Bobby Sparks Witch Detective: Pet Shop Puzzle ( A Paranormal Cozy Mystery)

by Stacey Fields

  “Oh,” Bobby said,” so not really winging it.”

  “Archer won’t be there,” Don said. “He’s got to work early tomorrow—searching Laura’s place first thing in the morning.”

  “I didn’t ask about Archer.”

  They walked past the town square. Bobby glanced up at Barry’s apartment and noted that a faint glow was coming through the living room window. She squinted closely, but couldn’t see anyone moving around inside.

  "Are you listening to me?" Don's words broke into her thoughts. "It does no good picking on you if your voice doesn't get all high-pitchy and defensive."

  “I’m ignoring you,” she said. “Do you think he’s home?” She stopped to look up at the window.

  “There’s a light,” Don said, tugging at her arm. “Why else would the light be on?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, “but there’s no one moving around in there.”

  “It’s almost midnight,” Don pointed out. “He’s probably sleeping.”

  “With the light on?” She gave into his tugging and followed along behind him. “He probably got ‘the urge’ and went out for a run, or whatever it is your kind does.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  "You know, ‘the urge'. That feeling you get when you just have to go out and wander through the woods, or chase rabbits, or whatever it is you do."

  “I thought you were the one that knew everything about all the different beings in the realms,” Don said with a laugh. “Clearly, you need to brush up on your shifter studies.”

  “Well, of course, I know what the books say. But, the books aren’t always right.”

  “When the books say that shifters can control their need to shift, they’re right,” Don said firmly. “Why?” he asked.

  “It was just something I heard,” Bobby said, feeling suddenly embarrassed. “Stupid, I guess.”

  Don stopped and looked down at her. She lifted her gaze to his, slowly. She expected him to be angry with her. But, he just smiled down at her, a kind, sweet, suddenly-able-to-make-her-stomach-turn-to-flutters kind of smile.

  “Well, don’t worry, Ms. Sparks. I won’t go full wolf on you, no matter how much I may want to.”

  She let out a nervous giggle, but quickly wiped the smile off of her face. “That’s a rather inappropriate thing to say to a co-worker,” she said.

  “I know,” he laughed. “I just love watching your cheeks turn red. Guess you don’t have to be a tall, handsome elf to make it happen.”

  She stomped forward, dropping her hold on his arm and making sure her heavy steps fully communicated the disgust she was feeling towards him.

  “Hold on, hold on!” he called out, hurrying to catch up with her. “I’m sorry. I know, I’m an ass at times. To be fair, you handle it quite well.”

  “You’re right about something for once—you are an ass.”

  “Why did you assume that Barry was out doing whatever?” Don asked, still walking quickly to keep up with her angry pace.

  “He’s never home at night,” Bobby said over her shoulder.

  “What?” Don asked, reaching out and resting his hand on her shoulder. “How did you find that out?”

  “I have my sources,” she said, turning to face him.

  “I know it’s Shiny,” Don said, dropping his arm at his side.

  “How?”

  “You stayed at the hotel when I left, then showed up with all of your secretly acquired information. I may not be a high-class PPI like you, but I’m not an idiot.”

  “Fine, yes. It was Shiny. He’s still been cleaning. He says he gets ‘the urge’ to clean and he just can’t fight it. He then said that when he tried to break into Holly’s home, he couldn’t. But, he wasn’t worried about making too much noise, because she was gone, probably at the diner or her secret. But, he also said that Barry wasn’t home, either. He assumed that he was out doing shifter things.”

  “I can’t say that he’s not out doing ‘shifter things’,” Don said with a slight laugh, “but I can tell you that it’s not an uncontrollable desire that we all have and can’t fight.”

  “I wonder what he was doing out late at night, then.”

  “Probably looking for his wife,” Don said, walking forward.

  “Maybe,” Bobby said, looking over her shoulder at the apartment window one more time.

  Chapter 24: The Cave

  The Cave was a crowded place. It was dark, and the air was filled with fog. The lights were low but gave off a warm, reddish glow. Everyone they passed stared at them suspiciously. Almost all of them were vampires, which was to be expected. There were a few shifters in the bunch, some witches, a handful of warlocks, a pair of ghosts in the far corner, and even an elf standing alone at the bar.

  “I guess Tammy was right,” Bobby said, stepping closer to Don and keeping her voice low. “Not just the vampires stay out late.”

  She wrapped her arm around his, trying to once again take on the appearance of their outing being nothing more than a date. Don led her further into the room. It was quite possibly the strangest place she had ever been. The tables scattered around weren't actually tables at all. They were coffins. The lights above head strobed softly, changing from red to orange. The sconces on the walls were shaped like torches, although the flames coming off of them appeared to be fake—at least Bobby hoped they were fake.

  Behind the bar, she saw the usual selections of liquors, but something on the far right side of the dusty display of bottles caught her eye. There were bags strung up, all with a bright red liquid inside them.

  “What’s that?” Bobby asked, tugging on Don’s arm and motioning in the direction of the objects that had caught her attention.

  “That’s blood,” Don said casually.

  “Blood?” Bobby asked, feeling her stomach begin to turn slightly.

