Pumpkins and Potions

by Tegan Maher

  “Come on, you were married before that,” the mystery woman chastised.

  “Yes, but I never forgot Robert. He was so dashing when he came back, just like I remembered, and he swept me off my feet. But later on, he was different. Dark moods could overtake him at times. I could say something, and he would suddenly be so angry.”

  There was a long silence. I wondered if perhaps they had left the room and I’d missed the rest of the conversation when finally Karen continued. “I thought he might hit me, possibly even kill me. Oh, I never said that out loud until now, but he would get so angry at me. I brought up his brother once. He had done something that reminded me of Ryan. I just teased him, and he flew into a rage. He had this wild look in his eye, and I thought he might push me off the cruise ship balcony, which is where we were at the time. He blocked my way back into the room. I thought that he could push me overboard and no one would ever know what happened to me.”

  “Karen, why didn’t you tell me?”

  For a long time after that, there was quiet sobbing and the soft sounds of someone offering comfort, but eventually, the crying naturally died out and the sniffling was all that remained.

  “I’ve never told anyone. I was so scared of what it meant. I should have run away that very night, but I believed Robert when he apologized and said it was my fault for being so ‘emotionally manipulative’ and ‘paranoid’ as he said. I just… I don’t know. I think maybe I pushed him to Sara. Is that possible? I have been so mad at him for leaving me for her, but I was the one that suggested we stop in and see her on our way back from the cruise.”

  “Oh dear,” the other woman said. “It would be understandable, even if you didn’t realize what you were doing. But can I ask?”

  “Yes, yes, of course,” Karen replied with a sniffle.

  “Why are you poking at him, then? You are so lucky to get away.”

  “I just don’t know. Probably the wine, that stupid bartender. Low-class sort she is.”

  Some of my good feelings for Karen the Carnation evaporated.

  She continued on. “Oh, that Orin, he thinks he is so important with his snide remarks. Why they ever let him into an elite school like ours, I will never know. He now has two gold coins to rub together and thinks that he is something special. As good as the rest of us—unlikely! I hear he was mixed up with some scheme of David’s and lost all his money, again. He should be too embarrassed to show his face.”

  I gasped lightly. That was new information to me and unfortunately made me rethink my conversation with Orin. Had he been feeding me bad information, either to lift himself up or spread guilt around? Was it possible that he knew why I was there and was playing me for a fool?

  The other woman spoke as a chair scraped across the floor. “Come on now, let’s get you all cleaned up. I have a nice little spell to sober you out of the rest of the wine. No more tonight. I will not be leaving your side, and next time, you must tell me of things like this. I am not just your nurse but your friend. I won’t let anyone get near you tonight, and next decade, we will not be returning.”

  I waited, hoping to hear more, but I only heard the sound of a door opening on the other side then finally the sound of a door being lightly slammed. I moved on down the hall to see if there was more to uncover.

  7

  I eased my way down the hall toward another door with a light under it. I repeated the spell and pressed up against the door. At first, I thought the room must have been empty, but then I heard light rustling.

  Patagonia let out a low growl and hiss, and my first thought was that some kind of animal was trapped in there. I eased the key into the door and opened it just a crack. I didn’t want to encounter some angry creature and thought I was braced for whatever I would discover—except what I actually saw behind the door.

  Still in the hallway, I closed it as quietly as I could in great haste. It was quite apparent that despite what David the Dandelion had said to Sara the Sunflower, they were actually quite fond of each other and very intimately acquainted. Luckily for me, it seemed they were almost done getting “acquainted.”

  It was a turn of events I hadn’t expected, even when I was keeping open-minded. I debated running down the hall and getting a stiff drink to clear my mind of what I had seen ever so briefly. But I knew that wasn’t the right choice. I needed to listen and try to find out as much as possible, such as whether it was a first-off driven by passion or a long-bubbling affair.

  With the door still closed, I listened there, bracing myself in case I had misjudged the situation and they were still in flagrante, but thankfully for my brain, they were now quietly talking, and I was able to catch something said by Sara.

  “But why did you have to make such a scene?” Sara asked.

  David grumbled a bit. “I just can’t stand to see you with him. Why haven’t you left him already? Are you scared? I can be with you when you tell him.”

  There was an awkward silence, and I remembered what Karen had said about Robert, whom I assumed they were discussing, as he was her husband and surely wouldn’t appreciate what Sara and David had been doing together.

  David growled. “Is that a bruise under your makeup? Did he hit you? That son of a—”

  “No! I’m fine. I will tell him tonight after the party. I’m not leaving with him. I didn’t bring Alice with me this weekend specifically because I told her to stay home and pack up my things. I didn’t want to presume anything but…” She trailed off.

  “Come and live with me. Nothing could make me happier. No more sneaking around, no more scams to free your money from Robert.”

  “Oh, David,” Sara moaned, and everything went quiet again except the sound of a few items hitting the floor.

  They were nearly a hundred, though in human years, that was probably only considered to be early middle age. I certainly didn’t want to continue to listen if they were moving on to round two of their lovemaking. I was just debating my next move when David exclaimed.

