by Shaw, J. D.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
COMING SOON!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
THE IMPORTANCE OF REVIEWS!
Body Bags & Blarney:
Book Three of The Vivienne Finch Magical Mysteries
J.D. SHAW
Copyright © 2014 by J.D. Shaw
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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Manuscript Editing by George G. Weiss.
Cover illustrations by Allison Marie for Alli’s Studio. Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of these designs may be reproduced without written consent from the artist.
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DEDICATION
For George, may we forever walk in fields of gold.
CHAPTER ONE
Vivienne Finch unzipped her woolen winter jacket and hung it on the coat rack opposite the front door to Clara’s Diner, revealing her short-sleeved lavender tee shirt with the Sweet Dreams Bakery logo splashed across the front. ”Hello Clara. Glad to see you haven’t frozen solid in this arctic chill.”
Clara Bunton peered from behind the cash register, counting out a roll of quarters one by one and placing them in the cash drawer. “These have Eunice Kilpatrick’s initials on the rolls.” She replied, flatly.
Everyone in town knew that if Eunice happened to be your teller at the bank, you were sure to be shorted in some obscure manner. Whenever customer comment cards were collected, hers mostly included variations on the words rude, ill-mannered, and discourteous. If you asked any Cayuga Cove resident how she managed to remain employed, they would tell you it was based specially on the thrilling gossip she passed along as she conducted your business. She knew the good secrets. In a small town, secrets were often more valuable than gold.
“Say no more.” Vivienne nodded back as she stood before Clara’s hostess podium where the specials for the day were written on a small chalkboard.
Clara had donned a light-weight white sweater over the pink poly-blend fabric of her work uniform to combat the constant blasts of cold air from the opening and closing of the front door. As she counted out the last quarter from the ten dollar wrapper she frowned. “Seventy-five cents short.”
“At least you know the staff isn’t responsible.” Vivienne countered.
Clara closed the cash drawer and scribbled a note on an order pad. “I’ll be sure to mention it to her when I pick up my deposit bag tomorrow morning.” She stuffed the note into her apron pocket. “Dealing with Eunice or the frigid temperatures, both situations leave me worse for the wear.”
“It feels like we’ve gone back to January again.” Vivienne shivered and ran her hands along her arms to warm them up.
Clara clucked her tongue in disapproval. “A flimsy short-sleeved cotton shirt is not a suitable winter garment unless you’re living in the Florida Keys.”
“It feels like the Florida Keys with all those ovens blazing in the bakery this morning.” Vivienne responded as she slid into her usual booth. “I’ve been thinking about your basil and Swiss tomato soup all morning.”
“Cup or bowl?” Clara asked.
“Today is definitely a bowl day.” Vivienne smiled as a few more customers arrived for the noon rush, briskly taking up the counter seats. “Better bring another one for Kathy too, she’s on the way.”
Clara nodded and stepped behind the counter where her cook, Harold, was ready to tackle the lunch hour crunch. “Two bowls with extra crackers.”
Harold nodded and disappeared from the kitchen window as Clara pulled some menus from under the counter and handed them to a quartet of young college students who had just claimed some of the swivel chairs. They barely looked up from their smartphones as Clara informed them to save room for dessert, as a fresh batch of pecan pies were cooling in the kitchen.
Vivienne glanced at the young college students. They were together, at least physically, but not one of them engaged in actual conversation. No doubt they would have thought her lunch date with Kathy to catch up on personal news in person was quite old-fashioned and probably not a productive use of time. Sadly, Vivienne mused, this generation was pressured from birth to keep pace not just with the friends and family in their hometown, but the entire world. She certainly didn’t envy them when it came to competition for top-notch schools or careers. Gone were the care-free days of cutting class to buy concert tickets or praying just to get a passing grade on an exam. Their entire future seemed to be set in stone before they even tried on a cap and gown. Admitting they did not know what the future held was almost heresy these days. It was a little sad, Vivienne mused, that they would never have that personal thrill of discovery on their own.
Of course, how could they when compared to her? After the Christmas incident involving Natalie Burdick exacting vengeance from beyond the grave, Vivienne realized that getting more involved with her magical studies had to become a priority. While those around her made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight or quit smoking, she chose to make weekly training visits with Nana Mary to start unlocking the plethora of spells and charms waiting in her very own grimoire.
As the doldrums of January dragged on, Vivienne began to understand the fundamentals of magic through Nana Mary’s own experiences with the craft. They would have a nice dinner complete with stories from the old days when the witches were more isolated and had to find creative ways to stay informed. Just last week, Nana Mary had explained how before the telephone was invented, witches would send communications through birds to each other. Song birds would sing notes outside a kitchen window or groups of birds with varying plumage and feather color would congregate on a tree branch nearby. It reminded her of the Victorian flower messages where a bloom could carry all sorts of messages without writing a single word on paper.
