Spell's Bells (Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book 3)

by Annabel Chase

  "You and millions of other human families," I said. "Not to diminish your experience, but you're hardly alone in this."

  "Freddie said his place was too small and he couldn't afford somewhere bigger. He also wanted to be able to move forward in a relationship. He didn't feel able to do that with mother as his roommate."

  "And that's totally understandable, too. I think you did what was best for everyone."

  A tear slid down the dwarf's cheek. "Freddie and I had just had another argument about it the week before this happened. He'd gone to see our mother and he wasn't happy when he came home. He ran straight over to me, insisting that we take her out of the home, but I refused."

  "Do know if something happened?"

  Trixie stifled a giggle. "I think he caught an elderly gentleman leaving our mother's room and he wasn't thrilled about it. To be honest, I think he was jealous that our ancient mother was getting more action than he was."

  "It wasn't a genie by any chance, was it?" I cringed at the thought of Agnes and Estella sharing the sex-crazed genie.

  "He started raving about mother's heart condition and how this can't be good for her. I told him that I thought it was great for her and that just made him angry." Her expression softened. "That was our last conversation. Can you believe it? Now I have to talk to him through a glass wall and I don't even know if he can hear me."

  "How did you end the conversation? Did you agree to remove her from the home?"

  Trixie shook her head vigorously. "Absolutely not. Nothing had changed. Freddie was still a bachelor and I'm still a harassed wife and mother. He threatened to drive over there and remove her himself."

  "But he didn't do that," I said.

  "Of course he didn't. That would mean mother moving in with him and he wasn't prepared to give up his bachelor lifestyle."

  "From what I've heard, Freddie wasn't really comfortable with the bachelor lifestyle." In fact, his story reminded me of Killian’s, the vampire I met in Pandora’s office. "It sounded to me like Freddie really wanted to settle down and get married."

  "Well, I don't think that's likely to happen."

  “Obviously not while he's under the curse."

  She looked at me askance. "Not just that. I'm talking about Heidi."

  I squinted. “What does Heidi have to do with it?"

  Trixie caressed the glass. "I'm sorry to do this to you, brother," she said softly, before turning to me. "Freddie is madly in love with Heidi."

  The news floored me. "Heidi has a boyfriend. She's been dating Paul for a year.”

  Trixie's eyes closed. "Freddie didn't discuss it often. Just an offhand comment now and again. But I know my brother and I know what’s in his heart. It gutted him to see Heidi with Paul."

  My mind was spinning. "But Freddie was a regular on the dating scene. He was looking for a girlfriend."

  Trixie focused on me. "It was only a distraction from the pain, I think. Make no mistake, he loves Heidi more than anything. He was devastated when she agreed to go out with Paul."

  "Why did he never say anything? They’re such good friends."

  "Exactly," Trixie said. "He didn't want to risk losing the friendship. It's the most meaningful relationship he's ever had." The tears began to flow freely as Trixie unburdened herself. "I think he kept waiting for Paul to mess up. Then he expected Heidi to seek solace with him, but it just hasn't happened."

  My heart ached for Freddie. How must it have felt for him to see the woman he loved day in and day out, knowing she was with someone else? No wonder he had no luck in the dating department. He didn't really want to meet anyone—because he already had.

  Chapter 14

  On the day of trial, Thom met me at my office and we walked over to the Great Hall. He continually fussed with his tie to the point where I ordered him to take it off.

  “But you said I needed a tie,” he objected, clutching the sliver of blue fabric.

  “Not the way you’re wearing it.” I undid the knot and removed the offending item from his collar. “It’s too distracting.”

  “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Just nervous is all.”

  “You’re not the only one.”

  The doors to the Great Hall opened and we walked down the aisle to our assigned table. Across from us was the prosecutor, a wizard called Rochester.

  “We meet again, Miss Hart,” he said.

  “The odds were pretty good, considering I’m the public defender.”

  His smile faded and he returned to his seat.

  “All rise for Judge Lee Millville,” the bailiff said.

  We continued to stand as the judge strode into the room. He was on the taller side for a dwarf, which wasn’t saying much. His hair was a thick, silver helmet and his nose reminded me of a triangle with rounded edges.

  The doors opened and Lara fluttered into the room. Thankfully, her boyfriend didn’t join her. Thom would have been devastated to see Petros at his trial.

  Lara took a seat at the back of the room, out of Thom’s view.

  The judge opened the proceedings and Rochester and I gave our opening statements. Lara was the first witness called to the stand. She barely glanced at Thom as she answered the prosecutor’s questions.

  “And what is your relationship with the defendant?” Rochester asked.

  Lara straightened. “We were previously in a romantic relationship.” She offered a few more details about their time together and the fact that she was now in a new relationship with her co-worker.

  During her entire testimony, Thom never once took his eyes off of her. When she finished, she returned to the back of the room, refusing to meet his gaze as she passed him.

  Next Sheriff Hugo entered the room to offer his testimony.

  “We found the five stolen items together in a trunk at the base of the defendant’s bed,” he said.

  “What made you look there?” the judge asked.

  “It was partially open, as though the defendant knew we were coming and had attempted to remove the contraband before we arrived.”