  “Yeah, this is a vampire bar,” Don reminded her.

  “Where do they get the blood from?”

  “You can donate back there if you’d like,” Don said, motioning towards a doorway covered by a heavy dark black tarp.

  “Donate? Here? Now?”

  “Some say that the alcohol in the blood increases the vampire’s chances of actually getting drunk.”

  It’s not that vampires couldn’t get drunk off of normal alcohol, but, it usually took large amounts for them to feel even the slightest effects. Most just opted for not drinking at all. Apparently, in Pinecreek they had come up with a creative solution instead.

  “Does it work?”

  Don shrugged. “I’m not the one you should be asking. Why don’t you go see what that fellow over there has to say about it?”

  He motioned towards a man, leaning against one of the coffins lining the wall alone, staring intently at Bobby. She knew immediately that he was a vampire—the red eyes and pale skin gave it away.

  “That’s okay,” Bobby said, smiling at him weakly before turning to look up at Don. She hugged his arm tighter, hoping that the man would assume they were together and stop leering in her direction.

  Don played along, slipping his free arm around her and pulling her close. “Why don’t we go get a drink?” he asked.

  “We can’t drink,” she scolded him softly. “We’re working.”

  “We’re fitting in,” Don said, releasing his hold on her, but taking her hand in his. He pulled her up to the bar, where a red-eyed, blonde haired, voluptuously curvy woman drifted over to take their order.

  “I’ll have a rum and coke,” Don said. “What about you, honey?” he asked, smiling down at Bobby.

  “Just a water,” she said.

  Don laughed and wrapped his arm around her again. "Isn't she just adorable?" he asked the bartender who stared at her judgmentally.

  “Whatever,” the woman said, her voice dry and unamused.

  When she returned with their drinks, Bobby took hers and turned to look back out at the crowd. Don settled in next to her, sipping his beverage.

  “’Honey’
?” she asked once the bartender walked away.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m having a lot of fun with this.”

  “Don’t have too much fun,” she said, eyeing the drink in his hands, “we have to be on the look-out for that man.”

  “I’m looking out, don’t worry,” he said, setting his drink on the bar. “Why are you so tense all the time?”

  “Because I have a job to do, and I want to be sure I do it well.”

  “Sometimes to do your job well, you have to let your hair down a little.”

  “Maybe you’ve been doing a little too much of that. Ever think of that?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Don asked, his voice suddenly offended.

  “I’m just saying that this place has a lot of problems, Don. And no, I’m not bringing them up because I think we need to talk about them now. I’m just trying to make a point.”

  “Don’t worry,” he said, pushing his drink back further from him. “Your point has been made.”

  She could hear the hurt in his voice. She didn’t mean to upset him. It wasn’t entirely his fault that things were the way they were in Pinecreek.

  “I shouldn’t have said that,” she said softly, turning around to face him.

  “Maybe you should have,” he countered. “You’re right, you know? Things here are a mess. I never had any clue about it, either. I wish I could lie and say that I knew about the rigged elections and the black market activity. I wish I could lie and say that I had a hunch about all the things we’re uncovering, but I didn’t.”

  “You’re just one person,” she said trying to comfort him. She found herself reaching out and resting her hand on his, stroking his thumb with her own. “Honestly, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just on edge with this case, is all.”

  He turned his hand over, intertwining his fingers with hers. “You’re doing a great job so far.”

  “You’ve helped quite a bit.”

  “Still, I couldn’t have gotten this far without your help,” he said softly.

  “We haven’t figured it out yet,” she said, her cheeks blushing and her heart starting to race just slightly. She looked up into his eyes, feeling a moment of connection pass between them. A connection she had never felt with him before. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, now.”

  For a split second, she felt herself moving closer to him. He was moving closer to her as well. Their eyes were locked, and the tension between them was increasing.

  But something caught Don’s attention. He still leaned in and wrapped his arm around her, but instead of making any move to embrace or kiss her, he leaned in and whispered gruffly in her ear, “found him.”

  She went to turn around to get a view of the man, but Don held her waist tightly. “Where is he?” she asked.

  “He’s at the opposite end of the bar. He just walked in. He’s alone, for now.”

  “We need to go get him,” she said, pushing her hand against his chest.

  “Hold on,” he said. He lifted his free hand to her chin and nudged her face up to his. In a flash, he pressed his lips to her. She pushed him back, at first, but after a second, she felt herself relax into him. She even felt herself begin to kiss him back when he pulled away from her.

  She stood, confused and flustered, as Don stormed across the room. The crowd parted as two other men join in the rush to take down the very large, very burly looking warlock standing about 15 feet away from her.

  “Police!” one of the men shouted.

  Without saying a word, the man reacted. He didn’t even think twice. He lifted his hand, and one of the officers went flying into the wall to his left. Don and the other officer continued their rush. The warlock directed his attention to them, ready to attack.

  The room fell silent, and all Bobby could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears. She wanted to react, but the hours of training she received didn’t seem nearly enough to prepare her for actual combat.

  The man stepped forward and lifted his hand again. The second officer went flying backward, knocking over tables and confused patrons as he went.

