Brewing Fun (Tree's Hollow Witches Book 4)

by Sara Bourgeois

  "Why do you think that?" I asked.

  "Because when we were in the printing cabin, I saw your face as the killer. Then I saw Brad and Nathan." Esme sighed heavily. "But that's not the worst part. In the end, I saw my own face."

  "I had the same experience at the first crime scene," I said.

  "Oh good," Esme responded. "I thought I was going crazy. But, it's not just me. Either we've got some sort of supernatural leaving traps to confuse us, or we're both crazy."

  "You think whoever it is knows we're witches?"

  "Yeah, I do," Esme said.

  "Should we try and figure out what they are?"

  "I've thought about that, but it's almost as if the goddess and the universe are trying to tell me not to use my magic."

  "Why?" I asked, and then continued. "I wonder if that's why I got so sick and upset in the forest. When I tried to figure out who the killer was, I got really overwhelmed. I thought it was the trap the killer set, but maybe it was the goddess trying to keep me from using magic."

  "We should try to use spells as little as possible until we know what's going on," Esme said.

  Chapter Eleven

  The next day I made sure to arrive at work 20 minutes before David. I'd had to get up a little earlier to get everything ready for Nathan, but it hadn't mattered. Sleeping had been impossible anyway. I imagined that once this ordeal was over, I would end up sleeping for days.

  Before I got out of my Jeep, I sat in it and meditated on shutting down my magic. I'd been using it for so long that I didn't even think about it anymore. I just walked around oozing magical energy, but I had to stop.

  Esme and I aren't sure why we need to stop using magic, but after the dreams I'd had the night before, I was certain she was right. In the dream, something I couldn't quite see was sucking all of my energy from me. It was feeding off of my magic.

  I called Esme this morning before I left, and she said she'd dreamed something similar. So, we made a pact. No magic until we figure this thing out. We figured that if we starved whatever it was, it might be driven out of hiding.

  With that in mind, I visualized myself locking my powers away. I put them in a box in my mind that I couldn't accidentally touch. I asked the goddess and the universe to protect them while they weren't in use and to protect those I loved while I couldn't.

  It felt weird being just a regular human again. I'd forgotten how raw and exposed you felt not having magic cocooning you. All of the buffer between me and the outside world was gone. It felt cold and hot at the same time, and it was also kinda itchy.

  After a few deep breaths, I straightened up and got out of the Jeep. I had work to do, and my job had to be done whether I had magic or not. Lots of reporters went out in the field and told stories without spells to protect them. I just had to pull up my big girl panties and get after it.

  The office felt empty without Charles. I often worked alone, but it was different that time. You could feel it in the air that something had changed. His desk was empty other than the computer, and it almost made me tear up. I couldn't even comfort myself that I could see him outside of work because he'd made plans to travel. Things change, and Charles' retirement was one of those life events that I'd had to get through.

  I went into the kitchen area and made a pot of decaf coffee. I preferred it, but Charles always made regular. Too much caffeine made me jittery, but I did like the taste as long as there was plenty of cream and sweetener involved.

  My fingers were flying across the keyboard typing up the details I remembered from the murders when David walked in. He looked a little grumpier than what I recalled from the interviews and the party. Perhaps he hadn't slept well because he'd been excited about his first day. At least, that's what I'd told myself.

  "Good morning, David." I said cheerfully, but I wasn't getting that same positive buzz from him.

  "Morning, Lenora. Is there coffee?"

  "There is, but it's decaf. I can't handle the full-strength stuff."

  He just grumbled.

  "Hey, I'm working on a story right now. Why don't you go into town and get us coffees? I'll buy if you fly." I said trying to remain lighthearted." I reached for my purse and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. "I'd like a half-caf mocha with whip and sprinkles."

  "I didn't know that part of my duties would be to go on coffee runs for the boss." He said with a frown.

