Light Magic

by Ellie Ferguson

  “Throw everything into the duffel for now. You can weapon up after breakfast.”

  As I started to respond, Ali once again yelled down the stairs, telling us her grandmother said it was time to eat. Quinn closed her eyes and I wondered if she was praying for patience or trying not to laugh at her daughter’s insistence. Not that I blamed her. I had a feeling if we didn’t make an appearance soon, Ali and who knew who else would come looking for us. More importantly, I didn’t need to be a precog to know Annie wouldn’t appreciate us deciding we needed to play her guardian angel.

  Still, one question needed to be answered. “Sam got onto Annie last night because she didn’t have her gun on her.” I started loading everything but the 1911 and its pancake holster into the duffel.

  “Yeah.” She frowned for a moment and then seemed to shake it off. “Annie’s not the sort to sit back and let others do something she thinks she can do herself. That got her in trouble when she was trying to clear her mama of that murder charge. She pushed the wrong people and they didn’t take kindly to it. So Sam, not to mention her grandmother, demanded she start carrying a gun with her, something she’d done in Austin as a prosecutor. For some reason, she thought it would be a good idea to lock the gun in her desk when she was in the office. That decision almost cost her life. Sam made her promise not to go without her gun ever again, at least not unless he was with her.”

  “Which she’s been doing and not telling anyone,” I said and she nodded grimly. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she remembers, at least whenever I’m around.”

  Quinn looked up from the smaller bag she slipped the ammo boxes into. “I like the way you think.” She gave me a conspiratory smile before moving to the smaller of the gun safes. By the time she rejoined me at the display case, I had everything packed up and the larger duffle slung over my shoulder. The 1911 and holster were now snugged at the small of my back, my tee shirt covering them.

  “I’ll take this up to my room and then be right down,” I said as we stepped into the kitchen a few moments later. Then I grinned as Ali all but bowled me over as she ran to give me a hug.

  “Are you going to be staying with us, Miss Meg?” the little girl asked.

  “No, but I really liked spending last night here.” I reached down and ruffled her hair. “But I’ll be going back to Miss Serena’s tonight.”

  “Are you taking lessons from her too?”

  I laughed and nodded. “You bet I am, Ali. She’s taught me a lot already.”

  “Let Miss Meg take her things upstairs. She’ll be back in a minute,” Quinn said. “Now, have you taken the dogs out back?”

  Leaving the two of them discussing the Mals’ morning routine, I hurried upstairs. Not only did I want to secure the duffel and smaller bag, but I wanted to make some adjustments to what I wore.

  An hour later, Quinn dropped us off at Annie’s office. Remembering the events of the day before, I stayed close to Annie as she hurried to the front door. The moment she unlocked it and stepped inside, I followed. I watched as she disarmed the alarm system. Then, telling her to stay there, I did a quick check, making sure no surprises waited for us.

  When I returned, Annie stood where I’d left her. One toe tapped against the carpeted floor. Her arms were crossed under her breasts and her expression left no doubt what she thought about my instruction. Knowing she had more than a few choice words for me, I motioned her into the back area. No sense having what could easily turn into an argument where anyone could walk in and overhear.

  To my surprise, instead of tearing into me – not that I’d blame her. I hate people telling me what to do, no matter how well-intentioned they might be – she moved into the small break room. Without a word, she put on the coffee. As the water heated, she put more water into an electric tea kettle and set out everything she needed to make her a cup of tea. Then she turned back to me, her expression a mix of resignation, frustration and understanding.

  “I take it you’re not going to let me stay, are you?”

  “Nope. Even if your doctor hadn’t said you’re to take the next couple of days off, Sam made it perfectly clear you aren’t to work today.”

  “What if I promise not to leave my office?”

  “Sorry.” I motioned for her to sit at the small table in the center of the room. “Annie, I’ll understand if you aren’t comfortable with me standing in for you today. You don’t know what kind of attorney I am and you have your clients’ best interest to think of. If you want, I’ll simply present motions to the court for a continuance on anything you have set today.”

  “All I have are a couple of motions later this morning and appointments.” She sighed and then gave me a small smile. “Including Claire Brumfield. Beth said she insisted on meeting with us today since we rescheduled yesterday.”

  “Then this is a good chance for me to get a feel for her.” The water in the tea kettle boiled. Before Annie could, I stood and hurried to wet her tea for her. Once I had, I carried the tea pot and her mug to the table. After pouring myself a cup of coffee, I returned to my chair. “I promise to call you if I have any questions or problems.”

  She blew out a breath. I had a feeling she knew we were right to insist she take it easy but had a hard time letting go.

  “Beth will do whatever she can to help. Just ask her.”

  “I will.”

  By the time Beth arrived half an hour later, Annie had filled me in the best she could about the day’s clients as well as the motions she was supposed to present. Beth and I watched as she gathered up a few case files to take home with her. She slid them into her briefcase and shook her head. Beth must have seen something in her expression because she simply waggled one finger back and forth in the universal “no-no” motion. Annie clamped her lips shut and glared at her friend.

