Spellbinding Starters

by Annabel Chase

  “You’re right. It does surprise me.” That didn’t sound like the Sassy Persimmons I knew and loathed.

  “I think the three of us should get together,” Clara said. “Maybe if we spend time together, you’ll come to see her as I do.”

  “We already did, at the Cheese Wheel.” The evening went well. Why ruin it with another one?

  “Here’s the thing, Eden. Sassy and I are really close now. I’m thrilled that you’re home and I want us to be close again. I’ve really missed you, but I’m not going to leave Sassy out. It isn’t fair.”

  Clara was the most loyal person I knew. It was one of her best qualities, even if—right now—it was working against me.

  “You’re absolutely right,” I said. “It would be unreasonable of me to expect you to drop Sassy. She’s been a better friend to you than I have these past few years.” As much as it pained me to say it, it was the truth.

  “I forgive you.” Clara and I stood at the same time and I nearly bumped my head on the slope of the attic ceiling. “I always knew you’d come back. This place wasn’t the same without you.”

  My chest ached in response to her earnest admission. Leave it to an empath to activate my waterworks. “Thanks, Clara. That means more to me than you know.”

  My ringtone blasted, ruining the moment. The James Bond theme song filled the attic.

  Neville.

  “Excuse me,” I said to Clara. “Duty calls.” I tapped the screen. “What’s up, Neville?”

  “Sorry to bother you out of the office,” he said. “I thought you’d want to know there’s been another death in town.”

  “Another death?” I repeated. “A murder?”

  “Not sure,” Neville replied. “Someone just called the police station to report it.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I have listening devices planted all over town,” Neville said. “Standard operating procedure.”

  Right. Why wouldn’t the FBM eavesdrop on human law enforcement? I was totally comfortable with that—not.

  “You’ll want to hurry,” Neville said. “It’s Dr. Myslinski’s office on Feta Street.”

  “The dentist?” I asked. That reminded me that I hadn’t chosen a new dentist since my return home. I was fanatical about a cleaning every six months. Maybe I’d kill two birds…I cringed. I needed a better metaphor right now.

  “Yes. He’s at number twenty on the third floor,” Neville said. “Chief Fox is headed over to the scene now.”

  I inhaled sharply. “Then so am I.”

  Chapter Ten

  By the time I arrived, Chief Fox and Deputy Guthrie were deep in conversation as the body was transported out of the building.

  “What happened?” I interrupted. No point in waiting for them to notice me.

  Chief Fox looked at me with surprise. “Agent Fury, how did you…?”

  “I have a dentist appointment,” I lied. I couldn’t throw Neville under the bus. His listening devices were worth their weight in gold.

  “So did Elliott Bradford,” Sean said. “He never made it.”

  “He was found in the elevator,” Chief Fox said. “Looks like a heart attack.”

  “Did the elevator malfunction?” I asked.

  “We’ve asked the building manager to check. No one noticed an issue with the elevator until another patient tried to leave Dr. Myslinski’s office. They hit the button multiple times until the doors finally opened.”

  “And she found Elliott dead on the elevator floor,” Sean said.

  “Do we think this is connected to Chief O’Neill?” I asked.

  “I don’t see how,” Chief Fox replied. “Bradford was a sixty-five year old man. A heart attack isn’t suspicious.”

  I was inclined to agree.

  “Not every death is a murder, Eden,” Sean said. “This isn’t San Francisco.”

  “No, if this were San Francisco, you’d be asking if they want fries with that,” I snapped.

  Sean scratched his head. “Fries with what?”

  “I’m about to call his wife,” Chief Fox said. “Man, I hate this part of the job.”

  I empathized with that. “By the way, what happened with Lawrence Whitaker?”

  “His alibi checked out,” the chief said.

  Disappointment settled in the pit of my stomach. I would have been perfectly happy to see a guy like Lawrence get his just desserts.

  The entrance door flew open and a woman rushed into the lobby. Her hair was in curlers and she wore sweatpants paired with a pajama top. “Where is he? Where’s my Elliott?”

