by Tegan Maher
I tried to gently push her away with my toe, but she took it as an invitation to switch attacks and bit hard onto the top of my foot where my sensible slides had left my skin exposed. I didn’t make a noise and managed to shake her off, hoping I had maintained my composure. I lifted my foot to rub the small but growing spot of blood on the back of my other pantleg.
When I turned back, only the red-cloaked figure remained, and whatever emotions floated behind the mask were still impossible to read. “Once we start, no magic spells can be cast, and the party will wrap up in three hours.” She turned to leave.
I started to follow, but Bear grabbed my arm. “We stay here.”
“How can we secure the property if we are out here?”
Red turned back to me. “This is the only entrance. All we need is for you to make sure nothing interrupts us.” She slipped through the door, and I heard the click of a dead bolt.
“Only entrance?” I turned to Bear. “What if there was a fire?”
“Mages don’t worry about that kinda thing.”
“Mages need a bit more common sense.” I pulled out a deck of cards from a pocket and handed them to Bear. “Sounds like this is going to be a pretty boring evening, so why don’t you start? Dealer’s choice.”
Chapter Three
We were still debating whether we had the rules right for a two-person pinochle, as I had grabbed the wrong deck of cards, when a single scream erupted. We stood up and were halfway to the locked door when the noise was followed by a variety of shouts.
I grabbed the door and pushed then pulled before remembering that I had heard them deadbolt it earlier. I panicked and was going to try to spell it open when Bear barked, “Step aside!” and crashed into it.
He backed up and hit it again. The door exploded inward, one side dragging on the carpet as the hinge was pulled partially out of the doorjamb. The other door flew inward and crashed into the wall with a second crash.
I rushed in, but the room was empty. The poker tables had all been shoved into a corner so the rest of the room was free for drawing a large circle with six candles around the edge.
“Creeptastic,” I said as I jogged around the edge of the circle.
All the candles were lit, and I did not want to mess with whatever they were doing.
There was also a large, decorated Christmas tree. Large glass icicles hung on it as the only decorations other than a gold star the size of my head and a million tiny lights. Next to it was a massive buffet table of untouched food.
That was when I spotted Violet gesturing to us from behind a partially opened door in the corner. Bear ran up to her, and I followed him in.
Red was on the floor, thick black blood leaking from a wound across the throat. The body had a heaviness to it that felt unnatural. I was glad that the face was still hidden behind a mask. Wrapped around the neck was a strand of mistletoe only recognizable where it trailed away from the body. Where it met the body, it was sunk deep into the skin, hidden behind thick reddish-black blood that shined in the overhead light.
The yellow-clad figure bent to press a hand to the neck while the rest of us hovered near the door. I watched the chest closely, waiting for the rise and fall, however slight, to indicate that it wasn’t too late.
Yellow turned to us. “It’s too late.”
There was little reaction from the group for it was hardly a surprise.
Green rubbed his forehead, a silly gesture given the mask but one of habit rather than necessity. “How could it be?” He looked around at the group. “It must be one of you.”
Yellow groaned loudly. “We were all together. Red left to get the supplies for the renewing of the spell and…”
Orange spoke up; the voice carried more authority than I had heard so far. “Take Red’s mask off.”
Green was the first to speak into the stunned silence. “Our identity is our secret.”
“Red’s secrets are dead.”
Yellow, still closest to the body, leaned down first to pull the mask off the woman. Her eyes were closed in eternal slumber. Her face was nondescript and not one I recognized.
But that was just my thought, because everyone else had a much stronger reaction. Blue made a strangled sound and stumbled backwards, bumping into Violet.
Yellow dropped the mask on the floor. “Let’s get out of here. This door has an interior lock that I can set. We need to sit down and talk.”
The group strode outwards as Yellow set the lock and pulled the door shut behind her.
I stepped over to Bear. “Do you recognize her?”
“She looks really familiar, but I can’t place her.”
Green was pacing back and forth. “Did you do this?” Green reared on us.
Yellow stepped over. “You know they didn’t. We locked them out.”
“But they could be working with someone.” Head tipped down, Green gave us a top-to-bottom once-over.
Bear raised a hand. “Easy now. We had nothing to do with it, but perhaps everyone would be best served by calling in another agency.”
“No!” Yellow barked. “We can’t unlock the door until the spell is dealt with. One way or another.”
“And we cannot do that until we know we are safe,” said Green.
They glowered at each other.
I thought they were all being a bit vague considering the circumstances. “We solve these kinds of situations for a living. If you just tell us why you are here and what you are doing, perhaps we can find the killer?”
Every face turned to stare at me as the seconds ticked by, but no one said a thing.
Finally Yellow broke the silence. “No.” She turned to the rest of the group. “Someone must have snuck in, maybe whoever sent the… you-know to us. Why don’t we break into groups and look?”
I sucked air through my teeth. “Break up? That’s a terrible idea.”
But Blue and Violet were already headed toward a smooth wall that, when pressed, revealed a hidden door. “We’ll check the restaurant and dining area.”
