by J A Whiting
The girls looked at each other.
“What’s the harm in having it in the tree?” Jenna asked.
“It will kill the oak.” Ellie turned her face upwards to the man in the tree. “Will it kill the oak?”
“Not necessarily.” The man fiddled with the plant. “Just keep an eye on the tree. If it seems distressed I can come back.”
“How long has it been there?” Ellie asked.
“It’s mature. It had to be here for a while.” The man started down the tree to the ground.
Angie and Jenna gave Ellie the eye.
“I don’t believe it,” Ellie was adamant. “I know I would have seen it there before this.”
“Then how did it suddenly get there? He says it mature.” Jenna shoved her hands into her jacket pockets.
“It is mature.” The man looked from one sister to the other. “You sure you don’t want it removed? If it bothers you, it wouldn’t take me long to do it.”
“What’s going on?” a man’s voice spoke.
The girls and the arborist turned to see Walter Withers walking up to them.
“We wanted to know if that plant in the tree is mistletoe.” Ellie’s eyes were dark.
“I could have saved you the money.” Withers glanced up into the oak’s branches. “It’s mistletoe. You aren’t going to cut it out, are you?”
As Angie turned to walk the arborist to the truck, she asked Withers, “Why shouldn’t we cut it out?” She wondered why Withers seemed alarmed that the mistletoe might be removed.
“Because.” Withers’ eyes bored into Angie’s. “It’s magic.”
“Magic, Mr. Withers?” Ellie pursed her lips and shook her head. “Well, if you want some of it to cast any spells, you can rest assured. For now, we’re leaving it in the tree.”
“Wise decision. You never know when you might need it.” Withers headed down the driveway. “I’ll be out this evening.”
The sisters watched him go.
“What on earth?” Ellie walked over to the fire pit and sank into one of the Adirondack chairs. “Is he trying to get a rise out of us or is he crazy?”
Jenna sat down next to her sister. “Or can he really do spells?”
Angie picked up a piece of mistletoe that had gotten stuck in the arborist’s boot. “If Withers could do spells, I don’t think he’d broadcast the fact.” She looked the plant over and then lay it down on one of the fire pit stones. “Why are we having so much trouble picking up on things? I feel like my sensations are blocked.”
“Things definitely seem confused.” Jenna leaned back in the chair. “Mixed up … messed up.”
“I’ve felt out of sorts for days.” Ellie spotted Mr. Finch approaching through the trees along the walkway that he’d had put in between his Willow Street house and the Victorian. Circe padded along beside the man. “Here comes Mr. Finch. Maybe he can help us figure out what’s wrong.”
Finch joined the girls around the fire pit. Circe sat in his lap and purred. The girls explained their feelings of being blocked and unable to sense things about the current case.
“It feels like the time when the bomb was in the house next to yours.” Angie pushed her hair back from her face. “Remember how we couldn’t make sense of anything?”
Finch nodded. “That case involved many people with sad backgrounds. The negative energy from our past cases has acted like static and made us unable to read the things that float on the air. Perhaps such things are blocking our abilities again.”
“We need to clear it out.” Courtney walked into the backyard from the rear door of the house with Euclid following behind her. “How should we do it? Last time, we made Angie bake us something. It was something sweet and light, remember? It helped us rise above the negativity and cleared our heads.”
Euclid jumped up on the fire pit stones and sat, listening to the conversation.
“Hmm.” Finch tapped his index finger against his chin. “Miss Angie, would you like to try and work your magic, again?”
Angie smiled. “Just don’t let Mr. Withers hear the word magic.” She stood up. “What should I make this time?”
“It’s fall. Halloween time,” Jenna observed. “I think it should be something appropriate to the season.”
“Something with pumpkin?” Courtney suggested.
Finch cocked his head. “Should it have a bit of spice or fire to it, since we’re dealing with fires in this case?”
Euclid and Circe trilled their approval.
“I have an idea.” Angie grinned and led the entourage into the kitchen where baking magic was about to take place.
