A Drop of Magic (A Sugarcomb Lake Cozy Mystery Book 3)

by Alaine Allister

  She looked in the direction of the stairwell with dread. She needed to go to the top floor of the building. That was like, a million flights up…or at least it would feel like a million flights. There was no way her calves could handle that.

  Then Clarissa’s eyes fell on a janitor’s cart. It was sitting abandoned in the middle of the hallway. And propped up right beside it was a big, beautiful broom. It was almost as though it was begging to be used.

  “I am not a thief,” Clarissa told herself firmly. “I’m just going to borrow the broom.”

  She looked around to make sure she was alone.

  Then she scurried over to the janitor’s cart and grabbed hold of the broom.

  Feeling rebellious and a bit giddy, Clarissa ran outside with her new toy Was it sad that she got a cheap thrill from “borrowing” something as mundane as an abandoned broom? Yep, she sure knew how to live on the wild side…

  “At least tonight won’t be a total waste,” Clarissa murmured, trying to stay positive.

  She wasn’t impressed that she would have to spend her evening waiting for Nancy Donoghue to go home. But now she had an opportunity to practice flying on a broomstick. That certainly sounded more exciting than twiddling her thumbs and watching the clock.

  With any luck, the elevator would be repaired by the time Clarissa needed to go to the top floor of the building. She could hope, anyway. Did elevator repairmen even work at this hour? She crossed her fingers, praying that they did.

  Even though she knew it would be good for her, she really, really didn’t like the thought of climbing a billion stairs. That sounded far too exhausting. In fact, her calves ached at the mere thought of it.

  She walked out to the grassy area just beyond the tall building. She made sure she could still see Nancy’s office window – the second the lights went out, she intended to go do some snooping. But until then, she was going to try to have a little fun.

  Clarissa glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching.

  Not only was no one watching…the campus was all but deserted. There was probably some big party going on off campus, she reasoned. The normally busy walkways were basically vacant. It was a bit eerie – but a great opportunity to do some witch stuff!

  Feeling goofy, Clarissa held the broom up over her head. Then she thought about flying.

  To her surprise, the broom jerked to life almost immediately. It felt almost like she was holding a bunch of helium balloons that were threatening to lift her up off the ground. Clarissa had to yank the broom back down before it took off without her!

  “Wow,” she murmured, wondering if she had come across the world’s most amazing broom.

  Then she glanced skyward and took note of the full moon. Ah, that made more sense. Moonlight was apparently super magical…or something. Clarissa wasn’t exactly sure how all that stuff worked. But she figured the full moon was probably making her powers stronger or something.

  With a shrug, Clarissa climbed onto the broom.

  Once she was straddling it, she turned her mind back to taking flight.

  Almost immediately, the broom lifted up off the ground. And it took Clarissa with it! Before she knew it, her toes weren’t even touching the grass! It was pretty remarkable, especially considering all the difficulty she’d had with flying in the past.

  “Oh wow!” Clarissa whispered to herself as she held on for dear life. “I’m flying!”

  In a way, she wasn’t unlike a toddler learning to walk. As she took her first baby steps, she was shaky and uncertain. The broom wobbled and quivered beneath her, like it might succumb to gravity at any moment. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

  “I’m really doing it!” Clarissa gasped as she soared higher.

  She was a good four feet off the ground now. Even though she was afraid of heights, she was filled to the brim with excitement. Flying on a broom was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She felt vulnerable and powerful all at once.

  “Go over there!” she commanded the broom, pointing to her left.

  She wasn’t sure if that was the correct way to move a broom. After all, it was an inanimate object…at least she thought it was. Now that she had discovered a whole new world full of magic and intrigue, Clarissa wasn’t sure about much anymore.

  These days, all Clarissa could really do was engage in trial and error. She’d had some false starts that way, and suffered more than a little embarrassment. But overall, her experimentation with her newfound powers had proven to be useful.

  This time was no different.

  Immediately after Clarissa gave the command, her broom jerked to the left.

