by Wendy Wang
“Professional. Yes.” The smile on his face faded but couldn’t quite be quelled. “Absolutely right.”
“Stop it,” she said fighting her own smile.
Tom breathed in deep and nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
“Now come on.”
They walked side by side into the thick grove of pines behind the house.
“Once we find them, I’ll talk to them,” she said, keeping her eyes on the ground. The brush and saplings grew too thick to pass in some places. “You need to keep your glamour up until I tell you it’s okay.”
“Of course.”
“And whatever you do, don't show them your scythe. Because you holding it is just downright terrifying.”
“No scythe. Got it.” The corners of his mouth twitched.
“This is not funny.”
“No of course not. It's not funny at all.” He fought against the smile trying to break out across his face.
“I know that you're happy but you need to tone it down a little. For everybody's sake.”
“Yes ma’am.” Tom nodded and they headed deeper into the woods.
“Trini? Macey?” Charlie called out. “Please come out. I promise it’s safe. No one can hurt you anymore.”
Charlie felt Tom's hand on her right elbow. He stepped closer and whispered in her ear.
“Look to your left near that oak.”
The shimmer of the girls’ skin danced in the corner of her eye. A relieved smile stretched her lips and she waved at the two girls standing in the shadows of a tall skinny oak tree. “Stay here for a minute. Let me go talk to them.”
Tom gave her elbow a gentle squeeze and nodded. “I'll be watching.”
Charlie offered him a weak smile, unsure if that comforted her or creeped her out.
Macey Givens looked almost the same as the photo sitting on the Givens mantle. Her long blonde hair spilled down her back and she wore a red t-shirt and jeans shorts.
“Have you come to play with us?” Macey asked.
Charlie smiled and shook her head. She knelt to their level and peered into the round face of Trini Dolan. Her soft red curls rustled as if there were a breeze blowing.
“Actually, I came to talk to y’all. He’s gone you know.” Both girls nodded at the same time. “See that man over there? That’s my friend Tom. He has magic powers to help people like you.”
“Dead people?” Trini asked flatly.
“People who are ready to move on. Do you understand what that means?”
“Does it mean go to heaven?” Macey asked.
“For you it does,” Charlie said.
“I don’t want to go,” Trini said. Her body shimmered and faded to nearly disappearing.
“Trini wait, don’t run. I know you’re scared. I promise you there’s nothing to be scared of.”
Trini disappeared.
“Don't you want to see your mom again? You know she's waiting for you now.”
Trini reappeared in front of Charlie, her expression solemn. “My mama.”
“Yes. She loves you so much,” Charlie picked up a rock and held it in her hand to keep from reaching out to touch the girl.
“I have a baby brother in heaven. Do you think he's waiting for me?” Macey asked.
“I have no doubt he is, sweetie. And I'm sure there are grandparents and aunts and uncles there too. Wouldn’t you like to see them?”
Macy’s pale pink lips curved up, and she nodded her head.
“How?” she asked. “How do we get there?”
“Well, for some people a light appears. Have either of you seen something like that?”
The girls shook their head no simultaneously.
“That's okay. There's another way, but it's really important that you be brave. I promise you, no one is going to hurt you.”
Charlie threw a glance over her shoulder and gestured for Tom to come forward.
Tom smiled as he approached them, his golden-brown eyes glittering.
“Hello, girls.” Tom knelt next to Charlie.
“This is Tom. He's going to take you where you need to go now. Remember what I said?”
“Be brave.” Trini stared at Tom, her faded blue eyes wary.
“Be brave.” Macey echoed.
“Yes. There's nothing to be afraid of,” Tom said.
“You promise?” Trini asked.
“I promise,” Charlie said.
Trini glanced at Macey and nodded her head. Charlie touched Tom's arm and he stood up. “Don't be scared.”
Charlie gave him one quick nod. Tom smiled at her and it sent a fresh pang through her chest. He really was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen.
He dropped his glamour and his black hooded robes appeared. The dark shadow took up the space where his face should've been and the only recognizable thing about him were his golden eyes gazing out at them.
The two apparitions flickered almost disappearing.
“Be brave.” Charlie reminded. “I promise he's not going to hurt you.”
“I just want to help you girls. That’s all.” His silky voice slid through Charlie’s senses. “Truly. Where you're going there is so much love and light. You'll never be scared and lonely again.”
Tom offered his hand. Trini shifted her surprised gaze to Charlie. The girl’s chest expanded as if she were taking a deep breath, and she slipped her hand into Tom's. Macey followed her companion’s lead, and the three of them headed off into the thicket of trees.
Charlie stood there for a long time peering into the gloom of the forest even after they had disappeared. When thunder rumbled in the distance, Charlie headed back toward the safety of the yard. She cast a glance at the now empty house. The monster was dead.
The first drops of rain struck hard against her skin as she climbed into her car and sped away beneath the darkened sky.