  Chief Fox moved to intercept her. “Are you Marianne Bradford?”

  “Yes.” She nodded vigorously.

  “I’m Chief Fox. I’m afraid I have bad news about your husband.”

  Marianne’s expression crumpled. “No, don’t say it. If you don’t say it, then it isn’t real.”

  Chief Fox placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Mrs. Bradford, I’m sorry to tell you that your husband is dead.”

  Marianne began to whimper. “How? Was he mugged?”

  “No, he wasn’t mugged,” the chief said.

  “Are you sure? Because crime in this town has had an uptick since Chief O’Neill died,” she said.

  “It’s been like a week,” I said.

  “Where did you hear that?” Sean asked. He seemed miffed, not that I blamed him.

  Marianne flicked a dismissive finger. “Everyone’s talking about it. I was in the salon yesterday and half the customers were putting Xanax in their protein shakes. That’s how worried they are about their safety.”

  Chief Fox patted her arm. “The situation isn’t dire, Mrs. Bradford. In fact, muggings in Chipping Cheddar are extremely rare.”

  “Then what happened to my husband?” she asked, blinking back tears.

  “Heart attack,” Sean said. “He was found in the elevator. We’re not sure whether the elevator was stuck and he panicked or what. We’re getting whatever information we can.”

  Marianne adjusted a loose curler in her hair. “What do you mean he was found in the elevator?”

  Chief Fox pointed to the elevator. “It’s right there. Dr. Myslinski’s office is on the third floor.”

  Marianne glared at the offending machine. “Now he takes an elevator? I had to walk up twenty flights to our hotel on our honeymoon because Elliott hated elevators so much. Now he takes one? For three flights?” She blew a raspberry. “Ridiculous man.”

  “Elliott hated elevators?” I asked. “Why?”

  “Why does anyone?” she replied. “He hated being confined in small spaces.” She paused, dropping her gaze to the floor. “Oh, my. I just used the past tense to talk about my husband.”

  “Is there a problem with the stairs?” I asked.

  Chief Fox and Sean exchanged glances. “We took the stairs when we got here,” the chief said. “No problems there.”

  “Maybe he thought it was okay because it’s only three flights?” Sean proposed.

  “Then why not just take the stairs?” I asked. “Was he suffering from any injuries? A sore leg? A stubbed toe? Anything that would force him into the elevator?”

  Marianne shook her head. “No, he was in pretty good shape for his age. One of the things I appreciated about him. Didn’t let himself go.” She touched her curlers. “I try not to, either.”

  “When you’re ready, we need you to come down to the station and positively identify him,” Chief Fox said.

  Marianne gave him a blank look. “Identify my husband’s body?”

  “Yes,” the chief said softly.

  “Okay.” She frowned. “Will you drive me? I always wanted to ride in the front of a police car.”

  Sean held up a finger. “But I ride…”

  Chief Fox cut him off. “Yes, that’s no trouble, Mrs. Bradford. Deputy Guthrie will ride in the back.”

  I suppressed a smile. “Mind if I come down to the station?” I didn’t want to miss anything.

&n
bsp; “I thought you had a dentist appointment,” Sean said with a sneer.

  “This is more important.”

  Chief Fox gave me a curious look. “I don’t think you’re needed on this one, Agent Fury, but thanks.”

  Of course he didn’t think so. Why would the feds be interested in a man’s elevator-induced heart attack? I still wasn’t sure that I was interested, but Mrs. Bradford’s reaction gave me pause. If he felt as strongly as his wife suggested, then why did Elliott choose to take the elevator?

  With no more leads in the investigation, I decided to stop by my dad’s house and see if we could brainstorm for ideas. I opened the kitchen door and called his name.

  “They’re out to eat,” a voice said.

  I whirled around. “Gustav?” My heart was pounding. I’d completely forgotten about their visitor.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “No, it’s okay. I didn’t think anyone was here.”

  “I’m not here for long,” he replied. “I’m supposed to meet them at a place called Fondue Paradise. Do you know it?”

