by Elle Adams
“I think we should check in with the local coven’s leader first,” he said. “To make sure we aren’t stepping on any toes.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I can’t see why she’d forbid us from talking to Harriet’s ghost.”
“I doubt she will,” he said. “But it’s best to be certain.”
My heart gave an uneasy flip. I hadn’t spoken to the local coven leader yet. While it would normally be good manners to introduce myself to her, as a new witch in town, none of the locals had invited me to one of their meetings and most of them outright avoided me. As an outsider, they presumably didn’t think I’d be sticking around. Understandable, as I’d never come here intending to stay.
I did my best to quell my misgivings as the detective and I walked up to the large brick house which formed the coven’s main base. Like a lot of the buildings in the witches’ area of town, it was painted in magenta and mauve shades, while bronze carvings of griffins and unicorns adorned the walls. It stood out next to its relatively bland neighbours, as though the coven leader wanted there to be no doubt where the centre of the coven’s finances lay.
Drew walked in through the oak doors and towards a room on the right. A bronze plaque reading, ‘Coven Leader: Mina Devlin’ was affixed to the door. The detective knocked.
“Come in,” said a female voice.
Drew pushed open the door, revealing an office. The woman who sat behind the desk was maybe in her late fifties and wore a long cloak of a deep navy blue. A matching hat perched atop her long curly dark hair, which was streaked with grey, her mouth pulled in a scowl which suggested it was rare for a smile to grace it.
“Detective,” said the woman. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Her gaze slid to me, and her eyes narrowed. My heart sank a little. I had the sudden suspicion that she knew me by reputation if nothing else.
“I’m here to ask if anyone in your coven has seen Harriet Langley’s ghost,” he said. “Maura here has the gift of seeing spirits, and she’s here to assist me with clearing up the matter of her tragic death.”
“I thought you said her death was an accident,” said the coven leader.
“Given the circumstances of her death, we can’t rule out the possibility that it wasn’t,” he said. “If her ghost confirms she died by accident, then we can put this behind us. If not, then I may have to reopen the investigation.”
“What do you want me to do, perform a summoning spell?” she asked. “I wasn’t under the impression that consulting the dead was a standard part of a murder investigation. It hasn’t been in the past.”
“That’s because I haven’t worked with someone with the ability to see ghosts before,” he said. “Maura here can see and interact with spirits without the need for assistance. While I would be glad to accept your offer under ordinary circumstances, considering the number of ghosts present in Hawkwood Hollow, it’s entirely possible that we won’t require a spell in order to find her ghost.”
I bit back a laugh. The detective and the coven leader clearly had a history of butting heads, since he was employing the same sarcastic tone that he’d used on me when we’d first met. Mina Devlin’s expression was cold enough to freeze the river.
“Yes, I hear Maura was involved in the incident in Elizabeth Renner’s house,” the coven leader said, as if I wasn’t standing right in front of her. “Her grandson caused us considerable hassle in the aftermath.”
“He left town, though, right?” I’d momentarily forgotten that Mr Renner had tried to pin the blame for his grandmother’s house’s collapse on the local coven and wanted compensation. Never mind that his own grandmother’s vengeful ghost had been the one who’d started all the trouble. That would explain why Mina was inclined to dislike me, though I had the impression she’d have already objected to me purely on the basis of my half-Reaper nature. People like her were sticklers for obeying the rules, and while few witches knew the Reapers’ rulebook inside and out, it was common knowledge that Reapers weren’t supposed to have affairs with non-Reapers. Much less children. Thanks for that one, Mum and Dad.
“Eventually,” she said, her mouth pinching with disdain. “Detective, am I to understand you want this outsider to be involved in an official investigation into one of my fellow witches’ deaths?”
“As I explained earlier,” he said, “I have nobody on my team with the ability to see or hear ghosts the way Maura can. I need her to act as an interpreter, not an investigator. With your permission, I’d like to go to Harriet’s house and see if her ghost has returned following her death.”
