Grumpy Old Wizards

by John O'Riley

  “I’m an old, retired woman. I don’t work for the police. I’m merely a part-time consultant.”

  “You have the body of a woman in her early thirties. Don’t whine to me about being old and retired,” Morgan said bluntly. “Get your lazy ass out of that chair and into the car.”

  Josephine crossed her arms across her chest and glared defiantly at him. “I will go when I’m ready. I haven’t even finished my coffee.”

  Before she could react, the mug flew from her grasp and smashed into the wall, shattering into a myriad of pieces.

  “You’re finished now,” Morgan said.

  Josephine’s head pounded as she stood up from her chair. The temperature seemed to plummet as chills danced along her skin. She headed for the front door and Morgan quickly followed. The pressure in her skull abated somewhat but threatened to explode at any moment. Her body was tense and she couldn’t calm herself. She wanted to jinx Morgan so badly she could almost taste it. When they arrived at the police station, Gary was already waiting for them in one of the waiting rooms with Jennifer, the enforcer currently assigned to him. Plastic baggies spread across the table as Jennifer observed Gary from one corner of the room. She was leaning slightly against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Her disturbing, blue eyes were unreadable but her overall body language suggested impatience. She nodded silently in acknowledgment at Morgan as he entered the room.

  “What have you learned so far?” Morgan asked.

  “Not much,” Jennifer said. She pulled out a notepad and read some notes. “This is the same information that he picked up before which is next to nothing.”

  “Josephine, sit down beside him,” Morgan instructed.

  Josephine wordlessly complied with his instructions and Morgan grabbed one of the bags of evidence. He tossed it in front of the two of them.

  “You will both work on this piece of evidence at the same time,” Morgan said.

  “Why did you choose that one?” Gary asked.

  “It was a random selection,” Morgan said impatiently. “Are you going to give me a hard time about this?”

  “No,” Gary said warily.

  Jennifer sat down in a chair behind them with her notepad ready. Josephine opened her second sight and sought out any trace energies in the unicorn figurine which was sealed in a plastic, evidence bag. She wondered why the police had deemed this appropriate for collection. It didn’t contain anything she could read. She glanced at Gary and he shook his head.

  “You’re not trying hard enough,” Morgan chastised them.

  “We’re doing the best we can,” Josephine said moodily.

  “Obviously, it’s not hard enough because you’re failing to come up with any clues.”

  Josephine whirled around and glared at him. “You’re such a jerk. I can’t come up with something if there’s nothing to read.”

  “There’s always something.” Morgan’s eyes suddenly flared with a bright, golden light.

  The pressure in Josephine’s head exploded and agony ripped through her body. She realized now why Morgan had wanted her here with Gary. He wanted to prod her subconscious into taking over. A frigid wind whipped through the room and Josephine abruptly found herself outside her body and watching the scene unfold as a helpless observer. Josephine’s body slowly stood and regarded Morgan impassively.

  “You need to read the evidence,” Morgan said forcefully. “Find the killer before he finds you!”

  Gary’s eyes had also glazed over but he remained seated and staring straight ahead.

  “Read the evidence!” Morgan shouted.

  Jennifer gazed warily at Josephine but her pen still rested on top of the notepad, ready to take down any useful information that came up. Obviously, Morgan and Jennifer had planned this incident to occur.

  “I will assist you,” Josephine’s voice echoed from various parts of the room.

  The bags of evidence shifted then lifted several feet into the air. Josephine extended her hands toward them with her vacant eyes staring in that general direction. A heavy silence encompassed the room as everyone waited for her to speak. Josephine wondered how long she’d be trapped in this fugue state.

  “The killer is someone who knows Gary,” Josephine’s authoritative voice materialized from many different directions. “He has known Gary for many years. He has been planning on killing him for several months now. He cast a pertorqueo sententia enchantment on Gary many years ago and activates the spell in his mind on a regular basis.”