Author’s Note:
If you enjoyed this book, please give it a rating on Amazon. Your kind words and encouragement can make an author’s day (ask me how I know – smile). Of course, I’ll keep writing whether you give me an OUTSTANDING review or not, but it might get done faster with your cheerleading (smile).
Want to comment on your favorite scene? Or make suggestions for a funny ghostly encounter for Charlie? Or tell me what sort of magic you’d like to see Jen, Daphne, and Lisa perform? Or take part in naming the killers/ghosts for my future books? Come tell me on Facebook.
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Let’s talk about our favorite books in my readers group on Facebook;
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; or you can always drop me an email,
Email: http://www.wendywangbooks.com/contact.html
You can get a free deleted scene from this book and keep up with the next major update/book by joining my email list: http://eepurl.com/cE9HUn
Thank you for reading!
Check out my other books:
Witches of Palmetto Point Series (Supernatural Suspense)
Book 1: Haunting Charlie
Book 3: Devil’s Snare
The Book of Kaels Series (Fantasy)
Book 1: The Last Queen
Book 2: The Wood Kael
Book 3: The Metal Kael
Book 4: The Fire Kael
Book of Kaels Box Set: Books 1 -4
Short Stories:
Love Lacey
Devil’s Snare
Witches of Palmetto Point Book 3
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 by Wendy Wang
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or redistributed in any printed or electronic form without written permission from the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dea
d, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For information contact address : www.wendywangbooks.com
Edited by The Daily Writing Coach
Proofread by P. Hazelwood
First Edition: September 2017
V 1.0.092517
Author’s Note:
Want to comment on your favorite scene? Or make suggestions for a funny ghostly encounter for Charlie? Or tell me what sort of magic you’d like to see Jen, Daphne and Lisa perform? Or take part in naming the killers/ghosts for my future books? Come tell me on Facebook.
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/wendywangauthor or let’s talk about our favorite books in my readers group on Facebook.
Readers Group:
www.facebook.com/groups/1287348628022940/
or you can always drop me an email:
Email:
www.wendywangbooks.com/contact.html
Keep up with the next major update/book by joining my email list:
http://eepurl.com/czMPg1
Thank you for reading!
Dedicated to the women who have
supported me while I wrote this book.
Paula, Helen, Peggy, Gwen
and my mother in heaven, Carrie.
I love you all!
Chapter 1
Two thoughts struck Charlie Payne when she entered the Kitchen Witch Café: the delicious aroma of her cousin Jen’s fried chicken still made her mouth water, and there was a dead person hanging around.
A blast of cold air hit the back of her neck as soon as the jangling bell above the door announced her arrival but she didn’t bother to look for an air vent. It was March. Too early for air conditioning, and the door had already closed behind her, blocking the damp, late morning air. This chill came from someone dead. She scanned the bustling restaurant, looking for the most obvious signs: dark shadows, half-torsos or full body apparitions that were just not quite solid. Unfortunately, it wasn’t always easy to tell the living from the dead. A lot depended on the dead person. How long they’d been dead. Whether they knew they were dead, or whether they simply wanted to hold onto this world.
Almost every table was filled with people dining on her cousin’s country cooking. No one looked particularly dead. She took a deep breath and blinked slowly, waiting to feel the chill again. But it didn't come. Her shoulders relaxed, and she headed toward an empty space on the end corner of the lunch counter. A nearby diner’s plate caught her eye. Two round grit cakes had been fried up like polenta, stacked and smothered in shrimp and gravy. Her stomach grumbled.
Charlie sat down on the fixed metal bar stool with red leatherette upholstery. A chalkboard stretched the length of the wall behind the lunch counter. The entire menu flanked a boxed section in the middle where her cousin wrote the daily specials.
A middle-aged man in a dark blue polo with a logo and khaki pants sat to her right. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and laid two dollars down next to his now empty plate. His gold pinky ring winked at her, and he smiled at her before heading to the cash register to pay his bill.
An older gentleman with thin silver hair and a large liver spot on his forehead sat to her left. He wore a wrinkled and faded gray shirt with a navy sweater made worse for wear with moth holes in the sleeves. He held his hand up waving at the young blue-haired waitress at the other end of the counter, but she didn’t seem to see him. Charlie sighed. When was Jen finally going to see the light and fire that girl? She was the worst waitress Charlie had ever encountered.
The gentleman beside her finally gave up and leaned forward with his elbows on the counter. He folded his hands together. “Do you know what you're gonna get, young lady?”
Charlie perused the specials: fried chicken, shrimp and grit cakes and smothered sirloin steak. Each entrée came with two vegetables of the diner’s choice and either a biscuit or cornbread.
“I do.” Charlie called up a smile. “It’s Wednesday. Fried chicken day. It’s so good, it’s won awards.”
