by Tegan Maher
He shook his head. “No. The only description they gave was a figure dressed in all black.” He looked at our outfits.
I had on a red skirt and red and white floral tank top with a white sweater. Juliana had on blue skinny jeans, a white t-shirt, and red ballet flats. Our mother wore a form-fitting black button-up blouse, black jeans, and black boots.
“Are you sure they said black and not navy or charcoal gray?” I suggested.
He glanced at my mother. “No, they said black.”
Mama’s hands went to her face.
“Are you all right?” Jonah asked.
She shook her head. “I need to sit down.”
He looked around. “Why don’t we get you inside?” He nodded at me. “Could you unlock the door for me?”
I fumbled with the keys in my hand as I watched my mother’s staccato movements. I wasn’t sure if this was an act or not.
She looked up at me, winked, then made a show of breathing hard. “I can’t catch my breath.”
Poor Jonah didn’t know what to do with her. I wasn’t sure I wanted any part of whatever this was. Juliana stood with her eyes closed, one hand on her head.
“Hey, you, do you have a minute?” I said as I nudged her. “I don’t want to interrupt your deep, philosophical thoughts, but we’re in the middle of a crisis here. You might want to pay attention.”
“What’s going on?” She made eye contact with Jonah who struggled to get my mother to stand up right. “What happened to her? What did you do to her?”
Funny how her mind would jump to that. She knew better. Jonah would never hurt my mother.
“Slow your roll, Juliana. He didn’t do anything. She did this,” I paused to make sure I chose the right words, “She’ll be fine in a minute. We need to get her inside the house. Can you help me?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Is this a trick?”
I shook my head. “No, why would you think that?” I knew why she thought that. Everything with my mother was fishy. She always had something up her sleeve. I hoped this one wouldn’t ruin our lives.
Juliana wrapped an arm around her waist. Mama went limp in her arms. “Sure, don’t make this easy for me.” She looked at Jonah. “Are you good?”
He shrugged. “We should carry her.”
Juliana shook her head. “You should carry her.” With that, she jogged ahead to meet me. “What is she up to?”
“Who knows?” I said as I picked up the pace. “But I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. We always do.”
I opened the door and turned the light on in the foyer. “Home sweet home.” I turned to find Jonah carrying my mother.
She giggled when he stepped inside. “I haven’t been carried over the threshold in ages.”
His cheeks turned red.
“This means we’re married now,” she teased as he placed her on her feet. “I’ve waited my whole life for someone like you. You’re the whole package.”
He stared at his feet as he shuffled from side to side. It was uncomfortable to watch.
“So, about Tommy,” I started, “You don’t think we had anything to do with that, do you?”
He sighed. “No, but we have to follow up on all leads.”
“We’re a lead?” I asked.
“I guess.” He watched as my mother sashayed out of the foyer and into the study. “Ms. Montoya?”
She spoke over her shoulder. “Consuelo, dear, Consuelo.”
He cleared his throat and corrected himself. “Consuelo, I still have questions for you.”
She poked her head out of the office. “I’m all yours.”
He locked eyes with me.
I nodded. “You heard the lady. She’s all ears.”
He took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders, then walked into the office, careful to stay within our line of vision.
“What was that? A miraculous recovery?” Juliana asked. “What is she up to?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but I bet we’re about to find out. She’s got that look in her eyes.”
Juliana chuckled. “Which one? The one that says she has everything under control or the one that means don’t ask questions or she’ll turn you into a toad? Both are terrifying prospects.”
Jonah hesitated to follow her into the study.
“Go ahead. She won’t bite,” Juliana said.
He looked at me with fear in his eyes.
I rolled my eyes. “She’s an actress, remember? This is what she does to get a rise out of you.” I walked over, grabbed his arm, and walked him into the study. “I don’t know what you’re up to Mama, but whatever it is, it better be worth going to jail for.”
The smile she’d planted on her face for Jonah vanished. She replaced it with her signature scowl. Through gritted teeth, she said, “I’m not up to anything other than helping Jonah find Two-Face. I mean, Tommy. I hope nothing has happened to him.”
“You mean besides being kidnapped,” I said.
Her lip curled up.
Two uniformed officers walked into the house. Both looked familiar.
“Weren’t you at the diner?” I asked them.
One nodded. “Guilty as charged.”
Mama’s eyes lit up at the sight of them. “Oh, what’s this? More handsome men of the law? I must admit, there’s no one more excited than me to have an entire team of new officers in town. I’m so glad the town council hired new officers.”
She knew they it wasn’t a choice. They were forced to do it after a string of crimes occurred last winter. They were anomalies in our town, but unsettling enough to prompt immediate action. Finally, after months of contract negotiations and interviews, we had a full-fledged police force, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. That was before I knew we’d be accused of kidnapping Tommy. Now I wish we still had our little police force filled with people who knew we weren’t capable of anything like that.
The uniformed officers nodded.
One asked, “Are we taking anyone?”
“Taking anyone where?” I asked.
They exchanged glances then looked at Jonah.
