Charmed to Death (A Farmer's Market Witch Mystery Series Book 1)

by Constance Barker

  We chatted for another minute or two, before Tabitha announced she had to see about an old abandoned church that someone was looking to sell. I had no idea why she would want an old church, but I wasn’t about to quiz her. She sashayed away, without a backward glance.

  “If you excuse me,” Percy said. “I must be going too.”

  I nodded, as I knew Percy was going to follow Tabitha and try to learn more about the amulet and perhaps that abandoned church.

  Vera was next to leave, after asking me if I knew anything about the amulet. I played dumb, saying I had heard what everyone else had heard, but I had no specific knowledge. That was good enough for Vera. She was soon gone.

  The next hour passed quickly, as people seemed ready to buy. Then, Gus trotted up.

  “There’s a fight going on in the main aisle.”

  “You’re kidding. People actually battling?”

  “Yes, it's a hoot. You should go see.”

  “I should?”

  “You might find it interesting.”

  CHAPTER 21

  Gus was right. There was a fight going on. It wasn’t a fracas or a set-to, it was a fight. I couldn’t count the number of combatants. It was as if everyone there had jumped into the fray. Women were slamming people with their purses. Men were throwing punches that mostly didn’t connect. People were kicking with boots and jogging shoes. It was as if the entire crowd had gone mad. No movie could have staged the fight any better. I was amazed and appalled. Something was desperately wrong.

  But what?

  Even as I watched a man crawled through various legs and away from the scrum. When he stood, I realized it was Brad Price, the jerky king. Without a word, or a look back, Brad slinked off between some booths. Since he had come from the mini-riot, I thought he might know something about it. I ran after him and caught up behind the booths.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “It’s crazy out there,” he answered.

  “Why? And why did they surround you?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Come on, Brad, don’t try to fool me. Was it the amulet?”

  He stared at me, his half smile gone, replaced by hard eyes and a steely glare.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

  I had the distinct feeling that he was lying, but before I could question him further, a dozen people raced between the booths.

  “There he is!” someone yelled.

  That was all it took. Brad sprinted away. I thought about following, but I wasn’t that fast, and the mob was coming for him. I didn’t want any part of that. Even I watched, Brad managed to jump into his truck and race away, leaving the angry mob shaking their fists in frustration. There was murder in their eyes—for a moment.

  Then it seemed as if someone had flipped a switch. One moment, the mob was shouting for blood, and the next, they were looking at each other, almost ashamed. They seemed bewildered, scared of what they had been doing. I watched them as they lowered their eyes and looked for a quick exit. It was the strangest crowd reaction I had ever seen.

  I passed the yellow crime tape on my way back to my booth. I asked myself what sort of mischief Larson had loosed on Abbot Rise. Because I was pretty sure the amulet was the problem, the reason there had been a free-for-all in the market.

  I hadn’t been in my booth long before the Sheriff and his Deputies arrived. Among them was Jason, and he made it his job to talk to me. I didn’t know if I wanted to talk to him, as he hadn’t been so friendly. Still, if I wanted to solve the murder, I needed what he knew—just as he needed what I knew.

  “Tell me,” Jason said. “You were there? You saw what happened?”

  “I was there,” I said. “It was a mob thing. People were hitting people for no reason.”

  “I’ve seen it,” he said. “It’s like a fever takes hold of them. People who wouldn’t swat a fly are suddenly at each other’s throats.”

  “No fever,” I said. “It started with Brad Price.”

  “What about Price?”

  “He was at the bottom of the pile, and everyone there was angry with him.”

  “How did he manage to get away?”

  “Good question. He crawled off, while the mob was busy. Then, he got into his truck and raced away.”

  “Why Brad? He’s not exactly a rabble rouser, is he?”

  “No, no, Brad is quiet. But he might have something that causes people to act badly.”

  “What?”

  “Want me to speculate?” I asked. “Because I have no way to prove anything.”

