Son of a Witch: A Witch Squad Cozy Mystery #2

by M. Z. Andrews

  “Perfect,” I told her excitedly. “That makes me feel better. Thanks Alba!”

  { Chapter Eleven}

  I woke up early the next morning absolutely sure that Sneaks would be on my windowsill or curled up at the foot of my bed waiting for me to open my eyes. To my frustration, she wasn’t. The only bright spot was a simple text that I had on my phone from Hugh. “G’mornin’ sunshine.” I could hear his country twang in my head and it made me smile. I shot off a hasty reply, took a deep breath and jumped out of bed to shower and dress for the day.

  When I came back Jax was waiting to go to breakfast with me. The squad was all there. Alba and Holly on one side of the table and Sweets on the other side. Jax and I sat down next to Sweets.

  “Good morning,” Jax chirped brightly to the table.

  “Hey,” said Holly as she looked up at us. “What’s on the schedule today?”

  “Class and then I think we should go interview Elena after lunch,” I suggested as I took a bite of my breakfast sandwich.

  “Who is Elena again?” Sweets asked.

  Jax looked at Sweets before digging into her breakfast. “Harper’s sister.”

  “Why are we going to go interview Elena?”

  Sweets’ question made me remember that I hadn’t filled the girls in on the new information that Hugh and I had discovered after supper last night. “Hugh and I saw Vaughn last night. He was in this alley and we followed him. Turns out he’s staying with Elena right now.”

  “He’s like staying at her house?” Holly seemed confused.

  “Yeah, like sleeping there. Isn’t that sort of strange?” I asked the table.

  “But are they sleeping together?” Holly asked.

  “I have no idea, but isn’t that the assumption?”

  Holly’s head jerked back. “That’s where my mind goes.”

  “That’s always where your mind goes,” Alba grumbled.

  “Anyway. The point is, if they are sleeping together, that would go to motive. And maybe they were in on it together. I want to go see her today and then I think we should go past Jimmy’s again and talk to Harper.”

  “We could bring Reign along,” Jax suggested quietly, trying not to call too much attention to the fact that she had suggested it.

  I sighed. I didn’t want my brother and my friends intermingling. Something about it just really poked a hole in my boat. “Reign’s not coming,” I said firmly.

  “But…” Holly whined.

  I shook my head. “He’s not coming. We need to focus and we can’t focus if Reign is tagging along.”

  Holly, Jax, and Sweets hung their heads.

  I took the last bite of my sandwich and stood up. “Ok, I’m going to go get a macchiato and then head to class. We’ll meet up after lunch.”

  ***

  The five of us climbed the narrow back staircase of the Quick Copy single file. I knocked on the only door at the top of the stairs and together we all waited with baited breath. A blonde that looked almost exactly like Harper answered the door.

  “Elena?” I asked.

  She scanned the five of us curiously. Thankfully I had made Jax leave her stupid witch hat in Sweets’ car. “May I help you?” she asked.

  “My name is Mercy Habernackle. My friends and I are – I mean, were, friends of Harper’s. We came to pay our respects,” I fudged. “May we come in?” I asked her.

  She shuffled from foot to foot and I wondered if perhaps Vaughn was there and that was why she looked so nervous. “Umm, yeah, sure. Come in,” she said and opened the door to allow the five of us to pass by her.

  “Have a seat,” she said and gestured towards the mustard colored sofa and love seat underneath the picture window that overlooked Orange Street. Her apartment was small but cozy and warm. It smelled of pumpkin spiced candles and burnt pizza.

  “Thank you,” I said with a smile. “Oh, this is Jax, Alba, Sweets and Holly.”

  “Hi,” she said with a nervous titter. “How did you girls know my sister?”

  The rest of the girls looked at me. “Umm, that’s kind of a long story,” I said nervously. “She hasn’t been to Aspen Falls in a really long time.”

  Elena’s eyes appeared glassy as she gnawed on her lip. “Yeah,” she whispered through a choked breath. “I’ve really missed her and now…,” she stopped talking as a pair of tears fell down her cheeks. She reached forward and grabbed a tissue from the coffee table.

