Charms & Witchdemeanors (Wicked Witches of the Midwest Book 8)

by Amanda M. Lee

  “But … you have to know about it,” I said, refusing to give up. “You went to school with Aunt Tillie and you were around back then. You’re friends with Mrs. Little. I know you’re aware of the big secret.”

  “Well, Bay, I don’t know what to tell you,” Fay said. “If there is a big secret, I’m not privy to it.” She did the eye thing again.

  “You’re lying,” I challenged, my frustration getting the better of me.

  Fay was offended. “I am not lying,” she said. “I don’t appreciate your attitude, young lady. I understand you’re upset about Tillie, but that’s no reason to take it out on me.”

  “We’re sorry,” Thistle said, grabbing my arm and wrestling me toward the door. “We didn’t mean to upset you. Between the heat and the emotional upheaval, Bay just isn’t herself.”

  Fay didn’t look convinced. “Well … take her home. Get her out of the sun. Don’t let her come back here if she’s going to spout off and call upstanding people liars.”

  “Of course,” Thistle said, digging her fingernails into my skin when I tried to pull away from her. “Come on, Bay.”

  “I’m not done here,” I argued.

  “Yes, you are,” Thistle said. “Clove, help me.”

  Clove was reluctant to join the fray but she eventually acquiesced. It took both of them to drag me outside.

  “She was lying,” I sputtered.

  “That’s because the spell didn’t work,” Thistle said, pinching my forearm for good measure before removing her hands from me.

  “Ow! Why did you do that?”

  “Because you’re causing a scene,” Thistle said. “We screwed up the spell. I think it’s because I switched out mugwort in place of the graveyard dust.”

  “Why did you do that?” Clove asked, incensed. “There’s no way that would work.”

  “Because we’re out of graveyard dust and I don’t want to collect any during the day when people will ask questions,” Thistle replied. “We’re already considered the weirdest people in town. How would it look if I’m digging in the cemetery in ninety-degree heat?”

  “Well, crap,” I muttered, tugging my hand through my hair. “That was for nothing.”

  “Oh, there was no harm done,” Thistle said. “Fay already disliked us. Now, on top of being crazy, she thinks we’re rude. It’s no big deal.”

  “I still think the truth spell is the way to go,” I argued.

  “Well, then we have to wait until after dark,” Thistle said. “They’re having a dance after their tournament. They had a flyer on the table. We can sneak out of the inn after dinner, collect the graveyard dust and recast the spell.”

  I didn’t see any other options. “I blame you for this,” I said. “I hope you know that.”

  “I can live with that,” Thistle said, unperturbed.

  “Oh, now it feels like old times,” Clove said, suddenly chipper. “I hope you know I’m not going with you tonight. This was fun, though.”

  “Oh, you’re going with us,” I countered. “If you don’t, we’ll curse you.”

  “And we won’t be nearly as nice as Aunt Tillie would be,” Thistle said.

  “Fine,” Clove muttered, resigned. “I really do hate you guys.”

  “And all is right with the world,” Thistle said.

  Nineteen

  I let myself into the inn through the front door shortly before seven, scanning the empty lobby before moving toward the library. Landon’s Ford Explorer was in the parking lot, so I knew he was here, and I expected to find him in his favorite room. I heard voices as I approached and pulled up short. He wasn’t alone.

  “I’m not saying you’re doing anything wrong,” Noah said. “I’m simply saying that you’re putting your career in jeopardy for this woman, and I want to know why.”

  I froze, worry and doubt colliding in my stomach and causing it to churn.

  “It’s none of your business,” Landon said. I could see him through the corner of the window in the door. He had a glass in his hand, which meant he was drinking. “I don’t need to justify my feelings or actions to you.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying,” Noah protested. I couldn’t see him, but the sound of his voice made me think he was close to the drink cart. “When I first joined the Traverse City office, you were one of the guys I most looked up to.”

  “I’m thrilled,” Landon deadpanned, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling.

  “I’m serious,” Noah said. “Your reputation was amazing. The boss and other agents couldn’t say enough good things about you. Now, though … .”