  I took a moment to reflect. My magic wasn't there to buffer me from his negativity, and his words and attitude agitated me. "I'll go. It shouldn't take me more than a half an hour. You can get your computer set up the way you like while I'm gone."

  "Thanks, Lenny." David said, and he flashed me that megawatt smile.

  I could feel the comfortable energy pass between us again, and as I got into my Jeep, it started to make sense that he wouldn't want to fetch coffee for me. What had I been thinking? As a woman, it would have offended me greatly if my new boss had asked me to go on a coffee run instead of teaching me what I needed to know to do my job.

  When I got to the coffee house, it occurred to me that I hadn't asked David what he wanted. Instead of going through the drive thru, I went inside and scanned the menu while I stood in a short line.

  Without the blanket of my magic around me, the coffee house felt different too. I looked around at the dark wood planks that made up the floor and the baby blue paint on the walls. The combined noise of the staff making drinks and the patrons engaged in chat was almost too much for me. The lights were a bit too bright.

  "Ma'am, are you ready to order?" The lilting voice of the young woman behind the counter broke me out of my stifling reverie.

  She smiled at me in a way that said: I understand you need some caffeine, but there's a line forming behind you. The other workers behind the counter buzzed around like bees making drinks and plating pastries. Once again, I'd slipped into a trance-like state and everything around me slowed down.

  Then, it hit me. Something or someone had done this to me intentionally. Was the killer in the coffeehouse? Were they watching me? Perhaps they could sense that I wasn't putting off any magical energy, and this was their way of forcing me. I was determined that wasn't going to happen.

  "Sorry. I had a long night. I'd like a half-caf iced mocha with whip cream and extra sprinkles. Oh, and can I add the caramel drizzle?"

  "Sure thing, and don't worry. We deal with the undercaffeinated all of the time. You certain you want that half-caf?" She asked sweetly?"

  "Yeah, too much caffeine gives me the shakes."

  "Okay, will that be all. Can I interest you in a scone or a muffin?"

  That's when I realized I hadn't picked a drink for David. I should have been looking at the menu, but I'd just been so overwhelmed. "Two white chocolate raspberry scones and a large praline latte with no whip cream and an extra pump of syrup." I said the order without thinking, and then cursed myself for accidentally using magic to divine his order."

  I paid for the order, and the coffees were ready in under five minutes. The scones were fresh, and they filled my Jeep with a heavenly aroma. It took all of my strength not to eat one on the way back to the office.

  When I walked back into the newspaper office, I was a little alarmed to see that David wasn't there. I set the coffee and scone on his desk, and something outside the back window caught my eye. It was David walking up the path that led in from the woods. Instead of setting up his computer, he'd been outside taking a walk.

  Perhaps that's what he needed to clear his head I reasoned. A walk in the trees can do wonders if your nerves are getting the better of you, so that's what he must have been doing out there. I decided to ask anyway. Technically I was the boss at the newspaper. I had every right to question why he was out for a walk instead of working on his first day.

  "Where did you go?" I blurted out as soon as he walked into the back door of the office.

  "Oh, hey boss lady. Sorry, I just needed a walk to clear my head. I went out to the old print shed. I didn't get to poke
around there very much the other night, and I wanted to have a look around." He said with a smile that didn't meet his eyes.

  "Your coffee is on your desk along with a scone." I'd suddenly developed a bad taste in my mouth and a sour feeling in my stomach. "I got you a praline latte with no whip cream. I hope that's okay."

  "Hey, cool. How'd you know my drink?" He asked and took a long sip.

  "I don't know. It just seemed like the right thing." I said and relaxed a little.

  Perhaps the lack of magic had me on edge. I figured it would be a good idea to write some more while David set up his computer and then we'd call it a day. I felt like I needed to get away from the office and the old printing room just beyond where I could see. My intuition also required me to take a break because I was pretty sure that was spell energy I wasn't supposed to be emanating. Even if it was just David and me in the office, I needed to stem the flow of magic.

