Victor shifted his eyes to Aunt Tillie, sweat beading on his forehead. “What?”
“No one really wanted to win you,” Aunt Tillie said. “We only wanted to beat each other. That’s why we picked a loser like you. We figured you would be grateful we let you play at all. I guess we were wrong.”
“That’s it!” Victor reached for Shane’s gun, gasping as he missed and pitching forward. “Oh, god!” He grabbed his chest as he writhed on the ground.
“Grandpa?” Shane leaned over Victor, confused. “What’s going on?”
I jumped to my feet, ready to fight Shane if I had to. I didn’t, though, because Landon appeared in the clearing behind him. Landon hit Shane at a dead run, slamming him into a nearby tree.
The gun discharged as Shane fired wildly into the air. Steve and Chief Terry were right behind Landon, their faces reflecting bewildered relief.
“Is everyone okay?” Chief Terry asked.
“Victor is having a heart attack,” Aunt Tillie offered. “Also, Margaret should be locked up for being the worst person ever.”
“I’ll consider it,” Chief Terry snapped, turning his attention to Landon as my boyfriend slammed his fist into Shane’s face.
The gun hit the ground as Shane groaned. Steve collected it quickly, making sure Shane couldn’t grab it again as he attempted to fight off Landon. Landon hit Shane a second time, the sickening sound of crunching bone filling the air as Shane’s nose broke.
“Don’t ever go near her again!” Landon roared, rearing back to hit Shane a third time.
“I think he’s got it, son,” Chief Terry said, grabbing Landon’s arm. “Go to Bay. We’ll handle Shane.”
Landon didn’t have to be told twice. His chest heaved as he turned, his eyes wild when they locked with mine. I launched myself at him, relieved when he caught me and pulled me in for a tight hug.
“I knew you would come.”
Landon cupped the back of my head for a moment, taking the opportunity to suck in three deep breaths before leaning back to study my face. “I love you, but I’m going to have to kill you for this.”
“It wasn’t my fault!”
Thirty-Four
“Are you going to yell at me now?”
Landon joined me in Chief Terry’s office an hour later, slipping his arms under my legs as he lifted me before settling in the chair and resting me on his lap. “I’m saving it for later.”
I sighed. “I’d rather get it out of the way so I won’t have to dread it all night.”
“Fine,” Landon said. “Brace yourself, because here it comes.”
I sucked in a breath as I waited for the verbal onslaught.
“I’m furious at myself for not realizing this would happen.”
His admission startled me. “What?”
“Bay, I’ve known you long enough to realize that you’re a trouble magnet,” Landon replied. “I should’ve recognized the very real possibility that Shane would go after you. You shouldn’t have gone into the trees, but it’s over.”
It couldn’t be over. That was far too easy. “I can take it if you want to yell.”
“I don’t want to yell,” Landon said, burying his face in my hair. “I’m too tired to yell.”
“That’s good,” Aunt Tillie said, sliding into Chief Terry’s chair behind his desk and resting her feet on his computer keyboard. He would kill her if he saw what she did. “I don’t think anyone needs to be yelled at.”
“Oh, I’m going to yell at you,” Landon said, shifting his eyes to Aunt Tillie. “It was your bright idea to go into the woods.”
“It all worked out,” Aunt Tillie protested.
“Only because Victor had a heart attack and distracted Shane,” Landon said. “You’re in big trouble once I’ve had time to rest and gear up for your dressing down.”
Aunt Tillie didn’t look worried. “Whatever. Can I go?”
“Not yet,” Chief Terry said, strolling into the room and pulling up short when he got a gander at Aunt Tillie. “Get your feet off my desk!”
“I’m comfortable, so I’m going to decline,” Aunt Tillie said. “You’re holding me against my will. It’s cruel and unusual punishment to refrain from letting an old lady get comfortable.” Aunt Tillie only referred to herself as “old” when she wanted to manipulate someone.
To my utter surprise, Chief Terry didn’t press her, and instead sat in the chair closest to Landon and me. “You make me tired.”
“I hear Marnie is making a blackberry pie at the inn,” Aunt Tillie offered. “That should perk you right up.”