  Despite my best efforts, it wasn’t looking good for my client. Finally, it was Thom’s turn to testify. I gave his hand a quick squeeze as he stood to take his seat beside the judge.

  “Mr. Farley,” Rochester began. “You’ve heard the testimony here today. Given the facts in evidence, do you still purport that you were framed by Miss Honeycutt?”

  Thom’s gaze drifted to Lara and I could tell from his pained expression that he was about to lose it. He covered his face with his hands.

  "I did it, okay?” he blurted. “I committed burglary. I stole those five things."

  I heard a gasp and quickly realized that it came from me. My hand whipped across my mouth.

  The judge tilted his head, examining Thom. "Why those five things, Mr. Farley? There was nothing of value there.”

  Thom heaved a sigh. “The vase was the first thing we ever bought together. To me, it represented our future. She broke up with me. Why would she want that vase displayed on her mantel? How could it not remind her of me every time she looked at it?"

  A blanket of silence covered the Great Hall. As his lawyer, I knew I had to stop him from incriminating himself, even though the human part of me recognized his need to unburden himself.

  “Your Honor, my client has misspoken,” I said.

  The judge fixed me with his hard stare. “He seems to be speaking just fine to me.” He looked at Thom. “Continue.”

  "The knitted hat was made by my grandmother for Lara. My grandmother died last year, before we broke up. It made me upset to think about something so meaningful still in her possession." He turned his focus to Lara. "You said you didn't love me anymore. Why would you want these things? Why would you want something that just serves to remind you of me?”

  From her place in the back of the Great Hall, Lara piped up. "That's precisely the reason I kept them. Because they reminded me of you. Of our time together, when we still loved each other.” She fluttered to the fr
ont of the room, tears brimming in her eyes. “When I look at those things, they make me happy because they remind me of happier times. I know you think they should make me sad, but they don't. And when they were gone, I noticed. I missed them." Her voice shook with emotion and I felt my own throat tightening in response.

  The judge banged his gavel, ordering silence.

  "We've already heard from you, Miss Honeycutt," the judge said. "Let us hear from the defendant now. Carry on, Mr. Farley.”

  "The book of poems I took because they were sitting on the table in front of you the first time you ever told me you loved me. I thought maybe reading the poems had made you emotional enough to say that. You'd always seemed so guarded before then. And the horse…" He trailed off.

  "I understand," Lara said. "You carved it for me." She glanced at the judge. “Horses are my favorite animal.”

  "I only took one thing at a time," he admitted. "Each time I thought of something, I went over to your house and took it. It made me angry to think that you got to enjoy those memories. I wanted to strip them all bare, leave you with nothing to remember me by."

  "Thom," she said. "I would never want to erase you from my life. You've been so important to me. I’d never been in love before I met you. You showed me that it was okay to be vulnerable with someone. I never, ever want to forget that."

  Thom hung his head in shame.

  “That’s quite enough, Miss Honeycutt,” the judge said. “You may step down, Mr. Farley.”

  Thom slumped in the seat next to me. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  I placed my hand over his. “It’s okay.”

  “We have a confession and the evidence to support it,” the judge said. “Therefore, I sentence you, Thom Farley, to ten years in Spellbound prison.”

  I jumped to my feet. “Your Honor, ten years seems extreme for five items of sentimental value. My client is clearly not a threat to society.”

  “It doesn't matter that he's not a threat to society," the judge replied. "What matters is that he committed the crime and the law clearly states what the penalty is."

  "But you have discretion when it comes to sentencing," I insisted. "Thom is not at risk to be a repeat offender. Even the victim doesn’t want him to serve time for what he did." I craned my neck to see the pixie. “Isn’t that right, Lara?”

  The judge peered down at me. "You are a lawyer, Miss Hart, are you not? You of all people should understand that the law is the law. They are in place for a reason and they cannot be disregarded simply because you find the defendant to be a nice guy."

  "But what about the spirit of the law?" I asked. “The law is judging my client too harshly for his actions. It’s quite clear from the circumstances that my client is not going to be burglarizing the homes of other Spellbound residents.” I knew I was overstepping, but I was on a roll. “Everyone in this room is aware of the curse. Why was an entire town cursed for the actions of one or maybe a few other people? No one knows, but I assure you that no one here thinks the punishment fits the crime. It’s too extreme. If the enchantress knocked on the doors of two residents and they both rejected her, why is it fair that the entire population of what was then known as Ridge Valley should suffer the consequences for generations to come? You’re asking my client to suffer disproportionately, the way everyone in this town has suffered as a result of the curse.”

  My impassioned speech seemed to have no effect on the judge.

  "Your Honor," Rochester said, and I braced myself for his objection. "I know this is unorthodox, but I would like to throw my weight behind Miss Hart’s request."

  I nearly keeled over from shock.

  The judge stared at Rochester, baffled by his statement. "You represent the people, Rochester. Have you taken leave of your senses?"

  "With all due respect, sir, I think the people would agree that we need to take a closer look at our laws and the harsh sentences that often accompany them. Perhaps Miss Hart is correct and it is, indeed, time for a change. Why are we punishing residents so harshly? She’s right. We all believe the curse was an extreme and unfair response.”