* * *
ANGIE BUSTLED in the cabinets pulling out a glass bowl, wooden spoons, and different ingredients while Jenna, Ellie, and Finch sat at the kitchen island watching. The two cats jumped up on the fridge to keep an eye on the proceedings.
“What’s cookin, Sis?” Courtney stood next to her sister trying to figure out what she was about to bake.
Angie pushed an apron over her head. “Chocolate pumpkin bread with spicy Aztec chocolate.”
“Genius. I love it.” Courtney rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “What can I get for you?”
Angie listed the other ingredients she needed and her youngest sister went to retrieve them. She carried the things back to the island and piled them next to the flour and sugar. “Remember to put intention into your baking, Sis. We need to clear away the heaviness and static so we can sense what’s going on in town.”
Mr. Finch made tea for everyone while Angie measured and mixed.
“I found a box of Mom’s stuff in the carriage house storage room the other day.” Ellie yawned. The girls’ mother had passed away several years ago in an accident in Boston. When Angie inherited the Victorian from one of her regular customers who turned out to be a relative of theirs, her sisters had moved up to Sweet Cove to join her and lots of unpacked boxes were still stored away.
“There’s room to move around in there now that the bake shop things have been moved out and put in place in the new store.” Angie poured some vanilla into a measuring spoon. When she’d lost the lease on her old café, she’d had to store her equipment in the carriage house until the renovations were completed to house her bakery in part of the Victorian.
Ellie said, “There are some of Mom’s clothes in the box, some of her scarves. There’s also a box with some of her jewelry. I looked through it.”
Jenna perked up. “Jewelry? I’d like to see that.”
“The box is in the sunroom. When Angie finishes, let’s all go take a look.” Ellie added some milk to her tea. “We can each pick the things we’d like to keep.”
When the bread went into the oven, they all filed into the sunroom and Ellie placed the box on the coffee table for her sisters so they could look through the items.
“Are there things you want?” Courtney asked Ellie.
“There’s a necklace I’d like if no one else is interested in it.” Ellie reached into the box and retrieved a smooth wooden jewelry case. She opened it and tipped the pieces of jewelry onto the table. “There’s nothing valuable, mostly just costume jewelry. They’re pretty things though.”
“Mom was always stylish.” Jenna fondly recalled how put-together their mother always looked.
Ellie lifted a small white leather box from the table. “Here’s the piece I like.” She opened the box and held up a simple silver chain with an oval cabochon containing a pearly white stone. “I don’t remember Mom ever wearing this, but I know she had it on when she died.”
“What’s the stone?” Angie peered at it. “It looks like an opal.”
“I don’t know what it is. I don’t think it’s an opal though.” Ellie held it up to her neck.
Jenna eyed the stone. “I don’t know what it is either. Maybe moonstone?”
“It’s lovely, Miss Ellie.” Finch smiled. “It fits you.”
“I think you should have it,” Jenna said. “You’re the one who looks mos
t like Mom. It looks at home on you.”
Angie and Courtney agreed and Ellie undid the clasp and put the necklace around her neck. Her finger tips ran over the smooth stone. The sisters could see a few tears glistening at the corners of Ellie’s eyes.
“Mom would want you to have it.” Angie hugged her sister. “Look how the stone shimmers in the light. It’s so pretty.”
The girls inspected the rest of the things in the box until the oven timer went off indicating that the bread was finished baking. Everyone traipsed into the kitchen, and when the bread was cool, Angie sliced it and placed the pieces on plates.
“Shall we take the treats outside?” Mr. Finch asked. “It might be helpful if we sit under the moon, eat our bread, and connect with the natural world.”
The cats led the way to the chairs around the fire pit. The sisters and Finch sat and enjoyed the baked goodies. Even the cats ate small slices of bread from white porcelain saucers. Ellie had brought blankets out for each person to wrap up in to keep warm in the cool night air. Angie was praised for her efforts and the bread disappeared quickly from the plates. The group sat quietly in the moonlight listening to the rustle of leaves in the breeze and the hoots of an owl. They could even hear the ebb and flow of ocean waves on the sand several blocks away down Beach Street.
