I stood as he moved around his desk. “What does my sister always do?”
“Buts in on cases she has no business in,” he said and set his hat on his head. “Luckily she’s on vacation for this one. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading back to the murder scene. Doc, I’ll have Dr. Helena call you when we get the body to her office.”
I got up and so did David as the Sheriff left. David walked to the door, looked out and then came right to me. “Are you okay?”
“Me? Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
He closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, I thought they looked a little funny. Like his pupils were really huge. “When I got the call about a dead body found, and heard the address, I freaked out. I thought maybe someone had attacked you.” He paused. “Or Mama D.”
“Why would they do that?” I was flattered, but so far this whole thing had seemed a bit non-dangerous. Except for the dead body part. Oops. Dead bodies.
“Ginger,” he sat on the edge of the Sheriff’s desk. “Someone killed a man in your granny’s shop. Now someone’s killed a man outside of the shop, right across the road. Someone you and I talked to last night. That’s two deaths pretty close to you. Aren’t you just a little worried?”
I was. But not in the way I think he was thinking. I touched his cheek and wasn’t surprised at the coolness of his skin. He put his hand on mine. “I am. And with you around, I know I’ll be fine.” We’d only just met, but I found myself really drawn to David.
A little too much.
“So what now?” he asked as I removed my hand from his face but he kept it folded in his. “Once I get the call, I’ll go examine the body.”
I shook my head. “Breakfast? Then you can tell me how you’re on a first name basis with the coroner.”
The crime scene people were loading up the body and clearing gawkers off the road when David and I returned. The moment we stepped through the door we could smell the bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee. Mama D had just pulled a pan of biscuits out of the oven when we stepped into the kitchen. “Figured you two would be back here.”
And she was right. We sat at the kitchen counter on the old rickety stools I didn’t know Mama D had and enjoyed a nice breakfast. Max joined us as he curled around my feet and meowed repeatedly. I gave him some bacon, much to granny’s disapproval.
“Watch it. That mongrel will think he can stay.”
I looked down at Max. “Do you want to stay?”
“Meeorw? Meow!”
“I don’t know cat,” David said as he put down his coffee mug. “But that sounded like a yes.” He shifted on his stool. “Do you have a Familiar?”
“No,” I muttered as I chomped on a piece of bacon. “One’s never bonded with me.”
“And you have Burt the bat.” He looked at Mama D.
Burt soared into the kitchen at that moment and landed noisily on his parrot perch.
David laughed softly. “That’s weird.”
Burt snorted. “Not as weird as a vampire who eats bacon and drinks coffee.”
David nearly fell out of his chair and pointed at Burt. “I just…did you hear what he just said?”
I stared at Burt. Just last night, David couldn’t understand anything Burt said. And now?
“Burt, you sure about this?” Mama D asked, though she never looked up from buttering her biscuit.
“I like him. And besides, he likes Ginger.”
Heat rose on my face, up from my neck all the way to my forehead. I glanced at David and he was blushing too. Wow. Vampires blushed!
Max abruptly jumped into my lap and faced David. His purr vibrated against my chest as he leaned in.
“So,” David said and cleared his throat a few times. “If his witch is dead, that means he’s not anyone’s familiar?”
I scratched around Max’s neck. His fur was so soft and his purr so relaxing. “Not yet. Honestly, I’m not sure how the process works since I’ve been familiar-less all my life. All I know is he left Max alone so I’ve been taking care of him.”
“Ha!” Mama D snorted. “You gave him tuna yesterday. I’ve fed him lots since then.”
“You fed…a cat?” I looked at her as if she’d grown three heads.
“What? Is that weird?” David looked from me to Mama D.
“Granny hates cats.”
“I don’t hate them. I told you, I don’t trust them.”
“Well, I know cats can be a bit elusive,” David tentatively reached out a hand to Max, who suddenly snarled. “And very picky,” David said as he withdrew his hand.
I smiled and hugged Max. “He’s okay, you can like him.”
“Mweeorw…”
“Do you think Manchester being a Witch has anything to do with why he’s dead?” David said.
“Well…I don’t know. The common denominator here seems to be the book. Manchester was looking for that book, he’s dead. Willmington had met Manchester, and they argued over the same book, and now Willmington is dead. I’m kinda wondering if Cerysera is next on the list.”
"Or us?" David said.
“What book?” Mama D said as she set her buttered biscuit down without eating it.
“What was that title?” David looked at me.
“Uh, Tome of Castamundus,” I made a face.
Mama D stood up, looked directly at Max. Max disengaged from my hands and jumped down from my lap. He ran out of the kitchen and into the shop.
“What’s wrong?” I looked at him and then back to Mama D. “Do you know this book?”
“Of course I know it. Any witch or vampire, ghost or psychic knows this book. I told you about it.”
“You did?”
She shook her head. “Tome of Castamundus is the non-magical people name for The Book of Ill Deeds.”
What? I stood up.
David stood up faster and his stool fell backwards. He bent down and righted it. “That’s not possible. That book is never out of the Hunters’ hands. Their council guards it with their lives.”
