Moonshine & Murder

by Kathleen Brooks

  “Which recipe?” Zoey asked.

  “Cherry blossom,” Luke told her, reaching for handcuffs.

  “That’s the stupidest thing I have ever heard,” Zoey said, focusing hard to keep her powers in control. “Maribelle and Dale were in charge of the Mountaineers’ recipe for the moonshine competition. Of course they had copies of it! But so did half the club.”

  “It’s a direct tie, Zoey. I’m sorry, but Maribelle, I need you to come with me while we execute a search warrant on your house and all your electronical devices.” Luke handed the warrant to Zoey who immediately flipped it open and read it.

  “I’m sorry, Maribelle, but the judge signed off on it. Go with Luke, but don’t say a single word except to request a lawyer, which I advise you to say right now.”

  Maribelle was shaking as she stepped forward. “I request my right to an attorney. Zoey, can you come with me?”

  Luke looked grim. “I’m sorry, but Zoey isn’t a lawyer here in Tennessee. I believe she should be, but until the time she has court or bar approval for practicing within our state, she can’t act on your behalf. You’ll have to call Harlan.”

  Maribelle looked with desperation to Zoey. “Not Harlan! I’d be better off representing myself.”

  “I’ll figure something out. I promise,” Zoey vowed as Luke escorted Maribelle out of the bakery as he read through her rights.

  Zoey watched as her friend disappeared from view. What could she do to help? She needed to call Harlan, who was not her favorite person. When people got tired of the law she thought they should retire. But Harlan was hanging on solely because he’d cornered the defense market in Moonshine Hollow and was part of the good ol’ boys club who arranged plea bargains around the bar at Opossum’s Lodge.

  Zoey let out a deep breath. She might not be a lawyer according to the Tennessee bar, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t help her friend out by proving Maribelle’s innocence. If she left Maribelle’s case up to Harlan, her best friend would be spending the rest of her life in prison.

  10

  “Well, I’m sorry. It’s not like I did it on purpose,” Agnes said defensively.

  Zoey tilted her head to the side as her brows furrowed in confusion.

  “I told you, it was an accident,” Agnes huffed.

  Zoey leaned over to Vilma, not taking her eyes off Agnes on hands and knees in her living room nose to nose with a beautiful black cat. “Why is Agnes talking to a cat?”

  The cat’s coat was dark as night and shiny. The cat turned to look at her and Zoey almost gasped. Bright teal eyes looked her over before dismissing her and focusing back on Agnes.

  “That’s not a cat,” Vilma whispered back.

  Zoey took in the twitch of the tail that showed the annoyance of the animal. “No, I’m pretty sure that’s a cat.”

  Vilma shook her head nervously. “Quiet, she can hear you. That’s Grand Mistress Lauren. She’s the head of the Claritase.”

  “Knock it off,” Zoey laughed. The cat’s head turned and her eyes narrowed. The teal color intensified and Zoey felt power surround her, then suddenly she heard a voice in her head.

  “Mistress Zoey. I’ve heard about your little accident.” The black cat approached her and Zoey felt as if someone were trying to shuffle through her brain. “Ah, I see you’re smart enough to be afraid of your powers. I don’t like it, but Agnes and Vilma have convinced me that they can train you instead of them taking your powers from you.”

  “They’ve done a great job so far,” Zoey said, slipping her hand into Vilma’s for support. “And I’d really prefer not to die.”

  Grand Mistress Lauren sniffed as if it were a chuckle. “I’ve known Vilma and Agnes for thousands of years. Trouble is what they are. However, they do know their magic. I’ll allow you both to train her, but as quickly as possible. The reason I am here is to warn you. There has been a shift—black magic. I feel it pressing in on the town. It’s swirling around the town searching for us.”

  “I’ve felt it,” Zoey said softly. “Fear so overwhelming I kind of, um, exploded.”

  Grand Mistress Lauren rolled her bright teal eyes. “The future of our kind is dependent on someone who explodes out of fear. How is she going to defeat the Tenebris?”

  Zoey felt her powers begin to freak out inside her. Her? It was up to her to defeat the Tenebris? “I’m sorry, I must have heard you incorrectly.”

