Even Witches Get the Blues (Wicked in Moonhaven~A Paranormal Cozy Book 1)

by J. D. Winters

  I was still worried about Scotty. I’d seen him fall over a cliff with my own two eyes. It happened right in front of me. The fact that the cliff no longer seemed to exist was a bit worrisome, but still, I would like to see him and know for sure that he was okay. It was nagging at me.

  I was still full from that great dinner. Bentley had been charming and funny and scary, all in succession, and he’d taken me back to the motel feeling a little shaken by it all. He hadn’t come out and said it in so many words, but I got the picture. He had implied in a lot of ways that the two of us were both….

  Oh wow, I hated to say the words. But it was true. He’d made a lot of insinuations that I was a supernatural being, just like he seemed to think he was. I wasn’t buying it, you understand. But just the fact that he thought he could sell that story to me shook me up. After all, a lot of strange things had been happening to me lately. There had to be a more down to earth explanation, but his spooky hints of horrors to come had been—I hate to admit it—kind of thrilling. Almost made me wish I was a paranormal sort of gal.

  And I really had decided I had to go see my grandmother. She would probably clear a lot of things up for me. I was beginning to think she might know why I’d been directed here, and maybe even who was meddling in my destiny.

  Plus, it seemed she might have done something nice for me. When I got back to the hotel and entered my room, I was nearly knocked over by my happy puppy, and then I was nearly floored by the huge stack of clothes someone had dumped on my bed.

  There were dresses and shorts and jeans and shirts and sweaters and even a nightgown. And some frilly underthings, too. I laughed out loud seeing them. I couldn’t see how anyone but my grandmother would have done such a thing. Maybe she was worth a visit after all.

  And with that cheerful bit of surprise, I put Toto on a leash and we set off for our late night walk. We reached Marigold Street and turned toward where the bar stood. I wanted to stay away from Moonhaven Park and looking across the street made that seem like a good decision. There was a misty fog splashed through the trees, like bits of old rags clinging to the branches and curling around the water features. Definitely spooky. We stuck to our side of the street and hurried along until Scotty’s was in sight. My heart fell when I saw that it was dark. I understood that the mayor had closed it down for business. No customers and even no friends it seemed. I’d hoped to be able to see Scotty at least. Well, never mind. I was going to go up to the door and knock until somebody came.

  The first thing that surprised me was that Toto didn’t want to go anywhere near the place. Just hours before he’d happily slept on a chair on the front porch and now he was having none of it. I tugged and he whined and it became a struggle I wasn’t going to win.

  “Oh fine,” I said at last. “You stay right there on the steps and we’ll see if this leash will let me get to the front door on my own.”

  It did, and he stayed right where he was, and I knocked and called and got absolutely no response. He laughed at me with his tongue hanging out and I made faces at him. Then I noticed that the notice on the door had changed. Instead of a temporary closure, the notice stated that the building had been condemned and was due for demolition.

  What?

  There it was with the mayor’s signature on the bottom of the page.

  “No, they can’t do that,” I said aloud, trying to stay strong. And they couldn’t, could they? Not without a hearing or some sort of official study or something. It was my building and I was bound and determined to bring it into compliance with the town Plan. I began to have a sinking feeling that someone was trying to undercut that. Someone was bent on ruining things before I got a chance to fulfill my goals here. I was going to have to fight for my building, one way or the other, no matter what. If it wasn’t Scotty, it was the town itself. And that darn Mayor!

  I gave up knocking on the door and went back down to where Toto was waiting.

  But I wasn’t giving up. Even though we hadn’t heard a thing from inside, I just had an eerie feeling that someone was in there. I thought I saw a light for a moment, but it vanished. I heard something. I sensed something. But there was nothing I could put my finger on.

  “C’mon, scaredy-cat,” I told my faithful canine companion. “Let’s check out back and see what we can find.”

