Looking for Mr. Good Witch

by Joyce

  These were shadows from the past. Nothing could be done to change them. The shadows only revealed themselves for a short time before the past was wiped clean, like the beach after a storm.

  The image of the killer began to form. It was the shape of a man. He was holding Sam in a passionate embrace—body pressed to body. If I hadn’t known that Sam was dying, I would have thought the look on Sam’s face was one of ecstasy. The killer’s arms were wrapped so tightly around him that it was difficult to tell where one of them began and the other ended. I couldn’t see the killer’s face.

  The terrible tableau was fading. The shadows were beginning to diminish in the bright sunlight. I was about to turn away, disgusted that we couldn’t see more of the killer, when the man holding Sam let him drop to the sand. For one brief instant, I saw the man’s face.

  So did Elsie. “That must be the man you saw with Joe. He was definitely using a glamour to conceal himself.”

  “I thought you said it was a woman.” Dorothy was crying. “It looked to me like Sam was killed by a man.”

  “That’s glamour,” I explained. “But it was an incredibly strong glamour. Hurry, ladies. Let’s get back to the car so I can call Joe. He needs to know that his witness is the killer.”

  CHAPTER 30

  Light pass through me, light pass through me,

  No one can see, no one can see.

  I hide amongst you,

  No one can see.

  We knocked on Belinda’s door again. She didn’t have a landline, just a cell phone she had to take outside to find a signal. We walked around in her yard looking for bars with our cell phones up in the air, but we couldn’t find enough to call.

  “What happened?” Belinda demanded. “What did you see?”

  I put my hand on her arm, conscious of the time that had passed since Joe had left us. The killer could have decided to end his or her masquerade and kill Joe and Suzanne.

  “There was nothing that you missed. I’m so sorry. The killer was the witness I saw with my husband. He doesn’t know.”

  “Wait! What?” Belinda yelled as she followed us back to the car. She jumped in with no explanation to her sisters.

  I didn’t wait any longer, and the sand flew under my tires as I put my foot down hard on the gas.

  “Go, Speed Racer!” Elsie chuckled. “I can feel the g-force pushing me back.”

  “Molly, explain what you mean,” Belinda said. “I saw the killer on the beach with Sam. I saw Joe’s witness too. They didn’t look alike to me at all.”

  “I only caught the real witch out of the corner of my eye as Joe was leaving,” I explained. “She was using a strong glamour.”

  “Why couldn’t I see it?” she asked.

  “Probably because you’re too emotionally involved,” Olivia offered. “Would you mind scooting over just a little? You’re practically sitting on me.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Belinda moved closer to Dorothy. “I’m not used to sharing space with a ghost.”

  “That’s all right. It happens.” Olivia seemed pleased with her answer.

  As we were leaving Carolina Beach, Dorothy remarked that she had a cell phone signal. “It’s like there was a little bubble of no-cell phone use over the beach. Maybe a witch did that so people could enjoy their vacations.”

  I stopped her meandering. “Call Joe.”

  “Sure. Sorry.” Dorothy punched in his number as I gave it to her. “There we are.”

  The phone was ringing—she had it on speakerphone. I kept hoping Joe would pick up, but there was no answer.

  “Maybe he didn’t want to talk and drive,” Elsie said. “Many people don’t, you know.”

  “I think he would have answered if he could.” I might be able to protect him from the council with my deal with the Bone Man, but there was no one I could make a deal with to protect him from everything.

  My hands tightened on the steering wheel, and I sped up. The roads were empty. I didn’t see where speeding could cause any harm. I needed to reach Joe. That was enough motive for me.

  “I think we have a tail, Molly,” Olivia remarked. “It might be an unmarked cop car. He’s coming in really close. And—now he’s turning on his siren and lights.”

  “You’ll have to stop and explain what’s happening,” Dorothy said.

  I put my foot down harder on the gas pedal. “No, I won’t. Let him follow me, if he wants. He can help if Joe needs us. Or we can tell him what happened.”

  “Or you could do one of those nifty confusion spells and we could get away,” Elsie said cheerfully. “Dorothy says you’re very good at them.”

  “Seriously, Molly.” Belinda was holding tight to the armrest on her side of the backseat. “How fast are you going? If we’re killed, we can’t help Joe or Sam.”

  But I wasn’t slowing down. Not until I’d reached Joe and knew he was all right. I didn’t flinch when the officer behind me started flashing his headlights or when another police car joined in the chase.

  “Now, this is an adventure,” Elsie said. “I don’t think we’ve ever done anything like this before.”

  “I don’t think we should be doing it now either,” Olivia fretted. “Molly, you know my only child is in this car. Please slow down.”

  “Look!” I pointed and put my foot on the brake. “There’s Joe’s SUV.”

  The black vehicle was parked off the road on the sandy shoulder. Three of the doors were open. I parked behind it, skidding to a stop, and got out to check on Joe.

  “Hold it right there, ma’am.” A young officer jumped out of the first police car and drew his gun. “You’re under arrest for speeding, reckless driving and failure to yield.”

  I completely ignored him and didn’t stop moving until I’d reached the SUV.