She began to wonder if perhaps there was a spell waiting in her grimoire that permitted time travel. What would it be like to not only read about the past, but be able to experience it herself without looking through the lens of someone else’s memory? Would she be able to visit the great library of Alexandria before it burned to the ground? Watch an original Shakespeare performance at the Globe Theatre with the master playwright himself behind the scenes? The possibilities of such an amazing power just mesmerized her.
“Dreaming of a tropical beach and a margarita?” Kathy’s voice stirred Vivienne from her thoughts.
“Hi there.” Vivienne smiled. “Not, really.”
Kathy grabbed a napkin from the table dispenser and gave the booth seat several wipes before setting down her outrageously expensive Coach purse. “If I hear anyone mention global warming, they’re going to see my fist flying at their face.” She slid into the seat facing Vivienne and let out a frustrated sigh.
Vivienne chuckled. “It’s not all that bad, now.”
“I can’t remember the last time our high temperature had a double digit.” Kathy scoffed as she pulled out a compact mirror and checked her hair and makeup. “All this wee
k I kept seeing this red cardinal out at the feeder in my backyard.” She fixed a few stray pieces of her blond hair that had drifted out of place in the frigid wind. “I actually went out this morning to check that it hadn’t died and was just frozen in place.”
“It may be only a few weeks to the first day of spring, but that doesn’t mean that winter just fades away.” Vivienne replied. “They don’t call it a lion for nothing.”
Satisfied with her appearance, Kathy put away her compact and rubbed her hands together. “I just got a shipment of bathing suits in today and I’m not even going to open the box. I can’t stand to even look at those yet.”
“I agree that putting bathing suits out for sale this early seems silly.” Vivienne glanced out the window where a strong wind was blowing drifts of dry snow across the parking lot. “I was actually going to come down this afternoon and look at your winter scarves.”
“Didn’t you just buy a couple during my New Year’s sale?”
“Not for me.” Vivienne continued. “For Mother’s birthday.”
Clara arrived with a circular tray balanced above her shoulder. She deftly lowered two steaming bowls of her famous basil and Swiss tomato soup onto the table. “Two bowls of tomato soup with extra crackers.”
Kathy waved her hand over the steaming bowl and sighed. “Perfect.”
“Two iced teas, unsweetened.” Clara set the tall glasses rimmed with a lemon wedges down next to the bowls. “Enjoy ladies.”
“Oh, we will.” Vivienne unwrapped her straw and placed it in her glass as Clara left to take another order from a frantic mother with two hyper-active toddlers banging the salt and pepper shakers on the tabletop.
Kathy opened a small package of oyster crackers and dropped them into the soup. “You’ll never guess what I saw today.”
“A groundhog waving a white flag?” Vivienne teased as she dropped crackers into her soup.
Kathy gingerly sipped a spoonful of soup. “How about a ‘Going Out of Business’ sign on Main Street?”
“Really? Who?” Vivienne quickly asked and then took a spoonful of soup.
“Carriage House Antiques.”
“No way.” Vivienne’s jaw dropped.
“I saw Nathaniel putting it in their front display window on my drive over here.” Kathy shook her head. “I knew they weren’t doing a ton of business the past month, but I had no idea things were that bad.”
“After what happened back in December, I had hoped the town would rally to support them.” Vivienne said as she recalled the vicious attack that had landed both men in the hospital due to Natalie’s Bad Santa notes distributed around town. “I guess my faith in humanity is just a little bit more eroded now after hearing this.”
“I’ve always been jaded.” Kathy remarked. “But, I do feel terrible about them losing their business.”
“Things are going to pick up when the storefront renovations resume in the springtime.” Vivienne added. “I wish they could hold up until then and see.”
Kathy stirred more crackers into her soup. “Well, maybe they had some medical bills from the hospital that were higher than they expected?”
“All the more reason we should try to see if there is something we can do to help them out.”
“Vivienne, I’d love to help them out but things aren’t exactly flush with my shop either. I’m making enough to pay the bills and put some money in my checking account each month, but it’s not exactly the horn of plenty for me right now.”
Vivienne sipped her iced tea and nodded. “I know that.”
“Your heart is in the right place but unfortunately most of the town’s wallets and purses aren’t.” Kathy reasoned. “It’s survival of the fittest in this economy.”
“Well, I haven’t been over to visit them in a few weeks. Now, I have all the more reason to.” Vivienne added.
“Let’s talk about something more upbeat now.” Kathy changed the subject. “Like the chances of us winning the lottery and moving to a tropical island where handsome, muscular, and tanned native men cater to our every desire.”
“Where every hour on the clock is happy hour.” Vivienne replied dreamily.
