Broomstick Blend

by Kennedy Layne

  Instead, a tall man wearing a sheriff’s uniform and who appeared to be in his fifties was lying dead in the middle of the cobblestone square. I’d never seen him before in my life. I wouldn’t wish death on my worst enemy, but I couldn’t deny that relief coursed through my veins upon discovering that Liam was alive and well.

  I already said that. Listen, I will have you know that I left my battery-operated fan, bowl of water, and a bag of ice to come out here in this stifling heat and blazing sun just to comfort you. You holding me against your sweaty body is going to have both of us lying next to that dead sheriff at our feet.

  “What happened?” I asked softly to anyone who would listen.

  I can’t breathe…that’s what happening.

  You should know that Leo had the ability to materialize and disappear in the blink of an eye. No one else could hear him besides witches and warlocks, and absolutely no one else knew of his special ability to become invisible. With that said, I hadn’t wanted him to completely vanish, leaving behind a puff of orange and black strands.

  Liam had enough on his hands with a dead body lying in the middle of the town square. I didn’t want to make things worse by revealing my secret in such a spectacular way. There were quite a few things I had yet to disclose to him.

  Let’s keep it that way, shall we? We’ll just call it my dying wish.

  “Monty was getting into his car, hoping to get some relief using the air conditioning in his vehicle by driving around town when he saw this man just lying in the middle of the road,” Paula explained, her lips turning down in sorrow. “Monty yelled for help, and thankfully Liam was exiting the police station. It was too late, though. Liam already called that handsome state police detective who Heidi has been dating.”

  Great. Now I have to die with seeing my sweet Heidi fawn all over that oaf of a detective. He couldn’t find his rear end with both hands. What did I do to deserve such a horrifying death?

  Liam wouldn’t have called Jack Swanson if there wasn’t some sort of sign of foul play. Paramour Bay was a one-sheriff town. Anything more than jaywalking or settling neighborly disputes was usually ferreted out to the state police. As for the dead sheriff, he wasn’t from around here.

  I didn’t want to cause Leo any more stress than he was already under with the blackout and oppressing heat, but he could also read every thought that crossed my mind. It was impossible to keep him from knowing that the palm of my right hand began to tingle with energy.

  It’s nothing more than the heat, Raven. It could very well be me. My beloved Heidi is always telling my how hot I am as a tomcat. Let’s head back to the tea shop, shall we? There’s two bags of ice, and one of them has my name written all over it. You can use the other bag to stick your hand in, because it’s too darn hot to get involved in another mystery right now. Raven, are you even listening to me?

  No amount of distractions from Leo was going to stop the energy from coiling in my palm, which was usually a sign that danger was somewhere near.

  I can still try, so let’s do this one more time. Turn around, force your legs to walk toward the tea shop where those heavenly ice bags await us, and we can forget this ever happened. Imagine a nice cool glass of your iced tea. It’s simple, really.

  The sound of a police siren could be heard in the distance.

  I don’t hear anything. Oh, Raven. I think you’re having symptoms of heatstroke. We really should head back to the tea shop before you get us entangled in all of this.

  We’d all shuffled back about twenty feet to give Liam the ability to clear the area for the officers arriving on the scene, who would investigate to make sure this sheriff’s death had been of natural causes.

  Unfortunately, given that a dead body of a sheriff was lying dead in the middle of the town’s cobblestone square with an item by his side that was very much out of place, I was pretty sure there was a valid reason that the palm of my hand had begun to harness energy.

  You’re just hallucinating. I don’t see a thing.

  The item in question was a broomstick.

  I’m already dying of heatstroke. Can’t we just let the good ol’ sheriff and that oaf of a detective take the first crack at this case? Really, Raven, there’s no need to investigate every mystery that crosses our path. We aren’t in the law enforcement business.

  I studied the object in question a little more closely, and it wasn’t the everyday broom that one could buy at a local store nowadays. No, the broomstick lying next to the dead body of the sheriff was actually that—one of those antique broomsticks made from birch twigs with a chestnut handle.

