‘Mrs. Lockwood, can you tell us where you were Sunday night?’
‘I was here, dear. I don’t go out at night, too dangerous. Why?’ She hands Hayes her cup, Lucy’s hands are slightly shaking. Hayes grabs the cup and smells it. Lucy smiles encouragingly.
‘A local woman has been murdered, Alana Jannson, do you know her?’
‘Oh my God.’ Shocked, Lucy claps her hands in front of her mouth and tears form in her eyes. ‘No. I just saw her.’
‘I’m sorry, Mrs. Lockwood, I guess you know her.’
‘Yes. Such a dear sweet girl, she regularly stops in for a cup of tea. She doesn’t forget the elderly like most people do these days.’ Tears now freely flow down Lucy’s cheeks.
‘When did you last see her?’ Connor sits a little forward. Hayes adds ‘Are you okay? Can I get you anything? A glass of water.’
‘No, no. I’ll be fine.’ Sniffles Lucy, she’s impressed with herself, what a performance. She gives herself a mental shake to make sure she doesn’t fall out of her role. ‘Don’t worry, drink your tea.’ Lucy manages a watery smile. ‘She was here, in that very spot.’ She points at the spot where Connor sits. ‘Sunday afternoon. We had a lovely discussion about herbal teas. She was very accomplished in herbal remedies. Did you know that?’
Connor shakes his head. ‘Now, she’s gone.’ Lucy stares out of the window. Takes a moment to collect herself before she turns back to the detectives, just as Hayes takes a sip of her tea. Her eyes twinkle for a second. She quickly suppresses it and looks shaken again. Leaving her own tea untouched. ‘If there is anything I can do?’
‘Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood, You’ve answered all our questions.’ Says Hayes, she gets up. Connor doesn’t understand; he has more questions. One look from Hayes and he snaps his mouth shut. ‘Thank you for your time. We’re sorry to bring you this bad news.’ Hayes put a gentle hand on Lucy’s fragile shoulder. Lucy tries to get up. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll find our own way out. Don’t forget to lock up.’
‘Thank you, Detective.’ Sniffles Lucy. She keeps her head down and waits till she hears the door shut behind them. Her old lady routine seems to melt away and her wicked self-emerges. She throws her head back and laughs. Oh, that felt good. She has been operating in the shadows far too long. This was the most fun she had in years.
NEW ORLEANS
Bridget rushes through the airport. Luckily, it’s small because she’s running out of time. She already got a text from Luna asking her where the hell she was as boarding has started. TSA always takes longer then you expect; these people never seem to understand when you’re in a hurry. And then there was Kiki, always ready to be difficult when it’s most inconvenient. Chihuahua’s are notorious nippers and Kiki is no exception. When the TSA officer tried to pet her, she bit her, and that set off a whole train of misery. It took all her charm and persuasion skills to get past that. Thanks, Kiki. Quickly she glances at the signs, gate C5, which way? There it is! She run-walks over, and it looks like she’s the last one to go in. Luckily, she couldn’t get two seats together on the flight so she will have some time to relax before she has to deal with Luna. ‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ she says, while she hands the ground flight attendant her ticket.
‘No problem, we’re almost ready, so if you find your seat, we will still be able to leave on time.’ Bridget smiles and hurries towards the plane. 18D she moves through the aisle and looks for 18D, Luna waves her over. Bridget glances back, no it’s for her. She looks up, yes 18D. The seat is next to Luna.
‘That nice lady offered to change seats when she heard we were mother and daughter.’ Luna motions to a sweet old lady two rows behind. Bridget gives her a wry smile. ‘Great,’ she says and put the bag with Kiki at her feet and gently lets herself slide into the seat. ‘So generous of her.’ Gosh, this promises to be a long flight.