“But what if it is?” I put a few things together. “Why would a witch, or any supernatural being, want to find that book?”
“Because we never get to see the book,” David said and Mama D nodded. “We’re only told by the Hunters when it happens and then we’re hunted down and put into prison or destroyed. They use that book as judge, jury, and executioner. Our lives depend on that book not taking our names.”
I nodded. “This is just a hypothetical, but what if a witch was told their name was in there and they wanted to see it?”
Mama D said, “Or they did something bad and they knew their name and deed would show up in the book. Either way, if anyone knew the Hunters no longer had their book, they would do anything to find it. If not for the power it would give them over the Hunters, then the ransom they’d pay to get it back.”
“Not just the Hunters,” I said. “Think of the amount of money any of the supernatural groups would pay to have that book.”
“Good old standard,” David said. “Money.”
Mama D winked at him. “I never spoke with the Witch who died in my shop so I don’t know why he was here. But if he was at the library looking for that book, then he knew it was missing.”
“But why here?” I wondered out loud. “I keep asking myself, even before I knew what the book was, why would a book as rare and unique as that one be in a place like Castle Falls?”
“It could be because this place is home to so many of us,” Mama D ventured. “Towns like this create a sort of nexus for magic and mayhem. And a book like that would eventually find its way to the closest, or the strongest…magical stronghold.”
“You’re suggesting the book is sentient?” David’s brows arched.
Mama D didn’t answer right away. She pursed her lips and tapped on her forehead. “Let me give you both a little more history on The Book of Ill Deeds. That book was created by a witch who was in love with a Hunter. Of course, he was just leading her on so he could get the book.”
“What? That’s horrible,” I said.
“It was,” Mama D said. “That’s why witches are taught from a young age to stay away from Hunters. Never trust them.”
“What happened to the witch?” David asked.
“The rumor was he had her locked up for making the book.”
“But,” I put my hands on the counter. “He tricked her into making it!”
“And her name was the first name that showed up in its pages,” Mama D said. “So it was believed she was locked up. No one’s ever seen her. We don’t even know her name.”
“But it’s in that book,” David said.
“Yes. And it’s also rumored that witch is the only person in the world who can destroy The Book of Ill Deeds.”
“Now that,” David pointed at Mama D. “Is something I didn’t know. And if that’s true, I’m sure the Hunters definitely have that witch under lock and key.”
“Wouldn’t she or he be old by now?” I said.
“The book wasn’t created until the late sixties,” Mama D said. “Though the magic used inside of it has been around for a while. But since only Witches can use magic, the Hunters always had to hire a Witch and that meant favors and lots of money. Once the book was created, no more need to keep Witches around. So there is a chance that Witch is still alive.” She looked away. “I wonder if the book is trying to find its creator.”
“Can it do that?” David asked.
“Enchanted objects always come back to the enchanter, eventually. No one knows why.”
I caught on to what granny was thinking. “You think the creator of this book lives here?” I pointed to the floor. “In Castle Falls?”
“Why not?” Mama D shrugged.
“The real issue here is who is killing people and is it because of this book?” David said.
“Oh, I’m sure that’s the reason,” I said. David was right. Stopping these murders was a priority. “We need to find out who this Cerysera person is.”
“How?” Mama D said.
“I need access to Willmington’s computer or phone. I have a friend in California who might be able to help trace where the emails were coming from.”
“Well,” David said as he put his stool under the counter. “I’m sure if he had a phone, it was on him and the police have it, and if he had a computer, it would be in his hotel room and the police would have already searched there as well.”
A knock on the shop door made us all jump. I walked to the door and opened it. Deputy Perrin stood outside his hat in his hand. “Sorry to bother you, Ginger, but Sheriff Danvers said to tell Dr. Flanagan when the body made it to WM General.”
“Thanks, Deputy, I’ll tell him.”
Perrin nodded and turned away as I shut the door. When I turned David was standing in front of me. “You heard?”
“Yeah. I was expecting it.” I followed him back to the kitchen where he thanked Mama D and said goodbye. I walked him out the other door to his car. It was chilly and I crossed my arms over my chest. “David, can you do something for me?”
“Sure.”
“Can you ask the Sheriff if Willmington had a phone or a computer?”
“You know he’s not going to let you look at them.”
“I know,” I smiled up at him. “I just want to know.”
“Okay. I’ll ask.” He stared at me for a second. “What are you gonna do?”
“Right now I’m going to go back in and clean up the kitchen and feed Max.”
David hesitated before he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “Just be careful.”
“I will,” I said and stepped back as he got into his car and drove away.
The police cars were gone and the gawkers though the tape was still up. I took that moment to have a look around myself and search the area. When I didn’t find anything, I went back inside and cleaned up. Mama D wasn’t around, and then I heard her in her shop.
Max came in and I fed him more tuna and made a list of things we needed in the kitchen, including cat food. After brushing my teeth, I told Mama D I was heading out to grab groceries.
I got a text once I got in my car. It was from David.
No phone or computer.
They have searched his hotel room. 225.
Don’t do anything dangerous.
