“This can’t go on,” I muttered. “She’s going to have an aneurism if she keeps this up ... or accidentally poke her own eye out. You have to call Aunt Tillie and get her down here.”
Landon balked. “Why would I do that?”
“Because I need them to go back to Hollow Creek with me, and they can’t go like this.”
“You’re not going back to Hollow Creek without me, and I can’t go this afternoon because Chief Terry and I have a meeting with the county guys,” Landon replied. “They want to start conducting searches right away and they’re going to show us a search grid.”
“What happens if … ?”
“I don’t know, Bay,” Landon answered honestly, knowing exactly what I was going to ask. “I’m doing the best I can, sweetie. If Aunt Tillie says the field can’t be found, then I have to believe her. If they find it … .”
I knew what he wasn’t saying. If they found Aunt Tillie’s field, there was absolutely nothing he could do for us. He would kick, scream and fight – but we would be in real trouble. “We need Aunt Tillie down here right now.”
“Bay, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Landon said, clenching his jaw. “We just had this talk.”
“We just had this talk when it was about you and me,” I clarified. “This is about my family, too. I need to go down to Hollow Creek. Nathaniel said the answer was right in front of my eyes. My heart is telling me that I need to go back there. I know you don’t like it … .”
“Fine,” Landon said, giving in. “If you go down there I want Clove and Thistle with you. If they’re going to be of any use, the curse has to be lifted. I’ll call Aunt Tillie.”
“Oh, thank you, kind sir,” Clove said, throwing her arms around Landon’s neck. “I’ve always loved you.”
“Okay, now I’m starting to get uncomfortable,” Landon said. “You’d better prepare yourselves … because this is going to take a lot of groveling.”
“ABSOLUTELY not!”
Aunt Tillie arrived at Hypnotic thirty minutes after Landon called, and wasted no time shutting him down. I think she only came to town so she could see our faces when she did it. She’s a mean little thing when she wants to be.
“You have to do it,” Landon pressed. “Bay needs to go out to Hollow Creek, and she can’t go alone.”
“There’s nothing stopping Clove and Thistle from going with her,” Aunt Tillie countered. “They’ll just be really nice when they go.”
“I need to know they can say a spell to save themselves if it comes to that,” Landon argued. “I need to know Bay is safe.”
“Why wouldn’t Bay be safe?” Aunt Tillie was convinced we were lying to get out of our punishment.
“Because Bay followed Stephen, Dakota and Charlie behind the school, and I found that Stephen kid threatening her,” Landon replied.
“Bay is an idiot sometimes,” Aunt Tillie grumbled, not surprised in the least by my actions. “Do you think he killed Nathaniel?”
“Nathaniel showed up,” I answered. “He said they didn’t kill him, and that I was looking in the wrong place.”
“If they didn’t kill Nathaniel, why would they go after you?”
“I think they’re upset about the pot field,” I explained. “I overheard them. There was a lot of chatter about ‘they’ being upset. They’re either working with someone or for someone.”
“That sounds delightful,” Clove said.
Aunt Tillie rolled her eyes. “Okay. I admit it. That’s annoying.” She snapped her fingers. “The curse is lifted. Go forth and say something nasty.”
“I’m going to make you eat dirt for this, Bay,” Thistle seethed. “It’s going to be filled with worms … and beetles … and grubs.”
“And we’re back,” Landon said, sending Aunt Tillie a rueful smile. “Thank you.”
“I’m not doing it because of you,” Aunt Tillie scoffed. “I’m doing it because I don’t want Bay getting hurt.” She plopped down on the couch, kicking Landon’s legs out of the way so she could get comfortable. “Let’s break this whole thing down and look at it from the proper perspective, shall we?”
I hate it when she talks down to us.
“We know the field was planted on the far side of the creek,” Aunt Tillie said. “How were they getting to it? That area isn’t accessible unless you want to hike three miles in from the road. I doubt they were doing that on a daily basis.”
