“I just saw you, and you had better not do it again. I’ve got three other actors to do and they’re all better behaved than you.” She slammed the trailer door closed.
Liam flinched at the sound. “By the way, I don’t know for sure if she’s the shapeshifter, but she certainly is mean enough to be.” Then he leaned close to me. “Natalie, I kid you not—she even put gunk in my eyelashes—black, sticky gunk on a toothpick-sized comb. Do you believe that?”
“If you hate it so much, why’d you agree to do this in the first place?” I asked, eyeing the closed trailer door. Hopefully, I’d have time to talk to Tina Price this afternoon.
“I had no choice.” Liam raked his hands through his hair. “Lola was getting suspicious—what with me giving her dodgy excuses about where I go when turn. I’ve been telling her that I’ve been working long hours being in Blake’s movie.”
“You could always just tell her the truth,” I said.
“If that wretched woman pours another layer of powder on my face, I just might,” he said sulkily. “It’s a nightmare trying to get this stuff off my face.”
I stifled a laugh. “I’m sure Lola has some makeup remover wipes she could give you.”
“Is this what women do every day? They dump buckets of goo on their faces for the amusement of others?”
I shrugged. “Pretty much. I can’t say I’ve ever worn that much since prom, but I know my way around a mascara wand.”
Liam nodded solemnly. “I have a new respect for your breed.”
“You know if you think makeup is bad, imagine giving birth. Oh—or having ‘that time of the month’ to deal with.” I paused. “Though you do change into a wolf once a month. I guess that’s not entirely different.”
“Are you comparing my transition to a woman’s, you know…” Liam went red in the face.
“Forget I said it.” I patted Liam on the shoulder. “I’ve got to talk to Savannah about something. Let me know you notice anything out of the ordinary.”
8
Angie opened the door to Savannah’s trailer. She had on her full uniform, creased and buttoned-up, complete with her badge and a gun strapped to her hip.
The inside of the trailer looked like a mini apartment. It had a modern gray couch along the wall. Near the kitchen stood a smooth white dining table with a bench on one side and two silver chars on the other. It even had a bedroom and bathroom nestled in the corners.
Savannah sat sideways at the dining table, her feet flat on the bench and her knees bent. She gripped a steaming mug of coffee in both hands.
Her silky dark hair was bundled up in a messy topknot and she wore an oversized navy sweatshirt over a pair of pink pajama shorts.
She had that I-woke-up-like-this vibe, but in the most flattering, glamorous way possible.
How did she do that? I wondered, as I sat down on the chair opposite her and folded my hands on the table.
“Savannah, this is Natalie. I think you two have already met at some point.”
“Once or twice.” Savannah nodded politely. “The sheriff tells me you know a way to help with…” she hesitated, biting her lower lip, “with what just happened.”
“I might be able to,” I said. “Can my dog come in? He’s really well behaved.” As long as he’s not speaking, I thought.
Savannah’s smooth brow furrowed slightly as she craned her neck to see out the trailer entrance where Benjamin sat patiently on the gravel at the bottom of the stairs. “Sure, I don’t mind,” she said. “I have one of my own back in L.A. and I miss him terribly. He’s a bit smaller, a toy poodle.”
Without waiting for me to signal him in, Benjamin leapt over the two steps and padded over to the dining table.
He sat down on the floor in front of Savannah, his yellow eyes scanning the room.
Savannah slid her legs off the bench and leaned forward to get a closer look at my familiar. “That’s amazing. It’s like he understood me.” She turned her gaze on me. “How did you train him to do that? Are you a dog whisperer?”
I laughed. “Something like that.”
Angie swung the door shut and the latch clicked into place. “Savannah, why don’t you explain to Natalie what happened?”
Savannah scooted back down on the bench so her back was leaning against the trailer window. “So, like, full-disclosure, I know all about you.”
“In what way?” I asked, glanced over at Angie. “The supernatural stuff?”