  Joe was slumped behind the wheel. I checked him. He had a pulse, but he was unconscious. There were no bumps or bruises, but the smell of magic was everywhere.

  Suzanne was unconscious in the passenger seat.

  The witness was gone.

  “I said stop.” The officer ran up behind me and grabbed my arm. “What the hell is going on?”

  “This is my husband, Detective Joe Renard. He called me and said he and his partner were in trouble. We were a few minutes behind him leaving Carolina Beach. Call for an ambulance.”

  “Okay. Okay.” He called it in on his radio. “Was there someone else?”

  “They were transporting a witness in a homicide investigation. Joe had some idea that the witness wasn’t who she was pretending to be. I guess she attacked him and fled the vehicle. Maybe you should look for her and we’ll stay here until help arrives.”

  The officer wasn’t sure. “You broke the law, ma’am. I understand you had a good reason, but—”

  “I was speeding. The man you should be looking for is a murderer. Weigh your options carefully, Officer.”

  “Yes ma’am.” He started across the road, calling to the other officer who’d parked behind him.

  I slumped against Joe. I hoped the spell was something that would wear off quickly. I didn’t dare try to get rid of it without knowing what it was. At least he was still alive.

  Dorothy examined Suzanne. “She’s still breathing.”

  “I didn’t even check her,” I said regretfully.

  Elsie put her hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. You were worried about Joe. Who cares about his ex-wife anyway?”

  That didn’t make me feel any better as I watched the EMS techs arrive and put Suzanne on a stretcher. She might have been dead. I hadn’t even thought about her.

  Two techs were with Joe. They were trying to figure out why he was unconscious. He didn’t respond to any stimuli. “Maybe he was drugged,” one of the techs guessed.

  “Let’s get him out of here,” the other said. “He’s stable. They can figure it out at the
hospital.”

  Because Joe’s SUV was part of a crime, a tow truck arrived to haul it to the impound lot. I gave the keys for my car to Dorothy so I could ride in the ambulance with Joe.

  “He’s going to be fine,” she assured me with tears in her eyes. “I’m sure of it.”

  I hugged her. “Maybe you should take Belinda home first. You can drop Elsie off and go home. I’ll take a taxi to your house when I know Joe is okay.”

  “Sure. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of it.”

  The young officer who’d wanted to arrest me helped me into the back of the ambulance. “We’re calling for backup so we have more people to cover the area. The person who hurt your husband couldn’t have gotten far on foot.”

  “Thank you. And I’m sorry you had to chase me. My husband would completely understand if you give me a ticket.”

  He smiled. “I hope my wife would be willing to disregard some laws to help me if I was hurt. Good luck, ma’am.”

  CHAPTER 31

  I shall not fear.

  Though fear stalks me,

  I shall not fear.

  The hospital was quiet and sterile, like always. I sat next to Joe and held his hand. He was still unconscious—after a barrage of tests that told the doctors nothing was wrong with him, except that he was unconscious.

  They were still checking his blood for drugs, though they couldn’t find needle marks or signs of ingestion or inhalation. I knew they wouldn’t find conventional answers. I could only guess at the spell used against him. I knew it would be better to let him wake up on his own, if possible. At least he was safe from anything else happening to him until then.

  I sighed when I thought of how many times I’d been at the hospital with him down through the years. There had been knife and bullet wounds, concussions and scrapes. He’d been punched, kicked and assaulted too many other ways to remember each one.

  “I should’ve married an accountant,” I whispered as I touched his face. “You don’t hear of people in that profession getting hurt all the time.”

  But he was good at what he did, and he loved it. I had already faced the possibility that he might decide not to retire. It wasn’t mandatory. It was a random number that he had picked.

  What would he do without cases to solve? For that matter, what would I do without magic?

  “Is he okay?” Olivia hovered over us.

  “I think so. He isn’t awake yet, but the doctor says he’s fine except for that.” My lips trembled as I smiled. “I guess if you’re here, Dorothy and Elsie must be in the waiting room.”

  “I’m the advance scout.” She grinned. “I’m so sorry this happened to Joe, Molly. Should you try something to wake him up?”

  “I’m afraid to try anything without knowing the spell. And if this really is a glamourized sea witch, I don’t know if our magic is compatible.”

  She nodded. “Best to let nature take its course, then. I’ll tell Dorothy and Elsie that the two of you are decent. Elsie seemed to think you might be in here tickling the ivories, if you know what I mean. I told her you and Joe are too old for that kind of thing.”

  “Thanks. I don’t think we’re quite that old yet.”

  “I came in with my eyes closed, just to be on the safe side. I’ll get Dorothy and Elsie.”

  I felt something odd envelop the room when she was gone. It was cold and damp. I could see my breath in the mist that developed. Without hesitation, I threw up a protective spell around us. I hoped it wasn’t the sea witch returning to finish the job. I went quickly over spells I could possibly use against her, and held my amulet tight.

  “Don’t worry, Molly. I am not here to harm your man.”

  The Bone Man was standing in front of the door. I could hear Elsie and Dorothy outside knocking. He wouldn’t let them in. Even Olivia seemed unable to cross that barrier.