  Jason looked at me and chuckled. “Throwing my own attitude back at me? I get it. All right, Elle, give me your best guess.”

  “Well, if you put two plus two together, you get that Brad ransacked Larson’s apartment. He was looking for something, and I believe it was the amulet Larson had somehow acquired. The amulet is special, but I’m not sure why. I’m pretty sure Brad has it. Because, as soon as he left, the mob became peaceful. Despite the fact that they had been throwing punches seconds before, they suddenly turned docile.”

  “That’s not the usual activity of mobs,” Jason said. “I think this calls for a visit to Brad Price.”

  “It does, and you need to take me with you.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Brad won’t talk to you, and you know it. He’ll clam up, and you’ll get nothing.”

  “He’ll talk to you?”

  “I’ve known Brad for a long time. We get along. But not only that. If the amulet is involved, I can examine it. You know what I am. You know I can handle the amulet and not be affected. Can you say that?”

  Jason stared, and I knew he wasn’t sure about taking me with him. Yet, I also guessed he was not all that certain about the amulet. If it was magical, he wasn’t in a position to guard against it.

  “If I take you,” Jason said, “you have to do what I tell you to do, understand? If Brad is dangerous, I will handle him. So, at the first hint of trouble, I want you to back off. If you can’t do that, then I’m leaving you behind.”

  I bristled a bit at his commandant attitude, but I knew he wouldn’t take me, if I didn’t promise to be a good girl.

  “I’ll do whatever you say,” I said. “But, if some sort dark magic is involved, I want you to do what I say. I’m better versed in this than you are.”

  I sensed he was reluctant, but I knew he saw the efficacy of taking me with him. He half smiled, that smile that didn’t give away anything.

  “How fast can you close up?” he asked.

  CHAPTER 22

  Brad’s cabin was set at the end of a long, dirt drive, that was mostly mud after the rain. Jason hadn’t said much during ride out, but we both noticed Brad’s vehicle parked next to the cabin.

  “Doesn’t look like much,” Jason said, as he came to a stop.

  “Brad leads a simple life,” I said. “He likes to hunt and trap, and he makes his jerky from the animals he takes.”

  “He’s here, which is a good thing. But I need to know what he was doing in Larson’s apartment.”

  We walked to the door, where Jason knocked and announced himself. At first, I thought Brad might not come to the door, which would present a problem. So, I knocked.

  “Brad,” I called. “It’s me. Elle. Open the door. We need to talk to you. Pretending you’re not here won’t help.”

  A few seconds later, the door opened. Brad looked at us. His face was bruised, and his lip puffy. He didn’t smile.

  “We need to come in,” I said. “We want to talk to you.”

  Brad looked at me. I could tell he knew how important it was to cooperate, but he was fighting it.

  “If not now,” I said. “Soon, and you might not get such favorable treatment.”

  Brad stepped back and waved us in.

  Brad’s cabin was neat and clean, which I expected. He was always working, which was a virtue, as far as I was concerned.

  “All right,” Jason sa
id. “Let’s get to this. I want to know about the amulet, where it is and where you got it.”

  Brad frowned, and I knew he wasn’t receptive to Jason’s no-nonsense approach.

  “We know you have the amulet,” I said. “It’s best you reveal where it is. Because, you know we’ll find it.”

  Brad looked pained, as he unbuttoned his shirt and opened it to reveal the amulet. It was the same as the one in Vera’s photos, the one that had been drawn so long before.

  “Take it off,” Jason said.

  “Please,” I added.

  Brad removed the amulet and chain and handed them to Jason. I could tell that Brad didn’t want to give up the jewel. But he was in no position to fight us.

  “All right,” Jason said. “Let’s go.”

  “Where?” Brad asked.

  “To the station,” Jason said. “There are some questions to answer.”

  Had he held onto the amulet, Brad might have protested, but he was in no position to refuse. Without the amulet, he had become non-combative, the way I knew him.