  "Why don't you go ahead and get the computer set up. I'm going to write for a bit and then we'll call it a day. No need to dive too deep right away."

  Instead of working on the portion of the story I'd started on earlier, I opened a new document and transcribed the events that had taken place so far that day. Intuition that needed to shut up or not, for some reason it seemed important at the time to have a record of the day's events.

  Fortunately, my Aunt Kara called to tell me that Annabelle had left to go pick up Calinda. That meant I got to leave work for the day without having to have much more conversation with David. I'd looked up from my work a few times to see him staring at me in a way I didn't like, and I was more than happy to get away.

  "I've got a family thing to get to at the Inn. My Aunt needs me. Let's go so I can lock up for the day." I said and stood up.

  "Okay." David looked a little startled, but I didn't care. I wanted to go. "When will I get a key to the office.

  Get out.

  "I'll go by the hardware store and have one made later this week." I said and headed for the door.

  I opened it up and stepped through the threshold. My keys were in my hand ready to lock up, and I left no room for discussion about it being time to call it a day.

  David followed me out. "Hey Lenny, can I ask you about something before you go?" He inquired as I turned the lock.

  "I've got to go. Shoot me an email, and I'll look at it as soon as I'm done at my Aunt's place. Have a great afternoon, David. See you tomorrow." I said and hurried to my Jeep.

  As I pulled away, I could see David standing outside the office looking a bit stunned. "Maybe I was wrong about him," I mumbled to myself as I turned onto the road.

  It didn't matter. I had an investigation to conduct.

  Calling my few minutes at the inn an investigation would be an overstatement. Annabelle barely had anything in her room. All of the clothes and toiletries had been purchased once she'd gotten to town. I'd found the receipt on the desk just inside the door.

  None of it made any sense. Calinda had said that her entire family had gone rogue, so how did she have a sister that worked in journalism?

  Perhaps Annabelle's credentials had been a lie. If she'd been living in bear form, it would explain why all of her clothes were new. I wondered with a giggle what she'd worn into the store to buy these things, but then I had to remind myself to focus.

  There was no luggage, and that told me that she'd had no plans to take any of these things with her when she left. Maybe her plan had been to murder Calinda and the other killings was a cover? But, then why would she have interviewed at the newspaper?

  Chapter Twelve

  The call from Brad came in just as I was locking up Annabelle's room. He was off duty, but he'd come across Annabelle and Calinda about to fight outside of the ice cream shop next to the coffee house.

  I got there as fast as I could, and found Brad standing between Calinda and Annabelle while a small crowd grew larger. Their angry shouts reached my ears before I'd even opened the Jeep's door.

  Fear boiled in my gut because I was afraid they'd go into a rage, shift into bear form, and tear each other apart. My friend was standing there between them. A friend who didn't know about werebears. I had no way of warning him.

  I practically ran up to where they were standing. I hoped that my presence would calm Calinda down, and if not, I wanted to mention Dr. Corvin. I knew she wouldn't like the thought of him seeing her so angry.

  "I don't know what's wrong with you, Anna, but you need to go home. You're not welcome here. I hoped that you'd go back to being the sweet little sister I remembered, but you're an animal." Calinda spit.

  "Hey, now." Brad said and put his hands up. "There's no reason to talk like that. Let's calm down, ladies."

  "No, she's right. I am an animal, but she's worse." Annabelle said. "She's a big, smelly animal. You stink. You're dumb, and Mom and Dad always liked me better. They were happy when you left, but the cried when I..."

  Annabelle didn't get to finish. Calinda launched herself past Brad and grabbed her sister by the hair. She cried out like a wild beast as she latched onto her sister.

  The two sisters were only able to land a few blows on each other before Brad tore them apart. He had the cuffs out and both Annabelle and Calinda secured so fast that I was impressed.

  "You two need to calm down or I'm going to have to take you in." Brad said when he separated the sisters.

  "Fine, I'll go home with Lenny. I'll leave right now. I'm sorry." Calinda said.

