Nothing To Croak About
Leighann Dobbs
Traci Douglass
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Also by Leighann Dobbs
About the Author
1
“Here we are,” Issy Quinn said as she pulled her rusted-out old brown pickup truck up to the side of the dirt road on the outskirts of tiny Silver Hollow, New Hampshire, then glanced at her two cousins on the bench seat next to her.
“So sad,” Raine said, undoing her seat belt then climbing out the passenger side door.
“Yes.” Ember followed her two cousins out of the vehicle. “Very sad.”
Issy walked around her vehicle, affectionately known as Brown Betty, to open the tailgate. “Poor Adele.”
An old friend of their parents’, Adele Brundage and her son, Scott, had lived in this run-down cottage in the woods surrounding town for as long as Issy could remember. Scott had been in Raine’s class at school, and while he and the Quinns had not been the closest of friends, they were on friendly terms just the same.
His sudden death the week prior hit much too close to home.
Ember reached into the bed of the truck and pulled out a basket filled with chocolates from her shop, Divine Cravings, and a few gift certificates from Gray’s hair salon, Sheer Magic. As the fourth Quinn cousin, he’d wanted to come with them today but couldn’t due to his busy schedule.
“Maybe we should’ve taken donations or something.” Issy frowned, gazing around the neglected property. Early autumn had settled over Silver Hollow, and while the daytime temperatures were still warm enough, the nighttime temps had grown chillier. There were even a few scattered trees whose leaves were starting to turn.
As the cousins started down the long drive toward Adele’s home, their footsteps crunched on the thick bed of fallen needles from the fir trees surrounding them. The sharp scent of pine spiced the air, and the long shadows cast by the towering trees gave the whole area a slightly sad, depressed appearance.
Issy peered through the woods and noted that Louella Drummond’s house wasn’t far, maybe a quarter mile or so away. She tried not to think about Louella’s place much these days, not just because Louella’s murder had jarred the tiny, tight-knit paranormal community of Silver Hollow and brought them all sorts of unwanted attention. No. It was mainly due to a now-permanent resident of the area by the name of Dex Nolan who worked as an agent for the largest law enforcement group in the paranormal community—the FBPI, or the Federal Bureau of Paranormal Investigations. A branch of the regular FBI, they handled all the spooky things that went bump in the night, and were strictly top-secret in the human world. They weren’t exactly welcome among paranormals either, considering they had a nasty reputation for carting any unfortunate paranormal they might take into custody to their also top-secret Area 59 compound where all sorts of rumored nefarious torture and testing practices took place.
She shuddered at the thought of herself or one of her beloved being whisked away to such a horrible place. All because they were witches. So unfair. Issy narrowed her gaze on a copse of trees far in the distance. If she wasn’t mistaken, that was where Dex had found her the day she’d come out to Louella’s cabin to do some investigating of her own into the murder case. That was where they’d talked a bit, gotten to know each other a bit better, shared their first kiss…
Her breath caught, and a prickle of heat climbed from beneath the scoop neck of her long-sleeved green T-shirt. Kissing Dex had been beyond nice, sure, but it could never go anywhere. They were too different—she was a paranormal. He was a man who’d dedicated his career to bringing in people like her. Issy sighed and hurried to catch up with her cousins.
“Why don’t you just call him already?” Raine jostled against Issy as she adjusted her hold on one of two large blooming lily plants she’d brought for Adele. Raine’s local landscaping business, Green Goddess Landscape and Florist, thrived because of her special gifts with plants. All she had to do was talk to them, show them a bit of special attention, and they grew year round, despite the weather. “You know you want to see Dex again.”
Issy thought about playing dumb, but there didn’t seem to be much point. She tried to brush the comment off instead. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, come on.” Ember nudged Issy’s arm with her elbow. The afternoon sunshine glinted off Ember’s auburn-red curls and sparkled in her emerald eyes. Wearing one of her trademark blue gingham sundresses, she looked like a fairy-tale princess come to life. “I can tell by your dreamy expression that you’re thinking about him. Not that I can blame you. Dex is a hunk, no way around it. Too bad he works for the enemy, since there was definitely something happening between the two of you that night at Enid’s.”
The last thing Issy needed to think about right now was that disastrous evening at Enid Pettywood’s last month. That had been a most unfortunate night, when a demon had poisoned Ember and injured Issy as she’d tried to save Dex’s life. And poor Raine… well, Issy was afraid Raine might never be the same after that incident. To distract herself, she grabbed one of Raine’s lily plants and hoisted the heavy thing on her hip. “It doesn’t matter what happened between us. Dex saw me use magic to exorcise the demon. He hasn’t spoken to me since. I’m lucky he hasn’t hauled me in for questioning. It’s best if we just forget about it, okay?”
The three women headed up a narrower pathway toward the front door of the cottage. A few signs clung to the trunks of the trees here, dangling at odd angles. “Fortunes Told, Fee Charged,” one proclaimed with a red arrow pointing toward the Brundage home. Below it was posted another sign, “No refunds.”