Meanwhile, Tara is airing and cleaning up her room. The sun shines in, and today she feels better. Either it’s her confession to her family. That definitely is a weight off her heart, but it might also be that there’s a little more life in the house. Wes and the dogs liven up the place. The patting of the dogs’ feet on the wooden floors, and the erratic energy of an artist. How she had missed that, she hadn’t realized that until now. Of course, she appreciates Maeve living with her, but she generally is pretty private and doesn’t buzz up the place like what’s happening now. Without realizing it, her family spends less and less time at the house. It used to be full of grandchildren, and this would be everybody’s weekend hang out. When did that stop happening? Something to work on, they will need each other now Lucy has one of the elemental objects. She highly doubts this will be the end of that. And Luna and Bridget are on their way to Boston together. That has disaster written all over it. ‘You might wonder why I suggested that,’ she says to Seamus, who startles awake in his portrait. ‘I know in my heart they need to heal. And what better way than to be forced to spend time together.’ Seamus gives a doubtful look. ‘Thanks for the support, honey.’ She rolls her eyes at him and walks over to her altar. She grabs the seven of pentacles and slides it back in her deck. Time to shuffle the cards and see what’s up. She fans the cards and her left-hand slides over them. This one. It feels right, slowly she takes it out and turns it around. Another seven, the seven of wands. A cat knocks over one of the wands on a checkerboard. He’s in a losing position but determent not to give up. Time for the action, fighting against all odds. Actually, a hopeful card, even though things look grim, there is a chance to come out on top. ‘See,’ she turns the card to show it to Seamus. ‘I’m right about sending the girls together to Boston.’ Seamus still looks pretty skeptical. ‘Things will work out. They have to.’
BOSTON
Bridget parks her car in the hospital parking lot. They had made a quick stop at her house. Luna took in every detail, and it made Bridget very uncomfortable. Since the plane, she has been repeating in her head. It’s for Tom. It’s for Tom. Now it’s time to see if Luna is as good as everybody seems to think. They get out. Bridget grabs Kiki and put her on the inside of her jacket. ‘Stay quiet.’ Kiki rolls up inside and is invisible. Luna follows it with interest. Bridget can’t help herself ‘What?!’
‘I didn’t know you could talk to animals.’
‘I can’t, I’m just good with dogs.’
‘She really understands you.’
‘You can’t talk with animals.’
‘Keep denying it honey, it will bite you in the ass, eventually.’ Luna swings her massive amount of blond locks over her shoulders and walks towards the entrance as if she knows where she’s going. Bridget grumbles, but she can’t help but think about all the times she has calmed down dogs or asked something of them. They always respond, she never realized it was a gift. And not the least, a magical one. Damn, she has been such a fool to believe there was no magic in her life. It’s all painfully clear now. No need to rub it in though. Irritated, she catches up with Luna. ‘It’s this way.’ Now Luna follows Bridget through the endless corridors of a hospital. Finally, they reach Tom’s door, a nurse just steps out. ‘How is he doing? Any changes?’
‘No, I’m sorry, he’s fine, but still in a coma. We’re unable to find anything.’
‘Thank you.’ The nurse disappears down the hall. Bridget and Luna go into the room. Bridget tries to hide her feelings of overwhelming sadness when she sees Tom. He looks so small in the bed. And to think she could have prevented it. It makes her sick to her stomach. Luna doesn’t say anything, but she stands close and lays a gentle arm over Bridget’s shoulder. They stand there for a minute. Luna lowers her shield and takes in the atmosphere of the room. For a short moment, they really feel like mother and daughter. Bridget clears her throat and straightens herself walking away from Luna’s reach.
‘Luna, this is Tom. Tom, this is my mother, Luna.’ They always say that you can still hear when you’re in a coma, so Bridget felt it would be best to int
roduce her. ‘She has special gifts, and she will make you better.’ She turns to Luna. ‘I felt the spell, it seems to cling to his chest in the area of his heart. Luna takes a position opposite Bridget, she holds both of her hands above Tom’s chest. The door opens, and she snaps her hands back to her side. It’s the nurse.
‘Sorry, it’s time to change his urine bottle.’
‘Oh.’ Luna looks down. The bottle hangs close to her leg, almost full. ‘Please, go ahead.’
The nurse is quick and efficient, nobody says anything. There’s an awkward silence. The door closes, and Luna is back. She closes her eyes, mumbles under her breath. Bridget could swear she could see Luna’s hair move. She tries to concentrate on what Luna’s doing. Time to learn something. Luna uses her fingers to feel the strings and edge of the spell, to Bridget, it looks like a messed-up ball of wool. Slowly Luna looks up. ‘This will take a while to unwind. There are many strings, and if I pull the wrong one, he very well could end up in a real coma.’
