Batter and Spells (Sweetland Witch Women Sleuths) (A Cozy Mystery Book)

by Zoe Arden

  The party at Sweets n' Treats that evening was packed, but not quite as packed as it might have been a few days ago. Word was getting around about Wilma's haphazard baking, and people weren't quite so impressed

  Still, Grayson, Amanda, and Tazzie had all come, as promised. They were making the rounds, shaking people's hands and smiling as widely as possible. Lottie had been right. I watched Grayson work the room and could tell he was trying to win people over. Tazzie was doing the same, but to a lesser degree.

  Now that Thaddeus was gone, Tazzie was the next most likely candidate to win. Grayson was second. Rumors continued to abound that Thaddeus had somehow rigged the election the first time. Between blackmailing Mayor Thomas and the rumors that were circulating about him, if he'd still been alive, he would never have won the second election.

  Eleanor was with Sheriff Knoxx, enjoying some iced tea and pecan sandies. Trixie had somehow managed to get Melbourne out of the house. He was pale, which was normal for him, being a vampire and all, but his eyes were redder than usual. I didn't think he'd been sleeping. I said hi when I saw him and he'd shrugged a hello back to me. Lottie Mudget was standing around talking to whoever she could get ahold of. She just liked to talk and wasn't picky about who it was she talked to.

  Felicity came over when she saw us. Her red hair had been pulled high on her head, and she was wearing a summery dress that moved with her body as she walked.

  "Hi," she said. "Any news on your side?"

  "You mean about the assassin?" I asked. She nodded. "Nope. I think everyone's kind of at a standstill right now. When Thaddeus died, everyone thought Tazzie did it. Then Mayor Thomas got arrested and got Tazzie off the hook. Now... I think people are just waiting to see what happens next."

  "Right," said Lucy. "If the assassin is still out there, then he'll probably strike again before the new election. Especially given what he said during our phone call."

  "Phone call?" Felicity asked, looking confused.

  Lucy shot me a look. "You didn't tell her?"

  "I haven't seen her."

  "Oh, my gosh," Lucy said, eager for the opportunity to spread a little gossip of her own. She filled Felicity in on what had happened in Mayor Thomas’ office, and when she was finished, Lucy stared at us with eyes like saucers.

  "So, the assassin thought you were Mayor Thomas?" she asked. "You mean Mayor Thomas really did hire him?"

  "I don't know," I told her. "It seemed like it at the time, but..."

  "But what?" Lucy and Felicity asked.

  "It almost seemed too easy. Like a setup."

  "You think someone's trying to frame Mayor Thomas?" Felicity asked.

  "Maybe. They tried to frame Tazzie and it didn't work, right? Maybe they moved on to the mayor."

  Lucy frowned. "I just had a thought... what if it's Tazzie who's trying to frame Mayor Thomas?"

  We all looked at each other uncertainly, frowning, scowling, smirking.

  Tazzie was talking to some people from Mistmoor, smiling and eating cookies. We slowly made our way toward her. When her conversation ended, we seized our chance.

  "Hi, Tazzie," I said.

  She smiled at us. "Hi. Great party, isn't it?"

  I didn't want to get into the fact that Wilma had thrown herself a welcome party. It just seemed lame to me, plus I was becoming more and more disenchanted with her.

  "Yeah," Lucy said, jumping right in. "Hey, we were wondering something. The night of Thaddeus’ victory party, you and he were out on the balcony for a while arguing. What about?"

  I looked at Lucy, impressed. She'd cut right to it.

  Tazzie seemed more stunned than upset. "I... just normal candidate stuff."

  "Sure," I said, "but when you came back inside, you looked sort of disheveled. Like you two had really been going at it."

  Tazzie blushed. "The argument was heated." I could sense that her initial surprised at our questions was turning to anger. "I didn't kill him, if that's what you're implying."

  "No, of course not," Felicity said, trying to keep the peace. "We just wondered what happened, that's all."

  "If you must know, Thaddeus accused me of trying to buy off the election. I accused him of the same thing. You've heard the rumors. I got upset and threw my drink in his face. When I turned to go, I turned too fast and tripped. He just stood there, laughing."

  I guess that explained why she'd looked so disheveled.