“We should do this more often,” Courtney observed. “It’s so peaceful.”
Euclid and Circe trilled.
Angie could feel the powerful bonds between her, her sisters, Mr. Finch, and the two cats and wondered how it was possible for anything to ever be wrong in their world.
They were about to find out just how wrong things could be.
14
Angie woke with a start, the frightening dream slowly fading out of her mind like the starlight that filtered through the glass of her bedroom window, soft and intangible. She couldn’t recall the details of the nightmare, only the vague feelings of alarm and fear that startled her awake.
Angie sat up and stretched taking a look at the clock next to her bed. She felt wired and alert and knew it would take her a long time to fall back to sleep only to be jolted awake in two hours by the alarm. She steeled herself to the inevitable feeling of drowsiness that she knew would come over her in the early afternoon.
Angie pushed back the covers and got out of bed padding to the dresser where she’d left the murder mystery book she’d been reading. She carried it to her bed and placed it on top of the blanket. She was about to crawl back under her quilt when a swirl of leaves blew past her window and she went to look out at the clear, chilly October night. Pushing the opaque curtain to the side, Angie glanced down at the Adirondack chairs set in the grass around the fire pit where the family had enjoyed the bread she’d made last night. The anxious feelings from her dream had disappeared. Gazing at the back garden, the lovely view filled her with a sense of calm and ease.
The moonlight shimmered off of something that was on top of the fire pit stones and it caught Angie’s eye. It was the sprig of mistletoe she’d placed there hours ago. The white berries glistened. Mesmerized by the shining berries, she watched as they grew brighter and brighter and Angie was sure she saw the shadow of Ellie’s face reflected in them. After a few moments, the blazing white light became almost painful to look at and forced her to shut her eyes.
Angie woke to the sound of the bleating alarm clock. She reached over to turn it off and after a few minutes, she flicked on the bedside light and dragged herself out of bed. She grabbed her robe and shuffled to the door heading for the shower. Angie noticed the mystery book lying on top of her dresser and she stopped and stared at it. Shifting her eyes, she looked over to the bed and then back to the dresser. Funny, I’m sure I brought the book over to the bed last night. She yawned and shrugged and stepped out into the hall, dragging herself to the shower.
* * *
ANGIE HAD already started the first batch of muffins when Ellie came into the kitchen. “Morning.” Ellie stifled a yawn and reached for a big glass bowl. She carried strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and honeydew melon to the counter and started to slice the melon to prepare the fruit salad. The cats sat at attention on the fridge watching the girls work.
Angie greeted her sister and started adding ingredients to her stainless steel bowl for a new batch of muffins just as Courtney stumbled into the kitchen, her hair dripping from the shower. Reaching for a cereal bowl she carried it the counter where she filled it with her favorite cereal, sliced some banana over it, and added milk. She sank into a chair and spooned her breakfast into her mouth.
“Good morning to you, too,” Ellie said.
Courtney waved to her. “I’m still asleep,” she managed to say in between mouthfuls. She pushed her wet hair back from her forehead. “I had the weirdest dream last night.”
“Were you flying in your dream again?” Angie smiled.
“No, that hasn’t happened for a while.” Courtney brushed a bit of milk from her lip with the back of her hand. “It was different than any dream I can remember. I was standing at the window of my bedroom looking down into the backyard.”
Angie’s head snapped up and she stared at Courtney.
“The leaves were swirling around. There was a piece of mistletoe on the fire pit stones. Its white berries started to shine, really bright.”
The cats trilled.
Ellie stopped slicing and turned to her sister, a serious, wide-eyed look on her face. She held a strawberry in one hand and a small knife in the other.
