“Not many people know. It’s a long story. You met him when you were real young, but I guess you don’t remember.” Aunt Sumac said.
“What happened?”
“I don’t think you want to know the whole story, Bella. Let’s just say he had an affinity for women’s knickers that was even stronger than mine.” Aunt Sumac said.
The look on her face told Belladonna she shouldn’t press any further, so she left it at that. Aunt Sumac didn’t say anything else. Bella went to the shed to get the cauldron, and Sumac silently went to the spigot to turn on the hose. It was chilly, but fortunately, it wasn’t so cold that she had to use a warming spell to get the water turned on.
Belladonna rolled the massive iron cauldron out of the shed and across the sparse, brown grass to the spot they’d picked for the ritual. Ben came out the back door with the small vial of dragon’s blood oil and a bag of cat treats for Sterling.
Ben and Bella went back to the shed and grabbed a rough wooden altar while Aunt Sumac filled the cauldron with water from the hose. They set the altar up near the cauldron and draped a black tarp across it. Bella set up the candles while Ben took Olwen for a walk around the block. He figured it would be good to stay out of the women’s way until it was time to begin.
By the time he got back to Bella’s the fire was roaring and the cauldron was bubbling. The array of candles on the altar was burning, and Belladonna and Sumac were adding herbs to the pot.
Sumac continued to stir the brew, and Bella used the dragon’s blood oil and the tip of her finger to write something on the parchment paper. Ben cautiously walked up behind her because he couldn’t see what she was writing from his vantage point.
“It says, Lexi.” Belladonna proudly showed him the paper when she picked up on his gaze.
Ben had to chuckle because the name looked like a child’s finger painting. He knew they were working some serious magic, but her scrawl was adorable and endearing. He kissed her on the forehead and backed up to give the witches some room.
“You’ll notice the golden candle isn’t lit. We saved that one for you, Ben. It’s to channel your masculine energy.” Aunt Sumac said with an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle. “You can use the yellow candle to light it, but don’t touch the other candles.”
Ben lit the gold candle, and with that, the Nightshade witches were ready to begin. He stood back with Olwen and Sterling and watched them chant and dance around the huge pot. Every time Sumac or Bella threw a handful of herbs into the bubbling brew, it fizzled up and threw out a shower of bright color, but it never burned them.
“It’s done.” Aunt Sumac said after a few frenzied minutes.
Belladonna walked over to the altar and put out the candles while Aunt Sumac grabbed the garden hose to put out the flames under the cauldron.
“What happens now?” Ben asked after scooping up Sterling, who had apparently forgiven him, into his arms.
“Do you have your gun?” Aunt Sumac asked entirely seriously.
“What?” Ben asked wide-eyed.
“We’ll need you to stay here. I’m almost sure the spell worked, but if it didn’t, we might end up with a psychotic, half bound witch on our doorstep. For once a man with a gun might come in handy.” Sumac said. “I’m going inside to make some sandwiches. Binding spells always give me the munchies.”
“Belladonna, take Olwen and Sterling into the house. My gun is in my trunk. I’ll grab it and be inside in a minute.”
“Don’t look so worried,” Belladonna said and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sure everything is going to be fine.”
Three
Granny Pepper arrived back at Belladonna’s place about a half hour after the binding ritual was complete. She’d announced that everyone was going over to Old Man Jenkin’s house the next day to have lunch with the Heliox family.
It turned out that everyone was Aunt Sumac and Granny Pepper. Belladonna had appointments at the salon, and Ben had to go to work too. He still had a murder to solve, after all, and the Winterfield police were down a man since Luke was on his honeymoon.
Ben and Belladonna decided to walk to work together since the winter air had warmed up to a balmy sixty degrees or so. It happened that way in the Midwest sometimes. Winter would give you brief reprieves from the cold.
Since Granny Pepper and Aunt Sumac were family now, he let them borrow his car. It probably wasn’t the best idea since he used his vehicle for work, but Ben was in an unusually good mood.