  Grand Mistress Lauren shook her head. “You heard me right. The Tenebris have been gathering power by slowly killing off our healers. The man whose powers you have taken was one of their best hunters. He has taken the lives of many of our sisters. Now you’ve inherited all of their powers and his. Somehow they’ve been activated.” The cat looked her over skeptically.

  “Do you think it’s the prophecy?” Agnes asked.

  The cat’s head nodded. “It’s too early to say for sure, but it’s possible.”

  “What prophecy?” Zoey asked looking between them.

  “It’s not important yet. Either way, it’s time for the Claritase to come out of hiding. We will provide a distraction to spare you some time to train, but we can only hold them off for so long. May the Goddess protect us all.”

  With a flick of her tail, the elegant cat disappeared.

  Zoey blinked at where Grand Mistress Lauren had been sitting. “I’m so confused,” she muttered as if this was all a dream.

  “Grand Mistress Lauren has been the head of the Claritase since Alexander killed our former Mistress, Helena, under the guise of a white flag. Lauren’s a powerful witch, but during a battle with the Tenebris she had shapeshifted to try to sneak up on Alexander and was caught, her powers were pulled from her before some of our sisters could get to her. They were able to, as you say, poof away, but from then on Grand Mistress Lauren didn’t have enough power to transform back to her human form. And only Grand Mistresses, Grand Masters, or true loves can give you power. Until then, she’s a cat, but a powerful one. But for now, the most important thing is to keep you hidden while you learn all you can. Whatever you do, don’t draw attention to yourself.” Agnes let out a huff and for the first time seemed nervous. And that scared Zoey more than any talking cat ever could.

  “I’ll have her plead guilty. She’ll be sentenced to twenty years and be out in twelve.”

  Zoey blinked, absolutely dumfounded, at the attorney’s statement. Harlan Weaver was the laziest attorney she’d ever met. “But Maribelle is innocent! The prosecutor has no evidence that she killed Tim.”

  “Now little lady, don’t get yourself all worked up. I have a deal with the judge and the prosecutor. They all said they’ll accept the plea. All nice and neat and Maribelle will be out of jail before you know it,” Harlan said dismissively.

  Zoey felt the powers inside her swirling, and she was tempted to let them flow. Her fingers itched with heat, but she took a deep breath to calm them. “Will you please give me a week to look into the case? If I can prove Maribelle is innocent, your job will be even easier.”

  Harlan ran a hand over his trimmed gray beard. “Hmm, you may have a point. And the judge was really wanting to go to the lake soon.” Zoey kept quiet. She had learned there were times to argue and times to let men think they were coming up with a plan all on their own. “Yes, I think I’ll mention it to the judge when I see him at the Opossums tonight. He’ll love that I was able to clear his docket for him before his lake trip.”

  Zoey tried not to roll her eyes. Sure, he’ll find the evidence to clear Maribelle before the judge’s lake trip. But if it meant Maribelle was cleared, she’d happily let Harlan take the credit. And if all else failed, Zoey would hire an attorney from Chattanooga or Knoxville to represent Maribelle and Dale.

  * * *

  With the deal made, Zoey had one week to prove her best friend’s innocence and learn how to not only control, but also use, her accidental witch powers. She took a deep breath. And she’d thought being the attorney for Scott Westerfield was stressful. Wading into the fray
of escorts battling strippers over a drugged out, naked Scott was nothing compared to the stress Zoey was feeling to save Agnes, Vilma, and now Maribelle and Dale. Zoey wanted to give into the fear, but then who would save her friends? So Zoey shook off the pessimism and pulled up her big girl panties. She didn’t let people get the best of her in negotiations, and she wasn’t going to let some evil witches and a lazy legal system get her now.

  With renewed determination, Zoey’s next stop was the jail. Luke sat behind his desk and at least looked pained when he saw her walking toward him. “I want to see Dale and Maribelle.”

  “You’re not their attorney,” Luke said on a sigh.

  “I’m not here as their attorney, but as their private investigator. I have one week to present evidence of their innocence or Harlan is going to try to lock them up under a plea deal you know is total bull.” Zoey crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at Luke.

