Branston asked and pushed the new Stetson off his head.

  They told them what Declan had seen and Gina added that she had seen the man’s aura and Merle agreed with that.

  “It was uncomfortable dancing with him,” Merle admitted. “What do we do about it? We can hardly tell the police that Declan saw a spirit at the barn door.”

  “The time thing makes a bit of sense,” Magda said. “Although I know that I shouldn’t take notice of what the cats tell me.”

  “They have been right before,” Rula observed.

  “The police officers will have noted who was at the dance from the local area,” Mikey added.

  “Maybe we should have another séance but a private one. If the gold miner made it to the barn, maybe he would come to the ranch house,” Merle suggested and looked at the others.

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Magda agreed.

  “Tomorrow night,” Rula said.

  “You two as well,” Merle added and smiled at Gina. “If you would like to.”

  “Would love to,” Gina answered and looked at Bart who smiled. Magda caught the look and glanced at Rula who knew what she was thinking and grinned back at her.

  “Let’s get some sleep tonight and meet up about seven-thirty,” Branston suggested and they collected jackets to set off for home. Merle and Branston were left to lock up.

  At home, they went over everything that had happened.

  “Did you enjoy the hoedown?” Magda asked Alison.

  “And the dancing?” Sam added with a smile.

  “Okay, okay. I am not so old that I can’t enjoy it when somebody asks me to dance,” Alison protested. “Bart certainly likes Gina.”

  “They only live about thirty miles away, so no doubt he will be driving over there,” Sam said.

  The cats were suspiciously well-behaved, and the humans were glad to fall into bed. Morning brought no new messages from the feline members of the household.

  “I
have an appointment with the real estate agent to set up a rental agreement,” she told Alison. “Will call you when I’ve talked to them.” Magda set off for the café and Sam roared off in his truck.

  The café was bright and cheerful as ever and Declan arrived to say that they could spend some time working on the extension. Sam was doing some paperwork and would come later.

  The girls talked about the events of the night before.

  “He was not nice as Screechin’ Tweedie, but everyone knew who he was,” Rula said.

  “I wonder if the friend is from around here as well. Bertram is. I remember him from back then. He must be about Sam’s age,” Magda added.

  Sam and Declan managed to get a large part of the wooden studs in place and the one which would have the space for the window to the shop.

  Magda walked in. “You can see the size and shape now. Do I have to choose flooring?”

  “Yes. That can be done before we put any display units in,” Sam answered. “I’ll match the windows and the outside to look like the rest of the café.”

  “I must talk to Jeremy about buying some stock from him. It will be a good advertisement to get people in.”

  They managed to get quite a lot done. Magda had an hour off to set up a rental agreement and called Alison. The girls closed up and said they would meet at the ranch. Mikey came to collect Rula and they closed the gates behind them.

  “Well, that was a good day,” Magda said. “I have brought some gold nuggets. Don’t know why I thought of it, but I wondered if they would help the gold miner spirit somehow.”

  “Well we can eat them if they have to be used up,” Sam laughed.

  They set off to the ranch. The gates were wide open and nobody was around the ghost town site.

  “The police seem happy to leave the place alone,” Magda remarked as they piled out at the ranch house. Merle had a circle of chairs ready.