Savannah shook her head. “No, like, I know all about you. When Blake and I were dating, he told me everything about this weird little town, and about his brother.” A lopsided smile formed on her lips as she mentioned Dean. “And I’ve met your aunt—sorry for your loss, by the way.”
“Thank you,” I said, shifting in my chair. It was a little uncomfortable to be talking to Blake’s ex about stuff he told her when they were dating. I had no idea she knew Aunt Martha, but I supposed if she was close with Blake, he would have likely introduced them.
“So, I guess, you’re the witch now?” Savannah asked, matter-of-factly.
“That’s me,” I said.
“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”
I nodded, hoping that was true.
“Wait a minute!” Savannah covered her mouth as her eyes flicked back over to Benjamin. “That’s the same dog, isn’t it? That’s Benjamin, Martha’s familiar. He hasn’t changed one bit since I first saw him eight years ago. That’s amazing,” she breathed.
I really didn’t like that she knew about Benjamin, too. Didn’t Blake keep any secrets? Dean was right. Blake was such blabbermouth.
Either that, or things had been really serious between Blake and this super-famous, super-perfect actress. But I wouldn’t go there right now. I’d have time to spiral into jealousy and insecurity after this murder investigation was over with.
“Angie said you think you were attacked by the, um…” I didn’t want to call the creature a shapeshifter until I knew how much Savannah knew. I didn’t want to totally blow this poor woman’s mind all at once.
“A shapeshifter,” Savannah said, finishing my sentence. “Yes, it was wild.”
“You’re familiar with shapeshifters?”
Savannah laughed. “Oh, intimately. I play one in the movie. You know that’s what Devil’s Charade II is about, right? Pretty ironic. I also played the shapeshifter in the original Devil’s Charade. Did you see that one?”
“Oh, she certainly has,” Benjamin grumbled. “And there were several pints of ice cream involved if I remember correctly.”
Moments like these made me incredibly grateful that only I could understand that irritating mutt.
It was gelato, I mouthed to the dog, cupping my hand over my mouth so Savannah wouldn’t see.
To Savannah, I said, “I did watch the one.”
“Great, so we’re on the same page.” Savannah set her mug down and angled herself so she was facing me. “Well, here’s what happened.” She pressed her hands on the table. “I was sitting right here, drinking my coffee, about to head over to get my makeup done, when I hear a knock on the door.” She slid out of the booth. “So I went to the door, thinking it’s Lenny or the PA, but it’s Blake.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, her hand on the trailer latch. “And, like, I’m telling you, this looked exactly like Blake. Like, to a T. You know, like, he had that sexy stubble thing going on, the whole mountain-man-flannel thing with his sleeves bunched up.”
“I get it,” I said quickly. “You thought it was Blake, but I’m guessing something happened that made you think it wasn’t?”
She planted her hands on her hips. “Well, not at first. I let him in and just started chatting with him like I normally would.” She plopped down on the couch. “We sat down on the couch, just like this, and he asked me about last night, and if I had fun—stuff like that.”
“And, um, that’s normal for you two?”
“Absolutely,” she said, nodding enthusiastically. “We’re still
really close. I mean, we dated on and off for five years, so even though we broke up, I still consider him one of my best friends.”
“Oh,” was all I could manage to get out. Five years? I thought. Blake had made it sound like it was ancient history, but they were involved up until three years ago.
“Natalie, do your job,” Benjamin growled.
I pressed my lips together and forced a smile. “OK, at what point did you start to suspect you weren’t talking to the real Blake?”
She leaned against the trailer door, and cupped her chin in her hands, looking up as if trying to remember. Finally she said, “It was when he started asking me about his brother.”
“Dean,” I supplied.
“Yes,” she said, her eyes widening. “He’s all, ‘Where were you during the intermission?’. And I was like, ‘That’s personal,’ because it’s none of his business now. But he kept insisting I tell him. So I told him I was with Dean. I expected him to get mad at me because he’s always been so cagey about this brother.” She waved her hand dismissively. “But he was more interested in if I’d seen anyone wandering around the forest. That’s when I knew something was up.” She pointed her finger at me for emphasis. “He asked me if I’d seen two teenagers. Apparently, he knows someone recorded Tom’s murder on a cell phone.”