  My heart rolled. Now what?

  “Are you saying Director Newton and my fellow agents are saying bad things about me?” Landon asked.

  “Of course not,” Noah said. “You’re still the most respected man in the office.”

  “Then what are you saying?” Landon asked, snapping his head down and darting a dark look toward the far end of the library. “You obviously have something on your mind, Noah. You might as well spit it out.”

  “Listen, I don’t want to tell you how to live your life … .”

  “But you’re going to,” Landon interjected.

  “You could go far in the bureau,” Noah said. “You could be a regional director one day, or even end up in D.C. if you set your sights that high. That won’t happen if you get a reputation for covering for your girlfriend and her kooky family.”

  “I have no interest in being regional director or moving to Washington,” Landon replied. “I’m happy here. Even if I wanted those things, though, Bay wouldn’t stand in the way of me getting them. She would be my biggest booster.”

  Thistle and Clove walked into the hallway behind me and I lifted my finger to my lips to quiet them. Winchesters are perfectly happy eavesdropping on private conversations.

  “Bay seems nice,” Noah said. “She’s very pretty. Heck, she’s hot.”

  “Oh, you’re hot,” Thistle whispered, wrinkling her nose.

  “Thank you for speaking about my girlfriend’s hot factor,” Landon said. “I can’t tell you what a relief it is that you’ve been checking her out.”

  “I haven’t been checking her out,” Noah argued, his voice going squeaky. “I swear. She’s not even my type. I prefer the little one with the big … .”

  “I wouldn’t finish that sentence,” Landon warned. “Bay is my girlfriend, but I’m fond of Clove and Thistle, too. I know exactly what you were going to say, and it’s inappropriate – and hazardous to your health.”

  Clove glanced down at her impressive cleavage. “These are a powerful weapon,” she whispered. “They bring men to their knees.”

  Thistle covered her mouth to choke her laughter.

  “You’re fond of Thistle?” Noah asked. “Are you sure? She seems mean.”

  “She is mean,” Landon said. “She’s also loyal and strong. She stands by Bay no matter what. Sure, she’s a pain in the ass, but I’m still fond of her.”

  “That was both a compliment and an insult,” Thistle said. “I’m impressed.”

  I patted my finger against my lips to remind my cousins to be quiet.

  “All of that is well and good, Landon, but you’re risking everything by covering for Bay and that crazy aunt of hers,” Noah said. “We both know she’s guilty. If she keeps covering for her aunt, Bay could go to jail. No one else would’ve let her slide on that Sally story. Why did you?”

  Well, he wasn’t wrong.

  “First off, I don’t believe Aunt Tillie is guilty,” Landon said. “I still have to investigate the case. It’s my job, and I’ll follow the evidence. I’ve known that woman for more than a year now, though, and I don’t believe for a second she killed Patty Grimes.”

  “How can you even say that? Look at the evidence. Are you blind?”

  “I’m not done,” Landon said, his tone getting chillier by the word. “Second, Bay will not go to jail, because she’s a good woman. She’s the best person I know. She has a wonde
rful heart. Sure, she’s a little goofy sometimes, but I like that about her.

  “As for the so-called evidence, we don’t really have any,” he continued. “You have one woman with a lifetime grudge claiming Aunt Tillie was at the senior center. We don’t know where Patty Grimes ingested the poison. We don’t know Aunt Tillie put anything in the coffee. There’s no evidence pointing to anything.

  “You want to believe Aunt Tillie is guilty,” Landon said. “You don’t know it, though.”

  “I think you’re blinded by … sex … or something,” Noah said. “I don’t see how you can pretend Tillie Winchester isn’t guilty.”

  “Because I believe in facts,” Landon said. “And, while we’re on the subject, don’t ever say anything like that about Bay again. I’m not blinded by sex. I love her. There’s a difference, and when you’re older you’ll understand that.”

  “You sound like you belong on a soap opera,” Noah scoffed. “You love her? Are you willing to give up everything for love?”