  “I’m really sorry about your sister,” Jax said quietly.

  “Thank you,” Elena whispered. The pain that she was in seemed to radiate off of her and the suspicions that I had before coming to meet her seemed suddenly silly. Why would Elena be involved with her sister’s boyfriend? A sister she obviously loved very much and was devastated that she was gone. My heart tugged inside of my chest. The pain to lose a loved one was so intense, I hoped I never had to deal with that.

  “Have you heard anything more on the investigation?” I asked her.

  She shook her head as she dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “No. Just that she was poisoned, but I’m sure that made the paper today, so everyone knows that.”

  I took a deep breath. I didn’t know how to handle the situation so I decided to just take the direct approach. “Can I be honest with you, Elena? It might be kind of hard to understand.”

  That made her interested in what I had to say. She looked up at me with interest. “Please do.”

  “Ok, well, the girls and I, well, we’re…” I began, searching for the right way to say what I wanted to say.

  “Witches?” she asked me bluntly.

  I looked at the girls with wide eyes. “Yeah, how did you…?”

  “Detective Whitman told my family that he had consulted with someone from the Paranormal Institute and they were helping with the investigation and that someone had actually seen my sister’s ghost. I assume that was you five?”

  We all nodded.

  She pointed towards Jax and gave us a half grin, “Her outfit kind of made me assume it was you.”

  “Yeah, so we just wanted to come ask you a few questions.”

  Elena nodded and sniffed back her tears. I could tell she was trying to turn the page from grieving sister to justice seeking sister. She sat up straight and crossed her legs, prepared to get down to work. “Sure, I’ll help however I can. I want my sister’s killer to pay for what they did to her and our family.”

  “I think the police think it was either her boyfriend or the guy she was found in bed with when she died. Do you have an opinion on either one of them?”

  Elena cleared her throat and uncrossed her legs, leaning forward in her seat. “Well, I obviously never met the man she was found in bed with, from what I understand that was a one night stand type of situation and as far as her boyfriend goes, I’ve never met him either, so I wouldn’t know if he’s the type of person that could do something like this. I wouldn’t think he was, though, not the way that Harper talked about him.”

  Alba tipped her head sideways and gave Elena a surprised look. “You’ve never met your sister’s boyfriend?”

  Elena crossed her legs again and shifted in her seat. “No, I – uh, I mean, Harper hadn’t been home in years and her boyfriend was from Connecticut. She was bringing him home for the first time to meet the family.”

  Holly sprang forward with a question. “Were you surprised that your sister would have cheated on her boyfriend the night she died?”

  Elena cleared her throat again. “Not really. Harper and I talked a lot on the phone. She was very clear that while she and Vaughn were a thing, they had an open relationship.”

  That was the first I’d heard of this. “Meaning they could see other people?”

  Elena nodded but refused to make eye contact with me. “Mmhmm.”

  “So, did Harper have other relationships outside of her relationship with Vaughn?” I asked in surprise.

  “Yeah, they were more just physical relationships. Vaughn was the only one she cons
idered her boyfriend, per se. But yes, she took advantage of the fact that they agreed they could be intimate with people outside of their relationship.”

  Alba cleared her throat. “Do you think Vaughn was in any relationships outside of theirs?”

  Elena shrugged. “Like I said, I never met the guy, so I don’t have any idea.”

  “Your sister never told you?” Holly asked.

  Jax shot forward in her seat. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but may I use your restroom?”

  Elena touched her neck nervously and then stood up. “Umm, sure, I’ll show you where it is.”

  Jax stood up too and shot Elena one of her dazzling smiles. “It’s fine, just point me in the right direction, I’m sure I can’t get too lost.”

  “Oh, it’s just the first door on the right down that hallway,” she said and pointed to the hallway off the kitchen.

  “Thanks,” said Jax as she disappeared down the hallway.