  “The killer has been thinking of murdering Gary for several months?” Morgan asked sharply. “Why has he waited?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not picking up much. There isn’t much to read. That’s all I can tell you other than the fact that the killer is a life-long friend.”

  Josephine’s hands were still poised over the table as if preparing to play the piano. The evidence bags abruptly dropped and Morgan’s clothes disintegrated into a fine black powder. His cell phone, wallet, and magical tools abruptly clattered to the floor. He gaped at Josephine who still had her back turned to him. Jennifer’s notepad slipped from her grasp as she ogled her naked colleague.

  “A small price to pay for your insolence,” Josephine’s smug voice drifted from all around them.

  She abruptly returned to her body and braced herself against the table to keep from falling. Jennifer glanced at her appraisingly then returned her attention to Morgan who was glaring irritably at Josephine. Without warning, the door burst open and a police uniform hurtled into the room. Morgan clothed himself with the pants, shirt and jacket as the door slammed shut on its own. He picked up the magical tools and shoved them in his pants and jacket pockets. Gary shifted uneasily in his chair as he silently took in the situation.

  “Gary, do you have friends who you’ve known for years living nearby?” Morgan asked in a surprisingly stoic tone.

  “No,” Gary said.

  “You used to live in Washington before you and your brother moved to Florida,” Morgan said. “Do you keep in contact with any of them?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “What are their names?” Morgan asked.

  “Why do you want to know?” Gary asked warily.

  “One of them is probably the killer,” Morgan said in a chilling tone. “We need to know who they are.”

  “One of them is Tim and the other is Frank.”

  “I’ll need their addresses.” Morgan began to pace the room as he jotted down notes in his notepad.

  “I don’t have them memorized,” Gary said hesitantly.

  “We’re all going to take a trip down to your apartment then,” Morgan said. “Jennifer, why don’t you take care of replacing the evidence bags while I take everyone to Gary’s apartment for more information.”

  “Okay.” Jennifer slipped the notepad into her pants pocket and stood up.

  “Let’s go,” Morgan said.

  Josephine and Gary followed him out to his car.

  “It may not be a friend of mine. It may just be someone who’s been stalking me,” Gary said.

  “Unlikely,” Morgan said. “It’s got to be a friend.”

  “Why?”

  “Because your subconscious mind wouldn’t be so damaged otherwise. It’s a personal betrayal to have a friend doing this to you. It’s the only reason your mind would be reacting this way.”

  “Don’t you think it’s possible his subconscious is trying to adapt to the spell that’s controlling him? It must be horribly invasive,” Josephine said.

  “I don’t think it would be enough to fracture his mind like this.”

  “My mind isn’t fractured,” Gary protested.

  “Sure it is,” Morgan said in a matter-of-fact tone.

  When they reached Gary’s apartment, they stepped inside and Gary got Tim’s and Frank’s addresses and phone numbers.

  “Thank you,” Morgan said crisply as he jotted the information down in his notepad.

  “I think you’re wrong about t
his,” Gary said.

  “You don’t want to admit that your friend is a killer but that’s what’s probably happening here. You heard what Josephine said. The killer has known you for many years,” Morgan said. “How strong of a wizard is Tim?”

  “He’s a category two.”

  “What about Frank?” Morgan said.

  “He’s a category five.”

  “It’s probably Frank then.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because the killer is a category six. He’s extremely powerful and it would be easier for him to pretend to be a category five rather than a two. Unfortunately, we can’t rule out Tim completely until we’ve got Frank.”

  “What are you going to do?” Gary asked nervously.

  “I’m not going to do anything. I’m just going to send my findings to the MEA,” Morgan said.

  “Can’t you wait until we know more?” Gary said.

  “No, I can’t wait,” Morgan said stonily. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make a phone call.”

  He whipped out his cell phone and walked away from them to afford himself some privacy. Josephine patted Gary on the shoulder sympathetically.