“I do love blackberry pie.”
“I thought so,” Aunt Tillie said. “What happened to Agent Goober?”
“He’s on his way back to Traverse City,” Landon replied. “He said he couldn’t wait to get out of here and never wants to visit again. He said the women are crazy, and he’s convinced there’s something in the water making the men who love them crazy.”
I tapped his cheek. “Cute.”
“I try.”
“He’s only saying that because he was wrong and didn’t want to apologize,” Aunt Tillie said. “That’s fine. I’m sure I can track him down the next time I’m over there.”
“Leave him alone,” Landon instructed. “The last thing we need is him poking his nose into our business. Just … let it go.”
Speaking of that … . “Where is Director Newton?”
“He went to the hospital to check on Victor,” Chief Terry replied. “If anyone’s interested, Victor died while in transit. It looks like a massive coronary. Carolyn said he had heart issues, so that’s the doctor’s best guess until the autopsy.”
“That’s good,” Aunt Tillie said. “Justice is served.”
“Not for everyone,” I countered. “Patty didn’t get justice.”
“She will,” Aunt Tillie said. “I’m stopping out there on the way home. I’ll take care of that situation, Bay. It’s my responsibility. You don’t have to worry yourself with it. I’ll send her on her way, and hopefully she’ll be reunited with her son. That’s her happy ending.”
That was actually a relief. “What about Shane?”
“He’s in a holding cell and will be charged tomorrow,” Chief Terry replied. “The prosecutor will decide charges, and there will be a lot of them. Fay and Viola are both being laid to rest in a joint ceremony tomorrow, by the way. I’m sure you’ll want to go.”
“I do,” I said.
“We’re both going,” Landon said, kissing my cheek. “After that, we’re locking ourselves in the guesthouse for days, and no one is allowed to visit.”
“We are? Don’t you have work?”
“I have the rest of the week off,” Landon replied. “Well, technically I’ll be wrapping up stuff here, but I can do it all by phone. You’re to be ready to do my bidding as soon as the funeral is done.”
“We’ll talk about that later.”
“No, it’s going to happen,” Landon said, tickling my ribs. “I’m the boss. I’ve earned it.”
“Oh, give him what he wants,” Aunt Tillie said. “The sooner you do it the faster I won’t have to listen to him complain about it.”
“Amen,” Chief Terry said, although he offered me a small wink.
“There is one thing I need for my report,” Landon said, sobering as he turned his eyes from me to Aunt Tillie. “Why were you at the senior center the day before Patty’s body was found?”
It takes a lot to catch Aunt Tillie off guard, and his question clearly accomplished that. “I wasn’t there,” she lied.
“I know why she was there,” I said, smirking.
“You do?” Landon was intrigued. “Would you care to share with the class?”
“No, she wouldn’t,” Aunt Tillie replied. “She doesn’t know anyway, so there’s no sense asking her.”
That was a challenge if I ever heard one. “She was there to see Kenneth.”
“Oh, really?” Chief Terry asked, arching an eyebrow. “Are yo
u going to put a claim in on your man after all?”
“That is just … preposterous,” Aunt Tillie sputtered, her cheeks flooding with color. “I … how did you know that?” She glared at me, suspicious.
“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” I replied. “You said he didn’t fight long enough for you. That made me realize you wanted him to fight. You were there to see whether the rumors you heard about the other women in town – like Mrs. Little – throwing themselves at him were true. You had bad timing.”
“Oh, Aunt Tillie and Kenneth sitting in a tree,” Landon sang out, his chest rumbling with laughter. “Are we going to see him at dinner again?”
“I’m done talking about this,” Aunt Tillie said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re all … idiots.”
That wasn’t a denial.
“And, just for the record, Margaret Little is beneath Kenneth,” Aunt Tillie added. “I just thought he should know that.”
I couldn’t help but picture Kenneth’s imminent return, and it made me happy. It wasn’t a great love, but it was still a lot of fun … for both of them.