Savannah paused. “Sidebar, I did have a thing with Tom Nelson, like forever ago. I was young and stupid at the time. Yes, I feel back about what happened, but, I don't know. It’s like it hasn’t sunk in yet.”
“We understand,” Angie said, jumping in.
Savannah dove back into her story. “So anyway, I knew it was Ace Harris and his girlfriend who recorded that cell phone because Dean told me.”
“Did you tell him?” I dug my fingers into the soft vinyl of the chair cushion. The last thing I wanted was for two teenergers to become the target of a murderer.
“No.” Savannah scrunched up her face. “I knew something was up, so I lied. I acted like I had no idea about any of it—the murder, the video, Tom’s involvement. I think he bought it.”
“Dean told you about the video?” I looked over and Angie, who was rubbing her temples with her fingers.
“Of course he told me,” Savannah said. “He stopped by my hotel room last night after the murder happened to warn me that there was probably a murderous shapeshifter on the loose.”
I leaned back in the chair, crossing my arms. “He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about that,” I said.
Savannah shrugged. “He didn’t want me to get hurt, I guess. He knows I know about shapeshifters, and he trusts me. I know Blake thinks that guy is evil incarnate, but deep down, I think Dean is even more sensitive than Blake.”
Benjamin began to pace around the trailer. “For God’s sake, make her get to the point. I didn’t come here to sit through an episode of Dr. Phil.”
“Then what happened?” I asked, making a circular gesture with my hand. “After Blake started asking you about the video.”
“Right,” Savannah clapped her hands together. “At that point I suspected I was talking to the shapeshifter, so grabbed his arm and invited him into my bedroom.”
“Your bedroom?” I felt a tingle of electricity fly up my spine as I fought to keep my cool. “Why?”
Savannah looked genuinely confused by my question. “Because there’s a mirror in the bedroom.” She paused. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t explain that well. I wasn’t propositioning Blake. I told him I had something to show him in my bedroom.”
“I’m confused,” I said slowly.
Angie cleared her throat. “Mirrors are a shapeshifter’s greatest weakness.”
Savannah held out her arms. “I thought you said you watched the movie?”
Benjamin stopped pacing. “What she didn’t mention was that she was too busy comparing herself to you to pay any attention to the actual content of the movie.”
I closed my eyes and took a beat. Then I spoke in my calmest voice. “What happens when a shapeshifter is near a mirror?”
Savannah glided back over to the dining table and slid into the seat. “Shapeshifter’s abilities are energetically the same as what a mirror does. A mirror reflects whatever is in front of it. In the same way, a shapeshifter can see someone—in a photo or in real life—and essentially ‘reflect’ that person’s image down to every last detail. That’s why the longer a shapeshifter stands in front of a mirror, the weaker they get.” Savannah leaned across the table. “Do you remember the part at the end of the movie when I get sucked into the mirror by the witch?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
“You should really watch the movie again.” Savannah smiled. “Apparently, that's how you capture a shapeshifter. There’s a spell that the witch casts when a shapeshifter’s reflection is caught in the mirror. The special effects in that movie were so wild.” Savannah drummed her fingers on the table. “In Devil’s Charade II, I break out of the mirror and seek revenge on the witch who locked me in there at the end of the first movie.” She flipped her hand at me. “But I won’t spoil it for you.”
“How about you tell Natalie about when he attacked you,” Angie suggested, hooking her thumb in her belt, and rocking on her heels.
“Oh yes,” Savannah flattened her palms on the table. “After I got him in front of the mirror, he knew that I knew what he was, so he strangled me.”
“What?” My eyes flicked between Angie and Savannah. “He strangled you? Why didn’t you start with that?”
“Because I wanted to start at the beginning.” The actress stood back up and motioned for me to follow her into her bedroom.