“We think there was a shallow pathway through the creek that the kids knew about,” I answered. “When we busted the kids drinking out there, a few of them ran into the creek. That seemed like a stupid idea until … well … until we found the pot field.”
“That would mean more than a few kids knew about the field,” Aunt Tillie pointed out. “That’s not a very smart way to run a business. The more rats in the maze, the more people to eat the cheese.”
“That was truly profound,” Thistle deadpanned.
“They’re teenagers,” Landon said. “Teenagers aren’t known for being smart business partners.”
“We need to go out there,” Aunt Tillie said, rising to her feet. “You’ve got me curious now.”
“You’re going with us?” I was flabbergasted. Aunt Tillie’s idea of an outing was walking to her greenhouse so she could smoke her glaucoma medicine in peace. “Why?”
“I don’t like anyone threatening my family,” Aunt Tillie replied. “That’s my job.”
“And you do a bang up job of it,” Clove said.
“You’re not still under the spell,” Aunt Tillie said. “You don’t need to be nice.”
“Oh, I wasn’t being nice.”
Aunt Tillie smirked. “Let’s go out there while it’s still early,” she said. “If anyone is searching out there, we’ll use a spell to track them. If Bay is right and there is something left at Hollow Creek, these kids won’t be able to control their impulses. They’ll go for it sooner rather than later.”
“And what will you do if they come after you?” Landon asked.
Aunt Tillie’s smile was nothing short of evil incarnate. “Well, then they’ll find out I can’t control my impulses either.”
Landon grinned. “May the Goddess have mercy on their souls, right?”
“Oh, honey, given my mood no one is going to have mercy on their souls.”
“THIS place is just as much of a pit as I remember,” Aunt Tillie said, making a face as we spread out to search the banks of the creek an hour later. “It smells, too.”
Clove wrinkled her nose. “I don’t smell anything.”
“That’s because I have the olfactory senses of an elephant. I can smell things mere mortals can’t detect.”
Thistle shot me a dubious look. “Did she just explain something?”
“Don’t you idiots watch the Discovery Channel?” Aunt Tillie asked. “Everyone knows that elephants have the best sense of smell. I’m like an elephant.”
Thistle opened her mouth to say something, but Aunt Tillie silenced her with a look.
“I’ll restore the curse.”
Thistle sighed. “Fine. You’re an elephant. Can you use your keen sense of smell to find whatever Bay thinks is out here?”
“What do you think I’m trying to do, fresh mouth?”
“It would help if we had an idea what was out here, Bay,” Clove suggested. “Are we looking for something big or small?”
I had no idea. I only knew we were looking for … something. “I can’t explain it,” I said. “I know we’re supposed to find something out here. I’m sorry I can’t be more precise.”
“Well, I guess we should split up and start looking,” Thistle said. “At this rate we’ll be having dinner out here.”
“We’ve been out here for five minutes,” I argued.
“It feels longer.”
“It does,” Aunt Tillie agreed. “We need to cast a spell to find what we’re looking for.”
Clove knit her eyebrows together. “A locator spell? Isn’t that dangerous if some
one sees us out here and we have a ball of light zipping around?”
“If someone sees us out here they’re probably looking for something illegal – or remnants of the pot field to smoke – so they wouldn’t be able to tell anyone without looking like a creepy drug addict, would they?” Aunt Tillie challenged.
“I guess I never thought about it that way.”
“And that’s why I’m the brains of the operation,” Aunt Tillie said, causing Thistle to snort. “You’re still on my list, missy. See what happens if you push me. I’m out here to keep Bay safe. I can restore that curse with a snap of my fingers.”
Thistle waited until Aunt Tillie looked in another direction to stick out her tongue.
“I saw that,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Let’s cast the spell,” Clove suggested. “I don’t like being out here. Ever since we found that cave with the dead body inside, this place gives me the creeps.”
I stilled. It’s right in front of your eyes. “The cave.”
