by Tonya Kappes
“Because, you idiot!” Auntie Meme pushed through the door with some biscuits and gravy. She threw the plates down in front of us. “I don’t have time for catching up, we have a diner to open. Now, SKUL is Maggie’s Life’s Journey. You are part of her Life’s Journey. Any mortal part of a witch’s Life Journey is immune to the spells.”
She waddled over to the front door and unlocked it. Joe Farmer was already waiting.
“Now, if you have any more questions, they can wait until her shift is over.” Auntie Meme looked at Joe. “Git on in here. I’ve got your breakfast waiting.” She walked past me on the way to the kitchen and whispered, “You forgot to check on that last night.”
“I’m so sorry.” I pointed to Mick for my excuse and let out a deep exhale.
“Huh?” Mick looked at me.
“I was supposed to interrupt a date for her.” I turned my lips into a smile when Joe sat down next to Mick.
“You are in my seat,” Joe spat out the words contemptuously.
“My bad.” Mick held up his hands and slid his coffee down a couple of spots and moved while I turned on the TV for the customers who were filing in.
“So, Joe,” I grabbed the pot of coffee and filled up his cup. “How was your date with Mrs. Hubbard?”
“Aw, it wasn’t so great.” He pressed his lips together. “The food that she raved about was a little on the burnt side and gave me instant indigestion.” He banged his fist on his chest. “I can’t put up with that all my life. I mean, she’s a nice woman and all but that little yippy mutt of hers got on my nerves too.”
Auntie Meme stuck her head through the window. There was a big smile on her face.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I excused myself and walked around filling up the customers’ cups before I took a few orders.
Words of mumbles and grumbles blanketed the diner as they complained about going to work or not enough sleep. Mick said he didn’t have any place to go so he’d hang out there and try to get answers about my Life’s Journey.
Between customers I told him about all the familiars and how Lilith’s Life Journey was with the first case Mick and I worked on as partners at Mystic Couture.
A couple people who sat at the counter complained about how they had the worst weekend and today wasn’t going to be any better.
“I’m sure this good home cooking of my auntie Meme’s will put you right in the mood.” I set their food in front of them.
With one bite, you could hear their voices take a more upbeat tone. They could see a happier outcome to the day.
Mick pointed to them and to the food and then to Auntie Meme who’d stuck her head through the kitchen window with a big grin on her face. “Her Life’s Journey?”
“Yeah.” I leaned on the counter. “This is why everyone feels so good after they leave. Auntie Meme feels like there is so much sadness already in the world and with the shootings around here, she figured she’d donate a little bit of happiness.”
“No wonder it’s always packed.” He leaned down the counter where he was sitting earlier and looked at Joe. “What’s his story? He’s always here.”
“Joe.” I shook my head. “There is not a single ounce of happiness added to his food. He has straight biscuits and gravy like me and you. He’s been in love with Auntie Meme for as long as I can remember.” I glanced back at the kitchen window to make sure Auntie wasn’t being all nosy. “There has been a turn of events,” I whispered, “Joe met Mrs. Hubbard and asked her out. It didn’t set well with Auntie and she was prepared to make both of them pay. That’s why I was supposed to go check on them last night, but then you and I happened.”
I grabbed the pot of coffee and while I let Mick digest everything I was telling him, I walked around and refilled cups and took some orders.
It took a couple of hours before the breakfast crowd had cleared and we were well on our way into the lunch hours. I had to quickly refill all the condiments on the tables and clean up any breakfast dishes before Auntie started the daily specials, which happened to be on the okra side of the vegetables. She made some seriously good fried okra and my mouth was already watering.
“Are you going to hang around here all day?” I asked Mick.
“You’re the witch, you tell me.” The idea of my existence seemed to be settling in his soul. There was still a nervous fidgeting as his knees bounced up and down, but all-in-all I think the news might’ve been sinking in and he was beginning to be more accepting.
