All the Pretty Witches (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 6)

by Lily Harper Hart

“She should.”

  “Why? What did she do that caused this?”

  “She ... came here,” Lindsey said finally. “Things were better before she came here.”

  “I’ve had enough of that,” Boone groused. “I mean ... way more than enough. What is the matter with you? Why can’t you just be a nice person? Why do you always have to go on the attack?”

  Hannah finally decided to make her presence known. She was rueful as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Because being a teenager is rough,” she replied.

  “Oh, man.” Boone’s neck flooded with color as he dragged a hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry you heard that.”

  Lindsey looked as if she wanted to find a hole to crawl into but managed to keep her chin up. “I’m not sorry.”

  “You are so,” Boone hissed.

  “No.” Defiant, Lindsey shook her head. “I’m not sorry at all, and you can’t make me say it. None of this happened before Hannah was here. She’s to blame.”

  “She is not,” Cooper insisted. “She’s innocent in all of this.”

  “Lindsey is right,” Hannah countered, earning a scowl from Cooper. “None of this happened before I arrived.”

  “See.” Lindsey looked triumphant, although her smile didn’t last long. “Wait ... why are you taking the blame? I thought for sure you would tell me I was wrong.”

  “You’re not wrong.” Hannah was matter-of-fact. “All these things happened after I arrived here. Some of them are a direct result of things I did.”

  “See.” Lindsey shot her father a dirty look. “I was right.”

  “You’re not right,” Hannah countered. “You’re just ... upset. You’re allowed to be upset. What’s happened to Angel is upsetting. I didn’t cause that, though. Bettina sensed there was something she wanted in Angel.”

  “I heard my dad talking,” Lindsey persisted. “He said that Bettina wanted you first but took Angel instead because of something you did.”

  “Hannah protected herself from Bettina without even realizing what she was doing,” Cooper shot back. “You cannot blame her for protecting herself.”

  “Besides,” Boone added. “We’re going to need Hannah to get Angel back. If Bettina had managed to take over Hannah — or Amelia, for that matter — we would’ve already lost. We still have a fighting chance.”

  “But ... .” Lindsey shook her head and looked to Cooper for support. “This is her fault.”

  “It’s not.” Cooper straightened as he regarded her. “I love you, kid. I don’t love you in the way you want — that was never going to happen — but I do love you. You have got to get onboard with my relationship with Hannah. She’s not going anywhere.”

  Lindsey looked pained. “I don’t like any of this.”

  “Nobody likes it,” Boone said. “Not at all. We still have to deal with it. Your attitude isn’t helping. If you can’t help, then sit there and shut up.”

  Lindsey’s expression could only be described as aggrieved. “You’re mean.”

  “I can get a whole lot meaner. I’m sick of your crap. Either be nice to Hannah and contribute to the conversation or shut up. Those are your options.”

  Tyler picked that moment to stroll through the door with Jinx in tow. He’d texted Cooper to tell him he was taking the dog out almost twenty minutes before and seemed to be in a good mood after their walk. His eyes went wide when he took in the scene.

  “What did I miss?”

  “Teenage theatrics,” Boone replied. “We’re all sick of them, for the record.”

  “Oh, I love teenage theatrics.” Tyler ruffled Lindsey’s hair as he passed. “You should switch your crush from Cooper to me. I’ll put up with all the teenage theatrics you can throw at me.”

  Lindsey worked her jaw. “You’re gay, though. How does that work? I don’t have a chance with you.”

  Tyler snorted. “I hate to break it to you, but you didn’t have a chance with Cooper either. He looks at Boone as a surrogate father, and that would make you his annoying little sister.”

  Lindsey’s eyes lit with offense. “I am not annoying.”

  “You’re all kinds of annoying,” Cooper said. “I still love you anyway. I need you to stop giving Hannah grief, though. We’re all in this together.”

  Lindsey remained uncertain. “Are you guys really moving in together?”

  “We’re already living together,” Cooper replied, gesturing toward the stack of boxes on the ground. “We’re still getting comfortable, but it’s on.”