  “Oh, yes.” My mouth watered at the mention of fondue. Melted cheese was one of my weaknesses. “You’ll love it. It’s downtown on one of the cute cobblestone side streets. Stilton Lane.”

  “Thanks. They’re the best hosts a demon could ask for.”

  “I’ll just leave him a note to say I was here.” No point wasting Brownie points.

  “I can tell him you stopped by,” Gustav offered.

  “That’s okay. He’ll appreciate it more if I write him a note.” He’d consider a message via Gustav to be lazy.

  “Suit yourself.” I heard the front door open and close.

  I was just finishing the note to my dad when a familiar figure materialized in front of me.

  “Chief O’Neill? Is that you?” In my dad’s kitchen?

  “Eden? You can see me?” He looked around awkwardly. “I tried to talk to a handful of people, but no one answered.”

  “That’s because you’re dead,” I said bluntly.

  “I got that far,” he said. “Why are you not panicking?”

  “Because I’ve been able to see ghosts my entire life. It’s one of my things.”

  His eyes slanted. “Can your whole family see ghosts?”

  “Nope, that wonderful talent was relegated to yours truly.”

  “So no point in coming to talk to your dad then, huh?”

  “No, but that’s okay. You got me instead.”

  “Feels weird to be a ghost. I feel lighter.” He whooshed around the room. “I even went to the golf course. That was interesting. Did you know Gary Jenkins cheats? I couldn’t believe it.”

  “Do you happen to remember anything about your accident?” I asked.

  “You mean drowning? That was pretty unpleasant business, let me tell you.”

  “Did you see anyone?”

  Chief O’Neill stroked his transparent chin thoughtfully. “No, I just remember this overwhelming compulsion to look at the water.” He swallowed hard. “I don’t know why. I generally avoid it.”

  “Because you can’t swim.”

  He glanced at me in surprise. “You knew?”

  “Everyone knows.”

  “Right. I tried not to make a big deal about it. Guess I failed.” He chuckled softly. “I always send Sean to investigate any incidents near the waterfront. I’ve had a fear of falling in and drowning for as long as I can remember.” His smile faded. “I guess now I know why. Maybe I was a little bit psychic, like your friend Clara.”

  “Clara isn’t psychic,” I corrected him. “She’s an empath. She feels the emotions of others. It’s complicated.”

  “Oh.” He drifted around the room, despondent. “I’m not sure how I feel about this whole dead thing.”

  “Sadly, it doesn’t matter how you feel,” I said. “You don’t exactly get a choice in the matter.”

  “Tell your dad I didn’t give him back all his golf clubs,” he said sheepishly. “I kept the nine iron. It’s in my garage, near the toolbox.”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  Chief O’Neill floated around in a circle, getting accustomed to his new form. “Does your family know you can do this?”

  “They do,” I replied.

  “Is that why you became a federal agent? Because you could ask the victims questions that no one else could?”

  “No,” I said. “I didn’t use my ability as an FBI agent.”

  “You’re using it now.”

  I released a breath. “I’m not just an FBI agent here, Chief. I work for the FBM.”

  His brow furrowed. “What’s that?”

  “Federal Bureau of Magic.”

  “There’s no such thing,” he scoffed.

  It wasn’t my job to convince him, so I let it go.

  “Why am I still here?” he asked. “Why haven’t I gone to Heaven?”

  “Unfinished business usually,” I said. “In your case, I’d say it’s figuring out who murdered you.”

  Chief O’Neill stopped short. “Murdered me? Are you sure?”

  “That’s the consensus, and seeing your ghost now confirms it for me.”

  “Who would murder me?”

  “That’s the hot question.” I paused. “Tell me everything you can remember about the day you died. Were you alone at the marina?”

  “No, I passed a few people. Llewellyn James, Carolyn Hartness, Joe Lowe.” He reeled off a few more names I recognized. “Last person I remember seeing is Wade Cantrell.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “He owns that big monster yacht that takes up half the bay,” he said, clearly annoyed. “Hard to miss.”