  “Eek!” the novice witch gasped, grabbing hold of the broomstick with both hands.

  Unfortunately for Clarissa, some kind of insect flew into her mouth right as she opened it. It was gross, yes. But worse yet, it caused her to immediately lose concentration. She fell from the sky gracelessly, landing hard on her backside.

  Thankfully, the lush green grass helped to cushion her fall.

  “Ouch!” Clarissa yelped.

  The insect flew out of her mouth and into the night, apparently unharmed.

  “That was the grossest thing ever!” Clarissa groaned after she finished coughing.

  It was so typical that an insect would just so happen to come along right as she opened her mouth. Sometimes she could swear the universe hated her! Or at the very least, the universe had a twisted sense of humor.

  “Clarissa!” a voice called from the pathway behind her. “I thought that looked like you.”

  Turning her head, Clarissa saw her aunt rushing over.

  “What are you doing sitting out here on the grass all alone?” Matilda demanded.

  “I was…actually, it’s not important,” Clarissa said, embarrassed by her tumble.

  Her aunt looked at her knowingly. “You were flying, weren’t you?”

  “What makes you think that?”

  Wordlessly, Matilda pointed to the broomstick lying in the grass by Clarissa’s foot. “Don’t go too high,” she advised. “Learning to fly takes time, and you don’t want to overestimate your abilities. Otherwise you could fall and get hurt.”

  “Too late,” Clarissa said, wincing as she stood up. “What are you doing here so late?”

  “I could ask you the same thing,” Matilda said coyly.

  “I’m investigating,” Clarissa said, lowering her voice. “I have a hunch that Nancy Donoghue might know more about the dean’s death than she’s letting on. Don’t judge me for this, but I’m hoping to do a little snooping around her office as soon as she leaves for the night.”

  “You think Nancy had something to do with the murder?” Matilda asked, wide-eyed.

  “You look surprised. You don’t think she had anything to do with it?”

  “No, it’s not that. It’s just strange to think I may have been working in the same office as a cold-blooded killer, that’s all,” Matilda explained.

  “Ah. Then again, your colleagues would probably be pretty surprised to find out they’ve been working in the same office as a witch!” Clarissa pointed out.

  “Shh, don’t say that so loudly!” Matilda cautioned. “Someone might overhear.”

  Matilda had never really explained why it was so important no one know about their powers. But this probably wasn’t the time to get into it, Clarissa reasoned. Her aunt seemed to be in a hurry, judging by the way she kept glancing at her watch. And Clarissa was eager to show that broom who was boss!

  Bending down, Clarissa picked up the broom to signal that she was done talking. “There’s no one out here to overhear us,” she said. She paused then and looked around at empty walkways. “The entire campus is pretty much deserted tonight,” she observed.

  “Not completely,” Matilda said with a twinkle in her eye. “See that light up there?” she asked, pointing to an office on the same floor as Nancy’s. “That’s Cliff’s office.” She sounded giddy when she said his name.


  Clarissa could relate. It was how she felt when she thought about Parker.

  “Ah, now I understand why you’re here so late,” Clarissa said knowingly. “Visiting Cliff?”

  “I figured I would surprise him. I ordered a pizza, and it should be delivered any minute!” Matilda said, sounding excited. And as amazing as pizza was, that probably wasn’t what she was excited about.

  “You really like him, huh?”

  “Well I haven’t turned him into a toad yet,” Matilda joked. “I suppose that’s a good sign! Victor isn’t fond of him, but whatever…what does Victor know, anyway? He’s probably just jealous because I’m not around as much anymore.”

  “Victor as in…?” Clarissa asked, half-dreading the answer.

  “The ghost who lives in the lamp I bought at a flea market,” Matilda said matter-of-factly. “To be fair, Victor doesn’t like many people, so it’s no surprise. He can be moody.” She was speaking as if everything she was saying was completely normal instead of totally absurd.

  “You share your house with a moody ghost. That’s not creepy or anything.”