  Lindsey scowled. “This sucks.”

  Hannah patted her shoulder as she moved around her to sit at the table. “You’ll find a new crush. We’re hiring a new bartender at some point. If you’re good, I’ll make sure he’s hot.”

  Lindsey brightened. “Really? Can I help pick him out?”

  Hannah hesitated and then shrugged. “You can’t possibly be any worse at it than I am. Why not?”

  “You’re going to wish you hadn’t given her that offer,” Boone warned. “She’s going to be relentless until you let her sit in on interviews.”

  “I can live with that.” Hannah accepted the box of food Boone handed her. “So, where are we on updates? I don’t suppose you found Carl Morse dead in a ditch somewhere, did you?”

  “No, but we did find a liquor store clerk dead and the footage from the robbery shows that Carl is our culprit,” Boone replied.

  Hannah stilled, dumbfounded. “Is that a joke?”

  “Does it sound funny?”

  “No, but ... .” Hannah moved her jaw back and forth as she shifted her gaze to Cooper. “Why would he rob a liquor store?”

  Cooper held out his hands. He was equally baffled. “Maybe he needed money.”

  “That’s possible,” Boone conceded. “I know his family has cut him off from the bank accounts. If he needs a place to stay, he’s going to need money. That being said, his picture has been circulated everywhere. Nobody is going to let him rent a room.”

  “Unless it’s Stormy renting the room,” Hannah pointed out.

  Boone jerked his eyes to her. “Why? Do you think that’s possible?”

  “They’re working together. I know because I dreamed it. Stormy’s photograph hasn’t been plastered all over the place.”

  “That’s because she hasn’t done anything we can broadcast,” Boone replied. “However, we can broadcast this.”

  Hannah was confused. “How?”

  “We can lie and say they’ve been seen together. At the very least, it will mean they can’t get a hotel room ... or someone somewhere might recognize Stormy and give us a lead on where to find her.”

  “How does it help us if they go underground?”

  “It doesn’t, but it will force them to move up their timetable. I think we’re all sick of waiting for them to make their move.”

  “Definitely,” Cooper agreed. “It might also make them sloppy.”

  “Then it’s settled.” Boone tapped the side of Lindsey’s food container. “Eat up. We might have your friend Angel back before we originally thought.”

  “Really?” Lindsey looked momentarily paralyzed by fear. “Do you think we’ll really get her back?”

  “We will,” Hannah promised. “I won’t stop until we get her back. You have my word.”

  “And I think this is the best way to put the pressure on,” Boone said. “If Stormy rented a room, even in a bad hotel, we can find her now. All we have to do is say she was sighted with Carl.”

  “What if they’re not together, though?” Tyler queried. “What if we’re wrong on that front?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I just needed a reason to broadcast Stormy’s face and name. This is a reason. It’s not as if Amelia is going to show up on Main Street and dispute it.”

  “That’s true.” Tyler rubbed his chin and focused on Hannah. “Are you ready for whatever is coming?”

  “No, but I don’t see where I have much choice.” Hannah was rueful. “The fight is coming. Pretendin
g it’s not isn’t going to do anyone any good. It’s time, for better or worse. We need to end this.”

  15

  Fifteen

  Lindy had managed to ingratiate herself with the other workers in less than four days and was a natural with the customers. That’s why Hannah wasn’t worried about leaving the woman in charge.

  “I have an errand to run. Is that okay?”

  Lindy blinked several times and then nodded. “It’s fine. I have this.”

  “I know.” Hannah’s smile was rueful. “Apparently I was making the job out to be a lot bigger in my head than it really was.”

  “No.” Lindy immediately started shaking her head. “It’s like anything else. You have to work up to what’s normal. When you’re learning, it never feels normal. I’ve been doing this so long it can’t help feeling normal.”

  Hannah liked the explanation, but she still felt slow and clumsy next to the other woman. “You’re doing amazing. I think bringing you onboard is the smartest thing I’ve ever done.”