  He was bouncing along joyfully until he realized we weren’t going back to the motel after all. We were heading into dark and dangerous territory. But he came along, slinking practically under my feet, as though he didn’t dare get too far away.

  There was another structure behind the café itself, a sort of workshop set about 20 feet away. It was dark as well. There were two cars out back—a well-worn black Jeep and a newer, sleeker silver sedan-- but I didn’t know who drove what in this town yet, so I couldn’t make an i.d. for now. Besides, there was very little light and that made it hard to see much of anything, or to even be sure of my color guesses or model names.

  A cold wind swept through and some of the fog from the park seemed to be drifting our way. I heard a creak coming from the house. Somebody was there. I was sure of it. The hair was rising on the back of my neck. I didn’t really want to delve too far into this, but I did want to find out about Scotty. Was he okay? Was he…alive?

  “Hello?” I called, a bit loud, motivated by anger at being put into this position. “Who’s there?”

  No answer.

  But I could see movement. I practically heard breathing…at least it seemed that way. I knew someone was there, but they didn’t want to talk.

  “Luanne? Scotty?”

  Nothing.

  “Listen, I know someone is there. Let me in. I want to talk to you.”

  Nothing…nothing but the wind making a screen door slam. I jumped a foot. The sound practically sent me into orbit. I only barely held back a scream.

  I caught my breath and shook my head. Enough of this. I’d do better in sunlight. I retreated back toward the sidewalk and Toto ran, pulling me along eagerly. When we were under the streetlight, I looked back. A flickering light appeared through one window, but there was no way I was going back now. I was too spooked and my plan was to come back first thing in the morning. Other than that, I needed some sleep.

  We hurried along the sidewalk as though something was following us—and it felt like that could be the case. When I heard a car coming up beside us and slowing, I murmured, “Oh no,” and glanced over hesitantly. It was a sleek, silver sedan and my heart jumped. Was it the same one I’d seen behind the Bar and Grill? I wasn’t sure.

  The window powered down and someone leaned toward me.

  “Hey, Haley. What are you doing out here? You want a ride?”

  I looked harder. It was my kindergarten pal named Crocker. Right now he was looking familiar and friendly. I let out my breath in pure relief.

  “Oh, hi Crocker. No, I’m just walking the dog.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m sure. We’re almost back to the motel where I’m staying. Thanks anyway.”

  I waved him off and he waved back before taking off. I looked back. I couldn’t see the Bar and Grill any longer, but he had come from that direction. Had he been there when I’d been trying to get someone to answer me? Hard to know. And I wasn’t going back right now to check the cars behind the place. It would have to remain a mystery.

  Just one more little puzzle to keep me awake at night.

  We were back at the motel and I skirted the main entryway and headed for the back. I didn’t want to advertise the fact that I had a dog with me. Toto saw the vacant lot and started pulling me that way. He wanted to romp and I decided, why not? Just for a few minutes. I took him off the leash and let him go.

  And that was when the most chilling thing of the day happened to me. I found an old tennis ball and threw it for the pup a few times, and he ran after it and brought it back, so happy it made my heart glad just to see him. But it was getting late.

  “Okay, last throw,” I said, aiming for t
he end of the lot.

  The ball flew high and he sailed after it. But it landed hard and took a jump at an angle that set it off into the street. I called out for Toto to stop, but he paid no attention. He was into the street and running hard just as a long dark car came barreling around the corner. It was pure and simply a collision course. I could already see the car hitting him. I ran into the street myself, yelling, “No!”

  And that was when it happened.

  Time stood still.

  No, really.

  I don’t know for how long. Looking back, I think it was for five seconds, maybe six. Time stood still for just long enough to let me run in front of the car and grab my dog and carry him back to the sidewalk. Then it started up again and the car went on its merry way and Toto was licking my face.