  My asthma finally kicked in. Are you happy now? This is it, Raven. I’ve used up my nine lives, so it’s best to get me back to the tea shop. Just lay my body on that bag of ice so that I can die in peace.

  No one was dying on my watch.

  You realize that we’re standing over a dead guy, right?

  A sheriff, from whom I assume was from a neighboring town, might possibly have been murdered. The palm of my right hand wouldn’t be hotter than my already overheated body if that wasn’t the case, and the old-fashioned broomstick was pointing in only one direction as to what could have been the cause—witchcraft.

  You couldn’t have just let me die in peace, could you? That would have been too easy, huh?

  Chapter Two

  “Are you certain the sheriff was murdered?” Heidi whispered, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Beetle wasn’t within earshot. The Chinese handmade folding fan she held in her fingers never stopped moving in her attempt to keep cool. “I mean, we’re in the middle of a heatwave. The man might simply have dropped dead from heatstroke.”

  Heidi gets me. If you remember correctly, that is exactly what I said.

  Leo’s sigh of contentment garnered an annoyed sideways glance from me. He had literally planted himself on top of one of the bags of ice with all four pudgy paws dangling down the sides, and Beetle hadn’t had the heart to move him and empty the bag into the cooler.

  My BFF gets me, too. They both treat me like I’m exactly who I am. I’m not sure what your problem is, Raven. You should get with the program. You’d think I hung around after your grandmother’s death just to annoy you.

  “I suspect because neither one of them lives every day and night with you inside of their head,” I practically hissed at him, unable to keep my mouth shut any longer. Beetle was standing just outside the glass door of the tea shop, shading his eyes with his right hand as he continued to monitor the progress of the crime scene. He’d been keeping us informed with each step of the process, and it seemed the coroner was ready to place the sheriff into a body bag. “Heidi, I’m telling you that it felt like my hand was on fire. I don’t think that the sheriff’s death had anything remotely to do with natural causes.”

  My best friend had recently moved to Paramour Bay from New York City. She’d bought her first house three months ago, signed the papers to take over Beetle’s old accounting firm with his clientele, and she was the one person I called when I needed personal advice. The bonus in this situation was that Heidi knew all about me, my witchcraft, and the fact that there were other creatures and critters of the supernatural realm who walked among us.

  Only one of the many rules you’ve broken over the last ten months. I have a color-coded list somewhere, but not even the Yellowstone Supervolcano exploding could get me to move off this bag of heaven.

  “Have you called Rye?” Heidi asked, using her free hand to lift her blonde curls from her neck. I intuitively opened the drawer where I had a ton of hair ties stashed, handing one over to her. “Maybe he sensed a ripple in the force, too?”

  You can save yourself a phone call. The resident warlock left for Windsor until the blackout is over. I’d say he chose the smart path, but I’d rather melt into a pile of orange and black goo before I went to stay with Rowena. Also, could you tell Heidi this isn’t Star Wars, although I do bear a striking resemblance to Chewy.

  For once t
oday, Leo and I agreed on something. I mean, the Rowena part…not the Chewy part.

  Aunt Rowena was technically my great aunt. She was part of the reason my Nan had separated from the coven. She’d been Nan’s sister, and the two never did manage to resolve their issues before my grandmother’s untimely passing. The only reason Aunt Rowena was hovering on the sidelines of my life was due to a war that she was cultivating between two factions of the coven—a coven that Nan had been excommunicated from, and one that I wanted nothing to do with. The fierce battle ahead was the only reason Aunt Rowena was cozying up to my mother, but I had faith that Mom was too smart to fall for any horse malarkey our aunt came up with in the meantime.

  That’s debatable. Your mother isn’t the sharpest Crayola in the box.