  “Bay has given me more than you can ever imagine,” Landon said. “I’m not giving up anything for her because all I’ve done is gain since meeting her. If you say something negative about her again, by the way, we’re going to have a real problem.”

  “We’re on a case here, Landon,” Noah said. “I have a right to express my opinion.”

  “Not about my relationship with Bay you don’t,” Landon argued, getting to his feet. For a moment I thought he was about to throw a punch at Noah. “You’re new here, so you don’t get how this family works. They’re wonderful. You might want to pull your head out of your behind and take a look around before it’s too late. You’re missing the bigger picture – and it’s extraordinary.”

  Noah wasn’t ready to let it go. “And what if Tillie is guilty?”

  “She’s not,” Landon said. “I’m not sure who is guilty, but we’ll figure it out. Aunt Tillie would rather torture someone than kill them. Is that a defense? No. I believe it, though. At the end of the day, I can guarantee it’s not Aunt Tillie.”

  Landon put his empty glass down on the coffee table. “If you’ll excuse me … .”

  “Wait, where are you going?”

  “Bay and her cousins are eavesdropping in the hallway, and I want a kiss,” Landon replied. “I haven’t seen her in hours and I missed her.”

  My cheeks burned as Landon strode into the hallway and met my mortified gaze. He smirked as he pulled me in for a hug. “How did you know?”

  “I saw your reflection in the glass,” Landon replied. “It took me a few minutes to realize what I was looking at, but you might want to tell your partners in crime to be quiet when spying. Also, Thistle’s hair is a dead giveaway. There’s nothing else that particular shade of purple in the house.”

  I pressed my lips together, flustered.

  “That was the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Clove gushed, pressing her hand to the spot above her heart. “I want to kiss you.”

  “I’m taken,” Landon said. “He might want to kiss you, though.” He gestured toward Noah, who had the grace to look abashed as he stepped in the open doorway.

  “Yeah, we heard the comment about Clove’s boobs,” Thistle said, narrowing her eyes. “I mean … how rude.”

  “Very rude,” I agreed, finding my voice. “It was almost perverted it was so rude.”

  “I agree,” Thistle said. “I don’t think our mothers and kooky great-aunt will like it.”

  “Ladies, I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” Noah said, hurrying toward us. “You weren’t supposed to hear that conversation.”

  “Too late,” I said, slipping my hand into Landon’s and tugging him toward the dining room. “I might kiss you for what you said, too.”

  “That I’ll take,” Landon said, slinging an arm over my shoulders as he followed me. “Are you coming, Noah?”

  “I’m not sure.” Noah looked as if he was caught in a trap and the only way out was to gnaw through his own leg.

  “Somebody’s in trouble,” Thistle sang as she passed him.

  “And Aunt Tillie is going to be doling out punishments,” Clove added, glaring at Landon’s partner. “I would start begging sooner rather than later if I were you. Perverts make her crabby.”

  “DID you find it?”

  “No,” Thistle said, shaking her head as she hit the bottom of the back staircase. “I searched all through Aunt Tillie’s room and she doesn’t have any graveyard dust. We have no choice but to collect it ourselves.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to,” Clove whined. “The cemetery is scary at night.”

  “We’ll be with you,” I said.

  “Yes, and we won’t let anyone hurt our poor Clove,” Thistle said, grabbing Clove’s cheek and giving it a good jiggle.

  Clove jerked her face out of Thistle’s grasp. “Stop doing that. You know I hate it when you do that.”

  “Well, I hate it when you complain, and you don’t stop doing that,” Thistle said. “Life is hard on everyone. Suck it up.”

  “Knock it off,” I ordered, leaning around the couch in the family living quarters and studying the gap between the bottom of the kitchen door and the floor. If anyone was in the kitchen I would see shadows, but we appeared to be safe … for now.

  Dinner was uncomfortable – as it always seemed to be with Noah present – and Mom was pretty much at her limit when dealing with him. He had an oblivious nature that didn’t let him know he’d crossed a line, or perhaps he didn’t care, and his sense of humor was non-existent.

