Looking for Mr. Good Witch

by Joyce

  We wrapped him in an old blanket and were barely able to lift him between us. Going up the stairs with him was grueling—one stair at a time with a moment to catch our breaths between. I was glad no one called the police when his hand slid out of the blanket and flopped out on one side.

  We put him on the old wood floor and covered him with a dark blue cloth that had been embroidered with moon-blessed silver threads. There was nothing else to do but call Cassandra.

  When she appeared, her gown was like blue smoke around her thin body, her black hair surrounding her beautiful face. She lifted the moon cloth. “What have you done?”

  “We tried to save him from the sea witch,” Elsie told her. “It was more than you or any of his family tried to do.”

  “Abdon is going to be furious. Brian’s parents are going to want revenge,” Cassandra warned.

  “Let them,” I told her, though I didn’t feel as brave as my words. It was more than just me. It was Joe and Mike, Elsie and Aleese, Dorothy and even Olivia. They could take everything from us. “You know where to find us.”

  “What about the council catching the sea witch and making sure she doesn’t ever kill again?” Olivia whimpered.

  “We’ll deal with this first,” Cassandra said.

  “Which is what got us all into this mess in the first place!” Elsie raged.

  “I’ll take him to his family, and then consult the council. Stand away.” She moved her hand and his covered body began to rise from the floor. “The Fuller family will remember this loss for years to come, ladies. I’m sure the council will try to mitigate that rage, but you might have to stand trial for it.”

  Cassandra disappeared with Brian. Sobbing and covering her face, Dorothy collapsed at the table.

  Joe texted me. I had to wipe tears from my eyes to see what he said. He and Suzanne were being discharged from the hospital. “I have to go.”

  “We’ll be all right here, Molly,” Olivia assured me. “Go on.”

  Half an hour later I was at the hospital as Joe and Suzanne were being released. I watched as they got out of their wheelchairs at the pickup ramp.

  “There you are.” Joe kissed me as he got in the front seat. “I was beginning to worry about you.” He studied my puffy, red eyes and tear-stained face. “Everything okay with the club?”

  “It’s hard to say right now.” As soon as Suzanne was in the backseat, I hurried out of the parking lot. It was hard to keep my voice from trembling and not let my feelings show. “I’m sure the two of you are off the rest of the day. Where can I take you, Suzanne?”

  She gave me the address of a hotel on Market Street, where she was staying. I managed to make it through several traffic lights as they turned red by swerving around any slower moving traffic.

  “Are you in a hurry to get back to the club?” Joe frowned. “I think I might be about to give you a ticket for careless driving. What’s wrong?”

  “I’m in a hurry.” I tried, but I couldn’t smile at him. “It’s not like I actually ran a red light, Officer. I have to get back.”

  “Leave her alone, Joe,” Suzanne said. “She’s a woman on a mission. Thanks for taking me to the hotel, Molly. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No. I’m afraid not.” I pulled into the hotel parking lot and dropped her at the front door with a squeal of brakes. “Feel better, Suzanne. I’ll see you later. Call if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.” She laughed. “I will. But I’ll be sure to wait until after your mission is accomplished.”

  As soon as she was out of the car, Joe turned to me. “Don’t leave until you explain.”

  “There’s not time now.” I put my foot on the gas. “The club has an emergency. Something—terrible—has happened. Brian is dead. I wish I could explain more right now, but I have to drop you off and get back. I don’t want to leave everyone for long.”

  “Brian is dead? What happened? Is everyone else okay?” He stared at me. “Tell me what happened. What’s going on?”

  “Really, Joe. I can’t tell you. Not now. You know what I mean. Please don’t make this any harder than it is. I’ll tell you everything later.”

  “Are you in danger, Molly?”

  “No. For now, the danger is past. We have to figure out what to do next.” I drove in the same haphazard manner from the hotel to our house. “I have to go. Do you need anything? There’s plenty of food in the refrigerator. The doctor said you should rest. I’ll see you later.”