So, after he and Belladonna left for the day, Granny and Aunt Sumac got in the car and headed over to Old Man Jenkins house. When they arrived, Jenkins was sitting on the front porch in his rocking chair.
“Come on in girls. Naiema and Almoy are inside trying to figure out the kitchen. They said they wanted to make our lunch today.” Jenkins said with a laugh.
He stood up and greeted Granny and Aunt Sumac. Pepper looked at him skeptically at first, but she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. She was mad at Jenkins for leaving but was unsuccessful at holding on to her anger.
As soon as Sumac walked into the house, she smelled gas. Before the alien visitors could blow the house to kingdom come, she made her way into the kitchen. Almoy was turning the knobs on the stove back and forth, but he was doing it too fast to get them to ignite. This was having the effect of making a rather annoying clicking sound and filling the room with gas.
Naiema was inside Jenkin’s pantry opening boxes and containers. She was sniffing whatever she opened first and then taking a tiny taste. Sumac could only imagine how different everything on earth tasted compared to alien food.
“Oh, hello,” Naiema said when she saw Aunt Sumac standing there. “What is this? It’s delicious.” Naiema held out a box of biscuit mix.
“Just one second,” Sumac said and hurried over to Almoy.
“Hey, little dude. Those knobs are what make the flames on the stove. That smell is gas. Like, uh, rocket fuel. You’re going to blow us all up if you don’t do that just right.” She said as she opened two of the kitchen’s windows.
Aunt Sumac turned all of the burners off and told Almoy to wait a few minutes. She promised to show him how the stove worked as soon as the gas in the room dissipated.
“Wait here and don’t touch the stove. Why don’t you look in there and see if you find anything that looks interesting.” Sumac said and pointed towards the refrigerator.
She went back to the pantry to help Naiema figure out the logistics of human staple foods. Sumac found her devouring a large box of raisins.
“I’ve been all over the galaxy, and I’ve never had anything like these,” Naiema said before popping another handful into her mouth.
“Hang on a second.” Aunt Sumac said.
She went out to the car and grabbed her backup stash of marshmallows to share with her new alien friends. Sumac brought them into the house and poured them into two bowls. One for Almoy and one for his mother.
“You have to try these. It will change the way you see our world.” Aunt Sumac said and started to eat from the bag.
The look on the aliens’ faces said it all. Sumac had converted two more beings into marshmallow lovers.
“Okay. We need to make a real meal. We’ll have some more of these babies after we’ve eaten.” Sumac said and gave the bag a shake.
“Why can’t we just eat these for our meal? They taste so good.” Almoy asked.
“Because they taste good, but they are a treat. You can’t eat treats for your meals. Well, you can sometimes, but not all of the time. What did you find in the refrigerator?” Sumac asked, but Almoy looked confused. “The big metal box.”
It appeared that Jenkins had run to the store because there was cheese, milk, tomatoes, and of course beer in the fridge. There was a fresh loaf of bread on the counter, and Aunt Sumac knew what they could make. She checked one of the drawers in the refrigerator, and sure enough, there was a new stick of butter.
“Perfect.” She said.
; Aunt Sumac taught Naiema and Almoy how to make homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. She let Almoy flip the grilled cheese, and Naiema stirred the soup while Sumac stole the occasional marshmallow from the bowls on the table.
When the food was done, Granny Pepper and Old Man Jenkins came inside. Pepper sat at the table with everyone else and watched them eat the food while she puffed away on her ghost pipe.
“That tomato soup was delicious,” Jenkins said after this fourth bowl. “Thank you so much, Sumac. Now, let’s go down to my game room. The Hexiloxs’ said that witches are rare throughout the galaxy. They’d like to see a little of what you ladies can do.”
“Did you really just call us ladies?” Granny Pepper only sounded half serious, so Sumac wasn’t too worried that she’d turn Jenkins into a goat.
Once they were all down in Jenkins’ finished basement, he presented his idea. He wanted the witches to give the aliens a brief demonstration of their powers. Then, he figured the Helioxs’ could show the Nightshades what they could do with their minds.