  "The curse is precisely why we have these harsh penalties in place," the judge said. "The residents here live far beyond the typical human life. Some are immortal. What good is a two-year sentence for a vampire? That's no retribution or deterrent."

  He made a fair point. Still, I felt strongly that it was time to re-examine the sentencing guidelines of Spellbound.

  "I suggest you take your concerns to the town council," the judge said. "Perhaps they will consider creating a commission to study the current guidelines and see where improvements might be made." The judge eyed me carefully. "Perhaps they might even ask you to serve on this commission."

  Beside me, Thom’s hand shook with fear. A commission could take years to make its findings. Even a positive outcome would do Thom no good today.

  "Your Honor," Lara said, rising to her feet. "I'd like to revise my testimony."

  Thom and I exchanged confused glances.

  "The time for testimony has passed," the judge said. “The verdict has been rendered.”

  “Then unrender it.” Lara rushed to the bench. "Please, I lied. I need to tell the truth."

  "You do realize there is a penalty for lying to a judge," the judge said archly.

  Rochester held up his finger. "True, Your Honor, but remember that the sentencing guidelines are much more flexible in that situation." He gave her a knowing look. "I do believe there is an option for no time served."

  The judge sighed. "Go on then. Give us your new version of events." The judge seemed resigned to our obvious conspiracy.

  "I hid the items in Thom's house,” she said. “He didn't steal anything. I knew what they meant to him. That's why I chose those five things. I framed him.“

  Thom closed his eyes, absorbing her statement. We all knew it was a lie, but no one cared. Tears pricked my eyes.

  “And I lied to protect Lara,” Thom added.

  The judge groaned. “Based on the new evidence, I hereby declare Thom Farley a free brownie. The charges are dropped and the case is dismissed."

  Beside me, Thom burst into tears. I put a comforting arm around his shoulders.

  "As for you," the judge said to Lara. "I sentence you to six months of community service."

  "Any specific type?" Rochester asked.

  The judge smiled faintly. “Six months in the presence of teenagers. It seems to me that's quite enough punishment for anyone."

  I understood then what the judge was doing. As a teacher, Lara already spent six months a year with teenagers. She was essentially serving no sentence at all. My heart swelled.

  The judge slammed down his gavel. Thom reached over and hugged me. Lara turned from the bench and approached our table.

  "I forgive you, Thom. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused."

  Thom wiped away a stray tear. "I forgive you, too. And I'm sorry I didn’t spend enough time with you. You deserve someone who dotes on you.“

  Lara gave him an affectionate squeeze on the arm as she fluttered from the room.

  Rochester closed the gap between us. "I'd like to be involved in the request for a commission," he said. "I have a lot of experience with the town council. I do hope you'll consider me an asset."

  "Absolutely," I said. "I couldn't do it alone." Nor did I want to. It seemed to me when there were so many good people around you, why would you want to do anything alone?

  "Thank you," Thom said. The relief was evident in his eyes. "Never in a million years did I think I was walking out of here a free brownie."

  "Not entirely free," I said. "There is the little matter of our deal."

  He tapped his fingers on the table. "Thursday night. Speed dating. It's already on my calendar."

  I wasn't sure if he'd successfully meet someone, but a fresh start was all any of us could hope for.

  Chapter 15

  I sat on the bed, leaning against the pillow and flipping through o
ne of the books on the town's history that I’d received from Juliet, the Amazon who owned the bookstore.

  "What are you reading?" Gareth floated into the room and peered over my shoulder.

  "You really need to learn how to knock," I said.

  "I'd love to learn how to knock," he said. "Is there a section in that book called Poltergeisting for Dummies?”

  “Anything to avoid a Grey sister, huh?” I asked. "It's not that kind of book. I’m just brushing up on Spellbound. I think it would be helpful to know more about the different paranormal residents and their individual cultures."

  "The best way to learn about a culture is to experience it firsthand," Gareth said. "If you want to know more about vampires, then you need to hang out with more vampires. It's as simple as that."

  "For someone with stacks of books in his home and office, you’re fairly dismissive of reading."

  "It depends on why you’re reading," he said. "If you're reading to learn more about the culture, then I think your time would be better spent among them. If you're reading to learn more about our history to be sure we’re not doomed to repeat it, then, by all means, carry on.”

  "I had no idea you had such strong opinions on the matter." I snapped the book shut. "Did you know that the werewolves didn't always live in the Pines, the Oaks, and the Birches?”

  "Aye, Spellbound has evolved over time, as does any town."

  "I'm also looking for information on a deck of cards," I said.

  "What kind of cards?" Gareth asked. "Are you thinking about having another type of game night?" I'd recently hosted poker night, which quickly devolved into a hunt for a missing werewolf. Despite the chaos of the evening, everyone seemed eager to give game night another try.

  "No, when I went to see Agnes at the Spellbound Care Home, she started to read my cards. We didn't get to finish, though. I was trying to see if I could figure out what the cards meant."

  Gareth drifted into a seated position on the bed. "What did they look like?"