  Joe’s dark eyes were filled with questions and fear. “I don’t like this. I wish you wouldn’t be involved in club activities that could be dangerous.”

  I kissed him and smiled, though I knew there were tears in my eyes. “Don’t worry. We’re going to make it right.”

  CHAPTER 38

  Death is but a doorway to another path.

  Brian’s funeral was a solemn affair. None of us had expected to be invited. We were surprised when Cassandra came to tell us that the Fuller family wanted us to attend. We were reticent at first—maybe they wanted to exact revenge while we were there. But I knew they wouldn’t attempt it in public, and Dorothy needed this closure. We all did.

  We dressed in our finest, knowing how many upper-crust witches and members of the council would be present. None of us had ever attended an event of this kind. We were more the celebrations-in-the-park-and-backyard-type witches.

  I still wondered, when the large black limousine came for me, why the family had invited us. They’d been very clear about their feelings toward us. Even though I wanted to attend, I had my doubts as to what sort of reception we’d receive.

  “I think your ride is here.” Joe was looking out the kitchen window. “This Brian who died was well-to-do, huh? He didn’t really seem that way when I met him.”

  “He was a very nice young man.” I pulled on elbow-length black gloves and made sure my silk scarf was perfect across my head and around my neck. “I still can’t believe he’s gone. I feel so responsible. I wish I could’ve done more.”

  Joe hugged me, mindful of my makeup and black crepe gown. “You know I always feel the same way. What do you say to me?”

  I smiled. “You did your best. Sometimes bad things happen.”

  “That’s right.” He glanced out the window again. “Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t kill him. I’ll see you later.”

  We’d talked about the club aspect of Brian’s death. Joe was still following up on the other two murders. He had refused to give up on finding the sea witch—she had a human identity he thought he could track. He wasn’t happy about not being able to log Brian’s death in the case, but he understood that some things were impossible for him.

  Elsie and Dorothy were already in the car. The driver got out and opened the back door for me. The windows were so dark that there were small lights illuminating the interior of the limo.

  Dorothy’s eyes were red and puffy. She’d brought a box of tissues with her. Her simple black dress was made elegant with one of Olivia’s beaded scarves and her diamond earrings.

  “I’ve been trying to convince her that we could do that spell that makes the magic handkerchiefs,” Elsie said. “No witch worth her magic goes to a funeral carrying tissues. It looks bad. I could give her my handkerchief, but that sounds nasty.”

  Elsie was dressed in a long dark purple silk gown that was covered by her full-length purple cloak. Her red-gray curls were up on her head and held back by a rhinestone tiara. She wore too much blush and her very red lipstick was smeared as she’d attempted to find her lips, but she looked like a queen.

  “I’ll be fine.” Dorothy blew her nose. “I wish Mom could have come too. It’s just stupid how witches feel about ghosts. It’s prejudiced. If this was the real world, it would be illegal.”

  I put my hand on hers. “I know. I wish she were here too. But Elsie’s right about the tissu
es. We can make a nice handkerchief for you from one of them.”

  The three of us held one of the tissues. Elsie was proud that she could remember the spell, since it was one she used every day. She spoke the words and the tissue began to change. When it was finished, the tissue was a lacy, red handkerchief.

  “Red?” Dorothy asked.

  Elsie brows knit together. “I’m sorry. I thought it would be white. Maybe we should try it again.”

  “I think we should leave it the way it is,” I said. “We got lucky. Let’s not push it. At least it’s not an octopus or something.”

  We were only in the limo for about ten minutes when it slowed to a smooth stop and someone opened the back door. “Ladies.” A young man in a black livery and white gloves inclined his head as we stepped out.

  “Where are we?” Dorothy asked in a scared voice. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here. I didn’t know Wilmington had a castle.”

  “We’re not in Wilmington anymore, Dorothy.” Elsie chuckled. “It makes me wish I had a small dog in a basket. Very Wizard of Oz, right?”