Yellow shrugged. “I’ll go to the craps room.”
Green turned to Orange. “The roulette room?”
“Uh, no, I agree with the Monza. Let’s stick together.”
I nodded and held up a second deck of cards. “Anyone want to play pinochle?”
Chapter Four
Green and Orange were arguing about the rules when I caught Bear’s eye. He flicked his eyebrows up then jerked his head toward the closed door to the room where Red lay dead. I nodded in return, agreeing to his unasked question. With the two masked figures in deep conversation, I might be able to sneak over to test the site.
The first skill I discovered when I learned that I was a mage was that I could read the death scene of the person who was killed by magic. The magic, at the moment of death, imprinted a hologram on the location, and I had a natural ability to pick it up, though it faded with time and distance. It had been useful to me in the past, especially when I could pick up the aura of the magic, a property of each magic user that I registered as a scent.
There was so much more to the skills, but until I met someone with a similar gift, I could only learn through experimentation. Mages were close mouthed with a long and spectacular history of killing off anyone that was a threat to them. Generous sharers they were not.
I stood up and stretched, getting my hand all mixed up in the cape. “Do I have to keep wearing this?” I knew enough about magic to know that when mysterious people forced a cape on you, you didn’t take it off without asking.
“You must wear it until the spell is renewed,” Green barked.
“Or destroyed,” Orange countered.
I groaned. “Fine. Though we aren’t part of the spell, so I don’t see what it matters.” It came out with more grumbling and whining than I had intended. I rubbed my temples in partial exaggeration, though I really did feel a headache coming on. “I’m going to walk the perimeter of the room.”
Orange looked at me so brie
fly that it was actually ruder than Green, who didn’t bother to acknowledge me at all. Apparently I didn’t need to make any excuses. Neither of them could care less about my movements.
Not very wise if someone had killed Red. They could at least pretend to worry I was a killer. It would serve them right if I stabbed them both.
I walked around the edge of the room, around the tables pressed against the wall, and skipped over the food at the buffet. It was such a shame to let all those decorated Christmas cookies, gingerbread, and hot cider go to waste, but I had learned that it was better to avoid food near a crime scene.
When I got to the corner, I checked that no one was watching, and when it was clear that they were deeply engrossed in a hand of cards, I turned to the door. I was close enough to get a reading if there was anything to read.
But first I took a slow breath, steadying myself magically and emotionally. Patagonia, pressed into my calf, purred so loudly I could feel it vibrating my leg. She could sense when I was about to work magic and took her involvement seriously, unlike everything else in our relationship.
I let out the breath I had been holding, comforted by her presence. It had an immediate effect on my nerves. I didn’t relish the task of seeing her murder, and once I did, it would be forever tucked away in my mind, vivid and clear, even as it faded in the world. It was not something to take lightly, and it was only my mission to let justice win that kept me using my gift.
But all my bracing was for nothing as I closed my eyes and reached out with my magic to see what I could find, because nothing was there. Even though it would have been instant if it had been, I tried a few more times before officially ruling the death as non-magical. Then I tried the door handle one more time, just in case. It was still locked, so I continued around the perimeter, checking for the aura of recent magic. I lifted my nose slightly and took a deep breath. It wasn’t actually more effective for finding an aura, but since my brain processed auras as smells, it was a hard habit to break. I picked up nothing.
The door creaked open, and Yellow emerged, busting into the room then stopping so suddenly that her cape flowed in front of her from the change in momentum. “You are done searching?”
“I have no intention of running into whoever killed Red,” said Orange. “I will mind my business and they theirs.”
“But what if we are the ones that are being targeted?” Yellow countered.
“Then it would be pretty stupid to run off on your own, don’t you think?”
Yellow slowly approached the table. “But we must handle this so we can either renew or break the spell.”
Green jerked his head up. “I will not break it. I told you that. And we have several hours. Blue and Violet will be back and we can handle it then.”
I listened carefully without showing how interested I was. I had heard enough earlier to piece together the real purpose of their supposed “business party” though I didn’t have nearly enough information to guess at what the spell meant.
Yellow turned back to look at the door that Blue and Violet had gone through. “I’d rather we go and look for them.”
Green tipped his head back. “And I would rather you shut up.”
Orange shook her head in a way that indicated this was a fight they had endured too many times before. “If they don’t come back in an hour, then I will go with you to look. I’m sure the security team will accompany us, which means Green can stay behind. Alone.”
Bear nodded once in agreement, and Green huffed loudly.
Yellow pulled out a chair to join the table. “Fine. One hour.”
Chapter Five
We didn’t make it the full hour when Green lowered the cards in his hand and sighed. “Yellow’s right. We should check the rest of the casino. I don’t think we’re playing this game right anyways.”
Yellow leapt up like a spring.
Orange, Bear, and I followed them into a large room full of old-fashioned slot machines that sat silent. I felt like they were watching me, and a prickle of unease ran up and down my spine.