  "Oh sure. Be a goody goody now." Annabelle antagonized, but thankfully Calinda ignored her.

  "You're staying at the Inn, right?" Brad asked Anna

  "Yes, why?"

  "I think it's time you move on. You two need to keep apart until you can talk to each other like adults." Brad said as diplomatically as he possibly could.

  "Why does she get to stay. She's the one who attacked me?" Annabelle asked innocently.

  Brad sighed heavily. Just as he was about to respond, the manager of the ice cream shop came outside. He requested a private word with Brad. They walked down the sidewalk a few hundred feet. While they spoke, the manager's face grew beet red, and Brad's shoulders slumped. It wasn't good.

  "I'm going to arrest Calinda." Brad said with weary resignation. "There are children in the ice cream shop, and the manager is furious about these two fighting out front. It would send a terrible message for me to just let it go."

  Annabelle was positively gleeful, but she left quickly when Brad took the cuffs off of her. She probably wanted to watch Calinda go into the back of the cruiser but thought better of it.

  By the time that day was over, I'd wished that Calinda getting arrested for disorderly conduct had been the worst issue she'd faced.

  "Oh my god, Lenny." Esme said as soon as I picked up her call. "Brad probably wasn't supposed to tell me this, and I'm probably not supposed to tell you, but are you sitting down?"

  "Esme, spill it."

  "They've arrested Calinda for murder. When Brad fingerprinted her, her prints came up as being found at one of the crime scenes. He didn't tell me this, but I think they found them in the print house at the newspaper." Esme said.

  "What? That doesn't make any sense, Esme. She was attacked. I was with her when the killer tried to finish her off at the hospital."

  "I think they believe that was just a coincidence. That you guys imagined being chased, or that it had nothing to do with the murders. Or worse, Lenny. They said that she might have done it to herself. It's all up in the air, but they are booking her for murder right now."

  "That's such flimsy evidence. She was at the party. Did you ever see her leave?" I asked.

  "I don't know. I think there were a few times I didn't see her, but I'm pretty sure that Dr. Corvin was gone too."

  "Oh no." I said as I felt the color drain from my face.

  "What?"

  "What if it's been her and Dr. Corvin all along? They've been very close since the first met. Maybe that wasn't them meeting. Maybe that's why the
man who chased us in the hospital was able to follow us downstairs and then disappeared once we were in the morgue with Corvin."

  "There are more holes in that story than Swiss cheese, Lenora Brewer. Not the least of which is, why? Why would they do that?"

  "Why do crazy people do crazy things?" I asked. "Do you have any ideas?"

  "Something's not right. I don’t think for a second that Calinda killed anyone, and I still believe Dr. Corvin is a good man. Something's missing here. What are we missing?" Esme asked, but I'd had no idea.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I went to the jail to talk to Calinda, but Brad wouldn't let me see her. He said it was too serious and there was nothing he could do, even for me.

  As much as I didn't want to, I'd had to go to work the next day. I considered calling David and telling him that I had to work in the field, but it was only his second day. I convinced myself that I needed to give him another chance. We'd all had off days, and I reasoned that perhaps the day before wasn't an accurate reflection of David's personality.

  I didn't want to believe that Charles and I had been so wrong about him. When I got inside, David was already there.

  "Sorry, boss. I made coffee, but it's regular." He said with a smirk.

  Was he taunting me? That wasn't the question that I'd needed to ask, though. The real issue was how had he gotten into the office.

  "How did you get in? I haven't given you a key yet."

  "It was unlocked. You must not have locked it when we left yesterday. You were in such a hurry."

  His recollection of events didn't match my own, but I had no proof. Perhaps I had left it unlocked in my rush. It was an old door. It would have been an excellent time for a steaming cup of decaf coffee with a ton of creamer and sweetener. The hot beverage could have steadied my nerves and helped me relax, but my new employee had ruined it.

  "I don't remember leaving it unlocked." I said thoughtfully.