The Peculiar Case of the Lost Colony

by Constance Barker

  “Ladies, I’m going to have to ask you to leave—” a detective said hurriedly, obscuring our line of sight. I swallowed the bit of bile rising up in my throat, the image of Martin’s face frozen in fear and agony burned in the back of my mind. It should have been a pleasant sight, and while I wasn’t exactly upset to see the man’s lifeless body, it was something of a shock. His face was gaunt and pale, and I knew there was no chance of the lingering emergency service workers being able to help him.

  “What happened? I know this man, what on Earth happened?” Agnes demanded, trying to push past the man. The detective hesitated, glancing over his shoulder as a sheet was draped over Martin’s body.

  “As far as we can tell, it has all the telltale signs of a suicide. No one in town has been able to identify the... well, the victim, as it were. If you know who it is, we may need you to come down to the station for questioning. There was a note left behind, but we can’t make sense of it. It’s just a series of papers with some strange scientific notation scribbled across them,” the detective mused aloud. I looked to Agnes with wide eyes, and she looked as if she were prepared to faint.

  “Can I see the notes... I... I have a feeling they may be for me. The man was a friend of mine, and...,” she paused, her face twisting in a brief grimace. “I can tell you everything I know about him, but I’m his only remaining kin,” Agnes said hurriedly. I raised a brow, admiring her ability to act so well considering the circumstances. The detective nodded, shouting over his shoulder for the evidence to be brought to him.

  “Technically, I’m not supposed to go showing off the evidence, but it’s a pretty cut and dry case. The last page is some sort of crazed rambling about making some kind of potion. Way we see it, he lost his mind. We found the remains of some kind of poison in a chalice beside him. We’re going to perform some cursory tests, but... yeah. Not much of a case here. It’s obvious he did himself in,” the detective murmured. Agnes nodded quietly, taking the papers and looking over them. Her eyes widened marginally, and I counted the pages as she flipped through them. It looked to be around five old journal pages, in the same format as the ones we’d previously uncovered from Flamel. The last paper had some frantic scribbling across the page, the words starting out normally but quickly losing legibility. Agnes handed the paper to me with a tense expression, and I scanned over the document as quickly as I could.

  The final legible line on the page stuck out more than any of the others, and I felt a chill go down my spine as I read it.

  “The key has succumbed. With the final ingredient, I will finally achieve the everlasting life that has been kept hidden from me. Agnes Astor Smith, I write this final note to bid you adieu. It’s been quite a ride, has it not? I’d say I’ll see you on the other side... but we both know that’s not true. Ah, well..., goodbye, my once dear friend.”

  After that little note, there were odd drawings of symbols and smears of what appeared to be blood. The word ‘the key’ was written repeatedly at the bottom, and I raised a brow as I looked back to Agnes.

  “Was there anyone else on the scene?” Agnes asked calmly, though it was obvious that she was concerned.

  “No, just the victim...,” the detective paused as his radio crackled, and a dispatcher began to detail another crime just down the road from the cemetery. He rolled his eyes, glancing back at the remains of Martin before shaking his head. He grabbed his radio, bringing it to his mouth. “Yeah, I’m about five minutes out from location. I’ll check it out. Details on the victim?” He pressed, slipping past Agnes and myself. We watched him go, and I glanced towards Agnes with an uncertain expression. Her eyes were glassy as she continued to read over the last paper, as if committing the words to memory.

  “Are those..,” I began, tapping my fingertips together.

  “The remaining papers from Flamel’s journal. I hadn’t realized how many Martin actually had,” she said dully. I tried to appear cheerful, giving her a bit of a nudge.

  “Well, that’s good, right? We have the formula. If we can just... if we can,” I paused, my heart dropping into my stomach. “...What do you think he did with her?” I asked gently. Agnes shrugged a shoulder, glancing up just as Robert rushed into the cemetery.

  “We need to go back to the cabin,” he said urgently, grabbing Agnes by the wrist. The older woman resisted for a moment, looking annoyed.

  “Can’t you see I’m a little preoccupied, Robert?” She hissed. He rolled his eyes, all but dragging Agnes out of the cemetery. I trailed behind them, the blood spatters on the tombstones sending another chill down my spine. Was it the life essence of the very person Agnes had come to save? It seemed likely. The rain that was falling from the sky was quickly washing away the evidence, and likely any chance of collecting enough of a sample for the formula. I shook my head sadly, musing how all of this had been for nothing. We hadn’t even been able to exact our revenge on Martin, as petty as that may have seemed.

  “In the car, come, come along,” Robert said hurriedly, guiding Agnes into the taxi and circling around to get in as well. He passed over the proper amount, giving the address for the cabin and sitting back with a faint smile. He seemed all too content considering what had happened, and I wanted nothing more than to slap that grin off of his face. Agnes seemed to be of a like mind, turning in her seat with narrowed eyes.

  “What do you have to be so happy about?” She demanded, even as the taxi driver looked a bit worried for his personal health. Robert said nothing, instead fidgeting with his cellphone as it began to ring. He answered on the third ring, speaking as if he were getting annoyed with whoever was calling.