  Lindy snorted. “I think you take the self-deprecating thing a little too far. It’s okay, though. If you have something you need to do, I can run things the entire day. I promise it will be fine.”

  “I shouldn’t be gone all day,” Hannah hedged. “I do have an errand to run.”

  “Don’t worry about me.” Lindy offered up a haphazard wave as she grabbed a rag and started wiping things down. “I’ve got everything under control.”

  Because Hannah knew that was true, she wasn’t nervous about leaving the woman in charge of the saloon. Instead, she collected Jinx from his bed behind the bar — he wasn’t happy about being woken from a dead sleep — and headed toward the animal paddock. Although sulky at the start, Jinx perked up when he realized where they were going.

  “Let me guess,” Tyler said dryly as he wiped his hands on a rag and studied his boss. “You want me to take over Jinx duties.”

  Hannah bobbed her head. “I have to run an errand and I don’t think it’s fair to saddle Lindy with him when she’s doing the bulk of the work. I figured you wouldn’t mind. If you do, though, I can try Jackie ... or track down Cooper.”

  Tyler narrowed his eyes. “Where are you going?”

  Hannah wasn’t expecting the question. “I just need to run to town for an hour or so.”

  Tyler folded his arms over his chest, considering. “I don’t want to tell you your business,” he started.

  “But you will,” Hannah grumbled.

  Tyler’s lips quirked. “I know you pretty well,” he pressed, refusing to back down. “You’re not all that hard to read.”

  “I think he’s saying I’m boring,” Hannah noted to the dog, who cocked his head and regarded her with curious eyes.

  “Oh, I would never say that,” Tyler shot back, wagging a finger. “Don’t even go there. Cooper will beat me up if he thinks I called you boring.”

  “That’s because Cooper is the best boyfriend ever.”

  “Oh, geez.” Tyler rolled his eyes and made a tsking sound with his tongue. “Are you guys going to be all lovey-dovey for the next week because you’re moving in together, or is this a one-day thing?”

  “I think it’s a forever thing.”

  “That could be both cute and annoying,” Tyler acknowledged. “For the record, I’m not saying you’re boring. I am worried about you, though.” His eyes clouded. “I know that you’ve been dealing with some stuff. If you need help running errands ... .” He trailed off, uncertain.

  “I don’t need help,” Hannah reassured him hurriedly. “It’s just one errand and it will be over with quickly.”

  “Right. Where are you going again?”

  Hannah averted her gaze. “Just into town.”

  “Into town.” He popped his lips and glanced around. “Have you told Cooper you’re running into town?”

  The question was enough to have Hannah’s hackles rising. “Last time I checked, Cooper is not the boss of me. Actually, it’s the opposite. I’m his boss.”

  Tyler’s laugh was dismissive. “Oh, whatever. You guys are so careful not to boss each other around on the professional front it’s almost comical. I’m not asking about your plans because I want to stir up trouble for your relationship.”

  “Then why are you asking?”

  “Because there’s a demon running around. Oh, and two really old witches who are bent on causing trouble. You’ve become a point of interest for all three of them. I just want to make sure you’re not running headlong into danger on my watch.”

  “Your watch?” Hannah adopted her most authoritative expression. “That’s kind of sexist ... and demeaning,” she noted. “I don’t need anyone to watch me.”

  “And that’s not a very good diversion,” Tyler shot back. “You can’t make me feel guilty by painting me as a sexist. I want to know where you’re going and if you’re going to be in danger. I’m not asking as a babysitter or protector. I’m asking as another someone who loves you.”

  His words were too sweet and kind to ignore. However, Hannah remained annoyed he refused to simply fall into line and allow her to slink away.

  “I love you, too,” Hannah acknowledged. “Where I’m going, though, is none of your business. I just need you to watch Jinx.”

  “And if I say no?”

  She wasn’t expecting him to put up that strong of a fight. “Then I’ll ... be really mad.”

  That earned a grin. “You’re very cute when you’re angry, like a flaxen-haired Hulk. I still want to know where you’re going.”

  “And I don’t think I should have to tell you. I’m an adult.”