“That would make sense,” Aunt Tillie said. “What happened out here was all over town. People probably figured if no one found that cave for decades, there’s probably no reason for anyone else to find it now.”
“Do you remember where it is?” Thistle asked.
I tapped my lip as I scanned the tree line. “It’s over there.”
We trudged in that direction, forming a line with me taking up the front and Thistle keeping a watchful eye at the rear. After a series of missteps – each one causing Aunt Tillie to grumble something about “idiots” and “couldn’t find their butts with two hands and no place to move” – I found the entrance.
“We need a light,” Clove said. “I’m not going in that dark hole again without a light. You can’t make me.”
“Why are you such a baby?” Aunt Tillie sniped, pressing her eyes shut briefly and then snapping her fingers to conjure a small ball of light. “Do you think I would let you go in that hole without a light?”
“Bay did.”
“Yes, well, Bay approached three boys who may be murderers on her own this afternoon,” Aunt Tillie shot back. “She’s an idiot.”
“I love you, too,” I muttered, following Aunt Tillie’s ball of light into the cave. Given its size, I didn’t expect much illumination. Once we were inside, though, it expanded and gave off an almost homey vibe – well, for a cave.
“Someone needs to clean this place,” Clove muttered, stepping around a large rock.
“Oh, yeah,” Thistle deadpanned. “We should place an ad. Do you want to clean a dark and dank hole? Well, we’ve got just the place. It’s next to Hollow Creek, the former home of a dead body, and the occasional spot for murderers. Fill out an application here.”
“It must be a relief for you to be mean again,” I said, something clicking in the back of my mind and making me turn around.
“You have no idea,” Thistle said. “I told the mailman I loved him.”
“I was there,” Clove said. “He thought she was coming on to him. He asked what color her underwear was and she had to tell him. Sometimes I think Mr. Brooks is creepy. If he didn’t wear those stupid shorts to deliver the mail, he would freak me out. I … do you see something?”
Everyone moved in behind me as I knelt, the clicking getting louder in my brain. I lifted a piece of discarded wood and tossed it to the side, revealing a small tin box – one of those tins that once contained expensive tea sold at the grocery store. It looked relatively new.
“What’s inside?” Clove asked.
“She hasn’t looked inside yet, you ninny,” Thistle snapped.
“Good grief. I’m already missing that curse,” Aunt Tillie muttered, causing my cousins to clam up. “Be careful opening it. There might be a snake inside.”
The suggestion was ludicrous, and also made me internally shudder. “Why would you say that?”
“I saw a movie where someone found a tin can like that in a cave and it was filled with snakes.”
“What movie?”
“Open it,” Aunt Tillie hissed.
I pried the lid off and peered inside as the ball of light moved lower. I slipped my fingers into the narrow opening and pulled out a huge wad of money.
“Holy crap,” Thistle said. “How much is that?”
I counted it, going over it twice to make sure, and whistled. “Five thousand bucks!”
“I think you should give that to me for safe keeping,” Aunt Tillie instructed. “I’m the most responsible one here.”
“I’m not giving you this money,” I said. “We have to turn it over to Landon and Chief Terry.”
“Do you think it’s Nathaniel’s money?” Thistle asked.
I glanced around, hoping he would make an appearance if that was the case. He didn’t. “I have no idea. I think it’s too much of a coincidence for it not to be tied to the pot, though.”
“Is this what you were looking for?” Aunt Tillie asked.
I nodded.
“Does that mean I can curse them again? Thistle is really bugging me.”
“I will lock you in this cave and forget where you are,” Thistle threatened.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said, ignoring both of them. “I don’t like it in here. This means something. I just don’t know what. We’re missing something big … and I hate that feeling.”
Twenty-Six
I found Aunt Tillie loitering around her greenhouse when I got back to The Overlook a few hours later. She was messing around with an empty pot, and she appeared lost in thought. I cleared my throat to announce myself.
“Did Landon decide to give me that money after all?”
