Easy Bake Coven: Book One of the Vivienne Finch Magical Mysteries

by J. D. Shaw

  She decided to test the effects of the powder. “You know, I was thinking it might be a good idea if you let me go visit Suzette Powell.”

  He stared at her blankly. “It might be a good idea? Sure, I think that actually might be a good idea.”

  “I think you should let me visit her and make sure everything is okay.” Vivienne continued. “You should have Deputy Arkins escort me to the holding area.”

  “Miss Finch.” He looked at her with glassy eyes. “I’d like you to go visit with Suzette Powell and check on her. Deputy Arkins will escort you to the holding cells.” He reached for the phone and pressed one of the interior line buttons. “Jerry, Deputy Arkins and Miss Vivienne Finch are coming down to see Suzette Powell.” He appeared to listen to a question on the other end. “Yes, it’s fine with me. I’ll send them right down.”

  Upon hearing the conversation, Joshua stepped into the office. “You wanted to see me Sir?”

  Zeke smiled warmly. “Yes, Deputy Arkins. Will you escort Miss Finch down to holding so she can visit Suzette Powell? I think it’s a very good idea.”

  “No problem, sir.” Joshua marveled at the effects of the magic powder. He looked at Vivienne. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll lead the way.”

  Vivienne rose from her seat and took his arm. “Thank you Sheriff Rigsbee. You relax and enjoy the rest of that apple blossom and the coffee.”

  “Oh, thank you Miss Finch.” He speared another piece of the baked treat and let out a little hum of pleasure as he chewed.

  As they walked toward the holding area, Joshua whispered in Vivienne’s ear. “You never used that stuff on me, did you?”

  “How can you even think that?” She whispered back.

  “I’m dating a witch.” He answered softly. “I don’t think these types of questions are out of line.”

  She gently poked him in the side of the ribs with her elbow and they walked downstairs to the holding cells. “The effects will wear off in about an hour or so. So we better hurry.”

  They decided it would be best to have Joshua stay outside with the officer on duty and keep him from hearing what Vivienne was asking Suzette.

  As Vivienne stepped into the area where the cells were, she had no trouble locating Suzette as she was the only person in custody.

  She was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and her hair was a bit messy and untamed as she nervously chewed on her nails. She sat up from the bunk in surprise. “Vivienne Finch? What are you doing here?”

  Vivienne felt sorry for her. The smell wasn’t as bad as she imagined it would be. It was a mix of heavy antiseptic cleanser and metal. “Suzette, I came to see how you were holding up and ask you some questions.”

  “Is my lawyer here?” She looked to the side from behind the bars of her cell.

  “This isn’t official.” Vivienne spoke softly. “I have some questions to ask if you’re okay with that. I’m sort of doing my own little investigation.”

  Suzette shook her head. “I didn’t kill Mona Clarke.” She gripped the bars on the cell door with her hands. “No one believes me.”

  “I believe you.” Vivienne folded her arms across her chest as the heater didn’t seem to doing much of anything except make clanking noises. “Maybe we can put some of the missing pieces together and figure out what really happened?”

  ”I only wish my lawyer seemed as concerned as you.” Suzette answered. “What did you want to know?”

  “Well, first we need to talk about the affair with Richard Clarke.”

  “I didn’t do that either.” Suzette gripped the bars so tightly in response that the color from hands blanched. “They said he confessed to it at a press conference? Is that true?”

  “He did.” Vivienne nodded back. “Why would he lie about that?”

  “I don’t know.” Suzette began to tear up. She pulled her hands back through the bars and wiped her face. “It’s like they’re all trying to frame me. What did I ever do to deserve this?”

  “Are you aware of the physical evidence the police found? Your finger nail was embedded in Mona Clarke’s wrist?”

  “Yes, my lawyer told me about that.” Suzette produced the finger where her nail was indeed broken off although it looked entirely possible it had been nervously bitten. “I don’t know how it was broken.”

  “So how did it end up embedded in Mona’s wrist?”