I wagged my finger at him. “It doesn’t work that way. That’s the problem with you mortals.” I took the soapy rag from behind the counter and did a quick swipe of the bar area before I put the paper placemats and pre-made rolled-up napkins with silverware on top of it along with the small frosty water glasses.
“So you can’t just, I don’t know, wiggle that finger and bring the killer to justice?” he asked. “I’d really like to put this all behind me and get to work. So go ahead.” He lifted a hand. “Wiggle your little finger and make all of this go away.”
“Ah.” I lifted my chin. “This is the bitter and angry part where you’ve accepted me for me and now you want me to prove it.”
“No. I want you to make it go away.” He eyed me suspiciously.
“I’m sorry. I can’t.” I shrugged and went back to filling up the water glasses so they’d be ready as soon as a customer sat down.
“Really?” Sarcasm dripped from his mouth. “I said it early and I stand by it again. What good is all this gibberish if you can’t use it.”
“You wouldn’t understand.” I decided it was best to leave him alone.
“Try me, Maggie. I’m pretty smart,” he said.
“Okay, listen and listen to me good.” I put down the water pitcher and planted both hands on the counter in front of him. I leaned over really close to his face, so close his cologne made me dizzy with tingles. But I knew I had to put on my game face. “I can only do spells at certain times. It’s not like we can go all willy-nilly on people. It doesn’t work that way. I have a Life’s Journey to help SKUL keep order in our world and somehow you are the one who is supposed to help me with that. Burt noticed that I’m pretty good at blending in and you are the one that’s pretty good at solving these things. I might be able to help out in tight situations or get you to a hospital when you are hurt.” I reminded him in the first few days that I’d met him how he’d been injured and Vinnie zoomed him to the hospital. “But I can’t just snap a finger and make all of this disappear. Trust me, if I could, then I would make all the world hunger and other world problems go away and we’d always be living in paradise. But we live by the fate of the world. And when fate and spell collide. . .”
“It’s magic,” the word left his lips and kissed my soul.
Chapter Nineteen
“So let’s go over this one more time.” Burt sat in front of me at his desk. Sherry was in the chair next to me and Dr. Artie was in the back of the room taking notes.
Burt said that he thought it would be good for Dr. Artie to be there since he was treating Mick.
He’d called during the lunch shift to ask me to come in to discuss the whole Big situation because Mick had opened his mouth and told them I was there. I should’ve covered my bases and told Mick that’d I’d erased Big’s memory and that he didn’t recall any of it. Since Mick was put on desk duty, he’d gone up to his office to do paperwork while I met with Burt.
“It’s simple. I was following up leads on the Marjorie thingy from Mick’s past. I figured it’d be a good thing to check out Mick’s apartment. When I went in, with Mick’s permission of course.” I might as well tell the truth (well partial truth anyway) on how I found the photos. “Then I put two and two together thinking that Big or Robert or whoever he is, was the killer of the other women as well as Angela Fritz because of the jealously he had of Mick.”
I gulped and so wished I could tell Mick to lie for me. He was still so mad that I’d gone into his apartment without telling him. Not
that he had anything to hide, but it wasn’t like we were partners in life, only work.
“Did Mick tell you about Marjorie Steepleton?” Burt asked.
I shook my head.
“Then how did you know about her? That case is sealed and classified and only the agents with clearance can get that information,” Dr. Artie said from behind me. “And of course me since I’m his doctor.”
I looked at Burt. I didn’t like Artie’s tone and I didn’t take orders from him. Sherry nervously shifted in her seat. Burt looked between us before his eyes settled on Sherry. She dipped her head letting her blond hair fall in her face.
Apparently, Burt wanted to hear my answer. “Go on and answer Dr. Artie’s question.”
I sat up in my chair and scooted to the edge before I cleared my throat and said, “Sir, I needed to find out about the women in Mick’s past if I was going to do a decent job and Sherry only gave me her information to do that.” I looked at her. “It’s not her fault that I snooped around.”