I shook my head and smiled. “Landon and Chief Terry were surprised and made me go back and show them exactly where I found it. They’re not sure how they’re going to write it up in the report.”
“What do they think it means?”
“They’re as stumped as we are,” I said, moving further into the greenhouse. “Can I ask you something?”
“No, I don’t plan to curse you guys with the nice spell again,” Aunt Tillie replied. “It wasn’t nearly as much fun as I thought it would be. I think I might be slipping in my old age.”
“That’s not what I was going to ask … and thank you. Landon asked me to tell him how great he was for what felt like forever because of that spell. I’m not interested in that right now, though.”
Aunt Tillie stilled. “You want to know why I lifted the curse early, don’t you?”
I shook my head. “That’s also not what I was going to ask,” I said. “Now that you’ve brought it up, though, why did you?”
Aunt Tillie shrugged. “I’m not really angry with you guys,” she said finally. “Don’t get me wrong, wrestling me to the ground like that was undignified, and I’m still going to get you back, but you’re not my problem right now.”
“Is Aunt Willa your problem?”
“She’s the Devil.”
I tugged on my limited patience and leaned against her potting bench, crossing my arms over my chest as I studied her. “What’s the real deal with you and Aunt Willa? You don’t even act as if you’re from the same family.”
Aunt Tillie sighed and tossed her trowel into the pot. “I don’t ever remember getting along with her,” she said. “I always got along with Ginger. We were … close. We were close like your mothers are close. I still miss her.”
“I wish I could’ve met her.”
“She would’ve hated you,” Aunt Tillie said, although her eyes twinkled as she shuffled over to the shelf next to the wall. “Actually, she would’ve loved all three of you. She would’ve gotten a kick out of Thistle’s mouth. She would’ve enjoyed Clove’s whiny quality. She would’ve loved your ambition and the way you hold things together in a crisis. I think she missed out on a lot because she didn’t get to know you three.”
I was dumbfounded. That was one of the nicest things Aunt Tillie had ever said to me. “Why didn’t you just agree to stay out of your
pot field when I first asked you? You said you would that first day, so why was it such a big deal when I asked you the second time? We could’ve avoided all of that … melodrama … if you had.”
“Maybe I didn’t want to stay out of my field. Did you ever consider that?”
“That’s the first thing I considered,” I conceded. “You may be stubborn and set in your ways, but you’re also unfailingly kind when it’s important. You’re the most loyal person I know.
“I realized today when you went to Hollow Creek with us that you didn’t do it out of boredom or because you were yearning for adventure,” I continued. “You were doing it because you were legitimately worried about us. If we were going to get in trouble, you wanted to be there to get us out of it.”
“I think you’re delusional,” Aunt Tillie said. “I thought nothing of the sort.”
I didn’t believe her. “You would never purposely put us at risk,” I said. “You were never going to go back to that pot field even before I asked, were you?”
Aunt Tillie sighed. “Do you know your biggest problem?”
“I think it’s this nagging voice in the back of my head that keeps telling me the bottom is going to drop out because I’m really happy these days,” I answered honestly.
“Oh, good grief,” Aunt Tillie muttered, rolling her eyes. “Is this about Landon? The boy is smitten. He’s not going anywhere. I know you’re worried because he walked away the first time, but I knew he would come back. He needed time to think.”
“He said the other day that he envisions us having our own home one day,” I said. “He thought it would freak me out – and it did, well, kind of. When I thought about it more, though, I realized I wanted that. The problem is … .”
“Our family,” Aunt Tillie supplied. “We’re joined at the hip and lip – not in a gross way, so don’t get some weird lesbian fantasy.”
I fought the urge to shake her. We were having a moment, even if she insisted on being belligerent during it. “Clove is going to move in with Sam. She’s going to do it soon.”
“I figured that,” Aunt Tillie said. “She’s always been the one who needs stability. Sam gives her that. I wasn’t sure I liked him at first.”
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