  “Really?” Dorothy frowned. “Like I didn’t get that my whole life.”

  “Sorry.” Elsie put her hand on her tiara and looked up at the castle. “Wow. I guess this is where the Fullers live? Where do you think we are, Molly?”

  “I have no idea. Let’s not stand here and gawk. We should go inside. Dorothy—no temper tantrums. Elsie—no magic or snarky remarks.”

  “What about you?” Elsie said. “What are your restrictions?”

  “I’ll try to think of some.” I started up the steps toward the castle door.

  The place was immense. I could see at least five floors with several turrets on top. All of the turrets flew black flags. Hundreds of windows on the front face were made of colorful stained glass that sparkled in the light. The stonework was ancient, white and gray, with the letter F worked into the pattern.

  Music poured out through the open doors. Hundreds of witches were ascending the steps with us. Servants wearing the same black livery as the man who’d opened our car door were standing at the top of the stairs.

  “Very posh,” Elsie whispered. “Glad I wore my tiara instead of my plaid beret as I first had a mind to do.”

  “Shh,” I said. “Let’s be very careful what we say here. The place is probably crawling with council members and their people.”

  “I think I see a lemur in that bush over there,” Dorothy added. “We might be in Madagascar.”

  “Welcome.” Abdon Fuller was standing immediately inside the door welcoming visitors as they entered. Schadt and Yuriza were beside him. All three looked elegant and stately. Yuriza was the only one who was red-eyed and haggard. It was easy to see that she was deeply mourning the loss of her son.

  Abdon faltered when he saw us, but he quickly took hold of whatever he might have said to us and welcomed us as he had the witches before us. “Welcome, sisters.”

  Elsie impulsively grabbed his hand. “We are so sorry for the loss of your grandson, sir. He was a wonderful boy who didn’t deserve to end that way.”

  “Thank you.” He cleared his throat, but his authoritative voice was still gruff.

  Yuriza and Schadt said the same words. I caught Yuriza’s eyes on me when she nodded her head. I wanted to say something, but was too aware of our cultural differences. Elsie was always the spontaneous one.

  Dorothy started crying again. She reached for the red handkerchief and accidentally dropped a small glass vial from her sequined evening bag. The glass shattered on the stone floor, drawing everyone’s attention. If they had stared a little longer, they would have seen Olivia’s ghostly form fly out of the vial.

  I hurried Dorothy into an alcove. “What were you thinking? You brought Olivia with you?”

  “You don’t have to make it sound like I’m the plague or something,” Olivia whispered. “I knew Brian before any of you. I should be here.”

  “Mom and I were experimenting with a spell last night. It seemed to work,” Dorothy said.

  “Until you broke the vial,” I reminded her. “Now here she is. We know how everyone is going to react.”

  “I can do another quick confinement spell,” Dorothy offered. “I don’t have anything to put her in, since the vial broke, but—”

  “I have a plastic sandwich bag with peanuts in it,” Elsie offered. “You know how these affairs can be. I was worried I might get hungry.”

  Cassandra was coming our way. There wasn’t time for a spell—and it would be worse than embarrassing if it didn’t work.

  “Hide behind the drape,” I told Olivia. “Stay out of sight for now.”

  “But Molly—”

  “Please, Olivia. We’ll figure out some way for you to pay your respects to Brian before we leave. But not now.”

  Olivia was sulky about it, but she managed to conceal herself behind the massive burgundy drape. I hoped no one around us would notice. If I’d known this was going to be an issue, I wouldn’t have come.

  “Molly. Elsie. Dorothy.” Cassandra had inclined her regal head after each name. “I’m so glad you could be here. It wasn’t easy to convince Abdon and the rest of Brian’s family that you belonged here for his memorial, but I believed it was the right thing, since you fought so hard to keep him alive. And I am the herald. That makes me the liaison between the council and other witches.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I wish no one had to be here today. I hate that Brian is gone.”