  The ride to the station was silent. Brad wasn’t about to say something, and Jason was waiting until he had Brad in the interrogation room. I wondered just how things would work out. I didn’t think Brad was going to get the best of the deal. As Jason pulled into a parking spot, Brad spoke.

  “You don’t know the amulet,” Brad said. “It's not like anything you’ve ever run into.”

  “That so?” Jason asked. “Tell me why it’s different.”

  “It’s different because it has power. You can feel it. And I think the power wants out. Yes, that’s it. The power wants out.”

  In the station, Brad was placed in the interrogation room. Jason handed the amulet to the forensic team for processing. Then, he led me to the observation room. We looked through the one-way glass. Brad sat absolutely still, staring at nothing.

  “That amulet. Is it the one you told me about?” Jason asked.

  “It is.” I thought about telling Jason that the amulet had been cursed, but I wasn’t sure that Jason wouldn’t fall under the amulet’s spell. If he did, and he knew about the black magic, he might want the power for himself.

  “I don’t know a lot about the amulet,” I said. “But I think its power possesses people. It takes a strong will to resist the amulet. For most people, a single look will infect them. They must have the amulet, no matter the cost.”

  “And if they get it?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’m guessing the power will use them to escape the amulet.”

  “What kind of power?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t want to know. I don’t think releasing the power would be a good thing.”

  “Is no one immune to the amulet?”

  “I’m sure some people are, but even for the strong-willed, the amulet is a danger. In fact, it might be more of a danger for the intelligent. A fool might discover the power. A genius might find a way to use it.”

  “I see. Well, I think it’s time to ask Mr. Price some questions. You should go home, Elle. I can handle this. And thanks. You did prove instrumental.”

  I could have reminded Jason that he had brought me, but then, he might have found a ride for me. And I didn’t want to leave, not yet. I wanted to hear what Brad had to say. I didn’t really think Brad was responsible for Larson’s death, but Brad had obtained the amulet somehow. If Brad had come under the influence of the amulet, then he might have killed to get it. People had killed for much less.

  I walked out with Jason, and he turned for the interrogation room. I took two steps toward the exit, before I doubled back to the observation room. With any luck, neither Jason nor Brad would have any idea I was watching. That was a good thing. They would both be a little more candid. I would learn more.

  I stared through the glass, as Jason settled at the table. The sound was on. I could hear every word they said.

  Every word.

  CHAPTER 23

  Jason smiled, and I knew he was trying to put Brad at ease. But Brad didn’t smile back. That was typical Brad. He could out stare a statue. When Jason didn’t get the response he wanted, he launched his questions.

  “All right,” Jason said. “Let’s start with the amulet. When did you first see it?”

  Brad didn’t answer.

  “I know how you live,” Jason said. “All alone out there in the cabin. Yeah, you have a computer and TV, but you’re not going to find that amulet online. So, if you want to get back to your tight little cabin, you’ll answer my questions. Otherwise, you’ll go to a cell. I’ll file charges if I have to, which will keep you here for a long time, weeks. You want that?”

  Brad’s eyes opened wide. I could tell that he hadn’t considered being in jail for weeks.

  “No,” Brad said. “I need to go home.”

  “Then, tell me what I want to know. Tell me about the amulet.”

  Brad looked to the side, as if it pained him to talk about the amulet. Then, he looked back.

  “Larson and I were friends,” Brad said. “He was about the best friend I had. We hunted together sometimes. I used to give him jerky, and he gave me pickles. He was a good guy.”

  “The amulet.”

  “I’m getting there. I was at his apartment one day, and he showed me the diary, the drawing of the amulet. Now, I had never seen anything like that. I mean, it was as if the picture was calling out to me. I know that sounds stupid, but it’s the truth. I saw it, and I wanted it. I asked Larson if he had the amulet, and he laughed. No, he didn’t, but he was going to get it. I wanted to tell him that I was going to get it first, but that would have been bad manners. When I went home, I could see the amulet in my mind. This sounds crazy, but I could hear it. It knew my name.”