  “Well, if we’re going to collect graveyard dust, we have to leave now,” Thistle said. “That dance only lasts until ten, and because they’re old … .”

  Clove cleared her throat, causing Thistle to roll her eyes.

  “Because they’re seasoned they’ll go to bed early,” Thistle said, correcting her course. “We have a narrow window of opportunity here and we have to make it count.”

  “Okay,” I said. “Let’s go.”

  Clove furrowed her brow. “Don’t you want to tell Landon where we’re going? We excused ourselves when dessert was being served, but someone will notice when we don’t come back to the table.”

  “I know, but I can’t go back in there without drawing Noah’s attention,” I said. “I’ll leave a note and apologize when I get back. I’m sure that apology will involve groveling, nudity and a massage before it’s all said and done.”

  Thistle snorted. “Yeah. Marcus pretty much expects me to do underhanded things. He won’t be angry. In fact, he’ll probably be perfectly happy to go back to the guesthouse and watch whatever lame sports show is on tonight with Landon.”

  “What should I write in the note?” I asked, grabbing a notebook and pen from the table. “I don’t want to go into too much detail in case Noah somehow stumbles across it.”

  “He wouldn’t dare,” Thistle said. “He’s a nervous wreck after realizing we heard what he said. I thought he was going to pass out at least eight times during dinner.”

  “That’s because every time he risked a look in Clove’s direction she grabbed her boobs,” I said, smirking at the memory.

  “I have no idea what got into me,” Clove admitted. “Landon just kind of … touched me … with what he said about Bay. Noah was a douche, so I touched myself to get to him. I’m just glad Sam wasn’t here to see it. I’m not sure he would understand.”

  “Don’t sell Sam short on this one,” I said. “I think he would’ve approved of what you did. Why wasn’t he at dinner, by the way?”

  “He’s meeting with some people in Traverse City about buying that tanker I told you about so we can build the haunted boat attraction,” Clove replied. “He’s excited about this one because it’s a really good deal.”

  “I’m actually excited about that, too,” Thistle said. “I want to help decorate.”

  “Me, too,” I said, taking a moment to study the paper and then scrawling a haphazard note that would make Landon furious when he read
it. I left the note on the coffee table and headed toward the door. “Come on. Landon is going to be ticked, but I don’t know what else to do.”

  “It will be fine,” Thistle said. “He’s totally in love with you. He’ll forgive you.”

  “Remind me to pick up some bacon on the way back.”

  “That will do it,” Thistle said, following me outside. The sun had nearly set, but the air was still humid and oppressive. “Ugh. I love summer, but I could deal without the humidity.”

  “Ha!”

  We jolted at the sound of Landon’s voice, turning quickly to find him and Marcus watching us from the side of the house.

  “You scared the crap out of me,” I snapped.

  “You deserve it for sneaking out,” Landon said, strolling in my direction. “I knew you were up to something. I can’t believe you were going to sneak out without telling me.”

  “So you enlisted Marcus to spy on us?”

  “I didn’t want to hang around with Noah,” Marcus said. “I don’t care why you guys are sneaking around. I’m used to it. Nothing you do surprises me.”

  “I do care,” Landon said, his eyes flashing.

  I told him about our day, and when I was done Landon’s expression was unreadable.

  “I think he’s amazed by our ingenuity,” Thistle offered.

  “I think he’s going to kill us,” Clove supplied.

  “I think that’s a pretty good idea,” Landon said finally. “I want to come with you.”

  “You can’t,” I argued. “There’s no way for you to explain it to Noah. I’m sorry. You have to let us do this one on our own.”

  “We need to make sure Noah is here so he doesn’t catch us there,” Thistle said. “It’s not like it’s dangerous. We’re going to a dance at the senior center.”

  Landon rubbed his chin. “I know in my head that you’re right, but I really want to go with you.”

  “I want you to go with us, too, but you said we had to play this smart,” I reminded him. “Is going with us the smart thing to do?”

  “No.” Landon exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his hair. “I just want our normal life back.”