“Fine. I guess the only thing good that came out of this is the fact you noticed Big was actually Robert. I’m glad you didn’t get caught in the scuffle between him and Mick.” Burt seemed to believe that it was all Mick that brought Big down and that was fine by me.
“Oh yes, sir.” I nodded. “I was only at the bar listening to The Grind, my favorite band when I noticed what was going on and it was him. I’m just glad I didn’t screw up the undercover thing.”
“How do you think Mick is going to feel about him having to turn in his longtime friend?” Burt asked Artie.
“Well, I think it’s another step on closing the case in his past.” Artie walked up. “But ultimately it was Mick’s job to have made sure Marjorie Steepleton was safe and had back up.” He looked at his watch. “Speaking of which, it’s time for me to meet with Mick.”
After he excused himself, Burt turned back to Sherry and me.
“Big is not the killer of the three women. He has alibis for all of them and we are back to square one.” Burt closed the file on his desk. “Do you have any more suggestions?”
Sherry and I both looked at each other.
“We are still looking into the other women Mick has dated, but there are a lot so we are going to need time to go through them.” Sherry was good at phrasing things to buy us time and that was exactly what I needed. Time to think and time to get Mick freed from desk duty.
After Burt excused us and I had been put in my place that I was only to call the women Mick had a past with to make sure there wasn’t any unusual activity in their lives, I went up to Mick’s office. It was locked up tight and I didn’t see his old Caprice in the parking lot making me wonder how his appointment with Dr. Artie had gone. He was reluctant to go because he was so private about his life. Now I could see why.
I was going to be late for five o’clock supper if I didn’t get out of there and I’d already been reprimanded not only by Burt but also Dr. Artie.
“Good afternoon, Maggie.” Vinnie was all too cheerful. “How was your meeting?”
I looked around my familiar with a suspicious eye.
“What’s wrong with you?” I asked with my finger on the manual button.
“You can move your finger. It’s nothing bad. At least I don’t think so.” Vinnie revved his engine a couple of times before he pulled out of the parking space and out of the SKUL parking lot. “Mick came out for a little chat and I let him in.”
“You what?” I gripped the wheel. “What did you say to him?”
“He certainly holds a grudge about a few things.” He sounded more amused than his normal straightforward tone. “He didn’t like how I took him for a little joy ride when the two of you were investigating Mystic Couture. But I did remind him that I was the one who took the bullets for him while he was safe inside of me.”
“You’re right.” It shouldn’t have been a fond memory but it was. Granted, the situation turned out in our favor, but the look on Mick’s face had been priceless. “What else did you say?” I asked wondering if Vinnie had given Mick a hard time about my feelings.
“Don’t worry. I just told him that you weren’t in the market for a male companion and that you were still trying to figure out your Life’s Journey and if it came down to it, I’d save you over him anytime.” Vinnie’s engine roared down the interstate toward Belgravia Court.
“Vinnie,” I groaned. “You need to keep your mouth shut.”
He picked up speed.
“Vinnie.” I wanted him to respond. “Vinnie.”
“You asked me to keep my mouth shut.” Vinnie picked up speed and shut down his circuits.
Chapter Twenty
“You made it just in time.” Mom was putting the stew pot on the table just as I walked through the door.
Right next to my seat at the table was Mick Jasper.
“Agent Mick has joined us.” Mom smiled and drummed her fingers together.
“Mick. Just Mick.” His words were for Mom, but his eyes were focused on me.
“I see that.” I put the file Burt had given me on the counter before I washed up for supper.
“You didn’t know he was coming, did you?” Lilith walked over to the kitchen sink and whispered to me before she turned and rested her backside on the counter as she looked at Mom and Auntie Meme fussing all over Mick.
“No idea.” I cocked a brow. “Did he show up or what?”
“Nope, Mom had called me earlier and told me to head to the coven room to grab some bat wing to put in the special stew for tonight.” She crossed her arms and curled her fingers around her biceps. “That means one thing.”