The coven leader’s irritated expression didn’t budge an inch. “If you must, go to her house and do as you will. If you want to speak to any of the other members of my coven, then please inform me beforehand.”
“Of course,” said Drew. “Thank you for your time.”
We left our office, not speaking a word until the oak doors of the coven’s headquarters closed behind us. I couldn’t help noticing there weren’t any ghosts inside or outside the building. Maybe the old coven leader had scared them off. It wouldn’t surprise me.
I looked at Drew. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say she doesn’t like me much.”
“In my experience of dealing with the coven, she dislikes most people,” he said. “Shall we go to Harriet’s house, then?”
“Might as well.” I strode alongside him, hiding a grin. “You two have had issues in the past, I can tell.”
“You might say that,” he said, in disgruntled tones. “Every time a crime so much as carries a hint of the involvement of a coven member, she’s there, getting in the way and insisting on taking over the investigation. Most of my team is used to stepping aside by now.”
“But you aren’t,” I observed. “You don’t like giving up control.”
“Not in the slightest.” He led the way into a street lined with terraced houses. “And in this particular case, I happen to think she didn’t pay the slightest bit of attention to my report. This is the place.”
Harriet’s house had a blue-painted door and flowery curtains. Herbs grew in the garden, and rows of potted plants lined the windowsill. She’d worked in the hospital, they’d said, so it made sense that she’d keep her magical herbs here for easy access. The detective unlocked the door and pushed it inward, revealing a white-painted hallway.
“Harriet?” I called.
No response came. My Reaper senses remained quiet, and I shook my head at Drew.
“Nothing?” he asked.
“I can’t sense anyone, but I can have a look around.” I walked into the first room on the right of the hallway and scanned for any signs of a spiritual presence. None appeared.
As I backed into the hallway, a creak sounded overhead. Someone was upstairs. Living or dead, I couldn’t tell.
Pressing a finger to my lips, I climbed the stairs as quietly as I could manage, turned a corner, and spotted a bedroom door half open.
Shadows spread out from my feet as I walked into the room.
4
I trod into the room, keeping my shadows at the ready in case a ghost sprang out and attacked me. Instead, I stepped around the corner and tripped over a solid and very much alive person.
“Hey!” I whipped out my wand, facing the tall muscular man who rose to his feet to stand a foot taller than me. Long blond hair. A shifter, I figured, but not familiar to me in the slightest.
His eyes widened. “Who are you?”
“I could ask you the same question,” I said, my heart still pounding in my chest. “You’re aware that you’re trespassing in Harriet Langley’s house, aren’t you?”
“So are you,” he growled back. “Who even are you?”
“She’s working with me,” said Drew. “I assume you’re the ex-boyfriend?”
The werewolf paled at the sight of the detective. “I just came here to get my stuff. I still have a key, and… and I didn’t expect anyone to show up.”
“Is that right?”
he said. “You didn’t assume the police would come here and find you trespassing?”
“No.” He backed up a step. “I thought her death was ruled an accident and the police were gonna leave it alone.”
“New information has come to light,” said the detective.
“Um, like what?” he said. “I wasn’t with her when she died. I mean, we haven’t seen each other since we bumped into one another at the apothecary three days ago.”
“Do you have an alibi for the time of her death?” asked Drew.
“Yes.” His shoulders straightened. “I was at home. With my new girlfriend.”
That would explain his awkwardness at being found here when his ex-girlfriend had died the previous day. Didn’t get him off the hook, though, given the fact that he hadn’t exactly acted like an innocent person by creeping around upstairs.
“Is that so?” I said. “And the fact that you hid behind the bed when I came in here wasn’t because of a guilty conscience, was it?”
“What?” he said. “No. Who are you? You’re not with the police.”
“I’m looking for your ex-girlfriend’s ghost,” I said, figuring I might as well get to the point. “Have you seen her?”