Courtney lifted another spoonful of cereal to her mouth. “The mistletoe berries got brighter and brighter until I couldn’t look at them anymore. The dream made me feel peaceful. Weird, huh?” Staring down at her bowl, she chewed and swallowed. “But the weirdest part was I could see Ellie in the white light of the berries.” Courtney shook her head and chuckled. “I can’t even escape my sisters in my dreams.”
Neither sister spoke.
Courtney looked up and saw their expressions. “What?”
Angie and Ellie just stared.
“What’s wrong with you two?” Courtney frowned.
Angie and Ellie exchanged glances.
“You had that dream, too?” Angie asked Ellie.
Ellie put her hand on her chest and gave the slightest of nods.
“Wait.” Courtney sat up straight staring at Ellie. “You dreamed the same dream as me?” She shifted her eyes away from Ellie and looked at Angie. “Did you?”
“Maybe.” Angie placed the wooden spoon on the counter.
Courtney’s eyes went as wide as saucers. “You did.” She almost shrieked with delight. “The three of us had the same dream. How cool is this.” Courtney leaped from her chair. “I’m going to go wake up Jenna and ask if she dreamed it, too.”
“Jenna will kill you,” Angie warned, but it was too late. Courtney was already out the door of the kitchen and heading for the staircase.
Ellie said in a voice barely above a whisper, “What does it mean? Why is my face in the berries? Why did we dream the same dream?”
“I guess we managed to clear away the fog and static that was blocking our ability to pick up on things.” Angie lifted the spoon and began to mix. “Now we just need to figure out how to translate it all.”
“Do you have a recipe that can help us with that?” Ellie returned to slicing.
“Not that I know of,” Angie said. “I think we’ll have to rely on logic and reasoning.”
Ellie placed the fruit salad in a serving bowl and gently mixed. “What does your logic and reasoning say about my face in the berries?”
“I have to give that some thought.”
With a wide grin, Courtney poked her head into the kitchen. “Jenna wasn’t too happy about me waking her up. But guess what? She had the dream, too. I have to leave in a few minutes for the candy store to do the morning setup. We all need to talk tonight.” She retreated to go and get ready for work.
“This case is so confusing.” Ellie sighed. “There are har
dly any suspects that you can talk to. How will you figure it out?”
“You mean, how will we figure it out?” Angie poured the muffin batter into the tins.
“No, I mean you.”
The back door opened and in strolled Mr. Finch. “Good morning, girls.” He looked up at the cats. “Good morning, my fine felines.” Finch took a tea cup from the cabinet and put on a kettle of water. As he leaned against the counter, he hung his cane on the lip edge of the countertop. “I had the strangest dream last night.”
Angie and Ellie shared a quick glance.
A shiver of unease ran down Angie’s back. “Did you, Mr. Finch? Would you like to tell us about it?” She already knew what Finch would say about the dream.
“It was nighttime in the dream and I was staring down into the yard from my bedroom window when I noticed a sprig of mistletoe glowing bright white.” Finch leaned against the counter as he recalled the image from his dream. “It became brighter and brighter until I could no longer look at it. I had to avert my eyes.”
“Was that the whole dream?” Ellie asked.
Finch looked across the room at the tall blond and then he cocked his head. “Strange. I remember seeing the faint likeness of your face in the bright light.” The tea kettle whistled and Finch removed it from the burner and poured steaming water into his China cup. “Isn’t it funny that I would dream such a thing?” He added cream and a bit of sugar and stirred. When he lifted the cup to his lips, he noticed the girls were staring at him. He set the cup back on its saucer. “Oh. It means something?”
Angie said, “We all had exactly the same dream last night.”
“All four of you?” Finch’s bushy eyebrows rose up. “And has the meaning been determined?”
“We haven’t gotten that far yet.” Angie slid the muffin tin into the oven.
The cats jumped off the fridge and watched Finch fix his toast with butter and raspberry jam. Euclid and Circe each received a small dab of butter which they licked up with vigor. “I am not going into the candy store until after noon today. I believe I will pay a visit to the town library.”