“What?” I asked and used the kitchen towel to dry my hands.
“They are bringing their best recipes to make a union of sorts.” She shook her head. “He’s a catch and they know it.”
I rolled my eyes and let out a big sigh before I threw the kitchen towel on the counter and headed over to the table.
“Do you want a biscuit?” I asked Mick and held the bread basket close to my chest.
“I’d love one.” He smiled that irresistible smile that was devastatingly handsome and made Mom and Auntie swoon.
“Great.” I took my finger and pointed at a biscuit in the basket. Lifting my finger, I guided the biscuit over top of Mick’s bowl of stew and let it drop, splattering stew all over his fancy button down.
“Oops.” I grabbed my napkin and rubbed his down his shirt, trying not to picture what was under there. All I knew was I had to make it as uncomfortable for him as I could.
Mom and Auntie Meme were up to their old match-making tricks and this was not the relationship Mick and I had.
“I’ve got it.” Mick grabbed my hand, giving it a firm squeeze, flattening it to his chest.
His heart beat thumped against my palm. Our eyes met. I caught my breath as it skipped a beat and got in time with his. It was as if time had stopped and we were the only two in the room.
“I. . .I’m sorry.” I shook the spell-bound look that was not one bit a spell between us and slipped my hand from his chest.
Still looking at me, he shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. Both of us looked up at the same time. Mom and Auntie Meme were smiling and Lilith had the look of horror on her face.
“What?” I asked and shrugged, picking up my spoon to get my first taste of stew.
“Nothing,” they all mumbled and went back to eating.
It crossed my mind to make the supper very uncomfortable for all of us, but I was a grown up and I needed to act like it. I could handle Mom and Auntie Meme and I certainly knew that Mick and I were only partners. Seriously, he was just getting used to the idea that witches weren’t just in books.
“Tell me about the diner.” Mick looked at Auntie Meme. “I have to confess that I did a little checking around when I first met Maggie because I needed something from her and the only way to get it was to sort of blackmail her.”
“Sort of?” I laughed and pulled my leg up u
nder me in the chair as I reached across the table to grab another biscuit. “You did blackmail me saying we didn’t have a real bill of sale and that there was no trail of taxes.”
“Did you do a little,” he wiggled his fingers at me as if he was casting a spell, “on the paperwork?”
“I did. I had to. There was no way I was going to tell you about my family. After all,” I bantered back and forth with him, “I was just figuring out my Life’s Journey and how could I explain it to you when I didn’t understand it.” I took a bite of biscuit and looked up to my family where they all looked to be entertained as Mick and I had reminisced. “It was funny.”
“To you it might’ve been funny, but you made me feel nuts.” Mick took his napkin and lifted it to my chin. “Here, you have some,” he stopped talking and pointed, “here.” He handed me the napkin. “You have some food on your chin.”
“Thank you,” I felt my face turning red as I gently took his napkin and brushed my chin with it.
Vinnie’s horn beeped a few times. I ignored it. He was okay with Mick and I working as partners but certainly not as anything more than that. He beeped a few more times until he must’ve realized I wasn’t going to come out there.
Both of us stopped talking and focused on eating our food. It didn’t take but a few minutes for Lilith to fill the silence.
“So do you have any leads on who killed Angela Fritz?” she asked.
“Unfortunately, we don’t. We don’t even know if her murder is related to the other women.” Mick rested his forearms on the edge of the table.
The sun was setting and the orange fall sky spread its light throughout the kitchen, casting a shadow on the wall.
As Mick answered or tried to answer the questions my family had for him not only about the case we were working on, but SKUL in general, a strange shadow caught my attention. It was the perfect outline of a hat. The exact same hat that the mystery person had been wearing.
I jumped up, knocking my chair to the ground just as a bullet came whizzing by my head. My necklace warmed to my chest. Auntie Meme, Mom and Lilith lifted into the air as they appeared in their coven uniform.