‘But you can do it.’ Bridget can’t hide her eagerness.
‘I can, but I need time. I need to form a bond, so he feels grounded.’
Bridget could hug her mother right now, but thankfully, she’s on the other side of the bed, and manages to keep a blank face. She merely says, ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re very welcome, but you can thank me when he wakes up. Now, do you have something else to do?’
‘I can help.’
‘Please, honey, you have to give me room to do this. It’s tedious, I can’t have you breathing down my neck.’
‘Fine. I’ll be at the station. If you need anything, you can call me.’
‘Thanks.’ But Luna’s attention is already on Tom. Bridget leaves her. Luna breathes a sigh of relief. This spell is a work of art and will take all her skills to unravel. She pulls up a chair and takes Tom’s hand. Step one is to get to know the victim and for him to get to know her. They might not be able to communicate through talking, but there are other ways. Gently she starts to massage his hand while she softly sings a lullaby.
Bridget manages to secure a parking spot close to the police station and the minute she gets out rain pours down on her. Surprised, she looks around. It seems sunny. This makes no sense. Within seconds, she’s drenched, and when she looks up, it’s like a tiny cloud hangs above her head. Shit. This must be Ceri’s doing! What is she thinking?! This will attract attention. She looks around, people are pointing at her. Great. She wants to rip off the amulet around her neck, this will all be over. The stone is warm, she lifts it up to give it a thug, hesitates and let it fall out of her hand. Stop being a pussy and do something. She scolds herself. Otherwise, she will never learn. In the meantime, she’s wet to the bone, so it doesn’t matter anymore. She closes her eyes and feels the spell. The rain seems to go faster and faster. Right… a smile forms on her face and she recites while she waves her finger. ‘Umbrella makes me happy and keeps me dry, so et voilà.’ An invisible umbrella appears above her head. The rain stops. That was wishful thinking, now the rain flows around her and sure doesn’t help at all with her attracting people’s attention. She steps forward, the cloud follows her. Okay. Stop whining and do something! This is what you asked for remember. Feel the spell. Recalling what Luna did. As inconspicuously as possible she raises her hands and tries to feel the spell. It only seems to be two strands, so much easier than the one Luna’s facing. She gives a good yank. Nothing happens, and a crowd starts to gather around her. Time to hurry up, no time for subtlety. She raises her arms, feels deep within and imagines herself pulling the spell apart. With her imagination, she sees it happening. When she opens her eyes, the sun shines on them once again. People around her cheer. She makes a mock bow and rushes into the police station. Ping. She glances at her phone. ‘Too long!’
What is Ceri thinking?! ‘I attracted a crowd!’
‘Better be quicker next time then. Use those senses.’ Gosh! Maybe she should have asked Freya instead. Stuffing her cell phone back in her pocket, she marches into the station.
‘Gee Madigan! What happened to you?’ shouts her friend Carla from behind the front desk.
‘Don’t mention it.’
‘Good to see you’re back. How is Tom doing? Any news?’
‘No. Nothing. I just came from the hospital. Anything up here?’
‘I heard there was a lead…’ Carla nods her head to the stairs.
‘Thanks. We’ll talk soon okay.’
‘Time for some margaritas!’
Bridget blows her a kiss and walks up the stairs.
Cal sees a parking spot right in front of Lucy’s home. This must be a good omen. Maybe his Grandma will go easy on him. The house is back to normal, stark and uninviting, no more cute cottage. He walks up to the door and is about to knock when the door is pulled open. Lucy quickly glances up and down the streets and pulls Cal inside.
‘For once you have perfect timing. The cops have been here; we have to leave.’
‘What do you mean?’ Cal looks bewildered at the suitcases by the door. Lucy pushes him towards the stairs down to her dungeon. ‘We need to pack the last things from my workspace, and then we head for Ti’tsa-pa house.’
‘We’re going to Utah?’ Cal is not a fan of that house. It’s built on the crossing of ley lines. Lucy has taken great care in constructing that house. He finds it has suffocating vibes, it gives him nightmares.