  “We’re on our way. Agnes and Abigail are fine. ... Yes, yes I’m fine as well. I owe you an apology,” Robert murmured, and I watched him with a scrutinous expression as his own turned to one of sorrow. “W-what. What do you mean, it can wait? It’s rather pressing, wouldn’t you think?” He continued, his eyes twinkling a bit. Deciding to ignore him and whatever had him in such high spirits, I turned my attention to where Agnes sat in the front of the cab. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and the papers dangled nearly forgotten from her hand. I reached up to take them, expecting her to put up some kind of a fight at least. She only allowed me to take the papers, closing her eyes and looking much like the corpse we’d seen at the cemetery. I gripped her shoulder, tears pooling in my eyes as I saw the sheer misery that looked as if it were crippling the woman.

  “Here’s your stop,” the cab driver said abruptly, seeming all too ready for us to get out of his car. Robert thanked him, offering him a tip before getting out of the car and striding confidently towards the front of the cabin. I watched him go with a glare, wondering what had come over him. It was as if he suddenly cared nothing about the woman in the front seat. “Miss... do ya’ll need some help?” The driver pressed, looking at Agnes with concern. She exhaled wearily, shaking her head.

  “That’s quite alright,” she murmured, slipping out of the car. I lurched out, to help guide her towards the cabin, where Robert was sitting on the porch swing, chatting animatedly with someone I couldn’t quite make out. Whoever it was, it looked as if they had seen better days. Suddenly, their conversation came to a stop, and Robert stepped aside so the woman could rush towards us. My heart felt as if it would hammer out of my chest as I realized I recognized that face, those eyes, that stupid smirk.

  “Damn, Little Bean. You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Izzie said bluntly, moving to pull Agnes into her arms. Agnes allowed herself to be pulled, her eyes wide and disbelieving as she stared up at the third member of our group.

  “This... this can’t be,” Agnes whispered, reaching up to brush the dirty lock of hair away from Isabella’s face.

  “Yeah, well. For one of your old assistants, Martin’s not as smart as he seems to think. Anyway, I’m no scientist, but I managed to salvage some of the items you’ll need once Martin lost his mindlock on the fellas. Come on, Aggie, let’s get you fixed up. How about it?” Isabella grinne
d, dirt caking her teeth. I raised a brow, torn between disgust at the state she was in, and delight at simply seeing her alive.

  “Quick question. Serious question. Are you a zombie or something? You look like hell,” I asked, helping both of them to the porch.

  “Not quite.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Once we were all showered up, and Agnes seemed a bit more lively, we met in the living room and Isabella stretched out with her head in the elder woman’s lap. Agnes stroked her hair continuously, as if she still couldn’t believe we were all still alive. For all the cuts and bruises on her skin, Isabella probably could have passed for a corpse in a pinch. Her eyes were fluttering as she tried to focus on regaling her story, though it was obvious we were all exhausted.

  “What happened to Martin?” I pressed gently, and she peeked an eye open with a faintly weary expression.

  “The funny thing about alchemy is that one little mistake can take you for a hell of a ride. I think we learned that on our last trip. Marty thought he had the final piece to his puzzle, but I managed to swap out the blood samples. Without the key, as he likes to call me, it fried his brain from the inside out,” she explained softly.

  “Where did you get a blood sample to use?” Agnes inquired, pausing in the stroking of the younger woman’s hair. Isabella grumbled, shifting closer to the older woman.

  “Once I realized it was my blood that was so crucial to this whole... elixir thing, I figured it would be prudent to have a back up plan. When I went with Martin, he had already revealed that he had the information needed to put together the potion. I didn’t exactly know the entire situation—what the elixir was for. He told me that after I gave him what was supposed to be my blood sample. I put two and two together after the fact, or... well, he filled in the blanks. I never planned to be gone for long. I just... I wanted to help,” Isabella explained weakly, looking up to Agnes with adoration in her eyes. The older woman brushed a tear away, chuckling under her breath.

  “You silly girl,” she breathed, pressing a kiss to Isabella’s forehead.

  “I never planned to kill him, either. I thought it would just make him crazy, like that boy in the asylum,” the younger woman continued quietly. Her expression turned bitter briefly, but she seemed to shake it off, sitting upright on the sofa. I watched the two with a faint smile, and unable to help myself, I rushed towards the couch to pull Isabella in for a hug. For once, she actually returned the embrace without complaint, burying her face in my shoulder.

  “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?” Agnes murmured from beside us. “Perhaps it’s time we booked a flight back to Seattle. Once there, we can configure the formula properly and...,” the older woman trailed off a bit, looking at me with a cheeky little grin. “And maybe you can introduce me to your father, after all.”