  "Now, if you're through with your accusations, I'd like to get back to the party."

  She left in a huff.

  Lucy, Felicity and I huddled together. "What do you think?" I asked. "Do we believe her?"

  "I do," Felicity said. "I've known Tazzie all my life. I just can't believe she'd kill Thaddeus or try to frame Mayor Thomas." I opened my mouth. "Or hire an assassin," Felicity said, cutting me off.

  I frowned. The lights flickered around us.

  "What was that?" Lucy asked.

  "Don't know. Trouble with the power?"

  We searched the room as the lights flickered again. People were beginning to take notice.

  "What's going on?" someone asked.

  "Forget to pay your bill?" joked another party guest.

  Wilma looked mortified.

  "I'll just check the breaker box," she said, running into the back. The second she was gone, the lights flicked off completely and we were left in darkness.

  "Interesting party," Lottie Mudget said, in her loudest, shrillest voice. It was immediately followed by the sound of glass crashing. "Ow! What was that? I tripped over something."

  The lights flicked back on. I blinked to readjust my eyes. Lottie screamed. I looked over to where she was still sprawled on the floor. Tazzie Singer lay motionless beside her. Lottie had tripped over Tazzie's body.

  * * *

  1 5

  * * *

  "She's alive!" Lincoln Maxwell yelled. Dr. Dunne was already making his way over.

  Tazzie sat up, her hand on her head. It was bleeding.

  "What happened?"

  Dr. Dunne looked at her scalp, where blood continued to flow. "Looks like someone hit you over the head."

  "What? Who?"

  No one knew. The lights had been out and no one had seen anything.

  "Do you think it was him? The assassin? Oh, my roses, is he trying again?"

  I noted how different her reaction was from her first attack before the election. She'd refused to admit an assassin had tried to take her down, instead insisting that someone had tried to rob her. Now, she was fully admitting to the assassin, even pushing the idea that she'd been attacked again.

  "You're fine," Dr. Dunne proclaimed. "It's only a flesh wound, but we need to get you home so you can rest."

  "I'll take her," I said out of nowhere. Everyone looked at me.

  "Well, I just... I could use some air, and a nice drive to Mistmoor sounds like just the ticket."

  "I think it's better if an officer takes her," Lincoln said. Sheriff Knoxx was nodding his agreement, as was Colt.

  "No," Tazzie said, surprising everyone. "I'd prefer it if Ava took me."

  The party had officially ended. No one wanted to stay after an attack had taken place. I asked to borrow Aunt Elanor's car, and Tazzie and I started the drive. I used a speed charm to make the car go faster, but I didn't want it to go too fast. I had a few more questions for Tazzie.

  "I know what you're thinking," Tazzie said.

  "You do?"

  "Yes. You're wondering if I was really attacked, or if I just faked it."

  I hadn't been wondering that, but now that she mentioned it... "Did you?"

  "No."

  I nodded. It was the answer I would expect.

  "And I didn't hire the assassin."

  "So, now you think there is an assassin? Because last time you were attacked, you insisted it was an attempted robbery."

  Her lips set into a thin, hard line. "I didn't want to admit that someone was out to get me, but after everything that's happened, what else
can I think? I'm not blind."

  There was a long pause. "I wanted you to drive me home because I know how close you are with Detective Hudson and the sheriffs. I don't want anyone getting the wrong ideas about me, and I know how our two towns can talk."

  "So, you want me to put in a good word for you with the sheriffs?" I asked.

  "I know that you're a fair-minded person, Ava. I just want you to help stop people from jumping to conclusions, should that happen."

  "I'll do my best." I nodded, not sure I could sway anyone's mind if they chose to blame Tazzie for anything.

  We reached her house in record time. "Can I use your bathroom before I head back?" I asked her.

  "Of course."

  She went to unlock her front door, but when she touched it with the key, she realized it was already open.

  "Did you forget to lock it?" I asked, my heart starting to pound.

  "No. I always lock it, especially after my last attack."

  She pushed the door open and her face grew pale. Her house had been ransacked. Everything inside was a mess. Tables were overturned. Chair cushions had been pulled out. Clothes, papers, you name it, were strewn all over the place.