  Suzette sobbed and shook her head in frustration. “I can’t answer that because I honestly don’t know. Before you showed up I started to wonder if maybe I was crazy and had a split personality or something. Maybe my lawyer could get me off the hook on a temporary insanity charge or something?”

  Vivienne shared in her frustration. Suzette didn’t have as many answers as she had hoped for. “Where were you the morning when Mona was murdered?”

  “I was out walking the hiking trails by the lake.” She answered. “I’d put on a few pounds over the summer and I wanted to get in shape before the holidays came around. You know, sort of give myself a little wiggle room for all those sugary treats.”

  “Did anyone see you?”

  “I don’t think so.” Suzette shook her head. “After the summer tourists leave, the park is pretty deserted. It was just me and the geese.”

  “It is pretty deserted this time of year.” Vivienne agreed. “So you don’t have anyone to verify your location that morning.”

  Suzette looked up at the ceiling of the holding cell where the heating unit continued to make annoying noises. “I wish I did because then I wouldn’t be here.”

  “Did you know about the magazine interview with Mona before the meeting the night of the Historic Commission meeting?”

  “Yes.” Suzette answered. “I overheard Victoria telling Mary Ellen about it right before we walked into the meeting.” Suzette squinted as she thought back. “Mary Ellen said something about how she was glad someone else was going to look like the bad guy on the committee for once.”

  “So they knew about it?” Vivienne wondered aloud. “Most likely because Fiona and Victoria are so close.”

  “Who’s Fiona?” Suzette asked.

  “A friend of Mona’s from New York City.” Vivienne answered. “She runs the publisher that produces the online magazine.”

  “Mona said she was having a lawyer look into things.” Suzette offered. “Why would she show up at the memorial service if she was getting sued for libel? Doesn’t that seem rather tacky?”

  “Maybe Fiona was snooping around to find out if Richard was still pursuing legal action?” Vivienne thought aloud.

  “Or maybe Richard wasn’t involved with the legal process at all?” Suzette offered. “Maybe this was something Mona was pursuing and he didn’t even know about it?”

  Vivienne snapped her fingers. “I never thought of that.”

  “Maybe Fiona was the one who murdered Mona?” Suzette pressed on. “Vivienne, you have to find out who did this. Don’t let me get sent away to prison for something I didn’t do.”

  “I’m trying to help out the best way I can.” Vivienne reassured her. “I wish I had more questions but I can’t think of anymore right now.”

  Suzette reached through the bars and took hold of Vivienne’s hands. “You’ve given me hope that I’m not going to rot in here. That’s a start.”

  Vivienne suddenly felt light-headed and slumped against the bars of the cell. Everything faded to black and then she heard voices. People were arguing. Her vision cleared and she found herself seated in Suzette’s position during the Historic Commission meeting. She was compelled to chew on her nails as the audience started to grow restless. The microphone squealed with feedback and she reached out to cover it with her hands. Another pair of hands reached over hers and she felt one of her nails break off.

  “Vivienne, can you hear me?” Joshua’s voice called out to her from the crowd.

  Vivienne awoke on the floor of the holding area. She blinked a few times as she came around to her senses. “What happened?”

  “Y
ou fainted.” Suzette replied from the other side of the bars.

  Joshua helped her up from the floor. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so.” Her head was still foggy from the strange vision that had filled her mind.

  Jerry, the officer on duty, scratched his chin with concern. “Should I call an ambulance?”

  Joshua put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned against his chest for support. “No, I’ll take care of her. I think we’ve had enough for tonight.”

  “Don’t forget about me in here.” Suzette pleaded.

  Vivienne gave her a weak nod and walked alongside Joshua and Jerry as they left the holding cells.

  Jerry returned to his post at the door. “Hope it’s not the flu starting early. I’m saving my sick time up for when Cynthia has the baby.”

  Joshua helped Vivienne to the elevator. “No, she’s just been running on fumes all week.”