  “So do I.” She sighed. “We had such hopes for the boy.”

  “I want to see him,” Dorothy said. “Where is he?”

  “It would be better manners to mingle with the other witches before you view him,” Cassandra counseled, as though she also determined protocol for the council.

  “We can do that,” Elsie said. “We’ll be fine, Cassandra, if you want to mingle with some other witches too.”

  “First let me introduce you to the rest of the Grand Council of Witches. I don’t think you’ve ever met them.”

  She was right on that score. We weren’t the kind of witches who went to soirees or consulted on long-term plans for the witches of the world. We were housewives, mothers, schoolteachers and other ordinary people who happened to be blessed with magic. If anything, we were careful to avoid attracting the council’s attention.

  But what could we say?

  Cassandra led the way through the crowd. I looked up at the high ceiling, where several large crystal chandeliers hung, illuminating the event. There were velvet couches of various sizes and colors scattered throughout the ballroom and long tables filled with any kind of food one could imagine.

  “I guess I really didn’t have to bring the peanuts,” Elsie muttered. “Do you think a plastic bag with a zip top can hold a ghost?”

  I shook my head. We were walking between richly garbed witches with elaborate headdresses. Most were dressed in black or shades of dark purple and blue. It was more like I’d imagined a royal ball to be than a memorial, although large banners with Brian’s face on them floated throughout the room.

  “I think I’m underdressed,” Dorothy muttered, taking my hand. Hers was freezing.

  I squeezed her fingers. “Most of them only wish they had your youth and beauty. You can’t dress up and create that.”

  She smiled tearfully and looked at the banners. “I’m not sure I can see Brian. I mean, I want to see him, but I’m not sure if I can handle it.”

  “You don’t have to decide yet. But if you don’t want to see him, we won’t go over there.”

  “Thanks, Molly.”

  There was a raised dais at the far end of the room. It had been so far from the door that I hadn’t even seen it as we came in. There were eleven men and women seated in thronelike chairs that were embellished with coats of arms and gold inlays.

  I kne
w this was the Grand Council of Witches—minus Abdon Fuller. These were the people who made our lives miserable from time to time. They were feared, sometimes hated and respected by the ordinary witches.

  Cassandra was her most charming self as she introduced the members of the council to us. “This is Molly Addison Renard. Elsie Clarrett Langston. And one of our newest witches, Dorothy Dunst Lane.”

  All the men and women on the council nodded their heads stiffly.

  “Ladies, allow me to present your council members: Owen Graybeard. Sarif Patel. Joshua Bartleson. Larissa Lonescue. Zuleyma Castanada. Rhianna Black. Makaleigh Veazy. Arleigh Burke. Bairne Caelius. Hedyle. And Erinna Coptus.”

  Elsie tried to curtsey and almost fell over. I grabbed her arm, and she managed to right herself. I inclined my head in respect without going overboard. Dorothy did a cute little-girl curtsey without Elsie’s drama.

  I wasn’t sure what we should do next. Were they going to speak with us, or was that it?

  Cassandra smiled. “I’m so glad I could introduce you to the council,” she said. “This is a solemn time, but I hope you enjoy yourselves.”

  I assumed that was it and started backing away, bringing Elsie and Dorothy with me. Cassandra had already moved on. The members of the Grand Council sat like statues overseeing the memorial.

  “I’m not sure what I expected the council to look like,” Elsie finally said. “But it wasn’t those witches. Do you think they’ve ever had a new member of the council?”

  “Not in our lifetimes,” I said. “I think it’s time to make a decision, Dorothy. Do you want to see Brian or not?”

  CHAPTER 39

  Do you love me?

  Tell me now.

  I see your eyes in the mirror.

  If you love me, tell me now.

  The three of us sat on one of the velvet sofas. Servants in black liveries offered us food and drinks. None of us had anything. Even Elsie chose to eat her peanuts instead, saying that she might need the empty bag to take Olivia home.