  "Oh, my roses," I breathed. "We need to call Sheriff Maxwell."

  Tazze dialed Lincoln's number, but he was still in Sweetland Cove and it would take him an hour to get back. He told us to wait outside in case someone was still there, hiding, but Tazzie insisted on checking to see if anything was missing. I stayed with her, refusing to leave her alone. If someone was still in the house, it was better to face him or her together.

  Other than the monstrous mess that had been left, nothing appeared to be missing.

  "Why would someone break in just to mess my things up?" Tazzie asked.

  It was in her bedroom that we saw the purpose for the intruder's break-in. Written on the wall in black spray paint, painstakingly done in big block letters, were the words:

  STAY OUT OF THE ELECTION

  Simple and to the point.

  Tazzie's face went white. Her hands started trembling.

  "It is the assassin. He came back to finish the job."

  "Come on," I said, "let's wait outside for Sheriff Maxwell."

  She followed me out and we sat on her porch. Lincoln must have used a supersonic speed charm because he arrived thirty minutes later with a few of his deputies. They searched Tazzie's house but didn't find anyone or anything to lead them to who had done this.

  "Could have been a prank," Lincoln said of the spray-painted message.

  "A prank?" I asked. "Who would do that?"

  He shrugged. "Who knows? Teenagers who have heard about what's going on and wanted to frighten Tazzie."

  "Yeah, or it could be the assassin." I paused, thinking. "Or whoever hired him."

  "Could be," Lincoln agreed.

  He finally told me to just go home, that there was nothing else to see or do here and Tazzie would be fine. I headed back toward home and was halfway there, near Whisper Crossing, when my car started making a funky noise.

  "Not now," I murmured as I rolled to a stop. Steam shot out of the engine in all directions, or was that smoke? I tried to lift the hood of the car but it was too hot to touch.

  "Warthogs." I hoped Eleanor wouldn't be mad at me. It wasn't my fault that her car had gone kerplunk. Maybe it just needed to cool down. I decided to walk around Whisper Crossing for a while.

  Whisper Crossing was the colorful halfway point between Mistmoor Point and Sweetland Cove. It was full of exotic animals and wild mushrooms, plants and herbs that you could only find here, and beautiful foliage that could rival the colors of the rainbow. It was peaceful at this time of night, almost midnight. All I could hear were the sounds of animals scampering over the ground and crickets as they rubbed their legs together.

  Out of nowhere, a louder, more ferocious noise sounded from behind some trees. It sounded like someone was ripping trees out by the roots and tossing them over the ground. I looked around, suddenly nervous, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

  "Hello?" I called out. Silence.

  I fished my phone from my pocket. Maybe I should call Eleanor or my dad and let them know where I was, just in case.

  There was no signal coming in just now.

  "Shoot." I headed back to my car, holding my Witchmobile up in the air, hoping to pick up a trace signal from somewhere. Just one bar was all I needed.

  As I got back to my car, I saw something stuck to my windshield. I froze, looking around again. Whatever it was, it hadn't been there before. Someone had to have put it there. I lifted my wiper blade and pulled up what looked like a note. When I unfolded it, though, I realized it wasn't a note. It was a list.

  1. Tazzie Singer $35,000.

  2. Grayson Redfern $20,000

  3. Amanda Hollyberry $10,000

  4. Hadley Miner $10,000

  I threw the note on the ground, totally freaked out. It was the assassin's new hit list. He must be here, watching me.

  "Who's there?" I called.

  Was this a game the assassin was playing? And if so, why were they playing it with me? What was Hadley Miner doing on this list? She wasn't even a candidate.

  I jumped into the car again and turned the key. Thankfully, it started right up. I put it into drive, thought better of it, and parked it again as I quickly grabbed the note off the ground. Evidence.

  I hurried home, determined to tell Colt and my family about the list. When I was finally able to get a signal, I called Colt. It went straight to voicemail. I had no better luck with Lincoln, who was probably still at Tazzie's house, or Sheriff Knoxx, who was probably home in bed.

  It was two in the morning, and I could hear my dad snoring upstairs when I came in. Aunt Eleanor and Trixie were both fast asleep.