  “Who needs a babysitter for her dog. If you want me to babysit, then you’re going to have to offer me a little something in return.”

  “Or maybe I’ll just leave Jinx with you and do what I want anyway.”

  “You can try, but I’ll have Cooper on the phone before you’re ten feet away ... and he’ll be in the parking lot waiting for you when you try to leave. We both know it.”

  Hannah worked her jaw. “He has stuff to do here. He needs to watch the town. He can’t go with me.”

  “Maybe I can go with you.”

  “You have stuff to do, too. We have people on their way up. They need to see the animals. They pay for the privilege. Literally.”

  “Hannah.” Tyler’s expression was serious. “The more you talk, the itchier my fingers get. I will call Cooper. I won’t hesitate, even a little.”

  Hannah made a growling noise deep in her throat. “I’m going to visit Helene Morse.”

  Tyler racked his brain. “I don’t know who that is,” he said finally.

  “She’s the wife of the man the demon has taken over. I want to ask her a few questions.”

  Tyler was taken aback. “Why didn’t you just say that? And why don’t you take Cooper? He’s good with women. She’ll fall at his feet and answer whatever questions he has just because he’s charming and hot.”

  Hannah made a face. “I don’t need him. I can question Helene myself. Besides, I don’t want her to think it’s an interrogation.”

  “I don’t know.” Tyler scrubbed his chin. “It sounds like a bad idea to me.”

  “That’s because you’ve been trained to be suspicious of females who want to exert their own brand of power,” Hannah shot back. “You like to fancy yourself a feminist at heart, but history has taught you that, as an alpha male, I need to be babysat. You have no idea how insulting that is. I’m my own woman.”

  Rather than fall victim to the statement, Tyler wagged his finger. “Don’t run that on me. I love you. Cooper really loves you. There’s weird crap going on at every turn here. Wanting to take care of you is not being an alpha male.

  “We’re all in this together, right?” he continued. “You’re the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to making sure Amelia and Bettina don’t turn Casper Creek into a war zone. It’s not unreasonable for me to want to make sure you’re okay.”

 
Because that was true, Hannah let loose an exasperated sigh and allowed her shoulders to lower. “I don’t want you to turn this into a thing. I can get to town and be back in an hour. I just want to ask Helene a few questions.”

  Tyler studied her for a long time and then nodded. “What do you think she can tell you?”

  “I don’t know, but I guarantee the demon isn’t returning to that house. The heat will be on now that Boone is putting Stormy’s face out there. It’s only a matter of time before they both surface ... and we need to be ready.”

  “And you think this visit will make you ready?”

  “I do.”

  Tyler didn’t look convinced. “Why aren’t you telling Cooper where you’re going?” he asked finally. “I think he would want to know.”

  “Because Cooper is needed here. I wasn’t making that up just because I don’t want a babysitter. Someone needs to be in charge here. As for telling Cooper, who says I’m not going to tell him? I am going to tell him ... just as soon as I’m away from town and he can’t go all macho on me.”

  “Ah.” Tyler nodded in understanding. “You’re going to tick him off and leave him for me to deal with.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  Another beat of silence followed and then Tyler threw up his hands. “Make your escape now. You’re going to owe me, though. If I have to listen to him rant and rave for an hour, I’m going to want a karaoke night at a local bar with you guys as my reward.”

  Hannah jutted out her hand. “You have a deal. I’ll even convince Cooper to sing.”

  “Now that’s a promise I can get behind. Make your escape now. He’s going to come looking for you sooner rather than later.”

  Because she knew it was true, Hannah scampered away from the paddock and toward the parking lot. She had a plan. She simply needed information to carry it out.

  HELENE MORSE LOOKED LIKE A WOMAN WHO had been through a war. She answered the door with more than a little trepidation. Some of the fear she was carrying dissipated when she saw who was darkening her doorstep, but she didn’t grace Hannah with a smile.

  “I’m not talking to the press.” She moved to shut the door in Hannah’s face, but the blonde quickly shot out her arm to make sure that didn’t happen.