Angie touched my shoulder. “I know she talks a lot, but this is the part I needed you for. I’ve got to know if she’s telling the truth.”
“How can I help with that?” I asked.
“You can see exactly what happened using the mirror that the shapeshifter stoon in front of,” she said, nodding to the doorway Savannah had just disappeared into.
Benjamin nudged me toward the bedroom. “You really weren’t paying attention to the movie, were you?”
“Shut up,” I said, before joining Savannah in the bedroom.
A full length mirror was mounted on the wall across from the queen-sized bed. Savannah tugged down the cloth of her shorts that kept riding up when she walked, and pressed her fingers into the mirror. “If you touch a mirror that a shapeshifter has stood in front of, you can watch a replay of what happened. At least, that’s how it happened in the movie.”
I frowned. “Blake takes some creative license. I doubt things actually work just like in the movie.”
“It works,” Angie assured me. “I’ve seen Martha do it.”
“Really?” I asked.
Benjamin gave me another push with his muzzle. “Stop asking questions and touch the stupid mirror, so we can get out of here.”
I stepped up to the mirror, and gazed at my reflection. It looked just like any other mirror. “I just, like, put my hand on the mirror?”
Savannah nodded, pressing her whole palm into the mirror. “Like this.” Then she sighed. “I can’t do it because I’m not a witch.”
Here goes nothing, I thought.
I took a deep breath, and touched the mirror.
My reflection in the mirror faded and a new image appeared. It started me so much that I almost pulled my hand off the mirror.
I saw Savannah and Blake reflected in the mirror.
It was as if they were actually the ones standing in front of the mirror rather than me. I watched as Savannah narrowed her eyes at a man who looked exactly like Blake, right down to the small scar on the corner of his eyebrow. Savannah’s lips moved, but I couldn’t hear any sound. She was speaking quickly, visible agitated.
I noticed an odd shimmer around the Blake-imposter and he seemed to flicker just like I’d seen the shapeshifter do in the video last night when she transitioned from Savannah to the producer’s wife. But this time, the shapeshifter remained in the form o
f Blake. It was like he had stopped himself from transforming again for whatever reason.
I gasped as Blake lunged for Savannah, grabbing her neck with both hands.
Savannah screamed and flailed, her eyes bulging as she struggled to break free. Her hand wildly reached behind her, searching for something—anything.
Her fingers curled around a large glass of green juice. She snatched it up and threw it in the shapeshifter’s face. The shock of being doused with green juice was enough for Blake to loosen his grip and the actress sprinted out of the room. The shapeshifter wiped his eyes, glaring in Savannah’s direction. Then Blake stepped out of the reflection, and the mirror immediately went back reflecting my face. Behind me, I saw the reflection of Angie, Benjamin and Savannah all watching me.
I turned around, letting my hand fall to my side. “I take it you all didn’t see that?”
Angie and Savannah both shook their heads.
Savannah tugged the cuffs of her sweatshirt. “After they threw the cup at him, I made it out of the trailer. There were people walking around set, so the shapeshifter couldn’t go after me. I called Sheriff Dempsey, and when she checked my trailer, the shapeshifter was gone.”
I slid my hands into my pockets. “She’s telling the truth,” I said. “It happened like she said it did.”
Angie nodded once. “Thank you,” she turned to Savannah. “We’ll need to get you somewhere safe for now. Whoever the killer is now seems to have their sights set on you.”
Savannah sat down on the edge of the bed. “I know.”
I glanced at the mirror, watching Savannah’s reflection as she rubbed her hands over her face. “I think I know a way for us to use this to our advantage.” I turned back to Savannah. “But I’m going to need your full cooperation.”
She lifted her bright green eyes.”You have it.” The overhead lights in the bedroom revealed the bags under Savannah’s eyes. She looked worried. This whole thing probably freaked her out more than she was letting on.
“OK,” I said. “Then I’m going to need your purse, your cell phone and a lock of your hair.”
Starstruck Witch Page 6