“What happened to Mrs. Little?” I asked. I hadn’t seen her since we separated on the street near the clearing in the trees. Carolyn raced outside when she realized there was a ruckus. She was given the option of riding to the hospital with her father, but declined. I had a feeling she also was happy things were over.
“I dropped her off at her store after taking her statement,” Chief Terry answered. “She’s an emotional mess. She’s blaming everything on Tillie.”
“That rat,” Aunt Tillie muttered. “I’ll deal with her, too.”
“Leave it alone,” I said, shaking my head. “You two are done now. Just … go your separate ways. Steal Kenneth back and call it a day.”
“I would but … that really sounds nothing like me,” Aunt Tillie said. “I’ll give her a few days to regroup and then lower the boom.”
“Aunt Tillie!”
“Stay out of it, Bay,” Chief Terry said, his admonishment taking me by surprise. “This war has been going on for longer than you’ve been alive. Let Tillie handle her own affairs.”
“You just want to see what she comes up with,” Landon said, laughing.
“I could use some entertainment,” Chief Terry agreed, nodding. “What happens next for you, Bay? Are you ready to go home and tell your mother everything that happened? She’s going to be ticked.”
“She is.”
“Don’t let her ruin my pie,” Chief Terry said. “I might be a few minutes late for dinner due to wrapping up things here. I’ll be ticked if that pie is gone.”
“I’ll protect your pie with my life,” I said. “I have one stop to make before going home.”
“What? Why?” Landon whined. “I’m too tired for a stop.”
“You don’t have to go with me.”
Landon was suspicious. “What are you doing? If you end up in trouble again I’ll add five days to your slave sentence.”
“I won’t end up in trouble,” I said, my stomach clenching as resignation washed over me. “Aunt Tillie is going to deal with Patty, but I have a ghost of my own to deal with.”
Aunt Tillie’s eyes flooded with sympathy. “Are you going to tell Edith how she died?”
I nodded. “She needs to know. She’s blamed you for more than fifty years.”
“What will happen then?” Landon asked. “Will she move on?”
I shrugged. I had no idea. “Most ghosts move on when they know what happened to them or they’ve been avenged. Edith has been around a long time, though. She might not want to go.”
Landon brushed my hair from my face. “Do you want her to go?”
“I … .” Did I? I let my gut answer. “Yes.”
“Bay, you shouldn’t hold everything against Edith,” Aunt Tillie said. “She wasn’t alone in doing wrong. We all were a part of it.”
“Yes, but what Edith, Fay, Viola and Mrs. Little did to Patty after she’d already lost so much was despicable,” I said. “I’ve made excuses for Edith for as long as I can remember. I don’t want to deal with her any longer.”
“Well, I don’t blame you,” Aunt Tillie said. “She always was an idiot.”
I snickered, leaning my head against Landon’s shoulder a moment before pushing myself to my feet. “I need to get it done. I don’t want it hanging over my head.”
“Let’s go then,” Landon said, following me toward the door. “After that I’ll buy you an ice cream cone if you promise not to let it spoil your appetite.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “You’re coming with me?”
“Where you go, I go.”
“But … I’m safe now,” I reminded him. “You don’t have to shadow me.”
“Yes, but I like doing it,” Landon said, his impish grin lighting up his handsome face. “I don’t want to be separated from you, and I don’t want you doing this alone. We’re a team, missy. You need to get used to it.”
“Oh, I might gag,” Aunt Tillie said, shaking her head.
I slipped my hand into Landon’s and smiled. Having someone to lean on was something I was still adjusting to, but I never wanted to give it up. “Let’s go.”
“After that you still owe me a dirty text,” Landon said. “I feel neglected.”
“So I have to give you dirty texts and be your slave? That doesn’t seem fair.”
“Life isn’t fair, sweetie,” Landon said. “For now, though, I’m king of the world.”
“And I’m queen of the barf bag,” Aunt Tillie intoned. “Seriously, I can only take so much.”
“You’ll live,” Landon said. “And for that … I’m mostly thankful.”
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Acknowledgments
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.
Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
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Charms & Witchdemeanors (Wicked Witches of the Midwest Book 8) Page 32