  “Do you know who did this?” For once my voice was quivering with anger instead of fear.

  “Have you found my wife?”

  “No. But I might have a lead on her.”

  He smiled, his black eyes laughing at me. “Then you have nothing to trade.”

  “We’re talking about Joe’s life,” I reminded him.

  “Yes. I know. And I am protecting him, as I promised. Your end of the deal is lacking, Molly. I do not like coming to your world to remind you of this.”

  I didn’t like him coming there either. He dwarfed the small hospital room. The contrast of him against the white walls and sparse furnishings made him seem even more like a nightmare. It was different when I could control when and where I saw him. Seeing him in a place like this was terrifying.

  “I’m doing the best I can. I don’t have your magic, where you can make someone invisible to the council.”

  “Don’t you?” He laughed, the sound scratching my nerves. “Yet you made the trade, not I. Finish what you began, witch. Find my wife.”

  He was gone as quickly as he’d arrived.

  The door opened and Dorothy almost fell into the room. “What happened?” she asked. “Why didn’t you open the door?”

  “The Bone Man was here.” I dropped into the chair beside Joe again. “He wants his wife.”

  “Molly, we have to give up trying to find this killer witch and find the Bone Man’s wife,” Elsie said. “You have to think of Joe first.”

  “Well, she’s kind of caught in the middle,” Olivia said. “If she doesn’t find the Bone Man’s wife, Joe won’t be safe from the council. If she doesn’t find the sea witch, she could kill Joe or Brian.”

  “Really, I think it would be better for him to lose his memory than to be killed,” Elsie said. “But that’s just me.”

  “No. You’re right,” Dorothy agreed. “We didn’t get the memorial book from Belinda so we can check out those names. One of them could be the witch who did this to Joe. Who’s with me?”

  “I’m always with you,” Olivia said. “At least, as long as you have the staff.”

  “I’m not leaving until Joe wakes up,” I answered. “We’ll have to go back out to Carolina Beach tomorrow. Belinda isn’t going to throw away the memorial guest list. We can look through it as soon as I know Joe is all right.”

  “We can go without you,” Elsie volunteered. “It’s not like we have anything else to do. That way we’ll have the names for tomorrow.”

  I got up and hugged both living witches. “Thank you for your help. I’ll let you know if anything changes here. Be careful out there. We don’t know exactly what we’re up against.”

  “We’ll pop by and check on Isabelle too,” Elsie said. “You take it easy on yourself, Molly. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I was so blessed to have such good friends. Dorothy was a lot like Olivia—she had a good heart. That was about where the resemblance ended. But I enjoyed being with both of them, and I was glad that Olivia had managed to come back and knew her daughter.

  Joe was still sleeping at dinnertime. I ate his hospital food, which they brought in on a tray. I never cared for lime Jell-O, but it was better than nothing. The roast beef was soggy and the creamed potatoes were like glue. It was hospital food. I hadn’t expected anything more.

  He was still asleep at midnight. It was beginning to bother me. Not that I was upset with him—I kept thinking I should do something. I went to check on Suzanne. She was still out too. Whatever the spell was, it was powerful. It could last for another hour, another day, another year. There was no way to know.

  My earlier feelings were that Joe should wake naturally, but suppose he didn’t? I would have made this stupid deal with the Bone Man for nothing. It wasn’t just a matter of backing out. Even if he weren’t protecting Joe, he’d still expect me to keep up my end.

  I took Joe’s hand. Anything I did could make his condition better, or worse. Or could have no effect at all. The magic was so
strong. I’d never felt its like before.

  Try the magic in the amulet.

  It was a random thought running through my head, and yet maybe it was possible. Was the sea witch’s magic similar to what was in the amulet? Was it possible it could overcome the spell placed on Joe?

  I looked at his dear, handsome face in the dim light. The heart monitor beeped in time to his breathing. Did I dare take a chance on his life? He might never wake up.

  Either way—using magic or not—sounded bad to me. A year ago, before I’d begun wearing the amulet, I wouldn’t have even considered it. My aging magic had been too erratic. I couldn’t have trusted it. Now, with the amulet, I felt the new strain of magic flowing through me. I felt strong again, young again. I believed I could help Joe and Suzanne.

  But did I dare?

  CHAPTER 32

  I am not afraid,

  I am not afraid.

  Moon guide me,

  Sun aid me.

  I am not afraid.

  Before I could make a less emotional decision, Joe’s heart monitor began making an odd sound. The number of heartbeats had slowed, alerting the medical professionals to the fact that he was failing.

  It seemed as though my hand was being forced into using my magic to help him. I couldn’t stand there and let him die. I had to act.

  Before the nurses and doctors could respond to the new emergency, I placed one hand on his chest and held the amulet in the other hand. I closed my eyes and recalled a rejuvenation spell. It was all I could think of with no spell book to guide me. I repeated the old words again and again as my hand grew warm against him. The amulet felt as though it were on fire.

  “Get the crash cart,” someone yelled from behind me. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Renard. You’ll have to leave the room now.”

  A bevy of nurses buzzed in behind the lead doctor. I finished my spell with a cleansing breath and gave thanks for Joe’s life.