When I closed the text I saw the glaring red 3 over my phone messages. That’s right! I’d gotten messages before the Sheriff got to Mama D’s this morning. I ran through David’s messages. They were him begging me to pick up the phone because he had a report of a body new our house.
I felt something warm ignite inside of my chest when I thought of him. Was I falling for this strange vampire doctor out of nowhere?
I tapped the message from Charles Willmington and put the phone to my ear.
“Sorry to bother you, Miss Blackstone, but I need to talk to you again. It’s about something someone gave me earlier. Can you meet me at your Granny’s shop? I’m on my way.”
NINE
Willmington’s message was left at 3:38 a.m. which meant Charles Willmington was murdered between then and when the paperboy found him. I guessed that was around 5:00 a.m. or so. I had no idea when the paper was delivered. The first question, was he killed before he got to Mama D’s house or after? The second question—
What did he want to show me? What did someone give him? Who someone?
I texted David, asking him for a list of Willmington’s possessions at death. He answered pretty fast.
Why? What’s wrong?
So I texted back.
I’ll tell you when I see you. But I need it as soon as you can get it to me.
It was after nine now and I caught myself twirling one of my wild curls. I half wished I had a spell to straighten this mess of mine. Mom had thick curly hair, and of the four of us, that was the only physical part of her I inherited. Everything else was my dad’s.
So what could I do while David got me that list? Because I was not going to hang around Mama D’s house. Thinking over Mavis’s reaction to Charles Willmington, and having Charles confirm it was Mavis who told him I asked about him, maybe a trip to Magpies & Muffins was a good idea.
If they were open. If the relationship between Mavis and Charles was as personal as I suspected it was, Mavis was probably devastated at Charles’ sudden death.
Magpies & Muffins was open and catering to its usual 9:00 a.m to 10:00 a.m breakfast rush. I grabbed the only remaining parking spot and shut off the engine. The sound of rustling in the back of the car made my heart race. I prepared a good zap and turned in time to see Max jump into the back seat from the floorboard. I lowered my head and gave a very long sigh.
“Max…don’t do that!”
“Mwwerr rwangerous.”
A frown pulled my brows together in what my mother used to call the Burt Glare. “Say that again? Cause that almost sounded like English.”
The cat turned his head to the right and then busted out a “Mwwrisss aanngerous!”
My jaw dropped as Max leapt from the back seat to the front seat and sat in the passenger’s side. He shook himself and then blinked a few times at me.
“Am…I understanding you?”
Max nodded.
Okay, was that really a nod? Or was I going a little crazy? “Shake your head left to right.”
Max shook his head left to right.
“Raise your right paw.”
He did.
“Raise your left paw.”
He did.
“Now stand on your hind legs and dance.”
“That’s just not going to happen.”
I screamed. Not with terror or anything like that, but with surprise mingled with joy, mixed with a bit of confusion. “Whoa,” I said more coherently. “Since when can I understand you?”
“Right now. It took a bit. You’re definitely the stubbornest Witch I’ve ever worked with. That and the fact you’ve never had a familiar sort of works against the harmony sometimes.” Max's voice reminded me o
f some British actor I liked. Only I couldn't put my finger on the name.
I wasn’t quite sure what to say at first as I let his words sink in. Then, “Not having a familiar makes it hard for other familiars to talk to me?”
“No, it makes it hard for your own familiar to talk to you.”
“I see—wait—” I braced myself against the driver’s door. “My own familiar?”
“If you’ll have me.”
“But you were Hardin’s Familiar.”
Max tilted his head to the right. “In case you haven’t noticed, he’s no longer alive. That frees me. And if I don’t snag a Witch soon, it’ll turn into a luck of the draw and I won’t have a choice.”
“Since when do familiars not have a choice?”
“Since forever,” Max’s small mouth moved with every word.
It was like looking at some kind of cool CGI scene in a movie. Yeah, Burt’s little mouth did the same thing, but I was used to that with Burt. “I’m not following. But then I haven’t studied much about familiars.”
“Your sisters have Familiars?”
“Melody has Kibble and Daphne has Exis.”
“Exis? What kind of name is that for a cat?”
I shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her. I didn’t get it either. So…” I rubbed the spot between my brows. “So you’re my familiar?”
“If you’ll have me. You have to say you’ll have me.”
I hesitated. Why was I hesitating? I’d always wanted a familiar, and I’d always wanted a cat familiar. And here was one right here, sitting in my car, asking to be taken in. Bonded.
Max leaned his head forward, his green eyes looking nervously at me. “So…is that a yes?”
“First,” I held up my finger. “Why is your Witch dead?”
“I have no idea.” If he had shoulders, they would have lowered. “He’d been looking for that book for about six months. That put us on the road all the time. He was on the phone, he was making spells and rituals to locate it until finally, something happened. I don’t know what. I wasn’t paying attention. All I know is we’re on our way here and he heads straight for the library. Normally I like books. Cats are great with books. We go together like spaghetti and meatballs.”
The Book Of Ill Deeds_A Paranormal Cozy Mystery Page 7