  “Then you mean we have a week. I don’t think they did it either, and at least they’re smart enough to try to find a new attorney. They’ve been making calls to Knoxville this morning.” Luke stood up and grabbed a set of keys. “They’re in the same cell. It’ll give them a taste of marriage.”

  Zoey followed Luke through a metal door with a small square window in it to a row of cells. Well, three cells anyway. That’s all there were in Moonshine Hollow. The first cell was utilized as a drunk tank. The empty second cell had a divider up in it so you couldn’t see the third cell from the first cell. When she walked past the divider she saw why. Since there were no women-only cells and in order to keep Maribelle here, they had to give her privacy.

  “Thank you,” Zoey said softly. This wasn’t something Sheriff Weller would ever think of.

  “You’re welcome. I’m hopeful it’ll just be for a short duration, and I thought they’d be more comfortable together than having to send Maribelle to another county.”

  “Zoey!” Maribelle cried the second she saw her. Maribelle rushed to the door and reached through the bars. Zoey clasped her hand as Luke opened the door for them.

  “I’ll leave the door open at the end of the hall. Just shout when you’re ready for me to let you out,” Luke said, his voice heavy with regret.

  Zoey hurried in and embraced Maribelle as Dale stood tall behind her with a comforting hand on her shoulder. They would get through this. Zoey swore to it as the cell door clanged shut.

  “Did you hear about Harlan?” Zoey asked as she shared the horrid plea deal with them.

  “We have to get a new attorney,” Dale said, sounding more like a curse. “He’s going to put us in jail for something we didn’t do. We’ve left messages with a couple this morning but haven’t heard back yet.”

  “I agree you need someone else,” Zoey told them. “I did get him to give me a week to prove you didn’t kill Tim. Luke said he’d help me. But if I can’t prove your innocence, I’ll make sure you have a new attorney by the end of the week. Tomorrow, when you go in for your bail hearing, make sure you both plead not guilty before Harlan has a chance to open his mouth.”

  Dale and Maribelle nodded. “Thank you, Zoey,” they said with a look of hope. She only hoped she could do more to help them.

  * * *

  Zoey walked out of the sheriff’s office and stopped when she heard her name called from across the street. When Zoey looked up she saw Missy standing at the door to the Mountaineers’ club.

  “Yoo-hoo, Zoey!” Missy waved a ring-less hand.

  Zoey crossed the street and smiled. She liked Missy. Missy was all that was southern charm and manners. She volunteered for everything, sent get well baskets when people were sick, waved to every car that drove down the street, and had a glass of sweet tea at the ready in case someone stopped by her Pawpaw’s house to sit a spell.

  “Hi Missy. How are you?” Zoey asked as she stepped onto the sidewalk. Some of the members of the club smiled at them as they walked inside.

  “Oh, as well as can be expected. I can’t believe Maribelle and Dale murdered Tim. I just had to see how she is doing. My heart is breaking for them. They are so in love, and now they’ll have to get married in prison,” Missy said as she wrung her hands.

  “That’s very nice of you to worry, Missy, but they didn’t kill Tim.”

  “Like hell they didn’t,” came Wayne’s hard voice from behind her. “It’s all over town. They’re going to take a plea deal and spend years in prison for it.”

  Zoey watched Wayne walk around her and slip his arm over Missy’s shoulder. “I’ve talked to Harlan, and he said it’s as good as done.”

  “I’ll bring them a pie,” Missy said to no one in particular. “Can they have pie in prison?”

  “They aren’t pleading guilty, Wayne. They are innocent. Why are you wearing that jacket? Aren’t you hot?” Zoey asked as calmly as she could. Wayne was so thick-headed.

  Wayne bristled as he looked down at the camouflaged jacket he had zipped up to his neck and a matching hat pulled low over his eyes. “I just got back from duck hunting with Justin. And that’s not what I heard, Miss High and Mighty. And I’m in the know around here. Aren’t I babe?” he asked Missy.

  “Oh, you sure are. Wayne knows everything.” Missy bobbed her head and looked lovingly up at Wayne.

  Wayne puffed up. “I’m glad someone appreciates me.” Missy smiled up at him and Zoey rolled her eyes.