  I stood there for a long moment, unable to process what had just happened. How could it have happened? Was I imagining it? No. I knew how it had gone down, by the second, and I knew the car had stopped-and not of it’s own accord. No time for brakes to be applied. But I had been able to save my dog and as far as I could tell, the driver hadn’t noticed a thing.

  I could hardly believe it. I could hardly breathe. Bentley’s words kept echoing in my brain.

  “You do know you’re a witch, don’t you?”

  Was I? And if I was, what did that mean? If only I had my memories. Then I could compare and think out evidence of one thing or another. This way, I was flying blind. It was driving me crazy. And maybe that was all this was.

  But deep down, I didn’t believe that. I could do things I was pretty sure I hadn’t done in the past. Something had changed. And maybe it was me.

  We went into the room and I locked the door. I was shaking. I wasn’t sure if it was still a reaction to what I’d done, or if what I’d done had drained so much energy that my body had to adjust—or what. But it took a good hour for me to get back to normal.

  Toto had no such problem. He went right to sleep, a happy doggy look on his cute little face. Thank God he hadn’t been squashed flat. Thank God I hadn’t been.

  But why? How?

  It took a long time for me to settle down and get drowsy. There was just too much to ponder. And there was one overwhelming question: would I remember this day once I woke up?

  ***

  “Open up, Haley. It’s me. Official business.”

  I blinked and fought back sleep, trying to get my bearings. Morning light had only begun to filter through the drapes into the motel room. But I remembered the night before, and then the whole day, so things were better than they’d been the last time I’d woken from a deep sleep.

  “Hold on,” I called back to Shane. “I’m coming.”

  I reached for the robe—yes, it had appeared with all the other clothes the night before and they were still there—and opened the door. Shane was standing there in his uniform, looking all starched and important. I yawned, just so he would know I had been asleep and thought this was a little early for visiting. But I stood back so he could come in.

  Toto finally woke up—some watch dog—and jumped into action, but a sharp, “Stay!” from Shane stopped him in his tracks and he dropped to the floor with his head on his paws and stared at the law man.

  Shane turned back to me. “The clothes okay?” he asked.

  I stopped mid-yawn and stared at him. “Did you bring them?” I asked, stunned.

  He nodded. “My sister was living with me until the end of last summer. She left a lot behind when she moved on down to the City and she hasn’t been back, so I figured you might be able to use them. With your amnesia and all.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I was totally surprised. I stared at him, then looked at the clothes and looked back at him. “Shane, hey, I really appreciate it. I thought….” Well, what did it matter what I thought? “Wow, this is so nice of you.”

  He grunted and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I just wanted to get them out of my house,” he said gruffly. “I’m glad you can use them.”

  “Oh, I can. Believe me. This is wonderful.”

  “Well, good. But what I came for is not so good.”

  No, I could see by the look on his face that it wasn’t. My heart started beating a bit faster. Something bad was coming my way, I could feel it.

  “What is it?” I asked, my voice quavering just a bit.

  He had on his official face now. “Did you happen to go by the Bar and Grill last night?”

  I took in a breath that sounded almost like a gasp. “Yes. Yes I did. Why?”

  “What time?”

  “Oh…it was after I came back from dinner. Probably about ten thirty. I took Toto on a walk and we went by the Bar and Grill. I guess you know it got closed down by the mayor yesterday. I was hoping to see Scotty, but no one answered the door and …” I shrugged. “We left.”

  “You’re sure you didn’t see Scotty?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “How about Luanne?”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t see anyone. Though I had a feeling someone was inside. But no lights were on.”

  “Did you happen to go around to the back of the building?”

  I hesitated. Something was telling me not to say too much. “I…yes, I did. But it was too dark to see anything.”

  “You didn’t happen to see a body?”

  “A body?”

  “A body.”

  Now I could barely breathe. “Whose body?”

  “Scotty’s body. Scotty is dead.”

  “Oh!” I stumbled and reached out to catch myself, sitting on the bed with a thump. “Oh no. Dead? Are you sure?”