  “It’ll be okay. I’m sure your friends aren’t killers,” she said.

  “The MEA will send enforcers to harass them,” Gary said. “They don’t deserve to be treated like that.”

  “Everything will be fine,” Josephine said and she wished she could believe it.

  Morgan finished his conversation and pocketed his cell. Josephine strode over to him as her mind suddenly glommed onto an idea.

  “Don’t you think it’s odd the serial killer has been killing in Florida for so long when he really lives in Seattle?” Josephine asked.

  “The murders occur about a month apart on average so it’s very conceivable that the killer flew down here on short trips when he committed the murders,” Morgan said.

  “That’s a lot of trouble to go through. It sounds pretty far fetched to me.”

  “The killer is very calculating. What better way to throw off the police then to choose victims clear across the country?” Morgan said pointedly.

  “Why are you so determined to believe Tim or Frank is the killer?”

  “Why are you so convinced it isn’t them?” Morgan said coolly. “Do you fancy yourself a detective now? Do you think you can solve this case by yourself?”

  Josephine turned away from him and stared at the wall. If she argued with him, it would only frustrate her so she decided to just ignore him for the moment. She wondered how she could possibly track down the real killer. Too bad Morgan was in charge of the investigation. Of course, Alex and Jake were also working on the case but they didn’t have any further clues to ponder over.

  Chapter 19

  A pile of leather-bound books lay at Josephine’s feet as she stood in the library of her two-story house frantically searching for information. Once again, Josephine became aware of the fact that she was dreaming. She’d performed an enchantment on herself just before going to bed to aid in lucid dreaming. She needed to maintain complete control of her mind if she wanted to keep Morgan from successfully performing the somnium inviso enchantment. Josephine could no longer remember what she was searching for or why she was living in her old house again. She focused on the present and kept a vigilant eye out for Morgan. She had sensed his presence earlier and had blocked him. She could feel it happening again now. Josephine brought up a mental block but this time, Morgan was more persistent. She resisted his efforts for as long as possible but wasn’t strong enough to prevent the somnium inviso enchantment from taking hold. Morgan materialized behind the massive, oak desk a short distance in front of her. He was reclined way back in the black, fake-leather chair with his feet propped up on the polished surface of her desk.

  A duplicate Josephine materialized on the other side of the desk. She was facing Morgan so Josephine couldn’t see her face but she wondered if she looked like Brenda. Morgan smirked at the duplicate Josephine. Suddenly, a metal cage came into existence around him and the desk. Morgan’s amused smile didn’t waver.

  “You’re a fool if you think you can trap me here,” he said.

  “I can do anything to you,” the duplicate Josephine said.

  Morgan’s feet dropped away from the desk as he straightened in the black chair and leveled a stern look at her.

  “You’re sadly mistaken if you think you can intimidate me,” he said frostily.

  He stood up and made to pass through the bars as if they weren’t there but his body met solidly against them. His expression transformed into surprise then anger.

  “Nice trick,” he said.

  “Thank you,” the duplicate Josephine said.

  Gary stepped into the room with a frantic look on his face.

  “We’re all going to die,” he said.

  “Everything is fine,” the duplicate Josephine said.

  “No, the killer is coming.”

  “You should listen to him. Let me help you,” Morgan said in a reasonable tone.

  Josephine cautiously approached them and Morgan turned to glance appraisingly at her.

  “There are two of you?” he asked.

  The duplicate Josephine turned to look at her and Josephine could see that her eyes were black as though her pupils had completely dilated and swallowed the irises whole. Apprehension made Josephine hesitate as she drew closer. She wondered if her subconscious was negative or if it was a blend of her subconscious and Gary’s. The link may have more of an effect on her mind than she realized.

  “We must protect ourselves,” the duplicate Josephine said authoritatively. “Morgan is helping the killer.”

  “Why do you say that?” Josephine asked.