  “Did you speak to Wade?”

  “Yeah, I did. I gave him a citation. He wasn’t happy about it. He’s the kind of guy used to getting his own way.”

  “What was the citation for?”

  “Reckless driving,” he said. “The boat. A few complaints came in and I couldn’t ignore them this time.”

  “You’d ignored previous complaints?”

  The chief didn’t look proud of himself. “You know how it is here, Eden. It’s a sleepy town. We’re not as by-the-book as other towns because we don’t need to be. Heck, your own family would’ve been up a creek ten times over if I wasn’t willing to overlook infractions on occasion.”

  That much was true. My family didn’t flaunt their powers in town, but they definitely got themselves into a bind now and again. When Anton was a teenager, he went through a moody, back-talking stage until my mother used magic to hang him from the flagpole downtown by his underpants. Chief O’Neill had to use a fire truck ladder to get him down. Anton fell in line after that.

  “Did Wade pay you not to cite him the previous times?” I asked, incredulous.

  “No, no, it wasn’t like that. I would never accept a bribe.” He puffed out his chest. “I’m an honorable man.”

  “I know you are, Chief.” I felt guilty for suggesting otherwise. “Why did you go yourself? Why not send Deputy Guthrie to give the citation?”

  “Because it was Wade,” the chief replied. “He’s difficult. A little slippery, if you know what I mean. I didn’t think Sean was up to the task. He can be a little…” He faltered.

  “A little incompetent?” I offered. “A complete ass? It’s okay, Chief. You’re dead now. You can say these things and it won’t get back to him.”

  Chief O’Neill dragged a hand through his hair, not seeming to realize he’d only slice the air. “He’s not the worst deputy I’ve had.”

  “That’s high praise, indeed.” I laughed. “He’s annoyed that a new chief was brought in from out of town instead of promoting from within.”

  “Guthrie wasn’t up for the job. He’s an okay kid, but he doesn’t have the chops.”

  “I think it’s apparent to anyone who meets him that Sean isn’t up for the challenge.” Even the cashier in the grocery store could tell you as much.” I thought about Wade Cantrell
. “Do you think the citation was a strong enough motive?”

  The chief glanced at me. “Motive for what?”

  “To join the Daughters of the American Revolution,” I cracked. I gestured to his ghostly appearance. “What do you think?”

  Chief O’Neill chuckled. “You always were a smart ass like your father.” His smile faded. “I honestly don’t know. A guy like that…He definitely thinks he’s above the law.”

  “Then we’ll talk to him.”

  “We? So the new chief is investigating my death? What’s he like?”

  I nearly tripped over my tongue to avoid saying “hot.” I made a noise at the back of my throat. “He seems to have his act together.”

  “Well, what’s his story?” the chief pressed. “I assume he’s younger than me.”

  “Oh, yes. No older than thirty, I’d say.”

  The chief whistled, which surprised me. I’d never heard a ghost whistle. “That is young. Younger than I was when I became chief.” He eyed me closely. “He doesn’t know the truth about you, does he?”

  “You’ve known me my whole life and no one told you,” I replied. “Do you really think I’d tell the hottest guy in town that I’m a demon spawn?” Oops.

  The chief cut me a sharp glance. “Hottest guy in town, huh?” He wagged a finger at me. “Careful, Eden.”

  “There’s nothing to be careful about. We’re working together. That’s it.” I steered the conversation back to his death. “You don’t remember anyone pushing you? No hands on your back?” Even if he didn’t see the culprit, he might remember the sensation of being shoved.

  “No, nothing like that.”

  I was starting to wonder whether this wasn’t a case for me, after all. What if there was a supernatural at work? A ghost could have pushed the chief without him realizing what happened. Or maybe this Wade Cantrell was more than human. If so, then I needed to keep Chief Fox in the dark until I had more information.

  “Thanks for your help, Chief,” I said. “Hopefully, we can figure out what happened so you’ll be able to cross over.”

  Chief O’Neill’s gaze darted around the room. “Cross over to where?”