His face went, if possible, even paler. “No. I can’t see ghosts anyway, but… no.”
“She’s not here,” said Drew, apparently feeling sorry for the guy. That, or he figured he wouldn’t give us any useful information, so we’d be better off getting rid of him. “However, I’m going to ask you to leave. I intended to pay you a visit later this week to question you further, so you’d better prepare to explain yourself.”
“I didn’t know.” He backed into the corridor outside the room. “I swear, I didn’t even know she was out that night.”
“Then I’d suggest you leave her house.” Drew gave him an expectant look.
The werewolf all but shrivelled on the spot. “Um, I’ll do that. Bye.”
He backed downstairs and out of the house, leaving the two of us alone.
“Guilty conscience?” I queried. “Or was he scared you might shapeshift and terrify him?”
“That, or he saw your shadows.”
I looked down at the blackness spilling out from beneath my feet. Oops. “I know I need to work on my people skills.”
“You aren’t wrong,” said Mart.
I gave him a glare, then turned back to the detective. “So does he. He clearly didn’t expect to be found here.”
“Question is, was he telling the truth?” Drew scanned the room. “I take it there aren’t any ghosts in here?”
“Nope, but I’m not sure there were any in the house before that dude showed up.” My Reaper senses remained utterly quiet. I gave the room a cursory glance to see if the werewolf had moved anything of Harriet’s, but I wouldn’t know if anything in the room was out of place. His cover story was plausible enough, and the detective would be able to find out if his alibi for last night held up. Whatever the case, it appeared Harriet’s ghost wasn’t around. And if she decided to haunt her ex, he wouldn’t be able to see her anyway.
By now, it was dark outside, so we left Harriet’s house and headed back to the inn.
“Do you think he was just making excuses?” I asked the detective. “Or do you think he’ll have something worth saying when you question him later this week?”
“I’ll have to speak to my colleagues first, to verify that they’re fine with me keeping the investigation open,” he said. “Then I’ll speak to Maxwell and his new partner tomorrow.”
“He’s one of the local pack,” I said. “Right?”
“He is,” he said. “The werewolves are a varied bunch. Some will only date within the pack. Others are more flexible.”
Like you? That was a question for another time, because Mart’s loud singing from behind my back was a glaring reminder that I had enough problems to deal with. Like the extra ghost in my room, for instance.
“He did say he had a new girlfriend,” I said. “Which I gather might have been the reason for their breakup. I got the impression it was recent, anyway, from what I’ve heard so far.”
“So did I,” said Drew. “For all we know, her ghost has appeared back at the inn instead.”
I hoped not. Two ghosts in my room was already too many for me to handle, thanks.
Drew and I parted ways outside the inn, and I went inside to find Carey sitting behind the desk in the lobby, with Casper prowling around the doorway. He mewed a greeting to me as I walked in.
“Hey,” said Carey. “Whereabouts did you end up going?”
“I met the local coven leader, and we didn’t exactly hit it off,” I replied. “Then we tried to find Harriet’s ghost at her house but found her living boyfriend instead. I mean, ex-boyfriend.”
Her brow wrinkled. “What was he doing?”
“Getting back his possessions he left in her house, supposedly,” I said. “We sent him packing.”
Mart snorted behind me. “More like you scared him off.”
“Did you?” said Carey. “Why?”
“He wasn’t supposed to be there,” I said. “Okay, and I don’t always make the best first impression.”
“Or second,” said Mart. “Or third. Or—”
I held up a hand to silence him. “Anyway, we didn’t find her ghost, so that was a bust.”
“Is your brother there?” she asked, correctly guessing who I was gesturing at. “What’s he saying?”
“Tell her about the ghost in your room!” he said.
I weighed up the odds, and then decided that it was worth telling her about the ghost, if just so I might actually get some sleep tonight. “Mart is distressed because another ghost showed up in my room, and he’s acting like it’s a personal insult to him.”