  “Victor is fine once you get to know him,” Matilda insisted. “I’ll introduce you to him sometime. But you have to promise to give him a chance,” she cautioned. “I don’t want you being rude to him!”

  “Yes, we wouldn’t want to offend a moody ghost,” Clarissa said wryly.

  “You joke, but it’s true. If you upset Victor he would probably spend every night slamming all the doors and cupboards! He’s vengeful that way. I’d never sleep again!” Matilda predicted with a shudder.

  “Can’t you like, I don’t know…get an exorcist to banish him or something?” Clarissa asked.

  Matilda stared at her blankly. “Why would I do that?”

  “Uh, so you wouldn’t have a vindictive ghost haunting you?!”

  “Like I said, Victor is okay as long as you don’t make him angry. Usually we just watch TV together in the evenings, although it always has to be what he wants to watch. If I change the channel he just shuts the TV off.”

  “That sounds annoying – and creepy!”

  “No, it’s fine,” Matilda said dismissively. “Besides, I like the company.”

  “Oh Matilda,” Clarissa sighed. “It’s a good thing you found a boyfriend.”

  “Why?”

  “You sound like a crazy person, that’s why!” Clarissa laughed.

  “You’re the crazy catlady,” Matilda shot back.

  “I am not.”

  “Oh?” her aunt smirked. “Isn’t that yours?” she asked, looking past Clarissa.

  Clarissa turned around to see Cat a few feet away. Crouched down in the grass, Clarissa’s companion was assuming a predatory stance. Upon closer inspection, the fluffy black feline appeared to be enthusiastically stalking a moth.

  “That’s the cat you belong to, isn’t it?” Matilda pressed.

  “Don’t you mean the cat that belongs to me?”

  Matilda gave her a knowing look. “You and I both know cats can’t be owned.”

  “That’s true,” Clarissa conceded.

  “But anyway, my point was that you brought your cat with you tonight!” Matilda cackled. “Pretty soon you’ll be like one of those Hollywood celebrities, strutting up and down Rodeo Drive with their yappy little dogs tucked under their arms!”

  “I will not!” Clarissa protested. “And besides, I didn’t bring the cat with me.”

  “It just magically appeared here?” Matilda snorted.

  “No, but…ugh, never mind.”

  “Ha, I win! But I’d better go. You be careful – and let me know if you find any dirt on Nancy, alright? Ooh, I can’t wait to tell Cliff about your sleuthing!” Matilda said eagerly. “He’s been so busy with his new promotion that we haven’t talked much lately. I miss him.”

  Clarissa smiled, happy that her aunt had finally met someone worthwhile. Matilda had been on her own for years. It was about time she found somebody special to share her life with – preferably someone who wasn’t a ghost inhabiting an old lamp.

  Matilda deserved to find love. Everyone did.

  Once again, Clarissa’s thoughts turned to Parker.

  Mmm, he was so dreamy. She missed him. Was he missing her too?

  Chapter 19

  “Meow!” a little voice said from the darkness.

  “Oh, there you are,” Clarissa said as Cat emerged from the shadows.

  The cat paraded past her, pausing a few feet away to sniff the grass.

  There was a rustle in some bushes up by the building Matilda had gone into. The cat immediately crouched down, assuming predator position. Then, as a small bird flew out from the foliage, the cat took off charging from what may as well have been a billion miles away.

  Clarissa watched with amusement. The bird was long gone by the time the little black feline reached the bushes. It was no surprise. Did the cat really think it would be able to catch a bird when it was so incredibly un-subtle?

  With a snort of indignation, the cat turned around.

  “I hope you do a better job of chasing evil spirits away,” Clarissa giggled.

  The humiliated feline hissed angrily before slinking away.

  “Hmm, speaking of flying…” Clarissa looked at the broom she was holding and shrugged. Why not give it another go? It wasn’t like there was much else to do while she waited for Nancy Donoghue to leave her office.

  She hopped on the broom. A moment later, her feet left the ground. There Clarissa was, grinning like an idiot as she flew through the air. Heeding her aunt’s advice, she made sure she didn’t soar too high. Even so, it was a real rush!