  “No doubt about it. So what did you want to see Scotty about?”

  I shook my head, trying to clear it. “Dead. I can’t believe it.” I looked up as I thought of what had happened the day before. “Did he…did he have injuries? I mean….”

  “He had plenty of injuries. It looked like he’d been beat up pretty badly.”

  I blinked. “You think he was beat up? He couldn’t have…say fallen off a cliff?”

  “A cliff? No, I don’t think so.” His face cleared. “Oh that’s right. You and your magical cliff.” He shook his head. “No, Haley. He was found out in the workshop behind the Bar and Grill. No cliffs in sight.”

  “Yes, but…” I stopped myself. No time to go hysterical. “When will the official report be available?”

  “It’ll be awhile. The coroner has to look him over, forensics has to do their trick.”

  I frowned, trying to get this straight. “So you think someone killed him?”

  “Looks that way.”

  “Who?”

  He stared at me a moment too long before he finally said, “Right now, you seem to have the clearest, most immediate motive.”

  “Me? What motive do I have?”

  But I knew what he was talking about. Scotty was occupying my building. I wanted him gone. But I wasn’t about to kill him for it!

  “No, that’s nuts. I barely knew the man.”

  He cocked his head at me. “Haley, you’ve known him all your life.”

  I stared at him. I supposed he was right. This was getting too complicated. “Are you going to arrest me?” I asked, horrified.

  He looked at me for a long moment, then shook his head. “Not now,” he said. “But you’d better get dressed and come on down to the station.”

  I licked my dry lips. “Can I go out and see my grandmother first?”

  His mouth twisted. “No. I need to take a statement. Then you can go.”

  “Okay.”

  He started for the door and I rose and followed him.

  “Shane,” I said, stopping him before he left. “You know I didn’t do this. Don’t you? I mean…you know me.”

  A bewildered look passed over his face and left again, leaving him stony. “Haley, I think you really don’t remember what it used to be like. The Haley I knew in the old days was capable of doing almost anything.” He hesitated, looking like he
was trying to read something in my eyes. “Come on down to the station and we’ll see what’s what. Okay?”

  I nodded numbly and he left, closing the door behind him. I put my hands over my mouth as though holding back a scream and I tried to make sense of all this. Then I headed for the shower.

  Chapter Seven

  The sheriff’s station had the look of something conceived by Disney Imagineers, like some place Winnie the Pooh might have hung out in, all rounded corners and cuteness. I walked down the corridor expecting to see Mickey Mouse poking his huge head around every corner.

  Unfortunately, no such luck. Instead, I saw Luanne.

  “Psst! Haley! Over here,” she said gesturing for me to join her in the interrogation room where she’d been left on her own.

  I looked up and down the hall and not seeing any officers, I slipped on in.

  “Luanne! Are you okay? Tell me what happened.”

  She was the image of tragedy. “He’s dead, Haley. He’s finally dead.”

  “Uh…,” I half closed the door so that our voices might not carry into other offices. She seemed to be in a state where she might say things better left unsaid and I couldn’t tell if she was glad he was gone, or sorry.

  I turned to look at her. She was a mess. Her eyes were red and her hair was a rat’s nest around her head. She looked like she’d slept in her clothes.

  I, on the other hand, was feeling pretty spiffy in my white wide-legged jeans and blue-stripped jersey pullover with three quarter length sleeves that had a nice snug fit. Luckily, Shane’s sister had some very nice clothes and even more luckily, she seemed to be just my size.

  But Luanne was flirting with going off the rails. I made an attempt at calming her down by being understanding—or at least giving it a try.

  “What do you mean?”

  She grabbed my arm. “Do you know how long I have waited for him to be out of my life for good? Can you imagine what a hell my life has been?”

  “But…but why were you still with him if you felt that way? Why didn’t you just leave?”

  She shook her head, looking desperate. “Oh you wouldn’t understand,” she cried.