  Vivienne looked up at Jerry as the elevator arrived and the door slid open. “When is the baby due?”

  “Probably around Christmas time which will work out great come tax season.” Jerry’s eyes lit up with excitement. “But Cynthia’s hoping it’s after New Years.”

  They stepped into the elevator. “As long as it’s healthy, that’s all that matters.” Joshua pressed the button to return them to the ground floor.

  By the time they had reached the main lobby, Vivienne was back to feeling like herself again. “I have to tell you something when we get outside.” She whispered in Joshua’s ear.

  “Okay.” He whispered back and said goodnight to the officers on duty.

  As they stepped out into the chilly night air outside the Sheriff’s office, Vivienne felt more alert. “I had a vision of the historic commission meeting.”

  “What did you see?”

  “It was as if I were Suzette sitting in her chair. I saw the microphone and it started to get that awful feedback.”

  “I remember that happening.” Joshua interrupted. “Werewolf hearing is more sensitive than human.”

  Vivienne struggled to recall the details. “I put my hands out to cover it up and then someone put their hands over mine and broke one of my nails.”

  “Who did that?” Joshua asked.

  “I couldn’t see.” Vivienne replied.

  “Which side did the hands come from?”

  Vivienne thought for a moment. “It was Victoria Clemens. She reached out to pull my hands away.

  “Are you positive?”

  Vivienne inhaled some of the cold air. “So that’s how Suzette’s nail must have been broken. It had nothing to do with Mona Clarke at all.”

  “So how did her nail end up embedded in Mona Clarke’s wrist?” Joshua asked.

  A strong gust of wind whipped across the steps of the Sheriff’s office and Vivienne shivered. “I don’t know. The vision ended right after that happened.”

  “So you think that Victoria Clemens had some part in this?”

  Vivienne shrugged. “Visions aren’t going to help in a court of law. We’re going to need to find some tangible evidence.”

  As they started down the stairs, Officer Frank Borden knocked on the glass door to get their attention. He opened it partly, fighting the wind. “Deputy Arkins, you never signed off on that incident report from yesterday.”

  Joshua stopped in his tracks. “I forgot all about it.”

  “I hate to bother you on your day off.” Frank apologized. “But we need to send it to Albany by tomorrow or there’s going to be hell to pay.”

  Joshua reached into his pocket and handed Vivienne the keys to his car. “You’ll catch a death of a cold out here. I’ll be just a minute or two.”

  “It’ll be all heated up by the time you come back.” She smiled. “You don’t need any more trouble at work.”

  He rushed back into the station with Frank on his heels just as her cell phone rang. It was a call that was automatically forwarded from her business line to her personal cell after hours.

  “Vivienne, this is Samantha. Thank God I took your business card with me.” She said breathlessly over the phone.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I found something in my purse when I got home and when I discovered what it was I thought you should know right away.” Samantha explained. “Remember when I told you I had knocked the purses over after the memorial service?”

  “Yes. I do.” Vivienne’s interest was sparked. “What did you find?”

  “A memory stick with a computer file on it.” Samantha continued. “I popped in my laptop to see if I could figure out who it belonged to.”

  “Who did it belong to?” Vivienne asked.

  “Victoria.” Samantha’s voice cracked a little. “But that’s not why I called. It was what I found on the memory stick that you need to know about.”

  Vivienne, freezing in the cold air, tried to coax the information out of Samantha a bit faster. “I hope it’s something that sheds some light on this case. The police here are completely on the wrong track.”

  Samantha jumped at the bait. “It had the original interview with Mona Clarke from the online magazine on it and another file with some additional quotes to add to the story.”

  “What additional quotes?”

  “There was something about running for mayor herself and how the townsfolk rarely get things right when they vote on issues.” Samantha continued. “Not the sort of things you’d say to get elected, that’s for sure.”

  “Yes, my friend Kathy read that article the night of the historic commission meeting.” Vivienne recalled. “So, Victoria put new material in the interview to screw Mona Clarke? Why would she do that to her best friend?”