  “I can understand, so how did you get it?”

  “Well, I knew Larson wanted the amulet too. And he had more money than me, also more time. So, he chased it down for a while. And then, one day, he came out to the cabin, and he was as happy as I had ever seen him. He showed me the amulet. He had found it.”

  Brad stopped, and I wondered what was coming next. Jason showed some needed restraint and let Brad take his time.

  “I won’t lie,” Brad continued. “I wanted that amulet so bad, I was about to brain Larson and just take it. But I didn’t. I’m not that kind. So, I smiled and let it go. Hardest thing I ever did. But I think Larson sensed something. Because he put the amulet away, and I never saw it again. Every time I asked about it, Larson said it was safe. That’s what he said, it was safe.”

  “Safe where?”

  “In his apartment. He wouldn’t say how it was hidden. Just that it was there.”

  “So, after Larson died, you went looking for it, right?”

  “I had the key he had given me, so, yeah, I went looking. When I didn’t find it right off, I guess I got a little crazy. I started tossing things all about, getting madder and madder. I mean, I could hear it talking to me, but I couldn’t find it. That’s insane. But it’s true.”

  “Yet, you did find it.”

  “I did.” Brad chuckled. “You would not believe how happy I was when I found it. I haven’t been that happy since I was eight years old and got my first BB gun. I was singing, singing, and I never sing.”

  “So, you took the amulet?”

  “Of course, Larson was dead. He didn’t need it, and I...I did.”

  “Did you kill Larson?”

  Brad stared, and for a moment, I thought he might confess. Then, he shook his head.

  “No matter how much I wanted that amulet, I would never kill Larson or anyone else, for that matter. That’s really nuts.”

  “Then, where were you when Larson was killed?”

  “Out of town,” Brad said quickly. “There was a reveal party. You know, where they tell you the sex of the baby. I was there with a bunch of people.”

  “I’ll need some names,” Jason said.

  “Sure, sure.”

  “When did you leave the party?”


  “After midnight, and I didn’t go home. I had a room at a Motel six. I didn’t get home till the next morning.”

  “I’ll need the location of the motel.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “All right, if you didn’t kill Larson, who did?”

  “I don’t know. I know there were some guys who weren’t happy with Larson. I’m not going to defend how he used women. But I don’t know of anyone who was angry enough to kill him.”

  I watched as the interview wound down. Since Brad had been so forthcoming about his alibi, it seemed pretty clear to me that he was telling the truth. Good liars rarely provide a lot of detail that can be checked.

  “I’m going to send you home,” Jason said. “But don’t go on vacation. If your alibi doesn’t check out, I’ll be looking for you.”

  “When do I get the amulet back?”

  “You don’t. You admitted that you stole it form Larson. Therefore, it doesn’t belong to you, but to Larson’s estate.”

  “But I answered your questions,” Brad protested.

  “Don’t push it, Mr. Price, or I’ll arrest you for theft.”

  Brad’s lips became a thin line. He was not at all happy with Jason’s answer.

  “I’ll get you a ride back to your cabin,” Jason said.

  I stepped out of the observation room in time to see Jason lead Brad to the exit. Jason noticed me and was surprised. I waited, because I knew he would come back to me. Curiosity was one of Jason’s strong points.

  I wasn’t disappointed.

  “You watched the interview, correct?” Jason asked.

  “I did. I found Brad to be straightforward and honest.”

  “We’ll see how honest he is, after I check out his alibi. And, I need to get you home.”

  “Not quite yet,” I said. “I need to see the amulet.”

  “No.”

  “Jason, don’t be stubborn. It’s important that I examine it.”

  “No.”

  I stared into his eyes, and I knew I had irked him, but I also knew I had to see the amulet.

  “You don’t understand fully. Oh, you know about the amulet. I believe you’ve felt its power. What you don’t know is that the amulet is cursed. It’s loaded with magic that wishes to get out, and it will warp anyone who has the wherewithal to extract the magic out of it.”