by Rose Pressey
“Cora, I think you gave these women a potion last night.” I folded my arms in front of my chest.
Cora slammed her fork down. “I did no such thing and I don’t appreciate you saying that I did.”
“Are you accusing us of lying?” Beth stiffened.
Cora glared at them. “Yes, I am.”
This was going to turn into a fight quickly. I had to take a hold of the situation.
“Okay, everyone remain calm.” I waved my hands through the air. “There has to be a way to work this out and figure out what happened.”
Cora took another bite of her food and then said, “I can tell you what happened.”
“What happened?” I asked.
She chewed her food and when she swallowed she said, “It was Arthur. He was the one who gave them something, not me.”
The women looked confused.
“Who’s Arthur?” Williamina narrowed her eyes.
“Another guest staying here,” I said.
“We haven’t seen anyone else here.” She tapped her fingers against the countertop.
“There they go making up stories again.” Cora shook her head. “I most definitely didn’t give them a potion or anything for that matter.”
I wasn’t sure if I could believe that. Jolene had said Cora had given her something. Now Cora was trying to blame Arthur. Though he had acted suspicious this morning. I was more confused than ever.
Cora finished the last bite and then wiped her mouth with the napkin. She tossed it down onto the plate and pushed to her feet.
“If you’ll excuse me now, I’m tired of answering these silly questions.” Cora marched out of the room.
Well, that hadn’t gone well. I wasn’t sure if I should tell the women about what had happened to Jolene. I was beginning to suspect that maybe they had been brought back to life as well. How did you tell someone that? Oh, by the way, you were dead and now you’re not. There was no reason to jump to telling them right now. I could wait a little bit and give it some thought. Figure out the best way to break it to them gently. Besides, they seemed fine now. Their drunken state was fading. They stood from the table.
“Thank you for trying to find out what happened.” Williamina patted my hand.
It really wasn’t going to look good for my reviews. Guests attacked while staying at a B&B, would be the title.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see to it that she doesn’t bother you anymore,” I said. I figured they would be leaving anyway. Nonetheless, I had to offer.
“What about this Arthur?” Beth asked.
“Yes, I’ll talk to him as well,” I said.
“Very well. Thank you.” Beth nodded.
They walked out of the kitchen. Now I had to really consider whether Arthur was to blame. I wanted more answers from Cora though. Why would she blame Arthur? She hadn’t told me what had made her say that in the first place. I would just have to take away her magic powers until she told me. I’d already told her that once, but now I would have to get serious about it. If she didn’t do what I said there would be consequences.
Just then the doorbell rang and I was a little worried about who would be there this time. I was seriously considering turning away any new guests who might show up. I hurried through the house to the door. I was relieved when I saw that it was Annabelle.
“I’m glad to see you,” I said when I opened the door.
She scrunched her face. “You look stressed.”
I blew the hair out of my eyes. “You could say that. Come into the kitchen and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Annabelle followed me into the house. “This sounds serious.”
Chapter 18
Annabelle poured syrup on to her French toast. I’d filled her in on everything that had happened.
She stabbed her fork into the food. “So we need to come up with a plan to find out what they are doing.”
“Well, yes, but I just haven’t figured out what that is yet.”
She took a bite. “We’ll get to the bottom of it.”
I sighed. “Before anything else happens, I hope. I’ll have to do a spell.”
“Let me know if you need any help,” she said.
I smiled, thinking back to the times when she wouldn’t even come in the house. Now she was offering to help me with spells.
Movement caught our attention and Arthur entered the kitchen. His gaze immediately moved to Annabelle. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he had something other than breakfast on his mind. Annabelle was giving him the same look. This would not work. I would have to stop this immediately.
“Hallie, aren’t you glad I brought Arthur to stay with you?” Annabelle asked.
I’d given her the look, but apparently she hadn’t picked up on the signal or she was ignoring it. Arthur closed the distance between them in two steps, as if Annabelle was his prey and he was ready to pounce. Annabelle flashed her big bright smile at him and I was pretty sure she batted her eyelashes.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” he said as he kissed her hand.
If they saw the scowl on my face they’d understand my disdain, but they never bothered to look my way.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Annabelle said with a giggle in her voice.
I rolled my eyes.
“I’d forgotten what a beautiful smile and eyes you have,” Arthur said.
“Thank you,” Annabelle said with a blush to her cheeks.
Until recently Annabelle had been dating Jon. He’d worked for the Underworld as a detective, but I supposed the romance had fizzled for them. To be honest, I’d never seen Annabelle with him for very long anyway. They didn’t have much in common.
“Annabelle, I think your food is getting cold,” I said.
“Annabelle is such a beautiful name. So fitting for a beautiful woman like you.” Arthur used his seductive voice.
How long would I have to endure their flirting? I needed to get Arthur out of there. I’d thought he had an errand to run anyway. Why was he still here? I didn’t trust him. I certainly didn’t want my best friend dating him. Of course, a little flirting didn’t mean a date. I was jumping to conclusions.