“And seventy-five degrees and partly-cloudy is a typical winter day.” Kathy mused blissfully.
“Saint Patrick’s Day is only three weeks away.” Vivienne laughed. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and find a leprechaun frozen to the ground by your bird feeder?”
CHAPTER TWO
On her way home from the bakery, Vivienne drove the opposite of her usual travel route on Main Street in order to stop at Carriage House Antiques. She pulled her red Toyota Matrix into one of the many open parking spots in front of the historic old building and her eyes darted to the simple ‘Going Out of Business’ sign that was placed in the front display window along with some antique pitcher and bowl sets. She hurried into the warmly-lit business that Nathaniel and Tristan had worked so hard to keep open, brushing away some of the lake-effect snowflakes that swirled in the early evening air and stuck to her hair.
“Vivienne.” Nathaniel smiled as the bell over the front door chimed.
“You can’t close up shop.” Vivienne closed the door behind her and stomped her snow boots on the thick welcome mat. “Main Street needs you guys here.”
Nathaniel emerged from behind the glass display case of costume jewelry that he had been marking down with sale prices. ”Their eagerness to purchase our goods say otherwise.”
Vivienne unzipped her jacket and crossed over to where he was standing. “I had no idea things were so bad. What happened?”
Nathaniel pulled out a wooden stool from behind the counter and tapped it. “Have a seat and give me your jacket.”
Vivienne removed her jacket and sat down as Nathaniel hung it up on an antique brass holder near the counter. “I’m sure if we take a look at the problem we can find a solution that doesn’t involve closing the doors forever.”
Nathaniel gave her a small smile. “You always have a way of finding the rainbow in the dark sky, that’s why I treasure your friendship so.” He walked over to the front door and turned the sign facing outward from open to closed. “The good memories outnumber the bad.” He stepped behind the counter and sat down on another stool to face her. Dressed in a fashionable sweater vest and khaki pants, the overhead lighting from the antique lamps gave his ginger hair an almost ethereal glow.
“Hey, that sounds an awful lot like you’ve already given up.” Vivienne frowned at him. “Since when do you guys ever back down so easily?”
Nathaniel sighed. “Since our books show that our business is down nearly seventy-five percent from the previous year.”
“I find it hard to believe the two of you didn’t have a contingency plan set up for lean times.” Vivienne replied. “You’re both far too smart not to do that.”
“Oh, we did.” Nathaniel replied. “But the medical bills from the last few months just sucked that well dry. Our insurance covered most, but with the high deductible and out-of-pocket expenses, our cushion has lost all the padding.”
Vivienne still felt angry when she recalled the details of the vicious attack on them back in December. Although Natalie’s spell had whipped town tempers to a boiling point, she was certain more than a few people had joined in a little too eagerly. “You just have to hang on until after the downtown renovations are finished. The tourist trade is going to explode when those buses start arriving for afternoon lunch and dinner stops along the wine trail.”
“We’ve been over and over every possible way out of this financial mess with Dowling Tax & Payroll.” Nathaniel answered. “There is no quick fix and we’re sinking faster with each passing day. Tristan finally accepted the fact that we’ve run out of options and he agreed that we have to close shop.”
“Speaking of, where is he?” Vivienne asked.
“He had to pick up some groceries for dinner tonight.” Nathaniel looked at his wrist watch. “He should be back any minute now. You want to join us?”
“I wish I could, but Joshua already has a pot roast in the oven. Some recipe that he’s been eager to make for months.” Vivienne never could tell him that pot roast was not one of her favorite meals. They had been exploring living together in her home for the past month and she was doing her best to keep things smooth. “Can I take a rain check?”
“Sure.” Nathaniel reached into the display cabinet and retrieved an enameled butterfly coat pin from the crushed velvet lining the glass shelves. “I’m going to miss summertime here most of all. Hanging your legs over the dock at sunset with a glass of blush wine, just listening to the water lap on the shore.”
“Oh, Nathaniel.” Vivienne choked up. “I don’t want to even think about you guys leaving Cayuga Cove. It just isn’t fair.”
He held the butterfly pin toward her. “I want you to have this.”
“No, I can’t accept that.” Vivienne stood up. “You need to make money and giving away merchandise isn’t the way to make that happen.”
“It’s only costume jewelry, worth maybe twenty-five dollars at the most.” Nathaniel insisted.
“I don’t care if it’s only worth twenty-five cents.” Vivienne walked over to the coat stand and pulled her coat on. “I’m going to figure out something to help you stay here.” She pointed to the pin. “Mother has a birthday coming and that pin would look stunning on her. I’ll give you thirty for it.”
Nathaniel smiled. “Vivienne, the price is only twenty-five.”
“The customer is always right.” She blinked.
“Well, at least in their mind they are.” Nathaniel smiled back. “Let me get the box for that.”