Sumac and Pepper started out just demonstrating minor spells like making objects glow. Sumac made a tiny flame on her hand that danced and then turned into the shape of a butterfly before flying away. The aliens were quite impressed, but it was Granny’s finale that really made them squeal with delight.
With a wave of her transparent hand and a few words mumbled under her breath, Pepper turned Old Man Jenkins from a fun-loving zombie into a goat. It was only for a few seconds, and then she turned him right back.
“Are we even now, woman? Do you forgive me?” Jenkins said with a smile once he was returned to his semi-human form.
The witches thought the aliens’ powers were pretty cool too. Almoy demonstrated how he could plant a thought in someone’s head. It just so happened that the thought he planted was for Sumac to go upstairs and get him the bag of marshmallows.
“The more likely the person was to do the thing themselves, the easier it is to plant the suggestion.” He explained as Sumac returned with the treats.
Next, Naiema showed them how she could move objects with her mind. At first, she started small. There was a pool table in one corner, so she used telepathy to lift the pool balls and juggle them in the air. Naiema wanted to impress her hosts, so next she lifted up the pool table and set it down in the center of the room.
“I’ve meant to move that. Thanks.” Jenkins said with a hearty laugh.
Before Naiema could respond, the doorbell rang.
“Cool trick,” Sumac said.
“I didn’t do that,” Naiema responded.
Old Man Jenkins said he’d get the door, but everyone followed him upstairs to see who it was. The motley crew was surprised to find Brynhildr, the mayor of Winterfield, at the door.
“I need to speak with the Nightshades. I’m sorry to interrupt your gathering.” Brynhildr said seriously.
“Come in,” Jenkins said and stepped back so she could enter.
“I don’t mean to offend, but I do need to speak with them alone. We’ll fill you all in soon, I promise, but for now, Pepper and Sumac could you come outside?”
They nodded their heads affirmatively and walked out onto Jenkin’s front porch. Jenkins closed the door behind them, but not before he gave Granny Pepper an obvious wink.
Brynhildr explained to the witches why she’d come to speak with them. The mayor of Winterfield had decided to make a run for Governor. She needed the full support of the Nightshade coven, and every other coven in the state, to make it possible. As far as any of them knew, there had never been a supernatural Governor.
“It will be a challenge to keep my true nature concealed, but I think this is an important first step in improving the lives of not only the supernaturals in Illinois but every citizen,” Brynhildr said confidently.
Pepper and Sumac nodded their heads in agreement. Neither of them knew much about politics, but they did know that ordinary politicians had been doing a horrible job lately.
“I’ll be holding a press conference soon to announce my candidacy. The part where you two come in is that I’m going to hold a huge party to celebrate. I want the party to appear in every newspaper and local magazine across the state, but I don’t want outside reporters covering it. You guys are going to ward them away, and we’ll supply them with a story and photographs. We’re going to hold a bash to remember to get the entire town behind my bid for Governor, and we’ll paint Winterfield as an eclectic, energetic, and enthusiastic part of Illinois culture. Is that something you can do?” Brynhildr asked.
“It is.” Aunt Sumac answered. “But there is something you should know.”
Sumac explained the situation with Lexi being back in town. Brynhildr looked troubled, but she remained calm. The Mayor thought the issue over for a few minutes while Pepper and Sumac waited patiently.
“I believe that this is still doable. If I put off the press conference and party, I might miss my chance to run. I don’t want to wait another four years. I have big plans for all of us. I trust the Nightshade witches to protect our town and make this happen. It’s for the good of Winterfield.” Brynhildr said resolutely.
“Already thinking like a big-time politician.” Granny Pepper said with a cackle.
Four
Ben was sitting at his desk in the temporary police station when his office phone rang. The noise startled him, and he almost dropped his coffee in his lap.
“Hello.”