  “Rye is up in Windsor with Aunt Rowena,” I reiterated to Heidi, who was used to me having side conversations with Leo. She’d set down her fan to gather up her blonde curls and secure them in a messy bun on top of her head. “He probably doesn’t even know what happened here yet.”

  Let’s keep it that way. I can only deal with one accident-prone witch or warlock at a time. You two are like a traffic accident. I do my best to avoid the multi-car pileups.

  “Well, don’t do anything crazy,” Heidi advised me, which was laughable. She was usually the first one to lead the charge into getting us both in trouble with her spontaneous ways. “Liam always keeps you in the loop, so you can ask him about the details of what happened today when he stops by later.”

  I didn’t even want to think back to my reaction when Beetle had come charging into the tea shop claiming that the sheriff was dead. He’d apologized profusely when I’d finally walked back to the storefront with Leo in tow. Beetle had tried to say something once he realized his mistake, but by that time I was running out the door. My arms were still shaking from all that weight I had been carrying, but at least Leo was content for the moment.

  Not quite. I’ll know contentment when you tell me that you’ll leave the sheriff’s death to the proper authorities. Speaking of sheriffs, yours is like one of those fruit flies. He just keeps appearing out of nowhere and floating around until all I want to do is swat him.

  Leo absolutely hated the fact that I was dating anyone, but especially a regular human. Being new to witchcraft, it took a lot of my time to learn the casting of spells and the limitations of my abilities as an elemental witch. He was afraid I’d slip and blurt out all my secrets, like I’d intentionally done with Heidi.

  Considering the one main rule of the coven was that no human should be made aware of the supernatural realm, it’s a good thing your family was already excommunicated. I’m still not convinced the council isn’t going to show up on our doorstep to turn us all into toads. Green is not my color. And you already know I detest fruit flies.

  “Well, the crowd has dispersed and the visiting sheriff’s body has been loaded into a body bag,” Beetle advised us, having stepped back over the threshold of the shop. He fished out a handkerchief from the small pocket of his short-sleeved dress shirt before using it to dab the perspiration from his brow. “This bag of ice is melting at a fast pace, my dear Raven. A very fast pace. It’s no wonder that all the residents are flocking to the hotels over in New Haven. Even Gertie’s 40k generator over at the inn is struggling to keep the lower level cool enough for her guests to be comfortable during the heat of the day.”

  “I ran into Eugene and Albert on my way over here,” Heidi shared, still fanning herself while I chomped on a piece of ice. “They saw most of the inn’s guests leave right before all the excitement. I’ve closed up my office, and I’m seriously contemplating driving into New Haven myself if the electric company can’t get the power restored by tonight. I need to get one of those generators for my place. They have ones now that kick on automatically when the power goes out.”

  Tell Heidi I’m going with her. She might have to carry me to her brand-new car, though. I don’t think I have the strength to remove myself from this bag.

  “Beetle, I’m going to close up the shop.” I wrapped my hand around the tea cup I was using to hold my ice. I’d given up keeping the sweet tea cold, and no one wanted to consume a hot beverage when the outside temperature was closing in on a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Well, except me…but I could drink coffee under any circumstances. The lack of my favorite beverage wasn’t doing anything for my current mood. I needed to get one of those old-fashioned coffee percolators one could use over an actual burner. I’d have to add it to my list of inventory for the shop. “Why don’t you drive into the city to see my mother? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to have an impromptu visit from you, and this way you can get a reprieve from this heat.”

  Did you just…

  Yes, I’d just suggested that Beetle go see my mother. It was better than having him here and accidentally overhearing me discuss the fact that I think witchcraft might be the main cause for a sheriff who dropped dead in the town’s cobblestone square.

  Heatstroke. That’s the only viable reason you would suggest such a thing. Tell Heidi we need to take a detour to the hospital. I can’t have you walking about spouting such blubber.

  I’m pretty sure that my reasons were vastly different from Leo’s objections as to why my mother shouldn’t be dating my part-time employee. Leo was just worried it would affect his special treats of catnip that Beetle ordered as a specialty from some farm in Honduras. I was more worried that Beetle would get his heart broken into a million itsy-bitsy pieces.