Adele’s magical specialty was prophecy, and she was well-known in town for having the largest collection of scrying balls in the Tri-State area. Given how many people sought out Adele’s talents, Issy could see how the no-refund policy was probably a necessity. Fortunes weren’t always pleasant, and some people didn’t like what they heard. Many had left disgruntled when their fortunes weren’t to their liking.
As if sensing Issy’s thoughts, Raine gave a defeated sigh. “Too bad Adele hadn’t been able to see into her son’s future and prevent the tragedy.”
Ever since the incident with the demon, Raine hadn’t been her usual snarky, upbeat self. None of what had happened had been her cousin’s fault, of course, but Raine had seemed more aloof and less trusting ever since. Side effects from battling the demon, perhaps? Whatever it was, Issy hoped the changes were only temporary. “Especially after poor Scott was on trial and in prison with no bail for a crime he didn’t commit.”
“You mean the murder of that girl from Lowell, Massachusetts? That was awful.” Ember stopped to pick up a few stray pinecones. “Then living on the streets after he got paroled. That poor, poor man.”
Poor man was right. Poor Adele too. Issy shook her head. The whole thing was a travesty.
Over the past ten years, Adele had spent every cent she had on lawyer fees to defend her son after he’d been accused of murdering a girl on a college spring break trip to Costa Rica. In the end, there’d never been enough evidence to convict him, but that didn’t stop law enforcement from returning every few months with some new theory. They’d arrest poor Scott again, hold him for twenty-four hours, then release him back onto the streets when they didn’t have enough to hold him. Eventually, the constant accusations took their toll. Scott couldn’t get work and turned to drugs to numb his pain. Addicted and disillusioned, he’d moved out of Adele’s home and joined the small homeless population living on the fringes of Silver Hollow.
Still, Adele had fought tirelessly to prove his innocence, despite the financial burden. She’d managed to earn enough money from her fortune-telling to keep her head above water, but just barely—as evidenced by the dilapidated state of her home.
“Seems weird not to have the kitties with me today,” Ember said, running her hand over the top of her basket where her familiars Bellatrix and Endora usually rode. Issy had left her own familiar, an orange Pomeranian named Bella, back at her store, Enchanted Pets, in the care of her trusted assistant. Bella was becoming better and better at her duties as Issy’s familiar each day, and she didn’t want to risk hampering the tiny Pom’s progress by bringing her to such a somber location. Mortimer, Raine’s Venus flytrap familiar, had stayed home at her greenhouse as well.
“Ready?” Issy asked, stepping onto the creaky wooden steps leading to Adele’s front door. A slight breeze ruffled her corkscrew strawberry-blond curls. “We won’t stay long. I just wanted to offer my condolences again and make sure Adele’s doing okay.”
“The funeral was nice.” Raine fiddled with the strap of her green overalls and shifted her weight from one foot to the other on the rickety porch, making it squeak even more. “Did you see Troy Holland was there?”
Issy nodded. Holland was a local bigwig, president of the family’s paper mill. “Len Childs too.”
“Those two have always been joined at the hip.” Raine patted her stick-straight copper hair secured with a bandana that exactly matched the color of her peridot-green eyes. “Hardly surprising old man Holland named Len VP of the mill before he died. The Hollands had all but adopted Len by that point.” Raine sighed. “I remember those guys were something else in high school. Always playing practical jokes and trying to outdo each other with the ladies. Scott kept up with them too, once they all left for college, at least until…”
Raine’s voice trailed off, and Issy placed an arm around her cousin’s shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
“I heard Troy helped Adele and Scott financially, after the trial,” Ember said.
“I heard that too.” Issy gazed once more across the woods to the spot where she and Dex had kissed the first time. Melancholy squeezed her chest. She liked Dex, far more than was prudent given what had happened at Enid’s, but it was time to stop moping about it and move on. Her girlish crush seemed so unimportant now when compared to everything Scott and Adele had gone through. Chances were high Dex wouldn’t want anything to do with her anyway now, and she had to accept that.
“Seriously.” Ember nudged Issy once more, giving her a gentle smile. “Call him. Communication works both ways, you know.”
“I can’t,” Issy said. “He saw me use magic, and Luigi couldn’t erase his memory this time. Now he knows I’m a witch, and human-witch relationships never work, especially with his line of work. There’s no future for us. It’s over.” Which was too bad because prior to the showdown with the demon, Issy had gotten a feeling they were actually getting somewhere and that maybe things really could work out. Probably just wishful thinking.
Ember’s smile faltered. “Well, much as I dislike the FBPI, Dex seems to be a decent person. After all, he’s not turned any of us in. He likes you, Issy, and I know you like him. Don’t throw that away by being stubborn. Besides, you two are soul-bonded now.”
Soul-bonded. Issy squeezed her eyes shut. She’d saved Dex’s life that night at Enid’s, and according to legend, if a witch saved a human’s life she was soul-bonded to that human forever. Unfortunately, the bond only went one way, meaning Dex would never have any idea of his bond to Issy, nor would he have any urge to obey it.
“That’s just an old wives’ tale.” Issy sighed.