  Elena watched her until she disappeared into the first door on the right as instructed. Once Jax was safely stowed away inside the bathroom, Elena visibly relaxed. By now I was sure that Vaughn was hiding somewhere in the apartment.

  “I’m sorry, what were we saying?” Elena asked the rest of us.

  “I asked if your sister ever told you that Vaughn was seeing other women besides her. You’d think that would bother her,” Holly pointed out.

  “Oh, you know, Harper never really mentioned if he was,” she said. “And I don’t think she could get too bothered by it, it was their agreement and she was doing what she wanted to do, so it would only be right if he got to do what he wanted to do.”

  I nodded at her emphatically as if I were buying everything she was selling, even though my bullshit meter had hit the red zone the minute she said she’d never met Vaughn before. “Right, yeah, of course,” I said to appease her. “Do you think Harper had any ex-lovers that could have done this to her?”

  Elena’s eyes swung upwards towards the ceiling as if she were giving that question some serious thought. “I really don’t think so. The last time Harper was in Aspen Falls was high school. She had boyfriends in high school, but that was so long ago and I don’t remember any of them ending on bad terms or her ever speaking of anyone like that.”

  “Did you know that Harper was coming to Aspen Falls and bringing Vaughn with her?” Alba asked her.

  Elena cleared her throat again and fidgeted in her seat. I could tell she was debating on whether or not to tell us the truth or not. Detective Whitman had told her that we were in contact with her sister’s ghost, would she believe that enough to tell the truth – that she knew Harper was coming home. “Umm, yeah, Harper told me she was coming home,” she finally admitted after a long pause.

  “And who did you tell? That Harper was coming home, that is,” Alba asked.

  Elena’s eyes widened. “Oh, Harper didn’t want me to tell anyone that she was coming home. She said she wanted to surprise our parents.”

  “And you heeded her wishes?” I asked, seeking clarification.

  “Uh-huh,” Elena nodded.

  Just then Jax emerged from the bathroom. Elena’s gaze rested intently on her until she was reseated with the rest of us.

  I looked at the girls. “Do we have any more questions for Elena?” I asked them.

  They all kind of shook their heads.

  “Oh! I almost forgot one of the main reasons I wanted to come and see you. Harper has asked for us to bring you to her,” I shared. “She doesn’t want to leave the Bed & Brew, so I told her I would try and bring you to her. That is, if you’re up to it?”

  Elena looked understandably hesitant at the idea of seeing her dead sister’s ghost.

  “Of course we understand if that’s too much for you,” Sweets interjected.

  Elena took another long moment to consider the request and then sucked up a deep breath. “I can do it,” she said unconvincingly.

  “Harper will appreciate it,” I said, trying to give her more of a positive reason to go to Jimmy’s Bed & Brew.

  “Yeah,” she said exhaling a deep breath. “Are you going over there now?”

  I stood up, “Yeah I think we’re all done here. The girls and I will head over there if you just want to meet us there?”

  She gave us a tight-lipped smile. “Ok, yeah, I’ve got a few things to finish up here and then I’ll just throw on a sweater and my shoes and be over there in say, a half an hour?”

  I nodded at her and gave her an agreeable smile.

  The girls all stood up and we headed towards the door. “Thanks, Elena. I know you just made your sister very happy.”

  { Chapter Twelve}

  “Hurry up girls! We’ve got to get to Jimmy’s quick. I want a minute to speak to Harper before Elena gets there.” I jogged across the street to where we’d parked the car.

  Sweets sighed as she caught a whiff of something delicious from a bakery nearby. “Oh, I smell apple pie!” she gushed.

  I rushed back to her and linked my arm with hers, dragging her towards the car. “No time for pie right now, Sweets. We’ve got work to do.”

  Sweets stopped in the middle of the street. “But my blood sugar is low,” she complained.

  “We just had lunch,” I argued.

  “I’m hypoglycemic,” she retorted.

  “No you’re not,” Alba shot back.

  Sweets shrugged and kicked a pebble on the road. “I might be. You don’t know.”

  “Ugh,” I groaned. “Sweets, we need to get to the tavern before Elena gets there.”