What Ben heard next, he didn’t want to believe. An anonymous tip had come into the State Police tip line that implicated Linda in the murder of Leonard. A witness had come forward claiming to have seen them arguing outside of Luke and Murielle’s wedding reception. The witness claimed to have seen Linda hit Leonard and then follow him back into the kitchen when he tried to get away from her.
Ben knew that it had to be a complete fabrication, but the State Police were asking if they should step in and investigate. Ben assured them that he would look into the tip and call them back if he needed their assistance.
He went over to the diner to talk to her. Linda looked stricken, but she was the only waitress on duty. She assured Ben that she had nothing to hide and gave him the keys to her house.
“You can go look around my house. I’ve got nothing to hide. I’ll answer all of your questions when the next waitress gets here. Please, don’t make me abandon work.” She pleaded with Ben.
Since he assumed that Linda was completely innocent, Ben decided that would have to do for now. He could go look around her house, and that would satisfy anyone who asked about the thoroughness of his investigation.
The wind kicked up as Ben walked to Linda’s house. It was the first time that day that he’d wished he’d brought his car. The walk wasn’t that far, though, so he let Granny Pepper and Sumac keep it. Ben walked a little faster and arrived at Linda’s small house within a few minutes.
He let himself in through her front door and immediately noticed that her Christmas tree was still standing in one corner of the living room. Ben chuckled, but he figured that when you lived alone, it was okay to leave your holiday decorations up for as long as you pleased.
The house was small and only one story. There was a kitchen off the main living room that was big enough for a small table and chairs. A tiny hallway led to two bedrooms and a bathroom. One of the bedrooms served as Linda’s actual bedroom, but the other looked like it was used as an office and craft room. The bathroom was spotless and uncluttered.
Ben looked through the nearly empty bathroom cabinets and then moved onto the bedroom. He felt bad about snooping through her things, but he reminded himself that he wasn’t snooping. It was important to clear his friend’s name without any doubts left behind.
He made himself go through all of her dresser drawers and the closet. Ben was relieved that there was nothing remarkable in either. After that, he moved onto her craft room.
That’s where things took a turn for the worst. Ben found something he d
idn’t expect in Linda’s sewing basket. There weren’t many supplies inside of it, so it was easy to see that the corner of the bottom panel was sticking up. Ben emptied out the basket and discovered that it had a false bottom.
When he pulled out the fake bottom panel, Ben almost dropped the basket in shock. Hidden in Linda’s sewing supplies was a garrote that he would have to send to forensics for testing. With its wooden handles on either side and thick wire stretched between them, you might mistake it for a crafting item. Ben knew exactly what it was. He’d investigated enough mob hits when he worked in the city to identify strangulation tools on sight.
What was laid next to the garrote was what sealed Linda’s fate. When Leonard’s body was discovered, the police assumed he wasn’t carrying a wallet. Not everyone did, and robbery wasn’t a suspected motive. So, when Ben slipped on a pair of rubber gloves he had in his jacket pocket and plucked the black leather wallet from the sewing basket, his breath caught in his chest as he opened it.
Leonard’s driver’s license, credit cards, and library card were all inside along with seventy-five dollars in cash. Either one of the items could possibly be explained away, but together, they meant that Linda was now the prime suspect in Leonard’s murder.
Ben checked the rest of the room, and what he found stashed in the bottom drawer of the armoire made him break out in a cold sweat. There were two large hypodermic needs, two lengths of rubber tubing, and a hand pump. Someone could use the setup to drain a person of his or her blood and make it look like a vampire’s work.
Of course, that wouldn’t explain how Carly had turned Nick by only giving him blood if he hadn’t been bitten by a vampire, but Ben would have to ask her about that later. Maybe it was possible, and maybe it wasn’t. Right now he had to go do something he never dreamed he’d have to do.
Ben believed deep down in his heart that Lexi was setting Linda up, but that didn’t change the fact that he had to arrest her now. He bagged the evidence and locked her house up behind himself.
Party Hexed: Cozy Witch Mystery (Witches of Winterfield Book 4) Page 2