  “There was also a note from Victoria to Fiona demanding she make the editor of the magazine add the new answers into the story or she would use her contacts in New York to yank advertisers from all her group publications. It was rather nasty.” Samantha finished.

  “You’re kidding?” Vivienne felt her jaw drop. “How soon can you have this sent to me?”

  “I’ll have it sent overnight air to you and I’ll make a copy here just in case. I hope it can help you with your investigating.”

  “Oh, believe me this will help.” Vivienne turned her back as a gust of wind whipped up. “More than you can know.”

  “Keep me posted on how things are going.” Samantha finished. “Talk to you soon.” She ended the call.

  Vivienne hurried down the steps, the cold wind whipping her hair against her face. She pressed on the key fob and unlocked the doors to the Jeep.

  Fighting against the wind, she forced the passenger door open just enough to get inside. She reached over and stuck the key in the ignition and started the car. Her fingers went to the heat controls and she cranked it up way into the bright red color along the dial. She couldn’t wait to tell Joshua about what Samantha had found. While not quite a motive for murder, it certainly would open a new avenue for the police to investigate.

  Once again, she admired how neat and clean he kept his vehicle. She wished her own car would stay as pristine and have that new car smell. She sniffed the air to get a whiff. Her nose rewarded her with the smell of something rotten and yet at the same time sweet. It was the most peculiar smell she had ever known. Thinking he had left some kind of takeout in the back seat, she turned around to locate it when a shadowy figure reached out and snatched her from the backseat.

  Some sort of rag was pressed against her nose and mouth. A new smell, a mixture of alcohol and nail polish remover, made her feel woozy. She tried to resist, but the touch of her attacker burned with searing cold, making her entire body shake. She only managed a single honk of the horn before her hands slipped off the steering wheel.

  Her arms and legs felt suddenly heavy. Despite her efforts, she could do nothing more to resist. Her eyelids grew heavy, fluttered, and then everything went black.

  Chapter 24

  Vivienne found herself sitting in a field on a warm evening just after sunset. Th
e grass was tall and swayed in a gentle breeze as hundreds of fireflies glittered against the night sky.

  Joshua was next to her, sitting Indian style amongst a group of robed people who were formed into a circle as the gentle beat of a solitary drum thumped along with a slow, rhythmic beat.

  “Hero and villain, lad and lass, all answer to the hourglass.” A feminine voice droned in time with the drum. It was Mona Clarke, dressed in a white robe with a torch in hand. She smiled at Vivienne and then knelt down and touched the flames to the base of the wood pile. It roared to life with a great whooshing sound. “Round the wheel spins, wrong and right. Darkness falls into the light.” Mona chanted as she stretched her arms up into the night sky.

  The bonfire blazed from the center of their circle, as the drum beat picked up pace. Vivienne watched the sparks from the crackling wood leap into the air. She clutched Joshua’s hand tightly and tipped her head back to look at the stars above.

  “I love you.” He spoke softly.

  “I love you too.” She leaned forward to kiss him when the flames suddenly disappeared and were quickly replaced with a wave of dark water. It splashed outward and swept her away from the circle with a thunderous crash.

  Vivienne awoke with a start, her face wet from lying in a shallow puddle of water on a cement block floor. She tried to move, only to discover that her arms and legs were tightly bound with a thick braided rope. She rolled onto her back and gasped in surprise. A sunken, hollow face watched her from above. Whoever it was looked very old, and in the poor light she was unable to tell if it was male or female. Dressed in a black hooded robe, it seemed happy to remain in the shadows away from scrutiny.

  The familiar rotten, yet sweet, smell from Joshua’s car returned and she had now found the source. It was her captor. “Why are you doing this?”

  The figure cocked its head to the side as if it didn’t understand her question.

  She inched her way back away from the solemn figure, until her movement came to sudden stop against a large barrel. It smelled of grapes and upon closer inspection she recognized it was one of those huge oak wine casks where the aging process occurred. “Where’s Joshua?” She asked again.