  “What is that? Did he hit you?”

  “It’s nothing. I just slipped,” Sara said, and not even a child would have believed her lie.

  “I’ll kill him.”

  “No! Just let me get through tonight, and we will never see him again. Did you finish the last transaction?”

  “Yes, I put the account in your name,” David replied. “It will be so easy for you to do online or by phone, but if you want, we can fly down together and I can show you. But I do have some bad news.”

  “What?” Sara asked.

  “It is a minor thing, but I couldn’t access the family vault. I’m so sorry.”

  Sara sighed. “I don’t care about that. It is mostly family heirlooms and such. It isn’t a big deal.”

  “Really? Robert always talked about it like it was the most valuable part of his inheritance. But really, I could kill him tonight, make it look like an accident, and you would own everything.”

  “No! It is too dangerous, and he isn’t worth the risk. The stuff in the vault is just superstition on his part, things his family was to pass on to the firstborn child, alive or dead. Robert was always sure his inheritance was important, but all the luck I need is you.”

  It was quiet again, and I checked my watch. I had been back there listening for a while. The sound of a door opening and a light turning off gave me a good idea that they were gone. Certainly, they would be heading back to the dining room, either together or separated by an appropriate period of time so as not to arouse suspicion.

  I was pretty sure that David was itching for a fight with Robert, and Robert would probably feel the same if he knew about the affair or the stolen money. Karen appeared to both fear and hate Robert. I scooted down the hallway.

  There was one last door with light emanating from underneath, and I didn’t hesitate to put my ear to the door. I was pretty sure it was Robert the Rose, wife beater and financial theft victim. But unlike behind the other doors, I didn’t hear a second person. Either Robert was on the
phone or the other person was talking too quietly to hear, even with magic. I was betting on the former.

  I had missed a large chunk of the conversation, and he was angrily whispering into the phone. “…It’s too important to me. I think he knows.”

  There was a long pause as I strained to listen and catch anything. There were motives aplenty, and I was pretty sure I was following all the moving pieces.

  “No,” Robert continued. “We are snowed in. Otherwise, I would get out of here. It just doesn’t feel right.”

  There was a shorter pause. “Screw her, but if it bothers you, I can take care of her as well. I’ll call when I get out of here. Bye.”

  The clank of a phone confirmed my suspicion that he had been on a call. Then the light disappeared, and a door slammed.

  I was at the end of the hallway, no light underneath any other doors, and I took the risk of opening the door I had been listening at, revealing an office.

  On the desk was a pad of paper with a little skull and crossbones on it, and next to that was the empty wooden sword stand.

  Just then, the other door in the room flew open. I put my hand on my heart and fumbled backwards onto the rug with such oomph that it sent a zing of pain through my tailbone.

  Beatrice stared down at me. “Why are you on the ground? Where have you been? It is time for the gift exchange.”

  8

  I quickly raced through everything I had heard and gestured at the sword holder. “We can stop Robert! He probably took the little sword that is supposed to be on display and is going to kill… someone!”

  “This office has been open all day. Anyone could have taken it. They all came in here to call and let people know they are snowed in. It’s the only useful phone in the place, with cell phones not getting reception.”

  “But it was here when I called earlier.”

  “They’ve all left the dining room since. I repeat, anyone could have come by and grabbed it.”

  “But we have to do something. We can prevent the murder,” I begged.

  “So you know who is killed?” she asked.

  “Well, not really. But I have a good idea why,” I countered.

  “And why?”

  I screwed up my face. “It kinda depends on who gets killed. Beatrice, can’t we prevent it?”

  She sat on a chair next to me and patted my shoulder. “No, dearie, I told you that already. Some things can’t be prevented. The future is the future. If you try, you can’t change the future, but you could be the cause. Can you live with that? Because you tried to change the future, you caused someone’s death?”

  I nodded. It was similar to what Bear had said. “I don’t know if I can accept doing nothing.”

  “But you aren’t doing nothing. You can solve a murder. I know that is important. You cannot prevent it, but you can right a wrong. It is a small thing, but it is what you can do.”

  I slowly got up then offered Beatrice a hand to help her rise.

  She walked to the door. “I know it is hard, which is why so many seers go crazy. Knowledge is power, and power corrupts. Now come on, dear, I saved you some mini cupcakes.”

  I handed her back her keys and followed her to the dining room. I half expected to see the reunionees in separate corners, holding knives and growling at each other, but inside, I was surprised by the party atmosphere of the room.

  Karen and Sara were talking and laughing in a knot of people as David and Robert held court with another group. If it wasn’t for the slightly bloody bandage around David’s hand, I would have sworn that I had made up the last few hours.

  I searched the room for Orin only to spot him just as he spotted me. He stepped away from his group and lifted his glass at me. “My lovely Ella, where have you been? I am simply parched and bored to death.”

  “Let me fix that.” I took the wine glass from him and went behind the bar to refill it. “I heard that you will be exchanging gifts?”