He gulped and stammered, “Um… someone… I… We…”
“Spit it out, Jonah,” Juliana said. “Who are you here to get?”
He swallowed hard again.
“Jonah?” I sensed fear in my mother’s voice.
“Would you come to the station with us?” he asked.
“Who?” I asked. “All of us?”
He shook his head. “Please don’t make this more difficult than it already is.” He locked eyes with my mother. “You’re not under arrest, Consuelo. We want to talk to you. That’s it.”
She gasped so forcefully; it made her choke.
“Mama!” I lunged for her.
She lifted a hand and whispered, “Stop.”
I couldn’t stop. My hip hit the side of the desk and sent pain shooting up my spine.
Everything stopped. The officers froze in mid-movement.
She smiled. “There, that ought to take care of them for the time being.”
5
“Why would you do this? It makes us look guilty,” I said as I waved my hands in front of Jonah’s face.
Mama laughed. “He won’t remember any of this.”
Juliana nudged me out of the way to stand in front of Jonah. “So, can he see or hear us?” She placed a hand on Jonah’s chiseled face.
I smacked it away. “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing. What’s wrong with you?” She rubbed her hand. “I wanted to see if he was real or if he’d had some work done.”
I smacked both of her hands this time. “Are you insane? That’s what he looks like. He’s handsome.” I caught myself. What had I said? I had a boyfriend. Sort of. I wasn’t sure if we were still a couple. He and I had an argument a few days ago, and we hadn’t spoken to each other since.
Juliana stuck her tongue out at me as she backed out of my reach. “That’s cute. Did you tell your boyfriend how you feel about J
onah?”
I glared at her. “Quick; point me to the spell you used, Mama. I want to see if it will make her shut her mouth.”
Mama threw her hands up. “Stop it. You’re way too old for this.” She repositioned Jonah. “I don’t know why I bothered to teach you how to behave like mature adults.”
“Says the woman who cast a spell on the entire police force,” I mumbled.
She straightened her back into a long, angry line. “What? I didn’t cast a spell on anyone.”
I pointed outside the bay window. “Looks like you did.”
The officers stood like mannequins in the front yard and driveway.
She inched over to the window with her mouth agape. After a few agonizing seconds, she laughed, a deep, guttural, ominous laugh.
Juliana and I exchanged glances.
“What do we do?” Juliana whispered.
“Run?”
Mama had a wicked smile on her face and a wild look in her eyes. “Juliana, find my grimoire.” She glanced out the window. “Beatrice, stay here with them.” She nodded toward the officers in the house. “If I’m not back in ten minutes…” She let her words trail off as she approached Jonah with a curious look in her eyes.
“Do you want to finish that thought?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“If I’m not back in ten minutes,” she started again, “open the grimoire to the marked page. It’s marked with a yellow ribbon. And don’t forget to light a candle. It’s important.”
I gulped. What was this? What did she have planned?
“Not just any candle. There’s a special one. It’s in the foyer, in the bottom drawer of the candle. Use that one. Place it in the center of the front window, light it, then leave.”
I stammered, “Leave? What if there’s a fire?”
She rubbed her temples. “Why would there be a fire?”
“Candle,” I said.
“It won’t start a fire,” she said. “Do what I tell you, please.”
I swallowed hard. “Okay, but why?”
“Why?” The strain in her voice gave me pause.
Because I’m scared, that’s why.
As if she could read my mind, she said, “Don’t be afraid. It’s not that bad. It’s not bad at all. I only need a few minutes to expose him for what he is, then we can go about our day and get ready for Halloween. You know how much I love Halloween.”
I nodded. Halloween was her holiday. Her special day. The day she went all out. She loved everything about it. Everything.
“Expose who?” I couldn’t help it. I had to steal a glance of Jonah. I had a boyfriend, but I wasn’t blind.
“Two-Face,” she said as the front door creaked open.
I jumped and let out a little screech.
“Where’s Juliana?” I said, sure it must’ve been her.
“Right here,” Juliana said from a seat behind me.
I jumped and let out a yelp like a puppy.
“I swear, you’re such a chicken.”
The stairs creaked.
“Who is that?” I said as I reached for the nearest person to steady myself.
“Get your hands off my future ex-husband,” Juliana said, referring to Jonah who was an excellent assist, even if he didn’t know it.
Mama inched to the open study door. She poked her head out into the foyer. “Grimoire,” she said, waving one hand behind her back. “Find my grimoire.”
Juliana pushed herself to her feet. “Okay, where is it?”
“If she knew, would she tell you to find it?” I said.
She glanced around the room at the bookshelves that lined three walls. “I don’t see it. What do you need it for, anyway?”
I held my tongue while I waited for my mother’s response.
Mama looked over her shoulder at Juliana. “I asked you to do one thing. One job. How hard is that? Find it. Now!”
Juliana shrugged. “It’s harder than you think.”
Mama sighed and walked out, slamming the door behind her.
“See what you did.” I scanned the shelves too. “We need to find it before she comes back.”
I thought I’d Tommy’s voice.
“That’s Tommy,” I said as Juliana and I locked eyes.