“Would you like to go to town for shopping? I was just on my way. We could get lunch afterward.” Arthur stuffed his hands into his pockets.
Okay, so I spoke too soon.
“I’d love to.” Annabelle looked at me. “You don’t mind, do you, Hallie?”
As a matter of fact, I did mind. I couldn’t believe she’d said yes. It was as if he had cast a spell on her. What if he had? Suddenly I was panicking. I had to warn her about him. She had no idea what she was getting into by going out with him.
“Well, I thought we could…”
“Great, I knew you wouldn’t mind,” Annabelle said before I could finish.
“I’m new to town. I hope you can pick out a great place for us.” He gestured over his shoulder.
Annabelle smiled. “I know of a great place in town.”
She pushed to her feet and walked toward the door with Arthur. I had to stop her.
I rushed after her and grabbed her arm. “Annabelle, I need to talk to you.”
She turned to me. “What’s wrong?”
“Arthur, can you give us just a moment, please?” I forced a smile on my face.
He smiled in return, but I knew he was irritated with me. “Sure, no problem. I’ll be waiting in the foyer.”
“Thanks,” I said through gritted teeth.
As he walked away, I pulled her further back into the kitchen.
“What’s going on? You seem upset,” she said.
“I am upset. What are you doing?” I peeked out the door to make sure he had gone. “You don’t even know that guy. I’m suspicious of him. He may have even cast a spell on you.”
“Hallie, you’re just being paranoid.”
“I can’t guarantee that he’s safe,” I said.
“He’s staying here, isn’t he?” She peeked around the co
rner to look for him.
“I think that means nothing,” I said.
“Even if he is up to something, that just means that I can find out things. I should go and get to know him a little bit better.”
I stared at her, still unsure of the idea. I released a deep breath. “I suppose I could agree to that.”
“Okay, so what do you want me to find out?” She sounded even more excited.
“I need to know if he’s somehow involved with Cora with making the potion she gave to the other guests.”
Annabelle looked over her shoulder. “He seems so nice. I can’t imagine he would do anything like that.”
The more she talked, the more hesitant I became about her going. Before she gave me another chance to talk her out of it, she started out of the kitchen toward the foyer.
“Just be careful,” I said as I rushed after her.
As I walked with her to the front door, Arthur turned back and glanced at me with that sly smile on his face. When I’d first met him I’d thought he was nice, but now he was starting to show his true colors. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the door.
They got into his car and drove off. I thought about following them. I would cast a spell for her protection. That should help. I supposed there was no reason for me to stare out the door since they were already gone. I needed to hurry up and get that spell under way.
Chapter 19
Once back in the kitchen, I stood by the cauldron. I added the ingredients to the bubbling water, and then recited the words.
“Element of Earth, I call to you. Protect Annabelle from harm.” I added more herbs. “Element of Air, I call to you to keep her safe.” Stirring the cauldron, I recited the words: “Element of Fire, I call to you to protect her from his charms.” To complete the spell, I recited the words: “Element of Water, I call to you to give Annabelle the power of protection.”
That should do the trick. Now let him try to use his charms on her. It wouldn’t work. Annabelle was too smart to fall for it anyway, but now his magic wouldn’t get through to her. I felt better knowing that she had the protection. Though I still should have followed them.
Just then the doorbell rang again. I was almost afraid to find out who it was. That doorbell usually meant that nothing good was coming my way.
I rushed through the rooms and to the door. When I peeked out, I saw the detective who had been here earlier, Officer Antonopoulous. What was he doing here? Had Jolene called again? I couldn’t handle this stress. I thought about not answering the door, but I knew he’d just come back again. Reluctantly,I eased the door open.
“Hello, Detective. What can I do for you?” I tried to sound casual.
I was worried that something else had happened and I wasn’t even aware of it. How much worse could it get it? With the luck that I had, it could get a lot worse.
“Good morning,” he said. “Do you mind if I come in?” He watched over my shoulder as if he was suspicious of what I was doing in there.
I really didn’t want to let him in, but it seemed as if I didn’t have a choice. Apparently he would just keep coming back around.
I opened the door wider. “Sure, come on in.”
At least now maybe he’d rethink whether I had anything to hide. I was letting him inside, what could I be hiding, right?
“We can sit in the parlor,” I said, motioning over my shoulder.
He followed me through the house, looking around with each step. What was he looking for anyway? The way he fidgeted made me think he might be a little nervous.
I motioned toward the sofa. “Please have a seat anywhere you’d like.”
I planned on sitting across from him so that I could keep my eye on him. He sat down on the edge of the sofa, as if he might have to jump up quickly. He studied my face, but didn’t say anything. How long would we keep this up? I shifted in the chair, but watched him too. I didn’t want him to think I was nervous. I could play this game a long time. I’d always beaten my cousins when we used to play the staring game. Finally he looked away.
“I suppose you’re wondering why I am here again.” He turned to me again and studied my face.