  “Front door’s locked and I’ll lock the back behind us,” Beth said as we walked through the office. “I’ll be back before the first appointment’s due. Carli is supposed to be here in ten minutes but she’s always a few minutes later. She has a key and will let herself in through the back door.”

  “Thanks.” I placed a hand on Annie’s arm, waiting until she looked at me. “You can trust me with this, Annie.”

  “I know.” Her expression darkened for a moment. “Meg, don’t do anything foolish. We’re going to figure out what’s going on and why, but we’ll do it together. All of us.”

  “Annie’s right,” Beth said. “When I get back, we’ll sit down and you can tell me how I can help.”

  I swallowed against the lump in my throat and nodded. “Be careful.”

  Beth watched as Annie gave me a quick hug. Whether she heard Annie telling me to trust them, I don’t know. It didn’t matter. All that did just then was getting Annie home safely.

  A soft knock at the office door half an hour later interrupted my thoughts. Looking up from the case file I’d been reviewing, I smiled to see Beth. Then, seeing what she held in one hand, relief filled me. Without waiting for me to ask, she stepped into the office and unzipped the garment bag she held. Inside were black dress slacks, a red sweater and black jacket, all courtroom appropriate.

  “You’ve an hour before you need to leave,” she said as she hung the garment bag in the small adjoining bathroom.

  I glanced at my watch and then looked up at her in question. “I thought the hearing wasn’t until eleven.”

  “It’s not but you need to be at docket call.” She dropped onto one of the chairs in front of my desk. “No, I’m not saying to go looking for clients,” she said before I could protest. “You need to be there because Judge Simmons tries to race through the docket to get to motions sooner. If he does, he begins on them right away instead of waiting for the scheduled time. It’s one of the many reasons the local bar would like to see him voted out of office.”

  I whistled lowly. Actions like that could lead to reversible error. No wonder the Bar didn’t support him.

  “All right.” I scribbled a quick note to
look the judge up on the internet before leaving. I believed being forewarned was being forearmed. “Anything else I should know?”

  “Just get to the point. He’s older than Methuselah and twice as cranky. No flash and no dance with him. All he wants to hear are the facts the law backing your position.”

  That I could do. Annie was nothing if not thorough in her research and documentation. Everything I needed to argue the motions was in the file.

  For the next few minutes, Beth brought me up-to-speed on what to expect that day. I relaxed to realize Annie ran the office much as I had my own before I shuttered it after Mom’s death. That was something else I needed to think about. Yes, I’d made the decision to shutter my practice before learning Mom wanted me to come here. With her gone, I no longer needed to stay where I’d never felt like I belonged. But that did mean I needed to figure out what I was going to do both short and long term.

  That brought me back to Beth and her offer to help.

  “When you have time, I’d appreciate it if you did a deep search on my mother’s family here. There has to be a reason – other than the fact they’re evil, bitter people – for their actions yesterday. If we find out what, it might explain why Mom wanted me to come here.”

  “Will do.” She made a note on her tablet.

  “When I get back from the courthouse, maybe a trip to the district clerk’s office to do some checking there as well. Or are all the records online now?”

  “No, they’ve only managed to go back about fifty years so far.”

  “Then check out my mother’s family there as well, if you would. If there are any fees involved in the search or copying of the records, let me know. I’ll handle them.”

  Now she grinned and shook her head. “Nope, you hired Annie and that is part of what your retainer’s for.” She glanced at her watch. “Our first client is due any time and you need to get ready for court.”

  But, before that, I had a call to make, one that would, hopefully, take at least one possible explanation for what had been happening off the table.

  Chapter 17

  Two and a half hours later, I parked in front of Quinn’s house. I didn’t know whether to smile or run for the hills when the front gate swung open as I climbed out of the Land Rover. The smile won out, especially when I felt the house welcoming me. I grabbed my purse from the front seat and, after locking the doors, hurried up the walk.

  By the time I reached the front porch, Judith waited for me. Miss Serena and Annie’s grandmother stood behind her. If I’d had any doubts before, this dispelled them. one of the three had to be a precog. Otherwise, they wouldn’t all be there.

  Unless something had happened to Annie.

  Before I could ask, Judith assured me Annie was fine. Then she told me to come inside. I glanced at Miss Serena, worried. She smiled and assured me everything was all right. They wanted to talk and, hopefully, answer some of my questions.

  And maybe I could answer some questions for them.

  “Are you all right?” Miss Serena asked softly as Judith and Mary Kate Metzger disappeared into the kitchen. The tantalizing aromas of freshly brewed coffee and hot pastries filled the air. My cheeks heated when my stomach rumbled loudly enough for Miss Serena to hear.

  “Hungry.” I managed a small laugh. Then, seeing her watching me in concern, I shrugged. “Yes and no. Yes, in that I managed Annie’s morning court appearances without any real problem. Also, Beth is going to be looking into a few things for me that might help explain why my mother’s birth parents and the others decided to ambush Annie and me yesterday.”

  “And the no?” She led me to the sofa and sat next to me.