  TO WRAP THINGS UP, my name is Abigail Bean. I was, for all intents and purposes, one of the most average people you’d meet. Along the way, however, I made some friends and came to realize that average is how average does. Anyone can be special if they do special things. Granted, offering your new boss immortality wasn’t the sort of special I would imagine many would default to. I met a woman who wanted to relive her childhood, and in the process grew into the sort of person who would risk everything for the people she loved. I met a man who was the picture of composure, but who revealed himself to be as capable as fear as the rest of us. Most of all, I met a woman who I thought was crazy... only to find out she was, in fact crazy. Luckily, we were all the sort of crazy that had a way of working out.

  “Little Bean, what on Earth are you doing? Pop and Aggie want us to swing by for dinner,” Isabella murmured, peering over my shoulder to consider the journal I’d been keeping. “You’re not going to actually try and publish that, are you? I’m all about being supportive, but I was a brat for the majority of our adventure,” she grumbled.

  “We all had our share of growing to do. It’s not like anyone is going to think this is a true story, anyway. An elixir for immortality? Infinite riches? Who would believe all of that?” I replied casually.

  “The most impossible part to believe would be our little craphole apartment. I can’t believe Aggie kicked me out once she and your dad moved in together,” she sighed, brushing her hair behind her ear.

  “Well, you’ve been thinking about getting a place with Mel, haven’t you?” I replied idly. She reddened, muttering under her breath as she moved to guide me towards the door.

  “Which is why we’re going to their place for dinner. Aggie really wants to get to know Mel, and I’m not planning to screw this up. You know how catty that old biddy can be sometimes,” she murmured.

  “I know. But, well... you can always pay the immortality trump card, after all,” I grinned. She rolled her eyes, rolling her sleeve to expose where she’d recently had blood drawn.

  “As much as I’m happy to have Aggie with us forever, I’m all the more pleased by the medicines we’ve been able to formulate based off of the original elixir. When we met, I never thought I’d be the kind of person to save lives. I kinda thought I’d be a lazy bum forever,” she smiled.

  Suddenly, a knock on the door echoed through the apartment. Isabella rolled her eyes good naturedly, slipping away to answer the door.

  “Apparently not active enough to keep your ma off your tail,” I called after her. I smiled to myself as I heard Agnes and Isabella bickering in the living room, closing the book that I’d been working in for what seemed an eternity. After a moment of studying the cover, I withdrew my pen and jotted down a working name.

  “The Peculiar Case of Agnes Astor Smith.”

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  Catalog of Books

  The Chronicles of Agnes Astor Smith

  The Peculiar Case of Agnes Astor Smith

  The Peculiar Case of the Red Tide

  The Grumpy Chicken Irish Pub Series

  A Frosty Mug of Murder

  Treachery on Tap

  Old School Diner Cozy Mysteries

  Murder at Stake

  Murder Well Done

  A Side Order of Deception

  Murder, Basted and Barbecued

  THE CURIOSITY SHOP Cozy Mysteries

  The Curious Case of the Cursed Spectacles

  The Curious Case of the Cursed Dice

  The Curious Case of the Cursed Dagger

  The Curious Case of the Cursed Looking Glass

  THE WE’RE NOT DEAD Yet Club

  Fetch a Pail of Murder

  Wedding Bells and Death Knells

  Murder or Bust

  Pinched, Pilfered and a Pitchfork

  A Hot Spot of Murder

  WITCHY WOMEN OF COVEN Grove Series

  THE WITCHING ON THE Wall

  A Witching Well of Magic

  Witching the Night Away

  Witching There’s Another Way

  Witching Your Life Away

  Witching You Wouldn’t Go

  Witching for a Miracle

  TEASEN & PLEASEN HAIR Salon Series

  A Hair Raising Blowout

  Wash, Rinse, Die

  Holiday Hooligans

  Color Me Dead

  False Nails & Tall Tales

  CAESAR’S CREEK SERIES

  A FROZEN SCOOP OF MURDER (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book One)

  Death by Chocolate Sundae (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Two)

  Soft Serve Secrets (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Three)

  Ice Cream You Scream (Cae
sars Creek Mystery Series Book Four)

  Double Dip Dilemma (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Five)

  Melted Memories (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Six)

  Triple Dip Debacle(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Seven)

  Whipped Wedding Woes(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Eight)

  A Sprinkle of Tropical Trouble(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Nine)

  A Drizzle of Deception(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Ten)

  SWEET HOME MYSTERY Series

  Creamed at the Coffee Cabana (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book One)

  A Caffeinated Crunch (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Two)

  A Frothy Fiasco (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Three)

  Punked by the Pumpkin(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Four)

  Peppermint Pandemonium(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Five)

  Expresso Messo(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Six)

  A Cuppa Cruise Conundrum(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Seven)

  The Brewing Bride(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Eight)

  WHISPERING PINES MYSTERY Series

  A Sinister Slice of Murder

  Sanctum of Shadows (Whispering Pines Mystery Series)

  Curse of the Bloodstone Arrow (Whispering Pines Mystery Series)

  Fright Night at the Haunted Inn (Whispering Pines Mystery Series)

  MAD RIVER MYSTERY SERIES

  A Wicked Whack

  A Prickly Predicament

  A Malevolent Menace