  Trust me, you’d understand my concern if you knew my mother the way I did.

  “What a grand idea, Raven!” Beetle exclaimed in excitement, shoving his handkerchief back into his shirt pocket before giving Heidi and I a small bow of appreciation. “Grand idea! You two ladies try to stay cool and have a wonderful afternoon. I’ll just be on my way then!”

  Beetle quickly turned on the heels of his dress shoes with a whistle and marched across the threshold of the opened glass door. I immediately reached for an ice cube and dropped it down my shirt, catching my breath when the cold square landed inside my bra. I closed my eyes as the cool respite was almost instantaneous.

  “Leo, one word about where I put that ice cube, and I’ll take away that entire bag of ice that you’re wasting for your own pleasure,” I warned, wondering if I shouldn’t join Heidi for a girl’s night at some swanky hotel that had air conditioning, movie channels, and room service. There was only so much a woman could take without losing her mind. “How long are you going to give the electric company to fix the power before you head out of town?”

  The chime of Heidi’s cell phone began to sound, cutting off her answer. I didn’t even have to ask who was calling as a wide smile began to grace her lips. Well, there went the girl’s night out.

  Sickening, is what it is. That oaf of a detective has her bamboozled. Raven, can you come here and flip me over?

  Giving Heidi some privacy, I hopped off my stool and grabbed my tea cup full of ice. To give you an indication of just how hot it was in Paramour Bay, the ice cube in my bra had already melted. There was no doubt that a water stain would be making itself known through the material of my shirt, but I was already sticky with perspiration. No one would know the difference.

  Hey, where are you going? Give a cat a flip, why don’t you?

  “Leo, the bag is almost nothing but water.” I walked closer to the opened glass door of the tea shop, noticing that Eileen was waving to someone through the police station’s window. I searched the sidewalk for her target. “I’ll call the electric company soon and try to get another ETA on when they think the electricity will be turned back on. I didn’t live here last summer, but I’ve never heard of Paramour Bay having a literal blackout for more than a few hours, let alone an entire day.”

  My ice melted? I thought this felt like a waterbed. Look, Raven. I can float.

  Sure enough, a quick glance over my shoulder showed that Leo was attempting to wobble back and forth. His weight prevented hi
m from doing so gracefully, but it was still cute to see that he was having a bit of fun and not being obsessed with the fact that we might just have another murder mystery to solve.

  You know how to rain on a parade, don’t you?

  “Stop being so cranky,” I scolded, all the while realizing that I’d been quite short-tempered, too. “I’m hot, too. We all are.”

  I didn’t wait for one of Leo’s snarky comments, but I’m pretty sure he mentioned something about moving to Alaska and growing catnip. Walking across the metal plate on the threshold, I made sure to stay underneath the shade of the small awning in front of the shop. There wasn’t even the slightest breeze to give me a bit of respite from the heat, and the gold tassels were hanging limp from the canopy above. I’m surprised the hand-painted name of Tea, Leaves, & Eves hadn’t melted from the plate glass window.

  I rested the porcelain tea cup against my cheek as I watched Liam talking with Monty across the street. Liam was who Eileen had been trying to gain attention from, but he was too busy jotting something down in his notepad to notice. Knowing that Jack probably wasn’t far away, I scanned the sidewalks and street for any sign of the detective. I finally spotted him sitting in the driver’s side seat of his unmarked police car with his cell phone to his ear. He lifted his fingers from the steering wheel when he saw me looking his way, and I returned his kind gesture.

  It was rather odd that the town had gone about its usual routine after having found a dead body in the middle of the town’s square. Then again, it wasn’t like any of them could do anything to change what had happened. It appeared to be an accident. It was just offbeat to know that someone’s life could be snuffed out by supernatural means and the regular world kept turning without even the slightest pause.