  Suddenly she noticed movement in the window she had been keeping an eye on.

  There was Nancy!

  It was all Clarissa could do to keep herself from losing concentration. She somehow managed to guide herself back to the ground, only crash-landing at the very last minute. It wasn’t graceful but on the plus side, she didn’t get hurt.

  Once both feet were safely on the ground, Clarissa stared up at the building.

  As she watched, the heavyset woman unlocked the large window in her office. She opened it up and leaned out. At first Clarissa wasn’t sure what was going on. But then she saw the guidance counselor light a cigarette and take a long drag.

  Okay. That made sense. Smoking wasn’t allowed inside the building and the elevator was broken. Nancy didn’t feel like walking down a zillion flights of stairs just to have a cigarette break. That was understandable.

  As she watched Nancy, something began to bother Clarissa.

  She began to pace the perimeter of the building, unsure of what was nagging at her. She eventually found herself standing where Miles had landed. Clarissa knew the exact spot where the dean had died, but the chalk outline on the sidewalk was all but gone now.

  Suddenly Clarissa identified what was bothering her.

  If the police had wrapped up their investigation, then that meant the door to the roof should be unlocked. Why wasn’t Nancy smoking up there? After all, it was only a short walk. Surely it would be more pleasant to stand outside and gaze up at the stars rather than hang awkwardly from the window.

  “What if the police weren’t the ones who locked the door to the roof?” Clarissa whispered to herself. “What if the college always keeps that door locked?”

  The more Clarissa thought about it, the more sense it made.

  She had been a college student once. She knew if there was trouble to be found, rowdy, carefree college kids would find it. If a group of them went up on the roof and started horsing around… Well, that could end badly. Even with the concrete barrier in place.

  Of course the university kept the door locked!

  Allowing free access to the rooftop would be a liability.

  So what had Miles Connor been doing up there on a rooftop no one was supposed to be on? Sure, it would have made a nice stargazing spot. But if Clarissa remembered correctly, it had been overcast the
night he died.

  She stared up at the building, wondering what she was missing.

  Then it hit her.

  What if Miles Connor hadn’t fallen from the roof? What if he had fallen from an open window instead? That changed things. It changed things a lot.

  “Excuse me?” an unfamiliar voice said from behind Clarissa.

  She jumped and whirled around.

  A young pizza delivery guy was standing there. “Did you order a pizza?” he asked.

  “No,” Clarissa replied. “My aunt did, though. She’s in there,” she added, pointing.

  “I already tried to go to the floor she specified,” the young man said. “The elevator is broken.”

  “Oh, that’s right. It is.”

  “I’m not walking up all those stairs,” the pizza delivery guy said. “I’ve got a sore foot.”

  “You know what? I’ll see that the pizza gets to my aunt,” Clarissa said, reaching for the box. “How much do I owe you?”

  As soon as she had paid, Clarissa pulled out her phone and called her aunt.

  “Hello?”

  “Your pizza is here,” Clarissa said.

  “Oh! Perfect. Hang on one second.”

  Clarissa heard the sound of muffled footsteps on the other end. Then her aunt came back on the line, sounding breathless. “Okay, I’m in the office next door to Cliff’s,” Matilda said quietly. “I’m going to open the window. I need you to go stand underneath it.”

  “Uh, you’re not expecting me to throw the pizza to you, are you?” Clarissa asked, craning her neck to look up at the building. “There’s no way I can throw that high.”

  “No, of course I don’t expect you to do that, silly. Hurry up!” Matilda urged.

  For the second time that evening, Clarissa saw a window open and a person lean out. This time it was her aunt. Clarissa walked underneath the window and stared upward, wondering what in the world Matilda had planned.

  Suddenly Clarissa jumped. It felt like something had hit her…ultra-fine granules of sand, maybe? But it wasn’t windy out, so that didn’t make sense. She rubbed her eyes and then looked up at her aunt suspiciously, wondering what was going on.

  “You didn’t just throw something down at me, did you?” Clarissa asked.