“Another ghost?” she echoed. “Who?”
“She’s called Mandy, but she doesn’t know how she died or how long she’s been a ghost,” I explained. “I didn’t want to get rid of her without finding out if there’s a reason she came after me, but Mart keeps picking fights with her and it’s stopping me from sleeping. Anyway, I had to leave her up in my room, so I assume she’s still there.”
“She won’t talk to me either,” he said. “It’s insulting, really. As though I don’t exist.”
“Should I come with you to talk to her?” Carey reached for her ghost goggles. “She might remember more now she’s been alone for a while.”
“That might be an idea,” I said. “I don’t want to bring out my Reaper skills if I can help it. She might be able to move into a different room if I can convince her to, without needing to ruffle any feathers.”
“Just banish her,” said Mart. “I don’t understand what the problem is.”
“I’m not going to start terrorising the local ghosts by reaping their souls,” I said, for Carey’s benefit as well as his. “We should ask Allie first to make sure she doesn’t object to a ghost moving into one of the vacant rooms.”
“I’ll find her.” She ducked out from behind the desk and walked into the restaurant, while Casper rubbed against my legs and purred. He was a personable little familiar, really. Pity about his fear of ghosts, otherwise he’d be good to have around while exploring old houses in search of spirits.
Allie walked into the lobby. “Hey, Maura. Something wrong?”
“Hey,” I said to her. “Just having a little ghost-related trouble.”
“Is it related to what you and the detective were doing?” Her eyes gleamed with interest.
Honestly. Allie was almost as bad as my brother when it came to her relentless questioning about my non-existent romantic relationship with Drew. Worse, because unlike Mart, she could be seen and heard by the detective as well as me.
“No,” I said. “A local ghost has moved into my room and refuses to leave, but Carey and I will sort her out.”
“So what did you and the detective do together?” she asked, unwilling to drop the subject.
“Nothing too exciting,” I t
old her. “We went to talk to the coven leader about Harriet’s death. We wanted to see if her ghost showed up, but Mina didn’t seem particularly friendly to either of us. She pretty much told us to go away.”
“Oh, Mina,” she said. “I’m not surprised. She’s probably insulted that you implied she wasn’t capable of handling the matter herself. She is of the opinion that the coven must handle all its issues within itself and without outside interference.”
I’d definitely got that impression from what I’d seen of her. Of course, Allie was a witch herself, so she must know the coven leader better than I did from my first impression. Better than the detective, too.
“Can she see ghosts?” I asked, guessing the answer was ‘no’.
“Not as far as I’m aware,” she said. “Did she tell you to stay out of the coven’s business, then?”
“She said we could go ahead and pay a visit to Harriet’s house,” I said. “But the detective and I didn’t find anyone except for Harriet’s ex-boyfriend. Alive, not dead.”
“What was he doing?” she said.
“Supposedly collecting his stuff, because he still had a key,” I said. “I think the detective wants to talk to him again later in the week, but we couldn’t find Harriet’s ghost anywhere in the house.”
“Might she be haunting someone else?” she asked.
“It’s possible,” I said. “But with so few people able to see ghosts, I’ll probably have to do some poking around, and it depends if the coven leader is cool with that or not. Not to mention I’m not an official investigator.”
“You have tomorrow off,” she said. “Provided Hayley makes it to her shift, anyway. So you can go with the detective and talk to the ghost. I know he probably won’t be able to find anyone else to do it, right?”
“Oh, thanks.” I think. I’d kind of shoved my way into his investigation and I didn’t expect the rest of the police to be any more thrilled about it than Mina Devlin was, but she was right in that the police didn’t have a ghost expert on their staff. With the old Reaper’s general attitude, I understood why the police had never thought about using the spirits of the dead to obtain evidence before I’d shown up in town. I was starting to understand why the police didn’t fraternise with the witches in general, come to that.