She tilted her head as she strained to hear the conversation.
The voices were low, but I could tell by the tone, the conversation wasn’t friendly.
“You aren’t in charge of the world,” Tommy said.
“Says who?” Mama asked. “Do you make the rules now? You tell me what to do and I go along with it? Nope. That’s not how I roll. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but as much as I want you out of my house, you can’t leave. In the words of the late Desi Arnaz, you have some ‘splaining to do.”
“Uh oh, this can’t be good.” I thought I saw Jonah move. I pointed to him. “Did you see that?”
Juliana looked him up and down. “What? I saw nothing.” She steadied him. “Oh, I see what happened. You didn’t make sure both feet were flat on the floor. Plant them right or he’ll topple over.”
The doorknob spun.
“No, don’t come in here.” I covered my eyes.
I heard the door open.
“Why are your eyes closed?” Mama asked.
I opened them and blinked against the glare of a flashlight. “What’s that?” I asked as Tommy walked in behind her.
“Hey, girls. Sorry about the light. I wasn’t sure how dark it would be here in here. I know your people like to exist in the shadows,” Tommy said.
“Our people?” I said. “What does that mean?”
Mama’s upper lip curled, but she held her tongue.
“You know, nice, small-town women who have unique talents,” he said it in such a charming way. It didn’t feel like an insult, but I knew better. Tommy was the king of backhanded compliments.
I didn’t know what to do or say. Why did they seem so normal? Wasn’t he kidnapped? Was it a hoax?
Juliana asked what I should have asked. “How are you here?”
Tommy quirked a brow. “How?”
“Why?” she clarified. She looked back and forth between Mama and Jonah.
Mama gave Tommy a pointed look. “Yes, tell her why you’re here. I can’t wait to hear this.”
I held my breath as we waited for his response. This would be nothing short of unbelievable. There was no doubt in my mind about that.
Tommy walked across the room; his head held high.
“That’s bold for a dead man,” Mama mused.
He looked each of us in the eye. His shoulders slumped. “Yes. That’s one way to put it.” He sighed. “It’s not my fault. I had nothing to do with any of this.”
“Is it me or does that sound like a lie?” I asked.
His gaze cut to my mother. “She must take after you.”
She lifted a brow. “Watch yourself. That’s my daughter.”
He swallowed hard. “You’re right. I apologize.” He looked at me with pleading eyes. “Forgive me? I’m not frustrated with you. I’ve frustrated with myself.”
“It’s a safe bet to say we’re all frustrated with you,” I said. “So, what is this thing you claim isn’t your fault? Do you mean the fake kidnapping or something else?”
He swallowed hard again and glanced over his shoulder as if he expected to find someone behind him. “I have little time before I get caught.”
I glanced at my mother.
She checked over her shoulder too.
“Who are you looking for? Did someone follow you here?” I asked.
He checked over his shoulder again. “I don’t think so.” He jumped when I moved. “She’s here!”
“Who is here?” I asked, looking at my mother.
She shook her head. “No clue. He and I have had little time to talk.” She yanked his shirtsleeve. “Can you take it down a notch?”
He gulped. “Sure. Yes. Oh, I don’t know. How do you do that when there’s a madwoman after you?”
The front door squealed open.
Juliana and I gasped at the same time.
Mama’s eyes went wide as she stared at the door with an intensity I’d never seen in her eyes before. “That’s it.” She clapped her hands and took a deep breath. “Lock the door behind me.”
“Wait; where are you—”
Mama yelled, “You have some nerve!”
“Who is it?” Juliana asked.
My body went rigid. “I don’t know.”
Tommy’s bottom lip quivered as he spoke. “It’s her. I know it is.”
“Get out of my house!” Mama yelled.
“Mama!” I forced my feet to leave the ground and ran for the door. “Get away from my mother!”
When I reached the foyer, I was shocked to find my mother alone. I spun around, my hands up to protect my face and body from an impending attack. “Where are they?”
She waited for me to stop spinning in a circle to respond. “There’s no one here besides us.”
“Then who were you yelling at?” I asked.
Juliana and Tommy poked their heads out the study door. Both looked like it was the last thing they wanted to do.
“What’s going on?” I asked Tommy.
He shrugged. “She caught me.”
“Who caught you?” I followed his gaze. It landed on the front door.
I looked at my mother for help. “Tell me what this is.”
She walked over and placed her hands on my face. “Don’t move.”
“What?” I moved.
“I said don’t move.” She grabbed my hands.
“Mama? What are you doing?”
She didn’t have to answer. I recognized the look in her eyes.
“This won’t hurt, I promise,” she said.
“Wait. What?”
6
“Bea?”
I heard them call me, but I couldn’t get words out of my mouth.
“Beatrice?” It was my mother’s voice. “Open your eyes.”
I hadn’t realized my eyes were closed.
“Why can’t she talk?” There was fear in Juliana’s voice.
I fought to open my eyes, but my lids felt like they were tethered with barbed wire. They wouldn’t budge. Panic set in as my heart rate increased. My breathing became ragged.