  “He’s trying to make us weak. We must keep our link to Gary or we’ll be vulnerable. There is strength in numbers,” the duplicate said.

  “We can’t be fragmented like this. It would be best if the link was broken,” Josephine said.

  “You should listen to her,” Morgan said.

  “No!” the duplicate shouted.

  “We need to find the killer,” Gary said anxiously.

  The duplicate held her right palm out toward Morgan and he vanished along with the cage. She turned to Josephine and regarded her with desperation.

  “He suspects you can deactivate the aequitas enchantment. He’s been using psychometry to try to find proof that you’re able to do it. Once he knows for sure, he’ll report you to the MEA and you’ll have to go to the training camp. Your life will be ruined,” she said.

  “The killer will get to us first,” Gary interjected.

  “Why are you telling me this?” Josephine asked. “There’s nothing I can do to stop him from finding out about me.”

  “You must guard your thoughts well. Don’t think about aequitas enchantments or worry about it or you will expel energy which can be read through psychometry,” the duplicate warned. “I’m afraid it may be too late. He may already know.”

  The duplicate’s eyes widened with fear as Josephine sensed Morgan’s presence once again. A moment later, he appeared in front of them.

  “Hello, again,” he said with a smarmy smile. “Did you miss me?”

  “Not especially,” Josephine said.

  “You have interesting dreams,” Morgan said.

  “You will not sever my link with Gary,” the duplicate Josephine said.

  “That’s not your decision to make,” Morgan said forcefully.

  The scene abruptly changed. The duplicate was now driving Josephine’s car with Josephine seated in the passenger seat while Gary and Morgan were tucked away in the back. Their car was speeding on a freeway with myriads of abandoned cars and trucks pulled over on the sides with emergency lights blinking. Pieces of shredded tire, twisted metal fenders, windshields and other items lay strewn across the road. The duplicate Josephine had to turn sharply every few seconds to avoid the various hazards. Dark, writhing storm clouds completely ob
literated the sky and unleashed a series of lightning spears. Josephine clutched the door handle for support as the car continued to shift wildly from one lane to another. Adrenaline surged through her body as a couple of lightning strikes stabbed the road nearby. Thunder crashed violently and the car thumped as the duplicate Josephine accidentally ran over a blown tire. A woman suddenly appeared in the middle of the road running madly towards one side to avoid being hit. Josephine abruptly awakened from her dream. She sat up in her bed with the morning light sifting in through the curtains of her window.

  She took several deep breaths and tried to calm herself. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest and adrenaline still pumped through her body. She couldn’t believe what a vivid and disturbing dream she’d just endured. The door swung open and Morgan stepped into the room garbed in his typical black clothing. He pinned Josephine with a cold unyielding expression as he gestured at the door to close it telekinetically.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Josephine said with outrage.

  Morgan wordlessly stared her down as a golden luminescence spilled from his eyes. Josephine’s head pounded with sudden pressure and the room seemed to rock violently. She was tossed from her body as her subconscious took control in order to defend itself against the claro mentis enchantment. Morgan grasped a wand in his left hand which spat gold sparks and light as the stored power became active. He had raised a dampening field and was quickly strengthening it; however, he was slowly being lifted into the air by psychokinesis as Josephine’s body stood up from the bed and a frigid blast of air tore through the room.

  “You can’t stop me this time,” Morgan said with quiet resolve.

  His brows furrowed in concentration as he continued to point the wand at her. His body swung backward and smacked against the wall. He gasped in surprise but he must have managed to maintain his concentration because the enchantment remained active. An eerie gold radiance still flowed from his eyes and the tip of his wand.

  “I’ll kill you,” Josephine’s hardened voice echoed from many different directions.

  Josephine struggled to take control of her body but she was being held a short distance away. She had no idea if her subconscious was capable of carrying out its threat but had no intention of finding out. Morgan completely ignored her and continued with his enchantment.