A soft smile stretched his lips and the thin crepe paper skin around his cloudy gray eyes wrinkled. He nodded. “Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.”
“Mine, too.” Charlie glanced around looking for her cousin. “The only thing that can hold a candle to it is the fish. On Fridays.”
He bobbed his head up and down in agreement. “Oh yes. I do love fried fish. Do you know if it’s fresh?”
“My cousin’s the owner, and if she can't get it fresh she doesn't serve it.”
“Well, perhaps I’ll have to come back on Friday. I’m not having much luck getting anything ordered today.”
“I’m so sorry,” Charlie said. “How long have you been waiting?”
“I’m not sure. A little while I guess.” He sighed. “My wife always served fish on Fridays.”
“Well, it's a tradition.”
“It is indeed, which is exactly what we need these days.” His gray eyes glassed over and his smile faded. “I haven't had fish since my wife passed away.”
A cold finger touched Charlie's heart. Of course. It was the man's wife. She glanced over his shoulder to see if the woman’s spirit would show herself.
“I'm so sorry for your loss,” Charlie said. “How long ago did you lose her?”
“Oh, it’s been a few months now.” He sniffed and pressed his lips together, but she could still see them quivering. She closed her hands to keep herself from reaching out to touch him while silently scolding herself for holding back. Jen wouldn’t have hesitated to give this man what he needed most – human contact. But Jen didn’t see the things Charlie did. Some part of her didn’t want the dead woman to be drawn out of this man just because she touched him and could see her. Spirits could deplete her energy, and some days she couldn’t help it if they saw her first, but today wasn’t one of those days.
He cleared his throat. “Well, thank you. I can say this with some certainty, young lady. If there's something you want to say to someone, don’t hesitate. Because you never know when you won't be able to, you hear?”
“Yes, sir.” Charlie nodded solemnly. “You should definitely come back on Friday. Have some fish in honor of your wife.”
“I may just do that. Will you be here?”
“Probably.” Charlie chuckled. “It all depends on if I have to work or not. I'm not on the schedule but sometimes I fill in when people call in sick.”
He tapped his pinky on the counter. “What is it that you do?”
“I’m a call center representative for Bel-com.”
“I like Bel-com. They’re a good bank.”
Technically they were a credit union but she didn’t correct him. “I'm glad to hear you say that. They're a good company to work for.”
“Indeed. I've gotta safe-deposit box with them. Which reminds me, I need to make sure my daughter knows about it.”
A warm hand touched the center of Charlie's back making her look to her right. Deputy Jason Tate smiled and quirked one eyebrow. “Who are you talking to?”
Charlie raised her hand and pointed while turning her body to the man on her left. An icy hand wrapped around her heart and squeezed. The chair was empty. Charlie jumped to her feet and scanned the restaurant. Even if he had gotten up without her realizing it, he couldn't have reached the door so quickly that she wouldn't see him.
“Dammit,” she muttered. “A dead man, I guess.”
“What?” Jason took a step back, his expression morphing to panic.
“It’s fine. He’s gone.”
Jason’s gaze darted from her to the chair. “You sure?”
“Positive.” Charlie took a seat at the counter again. She glanced around looking for the local busybodies who might gossip about crazy Charlie talking to herself. She didn’t recognize most of the people in the restaurant, though. Many looked like tourists or snowbirds who were only here until the end of spring. “What are you doing here?”
Jason’s body relaxed and he shrugged. “It's Wednesday,”
“Hell, yeah.” Jason rubbed his hands together and took a seat next to her. “So, what’s your schedule like? You think you have some time to look at a file with me?”
“What kind of file?”
“Missing person.”
“No, she does not.” A feisty voice interrupted them.
Charlie and Jason both looked up at the same time to find Jen Holloway standing in front of them. Her tiny heart-shaped face reminded Charlie of a pixie. An angry, determined pixie from her expression. Jen was barely five feet tall but her fortitude and drive made her seem like a giant at times. “Whatever it is, Jason, you’re just gonna have to do it without Charlie.”
“Why? She just said—”
“I don’t care what she just said. We have plans.” Jen gave Charlie a pointed look. “You will just have to solve your case without her this time.”
“I just wanted her opinion, that’s all. Do you have time for an opinion?” he grumbled.
Charlie laughed. “Of course I have time. We aren’t leaving till Saturday.”
“Early Saturday.” Jen reminded.
“Where y’all goin’?” Jason asked.
Charlie smiled wide, but it was a false smile. Something to throw him off the trail should his detective senses go off. There was no need to tell him why they were taking a trip. The muscles in her face tightened. “To the mountains.”
“You’re going camping?”
The smug, dubious tone he used caused the hackles on Charlie's neck to rise, and she straightened her back. She kept her voice cool and controlled. “No, not this time. We've rented a cabin.”
Jen folded her arms across her chest. She scowled and the lines in her forehead grew deep. “You think we don’t camp?”