  "Snowy?" I asked, gently shaking my sleepy looking cat.

  Snowball raised one eyelid.

  "Hi, Mama," she said and closed her eye again, purring herself back to sleep.

  Fine. I guess it can wait until morning. I didn't like the idea of it, but it wasn't exactly news that there was an assassin out there. The only difference was the change in price tag for all the names on the list and the addition of Hadley Miner. What did the assassin want with her, anyway?

  I'll tell Sheriff Knoxx and Colt about the new list, first thing in the morning. I closed my eyes and five seconds later I was out.

  * * *

  1 6

  * * *

  I woke up to the smell of bacon frying downstairs and hot coffee wafting through the air to my nostrils.

  Tootsie strolled into my room.

  "Ava is awake. Ava come downstairs now, please. Snowball demands tuna. Ava must do something about Snowball; tuna addiction is serious. Last night, Snowball stole Tootsie's tuna, but Tootsie got it back. Next time, Tootsie will not be so nice." He strolled back out of my room, leaving me to get dressed.

  Downstairs, I found Snowball sitting in front of her dish, her mouth hanging open. Eleanor, Trixie, and my dad looked up when I came in.

  "Morning," my dad said.

  "Good morning," I replied. I scooped Snowy into my arms and nuzzled my head against her soft fur. "Snowball, I need you to be honest with me. Did you try to steal Tootsie's tuna last night?"

  Snowball's eyes widened. "No, Mama. Snowy never steals. Tootsie left unfinished tuna in his dish. Snowball did not want to waste it."

  I kissed the top of Snowy's head. "Next time, Mama wants you to leave Tootsie's tuna alone, okay? Tootsie might want to finish it later."

  "Okay, Mama. Tuna now?" She licked my face, and I giggled.

  "Okay, tuna now. Chicken later, though. Tuna is a treat, only, understand?"

  "Yes, Mama. But Snowy gets tuna now?"

  I couldn't help laughing. "Yes, Snow gets tuna now."

  I got her bowl ready and watched her slurp it down as fast as she could. I sat down with my family and grabbed a plate.

  "Eggs?" Eleanor asked from the stove. "I scrambled them
today."

  "Sure, thanks."

  We sat around in silence for a bit until Trixie said, "I hear Hadley Miner might be joining the new mayoral race. If she does, she's got her work cut out for her."

  "Hadley Miner?" I asked. "Mayor Singer's secretary?"

  My father nodded. "She wants to pay homage to him or something. Personally, I think Tazzie would make a better homage payer than Hadley but who am I to judge? Hadley certainly has more experience."

  "Oh, my roses," I said, remembering the note that had been left on my car last night. I'd been so tired when I got home last night I'd almost forgotten it. "Hadley's on the assassin's new hit list."

  Everyone paused with their forks in the air.

  "What?" my dad asked. "How do you know that?"

  "Because I've seen it."

  I ran up to my room, grabbed the list from where I'd tucked it in my dresser drawer, and ran back to the kitchen.

  "It was under my windshield wipers last night," I told them. "I got stuck in Whisper Crossing on my way back from Tazzie's. The car overheated so I walked around for a little bit while it cooled down. When I got back to the car, this note was there."

  "Was that it? Just this list, I mean? There was nothing else there?" My father’s right eye was twitching, a nervous tick. He always got nervous when there was even a hint that I might be involved with danger. Ever since my mother was murdered when I was a baby, he'd been ultra protective of me.

  "Something else? Like what?" I asked.

  My dad shrugged. "No idea, just asking."

  Our doorbell rang. Eleanor went to answer it.

  "Zane, what a pleasant surprise," her rosy voice said.

  "I'm here on business, I'm afraid," Sheriff Knoxx said as she leaned in to kiss him. If I leaned the right way in my chair, I could just make out their figures. Eleanor paused, her lips already pursed for a kiss. She leaned back and walked him into the kitchen, looking irritated but calm.

  "Good morning, Sheriff," everyone said.

  He looked right at me.

  "Ava, I need to ask you a few questions. I'm not going to beat around the bush about it because there isn't time. Where were you last night, around midnight?"

  I looked at Eleanor, who frowned. "At Whisper Crossing. Why?"