I nodded. “Yes, the thought had crossed my mind.”
I knew it was because he was suspicious of what was going on here at LaVeau Manor. He probably wouldn’t believe the whole ‘reanimating the dead’ thing. He leaned back in the chair. I supposed he was trying to let me know he wasn’t scared of witches.
“Are you new here in Enchantment Pointe, Officer?”I asked. He would get used to the witches eventually if he stayed around long enough.
“I received another call. Beth Sallee and Williamina Hamilton think they’ve been poisoned.” He stared me straight in the eyes. “I just want to know what the hell’s going on here.”
I knew I had to act casual or he would see right through me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but there is nothing wrong here.”
“There has to be something going on if I keep getting these calls,” he said.
There was something wrong, but I certainly wasn’t sharing that with him. “There is someone else here… I’m suspicious of him. Maybe you should be questioning him.”
Officer Antonopoulous stared at me for a moment and then asked, “Who is this person?”
“His name is Arthur White. I don’t know who he is, but I’m suspicious of him.” I tapped my fingers on the chair’s arm. “He’s been acting strange.”
“Is he here now?” the officer asked.
“No, he’s not.”
“Where is he, do you know?”
I didn’t want to tell Officer Antonopoulous that Arthur had gone to lunch with my best friend.
“What makes you suspicious of this man, Ms. LaVeau?”
I quirked an eyebrow. “He acts strange?” That was a good question. What had made me suspicious? He really hadn’t done anything. I couldn’t confirm that he’d even been talking about Liam and Nicolas when I’d overheard his conversation. The way this detective was watching me was making me uneasy.
Officer Antonopoulous jotted down notes on his notepad. “I’ll find out where Mr. White is and have a talk with him if that’ll make you feel better,” he said.
I nodded. “Yes, that would make me feel better. Thank you.”
He pushed to his feet. “I’ll be back.”
I had no doubt that I would be seeing the detective again. I was sure he would forgive me for not offering tea and crumpets. I was glad to see him leave. I followed him over to the door to make sure that he was out of the house.
When he stepped out onto the porch, he turned and looked at me. “If there’s something weird going on I’ll find out about it.”
I plastered a smile on my face. “Nothing weird in LaVeau Manor.”
Chapter 20
That night I had already gotten into bed when I heard voices. Of course I had to know where they were coming from, so I slipped out of bed. As I stepped across the room and listened, I thought they might be coming from outside. I moved over to the window and peered out into the night. That was when I saw the hooded figures out by the tree line
Of course it was hard to see, but since the people gathered out there had lanterns I saw them right away. Lanterns cast a glow around them, highlighting the figures. There were four of them. What were they doing down there by the river?
I hoped they couldn’t see me watching. They didn’t seem to notice anything around them. They were getting ready to cast a spell. I was almost sure. But I had no idea what that spell would be. I was almost sure it was the people who were staying with me, the ones who had been poisoned. Were they trying to get back at Cora? This was getting out of hand. I had to do something about it.
They gathered around into a circle and I knew this was when they’d start the spell. I didn’t know if I should watch from up here or go down there and confront them before they even started. The spell could be bad, which would mean they needed to be stoppe
d. However, if it was something innocent, then that would be bad for me. Something about the vibe told me that this was not an innocent spell. Negative magic was in the air. I felt it for the first time in quite a while.
I was worried for them at first, but then I realized they shouldn’t be doing this. Who was underneath the hoods? This was definitely something that I needed to stop. I had to do something, but I wasn’t sure what. I’d think of that when I got down there. This was quickly spiraling out of control. I was the leader and I had to take action.
I slipped into my shoes and out of the bedroom. When I looked over at Cora’s door, it was closed. All the other bedroom doors were closed too. My anxiety was high as I hurried down the stairs. I didn’t know exactly what I would be confronting when I got outside. I reached the bottom of the stairs and then rushed through the rooms to the kitchen. I halfway expected to see Arthur or the other guests in there, but the lights were off and no one was there.
Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a rumbling of thunder. I couldn’t believe that they were out there in this kind of weather trying to cast a spell. Annabelle crossed my mind and I wondered if she’d made it home yet. Surely she wasn’t still out with Arthur. Especially in this kind of weather.
I paused with my hand on the doorknob for a moment, wondering if I should just forget about this. I could address it in the morning when the weather wasn’t as bad. This was important though and not something I should let go.
Rain immediately hit me in the face when I opened the door. I pushed forward and headed out into the stormy night. When I looked toward the spot where they’d been, the group was gone. I glanced over my shoulder, but saw no sign of them. This was starting to spook me out. Maybe they had seen me and taken off. I hoped they weren’t hiding and watching me right now. Reluctantly I moved off the back porch into the yard.
My feet slipped in the wet grass. The rain pounded against me, soaking my clothes and my hair. I wasn’t sure what I would even do as I stepped down there. Since I couldn’t see them, what made me think I would find them?