  “Hey, baby.”

  Zoey groaned out loud. She didn’t mean to, but she wasn’t in the mood for Justin right now. “Hi Justin,” Zoey forced out as the man wearing a matching outfit to Wayne stopped next to her.

  Justin held out a new shotgun. “It’s a beauty, ain’t it? I got it last night and Wayne and I went out this morning so I could break it in. Got three ducks with it. How about some dinner tonight?” Why couldn’t Justin be standoffish again?

  “I’m sorry, but I’m busy all week with Agnes and Vilma. I promised I’d help them with a project. But fresh duck sounds delicious. Enjoy.” There. Zoey was rather pleased with herself. She’d been nice when she wanted to scream that she didn’t have time to worry about a date when the balance of good and evil rested on her burning fingertips.

  “Come on, babe. The Mountaineers’ meeting is starting soon. We have to replace Dale as president and Maribelle as secretary.” Wayne leaned forward, getting closer to Zoey and winked.

  “Wayne’s running for president and I’m running for secretary. We’ll be the new power couple of the town.” Missy giggled as Wayne used his hand at the small of her back to turn her and push her inside.

  “You could have had all this,” Wayne gloated. Oh yeah, Zoey was torn up over it. But now there were far more important things to spend her time on than Wayne’s ego. She needed to prove Maribelle’s and Dale’s innocence and learn a millennium or two of witchcraft. What could go wrong?

  11

  “Bail is set at two hundred thousand dollars each.” The judge banged his gavel as Maribelle and Dale looked crestfallen.

  They looked over their shoulders at her and Zoey smiled encouragingly. Maybe their parents would use their houses for collateral, but she doubted they could afford it. At the worst, they would be in jail another week if bail couldn’t be raised. The judge was holding a preliminary hearing next week before he left for vacation. It would be there that Zoey could push for dismissal.

  “We don’t have the money,” Maribelle sniffed between silent tears.

  “It’s okay. One week. You all can do it. It’ll be like a honeymoon,” Zoey tried to say positively. The look Maribelle gave her told her she’d failed in her attempt to cheer up her friend. Sheriff Weller grabbed them both by the arm and walked them out of the courthouse.

  “One week, Miss Mathers,” Harlan threatened as he walked by her, whistling.

  Luke came to stand by her. “The State Police have the autopsy in. You didn’t get this from me.”

  Zoey looked down and took the folder he handed her. She shoved it into her purse. “Any luck on the email?�
��

  “We tracked it to one of the computers at Mountaineers, but that could be anyone.”

  Zoey sighed. The prosecutor would say that was evidence it was Dale and Maribelle. “Has the provider gotten back to you with the account holder’s name?”

  “Not yet,” Luke told her as they walked outside.

  “What time was it sent?” Zoey asked.

  “Eight minutes past two in the morning.”

  Zoey looked around the courthouse and down the street. “I’m guessing no surveillance cameras?”

  Luke just looked at her.

  “Yeah, yeah, Moonshine Hollow has no crime so why would they need cameras?” Zoey asked sarcastically. “Too bad you have a crime to solve and no cameras.” She took a deep breath. “So all I have to do is find out who was here at that time and then we have our suspect.” Yeah, that was a plan. She could do that. Zoey psyched herself up. She’d watched an old episode of Murder, She Wrote last night and had Perry Mason set to record on her DVR. She was all over this amateur sleuthing.

  “Check out the autopsy,” Luke said as they stood by themselves at the corner of the courthouse.

  Zoey opened the file and scanned. Tim had been strangled, but it was the broken neck that had killed him. Time of death was one fifty in the morning. “So the killer killed Tim at one fifty, then walked to the club, broke in, and sent the email. The timeline matches.”

  Luke nodded. “I already checked out Mountaineers this morning. The door was not broken into. There were no scrapes around the lock, and Bethany swore she locked the doors before leaving for the park that night. Read the rest.”

  Zoey looked back at the report. Self-defense wounds. Skin was found under Tim’s nails. “The suspect will have scratches on them, scrape marks. Did you take pictures of Dale and Maribelle when they were booked?”

  “Sure did.”

  “And?” Zoey pushed about to run out of patience.