The room carried the dull scent of long-extinguished cigarettes and even hints of cigars and pipes. There was something floral that reminded me of mixed drinks, though I was not enough of a drinker to discern which. I could imagine the room full of people having a good time.
I had seen my fair share of casinos, and this one was unusual. They normally had large flowing floorplans, encouraging people to move easily from area to area, everything open and inviting rather than a series of rooms.
When Yellow, Green, and Orange halted and fanned out to face something on the ground, my stomach tightened. I moved around the side to stand next to Orange and see Violet and Blue on the ground.
They both lay on their sides and had matching foot-long glass icicles from the Christmas tree shoved completely through their chests and sticking out their backs. I was surprised at the lack of blood. Either their hearts had stopped beating immediately or the icicles had sealed the wound. Perhaps both.
Their masks had been torn off. Violet was a dark-haired woman while Blue was an older man with salt-and-pepper hair.
It was unsettling to see two more dead bodies, but I had the sense that the others’ shock was at something other than the mere deaths.
Orange shook her head. “I had always wondered.”
Bear stepped forward. “I think it is beyond time for you to explain everything to us.”
Green grunted. “No need. We can handle it.”
Bear gestured to the bodies. “Really?”
Yellow stepped forward to face Green and Orange. “Perhaps we should speak privately.”
They all stared at each other before nodding and heading off through a door.
“Don’t mind us,” I said. “We’ll just wait here.”
Bear waited until the door to what appeared to be a kitchen closed behind the three of them. “No reading from the earlier death, right? I saw you shake your head at me.”
“Nothing. Let me check here.” Out of the dark room, Patagonia ran into my calf, giving me a mild nip at the ankle before settling in. Normally she stuck a lot closer to me, but she seemed to enjoy running around the empty casino.
I took a steadying breath and braced myself, but nothing came to me. This happened often, that I would get no reading because the death was natural. Usually it was a relief, but tonight I had really wanted answers.
I turned to Bear and shook my head. “Nothing.”
He looked at me then back at the bodies. “You sure?”
I rolled my eyes and tried again. Nothing happened. Additionally, I felt no magic aura in the air, and given that we had seen them alive recently, something would have lingered, wouldn’t it? I mentally added my question to the list of things I needed to investigate in the near future.
“I’m positive, Bear. How could we have nothing to go on?”
“You do recognize them, right? Him, at the least. We were just talking about him.”
I squinted as I studied his face, which was twisted into a permanently shocked expression, before gasping. “Rex Peterson? But he would be…” I stopped talking as I mentally answered my own unspoken question. While a human actor that was a fifties’ heartthrob would be quite elderly, he was a mage, which meant he aged much more slowly. It wasn’t uncommon for mages to retire from human careers and reinvent themselves in mage communities.
I studied his face, noticing the fine lines around the eyes and forehead and the white hair sprinkled throughout his otherwise black hair. He looked distinguished. “Tell me about him.”
I swung around when a voice behind me spoke.
“He sang here, and we decided to give you some details so you can help us out,” Yellow said. “Why don’t we go back to the front room to speak?”
Chapter Six
We settled in, including Patagonia on my lap. She was keeping a close eye on the caped Yellow, Orange, and Green, the only three remaining living members of the Christmas get-together.
> Bear was next to me, holding a small notebook and pencil. He eyed them all in turn, still hiding behind their colorful masks. “I know where I recognize Red from. She was married to Rex, wasn’t she? And that means her brother was Malone.” He gestured to a Malone’s sign hanging on the wall to emphasize his point.
Yellow must have been determined the leader as she took over the discussion immediately. “Yes, Meg was the business manager at Malone’s until it closed. She worked in Hollywood for a while, but her and Rex were often apart. In the seventies and eighties, he was a resident singer between acting gigs.”
Orange muttered something under her breath, and Yellow reared around to look at her. “Do you not like how I am telling the story?”
Orange sat up straighter. “You are leaving out a lot of important information.”
“Who Rex slept with isn’t relevant here.”
“Unless it is what got all three of them killed!” Orange shouted.
Bear held up a hand. “I am familiar with the rumors that Rex was a… playboy. I assume you are saying that the rumor was true and current?”
Yellow tipped her head. “That is true. When Malone’s closed down, Meg went on to work at a Casino and is now a top executive. One of those fancy jobs with all the letters… CEO, COO, something like that. Rex, on the other hand, started a talent agency and recording studio. His company was known for finding the next young starlets.”
A thought hit me suddenly: the third dead body was a face I knew. “Violet Hue! I should have recognized her sooner. But she wasn’t a young starlet?”
Yellow gave me a nod of appreciation at my observation. “She was when she was a backup singer for Rex in the eighties. Their lives intersected many times. She worked for him as a vocal coach and recently was revamping her career as a singer-songwriter. And it was rumored that they, Rex and Violet, were lovers.”
Green, quiet through the rest of the conversation, pointed at Yellow. “Why do you know so much?”