  “There’s always time for pie,” she groaned.

  Jax gave me a sweet smile. “Oh, come on Mercy Bear, there’s always time for pie.”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  “Why not? That’s what your mom calls you,” Jax pointed out with a shrug.

  “That’s different, she’s my mother.”

  “So?”

  “Fine, I’ll start calling you JaclynRose, that’s what your mother calls you,” I said with a little laugh.

  Jax deflated. “Fine,” she spat out. “But there’s still time for pie. Let Sweets have her pie.”

  “Ugh, make it snappy,” I growled at Sweets.

  Jax, Holly, and Sweets all made a dash to the bakery around the corner.

  “I can’t believe it, they’re all getting pie!” I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the trunk of Sweets’ car.

  Alba slunk backwards too. “We have time. Elena can wait downstairs while you go talk to Harper. I’ll keep her busy.”

  That relaxed the tension in my shoulders slightly. “Ok, thanks. You find anything out about that spell I asked you about.”

  “I did, I asked Stone about it. She let me borrow an animal control spell book that has that spell in it. I haven’t had time to look it over though. We can do the spell tonight; she said we can practice in the lab at school if we want.”

  “Perfect,” I told her.

  “You realize we’ll need an animal for you to control. Do you have an animal you’re going to use?”

  That thought hadn’t occurred to me yet. “Mmm, no. I guess I don’t. Maybe we should stop at a pet shop?”

  She nodded.

  “I saw a pet shop around the corner from the Quick Copy. Let’s go see what we can find.”

  We walked back across the street and around the corner. Two doors down from the Quick Copy was a small pet shop. A bell jingled when we opened the front door and immediately a puppy sprang out of nowhere and attacked my ankle.

  “Hey little guy,” I gushed at the beautiful chestnut colored puppy that was rolling about by my feet. He was no bigger than a teddy bear and his curly hair was just as silky smooth as one. He begged to be petted.

  “He’s quite the little looker,” Alba said with a smile. That was how adorable this puppy was, Alba actually cracked a smile. Miracles can happen.

  “Yeah he is,” I grinned. The puppy playfully nipped at my hand as I scratched his undercarriage.


  “He’s a Cavapoo,” said a female’s voice from the back of the shop.

  Alba and I followed the voice to see the pet shop attendant walking towards us.

  “We just got him in this week,” she said. “He’s a mix between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle. Great little guy, so loving and sweet.”

  “Does he have a name?” I asked.

  “He came in with the name Chesney. But he’s young enough you could probably change it.”

  “Ohhhh, Chesney!” I cooed. “It’s so fitting! Who would ever change that?”

  “He’s cute, but you can’t seriously want to get a dog, can you?” Alba asked me. “I thought maybe we’d get a hamster or a goldfish or something.”

  “Why would I want to control a goldfish?”

  Just then Holly, Sweets, and Jax passed by the window of the pet store. I popped my head outside. “We’re in here,” I called.

  The girls came running in with their Styrofoam containers of pie and when they saw Chesney at our feet they went wild.

  “Oh, I want a puppy,” Holly cooed.

  “We’re not getting a puppy,” Alba growled.

  “Can we get a puppy?” Jax begged me.

  “You’re not getting a puppy,” Alba barked again.

  “He is pretty cute…”

  Alba sighed. “I thought we were in a hurry.”

  Sweets sneezed as she scratched the top of Chesney’s head. “I think I’m allergic.”

  “It’s probably just the pet shop,” Holly said.

  “He’d live in our room anyway,” Jax pointed out. “But you could visit him. Please Mercy, can we get him?”

  I leaned my head sideways. I could feel myself relenting. He was too cute to pass up. “But we aren’t allowed to have pets in the dorm.”

  Jax waved a hand in front of her face. “Oh, psh, I have connections,” she said with a laugh.

  “If you’re sure?”

  “Oh, I am, I am! Plus we won’t have to exactly tell anyone about him. Wait. What’s his name? Do we get to name him?”

  “He already has a name,” said Alba.