  The man laughed as he prepared for his final attack. Don could have shifted, Bobby knew that. But, he didn’t. It wouldn’t have done much good, not in a small space like that. When in their wolf form werewolves were known for being extremely quick and agile. But, in a crowded room, filled with innocent on-lookers, it was too dangerous.

  As the man set his eyes on Don, Bobby felt a tightening form in her stomach. She had to do something to help. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her hands into fists at her sides. Her magic was still weak, but she had to at least try.

  In the Academy, they had learned a handful of advanced spells—ones exclusively used by the Witch Council Police Force.

  She muttered under her breath, the words coming to her immediately. She knew the spell by heart, but she wasn’t sure if it would actually work. She said the words over and over again, keeping her eyes shut and her fists clenched.

  A loud shout rang out, breaking the silence that had consumed the room. Bobby couldn’t tell who the yell came from, but as she opened her eyes, she was filled with relief to see the man on the ground, Don standing over him, locking his hands into cuffs.

  “Good work,” he yelled down the bar to her.

  She smiled and shrugged. “It was just a little paralysis spell I picked up.”

  Don pulled the man forcefully to his feet and pushed him towards the door, looking over his shoulder at her. “Well, it did the trick,” he said.

  Chapter 25: A Chat with a Criminal

  “Talk about coming through in a pinch,” Don said with a smile.

  They were back at the station, waiting while the warlock was being processed. As soon as they got the word, they would begin the interrogation. Bobby looked down at her watch. It was 1:30 in the morning. She was very thankful that she had decided to take that nap.

  The two officers who were assisting Don at the time of the arrest were being seen to by a medical team. Their injuries weren’t too severe and they would be released to go home soon. To her surprise, the warlock they had apprehended wasn’t as powerful as she had expected.

  “I’m honestly surprised that worked,” she said. “My magic has been so crazy lately.”

  “Well, I’m certainly glad it decided to work then,” Don said with a chuckle.

  She glanced over her shoulder towards the holding cell where the man was being kept. “How long does this usually take?”

  “Shouldn’t be much longer,” Don replied. “Why? Not enjoying my company?”

  She turned around quickly and glared at him. “Not particularly,” she snapped.

  “That’s a rather aggressive tone,” he said, looking at her, pretending to be confused. “What did I do to deserve that?”

  “You kissed me,” she said, leaning over and hissing at him angrily.

  “I did,” he said with a nod.

  “I told you how I feel about interdepartmental…”

  “Again, we’re not technically in the same department. But, before you go and get even more upset than you already are on me, I didn’t do it because I like you. I did it because it was the sign.”

  “The sign?”

  “Yeah, the sign I agreed on with the guys before we went into The Cave. If I saw our man, I had to have some way of letting them know without being too obvious.”

  “And you decided kissing me would be the best way to do that?”

  “I’m sure I could have thought of something else, but I didn’t really give it much thought.”

  “You could have at least told me beforehand.”

  “And miss out on this reaction? Never.” He leaned forward and smiled at her. “Besides, you liked it.”

  “I did not!”

  “You were about to kiss me back.”

  “I was not!”

  “Sherriff,” Ronda’s voice broke into their quiet, yet heated discussion. “He’s ready for you.”

>   “Saved by the convict,” Don said, shrugging as he pushed himself up. He motioned towards the interrogation room and added, “after you, honey.”

  She wanted to spit at him as she stood to her feet, grabbed the case file off the desk, and made her way towards the front of the station. But, she couldn’t think about any of that now. She had to focus on the man she was about to interview, not the one swaggering confidently behind her. This was the first major break they had had in the case, and she had to make sure she got everything out of it that she could.

  “His name is Reggi Wandsmith,” Ronda informed them just before they entered the room. “And he is not happy right now.”

  “Thank you for the warning,” Bobby said, shooting Don a disgusted look over her shoulder. “It’s always nice to have a heads up when you’re about to go through a rather unpleasant experience.”

  Don just laughed and Ronda gave her a confused look. “Sure,” she said, before turning to walk away.

  Bobby pushed the door open. The room was the typical interrogation room, with a single, metal table in the center, a two-way mirror to the left, and a rough looking man handcuffed to the bolted-down chair he was sitting in.

  “Reggi,” Bobby said, smiling as she walked towards him. “So glad you could make it.”

  Don followed her in, eyeing the man without saying a word.

  Reggi grunted as he shifted his weight around in the chair. He kept his gaze on the mirror in front of him, even as Bobby crossed through his field of vision. He had been given a stabilizer, so as to prevent him using magic at any point during their interview.

  Bobby pulled out the chair across from him, while Don hovered behind her, still standing and staring intently. “Do you know why we brought you in here today, Reggi?” Bobby asked.

  He grunted again.

  “I’m assuming you actually don’t know why we brought you here,” Bobby continued. “So, let me take this chance to enlighten you. We’re not in Vice, Reggi. We’re not worried about the drugs, per se.”

  This got his attention. “Per se?” he asked.

  “We’re investigating the death of a young girl, and we believe that you had some contact with her,” Bobby explained.