‘Hold this.’ Lucy hands him a box and starts to pile things in it. Skulls, candles, books, scrolls, feathers, whatever she can get her hands on. ‘Go get the Explorer and start loading up. I want to leave within the hour.’
‘What about the house?’
‘I’ll take care of that. Hurry! I’m sure they’ll be back. Probably sooner than we want.’ Lucy wants to add her small personal book of dark spells to the box, but it’s already overflowing. Absentmindedly she lays it on a little ledge. She grabs the next box and starts to fill that up with witch paraphernalia from the table. Her hand caresses the table’s scary looking twisted bodies legs, she’s going to miss that. It has a lot of souls in it, and it was one of her first dabbles in dark magic. Ah well, it’s a small price to pay if all her plans work out.
Luna takes her time studying the spell. The construction of a spell takes patience, and this one definitely had taken some time to construct. Its weaving is complicated, and she is looking forward to taking it apart. Spells have always fascinated her, because of that and her natural talent she was made the family’s spell weaver. You don’t have to be a gifted witch to be good at spell weaving, but it can certainly help you. Magic runs strong in the Madigan family, they all seem to have powerful gifts, which is unusual in witch families. That it turns out that they are the keeper of a unique magical object doesn’t surprise Luna. When she was young, other witches would already whisper around her how exceptional she was, that it might be dangerous. That Tara and Seamus shouldn’t have been allowed to marry. They’re both from long lines of powerful witches. She never felt very different or powerful growing up. She always wondered how witches measure strength? Now she knows. If you see another witch, you can feel it. It’s hard to describe. Maybe the closest is the amount of water that flows down a waterfall. It can be a gentle drip, or it can be a gushing stream. She’s a gushing stream and so is Bridget, not as strong as her, but she definitely has potential. If she would only embrace her powers. Tara is strong, but when you get older, it is as if the stream is widening, the force is diminished. And her sister Ceri is powerful, she seems to want to hide it or not to take it seriously, it’s hard to figure her out. Anyway, she will need all her skills right now if she wants to save this man. The first step is forming a bond, so unconsciously, he will be drawn to her. She caresses his face and familiarizes herself with his features, his sharp nose, his full mouth. Her finger goes back and forth over his bottom lip, she can’t help but smile, this man feels good. He seems like a
good man. The spell is humming, very good, that means what’s she’s doing now is influencing the spell. Her hands travel down his chest, she plays with his chest hair on the spot where the spell is connected. It almost feels like angry needles pierce her skin of her hand if she lingers on that spot. Her hands travel down his legs, she grabs a chair and massages his feet. For a moment, she could swear she saw him smile. Not only perfect to make a connection but also good for the blood flow and possible blood clots. While she massages his feet, she thinks about some things she will need. Should she ask Bridget where she can find a good herbal shop? Probably not the best idea, better to Google it. She’ll need some Siberian Ginseng, some Milk-Vetch, Lemon Verbena and Rosemary for sure. Other things will come to her. Okay, time to get moving. Slowly she pulls the sheet back over him, and for a second she glances around the room as if to make sure she’s alone. Then she bents forward and very slowly gives him a tender kiss and whispers ‘Come back to me.’ It feels like the room is shrinking and expanding a bit. And so it begins, the unraveling of the spell. Satisfied, Luna grabs her bag and throws it over her shoulder as she leaves the room.
Bridget is turning all sorts of green while she’s still waiting outside the Captain’s office. He was not pleased to see her! He’s letting her wait. Not her strong point. At least, she’s starting to dry up a bit. She doesn’t know what she will say anyway. What can she do? The truth is not an option, she can only hope the evidence is clear and then, she needs to be there when they confront Lucy. The voices of Hayes and Connor startle her from her reverie. She jumps up.
‘Did you go and see Mrs. Lockwood?’
Connor smiles when he takes in her disheveled state ‘We did.’
‘And?!’ Connor checks if the Captain has seen them, but he has his back to them.
‘It wasn’t her.’
‘WHAT?!’ Bridget tries to control herself ‘Why not? Her DNA…’
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