  “Yes, though really, I think we should have dropped the theme. Fifty-year was gold, and that was nice. I was very happy with sixty being diamond and seventy being platinum, but do you know what eighty is? Do guess.”

  “Oh man, what is better than gold, diamond, and platinum? I have always been fond of sapphires, so I’ll guess that.” I handed him his glass.

  “Excellent taste, but no. Oak! I was planning to bring some nice bottles of oak-barrel whiskey, but they decided to limit the cost of gifts this year.”

  “Who’s ‘they’?”

  “Oh, Karen, I suppose. But I did what I could with the theme. I can’t imagine what kind of ticky-tacky bits of nuisance I will have to bring home.”

  “When do you leave?” I asked.

  “When the snow melts or they plow us out. Though I do believe I heard that someone went outside for a smoke and saw lights go by. It is possible our rescuers might be here sooner than later. Keep that wine ready. I want to get this done with and then will camp out the rest of the night and regale you with stories that will positively delight you.”

  I smiled as he walked away, glass held high, shouting over the noise of the room. “Attention, all! I am ready to give out my offering this year. David, Robert, Karen, and Sara, please come over.”

  Orin went over to a table of gifts and pulled out several in matching wrapping paper and handed them out. Once each person had one, they unwrapped them. Each held a wooden 3D puzzle about the size of a loaf of bread.

  Orin explained. “They are made of oak, obviously. They can be disassembled and reassembled but can be quite tricky. A lovely little artisan in Italy made each one specially for you. I gave him some ideas based on things I thought were important to each of you.”

  Karen held hers out as though it disgusted her. “A cupcake? Are you calling me fat? You think of me and you think of food?”

  David seemed equally offended. “A faceted stone? You think I am only obsessed with money or that I am some thief?”

  Orin looked a bit taken aback. “You have always been open about liking to make money, and I certainly never accused you of being a thief, but if you find the shoe fits, then perhaps lace it up and give it a good walk-around.”

  He addressed Karen next. “You used to bring a cupcake to class every day but now find it offensive.” He then turned on Sara and Robert. “What about you two?”

  Sara shrugged. “I don’t understand Robert’s. Why a dog?”

  Orin was genuinely puzzled. “Because he had that stray dog that followed him everywhere.”

  She shook her head. “That was Ryan, his brother.”

  “No, surely it was Robert. He had that little dog two reunions ago. He was trained just like the dog in high school.”

  Robert threw it on the ground. “That was my brother, you fool.”

  Orin pulled back. “Then perhaps you two were more alike than I knew. I don’t understand why everyone is looking for offense.”

  Karen narrowed her eyes. “Because you always have some ulterior motive to everything. Every harmless comment is a jab at us. We can hear you when you think you are being so clever. You have never been as good as the rest of us and as such must constantly attack us. You think we didn’t notice you buttering up the help for attention, trying to find whatever value you can conversing with a stranger because you know that anyone who really knows you will see you for what you are, a poor little boy that will never be at the level of his betters?”

  The emotion that crossed over Orin’s face was a mixture of shame and pain. Her jabs had cut him straight through, and I hated her for it.

  He pulled himself up to his full height and looked her directly in the face. “Then perhaps I will do us all a favor and wait it out in the back room.”

  He walked toward a door, and I moved to follow him, but he held out a hand to stop me. “I do believe I need a few moments to myself,” he said before slamming the door behind him.

  9

  I intended to wait only a few minutes then follow him regardless, but then several thin
gs happened at once. A snowplow pulled into the parking lot, then the lights went out. I could sense that magic played a part in the latter, but I didn’t know if it was better to fight the spell or attempt to keep everyone together.

  “I think we should all—” That was as far as I got in my plea to stay inside before Karen bumped past me on the way to the front of the restaurant.

  “Out of my way,” she shouted. “I need to make sure that plow doesn’t take off the bumper of my car. It’s a classic.”

  I heard David reply from somewhere. “Who drives a classic car into a snowstorm in the mountains?”

  But then the room was overtaken by a cacophony of voices, gradually getting louder as people tried to find each other. Doors were slamming, and by the time I got an illumination spell active, I realized that all the class reunionees were gone.

  “Did anyone see which way David, Sara, Karen, and Robert went?” I called, only to get back conflicting responses.

  “Karen went out front, and David was right behind her. I think Sara went to the bathroom,” someone off to my right said, a mousy little lady with spectacles.

  “No, no. David went to the bathroom, and Robert took Sara through a back door to talk,” said a man on my left carrying a doctor’s bag.

  “They all went outside,” said a disembodied voice across the room. My illumination spell was good enough to cast light over the few people standing around me, but unless I increased it to blind-everyone-within-five-feet level, the far side of the room would stay lost in darkness.

  I shuffled around but got easily turned around and ran into the dessert cart. I searched for Beatrice, hoping to find her before she got trampled. Perhaps she could tell me where the fuse box was in case it was something as mundane as that, but I already had a pit in my stomach.