“Sometimes people aren’t meant to have a happily ever after,” Raine said, her tone dark as a thunderstorm. “Sometimes bad things happen to good people, people who don’t deserve it, and you just have to deal with it.” She shifted the huge Easter lily pot on her hip and rolled her eyes at Issy. “Stop being such a Pollyanna, Em.”
“I’m not being a Pollyanna.” Ember frowned at Raine. “Why are you so negative lately?”
“Who’s a Pollyanna?” Brimstone trotted up onto the porch, his hellfire-orange eyes glowing from his pudgy, charcoal-gray face. He was the oldest and wisest familiar Issy had ever met, not that she’d tell him that. The feline’s ego was big enough as it was. Brimstone gazed around at the three Quinn cousins then proceeded to take a seat and groom his front paws. “Typical. Seems I’m the only familiar brave enough to hang out with you girls.”
“Hey,” Ember said. “Endora and Bellatrix are coming along just fine.”
“So is Bella.” Issy hugged her plant pot tighter. “She’s communicating with me telepathically now.”
“How exciting,” Brimstone said, his bland tone implying the exact opposite. “What about Morty? Does he have root rot or something?”
“No.” Raine glared at the sarcastic cat. “Mortimer’s catching some afternoon rays today. He looked so content I didn’t have the heart to move him, that’s all.”
“Sure.” Brimstone sounded completely unconvinced. “Well, are you ladies planning on actually going inside the house anytime soon?”
Issy gave him a side glance then stepped up to Adele’s front door. Except when she raised her hand to knock, the door creaked open. She frowned and looked back at her cousins. “That’s weird.”
“I better check things out.” Brimstone slipped past Issy’s ankles and into the house.
“Brimstone,” Issy hissed. “Get back here.”
No answer.
She went ahead and knocked anyway to be polite, even though the door was now ajar. “Adele? It’s Issy Quinn. I’ve got Ember and Raine with me. We stopped by to check on you and see how you were holding up.”
Nothing.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Raine whispered.
“Me too,” Ember agreed.
Inside, Brimstone hissed loud.
“Come on!” Issy rushed inside, her cousins close on her heels and her pulse thundering in her ears. The small house was eerily quiet. Too quiet. They quickly searched the living room then rushed down the short hall to check the two bedrooms.
Adele was nowhere to be found.
“Girls, get in here!” Brimstone yelled from the kitchen.
The Quinn cousins ran in to find the older lady sprawled on the scuffed linoleum floor, pale and unmoving. Issy pressed her trembling fingers to the side of Adele’s neck and found a pulse, faint but present.
“Stop it!” Brimstone cried. A whirling ball of energy chased him all around the kitchen. From what Issy could tell, it was a failed protection spell spinning out of control. Had Adele been attacked and tried to protect herself?
“I’m calling 9-1-1.” Raine pulled out her cell phone.
Ember knelt on the other side of Adele and gently patted her cheek. “Adele, sweetie. Wake up. Can you speak to us?”
Adele’s eyes snapped open, and she gripped Issy’s hand tight.
“What happened, Adele?” Issy asked.
“They hit me from behind,” the older witch rasped. “Got me good too.”
While Raine called for help, Issy car
efully examined Adele’s head. The hair near the back of her scalp was matted with blood. Given the small pool of crimson dried on the floor nearby, poor Adele must’ve been lying there injured for quite a while.
“Who did this to you?” Issy said, her voice quivering.
Adele’s gray eyes clouded over, and she coughed, the sound congested and desperate. “I didn’t see them. I’m not long for this world, Isolde.” She tugged Issy closer, surprisingly strong for a woman of her age, her expression fierce. “I won’t go quiet, though. I want vengeance!”
“I think it’s a bit premature for that.” Issy’s heart twisted as Adele’s pale face turned even paler. “Hold on, the ambulance is coming.”
“It’s too late,” Adele rasped. Her eyes drilled into Issy’s, holding her gaze like a magnet. Issy couldn’t look away if she tried. “Someone did this to me, and I intend to make sure they pay. I curse a plague of toads on Silver Hollow until my killer is found!”
Before Issy could respond, Adele’s body convulsed and her head fell back as her last breath wheezed out of her.
2
“Police are on their way.” Raine ended her call. “Oh no!”
Issy said a quick blessing over Adele’s body then hung her head. “She’s gone.”
Ember sniffled. “Who would have done something like this?”
“No idea.” Issy glanced over at Brimstone. “We need to neutralize that protection spell, though, before it drives our old friend crazy.”
The whirling ball of energy zipped after the cat, gathering momentum and small objects in its wake—bobby pins, a skein of yarn, a pot holder.
Brimstone hissed, arching his back and batting at the thing. “Stop it!”
“Adele must’ve cast the spell after she was hit to protect herself,” Ember said. “In her dazed state it didn’t materialize correctly.”
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Straightening, Issy pointed toward a cabinet hanging crookedly off the wall. “Get a bowl of water and some salt. Let’s see if we can get rid of the spell before Owen and DeeDee arrive.”
Nothing To Croak About (Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) Page 1