  “I hate not knowing what’s going on. More than that, I hate not knowing the why of it all.” I smiled a little sadly. “I thought I knew everything there was to know about Mom and now I realize how little I knew. That hurts.” I rested a hand on her arm when she started to protest. “I know it shouldn’t. Whatever she hid, she did it because she thought it best for me. My brain knows it but my heart’s still having a hard time wrapping itself around it all.”

  “Maybe we can help you with some of that,” Judith said as she and Mary Kate returned.

  They handed out coffee. A basked of pastries soon sat in the middle of the coffee table. I accepted a plate from Judith and then leaned forward to help myself.

  “I’ll admit, I have more than a few questions.”

  “Why don’t we see if we can anticipate some of them?” Mary Kate said.

  She sat in a captain’s chair to my right. Judith took the chair to the left. For a moment, no one said anything. I waited, looking between the women, wondering what they had to say. No, it was more than that. I wondered – I worried – if I wanted to know what they had to tell me.

  “Before we start, I want you to know we haven’t hidden anything from you, Meg,” Miss Serena said. She reached for my hand, holding it as Mom would have were she sitting there. “We have been in the dark about your mother’s motives and actions as you have. But it wasn’t until your arrival here we realized you hadn’t known about her life here or any of us. We’ve spent a number of hours since then trying to figure out why and what we might know that could help you.”

  “Thank you.”

  For more than an hour they talked. Between them, they had stories about Mom going back to when she’d been born. Each of them, for their own reasons, had worried about her. But it had all boiled down to one root cause: her parents, especially her mother. Eileen had always been more than a little unhinged when it came to the Others. The entire family had been. While that sort of attitude wasn’t normal in Mossy Creek, there were always a few. But the Luíseachs took the prize. They did everything they could to make life there difficult for those who weren’t, according to them, “the chosen of God.”

  Even before Mom’s talents manifested, she’d been the black sheep of the family. Her grades were too good. Her attitude not subservient enough. In today’s climate, her parents would have been hauled into court long before things came to a head and Mom would have been removed from the home. But back then, the authorities were less prone to intercede. That was especially true when they knew the parents of the abused child would fall back on religion as reason for what they did.

  Things got better for Mom when she moved in with Miss Serena. Not that her parents ever really left her alone.

  “I knew they did their best to embarrass your mother when they ran into one another, Meg.” Miss Serena closed her eyes and I could almost feel her struggling to control her emotions. “But I didn’t know until we started comparing notes how bad it had been. Your mother never told me.”

  “Don’t.” I squeezed her hand. The last thing I wanted was for her to blame herself for anything where Mom was concerned. “Remember what you told me. Mom did what she did to protect me. Right?” I waited until she nodded. “Then know she did the same where you, all of you, are concerned. Mom was nothing if not stubborn and loyal.”

  “She was a very special woman, Meg,” Judith said.

  “She was that.”

  “Once she went to college, she seemed to blossom,” Miss Serena said, a smile on her lips. “For the first time in her life, she didn’t have to live in fear of running into her parents or any of the rest of the family. She didn’t have to fear being thrust back into the hell, even if only in her own mind, of life with them. She loved her studies and, for the first time, she had a social life.”

  Something changed, however, after her graduation. My companions had spent more than a few hours over the years trying to figure out what happened. They never did, and my mother never said anything. All they knew for certain was after planning to attend graduate school, she suddenly changed her mind. She packed up her apartment in College Station and left. None of them heard from her for more than a month. Then she called Miss Serena. She apologized for worrying her, thanked her for everything she’d done and promised to explain one day. That was all.

  From then
on, she called once a month. She never complained and never asked for anything. But she’d changed. They heard it in her voice. All they knew for sure was she seemed to have turned her back on her studies and had come very close to going off the grid. She was hiding from someone or something, but she wouldn’t say what.

  “She came home briefly after she found out she was pregnant,” Miss Serena said. “She wouldn’t name your father. All she said was he would never be part of your life. I asked if he’d died. She said he had but I’ve always suspected she lied. If so, it is the only time she lied to me.”

  “That makes two of us. She had to have a reason. I just can’t think what it could be.” Or maybe I didn’t want to. “She never said anything to explain what happened to keep her from here or why she never told me about this place or any of you?”

  “Nothing.” Judith shook her head sadly and the others confirmed her response.

  “So, what do I do now?”

  “I told you how your mother came back almost every year once you were old enough to go to camp or somewhere for a long weekend or more?” Miss Serena waited until I nodded. “She would stay with one or the other of us. She spent most of her time with us, or with the few friends she still had here in town. But there were times she disappeared. Perhaps you need to figure out what she did while here.”

  As if that would be easy – not.

  Still, it was a new lead to chase down.

  “When was she here last?”

  “A year ago last June. She stayed almost a month,” Judith answered.

  I closed my eyes and thought back. I’d been on duty with the Reserves then. No wonder I hadn’t realized she’d been gone.

  “I’ll check her records.” Which meant heading back to Wichita sooner rather than later. “Miss Serena, is there anything at your place that might help me?”

  “Not that I know of, but you’re welcome to look.” She gave my hand a squeeze.

  “You can look here as well, Meg. She spent part of that last trip here,” Judith said.